September 30
Isaiah 60:1-62:5 | PS 72:1-20 | Prov 24:11-12 | Phil 1:27-2:18
We, as Christians must be careful. How are we presenting ourselves to the unsaved and outside world? There are no shortage of evils occurring in our world at the current time. Many of us have one eye on Scripture and one eye on what is now deemed alternative media sources. We may actually be connecting the dots accurately. We might feel that we see the truth below the surface, but most will not come running to Jesus simply because we have pieced things together. And certainly they will not come running if we appear angry because we now know the truth. Jesus is our Savior, our Example, our Model. In the face of evil, He represented truth, but He did not walk around angry. He embodied love continually. The other mistake is too many Christians have cowered in fear at our recent events. Fear and Christian should never go together. Jesus boldly took humanity's sins upon Himself, was beaten, mocked and crucified, yet never showed even the slightest glimpse of fear. Jesus is indeed the Light of the World, and we have been called to be His lightbearers: filled with truth, bold, joyful, loving, kind, etc., so that through our actions, others might be drawn to Jesus, the only Living Hope. This is our mission, as His ambassadors, his vessels.
Read Paul's instructions in Philippians 1:27-28, "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God." Some mistakenly think that was then, this is now, somehow believing that our times are somehow unique. Paul wrote this from his prison cell, and those prisons were not like our prisons. They were much worse. He speaks more of how their attitude should be in 2:14-15, "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,". The only way to do this is to be Christ centered first, as we read in 2:1, "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,". Next we must be others centered, as we read in 2:3-4, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." Yes, JOY really stems from Jesus, then Others, then You, in that order.
If all this sounds too difficult to do, consider this amazing portion of Scripture which describes what Jesus did, and what all will one day do before Him in 2:5-11, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." We are to stay abreast of current events. But we need to see them as they relate to His story. These times have already been discussed in Scripture. Yes, we are in the midst of great evil, but haven't we been warned of this beforehand. We should not be shocked. We need to get our heads out of the world which we often have too firm of a grip on, and release it, understanding our greater commission, which is moving forward with the gospel message, as Jesus clearly put forth in Matthew 28:18-20. May we be the face of Jesus to a world that desperately needs Him, whether or not they realize it.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: