Leavened Or Unleavened -- March 20, 2009

"Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 NKJV

As we move to the goal of effectively impacting our sphere of influence, we need to be aware of lifestyles among us in key positions. All are welcome to attend church services. We want everyone to hear the Word and experience the love of God through His people. For ministry however there is a higher standard of lifestyle. For leadership the standard is even higher. We are all called to purer lives since we have been purified in Christ. We will have to put away malicious and wicked lifestyles.

I am focusing on the word lifestyles because we will all sin along the way and we have forgiveness with our confession to Christ and some close brothers and sisters. 1 John 1:5-9 is clear that we aren’t to wallow in sin, but if we do sin He is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. The passage is talking about confessing not just to Christ but to our close family members.

We must celebrate the feast of life that Jesus has put before us but we must do it with clean hearts and lives. Brothers and sisters, we cannot have fellowship with darkness and fellowship with light. We cannot claim His salvation and walk in darkness. Yes sometimes we will stumble and fall into dark places. We must repent and head for the light immediately. God has called us to great things right in our own lives and we can’t afford to have darkness for our companion.

Feasting in Sincerity AND Truth,

Pastor Jason