"We're Not Drunk It's Only 9 In The Morning"

I want to have the mind of Christ.

That doesn't mean I want to be super smart, although I don't think I'd turn it down.

It doesn't mean I have to know the meaning of all things.

What it means is that I want to see people the way Jesus Christ sees people.

More than anything in the world, I want to love like Jesus loves.

I want to love ALL people like Jesus loves ALL people.

And so, I press on.

I make so many mistakes.

But you know how I come to love people more?

I come to love people more by getting to know them, listening to them and becoming involved in their lives.

And of course, Jesus is the ultimate example of The One Who does this best.

Some of my favorite places in the Bible are where it talks about Jesus' compassion for people.

In Matthew Chapter 9 it says, "Jesus traveled among all the cities and villages...

...when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to His disciples, 'The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers.

Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest.'"

We are to be the answer to that prayer.

This is our true destiny.

This is what God calls God's disciples to do.

Remember last week, when we talked about Jesus' Ascension in Acts Chapter 1?

What did Jesus say to the 120 believers right before He ascended back to heaven?

He said, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

That's us.

We are Jesus' witnesses.

We are Jesus' Body on this earth, if His Spirit lives within us.

This past week the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission chopped down plans by Mustard Tree Ministries to build 32 tiny homes on a farm owned by the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The plan would have helped provide needed, affordable housing for those who are homeless and wanting to live in a rural environment.

The farm of vegetable crops, chickens, rabbits and goats would have helped employ many of those living in the tiny homes.

Sadly, more than 1,800 petition signatures were presented in opposition to the project from three different high-fallutin' homeowner groups in the area.

The Ooltewah area residents complained that the development would devalue their property.

Since when did we decide that "property values" are more important than people?

Well, I guess we decided that long ago.

But for those who call themselves "followers of Christ"--nothing is more important than those whom God loves.

Can you imagine the first Christians, the Apostle Paul, Peter and the rest saying: "It is more important to keep the value of my land up than it is to help my neighbor"?

Or what if Jesus said, "Blessed is the person who acquires the most wealth. They win in the end."?

"The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine..."

We need to be reaching out to the rich and self-satisfied...

...and not because we want their money...