Cy-Fair Christian Church: Recent Episodes
Cy-Fair Christian Church
Welcome to the weekly audio podcast of Cy Fair Christian Church. This podcast features the Sunday morning teachings of CFCC located in Northwest Houston. Our mission is to cultivate fully devoted disciples of Jesus who are engaged in Christ centered worship, stewardship and relationship. Our prayer is that this audio podcast will encourage you to take steps toward that end.
Peter writes, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Over the past four weeks we have been taking a journey through the Book of Malachi. We have learned that the people of God felt abandoned. They felt like God had forgotten about them and wondered if his presence would ever return to the temple.
Peter lived in such a time that God’s presence did return to his temple. It was a different temple however, its foundation was none other than Jesus Christ. The stones are precious and one of a kind. They are each and every one of the people of God from every tribe, tongue and nation. They include you and me. This temple is not found in Jerusalem, Rome, or Houston. It is found every where the people of God gather for worship and every where the people of God scatter to do life.
We are so thankful that 40 years ago God called a unique group of people to gather as Cy-Fair Christian Church. We are thankful that over the years this gathering of followers of Jesus have lived their lives for God’s glory. We are thankful for those who have gone before us and those who gather today who claim each other as close family. We are one facet of the incredible temple of God called the Church. God’s presence is among us. He has blessed us and calls us to be a blessing to our community and world, all for His Glory.
There’s no doubt. It assuredly looks foolish from the world’s point of view. It doesn’t seem to accomplish anything. It’s a senseless. It’s futile. Even the bible teaches us that it doesn’t change how God looks at us. We’re still chronically messed up, constantly tripping over ourselves. Moreover, it doesn’t change anything about God. He’s still "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulnes” (Ex. 34:6). So what’s the deal with worship? Who cares, really?
American theologian, Marva Dawn, calls worship a “royal waste of time,” but not for the reasons the world believes. It is a royal waste of time because it “immerses us in the regal splendor of the King of the cosmos” and by doing so we are “empowered by a Spirit who does not equip us with means of power or control, accomplishment or success, but with the ability and humility to waste time in love of the neighbor.”
This week, we embark on a new journey in the book of Malachi in a sermon series entitled, “Who Cares?: From Dead Religion to a Living Hope." The theme of this minor prophet’s book is that God deserves our best and He begins by discussing the topic of worship.
Who cares about worship and why does it matter? God does. And in the end, He’s the only One that matters.
There’s no doubt. It assuredly looks foolish from the world’s point of view. It doesn’t seem to accomplish anything. It’s senseless. It’s futile. Even the bible teaches us that it doesn’t change how God looks at us. We’re still chronically messed up, constantly tripping over ourselves. Moreover, it doesn’t change anything about God. He’s still "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex. 34:6). So what’s the deal with worship? Who cares, really?
American theologian, Marva Dawn, calls worship a “royal waste of time,” but not for the reasons the world believes. It is a royal waste of time because it “immerses us in the regal splendor of the King of the cosmos” and by doing so we are “empowered by a spirit who does not equip us with means of power or control, accomplishment or success, but with the ability and humility to waste time in love of the neighbor.”
This sermon series takes us on a journey through the book of Malachi, entitled, “Who Cares?: From Dead Religion to a Living Hope." The theme of this minor prophet’s book is that God deserves our best and He begins by discussing the topic of worship.
Who cares about worship and why does it matter? God does. And in the end, He’s the only one that matters.
Ziplining? Swimming with crocodiles? Wing walking? Volcano-boarding? Extreme zorbing? If any of these things sound appealing to you, you might have a Type-T personality. That’s what Temple University’s professor of educational psychology, Frank Farley, uses to describe thrill-seekers, or those who are on the hunt for the next intense adventure. "It's the excitement,” he says. "It makes things interesting, keeps you going. When this life is over, you want to be able to look back and say, 'I lived.’"
In the fifth installment of our series, Finding Your Way Back to God, we will discover the final awakening: Awakening to life. You first became aware of your desire for something more (awakening to longing). Then you charted a course in a new direction (awakening to regret), but you also realized that you couldn’t do it without God to make a change, and so you came home (awakening to help). When you arrived, He welcomed with inconceivable grace (awakening to love). Now, it’s time to really live the abundant life that God offers.
You don’t have to be a Type-T personality to really experience life. It’s only in losing your life for Jesus's sake that you’ll be able to look back and say, ‘I lived.'
One analyst calculated that it is four times more likely for us to get hit by an asteroid than to have a winning Powerball ticket. If only the same statistics were true for identity theft! In one year approximately 1 out of 15 people will experience identity theft. Overall, 33% of Americans have already experience identity theft, which is more than twice the global average.
There is a variety of forms of identity theft; identity theft involving bank accounts, credit cards, social security numbers, etc. There is one form of identity theft that is the most insidious of all; the theft of our identity in Christ.
How does our identity in Christ get stolen? It is possible to have our identity stolen when we are not living up to the standard of how we believe a “good” Christian should live. It is possible our identity gets stolen when we have problems aligning the daily struggles of life with being a “new creation in Christ”. It is possible our identity in Christ gets stolen when we experience a marriage failure or when we feel we have failed as a parent. Finally, it is not just possible but probable our identity in Christ gets snuffed out by the guilt and shame we experience after a moral failure. We ask ourself, “If I am truly a child of God, how could my life have ended up here?”
The truth is our identity in Christ can never be stolen. It may feel like it has been lost forever but the truth is our feelings deceive us. Our identity is forever secure in Christ. Our performance did not enable us to become a child of God in the first place and our performance cannot threaten our remaining a child of God. Our identity in Christ is forever secure because of God’s unconditional, unending, unbreakable love.
God is for you, He is not against you. Paul tells us in Romans 8 that nothing, absolutely nothing, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are his adopted child. He smiles when he thinks of you. He is longing for you to return to Him—He is watching, He is waiting patiently. ..what’s that I see? I think your Father God is running to embrace you and restore the identity you thought was forever lost!
Likely his final work, The Return of the Prodigal Son was painted by the great Rembrandt within two years of his death in 1669. It’s a somber, quiet version of the celebratory moment depicted in scripture. The elder brother and other onlookers watch the touching moment from a distance. There’s no new robe around the young man. No shiny ring. No fattened calf. No celebration just yet. In this tender moment, Rembrandt draws all of the attention to the father.Dutch Theologian, Henri Nouwen, stated that instead of being called The Return of the Prodigal Son, this painting could easily be called, “The Welcome by the Compassionate Father.” In the great parable, much is made of the prodigal’s squander of wealth, his repentance and return. Many also spend time exploring the elder son’s envious perspective. And while there are many truths to be mined from the reactions of these characters, it is the father that makes this story so significant.This Sunday, we draw our attention to the Father in part three of Finding Your Way Back to God. If you are living in a far away country, rest assured that there is a God who is scanning the horizon waiting for you to come home.
Tom Brady was being interviewed not long after he won his third Super Bowl, and he was ask, “This whole experience—this whole upward trajectory—what have you learned about yourself? What kind of effect does it have on you?” Brady answered, “Well it put an incredible amount of pressure on me. When you feel like you’re ultimately responsible for everyone and every thing…there’s a lot of pressure. Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what it is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think: God, it’s gotta be more than this…”What is the answer? Brady replied, “I wish I knew.”
The truth is Tom Brady and all of us were made for more. No accomplishment on earth is going to fill the void in me or you or even Tom Brady that only a relationship with God can fill. Wherever you are from, whatever your past hurts, shame, or regrets you might have, whether you call yourself a Christian or not, you have something deep inside you that longs for a connection with God. It is part of being human, it is part of being created in the image of God.
Over the next five weeks, we will be taking part in a series called, Finding Your Way Back To God. I want you to know that God has not forgotten you. He is actually running to you! He longs to have a relationship with you
God longs to transform your life. He wants to take you from the outhouse to the penthouse. He wants you to come to your senses, turn to him and experience a life worth living. He not only wants to change your life, he wants others to see that anyone can experience real change through the good news of Jesus Christ .
In a rapidly changing world it is important to communicate the unchanging message of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Adults who care about the future of the next generation should find ways to help a kid…make friends, stand up to bullies, problem solve, laugh, develop integrity, show respect, take care of their body, communicate effectively and wait for what they want…just to name a few. Children desperately need people just like you to communicate to them the message that “every kid is made in the image of God to love God with all their heart, soul, strength and trust Jesus for a better future.”
When sin entered the world through Adam & Eve, it distorted what God intended for us to experience on earth. But Jesus wouldn’t allow this sin to keep us separated from Him. Praise God, we can look forward to the hope of Heaven in Jesus Christ! Together we can say with the Apostle Paul, “Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death where is your victory? Oh death where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:54b-55).
God loves variety. He demonstrates that over and over through His creation. And while we don't know everything about the New Earth, one thing is for sure, there will be amazing variety there. The most incredible variety will be found among those who are the image-bearers of God Himself—people just like you, from different cultures, of different colors, with different shapes and sizes, who speak different languages, possess different gifts, and contain different passions.
This week, teens in the CFCC Student Discipleship Ministry share their experiences from a summer of service.
In John chapter 14 Jesus promises us that he is going to prepare a place for us. It will be a place that is not marred by sin. A place where God’s glory, creativity, and love are on full display, and most importantly a place were his people get to enjoy his creation in the full presence of the creator.
Commonly referred to as the “love chapter,” chapter 13 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is often read during marriage ceremonies. However, this passage is also pointing to another even greater marriage that won't be fully realized until Jesus is united with His bride in eternity. "Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor 13:8–13)
This is the most astounding fact about our eternal state: We shall see God face to face. Rest assured friends, beholding the Uncreated Creator of the universe will be so magnificent that it will fill us with an ever-increasing joy, love, and wonder for all eternity. Our God will dwell with us. We will know Him and be known by Him. More than streets of gold or mansions in glory, this truth is the essence of paradise.
Listen to these words…reconcile, restore, redeem, recover, return, regenerate, resurrect—the “re” prefix signifies a return to the original condition. In the beginning, Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the perfect paradise He created. They were created in God’s image to be His image bearers and bring Him glory on earth. You and I are created in the image of God as well. He longs for us to be His image bearers on this earth and for all eternity in the New Heavens and New Earth.
