City Harbor Church – Hampden, Baltimore, MD: Recent Episodes
City Harbor Church
Matthew 6:9-13
Praying according to God’s Purpose: “Kingdom come, will be done,”
Praying on Purpose – in alignment with God’s purpose
What would your neighborhood look like if each person received God’s love? What would your neighborhood sound like if each person shared God’s love with others? In what ways would the daily interactions change if each person shared God’s value on peace? What needs would be met and what challenges would be overcome if each person looked to Jesus as Savior King?
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13
“We can approach God with confidence, honestly confessing our need and heart condition. At the same time, we can learn to speak faith and align our heart, emotions, and confession with the Word of God. We can learn to pray the prayer of faith.” – Wendell Smith
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power (as it is working) and produces wonderful results.” – James 5:16
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them.” – 1 Timothy 2:1
“’Don’t be afraid, Daniel,’ he said to me, ‘for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia.” – Daniel 10:12-13 CSB
- Prayer Topics for the church? God’s instrument for His purpose here and now!
- Pray according to God’s Kingdom / Jesus Movement Purpose. Pray for the lost.
- Praying for God’s purpose > current events.
This service has been helpful to me, in keeping up with the news. The free account has been better than several paid services I’ve used. For local news I use a digital subscription to The Baltimore Banner and for the USA, The Pour Over: https://www.web.thepourover.org/subscribe?ref=Kw6vI7VQq4
Corruption? “So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.” – 1 Corinthians 4:5 (CSB)
Praying for the miraculous, according to God’s value system & power, over famine/war
What should we do? Plan it. Pursue it. Weekly Prayer Calendar ideas
Closing Prayer:
“O God, we acknowledge that too often we have not had confidence in Thy power to bring light out of darkness, good out of evil; by faith we believe through Thy chosen one Jesus the Carpenter, People’s Leader, Chosen One, Prisoner, Defendant, Condemned Man and Confident Man, that good will indeed overcome evil, love overcome hate, and life overcome death.” – M. Moran Weston 1972 Good Friday Declarations of Awareness
“Loving Savior and Ever Present Friend, we thank you this morning for the opportunity to pray for ourselves and for others. We know that no prayer goes unanswered. We trust you Lord, and we love you. We know that you will be steadfast – Oh thank you Jesus.” – Nancy Lynne Westfield I Must Tell Jesus
Matthew 6:9-13
How do we know what Jesus’ followers believed about their participation in God’s Kingdom?
“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT
Purpose – in alignment with God’s purpose
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Matthew 6:9-13
What do we learn? Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently.
Questions to ask ourselves: Is prayer a priority to me?
What should we do? Plan it. Pursue it. Weekly Prayer Calendar ideas
1 John 5:14
“We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” – 1 John 5:14
How do we know what Jesus’ followers believed about their participation in God’s Kingdom?
“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT
The evidence of their following Jesus: “Luke gives considerable attention the role of prayer in the early church: first, he refers to the prayers of individuals such as Stephen (Acts 7:59), Saul (Acts 9:11), Peter (Acts 10:9; 11:15), Cornelius (Acts 10:30-31) and to Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25); second, he records time of corporate prayer among the believers when they selected Matthias (Acts 1:24), prayed for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:5; 12), commissioned Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3), appointed elders to certain churches (Acts 14:23), and when Paul said farewell to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:36) and the church in Tyre (Acts 21:5).” – Arthur G. Patzia The Emergence of the Church
“Prayer which is felt as a mighty force is the…product of much time spent with God.” – E. M. Bounds Power Through Prayer
Relationship Time: Quantity Time – Quality Time
Purpose – in alignment with God’s purpose
“if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” – Jesus in John 15:7
James 4:2-3, 6-8 “Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ (Prov. 3:34 Greek) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” – James 4:2-3, 6-8 NLT
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13
What do we learn? Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently.
Questions to ask ourselves: Is prayer a priority to me?
What should we do? Plan it. Pursue it. Weekly Prayer Calendar ideas
Acts 1:14
Colossians 4:2 Romans 15:13
Prayer that is personal, persistent, and on purpose.
“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT
- “constantly” Ephesians 1:15 is related to “fervently” of Luke 22:43 Acts 12:5
- It should be no surprise to us that the Jesus-followers who gathered, “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer.” – Acts 1:14 “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42
- fervently Acts 12:5
Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently.
1. Personal
“It’s one thing to just pray. It’s another thing to know the God you’re praying to”. “How we begin our prayers says a lot about us. We can either begin with a problem or with a Person”. – Jackie Hill Perry
Prayer is “relationship time”. “Prayer is conversation with God. However, conversations can remain mere exchanges of information that do not lead to true personal encounter and relationship. We do not want just to know about God, but to know God, to seek his face and presence.” – Timothy Keller Prayer
A. God makes it personal. “The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” – Psalm 34:17-18
B. Jesus’ Good News & Saving Relationship as context: “Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,” – Ephesians 1:15-16 NLT
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT
- “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” – Hagar in Genesis 16:13
- Communion – prayer as a means to experience God’s love and to know oneness with him Psalms 27, 63, 84, 131, 146-150
And yet, if prayer only starts from our thoughts and emotions, then it will be limited by them. We will only ever enjoy part of the relationship with God that He designed. “If God is not the starting point, then our own perceived emotional needs become the drivers and sole focus of our prayer. We cannot grow in a relationship with a person unless we learn who they are.” – Timothy Keller Prayer
2. Persistent
- In Luke 11:1-4, Jesus teaches His followers how to pray. This is followed by a rowhome story of meeting a visitor’s need that Jesus uses to teach them persistence in prayer.
- “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8
- “Don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!” – Luke 18:7-8 “keep praying” persistent widow – Jesus
- “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” – Ephesians 6:18
- “Pray about everything.” – Philippians 4:6-9 Benefits: If _, then _, so that _.
- “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.” – James 5:17-18
- The evidence of their following Jesus: “Luke gives considerable attention the role of prayer in the early church: first, he refers to the prayers of individuals such as Stephen (Acts 7:59), Saul (Acts 9:11), Peter (Acts 10:9; 11:15), Cornelius (Acts 10:30-31) and to Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25); second, he records time of corporate prayer among the believers when they selected Matthias (Acts 1:24), prayed for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:5; 12), commissioned Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3), appointed elders to certain churches (Acts 14:23), and when Paul said farewell to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:36) and the church in Tyre (Acts 21:5).” – Arthur G. Patzia The Emergence of the Church
“Prayer which is felt as a mighty force is the…product of much time spent with God.” – E. M. Bounds Power Through Prayer Relationship Time: Quantity Time – Quality Time
3. Purpose – in alignment with God’s purpose
- “We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” – 1 John 5:14
- “if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” – Jesus in John 15:7
- “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13
- James 4:2-3, 6-8 “Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ (Prov. 3:34 Greek) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” – James 4:2-3, 6-8 NLT
“Pray always, always. Not sometimes, but pray always. If Jesus is our example, then we have a mighty lesson in prayer because he prayed in bright days and dark nights.” – Gardner C. Taylor
Jesus’ example: “Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.” – Luke 22:43-45 NLT Mark 14:32-42
“Abba Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” – Mark 14:36
Fervently – intense, with perseverance, continuously, earnest, resolute,
“Jesus, I hear you say things that are beyond my comprehension. I can do nothing but accept them with simple childlike faith, as your gift to me. Forgive me for not believing your promise. Teach me to pray in a way that glorifies you.” – Andrew Murray With Christ in the School of Prayer
Jesus’ Good News / New Covenant / Movement today – Matthew 6:9-13 Kingdom
In John 16, Jesus is teaching and preparing His followers for a time when He would not be present with them physically. A time when they would be living based on His teaching, values, and purpose. In John 17, Jesus prays to Father God at a time and place where his followers could hear it. Jesus teaches them through His prayer. Jesus speaks to the values and purpose of Father God for the days to come, including His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus intercedes for all who would follow Him. Jesus asks Father God to keep His followers in the right-standing relationship that has been brought about by salvation. Jesus teaches His followers that this unity is a priority to pray for and to pursue. Jesus prayed for you! “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, that they also may be in us, so that they world may believe that you have sent me.” – John 17:20-21 ESV
God is personal. God values unity. Jesus asks Father God to be involved. With God all things are possible.
Problem: partisan talk today cannot agree on basic facts, vocabulary, anything
Demonizing others, casting aspersions, jumping to conclusions, wrong conclusions
What did the followers of Jesus understand this to mean? One – single, unique, unanimous, unitary, only one,
“
God is one” shema – Deuteronomy 6:4 Jesus quotes as most important commandment, “Listen Israel, The Lord our God is the One and only Lord.” – Mark 12:29 ESV
“We can approach God with confidence, honestly confessing our need and heart condition. At the same time, we can learn to speak faith and align our heart, emotions, and confession with the Word of God. We can learn to pray the prayer of faith.” – Wendell Smith
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power (as it is working) and produces wonderful results.” – James 5:16
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them.” – 1 Timothy 2:1
What do we learn? Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently. Pray according to God’s Kingdom / Jesus Movement Purpose. Pray for the lost.
Questions to ask ourselves: Is prayer a priority to me?
What should we do? Plan it. Pursue it. Weekly Prayer Calendar ideas
Closing Prayer:
“O God, we acknowledge that too often we have not had confidence in Thy power to bring light out of darkness, good out of evil; by faith we believe through Thy chosen one Jesus the Carpenter, People’s Leader, Chosen One, Prisoner, Defendant, Condemned Man and Confident Man, that good will indeed overcome evil, love overcome hate, and life overcome death.” – M. Moran Weston 1972 Good Friday Declarations of Awareness
“Loving Savior and Ever Present Friend, we thank you this morning for the opportunity to pray for ourselves and for others. We know that no prayer goes unanswered. We trust you Lord, and we love you. We know that you will be steadfast – Oh thank you Jesus.” – Nancy Lynne Westfield I Must Tell Jesus
Colossians 4:2 Romans 15:13
Prayer that is personal, persistent, and on purpose.
“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT
- “constantly” Ephesians 1:15 is related to “fervently” of Luke 22:43 Acts 12:5
- It should be no surprise to us that the Jesus-followers who gathered, “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer.” – Acts 1:14 “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42
- fervently Acts 12:5
Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose.
We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently.
1. Personal
“It’s one thing to just pray. It’s another thing to know the God you’re praying to”. “How we begin our prayers says a lot about us. We can either begin with a problem or with a Person”. – Jackie Hill Perry
Prayer is “relationship time”. “Prayer is conversation with God. However, conversations can remain mere exchanges of information that do not lead to true personal encounter and relationship. We do not want just to know about God, but to know God, to seek his face and presence.” – Timothy Keller Prayer
A. God makes it personal. “The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” – Psalm 34:17-18
B. Jesus’ Good News & Saving Relationship as context: “Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,” – Ephesians 1:15-16 NLT
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT
- “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” – Hagar in Genesis 16:13
- Communion – prayer as a means to experience God’s love and to know oneness with him Psalms 27, 63, 84, 131, 146-150
And yet, if prayer only starts from our thoughts and emotions, then it will be limited by them. We will only ever enjoy part of the relationship with God that He designed. “If God is not the starting point, then our own perceived emotional needs become the drivers and sole focus of our prayer. We cannot grow in a relationship with a person unless we learn who they are.” – Timothy Keller Prayer
2. Persistent
- In Luke 11:1-4, Jesus teaches His followers how to pray. This is followed by a rowhome story of meeting a visitor’s need that Jesus uses to teach them persistence in prayer.
- “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8
- “Don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!” – Luke 18:7-8 “keep praying” persistent widow – Jesus
- “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” – Ephesians 6:18
- “Pray about everything.” – Philippians 4:6-9 Benefits: If _, then _, so that _.
- “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.” – James 5:17-18
- The evidence of their following Jesus: “Luke gives considerable attention the role of prayer in the early church: first, he refers to the prayers of individuals such as Stephen (Acts 7:59), Saul (Acts 9:11), Peter (Acts 10:9; 11:15), Cornelius (Acts 10:30-31) and to Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25); second, he records time of corporate prayer among the believers when they selected Matthias (Acts 1:24), prayed for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:5; 12), commissioned Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3), appointed elders to certain churches (Acts 14:23), and when Paul said farewell to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:36) and the church in Tyre (Acts 21:5).” – Arthur G. Patzia The Emergence of the Church
“Prayer which is felt as a mighty force is the…product of much time spent with God.” – E. M. Bounds Power Through Prayer Relationship Time: Quantity Time – Quality Time
3. Purpose – in alignment with God’s purpose
- “We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” – 1 John 5:14
- “if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” – Jesus in John 15:7
- “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13
- James 4:2-3, 6-8 “Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ (Prov. 3:34 Greek) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” – James 4:2-3, 6-8 NLT
“Pray always, always. Not sometimes, but pray always. If Jesus is our example, then we have a mighty lesson in prayer because he prayed in bright days and dark nights.” – Gardner C. Taylor
Jesus’ example: “Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.” – Luke 22:43-45 NLT Mark 14:32-42
“Abba Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” – Mark 14:36
Fervently – intense, with perseverance, continuously, earnest, resolute,
“Jesus, I hear you say things that are beyond my comprehension. I can do nothing but accept them with simple childlike faith, as your gift to me. Forgive me for not believing your promise. Teach me to pray in a way that glorifies you.” – Andrew Murray With Christ in the School of Prayer
Jesus’ Good News / New Covenant / Movement today – Matthew 6:9-13 Kingdom
In John 16, Jesus is teaching and preparing His followers for a time when He would not be present with them physically. A time when they would be living based on His teaching, values, and purpose. In John 17, Jesus prays to Father God at a time and place where his followers could hear it. Jesus teaches them through His prayer. Jesus speaks to the values and purpose of Father God for the days to come, including His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus intercedes for all who would follow Him. Jesus asks Father God to keep His followers in the right-standing relationship that has been brought about by salvation. Jesus teaches His followers that this unity is a priority to pray for and to pursue. Jesus prayed for you! “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, that they also may be in us, so that they world may believe that you have sent me.” – John 17:20-21 ESV
God is personal. God values unity. Jesus asks Father God to be involved. With God all things are possible.
Problem: partisan talk today cannot agree on basic facts, vocabulary, anything
Demonizing others, casting aspersions, jumping to conclusions, wrong conclusions
What did the followers of Jesus understand this to mean? One – single, unique, unanimous, unitary, only one,
“God is one” shema – Deuteronomy 6:4 Jesus quotes as most important commandment, “Listen Israel, The Lord our God is the One and only Lord.” – Mark 12:29 ESV
“We can approach God with confidence, honestly confessing our need and heart condition. At the same time, we can learn to speak faith and align our heart, emotions, and confession with the Word of God. We can learn to pray the prayer of faith.” – Wendell Smith
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power (as it is working) and produces wonderful results.” – James 5:16
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them.” – 1 Timothy 2:1
What do we learn? Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently. Pray according to God’s Kingdom / Jesus Movement Purpose. Pray for the lost.
Questions to ask ourselves: Is prayer a priority to me?
What should we do? Plan it. Pursue it. Weekly Prayer Calendar ideas
Closing Prayer:
“O God, we acknowledge that too often we have not had confidence in Thy power to bring light out of darkness, good out of evil; by faith we believe through Thy chosen one Jesus the Carpenter, People’s Leader, Chosen One, Prisoner, Defendant, Condemned Man and Confident Man, that good will indeed overcome evil, love overcome hate, and life overcome death.” – M. Moran Weston 1972 Good Friday Declarations of Awareness
“Loving Savior and Ever Present Friend, we thank you this morning for the opportunity to pray for ourselves and for others. We know that no prayer goes unanswered. We trust you Lord, and we love you. We know that you will be steadfast – Oh thank you Jesus.” – Nancy Lynne Westfield I Must Tell Jesus
“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB
A People of God’s choosing sealed with the proof of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13 ‘And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
1 John 4:13 ‘This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22 ‘Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.’
Royal Priesthood
Revelation 5:6-10 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”
What were the duties of a Priest in Israel?
Sacrifices
Teaching
Maintained the sanctuary
Stood guard over the Tabernacle
Speak the blessings of God over them (the Lord bless you…)
Prayed for the people
Lead the people in worship
Access to God’s presence
“Christians exercise priestly functions but always as members of a group who all exercise the same function.” Schreiner, T. R
Holy Nation
Nation – a people with a specific identity and loyalty, with defining characteristics
“Holy Nation” – a new group of people living in wholehearted devotion to God
Holy – sacred, pure, devoted to One purpose, dedicated without reservation, in the Holy process of sanctification
Jesus’ Good News brings in people from every nation/ethnicity (John 3:16, Acts 1:7-8, 10:9-16, 1 Corinthians 1:9:19, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Galatians 3:27-29, Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 3:20-21)
‘So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ‘ Galatians 3:26-28
Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘ Philippians 3:19-20
W. A. Grudem, So we are a new spiritual nation which is based now neither on ethnic identity nor geographical boundaries but rather on allegiance to their heavenly King, Jesus Christ, who is truly King of kings and Lord of lords.
People for God’s own possession
We are purchased with the blood of Jesus (Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:14)
We belong to God:
But we are treasured!! (Peter echoes the verse in Ex. 19:5 and Isa 43:21)
‘God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ‘ 1 Corinthians 1:9
‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ‘ Ephesians 1:3
‘He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14
‘He has lavished his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. ‘ Ephesians 1:8
Lavished: abundance, more than enough, leftovers
What is our new Nation?
When we are born again, our salvation includes being incorporated into a new community. (a group of people having a particular characteristic in common.
This Community = Church
This community is:
Communal in nature: between God and a people (not an individual all y’all). This bond entails a communal vocation, a mission; in the exercise of its priestly role, this people exemplifies God’s holy character and propagates his will. J.B Green
Ephesians 2:19-22 ‘So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets.And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.’
As a Holy Nation, Royal Priesthood/Community/Church, We are to:
Declare Praises and offer spiritual Sacrifices
Do good deeds
Hebrews 13:15-16, Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
Serve as Representatives of God by how we live
Scottish Baptist Minister Alexander MacLaren said it this way: The world takes its notions of God, most of all, from the people who say that they belong to God’s family. They read us a great deal more than they read the Bible. They see us; they only hear about Jesus Christ.
Everything we say and do, both in public and private should represent God!
What should I do this week?
Continue to meditate on Ephesians 1 and 2 as well as 1 Peter 2:9-10
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the depth of these verses
Allow the verses to affect how you think, what you do and how you feel about yourself (based on what Jesus is doing in you!).
Practice being a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession.
“no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, of God’s household,” – Ephesians 2:19
Context: Ephesians 1:7-14 God’s Purpose – salvation
Ephesians 1:7-14 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight, He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. (And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. NLT) In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1:7-14 NASB
We need to introduce a few new concepts for the next several weeks.
“In Him,” (close relationship)
Fresh start, forgiven, made clean, given peace and new life, born again.
Redeemed in Him. Regenerated in Him. One in Him. Victorious in Him.
Jesus is my #1. Savior King of my heart.
God’s Purpose Never Changes. God’s Instrument May Change. You are an instrument in God’s hand. The Local Church is God’s Instrument for this Age. (Covenants – Tabernacles – Animal Sacrifice – Circumcision)
“time” – last days as spiritual era, here and now the local church is God’s instrument (timeline)
What does God care about? What is God doing? How should we be involved?
Ephesians 2:13-22 “Now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So, then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:13-22 NASB
“no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, of God’s household,” – Ephesians 2:19
God’s Purpose Never Changes. God’s Instrument May Change. Every instrument has a purpose. You can’t have an effective purpose without an instrument.
The Local Church is God’s Instrument for this Age. (Covenants – Tabernacles – Animal Sacrifice – Circumcision)
Ephesians 2:19-22 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:19-22 NLT
What have we learned?
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God’s purpose includes salvation through Jesus.
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God’s purpose never changes.
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God’s instrument may change.
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God’s instrument for this age is the local church.
Wisdom & Warning
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Jesus followers must pursue a close relationship with Jesus through wholehearted devotion.
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Jesus’ life and teaching are reliable as instruction, foundation, and covering.
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Our enemy wants to diminish and destroy our relationship with Jesus and His church.
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Our enemy works through wrong theology and wrong emphasis.
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Any teaching that diminishes our devotion to Jesus or participation in the local church is not from God.
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Any teaching that predicts the failure of the church is not from God, nor is it biblical.
What should we do?
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Read Ephesians 1:7-14, 2:13-22 this week.
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Pray, asking God for understanding and wisdom about it.
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Memorize one verse.
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Write your observations and share them.
As ambassadors for Jesus, we invite people to receive and respond to this Good News covenant.
“16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NLT
The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write this guidance to Corinthian Jesus-followers. Notice the emphasis on how we view others, how we view Jesus, and how we view ourselves. This is an “eternal perspective” and value system. We recognize God’s passionate purpose, in the “Jesus Movement”, and receive this “message and ministry of reconciling people to God,” in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.
Ambassador – appointed messenger, to function as a representative of a ruling authority,
“We serve as those who have been delegated by Christ. Our work has been specially assigned by Christ.”
The appeal: “Please make peace with God, the Ultimate King.”
Jesus’ Good News bringing in people from every nation/ethnicity: John 3:16, Acts 1:7-8, 10:9-16, 1 Corinthians 1:9:19, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Galatians 3:27-29, Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 3:20-21
How can we faithfully respond to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21? Aka…
What does it mean to represent Jesus to those around us (as an ambassador)?
- Personal interaction with Jesus Christ as Savior.
- Deep consideration of the essential characteristics of Jesus.
- Allowing the message of Jesus to change our lives.
- Responding with wholehearted devotion to Jesus.
- Becoming more like Jesus in our essential characteristics.
- Considering the values and culture of those around us.
- Privately praying for specific people in our lives.
- Preparing to share who Jesus is and what Jesus has said.
- Prepare to share what salvation means to you personally.
Toward Point 6: Considering the values and culture of those around us. “become all things to all…to win more people…” – 1 Corinthians 9:19
Cultural Apologetics – a missionary encounter between the people carrying the Gospel and whatever culture it is that they are trying to reach
“Renewing the Christian voice, conscience, and imagination so that we can become compelling witnesses of the Gospel in today’s culture.” – Cultural Apologetics by Paul M. Gould
“Christianity has an image problem. While the culture we inhabit presents us with an increasingly anti-Christian and disenchanted position, the church in the West has not helped its case by becoming anti-intellectual, fragmented, and out of touch with the relevancy of Jesus to all aspects of contemporary life.
The muting of the Christian voice, its imagination, and its collective conscience have diminished the prospect of having a genuine missionary encounter with others today.
Cultural apologetics attempts to demonstrate not only the truth of the Gospel but also its desirability by reestablishing Christianity as the answer that satisfies our three universal human longings—truth, goodness, and beauty.
In Cultural Apologetics, philosopher and professor Paul Gould sets forth a fresh and uplifting model for cultural engagement—rooted in the biblical account of Paul’s speech in Athens—which details practical steps for establishing Christianity as both true and beautiful, reasonable and satisfying.” – Cultural Apologetics by Paul M. Gould
Such as addressing the perceived barrier of agnostic/atheism “science > God and God’s purpose”
Kalam Cosmological Argument:
- Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
- The universe began to exist.
- Therefore, the universe has a cause.
Philippians 3:20-21
“citizens of heaven” – Philippians 3:20-21
“We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.” – Philippians 3:20-21 NLT
“agents of heavenly civilization” here on earth
“For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. 28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.” – Galatians 3:27-29 CSB
“The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.” – Isaiah 61:11 NLT
What do we learn?
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Jesus is our only King.
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We are citizens of God’s Kingdom.
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We receive security, identity, and belonging.
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This is a priority aspect of our identity.
What should we do?
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Read and pray about today’s verses.
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Ask God to shape your understanding of spiritual citizenship.
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Write down one truth from this.
Matthew 14:22-32
Where is Jesus in the storm? In & Above Matthew 14:22-32
Matthew 14:22-32 Jesus & Peter walk on water, context Jesus’ teaching rejected in Nazareth, Herod kills cousin John the Baptist, remote place Jesus feeds more than five thousand miraculously, Jesus prayer retreat, comes to the disciples in a storm, (have faith)
1. Jesus in the storm with them.
2. Jesus above the storm with them.
Matthew 14:22-32 John 6:6 Mark 6:45-52 “’ Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!’” NLT “Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves.” – Mark 6:51-52 CSB Jesus calms the storm. Matthew 8:23-27 Mark 4:35-41 Luke 8:22-25
2 + 2 = 4 Jesus shows miracle power in feeding thousands. + Jesus walks on water & calms the storm. = Jesus has power over what we cannot control.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Romans 8:18
The storm is temporary. (eternal perspective)
Listen: He Has Done Great Things by John Wilds Bethel Music
Receive comfort and strength from the reality of who Jesus is.
Disciples’ evidence of learning from this:
When the disciples saw the resurrected Jesus (appear & disappear), the “2 + 2 = 4” evidence of the supernatural nature of who Jesus is became something they believed “no matter what”. The resurrected Jesus appears to Thomas, in John 20:24-29. They publicly declared Jesus to be the Savior of the world, in Acts 2. They publicly represented Jesus as Savior King despite the persecution of king Herod, in Acts 12. This is evidence that they believed Jesus to be both in the storm with them and above the storm with them.
Romans 5:1-5
Discussion Questions:
· What do we learn from Matthew 14:22-32, 8:23-27?
· How does this affect our perspective?
· What do we learn from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and Romans 8:18?
· What do we learn from Romans 5:1-5?
· How do these passages affect our perspective?
· When we consider a future eternal life with God (who is the source of true love) how does it affect our perspective on the “here & now” of this life?
What’s one thing we should do about this?
Hebrews 11:1
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (NLT)
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (NIV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (ESV)
We are not called to have blind faith. No, God created the universe with intention, precision, with a masterstroke. Think of the theme of our youth camp a few years ago: Handcrafted. Think of God like a master carpenter. He has perfected things in his creation that we can only imitate or simply observe in awe.
We spend so much time focusing on the evils, the darkness, the pain and suffering of this world, but do not count God out!. HE CREATED all of this, and despite Adam’s fall, despite our failures and screwups. Despite our constant need to come to the cross and confess our sins, do not forget that creation is still his! The wonder that it inspires, the beauty of it all, that is of Him and Him alone.
Hebrews 11:3
Hebrews 11:4
Hebrews 11:6
Hebrews 11:7-12
Genesis 5:23-24
Enoch lived 365 years walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared,because God took him.
Don’t you wonder? What kind of things did he see to have such faith. Was he simply born with it? Born with that undeniable aura of faith? That “it” factor of confidence and poise?
He is one of the first people I want to sit down with in Heaven for sure.
Hebrews 11:5
You see God was moving. He was shaking. He was present in their lives. He was doing it for them, but there was a greater intention behind it as well. He knew that we needed to see this, understand their great faith. These were the stories we needed to understand Him.
Hebrews 11:13-16
You see, this message is not actually based on Hebrews 11. Don’t get me wrong, I am HEAVILY leaning on Hebrews 11, because the author of Hebrews is a far better writer than myself. But what I originally was preaching on was a parable. The parable of the new and old treasures. Let’s look at it.
Matthew 13: 51-52
Do you understand all these things?’ ‘Yes,’ they said, ‘we do.’
Then he added, ‘Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.’
God does not want us to have blind faith. He has given us gems of truth, treasures that are deeply complex, yet simple in their message. He provided us with stories of heroes, giants,stalwarts of faith. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Abel, Rahab, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Esther, Ruth, Moses, Elijah, Job.
Hebrews 11:32-38
They were not called to have Blind faith, but they were called to have faith. Faith greater than many of us in this room can know. And their faith created these treasures of old. They were stories designed by God and carried out by man to show us what faith brings.
But here’s the kicker. They were not just stories of faith in what was. NO. They are ultimately stories of faith in what will be! That is what Jesus is talking about. He was talking to people that knew these stories. That knew more about Enoch than I clearly do. That knew the context and power of these scriptures. And he said this (my words not scripture). Now look at these new treasures I’ve given you and put them in the context of what you’ve known. Do you see what I’m showing you?
When you take the old treasures. The old stories, the rich histories, the precise instructions, the powerful prophesies. And you combine these with the new perspective that Jesus offered. That is where you find the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven. The entirety of the new covenant. It doesn’t make you better than or greater than, but as Jesus says, it makes you like a homeowner who brings out the old and the new.
Now I am not the best at making these connections. If there is anything I want to grow in, it is understanding how to connect and make sense of the old treasures. But here’s the thing. We can cheat. We do this thing called life together. And Jesus wants us to. Because he wants us to pull out these old and new treasures and share them. He wants us to taste the Kingdom of Heaven here on this earth! Note that he did not reference a homeowner going to his storeroom to check out his pokemon card collection and PS5. No! He says it is like a homeowner who brings FROM his storeroom new and old gems of truth.
And so to end this message, let me cheat, because I’m going to share with you what was shared with me a few weeks ago.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v_N2gxMnWQ)
“Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.
Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.
Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing whither he went, to create a new people of God.
Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount, but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me,” now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.”
Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.
Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.
Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.
Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.
Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.
Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.
Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.
Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.
The Bible’s really not about you – it’s about him.”
We are not called to have blind faith. He’s been writing this story since the beginning of creation. The whole story. And He’s been sharing it with us every step along the way. And Jesus, the cornerstone, allows us to finally fully understand it! Maybe not fully on this Earth, but we will understand it in the Kingdom of Heaven! Because He has called us his sons and daughters, invited us to join His Kingdom, given us grounds to have faith. Faith in what WAS. Faith in what IS. And faith in what WILL BE.
Matthew 25:14-30
What do we learn?
God gives abilities, resources, and opportunities. God expects stewardship. Jesus taught that the Scriptures pointed to him as Messiah, and that those who would reject him would lose what truth they thought that they owned.
We are now stewards of our God-given abilities, resources (including time, energy & money), and opportunities.
Perspective from our study of Scripture
God’s story line tells us 4 things throughout Scripture:
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What God wants for us (Creation)
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What happened to us and what went wrong with the world (Fall)
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What God has done in Jesus Christ to put things right (Redemption)
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How history will turn out in the end as a result (Restoration)
– Timothy Keller Good News of Jesus Christ: What God has done and will yet do.
Who is God?
· One True Living God – Jer. 10:10-12 Psalm 18:46 1 Thess. 1:9
· Life-Giver: Provider & Protector Matt. 7:11 Jn. 14:14 2 Sam. 22:2-7 Psalms 138:7
· Creator & Redeemer Gen. 1:1 Isa. 44:24 43:1 Col. 1:15-28
· Good Father, Relational – Gen. 1:26-28 Isa 64:8 Matt. 6:26-33
· Rewarder of those who seek – Heb. 11:6
Who are we?
· Someone who God loved and gave identity, value, and purpose. Gen. 1:26-28
· Jesus follower Lk. 9:23-24 Jn. 13:34-35
· Child of God Jn. 1:12-13 1 Jn. 3:1 Rom. 8:16-17
· Coheir with Christ Rom. 8:17
· Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation 1 Peter 2:9
God’s purpose for our lives Genesis 1:26-31:
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To get to know God. Relationship
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To become like Jesus. Character
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To be an instrument in God’s hand. Stewardship
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To pass God’s life on to others. Reproduction
We recognize God’s passionate purpose, in the Kingdom “Jesus Movement”, in Matthew 4:17 etc and receive his “message and our ministry of reconciling people” to God, in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.
What should we do?
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Pray, asking God to help us see our lives (and abilities, resources, & opportunities) the way that he wants us to.
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Read Matthew 25:14-30 and think about what Jesus is teaching.
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Consider how you prioritize the way that you steward abilities, resources, and opportunities.
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Think about one way that you can be a good steward of Jesus’ Good News with someone else this week.
Perfect Love: How Imperfect People Can Love One Another With God’s
Key Passage: 1 John 4:7-21 NLT
Love Defined
- Love is a word that is thrown around so much, especially in the English language, and it means different things to different people
- How is Love Defined in the Bible?
- 1 John 4:7-10 NLT
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
- Love comes from God. God is love. God showed the depth and reality of his love by sending his Son Jesus to die for us
- We see here that Godly love is: Selfless, faithful, unconditional, unending, lifts other up, slow to anger, forgiving
- Love Defined:
- Love comes from God, for God is love, and He showed the depth of His love by sending His Son Jesus to die for us.
- This Godly love is selfless, faithful, unconditional, unending, uplifting, patient, and forgiving.
The Command
- 1 John 4:21
- Matt 22:36-40
- Jesus said that everything boils down to these two commandments – Love God & Love Others
- That shows us that these two commandments are intrinsically linked and cannot be separated
- Who are our neighbors?
- Luke 10:25-37 (Good Samaritan)
- Our neighbors are anyone we come into contact with—far beyond just those who live nearby or belong to our communities.
- 1 John 4:7b-8
- We cannot know God (be in a close relationship with God) if we do not love
- 1 John 4:20-21
- We cannot love God if we do not love others.
- Here again we see the command that if we love God we must also love others
- 1 John 5:1-3
- We are loving people the right way if we are loving God and obeying Him
- Loving God means obeying his commandments
- If we love God, we will obey his commandment to love others
- John 13:34-35
- Summary: God has commanded us to love others. Loving others is an essential part of our relationship with God. Either we love God and others OR we do not truly love God.
The Problem
- God’s Love is perfect and without fault just as He is perfect and without fault
- – 1 John 1:5
- We are…not perfect
- Romans 3:23
- So can we, as flawed, sinful, human beings, be capable of loving people the way God loves us?
- We can’t…yet.
The Solution
- 1 Peter 1:21-23
- Step 1: Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again for our sins.
- Step 2: Receive God’s forgiveness of our sins.
- Step 3: Choose daily to put our faith and trust in God (not a one-time decision, but the beginning of a relationship that continues to grow)
- Step 4: As our lives are made new in Christ, we are able to show sincere, whole-hearted love to others!
Mid Review: So far we have established that:
- God has commanded us to love others. Loving others is an essential part of our relationship with God. Either we love God and others OR we do not truly love God.
- Before we can love others the way God loves us, we must first be in a healthy relationship with God (reword that last part).
- Why Does God Ask Us to Love Others? (I’m the type of person who needs to know the why. I never grew out of that childhood phase). If God’s love is so perfect and so complete, why does He ask us to love people too?
Why does God ask us to love others?
- Reason #1:
- 1 John 4:11 & 1 John 4:19
- Reason #1: Because God loved us first
- When we fully accept God’s love for us, our hearts are transformed and we want to love others the way God loves us
- Reason #2:
- 1 John 4:12, Matt 5:14-16, John 13:34-35
- Reason #2: To show God’s character to others
- When we love others it reveals God’s presence and character to the world, showing others that we belong to Him.
- Reason #3:
- 1 John 3:16-18
- Mark 2:1-12
- Reason #3: So that people can be saved
- Just as God’s love for us drew us to Him, God’s love in us draws those who do not yet know Him.
How does God ask us to love others?
- What Does the Bible Say About How We Should Love Others? – A LOT
- In Humility
- John 13:14-15, Romans 12:16, Galatians 5:25-26, Ephesians 4:2, Philippians 2:3-4, 1 Peter 5:5b
- By Encouraging One Another
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 12:10
- Without Judgment
- Romans 14:13
- With Forgiveness
- Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:13
- Through Hospitality
- 1 Peter 4:9
- By Praying for One Another
- James 5:16
- Notice in most of these verses, “just as God/Jesus did for you”
- Jesus sets the example for how we are to love people
- When in doubt, WWJD or HWJL (How Would Jesus Love?)
What Are the Results/Fruit of Us Loving One Another?
- Draws people to God: People who are not yet saved experience the love of God through us and want to know Him personally
- Promotes peace and unity in the Church
- Romans 14:19
- Encourages one another in our faith: we are stronger together
- Hebrews 3:13
- Helps us take next steps in our God-given spiritual gifts:
- 1 Peter 4:10
What are some barriers that hinder us from loving people the way God wants us to?
- Unawareness
- Insecurity/Pride
- Fear
- Unforgiveness
- Viewing people through a negative/limiting human perspective
- Trying to do it on our own strength/ability
- It’s Inconvenient, Time Consuming, and Expensive
- Think back to Good Samaritan
How Do We Overcome These Barriers?
- Spending time in God’s presence
- Following Jesus’ Example
- Prayer and Intercession
- Asking God to help us be aware of the people around us and the ways that we can show them God’s love
- Asking God to give us His perspective – to see people the way God sees them
- Asking God how He wants us to love others – both specifically and generally
- Working with others who are also focused on this goal
Final Summary
- God has commanded us to love others. Loving others is an essential part of our relationship with God. Either we love God and others OR we do not truly love God.
- Before we can love others the way God loves us, we must first be in a healthy relationship with God (reword that last part?).
- God asks us to love one another because God wants to share His love for people through us.
- Loving one another draws people to God, fosters peace and unity in the church, strengthens and encourages our faith, and helps us grow spiritually when we use our spiritual gifts to serve each other.
- Practical steps to love others with God’s love: spend time in God’s presence, follow Jesus’ example in the Bible, pray and intercede for others, and serve with other believers who are showing God’s love to others.
Romans 14:17 – ” For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”
What is the issue?
Primary Issue – Jews and Gentiles in the same congregation bringing their life experiences into church. They are quarreling.
Romans 14:1 – Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.
Weakness in faith,’ means an inadequate grasp of the great principle of salvation by faith in Christ; the consequence of which will be an anxious desire to make this salvation more certain by following a set of formal rules.
Paul’s correction is not about what we eat, drink or when we Sabbath but our treatment of each other as Brothers and Sisters, our family, in Christ.
Paul is saying that discounting or dismissing a weak brother or sister’s choices could cause him deep hurt and They may feel that their integrity as a believer is at stake.
How should we treat other believers? Accept them. This means not just “allow to remain to be a member” but welcomed with friendship.
How do we accept them?
- Avoid impatient annoyance
- Avoid ridicule
- Avoid contempt
Essentials from Romans 14
- Do not judge
- Pursue Peace
- Don’t cause others to stumble
The Kingdom of God is:
Righteousness
(Yes: right relationships with God and others)
Also: Giving others their due
- Love
- Put them first
- Philippians 3:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Peace.
- Everything that works for our highest good.
- State of harmony
The Jews themselves often thought of peace as a state of right relationships between individuals.
Joy.
- Not a happiness that fades
- Not just for the individual but a joy that is for everyone (infectious, kingdom of heaven is like yeast, it can permeate everything)
- Fruit of the Spirit
We should see other believers through the lens of the Kingdom of God. This includes
- How God formed and created them before they were born
- Their past experiences and choices
- Who they are today
- Who God will mold them to be
This perspective challenges our motives and thinking, requires us to listen to understand and demands that we love them as Christ loves us, even by laying down our own freedoms for their sake.
Matthew 13:47-50
Truth that the audience was coming to understand: Jesus is the love of God expressed to us. Bringing the Good News of a New Covenant Gospel, Jesus is our Savior, Lord, and King.
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” – John 3:16-21 CSB
“Christians are those who have been justified by faith in Christ Jesus and, in consequence, have peace with God (Romans 5:1).” – D. A. Carson
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1 CSB
“Christians are those who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2. ” – D. A. Carson
“To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord – both their Lord and ours.” – 1 Corinthians 1:2 CSB
“Christians are those who pray that the power of God may so rest on them that Christ dwells in their hearts through faith, while they themselves increasingly grasp the limitless dimensions of God’s love for them in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:14-21). ” – D. A. Carson
A Story of a Fishing Net “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was put into the lake and caught many different kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets and threw away the bad fish. 49 It will be this way at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people. 50 The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.” 51 Jesus asked his followers, “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes, we understand.” 52 Then Jesus said to them, “So every teacher of the law who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings out both new things and old things he has saved.” – Matthew 13:47-52 NCV
“This parable…like Parable of the Ten Virgins – Matthew 25:1-13 (June 1 – Justin) and the parable of the weeds (June 22 – Chiquacta), tells us about the intermingling of good and bad at the present time and the certainty of their separation at the end of the age.” – Leon Morris
Let’s listen to another parable from Jesus, on a similar theme, to help us understand this one.
The Narrow Door “Jesus was teaching in every town and village as he traveled toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone said to Jesus, ‘Lord, will only a few people be saved?’ Jesus said, 24 ‘Try hard to enter through the narrow door, because many people will try to enter there, but they will not be able. 25 When the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you can stand outside and knock on the door and say, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in the streets of our town.’ 27 But he will say to you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Go away from me, all you who do evil!’ 28 You will cry and grind your teeth with pain when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, but you yourselves thrown outside. 29 People will come from the east, west, north, and south and will sit down at the table in the kingdom of God. 30 There are those who are last now who will be first in the future. And there are those who are first now who will be last in the future.’” – Luke 13:22-30 NCV
Jesus teaches that, at the end of this spiritual era, there is an ultimate result to our decision to receive or reject him.
· Jesus calls for a decisive response from us. This cannot be ignored.
· A committed loving relationship is incompatible with rejection.
· God’s presence is not a safe place for rebellious self-will.
· There’s a benefit to the kingdom being unified. 1 Cor. 4 “expose motives…some rec. praise,
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 4:17 NCV
· What did this subject of Jesus’ teaching mean to the initial audience?
· Preach – publicly announce spiritual truth and principles while urging acceptance and compliance
· Repent/Change – change one’s way of life as the result of complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness
· Kingdom – area ruled by a king, domain, Realm – a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
· Heaven – the spiritual realm owned and operated under the control of God alone
· At Hand – near, close, approaching, arriving now and ultimately arriving in the near future
God’s story line tells us 4 things:
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What God wants for us (Creation)
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What happened to us and what went wrong with the world (Fall)
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What God has done in Jesus Christ to put things right (Redemption)
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How history will turn out in the end as a result (Restoration)
– Timothy Keller Good News of Jesus Christ: What God has done and will yet do.
Who did Jesus die for?
“He died for all.” – 2 Corinthians 5:15 “By God’s grace, He died for everyone.” – Hebrews 2:9 “God so loved the world that He gave His Son,” – John 3:16 “This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to know the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:3-4 “God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.” – 2 Peter 3:9-10a Who does Jesus teach about a separation of people?
If Jesus died for all, then are all actually saved? (because Jesus parable of the net speaks to separation)
| How Atonement Works | | Provision (Giving) | Application (Receiving) | | Savior of all men | 1 Timothy 4:10 | Especially of those that believe | | For God so loved the worldthat He gave his only begotten Son | John 3:16 | That whosoever believeth inHim should not perish but have everlasting life | | He shall save | Matthew 1:21 | His people | | He became the author of eternal salvation | Hebrews 5:9 | Unto all them that obey Him |
– April 2 Life Group Bible Study Bible study notes from Ken Malmin of Portland Bible College
“God’s sovereign will is absolute and supreme. The moral will of God is that everyone do His will but allows for humanity’s choice whether to comply. When someone chooses to rebel against God’s moral will, it does not mean they have escaped the boundaries of God’s sovereign will.” – Ken Malmin
Whose choice saves us? “From our perspective, God’s choice is responsible for our salvation. From God’s perspective, our choice to respond is necessary. God’s choice is sovereign. Humanity’s choice is significant.” – Ken Malmin
Does our choice matter? God’s knowledge (“ahead of time”) is perfect. It does not violate humanity’s free will. God’s choosing (election) is based on His foreknowledge. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,” – 1 Peter 1:2 “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.” – Romans 8:28-30 CSB Jesus Christ: Savior, Lord, and King!
What should we do?
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Pray, asking God for wisdom about the truth of Jesus’ parables and how to apply them/
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Read Matthew 13:47-50 and maybe all of Matthew 13.
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Ask yourself, What does Jesus see? What does Jesus want me to see from the pictures he presents?
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Write down the answers.
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Think about how this truth applies to your perspective and values.
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Consider how this may apply to the way that you spend your time, energy, and money.
Matthew 13:44-46
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the field again. He was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned to buy that field. Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls. When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.” – Matthew 13:44-46 NCV
4 Responses from Matthew 13:44-46 to the kingdom of heaven: discovery, happiness, attachment, & ownership.
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Discovery – Jesus describes a point of finding the kingdom of God, which is most valuable. 1 Corinthians 2:8-16
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Happiness – Jesus describes a joyful response to recognizing and receiving the value of the kingdom of God. Matthew 5:3, 10
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Attachment – Jesus describes a wholehearted personal attachment to the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 Romans 8:16-17
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Ownership – Jesus describes letting go of everything that is temporary for the sake of an eternal commitment to the kingdom of God. Matthew 6:9, 10, 19-24
What do we learn?
- The kingdom of God is most valuable, more valuable than anything we care about, own, or live for.
- The kingdom of God brings joy.
- The kingdom of God lasts forever in victorious peace.
- The kingdom is something we can receive and give ourselves to.
- The kingdom of God should shape our perspective and values.
What should we do?
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Read Matthew 13:44-46 this week and think about it.
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Pray, asking God for his kingdom here and now.
“You should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’” – Matthew 6:9-10 CSB
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Pray, asking God to open our spiritual eyes to eternal perspective.
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Pray, asking God to shape our values and priorities.
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Think and plan actions based on these truths.
Matthew 13:18-23
1. What does Jesus teach about his followers’ identity, in Matthew 13:18-23? “You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, (Matthew 13:11)
This requires that we use active listening, to God, with an intent to understand and respond with gracious humility.
2. What is active listening?
Key Aspects of Active Listening:
- Full attention: Giving the person your undivided attention and acknowledging their message.
- Asking clarifying questions: Asking questions to ensure complete understanding and encourage further elaboration.
- Providing feedback: Reflecting on what has been said by paraphrasing or summarizing to ensure understanding and demonstrate engagement.
- Deferring judgment: Suspending personal opinions and biases to create a safe space for open communication.
- Responding appropriately: Being candid, open, and honest in your response, asserting your opinions respectfully.
What is active listening? …showing love by listening with an intent to understand…
Jesus’ teaching shows evidence of his years of listening to Father God and listening to people. Good thoughts on this subject in The Revolutionary Communicator by Jedd Medefind & Erik Lokkesmoe
3. What are the obstacles to active listening, to God, and how do we overcome them, in Matthew 13:18-23?
Obstacles: Lack of Understanding, Enemy Influence, Shallow Application, Resistance, Worries, Temptation
Overcoming: Active Listening, Deep Questions, Careful Consideration, Spirit-enabled Understanding, Deep Application, Resisting Enemy’s Influence, Participation in Producing Fruit
What does this “listening” mean, as a Biblical concept?
“Let those with ears use them and listen.” – Matthew 13:9
“God said to Peter and John, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.’” – Mark 9:7
This is a call to attentive listening and understanding, implying a deeper, spiritual meaning beyond simply hearing with physical ears. Deuteronomy 29:4, Psalms 115:4, Proverbs 1:33, 2:2, 10:17, 16:20, 19:20, Jeremiah 25:4, Ezekiel 12:2, Matthew 11:15, Mark 4:9, 23, Luke 8:8, 21, 11:28, 14:35, John 14:15, James 1:22-24, Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22 ACTIVE LISTENING “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And set your heart on my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be established on your lips. So that your trust may be in Yahweh,” – Proverbs 22:17-19 LSB
Matthew 13:9-17
Preview: What does Jesus teach about his followers’ identity? What are the obstacles to active listening, to God, and how do we overcome them?
Matthew 13:9-17 Why Jesus Used Stories to Teach
They must have wondered: Why was Jesus telling these stories that people could only partly understand? Why was he making them think and not telling them the answers?
· “parables/stories”(Matthew 13:10) – expressions which are not to be understood literally, but symbolically, figuratively, or allegorically
· “parable” (Matthew 13:18) – a relatively short narrative with symbolic meaning, allegory, figure of speech, story telling device as vehicle for communication
What does Jesus teach about his followers’ identity?
11 Jesus answered, “You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these secrets.
“know” – to come to an understanding as the result of ability to experience and learn (also translated to understand, able to understand, to know about,
“secrets” – the content of that which has not been known before, but which has been revealed to an in-group
12 Those who have understanding will be given more, and they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them. 13 This is why I use stories to teach the people:” “That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight.” – Matthew 13:13 The Message “They see, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand. “Jesus speaks in parables in “response” to this lack of understanding.” – Ulrich Luz (2001). Matthew: a commentary (H. Koester, Ed.; p. 246). Augsburg.
16 But you are blessed, because you see with your eyes and hear with your ears.” “ “But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear!” – Matthew 13:16 The Message 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and good people wanted to see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. And they wanted to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not hear them.” – Matthew 13:9-17 NCV
1. What does Jesus teach about his followers’ identity?
“You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, (Matthew 13:11) (Our response to the “message” aka the Gospel Good News of Jesus and our resulting relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, and King.)
Jesus’ instruction to listen, for the sake of coming “to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven,” includes the interaction of a healthy relationship with God and God-enabled learning that produces understanding.
“Self-awareness, Self-management, Social awareness, Relationship management” – Daniel Goleman
Spiritual emotional intelligence through wholehearted devotion to God. Learning who we are through learning who God is, how God relates to us, what God communicates to us, and who God has designed us to be. Such knowledge, understanding, and wisdom is learned and learnable. This requires that we use active listening, to God, with an intent to understand and respond with gracious humility.
This underscores the importance of the meaning of this parable, Jesus reveals in Matthew 13:18-23.
2. What are the obstacles to active listening, to God, and how do we overcome them, in Matthew 13:18-23?
Obstacles: Lack of Understanding, Enemy Influence, Shallow Application, Resistance, Worries, Temptation
Overcoming: Active Listening, Deep Questions, Careful Consideration, Spirit-enabled Understanding, Deep Application, Resisting Enemy’s Influence, Participation in Producing Fruit
God desires us to earnestly ask Him for more workers for the harvest and to actively participate in that work by following the example of Jesus.
Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Look to Jesus as our example: What do we see here?
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Jesus went to the people, he did not wait for them to come to him.
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Jesus was aware of the condition of the people
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- They were “Confused & Helpless” meaning, they were “harassed, troubled, faint, tired, gone astray (without a shepherd), a plague, ravaged by wolves, beaten down by weariness: to give one’s self trouble
- They were “Like sheep without a Shepherd”
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Jesus had compassion. He was “moved in his guts/bowels or stirred deep inside” (the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity). Compassion involves identifying with the situation of others that one is prepared to act for their benefit, to address their physical needs.
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Jesus Does something to address their physical needs: “healing every disease and sickness”
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Describes people as a harvest
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Jesus Invites, encourages & teaches others to respond the way He does
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The workers
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- They are sent by God;
- They are an answer to the prayers of His people;
- Equipped by Christ for the work
- Consecrated for the spiritual and physical needs of the people
- Instruments of mercy in the hands of Christ.
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Why are there “few” workers? Idle Christians: without purpose or effect
It’s the idea of people who say they are Christians but are really seeking a comfortable life and doing all they can to prevent possible adversity. But they need to have a fire lit under them, or rather inside them, to drive them out of their comforts into a world of need.
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What does Jesus say we need to do to address these issues?
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- Pray to the “Lord of the Harvest. Pray for the hearts and motives of believers Pray for our own hearts and motives
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How can we participate in the harvest like Jesus? (besides prayer)
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- Recognize our mission field
- Go to people and See people
- Don’t be idle.
- Don’t get discouraged! Faith responds to the situation of crisis by turning towards God
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What can you do this week?
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- Pray
- Ask the Holy Spirit help you examine your own heart and motives
Matthew 22:1-14
Wedding feast – a countrywide celebration of several days, coming to the feast represents entering His Kingdom
Bible Wedding Feast imagery:
“Lord, will make for all peoples, a feast…all nations, wipe away tears, ‘Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.'” – Isaiah 25:6-9
“feast on the abundance of your house. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” – Psalms 36:8-9
Parable of the Bridegroom and Ten Virgins – Matthew 25:1-13 June 1 Justin
John’s vision of the wedding feast of the Lamb: “7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” – Revelation 19:7-9 ESV
New Testament era Wedding Feast culture: Rejecting invitation would be extreme insult, dangerous affront to His authority
Proper wedding attire expected.
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Some evidence in the ancient world for a king supplying garments for his guests (Genesis 45:22, Esther 6:8-9). There is the story of God clothing his unworthy people in beautiful garments (Ezekiel 16:10-13). Jesus could be alluding to imputed righteousness, which Paul elaborates later (Romans 3:21-31, 4:22-25). Thus by not wearing the garments provided, this guest has highly insulted the host.
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The wedding garment may refer to a clean garment, symbolizing evidence of righteous works. Either way, it is described as something essential. – ESV Study Bible
“The proper wedding garment is charity from a pure heart. The wedding garment is not baptism as such but love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.” – Augustine
“God’s kingdom is a kingdom in which love and justice and truth and mercy and holiness reign unhindered. They are the clothes you need to wear for the wedding. And if you refuse to put them on, you are saying you don’t want to stay at the party. That is the reality. If we don’t have the courage to say so, we are deceiving ourselves, and everyone who listens to us.” – Wright, T. (2004). Matthew for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 16-28 (p. 85). Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
“Yes, many are invited, but only a few are chosen.” – Matthew 22:14
“Many are invited to apply, but few are selected.” Louw-Nida
“Effectively called, those who respond with true faith,” – ESV Study Bible 1 Corinthians 1:24, 26-28
“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach a Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:22-29 NASB
“Chosen”, term used by Jesus in reference to his true disciples, Matthew 11:27, 24:22, 24, 31 “the elect,” – Matthew 24:22, 24, 31
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” – Matthew 11:27 ESV
What do we learn?
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God initiates a loving relationship through the Gospel truth of Jesus as Savior.
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God invites many people, whom he has chosen, to receive and respond to Jesus as Savior.
How do we know what the followers of Jesus believed about this parable?
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They received the Gospel truth of Jesus as Savior, responding with gracious humility as instructed. This included repentant life change and baptism.
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They relayed the Gospel truth of Jesus as Savior, with an urgent invitation, to many other people.
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They refused to be discouraged by those who rejected Jesus as Savior. They ran their race to its end.
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They rejoice in the eternal glory of Jesus as Savior.
Mark 4: 26-29 (NLT)
26 Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how ithappens. 28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”
Big Idea: The kingdom of God is like a planted and growing seed. Just like a growing seed, when we allow God’s word to take root and grow in our hearts, we experience the blessing of His truth. We can trust that God will nurture and bring to completion the work of faith that He has already started in us and in others whom we’ve shared His word with.
Inductive Bible Study Steps: Observation, Interpretation, and Application
Observation: What is plainly given in the text? what do you see here?
What are we observing in this passage? Keywords? Context? Who’s Speaking?
What’s Happening? Where is it happening? etc.
Interpretation: Meaning and understanding of text
What has Jesus already revealed about this text? What truth has the Holy Spirit revealed?
Application: How do we apply what we’ve learned in our lives (individually and communally)?
How can we apply what we’ve learned? What is our encouragement? Practical wisdom?
“Jesus also said, ‘The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.” Mark 4:26 (NLT)
1. Observation:
Jesus is giving a parable about what the Kingdom of God is like. He says that the Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.
2. Interpretation:
a. The farmer represents the believer who plants the word of God.
3. Application:
a. In God’s kingdom, he has entrusted us with his word. We should be in the practice of sowing the seed of God’s word:
i. Within ourselves first,
ii. Then with others
iii. We can only share what we’ve received
b. Start small, plant a “seed”
c. Remember, you’re not the only one planting seeds.
i. God brings others alongside us, and the Holy Spirit—the Helper—is always at work.
ii. Just like Paul and Apollos had different roles, we’re part of something bigger than ourselves (1 Cor. 3:6)
“Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.” Mark 4:27 (NLT)
1. Observation:
The seed begins to grow and sprout. The farmer isn’t as actively involved with the growth of the seed. In fact, the growth of the seed is a mystery to him.
2. Interpretation:
a. Spiritual growth happens through God’s power, not solely through human effort, though our involvement (planting the seed) is still important (Isa. 55: 10-11)
b. God is working even when His activity is invisible to us (Job 38)
c. Spiritual maturity begins with small, unseen growth.
3. Application
a. Trust God to continue His work in us and others, even when we can’t see the full picture.
b. Practice patient expectation (waiting with purpose)
i. Ask God for what you need, release the outcome to Him, and trust His timing.
c. Recognize we can’t force spiritual growth in ourselves or others; our role is to encourage and point people to Jesus, trusting God with the results.
“The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens” Mark 4:28 (NLT)
1. Observation:
The earth/soil has everything that it needs for the seed to grow. Growth happens in stages: first the blade, then the head, then the full grain.
2. Interpretation:
a. The earth/soil represents the heart of a person that well-receives the word of God
b. The spiritual growth that happens is gradual; it’s not instant
c. There’s a promise of a “ripened grain” or God fulfilling his purposes in and through us
3. Application:
a. Thank God for what he has already done in you and others
b. Trust God’s timing and don’t compare with the lives of others (We’re connected but different in needs and purpose, all to God’s glory (Rom. 12: 4-6a, 1 Cor. 12:12, 14)
c. We should always be encouraged to grow. Pray and ask God how you can encourage growth in yourself and others without trying to rush it.
“And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come” Mark 4:29 (NLT)
1. Observation:
a. The farmer harvests the mature grain.
b. The harvest comes at the appropriate time
2. Interpretation:
a. We will bear the fruit of God’s word at work within us at the right time
b. We will benefit from the work that God is doing within us
c. This is a promise of God’s fulfillment of his promises to us
3. Application:
a. Encourage yourself and others to trust God’s timing
b. Continue to trust in the promise of God that one day, God will complete the work that he started in us and in others
Final Observation:
Mark said: ‘Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them. ‘
Mark 4:33-34 (NLT)
Jesus shared what the parables meant to his disciples when they were alone. This means that he shared what the Kingdom of God is like when they spent time together. This is where it gets really “meta”, Mark never shares the details about what this parable meant. This is an invitation for us to learn from Jesus personally. We can’t grow without our Gardner and the True Vine [John 15:1]
Key Takeaways
- God’s Kingdom Grows Through Planting: The work begins with faithfully sowing God’s word in our hearts and sharing it with others.
- Growth Is God’s Mysterious Work: Spiritual growth happens through God’s power, often in ways we don’t see or fully understand.
- Growth Happens in Stages: Just as a seed develops gradually, spiritual maturity unfolds over time and cannot be rushed.
- We Are Not Alone in the Process: God brings others alongside us, and the Holy Spirit is always at work, ensuring that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We are apart of and growing the Kingdom of God.
Next Steps
- Prioritize Receiving and Sowing God’s Word: Commit to regular engagement with Scripture and look for opportunities to share its truth with others.
- Practice Patient Trust: Release the need to see immediate results, trusting God’s timing and His ability to bring growth in you and those around you.
- Encourage and Support Others: Recognize your role in a larger community; pray for, encourage, and walk alongside others in their spiritual journeys.
- Celebrate Growth and God’s Faithfulness: Regularly thank God for the progress you see, both in yourself and others, and remain hopeful for the fulfillment of His promises.
- The Kingdom of heaven is the culmination of the good news of Jesus. This is the good news of Jesus:
a. God, who is the source of all goodness, morality, beauty, love, and authority created people to be a reflection of His character and authority. (Gen. 1:26-27)
b. He originally designed for us to be “fruitful and multiply” and to fill the earth and rule over it. (Gen 1: 28). (which means to be productive for good and increase, and steward your territory)
i. GOD IS INTO “INCREASE”
c. He planned that we would walk in His authority that He gave us to reflect His virtues—glorifying Him in caring for the earth.
d. But, we are convinced that we need to do so many other things to be like God or to be welcomed by God, and that what He gave us wasn’t enough already. (Gen. 3:1-7)
e. But, this deception grieves God because He already made us as a reflection of Him and loved us and was very proud of us. (Gen. 1:26-27,31)
f. This deception causes us to rely on something else instead of God.
g. This totally ruined our connection with God and ruins our reflection of His character. (Romans 3:23)
h. But God still loves us and hasn’t changed. (2 Tim. 2:13)
i. He reaches out to us to restore our relationship with Him, and our reflection of His goodness; and then, He restores authority He originally gave us to care for our surroundings.
j. He sent Jesus to be the middle-man in our reconciliation with Him, and even to take the punishment that we couldn’t bear. (1 John 2:2)
k. This is who our relationship is restored with. This is the good news.
“THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN”
l. Now with our connection restored, the mission is updated, but not changed. The good news is that God is restoring this world through the same methods He from the beginning: “be fruitful and multiply.” (be productive for good and increase)
i. GOD IS INTO “INCREASE”ii. He is bringing heaven to earth (just as originally planned) through us who have a restored relationship with Him.
- The Kingdom of Heaven starts with God, it starts small, then it increases.
a. read Luke 17:20-21
i. The kingdom is within you, if you been reconnected with God.
b. read Matthew 13:31-33 | Luke 13:18-21
i. A “parable” is a comparison between 2 things to illustrate a point.
ii. A mustard tree is an annual plant that was commonly used medicinally in the area around the Sea of Galilee.
iii. It also could grow very large, and the flowering was bright despite how small the seed was.
iv. Leaven = yeast.
v. They didn’t have instant yeast, so it needed to be kneaded into the flour before it could engage the whole loaf evenly.
vi. These parables illustrate that the kingdom of heaven may start off small, but it ends up being huge; it may start off local, but it ends up being far-spread.
vii. Notice that the woman in the parable is working the yeast into the flour dough to ensure that it spreads throughout the 3 measures of flour.
- GOD PROVIDES THE INCREASE.
“OUR PART”
- Are we a part of the increase?
a. This means the kingdom of God is in our hearts first (small area) and it should be increasing in our hearts.
b. He’s restoring our ability to reflect His goodness and He’s guiding us to help others to be reconnected to Him.
c. What does this look like? (#lovegives)
i. This may be through sharing the good news of Jesus with someone who never knew of Him (evangelism)
ii. Or maybe it’s sitting and mourning with someone in a hard time
iii. Or maybe it’s rejoicing when someone else has success
iv. Or making greeting cards for a person you had in mind
v. Or helping someone to do the right thing in their specific situation
vi. Or maybe it’s just increasing God’s influence within your own heart and life and schedule
d. Examples | Testimonials:
i. Story of the Good Samaritan – breaking down ethnic divisions to restore God’s original desire for a man in need (Luke 10:25-37)
ii. Story of the Woman at the Well – seeing past cultural divides to bring truth and freedom to someone who is in bondage (John 4:1-42)
iii. Sharing what you have to help a brother – “Please Sit In My Chair” (Theirs Is The Kingdom by Robert Lupton)
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Acts 2:44 – Christians shared things in common with each other.
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Next Steps:
a. PRAY (for direction)
i. Seek God for His will. Don’t make it up. God wants increase more than we do. Let Him lead.
ii. Ask Him what He wants you to do to increase His kingdom.
iii. This could be personal growth or repentance in your own relationship with God
iv. Or, this could be a hope for someone else’s growth/reconciliation to God
b. When you hear direction from God, PRAY (for help) for the thing that needs to be done that you can’t do.
c. Coordinate with others here: Let’s be intentional together to leverage each other’s skillsets, resources, ideas, gifts, and passions. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
i. Acts 11:27-30 – Christians use their spiritual gifts and resources to aid others in need.
d. All of this should be done prayerfully. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
- Summary Conclusion:
a. This is the identity God restored in you:
i. You are a royal priesthood, a holy people, God’s own people who bear His image. (1 Peter 2:9)
ii. With that comes some benefits and some responsibility to be involved in the increase.
b. God will help us to be a part of the increase of His kingdom.
c. IT STARTS WITH GOD, IT STARTS SMALL, THEN IT INCREASES.
Key Verses: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43
1. Horticultural Sabotage: Wheat vs. Bearded Darnel
a. The People listening to Jesus would have likely been able to picture this concept.
b. Wheat and darnel crops are identical to each other when they are immature. It isn’t until they reach maturity that one can visually distinguish which one is which.
2. What’s It Mean To “be good”?
a. In English,” good” can end up being a pretty subjective word.
i. Definition of good – (adjective) to be desired or having the qualities desired for a particular role
ii. Definition of good – (noun) that which is morally right; a benefit or advantage to someone or something
b. In Matthew 13:24 we have the Greek word transliterated as “Kalos”, which is appealing to the eye.
c. More examples of the word “good” in the Bible:
i. Genesis 1:31 – Hebrew word “tov” meaning merry, pleasant, desirable; in order, usable- efficient; friendly; kind; morally good
ii. Mark 10:17-18 – the Greek word “agathos;” good in character, perfect
3. The Important Take Away: Here on Earth, where the enemy has sown his weeds, believers and the spawn of the enemy are growing side-by-side. It is not enough to just be “good” in the subjective way we use the word. In our immaturity, just like the bearded darnel and the wheat, we are indistinguishable!
4. Worry About Yourself…
a. This isn’t an anti-accountability in relationship speech nor is this a call for selfishness/self-centered behavior. It’s especially not any condemnation! It’s a call to be constantly searching our hearts so that we become more like Christ daily…this is anti-complacency.
b. Just being able to quote scripture isn’t enough, if it’s not coming from a changed heart.
i. The Devil knows what God and the scripture says! (Scriptures: Matthew 4:6; Genesis 3:1)
c. The angels will do the separating of God’s people vs. the World’s people in the last days, so no need for us to worry about who’s who, our focus needs to be on examining our own hearts and responding to the Holy Spirit.
5. We Have To Grow Up.
a. God is calling us to maturity
i. 1 Corinthians 13:11
b. God is calling us to the bear fruit of our salvation.
i. Galatians 5:22-26
ii. Philippians 3:12
6. The Steps To Maturing
a. Read Your Bible – Let it change you to your core!
i. Hebrews 4:12
b. Increase Your Prayer Time
i. Romans 12:12
c. Praise and Worship – This Will Keep Your Focus Right
i. Psalm 96:2-3
d. “Say yes to God early and often” – Obedience is better than sacrifice!
i. 1 Samuel 15:22
7. A Note on What Lasts Forever: 1 Corinthians 13:13
Mark 4:1-9, 4:13-20
I. Introduction: Soul Soil
II. Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed (Mark 4:1-9 & 4:13-20)A. Jesus teaches the parable by the lakeshore.
B. The parable describes a farmer scattering seeds.
C. Jesus explains the meaning of the parable to his disciples.
III. Different Soil Types and Their MeaningsA. The Path – Hardened Heart (Mark 4:4, 15)1. Seed falls on the path, eaten by birds.
2. Represents those whose hearts are hardened and the word is snatched away.
B. Rocky Ground – Shallow Heart (Mark 4:5-6, 16-17)1. Seed falls on shallow soil, sprouts quickly but withers.
2. Represents those who receive the word with joy but lack depth and fall away.
C. Thorny Ground – Choked Heart (Mark 4:7, 18-19)1. Seed falls among thorns and is choked out.
2. Represents those who hear the word but are choked by worldly concerns.
D. Good Soil – Receptive Heart (Mark 4:8, 20)1. Seed falls on good soil and produces a bountiful crop.
2. Represents those who hear, accept, and bear fruit from the word.
IV. Our Good Farmer/FatherA. The Farmer spreads the seed everywhere.
B. The Farmer does not consider any seed wasted.
C. The Farmer continues to spread the seed regardless of the outcome.
V. Good Soil and Good Souls Take WorkA. Soil must be soft, malleable, and accepting.
B. Soil must be free of thorns and weeds.
C. Soil must allow for deep roots.
D. Soil must be ready.
Matthew 25:1-13
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Historical context of first century weddings in Israel:
Stage 1: Engagement – often arranged at a young age
Stage 2: Betrothal – public exchanging of vows that occurred as the couple approached marriageable age, accompanied with exchanging of gifts, could occur one year prior to the wedding feast, required a divorce to annul the betrothal
Stage 3: Wedding Feast – Officially consummated the marriage, couple would live together after this time, lasted several days to a week, bridegroom would be greeted by bridesmaids and guided to the wedding feast, often started at night
Source: And Jesus Said: A Handbook of the Parables of Jesus by William Barclay
Important Symbols:
- Bridegroom = Christ John 3:28-30, Revelation 21:2, 9, Ephesians 5:31-32,
- Ten Virgins = Visible covenantal people of God: Israel or the Church Matthew 24, Jeremiah 31:4, Amos 5:2, Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 16:18, Romans 11:17-18, Romans 2:25-29,
- Wedding Feast – the union of Christ and his church in a final, universal feast Revelation 19:6-9
Important Lessons from the Parable
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The Lord may delay in his second coming. 2 Peter 3:1-4, 8
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Daily rhythms will continue while we wait the second coming of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12
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The form of religion and participation in a visible religious institution does not guarantee that one is a follower of Christ and ready for the return of Christ. 2 Corinthians 13:5, Revelation 3:1-4,
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Self-improvement apart from the Spirit-filled work of God does not prepare one for the return of Christ. Colossians 2:20-23, Galatians 5:1-4,
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Genuine, living faith cannot be transferred from one person to another. John 3:16-18, Romans 10:9-14,
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Knowing Jesus is the only way to be ready for his coming. Matthew 24:11-13, Matthew 7:21-23,
How can we know if we truly know Jesus and are ready for his return? 1. Do I abide in Christ? John 15:4-6
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Do I have an earnest desire to follow God’s commands? Am I grieved by my sin? John 14:15, Luke 9:26, 1 John 1:8-10
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Does my life show evidence of spiritual fruit? Luke 6:43-45, Galatians 5:22-24,
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Does my life show evidence of sanctification and spiritual growth over the long-term? Colossians 2:6-7, Philippians 1:6
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Do I have a desire to see others follow Jesus? Am I taking steps based on that desire? Matthew 13:23
What Should We Do?
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If you know that you do not know Jesus: Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Acts 2:37-38
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If you are not sure if you know Jesus: Honestly test your faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5
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If you are sure that you do know Jesus:
Rest in the assurance of salvation for those who believe. 1 John 5:13, Romans 8:31-39
Seek to know Christ more. Philippians 3:10-14
Revelation 5:5
- Lamb vs. Lion
a. Lamb of God
i. ‘The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects. ‘ Exodus 12:5
ii. John the Baptist: Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ‘
iii. Isaiah 53:7-9 ‘He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
b. Lion
i. Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” ‘ Revelation 5:5
- King Jesus
a. Revelation 1:12-18
‘When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. ‘
b. Revelation 19:11-16
‘Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. ‘
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Invitation : interact with Jesus as KING
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What does this mean?
a. How you view Jesus (lion/lamb/King)
i. They all matter
b. How you view yourself
i. A Christian?
ii. Follower of Christ?
iii. Child of God, Ambassador of the Kingdom of God, filled with the Holy Spirit and the authority and power of King Jesus (the invitation!)
- Story of Gideon, Judges 6:1-16
3 types of soldiers
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Timid and afraid
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Drank water directly from the stream
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They were not keeping an eye out for possible enemies which could potentially harm them or their fellow soldiers.
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Focused on their own current “pressing” need.
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The final 300 –
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Bold, courageous,
- (still got water)
- aware of the battle
- watched out for each other,
- Trusted God
The results? All of Israel received the reward
- In this instance God did not rebuke or chastise the ones who were afraid,
- He did not rebuke or chastise the ones who drank, (they were not afraid, they tried)
- What about the 300? They alone did not get the rewards of the battle, all of Israel did.
What did the first two groups miss? Judges 7:12-22 (Israel wins!)
They missed being intimately involved in what God was doing and they missed seeing with their own eyes the glory and power of God.
The Invitation: Interact with Jesus as king and to be like the 300
What do you value most?
- Comfort, safety, money, things, your time? OR
- Abiding with Jesus, the Word, worship, Salvation for others, healing for others?
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” ‘ Deuteronomy 31:6
The Invitation: The Holy Spirit is asking you today?
Will you accept my invitation, even if it means prison? (your perspective/posture)
Will you pray & read the Word more, interacting with Jesus the King (your time)
Will you worship Jesus as King? (your body, mind, will, emotions)
What do I do?
- Decide what type of Christ follower you’d like to be.
- Be with Jesus
- Learn about Jesus
- Obey Jesus
- Worship Jesus
The Parable of the Vineyard Worker
Matthew 20:1-16
Big Idea: Grace is not about fairness. It’s about God being gracious to us when we believe in Him. Through that grace, He provides every person what they need for each day.
What is grace? Getting something good that we don’t deserve.
What is fairness? Impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination
The 5 W’s and the H
Who is Jesus speaking to? The disciples
Who are the people in the story? The landowner and the workers
What was a full day’s wage?
A denarius was the payment for a full day’s labor for a skilled laborer or soldier.
The denarius was the standard Roman silver coin. It was used for centuries for everyday transactions, trade, and taxation.
When does the story take place? During one full day from early morning to evening (most likely sunrise to sunset – 6 AM – 6 PM). Probably during the late summer during the harvest time.
Where does the story take place? The vineyard and the marketplace
We are going to figure out the why and the How by looking at the what together.
Why is Jesus telling us this story?
How can we relate it to our lives today?
Let’s go back and look at what is happening together.
Matthew 20:1
Jesus is revealing that the Kingdom of Heaven starts here on earth.
How we live, what we do with our time, how we treat others, all of that matters.
Matthew 20:2
Jesus is starting to reveal the character of God which gives us an example of how to live
- God is trustworthy
The landowner agreed to pay a normal daily wage and that’s exactly what he did (Matthew 20:2, 9)
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19)
- God pursues us – He desires to be in relationship with us (Luke 15:4-7)
The landowner is going to the marketplace to find workers to help with the harvest (Matthew 20:3-7)
We are like those workers. While we are waiting around in the world (the marketplace) in our sin, God pursues us. He wants to bring us into the vineyard, the Kingdom of Heaven if you will, into a relationship with Him.
There’s an urgency because God knows the harvest (our time here on earth) is short compared to eternity.
- God provides for us
It’s important to note that the workers were paid in the evening at the end of the day. They didn’t have to wait till the end of the week to get paid.
a. In the evening, the landowner told the foreman to call the workers in to be paid (Matthew 20:8)
It was a law that day laborers would get paid at the end of each day. (Deuteronomy 24:14)
b. They each earned a full day’s wage. (Matthew 20:9-10)
We can also relate this back to the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
“Give us this day our daily bread” (KJV)
This prayer is a collective us. When we pray, we ask God to give us; everyone; all people what they need for each day.
That’s how daily bread works – like manna from Heaven.
- God is gracious to us when we don’t deserve it
The workers protested because they were jealous that the workers that came last got paid the same as they did when they had been there all day. (Matthew 20:9-12)
Jealousy is a sin that leads to other sins (anger, bitterness, resentment, coveting) (Proverbs 6:34)
a. We all sin – A sin is a sin; no matter the depth of that sin. Sin separates us from God.
We all sin, BUT GOD
Romans 5:8 But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
God knew we would sin. In his grace, He had a plan to restore our relationship with Him.
James 2:10 – For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
(Pastor Rebecca shared this when she preached about covenant relationships)
Despite our sin,
b. We all have access to God’s grace when we believe in Jesus
The landowner paid each worker what he promised.
Everyone that accepted the invitation to work was paid the same.
He didn’t show favoritism to the workers that accepted the invitation first.
When we believe in Jesus (accept the invitation), admit we have sinned, ask for forgiveness, and turn away from that sin, God is quick and gracious to forgive us. Even if it’s in the last hour of our life because He loves us and desires to have a relationship with us.
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9)
Romans 3:22-25
God doesn’t pick and choose who He’s going to forgive.
He doesn’t have favorites.
Everyone who believes in Jesus is welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven
Regardless of our past sins
Regardless of when we accept the invitation (early in life or late in life)
- God elevates us to “friend” status, when we believe in Jesus
“Friend, I haven’t been unfair” (Matthew 20:13)
John 15:12-17
How we live our lives here and now in this short time we have on earth matters.
Are we living our lives as a reflection of the character of God?
The landowner chose the workers to help bring in the harvest.
God chose us, He created us to be in relationship with Him.
God also called us to love others and share the gift of salvation with others.
God is calling us into action. To go into the world and be the example that Jesus was to others.
To love people the way Jesus did so that we can produce lasting fruit – a harvest of Jesus followers that will secure their seat at the table in Heaven for eternity.
- God is sovereign
The landowner said, “Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money?”
God is the landowner. He created the world and everything on and in the earth.
Shouldn’t He get to decide who is deserving of grace?
For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)
If we look past the parable in Matthew 20:17-28
Jesus is predicting His death and teaching the disciples about serving others.
The mother of James and John asks her to let her two sons sit on his right and left in the places of honor in Heaven.
Jesus responds in Matthew 20:23
Jesus is confirming that we will experience challenges in this life because of our faith (“you will indeed drink from my bitter cup”)
Jesus is also declaring that God is sovereign (“I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My father has prepared those places..”
- The Kingdom of Heaven operates on different principles than the world does
In the world, in our human ness we feel like we are more deserving if we work more hours than someone else or if we have done more good things than someone else.
In the Kingdom of Heaven, worldly achievements and success don’t matter. What matters is our humility, how we serve others, and how we love God and love people
God rewards us not on human merit but on His own sovereign will. He predestined each of us to receive salvation and all of the blessings that come with that free gift (Ephesians 1:11)
The landowner told the foreman to call the workers in to pay them beginning with the last workers first (Matthew 20:8). At the end of the parable, it reiterates that the first will be last and the last will be first (Matthew 20:16)
When something is repeated, we know we need to pay extra attention to it, right?
It doesn’t matter if we come to faith when we are 3 years old, 103 years old, or today years old.
It doesn’t matter if our sins feel bigger or heavier than someone else’s.
We all have the same opportunity to receive salvation by believing in Jesus
God in His sovereignty makes all things new.
All we need to do is accept His invitation.
Because of Jesus, we have more than we deserve.
Quote by Timothy Keller, a presbyterian preacher
“Jesus Christ was treated as we deserved so that when we believe in Jesus, God treats us as Jesus deserves.”
This parable is a beautiful picture of not only how we should treat each other here in this short time on earth but also a little glimpse of what Heaven is like.
It will be a place where everyone will have exactly what they need for each day.
A place that is filled with the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
We can choose to live our lives doing what the world does by feeling like we are owed something or deserve more
OR
We can choose to live our lives with humility, serving others, loving God and people, and following the example of Jesus walking in His character and grace.
Titus 2:11-14
Closing
What should we do next?
How can we apply this to our lives today?
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We can accept God’s free gift of grace by believing in Jesus
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We can live out of thankfulness because of that gift
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We can share that free gift with others by living like Jesus
Being trustworthy, Being kind, Being grateful (not envious)
Being compassionate, Being gracious (forgiving) Living our lives as an example of God’s love; reflecting His character and His heart for humanity.
Maybe we are like those workers that came early in the morning and we have been trying to follow Jesus for a long time.
Maybe we are like the workers that came at the end of the day, and we are just starting to figure who God is.
What matters the most isn’t how many hours we’ve put in or who has followed Jesus longer or who has sinned less.
The thing that matters the most is whether or not we accept the invitation. Whether or not we choose to receive God’s free gift of salvation.
Big idea: Grace is not about fairness. It’s about God being gracious to us when we believe in Him. Through that grace, He provides each of us what we need every day.
God is a good and gracious father more than a fair father.
There is no sin too big, nothing we have done that God’s grace doesn’t cover.
Matthew 6:33
PREVIEWING our series on the KINGDOM of Heaven
You’ll have questions. You may not have all of the answers, but you’re going to get some. That’s a good thing! This is about seeking! This is about learning! This is about pursuing!
After this preview, you may have MORE questions, but let’s start by explaining the structure. We’ll talk about tensions, and then refer to truth:
First tension:
What do I need to own, or whom must I defeat, in order to live another day?
First truth: Matthew 6:33
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Jesus is King (see: last two Sunday messages), but not everyone acknowledges Him as King here on this earth (right now)
Revelation 19:16
Two things are fighting it out ? Some people are focused on what I need to own, whom I must defeat, how do I survive. Others are focused on the Kingdom of Heaven and living righteously.
This discord is often not like a clash of sword and steel. It’s a difference in perspective.
Do you recognize Jesus as King? Or are you just living amongst those who do?
The parables Jesus shared sometimes had some harsh realities tied to them. Some seem unfair, others seem too harsh, some seem improbable, others are hard to understand. But they all rely on us accepting Jesus as King to truly understand.
What does it mean to Seek the Kingdom of God? Put the Kingdom of God above all else?
Second Tension:
You do you!
You really need to worry about yourself first.
Do what’s best for you (and your family).
Second Truth: Matthew 6: 9-10
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Priority number one is God’s will (Your Kingdom come, your will be done)
What does it mean to live righteously? What is the difference between living righteously and seeking His Kingdom?
Third Tension:
Living Righteously according to who?
Third Truth:
Matthew 5:21-48
Basic:
Don’t be angry with someone. Don’t call someone an idiot. Don’t curse someone. Settle your differences quickly. Don’t look with lust. Don’t make empty promises. Just say, I will or I won’t.
Advanced:
Someone slaps you, offer the other cheek. If you are sued and they take your shirt, give them your coat. Someone demands that you carry his gear: carry it two miles. Give to those who ask and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. Love your enemies.
Expert:
Be perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect.
The standard is impossible, but it is still the standard.
What does he mean by: “He will give you everything you need” or “All these things will be added to you?”
Fourth Tension:
Jesus did not seem to have a very enjoyable life. He wasn’t rich, he died young, was tortured and shunned, only knew like 12 people or so, and was way too popular for my liking. Who could stand having people follow you around all the time???
Fourth Truth:
“Many of us will experience the pain of unmet needs in this life. We may not have the food, medicine, or other provisions we need to survive, even if we faithfully follow Jesus to the end. We may live with justice for all and still receive oppression in return. Some of us will be hurt and have no one to tend to our needs. Jesus’ life and words speak to this reality as well. He himself experienced betrayal, poverty, hunger, and violence as he lived in the ways of God’s Kingdom. But he never felt insecure.” (The Bible Project)
CONCLUSION:
This verse is about VALUE:
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
What do you care about?
What does Jesus care about?
Where do these two things align?
Sources:
https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-matthew-6-33-seek-first-the-kingdom-of-god-means/
Revelation 1:5-6
What kind of king is Jesus? How did Jesus present himself? How did people respond? Matthew 1:1, 2:2; 21:1-5; 27:11, 29, 37 Zechariah 9:9-10
How did Jesus characterize his own leadership style? Matthew 20:25-28
What did Jesus’ followers believe about what kind of king Jesus is? Hebrews 1:3
What did the prophet John see? Revelation 1:5-6, 17:14, 19:11-16
What should we do? Treat him as a king.
How should we pray, based on these truths? Treat him like a king in prayer
John Newton said, “Thou art coming to a king, large petitions with you bring, for his grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much.”
Ephesians 1:19-23
- Who is Jesus? Mediator of the New Covenant, Hebrews 9:15.
- Who was Jesus predicted to be? Isaiah 9:6-7 Daniel 7:13-14
- Who did Jesus describe himself to be? John 18:36-37 Matthew 28:18
- Who did Jesus’ followers believe him to be? Ephesians 1:19-23 Acts 2:29-33
What should we do? Treat Jesus as King of thoughts.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” – 2 Corinthians 12:5 ESV
Hebrews 9:15
“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” – Hebrews 9:15 ESV
List of Covenants
- Edenic – Made with Adam & Eve (before sin)
- Adamic – Made with Adam & Eve & all creatures (after sin) expressing his purpose in redemption
- Noahic – After the flood, involving all creatures and all future generations of mankind. It confirms and ads to God’s purpose as stated in the Edenic Covenant
- Abrahamic – Made with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. It involves Israel and all believers of all nations.
- Mosaic – Made with Israel to point the way to Jesus Christ as Messiah and Savior of the World.
- Palestinian – Given to Israel after wandering for 40 years and before they entered the Promised Land. It gave conditions for entering and maintaining the promised land.
- Davidic – Made with David/Israel. Points to the everlasting Throne and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- The New – made by Jesus immediately prior to His death. It became the fulfilment of all previous Covenants, making possible their everlasting elements. This covenant makes possible and brings the believer into the Everlasting Covenant.
- The Everlasting – Made in eternity before time began, between the Godhead (F, S, HS). It is all encompassing involving Creation & Redemption. It involves God’s purpose for man BEFORE the entrance of sin.
Between the Edenic Covenant and the New Covenant there was a continual cycle that happened between God and those he made covenants with: Covenant, Probation, Failure, and Judgement
By the time Jesus came the leaders of the Jewish nation had perverted and twisted the Mosaic Covenant by their traditions (Mark 7:1-15). They had become spiritually proud of their choice under the Abrahamic Covenant. They were characterized by hypocrisy, arrogance and lack of any spiritual perception.
Words
Blessings
Matthew 5:3-12
Vs. 3-Blessed are those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Vs. 4- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Vs. 5-Blessed are those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
Vs. 6-God blesses those who hunger & thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
Vs. 7-Blessed are those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Vs. 8-Blessed are those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
Vs. 9-Blessed are those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
Vs. 10-Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Vs. 11-12, Blessed are you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
Blessings of Atonement
- Pardon – Our sins are forgiven!
- Justification – making us righteous before God
- Regeneration – Born again, new heart (also Ezekiel 36:26, I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.)
- Assurance – Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. I can trust in Jesus and my Salvation
- Sanctification – Made holy, The process of becoming more like Jesus
- Adoption – Romans 8: adopted as a child of God, we can call him Daddy and we become his heirs!
- Glorification – heirs of God’s glory
Also: Blessing of Eternal life and Cursing of Eternal Damnation
Terms of the Covenant
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Repentance of Sin evidenced by genuine sorrow and change.
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Love – ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37
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Faith (The whole book of Hebrews:)
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Obedience – John 14:15 ”If you love me, keep my commandments.”
Hebrews 5:8-9 ‘Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. ‘
Ezekiel 36:26-27 ‘And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.’
Oath of the Covenant
Hebrews 6:16:20
‘Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.’
- God will follow through with his promises (blessings and cursing).
- We also take an oath: to love God, to obey, through relationship (friend of God)
Blood – Christ’s Blood
Occurrence | Elements of Power
Garden of Gethsemane | Sacrifice of the will (not my will but yours)
Scourging/whipping | “By His stripes, we are healed” His stripes provide healing atonement
Crown of thorns | Thorns = byproduct of man’s sinRenewing the mind
Crucifixion | Piercing (blood) was for the forgiveness of sin
Pierced Side | Blood and water = cleansing elements. Cleansing for perfecting of the church, Christ’s bride
Seal of the Covenant: The Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13-14 ‘And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you The Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee (seal) that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. ‘
Jesus fulfills and is the New Covenant!
Covenant Purpose
The Everlasting Covenant is the purpose of God designed before the foundation of the earth
- The new covenant is based on our personal relationship with Jesus
- The more we know Christ the more the covenant will be worked out in us (Jn 14:6)
- What determines our future is the strength of our connection with (Jn 15:5)
- Christ became wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for us (1 Cor 1:30)
What do I do?
- Think about the depth of the New covenant and how it impacts your life
- Spend time with thanksgiving and rejoicing over what Jesus did for you!
- Ask Jesus to help you keep your part of the covenant.
Revelation 1:18 I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Philippians 2:6-11 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
He has risen as he said!
Amos 3:3
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Covenants are the framework for understanding God’s dealings with man.
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The Covenants are the basis to understanding the Bible.
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There is an attack on covenant truth in society today.
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Our lives are determined by covenants and our response to them.
Core Details
What is a covenant?
Between people
- Treaty, alliance, league (Gen. 14:13, Ex. 23:32, 34:12 & 15, Joshua 9:6-16)
- Constitution, ordinance (2 Samuel 3:12 & 13, 5:3, Jer. 34:8-18)
- Agreement, pledge (2 Kings 11:4, Hosea 10:4)
- Alliance of friendship (1 Samuel 18:3; 20:8, 23:18)
- Alliance of marriage (Prov. 2:17, Mal. 2:14)
Between God and people
- Alliance of friendship (Psalm 25:14)
- Divine constitution or ordinance with signs or pledges (Gen. 9:9-17, Ex. 2:24)
Amos 3:3 – ‘Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? ‘
Covenant is commitment and agreement
Who Originated the covenants? God
God is a:
- Covenant-Making God (Gen. 6:18, Gen. 15:18, 17:2, 2 Sam. 23:5, Jer. 31:31-34, Isa. 55:3, 61:8)
- Covenant-Keeping God (Deut. 7:9, 2 Chr. 6:14, Ps. 111:5 & 9, Rom. 1:31)
- Covenant-Revealing God (Psalm 25:14, Deut. 4:13)
- Covenant-Enabling God (Eph. 2:4-13
- The same God who Makes, keeps & reveals Covenants also enables people to fulfill their part.
What is a covenant? Hebrew: Be’rith = Binding and Loosing* Connected with covenant. * Join to another party, contained obligations and stipulations * Used of divorce (breaking of covenant) * Bind: bring into covenantal community * Loose: remove from covenantal community
How a covenant works:
A treaty is only valid when there are guidelines which give the boundaries and the parameters for that agreement.
The keeping of covenants is only possible when there is relationship between the two parties.
Must be a balance of commitment and relationship/friendship
| Commitment | Friendship | | Stipulations | Peace | | Requirements | Brotherhood | | Judgments | Mutual understanding | | Legal Side |
BalancePeople who only take the commitment side become legalistic and people who only take the friendship side refuse to listen to the law. (we tend to gravitate to one side or the other)
- There cannot be an offense between the parties making and agreement
- There must be desire on both sides for a solution
A balance of Commitment & Relationship brings comfort
Purpose of a CovenantA covenant helps to define more clearly the nature and extent of the relationship between the different parties.
Dependent on communication, otherwise, one or both sides can take things for granted
Parts of a Covenant
- Words
- Promises/Blessings Lev. 26, Deut. 28, Eph. 6:1-3, II Peter 1:4
- Terms If you ____, I will _____Lev. 26:4-9
- Oath Heb. 6:15-17
- “A promise”
- Mans swears he will keep the promise
- Book (written record, tablet) Ex. 24:7-8, Heb. 9:19
- Longstanding permanent record of words spoken
- Often more than on copy, given to participating pirates
- Maybe why two tablets of commandments (one for God, one for people)
- Blood
- Sacrifice Rom. 12:1-2, Heb. 10:29
- Wages of sin was death
- Life come from the Blood
- No remission of sin without the shedding of blood
- Mediator Heb. 12:24, I Tim. 2:5
- Sanctuary, the place where the sacrifice is made Gen. 12:8, Heb. 13:9-12
- Met with God at the altar
- Patriarchs built altars
- Altars in the patriarchs age were the sanctuary
- Temple became the sanctuary
- Sacrifice Rom. 12:1-2, Heb. 10:29
- Seal
- Tangible representation that the covenant is still in effect
- Intact seal meant he document was official
- Signet (Authenticity), Used to seal document (signet ring)Esther 3:10-12
- Token (Ongoing witness, guarantee), Gen. 9:12-14, Eph. 1:13,14
- Rainbow
- Circumcision
- Revelations 6: Lamb handed book with 7 seals – the revealed testament of God
Foundation for God’s Covenant with Man.* The Earth is the Lord’s and all within… (God’s property) * God did not barter with people when making covenants * We can accept or reject God’s will. We can’t change it. + If we accept it, we are blessed + If we reject it, we will be cursed + (In Covenant Relationship to god) We are not free to choose how we live out our lives, we are slaves to God
“God has given us the ability to choose, but He has never given us the right to choose evil”
1st Covenant in the Bible: Edenic Covenant
Words
Promise of Blessing
- Created in the image of God
- Shadow, model, similar. The qualities of God in Man
- Be fruitful & multiply
- Natural & Spiritual
- (synonymous with the outworkings of your life)Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:20
- Subdue the Earth
- “Subdue” Adam was to subdue Satan (to keep sin away)
- Genesis 4:7 – ‘You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” ‘
- To Have Dominion
- Rulership over creation
- The Garden was to be extended throughout the whole earth
- Spiritual authority
- To eat herbs & fruit (eating meat was not allowed until Noahic Covenant)
- Till the ground
- We were created to work!
- Terms
- Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
- One commandment
- In breaking one, broke all (James 2:10)
- Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
No matter what I break, I’m violating the will of the Father
Blood
- Implied
- Adam’s rib
- Sacrifice was not redemptive: man had not sinned.
Seal
- Tree of Life (taken)
The Choice
Obedience or disobedience
Summary
This covenant stands unique as it is the only covenant made with man before the entrance of sin. It declared God’s creative purpose from man including covenantal relationship, character, dominion, fruitfulness and eternal life upon obedience and faith. The fall of man necessitated the revelation of the redemptive covenants to bring this covenant to fulfilment. This was particularly made possible by the New covenant, which restores to man all that was lost in the Edenic covenant.
Thread that is present throughout the Bible – God wants to reconcile Himself to sinners, we can live at peace with God.
So what do I do?
- Ask God to reveal the depth of His Covenant with you
- Take time to think about what we lost when we broke the Edenic covenant.
- Read further scriptures on the topic from your notes
Romans 4:24-25
Jesus was raised from the dead to save us (for our atonement).
· What is the importance of the resurrection of Jesus?
· Why was the resurrection of Jesus necessary?
· What are the evidences of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead?
“It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” – Romans 4:24-25 ESV “It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” – Romans 4:24-25 NLT
What is the importance of the resurrection of Jesus?
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Essential element of Jesus Christ’s identity as Savior, Lord, and victorious King – Romans 4:24-25; 1 Corinthians 15
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Foundational to all Christian faith – 1 Corinthians 15
1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 12-28 NLT
Without the resurrection of Jesus, we are still guilty in our sins with no hope of forgiveness or eternal life. Jesus must then be a liar or lunatic. The resurrection of Jesus is most important.
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The number of more than 100 New Testament references indicates its importance – Romans 4:25; 5:10
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Peter emphasizes the resurrection – Acts 1:22; 2:24, 32
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Paul emphasizes the resurrection – 1 Corinthians 15; Acts 13:30, 34; 17:31
Why was the resurrection of Jesus necessary?
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Fulfills Jesus’ predictions, authenticates his identity, and confirms his purpose – Matthew 16:21; 17:22, 23; 27:63; John 10:17-18; 2:19
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Fulfills the plan of atonement and redemption – John 11:23-27; 1 Corinthians 15: 1, 4, 14, 17-22
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Fulfills Old Testament prophecies – Isaiah 53:10; Psalms 16:10
What are the evidences of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead?
Matthew 28:1-10 NLT
Acts 1:3 NLT
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There were many witnesses – Matthew 28:1-10, 16; Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:5-6
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The missing body – Matthew 28:1-6
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The empty tomb – Matthew 28:1-6
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The stone rolled away – Matthew 28:1-6
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The broken Roman seal – Matthew 27:66-28:6
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The empty grave clothes – John 20:2, 7
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The surprised guard – Matthew 28:2-4
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The transformed disciples – Matthew 28; Acts 1-5
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The Christian Church – Acts 1-6
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The books of the New Testament
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External documentary evidence
“God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” – Romans 5:8-11 NLT
What do we learn?
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God has shown us his love through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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God atoned our sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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Through his resurrection Jesus Christ has shown power over sin and death.
What should we do?
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Receive atonement, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ.
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Daily choose gratitude for our salvation.
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Share the Good News of Jesus with those around you.
Bible study notes from Ken Malmin of Portland Bible College
2 Corinthians 5:15
Today:
- Why didn’t God eliminate the possibility of sin?
- Who did Jesus die for?
- How does atonement work?
We have many evidences of brokenness, disorder, and sin in our world: wars, chaos in nature, crime, immorality, accusing thoughts, death, violence, conflict, and broken relationships. “Humanity’s deepest need is for salvation – not just from the evil in the world, but from the evil in our own hearts.” – Purple Book
I. Why didn’t God eliminate the possibility of sin, in the beginning?
Understanding Sin:
To understand the Biblical concept of sin, we should begin with the logic of why it exists. Why is the possibility of sin a logical necessity? Why didn’t God just eliminate the possibility of sin in the beginning? “Creating humanity with a free will was the risk love had to take in order for love to be fulfilled.”
Chain of Logic:
1. Creation purpose: love relationship.
2. Relational fulfillment -> free will choice to respond.
3. More than one will -> possible conflict.
4. Potential for conflicts and/or harmony between free wills.
5. Harmony in society = order.
6. Basis for order -> common standard law, communication of relational expectations.
7. Enforcement of standard requires authority.
8. Effectiveness of authority -> obedience.
9. Disobedience = violation of the relational purpose and its implications.
Jesus teaches, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” – John 14:15 NKJV
Sin is anything contrary to the will and nature of God. The essence of sin: self-centeredness, self-will against God’s will. Sin exists when free-will becomes self-centered and the laws of God are broken.
1 John 3:4-6, 5:17-20 James 4:17 Romans 3:23-26, 14:13
Definitions of New Testament Greek words for sin:
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Missing the target, falling short
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Refusing to hear and disobeying a voice
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Inward resistance and outward breaking of law
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Crossing a boundary line
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Falling away from uprightness
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Ignorance of what should have been known
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Diminishing from what should have been full
“The best way to avoid sin is to see ourselves through God’s eyes, receive and respond to His love, and live consistent with His nature and purpose.”
II. Who did Jesus die for?
Provision & Extent We know that God provided salvation through the redemptive work of Christ, but how far does the provision extend? Did Jesus die for everyone or only for those that are saved?
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“He died for all, so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” – 2 Corinthians 5:15 LSB
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“Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” – Hebrews 2:9 LSB
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“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” – John 3:16-18 LSB
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“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the witness for this proper time.” – 1 Timothy 2:3-6 LSB
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“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9 LSB
“If Jesus died for all, then are all actually saved?”
III. How Does Atonement Work?
God is the initiator. We are responders. A critical Biblical tension: Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility
How is the atonement realized? How does it come to pass in our experience? There are two parts to the answer: God’s part and mankind’s part. God is sovereign over our redemption, meaning He decides who will be saved. Humans are responsible to respond to God’s offer of salvation, meaning God does not force salvation on anyone. God provides sovereignly but we must respond responsibly.
