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11/3/13 Design For Life - WORSHIP
Celebrity Accessories Sold at Inflated Prices
In his book Fame Attack, Professor Christopher Rojek explores how we’ve turned celebrities into modern day idols. Rojek writes:
In the early days of Hollywood, the [media] described celebrities as “gods” and “goddesses”. It credited them with “magic” and messianic “spellbinding” power …. They were not called ‘stars’ for nothing.….Modern fans covet autographs, letters, check stubs, locks of hair, clothes … combs, glasses, cigarette butts, rings, cars, golf clubs, etc.
Consider these examples of how much value is placed on celebrity items:
In 2002, the former barber of Elvis Presley sold a clump of Elvis’ hair for $115,000.
Justin Timberlake’s half eaten French toast sold for $3,000.
A jar containing the “exhaled breath” of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie was recently bought by a fan for $500.
A piece of bubble gum chewed by Brittany Spears sold for $160.
A lock of Justin Bieber’s hair sold on eBay for $40,668.
Jerry De Luca, Montreal West, Quebec, Canada; sources: Chris Rojek, Fame Attack: The Inflation of Celebrity and Its Consequences, Bloomsbury Publishers, 2012; Kiki Von Glinow, “Weirdest Celebrity Items Sold at Auction,” The Huffington Post (8-16-12)
This is worship in it’s worst form. If people didn’t worship these famous entertainers they wouldn’t spend a penny for these items. In looking to understand what worship is, these examples help us grasp the principles of worship.
As Christians, we come together to worship God. We call this a worship service. The meaning and understanding of worship has become very confused. For many, worship means the time in the service when we sing. Music is a part of worship, but it is not the totality of it.
If worship is limited to singing, what if you have zero musical talent? What if you can’t carry a tune in a pile of hymn books? What if you lose your voice?
As we enter this theme of worship, let’s look at a passage from the Old Testament.
Nehemiah 8:5-6 NIV
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
One of the most beautiful songs ever written, The Hallelujah Chorus. Look at the words and what they express. It is an expression of giving praise and adoration to God. It is genuine worship to God. The word Hallelujah! is repeated 24 times. It expresses the awesome nature of God. Praise God!!! Look at some of the words beyond Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Show YouTube video of The Hallelujah Chorus.
Let’s go back to the passage we read. Ezra led the people in worshiping God and celebrating their return to their homeland after many years of exile. There was a revival among the people as they worshiped and served God.
As we dive in to this topic of worship, let’s start with an understanding of what it is, a definition to guide both our thinking and our worship of God.
Definition of worship of the true God. The English word “worship” comes from the Old English word “worthship.” Ascribing or declaring worth. The word describes actions and attitudes that highly favor and honor the worthiness of God and express awe and adoration toward him.
True spiritual worship is God-centered, not human- centered. It focuses on God’s character traits (what is God like?). We worship because God is worthy to receive it, not because it makes us feel good. Christian worship involves Jesus’ followers responding with holy love and reverence to God’s character and presence by expressing gratitude for who He is and what He has done for us. Sincere, or true and heartfelt, worship requires a faith commitment and a confession that God is the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth. It means knowing and confessing that God is the only Lord—the Leader and highest authority—in our lives. We were created to honor and worship God
Read passages and analyze the worship, to help us understand what true worship is.
Psalm 92:1-2 NKJV
1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,
Psalm 29:1-2 NKJV
1 A Psalm of David. Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalm 96:8-10 NKJV
8 Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. 9 Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.”
Revelation 4:8, 11 NKJV
8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Worship must be more than a service or ceremony; it must be a way of life that reflects the highest respect, reverence and honor for God—in words and actions—in all situations.
Hebrews 13:15-16 NKJV
15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
A lifestyle, not a religious ritual.
Worship is not just singing songs. We use music to worship God, but simply by singing, or singing a specific genre of music it is not worship. It is not all about me, it is all about God. Many love to sing because it makes them feel good. Fine. The good feeling must be the by-product of genuine worship, not the goal. Again, it’s not about me, it’s all about God.
In the passage from Nehemiah 8 that we read earlier, we see a genuine hunger for God. Ezra read from the law for seven days straight, six hours per day. They were hungry for God. The longed to worship God. Truly for the, it was all about God.
Practical application of worship in our daily life.
Define worship.
How can you worship God throughout the week?
How can we make corporate worship more powerful?
Don’t be afraid to use your voice in worship. Words as well as song.
Be sure of knowing Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
Note: this series is based on reference material in the Fire Bible, Don Stamps general editor. Other resources also used.
10/20/13 Design For Life
PEOPLE NEED THE LORD
God created the world and put people in it. He gave us this amazing place to live. He gave us a spark of His creative ability. We now have amazing inventions. He gave us His moral and ethical law so we could enjoy living on this earth. For billions of people, life is not what it should be. We can ask the question why that is. The basic answer is that people are not living according to God’s laws and principles. They are doing whatever they want. Let’s look at something God gave to Moses more than 3,000 years ago. We call them the Ten Commandments
Exodus 20 NKJV
3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
13 You shall not murder.
14 You shall not commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
How would the world be different if everyone followed these ten truths, the commandments from God? How many problems would be prevented? The answers to these questions are so overwhelming that it is hard to grasp and conceive in our minds what the world would be like.
Since the impact of obedience would be so overwhelming:
--- Why can’t people do these things?
--- Why is the world such a mess?
In our own strength we can’t live right. We need the transformational power of God to change us from the inside. We need the divine intervention of God to make us new so a desire for obedience to God grows. As we have been saying often lately, people need the Lord.
The Great Commission
Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
We have been talking about this. WE are commissioned by God to make disciples. This starts with bringing people to a personal relationship with Jesus. It continues as we help them becomes learners, followers of Jesus. It continues as we teach to observe ALL THE THINGS JESUS COMMANDED. We can rejoice that Jesus is with us always.
We need to take this personally. We need to know the basics and be ready to share them. Some of the basics:
Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 NKJV
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16-17 NKJV
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Romans 5:1 NKJV
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Get God’s Word in your heart and be ready to use it as God gives you the opportunity.
Some of Jesus’ teaching
John 8:31-36 NKJV
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Jesus never encouraged us to place our confidence only on past spiritual experiences. Our salvation and relationship with Jesus requires that we hold to, live in His teachings. Real believers continue to obey and live by the Word of God.
One of the chief promises of God is that the truth will set you free. God’s truth will set your free from bondage to sin. Jesus is not talking simply about true facts, but His eternal truths. Only God’s truth can set people free from sin and the destruction that comes from Satan’s work. Jesus is the truth, He claimed to be God’s truth.
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus: One Way!!! It is only in the Bible that we find the eternal truths God wants us to know. Anything else is false. It is here we learn of God’s grace, His forgiveness of sins that gives us an eternal home with God. We have all the truth we need, we have the truth about Jesus.
The truth of God’s Word sets us free; the lie brings us into spiritual slavery. The truth restores; the lie destroys.
Sin is common. We see it all the time and the enemy wants to tempt us to participate. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus breaks the power and control of sin in the lives of His followers. All who continue to live in sin are slaves to sin. We have the choice to make Jesus our Lord and Savior. When we do we will experience freedom from sin as we continue to rely on Him.
Spiritual freedom is awesome. Jesus said that in Him we will be free indeed. We are no longer slaves to sin. We have victory over selfish desires and the cravings of the sinful nature.
Romans 6:17-18 NKJV
17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
Romans 8:1-2 NKJV
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
This is awesome, Jesus sets us free. We live without condemnation. We don’t have to constantly give in to temptation and experience the consequences of going our own way.
Jesus gives us the life all people desire.
Jesus offers us life-changing power to help us overcome evil and temptation and to grow spiritually.
Ephesians 6:11-13 NKJV
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
With God’s help, following God’s methods, we have victory.
This leads us to the reminder: PEOPLE NEED THE LORD
Discussion - Key Points today are:
In your sermon notes you have a list of prayer needs. Look at it. This is for you to use.
List. Be specific of people who you will pray for, people you will ask God to allow you to minister to with the goal of seeing them have the joy of the Lord in their lives. They are not a spiritual conquest. They are not a spiritual project. They are people that Jesus loves.
People who need to come to Jesus as their personal Savior.
Relationships that need to be healed.
Relationships that need to be broken. Some people are in situations they need to leave.
People with life-controlling problems.
10/6/13 Design For Life
Missions Launch - That All May Hear
From the beginning of the church there have been spiritual battles. On the day of Pentecost there were people in Jerusalem from many countries. 3,000 people were saved and they scattered to their homes. The church had a powerful launch. The message of Jesus spread all over the known world. They headed east into Asia, including many of the countries called the “stan” countries - those whose names end in stan. These nations were once home to a thriving Christian movement. Wars and persecution brought the church to near extinction. During the first 700 years there was a strong missions movement throughout the east.
With the rise of Islam, vast areas were overcome and the church was devastated. Those nations were isolated and Islam ruled with an iron hand. Persecution still exists. But, the church is gaining ground and people are being saved. Christian workers are being trained and local churches are starting. It is an intense battle, but God’s kingdom is making headway.
The battle against God has been going on since the beginning of time. We see it from Genesis to Revelation.
Israel and the Philistines were at war. That seemed to happen often. It did not look good for Israel. They were without the weapons they needed, they were outnumbered. And, they were discouraged. They had no hope for victory, only expecting defeat. They had no reason to expect anything but a massacre.
1 Samuel 13:6 NLT
6 The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.
This is not a good situation when your army is hiding.
Let’s get a little background foundation for this situation.
Saul had been anointed the king of Israel by the prophet Samuel.
Samuel told Saul he would meet the Philistines at Gibeah.
They were to wait seven days till Samuel arrived and gave instructions.
1 Samuel 10:8 NLT
8 Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.
Saul disobeyed what Samuel told him and didn’t wait for him to arrive. So, in the midst of this bad situation the king was told of God’s judgement.
1 Samuel 13:13-14 NLT
13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
So, when this situation looked hopeless and they had been told of the loss of God’s blessing on the reign of Saul, what was about to happen?
1 Samuel 14:1-15 NLT
1 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.
2 Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron. 3 Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD who had served at Shiloh. No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp.
4 To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. 5 The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba.
6 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the LORD will help us, for nothing can hinder the LORD. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
7 “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”
8 “All right then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the LORD’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”
11 When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” 12 Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!” “Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the LORD will help us defeat them!”
13 So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. 14 They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.
15 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.
1 Samuel 14:23 NLT
23 So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.
Let’s look at this story. Review. When there was no hope, when it seemed impossible, God directed Jonathan and a miracle deliverance happened. Everyone said it was over. One person stepped out, another followed, and God brought the victory.
What are the impossible situations we see today?
The list is very long.
