Monthly Archives: September 2011

Resource

The Grace List

Listen to The Grace List by Tim Kimmel:

The Grace List by Tim Kimmel

The Obedience-based Life vs. The Grace-based Life
You live to impress God vs. You live to trust God
A performance vs. A relationship
A duty vs. A delight
Predictable vs. Fluid
Promotes fear vs. Promotes faith
Creates worry vs. Creates calm
Masked vs. Transparent
Critical Spirit vs. Compassionate Spirit
Sense a lot of guilt vs. Sense a lot of freedom
Inclines you towards pridefulness vs. Inclines you towards humility
Outside-in management vs. Inside-out surrender
For “church” people vs. For everybody
More natural vs. More supernatural
Focuses on being good vs. Focuses on being connected
Lends itself to self-righteousness vs. Lends itself to organic obedience

Or watch online.  See the Grace List on Family Matters Website or download a pdf.

Faith, Growth/Pursuit

I will wait for the Lord, I will hope in Him

“For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” (Isaiah 8:11–15 ESV)

The people of Judah are afraid of surface level threats because they have no fear of God.  They have such a low view of the majestic grandeur of the Creator that they are easily shaken by what is going on around them.  We should not fear what others fear, nor dread what others dread for our eyes are fixed on the transcendent majesty of the King of all the earth.  He is our strength, protection, hope, salvation and strength.  God promises to preserve a remnant of faithful, loyal disciples while the remainder of the people remain stiff-necked and complain against God while they are taken in to exile.  A patient trust in God characterizes those whom are part of the remnant.  Is our faith really in God, or is it in other things – surface level things that distract us from full devotion?  “I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.” (Isaiah 8:17 ESV)

Gospel Centrality, Growth/Pursuit

Place your faith in the one that providentially plots the course of nations

Ahaz (king of Judah) fears, as do the people when they hear that Israel and Syria are planning to come against them (Isaiah 7:2), but God vetoes human intent and instead tells them that Syria and the northern kingdom will fall – and they did.  The people of Judah have an opportunity to hold on to God, but their faith must be firm – there is a tie between stability and faith (Isaiah 7:3-9).  In verses 10-17, we see God calling Ahaz to place ultimate faith in him – and even encourages him to ask for a dramatic sign (v11), but Ahaz had placed his faith in human strength – instead of turning to God for help, Ahaz turned to the king of Assyria.  He had given gold from the temple treasury to the Assyrians to elicit them to attack the Syrians & the northern kingdom (2 Kings 16:1-9).  All that they needed to do was to place their ultimate faith (trust) in the one that providentially plots the course of nations.  God prompts Ahaz to place his faith in a far more reliable source – God himself and then goes on to promise the coming of the messiah, the ultimate gift of grace.  Ahaz’s lack of faith in God to deliver them came at a cost, in 733 BC the Assyrians overthrew the northern kingdom and the Syrian’s (2 Kings 15:29), but the cost was extreme – in gold and Judah had aligned themselves with a wicked nation and became a servant to the Assyrians.  All because they lacked faith in the God who had delivered them and provided for them.  Failure of earthly kings, requires the intervention of the King of kings to deliver His promises.  God was to be Israel’s king from the beginning, but they wanted an earthly king, like everybody else.  Where is your ultimate faith (trust)?  In politicians, morality, marriage, religion, relationships, wealth, significance, success – or God.  Where do you look for deliverance?

Depravity, Gospel Centrality, Growth/Pursuit

Isaiah is undone in the presence of the Lord

““Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”” (Isaiah 6:3 ESV)

Isaiah is undone in the presence of the Lord as he cries out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”” (Isaiah 6:5 ESV).  The prophet recognizes how short he falls from holiness when he is faced with the holiness of God as he stands in His presence.  But God provides the only remedy for Isaiah’s (and our) position:  grace.  God graciously provides and atones for his sinful inadequacy:  “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”” (Isaiah 6:6–7 ESV).  Being in the presence of the Almighty and experiencing His grace moves Isaiah to action and service, ““Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”” (Isaiah 6:8 ESV).  Isaiah is called to be a prophet to the people.  However, Isaiah’s proclamation will not cause the people to repent and turn to the Lord, rather God had ordained that it would only serve to harden their already darkened and depraved hearts: ““‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”” (Isaiah 6:9–10 ESV).  The regenerating faith to respond to God is a gift of His grace, for without it we won’t want Him.