"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 1:6-7
When we read these verses we often think of anxieties and worries of the physical world -- the illness that threatens a loved one; the state of our bank account; the time, energy, and wisdom that it takes to raise children. There certainly is nothing wrong with that (God WANTS us to turn to Him in prayer when we are troubled by things of this world) - but we are mistaken if we do not apply this theology to the spiritual world as well.
When we feel as if there is a spiritual battle brewing within us -- when temptations are mounting -- Satan will draw our attention to the "fixes" of this world and will lure us to rely on them and/or on ourselves. He will try to make us S.A.D.D.!
When these times come, we must follow Paul's direction and turn to the Lord: Be brutally honest with Him about the battle you face (after all, He already knows the deepest parts of your heart), thank Him for the grace that made it possible for you to be reconciled to Him and to be indwelled with the Holy Spirit (the Helper, Advocate, Counselor), and ask Him to give you strength in the time of temptation. When we do this, God will, as His Word promises, "guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus," allowing us to experience the "peace of God, which transcends all understanding." Amen!
Well said! When Jesus faced temptation, He overcame it through Scripture. Think of it this way: When you first move into a new neighborhood, you know perhaps one way home. Over time, however, as you spend time in the area and talk to those who live there too, you discover all sorts of ways to get to where you live. When there is construction on the main road, you know which way to turn in order to get home another way. In the same way, when we become Christians, we are often very unfamiliar with God's Word. But IF we read it, study it, memorize it, listen to it preached and taught, talk with our fellow Christians about it, and so on, we become quite knowledgeable. That way, when temptation strikes, we know lots of ways "home." We are harder to trip up or trap because we are so familiar with what God has to say. Now, a person who moves into a neighborhood could just learn that one way to their house, but sooner or later they are going to get stuck. How much better it is to know your "neighborhood" (God's Word) so well that the way out God promises us is right at hand!
Noted theologian A. W. Tozer wrote, "The moment we make up our minds that we are going on with [a] determination to exalt God over all, we step out of the world's parade. We find ourselves out of adjustment to the ways of the world, and increasingly so as we make progress in the holy way. We shall acquire a new viewpoint; a new and different psychology will be formed within us; a new power will begin to surprise us" ("The Pursuit of God").
What Tozer describes is, of course, what all Christians long for -- and it's exactly what Paul referenced in the letter to the church at Philippi: a relationship with Christ that is so strong, it guards our hearts minds and brings about "the peace of God."
When considering Tozer's words, it's important to note the way in which he begins his description of this relationship: "The moment we make up our minds." While it is a massive understatement, it is no less true that God took the first step toward a relationship with us. However, He will not take ALL the steps; to do so would go against His will for the human race, which is that, in our free will, we choose to love Him.
In each of our Scripture readings for this week, we read of people choosing something other than God: at Mount Sinai, they chose to build a golden calf (a story recounted in Psalm 106:19-23); in Jesus' parable of the wedding banquet (the wedding of Christ and His church), the people chose to instead go to their field and business, and to kill the king's servants; in Philippians, Euodia and Syntyche chose to let something cause a division between them instead of remaining likeminded in the Lord.
We, too, have a choice to make. Will we allow the things of this world to draw our attention away from God -- or will we choose instead to set our minds on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, and to put into practice the teachings of the Bible (Philippians 4:8-9)?
Thanks, Jon, for a "tie that binds" these Scriptures together "People making choices for something other than God". I struggled for a while to find a central theme and couldn't so far. Was it you that once said, Since all Scripture is about Jesus, we should be able to connect any of them together?
Yes, Doctor Vic, my last sermon was about "Great Connections," and the fact that every piece of Scripture points to the Savior. I closed that sermon with Colossians 1:16-17: “[B]y Him all things were created . . . all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
So, here's what I finally came up with -- stretching it a bit: Exodus 32:1-14 --Moses standing in the breach between God and the Israelites. Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 -- Moses standing in the breach. Matthew 22:1-14 22 -- Servants, standing in the breach – bringing the downcast into the Kingdom, sparing them from destruction. Philippians 4:1- 9: Paul standing in the breach, reconciling conflicting parties in the Philippian church
In yesterday's blog post I noted that each of this week's Scripture passages show people choosing something other than God. Today, however, we're going to look at a few verses which are the exception:
The first five verses of Psalm 106 are a song of praise and worship, where the psalmist recognizes God's goodness, His power, and His righteousness. This sentiment is mirrored in Philippians 4:4-9, where Paul encourages the church in Philippi to praise God and to worship Him with their thoughts and actions.
