November 18, 2010

"..... For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" Luke 9:25-26

In the early '50's a group of young missionaries went to the Amazon jungles to try to reach a previously unreached tribe. This was one of a group of tribes known for their brutality and were literally on the verge of extinction because of their violence. That put an even greater urgency on making contact with this people.

When asked about the wisdom of going to this remote area and confronting these savage people on of the young missionaries by the name of Jim Elliott replied, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

That is of course, a paraphrase of these words spoken by Jesus to His disciples.

The call to fellowship is the call to extend the fellowship by reaching the lost. And that usually involves risk of some sort. Whether it be risk of comfort or risk of reputation or, as in this case, risk of life, believers are called to the fellowship of risk-takers.

I have attached a clip from the movie "End of the Spear" which chronicled the true story of these missionaries. To set up the clip, the missionaries had spent months attempting to make contact with the tribe and win their trust enough to encounter them. When they felt the time was right they flew into a spot near the village to risk the contact with members of this savage tribe. Knowing the risk they had covenanted between themselves that if things went badly they would not defend themselves with the pistol they had. Their reasoning was that if the natives were not spiritually prepared to die and they were. This powerful film clip shows how that commitment was tested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9rXISqwEKM

We are called to the fellowship of suffering and we need the support, courage and accountability of standing together for Christ.

You may be wondering, "I am not sure I could do what they did. How can I be sure?"

If you aren't living in fellowship with Christ today and if you aren't in fellowship with a strong church, you be able to stand when it counts.

November 17, 2010

"Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." Genesis 2:19-25

Can you imagine a world where everyone was complete in himself and didn't need anyone else? Actually, there is a place like that! It is called Hell!

You and I were created for fellowship. God placed that desire in the human psyche. He did that because He desires fellowship with us. He built in an "incompleteness" that will drive us to seek relationship with Him and with others.

In short, God wired us to need Him and to need each other. Relationship is what we need and fellowship is how we do it!

There are two places where fellowship is demonstrated as it was designed to happen, in Eden and in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Church. Relationships have never been healthier than in those two places so doesn't it make sense to see what we can learn about them?

In both situations, God was the focus of their relationship. They fellowshipped together with Him. They sought God together. God was their point of connection, spiritually and emotionally. Therefore, they had oneness in in their marriages and unity in their fellowship! Doesn't that sound good?

Also, in both situations God was the focus of their rules. Think about this, God only makes rules to protect and enhance relationships. When He gave Moses the Ten Commandments they were for the purpose of guiding relationships - the first four show how to relate to God and the final six set up guidelines for healthy relationships with others. When Jesus came, He distilled the Ten down to two: love God and love your neighbor.

And thirdly, God was the focus of their reason for loving and living. Motives are key in relationships. Why do you want to be with another person? What needs are you trying to meet by coming into relationship? God comes into a relationship to meet the needs inherent in that person. His reason for relationship is to develop healthiness and holiness in a person who will have relationship with Him. Godly relationships focus on giving because love gives. Giving was rampant in the Early Church. One of the things that forms a foundation for fellowship is the desire to meet the needs of others in order to please God.

Fellowship is the result of relationships done well! Relationships done well focus on relationship with God, ordered around God's rules for the reason of developing holy people!

Make sense? Sound good?

How are your relationships? What is the focus of your relationships? What is the reason for your relationships?

November 16, 2010

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

The New Testament word for "fellowship" is "koinonia". It appears 20 times in the New Testament. The first appearance is in Acts 2:42 - "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship (koinonia), to the breaking of bread and to prayer. "

"koinonia" is defined as spiritual oneness, like-mindedness, unity based in common devotion to God. Because of the central focus on God, the result is a commitment to love and serve other believers.

Recently I preached about worship - that it is seeking God and surrendering to God and speaking for God. What could be better than that?

How about seeking God together with other passionate, like-minded believers? Or, how about sharing life with others who are surrendered to God? One worshipper is good. But gather a number of worshippers who come seeking God and you have a powerful experience! Worshippers who come together to worship multiply the power of praise! God shows up when people come together seeking Him!

And, what could be more effective than a surrendered believer whole-heartedly following Christ? A church filled with surrendered believers whole-heartedly following Him! It doesn't take a lot of people like that to become a powerful force. God empowers a body that is sold-out and surrendered to serving Jesus.

The third aspect of worship that Jesus shared with His disciples is speaking out or standing up for Him. One person taking a stand for God can change a culture or shape history. Does the name Martin Luther mean anything to you? He stood against the corruption of the institutional Church when it was at its most powerful and declared, "The just shall live by faith!"

Jesus changed the history of the world with just twelve guys - and only eleven of them were sold out.

When a church seeks God together, and surrenders to the will of God, and stands boldly for Him there isn't much that can prevail against it!

I dream of building a church like that! Will you help?

September 15, 2010

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:23-26

Once you have seen Jesus and understand Who He is, you can never be the same! Peter's confession of Christ shaped his life forever! It was his defining moment.

How did it define his life?

First, it defined His meaning.

Peter was a fisherman become follower. Jesus had promised him He would become a "fisher of men". But had that happened yet? No really. So, what value is there in being a non-fishing fisherman? Not much.

Fully knowing Who Jesus was meant that Peter now would fish differently with different bait, a new hook and a bigger net!

His new bait? JESUS!

His new hook? LOVE!

His new net? THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

Second, it defined his mission.

When Peter first decided to follow Jesus he left his nets and his boat to learn about this amazing new Rabbi. He became a follower because of what it could do for him and if it did not work he could always go back to fishing. Peter had a fall back position - a "plan B".

His confession of Jesus would change that forever!

Once you truly understand Who Jesus is and confess Him as Savior and Lord, there is no more "plan B". Either you are all in or you are out! Peter understood that. His mission was to be fully committed to making Christ known to others. The news was too good to keep! Evangelizing became His purpose and His top priority.

Committing to Christ marks the end of casual, aimless living!

How did he do? Read the first several chapters of Acts!

Third, it defined his message.

When you know Who Jesus is, how can you stay silent about it? When you have witnessed miracles and seen people delivered and the dead raised, how can you not tell others about that? You can't! You must!

Others needed to hear it and Peter needed to tell.

How did he do? Read the first few chapters of Acts!

Once you understand Who Christ is and once you confess Him it should dramatically and fundamentally change you! It should change your meaning - has it? It should change your mission - has it? And it should change your message - what are you talking about?

November 14, 2010

“GETTING INTO SHIP SHAPE”

Week One – “Stewardship Is Worship” Luke 9:23-26

Life is shaped by the significant people and events in you have experienced AND how you managed those things.

For example, my parents getting divorced and all the resulting problems that result from that shaped my childhood. I had to learn how to manage that in a positive healthy way.

Barbara's illness shaped her adolescence and early adulthood. Some of the ways she developed to manage that illness have continued to shape her life.

AGREE?

Since that is true then what would be the most significant event that should shape your life? How many of you would like to know that answer?

GOOD! Because beginning today, we will spend the rest of this month gaining and understanding for how our lives should be shaped and what it means to be in “ship shape”.

First, let me identify this event. It is found in Luke 9:23-26:

“Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

THIS MARKED A SIGNIFICANT TRANSITION IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS AND HOW IT WOULD SHAPE THEIR LIVES – WHAT HAPPENS ONCE YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND AND CONFESS WHO JESUS IT? HOW DOES THAT SHAPE YOU?

How many of you have heard the expression, “Shape Up Or Ship Out!”

This command was first used in the U.S. military during World War II. When a soldier was told to "shape up or ship out," it meant that he needed to do a better job or he'd be shipped overseas to a combat zone. The expression started being used after the war with any kind of poor performance or bad attitude. It means get it together — or get out!

Have you ever noticed how many "ship" words there are in our faith? Worship, discipleship, stewardship, or fellowship.

Stewardship is the “ship” you should be in and “worship” is one of the things that should shape you. Usually, when we hear “stewardship” we think about money but it is much more than that! Stewardship = “godly life management”

A steward is someone who manages valuable things entrusted to him by another with the goal of protecting and increasing it.

So, what does worship have to do with stewardship?

The short answer – A WHOLE LOT!

The longer answer is what I want to talk about this morning and I believe that by the time we are through you will have an entirely new understanding of worship and the role it plays in your life.


Here is how Jesus followed up on Peter’s confession:

Let me paraphrase what I believe Jesus is saying here, “SHIP UP AND SHAPE OUT!”

THE FIRST “SHIP” THAT SHOULD SHAPE YOUR LIFE IS “WORSHIP”

I. Worship Is Seeking God – “If anyone would come after me…..”

WORSHIP BEGINS WITH DESIRE!

Let’s face it, what you desire most is what most shapes your life! Right?

Otherwise, Advertisers are wasting hundreds of billions of dollars every year!

So, the deal is this – SINCE YOUR DESIRES WILL SHAPE YOU, YOU BETTER MAKE SURE YOU DESIRE THE RIGHT THINGS!

“The turning point in our lives is when we stop seeking the God we want and start seeking the God who is.” — Patrick Morley - DID YOU COME TO SEEK GOD TODAY?

"Character will be developed in our lives when we stop seeking the PRESENTS (What we can get from Him) of God and start seeking the PRESENCE of God" - Steve Gulbronson

DID YOU COME TODAY FOR WHAT YOU COULD GIVE TO GO OR WHAT YOU COULD GET FROM HIM?

Okay, Brad, you tell me! What should my desire be when I come to worship?

1) Celebrate Him – “You are the Christ…..!”

2) See Him

3) Be Shaped By Him – “deny yourself, take up your cross”

4) Serve Him

I believe that Jesus is saying to the disciples – “Now that you know who I am shape your desires around me!”

You are the steward of your desires! It is up to you where you aim your heart and your will! You decide what you become!

YOUR WOR”SHIP” will determine the SHAPE of your life.

Stewardship is managing your desires around the worship of God! Stewardship that God desires is worship that desires God.

Later in Peter’s life we find him writing these words, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Peter’s life shaped up because he set his desires on pursuing the holiness of God! That is WORSHIP – “being in a state of pursuing God – desiring God”.

LET TRUE WORSHIP SHAPE YOUR LIFE!

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR WORSHIP? IS GOD?

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE SHAPE YOUR LIFE IS IN? IS GOD?

WHAT DESIRES DO YOU NEED TO MANAGE?

II. Worship Is Surrendering to God – “he must deny himself and….”

WORSHIP INVOLVES DYING

For worship to REALLY work on Sundays, worship needs to happen every day! When you desire God, you will find yourself desiring the same things He desires! When you don’t, those desires will have to die!

10% of church members cannot be found - 20% of church members never attend church - 25% admit that they never pray - 35% admit that they do not read their Bibles - 40% admit that they never contribute to the church, tithe or offering - 60% never give to missions - 70% never assume responsibility within the church - 85% never invite anyone to church - 95 % have never won anyone to Christ BUT! - 100% expect to go to heaven (The Choice, by Thomas Trask, Zondervan Pub. House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1999)

Am I the only one who finds it stunning that such a high percentage of Christians believe they don’t have to be disciples and still expect to get to Heaven?

I hope you don’t believe that!

WORSHIP THAT SHAPES YOUR LIFE IS WORSHIP THAT BRINGS REAL LIFE CHANGE!

WORSHIP THAT REFLECTS TRUE DESIRE SHOWS A WILLINGNESS TO DENY WRONG DESIRES CAN CRUCIFY WRONG HABITS…..

HOW CAN THEY THINK THEY WILL BE COMFORTABLE IN HEAVEN WHEN THEY HAVEN’T OBEYED GOD ON EARTH?

BELIEVERS WHO WILL NOT DENY THEMSELVES WILL DENY GOD IN HOW THEY LIVE!

Stewardship is managing your desires – dying to those feelings, emotions, cravings, attitudes, or thoughts that are contrary to God’s will so you can worship God with how you live.

Denying yourself not only helps you worship God by aligning your will with His – BUT it allows you to receive the good things He desires to give to you!

WORSHIP IS GIVING UP WHAT YOU WANT TO RECEIVE WHAT HE WANTS FOR YOU!

WORSHIP IS GIVING UP ON TRYING TO MOLD GOD AROUND YOUR DESIRES AND GIVE IN TO HIS.

III. Worship Is Speaking for God” – “if anyone is ashamed of me….”

WORSHIP IS DECLARING!

James Packer: “Discipleship involves being a steward of your Faith’s six-fold activity: praising God for all that he is and all his achievements; thanking him for his gifts and his goodness to us; asking him to meet our own and others’ needs; offering him our gifts, our service, and ourselves; learning of him from his word, read and preached, and obeying his voice; telling others of his worth, both by public confession and testimony to what he has done for us.”

1) Declare With Your Lips

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— “ Psalm 107:1-2

Worship is declaring the goodness and the glory of God! IS THAT WHY YOU CAME?

Worship is declaring His worth? WHAT IS GOD WORTH TO YOU THIS MORNING?

God brings you through the tests of life to give you a testimony. Tell it! Tell Him!

WORSHIPPING WITH YOUR LIPS PUTS A GOOD SHAPE ON YOUR LIFE!

2) With Your Life

(ROMANS 12)

You can’t worship well on Sunday if you haven’t been worshipping on Monday – and Tuesday and Wednesday and – well, you get the picture……

When you offer yourself as the sacrifice of worship it shapes your home into a sanctuary, your workplace into a mission field, your routine into a purpose and your problems into places to meet God.

WHEN YOU SPEAK FOR GOD WITH YOUR LIPS AND WITH YOUR LIFE IT SHAPES YOU – INTO HIS IMAGE!

STEWARDSHIP IS “Godly life management” and the first thing you must manage is your WORSHIP – “the state of being a worshipper”.

A worshipper will:

SHAPE HIS DESIRES AROUND GOD

DESIRES WILL SHAPE DECISIONS

DECISIONS WILL SHAPE DECLARATION

November 13, 2010

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

Jesus offers an insightful observation about discipleship - "discipleship happens a day at a time".

A disciple must decide everyday to follow Jesus!

Yesterday's decision won't help me today! You followed Jesus a day ago? Good for you, but what about today? Who will you follow this day?

Discipleship is a choice and what you chose yesterday is history. What will your choice be today? 

If you choose not to follow today then you are not a disciple, you are a self-willed rebel.

Every day for 39 days in the wilderness Jesus had to decide if He would remain obey to His Father's will. Jesus faced some tempting choices on the 40th when Satan offered Him some short-term relief and shortcuts from suffering. Then again, at the end of His ministry He had to choose again if He would follow God's will to the cross or choose to spare Himself the suffering.

A disciple must deny himself everyday!

Discipleship is a commitment. I doesn't really matter that you committed to denying yourself yesterday. What will you do today? Will you commit to your comfort and submit to your desires or will you deny yourself to do His will?

Every selfish desire that conflicts with the will of God must be denied every day on a day by day basis.

Discipleship is a daily decision and a daily denial and thirdly, discipleship is a daily death! There is a daily cost!

So, you died to your selfishness yesterday? Nice! But what about today?

When Jesus says to "pick up your cross" He is not talking about your jewelry. Putting on a cross necklace is not what He has in mind!

The cross represented death. When a person was nailed to a cross he never got off alive. But those who were crucified in those days went to the cross against their will. No one volunteered to be nailed to a cross. BUT disciples do! Every day!

To be a disciple of Jesus, you will need to daily nail your selfish sinful flesh to the cross and put it to death so you will be free to follow Jesus. And then do it again tomorrow.

Discipleship is a daily deal!

Disciples daily decide to follow. Disciples daily deny themselves. Disciples daily die to sin.

Will you decide to follow Jesus today?

Will you deny yourself today?

Will you die to sin today?

November 12, 2010

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Luke 9:20

Do you find it curious that Jesus is asking them if they know Who He is after they have walked with Him and worked with Him for almost three years now?

Further, consider when He asked this probing question. They had recently went out on a mission in His name healing people and driving out demons! The day before they had miraculously fed thousands of people with one simple lunch!

Is it possible to do all those amazing feats and still not know Who Jesus is?

Apparently.

Consider what Jesus said on another occasion:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

Chilling isn't it? Jesus makes it plain that you can do amazing things in His name but not necessarily know Him.

Could it be that discipleship is not so much about what you do are as what you are? Could it be that discipleship is about intimately understanding Who Jesus is? It makes sense that there is a difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Him.

That is a HUGE difference! That is THE difference - relationship vs. religion. Religion is based on the belief that you can "do" and "not do" yourself into believing. But Jesus pokes a whole through that notion! He wants to live in relationship with you and desires to live His life out through you. Your doing for Christ results from being in Christ.

If your focus is on what you do or don't do for Christ, you are not a disciple. Even if you are doing miracles and deliverences. It is about "being" not "doing". True discipleship is knowing Jesus and living in intimate relationship with Him.

That is the crux of our sermon series for the remainder of this month - "Getting Into Ship Shape". The suffix "ship" denotes a state of being. We will be exploring how being in Christ should shape your life.

Are you in Christ today? Do you know Him? Don't settle for doing.