The Whole Message

The Whole Message

20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
Acts 5:20 (ESV)

A more literal rendering of this verse reads "....the Whole Message of this life"(caps mine) Hence the title of my message.I was watching a press conference this week at The University of Kentucky. John Calipari, the head basketball coach, called the conference to announce that all five of his starters, plus one more would be entering the NBA draft later this year. The team won the NCAA basketball tournament this year and will send the WHOLE team to the NBA at one time is almost unheard of. Anyway, that being said it wasn't this fact that caught my ear. As Calipari began to speak he spoke of the concept they teach and employ in Kentucky basketball. What he said was this "...we teach servant leadership ..." He went on to say that Anthony Davis, the consensus Player of the Year and the projected number 1 pick in the upcoming draft, took the LEAST number of shots during the season. He then went on to say that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a first team All American and the projected number 2 draft pick, took the 2nd LEAST shots during the season. He then spoke of the humility that all the players exhibited during the season. He spoke of players learning and accepting their roles and the individual players serving each other on and off the court. A group of very talented teenagers bought into this concept of serving and team first and produced what some analysts say was the finest college basketball team ever assembled. As I was listening to Calipari applaud this team I was thinking 'hmmm..I've heard that term servant leadership being used...let's see...where did I see that?.....' Oh yeah, here it is.. well look at this?!? Isn't that odd? It's in the BIBLE!!. Yeah right here..

   24  A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25  And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26  But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
Luke 22:24-26 (ESV)

Here's another one, a little more personal.I know two people who had not spoken to each other in YEARS.There was a rift there and the divide was growing greater as each year passed. These two are close to me personally and I have thought about them and their anger at each other often. This New Years Eve past I was touched upon to include the reconciliation of this pair in my prayer for 2012. Pastor Doug encouraged me to do this many years ago and I do it yearly now. To my shame I had not done this in my previous prayers. Anyway, a couple days ago I was reading an e-mail sent to me by one of the above. During the course of the e-mail and most nonchalantly I was informed that the two had SPOKEN to each other a couple of weeks earlier.No more mention was made but I knew God was moving. Don't get me wrong there's a long way to go, BUT, it was a start. It not only put a smile on my face and in my heart, but, it boosted my faith that God really does hear our prayers!

What am I saying here? Is it about the virtue of being a servant or the possibilities of prayer? That's a part of it but it's more than just that. It's that God has the WHOLE message for this life. Your life..my life.. THIS LIFE. He's got all the answers! The whole enchilada. Doesn't matter whether you are a 61 year old man looking at eternity get a little bigger in the window; or an 18 year old basketball player learning servanthood. No matter where you are in life, God has it. All He's trying to get us to do is to let Him steer the car! Take a look at this.

3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)

That word "guarded" is likened to a military guard. All you old war horses out there..do you remember pulling guard duty in basic? Do you remember being threatened with punishments unmentionable in this column if you fell asleep or let an unauthorized individual in the barracks?
Well, that is the intent of this word in this passage and the intent of this message.You have an inheritance being kept for you in heaven while all the time being relentlessly guarded by Almighty God down here. He will not let you be destroyed. Listen, God is with you and I ALL the time. He's there guarding us when we are close to Him. He's there guarding us when we're not so close.Amen?

The world and it's leaders offer no direction,no inspiration, no hope. Forget about it, it just ain't there.
The God of all the Universe and His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ are the words of this Life. They are the WHOLE MESSAGE!

God Bless 
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