Living in Grace (1 Peter 5:6-11)

Text: 1 Peter 5:6-11

Sermon Link: Living in Grace 1 Peter 5:6-14

I started this message out with 2 illustrations and than incorporated them later in the message.

The first was a 1 minute sit-up competition between me and one of the other men from the congregation...because I was laughing I only did 45...he did something like 22.

The second was a football one.  I selected 3 individuals to be my O linemen (2 pushing 300 lbs), a receiver and 3 defensive players (2 kids and 1 adult). I was the QB.  The defensive players were to try and get me. Eventually I threw the ball to the receiver.  As long as I had the ball the defense was going to try and get me...but what happens when you throw the ball?  The game changes...the defense moves from trying to attack the QB to going after the receiver...

Intro Questions: How do you define faith?  Does faith always make sense?

Faith = Total Trust in God

Main Point:  Christianity is a life of total trust in God's grace (or His gracious character)

Vrs. 6 Humble

In the midst of pain what do you want to do?

Get away from it?
Control everything? Arrange the team or stack the deck in your favor? I did that in my illustration by selecting two 300Lb. guys to be my O linemen...seems smart, but I am trying to control it...also if God is our wide receiver and He is standing there wide open saying "Throw me the ball" our tendency is to say "Nah, I got this"  Again it comes down to control...

Vrs 7 Cast

Do we really trust grace or God's gracious character?  If we do we will throw or cast the ball to Him

Vrs 8 - 9

What does it mean to be strong?  I think the following picture illustrates what we typically think of...

But that is not what Peter is talking about...or going back to the football illustration if a 250 Lb guy is rushing at me do I brace myself?  Again this isn't what is being talked about here, but rather total trust...check out Zephaniah 3:17 and the surrounding verses.

Vrs 10 - 11 Living in Restoration

The secret to this is, as Toby Mac says, keep our eye on it...or keep our eyes fixed on the prize...this life is a vapor...keep eternity in sight...

Think of 3 inter-connected circles one titled Head, another Heart and the other Hands....we can know something in our heads, but not believe it in our hearts, which then means our hands are not moved to action...where is what you know about God not really lining up with what your heart believes about God...chances are there is a buried hurt...we need to have all 3 of these circles lined up if we are going to be strong...the other thing we have to be careful of is taking Scripture out of context...for instance saying "God is my rear guard" (Isa 58:8)...then something happens and we say "I thought God was my rear guard  why did..." But if we look at Isa 58:5b-11 there are some huge conditions (hand things) that are in play in those verses...the head, heart and hands need to line up. Or Psalm 100 was another example I used.

In the end we need to live in the light of grace....

Check out the message for more...

By His Grace and for His Glory,

PT

1 Peter 1:1-3:7 Review

Here is a quick over view of the Main and sub Points of 1 Peter 1:1 to 1 Peter 3:7

1 Peter

1:1-12                 Everything

              Main point: In Jesus I have everything

              1-2         God’s choice should lead to my obedience

              3-4         Praise for benefits (Born again, Living Hope/inheritance, Guarded)

              6-9         Trials equal testing (Future Glory, Obtaining Salvation)

              10-12    What you are experiencing prophets and angels only dreamed to

              Application:        What are you willing to trade your salvation for?

                                           Are you trying to live in isolation?

1:13-25               Transparent

              Main point: When people see you/us they should see the Father

              13          Set your hope on God’s grace (Your future hope is guaranteed by a past truth)

              14-16    The call to be holy

              17          Live in reverent fear of God, your judge

              18-21    Live in light of the high price paid

              22-25    Live in love

2:1-10                 Chosen or Rejected?

              Main point: Realizing their high calling, Christians are to be more than fans.

              1-3         Training for the team (What does it mean to feed the new life?)

              4-8         On the team (Which team are you on? The Christian life cannot be lived in isolation)

              9-10      Our calling

-          Chosen: Are we tempted to play up or down?

-          Royal: Do we really understand that we are children of the King?

-          Holy: Are we living set apart?

-          Treasured possession: Does this excite you?

-          God’s people: Mercy filled or not?

2:11-12               Winning the War

              Main point: Christianity is a call to live a radically different life in the midst of hostile opposition.

              A Two Front War:

-          Internal struggles and internal fruit

-          External struggles and outward fruit

Application: People are looking for Kingdom are you revealing it?

2:13-25               Free & Healed

              Main point: Christians are called to a life of service

              Key verses 16 & 24

              Key words: Free & Healed

              Maintaining status quo =

                             Missed ministry opportunities

                             I am comfortable

                             I’m not sent

                             I’m in rebellion

              Application:

-          What do I need to keep doing?

-          What do I need to stop doing?

-          How can I serve?

3:1-7                   Christian Marriage

              Main point: Dying to self is the key to submission and understanding

              For coal to become a diamond it need pressure…

              The Todd and Heidi Story

              Application:  How are you doing supporting your spouse in the following areas:

-          Spiritual

-          Emotional

-          Physical

-          Mental

Submission is an Attitude 1 Peter 3:8-13

Last Sunday our Executive Pastor, Ross preached. He did a good job reviewing the ground that I had covered and starting to wrestle with the second half of 1 Peter 3.

Here is the link and his outline.

Title: Submission is an Attitude

Link to Sermon: Submission is an Attitude

Our actions come from our attitude.

So if our actions are wrong our attitude is usually wrong.

In order for us to act differently, we must think differently!

1 Peter 1:13-14: Prepare your minds to think differently

In order to think differently, you need to:

- Understand who you are (Called) 1 Peter 1:15-16
- Understand whose you are (Chosen) 1 Peter 2:9-10
- Understand where you are (Not Home) 1 Peter 2:11
- Understand what you are to do (Live Godly lives) 1 Peter 2:12
- Understand how you are to live 1 Peter 3:8

Application:

Which area is God telling you to change?

 Harmony....Sympathy....Love....Compassion....Humble Yourself.

Christian Marriage 1 Peter 3:1-7

Text: 1 Peter 3:1-7

Link to sermon: Christian Marriage (1 Peter 3:1-7)  (Note: my wife, Heidi co-taught this lesson and you may have to turn up the volume to hear her)

Main Point: Dying to self is the key to submission and understanding

Submission and understanding are two key words in today's text.  They are also words that people have a hard time with.

Take a look at the following 3 pictures and decide which one represents your marriage or which one you want to represent your marriage.

Coal? Cubic Zirconia? or Diamond?  

Heidi and I have had couples from time to time look at our marriage and say "I want the marriage you have."  Put that on the shelf for a minute and ask yourself "What does a diamond start out as?"  Coal.  What does it take to make one?  Pressure.  Heidi and I have a great marriage, but you wouldn't want to go through what we have to produce the marriage that we have.  Let you trials be enough. When pressure comes into your marriage what are you allowing God to produce?  A diamond or two piles of coal dust?

Does a diamond come out of the ground ready to be set in a ring?  No it has to be cut.  (Note: This diamond illustration is a retweek of Eric Thomas' Shine Like a Diamond talk, he doesn't apply it to marriage). Everybody wants a great marriage, but most aren't willing to allow God to use the pressure/trails to produce the diamond.  Most aren't willing to die to self, so that the two can be come one.  Again, that take dying to self, living to Christ, so that you can both submit and live in an understanding way.

