Memorial day message

Our best IS good enough (Matthew 6:33 seek Ye First…)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, May 25, 2025

Today is Memorial Day:

Memorial Day was established after the Civil War. All these men served in the War Between the States. All these families sacrificed as the husband was gone, the father was gone. Families were torn apart. What was it like for the soldier?

Today is Memorial Day weekend. For some, it has little meaning other than a day off and the running of the Indianapolis 500. Yet, the origin of the day began with remembering the dead in the War of Northern Aggression-—the women of Pennsylvania who decorated Union graves in August of 1864, the women of Virginia who decorated Confederate graves in April of 1865, and the women of Columbus, MS who decorated the graves of both Union and Confederate dead-—prompting Horace Greeley’s editorial and the subsequent events which called for national observance of such memorials. This day reminds us of all our war dead, hence that freedom has a cost.

I am very grateful to all of our military men and women who sacrificed for our country. I am grateful to all the military who paid the highest price.

I would like to take this day to preach on refuting a lie we often believe. We often believe the lie that our best is NOT good enough. That needs refuted. Our best is good enough.

THE ANT, THE PRAYER, AND THE CONTACT LENS

A true story: Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda’s eye and knocked out her contact lens.

Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn’t there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.” She thought, “Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.”

Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, “Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?” Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it!

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, “Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it, and it’s awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for You.”

We need to remember these words when we are asked to do something that we feel is too heavy for us to do and or carry. “God, I don’t know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it’s awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will.”

Today, I wish to address the subject of our best. There are lies that maybe we believe, but they cause us harm, they hurt us. These make us work harder than we need to. They break down our confidence. They overwhelm us. One of these lies is that “our best is not good enough.” I am not going to address this lie separate from the Holy Spirit. In a way, the lie is a lie regardless of whether or not one is a Christian or not. But it is a big lie for the Christian because the Christian is not alone. The Christian has the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:9 (ESV)

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Just for a moment realize even a non-believer can only do their best. It has to be good enough. But for the Christian, we can really be overwhelmed if we try things on our own.

My theme today: Our best is good enough because it is combined with God’s strength.

My application: Matthew 6:33:

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

1. Let’s talk about the overwhelming weight the Christian faces and the overwhelming answer.
   1. I like what Pastor J.D. Greear writes as he talks about being overwhelmed: And as I said, I used to be one of them myself. No matter what I gave, there was always more that was needed. One more child to free from the sex trade . . . one more unreached people group to target . . . one more person to tell about Jesus! How could I take my wife out to dinner with needs like that weighing on me? Or go on a vacation? In fact, how could I keep any money for my own enjoyment or pleasure when so many in the world die with nothing? If the price of a cup of coffee could really feed an Indian orphan for a week, was it right for me ever to have a cup of coffee? And why did I need a hot shower? Should I take only cold showers and free up another $ 20 a month in energy costs to house another refugee? John Wesley famously took down the pictures off of his wall, saying they were the “blood of the poor,” unnecessary indulgences while people starve. Was my indulgence of hot showers depriving some poor person of their next meal? My wife and I own a fairly modest house, but couldn’t we have a smaller one? After all, my next door neighbors in Indonesia lived in a 400-square-foot, non-air-conditioned, aluminum-roofed hovel, and they were a family of ten. I don’t know anyone in America who lives that way, but my Indonesian neighbors survived . . . so wouldn’t truly “radical” living require that I live that way, too, and give the excess money to missions? Was my insistence on living like a first-world American, with a nice home (even if modest), condemning many to starvation and hell?
   2. If every person I see is headed either to heaven or to hell, then shouldn’t I spend every minute of every day interrupting them to make sure they know how to get to God? Don’t they all need to know, right now? If it depends on me, shouldn’t I interrupt them, immediately?
   3. But, J.D. continues to share that God does not need us. If He needed us all that would be true but:
   4. Thankfully, the weight of the mission sits upon the shoulders of a God who has no needs.
   5. He creates universes with words.
   6. He takes five loaves and two fish and feeds more people in five minutes than twelve men working full-time jobs could supply in eight months.
   7. He finds tax payments in a fish’s mouth.
   8. He knocks down mighty giants with creek pebbles.
   9. He summons rich, pagan, enemy kings to pay for his building programs.[1]
   10. We serve a big God, and we walk with the Lord. Our best is good enough because everything God calls us to do is about Him and not us.
   11. Think about the beginning of the book of Acts in Acts 1:4. Jesus is risen, and He is with the disciples and He tells them not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes upon them. I find this funny. It is as if Jesus knew without the Holy Spirit their best is not good enough. With the Holy Spirit everything will work out. The book of Acts is all about the Holy Spirit.
   12. Peter was afraid and denied Jesus (John 18:25-27) but when the Holy Spirit comes upon him, He preaches and people are saved, 3000 were saved.
   13. The Holy Spirit simply told Philip to witness to the Ethiopian and the man was saved (Acts 8:25ff).
   14. The Holy Spirit radically transforms our best.
2. Jesus addresses this giving us the answer, seek God.
   1. Let’s read Matthew 6:25–34 (ESV) ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
   2. I am not going to take apart this passage. My goal is not to teach this passage today, but instead show that as we are seeking the Lord, our best is good enough.
   3. Our assignment is not to worry about our best.
   4. Our assignment is to work hard and let God supply the rest.
   5. Our assignment is to seek the Lord and follow what He calls us to do.
   6. Our assignment is to remember that He is in charge.
   7. Our assignment is to let God be God.
   8. God will multiply your hard work and make it better than you can imagine.
   9. God will multiply your integrity and make things work out His way.
   10. God will give you favor when you seek Him, when you let the Holy Spirit work in you.
   11. I am not only talking about church ministries. God will give you favor at work for seeking the Lord and telling the truth. Own up to mistakes and have integrity.
   12. God will give you favor when you don’t gossip on Facebook.
   13. God will give you favor in your family when you can be trusted not to spread rumors.
   14. Sometimes seeking the Lord is tough, but God will give you favor when you seek the Lord even when it means obeying the law and there is a cost. There is a cost to obeying the legal law and God’s way. Sometimes we think our giving does not make a difference, it is just pennies, but God will take care of you when you give what you can and stretch yourself a little bit more.
   15. God will give you favor when you seek Him by restoring a relationship. Sometimes we are overwhelmed thinking a relationship can never be healed, but remember that God can do all things. It is not your best healing the relationship, but it is God doing that.
   16. Sometimes we think, I could never finish college or some training, but remember you have God’s strength within you. Sometimes we think, I cannot face another day at my work! But remember you don’t go there by yourself.
   17. Don’t worry, give it to God. Say, God I am overwhelmed, and I just don’t know that I am making a difference. I need the Spirit to lead me. I am seeking you. I am giving this to you. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
   18. Write out your worries on paper and give them to God.
   19. Write out that you think you are doing your best and missing out, give them to God.
   20. How do we seek the Lord?
   21. Daily devotions- TAG time= time alone with God. This includes prayer and reading the Bible.
   22. Time with our church family- prayer partners, Sunday school/small groups/Bible studies; worship with your church family.
   23. Other spiritual disciplines: silence, learning, serving, giving, etc.
   24. These are all ways that we seek the Lord.

Close:

It is God who multiplies our work. Our job is to obey. Think about Joseph, he goes to Egypt as a slave, and he maintained integrity, and God multiplied that, giving him a position second to the Pharaoh and saved all of the Israelites through Him (Genesis 37-50). All he did was what was right.

I met with the Vice-President of a Company. He told me that he started out as an accountant and did not want to be with the company that long. That was 17 years earlier. He had previously served as a missionary, youth pastor, and worship leader. He was from Mexico and then was transferred to Illinois as the President of the Company, the company merged and at that time he was the VP. But he never wanted to stay there. He wanted to be a missionary again. I thought of Joseph, God gave this man favor just like Joseph. God promoted him. Now he has had prayer meetings and Bible studies in that office. He had shared the Gospel in that office. He was seeking the Lord and the Lord used him. He did his best and the Lord used him. Praise God. It happens by the Holy Spirit within us.

Our job, seek the Lord and trust Him with the results.

Do you know Jesus? Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

[1] Greear, J.D.; Greear, J.D. (2014-11-04). Jesus, Continued…: Why the Spirit Inside You is Better than Jesus Beside You (p. 77). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Paul Turns to the Gentiles (Acts 13:42–52), Persistently Sharing the Gospel

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, Oh on: Sunday, May 18, 2025

We have been preaching our way through the Book of Acts. As we walk through Acts, we see God’s mighty works of the Holy Spirit. Today, we will continue to see God’s work. The Book of Acts has been called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. It is the first church history book.

Acts is about the spread of the Gospel, and the Gospel is eternal life. Listen to what I once read:

THE TREE TRUNK THAT TRUMPETED LIFE AND TRUMPED DEATH By Pastor Rick Sams

  The most popular tourist attraction in Herfordshire County, England is a graveyard. People come from all over the world to see a grave of a woman buried over 200 years ago.

  Lady Anne Grimston was a proud, wealthy, and obstinate woman who lived for this life alone.

  Toward the end friends tried to encourage her to think about what comes after we breathe our last. She would not. She believed there was nothing beyond: “It is as unlikely that I shall continue to live as that a tree will grow out of my body.”     

  She went so far as to make a challenge to Heaven, saying: “If, indeed, there is life hereafter, trees will render asunder my tomb.” 

  Lady Anne Grimston died, was buried, and forgotten. But not quite. After many years the thick marble slab over her grave was found ajar. The builders put it back and forgot her again. 

  But once more the marble slab tilted to one side, and in the middle was a crack, with a tiny bunch of leaves bursting through. The crack was sealed with cement and the slab returned to its original spot. A few years later the marble was again lifted up, the crack opened wider than before, and the trunk of a tree emerged from the opening.

  Workmen repaired the increasingly crumbling tomb and installed iron rails and rods to hold everything together. But the young tree would not be tied down. It kept making its way, breaking the masonry, destroying the walls of the tomb, and tearing the heavy iron railings out of the ground. 
  Today, growing right from the heart of Lady Anne Grimston’s grave in St. Peter’s churchyard is one of the largest trees in England. Because of that tree the site is a mass of twisted metal and crushed marble.
  For over 200 years an old tree trunk has trumpeted: “life trumps death.”[1]

Jesus is eternal life so it is critical that we are persistently giving people Jesus.

As I teach you this passage, notice Paul’s persistence to preach the Gospel.

My theme today is:

Paul turns to the gentiles (Acts 13:42–52), persistently sharing the gospel.

Persistence is important:

Swindoll reminds us:

I’m sure Anne Mansfield Sullivan had a host of folks telling her that the blind, 7-year-old brat wasn’t worth it. But Anne persisted—in spite of temper tantrums, physical abuse, mealtime madness, and even thankless parents. In her heart she knew it was worth all the pain. Was it ever! Within two years her pupil, Helen Keller, was able to read and write in braille. She ultimately graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College (where Miss Sullivan had “spelled” each lecture into her hand), and Helen Keller devoted the rest of her life to aiding the deaf and the blind.[2]

