Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Obeying God when obeying isn’t easy”
Our Bible verse for today: “Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? Isaiah 58:6-7 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “God calls us to an active faith.”
Perhaps you’ve noticed in this month of devotional messages that most of them have revolved around “doing”. We’ve talked about maintaining healthy relationships; we’ve considered the responsibility we have to speak up for Christ; and we’ve thought about how we should act at work. We spent some time thinking about our responsibility to obey the laws of the land, and when we should disobey those laws as we boldly take a stand for righteousness. We’ve also addressed the problem of greed, the attribute of generosity, and our responsibility to care for those in need.
Why so much emphasis on actions? Because it’s a theme that God Himself repeatedly brings up in the Bible. The fact is that God isn’t looking for a passive faith from us. Instead, He calls for a real faith that makes a real difference in real lives out in the real world.
Unfortunately much of what passes for Christian faith today is not active but is extremely passive. People go to church, sing some songs, put a few dollars in the plate, listen to the sermon, and then go on their merry way, having put a check mark in the box so their religious thing is accomplished until next Sunday. Paul Sparks refers to it as a “McDonald’s” church experience. It doesn’t really matter which franchise you go to because they’re all pretty much the same. The menu is predictable and what’s served up isn’t all that nutritious. People quickly consume what’s offered and then they’re back out the door.
In Isaiah 58:6-7 God made it clear that He’s not interested in, or impressed by, empty religious ritual. What matters to Him is a faith that makes an observable difference in the real world. The problem of course, is that religious ritual is relatively easy and undemanding. Living-out the faith in real life is harder. But it is also meaningful in a way that empty ritual can never be.
God calls His people to actually go out and “be” the church in the world, in everyday life. He calls us to an active faith that makes a real difference. Obeying God in this way isn’t always easy but it is always right.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 