Chapel Service
 

Colorado National Speedway

 

August 22, 2015

 

“Living in an
Upside-Down World”
 

www.BeyondCheckeredFlags.com

Bob Butcher

 

Listen to part of John chapter 1:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3  Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!—came into being without Him. And apart from Him not one single thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and The Life was the Light of Mankind. 

 

9 The True Light of the World, who gives light to everyone, came into the world. 10  What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by: the real thing. The Light Himself blazed out of the darkness; – the darkness couldn’t put it out then nor can it now.

 

He was in the world, and the world was created by Him, but the world did not recognize Him. 11 He came to what were His own people, but his own people did not want Him. 12  But, whoever did want Him, who believed He was who He claimed to be and would do what He said, He gave the right to become children of God. Those who believe in His name, were now re-born, not of blood, nor of the will of mankind’s flesh, but born of the will of God Himself.”

I just have one question for you today:

 

Have you ever seen people spit in God’s face and then you see God turn right back and bless them and love on them in a special way?  Who else can you do that to?

 

Who else can you mock or use His name in vein with the same results?

 

Who else says “I’ll never leave you or forsake you” in the same moments after you just abused Him, denied Him, or cursed His name?

 

Only Jesus Christ!  You can try any other person or self-deemed god or deity that the world is full of today, but you will not find a single one with forgiveness or grace, no not one!  Every other one is either unconcerned with mankind or a mean, demanding taskmaster.

 

You know; even though the Bible clearly speaks of God turning His back on sin and be angry for the moment, look what God says in Psalms 30 verse 5:  “For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

 

Jeremiah writes in Lamentations 3:22-23 “Through the Lord’s mercy we are not consumed, because His compassion never fails. His mercy is new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

The best way to think about this care from our Creator God is that His Kingdom is an upside down world. It is totally opposite the world’s ways.  It’s foreign to us and will be until the eternal side of our life.

 

Remember this: “You cannot praise God with your lips but also turn your back on Him at the same time by keeping Him out of certain areas of your life.  That’s called hypocrisy.  People see right through that,… especially those who have no use for God or Jesus.

 

So when you discuss “God issues”; don’t tell people what they want to hear. Tell them who they are as God sees them instead. Encourage them. Don’t worry, God will tell them the rest; so let Him tell them what He needs too at His perfect timing and in His own way.

 

Look at the words to this song and take some personal time to ponder them.  What do they say to you about God?  What do they say about you?

 

Unstoppable God:  by Elevation Worship

 

Heaven thundered…

And the world was born.

Life begins and ends…

In the dust You formed.

Faith commanded,

And the mountains moved.

Fear is losing ground…

To our hope in You

 

Unstoppable God;

Let Your glory go on and on.

Impossible things:

In Your name they shall be done.

Freedom conquered…

All our chains undone.

Sin defeated.

Jesus has overcome.

Mercy triumphed.

When the third day dawned,

Darkness was denied

When the stone was gone.

 

Nothing shall be impossible.

Your kingdom reigns unstoppable.

We’ll shout Your praise forevermore…

Jesus our God unstoppable

 

In closing, I offer you this to remember:  1John 4: 7-21.  The notable point I want to make here is that multiple times God point blankly speaks through His disciple John and says over and over that GOD IS LOVE. 

Please catch that.  He is immutable …or unchangeable, changeless.  You cannot change, stop, end, that love He has for you.

 

 

Kathy & I pray for you to have a safe and prosperous race today!