notes unscrambled...

I keep meaning to get a new journal to write my sermon notes in, but as you can see, I keep forgetting. This is what my bulletins look like when I come out of church. Today, particularly, I wrote not only on the front, but also inside and on the back! As of today, a new journal is at least on my Christmas list.

Today, Pastor Carl preached a very convicting message from Genesis 13. It truly has me thinking. 

He began by asking the congregation the following question, "How good is your faith in the midst of failure?" I, at this point, was thinking to myself,  "My faith is the only thing that gets me thru failure". I was thinking wrong. I don't have faith in times of failure. That is what I love about how Pastor Carl brings us God's word. He is not afraid to show us just how we might be mistaken by the way we are living. 

In the book of Genesis, chapter 13, Abram and Lots family possessions (Abram is Lots uncle), had grown so vast in riches, including material possessions & livestock that the land could not support them. To prevent a family dispute they decided the families would go their separate ways. Abram, who had the right to choose first because he was the patriarch of the family, offered Lot the first choice of where he would go. Lot made his decision on what he saw with his eyes, he surveys "the whole plain of the Jordan and saw that it was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar." (Genesis 13:10) Abram's choice was made for him, so he settled in Canaan. Lot chose to go to the area that would continue to grow his wealth, while Abram had no choice but to return to Canaan, where his growth did not seem to be guaranteed. 

With eyes of faith, Abram knows that God will prevail. Abram was able to "LET GO" because he KNEW that his future was in the palm of God's hand. Lot was given the oppurtunity to choose first. He used NO faith in his decision making process. He used his eyes. He used his eyes just as Eve did. The fruit was pleasing to her eyes. Lot forfits the blessing of God. The blessing was attached to Abram. God was going to be with Abram. Lot did not see this as a blessing. He had no faith. Abram knew that he was already blessed by God, not because of his material possessions or his fame, but because God was with him and always promised to be with him.  This allowed Abram to give freely to his nephew, Lot. 

Pastor Carl asked the congregation, "Lately, have you found yourself hording and holding onto everything you have. Have you noticed we are unwilling to help because the status of society?" 

The answer, for myself, is yes. I do find that I hold onto everything I have, because I am so afraid of losing it. We have not shown faith at all in our finances. I can give many excuses as Kelly lost his job, we're "saving" for IVF, someone took $1200 from us, I had to have surgery... but the truth is, while we have used the excuse that we are being "cautious", we really are lacking in faith. That hits hard when you look at it. The truth is that us being cautious could very well be separating us from the blessing of God.  The reality for us is that we have been greatly blessed by God because he gave us his son, Jesus Christ, what more can we want?  Why would we not freely give, since we are already so blessed?  

The sermon was summarized by asking, Would we give everything if only to have God and His promise? In todays society, social groups, work, material possessions & wealth can become a substitute god. We can serve the Living God or the god of choices of this world. Abram was content to lose everything that Lot might choose if only for him to have God and God's pleasure with him.

The greatest truth is that God's promise cannot fail. Faith is when you know this with no uncertainty. God has already assessed us and knows how we will react. Knowing this, we can survive the exposure of our sin to a Holy God. 

One last question.... Why would we choose Heaven before Hell, but not Heaven before Earth?