Hope Lutheran Church in Warren, Michigan

From: Pastor John

 "I'm Sorry...Really, I am!"

OK, so you are getting the Tuesday Tune-up on Wednesday - I'm sorry!  Yesterday I was at a Board of Directors Meeting in Grass Lake, and with the different schedule, I forgot to send out the Tune-up - I'm sorry.  I mean, I feel really badly about this.  Iam really sorry!  I know many of you look for the Tune-up each week, and wondered where it was.  I am very sorry!  Do you think you can forgive me???

OK, do you get the drift?  I'm sorry...or am I?

My oversight this week got me thinking. Are we sorry - truly repentant, or are we just trying to get God not to be mad at us?  Sometimes we apologize over and over, because we are not really sure that we are forgiven, and we do not wish the ire of the offended to fall upon us.  So, we apologize profusely, over and over again.  hoping to escape the wrath we deserve for our sins.  The focus of our apology becomes escape instead of true repentance.  The focus selfishly becomes me and my comfort not you and your hurt. 

It's bad enough when we do this kind of false apology with each other, but it is much deeper when we do it with God.  I may do this with you because I don't trust that you will really forgive me.  God, however, has already forgiven our sins in Jesus' body on the cross.  If we over-apologize to Him we are exposing a doubt, a lack of faith in God's forgiving goodness.

Let's practice repenting in faith.  Take that sin to the cross, repent, and never look back.  That sin was forgiven 2000 years ago, and God loves you.  Now believe it and move on with acts of love and faith in His name. And...if you didn't get the gist earlier...I am really, really, sorry!  Will you forgive me?  Pretty please?  Huh?

Don't forget there's Homework:

+Practice repentance that is followed by faith not doubt!  Then live in the freedom of the Gospel of Jesus! 

For your prayers today:

+Lift up all who are working to bring relief and hope to the suffering thousands in Haiti.  Ask God to bless our efforts at Hope.

+Pray that God the Holy Spirit bring Gospel comfort to our members who are suffering through pain and grief

Jesus is our Hope!

+ Pastor John