Creator God

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. - Genesis 1:31

As we begin this week with our new series following the narrative of Christ from the beginning to the end of the story we are going to start by laying a foundation -

The Bible starts with a very familiar story to most, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…

Our view of the world begins with our view of God. The way that we think about God shapes the way that we think about everything else, along with the way we act and respond to every circumstance.

Because of this, we need to get our understanding of God straight before we go any further in this series… 

In other words, as we set out to tell the story of the Bible, we have to begin with God. As the author of the Bible and the hero of every story found in it, we can’t even begin to think about telling the story without starting with him.

To do this, we are going to start as the last verse of the first chapter… Genesis 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

At first glance, Genesis 1 doesn’t seem to give us much information about God. Instead, it seems as if we have just the story of creation, with the existence of God more or less assumed. But as we read through the account of the creation week, the authority of God is pretty astonishing.

God speaks, and things happen…

I don’t know about you but I am sure glad that this is the God that I serve – 

So how does Christ fit into this? Find out on Sunday @ 11!  

God's Goodness and Love

The past three weeks as we’ve been joyfully awaiting the glorious coming of Christ we’ve studying about the Hope, Peace, and Joy that surrounds the first and second comings of our Lord and Savior.

This Sunday we will relight the first three candles of the Advent Wreath — the candles of HOPE, PEACE and JOY. Then we reach the fourth candle of Advent. This is the candle of LOVE. Christ demonstrated self-giving love in his ministry as the Good Shepherd. Advent is a time for kindness, thinking of others, and sharing with others. It is a time to love as God loved us by giving us his most precious gift. As God is love, let us be love also.

Romans 5:6-11 is another example of a perfect Advent Gospel passage – “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

What a promise!

Even if the Lord never showed anyone mercy, His character would remain unblemished. However, in His rich goodness and love, He has decided to shower mercy on some so that we might better know how deep and how wide His goodness really is.

John 13:34-35 says:

 “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This Advent season will you allow the love of God to change you from the inside out? Will you love one another as much as you love Christ?

Joy in?

This time of year there is always a lot of talk about joy… But really what is joy? 

Joy is more than being happy…Joy is the byproduct of obedience! 

If you struggle with joy, you aren’t struggling with happiness you are struggling with obedience.

The Greek word for joy is chara. Joy is the natural reaction to the work of God, whether promised or fulfilled. Joy expresses God's kingdom.

The Greek chara is closely related to charis, which means “grace” or “a gift.” Chara is the normal response to charis—we have joy because of God's grace. Now this is the key - possessing joy is a choice. We choose whether to value God's presence, promises, and work in our lives. When we rejoice in Him, when we yield to the Spirit, He opens our eyes to God's grace around us and fills us with joy (Romans 15:13). Joy is not to be found in a fallen world; it is only fellowship with God that can make our joy complete (1 John 1:4).

The next step in the progression is to allow our joy to become an action as we express it. During the season of Advent we are rejoicing in the Lord for his coming - Philippians 4:4-5 says “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.”

Rejoice is the Greek word it is chairó -- it is the expression of joy. The command to rejoice shares the same Greek root as joy – xar. When you start putting the pieces together you get an incredible message….

The root means literally, to experience God's grace, be conscious for His grace. To express joy, or to rejoice is to be glad for God’s grace.

We are to be glad for God’s grace – we are to let it be known to everyone, because the Lord is near! What a synopsis of Advent! 

A Voice in the Desert...

Christmas is coming! Decorations are going up, presents are being bought and wrapped, electricity is in the air, Christmas parties... TV specials... anticipation is building to the day... 

Though there are no stats to prove it I’d wager this time of year, leading to Christmas and New Year’s is one of the most popular times of the year to have parties…

How do you go about getting ready for guests? You clean the kitchen, the bathrooms, you run the vacuum, make the beds… maybe put out some candles, bake some cookies so the house smells nice and fresh right?

There is preparation work that has to get done before you feel ready… that’s the key…

Now imagine you are planning to have a party on Sunday but everyone shows up on Friday… Feel prepared?

Jesus is coming soon… How are you preparing for his arrival? 

Our text this week is from Luke 3:1-18.

John the Baptist was sent to prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah. He called people to repentance. He called the people to prepare themselves for the Messiah’s arrival.