Let’s start here in the St. Croix Valley. Many spiritual blockages. Many godly people have worked hard to build the church. There is a spiritual stronghold of drugs. The police chief told me, any drug you want to get you can get in New Richmond.
Across Wisconsin. Our capital city is a stronghold of evil, a stronghold of atheism. Our state is a stronghold of alcohol. It is destroying countless lives.
From a missionary friend: John Campbell (missionary I worked with in Benin, West Africa): We believe that God has great plans in store for our ministry in Benin, besides the testimony of the Scriptures, the enemy of our souls tried to take me out 3 times: I came home with a diagnosis of advanced metastic prostate cancer and had also two very serious car accidents where I nearly didn’t walk away from either one after totaling both vehicles. But God has taken care of us and will watch over us in Africa as well. (Said pray for the support so they can go next month.)
From a Christian worker in Kiev, Ukraine:
“I remember the first time I saw Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. I had never seen a church building like it before. It is simply amazing. Now, I know that the Church is not a building. It is the people that make up the church. But, a building is a place that the Church is able to meet, invite people to, and worship and grow together in.
For the last several months ICA Kiev has been without a building to meet in. They have been meeting in different locations until they can find something of their own. Please pray for God’s favor in finding the future location for our church.” -worker in Kiev, Ukraine
I read letters earlier in the service of strong battles happening in various places in the world.
Question: Do we give up? Do we say it is too hard?
What is the solution? Let’s read Acts 12:5 NLT
5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
The church was earnestly praying during this impossible situation. The New Testament church reacted to resistance and persecution with heartfelt prayer. The situation appeared impossible: James had been martyred and Herod had Peter in the custody of sixteen soldiers. The church believed the promise that prayer is effective and the answer. Their response to Peter’s situation was a prayer meeting. God answered their prayer.
It was common for the early church to participate in extended times of corporate prayer. God’s plan is for the church to come together often to wage war in prayer. If we are going to be Biblical believers we must be people of prayer. Prayer is more than a simple prayer from time to time. We must gather and really seek God. Do we want God’s presence and power? We must be people of prayer.
When the church was formed, prayer was a high priority. The battle is the same and God’s plan is the same. We will win as we are really people of prayer. This is why every missionary who comes by gives you a prayer card. Remember me in prayer.
Every missionary also needs financial support. I get many calls throughout the year, we need support. God blesses a generous heart.
Let me leave you with two thoughts.
A friend since college days, Jerry Brooks. He is pastor at Oak Creek AG, in the past 35 years, gone from 35 people to thousands. I have asked him about their church. He told me they emphasize prayer and missions. They now give over $1 million a year to missions. He said prayer and missions are critical to what they accomplish for God.
Let me share a story from the fall of 1971. At North Central Bible College there was an annual week of special meetings. That year the speaker was Dick Eastman. During the summer there were students praying especially for the school. The spiritual climate at the school was very poor. It was a time of rebellion in our nation and it impacted the student body. There was a strong need for a spiritual breakthrough. God gave us many miracles. One night he sent everyone out of the chapel and told us to go somewhere to pray. Students lined the halls, stairways, even the elevator. Powerful prayer filled the building. God gave us a miracle offering. Students made amazing sacrifices and gave thousands of dollars. It was the breakthrough that allowed the new chapel to be built and paid for. An awesome overwhelming presence and power of God filled those meetings. Lives were changed. God’s power took over.
The overwhelming sense of the power and presence of God makes all the difference. It is what will make the difference in the St. Croix Valley in 2013. Now is the time. God is the source of victory.
9/22/13 DESIGN FOR LIFE - Jesus IS The Answer
QUESTIONS
People ask questions. Some are silly. There are also great questions in life. Great questions help us to learn. We also need to ask questions of people who can give us good answers.
What are some of the great questions of life? Let’s look.
Young Atheists Respect Christian Conviction
The Christian scholar Larry Taunton interviewed students who belong to atheistic campus groups. He and his team heard a consistent theme from these young unbelievers: they often expected but didn’t find more spiritual depth from their Christian neighbors. Larry writes:
Some [of these young atheists] had gone to church hoping to find answers to [tough questions about faith]. Others hoped to find answers to questions of personal significance, purpose, and ethics. Serious-minded, they often concluded that church services were largely shallow, harmless, and ultimately irrelevant. As Ben, an engineering major at the University of Texas, so bluntly put it: “I really started to get bored with church.”
In contrast, these young atheists expressed their respect for those ministers who took the Bible seriously. Larry writes,
Without fail, our former church-attending students expressed [positive] feelings for those Christians who unashamedly embraced biblical teaching. Michael, a political science major at Dartmouth, told us, “I really can’t consider a Christian a good, moral person if he isn’t trying to convert me …. Christianity is something that if you really believed it, it would change your life and you would want to change [the lives] of others. I haven’t seen too much of that.”
Larry Alex Taunton, “Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity,” The Atlantic (6-6-13)
That is a very challenging statement.
Another story:
Actors Distance Themselves from Christian Upbringing
Both Brad Pitt and Hugh Jackman grew up in Christian homes and both have since distanced themselves from their faith. Here’s how Brad Pitt described his spiritual journey:
I found [my Christian upbringing] very stifling. I always had a lot of questions about the world, even in kindergarten. A big question to me was fairness. If I’d grown up in some other religion, would I get the same shot at heaven as a Christian has? When I got untethered from the comfort of religion, it wasn’t a loss of faith for me; it was a discovery of self. I had faith that I’m capable enough to handle any situation. There’s peace in understanding that I have only one life, here and now, and I’m responsible.
