What's the Big Deal About Jesus Christ? | Colossians 1:5-20

What's the Big Deal About Jesus Christ? | Colossians 1:5-20

Darien Gabriel

Series: Colossians: Supreme!

Title: “What’s the Big Deal about Jesus Christ?”

Scripture: Colossians 1:5-20; John 1:1-8, 14:9; Heb 1:3

(Commentary helps listed at the end)

Bottom line: Jesus Christ deserves our highest praise (worship) and deepest devotion (work, witness) because the gospel of Christ has rescued us from our rebellion and hopeless condition.

INTRODUCTION

Opening story:

God put the cookies on the bottom shelf when he came down as Jesus. He did this to make it easier for us to understand and comprehend more of who he is and what he’s like.

This translated note was translated Aug 8, 2021:

CONTEXT

The apostle Paul is going to hear about the Colossian church from Epaphras. He’s going to hear:

1. About their faith, love and hope.

2. About the false teachings that are moving in and infecting the church family.

It is in response to this second point that moves Paul to write this letter to them. He wants them to remain spiritually healthy in Christ.

The bullseye of discipleship at Grace CF is Christ-like character and competency. That’s high faith, love and hope according to Colossians 1 and Philemon 5.

This week we transition from the prayer of thanksgiving to a Christological hymn of praise that should move us to worship him in awe and gladly submit to him in obedience to his loving authority.

THEME

Absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the head of all creation and of the church.

3:1 Overall exhortation/application: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is (for now) seated at the right hand of God.”

2:6 Says it another way: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”

OUTLINE

Better questions: What’s the big deal about Jesus Christ?

Paul answers this question with a hymn sung to remind people why Jesus is supreme and therefore deserves all our worship, work, and witness.

Bottom line: Jesus Christ deserves our highest praise (worship) and deepest devotion (work, witness) because the gospel of Christ has rescued us from our rebellion and hopeless condition.

I. Jesus is the Lord of Creation (15-17)

A. He is the authority of creation (15)

1. Jesus makes the invisible visible (even thought limited by his humanity cf. Phil 2:6-8)

2. This alone makes him worthy of worship

B. He is the agent of creation (16)

C. He is the aim of creation (16-17)

Application: Christ must be first in our worship.

II. Jesus is the Head of the Church (18)

A. He is the source of the Church (18)

B. He is sovereign over the Church (18)

Application: Christ must be first in our work.

NEXT WEEK

III. Jesus is the Savior of the Cross (19-23)

A. He reveals the Father to us (19)

B. He reconciles us to the Father (20-23)

Application: Christ must be first in our witness.

CONCLUSION

Three Ways You Can Exercise Faith

The islanders were cannibals. Nobody trusted anybody else. His life was in constant danger. He had come to tell them the good news about Jesus. He wanted to translate John’s Gospel into their language, but he discovered that there was no word in their language for ‘trust’, ‘belief’ or ‘faith’.

John Paton (1824–1907), a Scot, had travelled to the New Hebrides (a group of islands in the south-west Pacific) determined to tell the tribal people about Jesus, but he struggled to find the right word for ‘faith’. One day, when his indigenous servant came in, Paton raised both feet off the floor, sat back in his chair and asked, ‘What am I doing now?’ In reply, the servant used a word that means, ‘to lean your whole weight upon’. This became the expression that Paton used. Faith is leaning our whole weight upon Jesus.

Bottom line: Jesus Christ deserves our highest praise (worship) and deepest devotion (work, witness) because the gospel of Christ has rescued us from our rebellion and hopeless condition.

Do you believe (fully leaning on) Jesus is Lord over creation? Does your worship reflect that?

Do you believe (fully leaning on) Jesus is Head of the Church? Does your work reflect that?

Pray

Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32

OTHER NOTES:

“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://hebrews.bible/hebrews-11-27

Outline Bible

I. Christ and the Church at Colossae (1:15-23)

A. Who Christ is (1:15): He is the visible image of the invisible God.

B. What Christ has done (1:16-23)

1. In regard to creation (1:16-17, 20)

   1. He created all things (1:16) PAST

   2. He sustains all things (1:17) PRESENT

   3. He will reconcile all things (1:20) FUTURE

2. In regard to the Church (1:18-19, 21-23): He has been appointed head of the Church.

Kent Hughes outline

I. Christ: Supreme in eternity (15a)

II. Christ: Supreme in creation (15b-17): In 4 ways:

A. Firstborn (authority)

1. Sounds like first person created but ignores context

2. Creator of everything (from nothing) and eternal

3. Firstborn means first in rank/honor. Ex. 800,000 catalogued insects of which there are billions of species

B. Creator (agent)

C. Goal (aim)

D. Sustainer (atom)

III. Christ: Supreme in the Church (18)

Scott Pace outline (15-23)

Main idea: The glory of Christ deserves our highest praise and deepest devotion because the gospel of Christ has rescued us from our rebellious hearts and hopeless condition.

I. Jesus is the Lord of Creation (15-17)

A. He is the authority of creation (15)

B. He is the agent of creation (16)

C. He is the aim of creation (16-17)

Application: Christ must be first in our worship.

II. Jesus is the Head of the Church (18)

A. He is the source of the Church (18)

B. He is sovereign over the Church (18)

Application: Christ must be first in our work.

III. Jesus is the Savior of the Cross (19-23)

A. He reveals the Father to us (19)

B. He reconciles us to the Father (20-23)

Application: Christ must be first in our witness.

FF Bruce Outline

I. Christ the Agent in Creation (15-16)

II. Lord of the Universe and Head of the Church (17-18)

III. Christ the Agent in Reconciliation (19-20)

NT Wright

15

16

17 “And he is ahead (before), prior to all else…

18 “And he himself is supreme, the head over the body, the church

19

20

Describes who Jesus Christ is and why he matters to us with respect to authority, allegiance, and awe (worship).

In Hebrew, “head” has several meanings (like in English):

Jesus Christ is…

“First born” (15 & 18)

“Supreme” (17) = “head” or “before all things”

“Head” of there body = church (18)

“Beginning” = “head” (18)

If the Colossians are to grow as Christians, they need to know Christ is and what he has already done (and does)!

Centrality and Supremacy of Jesus Christ

God = Jesus Christ

This shows us how to live in and for him each day.

3 Things this poem/hymn points us to about Jesus Christ and what God has done in and through him:

1. By looking at Jesus we discover who God is.

   1. While nobody has ever seen God, in Jesus God has

      1. Come near, and

      2. Become one of us

   2. Jesus is the mirror image of the invisible God who is there but not normally seen

   3. Seeing what Jesus did gives us a better view of who God is. (Rom 5:8)

2. Jesus holds together the old world AND the new, creation, and the new creation.

   1. Jesus Christ is the one through whom creation was made, and

   2. Jesus Christ is for whom creation was made.

   3. When the beauty of our world causes you to catch your breath, remember it’s like that because of jesu. “Firstborn over all creation”

   4. Also, he’s who heals the world from evil through live, cross, burial, resurrection and ascension. “Firstborn from the dead”

3. Jesus is therefore the blueprint (pattern) for the genuine humanness which is one offered through the gospel.

   1. As head of the body, the Church

   2. As first to rise again from the dead

   3. As the one through whom cruel death God has dealt with our sins and brought peace and reconciliation

   4. As the one through whom the new creation has now begun.

This is when Jesus has summoned us to experience genuine humanity.

My Notes

4 Christological passages in the Bible:

CHjOP:

C - Colossians 1:15-23

H - Hebrews 1:1-4

jO - John 1:1-18

P - Philippians 2:5-11

Gospel Transformation Bible

• Christ is supreme over all things—visible and invisible

• Christ is Lord over all

  • From creation of all things

  • To redemption of their souls

• Christ is both

  • Transcendent Lord of all things far removed from them

  • Immanent Lord of all things near to them

• Christ created all things and brings peace to all who trust him

• Christ is head of

  • Creation (15-17)

  • The Church (18-20)

NIV Study Bible

Perhaps an early Christian Hymn on the supremacy of Christ used here to counteract the false teachings at Colossae.

2 Parts:

1. Supremacy of Christ in creation (15-17), and

2. Supremacy of Christ in redemption (18-20).

“Image of God” (15) cf. “radiance of God” (Heb 1:3)

This figure of image suggests 2 things:

1. God is invisible (“no one has ever seen God” John 1:18)

2. Christ, who is the eternal Son of God and who became the God-man, reflects and reveals him (cf John 1:18, 14:9) “Anyone has seen me has seen the Father”

1:15 “firstborn over all creation”—Just as the firstborn son had certain privileges and rights in the Biblical world, so also Christ has certain rights in relation to all creation—

1. Priority

2. Preeminence

3. Sovereignty

1:16 “by him all things were created” (cf John 1:3)—7x in 6 verses Paul mentions “all creation,” “all things” and “everything,” thus stressing that Christ is supreme over all.

Including “thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” Colossians heresy includes hierarchy of angelic beings.

1:17 “He is before all things” referring to time, as in John 1:1-2, 8:58

1:18 “Beginning” of the new creation. “Firstborn” Christ was first to rise from teh dead with regular body. Others raised from the dead in the Bible died again. (Raised vs Resurrected)

1:19 “fullness”

1. Gnostics = the summation of the supernatural forces controlling the fate of people

2. Paul = the totality of God with all his powers and attributes

MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:

• Exalting Jesus in Colossians by Scott Pace

• Preaching the Word: Philippians, Colossians and Philemon commentary by R. Kent Hughes

• ESV Global Study Bible

• Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel

• Bible Knowledge Commentary

• The Outline Bible, Wilmington

• Paul for Everyone, The Prison Letters, NT Wright’s commentary on Philippians and Colossians

• Gospel Transformation Bible

• NIV Study Bible

Why Do We Worship God? | Revelation 4:1-11

Why Do We Worship God? | Revelation 4:1-11

Darien Gabriel

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come

Title:  “Why do we worship God?”

Scripture: Revelation 4:1-11

Main commentary help: 

• Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel Akin

• Revelation by Jim Hamilton

• The Seven Churches by Mike Breen

• Breaking the Code by Bruce Metzger

Be Confident About Your Future

What does the future hold in store for you?

Bible in One Year 2021 With Nicky Gumbel: Day 71 • Devotional

Futurologists predict what will happen in the future. For example, it has been predicted that some babies born today will live to the age of 150. Some of their predictions may come true. Others may not.

• In 1962 Decca Recording Company rejected the Beatles. They said, ‘We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.’

• In 1977 Ken Olson, Chairman of Digital Equipment Co., said, ‘There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.’

There are certain things about the future that we don’t know and that we are not supposed to know. However, there are other things that you can know about the future and that makes a real difference to your life now. Today we see why the echo the world needs to hear is from God through his people. That is worship.

Bottom line: Be the echo the world needs to hear from God through his people.

Illustration: This is not unlike the moon reflecting the light of the sun so that we can see the sunlight at night.

There are 2 parts to this:

1. Seeing and hearing God so that I am changed.

2. Echoing/reflecting what I see and hear into a world that needs to see/hear God and be changed as well.

Need:

We need to see God as he is so that we’ll be able to overcome (be victorious) over the challenges and temptations in life that we experience and that are described in Rev. 2-3.

“Our need for this text is much the same as the need for the seven churches to which John sent this letter. We know from what Jesus said to them in the seven letters that 

1. they had lost their first love in Ephesus;

2. they were about to be killed for the faith in Smyrna—husbands, wives, so`ns, daughters facing death;

3. they were tempted by false teaching in Pergamum;

4. they were tolerating a false prophetess in Thyatira, and she had led some into sexual and morality and idolatry;

5. the church was dead in Sardis,

6. persecuted in Philadelphia, and

7. Lukewarm in Laodicea.” -J Hamilton

“The whole point of this text is to show us that right now God is on his throne being worshiped and praised as he rightly deserves.” -JH

Context:

3 purposes:

I. To give believers a renewed vision of the risen, ascended and ruling Lord Jesus (1); 

II. To call for repentance and renewal (2-3), and 

III. To reveal God’s future plans for his church (4-22)

We are entering the third purpose and section. 

Outline:

I. The One seated on the throne. (4:1-6a)

1. Jesus invites John in through his open door (contrast with Laodicea not opening their door to Jesus) (Trinity: Son of God)

2. Description of the throne room and the one seated in it.

3. “In the Spirit” is how John describes whatever it is he experienced in receiving this revelation.

