Summary: We have one life and it comes from God to us and it fills us up like a chocolate fountain and it overflows from the trinity to us, to other people our one family and then other lives, one life at a time in the world, those who we want to bring in the family so they will be in the family forever.
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
12 crossroads we experience in any normal day
- Wake up. To which voice will you listen, the voice of waking, of life or the voice of escape. You remember the world is safe because God is safe
- Two more voices. One speaks of performance and tasks, the other is the voice of God saying to rest in Jesus, be not do.
- When you read the bible you feel the call of the scriptures is too hard to live out. You are torn again. You can muster up strength, or you can go to God for help.
- Communing with God, distractions are already calling but you know there are people who need the same love you are fighting for.
- What is my purpose today? To be impressive or to be impressed?
- Breakfast. You can stare blankly or you can actually enjoy the food, think of the great chef who created food to be good, not just for fuel.
- Class. Opening your mouth to meet the person sitting next to you. You remember he needs Jesus. You remember you are safe, the one who made the world loves you.
- You know pressing into this conversation will be messy. He hurts, you know it, and you’re a chocolate fountain full of hope.
- Learning in class. God wants you to know him in history class, so you actually listen. You think of pain and fear that people feel.
- You decide to ask deeper questions to the person who is hurting.
- Should you bring up Jesus to this person, it would be taboo and awkward. You ask them to study the bible.
- You could call someone to get help, but that would be admitting weakness and fear. You remember you are weak and needed a savior to die for you, so you ask for help.
Four Considerations:
1. In a hypothetical way, you chose the right way every time, but what if you don’t. You can go the way of guilt or you can go the way of repentance
- 2 Corinthians 7: 7-10 “8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.”
2. The christian life is both harder and easier that the life of a non- believer
- It's hard to stay awake as a christian, we need vigilance because we want God.
- We are fighting for rest
3. There is coming a day when you don’t have to fight against yourself
- This life is a vapors breath
4. God will carry you in his arms until that day
- We fight with his strength