Sunday, December 2, 2012

SPIRITUALLY MOULDED OR MOULDY


Starting on my other blog ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS on Nov 1...a 3 day series on HOW TO LESSEN ANXIETY.

Click on link below to go to One A Day blog

 


 

A different sermon is begun on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. 

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       The sermons found on this blog are selected sermons preached by Rev. Wyrick during a ministry of over 50 years.  This syndicated columnist/minister thanks you for visiting.

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       In the book of Jeremiah you can find the following, “I went down one day to the potter’s house and watched the potter mold a piece of clay.  Something in the clay resisted the potter’s will and spoiled his dream for it.  I saw the clay crumble in his hands and fall in broken pieces on the floor.  But the potter did not throw it away as I supposed he would.  Instead, he stooped down, picked up the broken pieces and made it over.  The vessel was marred in the hands of the potter, and he made it again.”

       This is Christ and man.  We are broken.  We do the breaking.  He sets out to mould man but then something in man resists and a man crumbles before temptation and he picks up the pieces and picks up the pieces and picks up the pieces and loves us and forgives us. 

       Which brings me back to the title of this sermon.  Spiritually molded or spiritually moldy.

       Instead of uniting as one beneath his heavenly Father, the spiritually moldy gives a little of himself to selfishness, a little more to some secret lust, a little more in a spurt of dishonesty.  And it looks hopeless.  Any other potter but the Lord would give up, but it’s never too late.  Always God is willing when eventually a man or woman is willing.  He reaches down to pick up the broken pieces and makes them whole again.  And thus becomes spiritually molded.

       There used to be an old bum who occasionally frequented a mission in the city of Chicago. And then one day he changed.  Molded and remade by the Master Potter of Eternity, he changed. 

And from that time on he would say, “When I was converted I lost 60% of my vocabulary.”  And oh what kind of vocabulary and attitude replaced the lost. 

       Life is what we are alive to.  For some, life is only shifty deals and a fast buck.  It is all they are alive to.

       For some, life is only backyard gossip, petty fights, and boredom in the suburbs.  It is all they are alive to.  For some life is an ongoing ego trip.

       For some, life is accepting the challenge of betterment and working at making their selves just that.  Not perfect but certainly better than they were yesterday. 

       Which begs the question, what is your life alive to?  In the private recesses of your mind and soul, what turns you on or turns you off? 

       It is one of my favorite quotes and I wish I knew who wrote it.

       “Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd,

       There’s one of us that’s humble, one that’s proud.

       There’s one that’s broken-hearted for his sins,

       There’s one who unrepentant sits and grins;

       There’s one who loves his neighbor as he loves

himself,

       There’s one who cares for naught but fame and self.

       From such corroding care I should be free,

       If once I could determine which is me.

       What was our scripture for this morning?   “It shall even be as when a hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty.  (Isaiah 23:8)

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