Mid-Week Message - Is He Sufficient?

"He must become greater; I must become less."  John 3:30  (NIV) 

Those who have children may have one or two who are strong-willed.  They want to do things their way and do it by themselves.  Resisting discipline, they are determined to explore that world on their own terms and parents may wonder how to reign them in without breaking their spirit. 

Often, these are also the high-achievers.  They are willing to step "outside of the box" to investigate life.  They try things that others may not think to try and think through problems in unique ways.  As a result, they may be able to solve long-standing issues, become inventors, write the great American novel, or paint masterpieces.  

However we fall in the family hierarchy, whatever our personalities or talents might be, we have one trait in common and that is that we tend to make life about ourselves.  We concentrate on what WE want, what WE like, what makes US happy.  Especially today, we live in a ME society.  We are seeing that especially right now as the nation is going through the throes of individuals being easily offended and wanting everyday words and actions to be changed to suit them.  

As I grow older, the more and more I realize that life isn't about me, or any of us.  It is about our Lord and Savior.  Our purpose is to bring Him glory.  In order to do that, we have to learn to put Him above all.  That doesn't mean we neglect other people or our duties and responsibilities in life.  It means that we live and relate in such a way that is pleasing to Him.  

There is a song, sung by the Christian artist Steve Green, entitled "Whatever It Takes."  It is one that always leads me to prayer, but also challenges how I live my life.  Here are some of the lyrics:

                Whatever it takes to keep me tender toward you

                Whatever it takes, Lord, I beg you to do

                Whatever you must lead me through

                Whatever it takes, Lord, do   

When I first heard this song, I wondered if I would ever be able to pray those words.  Would I ever be able to turn loose of what is important to me and give it all over to Him?  The first few times I attempted to say this as a prayer, I found myself wanting to put stipulations on what I was asking such as, "Please don't touch my family."  Then I understood that "whatever" was all-encompassing and that the only way I could mean it was to be willing to surrender all I held dear on earth.

As time goes by and as I spend more and more time with the Lord, I am beginning to see that what I have to ask myself is this:  Is He sufficient?   If suddenly everything and everyone was gone from my life, would His presence, His love, His sacrifice, His resurrection, be sufficient for me?  

These are difficult things to think about but it is my desire.  I want to bring Him glory.  I want my life to point to Jesus.  If He uses me in the life of only one person who chooses to repent and believe in Him then my life will have fulfilled a much greater purpose than it would have if I had spent it any other way.  

So, I ask you the question I ask myself.  Is He sufficient?  Could you lay everything down if He asked you to?  Can honoring Him become your greatest desire?  

Lots to think about this week.  God bless.  

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 5:7-14

Proverbs 5:7-14 English Standard Version

7 And now, O sons, listen to me,

    and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

8 Keep your way far from her,

    and do not go near the door of her house,

9 lest you give your honor to others

    and your years to the merciless,

10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,

    and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,

11 and at the end of your life you groan,

    when your flesh and body are consumed,

12 and you say, “How I hated discipline,

    and my heart despised reproof!

13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers

    or incline my ear to my instructors.

14 I am at the brink of utter ruin

    in the assembled congregation.”

Morning Scripture Reading - Romans 6:20-23

Romans 6:20-23 English Standard Version

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Evening Scripture Reading - Luke 1:46-56

Luke 1:46-56 English Standard Version

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

    and exalted those of humble estate;

53 he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and the rich he has sent away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

55 as he spoke to our fathers,

    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 99:8-9

Psalm 99:8-9 English Standard Version

8 O Lord our God, you answered them;

    you were a forgiving God to them,

    but an avenger of their wrongdoings.

9 Exalt the Lord our God,

    and worship at his holy mountain;

    for the Lord our God is holy!

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 5:1-6

Proverbs 5:1-6 English Standard Version

Warning Against Adultery

1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom;

    incline your ear to my understanding,

2 that you may keep discretion,

    and your lips may guard knowledge.

3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,

    and her speech is smoother than oil,

4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,

    sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death;

    her steps follow the path to Sheol;

6 she does not ponder the path of life;

    her ways wander, and she does not know it.

Morning Scripture Reading - 1 John 2:15-17

1 John 2:15-17 English Standard Version

Do Not Love the World

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Evening Scripture Reading - Isaiah 8:17

Isaiah 8:17 English Standard Version

17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 99:6-7

Psalm 99:6-7 English Standard Version

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,

    Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.

    They called to the Lord, and he answered them.

7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;

    they kept his testimonies

    and the statute that he gave them.

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 4:20-27

Proverbs 4:20-27 English Standard Version

20 My son, be attentive to my words;

    incline your ear to my sayings.

21 Let them not escape from your sight;

    keep them within your heart.

22 For they are life to those who find them,

    and healing to all their flesh.

23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,

    for from it flow the springs of life.

24 Put away from you crooked speech,

    and put devious talk far from you.

25 Let your eyes look directly forward,

    and your gaze be straight before you.

26 Ponder the path of your feet;

    then all your ways will be sure.

27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

    turn your foot away from evil.

Morning Scripture Reading - 2 Corinthians 13:11

2 Corinthians 13:11 English Standard Version

Final Greetings

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Evening Scripture Reading - Romans 3:27-31

Romans 3:27-31 English Standard Version

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 99:1-5

Psalm 99:1-5 English Standard Version

The Lord Our God Is Holy

1 The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!

    He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

2 The Lord is great in Zion;

    he is exalted over all the peoples.

3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!

    Holy is he!

4 The King in his might loves justice.

    You have established equity;

you have executed justice

    and righteousness in Jacob.

5 Exalt the Lord our God;

    worship at his footstool!

    Holy is he!

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Shaped by Faith and Love

When I was in junior high school many years ago, we were encouraged to try different things. Every six weeks we would do something creative and different. One time I was in a drama class and selected to be the lead actor. It was fun and very exciting to act. Later, I learned how to make a leather wallet and learned to tool leather to create intricate designs. One of the most interesting was a class where we shaped clay and painted clay figurines. In that class, I learned how certain paints and glazes react when heated in a kiln. I learned to shape clay and how to make slip castings. It was fun and very relaxing to create actual pieces of art. One of the items I made was a parrot for my mother. She loved the gift, but it didn’t survive the years.

What I learned is that all things, including our own lives, are shaped by some sort of force. For example, I was talking with a dear friend of mine today. She told me that her husband had passed away earlier this month. He had suffered with many medical problems and life was always a struggle for him. 

Tragic events like that one, as well as those of celebration, shape our lives daily. Our lives are literally and figuratively changed forever. Our perspective on life also changes. We are definitely shaped by external forces. Although those events are difficult to deal with and we wish that we didn’t have to go through them, they are a part of life that we have to endure. Whether we want them or not, those events happen and they teach us a lesson about ourselves and how we can react to stress.

In that class I took, I learned that certain glazes turn clear after they are put in the kiln for heating. They may be applied to a cast and it looks milky white, but when extreme heat is applied, they turn as clear as glass. 

All things react to temperature and pressure. We are no different. If you experience stress and then add a tragic event, a number of things could happen. It could make you stronger or it could cause you to crumble. It just depends on the material and how you are shaped by your faith.

Paul, in chapter one of his first letter to Timothy, writes, “Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.”

Some of us, like I did, have grown up with the teachings of Christ Jesus. We have had that “pattern of wholesome teaching” instilled in us. We have heard the Good News and embraced it. We have grown stronger on our daily walks with our Lord. Then, one day, our faith is put to the test. We experience a tragedy in our lives and then we are faced with stress. Like the clay, or slip that is used for casting, we are suddenly placed in the “kiln of life” and have to deal with high temperatures.

We can either choose to keep our shape by relying on our faith and love or crumble and fall apart. When we look to our faith, we can make it through the experience and come out of the crucible just a little bit wiser and stronger. 

In chapter seventeen of the Book of Proverbs, the author tells us, “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.”

Some translations use the word, “crucible”. A crucible is defined as “a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures.”

We often find ourselves enduring the extreme temperatures of a situation. Those moments truly test our mettle. Each day we face situations that test us. Some are tragic while some are minor. But, we face them nevertheless. It is part of life.

What are you facing today? Do you feel that you are in the “kiln of life” and experiencing those searing temperatures? Do you feel things crumbling?

If you are dealing with those high temperatures, reach out to your Father. God is always there to help you get through those moments. Depend on that pattern of faith that has been shaped ever so lovingly by Christ Jesus. He will never forsake you or leave you to handle things alone. 

All it takes is a small prayer. God listens to His children and will be there to help you. He will put His loving arms around you and shield you. All you have to do is call out to Him and He will be all that you need in that situation and so much more.

When you open your heart to Him, He will fill you with joy and show you a love and peace that this sinful world cannot give you. Begin your daily walk with Jesus and let him show you the way to your Father. When you face tragedy or feel the world closing in on you, you can always depend on Him and stand firmly in His grace. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 4:10-19

Proverbs 4:10-19 English Standard Version

10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,

    that the years of your life may be many.

11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;

    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,

    and if you run, you will not stumble.

13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;

    guard her, for she is your life.

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,

    and do not walk in the way of the evil.

15 Avoid it; do not go on it;

    turn away from it and pass on.

16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness

    and drink the wine of violence.

18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

    they do not know over what they stumble.

Morning Scripture Reading - Exodus 9:16

Exodus 9:16 English Standard Version

16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

Evening Scripture Reading - Philippians 4:4-7

Philippians 4:4-7 English Standard Version

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 98:7-9

Psalm 98:7-9 English Standard Version

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

    the world and those who dwell in it!

8 Let the rivers clap their hands;

    let the hills sing for joy together

9 before the Lord, for he comes

    to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

    and the peoples with equity.

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 4:1-9

Proverbs 4:1-9 English Standard Version

A Father's Wise Instruction

1 Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,

    and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

2 for I give you good precepts;

    do not forsake my teaching.

3 When I was a son with my father,

    tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

4 he taught me and said to me,

“Let your heart hold fast my words;

    keep my commandments, and live.

5 Get wisdom; get insight;

    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

    love her, and she will guard you.

7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

    and whatever you get, get insight.

8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

    she will honor you if you embrace her.

9 She will place on your head a graceful garland;

    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

Morning Scripture Reading - 1 Chronicles 29:10-12

1 Chronicles 29:10-12 English Standard Version

David Prays in the Assembly

10 Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.