Wednesday morning  2 July 2008

Rev Erlo Stegen

SCRIPTURE READING:  2 Samuel 6:16-17, 20, 22

Heroes of heaven:

David is often symbolic of the Lord.  Jesus was often referred to as the Son of David.  God glorified Himself in David and worked mightily in glorious ways even whilst still a child.  Even while shepherding sheep, God revealed Himself to him.  David walked with God.  When the lion or bear came, David didn't run away but faced the ferocious animal and got the lamb from the jaws of the bear or lion.  Are you also a Christian like this?  Do you face the enemy and overcome him?

The Bride of Christ:

When David was to be crowned as king, he said that they could only do that once his wife Michal had been returned to him and the ark of the covenant had been fetched and returned to Jerusalem.

David is symbolic of Christ.  Jesus has His Bride  –  you.  One Day He will come to fetch His Bride.  Christians, Church of Christ, are you the Bride of Christ?  The way in which you behave and dress, are you His Bride?  Are you ready and waiting for Him to fetch you?

Maybe Jesus says He can't come yet because His Bride is not ready yet.  Michal is still with another husband.  Are you still flirting with the world?  Ananias and Sapphira gave themselves to God, but not completely.  In the same way many so-called Christians give themselves to Christ but they also flirt with the world.  It will be difficult for such on Judgement Day.

When people see you and the way you live, do they say, "Really, this is Christ's Bride, upright, honest and sincere in the Lord"?  Do they see that you have that snow-white garment on, without spot or wrinkle?  That Jesus won't be ashamed of you?

Examples:

Two true stories were told to portray the different ways in which parents can either help to mend the ways of their children or encourage them in evil:

In one case the mother of a girl who had stolen flowers forced her to go back straight away and replant those flowers, no matter how humiliating it was for her.  That cured the girl from stealing for the rest of her life.

The father of a boy did the opposite and the result was a life-long enslavement to stealing:  his question to his son was whether anyone had seen him, and that the main aim of the game was to make sure you are not seen and don't get caught.  The boy became a criminal who was in and out of jail for the rest of his life.

Parents, do you help your children out of their sin?  Will they go to heaven or hell because of you?

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