Phew! Just finished the last Pure course this morning, so no more having to be down the uni for half seven.
The last session was called pure forgiveness and I had to do a talk on the cross and sexual sin. Struck by a few things. The worst thing about sexual sin, indeed about all our sin, isn't just our side of it (guilt, the mess it causes, letting ourselves down), it's the fact we have grieved God. God is hurt by our sin, and I wonder if you and I really dwell on this? I was struck again that the cross is for God as much as it is for us, if not more. The blood of Christ is for God to see, to show that his righteous anger has been satisfied. All our sin and the hell we deserve dealt with in that instant on the cross. How much I need to take this in!
Sunday night's sermon came as a real wake up call: especially convicted about slackness in repentance. We sit on a whole mound of sin: habits, thoughts and attitudes. There's the subtle sins and the respectable sins. Yet we just don't see it, and I don't see that all sin no matter how small grieves God. Left with the challenge am I willing to be exposed? Am I willing to be shown up for what I am? If I'm convinced that, in the words of Richard Sibbes, 'there is more grace in Christ than there is sin in me' then I'll be willing to be as bruised and shown up as possible, just as long as it is dealt with.
This week I'm preparing a sermon for Sunday, doing Waffles, leading Prayer Meeting on Wednesday, and contacting Sunday school parents about the Christmas party. Oh yes and there's the calendars to go out as well.
1 comment:
Hi Pete,
Glad to see that you are soaring the old blogosphere. 'As on eagle's wings' eh?
Your Bible study tonight was very good and, although we got a bit confused, it all worked and we GOT IT. The Ezekiel quote was especially inspiring and I thank you for it. I am sure it will find its way into a Reachout article sometime soon.
See you soon or I'll see you there
Mike
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