Desire God

For the exhortation this morning, because we are commissioning out the Hecox family today, I’d like to speak a charge directly to Jordan Hecox. Now, I think that what I’m going to say will apply to more of us than just Jordan (and if the shoe fits, I hope you wear it) but Jordan, I am thinking about you here, and I’m saying this to you. … 

in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

In other words: desire God. 

Want more of him. In the deepest meditations of your heart, in your thoughts, in your words, in your actions, in all of your relationships — want to be closer to God, to have him be the first thing you think about in the morning, and the last thing you think about at night, and then a million times in between, in every step you take and every space you enter — yearn for God to be more real to you than anything else —

Knowing that the greatest blessing you can give your family — Lauren, Rubyanna, Lila, Ezra, and Hazel; the greatest blessing you can give them, and this future church, is not your preaching ability or your leadership skills or your work ethic, but it’s your Christlikeness. Jordan, they don’t care how good you are, be holy. Be a God-besotted man. From the heart, be overcome by the glory of God. Make God to be your all-consuming passion and your all-satisfying treasure. 

Prayer of Confession

Father, have mercy on us, we pray. We confess that you are worthy of more glory than we even begin to understand, and we do not honor you as we should. You are bigger and better than anything that we can imagine, but too often, we go about our days oblivious to your realness. Our minds are too distant from you, and our affections are too cold, and worst is that we are mostly okay with this. Have mercy on us, Father, and now, in this moment, lead us in a time of silent confession …

Father, more than anything, we want you to be to us WHO YOU ARE. We don’t need anything else. Just you. For you to be WHO YOU ARE. That’s it. … A God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

Thank you that you have demonstrated your love to us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us — and this morning, whatever our situation might be, you invite us to turn from our sin and run to him. And we do. We cling to Jesus, by your grace, and in him, we remember the truth of who we are — 

• no longer guilty, but forgiven; 

• no longer dirty, but clean; 

• no longer your enemies, but now your sons and daughters in his name. 

Thank you, Father, in Jesus’s name, amen.