Yates Family Reunion

I’m sorry to be overdressed but I believe that wearing my best is important.

Actually my son this morning told me about what I was created for. He said Dad you don’t have a body for basketball, you have a body for watching basketball.

When asked to speak at a family reunion one scripture that pops into my head is

Luke 4:24 CSB

24 He also said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

Billy - others more qualified

In the only place where I will accept people calling me Billy with no hesitation, and with complete realization that many of you are more qualified and better than me to share a devotional today, I’d like us to consider two things signs and success.

Because when I hear our family described it is quite successful

There is a lot of resources here: there is family support to which none of us earned but got born into, educational resources, resources of influence, financial resources.

But Jesus said,

Matthew 19:24 CSB

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

In the era of cancel culture, me-too and still seeing others fall from places of wealth and popularity where lots of resources have been gathered and then because of their actions, the changing of how people view them it all disappearing success can’t just be in how people see you, resources are gathered or how history views you.

Because as I am positive those that traveled the world as many of you, and some who have seen hard parts of our country that resources are great blessings, but true success may not lead to wealth, education or influence.

Just two days ago, my friend who one week came to our church because it was right next to her apartment. She arrived high on meth and the nicest old white lady who welcomed her to dinner. On Halloween of that year she accepted Christ with a yes, I want that Bill.

Her family destroyed her life

She grew up in the projects learning how to make money first

Growing up with likely with dyslexia, she never got the help she needed but created such disruption to keep getting moved along.

All the resources we have had she has not.

Yet God made himself available to her

booked for outstanding warrentsa few months later

the church got her a lawyer

When Jesus rose from the grave, appeared after being dead, and now new life. Many with wealth, power, prevelidge and more didn’t recognize the signs. They didn’t recognize God right in front of them.

I had a friend who once asked why God doesn’t today just make it obvious, do such great advertising its beyond doubt. And I pointed out to he powerful verse of a resurrected Jesus standing before the people

In a very powerful verse in the Gospel of Matthew, it said,

Matthew 28:17 CSB

17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.

A guy is resurrected and still people don’t know if there right.

See Success has to be recognizing who God is. We know that statues can be torn down. buildings can burn down, and sometimes influence and education can make us so invested in what we have that we fail to see the signs.

One night I was in high school and eating with my grandparents as they were staying at our house, I was injured and my parents were away so I needed extra care. And our grandparents over dinner shared stories of the depression and days in Coleman as kids. I wish I could have it on tape but I only have my memories. What I’ll never forget how poor granddad described our grandmother’s family. He quickly and kind of flippantly said, “They were just vegetable farmers.” I only knew how poor that meant they were by the way he said it.

And then when she died and many of us were able to gather in person for her memorial, I remember Uncle Sealy reading from her Mother’s heart journal.

We heard about the damage to her eye and a coupld of other stories but what stuck with me and what I would like to stick with you today, is that this girl who grew up with such poverty, and doing her best to take care of five boys could hear what God was leading her to do.

She wrote about living in southern california and going to the store and seeing the sign for the church and saying that she saw the sign and thought it would be good for her boys to be in church. As you heard Uncle Mic and the others share on Friday night it was that church where they regonized the resurrected Jesus was God for themselves, that they gave themselves over to Him. That recognition was not a one and done thing. There spiritual truth was not something they kept to themselves.

They envolved themselves with others, they loved others throught there church. Our grandparents helped with the youth group, the ministry to teenagers. Our grandparents taught my mom before she was in the family, taught I believe Aunt Sandy, in a way they taught me how to preach before I ever knew how because they taught my seminary professor, the man who taught me how to preach and his wife, they taught a different seminary professor’s wife as well, and many others who went on to help many others see God for themselves.

A lot has happened this year and really our whole lives already. Many of us can remember gathering in Aurora, Co for a family reunion and thinking our parents and grandparents were old only to realize that some of us are older than our parents were then.

And it’s been a while since our grandparents went to be with the Lord. Most that our grandparents owned is spread out or gone, most of the accomplishments forgotten except what we talk about, but what is not gone is there true success.

We all know we were loved, and were taught how to love.Others still know that Gail and Lee Yates loved them, prayed for them, and encouraged them to love Jesus.

Because we all know they loved Jesus, and could tell you how they were born again.

Success just as it is described in the Bible

Matthew 22:37–40 CSB

37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

This is the success that has lasted.

As every good vegetable farmer knows, what you plant is what you are going to harvest. I pray that every time we gather we might share the stories of some success but also true success of who