Good Morning Friends,
Having great faith enables us to stop worrying about ourselves which then frees us to look out for the interests of those around us. There are plenty of people who need saving in this world. Great faith enables us to stop worrying about our own status before God and start worrying about the status of others. We see this message played out in both the instructions of Paul to Timothy regarding prayer and adoration and in the story of the centurion in Luke and the healing of his servant. Oh God is still in charge, but I think that when we stop worrying about ourselves so much it makes us available to be used by God for a greater purpose. And this prompts today’s question related to our practice of religion and the universality of the Christian faith. So, How Is Our Worship Of Christ Forming Our Faith And Love For Others?
Scripture: After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Luke 7:1-10 (NRSV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (NRSV)
Message: Worship publicly is both an obligation and a privilege. God expects us to be people of extraordinary faith that is demonstrated in our corporate and community lives that spill over into the lives of others. God wants us to look at our circumstances through the eyes of Christ’s faith in us and believe we with God’s help can bring changes in our situations and in the situations of others with the practical advice of a life of prayer and love. Now this faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see, and this plays out in our experience of prayer for others. We are not only to achieve faith but to exercise it collectively in fellowship and worship and in our belief in Christ. The centurion in today’s gospel reading had a great faith. And our role in this regard is more in humbly submitting to God’s grace than exerting our own will. And what is amazing about such a faith is that it is not based on our present situation, but it looks forward to the future with hope in the authority of Christ.
And So, think about the centurion. For he helps us to understand the characteristics of an amazing and strong faith that might give us some insight into how to worship. It had nothing to do with how rich he was or how much he gave to build the synagogue. It was reflected in his humility and his trust that Jesus could work a miracle by His Word. His great and amazing faith was that he was focused on Jesus and His grace. That is how we are to worship. It reminds me of Peter. When he was focused on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. But when he lost his focus and thought about the fact that he was walking on water – the wind and the waves – he fell. Instead of worrying about how strong your faith is, think about how strong and gracious Jesus is. Stay focused on Him, and God will strengthen the faith in you and guide you to love on others as a result. The strength is not in the grip of the hand, but in the object of the eyes. Look up to Jesus and hold on to Him. See how gracious He is. See how strong He is. Without even looking at it, the faith in you will be strong and amazing, because it will be the faith of Jesus focused on God the Father, whose grace and mercy and forgiveness in the power of the Holy Spirit are the strongest and most amazing experience of life.
Pray we look to the future through eyes of faith. Pray we realize that faith crosses all barriers, so we might better work in unity together in worship and work. Pray we realize that our faith makes us humble in service to God, so we might better recognize the authority of Christ. Pray we trust Jesus. Pray we look at our circumstances through the eyes of faith in the power of Jesus Christ. Pray we stay focused on Jesus in worship and in our love for others.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 