Taking Stock Of Your Life

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. And that's what I would like to do this morning. I'd like to look at some scriptures where there was a transition made from one point to another. In fact, the transition was more momentous than the transition that we look at. [00:00:32] In fact, if we wouldn't have the calendar, perhaps we wouldn't even think about that so much. And yet, I think it is good to be reminded of the fact that it is good to sometimes take stock, as we were reminded in the devotional early on with Brother Leon, and then Brother Daniel reminded us of this as well. I would like to look at some scriptures where Jesus met with people after his resurrection with you. I'd like to look at one other scripture besides that, but I'd like to turn to the book of John. [00:01:09] In chapter 20, St. John chapter 20, we have the account of Mary Magdalene. and if this is same as the account in Luke, there may have been others with her. She is the only one named here. And I'd like to just look at different of the followers of Jesus and to see what it was that Jesus had to say. He had different things to say to different people [00:01:40] and I'm not sure what it is that you're in need of but Jesus offered comfort in some cases and he offered some correction and maybe he was saying to some people a little bit like Daniel was just reminding us of it is time to move on to some of the other people. But in John chapter 20 verse 1 we see that the first day of the week I'm just going to read several verses here and just look at these verses [00:02:13] The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. And it talks about Peter and John, and that is not really what I was going to talk about, but I'd like to move drop down to verse 11, going on down to Mary again. [00:02:48] But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. [00:03:19] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, Tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and it doesn't say it here, but I suppose she looked at him. Oh, and she had that moment of recognition. And she turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. [00:03:55] And then Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, But go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. And we'll stop reading there. But she went on and told the disciples what the good news that she had here. The words of Jesus to Mary were basically words of comfort as I understand it. And I don't know if the other women heard these words or not, if they were there at that time. [00:04:28] But they needed comfort. They needed reassurance. And if we look at chapter 20, I'd just like to see what Jesus, the words that Jesus had to say to the disciples. In verse 24, this is, I'd like to look earlier, a little early on here. In verse 19 is the first part. Verse 24 is where Thomas saw him. But verse 19, then the same day at even being the first day of the week. [00:05:00] The doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. Came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he so said, he showed unto them his hands, his side, and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said the Lord unto them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained. [00:05:41] Again here, to the disciples, Jesus had words of comfort, reassurance, and I'm not sure, I noticed in reading this just now, it says the doors were closed. For some reason, I always thought that the doors were locked. They were closed, not just latched, but I understood that they were locked for fear of the Jews. But it says here they were closed for fear of the Jews. But Jesus came to his disciples here and he had words of reassurance here to them as well. [00:06:13] Because that is what they needed. If we look down at the following verses here, it said Thomas wasn't there in verse 24 when Jesus came. but then Thomas was there at another occasion and verse 25 and following says and the other disciples therefore said unto him we have seen the Lord but he said unto them except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe and then we have the later occasion here in the verse 26 and following [00:06:49] And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. I don't know what you get here. I get the idea that Jesus could move through the walls anywhere. It doesn't say that he opened the door and came in. The doors were shut, and I get the idea that he just came in and they stood there. He stood there, and in other cases we read that they were frightened because they thought he was a ghost. [00:07:23] But then he said to Thomas in verse 27, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. I don't know what you see in Jesus' response to Thomas here or not, but there was at least a mild rebuke here. [00:08:02] I think Thomas was at the place where he was ready to hang it up. He said, it's no use. We followed Jesus, we expected great things, and our expectations were let down. And even though the other disciples told him, we saw the Lord. This is why we call him Doubting Thomas. But Jesus had words for him here, and for us. [00:08:34] Am I the kind of person that has to have everything? All my ducks in a row before I'm going to believe. There is a certain virtue in being a person that doesn't fall for all things. But Jesus said to Thomas, the spiritual truths you do well to receive. If you're going to wait until you have the evidence, you're going to be the one who misses out. That is what I hear Jesus saying to Thomas here. [00:09:06] Blessed are those who have faith to accept spiritual realities without understanding exactly how it happens. Could any person be born again if he had to know exactly how it happens? I don't think so. So there was a rebuke in store for Thomas. I'm not going to read the account here, but if we would turn back to chapter 21 And we could read from verse 15 on, and perhaps we should, but I didn't make the association. [00:09:44] This was, I'm taking the lead of some other people, and I think they're correct when they say that Peter denied Jesus three times. Jesus wanted to hear from Peter's mouth three times that he believed in him. And indeed that's what happened as we look at John chapter 21 verses 15 and on. So Peter needed to be what? Reinstated? Needed