Being a Christian (8)

Introduction

Announcements

Guatemala update

16 open spots

Cost is $1050

COVID vaccine is no longer required by Guatemalan Government

Paperwork is available today - needs to be turned in by Sunday with initial deposit due on March 27th

Pageant update

Thank you for your assistance throughout the week! Still could use help the rest of the week

Continue to pass out flyers to your friends + share on social media

Giving update from Great Commission Sunday

Over $3,000 was given for our Guatemala trip

Will be used to provide food and build homes

Scripture reading

Proverbs 11:1–2 CSB

1 Dishonest scales are detestable to the Lord, but an accurate weight is his delight. 2 When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.

May we be a people who are humble and seek the Lord in all that we do!

Prayer requests

The Gospel and Your Recreation

In general, Americans love entertainment and recreation. How much money do you think the average American spends on entertainment each year?

Roughly 5% of the average American’s budget is spent on entertainment, or nearly $3,000 / year!

Even though everyone is different, this is a lot of money, and we know that we all spend at least a little bit of money and a good deal of time with entertainment each year whether it be with our smart phone, TV, computer, or enjoying the outdoors.

Whenever you consider recreation, what do you usually think of?

Taking a walk/jog/run

Going out to eat with family

Watching a movie

Golfing/Fishing/Camping

Do you view recreation as a good or bad thing?

Often a good thing as it allows us to stop and do something different for a period of time

Can be a bad thing if it brings about frustration or it doesn’t enable you to genuinely rest

As we prepare for our opening lesson video, why do you think Dr. Allen wrote this chapter? We understand how the Gospel impacts our money, our marriage, our family, our job, and even our time… But why do you think we need to be reminded that the Gospel impacts our recreation?

We are living in a day where entertainment is everywhere we look! In fact, Gen Z is the most entertained generation in history with many of today’s children/youth having electronics since they were little and growing up with them ever since. As a result there can be a temptation to think that we don’t need the Gospel, we just need gimmicks to entertain the next generation and through entertainment we can “catch them” - Whatever it takes to get someone to come to church, it will take to keep them at your church. Meaning this, if the reason that people come to church is to be entertained then the moment that you stop entertaining them, chances are, they’ll stop coming. If we just try to entertain our kids, we’d better keep on doing the newest and greatest thing to entertain them or else we’ll lose them. I’m all about having fun and I love entertainment, but the Gospel has always been and will always be the vehicle that we use in the Church to draw people in and keep them here. The Gospel has to transform our view of recreation - not the other way around!

Lesson Video

There are 2 extremes whenever we think of recreation and more of you in this room likely fit in category #1

You are so task-oriented that you rarely have planned recreation

You plan everything in your life around your recreation and work whenever you have to or have nothing better to do

Both of these present problems, though! Psychologists share that recreation is necessary for our physical and emotional health - further, we see in the Bible that recreation/rest is necessary for our spiritual health! But our entire life cannot be that of recreation because we know that our work / service is important too! Consider the life of Jesus: In the midst of incredibly busy seasons of ministry, we see Him often take time to go off either by Himself or with His disciples to a remote location to refocus, rest, and recharge! This is a good model for us to follow and it’s one that many elite workers have found works best.

Consider our cars for a moment. They speed up and they accelerate to relatively fast speeds for a time but eventually, what will they do? We’ll press down on the break and slow down. Even the fastest of cars take a break and slow down. The secret that the most productive people in human history have learned is not necessarily to continuously work faster and faster, but to operate in seasons and to know when to press down on the brakes. In our lives, recreation helps us combat stress, remain healthy, improve our focus, and maintain a faster speed whenever we accelerate the next time.

Recreation is important! Let’s consider a Biblical example

Jesus has just completed a busy season of ministry as He healed many people in the city, then He goes off

Mark 1:35–39 CSB

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying. 36 Simon and his companions searched for him, 37 and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.” 39 He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

How has recreation impacted you in a positive way in the past?

Sometimes the best thing that you can do is to say no!

A nap or vacation are often wonderful things to recharge our drained batteries and get us ready for our next busy season!

Look at page 100 for a moment

Say that you’re the type that never takes a break / rests and you’re striving to do a better job of this but you run into another danger on the opposite side: overcorrecting and taking so many breaks that you can suddenly forget the things that are most important such as the Lord’s Day and gathering with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Hebrews warns against this practice - could someone read Hebrews 10:24-25?