1. Context:
   1. The previous section was Paul preaching in the synagogue.
   2. The whole section is Paul’s sermon.
   3. Paul preached on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
2. The people want to hear more (Acts 13:42-43).
   1. Acts 13:42-43: ⁴² As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. ⁴³ And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.
   2. They want to hear more.
   3. Verse 43 tells us that many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas.
   4. These would be proselytes to Judaism.
   5. These are full converts to Judaism who had been circumcised.^[3]
   6. Paul and Barnabas urged them to continue in the grace of God.
   7. I like what MacArthur writes: With such encouragement, Paul and Barnabas hoped to prevent those who were intellectually convinced of the truths of the gospel, yet had stopped short of saving faith, from reverting to legalism rather than embracing Christ completely.^[4]
   8. Do we pray the same way? Do we think the same way? Do we realize that we must pray fervently that we and loved ones stay close to the Lord.
   9. There is another application from this passage. They wanted to hear more. In verse 42 they asked to hear more the next Sabbath.
   10. Are we eager to hear more of the Word of God?
   11. There is a danger that we get used to these great truths from the Scripture. I believe we must pray fervently that God continues to speak to us through His Word.
3. The reaction (Acts 13:44-52):
   1. Look at verse 44: ⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
   2. Notice what they gathered for, they wanted to hear more of the Word of the Lord.
   3. It says almost “the whole city” gathered. This is probably some hyperbole, but it still communicates that the Gospel is making a great impact.
   4. ESV SB: Since the population of Antioch was mainly Gentile, almost the whole city indicates that the majority who showed up were Gentiles.^[5]
   5. But notice verse 45: ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.
   6. Now, we have a problem.
   7. Now, there is resistance.
   8. The Jewish people did not like the message Paul was sharing.
   9. Remember that most of those showing up were likely gentiles.
   10. This may have had something to do with the issues.
   11. I like what one source adds: When famous speakers (e.g., Dio Chrysostom) would come to town, much of the town would go to hear him. Word spreads quickly about the new speaker at the synagogue in Antioch, and Paul, probably originally more comfortable giving expositions of Scripture than public speeches in the Greek style, is billed as a rhetorician or philosopher.^[6]
   12. Notice the Jewish response. They started to contradict what was spoken by Paul. They started to revile him.
   13. They likely were reviling what was spoken and not Paul himself.[7]
   14. Notice the passage says the Jews saw the crowds and were filled with jealousy.
   15. It seems that this was not as much about the message but their jealousy. The Jewish response was rooted in the sin of jealousy.
   16. How do we pray and prepare so that we do not get jealous? Do we evaluate a message based on whether it is true or false? Or, do we let jealousy fill our hearts?
4. Paul and Barnabas respond:
   1. Look at the next few verses:
   2. ⁴⁶ And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
   3. “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
   4. that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
   5. Paul and Barnabas did not change their message.
   6. It is easy to try to adapt the message based on what people want to hear.
   7. We can’t do that with the Gospel.
   8. We can’t change the gospel.
   9. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly.
   10. They said it was necessary to take the gospel to them first.
   11. Paul cites Isa. 49:6 in verse 47.
   12. God offered the plan of salvation to the Jews first (Mt 10:5, 6; 15:24; Lk 24:47; Ro 1:16).^[8]
   13. Paul says that they thrust it aside. They thrust the Gospel message aside.
   14. They are judging themselves unworthy of eternal life.
   15. Then, verse 47, Paul is quoting Isaiah. They are a light to the gentiles.
   16. Salvation shall be brought to the ends of the earth.
5. The gentiles rejoice (verse 48)!
   1. ⁴⁸ And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
   2. Verse 48 is like an interlude.
   3. This verse shows the gentile response.
   4. They rejoice.
   5. Do we rejoice that we have the Word of the Lord?
   6. There is an interesting phrase at the end of verse 48: and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
   7. That word “appointed” trips us up. But notice the end of Acts 14:1: spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.
   8. So, verse 48 reads that those appointed were saved. But a few verses later, they “spoke in such a way…”
   9. To me, these verses communicate God’s sovereignty and free will.
   10. There is a mystery between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, and I cannot explain it.
   11. God has chosen people for salvation. Yet, we have free will involved, and we are responsible for communicating the message and receiving Him as Lord and Savior.
6. Then what happens (verses 49-52)?
   1. ⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. ⁵¹ But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
   2. The Word of the Lord continues to spread.
   3. When it says this, it means the gospel. “Word of the Lord” means “the Gospel.”
   4. Notice the Gospel is spreading throughout the whole region.
   5. But verse 50 shows that they still have problems.
   6. The Jews incite “devout” women. These women are devoted and have high standing.
   7. Paul and Barnabas are persecuted and driven from the city.
   8. But Paul and Barnabas shake the dust off their feet and continue.
   9. Many Jewish people on returning to the Holy Land would shake the dust of a pagan land from their feet; because the temple was considered holier than the rest of Israel, they would also shake the dust from their feet when they entered the temple. Paul and Barnabas probably imply that those who reject their message are pagan and stand under God’s judgment. Jesus had commanded his disciples to follow this practice even in Jewish Palestine (Lk 10:10–12).^[9]
   10. But look at verse 52: The disciples are filled with joy from the Holy Spirit.
   11. That is powerful.
   12. They have seen the gospel spread, but they are persecuted. They have joy. They are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Swindoll:

