January 19, 2023
Dear Central Church,
Since our family moved here in November, we’ve had the chance to meet a lot of new people. One of the first things people ask is where we were living before. When we tell them, “Bentonville, AR,” the response is almost universal: “Oh, cool…Walmart country.”
Yep. I lived in the home of Walmart. It’s the world’s largest retailer and employs more people than the federal government. For all things Walmart, offer to take me to lunch, and I’ll tell you more than you want to know about this store that has become an unavoidable reality of American life.
Walmart has a purpose statement that you might be familiar with, “Save money…live better.” It’s simple, repeatable, and memorable. As a Bentonville resident, If I had a dollar for every time I saw or read that phrase, I’d have enough dollars to fully underwrite our sanctuary renewal project! If you ever wonder why you should shop at Walmart, this slogan is there to plant the seed in your mind that saving $.03 on dish washer detergent might be the secret to the life you’ve always dreamed of.
I don’t know how much better my life has been for shopping at Wally World, but I can tell you how much better my life has been since I decided to follow Jesus. In Matthew 4, Jesus invites a group of fishermen to follow him, and instead of this decision saving them money it costs them everything. And yet, this decision to surrender their lives to Jesus provided a life of deep joy and satisfaction that they otherwise would have never known.
Here’s the purpose statement for Matthew’s Gospel and the call that comes to all who desire to follow Jesus:
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. (Matthew 4:23)
Jesus was on a mission to teach, preach, and heal, and he calls us to join him in this mission. As we do, we discover a life that is better than anything we could ever manufacture on our own. The bad news is that following Jesus won’t save you $.06 on potato chips. The good news, however, is…
Well, you’ll just need to come Sunday to hear it. I do promise you, however, it’ll be the best news you’ve ever heard. See you Sunday at 8:30 or 11am!
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark
