Not Finished Yet - I Am a Work In Progress - Be Patient With Me

I was sitting in the church few weeks ago and to be honest I don’t remember anything from the sermon. The truth is if you are a church attending person, in your lifetime you will attend thousands of church services and it’s absolutely normal that you will not remember all. You don’t even have to. God uses your church time, your daily ordinary events, and all of your circumstances to personally talk to you and by doing so he is transforming you one step at a time.

But while you will listen to thousands of sermons and you will forget many of them, I find it amusing that I never forget when God talks to me personally. I can recall every time God talked to me: tell you exactly what I did, what he told me, and the impact it had on my life. Whether God talks to me at church through a pastor, a song, a book, a dream or just simply when I don’t even expect it, those moments and words all are imprinted in my mind forever. I treasure these sentences more than anything in my life. God, the God of the universe talks to me, little me – personally.

So going back to the Sunday, I remember the pastor asking: “Do you love Jesus?” And of course in was a grooming yes in the room - well we are in the church setting - of course we love Jesus. But then the next question came: “Do you obey him?” and after this I can’t remember the sermon anymore because God, started to talk to me personally.

It absolutely amazes me Jesus’ behavior from his arrest in the garden of Gethsemane to his death on the Cross. Jesus didn’t defend himself, he gave up his privileges being one with God, he gave up his powers and endured the rejection, denial, pain, contempt and in the end death for me and you.

Though he was God, de did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal death on a cross. ~ Philippians 1:6-8 (NLT)

Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? ~ Matthew 26:53 (NLT)

Jesus gave up all his privileges and powers, so that we can set be free and become children of God. He could of … just ask for thousands of angels … what a show would of that have been. He could of prove it that he is the Son of God to all those who didn’t believed him. We know that everything was created in him, Jesus, and for him. He was there at the creation when “Let it be” was mentioned and the entire universe instantly was created.   We just don’t understand what does it mean to be God, have the supernatural powers to strike with one word and all would be death … yet, Jesus gave up everything, he didn’t even responded to the accusations against him. He always affirmed his authority. Whenever he was asked if he really was the Son of God, he would affirm their questions. He never denied his authority, but didn’t defend himself.

While mostly in his trial he was quite, Jesus had seven very important sentences which show us and teach us deep Godly principles.

There are times in our life journey, when God comes so close to us and challenges us to slow down, step back and take a look deep inside in our hearts and answer the most important questions of our lives. One of the most important questions of your life is:

“Then he (Jesus) asked them:”But who do YOU say I am?” – Mark 8:29

It doesn’t matter what other people say about Jesus. It doesn’t matter what they think. It doesn’t matter where their relationship stands.

When it comes to YOUR relationship with God, what YOU believe about Jesus is THE most important thing about you. You will live YOUR life accordingly to what comes first to YOUR mind when YOU hear the word: Jesus.

This question is so personal and so deep.

Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers. ~ Luke 22:31-32

Think about this:
“______(fill your name here), ______(fill your name), satan has asked to sift you like wheat (you know exactly when you feel that your shaken more then you can take).
But I (Jesus) pleaded in prayer for you, ______ (fill your name), that your _______ ( fill in: your faith, your trust, your health, your marriage, your finances, your XXXX fill in) should not fail.
So when you have repented [because on your own - you just couldn’t stand and you felt: when things didn’t turned out the way you tought, when God didn't moved circumstances the way you thought he should … you doubted if God even exist, maybe just like Peter you even denied God, or when you been betrayed you wondered if you should ever trust again, when cancer hit your family too, or when your partner walked out, or maybe you walked out of your marriage, when your financial situation just didn’t worked out, you lost your job, you______(fill in) and in those circumstances you failed],
but when you realized you messed up everything - repented and turned to me (Jesus) again [ because you realized that you need Jesus more then ever, more then anything and when you turned back he (Jesus) was waiting for you, when you made one step toward Jesus he made all of the rest to reach you and he strengthened you] then strengthen your brothers [those who are in pit now, be merciful to them because Jesus died for them too, because Jesus is pleading for them too, help them to get back to Jesus].

When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” ~ Luke 23:33-34

Jesus spoke only few words or phrases during the most important event in history and one of those few phrases was about forgiveness. Jesus asked the Father and begged Him for our forgiveness. Even in the most difficult times, even when he hang on the cross, when Jesus was between life and death, he only thought about us.

Today we stepped in the most important week of the year. It’s the holy week. We remember Jesus’ sacrifice for you and me, for mankind. My prayer this morning was, that Lord please keep my heart sensitive. If you been a Christian for a longer period of time, you might feel that you know the story of this week. I would like to challenge you to go over and read the Easter events all over again and ask the Holy Spirit to make it new. Read the Bible as you would read it the first time ever.

We can NEVER get accustomed to the Easter story; we can never take it lightly. Jesus paid a really high price for you and me, and this has to always make us stop and be thankful, and gracious, because without Jesus’ willingness and obedience, you and I would be sentenced to death.