4. A throne with God sitting in it. (Trinity: God the Father)

5. He had the appearance of jasper and ruby gems. (Reddish-brown colors) These gems represent the radiance or echo of the glory of God in these places (High priests breastplate (Exod 19), Rebuilding of New Jerusalem (Isaiah 54), Description of bride of Christ as New Jerusalem (Rev 21))

6. Rainbow reminds us of the covenant that God made with Noah to never judge the earth by flood again. Adds green to the mix. This covenant of patient mercy. So when we see this bow added we see justice and mercy perfectly balance reflect God’s glory.

7. 24 elders - 12 tribes + 12 apostles; either humans or angelic beings

8. Dressed in white representing our justification, sanctification and glorification (righteousness)

9. Gold crowns—when they worship, they are giving all that they have (voices, presence, time, energy and crowns). While these are tokens of worship to God, they are valuable to us expressing our value of him.

10. Thunder and lightning remind us of God descending on Mount Sinai and giving of the law by which they’d be judged. Justice from the throne surrounded by patient mercy of a bow.

11. 7 lamps = 7 spirits of God or Holy Spirit in full. (Trinity = Holy Spirit or Spirit of God)

12. Sea of glass—clear as crystal; hard as diamonds (floor); add to this

II. The Worship of the One seated on the throne. (4:6b-11)

1. Four angelic creatures around the throne reflecting or echoing God’s glory through their attributes.

2. Their words give us reason to worship him:

   1. Holy, holy, holy (number for God)

   2. Eternal/timeless one

   3. Creator

3. Elders fall down in worship because that is the only appropriate posture of worship in front of someone as great as the Lord God Almighty.

Applications:

Echo God’s glory where we live, work, learn and play:

1. With our lips (Heb 13:15)

2. With our lives (Heb 13:16)

But notice that the emphasis here is on the former and that our tendency is to see this as non-productive, wasteful. (See John 12:-18 narrative about how Mary “wastes” her nard)

How to Fully Rely on God Instead of Yourself | Revelation 3:17-22

How to Fully Rely on God Instead of Yourself | Revelation 3:17-22

Darien Gabriel

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come

Title: “How to fully rely on God instead of yourself”

Scripture: Revelation 3:17-22

Main commentary help:

• Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel Akin

• Revelation by Jim Hamilton

• The Seven Churches by Mike Breen

• Breaking the Code by Bruce Metzger

Bottom line: Jesus calls us to fully rely on him instead of ourselves. Our self-reliance makes him want to puke.

Our series is “The best is yet to come” as we walk through the prophetic apocalypse that is the Revelation of the Risen Christ, a circular letter to the early church—and to us today. My prayer is that you’ll be strengthened, comforted and encouraged through this word today.

Need: Due to it’s enormous affluence, the Laodicean church was vulnerable to self-reliance. We, the American church, need to hear Jesus’s words to this church and evaluate ourselves in light of them.

Last week we saw how the Laodicean church thought, “We’ve got this!”

Illustration: Pic of inflatable tanks used in WW II. They look real at a glance but they are not authentic. Many Christians look real on the outside at a glance. But they are not.

5 Steps Towards Fully Relying on Jesus Again

1. Hear the loving rebuke of the Lord. (19a)

   1. Jesus loves you.

   2. That’s why he rebukes and disciplines you.

   3. Cf. Hebrews 12:4-11

2. Earnestly repent and believe the Lord. (19b)

   1. While the “Importance of Being Earnest” is a great movie, it’s not about this.

   2. But it is important to be earnest in your repentance.

   3. Repentance is more than being sorry for your sin. It’s choosing to change your thinking from believing a lie to believing that living by the truth is better for all.

3. Invite the Lord in. (20)

   1. Jesus is outside the church knocking to get back in. They were doing church without Jesus.

   2. Contrast 2 ways the church was approached:

      1. Roman soldiers were told to go to Laodicea and that they were to provide them room and board for free.

      2. Jesus comes and asks to be let in to join them for a sweet time of fellowship and food that he provides.

4. Join the Lord on His throne. (21)

   1. We overcome (are victorious) because we trust in Jesus’ victory over sin, death, shame, guilt and hell itself.

   2. He overcame all of that and his Father gave him the right to rule. He does the same for us.

5. To Hear is to Obey (22)

   1. The Spirit of the Lord (Trinitarian throughout this passage) speaks; are we listening.

   2. To hear is to obey.

How to Fully Rely on God Instead of Yourself | Revelation 3:17-22

Darien Gabriel

What You Don’t Realize Can Kill You | Revelation 3:14-22

What You Don’t Realize Can Kill You | Revelation 3:14-22

Darien Gabriel

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come

Title: “What You Don’t Realize Can Kill You” (Part 9)

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Main commentary help:

• Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel Akin
  Revelation by Jim Hamilton
  The Seven Churches by Mike Breen
  Breaking the Code by Bruce Metzger
  

Our series is “The best is yet to come” as we walk through the prophetic apocalypse that is the Revelation of the Risen Christ, a circular letter to the early church—and to us today. My prayer is that you’ll be strengthened, comforted and encouraged through this word today.

Need: Due to it’s enormous affluence, the Laodicean church was vulnerable to self-reliance. We, the American church, need to hear Jesus’s words to this church and evaluate ourselves in light of them. Main Point (Akin): Churches that lose sight of their dependence on Christ for all things are deceived and useless, but Jesus graciously promises healing to all who will rely on him for their every need. Main point (Hamilton): Jesus calls on the church at Laodicea to rely on him and his resources rather than their own. Outline (Hamilton): 3:14 Jesus is the true witness 3:15-17 Laodicea’s self-reliance 3:18-20 The counsel of the true witness: Rely on Jesus 3:21-22 Hear the promises that the Spirit speaks.

Being a Great Commission Church | Revelation 3:7-13

Being a Great Commission Church | Revelation 3:7-13

Darien Gabriel

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come

Title:  “Being a Great Commission Church”

Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13

Main commentary help: 

• Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel Akin

• Revelation by Jim Hamilton

• The Seven Churches by Mike Breen

• Breaking the Code by Bruce Metzger

This week’s title: “Being a Great Commission Church”

Our series is “The best is yet to come” as we walk through the prophetic apocalypse that is the Revelation of the Risen Christ, a circular letter to the early church—and to us today. My prayer is that you’ll be strengthened, comforted and encouraged through this word today.

Tension: We must evaluate our church and ourselves to see if we’re being faithful to the Savior, the gospel, and the great commission for God rewards those who are.

Though we may be modestly influential culturally, the church that is faithful to the Savior, the gospel, and the great commission will be rewarded by God.

1. A great commission church sees Jesus as awesome. (3:7)

   1. He is the holy one.

   2. He is the true one.

   3. He is the sovereign one. (Unstoppable)

2. A Great Commission church is faithful to the gospel. (3:8-9)

3. A great commission church lives by the promises of God. (3:10-13)

Keep Your Testimony Fresh | Revelation 3:1-6

Keep Your Testimony Fresh | Revelation 3:1-6

Todd Luce

The Best is Yet to Come
Keep Your Testimony Fresh
Revelation 3:1-6
Todd Luce

Jesus' church is alive and God is shaping you into what you aren't yet in this age of the Spirit in accordance with the Father's plan for all the nations ... remember how you have received and heard, then be ready to share what God is doing in your life now ... keep your testimony fresh!

Motivated by the Risen Jesus | Revelation 1:9-20

Motivated by the Risen Jesus | Revelation 1:9-20

Darien Gabriel

Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come

Title: Motivated by the Risen Jesus...

Scripture: Revelation 1:9-20 NIV

Main commentary help:

• Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel Akin

• Revelation by Jim Hamilton

Last week’s title: “The Best is Yet to Come”

This week’s title: Motivated by the Risen Jesus...

Last week’s Main idea: “Those who hear and obey God‘s word will be blessed by the Lord.”

Summarizing some of my thoughts lately...

1. We see the risen Jesus in all his glory and are motivated to trust and obey. (Rev 1:9-20)

2. When we trust and obey, we’re blessed beyond imagination. (Rev 1:1-8)

3. And finally, we’re blessed to be a blessing to others around the corner and around the world. (The Bible)

We’ll focus on 1 today.

This week’s main idea: “The risen Christ in glory summons forth obedience from his churches. The incomparable glory of the risen Christ motivates John’s audience to heed what John has been commissioned to write. The matchless splendor of Heaven’s King attracts the attention and compels the obedience of the churches John addresses.” -Hamilton

My Bottom line: When we (the Church) see the risen Jesus today, we’ll be super motivated to trust and obey.

Illustration: (Cf. With Isaiah’s reaction in Isaiah 6:1-8) Isaiah went from “Woe is me” to “Here I am” in a very short time. How long would it take for you to surrender all to Jesus and let him send you wherever to do whatever? How long would it take for you to give Jesus a blank check? Not long if you see him as he is today.

I hope your motivation for trusting and following Jesus will recalibrated today. Checked against the standard. The standard is truth and God’s word.

Why are you following Jesus?

Why are you following Jesus the way you are following Jesus? (Half-heartedly vs wholeheartedly)

I. Introduction: Story + Summary (Doignetus)

II. John’s situation and Commission to write (1:9-11)

III. John’s description of the risen Jesus (1:12-16)

IV. Jesus asserts his authority and commissions John to write (1:17-20)

V. Conclusion: Summary + Story + Application + Vision

Opening story/illustration

Diognetus about Christians to Mathetes (Hamilton, pp. 32-33, 37)

1:9-20 “John’s vision of the risen Christ”

I. “John’s situation and commission to write”

“Unlike the Roman Empire, which is promised peace but delivered brutality and fear, the Kingdom of God promises tribulation and delivers peace and confidence and eternal salvation to those who patiently endure.” Hamilton, Pp. 43-44

“Make no mistakes about it: Your best life is not now. Your best life will begin when the skies are split by the shout of the archangel.” Hamilton, p. 44

Churches listed in order an itinerant preacher would visit them beginning at Island of Patmos (where John was exiled) and moving around Asia Minor.

These cities seemed to be natural centers of communication for itinerant ministry and 7 focal cities with respect to the church’s organization and distribution.

• all but Thyatira had temples dedicated to emperors

• all but Philadelphia and Laodicea lead imperial priests and altars

Note, though an apostle, John shared in the suffering of the church.

John shares why he writes Revelation: Because Jesus told him to!

Read 3rd paragraph in Hamilton, p. 45–it’s powerful!

This is meant to motivate the Church to gladly submit to the word of the risen Christ! This will become clear in chapters 2-3.

1:12-26 “John’s description of the risen Jesus”

• Jesus described in priestly terms

  • References to Zechariah 4

  • 7 lamp stands point to the presence of God in the tabernacle and temple; hence priestly terms

  • Like a priest, Jesus calls the churches to repentance (Chs 2-3)

  • Jesus’ clothing points to a heavenly high priest

• Jesus described in kingly terms

  • References to Daniel 7

  • “Like a son of man” is kingly/messianic term

  • Jesus receives an eternal kingdom (Dan 7 & 10); cf. Rev 1:6 & 9

2 major influences on John’s first vision:

1. The letters to the churches—When you compare Revelation 1 with Revelation 2-3 you see Jesus described the same way

2. The vision of Daniel in ch. 10.

   1. Revelation is fulfilling Daniel’s vision in Daniel 10

   2. When you compare Revelation 1 with Daniel 10 you see Jesus described the same way

   3. Jesus is unveiled as deity in Rev 1:14 in describing like Ancient of Days (reference to God the Father)

“Eyes like a flame of fire” 1:14

3 implications of his blazing eyes:

1. No sin that we commit will escape his notice,

2. He will see every faithful thing his people do, and

3. He will note every injustice done to his people by their enemies.

“Feet like burnished bronze, refined” points to the absolute purity of Jesus.

“Powerful voice” = communicating authority this is to be obeyed. His voice is to drown out other voices that would call you away from true faith and holiness that marks those who truly know God.

Sometimes he does speak in a still, small voice. But there are times when he wants to drown out everything else.

Are you listening? To whom?

3 more...

7 Stars - messengers of 7 churches (Angels, not pastors). Jesus holds in right hand = he is in control

sword in mouth - symbolically Jesus will speak decisive words of judgment.

“Face like the sun” - painful brightness of the sun shining full strength, on which we can’t look

“The risen Christ in glory summons forth obedience from his churches.”

1:17-20 “Jesus asserts his authority and commissions John to write”

John literally blown away by God’s glory in Jesus. No power on earth does this.

Jesus doesn’t leave John. He tells him not to be afraid. Why?