to be reconciled to his Lord? He needed to express his faith verbally to his Lord. [00:10:19] And I'd like to turn back and look at one other occasion where Jesus talked to his followers in Luke, If you will turn back with me to Luke chapter 24, and I'd like to begin reading at verse 13 of Luke chapter 24. I'd like for us to especially notice the words that Jesus spoke to his disciples here. And then I'd like for us to notice how they responded to what he had to say. [00:10:53] Luke chapter 24, verse 13. These are the two disciples. I don't know the name of the one, but the one was named Cleopas. He is named here. And they were on their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a distance of about seven miles. And I'm sure they were walking here because it says Jesus appeared and walked with him. Verse 13, And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. [00:11:39] And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk and are sad? And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him. [00:12:14] But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulcher. And when they found not his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre and found it even so as the women had said, but him they saw not. [00:12:47] Now notice the words of Jesus to them. Then said he unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? and beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself and they drew nigh unto the village whither they went and he made as though he would have gone further but they constrained him saying [00:13:19] abide with us for it is toward evening and the day is far spent and he went in to tarry with them and it came to pass as he sat at meat with them he took bread and blessed it and break and gave to them and their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight and they said one to another did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scripture and they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered together [00:13:50] and them that were with them and it goes on and talks further about Jesus himself appearing there to them I don't know how you would have felt If Jesus would have said to you, oh fool and slow of heart to believe all that the scriptures have said, I would have felt at least a certain measure of rebuke. I think he meant to rebuke them because he said these things are there and you've been missing them. [00:14:20] But there's one thing that's interesting to me and that is what they said to each other in verse 32 Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us by the way So his rebuke was not so sharp but what it brought comfort to them even in his rebuke he brought comfort to them I don't know what goes through your mind as it says here After he talked about the scriptures that were about him, he talks about beginning in Moses and then on and the prophets and on through the scriptures. [00:15:00] I know what I think of. I'm sure that Moses also talked about the coming of the Lord Jesus. But in Isaiah, you know, I don't know what your mind goes through, but my mind went to Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14, chapter 9, verse 2, and verses 6 and 7, and probably more verses in that chapter as well. And Isaiah chapter 11, verses 1 through 5, Isaiah chapter 28, verse 16, and especially Isaiah chapter 53, the entire chapter. [00:15:36] I can just hear that that is probably what Jesus said. Now, these are the scriptures. Don't you understand that these scriptures had to be fulfilled? And while Jesus rebuked his disciples, his two disciples here, it's a blessing to me that they found the rebuke, I would say, reassuring. and they were willing to hear what he had to say and go from there. [00:16:12] Now, so far we have talked about the scripture, the transition. You know, Jesus was here and he left. He left in a way that his disciples were not expecting him to leave. So they needed some reassurance. But as I think of 2009, and I don't know if any of us will live to see 2009. We may not. There are some people who pass on. But as I take stock of my life, and as you take stock of your life, I invite your attention. [00:17:00] Where he gave a number of parables and then he said how it's going to be in the judgment. And you remember those words that he said to the disciples there. He said, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, you've done it unto me. And also inasmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the least of these, you have not done it to me. Why do I mention this scripture? because I think each one of us are going to be thinking of that [00:17:33] as we stand before an almighty God in judgment. How am I doing as I think of how I am relating to the least of these? And by the way, who are the least of these? I don't know what you think of, but it may be different people for different ones of us. But each one of us has people that fall into that category. As I think of the least of these, there's one person that came to my mind and he is not necessarily a person that is the least of these to a lot of other people. [00:18:13] But this is a person that we relate to in our business and for some reason I always found it difficult to relate to that person. and later on my sons related to him and I don't know if I rubbed off on my sons or what but each one of us found it just a bit difficult to relate to this person. I say this for a reason. In the last number of years, I discovered that we had a mutual friend that was going through a very, very difficult time. [00:18:47] They discovered that this person that we were relating to and found it rather difficult And he and his wife were also relating to another person, a mutual friend of ours Who was going through a deep time of grief And I just took the opportunity one day to talk to him about that And I just told him how much I appreciate what he is doing to minister to this other brother Friend of, mutual friend of ours And I'm not sure what happened. [00:19:19] I don't know if that is what happened or not. But you know, for something changed, something flipped for me in relating to this person. And I think it's just simply that we found some common ground. And we, as we think of the least of these, what I am saying is I think it helps us to find common ground