Ron Wade is one of the shepherds at Highland. About fifteen years ago when a campus minister asked Ron if he would start a ministry to Asians in Memphis, he said “Yes.” About four years ago when the Highland church asked if he would serve as a shepherd, Ron said “Yes.” About two years ago when we needed to restructure our leadership so elders had more time for shepherding and were less involved in administration, we asked Ron to outline a plan. He said “Yes.” About a year ago leaders at HopeWorks asked if Ron would become their new director. Ron said “Yes.” But several months ago, Ron told me he needed to learn how to say “No.” He was too busy. He had too many demands on his time. And so half-jokingly and half-seriously, when I would see Ron in the hallway at church services I would mouth the word “No.” Each time we saw each other, I would mouth the word “No.” It’s still a struggle, but he’s learning. When I emailed him earlier last week to ask if I could have his permission to tell this story about him this morning, he replied “No.” But he explained he was just kidding.
Can you relate to that struggle? For many of us, it’s hard to say “No” because there are so many good things to which we can say “Yes.”
There is “Yes” scene in chapter one of Mark’s Gospel. It takes place in a town called Capernaum. According to vs. 21, Jesus has an opportunity in Capernaum to teach at the synagogue, the meeting place for Jewish worship. Jesus says “Yes.” Mark tells us, The people were amazed at his teaching… (Mk. 1:22 TNIV). While Jesus is teaching, a man who is filled with a demon or an evil spirit interrupts the worship service. There is an opportunity to remove the spirit. And Jesus says “Yes.” Mark tells us, The evil spirit…came out of him with a shriek (Mk. 1:26 TNIV). After the worship service, Peter and his brother Andrew take Jesus, along with their friends James and John, to their home. Though from Bethsaida, Capernaum is now Peter’s and Andrew’s hometown. Peter’s mother-in-law is in bed with a fever. She couldn’t even make it to the worship service. Peter tells Jesus about her. And Jesus says “Yes.” Mark reports, So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her… (Mk. 1:31 TNIV).
What happens next is even more incredible. Mark describes how The whole town gathered at the door. (Mk. 1:33 TNIV). It’s almost as if the six of them are there in Peter’s house, eating a good Sabbath dinner, and there’s a knock on the door. Peter opens it. Outside is every person from Capernaum. There’s Miss Finkelstein who lives two doors down and is the street’s nosy neighbor. There’s Mr. Goldstein who used to fish with Peter’s dad. The whole town has gathered at the door of Peter’s home. And the crowd, according to Mark, is filled with people struggling with health problems and evil spirits. There’s an opportunity to heal many of them. And Jesus says “Yes.” Mark reports and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons… (Mk. 1:33-34 TNIV). Because Jesus said “Yes” so many lives have been changed in one day in Capernaum!
Here’s what happens next: 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” (Mk. 1:35-37 TNIV). Mark’s language indicates that Jesus leaves the house long before morning. The sun was setting when Jesus started healing those at Peter’s door. And it’s still dark when Jesus leaves Peter’s house for prayer. Peter, Andrew, James, and John wake up and realize Jesus is gone. They search for him. Finally, they find Jesus, in this out-of-the-way place; someplace no one ever goes. And there’s Jesus, praying. They interrupt Jesus. Why? Because they aren’t the only ones looking for Jesus. It’s only morning but, Peter says, “Everyone is looking for you!” The whole city has been talking about yesterday. There are more people with health problems who need Jesus. There are more people with evil spirits who want Jesus. The congregation at the synagogue is asking to hear more from Jesus. It’s a dream come true for any church, for any minister. The whole city wants more of Jesus!
But here is Jesus’ unexpected response: 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. (Mk. 1:38-39 TNIV). The whole city of Capernaum wants more. But Jesus says “No.” And Jesus wasn’t saying “No” to corrupt Capernaum officials who just wanted face-time with the new town darling. Jesus wasn’t saying “No” to Capernaum TV preachers who wanted him to appear on their shows to boost ratings. Jesus wasn’t saying “No” to bad things. He was saying “No” to good things. To the lines of lame and unemployed men, blind and penniless women, and coughing children still in Capernaum, Jesus says “No.” To the families in Capernaum whose sons and daughters are still imprisoned with evil spirits, Jesus says “No.” To the standing-room-only congregation waiting for another sermon, Jesus says “No.”