Luke is quoting from Isaiah 40:4-5 here, in Isaiah’s day it was common practice for Kings and Rulers send heralds before them in a journey to clear away obstacles, make causeways over valleys, and level hills to provide a smooth journey and prepare the people for the Kings arrival… They wanted large crowds of excited people waiting in every town…  

So John's duty was to bring back the people to obedience to the law and to remove all self-confidence, pride in national privileges, hypocrisy, and irreligion, so that they should be ready for His coming…

How were the people to prepare themselves? – How are you preparing yourself?

Luke via John the Baptist’s example gives us four clear ways to prepare for Jesus’s arrival in the passage – if you want to hear the rest you will have to come Sunday @ 11! 

Church should be profane...

This past week in one of my devotional readings* I came across this teaching by Martin Luther and wanted to share. 

Martin Luther, as a herald of the Reformation,
exclaimed that the church must be profane.
It must move out of the temple and into the world.
Luther looked to the Latin roots of the word profane,
which comes from pro-fanus (“outside the temple”). 

If Christ is not relevant outside the church,
He is insignificant inside the church.
If our faith is bound to the inner chambers
of the Christian community, it is at best
a disobedient faith and at worst, no faith at all.
It was the Pharisees who developed the
doctrine of salvation by separation.
They were practicing segregationists,
believing that holiness was achieved
by avoiding contact with unclean sinners. 

No wonder they were scandalized by the behavior of Jesus,
who dealt with Samaritans, ate dinner with tax collectors,
placed His hand upon lepers, and ministered to harlots.
Our Lord was accused of being a drunkard and a glutton,
not because He was overweight or given to intemperance,
but because He frequented places where these things were commonplace.

If guilt by association were a legitimate offense,
Jesus would have lost His sinlessness early in His ministry.
But He came to seek and to save the lost.
He found them gathered in His Father’s world.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
He commanded us to do likewise.
What are you doing in response to that command?

What a thought -- That church should be profane... living outside the walls... among those who would be deemed unclean... among those who despise us... among those who would hang us on the same cross that our savior was hung on...


*Original Post: http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/seeking-lost/

I am a refugee...

I am a refugee... 

Crazy right? That's what most of you are thinking... off his rocker this time for sure…  but before you write me off read the whole of the post and ask God to speak to your heart as He has done mine as I wrote these words... 

I am a refugee...
In fact we are all caught up in a war not of this world over this world... God and Satan have been tossing blows since the days of Adam and Eve …really Satan has been tossing something but it but it’s more like cookies than blows… God came in with His right(eous) cross dealing the knockout punch a long time ago... Satan just hasn’t stopped thrashing about yet… but I digress

I am a refugee... 
You see this is not my home.... it was once, in fact for many years it was my home but then a religious war tore my world a part... See I learned of this war that was raging all around me... I learned of a King who loved me, who sacrificed everything to set me free from my captivity… I learned how the master I had been serving was simply using me and would have eventually cast me aside when I was no longer useful... My world as I knew it was over…

I am a refugee... 
Now that I have been adopted into my Lord's family I find I am in fact homeless on this earth... I have no-where to turn, no-where to hide, the enemy is seeking to destroy me at every turn... I am a refugee... The things that brought me joy in the past now simply bring pain... (1 Peter 2:11)

I am a refugee...
But the Lord is my refuge... (Psalm 94:22a)

I am a refugee... 

With the Lord as my refuge; there is nothing else I need… He brings me the rest I need… He renews my strength daily… Why? For His glory! When it seems like there is no more hope I have a perfect peace because He is with me… When I wander, when I stray His loving hand brings me back… His rod and staff while painful are comforting because He loves me… I am so blessed because of my obedience… I don’t want to ever return to my old ways because of His goodness…  (Psalms23:1-6)

I am a refugee... 
With the Lord as my refuge, with the Lord as my helper; I will not be afraid... Why? Because if the God who hung the stars in the sky is walking by my side... What can man do to me? (Genesis 1:14; Hebrews 13:6)

But wait I am not alone on this earth... 

We are refugees...
We are all foreigners... temporary residents of this earth... Let's not forget our roots as those who have no hope! (1 Chronicles 29:15)

We are refugees 
And I'm proud of it... are you? (1 Corinthians 10:31)

A Consuming Fire

If I were to ask you what you received as a Christmas or birthday gift 10 years ago, or even five years ago for that matter would you be able to name any of them? If so are they gifts that you are still using?

