Westside Church of Christ

The word of God introduces us to a world that we cannot know any other way. Every day we encounter the self-proclaimed “wise” who fight for space in our minds. They occupy positions of authority and demand our respect. They are wrong and deadly being unrighteous suppressers of godliness and righteousness leaving a trail of destruction wherever their poison is swallowed. It pollutes minds, stirs abnormal desires and wrecks societies. Sound harsh and unrealistic? Read Romans 1:18-32. Better yet, just look around. It is depressing and distressing.

We open up an entirely different world through the Scriptures. Clearly, the current environment is headed in the wrong direction, but we do not have to go with it. Noah didn’t. As bad as the culture had become, he refused to be swept away in the wickedness and saved a handful of relatives in the process. We will discover ourselves in those pages and meet a God who has an amazing love for the good, the bad and the ugly.

Our respect for Him grows with every discovery of His nature. He made each of us on purpose. There is a reason that we exist, and as far as we may have wandered into the darkness, He always welcomes us back. The prodigal son of Luke 15 shows the patience and grace of our heavenly Father. It also shows the ugly side of humanity in the older brother’s grumbling. Heaven celebrated. He complained. Grace can be hard to accept until we are the one in need.

We stand in awe of our Lord’s handling of His covenant people. They turned away from Him, and He, through His compassion for them, warned them again and again but they refused to listen. They mocked His messengers and scoffed at the prophets. It was then that we are again reminded of another characteristic of our God: His wrath. To add insult to injury, He used an evil king to execute His punishment. It was a seventy-year refresher course on who He is (2 Chronicles 36:15-21).

The Bible exposes us to many sides of God. He is complex beyond our understanding, but we can continually develop a greater comprehension of the great “I Am,” who spoke through a burning bush to free His people through a sea. He is still the only means of being liberated from a cruel spiritual master.

It is so hard to acknowledge our own dilemma. The slaves cannot see the ball and chain that they drag around. They’re so busy doing their “own thing” that they do not realize that it isn’t their “thing” at all. The world dictates. The evil one entices. Lust demands. People are at the mercy of their pleasurable impulses. All the while, their hearts harden and senses dull. The word of God lays us open to the reality that only Jesus provides what we need.

Call to Praise: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

His word on it: 1 Corinthians 9:25

Sermon: “Train to Win”