Sunday Service:Ya gotta love it!:
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You know, often there are times when things go wrong. And I imagine, I probably get as many of those “times” as the average Joe. No… The average TOM. I get just as many as most folks. Some more, some less, but bad things do happen. And most of the time, the response that rolls off my lips when in the midst of one of those times where you just don’t understand it, there’s really no one to blame, and it’s not going to fix itself, is “Ya gotta love it!” Sometimes, when I am especially disgruntled or in a sarcastic mood, I even add, “Ya don’t know what ELSE to do with it”.
Now, a good many people either laugh at this or they look at me like I’ve popped a cork, but most generally, just saying those words helps me to assimilate, or “absorb” the situation at hand, and move on.
This evening, at work, we had someone who did a “No call, no show” on us. Meaning, of course, they didn’t come to work as expected and did not call to let anyone know about it. Most of my coworkers grumbled and complained, as many would. This usually means a lot of extra work for however many hands are left. Me, I rattled off, “Ya gotta love it”.
Again, the strange looks. I can imagine how they must have felt. For that matter, in the occasional time that I have been asked what I meant by those words, I never really clearly described it, nor had I taken the time to think a lot about it myself. You see, it goes back many years for me, when a good friend of mine had about the same habit of saying it that I have now. I just kind of picked it up and plopped it right into my vocabulary.
But tonight someone did ask. In fact I think they almost thought I was making light of the situation. Unfortunately, I was ill-prepared to answer at the moment. This experience, though, got my mental wheels turning, and the answer had already been right in front of me, earlier this week during my personal devotions:
In Ephesians 4, verses 1 through 5, it states:
Ephesians 4
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism
(NASV)
Did you catch the answer, there? Let me repeat it for you: walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.
I had been studying Ephesians all of this past week, and yet the answer did not come quickly to mind at the moment. But later, after I got home and reviewed my reading, there it was as plain as day.
What Paul is saying in that passage is, “In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And take note that you do this with humility and discipline—not in short bursts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly.”
The road we are given is the road we travel. And we are told here, that even when the road turns rocky, to pour ourselves out for each other in acts of love.
When the kids (or the parents) are disobedient and cranky? “Ya gotta love it”.
When the cable guy doesn’t show up between 1 and 4 as promised? “Ya gotta love it!”
When your spouse forgets an important appointment? “Ya gotta love it!”
When someone, somewhere, messes up and creates more work for you and everyone around you? Ya GOTTA love it!
Romans 5:8
God demonstrates His own love for us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for US
(NASB)
This is the collective us. The disobedient, wandering, failing and falling US. And He did so unconditionally, only asking that we love each other- not just Christians or church members or family, but each other- in all humility and discipline, pouring ourselves out to and for each other!
This was a missed ministry opportunity for me. I should have been fully ready with an answer for those words I have used, literally for decades, so flippantly.
1 Peter 3
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
(NASB)
You might not see it as so serious a situation. Yet tonight I felt convicted over the matter. Maybe I couldn’t have opened up into a full-blown discussion at the moment, but I could have taken the opening as an opportunity to prepare to share; He wanted to know why I said, “Ya gotta love it.” My response could have been something so simple as to have said, “When you have a some free time, there’s a friend I would like you to meet.” and followed up as time allowed.
Our reactions in times of stress or disappointment speak volumes for the hope that is in us. The more we learn of the love of God through Christ, the more we realize how important it is for others to know that peace that passes all understanding and to “speak up“ in His name. It’s not quite as hard as it seems either; I myself, for years, used to freeze up at crucial ministry opportunities out of a fear of “getting it wrong”. But in the word of God, there is no wrong, just as in Christ, there is nothing fickle or false (James 1:17). My fear of getting it wrong was purely and simply a lack of fully preparing myself in the word.
For all of us, our point of contact for the cause of Christ is wherever our feet happen to be planted. To repeat myself, Our response at critical moments speaks volumes for the hope that is in us. Take that time, starting now, to get to know Him better, deeper, and more intimately so that others can hear from you just why you have that HOPE when things go wrong.
When we take the time, regularly and diligently, to dig into the word and prepare our hearts through the word, the Holy Spirit will use that word to change us in accord with God’s will in our lives, and help us to know the importance of a relationship with him and overcome those moments of fear and hesitance. Then we can begin to clearly see just why “Ya gotta love it!”
Our praise team today:
WhigTunes
Dave Berland
Chris Bradley
Jason T of Calvary Chapel
Dan Adkins
Please visit the artist links to the left and let them know how much you appreciate their music and worship offering!
SundayServiceBluegrass:
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In Ephesians 1:18 - 23, the word says,
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
A powerful verse for a powerful life in christ! Let’s sing about that wonderful POWER in the Blood right here TODAY on the SUNDAY SERVICE!
How’s your power supply today? Are you tapped into the one true power source that can get you going at a moment’s notice? There’s only one true way to feel the power of Christ in your life; To INVITE him there!
You might be saying, “Tom, it’s just not that simple.” But I’m here to tell ya, my friend, it IS. ONLY after I learned I had to completely Yield my life and need for “POWER” to HIM did I realize, THAT is what he has always been waiting for!
God doesn’t NEED to be in control; It’s not that he is intentionally holding back your power because of something you have or haven’t done; Rather, it’s because he wants you to TRUST him and ONLY HIM!
Do you feel out of control?
FANTASTIC! That’s just the critical moment you need, where you need it so you can learn to trust in only him; A breaking of that rebellious self-sufficient spirit that stands fast when God says “GO!”
As you head out today, Know that your Joy can only be made full by fully trusting Him when that guy cuts you off at the crossing or someone plays their music too loud. Our power is not of ourselves, but of Christ, and there is TRULY
POWER in the BLOOD~!
Here, in the Midwest, I am making this pod cast in the middle of February. It has been cold and icy all week, and when you work out-of-doors as I do, it gets old quickly; Especially as I get older.
But in my quiet times, my mind looks forward to the spring, and with spring come thoughts of our Easter Celebration. The songs of praise and worship and southern gospel Music stir my mind to those thoughts, and what a difference salvation has caused in MY life. Even now, as cold and dark as the days are, I know I can look forward to warmth and sunshine not too far off in the future.
What a WONDERFUL correlation: His love- on the cross and in my soul, has stripped away the darkness and cold and replaced it with warmth and sunshine. Yes, I am human, and all too often I might allow that old cold feeling to return, but the Christ who saved ME is always right there when I am once again defeated from trying to fight my own battles. I look up from whatever pit I am in, and he’s right there, so close that it all the more emphasizes the futility of trying to win my own wars. If I trust in Him, he is faithful to forgive me of my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, and once again, a sweet and beautiful relationship is restored.
Did you catch that? A common misconception is to think that God somehow cannot accept us because we may have stumbled or fallen. Yet that is EXACTLY WHY we need him. Were we able to save ourselves, or to somehow be on a par with God, we would have no NEED for salvation, and certainly no idea of what sovereignty, or LORDSHIP, really means.
That would lead to utter chaos, each man trying to be lord of his own world, wouldn’t it? No one respecting another, every man out for himself? Wait… Isn’t that what the world looks like more and more every day? Who could be behind such a plan, so as to create this mindset, but the very one the bible points to; the one cast from glory due to his OWN attempt at equality with God to the point of waging war in heaven… Satan thought he could WIN in heaven, and now he tries to win here on earth.
We need to hold fast to the one who made us; who has laid down his only son, that being the Christ, as a pathway to bring our wayward souls back to him.
Jesus said, “come to me, all who are weary laden. And I will give you rest.” Let me tell you, those are mighty comforting words after a long, hard, cold day.
At least, to ME, they are…