Hugh Jackman grew up in “a deeply religious family, his parents having been converted . . . by Billy Graham.” In a 2013 interview: “I was involved with so many things in the church. It was my social group. It was where I met girls. It was sort of my life out of school. Then around 16 or 17, I started questioning. ‘How come all these nonbelievers are going to hell?’”
“Today, [Jackman] is not particularly religious and says he never prays, though he believes in some form of God and afterlife and meditates twice daily for 30 minutes.” Jackman said, “It is about quieting that part of the brain and just seeing and being.”
Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; sources: Fox 411 Entertainment Blog, “Brad Pitt says Christian upbringing was ‘stifling,’” (5-17-11); Stephen Galloway, “Hugh Jackman on His Surprising Hollywood BFF’'s and His Mother’s Abandonment,” The Hollywood Reporter (2-13-13)
There are many great questions. Sadly, when people don’t get good answers, they often go the complete opposite of believing God and His Word. The same questions are asked by many different people. They get proud and think they can solve all of life’s issues by themselves.
Remember one of the things we talked about last week: people need the Lord. That is still true. We see an illustration of that in this passage.
One night, many years ago, a very learned man went to a teacher to ask what he felt was life’s most important question.
John 3:1-3 NKJV
1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Having observed Jesus’ life and teachings, Nicodemus went to Jesus to ask for help in life. I believe that he basically came to Jesus and said: Jesus, what is it that I need most in life? What am I missing? What will make my life complete?
In His response, Jesus covered one of the foundational teachings and principles of the Christian faith: regeneration. Without being born again a person cannot become part of God’s family. People need spiritual renewal to be saved and have God’s gift of eternal life that Jesus bought and paid for on the cross.
Let’s look at this term: Regeneration.
--Regeneration: new birth. This is God’s work in the heart of a person who believes in Jesus, making Him their Lord and Savior.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the soul of a person, formerly dead in trespasses and sin, is created new in Jesus unto righteousness.
--A new creation
--Made alive to a life of holiness
Picture the new life that comes in the spring time when all, that seemed dead, is brought back to new life. This is the work of God to make us new. We were made in the image of God, His highest creation, and sin destroyed that life and we walked in sin and death.
Titus 3:3-7 NKJV
3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Jesus told Nicodemus that to have eternal life in God’s kingdom, he must be born again. The Bible clearly teaches that people must undergo a spiritual re-creation, new birth, to have a personal relationship with God or have eternal life.
This thought of being born again is echoed in I Peter. It tells us we have purified our souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. Then we learn:
1 Peter 1:23 NKJV
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
Our new life came through God’s gift. And, that is what we must be living and experiencing -- new life.
What are we now?
Ephesians 2:1 NKJV
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
We were dead. Now we really know what life is. Obviously Paul did not mean physical death but instead referred to our spiritual condition. Sin has left the human race spiritually dead, incapable of responding to God. Nevertheless, regeneration resurrects our spiritual capacity so that we can enter in to a relationship with God.
The spiritual birth Jesus shared with Nicodemus is essential because all, apart from Jesus, are sinful by nature. They are separated from and opposing God. With our own efforts, we are not able to have a personal relationship with God. We require the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit. We have no human power to obey and please God. Some verses:
Psalm 51:1-5 NKJV
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Romans 8:7-8 NKJV
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Salvation, being born again, involves a complete change from our old lifestyle of sin in rebellion against God to a new life of obedience.
II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Ephesians 4:23-24 NKJV
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Colossians 3:10 NKJV
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
Documentary Asks, What Is Truth?
The Nature of Existence is a documentary that asks and attempts to answer some of life’s biggest questions. One segment is on truth. One scene begins with the word truth on the screen and a drawing of a man with his fingers crossed behind his back as if he is concealing something. The narrator asks questions:
Narrator: Can you define the word truth?
Unnamed man: No, I think it’s like pornography. You know it when you see it.
Hindu cleric: By worshiping God you can find the truth.
Tao cleric: Anything that runs counter to Tao will not be truth.
Narrator: What is truth?
Bobby Gaylor, musician: What people don’t want to hear.
Alan F. Segal, professor of religion, Columbia University: When somebody claims to know the truth, and claims to be able to tell it to you, the first thing you should do is check to see if you still have your watch, because that’s the prelude to getting taken.
Jim Murphy, champion drag racer: I’ve had a pretty messed up childhood, and God gave me the faith of a small child. I totally believe. It’s all in my heart. I know my knower knows there’s a God, and he’s in charge of everything. I just know that. To me that’s faith.
Julia Sweeney, author, Letting Go of God: In science, you don’t use words like truth. You say, “Closer to truth.”
Irvin Kershner, director, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: Only art comes close to trying to answer truth.
The Nature of Existence, DVD, directed by Roger Nygard, 2010, chapter 23: “Truth,” 33:44 - 36:11
When Nicodemus brought his questions to Jesus, he got the right answers.
Discussion -- LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
DESIGN FOR LIFE
What questions are people asking about life?
What are the key points of this message?
How can we apply this message?
9/29/13 Design For Life
MISSIONS - GOD’S HEART
A question to start: where is your heart? What really gets your attention?
Your family? Children? Grandchildren? ?????
Think about where your heart is. God’s heart is reaching unbelievers.
A passage to look at for some foundation today:
Matthew 15:18-20 NKJV
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.
Jesus taught that the heart is the critical center of life and decision. What goes into the heart comes out. This is an answer to the question asked so often of how someone can “do something like that”.
