![\"Pia\"](\"http:\/\/www.covchurch.org\/uploads\/Yq\/Ji\/YqJiDpMqyYZzDkhBUaH0nQ\/Pia.jpg\")
\u201cIt is a fishing story,\u201d she added. \u201cWe have a saying in Spanish \u2013 el pez muere por su boca – the fish dies by its mouth.\u201d<\/p>\nGREEN LAKE, WI (June 25, 2008) \u2013 Paying attention to the road signs in scripture and the lives around us will strengthen and make Christians more effective, Pia Restrepo preached today during the morning worship service at the 123rd Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
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\nRestrepo is a missionary in Malaga, Spain, with the Department of Covenant World Mission.<\/p>\n
Restrepo drew from Mark 12 in which religious leaders ask Jesus whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. The account, she said, is \u201ca story of how flattery became an ironic reality that concluded in the shock and quiet of the religious leaders of the day, (who) ironically were Jesus\u2019 enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a fishing story,\u201d she added. \u201cWe have a saying in Spanish \u2013 el pez muere por su boca – the fish dies by its mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Restrepo referenced three types of road signs. \u201cI had a terrible accident in Spain,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is dangerous to drive in Spain because people are aggressive, and if you are going too slow, it is dangerous. It is a miracle story that I was not hurt, but I became very responsive to road signs and road rules.\u201d<\/p>\n
She likened the Ten Commandments to a type of regulatory signs, such as stop and speed limit signs. \u201cThey are followed to avoid accidents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quoting from Psalm 19:7-9, Restrepo said, \u201cThe law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one\u2019s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.\u201d<\/p>\n
The religious leaders knew the word, but were not impacted, Restrepo said. \u201cThe religious leaders were shocked and silent because the law for them had been merely informational, not transformational.\u201d<\/p>\n
Christians also need to pay attention to the yellow warning signs. \u201cWe need to be alert and vigilant to discern people\u2019s wrong motives, wrong intentions,\u201d Restrepo said. \u201cTo be shaped by his word means to be prepared to speak or to remain silent – a tiempo y fuera de tiempo \u2013 in season and out of season.\u201d<\/p>\n
The men trying to trick Jesus were shocked and silent \u201cbecause the Master\u2019s answer was the product of the knowledge of the law, but also of the commitment he had for the truth and justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
The informational blue signs \u201cinform you of places to rest, hotel, a place to eat, hospitals, emergency telephones,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing shaped by the word means admitting that we need to find a nearby hospital for our soul, a place where we can be healed, listened to or just get some quiet time of solitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
Restrepo offered further suggestions on how Christians can be transformed by heeding the signs:
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Yield or give the right of way to others that have gifts and perhaps are better than us.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Slow down on dangerous roads or in school zones such as businesses, surfing the Internet, and time with families.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Do not enter forbidden zones.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Watch out for the pedestrian crossing the street who needs your attention and time.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Pay attention for forks in the road. Is it time to make a decision? To change direction?
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Be aware of two-way lanes. Are those coming in the opposite direction in need of listening to the word, of you being a witness?<\/p>\n
Restrepo induced laughter from the gathering with a confession on why she changed the title of her sermon from \u201cStunned and Silent.\u201d \u201cI had to change it to \u2018Shocked and Silent\u2019 because I could not pronounce that stunned word,\u201d she said. \u201cDo not choose a title that you may not know how to pronounce.\u201d<\/p>\n