What do you do?

Over the past several weeks, we have talked about what it means to radically follow Jesus.  We have looked at some of the more difficult messages of Jesus.  We have considered giving our all to Him…our everything…and putting nothing before Him.  I pray that you have made that decision to radically follow Him…no matter what.  I pray that you are dedicated to serving Him because you love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

So, we say yes to following the Lord…God has called, we answer…we are ready to live life for Him.  That may have been years ago or a week ago.  We finally give everything to Him.  We have finally made that decision to let go.  Then, everything seems to fall apart…one piece at a time.  Or it all seems to crumble all at one time.  What happens when you follow the Lord and things don't go well?  What happens when you feel as though you have been beat down?  What do you do when you mess up?  What happens when you are not even sure you can keep moving forward?  What do your world isn't working out the way you thought it would?

For me, that lesson is learned from looking at the life of David.  David was chosen and anointed as a young man.  He was blessed by God.  Saul, the King, chose David to be his armor bearer.  David could play the harp while Saul was in distress in way that would calm him and help him to keep going.  1 Samuel 16:21-23.  It is going well for David.

He even faces Goliath…a giant that no one is willing to fight.  1 Samuel 17:42-47.  He didn't just fight him, he defeated him and showed the people who God was.  He is doing the right thing…surely it would all continue…and then…the "party was over"…1 Samuel 18:7-9. 

David fled, Saul pursued.  David encountered battle after battle just to keep his own life.  Saul wanted him dead.  David just wanted to live.  David's camp was raided…his wives and children taken.  He was blamed.  But, through it all, David knew this is where God had led him.  2 Samuel 5:12.

David had every reason to question where he was in life.  He had every reason to question his calling…quit the fight…wonder why he was called to live such a life.  He could have just given up.  But, for me, the message that David's early life teaches me is found over and over…2 Samuel 5:19.  David inquired of the Lord. 

What does that mean?  It means that David wanted to know which steps to take…so he asked God.  He wanted to know whether the battle was right or now…he asked God.  When he made a mistake, he came to God with it.  In the terrors of his life, he kept asking God what he should do.  And, God answered.  God was leading his life.  Step by step and day by day, God led. 

David wondered why Saul would want his life, but he remained faithful to God…which meant several times not killing Saul when he had the chance.  David remained faithful to God because he kept seeking God in his daily life.  He remained faithful because he didn't do it on his own…he looked to God for answers.  Can you imagine how overwhelming the situation was for David as he went from place to place hiding out because the one he took care of was now trying to kill him?  Yet, he kept coming back to the Lord and seeking Him.

How about you and me?  Do circumstances guide your feelings and attitude?  Does your situation indicate how obedient you are?  OR…do you remain faithful because you are continually seeking His will and His way rather than your own?  Things don't go well…seek God.  Daily seek Him.  Daily listen to Him.  Daily let Him lead and guide you. 

When you seek God daily…you find strength…you find guidance…you find peace…and you can be obedient and faithful to the call.

Go and Make Disciples

Last week, we considered whether or not the Word of God is enough.  Is it really enough to bring us together?  Do we have that desire to know God more, to see what He reveals to us?  Do we really want to grow in Christ?  Do we desire to come together to do that?  Is it really enough?

Today, I want us to think about what are we to do as Christians?  What is it that we are called to do as His church and as His people?  We look at the Word for answers.  Matthew 28:19-20.  The first thing that we read in this scripture is to GO and to MAKE disciples. 

Make disciples…that's an interesting thought isn't it.  What does it mean to make disciples?  We might first think it means to get people to come to church.  Surely if we can get someone to church, we can make a disciple of them, right?  Isn't that what you pay the preacher for?  Isn't that what we are doing when we have church? 

That could easily be a general consensus of the church.  But, that isn't what it means to make disciples.  As a church, bringing someone to worship isn't the definition of making disciples.  Making disciples isn't something that the pastor does for the church.  Jesus didn't say, sit in church and wait for others to come.  He also didn't say for us to bring people to church and let's see what happens.

He told His disciples to go and to make disciples.  He is telling you and me as disciples to go and to make disciples.  That is done in our ordinary everyday lives.  We make disciples through relationships.  The church is not our mode of evangelism…our way of telling people about Jesus…our communication with the world.  The church is the place where believers come to worship the Almighty God.  We come together to know more about Him and to worship Him.  But, we go and make disciples.  The people we see in church often are people we see on a regular basis in church.  We are comfortable.  These are our "church peeps". 

But, what about the people you see at the grocery store?  What about the people you see at the bank and at the doctor's office.  These are people we see through our jobs and in our lives.  These are people we see when we are doing what we do on a daily basis…not what we do on Sundays.  In making disciples, we may bring them to church.  Worship is obviously really important in the life of a follower.  But, inviting someone to church isn't the mode of making disciples.

Making disciples is living the life.  It is talking with others.  It is finding out what is going on with them.  It is being a friend.  It is showing love when others don't.  It is being there when they are down.  And it is showing them God.  We show them the love of God in the way we treat them.  We show them love by taking time out of the hustle and bustle of our lives.  We don't cut people off because they don't talk or act like we do.  We show love by being there.  We live the example by buying a few extra groceries in a week for the food pantry or FLOK.  We live the example by showing people we are real, with real problems…but that we serve a real Savior.  We show them where our hope comes from.

Life isn't easy for anyone.  It may seem that some have it easier than others.  But, no one has it easy.  We all struggle.  We all have things that bring us down.  We all have burdens we are carrying around that no one may not ever see.  But, if we are continually seeking out people like us…Christians…we miss the opportunity to make disciples. 

Romans 10:11-17…Powerful words!  These words remind us that there is a progression.  People call on the Lord when they believe.  People believe when they hear.  People hear when someone preaches.  Someone preaches when they are called.  You may think that doesn't mean you.  You know you aren't called to be a preacher.  That may be true unless you consider that preaching is really just proclaiming.  Can you proclaim that Jesus is Savior?  Can you proclaim what He has done for you?  Can you proclaim what God is doing in your life?  If so, you are called to do what is outlined here. 

Also, do you think this is referring to a Sunday morning service?  How about people hear when someone is willing to live the life and to proclaim the truth.  God calls.  He has commanded us to go and make disciples.  He has given us the mission to go.  He is calling…are you answering? 

Make disciples…You and Me…Make disciples.  We do that through relationships…we do that through our everyday lives…we do that through mentoring and loving…we do that through encouragement.  But most importantly, we do it through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Following the Lord…filled with the Holy Spirit…always with the Lord…making disciples…

Is the Word enough?

Today, you can put away your Bibles.  We won't need them in worship today.  Instead, we are going to just spend time worshiping.  We are going to talk about how much we have been blessed.  We are going to come up with ways that we can be a better church and better people.  Sounds like a plan?

It shouldn't.  It shouldn't because if we are going to be obedient people and an obedient church…and if we are going to truly worship…the Word of God has to be an integral part.  So, what is the Bible really good for?  We have had an emphasis since Memorial Day on reading the Bible every day.  But, what is it really good for?  Why do you have the Bible?  Why do you read it?  What are you looking for?  The answers to these questions say a lot about us.

For many, the Bible is a history book…and it does have a lot of history in it.  I have been reading in 1 Samuel recently and there is some powerful history of God's people.  For some, it is a road map.  It is a way for us to make the right decisions…a guidebook for life.  For some, it is a love letter…God's letter to us.  But, in all of these things, the focus of the Bible is me.  It is my love letter…my guidebook for my life…my road map…the focus is ME.  Now, it is true that the Bible does provide us with a way to live our lives…and it does show us the love of God, I want you to think of the Bible in a completely radical way…

Let's think about the Bible as God's revelation.  He is revealing something to us that we don't know and we won't know unless He reveals it.  It isn't something we get on our own.  It isn't dependent on us.  It is dependent on God.  In this revelation, God is revealing who He is to us.  How we approach Scripture says a lot about our priorities.  David Platt in Radical writes…"If you want to know what you really treasure, take a hard look at the way you read the Bible.  If you read the Bible with the intent of getting good advice, making choices, or finding your way in the world, then chances are you're worshiping at the altar of self.  If you read the Bible as it was meant to be read – so that you can know, understand, and obey God – you're beginning to see the true focus of Scripture:  God."

Let's read in this Word about the Word…2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Hebrews 4:12-13.

The Word is there to train and correct and teach in the ways of God.  It isn't about us…the Word is about God.  It is about who He is and how He is calling us to an obedient heart and life.  The Word of God cuts to the heart…it reveals our true motives…it opens us up to the truth.  If the Word isn't correcting us and revealing where we are missing the mark and showing us how He wants to go, then we may be missing it when we are reading the Word. 

How important really is the Word?  Is it really so important or is it something you could live without?  Is it something you could worship without?  Is the Word of God really enough for us?  Is it enough for us to come to worship OR do we come for some other reasons (or not come for other reasons)? 

Are we really here to learn more about Him?  Are we really here to read His Word and to know Him better and obey Him?  What if we take away the comforts of the church…the cushions…the decorations…the A/C…would you still come?  What if we didn't have the building and had to meet under an oak tree?  What if your life was on the line if you came together to hear and study the Word?  Does it really mean that much to you?  Does hearing and learning more about God really mean that much to you?  Do we have a thirst for the Word and a thirst to worship?  In other words, is the Word of God enough for us to come together? 

If we want to follow Jesus, that answer has to be YES.  But, that isn't often our focus because we are thinking about us.  We aren't really thinking about God and worshiping Him…much of the time, we are thinking about what we want.  We are thinking about how there could be different music or hymns, how the preacher could really stop any time, thinking about how the service is going to run long because of communion, thinking about what is going to happen after church.  We don't give God our 100% when we are here and we likely wouldn't come without the modern conveniences.  We could easily go somewhere else that has them.  And if we don't, we can just stay home.  Those are scary thoughts because it reveals how much we really want to follow Jesus rather than self.

Our decision, though, isn't that we are going to start loving the Word of God today.  Our decision is rather that we are committing ourselves to following Jesus Christ.  Our decision is that we will love the Lord our God with all of our heart and soul and strength.  Our decision is that God is enough and we will worship Him no matter what.  When we make that decision, the Word of God comes alive for us because the Holy Spirit ignites that.  We look at 1 Samuel and we see the heart of Hannah…we see the heart of David…we see the fall of Saul…and the fall of Eli's sons…and we take a long hard look at how we are being obedient and if our heart is loyal to God. 

Do you want to know more about God…do you want to know how to be obedient…do you want to know how to follow?  Spend time in the Word and spend time in worship with the Word.  God reveals Himself through the Word, through His Spirit, and throughout our lives…but we miss it if we miss the Word.  Yes, the Word of God is just that important!

Who God is...Who we are

We have been looking over the last few weeks about what it means to follow Jesus…truly follow Him…to sacrifice all in order to follow Him wholeheartedly.  Today, let's consider why following Jesus is so very important.

To start, I want us to consider who God really is.  Now, there is no way for me to completely describe God.  It is important, though, to look at the characteristics of God.

When we think of God…many of us have ideas that pop into our minds automatically.  We could picture God as a loving God who sent Jesus to take on the sins of the world.  Some people picture the big father figure who is standing in judgment and we should be afraid of.  Then there are others who have a view that fits how He was described growing up.  But, it is most important that we don't try to change who God is to fit who we want Him to be.

For some reason, we could get the idea that the God of the New Testament is much kinder and more loving than the God of the Old Testament.  We divide the two as if God had a change of heart between the two.  We could split them…God of Old versus God of New.  But that isn't correct.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God doesn't change.  He hasn't changed ever.  His love hasn't changed ever.  He hasn't become a softy through history.  He is the same.

God is still a jealous God and expects us to put Him first.  He is still God that has wrath towards liars, hatred towards sinners.  He still expects obedience from His people.  That can all seem so harsh unless we consider that He does all of these things for our good.  He expects us to put Him first because that is what we were created for.  He doesn't want us to fall in the traps of sin.  He doesn't want us to go our own way that leads to destruction.  Like a loving parent, He shows us the way and provides guidance for us all along the way.  There are consequences to our decisions…as there should be.  That can make us squirm a little in our seats.  We sometimes forget that He is High and Holy…Powerful and Mighty…Sovereign King…

Given what we just considered about who God is, let us think about who we are.  In order to do that, let's look at Ephesians 2:1-3.

In just a few short verses, we begin to see who we are.  Not a pleasant view of humanity.  We are dead in sin, we follow fleshly desires, we are disobedient, we deserve wrath.  Without God, we are in hopelessness.  We deserve punishment. 

Just like we don't want to think about who God is, we don't want to think about who we really are either.  We don't want to think about how we are disobedient and are influenced by the devil.  We don't want to think about how we go our own way.  We want the pretty pictures.  But, humanity doesn't have a good side with sin.  The wages of sin is death. 

So, we have God who hates sinners…and we have us…sinners.  That is a picture for you.  We see in the Old Testament where God is trying to redirect and His people keep making really bad choices.  Even those who God directly told to do better didn't.  They were doomed and so are we…

What do we do?

Acts 2:37-40.  Peter was asked the question about what to do.  His response was to flee the world, repent and be baptized.  They were told to repent…turn away from their sins.  They were instructed to be baptized (a public showing of their decision…one that could be very dangerous).  They were told to flee what this world has to offer in order to follow. 

Let's continue by looking at Ephesians 2:4-10.  Because of God's GREAT love for us, God – who is rich in mercy – provided grace.  We were dead in our sins.  We were hopeless.  But, God didn't give up on us.  He loves us.  Through Christ, He provided a way.  It is only by grace that we are saved…and grace is a gift from God…completely undeserved.  We can't do anything to earn it.  We were created by Him…and reborn in Christ Jesus…to do good works!

Sinners…provided a way…through an unearned gift…to do good works.  And yet, we have a problem with total surrender.  Why wouldn't we surrender to the One who has provided so much already?

The Heart of the Matter

Growing up in church, I often questioned why we couldn't do what we wanted to do…why we couldn't do the things we chose – especially when they didn't involve anyone else.  Who was I hurting?  Who would even know?  Would God care about that?

My Dad often got the majority of these questions because he was my Sunday School teacher many years.  He always summed it up to…it is a heart problem.  You will make decisions and do things based on what is in your heart.

At that time, it at least helped with some of my questions.  But, as I grow older, it means more and more.  In following Christ, our lives should reflect the character of Christ…we should care for what God cares for…we shouldn't ignore the things that God considers important.

That means I end up loving things that I wouldn't necessarily want to love…it means that I end up doing things that will seem crazy to the rest of the world…but right on with God.

Let's look at a scripture…thinking about getting to the heart of things.

