(upbeat music) - Good morning and welcome to Ask the Pastor on Hope Radio 97.1 K C M I, this is Pastor Gary Schick from E manual congregational church. - And I am Pastor Jonathan Hernandez and I am the Youth Pastor out at Cornerstone Fellowship in Baird. - Hey Jonathan. - How are you? - Good, how are you? - Doing good. - So I don't know about your eyes but mine are probably like this big because they've been plastered to a television screen every night after work. - Yeah. - Are you watching the Olympics? - Ah, bits and pieces of it, yeah. - Little bit. - Yep. - Oh man, I just, at the beginning I can't get enough. And by the end I'm done. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, bye. I watched some soccer so, we enjoy watching that. - Little soccer, some gymnastics, some swimming, some equine stuff going on out there. I mean all kinds of stuff. Well, I think I know what we should talk about today. - Yeah. - You know, and I kind of thought about maybe something about run the good race but then I don't know about you but one thing that has really impressed me and I know it's always there but it kind of really impressed me this year is these under stories. You know, here's this athlete. They're up there, they're doing magic on the screen but we all know that it's so much more than that. And it's a team, it's not just that moment today, it's every day, 365 for the last, how many years of their lives. So why don't you start us in prayer and then let's talk about what our spiritual support staff looks like. - Yeah, so Father, I thank you Lord for Lord just how you guide us, how you continue to just delete us Father. I thank you Lord for each of the churches Lord that we are part of Father got in the support system that we have within that Lord as we jump into this question Father. I thank you Lord, as you just continue to delete us Lord and we just pray this name in Jesus Christ, amen. - So listeners, I guess today I kind of want to turn around on you as you're listening. I want you to be thinking about this. Who's my support team so that I can run for Jesus as well? Because you know, I mean, and I say this to people, I don't know if they get it. There's no lone rangers in Christ. It's not just me and Jesus. At least not if you're going to succeed. I mean, I guess any of us can go out and run around the block and hopefully not spraying our ankles, but if we're going to be in the Olympics, it's going to take more. And you know what, if we're going to run a race for Christ, shame on us if we're doing it by ourselves because God did not intend that. - Yeah. - The Bible talks about it quite a lot. - It does. - Jonathan, some thoughts. - Yeah, you know, and just kind of with that Olympic thing, I love how you have different, there's all these different sports or activities or whatever you want, you know, these sports that are part of the Olympics. But you see, say the soccer players are rooting and cheering on the gymnastics, you know, or vice for, you know, so you have this, people from different categories that are all in it and saying, hey, we want to see you succeed. We're cheering you on, we're motivating you or helping push you to that finish line. And you know, we have that same thing within the body. - Man, I love that, you know, there's no Lone Ranger. If you look throughout all of the Bible, you always see community. There's community all throughout scripture. X2 42 through 47, it really talks about some of that. And it says, and they continue to steadfast in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship in breaking in bread and in prayer. And then it says, "Then fear came upon every soul "and many wonder signs were done through the apostles." And now all who lived, who believed were together and had all things in common. And they sold the possessions and goods and divided them amongst themselves as everyone had need. You know, you start seeing that whole community being, you know, right, that whole, if you have need, let me help you meet that need. We may not be able to meet all the need, but we can, if I put in a little end, you put in a little, we're going to help meet all those needs. So they had, they continued daily within one in court in the temple, the breaking of bread in the house is the house. You see that community just continuing to take place. They ate their food, the gladness and simplicity of heart. Praising God, having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily, those who were being saved. - Yep. - And I love that, 'cause that really shows that community aspect. Who is part of our community? - Yeah. - Right, I am part of Cornerstone Fellowship's church and bear, that's part of my community, right? I'm part of that community. They're rooting me on, I'm rooting them on. - Right. - We're, you know, really challenging each other to grow deeper in Christ. And sometimes they're stumbles. - Yep. - But we don't take them and beat them up and throw them out of the church, right? - Hope not. - Yeah, we love on them and we help them. Hey, let's get back to where God had intended you to be and help them walk through those