dW 02.07.11

dW

 

note

 

   Jesus was “meek and mild” but He was not a wimp.  He was radical.  He had no problem, when it was within the Father’s will, to upset the apple cart.   He challenged the teachings of the religious elite.  Often Jesus would practice Torah intensification, which shattered the common understandings thereof to teach the true meaning of God’s Law.  This is a quick blurb to set us up for a series of dW emails that are going to focus on the tough sayings of Jesus. 

   A particular dW recipient will, at times, respond to a “hard hitting” dW with “<krunch> That was the sound of my toes getting smashed”.  When I shared the idea of doing this series he said, “We could call this the Smashed Toes Ministry”.  Ready or not, here they come!

 

scripture

 

Matthew 10:32-39

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

 

quote

 

Some people will say God is number 1, family is number 2, ministry is number 3.  No, no, no!  God is not to be a number on your list.  He is the list.  Either He comes in to take over and He doesn’t come in at all.

Brad Buser, For God so Loved the World (sermon)