Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow / Watch
Handshakes, hugs, a reference to the 1970s R&B group the O’Jays, a photo of a turtle on a fence post, and “Mackeyology” were among the tools that Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church pastor Terry Mackey used at Chapel on Monday at Global Credit Union Arena.
In following the yearlong theme of Jesus Stories from the Bible, Mackey referenced Luke 5 in emphasizing to Grand Canyon University students about choosing the right partner with Jesus at the forefront.
“You can win with the right partner,” Mackey told an overwhelmingly supportive audience.
Mackey explained how Jesus stood near the lake of Gennesaret and spoke to people from the boat before telling Simon to put the boat in deep water and drop the nets.
Simon Peter explained that they did not catch any fish despite their efforts but would fulfill Jesus’ request. That paid off when Simon Peter and his brother Andrew caught so many fish that their nets began to break, causing him to signal their partners in another boat to help them.
The partners help Simon Peter and Andrew, only for their boats to start to break because of the volume of fish they caught. That caused Simon to fall to his knees before Jesus and say, "Go away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man."
The partners who assisted Simon Peter and Andrew were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. After catching their large volume of fish, Simon, Andrew, James and John leave their boats to follow Jesus.
“Can you do me a favor?” Mackey asked students. “Look at your neighbor. If you don't like them, you chose the wrong seat. So come on, look at them. Grab them by the hand. Shake it like you love Jesus. Come on, shake it like you love the Lord.”
Mackey modified a professor’s words to a graduating class by saying, "I do not know the key to success, but one of the keys to failure, especially at this season in your life, is choosing the wrong partners."
As examples, Mackey cited Fortnite, spades and pickleball as games in which you can win with a good partner.
“… if you need a good partner for the game of pickleball, you likewise need a good partner for the game of life,” Mackey said.
But he warned about misconceptions, such as assuming that someone you talk to or text frequently is a friend. Nor is someone you associate with on Facebook, or even an exchange of smiles.
Mackey recited the lyrics to the O’Jays’ 1972 hit “Backstabbers.”
They smilin’ in your face
All the time, they want to take your place
“They are backstabbers,” Mackey said. “Don't confuse every pat on the back to be a pat from a friend. Because some people may be marking in the spot where they're going to stab you in your back.”
Authentic friends, Mackey stressed, are those who perform duties similar to James and John, who inconvenienced themselves to be a blessing to their partners.
“I need to press upon you that a friend in need is a friend in need,” Mackey said. “… If you're going to be a true friend to someone else, they could have easily said, 'this is not our problem, Peter. This is not our problem, Andrew.'
“But when you are a true friend, you will inconvenience yourself to provide the assistance, to provide the support, to provide the help that your friends need.”
Mackey emphasized the importance of admitting vulnerability and providing help in a picture of a turtle atop a fence post in the office of famed author and writer Alex Haley.
A reporter once entered Haley’s office for an interview on his career, only to be mesmerized by the photo and asked why he posted this one instead of a Picasso or Rembrandt portrait.
Haley told the reporter that the picture serves as a reminder that the turtle needed help to get to the top of the post.
“I want to tell each of you that yes, you have been blessed to attend this great university,” Mackey said. “Yes, you have been blessed, and you have been lifted up. You have been elevated, but don't think you got here all by yourself.
“God put some partners. God put some friends in your life to elevate you where you are today, and if somebody did it for you, you have to turn around and do it for someone else because God sends blessings to us to send blessings through us.”
Mackey reverted to Luke 5 in mentioning that Simon and Andrew practiced humility by showing their vulnerability in seeking help from James and John.
“So if you're going to be a good friend to someone else, don't think we know what you need by osmosis,” Mackey said. “We are not psychics. We are not mind readers. I need you as a friend to tell me, ‘Hey, I need a hand clap.’ ‘Hey, I need a handshake.’ ‘I need a hug.’
“As a matter of fact, give someone a hug right now. You don't know what they had to experience before they got here today. And if you have a particular need that you need to be met, you got to share that need before that need can be serviced.”
In Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Mackey, who earned his doctorate in ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary, shared his “Mackeyology.”
“The reason why some of us cannot be A-1 friends is because of ‘B-2’,” Mackey said.
Huh?
“Some of us cannot be A-1 friends because some of us ‘be too’ mean. Some of us cannot be A-1 friends because we ‘be too’ self-centered, ‘be too’ self-absorbed, ‘be too’ prideful that we're not willing to share in our vulnerability with one another,” Mackey said.
“… And can I tell you one of my favorite aphorisms when it comes to pride? That a person wrapped up in his or herself makes too small of a package to make a difference. So make sure you are not that particular person that wants to masquerade like you got it made, sitting in the shade, drinking some lemonade. No, we all have a hard time sometimes, and God puts people in our lives that we can be transparent with to help service our needs.”
Mackey closed his service with one more tenet of Mackeyology. The other partner in Luke 5 in addition to James and John is Jesus. It was not until Jesus got involved that the situation started to change.
“I don't think that Jesus is just any old partner, but I think He's the MVP,” Mackey said. “I think He's the one. He's the Most Valuable Partner that you can have because He can take a bad night and make it a good morning. He can take what looks like a breakdown and make it a breakthrough. He can take nets empty and make them full, full of what? Full of joy, full of peace, full of love, full of favor, full of scholarships, full of opportunities.”
“… Even the Lone Ranger needed Tonto. Even Batman needed Robin. … Even Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen. Even GCU needed (University Pastor) Tim Griffin, even Terry Mackey needed Pilgrim Rest. Guess what? All of us needed Jesus.
“Can somebody just wave their hand and say, ‘I need Jesus. I need Him to make it.’ Make sure if you're going to be successful, you have Jesus as your partner because can't nobody do you like Jesus? Can't nobody do you like the Lord? Make sure you got the right partner.”
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Last week’s storms caused humidity to develop inside the arena, thus forcing students to sit in the permanent seats instead of the floor so the basketball court could be protected, Griffin said. Machines were used to dehumidify the basketball court and prevent it from becoming warped.
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GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at Mark.Gonzales.gcu.edu
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Next Chapel speaker: Jason Fritz, Illuminate Community Church, 11 a.m., Nov. 2, Global Credit Union Arena
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