things. You know, there's support. I mean, within as pastors, there's support groups. You know, we root each other on and, you know, and man, I want to see you succeed. I want to see you succeed and I want to see the church that you pastors succeed in praying for each other and rooting each other on. It's amazing to see how diverse the body of Christ is. You know, and, you know, we're not battling against each other, right? We're there, you know, the, when the USA goes over to the Olympics, they're not battling against each other. They're together, they're unified and they're rooting each other on and that's what the body of Christ needs to be. You know, that we're rooting each other on. It doesn't matter what fellowship that we're a part of, but we're rooting each other on 'cause we want to see each other succeed and we want to see the church grow and, right? Seeing people being saved, you know, the church being added to daily, right? Added to the church and, you know, I mean, that's really amazing when we can start seeing that happen within the body and not, you know, some of those vicarines that happen, but we're rooting each other on and, you know, so for you listeners, are you connected within the body of Christ? Are you, do you belong to a church? And if you do, like, are you just, I know when I first came to Christ, I just sat in the back. Hopefully this pastor doesn't talk long, I want to be able to get out fast, right? And, you know, 'cause my heart was just starting to, you know, be changed. And then as I started reading the word, I'm like, man, I could sit here and listen to this pastor for six hours. You know, I don't know. But, you know, you start feeling those changes and you start connecting with each other, right? Hey, so and so how are you doing? And let's go have dinner together, let's go have lunch together, whatever, and start building those communities, helping build that community. And so hopefully you as a listener are connected within your home church and really help build the community there by being a part of the community. - So, so important. You know, the passage I thought about, as we were sitting down to this, was that passage in Hebrews and do not neglect. - Yeah. - Meeting together, some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another and all the more, as you see the day approaching, you know. We need to fan the flame. And in fact, I've talked to people about this. Well, it's camping season, right? So if you ever have a campfire, I don't know why it is, but all those logs have to lay together. They have to be touching. If one log is burning bright and rolls away from the fire, it's going out. Now, I don't know why it has the fuel, the wood, it is wood. It has the oxygen, it's burning, it has the flame. I don't even understand this. My son, he's pretty smart about a lot of the science stuff. He could probably tell me that this is why, but in order to keep burning, those logs need to be up against other burning logs. They need to share the fire. And you know, we think about the big names in the Bible. - Puzzle Paul. - He was never alone. I mean, okay, he was once. We read about him alone. I think he was in Athens. He was miserable until his team came caught up with him. He always traveled with a group of people. He always had people that were receiving him. I mean, look, what is it, the end of Romans? He has all these thank yous to all these people and hi to this one. And thank you to that one who helped me in all these, you know, and even in his last letter, Second Timothy, he's saying, you know, come before winter, bring the parchment, bring this. He was alone every now and then, he didn't do well. And frankly, we don't hire there. You know, yes, when we're watching the Olympics, we're watching like, you know, one gymnast, maybe, you know, if it's not a team sport, maybe we're seeing one gymnast alone on the balance beam or on the parallel or uneven bars or those rings, whatever. Yeah, for that moment, it's kind of like the David and Goliath moment, but you know what? Where did David learn about the Lord? Probably his parents, you know. Everybody that succeeds, there's more than that moment. There is everything that went into that moment. And, you know, we are watching for like two weeks, the best of the best on screen doing their ultimate moment. But the years of training, the years of support, the financial support, the coaches, the parents, the family coming together, communities coming together, I mean so much. And you know, I don't know about you, but to me, the Olympics at their best are just a taste of heaven because that's what it's gonna be. It's gonna be people from every background, every nationality coming together, offering their best to the Lord. And really, and you even see it in the Olympics where even if we don't win, our people will congratulate somebody who has just broken a world record. 'Cause guess what? There is a common humanity. There is a common bond of both striving for this. And you can do that. You can say, hey, I wish it had been me, but if it wasn't me, wow, good job. You know? So you even see in the Olympics, this cheering, this empathizing, this concern for others, at the best. Now I know, probably by the end of this, it'll be a doping scandal somewhere, whatever. Hate that. 