Mark 10:17-31

Today's scripture is much like the last 2 weeks.  This is one of those difficult scriptures because our first thought often is…Is Jesus asking me to sell everything I have if I follow Him?  Our next question to automatically assume that Jesus wouldn't ask us to give up our possessions…so we can just move on.

Jesus may actually ask you to give up all you have and follow Him.  That may actually happen.  You certainly wouldn't be the first…and I am sure you wouldn't be the last.  There are people all over our world who have sold their homes and left the comforts of their jobs and lives in order to follow Christ to the ends of the earth.  There are people listening to God and saying YES as He is asking them to step out on faith and trust Him.

The issue is not whether Jesus is asking him or us to sell everything.  Jesus is calling for total surrender.

It is important that we realize that salvation isn't about our actions.  Good works do not get you into heaven.  We can't get into the game of seeing who has done the best works and comparing because no works compare to the blood of Jesus Christ.

We don't do good works to be saved.  We are saved…so we do good works.  Our heart is in the right place.  We are changed by the power of Christ…the Holy Spirit is working in us…we desire to reflect Him.  We are changed to be more like Him because we totally surrender it all.

Look at 1 John 2:3-6

When we look at this scripture, we can easily go down a path that is not the right one.  We could find ourselves looking at this scripture and identifying other people who claim one thing but live a different life.

Sins…we are quick to look at people and code them as not following…despite what they claim.  Can point out what is wrong with the way they are living.  No problem with that.  Can look and see their fruits are not reflective of Christ. 

But, it is quite a different issue when we look at ourselves….That plank in our own eye is quite large.  We begin to compare sins and think about how our sin isn't as big as someone else's sin or we think about how terrible someone else is living but don't want to look at ourselves.  We could think that we are doing it all correct because we never take inventory…

How about caring for the poor?  What about indulging in more and more stuff while ignoring the poor…How about looking at what we have and seeing if we are using it ALL for the glory of God.  How are we spending our time…how are we living our lives…

Have we actually allowed Christ to change us?  Are we actually following Him?  Are we doing what He is saying?  If not, now is the perfect time to repent of that and ask Him to change us.   We want Him to change us to help us to reflect Him!

Finally, it is important not to leave discouraged…wondering how we are going to do one more thing.  Don't leave here thinking about what you need to do.  How about be encouraged to know that when we come to Him with our whole hearts and totally surrender…He will come and rescue us and change us.  It is about becoming more and more like Him and less and less like the world.  Now that's something to look forward to!

Your Treasure

Last week, we began a series based on the study Radical.  We looked at what it meant to come to Jesus on His terms rather than ours.  Have we tried to make Jesus more like us and our society OR are we willing to follow the Jesus of the Bible.  Remember that we looked at what He requires in following:  Superior Love and Exclusive Loyalty.

Today, I want to continue to look at this and what that might mean for us as Christians today.  Let's begin by looking at what happened when Jesus called the disciples.  Matthew 4:18-22.

Notice what Jesus didn't say to them…He didn't tell them to believe in Him.  He asked them to follow Him.  In order to follow, you must believe.  Otherwise, the following will be a short lived whim that is not a lifelong change.  They followed.  What did they give up to follow?

They gave up their nets…their career and source of food.  They gave up their boat…their possessions.  They left behind their father…their family.  They gave up everything in order to be a disciple of Jesus…Superior Love and Exclusive Loyalty.

What about me and you?  What did we have to give up or sacrifice in order to follow Jesus?  My fear is that we are still clinging to everything this world has to offer and we still haven't completely agreed to follow Him.  We want to follow…but we are holding to tightly to the things of this world.

If you will remember last week, we looked at Luke 14:25-35.  In that scripture, verse 28 talks about counting the cost.  If Jesus really requires absolute obedience and commitment, then this isn’t something we do half-heartedly or with waivered commitment.  This is something that we do with our whole heart. 

Was Jesus really serious about what He is asking us to do?  Or have we just given a ton of excuses why He didn't really mean what He said?  Are we following out of convenience?  Or are we following out of wholehearted devotion?

As we think about that, let's look at Matthew 13:44.  The man in this parable had found something really really important to him.  He had found something that was more valuable than anything else.  He had found something that was worth selling everything else he had in order to have this one thing.  He wasn't forced to sell all he had for this one treasure.  He found something worth losing everything else in order to obtain this. 

Is Jesus your treasure?  Is He worth selling all you have in order to follow?  Is He worth all of your love and devotion?  Is He worth exclusive loyalty and superior love?  We are told that where our treasure is, our heart will be also.  Something to think about for sure!

Matthew 16:24-27 – In this scripture, we are reminded that we have to be willing to give it all up…because ultimately what matters is Him.  We have to be willing to evaluate all we have and give it all to Him.  We have to be willing to look at our time, our talents, our gifts, our service…our everything and see if we are clinging to something that is keeping us from following.  Are we holding on to something that is good…but is keeping us from being exclusively loyal to Him? 

