Simple Play - "Perfect"

Romans 3:10-12 "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; _THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; _ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
I just saw/heard, for the first time ever, the song "Perfect" by the band Simple Plan tonight/this morning. It got me to thinking... if FellowshipChurch.com can use Evanescense's Bring Me To Life, then, what would a worship service that utilizes the message this song begs to be told???

Here is what I wrote on my blog page. It comes complete with links...

God's word tells us that none of us are perfect. Its a fools endeavor to attempt to live a perfect life. Paul, the writer of over half of the New Testament had done so much injury to the followers of Christ before his conversion that he referred to himself as the "Chief of Sinners." Yet, all through the letter he wrote to the church in Rome (from which this passage comes), the blessed truth that the grace which can only come from the sinless one, the only perfect one, Christ Jesus, provides us a way to be perfect... if we submit to his will, and live a life that is passionately abandoned to loving him and to connect our lives, our emotions, our psyche, everything we are about to Him.

So, how do we get over this obsessive need to be "perfect"? First, we recognize that God's word is true. There are none of us who are perfect. We can't live up to our own expectations, let alone those of our parents, or (even moreso) of God.

Second, we recognize that God's word is true. God has provided a way. That way is Jesus, who thought it not robbery to leave Heaven for each of us, and lived a perfect live, then sacrificed his very life so we could be perfect in the eyes of God, so we could love him for that gift, and so we could realize that our struggle isn't to be perfect as much as it is to love him so much we want to be like him.... a lot like some of those young adults I saw on MTV watching "The Best of Hard Rock Live" who looked onto the performers up on the stage and wanted to be the musicians, instead of wanting to be themselves.

But, God wants us to be more of ourselves... the self that God created us to be. It takes commitment, it takes a passionate abandonment of this world, and it takes us making that first step.... admitting that we're not perfect... that we'll never be.... but that doesn't mean that, as Simple Play sings, "Nothing's gonna make this right again." It can be right again... once and for all... and for eternity.

And THAT message will change tears of emotional hardship into tears of powerful surrender to Jesus Christ, if we can only communicate that truth so they will listen.

BrotherPhil
Phillip Swindall