MNASON: A FAITHFUL :16

If I were to ask what you know "is immortalized in eight words." Only about the Apostle Paul, most of you could eight words in the original Greek are respond in some way. You would say he written about this man. Yet, what an was a Pharisee, that he took some intriguing picture is painted. missionary journeys, that he wrote some The text is a little confusing about of the books of the , that where he lived , but apparently he lived in he had a dram~tic conversion experience . When Paul returned from his on the Damascus road . All of us know Gentile mission to Jerusalem, where something about Paul. anything that threatened the Jewish The same goes for Simon Peter. exclusiveness was looked on with Mention his name and we picture a rough suspicion, Mnason opened his home to fisherman called by to be a Paul. His willingness to be Paul's host disciple. Peter was loud and aggressive. shows Mnason's gracjous hea.o and He always had something to say. He tried hos itable s iri and also coosidecahle to walk on water once. He preached at qourage_in light of the situation. and 3,000 were saved. His Notice the phrase used to describe nickname was "Rock." We all know Mnason in verse 16 The KJV calls him something about Simon Peter. "an old disciple." The RSV refers to him To a lesser degree we could all as "an early disciple." The TEV says that come up with some information about Mnason was one "who had been a James and John and Andrew and John believer since the early days." In the New the Baptist and . But what American Standard Version Mnason is would you say if I asked you about the described as "a disciple of long standing." New Testament character named As I contemplated on that phrase: Mnason? Most of you would say, ''Who?" "a disciple of long standing," it reminded Nevertheless, here he is in ou r text for me of several sterling truths about the today, a man who one commentator says Christian life. Brian's Lines >July/August, 1996 Page 3

The Value of Maturity Some say they're over-the-hill. I say, "If so, then tell us what you have First of all, this phrase reminds us learned in your confrontation with the of the value of maturity. arithmetic of life so that we can make The says things add up better in our lives." Mnason was "an old disciple." The Greek Some say they're has-beens. I word, however, can more accurately be say, "If so, then remind us what -wi:o'!Wll~w. translated "original," rather than "old." so we can be better prepared for whatJ1:ill. Mnason had been a disciple from the be." beginning. He had been a believer since Some say all they can do anymore the early days of the church . He was, as is to pray. I say, "If that is true, then pray one translator suggests, a foundation for me and for our church and for the member of the church who had a broad challenges before us." base of experience from which to speak To the disciples of long standing in concerning the Christian faith . this congregation I have this challenge Today, we would probably say, this morning: Don't •r etjre from God's "Mnason is a mature believer." How we work. Don't w thdraw ,.from positions of need that kind of spiritual maturity in responsibility. Don't bide your ligbt under today's church. a bushel. Let it shine! We need what you I am thankful for have to offer.

the blessed children of To the ais;pies of long standing in this i There is our church, for their congregation\1I11 have this challenge this ', nothing more s and onc.1nn~:,,c,c, mornlng:2Donlretire from God's work. Don't,; valuable in the withdraw fr?'R.H.ositions of responsibility. Don't is a constant challenge hide your light under a bushel. let it shine! We church than to the rest of us. need what you have to offer. spiritual maturity.:: .5-t1hi/,ly I am thankful for '" •r'' the dynamic young people of our church , for thellll· ~~~~ The Meaning of Discipleship .w.a,~!;11,!:1~ ~ - is contagious in its effect. I am thankful for the young adults There is a second truth wrapped of our church because their id.ealis~ :.w"'i1:w up in that phrase used to describe .jpteo sii¥, summons us to new heights. Mnason. It not only reminds us of the I am thankful for the middle-aged value of maturity. It also reminds us of the adults of our churches because their meaning of discipleship. t ·natio provide the Notice two key facts about this dynamism for our family of faith. man Mnason. He.WQl,,,L,J.,~ Wil;c:l disciple for Most of all, I am thankful for our a long time, and he ¥MJ,!aa!J!~· It was not older adults who are \'disciples of long­ just his long-term standing in the church standing, ' because they are the ,..._· - ­ that is called attention to in our text. It is who ive stabili!Y and stren th to our the fact that he was ~mactive. still in church . gggg standing, still involved after all those p~ p~ I} years. fJ/IM "'"my 51,"11l"1~; To Sf,111/ a,,, VJ-j ~ 0'\4_ fM/)(J ~ Brian's Lines >July/August, 1996 Page4

