Wednesday, July 29, 2009

A Game Plan to Win


Romans 12:1-6a "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us."

While on vacation to Bass Lake, California to spend some time with my dad in a little piece of paradise in God's artistry of the western Sierra Nevada mountains, we joined our brothers and sisters in Christ for Sunday worship at the "Little Church in the Pines". What a blessing to find that the church facility was the location for the Fresno area Fellowship of Christian Athletes (SALT) Student Athlete Leadership Training for the week, and the Sunday Service was to be led by this Christ-centered group of dedicated and kingdom-minded disciples of our Lord, from Fresno State University. Exciting, emotional and heart-touching testimonials were shared by individuals of how Jesus has been present in and changed their lives, through living sacrifices ... and as one student said: "by showing me my past, God is now showing me my future" - a future founded on knowledge, righteousness and holiness; a game plan to win!

Matthew 18:21-35 "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Fresno FCA Leader Jamal Jones gave the Sermon message based on the Scripture of the Unmerciful Servant because this Word of God touched him so powerfully that week. How much debt were we forgiven, out of love and mercy, by God and at what cost? Jamal defined love as "to give what others need, though they do not deserve it, and it is at a great personal price, and expect nothing in return from them". I saw that, in order to appreciate the height to which we have been forgiven and raised, we should contemplate the the depth to which we have sunk in this world by personal sin (as in the parabol, we owe God more than we could ever pay). The corruption of sin has thoroughly pervaded human nature and the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law. The holistic character of sin shines through every intention. Romans 1:18 tells us -"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness". But in Jesus, paradise (God's kingdom and it's presence) is in the process of being regained in souls. With Jesus as our substitute, God's wrath is satisfied, we are forgiven the debt that we could not pay back, and God can justify those who believe in Jesus. He endured it on the cross for us, not with us. 'Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' Child of God, are you and I living like an unmerciful servant too? Wow!

You had to be there, and I was privileged to have seen, heard and felt the energy of the the Spirit of God flowing from these young men and women, who discovered who they were in Christ, with a whole wondrous life ahead, making real plans with the help of God for a purposeful, positive and productive walk for His glory. God bless the "Fellowship of Christian Athletes".

In Christ, Brian

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