Not every sermon you hear is a plea for you to change. 

Someone may need to hear it that way, but not everyone. Sometimes a sermon is a challenge to someone living contrary to Biblical teaching. 

But sometimes, it is an encouragement to stay on the same path. 

For a Christian, it is good to hear occasionally about specific topics and then be told, “Don’t change a thing.”  

In boxing, when someone is training, they employ another boxer to get into the ring with them. This is used for training purposes only and is a friendly type of competition. Usually, both fighters have protective headgear, and the emphasis is on technique and not winning.

A sparring partner must be willing to take punches from the contender so that they are ready for their next match.

Here is the thing, no one sets out to be a sparring partner. Everyone sets out to be a champion. But fighters who do not have the skills or have been defeated are reduced to taking punches for money.

No one wants to be a sparring partner – in boxing or life.

No one wants to get beat up over and over again. No one likes taking punches. No one willingly wants to lose for the benefit of another person. This is true physically and metaphorically.

Your spouse, kids, friends, family, co-workers, or Church acquaintances do not like taking one verbal jab after another. It hurts. No one wants to be beaten down repeatedly by fists or words.

The sad part is that there is no winner anyway.

I have been watching the NBA finals. Two teams compete to be the best in the world at basketball, and I am excited to see who wins.

It is not just the 12 players on a roster who win the championship. It is the head coach and a host of assistant coaches. It is the trainers, support staff, and equipment managers. Owners and executives will consider themselves winners despite never shooting the ball.

When a team is victorious, multiple winners celebrate the victory.

Church is a team sport. When one person succeeds for Jesus, we all do.

This is when a complete story is perceived in a given situation, but it is not the actual narrative at work. Often it is based on limited knowledge, inaccurate information, or possibly a false assessment of the situation.

Some people have left the Church I lead and hate me. It is because they came to believe a false narrative about me. They were sure I was trying to hurt them when I chose that passage for a sermon. Maybe they thought I was out to get them when I moved that thing in the Church. Whatever story they made up in their head was not what was really happening.

Here is the harsh reality:  You and I probably live with a false narrative of something or someone. 

You created a story about someone who said that mean thing to you. I made a narrative in my head about the person who left the Church. We can detail all the ways that this couple was wrong for doing what they did.  

The problem is that we have limited knowledge, inaccurate information, or a false assessment of the situation. That means that there is a great chance we are totally wrong.

One act of grace as a Christian is to fill in the gaps in our knowledge with grace. We are to believe the best in people even when we think they might be up to something hurtful. Just like people are wrong about you, there is an overwhelming chance that you are wrong about someone else.  

Last night I was part of the regular monthly meeting of the leadership team. Our staff, elders, and deacons meet to receive training, report on their work, and plan for future projects. I currently work with a great group of people seeking the Lord’s will for our Church. Each of us has flaws and things we overlook; that is why it is vital for us to work together for the good of the kingdom of God.

In this meeting, we make decisions based on hours of prayer, research, and personal experience. Not every decision we make is perfect, but we are trying to move the Church forward in the best ways we know how. Not all decisions will be popular or understood; they all will come from a place of faith and desire to see the best for our Church.

The letter to the Christians who were raised in the ways of the Old Testament is called Hebrews. Those early believers struggled to follow Jesus and trust the Church’s leaders. Most of the book is dedicated to them getting their theology correct, but the writer addresses the leadership in the final chapter. There it says, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” (Hebrews 13:17 – NIV 2011)

Church leaders are people who have willingly decided to accept responsibility for the flock of God. They are attempting to keep watch over people by shepherding them in the way of the Lord. They pray, teach, donate resources, manage people, deal with difficult situations, and make decisions. The writer says, “Why would you make their work a burden by not listening to them?”

One of the biggest reasons it is hard for me to find people to step into leadership roles in the Church is because they have seen the ugliness people have brought on previous leaders. They want no part of the headache and heartache. A congregation that does not have confidence in its leaders will suffer from never having good leaders. Whining and complaining may seem okay, but it is a long-term recipe for disaster. So what does it benefit you?

Those Churches who love their leaders and express their appreciation for their work make their lives a joy. And that is a benefit to everyone.

I was standing at the doorway to a store in Branson, Missouri while walking around the old town. Suddenly a lady inside says, “I need to get outside.” She pushed through the crowd to the street corner and began smiling and waving at a tour group going by in a vehicle. She smiled and shouted pleasantly to the group as they descended the street.

Next, she turned around, walked back to the shop, stopped, and quipped, “They pay me a lot of money to do that.” And then she walked back inside.

Now I am not sure who pays her, whether it is the city, the tour group, or another entity, but whoever it is understands a simple concept. Smiling, waving, and being kind leave an impression on people about the store owners and the town in general. People with a favorable impression will stay longer, spend more money, and possibly return. The cost of her kindness is an investment; for the city, it is money well spent.

Her smile and kindness were for money, but we have something more significant at stake in the Church. We work to help people connect to God through Jesus Christ and secure their eternal salvation.

