After Pastor Danny’s message, I talked to folks here and there, keeping an ear out about what they had to say about what he said. I’m happy to report that while all he said had power, the emphasis continues to be, being rooted in Christ.
If Saturday was an anniversary celebration ‘customized’ for our brothers and sisters from out of town (who wanted to join in but also wanted time to head home in time for Sunday service), Sunday, the next day, was for each and every local service… I had the privilege and opportunity to join the rest of the council as they celebrated in all services (which entailed that I needed to be in even the morning services and not just my afternoon service), and to hear the ‘responses’ of the other leaders to our theme of being rooted in Christ.
The first message I heard transitioned being rooted in Christ to the benefit of prayer, and particularly how prayer is never a waste of time for the believer. The good pastor (who also happened to be a good mentor of sorts) shared how, sure, at first our prayers may be ‘fleshly’ – that is, that they would be formed and spoken based on our intellect, our thought processes, our mindsets, our experiences, and so on… but they end up being made a ‘pleasing aroma to God’ – not because of our eloquence, conviction, accuracy, etc. but because the Holy Spirit adorns our prayers.
The second message – I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I remember much of the second message but the theme of being rooted in Christ was definitely in there. I apologize, but I had my mind all over the place and thinking of other things during this time.
I take all I was exposed to in the morning, and integrate it into my introduction to another good pastor who I also consider a good mentor, who happened to agree to sharing a message in our afternoon service.
The Lord inhabits the prayers and praises of His people, and, sure enough, He is present with the congregation when we hear and read the Word, just as He is present with my good pastor, as he wrote and now delivers the Word.
Thank You, Lord, for the remembrance of Your Word.
ROOTED IN CHRIST
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLTBut blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
WE NEED TO REMAIN DEEPLY ROOTED IN CHRIST:
1. YOUR ROOTS MUST GROW DEEPER.
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 NLT
(my commentary 092226) It’s a big difference for us to ‘let’; as in here, we ‘let’ the roots grow down into Christ, and we let our lives be built on Christ… naturally. Read this as separate besides someone looking at this and saying that we should be the ones doing the growing down into Him, and we should be the ones building our lives on Him.
As I was writing that last line, there was that one line in that one song I enjoyed: ‘I will build my life upon Your love, it is a firm foundation‘; And with that in mind, I’m not saying we SHOULDN’T make an effort from our end… But if we DO move, if we DO work, it is FROM Christ’s work, and not initiated by us. The priority is natural depth, and growth – effortlessly, because of Christ’s effort.
That, right there, is me reconciling points of view. Part of me still cringes from Type-A Personality actions and reactions, but the truth of the matter is, Christ died and rose again for all, no matter how they were built and programmed.
While it is tempting to attack differing opinions and stay hostile, we have been reconciled to Christ for the ministry of reconciliation – meaning we find common ground, and in our case in the body of Christ, it will ALWAYS be on Christ – Not matching times and places of availability, not common preferences, situations, and experiences; No narrative, no family, no organization shall serve as our common firm foundation.
On Christ the Solid Rock, we stand.
With this in mind, I suppose that I can agree that, yes, our roots MUST grow deeper… and I add… they WILL.
You are rooted in Christ, and your roots will grow deeper.
2. YOUR ROOTS MUST TRUST THE SOURCE.“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”Ephesians 3:16-18 NLT
(my commentary 092226)
As you are in Christ, so your roots are in Him. Therefore, He is your Source.
Yeah, this is new. We’re new creations, sure. New priorities, new ideas, new thoughts, new preferences, new desires, new inspirations, new motivations, new in mind and projected in the physical.
But here I’m reminded (Thank God) that we’ve also been planted into new soil. We’re standing on a new Rock. We have a new Source. And, therefore, we have new Trust. No matter how our old flesh insists on drawing sustenance and satisfaction from the old filth… (1) first of all, the old flesh has passed away, and (2) double whammy, even if it IS still alive (even though it’s already dead) it can’t stay alive for long because we’re new roots planted in new soil.
And when I say we have new Trust I’m thinking we’ve been reprogrammed to the core, to seek sustenance in the new soil – to naturally trust in the Lord.
And here’s the thing. I’m brought to remember the second time my car wouldn’t start in the same parking lot, within the span of a week. Both times I cried out to the Lord for help, and right then and there, I didn’t necessarily get a call out of nowhere from someone who knew precisely what I was going through, and precisely what I needed.
But, long story short, I trusted in the Lord, and I was not put to shame – actually, I was brought to relief, comfort, resolution, testifying to the goodness of God… all on His timeline, and not according to my frantic sense of urgency.
3. YOUR ROOTS MUST REMAIN IN CHRIST“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT
‘Stay rooted. Stay connected. Stay surrendered. Stay in Christ.’
After this message, I happened to sit down with some folks, and the discussion we had was quite… revelatory, if that’s the word. Long story short, it’s about how, in disagreements, people passionately take sides, but there are also those people who just want chaos – throwing gas into the fire, lying about something happening or someone saying something that would get people angrier with the other side(s); (1) for the love of chaos, and/or (2) because they passionately take their own side.
I also had fellowship with a brother from another mother from another location in the same island of our beautiful country. I prayed for him and his family as the afternoon service ended and before they headed out to catch a bus home… and, the next day, he forwards me this text:
In Jesus, The Purpose of the Law is to Lead us to Christ
Romans 3:20
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Galatians 3:24
The Law served as our guide to lead us to Christ that we might be declared righteous and put in right standing with God through faith.
The Law will give us consciousness and knowledge of sin and we need a Savior because we cannot help but to commit sin.
And as we believed and received Christ we are declared righteous not sinner anymore. Through Faith we can now walk in God’s Righteousness.
Right Believing Jesus will always produce Right Living, right attitude, behaviour and transformations of life in Christ.
Looking at all this, and reflecting on all that’s happened over the weekend, I’m led to say the following:
There’s much more to be done. There’s more clarifying to be made. There’s certainly more reason for us to keep learning, unlearning, and relearning…
And it doesn’t matter where you stand. Whether you think you’re so adept in moving on from legalism to full-on trusting Christ and His finished work, or whether you find yourself still learning, ‘unworthy’; No matter what personality ‘type’ you (or others) assign to you, regardless of how ‘far’ we are in our walk with Christ (if we even walk with Him, at all), the message remains, the mandate stands, for all of us:
Receive Christ Jesus the Lord,
Walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him,
Walk in Him, established in the faith, as you have been taught,
Walk in Him, established in the faith, abounding in the faith with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7
We are in a new season, recognizing Christ as Head and Center, just as much as we recognize Christ as solid Rock, firm Foundation, and in context, fertile Soil.
We are in a new season, growing rooted in Christ, intentionally learning His Word, proactively testifying of His goodness, glory and grace – for our sake, for the sake of our spheres of influence;
For the unity of His body, for the expansion of His kingdom, for the fulfillment of His will, and for the utmost glory of His name. Amen.
Submit to God, resist the devil, and he shall flee from you.
Submit to God: Walk in Christ, rooted and built up in Him. Walk in Christ, established in the faith.
Amen.
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