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This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastors Johnathan Hernandez and Gary Schick.
Garry Schick
So, I don't know about your eyes, but mine are probably like, "this big," because they've been plastered to a television screen every night after work. Are you watching the Olympics?
Jonathan Hernandez
Bits and pieces of it, yeah.
Garry Schick
Little bit?
Jonathan Hernandez
Yep.
Garry Schick
Oh man. At the beginning, I can't get enough, and by the end I'm done.
Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, I watched some soccer. So we enjoy watching that.
Garry Schick
A little soccer. Some gymnastics, some swimming, some equine stuff going on out there. I mean, all kinds of stuff. Well, I think I know what we should talk about today. And I kind of thought about, maybe something about, "run the good race." But then, I don't know about you, but one thing that has really impressed me, and I know it's always there, but it kind of really impressed me this year, is these understories. Here's this athlete, they're up there, they're doing magic on the screen, but we all know that it's so much more than that; and it's a team. It's not just that moment today. It's every day, 365. For the last, how many years of their lives. So listeners, I guess today I kind of want to turn around on you as you're listening. I want you to be thinking about this: "who's my support team so that I can run for Jesus well?" Because, and I say this to people---I don't know if they get it. "There's no Lone Rangers in Christ." It's not just, "me and Jesus." At least, not if you're going to succeed. I guess any of us can go out and run around the block and hopefully not sprain our ankles. But if we're going to be in the Olympics, it's going to take more. And, you know what? If we're going to run a race for Christ, shame on us if we're doing it by ourselves, because God did not intend that. The Bible talks about it quite a lot. Jonathan...some thoughts?
Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah. And just kind of with that Olympic thing. I love how you have different, there's all these different sports or activities or whatever you want. These sports that are part of the Olympics. But you see, say the soccer players are rooting and cheering on the gymnastics, or vice versa. So you have people from different categories that are all in it and saying, "Hey, we want to see you succeed. We're cheering you on. We're motivating you." Or, "helping push you to that finish line." And we have that same thing within the body. Man, I love that there's no lone ranger. If you look throughout all of the Bible, you always see community. There's community all throughout scripture. Acts 2:42-47, it really talks about some of that. And it says, "and they continued steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayer." Then it says, "then fear came upon every soul and many wonderous signs were done through the apostles. And now all who believed were together and had all things in common, and they sold the possessions and goods and divided them amongst themselves as everyone had need." You know, you start seeing that whole community being together, right? That whole, "if you have need," let me help you meet that need. We may not be able to meet all the need, but if I put in a little and you put in a little, we're going to help meet all of those needs. It said, "they continued daily in one accord in the temple and breaking the bread in the houses." You see that community just continuing to take place. "They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Praising God, having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily, those who are being saved." And I love that because that really shows that community aspect. Who is part of our community? I am part of Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Bayard. That's part of my community. I'm part of that community. They're rooting me on. I'm rooting them on. We're really challenging each other to grow deeper in Christ. And sometimes there are stumbles, but we don't take them and beat them up and throw them out of the church, right? We love on them and we help them. "Hey, let's get back to where God had intended you to be," and help them walk through those things. You know, there's support. I mean, within pastors, there's support groups. We root each other on, and man, I want to see you succeed. I want to see you succeed, and I want to see the church that you pastor succeed. And praying for each other, and rooting each other on.
Jonathan Hernandez
It's amazing to see how diverse the body of Christ is, and you know, we're not battling against each other. We're there, you know, when the USA goes over to the Olympics. They're not battling against each other. They're together, they're unified, and they're rooting each other on. And that's what the body of Christ needs to be. You know, that we're rooting each other on. It doesn't matter what fellowship that we're a part of, but we're rooting each other on because we want to see each other succeed. And we want to see the church grow. Seeing people being saved, the church being added to daily, right? And that's really amazing when we can start seeing that happen within the body. And not some of those bickerings that happen, but we're rooting each other on. So, for you listeners, are you connected within the body of Christ? Do you belong to a church? And if you do, are you just---I know when I first came to Christ, I just sat in the back. "Hopefully this pastor doesn't talk long. I want to be able to get out fast," because my heart was just starting to be changed. And then, as I started reading the word, I'm like, "man, I could sit here and listen to this pastor for six hours." I dunno. But, you know, you start feeling those changes and you start connecting with each other, right? Hey, so how are you doing? Let's go have dinner together. Let's go have lunch together," or whatever. And start building those communities/helping build that community. And so hopefully, you as a listener, are connected within your home church and really help build the community there by being a part of the community.