“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” – 1 Timothy 4:10 ESV
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 LSB
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21 ESV
“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” – Hebrews 5:9 ESV
How Atonement Works
| Provision (Giving) | | Application (Receiving)
| Savior of all men | 1 Timothy 4:10 | Especially of those that believe
| For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son | John 3:16 | That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life
| He shall save | Matthew 1:21 | His people
| He became the author of eternal salvation | Hebrews 5:9 | Unto all them that obey Him
What do we learn?
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God has shown us his love through Jesus Christ.
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God atoned our sin through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.
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This once and for all time sacrifice makes a way for us to be forgiven by God and cleansed from our moral guilt.
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We should receive and respond to God’s atonement.
What should we do?
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Receive atonement, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ.
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Daily choose gratitude as we learn more about this atonement. – Jesus paid it all receipt and Kingdom graphic – share it
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Participate in Wednesdays Bible study: How Atonement Works & God Initiates Salvation with Grace
Bible study notes from Ken Malmin of Portland Bible College
2 Corinthians 5:21
How did Jesus Christ view his own death?
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He predicted it [Matthew 16:21] “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” – LSB
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He taught that it had universal significance [John 12:32] “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” – LSB
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He affirmed that it had a definite bearing on the spirit-world [John 12:31] “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” – LSB
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He linked His incarnation and crucifixion together [John 12:27] “Now MY SOUL HAS BECOME DISMAYED; and what shall I say, ‘Father, SAVE ME from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.’” – LSB
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He declared that it was vicarious and substitutionary [Matthew 26:28] “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” – LSB
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He died by His own volition [Matthew 27:50] “Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.” – LSB
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He prayed that it would glorify God [John 12:28] “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” – LSB
Christ’s Death was Substitutionary
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He died in our place
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He bore our sin
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He received our punishment
What did Jesus followers believe about his death?
2 Corinthians 5:21 Isaiah 53:1-11 2 Corinthians 1:10
What do we learn?
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God has shown us his love through Jesus Christ.
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God atoned our sin through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.
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This once and for all time sacrifice makes a way for us to be forgiven by God and cleansed from our moral guilt.
What should we do?
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Receive atonement, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ.
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Daily choose gratitude as we learn more about this atonement.
Bible study notes from Ken Malmin of Portland Bible College
Romans 3:23-26
Atonement – to cover, the process of God covering our sin, and clothing us in His righteousness
What state does the Bible describe us in? “You were dead in your transgressions and sins.” – Ephesians 2:1 NIV
What does sin do to our relationship with God? “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” – Isaiah 59:1-2 ESV
Describe sinful humanity’s desperate condition, from Romans 3:23-26: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” – Romans 3:23-26 ESV Romans 1:1-6, 16-19 also helpful
Propitiation – the means by which sins are forgiven
The holiness of God:
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Holiness is a moral attribute of God. Psalms 47:8
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Humanity is designed for holiness – to reflect the nature of God. Genesis 1:26-28
Divine law = an expression of God’s holiness and purpose
Humanity violated the law of God and became sinful. Isaiah 59:2 Romans 3:23
The wrath of God = the reaction of God’s holiness against humanity’s sinfulness, Romans 1:18-19, 32
Atonement – to cover, reconciles; the appeasement of God’s wrath so that sinful humanity can be reconciled back to a holy God
Wrath vs Love
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Both the wrath and love of God must be satisfied.
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It is the love of God that fuels the wrath of God.
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The cross is a display of both God’s wrath and love.
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How does the atonement solve the dilemma between God’s wrath and God’s love?
a. God deals in holiness with sin.
b. God deals in love with the sinner.
What did Jesus do for us on the cross? “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” – 1 Peter 2:24-25 ESV
“Humanity’s deepest need is for salvation – not just from the evil in the world, but from the evil in our own hearts.” – Purple Book
“God is committed to us no matter what. That is why He sent Jesus to earth to bring us back into relationship with Him. Jesus couldn’t have done what He did if He hadn’t been who He was!” – Ken Malmin
What did Jesus do to save us? He died to save us.
The death of Christ was:
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Historical – Jesus really did die
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Unique – Jesus was the only sinless human to have ever died
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Incomparable – for this reason, Jesus’ death cannot be compared to that of any other
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Theological – Jesus’ death has great significance
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” – 1 Corinthians 15:3
Christ’s death was an atoning death.
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Christ died – it was an historical event
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For our sins – He died for us all, not for Himself
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According to the Scriptures – it was a pre-arranged plan
Some content from Ken Malmin’s PBC Atonement notes and some from the Purple Book by Rice Broocks and Steve Murrell
Matthew 5:1-16
Intro: The Good News of Jesus Christ is God’s redeeming grace to us. When Jesus Christ becomes our King/Lord & Savior we are welcomed into the Kingdom of God. This is to be “born again” (or “born from above”), receiving the new spiritual life that Jesus described in John 3. In this way the Kingdom of God is internal (spiritual) and it brings about external evidence.
Kingdom of God – the rule of God in the hearts of people
“Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you (or within you or within your grasp).’” – Luke 17:20–21 ESV In Luke 14, Jesus teaches that God who “invited many” including the “poor and crippled and blind and lame” to the blessing of His “great banquet” of the Kingdom. Jesus followed this with the call to follow him, in sacrifice of the carnal flesh, and referring to the analogy of being good “salt”, in Luke 14. It is then seen in evidence, from the inside out, in our lives. “The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 14:17
Context: Jesus teaches about the interaction between Father God and those he blesses, in Matthew 5:1-10. Jesus highlights the connection between the condition of our spiritual hearts and our actions. In our second look at Jesus’ use of the “salt and light” analogies, we return to Matthew 5:3-10 for instruction on how we can be “salt and light” to our circles of influence.
How do we bring salt and light? Focus on spiritual heart condition becoming actions.
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Gracious Humility realizing our need for God, we receive more than enough grace and from God and relate to God and our world with humility, Matthew 5:3-5
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Righteousness recognizing the value of the holiness and righteous justice of God, we desire that all humanity would come into alignment with God, Matthew 5:6
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Mercy receiving mercy from God through faith in Jesus, we choose to be longsuffering, patient, slow to anger, and we freely give God-sourced forgiveness to others, Matthew 5:7
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Spiritual Purity receiving spiritual cleansing from moral guilt, gracious forgiveness, and love from God, we choose to love God with wholehearted devotion and share love with others out of genuine pure motives, Matthew 5:8
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Peacemaking having been reconciled to Father God through faith in Jesus, we extend forgiveness to others and make every effort possible to repair relationships and restore our communities through building relational bridges of peace, Matthew 5:9
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Integrity having been made right through faith in Jesus, we choose a lifestyle of wholehearted devotion to God which includes living in alignment with God’s definition of what is right and what is wrong, Matthew 5:10
Circles of Influence – Matthew 5:13-16
We’re invited to wholehearted devotion to Jesus Christ and lifting up his light of Good News for all to see. We do this through our heartfelt lifestyle of love and committed to God. Our interactions with other people have varying degrees of influence on them. This influence can happen through verbal and non-verbal communication. We may influence others with ideas we initiate. We may also influence others in how we respond to life’s circumstances.
Jesus is teaching, inviting his followers to participate in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Using the analogies of salt and light, Jesus teaches an active role for us in bringing others into a relationship of being influenced by God. Where God has the most influence we find the Kingdom of God. Here and now, we are given opportunity to participate in the Kingdom of God, on this earth. Vin diagram analogy from the Bible Project. We pray and participate. We pray, “Let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We participate by helping others take next steps in following Jesus, extending the Jesus’ Movement for the Kingdom of God through the local church. Here and now, anywhere that Jesus is recognized as King is an expansion (even in small circles) of God’s Kingdom.
We can lose less energy to stress and become more effective in applying Jesus’ teaching by learning about Stephen Covey’s 3 Circles. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey writes about a person’s circles of concern, influence, and control. “concern” – our lives, health, family, problems, current events “control” – how much we are able to direct, able to shape, manipulate “influence” – what we can do something about “Positive energy enlarges the circle of influence. Proactive people focus their efforts in the circle of influence. They work on the things they can do something about. The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying, causing their circle of influence to increase. Reactive people, on the other hand, focus their efforts in the circle of concern. They focus on the weakness of other people, the problems in the environment, and circumstances over which they have no control. Their focus results in blaming and accusing attitudes, reactive language, and increased feelings of victimization. The negative energy generated by that focus, combined with the neglect in areas they could do something about, causes their circle of influence to shrink.” – Stephen Covey
What do we learn?
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The teaching of Jesus is helpful for our understanding and perspective of our natural world and the Kingdom of God.
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Jesus teaches that we’re invited to receive salvation and participate in the Kingdom of God. In this way we can participate in the positive redemptive changes God is making here and now.
What should we do about this?
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Pray, asking God to help us see and repent of any impurity.
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Pray, asking God to shape the condition of our spiritual hearts.
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Pray, asking God what we should do to share his light of Jesus’ Good News.
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Consider how we can bring the flavor of God’s blessed covenant to our circles of influence.
– Matthew 5:13-16
Context: The teaching of Jesus, in Matthew 5:1-16, helps us learn more about who God is and invites us into a blessed interaction with God. Jesus teaching about those who have received salvation through faith in the grace given by God and are responding in wholehearted devotion. We read about the heart condition of such people and how God shows his blessed approval of them. Jesus is teaching that God’s blessing invites us into relationship with him and his kingdom.
Who is God?
· One True Living God – Jer. 10:10-12 Psalm 18:46 1 Thess. 1:9
· Life-Giver: Provider & Protector Matt. 7:11 Jn. 14:14 2 Sam. 22:2-7 Psalms 138:7
· Creator & Redeemer Gen. 1:1 Isa. 44:24 43:1 Col. 1:15-28
· Good Father, Relational – Gen. 1:26-28 Isa 64:8 Matt. 6:26-33
· Rewarder of those who seek – Heb. 11:6
Who are we?
· Someone who God loved and gave identity, value, and purpose. Gen. 1:26-28
· Jesus follower Lk. 9:23-24 Jn. 13:34-35
· Child of God Jn. 1:12-13 1 Jn. 3:1 Rom. 8:16-17
· Coheir with Christ Rom. 8:17
· Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation 1 Peter 2:9
God’s story line tells us 4 things:
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What God wants for us (Creation)
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What happened to us and what went wrong with the world (Fall)
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What God has done in Jesus Christ to put things right (Redemption)
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How history will turn out in the end as a result (Restoration)
– Timothy Keller Good News of Jesus Christ: What God has done and will yet do.
To help us learn what this means, Jesus teaches with two analogies: salt and light.
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. ” – Matthew 5:13-16 ESV
“Salt of the Land” – Matthew 5:13
For thousands of years, people without refrigeration used salt to preserve food. Jesus teaches with an analogy of the value and use of pure salt.
“Pure salt cannot lose its taste. In the ancient world, what was often sold as salt was highly adulterated and the sodium chloride could leach out in humid weather, in which case the residue (normally a form of lime) would be useless.” – Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon
Salt is associated with God’s long lasting covenant promises, in Leviticus 2:13, Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5. “God showed his love by choosing people to be partners with him, blessing them so that they could together spread life to those around them.” – The Bible Project As we continue this partnership with God, it is by choice…a current choice and a continued choice of wholehearted devotion to God. Breaking covenant or rejecting God’s way is how people may “lose their saltiness”. What a contrast! Preserving the covenant with God and sharing it with others brings a Kingdom-of-God-type of spiritual preservation, “saltiness”.
“City on a Hill” – Matthew 5:14-16
Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God, using powerful imagery that they were familiar with. The prophet Isaiah saw the “mountain of the house of the Lord” as being recognized by people of all nations, in the “latter days”, in Isaiah 2. People would be drawn to this elevated “house of the Lord”, saying “Come let us go to the mountain of the Lord…that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths”, Isaiah 2:3. “Let us walk in the light of the Lord.” – Isaiah 2:5 “The Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” – Isaiah 2:17 It will be a heavenly city, and its light will be like the dawn of a new creation. Jesus is teaching with this imagery. Jesus applies this promise to himself and his followers. God is bringing about the Good News, of loving promise, and the Kingdom of God here and now (fulfilled in Jesus at that time and on the day to come).
The whole world will be able to see this goodness. Jesus calls his followers to not hide their “light under a basket”, but let it shine through the heart condition and behaviors referenced in his teaching, (including Matthew 5:3-12). This includes acts of service for people in need and generosity to the poor. The followers of Jesus hunger for right relationships and work for peace. “As they do they bring down more and more of the light of God’s Kingdom from Heaven to earth.” – Bible Project Jon Collins & Tim Mackey This Light is powerful and beneficial. It is what our world needs more than anything else.
Some of the 5,000 plus shipwrecks found in North Carolina’s Outerbanks were led to their destruction by false lights set out by pirates. These robbers would wait for cargo ships to crash, while following their mini fake lighthouses, and then scoop up the valuable supplies that drifted ashore. Some people are shipwrecked by following false lights. Paul warns New Testament believers against “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves,” and of the enemy who is “masquerading as an angel of light,” in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15.
We’re invited to wholehearted devotion to Jesus Christ and lifting up his light of Good News for all to see. We do this through our heartfelt lifestyle of love and committed to God.
Circles of Influence
Jesus is teaching, inviting his followers to participate in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Using the analogies of salt and light, Jesus teaches an active role for us in bringing others into a relationship of being influenced by God. Where God has the most influence we find the Kingdom of God. Here and now, we are given opportunity to participate in the Kingdom of God, on this earth.
What do we learn?
-
The teaching of Jesus is helpful for our understanding and perspective of our natural world and the Kingdom of God.
-
Jesus teaches that we’re invited to receive salvation and participate in the Kingdom of God. In this way we can participate in the positive redemptive changes God is making here and now.
What should we do about this?
-
Pray, asking God to help us see and repent of any impurity.
-
Consider how we can bring the flavor of God’s blessed covenant to our circles of influence.
-
Pray, asking God what we should do to share his light of Jesus’ Good News.
Blessed The teaching of Jesus, in Matthew 5:1-10, helps us learn more about who God is and invites us into a blessed interaction with God.
Jesus is teaching that God’s blessing invites us into relationship with him and his kingdom. “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. … God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” – Matthew 5:3, 10 NLT
“This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins.” – 1 John 4:9-10 NCV
“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” – 1 John 4:9 Legacy
The Christian story provides us with such a set of lenses, not to look at, but to look through.” – Lesslie Newbigin Waking up to our place in God’s story.
God’s story line tells us 4 things:
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What God wants for us (Creation)
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What happened to us and what went wrong with the world (Fall)
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What God has done in Jesus Christ to put things right (Redemption)
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How history will turn out in the end as a result (Restoration)
– Timothy Keller Good News of Jesus Christ: What God has done and will yet do.
Repeat Matthew 5:3, 10 Kingdom – reign “kingdominion” Timeline graphic NT: “kingdom of God”
“Kingdom of God” – God’s sovereign reign and rule. Teaching of Jesus in Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 5:3, 10, 19, 6:33, Mark 1:15, Luke 6:20. Its fullness is in the future, Luke 13:29, 22:18, yet it has also come in Jesus Himself, Luke 10:9, 17:21. Jesus is sovereign ruler, Ephesians 5:5, 1 Corinthians 15:24. – Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms Donald K. McKim
“I am so tired of waiting, Aren’t you, For the world to become good And beautiful and kind? Let us take a knife And cut the world in two – And see what worms are eating At the rind.” – Langston Hughes “Tired”
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 4:17 NCV
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:9-13
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 ESV
What do we learn?
-
The teaching of Jesus is helpful for our understanding and perspective of our natural world and the Kingdom of God.
-
Jesus teaches that we’re invited to receive salvation and participate in the Kingdom of God. In this way we can participate in the positive redemptive changes God is making here and now. Matthew 5:1-12 NLT
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The Kingdom of God is most valuable.
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God blesses His people.
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God is aware of our heart condition.
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God responds to our heart condition.
What should we do?
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Pray, asking God to help us learn more from the teaching of Jesus.
-
Identify our questions and what we are learning from the teaching of Jesus.
-
Share this journey with our church family.
Blessed The teaching of Jesus, in Matthew 5:1-10, helps us learn more about who God is and invites us into a blessed interaction with God.
Jesus is teaching the Good News and inviting people into the Kingdom of God.
“This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins.” – 1 John 4:9-10 NCV
“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” – 1 John 4:9 Legacy
How can we describe the Good News in a “story line” to help us understand what the New Testament believers understood?
God’s story line tells us 4 things:
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What God wants for us (Creation)
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What happened to us and what went wrong with the world (Fall)
-
What God has done in Jesus Christ to put things right (Redemption)
-
How history will turn out in the end as a result (Restoration)
– Timothy Keller Good News of Jesus Christ: What God has done and will yet do.
Who is God?
· One True Living God – Jer. 10:10-12 Psalm 18:46 1 Thess. 1:9
· Life-Giver: Provider & Protector Matt. 7:11 Jn. 14:14 2 Sam. 22:2-7 Psalms 138:7
· Creator & Redeemer Gen. 1:1 Isa. 44:24 43:1 Col. 1:15-28
· Good Father, Relational – Gen. 1:26-28 Isa 64:8 Matt. 6:26-33
· Rewarder of those who seek – Heb. 11:6
Who are we?
· Someone who God loved and gave identity, value, and purpose. Gen. 1:26-28
· Jesus follower Lk. 9:23-24 Jn. 13:34-35
· Child of God Jn. 1:12-13 1 Jn. 3:1 Rom. 8:16-17
· Coheir with Christ Rom. 8:17
· Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation 1 Peter 2:9
How does this connect to the teaching of Jesus about the Kingdom of God?
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:9-13
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 4:17 NCV
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 ESV
What do we learn?
-
The teaching of Jesus is helpful for our understanding and perspective of our natural world and the Kingdom of God.
-
The Kingdom of God is most valuable.
-
God blesses His people.
-
God is aware of our heart condition.
-
God responds to our heart condition.
What should we do?
-
Pray, asking God to help us learn more from the teaching of Jesus.
-
Identify our questions and what we are learning from the teaching of Jesus.
-
Share this journey with our church family.
The teaching of Jesus, in Matthew 5:1-10, helps us learn more about who God is and invites us into a blessed interaction with God.
In Blessed – Part One let’s listen to the teaching of Jesus and learn from this word “Blessed”.
Matthew 5:1-10 “One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them. ‘God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs…’
God’s a “blesser” – it’s who He is – it’s what He do….God’s blessing – approval “God blessed Adam & Eve.” – Genesis 1:28
Blessing is something that God initiated and was first in order before humankind’s calling, purpose, or delegated sphere of authority was given… What we learn from the first mention of the word is that blessing was foundational to humanity’s identity and purpose. At its core, blessing was God the Father’s identity, sense of value, and heart of love, declared and imparted over his creation. It was a statement of identity, affirmation, favor, promise, and inheritance. Blessing would build into the human race the confident assurance that who they were and all they would undertake would carry significance because it flowed from a position of the Father’s blessing. They could be secure because they were loved and blessed by their Father.” – Derrill Corbin Made to Move
“It is good.” – God in creation week. God’s promise to Abraham, “blessed to be a blessing,” – Gen. 12:2-3 The blessing that God gave the priests to speak over the people, “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: ‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’ ‘So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.’” – Numbers 6:23-27 Legacy
Jesus blesses the bread” at the Passover table
Those who are blessed will be profoundly happy,
God initiates relationship by giving love. God is aware of our heart condition. God responds to our heart condition with His blessing, approval, and more.
Who is God?
- One True Living God – Jer. 10:10-12 Psalm 18:46 1 Thess. 1:9
- Life-Giver: Provider & Protector Matt. 7:11 Jn. 14:14 2 Sam. 22:2-7 Psalms 138:7
- Creator & Redeemer Gen. 1:1 Isa. 44:24 43:1 Col. 1:15-28
- Good Father, Relational – Gen. 1:26-28 Isa 64:8 Matt. 6:26-33
- Rewarder of those who seek – Heb. 11:6
“This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins.” – 1 John 4:9-10 NCV
“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” – 1 John 4:9 Legacy
God’s story line tells us 4 things:
-
What God wants for us (Creation)
-
What happened to us and what went wrong with the world (Fall)
-
What God has done in Jesus Christ to put things right (Redemption)
-
How history will turn out in the end as a result (Restoration)
– Timothy Keller
Who are we?
- Someone who God loved and gave identity, value, and purpose. Gen. 1:26-28
- Jesus follower Lk. 9:23-24 Jn. 13:34-35
- Child of God Jn. 1:12-13 1 Jn. 3:1 Rom. 8:16-17
- Coheir with Christ Rom. 8:17
- Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation 1 Peter 2:9
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 4:17 NCV
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:9-13
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 ESV
Kingdom – reign “kingdominion”
What do we learn?
-
The teaching of Jesus is helpful for our understanding and perspective of our natural world and the Kingdom of God.
-
The Kingdom of God is most valuable.
-
God blesses His people.
-
God is aware of our heart condition.
-
God responds to our heart condition.
What should we do?
-
Pray, asking God to help us learn more from the teaching of Jesus.
-
Identify our questions and what we are learning from the teaching of Jesus.
-
Share this journey with our church family.
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT)
The kingdom of God is the very essence of God and He wants us to interact with his Kingdom every day.
How do we know this? “Give us TODAY our daily bread.
We can’t ask for our daily bread today, if we aren’t talking with God every day!
What happens when we interact with God every day?
- Become more like him (pick up someone’s mannerisms/accents)
- We gain the right perspective (God’s perspective, we can trust him)
- God’s insight
- Childlike
- Mark 10:13-15 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
- Our behavior changes (inside out)
- Eph 5:1-20 (NLT) Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes —these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 5:1-20 (The Message)
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. Don’t allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed. Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don’t talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect. You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them—the usual variations on idolatry—will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God. Don’t let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don’t even hang around people like that. You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.
- 1 Peter 2:1-11
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that,
for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors.Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
- Leave affected by the Kingdom
- Righteousness (right relationship with God=your will be done/obedience)
- Peace
- Joy
- Don’t worry, we’ve asked God for what we need for today
- Worrying crowds out room for righteousness, peace and joy
- Finally: We take the Kingdom with us!
- Like the smell on your clothes after you are around a campfire
- Like bubbles
- When we abide with Jesus, we have the essence of the Kingdom following us and affecting those around us like blowing bubbles.
God’s heart is for you to interact daily with his Kingdom. It will affect you first and foremost, and then it will affect everything around you. Matthew 13:33 Yeast
God Rewards – Hebrews 11:6 Who is God? What is God like? How does God interact with us?
“And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6 ESV RSV NASB CSB
Context: Holy Spirit inspired letter to Jewish followers of Jesus. Hebrews 11 focus on the decision, by significant people in their history (in ch. 11 order same as Gen. Ex. Josh, Judges, Ruth, Sam, Chron.), to believe in God, and both the “here and now” response of God as well as the coming ultimate fulfillment of their faith upon Christ’s return. Important to note that it speaks of the Old Testament, New Testament, and future Day of the Lord as three spiritual eras. God rewarding faith is the focus (Enoch pleased God so much…). This powerful and memorable verse relates to the teaching of Jesus, in Matthew 5.
Reward – positive response, recompense, reimbursement, payment, (common word in ancient Roman and Greek cultures)
…”earnestly seek him,” – NIV
…”sincerely seek him,” – NLT
…”must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him.” – NCV
”Without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who give all their passion and strength into seeking him.” – Hebrews 11:6 TPT
“It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6 The Message
What is Jesus teaching? How are these thoughts connected to Hebrews 11:6 and relevant to us?
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 4:17 NCV summary of Jesus’ teaching
Matthew 5:3-10 NLT “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” – Matthew 5:3-10 NLT
“Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:33-34 NCV
“Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8 NCV
What do we learn?
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God provides and rewards with blessing.
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God responds to those who diligently seek him.
What should we do?
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Pray, asking God to help you remove anything that is getting in the way of your pursuit of him.
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Write a gratitude list of ways that God has provided for you and rewarded your faithful pursuit of him.
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Share your list with other people.
Matthew 6:25-34
Jesus teaches that Father God is a Provider. (return to Sermon on the Mount context)
“So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” – Matthew 6:25-27 NCV
“And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them.” – Matthew 6:28-32 NCV
Supporting Passages:
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God is seen as the Giver of life, love, and purpose. The Provider of all that Adam & Eve needed, in Genesis 1-3. Note: fruit and vegetables were ready-made-meals that required effort.
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“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,’ but remember that the LORD your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” – Deuteronomy 8:17-18 CSB
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“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.” – Proverbs 3:5-10
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“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. (from Greek translation of Proverbs 22:8)’ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, ‘They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. (Psalms 112:9)’ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 NLT
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“Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7 RSV “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19 RSV
“Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:33-34 NCV
“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Luke 12:31-34 CSB (Luke 12:22-24 same teaching as Matthew 6:25-34)
“When he said that the one is to be sought first, Jesus clearly intimates that the other is to be sought later—not that it is to be sought at a later time but that it is to be sought as a thing of secondary importance. He showed that the one is to be sought as our good, that the other is to be sought as something needful for us, but that the needful is to be sought for the sake of the good.” Augustine – Sermon on the Mount 2.16.53
What do we learn?
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God is a Provider, a Giver of more than enough.
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God’s purpose includes a loving committed relationship with us.
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God’s provision brings us peace and reduces anxiety.
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God’s Kingdom is or greater importance than our basic needs.
What should we do?
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Read our selections from Jesus’ teaching.
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Reflect on the truth that God provides for our needs.
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Consider our values. What do we care about?
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Evaluate our priorities. What matters most?
What is God’s perspective on our circle of influence?
We can all “seek first” the Kingdom of God in our prayer and daily living.
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 4:17 NCV
What did this subject of Jesus’ teaching mean to the initial audience?
Preach – publicly announce spiritual truth and principles while urging acceptance and compliance
Repent/Change – change one’s way of life as the result of complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness
Kingdom – area ruled by a king, domain,
Realm – a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
Heaven – the spiritual realm owned and operated under the control of God alone
At Hand – near, close, approaching, arriving now and ultimately arriving in the near future
Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven – throughout human history
Kingdom of God through Jesus and His followers – Jesus Movement: initiated by God’s purpose accomplished through Jesus’ miraculous birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and ultimate fulfillment yet to come upon the return of Jesus to earth
Before the ultimate victory of Jesus, the followers of Jesus are commissioned to declare His Good News, follow His teaching and example, while building local churches as expressions of His purpose of God’s Kingdom on earth, urging and teaching others to follow Jesus and participate in this movement.
“Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:33-34 NCV
Seek – to try to obtain something from someone, to look for something until you find it,
Context from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”: (handout)
What about my life here and now? Does God care about it? Does God understand what I’m facing?
“And when you pray, don’t be like those people who don’t know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, thinking that God will hear them because of their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. So when you pray, you should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name always be kept holy. May your kingdom come and what you want be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us. And do not cause us to be tempted, but save us from the Evil One.’ (The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever.) Amen.’ Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:7-15 NCV
Let the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray shape how we view God, ourselves, and our purpose.
What do we learn from the teaching of Jesus?
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The Kingdom of God is eternal and most valuable, including the spiritual realm and our natural environment.
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Here and now, God is accomplishing His passionate purpose through His Kingdom on earth.
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We are invited to participate in God’s Kingdom here and now.
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Through the communication of prayer, we are shaped by God’s purpose.
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There is a vital connection between the Kingdom of God and our daily living.
What should we do about this?
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We should build our lives on the foundation of Jesus’ teaching.
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We should set our values based on God’s priorities and passionate purpose.
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We should pray according to Jesus’ teaching.
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We should plan actions that are based on Jesus’ teaching.
Marked by pain, and yet Jabez asked God for blessing, expansion, God’s presence (guidance), and protection from “trouble and pain”.
“There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!’ And God granted him his request.” – 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NLT
“expand my territory” – NLT “enlarge my territory” – NIV “extend my border” – CSB “enlarge my borders” – ESV NASB RSV NETS (ancient Greek translation of Hebrew NT Church) “give me more land” – NCV
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.” – Isaiah 54:2–3 ESV
The phrase “lengthen your cords” is part of a larger passage in Isaiah 54 that also includes the promise that descendants will dispossess nations and settle in desolate cities.
Literal translation would include a bigger house so that we may bless more people.
What evidence do we have that New Testament era Jesus-followers followed this principle?
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:42-47 ESV
Jesus teaches prayer that brings us into alignment with God’s passionate purpose, not selfishness. – Luke 11:1-10
“I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:2-3
Good News context for “blessed to be a blessing”. Thank you God for salvation through faith in Jesus. I am blessed to be a blessing to others. Abba Father God in Heaven: love gives (life of identity, value, purpose relationship character stewardship reproduction), Provider, Protector, Redeemer (Adam & Eve), Covenant Committed Love (Abraham “blessed to be a blessing” multiplication), New Covenant spiritual life cleansing freedom purpose Jesus Movement, Relationship interaction via the Lord’s Prayer Luke 11:1-4 “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,” agape love includes gracious humility and stewardship for generosity, meeting the needs of others Luke 11:5-10. Increase our Gospel-centered influence, “Jesus Movement”, expanding the reach of God’s love expressed thru Jesus to more and more people, in more and more places.
What should we do?
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List your current areas of stewardship.
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Pray asking God for wisdom about your circles of influence and possible expansion.
“There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!’ And God granted him his request.” – 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NLT
“expand my territory” – NLT “enlarge my territory” – NIV “extend my border” – CSB “enlarge my borders” – ESV NASB RSV NETS (ancient Greek translation of Hebrew NT Church) “give me more land” – NCV
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.” – Isaiah 54:2–3 ESV
The phrase “lengthen your cords” is part of a larger passage in Isaiah 54 that also includes the promise that descendants will dispossess nations and settle in desolate cities.
Jesus teaches prayer that brings us into alignment with God’s passionate purpose, not selfishness. – Luke 11:1-10
“I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:2-3
Good News context for “blessed to be a blessing”. Thank you God for salvation through faith in Jesus. I am blessed to be a blessing to others. Abba Father God in Heaven: love gives (life of identity, value, purpose relationship character stewardship reproduction), Provider, Protector, Redeemer (Adam & Eve), Covenant Committed Love (Abraham “blessed to be a blessing” multiplication), New Covenant spiritual life cleansing freedom purpose Jesus Movement, Relationship interaction via the Lord’s Prayer Luke 11:1-4 “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,” agape love includes gracious humility and stewardship for generosity, meeting the needs of others Luke 11:5-10.
What should we do?
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List your current areas of stewardship.
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Pray asking God for wisdom about your circles of influence and possible expansion.
Matthew 2:1-12
3 kings “magi” – men of wisdom who studied the stars, a person noted for unusual capacity of understanding, combining both the secular and religious, one with special wisdom about the meaning of the course of the stars and its interconnection with world events. Most likely from Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia
The “magi” Greek word also used in other books as: a. Persian priest, b. one with supernatural knowledge and ability, c. magician or missionary of a new religion, d. wielding power to convince
“Later tellings of the story identified the magi by name and identified their lands of origin: Melchior hailed from Persia, Gaspar from India, and Balthazar from Arabia.” – National Geographic
How do the magi interact with Jesus? 1. Seek 2. Find 3. Worship 4. Rejoice
- Seek
“search diligently” – careful search to discover, diligent effort to discover, accurate, both detail and completeness
“Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.” – Psalms 148:3
- Find
Epiphany – “3 Kings Day” Christian feast day (in January) “The story of the wise men, or “Magi” as Matthew calls them, has a special sense of mystery and joy to it and has long been celebrated by Christians on a special feast day called Epiphany.” – Malcome Guite
Epiphany (Greek) – “shining out” or “revealing” manifestation of a divine/supernatural being, sudden revelation or insight
Examples: Moses meets God through a burning bush, Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6 of “the Lord lifted up”, the heavens opening at Jesus’ baptism,
The story of the 3 kings is particularly important to those of us who are of Gentile descent. The moment the 3 Gentile kings see baby Jesus, suddenly and mysteriously they realize that his birth is good news for them too. “Here is the epiphany, a revelation, that birth of Christ is not one small step for a local religion but a great leap for all mankind. Jesus is for all of us, Gentile and Jew alike!” – Malcome Guite
- Worship
Worship – bowing in adoration of God, laying down before, kiss reverently, outward gesture of wholehearted inward attitude of adoration, to serve (humility before the Divine regardless of one’s personal prestige) All rulers will bow to Jesus Christ, the King above all kings.
- Rejoice
They “search diligently,” but they rejoice “with exceeding great joy,” – Matthew 2:8, 10
“It might have been just someone else’s story. Some chosen people get a special king. We leave them to their own peculiar glory, We don’t belong, it doesn’t mean a thing. But when these three arrive they bring us with them, Gentiles like us, their wisdom might be ours; a steady step that finds an inner rhythm, a pilgrim’s eye that sees beyond the stars. They did not know his name but they still sought him, They came from otherwhere but still they found; in temples they found those who sold and bought him, but in the filthy stable, hallowed ground. Their courage gives our questing hearts a voice to seek, to find, to worship, to rejoice.” – Epiphany from Sounding the Seasons by Malcome Guite Repeat
What should we do?
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Seek
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Find
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Worship
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Rejoice
Genesis 1:26-28 “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.’ So, God created human beings in his image. In the image of God, he created them. He created them male and female. God blessed them and said, ‘Have many children and grow in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over the fish in the sea and over the birds in the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” – Genesis 1:26-28 NCV
2 Thoughts from Genesis 1:28 on God’s Purpose in Reproduction:
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God wanted his kids to know what it’s like to be a parent. We understand our parents best when we become parents ourselves.
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God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. Ultimately our life purpose includes passing life on to others both naturally and spiritually.
What did Jesus say?
“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.” John 15:16
“Go, urge people of all nations to become My followers,” – Matthew 28:19-20
“Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: ‘God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:19-20 The Message
“So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 NCV
“And the number of the disciples multiplied,” Acts 6:7
God’s purpose for our lives:
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To get to know God. Relationship
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To become like Jesus. Character
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To be an instrument in God’s hand. Stewardship
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To pass God’s life on to others. Reproduction
Notes to consider:
Our lives will be measured by how we fulfill these four purposes. Thankfully, God has sent His Spirit to fulfill these purposes in and through us. God is constantly at work on these. The more we become aware of God’s growth agenda the more our lives will make sense and be fulfilling.
Ultimately these four purposes are interdependent.
Do you see an area of needed growth? Study it in God’s character.
What should we do?
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Receive love from God and respond with wholehearted joyful devotion.
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Pray, inviting God’s perspective on your purpose.
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Read today’s Scriptures and consider what God is communicating about the purpose for humanity.
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Write, in your own words, God’s purpose for giving humanity the function of stewardship.
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List your current areas of stewardship.
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Prepare a plan to think through these areas between now and mid-February.
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Pray asking God for wisdom about your circles of influence and possible expansion.
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Pray: “God, I believe You are…because Jesus taught…I believe You gave me the opportunities of…for Your purpose of…”
“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.’ So, God created human beings in his image. In the image of God, he created them. He created them male and female. God blessed them and said, ‘Have many children and grow in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over the fish in the sea and over the birds in the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” – Genesis 1:26-28 NCV
“The Lord God put man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it.” – Genesis 2:15 NCV “work it and keep it,” – serve by labor and observe, preserve, watch over
“So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them, and Adam chose a name for each one.” – Genesis 2:19 NLT
Stewardship – responsibility to look after, appointed to supervise, employed to manage another’s property
Note: God gives this opportunity for stewardship prior to sin, shame, brokenness, and consequences.
What do we believe? We share in “the family business” of God’s Kingdom on earth.
What do we learn?
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God gives humanity identity, value, and purpose within the context of a relationship with Him.
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God gives humanity an invitation to participate in the stewardship of our natural world.
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This stewardship begins with learning to manage our own lives before it extends beyond.
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God gives humanity an invitation to participate in the Kingdom of God, here and now.
New Covenant Perspective on Living by God’s Passionate Purpose:
· “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me….Go make disciples,” – Matthew 28:18
· Jesus is “the head of the body, the church.” – Colossians 1:18
· “You are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9 NCV
· “…offer your lives as a living sacrifice to God,” – Romans 12:1
· “In the kingdom of God, eating and drinking are not important. The important things are living right with God, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Anyone who serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God and will be accepted by other people.” – Romans 14:17-18 NCV
What should we do?
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Receive love from God and respond with wholehearted joyful devotion.
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Pray, inviting God’s perspective on your purpose.
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Read today’s Scriptures and consider what God is communicating about the purpose for humanity.
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Write, in your own words, God’s purpose for giving humanity the function of stewardship.
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List your current areas of stewardship.
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Prepare a plan to think through these areas between now and mid-February.
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Pray asking God for wisdom about your circles of influence and possible expansion.
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Pray: “God, I believe You are…because Jesus taught…I believe You gave me the opportunities of…for Your purpose of…”
“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
We may find ourselves asking: What am I doing here? Why do we exist? First, we should understand that God has purpose.
“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Why am I here? We believe that the answer to this question leads us to next-level peace in the season of Advent.
We can all find fulfillment as we discover and respond to God’s purpose for humanity. “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 To be fully human is to be welcomed into a committed loving relationship with God. In this we can fulfill our purpose at any time on any day.
This focus on God’s purpose may seem to be a strange way to answer such a personal question, “Why am I here?”. It may seem more natural to start by asking, “Who am I?”, before looking to God. Our culture does seem to be searching for a sense of personal identity. In an effort to help our understanding of this, I will be making available a look at how God answers this in a Biblical assessment of self, from one of our elders Lanny Hubbard.
God’s Purpose for Humanity – Genesis 1:26-31
1. Purpose in Relationship – Genesis 3:9
2. Purpose in Character – Genesis 1:26
2. Character
“Let us make human beings in our image and likeness.” – Genesis 1:26 5:1 9:6
“Let us” – plural -> Trinity
Colossians 1:15-17
“make” – to bring about, give shape, form by putting parts together or combining substances, (make in most occurrences, also commit, offer, prepare, produce) a word of purpose
“man” – human beings plural (applicable to both Adam, Eve and future humans)
Image – likeness, resemblance, …of something greater, closely patterned after the Maker
Likeness – similar, like, manner, fashion
Note: repetition “image/likeness” emphasis of importance
Unique from the description of God creating by simply saying, “Let there be…”. In the case of humanity, God reveals a conversation, a deliberation, about how to create, shape, and give life to human beings.
Our “origins are not in an imperative (chosen vocabulary/grammar). Instead, God deliberated about the best way to bring to life a creation worthy of honor.” – Gregory of Nyssa On the Origen of Man (bishop of Nyssa, a Cappadocian theologian of great originality)
“There is here this deliberation, collaboration, and communion not because God needs advice…but so that the very impact of the language of our creation would show us honor.” – John Chrysostom Sermons on Genesis
“Moses says what was said by God: ‘Let us make man according to our image and likeness.’ God says that. He says ‘Let us make’ to a co-operator, necessarily to Christ. And he says ‘according to the image.” Therefore man is not the image of God, but he is ‘according to the image.’ For Jesus alone is the image of God, but man is ‘according to the image,’ that is, image of the image. But he says, ‘according to our image.” Therefore both Father and Son are on image.” – Marius Victorinus Against Arius
New Testament Christians understood this to be true, as seen in James 3:9b
God communicates planning, purpose, and care in creating humanity (special, more than with any other creation).
“Let us make human beings in our image and likeness.” Humans are created in God’s image in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature. This is unique from anything else described in Scripture. It is also essential to understanding God’s purpose for humanity.
“Let us make human beings in our image and likeness.” God gives identity, value, and purpose in this.
What do we learn?
- God wanted His kids to look like Him on the inside.
God “made them in His image.” “in image and likeness, to bear the family resemblance” We all look different on the outside, but God wants us all to have the same character and moral integrity that He has on the inside.
- God will go to great lengths to give us opportunities to grow in our character.
As we follow the teaching and life example of Jesus Christ, we will be able to meet these growth opportunities.
“The Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4 Colossians 1:15
Hebrews 1:3 helps us see Jesus Christ as the express image of Father God, representing the character of Father God in person.
“keeping our eyes on Jesus,” – Hebrews 12:2
“Let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. 2 Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect.” – Hebrews 12:1-2 NCV
Following the example of Jesus…person, likeness, values
“All men are made in God’s image; but to be in his likeness is granted only to those who through great love have brought their own freedom into subjection to God. For only when we do not belong to ourselves do we become like him who through love has reconciled us to himself. No one achieves this unless he persuades his soul not to be distracted by the false glitter of this life.” – Diadochus of Photice On Spiritual Perfection (bishop of Epirus Vetus whose work Discourse on the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ exerted influence in both the East and West through its Chalcedonian Christology.)
God’s Passionate Purpose for Humanity …
We are given life, by God, to be with God, to be like God, for God.
What should we do?
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Remove obstacles to our relationship with God.
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Receive love from God and respond with wholehearted joyful devotion.
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Read Genesis 1:26-28 (and today’s Scriptures) and consider what God is communicating about the purpose for humanity.
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Write, in your own words, truth statements about God’s purpose for giving humanity identity, value, and purpose.
Some thoughts here are sourced from Derrill Corbin’s Made to Move and Ken Malmin’s Portland Bible College PRIME 2 material.
Additional helpful reading on “the image of God” at https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-image-of-god
God’s Purpose for Humanity includes Relationship, Character, Function, & Reproduction – Genesis 1:26-31
We can all find fulfillment as we discover and respond to God’s purpose for humanity in relationship, character, function, and reproduction.
We may find ourselves asking: What am I doing here? Why do we exist?
First, we should understand that God has purpose.
“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Purpose – the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists, one’s intention or objective
God always has a purpose. Careful forethought and planning go into everything God does. God can fulfill any purpose He chooses. Isaiah 14:24, 27 “as I have purposed, so it will happen,” God has a purpose for the whole earth, Isaiah 14:26.
God’s Purpose for Humanity includes Relationship, Character, Function, & Reproduction – Genesis 1:26-31
- Purpose in Relationship – Genesis 1:26-31 3:9
Questions being answered by Genesis: Who are we hearing about? Who is God? What is God doing? Who are the first humans? What is God’s purpose for humanity?
“In the beginning God,” – Genesis 1:1
God is holy set-apart, unique, unrivaled, powerful, giving life and love therefore relational.
Words that describe God’s character/attributes are relational: Loving, Compassionate, Forgiving, Merciful, Gracious, Long-suffering, Righteous, Just, Jealous,
YHWH (written) “I AM WHO I AM” Ehyeh – “I am” Yahweh – “He is” Adonai – “Lord”
Jehovah is the vowels of Adonai put into YHWY = YAHOWAH
“What you call someone says a lot about your relationship with them.” – John Mark Comer
Notice that the other names for God, listed in the Bible, are relational in nature.
“Daddy God, who is in Heaven, I praise your name,” Luke 11:1
- The name of the Lord is a strong tower. I will run into it and be safe. Proverbs 18:10
- El Elyon the Most High God – Genesis 14:17-20
- El Olam Everlasting God – Isaiah 40:28-31
- El Roi The One who sees – Genesis 16:13
- El Shaddai God Almighty – Genesis 17:1
- Elohim Mighty Big God – Genesis 1:1
- Jehovah Jireh Lord will provide – Genesis 22:13-14
- Jehovah Maccaddeshem Lord my sanctifier – Exodus 31:13
- Jehovah Nissi Lord our banner – Exodus 17:15
- Jehovah Rapha Lord our healer – Exodus 15:26
- Jehovah Rohi Lord our shepherd – Psalms 23:1
- Jehovah Shalom Lord our peace – Judges 6:24
- Jehovah Shammah Lord who is present – Ezekiel 48:35
- Jehovah Tsidkenu Lord our righteousness – Jeremiah 23:6
God’s Purpose for Humanity (seen in Genesis 1) Includes:
1. Relationship
“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.’ So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female. God blessed them and said, ‘Have many children and grow in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over the fish in the sea and over the birds in the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” – Genesis 1:26-28 NCV
“Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and formed a man from it. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nose, and the man became a living person.” – Genesis 2:7 NCV
“The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it. 16 The Lord God commanded him, “You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, 17 but you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die!’” – Genesis 2:15-17 NCV
God came looking for Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:8-9.
6 The woman saw that the tree was beautiful, that its fruit was good to eat, and that it would make her wise. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of the fruit to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
7 Then, it was as if their eyes were opened. They realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made something to cover themselves.
8 Then they heard the Lord God walking in the garden during the cool part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said, “Where are you?”
10 The man answered, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
11 God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?’” – Genesis 3:6-11 NCV
What do we learn about God’s passionate purpose for humanity, seen in Genesis 1-3?
“Essential Ingredients of God’s Purpose”
A. God is a father that wanted to have a family of kids to relate to.
God gave Adam and Eve life and made relationship with Him possible. God’s response to their mistaken disobedience was to seek them out for the sake of reconciling the relationship. – Genesis 1:26-28 3:6-11
Jesus referred to God mostly as, “Father”, Matthew 6:9 Luke 11:2. If God is a father, then it follows that His purpose would be to have a family. Understanding God’s reasons for creating us gives us meaning and purpose in life. The more we live life consistent with His purpose for creating us, the more fulfillment we will experience. (world view = belief glasses) We need to understand what this meant to them. Original audience’s view of father: Provider, Protector, Authority, Life-giving
Important Notes:
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Jesus described Father God as loving, unique, unrivaled, powerful, life-giving, and relational.
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Jesus did not sexualize the understanding of God’s gender.
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Jesus described Father God’s identity with relational descriptions.
B. God is motivated by love to create us with the ability to choose to respond to His love.
God’s purpose flows from His character. All of God’s purposes proceed from His person. Everything God does is consistent with who He is. God is love, agape love. God is loving…committed, covenant, love beyond your lifetime. Consider who God described Himself to be, in Exodus 34:6-7 NCV, “The LORD is a God who shows mercy, who is kind, who doesn’t become angry quickly, who has great love and faithfulness and is kind to thousands of people. The LORD forgives people for evil, for sin, and for turning against him, but he does not forget to punish guilty people.” – Exodus 34:6-7 NCV
Note: the Good News of Jesus Christ makes a healthy relationship with God possible.
John 3:16-17 Romans 5:20-21 Ephesians 2:13 Matthew 22:37-38
C. Everything we experience is an opportunity to relate to God and get to know Him better.
Romans 12:1-2
“What is the chief and highest end of man (humanity)? … to glorify God, and fully enjoy Him forever. – Westminster Shorter Catechism “to know, love, and serve God,”
To be fully human is to be welcomed into a committed loving relationship with God. In this we can fulfill our purpose at any time on any day.
Why am I here? Giving God “relationship time” is fulfilling part of your purpose in this life.
What should we do?
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Remove obstacles to our relationship with God.
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Receive love from God and respond with wholehearted joyful devotion.
GodExodus 34:6-7…merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding (overflowing) in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…
USGenesis 1:27a So God created human beings in His own image.
We aren’t God, but we bear his likeness! If God overflows with good stuff, and we are created in his likeness….
YOU WERE CREATED TO OVERFLOW!
John 10:10
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Abundantly = exceedingly above, OVERFLOW
Luke 6:45
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.
Matthew 22:25-28
For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
The question is not will you overflow but what will you overflow with?!
How do we overflow with good stuff?
- Clean your dirty ducts
a. Better air quality, Increased efficiency, reduced odors, mold and mildew prevention, less chance of repairs.
b. God is involved! Ezekiel 36:26-27 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
c. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 (Ask for help!, WORSHIP…)
- Abide
a. Psalm 36:8-9 You feed them from the abundance (or overflow) of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
b. Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
c. John 7:38 – “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
i. Living water = Not dead, enjoy, active, blessed, fresh, strong, efficient, active, efficacious.
ii. Efficacious = Successful in producing a desired or intended result.
- How do we overflow with Good stuff? Meditate: On the right stuff.
a. Romans 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
b. Phil. 4:8 (fix your thoughts, Q) Philippians 4:8… think on these things
c. Psalm 48:9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.
d. Psalms 145:5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.
e. Colossians 3:2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
- Let Jesus share the load
a. Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light.
- Overflow with Good stuff: Be Thankful
a. Study on Gratitude –
Recent study of nearly 300 adults, mostly college students who were seeking mental health counseling at a university. Recruited them before their 1st session of counseling.
Three groups:
- The First Group was instructed to write one letter of gratitude to another person each week for three weeks.
- The second group was asked to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings about negative experiences.
- The third group did not do any writing activity.
What did they find? Compared with the participants who wrote about negative experiences or only received counseling, those who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health four weeks and 12 weeks after their writing exercise ended. It seems, practicing gratitude on top of receiving psychological counseling carries greater benefits than counseling alone, even when that gratitude practice is brief.
- Gratitude helps even if you don’t share it.
- Gratitude’s benefits take time (four weeks it was better)
- Those who wrote the gratitude letters with those who didn’t, the gratitude letter writers showed greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex when they experienced gratitude in the fMRI scanner.
