Author: Aaron Hufty

Aaron Hufty is the Associate Pastor for Worship and Music at FBCSA.

Show Me

Re:Verse passage – Luke 24:36:-43; John 20:26-29 (day two)  Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Seeing is believing, right? As most of you know I was not born and raised in the Republic of Texas, I am from the blessed state of Missouri. I am very proud of that, as many of you are aware. Missouri is known as the ‘Show Me State’, there are a lot of theories about where this distinction originated, but the most likely comes from a quote by US Congressman Willard Vandiver as he was testifying before a naval banquet in 1899. Vandiver said: “I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.”

There is an inherent stubbornness that accompanies this line of thought. It removes the article of faith required of us to follow Jesus. The savior was speaking of all of the faithful who would follow in the ages since he ascended back to heaven. If we only ever believe that which we can see, feels and touch we will miss out on the eternal blessings of heaven. If tangible proof were required for future generations, don’t you think Jesus would have provided it? We have the evidence of the Holy Spirit and the truth of scripture. Regardless of where you are from, that is proof enough.

Expectations

Re:Verse passage – Luke 24:13-35 (day two) But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. v. 21

I love this encounter between Jesus and these two disciples. There is so much insight offered about what they knew, and what they expected. They were truly hoping that Jesus would be the one to bring Israel back to its place of prominence. They believed that he was the one to right the wrongs that had crept into the synagogues and the nation. They had all the information about Jesus, but they tried to make him fit their limited understanding of leadership and love. How are your expectations of church, of relationships, and ultimately of Jesus hindering your ability to let him take control? Whatever you may think, hope, or desire should be held loosely in your hands to grasp firmly the ultimate good he has for each of us. May our expectations not cloud our eyes from seeing Jesus as he really is…alive!

Run

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-18 (day two) So she ran…v. 2a; The two were running together…v. 4a

Resurrection morning had a lot of cardio for Mary, Peter, and John. It’s as much a condition of the heart spiritually as well as physically. Why run? There may have been some fear that Jesus’ body had been desecrated, removed, or destroyed, but what played through the minds of the disciples when they heard the tomb was empty? Was there some small hope that he was truly alive? There is a quickening in our spirits, externally motivated, that will lead us to run toward the truth. Only with the Holy Spirit will we look backwards and recognize what moved us, what drew us, to the appointed place to meet the Lord. They had all been with the savior and heard him speak of the reality of the cross, his death, and ultimately his resurrection. Grief, however, blinded their hearts from those promises. My hope is that each of us have spent each day near the savior, so when prompted we can run towards him and discover what truth he has yet to reveal.

ALIVE

Re:Verse passage – Luke 24:1-12 (day two) Why do you seek the living One among the dead?  v. 5b

There is nothing dead about our faith. It is alive, because Christ is alive. Although we give lip service to this fact, do we actually live it? Christ overcoming death is a revolutionary concept. We must take great care to not let complacency take the place of wonder. Jesus wasn’t just alive that day, he is alive now. He conquered death. May we never be comfortable with that truth. May we ever marvel at the power Jesus has over sin and death. They are defeated, not just 2000 years ago, but for all time. Our faith shouldn’t resemble a memorial service, but a joyful celebration of the ever-living, ever-giving journey that we are called to follow. Christ is Alive!

Judge Not

Re:Verse passage – Luke 19:28-44 (day two) Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” vv. 39-40

Have you ever been in worship and judged others? That’s a loaded question, I know, but hear me out. Have you ever heard someone shout ‘AMEN’ and you have thought, ‘wow, that’s a bit over the top.’ Or maybe seen or heard someone singing or being very demonstrative in their worship and felt it was for show? At some point we have all made these kinds of judgments rightly or wrongly. The Pharisees were eager to control any narrative that wasn’t their own, and they were quick to put down anything that strayed from their narrative. No one person will react to the Lord’s presence in the same way, and we are not in a place to wonder or worry about their motivation. Our focus should not be like the Pharisees, outward – on others. Our focus should be responding to the Lord as he calls. Let’s continue to be a place where we freely allow the Spirit to move, and respond accordingly. Otherwise…the rocks are warming up.