Because he lives forever and holds the keys of death and hell. That is, he defeated death and the cross as seen in the resurrection.

Jesus is terrifying in his holiness. We should tremble, humble ourselves and repent of our sin before him. But no need to fear for our own lives if we repent and we trust him for he empowers us to live with him forever.

Jesus among 7 lamp stands = Jesus is present in and with his church.

Conclusion:

John’s situation and commission is to write down this vision (Revelation), which includes this powerful description of Christ himself in all his glory so that we will rightly be motivated to 1) Worship Jesus, and 2) Obey him.

“Jesus reveals himself to John the way he does to compel John’s audience to

1. Heed the 7 letters he is about to dictate to John about the present, and to

2. Convince them of the truth of...the end of history in Chs 4-22.” -Hamilton

What is God saying to you right now?

What are you going to do about it?

These are not rhetorical questions. Take some time to stop and pray right now.

Let’s pray. Amen.

Trust God to Put Things Right

Pippa and I enjoy doing crosswords together. When we are stuck on one clue we don’t give up, we move on to the next clue. Every time we find an answer it helps us in resolving some of the other clues. In the end, we are sometimes able to solve most of the puzzle.

In a way, reading some of the difficult parts of the Bible is like trying to solve a crossword puzzle. Rather than getting bogged down in a tricky section, you can use the passages you do understand to help you resolve some of the more difficult ones.

Often I find it hard not only to understand some of the difficult passages in the Bible, but also to understand why certain things are happening in our world. There seems to be so much injustice. There are no easy answers.

I love the second great rhetorical question from yesterday’s passage, ‘Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ (Genesis 18:25). One thing that you can be sure about is that on the last day, when all is revealed, you will see God’s perfect judgment – and everyone will say, ‘That is absolutely right.’ Each of today’s passages tells us something about the fact that, in the end, God will put things right.

Heading Into A New Year | Psalm 146

Praise The Lord

Darien Gabriel

Bottom line: As we wait for his return in these uncertain times, let’s put our hope in the Lord for all time. The Lord who is good and able to bless us infinitely better than any person can.

Times are uncertain. In times like these, it is easy to put our hope in people and things. But, our hope should not be in presidents, supreme court justices, governments, finances, or anything like that. We must hope in the Lord. You can tell whether or not someone has hope by how they react in uncertain times.

Remember that we are commanded to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). If we don’t have hope, we can’t give an answer. Our hope must be in the Lord, because Christ has by His atoning death and resurrection saved us from the power and penalty of sin and restored us to relationship with God. Not only do we have future hope of eternity with Him, we have present hope in delighting in God day by day (Psalm 16:11).

Psalm 146 gives us a picture of what it means to worship the Lord regardless of our circumstances.

Series: As We Wait (for His Second Coming) #Advent

Scripture: Psalm 146

We live in uncertain times. We always have but this year seems worse than usual. By a lot.

Who’s our next president? The electoral collage voted for Biden. But Congress still has to confirm that vote. Giuliani says there’s more to come out after Christmas.

And then there’s the virus. Vaccines are being distributed as we speak. But then there’s a newer, supposedly stronger COVID virus in England right now. Talk about uncertainty!

The unnamed psalmist tells us, “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” (V. 5)

How do we walk in that blessing? We do what the psalmist tells us to do at the beginning and the end of this psalm. We praise the Lord.

How do we do that?

I. Let’s praise the Lord (1-4)

He tells us right from the start: with our lives and our lips. (Vv. 1-2)

He vows to praise the Lord all his life.l (1-2)

He exhorts us to join him. (3-4)

Cf. Hebrews 13:15-16

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:15-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/111/heb.13.15-16.niv

Let’s trust and praise the Lord—not people; not leaders.

Your leaders to win their election? (GA race in early Jan.)

Your friends to help you in your trials?

Your family to accept you as you are?

Your boy/girl friend to be yours forever?

Your life to be healthy and wealthy forever?

The Lord tells you through this unnamed psalmist that your hope shouldn’t be in a circumstance or situation or person. It should be in a God who is good and able; it should be in Him!

As we wait for his return, we should live full of hope in a God who is good and able to bless us with himself instead of just ideal circumstances.

II. Praise for our faithful Creator (5-6)

III. Praise for the gracious Lord. (7-10)

• How God is faithful:

  • He helps the oppressed

  • He gives food to the hungry

  • He releases prisoners.

  • He gives sight to the blind.

  • He raises up the defeated.

  • He loves the righteous.

  • He protects the immigrant/sojourner.

  • He leads the orphan and widow (vulnerable) to security.

• But, because he is just (holy), he also leads the wicked away in frustration (and eventually, judgment).

• The psalmist concludes that the Lord reigns forever. As eternal ruler, he is

  • sovereign

  • just

  • Therefore, meriting our praising him above all things.

Our part/application is seen in bookends of this Psalm. “Praise the Lord!”

As the writer of Hebrews tell s us in 13:15-16, we can praise him with our lips and our lives.

Praise him with our lips. How? Sing, praise, celebrate, shout, whisper, preach, teach, herald, write, post, video, rap, and/or hum our focused praise and proclamation of who he is and what he’s done (and is doing) for all to hear. We do this as a sacrifice of praise. (Sacrifice meaning in a way that costs us something)

“Sacrifice of praise.”

1. Openly

2. Profess

3. His name

Praise him with our lives.

1. “Do good”

2. “Share with others”

3. “Sacrificially”

Sacrifice is key word.

• It cost God his son and Jesus his life to enable us to receive mercy.

• It costs us comfort as we live surrendered to this way of life too.

So God is calling us to find our hope and help in him.

As we wait for his return in uncertain times, let’s join this psalmist and find our help and hope in Him for all time.

How do we do this? By praising God with our lips (sacrificial praise) and our lives (sacrificial living) around the corner and around the world.

Amen

What are we so excited about? Who are We Waiting for? | Luke 2

What are we so excited about? Who are We Waiting for? | Luke 2

Chris Karpus

Luke 2: What are we so excited about? Who are We Waiting for?  

Bottom Line: God Became a Man 

So, what we’re NOT trying to do on Christmas Eve is try to make the birth of Christ more exciting. 1. If we don’t think “God became a man” is exciting enough, we should get our pulse checked. 

God Became a Man, and He shouldn’t have to compete for our affection with a new phone, nunchucks,  a new car or a big guy in a red suit. We don’t have to hang lights on the Light of the World. 

God Became a Man – the greatest event to occur in the history of the universe Video – Tribe celebrates receiving Bibles 

Luke 1:39-45 (Mary went to visit Elizabeth) 

39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered  Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in  her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are  

you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of  my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my  womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! 

John, even as a baby…not a fetus…a baby…knew who to get excited about 

Rosie (rescued, separation anxiety from her rescuers and pure joy in being  reunited) 

John 1:1-5 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God  in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been  made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and  the darkness has not overcome[a]it. 

John 1:14 

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one  and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

1. The Creator of the World humbled Himself and became a man, just to live for us, die for us (by our  own hands) and raise from the dead…all for our forgiveness and redemption. 

Best summed up by: 

John 3:16 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not  perish but have eternal life.

There are over 400 prophesies about the Messiah in the Old Testament – Jesus fulfilled them all. The  odds of Jesus fulfilling just 8 of those prophesies is 1 in 1 quintillion (18 zeroes) 

Lee Strobel figured out a visual for that: tiles 1 1/2” square, one with red on the bottom – covering the  every bit of dry land on the earth - 1 person walking the earth for a lifetime can only pick up 1. 

Genesis 49:10 (about 1500 years before Christ) The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah 

The scepter will not depart from Judah, 

 nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[a] 

until he to whom it belongs[b]shall come 

 and the obedience of the nations shall be his. 

Isaiah 7:14 (about 700 years before Jesus was born) The Messiah would be born of a virgin 

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The virgin[d] will conceive and give birth to a  son, and[e] will call him Immanuel. 

Fulfilled: (Luke 1:26-33)  

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in  Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s  name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is  with you.” 

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the  angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give  birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most  High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s  descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 

Jeremiah 23:5 (about 646 years before Jesus)  

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, 

 “when I will raise up for David[a] a righteous Branch, 

a King who will reign wisely 

 and do what is just and right in the land. 

2 Samuel 7:12-13 

When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you,  your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He is the one who will build a house for my  Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Back to Luke: 

Luke 2:1-7 

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman  world. 2(This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And  everyone went to their own town to register. 

Micah 5:2 (400 years before the birth of Christ) The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, from the tribe  of Judah 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, 

whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (In the beginning was the word) Luke 2 

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,  because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was  pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the  baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him  in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

0. Jesus is born when Israel is under Roman Rule. 

1. There is an invisible power behind and OVER the human rulers. They didn’t know it at the time, but  God used Caesar and Quirinius to fulfill what He had promised long before that. 

2. If you’re tempted to worry or celebrate over who is in charge of this great nation, your town or you  HOA, DON’T. The same God is behind and over all OUR rulers too.  

3. The birth of Christ…God became a Man. 

4. Nothing about this particular scene says “GLORY”, but everything about this scene INSTRUCTS us  about Glory. 

5. In the Kingdom of God, HUMILITY always precedes GLORY 

- The first will be last, and the last will be first (Mark 10:31) 

- God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6) …also 1 Peter -Humble yourself before the Lord, and in good time, He will exalt you (James 4:10) + We see this modeled right from the beginning of Jesus’ life 

+ True greatness is not always visible greatness

One of our favorite Christmas songs is “Christmas Snow” by Audrey Assad (on Chris Tomlin’s Christmas) 

Could've come like a mighty storm With all the strength of a hurricane 

You could've come like a forest fire With the power of Heaven in Your flame 

(But) You came like a winter snow Quiet and soft and slow 

Falling from the sky in the night To the earth below 

6. Truth is, most of us have glory-craving hearts, and the incarnation of the Son of God in an animals  feeding trough should put our hearts in check. In fact, Jesus spent a lifetime showing us how to live like  Him. 

Philippians 2:3-11 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above  yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 

6Who, being in very nature[a] God, 

 did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing 

 by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, 

 being made in human likeness. 

8And being found in appearance as a man, 

 he humbled himself 

 by becoming obedient to death— 

 even death on a cross! 

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place 

 and gave him the name that is above every name, 

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 

 in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

 to the glory of God the Father. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of  God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 

Luke 2:8-20 

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An  angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were  terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy  for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the  Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, 

 and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to  Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 

1. The angels appeared to shepherds keeping watch over their flock. 

- Not glorious work / bad reputation / they were considered unreliable and despised. - God chose THEM to get the good new first…the first to hear of the great joy for all people - These despised individuals were the first to hear that God became a man… 

- These guys were the first to hear all of the titles of Jesus brought together – Savior, Messiah,  Lord 

WHY? The Bible doesn’t necessarily say why them…but 

It appears that God chose the humbled of society to reveal the humble beginnings of the life of  His glorious Son. 

Jesus was consistent throughout His ministry in is love for the humble 

Jesus’ very beginning didn’t demonstrate the riches of His existence, but Jesus Himself was born  into poverty. 

SIDE NOTE – What do you think that implies? 

1. Poverty is not a sin. 

2. Poverty is not God’s disapproval 

3. Poverty does not prevent a person from worshipping God 

4. Poverty does not necessarily doom a person to poverty forever 

5. Poverty does not excuse unrighteousness  

6. Poverty is not shameful in and of itself 

7. Poverty is a cross that God entrusts to some people for a time 

If some prosperity gospel preacher tries to tell you that poverty is a sin, of that it is God condemning  you, and that you just have to give a certain amount of money to be released, they are lying to you.

Some poverty is our own responsibility. Point to Jesus. 

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When  they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all  who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things  and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things  they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

1. That does not mean…”huh?”.  

- An angel had visited her (and her fiancée), she became pregnant as a virgin and just gave birth  to the Savior of the world in barn. A bunch of stinky shepherds came to visit her baby, the Good  Shephard telling them of heavenly hosts of angels…she didn’t go “huh”…”what do ya know…” 

2. She treasured the moment as a mother and pondered the events leading up to it in her heart. 3. People who ponder the fact that God Became a Man, don’t just go “huh”.  

God became a man – THAT is what we’re excited about 

And if you really want to get excited, knowing that Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies  about the Messiah, give this a pondering: He’s Coming Back as a conquering King 

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel,  and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive,  who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we  will always be with the Lord. 

Revelation 22:12-13 

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I  am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 

The one who fulfilled all of the prophesies about the Messaiah, Jesus himself, said He is coming back… We better believe it 

We better be ready

Transformed to Transform | Luke 1:57-80

Transformed to Transform | Luke 1:57-80

Darien Gabriel

Last week: whether you believe it or not, Jesus is coming back and that’s the point. Are you ready?

Bottom line: God’s great mercy leads to radiant joy and praise that transforms lives.

Transformation is visible.

Transformation is dramatic.

Transformation is life-changing.

I was transformed the first time I saw the Atlantic Ocean as a kid...

Transformers movie

I can still remember the first time I saw the first Transformers movie in the theater with my friends. I can honestly say it transformed the way I saw CGI in movies. It was basically like an animator drew a cartoon movie so realistic and believable that I couldn’t believe my eyes that it wasn’t real.

When we talk about transforming lives, that’s exactly what we are going for. We want a life that is so transformed that maybe the most dramatic comparison is the difference between a corpse and a person fully alive and healthy. (Eph 2:1-9)

That is dramatic enough on its own but now make it spiritual. Think of someone dead in their sins Hellbound for all eternity being transformed into life abundant and eternal. It’s like a shadow going reverse negative and becoming a light. That would be dramatic a shadow becoming a reflection of light.

My Fair Lady...another movie of transformation

From caterpillar to butterfly

As we wait…

as we wait we live knowing that not only did Jesus come (advent, Christmas) but that he’s coming again. And the tension is living as if he was coming back today...or in another 1,000 years.

As we wait for Jesus—his second coming; his return from heaven—to finish what he started, my prayer is that he will find me full of joy and praise that is so alive and so transformative that it leads others in transformation as well. That my faith would publicly inspire others to be open enough to receive and believe the truth and hope that the good news of the kingdom of God is near and athat the King is on his way back!

Building on what we talked about last week, we once again look at the lives of Zack and Lizzie and how God‘s great mercy transformed them through joy and praise so dramatically that it couldn’t help but shape and influence and impact the entire region around them. They truly were the best neighbors ever throughout Judea and their day.

Let’s look at their lives and learn from them how we can be transformed to transform.

Article (TGC)

Like a prison cell

The most reassuring message of the season is that the existence of hope does not depend on us. It does not rely on our virtue or wisdom. It is a delivery from elsewhere.

The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer compared Advent to a prison cell “in which one waits and hopes and does various unessential things . . . but is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside.”

The Advent narratives are filled with waiting people: Mary, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna. They lived in patient expectation and were receptive to the Good News when it arrived. Their hope did not come as the result of a battle. It came like a seed planted in the ground. Like the sun rising in defiance of night. Like a child growing within his mother.

We are not the heroes of the story. Our contribution is to be watchful and open. But hope arrives in awesome humility. God is with us. Jesus is with us. This is everything.

I. God’s great mercy leads to joy and praise that transforms lives through... (1:57-67, 80)

1. It transformed E

   1. Through pregnancy and birth - like only motherhood could do; no more shame

   2. Through Holy Spirit

   3. Through joy

2. It transformed Z

   1. Through disciplined - silence, solitude, prayer, confession, repentance, and faith

   2. Through praise

   3. Through Holy Spirit

3. It transformed J

   1. He was prepared through birth, browsing up, and relationship with parents

   2. He was prepared through Holy Spirit

   3. He was prepared through his wilderness

4. It transformed their neighbors

5. It transformed their world

II. Z’s prophecy of praise explains how God’s great mercy is God’s great salvation (1:67-79)

4 parts - notice he’s filled with HS; God’s all over this. It’s prophetic and it’s been in part fulfilled already.

1. The Plan of salvation (1:68-73)

   1. Plan prophesied in OT - “The entire bible—from nAbraham to the prophets down to King David—is about this one thing: salvation. The Bible has one story: God visiting or coming to get his people. That was and is his plan.” -Thabiti Anyabwile

   2. Plan was through the line of David

   3. Plan was for Israel and those they would bless

   4. Plan is one of strength

   5. Plan was to save Israel from her enemies

   6. Plan seen in the covenant promises to Abraham 3500 years ago

2. The Purpose of salvation (1:72-75)

   1. Physical freedom

   2. Main goal: freedom to worship the Lord. “God saves so that we might worship him. Freedom is a good goal, but it’s not the ultimate goal...Just as Zechariah worshipped God when God mercifully opened his mouth and ears, so all Israel is to praise and glorify God for the salvation he brings.”

   3. NT version of what God told Moses to tell Pharaoh: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” (Exodus 7:16)

   4. Religious liberty or freedom in our country is the freedom to do this. Just like Pharaoh severely limited Israel in this when they were enslaved in Egypt, we’re headed that way too. The difference is that they didn’t have a temple where God dwelt. As Christians, we are that temple so no body can keep us from worshiping the Lord. Nobody.

3. The Prophet of salvation (1:76-77)

   1. Zach prophesies about John now.

      1. John will be great

      2. And a prophet of God.

      3. He will be unique in that he will be a forerunner. He will soften the ground and till the soil of Israel’s heart (think Parable of the soils, Luke 8).

      4. He will not be the Savior but will make things ready for the Savior by teaching the people how they are to be saved.

      5. He will be a “giant index finger” (Thabiti Anyabwile) pointing the way to God’s great mercy.

   2. Zach’s prophecy “defines John’s life in relationship to Jesus’ life and mission.” Imagine if we all did this? He must increase and I must decrease. (John 3:30)

4. Th of salvation (1:77-79) - 3 Effects of this transforming salvation on people

   1. This salvation is ultimately spiritual and personal. We need his forgiveness of sins. (77)

      1. Why do we need this?

      2. Because it is an offense against our creator God, who is holy, holy, holy.

         1. God will punish sin. He must to remain holy and just.

         2. But he is also merciful. This is why his mercy is so great. He can mercifully forgive us because he took our punishment out on someone else. (On Jesus at the cross)

         3. What or who do we need to be saved from? The answer may surprise you.

         4. We need to be saved from God.l

   2. This salvation is by God’s mercy. (78) says, “because of our God’s merciful compassion.”

      1. We can’t earn it.

      2. We can’t demand it.

      3. We can’t deserve it.

      4. We can’t deal for it.

      5. It only comes by grace through faith. Free and undeserved.

      6. Ask for it. Beg for mercy. Confess your sin and he is faithful...(1 John 1:9)

   3. This salvation brings light. (78-79) Transformational is usually dramatically visible to others.

      1. Through the mercy of God we receive light.

      2. Jesus is our sunrise (sonrise).

      3. In our sin, we sit in a dark, locked prison dungeon.

      4. Hanukkah is festival of life and it’s Hanukkah right now. Connection?

      5. Christ comes bringing light and blows them door off.

      6. By definition, darkness cannot standup to light. It has to flee by law.

      7. Lock-ins - up all night; can’t wait for daylight when they go home.

      8. All-nighters.7

      9. Death is defeated and brings peace.

         1. Peace with God

         2. Peace with humanity

         3. Peace with ourselves

         4. Do you have this peace? Let the light of Christ blow the doors off your dungeon prison and free you from death ☠️ to peace ☮️.

Conclusion

Transformation like the beast in Beauty and the Beast.

Notes

Zechariah’s first words were praising God.

• Yes, a new son

• Yes, on the heels of 9 months of silence (mute and deaf). Talk about a crash course on silence and solitude. Even Jesus was only alone in the wilderness 40 days.

• A righteous and blameless man like Z would also have been teachable and the perfect father to raise a son able and prepared to make ready and prepare God’s people for their Messiah.

• Result was “all the neighbors were filled with awe.” We say we want to be the “best neighbor ever...”. This would qualify Z, wouldn’t it?

What did he do?

• He nurtured a Christ-like character.

• He served faithfully as a priest.

• He didn’t believe God’s word and was disciplined for it.

• He grew during this time in the wilderness of discipline. Ever think about your wilderness time as a time of disciplining that would strengthen you?

• He responded with praise and obedience as a result of God’s mercy and discipline.

• He did so publicly.

• His neighbors were awed by God and began spreading the good news. (Changed his neighbors and neighborhood).

Better Question: Have you let your disobedience and discipline cause you to flourish or flounder?

As he waited...for this first coming of Jesus,

he encountered God’s messenger,

disbelieved his message,

Lived in the wilderness of his discipline for a season,

let God nurture and teach him through that season,

received an amazing blessing/mercy,

received an incredible responsibility (the one to prepare the one to prepare the way...),

impacted his own neighborhood nad nation for the glory of God...and the nations (67-80).

“For the Lord’s hand was with him.” (V. 66)

This reminds me of Joseph over his 13 years in prison. His unjust imprisonments and deliverance foreshadowed both Israel’s enslavement and deliverance, as well as, our enslavement and deliverance from sin to freedom in Christ.

Z’s song

He was filled with the Holy Spirit (like Elizabeth and son were) as he composed this song. This means God was fully involved.

• “Praise be...” (he starts here (appropriately). Who God is...

• “Because” - the reason he’s moved to praise God—rescue/redemption of Israel (future faith spoken in past as if done deal)

• Looks ahead to coming salvation with confidence

• To show mercy

• Remembers his covenant with Abraham

• Rescue/salvation is the reason for praise (mercy)

• To enable/empower the nation to serve him without fear

• New section begins in v. 76 (note change in tense)

• J the B a prophet of God

• Prepare the way for the Lord (God incarnate)

• To give knowledge (experiencing salvation) that leads to the change (repentance) required to be prepared. No repentance, no forgiveness—knowledge of precious truth salvation escape

• Again, mercy (not getting what they deserve)

• Light shines because thats’ what light does. It can’t help it. To reveal to those in darkness their current reality and their way of escape. Jesus is that light directly and later indirectly through his people.

• This path of hope leads from sin and death, shame and guilt, and hell itself to...peace. Jesus is the prince of peace. His kingdom is a kingdom of peace.

• J the B was raised by this man—this father—alongside an equally glorious mother Elizabeth. He grew in spirit (the Holy Spirit?).

• Lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel to begin his ministry.

• Apparently, Z’s discipline shaped him profoundly. He now valued silence and solitude enough to pass it on. J the B took it to another level foreshadowing Jesus’ time of temptation in the wilderness where Jesus was prepared and shaped for his public ministry. Remember, the HS drove Jesus to the wilderness right after his baptism.

• I wonder if Jesus and J the B ever interacted in the wilderness...

Notes from New American Commentary, Luke by Stein starting on p. 96.

• Lots of parallels to Jesus’ birth narrative.

• 3 parts

  • Birth

  • Circumcision

  • Hymn of praise

    • Praise to God

    • Prophecy of J the B

• “The function of the Benedictus is clear. Luke wanted his readers to understand this as Z’s divinely inspired hymn praising God for fulfilling his promises to his people and describing the roles of J the B and especially the Messiah.”

• Cycle -

  • Sin/disobedience of child of God

  • Discipline and mercy

  • Repentance and growth on new path

  • Deliverance from discipline

  • Praise and worship and joy

• Apparently is was unusual to name a son after his father because he would then be called Zechariah son of Zechariah or Zechariah Bar Zechariah. But they still named after family members.

• Z was both deaf and mute.

• Writing tablet was plank of wood covered in wax

• Z being able to speak immediately after naming him John amplifies the miraculous nature of this event. As a result, the neighbors (who were not aware of Elizabeth’s pregnancy) realized this work of God.

• Z was a model believer.

  • Starting with his character (1:6)

  • His first words after being disciplined were praise

  • He is filled with the Holy Spirit after trusting and obeying Gabriel’s command to name him John

  • He starts his song with praise

• Awe or literally fear. The proper reverent attitude which those who witness a heavenly intervention or manifestation of divine power should express. It may begin as a terrifying fear of judgment or wrath, but it progresses to a holy awe of God and a recognition of his otherness, which leads to “glorifying and praising God”.

• “What then is this child going to be?” What instead of Who emphasizes J the B’s role as the one who will go before his superiors to prepare the way.

• Salvation is described as a past event in vv. 68-75 even though it’s describing a future event. This is because there is so much confidence in this happening it’s sung as as good as done. This is true for us as well as we think about the hope we have in Christ and our glorification.

• In going from, v. 75 to 76, there is a change in tense and focus.

• The focus is now on J the B until it returns to Christ at the end.

• J the B is seen as great because of God and Christ—not because of anything he’s going to do or because of Z. Same for us.

• “Sun” most likely refers to Jesus.

Truths

• We can trust God’s word because God’s word is true.

• God’s mercy leads to joy (for E) and praise (for Z).

• God’s mercy leads to awe, fear and transforming neighbors.

