a glimpse towards Sunday 3.6.15

Is tension good or bad? Is tension the same as stress? Does an unexpected bill cause tension or stress? Should a flashing “E” on my gas gauge cause stress or tension? Stress, some would say, is usually linked to a specific person, situation or experience that one fears. Tension, on the other hand, refers to mental strain, excitement, or a strained state of relationship. What the what?

Do you happen to recall (or can Google) the 1975 movie, The Stepford Wives? In a quaint, Stepford, Connecticut suburb, all the wives were strangely perfect. Apparently the husbands encountered TENSION of not-so-perfect wives, and created robotic wives with absolutely no flaws. Of course for the not-so-perfect wives, jerk husbands gave them STRESS, to say the least.

If you remove all tension in a relationship, is that same relationship still real? If your relationships are robotic and perfect, are they authentic?

Many do not like the tension the Bible creates with an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, all-holy God. The tension causes some to create a god they can control… a “perfect” god in their own image. Is such a god real? Doesn’t tension with our Creator mean He is authentic and our relationship is real?

At Cumberland we continue to drill down into the gospel. We’re trying to walk straight in the light of the gospel. That’s a lifestyle kind of thing. The message and good news of Jesus is what we’re trying to saturate our lives with. Does the gospel cause tension in our lives?

The answer is: IT SHOULD. If you’ve never felt or wrestled with tension caused by the gospel, perhaps you don’t really understand the gospel. On Sunday… we’ll be wrestling with gospel tension. Our text is Galatians 2:17-21. Peter and Paul encountered gospel tension as well, and struggled. It’s good to grapple with the tension of the gospel. In the end, it becomes even more authentic, powerful, and practical to your everyday living. You can walk it out.

God is stirring some deep waters at Cumberland as we go through our Ragamuffin series and the book of Galatians. I’m very excited to teach this Sunday at 9 & 11 a.m. Are you able to bring someone with you? Put your trust in the power of the gospel, and invite a neighbor, friend, or co-worker (Romans 1:16).

AND… DON’T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD (ugh…) THIS SATURDAY NIGHT. I DARE YOU TO COME TO THE EARLY SERVICE COME SUNDAY!! Setting your clocks forward will remove stress, and relieve tension between you and the pastor!

Blessings On Your Weekend,

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