Morning Message Text: Hebrew 4: 12-16
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Morning Message:
No matter how much I study God’s word and preach it to you, I always seem to come back to the basics. Living the Christian life can be very difficult in this sinful world, but it is not complicated. I find that I make it difficult, and maybe you will confess to this as well, I make it difficult when my priorities get mixed in with the desires of the flesh. To prioritize something is to arrange or do things in an order of importance. We don’t like to be told what to do, but as followers of Jesus, we have marching orders, things that should take priority over everything else in our lives. I tell you these things all the time, but here I go again, if you belong to Jesus your life is no longer your own. Your priorities must coincide with his.
You might say to me, “What are God’s priorities? How am I supposed to know them?” It’s in the Book. This scripture keeps coming up in my devotions and study time. I just mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, but here it is again: 2 Chronicles 7: 14: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” The book of 2 Chronicles is the Bible’s guidebook for revival. When you read 2 Chronicles you will find that the writer describes one spiritual awakening after another, and the theme of them all is found in chapter 7 verse 14. It begins with the phrase: “My people who are called by my name.” Who does that describe today?
There are two terms we often use interchangeably, but they are different: revival and awakening. An awakening describes a movement in which many numbers of lost people are awakened to their need for salvation and come to Jesus for eternal life. Awakenings are preceded by revivals, which begin in the church. For the world to change for Christ and the nations to return to him, the family of God needs to experience revival. It begins with us. Job number one as a follower of Jesus is what? Go and make disciples of the world. How can we best do that? Are you living in a state of perpetual revival? That’s the normal status of the follower of Christ — to be devoted to him and filled with his Spirit. When your own heart is revived, it will spread to others. And when the Church is revived, the world will be awakened. Our personal motto should be: Let it begin with me! Priorities, first things first.
Okay, we know that we need to prioritize our lives, so what is stopping us? We know that we should put God first, so what is our problem? We have the rich young ruler syndrome. We read the story of this young man, and we think to ourselves, God must be against the rich. That could not be further from the truth. There were many wealthy people listed in the Bible that were devoted followers of God. The problem was not that he was rich, but his possessions, the things of this world, were more important to him than the kingdom of God that he came to Jesus seeking. Jesus knew his heart. He knew what was motivating him, and He knew that his priorities were wrong. What about ours? This rich man most likely wanted to be able to keep what he had and also inherit the kingdom of God. In reality you don’t inherit salvation, it is a free gift from God.
Listen, our priorities are off because what motivates us in today’s society is wrong. Listen, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The inner life of a Christian is often a mixture of genuinely spiritual and completely human motivations. Only a supernaturally discerning agent such as the Word of God can sort out what is of the flesh and what is of the spirit. Navigating the Christian life without being constantly in God’s word is like walking through a minefield blindfolded. We could avoid so much danger if only we allowed God to open our eyes and light the way.
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” The believer’s part in persevering in the faith is emphasized. The author says to hold firmly, using a term that means to cling to, as if it requires some determination on our part, and it truly does. George H. Guthrie said, “A Christian profession or confession of faith involves commitment of one’s life, not just a phrase on one’s tongue.” When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the battle begins; not for your soul, but for your devotion. We must constantly be on guard and keep our priorities straight. We must stay in God’s word in order to stay motivated, because your sinful flesh and the Holy Spirit of God that now dwells within you are constantly battling for your attention.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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