It is (of course) no coincidence that these calls to praise and worship are co-mingled with the stories of idolatry and sinfulness. When we are bringing praise and worship to the Lord, we are engaging one of the strongest weapons against the enemy. It focuses our hearts and minds on the Lord and allows for His Spirit to strengthen within us.
When we feel ourselves becoming S.A.D.D., that is the perfect time to praise the Lord.
Another possible antidote to S.A.D.D. is repentance. In the parable of the wedding banquet, one guest was thrown out because he lacked wedding clothes. You might wonder how a poor man could afford a wedding garment. But if you think about the Wedding Feast we will attend with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you will remember that the garment required to attend that feast is righteousness. Not our own righteousness, of course, but Christ's, which we "put on" when He calls us to Himself. (see Romans 13:14; Ephesians 4:24). We do that through repentance. When we turn to God and turn away from sin, we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Without that "garment," we can expect to be cast out of the banquet. When we feel ourselves becoming S.A.D.D., it is [always] the perfect time to praise the Lord. It may also be a time to take stock of where we are in relationship to Him, and to turn back to Him (repent) if needed.
I absolutely agree, Pastor Matt. Repentance will always be present in the battle against Spiritual A.D.D. -- either as a first-line defense (as you describe), or as a result of the Spirit's leading us as we seek out the Lord through prayer, conscious acts of obedience, praise, and worship!
It’s interesting to think about the man who was tossed out. He had chosen, like the others, to give up his old life and to come at the invitation; the rewards sounded good to him and he came. But something was lacking – a “wedding garment”. That would seem obvious to others, but what they couldn’t see was the essence of belonging at the feast – a humble, contrite heart; he was there relying on his own righteousness, not Christ’s. [Remember, Judas also appeared to belong, and was trusted by the others with the purse; only Jesus knew, even from the beginning, what was in the heart of Judas and how he would fulfill prophecy.] So, only the discerning eye of the “King”, who sees the hearts and minds of all, saw the self- righteous hypocrisy in that man, and acted accordingly. How S.A.D.D.!
Speaking further to Pastor Matt's and Doctor Vic's comments about Jesus' parable of the Wedding Banquet: Take a moment to consider the servants - a metaphor for Christ's Church.
In the parable, the servants were sent out to call people to the banquet, just as we have been commissioned to preach the Gospel and call out to those who God has chosen.
We know from Jesus' words in this parable as well as in other Scripture (i.e., Luke 6:22 and John 15:18-20), that, as we do this work that He has called us to do, we will face persecution from the world. When that persecution comes, we will be especially vulnerable to a bought of S.A.D.D.: We will feel ostracized, and will be tempted to something other than God for our comfort and hope. If we give in to that temptation, however, we'll find that these "things" very quickly begin to take over our minds and hearts.
Instead of giving into the temptation of turning away from God when persecution comes, we must instead turn to, meditate on, and hold dear the words that Jesus spoke when He sent us out: "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
The promise of God's presence was what the Apostle Paul focused on as he faced the many, many trials of his ministry (see Romans 8:18-37), and in doing so he was able to continue in that ministry knowing that nothing "in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39). Amen.
"I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord." (Philippians 4:2) Imagine if you had been called out in one of Paul's letters! Here Paul appeals to his two friends to work together. We don't know the exact situation, but clearly something had happened which led to disagreement. Paul urged them to "be of the same mind in the Lord;" to let what they held in common override that which led to their separation. Another source of S.A.D.D. can be our tendency to pay too much attention to our own "rights" or "needs," whether in the world or in the church. Earlier in this same letter Paul wrote, "Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:1-4) When we do that, our "S.A.D.D.ness" can be turned to complete joy.
My guess: Two strong women leaders in the church, developed a bit of "selfishness and conceit", guarding their "turf", maybe with a bit of gossip ["prayer requests"] spread around discretely. Not likely to happen in OUR church!
I'm glad you mentioned these two women getting "called out" by Paul. This kind of thing can be a big source of friction and fracture in a church. Small misunderstandings can turn into huge misunderstandings in a hurry and can lead to all kinds of issues, often without even realizing what happened. Small misunderstandings (especially those that mistakenly turn into big ones) can be a serious source of S.A.D.D as people try to overcome hurt, guilt, and frustration brought on by conflict within the church.
Yes, pride can certainly turn a misunderstanding into a monster of an issue! When we're faced with such situations, we need to remember that Jesus gave us the answer to avoid that snowball effect and to maintain right relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters:
"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector." -Matthew 18:15-17
While reading over this week’s Scriptures, you may find yourself having trouble relating to the examples of S.A.D.D. that lie within. I doubt, for instance, that any of you have melted down jewelry and fashioned a false idol. So let’s take a look at some typical presentations of S.A.D.D. amongst today’s Christians (in addition to Pastor Matt's example of someone who is focusing more on themselves than on God):
What we say: “I just can’t seem to find any time to study the Bible!” What we’ve done: Spent an hour checking our e-mail or Facebook, two hours watching our favorite sitcoms, and another hour researching the best deals on refrigerators.
What we say: “I just don’t remember to pray every day.” What we’ve done: Made a “To Do” list that includes everything from balancing the checkbook to changing the oil in the car to taking a steak out of the freezer, but which does not include the most important thing of all – time with God.
What we say: “I’d like to have closer relationships with those at my church, but I just can’t seem to connect.” What we’ve done: Built our identity around something worldly (our job, our entertainment choices, etc.) instead of building it around Jesus Christ.
What we say: “I’d like to give more money to missions, but I just don’t have the cash.” What we’ve done: Put aside money for a vacation we’ve been dreaming about, purchased new clothes for that vacation, and booked tickets for a show while we’re on that vacation.
The long and short of it is this: If we don’t want to be S.A.D.D., we need to put God first in absolutely every aspect of our lives. He gets the first-fruits of our thoughts, our time, and our money. He is the desire of our hearts. He is our joy.
Implied but not stated in the "Breach" presentation (above), is the ultimate BREACH -- Jesus stood in the breach between a Holy God and us sinless creatures.
Jon, what a blessing it has been to “blog” this week with you, Trish, and Pastor. Your “Previews of Coming Attractions” arrested our attention, and prepared us better to enjoy the “Full Length Feature” this Sabbath. Your Biblical knowledge, insights, and wisdom have been very helpful in better understanding the importance of making godly choices daily in our lives, as we study the “testimonies” of God’s servants in their role as Mediators – Moses, Servants of the Parable, and Paul. The Lord's special blessing for you this Sabbath. Shabbat Shalom!
As Doctor Vic alluded to in his two-word reply to yesterday's blog post ("Ouch! Jon"), the topic of S.A.D.D. is not a "feel good" message. It is one that reminds us of our human nature - something we don't always like to own up to.
When faced with messages like these, we often try to "soften-the-blow" either by listening with only one ear, or by fooling ourselves into believing that much of the message doesn't apply to us, or even by comparing our walk with others' ("Well, I know I'm not as bad about that as HE is!"). This, of course, is a mistake.
As we prepare our hearts for tomorrow's worship service, knowing that we will be confronted with the ways that we've allowed our attention to be drawn away from the Lord, let us consider the words of Peter:
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
(1 Peter 1:14-19: quote about being holy from Leviticus 11:44-45)
Good Sabbath, everyone! I'm sorry I'm going to miss the "live" worship experience, but happy to be able to meet and worship with the folks in our church plant at Clifton Park. A final "S.A.D.D." thought: another key to combating this in our daily lives, as Paul writes, is to dwell on (think about, meditate on, pay attention to) the things of God. Early theologians referred to this as "thinking God's thoughts after Him." How we spend our time reveals where our heart lies. If we want to be spiritually attentive, we are called to think about spiritual things. That requires a daily connection with God's Word, God's people, and of course, God Himself. You will be doing that today as you worship; it is up to you to make sure you do that tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. I'll let Paul have the last word. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 1:6-7
ReplyDeleteWhen we read these verses we often think of anxieties and worries of the physical world -- the illness that threatens a loved one; the state of our bank account; the time, energy, and wisdom that it takes to raise children. There certainly is nothing wrong with that (God WANTS us to turn to Him in prayer when we are troubled by things of this world) - but we are mistaken if we do not apply this theology to the spiritual world as well.
When we feel as if there is a spiritual battle brewing within us -- when temptations are mounting -- Satan will draw our attention to the "fixes" of this world and will lure us to rely on them and/or on ourselves. He will try to make us S.A.D.D.!
When these times come, we must follow Paul's direction and turn to the Lord: Be brutally honest with Him about the battle you face (after all, He already knows the deepest parts of your heart), thank Him for the grace that made it possible for you to be reconciled to Him and to be indwelled with the Holy Spirit (the Helper, Advocate, Counselor), and ask Him to give you strength in the time of temptation. When we do this, God will, as His Word promises, "guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus," allowing us to experience the "peace of God, which transcends all understanding." Amen!
Well said! When Jesus faced temptation, He overcame it through Scripture. Think of it this way: When you first move into a new neighborhood, you know perhaps one way home. Over time, however, as you spend time in the area and talk to those who live there too, you discover all sorts of ways to get to where you live. When there is construction on the main road, you know which way to turn in order to get home another way. In the same way, when we become Christians, we are often very unfamiliar with God's Word. But IF we read it, study it, memorize it, listen to it preached and taught, talk with our fellow Christians about it, and so on, we become quite knowledgeable. That way, when temptation strikes, we know lots of ways "home." We are harder to trip up or trap because we are so familiar with what God has to say. Now, a person who moves into a neighborhood could just learn that one way to their house, but sooner or later they are going to get stuck. How much better it is to know your "neighborhood" (God's Word) so well that the way out God promises us is right at hand!
DeleteSo there's many ways home but only one way to God -- RIGHT!!
ReplyDeleteSo what's this about, "you can never go home", and" there are many ways to God" -- WRONG!!
Noted theologian A. W. Tozer wrote, "The moment we make up our minds that we are going on with [a] determination to exalt God over all, we step out of the world's parade. We find ourselves out of adjustment to the ways of the world, and increasingly so as we make progress in the holy way. We shall acquire a new viewpoint; a new and different psychology will be formed within us; a new power will begin to surprise us" ("The Pursuit of God").
ReplyDeleteWhat Tozer describes is, of course, what all Christians long for -- and it's exactly what Paul referenced in the letter to the church at Philippi: a relationship with Christ that is so strong, it guards our hearts minds and brings about "the peace of God."
When considering Tozer's words, it's important to note the way in which he begins his description of this relationship: "The moment we make up our minds." While it is a massive understatement, it is no less true that God took the first step toward a relationship with us. However, He will not take ALL the steps; to do so would go against His will for the human race, which is that, in our free will, we choose to love Him.
In each of our Scripture readings for this week, we read of people choosing something other than God: at Mount Sinai, they chose to build a golden calf (a story recounted in Psalm 106:19-23); in Jesus' parable of the wedding banquet (the wedding of Christ and His church), the people chose to instead go to their field and business, and to kill the king's servants; in Philippians, Euodia and Syntyche chose to let something cause a division between them instead of remaining likeminded in the Lord.
We, too, have a choice to make. Will we allow the things of this world to draw our attention away from God -- or will we choose instead to set our minds on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, and to put into practice the teachings of the Bible (Philippians 4:8-9)?
Thanks, Jon, for a "tie that binds" these Scriptures together "People making choices for something other than God". I struggled for a while to find a central theme and couldn't so far. Was it you that once said, Since all Scripture is about Jesus, we should be able to connect any of them together?
ReplyDeleteYes, Doctor Vic, my last sermon was about "Great Connections," and the fact that every piece of Scripture points to the Savior. I closed that sermon with Colossians 1:16-17: “[B]y Him all things were created . . . all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
DeleteSo, here's what I finally came up with -- stretching it a bit:
ReplyDeleteExodus 32:1-14 --Moses standing in the breach between God and the Israelites.
Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 -- Moses standing in the breach.
Matthew 22:1-14 22 -- Servants, standing in the breach – bringing the downcast into the Kingdom, sparing them from destruction.
Philippians 4:1- 9: Paul standing in the breach, reconciling conflicting parties in the Philippian church
In yesterday's blog post I noted that each of this week's Scripture passages show people choosing something other than God. Today, however, we're going to look at a few verses which are the exception:
ReplyDeleteThe first five verses of Psalm 106 are a song of praise and worship, where the psalmist recognizes God's goodness, His power, and His righteousness. This sentiment is mirrored in Philippians 4:4-9, where Paul encourages the church in Philippi to praise God and to worship Him with their thoughts and actions.
It is (of course) no coincidence that these calls to praise and worship are co-mingled with the stories of idolatry and sinfulness. When we are bringing praise and worship to the Lord, we are engaging one of the strongest weapons against the enemy. It focuses our hearts and minds on the Lord and allows for His Spirit to strengthen within us.
When we feel ourselves becoming S.A.D.D., that is the perfect time to praise the Lord.
Another possible antidote to S.A.D.D. is repentance. In the parable of the wedding banquet, one guest was thrown out because he lacked wedding clothes. You might wonder how a poor man could afford a wedding garment. But if you think about the Wedding Feast we will attend with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you will remember that the garment required to attend that feast is righteousness. Not our own righteousness, of course, but Christ's, which we "put on" when He calls us to Himself. (see Romans 13:14; Ephesians 4:24). We do that through repentance. When we turn to God and turn away from sin, we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Without that "garment," we can expect to be cast out of the banquet. When we feel ourselves becoming S.A.D.D., it is [always] the perfect time to praise the Lord. It may also be a time to take stock of where we are in relationship to Him, and to turn back to Him (repent) if needed.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree, Pastor Matt. Repentance will always be present in the battle against Spiritual A.D.D. -- either as a first-line defense (as you describe), or as a result of the Spirit's leading us as we seek out the Lord through prayer, conscious acts of obedience, praise, and worship!
DeleteIt’s interesting to think about the man who was tossed out. He had chosen, like the others, to give up his old life and to come at the invitation; the rewards sounded good to him and he came. But something was lacking – a “wedding garment”. That would seem obvious to others, but what they couldn’t see was the essence of belonging at the feast – a humble, contrite heart; he was there relying on his own righteousness, not Christ’s. [Remember, Judas also appeared to belong, and was trusted by the others with the purse; only Jesus knew, even from the beginning, what was in the heart of Judas and how he would fulfill prophecy.] So, only the discerning eye of the “King”, who sees the hearts and minds of all, saw the self- righteous hypocrisy in that man, and acted accordingly. How S.A.D.D.!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking further to Pastor Matt's and Doctor Vic's comments about Jesus' parable of the Wedding Banquet: Take a moment to consider the servants - a metaphor for Christ's Church.
ReplyDeleteIn the parable, the servants were sent out to call people to the banquet, just as we have been commissioned to preach the Gospel and call out to those who God has chosen.
We know from Jesus' words in this parable as well as in other Scripture (i.e., Luke 6:22 and John 15:18-20), that, as we do this work that He has called us to do, we will face persecution from the world. When that persecution comes, we will be especially vulnerable to a bought of S.A.D.D.: We will feel ostracized, and will be tempted to something other than God for our comfort and hope. If we give in to that temptation, however, we'll find that these "things" very quickly begin to take over our minds and hearts.
Instead of giving into the temptation of turning away from God when persecution comes, we must instead turn to, meditate on, and hold dear the words that Jesus spoke when He sent us out: "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
The promise of God's presence was what the Apostle Paul focused on as he faced the many, many trials of his ministry (see Romans 8:18-37), and in doing so he was able to continue in that ministry knowing that nothing "in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39). Amen.
"I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord." (Philippians 4:2) Imagine if you had been called out in one of Paul's letters! Here Paul appeals to his two friends to work together. We don't know the exact situation, but clearly something had happened which led to disagreement. Paul urged them to "be of the same mind in the Lord;" to let what they held in common override that which led to their separation. Another source of S.A.D.D. can be our tendency to pay too much attention to our own "rights" or "needs," whether in the world or in the church. Earlier in this same letter Paul wrote, "Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:1-4) When we do that, our "S.A.D.D.ness" can be turned to complete joy.
ReplyDeleteMy guess: Two strong women leaders in the church, developed a bit of "selfishness and conceit", guarding their "turf", maybe with a bit of gossip ["prayer requests"] spread around discretely. Not likely to happen in OUR church!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you mentioned these two women getting "called out" by Paul. This kind of thing can be a big source of friction and fracture in a church. Small misunderstandings can turn into huge misunderstandings in a hurry and can lead to all kinds of issues, often without even realizing what happened. Small misunderstandings (especially those that mistakenly turn into big ones) can be a serious source of S.A.D.D as people try to overcome hurt, guilt, and frustration brought on by conflict within the church.
ReplyDeleteYes, pride can certainly turn a misunderstanding into a monster of an issue! When we're faced with such situations, we need to remember that Jesus gave us the answer to avoid that snowball effect and to maintain right relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters:
Delete"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector." -Matthew 18:15-17
While reading over this week’s Scriptures, you may find yourself having trouble relating to the examples of S.A.D.D. that lie within. I doubt, for instance, that any of you have melted down jewelry and fashioned a false idol. So let’s take a look at some typical presentations of S.A.D.D. amongst today’s Christians (in addition to Pastor Matt's example of someone who is focusing more on themselves than on God):
ReplyDeleteWhat we say: “I just can’t seem to find any time to study the Bible!”
What we’ve done: Spent an hour checking our e-mail or Facebook, two hours watching our favorite sitcoms, and another hour researching the best deals on refrigerators.
What we say: “I just don’t remember to pray every day.”
What we’ve done: Made a “To Do” list that includes everything from balancing the checkbook to changing the oil in the car to taking a steak out of the freezer, but which does not include the most important thing of all – time with God.
What we say: “I’d like to have closer relationships with those at my church, but I just can’t seem to connect.”
What we’ve done: Built our identity around something worldly (our job, our entertainment choices, etc.) instead of building it around Jesus Christ.
What we say: “I’d like to give more money to missions, but I just don’t have the cash.”
What we’ve done: Put aside money for a vacation we’ve been dreaming about, purchased new clothes for that vacation, and booked tickets for a show while we’re on that vacation.
The long and short of it is this: If we don’t want to be S.A.D.D., we need to put God first in absolutely every aspect of our lives. He gets the first-fruits of our thoughts, our time, and our money. He is the desire of our hearts. He is our joy.
Ouch! Jon
DeleteImplied but not stated in the "Breach" presentation (above), is the ultimate BREACH -- Jesus stood in the breach between a Holy God and us sinless creatures.
ReplyDeleteJon, what a blessing it has been to “blog” this week with you, Trish, and Pastor. Your “Previews of Coming Attractions” arrested our attention, and prepared us better to enjoy the “Full Length Feature” this Sabbath. Your Biblical knowledge, insights, and wisdom have been very helpful in better understanding the importance of making godly choices daily in our lives, as we study the “testimonies” of God’s servants in their role as Mediators – Moses, Servants of the Parable, and Paul.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord's special blessing for you this Sabbath. Shabbat Shalom!
As Doctor Vic alluded to in his two-word reply to yesterday's blog post ("Ouch! Jon"), the topic of S.A.D.D. is not a "feel good" message. It is one that reminds us of our human nature - something we don't always like to own up to.
ReplyDeleteWhen faced with messages like these, we often try to "soften-the-blow" either by listening with only one ear, or by fooling ourselves into believing that much of the message doesn't apply to us, or even by comparing our walk with others' ("Well, I know I'm not as bad about that as HE is!"). This, of course, is a mistake.
As we prepare our hearts for tomorrow's worship service, knowing that we will be confronted with the ways that we've allowed our attention to be drawn away from the Lord, let us consider the words of Peter:
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
(1 Peter 1:14-19: quote about being holy from Leviticus 11:44-45)
Good Sabbath, everyone! I'm sorry I'm going to miss the "live" worship experience, but happy to be able to meet and worship with the folks in our church plant at Clifton Park. A final "S.A.D.D." thought: another key to combating this in our daily lives, as Paul writes, is to dwell on (think about, meditate on, pay attention to) the things of God. Early theologians referred to this as "thinking God's thoughts after Him." How we spend our time reveals where our heart lies. If we want to be spiritually attentive, we are called to think about spiritual things. That requires a daily connection with God's Word, God's people, and of course, God Himself. You will be doing that today as you worship; it is up to you to make sure you do that tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. I'll let Paul have the last word. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9)
ReplyDeleteAmen.
ReplyDelete