Say It

A new five part sermon series on what matters and what's worth saying.

Waiting in line at a pharmacy, a young man struck up a conversation with an older couple. They began as most people do and chatted about the weather, the long line up and eventually touched on the overall pace of life. For the young man life couldn't move quick enough. He was generally anxious about all sorts of things and often found himself somewhat distracted. The older couple reflected on the many years God has blessed them and likened life to a vinyl record spinning on a turntable. As the record plays the needle moves closer to the center and in doing so seems to quicken towards its end. For some life moves too slowly and for others much too fast.

In Matthew's gospel, an expert in Jewish religious law attempts to trick Jesus into saying something foolish. He asks, "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" (Matthew 22:36, NLT). Here the expert is referring to the first five books of the Old Testament called the Torah. These include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The books lay the framework for the rest of the Bible and are incredibly important in understanding Jesus. The expert also refers to Jesus as a teacher, which can be translated as rabbi, for Jesus dressed and acted the part while he walked the earth some 2000 years ago. And like other rabbis, Jesus answers the question with a quote from Deuteronomy 6:5: "love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength". This typical reply would usually suffice. The conversation would end and the expert, Jesus and all those listening would go about their day. But not for Jesus.

Instead of concluding on one commandment, Jesus picks two, for He goes on to say that another one is “equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (22:39). Jesus quotes Leviticus 19:18, purposefully referencing the Torah and summing up all that was said by the Jewish law and the prophets as “based on these two commandments” (22:40). There is much that can be said in a little bit of time and a little that can be said over a long amount of time. Jesus’ brief reply is to be remembered and accessed easily; whereas, the bulk of Scripture is to be studied and discussed over a lifetime.

What is it that matters and what’s worth saying? Certainly the meaningful truths of our faith. Over the next five weeks we will explore core beliefs like the lordship of Jesus, holiness, unity, the Bible, and finally the Great Commandments. Join us either in person at 833 N Blackstone Street in Tulare, CA, or online at either facebook.com/fcogtulare.com or youtube.com/@firstchurchofgodtulare. No matter where you find yourself in relation to time, whether it be too slow or too fast, don’t be afraid to talk about the meaningful truths of our faith. Don’t be afraid to Say It.

It’s a Great Time to Grow,

Pastor Aaron