Sermon Central
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Allowing The Extraordinary To Become Ordinary
Contributed by William Fallert on Mar 3, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: Walking in the light, do not let your extraordinary relationship with Christ fade.
Allowing the extraordinary to become ordinary.
1Thes 5:1-11
1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
Jesus is coming again.
Are you tired of waiting? How long will we wait until the anticipation wears off? Jesus is coming again. Amen Now if I said I met Tim Tebow and convinced him to come to service with us this week, would we be excited? Is it not more exciting to know Jesus is coming? But has the anticipation dropped off a little bit and just a bit more as time wears on. Twenty five years ago I preached a sermon I called Tired of waiting. It was about the same subject. Has anything really change in the twenty five years since my first sermon? Is it possible that as time has passed we begin to take our relationship with Jesus just a little to casually? We spend too much time singing what a friend we have in Jesus, Instead of “Our God is an awesome God.”
Do we let the extraordinary become ordinary?
Remember those days just after you accepted Jesus when almost every moment was spent, praising Jesus, helping others, and working in the church. As time goes on do we start taking our relationship a little too casually? Imagine this scenario, you come home from work some evening and find Jesus sitting in your living room. What would your reaction be? Would it be hay Jesus glad to see you. Want some chips and salsa. Can I get you a Pepsi? And by the way I have a pain here if you can take a look. I don’t thinks so. As the excitement of a relationship with Jesus passes through time has the awesomeness of it become common place?
Is this scenario similar to your prayer life? Our prayers are a face to face talk with Jesus. I notice often when I pray it consists of just two elements. Thank you and gimmie. You and I both know that if we came face to face with Jesus that the first thing we would do is fall on our knees. I believe that all I could think about is how unworthy I am. After I got over my shock I would confess my unworthiness, my sinfulness. I would then just shut my mouth. I would listen to what he had to say. I think it would be a long time before I felt comfortable to speak of my needs or concerns and then only if he asked me to speak up. I heard someone say one time that God created man in his image, and man promptly returned the favor. We think of Jesus as someone just like us only better. Have we let his deity slip away? This is not a sermon on prayer. But there is one thing I must say about private prayer; it should always include time for a two way communication.
When I read Exodus I get mad at the Israelites. They saw plagues rain down on Egypt and then didn’t trust God when they got a little hungry. They walk through the Red Sea on dry land then make a golden calf just a few days later.
I realize that I am no better than Israel. God does wonderful things in my life and shortly thereafter I forget to trust him the next time things get tough. If we are to keep the glory of God in perspective we must remain in the light.
It seems to be the nature of man is that, after some repeated exposure to the extraordinary, that it then becomes the ordinary.
Donna and I bought a house 18 years ago and it was a dream come true. It was so much better than what we had, for the first few weeks I almost danced from room to room. After time passed it just became the place I lived. New cars have been the same way for me, wonderful and then just average. Sadly we let the extraordinary relationship we have with our God, fade to ordinary.
1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
The lost of the world are like the child who closes his eyes and puts his fingers in his ears and sings lalalala If they don’t see it or hear about it, they can pretend it is not real. Sometimes adults can be more childish than children.
