11-12-2019

Good Morning All,

       Philippians 3:13; “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,”

    Are we there yet?  Almost every parent who has driven their children from point “A” to point “B” has heard this.  “Are we there yet”; really is a very interesting statement.  Even though most of us have dealt with it with clenched jaws and frayed nerves and an annoyed response; it is a fascinating idea.  It assumes arrival.  The question, “are we there yet?’ has the very fundamental premise that we will get there.  Perhaps not as quickly as the rider who asks the question may want; but arrival is a given fact in the question.  The question recognizes that the ride might be long but arrival at the appointed destination is a given; a forgone conclusion.

    This is a tremendous truth within our faith; we will arrive.     One view of this is called the “now but not yet” view.  In this view, we are currently saved by the grace of Jesus but we haven’t received the fullness of what that means.  We will get it; we are just not there yet.  It is really amazing how much that little three letter word can instill confidence.  “Yet” always confers eventuality.  “Yet” assumes a further ending; and this is an ending that the world does not know.

    To the world, there is only then and now.  I used to be there but now I am here; but that is the end.  I used to be strong and athletic but not now.  I used to have great health but not now.  I used to have my whole life ahead of me but not now.  No wonder the world seeks answers in all the wrong places.  It is difficult to see any hope in a place where I am ending up.  The natural degradation of the human body, even the various parts of creation, leads us to a depressing idea.  This is the best it will be; yesterday was better and tomorrow will be worse because this is it.

    However, because of Jesus, those who are washed in the blood of Jesus get to end each phrase for each phase of life with the word “yet”.  We know that what we are right now is only a shadow of what we are to be.  We look forward to life with Jesus, eternal life in his eternal kingdom enjoying each day with the perfected body. 

   It always puts me in awe when I deal with many of our older believers.  Very few fear death; most look expectantly towards it because they see beyond death; they see the final destination; they hear the answer, “We are here!  We have arrived!”  We all know the joy of arriving at our planned destination; the excitement of who we are meeting and who is present.  It might be family members we rarely see or friends from far away or a new experience that we have desired for many years.  Jesus lets us always know that every situation has a “yet” to it.  “Are we there, yet?”  Soon, very soon, in a twinkling of an eye, there will be here and we will know his peace.

Father of all mercies; you give us hope.  You give us the right to say “yet” for we know that in You all the “yesses” of your promises are fulfilled.  Keep us focused on your wondrous light of hope that we may never despair but always hope in you.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret