NEVER QUESTION THIS...
David Wildman
Director of Family and Discipleship at The Rock Community Church. Spending my life helping make disciples who make disciples.
As a teenager, there was one thing I feared above all things. The single light that illuminated the kitchen table when I was pulling into the driveway past curfew. On the drive home I hoped that my parents wouldn't notice that I just broke curfew (what a fool, right?!), and if they did notice and I had to talk with them they wouldn't ask what I was doing which caused me to be late. I knew they knew (or had a pretty good idea) what I was up to.
Why did I fear the light?
The light on over the kitchen table meant they were going to want to talk. That meant I was going to be questioned. Questions forced me to make a choice - tell them about my baggage or make up some baggage that will lessen the blow.
Deep down I didn't want them to know that I was living a life apart from Christ. That I desired the things of this world and not the loving embrace of The Father. The single light on in the kitchen wasn't something to be feared but an invitation for a warm embrace. My parents didn't want to chastise me. They wanted to invite me into a life lived free of worldly pursuits.
"The single light on in the kitchen wasn't something to be feared but an invitation for a warm embrace."
It was foolish to question my parent's love for me. They lived in the loving embrace of The Father and therefore wanted to pour out this love to their children. We're not here to correct behaviors... we (the big C church - Christ-followers) exist to point people toward a loving relationship with Jesus. We walk alongside one another to help them grow deep roots in His Word (Read, Reflect on, and Respond to Colossians 2)
So... what's the ONE thing we should never forget? God's Love.?
God's love is:
God's love is what brings us home and it should be the one thing that flows through us, towards one another, driving us to run towards those who are a long way off but journeying towards a loving embrace.
We should desire that they find the loving embrace of The Father. The fear of this person finding another "loving embrace" (worldly) should motivate us daily to imitate Christ (Ephesians 1:1-14) that it would draw them like a moth to light ;)
We draw them out of the darkness to the edge of light so we may confidently run towards them.
Micah 7:18-20 ESV teaches/reminds us, "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old."
It doesn't matter what you've done, where you've been, whom you claimed to be, or (fill in the blank here with whatever you can think up or have done).?You're a child of God! Repent and believe (turn and dedicate oneself to follow Jesus). Let The Father tread our iniquities underfoot. Let Him cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You are His child and all we have to do is run towards His embrace!
Never let the world call you anything but a child of God. Make it impossible for them to call you anything but a child of God. Boldly believe and call one another brother and sister (signifying adoption into and heirship to His kingdom - Romans 8:12-17) and watch Satan and his minions run!
"Intimacy with God is life's highest priority."
Discipleship begins here - Embracing the Love of God
We enter into one another's lives creating an environment of dependency and trust (refuge) pointing them towards His loving embrace. We boldly claim to them that you no longer have to wallow in this world and that He wants you to live free (Matthew 11:28-30).
"Only the man who follows the command of Jesus single-mindedly, and unresistingly lets his yoke rest upon him, finds his burden easy, and under its gentle pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way. The command of Jesus is hard, unutterably hard, for those who try to resist it. But for those who willingly submit, the yoke is easy, and the burden is light." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Read, Reflect on, and Respond to Luke 15:11-32 The Parabel of the Prodigal Son.
Pay close attention?to the father's reaction to seeing his son come home and the father's response?when the son says, "I have sinned against heaven and before you.?I am no longer worthy to be called your son."
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We are all the son in this situation and our Father (heavenly) sees us far off and runs to us, pulls us into His embrace, and welcomes us (graciously and mercifully) into His kingdom! As Dietrich said, "his yoke rest upon him, finds his burden easy, and its gentle pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way."
To wrap this up...
Teenage me resisted the loving embrace - welcome home - from my parents. Instead of finding the yoke that my parents wanted to place upon me, I resisted. I found it harder and harder to obey (joyfully pursue) the command of Jesus. It wasn't until I found myself wallowing in my life (like the son wallowing in the pigpen) that I was able to run towards this easy yoke and begin to make my burden light.
This is what we want to provide for one another. Let us live in a way (Christ-likeness) that will entice (a fragrance they cannot ignore) those wallowing in the pigpen to run towards the light ushering them into the loving embrace of The Father. My prayer is that we catch them before they get to the pigpen or catch them before they decide to take their inheritance and leave home.
Take time to listen to the song below from Cross Worship. Just sit and listen to these words:
"It's your breath. In our lungs. So we pour out our praise to you only. You give life, you are love. You bring light to the darkness. You give hope, you restore. Every heart that is broken. Great are you Lord!" - Great Are You Lord?
The minute we question the love of our heavenly Father is the one second Satan needs to get in and begin instilling doubt. Don't let Satan get between you and The Father.
Questions to help reflect and respond:
If we struggle to receive the loving embrace we are held (or holding onto) by something else. What is this "thing" that is keeping you from leaning into His loving embrace? Do you desire for God to be your all in all or something else?
One of the best environments we can create is an open home. My wife and I started doing Sunday lunch for young adults. That simple act opened up more conversations and allowed the young adults to invite guests. It was simple, but it was intentional.
Are you being discipled? Are you discipling someone? Discipleship draws in a person just on the fringes and takes them deeper in their relationship with the Lord.
Further Reading?- Take time to explore more scripture surrounding Luke 15:11-32
Check out this article from GotQuestions.Org - Does God Love Me?
A couple of quotes to reflect on from Charles Spurgeon:
Upcoming Discipleship Training