Holy Ground | A Message from Pastor Chris

We had to cancel our regular Sunday worship services at Stark Methodist Church because of the threat of a winter ice storm.  During the shutdown, the Lord gave me a special message to share with my congregation (and with you). 
Here's my special message.

Well, hello, Stark Methodist family.

Unfortunately, we had to call off church today. With the winter storm moving through and the potential for icy conditions, we wanted to be extra careful and make the safest decision for everyone.

Even though we couldn’t gather in person, I did want to share a word with you this morning. And I hope you’ll stick around until the end, because I also want to share a song with you—one that I wrote and will play for you on my guitar today.

This is not the sermon I planned to preach this Sunday. Lord willing, I’ll share that message next week when we’re back together at Stark Methodist. But all week long, another word has been stirring in my heart, and I believe this is what God wanted me to share today.

It’s a word about the holy temple—the dwelling place of God.

I want to read to you from the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 14. These words may sound familiar, especially if you’ve heard them recently during the Christmas season:

“So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

This verse speaks of the incarnation—Jesus leaving the glory of heaven, taking on flesh, and living among us as one of us. But there’s something we often miss in this passage.

When John says that Jesus “lived among us,” the Greek word he uses actually means “tabernacled.” In other words, Jesus pitched his tent among us.

That’s a powerful image.

If you remember the story of the Exodus in the Old Testament, before Israel ever had a temple, they had a tabernacle. As they wandered through the wilderness living in tents, God instructed them to build a holy tent—a tabernacle—so that He could dwell among His people. God wanted to be with them.

Later, when Israel was settled in the Promised Land, they built the temple in Jerusalem—a sacred place where God’s presence dwelled in a special way among the people.

Now, make no mistake—God has always been everywhere. He is not confined to buildings, temples, or church walls. But because people are sinful, and God is holy, God graciously provided a way for His people to draw near to Him—through the tabernacle, the temple, and the rituals that made fellowship possible.

Without that holiness, God’s glory would overwhelm sinful humanity.

But then something changed.

In the New Testament, Jesus came and tabernacled among us. God didn’t just dwell in a tent anymore—He took on flesh.

And then Jesus did something even more astounding: He gave His life on the cross. Through His death and resurrection, our sins are fully forgiven. For all who repent, turn from sin, and trust in Jesus Christ, the barrier between God and humanity is removed.

Hebrews 4:16 tells us that now we can come boldly before the throne of God—without fear—because there is no longer any sin separating us from Him.

That brings us to another powerful moment in John’s Gospel.

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover, He went to the temple—the most sacred place in all of Israel. Millions had traveled there over the years to worship God.

And what did Jesus do?

He cleansed the temple.

Merchants and money changers had turned God’s house into a place of exploitation. People were being cheated, excluded, and burdened just to worship. Jesus made a whip, drove them out, and overturned their tables.

The religious leaders were furious. 

John 2:18-22

18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”

19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.

“What right do you have to do these things? Show us a sign to prove your authority.”

Jesus replied,

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

They scoffed—“It took 46 years to build this temple!”

But John tells us Jesus wasn’t talking about the building. He was talking about His body.

What temple could ever compare to the living, breathing body of Jesus Christ? The temple existed to worship God—and Jesus is God. Even the most sacred building could not compare to Him.

Now think about our own church.

The building at Stark Methodist is a holy and meaningful place to us. So many memories. So many moments where we felt close to God. It’s hard not being there today.

But that building is not the church.

It exists to point us to God—to shelter us, gather us, and help us worship. We don’t worship the building; we worship the living God.

Here’s the good news: in Christ, we have become the temple.

When we trust Jesus as Lord and receive His forgiveness, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us.

Remember Pentecost in Acts chapter 2? The believers were gathered, praying, waiting. Then came the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Tongues of fire appeared over their heads. Smoke filled the room.

Just like the pillar of fire and cloud in the Exodus—but this time, God’s presence wasn’t over a tent or a temple.

It was over people.

We are now the tabernacles of God.

If you believe in Jesus Christ, His Spirit lives in you. You carry God’s presence wherever you go—to your home, your workplace, your community. We are the church on the move.

That truth has been burning in my heart all week.

So I wrote a song, and I want to share it with you now. But before I do, let’s pray together.

---

Prayer

Lord God, I thank You for these wonderful people of Stark Methodist and for everyone reading this right now.

If there is anyone who has not yet received Christ as Lord and Savior, I pray that today would be the day they turn from sin, trust in Jesus, and choose to follow Him. And when they do, Your Holy Spirit will dwell within them, making them a holy tabernacle—empowered to live for You and carry Your presence into the world.

Remind us, Lord, that we are the church. Not a building, but a people—called, redeemed, and sent.

Thank You for gathering us today, even though we’re scattered. Keep us safe, warm, and rooted in Your grace.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we pray. Amen.

To listen to the song on YouTube, click this link - https://youtu.be/DJxvTOCs9go?si=kULkqdTJakcydav0&t=792 

Jesus Calls Us to Follow | A Sermon on Mark 1:16-20

Introduction
Donnie Thaxton shared an interesting story on Facebook this week.  He shared how when he married Maxine in 1969, they moved to Dekalb County.  But they missed home, so they came home to Butts County almost every weekend to stay at the Redman House (Maxine's childhood home) where they had a 1.5-acre fishing lake.

The lake was full of bass and brim.  They would catch them all the time and save them up and have fish fries throughout the year.  They were delicious, but you had to be careful not to get a bone stuck in your throat--those fish were very boney.  Eventually, someone had the great idea to drain the whole lake, get rid of the brim and bass, and restock the lake with catfish.  Catfish could grow much bigger and then you could just fillet the fish and not have to deal with bones.

I have another fishing story for you today.  It’s about the day Jesus went fishing and He caught 4 fishermen!

Mark 1:16-20
¹⁶ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon^[g] and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁷ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” ¹⁸ And they left their nets at once and followed him.

¹⁹ A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. ²⁰ He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

Fishing for a Living
Many people like to fish for recreation.  I do that sometimes.  But Simon and Andrew fished for a living.  James and John were also fishermen by trade and worked for their father’s fishing enterprise.  Zebadee porbably had numerous boats out fishing on the Sea of Galilee.  Then they would sell the fish at the market for a profit.  

Fishing and tradition go hand in hand.  Many fishing techniques are handed down generation to generation.  And in a traditional enterprise like fishing, change is hard.  Many people don't like change.  I don't like change.  But for fishermen, change may be especially hard.

But when you fish for a living, sometimes you have to put success ahead of tradition.  If a new technique comes a long that is more effective than your old tradition, then you may need to adapt and evolve, or else your business may not succeed.

I Was Called to be a Methodist Minister
When Kelly and I got married, we were young. We started dating in high school at Southwest High School in Macon. I graduated in 1992, she graduated two years later in 1994, and we got married when she was 18 and I was 20.

And we had a plan.  We wanted to follow God. We were going to church. We were trying to live faithfully.  But our dream was simple: go to college, start a career, move back to Macon, stay there our whole lives, be good people in the community, and make a difference.  And I liked that plan—because it didn’t involve much change.

But God has a sense of humor.  Instead of letting me stay put, He made me a Methodist minister and moved us from town to town to town. And I’ve come to realize something over the years: His vision was just bigger than mine. I may not have stayed in one town, but I’ve stayed in one community—the North Georgia community—my entire married life.

In Mark 1, Jesus called Simon—later called Peter—along with Andrew, James, and John. He called them to leave their traditional careers as fishermen and follow Him. And He told them what they would do instead: fish for people.

And in His own way, Jesus called me to do the same.  When Kelly and I were in college, we attended East Cobb United Methodist Church in Marietta during our young adult years. As graduation got closer, I realized I was going to need a résumé. I’d need interviews. And I thought, You know what would look good on a résumé? Volunteering at church.

So I started volunteering.  I told Kelly one day, “I think I’m going to sing in the choir.”  She said, “You can’t sing.”  She was right. My voice cracked like a 13-year-old—but I joined anyway.

Then I started volunteering with the youth ministry. Eddie Bradford was the youth minister, and I helped out under him. I thought I was padding my résumé—but something happened. I fell in love with it.

I loved being at church. I loved working with the youth. I loved singing in the choir. If the church doors were open, I was there. Ski trips? I went. Events? I helped. I even started going to church council meetings for fun.  (Now that’s crazy!)