Most of the gifts that we’ve received in life are used up, worn out, or even in some cases re-gifted… However the gift of Christ is an unforgettable gift. The promise of God’s unshakable Kingdom – a kingdom made available to those whose faith is true, strong, and enduring.

Hebrews 12:18-29

¹⁸ For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm, ¹⁹ to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. (Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them, ²⁰ for they could not bear what was commanded: And if even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned!^] 21 The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am terrified and trembling.) ²² Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering, ²³ to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ Make sure that you do not reject the One who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. ²⁶ His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. ²⁷ This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire.

The focus is not on the people who have endured, but rather about that which truly endures. Much of what we know as creation wasn’t meant to be permanent. God has always had a better plan that we has been introduced over time... 

This passage closes with an ominous thought – God as a consuming fire (vs29).  This may cause confusion that God is always out to consume everyone. In fact he could if he desired consume each of us because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). Yet Peter, when writing about a coming destruction (by fire) said that God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9).

So, a God who’s a consuming fire doesn’t have to consume...

We’ve seen this before… Moses stood before the Lord who was in the burning bush, yet it wasn’t consumed (Exodus 3). Think about this – if the Lord was careful to preserve a bush, think about how much more He cares for you and me? (Matthew 6:30). We will be refined by fire, conformed to the image of His Son, but just as in the bush we don’t have to be consumed...

The choice is ours. Hebrews 1 tells us that God has spoken to us in the past and continues on today through His Son. Unlike everything we see around us, His words will remain.

How will you respond?

What is Faith?

What is faith? Faith is defined as belief with strong conviction; firm belief in something for which there may not be any tangible proof; complete trust, confidence, reliance or devotion. Faith is the opposite of doubt.

Hebrews 11 emphasizes the importance of faith. Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it's impossible to please God. 

But where does faith come from? The disciples were accused of not having enough faith (Matthew 17:19-20). Is our faith our own? Or is it a gift?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.”

So our faith is a gift from God – how then do we receive this gift?

Romans 10:17 answers that ^“So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”

Our faith is a gift from God, which comes through the spoken word of the Gospel of Christ. How

How will you respond to this gift? Will you walk by faith, not by sight? (2 Corinthians 5:7)

ἀκλινής (yes this is a word and yes you can find it in the Bible)

Last week I brought out the idea that we are to be culture changing not culture adopting, this week as I've been studying Hebrews 10 a single word really jumped out at me. That word is ἀκλινής.  Now if you were to open your Bible and read Hebrews 10 you are most likely not going to see this word right away, in fact unless you are reading from a Greek word study or from a good study Bible you probably wouldn't see this word at all but it is there I assure you. 

It is transliterated aklinés and is pronounced ak-lee-nace'. This is the Greek word for unbending or without waver. You find this concept in Hebrews 10:23 when the writer says “Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering…”

This is such a good description of where the church needs to be today. Too often we become like politicians who find the right word to say to each person who lends an ear. Our goal to help people to feel better about themselves, to feel like they matter in this crazy messed up world…

But is that what we are really called to do? I believe that we are called to be aklinés in our dedication to the Gospel. That we are to be unbending, unyielding, unwavering in our commitment to our Lord and Savior. If that means that some become offended by the Gospel and reject us as friends or family so be it. Are they really rejecting us or are they rejecting Jesus? (Read: John 15:18-25) 

If we capitulate and present a watered down gospel for fear of driving someone away from the cross are we really any better than the Jewish leaders who hung Jesus on the cross?

Our responsibility is to sow seed and or water that seed, it is the Holy Spirit who causes that seed to grow, produce fruit, and be harvested accordingly.

We must not bend in the winds of the culture today, we must not waver on our commitment to Christ, and we must not yield to the undercurrents trying to separate us from the love of our Savior whatever the cost may be.

Church will you stand with me aklinés before the world?

Culture Changing

In a day in which the cultural is constantly shifting and changing from week to week things never seem remain the same for too long... This is where the church needs to be culture changing rather than culture conforming. Rather than constantly reinventing itself to be softer and easier to accept to the church needs to stand on the truth of God's Word without apology. 

Does this mean that the church should avoid change? Absolutely not. Paul tells us in Romans that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds rather than conforming to the ways of this world (Romans 12:1-2). While the message should never change the means in which that message is delivered should be free to adapt and change as the opportunity presents itself. That is the beauty of God's word that it is valid for each generation without fail. 

Over the next several months we will be slowly rolling out some of these changes to align with the vision that God has given.

Changing and adapting existing ministries, launching new Bible studies and prayer groups, these are only the beginning. I fully believe that God desires our church to once again be a thriving multi-generational body and while there will be growing pains along the way we must act in faith that God will bring this to be reality. My prayer is that as we move through this process that you will continue to seek the presence of God in your prayer lives, that prayer will be your foundation not your fall back! 

Look around you on Sunday mornings and Tuesday nights you can begin seeing this happening, lives are being changed, people are coming to Christ, families are joining the church. God is making good on His word as promised! My hope is that you are as excited to see God's hand working as I am!

Old vs New

What is the best restaurant in your town? Or how about the best holiday of the year? Or the best book you've ever read? What about the best deal you've ever found? What made that such a bargain?

Now that you've been thinking about that, think about this - does new equal better? Are you the type of person who hangs on to old possessions as long as possible before replacing them? Or do you like to trade-in and trade-up on a regular basis?

In Hebrews 8 we knuckle down on the concept of the “New Covenant”. The High Priest of this “New Covenant” is Christ Jesus, who according to He 8:1 occupies a special place, seated at the right hand of God.

In short, this chapter poses and answers two questions: (1) Why should a Jew be satisfied with the old priesthood and the old sacrifices – which are only copies and shadows of forgiveness and reconciliation – when he can have real forgiveness and reconciliation in Jesus?
And (2) What “Old Covenant” priest could compare with Jesus, the incomparable High priest of the “New Covenant”?

The “Old Covenant” symbol isn’t bad, it never was. It had a beautiful, God given purpose! That purpose was to point to the Son, it represented the Son, foreshadowing His coming. But now that the Son has come, the symbol has no more purpose, it has become obsolete (He 8:13). Ultimately the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70 completed the closing of the “Old Covenant”.

So where does that leave us? Ezekiel 36:26-27 speaks of an internal heart change which is part of this “New Covenant” and 1 Timothy 2:5 confirms that Christ alone brings this change.

While the mystery of the will of God is difficult for our finite minds to comprehend; and while we may never have the mind of God, we are told to have a mind (attitude) like Christ (Philippians 2:5). As such, we must continually set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2) and let our minds be transformed by God (Romans 12:1).

Don’t let your obsession with the “Old” ways prevent you from enjoying the fruits of the “New”!

A reminder from Paul and Pheidippides

No long post today, just a simple thought that I had and wanted to share… The term marathon is dated to 1896, stemming from story of Greek hero Pheidippides, who ran just over 26 miles to Athens from the Plains of Marathon to tell of the allied Greek victory there over Persian army, 490 B.C.E. 

We too are called to be running a race by the Apostle Paul in fact throughout the book of Hebrews we see many references to those who endure or finish to the end. Paul in 1 Timothy 4:7 says:

 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 

I am reminded of all this as the team from Bethel Baptist in Lakeland is here picking up on the next phase of a project that was started two years ago and with any luck will be done in the not too distant future but, I am reminded that we are not in a sprint to the finish but in a long distance marathon some of whom take over 100 years to run their leg of it. No matter how long we have to run how we finish is just as important as how we run the race. We need to remember that always. Keep the faith! 

It's Elementary...

While Sherlock Holmes never actually uttered the words "elementary my dear Watson"  the phrase is aptly appropriate for the start of Hebrews 6 as it starts out with the author urging his readers to move beyond the elementary teachings. Check it out... 

 ¹Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ² of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

Why is this so important for us today? Looking at the end of chapter 5 we start getting a picture:

¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

So if we are stuck on the elementary principles we are stuck drinking milk, which we know isn't sufficient to nourish on its own once unless you are an infant. 

Think about this when you are building a house once the foundation is laid what happens? The walls go up… The roof goes on... The house ultimately has a purpose greater than the foundation alone... 

What about in the scholarly realm? Once you have the foundation of the alphabet do you keep relearning those letters over and over forever? Or do you learn how to use those letters to form words and phrases. 

We should always be reminded of these things just as we are reminded how to properly spell and use grammar. But rather than remaining there we use this foundational knowledge of the Gospel, the knowledge of baptism, prayer, Christ’s resurrection, and end times as the foundation by which we grow into a true disciple of Christ.

Are you growing?

See ya Sunday! 

Approaching the Throne

The last couple of weeks we have seen a couple exhortations in the book of Hebrews, to listen to Jesus and to encourage each other daily… Hebrews 4:16 brings us our next exhortation in the book of Hebrews: “Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.”

However many people want to approach God on their terms, not His. We may approach the throne of grace with boldness if we’re followers of Jesus because He has already shown us the way (the Way). But, we still must remember it’s the throne of God we’re approaching, not ours.

The reality is, we often try to do more for God than He asks, though He wants to do more
through us than we can possibly imagine.

We must ask ourselves these questions:

• Are you doing what you know He wants you to do? 
• Great! Do it boldly, with confidence.
• Are you doing the things you think He wants you to do? 
• If so, do it boldly, continually seeking where He is leading.
• Are you doing what you hope He wants you to do? 
• Proceed cautiously. Ask Him for clarity. Seek the counsel of others who are boldly living out their faith.
• Are you doing what you want Him to allow you to do? 
• Stop! Don't be like Nadab and Abihu who tried to misuse God's power for their benefit (Leviticus 10:1-2). Ask God for a fresh start and prepare yourself to follow.

We must approach the throne of grace with boldness, yet also with a sincere humility knowing that it is on God’s terms we have received grace in the first place…

See ya Sunday! 

God in Nature

As I have been studying in Hebrews 3 preparing for this week I have come across many great stories and quotes far to many to ever use in a single sermon.

One story stood out more than the others of the ones that didn't make the cut and it is based off Hebrews 3:4

 Now every house is built by someone, but the One who built everything is God.

The story goes like this:

You see this Bible I hold in my hand? 

You see the cover, the pages, the letters, and words, 

but you do not see the writers, or the printer, the letter founder, 

the ink-maker, the paper-maker, or the binder. 

You never did see them, you never will see them,
and yet there is not one of you who will think of disputing or denying
the existence of these individuals. 

I go further; I affirm that you see the very souls of these men
in seeing this book, and you feel yourselves obliged to allow that,
by their skill, design, memory, fancy, reason, and so on, the book was made.

In the same manner, if you see a picture, you judge there was a painter;
if you see a house, you judge there was a builder of it;
and if you see one room contrived for this purpose and another for that,
a door to enter, a window to admit light, and a chimney to hold fire,
you conclude that the builder was a person of skill and forecast,
who formed the house with a view to the accommodation of its inhabitants. 

In this manner examine the world, and pity the man who,
when he sees the sign of a wheat-sheaf, hath sense enough to know that there is a joiner,
 and somewhere a painter, but who, when he sees the wheat-sheaf itself
is so stupid as not to say to himself, "This had a wise and good Creator"

--R. Robinson

There is a Creator and He is good, He is the One who built everything.

Have a blessed week!   

A GREAT Salvation

This week in our study of the book of Hebrews we are looking at Hebrews 2:1-4, in which we receive a warning against neglect. What are we warned against neglecting? Good question!

Hebrews 2:1-4 ^“We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. ² For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding^[a] and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, ³ how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. ⁴ At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will.”

Is there a sense of greatness in your mind about your salvation? I mean think about it… When something truly great is happening, there is an expected response towards that greatness.

Do you respond to the greatness of your salvation? Or do you neglect it?

I mean do you treat your salvation the way you treat the title to your car or the deed on your house? You signed it once and it is in a file drawer somewhere, but it is not a really great thing. It has no daily effect on you....

(In all honesty I’m not even sure where the title to our car is I’ve neglected it that much… It’s in there somewhere and I’m sure I could find it if I looked hard enough but does it really matter?)

You know you have it… You aren’t going to go to hell… Add to the file and search it out when you need it right? Essentially you neglect it. 

So this message to the church and the world should serve as a wake-up call. To neglect our great salvation is to come into a judgment to which there will be no escape. Why? Because being a Christian is serious business. Not sour business, but serious, very serious.

Now listen to what the author is saying here…

“…how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

It's not as if they are saying:

•  don't neglect your arthritis, or…
• don't neglect your allergies, or…
• don't neglect your cranky coworker….

These can all be negatives… He is saying don't neglect your salvation. Your GREAT salvation.

So it's about something GREAT! 

It’s more like:

• Don't neglect your steak dinners…
• Don't neglect your cancer-healing therapy...
• Don’t neglect your safe warm bed…
• Don't neglect your sunrises and sunsets…

This is more in line with what the author is trying to get across only in the terms of salvation... 

