“Renewing Our Vows” By Brother Kenneth Ray July 1st,
2012 Last Sunday, we touched on the
process of two people being in a relationship that results in wedlock. We looked at our relationship of coming to be
a Saint from a sinner; that its journey is similar. It is the end of a short (or long) process
that ends in joy and happiness for one’s self and is felt and shared by all who
witness the event. The Christian Honeymoon: For a time, it is different for each. Not everyone travels the same road; we have
different backgrounds, different cultures, different languages. But, during this period, we are on fire; we
have glee, joy to the fullest. You and I
have never felt so good; the weight of the world and our burdens are gone. We want to tell everyone who will listen (and
even some who won’t) of God’s move upon our lives. At this point, we really are just
getting into the starting blocks. Did
you ever watch athletes getting ready to run a race? They do a lot of
stretching, try to loosen up their “hammies,” etc. then they get into the
starting blocks. They are hoping for a
clean start, but the unknown is what’s before them. It is exciting and scary at the same time. Let me ask a question: How many here are human? We all have human nature; this is the ongoing
struggle. How many of you, this past
week, had your human nature get in the way of your Christian walk? My way, or God’s way? I need to self-check to see if it is my way,
and, if so, first I have to recognize, and remember what I promised to God the
day I took on His name. Second, I have to
be willing to yield to the Spirit of God.
This is something that we have to do on a recurring basis. In the military, we have certain checks that
we have to do periodically, some of them are annual checks, semi-annual,
monthly… but this is a daily check, and
more often if required. Allow God to
take away what doesn’t please Him, and put in what does please Him. There’s a brother in San Diego that a lot of
times will listen to what you have to say, and he’ll say, “That’s interesting.”
And then he’ll repeat back to you what you said, and then he’ll say “But what
does the Bible say?” In marriage, we hear of something called
“the itch.” Sometimes our emotions will
cause us to be attracted to someone other than our spouse. Character issues can lead to divorce. In the Christian walk, temptations are when you
desire things that are harmful to your relationship with God. When we put the flesh into subjection, and
the Spirit of God is leading, that is when we can live a life of peace,
harmony, and victory. It’s NOT about
works; it’s not about doing good things or being a good person, but living a
life that is pleasing to God. This
brings unity to the community, and by ‘community,’ I mean the body of Christ. Character Issues: Human relations often start with physical
attraction, but many times ends because of character issues. The same holds true with our relationship
with God; sometimes we like the way a church looks, or everyone is friendly (at
least on Sunday morning). In human
relations, over time, we lose romance for one another and just have a
relationship. Passion has become past
tense. You may say, “Jesus is my Savior,”
and someone may look at you and say, “Really?”
If you want an honest assessment of your walk with Christ, ask a
bystander. If you want your ego stroked,
ask a church-member, they’ll tell you that you’re doing great. The Bible tells me that if I am bringing
a gift before the altar, and remember that my brother has something against me,
that I should leave my gift, and go make it right with my brother (Matthew
5:23-24). Now I’m worthy to bring a gift
to the altar. Make
today the start to renew our hearts to God.
Make today the start of forgiveness and service. Let burn again the fire of our first love
toward Jesus. Renew His victory in our
lives. Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd |
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