It is with this principle in mind that we can understand the difference between an apology and a confession.
In the wake of numerous public confessions by fallen politicians, sports figures, and business executives, in her book The Art of the Public Grovel, Susan Wise Bauer offers a helpful distinction: “An apology is an expression of regret: I am sorry. A confession is an admission of fault: I am sorry because I did wrong. I sinned.”
Apology addresses an audience. Confession implies an inner change … that will be manifested in outward action.
Paul Wilkes, The Art of Confession (Workman Publishing, 2012), pp. 4-5
There is a big difference between “I’m sorry I got caught” and “I’m sorry I did it”. It is what is in the heart.
So, we must stay alert to God and what His Word says.
Paul “Bear” Bryant is considered to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. Bryant’s record in 38 years includes 323 wins. He took 29 teams to bowl games and led 15 of his teams to conference championships. In the 1960s and 1970s, no school won more games than Alabama (193-32-5).
John Croyle, All-American defensive end on the ‘73 national championship team, played for the Bear, and was deeply impacted by him. John told about one of Coach Bryant’s pregame speeches.
In this game, there are going to be four or five plays that will determine the outcome of this contest. Four or five plays that will swing the momentum toward us, or away from us. I don’t know which plays these will be. You don’t know which plays these will be. All you can do is go out there and give all that you have on each and every play. If you are doing that on one of those crucial plays, and you catch your opponent giving less, that play will swing things in our direction. And if we rise to the occasion like that, on those four or five plays, we are gonna leave here today a winner.
Dave Bolin, Gadsden, Alabama
Where our focus is makes the difference. We don’t know when an opportunity for the Lord will come in life. We must be ready because we can influence the eternal destiny of a person if we keep our focus on the Lord and be alert to opportunities.
The heart of God is eternal souls. This is why missions is on the heart of God. God’s design for the lives of believers is to be used by Him to accomplish His plan to bring people to Him. Again remember, missions starts here where we are.
In reading the Prophet, Jesus said:
Luke 4:18-19, 21 NKJV
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The purpose of Jesus’ ministry on earth was to preach the Gospel to those in need, the hurting who desperately need God’s help in their lives. Doing anything apart from God’s ways, even achieving success in the world’s eyes, only leads to failure and bitter disappointment. Jesus came to heal the injured and oppressed. He came to bring real freedom to all who will hear and respond. Jesus revealed His divinity, God in the flesh to bring all people to Him.
II Peter 3:9 NKJV
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Emphasis: God’s desire is that all should come to repentance. It is not the will of God that one soul would be punished eternally. God wants all to have the opportunity to hear and repent. Each person is responsible to receive God’s gift of forgiveness. Missions is God’s heart - bringing people to Jesus.
Many Bible verses show that reaching the lost is the heart of God.
Mark 16:15 NKJV
15 And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 NKJV
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Ezekiel 33:11 NKJV
11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Jonah 3:10 NKJV
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Get this clearly: God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He does not delight in judging. His righteous nature demands it. God is not happy with the prospect of judging spiritually rebellious people. He desires everyone to repent and receive salvation to have eternal life. Believers today must live God’s hope for people to repent and turn from their wicked ways.
God does not desire to bring destruction on people. In the story of Jonah, because the people humbled themselves, repented and looked to God for mercy, God did not destroy them in judgment. God will show compassion when people make the choice to do things God’s way.
Acts 16:31 NKJV
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
The salvation of a soul is a miracle. God functions in the supernatural, the miraculous. He has all power and nothing is too hard. So, we must believe that and live in that as well. We must expect that the solution for anyone starts with salvation. Then they are in a position to hear from God and see what He will do in their lives. We must live in and expect the supernatural.
This is a challenge I have been sensing more and more lately in my life. I know I believe in the supernatural intervention of God in lives. The question is: Do I live it? Do I expect it? With the tough battle we face, living in God’s supernatural power is the only way we will see victory.
I want you to ask yourself a question - you can answer privately.
Do you really believe that anyone who really calls on the name of the Lord will be saved?
Do you really believe you can say to someone “the day you call on the name of the Lord, you will be saved”?
Do you live in the supernatural?
The heart of God is to reach the lost.
Jesus is alive today, the testimony of Danny Velasco. From the book “The Breakthrough Prayer” by Jim Cymbala, Senior Pastor, Brooklyn Tabernacle.
In a street in the Bronx at three A.M., a 44 year old man lies in the gutter waiting for a hospital to open. He is waiting not to get well, but to die. Danny Velasco is living in pitiful and hopeless condition. He is a homeless heroin addict ready to die.
Danny’s life started as a normal, well-adjusted kid with a brother and two step sisters, who knew he had a talent for something. His talent was for styling hair.
At was 17, he was hired by Berdorf Goodman’s, an exclusive store, the youngest hairdresser and make-up artist in the store’s history. Soon he styled the hair of a model who was photographed by SEVENTEEN magazine. From then on, he was determined to have his artistry seen on the most beautiful women, captured on film by the most gifted photographers. That way his talent could be exposed to the whole world.
When he was 21, he was traveling the country conducting seminars when he had a panic-attack. He saw a doctor who prescribed valium. He discovered that valium went down best with large doses of vodka. Soon he was drunk nightly but somehow able to function during the day.
By his late twenties, his career stagnated. Feeling restless, he moved to Paris. Although he arrived with no prospective employers, doors opened and opportunities exploded almost overnight. His work appeared on the covers of dozens of fashion magazines. He had a gorgeous apartment and was earning tons of money. He reached the pinnacle of his profession.
