"Know Him"

As some of your know, 6 of our nine kids have attended Sandhills Classical Christian School.  Yesterday was the first day of the 2016-2017 school year.  The High School grades opened the school year with a day called “Opening Academy.”  This is a day when the Principal of the Rhetoric brings in outside speakers to talk to the students on different topics.  At the end of the last school year the Principal asked me if I would be willing to come in and talk on one of the aspects of bullying.  My topic was on Bullying from a “Spiritual” perspective.  I said yes.  So yesterday, Tuesday, August 2nd I was up.

I have thought much about this topic over the past few months.  I’ve seen report after report of those who have been bullied and taken their life.  Bullying comes today in so many forms.  When I was in school it was mostly verbal and physical, but today you have to add social and cyberspace.  It is unreal the cruelty many kids unleash on other kids.  Here is the things though, the more I thought about it, it comes back to “Spirituality.”

Before I spoke a Pediatric MD spoke about these four types of bullying I mentioned above and did some role play with the kids on how to handle different situations that they may face.  She gave some really good advice.  But again I was sitting there thinking it’s “Spiritual.”

I won't go through the entire talk, but I wanted to share a few points and scriptures with you that I shared with the students.  I opened with two questions.  First I asked, “Please raise your hands if you have heard of Jesus of Nazareth?”  The second question I asked was, “I don’t want you to raise you hands on this question, but answer it in your mind with yes or no.  No other answer will work.  Your answer has to be Yes or No to this question.  Do you know Jesus of Nazareth?  Really know him?”  If you answered yes to the question then you need to know what the scriptures say about one who believes.

First, John 14:16-18 tells us that those who believe will have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, two characteristics of this person of God deals with us on this topic.  Those being “Guidance” and “Conviction.”  We cannot have Jesus Christ in us and think it is OK to bully someone.

Second, Matthew 22:34-39 (as well as Mark 12:29-31) states, “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

So here is the deal, to love God with all your being, and to love your neighbor cannot include bullying.  So the answer to my second question is so important.

1st John 2:9 “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness…”  You cannot say you know Jesus and treat your brother with hatred.  So again the answer to my second question was so important.

Then I shared this question, “What if you find yourself in a bullying situation?”  The good doctor had given some good advice, as I said, but Jesus gives great advice as well from a “Spiritual” perspective.  Matthew 18:15-17 gives us the biblical process of handling conflict with others.  I talked a little about that with the students.  If you are unfamiliar with this passage, I would encourage you to read through it today!

After closing with a personal story from my grade school, I had to go back to address that second question again.  “Do you know Jesus of Nazareth personally?  If you answered ‘Yes,’ that was great.  But if you answered ‘No,’ I want you to think about that answer.” Then I said, “The answer to this question is the most important answer you will ever make in your life.  Every other question pales to this one.  Answering ‘Yes’ to this question will affect everyday of your life.  It will affect how you relate to others and how you glorify God.  By answering ‘Yes’ to this question you are to glorify God in all you do.  You will experience a peace like never before.  Your  love of God and love of neighbor will lift up your witness of Christ where bullying will degrade it and getting that positive witness back will take a long time.” 

I asked those that did not answer “Yes” to this question to talk to a teacher, pastor, parents, or the Principal or me if they would like to know how to answer that question “Yes.”

Folks, if you have read this far, I want you to know, how we live our life in this fallen world is dependent on whether we know, really know Jesus of Nazareth, the very Son of God.  Know Him, honor Him, let your witness Glorify Him and then you will marvel at who His is and what He’ll do through you.

As for the students, my hope is that I planted a seed in each whether they answered “Yes” or “No.”  God’s Word is so great and true that my prayer is that it will dwell in their hearts and minds.  My desire is that they all know Him.

Blessings,                                                                 

Pastor Marty               

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