in relating to other people. As we have people that we have difficulty relating to, I don't know who you think of as you think of the least of these, and that's not really my concern. [00:19:52] You know who those people are in your life, and I think it is important that each of us just simply take stock. It may be a person that is poor. It may be a person that is rich. It may be a person or people that we think just don't quite have their act together. Notice that I said we think, because often times it's in here more than in actual fact. I would just like for us to remember that as we think of those people that we have a problem relating to. [00:20:30] You know, it may be that person that calls you at those inconvenient times, and as I say this, we have a business phone right in our house. and I had to remember a person that called on a Saturday evening and became almost humorous because it wasn't once or twice, it happened repeatedly that this person called on a Saturday evening and it was a business call and I'll confess to you that I had some problems accepting that call [00:21:03] As graciously as I would have wanted to if I would have known that it is Jesus on the other end. And Jesus said, in effect, in Matthew 25, that it is me on the other end, didn't he? So I am not saying that it's wise to make business calls on Saturday evening, but I am saying that I am wise to be gracious and to be loving in my response to those people. And even if I need to tell him that we need to make our calls at other times, I need to be gracious in doing that. [00:21:37] You know, it may be just a person that has a way of rubbing you the wrong way. It may be a person under you. It may be a person over you. It may be a person that you work alongside with. That's not really that important. But one of the things, I'm going to share one truth that I like to remind myself of, and I don't as often as I should. but it's helpful for me to remember several truths. One is that is a person for whom Christ died that I have a problem relating to. [00:22:09] Christ died for him just as well as he did for me or her. There is one other thing that I think we do well to remember and that is that that person has a contribution to make to my life. We may think he does not, but that person has a contribution to make to my life. And it's difficult for me to understand that when I am thinking of him or her as the least person. [00:22:40] But I think we do well to just simply remember that as we relate that person. I did not say this earlier, but I would like to have you feel free to just simply relate some personal experiences. Somehow it seems to me that relating helps to rivet these things in our minds. So I'm going to open it at the end for you to share some of the things that you would like to share. [00:23:10] From an article that Brother Chester Weaver wrote, I shared this observation. This article appeared in the Sword and Trumpet. It was an observation of a person who was not an Anabaptist, but he sent his son to an Anabaptist school, as I understand it, to a Mennonite school. Then he had this observation to make. He said, you Mennonites may be nonresistant, but you sure know how to fight. [00:23:42] I hope that we don't do that kind of fighting within our group but I hope that it's not just within our group but I hope that we can make that man's observation untrue about you and about me. Are we nonresistant if we know how to fight and do that? Well, we all know how But do we keep from doing that? That's a shame on us. [00:24:14] One of the things that I have observed, and I think I struggle with this, I think more of us struggle with this. Maybe we feel good about the people within the four walls of this church. But sometimes we look at people at a sister church, wherever it may be. And we look at that and you know all that we can see is negative. Shame on us if that's really true. [00:24:47] I don't know how it is with you, but I have been blessed by brethren who have just simply said, I have interacted with these brothers in so-and-so church, and it may be the Amish church, it may be another church, He is so blessed by what he observed there. That is a gift, I think, from God, and it's a gift that we need to cultivate. It's not something that needs to be foreign to any one of us, but it's something that I think we need to cultivate. [00:25:22] Now, it is true that we are going to see some negative things, but are we going to focus on the negative, or are we going to focus on things we can learn from other people, is the question that I would have for us this morning. I'm just going to share this observation. If we only see the negatives, as we look at other people, we are the losers. Is that too strong a statement? I don't think so. Now, I am not saying that we need to embrace the negative things that we see in the other people or in other congregations. [00:26:01] But it is important that we learn from others positive things and perhaps learn from the negative things as well. I'd like to close with a statement from Johnny Erickson Tata, who most of us are aware of. She was just a few years younger than, I think maybe a year or two younger than my wife, if I remember correctly. And if you don't know about Johnny Erickson, she was a 17-year-old when she dived into, was it a pond or was it, it was somewhere she dived in, [00:26:40] She hit a rock, broke her neck, and she's been paralyzed ever since. She was asked to speak at a women's convention in Chicago and was not able to be there in person because of the pain that she is suffering. But she was there in video and spoke to the people there. Because I mention these things just to give a little bit of weight to the words that she has to say here. This is what she said. God is concerned, God is not concerned about your, I'm sorry, God is concerned about your poverty or my pain [00:27:15] He is concerned about your broken heart or my broken neck But those things are not His ultimate focus He cares about them, but those things are merely symptoms of their root and real problem God cares most, not about making you and me comfortable but about teaching us to hate our transgression and to grow up spiritually to love him. That's the purpose behind the refining, the chipping, and the polishing. [00:27:47] The end of the quote.