Life Fellowship Church: Recent Episodes
Jeff Lane
This is the official teaching podcast for Life Fellowship Church, in Minnesota. Subscribe for weekly messages from Reggie Camarse about the Bible, Community, and God's purpose for our lives.
…Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.” Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.” (Jeremiah
1:1-9, ESV)
God really knows His people in the Bible. This is one of the constant themes—He not only knows the number of hairs on their heads, but even knows them before they were in their mothers’ wombs, and He knows them better than they know themselves. And this is true of life today, too. Even though we almost always “look within” for the resources to accomplish everything, we don’t really know as much about ourselves as we think.
On one hand, this inadequacy leads us to despair, both of ourselves and our so-called abilities to do what the Lord asks of us. On the other hand, with the self-realization we so long for yawning beyond us, we are strangely brought to a place of freedom.
Jeremiah, coming to this impasse, is able to go out in strength because this power came from outside of him. Jeremiah is called by God, as they say, but Jeremiah’s ability to fulfill the calling was not contingent upon the depth of his résumé, but instead his complete reliance on the Lord to stand in for him and walk with him. Armed with only this, Jeremiah does the impossible because it was actually not Jeremiah doing anything, but the Lord doing it all.
This kind of supernatural strength is necessary for all of life, from birth to grave—it doesn’t just apply to Jeremiah or the Patriarchs. Life is a challenge that leaves all of us muttering, like Jeremiah, “I do not know how to…” Are you in a job in which you feel way over your head? Struggling with a frigid marriage? A hapless child? Life confronts all of us with issues with which we feel woefully inept to deal, including the present crisis we find ourselves in. And God uses these things to show us the need for complete reliance. Just like Jeremiah, God is in the midst of it all, doing it all, while you do nothing.
Whatever it is you are faced with in your life today, God has called you to this place, but He is not leaving you there. He will use your weakness to His glory.
-Jake Koehler
Paul's missionary adventures inspires imitators.
Jealousy and comparison can stifle the mission of the church. Unless ministry is founded on Jesus himself there is no value.
Paul and Silas worship while beaten and imprisoned.
Paul and Silas are filled with fortitude as they worship despite their circumstances. Their bold worship, coupled with miraculous emancipation, allow Paul and Silas to convert those around them.
The early church experiences and navigators through its first theological disagreement.
Mixing the old law with the new covenant came with some difficulty. There were Jewish believers who thought that it was necessary for the newcomer Gentiles to follow the old ways. Through united and direct leadership they led through adversity.
As Paul journeys he begins to experience difficulty navigating pagan worship.
The recipients of Paul's preaching and ministry mistake him for God himself. Paul iterates that grace comes from Jesus alone.
The first "Christian" Church is founded in Antioch.
Saul curses Elymas. It's odd that a believer would call down something negative on anyone. However, Saul only calls down on Elymas what Jesus Himself had inflicted upon Saul.
God rescues Peter from prison.
Sometimes we can get so caught up in our prayers that we aren't looking for God's reply. We should EXPECT God to take control
The church is diverse and it is meant to be.
Peter goes back to Jerusalem to explain to them the adoption of gentiles into the church. This new direction is hard to adopt and will take a lot of grace and submission.
Peter receives a vision that begins the evangelism of gentiles.
This account of Acts begins the adoption of gentile people into the God's people. This new direction is a monumental shift for the church. It will take a lot of convincing for the rest of the church to adopt this new direction.
Saul begins his ministry as a new christian and a new evangelist.
Right after his conversion, Saul begins to preach about Jesus. He allows his transformation to inform his testimony and Saul cannot help but preach about Jesus.
This week we have read through the miraculous transformation of Saul.
This amazing conversion of Saul would set a new course for the early church. God's transformative powers lead Saul from his blindness into an amazing agent of evangelism.
Phillip shows us how to share faith and lead others to baptism.
In this story of the Ethiopian Eunuch, we see a Holy Spirit filled Phillip guide a person who is seeking God to faith in baptism.
Changes to In-person MeetingsWe will not hold small group meetings for this week (the week of March 16) and we are moving to an online message for Saturday, March 21. The leadership team will make the call week-by-week if additional meetings will be canceled. You can expect to hear by Friday if the following Saturday service will be cancelled and by Sunday if the weeks small groups will be canceled.
