Point of Grace Worship 10.26.25 “Experience Jesus. Really.” Part 4
The “plea”?
“Keep choosing God.
Then choose Him again.
And then again.
This is your task, your daily calling, (every day for the rest of your life) whatever else you might be up to. Everything around you is pulling against it like a riptide.
I wish One Great Choosing on our part would take are of things for the rest of our lives, but it doesn’t work that way. We live in story not a painting. Things are very dynamic, as we saw in Psalm 91; you have to keep choosing and choosing and choosing Jesus above all things. This is how we love him and take refuge in Him.”
(Experience Jesus. Really. Pg.237)
Genesis 3:9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Psalm 91:1-2 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
John 7:37-38 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 15:4-5 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Notice with Jesus …. there is “Plea” and “Promise”!
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
2 Corinthians 5:21 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Intentional daily rhythms of experiencing Jesus (Word and Prayer) help us “fix our eyes on Him so we run our race well” and help us “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles”.
Resistance from the devil, the world and our sinful nature (self-life) is great!
They do not want us to “take refuge” in God and find our hope, peace and joy in His Presence.
The Problem is we want two things that are in fundamental conflict.
Hebrews 12:15-17
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Genesis 25:29-34
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
Esau chose temporary relief over God and His blessing.
One foot on the dock and the other on the dock is the most dangerous place to be.
“Friends, the only safe place in the cosmos is to be situated deeply in Christ……the practices I have presented in this book are swimming lessons for mystics. If you do practice them, swimming in the ocean of God will become second nature”
It’s the only safe place in the cosmos.
“So choose God.
Choose Him again.
And then again.
This is your daily task for the rest of your life”
(Experience Jesus. Really)