That means we sometimes go out of our way to make people who visit the Church feel welcome. We need to smile, wave, and speak kindly. We must do everything we can to make an excellent first impression. We must be overly nice and welcoming to everyone visiting us on Sundays.

Then when you are done making that good impression, you can walk by the people in the lobby and say, “I did it for the Lord.”

The performance was done, and the crowd rose in thunderous applause. They continued standing for several minutes, clapping loudly. Then, finally, the performers came out and took a bow, and the place erupted in celebration. It took an extended time before the crowd died down after they left the stage.

The crowd’s approval was clear from their response to what they had just witnessed. I wondered, “Could it get any better than this?”

Paul writes to the Church in the city of Philippi. In the second chapter, he breaks into a hymn of Jesus. He describes how he left heaven to go to the cross. Then it says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11 – NIV 2011)

Revelation chapter four paints this picture of heaven. Everyone comes before God and worships him. But a scroll needs to be read, and no one can open it. Then in chapter five comes a lamb that was slain. It is a picture of Jesus in glory. All those in heaven bow before him. As Paul says to the Philippians, “Every knee will bow.”

Make no mistake, Jesus is not looking for our praise and adoration at his performance. He is worthy of our worship.

Do you like Jesus or love him?

If you like Jesus, you don’t mind reading his words occasionally. You will throw up a few words of prayer every so often. You will celebrate his birthday and his death, or at least his resurrection. You don’t mind if people speak of Jesus, and you admire those who do great things for him.

If you love Jesus, then you have a different relationship. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15 – NIV 2011). If you love Jesus, you are doing what he taught. You will love your neighbor, serve others, and spend time in his word. You will practice what he preached every day, not just when convenient. You will be committed to his body, the Church, and fulfilling your role as a part of it. If you love Jesus, you will be in a growing relationship with him.

After almost 30 years of ministry, I am convinced that most people like Jesus and think he is a good guy, but few love him.

Maybe the next step of faith for some of you is, to be honest about your relationship with Jesus. It is nice that you like him, but he is looking for people who willingly choose to love him. 

Loving someone is not only seen in big gestures but the little everyday things.

Biblically, love is an action. We feel something, but how we respond to those feelings is the ultimate test of love.

Because of this definition, we often think that the bigger the action, the more the love. If you love your family, you will take a big vacation with a hefty price tag. If you love your spouse, diamonds and gold occasionally shout your love. The bigger the price paid, the bigger the love.

I think the challenge is to redefine love in everyday actions. For example, love empties the dishwasher instead of leaving it for your spouse. Love leaves the outside light on when they come home after dark. Love is picking up that special treat for someone that you know they will enjoy. Love is opening a door, making a meal, watching a movie, saving the last bite, speaking kind words, kissing goodbye, and a text filled with encouragement. Love is seen in the small things.

If that is true, and you put it into practice, it can revolutionize your family, marriage, and relationships.

I think it can also bring you closer to God. Take a minute and read that verse from the Bible. Pause and say a prayer before every meal. Watch a Christian show. Speak kindly to your neighbor. Help a child at Church. Give that gift or donate to a Godly cause. Take every opportunity to show your love of the Lord in the everyday routines of life.

Keep making the grand gestures of love occasionally but let them flow from a loving heart that is showing itself every single day.

My wife and I recently went to see the production of Queen Esther at the Sight and Sound Theater in Branson, Missouri. The show is grand, with a vast stage and moving backgrounds. The performances are superb, with beautiful vocals. And the story follows most of the Biblical story from the Old Testament.

What I found to be the most fascinating was watching and listening to the people around us. There was a man behind us who was totally familiar with the story. He was an elderly gentleman who continually talked to his wife, especially at the intermission. He was telling her what was happening and what was going to happen. My favorite line I heard was, “Can you imagine what old Haman is feeling right about now?”

Then in front of me were some teenagers. A large group had come in with a few scattered adults, all in matching shirts. Doubtless, they were a Church group taking their teens to the show. The three boys in front of us looked 14-16 years old. They were watching the show intently and getting caught up in the production. One boy was down to my right and was so emotionally caught up that I could hear his reactions. “Oh boy,” he said as Haman got mad. He gasped when Mordecai was to be honored by the king. As the show proceeded, I realized that he had never heard any of the story before seeing it on the stage.

I sat there between two extremes. One older man who knew the story so well, and another young man who did not know the story at all. A thought crossed my mind, “How do we get this young man to become that old man?” How does the Church and Christians take people from no Bible knowledge to a thorough understanding?

Perhaps the answer was found right there in the context of that theater. First, some young people were part of a youth group at a Church. They were connecting with other Christians. Second, they traveled with leaders giving their time to show these young people their faith. Third, these leaders were using everything at their disposal to teach the Bible, including a production of the Biblical story of Esther. The path these young people were on led directly to that older man.

Instead of being critical of this encounter, I paused later that night and thanked God for those teenagers and their willingness to be there that day. I pray there are more Churches, leaders, and activities to help the next generation on their spiritual journey. Encouraging people to know their Bibles is a tiny part of spiritual growth; having people doing everything in their power to help make it happen is quite another.