I want to wrap this up with a final thought.  We are Christians in a time of war.  We are in a battle.  We have a job to do.  We are called for exclusive loyalty…commitment…all in to follow Him.  If we are all in, we are called to put on the whole armor (Ephesians) and prepare for the battle.  There are people who have not heard.  There are people who do not know.  This world is looking to take our devotion away from Him.  The enemy will try to steer us in the wrong direction.  We are in a time of war…not a time to sit around and admire what we have.  Let's count the cost…take up our cross…and follow Jesus.  Are you in?

Are you really a follower?

Today's message is based on the study, Radical by David Platt. 

What does it mean to REALLY follow Jesus?  I have felt that we might be missing something as a church and as His followers.  There seems to be something missing as we casually follow Him.  What would it mean to have our lives so given over to Jesus that we give Him control over everything?  What does it look like to be that kind of follower?  Do you really want to go there?

We should start with what Jesus told those who wanted to follow Him.  Be prepared because Jesus didn't have the same terms of becoming a disciple that we do.  We often want to do things our way…we just want Jesus involved in what we are doing.  Let's look at what it means to follow Jesus on His terms.

Luke 14:26-35

This is one of those parts of scripture that we look at…we think about…and we move on.  We don't really look at what it means to follow Jesus like this.  This kind of following is serious.  This kind of following requires more devotion than we normally want to give.  This kind of discipleship isn't comfortable to discuss…so we move on to something much easier…something that fits us better.

Today, we are going to look at what it means to follow Jesus on His terms.  What did He ask of those who wanted to follow Him and what does He ask of us?

First, Jesus requires superior love.

What does that mean?  We get a glimpse of superior love here…except we can get confused.  How is it that we can love our brothers and sisters…we can respect our parents…love our children more than words can express…and yet hate them at the same time? 

In order to begin to look at what this means, let's look at a couple of other scriptures along these same lines.  Matthew 22:36-40

This is a verse that we talk about often.  We memorize this verse.  We love the idea of the verse…but rarely do we put this into practice.  Rarely do we find someone who is so in love with God that they love Him with all that they are.  But, Jesus is telling us that this is what is means to follow.

What does a life like that God is your all in all?  What does a life look like where we are completely and totally given over to God?  What does it look like to love God so much that our decisions and our very steps are led by God? 

If we can get a glimpse of that kind of love…a love where God is everything…a love where God isn't first – He is all there is.  If we can begin to open our eyes to the kind of love that He is calling us to…this superior love, then the verses in Matthew begin to make more sense.

Loving God should be your everything.  If we love God with our everything, then the love for the things of this world looks like hate in comparison.  If our love for God is supreme…it drives our lives…it leads and guides who we are.  If our love for God is supreme, it determines what we do every day. 

Many of us aren't willing to love God that much.  We are willing to give Him a little time on Sunday maybe…we are willing to call on Him when we need Him…we might even read the Bible if we have a few extra minutes.  But, following like that isn't following the way that Jesus has called us to follow.

Jesus doesn't call us into a casual relationship with Him.  He is asking us to have a superior love for Him.  He is asking us to love Him with all that we are.  We can't give Him our leftovers.  We must give Him our everything.  Do you want to follow Jesus?

Second, Jesus requires exclusive loyalty.

If we really want to follow Jesus, we will give Him our entire lives.  Jesus asks us to take up our cross and follow Him.  What did it mean to take up a cross in Jesus time?

Think about it.  When did Jesus carry a cross?  He carried a cross when He was going through town on His way to be crucified.  People didn't carry around their crosses casually.  They didn't carry them around as an accessory.  It wasn't something pretty that they would do just so people could identify them.  The cross was a way of execution.  It was carried when you were on your way to be killed. 

Why would Jesus ask us to take up our cross and follow Him?  In order to follow Jesus, we have to be willing to give up our entire lives…everything…and follow Him.  Let Him be in charge of our lives…our families…our actions…our thoughts…let Him be in control.  That kind of authority we don't give easily.

The only way we do that is to die to self and alive to Christ.  That isn't the kind of following that we are accustomed to.  We don't often think about what it means to follow Christ with everything.  We talk about it…but we don't often do it. 

This isn't your casual following.  Being a disciple…a follower isn't something you take lightly.  This isn't something that Jesus said you just do. 

If you look at scripture, you will see that people weren't flocking to be His followers.  You will see where people started following and then walked away.  If it was easy and fun and a walk in the park, everyone would have followed.  But, it was difficult and dangerous and a big decision. 

What kind of follower am I?  Am I ready to give Him superior love and exclusive loyalty?

The Body of Christ

We are the body of Christ… As the body of Christ, we have some important questions to answer:  What are we doing?  Where are we heading? How do we get to where we are led?

God has given us all the direction that we need…we have His Word and the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us on the journey.

We are disciples and we are told what to do as His followers…together as the body of Christ.  We are told to make disciples, to feed, to shelter, to care for, to visit…all for the glory of God.

If that is the direction for the body of Christ…if God's Word is really that clear that as disciples and followers, that is what we are suppose to do…then why aren't we doing it?  What is missing?  How does it get fixed?

Prayer is the first place that we begin.  If we are continually seeking His face, listening for His direction, humbly coming before the Lord, then we will know what to do next.  And it should be no surprise when He directs because He has given us direction in His Word.

I think we step out on faith next…Not held back by our own humanity…scared of what is ahead…fearful of what the implications are…but boldly stepping forward in faith knowing that this is God's fight and we are His soldiers.

Third, we are called to do this together…if we are really the body of Christ.  Paul gave us the well known analogy of how we are to come together to work together for His good.

1 Corinthians 12:1-26

In reading this scripture, here are a few things to note:

A – We are serving ONE LORD – One God, One Spirit, One Lord.  It is all about Him, for Him, and we are working through His power, His strength, and His guidance.

B – We are given gifts to be used for His glory.  When we are not using the gifts we have been given for Him, we are withholding what we are called to do from the body of Christ.  When we wait for someone else to do what we are called to do, then we are not being obedient and thus, harming the overall body from going in the right direction for the Lord

C – Your gift is not any more important or any less important than anyone else's.  That is YOUR GIFT to be used for HIS GLORY.  It is important because it is what He has placed inside your heart and within you to complete.  If you have the gift of encouragement…then encourage.  If you have the gift of organization, then organize.

D – Different gifts = Different people.  We are not all going to be the same or think the same or do things the same way.  If we do, we have a bunch of arms that go NOWHERE.  That isn't how we are designed.  We have one Lord and one Spirit and one goal/focus…but we all have different things we do to help that get accomplished.  That means that we will work with people who don't do things like we would want…but they bring a gift that we don't have.  Look for the gift in others.

E – Find YOUR passion.  God has laid something special in your heart that drives you to serve Him with all you are.  Find it…it may be oversees missions…it may be children…it may be teaching…it may be serving through encouragement…it may be music…but FIND it because God is ready to USE it!

We are the body of Christ…many members…One Lord…where are we going?  How do we get there?

About Me?

Day to day, we go through life…influenced by the world around us…sometimes blindly.  We can get so caught up in daily life and especially a material life that we fail to take a step back and reflect on where we are and what we are doing.  I would say that many of us don't stop and make sure that our speech and actions reflect following God and following His Word.  We could become content with our lives and if we did take the time to reflect, we might find that there are some things need serious prayer and change. 

Today, I want to look at what happened to a couple who let power, greed, and envy get in the way of their lives.  1 Kings 21:1-14.

Naboth has a vineyard…a parcel of land which he inherited…priceless to him

Ahab is a king…living next door…wants the vineyard for a vegetable garden…names a price for the land of Naboth…he really wants the vineyard…it works well for him

Naboth isn't willing to compromise…sell…or trade…Ahab pouts because he can't have what he wants

Jezebel (his wife) doesn't see this as a problem since he is the king…so she takes care of it…she makes it happen…at Naboth's expense.

Tough story for us to read…we quickly judge Ahab and Jezebel and think how horrible they are…we can really spend a lot of time picking them apart because they definitely had some issues.  But, this message from the scriptures is important and I want to share with you what I see going on here that can help us…

They have the ME syndrome

The me syndrome is where everything starts, lives and ends with me…my wants, my needs, my desires, my passions, me…me…me… What I do, I do for me…I work for me…I live for me

The ME syndrome is easy to get…it is how our world works…it is what we are often taught in advertising and shows and in those we watch…

With the ME syndrome comes problems…and these problems often begin very subtly…without notice…we don't even see them coming…and no one may not even tell us about it because they have the same thing…

Problem 1: Envy

When we have the ME syndrome, we see what others have and we want it.  We see beautiful things all around us and we want them.  All of a sudden, the things that we have aren't good enough.  The things that have been working just fine aren't sufficient.  We begin to notice what is around us and feel like we deserve those things as well.  Why not?  Does it matter if we have to cut what we give God to get it?  Does it matter if we have to work a few more hours and cut our family time?  Does it really matter that we will go in debt beyond our means? 

We either begin to have a distaste for those around us who have better things or we work ourselves to death to get them…no matter the sacrifice.  Envy is really easy given all of the messages we receive.  We must guard against envy and wanting what others have…

Problem #2: Pride

When we have the ME syndrome, we begin to think a lot of ourselves.  We begin to think more of ourselves that we should.  We begin to realize that we do have power to make this happen…we can influence others…we are somebody.  There is a healthy sense of self…and then there is pride that causes you to think about being self made…when in reality you are God made.  We forget the Creator.  We forget others.  It is all about us and what we can do and accomplish.

Problem #3: Selfish

With the ME syndrome, we become selfish.  We think of self first.  We put self first.  We will help our neighbors if it doesn't interfere with self.  We are willing to give as long as we take care of self.  We are truly out for self and if there is time and resources left, we will give to others. 

The reason all of these are problems is because God's Word tells us to guard against all of these.  We are constantly taught in the Word to put God first, then others.  We are reminded that what we have all belongs to Him and we are just stewards of what He has given us.  What are you choosing?  Maybe we should take a step back today and make sure we are choosing the direction of the Lord rather than direction of self…do you have the ME syndrome?

Are you faithful?

