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THIRD PLACE LIVING
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A friend of mine is all about Third Place. His is in reference to something different (I'll let you find out what) than I am going to talk about tonight, but it is something worth checking out. While at Desperation, a sermon was being given about the two things that are the greatest commandment:
Matthew 22: 34-40 (ESV)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40(I) On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
When hearing this Scripture, the usual was brought up. God first. People second. Love God wholly. Loving people is much the same. The one thing that quickly came to mind was how quickly I can prioritize myself over all of that. Unintentionally I can make God second, intentionally make people third and completely not act upon what God as has already said is the whole of the Law and the Prophets. Everything. It all.
I'm wrapped up in the phrase that we should not be hearers of the words only, but doers. How easily we convince ourselves that we are free to choose a different way when in reality we are far removed from where we should be. If we are to love God with everything and the second is like it to love people, this puts you and me far below in terms of who has priority in our lives. It seems that you and I are not even the point. Brit Hancock (missionary) said this "You are not the center of anything except for God's love for you). This means that you are not even the center of your own story. Everyone else is. God is first. Everyone else is second. You are a distant third. It's easy to see how the early church thrived. They lived this way. Third place living. They say when you're not first, you're last. And the last shall be first. Sounds like being at the tail end isn't such a bad deal after all.
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Now playing: David Crowder Band - Rock of Ages
Matthew 22: 34-40 (ESV)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37And he said to him,
When hearing this Scripture, the usual was brought up. God first. People second. Love God wholly. Loving people is much the same. The one thing that quickly came to mind was how quickly I can prioritize myself over all of that. Unintentionally I can make God second, intentionally make people third and completely not act upon what God as has already said is the whole of the Law and the Prophets. Everything. It all.
I'm wrapped up in the phrase that we should not be hearers of the words only, but doers. How easily we convince ourselves that we are free to choose a different way when in reality we are far removed from where we should be. If we are to love God with everything and the second is like it to love people, this puts you and me far below in terms of who has priority in our lives. It seems that you and I are not even the point. Brit Hancock (missionary) said this "You are not the center of anything except for God's love for you). This means that you are not even the center of your own story. Everyone else is. God is first. Everyone else is second. You are a distant third. It's easy to see how the early church thrived. They lived this way. Third place living. They say when you're not first, you're last. And the last shall be first. Sounds like being at the tail end isn't such a bad deal after all.
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Now playing: David Crowder Band - Rock of Ages
