The Goings on and Work of Sam Mahlstadt

I have the honor and privilege to preach this coming Sunday at my church in Cedar Rapids. As I was preparing the message and thinking about visuals that would help the message stick with the congregation, I was wrestling with an analogy for one portion of the sermon. As I read the passage several times, it dawned on me – Jesus used a perfect example to explain his point, so why change it? Jesus said it better than I can, and the relevance of his point has not been lost in history. Jesus simply said it best. Rather than try to one-up Jesus, I think I will just use his analogy and trust that God will guide me in other areas of the sermon where I will be using examples.
I place a lot of importance on creativity in preaching because I truly believe that bringing creativity into a powerful message can leave a lasting impression. As I prayed over my message and studied scripture, I realized that no matter how creative I am or ever will be, He is the Creator. As long as I remain totally dependent on Him and allow Him to speak through me, people will be changed by His Spirit, not by me. I pray the message will stick with those who hear it, and that I remain totally dependent on Him as I step into my ministry.

Last weekend I was back home for a wedding, and I got to hear Nate preach at church. He did a great job, and he opened the service with this video. It was really funny, and was a great way to start his message. At some point, we have all had to have our diapers changed. Nate, if you read this, well done.

I just read this story about Kinetic Church. Their trailer (they are a mobile church) was stolen. They are trying to get in contact with the person or people who stole it, but this blog post is even more beautiful than trying to find the thief. Great perspective. I love it!

Here is the video from the head pastor to the person/people who stole the stuff: click here

I was just on the To Write Love on Her Arms website, and as I looked through their list of FAQ’s, I was very impressed with something I saw. For several different answers regarding how to get involved, the TWLOHA people responded with a plea for people to simply embrace those around them who are hurting. This is so profound, and like most profound things, so simple. People don’t need groups to join or organizations to support in order to make a difference (although these things are powerful agents for change) people need simply to love those around them. If we can get to a place where we embrace those around us, true and lasting change can take place. We need to be Jesus to those who are broken and suffering. Action must be taken. We need to write love on our arms.

I am currently taking a class called Jesus and His Interpreters, and we focus on Jesus as a historical figure, Jesus as the Christ, and where tension develops as these ideas are implemented in religion and in society. Many people think many different things about the man Jesus. It is fascinating to read about what different people from varying cultures think and have thought about Jesus Christ. In class the other day, one of my classmates made the comment that without Jesus’ sacrifice, we would not know love. What he meant is that through Jesus’ sacrifice, God was proving his devotion to his children. The problem with this thought, however, is that it assumes humans were unaware of God’s love before Jesus. This to me is a very dangerous comment. The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is full of people who God showed love towards. I asked my classmate If humans didn’t know the love of God before the crucifixion, what about Adam and Eve? He was a little puzzled by my question, so I reminded him that Jesus is often referred to as the second Adam. It didn’t start with Jesus, it started long before God took on flesh. Jesus’ life and death was to restore our relationship to God, the relationship we had in the garden. The point of Jesus was to restore the relationship to the Father, not to create it. There is a very important distinction that needs to be made; if Jesus was here to create a relationship between God and people, how do you explain the history leading up to his life? We live in a fallen world, one that desperately needs Jesus. Who Jesus is and what his life meant is something central and imperative to living a life in relationship with God the Father, who is one with God the Son. I say all this to point out the need for us to be very careful when talking about theological truths, especially with non-believers (which composed about half of the class). People need to know that in Jesus, restoration and reconciliation can take place. God made humans to live in relationship with Him which was perverted, and through Jesus that relationship can again take place. Even the most adamant atheist can sense some sort of disconnection and tension in the world, and it is vital that they know a relationship with Jesus can alleviate the disconnection. The story did not start with Jesus’ human life, but through His life, the story was placed back on track.

I read a post on Tim Stevens’ blog the other day, and I think everyone should be tipped off to this! Craig Groeschel, of Lifechurch.tv is assembling a huge group of pastors all around the world to take part in a month-long sermon collaboration. The details can be seen in this YouTube video, and I think the idea is phenomenal. The body of Christ needs be unified, and this is an awesome way to take one step closer to seeing this come to pass. I hope that the list of available video sermons opens up the eyes of those inside and outside the church, and people will see the power of unity.
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