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Hello my dear “Walking with Jesus” friends,
May I ask you a question as we start this first weekend in October together? What is the most extravagant gift, the most precious gift you’ve ever received? What difference did it make in your life? How long did that difference last? Who gave you the gift, and what do you suppose it cost them? How did you express your gratitude to them for their remarkable generosity?
Listen to this my friends: “I will exalt You, O LORD, for You lifted me out of the depths… I called to You for help and You healed me. You LORD brought me up from the realm of the dead; You spared me from going down to the pit…You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent. LORD my God I will praise You forever.” (Psalm 30:1-3,11,12) Does this sound like the grateful celebration of someone who has experienced rescue from near death desperation, to a joyful new life? How close or far is this from what your heart is feeling today my friends? As I reflect on what’s happening in our world may I suggest these next 30 days may be unlike any we’ve experienced in recent history, as I see four great, volatile storms raging, and they each have significant, global impact potential:
1. In these next 30 days, the American Presidential election will reach a raucous fever pitch, perhaps unlike any previous election. I don’t know how you feel about it, but in truth, I’m embarrassed.
If our children shouted and screamed and behaved as many American politicians are behaving, we would not tolerate it. We would not ‘spare the rod’ would we? Not in our schools, not in our homes, especially not out in public. Sadly, as the rest of our world watches and listens, I imagine they are shaking their heads and discounting America, as having lost our minds, and all sense of decency and decorum. Do we really think all these raucous politicians are among the best of our society, and thus we elect them to lead us, and make the laws which govern us? Sadly, the end result of these elections may impact almost every person on the planet in some way.
2. The Global Coronavirus appears to be spiking in many places, again causing restrictions in normal life, while a frantic push for a vaccine intensifies. But can we trust the numbers?
What about the millions who have caught this virus and recovered just fine and are living normal lives? Have all those who died really died of COVID or is that actual number a small fraction of the more than 1 million now who are declared to have died primarily due to COVID? Why would anyone manipulate such serious statistics as those related to life, death and the health of millions of people? How healthy and safe do you feel this weekend, my friends?
3. The Supreme Court debate over Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment will evidence the deep moral divide in America, and the end result may have major and long lasting implications for American society for generations to come.
While her academic and legal career credentials are stellar, and her personal and family life is exemplary, rather than being celebrated and encouraged to serve the rest of her life as one of those entrusted to safeguard the American Constitution, in the most complex legal cases, she will be harrassed and slandered and I predict the attempts made to intimidate her will border on abuse and mob rule. Oh how far Washington has fallen from the days when Americans and the world could be proud and respectful of those in elected leadership of our nation, and therefore trust and embrace their deliberations and decisions. How will what she is about to experience not only affect her, but her family and especially those two children adopted from Haiti into her family? I know what Haitian corruption in government was and how it affected the population… I lived there for several years.
4. Finally the economic instability of our world may be seen in this next month like never before, as daily we will see major swings of the markets, perhaps financial panic, and certainly unpredictability will run wild in so many areas of life for so many people around the world.
Now I hope none of this is exaggeration. So how, my friends, will you maintain a positive attitude in your life, how will you remain steadfast and stable? How will you stand firm as the storms rage all around you? What will help you live those verses I gave you earlier in Psalm 30, over these next 30 days?
For me and I hope for many of you, I’m anchoring my life on the confidence that I have in the greatest gift of all time which has impacted my life and I hope yours. What is this ‘greatest gift’? We’ve been in 2 Corinthians 5 all this week, and it’s the very last statement of that chapter: “God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righthteousness of God.” Here it is in a different translation: “God made Jesus who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be reconciled with God and made holy in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
It means the greatest transition in history took place when God Himself placed all the evil, all the wrong, all the sin of humanity upon perfect, sinless Jesus, and God poured out His justice wrath for that sin upon Jesus. It happened outside the city wall of Jerusalem, on a hill called Golgotha, as Jesus was crucified. That event is honored by the most famous symbol in the world, the cross, seen in almost every country of the world. That event is described in great detail in the Bible, in all four Gospel accounts… Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. That event is remembered every year on Easter weekend. And that event is the cornerstone moment of the entire Bible and all of human history. WHY?
The reason that event 2000 years ago is so significant, and able to provide you and me stability in the storms today, and these next turbulent 30 days, is because it’s the greatest gift to humanity, and what I call ‘the greatest exchange’ of all time. As Jesus, the perfect Son of God, died on that cross, His atonement death payment was made in full for my sinfulness and my specific sins, and yours. 2000 years later, when I acknowledge my sin before Holy God (confess) and I repent of my sin, and trust fully in God to save me from my sin condemnation, God then does what 2 Corinthians 5:21 says… God takes the full sin payment of Jesus made 2000 years ago, and applies it to my sin debt today. (Eph. 1:7) God then declares me forgiven of my sin guilt, and He removes my shame. God then reconciles me back into relationship with Him as He had originally designed. (Col. 1:21,22) Then God applies to me the cleansing, the holiness, the righteousness, the perfection of Jesus. So I am changed…from a guilty sinner to a forgiven, cleansed, God honoring person. (1 John 1:9)
God then creates in me a new spiritual nature and sends His Holy Spirit to live inside me, guiding me, counseling me, even empowering me, when I find evil all around me. (Romans 8:5-17) And that positions and empowers me to live my life entirely differently then I lived before, and different from the people all around me who are overwhelmed by fear, worry, anger, frustration, even desperation. Friends, do you recognize what I’ve just described as what Paul meant when he wrote “Therefore if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come. All this is from God who reconcilied us to Himself through Christ…” (2 Cor. 5:17-19)
Do you see the central 5 words “All this is from God” Can you see why I call it the ‘greatest gift, the greatest exchange’? None of us have done anything to deserve it, anything to earn it. We can’t pay God for it. It is entirely His idea, His plan, His accomplishment. All we can do is acknowledge our desperate need, repent of our sin guilt, and ask for God to do in us what He has offered and promised. Now if you have experienced all this… then Psalm 30 should be the celebration of your heart, regardless of what happens in these next, turbulent 30 days.
In closing today, may I urge you to consider one more very powerful statement? It’s the next thing Paul wrote: “As God’s coworkers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.“ (2 Cor. 6:1) You’ll remember all this week we’ve been analyzing this remarkable statement from God which is so appropriate for these 30 days: “We are therefore Ambassadors of Jesus Christ as though God is making His appeal [to the world] through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20)
So what would it look like when ‘new creations in Christ’, ‘Ambassadors of Jesus Christ’, people who have received the greatest gift of all time… ‘receive God’s grace in vain’? I imagine it’s not difficult for you to answer that question is it my friends? What attitudes, what vocabulary, what choices, what behavior, what dysfunctionality in relationships or integrity, would evidence a person who has received the incredible, matchless, priceless gift of Jesus’ redemption, and yet they live as though it is worthless to them?
Please don’t assume I’m referring to any particular person. I’m asking that we each and all look at ourselves, and ask the simple yet profound and hugely significant question: “Is there anything about my life that appears to contradict my claim that I am an Ambassador of Jesus Christ? Is there anything I do or say, any attitude which gives people the impression that I do not value Jesus or what He has done for me? Is there anything about my life which essentially says to God. . .’thanks but NO thanks’!?
My good friends all around the world, one of the reasons I call this “Walking with Jesus” is to invite us EVERYDAY to consider how our lives should be lived if we truly, practically, genuinely live as though Jesus is walking right beside us. Oh I am praying for all of you, hundreds of you… those I know personally as very good friends, and those I’ve never had the privilege of meeting personally, but we start our day together in “Walking with Jesus”. I’m praying Psalm 30 will be your experience this weekend. If I may be of any help, feel free to send me a note and I’ll respond to you.
Oh Lord Jesus I lift before You all these dear friends. Please help us see anything in our lives which may appear to be evidence that we have ‘received God’s grace in vain‘. Oh Jesus, please sustain and strengthen these my friends in this time of global turmoil. We praise You and we thank You for ALL You have done in our lives that we could never have done for ourselves. Oh may our lives bring You great glory this weekend. Please give us wisdom to honor You in all we do and say.
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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