Mnason realized that discipleship We do not drift into maturity in the is not just a onetime decision, but a Christian life. We discipline ourselves into gontjnujng process. Being a Christian is maturity as we study diligently, ~orshjp not just a ~ . but a ~ - Discipleship regularly, ~ daily, give systematically, does not end when we walk down the and witness continuously. aisle and profess our faith in and When we, through commitment to join a church. That's where it .b,egj n.5 . these patterns, become like Mnasonr a The greatest challenge facing most disci le of Ion - ndin !> then we will of us in today's church is to move past the have discovered . the true meaning of decision for Christ and become disciples discipleship. of Christ.- - All of the pictures of the Christian The Importance of Faithfulness life in the New Testament support this concept. There is a third truth about the The Christian life is like running a Christian life which evolves from this B.lrC,£, and the admonishes us to phrase used to describe Mnason. It not press on toward the mark '(Phil. 3:14). only reminds us of the value of maturity The Christian life is like fighting a and the meaning of discipleship, it also BIA TTLE, and the Bible urges us to put on reminds us of the importance of the whole armor of God (Eph. 6: 13). faithfulness. The Christian We don't life is like the know much about P VS/CAL Mnason from our DEVELOPMENT of a text. We don't know if person from childhood he was a deacon in to adulthood, and the his church. We don't Bible challenges us to know if he was a. feed ourselves on the strong meat of Sunday School teacher. We don't know if God's Word so we can grow up spiritually he ever served on a committee. We don't (1 Pet. 2:2). know if he could preach or sing. His name The Christian life is like building a is immortalized in Holy Scripture for one HOUSE, and the Bible calls on us to build reason and one reason only: he was on the foundation which Christ has given faithful to his Lord. With the passing us a spiritual house that will bring honor years, over a long period of time, in good to God (1 Cor. 3:1(»J/J times and in bad, he was faithful. Every picture of the Christian life in Let me tell you what that means for the New Testament reminds us that it is a us today. It is simply a reminder that the __erocess. that demands contjny~d one thing God ~xpects from us, the one _degjcatioa and '-oostant djsciplioe on our thing that God demands of us, is that we part. be faithful. Whether we have five talents Brian's Lines >July/August, 1996 Pages or two talents or one talent, He wants us race, one of the judges shouted, "Get to do the best we can with what we have. those hurdles out of the way. This race is He wants us to be faithful, nothing more not over. Look!" or nothing less than that. Around the turn came that little At a track meet in Alabama a few boy, panting and staggering to keep years ago, the attention was focused on going. Everybody in the audience stood the mile run because one of the schools silently and watched as he dragged up had a promising miler who had missed that last hundred yards and literally fell the state record in the mile by only one across the finish line. His face ground into second the previous week. He the cinder was out to break the record in track. One of this meet. As the boys came the judges to the starting mark, every eye ran and was riveted on him. He was a turned him tall, good-looking, well built over on his kid. He loolo/ every bit the back, took his athlete. handkerchief, As the eyes of the and wiped crowd swept the lineup of boys, they the blood off his face. The judge asked noticed at the other end of the line him, 'Why didn't you just drop out back another boy who in every way was a there?" sharp contrast to the athlete I just Between gasps for breath, the boy mentioned. He was ~DW of stature, his answered, "My school had a good miler, .s,bg,uJders. were bent a little, he was but he got sick a couple of days ago and ~ and even his le s were couldn't run. The coach promised to have not straight. Everyone wondered what he a man in every event, so he asked me if was doing in the mile race. I'd come and run the mile." The race began, and the favored "That's fine," the man continued, athlete pushed off at a torrid pace. Every "but you knew you weren't going to win. lap increased the distance between this Why didn't you just drop out? You were star miler and the others. The little fellow almost a lap behind." especially fell behind steadily. When the The boy answered, "Sir, they didn't leader came around the final turn, he send me here · . They didn't send me sprinted the last hundred years. As he here t.P gujt, They sent me here to run this broke the tape, a deafening roar went up mile, and I ran it." from the crowd. He had broken the state God did not call us record! in in the eyes of the world. Neither did Only a few others even finished the He call us fa q• •it He called us to run the race. Most of the runners had dropped race. out when they saw that they had no The one thing God wants of us is chance to win. As the field crew started to that we be faithful, nothing more or bring out the hurdles to set up for the next nothing ~ or nothing ~ s..e.. than that. IBIBLE STUDY~

MNASON: A Faithful Disciple Acts 21: 16 ''And some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge. "

"An old disciple" "An early disciple" One "who had been a believer since the early days" NASY "A disciple of long standing"

Lessons from Mnason:

I. The Value of Maturity -- "old"= "original"

Don't retire from God's work. Don't withdraw from positions of responsi­ bilities. Don't hide your light under a bushel. Let it shine! We need what you have to offer.

II. The Meaning of Discipleship --The Christian life is like: 1. Running a race (Philippians 3:14) 2. Fighting a battle (Ephesians 6: 13) 3. Physical development (I Peter 2:2) 4. Building a house (I Corinthians 3:10)

III. The Importance of Faithfulness

God did not call us Christians to win in the eyes of the world. Neither did He call us to.quit. He called us to run the race. The one thing God wants of us is that we be faithful, nothing more or nothing less or notliing else than that. Training & Preparation

!\il NASON: ,,\ ljaithfu! D!sci •J!c Ass oci :d iona l Trai ni ng Confncnc c Acts 2 1: 16 Sat urday, Au gust 2<+ "A11d su111 e of'th e clisc1j1 les jim11 ( 'ue.rn rcc1 8: 30 Ai\ 1 also ct 1111 c 11·ith 11 s , t11 ki 11 g 11 s to ,\ /nu.,·011 Park ll eiglit s Ba pti st Church oj' C)/Jr/lS, a clisciJJle cf Ion,',!, sru11di11 g 11 ·ith ,rlw 111 11 ·e 1ren: to lodg e." First Baptist Preparation Day Agr Di vision Training KJ\' "J\ 11 old disciple" Su nd ay, Au gust 25 RS\' ";\ 11 early di sciple " 3:30 PM TE\' One 11 \\'ho had heen a helin Tr Chapel & Designated Areas since th e early days" NASV "J\ di scip le of long stan ding" Mark Your Calendar! Lessons fro m Mnason : Outreach Nights Sept ember 9 I. The Value of l\ Jaturity October 14 -- "old" = "o ri gi11al " Novemb er <+ t,:UO - Sa11Liwi cit Supper scrvL: d Don't retire from Ciod's ,,·ork. Don't (LJ O - Go out to ma ke vi sit s wi th draw from positi ons of re spP11 si­ bi liti es. Don't hid e yo ur li ght und er Volunteers Needed a bu shel. Let it shine! \Ve need \\' hat you have to offer. for Jesus Video Project

II. The Meaning of Discipleship Vo lun tee rs arc ncc <.k d to help Jistrih ut c th e ./c.111.1· vid eo. Vo lunt ee rs will rccc i1'C tr;1ini ng and ass ign111 cnts on Satur­ --Th e Christia n life is lik e: da y, October .'i . On that day they ,,·il l dcli ,·cr a dour han ge r. 1. Runni ng a race ( Philippians J : 1-l ) 011 October 12, ,·idens will he deli 1c 1L· d, and a sur\'(:y will 2. Fightin g a batt le ( l~phes ians (1 : I 1) he tak en on Nm·cmber 2 to sec how people responded to 3. Physical deve lopment (l Peter 2 2) the video. !'lease sign up by September 16 in your Sum.lay 4 . Build ing a house (I Cori11thi an s J: I 0) Sc ho ol depa rt ment.

Il l. T he Importance of f aithfulness /11 5v, r1/Jc1f/1 v God di d no t call us Christian s to\\ in in th e eyes of th e world . Neither did llt' C.\jl/'('.\'.\' 011/' hca n/i· it ,\T lllf!O lh1 · /(} fi1<'scji 1111 iiic.1· 11110 I le ca ll us to quit. I le ca lled us to ru n h01·c losr lm·cd ones: 1llax & Karell S11rber in the t!eorh (}(fhci,· son, l,ee the race. Th e 011e thing Ciod \\ an ts of us is th at \\'e be fa ith ful, nothing n1 ore S 11r/J cr; L11cil/e Rlal· k/J11m in th e dcurli o/ll<'r sis re,: IJ'ret/,a or not hin g le ss or nothin g else th ,111 th at. " hittlc; .. Fred & Oan,,a Hostoll & Ji1111ifr in //, (' d( ·orli of her -. 11 11cle, ,llof'f'is /)011 clso 11 ; Ja ck & Jane Landers ond .Jol,11 & Sta<'.)' /,anders & /,11 cy in r/i e t!coi/1 o/ Jo11 e '1 111 01!1C'1: /_urfin c ( ·ampbdl; VISION 2000. Ah•i11 & .l11a11ita Ga,y & Paul in rh c dcurl, of her 1111clc, Joe Smith; Friends 011d fa111ifi, of/re11e Ji'ow/Jridge; Prayer Focus: A New Beginning ) /Iii/ton II. (A11,~r) A11derso11 in the clcurh of his lsaiall 46:9-10 d11 11ghte1: Ca th l' IJ II fi'a11 ce.\' l_a rs,•11 . HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 1N TltE HospiTAL

August 18 SHANNON Ashley Bynum Stacey Kotrla 627 Ruth Clark (Sherman Clark's mother) Kate Copeland Briana Martinez 624 Gustaf Swensk (father of Nadine Mathis & Ouida Eakrnan Rowell Rogers Betty Rossman) Rico Forlano Mikale Welch 610 J. W. Hughes 5,'l ~(oc111i Jhnenez • August 19 511 Marguerite McCain Jim Clemons Jane 447 Genova Arnold Lacy Connell Earl Jones 303 Loren Reynolds Kathryn Covington Jordan Patterson Kuno Doerr David Pollock COLUMBIA MEDICAL August 20 I 18 Yong Savage (mother of Reggie & Tara Savage) James Duncan Tom Martin Day Surgery - Rowena Goss Walter Harger, Jr. Mildred McClung Day Surgery - Joy Strother Jean Hunnicutt Evelyn Miller Virginia Lackey Jane Moorehead Merle Langford Estelle Watson BAPTIST MEMORIALS June Little Marcus Wilson S-11 J. 0 . Strother August 21 Brenda Bynum Rhiana Patterson Merle Clatterbuck Patricia Ponder Rob Elliott Kay Smith Helen Fahey Al Stewart PRAYER REQUESTS John Landers Jane Watson Jesse Beam (Vicky Trusdle's father) August 22 Velma Bearden (Friend of Wayne & Barbara Merrill) Carrie Aldridge Thelma Holloway Glenn Bland (Jim Clemons' cousin) Nancy Day Ann Morrow Bob from Grape Creek (Prayer Line) Nanci Economidis Gayla Smith Richie Bryan Jean Franks Houston & Evelyn Burk (Shirley Heyman's brother) Myrle Cameron August 23 Esther B. Campbell Zadie Abernatha Virginia Landers Aubrey Chandler Fred Dawson Brian Meeks A daughter (Prayer Line) Pauline Dawson Jackie Reville Margarite Dow Alicia Fernandez Bob Singleton Dr. & Mrs. Esc.al Duke Jerry Helsley Ethel Snell Dorothy Gibbs Lance Herrington Martelle Ward Kendra Gordon's grandparents (Prayer Line) Arville Johnson Roy Waterhouse Government Officials Steve & Julie Hardin August 24 Judith Hawkins - County Clerk Ron Michulka Lorene Hendricks (JoAnn Herring's mother) Tony & Denyse Hines (Missionaries in Simfcropol, Ukraine) Marie Hoover George Jackson Jesus Video Project PRAYER CALENdAR ~ Stanley Jordan Mary Lou Kirkland (mother of Cleve Kirkland) Mark , Argentina Jess Landers Elizabeth (Mrs. Alvin) Bailey, Guatemala Dale & Kimberly Ledbetter (Missionaries in Odessa, Ukraine) Jennifer (Mrs. Jonathan) Campbell, California A man with drinking problem (Prayer Line) Mary Jo (Mrs. Donald) Dalton, Belarus Roland McCullough Susie (Mrs. Steven) Edworthy, Poland Karl McKinney Alpha (Mrs. Ron) Goombi, Nebraska Dale Miller Denyse (Mrs. Tony) Hines, Ukraine Mission San Angelo David Hoglen, Belgium James Moore (father of Mary Ann Pape) Clifton Ingram, Belgium Joe Munoz (SAISD President) Mollie (Mrs. Keith) Lancaster, South Carolina Margaret Newlin Flora (Mrs. Max) Love, Japan Cody Wayne Pierce (Wayne & Barbara Merrill's Linda (Mrs Mack) Sacco, Cypress newborn grandson) Virginia (Mrs. Paul S. C.) Smith, Cooperative Services Mary Nelle Reasoner International - UK Renea (Prayer Line) Bettye (Mrs. Clifford, Sr.) Scarbrough, Belize Alyne Rodgers RETIRED: Sunday School Teacher Enlistment Walter Allen, Kenya Rocky Stone's mother Peggy Jean (Mrs. James, Jr.) Bartley, Uruguay VISION 2000 Jacqueline Hayes, Georgia Jim Womack (Jo Scaggs' nephew) Bill Parr, Arizona Ronny & Kay Woods (brother-in-law and sister of Mary Joyce (Mrs. Edwin) Perimon, Turks and Caicos Islllnds Ann Pape) · Jeannie (Mrs. Bobby) Spear, Thailand Yalta Baptist Church - Benjamin Yukhimets