John 6:37

“All those the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never drive away”

How is it that when we feel empty, tired and worn down…like we have nothing in the tank, nothing of worth to offer, God doesn’t see it that way?

Why do we feel we need to bring more; to be more?

God isn’t looking at our brokenness, and judging us, he is always looking on us in love, drawing us to him by his spirit, waiting for our response, waiting for us to just come to Him.

With whatever we have to offer, he accepts us.

Even if we have nothing, He just wants us to come.

Like the woman bringing her alabaster jar of fine perfume, to break and pour over Jesus’ feet. It was a costly offering of all she had but it was her offering.

We may not be carrying any beautiful offering – we may not have much at all. 

What if our alabaster jar contains only a drop?

What if it’s just the sediment?

Do we still bring it to Jesus?

Is that an acceptable offering?

Jesus just wants us to come. He just wants our hearts.

John 6:37 clearly shows us the truth… Jesus tells us ALL those who come to Him he will NEVER drive away.

If we come – HE meets us

                       HE accepts us

                       HE receives us

                       HE LOVES US.

All we need to do is COME to Him with whatever we have – even if we are empty and He will receive us with open arms…

His word is true and it doesn’t lie so, if all we have to do is come to Him to be accepted, knowing we won’t be turned away, what are you going to do? Who can refuse such love?

I know there’s nothing I can do that will make me good enough, perfect enough, righteous enough!

So I come, and He is my righteousness.

By simply coming I will not be turned away and He will make me clean.

We have been reflecting on Isaiah 6.

Isaiah saw the Lord and realised his sinfulness and his impurity. “I am a man of unclean lips”, he said, but in this moment, he sees he is not enough and is brought to a place of absolute reverence and repentance. The Lord in his great love and mercy then caused the seraphim to take a coal and touch his lips to take away his guilt and atone for his sin!

Isaiah came to the Lord, He saw the Lord, and was humbled.
The Lord purified Him.

The Lord accepted Him and then ‘sent him’ so others would see the Lord.

The true gift revealed through this passage is in Gods amazing grace shown to Isaiah, that he would ask the purified sinner to ‘go’ for Him. “Whom will I send”, the Lord asks to which Isaiah responds eagerly out of the overflow of a heart that has just encountered God Almighty. Changed forever, and understanding the gift he has been given, Isaiah can’t help but respond “Here I am send me!”

My prayer is that we would have a deeper revelation of the gift of life and true freedom we have been given through Jesus, and we would not let anything stop us from just coming to Him.

When we come to Jesus and receive the transformative gift of salvation, we have been accepted with love, we have been purified and welcomed as a son or daughter, we have been commissioned to go into all the world – just like the disciples… This love, this gift, is never something to be kept to ourselves, but it is to be shared with all those we encounter. To point all to the Father.

Have we been guilty of making our service to God something that is lofty? 

Have we placed more value on ourselves than we ought? Philippians 2:1-11 speaks of humility of service in the kingdom of God – as Jesus came in the flesh to earth and humbled himself as a man – he instructs us to not think more of ourselves than we should and to place others needs above our own.

We feel God has been highlighting to us that our eyes have been incorrectly focussed. He wants to realign our vision to be first on Him and then to look at what’s right in front of us as we respond to his call of service. What’s before us that God is asking us to be activated in service as his hands and feet, as His love in action? Matthew 25:40 reminds us ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

This picture isn’t one of loftiness or full of self-importance – there’s no acknowledgement or title recognised here. This is humble service – the unnoticed, the marginalised, the poor, the naked, the burdened, the imprisoned, being loved fully and without judgement because of Christs love – the least or the greatest equally deserving of his love. The servant – humbly pouring out upon the one in need – not seeking to be seen or acclaimed but simply responding from obedience and an overflow of the love and mercy that has been lavished upon them. 

Isaiah 58 reminds us of the commission we have been given to be this love, poured out and it depicts the beautiful promise that we will see restoration and redemption, healing and wholeness as we respond to the call of God through humility and obedience

^{ISAIAH 58}

⁶“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹ The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Are we eager to respond as Isaiah did, knowing what has been done for us?

Will we offer our lives poured out in worship like the broken alabaster jar, in absolute abandoned surrender, in reverence and true worship of God Almighty?

Ready to go where ever he asks, whenever he asks? 

Will we respond “Here I am send me!”?

The lyrics of a song "Alabastar Jar" by Gateway Worship that Yoy shared following our night of worship on Saturday night sums it up beautifully:

This alabaster jar

Is all I have of worth

I break it at your feet, Lord

Its less than you deserve

You’re far more beautiful

More precious than the oil

The sum of my desires

And the fullness of my joy

Like you spilled your blood

I spill my heart

As an offering to my King

Here I am take me

As an offering

Here I am giving

Every heartbeat for your glory

Take me

This time that I have left

Is all I have of worth

I lay it at your feet, Lord

Its less than you deserve

And though I’ve little strength

And though my days are few

You gave your life for me

So I’ll give my life for you

Reflections from the band…

“Let us continue to have a conversation with Jesus and commune with Jesus, a consuming passion to bring and break our alabaster jar and JUST KEEP COMING TO JESUS.” (Yoy)

“What a great night! I was full of joy to see everyone using what they had in their hands. I found myself either tearing up or simply just smiling as people brought what they had. So many things to be thankful for.” (Craig)

“Such a beautiful night! Its quite a special thing to be in a room with so many lifting up the name of Jesus. His presence was so evident. I’m believing for God to continue to do his work and bring us into a deeper revelation of who He is. That his people would humble themselves and turn from their sinful ways and embrace a life that is laid down and sold out to the mission of the kingdom, completely and utterly in love with their maker.” (Karlee)

We are blessed to be able to encounter God with one another on these nights! I am so thankful He is interested in each heart – He’s interested in the ‘ones’ and when we seek Him, we WILL find Him. (Matthew 6:33)

So, let’s pursue Him! Because His arms are wide open ready to receive us!

Let’s come to Him, bring what we have and watch what happens as we ‘go’ with Him.

To God be all the glory!!