This week's "theme" and Scripture passages remind me of John 14:15-27, which is "summed up" in verses 23-27:
"Jesus replied, 'Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.'"
We are always longing for the peace that Jesus promised (and wants to give us) - "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" (Philippians 4:7), but so often we ignore the majority of Jesus' teaching, which is that to obtain that peace we must be walking in obedience.
Sin-generated anxiety – deserved and unconfessed: Ezekiel 12: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may be emptied of all who are in it, because of the violence of all those who dwell in it
Sin-generated anxiety – overwhelming, but confessed: Psalm 38 3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness. 18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.
Sin-generated anxiety -- open and hidden: John 8: “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Sin-generated anxiety – healed by prayer and confession: James 5 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
This is a bit tougher than the last three. We've talked about anxiety that finds its source in our circumstances and our schedules. Now we will look at another kind of anxiety, the sort of anxiety produced when we have made choices which hinder our relationship with God. Dealing with this isn't hard to do, but it is often hard to get started. When you come to worship this week you will find help in doing just that.
"Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there." Ezekiel 12:19
As God's people anticipated the exile that was to come, they were anxious. Their punishment was unavoidable and they knew it. Even though they were still eating and drinking, even though life at that point was much as it had always been, that time was coming to an end. They had separated themselves from God with their sin, and they would have to go through exile in order to restore that relationship. Sin gets in the way of our relationship to God, but there are ways to remedy that. For the Israelites, that meant exile. For us, that means expressing regret, exhibiting repentance, experiencing renewal, and exalting God. There is no "shortcut" in that process but if we will submit to our anxiety will be lifted and we will be ready to begin walking in obedience once again.
And, through it all, God's covenant remains. For a time He must withdraw - His people have defiled their relationship with Him. Throughout our scripture studies this week we see Him shepherding with compassion, cleansing through prayer (healing prayer: James 5) and confession. Not easy - prices are surely paid (Psalm 38), but, the relationship is restored! Ezekiel 7:4 "....then they will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel reminds me of the utter perfection - beauty - of our covenant relationship with our God. Promises made - promises kept.
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent." (Matthew 5:21-26)
Jesus wanted His followers to understand the importance of confessing our sin to one another in order to forgive and be forgiven. The church is full of sinful people (surprise, surprise, I know) and those we are most likely to hurt are the ones within our family. No doubt someone in church has offended you in some way. Even more certain is the fact that you have offended another. Carrying that offense around often leads us to bitterness and resentment (remember those two?) when God's will for us is to rejoice and give thanks as HE guards our hearts and minds. Sinning against one another brings anxiety, and we are commanded to go to one another, admit our sin, and ask for forgiveness. Is there anything you should take care of before you come to the altar for worship tomorrow? Do it now.
"My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear." (Psalm 38:4)
Sin produces anxiety. It also produces guilt. Guilt is a good thing, because it helps move us back to God so that we might admit our sin and ask for forgiveness (it is not shame; shame is not a good thing because it pushes us AWAY from God...see Adam and Eve and plenty of others for that story). The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and we feel guilty. That guilt can become a burden too heavy for even the strongest person to bear. I know the guilt I carried before I came to the cross was prodigious, and I can still close my eyes and recall that weight being taken from my shoulders as I responded to Jesus' offer of salvation. That same feeling is available for any of us, at any time, if we will turn to God, admit our sin, and ask for forgiveness. What a blessing that has been and continues to be in my own life. I pray that you experience that blessing each day as well; that the weight of your sin is not something you bear because it has been borne by Jesus on the cross.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11b)
Make no mistake. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, but He also commanded her to leave behind her sin (a more common translation is "Go and sin no more."). Now of course the woman Jesus admonished did not manage to never sin again after her encounter with Jesus. Just as surely as Lazarus died again even though he was raised, so too did the woman sin again even though she was forgiven. What Jesus was getting at here was two-fold. First, true forgiveness is based on true repentance. When we turn to God for forgiveness, the expectation is that we are genuinely attempting to turn away from sin. Second, we need to be careful that the sins we commit are not habitual. We all have "besetting" sins; sins which we find ourselves seemingly powerless against when the temptation to do them arises. That sin can be anything from lying to lust, from gossip to greed. We need to build hedges around such sins and find people who will hold us accountable. Sin has a price, and the price Jesus paid to cover our sins was terrible. To habitually sin and expect God's forgiveness is not only theologically wrong--it also cheapens the grace by which we are saved. When we admit our sin and ask for forgiveness, we need to do so with a contrite heart. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (Psalm 51:17) Come to God with a broken and contrite heart, and find forgiveness.
This week's "theme" and Scripture passages remind me of John 14:15-27, which is "summed up" in verses 23-27:
ReplyDelete"Jesus replied, 'Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.'"
We are always longing for the peace that Jesus promised (and wants to give us) - "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" (Philippians 4:7), but so often we ignore the majority of Jesus' teaching, which is that to obtain that peace we must be walking in obedience.
Sin-generated anxiety – deserved and unconfessed:
ReplyDeleteEzekiel 12: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may be emptied of all who are in it, because of the violence of all those who dwell in it
Sin-generated anxiety – overwhelming, but confessed:
Psalm 38 3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness.
18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.
Sin-generated anxiety -- open and hidden:
John 8: “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”
“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one,
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Sin-generated anxiety – healed by prayer and confession:
James 5 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
This is a bit tougher than the last three. We've talked about anxiety that finds its source in our circumstances and our schedules. Now we will look at another kind of anxiety, the sort of anxiety produced when we have made choices which hinder our relationship with God. Dealing with this isn't hard to do, but it is often hard to get started. When you come to worship this week you will find help in doing just that.
ReplyDelete"Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there." Ezekiel 12:19
ReplyDeleteAs God's people anticipated the exile that was to come, they were anxious. Their punishment was unavoidable and they knew it. Even though they were still eating and drinking, even though life at that point was much as it had always been, that time was coming to an end. They had separated themselves from God with their sin, and they would have to go through exile in order to restore that relationship. Sin gets in the way of our relationship to God, but there are ways to remedy that. For the Israelites, that meant exile. For us, that means expressing regret, exhibiting repentance, experiencing renewal, and exalting God. There is no "shortcut" in that process but if we will submit to our anxiety will be lifted and we will be ready to begin walking in obedience once again.
And, through it all, God's covenant remains. For a time He must withdraw - His people have defiled their relationship with Him. Throughout our scripture studies this week we see Him shepherding with compassion, cleansing through prayer (healing prayer: James 5) and confession. Not easy - prices are surely paid (Psalm 38), but, the relationship is restored! Ezekiel 7:4 "....then they will know that I am the Lord."
DeleteEzekiel reminds me of the utter perfection - beauty - of our covenant relationship with our God. Promises made - promises kept.
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent." (Matthew 5:21-26)
ReplyDeleteJesus wanted His followers to understand the importance of confessing our sin to one another in order to forgive and be forgiven. The church is full of sinful people (surprise, surprise, I know) and those we are most likely to hurt are the ones within our family. No doubt someone in church has offended you in some way. Even more certain is the fact that you have offended another. Carrying that offense around often leads us to bitterness and resentment (remember those two?) when God's will for us is to rejoice and give thanks as HE guards our hearts and minds. Sinning against one another brings anxiety, and we are commanded to go to one another, admit our sin, and ask for forgiveness. Is there anything you should take care of before you come to the altar for worship tomorrow? Do it now.
"My guilt has overwhelmed me
ReplyDeletelike a burden too heavy to bear." (Psalm 38:4)
Sin produces anxiety. It also produces guilt. Guilt is a good thing, because it helps move us back to God so that we might admit our sin and ask for forgiveness (it is not shame; shame is not a good thing because it pushes us AWAY from God...see Adam and Eve and plenty of others for that story). The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and we feel guilty. That guilt can become a burden too heavy for even the strongest person to bear. I know the guilt I carried before I came to the cross was prodigious, and I can still close my eyes and recall that weight being taken from my shoulders as I responded to Jesus' offer of salvation. That same feeling is available for any of us, at any time, if we will turn to God, admit our sin, and ask for forgiveness. What a blessing that has been and continues to be in my own life. I pray that you experience that blessing each day as well; that the weight of your sin is not something you bear because it has been borne by Jesus on the cross.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11b)
ReplyDeleteMake no mistake. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, but He also commanded her to leave behind her sin (a more common translation is "Go and sin no more."). Now of course the woman Jesus admonished did not manage to never sin again after her encounter with Jesus. Just as surely as Lazarus died again even though he was raised, so too did the woman sin again even though she was forgiven. What Jesus was getting at here was two-fold. First, true forgiveness is based on true repentance. When we turn to God for forgiveness, the expectation is that we are genuinely attempting to turn away from sin. Second, we need to be careful that the sins we commit are not habitual. We all have "besetting" sins; sins which we find ourselves seemingly powerless against when the temptation to do them arises. That sin can be anything from lying to lust, from gossip to greed. We need to build hedges around such sins and find people who will hold us accountable. Sin has a price, and the price Jesus paid to cover our sins was terrible. To habitually sin and expect God's forgiveness is not only theologically wrong--it also cheapens the grace by which we are saved. When we admit our sin and ask for forgiveness, we need to do so with a contrite heart. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (Psalm 51:17) Come to God with a broken and contrite heart, and find forgiveness.
Good Sabbath! May God bless you and yours as you prepare to worship this morning. See you at church!
ReplyDelete