What you hear the word submit do you think negatively?  What does submission equal?  It doesn't equal slavery.  Peter is saying in the midst of your freedom submit.  Think of Jesus.  He submitted to the Father's plan to serve you.  People tend to get a little sideways when they hear the word submit, because they have a negative connotation of the word.  But it can be viewed in a positive light.  Heidi doesn't have a problem with submission, because in the end all the responsibility rests on my shoulders.  Let me translate that for you...she doesn't have a problem with submission, because it is my head that is on the chopping block...But I would add she also doesn't have a problem with submission because I live with her in an understanding way, take her advise and needs into consideration when making decisions.  If the two have died to self and become one submission is easy.

When you hear the term weaker vessel what do you think of?  Is this burly man and wimpy girl?  Or is it more the difference between these two pictures?

 Both hold water, but one is a little harder, firmer and stronger and one is more delicate, fancy and beautiful.  Men and women are equal, but different.  Peter isn't trying to belittle women, but rather point out there differences and challenge men that they are to cherish and delight in their wives rather than kick them around...

Here we transitioned to the Todd and Heidi story.  Two principles that have always been at the center of our marriage that have helped us live out these passages is communication and unity.  Take a listen...

We concluded with a challenge to explore your marriages asking how you are supporting one another in the following areas:

- Spiritual

- Emotional

- Physical

- Mental

Are you and your spouse one?  Are you dying to self, so that you can live in submission and unity?

Live Transformed 1 Peter 2:13-25

Text: 1 Peter 2:13-25

Link to sermon: Live Transformed 1 Peter 2:13-25

Main Point: Christians are called to a life of service.

Key Verses: 16 & 24

Key Words: Free & Healed

You have been set free and healed...why? So that you can live a life of service...

What does freedom mean to you?
 Some answers:
- free from bondage
- nothing in the way
- able to make your own choices
- discipline (if you are free, be careful that you do not use your freedom to become enslaved again....that takes discipline to avoid)
- tyranny

When one stops and thinks about freedom how often to they stop and think or ask what is the meaning/purpose of life?  Why do I exist? That typically doesn't even show up on the radar screen does it?  And yet if we are to be disciplined we need to ask ourselves that.  If we have been set free we need to ask ourselves the question: What have I been set free to do?  If we fail to ask that question then it is very easy to go off it a wide variety of directions and end up failing to use our freedom in the way we are supposed to do.  You have been set free to fulfill your calling and purpose...One could therefore say: "Hey wait a minute that means that I am not truly free...free to make a choice yes, but not truly free..." We were created with a purpose...but that purpose comes from outside of ourselves...we do not readily like that do we?  But God has set us free and called us for a purpose namely to serve Him and namely to serve Him through our service of others...

What does it mean to be healed?

- no more pain

What if by being healed you were going to feel more pain?  Peter's first hearer/readers were facing this.

- being whole
- being delivered

We have been healed and are now becoming whole.

How does Jesus provide both?

That is where the Gospel comes in...

How are we to use our freedom?

Ask yourself "How did Jesus?"  He submitted and served others.  Jesus did not consider equality with the Father something to be grasped, but rather stepped down into time/flesh...why?  To set the captives free.  He submitted himself to the Father's plan to serve you...what an example. See verses 21-23.

Humble yourself, trusting God to set things right in His time.

Application:

If we are free to serve, so what?

Managing status quo = ?

Managing status quo = missed ministry opportunities
Managing status quo = I am comfortable
Managing status quo = I'm not sent
Managing status quo = I am in rebellion

Action step:

- What do I need to keep doing?
- What do I need to stop doing?
- How can I serve?

Winning the War 1 Peter 2:11-12

Just a quick note to pass on the link to last Sunday's Sermon: Winning the War from 1 Peter 2:11-12

Winning the War

Count the Cost

Text: Luke 14:25-35

Link: Count the Cost
(Note that there is about a 3 minute delay before the recording plays, so skip ahead to about 2:55)

Link to song that is referenced in beginning: Jesus is Better by Aaron Ivey (Austin Stone): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTewCIvR7Og

Opening Question: Do we resonate with that song?  Do we truly believe that Jesus is better than anything?

Most Christians would answer "Yes" or "Yes, we have tasted and seen that He is better than anything."  And yet we find a tension and struggle do we not?

Main Point:  If we are going to see lives transformed for the glory of God (FBC's mission statement), than we must count the cost and be willing to give up everything for Jesus.

Most of us at FBC would say: "I have already counted the cost...I have decided to follow Jesus there is no going back and recounting the cost for me."  Which made me wonder do we have our presentation of the gospel correct.  If your presentation starts out with "Jesus has a wonderful plan for your life...a plan to prosper you...why would you not want to follow Jesus? Just turn your life over to Him and you will receive new life and all will go well with you."  Is that the gospel that you responded to?  What do you do when in the midst of living life everything goes south...things get bad...are you not tempted to say "Jesus isn't prospering me, why should I keep following Him?" or "God isn't taking care of me...I've prayed and He isn't taking care of me"  Are you not tempted to stumble and fall away?

Maybe our presentation of the gospel should start out with "Count the cost...yes, Jesus loves you...yes, He wants you to prosper, but that prospering may not happen on this side of eternity...what if your prospering doesn't happen until you stand face to face with Jesus in eternity?  Are you still willing to slug it out here?  Most of us would say still say "Yes", but what do you do when you come up against texts like today's that say things like "hate your parents..."  Some of us have no problem "hating" our parents, b/c we grew up in homes that were not exactly great...but at the end of the day I do not believe that kind of hate is what Jesus is talking about. Or "hate your spouse." Or "hate your children."  Again, we have to be careful we rightly understand what it looks like to "hate."  Or what about "hate your life." Is Jesus talking about self loathing?  I do not think so.

The hate that Jesus is talking about is positional...you cannot raise something above Jesus if you want to be His disciple...it does not mean the kind of hate...angst...seeing red...loathing, but rather Jesus is better than anything. (Note: Christian and Disciple are interchangeable...there is no "I am a Christian, but not a disciple" in Scripture...you are either a Christian Disciple a.k.a. follower of Jesus or you are not)...And if you are going to follow Him than you must love Him more than anything.

I will confess for me I love my wife dearly and at times it is hard to place Him above my wife and I have to catch myself and say "No, I will not go there...He has blessed me with a great wife, but I will not worship her..."  It is the same with my children....We must count the cost of this before we follow Jesus.  He must be of greater worth to us than everything.  He deserves my allegiance.

Have you ever asked yourself: "What does it cost me to follow Jesus?"

At this point I used an illustration from Greg Sidders book: The Invitation, p. 53-54

Between April 1967 and March 1973, he pledged allegiance to the United States flag hundreds of times.  So did Mike Christian.  The difference was, Greg did it in a class room, while Mike did it as a POW in a Vietnamese prison cell....

Think of the difference in the cost...the level of commitment and cost is radically different...

Sidders concludes this illustration saying: "Pledging allegiance is one thing, but proving it is another.  That's true of allegiance to a country, and it is also true of allegiance to Christ."  

Have you pledged allegiance to Jesus?  What is it costing you?