Four years later, he returned to New York in tremendous demand. Having earned his ticket to stardom, he made $3,000 a day working on beautiful models. He rented a 5,000 square foot loft. What no one knew was that he brought back something else from Paris – an addition to heroin.
In New York, he was a successful hairdresser and make-up artist by day, but a drug fiend by night.
According to his own words,
“Most nights I would dress ‘down’, roaming the streets, and it wasn’t long before arrests and missing work became a problem. I was two people: enjoying euphoric highs and suffering devastating lows, traveling with celebrities on private jets and staying in plush hotels. But the artificial bubble ended every time I returned home.”
One day, a beautiful red headed model on a photo shoot began to talk to him about God. She asked him to do some work on the side, cutting hair for her and some friends, and she also invited Danny to her church. Her name is Wanda, a choir member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
Later Danny went to the Wanda’s apartment and styled her and her room mate’s hair. Wanda asked if they could pray for him. She said to him, “Danny, the day you call on the name of the Lord, you will be set free.”
Danny Velasco confessed, “Whatever she meant, I knew it would never happen to me. I had already been in and out of nine detox programs and nothing worked. No way any of this ‘miracle stuff’ could change me. Once a dope fiend, always a dope fiend, I reasoned. If that’s the way you lived, then that’s the way you died. My life was hopeless and I knew it. I saw Wanda regularly in the workplace and she kept telling me about Jesus. She was sweet but a real fanatic.”
On a photo shoot in the Carribean, things got totally out of control. Danny overdosed on a boat and the Coast Guard had to come to evacuate him. Because of this incident, Danny’s career nose-dived straight into the ground. He went from making thousands of dollars a day to nothing.
One day, Danny could not take it no longer. He took his driver’s license, passport, credit cards and other ID’s and cut them into pieces. Then he walked out of his apartment and began to live in the street.
“At that point I had no friends and did not even have a quarter to my name. Each morning I would awake sick, having one question: where would I get my drugs that day and what would I have to do to get the money to buy them? That’s how I lived for the next three years.”
One day Danny called his agent and she told him that someone named Wanda was trying to reach him. He called Wanda. She asked if he could come over to cut hair for her and a few friends. Danny agreed but he asked for advance payment. Wanda wanted to help and said he would have to meet her at her church. Dirty he was, Danny showed up and Wanda handed him the money inside a Bible. He bought drugs and sold the Bible within an hour.
“When I arrived at Wanda’s place the next day, she had five other fanatical Christians waiting to have their hair done. I realize now that it was a Holy Ghost ambush. Before I left, they circled around me, praying so hard it made me think, They really believe in this stuff! And there’s five of them on me now. I did not believe in whatever nonsense they were into, so I left as soon as I could and returned to the street.”
After that, Danny’s phobias got worse and he began suffering from anxiety. Then the voices started. Before long they were screaming at him incessantly. He became like an animal, muttering or yelling out a stream of profanities as people passed by. By then Danny Velasco looked like a skeleton covered with sores. He had hepatitis A, B and C and could not even stand up straight.
That particular hospital closed down during the night. Danny only hoped the staff would let him in to die a decent death, because he did not want to die in the street.
“Finally the door opened, and I was admitted and someone gave me an injection that knocked me out. When I woke, I found myself in bed covered in my own vomit. Suddenly the voices in my head started screaming, creating total chaos within. I was so disoriented, I wanted to die. But I could not jump out of the window because they were barred.
“Then in the midst of all my pain, someone whispered words I had heard before, ‘The day you call on the Lord, he will set you free’. Other voices tried to drown it out, but they couldn’t! The words came through clearly: ‘The day you call on the Lord, he will set you free’. In absolute desperation I screamed from my bed, ‘Jesus help me! O God, help me with everything! You’re my only hope, so please help, Jesus! I did not understand anything about prayer, so I even used ‘personal references’ as I cried out: ‘Jesus, Wanda said that when I called on your name, you would deliver me. So help me now, O God.’”
At that moment Almighty God swept over me and around me. I knew He was real because the voices in my head suddenly stopped their hellish screaming and the ball of fear that had been weighing on me lifted. I knew everything changed even though nothing outwardly had. I was still lying in my vomit in a hospital bed. But I was a million miles from where I had been before I said that prayer. The day I called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he did set me free.”
Danny went from the hospital to a three-month rehab program. He gained thirty-five pounds and he began to heal. Then he went to a Christian program and he devoured the Word of God like a man filled with spiritual hunger.
In the years after his conversion, Danny’s spiritual growth was strong and steady. He gained a compassion for people who are hurting. Truly Danny’s testimony is living proof that Jesus is alive today and will continue to work miracles and will continue to set people free.
Discussion
God’s heart is missions - winning the lost.
God’s power is alive and well today.
What do these statements say to you? What effect do they have on you?
Do you believe that salvation and the supernatural intervention of God is the only solution to the problems of the world?
How do we apply these truths to daily life and let them impact us?
9/15/13 Design For Life - So All Can Hear
People Need The Lord
Broken Dreams
Football Player Can’t Forget the Ball He Dropped
Noble Doss dropped the ball. One ball. One pass. One mistake. In 1941, he let one fall. And it’s haunted him ever since. “I cost us a national championship,” he says.
The University of Texas football team was ranked number one in the nation. Hoping for an undefeated season and a berth in the Rose Bowl, they played conference rival Baylor University. With a 7-0 lead in the third quarter, the Longhorn quarterback launched a deep pass to a wide-open Doss.