Still Doing Life TogetherEven if we can't meet together in-person (and especially then), we want to be intentional about connecting and encouraging one another. There are a few things we will be focusing on to help this.
- Facebook Groups: Share God-sightings, encourage each other, post ways the community can pray for you, etc.
- Check in: Take a second to send a message and see how your fellow members are doing. Share a hot tip on where to find toilet paper. Co-op a Target run. Lift each other's spirits.
- Serve: Look for ways to meet the needs that are around you. Provide a meal. Watch a kid. Send an encouraging note. Show love in some way.
These are just a few ideas and we know that you are probably already doing things to connect and serve those around you. The leadership team is proud of our church and how intentional our members are in faith. God is using it. Keep it up!
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9
Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. And when he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” And he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:24-28, NRSV).
U2 is far from one of my favorite bands but lately Bono’s lyrics have really resonated with me. If you haven’t noticed, I already featured them in a previous devotional. Lately, their song “Bullet the Blue Sky” has been stuck in my head. In the song, Bono sings, “Jacob wrestled the angel; and the angel was overcome.” Bono then folds the famous story of Jacob wrestling the angel into the midst of a song about unjust violence and hypocrisy. Military force in El Salvador is mentioned, as is 1980s televangelism.
With all the flux and panic of humanity, what does it mean for Bono that Jacob overcomes the mysterious man with whom he is wrestling? As dour as Bono’s prognosis is, Jacob’s is no better. Jacob is sure that his sly chicanery has brought him a just and violent death, courtesy of his brother Esau. As you might remember, Jacob had stolen Esau’s birthright by a despicable deception, and Esau is now on the way to meet him face-to-face. Jacob is backed into a corner, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata playing in the background, with no one to blame but himself.
It is at this moment that God comes to Jacob. He does not come as a sweet and gentle person but as an adversary. As an adversary He breaks the remaining vestiges of Jacob’s faith in himself. Wrestling with God, Jacob actually believes that he is prevailing, but all the mysterious “man of God” had to do was reach out and touch Jacob’s leg to dislocate it. As dawn breaks, Jacob asks for God’s blessing, and what a beautiful metaphor: Jacob’s faith is transferred from himself to God as a new day dawns.
All the political and social unrest of the world adds to personal strife. Troubled relationships, broken dreams, and unexpected tragedies can be like a powerful Esau racing toward you with fires to start. “Bullet the Blue Sky” plays as belief in your own ability to master your domain diminishes. It is then that God visits “under the guise of His opposite.” A new day dawns as your faith is placed in One who does have control and dominion. It turns out that the One you have been fighting all night is totally in your corner.
-Jake Koehler
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that [this thorn in my flesh] would leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10, ESV).
Coming away from these verses with a sense of despair might not be that unusual. Who among us wants to plead with the Lord day and night to take away our suffering, only for Him to answer gently, but firmly, “No”? And more than that, for Him to say, “In fact, I will uphold your weakness so that my power can be displayed.” Couldn’t the Lord take away our suffering and still be glorified? Isn’t it possible that he could somehow display his power in my talents and strengths, rather than in my suffering? Why does it have to be this way?
None of us likes to suffer, although there is a kind of suffering that we’re proud of. It’s that suffering that gets you back on your bike after a crash; the suffering of sleepless nights spent preparing tomorrow’s reports and lectures and speeches; it’s the suffering that comes with one more rep, one more mile, one more lap, one more shot. These are the sufferings of determination and grit—sufferings we choose. These are the sufferings which validate our will and our integrity and our character. We endure this kind of suffering proudly because we know it makes us strong.
But this isn’t the kind of suffering that Paul is talking about. Jesus says, “My power is made perfect in weakness.” No one is proud of being weak. No one brags about being cut from the varsity team, or about being passed over for a promotion. No one boasts of needing pills to keep themselves even. No one is proud of not knowing how to handle conflict between parents, or what to do when their kids won’t listen. Paul is talking about the embarrassing kind of suffering, the suffering of being helpless and feeling weak. This is just where Christ left Paul, just where Christ called him to remain.
That’s because it is only in our weakness that the gospel has real power. In Romans 1, Paul says that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. Jesus said that he did not come to tend to the healthy but to the sick and to the lost. Salvation necessarily means admitting you're weak, admitting that you can’t find your way, that you can’t fix the problem. It means admitting that you just can’t stop, and that the situation is out of control. Salvation is for those who need saving.
This salvation, too, is not a one-time event. Yes, we are united to Christ one for all time—our final acquittal cannot be revoked. But salvation is also a moment-by-moment, existential dependence upon the grace of God in Christ. We are never free of our need of him. This is why all are equal in Christ, and why there is no room for boasting.
The irony of Paul’s boasting in weakness leads us to see that he is really not boasting in himself at all. Rather, he is boasting in the magnitude of God’s salvation in him. Paul is living out of a place of helplessness because there his weakness becomes the occasion for God’s grace and power to work in and through him. If Paul’s weakness is great, greater still is God’s salvation. The Christian life, then, is one of waiting in existential weakness, a place from which we constantly admit our helplessness and look for the power of God.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
-Jake Koehler
For you have died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3, NIV)
Imagine that you suddenly find yourself, without any preparation, standing on a stage and being watched by an enormous audience. How would wearing a mask over your face affect your level of comfort? If you’re like me, the answer is: immensely. It’s like being able to tell someone something that you’ve always wished someone would say to them, but without them knowing that it was you who said it. Wearing a mask enables you to feel either detached from or, at least, less associated with anything of yourself that you might regret exposing.
When we are given security that is not contingent upon our own intrinsic abilities, fruit is born, as if by reflex. It is life lived in the absence of condemnation.
As far as today is concerned, there is no rehearsal, but the performance must go on. In a very real sense, God has already covered your life with His Holy Spirit. “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
-Jake Koehler
Happy new year and happy anniversary!
As we celebrate the beginning of LF's third year together we revisit our mission of drawing people to Jesus in fellowship by looking at a very familiar parable about responsibility, duty and a few talents.
All you need is a little peace.
In this week's conclusion message to our Thanksgiving to Christmas series we discuss how the Peace of God is the only thing we need to guard us in this world of turmoil.
“…as for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1, NIV).
No sooner has Moses has been called away to Mount Sinai by God than his people begin to “move on.” This happens despite a number of explicit warnings to the contrary, direct from the mouth of God, backed by thunder and lightning and smoking mountains (21:18).
Perhaps the Israelites have grown impatient, perhaps they are dissatisfied, or perhaps they’ve just given up. Whatever the case, they decide to take matters into their own hands and fashion an idol that can serve them according to their own schedule, the infamous golden calf.
Can you relate? There may have been a time in your life when the hand of God seemed easy to detect. A turning point, a time when you were brought out of the proverbial desert and delivered from an unhealthy relationship, sickness, or job. But then something happened. The new job didn’t pan out. Another relationship fell apart. The sickness returned. Suddenly, you “don’t know what has happened to him.” You feel abandoned and confused, and you find yourself asking, where did God go?
These moments are much more common than most of us would care to admit. And like the Israelites, our patience is embarrassingly short and our faithfulness profoundly lacking. We move on. We regress. We focus our devotion somewhere more convenient and easier to control. We are constantly in the business of creating newer, shinier golden calves.
Where are you feeling God’s absence this week? Where are you feeling like a victim? Where is the idol factory at work, and what is it producing? Probably not what was intended.
The good news is that we may move on, but God does not. He did not abandon the Israelites to self-destruction, and He has not abandoned us either. Instead, He gave us His son, that we might be forgiven of our impatience and loved despite our faithlessness. The cross reminds us that God is present, especially when it looks like He is not. This is the Rock from which we can’t move on, however hard we might try.
-Jake Koehler
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:8-10, NIV)
U2 enigmatically dubbed their 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. There isn’t much in the track listing that gives an indication about munitions, though, or becoming a member of your local bomb squad; but if you were sucker enough to buy the “Deluxe” Edition disc, you’ll find an actual epigraph. “I am death, the mighty destroyer of the world”—a phrase taken and paraphrased by Oppenheimer on the first test of the atomic bomb in 1945. The album, written largely on the heels of the death of Bono’s father, is about dismantling death.
Which brings us, not surprisingly, squarely to Paul’s opening words to Timothy: “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death…” I am struck by the boldness of this phrase—Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, the One Who Was Slain, The Destroyer of the Destroyer of the World.
For Paul, this changes everything, as the letter starts here and works backward. Fear not, do not be ashamed, join with me in suffering. Just as we didn’t do anything to destroy death, nothing shall happen to us in life or death now; the power of God shall prevail. We know the end of the story, even as we are in its midst—this is the basis of our hope.
How is death, the atomic bomb, dismantled? By the appearing of the Power of God in the Flesh, known to us as love. Love came down at Christmas, love came back to life again at Easter, and love (as Bono would write) is the end of history. Death has been destroyed, and it is not our end; immortality has been given in its stead. Love will be the last word of our history, written in arrears. As Paul wrote another time, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” This present darkness shall not last, for a light shines in the darkness, and Christ Jesus, the Destroyer of Death, himself the answer to the question posed by the album’s title, has brought life and immortality to light.
-Jake Koehler
…with thanksgiving…
In this first week of our new sermon series, we introduce our core text, Philippians 4:6-7. We will be working through this popular passage piece by piece starting with the foundational piece of thanksgiving in prayer.
In Everything Go to God
In this second week of our Philippians 4:6-7 breakdown we focus on Paul's command to go to God "in everything". God is the only one capable of providing permanent comfort and security for us. There is nothing else outside of God that we can completely rely on.
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:13-15).
One thing that I see in myself, and in the culture around me, is the tendency to so clearly define some people as villains and others as victims. I have seen this more recently in political contexts but also in a general sort of snobbery when we look down on people struggling with their external behavior modification. Perhaps they have not achieved as much financially, or maybe their kids didn’t win as high of an honors.
There is a view that people are either victims of their own lack of discipline, or they are simply the victims of an unjust world that needs to be fixed. It’s easy to recognize and reject this view when you are being judged but not so much when you are the judge.
While there is often truth in these judgements, we tend to lack balance. The truth is that that we are often both the prodigal brother who sinned and was restored and also the older brother who gets mad because the younger was shown such lavish grace (Luke 15:11-32). We have all been both the weeping prostitute who washes Jesus’ feet with her tears because she is forgiven and the Pharisee who sees himself as a pretty good guy. The reality is that we are all sometimes the victim and sometimes the perpetrator of sin against ourselves and others. We all have blind spots for our own sinfulness.
In the moments when we see our own moral failures, we are actually in our most right minds. It is a great mercy of God when we get to see how much we are sinners continually dependent on our merciful savior. In that case, when we are put in our place--our humble and needy place--it is the safest and most blessed place to be. There is both rest, peace, and restoration to be found there.
While Christians should speak with moral clarity, should be just and truthful, there is often this kind of blind white hat/black hat view that our society has been trained with. We see it sometimes in movies or books, and unfortunately, we see it sometimes in the news headlines with Christians acting as those we are the only good ones while shaming those who do not go to church.
I’m not arguing for some sort of view that says everything is a gray area through some sort of moral equivalence. What I am saying is that the Law of God, properly understood, proclaims that we are not good people. Even after coming to Christ and experiencing all of the blessings of a new heart with new desires, we are still in continual need of Christ’s righteousness, because we are still broken people in a broken world who have a tendency to unjustly judge people we don’t like, or who don’t do what we want, or who don’t support the things we support. Again, it’s easy to see when we are on the judged side of things, but it’s next to impossible to see if we are committed to seeing things only based on what we want to be true. When it comes to moral disagreements, we often believe that we are either ok, or at least better than the person(s) on the other side of the issue.
This reminds me of Joshua’s experience in Joshua 5:13-15 when he was visited by the commander of the Lord’s army, and asked if he was on Joshua’s side or his enemies’ side. The answer was essentially neither, that He was on God’s side. The sides we take and the judgements we make, whether they are of a political agenda or against a fellow sinner, are all done from our positions as objects of mercy.
There are no Christians who have suddenly outgrown the need for mercy and are therefore qualified as morally superior, fit to be judge, jury, and executioner of others. Rather, we are all, always, simple beggars telling other beggars where to find bread; we are all, always, simple sinners covered in the pure white robes that we did not earn and do not deserve. Seeing the truth of our brokenness is the blessing that drives us to seeing the truth of His mercy, of His sufficiency for us, which is again and again being put in our place. A place of blessing, and peace, and hope.
-Jake Koehler
A United Movement = Effective Movement
Persecution of the church drives the gospel into new places. Philip travels to Samaria and spreads the gospel to a long-standing rival, Samaritans. Peter and John themselves come down to bridge a long standing feud through the unifying power of Jesus Christ.
Stephen and Deadly Oppression.
The growing opposition to the early church eventually leads to a fatal casualty. Despite overwhelming accusation and violence, Stephen faces his accusers with readiness, knowledge and even grace.
The church must work together.
The early church expands their ministry by reaching out to a new culture within their following. The existing Hebraic leadership appoints new Hellenistic leadership - although they come from different backgrounds and speak different languages. Their unity enables the church for even more momentum and addition to God’s glory.
God's Movement is Unstoppable
The early church faces oppression from the same leadership that threatened and murdered Jesus. Despite this threat, through God, the early church inspires us through their perseverance and resolve.
Jealousy, pride and secrets soon infiltrate the young church of Acts.
A hard to swallow story in Acts, the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira has always inspired curiosity. Their desire to appear as generous as other givers while keeping money for themselves led to their demise and an all-important lesson for the young church.
This September, we are kicking off our community reading plan. This will give us a chance to go through the Bible together, ask questions, and share how we are seeing God work through the verses. The pace of the reading plan is light to fit into your routine, whether you are just starting to read the Bible or are adding it to what you are already reading. Also, our goal isn’t just to get to the end of the book, but to spend time understanding the circumstances of the writer and the believers who originally read this book, and to prayerfully apply it to our lives today. God says that the word is “living and active” and we believe our time in the world will bring transformation to us and our fellowship.
Here is the schedule for September:
September 2-8: Acts 1
September 9-15: Acts 2
September 16-22: Acts 3
September 23-29: Acts 4
September 30- October 6: Acts 5
We will post notes and facts related to the readings on the church Facebook page. That will also be where to share questions and thoughts that you have while reading.
Acts 2:42-47
This week's passage focuses on the description of the very first church. Their fellowship is a model of church and life that we should all emulate
Acts 2:1-41
The Spirit has come! The church is on the move. Peter and the other apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, address thousands and begin the church as we know it.
Acts 1
Reading through the first chapter of Acts we see Jesus getting His followers ready to start the church. Their expectation of the Holy Spirit is the same expectation we should have always.
The author of the letter of Philemon, Paul asks a lot of his disciples... and us also.
Why does Paul ask so much? His discipleship is costly and better. In our series conclusion, we see why the challenge of belonging to God's kingdom is far better
Kingdom ways are greater than Country ways.
Paul asks a lot of Philemon when he expects him to take back his runaway slave, Onesimus. Although difficult, Paul's request shows us each that through hardship there is much to gain.
Paul's short letter to Philemon reveals how to be a part of God's Kingdom while living in this world.
The tension between being a Christian and living in this world is growing. In the book of Philemon the author, Paul, shows us how God's Kingdom and it's expectations are greater than this world's expectations.
In this sermon series finale we turn to our namesake and look at Encountering God through Fellowship.
Having a tangible connection with God can be difficult. Fellowship was made by God because "it isn't good for man to be alone". In our pursuit of a stronger relationship with God, we can use our human relationships to understand how much grander and amazing God is and will be when we are reconciled to Him.
God's beautiful creation reveals His presence and points to His existence.
God intentionally created an intricately exquisite setting for humankind to enter. His grand design points to His Majesty and by taking it in we ENCOUNTER God. We are careful, however, not to worship creation itself, but the One who arranged it.
Tithe and Offering offer a trust fall between you and God.
All other spiritual disciplines outside of tithes and offerings require very little risk. There is a chance of losing small amounts of time, but tithes and offerings require actual sacrifice. This risk can provide a chance to Encounter God in a unique and different way.
Sing Unto the Lord.
Singing may not be for everyone, but worship is. By glorifying God through worship we Encounter Him as we join all of creation in "crying out" His greatness.
Be Still and Know that I Am God
This week we find that by practicing stillness in our life we open ourselves to God's presence. Stillness is different than prayer, or devotion. Stillness means to truly pause.
Encountering God through Service
By finding opportunities to serve we find fulfillment because we glorify God. Service in and of itself is not the source of satisfaction. We grow closer to God when we imitate His loving nature back to Him and to others around us.
Encountering God by getting low.
One's mentality can be easily influenced by physical posture. ENCOUNTER God by understanding the relationship between bowing, kneeling and the vulnerability it creates which leads to a more rich faith.
Are you wrestling with faith? Are there questions that you don't want to ask out loud?
This week we Encounter God by looking at the story of Jacob who spent a night wrestling with God. We may not physically Encounter God the same way but we certainly have a lot to wrestle with.
