Prayer
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16
As I mentioned last week in class the plan this year is to place more emphasis on prayer. It is obvious writers of the New Testament felt that prayer was very important since in the NLT the base word “pray” is found 176 times.
So, pray first for ourselves, then our family, our friends, Our neighbors, our class, our church leaders, our church, other people, other churches, our community, our state and leaders, our country and leaders and then the world. And, as hard is as may be, our enemies. “Pray for those who persecute you!” Matt 5:44.
A few years ago we brought a cross to our room to bring and nail prayer requests to it. Then as often happens, the cross was moved to the back. Today, it is in the center of room and everything we need to “nail” our problems/burdens, concerns and prayers to the cross, is available. We will also extend this ministry to our “extended” internet WhoSoEvers. If they send us an email request of any type, it will be “nailed” to the cross. If requested, we will read in class but any others will be kept confidential. For an unspoken request we can just write that or just nail a blank request to the Cross. God doesn’t need to see or hear a prayer. He already knows.
Several Bible Scriptures that deal with burdens are:
• Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. Psalms 5:22
• Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28-30:
• Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6
Now today’s lesson: A Role Model For Prayer
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying.
Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealot), and Judas (son of James). They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. Acts 1:12-14
In his book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala reminds us that the church in the book of Acts was born out of a prayer meeting, and there are more than 30 references to prayer in Acts.1 If we as Christians are looking for a role model for prayer, there is no better example than the early followers of Jesus in the book of Acts. In Acts, we see four key features of the early church at prayer.
The Early Church Prayed Dependently (Acts 1:12-14)
Jesus told His disciples to go from Jerusalem to the remotest parts of the world as His witnesses. If twelve apostles and a hundred or so disciples are going to reach the world, they had better get busy. But Jesus he said to them before He ascended to Heaven: “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5
So the first thing they do when Jesus ascends back to heaven is lock themselves up in a room, shut themselves off from everything, and pray for ten days for the power of the Holy Spirit. They understood that they needed supernatural power for a superhuman work.
The most important lesson we can ever learn about prayer is that we are absolutely dependent on God. Jesus tells us in John 15:5b, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." The tricky part is that we can do lots of things on our own, but the impact and fruit of our work is "nothing" unless Jesus empowers us. Psalm 132:2 says: "We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master.” A slave is completely dependent on his master, and that's where we stand in our need for the Lord.
Once back “in the day” when we were racing, I was on the track for practice and, man, was the car running great. I then noticed I was being “black flagged”, which means come into the pit immediately. Not real happy, I pulled in and asked my crew what was the problem. It seems that I had left my helmet off. Just as a racer would never drive without a helmet, we as Christians shouldn't think of facing life or doing ministry without prayer underlying everything we do.
Jim Cymbala reminds us: "God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power."
The Early Church Prayed Corporately (Together)
“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” Acts 2:42)
Some will say they don’t believe in prayer meetings because Jesus told His disciples that “when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private” (Matt 6:6). But as I have said many times in class we can’t just read part of the Bible. We need to read in all in context. In Acts 1, the disciples didn't go their own way and pray for the Holy Spirit to come down — "They all met together and were constantly united in prayer”. Acts 2 tells us that they met daily in their homes and were devoted to prayer. They gathered at the Temple (Acts 3:1) and later in the synagogues at the regular times of prayer, not just as a testimony to their Jewish neighbors but because they needed those times together for their own survival.
Often the concept of corporate prayer clashes with our independence and individualism. We're all a little like the guy who had to dress up a mannequin with a baseball cap so that he could drive in the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane during rush hour. We prefer to do things alone and by ourselves.
One pastor said that a man in the church shared that he would never forget watching his father and the other men in the church going out into the wheat fields together and praying for God to bring revival to their congregation. We don't have time for those kinds of experiences today and we're missing something when our busyness and isolation keeps from experiencing real community and fellowship in prayer.
The Early Church Prayed Powerfully (4:23-31; 16:25-26)
When the early church prayed, powerful things happened. Jesus told his disciples that their prayers could move mountains — we never see mountains moving in Acts but we do see a couple of buildings shaken on their foundations. In Acts 4, the disciples get their first real taste of persecution. When the authorities commanded them to stop preaching, the church started praying.
Verse 31 gives us a series of cause and effect statements about what happened when they prayed. They prayed and the building was shaken. They prayed and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were filled with the Spirit and they preached the gospel with even greater power. If we had a building move at one of our prayer meetings, we would either have a lot more or a lot less people at the next meeting. Incredibly, Acts 4 is not the only place in the book where prayer is more powerful than a building. Paul and Silas are having a midnight prayer meeting in the prison at Philippi that starts an earthquake that shook open the cell doors.(Acts 16:25-26).
There are more than a dozen times in Acts where it tells us that people were amazed, in awe, or in fear of what God was doing in and through his church. Outsiders were afraid of getting too close to the followers of the Way because they didn't know what God was going to do next. Outsiders today are more likely to yawn and stretch when they think of what goes on in the church. But, the power to leave even unbelievers amazed at what God is doing is still there — if we ask for it.
Mother Theresa was once crossing the border into Israel when a guard asked her if she was carrying any weapons. That was a pretty strange question for a nun wearing a habit, but she looked the guard in the eyes and defiantly said, "Yes, I have my prayer books." We want the power of God, but sometimes we forget where the power comes from. We think it comes from the pastor's preaching, from our strategies and purpose statements, or from our new buildings and facilities. We are deluded into thinking that we can change the culture if we elect the right people to political office. Those types of power are pretend power compared to what the followers of Jesus have in the book of Acts.
It is very serious when people with broken lives and hurting hearts come to churches that have turned away from their real source of power - prayer.
The Early Church Prayed Imperfectly (Acts 12:1-17)
This final point of the lesson may seem anti-climatic, but it may be the most important thing we talk about today. There is a great reminder in Acts 12 that God not only answers prayer — He answers imperfect prayers.
We tend to idealize the early church in Acts, but here's a well-kept secret: the first Christians were not perfect. They argued over whose widows got the better food service and whom to take or not take on their missions trips. They fell asleep in church windows and were distracted by the weighty issues of circumcision and kosher foods.
Their faith wasn't perfect, either. You have to admire that the disciples were committed enough to have an all-night prayer meeting for Peter's release from prison, but the reaction when their prayers are answered is priceless. Rhoda the slave girl reports that Peter is at the front door and their response is: "You've lost your mind!" They can't compute that God might have actually done the very thing they were asking for. They were devoted enough to pray all night but doubting enough to not believe that their prayers would really make any difference.
We pray that way all the time — believing one moment and doubting the next. Let me give you a challenge — if you only have enough faith to pray and there is nothing left over to believe that God will answer, then pray anyway and see if God does something to surprise you.
We don't need to time-travel back to the first-century to become the people that God wants us to be, but we do need to learn to pray like the early church prayed. When we follow their example in prayer, God will work powerfully — even when our prayers are less than perfect.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Praying Church: What If...
A few years ago I read a book “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”. In the book the author, Pastor Jim Cymbala, tells how as a young minister in a struggling church that was on the verge of closing down he heard from God. He writes, Then quietly but forcefully, in words not heard with my ear but deep within my spirit, I sensed God speaking. “If you and your wife will lead my people to pray and call upon my name, you will never lack for something fresh to preach. I will supply all the money that’s needed, both for the church and your family, and you will never have a building large enough to contain the crowds I will send in response.” They begin a Tuesday night prayer meeting that now often exceeds any one service on Sunday in number. You may have heard of this “little” church – The Brooklyn Tabernacle Church in New York.
So this brings us to the subject of our lesson today - What do you think Christ wants this church to be?
We all believe in prayer, don’t we? Even if we don’t pray very much, we still believe in prayer. So what would happen in our churches if every day, every member and the church were prayed for by someone?
What would it do to our worship? What would it do to our preaching? What would it do to our ministries? What would it do to our evangelism? What would it do to our relationships?
Our churches wouldn’t be the same.
