Archives For strife

If an object becomes  lodged somewhere, it is “fixed, implanted, or caught in a place or position.” It “comes to rest” or “sticks.”  As in,

  • The chicken bone got lodged in her throat.
  • The bullet lodged in his leg.
  • She had emergency surgery to remove a blood clot that was  lodged in her lung.

But objects aren’t the only things that can get lodged in unnatural places.

__________O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil,
_________________that you may be saved.
__________How long shall your wicked thoughts
_________________lodge within you? (Jer 4.14)

There are wicked thoughts that can so very easily become lodged in your heart today. They don’t belong there any more than a chicken bone belongs in your throat, or a bullet belongs in your leg, or a blood clot belongs in your lung. If allowed to “stick,” these unholy seeds will take root and blossom.

Into selfishness, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, callousness, greed, deception, self-pity, slander, obscene talk, and things like these.

As Jesus established in Matthew 15:19-20, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.”

Don’t want to be defiled?  Don’t want evil to “naturally” spew out of your mouth? Don’t want to live in bondage as a slave who foolishly continues to act on sinful passions and desires? Recognize these for what they are—wicked thoughts—and don’t allow them to become lodged within you today.

I want to be more like Andrew.   I’m encouraging you to consider Andrew as a great role model.   This sermon tells you why.

Andrew was blessed to be an eye-witness of some incredible moments:

  • He was one of the first two documented disciples of Jesus (John 1:35-42)
  • About a year later, he heard the “fishers of men” call of Jesus (Mark 1:16-20)
  • He alone offered a solution at Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-14)

But there were also times when Andrew was left out … not included … uninvited.

  • He was not among the three who witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-21)
  • He was not there when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:21-43)
  • He was not hand-picked to follow Jesus further into Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42)

And to top it all off, he is repeatedly referred to as “Simon Peter’s brother,” despite the fact that he was the one who introduced Simon to Jesus in the first place! (John 1:40-42)

How would the carnal side in most of us react to such perceived slights?

And yet, where else do we read of Andrew and his actions?

  • John 12:20-26 — continuing to do what he can to connect people with Jesus
  • Acts 1:12-14 — devoted to prayer with the other disciples in the upper room, just as Jesus commanded

We’ve all heard plenty of sermons about Peter, and that’s a good thing.   But don’t overlook the one who “first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’”   I want to be more like Andrew—the apostle who teaches me to serve, regardless of the spotlight, the applause, and the headlines.   I encourage you to make him a role model as well.

SERMON AUDIO :

Check out what the wise man wrote in Proverbs 17:1.

How many people do you know who have more “stuff” than they know what to do with? How many of those people woke up this morning to a miserable home life? Do you think they would trade the majority of their “stuff” for the blessing of a quiet, peace-filled house? Yeah, me too.

Let’s do what we can to make this day a day of harmony in our homes. We may not have much, but we can appreciate our blessings. We may not have everything we would like, but we can appreciate the Giver of our gifts. We may not be able to afford a feast, but if our houses are cloaked with the divine peace which passes all understanding, we are truly rich (Philippians 4:4-7).