Class Participation

I ponder things, inside my own crazy insightful mind. As I was getting ready for church this morning I began to think, "Who takes notes? How many people come to service to hear a lesson on the Word and how many just come to show face?  Do Christians not realize that a sermon is a lesson in Theology, or do they just view it as a fellowship of believers for coffee and song?"  So I took note today.  I looked around our packed 9:30 service (roughly 700+/- each of 2 services) to see how many had Bibles and notebooks or iPads or taking notes on the program.  Not many.  Not many at all.  The majority sit quietly and listen, are playing on their phone or whispering to their neighbor.   
I love our pastor, Bruce Miller.  He gives a sound, biblical based sermon with historical comparison and application to the here and now.  So as any good student of the word, I take notes.  I used to write them on the program handout but it became to cumbersome to track and file them, so this year I started a notebook strictly for Sunday Service.  I also have one for BSF, again...our lecture is an extension of our study and therefore I take "class notes" to broaden my understanding; just like Sunday Sermon.
Today we covered the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, Matthew 18:23-35.  I needed this.  Just like I always need God's word.  Our "word of the day" (as Bruce likes to do every so often) is Nimshal which is the real life meaning of the parable.  The Marshal and Nimshal (both Rabbinic teaching) together make up the parable, the Marshal being the fictional story.  Bruce also described the Nimshal as "a brief (usually one sentence) explanation of the parable at the end of the story".  These are the types of understanding I long to learn, they open up so much more clarity into the Gospel and thus the Spirit allows me to see a deeper intended and applicable meaning. One aspect of the lesson that stood out to me was when Bruce was talking on self condemnation.  He challenged the sanctuary with asking who is the only one who can give forgiveness?  Well, we all know it's God.  But what hit me hardest was hearing that saying "you can't forgive yourself is saying that the blood of Christ is not good enough to cover your sin".  Wow.  Spot on, Bruce. Well said. 
Grace is free.  He extends it to all who believe.  But Grace carries an obligation, to pay it forward if I may use that term.  Matthew 6:14-45 reinforces this"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men of their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins"   Notice the plurality of sins.  We are not to just forgive once or one sin...we are to forgive them of sins.  Why? Because if we are breathing, we have sinned...and we have done it more than once. Jeremiah 31:34 "for I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Bruce was also sure to add that forgiveness and excusing are NOT the same.  Excusing requires no forgiveness.  He also reinforced that forgiving does not mean subjecting oneself to repeated abuse in any fashion.  I appreciate the realness he puts into his sermons.  He isn't afraid to tackle infidelity, abuse, addiction or any evil that come upon any of us.  It's real, it's out there and Satan affects the believer just as much as the non believer. 

"The focus of forgiveness is NOT on what people have done TO us, but what Christ has done FOR us" ~Bruce Miller, lead Pastor of Christ Fellowship

Might I challenge all of you to pick up a $1 spiral notebook and start taking notes in "class"?  Not only will you learn, you will have a wealth of resource to look back on when you find yourself in any of many situations. Most importantly, it grows you to share the Gospel with everyone you come to meet.