Break
Every Chain
By
Rev. Tom Tuura
Pastor
of Christ Lutheran Church
We
need to be honest and acknowledge the reach of this enticement via
technology and media.
Pretending
we don't have temptation or struggle only alienates those who do.
Let's
be honest... is a statement we are hearing more often. Its even an
irritating advertising campaign about a personal product. Let's be
honest--about something else personal.“Therefore
we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares
us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us...”
Hebrews 12:1
What's
keeping you from running the race? What's keeping you from really
getting into the game? For many, its some besetting, or entangling
sin.
I've
struggled to approach this subject honestly from the pulpit, not
wanting to become too overly specific thus singling people out, and
not wanting to disgrace the pulpit as some preachers I've heard, who
get way too graphic. Also, because I am vulnerable with sins of
pride as well as weakness, as is everyone else.
But
it must be preached because, “Sin
will take you where you do not want to go. It will keep you longer
than you planned to stay. And it will cost you more than you
intended to pay.”
James L Nicodem
It
has just been redefined—in fact turned upside down. Sin is now
entities, pollution, waste, wealth, corporations, greed, intolerance,
racism, inequality.
Sin
is not out of style. There's more preaching against it than ever.
There's shaming, and ostracizing of those involved in it. It has
just been redefined—in fact turned upside down. Sin is now
entities, pollution, waste, wealth, corporations, greed, intolerance,
racism, inequality.
Still
a highly emotional subject today, society is highly resistant to the
“old” definitions of sin. In fact there is an all out
educational reprogramming taking place. The courts and legislatures
are in an all out blitz to this reprogramming.
But
society never informed our consciences of the changes, because the
heart is still programmed to bring guilt and shame from the old
definitions. St. Paul tells us in Romans 1:19 “because what may be
known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.”
The
Bible also informs us that a violation of God's will has occurred and
natural man is stuck. But as the contemporary song playing on the
Christian Radio say, “There is power in the Name of Jesus, to BREAK
EVERY CHAIN”
Here's
my approach to dealing with this as pastor. Ultimate goal is to
expose it to light. There are sins of pride and power, and sins of
weakness. Your areas may be opposite of mine. And we eventually
have both, sins of pride and weakness.
Sins
of pride are often out in the open. Sins of weakness, we tend to
want to hide, in secret.
Sin
is always dynamic, so the minute you and I think we have it fenced
in, it breaks out. Or the fence that worked so effectively up til
now, suddenly is less and less effective.
All
sins are deceitful. The thing about being deceived, is...you got
it—you don't realize it. Before we know it, the fence we built to
put around sin, sin has put around us.
With
regard to sins of pride and power, James says, “God opposes the
proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 Sins of pride
and power, can be busyness, success, power, and money. Sins of pride
and power are also often commended as drive, motivation, self
promotion etc. Also breeds hypocrisy.
Here's
the thing. While the pride and power sinner may sit in the choir,
the person taken by sins of weakness, lives in a cycle of despondency
and away from church. Sins of weakness are just as deadly. These
are the secret sins we are ashamed of, the addictions we fear. But
there is a new wrinkle to consider.
We
have new enticements today. They say that our interstate highway
system is the largest illegal drug pipeline ever invented. But its
also used to drive the family across country. Well there is another
superhighway of information that has been built—the internet. This
superhighway is no different. It has huge potential for good, and
huge potential for catastrophe.
Are
you are crushed under the weight of guilt and sin? It could be either
kind, pride/power or weakness. Our church should be the ER where you
want to be. As a pastor, I want to make it that way. There's power in
the name of Jesus, He breaks every chain.
So
here's what we do. We approach one another with this sins of
power/weakness paradigm.
Are
you are crushed under the weight of guilt and sin? It could be either
kind, pride/power or weakness. Our church should be the ER where you
want to be. As a pastor, I want to make it that way.
First,
develop a plan. Lets ask each other about our personal “security
procedures” against our vulnerabilities. We do this for our
computers!
Second,
we need to resist the temptation to reprogram our thinking about sin.
The best selling book and movie “50 SHADES OF GREY” is the prime
example of Hollywood making this elicit behavior acceptable.
Christian singing artists Mandisa and Natalie Grant set a good
example by avoiding or walking out on the Emmy's.
Third,
stop pretending. We need to be honest, and acknowledge the reach of
this enticement via technology into our very pockets. Pretending we
don't have temptation, or struggle only alienates those who do.
Every week that goes by in this cycle strengthens those chains.
Last,
expose the sin to light. Sin exposed to light shrivels up. It is
killed at Calvary.
But
those chains can be broken. Lets be honest. The Bible talks about a
cleaning product that is free. A pastor colleague recently wrote
this: “You are not what you have done. You
are what you have overcome.”
That’s
my view from the Blackberry Patch Pulpit
Pastor
Tom
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