We are people with cracks, holes and other things that keep
us from being the people we want to be. Sometimes we are shaky with what we
believe or want to accomplish. Maybe we have goals in mind but keep ourselves
from accomplishing them, sometimes we put our trust in what shouldn’t be
trusted. Our faith can even be shaken at times.
I was talking to a great friend in Tim Ramseier a while ago
when we talked about problems in youth ministry. Tim told me that we are
dealing with the first generation of parents who grew up in youth groups. He
told us that sadly the way you used to do youth ministry was having pizza,
games and maybe a little Bible. He mentioned about how this created problems
because these are the parents of the youth ministry kids today and sometimes
this is what they expect with youth ministry. Ministry has evolved, just like
nobody wants a big bulky TV anymore (Flat panel LCD or plasma is sweet), nobody
wants a water down faith. What based a foundation of faith?
1 Corinthians 3:10-13…
“By the grace God has given me I laid a foundation as wise
builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with
care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which
is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because
the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire
will test the quality of each person’s work.”
Nobody wants a gimmick. We all see infomercials that are
going to change the world with one product. Most of them don’t work and we
could spend $20 on garbage. Faith can be that way. People would put their faith
and trust in humans. In Paul’s time they would say I am a follower of Apollos
or this person or that person and put their faith wrapped around those people.
Therefore when those people would fail them or they wouldn’t like what they had
to say, they would follow a different person rather than making Jesus their
foundation.
We can say we are different and put more effort on Jesus
Christ, but we can still have a shaky foundation. This is why people leave
churches or get mad when church isn’t going their way. Reasons people leave
churches I have heard…
“The preaching was boring to me.”
“The worship wasn’t appealing to me.”“I served in this ministry for 20 years and they just want to replace me.”
“This church tried to reach new people and it didn’t care anymore about me.”
The church has never been about me, it’s always been about
Jesus. Jesus is what the foundation of faith needs to be based on. Everyone in
the church is a servant of Jesus, we do what we can do to reach more people or
to be a better servant of Christ. We all are people with sins and mistakes, but
Jesus can still use each of us to help other people out. No matter what
mistakes we have made, we can put our trust in Jesus.
When you look at your life, your cracks and scars it can be
a problem when you don’t go to the right person for help. When you have faith
issues Jesus gives us great people who can help us, but he also gives us prayer
and the ability to read his word in the Bible. Faith is based on the word of
God not a gimmick to get you in a church door.
What makes your faith today? Is it based on something around
you or something around Jesus? Have a great day.
