#paul – Serambi Jeffry Sudirgo

PETRA:

SET YOUR MIND OF THINGS ABOVE

Who said that in the desert you will only feel hot and humid weather? I had the same thought too. Do you know that the desert which Moses crossed was not only hot in the summer but also freezing in the winter? The weather can reach 10 to 2 degree celcius and some times it snows.

When the Israelites walked from Egypt through this desert called Wadi Musa, they grumbled many times. Israelites grumbled about having not enough food, water and all things compared to the things they had in their former life in Egypt.

Do you know that the most miracles in the Old Testament happened in the wilderness? God gave free food to Israelites for 40 years. They received free meat, free clean and fresh water. They have free light at night and free gps direction from God through the pillar of cloud.

Unfortunately, instead of being thankfull to God, the Israelites filled their lives with grumbling. They chose to focus on their daily problems rather than see things from God’s point of view. They filled their daily life with grumbling, complaining, and comparing between the relative good condition of life in the past in Egypt verses facing their difficulties in the present in the wilderness. The Israelites even threated and intimidated God. “God must be wrong to put us in this situation! It’s all your fault, God!!”

Paul reminds us to set our minds on things above. This is not about utopia or idealism but to confront the reality of life with the right decisions, right thoughts about our life. If we fill our life with complaining, blaming and grumbling, than we will see that life becomes more difficult.

If we change the grumbling to thankfullness, blaming to self-evaluation and complaining to being self-sufficient, than we will see our life more wisely and we will begin to serve God, care for each other and face our lives in a more optimistic way.

God wants us to set our minds on things above so we can know the truth, understand the reality of life and approach our daily problems according to the ideas and principles laid out in the Word of God.

Following Biblical principles helps us so much because God knows what is the best for our life, our future and our world. God knows you because he made you and the Bible is in some ways kind of like an owner’s manual explaining the best way something works.

God loves us and calls us to meditate His words. The principle of God’s Word will help us to understand the reality of this life. It will also help us to fulfill God’s eternal plan in our life.

SETTING OUR MINDS ON THINGS ABOVE IS NOT ABOUT IDEALISM OR UTOPIA, BUT IT’S THE BEST WAY TO COPE WITH THIS LIFE ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD

DO NOT STAND STILL

I Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you think Gold is valuable? Sure! But not to Inca’s tribe who lived hundred years ago. When Spain found South America, Inca tribe had already known about iron, bronze and gold. But what they did not understand was how valuable the gold is. Inca people use gold as a comb, to pluck their eyebrows and also as cooking tools. They just didn’t understand the value of gold until Spain colonized them.

Today a lot Christians just don’t understand how valuable it is to become a follower of Jesus Christ and so they stay lukewarm. Many believers prefer to think about them self rather than think about “what God wants me to do”.

The Apostle Paul realized that he only had one life to live and that he should work hard to fulfill God’s plan for him. I Corinthian 9:24-27 is about how Paul didn’t want to live his life in vanity; to just watch life passing bye. He made every effort to accomplish what God had already designed for him since he was born. Paul draws a comparison between the Christian life and a runner and a boxing competition.

In the Greek translation of verse 26 when Paul says, “beat the air” (verse 26b) he meant like a boxer who was boxing to gain victory. For believers in spiritual warfare, he wants them to give their all to gain victory.

We have a fixed goal of eternal life which is our certain future. That’s why Paul fully committed to do more than just span with his flesh. When all of us will one day in eternity face the judgment of God, God won’t be asking:”How much savings do you have? Do you have gold?” No! He will ask, “What you have done for Me?” As Christians, are we just staying lukewarm after God saved us? DO NOT STAND STILL..!

There’s a story about millionaire who threw a huge party. Everybody invited to this party enjoyed so much rich food, beautiful background music as well as the luxury mansion facilities. And then the owner of this party announces, “My dear guests, I am so happy with the profit of my company is overwhelming and abundant. As a token of my thankfulness, I would like to give one person one of my mansions; one of my Lamborghini sport cars and also one million dollars!” “Wow…!” There were so many sounds of happiness and surprised shock from the guests.

The party owner continued, “But, I will only give these wonderful prizes to the first person who comes across this pool full of alligators!” Quickly everybody went quite. “Splash…!” Suddenly there’s a man who swimming as fast as he can. He survived unharmed! Everybody cheered him.

The millionaire says, “Fantastic! Congratulations! This is the key to the Lamborghini and other prizes will also be yours. But, I have a question: what made you so brave to cross this pool?” The man said, “I don’t want your mansion. I don’t want your money and I don’t want your car either! All I want is to know: Who pushed me in that water!” This story is just a joke.

Sometimes God allows us to be pushed by someone or some situation that we don’t want at all. We must leave our comfort zone to experience spiritual growth. We must not be lukewarm with our faith. God allowed believers in the first century to be persecuted so they would leave their comfort zone in Jerusalem and go tell the world about Jesus Christ.

There’s God’s blessing inside our obedience to Him. There’s a growth behind our suffering and being in an uncomfortable zone. But, I’m confident that nothing we do for God is a waste of time or effort (I Corinthians 15:58). DO NOT STAND STILL – KEEP MOVING FOR CHRIST.

As I close this message, let’s watch the testimony of a man who become a believer. He felt joy and peace because a friend invited him to Church. (Clip My Hope).