- What does the Medial prefrontal cortex do?
- Executive functions (planning, reasoning, language, context, adaptive responses
- Learning & memory
- Decision-making and judgment
- Emotional processing (regulating)
- Social cognition or the ability to process, understand and respond to social information.
- What does the Medial prefrontal cortex do?
Same study: Benefits of Gratitude
- Reduces depression
- Less anxiety
- Supports heart health
- Relieves stress
- Improves sleep
Harvard & UCLA suggest that you can incorporate gratitude into your life by praying & redirecting your thoughts (Harvard & UCLA).
- How we overflow with good stuff: Love others
a. John 15:12 This is my commandment, that you love each other.
Practice Overflow
- In your own life
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With others
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How? Give it away! Don’t be a Scrooge.
- How? Don’t stagnate. We can get clogged by too much good stuff.
- How? Invite people to church
1 Corinthians 9:6-12
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your (overflowing, clean) heart how much to give.? And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide (overflow) all you need. Then you will always have everything you need? and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and ? then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.
Psalm 1:1-3
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Philippians 4:12-13 Through Christ -> The Power of Joyful Strength
Philippians 4:12-13 NLT-
“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
Precursor ?This joy is in the context of a personal relationship, where we are focused on Jesus, receiving His love, following His instruction, and choosing daily to stay in contact with Him. From this great happiness, in Jesus, we draw strength. This can result in us loving each other with a faithful, patient, and kind love. A benefit of this is looking forward to eternity in Heaven.
Matthew 11:28-30
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
Luke 68 (Zechariah’s Prophecy)
Through Christ ? It’s like doing things while ILLUMINATED!
Luke 4: Jesus being tempted in the desert
“Tell this stone to become a loaf of bread” ? Can overcome his most basic desires
“Worship me, and I will give you authority over all kingdoms” ? Can overcome need to rule/control others
“Jump off, and God will have to save you” ? Does not need to show power over His Father.
Through Christ ? It’s doing things with someone who does not need to PROVE HIMSELF
So what did we learn?
And How do We respond?
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Let go and Let God (start Small)
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Pray (Start Big)
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Utilize Your Church!
Philippians 4:12-13 NLT-
“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
Fixing Your Thoughts So You Can Fix Your Thoughts. Chiquacta Hodges brings us a message from Philippians 4:8.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
Ecclesiastes 7:29
Dueteronomy 30:19:20
Romans 12:2
Ephesians 4:22-24
2 Corinthians 10:5
Isaiah 26:3
Proverbs 2:9-10
How can we break bad thought patterns?
1. Identify Negative Thoughts
Can’t fix what you don’t know is there.
2. Capture and challenge negative thoughts with Scripture.
3. Commit to choosing your intentions.
Recognize the difference between experiencing a moment and getting stuck there.
Choose where we put focus.
Careful with what you consume.
Choose Joy – Part Eight Philippians 4:4-7
What does the joyful prayer of faith sound like?
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7 ESV
Rejoice – choosing to express the emotion evoked by well-being, contentment, and great happiness
Philippians theme: faith-filled thoughtful joy, focused on Jesus, regardless of circumstances
Reasonableness – being equitable, gracious, and forbearing, doing what is right,
“The Lord is at hand;” – Jesus Christ our Savior Lord and King is nearby and returning soon
Anxious – having an anxious concern, based on apprehension about possible danger or misfortune
“Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?” – Luke 12:25
Prayer – to ask, make requests of God, petition, intercession
“Jesus went up on a hill by himself to pray.” – Matthew 14:23
Supplication – to ask urgently for needs to be met,
Thanksgiving – to give thanks with pleasant gratitude
Having received new spiritual life from our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can now choose to let go of our anxious worries. We can celebrate who Jesus is and who we are in this relationship with Him. We thank God. In the same breath, we can make requests of God. Our God protects our ways of thinking and feeling. In these moments, we receive a peaceful state of mind and heart from God.
What does a faith-filled joyful prayer sound like?
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Choose faith-filled joy in a moment of silence, reflecting on who God is and what God has already done.
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Choose to believe that God is Provider and Protector.
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Start prayer with wholehearted praise, devotion, and thanksgiving.
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Let go of anxious worries.
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Make specific requests of God (including intercession).
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Receive God’s peace.
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Breathe and express faith-filled love to God.
What are the benefits? Philippians 4:7
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7 ESV
Peace – a state of being in good health: able to function at full capacity, able to rest, and free from conflict or danger in every area of your life and in every relationship.
“Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Romans 5:1
Guard – to protect, keep from danger, protect with a military guard, prevent hostile invasion,
Philippians 3:12-21
What is “all this”? Philippians 3:10-11
Know Christ
The power of his resurrection
Participation in his sufferings
Attaining to the resurrection from the dead
How do we press on?
- Strive/Strain
Philippians 1:27 Philippians 2:12-13 Luke 13:24 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Colossians 1:28-29 1 Timothy 4:8-10 1 Timothy 6:11-12 Hebrews 4:9-11 2 Peter 1:5-11
- Forget
Do not hold onto guilt or shame
Do not hold onto “the good ‘ole days”
Colossians 2:13-15
- Imitate
1 Corinthians 4:14-17 Philippians 2:5 1 Corinthians 11:1
Imitate the godly characters, not the personality of:
Faithful believers that we know
Read biographies of missionaries and other faithful Christians
- Wait
Romans 8:22-25 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 1 Corinthians 15:50-56
How Should We Respond?
1) In your own words, describe the prize or goal that you are pressing on towards.
2) If you are holding on to past sin, release it to God, receive forgiveness and freedom from shame, and do not turn back.
3) Identify godly Christians whose character you can imitate. Consider reading biographies of missionaries.
4) In your own words, describe the hope that you are waiting for.
5) Encourage others to press on to know Christ more by sharing how God is working in your own life.
Kingdom Citizenship
Philippians 3:20 but we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
Heavenly Citizenship brings joy.
How do we get Kingdom Citizenship?
John 3:3 “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot (see) experience, encounter or participate in the Kingdom of God.”
You must accept that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. You receive an automatic Citizenship change
Ephesians 2:19, “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people.”
John 17:16, “They do not belong to this world any more than I do.”
Philippians 3:20 “but we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.”
We have Kingdom citizenship, not worldly citizenship
Living as a Kingdom Citizen
Romans 6:17-18 “Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.”
Philippians 1:27 “Above all, you must live (or behave) as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.”
Like citizens of any country, we must obey in Kingdom Laws
Citizen Handbook (and more)
Matthew 22:37
Matthew 6:31-33
John 15:12
Galatians 6:2
Ephesians 4:29-32
Philippians 2:14-15
Colossians 3:1-16
Kingdom Citizenship Benefits
Eternal life (Romans 6:23)
Protection (Isaiah 54:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Psalm 34:7)
Access to God (John 14:6, Hebrews 4:16,
Transformation, New Creation (2 Corinthians 3:18, 5:17)
New Identity (2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 2:9)
Inheritance (1 Peter 1:4)
Redeemed from Sin (Titus 2:14, Galatians 3:13-20)
Authority (Luke 10:19, 1 John 4:4)
Ambassadors on the earth. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Share in the glory of Jesus (Colossians 3:4)
Why don’t I feel like a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven?
(Matthew 6:24) (referring to worrying about money,)No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.”
Mark 3, Kingdom divided will collapse, a family feuding will fall apart
No dual citizenship
Aren’t behaving as a citizen (you get discipline)
Aren’t accessing the benefits
How do we access the benefits? Abide with Jesus
Philipians 3:8-11 “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Who are you? 1 Peter 2:9 “for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.”
Following Jesus includes praying for and pursuing a loving unity among fellow Christians.
What does Jesus ask of Father God, in the prayer listed in John 17:11, 20-21?
“That they may be one even as we are one,” – John 17:11b ESV
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, that they also may be in us, so that they world may believe that you have sent me.” – John 17:20-21 ESV
Jesus quotes as most important commandment, “Listen Israel, The Lord our God is the One and only Lord.” – Mark 12:29 ESV
“In the one God the origin and goal of the world, and in the one Christ history and salvation history, are a unity.” – The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” – Romans 12:5 ESV
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35
“Let us pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding.” – Romans 14:19 ESV
“So let us try to do what makes peace and helps one another.” – Romans 14:19 NCV
“So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.” – Romans 14:19 CSB
“So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up” – Romans 14:19 NLT
What do we learn?
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Jesus prayed for our unity among fellow Christians.
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Jesus taught us to love fellow Christians, pursuing unity.
What should we do?
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Pray for unity among Christians.
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Pursue unity among Christians.
How can we do this?
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Pray according to the teachings of Jesus.
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Ask God to help us pursue unity.
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Set a priority on our relationships with each other.
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Encourage each other.
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Pursue mutually beneficial peace with each other.
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Express love by listening with an intent to understand each other.
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Share the love of God with each other.
We can all follow the teaching and example of Jesus, in persistent prayer.
- Jesus Prays Jesus gives us an example in prayer.
A. Jesus prayed in private. Matthew 14:23 Mark 1:35 Luke 5:16, 9:18, 28-29, 11:1, 22:31-32 John 17:1-26
B. Jesus prayed in public. Matthew 11:25-26, 19:13-15, 26:26, 36, 27:36 Mark 8:6 Luke 3:21, 10:21-22, 23:34, 46, 24:30 John 6:11, 11:41-42, 12:28
- Jesus Teaches Prayer Jesus gives us teaching on how to pray.
Matthew 5:44 6:5-13 7:7-11 18:19-20 21:22 Mark 11:24-25 Luke 11:1-13 John 14:13-14, 15:7, 16, 16:23-24
A. Lord’s Prayer – Luke 11:2-4
B. Persist in Prayer – Luke 11:5-13
Jesus is teaching us about the character of who God is. Jesus is teaching us to pray based on the character of who God is. There is no greater expert on this subject, than Jesus.
“By instructing his disciples to address God as Father, Jesus places them by participation in prayer into the same relationship with God that he has, which is a privilege and a responsibility.” – Cyril of Alexandria 375-444 leading pastor of Alexandria and playing a major part in the first Council of Ephesus
“Throughout the Gospel of Luke, the disciples will observe Jesus’ relationship to God the Father and come to realize that through the Son of God they are Children of God and that all prayers to the Father are always through the Son.” – Origen 185-254 leading pastor in Alexandria known for his Scripture interpretation and focus on the spiritual meaning of the text.
“I tell you, though he will not get up and give you anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.” – Luke 11:8 ESV
“because of his impudence” ESV shamelessness, audacity, lack of concern for what is proper
“I tell you, if friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread, your boldness will make him get up and give you whatever you need.” – Luke 11:8 NCV
“But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.” – Luke 11:8 The Message
Persistence – continuing to do something even though it is difficult or other people want you to stop
Jesus’ Luke 11:8 Persistent Prayer – choosing to continue to bring our prayer requests to God, without giving up, shameless audacious prayer requests that are faith-filled based on the character of who God is
- What do we learn?
A. Jesus gave us teaching and an example of prayer to follow.
B. We can pray with a faith-filled gracious humility and persistence.
C. We can pray based on the character of who God is, as revealed in Scripture.
D. We can pray using the words of Scripture as foundational truth.
- What should we do?
A. Pray based on the teaching and example of Jesus.
(the Lord’s Prayer – Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done)
B. Pray using 2 Timothy 1:7.
God, thank you for giving us… God, please give us, and those we pray for, your Spirit will…
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
C. Pray using Acts 26:18.
God, thank you for giving us… God, please give ___ (not-yet-Jesus follower)…
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“Open their eyes,” – Acts 26:18 God gives spiritual perceptiveness – an ability to see Jesus Christ as Savior.
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“Turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” – Acts 26:18 God gives those receiving Jesus as Savior the ability to turn away from spiritual darkness to His light.
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“They will receive forgiveness for their sins,” – Acts 26:18 God gives those receiving Jesus as Savior forgiveness for their sins with freedom from punishment and freedom from the compulsion to repeat those sins.
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“They will be given a place among God’s people,” – Acts 26:18 God gives those receiving Jesus as Savior a place of loving relationships for all eternity.
D. Consider a study of the themes of the prayers Jesus prayed, from Scriptures listed today.
We start by reading the story of Saul (later renamed Paul) receiving Jesus as the “light of the world”, and describing the meaning of the experience, in Acts 9:1-18 and Acts 26:23 .
Light is an aspect of the spiritual identity of Jesus and the life he gives.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12, 9:5
What is God doing? (…in this story of Saul/Paul and what we learn from his account of what Jesus said.) What is it that Jesus reveals to Saul/Paul about the Good News and the Kingdom of God? What is it that they understood this to mean? What is it that God is doing here and now in the Jesus Movement?
God gives:
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“Open their eyes,” – Acts 26:18 God gives spiritual perceptiveness – an ability to see Jesus Christ as Savior.
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“Turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” – Acts 26:18 God gives those receiving Jesus as Savior the ability to turn away from spiritual darkness to His light.
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“They will receive forgiveness for their sins,” – Acts 26:18 God gives those receiving Jesus as Savior forgiveness for their sins with freedom from punishment and freedom from the compulsion to repeat those sins.
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“They will be given a place among God’s people,” – Acts 26:18 God gives those receiving Jesus as Savior a place of loving relationships for all eternity.
What do we learn?
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God gives those who receive Jesus as Savior: spiritual perceptiveness, the ability to turn toward him, forgiveness of sins, and a place of loving relationships.
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God has been doing this, is now doing this, and is inviting us to participate in this.
What should we do?
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Receive Jesus as Savior.
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Grow in faith and understanding.
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Take next steps in following Jesus.
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Participate in sharing the light of Jesus.
Further Study:
Light is an aspect of the spiritual identity of Jesus and the life he gives.
“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” – John 1:4-5
“The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” – John 1:9
“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.’” – Luke 1:78-79 NLT
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12, 9:5
“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14
“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:5-7 NLT
City Harbor Church…helping people take the next steps in following Jesus.
We are responding to Jesus Christ. This informs every aspect of what it means for us to be a local church. It brings definition to our collective sense of identity, value, and purpose.
Jesus made clear the focus of God’s “big picture” purpose: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
This is what Peter, and the witnesses of Jesus were focused on communicating, constantly, everywhere: “Everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” – Acts 10:43
This is the message that the early believers and Paul focused on giving to others: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Here is the truth that this early church, at large, was focused on: “Through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God – something the law of Moses could never do.” – Acts 13:38-39
We choose to respond as they did: confessing and forsaking our sins, believing in and receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, making our faith public in water baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit as our guide. – Acts 2:22-42
We now live by faith in Jesus. Any good things we do spring from a thankful love motivation, and not an attempt to earn God’s love. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” – Ephesians 2:8
This leads us to a culture of grace, and not shame. “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” – Romans 8:1
Through this miracle of salvation, we have begun new spiritual lives together. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 Realizing our new spiritual life, as God’s gift to us through Jesus Christ, comes before we bring any value from our personal identity characteristics in culture, gender, ethnicity, or otherwise.
Now we experience spiritual freedom from any darkness. “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14
We are now free to live in new ways (Ephesians 2:1-10), receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) and allowing the Holy Spirit to shape new ways of thinking and feeling (Ephesians 4:23).
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
2 Timothy 1:1-10 gives us more context for verse 7.
Ancient Christian writings about 2 Timothy 1:7:
“Grace was given to us so that we might not be afraid but love all the more steadily.” – Theodoret of Cyr 393-466 bishop
Paul is “instructing us to pass from the fear of punishment to the fullest freedom of love and to the confidence of the,” children of God. – John Cassian 360-432 relaying the works of the Egyptian Christian leaders
“For the Spirit that makes us cry, ‘Abba Father’, inspires us with love both toward him and our neighbor, that we may love one another. For love arises from power and not from fearing.” – John Chrysostom 344-407 bishop of Constantinople
We would not have the abilities and attributes listed here unless we receive the Holy Spirit that Paul writes of here. – St. Augustine 354- 430 bishop of Hippo
What do we learn from 2 Timothy 1:7?
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God’s Spirit brings ability, love, and self-control (not fear).
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God’s Spirit fills us with loving self-control and the ability to be and to do, according to His design & purpose.
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Fearful insecurity and timidity are not helpful to anyone.
What should we do about this?
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Memorize 2 Timothy 1:7 and pray through it.
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Read 2 Timothy 1:1-10 and think about what questions you may have and what you have learned.
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Consider the additional study notes.
Additional Study Notes:
Themes of 2 Timothy from the ESV Study Bible:
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Temporary suffering is part of the Christian experience. 2 Timothy 1:8, 12; 2:3, 9; 3:11-12; 4:5, 14-18
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We should respond to this suffering with faithful the perseverance that God empowers. 2 Timothy 1:8, 2:1, 11-13; 4:1-8
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The Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ is grounds for our endurance. 2 Timothy 1:9-11; 2:8-10
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What God has said in the Scripture has the power to save and preserve. 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:15-17; 4:1-2
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We should watch out for false teaching. 2 Timothy 2:16-18, 23-26; 3:1-9; 4:3-5
Matthew 6:19-24 – Generous Stewardship
19 “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. 20 But store your treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21 Your heart will be where your treasure is.
22 “The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness.
24 “No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches.” – Matthew 6:19-24 NCV
Treasure – that which is of exceptional value and kept safe
“(Seek first) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33 NLT Jesus seems to be asking, “What do you value most?” Jesus is teaching the value of the eternal above the temporary.
3 Responses to the value system of Jesus:
- Stewardship
Stewardship – the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care
Healthy Stewardship – choosing to manage our resources in a way that is sustainable and based on God’s value system
Jesus is teaching the value of the eternal above the temporary. We should value everything based on God’s priorities.
Using the value system that Jesus taught, asking the following questions to aid your stewardship decisions.
What are my roles?
Within each role, what are my goals?
Within each goal, how should I steward and serve?
Mine for example: 1. Jesus Follower 2. Husband 3. Father 4. Vocation 5. Neighbor 6. Citizen
Evaluate February after fasting. Re-evaluate May, August, November
- Generosity
Generosity – liberal in giving, openhanded, marked by abundance or ample proportions, characterized by a noble or kindly spirit
Courageous Generosity – choosing to live on less of our own time, energy, and money so that we can consistently share our resources with others
In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells a parable of a Good Samaritan as an example of how we should respond to God’s directive, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” The Good Samaritan shows the necessity of good stewardship by sharing his: courage, creativity, compassion, cash and credit.
- Purpose Jesus often spoke of God’s purpose and Kingdom. Jesus lived in such a way as to help us understand how to live by this.
We could describe the global response to this as the “Jesus Movement”…local churches and all believers across the world sharing the Good News of Jesus and participating in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus Movement – those who have believed in and received Jesus as Savior, sharing His love, life, and teaching with others here and now and abroad
What do we learn?
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Jesus taught a value system for how we live.
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We can all respond to God’s love by choosing generous stewardship based on God’s value system and purpose.
What should we do?
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Pray, asking God to help us understand this teaching of Jesus and how we should respond.
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Think about this. Write down questions and answers.
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Consider how God would have us respond.
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Respond by making one change for generous stewardship.
An example of this is seen in the financial stewardship of our church:
“We give because we love. We give so that we can share the love of Jesus, through our church, with our neighbors in Hampden, Waverly, and the surrounding neighborhoods of Baltimore City.”
For 7 years, we provided a Christian 12 step program for people who were incarcerated. We also helped with their transition to healthy independent living when released.
During the worst 18 months of financial impact from covid, we distributed more than 1.4 million pounds of groceries. By coordinating more than 12 non-profits and churches we ensured that 90% of it was delivered.
Healthy Stewardship (eldership and financial stewardship committee partnership, check/balances, reporting)
Priority on our participation in the Jesus Movement here and now (Church largest expenditures).
Courageous Generosity GIVE: 9% of our giving goes to directly meeting local needs, and abroad in Haiti and Guatemala.
To help our growing understanding of these ideas here is an expanded look at the topics, with Bible references.
Verses on Stewardship Perspective:
(Please read the verses listed, think about them and consider the thoughts below.)
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We should understand that every good resource we have comes from God. With thanksgiving we generously give to God what’s already His. 1 Chronicles 29:12-14
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We should trust God and not be anxious about our needs or finances. Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:6-7
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We should learn about the value system Jesus taught. Matthew 6:19-24, 33, 7:7-12, Mark 7:9-13, Luke 14:28-30
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We should pay our debts and taxes. Matthew 22-15-22, Romans 13:6-7
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We may give money willingly, cheerfully and generously, so that the church may directly meet specific needs including for the purpose of the Jesus Movement abroad. 2 Corinthians 9:1-15
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We should consistently give resources, including money, to meet the practical needs of those in difficult times. Luke 6:30, 12:33, 14:13-14, Matthew 6:2-4, 10:8, 19:21-26
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We should share our resources. Luke 3:11
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We should be on guard against greed and selfishness with possessions. Luke 12:13-15
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We should be faithful, including in the stewardship of small amounts. God will give opportunities. We cannot serve both God and money. Luke 16:9-13
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We should learn about the stewardship of our resources and abilities, from Jesus’ “Parable of the Talents”. Matthew 25:14-30
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We should be faithful stewards of God’s grace (in various forms) and use it to serve others. 1 Peter 4:10
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We should trust God and honor the Lord with our financial resources. It is God who brings blessings. Proverbs 3:5-6, 9-10, Matthew 23:23-24
City Harbor Church…helping people take next steps in following Jesus.
We are responding to Jesus Christ. This informs every aspect of what it means for us to be a local church. It brings definition to our collective sense of identity, value, and purpose.
Jesus made clear the focus of God’s “big picture” purpose: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
This is what Peter, and the witnesses of Jesus were focused on communicating, constantly, everywhere: “Everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” – Acts 10:43
This is the message that the early believers and Paul focused on giving to others: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Here is the truth that this early church, at large, was focused on: “Through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God – something the law of Moses could never do.” – Acts 13:38-39
We choose to respond as they did: confessing and forsaking our sins, believing in and receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, making our faith public in water baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit as our guide. – Acts 2:22-42
We now live by faith in Jesus. Any good things we do spring from a thankful love motivation, and not an attempt to earn God’s love. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” – Ephesians 2:8
This leads us to a culture of grace, and not shame. “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” – Romans 8:1
Through this miracle of salvation, we have begun new spiritual lives together. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 Realizing our new spiritual life, as God’s gift to us through Jesus Christ, comes before we bring any value from our personal identity characteristics in culture, gender, ethnicity, or otherwise.
Now we experience spiritual freedom from any darkness. “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14 We are now free to live in new ways (Ephesians 2:1-10), receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) and allowing the Holy Spirit to shape new ways of thinking and feeling (Ephesians 4:23).
Now the love of Jesus gives us spiritual strength (Ephesians 3:16-20). As we give the best of our energy to receive this love of Jesus and respond to it, we will be positively changed for the rest of our lives.
The message that Jesus wanted communicated, first and foremost: “There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.” – Luke 24:47 Jesus gave his followers purpose. We are to communicate this message.
We believe that God has shown us love through Jesus Christ our Savior, seen in Romans 5:8-11
We respond with our wholehearted love for God and a sacrificial love for our neighbors, as Jesus taught in Matthew 22:37-39. Also seen in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Philippians 2:1-11; 1 John 4:7-11
Together we follow the teaching of Jesus and the example of his first followers, by inviting people to receive this saving grace through Jesus, and by committing to the lifestyle of grateful devotion, as seen in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 2:38-47; 4:29-35; 5:42.
We come together, building relationships with each other as a church family where each person has value, identity, and purpose, as seen in 1 Timothy 3:15, 5:1-2 1 Corinthians 12:16-17.
Motivated by the compassion of Jesus, we choose a lifestyle of courageous generosity and work together, meeting the needs of others, as seen in Acts 4:29-35; 11:19-30; 2 Corinthians 8-9.
Our church family is served by a team of leaders (including deacons) and elders who meet the qualifications seen in 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9.
We will follow the example of the early church in their high value on loving respect seen in mutual submission to each other, motivated by a constant awareness of Jesus (Ephesians 5:21). This is informed by our growing understanding of who Jesus is, what Jesus values, what Jesus has taught, and what Jesus desires.
We find guidelines for our healthy relationships within the organization in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Hebrews 13:17; Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; Galatians 6:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 5:19-20; Titus 3:10-11.
We are following the example of the Christian church in Antioch who became a cohesive healthy spiritual family of Jesus followers, as seen in Acts 11:19-30. They did not allow unique characteristics of race, ethnicity, culture, economy, or education to keep them from being a unified group. They took action to help others across such lines.
We will help people take next steps in following Jesus, in ways that are as simple and as effective as possible, as seen in Acts 15:7-19.
We believe that God wants us to make this new way of living available to more people each year, as seen in Acts 16:5; 18:9-10.
In the climactic final days before crucifixion, Jesus Christ again allows those closest to him to hear his prayer. They recorded it so that we may read the heartfelt requests that Jesus made of Father God. In John 17:20-26, we hear the heart cry of Jesus for the purpose of God to be fulfilled as more and more people are welcomed into this close personal relationship with God. Jesus speaks of an inseparable, committed, faithful, intimate, life-changing, agape-love relationship. This is the quality of relationship with God, and Jesus-followers, that we are invited into. Receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, we believe (to the extent of complete trust) in Him as the Son of God sent for our salvation. We choose a lifestyle of inseparable agape-love relationship with God and with fellow Jesus-followers. In this way, we participate in God’s purpose to invite more and more people to believe in Jesus as Savior and to receive God’s love for them.
20 “’I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’” – John 17:20-26 ESV
One – in contrast to more than one, (rarely used as a digit, 2 Peter 3:8, usually translated “single” “once-for-all” “unique” “only” “unanimous” “only one”
“God is one.” – Deuteronomy 6:4 “There is no God beside him.” – Mark 12:29
“For us, there is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.” – 1 Corinthians 8:6 NLT
“In the one God the origin and the goal of the world, and in the one Christ history and salvation history, are a unity.” – The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
“though many, we form one body,” – Romans 12:5
Believe – to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, assurance
What do we learn from this?
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God invites us to believe in and receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
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God invites us into an inseparable loving relationship with Him and fellow Jesus-followers.
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God gives us identity, value, and purpose in alignment with His own.
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God’s purpose includes more and more people being welcomed into this inseparable loving relationship.
What should we do?
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Believe in and receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
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Daily choose to stay in an inseparable loving relationship with God and fellow Jesus-followers.
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Prayerfully consider who God is inviting into this inseparable loving relationship.
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Make ourselves available to participate in this invitation from God to others.
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Share God’s love by listening to others with an intent to understand them.
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Share your stories about the path of following Jesus.
Our Savior Jesus is victorious over death. In John 11, we read the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and Jesus’ teaching around it. We can all respond by believing in and receiving Jesus as Savior. In our next steps, we grow in faith and see sharing our faith as a priority.
Let’s watch for key words and the highest priority truth that Jesus’ teaching points us to, in John 11.
“Really believe?” – What is Jesus saying? They already believe. We need to grow in understanding. Bible word study tangent –
Word Study: learn about the word from how it is used in Scripture
Concordance: number assigned to each original language word used in the Bible
Bible Lexicon: reference tool that provides the meanings and uses of words in the Bible’s original languages
Bible Dictionary: definitions and information about people, places, objects, events, and concepts in the Bible
Online Resources for Bible study:
www.NTSLibrary.com Free combination of many reference tools and resources
www.BibleStudyTools.com Subscription based and ads, more control for creating documents from study
www.Theologygateway.info Free and ads, more in depth studies available for reading
Portland Bible College: Audit 3 Bible study classes, $24 monthly
Independent Study
Believe – to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, assurance “This __ is real.” “This __ we can take to the bank.” “It’s a sure thing.”
Jesus calls His followers to grow in faith.
To believe what Jesus said about who He is. To receive Jesus as Savior. To live in a way that is based on this reality.
“Anger” or “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (intense strong feeling of concern, and with acute emotional/mental distress or turbulence)
34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept.
“Wept” weeping which results from sorrow and grief.
What do we learn about the Gospel, aka Good News of Jesus, from this text?
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God gives eternal life to all who believe in, and receive, Jesus as Savior.
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God gives forgiveness and new spiritual life to all who believe in, and receive, Jesus as Savior.
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The challenges and suffering experienced here and now are temporary.
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The victory of Jesus will last forever.
How should we apply this?
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Believe in, and receive, Jesus as Savior. Live considering this reality.
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Look at the problems of this world as temporary.
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Understand that enemies of Jesus will be subject to His victory.
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Filter every thought and attitude with the Good News of Jesus.
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Consider the stewardship of our “here and now” with eternal perspective.
What should we do about this?
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Believe in, and receive, Jesus as Savior. Live considering this reality.
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Consider the Good News of Jesus as our most valuable resource.
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Think about and pray for each person in our lives.
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Be available to share the Good News of Jesus.
I. What do we learn from Moses’ Holy Ground experience? – Exodus 3:1-12
God wants to meet with us. Giving priority to “holy ground” places, for interaction with God, will help us see our identity, value, and purpose.
A. God is worthy of our respect and focus. God meets with Moses. Moses listens to God.
“To stay at a distance and remove footwear was then and is now in many cultures a sign of respect and humility.” – CSB Study Bible Notes
Holy Sacred Sanctuary Hallowed Dedicated Consecrated
Holy – sacred, dedicated, set apart, unparalleled, unique, none more so, pure, purity in purpose,
Time and place, focused on God alone, and an awareness that God is here now.
B. God speaks to the identity, value, and purpose for Moses’ life. God is powerful, loving, and personal. God wants to meet with us. Giving priority to “holy ground” places, for interaction with God, will help us see our identity, value, and purpose.
I. How did the followers of Jesus understand that God wanted to meet with them?
A. The Physical Meeting Place – throughout Scripture we see God interacting with people in sacred meeting places.
Examples of Holy Ground Meeting Places:
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Garden of Eden – Genesis 2 – 3:8 no shame, God gives identity, value, purpose. God walking in the Garden. Relationship interrupted by sin.
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Tabernacle – Exodus 40:18-38 God instructs Moses and the people to build a mobile place of meeting.
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Synagogues of Jewish and New Testament use – Matthew 4:23, 6:2, 5, 9:35, 10:17, many more, John 9: 22, 18:20, Acts 17:17, James 2:2
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Temple – 1 Kings 5 – 9, Solomon’s (where God met with David, in 2 Chronicles 3:1), 12 year old Jesus Christ, later cleansing, then predicting fall of the Temple and the New Covenant realities.
What happens in the meeting place with God? Atonement Hearing from God Offerings Praise Prayer “house of prayer for all nations” – Isaiah 56:7, Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17
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Homes and Public Buildings/Spaces – Acts 2:1-4, 46-47, Matthew 6:5-8 homes and public places (including the Temple) dedicated time and space
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Outdoors – Matthew 26:36-46, 14:23, Mark 6:46-47, Luke 6:12, John 6:15, Gethsemane, and many private places of prayer
B. The Spiritual Meeting Place – Jesus teaches that interaction with God is spiritual, and that the Holy Spirit is within us.
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Spiritual Activity – John 4 “Believe me, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem…true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in sprit and in truth.” – John 4:21-24 CSB Jesus taught that in this New Covenant, meeting with God is a spiritual activity. Worship until God is the only thing in your heart and mind.
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Spiritual Location “We are the temple of the living God. As God said: ‘I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” – 2 Corinthians 6:16, Leviticus 26:12, Ezekiel 37:27 New Testament Christians believed that the Holy Spirit was within them, spiritually guiding them, and always present. This is a close, personal, and life-changing relationship with God.
II. What do we learn?
A. God is powerful, loving, and personal.
B. God wants to meet with us.
C. Giving priority to “holy ground” places, for interaction with God, will help you see your identity, value, and purpose.
III. What should we do?
A. Pray, asking God to help us hear His voice.
B. Give priority time and energy to meeting with God, personally.
C. Give priority time and energy to meeting with God, with fellow believers.
D. Listen to what God has to say about our identity, value, and purpose.
E. Prayer-walk our neighborhoods with God’s purpose in focus.
Giving priority to “holy ground” places, for interaction with God, will help us see our identity, value, and purpose.
We can all respond, to the teaching of Jesus, with love, prayer, and effort.
“ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’” – Matthew 22:37-40 NLT
Building our lives on the teaching of Jesus. Love God. Love neighbors.
4 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 ‘Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.’”
8 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, 9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,’ says the LORD.
10 This is what the LORD says: ‘You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,’ says the LORD. ‘I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.’” – Jeremiah 29:4-14 NLT
Jeremiah, transferrable principle: wholehearted devotion, dwell, work, pray for the peace of the city.
Love our neighbors. Live in the city, praying for and working toward its peace and good health.
Neighbors who love. Citizens praying for and working toward the peace of the city.
The earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament translated peace “shalom” by using more than 20 different terms.
Shalom – healthy, complete, free from conflict or danger, salvation, safe & sound, peace & quiet, content, in good health, being at peace in every area of life, bringing people into peaceful relationships, an intact state of favorable circumstance, a state of wellbeing within and without (body illustration: not deficient of nutrients).
Peace – a state of being in good health: able to function at full capacity, able to rest, and free from conflict or danger in every area of your life and in every relationship.
Pray “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” – 1 Timothy 2:1
“Don’t worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He’s done.” – Philippians 4:6
Pray for those in civil authority. – 1 Timothy 1:1-2
Peace is the direction in which God is going; it must also be the concept which inspires our evangelistic, political, and social activity.
“the Kingdom of God…is a life of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17
“Search for peace and work to maintain it.” Psalm 34:14
“Work for the peace of the city…pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” v 7 Jeremiah 29:5-14
What are the things that we are already doing in response to God’s direction?
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Loving our neighbors through positive interactions: greeting, listening, responding, and meeting needs.
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Loving our neighbors by sharing the love of Jesus.
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Loving our neighbors through food pantries and neighborhood associations etc.
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Living in the city.
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Paying taxes: city, county, state, federal.
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Helpful citizen activities: voting, jury duty, school volunteering, clean ups etc.
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Seeking the Kingdom of God via the local church’s Jesus Movement.
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Using God-sourced wisdom and values when making decisions on stewardship of time, energy, and money.
What is God asking us to do? As a result, what should we do less of?
Ask God to help us recognize where we should spend less of our time, energy, and money. This may be things such as: activities that limit sleep, things we do to unwind but are not actually restorative, and activities that limit our capacity for God’s love.
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Love our neighbors.
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Serve and pray for the peace of our neighborhood and city.
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Learn about God’s truth, purpose, and value system.
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Give time and energy to thinking through how God’s truth, purpose, and value system should inform how we vote.
Voting is: Invitation to Participation. Civic responsibility. Privilege. Not as important as your relationship with God and your neighbors.
Important question for us to consider this week:
How does God’s truth, purpose, and value system inform how we vote?
Essential ingredient: spend less time on the news, info-tainment, and arguments in favor of having more peaceful clarity about our role in it all.
Live with a gracious humility, love, while pursuing peace. – Ephesians 4:1 NLT
Avoid “foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights….be kind to everyone,” – 2 Timothy 2:22-26 NLT
Week 1: Introduction, viewing forgiveness through how God forgives us.
Week 2: Someone forgiven of much refuses to forgive for little.
Week 3: Jesus heals the paralytic but not until he forgives his sins first.
Week 4: How do we actually forgive?
Possible Signs of Unforgiveness
Emotionally
- Negative Emotions: Negative feelings about someone tell us that something is not healed
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- Deep, negative emotions when you are reminded of an event or a person
- Prolonged stress amplifies our Amygdala’s sensitivity making us even more susceptible to further hurt and pain.
Deep emotions come to us in a rush but don’t leave at the same pace (LT,10)
- Anger
- Ephesians 4:26-27 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
- Study says anger causes “rumination” of thoughts. (mental anxiety/stress) and inhibits forgiveness and further damages the relationship.
- Depression
- Bitterness – towards God, the church or others or on behalf of others (example of people leaving church because of job for Dad).
- Seeking revenge
- Gossip
- Don’t notice good things
Mentally
- Can’t stop thinking about the event or the person involved
- Keeping record of wrongs
- Diminished memory: long term stress, cortisol is released and causes our brain to atrophy especially in our hippocampus or memory center
Physical symptoms (NIH)
- Frequent illness (lower immune response)
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- Physical pain
- Poor sleep or insomnia
Damage from unforgiveness
- Hinder your relationship with God
- Mark 11:25 – But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.
- Allows the event or perpetrator to continue to have power over you
- Keeps us in the past (we can’t move forward)
- Relational Damage
- Begin to lose trust
- Fear of more damaged relationships
- Withdrawing from healthy relationships (isolation which leads to more depression etc.)
What is forgiveness not?
- “Moving on”
- Condoning bad behavior
- Taking away your right to feel hurt/pain
- Staying in a relationship no matter what
- Boundaries aren’t to push people away, they are to hold me together (LT, 132)
- Forgetting what happened
- A relationship improver
- Consequence Remover
- A willingness to accept consequences for sinful behavior is actually good evidence that an offender truly is repentant.
- Unconditional
What is forgiveness?
- A decision
- A process
- Reflection of the character of God
- Obedience to God
Steps to ask for forgiveness
- Apology
- The hurt is named
- The damage done is stated
- Repentance
- Forgiveness asked for
I’m sorry I…. I recognize that it damaged you …. I will not do it again… Will you forgive me?
(If someone asks for our forgiveness) How do we forgive?
- Realize that God brings healing and our Enemy (Satan) is our real villain.
- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
- Recognize that forgiveness will cost us something (like parable of king forgiving)
- Remember that forgiveness is a key to a closer relationship with God
- Ask God for help (God help me to forgive like you do…. Please help me heal from the damage they have done to me)
- Choose to forgive
- Repeat
- Get help from pastor/therapist if needed
- Have a posture of readiness to forgive again.
When there is no repentance: Going beyond forgiveness.
Matthew 18 – Offense between Believers
- Go privately to that person
- Take one or two others with you
- Take your case to the church
- If they won’t accept the church’s decision “treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector”.
Matthew 5
- If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other cheek also.
- If you are sued and your shirt is taken, give your coat too.
- If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
- Love your enemies (hostile, hating, opposing)
- Pray for those who persecute you
Matthew 5:46-48 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Love your enemies, AGAPE – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Loving my enemy means:
I am patient and kind to them. I am not jealous of them or boastful or proud about myself when I think of them (self-righteous). I will not be rude in my behavior or conversation with or about them. I will not be irritable to them or irritated when I think of them. I will not keep a record of what they do wrong. I will not rejoice when something bad happens to them. I will rejoice when they come to Jesus!
I will never give up on them, never lose faith that God is working on them. I will continue to be hopeful that true reconciliation is possible and yet I will endure through every circumstance that makes it seem like this is not ever possible.
Results of Forgiveness
- God will forgive your sins
- Peace
- Joy
- Hope: After practicing forgiveness Hope for the future shown to increase in
- College Students (Luskin et al., 2005).
- At-risk adolescents (Freedman, 2018)
- Early adolescent female sexual abuse survivors (Rahman et al., 2018)
- Incest survivors (Freedman & Enright, 1996)
- Terminally Ill (Hansen et al., 2009)
Further Study/help
- Bible
- Forgive by Timothy Keller
- Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns
- Forgiving what you can’t forgive by Lysa Terkheurst
Jesus Forgives, then Heals: Mark 2: 1-12
Why did Jesus see forgiveness as more important than making a man walk?
Wouldn’t our hearts respond with No! Heal me! My life will be all better.
Forgiving his sins would clean his heart and bring peace, joy
Forgiveness restores our relationship with God.
Forgiveness of sins is the more important issue that the man is facing.
“He desired to teach us by this that He came to cure and save souls, that the soul is worth more than the body, and that the health of the body can only avail those whose soul is healthy.”
What do we learn?
God’s priorities can be different than ours
The condition of our relationship with God and our heart is most important
God forgives and helps us in practical ways.
What should we do?
Consider God’s forgiveness for your sins.
Consider where your priorities may not line up with God’s
Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the right perspective and help you align your priorities with God’s
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Psalm 86:5
Paid in Full
Matthew 18:23-35 Parable of the unforgiving servant and the king
God forgives all of our sin
So we should forgive others
Matthew 18:23-35
The King wants to settle all accounts and finds one servant lacking 10,000 talents. He wants the man’s life, family, assets to all be sold to settle the debt. The man begged and said he would pay it back and pleaded for patience. The King was filled with pity for him and released and forgave the debt.
The forgiven servant left the king and found a fellow servant and who owed him a hundred denarii (few thousand dollars) grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. The fellow servant begged for forgiveness and time to repay but the forgiven servant had the fellow servant thrown in prison.
How can this Forgiven servant be unforgiving?
If Jesus forgives us of so much, unconditionally, how could we not reflect his grace and mercy to those around us.
Jesus forgave us before we even had a chance to beg for it.
Why is learning Biblical forgiveness important?
- Helps us learn more about the character of God.
- Broadens our understanding of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
- How we believe God forgives us shapes how we forgive others.
Sin: Foolishness, Prov. 24:9, transgression (to go across the boundary), 1 John 2:4, unrighteousness (breaking of relationship) 1 John 5:17, Not doing good James 4:17, doing good (! bad heart/motives),
Exodus 34 – I forgive iniquity, rebellion, sin
- Iniquity: perverse, make crooked
- Rebellion: to break away from authority, trespass, quarrel, revolt
- Sin: offense, habitual sin and its penalty, to miss the mark
- Disobedience, not listening to God, error or sin of ignorance,
Effects of sin:
- Forfeited purity (shame),
- Knowledge of good and evil (we know good and evil but we only do evil, Romans 7:18-21
- Our conscience started working, Romans 2:14
- Try to make ourselves presentable
- Fear of God
- Blame
- Our Nature was corrupted
- Judgment followed (toil, death)
God wanted to right these effects,
- Righteousness, repairing our relationship with God and others
- Love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8 while we were still sinners Jesus died)
- Eternal life through Jesus
We have all sinned
Romans 3:23-24
God’s forgiveness is:
- Gracious but not free. It cost him.
- God’s forgiveness is conditional. Only those who repent and believe are saved.
- A commitment. When God forgives he promises/commits to not hold that sin against us.
God’s Forgiveness:
- Lays the groundwork for and begins the process of reconciliation.
- Does not mean the elimination of all consequences.
What do we learn?:
- Sin separates us from our relationship with God
- Our repentance followed by God’s forgiveness restores that relationship
- Forgiveness is costly
- God’s forgiveness shows us His character
What should we do?
- Consider the cost of God’s forgiveness to you
- Spend time thanking God for His forgiveness
Isaiah 44:22
Cultivate joy by living in light of the resurrected Jesus.
“Saved by his life,” – Romans 5:10
Our Savior King Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and raised from the dead for our salvation. Jesus is alive.
What does this mean to us?
Freedom – Romans 4:24-25, 5:1-2, 9-11, 20-21 CSB
“It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” – Romans 4:24-25 NLT
“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” – Romans 5:1-2 NLT
“9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” – Romans 5:9-11 NLT
“20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 5:20-21 NLT
Saved – to experience divine salvation, rescue from punishment, removing moral guilt, giving new spiritual life
Story of Good News – Timothy Keller conversational pathway
Chapter 1: Where did we come from? From God: the One and the relational
Chapter 2: Why did things go so wrong? Because of sin: bondage and condemnation
Chapter 3: What will put things right? Christ: incarnation, substitution, restoration
Chapter 4: How can I be put right? Through faith: grace and trust
Chapter 3 and 4 Q + A are a focus of Romans. We read Romans 1-8 as helpful in understanding salvation.
What do we learn?
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God has shown us love by sending Jesus as Savior.
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Jesus is alive.
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Jesus won the victory over sin and death.
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God offers salvation, including gracious freedom from sin.
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A life-giving and life-changing relationship with God produces joy.
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We can all cultivate joy by receiving God’s gracious freedom from sin and choosing to live in it.
What should we do?
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Ask God for help in understanding Romans 5.
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Read Romans 5.
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Write questions and answers.
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Consider what “Jesus brings joy.” means to you.
Consider how you can cultivate joy.
Cultivate joy by receiving the sacrifice of Jesus as grace. March 24 Palm Sunday Grace – Romans 5:6, 8, 20 NLT
Intro – Today is “Palm Sunday” on the historic Christian calendar.
“Save us!” shouts greeting Jesus’ triumphant entrance to Jerusalem. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” – Psalm 118:1 the psalm pilgrims always sang on the way to Jerusalem. The cry Hosanna!, translates “give salvation now”, and had come to be a term of praise. Every Jew knew of its occurrence in Psalm 118:25, which is part of Hallel, sung each morning by the temple choir during the Feast of Tabernacles but also associated at this period with the Feast of Dedication and with Passover. The connection was so strong that many Jews referred to their palm branches as hosannas.
“Blessings, one who comes in the name of the Lord.” – Matthew 21:9 Mark 11:9 Luke 19:38 John 12:13 In reference to “Please, Lord, save us. Bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.” Psalm 118:25-26
Why are they celebrating on Palm Sunday? Let’s grow in our understanding of this Good News. In this way we can cultivate joy by receiving the sacrifice of Jesus as grace.
“When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God.” – Romans 5:6 NCV
“God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” – Romans 5:8 NCV
“God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loved us.” – John Stott
“God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 5:20-21 NLT
“The law came to make sin worse. But when sin grew worse, God’s grace increased. Sin once used death to rule us, but God gave people more of his grace so that grace could rule by making people right with him. And this brings life forever through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 5:20-21 NCV
When we confess our wrongs to God, and turn away from them, we should understand that the undeserved gracious forgiving love of God covers and extends beyond our sins.
“God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.” – Romans 5:20 NLT
Grace – undeserved favorable kindness, gift given with delight and a generous spirit,
Grace is one of the essential ingredients of God’s characteristics. God describes his own attribute in Exodus 34:6 and people often used this to describe God. Isaiah predicted that God would show grace to his people, by delivering them and all creation from death and ruin, in Isaiah 30:18-19. Jesus is described as God’s glorious grace sent into a world of people trapped in darkness and death. Jesus is a generous gift of life that is more powerful than death. God graciously sent us Jesus Christ who defeated sin and death.
“Grace” God’s graciousness from Bible Project
Story of Good News – Timothy Keller question and answer conversational pathway
Chapter 1: Where did we come from? From God: the One and the relational
Chapter 2: Why did things go so wrong? Because of sin: bondage and condemnation
Chapter 3: What will put things right? Christ: incarnation, substitution, restoration
Chapter 4: How can I be put right? Through faith: grace and trust
Chapter 3 and 4 Q + A are a focus of Romans. We read Romans 1-8 as helpful in understanding salvation.
God loves us by graciously giving us the opportunity to believe and receive Jesus Christ as Savior King. In this way, we receive his gracious freedom from his punishment of our sins and his gracious freedom from a life of repeating our sins. So we can cultivate joy by receiving the sacrifice of Jesus as grace.
How? Access grace daily. Relate to God through grace. Receive and respond to spiritual freedom. Live to please God!
What do we learn?
1. God has shown us love by sending Jesus as Savior.
2. God offers gracious freedom from sin.
3. A life-giving and life-changing relationship with God produces joy.
4. We can all cultivate joy by receiving God’s gracious freedom from sin and choosing to live in it.
What should we do?
1. Ask yourself if you are receiving the sacrifice of Jesus as grace.
2. Ask God for help in understanding Romans 5, as you read it.
3. Grow in understanding by writing your questions and answers.
4. Consider what “Jesus brings joy.” means to you.
5. Consider how you can cultivate joy.
Cultivate joy by choosing to live in God’s gracious freedom from sin.
God, the Holy Spirit, inspired Paul to write to Roman people explaining how Jesus brings joy to a deeply flawed modern life. This letter relates to each nuance of a complicated life and a helpful diagnosis of the human condition.
“Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who through our faith has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory.” – Romans 5:1-2 NCV
22 God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same: 23 Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard, 24 and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ. 25 God sent him to die in our place to take away our sins. We receive forgiveness through faith in the blood of Jesus’ death. This showed that God always does what is right and fair, as in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. 26 And God gave Jesus to show today that he does what is right. God did this so he could judge rightly and so he could make right any person who has faith in Jesus.” – Romans 3:22-26 NCV
Feel shame or heaviness when these topics, felt that way myself, found that digging into the truth brought life-changing peace and joy. One of the essential ingredients is clarity about right and wrong. We can’t afford a fuzzy relationship with right and wrong. The truth of the Good News of Jesus brings life-changing spiritual freedom and clarity about our identity, value, and purpose. Jesus Brings Joy! Cultivate joy by choosing to live in God’s gracious freedom from sin.
Q + A: Sin?
Sin – to fail, to miss the goal or destination, to miss the goal of God’s designed purpose, doing the wrong thing, not doing the right thing, moral failure, to act contrary to the will and law of God, desires and selfish urges to act for our own benefit at the expense of others “toxic selfishness”, failure to be humans who fully love God and others
Q + A: Sin? What damage would ___ sin bring? “chain reaction of relational breakdown,” Why would God hate sin?
