Well, that’s a brutal subject line, isn’t it?
But seriously, what good are you? “Whoa, Chris… what got spilled in your Cheerios this morning? You’re not normally so mean.” Don’t misunderstand me. I am wondering what good you are… oh… wait, you’re not probably hearing me right. Let me explain… er, well… I don’t have room here, so let’s just clear this up in Deeper Thoughts below… But first… some big stuff is coming up! · Trunk or Treat is THIS Sunday evening, October 27, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. for fun, games, candy, costumes, and decorations. Be sure to invite your non-church neighbors and friends! AND…it’s not too late to help! Volunteer to hand out candy, or help with games, set-up/tear-down, or greeting guests. Click here to let Chris Bowen know you’d like to help! · Will you seek God’s power and direction with us as we search out His will for our future? Click here to grab one or more 30-minute slots during our 24-hour prayer vigil November 9 – November 10 to cover our church in bold prayer. We’ll provide guided ideas on what and how to pray. Then we’ll wrap up with a mighty prayer meeting and worship night, Sunday, November 10 at 5:00 p.m. · Our Sunday morning Prayer Wall is a big deal to us… add a request or pray for others! Remember we also have a weekly prayer meeting every Sunday morning, 9:15 a.m. in the sanctuary! · Don’t forget “The Daily Six”, our 6-minute video released every Monday through Thursday as we study through the Book of Acts together. Click here to sign up for daily reminder emails—or you can just find the videos on our YouTube channel each morning. OK…that’s it today for you email skimmers and those who just decided I have truly lost my marbles. BUT… Some Deeper Thoughts… “What good are you?” It is an abrasive question, I know. Some of you have let that question bounce around in your head for years. When you look in the mirror and contemplate your shortcomings and failures, your own voice has shouted that question in your brain many times over. Me asking it here merely triggers the sorrow and shame you’ve carried for decades. Perhaps others of you are offended by the harsh and condemning tone of the question. You’ve settled long ago that you were made in the image of God, that you were wonderfully designed, just as Psalm 139:14 declares. You understand that your value is immense, not because others have validated it, but because God has declared it to be so. If you hate my question because it violates your understanding of your deep and abiding value, good. You are healthy. If you are troubled because my harsh question sounds too familiar to the voice of low self-esteem rattling around inside your brain, then you are about to be set free… if you will let the Word of God speak. What good are you? A negative self-esteem hears the question presupposing there is no good to be found. It hears an accusatory tone that shatters all hope of a positive answer. A biblical, God-centered view of self hears the question as a positive quest to find the good that has been intrinsic to you all along—not because it’s good psychological self-help, "power of positive thinking" blather. No, the God-centered view of self recognizes that there is a mountain of good within you because God has created it by His sovereign will and in His limitless joy. You have been created by God as a mighty force of good. Period. End of story. (Perhaps you need to absorb some verses of scripture to confirm this: Psalm 139:13-18; Romans 11:29; Ephesians 1:4-6). But there is a twist. Two twists, in fact. Twist # 1: God created us good (Genesis 1:31). But the good that was created in you and me has been horrifically corrupted by sin. The result? “There is no one who is good, not even one,” David, Jesus, and Paul all declare in the scriptures (Psalm 14:3; Mark 10:18; Romans 3:10). But I have better news: For those who have trusted Christ, our sin problem has been eternally settled in the salvation of our souls. We are made good by the sheer act of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). Twist #2 (and most important to the point of this blog): You were not created with great value for your own sake. The good that God has baked directly into your specific, precise, and individual design is not so you can feel good about yourself. This isn’t just for your own joy and mental wellbeing. You were specifically and precisely created by God “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). There is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit invested in each one of us, and it is for a very distinct purpose. Jesus told us that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we will receive power for the work of serving others with the good news of Jesus (Acts 1:8). The Apostle Paul tells us that this same Holy Spirit manifests Himself in us through a variety of gifts, and service, and outcomes—all to serve others and all given to us by the Holy Spirit just as He determines (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). This is all good. But good is not a status. It is not an identity. It is not a self-definition. It is an action. And it is always for others. Galatians 5:22 tells us that goodness is an outflow—a piece of evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives. “The fruit of the Spirit is… goodness…” the scripture reveals. The word “goodness” in the original Greek language does not mean you are a “goodie two shoes.” It means there is an active and purposeful outpouring of good from you towards others. Your life is good, in other words, because you do good things for the common good of others. You do these good things not in your own strength, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. The outflow of God’s Spirit in your life is actively good. Oh… and there is one more twist: If we do not recognize the good for which God has designed us, and thereby fail to actively engage that good, the whole body suffers. The Word of God again: “God has combined the members of the body… that its parts would have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…” (1 Corinthians 12:24-26) This Sunday, let’s continue to explore “The Normal Christian Life.” It is not weird, it is not weak, it is not wandering. Let’s unpack together how God has brought together your beautifully created personality, your many life experiences, your passions and desires, and the spiritual gifts He supplies through the Holy Spirit. We will discover the very powerful purpose each one of us was uniquely created for. We’ll see exactly what our lives are good for. I hope we’ll see you Sunday for this tremendous discovery… 10:00 a.m. in-person (best!!) or online livestream (if you must). Can’t wait!! Much love to all… Chris Eads Mt. Hope Pastor Friend
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Chris EadsMt Hope Pastor Archives
February 2025
Categories |