Being faithful to God can be difficult.  Often God doesn't ask us to give Him what we have an abundance of.  It doesn't take much faith to do that.  In order to be faithful, He may ask us to give Him all we have…or a good portion of what we have…or give more than we are willing at the time.  He may ask us to do that in places where we think that just isn't possible.  We don't see that this can be good…we aren't sure it will all work out.  We get nervous.

God calls us to be obedient with what He has given us.  That means that we realize that full ownership of all we have belongs to Him and so we have to be willing in a moment's notice to give all He asks back to Him…trusting that He will take care of us when we are faithful.

That is what is going on with a widow in the message today.  Let's look at just a portion of the journey for Elijah and how this widow is asked to give of her all.  1 Kings 17.

This is a powerful reminder of who God is.  The God that we serve is not powerless or at our beckon call to have something happen.  God is in control and has plans for us if we are faithful to Him.

Let's notice just a little of what is going on in today's scripture:

1 - Elijah is depending on God daily for his provisions.  That couldn't have been easy.  What could he have been thinking as the water was drying up in the brook…as he watched that happen daily?  What had to be on his mind as God instructed him to go to a widow for his next set of provisions?  God feeling the Israelite children wondering in the wilderness comes to mind for me…daily provisions by trusting.

2 – The widow is hopeless but willing. 

The widow that he is going to see…she has given up hope.  Her bin is practically empty.  She doesn't have anyone to lean on.  She doesn’t have anywhere else to go.  She is looking at the end.  And Elijah shows up requesting what little she has.

She could have refused knowing that what little was in her bin was for her and her son.  That could have been the end for her.  But, because she was willing to be obedient and faithful to what God has asked her to do, her needs were met as well.

When she gave of what she had, God met her needs.  The bin of flour was not used up.  Every day, there was more flour.  There was more oil in the jar.  Every single day, she could look and see how God was faithful because she was willing.  Reminds me of Matthew 6:25, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" 

This widow reminds me of the widow Jesus spoke about In Mark 12:41-44 that gave all that she had…not out of the abundance that the wealthy had.

3 – God continued to meet their needs. 

Not only did God feel Elijah and the widow and her son, He also provided for the healing of her son…who had died.  God saw her need and heard Elijah's prayer.  God did not leave her but took care of her and Elijah. 

Over and over in scripture we see that God takes care of those who are faithful.  Notice that taking care of them doesn't equate to the things we think of today.  It didn't mean that He provided her with a new house or brand new livestock.  He didn't make her the land owner of many acres.  What He did do was take care of her needs. 

We can see the faithfulness of these people.  We can read about the faithfulness of so many in scripture.  But, what happens when God calls us to be faithful?  Do we back up and declare that we aren't like them?  Do we remind God of what we need our provisions for?  Do we show God our bills and explain why we can't do what He is asking?  OR, are we faithful and obedient and willing to do what He asks right away…without hesitation…knowing that He will provide when we are faithful?  What about you?

Building Blocks

Hope Is Here!  We can rejoice because we have hope.  You may be wondering why this really is so exciting.  As I think about all of the events that are going on constantly in our world, it is often difficult to see the hand of God.  It is sometimes tough to see the love of God.  It can certainly be beyond challenging to have hope.  When your faith is tested beyond what you could imagine, all your earthly possessions could vanish in a moment, and those that we depend so heavily on are gone, where do you go?  What do you do? Where is your hope?  When everything is on the line…where is your foundation?

Romans 5:1-5

You may remember as a kid using building blocks.  They come in different shapes and sizes.  It was important to choose the right building blocks in order to provide a steady masterpiece.  You wanted the most solid and sturdy at the bottom as your foundation because it had to be able to hold all the rest of the blocks as you built.  You didn't want to build real high and then realize that you had big pieces left and to put them on would destroy the whole thing.  As I was studying this scripture, I thought about each of the things we will look at today as building blocks to you and me as followers of Jesus Christ.

As we look at this, Paul is wrapping up where he has been arguing for being justified by faith.  This is a transition point where we take into consideration that since we have been justified by faith…then we have peace with God…

Building Block 1: Peace with God…

Paul is showing us that if we have been justified by faith, then we have peace with God.  In order to even begin to grasp this, we have to understand that we are sinners…and God doesn't look upon sin…and sin provides a 'gap' between us and God…one that we can't break because we are sinners.  That puts us in a situation we can't do anything about.  The Bible reminds us that there is no one righteous…no not one…

Except that we keep reading.  It says that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…wonder how that works?  As we continue to read, we see that it is grace that enables us to stand before a Holy God.  Grace…that free, undeserved, unearned gift that God gives through Jesus Christ.  So the key to the gap is that Jesus Christ gave up His life for you and me so that we could be cleansed…and come before God…and rejoice…and have hope…and have peace with God.

