4-23-2015

Good Morning All!!

           Philippians 2:7; “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

       I was standing with a friend outside an auditorium where a convention was going on.  We were talking about life in general when a lady came up and asked one of us (not sure who), “Are you someone important?”  I still am not sure how one should answer this question.  Most of us were raised to be somewhat modest.  We read the story in the Bible where Jesus speaks of taking a seat in the back instead of one of the prime seats.  If you are important the host will move you up but if you are not that important the host will move you back.  Most want to be moved up and not moved back; being moved back would be humiliating.  So are you someone important?   

     That can be tricky to answer.  We were made someone important.  Jesus left his great throne in heaven, left behind his glory and became a man.  He emptied himself of the majesty that was his in order that he could move back and so you and I could move forward.  We move forward to a place of honor, to the place where only the sons sit at the banquet.  Because of what Jesus did for us, his death on the cross, we are lifted up before God.  We are lifted up from the depths of the pit.  We are lifted up before God to be his beloved, redeemed children.  All because Jesus emptied himself and became a servant, the servant who suffered all.

    So God has made us to be important before him; he has declared that we are holy and we are his children.  We are now heirs to the kingdom of God; we are heirs to eternal life.  We are given the keys to the heavenly kingdom.  We are important; God sent his only son to die for you and for me; he wouldn’t have done that for someone who wasn’t important.  He did it for someone he loved.  Now, as someone who God loves, we are entrusted with the rights of the family and with some of the responsibilities.

    God calls us to be his ambassadors.  We are to tell the world of Jesus and his love for us.  We are to demonstrate that love to the world.  We are to show the same mercy that he showed to us to those around us.  Just as Jesus brought healing into this world; we are to bring healing into this broken and fractured world.  We are to serve just as Jesus served.  We are to love our neighbors with the same Godly that he gives to us every day.  We are to love because we are first loved by him.

Gracious heavenly Father, your mercies are new to us each day.  You lowered Jesus so that we might be elevated.  You brought us out of the pit because you love us.  Lead us in your truth.  Lead us to know your eternal love.  Lead us to show your love.  Lead us to be your people.  Guide us by your Spirit.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret