SherrillUMC

by Reverend Bill Ferguson, Pastor

Sherrill United Methodist Church

Today's Lesson Scripture: Hebrew Bible Amos 7: 1 - 9

Referring Scripture: New Testament Matthew 7: 24 - 27

While meditating over today’s scripture, thoughts of the tools of a carpenter came drifting into my mind, along with memories of my childhood. I’ll try and explain.

Some of the most important tools for a builder are the plumb line, the level, and the square. But most importantly is the foundation. When I was a young boy, our neighborhood theater often showed "Spanky and Our Gang." Many of us remember them as the "Little Rascals." In the fifties they were shown on television. Some of us remember Betty Flower’s Saturday show; "Betty’s Little Rascals." I still remember some of the members of "Our Gang." There was Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, their mascot "Peatie," and of course Spanky. But one of the things that impressed me most was their Club House.

All the kids in the neighborhood thought it would be neat to have a club house like the Little Rascals, so we got together for the project. We used some concrete blocks (piers) for our foundation. We were able to get the wooden floor fairly level, but we had trouble making the sideboards fit. When we finished our club house, it looked like something out of a Snuff Smith cartoon. We asked Mr. Jackson, our neighborhood "Mr. Fix it," the reason our club house leaned. He said we hadn’t used a plumb line. "What’s a plumb line?", We asked. We were told

that carpenters use a plumb line to make sure walls are square with the floor. It is a string with a weight on it that hangs straight down to guide the builder when he puts up a wall.

It’s important that walls be built square to the floor. We’ve all seen, at one time or other, walls or buildings that have toppled over. More than likely, they were not built "on the plumb." When a wall leans, eventually time and gravity pushes it over.

Here I see a parallel in life with the story of the club house. We can equate building a club house with life, and time and gravity with compromising God’s laws and sin.

In the book of Amos 7:1-9, our God warns the prophet in a vision about a swarm of locusts and a great fire. These visions foretold the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel. After Amos prayed, the Lord agreed to delay his judgement. Amos was given another vision of a straight wall with the Lord standing by it with a plumb line in his hand.

God was telling Amos that he was checking the Israelites against his plumb line to see if they had measured up and they hadn’t. God’s plumb line can only represent one thing; God’s divine standards. God had given them all that they needed to build their individual lives, their religion, and their nation. Not only was there a compromising of justice and righteousness but their worship was shallow and all show, not The Heart Attitude that God desires. The Bible tells us that Israel was given another chance but eventually their sinful compromising of God’s standards brought about their fall.

Friends, God has set a plumb line in our midst today. It’s the Word of God (called the Bible) with its principles and

Commands. When we follow God’s directives, our lives will be on the square with his desires. The standard of excellence by which God (who is the Master Builder), measures us is the example set for us by his Son Jesus the Messiah. The foundation that we should build our lives on in this same Jesus. An old hymn says it more directly and eloquently; "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." Today’s message is asking: Have you come to realize that by holding on to the same old ways you cannot really change for the better? Do you desire to change? Do you want God’s divine standards to be the plumb line that governs you life? Do you want to build your life on the foundation of Jesus the Messiah? I invite you to welcome Christ Jesus into your life and make a commitment to the Master Builder.

Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I praise Your Name. I repent of my sins and welcome Your Son into my life. In the name of Jesus the Messiah. Amen.

Second Devotional for the Pine Bluff Commercial Newspaper

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14; "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." What He is saying is that we who know him as Lord and Savior are lights in this world that has been darkened by sin. Friends, we are to be reflections of Christ Jesus, who is the true light.

As John the Baptist was a "witness of the Light" and pointed people to Jesus, so should we. Our faithful walk of obedience to Jesus is a beacon of God’s love and truth. Our lives and words are beams of warm light that can pierce the cold darkness of this world. We are like a porch light at night, drawing searchers and unbelievers to the Messiah, assuring them that Someone loves them, is waiting and wants to welcome them home.

chosen to reflect His light through His followers to an unbelieving and un-churched world. The word "witness" in John 1: 7 - 8 indicates our role as reflectors of the Messiah’s light. We are never to present ourselves as the Light to others, but are always to point to Jesus the Christ, who is the Light.