Remember Lot’s wife

25 Sep Remember Lot’s wife

Happy Saturday y’all!

Well…the old saying in Texas was that if you didn’t like the weather…wait 10 minutes & it would change.

We seem to be enjoying that change-ability here this week…and more changes are coming.

So…best thing you can do is book yourself in for worship this week. OR failing that…head over to one of our satellite locations for worship in a smaller setting.

If you’re in doubt…ring me 6931 5673.

 

Meanwhile…the link you need to see the pre-recorded worship material:

https://youtu.be/VMceVHrfN7s

 

Everything else is at our website: https://livingwaterwagga.org.au/sermons/

and click on the thing you want…printed material or video. It’ll all be there.

 

Now…something to think about & pray about this week: “Remember Lot’s wife.” – Luke 17:32

As you read Luke 17, (really from about Lk 11 on) you can see Jesus is heading to Jerusalem & his confrontation with the religious hierarchy is growing worse & his strident contrast between the way of this world & the life of his Kingdom is being made more clear. A question arises from his enemies about the coming of the Kingdom of God. He reminds us that the fullness of his reign will come suddenly when everything else seems to be going along as usual AND in that moment when it is clear we have a choice to make between the world and the kingdom…the future is going to be a distinct break from the past…Don’t try to retrieve the past & carry it into the future…and he concludes, “Remember Lot’s wife.”

We know her. Sodom & Gomorrah are being destroyed by God’s wrath. The messengers of God who are rescuing Lot & his family say, “Don’t look back.” She looks back & is lost…becomes a “pillar of salt.” (Gen 19)

I am more convinced than ever that the future for the church of the 21^st century from here on,  is going to look less like the church of our lived past than any of us can comprehend. The government is proposing to restrict our ministries in a wide variety of ways unlike ever before in any ostensibly free country. In a world governed by threat and fear we’ll need to live our faith in ways we’ve never had to before. We may find ourselves without recourse except to deconstruct into 1^st century house churches. I’m not an alarmist by nature…but I’m honest enough to admit my apprehensions.

 

I am also serious about trusting God…Isaiah speaks clearly for God here:

If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all. – Is 7:9

The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy.
He is the one you should fear.
He is the one who should make you tremble.
He will keep you safe. – Is 8:13-14a

Above & beyond the challenges…God is sovereign over all things and has promised his eternal future for all who have been claimed as his children by Christ’s death & resurrection. That’s us & all whom the Spirit sends to us as receivers of our witness. Be richly blessed this weekend & pray, serve & worship all the more as you see day approaching.

John