When Paul was rejected, he didn’t quit. As my good friend and wise mentor, Howie Hendricks, often says, “Where there’s light, there are bugs!” The brighter Paul’s light, the more the bugs. And in that situation, those bugs had stingers filled with poison.

What grit! Paul didn’t back down an inch in his response to open rejection. The result? Not surprisingly, the Gentiles in the crowd rejoiced in the good news he had for them. How exciting! What started as a smoldering ember of religious curiosity burst into flames of faith.

Why were Paul and Barnabas able to persevere? Neither man set his affections on temporal things. What discipline. If you want to get caught in the net of disillusionment, allow yourself to get tangled in the tangibles. You’ll not only run shy of courage, you’ll sink like a rock in a country pond. Why? Because others’ opinions will start to mean everything. When you allow their responses to be the ballast, then their applause becomes essential to keep you afloat, and their assaults drag you straight to the bottom. That formula for failure can be found in all people-pleasing ministries. You’re doomed to disillusionment if you don’t focus on the eternal.

Lee lacocca, not long after leaving the automobile business, said, “Here I am in the twilight years of my life still wondering what it’s all about. I can tell you this: fame and fortune is for the birds.”

You may be one who lives your life pursuing fame and fortune, depending on the applause of others. Bad plan. To begin with, fortune has shallow roots. The winds of adversity can quickly blow it all away. “Riches certainly make themselves wings,” writes Solomon, “they fly away as an eagle toward heaven” (Proverbs 23:5 KJV). And fame is as fickle as the last response from the crowd. Learn a dual lesson from this fine man who had wisdom far beyond most of us. When you’re praised and applauded, don’t pay any attention. And when you’re rejected and abused, don’t quit. It wasn’t human opinion that called you into the work you’re doing. So don’t let human responses or criticisms get you sidetracked. Keep going.

Don’t get tangled in the tangibles![10]

Pray

[1] (SOURCE:http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/h010rp.LadyGrimston_Galitzin.html

[2] Excerpt taken from Come before Winter and Share My Hope by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1985, 1988, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Accessed on 04.14.2025: https://insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/persistence-part-one1

^[3] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ac 13:43.

^[4] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ac 13:43.

^[5] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2112.

^[6] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 13:44.

[7] See NET Bible note

^[8] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ac 13:46.

^[9] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 13:51–52.

[10] Taken from Great Days with the Great Lives by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com

Accessed on 04.14.2025: https://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/tangled-in-the-tangibles1

Mother’s day: Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on May 11, 2025

I read the following:

One day, I taught my young class the story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha. I carefully explained how Martha had hurried to clean the house and cook a special meal. Then I paused and asked, “What would you do if Jesus was going to visit your house today?” One little girl quickly responded, “I’d put the Bible on the table!”[1]

How do we focus on Jesus? How do we show that Jesus is important?

Let’s talk about focus. Let’s talk about being with Jesus now. Have you ever heard someone say, “Be here now”? I think I was a McDonald’s manager when in the management training, they would say, “Be here now.” What does that mean? To me, it means that I must stay focused. When managing my shift, I needed to focus on the crew, the customers, the immediate needs, and the day’s needs. I had forms I had to fill out to make the shift smoother. I had a form I would fill out regarding who was on the registers and who was on the grill and who was on back drive-thru and who was on front drive-thru; as a McDonald’s manager, I had to stay focused on the day. I couldn’t send everyone on break at once. I had to think about what was happening before sending anyone on break. I had to “Be here now.” I needed my mind to be present where my body was. I was once saying that to someone. I said, “Be here now.” She said, “I am here.” It can be confusing, but it is easy to not be present where your body is. I find it quite easy to be daydreaming or thinking about other things.

My theme today is:

We learn good things from Mary and Martha; however, we must be present with Jesus.

Read the text: Luke 10:38-42:

Luke 10:38–42 (ESV)

³⁸ Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” 

You know the story, we just read it:

How many of you would call yourselves a Martha? Please don’t be ashamed; I am probably a Martha.

How many of you would call yourselves a Mary? 

We have applications for both of us.

1. Let’s start by learning from Martha.
   1. We can learn from both Mary and Martha. Sometimes, Martha gets a bad reputation, and, after all, she is rebuked by Jesus. But I think there are some good qualities to learn from Martha. If you have these good qualities, don’t gloat about them; notice the things you can improve on.
   2. Today’s focus is on Mother’s Day, and my applications will be in accordance with that subject.
   3. I am not a mother, so I can’t be specific.
   4. Notice that Martha was welcoming. It says that she “opened” her home to him.
   5. She welcomed Him into her home.
   6. But we soon discover that though she welcomed Him into her home, she missed Him.
   7. We find out that she is very busy.
   8. What is it like to, on the one hand, be very welcoming but, on the other hand, be so busy that we don’t notice people? On the one hand, we say, “Come over.” But when they are over, we serve them, but we really don’t fellowship with them.
   9. What does it mean to be welcoming?
   10. The Greek word means to take under one’s care, as if placing the hands or arms under a person or thing, to receive hospitably and kindly.
   11. We see this word about four times in the New Testament.
   12. Do we notice our children, family, friends, church members? Or, are we so focused on other things that we miss them?
   13. In the next few verses, we see that though she was opening her home to Jesus, once He came in, she really did not pay attention to Him.
   14. Could we get so busy, even at church, that we miss Jesus?
   15. We may be here, but are we here?
   16. We may be with family, but are we with family?
   17. In verse 41, in the Message, Jesus says that she is “fussing” about things.
   18. That is what I do. I fuss, and my children show my weaknesses. I will never forget putting together a crib for Abigail. This was obviously over eleven years ago. I got frustrated, and Mercedes heard it. She copied my frustration.
   19. Don’t miss it, it does seem that Martha wants to be with Jesus. She is just busy. I get this because I am always thinking about details too. Let go, worship.
   20. The first application here is about being present with Jesus. Don’t miss Jesus.
   21. However, I do believe there are other applications- don’t miss your children, your grandchildren, your family.
2. Learning from Mary for the church.
   1. It appears that Mary is one of those students who we would think of as a “Teacher’s pet.” Mary is the student who, when you are sitting in class, and class is about over, thinks, “Great, no homework!” But then Mary says, “Teacher, you forgot to give us homework.” You are sitting thinking, “Noooooooo!”
   2. Mary was close to Jesus, look:
   3. We find out more about Mary in John 11:2: It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.^[2]
   4. Jesus rebukes Martha, but not Mary.
   5. We learn from Mary to focus on Jesus. We learn to be here now.