As graduation approached, I realized something troubling: I was sad. Not because I was graduating—but because I wouldn’t have as much time to volunteer at church.  And that’s when God started planting a seed in my heart.  What if you’re not called to be a textile engineer?  What if you’re called to work in the church?

The problem was—I didn’t talk to Kelly about it. I prayed about it. I thought about it. I wrestled with it in my own heart, but I didn’t talk to her for about a year.

I kept asking God for a sign. “Lord, if you want me to be a pastor, give me a sign.”  And one day—quietly, in my heart—God said, You don’t need a sign. You already know. The only reason you want a sign is so you can show it to other people… especially your wife.

Eventually, I did talk to Kelly. And she wasn’t ready yet. So we waited.  I graduated, got a great job as Director of Quality Assurance at 1888 Mills in Griffin. We made towels. It was a good job—better than I expected to get right out of college.  

But there was a catch.

We lived in Lithia Springs near Six Flags, and I worked in Griffin—an hour drive each way. That’s a lot of windshield time. You can only listen to so much music and so many audiobooks before you’re just alone with God.

And for a year, that drive became a prayer.  “I like this job,” I told God. “But this isn’t what I’m supposed to be doing.”

After a year, I talked to Kelly again. And she said something I’ll never forget. She said, “Every day when you leave for work and kiss me goodbye, I think about it too. And I know God has called you to be a pastor. And if that’s what He’s called you to do, I’ll support you.”

In 1999, I gave up my career as a textile engineer and began the process of becoming ordained in the Methodist Church. It took nine years. I worked at the plant for two more years while serving in ministry. Then I left completely and became the youth minister at Lithia Springs United Methodist Church.

And I have no regrets.  Because when you do what God has called you to do—even when it involves change—it fits.  And it feels right.

We Are All Called by Christ
But Christ’s calling isn’t just for me.  And it isn’t just for the people who were in the Bible.  We are all called by Jesus.  

Remember my message from last week? What did Jesus say?  He said, “Come to me all of you…” The call is for all. And He said, “Take my yoke upon you…”

Jesus invitation is for everyone who realizes we’re lost with out Him. Everyone is lost (just some haven't realized it yet).  So, we’re all called by Jesus.  But what are we called to do?  Well, according to the Bible, there are several things we are called to do.  Let me share some.

What Are We Called to Do?
We are called to follow Jesus.  (Mark 1:17)
Before anything else, we are called to: Walk with Jesus.  Listen to His voice.  Shape our lives around Him.  Christianity is not just believing in Jesus—it’s following Him.  Are you following Him?

We are called to leave what keeps us from following. (Mark 1:18)  We are called to let go of:
Anything that defines us more than Christ.  Anything that keeps us from obedience.  Anything we trust more than Jesus.  Not everyone leaves the same “nets,” but everyone leaves something.  What “nets” do you need to lay down?

We are called to be changed by Jesus.  Jesus said, “Let me teach you…” (Matthew 11:29)  The Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:2 “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  Jesus reshapes our hearts.  We are called to grow, learn, and become more like Christ.

We are called to love God and love others.  (Matthew 22:37–39)  This is the heart of the Christian life.  It’s what we were created for.  We are to Love God with everything we are.  And, love people the way Christ loves us.

We are called to fish for people.  Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of people.” (Mark 1:17)
How do we fish for people?  We share hope, point people to Jesus, and live in a way that draws people toward Christ.

I’ve only been at Stark Methodist for a couple weeks, but I can already tell this church loves missions & outreach.  You have been very, very active, and it’s wonderful.  I love hearing about your River of Life missions event, your blood drives, your helping hand neighbor program, and all the many things you do.

But there can be a danger in this too.  Because sometimes we forget the most important thing people need:  People need Jesus.  When we look around at a world of people in need, we see:  they need home repairs, food and clothing, maybe a ride to work; and the list of needs goes on and on.  But the greatest need—and the one that helps address all the others—is they need Jesus.

Jesus saw a world full of needy people too.  There were the blind and deaf, the lame, the sick.  He healed some of them.  But He knew their greatest need went deeper than these surface issues.

