As I start a new series on “Heart Matters” I was presented with a statement that I think as a Christian I truly do not think about when I do things not of myself. When I go out of my way for a friend or a stranger, I would like to think I do it by this statement, but do I or does anyone really do that. (I am sure some people do, I think in general I am speaking of myself) The speaker was talking of work his congregation was doing for a local school and he made this statement:
“We do not do this so that people might be saved; we do things because we are.”
How much reality is in that statement? If Christians take this attitude to work, school, home, the gas station or anywhere in life we go, what would happen? Sometimes I think we are too wrapped up in the world around us to even notice that it isn’t about politics or popularity but it is about living a life that others may truly see we are saved. So we begin with Heart Matters part 1: “The Question”.
Psalms 42:1-5 & Psalm 63:1-7
This is an often miss-viewed scripture. You often think of a beautiful deer drinking from a stream in a beautiful forest scene…and while that is cute and all the author of this text is speaking differently. This is as a deer thirsts for water, seeking it desperately or it will die, so the author also seeks God or he too shall die without Him.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
Whether he has all the great things in life or whether he has absolutely nothing…Habakkuk praises the Lord
Philippians 3:8-11
Paul states (FIRMLY) not the line of whether it is close to a gray area or keep me from going to far, he asks himself: Is this going to rob me of knowing Jesus more deeply or is this going to help me to know him more deeply. There is no gray area! There is no close to the line…I mean if you are trying to see how close you can get to that line then aren’t we actually testing God? That too is wrong! Then as if Paul, who God has shown himself too and used to deliver thousands of people to Him, asks to know God more!!! He is greedy in wanting to be close as we all should be.
A quote from a 16th century man Brother Lawrence: “I have had such delicious thoughts on God that I am ashamed to mention them.” When have we actually had such a vision of Christ? So on to the question from the speaker of the evening: “Why don’t we?”
Why don’t we live such a life that we are bothered by the fact that people don’t know about God?
Why don’t we care enough to do things not to see people saved but because we are saved?
Why is it that we are so unmoved by the lives around us that are suffering?
Why don’t we have such thoughts on God that we are moved?
The disciples needed God and to them that was enough. Now I wont offer it as an excuse but they did have the opportunity to walk and physically touch Jesus, but what we have as Christians is something I really believe to be even greater…we believe in God even though we can not reach out and physically touch him…Faith.
Why are we so hardened as people that helping someone is beneath us? Can we change this? What do you think we should do?...your thoughts because after this first teaching, I am quite sick at my stomach at the thought of me being me!!!
5 comments:
Personally I think its the little things we do around others that have the biggest impact on them. Not the judgemental things we can say to people, or the "in your face" type of witnessing that really makes people uncomfortable and not really wanting to talk to you. I find that just by being nice to someone and small things like that you can have an impact...or at least make them realize that not all Christians are psycho.
I say all of that but I really couldn't follow this post very well. The part about have "delicious" thoughts about God kinda scared me. I can't imagine what thoughts someone could have about God that they would be ashamed to admit it....yikes.
“I have had such delicious thoughts on God that I am ashamed to mention them.”
Delicious, as in: 1) eat him like a cupcake, or 2) sex him up?
Either way, my brain feels dirty now.
Kevin, you have the general idea. It truly is the little things we do that make the biggest impact. That is what this is trying to say. The big thing is we need to continue to do the little things and sometimes we need to do those things even when we dont feel up to it.
Now as for the delicious thoughts...you all need to keep in mind at the time frame that this book was written and the context he spoke it in. I think if it were a more modern written piece of work it would have been more like wonderful or glorious...something along the line that shows that it would be irresistable and amazing...like the farthest reaches of our imaginations...I know that seems a bit fetched but that is what i took from the line. I started to read the book by Brother Lawrence and it is a pretty good read. I know it may seem funny and easy to make a joke about but please take it as we would and see it as something we should want for our lives...to be able to see God in new and exciting ways.
"Preach to the world and if necessary use words" - St. Francis of Assisi.
Basically just live life as a walking image of Christ. They way that we carry ourselves and the things that we do are much more effective than what we say. Actually, the more we say the more hypocritical we can appear because we often say one thing and do another.
We can't do anything to change other people, or christians for that matter. That is the Holy Spirits job, but that shouldn't discourage us from showing love to anyone.
I agree Nick. Some Christians (including myslef at times) act like Jesus said that others will know us (Christians) by our evangelistic zeal and our dynamic ability to make oursleves appear righteous. But he didn't. He said we should be known by our love.
Post a Comment