“The only thing I had between me and the goal,” he recalls, “was twenty yards of grass.”
The throw was on target. Longhorn fans rose to their feet. The sure-handed Doss spotted the ball and reached out, but it slipped through.
Baylor rallied and tied the score with seconds to play. Texas lost their top ranking and, consequently, their chance at the Rose Bowl.
“I think about that play every day,” Doss admits.
Not that he lacks other memories. Happily married for more than six decades. A father. Grandfather. He served in the navy during World War II. He appeared on the cover of Life magazine with his Texas teammates. He intercepted seventeen passes during his collegiate career, a university record. He won two NFL titles with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Texas High School Hall of Fame and the Longhorn Hall of Honor include his name.
Most fans remember the plays Doss made and the passes he caught. Doss remembers the one he missed. Once, upon meeting a new Longhorn head coach, Doss told him about the bobbled ball. It had been fifty years since the game, but he wept as he spoke.
Max Lucado, Fearless (Thomas Nelson, 2009), pp. 31-32
Life is filled with broken dreams, hurts, heartaches. I doubt there is one person alive who hasn’t had some kind of hurt. What can do we about them? What can we do to overcome? Life is filled with problems and struggles. What is the answer?
A song written by Steve Green gives us the answer. It is not only for us, but tells us how we can help those around us who are looking for that missing piece in life.
Everyday they pass me by,
I can see it in their eye.
Empty people filled with care,
Headed who knows where?
On they go through private pain,
Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides their silent cries,
Only Jesus hears.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize --people need the Lord?
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right.
What would be too great a cost
For sharing life with one who’s lost?
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear.
They must hear the words of life
Only we can share.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize that we must give our lives,
For people need the Lord.
People need the Lord.
Luke 4:4 NKJV
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”
Deuteronomy 8:1-3 NKJV
1 Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.
Yes, people need the Lord. Jesus really IS the answer. That is the prime reason why Cornerstone exists. I often find myself talking with someone and thinking, if you would really give your life to Jesus, He would help you turn things around.
Missions. Missions Convention. We talk about these themes often. We have an annual Missions Convention. Why? Because people need the Lord. Because the answer to the problems in the world, the answer to the violence and destruction we see all around is Jesus. I’m not talking about some kind of religious routine, but a real personal relationship with the Creator of all, the Lord Who died on the cross and rose from the grave. When a person has Jesus resident in their life, things change.
Missions is not just across the ocean. It starts as we walk out the front door. It is us, as well as those we support to go to another place. We are God’s missionaries to western Wisconsin.
A challenge for everyone right now: think (and I hope believe) -- God really wants to use ME.
Our Missions Convention theme for this year: So all can hear. It is amazing how many people who live right around us have not heard a clear message of Who Jesus is and what He has done and will do in their lives. They either have heard nothing, or have heard confusing religious words that don’t mean anything.
We read from Luke 4.
Jesus was tempted by the devil. He was tempted to use His divine power to serve his own self-interest. Being selfish is something we all deal with. Jesus was not sidetracked, He stayed focused on what He came to do.
He was tempted to gain glory and power for Himself instead of accepting the humility and suffering that he faced on the cross. Jesus took no short cuts to what He came to do.
Satan still tempts people today. He tempts Christian leaders to use their spiritual authority and position for their own personal gain and self-interest. Jesus refused the temptation because He refused to surrender to his control. Christians today must not compromise and surrender to temptation.
The victory Jesus had was in quoting the scriptures. This is still a great victory. This is why we must learn what the bible says and use it regularly. “The Bible says . . .” is still a good answer.
In response to the temptation, Jesus replied Man does not live on bread alone. Satan tempted Jesus’ physical desire after He had fasted for 40 days. Jesus never used His power for selfish reasons. Jesus resisted the temptation by stating clearly that He lived by God’s Word.
Jesus emphasized that we must seek God’s kingdom, God’s ways above anything and everything else. When do, God promises to take care of us and provide the necessary things for life.
Yes, we will face tests in life. Some of them very difficult. He wants us to learn that life does not consist only on the physical level. Our well-being depends on a close personal relationship with Jesus and consistent obedience to his Word.
One day in the synagogue, Jesus read from the prophet.
Luke 4:18-19 NKJV
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, enabled to do the work of service He came to earth for.
What was the purpose of His ministry? Some answers:
He came to preach the gospel—the good news of forgiveness and salvation. Jesus came to reach those whom the world overlooks and rejects. The ones people mock and laugh at. Jesus wants “those” people.
Jesus came to bring real freedom. Sin makes people slaves and they can’t find deliverance. People are trapped by the troubles and evil in the world. Jesus is the freedom from addictions.
Jesus is also the healer. His healing covers both physical and spiritual needs. He opens the spiritual eyes blinded by the world and Satan so that they can see the truth of God’s good news. This brings true freedom from Satan’s power and from sin, fear and guilt.
It is through Jesus that we can proclaim God’s provision of every human need. WE are charged by God to continue and proclaim what Jesus taught. We can and must bring hope to a messed up world. People are enslaved to evil, brokenhearted, spiritually blind and distressed. The answer really IS Jesus.
How did we start out today? Our theme?
Design For Life - So All Can Hear
People Need The Lord
God has a design, a plan for your life. It includes being used by Him in this massive task of bringing people to know Him personally. We are responsible to help people receive God’s gift of eternal life.
