Three Reasons

I found this graphic after checking through quite a few of photos in my own church, and I don’t have one of just our pulpit. This example is sooo different from Sunday’s sermon, that it caught my eye. Scott Matthews, with The Rochester Family, preached Sunday after the group sang for us. This pulpit could not have contained his energy!

He opened with scripture:

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8 KJV)

He became more concise, and took from that five words: I have finished my course.

Scott began with a serious look at the number of people who have not finished their course, but have walked away from churches, faith and God’s will in their lives. He then gave us three reasons why he has not walked away, will not walk away, and why we shouldn’t:

1. Those who have gone before, the faithful in our families or fellow Christians who paid high prices for holding on to their faith and finishing their course.
2. Those little ones coming after, the children we are to teach, to be examples to and pass along faith in God’s promises.
3. God – who first loved us, with such a love that He provided himself a sacrifice through all sufficient grace.

Those are tremendous reasons and he expanded on his selections with specific examples. I have always been impressed on his delivery – he cites scripture and segues into the application, melding together as a single action.

He does that not from our pulpit, but in constant motion across the front of the sanctuary or down the middle aisle, consistently making eye-contact with the audience – he’s speaking to us, individually.

I can think of specific scriptures to go with each of those reasons, too:

1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1 KJV)
2. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 11:19 KJV)
3. We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 KJV)

Those aren’t the ones Scott Matthews used, but are the ones that speak to me for the reasons he gave – especially of when to speak of God’s word – morning, night, home away. Pretty much covers every moment of every day. That’s why I share this, here. Where do you share?