May | 23 | Cookie Cut Christians

Key Word:- REAL

Title:- Cookie Cut Christians

1 Kings 1:13,14 Go immediately to King David and say to him, 'Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, "Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words."

It was British comedian Ken Dodd who I remember saying that "a husband is a man with the nerve taken out!" I think what he was alluding to is the much caricatured 'hen-pecked husband,' you know, cowering and subservient, frightened to put a foot wrong, fearful to be wild. Now friends in the same vein, it has been my observation that one of those horrible peculiarities that we in the Christian church seem to have is the tendency to produce 'Cookie Cut Christians.' Nice, neat, well spoken, quiet, humble, obedient, polite people. I'm not knocking it (well maybe a little) but let's face it, some people had more life in them before they became Christians! Since that glorious day, it seems they have had their nerve removed

In the first book of Kings we are straight way presented with people who have been on the road a good wee while. Decrepit David, gnarly Nathan and old bent over Bathsheba are about to get the chop as Adonijah has just crowned himself king. A ‘clear out’ is ‘a coming’ and they are going to be thrown out with the garbage. Except that Nathan moves on the situation, managing the scene, both maneuvering the queen and manipulating the king. Nathan, the prophetic puppet master pulls all the right strings here. The result is simple, the kingdom is saved and Solomon becomes king instead of Adonijah. To round off the chapter, David, dear old man that he now is, gives command to his son concerning the dispatch of his enemies after his own forthcoming demise. Look! Can you see this? For one thing the people of the Bible are not, is 'nice and neat'. There is little presented pretence. They are who they are, still red in tooth and claw.

My point is this: The Lord in the scriptures reveals real people, in some raw and raging situations. There is nothing placid, lame and cookie cut about them at all. They are not caricatures of the Christian life, they are people and it's all a bit messy and it's all a bit smelly.

Let's get the nerve back friends. Let's have the courage to be who we are in Jesus, who He created us to be, who He wants us to be. Let me ask you today, WHO ARE YOU? DO YOU KNOW? Or have you had your nerve taken out? The other oven baked biscuits mightn’t like you so much if you don’t fit in the factory packet mind you. However, God and the world might find you that much more tasty. Some of you this morning, especially you men, simply need to go and get your nerve back!

Listen:- And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5b

Pray:- Lord, I am sorry that I am not the person I should be. Please help me to know how You delight in me. Help me to possess all that I am in You. Amen and amen!