A story within a story... today's service at LLUMC was uplifting and "chewable" in regards to the great sermon by Kay DeBlance. Our series is on "Welcome to the Family" and the topic today was "Adoption into God's Family". Kay spoke about her own family tree and then described God's family, which consisted of all of us- not just in our congregation, but across the world. In becoming a child of God, we become heirs of the Kingdom of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Somehow.... I feel that some people just may not comprehend how BIG that is.
I think part of our problem in comprehending this is our past. Some of us have ones that we would like to push a button and be able to erase it all possibly due to the pain, or the anger and bitterness it produces inside of us. At lunch today, I had the opportunity to share some of my past with new friends. It's funny how when we tell our stories, we seem to even surprise ourselves of what we have gone through .... and how we survived. The sound of my own voice in sharing these things today almost seemed like I was another person: a spectator, if you will, of what had happened- an outsider looking in, yet... knowing that it was indubitably me. I found it amazing afterward to realize how I had gotten from point "A" to point "B" without completely losing my mind.
The past can be looked upon as stepping stones to our present.
Some of these stones were a muddy trail in the forest where we had no idea where we were and kept getting stuck in mud holes along the way. Some were a steep mountain making us climb and climb only to get to the top and nothing and no one was there. At times they were a smooth highway drive, but eventually speeding out of control and into a horrible accident, or carelessly paying no attention to how much gas we had for the trip and ending up stuck on the side of the road. Then there were times that we would run and run, but in looking around, we found we were running on what seemed to be like a "track"- just going around in circles.
At some point, one of the stepping stones led to making a decision to become a follower of Christ.
The Bible speaks in the Old and New Testament of Christ being the 'cornerstone'. The first mention of this is found in Psalm 118:22 "The stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone". The prophet Isaiah also spoke of it and said "So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic." (Isaiah 28:16 NIV). Zechariah 10:4 says "From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler."
There are also three passages in three books of the Gospels in which Jesus himself recites Psalm 118:22 to the chief priests and the Pharisees. In Acts 4:11 it also gives the account of Psalm 118:22, and then Ephesians 2:19-20 goes a step further to call Jesus the "chief cornerstone". 1 Peter 2:6-7 also refer back to Isaiah's prophecy rounding out all of the passages that speak about this particular title that God gave Christ hundreds of years before and after His birth.
In light of the "stepping stones" analogy earlier, we all can step off of the uneven ground and stop ditching the shortcuts that we thought would get us to answers in life faster and place our feet on the firm foundation of the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. Part of this solidarity of ground that Christ gives us, besides the Holy Spirit indwelling, are other believers who share in our burdens and our joys. Serving and worshiping with us to help keep our feet on solid ground.
In stepping on the firm foundation of the chief cornerstone that was laid for us, know this:
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:21-22 NIV)
In reflecting how all of this relates to the message Pastor Kay gave us today, I feel that the stepping stones of our past have brought us to being Adopted Daughters and Sons of God. These stones are our "story", and without the unevenness of the trail, the tumbles and falls that gave us our scars, we cannot relate to others that are still finding their way to the firm foundation of Christ Jesus. Every scrape, every cut that we have endured, He promises to heal, but remember they can be used to bring others in to His glory.
Lest we never forget what brought us here: where we were, and where we are now- in the presence of the Living God.
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