Let us pray.... Let us pray.... O Heavenly Father .... help us to be mature in the faith. To be passionate ....in our relationship with you and with those that you place into our lives. ....That we may be open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and be conformed to the image of your Christ. And it is in his name that we pray. Amen.
There was a young boy who built a toy sailboat.
He would take it to the park every day and sail the little boat on the pond.
Because he loved his boat, ..... he was careful not to let it go too far out into the pond.
But then, .... the inevitable day came ....when the boat sailed beyond his reach.
He had gotten himself soaked trying to retrieve it,
But the boat had gone out too far for the boy to rescue it.
He went home heartsick, expecting that he would never see .... the boat again.
But a few weeks later, ....he was walking through town .... when he saw his boat in the window at the little secondhand shop. He was so excited!
He went into the store and said, "You've found my boat! ....I made that boat! .....It's mine and ...I'd like to have it back."
But the man behind the counter said, "Well, maybe it was your boat at one time , ....but it's my boat ...now.
And if you want it, .... you will have to pay me 20 dollars.
"Twenty Dollars" ........said the boy. It seemed like an enormous amount.
He had no idea how he could ever come up with that much money.
He started to hang his head and walk out of the store, ....
But the owner said, "If you'd like to earn a little money, I Could use some help around here."
And so it was agreed.
Every week the young boy would come and sweep the floors .....tidy up the shelves, and in return the owner would give him a few dollars.
Finally the day came when he brought his pocket full of crumpled bills to the store and bought his boat back. He was thrilled.
And ...As he walked out of the store, holding his boat like a long-lost friend, he said, "You're mine twice now!
You were mine the first time ..... because I made you; and now you' re mine again .... because I bought you." (Pause)
Before giving the Ten Commandments, God stated this: BIBLE "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves." END
God is reminding his people that not only did he create them, ..... but he redeemed them.... He bought them.
That is the relationship that God had with Israel and that is the relationship .... That God wants with us.
We are his because he created us. And we are His .....because he bought us out of .... Our slavery to sin.
He created us and He redeemed us.
And that relationship is the basis for the commands that God gave to Israel.
God Led the people of Israel .... out of Egypt.
God Led them through the desert.
And the commandments are another way that God Leads his people.
The First, And The Foundational, Commandment Is: That there is one God and "You shall have no other gods before me."
These words .... command God's people to worship, to love, ....and to serve only .... (Slow) the one, true God.
With this first commandment, God makes it clear that His people are to (Slow) have a relationship with Him.
God sees our relationship with Him much like a marriage relationship.
Beloved .....We his Church is called .... the bride of Christ.
It's not enough to stand at the altar and say, "You'll be my Favorite girlfriend!"
The words are "Forsaking All Others..."
And if either spouse does Not forsake all others, it usually spells destruction ....for the marriage.
There is only one God -- the God who is revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures.
And he is calling us into relationship with him.
Have you aloud other gods into your life?
Where do you set your affections?
In other words, when your mind takes a break from the complexities of daily living, .... where does it come to rest?
Like a compass needle, which though spun around, will always come to rest pointing north, .....where does your mind point when it comes to rest?
What is important to you?
Where do you spend .... your free time?
What do you think about?
What do you long for?
What are you living for?
Beloved in Christ....We are told in the Scriptures, to set our affections on things above not on things of the earth.
For we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God.
We are a new creation .... A new creation in Christ Jesus. The old has passed away .... the new has come. (Pause)
The First Commandment, exhorts us ....(Slow) to be in relationship with God.
That God be first in every aspect of our life.
When we lose sight of the first commandment, .... we lose sight of God.
We must be mature in the Faith.
We must stop praying generic and vague prayers.
Spiritual maturity requires us to move in faith to: "Not my will but thy will be done".
We must have a passion for who we are in Christ Jesus. (Pause)
One day, a young disciple of Christ ..... desirous of wanting to become all that God has in store for him visited the home of an elderly Christian.
He had heard that this old man ..... over all the years ..... had never lost his first love for Christ.
The elderly man was sitting on the porch with his dog ..... taking in a beautiful sunset.
The young man posed this question:
"Why is it, sir, ..... that most Christians zealously chase after God during the first year or two after their conversion,
But then fall into a complacent ritual of church once or twice a week ........and end up Not looking much different than their neighbors ..... who aren't even Christians?
I have heard that you are not like that.
I have been told that you have fervently sought after God ....throughout all these years.
People see something in you ...that they do not see in most other people. ..... What makes you different?"
The old man smiled and replied, "Let me tell you a story: One day I was sitting here quietly in the sun with my dog.
Suddenly a large white rabbit ran across the field right in front of us.
Well, my dog jumped up, and took off after that big rabbit.
He chased the rabbit over the hills with a passion.
Soon, other dogs joined him, attracted by his barking.
What a sight it was, as the pack of dogs ran barking across the creeks, ... up the stony embankments ..... through thickets and through the thorns!
Gradually, however, one by one, the other dogs dropped out of the pursuit, ......discouraged by the course ...... and frustrated by the chase.
Only my dog continued to hotly pursue the white rabbit."
"Now...In that story, young man, .....lies the answer to your question." (Pause)
The young man sat in confused silence.
Finally, he said, ....."Sir, I don't understand.
What is the connection between the rabbit chase and the quest for God?"
"You fail to understand," ..... answered the well-seasoned old man, ..... "because you failed to ask the obvious question.
And that is ...."Why didn't the other dogs continue with the chase?"
And The answer to that question is ..... they had not seen the rabbit. (Long Pause)
Are you in relationship with the one true God?
Do you know Jesus are you maturing in the faith?
Is your Passion for him engrained in your very soul?
Our Lord informs us how to portray that passion: BIBLE "You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength - and - you shall love your neighbor as yourself" END
You shall love. ...... And Beloved ..... (Slow) How can we not love?
How can we who have encountered the risen Christ..... do anything else ..... but love ....and follow him!
Only those who have encountered the Christ .... Who have seen the risen Lord ..... have the commitment ....to continue with the chase.
Only those who have encountered the Christ... will persevere to finish the race...( Slow) and to finish well.
Only then will you Passionately .... Love the Lord your God with all your heart...
And only then will you passionately Love your neighbor as yourself. (Long Pause)
God knows your heart ....God knows that you desire that passion to be ignited in your life .
John Wesley was once asked the secret about his ministry.
He said, "I ask God to set me on fire .... and let people watch me burn."
(Slow) Beloved......My prayer for your life and for my life is to ask for Gods Holy fire.
To Let it burn .... setting each of us on fire with a passion.
A Passion to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind ...... and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Amen and Amen!
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