February 12, 2010

"During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake." Matthew 14:25

We are learning some lake lessons. No, we are not studying issues related to large bodies of water, we are actually learning truths about Jesus based on how He responded to the disciples during a fierce storm. And it is all good!

So far we have learned:

Lake Lesson #1 - During the storm it helps to know that Jesus put you in the boat.

Lake Lesson #2 - Jesus prayed for you while you are steering the boat.

Lake Lesson #3 - Jesus knows where we are in the storm.

Lake Lesson #4 - Jesus know the perfect time to come to us in the storm.

Today we discover another great truth - Jesus knows how to get to us in the storm.

If you have ever watched Baywatch or any other show involving lifeguards you know that they have a variety of equipment designed to help them get to the swimmer in distress. Jesus had none of those items. He didn't need them. Actually, none of those would have helped Him against the mighty winds or the fierce waves. They would have been useless - maybe even dangerous.

Remember, this is Jesus we are talking about! How did He get across the lake to the disciples in distress? How did He navigate the waves and the winds? HE WALKED! That's right, Jesus strolled through the storm!

That assures us that Jesus not only knows where we are in the midst of our fiercest storms, He knows how to get to us! In fact, nothing can keep Him from you! As Paul affirmed in Romans 8, "If God is for us, who can be against us!" NOTHING!

Maybe you are weathering a storm right now. Perhaps life's winds are blowing against you and the waves are tossing you and you are doubting if you'll survive this storm. Take encouragement! Believe this truth proven by Jesus and confirmed by the disciples - JESUS KNOW HOW TO GET TO YOU IN THE STORM!

You will make because HE will make it to you!

February 11, 2010

"During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake." Matthew 14:25

There is something kind of nice about a gentle Summer thunderstorm in the middle of the night. But as a general rule, we don't appreciate storms. For the most part we dread them and do our best to avoid them.

But in Matthew 14 we see how valuable a storm can be. These guys who had walked with Jesus and lived with Him 24/7 for several years, learned lessons about Him during the storm that they had not learned before.

Since all of us face storms in life and since, in fact, some of you are in the middle of a storm right now it is helpful to know that there a important life lessons that can be learned in a storm. To this point we have mentioned three:

Lake Lesson #1 - It makes a difference to know that you are in Jesus' boat when you're in a storm.

Lake Lesson #2 - Jesus prays for you while you steer the boat in the storm.

Lake Lesson #3 - Jesus always knows where you are in the storm.

Today we learn another helpful lesson - Jesus knows the perfect time to come to us in the storm.

Our text tells us that He came during the fourth watch of the night. If it mentions that in the Scriptural account it must be significant. And it is.

In the Jewish mind, the night was divided into four watches: watch one - 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.; watch two - 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.; watch three - 12:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.; and watch four - 3:00 - 6:00 a.m. It is during that 3:00 to 6:00 a.m. period that Jesus came to them.

I recommend that you do a study on the fourth watch of the night. It is pretty interesting and inspiring. Just to wet your appetite let me tell you a few other things that happened during the fourth watch: the Israelites fled from Egypt during the fourth watch of the night, after the Death Angel had swept through in the third watch; the Red Sea closed on the Egyptian army destroying them during the fourth watch, and the stone was rolled away from in front of Jesus' tomb so He could arise from the dead!

Some significant things happened during the fourth watch! Another one was about to happen because Jesus headed off across the lake during the fourth watch!

Now let's just be honest about one of our frustrations with God, He never moves according to our time schedule! It always seems like He takes forever to come to our aid. We always wonder if we are going to make it before He steps in to bring relief. But let's also be honest to admit that every time we have thought that He came AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME! Look back on every storm you have weathered and you will marvel at how perfect His timing was!

If you are storm tossed today. If your boat is rocking and the wind is against you and the waves are batting you like a ping pong ball - remember that His timing is perfect and you may be in the fourth watch!

February 10, 2010

"but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it." Matthew 14:24

As I write this post, a storm rages outside. Another blizzard!

I have been sharing a series of Lessons on the Lake, that the disciples learned from being in a terrible storm on the lake because storms are a part of life. Storms come in a variety of ways, financial storms, health storms, relationship storms, or spiritual storms will blow into your life from time to time. Learning these lessons will help you survive in the next storm you have to face.

Lesson One - When you are in a storm it helps to know that Jesus put you in the boat.

