I wanted to start today’s blog with a question. 

How welcoming and accepting of others are we as a church?

Now, I want to think that we are pretty welcoming and accepting here at Osceola Grace, and I hope that we are. But I know this: We cannot experience real Christian community without the ability to accept one another. So, let’s spend some time right now and look at the command in the Bible to accept each other, and come to understand what it means to do so, and then let’s examine ourselves to see if there isn't some room in our hearts and lives for some growth in this area.

Romans 15:7 says, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (NIV)

The key word is “accept” in this passage. When I looked this up in the Greek language, it’s the word “proslamban”. It means “to receive kindly or hospitably” and “to treat with kindness”. It means “to welcome” in the broadest sense. It means “to receive wholeheartedly, to warmly welcome to yourself, to grant admission into your heart, to look beyond anything superficial and to be willing and open to build relationships.”

In other words, “acceptance” means to welcome someone who is different from you. Can we not only tolerate people, but extend the holiest sense of grace to them? Can we express a resilient and abiding meekness to others even in the presence of that which is distasteful and offensive? Can we do that?

The key phrase for understanding and practicing this command is the phrase, “just as Christ accepted you.” Christ is our standard – we are to accept others just as He accepted us. And how did Christ accept us? Well, according to Romans 5:8 the Bible says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It was and is Jesus’ nature to love the unlovable. His loving acceptance is able to distinguish who we are from what we have done. Even in our sin, we are still the objects of His love.

This is my prayer; that as we become, more and more, the church we ought to be, the world will notice. When they walk into our fellowship, they will sense that something is different here, and they will go home thinking, “I want what they have; I want to be a part of what is going on there.” They will go home praising God, saying that God is in that place; God is among those folks.

• Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn. 13:34-35)
• Jesus said, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”(Jn. 17:23)

When people know that God loves them, because we love them, then they will bring praise to God.

Dr. Larry Crabb, in his book Connecting, wrote that we experience God’s power to heal souls through our compassionate, authentic relationships with others. Crabb wrote, “What every Christian can pour into another is the powerful passion of acceptance, a passion that flows out of the center of the gospel, a passion that fills the heart of God.” 

Wow...now that’s powerful! 

So now… let’s talk about the application – how do we go about doing that. Who is the “one another” that we are to be accepting? What is it that makes it difficult for us to accept one another? I would like to suggest that the “who” we are to accept includes both non-Christians and Christians, and the “what makes it difficult to accept” includes prejudice and legalism, or judgmentalism. I have to admit…I struggle with some of those areas from time to time in my own life. As I yield these areas of my life to the Holy Spirit; He has, and still is, making drastic changes in my life.

As I read God’s Word, he reminds me that it doesn't matter who people are, where they are from, or what they have done. It shouldn't matter to us whether a person is rich or poor, or is educated or uneducated. It shouldn't matter what is the color of their skin, or the country or culture they come from. Nothing about their appearance should matter to us – tall or short, thick or thin, good looking or other looking, handicapped or not, tattoo covered, pierced, you name it. You say, “Pastor Dave, what about those who have been in trouble with the law, or who were in prison, or who carry the label of sex-offender, or have same sex attractions, those struggling with addictions – are they welcome?” They will be if we want to be like Jesus. Jesus didn't say, “Get your life right and then follow me.” He just said, “Follow me.” He said that to the tax collector, the prostitute, and even those who had been filled with demons. 

Here’s the important key; to learn to accept one another is to attempt to relate to each person as if they are Jesus. To seek to treat them the way we would treat Jesus himself. After all, Jesus said, 

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me…whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” (Mt. 25:40, 45)

May God enable us to grow into a real Christian community that truly accepts one another as Christ has accepted us to the glory of God!

Just a thought, not a sermon!

Blessings for today!

Your Care Pastor,

Dave Knight

Ignoring Others
As Christians, we cannot ignore our manifold responsibility to other believers. 

The Bible gives us specific commands about how we are to relate to one another. We were never meant to be an island unto ourselves. 

Recently I saw the movie on TV starring Tom Hanks called “Cast Away”.  I don’t know why, but I have always enjoyed reading and learning about people who endure incredible circumstances and survive. I always try to put myself in their place and wonder,” What would I do in their place”?

Anyway, as I was watching the movie I became intrigued by Tom Hank’s character’s need for communication. The “Cast Away” eventually invented “Wilson” a volleyball friend that he could share his day with and ask questions of from time to time.  Oh how he longed for one other person to share his thoughts with and be encouraged to keep on in his struggles.

Our heavenly Father never intended us to live in isolation. The Christian life is one of relationships – first with God and then with each other. Yes, sometimes close relationships can be uncomfortable or inconvenient. But they are tremendously important in the Kingdom of God.  

