Due to several contributing factors, this day has been a bit of a downer (except lunch with Karen!). But Father, You are the even keel in times of turbulent seas. Karen and I can share and encourage one another but You are the only one that can actually do something about it! And even if it is Your will for us to go through those kinds of things, You are a sure foundation upon which to stand when everything else is shaking us up!
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Lord Jesus, I am finding great reward in the new vein of sermon preparation that I have been undertaking the last few months. I don’t know about other bi-vocational pastors but for me I have found it easiest to work through other preachers’ sermons, making them my own. I’ve had about three pastors from whom I have found great treasures to share and I always give them credit for their work.
But recently, I have gotten my core from my denomination’s Discipleship Ministry’s website. It provides me with just enough of a base that I can run with it from there. I’ve been striving to write my own sermons but with working and with posting this blog five times a week, it’s not an easy task.
We have been working through 1 Corinthians and after reading through this Sunday’s foundational core I sat down to write this afternoon and my mind just sort of began whipping all my thoughts together.
The Corinthian church was a church divided and the Apostle Paul’s letters to them were aimed at helping them to regain their focus. And that focus was Jesus – not Paul, or Peter or Apollos. They were all great men of faith and God surely used them in a mighty way to impact the infant Church. But not one of them placed themselves above their Lord and Savior but humbly bowed at His feet in submissive service.
No matter where you look, our world is a world divided – homes, families, places of employment, governments, and sadly the church continues to be a part of the mix, as well. I guess if you think about it, even the very first brothers – Cain and Able – were divided. Able did what God wanted, and Cain did what Cain wanted – division. It is what sin does. Sin divides.
“In the beginning” (Genesis 1), Adam and Eve had a beautiful union with God. But when given the opportunity, they allowed sin to enter the picture and in doing so they put a division between God and us, one which we could not overcome.
But God knew what we would do before we were even created (Ephesians 1:4) and He laid the groundwork to redeem us, though it would cost Him dearly. And now we can have that division eradicated for eternity if we will but come to Him.
Lord Jesus, in my heart of hearts I know that You, and no other, can heal the division which we have between us – between us and You and between us and others. There is hope and healing only in submission to You. And Lord, You don’t want us corralling this in just a couple areas of our lives. You want us to diligently seek to eliminate division from every aspect of our lives.
Lord, use me as a catalyst for change, in my home, at my job, in my church…throughout my life. In Your strength and wisdom may I be used to bridge the many divisions. Only then will peace – true peace – abide. Amen.
Feb 10th, 2020, Mon, 12:32 pm
