What I learned at church today

Aaron has been graciously given the opportunity to teach at our church several Sundays.  Our pastors have allowed him to prepare, review and give a message to our local church family, in preparation for future opportunities overseas.  Teaching has required a lot of dedicated studying and prayer for God's word to be conveyed, and not Aaron's words.

As the wife, it's a little odd to sit and listen to him on Sunday morning- at least at the beginning it is.  I have been praying for him and encouraging him to share from his heart, and I want to be encouraging and positive from my seat...
...but I have NO poker face!
...So if he heads down a rabbit trail or is speaking too long- he can read my face like a book, and then it's hard to conclude a sermon with your wife giving you 'the eye'! 

He (and most every other person on the planet) can read me loud and clear- I have no ability to bluff, hide or even politely disguise my thoughts- an attribute that I like to think is akin to honesty and transparency- ehhh, maybe sometimes...but when I'm trying to be an encouragement but end up as just the opposite, I do wish I could be more stoic!

The last time Aaron taught, he concluded his message on Mark 7:24-30, stating 2 potential mistakes we make when we are laid bare and exposed to God's truth, seeing where we are failing to be 'all that'.

1) We miss the opportunity to see how desperately we need Jesus.  We can easily go through life thinking ourselves to be better than we are.  We fail to recognize who Jesus is anytime that we start thinking that we are something special in and of ourselves.  To think that we are good enough, on our own, or to find comfort in the thought that we are at least as good as the next guy, we really miss out on the depth of need we have for salvation through Jesus Christ.

or,

2)  We view Jesus as insufficient to save us from our own evil heart and actions.  In word we acknowledge Jesus and His all-powerful death, burial and resurrection, but in action, we can fail to recognize who Christ is or to apply His grace to our lives. We become so inwardly focused, guilt laden and self assured that we think that our actions were extraordinary- something different than the sins of the world for which Christ died.  Surely Christ didn't know about what "I" have done in the past- therefore I will carry around the baggage and burden of sin and regret- not living in the freedom of Christ, so freely given.  This unfortunately can be boiled down into a line of thinking that says that Jesus isn't enough for me.  Which He most definitely IS!

Seeing the hope and promise of being a Christ follower, we can be free of condemnation.  We can enjoy a passionate pursuit of getting to know our savior through His Word.  A desire to follow Him will grow, transforming our lives and re-creating our lifestyle.

Perseverance in pursuit of the Lord is challenging.  But He loves us.  And He died for each of us.  There is no point and no need to negotiate the gospel.  We don't need to find the grey areas or flexible points in God's truth.  We can read, pray and trust in God and the Holy Spirit's working in our life!  We begin to embrace the grace of God in a way that allows us to go before Him whole, complete and pure- because of Jesus Christ. A child of God

David Platt said, "God's capacity to forgive is greater than our capacity to sin!" 

Instead of staying who I was yesterday, and who my flesh wants to be today,  I want to walk so closely with the Lord  that my enjoyment of His love and His peace is overflowing.  Why would I choose any other way to walk forward each day?  When we receive salvation, a free gift of God,  we have a new nature.  We should have new appetites. 

We are in this world and we are weak on our own, but by feeding our new nature God's word, we can cultivate what God intends for us.  When we feed our old appetites of sin and unholiness we feel trapped, dirty and full of regret- I want to hold onto God's word so tightly that I can take hold of freedom in Christ in its fullness, as He intended!

Galations 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.