In reality what the author is telling us is this:

• Don't neglect being loved by God.
• Don't neglect being forgiven, protected, strengthened, and guided by Almighty God.
• Don't neglect the sacrifice of Christ's life on the cross.
• Don't neglect the free gift of righteousness imputed by faith.
• Don't neglect the removal of God's wrath and the reconciled smile of God.
• Don't neglect the indwelling Holy Spirit
• Don’t neglect the fellowship and friendship of the living Christ.
• Don't neglect the radiance of God's glory in the face of Jesus. 
• Don't neglect the free access to the throne of grace. 
• Don't neglect the inexhaustible treasure of God's promises.

This is a GREAT salvation!

Don't neglect so great a salvation. Else you will perish…

Let us not neglect our eternal joy in God—which is what salvation is.

Faith Comes By Hearing

Have you ever found yourself asking God to speak to you? Asking in a moment of desperation to hear His voice? I know I have - I have also found God to be faithful and patient with me during those times. Hebrews 1:1-4 teaches a lesson we all need to hear. It teaches us that God is not silent,

Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs.

Hebrews 1 shows us that God spoke at different times and in different ways through the prophets, and now He speaks to us by His Son who after making purification for sin sits at the right hand of the Father.

One final though look at the word radiance in verse 3 that word is significant. "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory" (apaúgasma) is only found in Heb 1:3 where it is referring to the effulgent glory of the Godhead. This is more than just a reflection but literally a ray from an original light body. Thus Christ isn’t merely a reflection of the Godhead He is a part of the Godhead. Hence the next line "the exact expression of His nature." 

What a reassurance God is not silent nor is Christ merely a reflection of the Godhead but a ray of light from it.

See you Sunday!

Before you offer a washcloth

Be honest. Have you ever sat there and thought to yourself hmmm I am so glad that so and so was in church today to hear that message... they really needed to hear that sermon... or maybe they weren't there and you were wishing that they had been?

Honestly I think this has happened to all of us at some point or another if we are really honest with ourselves but when we do this, when we fall into that trap of thinking of someone else's problems we lose sight of our own problems. 

This is why in Matthew 7:5(HCSB) Jesus says "Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." 

He is instructing those listening in (including us btw) to stop holding those around them to a different standard (a higher standard) than they held themselves 

Eugene Peterson has a great take on this passage - Matthew 7:1-5

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

And the next time you are sitting in church and those thoughts pop into your head? Rather than looking at someones failings try to look at their strengths. You should also take a closer look at your own life because if those thoughts are popping up someone is trying to distract you from receiving a message... just sayin...  

Is Jesus like a Tinkerbell doll?

Just a few days away from Ainsley's birthday the presents are starting to arrive and each time a package arrives there is a sense of anticipation and excitement on her part. It really is something to see the joy and triumph on her face when she opened a new Tinkerbell doll, or when she opens a book that has her name in it and insists that someone read it to her in that moment... But these gifts as with all earthly things will wear out, be passed on to other little girls and boys, new gifts will be received at Christmas and randomly throughout the year and these will be forgotten... 

Now here in lies the problem with any analogies you try to make about Christ - you can always find holes in them but bear with me...

I see this and I am reminded that there is another gift that we are all offered (Ephesians 2:8-9) and when we first receive that gift there is that same joy in our eyes as we experience the love of our Savior and we feel moved to share what he has done in us with everyone... 

But then we are faced with a choice... 

So often we treat Jesus like that Tinkerbell doll, we are excited when we first receive it. He takes the place of honor in our hearts, we show him off to everyone with great joy.
Isaiah 61:10a "I will find joy in the Lord. I will delight in my God."

 But then that excitement fades... We find other things to place in the seat of honor in our hearts, we find it easier to climb up and sit on His throne instead of bowing before it... When we do that we become like the church at Ephesus, having lost our first love...  

Revelation 2:4-5 But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

Are you treating Jesus like a Tinkerbell doll today or is he still your first and only love? 

Identity Crisis

Who are you? I'm mean do you know who you really are? Not who you think you... Not who others think you are.... But who you are in the eyes of the one true God.

In 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 Paul shares:

It is of little importance to me that I should be evaluated by you or by any human court. In fact, I don’t even evaluate myself. For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord. Therefore don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.

This passage should be one of great encouragement to us!

It shouldn't matter to us what others think of us... but at the same time we can't disconnect so much that we stop listening to those around us - judging only ourselves... if we do that we risk losing touch with the world and we are putting ourselves in God's shoes...