Lesson Two - Jesus prays for you while you steer the boat.

Today we will learn a third lesson, Jesus knows exactly where we are in the storm.

Jesus had place them in the boat on the lake and while they sailed He prayed. Somewhere near the middle of the lake, a storm blew in. The waves rose and the winds roared and the boat rocked and the disciples freaked! I don't blame them! They were in big trouble! The Scripture said, "they were buffeted by the waves and the wind was against them." Not good.

I'm sure that while they summoned all their skills to keep the boat upright in the water and the water out of the boat, they were wondering where Jesus was when they needed Him. The lake lesson they were about to learn was this: Jesus Knows Exactly Where You Are In The Storm! And He does!

They were far from the shore, they were bobbing like a cork, the spray from the water surrounded them, they couldn't see past the storm, but Jesus knew EXACTLY where they were in the storm.

When you are in the midst of a storm, if you know that He put you in the boat and that He is praying for you, you can also be certain that no matter how severely the storm is raging Jesus knows exactly where you are in the storm! You are never out of His sight or beyond His reach! It doesn't matter how lonely you feel or how fearful you are Lake Lesson Three is always true - Jesus Knows Where You Are In The Storm!

Hold on and ride out the storm, in the middle of the storm you have His full attention!

February 9, 2010

"After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone," Matthew 14:23

So, Jesus put the disciples into the boat and sent them off to cross the lake while He went to pray alone. Yesterday we mentioned that it helps to know that we are in Jesus' boat when the storm comes. That was Lake Lesson number one.

Today we will learn another Lake Lesson.

The information gathered from this verse tells us that both Jesus and the disciples were doing what they did best. Jesus was praying and the disciples were boating. That sets up the opportunity for this lesson.

We know that the disciples were in the boat by the will of Jesus. He put them there. But we do not know if He gave them instructions on where to go or if they just took off on their own. Obviously, they intended to get to the other side.

The point is, they were steering the boat. It was a job they were familiar with and were comfortable doing. That is good - and bad! That is so much like us. We find the will of God and then take over the controls and begin steering the boat. How many times has God made His will plain to you and you began to follow His will feeling confident in where you were headed? But then how many times did your confidence become independence and you began steering the boat?

Easy to do isn't it!?

When you steer the boat trusting in your own knowledge, experience or wisdom, we are headed for a storm. Have you ever steered the boat for any extended period of time and not ended in a storm? Now, we don't know if this storm was spread over the entire lake or if it was localized and they steered into it. But we do know they were steering the boat and it ended in a storm.

Here's a tip from a veteran of many storms, when Jesus puts you into a boat, trust Him to guide you as you steer it. If you steer it based on your own judgement, your own experience or your own wisdom, you will end up in a storm.

So, the disciples were in the boat and steered it into an awful storm. What was Jesus doing while they were steering into the storm?

He was praying! No doubt, He was praying for them. Probably He was praying for them because He knew that they were steering the boat and that they were headed for trouble.

That is the Lake Lesson for today: Jesus prays for us while we steer the boat.

One of the main roles Jesus plays is that of Intercessor. That means He prays for you - and me. Check out Hebrews 7 and Romans 8.

Isn't it good to know that as you try to navigate through the storms of life, Jesus is interceding for you?! Will you be encouraged by that knowledge? Would you seek His guidance and direction as you steer the ship? That way, if you steer into a storm you can know for sure that it is His will. Even better - invite Him into your boat and let Him steer it! BUT either way, you can rest in the confident knowledege that Jesus is praying for you, interceeding for you to do God's will!

Lake Lesson #2 - Jesus prays for you while you steer the boat!

February 8, 2010

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd." Matthew 14:22

We had a whopper of a storm over the week-end. I came from the northern mid-west where snow was common, but I haven't seen many storms like this! Now, there is a threat of another smaller storm coming through tomorrow. So, this is the day between the storms.

That is a good analogy for life. Much of life is spent between the storms. If you are not in a storm now, you will be. I am not being pesimistic, I am just being real!

In this portion of Scripture, the disciples were headed for a storm. Through this week in my posts on this blog, I am going to share with you some Lessons on the Lake, truths that they learned while in the storm on the lake.

A storm is a terrible thing to waste. If you have to weather a storm, you had best learn from it! I want to help you by sharing these daily lessons from the lake.

The first lesson is seen in verse 22 where Jesus put them into a boat and sent them off on the lake. That sets the stage for the first lake lesson:

LAKE LESSON #1 - When You Are In A Storm It Helps To Know You Are In His Boat

For the purposes of this lesson we are going to imply that the boat represents the will of God. I think that is a safe assumption since it was Jesus Who put them in the boat.

If you are in the midst of a storm right now, let me ask you, "Do you know that you are in the right boat?" If you are in a storm and you are in the will of God, that makes ALL the difference! If you are between storms in your life or if you see the storm clouds forming on the horizon, it would be a great time to stop and make sure you get in the right boat!

There are those who would claim that if you are in His boat then you will never be in a storm. They believe that it is God's responsibility to keep you safe, warm and dry and the only boat He would give you would be a yacht! Their theology states that God's responsibility to His people is make sure they have smooth sailing.

That theology just doesn't track with life nor does it mesh with this Scriptural account. The disciples were in the boat by the will of God and set sail in obedience to Him.

Lake lesson number assures us that when we are in the storm by His will, we can be sure of his protection! Do you believe that? Faith floats!

February 7, 2010

“Getting the Win” Philippians 2:5-11

Winners think they will win BEFORE they've won.

The big difference is in how a man thinks. His attitude will govern his actions.
For instance . . .

A winner is always ready to tackle something new ... a loser is prone to believe it can't be done.
A winner isn't afraid of competition ... a loser avoids it, thinking the competition will beat him.
A winner knows he's sometimes wrong and is willing to admit his mistakes ... a loser usually finds someone else to blame.
A winner is challenged by a new problem ... a loser doesn't want to face it.
A winner is decisive ... a loser frustrates himself with indecision.
A winner realizes there is no time like the present to get a job done ... a loser is prone to procrastinate with the hope that things will be better tomorrow.
A winner thinks positively ... acts positively... and lives positively ... a loser usually has a negative attitude and a negative approach to everything.

Winners win because they think differently:

“I’m not losing, I’m just behind at the moment….”I’m behind so I’ll just play harder…….

In the final message of this series “”Making God’s ‘A’ Team”, we are going to learn that not only do winners think differently but thinking differently IS THE WIN – when thinking differently means THIKING LIKE JESUS!

So far we have examined three attitudes that make God’s Team:

UNITY – Committing To Think Like Christ, Aiming My Thoughts At His Word And My Emotions At His Will.

HUMILITY – Thinking Of How To Serve God And How To Serve Others.

COMMUNITY – Committing To Live In Unity And Humility With Others And Seeking To Call Out The Best In Them

The reason Paul wrote these words to the Philippians Church for a very specific reason – they were struggling with those very attitudes of unity, humility and community. So He points them to another winning attitude – SPIRITUALITY – the result of thinking and acting like Jesus!

Look To God’s Word With Me:

Philippians 2:5-11 – “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Here’s How To Think Like A Winner:

WINNERS THINK OUTWARD, Vv. 6-8

Peyton Manning of the Colts is a proven winner. You can be sure he will be looking outward this afternoon. He will be quickly scanning the defense and finding the open receiver, reading the blitz, and knowing what audible to call.

A winner is constantly looking over the field or the court gathering and processing data – adjusting – adapting – it is impossible to win if you are not thinking outward.

Paul was clearly thinking outward – which is why he wrote this letter in this way to this church. He was aware that they were not in a winning frame of mind. They were not winning because they had lost their unity & humility. They had become self-seeking, vain and contentious. Their sense of community had been destroyed and they weren’t close to getting it back. So – Paul points them to the example of ONE Who thought outwardly – and did it better than anyone ever did – JESUS.

If you want to know what it means to think outwardly – learn from Christ. He thought outside or beyond Himself and His needs. Verses 6-8 give us some amazing insights to how He thought:

“Who being in very nature God…..” - “NATURE” = “morphe” – “ESSENCE”

“Did not consider equality with God…” – “EQUAL” = “isos” = “EXACTLY SAME”

“Something to be grasped……” – Here is an amazing irony. The very thing that Lucifer coveted and Adam craved and that powers our own sin nature is the VERY THING THAT JESUS POSSESSED – and voluntarily gave it up! He did not clutch it – He did not leverage it – He did not rely on it – what did He do with it?

He made Himself nothing…..” – This self-emptying is called The “Kenosis”. It means “self-depravation” – Jesus deprived Himself of what was rightfully His – the glory and beauty and majesty that accompany His position at the right hand of the Father and came to earth. He could separate Himself from all of His divine attributes but by putting on flesh He veiled His full glory and limited the expression of His divine power.

