Belmont Kids (AWANA),
Youth Classes,
Wednesday Night In The Auditorium With Pastor
At 6:30
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:
2 Corinthians 1:8, “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:”
Being confronted and measured by the divine demands is always for the purpose of escorting us to Christ.
God uses not only the law and the Sermon on the Mount to measure us, but He also uses our environment.
Our environment makes demands upon us that cause us to sense our frailty and weakness.
How we meet our environments, face them, and interact with them is used by God to escort us to Christ.
Environments include your husband, your wife, your children, your money, your job–all persons, matters, and things in your daily life that affect you.
In fact, according to the biblical understanding, environment is simply that which affects us.
A stormy relationship can affect us, money problems can affect us, taking a thought about a past mistake can affect us.
Whatever may affect us–this is environment.
Environment is like the law making a demand upon us that is beyond our capacity to handle.
Just as the law escorts us to Christ, God intends that our environmental trials would also escort us to Christ.
This means that we accept the “all things” of Romans 8:28 as being under God’s sovereignty.
Categorically, all things are working together for good, because under the mighty hand of God they escort us to Christ.
Environment, which is measured out by God, is always pushing us a little bit too far.
We have environments that we cannot cope with in ourselves.
We get discouraged.
We get depressed.
We turn inward upon ourselves and sigh, “How can I go on?” or “I can’t make it.”
Oh, brothers and sisters, that is right!
That is exactly right!
God intends that our environments would push us beyond our limits.
This experience of being pushed beyond what we are able todo becomes our escort to Christ.
This was Paul’s experience in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;”
Here Paul allowed his “despair of life” to escort him to the God who raises the dead, knowing that He would deliver him.
Thus, again and again, every kind of demand in our environment is actually a divine escort in disguise to lead us to Christ.
Until Tomorrow
With a Shepherd’s Love
Pastor
TODAY’S PRAYER LIST
Dr. Davis
Gloria Young
Jean Partee
Jill Haines
John McClain
Katie Torbich
Kim McCain’s Mother
Randy Bond’s Son in Law
Terrell Loyd
The Graham Family – Brandon’s Friends
Amy Garner’s Mother/Dad
Ashley Burn’s Sisters
Barbara Shed’s Family
Bill Moody
Carol Lawhead’s Brother
Charlie Sessom – Waiting
Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Denise Stubbs – Kim Allison’s Mom
Greg Payne – Lisa’s Brother
Hanna Hall – Pray for Grace
Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister
Larry Barker
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Kenny & Nora Allison
Pastor Driskell
Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend
Ricky Stubbs
Rod Gustafson – Cancer
Roseleigh Osborn
Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son
Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend
Sheila Simmons Cousin
Tom Witcher