We need to stop comparing ourselves to each other, we need to stop trying to see who's pile of chips is the highest, whose racked up the most points because when it comes right down to it there are no chips or points because God alone is our judge.

We should seek to find our identity in Christ and Christ alone.

I know this won't sound very politically correct but you can't do this... stop trying to deceive yourself... You cannot fix yourself. You need Jesus. The world will not satisfy. Neither can you cannot grow in your faith alone. We need each other. Growth as the people of God requires unity, a shared identity, shared mind, and shared mission. But unity requires humility. The humility of the gospel isn’t thinking LESS OF YOURSELF it is thinking OF YOURSELF LESS. It is refusing to listen to the world’s judgment or our own, in order to determine WHO WE ARE.

The only thing that matters is WHO, by faith in Christ, God SAYS you are! In Christ, you are a son, you are servant, and you are a steward. You have an identity, you have a role, and you have a responsibility. 

There is freedom in forgetting yourself and living in Christ. And only with an identity secure in Christ, will you be able to experience genuine peace and joy in who God has made you to be and what He has given you to do, not tomorrow, but today.

So I ask you again who are you?

Find your chair… Sit in it…

What is salvation all about? What does the Bible really say about such things? If I just pray a prayer am I saved? What am I saved from? Can I save myself? these are all questions that are asked every day in regards to salvation...

Seeking to find the biblical perspective on salvation it is important to begin with the most basic definition of salvation found in the Bible. Salvation ultimately is the deliverance from God’s wrath which is eternal separation from Him. John 3:36 says “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him”.

Knowing the definition only gives a partial picture though, to truly understand salvation we need to know the answer to a couple of very important questions.

First off what are we saved from? It's important to note that we are all in need of saving Romans 3:30 tells us that there are none righteous, Romans 6:23 tells us in fact that the wages of our sin is death. 2 Thessalonians 1:9 speaks of eternal punishment, separation from the Lord which is God’s wrath. But as we see in Romans 5:9 when we are bought by the blood of Christ we are declared righteous and we are saved from God’s wrath.

That leads to the next question of salvation which is who does the saving? Try as we might only God can remove sin and deliver us from sin’s penalty. This is expressed in 2 Timothy 1:9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. Also affirmed in Titus 3:5.

So now we know what we are saved from and who does the actual work of salvation but how exactly are we saved? Romans 3:23 says the wages of sin is death, we have a debt that we cannot pay on our own because of our sin, however our sin debt has been satisfied by Jesus through His death on the cross. Paul in Romans 3:25 tells us “God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.” We are saved because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for us. 

Generations have been told pray this prayer and God will save you… Let me ask you this does praying the sinner’s prayer save you? Not on its own! It’s the posture of your heart when you realize you are in need of forgiveness of your sins. There isn’t a magic prayer or incantation you have to recite, there isn’t a special sacrifice that you have to offer, Romans 10:9-10 gives us a simple easy to understand path to follow to receiving biblical salvation“⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.”

But you can’t leave it there – Remember it’s the posture of your heart, think about it like this…

If you walk up to a chair and give the chair an eloquent speech about how you want it to your own personal chair, how you will love this chair, and carry it with you always, that you will never find another chair like it, and you just keep standing there talking to the chair never actually sitting in the chair what does that say about our speech to the chair? It was worthless and empty…. How many of us have done the same thing with Christ? We have prayed the sinner’s prayer, we have said all the right words, we have made all the right changes in the eyes of the world, yet we don’t change our posture towards God in our hearts… We need to rest in the grace of God…

Are you relying on your prayers or on your posture to ensure your salvation today?

Cracked Pots

I shared this illustration a couple weeks ago in my sermon but I wanted to revisit it as
it is important for us to remember that even in light of our flaws and failures Christ loves us... (Romans 5:8)

There is an ancient Chinese proverb about a water bearer. This water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. 

One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. 

For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master’s house. Of course, the townspeople laughed every time they saw the old man spilling water all the way home.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. He felt even worse that the water bearer was mocked due to his inadequacy.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you suffer such mockery from the others," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "I hear the laughter of the others, but I want you to notice something. Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? 

That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. 
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

****

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will
allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His table. They can appear as foolishness to the rest of the world, but God knows what he’s doing. This is what it is to truly be the church! Recognizing that we are all flawed individuals, broken and in need of redemption. But God’s plan is perfect! He has no plan b, He alone is sovereign.