It can seem like change occurs overnight. Take the election in Massachusetts yesterday and all of sudden the press is scrambling to explain shifting political winds (actual the chase began a few days ago with polls showing the possible results). Of course these winds had not shifted overnight, just no one noticed…

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You can hear it sound, but you can not tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” ~ John 3:8

Like a news reporter, we approach Jesus and apply His reality to our lives. And yet a strategy that worked when we are first saved or even for a certain time, may not work now. And if we refuse to change and continue in the same things we will fin that the Spirit has passed us by…

Scripture: John 7:45-49

The Pharisees were rule followers, not because they loved rules (at least not at first), but because they believed holiness was the key to saving the people of God.  They came to this conclusion after being oppressed for generations and they decided that God had abandoned them as a result of the people’s sinfulness. So the Pharisees tried to be holy, to save the people of God. And yet they became so focused on their strategy they missed the movement of God: “‘You mean [Jesus] has deceived you also?’ the Pharisees retorted” (47).

“… because [Jesus] will save his people from their sins.” ~ Matthew 1:21

CS Lewis tells the story of a man who loved the sunset and wanted to share its beauty with the world. He could not communicate he mind’s eye, so he choose to paint the glorious event. Then he took his work and showed everyone the beauty of the sunset. Yet over time he stopped coming to watch the real sunset and was satisfied with his own creation. And soon he forget reality all together and loved was he had made…

Tonight things are going to change at Plunge. And many of us are afraid of change (like the marshmallow). So, this will cause some of you to stumble and you will want to go back to the old ways. BUT, we are not moving backward. Our goal is not to find ourselves, our creation, instead our goal is to chase the wind! And in so going to meet and follow Christ!

This is holiness.