July 5, 2018
1 Corinthians 4:8-13 The Message (MSG)
If you know Jesus, you have direct access to Almighty God. You don’t need anyone else to be a go-between. You have more access to God than you realize; more power at your disposal than you could ever imagine. What are you doing with that access? That power?
The Apostle Paul tells us we have become Messiah’s misfits; we just live differently than most people because we are driven by the powerful love of Messiah. Paul and his fellow Christians worked endlessly to bring the gospel of Messiah to the attention of others. Last night we celebrated our independence as a country. But, each day we should celebrate our independence as people who have chosen to live for Messiah and work to share divine love with others. Loving this way is counter cultural. You will be perceived as culturally odd. But, God will smile!
1 Corinthians 4:8-13
7-8 For who do you know that really knows you, knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle.
9-13 It seems to me that God has put us who bear his Message on stage in a theater in which no one wants to buy a ticket. We’re something everyone stands around and stares at, like an accident in the street. We’re the Messiah’s misfits. You might be sure of yourselves, but we live in the midst of frailties and uncertainties. You might be well-thought-of by others, but we’re mostly kicked around. Much of the time we don’t have enough to eat, we wear patched and threadbare clothes, we get doors slammed in our faces, and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living. When they call us names, we say, “God bless you.” When they spread rumors about us, we put in a good word for them. We’re treated like garbage, potato peelings from the culture’s kitchen. And it’s not getting any better.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the freedom to choose to live by your rule of love; the ability to come boldly to your throne to receive mercy and grace. I am proud to be Messiah’s misfit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.