Good morning and happy Saturday. I hope that you had a good week in spite of all of the craziness of the world we are living in. Some days it is like we have woken up in bizarro world. Praise God that the Lord is still on His throne, and we are not the ones that have to figure everything out. The words that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi provide us with sage advice. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousnessbe known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finallybrothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.
Michelle and I were out running errands on Friday afternoon. As we made our way down Shawnee Mission Parkway, I noticed a sign that had been in front of a business for several years. It said, “Under new ownership.” Typically, people might advertise that when they buy a business so people will know there has been a change. However, it becomes old news after a year or so. I think this sign might have been up for over five years. Unless the business is getting sold every other year it might be time to get a different sign.
For some reason this made me think of us. When we become Christians, we could actually get a sign or at least a shirt that says, “Under new ownership.” In 1 Corinthians 6, we read the following: 19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body. Even though the immediate context of that passage deals with sexual immorality, the words apply to the totality of our lives. When we become a Christian, we are surrendering our lives to Jesus. He becomes our Lord and master. In the great commission, Jesus clearly states, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18). In Philippians 1:27, we are admonished to, “live your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ,” In Colossians 2:6, we are instructed, “6 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him…” And then in chapter 3, “23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” There are many other passages we could refer to but allow these to suffice. We belong to the Lord. We are His. We are to follow Him. We are to listen to Him. We are to obey His Word. Maybe, regardless of how many years we have been a Christian, we need to be reminded with the words, “Under new ownership.”
To those who have received a faith equal to ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us byhis own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:1-8)
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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