Life in Christ is Hard

Dave Ramsey once said, “If we want to be thin we should do what thin people do.”  In other words, if we really want to be healthy there is a price to pay, sacrifices that must be done.  Many of us who desire to be more healthy would love to wake up tomorrow morning having been completely transformed overnight, with no effort or sacrifice on our own part.  But that is not reality.  Transformation takes effort, time, and sacrifice, but many are not willing to pay the price.

After teaching the crowd what they must believe and give up to follow him, Jesus witnesses a mass exodus.  The cost of being his disciple was too great to many, so they left.  Why did Jesus not stop them from leaving?  What about the price was so high?  What is the difficulty in following Jesus?  What encouragement is there in is teachings for the true disciple of Christ?

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we study what John 6:60-71 teaches us about the cost of being a disciple of Jesus Christ and why that cost is too great for so many.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Stewardship - Treasure

Jesus Christ has a very interesting view of money.  In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus and his disciples witness many wealthy individuals placing large amounts of money into an offering box at the temple.  They also witness a poor widow give “two small copper coins” amounting to 1/64 of a day’s wage, far short of the amounts given by the wealthy.  Using it as a teachable moment, Jesus’ response is not what the disciples expect.

Over the past two Sundays we have been wrestling with the topic of stewardship in Matthew 25:14-30.  God calls us to be good stewards of the time, talents, and treasure given to us.  What does it look like practically to be a good steward not only in our daily life but also as a member of the body of Christ?  Our goal as His people is to have a biblical view of our finances and how God calls us to steward the treasure He has given us.

Join us at ElmCreek Community Church as we strive together to live out the truth of God’s Word, obeying His commands out of love for Him.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

J.C. Ryle: An Illustration of Why a True Christian Loves Christ

"If you love Christ, never be ashamed to let others see it and know it.  Speak for Him.  Witness for Him.  Live for Him.  Work for Him.  If He has loved you and washed you from your sins in His own blood, you never need shrink from letting others know that you feel it, and love Him in return.

"'Man,' said a thoughtless, ungodly English traveler, to a North American Indian convert, 'Man, what is the reason that you make so much of Christ, and talk so much about Him?  What has this Christ done for you, that you should make so much ado about Him?'

"The converted Indian did not answer him in words.  He gathered together some dry leaves and moss and made a ring with them on the ground.  He picked up a live worm and put it in the middle of the ring.  He struck a light and set the moss and leaves on fire.  The flame soon rose, and the heat scorched the worm.  It writhed in agony, and after trying in vain to escape on every side, curled itself up in the middle, as if about to die in despair.  At that moment the Indian reached forth his hand, took up the worm gently and placed it on his bosom.  'Stranger,' he said to the Englishman, 'do you see that worm?  I was that perishing creature.  I was dying in my sins, hopeless, helpless and on the brink of eternal fire.  It was Jesus Christ who put forth the arm of His power.  It was Jesus Christ who delivered me with the hand of His grace, and plucked me from everlasting burnings.  It was Jesus Christ who placed me, a poor sinful worm, near the heart of His love.  Stranger, that is the reason why I talk of Jesus Christ, and make much of Him.  I am not ashamed of it, because I love Him.'

"If we know anything of love to Christ, may we have the mind of this North American Indian!  May we never think that we can love Christ too well, live to Him too thoroughly, confess Him too boldly, lay ourselves out for Him too heartily!  Of all the things that will surprise us in the resurrection morning, this I believe will surprise us most: that we did not love Christ more before we died" (Holiness, JC Ryle).

J.C. Ryle: The True Church Desires to Always be with Christ

"Finally, if we love a person, we like to be always with him.  Thinking and hearing and reading and occasionally talking are all well in their way.  But when we really love people we want something more.  We long to be always in their company.  We wish to be continually in their society, and to hold communion with them without interruption or farewell.  Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!  The heart of a true Christian longs for that blessed day when he will see his Master face to face, and go out no more.  He longs to have done with sinning and repenting and believing and to begin that endless life when he shall see as he has been seen, and sin no more.  He has found it sweet to live by faith, and he feels it will be sweeter still to live by sight.  He has found it pleasant to hear of Christ and talk of Christ and read of Christ.  How much more pleasant will it be to see Christ with his own eyes, and never to leave him any more!  'Better,' he feels, 'is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire' (Eccl. 6:9).  And why is all this?  Simply because he loves him.

"Such are the marks by which true love may be discovered.  They are all plain, simple and easy to be understood.  There is nothing dark, abstruse and mysterious about them.  Use them honestly, and handle them fairly, and you cannot fail to get some light on the subject of this message" (Holiness, JC Ryle).

J.C. Ryle: The True Church Loves to Please Christ

"If we love a person, we like to please him.  We are glad to consult his tastes and opinions, to act upon his advice and do the things which he approves.  We even deny ourselves to meet his wishes, abstain from things which we know he dislikes and learn things to which we are not naturally inclined, because we think it will give him pleasure.  Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!  The true Christian studies to please Him, by being holy both in body and spirit.  Show him anything in his daily practice that Christ hates, and he will give it up.  Show him anything that Christ delights in, and he will follow after it.  He does not murmur at Christ's requirements as being too strict and severe, as the children of the world do.  To him Christ's commandments are not grievous, and Christ's burden is light.  And why is all this?  Simply because he loves Him" (JC Ryle, Holiness).

J.C. Ryle: The True Church Loves to Hear About Christ

"If we love a person, we like to hear about him.  We find a pleasure in listening to those who speak of him.  We feel an interest in any report which others make of him.  We are all attention when others talk about him, and mentioned with utter indifference, but our own hearts bound within us at the very sound of his name.  Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ.  The true Christian delights to hear something about his Master.  He likes those sermons best which are full of Christ.  He enjoys that society most in which people talk of the things which are Christ's.  I have read of an old Welsh believer, who used to walk several miles every Sunday to hear an English clergyman preach, though she did not understand a word of English.  She was asked why she did so.  She replied, that this clergyman named the name of Christ so often in his sermons, that it did her good.  She loved even the name of her Savior" (J.C. Ryle, Holiness).

J.C. Ryle: The True Church Loves to Think About Christ

"If we love a person, we like to think about him.  We do not need to be reminded of him.  We do not forget his name or his appearance or his character or his opinions or his tastes or his position or his occupation.  He comes up before our mind's eye many a time in the day.  Though perhaps far distant, he is often present in our thoughts.  Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!  Christ 'dwells in his heart,' and is thought of more or less every day (Eph. 3:17).  The true Christian does not need to be reminded that he has a crucified Master.  He often thinks of Him.  He never forgets that He has a day, a cause and a people, and that of His people he is one.  Affection is the real secret of a good memory in religion.  No worldly  man can think much about Christ, unless Christ is pressed upon his notice, because he has no affection for Him.  The true Christian has thoughts about Christ every day that he lives, for this one simple reason that he loves Him" (Holiness, J.C. Ryle).