And…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srHDgimlgTQ]

 

For God alone, O my soul, waits in silence for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:5-8

 

Coke zero put out an ad in 2012 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srHDgimlgTQ) driven by a simple phrase, AND…Ask any most any Christian and they will agree with this verse, and even give a bold Amen!!!  God is what I need, my hope and refuge is in Him ALONE.  If you are honest with yourself, your life likely reflects that your hope and refuge is not really in God alone.  You find refuge in God AND…your hobbies, your motorcycle, your retirement account, or your job. 

 

If you look a little deeper our reliance on God AND something else often stems from an anemic view of the power and impact of the Gospel work of Jesus Christ.  Pastor Tullian Tchividjian says it this way, “The gospel doesn’t simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the future; it also rescues us in the present from being enslaved to things like fear, insecurity, anger, self-reliance, bitterness, entitlement, and insignificance.”

 

The gospel is not meant to be a get out of jail free card, to be cashed in one day later in life.  The gospel is not just reassurance on your death bed of where you will go when your body dies.  The gospel is not just a prayer we say for Jesus to come into our hearts, the gospel is meant to be our Hope, our assurance, and our comfort.  The gospel tells you in a moment of darkness, that Jesus is already there, and he has already conquered the negative voice that nags at you and tells you that you are not worthy.  The gospel tells you that your value is not connected to your bank account, your job title, the size of your house, or the clothes you wear.  The gospel tells us that Jesus wants to move in our churches today, just as much as he was in the book of Acts.  The gospel tells us that Jesus is all that we need period, no and necessary.

 

 

Pastor Bill

 

Discussion Questions

  1. What is your AND?
  2. What impact does your AND have on your faith in God, and your relationship with Him?

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