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We're Not Worthy! We're Not Worthy!!!


When I was a teenager I watched Wayne's World. I'll quickly admit it wasn't the best use of my time, yet here I am almost 25+ years later remembering a line they would use as they encountered a 'rock god' or something that inspired them. They would fall to their knees and shout out, "We're Not Worthy! We're Not Worthy!  I laughed a bit because of how it was done.  It was funny, but it was also in some ways strangely tragic.  I wonder what Wayne or Garth will do before the God of Heaven.

11 For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord ‘every knee will bend to me and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’ 12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God." Romans 14:11-12 (NLT)

In the presence of eternal God we are not worthy ourselves, yet the blood of Christ makes us worthy because it has paid for Creator's purpose to be restored.  The blood of Christ restored fellowship to God, took away the curse of sin and death, and allows us status as children of God.  This status is bought and paid for, and can never be stripped away by an outside source.   It is a status bathed in love.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

So we have status.  We are made worthy by the blood.  Our father in Heaven loves us with an unrelenting love, and defends His own with an insurmountable power...

And yet we often live fighting battles of great spiritual insecurity.

You know what those battles look like.  Satan, who is a liar and can only lie, according to John 8:44 uses the half truth to attack our spiritual position.   He uses our past to diminish our present.  He uses our present to take our eyes off our future.  Even though Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, we can battle with intense guilt and feelings that we do not measure up to the position we proclaim.

And guess what - we don't!  It was never about our ability to begin with.  It was never about what we did that merited God's favor or even got His attention.  Our position is a exercise of God's grace, motivated by love.  

Because of love God has saved us.   Because of love He is changing us.  Because of love He is using us for His glory.  It is all unmerited favor.  It is all grace.

This became very real to me again this morning as my battle has more to do with my role as a pastor versus as a Christian.   There are days that I consider myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and deem myself unworthy of this calling because I measure myself not on God's view of success but on man's.  I realized recently that I still 'owned' too much of the ministry I lead, and by that I mean that I made its growth about my ability and its decline about my flaws.   It took me to dark places of great doubt and defeat, a place where Satan thrived and kept me focused on wrong things.  It was easy to slip back into being the 'professional pastor' and slip away from being Aaron, a son of God.

Yet my positional standing with God would not allow Him to be silent.  Even today He spoke to me through this verse that gave me pause: 



1 Tim 1:12 "12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,"

It hit me even as I typed this, God considers me worthy to that which I am called to do.   He picked me.  I am not inadequate to serve Him, but as I collect strength from Him I can serve Him and be used by Him with great power and effectiveness.   He picked me.  I am significant in Him.  As I live in that status of significance, no lie from Satan can take away the fact...

It wasn't my ability that caused Him to appoint me...He picked me because He wanted to.  He empowers me because He choses to.  I AM WORTHY because He lives through me.

That my friends should provide the weapon against spiritual insecurity.   Keep centered on your positional standing.  Receive often from the Holy Spirit.  Tell Satan He can take his lies straight to Hell.  We are not listening any longer.

Grace and peace...







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Location: Robinson, IL 62454, USA

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 14, 2017 at 5:47 AM

    We praise God for sending such a wonderful Pastor and family to our church, community and into our lives and family! Thank you, Pastor, for leading us In words of truth from God.
    Father, please encourage Pastor Aaron by the power of your Spirit. Let his soul be refreshed with the love of Christ. Let him have faith for the future. Help him to keep pressing forward even when the way is littered with obstacles and circumstances arise. Father, please give my Pastor supernatural strength. Protect him from sickness and disease. Give him your energy to keep serving faithfully! Help him to find periods of rest and recovery. Guide him to still waters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aaron PeternelDecember 14, 2017 at 7:32 AM

      Thanks for the love and support.
      It means more than mere words can account.
      I'm so glad to have people like you in my life and church.

      Delete
    2. susiearwineDecember 14, 2017 at 9:14 AM

      I know it’s a saying that is getting over used but God equips the called. Most of us come into ministry with more doubts than anything else. It’s as we learn who we are in Him that we become more useful to Him. Never doubt your calling Pastor, so many are choosing the “job” of a Pastor without God’s calling on their life. We are so fortunate that we have a man of God in our church with the hand of God on him. Blessing to you and your family, we love you!

      Delete

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