Think of what the Philippians heard. The cross wasn’t embossed on their Bibles or hung in their churches or worn on a pretty chain around their necks. The cross had none of the softened beauty of today, it was the brutalist of punishments and the ultimate humiliation. This is the heart of Paul’s theology. His understanding of Gods being and his doing in our fallen world. This is who God is. Obedience wasn’t demanded of Christ it was freely given. He humbled himself because it is who he is. The one equal with God has fully revealed the highest truth about God, that God is love. A love that expresses itself in sacrifice.
The mind of Christ kind of obedience isn’t a demanded, blind, unquestioning, “shut up and do it”, kind of obedience. Though at times when I am filled with selfish ambition and vein conceit it would probably be advisable. This is an obedience that flows out of love, knowing the character of God so deeply that that character is being formed in me.
We bring the whole of who we are into parenting, and all will sometimes sin. Sometimes get it wrong. The sooner we understand that the more we let go of the drive to be the perfect parent, the more we lean into the perfect parent—God.
"The beyond-our-comprehension reality at the heart of the universe is that God in Christ on the cross has forgiven all our sins, set us right with Him, and gathered us into His righteousness. We cannot comprehend it, but we can most certainly live it—a way of life in which everything about us is and continues to be formed in the likeness of Christ."
There is our hope. Part of my continual frustration and shame came from trying to be perfect, to be "God." To somehow control each situation and raise the perfect children and create the perfect memories. And though God desperately wanted to work in me and through me, he never meant for me to do the job that was His.
"What happens if I ask you if the way you respond in times of stress, or pain, or loss, support what you claim to be your picture of God? When life goes wrong, do you ever wonder if God is punishing you? Do you truly feel that God is always for your? Or a bit against you? What does your prayer life suggest about your true picture of God? How about your level of anxiety? Your relationships? How you feel about yourself? AW Tozer wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” The truth is we can think we know a lot about God and His Word, give all the right answers, and yet—because our stated belief doesn’t match our long-term persistent experience of God, we will live out a completely different picture of God than the one we say we believe."
When we're attentive to the Spirit, He can teach us through a variety of unconventional ways—through circumstances, through friends, and even through the songs we hear. Our pastors have been listening, and over three-weeks, they'll share a few words of wisdom by playing off various songs that are currently popular. Today's sermon is on the subject of confession—how it can be heartwrenchingly difficult, but also how it is a necessary aspect of becoming whole in Christ. It requires honesty, self-discovery—and bravery.
As we conclude the series, Tell The Story, we consider the Old Testament practice of "Remembering." One of the primary means in which the nation Israel worshiped was through the…