To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
I used to be a HUGE Olympic fan (less so this year than most, but still keeping up). The incredible Iginla pass of 2010, or the 100 meter run of 1996, or even the arm raised victory of September 24, 1988 (just for the record everyone else was doing steroids as well, and he should have kept the gold). I love cheering for my country, and am impressed by the hard work and discipline it takes to be a great athlete at this level.
I have loved the swimming this year, and even find myself delighted in the gender inequality of Canadians (our women have almost all of our medals), and am hoping for many more medals for my beloved country. Why bring this up now? Because Paul uses the Olympics (or a games just like them) as a motive for us in our passion to pursue Jesus. He wants us to be Olympic like Christians (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). I think this means at least three things:
1. Focus: I am often asked what I think the greatest lesson from the last 18 months or so is, and I think (at least today), my answer is that we need to be fixated in our love for Jesus, so that nothing and no one else can get in the way. An Olympic athlete fixates on the prize, and then is willing to do whatever it takes to get that prize. In the same way we should be those who run in such a way as to get our prize, our pursuit of God’s glory, and passion to live life on His mission for eternal reward, worth the focus. Distractions are multiple and often can come in pleasure, or pain, but the solution for both is that fixing of our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3); that longing for the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18); that gaze at things that are above (Colossians 3:1-3). I don’t know what you have learned from the COVID experience, but one thing I pray you will learn is the importance of an OLYMPIC FOCUS for the follower of Jesus, and the greater prize.
2. Full Devotion: This is similar to focus, but is the, “this one thing I do” of Philippians 3, or the buffeting our bodies of 1 Corinthians 9. If you want to make the Olympics it takes a focus on the prize, and a full devotion of its pursuit. I suppose here, a realization that you won’t wake up tomorrow a fully devoted follower of Jesus unless you choose today, RIGHT NOW, who you will serve. There are spiritual disciplines, that if you don’t do, you won’t grow. You must spend time eating right (God’s Word), living in God’s presence (prayer), rejoicing in the Gospel (motive and mandate) and living on mission. These are steps to becoming the spiritual champion God wants you to become, and if you spend more time on the internet than pursuing intimacy with God, you will be playing in the kids pool when the athletes are called to be on their mark. You are becoming tomorrow the habits you choose today. Make a commitment to display the importance of your pursuit of Jesus in your spiritual disciplines. How you use your time, treasures and talents not only shows what you value, it is directly pointing to who you will become.
3. Family: We won a gold medal in the 100 fly. GOLD. That is amazing. Notice I took credit for it in the we…as a Canadian. I jumped out of my seat and screamed as it was played before my eyes live. AMAZING! GOLD! What I really enjoyed seeing is the comradery and training that the women’s swim team seemed to have (especially the relay girls, and Penny, the most decorated athlete in Canadian history.). I enjoyed the statement that they repeated as they shared back and forth, this was for the girls, for the family (my words). They were committed to one another and the mission of being the best they could be together. As God’s church, HOW MUCH MORE should we be committed to one another and the team God has placed us on in this local church. Each one of us doing our best in our event (where we are spiritually gifted), and joining together to accomplish the goal. We each have a role to play, and I loved the bronze medal in the 4 * 100 IM, as each did their part, some world class athletes, some struggling to keep up, together worth celebrating! We all have a part to play in our family, and even if we feel a little slower than others, our part is key to getting us to the place where God is glorified. We are citizens of heaven, and a part of the family of God, and as such pursue together an impact for His Kingdom.
I have found my passion for the Olympics fading a little as the woke-ness of athletes doesn’t let them celebrate their country, or the heartache of misunderstanding God’s value and dignity given to men and women at birth, but I still think the Olympics has a lot to teach us.
Will you learn the lesson of FOCUS, FULL DEVOTION and FAMILY with me this year, and enjoy the last week of competition, and the rest of your life pursuing God’s prize and glory.
Reminder: Kids Nursery and up to 2’s is starting this Sunday. They will be dismissed at Kids Connect time. We still need more volunteers to fit out the rest of our ministries, so please consider joining our teams serving Jesus and His people, and helping families follow Jesus. (Robyn@cloverdalebaptist.ca; hannah@cloverdalebaptist.ca)
So thankful to have Johnny and Mitch here with us helping us to engage with God in song on Sunday mornings. Please remember our goal is to exalt God together, with engaged minds, hearts, and voices, so let the words engage your minds, the truth engage your hearts, and your voices encourage one another in the praise of our REDEEMER! Thankful to be in a family that believes God is real, and shows it in the way we praise our King and encourage one another!
Remember to STAY INFORMED:
https://www.cloverdalebaptist.
We are believing that we will be fully open and operational come September, so sign up, serve, and be an encouragement.
Invite 1, encourage 3, and share the Gospel with any and all who will listen. Just today I have heard four stories of Gospel sharing, and two, in the ministries of our church who trusted in Jesus for the first time. KEEP IT UP! God has good works prepared in advance for you to do (Ephesians 2:10) and has placed you where you are for such a time as this. Engage, Encourage and Elicit praise to our King!
Sunday Is Coming:
Title: An Unchanging God Who Changes People:
Text: Malachi 3:6-12
This is one of the most quoted passages of Malachi, and one of the most hated passages of the Old Testament. See if you can find out why by pre-reading the text.
- Why is it important to realize that God does not change?
- How can this deepen our trust of who He is and what He has done?
- Why is it important to realize that He changes people?
- In this passage what are the two things that God accuses this people of?
- Why do you think they are significant to our culture and world today?
The main problem for the people who Malachi addresses is that they acted religiously, but did not live in relationship with God.
- What are some ways that our lives can display this same problem?
How can we show with our purity and pocket books that we believe that God exists?
Excited to be back together, and see more and more of God’s people drifting back into our building on Sunday mornings. Have missed you, and delighted to gather with you again!
A joyful servant of the UNCHANGING KING,
Pastor Rob
Don't forget to pray with the Elders, Tuesday nights from 7-8 in the Fellowship Hall.