We’re in the Klamath Basin

Crazy Love

Our focus this summer at WestSide is to learn to love and serve like Jesus. We are taking a good hard look at the “Love Chapter” (1 Corinthians 13), the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 4,5,6), and many other passages.

Jesus is the best example of showing the love of God to others and we want to be like Him.

We have talked about how many people outside the church view Christ followers as homophobic, judgmental, politically motivated, and hypocritical.  Just saying these labels don’t fit us isn’t enough; we need to show that these labels don’t fit us.

We have looked at John 13:34-35; Romans 13:8; Galatians 5:13 and many other scriptures to find that to live like Jesus is to love like Jesus.

We began this series on Sunday, June 6, the anniversary of the D-Day invasion of World War 2. I called for an invasion of love and service to win back ground lost to the enemy.

A few weeks into the summer I began giving weekly assignments so that we may practice loving and serving like Jesus.

Each Sunday as we gather for worship we share our stories about what happens as we carry out the assigned tasks. Please consider joining us as we love and serve in Jesus’ Name!

CRAZY LOVE ASSIGNMENTS

Week 1: This week we looked at how Jesus washed the disciple’s feet; a very practical but humbling way to serve. Since washing people’s feet isn’t something we do in our culture we need to find similar ways of serving others. Our assignment is to “wash the feet” of someone else; mow their lawn, visit someone in the hospital, prepare a meal for someone (besides your family), etc. If you get a “crazy” idea it might just be from God. Don’t shrug it off…do it!

Week 2: This week you are to bake some cookies (or similar treat), or write an encouragement card and include a Dutch Bros. coffee card (or similar gift), or find some sign of appreciation and give it to your garbage man, postal carrier, newspaper deliverer, or someone who regularly serves you. The catch with this one is that it must be handed to them in person! Have fun with this!

Week 3: This week we read the story in John 8 about the woman caught in adultery being brought to Jesus. Her accusers were ready to stone her to death, but Jesus showed her mercy; something she least deserved or expected. The accusers dropped their stones and walked away. Our assignment is to show mercy, compassion, and love to someone even though they don’t deserve it or expect it. You may need to “drop the stones” you have been holding.

Week 4: This week’s assignment is an easy one. Write a letter to someone who had a positive influence on your spiritual journey; someone who showed you what the love of Jesus is all about. If that person is deceased then write your letter to God thanking Him for sending that person into your life.

Week 5: The assignment this week is to write a letter of praise and thanks to God.  Thank Him for the changes he has made in your life and for loving you like crazy!

I really enjoy reading Perry Noble’s blog (www.perrynoble.com). He gives good insight and gets right to the heart of the matter. Here’s a post from back on June 3, 2009 that I keep going back to. I pray it challenges you as much as it does me.

“Two Questions That Dominate Our Thinking…
…and can ULTIMATELY destroy our walk with Jesus and what He wants to do in us.
I know that is a huge statement…but it’s true!
In my nearly 20 years of ministry (and almost 38 of life) I have seen these questions change people for the worse…heck…they’ve changed me for the worse many times…
They are…
#1 - What will people say about me?
#2 - What will people think about me?
Yep…being obsessed with what others say and think is one of the quickest ways to take our eyes off of Jesus!
Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10 that if we are trying to please others then we can’t be Jesus’ servant. And…we’re either serving “them” or serving “Him!”
Proverbs 29:25 says that fear of man is a snare…something that captures us (usually for the purpose of eventually destroying us!)
As followers of Jesus our mind and heart must be fixed on Him (Colossians 3:1-2)…which ISN’T EASY because so many times the voice of the crowd seems to trump the voice of Christ.
Truth be known…ALL of us want people to like us!
ALL of us want people to say nice things about us!
ALL of us want people, when they think of us, to have nice thoughts!
I would dare say that NO ONE woke up today thinking, “I REALLY hope people hate me today!”
And I would say there is nothing wrong with the things listed above…UNLESS we allow them to interfere with what Jesus wants for our lives.
When we trade in being obedient to Jesus for being liked by others…we break the first two commands and are on a pretty good pace to shatter the next eight!
I am praying personally that the question that will dominate my life is, “What now Jesus…” and when He answers that I will recklessly pursue all that He wants for me with no regards for anything except for pleasing Him!!! I am not there yet…but it is what I am striving for…and the closer I get the more freedom I feel to live and lead as He has called me to!!!”

 

What do you complain about the most?

Isn’t it amazing how fast our attitudes can change? When we take our eyes off what God is doing in our lives, and instead, focus on what He is not doing in our lives that we think He ought to be doing, our whole outlook changes.

 

“The riff-raff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, “Why can’t we have meat? We ate fish in Egypt – and got it free! – to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is this manna.”

(Numbers 11:4-6 The Message)

 

The people of Israel didn’t seem to notice what God was doing for them because they were so wrapped up in what He was not doing for them.

What was He doing for them?

Setting them free: through a series of miraculous events God has rescued the Israelites from 400 years of slavery.

Making them a nation: God has given the Israelites a new law, a holy standard of living, and has called them “my People.”

Bringing them to a new land: God is leading His people to a land “flowing with milk and honey.”

 

Needles to say, those were incredible times to be a part of the People of Israel. God was doing some amazing things among them.

 

          Yet, what were they thinking about?

The good food they had left behind.

 

They forgot that all that good food came at a hefty price: the sting of the whip on their backs, living in bondage, the lack of freedom to worship as they please for generation after generation.

 

Every morning the Israelites would witness a miracle: food from heaven!

This was not good enough for them.

(v.13) “Give us meat that we may eat!”

 

Moses is so fed up with them he asks God to kill him: (v.15).

 

God tells Moses that He will give them meat; so much meat that it will come out their noses!

And He does; but along with the meat He sends a plague (a very severe plague) to punish them for their greed.

 

So what was their sin?

Their big problem here was their lust; they were craving for the things of the past.

Lust is defined as an unnatural or greedy desire for anything: Sports, Knowledge, Possessions, Influence over others, Power, and in this case, Food.

God punishes Israel for craving good food! Their desire wasn’t wrong; we all enjoy good food. The sin was allowing that desire to turn to greed. They began to obsess over food, they felt it was their right to have fine foods, and they could think of nothing else.

 

We see this attitude very clearly in our society today. I recently heard a radio ad about the importance of keeping kids off of drugs. The narrator was saying that kids who use drugs usually “don’t get the jobs that they deserve”…I had to laugh…Kids don’t deserve a job; they have to go out and find one. And when they find a job they have to work hard to keep it.

 

Another ad said that with this Home Business plan you will “get the success you deserve…”

We also saw this in New Orleans after the hurricane Katrina swept in. People were waiting in line to receive free food and a news clip showed a woman complaining because the food wasn’t up to her standards.

 

When you become preoccupied with something until it affects your perspective on everything else, you have moved from desire to lust.

 

Lets take a lesson from the Israelites. We are not too different from them. The God that led them through the wilderness is the same God that is leading us today. Let’s remember what happened to them and vow that we will not do the same.

We all have our own wilderness to wander through: family problems, health problems, money problems.

God will not abandon us in the wilderness. Just as He cared for the Israelites He will care for us. I once heard a wise old timer say, “God is more concerned with your character than your comfort.” How true that is!

Let’s vow to keep an attitude of gratitude for all that God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives.

Peace to you,

Pastor John