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A Look At Ourselves |
Dear Brethren,
The theme for the Feast of Tabernacles this
year was, "Lasting Relationships." We enjoyed a peaceful and
spiritually rewarding Feast! For one member, it was his first Feast
ever! We shared in his excitement. We were blessed with special
music, as well as a children's choir. The fun show was
exceptional. The highlight of the Feast was family day when our
panel of experts told us what the millennium would be like!
"Jesus said, unless you become as little children, ye shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven... And the streets of Jerusalem
shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets of gold."
(Matthew 18:3, Zechariah 8:5)
This Feast gave us a renewed vigor to buckle
down, and make sure that we are continuing to grow in grace and
knowledge. We have been strengthened, and we are greatly encouraged
to go forward. We are putting into practice the "oneness and unity"
we have been striving for. We were able to meet a number of
brethren for the very first time.
"We know that we have passed from death
unto life, because we love the Brethren. He
who does not love his brother abides in death." (1John 3:14)
Brethren, we cannot let down. Do we realize
that love of the brethren is a salvational issue? God is
very clearly telling us that, to attain a place in His Kingdom, we
must love one another. A key part of our preparation for the
Kingdom is to take a realistic and objective look at ourselves. Are
we making progress toward the perfection of the fullness and stature
of Jesus Christ? "Until we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13)
In our early development within the Body of
Christ, we began to come out of the world. We then began to learn
about God's Law - the Sabbath, the Holy Days and the Plan of God.
Unfortunately, some of our brethren thought that they had arrived.
Some, erroneously, looked down on others who had not been given that
wonderful knowledge. Many reasoned, "I'm ready to go to the Place
of Safety."
God, however, has other plans for our
development. We are privileged to be able to continue to learn the
lessons He has in store for us. Herbert W. Armstrong has been dead
for nearly 20 years - what are we to be learning now? In the days
of the Worldwide Church of God, "love" was considered a
Protestant concept. Never mind, that the Ten Commandments are an
integral part of the Love of God - and the Protestants do not
possess that concept. Though the Protestants attempt the practice
of loving their neighbor, they lack the Spirit of God which
is crucial to fully implementing the Ten Commandments in their
deeds. True Godly love is difficult to perform. "If you were
of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not
of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hates you." (John 15:19)
What we need to ask ourselves is, "How does God
see us?" And what do we need to be doing to grow spiritually? It
is of the utmost importance that our evaluation of ourselves matches
God's evaluation of us. We welcome and desire His involvement in
our lives. "Search me, O God, and know my heart:
examine me, and know my thoughts. And see if
there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalms (139:23-24) "Examine me,
O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." (Psalms 26:2)
Does God see us as humble and respectful of
Him? We show our humility and our respect for His law by the way we
feel about one another. "For all the law is fulfilled in one
word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But
if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by
one another!" (Galatians 5:14-15)
So how can we really tell if we truly love the
brethren? We certainly don't want to find out too late! Here is
the answer: "Then the King will say to those on His right
hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you
gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger
and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and
you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me...
Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren,
you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:34-40)
"Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law. And do this [ loving our neighbor
], knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep;
for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."
(Romans 13:10-11)
As we grow in spiritual maturity, we learn to view ourselves more
and more as God sees us. We no longer justify ourselves - but ask
to be justified by the blood of Jesus Christ. We ask ourselves how
much we have taken on a resemblance spiritually to Jesus Christ, our
older brother -- to how much our thoughts and actions compare to
His. Let's be sure to spend time in prayer and looking at
ourselves.
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| Sermon: |
"A Look At Ourselves"
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