{"id":5816,"date":"2015-02-17T15:50:01","date_gmt":"2015-02-17T19:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=5816"},"modified":"2015-03-03T18:07:48","modified_gmt":"2015-03-03T22:07:48","slug":"the-signs-of-the-times-the-tribe-of-issachar-21515","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=5816","title":{"rendered":"The Signs of the Times: The Tribe of Issachar (2\/15\/15)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Would you go to that church?Change won’t come from Washington.\u00a0 Change won’t come from Trenton.Does Any Body Know What Time it Is?\u00a0 Does Anybody Really Care???
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Pastor Jim’s sermon on Sunday February 15 2015 focused on a short verse in 1 Chronicles.\u00a0 The Tribe of Issachar recognized the signs of the times and they decided to support David instead of Saul as king.
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Click the following “Play” button to start the sermon, scroll down, and learn more about the time…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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The scripture reading was only one verse- 1 Chronicles 12:32<\/a><\/span>…<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/sup>from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do\u2014200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Her Diamond Watch had Stopped Cold Dead…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Does Anybody Really Care???<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"ParkingLot-1200x343-IconBox_6D9A8270\"<\/a>The 1970 hit record by Chicaco<\/a><\/span>, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” challenges us to think about the things that we’re focused on.\u00a0 The song includes a line about a woman who complained that “her diamond watch had stopped cold dead.”\u00a0 The singer responded, “Does anybody really know what time it is?\u00a0 Does anybody really care?”<\/p>\n

The same question can be posed to the Church.\u00a0 Do WE as the people of God recognize the things that are happening around us?\u00a0 Do we care about the world as it is?\u00a0 Are we able to leave the comfort of our building and decide to make a difference for the community?\u00a0 Or are we focused on our “diamond watches” (or traditions, or comfort zones, or busy schedules, \u00a0or… fill in the blank)?<\/p>\n

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What’s the Point?<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"leisure<\/a>If it was good enough years ago, why doesn’t it work today?\u00a0 We fight change!\u00a0But yet, everywhere Jesus went He brought change. \u00a0Early in the century, churches served the community by placing large containers of oates and water along the main road.\u00a0 Supplying the people’s horses needs was a great thing back then.\u00a0If it\u00a0was a great idea back in the “food ‘ole days”, why don’t we feed horses now?\u00a0 Leisure suits may have been the thing 40 years ago, and they worked then.\u00a0 But why isn’t anyone wearing them right now?<\/p>\n

If something doesn’t work anymore, what’s the point in doing it?\u00a0 If signs of the times surround us and implore us to go in a different direction, do we listen?<\/p>\n

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“The only person who likes change is a wet baby” <\/span><\/p>\n

-Mark Twain<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

Change won’t come from Washington.\u00a0 Change won’t come from Trenton.\u00a0 The only agent for positive change comes from Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 And who has God entrusted with the Holy Spirit???\u00a0 The church!\u00a0 Then why are we always 35 years behind the times???<\/p>\n

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Issachar: Agent of Change…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Saul was the king of Israel, and things were a mess.\u00a0 Saul looked pretty good when he first became king; he looked like a real king and he made the struggling nation look stronger.\u00a0 But as the years went on, it became clear that he wasn’t God’s man. Most of the tribes still supported king Saul, even though they knew that there was no future with him.\u00a0 But the tribe of Issachar were the only ones who stood up and said that it was time to move on.\u00a0 They stood up and declared that we need change.\u00a0 They were in the minority, but they were on God’s side.\u00a0 Very often, the majority doesn’t have it right.<\/p>\n

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Issachar “Understood” the Times…<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Hebrew word used for “understand” is “benah<\/span><\/em><\/strong>“, which means “to have insight or to act<\/strong> with prudence.”\u00a0 It comes from a Hebrew verb that means “to separate something mentally and distinguish its parts.”\u00a0 In other words, when the Bible says that Issachar “understood” the times, it means that they took a skillful analysis of what was going on around them.\u00a0 They studied it.\u00a0 They thought it through and became determined to become part of the solution.<\/p>\n

It’s similar to the word that’s translated as “compassion” in the New Testament.\u00a0 This New Testament compassion means to Feel it inside, then Become the Answer.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The sons of Issachar had analyzed their times and he perceived correctly what these times were all about.\u00a0 It was obvious to them that Saul had not been a good king and that there was no established dynasty to keep the kingship in Saul’s tribe of Benjamin.\u00a0 They perceived that it was time to move on; to put away the oats and leisure suits.\u00a0 They recognized that David was God’s answer.<\/p>\n

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Do Today’s Times Understand the Church?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The mission of the church is to give people Jesus.\u00a0 The world needs hope.\u00a0 The world needs salvation.\u00a0 As the Church, we know that the answer is Jesus Christ.\u00a0 But how do we fulfill that mission?<\/p>\n

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“I’m saved and I’ve been washed by the Blood of the Lamb.”<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Most of us (siting in this sanctuary) understand what that means.\u00a0 But to those who are outside our walls, this is just “church talk.”\u00a0 Saying that you’re “Born Again” (to many people) is like the pretty lady talking about her diamond watch.<\/p>\n

Is the church relevant in the world?\u00a0 Are we making a difference?\u00a0 Does anybody really care about the church?<\/p>\n

The Gospel hasn’t changed, but the way we communicate it changes all the time.\u00a0 The gift is the same, but the packaging changes.\u00a0 We must become a “Conversational Christian”; \u00a0to speak where the rubber meets the road.\u00a0 To keep away from “church talk.” Even as the world changes, we must be in those same kinds of places where Jesus went.\u00a0 Jesus faced his day’s “religious leaders” who misunderstood Him and opposed Him.\u00a0 And in a similar way, we must be willing to step outside of our own walls and connect with people who don’t “speak our religious language.”<\/p>\n

In the movie “Field of Dreams<\/a>,” a Voice repeatedly whispered to Ray Kinsella, “If you build it, he will come…\u00a0 If you build it… he will come.”<\/p>\n

Somehow we have come to the idea that if we build “it”… if we build a church, do a lot of things, keep the parking lot full…\u00a0 if we do a great job of “Doing Church,” people will come.\u00a0 But people won’t come to church unless we give them a reason.\u00a0 Is there a reason to be part of our church?\u00a0 Are we relevant?<\/p>\n

Jesus took the Old Testament, and filtered through grace, He put it in a package that people could understand.\u00a0 He came to fulfill the Old Testament, not abolish it.\u00a0\u00a0 In the same way, we can’t just tell people that “I’m saved by the bold of the Lamb,” we’ve got to show the church that Jesus makes a difference in our lives.\u00a0 Personal stories.\u00a0 Hope.<\/p>\n

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The story is told of a professional golfer who attempted to teach President Grant the game of golf. This golfer visited the White House, and as the president watched, he teed up a ball on the White House lawn. He took a mighty swing with his driver… and missed. After an uncomfortable moment (“just a warmup stroke”), he swung again…. and missed again. This happened several times, until the president remarked, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.”<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

In the same way,\u00a0 the church can be very active and do a lot of things.\u00a0 But are we making a difference in the lives of real people?\u00a0 Does the world fail to see the purpose of the Church?\u00a0 We don’t offer a country club.\u00a0 We are a gathering of people who are all on the same scale on God’s eyes.\u00a0 We are no better or no worse than anyone else in the world.<\/p>\n

Busy but mis-understood…<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Bulletin Bloopers abound on the Internet.\u00a0 Here are a few:\n\t\t\t

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