“God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” – Romans 5:8 NCV
“God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loved us.” – John Stott
“9 So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of Christ’s death. 10 While we were God’s enemies, he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he will save us through his Son’s life. 11 And not only that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we are now God’s friends again. ” – Romans 5:9-11 NCV
“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world.” – Romans 5:12 NLT
“Adam & Eve choose to redefine good and evil by their own definition.”
Story of Good News – Timothy Keller conversational pathway
Chapter 1: Where did we come from? From God: the One and the relational
Chapter 2: Why did things go so wrong? Because of sin: bondage and condemnation
Chapter 3: What will put things right? Christ: incarnation, substitution, restoration
Chapter 4: How can I be put right? Through faith: grace and trust
Chapter 3 and 4 Q + A are a focus of Romans. We read Romans 1-8 as helpful in understanding salvation.
“The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 NCV
“Jesus committed no sin…yet he carried our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to our sins and live to do what’s right.” – 1 Peter 2:22-24
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” – Galatians 5:1
God’s motive: love God’s purpose: includes our freedom from sin. Important to not shrug off sin, accepting it as part of life that can’t be changed. God gives this invitation to participation, receive and live in God’s gracious freedom from sin.
“Go and sin no more.” – John 5:14, 8:11
“If you don’t choose what is good, sin is crouching at the door. It wants you, but you can rule over it.” – Genesis 4:7 God says to Cain.
Note: What does God do? What are we to do?
What do we learn?
- God has shown us love by sending Jesus as Savior.
- God offers gracious freedom from sin.
- A life-giving and life-changing relationship with God produces joy.
- We can all cultivate joy by receiving God’s gracious freedom from sin and choosing to live in it.
What should we do?
- Ask God for help in understanding Romans 5.
- Read Romans 5.
- Write questions and answers.
- Consider what “Jesus brings joy.” means to you.
- Consider how you can cultivate joy.
Jesus Brings Joy! Cultivate joy by choosing to live in God’s gracious freedom from sin.
Let’s look at Romans chapter 5 for the next few weeks. Key words: Law 78, Righteousness & Justification 64, Faith & Believe 60, Sin 57, Grace 24
“Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who through our faith has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory.” – Romans 5:1-2 NCV
Story of Good News – Timothy Keller conversational pathway
Chapter 1: Where did we come from? From God: the One and the relational
Chapter 2: Why did things go so wrong? Because of sin: bondage and condemnation
Chapter 3: What will put things right? Christ: incarnation, substitution, restoration
Chapter 4: How can I be put right? Through faith: grace and trust
Chapter 3 and 4 Q + A are a focus of Romans. We read Romans 1-8 as helpful in understanding salvation.
In this series we’re going to focus on a priority aspect of this story of Good News: Jesus Brings Joy – Romans 5:1-2
Cultivate joy by receiving God’s gracious freedom from sin.
Joy – the emotion evoked by well-being and contentment, great happiness, cheerful,
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 CSB
What do we learn?
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A life-giving and life-changing relationship with God produces joy.
-
We can all cultivate joy by receiving God’s gracious freedom from sin and choosing to live in it.
What should we do?
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Ask God for help in understanding Romans 5.
-
Read Romans 5.
-
Write questions and answers.
-
Consider what “Jesus brings joy.” means to you.
-
Consider how you can cultivate joy.
How does God see our church?
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With Love.
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With Understanding.
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With Purpose.
It is a good idea (with Biblical precedent) to ask ourselves, “How does God view our church?”
Biblical idea: “The Revelation of Jesus” God sends specific messages to seven churches. The communication with each church reveals God’s awareness of their responses to the instructions given to all churches and their unique challenges. What we believe about God’s perspective is most important.
How does God see our church?
- With Love.
God is love. God’s love for us is eternal. God sees us through the lens of the redeeming love given to us in atonement and salvation. God desires that we would respond with wholehearted devotion.
“God so loved the world…” – John 3:16
“God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-21
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.” – 1 John 4:7-9 CSB
“Bride of Christ,” – Ephesians 5:25-30
“25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of his body.” – Ephesians 5:25-30 CSB
God sees us as valuable and lovely, through his commitment to love us. God desires that we would respond with wholehearted devotion. Our view of City Harbor Church must be informed by God’s perspective first and foremost.
“Love God, love each other,” – Matthew 22:37-40
- With Understanding.
God knows what is best for us. God has complete knowledge, understanding, and wisdom about the neighborhoods and circumstances in which we live. God has the perfect understanding of who we are and why we gather as a local church. The Good News of Jesus brings us together. God knows the best ways for us to fellowship and collaborate.
God is perfect in Knowledge and Understanding – August 27, 2023
God’s understanding is infinite. Psalms 147:5 Isaiah 29:15-16
God knows the hearts of all. Proverbs 15:11 1 John 3:20 Genesis 18:18-19
Jesus prays for us, in John 17:20-26. The Bible shows us that Jesus speaks to the Father on our behalf, Romans 8:34 says that Jesus “is at the right of God and is also interceding for us.” In 1 John 2:1 we read that Jesus is our “advocation with the Father,” and from Hebrews 7:25 we learn that Jesus “always lives to intercede” for us.
“Spiritual gifts, Jesus is the head of the Body, bringing unity to our diversity.” – 1 Corinthians 12
Comparison steals joy. It may be normal to compare our church with other churches. It may not be healthy or helpful to do so. Our view of City Harbor Church must be informed by God’s perspective first and foremost.
- With Purpose.
God enjoys giving each one of us identity, value, and purpose (just as we see with Adam and Eve, in Genesis 1:26-31.) God gives purpose to every believer and every local church. This includes the directive Jesus gave, in Matthew 16:18, 22:37-40, 28:18-20, Acts 1:7-8, to invite others to salvation in Jesus and a lifestyle of wholehearted devotion to Jesus, following the ways of Jesus. God gives us the example of those who first heard him, as seen in the New Testament. (in particular Acts 2:42-27, 4:32-35, 1 Corinthians 10, 12, Ephesians 2)
“Jesus builds,” – Matthew 16:18
“On this rock I will build my church, and the power of death will not be able to defeat it. ” – Matthew 16:18 NCV
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All power in heaven and on earth is given to me. 19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 NCV
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:7-8 CSB
Jesus has always been present and foundational to a healthy relationship between God and humanity.
“That rock was Christ,” – 1 Corinthians 10:4 CSB
“Jesus is our cornerstone,” – Ephesians 2:18-22, Acts 4:10-12
“18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit. ” – Ephesians 2:18-22 CSB
“Spiritual gifts, Jesus is the head of the Body, bringing unity to our diversity.” – 1 Corinthians 12
We should follow the example of Jesus’ first followers.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:42-27 CSB
God’s purpose for us is most valuable and yet not overwhelming. God’s purpose for us is scalable. Following the lead of Jesus, we can bring together our individual lives around God’s purpose. In this current era of God’s Kingdom, we are part of the Jesus Movement on earth. City Harbor Church has an important part to play in contributing to the healthy growth of the Jesus Movement in our Baltimore neighborhoods.
Analogy of The Great Green Wall – a local community-driven forward-looking solution for the stewardship of natural resources
Since 1920, the Sahara desert has spread by 10% and engulfed entire villages. The Great Green Wall may stop this spread. So far 18% of the wall has been completed, with the restoration of over 20 million hectares of land, the creation of 350,000 jobs, the training of 10 million people in sustainable land and water management practices, and $90 million generated by project activities.
Strategy each person can dig one semi-circle in one day, in connection with others, to start the transformation of their area.
What should we do?
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Pray about this week’s message and Scriptures.
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Ask God to help you see God’s perspective of our church.
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Ask God to help you see how you can be a part of this.
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Encourage a fellow church member in this.
Our guests Justin Cardinal and Jessica Hurlbut from New Testament Church in Massena, NY share their experiences in building life based on the teaching of Jesus. This is in follow up of our February 4 message, Foundation for Building, from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:24-29.
My house will be called a house of prayer,” – Matthew 21:13
“Let them rejoice in My house of prayer.” – Isaiah 56:7
Why are we praying?
“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.” – Hebrews 12:1-3 CSB
Who are we praying to?
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” – Colossians 1:15-20 CSB
Stations of Prayer
Repentance & Receiving
And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.—Matthew 6:12
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.—Isaiah 30:15
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord .—Acts 3:19-20a
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.—Matthew 5:6
I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as a parched land thirsts for rain.—Psalms 143:6
But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up into eternal life.—John 4:14
Abide & Be Still
Take time to rest in His presence. Breathe deeply. Think about who He is. Meditate on these verses. Listen! Make room for him to speak to you.
Remain in me and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.—John 15:4
I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.—John 15:9
Be still, and know that I am God.—Psalms 26:10
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. with his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.—Zephaniah 3:17
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.—Deut. 31:8
Thanksgiving
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name! – Psalm 100:4
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.—Philippians 4:6
Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! – Psalm 107:1
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. – James 1:17-18
Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. Psalm 95:2-3
Your Family
- Your spouse
- Your children
- Salvation for those far from God
- Forgiveness between family members
- Healing of brokenness
- Healing of severed connections & relationships
- That they might recognize who God is, how he loves them and the plans he has for them.
- Peace, grace, creativity and wisdom from the Holy Spirit in any conversations you have with family members.
Our Church
That we would be a “city set on a hill” (Matt. 5:14) that draws people into a “safe harbor” (Psalms 107:30)
- An abiding presence of God every time we meet whether on Sunday mornings, Life Group, one on one or just to be with each other.
- New levels of worship corporately and privately.
- Unity as a congregation
“I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you send me and that you love them as much as you love me.” – John 17:23
- Forgiveness and grace for each other.
- Other members: That they would experience the fullness of God for themselves, physical healing, protection & provision.
- Your Pastors, especially physical healing for Pastor Ben
- Creativity, wisdom and finances to reach our communities & city.
Baltimore
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” – Jeremiah 29:7
- Peace: End of violence & murder
- Leadership: From our Governor to City Counsel Members
- City Schools: Students, Teachers, Leadership, Staff
- Police & Firefighters
- Other Churches
- Businesses
- Prosperity
Salvation & Revival
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.—1 Timothy 2:1-6
I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy – Jeremiah 29:7
If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.—2 Chronicles 7:14
- Salvation for your family members
- Salvation for your neighbors
- Salvation for Friends & Co-workers
- Revival in Baltimore
- Revival across the United States
- Revival across the entire Earth
Peace & End to Violence
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.John 16:33
- Gaza & Israel
- Civil Wars: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Libya, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Colombia & Mali.
- Kansas City: Lasting peace after shootings during Super Bowl Parade
- Family members of Baltimore Paramedic Shaney Warehime who was murdered last week.
- The Church worldwide would be bringers of peace.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.—Colossians 3:15
Encouragement: 2023 had an “historic drop” in homicides of almost 21% compared to 2022! First time below 300 homicides since 2015.
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 5You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.” – 2 Corinthians 4:6
Now we have vision, we can Spiritually see because God is our light! But we are spiritually colorblind.
Natural Color Blindness
Causes
Genetics
Physical or chemical damage to the eye
Damage to part of brain that processes color information
Cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens
Age
What does this look like?
Deuteranomaly, Don’t see green well
Protanopia, Don’t see red well
Tritanopia, don’t see blue well
Acromotopsia, little or no color at all
Spiritual colorblindness.
We see that Biblically, salvation is like receiving sight but because we can’t see with our natural eyes the spiritual realm (what God is up to) it is like we are spiritually color blind. Seeing what God sees is like full color sight.
What do we see with spiritual colorblindness?
Hopelessness
Depravity of the world
Things don’t change
What does God see?
Everything
For he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.- Job 28:24
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. – Hebrews 4:13
Our hearts
People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7
Your desires & thoughts
for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. – 1 Chronicles 28:9b
Hope for you and your future
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremian 29:11
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
A work in progress
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:6
A redeemable world
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16
What we can’t see
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:12
The Eternal
“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” Revelation 1:8
This is what matters!
Diagnosing spiritual colorblindness or Symptoms of
You regularly struggle with the same sin (don’t see the harm it does to you and others)
You are constantly discouraged by what you see around you
You are constantly frustrated by things you can’t change
Overwhelmed
It’s difficult to be thankful
You are carrying bitterness or unforgiveness. (Don’t see the effect it has on you)
Lack of vision and purpose
You don’t keep your eyes on Jesus (Peter in the storm)
These aren’t all totally bad! We are talking about colorblindness not rose colored glasses!
How do we fix our spiritual colorblindness?
Don’t look back (to old life, sin)
Luke 9:62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Don’t focus on others
Obey – Prov. 29:18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
Abide with Jesus
Benefits of putting on Spiritual color fixing glasses
Victory over Sin
Peace
Joy
Forgiveness (from you, towards you)
You see God working
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus communicates something that is a priority for those who follow.
“Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock. 26 Everyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house, and it fell with a big crash.” – Matthew 7:24-27 NCV
What is Jesus saying in Matthew 7:24-27?
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Spiritual strength will be evident in the lives of those who listen to Jesus and follow his guidance.
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Damage and instability will be evident in the lives of those who do not listen to Jesus and follow his guidance.
“’Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what everyone is like who comes to me and hears my words and obeys. 48 That person is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the floods came, the water tried to wash the house away, but it could not shake it, because the house was built well. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not obey is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. When the floods came, the house quickly fell and was completely destroyed.’” – Luke 6:46-49 NCV
What do we learn?
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Jesus Christ wants us to listen to him.
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Jesus Christ wants us to follow his guidance.
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As we follow the instructions of Jesus Christ we will grow in spiritual strength.
What should we do?
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Read the words of Jesus.
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Ask God for understanding and wisdom.
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Ask questions to discover what is mysterious.
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Write the truth in memorable sentences.
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Apply the truth.
“Almighty and everlasting God, our heavenly Father, whose mercy and lovingkindness are known to all who trust in Thee: We thank Thee for Thy unfailing promises to us Thy children. Generation after generation seek Thee and are found of Thee. We cast ourselves upon Thee and are supported by Thee. We live secure in the sure and certain fulfillment of Thy precious promises. Thou has promised, O God, that while the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. We praise Thy Name for these manifestations of Thy unfailing providence.
In the midst of sorrow or joy, sickness or health, adversity or prosperity, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may never lose sight of Thee. And when the storms of confusion and uncertainty overtake us, speak peace to our soul, O blessed Lord, and enlighten our mind with Thy Holy Spirit. Lighten our burdens by strengthening our spirit. Keep us strong and give us courage.
And when the ways of our common life would tend to discourage and to embitter us, give us the grace and the patience to maintain a loving and a confident spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
“We Cast Ourselves Upon Thee” by Rev Jesse Jai McNeil 1961
Rev Jesse Jai McNeil pastor of Detroit’s Tabernacle Baptist Church.
“Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my followers.” John 13:34-35
1 John 4:7-12
I. What does Jesus mean by saying, “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12
A. Agape love – choosing to give a Jesus-kind-of-love to someone out of sincere appreciation and high regard.
“Love is faithful, patient, kind, rejoicing in the truth,
always: protects, trusts, hopes, believes the best, perseveres, never fails,”
Love does not: envy, boast, walk in pride,
treat people in ways that are: rude, self-seeking, or easily angered
Love keeps no record of wrongs.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
John 13:1, 4-5, 13-15
“love each other, work together” Philippians 2:2
“serve one another in love” Galatians 5:13-14
“Make every effort – unity” Ephesians 4:1-3
B. Giving love to each other.
“motivate each other, don’t neglect gathering, encourage each other” Hebrews 10:23-25
“Let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:18
“Devote, fellowship, meals, prayer, work together strategically, worship together in big group, eat together in homes,” Acts 2:41-47, 4:32-35, 5:42
Community – the intentional development of meaningful relationships, based on God’s purpose/principles, resulting in each person having a sense of belonging, acceptance, and significance.
To belong:
• I’m a part of something where I can give and receive.
• I feel love, acceptance, and affection. I am cared for.
• I am not useless. I can make a difference. I am important.
We connect by gathering on weekends for worship, to receive and respond to his love.
We grow by meeting in small groups for prayer, learning, and sharing life.
We share by living like Jesus and sharing his love, everyday and everywhere.
Life Group: Get connected with life-giving relationships. Church works best when we are sharing life. Nobody stands alone.
II. What can we do this week? Be intentional about building relationships to best love each other.
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Pray.
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Think.
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Make plans.
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Set aside time, energy, and money.
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Follow through.
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Forgive.
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Repeat.
III. What are the God-sourced benefits?
A. Joy – (cultivating) “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.” John 15:11
“Jesus speaks of the joy we can have through him as we face life’s trials (Cyril), as well as the joy he has over us through the grace he has given us.” – Augustine
B. Community of Love – Jesus directs us to give love to each other. This includes being intentional to build relationships within the community of faith, our local church, and give the love of Jesus to each other. That is those people with whom you are following Jesus. People with whom you may develop misunderstandings, hurt, or offenses. This provides the opportunity to walk in the forgiveness of Jesus. This provides the opportunity to avoid gossip, passive aggressive communication, or talking with other people about the circumstance before having talked with the person involved. There is a tremendous benefit to building resilient relationships with a commitment to love each other!
IV. What should we do? (Big picture, wrapping up the series)
A. Spend time and energy to be with Jesus, available for His influence. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” – John 15:4
B. Listen to Jesus. “my words remain in you,” – John 15:7 (pray the words of Jesus)
C. Love each other, the way that Jesus did (in motivation, mode, and method) with gracious humility “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12
D. Walking out your spiritual life in community (out in the open) so that they may encourage your decisions to grow closer to Jesus. “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12
“I loved you as the Father loved me. Now remain in my love. I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. I have told you these things so that you can have the same joy I have and so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy. This is my command: love each other as I have loved you. The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” – John 15:9-14 NCV
Let’s discuss these questions:
What is Jesus saying in John 15:9-11?
How do we understand the motivation, process, and decision of obedience?
How do we know what to obey?
What should we do?
I. What is Jesus saying in John 15:9-11? “abide in my love, obey my commands,”
What is Jesus saying? What does Jesus mean?
Jesus Christ invites us to receive salvation and to forsake selfishness.
Jesus Christ calls us to a close personal relationship of wholehearted devotion to God.
Jesus Christ calls us to follow his direction in this loving committed relationship.
An extraordinary state of happiness will become a benefit to us.
II. How do we understand the motivation, process, and decision of obedience?
A. Motivation: responding to love
“I loved you as the Father loved me. Now remain in my love. I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and I remain in his love.” – John 15:9 NCV
We receive new spiritual life through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. In this we are motivated to accept his shaping influence and direction for our lives. Following the guidance and directives of Father God and Jesus Christ, found in Scripture, is evidence of our relationship with God.
“Love is the motivation for such living.” – Basil
B. Process: living in close relationship
“Abiding in Christ governs what we desire, which in turn brings glory to God as we live out the faith and life given to us by God.” – Augustine
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me.” – John 15:4 NCV
C. Decision: daily choose this connection (repeat John 15:4)
“As we abide in Christ’s love, we become more like him and enjoy the security that comes with obeying his call to love through obeying the commandments.” – John Chrysostom
Jesus teaches about the spiritual family we are invited into.
“He answered, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ Then he pointed to his followers and said, ‘Here are my mother and brothers. My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what my Father in heaven wants.’” – Matthew 12:48-50
“God planned long ago to choose you by making you his holy people, which is the Spirit’s work. God wanted you to obey him and to be made clean by the blood of the death of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be yours more and more.” – 1 Peter 1:2 NCV
Stay Connected to the love of God, even in your lifestyle of obeying Father God’s Word (guidelines for living).
III. How do we know what to obey?
Read the words of Jesus found in the New Testament. Study them. Think about them. Ask questions about them. Learn from them. Apply them to your everyday life. For the best results do all of this with fellow believers.
Listen to Jesus. “my words remain in you,” – John 15:7
We should read the words of Jesus, so that we can learn from the words of Jesus, so that we can follow the directions of Jesus, so that we can live in a close personal loving relationship with Jesus. This should include memorization and praying with the words of Jesus.
Such as: “Love God with all…love your neighbor as yourself” “love each other”
Jesus is our example. Jesus’ use of the vine analogy is most likely another good example of his own study of what God had said in the past. Consider that the vine is frequently used as a symbol of God’s covenant (love committed) people, Israel. This is especially true in two “vineyard songs” found in Isaiah 5:1-7 and 27:2-6. Other examples include Psalms 80:8-17, Jeremiah 2:21, 6:9, 12:10-13, Ezekiel 15:1-8, 17:5-10, 19:10-14, Hosea 10:1-2, 14:7.
IV. What should we do?
A. Spend time and energy to be with Jesus, available for His influence. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” – John 15:4
B. Listen to Jesus. “my words remain in you,” – John 15:7 (pray the words of Jesus)
C. Follow the guidance of Jesus in obeying God’s directives.
D. Walking out your spiritual life in community (out in the open) so that they may encourage your decisions to grow closer to Jesus. “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12
“abide in my love,” John 15:9
This is Part Two of our January series “Be with Jesus”.
“I am the true vine, remain in me, and I will remain in you.” – John 15:1, 4 NCV
Stay Connected: Abide – Jesus in John 15:1-17 Jesus calls us to stay connected to Him.
Abide: living with, to live in, maintain a connection with, stay with,
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” – John 15:9-11 CSB
I. What does Jesus mean when he says in John 15:9 “abide in my love,”?
“Remain in my love,” – John 15:9 Stay in love. Stay Connected to the love of God. Receive love from Jesus and return love to Jesus. This brings us into receiving love from God, and in return loving God with all we’ve got.
A. To “be in” Jesus is to have received his love, in its saving grace.
Romans 5:8-11
Romans 10:9-13
By confessing faith in King Jesus as Savior, confessing, and turning away from our selfish lifestyle, believing in our hearts that King Jesus is our Lord we can receive this new spiritual life, forgiveness of our sins, and the removal of our guilt and the need to be punished, and the compulsion to repeat mistakes and we can now live in the confident hope of Heaven in our future.
B. To Live in the love of Jesus is to stay in this loving close relationship with him.
To His devoted people God said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” – Jeremiah 31:3
“Love God with all…” – Matthew 22:37-40
Having received salvation and love from God, we now give the best of our love to God every day. We live in wholehearted devotion to God. We attach ourselves to God through His love. In this way we receive love, share love, and give love. Here we find ultimate spiritual love, safety, and security.
Jesus’ model of prayer (the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:5-14) can guide our relationship time with God and help us stay in the love of Jesus.
II. What should we do?
A. Daily consider what the love of Jesus means to you personally. “Remain in my love,” – John 15:9 Reflect on the truth of what the love of Jesus is. Daily take time and energy to receive the love of Jesus for you.
B. Spend time and energy to be with Jesus, available for His influence, receiving his love. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” – John 15:4
What should we be thinking about (to make this a loving reality)?
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What is helping your loving relationship with Jesus?
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What is hurting or crowding your loving relationship with Jesus?
Responding to, “abide/stay/remain in My love,” we must ask, “What takes us out of it?”
“Life Hack” shortcut principle of spiritual practices that can be helpful.
“One filter to use in examining your day involves looking for moments of what Ignatius Loyal called “consolation” – times of moving toward God. The opposite is “desolation” – times of moving away from God. What activities or moments drew you closer to God or sparked an awareness of his presence? And are there activities that regularly distract you from the any sense of God? Being more aware of both of these movements can help us live with greater intentionality and aid us in developing a continual communion with him. The practice of examen sometimes uses a series of questions to uncover deeper feelings we accumulate during the day. For example, as you play back the events of the day like a video in your mind, ask yourself, ‘Where was I most ___ today?’ (Fill in the blank with alive, peaceful, loved, sad, grateful, etc.) Allow these questions to prompt prayers of thanksgiving, confession, or petition.
Desolation – the sense of God’s absence
When, today, did I sense being drawn away from God?
When did I feel most dissatisfied and restricted today?
Was there any time today when I felt discouraged?
What was the most draining part of my day?”
– Skye Jethani With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God
Are we allowing anything, any hurt, any discouragement, any frustration, any anger to hinder a wholehearted loving relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ? Recall our December 31st message, “Give your Cares to God” for important clarification. Increase what is helping your loving relationship with Jesus, and decrease what is hurting or crowding your relationship with Jesus. Your fellow Jesus followers can be helpful in this area.
Book Recommendations:
Where is God when it Hurts? – Philip Yancey
Walking with God through Pain and Suffering – Timothy Keller
Disappointment with God – Philip Yancey
C. Listen to the loving Jesus. “my words remain in you,” – John 15:7 (pray the words of Jesus)
D. Walking out your spiritual life in community (out in the open) so that they may encourage your decisions to grow closer to Jesus. “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12
“I am the true vine, remain in me, and I will remain in you.” – John 15:1, 4 NCV
What did Jesus mean when he said, “I am the true vine, remain in me, and I will remain in you.” – John 15:1, 4, and what should we do about it?
We can all start 2024 with more peaceful joy, as we stay in a close relationship with Jesus, receive his love, follow his guidance, and share his love with each other.
“4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me. 5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing.” – John 15:4-5 NCV
- What did Jesus mean when he said this?
It’s important for us to understand the context. Jesus Christ is at the Last Supper with his close followers in an important conversation, preparing them for the future that would include suffering. Jesus references a well known grapevine analogy that they would have been introduced to in Isaiah 5:1-7 and Psalms 80:8-9.
Our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ is the “true” vine, and we are the branches in his analogy, in John 15:1.
“True” – real thing in comparison to those who claimed to be, Jesus is the authentic, trustworthy, genuine life-giving source
“Vine” – grapevine, bush producing grapes
“Branch” – tender more than the grapevine
Stay/abide/remain this one Greek word was common in the Greek and Roman literature that’s been found from the century of Jesus’ time on earth, including Homer. Also as, “to stay alive in a place,” “to remain in a sphere,” “To stand fast, hold out, to stand against opposition,”
Abide Bible Word Study:
“Rabbi, where are you staying?” – John 1:38 “to dwell”
Remain inhabited undisturbed – Zechariah 14:10
“he waited for a harvest,” – Isaiah 5:2
“Stay there until you leave that place.” – Mark 6:10
“the room where they were staying,” – Acts 1:13
“If these sailors don’t stay on the ship,” – Acts 27:31
“For two years he stayed in the place he rented for himself,” – Acts 28:30
“I will stay here in Ephesus.” – 1 Corinthians 16:8
Stay Connected: Abide – Jesus in John 15:1-17 Jesus calls us to stay connected to Him.
Abide: remain in the same place over a period of time, “tarry”, stay with, to stay still, living with, maintain a connection with, keeping a connection that is: direct, close, active, healthy, and uninterrupted
“Abide” or “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” – John 15:4….could also be translated as, “Stay with me, and I will stay with you.” as well as “Stay close to me, and I will stay close to you.”
Jesus is talking about a close personal connection.
Not a shallow new way of selfish emotionally presumptuous thinking, but centuries-long held Christian belief.
“The vine is a living parable of the life-giving nourishment the Spirit provides for those who remain attached to that vine by remaining in intimate union with Christ.” – Cyril of Alexandria 375-444
- What do we learn?
A. To “be in” Jesus is to have received him as Savior.
B. To “remain in” Jesus to stay in a close relationship with him.
- What questions should we be thinking about?
A. What is helping your relationship with Jesus? How does the Holy Spirit see this?
B. What is hurting or crowding your relationship with Jesus? How does the Holy Spirit see this?
- What should we do?
A. Spend time and energy to be with Jesus, available for His influence. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” – John 15:4
B. Listen to Jesus. “my words remain in you,” – John 15:7 (pray the words of Jesus)
C. Walking out your spiritual life in community (out in the open) so that they may encourage your decisions to grow closer to Jesus. “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12
- How does this work?
“Quality Relationship Time” BE WITH JESUS – FIRST prayer and fasting January 7 – 27
Less ___ for More ___ Less activity, food, media, so that you have room for more time and energy interacting with God.
Closing Seed thought: Choosing to stay in close contact with Jesus, will cultivate joy in your life.
“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.” John 15:11
…this is essential to fulfillment of the good things that we yearn for…will be fulfilled in Jesus.
“Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 CSB
I. What does Peter mean by this?
“Cares” – to care for someone or something, careful or anxious concern about someone or something, a feeling of apprehension or distress in view of possible danger or misfortune, anxiety, worry, anxious concern’ to be pained by thinking. It may refer to either unnecessary worry or legitimate concern.
Either way it is helpful to be honest about what we are thinking and feeling. Either way, give it all to God.
This is not helpful if we lack an honest evaluation of our reality. It’s not helpful if we can’t be honest with ourselves. It’s not helpful if we can’t be honest with God. It’s not helpful if we think that Christianity asks us to be delusional.
“As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for you, God. I thirst for the living God. When can I go to meet with him? Day and night, my tears have been my food. People are always saying, ‘Where is your God?’ When I remember these things, I speak with a broken heart. I used to walk with the crowd and lead them to God’s Temple with songs of praise. Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and 6 my God. I am very sad. So I remember you,” – Psalms 42:1-6 NCV
David unpacked what he was thinking and feeling. David had a conversation with himself. That turned into a conversation with God, which David found helpful. This turned into a conversation that David shared with us.
II. How does Jesus teach us to respond?
“Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 CSB
“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 NCV
Peter uses the same word in 1 Peter 5:7 as Jesus does in his parable of the Sower and the seeds, in Matthew 13:3-23 (“cares of the world…choke the word, and it proves unfruitful,” – Matthew 13:22).
Matthew 13:7,22 “choked” bringing death by crowding them out and/or overshadowing them, to cause trouble to, with the implication of dire consequences and a weakened state, to overwhelm
Peter heard Jesus give a warning about the danger of our “cares”. Peter heard Jesus teach a personal responsibility in how we respond to cares in our relationship with God. Do we give more power to what God says or what our cares say? Jesus also says that he will help and heal those who turn to him with their cares. Jesus teaches us to turn our hearts to hear what God is saying and respond to it more than we respond to those other factors. This is responding to God’s message about our identity, value, and purpose with the Kingdom of God and the Jesus Movement. “I would heal them.” – Matthew 13:15
“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 NCV
Cast – throw, give to, transfer responsibility from me to you, “Make him responsible for all your worries.”
“God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalms 34:18 NIV
“God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (healing their pain and comforting their sorrow).” – Psalms 147:3 AMP
Give your cares to the God who cares for you, and then you will be changed.
III. What does Paul say we should do?
“4 Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy. 5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. 7 And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 Do what you learned and received from me, what I told you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:4-9
“Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 CSB
“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 NCV
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 ESV
Jeremiah 23:5-6
We can all grow in our understanding of the perfect ruler that King Jesus is and respond by asking God to shape us to be more like Jesus and to shape our world in this way.
This Advent season, we are celebrating the arrival of Jesus Christ our King. We are learning more about and responding to five characteristics of King Jesus: Humble, Suffering, Victorious, Savior, Perfect. We will pray together, asking God to show more of each characteristic in our world today.
This Christmas Eve we celebrate King Jesus = Perfect Goodness. “King Jesus is perfect in goodness.”
Perfect, as in ideal: being entirely without flaw or fault, excellent, immaculate, superb
Good, as in reasonable: based on sound reasoning or information, reliable, trustworthy, solid,
Good, as in nice: conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue, honorable, ethical, honest, worthy,
Good, as in okay: being to one’s liking, alright, fine, satisfactory, agreeable, pleasing, delightful, pleasant,
Good, as in favorable: expressing approval, positive, appreciative, approving, complimentary, supportive,
Jeremiah 23:5-6 “The days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a good branch in David’s family. He will be a king who will rule in a wise way; he will do what is fair and right in the land. In his time Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This will be his name: The Lord Does What Is Right.” – Jeremiah 23:5-6 NCV
Righteous – good, right, truthful, lawful, morally pure, ethically right, vindicated, justified, in right-standing relationship with all others,
King Jesus is perfectly good, and in him we find our goodness.
1. King Jesus is perfectly good.
King Jesus = Perfectly Good as the Ruling Leader above all others on earth.
“Righteous Branch, he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely, And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” – Jeremiah 23:5-6 ESV
2. In him we find our goodness.
By receiving King Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we also receive a new spiritual heart, life, cleansing from the guilt & shame of our past mistakes and a freedom from the compulsion to return to them.
“He will be called, ‘The Lord is our righteousness’”. – Jeremiah 23:5-6 ESV our position in relationship with
King Jesus is perfect in his ruling Lordship and worthy of our wholehearted devotion.
1 Timothy 1:15-17 “15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Timothy 1:15-17 CSB
King Jesus is perfectly good, and in him we find our goodness.
As we receive salvation from King Jesus, our truthful, morally pure, ethically right, right-standing relationships increase.
What do we learn about King Jesus?
King Jesus is perfectly good, and in him we find our goodness.
This Christmas Eve we celebrate King Jesus = Perfect Goodness.
Be like Jesus. Follow Jesus. We can all grow in our understanding of the perfect ruler that King Jesus is and respond by asking God to shape us to be more like Jesus and to shape our world in this way.
What should we do now?
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Read today’s Scriptures looking for a clearer picture of King Jesus.
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Write your description of King Jesus as our Perfectly Good Ruler.
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Receive salvation, your perfect goodness, from King Jesus.
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Pray asking God to help you become more like King Jesus.
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Write a prayer topic list of how our world can become more like the Kingdom of Jesus.
What do we pray for?
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God, please help us better understand the perfect ruling leadership of King Jesus.
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God, please help us see specific ways in which our thoughts, emotions, motives, values, decisions, and actions can become less selfish, growing more like Jesus.
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God, please help us live in this goodness in our daily activities at home, work, or school.
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God, please show us how we can bring more people into this kind of relationship with you.
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God, please bring about a change of heart, for perfect goodness, in the leaders of our businesses, organizations, neighborhoods, city, state, federal government, and the governments across the world.
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God, please bring a value of peaceful goodness to the leaders of nations at war, or considering war.
We can all grow in our understanding of the salvation King Jesus brings and respond by asking God to shape us to be more like Jesus and to shape our world in this way.
This Advent season, we are celebrating the arrival of Jesus Christ our King. We are learning more about and responding to five characteristics of King Jesus: Humble, Suffering, Victorious, Savior, Perfect. We will pray together, asking God to show more of each characteristic in our world today.
I. Why did Jesus come?
John 3:16-21 16 “God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him. 18 People who believe in God’s Son are not judged guilty. Those who do not believe have already been judged guilty, because they have not believed in God’s one and only Son. 19 They are judged by this fact: The Light has come into the world, but they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing evil things. 20 All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show all the evil things they do. 21 But those who follow the true way come to the light, and it shows that the things they do were done through God.” – John 3:16-21 NCV
II. When the Savior King arrived everything changed for us.
He died in our place to take away our sins, and not only our sins but the sins of all people.” – 1 John 2:1-2 NCV
“God’s power is very great for us who believe.” – Ephesians 1:19 NCV
III. The Savior King has saved for eternity.
Titus 2:13 “We should live like that while we wait for our great hope and the coming of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” – Titus 2:13 NCV
Additional Notes:
We can all grow in our understanding of the salvation King Jesus brings and respond by asking God to shape us to be more like Jesus and to shape our world in this way.
What do we learn about King Jesus?
- King Jesus is our Savior sent from Father God for our forgiveness and salvation.
Jesus Christ showed a consciousness of his divine identity. All through the Gospels Jesus is constantly forgiving sin, which only God can do. He also claims in, in various places, “I am going to come back and judge the earth,” and only God can do that. He claims to have mutual equal knowledge with God the Father, Matthew 11:27-28. At many times and in many ways Jesus Christ, said, “I am God,” and thousands believed him and came to worship him, Acts 2:41.
“This is an intellectual watershed, a personal crisis, and/or a great hope. The claim that Jesus is God also gives us the greatest possible hope. This means that our world is not all there is, that there is life and love after death, and that evil and suffering will one day end.
God is infinitely holy, so our sin could not be shrugged off. It had to be dealt with. He is also infinitely loving. He knows we could never climb up to him, so he has come down to us. God had to come himself and do what we couldn’t do. ” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
He didn’t send an employee or committee to tell us how to save ourselves. The Good News isn’t moralistic nor relativistic. Sin can’t be shrugged off. God found it necessary to do this.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45 CSB
“Ransom was a familiar image in the Jewish, Roman, and Greek cultures. It was the price paid to liberate a slave, a prisoner of war, or a condemned person.” – Donald English
Mary’s song, in Luke 1:50, includes this truth. “God will show his mercy forever and ever to those who worship and serve him.” – Luke 1:50 NCV
Romans 5:8-11 “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” – Romans 5:8-11 NLT
Romans 10:9-13 “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 10:9-13 CSB
“Jesus is truly God. Jesus is truly human. This is unique among all the philosophies and religions in the world. Go through the history of philosophy. They are always arguing: What is more ultimate, the absolute or the particular? The One or the Many? The ideal and eternal or the real and the concrete? Is Plato right or Aristotle? But the doctrine of the incarnation breaks through those binaries and categories. “Immanuel” means the ideal has become real, the absolute has become a particular, and the invisible has become visible! The incarnation is the universe-sundering, history-altering, life-transforming, paradigm-shattering event of history.” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
King Jesus brings salvation!
By confessing faith in King Jesus as Savior, confessing, and turning away from our selfish lifestyle, believing in our hearts that King Jesus is our Lord we can receive this new spiritual life, forgiveness of our sins, and the removal of our guilt and the need to be punished, and the compulsion to repeat mistakes and we can now live in the confident hope of Heaven in our future.
Confess and turn by praying, “I am a moral failure. I don’t love God with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind. I don’t love my neighbor as myself. And, therefore, I am guilty, and I need forgiveness and pardon before I need anything else.” And, so, “Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that you died for me. I confess my sins. Jesus, forgive me, come into my life, be my Lord and Savior. I turn away from the past and I turn to you. Thank you.”
- King Jesus brings a change to how we live.
Consider the journey of Mary:
“In the end, faith always moves beyond mental assent and duty, and will involve the whole self: mind, will, and emotions.” “God has to open our hearts and help us break through our prejudices and denials.” “Mary’s thinking was convinced, feelings captivated, and her will gladly surrendered.” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
“Jesus moved heaven and earth to get near us – what should we doing now to truly be with him? What are the elements of a genuine, personal relationship with Jesus? It requires, as does any close personal relationship, that you communicate with him regularly, candidly, lovingly. That means not simply “saying your prayers” but having a prayer life that leads to real communion with God, a sense of his presence in your heart and life. Consider Psalms 27, 63, 84, 131 to see this kind of prayer. On the other hand, being in a close personal relationship means that he communicates with you. That comes from a deep acquaintance with the Bible, the ability to read it, understand it, and meditate on it. Consider Psalm 1 and 119 to see how to have the Bible become a vital force in your life.” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
“God’s power is very great for us who believe.” – Ephesians 1:19 NCV
“God planned long ago to choose you by making you his holy people, which is the Spirit’s work. God wanted you to obey him and to be made clean by the blood of the death of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be yours more and more.” – 1 Peter 1:2 NCV
“Our only goal is to please God whether we live here or there, 10 because we must all stand before Christ to be judged. Each of us will receive what we should get—good or bad—for the things we did in the earthly body.” – 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NCV
“Brothers and sisters, we taught you how to live in a way that will please God, and you are living that way. Now we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live that way even more. 2 You know what we told you to do by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 God wants you to be holy and to stay away from sexual sins. 4 He wants each of you to learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable. 5 Don’t use your body for sexual sin like the people who do not know God. 6 Also, do not wrong or cheat another Christian in this way. The Lord will punish people who do those things as we have already told you and warned you. 7 God called us to be holy and does not want us to live in sin. 8 So the person who refuses to obey this teaching is disobeying God, not simply a human teaching. And God is the One who gives us his Holy Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 NLT
“So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. 2 Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” – Romans 12:1-2 NCV
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” – Romans 12:1-2 The Message
Also helpful: 1 Peter 1:3-9, 13-21 NCV
“When you come to Christ, you must drop your conditions. What does this mean? It means you have to give up the right to say, “I will obey you if…I will do this if…” As soo as you say, “I will obey you if,” that is not obedience at all. You are saying: “You are my adviser, not my Lord. I will be happy to take your recommendations. And I might even do some of them.” No. If you want Jesus with you, you have to give up the right to self-determiniation. Self-denial is an act of rebellion against our late-modern culture of self-assertion. But that was what we are called to do. Nothing less.
To become a Christian you are going to have to have the courage to do something our culture thinks absolutely crazy. You are going to have to commit to denying yourself. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves…” Luke 9:23. We are told repeatedly in our society that the one sacred law is “To thine own self be true,” that we must always work to fulfill our deepest dreams and satisfy our deepest desires. There are enormous problems with this philosophy of life. It starts with the fact that our feelings change over time, and at any given time they are usually in conflict with one another.
Nevertheless, this is the dominant view, and so the Christian calling is shocking. Modern people need bravery to give up their right to self-determination, yet that is what is required. If you want Jesus in the middle of your life, you have to obey him unconditionally.
We need him to name us. He made us. He knows who we are, what we were made for, what will fit us. That means that we will know who we are when he comes into our lives and then, through obedience to him, we learn our true identity.” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
“My dear children, I write this letter to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a helper in the presence of the Father—Jesus Christ, the One who does what is right. 2 He died in our place to take away our sins, and not only our sins but the sins of all people.” – 1 John 2:1-2 NCV
Following Jesus’ words and example will help us live in a way that pleases God.
- King Jesus will return, ending all suffering and starting a new spiritual era of peaceful joy.
Revelation 21:1-6 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and there was no sea anymore. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Now God’s presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone.” 5 The One who was sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.” 6 The One on the throne said to me, “It is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give free water from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty.” – Revelation 21:1-6 NCV
What should we do now?
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Read some of today’s Scriptures looking for a clearer picture of King Jesus.
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Write your definition of salvation and description of our Savior King Jesus.
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Pray asking God to help you become more like King Jesus.
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Write a prayer topic list of how our world can become more like the Kingdom of Jesus.
What do we pray for?
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God, please help us better understand the salvation brought by King Jesus.
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God, please help us receive and respond with wholehearted devotion to the salvation brought by King Jesus.
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God, please help us see how we can participate in the Movement of Jesus to share this salvation message with the people you have placed us near to.
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God, please show us how we can bring more people into this kind of relationship with you.
This Advent season, we are celebrating the arrival of Jesus Christ our King. We are learning more about and responding to five characteristics of King Jesus: Humble, Suffering, Victorious, Savior, Perfect. We will pray together, asking God to show more of each characteristic in our world today.
What do we learn about King Jesus?
1. King Jesus is victorious over all we see and don’t see.
Victorious – having overcome an enemy or antagonist, having achieved mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties
Colossians 1:13-20
He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (CSB)
Ephesians 1:19-23 “That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put him at his right side in the heavenly world. 21 God has put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings, not only in this world but also in the next.22 God put everything under his power and made him the head over everything for the church, 23 which is Christ’s body. The church is filled with Christ, and Christ fills everything in every way.” (NCV)
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For God has put everything under his feet., Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. 28 When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.”
2. King Jesus is victorious over death and the devil.
Hebrews 2:14-15 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.” CSB
1 John 3:8 “The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.”
We see that Jesus raised the dead during his time on earth, in Luke 7:11-17, 8:40-56, John 11, Matthew 27:50-53
3. The ultimate victory of King Jesus will be complete and fulfilled when he returns.
Hebrews 12:1-3 We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. 2 Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying.”
1 Corinthians 15:56-57 – The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (CSB)
Like a man who is making a sacrifice in the hope of victory, Paul is inspired to see the future as something which has already happened, and he tramples upon death as if it has fallen at his feet. Death is gone, it is finished, it has vanished away. Christ has not only overcome it, he has destroyed it and eliminated it completely.” – John Chrysostom
What do we learn about King Jesus?
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King Jesus is victorious over all we see and don’t see.
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King Jesus is victorious over death and the devil.
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The ultimate victory of King Jesus will be complete and fulfilled when he returns.
So What should we do now?
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Read some of today’s Scriptures looking for a clearer picture of King Jesus.
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Write your description of our Victorious King Jesus.
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Consider how King Jesus and his ultimate victory affects your life today.
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Pray asking God to help you become more like King Jesus.
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Write a prayer topic list of how our world can become more like the Kingdom of Jesus.
What do we pray for?
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God, please help us see more clearly the victory of King Jesus.
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God, please help us start each day from a realization that King Jesus has won the victory.
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God, please help us see specific ways in which our thoughts, emotions, motives, values, decisions, and actions can become victorious over our enemies’ sinful temptations and devices.
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God, please help us pursue the victory of peace where our enemy wants to sow division.
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God, please help us see what changes you want to see in our neighborhoods in reflection of a victorious King Jesus over our enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy.
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God, please show us how we can bring more people into this kind of relationship with you.
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God, please bring about a change of heart, in the leaders of our businesses, organizations, neighborhoods, city, state, federal government, and the governments across the world.
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God, please bring a value on the peace of Jesus to the leaders of nations at war or considering war.
We can all grow in our understanding of the purposeful suffering of King Jesus and respond by asking God to shape us to be more like Jesus and to shape our world in this way.
What were they expecting from King Jesus? Salvation. God predicted through Isaiah and others what this would require. King Jesus suffered in many ways, fulfilling this prophecy.
Suffering – to submit to or be forced to endure pain, distress, loss, or damage
“In the darkest night of our soul, we have something to hold on to that Job never knew. We know Christ crucified. Christians have learned that when there seems to be no other evidence of God’s love, they cannot escape the cross.” – D. A. Carson
Text: Isaiah 53
New Testament notes that Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53: Matthew 8:14-17 John 12:37-38 Luke 22:35-38 1 Peter 2:19-25 Acts 8:26-35 Romans 10:11-21
- King Jesus suffered in many ways for the purpose of our salvation.
King Jesus suffered in many ways for the purpose of our salvation and new spiritual life of freedom, peace, and joy to be ultimately fulfilled in Heaven forever.
Hebrews 2:9-18
- King Jesus comforts us and leads us into his victory over our temporary suffering.
King Jesus leads us and helps us win victory over temporary suffering, attacks, and temptation because he has already done the same.
Hebrews 12:1-3
John 16:33
“Knowing that suffering is coming inoculates us from a shallow spirituality that believes pain can be avoided or attributes difficulties to unfaithfulness. It is no exception or failing when we suffer – it’s a baked-in fact of life. If we believe that our efforts or positive thinking will protect us from pain, we are set up for existential shock when it comes. Christ is forthright about this reality and invites us to accept both the inevitability of trouble and the assurance that he has overcome it. This reality is actually quite liberating.” – Strahan Coleman
Habakkuk 3:17-19
“Without ignoring the reality of suffering, Habakkuk turned his attention away from it and fixed his gaze upon the more serious and critical issue of salvation. He turned away from temporary trials to discover joy in “the God of my salvation,” the God who delivers him not only from present judgment, but, more important, from future judgment. That’s why he can sing.” – C. J. Mahaney Humility
Pastor James offers counsel. “Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray.” – James 5:13 CSB
James 5:7-11
- As we follow the example of King Jesus’ victory over suffering, we are invited to participate in the Jesus Movement, bringing more people into this relationship with King Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Romans 5:1-8
Revelation 21:3-6
What do we learn about King Jesus?
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King Jesus suffered in many ways for the purpose of our salvation.
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King Jesus comforts us and leads us into his victory over our temporary suffering.
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As we follow the example of King Jesus’ victory over suffering, we are invited to participate in the Jesus Movement, bringing more people into this relationship with King Jesus.
What should we do now?
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Read some of today’s Scriptures looking for a clearer picture of King Jesus.
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Write your description of the purposeful suffering of King Jesus.
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Pray asking God to help you become more like King Jesus.
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Write a prayer topic list of how our world can become more like the Kingdom of Jesus.
What do we pray for?
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God, please help us better understand the purposeful suffering of King Jesus.
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God, please help us better understand your perspective on the suffering around us and in our world today.
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God, please bring about an end to needless suffering here in Baltimore, and across the world.
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God, please help us receive comfort from you and the example of King Jesus.
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God, please help us share your comfort with others.
Why is the birth of Jesus such a big deal? His life, death, and resurrection caused multiple written records of His birth and prompted a persistent movement of people. Let’s consider those people who met Jesus Christ in person, in the flesh. What were they expecting? What were they yearning for from this promised King? What did they find him to be? Which of the characteristics of this King Jesus carried lasting impact through history? Here and now through our busy holiday season of extra events, obligations, and celebrations let’s consider the answers to these questions and the implications they carry. We live in a broken world. We are part of the Jesus Movement. In what ways would we want to see more effect from these characteristics in our lives and world today?
This Advent season, we are celebrating the arrival of Jesus Christ our King. We are learning more about and responding to five characteristics of King Jesus: Humble, Suffering, Victorious, Savior, Perfect. We will pray together, asking God to show more of each characteristic in our world today.
Advent – a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The Latin “adventus” is the translation of the Greek word used to refer to the Second Coming of Christ. For Christians the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from three different perspectives: His birth at Bethlehem, in our hearts daily, and in glory at the end of time. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for His Second Coming.
We can all grow in our understanding of the gracious humility of Jesus and respond by asking God to shape us to be more like Jesus and to shape our world in this way.
Philippians 2:1-11
What do we learn about the gracious humility of King Jesus?
- King Jesus chose a humble birth, life, and death.
King Jesus is superior and yet was born in gracious humility.
King Jesus is Superior – Colossians 1:15-20
King Jesus was born into gracious humility – Luke 2:8-20
- King Jesus is our best example of gracious humility.
In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus describes himself as “humble and gentle of heart”.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45 CSB
In John 10:1-18 Jesus explains how he fulfills the prophecy of Micah 5:2-5 as their shepherd servant leader, in ways that show his self-sacrificing gracious humility.
Gracious – pleasantly kind, benevolent, generously giving good to others regardless of if its deserved
Humble – modest, not proud, arrogant, or self-serving, in a healthy balanced state of understanding who you are, who God is, and how you should relate to others with loving respect, deference, and equality
Gracious Humility – having received undeserved new spiritual life and love from God, through Jesus, we now give other people heartfelt loving respect out of our devotion to King Jesus
Pride – confidence and satisfaction in oneself, exaggerated self-esteem
“Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin.” – Proverbs 16:18 NCV
“Because God has given me a special gift, I have something to say to everyone among you. Do not think you are better than you are. You must decide what you really are by the amount of faith God has given you.” – Romans 12:3 NCV
- King Jesus taught us to serve each other with gracious humility.
In Mark 10:42-45, Jesus described himself as a serving leader and taught the disciples to follow his example of serving leadership.
Illustrations from the life of Jesus: In John 13:1-20, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, showing his gracious humility and teaching them to do the same. In John 4, Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well in ways that show his gracious humility and teaching them to do the same. In Matthew 19:13-15, Jesus welcomes children in ways that show his gracious humility and teaching them to do the same. In Luke 11:1-2, Jesus praises Father God, showing his gracious humility and teaching them to do the same.
This is good news because: “God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”Proverbs 3:34 6 Be humble under God’s powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes.” – 1 Peter 5:5-6 James 4:6-7 NCV
What should we do now?
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Read some of today’s Scriptures looking for a clearer picture of King Jesus.
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Write your definition of gracious humility and description of our King Jesus.
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Pray asking God to help you become more like King Jesus.
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Write a prayer topic list of how our world can become more like King Jesus.
What do we pray for?
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God, please help us better understand the gracious humility of King Jesus.
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God, please help us see specific ways in which our thoughts, emotions, motives, values, decisions, and actions can become less selfish, growing in gracious humility.
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God, please help us live in this gracious humility in our daily activities at home, work, or school.
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God, please show us how we can bring more people into this kind of relationship with you.
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God, please bring about a change of heart, for gracious humility, in the leaders of our businesses, organizations, neighborhoods, city, state, federal government, and the governments across the world.
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God, please bring a value on gracious humility to the leaders of nations at war, or considering war.
God’s Kingdom goes beyond our expectations. God can bring about growth inside us that can cause big changes in our world. We can all participate in God’s expanding Kingdom by recognizing where God is at work in us, responding faithfully, and representing Jesus.
Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. 30 Then Jesus said, “How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.” – Mark 4:30–34 NCV Matthew 13:31–32 Luke 13:18-19
The mustard seed would have been a common enough plant in that culture; they would be able to picture it without reference. Classified as an evergreen, the Salvadora perisica can grow to twenty feet wide and tall. They can thrive in environments typically hostile to plants. Their seeds are very small, but they grow large. The mustard seed is not actually the smallest of seeds that produces the biggest of plants. Jesus was using exaggeration to make a point. That aspect of this would have made it more memorable in the minds of the initial audience. “Remember when Jesus said…” Jesus emphasizes the change of size, from small to large, and the surprising nature of the growth.
It’s possible that when the followers of Jesus heard this analogy they would have recalled a prophecy about the coming Messiah in Ezekiel 17:22-23. “small twig from a young branch,” image of humble birth from a small place/nation to become a great tee that supports life…so that many would know that “I am the Lord”. God’s prediction of Messiah’s purpose.
What do we learn?
- The Kingdom of God will outgrow our expectations
Kingdom of God, Jesus Movement starts small and grows into something that is life-giving, life-changing, irresistible, and victorious. From a small group of followers, it grows into something that changes the world. God’s Kingdom is life-giving and life-supporting..
- We should respond to God’s invitation to participation.
Mark 4:1-34 Parable of the farmer scattering seed, the lamp, the growing seed, the mustard seed,
“and then he said,” repeated through Mark 4, so this may have been a teaching in one sitting. Reasonable for us to deduce that Jesus is teaching: Listen to what God says. Respond with faithful obedience. Share it with others. Sower Parable: Resist the temptation to quit the faith. Resist the enemy’s attack on the word. Don’t let the desires for other things distract you from God’s Word. Be diligent to guard, care for, the Word as God brings it to fullness within you. Jesus explained each of the parables to his disciples privately. What they taught and did as a result helps us understand. Mark 4:33-34
Scriptures encouraging spiritual growth with God’s guidance and help:
Romans 14:17
Ephesians 4:23
Philippians 1:6
Ephesians 3:19–21
What God produces inside you, “a life of goodness (righteousness), peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit,” can see amazing effects in your life and the lives of others. We should recognize God’s guidance and work within us in small moments throughout the day. We should all respond to God’s invitation to participation in the Kingdom, the here and now JESUS MOVEMENT.
What should we do?
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Recognize where God is at work within you.
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Respond faithfully.
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Represent Jesus to people around you.
Our hearts go out to all who are suffering from violence.
The way we look at war in the Middle East must be informed by our understanding of who God is, what God is doing, and our place in it all. This will help us know how we should respond.
Let’s look at Scripture to help us in that regard. Let’s also look at some facts to help in our perspective. Let’s be specific about what we are praying for.
Love is our ethic. Because God loved…we love God, neighbors, enemies.
John 3:16-21 Matthew 28:18-20
God loves people from all nations. Our world would be a better place if everyone recognized Jesus Christ as Savior and King. The Good News of Jesus is a message that we want to share with everyone. We join the movement of people sharing Jesus with others. This “Jesus Movement” is our opportunity to participate in the Kingdom of God. The world would be a better place if everyone looked to Jesus Christ as Savior King and as a result loved each other.
“The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.” – 2 Peter 3:9-15
The One True Living God is a God of righteousness and justice. God is powerful and faithful in love, calling people to turn away from wrongdoing, forgiving the repentant, and judging the guilty who refuse to repent, as seen in Exodus 34:6-7.
God’s Kingdom includes our response of loving devotion to God, loving respect for others, and a resulting lifestyle of righteousness, peace, and joy, as seen in Romans 14:17.
God tells us that He finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23).
Israel is a People God Loves:
The Apostle Paul who was used by God to establish the foundation of Christian Doctrine for The Church taught that being a natural Jew did not mean that you could claim that you were the true offspring of Abraham unless you exercised faith in Jesus Christ. (Romans 2:28-29;4:12;11:17-18) At the same time, the longing of Paul’s heart and prayer for Israel was for them to be saved. He even declared that he would be willing to be cursed forever if it would mean that Israel could be saved. (Romans 9:1-5;10:1) Paul stated at the time of the writing of his letter to the Roman Church that many of the people of Israel were enemies to the Gospel, but they were still the people God loved because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Romans 11:28-29) God’s call on Israel could never be withdrawn. Eschatologically, Paul saw that when the “full number of gentiles” had come to Christ, God would do a miracle work in the heart of Jews to also come to Christ. (Romans 11:25-27)
25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. 27 And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.” (Isaiah 59:20-21, 27:9 Greek version) 28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” – Romans 11:25-29
God’s Heart Is For Palestinians Also:
As ministers of the New Covenant, we stand on the truth of John 3:16 that God loves the world. That includes every group of people in the world. That is the Church’s Great Commission “ to make disciples of every people group”. (Matthew 28:18-20) There have been at times Christians in their zeal for Israel a lack of compassion and concern for the Palestinian people. Not all Palestinians are Hamas, and in the Gaza Strip, they have suffered much poverty. Now they are victims of war.
Israel Has A Right To Defend Itself And Bring Security To Its Citizens
Israel Should Resist The Temptation For Indiscriminate Killing of Innocent Palestinians in Its invasion
Americans Should Educate Themselves Concerning The Roots Of This Conflict
Terrorism Is To Be Judged:
God hates the shedding of innocent blood. Kidnapping under Mosaic Law was punishable by death. (Exodus 21:16)
One of the primary calls of The Church is prayer according to 1 Timothy 2:1-5.
Psalms 122:6 says that we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We should pray for a peaceful resolve to the conflict and not a devastating one. Working for peace is a quality of Jesus’ Kingdom (Matthew 5:9). Those who are peacemakers are seen as God’s sons and daughters. In a world where there is already so much hatred, people who work for peace will stand out.
What can we learn?
God loves people from all nations.
Jesus Christ is Savior and King.
Our world is a better place when more people look to Jesus as Savior King.
For Jesus followers, love is our ethic, our motive and value system.
Jesus followers are commissioned to share the Good News.
God calls all people to loving respect for each other.
God’s heart is for Israelis and Palestinians.
God’s heart is for righteous justice, peace, and joy in the Middle East.
We should pray for God’s peace in the Middle East.
Pray with specifics.
May God’s perfect peace come to the Middle East.
May every leader see what God wants them to do.
May there be a ceasefire of hostilities.
All who were kidnapped be reunited with their loved ones.
New homes and support for those who have fled the war.
May those who are suffering receive miracles of food, clothing, healing, and medical care.
May there be new ministries, nonprofits, and businesses started that help people.
May there be new songs written in the Middle East that go around the world promoting peace and truth in reconciliation.
– Some of the historical summaries and thoughts here are from one of my mentors Pastor Bob McGregor an apostolic voice of Ministers Fellowship International, the network of which we are a part.
Thoughts on Jesus’ teaching us to love our enemies and its relevance to current events, from one of our elders Lanny Hubbard.
Since Saturday, September 30th, many people around the world have been watching in outrage the videos of the combative exchange taking place in the land of Israel. The images are appalling and the outrage is justifiable when they witness the disregard for the lives of old people, women, and children that the aggressors seem to demonstrate. The feeling of anger, however, that many Christians experience when viewing these reports is not because it’s just another conflict somewhere in the world. This conflict is taking place in the land of Israel. It involves the Jewish people who are regarded by Believers everywhere as special. They were God’s chosen nation. The land of Israel is seen as the “Promised Land” and any conflict that happens there makes that battle biblical or even apocalyptic in the minds of Christians.
The history behind this piece of land causes many to see this war as different from other conflicts. Because of the special place that Israel has had in the unfolding plan of God, anyone who attacks them will not be seen as just ordinary aggressors. They will be seen as enemies of God Himself. Christian onlookers can easily turn the attackers into satanic forces of evil and not just humans blinded by hatred and revenge. This mental association will vilify Israel’s enemies into being different than mere human attackers. Once they are seen as enemies of heaven it makes them worse than just ordinary sinners.
In Matthew 5:44 Jesus says, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven…” Once we turn Palestinians and Iranians into satanic forces in our minds it is easy to convince ourselves that Jesus was not referring to them when He said “Love your enemies”. By turning this conflict into a “Holy War” we give ourselves a reason to see Hamas differently than any other lost people. We put them all into one big category and forget that many of them are just people blinded by hatred and sin. We forget they are people God loves. We forget they are people that Jesus died for. We see them as people beyond the limits of redemption, and once we think they are beyond redemption, we can justify our own hatred for them. We can justify them being worthy of being destroyed. In our words and thoughts, we can justify them being extinguished.
As outsiders, we can watch what is happening in Israel and analyze it through our various worldview perspectives. As Americans, we can interpret what is happening there with the idea that we see everything more clearly than the people in the Near East do. We can interpret the events from the perspective that we are a nation superior to those involved, so our assessment of what should happen is the best one. What we do not often think about is that our assessment of the situation can be just as clouded as theirs. We are sinners too and just as susceptible to anger and bias as they are.
Once our feelings of American superiority and religious bias set in we often forget things. It is easy to forget that we too were all sinners once and enemies of God (Romans 5:8, 10). It was when we were in that condition that God loved us. We also forget that God tells us that He finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23). We even forget that it is the will of God that all people are saved (1Timothy 2:4). The actions of Hamas should be condemned, but we MUST condemn them for just reasons and not simply out of human anger. It is easy to react to what is happening at the moment and lose sight of God’s bigger plan.
What should be done about the crisis? First, it should be brought to a quick end. Needless killing needs to stop. Those who have perpetrated the attacks and committed violent acts against innocent people should be judged for what they have done. Justice must be handed out to the aggressors on all sides
Second, it is also important to remember that only a portion of Palestinians are involved in the attacks. Palestinians are not all terrorists and Christians need to remember that there are Believers in the Palestinian communities. There are Arab Christian churches existing in some of their villages. There is a thriving Christian church in Iran. To extinguish all the people in these areas involves killing people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to pray earnestly that the saints in those regions will be preserved as much as we pray for victory over Israel’s enemies. We must see them as part of our spiritual family.
God’s primary business is saving people. Yes, there will be conflicts, but God will find in those conflicts people that can be saved. He saved Rahab and her family out of a city that would be destroyed. He saved Ruth out of a nation that would experience divine judgment. He saved Lot and his daughters out of a city that was destined for destruction. We pray for God’s judgment, but will we pray also that these people will come to Christ? Will we pray as earnestly for Palestinians and Arabs to be saved as Abraham prayed for Sodom?
Psalms 122:6 says that we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We should pray for a peaceful resolve to the conflict and not a devastating one. Working for peace is a quality of Jesus’ Kingdom (Matthew 5:9). Those who are peacemakers are seen as God’s sons and daughters. In a world where there is already so much hatred, people who work for peace will stand out.
After the decisive end of WWII an amazing thing happened. Japan opened its doors to missionaries from the west to bring the Gospel to their island. The end of the war caused many of our former enemies to respond to the saving work of Jesus Christ. As a result, many churches were planted and 1000’s of Japanese people became Christians. We have had an opportunity to relate to these new Believers not by derogatory racial slurs left over from the war, but as true brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Book of Esther records the story of an attempt to destroy the people of Israel. By the grace of God, Israel’s aggressors were defeated. God’s people were protected from the assault, but more than that, many of the people from the attacking nations proselyted to become Jews (Esther 8:17). They saw the ability of the Jews’ God to protect them and it was enough to convert to the Jewish belief. Can we believe that the same power of God today can cause many of Israel’s aggressors to turn to the Lord? Can we believe that God can change combatants into converts?
We should pray for a decisive end to the current conflict in Israel. This could have a similar effect as was in Ether’s day. A decisive end to the conflict, however, would not be for an opportunity to declare a national superiority on anyone’s part. The end of the conflict would allow once warring nations to turn their spears into pruning knives (Isaiah 2:2-4) and 1000’s of Palestinians and Jews turn to the Lord. Our God is able to do this today just as He has done in the past. We should pray for the peace to be restored to them. But for us, to share in such a marvelous work, we need to see the aggressors not as people to be extinguished, but as souls that might get saved.
Jesus even had trouble with vengeance in His own disciples. James and John were called by Jesus “Boanerges” which means “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). This is because they wanted to call fire down from heaven on a Samaritan village that did not extend hospitality to them (Luke 9:51-52). The Samaritans were the Palestinians of their day. If Jesus had to deal with nationalistic hatred in His day, it is no surprise that the same problem will crop up in some of His disciples today. WE are no different than they were. We must admit that sometimes it is easier to be a “son of thunder” than it is to be a “son of God”.
In closing, we need to remember the words of James. “Now everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for a man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). It is far too easy to get angry at people that God Himself loves. The actions of the Hamas fighters are terrible. They are criminal and should be judged appropriately. If we as Christians, however, let anger become our primary motivation through this situation, then we are moved by the same emotion as the Hamas fighters that we condemn.
Romans 12:21 tells us to not be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good. This is said in a passage that warns us about seeking revenge in dealing with our enemies. Our conduct is not to conform to the world’s way of doing things. It needs to be based on Kingdom principles. Martin Luther King Jr said “violence begets violence and hatred begets hatred”. We as Christians must be careful that the emotions we may feel do not choke out the Word of God we say we believe. We are to pray for salvation, and not destruction, for 1000’s of people God wants to save and not extinguish. We are to act like His children.
Lanny Hubbard, Elder
City Harbor Church
Historical Notes:
Americans Should Educate Themselves Concerning The Roots Of This Conflict
At times, we all tend to classify things as “ good guys against bad guys.” In the case of Hamas that would be true; however, the conflict in the Middle East has a long history. We do not have time to address it thoroughly, but people should understand the basic history in the Middle East over the last 100 plus years. Different people start at different places in this discussion, but I think it is important to understand Zionism. In the late 19th Century, there was a movement by certain Jewish leaders to influence European Jews to return to the homeland of their ancestors. They had suffered programs under the Russians, inquisitions in Europe, and severe discrimination and racism for centuries prior to the rise of Nazi Germany. At the core of Zionism was the aspiration to establish an independent Jewish State.
WWI brought the dismantling of the old Ottoman Empire who ruled over the Middle East. The British army captured Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire in 1918, and in 1922, the League of Nations awarded Britain an International mandate to administer and secure the establishment of a Jewish home and to secure the civil and religious rights of all the other inhabitants of Palestine. This mandate was the result of allied powers endorsing what is known as the “Balfour Declaration”, a document that supported a national home for the Jewish people. During the time of this Mandate period there were successive waves of Jewish immigration movements. There was also the rise of nationalist movements among the Jews and the Arabs in the region. This led to the Arab revolt in 1936-39 and the Jewish insurgency in Palestine from 1944-1948 where Zionist underground groups brought military campaigns against British rule.
The United Nations partitioned Palestine in 1947 between two states – one Arab and one Jewish, and Jerusalem internationalized. War broke out between the two states. The Arabs did not accept the UN’s ruling. The British withdrew their rule and their troops on May 14,1948, and the second phase of the war developed between Israel and the surrounding Arab states. An armistice was signed with Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, and Syria; however, an estimated 700,000 Palestinian Arabs were left without a country or a home. At the same time, Israel implemented what is known as the “One Million Plan.” This plan was to allow the surviving Jews from the Holocaust and Jews expelled from other nations to immigrate to Palestine. The stateless Palestinians were given refuge in territories that Egypt and Jordan obtained in the 1948 War or other Arab states. Many, though, were placed in refugee camps and remain in this condition today.
Tensions remained between Israel and its Arab neighbors after the armistice. One thing that happened is that Egypt closed the Suez Canal to Israeli vessels. Israel invaded Egypt over this in 1956. The canal was reopened to Israel along with the deployment of a UN Emergency Force; however, in 1967, Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser closed the canal again to Israel. This time ordering the UN to leave and placing his army on the border between Egypt and Israel. Israel invaded Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula along with Egyptian occupied Gaza Strip. The war lasted six days. At the end, Israel occupied Syria’s Golan Heights, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Jordan’s West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Israel has been accused of illegally occupying this territory since 1967.
According to Israeli Nationality Law, Palestinians have “passport citizenship” rights. They have civil and political rights but are denied rights to social security, welfare, and education. Time doesn’t allow us to cover the other conflicts starting with the Yom Kippur War but obviously conflicts have continued in Israel ever since.
The region known as Gaza was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. Based on what is called the Oslo Accord, the area was handed over to the Palestinian National Authority in the 1990’s. Hamas won the last held election in 2006 and took full control of Gaza. When Hamas took over control of Gaza, Israel and Egypt placed a blockade around Gaza and closed its borders. For Egypt, their fear was Iranian influence and control in the area. For Israel, the Palestinian Authority’s military forces evacuated Gaza, no longer being able to bring security in the region. The blockades have caused economic disaster in the Gaza region. At the same time, Egypt’s and Israel’s fears proved to be legitimate based on what happened on October 7. So here we find ourselves facing one of the greatest crises of our time.
Biblical Choir
- 1 Chronicles 15:16 & 28
- Nehemiah 12: 27
- 1 Peter 2:5, 9
- Every follower (disciple) of Jesus can be part of an earthly choir and heavenly choir.
- Revelation 5:11-12
- Hebrews 12:22
- Jesus will get involved.
- Hebrews 2:10-12
- Every disciple is a priest offering spiritual sacrifice and service
- 1 Peter 2:9
- 1 Peter 2:4-6
- Hebrews 13:15-16
- The power of song.
- The song of battle
- 2 Chronicles 20:15-17, 20-2422
- Psalm 149
- The song of breakthrough
- Psalms 32:7
- Isaiah 12:2-3
- Acts 16:16-34
- The song of miracle birth
- Isaiah 54:1
- 1 Samuel 2:1-10
- Luke 1:46-55
- The song of battle
- The Lord wants to:
- Expand our scope and understanding of worship to move us closer to God.
- Move us from observer to worshiper/choir member.
- Move us to a place of bold faith where we boldly sing in battle, for breakthrough, and as an instrument to release new life.
- What should we do about this?
- Listen to the Holy Spirit.
- Prepare your heart to be part of the church choir
Today’s notes primarily from the Mannahouse message series: People of Presence
What do we learn from the New Testament about how we should worship?
We worship God, in spirit and truth, singing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Jesus teaches, “Worship in spirit and in truth,” – John 4:21-23
In John 4:13-14, 19-26, Jesus’ reply to the Samaritan woman at the well, “Worship in spirit and in truth.”
The context includes a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord that results in new spiritual life and prompts our response of wholehearted truth-filled worship of the One True Living God.
Bob Kauffman writes about the worship leader and the lyrics of songs selected in “My Heart: What Do I Love? And My Mind: What Do I Believe?” in Worship Matters. We believe that the words we choose to sing are of great importance.
Word-centered and spirt-fullness are both joined at worship.
Heart and mind: “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts,” – Jeremiah 31:33
“I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues,” – Ezekiel 36:27
Word-centered and spirit-fullness are both joined at worship. Filled with the Holy Spirit we are to sing and speak our wholehearted worship. This includes Scripture based lyrics. So, our Sunday worship times are not a warm-up to prepare you to hear the Word. It is a time for us to come together and give full voice to our response of wholehearted truth-filled worship of the One True Living God.
Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Ephesians 5:17-19 “filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs.”
3 Types of Songs for us to sing:
A. Psalms
In the first century church, they all accepted and used the Old Testament worship literature as the basis for singing. The Psalms of the Bible are God’s inspired word and worship from this source is first and foremost. This type of singing is God-glorifying and life-instilling because it is in being breathed into the heart as it is being breathed out in song.
B. Hymns
Our word “hymn” is derived from the Greek word for a religious song. Every generation writes their own songs about God and to God. Hymns are songs of testimony, triumph, exaltation, adoration, and celebration of God. They are defined by their subject, God. We announce God’s works in songs, described as hymns. We praise God and review God’s attributes, testifying to his goodness as experienced over the centuries.
C. Spiritual Songs
Paul defined a specific form of music distinct and unique to the church. It was a form of music foreshadowed in David’s Psalms and taught by the Apostle Paul as a normal part of the Christians’ worship experience.
Hodais pnuematikais – is the exact phrase used in both Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 translated as “spiritual songs”. The first word is simply “ode”, or any words which are sung. The second word is most easily defined and understood by noting its use elsewhere in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 12:1, Paul uses the word in introducing the subject of spiritual gifts referring to the acceptance of the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of the people and in the church. In Galatians 6:1, Paul uses the word in his appeal to the Galatians concerning their duty to restore fallen church family members. In both contexts, it gives us perhaps the clearest picture of what Paul is referring to: Holy Spirit-filled people of both character and charisma. Spiritual songs are an exercise separate from the singing of Psalms and hymns. It was a singing of unrehearsed, spirit-empowered, spirit-understood songs. It’s a complementary act to be intermingled in the worship experience (in keeping with Paul’s instructions about weekly worship services in 1 Corinthians).
They were spirit-enabled utterances that were definitely: singing (not spoken), part of devotional life and worship services, so desirable that Paul would choose to practice it “I will sing with the Spirit,”, was something in which the Holy Spirit was involved (doing something uniquely valid and valuable).
One way to follow the principle, from Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16-17, is to choose songs in a worship set whose lyrics journey through a “New Testament – Psalmic” approach to our worship time. (New Testament as described above and Psalmic as described by Ernest Gentile throughout his book of Bible Studies on the subject Worship God). We should literally sing the Psalms (at least passages of). We should sing additional established songs that praise our God, including God’s attributes, and God’s actions. We should also allow time and space for the singing of “new songs” that are Holy Spirit inspired.
Today’s notes are partially from the Mannahouse message series: People of Presence
(Life Group focus John 4:21-23, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:17-19)
Psalms 22:3 in my troubles, I still see you God as enthroned on the praises of your people,
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? You seem far from saving me, far away from my groans. My God, I call to you during the day, but you do not answer. I call at night; I am not silent. You sit as the Holy One. The praises of Israel are your throne.” – Psalms 22:1-3
A place of worship, a place of God’s presence.
A time and place of seeming contradiction as a place of worship.
We worship the God who brings us near.
In Hebrews 2:10-13 we see Jesus participating in our worship of Father God, call us his own family, and quoting Psalms 22:22 and Isaiah 8:17-18
“”God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. Jesus, who makes people holy, and all those who are made holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus isn’t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, ‘I will tell my people about your name. I will praise you within the congregation.’ In addition, Jesus says, ‘I will trust him.’ And Jesus says, ‘I am here with the sons and daughters God has given me.’” – Hebrews 2:11-13
“I will tell my people about your name. I will praise you within the congregation.” – Psalms 22:22
The New Testament church learned from David. In Acts 15:12-18 the apostles point to Amos 9 prophecy, regarding future Gentile inclusion and a place of worship.
“After they finished speaking, James responded, ‘Brothers, listen to me. Simon has explained how God first showed his concern by taking from non-Jewish people those who would honor his name. This agrees with what the prophets said. Scripture says, ‘Afterwards, I will return. I will set up David’s fallen tent again. I will restore its ruined places again. I will set it up again so that the survivors and all the people who aren’t Jewish over whom my name is spoken, may search for the Lord, declares the Lord. He is the one who will do these things that have always been known!’” – Acts 15:12-18
“They brought the Ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God. 2 When David had finished giving the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 He gave a loaf of bread, some dates, and raisins to every Israelite man and woman.
4 Then David appointed some of the Levites to serve before the Ark of the Lord. They had the job of leading the worship and giving thanks and praising the Lord, the God of Israel.” – 1 Chronicles 16:1-4
3 Characteristics of the Tabernacle of David 1 Chronicles 16:1-4
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Simple
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Accessible
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Communal
3 Characteristics of new sound, under David
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Joy and Rejoicing 2 Samuel 6:12 Psalms 27:6, 89:15-16
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Dancing with might 2 Samuel 6:14 Psalms 149:3
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Shouts of victory in unison with the instruments 2 Samuel 6:15 Psalms 150:3-5
9 Ways to Worship from Psalms
A. Worship God with our Posture
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By Standing Psalms 135:2, 134:1
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By Dancing Psalms 30:11, 149:3, 150:4
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By Bowing or Kneeling Psalms 95:6
B. Worship God with our Hands
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By Lifting Hands Psalms 63:4, 119:48, 134:2, 141:2
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By Clapping Hands Psalms 47:1, 98:8
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By Playing Musical Instruments Psalms 33:2-3, 57:8, 150:3-6
C. Worship God with our Voice
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With Audible Praise Psalms 34:1, 40:16, 42:4, 66:8
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With Singing Psalms 47:6, 61:8, 68:4, 104:33
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With Shouting Psalms 5:11, 32:11, 35:27
We are not saying:
• Happy is the only way to worship.
• Loud is more spiritual.
• Expressive worship earns favor with God.
We are saying:
• It is our heartfelt choice to thank and praise God through voices and raised hands and more.
Worried about hypocrisy? Pray in service, interact with God honestly, repent and receive forgiveness from anything that’s in the way, love God with all your heart.
(Life Group focus 1 Chronicles 16:1-4 Psalms 34:1-3, 104:33)
Today’s notes primarily from the Mannahouse message series: People of Presence
4 Truths David learned about Worship Music
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He learned that his heart connected to the Lord when he sang. Psalms 4, 13, 61, 86,
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He learned that he could process pain and loss and his heart lifted as he played and sang. Psalms 6, 25, 43, 69
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He learned that evil spirits departed when he played. 1 Samuel 16:14-23
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He learned that when he played in celebration, it released a new level of joy and rejoicing. Psalms 27:6, 33:1-3, 89:15, 2 Samuel 6:12-15
We are not saying:
· Happy is the only way to worship.
· Loud is more spiritual.
· Expressive worship earns favor with God.
We are saying:
It is our heartfelt choice to thank and praise God through voices and raised hands.
Worried about hypocrisy? Pray in service, interact with God honestly, repent and receive forgiveness from anything that’s in the way, love God with all your heart.
(October 11th Life Group focus Psalms 43)
Today’s notes primarily from the Mannahouse message series: People of Presence
(Today’s message was delivered by Justin Kuk.)
1 Chronicles 16:4-6 “David appointed the following Levites to lead the people in worship before the Ark of the LORD—to invoke his blessings, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel.”
As you read through the surrounding chapters and the book of Psalms, which was really a record of songs recorded and sung in David’s Tabernacle, you learn several things about the worship David designed. These characteristics are meant to shape the worship life of anyone who would seek the Lord:
Worship Life Characteristics
- Spontaneous – 2 Chronicles 29:25-29
In other words, they did not say the same formula repeatedly; nor was there necessarily a set form. (At times they were led by a worship leader in singing and/or speaking specific Psalms. At times the people clearly worshipped God with singing, without the specific instruction to do so.)
- From the Heart – Psalms 86:12, 111:1
This is the only kind of worship God ever desired.
- In Humility – Psalms 51:15-17
Not self-willed, works-based perfection.
- Regular and Often – Psalms 34:1, 119:164, 145:2
Frequently, daily, weekly etc.
- All Together – 1 Chronicles 6:31-32, 15:16
David set up teams to ensure that the people could gather for worship with the aide (serving leadership) of musicians. Many Scriptures describe gatherings of “all the people” that included hearing the Scripture and singing their worship to God. (Of course, we also have many examples of private worship as well.)
- Strong Emphasis on Praise – Psalms 148-150
The focus is on praising God.Today’s notes primarily from the Mannahouse message series: People of Presence
Matthew 22:35-39
One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
Biblical definition of heart:
- Sense of physical life
- Soul: thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors.
- Mind: understanding, seat of intelligence
- Will and character
How can we live our lives honoring the words Jesus spoke, “Loving God with our whole heart”? Or Wholehearted?
The most important moment for our heart is Salvation, the transformation of our heart
Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
God wants to takes a hard, dark, sinful heart and transform it into the ultimate…
Acts 13:22
I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart,” –
Means literally his heart beats in perfect unison with God,
What are some of the benefits of Wholehearted Devotion
- Peace
- Joy
- Wisdom from God
- Hear His voice
- Able to withstand temptation (how can we sin if we are loving God with all we are?)
- Eternal Life
What are the negatives of Wholehearted Devotion? Nothing!
How do we live wholeheartedly? Heart checkups!
Don’t forget, like Ben said a last week
I was saved. I am being saved. I will yet be saved.
Wholehearted devotion is a process.
Heart Checkups help us make sure we are heading in the right direction! Towards God.
Ask God for help!
Ps 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
God cares so much about this…. God wants His best for us. He knows that wholehearted devotion to him is the key to our best life.
His grace and mercy allow for us, at any moment, to come to him as we are. Angry, worried, anxious, in pain, doubting, and ask him for help.
God wants us to learn and grow in this journey of wholehearted devotion.
When we do heart checkups We need to allow God to show us:
- Where we are not Surrendered
- Where we are disobeying
- Unforgiveness
- Bitterness
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Distrust (in God)
- Whatever he wants!!! Usually only one at at time!
Now is a good time for a Seasonal, spiritual check up: Any time of transition is a good reminder for us to check in with our heart.
Two questions we can ask ourselves.
- Am I feeling distracted? (worried, anxious, scattered)
- Do I love God more than anything or anyone else?
Heart Checkup Prayer:
- Confess
- Repent
- receive forgiveness
- make fresh commitments to live in wholehearted devotion to God
Wholehearted devotion produces
- Worship
- gracious humility. “God has blessed me!”
Jesus is our example. His disciples became examples of this. David became an example of this. (wholehearted devotion, gracious humility)
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13
“through him who strengthens me,” ESV
Strengthen – to someone to have the ability to do or to experience something, to give someone the capability
Philippians 4:13 context
10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 14 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.” – Philippians 4:10–14 NLT
Jesus gives Paul the ability/strength to live and to be content in every circumstance.
How do we draw strength from Jesus Christ?
- Receive Jesus as Savior.
What does Jesus provide as Savior?
New spiritual heart/life. Heart – Ezekiel 36:26 Life – John 3:1-21 Ephesians 2:4-6
Forgiveness of sin. Ephesians 1:7 1 John 1:7
Freedom from the shame and guilt of sin. Romans 8:1 2 Corinthians 7:21
Freedom from the punishment of sin. Romans 5:9 8:1
Freedom from a compulsion to repeat sin. Matthew 16:24 Romans 6 Ephesians 2:10 Revelation 1:5 Titus 2:11-12
Accepted into God’s family as a coheir of Jesus Christ, children of God. Romans 8:17 John 1:12-13 Ephesians 2:13
Eternal peace of heaven as future home. John 6:47 Romans 5:1-2
- Continually look to Jesus as Savior.
What does Jesus provide as Savior? Have you received it? Are you continuing to receive it?
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – Ephesians 3:14–20 NLT
- Let this change the way that you look at everything.
Perspective change about current challenges, seen in Romans 5:1-11.
Clearly Paul drew spiritual strength, comfort, and perspective from looking to the example of Jesus Christ, see Philippians 2. This includes the gracious humility of Jesus as well as the suffering and victory of Jesus.
In a combined service of City Harbor and Hampden UMC, Pastors Rebecca Malmin, Galen Zook, and Ben Malmin provide thoughts on today’s text along with illustrations from both churches.
"Your Father can see what is done in secret, and He will reward you." - Matthew 6:4 NCV
The Holy Spirit gives us special abilities that help us strengthen our spiritual family and participate in the cause of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Never Stop Praying? 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 – Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and […]
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16
How do we follow the Holy Spirit?
What are the results of following the Holy Spirit?
What will it look like?
Romans 8:5-11
The Holy Spirit is bringing about that which is impossible for you in your own strength alone…your ability to follow.
“Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” – Ephesians 4:23
“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.” – Ephesians 4:30
How do we follow the Holy Spirit? What are the results of following the Holy Spirit? What will it look like?
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We willingly submit to the shaping influence of the Holy Spirit on our thoughts and attitudes.
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We now desire to please and not grieve the Holy Spirit.
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We choose to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our actions and how we live.
Galatians 5:16-18 and following contrast 19-26
“The Holy Spirit is given to all who come to Christ, and the Spirit sets us free from self-centeredness to live for God and for others.” – Lausanne Covenant
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
How do we follow the Holy Spirit? What does this mean to us today? What are the results of following the Holy Spirit? How do we know that we are being led by the Holy Spirit?
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We willingly submit to the shaping influence of the Holy Spirit on our thoughts and attitudes.
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We now desire to please and not grieve the Holy Spirit.
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We choose to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our actions and how we live.
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Others recognize that we are becoming less selfish and more loving.
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Others recognize that we are growing in the areas of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22-23
The Holy Spirit strengthens us and communicates to Father God with us.
Romans 8:26-28
God’s powerful love will sustain you and bring about victory.
Romans 8:38-39
What do we learn?
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Listening to the Holy Spirit is the best approach to life.
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Following the Holy Spirit’s leadership is now our priority.
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The Holy Spirit shapes our desires.
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The Holy Spirit gives us strength.
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The Holy Spirit guides us in a lifestyle of devotion.
What should we do?
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Willingly submit to the shaping influence of the Holy Spirit on our thoughts and attitudes.
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Live with a new desire to please and not grieve the Holy Spirit.
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Confess and forsake sin, receive forgiveness, and commit to loving devotion.
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Choose to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our actions and how we live.
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Share the journey with others.
Happy Mother’s Day!
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16
How do I follow the Holy Spirit?
This is a huge subject, about which we may have specific ideas, and growth is possible for each of us. The wisdom of God can be heard when we realize that our ideas are not the only ideas, and that God has ideas that have also been shared with others. We all benefit from a desire for knowing God more today than yesterday, hunger for growth, curiosity, and passion for learning. How God Speaks notes in the past, Bible study – Glenda Malmin. Almost all of the New Testament Scriptures on this subject are written to the local church. This is not a solo campaign but a local church unified effort.
- Listen to the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is guiding us if we are looking for and listening to.
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” – John 14:16-17
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16 (will unpack this passage/context next Sunday)
How do we listen to the Holy Spirit?
A. Giving God quiet relational time. Be quiet. Listen. The Lord’s Prayer helps our relationship with God, our conversation with God. It also very helpful to clear our minds of things we need to bring to God, let go of (possibly temporarily), so that we can allow God the freedom to speak on any subject. This can be expanded with unscripted times throughout the days and nights.
B. Reading what God has already said, in the Bible, gives our spirit the opportunity to hear a Rhema word from God (Whoa! God is speaking to me!). This does not devalue the plain simple truth of God’s original intent for the Scripture. The more we know the truth of God’s Word, the easier it will become for us to recognize God’s here and now words to us.
- Live in a close personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is directly involved in a close personal relationship with us.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“The Holy Spirit is given to all who come to Christ, and the Spirit sets us free from self-centeredness to live for God and for others.” – Lausanne Covenant
“But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” – Galatians 5:5-6 (refer back to Part 1)
- Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16
“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27
How do I know what guidance is from the Holy Spirit?
3 sources possible: God, people, enemy
Each of us is unique in some ways. We may sense the leading of the Holy Spirit in unique ways. And yet our gracious God gives us some ways in which we can know it is Him.
A. Consider the destination. Direction leading you in? Football pass analogy. Leading the receiver. Holy Spirit leads with purpose. God’s Good News/covenant/Kingdom purpose and shaping influence.
B. Consider the consistency. Is it consistent with the established vision and values of God seen in Scripture?
C. Consider the fulfillment. Note when something you have heard from God is fulfilled, comes to pass, etc. This helps in learning to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit as well as how you hear from the Holy Spirit.
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16
How does this work? What does this look like? Why does this matter? Relationship Integrity
“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” – Romans 8:5-6
“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.” – Ephesians 4:30
What should we do?
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Think and pray about today’s notes.
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Ask God what you should do about it.
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Listen.
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Make time to listen to the Holy Spirit more than before. TAWG prayer Bible on items specific as well as open ended,
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Make plans to do this more. Special occasions, weekly, monthly, quarterly annually.
In Part One of our new Spirit led life message series, Pastor Rebecca Malmin provides us “Holy Spirit 101” content.
Spirit Led Life, Part 1
· Who is the Holy Spirit?
· What is the Holy Spirit doing?
Who?
John 14:15-17
“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
John 16:13-15
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
Acts 1:8 & 2:1-4
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Lausanne Covenant – “We affirm our belief in the one eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who governs all things according to the purpose of his will.”
Also, “This one God revealed himself in three stages (as the God of Israel, as the incarnate Lord, then as the Holy Spirit) to show he exists eternally in these three personal forms. So, the risen Jesus commanded us to baptize converts ‘in the name (note the singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28:10).”
Lexham Survey of Theology – “The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Triune God and, as such, is fully God and fully personal.
CHC – We aim to be a gospel-centered, healthy, Spirit-filled, multi-ethnic, local church in urban Baltimore. God is alive today and at work through us. We value the power and presence of the Holy Spirit for ministry today.
If we are going to be Spirit Filled and Live by the Spirit, we should understand who we are talking about, who we are following!
Big “S” in scripture refers to the Holy Spirit. Little “s” refers to our spirit or that which is spiritual.
The Holy Spirit is mentioned through the Bible from beginning to end.
Genesis 1:1-2 and ending in Revelation 22:17
Old Testament – Mentioned more than 90 times with 18 different titles given.
New Testament – Mentioned more than 260 times along with 39 different names and titles.
Out of the 27 books of the New Testament, only II John & III John have no reference for the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is:
Called God (Acts 5:3, 4; I Corinthians 3:16; 12:4-6))
Eternal (Hebrews 9:14)
Omnipotent/all-powerful (Luke 1:35)
Omniscient/all-knowing (John 14:26; 16:12, 13; I Cor. 2:10)
Omnipresent/everywhere (Psalms 139:7-10)
Life Source (Rom. 8:2)
The Spirit of Truth (John 16:13)
Spirit of Love (Romans 15:30)
Spirit of Holiness (Rom. 1:4; Eph. 4:30)
The Holy Spirit:
Can be grieved (sorrow, distress, mourn) (Ephesians 4:30)
Can be insulted (Hebrews 10:29)
Can be blasphemed (spoken of irreverently)(Matthew 12:31-32)
Can be resisted (Acts 7:51) (choose not to listen)
Can be vexed (annoyed, frustrated, angry) (Isaiah 63:10)
Can be quenched/stifled (suffocate, suppress, restrain) (I Thessalonians 5:19)
What does the HS do?
Works (1 Corinthians 12:11)
Searches (I Corinthians 2:10)
Speaks (Acts 12:2; Revelation 2:7; II Samuel 23:2; Matthew 10:20; I Timothy 4:1)
Testifies (John 15:26; Nehemiah 9:30)
Testify =give a report
Bears Witness (I John 5:6)
Bear witness = To show that something is true
Teaches (John 14:26)
Instructs (Nehemiah: 9:20) The subtle difference between “teach” and instruct is that you can teach almost anything: concepts, ideas, theories or, say, history. When you instruct someone, you’re giving them a set of tools or tasks to do something specific.
Convicts, declare us guilty of sin (John 16:8)
Prays & makes intercession (Romans 8:26)
Leads (Matthew 4:1)
Guides the believer into all truth (John 16:13)
Glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14)
Strives (struggles) with Men (Genesis 6:3)
Sends messengers from God (Isaiah 48:16)
Calls men into ministry (Acts 13:2; 20:28)
Was active in the creation of everything (Genesis)
Active in the inspiration of Scripture (II Peter 1:21; II Tim. 3:16; 11 Sam. 23:2-3)
Is active in regeneration of fallen man (Jn. 3:3-5)
Active in the resurrection of the body (Rom. 8:11)
What can we learn from Jesus and his followers about the Holy Spirit and our interaction (with him)?
- Jesus’ followers saw the perfect relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:13-17
Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”
But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
- Jesus taught that God the Father would give his followers, God the Holy Spirit. It is a close personal relationship we are invited into, and we are taught to receive.
Luke 11:9-13
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
- Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit’s involvement at the most important moments. The Holy Spirit is active and part of Jesus’ identity and purpose.
Luke 4:14-21
Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
- Jesus lived the example of being led by the Holy Spirit.
Luke 4:1
“Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.”
- Jesus’ followers came to understand and walk out this truth of being led by the Spirit.
(Many examples)
Acts 8:29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
- Jesus’ followers understood prophecy to be directed by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:20-21
Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
- Jesus’ followers listened to the Holy Spirit’s guidance as helpful in receiving and understanding God-given truth. They understood it to be a matter of obedient spiritual discernment. They understood it to always be connected to each part of the Triune God.
John 16:13-15
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
I Corinthians 2:13-16
And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.
For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
When we don’t have the HS guidance to understand the Word, the word might seem foolish, or like God is domineering (or whatever). We can start to pick and choose what we believe from the Word because we don’t understand what the truth really is!
- Jesus’ followers saw a unity within the Holy Spirit relationship, regardless of unique aspects of their identities.
1 Corinthians 12:13
Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
What is the Holy Spirit doing?
- The Holy Spirit is directly involved in our being “born again” believers of Jesus Christ, receiving salvation.
John 3:5-6
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
Romans 8:14-16
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
Galatians 4:6-7
And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
- The Holy Spirit leads us in receiving salvation and walking forward into spiritual growth and a positively changed life of following Jesus’ example of “sanctification”.
Sanctification is: set aside for God’s special use and purpose, dedicated, free from the guilt of sin
John 17:19 (Jesus speaking to the Father)
And I give myself as a holy (sanctified) sacrifice for them so they can be made holy (sanctified) by your truth.
- The Holy Spirit brings renewal during the process of our spiritual growth.
Titus 3:4-6
When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
ESV – “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”
- The Holy Spirit is actively involved in the Kingdom of God on earth, here and now, bringing joy.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit brings a “foretaste or first fruits”, an appetizer, a glorious sample and pledge of the blessings to come in Heaven.
Romans 8:23
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
What should we do this week about this?
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Prayerfully consider today’s Scriptures.
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Allow the Holy Spirit opportunities to guide you.
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Come the next two weeks to learn more and dig deeper into what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit.
God loves us. God speaks to us. How do we listen?
“People cannot live by bread alone, but by every word from God‘s mouth.” – Matthew 4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3
“O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.” – Psalms 119:169-176
Intorduction to Psalm 119:
God loves humanity. God gives life. God is creative. God has design and desire. God has spoken to us. We should be searching out the guidance of God. We can choose to listen and learn from what God has said. We will then benefit from God’s Word and love it. Psalm 119 is focused on this relationship with God’s Word. This is a Hebrew acrostic poem of 22 stanzas, one for each successive letter of their alphabet. Each of the 8 verses within each stanza begins with the Hebrew letter named in its heading. This is one way that you can think through what you are learning about God’s love and then summarize it in a meaningful way. God’s love is available and beneficial.
This Psalm is quite a journey! It goes all over.
Life is a journey. The Scripture is God’s Guiding Truth for us!
God’s Word – Scripture: books recognized as inspired by God, guiding truth for all people
Canon – straight rod, measuring ruler, standard for testing straightness
Perfect in its revelation of God’s provision and redemption through Jesus Christ our Savior King.
God loves us. God speaks to us. How do we listen?
Acts 15 we read about the church gathering to ensure that they agreed on the essential teaching of Jesus, the truth of God. It was called the Council of Jerusalem. The International Congress on World Evangelization worked in that vein and in 1974 released the Lausanne Covenant. John Stott led a team that studied the Scripture and organized the input from believers living in 150 nations.
“We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written word of God, without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We also affirm the power of God’s word to accomplish his purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all men and women. For God’s revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. Through it the Holy Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of God’s people in every culture to perceive its truth freshly through their own eyes, and thus discloses to the whole Church ever more of the many-coloured wisdom of God. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; John 10:35; Isaiah 55:11; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 1:16, Matthew 5:17,18; Jude 3; Ephesians 1:17,18; 3:10,18” – Lausanne Covenant
LOVE what God has said. LOVE what God is saying. LOVE God. LOVE God’s Word. Grow in that love.
We can all take the next steps following Jesus by learning, obeying, valuing, and enjoying God’s word.
L. Learn
O. Obey
V. Value
E. Enjoy
L. Learn
Pursuit of/for a lifetime. It never runs out.
God, I don’t want to break the relationship with you by making mistakes. So, I hide your word in my heart. teach me.
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us.” – Psalms 119:11-13
“Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.” – Psalms 119:18
”I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love and teach me your decrees. Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws.” – Psalms 119:124-125
“Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.” – Psalms 119:33-34
“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.” – Psalms 119:15-16
What kind of learning? Delightful, fulfilling, with God’s help. Video game degree of difficulty.
“Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.” – Psalms 119:97
“I will meditate continually on your decrees.” – Psalms 119:117
Read Memorize Think Meditate Reflect Ask God for Help
O. Obey
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.” – Psalms 119:105-106
A light with GPS guidance to where you were going.
Alignment – submission a place of blessing
“We are the clay, and You are the potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8 Jeremiah 18:6 Romans 9:21
“Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments.” – Psalms 119:173
“I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.” – Psalms 119:44-45
“Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart.” – Psalms 119:2 ESV
“Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.” – Psalms 119:2 NLT
Keep/Obey: observe, preserve, and guard faithfully
“I will keep your statutes.” – Psalms 119:8 ESV “I will obey your decrees.” – Psalms 119:8 NLT
“Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word.” – Psalms 119:17
Pain has a way of affecting our ability to accurately understand our reality, accept it, respond to it, and live our lives with peace….being honest with ourselves.
“Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. I cling to your laws. Lord, don’t let me be put to shame! I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.” – Psalms 119:29-32
God is best qualified to help us understand reality and how to find fulfillment in it, here and now.
“Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. I long for your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed your commands. I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much. Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do.” – Psalms 119:165-168
Alignment – submission a place of blessing
“We are the clay, and You are the potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8 Jeremiah 18:6 Romans 9:21
Trust and Obey
V. Value
“I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees.” – Psalms 119:48
“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.” – Psalms 119:114
“Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.” – Psalms 119:72
“Truly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold. Each of your commandments is right.” – Psalms 119:127-128
“I am firmly anchored to your instructions.” – Psalms 119:61
“Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.” – Psalms 119:36-37
“All your commands are trustworthy.” – Psalms 119:86
“Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.” – Psalms 119:98
“Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.” – Psalms 119:98
“I stand in awe of your regulations.” – Psalms 119:120
“O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy.” – Psalms 119:137-138
“Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true.” – Psalms 119:142
Priortize God’s Word above all else. Is it more valuable to you than anything else you’re listening to? Is “What God Says” (The Bible) more valuable to you than anything else you are listening to (streaming, youtube, podcasts, shows, other people) or reading?
Watch out for our enemy who is about distraction, deception, and destruction. “Has God really said?”
E. Enjoy
“Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.” – Psalms 119:35
“I will speak to kings about your laws, and I will not be ashamed. How I delight in your commands! How I love them! I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees.” – Psalms 119:46-48
“I meditate on your age-old regulations; O Lord, they comfort me. Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived.” – Psalms 119:52, 54
“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” – Psalms 119:103
“I love your instructions.” – Psalms 119:113
“Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them!” – Psalms 119:129
“As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.” – Psalms 119:143-144
“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!” – Psalms 119:1-8
Give yourself the best possible opportunities to enjoy God’s Word.
Share the journey. Talk about it with others. Listen to it. Read it. ….in various versions.
God loves us. God speaks to us. How do we listen?
We can all take the next steps following Jesus by learning, obeying, valuing, and enjoying God’s word.
Justin Kuk brings a message about the Holy Bible, God’s Word to us, our Scriptures.
My goal is that we would leave here today with an understanding that God has spoken and continues to speak through the Bible in a way that is clear, necessary, sufficient, and authoritative and that we would understand how those characteristics impact our lives as Christians.
Before we get there, I’d like to address the question: What is the Bible? It is an important question, one that we may take for granted, particularly if we have grown up around the church, but one that is worthy of consideration.
We often refer to the Bible as though it were one book, yet the Bible is actually composed of 66 books written over a period of around 1500 years by approximately 40 different human authors. Some of these books, such as Luke and Acts, were originally written as one volume and have been divided into separate books in the organization of the scriptures. Some may point to the number of human authors as a reason to question whether the Bible is truly the Word of God or just the product of human minds, but I think the number of authors actually should strengthen our trust in the Bible. Despite the number of human authors and the long time period across which it was written, the Bible shows remarkable unity in its message – from God’s God’s creation of the universe, mankind’s fall and rebellion against God, God’s choosing a people for himself – the nation of Israel – who would ultimately rebel against His commands and ways, but through whom he would raise up a promised Messiah to redeem not only Israel, but also people from all nations and the entire creation itself, the birth of the church which God would use to spread His kingdom through the gospel and message of reconciliation, ending with God’s ultimate triumph over sin and death and the recreation of a new heaven and new earth.
Though the Bible had many different human authors, God is the ultimate source of Scripture.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
This does not mean that God orally dictated each word of Scripture to the authors, but that the Holy Spirit worked through different writers with different styles, personalities, and backgrounds and inspired them to write exactly what He desired. The Apostle Peter clarified this point:
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)
God has spoken and continues to speak through the Scriptures.
A reasonable question to ask in response to this statement is, “How can we know that Scripture is God-breathed?” There are many responses that could be given to this question, and as someone who is interested in apologetics or the defense of the faith, it is something that I think is important to consider. For the sake of time, however, I would like to focus on one reason to believe that God has spoken to us through the Scriptures, which is that Jesus viewed Scripture as the inerrant, unbreakable Word of God.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17 – 19)
When Jesus refers to the Law or the Prophets, he is referring to all of the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament.
God has spoken and continues to speak through the Scriptures in a way that is clear, necessary, sufficient, and authoritative.
Scripture is Clear
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
In Taking God at His Word, Kevin DeYoung writes: “These high-sounding debates about perspicuity (clarity of Scripture) and hermeneutics (interpretation of Scripture) really have to do with the character of God. Is God wise enough to make himself known? Is he good enough to make himself accessible? Is he gracious enough to communicate in ways that are understandable to the meek and lowly?”
Purpose of the Clarity of God’s Word: To know God
Jeremiah 31:33-34
Purpose of the Clarity of God’s Word: To have an accurate view of ourselves
Hebrews 4:12
Scripture is Necessary
Romans 1:18-20
Romans 10:14-15
Purpose of the Necessity of God’s Word: To lead people to saving faith in Christ
2 Timothy 3:14-15
John 20:30-31
Purpose of the Necessity of God’s Word: To give assurance of salvation to believers in Christ
1 John 5:13
Scripture is Sufficient
This does not mean that Scripture fully addresses every question that we might have or every ethical dilemma that we might face in the modern world. Kevin DeYoung explains, “To affirm the sufficiency of Scripture is not to suggest that the Bible tells us everything we want to know about everything, but it does tell us everything we need to know about what matters most. Scripture does not give exhaustive information on every subject, but in every subject on which it speaks, it says only what is true.”
Purpose of the Sufficiency of God’s Word: Provide direction and guidance
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction, and training in righteousness…” 2 Timothy 3:16
Purpose of the Sufficiency of God’s Word: To help us to resist temptation
When Jesus was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread, he responded, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Purpose of the Sufficiency of Scripture: To help us to live holy lives
1 Peter 1:13-15
Scripture is Authoritative
1 Thessalonians 2:13
Isaiah 40:8
Purpose of the Authority of Scripture: To be our final authority in our decision making, theological beliefs, and moral beliefs
Joshua 1:8
Romans 12:2
Purpose of the Authority of God’s Word: To equip us to stand against the lies of the world and the enemy
Ephesians 6:13-17
What Shall We Do in Response?
A. Write any questions or doubts that we might have about the veracity or authority of Scripture. Seek answers with the help of a trusted person. There are intellectually satisfying answers to any questions we might have about the reliability of Scripture (Share personal story about question of inerrancy from Matthew 27).
B. Ask God to increase our desire for the Word
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. (Psalm 119:16)
C. Read the Word (Reading plans can be helpful)
D. Sing the Word (Randall Goodgame – Sing the Bible series)
E. Memorize the Word.
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
F. Share the Word (Asia Harvest’s Asia Bible Fund [www.asiaharvest.org] – Pay to have Bible’s printed and distributed in Asia for only $3 per Bible)
Pastor Rebecca Malmin brings us an encouraging word about Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd as seen through the lens of Psalms 23.
Psalms 23
John 10:10
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
A declaration of the sheep! A boasting!
Just saying the Lord is my Shepherd does not make it so. It is a journey of surrender, acceptance, learning who Jesus is, what he does.
1st step is salvation (a choosing to follow the Shepherd, Jesus) – When a shepherd gets a new sheep, he needs to mark it as his own. Can’t brand. If you don’t tag,each shepherd has a mark he cuts into the ear to identify it.
Praying the prayer of salvation will and SHOULD leave a mark on us that everyone can see! A change in us! Something about us that when others see us, they know we belong to Jesus!
I LACK NOTHING
Not I lack nothing I want – nothing I NEED
Rephrase:“I shall not lack the expert care and management of the Shepherd”
HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN
Sheep need 4 things to happen for them to lie down
1 Free from fear
1 Tim. 1:7 – for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind
Sound Mind = a mind at ease, at peace, not perturbed or harassed or obsessed with fear and foreboding for the future.
Sheep learn that when the Shepherd is near, they are safe. Jesus is nearby us, even in disaster.
2 Free of friction with others, butting for control (self-recognition, I’m it!), when the flock is content! – God decides what our status is! Getting along with others affects our peace as well as theirs!
3 No parasites
4 Free from hunger
A good pasture is a result of Shepherd’s hard work. Clearing rocks, stumps, poisonous plants etc. Making sure there is water. Good grazing=healthy sheep=strong babies & good milk.
Good milk & grazing can cause a lamb to grow 100 lbs in 100 days!
God works to pull out the stumps, rocks and poisonous plants in our life. Bitterness, unforgiveness, discontent, look at me, pride.
HE LEADS ME BESIDE STILL WATERS
Earlier in the year they can exist on just dew on the grass. As the year goes onShepherd must also lead the flock to other water sources.
When not led to good water, sheep become restless and may drink from polluted, infested puddles.
Also, if sheep go to a source of water that is moving too fast, their wool can absorb excess water and be pulled into the water and drowned.
Jeremiah 2:13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
The Good Shepherd says in Matthew 5:6 – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Do we let the Shepherd give us the right water or do we go after our own ideas of what is right?
Sometimes the Shepherd leads sheep into deep cisterns. Wells that are underground, that he maintains. The journey down could be dark or uneven on the ground but it takes us to a place of coolness and refreshing. The Shepherd guides the sheep carefully down, WITH HIM.
God wants us to thirst and drink from the right things and leads us to those things if we let him.
Drink in the spiritual sense = to take in, accept, believe
RESTORES MY SOUL
Psalm 42:11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Cast down = sheep is turned on its back and can’t get up. It may ultimately die. As it struggles, gas from their rumen or stomach build up and cut off blood circulation to their body, especially their legs.
Fat sheep are most prone. They look for a soft spot with a hallow to lay down in. Suddenly their weight and shape changes their center of gravity and they roll. They lay in the hallows and can’t get out.
Rev. 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Like us! We look for what looks like the most easy, comfortable spot in the moment and we can get caught.
After being cast if they are fat the sheep then gets put on a diet, which it does not like, but it is a way of discipline to help the sheep. Like Hebrews 12 says, God disciplines those he loves!
Too much wool and make them cast down – This is the idea of old self, sin, habits etc. can tip us over.
Cast down – This is where counting sheep for the shepherd is important. When he is missing one, there is a chance that it is cast down and dieing. He will search for that sheep until he finds it, roll it over and give it time to recover and get it on its feet as fast as possible.
PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Sheep are terrible creatures of habit when left to themselves. They will return to the same place to eat and eat down to the very roots which causes barrenness in the area. They will also follow the same paths, over and over, which causes erosion. These things also allow the growth of dangerous parasites which can eventually infect the entire flock.
Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way
Proverbs 14:12, There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Sheep must be kept on the move, to the right places! Along “paths of righteousness”.
In a flock, the wanderers and outliers (those who are on the outside, maybe partially apart) are the ones most at danger.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. The idea of Surrender means follow Jesus on his chosen path!
VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
The Shepherd knows the way. He also knows spots along the way that will be safe and where they can find good grazing as they continue up. Sustaining them for the journey through and up.
ROD AND STAFF
Rod, Shorter than a staff, often with a nobby end. Used as an extension of the Shepherds arm. Can throw it at predators, use it for discipline or correction of sheep who wander or try to eat poisonous food. Used for counting
Ezekiel 20:37 – “I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.”
The sheep come under the authority and protection of the Shepherd as well as being closely examined as they go by for injury, visible parasite issues, illness etc.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Staff –
Longsuffering, kindness
Shifts newborn lamb to mother so human smell does not get on newborn.
Can catch newborns who wander and move them closer to mom.
Guide them through rough terrain with gentle pressure
Lift/pull them from danger. Such as getting stuck in thorns.
PREPARE A TABLE
Mesa, high flat place, Also means table (few languages)
Shepherd leads to a high flat place
Shepherd goes before hand
Sprinkles salt and minerals for the sheep’s diet
Chooses best camp
Looks for poisonous plants
Reopens and cleans streams, (springs)
Looks for where predators may hide – God knows our enemy!
This is how a shepherd prepared a “table” in the presence of predators or enemies!
ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL
We can equate this to “getting our heads together” with someone who may not have the mind of Christ. We can become infected with thoughts and ideas that don’t line up with the truth of the Bible.
We must then go to the Good Shepherd, Jesus, to be anointed again to keep those thoughts and ideas from imbedding themselves.
GOODNESS AND MERCY
Sometimes we may think Jesus is not a good shepherd. We go through dark times, painful times, irritating times just like sheep. But the Good Shepherd’s job is to lead us through to the best places. To provide what we need at that moment. Including grace and mercy
I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER
I’ve always thought of this just as Heaven
But it also can mean that I choose to be under the care of the Shepherd forever. Both in heaven later but also in life right now.
In John 10 we see Jesus speaking in similar parallels to Psalms 23. He refers to himself as the Shepherd and us as sheep.
Jesus says his sheep know him. Do you know Jesus? Do you know what the Bible says about his actions, thoughts, what he ask us to do?
He also says, my sheep know my voice. Do you know Jesus voice? Jesus says the sheep know him so well that if a stranger talks to the sheep they run away because they do not recognize the voice. Do we know the voice of Jesus so well that when other thoughts, ideas, temptations or lies speak to us we RUN the other way because we know it is not the voice of Jesus the Good Shepherd?
How well do you know your shepherd? Are you able to truly boast about him? THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD!
How do we respond??
Study this further
Consider whether or not you are submitted to the Good Shepherd or wandering away, choosing your own things?
Ask Jesus to help you when you are struggling under his guidance.
Believe that he is the GOOD shepherd even when you can’t see it.
Let him examine you regularly. Listen to what he is cautioning you about.
Choose to trust.
Please note A Shepherd Takes a Look at Psalms 23 by W. P. Keller
Jesus is alive. This may sound crazy. It is important to investigate this as a historical fact.
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona
Let’s look at one of the eye witness accounts. Luke 1:1-4
Walking with Jesus – Luke 24:13-53
Their heart journey from doubting, discouraged, and defeated to heart warming and then burning with passion.
And so they believed…
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
John 20:30-31
Romans 4:25
Ephesians 2:4-6
1 John 1:9
John 6:47
Romans 10:9
“What makes God’s gift of grace so costly is that Jesus paid for it with his life. What makes it so powerful is that he came back from the dead – proving that he is the Son of God and showing that God accepted his sacrifice as payment for our sin.” – Rice Broocks and Steve Murrell Purple Book
The Last Supper a Passover meal – Matthew 26:17-30 Mark 14:12-26 Luke 22:14–20 and John 13
The rest of the story includes the son of Cleopas and Mary, Simeon. He was a faithful Jesus follower who became the pastor of the Jerusalem church after Peter.
“you are witnesses,”
Then he said, “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled.” He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses.” – Luke 24:44-48 The Message
We celebrate Palm Sunday with an inspiring message from Chris Vazquez, our worship leader.
Matthew 21:8-11
Authority- What is it? What does it mean?
Exousia ? indicates jurisdiction (right), force (might), privilege (honor), capacity, freedom, influence, and force
Authority ? Latin “Auctor” ? Originator (Creator)
Step One: Give UP our bias of authority
Our experience with worldly authority is usually laden with the following issues:
No right No capacity
No might No freedom
No honor No influence
Step One: Give UP our bias of authority
Jesus has RIGHT
Jesus has MIGHT
Jesus has HONOR
Jesus has CAPACITY
Jesus has FREEDOM
Jesus has INFLUENCE
Divine Right – Matthew 28:18-20 3:16-17
Divine Capacity – Mark 1:21-28
Divine Might – Mark 4:35-41
Divine Honor – Came to earth as a baby, Lived as a carpenter, Died on a cross
Divine Freedom
Divine Influence – Mark 11:4-10
Step Three: Give OUT Jesus’s authority
Building our identity in Jesus.
Accepting his authority.
Jesus wrote the rulebook.
Leaning on his authority.
Understanding that all of OUR power comes
from the author of our salvation (therefore it is not our own).
Mark 16:15-20
Pastor Rebecca Malmin brings us a helpful message on Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Mark 14
It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
(woman anoints his head with precious perfume)
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them.? They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
(Miracle preparation of the upper room & Last Supper where Jesus says that one of them would betray him)
Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. (Luke says “as usual”)
On the way Jesus told them (quoting Zech 13:7) “All of you will desert me. For the scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.’”
Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same.
They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane (which means pressing or crushing like treading grapes or crushing olives to get olive oil), and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.”He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,”
he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before.
When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. And they didn’t know what to say.
When he returned to them the third time, he said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders.
The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.” As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss. Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
Jesus asked them, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me.”
Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away.
Part 1 of Jesus’ prayer to the Father
Please take this cup of suffering away from me. (referring to what he knew was coming)
Question for you: What if the Father had answered Jesus’ prayer?
So the title of my message today is “The Unanswered Prayer”
We need to look at Jesus as our example!
What do we learn from Jesus in this passage?
We need to go to the Father when we are facing insurmountable challenges
We need to invite others into the process of our lives
Last week’s message about how Jesus experienced pain from others was so good. That is not the focus of my message but it plays a significant part of what happens to Jesus so I want to draw from his interactions with those closest to him just a bit.
The disciples couldn’t stay awake and then they ALL abandoned him! (who’s always listening and always with us?)
No person on earth understands what we are going through (only God can see each second of our days and what those second feel like to our mind, will, emotions and body)
Not everyone you speak to (even friends) will believe you (the disciples could not grasp what was happening even though Jesus told them many times it was coming) – Only God sees and hears it all!
Some people just don’t know what to do! (the disciples didn’t know what to say to Jesus when they realized they had fallen short)
They didn’t get it right, but they were there with Jesus in this moment! We others and we need God who never leaves us or forsakes us.
We need to remember that not only was Jesus heading into physical pain but emotional pain. From before the beginning of time he was in right relationship with F & HS. Once he died on the cross and the sins of all humanity were placed on his shoulders, the Father & HS would turn away from him. That perfect relationship (something we know nothing about) would be temporarily broken.
Part 2 of Jesus’ Prayer
Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
This is the beginning of the end of Jesus’ time on earth.
This past Wednesday, a car drove into a part of the inner harbor. Several people saw the car and its driver go into the water but everyone just stood there watching.
A sous chef from Phillips Seafood, who had just left work for the day, jumped into the water, broke a car windshield and pulled out the driver. He was able to swim with the driver to a life ring that someone had thrown in and they were pulled to safety. Both the driver and sous chef were checked for injuries and are OK.
In this part of scripture we see Jesus choosing to jump into the muck and mire of our sin (through this journey of his crucifixion) to save us, because we can’t save ourselves.
Do you know what the marketing director of Phillips said? “It was a natural thing for him to do. It was just his character,”
He knew that what was coming was going to take all of the God part of him to make it through. His humanity (Let this cup pass) did not want to do it, his Divinity (Let your will be done) was willing to do anything for us.
It was “a natural thing for him to do. It was just his character!”
We need to surrender to the will of God
Surrender is choosing to allow God to do what HE wants with us, his children.
This is where we grapple with what is, what we wish was and what God knows is best for us.
This hurts!
This is an ugly cry situation
This process of surrender repeats itself. (we see in the verses we read earlier that Jesus prayed “please take this cup of suffering. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” a few times!)
We must not allow others who hurt us, or our circumstances to prevent us from wholly coming to the Father or following His will. (friends:disciples abandoned him, church leadership: the ones who plotted against Jesus and who sent men with clubs and spears)
Let’s dig a little deeper into this! Because we need to build up our spirit until we can say like Paul says in I Corinthians chapter 2
For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, (quoting Isaiah)
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
We need to get into the very center of our being that God has for us: (this is how Jesus did it!)
Peace
Joy
Hope
A future
God has a good future for you!
What should we do?
Decide if you want to truly surrender
Ask God’s forgiveness for choosing your own plan above his
Repent of any sin (sin always gets in the way of the good things God has for us!)
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
What is tripping you up?
Disobedience
Pornography
Selfishness
Allowing bitterness or unforgiveness (between you and God or you and others? The opposite of Love God with all your heart…
We can honor Jesus’ pain, suffering and sacrifice by coming to a place of salvation….
Or if you’ve been saved and yet have been struggling with a specific sin, come to Jesus again today in repentance and surrender. Get help from others!
- Recognize that our living in a corrupt, sinful world brings pain (emotional pain, mental pain, physical pain). (Jesus knows this on a very personal level!)
Matthew 20:22, Mother of James & John asking Jesus to let her sons sit in places of honor next to Jesus in His Kingdom. Jesus replies, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup.
“Take the cup from me”
In the Bible “cup” is used literally and figuratively.
Frequently refers to the contents of the cup, not just the cup itself.
Figuratively used for something that can’t be refused, especially something unpleasant like God’s judgments, wrath or afflictions (OT & Revelations)
Ouch, it’s getting real!
Choose to believe that your unanswered prayer may be part of God’s master plan for your life.
Theologian John Howard Yoder wrote “Here at the cross is the man who loves his enemies, the man whose righteousness is greater than that of the Pharisees, who being rich became poor, who gives his robe to those who took his cloak, who prays for those who despitefully use him. The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the way to their kingdom, nor is it even the way to the kingdom; it is the kingdom come.”
Jesus’ pain brought the Kingdom of God,what might your pain bring?
Keep your eyes on Jesus!
Hebrews 12 And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Choose to look towards a better future.
Hebrews 12:2 – Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (what joy can we look forward to?)
John 13:1–38 John 18:15–18 John 18:25–27
We cannot read the story of the life of Jesus, without reading about the personal betrayal and rejection that he suffered.
Who rejected Jesus?
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Peter
Jesus predicts it. Matthew 26:31-35 Mark 14:27-31 Luke 22:31-34 John 13:31-38
Peter denies knowing Jesus. Matthew 26:69-75 Mark 14:66-72 Luke 22:54-65 John 18:15-18, 25-27 -
Judas
Jesus predicts it. John 6:66-71 13:18-27
Agrees to it. Matthew 26:14-16 Mark 14:10-11 Luke 22:1-6
Last Supper decision. Matthew 26:20-25 Mark 14:18-21 Luke 22:21-23 John 13:27-30
Completes it in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:47-50 Mark 14:43-46 Luke 22:47-48 John 18:1-9
Despair and suicide. Matthew 27:1-10 -
Jerusalem leaders
He gets his power from Satan. Matthew 12:24
Hostile argumentative challenges. Luke 11:53-54
Rejecting his identity publicly. Luke 19:38-40
Challenging Jesus in the Temple. Matthew 21:23-27 Mark 11:27-33 Luke 20:1-8
Plot to kill Jesus. Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16 Mark 14:1-2 Luke 22:1-2 John 11:45-57
False accusations, Judgment and condemnation of Jesus, High Priest’s home. Matthew 26:57-67 Mark 14:53-65 Luke 22:66-71 John 18:12-14, 19-24
During the trial before Pilate. Matthew 27:11-26 Mark 15:1-15 Luke 23:1-25 John 18-28-35
Mocked Jesus during crucifixion. Matthew 27:41-43 Mark 15:31-32 Luke 23:35 -
Many people.
The crowd includes many people . Many examples.
Nazareth rejection. Matthew 13:53-58 Mark 6:1-6 Luke 4:14-30 (tried to kill him.)
Samaritan rejection. Luke 9:52-56
Many followers leave. John 6:60-71
His brothers rejected his identity. John 7:1-9
Jerusalem crowd tries to kill Jesus. John 10:22-42
Roman trial, favor Barabbas over Jesus. “ we will take responsibility for his death. “Let his blood be on us. Matthew 27:11-26 Mark 15:1-15 Luke 23:18-25 John 18:28-40
People shouted their abuse, during crucifixion. Matthew 27:39-49 Mark 15:29-30
What do we learn?
Jesus understands the pain of personal betrayal.
Jesus understands the pain of broken relationships.
Jesus felt the pain of personal rejection. And yet Jesus did not allow it to define who he is.
1 John 4:9–10
Hebrews 12:1–3
What should we do?
- Pray, asking the Holy Spirit to help us see Jesus clearly.
- Pray, thanking Father God for sending Jesus, thanking the Holy Spirit for guidance, and thanking Jesus for what he endured on our behalf.
- Think about what these truths mean to you.
- Invite the love of Jesus to lift you from any personal betrayal you have suffered.
“turn from your sins, turn to God,” – Matthew 4:17
The Last Supper a Passover meal – Matthew 26:17-30 Mark 14:12-26 Luke 22:14–20 and possibly John 13
Luke 22:14–20
“There is forgiveness of sin for all who believe,” – essential part of Jesus’ identity, value, purpose, function
Iniquity – behavior that’s corrupt
Transgression – breaking trust
Sin – to fail, to act contrary to the will and/or law of God, miss the mark, failure to fulfill the goal, What’s the goal?
Romans 6:23
Romans 5:20
John 1:29
1 Corinthians 5:7b-8
1 Peter 1:18-19
Exodus 12:14, 25–27
Hebrews 9:11–15
What do we learn?
God showed us love by sending Jesus, to make a way for salvation and a loving committed relationship with us, that will last forever.
Jesus gives instruction to share a Holy Communion, bread and cup, to remember the way to salvation and the call to a committed covenant lifestyle.
What should we do?
Follow the instruction of Jesus at the Lord’s Table.
Wholehearted loving devotion.
Gracious humility.
Joyful gratitude.
Generous sharing.
Acts 18:9-10
Hebrews 4:14-16
Our friend, Pastor Justin Cardinal, from New Testament Church in Massena, NY, brings a message from the teaching of Jesus.
In Matthew 24 Jesus begins instructing his disciples about the future.
• some Christians get caught up in interpreting the times and seasons…
• Jesus does not want us to be caught off guard by wars and famines and disasters…
• but it seems that his focus is on our perspective and our preparation for the future
Jesus is clear… he will return… and he wants us to be prepared / ready for his arrival
Matthew 25:1-13 we read Jesus’ parable of the ten bridesmaids.
There is a distinction between those who are prepared and those who are not.
Revelation 21:1-7
We know the end of the story… but the in-between is full of pain and difficulties.
Jesus confronted some of the same challenges and heartaches – we are told that at the
tomb of his friend Lazarus (John 11) – he wept and he was angry
As in the story of Lazarus, We also have faith that God is working through our
circumstances.
Romans 8:28
We are followers… following requires movement, putting one front in front of the other,
choices
throughout the scriptures we see what happens when people make choices
– choices not to trust that what God says is true – Adam & Eve
– choices to go a different way – Jonah
– choices to stick with someone – Ruth
– choices to follow – Matthew
– choices to change direction – Paul
We are constantly faced with choices.
In Matthew 25:8-30 we read Jesus’ parable of three servants.
Christianity begins with a choice (Rom 10:9) but it is followed by decisions and choices every
single day…
• choices to trust that God is working through the pain / difficulty
• choices to love and to share the hope the lies within us
• choices to act in ways that build up
being prepared for Christ’s return means making choices, growing, being mindful
In Matthew 17:1-13, Peter, James, and John see Jesus in a new light. They see that Jesus Christ is the Savior sent by a joyful, relational, and powerful Father God.
They get a glimpse of what John saw, “his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.” – Revelation 1:16
Moses and Elijah come to talk with Jesus. Moses and Elijah had talked with God, in close personal encounters, during their lives on earth.
Matthew 17:3 (ACCS Mt 14-28): He then set before them Moses and Elijah, who were ready to die ten thousand times for God’s decrees and for the people entrusted to them. Each of them, having lost his life, found it. For each of them both spoke boldly to tyrants, the one to the Egyptian, the other to Ahab. They spoke on behalf of heartless and disobedient people. They were brought into extreme danger by the very persons who were saved by them. Both desired to lead people away from idolatry. – Chrysostom
Peter asks if they should build Memorials or Tabernacles to continue what is happening. He is asking the wrong question.
“The Lord did not reply to this suggestion, for it was not wicked but inappropriate, since the world could not be saved except by Christ’s death. And in the Lord’s warning the faith of those who believe is called to account. Among the temptations of this life we should understand that we are to ask for endurance before glory.” – Leo the Great
“A bright cloud overshadowed them in a voice from the cloud, said this is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” – Matthew 17:5
What do we learn?
Jesus Christ is the Savior sent by a joyful, relational, and powerful Father God.
Supporting material from Black history:
Rev Dr Gardner Taylor pastor of Concord Baptist Church in Brooklyn NY, 1948-1990. Dr. Taylor has been widely acclaimed as one of the most outstanding preachers in the nation. He has preached on six continents, delivered the 100th Lyman Beecher Lectures at Yale University. On August 9, 2000, Dr Taylor received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, The highest honor the United States bestowed upon a citizen.
“ Jesus Christ. Can you not say it too? He is our peace and pardon. He is our light and life. He is our lawyer and leader. He is our hope and help. He is our way and Waymaker. He is our strength and stay, our deliver and delight. He is my substitute and Savior by Jesus my God.” – Rev Dr Gardner Taylor 1977
Josephine Delphine Henderson Heard was born October 11, 1861. She was the daughter of two enslaved parents, Lafayette and Annie Henderson in Salisbury, North Carolina. After slavery ended, a goal was set for her to become a teacher. She married William Henry Heard on January 21, 1882.[2] She held teaching positions in many cities as she traveled with her husband, who was prominent in the AME Church. Her joy in teaching is reflected in the preface of her 1890 volume of poetry entitled Morning Glories. She wrote “from a heart that desires to encourage and inspire the youth of the Race.”
“ I will look up to thee thou bright and morning star; with eyes of faith, I see, thy glory from afar. I will look up to thee my hand shall rest in thine, wherever thou will lead me. Thy will Oh Lord, not mine! I will look up to thee when deaths’ Relentless hand has laid its weight on me. Save – thou atoning lamb! I will look up to thee when crossing Jordan‘s wave. Then Lord I look to thee whose power alone can save.!” Josephine Delphine Henderson Heard 1890
What should we do?
-
Believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
-
Listen to Jesus Christ by giving attention to his words.
-
Give time and energy to this every day.
How does this work?
Consider the answers to this question. What did Jesus actually say?
Search “Bible Jesus ___.” Fill in the blank and read the Scriptures with the words of Jesus on your selected subject. Such as: prayer, love, forgiveness, unity, parenting, sex, money, and more.
Giving time for deep consideration of who Jesus is will be beneficial in any moment.
Early Jesus followers made this a high priority practice.
“reverence for Christ” – Ephesians 5:21 constant respectful awareness of Jesus, ….
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” – 2 Corinthians 10:5
Prayer with a focus on Jesus, who Jesus is, what Jesus says about your topic.
Bring listening to Jesus into important moments.
Jesus teaches surprising truth.
Matthew 5:1–10
God blesses – God approves of these people and makes them happy.
Read the text and think about the person who Jesus describes as blessed. What are their characteristics, state of being, doing?
poor, mourn, humble, hunger and thirst for justice, merciful, pure hearts, work for peace, persecuted for doing right
“Jesus…redefined the good life in nine short sentences and held them out for everyone to see: nine portraits of kingdom people, previously known as victims, dreamers, pushovers, and fools. These are the chosen ones, he said, the blessed ones who shall see God face-to-face. These are the happy ones, the lucky ones who shall be satisfied – not because they got an advance copy of the rules, and played by them to win, but because winning was the farthest thing from their minds.” – Barbara Brown Taylor Gospel Medicine
Barbara Brown Taylor an Episcopal priest, was recognized as one of the twelve most effective preachers by Baylor University in 1995.
What do I see in the people described? A gracious humility.
Conformity to Gods will, hunger thirst for righteousness and justice…purity of heart.
“ purity of heart must never be confused with outward conformity to rules. Because it is the heart, which must be pure, this beatitude interrogates us with awkward questions like these; what do you think about when your mind slips into neutral? To what do you pay consistent allegiance? What do you want more than anything else? To extent are your actions and words, accurate reflections of what is in your heart? To what extent do your actions constitute a cover-up for what is in your heart?” – D. A. Carson Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World
”I am persuaded that should the spirit of God usher in another period of refreshing revival in the western world, One of the earliest signs of it will be that admission of spiritual bankruptcy, which finds its satisfaction in God and his righteousness, and goes on to be richly merciful toward others.” – D. A. Carson Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World
called, “Sons of God”….partakers of God’s character
Read the text and think about the characteristics described of God. What is Gods state of being? What is God doing? What does God promise to do?
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs, comforted, they will inherit the whole earth, they will be satisfied, they will be shown mercy, they will see God, they will be called the children of God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs
Plot Twist!
God brings about blessing now, and in the future. Through the life, forgiveness and freedom of salvation, there is a life-changing blessing now, one that can be experience progressively, each day, and one that will ultimately be fulfilled when Jesus returns on the day of ultimate fulfillment.
What will God yet do?
There will come a day when the people Jesus describes as blessed will receive Gods love without limitations or interruptions.
What do we learn?
Those who look to God with faith-filled gracious humility will be blessed.
What should we do?
Read, reflect on, prayerfully consider your response to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:1–10.
Example from African American History, closing prayer
A Prayer for Holy Zeal by Maria W. Stewart 1835
“O, thou sin-forgiving God, they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. Lord, I am sick, and full of diseases. If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Though my sins have been as scarlet, though canst make them wool; and though they be red like crimson, though canst make them whiter than snow. Were it not that there is a sufficiency in thy blood to atone for the vilest, the view of my past sins and transgressions would sink me in despair. But thou has said, ‘him that cometh to thee, thou wilt in no ways cast out. Lord, I come, pleading alone the merits of my Redeemer; not only for myself do I plead, but for the whole race of makind; especially for the benighted sons and daughters of Africa. Do thou loose their bonds, and let the oppressed go free. Bless thy churches throughout the world. Grant that the time may soon come, that all may know thee from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Fire our souls with a holy zeal for thy cause, and let us not rest at ease in Zion, whilst souls are perishing for lack of knowledge. Wilt thou increase our number of such, and such only, as shall be saved. Dispel every gloomy fear that pervades my mind, and enable me to hope in thy mercy, and to thee will I ascribe praises everlasting.” – Maria W. Stewart
Extra material:
A saint is one who exaggerates what the world neglects.” – G. K. Chesterton
- Jesus came sharing life. John 10:10
- God shares life through Jesus. John 3:16-17
- The resurrected Jesus gives instructions for sharing. Matthew 4:19 Luke 24:44-49 Acts 1:6-8
Note: Jesus redirects their focus, reminds them that God is their source, engages their responsibility, and gives them instructions for sharing beyond their current circle of influence.
What are we learning?
1. Through the Good News of Jesus, we are blessed to be a blessing.
2. God’s promise includes an invitation to participation.
3. We are called to help people take next steps in following Jesus.
What should we do?
1. Pray for a list of people who need to hear God’s invitation.
2. Ask God what you should do.
3. Prepare to share the Good News of Jesus.
4. Prepare to share your story.
5. Accept the invitation to participation in God’s purpose for our church.
City Harbor Church…helping people take next steps in following Jesus.
“centered” – being very balanced and at peace.
Jesus placed in the middle of our lives. Having Jesus as the focal element of our lives.
We can all live a Jesus-centered life by focusing on Jesus in every situation.
Matthew 11:28–30Hebrews 4:16 10:19John 10:10Matthew 4:19Philippians 2:1-5Philippians 3:13–14What should we do?
- Make a fresh commitment to follow Jesus.
- Think about Jesus every day.
- Make needed adjustments.
Matthew 4:1-11
“led by the Spirit – tempted, and he fasted”
In prayer and fasting, we can all follow the example of Jesus through listening to God, following God’s guidance, and a lifestyle of wholehearted devotion.
A. Listening to God
“People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4 and Deuteronomy 8:3
-What God is saying is more important than my next meal.
B. Following God’s Guidance
“You must not test the Lord your God.” – Matthew 4:7 and Deuteronomy 6:16
-Humility and alignment with God’s will brings strength beyond the challenge.
C. Worshiping and Serving God
“You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” – Matthew 4:10 and Deuteronomy 6:13
-God calls us to wholehearted devotion.
What should we do?
1. Look to Jesus as an example of guiding truth.
2. Listen to God.
3. Follow God’s guidance.
4. Worship God.
5. Serve God.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” – John 14:6
“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” – Hebrews 4:14-16
When we’re going through a difficult season is recalling truths that we have already learned. One activity that is helpful to us, in our season of restoration and rebuilding, is to write down truth and reflect on it.
We can all rebuild our resiliency by considering what we learn to be true about God, from the Lord’s Prayer.
“Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.'” – Matthew 6:9–13
What does the Lord’s Prayer teach us about who God is?
- God is available to be in conversation with us.
“Pray like this,”
- God is worthy of our devotion and best praise.
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”
Praise – prayer that lifts up God and describes Him
God, I praise you above anyone/anything else!
- God has a kingdom that he wants to be established among people.
“May your Kingdom come soon.”
Intercession – prayer that asks for the Kingdom of God in our world
God, may your Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy be established and ever expanding here on earth now and forevermore.
- God has a plan and desires for what is happening on earth.
“May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Submission – prayer that puts His will above ours every day
God, please bring me (and everyone else) into alignment with what you prefer, what you would have us be and do.
- God has provided for us and will provide for us.
“Give us today the food we need,”
Daily request – prayer that recognizes Him as our daily source, making request
Thank you, God for all you have provided. Please continue to supply our needs.
- God is able to forgive us for our sins.
“forgive us our sins,”
Repentance – prayer that confesses sin, asking for grace and mercy
We confess and forsake our sins. Please forgive us, removing our guilt, restoring our relationship with you, and guiding us on your path.
- God wants us to forgive others.
“as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”
Forgiveness – prayer that asks for help in forgiving others
Today we forgive those who have hurt us, with the same grace you have forgiven us for the way we hurt you.
- God wants to help us walk in purity.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation,”
Protection – prayer that asks for help in avoiding temptation
God, please lead us by your Holy Spirit on your path of healthy pure right living.
- God wants to deliver us from our enemy.
“but rescue us from the evil one.”
Deliverance – prayer that asks for protection from evil
God, please limit our enemy and remove the effects of his work.
- The one true living God is glorious and more powerful than anything we see.
“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Priorities – prayer that declares It’s not about me. It’s all about You God!
God, today I give you all the glory, recognizing you know all and have all power.
- No matter how we are feeling or what we are going through, God is worthy of our devotion, and ready to hear our prayer and respond.
the whole prayer
What should we do?
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Pray, asking God to help us understand these truths and principles.
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Think about the Lord’s Prayer, reflect on our time today, write down your observations and questions.
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Write down truth drawn from the Lord’s Prayer.
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Reflect on the truths you have written down.
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Use the Lord’s Prayer as a launch pad for our conversation with God.
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Share the journey of personal spiritual growth with others.
“We must know the awe of praising his glory, the intimacy of finding his grace, and the struggle of asking his help, all of which can lead us to know the spiritual reality of his presence. Prayer, then, is both awe and intimacy, struggle and reality.” – Timothy Keller Prayer
“If prayer only starts from our thoughts and emotions, then it will be limited by them. We will only ever enjoy part of the relationship with God that He designed. “If God is not the starting point, then our own perceived emotional needs become the drivers and sole focus of our prayer. We cannot grow in a relationship with a person unless we learn who they are.” – Timothy Keller Prayer
We can all start this new year receiving God’s gracious restoration from the past and rebuilding resilience for the future, by creating margin in our schedules over the next three weeks (of prayer and fasting) for focused uninterrupted time with God.
After what the last three years have been like, it would be a mistake to enter this new year assuming that everything is ok. We may be yearning for things to be all better (back to normal, fixed, peaceful, good, beautiful). We may be depleted, discouraged, damaged, dry.
In this commitment to God, I believe God is leading us to making room for restoration/recovery from the past and a rebuilding of resilience for the future.
We need time in God’s presence.
We need to do anything necessary to allow for uninterrupted focused time in God’s presence. To hear his voice. To honor, grieve, and celebrate what is past. To receive healing, comfort, restoration, recovery, and a fresh sense of identity, value, and purpose.
“They who wait for the Lord,” – Isaiah 40:31
“Those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
wait – wait or look eagerly for, hope, expect
What does is take for us to wait on God?
Loving God more than anything/anyone else.
loving devotion, personal attachment to God, committed relationship
“Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, leading me into a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God, remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” – Psalm 73:23-26
It’s time for us to simply look to Jesus.
“On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ‘ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)” – John 7:37–39
One application of what Jesus is saying here would be that our awareness of the Holy Spirit, in close personal connection moment by moment, should be life-giving.
Last week, we prayed through these truths found in Scripture.
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.
20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” – John 14:15–21
Close personal relationship with God.
God knows what happened this year. So we can bring it all to God.
“Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you.” – Psalm 55:22
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'” – Matthew 11:28–30
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.” – Hebrews 4:16 10:19
“Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” – Philippians 3:13–14
What should we do?
- Make a fresh commitment of loving devotion to God.
- Ask for God’s help in removing distractions to your awareness of his presence.
- Write why you want to be closer to God.
- Write what areas need restoration and rebuilding of resilience.
- Plan changes to your schedule so that you can have time and energy for this.
- Share the journey with others.
- Thank God for this.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” – Psalm 100:4-5
We close one season and open a new one because God is good.
God is with us.Deuteronomy 31:8Isaiah 41:10Matthew 28:20Hebrews 13:5–6John 14:15–21God knows what happened this year. So we can bring it all to God.Psalm 55:221 Peter 5:7Matthew 11:28–30Hebrews 4:16 10:19Philippians 4:6-7What happened? What was it like? Tell God the story.What’s it been like for you?What’s been difficult or painful?What made you mad or frustrated?What do you wish had never happened?Loving Devotion to God is most important.Matthew 22:36-40 Deuteronomy 6:5* God I love you. I choose you over all else. I give you my allegiance. * God please give me strength that prevails. * God, in you, I am loved, chosen, safe, healed. * Your glory, your love, your kingdom. Isaiah 40:31Psalm 73:23-26Psalm 100:4-5
Following Mary – Luke 1:26-55
Following Joseph – Matthew 1:18-25
We can follow Mary and Joseph on their thoughtful journey to wonder and devotion.
Joseph is given the truth about who Jesus is. Joseph carries this truth.
What is the message that Joseph carried?
What does this message mean to Joseph?
“you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21
Jesus – the Lord saves
“he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:16-17
“God is with us.” – Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14 8:8, 10
Jesus Christ is God, human, with us.
A. God
John says that Jesus Christ is the “Word” who was never created, who existed with the Father since the beginning, through whom everything was made, and the Word is God, John 1:1-3.
Paul, a Jew and a Pharisee, says that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus bodily, Colossians 2:9, and not just a third or a half or a part of it but all of the divine substance.
“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” – Colossians 2:9
The apostle Peter, another Jewish man, writes “Through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ,” – 2 Peter 1:1
Jesus Christ showed a consciousness of his divine identity. All through the Gospels Jesus is constantly forgiving sin, which only God can do. He also claims in, in various places, “I am going to come back and judge the earth,” and only God can do that. He claims to have mutual equal knowledge with God the Father, Matthew 11:27-28. At many times and in many ways Jesus Christ, said, “I am God,” and thousands believed him and came to worship him, Acts 2:41.
This is an intellectual watershed, a personal crisis, and/or a great hope.
The claim that Jesus is God also gives us the greatest possible hope. This means that our world is not all there is, that there is life and love after death, and that evil and suffering will one day end.
God is infinitely holy, so our sin could not be shrugged off. It had to be dealt with. He is also infinitely loving. He knows we could never climb up to him, so he has come down to us. God had to come himself and do what we couldn’t do. ” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
B. Human
Jesus is truly God. Jesus is truly human. This is unique among all the philosophies and religions in the world. Go through the history of philosophy. They are always arguing: What is more ultimate, the absolute or the particular? The One or the Many? The ideal and eternal or the real and the concrete? Is Plato right or Aristotle? But the doctrine of the incarnation breaks through those binaries and categories. “Immanuel” means the ideal has become real, the absolute has become a particular, and the invisible has become visible! The incarnation is the universe-sundering, history-altering, life-transforming, paradigm-shattering event of history.” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
When God showed up in Jesus Christ, he was not a pillar of fire, not a tornado, but a baby.
Think about Joseph’s journey, seeing Jesus Christ born as an infant in need of care, nurture, and parental guidance.
Jesus looks like us, “fully human in every way”, according to Hebrews 2:17. That means “because he himself suffered when he was tried and tested, he is able to help those who are being tried and tested.” Hebrews 2:18
Jesus triumphed through his suffering. This means that Jesus has infinite power to comfort.
Millions of people have found this to be true. That is how we have come to be able to know this today.
Isaiah predicted the Messiah to be a “Wonderful Counselor”.
Jesus knows what it’s like.
Jesus gets us.
C. With us
Jesus grew up and lived a normal life for years. Jesus Christ lived among them. Jesus Christ Savior God.
Jesus chose twelve so that they could be “with him,” Mark 3:14.
How can we be more aware that Jesus is with us?
Jesus moved heaven and earth to get near us – what should we doing now to truly be with him? What are the elements of a genuine, personal relationship with Jesus? It requires, as does any close personal relationship, that you communicate with him regularly, candidly, lovingly. That means not simply “saying your prayers” but having a prayer life that leads to real communion with God, a sense of his presence in your heart and life. Consider Psalms 27, 63, 84, 131 to see this kind of prayer. On the other hand, being in a close personal relationship means that he communicates with you. That comes from a deep acquaintance with the Bible, the ability to read it, understand it, and meditate on it. Consider Psalm 1 and 119 to see how to have the Bible become a vital force in your life.” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
We can follow Mary and Joseph on their thoughtful journey to wonder and devotion.
This journey of receiving Jesus should include wonder and devotion. It brings peace and joy here and now. Jesus will bring ultimate fulfillment.
What should we do?
- Read the story, found in Matthew 1.
- Search out answers to your questions.
- Pray, asking God for guidance.
- Take a next step in your journey.
- Share the journey with someone in your church family.
Luke 1:26-55
We can follow Mary and Joseph on their thoughtful journey to wonder and devotion.
A. Thoughtful
Luke 1:29 “troubled, wondered “ “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.” – Luke 1:29
Wondered – To make an audit, accounting term adding things up intensely rational.
There’s a contrast between Mary’s “doubt” and Zechariah’s “doubt”.
“Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure? …I’m old…’ Then the angel said, ‘since you didn’t believe, you will be silent,’” – Luke 1:18-19
“There is a kind of doubt that is the sign of a closed mind, and there is a kind of doubt that is the sign of an open mind. Some doubt seeks answers, and some doubt is a defense against the possibility of answers. There are people like Mary who are open to the truth and are willing to relinquish sovereignty over their lives if they can be shown that the truth is other than what they thought. And there are those like Zechariah who use doubts as a way of staying in control of their lives and keeping their minds closed. Which kind of doubt do you have?” – Timothy Keller Hidden Christmas
B. Journey
- Learning
“Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin.’” – Luke 1:34
Mary shows doubt as a sign of an open mind. Tell me more. Keeping the conversation going. I want to learn more.
- Receiving
Mary accepts the message from God, delivered by the angel.
“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’” – Luke 1:38
- Exercising Faith
Mary’s song expresses a wholehearted faith in response to God’s message.
“Mary responded, ‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!’” – Luke 1:46-47
Mary has connected the message from God delivered by the angel with the promise God gave Abraham. – Luke 1:50–55
C. Wonder
“Mary responded, ‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.’” – Luke 1:46-49
“Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” – Colossians 1:27
D. Devotion
“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’” – Luke 1:38
Servant – a person devoted to another, committed to serving, trust and obey, moving in the direction of the guidance of another, (in alignment with)
What should we do?
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Read the story, found in Luke 1.
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Search out answers to your questions.
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Pray, asking God for guidance.
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Take a next step in your journey.
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Share the journey with someone in your church family.
We know that:
God never changes
The names of God describe who He is bringing faith and hope
The Bible shows that God regularly interacts with people and does miracles to show people who He is.
The Holy Spirit has given us hope and faith for miracles!
We’ve experienced many miracles ourselves.
What does this mean?
1. We need to be in close contact with Jesus.
2. We need to trust and obey.
3. You will be stretched and uncomfortable.
4. Sometimes God will do amazing miracles!
5. It does mean that God does daily miracles.
What should we do?
- Love God with everything.
- Love your neighbor as yourself.
Mark 12:30-31 – “One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’
3.No worry.
Luke 12:29-31 – Jesus replied, “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and he will give you everything you need.”
Jesus replied, ‘The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.’”
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Contentment
Philippians 4:11-13 – “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” -
Ability to trust and obey
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Joy
Proverbs 10:28 – “The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.”
Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
- Supernatural peace
Philippians 4:6-8 – “… experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.”
As we mature in our relationship
with Jesus we realize:
Anything good in us is because of Jesus
Jesus is truly Emmanuel, “God with us”
Miracles in the Bible and in our lives remind us of who God is, what He is like and how much he loves us.
Sharing miracle stories from the Bible and of our personal miracles remind us of God’s faithfulness to us and helps others expand their understanding of who God is and reveal Jesus.
God-focused-faith prompts prayer for others. ...even when we have not yet seen our own God-promise fulfilled.
"With humility and gentleness, be patient with each other in love, in the sense of enduring possible difficulty (not harshness or irritation)." - Ephesians 4:2
This is part one of our series of messages considering how we can follow the example of Jesus, by speaking the truth in love.
“We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.” – 1 John 4:16 msg
“We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.” – 1 John 4:16 The Message
A moment of sudden discovery. It's an epiphany which translates as "striking appearance." In that moment a previously unsolvable problem becomes suddenly clear and obvious.
Impossible – cannot happen, unable to be, unable to be done, utterly impracticable, hopelessly unsuitable, difficult, objectionable
Enjoy God: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4
As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and […]
Psalm 46 God is…so we. God is: “security and strength” verse 1, “here among us” verse 11, “One who causes war to end” verse 9 So we: “will be still and know that He is God” verse 10, “will not fear when troubles come” verse 2 A Psalm is a song to be sung when […]
We enjoy an encouraging word from our guest speaker Pastor Stephen Wesley from Beyond Borders Ministries.
“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.” – Psalm 36:5-9
Today we enjoy a faith encouraging message from our friend, Pastor Jay Baylor. We also spent time to pray for healing miracles. The notes below are helpful in that direction.
Today we enjoy a message from a guest pastor Justin Cardinal of New Testament Church in Massena NY.
We believe, we care, and so we act. We believe that God has shown a miracle of love through Jesus Christ, our Savior, seen in Romans 5:8-11. We live by faith in Jesus. Any good things we do spring from a thankful loving motivation, and not an attempt to earn God’s love. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” - Ephesians 2:8
If you are following Jesus, you are already in your calling. What does Jesus ask us to do? "Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor as we would love ourselves." - Matthew 22:37-40
“Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, ‘Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!’” And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. Then the Lord told him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.’” – Genesis 15:5-7
Today we welcome a message from our friend Pastor Antoine Payne, of Grace Beyond the Walls Church and the Philemon Ministry.
Isaiah 7:14 Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
Let’s take next steps in becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus, by looking at who Jesus is, how Jesus brings rest, and how we should respond, as seen in the book of Hebrews.
“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory […]
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” – Psalm 34:1
The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13 Luke 11:1-4
The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13 Luke 11:1-4
How is it possible? People transformed by salvation. They were changed by Jesus. This is how they responded. People saved by grace through faith in Jesus form a community, following Jesus’ instruction. They were devoted to sharing this spiritual journey. Jesus taught about a Good Samaritan: courageous, compassionate, committed, cash and credit. Luke 10:25 “He handed […]
“A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.” – Acts 2:43
What do we learn from the people who were with Jesus? What did they do in response to Jesus? “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42 “Prayer is a personal, communicative response to the knowledge […]
You are not alone. We are following Jesus together. God is bringing us into a new season. We are being invited to new activities. God’s message and ministry the same. We are receiving identity, value, purpose from Jesus. We are learning from Jesus and those who followed Jesus close in those first days.
Mark 15 What does Jesus’ sacrificial death do for us? Romans 5:8-9 Ephesians 1:7 Ephesians 2:13 1 John 1:7 Revelation 1:5 1 Peter 2:24 Faith – salvation: spiritual cleansing, new spiritual life, with Heaven as our home What should we do? Look Listen Love
What’s Next? Part Four – Romans 12:18 Helping People Find Peaceful Homes We see a church… Loving Jesus in a way that people talk about. Where people find salvation & healing in Jesus. Helping people find careers & peaceful homes. Where everyone can find a place that they fit. Serving the city with love that […]
God gives life with loving design. God gives value, identity, purpose, and pleasure to each person.
Between last Sunday and today we are focusing on the following two points of our vision and values: We see a church… Loving Jesus in a way that people talk about. Where people find salvation & healing in Jesus. This week we read about Matthew walking away from his old life to follow Jesus, in […]
We need to know what God is already doing before we look at this. God is making redemption available.
Guest Speaker: Pastor Stephen Wesley Beyond Borders Ministries Hamilton, Ontario, Canada God’s resume of comfort: God was a comfort to Joseph in Egypt. God was a comfort to Israel in midst of their slavery. God was a comfort to David in the wilderness. Psalm 18:1-2 God was a comfort to Daniel in the lions’ den. […]
What can be learned? Jesus, the Son of God, is trustworthy. Jesus has power over what we do not. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can follow Him in ways and places that otherwise we cannot. This was further supporting evidence that forgiveness, salvation, new spiritual life is available thru Jesus. “Keep your […]
The events of the past week have been troubling. Last Sunday’s message was recorded shortly before the violence in DC played out. I shared thoughts and a prayer on YouTube Thursday, and we came together in prayer Thursday night. Since that time, I have learned more, and it is cause for concern. Processing many thoughts […]
Blessed – happiness, healthy, the transcendent happiness of life beyond care, labor, death.
The return of Jesus Christ will be personal, visible and glorious, a blessed hope for which we should constantly watch and pray.
We welcome the anticipated arrival of Jesus here and now, on the day of His return, and at the time of His birth.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:16-17 “The Lord, the Lord, […]
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty,” – Exodus 34:6-7a ESV
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty,” – Exodus 34:6-7a ESV
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty,” – Exodus 34:6-7a ESV
5 Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. 6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love […]
Faithful – true to one’s word or promises, steady in allegiance or affection, reliable, trusted, believed. Qualities of stability, dependability, and devotion.
This is Part 5 and the conclusion of our series on Ephesians 3:14-21. God can give you love and spiritual strength beyond what you have, beyond what you need. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – […]
Ephesians 3:14-21 “Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” – Ephesians 3:19b “Know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God,” 3:19 Experience and learn the love of Jesus, which is inexhaustible, so that […]
“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.” – Ephesians 3:17
God can give you love and spiritual strength beyond what you have, beyond what you need.
Why does this matter today? Because God is our: Creator Provider Protector Redeemer Let’s read all of Isaiah 43. God is speaking in a time of difficulty. “In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he […]
“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: ‘Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus replied, ‘What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?’ The man answered, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘Right!’ Jesus told him. ‘Do this and you will live!’” – Luke 10:25-27 Matthew 22:36-40 Mark 12:28-31
"Your sins are forgiven." - Luke 5:20 Reading Luke 5:18-20 "Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'?" - Luke 5:23 Mark 2:5, 9
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6 1 Peter 5:5 Proverbs 3:34
“Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. That night the Lord appeared to […]
Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” – Mark 2:27-28
Jesus gives a first impression with the words we read in Luke 4:16-21, quoting from Isaiah 61.
Learning about Jesus. Learning about the value system of God. “Love God, love your neighbor,” – Luke 10:25-37 Jesus flips the script on “Who is my neighbor?” to focus on helping others, with his story set in a racialized setting. “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.” – Luke 6:27 “If you […]
Let’s listen to what Jesus said was most important. “Love God (with the best of your energy)…love your neighbor in the same way that you take care of yourself,” – Luke 10:25-37 Matthew 22:37-40
Since early March we have been asked to be physically distant from other people to protect us from a highly contagious virus. We are giving time and effort to be as relationally connected as possible.
Waiting – next Sunday Pentecost 50 days from Easter commemorating the day recorded, in Acts 2.
“Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ Jesus said, “This is how you should pray.
“But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love”. - Psalm 59:16-17
Who is God? How can I trust God? What can I expect from God? Spending time and energy getting to know God.
From our network of churches, MFI, we hear Pastor Justin Cardinal of New Testament Church in Massena, NY.
Jesus followers show love to each other by intentionally building life-giving relationships with each other.
The message that Jesus wanted to be communicated, first and foremost: “There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.”
We are each uniquely designed by God, with love. Our design is connected to God’s redemptive work in our world and the purpose God gave the human race at the beginning.
Psalm 86:11-13 Let’s come to understand what God is asking us for, and let us respond with wholehearted devotion. “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord, my […]
In the birth of Jesus, we see how God wanted us to understand Him. This includes an approachable humility and a courageous love. New life is now available. God has given an opportunity to be involved in something bigger than our lives alone.
“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” – Luke 1:76-79
In Luke 18:18-30, Jesus calls us to follow him and value what will last forever, more than what is temporary.
We are sent to all different kinds of people, with a message, in the power of the Holy Spirit…with a new perspective, on the mission of reconciliation, representing Jesus and His kingdom, because of the cross.
We are sent to all different kinds of people, with a message, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
“It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” – Mark 7:15
In Psalm 34, David reflects on a story from his life and realizes that God rescued Him. So David chooses to bless God and not stress tomorrow.
“Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.” Psalm 107:43
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – Ephesians 3:20
Ever have an experience that changes your life forever? For me, the thrill of speed on my “Big Wheel” as a little boy.
God is our source of strength. When we need energy and endurance our God supplies it. Our God does not have a limited supply. Our God is not weak. We can draw from Him every day. We can rely on our Father God without fail. When we are weak He is strong. Life changing joy is available through Jesus. True staying power can be found in our God.
Jesus’ comments regarding the courageous generosity of the widow: In the Kingdom of God, the priority is not on the total dollar amount of your donation. The priority is on your heart motive, your faith, and your courageous generosity.
“The Lord is my Shepherd…” “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23
As we are growing in your understanding of what the church is (and should be) let’s take a look at what people prayed about (for each other, within the context of the local church) in Scripture?
Welcome to City Harbor Church…a safe place to find and follow Jesus. What is Jesus up to today?
True love is found in God and fulfilled in sharing with others. We can take action for the good of others, out of this love.
As we celebrate our church anniversary this Sunday, let us also revisit some of our foundational purpose as a church family. We find the heart of God and his redemptive purpose in the following Scriptures.
Our Scripture can be a launch pad for our prayer. We learn about who God is from Scripture. We hear what God has said from Scripture. We see how God has initiated a relationship with us in Scripture. It is helpful for us to pray with Scripture as a starting point and a foundation.
The followers of Jesus asked Him to teach them how to pray. He gave them this prayer as a tool, a pattern.
Our guest, Robert Alvarado, a prayer pastor from Mannahouse.church in Portland, shares with us a 40 Day Worship Challenge.
Live like Jesus, share His love. In Philippians, we read that with the help God brings we can become more like Jesus.
Live like Jesus, share His love. In Philippians, we read that with the help God brings I can become more like Jesus.
What is "the dream" of our church? That we would be a safe place to find and follow Jesus.
In Ephesians 3:16-21 we discover that through God’s love we can be healthy. Paul prays that the Ephesian believers would be “made complete” by their receiving and responding to the love of God, expressed through Jesus.
Through God’s love, we can be healthy. In Ephesians 3:16-21 Paul prays that the Ephesian believers would be “made complete” by their receiving and responding to the love of God, expressed through Jesus. To be “made complete” or “filled” speaks of enjoying full health lacking nothing.
Worship. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish of everlasting life for God did not send his son to condemn the world but that through him it might be saved." John 3:16-17. Good News context for this: God saved you because He loves you. It is our reasonable response to worship God.
2 Corinthians 4:18 helps us focus on what will last forever. This choice will bring us life-giving hope.
Psalm 91 is one of my favorites. When I was younger I would answer that question with Psalm 91. Today I am reminded of how this song is about the benefits of a close personal relationship with God.
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,” – Psalm 92:1-2
Guest speaker Pastor Jay Baylor of Church of the Apostles in the City shares on his experiences in moving in the gifts of the Spirit on the streets.
“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.” – 1 John 4:16 ESV
What do you see every week that will last forever? People. God loves us. God wants to hear from us. God gives us purpose. We are called to pray for others. according to God’s will and desire, that none should perish. Let us pray for people who do not yet know Jesus as Savior. Let us pray for the peace of our neighbors and our neighborhood. Let us pray for their wellbeing and how we may be involved in bringing peace.
Life Group – we follow Jesus together, sharing life, building relationships, and serving our neighbors.
“I am leaving you with a gift – a peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – Jesus in John 14:27 “Peace be with you,” – resurrected Jesus in John 20:21, 26
How can a home bring peace to a neighborhood? There is a peace, a healthy state that we can find in Jesus. We can be safe and sound, able to rest and function at full capacity, complete, with our guilt removed, and free to enjoy life. Our God wants us to receive it and share […]
How can a home bring peace to a neighborhood? Part 5. Build & Repair Bridges – help conflict resolution How can a home bring peace to a neighborhood? There is a peace, a healthy state that we can find in Jesus. We can be safe and sound, able to rest and function at full capacity, […]
How can a home bring peace to a neighborhood? To date, we have seen that this is a God idea for us to care about this, pray for it, and work toward it. We find peace in our homes, by forgiving each other. From there we may build relationships in the neighborhood, with love by listening. Now […]
How can a home bring peace to a neighborhood? Part 3. Building relationships in the neighborhood “He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts […]
Peace House – How can a home bring peace to a neighborhood? Peace – a state of being in good health: able to function at full capacity, able to rest, and free from conflict or danger in every area of your life and in every relationship. “Since we have been made right in God’s sight […]
How can a home bring peace to a neighborhood? The “Shalom” Peace of God is a significant theme of Scripture. In Judges chapter 6, Gideon comes away from an interaction with God saying “the Lord is peace”. Jesus the “Messiah” sent for our salvation is about peace: Messiah predicted as the “Prince of Peace.” Isaiah […]
It’s time for us to encourage people by talking about the hope in Jesus. God tells Ezekiel to speak life to people who are hopeless in Ezekiel 37:1-14 Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1-2 when He reveals His identity as Messiah. In this, He speaks of freedom and comfort for the brokenhearted. These words are directed at specific people. […]
Jesus is the way to a personal relationship with a loving God. “There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.” Luke 23:44-56, 24:1-47 The trial, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus: Matthew 27, 28 Mark 14, 15, 16 Luke 22, 23, 24 John 18, 19, 20, 21 Acts 1 “What makes God’s gift […]
On this Palm Sunday, we remember why people were so happy to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, in Mark 11. That is the way that Jesus changed our relationship with God. Jesus explained at this means, in Mark 14, at a Passover meal. Today we can receive His gift and respond by living out of our “Thank […]
Jesus tells a story to explain how we should respond to God’s love, by showing love to others. This story gives a specific example of using cash and credit. You’ll never guess what this has to do with chocolate. Luke 10:25-37 Matthew 25:14-30 Matthew 6:20-21 Ecclesiastes 5:10 Hebrews 13:5 1 Timothy 5:8 1 Timothy 6:10 […]
When I love God, I can live like Jesus and share His love. It is possible for me to see a need and meet it, out of compassion & with courage. When I take action, God cares about the follow through. In our lives the love of Jesus should be seen in our level of commitment.
Jesus tells a story, in answer to an important question, and he sets the story in a racialized culture. Why would Jesus talk like this? What does it mean for me to be a good neighbor?
Jesus answers an important question with a story and another question, in Luke 10:25-37, “Who was his neighbor?”. Let’s learn what it means to be a good neighbor. Jesus describes heart-felt action connecting the love of God, our resources, with the need of another. His instructions start with compassion. We can see compassion in Harriet […]
We can learn how to process our mistakes and find freedom. “If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us,” 1 John 1:9 This talk will help you with the reality of life. Joy can grow from this exercise.
1 Bitcoin was recently worth $20,000. What do you see every week that will last forever? People. God loves us. God wants to hear from us. God gives us purpose. We are called to pray for others. Let us join with Jesus in praying for others, according to God’s will and desire, that none should perish. Let us pray […]
God gave us the Bible to teach us about Himself, ourselves & world we now live in, to help us live a healthy life on purpose, to communicate with us, to show us Jesus, and to prepare us for the mission He has for us in this life. How should we use this book?
Today we enjoyed the culmination of our 21 days of prayer & fasting, “sfogliatella”, discussing our ingredients, and celebrating our 7th church anniversary. You can’t miss this one! You can hear from most of our Dream Team.
In Luke 15 we read stories that Jesus told of the reckless love that God has for us. We see God in action. Today we spend extra time in prayer and worship, for our 21 day “first” prayer & fasting focus, and sing the song “Reckless Love” quoted in the message.
A spiritual checkup prayer time, like we see in Psalm 139, can be a helpful part of a growing relationship with Jesus. God loves you, created you by design, knows everything about you, always with you, and thinks about you. You may walk the way of eternal life by asking God to examine your heart and mind.
This morning we listen to the words of Jesus from Matthew 6. Let’s consider how we should start 2018. January 8-28 we will have a prayer focus. This talk will help you understand why.
Let’s read the Christmas story, found in Luke 2:3-20, and consider how we should respond to Jesus.
Let’s start in Luke 1 and walk through several passages from Isaiah as we ask ourselves a few questions. Why is the birth of Jesus such a big deal? Who were they looking for? What were they expecting?
Pastor Derrill Corbin brings us to Psalms 120 and 121. The “Psalms of Ascent” are helpful guidance for us to go up with God and unlock His refreshing promises for our souls.
We receive strength by experiencing the love of Jesus and our All Powerful God. Ephesians 3:20 gives us insight into available help.
God the Holy Spirit is here now, available to guide you into life-changing truth, and able to give you ability that you did not have before.
Just like Doc Brown was surprised that his invention worked, we may find ourselves shocked that praying a verse for someone else is effective. James 5:16 has a lesson for us about prayer that has power “as it works”. Talk with God, in His language, on behalf of people in your life and you will experience peace and […]
We will experience peace and see change when we thank God for the people in our lives and pray for them. Paul writes to Timothy, “”I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” 1 Timothy 2:1 Want to […]
In Part 2 of our message about praying the Scripture, we get more specific about how this works. When I read, “In all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us.” from Romans 8:37 I can then pray: “I believe: God is in control. God saved me because He loves me. God will be faithful to […]
The teaching of Jesus Christ includes a prayer that is answering God within the context of who God is, His language, and His Words found in Scripture.
We believe that God is real. He is alive. He is willing & able to heal you. Every day God chooses to heal people regardless of their level of faith in Him or their lifestyle. Faith helps. Praying the Bible helps. Let’s look at James 5:14.
Worship is for God but it is also for you. Passionate worship allows God’s presence to overflow you with His love and healing, lifting you up and filling you afresh. Worship is for our recovery, restoration, reviving, redemption, and refreshing. The presence of God is a personal, real, and life-changing presence of a living God who […]
Jesus calls us to stay connected to Him, for our benefit. We find in Jesus’ words in John 15 that there will be benefits in our lives, from our lives, if we will stay connected to Jesus. Father God will adjust us when we need it so that our lives will produce more fruit. Benefits […]
God’s love for us is meant to share. Psalm 68:4-6 Luke 12:33-34 give us perspective about who God is and how we should respond. Let us live the message that “love gives” by being courageously generous with our time, energy, and money. Let us listen to, love, and serve those who are lonely and in […]
God’s love for us is lavish, as seen in what Jesus has done for us, as experienced in who Jesus is. Exodus 34:5-7 Galatians 3.
Jesus brings forgiveness and healing in the realization of His Good News. In Mark 2:1-12 we find a story worth repeating. Does the response of Jesus, to a hole in the roof, surprise you?
“Love God with all, and your neighbor as yourself.” – Jesus Matthew 22:37-40. We are better together. All people are created in the image of God and, therefore, all races and ethnic groups have the same equal status and equal unique value. Our primary concept of self-identity should not be our ethnicity, but our membership […]
In Acts chapter 5 we find a variety of stories that point toward a simple truth, “This message about Jesus, it is from God.” This simple message brings us a few questions to consider and action that we can take.
Recently we’ve read through Acts chapters 2 and 3. Today we read chapter 4 and consider an important question, “Does God have purpose in miracles?”
Our guests, Jason & Angela Prosser, share with us from their missionary work in Cambodia. Also, we consider what God values and why.
Listen in as one of our elders Pastor Steve Stells continues our recent talks, from the book of Acts.
Peter knew the words of God replying to Moses’ request, “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” Ex.33:14-16 and then he said, “times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord.” in Acts 3:19-20. What do you need to let go of, to make it possible for you to enjoy […]
Backlash to unnecessary “reply all” emails got you nervous about what is worth telling everyone? Love gives good news with a call to response. Jesus said, “your sins are forgiven,” and people responded. Let’s talk about how we can live like Jesus and share His love.
Our good father, our Heavenly Father, gives us good gifts. He offers us a fresh start, unbroken personal relationship, provision, and the hope of heaven. “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
Our guest speaker, Glenda Malmin, walks with us along the story of Leah and her response to hurt and injustice. We can choose to stop (remember who we are in Christ), look to our Father God, Listen to His Words, and follow Him.
Let’s hear from Chris Vazquez, who leads our worship team. We may worship out of preference or deference. Our perspective and motive matter. Diversity in worship makes it beautiful and accessible.
We can be a “safe place” by praying for each other. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” 1 Timothy 2:1 Let’s talk about this important verse and how it works.
We can be a “safe place” by choosing to believe that God is alive, aware, able, & active in our lives and by building relationships where words of faith are spoken.
We can be a “safe place” by forgiving those who have wronged us and making a commitment to forgive those who may wrong us in the future. We choose to build a spiritual family where love and forgiveness are an essential part of who we are.
We can be a “safe place” for people to “find and follow Jesus” if we choose to love. God’s love is faithful, patient, kind, and selfless. We can love each other in this way.
How can we be a “Safe place” for people to find and follow Jesus? Let’s talk about one of our Core Values (you know something that if you took it away, we wouldn’t still be use). This Sunday is Part One – God: our relationship with God makes us a safe place.
This Easter we reflect on the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection and the message it brings. “There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.”
As we approach Easter, we read the accounts of a few of the miracles Jesus performed. From this we learn more about the way that God likes to work a wonder and how we can be involved.
Gathering with other believers to worship God with all we’ve got, out loud, is a priority expression of our Thank You.
We can make a home in God’s love. We can live out of a “Thank You”, a love response to God. His love gives action.
Our response to God’s love includes building relationships. From the Scripture we get a sense of community that includes the intentional development of meaningful relationships, based on God’s purpose & principles, resulting in each person having a sense of belonging, acceptance, and significance. We are choosing to love each other in the way that Jesus loves […]
“Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.” Ephesians 3:17b Love gives a changed life and not one where you are left alone. It is possible to grow in your understanding of God’s love for you, to experience it, and share it with others.
God’s love for us is selfless. There is an encouragement from this, in Jesus. There is a life that is better than living “Me First”, where we put God and others above our own desire to look good, feel good, be right, and stay in control.
God’s love for us is kind. It is both pleasant and practical. It is good and good for you.
You’ve heard it said, “Love is patient.” What does that mean? It figuratively means “taking a long time to boil”. There is life changing encouragement here.
God’s love for us is faithful – every day – all day, without fail, never giving up, never losing faith, always hopeful, enduring through every circumstance. And so John wrote, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us.” So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and […]
When we learn more about God’s love, we can better receive it, be changed by it, and bring it to others.
Today we celebrate our 6th anniversary as a church. Let’s talk about Jesus as we look back on the last year and forward to reveal plans for 2017. As we finish our 21 days of prayer & fasting we listen to what God is saying to us as a church.
David wrote, “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.” “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalm 16:8, 11 To enjoy God’s presence we must recognize that He is […]
This recording will bring you into our gathering, you can hear the verses, and join us in prayer for others and our city.
How you start each day has a direct impact on how you will respond to what comes of the day. How you start 2017 may have a significant impact on how you live throughout the year. At the beginning of every year as a church we are going without meats & sweets (at least) for 21 days to be […]
Reading the Christmas Story can raise your level of joy. Jesus is powerful enough to bring us real change and human enough to understand us. Jesus is an expression of God’s love, sent to save us from our sin, our mistakes, the disorder in our hearts.
Last week we talked about personal peace found in a relationship with Jesus. As we turn toward the Christmas season, let us take a look at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-16 which lists four women who responded to hurt with faith in God as their Deliverer. They said, “Our hope is in You. […]
It’s helpful to do a “peace” check up every once in a while. We open up Philippians 4:4-9 and talk about personal peace. Also, we look at the “Serenity Prayer” and asking God for the strength to submit to His will.
In the last of our 8 weeks on this topic, we look at the way that God can “recycle” our pain. I can choose to yield myself to God and to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words.
Peter wrote, “Continue to grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus.” How do we do this? We can choose to reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.
This is about repairing relationships. It’s time to evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me, and make amends for harm I’ve done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others. Jesus said, “Happy are those who are merciful to others. Happy are those who work for […]
We all deal with life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits, unhealthy methods for handling life. This is a safe place to find healing & freedom from life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Let’s learn how to cooperate with God in His process of changing us.
Our friend, Pastor Gary Heyes, talks about the way that God brings us to significant opportunities. What would God want to do through you? It’s time for a faith that sees things, before there is evidence.
Today our guest Pastor Ken Malmin unpacks several important thoughts about how we should interact with God’s Word. Pastor Ken come to us from our home church City Bible Church in Portland, Oregon. He serves as an elder of that church and the Dean of Portland Bible College. And, yes, he is the father of […]
Next we openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. Jesus said, “God blesses (happy) those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 There’s a freedom that is possible for you.
Our guest Wes Shaffer, from the board of our recovery house “Aslan House”, shares the next step in our series. We must Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. Let Go and Let God.
All of us have broken areas of life that bring us grief and pain. We all deal with life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Jesus said, “God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!”Let us look at 5 things about God’s relationship with us that can move us from hopelessness to the hope we need to see […]
We all deal with life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Let us look at 8 statements from Jesus, for real life change. We’re going to let Jesus lead us into healing and freedom.
If you see God, it changes how you see everything else. Joy & purpose in everyday life, freedom from addiction, hope in the face of evil, being comfortable in your own skin, being healthy, being happy are possible! If God is alive, aware, able, and active then you are loved by Him and can all […]
“If I come to God, what will I find Him to be like?” Ever asked that? I see a God of good love in mercy & grace.
What’s God like? Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” What does that mean? How can I see God? Maybe it is time for us to ask ourselves, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?”
How can serve others with our actions? Jesus washed the feet of His friends. What does that look like today?
How can we serve others with our words? Let’s take a closer look at what following Jesus looks like.
We spend time in a Q + A. Then we look at the words of Jesus and how we can respond to these current events.
“The Lord is close to the broken hearted: He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18 We have hope in the face of evil. We believe that our God is alive, aware, able, and active even in the overwhelmingly tragic recent events. Pastor Ben walks us through how we respond, how to pray for […]
Our guest Daniel Daul brings an encouraging word about sharing your story and the life changing power of the gospel.
Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace.” Let’s look at what this means and how we can jump into it.
Our God is jaw dropping! How do we respond? We read Psalm 150. We spent a meaningful time praying for the families suffering violence in Orlando. Then we settled into this message. Enjoy!
Today Pastor Ben shares a part of his personal story of change from a negative focus to faith. We look at Nehemiah 8:10 and Philippians 4:4-9. This is life changing stuff!
In John 5 we find Jesus by the pool. What can we learn about our relationship with God from this short story?
Jesus offers us a spiritual rest as a benefit of salvation. Let’s read His words in Matthew 11 and consider what this means.
On this Mother’s Day, Pastor Rebecca walks us through a Psalm 91 look at what it means to “dwell”. What happens to us when we rest in God’s presence?
Humans love to sin. Our Father God loves to forgive. Jesus gave us an opportunity to be involved with the “church”. What’s that about? It’s about providing people a safe place to meet Jesus, receive grace, and be changed for the better. Jesus’ love gives and it calls us to serve in ways that makes “church” […]
In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus is talking about “Courageous Generosity”. Because God gave us His best, we may choose to live on less, to be faith-filled, to give with a cheerful heart, giving that cost me something, because it means something, with a “loving God with all and loving others” focus. We see an example of this in […]
As we turn to the story of the people who first followed Jesus, we are looking at what it means to be a “church”. This week we see a commitment to a few essential activities, despite difficulty.
What is a church? What does it mean to be part of a church? How can I belong? How can I be part of this church family? “Church” is “new” people following Jesus together. Let’s look at the story of the people who first followed Jesus.
What does Jesus’ resurrection accomplish? Jesus’ death and resurrection were needed to free us from our sin, from certain punishment, and separation from God. Through it we are clean, free, and able to enjoy God in our live here and in an eternal Heaven.
Why did Jesus have to die? What does His death accomplish? Let’s look at the profound meaning of what we celebrate this week of Easter.
Does God love me? What is God’s purpose for my life? How do I figure out my “calling”? Let’s talk about it. You just may find it to be surprisingly simple.
If God created me by design, how do I figure out what my calling is? Let’s start with the Designer and His plan. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.
God created you. God loves you. God has purpose for your life. 2 Timothy 1:9 helps us see that we are created by design, saved, called, and graced. Oh this is going to be good! And we’re going to be talking about peanuts and road trips.
How do I share my faith? How do I talk about the Good News of Jesus? This Sunday we look at this practical aspect of following Jesus in His, “seek and save”.
How do we follow Jesus in His “seek & save” mission? Sharing your story is a personal and powerful way to join in. Pastor Ben shares the story of proposing to Rebecca.
How do we follow Jesus in this, “seek and save”? On this Super Bowl Sunday, we kick off our Life Groups and take a look at how we relate to not-yet-believers.
What happens when you get what you wanted and it’s not good enough? We celebrate our fifth anniversary as a church with a look at Jesus’ call to Zacchaeus, from Luke 19:1-10. We learn about our purpose as individuals, and as a church.
Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Martin Luther, The Reformer, wrote a letter to his barber about how to pray. That brings us to look at The Lord’s Prayer.
“Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” Hagar said in Genesis 16:13. From her response to injustice we learn about ways that we can pray.
How do we respond to Jesus’ call that we, “seek first”? What impact does that have upon the way that we start 2016? Pastor Ben walks us through an explanation of our three weeks of prayer focus, January 4th-24th, this year.
Take time to be quiet and consider if you have sin that you need to repent of, bad memories that you need to let go of, hurt that needs healing, or anger that needs forgiveness.
In the birth of Jesus we find grace & truth, His unfailing love and faithfulness. Receive Jesus as Lord and relinquish control of your life. Release Jesus to be vibrant, alive, active, and personal instead of distant, stiff, indifferent, and impersonal.
What should I do in this situation? What would the God who designed me, loves me, want me to do? Jesus has an answer. Jesus is breathtaking. The answers He provides are wonderful. You can live courageous because Jesus is greater than any challenge you are facing.
Get to know Jesus the Miracle by reading about Him, receiving Him, and releasing Him. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of humanity, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, very God and very Man. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:14-18 What does it mean that Jesus is “God […]
What do you think that God would want to be different? Let’s talk about how we pray for others. God is alive, aware, and able to act on our behalf. In the face of evil, our hope remains because God continues His work.
How does a prayer of thanksgiving for others benefit you? Want to be less stressed and healthier? This week’s message will help you!
Prayer can be like breathing. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 advises us to never quit praying. That’s why we say that with prayer we, “can’t stop, won’t stop.”
Jesus said that he had come to seek and save the lost. Let’s look at what this means for our church vision and our personal next steps.
Let’s look at Titus 3 and the thought, “We will inherit eternal life.” You may want to ask yourself the questions: Am I exploding with joy? Am I living a love response to Jesus?
What is Jesus happy about? Our guest, Pastor Ken Malmin shares with us Jesus’ stories from Luke 15. Let’s take a fresh look at why Jesus told stories and how we can learn from His value system.
In Matthew 14 we see that Jesus allowed a storm for a time. The result was a revelation of who He is and faith with purpose. Our faith helps us confidently put our trust in a huge God who can handle any obstacle.
Our City Kids help with an illustrated talk about the power of forgiveness. We also discuss how to memorize Scripture.
Jesus’ love leads us to a life “on mission”. We can share our personal story with others. We are “sent ones” and we can be “sending ones”.
In John 13 we see Jesus doing the simple thing. Find a need and meet it. Let’s consider how we can “live like Jesus and share His love”.
Jesus said that people will know his followers, “by their love.” On our fall Life Group kickoff Sunday, let’s talk about what that means to us.
God saved you because He loves you. God’s love gives your life purpose. How do you respond to God’s grace?
In Psalm 91 David sounds like he’s safe and sound in God’s presence. But how do you do this thing called “living” there? How can we find life changing peace?
The final verse of Psalm 23rd is quite memorable. Let’s wrap up our look at this song by considering the benefit of being at rest in God’s care.
What did David mean by saying that God, “prepared a table” for him, a feast, in front of his “enemies”?
Our Worship team leaders Chris and Jimi share their insights and personal history with worship.
Better Together “why we need each other” Romans 12:4 “ 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. You need me… I need you! God says community […]
How do you know if you’re leading others in the way that Jesus does? Let’s take a look at Psalm 23:4.
How do you know if you’re leading others in the way that Jesus does? Let’s take a look at Psalm 23:3 and consider what it means to walk in our Savior’s way.
When the Lord is my shepherd I know rest. In our first Sunday at Good Shepherd Methodist Church was look at Psalm 23:2.
Let’s take a look at Psalm 23 and consider that when the Lord is my shepherd I know rest.
Here’s a great Bible study to help you pray and trust that God provides. bit.ly/1wrQpPA #?LoveGives
God is My Strength Today we look at the life of Louis Zamperini and a Bible study on how we can rely on God, as our strength.
Let’s look at 3 faith statements about God the Holy Spirit Femi – God the Holy Spirit guides me into truth. John 14:16-17 Chris – God the Holy Spirit renews my thoughts and attitudes. Ephesians 4:23 Kelly – God the Holy Spirit strengthens me and helps me pray. Romans 8:26-28
Let’s look at 3 faith statements about God the Son. Ben F – Jesus died that the guilt of my sin would be removed and lives today that I might have life. 1 John 2:1-6 Chiquacta – Jesus loves me sacrificially and without fail. Philippians 2:5-8 Becky – Jesus prays for me. John 17:20-26
Let’s look at 3 faith statements about God the Father. Anna – God created me in His image. Genesis 1:26-28 Yvonne – God chose me before I was born. Psalms 139:13-18 Joe – God is slow to anger and full of unfailing love, forgiving. Exodus 34:6-7
Peter learned that God does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. He learned that the love of Jesus leaves no room for racism. Let’s talk about solutions.
We can grow in faith by taking in what Peter learns from Jesus. Let’s read 1 Peter 1:3-9 and talk about Faith after Failure. Peter has a personal life changing interaction with Jesus and does not drift far from it, in good times or bad.
What makes God’s gift of grace so costly is that Jesus paid for it with his life. What makes it so powerful is that he came back from the dead – proving that he is the Son of God and showing that God accepted his sacrifice as payment for our sin.
Our singing on Sunday can be a worship that glorifies God and brings us to an awareness of His presence. Let’s walk through a Bible study on the subject.
Let’s look at Psalms and how the presence of God is a game changer. In this talk, we bring a focus to our singing together on Sundays. Why do we do this? How do we do this? What are the results?
In a rare 2 part sermon Pastor Ben walks through what it means to forgive others. What we believe about God’s forgiveness directly informs how we forgive others. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, please do so first.
What we believe about God’s forgiveness directly informs how we forgive others. God’s Forgiveness is a commitment to pardon graciously those who repent & believe so that they are reconciled to Him.
“He who began a good work in you will be faithful to bring it to completion.” What does this mean? Following Jesus is primarily an inside thing.
Today we celebrate the 4th Anniversary of our church with a lunch and the end of our 3 weeks in prayer and fasting. Let’s look at Psalm 107 and meet some of the people who have made our church a reality.
As we “seek first” our God and “set our eyes on” eternal things, we start to see where brokenness exists in our world. We see how our lives can be better. A personal vision is a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be. It’s time to say, […]
Let’s talk about one of the most beneficial practices of focused prayer. It should help our 3 weeks of focused prayer to start 2015. http://bit.ly/First_2015
Where’s your focus? We are really looking forward to 3 weeks of focused prayer to start 2015. Last year, it was a huge help! http://bit.ly/First_2015
God relates to us through grace. Let’s look at Romans 5 and talk about how we can grow in the way we relate to Him through grace. This includes a list of questions that you can ask yourself during your Bible reading this Christmas season. There’s a benefit to writing down what you believe about […]
Let’s look at Luke 1 and Romans 5 so that we can go into Christmas in the path of peace & joy. We want to go into New Year spiritually stronger. God has accomplished our salvation for us through Christ in order to bring us into right relationship with Him and eventually destroy all the results […]
What are you focused on? Tough times? Love? Your focus directly impacts your quality of life. Pastor Ben prepares us for a three week prayer focus that we will use to start 2015. Here’s the notes: http://bit.ly/First_2015
Want to feel less stressed, healthier, energetic? Research shows that there are benefits to exercising gratitude. http://bit.ly/1F3NqTV
You may want to listen to this week’s talk more than once. Pastor Ben walks us through Philippians 4.
How can I be put right? Restoration through salvation by faith. It’s God’s grace and our complete trust in Him is essential.
Pastor Rebecca Malmin walks us through our third question about the Good News. “What will put things right?” Redemption comes through Jesus Christ, our incarnation, substitution, and restoration.
City Bible Church in Portland shared Pastors Ken & Glenda Malmin with us this weekend. Pastor Ken walks us through our 2nd question in this look at the Good News. “Why did things go so wrong?” Adam and Eve chose to fall from their relationship with God. Because of sin we can face bondage and condemnation, if […]
A deeper understanding of the good news results in lasting life change. Today let’s look the question, Where did we come from?
Today we read a story from Luke 7 and consider what Jesus’ forgiveness means to us. I have been forgiven much. Do I love much?
We had such an amazing time in worship and prayer today that our Vision Sunday message will be continued on October 5th.
Matthew makes an immediate irreversible decision to follow Jesus. Why? We follow Jesus together by faith.
Our friend from the Gallery Church, and the new ministry in Southwest Baltimore, talks about finding Jesus in brokenness.
From the beginning, we see that God’s-setting-things-right is unmistakable. When we approach discouraging and overwhelming circumstances we can now ask, “What can God do?”
Starting in Psalm 42 we see the ways that God is a strength and a help to us. Let’s ask ourselves, “What is God to you? and Where are you drawing strength from?”
Jesus taught us how to ask God for our daily provision. Let’s take a next step in learning how to pray.
As I start prayer with Jesus’ “Lift” & “Let”, my heads up display will be adjusted to enable me to pilot my life in the right direction.
God our Father & Friend replaces Frustration & Fear with Faith. Jesus tells us a story about taking our requests to God. We’re so glad that Jesus gave us help in learning how to pray.
Prayer is our oxygen supply line. We are spiritual beings. Jesus knew that we would need help. In Luke 11 we find the help He provided us to communicate with “Daddy” God.
On this Father’s Day we learn that Jesus was the first one to teach us to pray, “Daddy God, who is in Heaven…” in Luke 11. We kick off a new series about prayer, our air line… our spiritual oxygen supply.
We look at what it means to be “filled” with the Spirit and make music in our hearts with “psalms”, “hymns”, and “spiritual songs”.
God Loves You – and it changes everything! Our apologies this recording started late. Pastor Ben walks us through a number of ways that we know that God loves us. Let’s start in Psalm 139.
Am I a follower of Jesus? This is an important question to answer. How do we know? Let’s look at Jesus’ words.
From Paul’s words in Ephesians 5 we discuss the implications of our salvation. Living with intentional relationships can help us identify our next steps.
Jesus didn’t want us to drift through life without purpose. He didn’t want us to become overwhelmed by the challenges. Jesus gave us next steps.
How do I identify next steps in my relationship with Jesus? We look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 16, 22, 28.
Let’s pick up the story we left last week in Luke 23. Jesus is alive, aware, able, and active. Luke’s account shows us Jesus’ resurrection and recounts the message He left us with.
Next week we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. This week we look at why He died. We’re following Luke’s account in Luke 22-23.
Starting with Jesus’ conversation with Peter, Pastor Ben walks us through a look at one of the big themes of the Bible.
Let’s take a look at the love of God, from 1 John 4, and ask a few questions about racism.
Jesus tells a story about faith in our relationships with neighbors. Luke 10 is where we find the “Good Samaritan”.
After a week off, due to technical difficulties, we dive into Romans 12 and a look at how our faith can work.
Can you see what God sees for your family? Today we take lessons from the lives of Joseph and Esther.
Today we look at the purpose of Jesus, from Luke 4, and the issue of human trafficking.
Want to pray the prayer that see answers? Jesus gave us clear instruction about how to approach God in Luke 11.
Starting in Acts 2, we look at God’s design for us to be in life giving relationships. It’s time for our 2014 kickoff to new Life Groups.
Today we celebrate the 3rd anniversary of our church. Join our discussion of vision, values, and strategy for 2014.
The principle of “First” applies to our giving. Let’s look at the benefit of living by it. We start in Philippians 4.
In a 3 ring circus of a message, Pastor Ben walks through Hebrews 4 regarding rest, Jesus as our High Priest, and our heart for evangelism.
We start 2014 with a 21 day prayer focus, Jan 6-26. In Matthew 6, Jesus refers to a normal spiritual life with, “when you give” “when you pray” and “when you fast”. More info: bit.ly/1hjNfLe
In Luke 24 we see that Jesus is alive, aware, able, and active. We finish the year with a focus on Jesus and prepare for our Jan 6-25 prayer focus: FIRST.
Let’s look at the Christmas story! Jesus is a Gift of: New Life, Hope, Joy, and Strength.
The Christmas story reveals Jesus as God with us. He loves us, understands us, redeems us, and provides a new life with purpose.
In transition from 30 years of a nearly normal life, Jesus exercised faith while stepping into a purposed public life…with us in mind.
Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves.” How well do we know Jesus? Let’s look at stories from Luke 9:10-17; 46-48; 14:1-14; 22:20-27.
Luke 22 – 23 gives us a look at the Last Supper and Jesus on the cross. Let’s talk about what this forgiveness means.
You are God’s masterpiece. Ephesians 2:8-10 inspires us to ask God for the one thing He’s working on. Let’s put off the old and put on the new.
From Ephesians 4 we see that “taking off the old and putting on the new” is crucial to our fresh start. Last week we saw that letting go is essential. Hebrews 12 shows us that keeping our eyes on Jesus is the “how”.
Pastor Ben starts our new series taken from Paul’s words, “take off the old, put on the new” in Ephesians 4.
You Really Can Change – Pastor Ken Malmin Preparing for our “Breaking History” series Pastor Ben’s father Ken talks about real life change. The Dean of Portland Bible College and an Elder in City Bible Church Portland, Pastor Ken has a huge influence in our church.
Believe Pt 2 – Evidences of Salvation God doesn’t want you living in fear of death. You can live in confident hope.
Lost to Leaders 3 Am I growing in my “Influence with Outsiders”? Part 3 of our series looks at how we can help “not-yet-believers” take next steps into a relationship with Jesus.
Community with Insiders Listen in on our first ever panel discussion about the benefits of spiritual community. This is our third talk from the “Lost to Leaders” series.
Study the Bible Logically The last chapter of our Multiply study of discipleship focuses on how we approach Scripture.
Lost to Leaders – Intimacy with God from Psalm 139 If our personal intimacy with God is growing we are successfully interacting with the church…and the church is successfully serving us!
Lost to Leaders – How do we know if our church is winning? Let’s look at evidences, within our own lives, of God’s mission for CBCB.
Part 3 Chapter 1 The last section of our summer study of discipleship centers around how we should approach the Bible.
Let’s walk through an amazing story from Acts 16. We’ll learn the value of singing our thanksgiving in private and public.
On a Sunday dedicated to praying for healing, we look at James 5 and what we believe about healing.
Purpose – We follow up last week’s walk through Romans with a walk through Matthew’s account of Jesus’ words about our purpose. Notes at: http://bit.ly/12T6EHB
Forgiven We walk through selections from Romans and consider our salvation. This is a Part 1 to our upcoming discussion of our vision & next steps.
Our friend Brad O’Brien from Redeemer City church visits and shares how to imitate a good example.
Discussing what Jesus’ words in John 15 mean to us. Wrapping up our Love Gives look at relationships the Jesus way.
Today we read Jesus’ words found in John 15, to dig deeper into our look at “Love Gives”. Next Sunday we will discuss its meaning.
Love Gives – Beliefs & Practices Nearing the end of our series on Relationships, we define several Beliefs and Practices from Jesus words, “Love God & love others.”
Love Gives 6 – Men, your wife could be chasing you around the house for a kiss, if you listen to this & apply it! How can I Serve & Surprise my wife and children? Happy Father’s Day!
Wednesday Life Group – we kicked off a new summer life group study into Jesus’ words found in Matthew 28:18-20. Here’s the introduction.
Love Gives 5 – Does God care about my work? Vocational Integrity & Being a Team Player will help you know true success! This might help you get a promotion!
Love Gives 4 – Pastor Rebecca is our clean up hitter in our series on relationships. She hits a home run in this message about “loving our neighbor as ourselves”! Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods and this message is critical!
Love Gives 3 – Notes at: http://bit.ly/123A8kQ All relationships benefit when we know how to Resolve Conflict & Help Each Other! Let’s look at practical guidance in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 13.
Love Gives 2 – Kicking off our series on relationships, last week was a pre-season game, Pastor Ben brings our focus to salvation. Jesus provides us forgiveness. Relating to others out of a grace encounter changes everything!
We conclude our series of talks, on our statement of faith, by looking at what prayer is and how it works. Study notes at BenMalmin.com
BenMalmin.com has notes! As a Jesus Follower I live my entire life as a Worship. Beyond that, I would not be who I am today if not for incredibly meaningful private times of singing before God.
Who is the least discussed member of the Trinity? Did Jesus leave us lonely? Let’s look at the role of God the Holy Spirit.
Have a Seat Part 2 – Salvation Please visit benmalmin.com for source material and study notes from this discussion of our salvation. We’re enjoying a deeper look at “What We Believe” from CBCBaltimore.com
We open a new series on “What We Believe” entitled “Have a Seat”. Our first discussion is focused on the biggest subject possible – God.
Ephesians 6: Putting on the armor of God, pray in the Spirit at all times and be persistent.
Ephesians 5: Life a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. Give thanks. Special treat of Ben Faroe sharing this message.
Ephesians 3: All who believe share equally in God’s inheritance. Experience the love of Christ.
Today we start our study of Ephesians, “Love in the City”, with some discussion of Jesus “The Way” and the Holy Spirit “The Helper”.
2013 Kickoff: today we celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the church. Pastor Ben discusses our BIG 3 in how we can live like Jesus and share His love.
Pastor Ben wraps up our “First” prayer focus series. Next Sunday will complete our prayer and fasting time with our 2nd Anniversary!
Our new series “First” starts with Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33. Pastor Ben announces our prayer focus January 7 – 27
In Luke 1, we find two stories that show the benefit of believing that God will do what He said He would do.
Continuing our Christmas series we see that Jesus the good shepherd gave us hope in the face of evil. The Lord’s Prayer has meaning and purpose.
We start our Christmas series “Do You See What I See?” with a focus on the name of Jesus. You are not alone. Jesus is God with us!
Fresh Start with the Help of the Church We close out our series of talks about your salvation by discussing the local church.
Fresh Start – Put off the old, put on the new Ephesians 4:17-32 Our series about your salvation requires an Orioles hat.
Fresh Start… in this New Life. There’s no need to make your fresh start difficult. Colossians 3:11-17 provides us a better way.
How do I know if I’m “born again”? Let’s look at 1 John and a few ways you can have confidence in your salvation.
Pastor Dan Hyun from The Village shares with us a story of Jesus calling Levi, from Mark 2:13-17. We see that there is hope for everyone and the reason we should throw more parties!
Pastor Ben casts the vision for City Bible Church for the upcoming year and shares the successes of the past year.
Are you heavy because you’re carrying around something that was said about you? Are you carrying around something that was done to you? God didn’t design you to carry pain. Jesus’ advice is found in Matthew 18.
David knew that God didn’t create him for sin. In Psalm 51, he was heavy with guilty after an affair led him to murder. What do you do with secret sin?
Tomorrow the Raven’s kick off their season and today we kick off a new series, “Heavy”. Are you carrying weight that you’re not designed for? Let’s look at Luke 15 and Jesus’ parables of the “lost”.
We look at what the Bible has to say about Heaven and Hell. Jesus doesn’t want us to live in fear of death.
We wrap our Be Church series with a few highlights from the origin story of the early church. You won’t want to miss this one!
Designed for Purpose – A look at our personal purpose from Genesis 1 to Jesus’ words in Matthew 28.
Our guest Pastor Larry, of City Bible Church in Portland OR, explains steps for us to “put off the old and put on the new”.
Pastor Ben dives in to Chapter 3 of 1 John as we continue our series of Walk in light, walk in love
Our friend Pastor Craig Dyson from New Covenant Church in Kalispell, MT joined us today.
Father’s Day focus on 1 Corinthians 13. What can we learn from a God kind of love and a nail?
Today we had the honor of Pastor Ben’s father Pastor Ken Malmin share the word. We delved into a deep devotion on Psalm 139 and what David and scholars thought of the greatness of God and yet his intimacy as well.
My life is on the way up because the love of God has more effect on me than anything else.
Jesus is Worthy of Praise How does worshiping God impact me? What does it have to do with my daily life?
Jesus is The Resurrected Lord – On Easter Sunday we study Mark 16, the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, and His words that give us purpose.
Jesus is The Passover Lamb – On Palm Sunday, we pick up our study in Mark 15 and stop to consider Jesus’ crucifixion.
We start a new series “Jesus is\_\_” with a look at Mark 14. Over the next two weeks we’ll be reading Mark 15 & 16.
Finishing the 7 Firsts of Jesus with The First Day of the Week – God designed us for weekly rest and worship
7 Firts of Jesus – Part 4 “First Bind the Strong Man” This week we shift from a focus on our response to a focus on Jesus’ action. In Matthew 12, Jesus says that he will first bind the strong man.
7 Firsts of Jesus – Part 3 “First Be Reconciled” Today we look at our third “first” of Jesus, from Matthew 5:23. Pastor Ben walks us through Jesus’ way to fix relationships.
First Remove the Log from Your Own Eye