Sunday, November 22, 2009
TODAY'S SERMON WAS AWESOME.Pastor Lian really preached a message that was close, so close to my heart: that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Now, that truth has been repeated many times, but do let that awesome truth sink into you.No matter how many broken promises you have made to God, no matter how often you fail while trying to please Him, no matter how weak you are, no matter even when you forget God. None of that matters.God's love will always be with you. Always. A love that never condemns. A love that accepts you for who you are, but loves you too much to leave you as you are.Want biblical proof? Lets read a certain story in John 4 together.In brief, Jesus met a woman who was feeling condemned. Her short encounter with her Saviour changed her completely in an instant. Please read John 4: 1-29. Please do. Take a few minutes to do that now? Thanks!INTERMISSION INTERMISSION INTERMISSIONAlright, welcome back. How do we know that the woman was feeling condemned? Notice John 4:6. "The sixth hour" is about noontime. Why did the woman come to draw water so late in the day, in the heat, when she could have drawn water in the morning with the other women? She was feeling condemned. She wanted to avoid the other women for fear of their gossip. After all, they all knew her reputation. 5 previous husbands? No wonder she was feeling condemned.Now, we must realise that having a Jew ask something of a Samaritan is like your favourite idol appreciating a gift you made him/her. Samaritans were considered to be low-class back then. Imagine how stunned -and pleased- the woman was when Jesus asked her for a drink of water! Imagine how shocked she felt when Jesus later revealed that He knew everything about her dark past, and still loved and accepted her unconditionally regardless! At NO point did Jesus say "Return and make ammendments to your life, change your ways. Then return to Me." And what happened after her encounter with Jesus? Set free from her bondage of condemnation, she boldly strode into the city and told everyone (yes, the people she didn't dare to face before!) about Jesus! Her encounter with Jesus's love left her changed forever!Jesus isn't judgemental. But God is holy too. So God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for ALL OUR SINS. If there is anyone with the right to condemn us, it is Jesus. Yet He remains such a loving Saviour. He is that love we all desire, the love that says "I may have to correct you, but I'll always love you. Nothing you do can ever change that. And neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate you from the love of God that is I, Christ Jesus your Lord" (Romans 8:39)Feeling God's love? I hope so. His love is always there to pick us up. And it is this sense of no condemnation that will change our lives to be all that God created us to be.
Abba, You love me.
8:55 PM
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