• God shows us mercy when he gives us less wrath/judgment than we deserve.

• Circumcision was a sign of God’s faithful covenant relationship with Israel.

Applications

• Trust God’s word.

• Receive children as a mercy and blessing from God. Receive them with the joy E received J. No matter what the circumstances. (Even rape; even if poor)

• Embrace God’s sanctifying discipline and affliction as a spiritual promotion. (JC Ryle)

  • “The sorrow that humbles us, and drives us nearer to God, is a blessing, and a downright gain.”

  • The wave that dashes us against the rock of God’s glory is a mercy indeed.

• Are you handling your suffering by allowing God to grow you better or bitter? Is your heart towards God growing warmer or colder?

• Everyone knew that God was at work among them with this child. (66)

• What does that look like? Spiritual strength

• Enter the Wilderness to prepare - When God’s hand is on our children, they grow and become strong—not just in body but more importantly, in spirit. (Ex. Silence, solitude, Fasting)

• There’s a connection between John’s spiritual strength and his growth in the wilderness. (Silence, solitude, fasting) Wilderness is where prophets are prepared for the hardship of public ministry.

• Doesn’t the first part of v. 80 make you want the last part of v. 66?

• JC Ryle quote below.

• Joseph in Genesis.

• God waits to be asked. Are you asking? Praying? Seeking?

• God’s mercy means joy and praise for E and Z. It means the same for us if we receive it.

Benedictus Doninus = blessed be the Lord God

Ben·e·dic·tus

/ˌbenəˈdiktəs/

noun

CHRISTIAN CHURCH

1. 1.

   an invocation beginning Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini (Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord) forming a set part of the Mass.

2. 2.

   a canticle beginning Benedictus Dominus Deus (Blessed be the Lord God) from Luke 1:68–79.

Believe It Or Not, Jesus Is Coming | Luke 1:5-38

Believe It Or Not, Jesus Is Coming | Luke 1:5-38

Darien Gabriel

Believe it or not, Jesus is coming

Series: As We Wait (for His Second Coming) #Advent

Scripture: Luke 1:5-38

Bottom line: whether you believe God’s word or not, Jesus is coming...again.

A dog and the point

“If you try to point out something to a dog, the dog will often look at your finger instead of at the object you’re trying to point out. This is frustrating, but it illustrates a natural mistake we all make from time to time. It’s the mistake many people make when reading the Christmas story in Luke’s Gospel: focusing on the manger—the Christmas crib. The most famous animal feeding-trough in all history. To concentrate on the manger and to forget why it was mentioned in the first place is like the dog looking at the finger rather than the object.

The point Luke is making is clear. The birth of this little boy is the beginning of a confrontation between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world. (Caesar) Augustus never heard of Jesus of Nazareth. But within a century or so his successors in Rome had not only heard of him; they were taking steps to obliterate his followers. Just over three centuries later, a Roman emperor became a Christian.

Luke’s narrative reminds us not to stop at the manger but to see the explosive truth it’s pointing to.”

-NT Wright, Luke: 26 studies for individuals and groups, p. 23

Advent wreaths

I grew up with advent wreaths...

Advent = Coming

1st advent = 1st coming of Jesus (as a baby/Christmas/incarnation)

2nd advent = 2nd coming of Jesus (as a warrior-king/consummation of his earthly reign)

Luke 1:5-38

Compare and contrast 2 faith responses to God’s word (truth).

Applications

Whether you believe God’s word or not, it will come to pass.

Even when you fail to believe, God’s mercy is there for you. He disciplines his children when they fail to trust him. But he brings them back into fellowship as well. Just ask Zechariah.

You can please God when you take him at his word. Just ask Mary. (Cf. Heb 11:3)

Make sure you don’t miss the point for the pointer. The point is that God wants to walk in fellowship with you. He sent Jesus to restore our fellowship with him. That’s why he came the first time. The second time he’s coming to finish what he started. Are you ready?

Cross-reference

I want to be “confident and unashamed” at Jesus’ return. 1 John 2:28

Illustration

We're all waiting for something, but the Christian hope is the difference between waiting impatiently and waiting expectantly. Waiting for time to heal wounds is an exercise in futility. We sit impatient while growing both more agitated and more numb. But waiting expectantly means we hope in the healing that God promises, while expecting the world we live in to continue in its brokenness. In the hope of Advent, we’re not surprised by the darkness, but we’re not consumed by it either.

This is not a fine and theological distinction that has no bearing on life today. In fact, I would suggest this is the only way to make sense of your life today. Hoping in Jesus’ return is the only way to look at the brokenness of reality and maintain hope despite it all. And this takes practice. Just like our waiting impatiently is a learned practice reinforced through daily habits of expecting news and notifications and clicks to make us feel better, so waiting expectantly is a learned practice reinforced through communal spiritual disciplines of reading, praying and carefully directed longing.

-Justin Early, email

Be Prepared To Answer | 1 Peter 3:15-16

Be Prepared To Answer | 1 Peter 3:15-16

Darien Gabriel

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15-16
Title: Be Prepared to Answer

Bottom line: Doing good means always being prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you why you have hope and to do so w/ gentleness, respect, and a clear conscience. That includes your enemies and your persecutors.

Be prepared & ready to share with anyone why you have hope.

Open with motto of the Boy Scouts: Be prepared. I tried and gave up after 2 months.

Prepared for tests?

I walked into physics class one year after spring break fresh and rested from no studying. But I wasn’t ready or prepared for the test they handed out unexpectedly (to me) that day. I promptly left to withdraw from the class.

I was ready but not necessarily prepared for my first SAT test. We didn’t study for them back in my day. So taking the test was really a way to answer the question, “Am I ready for college?”

Where is God?

Elie Wiesel was born into a Jewish family in Romania. He was only a teenager when he and his family were rounded up by the Nazis and taken first to Auschwitz, and then to Buchenwald. In his book, Night, he gives a terrifying and intimate account of the increasing horrors he endured – the death of his parents and eight-year-old sister, and the loss of his innocence by barbaric hands.

In the foreword to the book, François Mauriac writes of his encounter with Elie Wiesel: ‘On that most horrible day, even among all those other bad days, when the child witnessed the hanging (yes!) of another child who, he tells us, had the face of a sad angel, he heard someone behind him groan: “For God’s sake, where is God?” And from within me, I heard a voice answer: “Where He is? This is where – hanging here from this gallows.”’

...His words point to the most profound answer to the question, ‘Where is God?’ God is in Christ. He was on the cross bearing our sins in his body. Now the crucified is among his people. Not only has he suffered for you, but he now suffers with you. (Bible in One Year 2020 With Nicky Gumbel: Day 327 • Devotional)

Peter exhorts the early church to be prepared to give an answer for the hope they carried in Christ. He knew, however, that he was writing to a suffering people. The time was one of persecution and opposition. From family, friends, religious institutions, philosophical discussions, employers and, of course, the government.

He wants them to do good (like Titus) but he accounts for their suffering.

We just finished Paul’s letter to Titus where we emphasized the principle that good deeds/works flow from good doctrine taught and lived in a community united in Christ.

Here we see Peter also talking about “doing good.” More specifically, he talks about suffering for doing good.

Thanksgiving is a time when family, food, politics and religion collide for a few hours resulting in a wide range of reactions. Maybe you experienced that this year. 2020 is the year of disruption and as a result we’re all not at our best. Things have been amplified and accelerated—good and bad things. As a result, our cultural norms have changed quickly.

Ex. We now have a cancel culture where people are much quicker to write someone off for something they said even long ago with no second chance.

Ex. We are much more polarized than in the past.

Ex. So much has been politicized too. Your views on race, immigration, borders, guns, marijuana, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and police move people to make assumptions about you and put you into stereo-typed groups so that they can label you for or against them. Tribes are becoming our new identities.

As a result, people are quicker to condemn, criticize and cancel you. We are often guilty by perceived association whether it’s true or not.

But the biggest one we’re going to be dealing with in the months ahead is where you are religiously.

Like it or not, if you are a Christian who is committed to the Bible in that you believe it and live it and share it, you will be stereo-typed and labeled horrible things. Things that aren’t even true about you. And gradually, as it becomes more socially acceptable, you will be persecuted.

What can you do this about this? I have a few suggestions:

1. Decide who you really are? Where do you really stand? What’s your story? How does it fit in God’s epic story?

2. Prepare yourself and your family for the coming storm; for persecution. We’ve been saying for years it’s coming. COVID accelerated everything. It’s here. Prepare for suffering.

3. Decide how you are going to respond to this personally?

   1. Will you push back? Demand to be understood? For you will be misunderstood. Jesus was and he never once defended himself.

   2. Or will you lean in? Bless instead of curse. Return good to your tormentors? Will you reinforce their stereotypes or will you show them a better story?

4. Do you have hope? What or who is it in? Why? Know the answers to these questions.

The Apostle Peter spoke to early Christians about this very thing in 1 Peter 3:8-22. It is there I believe God led me to this week to share before we head into the Christmas season of sermons. It seems extremely fitting and timely.

Many of us are experiencing a crisis of faith. Do we really believe this Bible is really a word from God? If so, then let’s prepare together. If not, then it will be extremely hard for you to move forward with other believers. This is why people are leaving churches in droves. This is why churches are closing all over America.

Caution for new persecution

“In the first two chapters Peter referred to “all kinds of trials” (1:6), accusations of “doing wrong” (2:12), “the ignorant talk of foolish men” (2:15), and “the pain of unjust suffering” (2:19). All these persecutions seem to have resulted from the natural reactions of a pagan society against Christians who faithfully obeyed Jesus Christ.

Peter then warned that a time of more severe persecution and suffering was close at hand. He cautioned Christians to keep clear consciences when facing injustice, to endure the inevitable suffering with Christlike courage.” (BKC)

I. Overcoming Injustice in the coming days

1 Peter 3:8–12 (BKC): “Peter used both Christ and Noah to illustrate the principle that in times of rising persecution the right response to injustice results in blessing.“

“Finally” introduces a new section.

“Peter now addressed all his readers (all of you) and gave practical principles for living peacefully in a hostile pagan culture. First Peter 3:8–9 is Peter’s exposition of Psalm 34:12–16, which he then quoted (1 Peter 3:10–12). Peter constructed his thoughts around the three exhortations in the psalm.”

A. A Compassionate Conduct - 1 Peter 3:8-12 - 3 practical exhortations from Peter from David:

1. Keep from speaking evil. This includes what you say to someone AND what you type/write to someone via text, email or social media. (10)

2. Turn from evil and do good. (11a) “Turn the other cheek” -Jesus (Matt 5:39)

3. Seek and pursue peace with God and man. (11b) Respond to insult with blessing. Start with what you say then with what you (or refrain from).

B. A Clear Conscience - 1 Peter 3:13-22

“Persecution occurred, however, in spite of believers’ desires to live peacefully and their eagerness to do good. Peter encouraged his readers with the fact that the right response to undeserved suffering results in blessing. He presented the principle in verses 13–17 and provided examples in verses 18–22.”

1. Who is going to hurt you? (13-14) Blessed here means “highly favored”, not feel delighted.

   1. Fear God over men. Isaiah 8:12 (ESV): “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread” (14)

2. Overcoming fear requires us exalting Christ as Lord (15)

   1. Reason = apologia or defense for why you believe what you believe about Christ Jesus.

   2. 1 Peter 3:15 (BKC): As a result Christians should always be prepared (hetoimoi, “ready”; cf. 1:5) to give … the reason (apologian, the “defense” which a defendant makes before a judge; cf. Acts 22:1; 25:16) for their hope in Christ. Such an oral defense should be consistent with one’s “set-apart” conduct.

   3. There’s the posture of prepared.

   4. There’s the work of prepared.

   5. There’s the willingness of prepared.

3. Give your reason in a way that honors Christ. How you do this matters. (16)

   1. Perhaps Peter is recalling how he did not do this when confronted 3 times after Jesus’ arrest. (Mark 14:66-72)

   2. Yet it may be God’s will for you to suffer for doing good. (17)

4. Illustrations on the above principles (18-22)

   1. Jesus is our supreme example. He suffered greatly for doing nothing but good. (Healing, miracles, preaching, serving, and the cross) Great summary: “1 Peter 3:18 (BKC): In verses 18–22 Peter illustrated the principles given in verses 13–17. Once again Christ provided the perfect example. He suffered for doing what was right (2:14). His sinless life provoked the unjust hostilities of evil men. However, He did not fear men but trusted Himself to God. Christ clearly stated His purpose and committed Himself to a course of action. He died in mankind’s place, keeping His conscience clear (cf. 2:23). As a result He received tremendous blessing and reward in His own resurrection and exultation.” (18) Maybe the greatest summary of the gospel in one verse in the Bible.

