CHRISTIARITY VERSUS FAMILIARITY
DID YOU EVER WONDER WHY THE FIRST TIME YOU HEARD A PARTICULAR PASTOR MINISTER, YOU WERE SO EXPECTANT AND FULL OF FAITH, BUT THEN OVER TIME IT JUST SEEMS TO OFTEN BE “THE SAME OLD THING”? YOU START THINKING….”HMMM, SEEMS LIKE THE PASTOR HAS LOST HIS ANOINTING…BETTER START LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW OR ANOTHER CHURCH.” BUT IS THAT THE REAL PROBLEM, OR COULD IT BE THAT THE PROBLEM IS “YOU”? PERHAPS YOU JUST GOT SO USED TO THE PASTOR AND MAYBE HIS PERSONALITY THAT YOU NO LONGER HEAR THE WORD OF GOD WHEN HE SPEAKS BUT YOU SHRUG IT OFF AND SAY, “OH, THAT’S JUST BRO HENRY OR BRO MISCHA.” DID YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE DID THE SAME THING TO JESUS HIMSELF?
WE SEE THE STORY IN THE BOOK OF MARK, CHAPTER 6: 1-6:
1). VS 1 - JESUS GOES TO HIS “HOME TOWN”. MOST OF YOU KNOW HOME TOWN IS WHERE YOU FIND YOUR “HOMIES” (those most familiar with you) OR WHERE THEY FIND YOU. AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROBLEM.
2). VS 2 - HE PERFORMED MIRACLES AND TAUGHT WITH AUTHORITY.
3). VS 3 – THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO TRY AND RELATE TO JESUS IN THE HUMAN FLESH, TALKING ABOUT HIM AS A CHILD, FORMER DAYS, HIS FAMILY AND SO FORTH. THEY EMBRACED HIM AS THE SON OF JOSEPH AND MARY BUT DID NOT HAVE A TRUE REVELATION OF WHO HE REALLY WAS….THE MESSIAH…THE SON OF GOD.
- OFTEN WE DO THAT TO ONE ANOTHER.
- WE BECOME TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE MAN OF THE FLESH OR WOMAN OF THE FLESH AND WE FAIL TO SEE WHO THAT PERSON REALLY IS IN CHRIST.
- WE SOMETIME TRY AND RELATE TO A BROTHER OR A SISTER, AS WE KNEW THEM IN THE PAST, AND NOT SEE WHO GOD SAYS THEY REALLY ARE. WE SEE THEM THROUGH THE EYES OF MAN RATHER THAN GOD.
4), VS 4 – JESUS BASICALLY TELLS US THAT IT WILL BE HARDER TO MINISTER AND BE RECOGNIZED FOR WHO YOU ARE IN HIM WHEN AMONG YOUR OWN FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. WHY? BECAUSE THEY DO NOT SEE YOU AS A PROPHET OR MAN OR WOMAN OF GOD EVEN IF YOU ARE ONE…AND THEY WANT TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN TERMS ON HOW THEY WILL RELATE TO YOU.
SO WHAT WAS THE END RESULT IN THE CASE OF JESUS?
5). VS 5 – THAT JESUS HIMSELF COULD SCARCELY DO ANY MIRACLES EXCEPT HEAL A FEW SICK.
WHY? BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF IN WHO HE REALLY WAS.
AND WHY DID THEY NOT BELIEVE? BECAUSE THEY CHOSE TO SEE HIM IN THE FLESH AND NOT AS THE LIVING MESSIAH…THE SON OF GOD.
6). HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT WE CAN MAKE THE SAME FATAL MISTAKES WITH OUR OWN PASTORS AND MINISTERS….AND WITH OUR HUSBAND AND WIVES….AND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHURCH, FAILING TO SEE THE CHRIST IN THEM AND CHOOSING TO TRY AND RELATE TO THEM ON OUR OWN TERMS AND BASED ON HOW WE FEEL COMFORTABLE RATHER THAN WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT THEM AND WHO HE SAYS THEY ARE.
7). SOMETIMES WE CAN BECOME “TOO FAMILIAR” WITH SOMEONE…WHETHER IT BE IN MINISTRY OR WITH A BROTHER OR SISTER. CAUSING US TO RELATE TO THAT PERSON ON A LOWER LEVEL THAN GOD CHOOSES.
2 Corinthians 5:16
Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.
PAUL WAS STATING THAT JUST AS HE AND THE OTHER APOSTLES COULD NO LONGER RELATE TO CHRIST AS THEY FORMERLY KNEW HIM, WE CANNOT RELATE THAT WAY TO ONE ANOTHER EITHER. THE OLD WAY OF KNOWING CHRIST WAS NOT BAD EXCEPT KNOWING HIM AS JUST JESUS…THE MAN, WAS INCOMPTABLE WITH EVERYTHING JESUS REALLY WAS. HE CAME TO EARTH IN THE FORM OF A MAN, YES. HE WAS MAN AND GOD AT THE SAME TIME. BUT HE HAD BEEN CRUCIFIED AND WAS NOW RESURRECTED…HE WAS NOT JUST JESUS THE MAN WHOM THOSE FAMILIAR WITH HIM KNEW, NOT EVEN JUST THE SACRAFICIAL LAMB BUT WAS THE RISEN AND VICTORIOUS SAVIOR AND LORD. SOME OF US STILL SEE JESUS ON A CROSS…..BUT HE HAS RISEN. SOME OF US STILL SEE EACH OTHER BASED ON THE PAST OR EVEN IN THE FLESH….BUT WE CANNOT RELATE THAT WAY. IF WE DO, WE END UP DOING WHAT THOSE IN JESUS HOME TOWN DID….WE CUT OFF THE FLOW OF A MINISTRY THAT COULD HELP US BECAUSE OF OUR OWN LIMITS AS TO WHO THAT PERSON REALLY IS AND THE END RESULT IS “UNBELIEF”.
LETS NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
MAY GOD BLESS THIS WORD.
EVANGELIST MISCHA S. SAFDIE'
MISCHA SAFDIE' MINISTRIES
136 N. GRAND AVE., STE. 278
W. COVINA, CA 91791
(951) 796-3936
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