Our Deepest Need
The deepest problem in the human heart is we want to live life on our own terms.  We’re OK with a little God, a little Jesus, in our life as long as we get to keep living our lives pretty much the way we want.

But you see, that’s the problem.  Our lives are not our own.  We belong to God.  He is Lord.  

Jesus didn’t come to help Peter, Andrew, James, and John be more successful fishermen.  He said, “Leave your nets behind.  Come follow me.”

And Jesus comes and says the same to us.  “Leave your old life behind.  Come follow me in a new life.”  And that’s what He wants to say to our neighbors in Jackson through us:  “Come follow me.  Leave your old life behind (because it wasn’t working anyway).  Come follow me and I will give you a new life.”

I think about that old pond at the Redman House.  Do remember what they did?  They drained it.  Got rid of all the bass and brim.  And restocked the pond with catfish.  The brim and bass were too boney.  The catfish were bigger and you could make filets.

That’s sort of what Jesus says we need in our life.  We need to let Him drain it all out and start over fresh.  That’s what our neighbors in Jackson need too.  Sure, we can help with a power bill or rent. 
We can try and help with the practical physical needs they have.  But these are just the surface issues. The real needs go way down deep in the heart.  And we’ve got to invite them to come follow our Savior, our Lord, because He knows how to get down deep in their heart where the real change has to happen.

Jesus Is Still Calling Us To Follow Him
Church, the most important thing I want you to hear today is this:  Jesus didn’t stop calling people in Mark chapter 1.  He is still walking along the shoreline of ordinary lives.

He is still calling people who are busy trying to make life work.  And He is still saying the same simple words:  “Come. Follow Me.”

For some of you, that call may sound familiar.  You remember a time when Jesus first called you—maybe years ago.  Today, I’m inviting you to remember your calling and renew your commitment to live it out.

For others, this may feel new.  You’ve heard about Jesus. You’ve admired Him from a distance.  But today, you sense He may be calling you to a deeper relationship.

Peter, Andrew, James, and John didn’t have all the answers.  They didn’t know where Jesus would lead them.  They just knew who was calling.

And that’s still the question for us today—not: Do I have everything figured out?  but:  Do I trust the One who is calling me?  Jesus is not calling you to add Him to your life.  He is calling you to follow Him with your whole life.

Invitation / Reflection
I invite you to bow your heads and close your eyes for just a moment and reflect on a few questions:

• When did Jesus first call you?
• Are you still following Him—or just believing in Him?
• What “nets” might Jesus be asking you to lay down?
• Is Jesus calling you to take a next step of obedience today?

If you feel Jesus calling you to follow Him for the first time, or calling you back to a deeper walk with Him, I want you to know—you don’t have to have it all together.  You just have to say yes.

Final Gospel Invitation
Jesus left heaven to come to us.  He lived the life we couldn’t live.  He died the death we deserved.  And He rose again to offer us new life.

And today, He simply says:  “Come. Follow Me.”

If you’d like to respond to that call—whether for the first time or in a fresh way—I’ll be here after the service. I would love to pray with you.

Church, may we be a people who don’t just hear His call,
but who are willing to leave our nets and follow.

Amen.

 

Jesus Gives Us Rest | A Sermon on Matthew 11:28-30

Introduction Well, we finally have all our stuff moved down to Jackson. Now the fun begins - unpacking.

All this moving got me thinking about the burdens we carry in life.  We all have stuff to carry.  Even people in Jesus’ day had stuff to carry.  Jesus knew it and invited them to make sure they were carrying the right stuff.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens” (v. 28)
Everyone is carrying something.  Some burdens are self-imposed (expectations, guilt, control, pride). Some burdens are imposed on us by the world (work, grief, injustice, trauma, pressure). Some burdens are spiritual (sin, shame, fear, striving to prove ourselves). All these burdens weigh us down and wear us down.  They make us weary.

We decided to downsize our home when we moved, because we're now empty nesters. No need for as much space as we had when we were parents with three young kids. So we got rid of a lot of stuff before we moved. But not enough. We still have too much for our smaller home. So we'll be giving more away--donating, selling, or throwing away.

In life, you can’t carry everything; it’s too much.  Before we become Christian, we carry all the things the world tells us to carry. And then, when we decide to follow Jesus, if we try to carry all our former stuff and all our Christian stuff too, it's just too much. What are you going to set aside so you can follow Christ?

Jesus comes to us and says: “If you’re weary from carrying heavy burdens, come to me!” He doesn’t want to add guilt to your already heavy load.  He doesn’t scold us by chiding, “Try harder!  Put your back into it!  You’re doing it wrong!” He just says:  “Come to me.”  And He says:

“Take My yoke upon you” (v. 29)
A yoke is a farming implement used to attach a heavy load for oxen, mules, or horses to pull. Jesus uses the image to indicate the work he has for us to do.

I don’t want you to miss this:  Jesus isn’t offering a burden free life.  He says, “Take My yoke upon you.”  So there’s still something to carry. Following Jesus still involves responsibility.  There is still obedience.  There is still work, sacrifice, and faithfulness.  But Christ’s yoke is something different we carry.

Christ’s yoke is:

• Shared - We don’t carry it alone.  We work with other Christians. (Oxen work in teams,)

• Guided - Oxen don’t decide where they go, they are guided by a plowman.

• Purposeful - So much of life seems to have no meaning.  If you ask someone, "Why are you doing that?" Can they give you an answer? Unfortunately, the answer is often simple "It's what everyone else is doing" or "I guess it's just what everyone says you're supposed to do."

Most importantly—carrying Christ’s yoke assumes a relationship with the Master. Jesus doesn’t hand us a yoke and walk away.  He says:  “I am gentle and humble in heart.” He doesn’t drive us harshly.  He doesn’t shame us when we stumble. He doesn’t discard us when we’re tired or used up. Christ cares about His people and He proved how much by dying for us on the cross. We are more than cattle to Jesus.  He gave His life for us! We are His friends. We are His brothers and sisters.

“Learn from Me” — Training to Bear the Yoke
Jesus says:  “Learn from Me.”  Oxen have to be trained to bear a load properly.  They’re living creatures with a mind of their own, but they’re not smart enough to see the bigger picture of the work being done.

The farmer is the one who sees a field and thinks, "This would be a great place to grow some wheat. It needs to be plowed up, fertilized, planted with a certain variety of wheat, and irrigated. He knows all the steps it will take to make the field fruitful. Nut the oxen don't know. They need a farmer (or a plowman) to lead them.

Jesus’ invitation implies we don’t know how to carry life rightly either.  It's true. We make a mess of things. And so we have to learn. And Jesus wants to teach us.

Learning takes time.  Just because you say yes to Jesus today, doesn’t mean you’ll be fully trained tomorrow.  Following Jesus is a process, not a switch that gets flipped.

In Jesus’ day, a young ox was often yoked with a seasoned one.  The young ox learned how to pull by
listening to the master’s voice and following the example of the more experienced ox. If the ox resisted the master’s voice, it led to a lot of wasted energy (and possibly getting someone hurt!).  If it pulled its own way, it led to exhaustion, frustration, and futility. But once trained, the work flowed smoothly, the load felt lighter, and the relationship brought order and peace.

We are not called to carry life alone—we are called to stay close to Christ and learn His pace, follow His direction, and go His way.

“My yoke is easy… My burden is light” (v. 30)
One thing you need to know about my family.  We love animals.  We have lots of pets--2 dogs 4 cats, and 3 chickens!

If you have pets you love, you probably know every detail about them. I know that Roy Bob is so fat his back is flat like an aircraft carrier! I know he loves 2 things most in life (in this order): He loves to eat and he loves to be the center of yoru attention and affection. I know his ears are soft and silky, but Winston's are wiry and scruffy. I know Winston will bark at any sight or sound he thinks he sees (even if nothing is there). But I also know he will run and hide if any real danger might be near because he's a total coward! Do you know your pets like me?

A good farmer in Jesus' day knew his oxen well.  They knew every curve of their neck, their temperament, what spooked them, and what motivated them. They often had yokes handcrafted to fit specific animals to ensure proper fit, prevent chafing & injury.  

And a good farmer cared about his animals and Jesus cares about us and His yoke fits perfectly because He knows everything about us. The Gospel of John says Jesus was there in the beginning when the world was created. Jeremiah said He formed us in our mother's womb. He designed our very DNA and knows what’s best for us--even better than we know for ourselves.

