by Dr. Gary Van De Walker
The Intensity
2
Samuel 7:12-16
Your
journey is empowered by one who has authority
Some
encounters with people are intense.
Notice that intensity you feel when you look in your rear
view mirror you
going down the road and to see those red and blue lights blinking back
at you.
You feel your blood pressure go up, your heart beating in your chest,
and
trying to figure out how you're going to explain to your spouse why you
got
that ticket.
Several
years ago, I was taking Monica told women's event at the church. It'd
been
snowing and about 1 inch of snow was covering the ground. As usual, I
was late
getting her to where she needed to be. I was driving down the road at
about 45
miles an hour in a 35 mile an hour zone. I justified this because there
were no
other cars around and I had the car under control. As I approached a
four-way
stop, not being able to see the road clearly I crossed the double
yellow line
with one tire. The intersection used to be a two-way stop, but recently
two new
stop signs have been added on the road I was traveling. I'd forgotten
the stop
signs were there and blew right through them. As I did, I noticed a
Highway
Patrol car stopped at the intersection. I immediately pulled the car
over.
Monica asked me what was wrong. I told her I'm about to get a huge
ticket. I
just recently bought the car and had not registered it, though I had
obtained
the insurance. I pulled out my paper drivers license, which is recently
gone
through the wash, dissolving my picture on the document. Intended the
officer
my insurance card, the previous owners registration, and my damage
drivers
license. Needless to say, he was not amused and I could feel the
intensity of
the situation. He told me to wait while he returned to his car. He was
only
gone a couple of minutes between Monica looking at me and the
calculating of
the fine in my head felt like hours passed by. The officer returned he
listed
my sins: you were
speeding, driving
faster than was safe for conditions, you went through a stop sign, you
do not
have the proper registration for your car, and then you do not have a
proper
drivers license. He asked me, what you have to say for yourself. I
looked at
him with the saddest eyes I could find and said, I'm guilty. After some
thought, he told me to come Monday morning to the CHP office and show
him my
new registration and my paperwork for new drivers license. As he walked
away he
said, don't let me ever catch you doing any of this again.
Confession is
a powerful thing. And
on the road to Emmaus, Jesus explains how much he truly is able to
forgive.
1. The
Appian Way
2. Jesus
comes with the authority to build the most
intense Kingdom for you to serve
--Jesus
has all authority
Matthew
28:18
--He
wants to use you as a change
agent in the world
Matthew
28:19-21
3. Jesus is the authority whose intensity is most to your benefit.
--His
teachings are intense
Matthew 7:28-29
--His
confrontations with His enemies are intense
Mark
1:23-26
4. Jesus
brings shows you the intensity of the power
of a forgiven life.
--Forgiveness
gives you a position
with the King
Ephesians
1:3-5
--Forgiveness
gives you a
relationship with the King
5. Tools
for the Journey:
-Evaluate
how much of your journey is under Jesus’ authority
-Determine one area where you will serve
in fuller obedience this week
-Ask forgiveness for the wrong turns you
have made