Pastor Mac’s Table

6“Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.      Luke 12:6-7 This is a comparative statement. Jesus is using it to let us know how valuable we are to God. Jesus is not saying God doesn't care about sparrows. He is saying God cares more about us. So, I want to focus a little bit on the value of a sparrow to God. First I will not assume everyone knows what a sparrow is. A sparrow is a small, common, dull bird. Five sparrows for two pennies is really cheap. Yet, Jesus is saying not one sparrow will fall to the ground without God knowing, without God counting. God will remember that sparrow. We don't care about the sparrow; we don't pay attention, but God does. He sees and he keeps track. He sorrows. We often lose sight of one fact, the earth is God's garden. Sometimes we forget that the earth and all of the livi...

 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.                           1 Peter 2:11 Last week I talked about the church as the assembly, those called together by Christ, called out of the world. Since we are called out of the world then we should be different. Peter, in the verse above describes us as sojourners and exiles. A sojourner is an old term. A sojourner is someone who is passing through, only in the current place temporarily. He does not belong so he only stays in hotels. He is only a temporary visitor. The other word Peter uses is exile. An exile, like a sojourner is from another place. Usually exiles want to get back home; they are reluctant visitor, forced from their land. These two words are used to describe us as Christians in this world. We are exiles from heaven, in this world but not of this world. We are passing throu...