And Jesus designed a yoke specifically to fit you. It is well-tailored and fits so naturally sometimes you forget it’s there. And His yoke gives you meaning and purpose. Serving becomes a pleasure, not a chore. He empowers you to bear much fruit instead of burning out in a wasted life. Somehow, mysteriously, work starts to feel like rest.

When I was growing up, I’ve always had a technically minded, engineering-type brain. I like systems, how things work, how pieces fit together. So when I started thinking about my future, I thought, This makes sense. Engineering meant good pay, job security, and maybe even living in one place my whole life.

So I went to school and earned a degree in textile engineering, and I got a job at 1888 Mills in Griffin. I enjoyed the work. It fit the way my mind works.

But at the end of the day, something was still missing. I realized this wasn’t my purpose. Somewhere along the way, God made it clear that while I had an engineer’s mind, He had given me a shepherd’s heart—a desire to serve Him, lead His people, and build His Church.

It was as if the Lord said, This is how I designed you. Do this instead.

So I made the change. Not because I’m perfect or especially gifted, but because when you step into what God created you to do, something just fits. There’s meaning there.

And even on hard days—even when ministry is difficult—I can honestly say this: I’m glad I’m doing what God made me to do.

The world’s burdens don’t fit.  They rub us raw.  They wear us down.  And once we’re used up, Satan simply discards us and looks for another person to consume. The Enemy doesn’t care about you and a world led by Satan doesn’t care about you either.

The Choice Before Us
Jesus invites us to trust Him enough to trade our broken yoke for His perfect one. The rest Jesus offers is not an escape—it’s learning to live life the way it was meant to be lived.

As we close, I’d like to invite you to take a minute to reflect as I ask you a few questions:

• What burdens are you carrying that Jesus never asked you to carry?

• Where are you resisting His teaching?

• Are you walking close enough to Jesus to hear His voice?

And lastly, I'd like to invite you to follow Jesus. It's Jesus' invitation really. He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Let's Start with Weaknesses | A Sermon on 2 Corinthians 11:30 & 12:6-9

Introduction I’ve been praying quite a bit about what to say today. This is my first sermon with you, and it’s a chance to introduce myself a little—who I am, how I think, what matters to me. But above all, as in every sermon I preach, my deepest desire is to share God’s Word and draw people closer to Him. That’s always first. Still, as I open God’s Word with you, I hope you also come away knowing me a little better.

As I prayed about where to begin, I sensed the Lord bringing to mind something the Apostle Paul once wrote to the church in Corinth. The Corinthians were a troubled church. They struggled with unity, with pride, with spiritual immaturity, and Paul wrote to them more than once to help straighten things out. And they didn’t always appreciate what he said. And when some wanted to ditch Paul in favor of other more agreeable leaders, they compared Paul to those other leaders who claimed to be better than Paul.

But instead of defending himself or trying to out-shine the other church leaders, Paul took an entirely different approach. Let’s read what he wrote. 

BTW, I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation today.  It’s what I typically preach because: 1) It’s easy to understand, 2) It’s accurate and reliable, and 3) It’s different from what most of us are used to and that's important. Sometimes, we've heard Bible stories so many times and we're so familiar with them that we don't hear them with fresh ears. Because the NLT sounds different, it encourages to hear familiar stories with fresh ears.

2 Corinthians 11:30
30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.

2 Corinthians 12:6-9

6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Boasting in Weakness
The part the Lord wants us to focus on this morning is Paul’s choice to boast about his weaknesses.  Rather than saying the Corinthians should follow his leadership because he was better than his competitors, Paul boasted that he was weak. 

That’s the opposite of human nature, isn’t it–focusing on our weaknesses? When we first meet someone—especially when we want them to like us—we want to put our best foot forward.

We highlight our strengths. We polish our image a little. We might even boast a bit about our accomplishments or drop a few names.  It’s human instinct to lead with the best version of ourselves.

And in Paul’s case, it must have been especially tempting. Some in the Corinthian church were criticizing him. They said other leaders were better, more eloquent, more “spiritual” than Paul. They questioned whether he was worthy of respect. If anyone had a reason to defend himself, to build himself up, it was Paul.