Maybe you say "I am bearing my cross...I am suffering for Jesus."  The problem is to many of us are suffering, b/c of bad choices we have made and yet claim we are suffering for Jesus...really?  Why do we make those wrong choices?  B/c we are not willing to pay the price of dying to ourselves...laying down our lives, and living with our eyes focused on Him...clinging to Him...saying "I will follow Him no matter what...I will obey His teachings...I will run the race to completion...I will love my neighbor as myself...I will love God with my whole heart, mind and strength...everything"  Are you willing to lay your life down and give up everything for Jesus...Are you willing and ready to overcome your fears knowing that He is with you and will never leave you or forsake you?  Are you willing to stop and take an inventory of your life/heart and say "there are things here that I do not like and I need to get rid of them with the help of the Holy Spirit and God's grace."  So many of us willingly stay in our hurts, habits and hang-ups b/c we are not ready or willing to pay the price of letting it go...Are you ready to let control go?  That is what it will cost you to follow Jesus.  I struggle with that...when do I get frustrated and angry?  When I feel like I am not in control. That doesn't mean I am out of control of my feelings...rather it means I do not feel like I have my hands around this situation and I can control it...are you willing to let control go and let Jesus?

At the end of the day when we line up what it costs us to follow Jesus and what we get back is there any comparison?  No, but it sure feels like letting go and letting God is costly...what will it cost you to serve your spouse better.....even if you get nothing in return?  What will it cost you to serve your children? Neighbors?  What will it cost you to do that?  Where is the line in the sand where you say "I will go with you this far Jesus and no further...past this point it is too costly to follow you?"  I can't forgive my neighbor for letting their dog run on my yard...seems trivial doesn't it?  But stop and research/reflect on Matthew West's song "Forgiveness" based on a mother being willing to take the costly step of forgiving the man who killed her daughter in a dui accident b/c she had received grace and forgiveness from Jesus...that had to be one of the toughest/costliest things to do and yet if we are disciples of Jesus that is what Jesus calls us to do...have you counted the cost? Are you willing to go beyond that line in the sand with Jesus?

There are some individuals that want me to preach against a variety of sins and condemn "those" people out there, but my challenge back to them is "What if 'those' people became your neighbor? How would you love them? How would you minister to them? How would you love them more than yourself?" B/c that is what Jesus calls us to do when He says "count the cost."  Are you willing to pay that cost? Or are you going to be like the guy who started building and didn't have a credit card and everyone began to mock him...or will you finish?

When you come up against tough sayings in Scripture what are you tempted to do?  It is easy to say "Jesus didn't really mean that...He didn't really mean that I am to love my neighbor as myself...He wants me to prosper...he wants me to stay in my hurts b/c I am comfortable here...it's too costly to break out of that..."  When you come against tough sayings you have a choice...either dig deeper and seek understanding or ignore it..."  What do you do with passages like today's where it says "Hate your spouse" and other passages that say "Love your spouse"...again with a little digging you will quickly come to understand that there isn't contradiction just a challenge to keep things in their proper place and trust Jesus....He has your best interest in mind...even when it seems like He doesn't...

For many of us when we look at the part about the king that has 10,000 coming against the one with 20,000 we quickly say..."I can take them...with just the right plans/strategy I will conquer"  But we have to step back and ask "What is Jesus asking me to do here?"  Maybe we should ask "Can I with 10,000 come against God and His 20,000...maybe I need to count the cost and accept the peace that He offers through Jesus...and then be willing to be salt and light in this world no matter what"...salt in Jesus day was a preservative (including preserving manure so that it could release it's nutrients at the proper time)...are you willing to be a preservative bringing about the transformation of society no matter the cost? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone?  Maybe you are an introvert...are you willing to step out and talk to one person? Some might say, "But pastor you just don't understand...they are going to mock me, spit on me...ridicule me."  So what, Jesus said they would do that, but He also promised that He had overcome the world and would go there with you...are you willing to step out with Him? Sure it is going to be costly, but the cost is only for a little while...this world is fleeting...the return on that investment (cost) is eternal...

The challenge for us is what will you change or do differently this week, b/c of what Jesus has done for you?  What will you give up...what cost will you pay b/c Jesus is everything?  Or where is that line in the sand? What will it look like to move and step over that line and go deeper with Jesus?  Why? So that Jesus can touch and transform the world through you. If we are going to be agents of transformation and see lives transformed we have to say that we have counted the cost, we understand that in the end it is not costly at all, we are going to give up everything for you Jesus, so that we can be salt in this world, so that we can be your disciples that love you and obey you.  Take some time this week to wrestle with the tough sayings of Jesus and then say "But they are not tough b/c I have everything in Him and Him alone..."

By His Grace and for His Glory,
Blessings,
PT

Transformational Church Engage: Mission

Text: Acts 6-9

Link: Engage: Mission

I am coming to realize that we allow life to become way to busy and being a "bear of little brain" I am slow to bring about the change needed to deal with that issue...but deal with that one must if we are going to truly Engage Mission.  This is the last message in a series on the we at Faith have been walking through based on the new church scorecard that Ed Stezer and Thom S. Rainer lay out in the book Transformational Church.

If you look at Scripture you quickly come to an understanding that God is a missionary God.  Adam and Eve were created good with the mandate to fill all of creation with God's glory, but sin entered in and separated us from God and the opportunity to fulfill our mandate...did God leave us there?  No God being a missionary God sent His Son to redeem us and get us back on Mission...

The scorecard basically starts with: Discern: Missionary Mindset...once we discern that we need to Embrace it and if we do that we will have Vibrant Leadership, Relational Intentionality and Prayerful Dependence...once we embrace we will need to then Engage...this is where Worship, Community and Mission come in...if we discern something and embrace it the question becomes if we never engage in it do we truly discern and embrace?  You can "know" things, but until you take steps of obedience you are not really engaging in it.

Intro Questions:

- What are the two key terms of the Great Commission?

Go and Make...it doesn't say know a lot about God, but rather "Go and Make Disciples"

- How do you know that you are fulfilling the Great Commission?

Scenario 1: I go to a parking lot and place tracts under the windshield wipers of every car...Have I fulfilled the Great Commission? No, but there are a lot of people that believe that is what it looks like.

Scenario 2:  I go over to my neighbors and invite them to church and they come to church....have I fulfilled the Great Commission?  No, but for so long the church in America has equated invitation with evangelism...for so long we have equated discipleship with pray a prayer...pray some more...show up on Sunday morning, put some money in a plate and if I am just a faithful attender then I am somehow fulfilling the Great Commission or at a minimum my "obligation" to God...we need to move beyond just getting people to church on Sunday morning to disciple making.

When does discipleship start?  When you share the gospel with someone and they "accept" Jesus and pray a prayer?  No...discipleship starts before that...look at the Gospels...read through each one of them and you will see that the disciples were disciples before they professed Jesus as the Son of God/Savior of the world...discipleship starts before evangelism or salvation...

If we understand this we will be intentional with/in our relationships...reaching out, sharing, talking about this great God that we serve we will be in the process of fulfilling the Great Commission.  We do have to be careful that the pendulum doesn't swing so far in the other direction that all we ever do is "relate" to people but never share about Jesus.  We need to be intentional in our relationships that we are looking for opportunities to speak Jesus into the lives of those around us.  The "go" in the Great Commission should be "as you go about your daily lives make disciples."

The two keys are "Go" and "Make"...

Main Point:  The good news of the Gospel should motivate us to be passionate about making disciples.

