6th November 2011

The Finished Work ... Chris De’Ath


In the creation story we read that after six days of creative work, God made man – man was placed into a finished work!


So no blood sweat and toil, rather, the enjoyment of tending the garden. The first full day that Adam and Eve experience is Gods day of rest . The first 6 days finish with and there was evening and there was morning. Interestingly, for the 7th day there are no parameters of time put around it.


Under the Law of Israel people were to attain righteousness through works... yet they couldn’t do so. Therefore, Priests bought the atonement for the sins of the people. As they did this, the Priests were not to wear woollen garments while working in the temple or the inner sanctuary – so as not to perspire – perspiration being a sign of working. This foretold that our reconciliation to God was to be acquired effortlessly.


Jesus on the cross bore the crown of thorns – toil – and declared it is finished. Keeping of the law to gain righteousness – finished. Now righteousness was attained as a gift through Christ.

Romans 5.7  reign through the gift of righteousness and abundance of grace.


God has always wanted to be the one who did the work!

Nicodemus

John 3. Nicodemus had an internal wrestle going on: prestige position but some good intention

Later he defended Jesus, then embalmed Jesus.


So entrenched in a system – righteousness through works -  but he could see some light. The Pharisees had sought to keep all the commands so they could be right, used of God, and enter the Kingdom.


Along comes this man who was free, eating, healing at the wrong time opening the kingdom to everyone! Nicodemus recognised God was at work, but had a big question – how was Jesus doing this?

  1. •3.3 Jesus drops on Him an impossibility – be reborn!

  2. •3.5-3.7 Born of the Spirit and of water – Spirit only fell on certain people till Jesus

  3. •3.8 Wind blows where it pleases as does the spirit. Something else humans can’t do – control the wind!

  4. •Jesus has got Him. You can’t do this! And goes on to say -  I’m not a rabbi I’m the son of God, keep your eyes on me’  That’s the only way you are going to see the Kingdom

  5. •3.14  the snake


Numbers 21.4 Snakes = deception. Their internal reality manifested as an external reality – they were poisoned and were dying.


Chris paraphrase:  Nicodemus, you’re ticked because you can see me accessing heaven, giving it to those who don’t deserve it, you’re not going to get it by keeping all your commands, you need me, and only I can do it.  If you look at me you’ll get in – it’s that simple.


I wonder if he went away thinking that’s too easy, I better keep all this other stuff up just in case!  I’m going to do all the works.


Believers often hold a mindset of works, because it just seems too good to be true. I’m all for disciplined life – we are Jesus’s disciples – disciplined ones. But it has to come out of relationship with Him. Intimacy, friendship is paramount. 


If we are doing works to earn Kingdom – we are still under deception as to the nature of God.  Internal reality will manifest. We will reproduce burnt out believers, and a false reality of God will bite them on the heal

Childlike

Mark 10.15 – God uses entering like a Child. A lot of needs a child can’t meet, can’t work for. A baby is the most dependent of living creatures. Our kids have faith that tall the things they need will be supplied


Receive it without complicating it, working for it, accept you can’t earn it, it does seem to good to be true. It’s there so I’m going to live like it’s mine


I took my children to Rainbows end – I paid the price – they lived like it was theirs! Kids have a remarkable ability to live from a place of fun.


Dependence releases you for enjoyment

Love

What is the first and greatest commandment? It’s still the law! How much work, performance, right action has come out of that. My Children tell me they love me – where did that come from? It’s a response to my love


John 15.16 You did not chose me but I have chosen you.


We can’t produce love on our own – we enter as Children

1 John 4:19 We love, because he first loved us.

1 John 4:9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.


Plenty of go, do in the Bible – But it comes out of intimate union with Him. If that is what we are rooted in, that’s what we produce


You can’t keep the 1st greatest commandment, he has to! Don’t feel guilty about letting him lavish his love on you. Thinking on his goodness. Cracking the mirror worshiping in the shower. Enjoy his sweetness


It’s not so you can be a better evangelist or builder. It’s your birthright, inheritance. I didn’t marry to have someone I could financially support, change the oil, or for them to wash my socks. I married to share my life with and to share in their life You are married to Christ – enjoy it!!