Open!

02/09/08

Scripture:

Several years ago I invited a couple to go with Helen and me to one of my favorite restaurants.  No matter that it was seventy-five miles away!  We loaded up and headed out toward Nacogdoches to eat at the Red Barn.  I could almost taste the tender, juicy, medium rare steak that would soon be on the platter before me!  I drove up and down the thoroughfare looking for the Red Barn.  It had to be there!  It was there some two to thre years previously when I had last eaten there.  After taking some good to not-so-good ribbing I found it!  Rather, I found the concrete slab that once had supported the Red Barn structure.  It was definitely closed!  Burned down! 

Closed, closed out, etc., are all very negative sounding words.  I much prefer the word that expresses the opposite of closed.  That word is “open.”  Granted, there is much comfort in doing life from the vantage point of closed systems.  For example, in the narrative scripture I have just read some of the disciples just naturally figured that Jesus base of power and glory would operate within the framework of their closed self-preserving protective behaviors.  Were they ever wrong!  Could we imagine Jesus saying to us (as he said to them): Jesus challenges his disciples and us to move from our “closed” life stance to an “open” life stance.  What will that look like?  How will it play out?

I.         The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

II.       The faith walk (heart) was never intended to beat alone.

III.     The Body of Christ (open doors) was Christ’s intentional design

Sermon Multimedia:

• Open Minded - 02/10/08

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