Jesus: Our Better Rescue, Mediator, and Portion

So often in my life, I drift towards things that maybe are not good for me. I drift towards things that on the surface, it looks like, man, that is just what I need. Maybe there's nothing better than that thing over there. Or maybe it's just a circumstance of life or a season that we think, wow, I just had that. That would be just what I need until I get in it and I realize, oh no, I've made a mess. Now I'm in need of rescue. I need a life run. [00:10:18] (40 seconds)  #RescueNotReassurance

Lot didn't just need Abram to come along and give him a pat on the back, give him some words of wisdom, to reaffirm that, you know, Lot, we're doing a good job. Lot needed Abram to come rescue him. I think of my life, when I think of our lives and the situations that we get in sometimes, we don't just need a pat on the back. We don't just need somebody to come along and give us, you know, here's three steps to a better life. We need a rescue. We need a rescuer. And Jesus is that. [00:10:58] (42 seconds)  #JesusOurRescuer

We are rescued out of, what Paul says, the domain of darkness and sin. We don't just need words of encouragement. We don't just need a pat on. We need God's word for us through his Son, Jesus, to transfer us into his kingdom. His kingdom of life, life and love. Jesus is that rescue for us. Many times in my life, I need to just reaffirm my need for Jesus. Reaffirm my need for that rescue. [00:12:02] (38 seconds)  #JesusGivesLife

The difference between Jesus and Abram, Abram came and he risked his life for a lot. He risked his life so much so that he would go into battle and try to rescue life. But Jesus doesn't just risk his life. He gives his life. He gives his life to be a rescue. So much of my life, and I think so much of our life, ought to be just reaffirming how much I need that. Jesus, I don't need a pat on the back. I need your rescue. [00:12:40] (36 seconds)  #NeedJesusRescue

It's a reminder of the blessing to have somebody come alongside of you that can say, okay, this is how we're going to fix it. This is how we're going to handle it. Even more so, that is the goal that our Savior Jesus has in our life. He is our mediator. That we don't use that term often, maybe. But He is the one who comes alongside of us. Right? And encourages us, helps us, serves us, lays His own life down for us. So much so, that there's no problem, there's no issue in our life that we can say, well, maybe Jesus can't handle that. [00:19:43] (38 seconds)  #OnlyJesusCanFix

What I need in my life is not another scheme to try to get myself out of the problems that I've made for myself. What I need is the work that Jesus does for me, on my behalf. We read about this work that Melchizedek does and this blessing that he keeps on Abram for all that God had worked in his life and we're reminded that Jesus is better. Jesus is the better, the great mediator. And so I must ask myself, what in my life right now am I expecting to do the work that only Jesus can do? [00:21:06] (40 seconds)  #FaithPointsToJesus

But notice what Abram says. Abram refuses. He says, I don't need any of that. He says, I've taken some hope with the Lord that it's only by his hand that I'll be blessed. Perhaps Abram in this moment is reaffirming for himself the promises that the Lord has made to him. The Lord has promised to make him a great and prosperous nation. And so Abram says, I don't want any indication that perhaps that promise has come from anywhere other than the Lord. [00:23:30] (42 seconds)  #LookToJesusAlways

Now just consider Abram's position in that moment. In that moment, just a word, all the spoils of war, all the riches, the resources, which undoubtedly would have been important in that time. All it would have taken was a word from Abram and all of it would have been turned over to him. But he refuses it because he understands that what he has with the Lord is better. He doesn't want the king of Sodom to be able to strut around and say, ah, look at Abram. Look at what I did for him. [00:24:13] (38 seconds)

Paul has this understanding of what the world could offer him when he says in Philippians chapter 3 verse 8, Paul says, that more than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as my translation says, dumb so that I may gain Christ. Paul doesn't want anything in his life to take away from the glory that he can experience in knowing Jesus. [00:25:05] (50 seconds)

And so much more so for you and I, we have the benefit of hindsight and looking backwards. Jesus is our portion, better than anything that the world could offer us. So the challenge for us in our life is oftentimes to reference Jesus first. Many times this week maybe you will be asked to be thankful for what makes you feel good about your life. And certainly we can be thankful for our circumstances, our health, the things that we have, the food that we eat. It's good to be thankful for those things and to even express it. But maybe be quick to reference Jesus. He is the better portion. [00:28:46] (50 seconds)