We try to have a talk on vision to start the new year the KJV says people perish for lack of vision. I’ve felt challenged to talk about continuing to grow more Christ like. I want to look at a couple of characters in scripture and mix that with my own experience of suffering or challenging times.
The whole world has experienced suffering in the last two years. Clearly some have experienced this more intensely than others but still there has been an increased level of exposure to suffering for us.
We have been deprived of relationships, deprived of work, deprived of income, deprived of physical contact. Add to the list it is not complete.
The question is how do we handle this and how does that effect us for the coming year ahead.
Romans 5:1-5
Let me layout the context first.
We are terrible sinners YET Christ chooses to make us righteous. Why? because he loves us. How? Because he chose to love us.
The gospel is that those who are called useless by others are loved unconditionally by God. Those who think they are so great are still sinners but God is prepared to save them because of his love.
Your identity has been changed. You are now in Christ. That is your identity. Christ plus nothing.
Personal stories
Procrastination led to major money worries, but God would not let me get past this hurdle without changing. I needed the love and help of Lesley but in the end I had to make the choice to change. To know that God loves me, to declare that He loves me, to praise Him because he loves me. That saw me through and saw me change.
Joseph story.
Genesis 50:20-21
Peter story
What is our attitude in suffering?
You can be proud of your suffering. What I call Suffering Top Trumps.
“No one has suffered like me”
I am not suggesting stiff upper lip or Que Sera Sera. You are not Doris Day.
Suffering can make you bitter. If you think that God only loves you because you really love him and you have given everything up for him, you can become bitter. “Look what I’ve done for you Lord. Where’s your part of the deal?”
You can become anxious
In spite of how it feels, I know God loves me and he loves me more than I can possibly imagine.
What is the vision?
There is a hope a hope more certain than anything in the world, God loves you and Jesus died so you can enjoy the benefits of that love.
Take time to talk with him about it,
Declare out loud that he loves you especially when you don’t feel it.
Remember that this is for a reason. I don’t pretend to know what that reason is and you may not know until you are in circumstances that reveal it.
Get people around you to talk with you and pray regularly about it. The Father expresses his love through others often. Give example of Mike Pilavacci at Catalyst.
Finish where we started
Romans 5:1-5
Questions
1 . The bible is full of theology but also examples of people who are not perfect, some who overcome like Joseph and some like David who overcome but then fall. I used the examples of Joseph and Job but who do you identify with?
Peter? With his arrogant “I will never deny you” claim
David? Started well following after Gods heart but then became bored and fell with Bathsheba.
Paul? Very zealous but then totally transformed by experiencing Gods love by revelation.
Job?, Moses? Abraham? Joshua? Elijah? I could go on.
1.How are you adapting to the pandemic and the suffering that brings? Has it exposed any of your character weaknesses? Are you prepared to stand with each other to pray through the challenges?
2.I raised the issue of anxiety and used the illustration of the plug that has to be pushed down hard to release the plug and drain the water out. How are your anxiety levels? Discuss the basic position of accepting Gods love for you.