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the  Preachers  blog

Blogs are posted every Wednesday, except in July and August

Make Good Use of Your Disappointments (By Les Kovacs)

9/22/2020

 
Bible Verse: “So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”
Romans 1:24-25

Have you ever been with your friends, co-workers, or family to an Escape Room?  It can be a fun way to spend an evening.  A group of up to 6 people can choose the level of difficulty for the room they will try to escape from by solving various clues, and then the clock starts ticking.  Everyone’s deductive reasoning abilities are put to the test as you try to figure out the answers to the solution that will allow you to escape in time.  As time wound down people started thinking, “How will we ever get out of here?”   The tension was high even though we knew that we would be let out, whether we found the exit solution or not.

The apostle Paul tells us how God reveals himself through all the things He made in Creation, and how He has placed the knowledge of this truth inside us.  Paul also reminds us that as sinners, we have chosen to suppress this truth about our Creator, and raised our own flag of independence in an act of treason.

The consequences of our sinful actions are far-reaching.  They reveal to us how we have decided that we know better the things we want, and in essence, we have placed ourselves ahead of God.  In practice, it means that we have exchanged worshipping Him for something or someone else, a false idol.  And idols can never deliver on their perceived promises.  It’s no wonder that people often feel disappointed or trapped in their circumstances.  No matter how many life puzzles we try to solve in our own wisdom and strength, how can we possibly escape from this self-imposed prison room?
​

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he provides us with a clue.  The first thing we must do, if we want to escape the idols of our heart and the hardening that comes with them, is to make good use of our disappointments.  Why?  Because the worst thing God can do to us is to give whatever we desire, without thought for whether they are beneficial or harmful to us or others.  Moreover, it is usually in the bad times that we most clearly can see our idols.  It’s usually then that we can see that what we have been looking for in the things of this world, only Jesus can give us.  Besides making good use of our troubles, the second thing we must do to escape the idols of our heart is to do what the angels do, which is to endlessly praise God.  The only way to get our heart to stop worshiping the wrong things is to start worshipping the right thing, which is our heavenly Father.  The deepest passions of angels’ hearts are satisfied by looking at the love, beauty, and wisdom of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:11-12).  Revelling in Him, rejoicing in Him, singing praises to Him.  When your heart’s deepest passions are satisfied by praising and adoring Jesus Christ, then all other passions are put in their place.  Praise be to our Lord, Jesus Christ!

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St Aidan’s Anglican Church
274 Campbell Street | Winnipeg, MB R3N 1B5
Phone: 204.489.3390 Email: [email protected]
  • Home
  • Worship Online
  • The Preachers Blog
  • Bible in a Year
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Prayer Requests
  • Request Pastoral Care
  • Youth
  • Give
  • Statement of Faith
  • Video Archive
    • 2025 Videos
    • 2024 Videos
    • Real Lives
    • 2023 Videos
    • 2022 Videos
    • 2021 Videos
    • 2020 Videos
  • Sermon Audio Archive
    • 2020 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centered Eternities November 2019
      • The Real Joy of Easter - Holy Week 2019
    • 2018 Sermons
    • 2018 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centred Church Spring 2018
      • A Gospel Shaped Church Fall 2018
    • 2017 Sermon Series >
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
      • The Saviour King Lent 2017
      • The Victorious King Holy Week 2017
      • The Living King Easter 2017
      • The Brother King Fall 2017
      • Worship the King Advent 2017
    • 2016 Sermon Series >
      • Real Obedience Lent 2016
      • Unity of the Church
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
    • 2015 Sermon Series >
      • Real Gifts 2015
      • Real Mission 2015
      • Mission Discerned
    • 2014 Sermon Series >
      • Real Church 2014
      • Real Lives 2014
    • 2013 Sermon Series >
      • Real God 2013
    • Sermon Archive From 2014 - 2017
  • Christianity 101