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Monday, June 15, 2009

Crazy for Christ

Yesterday, Scott Kaehr preached the sermon. It was great! His heart really comes through in what he says because he’s passionate about God! In fact, he started out with this photo (and verse). It’s a picture of a space shuttle with the sun in the background:



Scott said that while a man made machine like the space shuttle is amazing, he is more amazed by the One who made that “big orange ball”. How about you? Do you know the One who made the sun? Are you awed by Him? I know I am!!

Scott said that even though God is bigger and greater than the sun, He still chose to humble Himself and come TO us! Jesus literally “moved into our neighborhood” and dwelled among us. What does that mean to you? If you need a weak comparison, think of a celebrity you admire. Now, imagine that he/she is moving in next to you. Wouldn’t you be thrilled that someone of such “importance” was going to be YOUR neighbor? That’s what Scott was trying to convey - only Jesus is much bigger, greater, and more important than any “celebrity” of any kind! Not only is He your neighbor and mine, but He’s everyone’s! Jesus is for EVERBODY!

Scott talked about how the blind man in Matthew 20:29-34/Mark 10:46-52 understood just how amazing Jesus was. He was captivated by Him and was desperate to know and be known by Jesus. He was sitting in a ditch and asked what was happening when he heard the crowd going by. When he was told it was Jesus, he started crying out to Him. The saddest part is, he was rebuked for it! Scott said he wondered who the people were that were telling him to be quiet. Was it the Pharisees? Jesus’ own disciples? They had to be blind themselves to not realize that Jesus wasn’t about the pomp and circumstance. He was all about being with and healing people like that blind man in the ditch.

Scott said he also wondered who the person was that brought the blind man to Jesus when He stopped and asked for the man to be brought to him. Could it have possibly been one of the people rebuking the man just a short while ago, or was it someone else? Scott said that he could just imagine the scene; disciples and people scrambling to be the one to bring the man to Jesus. “Here he is, Jesus. I am the one that brought him to you.” Scott talked about the prideful “pat yourself on the back” kind of stuff that we often do. He said it was something that he even struggles with himself.

Scott pointed out a few more things. One being that the first thing Jesus said to the man (which I have always found beautiful and amazing) is “What do you want me to do for you?” Scott said, “Has Jesus ever asked you that question?” Yeah, He sure has! It reminded me of something I read in the book “Prison to Praise” by Merlin Carothers. He said that he had had a vision of Jesus kneeling and saying that He didn’t want to use him (us) He wants (us) to use HIM! Anything that WE do for others, or that God does for us, is THROUGH Christ (Philippians 4:13). CHRIST is the one being “used”; not us! It’s not through “us” that God’s Will gets accomplished. It’s not Him using US, it’s US using HIM and HIS power and authority! CHRIST does the “doing”. All glory belongs to Him!

The blind man had been literally screaming for Jesus. He was desperate for Him. Scott even talked about the part where the Bible says he threw off his coat. Why? He didn’t want anything tripping him up. He was throwing off his old life and anything that could get in the way of him getting to Jesus. Jesus was all that mattered. He would stop at nothing; just like the people who tore the roof off a house to lower their friend down to Jesus so he could be healed. They were crazy for Christ! Are we?

Can you imagine being that blind man? Can you imagine the eyes of Jesus being the first thing you see when your sight is restored to you? That’s undoubtedly what that blind man saw! It’s what Scott saw, because he said that he was that blind man for a long time. He was sitting in the ditch, in the mud, until he finally threw off his coat and started screaming for Jesus. Can you relate? Are you screaming for Jesus to heal you? Are you throwing off everything that is getting in the way of you and Him? That’s what Scott invited us to do as he closed the sermon and many of us went up to pray. He came around to those of us who were there and asked if we had gotten what we came for. I know I did! I was hoping and praying that all I experienced in the past week would continue on forever. I was praying that the kind of peace and presence I felt last week would remain with me always and that I would learn how to blot out the distractions and stresses of the world.

Grace and peace to all of you! May you all throw off your coats and scream for Jesus! May you all find what you’re looking for. Christ has it, and He will freely give it to you! Come to Him!! God bless you all!!

**By the way, if you want to see this sermon (and I highly recommend it!), the video will be uploaded soon on YouTube!! http://www.youtube.com/user/MissionOfLIfe Last week‘s sermon is already on there, in various parts (since YouTube limits how long the videos can be)**

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