Scripture: Luke 9:61, 62; Matthew 8:19-22, 19:16-26, Mark 10:17-23, Luke 4:16-30, 18:18-30, John 3:1-21.

There is a warning this week about an invitation you might receive in the mail. Maybe you know about it.

Dave Lieber, a “watchdog” for the Star-Telegram newspaper in Fort Worth, Texas tells readers to be suspicious if they get money in the mail, even if it’s a cashier’s check. His warning includes a case he investigated for Devona Jackson who received a cashier’s check for $4,880 dollars (U.S.) along with an invitation to be a mystery shopper. It was an attractive offer. According to Lieber’s January 20th newspaper column warning others of this scam, “All she [Ms. Jackson] had to do was cash the $4,880 cashier’s check, spend $50 at Wal-Mart, $40 at The Gap, keep $500 for herself, and make wire transfers of $2,700 by Western Union and $1,400 by Money-Gram to Canada. The rest went to associated fees.” ¹

Devona was wise to check with Lieber prior to cashing her check. If she had followed the instructions in the letter she would have been the victim of a scam. In the past, cashier’s checks were seen as the equivalent of cash. Watchdog Dave notes that now computer-generated software on a home computer allows anyone to write fake checks.

Shelley Emling of the Cox News Service reported this week on a pilot research study that involves mystery worshippers in 13 churches in Telford, England. This one is not a scam.

According to Ms. Emling's article, England has grown increasingly secular with attendance in many churches in Britain decreasing significantly. According to Christian Research, only six percent of Britons attend church regularly compared with about 40 percent of Americans. To find out how to reverse the trend, nonbelievers are being recruited to attend Anglican Church services. "The mystery worshippers are being asked to look at their experience at a church much like they would evaluate a shopping or dining experience. They are paid $60 to rate everything from sermon length to after-service refreshments. By May mystery worshippers are due to be dispatched across the country.” ²

As word of this concept spreads, other churches are finding the results of such research helpful in giving congregations tips on what they can do to gain and retain members. Who knows? There could be a mystery worshiper in a pew rating your church this week! What will they find? ³

This week’s Bible study focuses on men of mystery who could have been disciples of Jesus.

The first volunteer-to-be-a-disciple is identified by his profession not by his name. He was a scribe, “one of the educated elite in Israel.” ⁴ Jesus asked if he was willing to count the cost of being a disciple of a person peers wanted to kill. The level of education or profession didn’t impress Jesus. A person’s level of commitment did.

The next is an unnamed man who was a follower of Jesus already. He is not identified in Scripture by name, just by his excuse. He told Jesus he needed to be excused because he had to go bury his father. The problem was, Jesus knew the man’s father was still very much alive. Total commitment to one's Teacher was more important to Jesus than any excuse of family or tradition within a culture. ⁵

As seen in the story of the rich young ruler one's monetary status and ability to keep rules are also not things Jesus valued in his followers. Confronted by one familiar with civil law, Jesus showed the ruler a more important law. Wanting to follow Jesus required that he’d need to first sell what he owned and give the money earned from the sale to the poor. This, the youth was unwilling to do. ⁶

The lesson ends with a warning about an invitation that you might receive. It might even be reported by a mystery worshipper at your church. It's the scam of group-think. Maybe you know about it. Watchdog Luke cites an example of its danger to would-be disciples in Luke 4:16-30.  ~ck

1. Lieber, Dave. The Watchdog, Star-Telegram, Section 5 B, Sunday, January 20 2008. 
2. Emling, Shelley. Cox News Service as seen in the Star-Telegram, Section 7B, Saturday, January 19, 2008.
3. For an evaluation tool to analyze how your church communicates to visitors see http://www.adventsource.org/ministry.aspx?lstart=50&lsize=5&cat=165 and select “The Church as a Communicator”.
4. Matthew 8:19-20
5. Matthew 8:21, 22
6. Mark 10:17-23

Paul Richardson ha autorizado Ministerios PM a traducir y ha publicar sus comentarios semanales de la escuela sabática, en el Centro Internalcional para el Estudio de la Escuela Sabática de Ministerios PM
 

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