Remember our story yesterday about Jesus stopping to help a hurting woman?  It wasn’t just about interruptions.  After helping the woman who interrupted his travels, Jesus carried on his way towards Jairus’ house, since he’d asked Jesus to heal his daughter.  It turns out that Jairus’daughter had died in the meantime, but Jesus kept going, and arrived at her bedside and raised her from the dead.  That’s the true point of this story – the resurrection from the dead is what we’re heading toward – ultimate goal.  He gives us a glimpse in this story, showing us that our death will not be the end of us, but that Jesus offers to simply wake us up in his kingdom.  It’s a matter of whether we want to join that party.

Jesus said the main thing was loving God, loving neighbours.  The confidence to live that way, with all its sacrifices in this world, all flows from Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  It is our resurrection from being dead to sin now, and the physical death still to come.

We can be distracted by other things – even good things – and lose perspective.  We can tell ourselves things will settle down, or that more will be enough, or that everybody lives like this.

But these are distractions.  We can only do so many things well – why not make our specialty what God says is most important?  We’ll have to slow down.

John Ortberg – Love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible.  Love always takes time, and time is the one thing hurried people don’t have.”

Think of the difference between good doctor and bad doctor from a patient’s perspective.  It often has to do with perception of being hurried – does the doctor seem to listen and care?  I know someone who visited the doctor recently, and waiting for an hour in the exam room listening to him talk on the phone about golf, then she heard him tell a drug rep he was extremely busy.  She knew it was a lie, and that he didn’t care about her as a person.

We don’t want to be like that with our neighbours!

Question: What good things might be keeping you from the “main thing” of loving God, who calls you to your neighbours?

We meet for coffee every Wednesday night at Starbucks in the Chapters Store in Ajax, in Durham Region just East of Toronto.  Maybe we’ll see you there?

Ryan Sim - July 4, 2013

Thursday - Act On It - Knowing

So far this week, we've seen that Christian faith is not about just the words you say, and not just about deeds you do. If it were, then Christian faith would be like trying to get to know a celebrity - you would either be guessing the right passcode to get through their mansion gates, or you'd be trying to hop the fence. It would be easy to know about the celebrity, and never really know them. But thankfully, God is not like a celebrity who keeps a safe distance from his fans. In Jesus, God came to earth. He didn’t have to, but he passed through those gates into our world and made it possible for us to know him personally. God took on human flesh, clothed in the way people were clothed in first century Israel, and spoke their language. We can actually know God, who came to earth in Jesus, and is active today through his Holy Spirit. Even though Jesus died and rose and since returned to heaven, we can still know him by studying his words, communicating with him in prayer, and with the community he calls his body on earth – the church. Like the one we are forming in Ajax in Durham Region just East of Toronto. The saying is true: it's not about what you know, or do, it’s about who you know. Who you know, will then affect what you say and do. Words and deeds are important, but are no substitute for the full picture of life in God's kingdom given in the Sermon on the Mount. It's about actually following who you say you follow. Inviting him to transform life…not just saying he does. The aim is to have him transform our hearts, so they look more like his. How do we know? That’s what Jesus has been teaching all through the Sermon on the Mount. He's been describing what God’s heart looks like, and wants your heart to look like, so that it transforms the rest of your life. The health of your actual heart matters – blood passes through to all areas of the body. An unhealthy heart means unhealthy life. No matter how healthy you appear, you aren’t healthy if your heart is hurting. God wants to transform the heart of our lives, so all other areas of life get healthy. And he warns us that starting with our words and actions will result in failure. It starts with openness to Jesus…a willing submission to his will. Challenge: List some ways to intentionally get to know a new friend, neighbour or colleague better. Now list ways you can intentionally get to know Jesus better. Pick one from each list and try it today.

From Series: Sermon on the Mount | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

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