Ours is not a pragmatic religion. We aren't in this for what we can get out of it. If we truly believe in Christ then our hope is tied to something far beyond this world. If you're looking for something to help you achieve what you want out of life, then Christ is not for you. Jesus did not come to give us what we want or what we think is best for us. Jesus came to call us away from such foolish thinking. He made it clear that those who follow him must expect to lose their life--for his sake and for the kingdom. The irony and the beauty of this calling is that it is a calling back from ruin to eternal joy. Following Christ and finding our purpose in him is part and parcel of being restored, being made again into what God intended us to be. No human being will ever be satisfied with anything less.
When Jesus calls us to lose our life for his sake and the kingdom, he is really not calling us to lose anything at all, for there is no life in the pursuit of self, no joy, no satisfaction--only ruin. Life, joy, completeness, these can only come from Christ. True life, the life that leads to eternal life, only comes through Jesus Christ.
Psalm 37 teaches wisdom from the perspective of our pursuit of God by faith, our trusting him, and our living in the light of eternity. In this sermon I finished up our series in Psalm 37, the conclusion of which is that salvation is from the Lord. I hope that you will take the time to listen and be blessed. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Click here: Psalm 37:30-40
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No comments:
Post a Comment