One of the major news stories in Canada earlier this year was Chief Theresa Spence’s hunger strike.
She willingly gave up food, other than fish broth, to protest and pursue what she considered a greater good.
She's one of many stories of people giving up something good, in order to pursue an even greater good.
In diets, people give up foods they love, for greater health. Or they fast before surgery, again for better health.
Parents give up money, time, independence, much of their lives, for the good of a child.
Many a professional has given up opportunities, promotions, raises for better work-life balance.
One man I know gave up his career as a rising star in a major legal firm, to study and become a pastor.
The list goes on. Maybe even includes you!
Question: What would be important enough to make you give up food?
There is some teaching, especially when it’s unoriginal and shallow, that you can take under advisement. You can simply say, “That’s interesting” and then move on with your life.
We read stuff like this all the time. Magazine articles. Newspaper. Blogs. Facebook posts. Some people are very skilled at rehashing other people’s research in entertaining and interesting ways.
I often read things that are of little value to me. They’re just interesting, and not going to change my life.
I hope the Sermon on the Mount we’ve been studying is not that way for you.
We saw last week – hearing and living these words is like building upon a stone foundation for life. Hearing and ignoring these words is like building on a sand
foundation that washes away.
How you hear the Sermon on the Mount is like the difference between a wedding announcement and invitation.
With a wedding announcement in the newspaper or on Facebook, you say, “Oh, look, they’re getting married, how nice”.
An invitation is quite different, since it has your name on it. It’s for you. We want you to come.
The Kingdom of heaven is often described as a party, and it would be a party with the most original, profound teacher ever at its centre. The very source of truth, wisdom is the attraction.
His way of life would now be the only reality. The kingdom he’s been describing, would be there in living colour.
He’s issued that invitation to you. Come to my kingdom, my celebration, my party. And this is not just a future reality, somewhere else. It’s something we are called to start practicing now, really living it out, to be ready for the full production .
Life on earth is meant to be a practice party, and you’re invited.
We’re establishing a new church, or Christian community, in Ajax – and it will be built on the model of a party with Jesus at the center.
It will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. We’re planning our first party for this fall.
Challenge: We’re running a poll right now, that you can find in our app or here on our web site: bit.ly/15B2yry Tell us what kind of party you could RSVP to!