'Cause that's not what it is about. And I'm glad to be part of a nation that doesn't support that kind of thing. You know, if our people get caught, they're in trouble. It's not like I'm gonna mention certain countries where you know it's government sponsored doping. One of them I'm happy is not involved this year. I feel bad for those athletes, but that's not what this is about. This is about a world coming together in a good way. And ultimately, that's what heaven's gonna be about. But how are we gonna get there friends? Well, Jesus, obviously the only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus. So when you are born again, just like in human birth, you are born into a family. So what is your connect point with that family? Now I know some families are a little dysfunctional and some churches can be really dysfunctional. But there are options, every commute, I mean, there's a million churches in this. Well, not quite. You gotta be able to find some fellowship somewhere, my friend. And if you're hopping from fellowship to fellowship, there probably is a problem, but guess what? Guess where the problem just might be? If you are hopping from one church to another, to another to another, somebody's bringing their baggage with them, and I don't know who you are, and I'm not bringing an accusation. I'm just saying, look, address the problem. Because the body of Christ needs you and your talents and your gifts, and you need the body of Christ. I'll tell you what, I'm so grateful for a supportive church family behind me, in my ministry and service to the Lord. And I'm also grateful for people like you, Jonathan. I mean, I look forward to our time together. Off mic, even much more than on mic. Just supporting one another in Christ. And there have been others who've been just encouragers, brothers, mentors, need it, absolutely. Well, would you take us to the throne of grace? - Yeah. Father, I'm so thankful for Lord, the bodies that you've put us in, Lord. Father, I know when the church that I was pastoring had closed, Lord, I felt lost. Lord, but you guided me to a place where I can make connections and really be part of something again, Father. And Lord, I know, Lord, even right now, Father, as Gary was saying, Lord, there may be someone that's bouncing place to place. But I pray that just right now, Father, God, that they would bring that to you, Lord. And whatever they're dealing with, whatever they're going through, Father, God, that they'll actually take that time to deal with it and sit down with their pastor and be able to walk through some of those issues. Lord, and so I just thank you for that, Lord. Again, I thank you for all of our listeners, Father. I thank you, Lord, for the bodies that they're part of, Father, that Lord, each of them will have an amazing time and an amazing opportunity just to be able to serve within that. Lord, and so I just thank you again, for each and every one of our listeners. And we just pray this name of Jesus Christ, amen. - And you know what, there are times when it's a healthy decision to move from one church to another, absolutely. I'm not saying that. But if you can look at your life and say, hmm, I don't seem to stay anywhere very long. - Yeah. - Now that brings a question. What do we bring it to, Lord, and bring it to whatever body you believe is you're at, and just confess it and say, hey, I got a blind spot here. I don't know what it is. - Yeah. - But find it and be a builder, wherever you're at, be a builder, let us, let us, don't let, not just let's come to be encouraged. Yeah, there's times, we're absolutely looking for that encouragement. But be part of the solution, part of what makes the body strong, build one another up. - Definitely. - All right, hey, let's go out there and run our race for Jesus friends. And I mean, they do it for, I mean, in New Testament times it was for what, literally a wreath crown that withered pretty quickly. Now, I think, are those things, are those metals real gold? - I would guess like that. - Real silver, real bronze, all right? But you know what, even if they are, even if they're 14 carat and thick, it's nothing compared to, well, you know, gold bricks are just paving stones in heaven. Can you imagine what that reward, that crown ultimately is all about? - I don't know, well, the well done from Jesus more than it is. So, wishing that to all of you as you run your race, 'cause we're all crossing that line at some point and may we fall into our Savior's arms and hear that welcome, home, well done. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Ask the pastor can be heard every weekday morning at 9 a.m. on Hope Radio, KCMI. To submit your question to the show, contact us on our website at kcmifm.com/contact. Ask the pastor is also available as a podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and most other podcast services. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
