We Are Double Vips

A TALK ON THE TOPIC:

YOU ARE A DOUBLE VIP!

BY

REV’D EGERTON GBONDA

AT THE

BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY SERVICE

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH BARKINGSIDE, LONDON-UK

ON SUNDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER, 2008

INTRODUCTION

I count this as a privilege to be at this all important service. I see it as an unmerited favour, because today I am in the company of some very important people- VIPs, celebrities.

In the eyes of God, VIPs or celebrities are you and I. We may not be at the limelight or constantly in front of television cameras. Yet God sees us as His VIPs. This will form the basis of today’s talk- i.e. our important status in the sight of God. I have therefore titled today’s message thus- WE ARE DOUBLE VIPs. For the next 15 minutes or so, I want us to spend some time examining the Bible- what it says about our special status in the eyes of God. I would love us to begin with a short prayer. Please let us pray: God we thank you once again for an opportunity of this nature- to worship you in such freedom and to fellowship with one another. You know we are about to spend some time looking at the Bible on this all important subject- our special relationship with you and fellow humans. Give us your own understanding of this subject; in Jesus’ Name we pray- amen.

WHAT DO I MEAN BY BEING DOUBLE VIPs?

First, we are all very important persons (I repeat- very important people) in our relationship with our creator- God. Secondly, we are very important pillars of the Body of Christ- that is the network of the fellowship of believers in Christ. God, our creator, has niche a position for us. I will use this mathematical illustration- God wants us to have a perpendicular line relationship. You may recall in maths, a vertical line and a horizontal line meeting at a point is a perpendicular line, to put it very simply (see diagram I).

Diagram I

A Perpendicular Line

Our creator wants us to be at the centre- at that point where the two lines meet. If we find ourselves at the centre, where the 2 lines meet, we position ourselves where God views us as very important individuals; as well as being an important pillar to fellow believers in Christ and those who are not. When we are at the centre, we share a very important relationship with God- this is illustrated using the vertical line and the horizontal line showing the role we play as very important pillars to fellow Christians and those who are not. Diagram II gives further explanation.

A paradigm showing our perpendicular line relationship we have with God and fellow humans

Diagram II

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT WE BEING VERY IMPORTANT PERSONS FROM GOD’S VIEW POINT?

Let us leaf through some parts of the Bible to see our unique position:

• The Bible tells us that of all of God’s created order, we were created in His image or likeness. You are special and important, I am also special and important from God’s own estimation; because we have that tendency in us to relate with God, to yearn for Him, to partner with Him- to bring what Jesus called ‘your Kingdom come on earth as it is Heaven’, that is Kingdom values on earth. (We must not forget this fact that God is the King of the entire universe). Being created in His own likeness is an indication of our special relationship with Him- how very important we are to Him. We are so important that He wants us to partner with Him, to fellowship with Him. This is a motif that is deeply buried in the Bible. In the cool of the day, we are told in the first Book of the Bible (Genesis chapter 3) that, our first parents- Adam and Eve- heard the sound of God walking in the Garden. They were able to recognise the sound because they have been used to it- the sound of God visiting them to fellowship with them in their own environment. We also see in the last Book of the Bible called Revelation in chapter 3- Jesus saying He is standing at the doors of our lives, knocking and requesting to come in have fellowship with us. It had always been God’s desire to fellowship and partner with us; because are very important to Him.

• Again the good old Book mentions that we are wonderfully made by Him. Listen to what the author of Psalm 139 verses 13 to 15 had to say about you and I. I will read it from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible: ‘You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt. Nothing about me is hidden from you…!’ We were well designed by God, so marvelously made and we are not hidden from Him. I have no doubt that this particular passage in the Bible is very true- you know what? Each time I look at my wife I see the marvelous work of a great designer. My Christian friends, you are a very important person to God- you were wonderfully designed by Him, so am I.