What Matters | RevAndy.org

There are so many things that I don’t understand about faith and the Bible. Now there’s a good bit that I do know, that I do understand.

But, if you want someone who can explain all the book of Revelation to you, I’m not your guy. You want a complete and total understanding of free will versus God’s sovereignty? I don’t understand it perfectly.

Now, on these, as well as other issues, believe me, I’ve got my opinions (I’ve got them on my every issue!). But I’m not going to claim that I perfectly understand these things. And you know what? I’m ok with that. Listen to what it says in Colossians 2:8-11:

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ

What we don’t know pales in comparison to what we do know. Jesus Christ. Him crucified. Him resurrected. Him returning. Living, breathing, dying, rising, and returning.

So, for us, the thing is this. We often spend more time worrying about what we don’t understand than focusing on what we do understand. I had a professor in college that put it like this. Jesus isn’t hard to understand. He’s just hard to follow. Loving your enemies is not complicated. It’s just hard. Forgiving those that hurt you is not complicated, it’s just hard.

Today, there’s a lot that you and I don’t know. But there’s a good bit that we do know. Focus on that. Focus on what matters. Focus on Jesus. His life. His death. His resurrection. His return. Seek to live out His grace and love. Seek to know Him and know Him better. Seek to show grace to all that we meet. Seek to pray. To serve. To care. To give.

To be salt and light.

Today, be faithful. And leave the stuff that we don’t understand to God. He can handle it!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

I’ve never been one for arguing about theology. I’ve never been one to really want to fuss with others about what I believe and what they believe.

Now, I’ve got a theology. I know what I believe about God. And I really like what I believe about God. I think what I believe about relates well to what scripture says. And I’m pretty happy with it.

But you know what. You may not agree with it. You and I may have some real differences about what we believe. And you know what I’ve learned?

That’s ok.

Look at what Paul writes today in 1 Corinthians 15:12-17. He writes about what matters.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

Jesus. His life. His death. His resurrection. I would add to that His return as well (which Paul does later). These are what matters. That’s what it’s all about.

Paul says that if Christ didn’t rise from the dead, then we are still in our sins. And our faith is worthless.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m not still in my sins. My faith has changed my life. It has made me a new person. I am new, I am changed, I am different.

And it’s all about Jesus. It’s all about what He’s done.

That’s what matters. Jesus.

You and I may not always agree on everything. I am totally fine with that. But, if Jesus is your Lord and He has changed your life, that’s what matters.

That’s what matters. His life. His death. His resurrection. His return. Today in our lives, lets love as He would have us to love, let’s serve as He would have us to serve.

And let’s keep Him the main thing.

And if He’s the main thing, everything else will fall into place. Today, let’s focus on what matters.

Jesus.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.