At CPC we are going through "The Reason for God" by Tim Kellar and today the sermon was on Hyprocrisy, there are so many ways that Foster, Kellar and one of the pastors spoke to me this week.
On page 145 of Foster, " Confession is a difficult Discipline for us because we all too often the believing community as a fellowship fo saints before we see it as a fellowship of sinners. We feel that everyone else has advanced so far into holiness that we are isolated and alone in our sin. We cannot bear to reveal our failures and shortcomings to others. We imagine that we are the only ones who have not stepped onto the high road to heaven. Therefore, we hide ourselves from one anothe and live in veiled lies and hypocrisy."
Page 150, "....freedom begets freedom"
The people pleaser in me wants to hide any failure. As the pastor said today, "Instead of deeply connecting with God we perform for people." I am in that, it is easier to push God away and avoid confession and spin my outside life for others instead of cleaning the inside of my life. This brought me back to one of the first trainee sessions I was a part of where I came to the reality of my life as a plate spinner.
Confession creates relationships. Connecting with others in vulnerability allows Christ to move not only in your own life but your relationships. This is a discipline that I need to work on. I need to remember that the gospel is an invitation to be honest with who I am and the freedom in that becomes contagious.
The analogy was used in church today that Churches need to be more like repair shops than show rooms. All of us need some repair work done and when we give the perception that the church is a show room we are not allowing people the freedom to be who they really are. I am going to try to live more like a repair shop.
Steph, what truth in your statements, "Confession creates relationships. Connecting with others in vulnerability allows Christ to move not only in your own life but your relationships" and "churches need to be more like repair shops than show rooms." How quickly I find myself putting up that strong, fake facade of my pretty exterior while totally ignoring the fact that my relationships suffer. I love the image of the church as a repair shop and not a show room. Thanks for sharing, what an encouragement!
ReplyDeleteI love the repair shop analogy.
ReplyDeleteSo if I roll up to Jesus in "Stevey Volt" sedan.
When Jesus comes to put in oil fluid I insist on tranny fluid and then I change my mind and demand orange juice. "No, Jesus, forget the 10W 40 give me some Minute Maid, it has anti-occidants."
To me, this dialogue sounds crazy.
To me, to trust in myself with all my heart and lean not on God's understanding (always) is crazy.
I am crazy.
God is patient.
Grace is so necessary.