April 9, 2014
Dear City Calvary,
What an age we live in - the Information Age. It is possible
to immediately find the answer to just about any question in life. Just
ask Siri, the nice lady on the phone. Push the button, ask the question,
and she'll tell you the answer - or at least where to look. I would love
it if she would give me the correct numbers to win the next Powerball lottery;
but alas, there are some limitations to what she can do. With the aid of
smart phones, we have a vast array of knowledge right at our fingertips.
We can know just about anything.
With all this available knowledge, the real question is what does
God want us to know? Open the Bible and He'll tell you.
In particular, we talked about four things, this past Sunday, in 1 Peter
1:18-21. Peter writes "For you know..."
1. Our predicament - We are sinners who need to be
redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to us by our forefathers.
2. The price that was paid to redeem us - Jesus
didn't pay with perishable things (silver or gold) but with the only thing in
all the universe that be enough - His precious blood. He, the perfect
Lamb of God, gave His own blood to pay for our redemption in full. It was
the highest of prices. It shows how much God values us, that He would pay
our eternal debt.
3. It was pre-determined - Jesus was chosen, before
the creation of the world, to be the one to pay this price. In other
words, God knew before He created us that man would fall, resulting in the
ultimate cost that only He could pay, to redeem us. He went forward
anyways because we are worth it to Him. You are worth it to Him!!!
4. Our privileged position - Through Jesus, we are
in this privileged position to be redeemed and to believe in God, having this
eternal relationship with Him. What a privilege we have to put our faith
and hope in Him!!!
Knowing this, how
should we treat each other? That is what we will talk about on Sunday.
In this age of smart phones and information, people are more interconnected
than ever before. If that is true, then why are we so lonely? Maybe
it is because people have lost the understanding of what "sincere
love" and "loving one another deeply, from the heart"
look like. We need a lot more than a smart phone to accomplish this.
Come and find out. And while you are at it, bring a friend.
Also, who are you bringing to church on Easter Sunday? That is a
great day to invite someone to church, especially those who won't go with you
the other weeks.
Blessings in
Jesus,
Pastor John
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