Wanted to post a few thoughts on the lesson from last night.
Paul talks about putting on the Armor of God.
Remember, it isn't our armor.
It isn't the armor of achievement.
It isn't the armor of performance.
It isn't the armor of intelligence.
It isn't the armor of strength.
It is the Armor of God.
It is Truth
It is Righteousness
It is Peace
It is Salvation
It is Spirit
It is Faith
It is Word
It is Jesus.
With Jesus as our Armor, we are able to attack the gates of Hell and take back what belongs to God.
With Jesus as our Armor, we are able to withstand any attack from Satan and his demons.
With Jesus as our Armor, we can be assured victory.
Victory over the stress that keeps us up at night.
Victory over the secrets we don't want anyone to find out.
Victory over the sins that we can' forget.
The good news of the Gospel promises victory to Christians.
Victory today
Victory tomorrow
Victory at the end.
Because of Jesus, I Am Victorious.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
I Am Forgiven
Last night we talked a lot about forgiveness. We can be fully forgiven for every sin against God. Past, Present, Future - all of the wrong we have done, are doing, and will do is wiped away by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
It is that forgiveness that we find real freedom. We find that we are free from our performance as something that has to be done in order to gain favor with God. Performance is the opposite of grace. There is nothing we can do to earn favor with God. It is given freely to us through Jesus.
We also find that we are free to forgive others who have wronged us. Not forgiving those who have done evil to you leads to bitterness and wrath that well up inside you and ultimately control you. The release comes when you offer forgiveness.
In the book "Who Do You Think You Are" Mark Driscoll tells us what forgiveness is and what it isn't.
Forgiveness is:
Canceling a debt owed to you
Removing the control your offender has over you
Giving a gift to your offender and yourself
Forsaking revenge
Leaving justice in God’s hands
An ongoing process
Wanting good for your offender
Forgiveness is not:
Denying sin occurred or diminishing its evil
Enabling sin
Necessarily a response to a repentant apology
Not covering up sin committed against us
Not Forgetting
Not Trust
Not reconciliation
Who do you need to forgive?
It is that forgiveness that we find real freedom. We find that we are free from our performance as something that has to be done in order to gain favor with God. Performance is the opposite of grace. There is nothing we can do to earn favor with God. It is given freely to us through Jesus.
We also find that we are free to forgive others who have wronged us. Not forgiving those who have done evil to you leads to bitterness and wrath that well up inside you and ultimately control you. The release comes when you offer forgiveness.
In the book "Who Do You Think You Are" Mark Driscoll tells us what forgiveness is and what it isn't.
Forgiveness is:
Canceling a debt owed to you
Removing the control your offender has over you
Giving a gift to your offender and yourself
Forsaking revenge
Leaving justice in God’s hands
An ongoing process
Wanting good for your offender
Forgiveness is not:
Denying sin occurred or diminishing its evil
Enabling sin
Necessarily a response to a repentant apology
Not covering up sin committed against us
Not Forgetting
Not Trust
Not reconciliation
Who do you need to forgive?
Monday, April 21, 2014
The Greatest Hero
Last week the students were asked "who is the greater superhero, Batman or Ironman?" Two men, from the planet earth, because let's face it - there is no planet Krypton. We needed to decide once and for all who was the greatest.
Well maybe not once and for all, but at least for the night. The Junior High Boys group had great arguments concerning the two heroes that included "Batman is just a guy with a utility belt," and "Ironman is drunk or drinking most of the time." Clearly some of them have not engaged in the art of comic book reading.
The point of the exercise was to decide who was the greatest hero and what made them the greatest. That question brought forth answers like "willing to fight any form of evil," and "stand for what is right."
Good thoughts from a Junior High Boy.
As we wrapped up our HERO series last week, we looked at the story of Jesus from 30,000 feet. A quick flyover to hit the highlights of a life that was perfectly lived and given as a sacrifice for us.
A lot of us know the Gospel. We know the stories of Jesus and around Easter we specifically focus on the death, burial, and resurrection. Of course that is what we should focus on this time of year, but what would happen if that was our focus the entire year.
All of the characters we studied in the last eight weeks have all pointed to Jesus and His work on the cross. What has changed today that we tend to only think about this around Easter and an occasional evangelistic rally?
Just after the resurrection, Jesus walked seven miles who two people and explained how all of the Old Testament pointed to Him. If the Old Testament looks forward and the New Testament looks back, what are we to do?