We live in a world that is increasingly fragmented and isolated. Much of our communication with each other is being done by e-mails and text messages. Now before you jump to the conclusion and think that I’m an “old fogy” and that I am against texting; that’s not what I’m saying. We are though, I believe, becoming a generation that will soon forget what real communication and relationship is all about if we continue going down this path without thought.

The other day for example, Sue and I went out to dinner and as we were sitting at our table waiting to be served, I looked around and saw a number of couples and families that were sitting next to each other or across from each other but had their phones out texting someone, checking e-mails or surfing the web. All their interaction was directed at their phones. There have been times when we also have done the exact thing; tied to our phones and not communicating together, checking Facebook messages and e-mails while we waited.

As Christians we need meaningful, uplifting connections with one another more than ever. We need to be aware, teach, and encourage one another, and our children, to be relational. One of the most powerful aspects of living in community with fellow believers is the context it provides for giving and receiving encouragement. We all need encouragement as we struggle with the demands of life. Needing encouragement is part of being human. I think Jesus provides the most powerful example of this truth. The night before His crucifixion, He said to His disciples in Matthew 26:36-38 

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 

Did you catch that, He said, “Remain or stay here and keep watch with Me”. He was fully God and fully man; yet His human nature longed for the company and encouragement of His friends as He looked ahead to the cross.

Do you have any friends that when you have a need
 you would want next to you when you go through tough times?  Jesus needed the encouragement of His closest friends at the toughest time of His life. Someone once told me that "to have friends… you must first be a friend". To develop friendships we must talk with them, get to know them better, develop relationship with them.

Look at your life today. Are you developing stronger relationships with your family and with the people around you? Are you going to church each week, sitting through the morning service and then walking out the door without ever stopping to build relationship with others?  If so, you will end up an island unto yourself. Then you’ll only have “Wilson” to talk to and he won’t be of much help. Who will you have to sit with you in your darkest hours?

Next time, I will share ways the Bible tells us how we can be an encouragement to those we come in contact with in the body of Christ. But right now, examine your life…are you relational? If not, why aren't you? What can you do to change that in your life? Maybe… it might mean… putting down the phone and actually talking? Reach out of your comfort zone this week and get to know people better and look for ways to encourage them as they walk through life.

Just a thought…not a sermon.

Blessings for today!

Your Care Pastor,

Dave Knight

                                                                                                                                     

What is a Care Pastor? 

Maybe you have wondered what is the role of a Care Pastor? What does a Care Pastor do?

A Care Pastor is someone who “shepherds” the congregation. Middle Eastern cultures understood what shepherding was all about. It was about feeding the lambs and the sheep, bringing them to good pasture lands and water, grooming and clipping them, delivering new lambs, leading them and teaching them to stay together, going off after the wandering lost ones, and protecting the sheep in the field and in the fold. 

As I look at my role; I see myself as an under shepherd and Jesus Christ is the Head Shepherd and the Good Shepherd. He’s my mentor, my teacher, my example. My goal is to emulate what the Good Shepherd does for the sheep. 

I believe that two of the spiritual gifts that the Lord gave me when I became a believer as a young man are the gifts of helps and mercy. Spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. In 1 Corinthians 12, we learn that spiritual gifts are given to God's people by the Holy Spirit for "the common good." Verse 11 says the gifts are given according to God's sovereign will ("as he determines"). Ephesians 4:12 tells us these gifts are given to prepare God's people for service and for building up the body of Christ.

That’s what I want to do as a shepherd here at Osceola Grace, serve you and help build up the body of Christ. There are many ways to express or use the gifts God have given me, such as, checking in on someone with a phone call, encouraging someone though the Word of God, notes of encouragement, or simply making a hospital visit and to pray with someone. Listening, counseling, teaching, mentoring, discipling; they are all part of my responsibilities as a Care Pastor.

Jesus emphasized care in his ministry during the three years that He walked among us. He cared for the outcasts such as the leper, the prostitute, and the tax collector. They were people who were reaching out to Him to fill a void in their hearts. Jesus' life and ministry is my example and what my ministry is based upon in caring for people. 

John 13:34-35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

When we show love, compassion and support for one another the world around us takes notice of these things and it causes them to see something that is seldom demonstrated; true and genuine love. One of the best ways we can be a light to the world around us is to demonstrate the love of Christ to those around us. I want to be that light to those I come in contact with each day. How about you?

In future blogs I will be sharing ways that both you and I as believers in Christ can care for one another and in turn be that shining light on the hill that attracts lost ones to the saving grace of the Savior.

Blessings for today!

Your Care Pastor,

Dave Knight