      1. Christ (anointed one) suffered once for sins (fully sufficient sacrifice for all sin)

      2. the righteous for the unrighteous (our substitute)

      3. to bring you to God (to reconcile us to God)

      4. Put to death in the body (cross)

      5. Made alive in the Spirit

   2. Through whom he preached to the spirits in prison (19-20)

      1. Noah kept hammering and preaching to encourage others to repent and believe despite incredible oppositions and hostility. So must we.

      2. Noah feared God over men.

      3. Noah’s reward was salvation for he and his family.

   3. Water (21)

      1. Baptism represents a complete break from the past.

      2. 1 Peter 3:21 (BKC): He exhorted them to have the courage to commit themselves to a course of action by taking a public stand for Christ through baptism. The act of public baptism would “save” them from the temptation to sacrifice their good consciences in order to avoid persecution. For a first-century Christian, baptism meant he was following through on his commitment to Christ, regardless of the consequences.

      3. Baptism doesn’t save you from sin but from a bad conscience.

Notes

WW notes

Preparing for the Best (3:8-17)

Peter is preparing believers for the fiery trials of persecution that were coming. But preparing for the best, not the worst. Hope-filled words!

III. God’s grace in suffering

A. Cultivate Christian Love (8-12)

B. Practice the Lordship of Christ (13-15)

C. Maintain a good conscience (16-17)

Bible in One Year 2020 With Nicky Gumbel: Day 327 • Devotional

Where is God?

Elie Wiesel was born into a Jewish family in Romania. He was only a teenager when he and his family were rounded up by the Nazis and taken first to Auschwitz, and then to Buchenwald. In his book, Night, he gives a terrifying and intimate account of the increasing horrors he endured – the death of his parents and eight-year-old sister, and the loss of his innocence by barbaric hands.

In the foreword to the book, François Mauriac writes of his encounter with Elie Wiesel: ‘On that most horrible day, even among all those other bad days, when the child witnessed the hanging (yes!) of another child who, he tells us, had the face of a sad angel, he heard someone behind him groan: “For God’s sake, where is God?” And from within me, I heard a voice answer: “Where He is? This is where – hanging here from this gallows.”’

François Mauriac goes on, ‘And I, who believe that God is love, what answer was there to give my young interlocutor... What did I say to him? Did I speak to him of that other Jew, this crucified brother who perhaps resembled him and whose cross conquered the world?

‘Did I explain to him that what had been a stumbling block for his faith had become a cornerstone for mine? And that the connection between the cross and human suffering remains, in my view, the key to the unfathomable mystery in which the faith of his childhood was lost... That is what I should have said to the Jewish child. But all I could do was embrace him and weep.’

His words point to the most profound answer to the question, ‘Where is God?’ God is in Christ. He was on the cross bearing our sins in his body. Now the crucified is among his people. Not only has he suffered for you, but he now suffers with you.

In the Old Testament, the tabernacle (and later the temple) was the place where people went to meet with God. This was God’s home as we see in our Old Testament passage for today (Ezekiel 43:5).

The message of our New Testament passage though is that the glory and presence of God is to be found supremely in Jesus. It is at the very moment that Jesus is rejected and crucified that God’s presence among people is finally and fully realised. From that point on there is no need for a physical temple. The only church building the New Testament speaks about is a building made of people (Ephesians 2:20–22), founded and built upon Jesus, the chief cornerstone. The holy temple in the New Testament is one made of ‘living stones’ (1 Peter 2:5) – in other words, people like you and me. This is God’s new home.

The Amazing Grace of God | Titus 2:11-15

The Amazing Grace of God | Titus 2:11-15

Darien Gabriel

The Amazing Grace of God

Titus 2:11-15

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”

Bottom Line for this message” Grace has a Face”

Verse 11

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.

1. First, the use of the word “for” connects this verse to the previous verses. Because we are the recipients of God’s grace and salvation, we should reflect the values and engage the behaviors that Paul promoted in verses 2-10. Paul previously discussed preaching, leadership and teaching, all of which is important to the Christian lifestyle (making disciples who make disciples), but what God does in verse 11 can be summed up in one work: GRACE

2. What is grace?

   • Many say “unmerited favor” or “God’s favorable attitude towards us”, but these definitions are too abstract relative to this verse. Websters has several definitions, but Websters doesn’t define Grace for us, God does.

   • The grace of God is an ACTION, not an ABSTRACTION. It’s a PERSON, not a CONCEPT.

3. Grace is an actual event in space and time. Grace has a face – Jesus Christ Scarred, bloody and in agony A face of the person that suffered and died on the cross for your sins and mine. A face of grace- bringing salvation to all people

4. Grace isn’t cheap…it comes at such a great cost, but our modern theology sometimes attempts to cheapen it by offering people what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace”: Cheap grace is:

   • the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance

   • Baptism without church discipline

   • Communion without repentance

   • Absolution without personal confession

One thing that I believe has made Grace appear cheaper is the modern American church.

- Modern American church grace says: “all are welcome. Come as you are. The coffee’s on us, sit back and relax…and don’t worry about changing. We couldn’t ask you to do that. We don’t want to offend you.”

- Grace says: “all are welcome. Come as you are and be prepared and willing for God to change you. Because when you recognize the true cost of grace, you recognize that it is a debt that you cannot pay, and you are compelled to change…out of gratitude. You will have to die to yourself. Be prepared to sacrifice parts of your sinful lifestyle that the world accepts, and says it’s OK, but God doesn’t.”

Galatians 5:24

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Grace says “I created man and woman”. Modern American grace says “it’s all good…whatever you want to be. God probably made a mistake” in an effort to avoid looking intolerant. God says “I created marriage between a man and a woman”. Modern American grace says “it’s all good…marry who you want. Who are we to judge? Besides, our numbers are low”. God says “I knit babies together in their mother’s wombs”. Modern American grace says “It’s a woman’s body and she has right to choose”. Who are we to judge?

Bonnhoeffer went on to say:

“Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy for which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.”

“Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

It’s not popular to say that Jesus is the only way to God. Modern culture and theologies…even some in the Christian Church…see this as too narrow and restrictive, intolerant and unloving. But to say there are many ways, makes no sense, and stands in the face of the sacrifice of true Grace.

God would not have sent His only Son to die on a cross if He could have saved us by any other means.

No Grace would mean no salvation. If there were a bunch of ways to get to heaven, then why did Christ die?

When Jesus was praying in Luke 22:42

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Basically asking…if there’s any other way. God didn’t say, “well, actually there are a thousand ways, but

I’m going to make you go through this anyway”. Just No.

Grace has a Face. The face of Jesus

Galatians 2:21

21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Back to Verse 11

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people

What is salvation?

While sometimes in the Bible, salvation is being saved from one’s enemies, in the New Testament, it refers more to end of time events…God’s judgement. Salvation, in this sense, is being saved from God’s perfect judgement…through His perfect GRACE

• Grace makes all people savable – every sin of every person has it’s answer in Jesus.

• “Every person who ends up in hell steps over a blood-stained cross with their name on it to get there”

Grace has a Face…the face of Jesus. The face of salvation.

1. Grace TRAINS us. (verse 12)

12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

1. Grace doesn’t flatter us…it teaches us…it trains us

-It doesn’t tell us all is well, but speaks bluntly, directly and lovingly-for our own good.

Titus 2:12 puts an end, once and for all to any theology that separates salvation from the demands of obedience to Jesus Christ.

-Grace teaches us that our lifestyle is suicidal…not in a worldly way, but in an eternal way.

-Grace teaches us what we need to do, and what not to do in order to change.

-Grace educates us, trains us and to reform and transform. God expects us to go in a new direction when we experience His Grace…His Son…His salvation.

If you have you accepted His Grace…His son, and have not been changed, maybe you didn’t.

-Grace trains us to live better lives according to God’s standards and priorities and not our own.

-Our works become the natural response to HIS works

- Grace teaches us to live a certain kind of life, to live in a particular way, and defined by particular character qualities.

1. Develop self-control

2. Live uprightly

3. Live Godly lives…for NOW, not for some other place and time, but for here and now.

What does that training look like?

1. Sometimes it looks like Divine discipline – sometimes it’s difficult circumstances.

Hebrews 12:7-11

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

- If you feel that the circumstances of life are stretching you beyond what you think you can bear, or beyond what you want to bear, it may well be the Grace of God training you.

Like a serious workout at the gym…it hurts, and isn’t pleasant at the time. But if we recognize it as Grace and embrace it for what it is, then it will have that amazing strengthening, fruit-producing effect.

Embrace it…embrace the training of Grace

HOW?

1. Training requires some degree of cooperation or response on our part.

Anyone who has been to the gym or worked with a trainer understands that you can’t just show up for training and watch the trainer do all the work and somehow benefit from it. You have to actively engage and actively participate if you expect to be changed by it.

2. We have to deny ourselves

The first step is self-denial.

You can’t train for a marathon without first denying various habits and behaviors in your life that would get in the way of you preparing for the race….like diet and lots and lots of running.

Training in grace is like training for a marathon- you have to say NO to several things as a first step, in this case: 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions

UnGodliness – Whatever actions or attitudes undermine God’s centrality in your life (If it makes God marginal, it is ungodly)…like cheap American Christian Church Grace.

Godliness is having a regard for God’s glory and God’s will in every aspect of our lives, doing everything out of reverence and love for Him.

Worldly Passions – The result of a hungry soul that doesn’t have God at the center.

Anything that steals your focus away from God…like maybe politics?

Saying NO is not a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing part of training.

We’re called to take up our cross, the cross of self-denial every day.

Count the cost of what training will require.

Luke 14:28

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

2. Grace is POWERFUL

-Just as God redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage, so too the Son of God redeems, with great power, a new covenant people from bondage to lawlessness and sin. Only the Grace of God, through the death of His Son can redeem from lawlessness, can liberate from sin and can set the captive soul free. Nothing else will…nothing else can.

Jesus described the reason for His coming in this way:

Mark 10:45

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Paul described it this way…

2 Corinthians 5:21

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God

Grace has the power to conform us into the righteousness of God

2. Grace teaches us to WAIT for what we hope for…to wait expectantly for His coming

13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

-Waiting sometimes seems passive, like we are not doing anything, but Biblically speaking, waiting is not passive…it’s ACTIVE

- Waiting in this sense draws us forward into action, rather than causing us to relax

- Like a bridegroom waiting for his bride, there’s nothing passive about waiting if the focus of your wait is your primary desire.

It’s important to realize that there is a profound difference between passive waiting and active waiting.

Passive waiting can take the form of cynicism, complaining, or simply doing nothing.

Active waiting, however, is a posture that seeks to cultivate habits that are focused on intentional preparation.

It is a blessed hope because unlike every other hope we might have, it cannot be disappointed….Jesus is coming back.

We are waiting for “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”.

Are you waiting on the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior? If you are excitedly waiting for Jesus to come, your waiting looks like preparation. Your preparation looks like fruit. If you’re not prepared, and not bearing fruit, then what are you waiting for??

(Grace is Powerful) (Grace teaches us to actively wait)

2. Grace is PURIFYING

14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

-It cleanses, washes and renews: The death of Christ cleanses us

-It purifies our hearts by faith and our lives by the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 25:4

Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel;

The Refiner’s fire is purifying: When precious metals are refined the impurities (dross) must first be removed. These pollutants are burned away as the metals are subjected to intense heat. As a result of the refining process the craftsman is given pure silver to work with as he crafts the metal into a beautiful masterpiece. Without first removing the dross, the precious metal would be unworkable. The silversmith knows when the silver is pure because he can see his reflection in it.

Have we allowed God to purify us through His grace? Can He see His reflection in our lives?

3. Grace is POSSESIVE

Verse 14 …to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

-Kind of paradoxical – even though grace is incredibly generous, it is also tremendously possessive…even jealous.

He PURCHASED us. To PURIFY us to POSSESS us…literally for Himself.

…a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

-When Grace comes into your life, it takes over…it buys you and makes you its own. That’s a very good thing…that’s SALVATION.

-When you encounter the Grace of God…the cross of Christ, you are no longer your own, but His own possession. Grace is possessive because it is costly. It cost God the life of His only Son.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Grace appeared at the climax of history through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, but Grace is always there for us in the continual self-giving of the Son, like a steady, never-ending stream.

• Have you embraced Grace, and all He provides and requires?

• Am I now living a life defined by Grace? - You will know by the fruit.

• God’s Grace appears in verse 11, and God’s glory appears in verse 13. The grace that has appeared speaks of His first coming, and the Glory that will appear speaks of His second coming.

God’s Grace teaches us who is Lord.

God’s Grace teaches us what we should learn.

15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”

• Learn doctrine…these are the things you should teach – refers to the entire letter-a letter filled with sound teaching

• Learn duty…encourage with authority. Go alongside and challenge in the way we should all live as we look for “the blessed hope”.

• 3. Learn discernment: if “encourage” speaks to us about the way we should go, “rebuke” admonishes us concerning the way we should NOT go. When we confront or correct, we do so with all authority. We don’t compromise…Grace cost too much to compromise.

• Learn dedication: Speaking the truth will not always be popular, but it will always be necessary. It will require courage, conviction, the confidence of Christ – and will always require love as it’s foundation. This will enable you to humbly stand tall, refusing to be intimidated by Christ’s opponents. In this, you will not let anyone disregard or despise you.

Don’t worry about the nay-sayers. Be above reproach and love them. (Like Paul and Timothy)

Recap

1. Grace isn’t cheap. Don’t treat it cheaply and don’t represent it as cheap. That’s false teaching. Grace Christian Fellowship –the sign says: “Love God, Love People”. We love God, and we love people because we so strongly desire to show people the true Grace of God through Jesus Christ. That tells people

   • the message is more important than the brand…

   • that love is more important than a logo…

   • that the objective is more important than optics

   • that it’s better to be a hospital for the lost, than a country club for the saved

   • that Grace itself is precious…that time here is short, but eternity isn’t…

   • that conviction is more important than comfort

   • we can’t say “we’re good”, when we know we’re all bad

   • Grace is costly. Grace is Honest. And Grace is redemptive but at the same time, any of this done without love is worthless.

2. Let Grace train you…like a marathon. Training can hurt, but understanding what you’re training for puts everything in perspective.

3. Put away anything in your life that doesn’t bear fruit for God’s kingdom, and keep Him as your main focus.

4. Know His word and teach it with authority.

5. Stand tall, confidently and passionately love God and love people.

Our hearts should well up with praise in response to the Grace of God.

Grace has a Face and He truly is amazing.

Sons & Daughters, Saved, Selected, & Sent to Serve | Titus 1:1-4 | Undeserved Grace

Sons & Daughters, Saved, Selected, & Sent to Serve | Titus 1:1-4 | Undeserved Grace

Darien Gabriel

Series: Undeserved Grace

Scripture: Titus 1:1-4

Title: “Sons & Daughters, Saved, Selected, & Sent to Serve”

Episode 1 - Introduction

Today’s message is entitled: “Sons & Daughters, Saved, Selected, & Sent to Serve”

Our bottom line (and prayer) today is that we would recognize that (in Christ) we are sons and daughters of God who have been saved, selected, and sent to serve God and people. This is undeserved grace.

This is true of those who are “in Christ”. Share illustration.

Episode 2 - Who are we?

Illustration: 

Understand Your Value

https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/13685/day/265?segment=0

Have you ever felt like a failure, or of no use to God, or thought that God wouldn’t want to answer your prayers?

Until I first read Colin Urquhart’s book, In Christ Jesus, I had never realized how significant that little word ‘in’ is in the New Testament. Understanding that, as a Christian, you are ‘in’ Christ Jesus revolutionizes how you see yourself, your self-image, your identity and how you understand your value to God.

Write your name on a piece of paper. Take hold of your Bible to represent Christ. Place the paper in the book and close it. You are in Christ. Where the book goes you go. Where the paper goes he goes. You are not part of the book, but you are now identified totally with the book.

Paul uses this expression, ‘in Christ Jesus’, over and over again. God has taken hold of you and placed you inChrist. In Christ, you have received ‘every spiritual blessing’ (Ephesians 1:3). All of the blessings, including those that the Old Testament speaks about, are yours in Christ.

Who are we? Why are we (still) here?

Root to Fruit

1. Who is God?

2. What has he done?

3. Who am I? (In light of who God is)

4. What do I get to do as a result?

Who are we? What do we get to do?

We are sons and daughters of God who have been saved, selected, and sent to serve God and serve people. Let me show you where I see this.

Episode 3 - We are Servants of God

Servants or bond slaves meaning we willfully surrender our rights, preferences and dreams to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We do this because he freed us from being enslaved to sin and death, shame and guilt, and hell itself.

Episode 4 - We are Sent-ones (Apostles) of Jesus Christ.

Like an email, we carry a message (hopefully one written in grace and truth) that is for the world to see and read in us as we show and tell the good news that the kingdom of God is near.

Episode 5 - We are selected-ones of God.

None of us deserve to be chosen or elected into his family. Some are. 

• It still is incumbent on me to freely respond by grace through faith. 

• But remember that God provides the faith. We are called to exercise it.

• As selected ones, what do we do?

• We live sent with great confidence that this was no accident.

Episode 6 - We are sons and daughters of God the Father.

As family, we’re living in the community of God reaching out to the community around us. And we must do this together!

As family, we are reminded that we are beloved no matter what we do nor how we live. But the family business is to rescue others as we have been rescued.

Dave Dravecky story on identity and how it affects how we live.

Episode 7 - What now?

Grace = getting what you don’t deserve. 

G.R.A.C.E. = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

Do you recognize your undeserved grace? 

(Bottom line) Do you recognize that (in Christ) you are a son or daughter of God, saved, selected, and sent into the world to serve God and to serve people undeserved grace?

This is why we are still here. 

Will you exchange your worldly identity for the one God selected you to flesh out? Will you live as his selected sent servant and son/daughter?

Other

“Root to Fruit” comes from Jeff Vanderstelt of Soma. @jeffvanderstelt on Twitter.com.

Root to Fruit

1. Who is God?

2. What has he done?

3. Who am I? (In light of who God is)

4. What do I get to do as a result?

Better Together | Turning the World Upside Down | Acts 17:1-15

Better Together:

Darien Gabriel

“Turning The World Upside Down” (Acts 17:1-15)

Series: Better Together

Bottom line: Paul and Co. gives us a battle plan for turning things around (180˚) where we live, work, learn, and play. 

INTRO

When I trusted Christ as a freshman at Clemson, my main motivation was that I wanted to make a real difference in our world. I wanted to turn the world upside-down, so to speak. Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke did too.

Episode 1 - The Power of Love 

The power of God (resurrection) flows through the love (cross) of God. In receiving it we are empowered to love others sacrificially through word and deed.

The result will be 2-fold:

1. Movement: A great, fruitful Jesus movement of power and love. 

2. Suffering: A great anti-Jesus movement of fear and hate.

How do we do this strategically? 4 “E’s” - Here’s 1-3:

1. Establish point of contact with people. Paul started with ✡️ synagogue  

2. Expound the word (teach/preach/proclaim/share)  

   1. Christologically (Jesus is Lord/Messiah)

   2. Boldy (conf faith)

   3. Intelligently (reasoned, explained, proved) over emotion

   4. with personal integrity

3. Expect dramatic responses

   1. good 

   2. bad

Truth: Jesus is Lord, no matter what. #authority

Application: Our job is to proclaim the word in power and love. Casting seed in anticipation of a great harvest. Pray for harvesters.

Episode 2 - Noble Bereans

The word of God reveals the truth about God’s power of love story. It also reveals how we can enter that story personally.

The result will be 2-fold: (again)

1. Movement: A great, fruitful Jesus movement of power and love. 

2. Suffering: A great anti-Jesus movement of fear and hate.

1. Fourth “E” - Encourage examination of what is taught. The Bereans studied:

   1. openly

   2. eagerly

   3. carefully

   4. daily

Truth: We fight not against flesh and blood but rulers and powers not of this world. #war #spiritualwarfare 

Application: Our job is to proclaim the word in power and love. Casting seed in anticipation of a great harvest. Pray for harvesters.

“Body Builders” | Better Together | 1 Corinthians 12

Better Together: Body Builders (1 Corinthians 12)

Darien Gabriel

Series: Better Together

Scripture: 1 Cor 12

Title: “Body Builders”

Bottom line: God sovereignly arranges the body of Christ with his spiritual gifts for the common good.

INTRO

In the early 90’s, I woke up one morning to a scratch on my eye. After putting my contacts in, I got no relief. In fact, it got worse. Soon I realized I had a real problem and I was in a new city. I had to find a new eye doctor fast.

I did. And he looked through is instrument to see white blood cells (??) attacking the infection happening on the cornea of my eye. He said I had a cornea ulcer.

My nerves told me through pain that something was wrong. 

My hand covered my eye to bring temporary relief.

My brain worked hard to figure out what to do next.

My fingers did the walking through he yellow pages to find an eye doctor.

My feet propelled me to the dr. Office. 

My body parts—each member—suffered together with my eye and worked in unity to serve the eye. This is how the human body is designed to work. This is also how the church—the body of Christ—is designed to work.

EPISODE 1 - Gifts

Episode 2 - Body

Episode 3 - God’s sovereign will (note how the structure of this chapter highlights the most important point of all—God is sovereignly at work in and through his body)

Episode 4 - Body

Episode 5 - Gifts

Conclusion/Applications

• Believing that God is sovereignly at work in and through his body should encourage and comfort us. Does it?

• Recognize that every Christ-follower has at least one spiritual gifts assigned to them by God for the common good. 

• Recognize that no Christ-follower has all of the spiritual gifts (or they wouldn’t need each other).

• Recognize that every spiritual gift is for the common good.

• Decide whether or not you really believe that we, the body of Christ, are better together and that we truly need each other. 

• In light of this fact, how is God leading you to be a blessing to the body of Christ THIS WEEK?

Better Together: When it's time to deliver, it's time to move!

When It's Time To Deliver, It's Time to Move | Matthew 9:35:-37, Acts 2:42-47

Darien Gabriel

Series: Better Together

Scripture: Matt 9:35-37; Acts 2:42-47

Title: “When It’s Time to Deliver, It’s Time to Move”

Bottom line: When it’s time to deliver, it’s time to move. Therefore, check your spiritual vital signs and move out!

INTRO

The church is pregnant with harvesters ready to enter the harvest. The harvest is ready to receive. 

The question is: Are you ready to move? When it’s time to deliver, it’s time to move! (Jennifer’s story here?)

EPISODE 1 - It’s time to move! Be delivered.

Jennifer’s Delivery?

EPISODE 2 - Be Devoted.

Key word seems to be “devoted.” 

How can I live a devoted life?

By eating and exercising well (with great discipline). 

Remember, a person without discipline is like a house without windows and doors.

The early church was devoted to four things: (2 categories: Diet (1) & Exercise (2-4))

1. Feed on Word. (Food that endures) “The apostles teaching” was literally the exposition of the OT into what would become the NT. They were devoted to teaching and learning (with assumption that they’d obey) the word of God as the Holy Spirit led. “To hear is to obey” -Llew Silver Hand

2. Gather in Community. (Exercise one another’s) “To Fellowship is doing life-together. An extended family on mission together (i.e. what we pray a Mission Group becomes). This doesn’t say “To THE fellowship” or group but to the act of fellowship-ing or doing life together. It implies 

3. Unity in Christ

   1. Diversity within the Body of Christ (think body life) (next week)

   2. If you were planting a church starting small, you’d start with this kind of a group. An extended family of servant-missionaries learning together how to make disciples who make disciples.

   3. Draw triangle with flower inside to illustrate

   4. Examples include military, mission field, family vacations, sharing trauma.

4. Remember around the Table. (Food that endures)

5. “The breaking of bread” indicates the Lord’s supper in the context of an evening meal.

   1. This was the practice or rhythm of the early church.

   2. Many think this happened every Sunday night after they’d gathered for worship. They’d follow worship with a meal for all who came and the Lord’s supper was a part of that meal (like at the last supper and Passover meals). 

   3. The LS reminds us of when Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” And then he proceeded to tell everyone, “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) That was the cross.

6. Pray like Breathing. (Exercise One another’s) “To prayer” as in we need to pray like we need to breathe—all the time. It is essential and we can’t survive without it. It’s our lifeline to the Lord.

Dr. Luke gives us this as the key ingredients to being a healthy church fellowship/family/community: Diet & Exercise. 

Be devoted to your spiritual diet and exercise.

We’re already in trouble, aren’t we. We can’t seem to even get this right in our physical lives. And this matters so much more!

