Gtcotr/ss081323
Jesus is focused on people. He only sees the individual in every crowd.
This past week I spent a good amount of time in the Bible and in prayer. I read historical accounts from the Old Testament, reviewed prophecies, meditated on the Psalms, and enjoyed going through stories from the Gospels, the book of Acts, and several Epistles. It was another week of needing all the Word and wisdom I could get from the scriptures.
Several times in the last few days, as usual, I felt the inspiration of the Holy Spirit nudging me to say, do, and make decisions based on what I had learned from the scriptures or said during prayer. My focus was on other people; mostly people who were facing some need. It’s just like so many of you who do what you do because of the other people in your life that you love and care for. And at the end of the week I had strength and time, energy and joy to spare. It’s good to end the week with a little reserve. Life is best lived with a margin. And …
Spending time in the Word and prayer before you need it is a lifesaver.
While preparing for today’s message I began as I normally do by asking God what He wanted to say to you today. After more than 43 years of preaching virtually every Sunday and Wednesday, it has never gotten boring or dull or routine for me. It may have to others and perhaps that’s why some find a new Church or a new Pastor every 3 or 4 years. Lol.
At any rate, although I thoroughly enjoy what I get to study and teach each week, I do find it intriguing that God continues to inspire me and show me things I have not seen in that way before. I suppose He is really smart and I’m not, because I keep reading the same book and praying the same prayers and I keep seeing new things. Many of you might be very surprised to know just how much your Pastor depends on the Holy Spirit each service. Truly, without Him I can do nothing (John 15:5). But …
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to read about Jesus multiplying the fish and loaves to feed 5000 men, besides women and children. This is one of the rare accounts which is recorded in all four of the Gospels: Matthew; Mark; Luke; and John. I went over each account and closed my eyes to put myself in that place … I know it well and have visited that site many times.
In about two weeks I will be traveling with dozens of you to the Holy Land for the Trip of a Lifetime. Not many tour groups visit the actual place where this miracle of fish and loaves took place, there is just no commercial benefit to the site … but I’ll take you there. The scriptures tell us that it was on a hill belonging to the town of Bethsaida. One of the benefits to being there is that you will forever be able to put yourself on that hillside along with the thousands there that day when Jesus showed how much compassion He has for just one small passing need we have in this life.It was just one meal for every person that day … Jesus cared.
The story behind the story is emphasized in the fact that it impacted all four of the writers of the Gospels so that they all included it in the limited time and space they were given to write about the life of Christ. We take note of such things with great consideration.
After reading and meditating on those accounts this week and seeing how much Jesus cared for each individual He encountered and how Jesus wanted to make sure He left people better than He found them, I sat back and walked myself through the life of Christagain. It was easy to see that Jesus was focused on others in a personal way. He paid special attention topeople who only saw themselves as just a part of the crowd.
I decided to imagine what Jesus would say if He walked into our Church service. Of course, if I recognized Him, and I think I would … He would be the One with the unmistakable authority and anointing, plus … I think we would feel Him in our midst … at least I hope we would. But I’d be most interested in listening to what He had to say to us.
Have you ever wondered what Jesus would say if He came in and took the stage? Well, we really don’t have to wonder, we can see and hear exactly what He did when that happened to Him in His hometown of Nazareth. Let’s turn to the account found in the fourth chapter of Luke and read it.
Luke 4 NKJV
14 ¶ Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
