Good morning church and happy Saturday. We had a great week at Community Impact Church. Pastor Edwin did a great job preaching last Sunday. I praise God that He led Edwin and Ashton to Community Impact. On Monday, along with the Bridge Church, we hosted the Advice and Aid Thanksgiving dinner. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we taught a lesson and packed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child during our children and youth discipleship. Throughout the week, we collected the final items needed for our Thanksgiving food distribution this Sunday evening. One of the funny things that happened was several of the staff making multiple trips to the local Aldi stores to buy the turkeys since they were limited to two per purchase. One thing is for certain, there is always something going on at CIC.
As many of you know, Michelle, Marcus and I recently moved. We moved from the apartment we had been living in to a townhome in Shawnee. Fortunately, due to the timing on our closing and the lease on the apartment, we were able to take our time moving and didn’t need to cram it all in on one day. For the most part, it was fairly simple. It is amazing what you can do with two furniture dollies and a cart. Occasionally, I did have to call in some extra muscle to move some larger items. Thanks to Marcus and Edwin, we got it done. Throughout, the move, there was one item that I was dreading – that is our gigantic blue couch. When we lived in Greystone, we bought an oversized couch. Not only is it long, it is deeper than the standard couch. In fact, if you sit all the way against the cushions in the back it is likely your feet won’t reach the floor. The reason I wasn’t looking forward to moving it is because of the trouble we had getting into the apartment. On the day we moved in there, I had a friend helping me with the furniture. The couch, rivaling the size of the fish that swallowed Jonah, was one of the last pieces we moved. On that fateful day, we wheeled it out of the trailer, down the hall, to the elevator. It was there the things went south in a hurry. We quickly discovered that the couch would not make the turn straight into the elevator. It was at that point, using brute strength and no brains, we began the futile effort of trying to cram big bertha into the elevator. The doors, displaying as much patience as us, kept trying to close. For some reason, it didn’t matter that there was a large object blocking their path. So, with the doors repeatedly trying to shut, the grating voice on the recording saying, “Please remove object from doorway,” and us twisting and turning the couch every which way, it was quite a sight. Finally, determining that they had installed too small of an elevator for such a mammoth beast, we dragged the defiant davenport to the compactor and crushed the life out of it. Actually, that was wishful thinking at the point. Rather, with the resolve of conquering warriors, we laid hands on that formidable foe, and headed for the stairwell. In a feat of strength and determination only rivaled by an ironman triathlete, we carried it kicking and screaming to the fourth floor. Once there, we discovered another obstacle – the front door. We again tried the twisting, turning and brute strength method to no avail. We determined we needed a bit more room so we took the door off of the hinges. Fortunately, it was a very heavy commercial style door with spring loaded hinges to further test our resolve. At last, with our final push to the finish line we accomplished what had never been done before in the history of the world. Of course, that is primarily due to the fact it was a new apartment and no one had ever moved a couch into that space before. But, whatever, the super-gigantinormus sofa was in the apartment.
So, now you know why I was not looking forward to moving it back out of the apartment. I had little desire to remove and replace the door once again. What’s more, I did not want to haul that thing back down four flights of steps either. That is why I left it to the very last. As I moved other things out, I occasionally glanced at the big blue behemoth. As I wheeled things through the front door, down the hall, and into the elevator, I kept thinking about it. It consumed my thoughts. I couldn’t sleep at night. I was having nightmares about being crushed or smothered by the blue beast. I was also looking at the clearance I had in the doorway and the elevator with everything else I was moving. Then I began to wonder, “What if there was a way to get it on the elevator?” On one of the 27,462 trips back and forth, I grabbed a tape measure. I measured the couch, the doorway and the elevator. I evaluated the different maneuvers it would take, but felt I had discovered a way to get it to fit out the door and also into the elevator. I tested my theory with the loveseat. Even though it is only half the length, it has the same depth. Sure enough, in my test run, I moved the loveseat out the door by myself with the assistance of two dollies (furniture dollies, that is). So, with great confidence, the day came to move the couch. With moves equaled only by Circ de Soleil, Edwin and I maneuvered the couch through the front door, down the hall, and into the elevator. Even though the door kept trying to close on us and the recorded lady was yelling at us, we persevered. Our dismount from the elevator wasn’t perfect, but we came close to sticking the landing. With a sense of pride, we wheeled the now-compliant couch to the waiting trailer.
So what had changed? The couch was still the same size. So was the doorway and the elevator. The only difference was taking the time to think through the situation logically. I took a few minutes to make some calculations and consider the various options. In doing so, it saved a lot of hard work that proved to be unnecessary. If you think about it, this applies to virtually every area of our lives. Sometimes we push forward or try to force things to work. Often, it doesn’t turn out so well. Even in our spiritual walk, we sometimes blunder along without thinking. Sadly, there are many people out there that will believe almost anything they hear on the internet or from some friend that they admire. Many Christians are even supporting or pushing ideas and agendas that are contrary to the Word of God. Often, it is because they haven’t taken the time to think through the ramifications of what they are saying or doing.
In Luke 14, in the context of taking up your cross and following Him, Jesus teaches: 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
As a follower of Christ, we need to carefully consider the way in which we live our lives. We have surrendered them to follow Jesus. That means following His Word, following His example, seeking His will, and living for His glory and honor. We can no longer blindly follow the ways of the world or try to live however we want. It is imperative that we stop and think through things once in a while. We need to discern if we are living through the power of the Holy Spirit or are attempting to do so with our own efforts.
Love God. Love others. Impact our community. Change the world.
Pastor Larry
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