October 6, 2015

“Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

“The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted G*d’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as G*d has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of G*d of more importance than angels.” (The Pursuit of G*d, A. W. Tozer, 1897 – 1945, “For All The Saints”, volume II, p. 895)

Because we follow a Messiah who was crucified, who died, and who, in the world’s standards was “defeated”, we follow a different kind of Messiah than history proclaimed. The Messiah many anticipated was a Messiah of power and might. This Messiah named Jesus was one of humility, service, and sacrifice. But that does not make him a weak and impotent Messiah. Instead he is the Messiah that will defeat what nothing in the history of the world could defeat – and that is death itself.

Many people try to cheat death every day. Some join gyms hoping to get a stronger heart and keep some weight off so they might avoid diseases that shorten the life span. Others eat certain foods and avoid other foods so they might avoid diseases that shorten the life span. And still others avoid stress or find ways to reduce the stress in their lives so that they might avoid diseases caused by stress. All of these will allow the person to live longer, maybe, but Jesus has the medicine that gives us eternal life – and it came in the shape of a cross. We may not be able to cheat death – but if we are followers of Jesus, we have cheated eternal death – and that is the one time that it is good to cheat.

Pastor Dave