ALL need to hear. This hearing starts in New Richmond and spreads around the world. So, each one must ask God how He wants to use us.
This theme must burn in our hearts. What people REALLY need is Jesus. Built on that foundation, they can see changes in life and solutions begin to come. This is founded on the ultimate solution, eternity with Jesus.
Discussion
Unique and creative ways to let people know about Jesus.
Think, identify, write your faith story. How can you use it?
Can you quickly tell a story of where Jesus was THE answer for someone?
When we really believe Jesus is the only way, what impact should that have on our lives regarding people who are lost in sin?
9/1/13 KINGDOM LIVING - Hear and DO
Judging others, one of the favorite pastimes of many people. They look at someone and immediately put them in a category and “know” all about them. Let me give you two stories.
Seattle Group Believes Alcoholics Can’t Change
Can alcoholics overcome their addiction? Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Services Center doesn’t seem to think so. It’s spending $11 million on permanent housing for homeless alcoholics.
Some in Seattle were fed up with spending $50,000 per alcoholic, every year, on recovery programs, prison, and emergency room visits. Their solution is a housing complex that accommodates 75 alcoholics. The residents are allowed to drink all they want, and they don’t have to be in a recovery program, as long as they’re off the streets.
Bill Hobson, the program’s executive director, believes most alcoholics can’t change. “Once you’re an alcoholic, you’re always an alcoholic,” he says, citing the example of an alcoholic who got drunk 10 minutes after leaving a detox facility he had been in for two months. [So one failure means all are failures.] Hobson and his group reject the transforming power of Jesus Christ and believe some people are beyond hope and help.
Chuck Colson, “Bottoms Up: Is Change Possible?” Breakpoint newsletter (12-15-06)
Judging these people and leaving them with no hope. They are doomed, let them go. That’s their attitude.
Bank Snubs Millionaire Based on Appearance
To John Barrier, it wasn’t the 60 cents, it was the principle. Barrier walked into his bank to cash a $100 check and then asked the receptionist to validate his parking ticket. Even after mentioning that he was a “substantial depositor”, Barrier’s request was refused. The receptionist explained that validation was only given for transactions involving a deposit.
Barrier felt his appearance, dirty construction clothes, contributed to his treatment. He thought the bank manager looked at him like he’d “crawled out from under a rock”. Barrier contacted bank headquarters with his complaint. When no one returned his call, he started emptying his account, $1 million at a time.
According to Barrier, “If you have $100 in a bank or $1 million, I think they owe you the courtesy of stamping your parking ticket.”
Elisa Tinsley, “Bank gets $2M Lesson,” USA TODAY (2-21-89, p. 1A)
I wonder if he had come in with a suit on and identified himself, if they would have treated him differently. Just a thought.
As we conclude our Kingdom Living series, we look at a few more points Jesus made in His teaching.
Matthew 7:1-5 NKJV
1 Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Jesus taught against the practice of criticizing others without looking at our own shortcomings. It is so easy to always put someone else down. We need to submit to God’s righteous standards of the Bible before trying to appraise and determine the actions of others. Judging in an unjust way includes condemning or rejecting someone who is sinning without earnestly wanting to help the person repent and receive forgiveness.
Many misapply this passage. “Oh, we’re not supposed to judge.” They allow anyone to do anything because “we’re not supposed to judge”. That is not what it is saying. It is speaking against a condemning judgement.
These verses are often taken out of context to defend sinful actions. Jesus is not saying we should not exercise discernment or make value judgments when others sin. There are times when we have to speak out against sinful behavior that defies God and corrupts society. We must not compromise and allow sin to become accepted in the church. Some say that if you really love as Christ loves, then you accept everyone just as they are. Again, this is missing the point. Jesus came to change people.
Jesus expects believers to study how a person’s character compares with the standards of God’s truth.
John 7:24 NKJV
24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.
There is a right and proper judgement. It must be according to God’s standards. God is totally for righteousness and totally against sin. Too many people, and even Christians, don’t understand that any more.
Galatians 1:8-9 NKJV
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
God’s truth will never change. Righteousness is righteousness, no matter the time or location. Trying to change that brings God’s judgement.
God expect us to never tolerate consistent sin in our own lives or believers. It will destroy the move of the Holy Spirit’s work in and through a local church.
Verse 12 is what we commonly call the Golden Rule. An amazing guideline for how we treat others.
Matthew 7:12 NKJV
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Just think about the concept that if the whole world would apply this one truth, what a different world it would be.
Question for discussion: How would the world be different if everyone practiced the Golden Rule?
We have been calling these chapters the Constitution of the Church. This is the declaration of the Sovereign ruler.
The wrap up of this series on KINGDOM LIVING. Hear and DO. It is never a matter of just having a series or a sermon, but a matter of taking what we hear and APPLYING IT to daily life.
Matthew 7:24-29 NKJV
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Doing righteousness. That must be a description of our lives. This is the outgrowth of what we are. And, because we ARE believers, we DO right.
Hear Jesus.
Apply what He says to our lives.
Do what He says.
The people were astonished at His teaching,
When people really hear Jesus, they are amazed. Jesus is above anything or anyone else we can hear. Jesus impacted their lives. We can have the same impact when we:
Are/Become a real believer
Apply the Bible in our lives
Live and share with God’s anointing/empowering
Then: We make an impact that changes lives through God’s power.
Discussion/Review
What stands out from this Kingdom Living series? (Include Sunday School and the Beatitudes)
What changes have your seen or expect to result?
