Sir Hugh Beaver missed a shot at a game bird in 1954. An
argument followed among the hunters about the fastest game bird in England. Realizing that these kinds of arguments went
on in pubs all over England every night, Beaver got an idea to have a book compiled
about trivia and The Guinness Book of
Records came into existence with the first bound edition published in
London on 27 August 1955. Over the years the book has grown thicker, packed
with facts, becoming the recognized authority of trivia, selling over 100
million copies! Now you can know the youngest person to achieve some goal, the
identity of the most tattooed man, and a million other factoids.
Trivia, by definition, is information without serious consequence! Let me ask you a serious question this
morning. Do you treat the Truth of Jesus
Christ and your salvation as life-changing information or is the story of the
Cross and Resurrection tucked into a corner of your mind as something nice to
know for some time down the road of life?
Peter says that our
faith and salvation is the most consequential truth we know. Having come to
faith we are told to "roll
up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift
that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t
lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like
doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As
obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s
life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God
said, “I am holy; you be holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16, The Message)
When we come to know Jesus, we are reconciled to our Father,
and called into His service. The
life we lived before Christ, one that was being spent on money, pleasure, and
perhaps creation of a legacy; is replaced with an eternal life that has but one overarching purpose. What is
it? We are invited to be engaged with
knowing God and making Him known. Our day
to day decisions are made in the light of eternity, knowing that whatever we do
for Jesus is never forgotten, that we can be a part of changing the eternal
destiny of that person we introduce to faith, that we can defeat evil and bring
Light and Life when He is allowed to work through us.
If that sounds grandiose, realize with me, it isn’t; not at
all. God’s call to ‘be holy’ does not
mean you must enter vocational ministry or become a missionary (though you
might!). He desires to make you the best
spouse, parent, employee, neighbor … a person of integrity; right where you are
today. That is the consequence of receiving the Gospel by faith.
Are you asking, “So, what?” Has life become something like a treadmill of
meaningless existence? Re-think your
faith. Begin to connect Jesus to life now. Make a difference, for God’s sake.
Here is a word from the Word. Take it with you today. "And whatever you do or say, let it be as a
representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to
God the Father." (Colossians 3:17, NLT) "Work
hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord
rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as
your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ." (Colossians
3:23-24, NLT)
There is a world waiting, not for trivial truth, but for the
Truth that changes everything.
__________
All I once held dear
built my life upon
All this world reveres
and wars to own
All I once thought
gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless
now compared to this
Knowing You Jesus knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all You're the best
You're my joy my righteousness
And I love You Lord love You Lord
Now my heart's desire
is to know You more
To be found in You and
known as Yours
To possess by faith
what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of
righteousness
Oh to know the pow'r
of Your risen life
And to know You in
Your sufferings
To become like You in
Your death my Lord
So with You to live
and never die
Graham Kendrick
© 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
CCLI License # 810055
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