Consider Jesus

At Amarillo First Naz we have been exploring Hebrews 12:1-4-The Great Race. The writer at one point exhorts us to 'consider Jesus'. In the middle of the race, when it is difficult, painful, unfair we are called to consider Jesus. The people receiving the letter were suffering for their faith in Christ. Life was not fair, God did not seem to be hearing their prayers because the circumstances weren't getting any better. The answer to their problems?-'consider Jesus.' Remember His suffering and pain. Remember the injustice He experienced. Remember that He was sinless, innocent, underserving of anything that He received. Remember that He did what He did because of my sin and ungodliness. Remember that God didn't even spare His Son but freely gave Him up for us all. Remember that there is no other message like it. Remember that there has never been or will be a greater sacrifice. Remember and be thankful, humble and available. Remember and be wholly His. Always remember the three nails.

The Great Race & Holiness

I've been digging in Hebrews 12: 1-3 for preaching material for the new year. The great race, the race of faith, following Christ. As I continue to dig into Hebrews you come to grips with the fact that the race is about holiness. Christ our sanctifier, died to make us holy (13:12, 2:11). We are called to live in holiness (12:14). We are his brothers, his family as we share in His holiness (2:11). How tragic that the church has abandoned the call to holiness, or watered it down to merely something positional. This holiness is to be personal and practical. This holiness is Christlikeness and sets the body of Christ apart from the confused world. The throne of grace is to provide grace and strength to live the holy life. We share a 'heavenly calling'(3:1) holy brothers-called to be different and make a redemptive difference-to be holy. This holiness is not legalism, but the life of Christ in us. The better covenant is for this purpose. We can draw near so our hearts will be transformed and we will find the faith that presses forward. We are holy in Christ and we are being made holy as the Father disciplines and the Spirit leads and we obey (10:14, 12:10). Let us go to the throne of grace to receive what we need for holy living. In a confused world I have a purpose and calling.

The Great Race

The writer of Hebrews is making a call to faith. Living in a confused world, sometimes it's not easy to live by faith, to trust in the true and living God. Faith is not something we create or work up, but a response to God, who He is and what He has said. Faith is a response to something else and as Christians we are responding to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The race we are running is a marathon. It's not easy, it's not a quick fix, it demands concentration, focus, commitment, sacrifice. The marathon runner builds his/her life around running the marathon. Every day decisions are made according to the commitment to run the long distance. We must build following Christ into everyday. Jesus said, deny self, take the cross and follow me daily. Daily we decide to follow Christ. Daily choices are driven by the commitment to be pleasing to the Lord. Our confidence to run the race is Jesus Christ. Let us focus our attention on Him and run and keep running the race. The world is in confusion. They don't know where they are going, or who they are following. Christ's people are confident about the future. The Author and Finisher of their faith calls us to keep running.

Christmas Blessing

The argument concerning Christmas continues. I choose to embrace the opportunity to focus on the great act of God's redemptive grace, He gave His Son. However it all came to be, it is an opportunity to call attention to an act like no other. The indescribable gift has been given and the world needs to be aware of this generosity. The Word became flesh-let that sink in. The Word became the sin offering for mankind (2 Corinthians 5:21). A price so great, a sacrifice so significant, an act of mercy so intense and awesome-who cares about the date, or the origins of a holiday. Let's worship and adore the living and true God who sometime, somewhere became flesh so that we might know Him. The world affords us an opportunity to focus attention upon this mercy. Celebrate every light, song, tree, gift, decoration-in some way they point to the King of kings. Christmas is God blessing a broken world. Let's be a blessing to Him!

Advent

As we enter Advent season of another year, we focus our attention upon one of God's sign posts. This neon sign reminds us of God's sovereignty, that His ways are beyond finding out or explanation. His plan, purposes and the working of His power defy our best explanation. What God does, how He has responded to the sinfulness of man should bring astonishment and wonder to us-always. Some hear the message and call it foolishness. Some hear, see and believe and through a power and authority not their own are transformed into children of God. A transformation that defies description and is experienced through faith. A song of praise replaces a cry of despair and emptiness. God is still working His plan. The Incarnation was only part of the story. Let's fix our eyes upon Jesus and refuse to settle for a Christianity that is less than what Jesus illustrated. He defines love, mercy, compassion, holiness, obedience, faith. He defines God. Fix your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith-the Word became flesh.

God's Rule

It is reported that when Churchhill was dying, after reflecting about the world and life he stated, 'there is no hope.' As we view the landscape of history, as we look into the troubled waters of tomorrow and work to make sense of the noise of today, it would seem that hope is in limited supply. One would especially come to this conclusion if you lived in other world areas. Areas constantly stressed and decimated by famine, war, genocide, disease, extreme poverty. The good news is God rules. In His sovereign purposes He is working His story and bringing to pass what He has planned. There is a solid foundation, there is an unshakable kingdom. The life of Jesus was reflective of this stability. Hanging from the cross, breathing the last breath of his earthly existence, He entrusted His spirit to the Father. Each day we should do the same. Each day we should submit to God's rule and live in His peace. Each day we can have hope because He is at work in all things. Someone said, 'life without Christ is a hopeless end, but life with Christ is endless hope.' Let's turn our eyes upon Jesus and live under God's sovereign rule-today!

Tune My Heart

The thanksgiving season is upon us, but for Christ's people, thanksgiving is to be a continual attitude and practice. The hymn states, 'come thou fount of every blessing tune my heart to sing thy grace.' We need a heart tuning to sing praise and thanksgiving and separate ourselves from complaining. It is a great sin for Christ's people to complain. We need to practice one minute praising throughout the day not only for each other, but for Almighty God. The King of kings deserves our praise. Israel had a tendency to forget. When we forget God and His blessings we become ingrates-ungrateful people. The opposite of an ingrate is a Christian. The person who remembers grace and mercy, who has not forgotten that they were once darkness, once without hope and without God, but now they have come to new abundant life in Christ. O Holy Spirit tune my heart to be a heart of praise and thanksgiving to God.