Let’s take a look at what was on Paul’s mind in Ephesians 6. He calls Christians to put on the whole armor of God so that we can fight and win the spiritual battles we face every day (vv. 10-17). Then without any break he says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph. 6:18 NIV). In the School of Christian Living, this is Prayer 101. This is the “how to” not the “why” of prayer. There is nothing difficult to understand in what he writes.
It’s easy to see how this fits in the context. Prayer is our ultimate weapon in spiritual warfare. It is not part of the armor; it is that which makes the armor effective. Let’s look at some fundamental facts about Christian prayer.
I. There are many ways to pray and they are all valid.
Paul says we should pray “with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Eph. 6:18 NIV) We can analyze prayer from many angles.
We can talk about the content of prayer, such as adoration, thanksgiving, meditation, confession and petition.
We can talk about the posture of prayer, such as sitting, standing, hands uplifted, eyes open, eyes closed, walking, kneeling, and stretched out before the Lord.
We can talk about the associations of prayer, which means we can pray alone or in a small group or in a worship service or in a concert of prayer or over the Internet or over the phone or by email or in a handwritten letter.
We can talk about the style of prayer. It may be formal, informal, written, recited, conversational, sentence prayers, “Thank you” prayers, “Lord, have mercy” prayers, short prayers, long prayers, prayers sung, prayers spoken, prayers written, prayers chanted, prayers offered spontaneously or prayers memorized.
We can talk about the places of prayer, such as in the morning, during your devotions, around the dinner table, in the car (please don't do this with eyes closed), on the phone, during a worship service, in the street, sitting in the pew, or at a ball game.
We can talk about the objects of prayer, such as confession and restoration, for physical or spiritual or emotional healing, for a financial need, for a broken relationship to be healed, for salvation, for spiritual growth, for the spread of the gospel, for a friend in need, for the church, for the leaders of our nation, for our friends and, yes, for our enemies.
Prayer may be as varied as the needs of the heart. The true measure of prayer is not its form or content or style or location or length or beauty of expression. The real question is, does it come from the heart? Is it sincere? Are we truly seeking the Lord? If so, then we may claim the promise of James 5:16 NLT that the “earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”Prayer may be as varied as the needs of the heart.
There are many ways to pray. If we pray from the heart in Jesus’ name, then the Father is pleased and he inclines his heart to hear us when we call on him.
II. The best time to prayer is when you feel the need to pray.
That’s simple, isn’t it? Paul instructs us to pray “on all occasions.” This means a particular moment when we feel our need for God. It speaks of coming to a crossroads, a time of need, a sense of our own weakness, and crying out to the Lord in prayer.
Sometimes we approach prayer superstitiously, as if we should only pray about “big things.” We don’t want to bother God with the “small stuff.” How foolish we are. He’s God! It’s all “small stuff” to him.
Aren’t we glad to “hear from our children”, then how much more is our Heavenly Father glad to hear from us? When our kids are in trouble and need our help, we want them to call and let us know. It’s the same with the Lord. He waits to hear from his children. And because we are his children, he will never turn us away. God is near us when we need him most.
III. Effective prayer requires sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
Paul says we are to pray “in the Spirit.” That means “under the influence of the Holy Spirit.” Think about it this way. Praying in the Spirit means following the Spirit’s guidance as to when to pray. Because prayer itself is the language of heaven, the impulse to pray comes from the Holy Spirit. He not only invites us to pray, he also incites us to pray. Sometimes you will think, “I should pray about that.” Don’t ever brush that thought away. Do it. Go ahead and pray right then. Sometimes people may say, “I wish we could pray about that.” Take that as a message from the Holy Spirit and go ahead and pray. These impulses to pray may come at any time . . .
When we are on the phone . . .
When we are talking with a friend . . .
When we are listening to the radio . . .
When we are sitting in church . . .
When we are having a sleepless night . . .
When we are driving . . .
If you think about praying, go ahead and pray. You don’t have to pray out loud. You can pray to the Lord without speaking any words at all, and the Lord will hear you from heaven. When the Lord speaks to you and says, “Pray,” don’t say “No.” Go ahead and pray.
And pray about the things the Lord lays on your heart. Don’t be ashamed or worried that you won’t say the right thing. The Holy Spirit knows your heart and intercedes for us with wordless groaning (Romans 8:26-27). He comes alongside to help us when we pray so that our feeble prayers rise with power and enter the courts of heaven to be carried to the Throne of Grace. As an old gospel song says, sometimes we just need to “have a little talk with Jesus.” That song along says, “When you feel a little prayer wheel turning.” It’s hard to explain exactly what that means, but I know what that’s like. You can be sure that the Lord is turning the “prayer wheel” in your heart and moving you to pray.
So let’s not make this mysterious. Whenever you feel an inner urge to pray, do it! We would all pray a lot more every day if we became sensitive to the impulse of the Spirit in our lives.
IV. If you want your prayers answered, stay awake and keep on praying.
“Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (v. 18) Sometimes we mess around in prayer because we think it doesn’t matter, when in reality we are sentries standing guard on the front lines of spiritual combat.
Whenever you feel an inner urge to pray, do it!
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be distracted when you pray? Just as you bow your head, the phone rings, or your pager beeps, or some music distracts you, or you suddenly remember that you have to check the roast in the oven. A thousand things come crowding into your mind. Sometimes it seems as if the devil’s best work comes when we decide to pray. He unloads his full armory of distractions against us.
V. The Wider Our Circle of Concern, the Wider the Results.
Paul instructs us to pray “all believers everywhere.” This means we need to pull ourselves out of the rut of praying only for ourselves and our family. It’s perfectly legitimate to pray for those closest to you. But you have not exhausted the power of prayer if you stop there.
If you pray for your friends, that’s good.
If you pray for your church, that’s also good.
If you pray for missionaries you know and love, that’s even better.
If you pray for other churches in your area, that’s wonderful..”.
Some of us who know a little theology would do well to get an advanced degree in “kneeology.”
There is always more than enough to pray about if only we would open our eyes and look around.
Let’s go back to our earlier question. What would happen in our churches if everyone in the congregation and our church was prayed for every day? What would it do for our worship? Our outreach? Our relationships? Our faith? Our vision for the future? Our leadership?
Remember that Jesus said . . . “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” (Matthew 21:13 NIV) Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that were true of our church? Every church?
I think God has more for us than we have ever dreamed. What if we really started to pray?
So this brings us to the subject of our lesson today - What do you think Christ wants this church to be?
We all believe in prayer, don’t we? Even if we don’t pray very much, we still believe in prayer. So what would happen in our churches if every day, every member and the church were prayed for by someone?
What would it do to our worship? What would it do to our preaching? What would it do to our ministries? What would it do to our evangelism? What would it do to our relationships?
Our churches wouldn’t be the same.
Let’s take a look at what was on Paul’s mind in Ephesians 6. He calls Christians to put on the whole armor of God so that we can fight and win the spiritual battles we face every day (vv. 10-17). Then without any break he says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph. 6:18 NIV). In the School of Christian Living, this is Prayer 101. This is the “how to” not the “why” of prayer. There is nothing difficult to understand in what he writes.
It’s easy to see how this fits in the context. Prayer is our ultimate weapon in spiritual warfare. It is not part of the armor; it is that which makes the armor effective. Let’s look at some fundamental facts about Christian prayer.
I. There are many ways to pray and they are all valid.
Paul says we should pray “with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Eph. 6:18 NIV) We can analyze prayer from many angles.
We can talk about the content of prayer, such as adoration, thanksgiving, meditation, confession and petition.
We can talk about the posture of prayer, such as sitting, standing, hands uplifted, eyes open, eyes closed, walking, kneeling, and stretched out before the Lord.
We can talk about the associations of prayer, which means we can pray alone or in a small group or in a worship service or in a concert of prayer or over the Internet or over the phone or by email or in a handwritten letter.
We can talk about the style of prayer. It may be formal, informal, written, recited, conversational, sentence prayers, “Thank you” prayers, “Lord, have mercy” prayers, short prayers, long prayers, prayers sung, prayers spoken, prayers written, prayers chanted, prayers offered spontaneously or prayers memorized.
We can talk about the places of prayer, such as in the morning, during your devotions, around the dinner table, in the car (please don't do this with eyes closed), on the phone, during a worship service, in the street, sitting in the pew, or at a ball game.
