11-21-2015

Good Morning All!!     

          Matthew 10:26; “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”

     There was a movie that came out in 1997 entitled “I know what you did Last Summer.”  It was based on a 1973 book by the same title.  The story was about four high school students who accidentally run over a pedestrian after a night of partying.  They dispose of the body and make a pact to never tell anyone.  A year later, one of the young ladies got a note that stated, “I know what you did last summer.”  After that, the four try to stay alive and solve the mystery of the note.

    Imagine, doing something so bad that you would do anything to hide it.  These four kids thought admitting to an accident would destroy their lives so they made a pact to never tell.  Somehow, someone found out and tormented, then killed some of them.  Even in the end, the survivors would not tell the police why the killer was after them.  As the movie ended, one of the girls saw a note with the saying, “I still know.”

    Do you have something in your past that you want to be completely hidden?  Was there something in your youth that you would like to stay there?  Perhaps you stole something from someone or maybe the local “hangout” store.  Maybe you broke a window in the neighbor’s house; maybe you were part of a group who vandalized something of value to the town.  Or maybe you have something even deeper.  Maybe you have a juvenile record and a history of being in trouble with the law.  You have outgrown it but would just as soon not have to explain it to your boss, spouse or children. 

    There are a lot of people who have things in their past that they would just as soon keep hidden; maybe not long ago.  Some even fear coming to church because of these “secret” sins.  Yet the amazing truth is that you and I have no secret sins; God already knows what you did last summer, the summer before and even the summers to come.  There is nothing hidden from God and even knowing us for exactly who we are; God loves us enough to send Jesus to die for us.  We don’t have to try and hide our life from God, we can give thanks that God loves us even when he knows the worst about us.  God’s love for you is not dependent upon you, what you have done or what you have failed to do.  God’s love depends entirely on God’s nature.  His love for you is genuine and exists because God chooses to love you.  You have no secrets from God.  Trying to hide things from God only causes you to suffer unnecessarily.  God’s grace removes the sin you think you have to hide.  Let God’s mercy free you from guilt and sorrow that you do not need to carry.

Gracious Father, too often we hide from you only to carry the burden of sin that you know about and have forgiven.  Guide us to follow your grace and walk with you in the knowledge of your love.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret