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Loving God, Loving People, Living Free

Thursday May 30th, 2019

Pastor Ethan's Weekly Message to our Extended Church Family

Hello everyone!

Well, the sun is shining in the mountains, which is awesome as we had two full-on blizzards last week.  Love the moisture, but we are ready for summer!  If you are in part of the country that has been hit so hard by flooding and tornado's, you are in our prayers.

Last Sunday here at Trinity we started a three week study of Romans chapter 14, traditionally labeled "the weak and the strong."  This Sunday we will take a really practical look at how we work out- in the reality of daily life- this concept of 'not causing our brother to stumble.'  This is a very significant passage for the church, and one that is commonly misunderstood or just ignored.  If you aren't in town, I encourage you to track with us online- all the messages are on our church website, and also linked below.

This Sunday is again the week for my Vail Daily column, "God and Coffee".  Below is this installment- pray with me that God will use these articles to open a persons mind to the miracle of the New Way- the New Life that is ours in Christ.

Love you all, hope to see you if you are in town.  Wherever you may be, may God's Grace and Peace be yours in abundance!
Pastor Ethan
 
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
Romans 14:13

God and Coffee: The New Way

In the corner of my kitchen sets a lonely appliance.  It used to be my favorite thing in the kitchen, with its soft blue glow, reassuring hum, and ability to turn itself on and off at the whim of my schedule.  I’m speaking of my Keurig, my king of coffee convenience, and up until a few months ago it was my best friend.  I mean, who wouldn’t love this marvel of engineering? Pop in the pod, close the hatch, and boom! You’ve got coffee! Life is good.
 
Then back in January a young friend inspired me to take a step of faith and get a french press. Grinder and whole beans in hand, I stepped into the world of slow coffee.  It does take more time, it doesn’t hum and glow, but man oh man, I love my french press!  Why? In a word, joy!  The coffee is just sooo much better. I’ve discovered the new way (which is actually the original way) of slow coffee, and I’m not going back. 
 
This theme of an ‘old and new way’ is a defining concept of faith in Christ. The New Testament proclaims that if anyone is “In Christ, they are a new creation, for the old has gone and the new has come.”  On the night of his arrest, Jesus spoke of a New Covenant. The New Testament asserts constantly that ‘In Christ’ we receive a new self, a new attitude, a new humanity, a new command, a new life, and a new birth into a new way.
 
But what’s the difference between this old and new way? Many assume it’s all about behavior, as in a ‘new moral code’ that brings up thoughts of sin, rules, and Ned Flanders.  Gotta love Ned, but this perspective is ultimately about performance, the unending effort to measure up to the expectations of God and others.  The New Testament calls this measuring up ‘the law,’ and performance is NOT the message of the Gospel.  You see, the essence of the Christian faith is not behavior, it is identity.  When I- as a rational pragmatist mind you - placed my faith in Jesus, I wasn’t just handed a new set of moral rules, I was given a New Life.  Make no mistake, behavior matters, and following Christ has indeed changed how I live.  But that is a result of the new life I’ve been given, not a cleaned-up religious version of the old life I had.
 
But what is this ‘New Life?’ What does that even mean?  My body aches in the morning and I’m getting more blind and deaf by the day. I still have struggles!  And yet, in my true identity, who I truly am, the New Testament cries out that I am completely forgiven, free, at peace, accepted, made new, righteous, dearly loved, and dare I say it, a masterpiece of God. This is a spiritual truth, but not just that.  Each day, one step of faith at a time, it is increasingly becoming my experience.
 
And now we’ve arrived at the new way. In Romans we read: “Now, however, we are free from the Law, because we died to that which once held us prisoners. No longer do we serve in the old way of a written law, but in the new way of the Spirit.”  And this Spirit is God’s Spirit. Christ, the giver of life.  That’s the new way.
 
Someone out there knows you’re being held prisoner by the old way you’re desperately trying to make work. It is the way of performance-based acceptance to God and to those around you.  It doesn’t work, and even when it seems like it does, it is a far cry from the freedom of the new way of the Spirit.   That’s the invitation of Jesus. By faith, to trade the old way for the new, your old life of trying for His New Life of receiving.
 
Speaking of new things, it’s time for a new cup of coffee.  Care to join me?
 
Ethan is the pastor of Trinity Church in Edwards. He and Lisa have lived in the valley for almost twenty-five years.  You can reach him at godandcoffeevail@gmail.com.

This Sunday's Message: Why We Do What We Do
Primary Scripture:
Romans 14:13-21

Messages in this series
Week 1, April 28th: Respect for Government. Really?
Week 2, May 5th: Law, Love and One True Debt
Week 3, May 12th: How Then Shall We Live?
Week 4, May 26th: The Weak and the Strong
Week 5, June 2nd: Why We Do What We Do
Week 6, June 9th: One Mind, One Voice
Week 7, June 16th: Hope Overflowing

Visit the 'sermons' tab at www.trinityvail.com for Pastor Ethan's weekly study/reflection guide, scripture reference links, message audio links, and more. Ethan’s message audio is also available through various podcast apps on both your iPhone and Android devices. Just search for “Trinity Vail Valley Ethan” in your podcast app.
If you are coming into town soon and would like to learn about Trinity's upcoming events, visit our 'coming events' tab at trinityvail.com, or just click HERE!
Trinity Church
P.O. Box 2676, 90 Lariat Loop
Edwards, CO 81632
Phone:(970) 926-1759
Fax:(970) 926-1754
Email: trinity@trinityvail.com
Website: www.trinityvail.com
Copyright © 2018 Vail Baptist Church Inc., DBA Trinity Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
P.O. 2676, Edwards, Colorado 81632

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Vail Baptist Church INC, DBA Trinity Church · PO Box 2676 · Edwards, CO 81632 · USA

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