Aussie blokes love their toys. They may be real toys or toys of toys. Look at Doug’s trains. He would probably love to play with real trains but I dare say Pam may view that with some disdain.My dad has always love cars, he has had some old cars, but when the back yard filled up he decided to collect toy cars, actually had a mail order business for a while selling expensive toy cars.
My mate Phfitzy, his dad owns a plane, and it is his hobby going on holidays in the plane all over the country.
Boys and their toys.
Here we have a tool for letting people know about Jesus. What? You just want an excuse to by a train set!!!!Well yes, but there is also some validity to what I am saying here.
Now my wife probably thinks this is a way for me to get more toys. And I am interested in lots of different things. Trains, push bikes, human powered vehicles, stringed instruments, photography and cameras, hey the list could go on. Maybe I like all things. It is that term I want to focus on this morning.
Why? Because I believe God can use all things – hobby’s included as tools for introducing Jesus to people. Here is a verse at the fore of my thinking.RO 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
But can I justify this idea, can I justify that men can have their toys? Maybe this verse will help me out here.
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?So maybe men, you can ask you wives with confidence for that new toy that you want. But having said that, I think God can tell if it is for selfish reasons or ministry reasons.
1 Cor 2:15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:Maybe that is why we have wives – to discern our motive for our toys.
But I found a verse that I worry about. This sounds to be more a verse that the women can use to get their toys – which we men know to be clothes, shoes and the like.
1 Cor 3:21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours,
Now, much of this so far has been frivolous, but hey God can and does use humour to communicate to us. Most of you will know that in March Marianne and the boys and I went to a car camp. A bunch of Christian Car enthusiasts, eccentric lot. Here is the thing – as I talk to the men and their wives, they told me story after story of how God had used their interest in old cars or bikes or racing cars and bikes to be available for God’s kingdom. Stories of amazing conversions, important pastoral care, helping people cope with grief, becoming friends with normal Aussie people and introducing them to Jesus. I was so encouraged. Yet another thing I learnt was that the churches they attended misunderstood their hobby and their motive for being involved. One gent said people openly criticized him for wasting so much money on an old bomb. Others were criticized for not being at church enough or relinquishing their responsibility at church to be absorbed in a useless hobby. I could see their pain and their confusion. God has given them a link into others lives and they use it, only to be treated poorly by fellow Christians. My job was to encourage them. So I tried to.
It got me thinking. We as churches are so church growth orientated or back sides on seats orientated that we diminish people’s opportunity to minister. Think about that. We feel we have to be all things to all men at church. I know that is how I felt, all things to all people, whatever you lot wanted I tried to come up with.
After all that verse from the bible should be a template for how we treat each other at church right! Wrong – totally.
1 Cor 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
This verse is not about church function. IN fact it is to do with church purpose. All things to all men so that by all means possible I might save some. It is about evangelism. I learnt something here, I am not called to be all you lot want – but called I am called to share the blessings of the gospel. Not my share but share it with others.
I may not have a job by the end of the week after that statement but hey, scripture says it. Now, I said this statement 4 years ago, and again 18 months ago. And I want to repeat it. If coming to church stops you ministering to someone – where should you be. In Minster. We are a priesthood of all believers and we are called to minister. If that is sometimes Sunday – be there for them. Be all things to those who need to know Jesus. So where does that leave church. Well we just might have to find other ways of doing church, you might have to get involved in a small group or bible study to get your spiritual feed for the week, we might have to provide alternative times for worship services so you can be all things at their time not ours. We are called to go into the world, not expect them to come to us.
Now I have had some fun this morning, but I think the point here is – use what you got and use it for Jesus.
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