Sorry that this is so late, but here it is! Sunday's sermon. I hope this blesses you, I sure was blessed! :)
Do you know who is the biggest problem in your life? No, it's not an insufferable classmate, an unreasonable teacher/boss, an its not even Satan! Who is it? It's that guy you see in the mirror every morning!
We think about ourselves too much. Did you know that both pride and self condemnation both come from the same root? They both result from our preoccupation with our own selves! For example, in a family photo, who do you look for first? OURSELVES! That kind of thing is harmless but it shows us that we all look to ourselves too much. Its a bad habit which is hard to remove. 1) Take away the H, you still have "abit". 2)Take away the A, you still have the "bit". 3)Take away the B, you still have "it"!
Friend, the only way to remove the "i" is through the cross (t)!
Did you know that sinful passions are aroused by the law? If you try not to do something, you most likely will! Imagine there is this classmate you really dislike. You say: "I will not take offense to him, I will not, I will not...". Then at the first word that the classmate says, you find yourself thinking: How annoying! There's proof that this is so in the Bible you know!
"For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." Romans 7:5
It says that our sinful passions which were stirred up by the law, and we bear fruit resulting in death.The law is like fire, and our flesh, our excessive self-love, is like gunpowder. When they come together, BOOM!
I guess you can compare law to a mirror. Both are inflexibly true and unbendingly factual. Just as a mirror won't show you mercy and hide from your view that pimple on your nose, the law cannot and will not bend to show you mercy. But there is nothing wrong with the mirror, is there? It just shows you your true self. But as long as there is no mirror, we wouldn't know how imperfect we are! As long as there was no law, we could not see how far we have fallen short too!
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead." Romans 7:7-8.
The verse above shows that the law is so straight but we are so crooked that the law cannot promote righteousness. In fact, the law is so exacting and impossible to achieve that sin was free to draw sustenance from it. We hate ourselves because we cannot follow the law. Is this the end?
The law is full of "Thou shalt not"s. Grace, my friend, is full of "I shall"!
Can the law say "Thou shalt have peace! Thou shalt have joy! Otherwise you will fall short of the law!"? That only breeds fear and anxiety in us. But grace gives us peace and joy! The biggest example of grace was when Jesus bore our sins even as we are unworthy! Doesn't the thought that the most powerful being in the Universe saw such worth in you that He gave His life for you make you feel joyful and at peace?
We have to adopt Christ as our new identity. Have you read the book of Exodus? When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, not a single one died before the law was given. Its true! The people murmured and complained yet God patiently and lovingly supplied EVERY need! Now read Exodus 19 and 20. Men rejected grace and demanded to be put under law. They said "Lord! Reward me not because You are good, but because I am good!". And after that, God changed His tone completely. Since He had to judge men based on His exacting, unbending law, every time the people murmured or complained, they died.
Don't look at yourself. Look at someone who is perfect and in Him you find invincible and everlasting love and power! Isn't it awesome? The most powerful being in the Universe has the kindest heart!
Jesus is known as the "last Adam". When the first Adam fell, all of mankind fell with him. But when we believe in the last Adam, Jesus Christ, we get all blessings through Him!
Jesus is also known as our high priest. When the high priest of Israel was good, God still blessed the people even though many were bad. Basically, God judges the people based on the conduct of the high priest. Can Jesus be bad? Since he can't, guess how God sees you as right now!
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17.
As Jesus is at the Father's right hand, so are we! When we know this truth, there is no way that we will fall into depression-inducing questions. Instead of asking yourself if YOU are good enough, ask if JESUS is good enough. That's your answer!
When Christ becomes our identity, we are delivered from anything and are everything Jesus is! Shy? Jesus sure isn't! In Him, you have charisma!
Don't care what the world sees you as. We should care about what God sees you as, and He sees you through His son Jesus Christ! We are talking about how GOD sees you, and He is THE ULTIMATE REALITY. Christ is our measure of health, our measure of everything we desire!
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18
That is the mirror we should see. Not the hard edge of the law but the glass in which we behold the glory of God! Pastor mentioned that teachings from the pulpit should show more of God's glory, not man's gory! Some preachers find it easier to show man's gory, IE the law and how we fall short, but every religion teaches that.
Friend, Christianity is not a religion. It's a relationship with Jesus, who has FULFILLED the law! We need the Holy Spirit to teach about grace. By the Spirit, the more we behold Christ as our identity, the more we become like Him!
Let's take a look at the four gospels. When Peter looked at Jesus, he became like Him, striding across the water with ease. But when Peter looked instead at the storm and lost focus on Jesus, he became scared and started to sink. Did he think that if the waters were calmer, he could walk on it? Unbelief is so illogical. And how logical childlike faith is. Just trust in Jesus! Sometimes it takes a lot more faith to dismiss Christ and rely on man-made explanations for any situation.
In closing, look to Christ as your identity today! Through His death on the cross, we now have a right to enjoy the abundant life!
Pastor is starting a series on the high priest. He actually said that all that was merely an introduction! Were you blessed by the message? :)
And for you to click these! *UPDATE* Thanks for the help!
And this button!
