The sermon was taken from Philippians 2:5-11. The book of Philippians is a wonderful book to read. Paul wrote it while he was in prison and, even then, he was reaching out to those who are in Christ. He is looking to build the best Christian people he can. And so he begins verse 5 with, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." It was a worthy sermon and one worth hearing again.
Following along and listening to our preacher spell out the challenges Jesus faced, one of his statements leapt out and grabbed the attention. "When you know the truth you're not so much challenged by others' accusations. It matters what they think but it doesn't change the truth." was what he said. Taking the remainder of the sermon in that context made one understand why Jesus didn't get all worked up over accusations. He already knew the truth.
And it seems like truth is what this world needs. Toward the tail-end of the sermon, he went on to say that one day Jesus will come again but this time as King of Kings. Then, right at the end, almost as an afterthought, he said, "Maybe we should put on more plays about the second coming of Christ." This is what sent the writer of this article into a week of thinking and struggles. It was one of those, "Gee, I wish I'd thought of that."
Our lives are so full of today's and tomorrow's activities that our focus is out of whack. We've forgotten that there is a day coming that it'll all be over except for the "...gnashing of teeth..." (Luke 13:28) Our world, our country, our government does little to encourage spiritual growth. If anything, our politics has gone to the extreme and wants to remove anything regarding Jesus from the public arena.
How to change this? It seems like it has to be an individual thing. Jesus was one individual and he changed the whole world. But, if one individual changes, then that one can help another and so on. Maybe, just maybe, when Jesus returns, there'll be a big celebration and no "gnashing of teeth."
So, back to how to change things. One, our calendars are so loaded down that we leave Jesus out. He's not even a priority on the Sabbath. Got groceries to get? that's comes first. Ephesians 5:15-17 speaks about making wise use of time and not being foolish with it and using your time according to the will of the Lord. Two, what one can have on this earth doesn't really matter. Death and many other things can separate one from their things. Mark 8:36 asks what profit is in gaining the whole world and losing your own soul. Three, sin is like a parasite. It will destroy it's host. And the world we live in is rife with sins and opportunities to sin.There is a remedy and it's in I John 1:7-9. Three things, not such a big mountain to climb. Why not climb it? You'll be eternally glad you did.
Following along and listening to our preacher spell out the challenges Jesus faced, one of his statements leapt out and grabbed the attention. "When you know the truth you're not so much challenged by others' accusations. It matters what they think but it doesn't change the truth." was what he said. Taking the remainder of the sermon in that context made one understand why Jesus didn't get all worked up over accusations. He already knew the truth.
And it seems like truth is what this world needs. Toward the tail-end of the sermon, he went on to say that one day Jesus will come again but this time as King of Kings. Then, right at the end, almost as an afterthought, he said, "Maybe we should put on more plays about the second coming of Christ." This is what sent the writer of this article into a week of thinking and struggles. It was one of those, "Gee, I wish I'd thought of that."
Our lives are so full of today's and tomorrow's activities that our focus is out of whack. We've forgotten that there is a day coming that it'll all be over except for the "...gnashing of teeth..." (Luke 13:28) Our world, our country, our government does little to encourage spiritual growth. If anything, our politics has gone to the extreme and wants to remove anything regarding Jesus from the public arena.
How to change this? It seems like it has to be an individual thing. Jesus was one individual and he changed the whole world. But, if one individual changes, then that one can help another and so on. Maybe, just maybe, when Jesus returns, there'll be a big celebration and no "gnashing of teeth."
So, back to how to change things. One, our calendars are so loaded down that we leave Jesus out. He's not even a priority on the Sabbath. Got groceries to get? that's comes first. Ephesians 5:15-17 speaks about making wise use of time and not being foolish with it and using your time according to the will of the Lord. Two, what one can have on this earth doesn't really matter. Death and many other things can separate one from their things. Mark 8:36 asks what profit is in gaining the whole world and losing your own soul. Three, sin is like a parasite. It will destroy it's host. And the world we live in is rife with sins and opportunities to sin.There is a remedy and it's in I John 1:7-9. Three things, not such a big mountain to climb. Why not climb it? You'll be eternally glad you did.