We can talk about the objects of prayer, such as confession and restoration, for physical or spiritual or emotional healing, for a financial need, for a broken relationship to be healed, for salvation, for spiritual growth, for the spread of the gospel, for a friend in need, for the church, for the leaders of our nation, for our friends and, yes, for our enemies.
Prayer may be as varied as the needs of the heart. The true measure of prayer is not its form or content or style or location or length or beauty of expression. The real question is, does it come from the heart? Is it sincere? Are we truly seeking the Lord? If so, then we may claim the promise of James 5:16 NLT that the “earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”Prayer may be as varied as the needs of the heart.
There are many ways to pray. If we pray from the heart in Jesus’ name, then the Father is pleased and he inclines his heart to hear us when we call on him.
II. The best time to prayer is when you feel the need to pray.
That’s simple, isn’t it? Paul instructs us to pray “on all occasions.” This means a particular moment when we feel our need for God. It speaks of coming to a crossroads, a time of need, a sense of our own weakness, and crying out to the Lord in prayer.
Sometimes we approach prayer superstitiously, as if we should only pray about “big things.” We don’t want to bother God with the “small stuff.” How foolish we are. He’s God! It’s all “small stuff” to him.
Aren’t we glad to “hear from our children”, then how much more is our Heavenly Father glad to hear from us? When our kids are in trouble and need our help, we want them to call and let us know. It’s the same with the Lord. He waits to hear from his children. And because we are his children, he will never turn us away. God is near us when we need him most.
III. Effective prayer requires sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
Paul says we are to pray “in the Spirit.” That means “under the influence of the Holy Spirit.” Think about it this way. Praying in the Spirit means following the Spirit’s guidance as to when to pray. Because prayer itself is the language of heaven, the impulse to pray comes from the Holy Spirit. He not only invites us to pray, he also incites us to pray. Sometimes you will think, “I should pray about that.” Don’t ever brush that thought away. Do it. Go ahead and pray right then. Sometimes people may say, “I wish we could pray about that.” Take that as a message from the Holy Spirit and go ahead and pray. These impulses to pray may come at any time . . .
When we are on the phone . . .
When we are talking with a friend . . .
When we are listening to the radio . . .
When we are sitting in church . . .
When we are having a sleepless night . . .
When we are driving . . .
If you think about praying, go ahead and pray. You don’t have to pray out loud. You can pray to the Lord without speaking any words at all, and the Lord will hear you from heaven. When the Lord speaks to you and says, “Pray,” don’t say “No.” Go ahead and pray.
And pray about the things the Lord lays on your heart. Don’t be ashamed or worried that you won’t say the right thing. The Holy Spirit knows your heart and intercedes for us with wordless groaning (Romans 8:26-27). He comes alongside to help us when we pray so that our feeble prayers rise with power and enter the courts of heaven to be carried to the Throne of Grace. As an old gospel song says, sometimes we just need to “have a little talk with Jesus.” That song along says, “When you feel a little prayer wheel turning.” It’s hard to explain exactly what that means, but I know what that’s like. You can be sure that the Lord is turning the “prayer wheel” in your heart and moving you to pray.
So let’s not make this mysterious. Whenever you feel an inner urge to pray, do it! We would all pray a lot more every day if we became sensitive to the impulse of the Spirit in our lives.
IV. If you want your prayers answered, stay awake and keep on praying.
“Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (v. 18) Sometimes we mess around in prayer because we think it doesn’t matter, when in reality we are sentries standing guard on the front lines of spiritual combat.
Whenever you feel an inner urge to pray, do it!
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be distracted when you pray? Just as you bow your head, the phone rings, or your pager beeps, or some music distracts you, or you suddenly remember that you have to check the roast in the oven. A thousand things come crowding into your mind. Sometimes it seems as if the devil’s best work comes when we decide to pray. He unloads his full armory of distractions against us.
V. The Wider Our Circle of Concern, the Wider the Results.
Paul instructs us to pray “all believers everywhere.” This means we need to pull ourselves out of the rut of praying only for ourselves and our family. It’s perfectly legitimate to pray for those closest to you. But you have not exhausted the power of prayer if you stop there.
If you pray for your friends, that’s good.
If you pray for your church, that’s also good.
If you pray for missionaries you know and love, that’s even better.
If you pray for other churches in your area, that’s wonderful..”.
Some of us who know a little theology would do well to get an advanced degree in “kneeology.”
There is always more than enough to pray about if only we would open our eyes and look around.
Let’s go back to our earlier question. What would happen in our churches if everyone in the congregation and our church was prayed for every day? What would it do for our worship? Our outreach? Our relationships? Our faith? Our vision for the future? Our leadership?
Remember that Jesus said . . . “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” (Matthew 21:13 NIV) Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that were true of our church? Every church?
I think God has more for us than we have ever dreamed. What if we really started to pray?
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Permission to Pursue What You Love
There are two books out that that talk about an often neglected biblical principle. It is often called the principle of "vocation" or work. The first book is Work Matters by Pastor Tom Nelson (Christ Community Church, Leewood, Kansas). The second was The Cure for the Common Life by best-selling author and pastor, Max Lucado.
While both books are different -- Nelson fully fleshes out the “theology” of work while Lucado illustrates the uniqueness of every human being created in God's image -- they both arrive at an important conclusion: God has uniquely gifted, wired, called, and shaped every human being for a specific purpose on this earth, to glorify Him.
This may seem like something we always hear in church or a tired Christian cliché. But we often do not always comprehend two powerful ideas that come out of our uniqueness: work was ordained by God and is a form of worship and that God implants in us certain unique skills, passions, and gifts that make our lives unique.
We will expand on this concept today because it is very important for us to understand our purpose. Embracing God's unique design involves pushing back against a cultural lie about ourselves and a church lie about ourselves.
The Cultural Lie
On the one hand, you have the cultural expression that "you can be whatever you want to be, whatever you set your heart to do." This has been echoed in movies, books, motivational speeches and sometimes even from the pulpit. But we all know that this isn't really true. Supposed we really wanted to play on the pro golf circuit. Maybe play as well as Tiger Woods. We could play 18 holes everyday for years but would never make it. So we can't actually be whatever we want to be, can we?
The Church Lie
But the opposite of this cultural lie is a church lie. It's a pushback against the dreams that tell us to follow our hearts. It's the equal and opposite idea that because our hearts are so wicked, we can't trust them and therefore what we like to do, what we're good at doing, what we have a passion to do -- this can't possibly be what God wants us to be. This lie might go something like this: You can't be anything you want to be. In some ways, this may be more dangerous than the first lie in the sense that lots of Christian kids grow up forced into a mold set by parents or pastors or others. Every young boy must aspire to be a pastor or in "full-time" Christian service, otherwise he's not serving God. Every girl must aspire to be a pastor's wife or in some kind of acceptable full-time ministry or she is not serving the Lord. The guilt goes like this: How can you pursue a career in law or business or entertainment when across the world people are dying and going to hell?
And so you have a lot of people who feel they are supposed to ignore their gifts, their skills, their passions and they plunge into full-time ministry when they really have no aptitude for it. And as a result, not only do they suffer, but God's people suffer. You've taken a skilled person out of the environment where they might have had the most impact (law, business, medical field, carpenter, plumber, etc) and you've placed them, like a square peg in a round hole, in ministry where the people are suffering under the leadership of someone who wasn't supposed to be there in the first place.
The Biblical Third Way
So is there an alternative to the world's false "You can be what you want to be" fantasies and the church's "Don't dream, don't trust your passions and skills" consignment to certain acceptable callings? There is and it's to dive more fully into biblical principles of work. Here's a few important points we need to consider when it comes to calling:
Every kind of work is honorable to God. This is where Tom Nelson's book, Work Matters really shines. It shines because it pushes back against pastors and missionaries and so-called full-time ministry staff elevating their callings above that of lay people. The truth is that if we believe work in it’s self is good and worthy and honorable to God as a form of worship, then we should consider the skilled plumber or the top salesman or the doctor as worthy a ministry of the gospel as a pastor or missionary. The work lay people do from Monday to Friday is important, not simply so they can be a witness in the workplace or they can make more money so they can tithe, but because the work itself is important to God.
