As I'm preparing for the three sermons of April I would love to hear your insights, comments and illustrations that may be of assistance! These three weeks we are going to be looking at:
1. The idea that God is a creative God and in his creativeness he does not appear to us or work in us in the exact same way. He doesn't change but he works in new and fresh ways. I believe there are a number of reasons for this, but included in them is that we cannot control God. We cannot attempt to gain mastery over the eternal God. If we are to be faithful to allow him to be him and not what we have experienced of him then we have to seek his face and recognize his newness.
2. We spend time learning from the past, celebrating the past and cherishing the past, but the past cannot define our future. This is true in our relationship with God as well as our working out as the body of Christ. Each of our personalities play a part into this; some love to stay on the cutting edge and see everyday as a journey, and some walk through life with caution. Both are needed, and both need to be balanced by the other. We must understand that if our message is no longer influential in the world in which we live we must ask the question: "What is the most important thing to us? Is it to remain here with our traditions and comforts or is to to push to any future no matter the cost if we can influence others with the grace and love of Christ?"
3. We will also be taking a look at the way that we must respond to God's newness by being willing to be a part of his doing a new thing as well. It is very easy for us to believe that traditions or things that we have done in the past are the best way to do them in the future, but this may not be the reality. If we lag too far behind the way in which God works we will be of little use to the kingdom. If we are not in touch with what is happening around us, if we as the church attempt to hide from the discomfort of change and adaptation we will miss the opportunity to have a voice in the "wilderness."
I am really looking forward to our time together in the coming weeks. If you have comments, or suggestions or illustrations or questions please leave them in the comments section, they will be of great help. Thanks.
I just happened to check your blog this morning and saw this post and it reminded me of what I read this morning in 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter. This chapter hit me in a new way this morning and I saw it in a different light and maybe I am just slow.
ReplyDeleteI always had this chapter in mind as one that you read at weddings. However, I was challenged this morning. How do I love people in my circle of influence? How do I love people who don’t know Jesus? Do I have any relationships with people who don’t know Jesus? Days come and go and what am I doing to impact God’s Kingdom? Am I making the most of the time that God has given me on this earth to truly make a difference or am I just focused on myself and my desires?
As I understand it, the last half of the chapter talks about how that all we know will pass away when Jesus returns. We will see him face to face one day and I guess what hit me was, that if I think the Jesus I know is so wonderful (what is the best word to describe him?), he is so much more! Do I want to keep this love (Jesus) to myself? I hope not! What is God calling me to do to be his vessel in making his love known to others? Jesus is coming back and the Bible says that God is looking for people he can use. I want the Lord to use me, to be his agent of love and see more people come to know Christ and his love!
Karen
Karen, how awesome that God spoke to you through that passage again this week - me too! I was reading it to Alana at bedtime this week, and it sounded brand new. I was just so convicted that I haven't been loving people around me in that fashion at all recently. Instead, I have been focusing on myself, my needs, and what I think I deserve. God really challenged me to not only look to the needs of others, but to really go out of my way to NOT be self-seeking, to NOT remember wrongs, etc.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, Got challenged me to pursue others in relationship and lavish them with love - just like He does with me, even when I don't deserve it.
Bob, I love what you say here, "We spend time learning from the past, celebrating the past and cherishing the past, but the past cannot define our future. This is true in our relationship with God as well as our working out as the body of Christ." There are so many times that we allow ourselves to be defined, even bound by our pasts - good or bad - instead of allowing our lives to be defined by the fresh work of the Holy Spirit!
I want to embrace, celebrate, and cherish AND learn from tradition. I just don't want to get stuck knowing only that when there is more that Christ wants to do in and around me. Like we were discussing above, no matter how long we have walked with Christ, or how many times we have read a certain passage, he is constantly making it new in us and taking us one step further!
Thanks for your thoughts, guys! It's good to hear what God is doing.
Yesterday's message has given me much to ponder. I often address my "ABBA, Father" and think of just crawling up in His lap and snuggling into His great chest as I was able to do with my earthly Daddy. And I am so aware that many aching hearts have never known such a comforting relationship with any earthly person which has made it SO hard for them to relate to a loving Heavenly Father. I am eternally grateful for the protection and love that God surrounded me with, even before I knew Him!!And one of my greatest desires is to be used by God to flow His love into others lives! Colossians2:9 says "In Christ there is all of God in a human body, so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God thru your union with Christ!" In my desire to become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Christ, perceiving, recognizing, and understanding the wonders of His person and to know the power outflowing from His resurrection, I am thinking it is more a matter of God working from my heart outward, instead of me figuring out how to soak in more of God's nature. I can hardly fathom that I have God's nature dwelling inside me, as I had my earthly father's nature from conception. How I desire to honor and give Him joy in my every thought and action.
ReplyDeleteIn considering changes in Zion's programs and building, I have been examining my attitude and reasons for it. Do I really believe that we, as individuals are the "church" with Christ as the Head? So that our building is just our meeting place and we take the church with us wherever we are, or that I come to the "church" Wednesday nites and Sunday mornings and then leave it when I pass out of the door? Why am I resistant and sorrowful at any idea of change? When I think of the family weddings and funerals and memorials and celebrations and meetings that have been in the past, are my memories dependant on the physical appearance of Zion? Can I join with God in His living, growing work of growing and maturing His disciples and drawing new believers into His sheepfold? Can I seek His Spirit's guidance for my part in His great plan? It is my desire that He would unite our Zion family with His heart and mind, and that He would begin with me. Protect us from any idol worship of gold snakes on a stick!
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