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Sunday 26 April

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My message is based on the following passage

1 Peter 1: 17 - 23
​New Revised Standard Version

17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth through the Spirit  so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another constantly from the heart.[c] 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.[d]

When I reflect on this passage, I see that Peter gets right to the nub of the issue here in verse 17 “if you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile”. In other words, if you call God “God” and know that “he will be your judge” then you had better get with the plan! The choices and lifestyles of their ancestors – the chosen people of God, were not up to scratch and ended up with the loss of God’s blessings and their exile. The people knew this! It was preached in the temples and synagogues yet Paul needs to tell them again!
He reminds them that the Lord was ransomed to pay for their sins. Then goes on to remind them of scripture’s foretelling of Christ.
The only way We can do good, the only way We can avoid “exile” through the loss of God’s favour is through obedience to God’s good and perfect will!
If it is good and perfect, why would we do anything else I ask? But I still do the same as most of you. I like to do it my way!

Living in a new house let my wife and I watch how the houses were put together. Not always what I wanted to see mind as there is a correct way and an easier or quicker way achieved by cutting corners. Corners that sometimes lead to near disasters but more frequently simply lead to more work to put things right.
Take our sitting room for example, it had to be fully redecorated before we could move in. There wasn’t a bit of it that was as it should have been! Yet had it been done correctly to the plan and as per best practice, well, you work out what is best.

Who among us can honestly say “they wake up in the morning and ask God to lead us in every aspect of our day and then say thank you to him in the evening as we go to sleep and ask that he look after us in our sleep”, every day? Your commitment to God is greater than mine if you do that every day AND do what he asks.
It is and should be a daily struggle to follow our Lord, after all, he did say in Matthew 11:28-30, and by the way I just love the way Eugene Peterson puts it in his “Message” paraphrase: -
Matthew 11:28-30 The Message (MSG)“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

What a thought, to glide through the difficulties of this life as if, it was business as usual, just a day at the office, there was no problem, that is a thought worth aiming for, is it not?

Totally different from burying our heads in the sand mind! We can’t’ ignore the challenges of life! That would be foolish and it isn’t what Christ is suggesting here! On the contrary, when we have the safety net of knowing we can and will get by, because we live in grace, then we can take things in Our stride. Not your stride or my stride but in partnership with Christ. Christ in the lead and the rest of us following on behind. A bit like how Donald Gillis put it in his well-loved Christmas Carol “Good King Wenceslas”.
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
All I can say is, why wait until we can go no longer? Marking Christ’s footsteps appears to make good sense to me! Allow him to lead and when you need help to help you know who to ask for that help.
Please pray with me: -
Lord Jesus Christ, without you in our lives we are but clanging gongs and yet with you in our lives we become a part of your orchestra, each playing our part, notes in perfect harmony. Help us to be in harmony with you and with those around us! May we learn to be attentive to you, our conductor, as you give us the opportunities to play as part of your orchestra in corporate prayer or as a solo part in prayer or service as you see fit.
Amen and may you be aware of God’s love today and every day.