You May Be Ruining Your Reputation

Even though we have a whole market of products available to repel insects, flies, and mosquitoes – any insect for that matter – can still be quite a nuisance. Now imagine a time, thousands of years ago, when the same market of repellant products did not exist. Flies and other pests were overwhelming, not just as an aggravation to leisure times but also as a liability to valuable merchandise such as food, drink, or even fragrances.

With this context in mind, Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, provides this insight, "As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor."

Solomon clarifies that little foolish things that slip into our lives can dramatically affect us. Moreover, little foolish choices can outweigh big wise decisions. Envision this Scriptural reality: foolishness weighs more than wisdom when one's reputation is on the scales!

When Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, there was no indoor plumbing, meaning people bathed less than once a week. The atmosphere was ripe with fleshly stench, and perfume helped mask the smell of disgraceful body odor. Because of the great need for perfume, the apothecaries held a position of honor in Jerusalem. The guilds belonging to them had special bazaars where they made their essential products available.

Understandably, the sweet-smelling perfumes sold in the marketplaces attracted flies. And if the flies succeeded in accessing the products, they could ruin the entire batch, causing it to smell bad through such effects as fermentation.

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench… -Ecclesiastes 10:1 (ESV)

But, even more interestingly, "dead flies," as directly translated from the Hebrew text, actually means "flies of death." This variation in understanding brings us to a greater level of clarity. It suggests these flies are considered to be CARRYING DEATH – transporting dangerous bacteria from dead carcasses to society. So Solomon is not referencing flies that flew into perfume and died. Instead, he is warning of a type of fly that carried death! These "flies of death" poisoned and contaminated anything they contacted. They may have been little things – just flies – but they caused massive destruction and loss.

Why is all of this important? Because it is a spiritual metaphor. King Solomon is revealing a spiritual truth through a natural occurrence. Therefore, it is helpful to read Ecclesiastes 10:1 in conjunction with Ecclesiastes 7:1.

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. -Ecclesiastes 10:1 (ESV)

A good name (or reputation) is better than precious ointment…-

Ecclesiastes 7:1 (ESV)

The point is that the enemy wants to bring dead flies – the flies of death – into your life so he can destroy the sweet-smelling things in it. In this context, the sweet smell in your life refers to your reputation. It is the good name God is trying to give you in your community, business, and relationships – especially your meaningful connections.

Take a minute and think about this: What is your reputation?

There is no one you want a better reputation with than the people who know you the best. But unfortunately, this is often not our reality because, too often, the people who know us the best respect us the least.

We are all wrestling with little things, but these little things become significant over time. Therefore, we must be cautious about the little things – the little follies in our lives – because, as Christians, we must never be a stumbling block to someone in need of Christ. Of course, we can't always get it right, but please acknowledge this reality. If sin doesn't bother you any longer, there's something wrong in your heart, and you probably need to have a come-to -- or, back to -- Jesus moment! It's time to repent before the Lord.

Unfortunately, hypocrisy starts small. It's the little things in our lives that can lead to becoming a thoroughly hypocritical person, and no one wants this to be their reputation. The Pharisees were prime examples of this failure. They looked great on the outside, but they were still a mess on the inside. Don't let this be your story. Don't appear to be one thing when you're something else. One of the most powerful things the Church can do is stop trying to live in a realm of pretense and start living out authenticity.

My encouragement is for you to hear what Solomon tried to teach us: dead flies – little foolish sins – can creep into your life in one place and begin to outweigh the wisdom you are displaying in other areas.

If you're struggling with hypocrisy in the church, you're probably not alone – we all come short of our goal at times. But, if you are a follower of Jesus, you must take time to evaluate and acknowledge your reputation. Are you a hypocrite? Have you unknowingly allowed dead flies into your life that are now poisoning your meaningful relationships and bringing a stench to your walk with God? Perhaps, even stopping someone else from stepping into their meaningful relationship with God and others?

The people who know you the best should respect you the most.

Allow this to be your story.

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/bybm_0IrRE8

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

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That Was Awesome!

Judges 13:1-25 gives us the story of Samson’s parents, and interestingly, it is not Samson’s father, Manoah, who is revealed to be the spiritual thermostat in the household. Instead, he experienced a growing relationship with God only as a direct reflection of his wife's relationship with Heaven.

Although Samson’s mother’s name is not given in Scripture, she is the one who first receives an angelic visitation regarding a soon-coming birth. During her divine encounter, she is told that despite being barren, she will have a son, and he is to observe the Nazirite law from birth – being holy and set apart for God all of his days. She is so excited that she runs to share the fantastic news with her husband! In response, Manoah also began praying to receive proof from God of his wife’s revelation. Thankfully, the angel shows up again, speaking directly to Manoah. First, he responds with worship to the Lord for his goodness. Then, gathering an expensive sacrifice, he lays it on a rock and burns it unto the Lord. It is at this moment that the angel does something very awesome!

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So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome…So Manoah (made a sacrifice unto God)— it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground... (Judges 13:6, 19-20)

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Here, a significant transition happens in the original text of the Hebrew language. Up to this point, Manoah’s household has referred to God with the description of Adonai in the original text. But, following the extraordinary moment, they change the term to Elohim. This action is significant! Because Adonai signifies a general relationship with God, but Elohim relays personal – meaningful – connection. Transformation in their relationship with God is taking place! This revelation is so important to understand, as it represents their belief in God’s promise and demonstrates their faith and personal relationship with Him (1).

A meaningful connection was made at the altar that day!