Make no doubt, this restoration, this reconciliation, this regeneration comes at a great price. That price is found in the word redemption—God bought back what he formerly owned. The price was no less than the death of His very own perfect son—Jesus. Restoration is far more expensive than recycling comes close to being. I for one am thankful God is the God of restoration.
Don’t forget, “What you believe about eternity, determines how you live today.” Please remember, this is not a theoretical series about someday, this is a series that impacts how we live today! I am so glad you are here to take this journey with me.
What comes to mind when you think about Heaven? Is it an eternal sing-along? Will you have to learn to play the harp? Will we have wings? As it turns out, most people’s view of eternity is shaped more by television, movies and conversations with friends than it is shaped by the Bible. For others, heaven isn’t really worth thinking about.
Yet, if Heaven is where those in Christ will spend their eternity, doesn’t it seem odd that we don’t have a better understanding of it? If you were moving to another state and knew nothing about it, wouldn’t you want to learn about the place in which you would live? At the very least, you’d research what the landscape looks like, what the locals do for fun, and where they like to eat. The same should be true about Heaven! And if you feel guilty about looking forward to the treasures of Heaven, please don’t, because the essence of Heaven is the presence of God.
For that reason, we’re kicking off a new 9-week series beginning this week entitled, The Hope of Heaven. Though our wildest imaginations will still fall far short of the grandeur of Heaven. We’ll discuss topics like: What does the present Heaven look like? What will the Resurrected Earth be like? What will we do in Heaven? What will it look like? And will there be Blue Bell Ice Cream and Whataburger?
Yoda was right, “The greatest teacher, failure is,” but Biblical wisdom is the ability to learn from the failure of others. So over the past three weeks we’ve looked closely at several Bible figures and how they have handled adversity in their lives. This week, we’ll focus our attention on Moses, one of the greatest heroes of faith in all of scripture, and explore how he learned from loss.
Have your dreams been shattered? Do you find yourself on the floor picking up the pieces? Have you ever felt abandoned? Take heart, God is up to something good. Though you may feel you are alone, your shadow is not the only one who walks beside you. There is ONE out there who wants to rescue you.
It is hard to get our arms around the fact that God’s purpose is often accomplished through tragedy. If we can look at Eric and his family’s losses, and others’ losses, and see some divine purpose in them, it can help us believe that there is purpose in our own losses as well. It can help us believe the blood-bought promise of God: “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Loss. If there is any certainty in life, it is the fact that we will all experience loss. Loss is inevitable. The loss of health. The loss of a friendship. The loss of an investment. The loss of a child. The loss of freedom. The loss of a parent. The loss of a home. The loss of a marriage. The loss of your memory. Loss devastates our lives.
All of us are going to experience loss. The question is, how will we respond to loss when it occurs? Will it paralyze and cripple us for the rest of our life? Will we learn painful lessons from loss and the grief that accompanies it?
Our lives matter. Where we invest our time and resources matter. We can make an impact that last forever. It was obvious to see how the sacrifices Oskar Schindler impacted the lives of others. I am afraid that sometimes the impact of our sacrifices are not as obvious. We need to always remember, we are involved in a rescue work as well. Lives of millions of people depend on this work. Serious sacrifice are involved in this work. We have one brief opportunity to take part in this work and then…THE END.
When we grip the stuff of life too tightly we become trapped in selfishness. It can literally rob us of life. When we live life with a loose grip and an open hand we experience generosity and contentment.
The average human tongue has more than 10,000 taste buds. When your tongue senses salty, sweet, savory, sour, bitter, or umami flavors, those taste receptors synapse with neurons and pass on electrical impulses to the brain. All of this combines to give you the wonderful flavor of a double meat Whataburger with cheese (no pickles and no onions), “Whatasized” with a large Dr. Pepper.
And this is the reason I’m convinced that food is one of God’s love languages.
Food is not only something we need to survive, but what a gift it is that God also makes it something that we enjoy. So much so, that when the Old Testament prophets wanted to speak of the day that God’s reign would finally come, they depicted a great feast. The best meal you’ve ever had is only a foretaste of what’s to come at this most extravagant banquet. Not only will this be a meal for the ages, all that was broken will be made whole, every wrong will have been made right, and on that day we will feast in the presence of the King of All!
There’s a reason why scripture encourages us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). It's because food is one of the best things on earth! Is there anything better than sharing a rich, delicious meal with close family or friends around a table? Not in my book!
It’s interesting then, that tables are one of the most important places of human connection. We’re often most fully alive when sharing a meal around a table. We shouldn’t be surprised, then, to find that throughout the Bible, God has a way of showing up at tables. In fact, it’s worth noting that at the center of the spiritual lives of God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments, we find a table: the Table of Passover and the Table of Communion.
Take a moment to consider the Lord’s table and discover why this meeting place is so important to our faith.
There are a few jobs in society that have bad reputations—some for good reasons and some not. The tax collectors in Jesus’s day had a bad reputation for good reason. They were as corrupt as the day is long. They were free to assess the value of goods and could demand a tax higher than what the government required. Talk about a major perk! They got to pocket the difference!
Bottom line, tax collectors were among the most hated people of society. They were corrupt. They were traitors.
Then in walked Jesus. He invited a tax collector to become one of his apprentices, one of his disciples. The tax collector accepted his invitation and hosted a dinner so his friends could meet Jesus. The Pharisees watched in horror as Jesus mingled with the worst of the worst. I am sure they were thinking, “who does he think he is hanging out with those traitors?!”
It is funny how we can see the wrong in someone else far easier than we can see it in ourselves. That was true then and it is true today. The truth is we are all traitors—not of our country but of our God. We have all turned our back on Him and chosen our way over His way. We have all sinned.
Sell By Date”, “Use By Date”, “Best Before Date”, “Expiration Date”. I am so confused!!! Did you know that stores can sell food after the date expires? Thank goodness some states require milk to be sold by the expiration date! There is nothing worse than pouring yourself a glass of milk and you got it—it is sour!
Milk is not the only thing that sours, people do as well. Did you know that you have a “shelf life”? Your shelf life is defined as the period during which you remain effective and free from deterioration. It refers to the period of time during which you may be stored and remain suitable for use. I can assure you that you cannot remain on a shelf long and remain effective. Your life when placed on a shelf is prone to deterioration.
Why do some people end up on the proverbial shelf? Some people burn out and step back from it all. Some people get their priorities mixed up. Some people fall flat on their face and have a hard time recovering. Their fall may be the result of poor choices, out right rebellion or circumstances beyond their control.
Peter was a perfect candidate to end up on the shelf. He blew it. He fell on his face not once but multiple times. He was a miserable failure, heavy on the miserable. My guess is he did not see how he would ever rebound. He betrayed the most important person in his life. He could not see beyond his failure.
Listen closely, Jesus had other plans for Peter. He still saw a future for him. Jesus wanted to restore Peter’s life. The restoration did not leave him a second class failure, not at all. The restoration left him whole.
If you are on the proverbial shelf. I want to warn you, you have a shelf life. You will sour on the shelf if you stay there too long. You were created for active engagement. You were created to love God and love people. You were created for worship and ministry. God has gifted you for both. He has placed you in a body, a church, to do both. The body needs you and you need the body. Take a risk, get off the shelf, get connected. I can hear Jesus calling you to the table!
Two men were walking down a road; one says “one thing I have learned this weekend is.... don’t get your hopes up. Because if you do, they will get knocked to the ground". The other man stares at the road ahead and asks him, “Do you really believe that?” The first man replies, “Yes, I believe it! Can you give me one reason why I should not?”
A dialogue like that could have easily taken place between the two travelers on the road to Emmaus. Their hopes were sky high. Their long awaited Messiah was in Jerusalem. After waiting a lifetime, freedom was finally within their grasp. But they found out what happens when you get your hopes up. They get knocked to the ground and crushed. Their hope, their Messiah, their deliverer got knocked to the ground. He was slapped, beaten, belittled, whipped to a bloody pulp, humiliated and then punished like the worst criminal!
I can see why they were struggling. Can’t you? The very moment when their lives seemed to be heading in the right direction, everything seemed to be aligning, real life was in their grasp—defeat was snatched from victory.
Why hope? Why dream? Why believe that life can be any different? Why believe that this world can actually change? We can easily get tired of getting our hopes up, and ask ourselves - what’s the use?
Sometimes it takes someone to come alongside us, walk and talk with us and help us see life from a different perspective. The travelers on the road to Emmaus had someone do this for them. It changed their lives forever. He even came to their home that very evening. He sat down at their table and broke bread with them. The crazy thing is, they did not know it was Jesus until he was already seated at the table!
Their lives would never be the same. Their hope was restored. The worst story they ever told, became the greatest story they ever told. Their knocked to the ground Messiah was actually their resurrected Messiah King. Rome still existed. Caesar was still in power. But they knew the truth. Their hope was forever secure and anchored in Jesus!
Use your imagination for a moment. Jesus has just entered Jerusalem. He is riding on a colt. The people shout “Hosanna to the Son of David…Save us we pray.” They lay their cloaks and palm branches in front of Jesus as he proceeds down the road. They welcome their long awaited King.
It is a little strange that the first thing Jesus does is run people out of the temple. As Jesus is kicking out the money-changers, the sheep and dove sellers, he says, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
The money changers and sacrifice sellers had set-up shop in The Court of Gentiles, the only part of the temple where Gentiles were allowed to go. Gentiles were forced to worship and pray with all this commotion going on. Imagine trying to worship and pray with the “cha-ching” of the cash registers, the squabbling of the salesmen and their patrons, or the bleating of the sheep and cooing of the doves.
Without a need to serve the widows, Stephen wouldn’t have emerged as a deacon. Because he became a leader, Stephen took advantage of opportunities to preach. Since he preached so passionately, the Jewish leaders arrested him and stoned him. Because of the persecution of the church, the message of the gospel was spread all over the region. And it is likely that at Stephen’s death, the first seeds of the gospel were planted in the heart of Paul—who would carry the gospel to the Gentiles.
In this episode, we will pick up the story of the Holy Spirit's work in chapter 28, the conclusion of the book of Acts. Paul felt God had been calling him to Rome for years, but each time he had been prevented from getting there. God could’ve intervened at any point, but he didn’t. Why? Well, it would appear He had a plan all along.
Wrecks come in all shapes and sizes. Bicycle wreaks, motorcycle wrecks, car wrecks, or shipwrecks…regardless what size, wrecks are never any fun.
In this message, we will witness the apostle Paul on a cargo ship that is on a collision course with disaster. Paul is not in control. Yet in the midst of the wreck he does something strange. He gives thanks to his good, faithful, always present God.
Maybe your life feels like it is on a collision course with disaster. Maybe your life is already a wreck. It is hard to have faith when you are literally picking up the pieces. Never forget, God is always there for us. The first simple step of faith is a one word prayer, “Help!” Simply praying this prayer acknowledges God hears, God knows, and God cares.
God knew his sheep were in need of leaders, feeders and protectors. While Jesus is our chief shepherd, he has called individuals in every church to lead, feed and protect. We call this group of people elders or shepherds.
The shepherds (elders) of the flock do not carry out their duties alone. They carry out their duties while walking in relationship with the Chief Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ who laid down his life for his sheep. Not only do the shepherds carry out their duties while walking with Jesus, they also carry out their duties of leading, feeding and protecting while walking in relationship with one another.
Imagine living in a place where your education wasn’t a guarantee. Try to envision having to choose which of your children would not be fed today. Picture living with 600,000 other people in the same situation within three square miles. Now imagine sharing a bathroom with all of those people. And I thought sharing a bathroom with my sister was bad!
In the slums of Mathare Valley, the poverty is extreme. Because of that, people are desperate to escape by way of prostitution, drugs or alcohol. It’s estimated that 1 in 3 people who live there are HIV positive. In addition, malaria, typhoid, cholera and other disease put children and adults in danger every day.
This is not the place you would expect to find joy. But that is the gift of the gospel. In Christ, joy can be possessed anywhere by anyone despite the circumstances. That is why Missions of Hope International is bursting at the seams with 19,000 children and dramatically changing the slums—both physically and spiritually. But that’s not all. It’s also changing us.
Today, you’ll hear from several people who recently traveled to Nairobi, Kenya and witnessed the transformative power of the the gospel with their own eyes. We hope that your heart will be stirred by what you hear and that you’ll leave encouraged by how the kingdom of God is expanding all over the world.
To encounter a “God sighting”, you have to open your eyes to the fact that God is always at work everywhere in our world. He is not limited by space or time. He knows each of us by name and wants us to encounter Him.
This Sunday in the Book of Acts, we witness a man in the middle of committing suicide experience a “God sighting”. It changed his life forever.
When we talk about mission we are talking about life mission. We are on mission 24/7.
The glorious gospel gives us the spiritual ambition and challenges us to be on mission everywhere we go: where you live, where you work, where you learn, where you play...in your neighborhood.
In chapter 15 of the book of Acts, we will be looking at the Council of Jerusalem where church leaders gathered to make one of the most important decisions in the history of the church.
Through the passage in Acts 15 and the words of Peter, “But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus” we discover a very clear, focused picture of God’s power for our salvation. It is finished. This is indeed good news.
Jeff Williams share that he and his family are launching into a new chapter in their lives. For some time God has been preparing Jeff to serve the local church in the role of teaching pastor or lead pastor. We have witnessed Jeff’s gifting and are not surprised by this announcement.
God is never surprised by such an announcement He is never caught off guard. He is never behind in the game, regardless of the score. God is in control!
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was leavened.” The picture he is painting is of something that is small yet which has great influence over everything it touches. Something that is small yet has big results.
Jesus also said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If we consider incredible life experiences we witness in scripture, some encounters stand out. If I said the name Moses, you might say the day God spoke to him through a burning bush. If I said the name David, you might say the day he killed a giant of a man - with a sling shot no less. If I said Apostle Paul, you might say the day he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus.
But what about Peter? We might have to qualify the question. The Peter who walked with Jesus yet denied he knew him? The Peter who preached on the day of Pentecost and led over 3000 people to follow Jesus? I think Peter would have a hard time identifying one unbelievable life experience.
I can guarantee you that a trance like experience on a rooftop in Joppa would make Peter’s list! You see Peter saw his world through Jewish lenses and understandably so. He was Jewish. But God wanted Peter to change the way he saw his world and the way he engaged his world. Oh, by the way, God wants the same for you and me.
The gospel paved the way to break down any and all barriers that divide people. The people of God were no longer to be marked by ethnocentrism or the prejudice that often flows from it. There was to be no spiritual “pecking order”, no superiority of one person over another in the body of Christ. Every member of the body is not only important, each member is actually critical to the strength of the whole.
The people of Israel were just like us, and just like us, their hopes were misplaced, too. Psalm 72 is the last of the Davidic Psalms and is a prayer for prosperity and security. Only instead of the focus being on wealth, the focus was on a king—in this case Solomon. Solomon was the wisest man in the world and his country was revered by all of its neighbors. But later in life, even Solomon would stray from the Lord and Israel’s hopes would be dashed once again. However, if you read the words of Psalm 72 closely, you may find that they are pointing you to the promise of a greater king, one who would assuredly bring peace, abundance, and security. This king would not be like the ones before him, and this king would never let us down.
As we head into 2019, I want us to develop healthy rhythms of prayer in our lives. Not just when we pray, but how we pray. There is obviously not a formula that makes prayer more effective, instead I am talking about being intentional and committed to spending time with God in conversation. Prayer is so important to our faith. We need to find a healthy rhythm for it.
Over the past few weeks we have celebrated the hope, the peace, and the love we have found through the gospel of King Jesus. Today we continue the journey as we focus on joy. This is not just any kind of joy, but real joy, an unshakable joy, a joy that last forever.
If Paul is the apostle of faith, Peter is the apostle of hope, and James is the apostle of good works, then John is the apostle of love. In fact, the story goes that when John was elderly and unable to walk on his own, the men of the church in Ephesus would carry him into the assembly and sit him down to teach. There, the old man would simply say, "Dear children, let us love one another.” And while this subject is evident in all his writings, love takes center stage in chapter four of his first epistle.
While it may not be viewed as a traditional Christmas passage, the kind of rich love that John is teaching about in 1 John 4 is at the heart of the Christmas story. You see, our God is not just a talking god. He’s an acting God, a doing God, a serving God. His love to us is shown by His action. There is no greater display of His love than sending His only Son to die for our sins—to take our place, and to become our sacrifice. As image-bearers of this loving God, this is how we show that we love him: loving others.
This Sunday, the second week of Advent, we explore the peace that Jesus offered to us during his time on earth and the final and complete peace that he will bring with his return.
Come Emmanuel and bring wholeness to this broken world.
How do you celebrate Christmas? What are your family traditions? Does it involve cutting a fresh tree? Does it include a Jesse Tree or an advent box? Does it include presents under a tree? Does it include cookies for Santa Claus? Does it include adopting a family who is experiencing difficulty so they will get to celebrate a Christmas like you will? Does it involve tamales on Christmas Eve? This advent we are going to explore some of your family traditions.
Our church exists to cultivate fully devoted disciples of Jesus. This is our primary purpose: We want to be a church of disciple-makers! For that reason, we are currently studying the book of Acts in a sermon series entitled, Sent. You and I have been commissioned by Jesus—we’ve been SENT—to go into our workplaces, our schools, our neighborhoods, and yes, even to foreign lands to make disciples of Him, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He has commanded us (Matt 28:19-20). Are you (yes, YOU) willing to stop and consider the fact that God has a purpose for you in this mission?
That’s right. You don’t have to be extraordinary to be used by God. You just simply have to be willing. But if you are willing, be expectant, because God WILL use you.
Are you thankful for the gospel? Have you encountered God’s goodness in the person of Jesus Christ? Who walked with you at a critical time in your faith journey? The Apostle Paul had such a person. Without him who knows what direction his life would have taken.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 107:1
With the martyrdom of Stephen, the church enters a new chapter in its short history. To escape, Jesus’ disciples must scatter throughout the region. But to the dismay of its oppressors, namely Saul, the Christ followers continue to increase in number. For what the enemy meant for evil, God used it for good. (Genesis 50:20).
Now a new disciple steps to the fore. Philip was one of the Greek-speaking converts chosen to serve the church’s widows, but persecution has driven him to Samaria and beyond where he leads many others to Christ. Sunday, we’ll pick up in Acts 8 where Philip, directed by the Holy Spirit, encounters an Ethiopian eunuch. Philip's unflinching willingness to follow the Spirit is inspiring and will challenge us all to follow his example.
How will you someday face “Death”? Will you meet “Death” as a friend or foe? Will you cross his path in fear or in faith? Will your encounter be marked by hope or hopelessness? Will you go toe to toe with your perceived enemy only to find that in the last round of life, “Death” is actually not only a friend but a friend you await with anticipation, and embrace on arrival? Like Stephan do you understand that our death means life eternal through Jesus?
Paul writes, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Someday I hope to snatch victory from the jaws of “Death.” I hope to greet death with the confidence that alone comes from knowing Christ.
In Acts 6, we find a church that is growing at an incredibly rapid pace. Over and over again, Luke points out that great multitudes of disciples were constantly being added to their numbers (Acts 2:41,47; 4:4; 5:14; 13:49; 16:5; 19:20). This was the result of powerful gospel-centered preaching and prayer. But with this growth came more and more needs, and the Apostles were limited to what they could accomplish.
By trying to do everything themselves, the Apostles were not only failing to keep up, but they were neglecting their primary responsibilities and depriving other members of the opportunity to serve. It was time for something new. It was time to change. So with Acts 6, we see a new way to do ministry: gospel-centered service.
It was the beginning of a new day for the church, in which ministry would be placed in the hands of ordinary men and women who had been called and gifted by God to do his work in the world.
We will pick up the story of the early church in chapter four where Luke writes about the community of believers caring for one another and doing whatever needed to be done to meet the needs of fellow believers. Scripture tells us that they “had everything in common,” (Acts 4:32) and that there was “not a needy person among them.” (Acts 4:34) This is a story about dependance. At first glance it seems that the story is about believers depending on the community but a closer look reveals that our dependance really lies in a trusting relationship with God! I look forward to digging a little deeper into this passage with you!
If we are honest, we may come to the point in life where we ask, “Why pray?” We may ask, “Does it really make any difference?” “If God is a good God, a faithful God, a merciful God, a God who heals, is he really in control of all things?” It is very easy to move from hope to cynicism in the world in which we live. Paul Miller writes, “Cynicism kills hope. The world of the cynic is fixed and is immovable. The cynic believes we are swept along by forces greater than we are. Dreaming feels like so much foolishness. Risk becomes intolerable. Prayer feels pointless, as if we are talking to the wind. Why set ourselves and God up for failure.”
We must lean into God during these times of difficulty. We must believe he is in control, he is at work in all the details of my life. We must believe that he is loving, he is shaping the details of my life for my good. We must believe that God is wise, he will not do everything I want because he alone knows what I need. We must embrace the fact that he is patient, he is going to take time to do all of this. In his time he will accomplish his ultimate purpose in my life. Miller concludes, “If you are going to enter this divine dance we call prayer, you have to surrender your desire to be in control.”
God longs to use ordinary people just like you and me. God longs to use average people. God longs to use flawed people. God longs to use broken people. God longs to use inadequate people. God longs to use weak people. If you are any one of the people above, God can and will use you for His glory!
Peter and John leave the comfort of their community and take the gospel to the religious heart of the city—the Jewish temple. Under the ornate colonnades of bronze at the Beautiful Gate, they fix their eyes on a man who had been crippled from birth. There Peter heals the man in the name of Jesus and commands him to get up and walk. This fills the watching crowd with wonder and sets the stage for Peter to later present the gospel to a new audience, and ultimately catapults the church into a new chapter of persecution and exponential growth.
Last week we read about the Holy Spirit showing up at Pentecost. The crowd was astonished that people from a multitude of different backgrounds were sharing the mighty works of God in each other’s language. Some were left asking, “What does this mean?” Others accused the apostles of being drunk.
Peter responds to the crowd, sharing the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Luke writes that the story “cut to their heart.” The crowd then asked, “Now what?”
The Holy Spirit, the sound of a “mighty rushing wind”, made a long awaited landfall on the Day of Pentecost. Millions of peoples lives would never be the same.
We continue our journey through the Book of Acts—we have been SENT in the incredible, unmatched power of the Spirit!
“Sent” with whom? “Sent” by whom. “Sent” to do what? “Sent” where? “Sent” for how long?
For the next several months, each Sunday, we are going to take a journey. You might even say we are going on a mission trip. This “trip” is not going to last for days, or even weeks, we are going on a long journey.
During that time, we will get to experience over 30 years of history come to life. We get to witness the birth of the early Church. We get to witness her take some spills as a toddler. We get to witness her struggle as an adolescent. We even get to witness early signs of her adulthood.
We will be taking this journey with the early Apostles who personally witnessed the of life of Jesus. Over the course of our journey, we will answer all of the “sent” questions I raised earlier. The answers to these questions are critically important to each of our lives.
Now remember, we will be joining the early Apostles. Their journey becomes our journey. Their sending authority becomes our sending authority. Their purpose becomes our purpose. Their destination becomes our destination. Their itinerary becomes our itinerary.
The local church was created by Jesus to be His physical presence on earth until He returns. And if we believe Jesus is the hope of the world, then the church, by extension, is the hope of the world. That kind of claim is anything but benign. There is true planet-shaking power that exists within the people of God!
This sermon closes out our series on community entitled, “This Is Us” and discuss who the church is, her untapped potential and what she will look like when Christ returns.
As we continue the “This Is Us” mini-series, we will step into an environment that has just been impacted by a rushing, mighty wind. As a direct result of this wind, we witness commitments made, lives changed forever, new relationships formed and a great deal of sacrifice all in a very short period of time.
A rushing, mighty wind always results in commitment, lives. changed, new relationships formed and sacrifice!
The gospel story is a story of relationships from the beginning of the Book of Genesis to the end of the Book of Revelation. Each of us has within us a yearning to belong. Even the shyest person has a desire to know others and to be known. The scriptures teach us that it was not God’s intent for us to live in isolation. In fact, relationships are the primary way in which He imparts his grace. Without relationships, we cannot fully live out the gospel!
This Sunday we are going to enter “Season 2” of this series. Just like the family in the story, being a part of a church family isn’t always easy. The church is precious, but it’s definitely not perfect. We struggle. We stiff arm. We make poor decisions. But at the end of the day, we are still a gospel community, a family—a means by which God reveals Himself.
Teens live in a world of pressure and mixed messages that can often be overwhelming. They feel immense pressure at school. They feel pressure in all of the extracurricular activities that fill their schedules. For some students, they even feel pressure at home. They are bombarded with images and messages telling them that they need to look and act like someone else. Life is confusing. It is not easy.
In addition, students are at a critical age spiritually. They are beginning to wrestle with questions about their faith. What does it look like to follow Jesus in broken, cynical world? What does Jesus have to do with what I am doing in my life right now? Do I really even believe?
This is where our student ministry, Engage, attempts to meet students and partner with parents.
In the final chapter of “Unlikely Heroes,” we will complete our journey by looking at the life of Elijah. He was a man who experienced the ups and downs of everyday life yet God used him in incredible ways for His glory.
What makes a hero? What are their qualifications?
When we think of heroes, we typically think of people without any physical limitations. They stand out head and shoulders above the rest. Heroes also possess a strong moral constitution. So, when placed in extremely difficult circumstances, they always make the right decision.
But if that were the case, the great King David of the Bible would’ve failed miserably by those standards. And yet God says of David that he is “a man after His own heart.” David was overlooked for his size, yet God used him to conquer a giant. He sins were numerous and had severe consequences, but God chose him to lead the kingdom of Israel.
Do you believe God can use you? Or do you think your physical limitations and your failures have disqualified you? Take heart! You have exactly what it takes to accomplish great things for the Lord. Your past does not define you, Jesus does.
Every good hero story needs a dark setting. In other words, there needs to be something or someone from which the people need to be saved. Think Gotham City under the tyranny of the Joker or Thanos rule over the universe in the new Avengers film.
This is the kind of dark setting where Israel found itself around 1100 B.C. Only they didn’t know it.
Enter Samson.
But Samson, with his holy purpose and super-human strength, was deeply flawed—an anti-hero. Samson’s sin would almost completely undermine God’s mission for him, but eventually even he would be redeemed.
What do Tim Drake, Kamala Khan, Steve Rogers, Jennifer Walters, Barry Allen, Barbara Gordon and Luke Cage all have in common? They are all extremely unlikely individuals who become super heroes! Steve Rogers was rejected by the army numerous times. He was frail and weak yet he possessed unparalleled character. This same man is who we know as Captain America. Barry Allen is a forensic scientist most known for always being late and very slow to complete his work. Lighting strikes a rack of chemicals and he becomes The Flash, the fastest man on the face of the earth. Barbara Gordon has absolutely no special powers or abilities yet she is compelled to do her part. She becomes Batgirl and stands alongside Batman to fight crime.
Too often we view biblical characters as super heroes we have nothing in common with. As a young Christian I heard people tell stories about Moses, Samson, David and Elijah. It was rather hard to relate to them. When we pull back the curtain we actually realize how much we do have in common with these unlikely heroes.
Over the next four weeks Kevin and I will be teaching a series entitled, “Unlikely Heroes”. Each week we will look at one of these biblical characters. We want to make sure you hear the whole story and not just the romanticized version. Each and every one of these individuals were people just like us. They were not in control of all of the circumstances of their lives. They made bad choices with cataclysmic results. Just like us, they were in desperate need of the grace and mercy of God.
In the end, their lives gloried God. They magnified His greatness, His faithfulness and His grace. Regardless of life circumstances, regardless of the poor choices we make, our lives can still bring glory to God.
The problem with the standard approach to managing our finances is that it essentially puts God and others last. Essentially God and others get the left overs. If I have not spent it all, if I do not owe it all, if the government does not get it all, and if I don’t save it all, then I will give to God and/or give to others.
In the old days people replaced things – you replaced it when it broke. You replaced things when they were worn out. You replaced things when you lost them. Now days we do not replace things – we upgrade them! Discontentment is dangerous! It will get me unbalanced. If you do not get a handle on your discontentment it not only can wreck your relationship with those you love but it can wreck your relationship with God. A constant correction is required along with an intentional move in a different direction. When generosity becomes front and center for you it impacts every single arena of your finances. We turn our focus away from the things that are often so important to us, to the things that are important to God.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 (ESV)
What we do with the extra in your life is an indication of who we belong to. What we do with the extra is an indication of what we believe. Jesus said the way you handle your extra money says something about what is in our heart. We must stop measuring our life by the abundance of our possessions. Father may your generosity break us free from selfishness, greed or trust in the things on this earth.
Your Heavenly Father says get out of debt! He is not harsh about it…but broken-hearted. He is concerned about you. When we are enslaved to debt it impacts our ability, not our desire, our ability not our conscience, our ability not our willingness. Our ability to help someone in need, help some ministry, to go on a mission trip. You have the want to but not the ability. God says to give, give, give but your lenders say pay, pay, pay. Guess who wins?
There is a freedom and a peace and a relief when we can say– I want to honor you, God, with everything. When we say Mine, mine, mine, mine…it presents a problem. The more you have the less peace you have. If you are hanging on with both hands, the more distracted you are by your stuff. You know why? It is yours, yours, yours, yours. It is not a matter of what you have or do not have that drives your misery factor. It is how you answer the question…Is it yours or mine? Will I honor you? Prayer – God show me how to honor you with everything I have.
Our personal finances matter to God.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 (ESV)
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Luke 16:13 (ESV)
The struggle is not between serving God or serving the Devil. Jesus says no – conflict is between God and money. The struggle is between serving God and getting sucked into materialism, getting sucked into serving stuff. He has invited us into a relationship where we make our love of money, our love of our stuff subservient to our love and devotion to Him. “I don’t want your stuff, I want you! I want to be your treasure and when I am that which you treasure the most I have your heart!”
In his letter, Peter is writing to people who were experiencing severe challenges and points them to an unshakable foundation upon which they can stand in the midst of trials. In chapter 1 Peter 1, he speaks about Christian hope--a hope anchored in God's mercy, in Christ's salvation, and in a future spiritual inheritance which awaits these believers.