EVEN KINGDOM SEEKERS NEED TUNE-UPS (5 OF 6)
by Jerry Branch
Scripture: MATTHEW 11:28-30
This content is part of a series.
Even Kingdom Seekers Need Tune-ups. Do you have a major maintenance that's due?
Kingdom Living (5 of 6)
Gerald Branch
Matthew 11:28-30
05-30-04
In the text, Jesus says, "Come to Me all who are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
The Lord obviously knows us very, very, well. He knows that we will let ourselves go without pulling regular maintenance.
But as any good mechanic will tell you, for an automobile to run at its peak performance, it has to be properly maintained at regular service intervals.
Oil needs to be changed about every 3000 miles. Tune ups are needed at factory specified periods. And filters need to be changed at certain times.
And if we don't do the maintenance, something eventually will happen. Our car will leave us high and dry one day.
Believers aren't any different. We too need regular maintenance.
But we sometimes maintain ourselves spiritually, about like we do our cars, and we only go to the mechanic when we break down completely, and have to be hauled in to the shop on the 'crab-hauler' or the wrecker.
But aren't there any 'signs' of coming troubles? Aren't there any warning lights? The answer is, yes.
So why then, is it that we don't see the breakdowns coming?
For one thing, we may think that everything is just fine. In church life, for example, maybe we think things are just fine because we are holding regular Sunday morning services, and conducting all the 'good programs' that we've always done, and the giving is meeting expenses.
Ok, so we have to skimp a bit, and cut back on outreach and things like that, but we're doing ok.
But are the warning lights flashing? Are people being saved each week? Is the altar being used? Are we ourselves reaching out into the community?
Or maybe in our personal lives we think things are running ok because we pray at our meals and before we go to bed, and we read a daily devotion if we have the time, and we attend worship fairly regularly.
...
Kingdom Living (5 of 6)
Gerald Branch
Matthew 11:28-30
05-30-04
In the text, Jesus says, "Come to Me all who are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
The Lord obviously knows us very, very, well. He knows that we will let ourselves go without pulling regular maintenance.
But as any good mechanic will tell you, for an automobile to run at its peak performance, it has to be properly maintained at regular service intervals.
Oil needs to be changed about every 3000 miles. Tune ups are needed at factory specified periods. And filters need to be changed at certain times.
And if we don't do the maintenance, something eventually will happen. Our car will leave us high and dry one day.
Believers aren't any different. We too need regular maintenance.
But we sometimes maintain ourselves spiritually, about like we do our cars, and we only go to the mechanic when we break down completely, and have to be hauled in to the shop on the 'crab-hauler' or the wrecker.
But aren't there any 'signs' of coming troubles? Aren't there any warning lights? The answer is, yes.
So why then, is it that we don't see the breakdowns coming?
For one thing, we may think that everything is just fine. In church life, for example, maybe we think things are just fine because we are holding regular Sunday morning services, and conducting all the 'good programs' that we've always done, and the giving is meeting expenses.
Ok, so we have to skimp a bit, and cut back on outreach and things like that, but we're doing ok.
But are the warning lights flashing? Are people being saved each week? Is the altar being used? Are we ourselves reaching out into the community?
Or maybe in our personal lives we think things are running ok because we pray at our meals and before we go to bed, and we read a daily devotion if we have the time, and we attend worship fairly regularly.
...
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