That's what he always used to preach. Got to get some skin in the game. Turned church around for me. Not a place to go. A place to go from
He said we get together to gather our strength. It wasn't about what we did there. We would go and it would be hard. We would do it. It would matter. There was always joy.
We suffered and we celebrated together. He tried to fill the church the best he could do with his own family. Certain Sundays his guests would out number members. He would meet someone once and ask them to come preach to us because Nottingham was where he brought his best. In truth he brought his best to everything.
We lost Stanley Miller too soon already before here at Nottingham. We certainly have a good idea what it is like. The best story I know is when he visited the seniors at Euclid Beach. He asked them, "Dave's Market across the street they must give you something this time of year?"
"No." the seniors answered without delay. He was across the street before anyone had known what was going on. It was thanksgiving time. He spoke to the manager and returned with either frozen turkeys or promises of frozen turkeys. People didn't often know what to think of him when he was in meetings. We had this in common too.
He had skin in the game. Everything he did was important to him. These ideas did not come from nowhere. We have so much to draw upon as we look to our future. This has not been an easy time for anyone. Life the last few years has been more about death than life it seems at times. No one alive had the experiences we all have had these last two years.
We lost one of our great leaders, Stanley Miller. We sure do have skin in the game. Not something we are ever prepared. Reminds me of other people I have lost. We have a story from numbers this week that reminds me of my Dad. He used to like all the odd stories of the bible. We discussed many. He was well spoiled in the word. I didn't really remember this one.
Numbers 11:24-29
24 So Moses went out and spoke to the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered seventy men from among the elders of the people and stationed them around the Tent (tabernacle). 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took some of the Spirit who was upon Moses and put Him upon the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied [praising God and declaring His will], but they did not do it again.
26 But two men had remained in the camp; one named Eldad and the other named Medad. The Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the Tent), and they prophesied in the camp. 27 So a young man ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying [extolling the praises of God and declaring His will] in the camp.” 28 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”
Where this story takes place is important. The rabble as they are called are getting tired of eating manna. The story implies it is the foreign element among them from Egypt that really started the trouble. There were a good many greedy people as there always are where ever people gather, Sometimes I put my father in that category when I see how well he was taken care. Sometimes I put myself in this category.
But here we have quite a story if you remember. God sends them meat all right. God talks about sending so much meat that it will be coming out of their ears and nose. The wind brings quail and the people spend the day gathering. This was good luck? God sends a plague against the greedy and we are told they end up in the ground.
"Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!" This prayer for the good news and the holy spirit of Moses almost overlooked. There is a risk of exaggerating the importance of the word of God, but not much.
What a place for this spirit of Moses story. Moses was doing everything spiritually speaking for his people. God tells them that he is different because God speaks directly with him because he has this spirit upon him. He took some of the Spirit who was upon Moses and put Him upon the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied [praising God and declaring His will], but they did not do it again.
It is easy to imagine that there is a good reason that only two of them went and prophesied to the camp. It often feels when I speak to seventy children one thing I am lucky if two will understand. We come from different places and we share the same place differently. We have here something foreshadowed about the holy spirit and the good news.
Something could be shared of this spirit and not lost. We come with this spirit to look at our scripture reading today Mark 9:38-50 which I read from the Amplified Bible.
38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not accompanying us [as Your disciple].” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is for us. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he will not lose his reward.
In this first section we see clearly how the disciples before the holy spirit came upon them struggled to see the vision of Jesus. We hear an echo of Moses. Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets. What was it they didn't like? We often talk about how different times and cultures can be. Yet what is it they do not like. Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not accompanying us.
People are at their best when they take ownership, but their shoulders often at their widest. In all stages and season of life I have found this to be true. In my students and my teachers.
Outsiders like insiders. This was more than foreign to them. A cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ. Was Jesus getting them ready. When we say Jesus is a great teacher we do not say that as simple praise. We say this because we have a record of his methods and we know the outcome, to this very morning.
42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe and trust in Me to stumble [that is, to sin or lose faith], it would be better for him if a heavy millstone [one requiring a donkey’s strength to turn it] were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]! It is better for you to enter life crippled, than to have two hands and go into [a]hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 [b][where their worm does not die, and the fire is not put out.] 45 If your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]! It would be better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell, 46 [c][where their worm does not die, and the fire is not put out.] 47 If your eye causes you to stumble and sin, throw it out [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]! It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm [that feeds on the dead] does not die, and the fire is not put out.
Could we say here we have a more old testament Jesus. Someone we are not as comfortable. No is the simple answer. Here we are. This too is good news. We have to hear this more than a dire warning. An invitation to the bounty of life. Being outside is nothing compared to cause to stumble someone you have a chance to help. Opportunities to serve are missed at your peril.
49 “For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good and useful; but if salt has lost its saltiness (purpose), how will you make it salty? Have salt within yourselves continually, and be at peace with one another.”
Salt. Salt of the earth. Sometimes I sing it in my mind. One of my favorite teaching we talked about last week. In verse 35 Sitting down [to teach], He called the twelve [disciples] and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all [in importance] and a servant of all.”
What if you don't want to be first? Well I would offer here there is not another answer. You want to be second? must be servant of all but one. As we file in we see something of a plan. If you keep reading in Mark you see Moses is what Jesus talks about next and might wonder I have a plan for this sermon. If you keep reading you will find a plan for life.
We might hear something of an answer to dire warnings. The worst you could say is that we really do not have a choice. But that is easy when you have been properly spoiled by the word. James 5:13-20 again from the Amplified Bible gives us an answer to this question and many others.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God]. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with [a]oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed [b]intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].
We often take it as an article of faith that we all know to pray. We might pray in phases and get down a long line that God just places a right turn. We grieve our own life as much as we grieve others.
We got some skin in the game. Somethings we can't lose. We can never lose Jesus. We can only walk away or with him. In my mind this is not a choice.
Somethings we could do without. Many things in truth we can do without. Beyond my health and a chance to work hard there is little I can not do.
As a man the entire world stacked against him. There was little Pastor Miller could not do. He faced with a smile I am witness. He wasn't supposed to succeed. He somehow never got that message. There he was. He was blessed indeed. His territories were enlarged.
Also lost a friend who lost his way before 40. His actions it could be said lead directly to death. There is a finality to a life when it ends. We don't have to evaluate our feelings about someone anymore. He had many names actually that people called him, but he only called himself one. It is not hard to say I love him.
We lost our music director Karen recently as well. When you start to think of all the death it can lead you to many conclusions. I remember her one day leaving the church as she talked to herself, "I'm just not praying hard enough." I smiled and think of that moment often. I am happy that I knew how lucky we were to have her when we did.
I pray without ceasing but you might not think I am praying. Another one of those non decisions of mine. When I am blessed I do not hesitate to ask for the next one. When I don't get what I pray for I wonder how I am so far off track.
It's not easy. It matters. In life we find seasons. In the end we find abundant eternal life or an end. Not for lack of love. How do you feel about things you create?
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