That is a HUGE, super important building block…and if we are without it…we will surely fall… And then Paul continues…

Building Block 2:  Tribulations/Suffering

We really have one of two ways to approach this building block.  Suffering/trials/tribulations can either tear us down, steal our joy, rip us apart OR they can produce something good.  We are going to undergo suffering…no doubt.  We are going to come up against things in this world.  We are going to struggle.  We are going to be beat down sometimes.  We live in this world and we are going to have troubles…Jesus told us that.  We don't even have to know why we suffer…we just know that we do.  And, we can go around feeling sorry for ourselves for our suffering OR we can glory in that suffering and allow it to do a work in us.  In order to understand that, we need to look at what it does…

Building Block 3:  Perseverance

You can glory in tribulations/suffering because suffering helps you develop perseverance.  I like to think of perseverance as "Stick to it-ness"  That thing that people have that gives them the ability to just keep on keeping on even in the face of adversity.  That "never give up" attitude.  That part of us that will not allow this world to get us down because we are serving the Lord.  We get that perseverance by suffering.  We don't learn to stick to it until we have things that come against us that try to get us to quit and give up.  And when we develop this 'stick-to-it-ness', we find that something else happens…

Building Block 4:  Character

When we have been through trials and suffering…and we have learned to keep on keeping on…our character is developed.  We learn that when God is all we have…God is really all we need.  We learn that this world and its goods are fleeting.  We learn that the things we hold so tightly here can be taken from us.  Through these lessons…when we persevere through it all…we are building character.  Character is one of those things that people don't give to you.  Character is developed.  Character is developed through tough times and through suffering.  Character is who you are even when no one is looking.  When we suffer and learn to persevere…knowing that God is with us through it all…we gain a new perspective on what is important.  We develop who we are in Christ.  We develop character and that is something that we earn – yet people see in us.

Building Block 5:  Hope

Through all of this, we gain hope.  We being to lose our earthly perspective…we learn to stick to it through it all because of this amazing peace with God…we develop a character that can't be bought…and we live in an amazing hope because no matter what – God is there.

To pull all of this together…Paul writes in verse 5…"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us".  WOW!  Hope doesn't disappoint because God has poured out His love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  That is amazing!  I can just imagine God pouring out His love on His people who have suffered…and stuck to it…and have built character…and have hope…ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS!  Now that is something to rejoice about!

The Power to Speak and Hear

Last week, we looked at how the Holy Spirit would come and give power for the disciples to be witnesses.  They were to wait for the promise to be fulfilled and then act upon that.

Today, let's look at what happens when they wait…

Acts 2:1-12

The Holy Spirit made quite an entrance for the disciples.  The entrance made enough of a sound that people gathered around to see what was going on.  Notice that people stopped what they were doing to listen.  That is important.

The disciples were speaking in other languages…languages that those who were gathered could hear and understand.  In my mind, I would equate that to going to a world meeting in a different non-English country and someone being able to translate what was being said into English.  While that may not seem like such a far stretch today, that was a huge deal then.

We know it was a huge deal because of how amazed they were.  They don't understand how this can happen and wonder what is going on. 

There are some important things that are going on for this day that the Holy Spirit fell among the disciples.  I want to point out 2 things that were important for them and are important for us today.

First, when the Holy Spirit came, He gave them to power to speak the message.  Remember who we are studying here.  We aren't looking at the big bad guys who stood up to everyone while Jesus was alive.  We aren't looking at the rebel leaders who were glad to go in the face of authority.  We are looking at fisherman, tax collectors, and ordinary everyday men who were just like you and me.  They were chosen by God…but were not dictators or speakers.  They were working people.

They have stood up and spoke the message of God to a group of people who might not would have ordinarily heard.  This is not a time where they are having an exclusive moment that is for the church.  This is a time of empowerment to spread the message.

Second, when the Holy Spirit came, people heard the message.  So, it wasn't like Peter and the disciples just stood up and spoke as they could.  They spoke so that the people could understand it.  We now that what they were speaking was about God because in verse 11…we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.

People are getting to hear the Word…thus the Word can begin to spread.  Jesus told them that the Holy Spirit was coming and that He would give them power to be witnesses all over the world.  And, here, we see that the Holy Spirit has come and He is giving them the power to be witnesses right at that very moment.  It definitely was a 'God moment'. 

We also know that although the disciples may not have continued to speak in other languages, the message continued to get out.  They were given the power to speak boldly to leaders which they hid from earlier.  They were given the power to speak about the Lord in the streets and in the temple…even in the face of being beaten, killed or imprisoned.  They were given the power to spread the gospel and people were hearing it.  It started here but this is just the beginning.  The power enabled them to be witnesses for sure!  Just as Jesus promised, they would be able to be witnesses all over the world.

That same Holy Spirit gives you and me the power to speak boldly and live boldly in our world.  He gives us the power to speak the Word and opens eyes for others to hear and see.  He gives us the amazing opportunity to spread the message through our speech and through our lives.  When we speak and live boldly, people will hear the message. 

You may say that we have a problem…what I just said may not describe our lives.  If it doesn't, we may want to reevaluate if we are living and acting in the leading and power of the Holy Spirit.  God's message should be spreading throughout our community and our world…by believers…you and me.  If it is not, what are we doing?