Jesus explains why in verse 38: “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” No. We’ve got to move on. No. There are other cities who also need us. No. Why? That is why I have come. Jesus had a clear picture of why he had come. He had deep conviction regarding what his life was to be about. He knew with no uncertainty what purpose he served. And because he had already said “Yes” to that greater purpose, he was able to say “No” to even good things which did not serve that purpose. Jesus could say “No” to some good things because he had already said “Yes” to the best thing. Jesus doesn’t explain here what is that best thing. But what we see is Jesus saying “No” to one thing because he’s already said “Yes” to another.
This is a critical skill to learn. How many of you, when people ask you how things are, say, “Oh, I am just so busy!” And for many of us, it’s not because our schedules are full of bad things. It’s because they are full of good things. There are so many good things to say “Yes” to that we wind up busy, fatigued, and burned out. The secret is to learn to say “Yes” to the very best things and “No” to everything else.
Rob Bell tells of a time when he was at the beach with his family.[1] His two young sons were walking along the beach picking up small shells. Then they looked out on the water and saw a large starfish bobbing on the surface about 30 feet away. One of the sons said, “That starfish is mine.” He ran into the water. Suddenly he came back. Bell said, “What’s wrong? That’s your starfish. Go get it.” The son ran into the water, but then turned back. Bell urged him, “Go get your starfish!” The boy ran into the water a third time. But frustrated, he turned and ran back to shore. Bell asked, “What’s the matter?” The boy replied, “I can’t do it. I can’t get the starfish, because my hands are already too full of shells.” The son wasn’t willing to drop the smaller shells in order to grab the larger one. If we want to say “Yes” to the very best thing it will require us dropping some other things—even some good things.
This is important not just for individuals, but for churches. In a city like Memphis where 1 out of 5 live in poverty, where infant mortality is alarmingly high, and where violence is greater than in many other cities, there are hundreds of needs to which Highland could say “Yes.” In a country like America where increasing numbers of young people are growing up outside of the Christian faith, where the Christian faith is losing its seat at the table of public discussion, where consumerism is rampant, there are thousands of needs to which we could say “Yes.” And in a world like ours of six billion people, many of whom are caught in wars, poverty, and injustice, there are millions of needs to which we could say “Yes.” But there is no way Highland can say “Yes” to all of this. Somehow we have to prioritize. What is the best thing to which we can say “Yes”?
The Highland staff and elders spent much of 2008 praying about the answer to that question. We studied Scripture. We read books. We listened to wise mentors. And we heard a call to say “Yes” to a few simple things. There are a few simple things we want to give greatest priority to at Highland. These are the things we believe will bear the most fruit in your life if you participate in them. These are the things we want new members and guests to know about Highland. These are what we hope you will say “Yes” to even if it means saying “No” to other good things.
First, we believe God’s calling Highland to say “Yes” to this mission: We seek to help people follow Christ, wherever they are. Over Highland’s history, there have been many ways we’ve understood our mission: “Praying for Memphis City”’ Glorifying his name in all the earth”; “Seeking and saving the lost, serving, showing mercy.” All of those have been helpful ways of understanding our mission. Now, however, we feel called to this way of communicating this mission. No matter where people are in the world, no matter where people are on the economic scale, no matter where people are on the continuum of skin color, no matter where people are in their life stage, we want to help them follow Jesus. We don’t want to help only white people follow Jesus, only rich people follow Jesus, only men, or only Americans. We don’t want to help people follow Jesus only on Sunday. Wherever people find themselves in life and during their day, we want to help them follow Jesus.
And we don’t want to just help people worship Jesus, or share Jesus, or spend eternity with Jesus. Here is our priority: we want to help people become followers of Jesus wherever they are in this life; to follow Jesus at school; to follow Jesus at home; to follow Jesus in their friendships; to follow Jesus in their marriages; to follow Jesus on Monday and on Sunday. That’s what the word “disciple” in the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament implies. A “disciple” is someone who is learning a way of life. Wherever people are in life we want to help them learn the way of life of Jesus. That’s our top priority as a church.