This concept is backed up by Paul in Colossians 3:23 where he writes “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” And again in Ephesians 6:7 where he tells the church at Ephesus to “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people”.
God has uniquely wired every single person with specific skills and gifts. Max Lucado beautifully brings out the important message of Psalm 139, where David describes the intricate design behind every human soul. You are who you are because God made you this way. The things you are gifted at, passionate about, the things others see in you as strengths -- these are given to purposely by God. Why? For a purpose. To occupy a space in His plan for His glory. You wanting to be live someone else's life is actually against God. Someone forcing you into their mold is against God. The life God wants you to live is the life of Christ lived through you in a unique expression.
A True Believer Can Trust Their Hearts. Let's look at the teachings of the Scriptures concerning our hearts. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
But something happened, right? We chose sin and sin has corrupted our hearts, thus Jeremiah 17:9 which describes the human heart as “the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.” But in Ezekiel 36:26 God says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”
And one of the most important scriptures that most of us have heard many times: “that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
So, if we are followers of Christ being transformed by His grace, we can listen to our hearts. What happens in salvation is this: God restores us (His masterpieces) from the corruption of sin. He implants in us a new heart, makes us a new person (born again). And as we die to ourselves, He reveals to us His original purpose for us. As you walk with the Lord, your calling will become clearer and clearer. But it's not because you are ignoring your gifts, your passions, your skills, but rather you are seeing them more clearly because the Holy Spirit is guiding us.
So, this means you can't be anything you "want to be" but you are free to be who you are supposed to be. What you die to in following Christ is not your skills and passions and gifts, but to the sin-soaked desires that were a distraction from God's original design of your life. You begin to enter, as Max Lucado calls it, your "sweet spot" where your gifts, your opportunities, and your impact all meet.
It is especially important for Christian young people as they survey their lives. High-school seniors and college freshman. They need to ask: What am I good at? What do I enjoy doing? Where do you think you can have the most impact in the world? What do others say you are good at?
They as well as all of us need to realize is that "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father" (James 1:17). God equipped us with gifts of skill, not for us to show off our skills but to reflect His glory.
Gifted plumbers shouldn't preach. Gifted preachers shouldn't plumb.
No, you can't be what you want to be. But you are freed by Jesus to be what He designed you to be. And it's a whole easier to figure out what that is when we reject both cultural and church myths.
While both books are different -- Nelson fully fleshes out the “theology” of work while Lucado illustrates the uniqueness of every human being created in God's image -- they both arrive at an important conclusion: God has uniquely gifted, wired, called, and shaped every human being for a specific purpose on this earth, to glorify Him.
This may seem like something we always hear in church or a tired Christian cliché. But we often do not always comprehend two powerful ideas that come out of our uniqueness: work was ordained by God and is a form of worship and that God implants in us certain unique skills, passions, and gifts that make our lives unique.
We will expand on this concept today because it is very important for us to understand our purpose. Embracing God's unique design involves pushing back against a cultural lie about ourselves and a church lie about ourselves.
The Cultural Lie
On the one hand, you have the cultural expression that "you can be whatever you want to be, whatever you set your heart to do." This has been echoed in movies, books, motivational speeches and sometimes even from the pulpit. But we all know that this isn't really true. Supposed we really wanted to play on the pro golf circuit. Maybe play as well as Tiger Woods. We could play 18 holes everyday for years but would never make it. So we can't actually be whatever we want to be, can we?
The Church Lie
But the opposite of this cultural lie is a church lie. It's a pushback against the dreams that tell us to follow our hearts. It's the equal and opposite idea that because our hearts are so wicked, we can't trust them and therefore what we like to do, what we're good at doing, what we have a passion to do -- this can't possibly be what God wants us to be. This lie might go something like this: You can't be anything you want to be. In some ways, this may be more dangerous than the first lie in the sense that lots of Christian kids grow up forced into a mold set by parents or pastors or others. Every young boy must aspire to be a pastor or in "full-time" Christian service, otherwise he's not serving God. Every girl must aspire to be a pastor's wife or in some kind of acceptable full-time ministry or she is not serving the Lord. The guilt goes like this: How can you pursue a career in law or business or entertainment when across the world people are dying and going to hell?
And so you have a lot of people who feel they are supposed to ignore their gifts, their skills, their passions and they plunge into full-time ministry when they really have no aptitude for it. And as a result, not only do they suffer, but God's people suffer. You've taken a skilled person out of the environment where they might have had the most impact (law, business, medical field, carpenter, plumber, etc) and you've placed them, like a square peg in a round hole, in ministry where the people are suffering under the leadership of someone who wasn't supposed to be there in the first place.
The Biblical Third Way
So is there an alternative to the world's false "You can be what you want to be" fantasies and the church's "Don't dream, don't trust your passions and skills" consignment to certain acceptable callings? There is and it's to dive more fully into biblical principles of work. Here's a few important points we need to consider when it comes to calling:
Every kind of work is honorable to God. This is where Tom Nelson's book, Work Matters really shines. It shines because it pushes back against pastors and missionaries and so-called full-time ministry staff elevating their callings above that of lay people. The truth is that if we believe work in it’s self is good and worthy and honorable to God as a form of worship, then we should consider the skilled plumber or the top salesman or the doctor as worthy a ministry of the gospel as a pastor or missionary. The work lay people do from Monday to Friday is important, not simply so they can be a witness in the workplace or they can make more money so they can tithe, but because the work itself is important to God.
This concept is backed up by Paul in Colossians 3:23 where he writes “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” And again in Ephesians 6:7 where he tells the church at Ephesus to “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people”.
God has uniquely wired every single person with specific skills and gifts. Max Lucado beautifully brings out the important message of Psalm 139, where David describes the intricate design behind every human soul. You are who you are because God made you this way. The things you are gifted at, passionate about, the things others see in you as strengths -- these are given to purposely by God. Why? For a purpose. To occupy a space in His plan for His glory. You wanting to be live someone else's life is actually against God. Someone forcing you into their mold is against God. The life God wants you to live is the life of Christ lived through you in a unique expression.
A True Believer Can Trust Their Hearts. Let's look at the teachings of the Scriptures concerning our hearts. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
But something happened, right? We chose sin and sin has corrupted our hearts, thus Jeremiah 17:9 which describes the human heart as “the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.” But in Ezekiel 36:26 God says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”
And one of the most important scriptures that most of us have heard many times: “that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
So, if we are followers of Christ being transformed by His grace, we can listen to our hearts. What happens in salvation is this: God restores us (His masterpieces) from the corruption of sin. He implants in us a new heart, makes us a new person (born again). And as we die to ourselves, He reveals to us His original purpose for us. As you walk with the Lord, your calling will become clearer and clearer. But it's not because you are ignoring your gifts, your passions, your skills, but rather you are seeing them more clearly because the Holy Spirit is guiding us.
So, this means you can't be anything you "want to be" but you are free to be who you are supposed to be. What you die to in following Christ is not your skills and passions and gifts, but to the sin-soaked desires that were a distraction from God's original design of your life. You begin to enter, as Max Lucado calls it, your "sweet spot" where your gifts, your opportunities, and your impact all meet.
It is especially important for Christian young people as they survey their lives. High-school seniors and college freshman. They need to ask: What am I good at? What do I enjoy doing? Where do you think you can have the most impact in the world? What do others say you are good at?
They as well as all of us need to realize is that "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father" (James 1:17). God equipped us with gifts of skill, not for us to show off our skills but to reflect His glory.
Gifted plumbers shouldn't preach. Gifted preachers shouldn't plumb.
No, you can't be what you want to be. But you are freed by Jesus to be what He designed you to be. And it's a whole easier to figure out what that is when we reject both cultural and church myths.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The Wisdom of the Wise Men
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ’Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ’But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ’Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way." Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV)
Now you may be asking, “Why is he doing a Christmas lesson on New Year’s Day – Christmas is past.” Well, as most of you are aware the “wise men” didn’t show up until sometime after the birth of Jesus. So today we will discuss the wisdom of the wise men “after” Christmas after His birth!
The story of the wise men is a story that is really a mystery. From “tradition” we seem to know all the facts and details. But as we study the scripture we find that there are a lot of questions we can not answer about the wise men from the Biblical text. For example:
How many were there? We don’t know.
Where did they come from? We don’t know.
How long did their journey take? We don’t know.
They seem to just show up mysteriously – and just as mysteriously they are gone. But one thing we can be certain about is that the number of wise men and women increases in every generation as people continue to seek the Christ. Let’s look at three facts that we can learn from the story of the wise men.
1. A wise man’s journey is one of FAITH.
"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East.”
What would prompt someone to leave the comfort of their homes to go on a dangerous journey? Romance? Yes. Wealth? Most definitely. But faith? Yes – faith. “Where is He who has been born the King of the Jews?” What a probing question – there is no doubt in their language that He had been born – the question is “Where is He?” They had seen the star – the evidence was real – now where is He? They had faith that He was alive – that He existed – now all they needed to do was to find Him. Their purpose was established – find Him. And so they were willing to risk everything to find Him. They were willing to leave the safety of their homes – to risk a dangerous journey to seek a King.
Can you imagine their neighbor’s reaction? “Are you going on a journey?” “Yes.” “Where are you going?” “We don’t know for sure.” “How far is it?” “Well we don’t know that either.” How long are you going to be gone?” Well were not quite sure on that either.” “Boy for wise men you sure don’t much do you?”
But you know they must have said the same things to Abraham when he left his home for the Promised Land. They must have said the same things to Noah who was building an ark – even though it had never rained in the history of the earth up till that point. They must have said the same kind of things to Peter, Andrew, John and James when they left the fishing nets to become fishers of men. What are you crazy? Are you insane? Are you out of your minds? No not crazy – not insane – not out of their minds – they were men of faith.
FACT:
God’s journeys always involve FAITH.
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (MSG)
People of faith have been willing to respond to the challenges of the unknown over and over again down through history.
2. A wise man’s journey is one of WORSHIP.
When the wise men came on their journey it was for the purpose of worship. They brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts have a lot of symbolism associated with them. Gold represents wealth. It is a gift fit for a king. (Jesus was the King of Kings) Frankincense is the sap of a tree that was dried and hardened and used as incense to worship God. Thus we see a gift for his deity. (Jesus was the Son of God) Myrrh is a fragrant perfume that was used to anoint the dead – to embalm and preserve them. (Jesus was The Sacrificial Lamb)
But there is more to worship then gold, frankincense, or myrrh isn’t there.
FACT
Worship always involves SACRIFICE.
Was there a price to be paid for the wise men’s worship? You bet. They had given themselves to a journey. Travel in those days was not very comfortable – in fact it could be down right dangerous. The wise men had sacrificed their own comfort to find the king and worship Him. Listen to what David said about sacrifice: “I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” 2 Samuel 24:24
Romans says it this way: "I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1
To truly worship requires sacrifice.
The greatest gift – the greatest sacrifice – you can give to God is yourself. You say but I have given nothing to Him today. I say yes you have! Even today you have given Him something of yourself. You have given Him your time by being here. You prepared for a journey this morning by getting up and getting dressed and ready to seek a King. You got into your cars – used your gas and came to church. Some of you when the offering plate comes around will put money into the plate to help pay kingdom expenses of maintaining the church building – heat, water, electricity all have to be paid for. When you came today you came as a living sacrifice – even though you may not view it as that – even though you may not have realized it. The efforts you make to worship God is your sacrifice to Him. But here is a fact that we all need to remember today:
FACT:
What God wants most of all – above every thing else is ME.
He wants your heart – He wants your attention – 24/7 – the question to ask is: What am I willing to give Him? Am I willing to give Him my best? Am I willing to go on a spiritual journey to worship Him? Am I willing to give up my comfort zone to follow Christ? The wise men were – are you?
3. A wise man’s journey is one of CHANGE.
Look at verse twelve: "Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way."
Isn’t it interesting that after they worshiped Jesus that they could not go back the same way that they had come? I find that to be a fact even today. Once you have met God you will never be the same. An encounter with God changes things – it changes you – doesn’t it? It’s always been that way.
Jacob wrestled with God and never walked the same the rest of his life.
Isaiah stepped into the presence of God and proclaimed “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts." Isaiah 6:5 (NKJV) He was never the same again.
Job questions God over and over again concerning his suffering and when God shows up Job says. "I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! I’ve talked too much, way too much. I’m ready to shut up and listen." Job 40:4-5 (MSG)
Job met God and became a changed man.
That is what happens when we walk into the presence of God. We become changed. That is what happened to the wise men when they encountered Christ – they were changed. That is what happens when we encounter Christ – things become different.
It’s the Christmas “season” and we hear the story of the wisemen. They were wise because they had faith, they were wise because they worshiped and they were changed forever – all because of a child. How about you? Are you looking for a change in your life? Find Christ this New Year and I can guarantee that you will be changed. Things will be different. Step out in faith and seek Him as the wisemen did.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Live Sacrilegiously... Like Jesus
Before y’all run me out of the class or report me to Bro. Jerry let’s look at the “meaning” of sacrilege: an act of great disrespect shown to God OR to sacred ideas, people, or things. The lesson today will focus on the “OR”.
If Jesus were walking around on Earth today, He might be reprimanded by some Christians, or even asked to leave a church. Why? Jesus didn’t live the kind of life that the Christian culture now considers to be a good Christian lifestyle. His words and actions can seem shocking – and even sacrilegious. Jesus may just be the least religious person you could ever meet. His non-churchy ways and his absolute sacrilege with the Pharisees' traditions which were not taught in God's law, and which they bound as essential on others, his teachings about sin, sinners, and a host of other kingpin issues, were exactly why people were drawn to him.
Let’s look at something Jesus said or did that might have been thought as un-orthodox or “even” Sacrilegious in His day:
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! (Matthew 23:13-15)
The Message Translation puts this a little more bluntly: "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either. You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned." (Matthew 23:13-15)
And Matthew wrote that “for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.” Matthew 7:29
And in Matthew 15:9, Jesus said, “Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”
It’s crucial to follow Jesus Himself rather than just a certain lifestyle, since it’s a living relationship with Jesus that truly connects us to God. What we believe about Jesus and how we choose to follow Him are the most important factors determining what kind of person we become and how we experience God.
So we don’t want to lose sight of the real Jesus underneath all the religious rules that supposedly make us a good Christian – and we don’t be afraid to be sacrilegious in order to follow where Jesus leads us. Here’s how:
• Distinguish between being sacrilegious in a negative and positive way. When Jesus asks you to be sacrilegious, it’s never for a negative purpose, such as to defile something that is holy. Instead, it’s for a positive purpose: to clear away religious confusion so you can see the purity of the Gospel message. Keep in mind that when Jesus spoke and acted in sacrilegious ways, He influenced people’s lives in good ways, not bad. Choose to learn from Jesus’ example and pattern your life after His life.
• Ask Jesus to clarify your image of Him. Reflect on how you view Jesus right now, and consider how you got your current image of Him. Then pray for Jesus to clear away any religious haze that has distorted how you see Him, and show you more clearly what He is really like.
• Follow Jesus as an apprentice. Following Jesus isn’t just a matter of what you do (even good activities, like attending church and serving people in need). Instead, following Jesus is about who you are. Jesus wants you to be an apprentice – someone who becomes more like Him by learning from Him. Rather than aiming to follow a certain lifestyle, make it your goal to grow to become the person that Jesus wants you to be.
• Open your mind. Ask God to help you recognize when your ideas are simply personal preferences (such as what political party to support, whether or not to drink alcohol, and what Bible translation to read) and when your ideas are truly essential to the Gospel message (such as beliefs in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross to pay for sin, and in His resurrection). Get rid of your preconceived personal preferences about what it means to be a Christian, and pray for the humility and teachable spirit you need to learn fresh insights from God. Gain a fresh perspective on the Bible by choosing a portion where Jesus asks you to do something, and then practice doing that regularly so you can get a clearer idea of why that’s important.
• Draw people closer to God through meekness. Choose to imitate the meekness through which Jesus won over people: He was incredibly strong, yet He didn’t express that power in the form of arrogant control. Instead, Jesus chose to direct His power toward humble service to others so that people could see real love in action. Rather than trying to force religious “rules” on people, choose to meekly show them God’s powerful love in action. Humbly listen to others, learn about their lives, and serve them without taking a morally superior stance toward them. Keep in mind that you need God’s grace just as much as others do. Ask God to help you become a person who is accessible, approachable, and inspiring to spiritual seekers.
• Find Jesus where ever go. Rather than just looking for Jesus only in church, start to notice Him with you wherever you go – at work, at home, while you’re out with friends or running errands, etc. Pray for a better ability to recognize Jesus with you in every situation you encounter. Reach out to people who don’t currently attend church, doing your best to be the church to them by loving them and inspiring them to seek Jesus.
• Show mercy to sinners. Since God is constantly showing mercy to you even though you sin regularly, ask Him to help you show mercy to the people around you who sin (which will encourage them seek God more because of His love flowing through you), rather than judging and condemning them (which will only alienate them). Rely on God’s help to obey His command to forgive the people who hurt you. When you see people celebrate Communion in church, don’t judge them as unworthy if you know about sin in their lives; remember that God is the only one who can correctly judge people.
• Become a peacemaker. Help the people around you find peace with God, within themselves, and with other people. Ask God to show you the specific ways in which He wants you to use your resources (time, energy, money, talents, skills, etc.) to bring peace to people who need more peace (from people you see regularly, like your family members and coworkers, to people you happen to meet, like people who are waiting in line with you at Wal-Mart). As you help bring God’s peace into other people’s lives, God will break down religious barriers and help them get to know Jesus in new ways that will change their lives for the better.
For archive of lessons check out the WhoSoEver “blog”:
http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
If Jesus were walking around on Earth today, He might be reprimanded by some Christians, or even asked to leave a church. Why? Jesus didn’t live the kind of life that the Christian culture now considers to be a good Christian lifestyle. His words and actions can seem shocking – and even sacrilegious. Jesus may just be the least religious person you could ever meet. His non-churchy ways and his absolute sacrilege with the Pharisees' traditions which were not taught in God's law, and which they bound as essential on others, his teachings about sin, sinners, and a host of other kingpin issues, were exactly why people were drawn to him.
Let’s look at something Jesus said or did that might have been thought as un-orthodox or “even” Sacrilegious in His day:
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! (Matthew 23:13-15)
The Message Translation puts this a little more bluntly: "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either. You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned." (Matthew 23:13-15)
And Matthew wrote that “for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.” Matthew 7:29
And in Matthew 15:9, Jesus said, “Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”
It’s crucial to follow Jesus Himself rather than just a certain lifestyle, since it’s a living relationship with Jesus that truly connects us to God. What we believe about Jesus and how we choose to follow Him are the most important factors determining what kind of person we become and how we experience God.
So we don’t want to lose sight of the real Jesus underneath all the religious rules that supposedly make us a good Christian – and we don’t be afraid to be sacrilegious in order to follow where Jesus leads us. Here’s how:
• Distinguish between being sacrilegious in a negative and positive way. When Jesus asks you to be sacrilegious, it’s never for a negative purpose, such as to defile something that is holy. Instead, it’s for a positive purpose: to clear away religious confusion so you can see the purity of the Gospel message. Keep in mind that when Jesus spoke and acted in sacrilegious ways, He influenced people’s lives in good ways, not bad. Choose to learn from Jesus’ example and pattern your life after His life.
• Ask Jesus to clarify your image of Him. Reflect on how you view Jesus right now, and consider how you got your current image of Him. Then pray for Jesus to clear away any religious haze that has distorted how you see Him, and show you more clearly what He is really like.
• Follow Jesus as an apprentice. Following Jesus isn’t just a matter of what you do (even good activities, like attending church and serving people in need). Instead, following Jesus is about who you are. Jesus wants you to be an apprentice – someone who becomes more like Him by learning from Him. Rather than aiming to follow a certain lifestyle, make it your goal to grow to become the person that Jesus wants you to be.
• Open your mind. Ask God to help you recognize when your ideas are simply personal preferences (such as what political party to support, whether or not to drink alcohol, and what Bible translation to read) and when your ideas are truly essential to the Gospel message (such as beliefs in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross to pay for sin, and in His resurrection). Get rid of your preconceived personal preferences about what it means to be a Christian, and pray for the humility and teachable spirit you need to learn fresh insights from God. Gain a fresh perspective on the Bible by choosing a portion where Jesus asks you to do something, and then practice doing that regularly so you can get a clearer idea of why that’s important.
• Draw people closer to God through meekness. Choose to imitate the meekness through which Jesus won over people: He was incredibly strong, yet He didn’t express that power in the form of arrogant control. Instead, Jesus chose to direct His power toward humble service to others so that people could see real love in action. Rather than trying to force religious “rules” on people, choose to meekly show them God’s powerful love in action. Humbly listen to others, learn about their lives, and serve them without taking a morally superior stance toward them. Keep in mind that you need God’s grace just as much as others do. Ask God to help you become a person who is accessible, approachable, and inspiring to spiritual seekers.
• Find Jesus where ever go. Rather than just looking for Jesus only in church, start to notice Him with you wherever you go – at work, at home, while you’re out with friends or running errands, etc. Pray for a better ability to recognize Jesus with you in every situation you encounter. Reach out to people who don’t currently attend church, doing your best to be the church to them by loving them and inspiring them to seek Jesus.
• Show mercy to sinners. Since God is constantly showing mercy to you even though you sin regularly, ask Him to help you show mercy to the people around you who sin (which will encourage them seek God more because of His love flowing through you), rather than judging and condemning them (which will only alienate them). Rely on God’s help to obey His command to forgive the people who hurt you. When you see people celebrate Communion in church, don’t judge them as unworthy if you know about sin in their lives; remember that God is the only one who can correctly judge people.
• Become a peacemaker. Help the people around you find peace with God, within themselves, and with other people. Ask God to show you the specific ways in which He wants you to use your resources (time, energy, money, talents, skills, etc.) to bring peace to people who need more peace (from people you see regularly, like your family members and coworkers, to people you happen to meet, like people who are waiting in line with you at Wal-Mart). As you help bring God’s peace into other people’s lives, God will break down religious barriers and help them get to know Jesus in new ways that will change their lives for the better.
For archive of lessons check out the WhoSoEver “blog”:
http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
Sunday, December 11, 2011
"Christmas Is..."
Not really part of lesson but what do y’all think was the first Christmas gift?
How do you explain the meaning of Christmas in just a few words? Well the best way I know is this:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
No one could outdo what God has done. No one could give a greater gift than God has already given. Let us consider the meaning of Christmas this morning - what it should mean to each and every one of us assembled here today.
Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some it is-
-a time of shopping and spending
-a time of drinking and carousing
-a time of traveling and entertaining
But, what is the real meaning of Christmas? What message should it convey to every one of us?
To Believers, Christmas is...
I. A TIME OF REMEMBERING
-remembering the great love that God had for each and every one of us. He loved us so much that He sent and gave His only Son that we might be saved.
-remembering the uniqueness of
His life
His teachings
His miracles
His prophesies
His death
His resurrection
-remembering all those humble but great people surrounding the Christmas story. People like Joseph & Mary, Zacharias & Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, the shepherds, the wise men, etc.
II. Secondly, Christmas is...
A TIME OF LOVING
People make a special effort to be a little kinder, a little more considerate of others, and a little more generous during the Christmas season. They get involved in such things as Christmas caroling, toys for the needy, meals for the misfortunate, etc.
It is a time for reaching out to others with love and concern.
For God so loved the world – let us never forget that!!! In all of our preaching, teaching, evangelizing, etc. let us always remember that the motivation for all this is the love of God for lost sinners. He really cares about us. So we should care as He cares. So we should love, as He loves.
Just a side note: As I was working on this lesson, I took a Facebook “break and on the side someone “liked” a comment on the sidebar called “ticker”, by a person I don’t know and shall remain nameless. The comment was: “Wal-Mart always reminds me that I sit near the top of the gene pool.” Now what kind of love is that showing toward those that are not always people like us? And being a fan at Wal-Mart, I know that there are folks who are not "like us", but does that make us better? Who knows but maybe this person saw me in my worn, faded and torn jeans, t-shirt, “tractor cap” and work boots. Who knows exactly what triggered the comment but I don’t think it was very Christ-like. To quote Tiffany – just sayin’.
III. A TIME OF GIVING
For God so loved the world, that He gave...
Love cannot look with indifference on the hungry, and the sick, and the lonely, lost souls of this world. Love must give.
God gave all He could give. He gave His only begotten Son, or as other versions translates, His one and only son. This gift was freely given, lovingly given, graciously given to all of us, who were undeserving sinners.
Christ shared our human nature that we might receive His divine nature. Day by day, those who truly receive Him are being transformed into His image, until we all come into the full stature of the perfected children of God, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
IV. A TIME OF FORGIVING
God was willing to forgive us. He was willing to show mercy to a sinful, lost, and dying world. Do we possess His forgiving spirit? Or, is our spirit a judgmental one, one that looks down upon others? Is there someone we need to forgive today?
V. A TIME OF RESCUING
God rescued us by His love and mercy. He saved us from perishing. Jesus said “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.”Without Christ we are without life, and headed for an eternity without God - forever separated from the God who made us and longs to save us. But with Christ we “have everlasting life."
He wants us to inherit eternal life. We are all descendents of a dying race. But for the grace of God, we would all likewise perish.
VI. A TIME OF CHANGING
The Christ of Christmas changes us. He makes us a new person (“anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Cor. 5:17). All things become new for us. We have new goals, new ideas, new direction, new hope. Christ changes people for the better.
VII. A TIME OF REJOICING
-rejoicing in God’s unmerited grace
-rejoicing in the release of forgiveness
-rejoicing in a new life with a new mission
This lesson is an attempt to share with you this morning what Christmas should mean to us as Believers. What does the coming of Christ into this world really mean to you?
How do you explain the meaning of Christmas in just a few words? Well the best way I know is this:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
No one could outdo what God has done. No one could give a greater gift than God has already given. Let us consider the meaning of Christmas this morning - what it should mean to each and every one of us assembled here today.
Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some it is-
-a time of shopping and spending
-a time of drinking and carousing
-a time of traveling and entertaining
But, what is the real meaning of Christmas? What message should it convey to every one of us?
To Believers, Christmas is...
I. A TIME OF REMEMBERING
-remembering the great love that God had for each and every one of us. He loved us so much that He sent and gave His only Son that we might be saved.
-remembering the uniqueness of
His life
His teachings
His miracles
His prophesies
His death
His resurrection
-remembering all those humble but great people surrounding the Christmas story. People like Joseph & Mary, Zacharias & Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, the shepherds, the wise men, etc.
II. Secondly, Christmas is...
A TIME OF LOVING
People make a special effort to be a little kinder, a little more considerate of others, and a little more generous during the Christmas season. They get involved in such things as Christmas caroling, toys for the needy, meals for the misfortunate, etc.
It is a time for reaching out to others with love and concern.
For God so loved the world – let us never forget that!!! In all of our preaching, teaching, evangelizing, etc. let us always remember that the motivation for all this is the love of God for lost sinners. He really cares about us. So we should care as He cares. So we should love, as He loves.
Just a side note: As I was working on this lesson, I took a Facebook “break and on the side someone “liked” a comment on the sidebar called “ticker”, by a person I don’t know and shall remain nameless. The comment was: “Wal-Mart always reminds me that I sit near the top of the gene pool.” Now what kind of love is that showing toward those that are not always people like us? And being a fan at Wal-Mart, I know that there are folks who are not "like us", but does that make us better? Who knows but maybe this person saw me in my worn, faded and torn jeans, t-shirt, “tractor cap” and work boots. Who knows exactly what triggered the comment but I don’t think it was very Christ-like. To quote Tiffany – just sayin’.
III. A TIME OF GIVING
For God so loved the world, that He gave...
Love cannot look with indifference on the hungry, and the sick, and the lonely, lost souls of this world. Love must give.
God gave all He could give. He gave His only begotten Son, or as other versions translates, His one and only son. This gift was freely given, lovingly given, graciously given to all of us, who were undeserving sinners.
Christ shared our human nature that we might receive His divine nature. Day by day, those who truly receive Him are being transformed into His image, until we all come into the full stature of the perfected children of God, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
IV. A TIME OF FORGIVING
God was willing to forgive us. He was willing to show mercy to a sinful, lost, and dying world. Do we possess His forgiving spirit? Or, is our spirit a judgmental one, one that looks down upon others? Is there someone we need to forgive today?
V. A TIME OF RESCUING
God rescued us by His love and mercy. He saved us from perishing. Jesus said “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.”Without Christ we are without life, and headed for an eternity without God - forever separated from the God who made us and longs to save us. But with Christ we “have everlasting life."
He wants us to inherit eternal life. We are all descendents of a dying race. But for the grace of God, we would all likewise perish.
VI. A TIME OF CHANGING
The Christ of Christmas changes us. He makes us a new person (“anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Cor. 5:17). All things become new for us. We have new goals, new ideas, new direction, new hope. Christ changes people for the better.
VII. A TIME OF REJOICING
-rejoicing in God’s unmerited grace
-rejoicing in the release of forgiveness
-rejoicing in a new life with a new mission
This lesson is an attempt to share with you this morning what Christmas should mean to us as Believers. What does the coming of Christ into this world really mean to you?
Monday, December 5, 2011
From War to Joy on Christmas
As the Christmas season is getting into “high” gear, I have noticed that there is so much discussion, anger, etc. about the political correct way to handle Christmas. And I got it in my heart that I should do a lesson on this. I actually started working on one myself but, as most of you know, my ministry is recognizing good lessons by others, editing and using them. Then on Friday I got a devotional/lesson on just this subject via email which will be the basis of the lesson. But first, some of my own thoughts.
So much “hype” about Happy Holidays, Holiday Trees (by the way the first definition of the word holiday in Merriam-Webster dictionary is Holy Day), no manager scenes in public places and other things that upset us as Christians. A friend even got an e-mail about sending “Merry Christmas” cards to the American Civil Liberties Union to bring home the point about the “holiday” issue. To what purpose? We need to be reminded that as Believers, Jesus lives “in us”. Where I agree that all this is so disappointing, we need to know that that nothing can “take us out of God’s hands”. No one can keep us from worshipping Him whenever we please. We don’t have to be in a church building to do this. We may not be able to pray in public or school but no one can keep us from praying to our Father.
But I believe that we spend too much time worrying and getting angry about this since NO ONE can take Christ "out of us" as Believers. And we let this "stuff" steal the "reason for season" from us. Steal the REAL Joy of Christmas the birth of our Savior. Now to the lesson: From War to Joy on Christmas.
Around this time every year, some Christians get heated about the "War on Christmas." Political organizations churn out sharply worded press releases about a perceived attempt by the left to strip Christ out of Christmas. Bill O'Reilly will highlight one story every night, something like the town council in Podunk, USA that removed a cross from a water tower. The Drudge Report will take the most obscure case of Christmas secularizing and highlight as if it’s a dangerous national epidemic. And of course, the American Family Association will create its "Naughty and Nice" list of retailers who don't explicitly mention the story of Christmas in their promotions.
This is not to suggest that there isn't a cultural push back against Christianity. Gospel-centered Christianity is increasingly being shown as less important in our society and politics. This is a given. But when it comes to Christmas, a lot of the outrage expressed by Christians is misguided at best and manufactured at worst. Especially when Christians in places like Sudan, China and the Middle East are beaten, separated from their families, and often killed for expressing the name of Christ. We cry foul because the tired and overworked greeter at Target doesn't say "Merry Christmas"?
Honestly.
It is quite possible that this outrage is manufactured in that it gives activist organizations a bit of relevance during a time of year when most of the world shifts their eyes away from partisan politics. It preys on fear, fear that somehow our traditions and all that we hold dear is being snatched away. It's a “tacky” way to inject politics into every area of life, as if everything is explained by the bogeymen of left and right. Frankly, it’s often a great fundraising tool. Help us stop the War on Christmas, contribute $5, $10, $25 dollars to this urgent cause!