Hebrews 10:24–25 CSB

24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

How do we encourage others when we worship together? How can we encourage others to join us? (Slide on Proclaim)

Dr. Allen states to plan our weekend around Sunday’s, not the other way around! We’ll touch more on this on Sunday as we study the BFM article #7 on the Church and the importance of gathering with one another and studying God’s Word and growing to be more like Jesus with our local church.

Sunday’s aren’t always “restful” but what is one thing that you intentionally do on Sunday that you don’t do on other days?

As a teenager I’d always take a Sunday afternoon nap with my dad on the couch while we’d watch the Cardinals game or a basketball game. We wouldn’t do that on other days but Sunday’s were so long that we knew that we needed about an hour long nap in the afternoon!

Why do you think some people have a problem taking a break and enjoying recreation?

They are glued to their phone, addicted to their work, or stressed out due to an extenuating circumstance. Dr. Allen suggests that we “simplify our lives” and remove unnecessary clutter from them in order to better steward the time that we have.

One way that we can go about enjoying recreation is using our recreation to glorify God and minister to others! As I was reading this chapter earlier this week I was convicted that David isn’t a golfer and he needs to experience that type of recreation! Maybe not - but whatever type of recreation you most enjoy, think of a person that you can minister to as you do what you love. Think of the conversations that you can have with others as you do that type of thing. Think of how you can glorify God through your recreation and come up with a strategy to follow through.

Whenever I was in elementary school my parents bought a camper and we’d go down to Table Rock Lake in Branson several times each summer and often we’d camp with other families from FBC Ozark. Those weeks and weekends in the summer were wonderful times of recreation as the kids would play games, swim, fish, and ride bikes and the parents would fellowship and sometimes even do Bible studies together on the lake. Think of people like that in your sphere of influence that you can minister to with your recreation. Whether it be running, going to a sporting event, watching a movie, or going camping.

What is wrong/dangerous with the statement: “The average American worships at his work, works at his play, and plays at his worship.”

If we live this statement out then we’ll be tempted to prioritize recreation/play as the most important thing that we do! This is what many folks do - they let ball become Ba’al and they let the lake turn into their altar.

Think of technology for a moment - how many of you have an iPhone or smart phone? It’s tempting for our technology to rule our life instead of us rule our technology. This is the same with recreation - it makes for a good tool, but a terrible master.

We have to place worship first, then work, then play - not the other way around!

A final consideration for us this evening: remember what the Word says. Strictly from a literal standpoint, I love the NASB rendering of the Old Testament and personally their translation of Psalm 46:10 is my favorite

Psalm 46:10 NASB95

10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Many translations say “Be still and know.” That’s perfectly good - it’s a correct translation of the Hebrew… But consider the implications of “Cease striving” - what does that imply? That you and I are striving. What are we striving for? Various things but often people strive to earn something with their work. To be good enough. To warrant consideration. To deserve something good. The Bible says to stop doing that - why? Psalm 46 says because God is God. In the New Testament, we read in Hebrews 10 that we must cease striving because Jesus paid it all.

Hebrews 10:14 CSB

14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.

We don’t have to continue trying to work it out with our own power! We don’t have to get caught in the perpetual American cycle of our works measuring up to a certain level of success - as Christians, we can rest assured of Jesus’ work and stand on what He has accomplished! Not only can we breathe a sigh of relief, we can place our head on our pillows at night and know full and well that our Savior has ransomed us and that no power of hell or scheme of man can pluck us from His hand!

We are free to rest in Christ’s work (Hebrews 4:1-10). This doesn’t mean that we don’t have work to do as Christians, but our work doesn’t define us. We can rest from that work and we can leverage our rest with the Gospel to help others break free from the crushing weight of works-based-righteousness.

Recreation will never satisfy our souls - only Jesus can. Whenever Jesus satisfies your soul, He invites you to rest in Him. How can you and I stand on God’s Word (see page 106) and invite others enjoy the unhurried, easy yoke, light burden life that Jesus offers (Matthew 11:28-30)?

Alternate ending: How can we use recreation as a tool at FBC Salem to bring people into the church and disciple them to be more like Christ?