Live it. Love it. Take it everywhere we go.
What is "it?"
The Gospel. The hope of the change that takes place in us when Jesus saves us. He transfers us from darkness to light, from death to life, from hopeless to hope-filled. He qualifies un disqualified.
He fought the battle for us and is victorious. Let's tell everyone about this great victory!
Well maybe not once and for all, but at least for the night. The Junior High Boys group had great arguments concerning the two heroes that included "Batman is just a guy with a utility belt," and "Ironman is drunk or drinking most of the time." Clearly some of them have not engaged in the art of comic book reading.
The point of the exercise was to decide who was the greatest hero and what made them the greatest. That question brought forth answers like "willing to fight any form of evil," and "stand for what is right."
Good thoughts from a Junior High Boy.
As we wrapped up our HERO series last week, we looked at the story of Jesus from 30,000 feet. A quick flyover to hit the highlights of a life that was perfectly lived and given as a sacrifice for us.
A lot of us know the Gospel. We know the stories of Jesus and around Easter we specifically focus on the death, burial, and resurrection. Of course that is what we should focus on this time of year, but what would happen if that was our focus the entire year.
All of the characters we studied in the last eight weeks have all pointed to Jesus and His work on the cross. What has changed today that we tend to only think about this around Easter and an occasional evangelistic rally?
Just after the resurrection, Jesus walked seven miles who two people and explained how all of the Old Testament pointed to Him. If the Old Testament looks forward and the New Testament looks back, what are we to do?
Live it. Love it. Take it everywhere we go.
What is "it?"
The Gospel. The hope of the change that takes place in us when Jesus saves us. He transfers us from darkness to light, from death to life, from hopeless to hope-filled. He qualifies un disqualified.
He fought the battle for us and is victorious. Let's tell everyone about this great victory!
Monday, April 14, 2014
Self Reliance vs. Sole Reliance
Last week we talked about Gideon from Judges 6 and 7. I have to admit that I knew the story peripherally. More than anything I knew about the fleece that was laid out by Gideon and how God was tested to see if what He told Gideon was really true. Maybe some background on the story would help...
Israel is being raided by the Midianites. Israel had turned its back on the Lord and worshiped Baal. God allowed the Midianites to oppress and harass Israel, but one day they cried out to God, He would deliver them through Gideon.
Gideon is found in a winepress beating out wheat. In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, Gideon would be beating it with something like a blanket in order to get the chaff in the air to be blown away in the wind. The problem is that Gideon is beating wheat in a winepress with is either dug into the ground or often found inside a cave. There would be very little wind available for Gideon, making his best efforts futile.
Gideon is afraid. He doesn't want the Midianites coming and taking the wheat so he hides out. It is here that God calls him to deliver Israel.
Because the Lord is with Gideon, he will be a mighty man of valor. There is no evidence of Gideon being this mighty man of valor prior to the Lord coming to him. It is God who is going to work through Gideon to deliver Israel from oppression.
Gideon grabs an army of 32,000 but God says that is too many people. The Lord does not want Israel to have a reason to think they were the ones who fought and won this battle so He strips the army down to 10,000. Still a pretty good number - but He isn't done.
9,700 more are taken away and the army is left with 300 people to go and take out the Midianites. By the way - no swords, spears, shields, or anything like that. Just a torch, a jar, and a trumpet.
God gives Israel the victory over the Midianites. What seemed impossible for man is always possible with God, but here is what really sticks out to me. God stripped Israel, Gideon, and the army down so that they HAD to rely on HIM in order for victory.
He does the same with us. He will strip of of our self-reliance to get things done, to be successful, to have a great victory so that He can be our sole-reliance. Trying to trust ourselves or our own strength will never get done what God wants to accomplish in us and through us.
He gives the victory in our lives, and sometimes we have to get out of the way. He will take everything He needs to away so that He can shine bright through us.
He isn't afraid to strip us down so that all we have is Jesus. From there He begins to build us up.
I talked about this Wednesday night and experienced it days later. He is still working. Let Him work.
Israel is being raided by the Midianites. Israel had turned its back on the Lord and worshiped Baal. God allowed the Midianites to oppress and harass Israel, but one day they cried out to God, He would deliver them through Gideon.