"Transformational Churches have created a setting where the mature are encouraged to lead the immature.  They help the immature see where they are missing the mission.  Leadership is established along the lines of helping  people see and participate in the mission rather than stagnate at one phase of development."

Paul challenges us in 1 Corinthians that we ought to be moving from milk to solid food...Missional Communities and Life Transformation Groups are key to moving people to maturity...so many people sit in the pews on Sunday morning and say "that was a nice sermon" of "that was an interesting sermon" or "I have no clue what he was talking about."  We sit in our community group and just ask "What questions do you have based on what was preached in the morning"...it is great b/c one lady opens up her notebook and just asks questions and we provide clarity...or what a great opportunity as our kids sit in with us and see the parents wrestling with Scripture and how it applies to life and sometimes the kids teach us what it looks like...why do we do this?  So we move beyond where we are at, becoming so motivated by the good news of the Gospel that you are passionate about talking about Him and how this word relates to your life...at this point we listened to Matthew West's song Hello My Name Is..."  Do you resonate with this song? Do you believe that you are a child of the One True King?  We can get excited about this song but if we are not careful we will let it all be individual and my relationship with Jesus...the fact that I am a child of the One True King...that is great news...that you can be a child of the One True King...but if it is just about me and Jesus I am missing the boat...that truth should motivate me to want to come alongside others letting the broken hearted, down trodden, depressed, isolated (and the list goes on) know that they don't have to stay there...we need to move beyond its about me and Jesus to its me and Jesus and him working through me...that is what we see in Acts...the first part of Acts gives us a picture of community, but community that has part of it hurting b/c a different part of the body was being selfish.  Did the Apostles succumb to rushing to deal with it?  No they stuck to what they were supposed to be doing...no they raised up a bunch of bus boys...but did those bus boys say "Thank God I am not an Apostle, so I do not have to be about pray and proclamation."
 
3 Examples:

- Bus boy to Martyr

Rather Stephen moves from bus boy to martyr, b/c he is about the business of making disciples...now it would be easy for us to say "Thank God I am not being called to be a martyr..." but you are called to be about the business of making disciples and in the midst of that you may be called to be a martyr...there are an awful lot of individuals in Iraq who are being called to lay their lives down b/c they are Christians...you may not be in a place where you experience that, but are we not called daily to lay our self interest/lives down to go and make disciples?

Stephen preaches a message...he takes them through the story from Abraham forward...in the midst of trying to disciple them he lays his life down...I do not know a lot about Stephen, but I do not think that he had a seminary degree or attended the theological school of his day...but what he did have was the Holy Spirit...all believers have the same thing that Stephen had...and if we tune our hearts to listen to the Holy Spirit we too will know what to say and to whom to say it...Stephen was "just a bus boy" and yet he was a child of the One True King who passionately proclaimed the good news and made disciples...


- Bus boy to on the road

If you want to shy away from being a martyr then take a look at another bus boy named Phillip...why do bad things happen to the church?  Sometimes they are allowed to get us out of our comfort zones and back on mission...what are some of the other parts of the Great Commission?  The Jerusalem to the ends of the earth...persecution pushed them out...Phillip first goes to Samaria...a place no good Jew would go...and yet here we have Phillip going and them receiving the good news...they did not stop proclaiming b/c persecution broke out but rather they continued to proclaim b/c they knew that they were children of the One True King...next we see God saying rise and go...and what did Phillip do?  He rose and went...it doesn't say rise and sit...God says go and God works it out in such a way that it was teed up for Phillip to knock it out of the park...many of us say "Yeah, but God doesn't tee it up for me like that..."  What are we talking about?  God sends us daily into places where he has it teed up for us...we just aren't looking or going...Phillip provides is the example to go on the road to wherever and whomever God sends us...Phillip begins by disciplining the Eunuch...do you think that the Eunuch left without the understanding that he was supposed to go and make disciples?

- Persecutor to fully devoted

Chapter 9 God gets a hold of Saul just like he gets a hold of you as well, but he doesn't leave you there...but rather He challenges us to "go and make disciples"...

Assignment:

To whom is God sending you to go and make disciples of them?

Stephen, Phillip, Saul/Paul give us examples of what it looks like to be on mission telling God's story, proclaiming His good news to the ends of the earth...

Who are the 1 - 3 individuals that God is sending you to?  Pray for them by name and start looking for opportunities to speak Jesus into their lives...there are opportunities all over the place...God is in the business of sending us to target rich environments to share His story in such a way that it is good news...the opportunities are out there...go and make disciples.

Transformation Starts in the Heart of One (Pastor Ross)

Text: Romans 12:1-2 and others listed below

Link: Transformation Begins in the Heart of One

Last Sunday Pastor Ross (FBC's Execuative Pastor) shared a message setting up our next series on Transformational Church.  From here through the first week in August we will be wrestling with "What does it mean to be a transformational church?"

Here is a quick outline of his message for you to follow as you listen:

The church is God's tool and instrument for His Kingdom work.  Or maybe even better said: It is a "people gathered by His name on mission for Him."

- Transformation starts with God. (Matthew 28:18-20)
What part do you play?  "We cannot be a conduit for God without being connected to His power"

- Transformation changes us. (Acts 2:42-47)

Peter before Pentecost denied Jesus after being connected to the Holy Spirit he couldn't remain quiet.  Peter was transformed as a result others were transformed which led to changed lives.  See Acts 2:42-47.

- Transformation in us changes others. (Acts 3:1-10, Romans 12:1-2)

Truly transformed lives connected to God transform others.  Case in point the man lame from birth, begging his whole life is touched by God through Peter leads to others being transformed as well....

Our mandate:

Love God - Love Others - Touch the World

Blessings,
PT

The Story Chapter 31 Back to the Beginning (Rev. 21:1-8)

Text: Rev. 21:1-8

Due to technical difficulties the message did not get recorded.

Big Question:  Are you ready?

I trust that most of us would say "Yes, we are ready for Jesus to return." And might I add "right now!"  But I ask are you really ready?  Ready to fall at Jesus feet and worship him?  Several weeks ago I was meeting with a bunch of men when one of them said "Do you really think all we are going to do in heaven is worship Jesus?  If that is the case I am afraid I am going to get bored rather quickly."  Many of us have the idea that heaven will be us floating around on clouds strumming harps at best and at worst is will be like a retirement community where we sit around an play shuffle board all day.  So again, I ask are you ready?  Are you looking forward to eternity with Jesus?

I love the following video that JPNR put out on Youtube with Kari Jobe's Revelation Song in the back ground.  I love some of the imagery that gives us a small glimpse of what it might be like seeing Jesus...check it out and ask yourself "Am I ready?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMvnMfXLe3I

Continuing with our question I asked: "Are you ready to go back to the beginning?"

Why do I ask that?  Well if you understand Genesis you will understand that the rest of Scripture is unveiling in a lot of respects a journey back to the beginning.

Let's unpack that by asking: "What is the purpose of the church or life?"  The purpose of church/life is to Glorify God.  Looking at Genesis we see that we were created in His image.  As His image bearers we were to multiply and fill the entire earth with His Glory.  I see the Garden as the original temple or the place where Adam and Eve met with God face to face and their/our mandate was to multiply and push the boundaries of the temple outward until the entire earth was a temple.  After the Fall (Gen 3) the journey back to the beginning started....where we see God calling out a people who Love Him with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength....love others as themselves and make disciples as they go about being the temple of the Holy Spirit...all while on a journey to what is described in Revelation 21...a new heaven and a new earth where God dwells with His people again...

Are you ready to go back to the beginning?

The next question is are you ready to endure?

Before Jesus returns will be a time of trial and tribulation that Jesus challenges his followers to continue to press forward enduring through all the world/Satan will throw at them.  Are you ready to suffer for Jesus?  Too many of us think if we have a hang nail we are suffering for Jesus or if we are experiencing hard times b/c of our dumb choices that we are suffering for Jesus, but that isn't what I am talking about.  Are you ready to cling to Jesus even if it costs you your job? Life? Family?  A couple of weeks ago our friends Nick and Emily shared about a young man from the middle east that at the age of 17 broke the law by accepting Jesus...that young man new what it would cost him if he followed Jesus and yet he followed b/c he knew that this life is fleeting and everything that Jesus offers is far greater and more important that anything with world does...How many of us in the American church understand that?  How many follow Jesus b/c they think He is their get of hell free card or He is like a Genni in a bottle???  I hope and pray that you are ready to endure and that you agree that Jesus is the better.

I share this song as a way for us to reflect and ask is He the better?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTewCIvR7Og

Are you ready? I am.

Blessings,
PT

The Story Chapter 30 Paul's Final Days (2 Timothy 1)

Text: 2 Timothy 1

Link: The Story Pt. 30

Big Idea: Christians need to see the Gospel as their most treasured possession

Let's say you went into the Dr for a routine physical and he/she comes in and says: "You have 4-6 months to live...there is no way of getting around it."  What would you do?  100% certainty that in 4-6 months you will no longer be alive here.  What would you do?

- Pray for more time?
- Reflect and review your life?
- Would the news provide clarity for you how you would spend your last days.

Tim McGraw had a song about this...."Live Like You Were Dying" where he has a conversation with a man who got the bad news, maybe beat the odds, but learned and challenges Tim to that he wishes he (Tim) would get the chance to "live like he was dying"

In today's text Paul is there...he is in prison again, but this time he knows that he will not be released, so he pens this second letter to Timothy.  The sands in Paul's hour glass are getting down there.  So what he says to Timothy will be the things that are the most important. With that said when you look at what Paul wrote prior to this you realize that on the Damascus Road he came to the understanding that he was a dead man who had been given new life...his life from that time on was radically different.  He lived knowing that this physical death he was about to experience was nothing.  It wasn't the end, but rather it was a blessed entrance into eternal life.

I could imagine Timothy receiving this letter anticipating that Paul is going to give him some last great secret to the faith.  But in the end Paul communicates that the Gospel is everything.  Could you see Timothy going "The Gospel? That's it?"  I do not believe Timothy did this, b/c of all the time he spent with Paul prior to this. But we might...wouldn't we?

Paul in his final words to Timothy says: "It is the Gospel...nothing more...do not forget that." And that is why we need to see the Gospel as our most treasured possession...it must remain central....it provides us eternal life, but that life can be experienced now.  That is what happened with Paul on the Damascus Road...when Jesus went around teaching what did he say?  Wherever he was He said: "The Kingdom is at hand."  Wherever we are at Jesus is present and that means we can have a taste of the Kingdom now.  When we get hold of that truth how can the Gospel not be our most treasured possession?  When we understand that how can we keep it to ourselves?  How can we not want to give it away?  If you give it away you do not loose it, but rather it multiplies.

Key thoughts/words from the passage:

Verses 3 - 5: Pass It On.

Here we see a picture of the faith passed on from Paul's parents to Paul to his Damascus Road experience to Timothy's grandparent to daughter to Timothy.  The Gospel isn't just Jesus died for you now you can have eternal life sometime in the future...no, rather it is his life, death, resurrection, you becoming more and more like him and experiencing the Kingdom now...we need to be passing it on to our families, but not just there, but rather to our friends, neighbors, co-workers to the ends of the earth...

Verses 6 - 7: Fan.

Here Paul is challenging Timothy to fan the gift of faith into flame...he says: You are a believer for this reason or because of that fan it into flame...I do not think Timothy lost his faith, but rather he is saying live out your calling (Laying on of hands reference of the mantel of ministry)...all of us have a calling to fulfill...namely that we are to live sent lives.  If you are going build a campfire today what do you do?  Do you take some large logs and dump some gasoline on them and throw the match...you have a fire that burns fast and bright, but most likely will not start the logs on fire...no you first put some crumpled paper down, then some kindling and then a little bigger log...you light the paper and if need be blow on it (fan it) into a brighter/hotter fire and that eventually leads to a lasting fire...how many Christians their stories are they get excited about Jesus start to tell everyone, but 2 years later they are very far away from Jesus...or many the fire has died down and is about to go completely out...Paul challenges Timothy this is not the way it should be...Timothy is challenging Timothy to let the fire burn brightly...Timothy most likely hadn't landed there, but Paul is reminding him to continue to renew his relationship with Jesus daily...which leads to the other aspect of these verses: the Gospel needs to touch every area of our lives...

It is not you threw the match on the gasoline and everyone got excited for a little while and then that was it...it isn't I have Jesus in my back pocket and can do whatever I want...no the picture of discipleship is a picture of bringing every aspect/area of your life under Jesus.  I used this picture from Seth McBee's Napkin Theology (http://www.vergenetwork.org/2013/01/28/napkin-theology/) to illustrate:

A follower of Jesus brings every aspect of their lives under the authority of Jesus.  Everything is focused on Jesus.  You do not find your satisfaction in any of these things...if I am finding satisfaction, comfort over and above Jesus I have an idol that needs to be dealt with...too many of us profess to be Christians on Sunday morning and the rest of the week we are far from Jesus...that is not what it means to have the Gospel touch every area of your life...if the Gospel is at the center things are radically different...listen to the sermon for more examples...

Verses 8 - 12: Not ashamed...worth suffering for...

Because of everything you have been given do not be ashamed of the Gospel...it is your most treasured possession, but rather share in suffering for it...because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control (verse 7) we ought not be ashamed of our most treasured possession...rather be willing to share in suffering...again Paul once thought he was alive, but he was dead, but at that moment I was given life...the present concerns of this world are nothing when compared with the greatest treasure we have...the Gospel...and even if we have to suffer for the Gospel in the end it is everything...

Ill: One individual said to another you should come to church with me...the other responded I've got faith/Jesus I'm good...to which my friend responded "Then why do you have that good luck charm over there?" and the other said "Just covering my bases."  We laugh and shake our heads at that, but how many of us live that way?  We think it is Jesus plus my works...Jesus just makes up for my short fall...I needed 100 points, had 75 and Jesus paid 25...No Jesus paid all 100...when you understand that suddenly the Gospel is everything...I have favor with God only because of Jesus and the works flow out of that understanding and I am not going to be ashamed of the Gospel...it is worth suffering for...

You will have to listen for more on these verses :)

Jesus never leaves us or forsakes us...he will guard us all of our days...Christians will be mocked, but it is worth it because I have Jesus and I can have compassion on them because I know Jesus and I too was once lost...

Verses 13-14: Follow and guard

Guard the good deposit is a challenge to guard the Gospel...how?  By engaging our heads, hearts and the world with the Gospel...it isn't just proclaiming words...it is also how you live out your life and how you engage the world....

Listen for how I fleshed this out....

In conclusion Paul is challenging Timothy and us that the most important thing is the Gospel and we need to see it as our most treasured possession...if we do that the rest of our lives will line up with Jesus and as we live it out many will come to know Jesus...

The Story Chapter 29 (Acts 15:1-11, Galatians)

Text: Acts 15:1-11 (Galatians)

Link: The Story Pt. 29

Big Idea: Christians are to live lives dependent on and transformed by Jesus that lead others to live the same.

The text wrestles with the question: Does one have to become a Jew first to be saved? Interesting question.  In the end the answer is no, because we live by and are accepted based on faith not works.  Even Israelites are accepted based on faith not work (Galatians 2:15-16)  This is seen progressively as one walks through the Bible.

Opening Discussion Question: What does it mean to live dependent?  Here we broke into small groups to wrestle with this question for 2 minutes and then came back together to discuss.

Dependency = Trust Jesus with everything.  This means more than just spiritual things...many times we or some of us try to compartmentalize our lives and say Jesus takes care of this piece of my life, but here is where I am in control...

Video Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhnRvb-M-P4 (Note this video clip was purchased for use at church)

What are you trusting Jesus with and what aren't you?  Where is your growth edge?  Where are you trusting Jesus?  Where has he shown himself faithful? Where has he proved himself in your life?  Remind yourself of these and ask yourself...where am I not trusting him?

This is what they were wrestling with in Acts 15:  Is trusting in Jesus alone enough? or is it belief in Jesus plus something else...you cannot earn your way into Heaven.

Traps to avoid:

- Slipping back into trying to earn grace/favor
- Doing whatever you want

Living Gospel/Christ Centered isn't balance between these two, but rather is a totally different way.

Discussion Question: Is God in control of your life or do you strive to be?

Video Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-AXSvm-m_w (Note this video has also been purchased for use)

Trap to avoid:  Thinking you are in control.  You play a role, but God is in control.

What is the benefit or result of living this way?  Galatians 5:16-24 paint the contrast between living like you are the author and those who are dependent on Jesus letting Him be in control of there lives.

Discussion Question:  What does it mean to have your life transformed by Jesus?  (Here to I gave the congregation 2 minutes to discuss this question).

The reason I wanted us to wrestle with this is because I recently met a man who claims to have been in a relationship with Jesus for 30 years and there was no transformation...this ought not to be.  This breaks my heart.  We ought not be maintaining the status quo, going through the motions, but rather should be living transformed lives...it doesn't look radically different than living dependent on Jesus.  We do not go from lost in sin to looking like Jesus, but over time our lives should reflect him to the world more and more and that transformation leads to more and more fruit...Also, see Romans 12:1-2.

What should result from this?  Proclaiming to others what has happened.  Our lives should spark in others an interest in what has happened...this should lead to proclamation and be a challenge to them to live dependent on and be transformed by Jesus.

Knowing such good news, experiencing God's transforming work in one's life, how can someone be silent about it?

May you go forward living by His Grace and for His Glory....

Blessings,
PT

The Story Chap 28: New Beginnings (Acts 1:1-11)

Text: Acts 1:1-11  (Acts 1 - 12)

Note: This book is titled The Acts of the Apostles, but in reality it should be titled The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.

Link: The Story Pt. 28

Big Idea: We are a family on mission and empowered

Intro: A couple of points from the last two messages and the implications for the family

- Message by Dr. Joe Wasmond: We are in a spiritual battle. Based on David and Goliath and Psalm 37.  He spoke on 5 Stones and 5 Battle Grounds.

- The resurrection is a game changer.  It ought to be a game changer in your life...this should be a motivating/driving factor in our life....there is something wrong if we have a oh ho hum attitude about the resurrection...we are children of the King....we have been set free and the resurrection is a reminder of that truth...it is a game changer

A key question: What does family/home mean to you?

For some sadly it means a lot of hurt, pain and dysfunction. But even in the midst of the hurt and pain I hope you have a healthy idea of what a healthy family is that lines up with who Jesus is.  For others we grew up in a great homes/families.  Ill: Late one night 7-8 of my friends came over to my house and one who had never been there just stopped, looked at me and said "This place just feels like home"  I do not think that it was because of the decor, but rather there was a sense of peace, rest and security that she felt...it just felt like home to her.

Based on a clip from We Were Soldiers: We Were Soldiers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu77LGPAlPA)  Because of the battle we are in we need to be a tight nit family that looks out for one another.  The band of brothers concept.  How much more should this be true of the church...The church ought to be a place where family and home are experienced all the time...We are a family on mission...locked in a battle for the hearts and mind of those who are running away from God...

As you listen you will hear me share two illustrations about being underwater and gasping for air...many of us have forgotten that we were drowning and Jesus reached down, pulled us up and breathed the Holy Spirit into us giving us new life and empowering us for mission...

Family Traits:

- Love: See John 15...we are a family that should be characterized by Loving God and each other more...How can you know that Jesus reached down and saved you...how can you not love God more and more every day?  As I love God more and more how can I not love others around me more and more?

This type of love is characterized by grace that leads to greater compassion, as I have greater compassion how can I not try to figure out how to meet the needs of those around us, as we get involved in others lives and hold each other accountable introducing them to the risen Jesus the game changer.  If we are a grace filled family we can speak into one another's lives.  If we truly love one another we will pull each other back from the cliff

- Empowered witnesses

Everyone has been gifted to play a role in the family.  Each one of us is vital to the family.  If you are sitting on the sideline and not plugged in the family is missing out.  If our missional communities are only meeting together once/week and not spending time together how can we be building each other up?

When we do not live an empowered witness by taking care of our family around us we let one another down...we can't do that it is too dysfunctional...God is calling us to greatness...God is calling us to love..a love that is grace filled, meeting needs, holding one another accountable so that lives might be transformed because God has empowered us not only to minister to one another but to minister to the ends of the earth.

Transitioned into hearing from Nick and Emily a couple that we supported as missionaries to the Middle East...their story of how a transformed family member impacted them and the ripple effect of the that love and empowered mission...make sure you listen as this is a powerful story to end this message on.

My prayer for you is that your church family is on mission and empowered.

Blessings,
PT

The Story Chapter 21 (Nehemiah/Malachi)

Text: Nehemiah 1(1:1-4), 2 (2:11)  and entire book
         Malachi 1:6-14

Link: The Story Pt. 21

Main Point: Christians are to be agents of change

Lessons from Nehemiah:

- Broken hearts lead to action (Neh. 1:4)

- Prayer is key (Neh. 1:4)
   - Nehemiah provides an example of someone living in tune with the Spirit

- Take Account (Neh. 1:3, 2:11)

- Develop a Plan of Action
  - When the king asked he was ready
  - Neh. 3 (Community is key...the wall was rebuilt through the efforts of community)
  - Role with the changes
  - Adjust as needed (When opposition arose he adjusted his plan)
  - Don't let your enemy distract you
  - Pray

- Transformation (Malachi 1:6-14)

Application:

- Are our hearts broken?

- Who are you praying for?
  - Write down 2-3 people who your heart breaks for....that live in a world with no walls...who you do not want to enter into eternity without and cry out for them

- What is the culture/world we live in? (Note: I am indebted to Ravi Zacharias for this portion)
   - 50 years ago the world seemed large
   - now there are no walls
   - secularization, pluralization, privatization has given us a world that has no shame, no reason, and no meaning
   - To be agents of transformation we need to show where the walls are

- Plan of Action?
   - How do you connect the dots to the tough questions of life? (e.g. Problem of evil? Purpose of life?)
   - Need to show the boundaries/walls were:
         - Shame must be felt
         - Reasonableness of belief in God
         - The meaning it brings when all the dots are connected

- Does your private and public life add up?
    - Your private life finds value and meaning lived out publicly (e.g. my marriage vows are of little value if I do not live them out publicly)

- Are you an agent of transformation?

Take a look at the following picture and ask the application questions about these individuals...you could probably answer yes to most of them, but I am not convinced that they are agents of transformation...I am not asking us to do this, but rather that we live our lives in such a way that our lives are the sign that draws people into a relationship with Jesus...

Guest Preacher Eric Hesse Lessons on Living a Sent Life

Guest Preacher: Eric Hesse

Title: Lessons on Living a Sent Life

Texts: Matthew 4:12-17; Psalm 139

Link to Sermon: Title: Lessons on Living a Sent Life

Big Idea

–      We must live sent because it’s not readily apparent to people that Jesus is the light of spiritual life

Main Points

1. Like Jesus, we must intentionally flow to places of darkness in order to shine His light (Matthew 4:12-17)
2. God will go before you and lead you with his sustaining presence when you follow him into the darkness (Psalm 139)

Application questions:

1.     Tell of a time when the power failed and you had to function without any light. What was that experience like?

2.     How does it make you feel to hear that God knows everything about you (the good, the bad, the ugly), yet doesn’t reject you but wants to lead and guide you?

3.     Where are the places of injustice and brokenness around you? Where can you find people desperate for good news? Where are the hopeless, harassed, helpless, and oppressed in our community?

4.     What must change in your family or church rhythm/schedule in order for you to shine the love of Christ in a place of need?

The Story Chapter 20 (Esther)

Text: Esther 6:1-9

Link to sermon: The Story Pt. 20

Note: Some of the thoughts/ideas came out of the Verge 14 Conference, but I cannot remember who they came from.

Opening Discussion Questions:

- Who is this part of the Story (Book of Esther) about?
    Ultimately God, but He isn't mentioned in the book.  You definitely see His hand behind the scenes, but no direct mention.  The book is titled Esther, but I would argue that if you look at how it ends it is Mordecai.

- What was the main point from The Story Chapter 19?
   Christians have been redeemed to bless

Main Point: Faith is demonstrated in obedience and provides a stark contrast to the world

The world says: "You do to be and create your value/identity" (Verge 14)

Christians know whose they are and their actions flow out of their value/identity

The stark contrast between:

Mordecai & Haman

Mordecai understands he is redeemed and part of the covenant community and therefore was a blessing to:
(Note: Mordecai is living the way the people of the Covenant are supposed to)

- Esther (family) by adopting her and raising her.
- Israel
- The nations (Abraham when called was to be a blessing to the nations).  Helps thwart the plot to kill the king, becomes 2nd in command of the kingdom

Haman is a descendant of King Agag. King Saul's failure to be obedient now sets the stage for Agag's descendant to potentially wipe out the nation of Israel.  Also, in contrast he raises himself up and tries to create his value and fails to be a blessing.

Esther & Vashti

Vashti is invited into the kings presence, refuses to come and in the end is rejected

Esther is not invited, prays, calls a fast, enters into the kings presence in faith and is accepted.

Esther is adopted and reflects her adopted father

Application: Does our heart/actions reflect our adopted Father's?  Do our hearts break for the lost?  Do our lives provide a stark contrast to the world around us?

We are redeemed to be a blessing.  Our faith is to be lived out in such a way that our lives provide stark contrast to the world (see Isaiah 58:5-11).  Our identity flows from whose we are and our faith is demonstrated in obedience to our disciple making mandate.

Six Key Words to use as we disciple people (Verge 14):

The key words are to be triggers that lead to the questions:

You?                  How are you doing?

Celebrate?         What are you celebrating?

Challenges?       What challenges are you facing?

Doing?               What are you doing about those challenges?

Help?                 How can I help?

Pray?                 How can I pray for you?

The Story Chapter 19 (Ezra 1,Haggai, Zechariah 8:9-17)

Main Point/Title: Redeemed to Bless

Text: Ezra 1, Haggai, Zechariah 8:9-17

Link: The Story Pt. 19

Ezra 1:  God's faithfulness and timing

              Leads to:

               - Revival
               - Restoration

As life goes by crazy fast are we willing to trust God's faithfulness and wait on His timing?

Haggai:  Need to avoid mission creep

Israel had been revived & restored, but the cares of life and the trails that they faced in the rebuilding of the temple side tracked them off what they had been revived and restored to do.  Haggai calls them to get back on mission.

As life comes at us crazy fast are we staying on mission or getting sidelined...do we have a long range picture of what God is doing or are we living day to day?  I think that it is safe to say that the church in America has suffered from mission creep...Last weekend I was blessed to be in a small group meeting with Gordon MacDonald where he challenged us that a church of 350+ growing numerically might be a church that is already dead, because they are off mission and not getting ready for the future/understanding the ever changing world around us.  If we are truly producing reproducing disciples we will be ready.

Application (Zechariah 8:9-17, Matthew 5:1-12)

- Are we seeking God's revival and restoration?
- As life goes by crazy fast are we being a blessing?

Matthew 5:1-12 lays out what being a blessings looks like.  Celebrate Recovery's "Road to Recovery" lays out steps on how to be revived/restored and how we can come along side others and bless them by walking them through those steps...

Christians are redeemed to bless...may God find willing followers that stay on mission.

By His Grace and for His Glory....Amen

The Story Chap 16 (King Hezekiah, 2 Chronicles 30)

Text: 2 Chronicles 30

Link to Sermon: The Story Pt. 16

Discussion Questions:

- What does it mean to be an American?
(link to video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGJSI48gkFc)

- What does it mean to be an Israelite?

- What does it mean to be a Christian?

Main Point: God calls us to be citizens of Heaven

King Hezekiah begins his reign by cleansing the Temple, restoring worship at the Temple and celebrating Passover.  I believe that Hezekiah celebrates Passover, b/c it was a reminder of where they had come out of and Whose the people of Israel where and where to be...they were a called out people, different from the cultures and nations around them and they were to live in such a way that those cultures and nations were to be drawn into worship of God.  They had been liberated and set free...they did not have to fear the King of Assyria...the northern Kingdom had abandoned God and now in this part of the story the northern Kingdom goes into exile, but not so with the southern Kingdom...as long as they kept their eyes on God and their covenant relationship with Him they would not have to fear the King of Assyria...Hezekiah calls them to be the people God had called them to be.

For the Christian communion is to be a reminder of what we have been liberated from and Whose we are...namely children of the King...this should lead us to live out the 4 Ls...

- Love God and others (Matt. 22:36-40, John 15:1-17)
    If you understand/feel the weight of what you have been liberated from you will love God and others deeply...if you understand that you have moved from worthless (enemy) to worthwhile (child) how can you not have compassion on those around you?  Jesus calls us to live out the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-10).  See Celebrate Recovery's Road to Recovery (http://www.celebrate-recovery.org/Guides/CR%208%20Principles.pdf) and look different from those around us who do not know God.