Second, we believe God’s calling Highland to say “Yes” to this vision: We seek to help people follow Christ, wherever they are, by Stirring their hearts more deeply for God; Shaping them into the image of Jesus; Supporting them on their spiritual journey; Sending them to serve and save others. We believe the best way we can help people follow Jesus wherever they are is to prioritize four actions: stirring their hearts for God, shaping them into Christ-like people, providing them emotional and relational support, and sending them into the world to serve others just like Jesus. We believe all four are critical. We believe all four require equal attention. We believe no other actions are as important as these.
Third, and more specifically, we believe God is calling Highland to say “Yes” to this strategy: We will achieve our mission and vision by Stirring people’s hearts primarily through Sunday morning worship services; Shaping them into the image of Jesus primarily through Sunday School classes; Supporting them on their spiritual journey primarily through Reach Groups; Sending them to serve and save others, especially the needy, the nations, the next generation, and our neighbors. We believe God is calling Highland to give the greatest priority to four areas: Sunday morning corporate worship, adult Sunday School, the small groups we call Reach Groups, and every person at Highland involved in a ministry to the needy, the nations, the next generation, or our neighbors. There are many good things we are involved in as a church. But these four are the most important. We believe these four will bear the greatest fruit.
We know that people have a limited amount of time and energy to invest at Highland. Thus we urge you to first invest in these four: regularly participate in corporate worship, become an active member of (not just an attender of) an adult Sunday School class or Huddle, commit to a Reach Group, and get personally involved in at least one ministry to the needy, nations, next generation or our neighbors. If you’re already doing all four and can invest more time and energy into other things at Highland—great! But just committing to those four things will be a stretch for some. You may have to say “No” to some of the other things we do as a church in order to say “Yes” to all four of these. And that’s fine. We don’t expect you to show up for every function. But what we do want to stress is the importance of each person participating in all four of these.
Most of you already participate in the first one: corporate worship. The vast majority of you already participate in the second one: adult Sunday School. Thus, let me stress the final two. About half of Highland’s attenders do not attend a Reach Group. We believe, however, that every person at Highland ought to attend a Reach Group. Following Jesus is not easy. Helping others follow Jesus is not easy. Reach Groups are one of the best ways to find emotional and spiritual support for those struggles. If you are not in a Reach Group, talk to your Sunday School class teacher or call the church office. We want to help you get into one in 2009.
Finally, in 2009 we’d like each person at Highland to give at least an hour each week to one of our ministries to the needy, the nations, the next generation, or our neighbors. In 2009 we hope each person will get off the bench and into the game. God has given every one of you a special talent or gift to bless others. We urge all of you to use that talent in a ministry this year. If you are not involved in a ministry right now, stop by the Welcome Center, pick up a brochure listing our ministries, and contact the ministry leader of a ministry which excites you.
Author Tim Sanders uses three images to talk about priorities: rubber, metal, and glass.[2] He suggests that everything in life is made of rubber, metal, or glass.
Some things are made of rubber. When you drop them, they bounce back. For example, if you miss a Tiger’s basketball game or a Titan’s football game, your life is still going to bounce along just fine. Nothing significant is going to happen if you miss a game.
Other things in life are made of metal. When these get dropped, they make more noise. They create headaches. But you can still recover. You miss a meeting, you can get the notes. You forget to balance your checkbook and overdraw, you can pay the fee. There’s going to be some noise and headache, but you can recover.
Other things in your life, however, are made of glass. When you drop them, they shatter and life is hardly ever the same.
With great clarity, Jesus was able to identify which was rubber, which was metal, and which was glass. Jesus was willing to drop the rubber and the metal. But he was never willing to drop the glass. He always said “Yes” to the glass even if it meant dropping other things.
I’ve talked briefly this morning about the glass things at Highland—the things we believe are most critical to hold on to and to emphasize as a church. As I close, consider what the glass things are in your life. What are the things that are absolutely critical to not drop this year? Here are five things to consider: Physical Health; Spiritual Health; Emotional Health; Financial Health; and Relationship Health. These tend to be the kinds of things that when dropped, they drastically affect life. What good things do you need to drop this year in order to better hold on to these? Take time this week to prayerfully reflect on how you can say “Yes” to these five areas as well as to the areas I’ve discussed regarding Highland.
