FAMILY WITH A MISSION: Why we shouldn't STRIVE to keep the Law, but just accept His grace. Week's summary...

Dave & Jackie Ray coloring pictures with the Marshallese people during our Wednesday night outreach food kitchen

1 Corinthians 15:56 (New International Version)

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

God never takes Grace away, but we can LOSE it by STRIVING to keep the law.

When we worry about keeping the law we are so focused on it that we lose the natural grace God intends for us. When we accept the grace and have a loving relationship with God we really end up better obeying the laws naturally, not through obligation. Too many Christians drift back to the law and start condemning others and people start STRIVING to work their way to salvation. It is subtle, but God does NOT want us to strive. Just accept.

Read Luke 15 below. Think about the sheep. Did they do ANYTHING except just let the master pick them up and take them home? Same with the coin and prodigal Son in the next two parables. They did not have to DO anything. Just accept. Read the last sentence of Luke 15. God prefers one person that repents (accepts grace) to 99 others that live by the law (even if they keep it perfectly).

When we accept God's grace we an start building his Kingdom on earth! Let's make ours a LIVING FAITH VS. A DIEING FAITH - THAT'S WHAT THIS WK WAS ALS ABOUT. We want to be a church for all people, not just for the "converted". If all the church does is tell us how to get to heaven, then it is a church of death. If it embraces all people, nations and spheres of society with an attitude of Grace, it becomes a CHURCH OF LIFE!! That is a relevant church.

May 21 is over. Let's stop waiting for the rapture. God isn't coming to take us up to heaven. He wants us to be building his Kingdom on earth so that he can join us someday!!!

Jesus did not draw a circle around himself and say "You are In, You are Out" He just said to follow Him. How would we really even know who belongs in the circle and who does not? Who are we to say we know another man's background or heart? That would be to use the law.

Thank you for listening. I hope I have not abused my platform. I'm not saying everything I've written here is correct. I am a student. Let your Bible be your guide, let my thoughts provoke :)

In love and humility always asking for grace,
Dave

Luke 15

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹ Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents (changes the way they THINK) than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (In the Message Version 15:7 reads “Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' Count on it—there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.”)

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins^[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”