Gideon is found in a winepress beating out wheat. In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, Gideon would be beating it with something like a blanket in order to get the chaff in the air to be blown away in the wind. The problem is that Gideon is beating wheat in a winepress with is either dug into the ground or often found inside a cave. There would be very little wind available for Gideon, making his best efforts futile.
Gideon is afraid. He doesn't want the Midianites coming and taking the wheat so he hides out. It is here that God calls him to deliver Israel.
Because the Lord is with Gideon, he will be a mighty man of valor. There is no evidence of Gideon being this mighty man of valor prior to the Lord coming to him. It is God who is going to work through Gideon to deliver Israel from oppression.
Gideon grabs an army of 32,000 but God says that is too many people. The Lord does not want Israel to have a reason to think they were the ones who fought and won this battle so He strips the army down to 10,000. Still a pretty good number - but He isn't done.
9,700 more are taken away and the army is left with 300 people to go and take out the Midianites. By the way - no swords, spears, shields, or anything like that. Just a torch, a jar, and a trumpet.
God gives Israel the victory over the Midianites. What seemed impossible for man is always possible with God, but here is what really sticks out to me. God stripped Israel, Gideon, and the army down so that they HAD to rely on HIM in order for victory.
He does the same with us. He will strip of of our self-reliance to get things done, to be successful, to have a great victory so that He can be our sole-reliance. Trying to trust ourselves or our own strength will never get done what God wants to accomplish in us and through us.
He gives the victory in our lives, and sometimes we have to get out of the way. He will take everything He needs to away so that He can shine bright through us.
He isn't afraid to strip us down so that all we have is Jesus. From there He begins to build us up.
I talked about this Wednesday night and experienced it days later. He is still working. Let Him work.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Noah's Gospel
The Gospel is present everywhere in the pages of Scripture. In stories and the characters, every story "whispers the name of Jesus" (Sally Lloyd Jones - Jesus Storybook Bible). That was the whole purpose of the series "HERO." To see if Jesus really is all over the pages of the Bible.
With only a couple weeks left we looked at Noah last week. Noah is getting a lot of buzz these days because of the new movie that bears his name. Aside from the name of Noah on the title, a flood, and an ark - there probably isn't much more that relates to the story told in Genesis 6-9.
The story of Noah from the Bible finds the entire earth corrupt because of sin. Adam's choice in Genesis 3 has spread to every one and everything to the point that man's heart sought to do evil all the time. God decides that He is going to wipe out man from the face of the earth (which is His RIGHT as the Creator and the offended party).
But God gave Noah favor. Noah received grace and was offered salvation from the coming destruction. You probably know the rest of the story - Noah is given instructions on building the ark and he obeys. You may think that his obedience is what saved him, but do not miss what Genesis says, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." It is only after Noah finds favor that he is considered right with God.
The same goes for us. We need grace. We need favor from God and He gives us that favor through the work of His Son, Jesus. Jesus, who lived a life we could not live and met the perfect standard of God. Jesus, who put Himself on my cross in my place and took my punishment. A wonderful picture of grace.
Noah's new relationship with God prompts him to action, to build the ark. The way of salvation from the destruction of the flood had only one way in. The ark could hold a lot of people, but only EIGHT entered through the door.
That door in Genesis points to Jesus and what He says in John 10, "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved..."
Every story whispers HIS name.
With only a couple weeks left we looked at Noah last week. Noah is getting a lot of buzz these days because of the new movie that bears his name. Aside from the name of Noah on the title, a flood, and an ark - there probably isn't much more that relates to the story told in Genesis 6-9.
The story of Noah from the Bible finds the entire earth corrupt because of sin. Adam's choice in Genesis 3 has spread to every one and everything to the point that man's heart sought to do evil all the time. God decides that He is going to wipe out man from the face of the earth (which is His RIGHT as the Creator and the offended party).
But God gave Noah favor. Noah received grace and was offered salvation from the coming destruction. You probably know the rest of the story - Noah is given instructions on building the ark and he obeys. You may think that his obedience is what saved him, but do not miss what Genesis says, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." It is only after Noah finds favor that he is considered right with God.
The same goes for us. We need grace. We need favor from God and He gives us that favor through the work of His Son, Jesus. Jesus, who lived a life we could not live and met the perfect standard of God. Jesus, who put Himself on my cross in my place and took my punishment. A wonderful picture of grace.
