September 9, 2013

^”Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you r

epent, you too will all perish.”  Luke 13:1-5

Jesus was the finest teacher who ever lived. In the passage that we read this morning, He seems to clip two tragic stories from the local Jerusalem newspaper to drive home an important truth that we all need to be reminded of from time to time.

The story is told of a shoplifter who writes to a department store and says, "I’ve just become a Christian, and I can’t sleep at night because I feel guilty. So here’s $100 that I owe you."

"Then he signs his name, and in a little postscript at the bottom he adds, "If I still can’t sleep, I’ll send you the rest."

Obviously, this fellow did not understand about repentance. Unfortunately there is much ignorance about what repentance means and how important it is. That is why I will be spending several days emphasizing this vital spiritual concept.

Now no other historian but Luke records the two events Jesus alluded to. Josephus the great Jewish historian does not mention them.

Let us begin with the temple calamity. This would have been headlines in the Jerusalem Gazette. It is very likely that this event took place during the Passover, and these Galilean Jews had come down to offer their sacrifices. Apparently Pilate sends his soldiers to find some Galileans and slaughters them while they are offering sacrifices. We don’t know any of the details. But there they were, offering their sacrifices. Pilate comes, not personally, but his soldiers and finds them there and slices them up so that in a very gruesome way, a gory way, it describes their blood as being mingled with the blood of the sacrifices.

This raises the question about this calamity. These people aren’t pagan; they’re worshiping, they’re doing what the Old Testament says. They’re worshiping God, they’re confessing their sins, they’re bringing their offering. How can such a bad thing happen to good people?

And so in verse 2 Jesus responds to the intention of their bringing this incidnet up. “Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things?” Jesus calls their conventional theology into question. Now do you think that the reason this happened to them was because they are the greatest sinners in Galilee? Is that what you think? Do you suppose that?

Jesus said in response, “Nay.” The Galileans who were slaughtered by Pilate were not greater sinners than others.

Let’s go to the second issue before we come back to the second half of verse 3. The first was the temple calamity. The second is the tower calamity.

Jesus brings up another issue from the front page. “Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?” Jesus again says “Nay.”

Now let’s come to the third point, the temple calamity, the tower calamity, the true calamity. The true calamity, go back to verse 3, “Except ye repent , ye shall all likewise perish.” Verse 5, “Except ye repent , ye shall all likewise perish.” That’s the true calamity.

The real calamity is not that you were killed in the temple or that the tower fell on you or that you died by any other means. The real calamity is that if you don’t repent, when death comes you will perish.

True calamity is that you die and experience the judgment of God because you have not repented.

The issue is not how people die or when they die or by what cause they die. The issue is that they die without repenting.

Jesus is saying, “Look, don’t assume anything. You’re going to likewise perish except you repent.”

"Man is born with his back toward God. When he truly repents, he turns right around and faces God. Repentance is a change of mind."

 

Have you turned from your sins and turned to God? That's repentance!

September 8, 2013

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:27-31

One of the things that has always plagued the Church is complacency. The Church consists of Christ-followers and Christ-followers are to be about the mission of winning converts and teaching them to follow Christ. There should be a sense of urgency about accomplishing this mission since it is the central reason for the church to exist.

But, it is easy to lose the urgency and fall into complacency. Jesus was speaking about that in this portion of Scripture and told a story about a guy who had done just that. Over the next few posts I want to deal with a few things that cause us to lose our urgency and lead to complacency.

Success can lead to complacency.

In the Jewish mind-set, success was linked to spiritual blessing. That is a mistaken notion but it has also found its way into some Christian thinking as well and it can lead to complacency because we can deceive ourselves into believing that because we are doing well materially we are also doing well spiritually. That may not be true. In the case of this guy it wasn't.

So, living under the impression that he was spiritually blessed had dulled his sense of urgency for reaching others or helping those who could have benefited from his generosity. That was illustrated by Lazarus, the beggar who laid outside his house in desperate need but was ignored and neglected by the rich fellow.

Having wealth and privilege should have increased his urgency to help and reach others but it caused him to be casual about it because he mistook his wealth for God's blessing. The truth is that when God does bless us materially He does it so we can bless others. People who do give to others do so because they have an urgency over the spiritual and material needs of that person. And because they give to those people, their urgency toward them grows.

I know human nature and I know that when I am having success it is easier to become content and complacent. You no doubt have struggled with that. It may be natural but it is not acceptable for believers who are called to do what Christ did and care for others. It may be human nature but it is not what called has called us to do. Our calling is to be Christ-followers who serve as the hands and feet of Jesus doing what He would do were He here.

Have you allowed yourself to become complacent? Has your comfort level taken the edge off of your urgency to reach others?

That question deserves an honest and urgent response.

September 7, 2013

If you had a chance change the world, where would you start?

What if I told you that you DO have the chance to change the world?

If you are a Believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you are called to be a world-changer! It is your legacy! It is your history! It is your responsibility!

