| A 40 Day Experience - Extreme Love Message
Three: “All Your Soul”
A 40 Day Experience Sermon by C. Gene Wilkes
I met Dave at a coffee shop near the church. I could tell
he was upset. We ordered our coffee and sat in a corner of
the room. It was mid-afternoon, and we were the only customers.
I asked, “Well, what’s going on? You said you
had something to tell me.” I have learned over the years
never to guess what people choose to confess to their pastor.
I waited as he looked at his coffee cup and gathered his courage
to speak.
He whispered almost to himself, “My wife caught me.”
I said, “Caught you . . . ” allowing him to complete
the sentence.
“She caught me looking at pictures on the Internet,”
he answered as his face turned red.
“Wow,” I said softly, “How did she respond?”
We spent the next hour talking about his habit of looking
at inappropriate material on his computer at home and at his
office. He came to confess to me because his accountability
partners told him he needed to tell his pastor as a way to
galvanize the process of repentance, reconciliation, and restoration.
About mid-way through the conversation, he said, “I
am so ashamed. How can I ever show my face at church again?”
I told him he was doing the right thing and that his guilt
was an appropriate response to his sin. I cautioned him, though,
not to let his feelings prevent God from forgiving him, freeing
him from this sin, restoring his marriage, and helping other
men overcome the same habit. I said, “You are right
where God wants you to be, Dave. Jesus said, ‘Congratulations
to the poor in spirit, for they are perfect candidates for
the kingdom of heaven!’”
That conversation led to a long period of restoration and
change in Dave’s heart. He is free of that sin today
because he came to the place to admit his weakness and submit
to the spiritual leadership of others.
To love God with all your soul is to acknowledge we are all
“poor in spirit.”
Our spiritual bank account is overdrawn. We are morally bankrupt.
Our souls have no more resources to invest. Without help,
we will find ourselves in the spiritual poor house. Jesus
congratulates us when we get to that place. He said we are
“blessed,” (Matt. 5:7)!
Why? Because we are finally ready for a Savior! When we think
we are wealthy, who needs a credit counselor? Do you see yourself
in need of God bailing you out of your spiritual bankruptcy
today?
To love God with all your soul is to be truly humble about
your life.
The Bible tells us “The LORD helps the afflicted but
brings the wicked to the ground” (Ps. 147:6) and “He
mocks those who mock, but gives grace to the humble”
(Prov. 3:34). Jesus taught, “Whoever exalts himself
will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”
(Matt. 23:12). And James wrote, “Humble yourselves before
the Lord, and He will exalt you” (Jas. 4:10).
Humility is simply being honest about your strengths and
your weaknesses and admitting your need for help. Humility
is a sign that your soul is ready to love and serve God. Pride
is the opposite of humility because a proud person is 100
percent confident of his or her ability to live life without
help from anyone, especially God. Pride says, “I don’t
need God. I’ll handle this myself.” This is why
the Bible says, “Everyone with a proud heart is detestable
to the LORD” (Prov. 16:5). Later in that same book of
the Bible, we are given a secret to living well, “Before
his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but before honor
comes humility” (Prov. 18:12).
To love God with all your soul is to see things from God’s
perspective.
This story came to me in an email the other day. It describes
the power of perspective.
One day a rich father took his son to a trip to the country,
for the purpose of showing him how poor people can be. They
spent a day and a night on the farm of a very poor family.
When they got back from their trip the father asked his son,
"How was the trip?”
“Very good, Dad! ”
“Did you see how poor people can be? ”
“Yeah! ”
“And what did you learn? ”
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home,
and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle
of the garden. They have a creek that has no end. We have
imported lamps in the garden, but they have the stars. Our
patio reaches to the front yard, they have the whole horizon.
”
When the little boy was finished, his father was speechless.
His son added, “Thanks,Dad, for showing me how poor
we are! ”
Perspective makes a difference. To love God with your soul
is to realize how poor you are and how only God can fill the
emptiness that is there. As Christians, our prayer to God
some days can be, “"Thanks, Dad, for showing me
how poor we are!” For then we can receive God’s
love to make our souls rich.
This poem is a confession of a Christian who understands
fully what it means to love God with all her soul. Let it
be our confession today. The title of the poem is, “When
I say ‘I am a Christian.’ ”
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I'm not shouting "I am saved."
I'm whispering "I get lost"
That is why I chose this way.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need someone to be my guide.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I am weak
and pray for strength to carry on.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible
but God believes I'm worth it.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek HIS name.
When I say . . . I am a Christian
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority
I only know I'm loved.
Admitting your poverty of soul is the beginning of loving
God. When you do this, God will respond in forgiveness and
love. You, too, will be able to write your own confession,
“When I say . . . I am a Christian.”
C. Gene Wilkes is the pastor of Legacy Drive Baptist Church
in Plano, Texas. He is the author of Jesus on Leadership:
Becomming a Servant Leader, My Identity in Christ, and With
All My Soul: God's Design for Spiritual Wellness, A Fit 4
Continuing Study.
www.lifeway.com/a40dayexperience
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