The Direction of our Lives
10/05/20
What an odd situation – and yet we are getting used to it – being unable to meet and greet!
Do you remember not that long ago when we were able to meet but it was not thought prudent to shake hands and give a hug? It affects us all a bit differently – Kathy is really missing the opportunity to hug our family especially after the death of her father.
Our exhortation this morning is a little reflection on the direction of our lives.
The daily readings over the past couple of weeks or so (if we choose to read the word of God that way) have been dealing with new beginnings.
In Deuteronomy there we have a record of the Children of Israel just before they move into the promised land. The first 4 verses of Chapter 12 of Deuteronomy detail what they were required to do once they moved into the land. They were not to worship the Lord God in the same way that the nations in the land worshipped the multiplicity of their gods and remove all high places. And yet these clear and unequivocal commands were never followed through completely. Even in the reign of good king Amaziah of Judah, we read in 2 Kings 14v3,4, “And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places”.
In Acts we have been reading of the beginnings of Christianity. It started all really well when we read in Acts 2v42-47 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
But soon all sorts of problems emerged!
Each week we start with a new beginning but it never seems long until things go wrong and we forget about what we are remembering today.
Even though we are no longer servants of sin (after our baptism) we still are affected by our sin. As we start a new week, and as we perhaps begin to contemplate a change in our freedom with lockdown being eased, we need to be careful to remember God’s love and the love of Jesus Christ for you and me and use that as a restraint in our daily lives. We need to cease to serve self and be servants of God. God gave his own son to present to us the wonderful opportunity of a new beginning in His kingdom. Jesus devoted his life to always serve His Father and give us the opportunity for that renewed beginning. We remember the sacrifice made for us in the Bread and cup which we now are about to share.
LY
Do you remember not that long ago when we were able to meet but it was not thought prudent to shake hands and give a hug? It affects us all a bit differently – Kathy is really missing the opportunity to hug our family especially after the death of her father.
Our exhortation this morning is a little reflection on the direction of our lives.
The daily readings over the past couple of weeks or so (if we choose to read the word of God that way) have been dealing with new beginnings.
In Deuteronomy there we have a record of the Children of Israel just before they move into the promised land. The first 4 verses of Chapter 12 of Deuteronomy detail what they were required to do once they moved into the land. They were not to worship the Lord God in the same way that the nations in the land worshipped the multiplicity of their gods and remove all high places. And yet these clear and unequivocal commands were never followed through completely. Even in the reign of good king Amaziah of Judah, we read in 2 Kings 14v3,4, “And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places”.
In Acts we have been reading of the beginnings of Christianity. It started all really well when we read in Acts 2v42-47 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
But soon all sorts of problems emerged!
Each week we start with a new beginning but it never seems long until things go wrong and we forget about what we are remembering today.
Even though we are no longer servants of sin (after our baptism) we still are affected by our sin. As we start a new week, and as we perhaps begin to contemplate a change in our freedom with lockdown being eased, we need to be careful to remember God’s love and the love of Jesus Christ for you and me and use that as a restraint in our daily lives. We need to cease to serve self and be servants of God. God gave his own son to present to us the wonderful opportunity of a new beginning in His kingdom. Jesus devoted his life to always serve His Father and give us the opportunity for that renewed beginning. We remember the sacrifice made for us in the Bread and cup which we now are about to share.
LY
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