Do you feel stuck in your faith? Do you feel like you're going through the motions but not getting anywhere?
This weekend Life Fellowship begins a new message series aimed at taking that "stuck" faith and elevating it to a meaningful and robust state.
We begin this series by looking in scripture to a man trying to understand the gospel and finding help to do so.
Jesus' final words to His disciples carry weight and a vital mission.
Goodbyes can be difficult. Those final words can be long-lasting and Jesus chooses His words carefully. His final words impart direction and an integral mission for His followers. Then and now.
Jesus spends 40 more days on earth after His resurrection. Why?I
n fear of Jesus' demise, HIs disciples are in hiding. Jesus spends 40 more days appearing to more than 500 witnesses, including the original disciples, affirming them and giving them INSPIRATION and HOPE.
He is risen! But, why did He die? Why didn't God simply CANCEL the debt instead of PAYING for it? Because Easter = Love.
Thank God it’s Friday, but why?
This Holy Week we celebrate several holidays that mark out Jesus’ final days. Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter. Jesus was celebrated at the beginning of the week, and then executed before the week’s end. Thankfully, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. His victory over death. Jesus saves us from the grave and disarms the power of SIN.
1 Corinthians 15:54-56
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is a creator and Life Giver. Therefore, to either rebel, or to choose oneself over God, is to choose the opposite of creation, namely death. When one relies on themselves for truth or life, they choose to waste away. In men’s pursuit to become like God we gave into temptation and introduced sin to God’s world. Sin shares similarities to terminal disease in that it grows and spreads. When sin is fully grown it results in death.
James 1:13-15
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Before Christ, Israelites were called to atone for their own sins. That is to pay for their sins. In Leviticus 3, there are many rules concerning the state and quality of the sacrifice. There was specific rituals concerning how the sacrifice was to be done properly when making an atonement. However, these sin offerings could not truly take away the impending death of the sinner.
Sin still eventually led to death.
What those sacrifices accomplished was to reveal the inseparable relationship between sin and the consequential death. A sinner of the Old Testament always saw their sin result in slaughter and blood. Those sin offerings tied a very real weight to living a life outside of God’s intended design, living an unrighteous life.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The weight of death would still be on us if not for the perfect sacrifice, “a lamb without blemish or defect”.
1 Peter 1:13-21
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
A vulnerable moment in the Garden of Gethsemane reveals both fear and determination in Jesus.
God can seem very hard to wrap ourselves around. Jesus' humanity, which is validated by some vulnerable moments like Gethsemane, offers us each a genuine path to true connection. His fear, ..."My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” gives us some bearing as to the cost of His sacrifice.
Sometimes the parables that Jesus shared were unclear to His listeners. Why did He chooses to teach this way?
We continue to study Jesus this week by diving into one of HIs favorite modes of teaching: the parable. Although parables are easy to remember we would sometimes see His followers unsure of what Jesus meant. We will find that even in the way Jesus taught there was a mission at hand.
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Jesus performed many miracles during His ministry: Where are they now?
Our focus this week is Jesus' miracles: the miracles purpose, value and what role they play in a post New Testament setting.
Jesus lays out the foundational structure of both His ministry and the coming Kingdom of God.
In Jesus' most complete and full sermon we break down the various segments and look at the sermon as a whole. This holistic view reveals Jesus' application : SEEK HIM AND YOU WILL FIND HIM.
Jesus' teachings were revolutionary, even before his death and resurrection. Jeff Lane fills in for Reggie Camarse in this look at why those teachings made such a splash, and what the "good news" sounded like as Jesus proclaimed it.
Jesus spends 40 agonizing days in the desert fighting off starvation and temptation by the Devil.
Jesus redeems men by resisting temptation in a stark desert in comparison to the lush garden where men fail. It's important to place value in Jesus' humanity to commit the full weight of His sacrifice to heart.
If Jesus had nothing to repent of why was He baptized?
Jesus displays full submission to His Father as he begins His ministry and shows us that all are called to follow Him through baptism.
How much does the Boy know?
It is a difficult task reconciling Jesus' divinity and His humanity. How much of the plan does he grasp? This wee we will learn how understanding His humanity allows the possibility of a genuine relationship.
Jesus was not the Messiah we thought He'd be.
In the first message of a new series, #Jesus, we'll talk about how Jesus was UNEXPECTED and is STILL more than we can grasp.