Close:

One writes:

While I was serving in Paraguay, a Maka Indian named Rafael came to sit on my porch. I was eating and went out to see what he wanted. He responded, “Ham, henek met.” Again I asked what I could do for him, but the answer was the same. I understood what he was saying but not its significance: “I don’t want anything; I have just come near.”

I later shared the incident with a local veteran missionary. He explained that it was Rafael’s way of honoring me. He really didn’t want anything; he just wanted to sit on my porch. He found satisfaction and pleasure just being near me.

“What brings you here, my child?” the Lord asks.

“Ham, henek met.”

Doesn’t that reveal the heart of true worship?[3]

Do you know Christ?

Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

[1] Louise Day, Mount Holly, VA. Today’s Christian Woman, “Heart to Heart.”

^[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Jn 11:2.

[3] Stuart Sacks, Villanova, Pennsylvania

Christians Agree on the Universal Church (Matthew 16:18)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, May 4, 2025

John Fawcett is a name you may not immediately recognize. In the late 18th century, Fawcett pastored a small, poor church in Wainsgate, England, where his salary was only 25 pounds a year.

In 1773, Fawcett was invited to become the pastor of a much larger church in London. Initially, he accepted the new position. But as his belongings were being loaded for the journey, the people from his church came to bid him farewell.

The tearful goodbye was so moving that John’s wife, Mary, cried out, “John, I cannot bear to leave!” “Nor can I,” he responded. “We shall remain here with our people.” Their belongings were taken back off of the wagons, and John Fawcett remained in Wainsgate for the entirety of his 54-year ministry.

Years later, as he reflected on his decision to stay, Fawcett penned the words to his most-well-known hymn: Blest Be the Tie That Binds. The familiar words of that song resonate with the loyalty and love that characterized the pastor who wrote them.

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne,

We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

Our comforts, and our cares.

Fawcett’s story illustrates the legacy of long-term commitment in pastoral ministry.

Christians disagree upon many different things. Today, I want to preach a sermon on a subject in which Christians agree. Christians agree upon the universal church.

My theme: The church is for Jesus, you, and the world.

Read with me:

Colossians 1:18 (ESV)