Tradition

Re:Verse passage – Mark 7:1-23 (day two) Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men. v. 8

This should hit everyone square between the eyes. Whether it is tradition of denomination, our own culture, our particular gather, we have ways of doing things “in the name of Jesus.” So much so that we often don’t remember how they became tradition in the first place, but they have become our stock and trade when it comes to how we do church. You won’t find a bigger advocate for tradition than me, but I also want to be the first to say that if we don’t run everything by scripture and the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we are running a risk of being far from God. Even more than that when our traditions become our doxology we teach others, ie our children, to worship the tradition first. This is a hard lesson for any institution that has been around for generations, but our litmus test should never be measured against our history, but against God’s authority.

Fear

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:45-53 (day two)

for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” v. 50

We have studied Mark for several weeks, and one of the angles we have been studying is how people respond to Jesus. Week after week, Pastor Chris calls everyone to some sort of response in worship. He is giving voice to the work of the Spirit in each service. We are always responding in some way or other. A response that gets a lot of text in scripture is one of fear. When you read the birth narrative in the gospel according to Luke, almost every encounter with the divine is preceded by the statement do not be afraid. That has to mean something, right. When you witness something supernatural there is a fight or flight response that is triggered. When you don’t know how to process what you are experiencing, a common response is fear. That is how we are wired, it’s ok. It is what we do next that matters. When we hear the words ‘do not be afraid’ we are called to trust the messenger and put that fear into action. It is our privilege to be a part of the Kingdom building that is happening all around us, but we must first get out of our own way. The fear response likely tells us that we are not up to the task that we are facing. True statement. The next step for believers is to trust that the Lord will equip you to do just what he has called you to.

Rest

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:30-44 (day two) 

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.”  v. 31a

Your job will always ask more of you. Rarely, if ever, will you find in your vocational calling a time that says ‘you’ve done enough, you should relax.’ There is always a benchmark we are reaching, a deadline approaching, and the bottom line to consider. What often makes it worse is if there is a let up of pressure it is often accompanied by a sense of guilt that can come either internally or externally. There will always be more to do. Jesus sets the example for us to breathe. From the earliest pages of scripture, we are told to rest. Even in the midst of an avalanche of needs surrounding Jesus and the disciples, he reminded them of the need to stop. Not forever. We should take seriously the call to work, and to rest.

Tell-Tale Heart

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:14-29 (day one) But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!” V. 16

Herod was a haunted man. Much like the nervous narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Tell-Tale Heart’, Herod was haunted by the circumstances that led to his order to behead John the Baptist. That death weighed on him, and that albatross haunted him. When he heard of the work of the disciples his anxiety spiked. It is likely that John was never far from his mind, and hearing of Christ’s ministry was a trigger. Undealt-with sin will do this to you. The decision to kill John was based on a lack of character and other poor life choices that Herod had allowed himself to make. The further you allow sin to eat away at your being the more catastrophic the consequences can be. For all of us it starts with sin, but for the believer it ends with repentance. No matter how far down he rabbit hole you think you are, there is no distance to far for the forgiving mercy of Jesus. Don’t compound sin with sin the way Herod did. Repent and that tell-tale heart will never beat under your floorboard.

Pairs

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:7-13 (day two)

And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs…v. 7a 

It is notable all the things the disciples are instructed not to take, but it struck me today what they did take. They were sent in pairs. This is significant in that Jesus knew the disciples would be aided by the encouragement and accountability of a partner in ministry. Ministry (the kind to which we are ALL called) can be a daunting and draining journey. Each of us will have periods in our call where we feel beat up. There were specific times in Jesus’ earthly journey where he sequestered himself to pray, but how much more did he surround himself with partners in ministry? When we are on mission together we are better. Who are you praying with? Who are you sharing your journey with? Who had Jesus sent to accompany you on your call to serve?