It’s now when I show people that there is a direct connection between discipline in your physical life and your spiritual life. 

In other words, when you are disciplined in your physical life, it helps you in your spiritual life. And vice versa. 

Every January this becomes more important to us than the rest of the year. By February, most of us have fallen back to our hold habits. We haven’t created new, healthy rhythms that come from a life of self-control. 

Diet

The first of these key ingredients is the diet—input; what we take in. This is more than going on a diet like Adkins, Mediterranean or paleo.  Your diet is what you eat. Some of you have a Dorrito diet. Others a McDiet. You eat chips and drink soda and don’t give much thought at all to what you eat and drink. What you eat and how much of it you eat matters more than anything when it comes to good health. (Physically and spiritually)

The old saying is, “Garbage in = Garbage out”.

So many of us do things and buy things to make us healthier. But we are undisciplined about the most basic way to see that happen—eat healthy and eat less. We avoid fasting like the plague when in fact wise fasting leads to better health. We try to exercise our way to a healthier body but avoid this most basic of steps: Put a sentry at the opening of your mouth. Only you can discipline yourself to eat wisely.

Exercise

The second of these key ingredients applies to 2-4: Exercise. 

We get stronger by getting weaker and then resting our muscles. The result of that rested muscle is a stronger muscle. 

Our faith (gathering, remembering and praying) is like a muscle too. We use it which stretches it. We return to God resting (abiding) in him, and the result is a stronger faith. 

1. We exercise by gathering as a community fellowshipping together in Christ. Being present or “showing up” are ways we reflect Christ’s incarnation or “word made flesh”. We cannot practice the “one another's” if we’re not with one another!

If he doesn’t show up—we don’t go up.

1. We remember around the table as we gather and enjoy biblical hospitality which includes the Eucharist/Communion/Lord’s Supper. We take time to regularly remember the cross. This is the best expression of the love of God there is. It’s not about the resurrection (though that proved it worked and made this possible). It all comes back to the cross. Where God showed his sacrificial love in sending his son to die for the sins of the world reconciling and restoring all things under Christ. This is salvation and it is the hope Christians rest in as they contemplate eternity.

2. We pray like breathing.

3. We never stop breathing. (1 Thess 5:17)

   1. We breath when we’re alone and when we’re with others. We don’t really think about it and yet it’s essential to life. Prayer is essential in the spiritual life.

      1. The strength of our faith is measured by how we pray. To not pray is to not believe, not know, or not care that prayer makes a difference. So it’s either because of 

      1. Unbelief,

      2. Ignorance, or

      3. Indifference.

      1. We correct our breathing when it’s not right.

      2. One of the worries of COVID-19 is how it affects our breathing. 

         1. If you have asthma or breathing issues, that makes you high risk for COVID-19.

         2. It’s why you carry an inhaler.

         3. Perhaps the reason you feel like your faith is on life-support is because you need a spiritual inhaler. That would be the Holy Spirit.

EPISODE 3 - Be fruitful.

What are the results, affects, or fruit of being devoted to these things?

Fruit shows that we’re acting by faith in being devoted to healthy rhythms. (Food & exercise) 

What does this look like? Glad you asked!

1. Radical generosity. (Acts 2:44-45) 

2. Constant interaction. (2:44)

3. Gathering in large and small groups. (2:46)

4. Spirit of awe, gladness and praise. (2:43, 46-47)

5. Displaying attractive faith. (2:47)

6. Daily evangelism. (2:47)

EPISODE 4 - Be diligent & check your vital signs.

1. Biblical nourishment.

2. Loving fellowship.

3. Vibrant worship.

4. Word & deed outreach.

When your vital signs are good, you shine vibrant health like a pregnant mother.

Speaking of light...what does light do? Think lighthouse.

EPISODE 5 - Be DeLightful.

The Lighthouse Movement was popularized as the nation moved towards the year 2,000. Ministries, churches and mission organizations sensed a growing urgency to equip the body to multiply disciple-makers. This strategy was developed to help everyone be a lighthouse where they live, work, and play.

What does light do?

1. It attracts (to Christ and his bride the Church)

2. It reveals (truth)

3. It warns (consequences of sin)

Prayer - Pray for those where you live, work, learn and play.

Care - Care for those you’ve been praying for as needs arise.

Share - Share with those you’ve been caring for as trust grows and opportunities arise. 

What can I do this week to take baby steps in the direction?

Run this play:

• Goal: 3 touches/week

• Prayer, care, & share

• Think, “I am a lighthouse” and my job is to shine wherever I live, work, and play

• Share any wins that happen this week by texting 843-830-2464

Conclusion

Emma - thinking she’d come even faster, I lost it (share story)

Final story

We’ve been pregnant—time to birth a mission in our neighborhood.

• We renamed our mission group to the Neighborhood Mission Group.

• We asked our group to pray for and to hold us accountable to reach out to our neighbors. You did and we did.

• We stepped up our game and connected with more of our neighbors over the past year.

• We’ve been growing more and more pregnant with momentum as we’ve connected with more and more of our neighbors. 

• Now it’s time to deliver. It’s time to move!

• Time to deliver a new group on mission to reach Bradford Chase (just like the Vullo’s and the Whittington’s are doing in their neighborhood).

• God cares about the harvest way more than we do. But if we pray for him to send more harvesters into the harvest, we must be willing to be the answer to that prayer. Are you? The harvest is ready to deliver! Are we ready to move? Because it’s time!

How will we (Anita and I) do this?

• Pray. We’ll continue to pray for our neighbors and how to best care for and share with them. We’ll pray for God to show us what’s next.

• Move. When we gain clarity on our next step, we’ll move forward one step. We will keep this simple and seek to do just what he wants—no more; no less.

• Report. We’ll share with our current Mission Group what God is up to. 

• Repeat. We’ll pray again and move again. We will do this simply and by faith. When it succeeds, we will only be able to point to what God showed us to do.

Perhaps God has already been working in and on you to do something like this. If so, we are ready to help.

For some, it’s start a Core group (2-5 people meeting weekly for accountability in the word). UP

For some, it’s a home group (8-12 people meeting bi-weekly for being discipled); IN

For some, it’s a mission group (10+ people meeting bi-weekly for being trained to make disciples who make disciples); OUT

Step 1: Pray for your next step.

Step 2: Do that next step. 

Step 3: Repeat.

Step 4: Connect with us for coaching support, prayer and encouragement. We’ll have coaching Zooms where you can regularly be trained and encouraged to do what God leads you to do. 

Text me at 843-830-2464 or write it down on a green card that you want to talk coaching or groups. We’ll get in touch with you this week.

Chris & Amy Karpus Share Their Testimony of Miracles God Did

Testimony

Chris & Amy Karpus

Chris & Amy Karpus share about their extraordinary experience of multiple miracles that brought Chris back from cardiac arrest (2x) and a “Brain dead” diagnosis in late July 2020. Just over a month later, Chris shares from the heart and from God’s word lessons learned along the way. Amy shares lessons too but also a lot of the medical details that help us see how miraculous this really was

Jesus Is Lord Over Disease | Matt 8: 5-17

Jesus has absolute authority in the world and deserves absolute allegiance from the world.

Jesus is Lord over Disease | Matt 8:5-17

Darien Gabriel

Listening to a podcast yesterday (Donald Miller, Story Brand), I learned that Elon Musk’s great dream and therefore goal in life is to colonize Mars as a backup for when humanity destroys the earth. His biographer Ashlee Vance said in all his interviews in preparing to write the book he only teared-up when he talked about this.

He also talked about how this is what drives him—saving the human race. He’s driven by logic.

When I see him building multiple successful companies to accomplish this noble goal, I am left wondering if he doesn’t have more zeal for his life mission than I do for mine. I realize his motives are not pure—but he’s driven but this goal to save humanity as if it’s logically the most important thing he could do in life. And, if this were all there was, he’d probably be right.

But it isn’t.

There’s life beyond this universe. Jesus is preparing a place for us. God is creating a new heaven and new earth to replace the current ones.

His mission may be unnecessary (probably). Yet, his zeal drives him.

What about mine?

Rom 12:11

• Jesus is always able but not always willing.

• When tempted to doubt or fear, remember who you’re dealing with. Jesus has absolute authority in the world because he as God created it.

I. (Centurion) Jesus heals the ethnically outcast. (8:5-13)

A gentile approaches Jesus... (Ethnically outcast (diff “race” or culture; invader even)

A gentile approaches Jesus in faith...

A gentile approaches Jesus in faith and Jesus responds with amazement.

Why? Jesus was amazed by his faith.

David Platt says this should cause us to ask, “What kind of faith is this?”

Here’s the picture Matthew gives us: “Faith is humble trust in the authority of Jesus.”

• He calls Jesus “Lord”

• He’s too overwhelmed to have Jesus in his house

• He knows he merely needs to speak the word

• v. 9 explanation shows his understanding perceiving Jesus’ authority over disease

Jesus doesn’t appear to have healed in this way before (not going himself) either. So he’s just believing Jesus has absolute authority over disease. He does.

Platt says further, “He simply and humbly had absolute trust in the authority of Jesus in a way that no one else among the Jewish people, including the disciples, had displayed up to this point.”

He then says that “servants of the kingdom”l must have this same faith for salvation. 

Do you? Follow the Centurion’s example and simply and humbly believe Jesus has absolute authority in this world.

What authority matters? Jesus’ authority over sin—to save you from your sins and to rule over you as Lord of your life. (We don’t like the second part, just the first. But the second part proves you get the first part)

Authority over disease:

1. He cleanses the physically unclean (Leper) (8:1-4)

2. He heals ethnical outcast (Centurion) (8:5-13)

3. He restores the culturally marginalized (Peter’s mom-in-law, a woman) (8:14-17) Now Jesus heals a woman defying the traditions and practices of his day.

16-17 Healing “many”

V. 17 is a quote from Isaiah 53:4 from the suffering servant passage. See vv. 5-6)

Isaiah’s prophecy concerns Jesus’ substitutionary death in place of sinners...how does this relate?

No, by connecting Jesus’ healing authority to Isaiah’s prophecy, Matthew is showing that Jesus has the power to overcome all our suffering. 

Matthew attributes this power and authority to Jesus because he paid the price to overcome all our sins. That is the point of the cross.

Consider the larger context of redemptive history.

All suffering in the world ultimately goes back to sin. (This was my point with Elon Musk's dream)

• Before sin, there was no suffering. (Gen 1-2)

• After sin, suffering entered. (Gen 3)

• Result, the world marked with evil, suffering, sickness and pain.

So, when Jesus came to die on the cross, he came to address the root problem—not suffering, but sin.

The price was his life to over our sins.

Does that mean his will for the world is we no longer experience pain, sickness, and suffering? No.

These pictures of miraculous healings are to give us a picture of what is to come in the fullness of God’s kingdom when Christ fully exerts his absolute authority and reign over the earth. But not yet.

In the meantime, we live in a world of suffering and pain. In fact, suffering will actually increase as a result of trusting Christ for salvation. So consider that before trusting and following Jesus. Lots of words from Jesus and Paul confirm this will happen. 

Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross has killed the root of sin, but not the fruit. Not yet.

14th

But, this conquering sin should enable you to endure the suffering of disease, sickness, suffering, and pain with courage and faith that it’s temporary for those in Christ. 

There’s a day coming when death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more. (Rev 21:4)

As we wait, don’t run from suffering. Rejoice in suffering for our future hope.

2 kinds of suffering:

1. Due to the general effects of sin in the world. 

2. Suffering for God’s purposes, though often hidden. 

   1. Humbly embrace this suffering as you trust him. Rejoice in it, even.

3. Due to a particular sin in someone’s life.

4. When a Christian continues to sin, he will inevitably suffer, for God disciplines those he loves.

   1. It may be physical, mental, emotional, relational, or spiritual, but sin leads inevitably to suffering. 

   2. Response? Not rejoicing but run from sin.

Storms of Life | Matt 8:1-4, 23-27

Jesus has absolute authority in the world and deserves absolute allegiance from the world.

Storms of Life

Darien Gabriel

Jesus shows us His authority over all things, even the weather when he commands the storm to cease. Only God can speak things into being. Only God can command the winds and the waves and have them obey. This same Jesus, fully God and fully man is sovereign over every circumstance in your life.

There is no question that this is a season of crisis as a country and as individuals. The whole world is in a crisis. Understanding that God is in control changes everything.

As we see, he is in control of our health:

“When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.””

— Matthew 8:1-4

And He is in control of natural events:

“23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?””

— Matthew 8:23-27