Tuesday, April 14, 2015

April 15, 2015

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Philippians 2:5-11

Here I am sitting in my comfy easy chair writing about the spiritual struggles presented by our desire for comfort. I will adjust to a less comfortable position before I continue writing.

Let me call your attention to this moving verse about the extreme discomfort our Savior was willing to suffer for your sin and mine.

How much comfort did He forfeit? Let’s count the ways!

1) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage….

In my very sinful nature I want to be God. Jesus WAS God and gave it up in order to deliver me from my delusions of righteousness!

And you, too!

2) rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…..

My sinful human nature wants to be served! In fact, it tells me I deserve to be served! It is contrary to that nature to want to serve anyone, including God!

But Jesus, who for all of eternity, had been served and worshipped by all the holy and beautiful celestial beings! How uncomfortable must it have been for Him to give that up to become a servant?

Not only did He lower Himself to serve, but He became subservient to death!

He did it for me and for you!

3) being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man…..

How could God become a man? That is the mystery of the incarnation!

Think of how uncomfortable it must have been for an eternal Being to step into time?

Imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for a finite Being to be limited in time and space by a body of flesh and blood!

He did it to bear my sins upon the cross and to take the stripes that bring me healing! And He did it for you, as well!

4) he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Suffering unimaginable cruelty and being nailed to a cross is one of the most horrible ways for any man to die. Yet, Jesus, so humbled Himself to human form for the sole purpose of doing just that!

God can’t die, but He found a way to do so to deliver you and me from the power of sin and death.

I am grateful beyond words for the extreme discomfort Jesus was willing to endure for me!

I am to have that same mind that He has toward comfort. That is an uncomfortable thought…God help me……








April 14, 2015

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.Matthew 16:24

As our Missionary Friend, Carl, challenged us Sunday, the love of comfort becomes one the toughest barriers to overcome for those who would follow Jesus. It is human nature to desire comfort about struggle and hardship. But Jesus calls you out of your nature and into His.

Jesus made it plain to those He called to follow Him would have to leave their comfort zone. There is nothing comfortable about self-denial and there is certainly no comfort in a cross.

When Jesus called His first disciples He called them to lay down their nets, leave their boats and walk away from everything familiar and comfortable to them.

Even Jesus struggled to deny Himself and surrender to His Father’s will. His forty days of being tempted in the wilderness called Him to choose the way of the cross over the way of celebrity and popularity. Again, in Gethsemane, He had to forgo His comfort to surrender to the suffering of the cross.

The desire for comfort has such a strong grip on you because it involves feelings of safety and feelings of security. Those are powerful felt needs!

I made myself very vulnerable Sunday by sharing recent temptations choose safety and security rather than taking leadership risks. I reject those notions!

So, because God wants you to follow Him, because He wants to lead into spiritual maturity, He will continually call you out of any comfort zone you have settled into.

And God will constantly call FredWes out of our comfort zones so He can lead us to better places.

Faith begins at the edge of your comfort zone!

God’s power and presence begins just outside your comfort zone!

Signs and wonders happen outside of your comfort zone!

The thrill and joy of serving Jesus awaits just outside your comfort zone!

Passionate living begins when Jesus becomes your Comfort Zone!