God desires us to have that very moment with us! The moment when we move from a general relationship with Him into a meaningful connection with Him. He wants to do something very remarkable in your life! You can come into covenant with God, and it will be incredible! So stop going through the mundane motions of Christianity. God has more for you! God can move in your life just like He moved in the lives of Samson’s mother and father. Had Samson followed in his mother’s footsteps, maybe he could have avoided his downfall?

It is also essential to give this one final encouragement, as it is not to be missed. In the biographical sketch of Samson, his mother stands out in this story because of her commitment to God. Her faith brought Samson into this world and transformed her husband’s relationship with God. She was a model of faithfulness and attentiveness to God and His Word. If you are a woman or mother in an adverse situation spiritually, never underestimate the significance of your personal relationship with God and how it can affect anyone and everything around you!

I’m believing this for you, for our church, for our communities, and beyond. God is going to do something very awesome – something that changes the description of your relationship with Him from Adonai to Elohim!

Please allow us to help you take your next step with God and join a meaningful community. REGISTER FOR A SMALL GROUP HERE: https://www.3trees.com/groups

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/1oio3Vr_UE4

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

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(1) Anders and Phillips, Holman Old Testament Commentary, 186.

Why YOU MUST Have Meaningful Connections in Your Life

We’ve been reviewing the life of Samson for a few weeks, and I wonder at this point if you think Samson is a hero or a fool? Scripture leads us to believe that Samson should have led a very blessed and promising life, a heroic life – a meaningful life. But we know at this point, despite God’s power being upon Samson, his life did not end well. This reality leads me to conclude that “foolish” is probably the correct category for Samson.

From birth to death, Samson never developed a meaningful relationship with God. Because of this truth, he lacks meaningful relationships in every other aspect of his life. Over and over again, as we flip through the pages of his story, we are led to repetitively ask, “What if?” Unfortunately, today, we see the same “What ifs?” in our society.

Have you noticed how susceptible talent is to tragedy? Google these three words, “talent and tragedy,” and see what fills the screen. My browser received, as top examples, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.

Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, earning 26 AMAs, 40 Billboard Music Awards, and 13 Grammys. He was incredibly talented. But he overdosed on Fentanyl at the age of 50 (1). In comparison, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, Whitney Houston was the most-awarded female artist of all time. She had an incredible list of awards, including two Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards – eventually achieving a total of more than 415 career awards. Yet tragedy still trumped talent. At 48 years of age, she was found, the victim of a cocaine overdose, deceased in a bathtub (2).

Sadly, the list of “what if’s?” in modern society goes on and on, with incredibly talented people being overcome by tragedy.

What if these extraordinarily talented celebrities had the meaningful connections in their lives that stopped these tragic outcomes?

Too often in our world, inspiration gets mistaken for invincibility, wit is incorrectly perceived as wisdom, and charisma is confused with character. The result is that meaningful connections are avoided – or never formed – and tragedy then steals the life of talent.

It happened in Samson’s life. He is unbelievably talented in the realm of strength and warfare. But his life is full of tragedies, and it ended tragically.

WHAT IF #1

What if Samson had leaned into the relationship he had with his parents by taking their counsel and walking out life in faith as they did?

Samson’s parents attempted to create an environment where Samson could enjoy a meaningful connection with God by following the Nazirite law. This law called them to a higher degree of holiness, as Samson was meant to be set apart from birth. Under the covenant, he and his family avoided alcohol, all things dead, and cutting their hair. Samson kept his hair long and did not shave his beard. God used this outer symbolism to show that Samson was His, identifying him as an Israelite, especially since Philistines kept themselves hairless and beardless at all times. God wanted Samson to look different and be different from the world (3)!

Instead, we see that Samson kept becoming less like God’s plan and more like the world’s plot. He continuously walked in disobedience to God’s will. He separated from his parents and broke the Nazarite vow repetitively. Making matters worse, he was not forthcoming with his parents about his disobedience. It becomes easy to discern that his life came undone at the seams because he lacked meaningful relationships with God and others.

WHAT IF #2:

What if Samson had established a meaningful relationship with God and others?

It is interesting to evaluate that college students wrestle with the same struggle as Samson. Research now reveals that it is common for college students to walk away from their faith either temporarily or permanently once they are on their own. Why does this happen? Perhaps, because they are no longer under the influence of their parent’s faith or invest their time into relationships that will keep them rooted and grounded in their faith.

Maybe you can relate to that type of college experience. Or, perhaps you can relate to Samson’s own experience. Samson’s parents had deeply held beliefs surrounding God, but Samson did not. He did not have a deep knowledge of God, so he was easily led astray by pride and lust. But, this does not have to be your story!

We can all drift away from God for one reason or another. Our talents can deceive us into tragedy. We, too, can mistake inspiration for invincibility, wit for wisdom, and charisma for character. But, unfortunately, these are not just the mistakes of the famous or Biblical characters like Samson.

But here’s the good news, God wants to do something very awesome in your life! He wants to develop and/or restore the meaningful relationship between you and Him because He is a very awesome God! And to take it one step further, God wants you to have meaningful connections and relationships in your life. People you can depend on, lean on, and glean wisdom from in the times of tragedy in your life. You are not meant to walk this life alone. You were designed for a meaningful relationship with our Father, and others around you.

Please allow us to help you take your next step with God and join a meaningful community. REGISTER FOR A SMALL GROUP HERE: https://www.3trees.com/groups

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/1oio3Vr_UE4

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

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(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston

(3) Niditch, Judges, 145.