When you are a majestic, glorious spiritual being and you empty yourself into human flesh you certainly lose something in the translation.

One of the things we fear the most – that we are nothing and that our life means nothing. The need for meaning and significance are strong motivating forces in our lives. Jesus had ALL OF THAT and gave it all up to become NOTHING! Why? So He could make us into something!
“And being found in appearance as a man…..” - The word for this is “hypostasis” and means “substance” or “essence”. The doctrine of the “hypostatic” union declares that Jesus was 100 o/o God and 100 o/o man – one Man with two natures!

The Second Person of the Godhead emptied Himself by pouring His life into the flesh and blood of a man we came to know as Jesus of Nazareth – Jesus the Christ!

“He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross…”
Imagine the most embarrassing humiliating thing that can happen to you and then imagine voluntarily surrendering yourself to that. That would be humbling and humiliating. People don’t normally do things like that BUT JESUS DID!

Crucifixion was the most degrading form of human punishment known to the Romans. The word “cross” was never mentioned in polite society.

By Jewish law, anyone who died on a cross died under the curse of God.

You may be thinking, “Brad, that doesn’t sound like winning to me! How can dying a horrible humiliating death be considered winning?”

It was a win because it was obedience! Jesus was a winner because He obeyed God! He thought outward – outside of His own self-interest and accomplished the will of God! Every time we obey God’s will – we win, no matter what it may cost us at the time!

SO, WE ARE COMMANDED TO HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE THAT CHRIST HAD. THAT MEANS WE ARE TO THINK OUTWARD – OR TO THINK OUTSIDE OF OUR SELF…….Working For Unity……Practicing Humility…..Living In Sacrificial Obedience.

The Church at Philippi was struggling in strife and disunity because the members were not thinking outwardly. They were losing – not winning. They were competing for power and position and prestige constantly trying to muscle their way to the top.

IMAGINE HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO BE PART OF A FELLOWSHIP WHERE EVERY MEMBER COMMITTED TO THINKING OUTWARD – COMMITTING TO UNITY AND HUMILITY AND LIVING IN OBEDIENCE – WOULDN’T THAT BE A GREAT COMMUNITY?

WINNERS THINK UPWARD, Vv. 9-11

Practically every sport I know about requires you to look upward if you want to win……

The Great Apostle Paul became a winner because he constantly looked up and thought upward. He focused his eyes and his mind upward to the things of God. He instructs the Church at Philippi to think OUTWARD and also to think UPWARD.

Jesus thought UPWARD and verses 9-11 show us what that looked like:

“Therefore God exalted Him…..”

An amazing thing happened when Jesus humbled Himself………….


“…to the highest place…..”

When Jesus gave up His place, when He stopped jostling for position and refused to push His way to the top. When He surrendered His rightful place – GOD GAVE HIM A HIGHER PLACE!

“….and gave Him a Name that is above every name!”

When Jesus refused to cling to His reputation and humbled Himself in obedience, God exalted Him!

When Jesus surrendered all and claimed nothing and suffered awfully God gave Him everything. But Jesus did not do it for that reason – He did it to honor the Father. When we honor God with obedience He will exalt us in His time.

“That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Now we have come full circle. Because Jesus was willing to lose it all in humble obedience to the Father, God exalted Him and raised Him up and now all creation worships Him. And those who won’t worship now WILL worship Him then!

There is a popular Christmas Carole that declares Jesus as “Lord at His birth” – but that is not so. Jesus had to resist temptation, experience the trials of life, and then suffer rejection, injustice and an excruciating death on a cross in order to become Lord. But now, as Lord, He is worthy of highest praise!

He became a winner because no one has lost more than Him or sacrificed more than Him – He Thought Outward and He Thought Upward.

What are you willing to surrender? What are you willing to sacrifice? What are you willing to suffer in order to obey God. How much are you willing to lose in order for Him to win?

WINNERS THINK INWARD, V. 5

Here’s what it comes down to – we – you and I must have this same attitude that Christ displayed. If you are to be a “Christ-One” you must have His attitude. THAT IS THE WIN!

One of our main themes in this entire series has been the fact that you can choose your attitude. It is one of the few things in your life that you can actually control. And because you can, God expects you to do it.

God doesn't ask you to adopt the power of positive thinking. He doesn't require you to study possibility thinking. He is not into attitude improvement. He wants to transform your heart and mind so that you think, and act, and love like Christ. It's not a good attitude He expects, it is a godly attitude.

How do I get a Christ-like attitude? Do I will my way into it? No, but you do need to aim your will toward God and His will. You need, like Christ, to come into unity with God. Unlike Christ, you have a sinful will, so you need to confess your sin and repent of it. Like Christ, you must surrender your will to God and accept His will as your will. Every thought and decision after that should be in unity with God.

Then, when you have united with God you must, like Christ, live in humility. How? By always honoring God first and others second. Every thought, attitude and action must be guided by an humble commitment to please God and serve others. That is the attitude of Christ.

When you have united with God and surrendered to humility, then you are ready to live in community with like-minded believers. That is what creates a dynamic healthy fellowship! That is a place where the Spirit of God can transform and where the love of God and heal and where the contagious joy of the Lord can attract others into the Body. That is what I envision for FredWes. No program can cause this. No strategy can create it. No ministry approach or worship style can make it suddenly appear. Only individual believers like you and me can decide that more than anything else in life, we want to have the attitude of Christ.

Christ didn't cling to power and He had it all!

Is a desire for power and control keeping you from having the attitude of Christ? Is it preventing you from surrendering your will and uniting with the will of God?

Christ didn't hold onto His position and He was in the highest place!

Could it be that some selfish ambition for a higher position created within you some self-seeking thoughts and attitudes?

Christ didn't hold onto His privilege. He was the highly honored Son of Good seated in a place of glory in the presence of the Father!

Search you heart and mind to see if there might be an attitude or desire that craves attention that needs to feel significance. Could that be keeping you from coming into unity with God and living humbling before Him?

We are called to unity, humility and community. But we cannot attain those apart from Christ. We don't think yourself into Christ-likeness. You surrender yourself, you humble yourself, you die to your selfish desires. Only God can make you like Christ. Only He can "morphe" you into Christ-likeness!

What will you choose? What attitude will you take toward the will of God? Will you bow your knee to Him today? Every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that He is Lord. There will be that brief moment in eternity where everyone has a right attitude - but it will be too late for many of the them.

Why not unite with His Spirit and His will? Why not humble yourself and live for Him?

February 6, 2010

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ." Philippians 2:5

In real estate they say it is "location, location, location". For believers it is "attitude, attitude, attitude." And, I guess you could say that your attitude has a lot to do with your spiritual location!

This verse is the hinge point of this portion of Scripture. After exhorting us about our attitudes, Paul points to the example of Jesus and says in essence, "Here's your attitude!"

That begs the question, "What IS the attitude of Christ?"

Obviously, there was obedience and there was humility but the BIG attitude here is GRACE.

It was grace that THOUGHT the plan of salvation. When Adam selfishly chose to rebel against God and wreck paradise, God could have been justified in vaporing them and starting over. But His response was not vindictive or vengeful - it was gracious. He launched a plan to send a Second Adam to redeem the damage of the first Adam.

It was grace that WROUGHT it. God began to unfold His marvelous plan as history became the record of HIS story! Through Abraham, God raised up a nation through whom a Savior would arise. His grace orchestrated all the people and all the events that set the stage for a teen-age Jewish girl to give birth to Jesus in a manger in the stable of Bethlehem.

It was grace that BOUGHT it. Grace is free but it wasn't cheap! It cost God all that He had. Jesus demonstrated the divine attitudes of surrender, sacrifice, selflessness and servanthood. The Sinless One resisted all the temptations of the human experience, especially that which brought down the first Adam - selfish desire. Ultimately, the reward for His perfection was death on a cruel cross. In His sinlessness He was able to assume our sin, our shame, our guilt and our sickness and defeat them on the cross. As the words of the song express, "We'll never know how much it cost to see our sins upon His cross".

And, perhaps most amzing is His grace that SOUGHT us! He pursues you and me with His Spirit. He proclaims His love and grace through His Word. He presents His grace through people who have been touched and transformed by His grace. And that IS the challenge that comes to you and me. Will we surrender to His grace? Will we be saved and sanctified by His grace? Will we become living examples of His grace through our attitudes and actions? Can He use us to seek others? Will others be amazed by the grace they see in us?

If your attitude is like that of Jesus you will grace your world. If not you will dis-grace it.