We are in week two of the Hebrews series and I am praying that we can peel back some layers in our Christian life. There are layers of boredom, routine, and religion that need to be removed. Listen, I don’t want to just exist as a Christian. I want to live! The layers of incomplete trust or half-hearted devotion, oh God, take them away! The part of me that wants to look to other things instead of Jesus Christ needs to go to the cross, every day - maybe even more than once a day. My mind can know these things, but getting it into the heart is so challenging. Jesus Christ is greater than anything. Keep reminding your heart of that because it is easily sidetracked by things that look really cool, but are nothing compared to the real Jesus Christ!
Lord, revive my heart again!
Let’s say you decided that you no longer needed oxygen, so you just stopped breathing. How long would it take for you to go unconscious and your body to take over? Some of you could do it longer, but it wouldn't take real long. You are dependent on oxygen to live, whether you like it or not. That’s just the way it is. Of course none of us would somehow look at oxygen as a weakness for us. We know we need it. But let’s think about how we treat God. God took dirt from the ground, dirt he created, and he formed man. Scripture tells us that He made us in His image and that we are his treasured, most valuable creation. Yet, we rejected Him. We decided by our own will to ignore His way and do it our own way. What happened? Sin. Death. Judgment. So God, because He is love, decided to send His Son to come to us. He would be a sin offering so that we could believe in Him and live forever. So He did and we, today, are celebrating the risen Jesus Christ. We are living in that forgiveness of sin. But, invariably, we tell him all the time that we can do it on our own. Maybe you have lost your job or your income is sorely lacking. Have you even asked the Lord about it or are you stressing over it? Are you dealing with chronic pain? Health problems? Does it consume your mind and take over your life in a such a way that you don’t even bother to ask the Lord anymore? He created you. He knows you. He understands what it is that causes the problems you face. He sees the whole picture and is still good! You might not like what is going on, but know this – you need Him! You can’t live without oxygen. You can’t live without a dependence on Christ. He has a superior position to you. Grab on and never let go!
There should be nothing elevated over Jesus Christ. If something is, it is time to adjust your view.
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This is an excerpt of a message Pastor Derek preached on January 28, 2018 at Battle Lake Alliance Church. To hear the entire message, please go to our sermon page.
You could also join us Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. in Battle Lake, MN. We are easy to find.