Sunday VT – 9/7/2014

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Speakers:

• Steve Atherton
• Robin Atherton

Scriptures used:

• Romans 7 to Romans 8:2
• Ephesians 4:1-3

Subject:

• When we come to an understanding of what Jesus Christ really did, we are set free.  It is not something we accomplish in our flesh, it never will be, it never can be.
• When Paul spoke to the Galatians and said stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free.  He made us free from our flesh!  He did it!  What happens to us oftentimes is that we come into agreement with our flesh.  That is when we exit that place that Christ purchased for us on the cross.
• I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so with the mind I myself serve the law of God.  That is where the apostles stand.  That is the place that we need to stand fast in, and from no other place can we do God’s will.
• I look forward to seeing the reconciliation between David, Uriah, and Bathsheba.  If the Lord can take a person who murdered another and bring reconciliation, what stupid things do we have that separate us?  It’s all taken away on the cross, every last bit of it.  That is the beauty of what the blood of Jesus Christ is.
• What is a vocation?  It’s a job.  You have a job in the Lord.  Let’s compare ourselves in what the Lord would have us do.  When we do that, most of us look at it and mutter to ourselves. Deciding to want to change can be hard.  There are still issues from our past that the Lord is trying to deal with us on.  These things hinder us.  The reason why we are here in this fellowship because we have had a taste of what it can be to be a Christian and want to walk in that.  You are here.  The fact of the matter is you can get there, that place where the Lord would have you be.  We have fallen short but Jesus is at hand and recognizes that you are closer than ever.  All those stupid things that testify against us, are gone when that switch is thrown.  It is yet there for the getting.  There is nothing in your way of walking worthy of that vocation.
• …with all lowliness and meekness:  these are the keys to walking worthy.  In Romans 7 Paul was recognizing that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing.  Lowliness is a true and accurate understanding of who we actually are.  When we recognize this truth about ourselves, how can we hold it against another?  We can’t.  All the things we held against others, was when we thought we had some good thing about ourselves and felt qualified to judge the other.
• …and meekness:  Because of their opinion of themselves are of a ready mind to receive the word of God and receive instructions, commandments, without judging.  When you are judging, it all has to do with you.  What you might look like, feel, etc.  It makes us not meek and ready to receive.
• …with longsuffering:  the opposite of vengeance.  People sometimes anger me.  Sometimes people say things to me that are hurtful.  Who cares?  What do they know about the situation?  And if they’re right, what is my problem with it?  If they’re wrong, that’s not good for them, you should be concerned about where that places them.
• You have to deal a lot with longsuffering toward others, it’s not about you, so your struggle then is, what can I do that they can get free of this bondage?  Sometimes the answer is “nothing, leave it to Me”.  That can be a big struggle, but we all have to learn these things.
• …forbearing one another in love:  in the midst of all these struggles you still love them, fellowship with them, have a hope for them and not be moved from that hope.  Have a buoyancy toward that person because of the hope that is there for them.  It also gives us a buoyancy for ourselves.
• An important element of agape love is truth, also timing.  God’s timing sometimes stinks for us.
• Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace:  That bond of peace is the Gospel.  That’s what’s going to have Uriah, Bathsheba and David sitting next to each other at the table of the Lord.  I bet David inspired Uriah.  Some of the faith that Uriah had (he was a Hittite but chose to join himself unto Israel).  He was one of David’s 30 mighty men.  I bet that Uriah was grateful to David for the many things through the years that inspired him through the faith David showed.  He was honored to be named in Jesus Christ’s genealogy.
• When we get to that place of walking worthy of our vocation, the stinking stupid stupidities about us and one another will be nothing that matters, they will disappear.