Stockton Baptist Church
BACK TO BASICS. During the 1960 NFL Championship game, the Packers lost the lead with 5:21 left. They started the last drive at their own 35 yard line with only 1:05 left and needing a touchdown. As time ran out, they were just 9 yards from the win. On the first day of training camp the nextlively when John the Baptist said, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am NOT WORTHY to stoop down and loose” (Mark 1:7). The point is that we, as sinners, cannot make ourselves worthy of gaining God’s forgiveness. Picture it as God sitting on His Judgment Throne. He looks at a sinner on Judgment Day and is about to bang His gavel down to declare the person guilty and sentenced to hell. But at that moment, Jesus Christ stands to His feet. He holds out His hands and confesses, “I gave My life for this one and he as trusted Me.” In response, the Judge states, “Based on your faith in My Son, I declare you Not Guilty!” “Enter into the joy on your Lord” (Matt. 25:23). No, we cannot make ourselves worthy based upon our faithfulness or obedience or penance. Vince Lombardi said, “This is a football” but God says, “This is my Son.” Are you worthy of heaven? Nope. None of us are, for Jesus alone is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). summer, Vince Lombardi famously held up a pigskin and said, “Gentleman, this is a football.” The team spent the summer drilling the basics - how to block, how to tackle, how to run every play. Though favored by only 3 1/2 points, the Packers blew out the Giants in the 1961 NFL Championship game 37 to 0. The basics paid off big time! The Apostle Paul did the same thing by drilling basic truths about Jesus Christ and eternal life when writing to new Christians in Colosse. Paul told them it is “the Father who has qualified us” for heaven (Col. 1:12). The Greek word for “qualify” means “to make sufficient, to make worthy.” The word was used negatively when John the Baptist said, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am NOT WORTHY to stoop down and loose" (Mark 1:7). The point is that we, as sinners, cannot make ourselves worthy of gaining God's forgiveness. Picture it as God sitting on His Judgment Throne. He looks at a sinner on Judgment Day and is about to bang His gavel down to declare the person guilty and sentenced to hell. But at that moment, Jesus Christ stands to His feet. He holds out His hands and confesses, "I gave My life for this one and he as trusted Me." In response, the Judge states, "Based on your faith in My Son, I declare you Not Guilty!" "Enter into the joy on your Lord" (Matt. 25:23). No, we cannot make ourselves worthy based upon our faithfulness or obedienceor penance. Vince Lombardi said, "This is a football" but God says, "This is my Son." Are you worthy of heaven? Nope. None of us are, for Jesus alone is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6).
First Christian Church of Plainville
Whether it is through a well-known Christian hymn or through scripture itself, most Christians are aware of the Walls of Jericho, and their ultimate demise. The Walls of Jericho came tumbling down! This weeks question from Chapter 7 of The Story is, what is your Wall of Jericho?
In life, we get pushed up against the wall and things can feel like they are tumbling down. In Chapter 6, the Israelites had wandered through the desert for 40 years, they surely felt discouraged, depressed, and bewildered. But God had a plan, and we read this week of how they overcome.
The generation that wandered through the desert was now gone, and the Israelites have a new leader, Joshua. Joshua is to take them into the Promised Land, but it was not just going to be given to them.
The people they would have to defeat were giants, and there were a lot of them. But God had told Joshua to "be strong and courageous." In fact, He told him this more than once. Likewise, when we are faced with tall, and sometimes seemingly insurmountable, tasks, we also need to be strong and courageous.
Joshua prayed to God, and asked for help. He was told to send spies in advance, and when they came away from their mission, they were convinced that God was leading them to victory. Ultimately, with God's instructions followed down to the last detail, the Israelites soundly defeated their enemy when the walls of Jericho fell. If we follow Joshua's lead and pray in earnest before we make big decisions, and follow His instruction (scripture), we too can be confident in our choice.
So what is holding you back?
Our lesson is to keep moving forward. Stop focusing on yourself or on "us" as a people, and focus on how BIG God is. Don"t let your excuses take control. Step out of your comfort zone and keep moving forward. God will lead and your walls will come tumbling down, just as they did for Joshua.