But instead of doing that, Paul does something unexpected. He boasts—not in his strengths, not in his successes, but–in his weakness.

My Weaknesses
What would it look like for us to boast in our weaknesses? What would that look like for a pastor to boast about his weaknesses on his first Sunday with a new congregation?

Well, I have plenty of weaknesses. I'm terrible with names. And that's tough for a pastor learning hundreds of new names in a new congregation. I care about you and I want to know your name. But I will struggle to remember them. It will take a bit of time. But even worse than that, I struggle with the names of people I have known and loved for a long time. Their names will occasionally just slip from my mind--and I mean people I really know well. And usually it happens at the most in opportune time--like when I'm praying for them: "Lord, please watch over... Him... while he has surgery today." (And the "Him" in the story is thinking, "You've known me since high school. You don't even know my name?" That's one of my weaknesses.

And I'm forgetful. I forget things. A lot of things. People will say, “You remember that conversation we had three weeks ago?” And I’ll think, I can’t remember what I had for dinner yesterday.

And it’s not just that I forget — sometimes I misremember, which is actually worse. I’ll be absolutely convinced something happened. I’ll remember vivid details. I’ll think, I know this is true.

This usually happens with my wife, Kelly. I’ll say, “Remember when we went to that town and visited your friend? I remember it clearly — I was wearing these pants, we’d just eaten dinner, and I had steak.” And she’ll say, “No… we didn’t.”

Then she’ll pull out her phone — because phones never forget — and she’ll show me pictures and say, “We were four hours away in a completely different town when you think that happened.”

And I just stand there thinking, How does that happen?  Because in my mind, it’s all so clear.  That’s how forgetful I can be.

I tend to skip things in the worship service. You’d think after doing this for twenty-five years, I’d have it all down by now. But we’ll be moving right along in the worship service, and the children’s moment is coming up… and I’ll skip right over it.  Sometimes I’ll even skip the offering (and some folks out there are thinking, Amen! Skip it!  But the finance chair is thinking, No, no, no — don’t skip the offering!)

It’s not intentional. It just goes right past me. I’m already thinking about what’s next — and suddenly I’ve forgotten what’s right in front of me.

I have trouble focusing on more than one thing at a time. I can focus in on one thing like a laser. I'm great at that. But I'm a terrible multitasker. If two people are talking to me at the same time, I can't hear what either of them are saying. If a TV is on in a room and someone is trying to talk to me, I literally cannot stay focus on what they're saying. It's a weakness of mine.

I'm an introvert. I love having deep, one on one conversations, but I struggle with mingling in large crowds. I'm socially awkward. And some people are great at working the room, but not me. You'll usually find me standing to the side talking to one or two people. And I'm just not good at making my way around the room to get to everybody.

I can be messy. My wife can say amen to that. I can be messy — not because I don’t care, but because I get laser-focused on things, and tidying up doesn’t always make the list.

At my last church, where I served for fifteen years, I just finished packing up my office about a week ago. And I discovered there were things in that office I never even unpacked when I first arrived — fifteen years ago.

I promise I’ll try to do better. But I’m not going to stand here and tell you my office is going to be the neatest one in the building.  

That said, don’t think I’m unorganized — I do have a system. Sometimes my system is: put it on my desk, leave it there until I’m done with it, and then put it away.  And if after six months it’s still on my desk and I’m still not done with it… well, that probably means it doesn’t need to be done at all. So it goes in the trash.  That’s often how my system works.

I make mistakes.  I make lots of typos–especially when texting or writing with my phone. I promise you — I am an intelligent person. I don’t misspell words because I don’t know how to spell them. I misspell them because I start typing, and my brain is already three thoughts ahead of my fingers.

So sometimes you’ll see things on the slides and think, Is that spelled right? I’m looking right now — I think we’re okay today — but every now and then, something slips through.

Emails and letters can be bad enough, but text messages are the worst. My fingers are too big for those tiny buttons on my phone. I’ll type something out, send it, and then look back at it and think, What did I just write? That makes no sense. That’s complete gibberish.

Susan can probably testify to this, because we’ve been texting back and forth quite a bit over the last few months while she’s been serving as the SPRC chair. I’d send her a message trying to say something encouraging — something like, “I’m grateful for you and excited about coming to serve this church” — and then I’d look at what I sent and think, I promise I know how to spell these words.