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ACTS 1:8

The people who first heard those words 2,000 years ago were wondering “What on earth are we supposed to do?” And when they heard, they proceeded to change the world – and that is why we are here today!

The world in which Christianity was conceived was a very immoral one:

*Slavery was a universally accepted system
*Homosexuality was rampant
*Sexual permissiveness was the rule of the day
*Prostitution & sexual immorality were a major part of religion
*Human life was cheap & pleasure was primary

THEN, into their world of immorality Christianity was introduced and changed the moral climate of the world.

How on earth did they do it?

THEY WERE CHANGED!

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4

Until you have experienced a fundamental spiritual transformation nothing changes. Have you been changed by God?

THEY CHANGED FAMILY AND FRIENDS

^“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47

What’s your plan for reaching your family and friends?

Do you have a passion to reach them?

THEY CHANGED THEIR CITY

“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Acts 5:28

These First Christians changed their city for Christ! Some historians estimate that half the people in Jerusalem were converted to Christianity.

Do you believe FredWes can change our city for Christ?

We’ll never know unless we try! Let’s minister with Power, with Purpose and with Persistence!

THEY CHANGED THEIR WORLD

They surrendered and served a world changer!

He was born in an obscure village the child of a peasant woman .He grew up in another obscure village where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty.

He never wrote a book , He never held an office , He never went to college , He never visited a big city, He never travelled more than two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things usually associated with greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He was only thirty three 

His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.  While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing the only property he had on earth. When he was dead  He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend .

Twenty centuries have come and gone and today Jesus is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that have ever sailed,  all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of mankind on earth as powerfully as that one solitary life 

“why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9

In other words, “Why are you standing around staring? Go change your world!”

You don't like the world the way it is?

Go change it!

September 6, 2013

 ^“He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. ”After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “WHY DO YOU STAND HERE LOOKING INTO THE SKY? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:7-11

This is a very familiar Scriptural reference and as important the first couple of verses are, I want to focus on the question posed by the angels, “Why are you standing here staring into the sky?” I would rephrase it like this, “What on earth are you doing?”

Good question, wouldn’t you say?

These disciples had just heard the direct and definitive words of the Risen Christ telling them to go and be witnesses but there they stood. No wonder the angels rebuked them!

So, how did they respond?

You will have to come to church this Sunday to find out!

But let me ask you, “What on earth are you doing in regard to witnessing and sharing the Gospel of Jesus?”

Are you regularly praying for the salvation of an unsaved friend or family member?

Intercessory prayer is a crucial element of changing your world!

Are you building redemptive relationships?

That person you see every morning at the convenience store where you buy your coffee. Do you know his name? Is he married? Does he have a family? Does he know your name?

You could be a world-changer just by taking an extra minute and intentionally getting to know that person you already see every day!

How about that waitress at the diner where you eat lunch each day? What's her name? What is her story? Do you know? You could! You should!

By simply taking the time and making an intentional effort your could earn they right to become a world-changer while doing what you already do every day!

What on earth are you doing with the opportunities your daily routine presents you with? Why on earth are you not using those interactions to build a redemptive relationship. You could possibly change their worlds by just slowing down a few seconds and caring for them.

What on earth are you doing for Heaven's sake?

September 5, 2013

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." John 15:12-13

What on earth are you doing?

That is the question I am exploring this week.

Have you ever considered being a world changer?

"But I'm just one person! How can I change the world?", you may be thinking.

Consider this inspiring story!

In Ernest Gordon’s true account of life in a World War II Japanese prison camp, "Through the Valley of the Kwai," there is a moving story. It is about a man who through giving it all away literally transformed his world. The man’s name was Angus McGillivray.

Angus was a Scottish prisoner in one of the camps filled with Americans, Australians, and Brits who had helped build the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai. The camp had become an ugly situation. A dog-eat-dog mentality had set in. Allies would literally steal from each other and cheat each other; men would sleep on their packs and yet have them stolen from under their heads. Survival was everything. The law of the jungle prevailed...until the news of Angus McGillivray’s death spread throughout the camp. 

Rumors spread in the wake of his death. No one could believe big Angus had succumbed. He was strong, one of those whom they had expected to be the last to die. Actually, it wasn’t the fact of his death that shocked the men, but the reason he died.

Finally they pieced together the true story. The Scottish soldiers took their buddy system very seriously. Their buddy was called their 'mucker,' and these Scots believed that is was literally up to each of them to make sure their 'mucker' survived. Angus’s mucker, though, was dying, and everyone had given up on him; everyone, of course, but Angus. He had made up his mind that his friend would not die.


Someone had stolen his mucker’s blanket. So Angus gave him his own, telling his mucker that he had 'just come across an extra one.' Likewise, every mealtime, Angus would get his rations and take them to his friend, stand over him and force him to eat them, again stating that he was able to get 'extra food.'  Angus was going to do anything and everything to see that his buddy got what he needed to recover.


