Time Out

Ready:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

(Matthew 11: 28-31)

Set:

This time of year can be hectic, especially for a college student.  If you’re like me, you fill your plate not just with massive amounts of food over Thanksgiving, but also with too much to do.  For some reason, I sometimes get lost in the plans and things that I need to do this time of year.  Days are crammed and sometimes overwhelming.  Are you in a place like that?

I have been spending some time with other women who are so anxious to get home and have a break.  I can relate.  It’s comforting to go home.   It’s comforting to relax, and just enjoy the moments with other people.  Jesus invites us to go home and rest with him in this verse.  Let’s break this down.  Basically, a yoke is a long wooden beam with that fits over the necks of a pair of draft animals, usually oxen, to harness them together to pull a plow, a cart, or some other load. (1 Samuel 6:7) Yokes for humans were also used. These were simple beams or poles carried across the shoulders with a load attached to each end. With them, laborers were able to carry heavy loads.

When we come to Jesus and trust Him with everything, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  If we are resistant to the Holy Spirit’s leading, sometimes our yoke, and the burdens we bear are heavy and overwhelming.  Living in sin causes us to stumble.  Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..”  When we are choosing to disobey God and just go our own way things are more likely to get out of control.  Living in sin is a weight that we bear, a cord that entangles us and keeps us from going forward: it is a yoke that is too heavy for us.

Whatever you are going through, it isn’t too much for Jesus. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

When we trust in Him, the one who holds everything together, we are free from the entanglements that we can become wrapped up in.  When we give Him full control on our life, trusting in Him for the outcome and giving Him the glory, we come to a place of rest and contentment.  “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”   “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Let God be the author of your life.  Take a time-out and let The Coach determine your game plan.  You’re in great hands. 🙂

Go:

1. Are you putting too much on your plate?

2. Can you let something go so you are able to see God at work in your life?

3. What is preventing you from going to Jesus?

Workout:

Hebrews 12:1-5

1 Chronicles 16:11

Isaiah 40:28-31

1 Corinthians 10:13

Make a play-

Sheep City

If you are from the  Grand Junction area, you might be familiar with some sheep statues near first street.  I pass by the sheep statues whenever I go to McCalisters, or Walgreens and I always wonder the same thing, “what are those doing there.”   After the Lee James, the State Director for FCA Colorado, came to visit us this past week, I may have gotten some insight to the meaning behind it.  

Let me first start out by telling you about FCA.  Since 1954, Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in America. FCA focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ.  One of the ways we do that is through the influence of athletes and coaches and what we call the “4 C’s”.  The 4 C’s are platforms FCA uses in order to reach people.  They are, coaches, camps, campus, and community.

Mesa County FCA is just starting out.  Although there has been an FCA huddle on the Colorado Mesa University Campus, we were not recognized by the national organization because there was not staff here.  Now we have representatives, and are working with national to expand the ministry in Colorado.

So, back to the sheep.  In the Bible, there is a pretty strong emphasis of sheep in the Bible referring to God’s people.

Psalm 95:7

For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Jesus also tells a parable, which means “to compare,  or illustrate a spiritual lesson” using sheep and goats.

Matthew 25:31-34

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Although there are similarities between a sheep and a goat, there are differences so great that Jesus said the goats would not inherit the kingdom of God. While the sheep are considered God’s children, the goats are not. Though, sheep and goats can remain in the same fold, when Jesus returns in all His glory, He will separate the sheep from the goats.  Why?   If we study the character of the animals, we can recognize that true sheep (God’s children) are affectionate and non-aggressive. They are easy to manage because they are submissive in nature. They rarely give the shepherd (their leader) problems. If they should give the shepherd a problem it is generally because the presence of a wolf or the butting of a goat has agitated them. Also sheep enjoy still waters, not liking to drink from agitated waters. This means that they are not quick to be where strife, arguing, dissension, or turmoil is present. Such problems make the sheep skittish and they are quick to scurry away from such discord.  Sheep love to graze, meaning they love to eat the Word of God. They love to be in the presence of God.They rarely will miss a feeding or shall we say a meeting. They are hungry and love to graze in the green pastures. They are not in a hurry to move on and will stay as long as the shepherd allows.  Although sheep are easily managed, they also are defenseless and vulnerable to danger. As leaders, it is important to provide the sheep with a comfortable, safe environment. We can do that as leaders if we recognize the danger of allowing wolves into the folds. This will come with the watchman and leader working together. Let’s take a look at the characteristics of a goat.

Goats tend to be more self-sufficientthan sheep, choosing to browse rather than graze in the pasture. They don’t enjoy the green pastures in the same way as the sheep. They are not always satisfied with what the shepherd (leader) gives them. They will nibble on the Word of God, a little here and a little there, yet they love to be seen in the high places. The goats walk with their tails held high, spiritually indicating pride, and they emit an offensive odor. There is something distinguishing about the goat, and that is the odor, or “air” about them.

So, the core message of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats is that good works will result from our relationship to the Shepherd, to Christ. Followers of Christ will produce good works, will treat others with kindness, will deal with others as if they were Christ because of their character. Those who reject Christ live in the opposite manner. While “goats” can indeed do acts of kindness and charity, their hearts are not truly in them for the right purpose – to honor and worship God by treating Him as our Shepherd.

So why did I even care to bring this up?  We believe the Grand Valley is ready to hear and receive the Gospel of Christ. Not only are people ready to receive it, but people are being prepared to lead and shepherd the sheep.  Good shepherds love their sheep and spare no effort when leading them to green pastures and clear water.   The receptiveness and readiness is evident all over the place: even in the symbology of the sheep statues in the middle of Grand Junction. Ministries are growing rapidly, especially on the Colorado Mesa University campus.  There are over seven different campus ministries that are taking place, not counting the high schools, middle schools, or churches.  God has prepared this city, and more and more people are being receptive to the message of the Gospel.

References:

http://www.watchmanbiblestudy.com/Documents/SymbologyofSheepGoats.htm

http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-sheep-goats.html