I make mistakes. Not because I don’t care — but because I’m human and that's one of my weaknesses.

I struggle with visiting. I want you to hear this clearly: I love you. I truly do. I pray for you.  I lose sleep over you.  But the Lord gives each of us different strengths, and I want to be honest with you about mine — and about my weaknesses. Visiting is not my greatest strength. I do it, and when I do, I value that time.  But it hasn’t been my strongest area. 

Going back over the last twenty-five years, I think every church I’ve served would say I ministered to them faithfully — and they might also say, “I wish he’d visited more.”  That’s not something I’m proud of. It’s simply an area where I’m weaker. And I want you to know that upfront — not as an excuse, but as honesty — because God often does His best work right in those places of weakness.

None of these are things I’m proud of—but they are places where I depend on God, and where I depend on others.

But I love Jesus. He is God and He created me.  And he designed me for a loving relationship with Him. And even though I started out my life trying to live to please myself and do what I wanted, not caring what He wanted, Jesus forgave me. And I am ever grateful for His mercy. And I love Him. And I know I’m a citizen of His Kingdom and He’s my King!

And I want to invite as many people to follow Jesus as I can. We're designed for a relationship with Him. We need Him just as much as we need air to breath and water to drink. It's part of our DNA.

God Works Through Weakness
And somehow, God works through me–not because I’m great or talented or more spiritual than anyone else.  God works through my weakness when I am faithful.  It brings Him glory.

God worked through weak and unexpected people throughout the Bible. Jacob was the second born twin-son. The blessing is supposed to pass to the firstborn son. But God gave Jacob the Abrahamic blessing not Esau.

Moses was “slow of speech”, but God delivered the Israelites from slavery through him.

Ruth was a foreigner and a widow, but became the great-grandmother of Israel’s greatest king.

David was just a forgotten shepherd. When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse's house and said he wanted to look at all his sons and choose the next king of Israel, Jesse didn't invite David to the feast. He left him in the field with the sheep. But after looking at all the other sons, Samuel said, "None of these are the one. Don't you have any more sons?" And Jesse said something like "Well, there's David, but he'll never amount to anything so we left in the field with the sheep." And Samuel said, "Bring him here! We won't start eating until he arrives!" And then he anointed David as the greatest king Israel ever had.

And David's great, great, great... Granddaughter was Mary. She was too young, too poor, and lived in an unknown, backwater town. People said, "Nothing good ever comes out of Nazareth." But God thought differntly. He sent the angel Gabriel who said, "May, the Lord has found favor with you and you will bear His son and He will be the Savior of the world..."

God is always working through the weak, the unexpected, the overlooked, and the forgotten. He doesn’t choose the strong, because they might boast they did it on their own. God chooses the weak and He gets all the glory, because people can clearly see the only way they succeed is through the power of God.

And that’s what I want as I start with you.  I want God to get all the glory.

What Does This Mean For You?
So what does this mean for us—for the people of Stark Methodist Church? It means we don’t have to pretend here.  We don’t have to impress God. We don't have to pretend with each other. We don’t have to hide our struggles.  We don’t have to polish ourselves up before we come to Christ. The same grace that met Paul in his weakness meets us in ours.

Some of you may feel strong today.  Some of you came in feeling tired, worn out, or run down. Some of you came in feeling ashamed, broken, overlooked, or forgotten. The good news is this: God does His best work right there.

Paul didn’t hide his weakness — he offered it to God. And I wonder what might happen if we did the same.

What is your “thorn”?  What is the place where you feel insufficient, frustrated, or tired?
And what about this church?  What are this church’s greatest weaknesses?

Instead of asking God to wait until we’re stronger, what if we asked Him to work right there–in our weakness?  Because God says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

So I want you to hold your weakness in your heart as we prepare to come to the Lord’s Table.  We don’t come because we are worthy.  We come because He is gracious.
This table is not for the strong—it is for the needy.  Not for the perfect—but for the forgiven.
When we receive Holy Communion, we are reminded that Christ gave Himself fully—even in suffering—so that our weakness would never be the end of the story.

Holy Communion