- Lead through service (Galatians 2:20, 5:13)
   Need to die to self and live to Christ.  Basically we need to move from "I" statements to shepherding others through service.  Sin no longer owns the Christian.  Hate, anger, jealousy...no longer own me, but rather a desire to serve should own the Christian. As citizens of Heaven God calls us to be a people on mission leading through serving.

- Liberate through sharing our faith (Luke 4:18-19)
  You play a role in setting captives free. As Celebrate Recovery says "we need to move beyond our hurts, habits and hang ups."  As we do this we need to help others be liberated and give Jesus their hurts, habits and hang ups so they too can experience freedom...What Jesus read from Isaiah was true of Him and now us as well.

- Launch Christ-followers into the world (Matt. 28:18-20)
   We are all "sent ones" or missionaries.  God calls us and sends us to be missionaries to our co-workers, family members and neighbors.  We are all ministers we just get our pay checks from different places.  The church is to be a place where we receive "Real world training for rapid deployment" into the world.  The Sunday morning service is to be a celebration of what God is doing in and through us throughout the week and our Community Groups/Missional Communities and Life Transformation Groups are where we are on mission together, rubbing shoulders with one another and receiving real world training that equips us for rapid deployment...when we launch Celebrate Recovery in a couple of months it has a similar lay out...Large Group meeting that breaks into a break out group discussion that leads to Step Studies and Accountability partners.  All of this is discipleship that needs to lead to disciples reproducing disciples...this is just a natural outflow of who we are and whose we are...

God loves us, He called us out of darkness into His light to be His citizens set on a hill broadcasting the Good News to the ends of the earth...we do that by loving God and others, leading through serving, liberating through sharing our faith and launching Christ-followers into the world...he made me a citizen of Heaven not just for me though, but to use me to proclaim the Good News to the ends of the earth...if you understand what you have been redeemed from how can you keep silent? How can you not cry out "There is salvation in our God/Jesus?" Hezekiah was basically saying "If we turn back to God, He will heal our land"...God is calling us to live our lives as His citizens in such a way that our culture is transformed for His glory not the reverse that we conform to culture for its glory...

By His grace and for His glory,
Amen

The Story Ch. 15 (Elijah)

Title:  What in the world is going on here?

Text: 1 Kings 19:1-18

Link to the Sermon:  The Story Pt. 15

If you are like me when you read this text you want to ask the same question of Elijah that God asked..."Elijah what in the world are you doing here?"  He has had an extremely God empowered ministry up to this point:

- He has just spent 3.5 years praying that it wouldn't rain in Israel and it didn't
- God provided food via ravens and a stream of water
- God provided food via a jar that never ran out of flour and a jar that never ran out of oil
- He prays and God resurrects a child
- He calls fire down from heaven and the ox, altar, water and earth around the altar is consumed
- He executes 450 prophets of Baal
- He prays and it rains
- He runs with super human strength to be a chariot to Jezreel

God has used Elijah mightily and yet what do we find him doing?  Running from Queen Jezebel?  He has thrown in the towel.  In his mind this is it. What in the world is going on here? It is at this point that I want to grab him by the shirt and say "Suck it in...what are you doing here?"  But when I start analyzing my own life I come up short as I realize that from time to time I have fallen into the same trap as Elijah did.  When I start to think God should be responding in a certain way to a world gone bad and He doesn't, I start to focus inward on me.  When I focus inward I quickly loose sight of God and despair isn't too far away.  Which leads to the main point:

- If we properly understand God's sovereignty we will find comfort

I. The first step in understanding God's sovereignty is to realize that we can rely on God's gracious provision. (Verses 1-8)

I believe that Elijah thought that when God showed up mightily by consuming the alter and all on it and he kills the false prophets that revival would break out.  Baal was the god of storms therefore he should have been able to provide rain and he couldn't.  Baal should have been able to provide fire from heaven (lightening) and didn't.  The people cry out "The Lord is God, the Lord is God" and it is at this point that when Elijah goes to Jezreel I believe he expected one of two things to happen:

- Jezebel and Ahab confess Yahweh is Lord and lead the nation in revival
- If they force them to confess and if not they overthrow them and revival breaks out

But instead he receives a death threat...clearly God is not working the way he expects.  If we are honest God is not exactly responding the way we would expect either.  I do not know about you, but I want Him to send Elijah back to the front lines and finish this job.  Instead God feeds Elijah and strengthens him for a 40 day trip.

Here we see God's gracious provision.  If we understand that God graciously provides for us we will start to see His sovereign hand at work.  If we see His sovereign hand at work in our lives we will be comforted.

How do you respond to times of trial?  Do you rely on money? Self? Others? Or do you rely on God's gracious provision?  Do you take comfort from God's sovereignty?  How do you respond when doesn't work the way you want Him too?  What if God wants to change/shape you rather than your circumstances?

II. The next step to understanding God's sovereignty is to rest in God's gracious character. (Verses 9-14)

Finally we get to the question that we have been waiting for God to ask, but Elijah does not answer it or does he?  It is at this point we need to note where Elijah is.  Mt. Horeb is also referred to in Scripture as Mt. Sinai. Elijah has come to the mountain where God grace his people the Law and they entered into the covenant agreement after He brought them out of Egypt.  In effect Elijah is saying "remember that covenant thing????  Well I and only I am left.  I have been trying very hard to remind them of this and who they are, but the rest have broken it so let me die and you can kill the rest of them.  I know that I have seen some major fireworks, but I want the grand finale.  Push the button and get it over with..."

Don't you want God to say "Oh ya thanks for reminding me...I'll get on that right away."  But that isn't how He responds is it?  Elijah wanted another mighty act of God.  He wanted an earth shattering event or at least an Israel shattering event, but instead God gives Elijah a lesson in His character.  Elijah wanted the grand finale and wind, earthquake and fire would have been just fine, but God came to him in a gentle breeze.  Elijah needed to realize God's gracious character.  Elijah focused in on one aspect of God and forgot His gracious character...lest we think Elijah is alone check out Luke 9:51-56 or Mark 10:32-45...

How are we doing?  What is our picture of God...is it skewed?  Are we like Elijah?  Do we understand His gracious character?  If we are honest the Cross was the last thing anyone expected, in fact it is the last thing we expected?

If we are to find comfort in God's sovereignty we must have a realization of God's gracious character.

III. If we are relying on God's gracious provision and if we realize God's gracious character we will take step three and respond to God's gracious plan. (Verses 15-18)

Here God reveals that His gracious character is not out of line with His holiness.  Judgment will come, but it will come in His sovereign timing.  God refocused Elijah, reminds him that he hasn't left him alone and that the covenant has not been broken, b/c God had a remnant of 7,000+1 intact.  Elijah wasn't the last righteous person and now that he was outside of Israel, God could let the fire fly rather the covenant was still in place...

Self examination is good and we need to ask ourselves:

- Are we relying on God's gracious provision?
- Do we rest in God's gracious character?
- Are we responding to God's gracious plan?

Many of us think that "If I just could produce enough faith I could control my situation."  This implies that we are sovereign and God isn't...No, if we are to find any comfort in this world we must properly understand God's sovereignty.