Pastor's Blog

Sand Mountain Sermonette 7

Matthew 5:6

The Auspicious Odometer

I loved my 1973 Chevrolet Nova SS I had in High School, but it was my 1963 all original four-door silver blue Chevrolet Impala that I owned from 2000 to 2004 that I want to share with you today.

It featured the original half-ring horn, metal dash, carpeting, side molding and hub caps among its other classic features. But it had one problem. The mechanical odometer which records the mileage would stick from time to time. Sometimes it would stick for just a few miles while at other times it may not work for a couple of hundred miles or so. Later, I went to a good friend of mine who worked on old cars and who was also the president of the local antique car club I belonged to and asked him about my problem. He told me that sometimes you could position an old car like mine on a slight incline, then put it in “Neutral” and let the car coast backwards a little bit and it would reset the odometer to working condition once again. So, I took my Chevy to the church parking lot where I pastored at the time, tried this, and the odometer worked fine!

In Matthew Chapter Five, we find the wonderful and popular teachings of Jesus known as the Beatitudes in which Jesus is teaching us how to live the Kingdom life surrendered daily under the influence of the Holy Spirit. For instance, Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed (Happy) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled (satisfied).”

My auspicious (opportune) 63’ odometer taught me that I often miss God’s blessings and live in a spiritually “stuck” mode because I am placing the “doing” before the “being.” I am focusing on conduct more than character. Then, worry, fear, and confusion dominate my thoughts and my life. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:6 that His Spirit fills us as we are hungering and thirsting for His righteousness; not in the achieving of happiness for happiness’ sake or the achieving of fame and at the expense of humility. Isn’t that freeing news, Christian? Let us invite the Holy Spirit to apply the “Be-attitudes” to our hearts today and be satisfied in Jesus and in Him, alone.

Pastor Louie