Got Excitement?

·         My Thesis statement:

Need more excitement in your Christianity? That’s like saying the Cross of Christ & His resurrection just aren't enough anymore! How dare you?

Recently I had a conversation with someone about churches that grow really fast and there’s a lot of excitement and then begin to dwindle down as the excitement dies off and the leadership can’t keep coming up with new things for people to get their emotional religious fix. So they go off to the next exciting church.I heard this happened to a church that was planted by a staff person from a HUGE church in Houston. He planted a church in another town and within weeks they were running over 1000. Today its 200 to 300. (Of course it maybe the gospel was never truly preached there.)

We were also looking at the parable of the 4 Soils in Mark 4 last Wednesday night and as you may remember, one of the soils was full of weeds and one of them was rocky. In the seedy soil the excitement of the gospel message was overtaken by the excitement of worldliness. In the rocky soil the gospel withered and died under the heat of tribulation and toil. Or you might say the excitement was killed by trouble.

I’ve known people who have asked me where the excitement is. Why aren’t I as excited to be saved as I once was? Where can I go to find it again? And they usually think in terms of a new events or a new church, and off they go.

I remember David praying “Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” And I’ve wondered about my flagging joy at times in my life.

Whats the deal with all this dissatisfaction with Jesus? Is partying and having your own way in life (worldliness) really more important to us than Jesus? Is tribulation really going to drive us away because this whole Christian thing is harder than we thought it would be? Are we feeling like victims of the old “Bait and Switch” con, where we get something that’s really exciting and wake up later and realize its become boring?

Remember my thesis?

Do you need more excitement in your Christianity? That’s like saying the Cross of Christ & His resurrection just aren't enough anymore! How dare you?

 

Let me suggest something to you.

Go back to the cross. Understand the Lord of Glory, the Very Son of God Almighty who has existed eternally; left glory, came to earth as a vulnerable baby, in an oppressed land. He lived a perfect life so that He could be our perfect Lamb of God without any spot, blemish, or defect. He suffered for us, taking the penalty that we deserve for sin. Then rose again  the 3^rd day, that He might draw unto Himself people from every creed and color, and forgive our sins; give us eternal life; and the promise of Heavenly bliss in His presence forever and ever, Hallelujah, Amen.

If that doesn’t “DO” anything for you, then you need to check, A) your physical pulse, and B) your spiritual pulse.

I won’t say it makes me “excited” to think about the Work and Glory of Christ. After all, I spent much of my life under the philosophy, “The main things is, not to get excited.” So I don’t “excite” easily. But I’ll tell you this; it “SHUTS MY COMPLAINING MOUTH!”

I’ve endured pain inconceivable in my life. I’ve experienced fear incapacitating. I can sing “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,” with compelling sincerity. But I can count it all joy, for the knowledge of what Christ has done for me, and the testimony of His Spirit to mine, assuring me that I have a place in Christ, undeniable, irremovable, indelible and safe – Forever knowing Christ as both Lord and Savior

And if I think about it very long, hey, I just might get excited, all over again.. 

Clark D

I am satisfied, Satisfied with Jesus

I am satisfied, Satisfied with Him.

Every need has been supplied, praise the Lord I'm satisfied.

Wholly satisfied! Satisfied with Him!