interruptions

March 12, 2018

The Healing of the Lame Beggar

Acts 3.1-10

Luke tells us that “…many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles” (Acts 2.43) The healing of the lame beggar is an example of one of them. The man, who had been going through the motions and everyday rhythms of life, didn’t expect to have an encounter with Jesus. But when he is miraculously healed by Peter in Jesus’ name, everything changes.

All of us, like the lame beggar, need Jesus. Sometimes our other needs camouflage our deepest need…and that deepest need is always Jesus. If you have not yet trusted in Him, why not today? Then you too can experience the unexpected surprise that is no less than life from the dead. Uncontainable joy and unfettered worship.

Peter and John are on their way to the temple that day to worship…to participate in the evening sacrifices and pray along with many of their Jewish brethren. They have somewhere to be, and no one would think twice if they just politely ignored our friend or threw a few shekels his way. But not Peter. Not this time. Maybe he’s thinking back to all the times that Jesus stopped to heal folks throughout His ministry. Maybe, like Jesus, Peter is overcome by compassion and mercy for this man. Maybe he remembers Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan and what it means to love your neighbor. Whatever it is that day, Peter looks a lot like Jesus.

Speaking of the parable of the Good Samaritan…I think there’s a pretty close link between loving our neighbor…loving others…and being interruptible. Jesus was often interrupted, but He never treated the interruptions or those who caused them as distractions…He leveraged them as opportunities to teach, to show mercy, to demonstrate His amazing love. Here we see Peter being interruptible. I believe that some of the best ministry happens in the interruptions…in the unplanned encounters…in the unexpected surprises.

So how interruptible are you? Do you see interruptions as opportunities or distractions? Do you see folks as in need or in the way? Do you show compassion toward others or indifference? Are you generous with your time and your resources? If not, why not?

Maybe it’s a lack of margin that keeps you from being interruptible…you’ve so packed your schedule that you simply don’t have time to help those in need, or you’ve so over-extended yourself financially that you don’t have the resources to help. Spend some time asking God to help you create some margin in your life. Ask for wisdom of what you need to say “no” to in order that you can say “yes” when needs arise.

Maybe it’s selfishness, laziness or pride that keeps you from being interruptible…you are too busy building your own kingdom, focusing on your own comfort, avoiding inconvenience. Your gaze is fixed inward instead of outward. Pray that God will open your eyes to the needs around you.

Maybe it’s hardness of heart that keeps you from being interruptible…you simply lack compassion and mercy for people. You get fed up with people and their perceived lack of judgment and perpetual bad decisions. Hardness of heart is dangerous…you can only show mercy if you’ve received mercy. If you don’t show mercy, it could be an indication that you’re in need of God’s mercy. At a minimum you have a heart problem. Ask God to reveal to you what’s going on in your heart. Ask Him to help you show compassion.

Easter’s just around the corner. Who, like the lame beggar, do you need to keep your eyes open for? Who can you introduce to Jesus? I hope that you’ve identified that one on your impact list that you are praying for and plan on inviting.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on a sermon from our Acts series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster

July 11, 2016

Ministry Interrupted

Luke 8.40-56

In this story we have 2 narratives intertwined…2 desperate but very different life situations: 1 well-off, the other poor; 1 highly respected, the other rejected; 1 a part of a family, the other alone. But both are seemingly beyond help. For 12 years the girl and the woman have lived such different lives, but now tragedy has put them on a collision course, and they both experience God’s life-giving power.

This is a story of fear and faith. Fear of the circumstances of life that Jairus and the woman find themselves in. Faith in Jesus’ ability to rescue them in those same circumstances of life. Calming the storm…casting out demons…healing disease…raising the dead…Jesus has power over creation, demons, uncleanness and death. No doubt Jesus can rescue them. His compassionate words and compassionate touch are proof of His willingness to rescue them.

The woman’s faith is pretty straight forward…she believes that if she can only touch Jesus’ cloak, she will be healed. And she is…immediately. No delay. Instant satisfaction.

But what about Jairus? He too believes that Jesus can heal his daughter. However, the interruption and subsequent delay seemingly result in all being lost. Yet Jesus still asks Jairus to trust Him. The timing is not what Jairus would have chosen…Jesus has His own timing (rarely early, but always on time)…but God is still in control. Do you believe that? In the circumstances of your life, do you believe that God is in control, and that His timing is always the right timing? Are you willing to patiently wait on Him? The seed planted in good soil holds fast to the Word and bears fruit with perseverance.

The guy from Jairus’ house thinks that all hope for Jairus’ daughter is lost…and by all appearances it is. But Jesus uses the delay to do something even bigger than healing a sick girl…He raises her from the dead.

We learn something important from this story about living and loving like Jesus…Jesus is busy, but not rushed. He sees interruptions as opportunities to minister grace to others. He’s very interruptible. I’m afraid I for one am both busy and rushed. That many, if not most, times I see people as distractions or as problems to be dealt with. I often overlook or miss opportunities to minister grace to others. I have to protect my routine. Interruptible? Are you kidding me? I have a schedule to keep. But if we want to live and love like Jesus, we have to be willing to slow down, trust God’s timing, and embrace interruptiblity.

So I don’t know where you are…maybe you are like the woman in desperate need of Jesus to rescue you…physically, emotionally, spiritually…maybe you’ve tried everything else. Just reach out to Him.

Maybe you are like Jairus…needing God to act right now! Maybe you need to be reminded that His timing is always perfect and to see the bigger thing that God may be doing in the delay. Maybe it’s a time to exercise a patient faith.

Maybe you need to be reminded that Ministry Interrupted is really a Ministry Opportunity.

Until next time…stay salty.

“May we see interruptions as opportunities to be wholesalers of God’s grace.”

This post is based on a sermon from our Luke series, Live & Love Like Jesus. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster