Thursday, January 08, 2015

Did they hear the same thing I did?



Did they hear the same thing I did?  Last Sunday night our pastor delivered a message on the sincere milk of the word and Paul's desire that Christians mature to he could teach them deeper things.  The basic tenants of Christianity are simple.  Because of our inherit sin nature we are separated from God. We all must die a physical death just as we all were born with a physical body.  When this body dies we will receive an eternal body and either be reunited with God or eternally separated from Him.  Spiritual death is the consequence of sin but we do not have to suffer that death also.  Christ died upon the cross as a substitute for us so that we may be reunited with God. 
    That experience is called the second birth and all our sins are forgiven.  We then become sons of God and are expected to live a life pleasing to Christ and God the Father and to yield our decisions to the Spirit of God that indwells us. 
   The problem is we still live in this sinful wicked world in our body of flesh and have to deal with our shortcomings and  the wiles of Satan.  We can withstand his temptations and live a life as sweet and holy as that lived by Christ but only if we grow up, or mature.  We need to pray constantly, yield or thoughts and decisions to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, study God's word and apply it's teachings to our life. 
   No one is born a mature Christian.  Christianity is not a set of rules to follow or rituals to preform nor is it setting ourselves above the rest of the world as somehow better than others.  That is a deception of Satan.  Just as physically we start out as helpless babies we do the same as new Christians.  We have to develop spiritually and the relationship between us and God had to be nurtured. 
   Just as some humans always seem to make bad decisions, have a hot temper, and have not been able to develop relationships with others, some Christians never seem to mature.  Christ teaches us how to handle conflict with each other, how to deal with our enemies, and how to have a mature relationship with him.  Yet some people just never seems to get beyond being a child.
   Often times  our pastor will allow congregants to sing before the service but not always.   Sunday night was one of those rare nights that we went straight into the preaching and apparently one lady was wanting to sing.  "Well", she said, "if the preacher won't let me sing I'll just quit the choir." 
If that wasn't bad enough another member heard what she said.  I don't know if she spoke to him or was just overheard by him but he just couldn't wait to get to the preacher to tell him what she had said. 
   So what we have heard is a lady acting negatively to an event and another person gossiping about it.   To be honest the lady can't sing a lick but that isn't the point.  She does what she does because it is a way to praise and honor God.  She also knows many kids songs and loves to work with the juveniles by teaching them these little choruses.  Even so, it is immature to get upset because "I" didn't get to do what "I" wanted to do. 
   The man who heard her sentiment should have prayed for the lady  asking God to help her with her understanding.  If he was to say anything to anyone he should have spoken to her and corrected her attitude.  That's why I wonder if they heard the same sermon as I did.

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