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

1. The church is for Jesus.
   1. Jesus is the head of the church.
   2. The church belongs to Jesus.
   3. Let’s put that passage in context:
   4. Colossians 1:15–20 (ESV)
   5. ¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
   6. That passage is all about the supremacy of Jesus and He is the head of the church.
   7. Another passage: Ephesians 1:22–23 (ESV) ²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
   8. When I talk about the church, I am talking about the universal church. The adjective “catholic” means “universal.” The catholic church really, originally, meant “universal” church. John Wesley would write about the catholic church, and that is what he meant.
   9. Christians agree that the church is universal. It is one holy, catholic church. The church is universal.
   10. Jesus established the church.
   11. The church belongs to Jesus.
   12. Jesus is the Lord of the church.
   13. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd of the church.
   14. There is much more to be said about that, but I want to move on.
2. The church is for you.
   1. Romans 12:4–8 (ESV)
   2. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
   3. I could give dozens of more verses about supporting and loving each other in the church.
   4. We are here to love each other, encourage each other, serve each other, support each other, and much more.
   5. 10:24: And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…
   6. I have heard “stir up one another” be shared as “encourage.”
   7. As a church, we can build each other up. We can stand beside each other and say, “You got this, you can do this.” As we go through life together, we are supporting each other. We support each other with words of encouragement and love. We support each other in loving deeds. We support each other in teaching. We support each other with wise words. We support each other in so many other ways. This does not always mean we tell each other what we want to hear. No, the closer we are to each other and the Lord, the more wisdom we have to know what to say and when to say it (James 1:19-20).
3. The church is for the world.
   1. How is the church here for the world?
   2. I am glad you asked.
   3. We are here to take the Great Commission to the world (Matt. 28:19-20).
   4. The stronger we are in fellowship, the more likely we are to reach the world.
   5. The closer we are in fellowship, the more people think, “I need a community like that.” That is the strength of Celebrate Recovery. People know they have a strong group of people, like a family.
4.  Applications:
   1. A little boy tripped and fell outside and one of his hands fell in the mud. His mother said to him, “Go wash your hands.”
   2. He went in the bathroom and came out a few minutes later. He now had two dirty hands. His mother said, “I thought I told you to wash your hands!”
   3. He said, “I did. I took my clean hand and wiped my dirty hand.”
   4. The dirt rubs off. If you want to be clean, hang out with clean folks. ^303,[1]
   5. Being part of the church does not mean that we are all clean. No, the church is a hospital for sinners saved by the grace of the Lord.
   6. I heard about this elderly minister. He was close to death. He sent word for two of his members, an IRS agent and a lawyer, to come to his house. Upon arrival, he motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The men were very moved that they could be with the minister in his final moments. At one point, the lawyer asked very sincerely, “Sir, why did you choose both of us?” The minister mustered up some strength and said, “Jesus died between two sinners. That’s the way I want to go.”
   7. I just meant that for humor. The church is for sinners saved by the grace of the Lord.
   8. We are not called to live the Christian life alone.
   9. I could give you applications about being committed to the church, and I think they would be appropriate. I could give you applications about giving to the church, which would be biblical. I could give you applications about Sunday School, small groups, and ministries, which are essential. However, let me go a different route.
   10. I want to review:
   11. The church is the bride of Christ.
   12. The church is here for: 1) King Jesus, 2) you, and 3) the world.
   13. 1) The church is here for King Jesus because He is the Lord of the church (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18).
   14. 2) The church is for you. We are all members of the church, and we are to support each other.
   15. 3) The church is here to reach the world with the Great Commission.
   16. I have ran four marathons and a half marathon.
   17. In these long races, there are points when you may think, “I don’t know if I can finish.” Then, you keep running and you see a crowd of people up ahead. They do not know you, but they are cheering you on. They have signs up. Akron was my last marathon. I was running up a big hill, and it felt like it would never end. Then, people on the sidewalks said, “This is the last hill, you’ve got this!” It was a lie; there were more hills, but they meant to encourage me. On my first marathon, I had my marathon number, which I wore, and something else that read, “first timer.” It meant it was my first marathon. Many people ran near me, saying, “You got this, first timer.” It is encouragement.
   18. That is the church.
   19. As we live life as Christians. As we face challenges, we face them together.
   20. As we face difficulties, we face them together.
   21. Do you know what I notice? The stronger someone is connected to the church, the more organic the support comes.
   22. The King protects the church.

O Church, Arise

O church, arise, and put your armor on;

Hear the call of Christ our captain.

For now the weak can say that they are strong

In the strength that God has given

With shield of faith and belt of truth,

We’ll stand against the devil’s lies.

An army bold, whose battle cry is love,

Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,

But to rage against the captor;

And with the sword that makes the wounded whole,

We will fight with faith and valor.

When faced with trials on every side,

We know the outcome is secure.

And Christ will have the prize for which he died:

An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross, where love and mercy meet,

As the Son of God is stricken;

Then see his foes lie crushed beneath his feet,

For the Conqueror has risen!

And as the stone is rolled away,

And Christ emerges from the grave,

This victory march continues till the

Every eye and heart shall see him.

So Spirit, come, put strength in every stride;

Give grace for every hurdle.

That we may run with faith to win the prize

Of a servant good and faithful.

As saints of old, still line the way, Retelling triumphs of his grace,

We hear their calls, and hunger for the day

When with Christ we stand in glory.

—Keith Getty and Stuart Townend (2^[2]

Do you know Christ?

Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

^[1] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 104.

^[2] Joni Eareckson Tada, Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2022), 77.