Garry Schick
So, so important. The passage I thought about, as we were sitting down to this, was that passage in Hebrews. "And do not neglect meeting together." Some are in the habit of doing that, "but encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching." You know, we need to fan the flame. And in fact, I've talked to people about this. Well, it's camping season, right? So, if you ever have a campfire, I don't know why it is, but all those logs have to lay together. They have to be touching. If one log is burning bright and rolls away from the fire, it's going out. Now, I don't know why. It has the fuel, the wood. It is wood. It has the oxygen, it's burning. It has the flame. I don't even understand this. My son, he's pretty smart about a lot of this science stuff. He could probably tell me, "dad, this is why." But in order to keep burning, those logs need to be up against other burning logs. They need to share the fire. And you know, think about the big names in the Bible. Apostle Paul: he was never alone. I mean, okay, he was once. We read about him alone. I think he was in Athens, and he was miserable until his team came and caught up with him. He always traveled with a group of people. He always had people that were receiving him. I mean, you look at, what is it? The end of Romans. He has all this, thank yous to all these people, and hi this one, and, "thank you to that one who helped me in all these ways." Even in his last letter, 2 Timothy, he's saying, "come before winter. Bring the parchments; bring this." He was alone every now and then. He didn't do well. And frankly, we don't either. Yes, when we're watching the Olympics, we're watching one gymnast. Maybe if it's not a team sport, maybe we're seeing one gymnast alone on the balance beam, or on the parallel, or uneven bars or those rings, or whatever. For that moment, It's kind of like the David and Goliath moment. But you know, where did David learn about the Lord? Probably his parents. For everybody that succeeds, you know, there's more than that moment. There is everything that went into that moment. We are watching, for two weeks, the best of the best on screen doing their ultimate moment. But the years of training, the years of support. The financial support, the coaches, the parents, the family coming together, communities coming together. I mean, so much. And I don't know about you, but to me, the Olympics at their best are just a taste of heaven, because that's what it's going to be. It's going to be people from every background, every nationality coming together, offering their best to the Lord. And you even see it in the Olympics where, even if we don't win, our people will congratulate somebody who had just broken a world record. Because guess what? There is a common humanity. There is a common bond of both striving for this. And you can do that. You can, "Hey, I wish it had been me," but if it wasn't me, "wow, good job." So you even see in the Olympics, this cheering, this empathizing, this concern for others at the best. Now, I know probably by the end of this, there'll be a doping scandal somewhere, whatever. I hate that, because that's not what it is about. And I am glad to be part of a nation that doesn't support that kind of thing. If our people get caught, they're in trouble. It's not like I'm not going to mention certain countries where it's government-sponsored doping. One of them I'm happy is not involved this year. I feel bad for those athletes. But that's not what this is about. This is about a world coming together in a good way. And ultimately, that's what heaven's going to be about. But how are we going to get there, friends? Well, Jesus, obviously. The only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus. But when you are born again, just like in human birth, you were born into a family. So, what is your connect point with that family? Now, I know some families are a little dysfunctional and some of our churches can be really dysfunctional, but there are options. Every community, I mean, there's a million churches in this town. Well, not quite. You've got to be able to find fellowships somewhere, my friend. And if you're hopping from fellowship to fellowship, there probably is a problem. But guess what the problem just might be. If you are hopping from one church to another, to another, to another, somebody's bringing their baggage with them. And I don't know who you are, and I'm not bringing in accusation. I'm just saying, "look," address the problem because the body of Christ needs you and your talents and your gifts. And you need the body of Christ. I'll tell you what; I am so grateful for a supportive church family behind me and my ministry and service to the Lord. And I'm also grateful for people like you, Jonathan. I mean, I look forward to our time together off-mic, even much more than on-mic. Just supporting one another in Christ. And there have been others who've been just encouragers, brothers, mentors, need it. And, you know what? There are times when it's a healthy decision to move from one church to another. I'm not saying that, but if you can look at your life and say, "Hmm, I don't seem to stay anywhere very long." Now that brings a question. That constant, "what? Do we bring it to the Lord?" And bring it to whatever body of believers you're at and just confess it and say, "Hey, I got a blind spot here." I don't know what it is, but find it and be a builder wherever you're at. Be a builder. Let us not just, let's come to be encouraged. There's times we're absolutely looking for that encouragement, but be part of the solution. Part of what makes the body strong. Build one another up.
Jonathan Hernandez
Definitely.
Garry Schick
Alright. Hey, let's go out there and run our race for Jesus, friends. And I mean, they do it for, in New Testament times, it was for what? Literally a wreath crown that withered pretty quickly. Now I think, are those metals real gold? I would guess so. But you know what? Even if they're 14 karat and thick, it's nothing compared to, well, gold bricks that are just paving stones in heaven. Can you imagine what that reward, that crown ultimately is all about? Well, the well done from Jesus, more than it's so wishing that to all of you as you run your race, because we're all crossing that line at some point. And may we fall into our Savior's arms and hear that, "welcome home. Well done!"