But as Angus’s mucker began to recover, Angus collapsed, slumped over, and died. The doctors discovered that he had died of starvation complicated by exhaustion. He had been giving of his own food and shelter. He had given everything he had—even his very life.


The impact of his acts of love and unselfishness had an amazing effect on the compound.  As word circulated of the reason for Angus McGillivray’s death, the feel of the camp began to change. Suddenly, men began to focus on their mates, their friends, and humanity-- of living beyond survival, of giving oneself away. They began to pool their talents—one was a violinmaker, another an orchestra leader, another a cabinetmaker, another a professor. Soon the camp had an orchestra full of homemade instruments and a church called the 'Church Without Walls' that was so powerful, so compelling, that even the Japanese guards attended. The men began a university, a hospital, and a library system. The place was transformed all because one man named Angus gave all he had for his friend. His sacrificial love changed their world.


Don't underestimate the power of sacrificial love!


It was the sacrificial love of Jesus that changed your world!

September 4, 2013

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2-3

A young couple rented a vacation cottage for a week. One afternoon the husband looked out a window at the swimming pool and exclaimed, "Let’s change our clothes and go get some exercise!" His wife, who was washing the dishes in the kitchen and looking out the window watching some people play tennis, quickly agreed. While she dressed for a tennis match, he put on his swimming trunks. The window a person chooses to look out at the world often determines that individual’s perception of reality. - Lyle Schaller, “Activating the Passive Church”, p. 19.

What happened to these two young people?

They were influenced by two different visions weren’t they?

Consider the power of each vision and how it influenced them.

First, their vision influenced how they thought. The young man, looking and the pool thought of a refreshing did in the sparkling water of the pool. But his young wife was thinking of the fun and exercise of a rousing game of tennis.

Second, their vision affected their decisions. The husband, thinking of a dip in the pool decided to put on his swim suit while his wife, with visions of tennis balls, chose to don her tennis outfit.

Thirdly, their vision impacted their expectations. The husband was expecting his wife to show up in a bathing suit while she was expecting him to come dressed for tennis!

Finally, their vision dictated their actions. He dressed for swimming and she dressed for tennis.

Being newlyweds we can assume they laughed this off and used it as a lesson in communication going forward.

But imagine if this continued to happen throughout the remainder of their marriage. Would that continue to be funny? What is the likelihood of it taking a toll on their marriage?

My purpose is to illustrate in a simple way the power and importance of vision in your life.

I think you can also see how important vision is in relationships. A shared vision can develop a deep and intimate relationship with shared goals and shared values. But differing visions can tear at the fibers of the relationship and pull the couple in opposite directions.

Now apply this to a church fellowship. I’m sure you have been associated with or known of a church that did not have or did not share a commitment to the same vision. What became of that church?

Contrast that to a church led by visionary leaders who communicate a clear and compelling vision that the people embrace and execute together!

What vision is directing your life?

What vision is compelling your marriage?

Do you know the vision of your church? If so, are you committed to it?

Could it be time for some vision clarification in your life?

September 3, 2013

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:14-15

Church growth Specialist Dr. Thom Ranier’s recent research concludes, to his surprise, there is little correlation between a church’s location and its growth. So what is the biggest factor in a church breakthrough? If there is any one basic lesson to learn, it is to lead the church to an outward focus, literally back to the basics.

Can I paraphrase what Dr. Thom is saying here?

“Where your building is located is not nearly as important as where your heart is located.”

And what are the basics Dr. Ranier is talking about? Here’s a hint – Great Commission - as in evangelism and discipleship.

A little less than a year ago we did something that has been significant in the process of relocating the heart of FredWes. On the week of Thanksgiving we decided to prepare our usual Thanksgiving feast for our annual church Thanksgiving dinner, but instead of enjoying it ourselves we decided to share it with the good folks at the EconoLodge. Since then we have had several more opportunities to serve them and are planning other outreaches there.

What has happened in the months since we began our outreach to EconoLodge? Let me list them for you:

1) Our weekly giving has increased

2) Our attendance has increased

3) Several people from there have been showing up at worship services and one has become a member at FredWes!

4) God has led us to more exciting opportunities for outreach! In just a few weeks we will receive financial commitments toward drilling a well in a remote African village. We will have the chance to support Rich and Kara Tippey in their mission trip to Guatemala, and in February we will take a team to minister at Hephzibah Children’s Home!

5) Twenty of our core people have committed to reach one person for Christ by April 30, 2014.

Relocating the heart is the result of being moved upon by the Spirit of God until His priorities are our priorities and His passion is our passion. That change happens one heart at a time.

God is moving on hearts at FredWes.

Is it happening in your heart?

Are your priorities being challenged or changed?

Are you praying for the salvation of specific unsaved people?

Do you find yourself becoming more passionate about spreading the Gospel?