Our concluding Awesome August worship service with David Platt was an incredible God moment in the life of our church. You are welcome to listen the message or even watch it,but I don't think you will come close to experiencing what God did in our midst. Don't let that discourage you from listening to the message, you will still be richly blessed!
With his boyish charm early in the message David Platt acknowledged that he does not have a clue what he is doing as a Pastor (With a huge grin, he asked us not to to let his church know that he is clueless), he acknowledged that he is desperate for God to accomplish anything and everything. That was the main point of his message, he is desperate for God's presence...that God is not impressed, nor does HE need us or our resources, our programs, our events, anything we have...BUT WE DESPERATELY NEED HIM. We desperately need God's presence, God's power...we are desperate for HIM...HE does NOT need us. His message flowed from Exodus 33 where Moses pleads for God's presence and he pleads to see God's glory.
David challenged the congregation to acknowledge our absolute desperation on God and many did. Then the God moment came...our Pastor called the Bellevue staff to the alter and he asked us if our hearts did not resonate with David when he said that he did not know what he was doing as Pastor...from my eye gate it looked like everyone of us acknowledged our inadequacy, our inability to do what God has called us to do...and we acknowledged our desperation on God. He led us in singing "Holy Spirit you are welcome in this place." He called the Deacons to the alter and repeated the same steps, then he called all our our Bible Fellowship teachers and committee members and repeated the steps again. Finally he led the congregation and God came down...we concluded by singing the Mercy Me song, "This is the air I Breathe." It was beautiful to have our Pastor and staff publicly humble ourselves and acknowledge that we are clueless without God's guidance, leadership, direction and wisdom...it was a beautiful thing!
Mark...that's nice, but what does it have to do with our daily reading? Thank you for asking:) Yesterday Paul asked the question at the end of verse 16...it is so easy to read over without noticing...Paul asks, "who is adequate for these things?"
Paul answers that question in our reading today. Our adequacy is not from ourselves...IT IS FROM GOD, WHO MADE US ADEQUATE!
2 Co 3:5-6 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
This is really good news for God's children! It is God who makes us adequate, it is God who made us adequate...it is God who will complete the good work HE began in each of HIS children...praise God. Consider Matt 4:19, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” What were the disciples responsible to do? What are we responsible to do? What is our part? FOLLOW JESUS! What does Jesus say about HIS sheep in John 10:27, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Our job is to follow Jesus, pursue HIM, chase HIM, delight in HIM, long for HIM, be DESPERATE FOR HIM and HE will MAKE US ADEQUATE FOR THE MINISTRY HE CALLS US TO AND HE WILL MAKE US TO BE FISHERS OF MEN.
2 Co 3:16-18 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
One Pastor said of this verse that Beholding is Becoming, becoming like Jesus. You could also say that in our beholding HIM we are being filled, filled with HIM!
When you and I come to HIM empty and devoid of ourselves, when we come broken, humble, contrite in and of ourselves...desperate for HIM...then HE fills us with HIS PRESENCE, HE FILLS US WITH HIS POWER, PRESENCE, GRACE, LIFE, PEACE AND "this treasure [is given] in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Cor 4:7).
Do you remember when Mary broke the vessel and poured the costly perfume on Jesus, anointing his body? Not only did the fragrance fill the room, but the fragrance followed HIM everywhere HE went until HIS death.
If we are not broken and desperate for Jesus all people will smell is your flesh and my flesh. When you and I are broken and spilled out HIS glory is shown through us and HIS fragrance surrounds us and fills the air we breath.