Even if there is some truth to the War on Christmas--and there might be—do you wonder if force is the best way to advance the real meaning of this holiday? Is a stern rebuke to the Wal-Mart cashier the best presentation of God in the flesh? Are we so fragile in our faith that we need the GAP to articulate the Christ-centeredness of the holiday?
When you read the gospel accounts of the Incarnation, you find that it is way above the tired political debates of today. Jesus himself said that the Kingdom wouldn't advance by force. He didn't come so that his followers could pursue power, so that Christianity would be the dominant, powerful force in society. So that everyone would like us and affirm our holiday.
The story of Christmas is about gospel joy. The angelic choir rang perfect melodies through the heavens, worshipping in awe at the mystery and glory of God coming to earth in human form, of the Son born to a virgin in a lowly cattle trough.
And we, who were lost in our sins and have now been transformed by the regenerating power of Jesus, bear this joy of Christmas. So the best declaration of the gospel on this holiday is not angry shouting about perceived slights. It's not a persistent whining about the end of civilization. Its’ a heart of overflowing joy at the Savior's birth.
Imagine if we stopped sending angry emails and press releases about "naughty and nice" retailers and instead really focus on displaying the joy of the season? Consider this: even in a world ravaged by sin, in a country increasingly given to false ideologies and the worship of plastic gods, we stop and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Like it or not, December 25th is the one time of year when the world peers in on Luke's narrative about the baby in the manger. This is when the entire world is filled with gospel truth, when Joy to the World and the First Noel and Silent Night breathe the wonder of the Incarnation (Jesus coming to earth as a human) into the darkest places in our culture.
So those of us who've been the object of Jesus' love, whose hearts have been transformed by Christ, let us be the most joyous members of the human race when the calendar flips to December. Imagine what the culture would look like if every Christian stopped complaining about war on their holiday, stopped whining about commercialism and stress and bust forth with joy at the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus, Savior of the world?
Maybe, just maybe, the tired retail workers at the checkout line would say "Merry Christmas," not because cranky Christians demanded it, but because the joy of our hearts at this season so overflowed that the gospel spilled over.
The real war on Christmas isn't being fought on Madison Avenue or in the White House or on Wall Street. It's being fought every day in the hearts of Believers who can choose to either celebrate in the miracle of the Incarnation or allow themselves to be slaves of the enemy who seeks to rob God's people of their joy.
This holiday is our holiday. We get an entire month to rejoice at the unfolding of God's salvation plan. So, let's go forth this Christmas, with generosity towards those we love, charity toward those who don't celebrate as they ought, and gospel gladness in a culture that desperately needs the good news.
I would like to close with quote from a good friend: “I, as a Christian, choose to celebrate His Holy Birth. Those of other religions do not. That is their LOSS and I as a BELIEVER receive JOY from my BELIEF that the “Holy Day” is based on Biblical TRUTH. No one can steal my JOY through political shenanigans.”
So much “hype” about Happy Holidays, Holiday Trees (by the way the first definition of the word holiday in Merriam-Webster dictionary is Holy Day), no manager scenes in public places and other things that upset us as Christians. A friend even got an e-mail about sending “Merry Christmas” cards to the American Civil Liberties Union to bring home the point about the “holiday” issue. To what purpose? We need to be reminded that as Believers, Jesus lives “in us”. Where I agree that all this is so disappointing, we need to know that that nothing can “take us out of God’s hands”. No one can keep us from worshipping Him whenever we please. We don’t have to be in a church building to do this. We may not be able to pray in public or school but no one can keep us from praying to our Father.
But I believe that we spend too much time worrying and getting angry about this since NO ONE can take Christ "out of us" as Believers. And we let this "stuff" steal the "reason for season" from us. Steal the REAL Joy of Christmas the birth of our Savior. Now to the lesson: From War to Joy on Christmas.
Around this time every year, some Christians get heated about the "War on Christmas." Political organizations churn out sharply worded press releases about a perceived attempt by the left to strip Christ out of Christmas. Bill O'Reilly will highlight one story every night, something like the town council in Podunk, USA that removed a cross from a water tower. The Drudge Report will take the most obscure case of Christmas secularizing and highlight as if it’s a dangerous national epidemic. And of course, the American Family Association will create its "Naughty and Nice" list of retailers who don't explicitly mention the story of Christmas in their promotions.
This is not to suggest that there isn't a cultural push back against Christianity. Gospel-centered Christianity is increasingly being shown as less important in our society and politics. This is a given. But when it comes to Christmas, a lot of the outrage expressed by Christians is misguided at best and manufactured at worst. Especially when Christians in places like Sudan, China and the Middle East are beaten, separated from their families, and often killed for expressing the name of Christ. We cry foul because the tired and overworked greeter at Target doesn't say "Merry Christmas"?
Honestly.
It is quite possible that this outrage is manufactured in that it gives activist organizations a bit of relevance during a time of year when most of the world shifts their eyes away from partisan politics. It preys on fear, fear that somehow our traditions and all that we hold dear is being snatched away. It's a “tacky” way to inject politics into every area of life, as if everything is explained by the bogeymen of left and right. Frankly, it’s often a great fundraising tool. Help us stop the War on Christmas, contribute $5, $10, $25 dollars to this urgent cause!
Even if there is some truth to the War on Christmas--and there might be—do you wonder if force is the best way to advance the real meaning of this holiday? Is a stern rebuke to the Wal-Mart cashier the best presentation of God in the flesh? Are we so fragile in our faith that we need the GAP to articulate the Christ-centeredness of the holiday?
When you read the gospel accounts of the Incarnation, you find that it is way above the tired political debates of today. Jesus himself said that the Kingdom wouldn't advance by force. He didn't come so that his followers could pursue power, so that Christianity would be the dominant, powerful force in society. So that everyone would like us and affirm our holiday.
The story of Christmas is about gospel joy. The angelic choir rang perfect melodies through the heavens, worshipping in awe at the mystery and glory of God coming to earth in human form, of the Son born to a virgin in a lowly cattle trough.
And we, who were lost in our sins and have now been transformed by the regenerating power of Jesus, bear this joy of Christmas. So the best declaration of the gospel on this holiday is not angry shouting about perceived slights. It's not a persistent whining about the end of civilization. Its’ a heart of overflowing joy at the Savior's birth.
Imagine if we stopped sending angry emails and press releases about "naughty and nice" retailers and instead really focus on displaying the joy of the season? Consider this: even in a world ravaged by sin, in a country increasingly given to false ideologies and the worship of plastic gods, we stop and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Like it or not, December 25th is the one time of year when the world peers in on Luke's narrative about the baby in the manger. This is when the entire world is filled with gospel truth, when Joy to the World and the First Noel and Silent Night breathe the wonder of the Incarnation (Jesus coming to earth as a human) into the darkest places in our culture.
So those of us who've been the object of Jesus' love, whose hearts have been transformed by Christ, let us be the most joyous members of the human race when the calendar flips to December. Imagine what the culture would look like if every Christian stopped complaining about war on their holiday, stopped whining about commercialism and stress and bust forth with joy at the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus, Savior of the world?
Maybe, just maybe, the tired retail workers at the checkout line would say "Merry Christmas," not because cranky Christians demanded it, but because the joy of our hearts at this season so overflowed that the gospel spilled over.
The real war on Christmas isn't being fought on Madison Avenue or in the White House or on Wall Street. It's being fought every day in the hearts of Believers who can choose to either celebrate in the miracle of the Incarnation or allow themselves to be slaves of the enemy who seeks to rob God's people of their joy.
This holiday is our holiday. We get an entire month to rejoice at the unfolding of God's salvation plan. So, let's go forth this Christmas, with generosity towards those we love, charity toward those who don't celebrate as they ought, and gospel gladness in a culture that desperately needs the good news.
I would like to close with quote from a good friend: “I, as a Christian, choose to celebrate His Holy Birth. Those of other religions do not. That is their LOSS and I as a BELIEVER receive JOY from my BELIEF that the “Holy Day” is based on Biblical TRUTH. No one can steal my JOY through political shenanigans.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
