K-11 and I are home sick from church today. She's been sooo sick the last few days. But this morning she seems to have made a turn. Yay! Me, on the other hand, not so great... I think I have the start of her sickness.
But, what a treasure to spend some mom/daughter time with my favorite 11 year old! I told her we would listen to a sermon together since we were missing church, and of course I had to choose...John Piper! (Funny moment here...when my girls were toddlers, they would call him John Diaper. That word was a current part of their world back then. They have now repented, somewhat.) Anyway, John Piper is known in these parts as mommy's favorite writer, speaker, etc. We both took notes and when the sermon was over, we read what we wrote to each other and discussed it. Love it!
The neat thing about sermons on-line is that you can choose the topic you feel most directed toward. I chose one called a "The All-Providing King Who Would Not Be King." Great Summation! John 6:1-15...the parable of the loaves and fishes. Jesus performs a major miracle of tactile provision for this band of 5,000 men and an additional (probably) 5-6,000 women and children present. And they are thrilled. But they are thrilled in a fleshly way. Who wouldn't be thrilled to have your lunch served for free, and made out of virtually nothing? That's some great power to behold...Wow! The problem was this...they saw the power and wanted to bottle it for their own uses. "Wow, if this man can make food for thousands out of nothing, what might he do as our king?" Jesus withdraws. He knows their fleshly intentions. He knows they don't want what he's really offering... As John Piper puts it, "In their minds, Jesus is wonderfully useful!" This is what is often referred to as "The Prosperity Gospel." Unregenerate desires and appetites, no different than the world's, that look to a powerful man to dole out the goods. But these are not the goods Jesus came to give. Again, as Piper says, "He didn't come to serve our unregenerate (before conversion) appetites. He came to give us new appetites. That's the meaning of being born again. In this chapter, He is opening a window on who He is. He will transform our cravings."
I've mentioned before my fears and battles over resting in God and not worrying about financial provision. Well this message today hit it's mark. When my craving for security surpasses my craving for Christ, I am acting like an unbeliever. Jesus is my total security. Period. But, oh sweet craving that presses me to crave God more! Like Paul's "thorn in the flesh," I may never be totally "over" my battle with wanting security from things other than God, but my battle with it causes me to keep running back to God, who is my true security.
"Hallelujah, all I have is Christ,
"Halleluhah, Jesus is my Life."
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