Session 9
Pride is broken through brokenness.
Wounds can cure us or shackle us to borderland.
Are they wounds of a madman, or a sterile surgeons?
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; If a foe we raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But if it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God. Psalm 55:12-14. The enemy, we might understand, but a friend...is like a madman's gouge.
Where does your brokenness come from? Jesus WAS there.
What are the wounds of the Church?
We have wounds that are half-scabbed, hastily bandaged, that keep bleeding, waking us, hounding us with the ache while we try to go on (job, children, watching movies).
By his wounds we are healed.
Wounds can mean intimacy. We hurt, look at the cross - that is hurting. We've put it on him and he does a supernatural exchange. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him...Philippians 3:10.
Wounds are God's wooing, God's kiss - to restore and not to betray. Can we have intimacy with God without wounds, without times of hurting where we need to depend on him?
How can we receive comfort from the wounds of Jesus Christ that we have given him?
Wounds have had a role in our lives - shaping us into who we are today. They have made some slower to judge, more discerning, forgiving and trusting. Perhaps, we should wear our wounds as medals of honour, Christ does.
Confession is stripping down all the extra weight before running. In Walt Disney's 'Invincible' Vince Papale runs into the locker room at a football try out. His angry self is getting trampled on the field by all the regular players. He takes off his top gear and exchanges it for lighter gear. He doesn't give up, he does an exchange, and then venture out again. He strips down, runs again and makes it on the team.
Confession is cleaning out all the black sludge and dead leaves in the eaves' troughs so the rain water can wash them clean.
Confession is presenting our real self to God. We must be honest with our self and honest to one other person, not on Oprah to a zillion people-that's stripping.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3. Love can't cover the sins we cover up. 1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Proverbs 28:13 - He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confess and renounces them finds mercy. Walking in truth requires admitting sin. The light exposes and heals (1 John 1:6-8).
Confession is the portal out of borderland.
Is there anything that you need to strip off, clean out and be real with? Who should you tell? With whom do you need to apologize and make amends?
No confession makes the fellowship of the Church a country club instead. A masquerade, a game of hide and seek, no life, no depth.
No confession = hinders spiritual growth, rots the bones, withers our insides, hardens us...
'If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;' Psalm 66:18
What have you noticed that hidden (un-confessed) sin does to you?
Some paint fruit on hoping no one will notice there are no roots. Some plant seeds of sin or boast or confess rather about what others are doing or saying, then what they are personally responsible for. Own your stuff, share, don't play the blame game. That is not how the bride of Christ is supposed to live.
Wounds can cure us or shackle us to borderland.
Are they wounds of a madman, or a sterile surgeons?
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; If a foe we raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But if it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God. Psalm 55:12-14. The enemy, we might understand, but a friend...is like a madman's gouge.
Where does your brokenness come from? Jesus WAS there.
What are the wounds of the Church?
We have wounds that are half-scabbed, hastily bandaged, that keep bleeding, waking us, hounding us with the ache while we try to go on (job, children, watching movies).
By his wounds we are healed.
Wounds can mean intimacy. We hurt, look at the cross - that is hurting. We've put it on him and he does a supernatural exchange. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him...Philippians 3:10.
Wounds are God's wooing, God's kiss - to restore and not to betray. Can we have intimacy with God without wounds, without times of hurting where we need to depend on him?
How can we receive comfort from the wounds of Jesus Christ that we have given him?
Wounds have had a role in our lives - shaping us into who we are today. They have made some slower to judge, more discerning, forgiving and trusting. Perhaps, we should wear our wounds as medals of honour, Christ does.
Confession is stripping down all the extra weight before running. In Walt Disney's 'Invincible' Vince Papale runs into the locker room at a football try out. His angry self is getting trampled on the field by all the regular players. He takes off his top gear and exchanges it for lighter gear. He doesn't give up, he does an exchange, and then venture out again. He strips down, runs again and makes it on the team.
Confession is cleaning out all the black sludge and dead leaves in the eaves' troughs so the rain water can wash them clean.
Confession is presenting our real self to God. We must be honest with our self and honest to one other person, not on Oprah to a zillion people-that's stripping.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3. Love can't cover the sins we cover up. 1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Proverbs 28:13 - He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confess and renounces them finds mercy. Walking in truth requires admitting sin. The light exposes and heals (1 John 1:6-8).
Confession is the portal out of borderland.
Is there anything that you need to strip off, clean out and be real with? Who should you tell? With whom do you need to apologize and make amends?
No confession makes the fellowship of the Church a country club instead. A masquerade, a game of hide and seek, no life, no depth.
No confession = hinders spiritual growth, rots the bones, withers our insides, hardens us...
'If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;' Psalm 66:18
What have you noticed that hidden (un-confessed) sin does to you?
Some paint fruit on hoping no one will notice there are no roots. Some plant seeds of sin or boast or confess rather about what others are doing or saying, then what they are personally responsible for. Own your stuff, share, don't play the blame game. That is not how the bride of Christ is supposed to live.
posted by Salina | 11:02 a.m.
2 Comments:
Wow! That's a mouthfull!
Hello,
It's been a while.I've missed you, and really I miss me too.
Life has an interesting way about it that makes me long for Heaven.Sometimes life seems too long and problems too big.Today the Holy Spirit lead me to 1 cor 2:2-5.Paul confessed not to know anything except Jesus Christ and him crucified.How many of us are walking around in illusion (a deceptive appearance ,state or fact of being deceived;false impression)
We build false selves because of those wounds we recieved as children and then spend a life time living from the lie we put together.But who can deliver me from this body of death,Thanks be to God-through our Lord Jesus.The sooner we know that God is good and only good can we lay open our heart to his hand.I don't question God any more to me that is so ridiculous.God never causes my messes but quite often he comes in with mercy to offer help in time of need.My heart sings, how wonderful is he.
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