Noah's new relationship with God prompts him to action, to build the ark. The way of salvation from the destruction of the flood had only one way in. The ark could hold a lot of people, but only EIGHT entered through the door.
That door in Genesis points to Jesus and what He says in John 10, "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved..."
Every story whispers HIS name.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Jesus Shows Up In Exodus
Last week we looked at a couple huge events in the life of Moses. Moses was a pretty big deal to the nation of Israel. He was the one that God called to lead them out of the slavery of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Moses was a murderer. Moses was reluctant. Moses had speech problems.
Moses had a lot of excuses, but those excuses were no match for what God was going to do through Moses. Moses is talked about in Hebrews 11 which highlights the faith of some Old Testament characters and God's work through them.
A reminder about what God did through Moses:
"By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned." - Hebrews 11:23-29 ESV
Passover and crossing the Red Sea. These were events in the history of Israel that were seen as foundational to the nation's existence. Time after time these events were referenced by the people of Israel and by the Lord.
So what do they really mean?
Starting with the Passover - we see the death of the firstborn of every family and animal coming as a result of the final plague. One exception would be to take a perfect male lamb, kill it, and cover the doorposts of your house in its blood.
The destroyer would passover the house covered in the blood of the lamb. Sound familiar?
Next we see the crossing of the Red Sea. Pharaoh tells the Israelites to leave and they head out. They are lead to the Red Sea and into an impossible situation from a human viewpoint. Surrounded by the sea on one side and the army of Egypt on the other, there seems to be no hope.
God instructs Moses to raise his hand over the sea and Israel crosses over on dry land with a wall of water on the right and a wall of water on the left. The army begins to follow and the walls of water come crashing down on the army once the Israelites are though safely.
The wrath was withheld while the people of God moved through to safety. Sound familiar?
These two events picture the work of Jesus for you and for me. He was the perfect Lamb of God whose blood covers us and gives us life while defeating death. Through his completed work on our behalf, the wrath of God toward us because of our sin is withheld and we are kept safe.
O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!
Moses had a lot of excuses, but those excuses were no match for what God was going to do through Moses. Moses is talked about in Hebrews 11 which highlights the faith of some Old Testament characters and God's work through them.
A reminder about what God did through Moses:
"By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned." - Hebrews 11:23-29 ESV
Passover and crossing the Red Sea. These were events in the history of Israel that were seen as foundational to the nation's existence. Time after time these events were referenced by the people of Israel and by the Lord.
So what do they really mean?
Starting with the Passover - we see the death of the firstborn of every family and animal coming as a result of the final plague. One exception would be to take a perfect male lamb, kill it, and cover the doorposts of your house in its blood.
The destroyer would passover the house covered in the blood of the lamb. Sound familiar?
Next we see the crossing of the Red Sea. Pharaoh tells the Israelites to leave and they head out. They are lead to the Red Sea and into an impossible situation from a human viewpoint. Surrounded by the sea on one side and the army of Egypt on the other, there seems to be no hope.
God instructs Moses to raise his hand over the sea and Israel crosses over on dry land with a wall of water on the right and a wall of water on the left. The army begins to follow and the walls of water come crashing down on the army once the Israelites are though safely.
The wrath was withheld while the people of God moved through to safety. Sound familiar?
These two events picture the work of Jesus for you and for me. He was the perfect Lamb of God whose blood covers us and gives us life while defeating death. Through his completed work on our behalf, the wrath of God toward us because of our sin is withheld and we are kept safe.
O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!
Monday, March 17, 2014
Jacob the hero?
Last week we talked about Jacob. Remember that he was seen as a pretty big deal by people centuries after his death. The woman at the well in John 4 even asked Jesus if he was GREATER than Jacob.
Jacob may have been a big deal years after his death, but during most of his life he spent it trying to gain favor from his father, on the run from his brother, and cheating his uncle. Jacob was not a great guy. If you read up on his life in the book of Genesis you can see the tracks that lead to his life being a train wreck.
Jacob spent most of his life doing what we do. Fighting to make it on our own. Wanting to generate some sort of significance. Doing things to make ourselves matter and be happy. Desiring to be favored in the eyes of someone else.
He spent his whole life trying to justify himself. He wanted to guarantee that his life passed the test and tried everything he could to make that happen.
We are the same way. We hate to fail. We want approval from someone. We feel pressure to be a success.
So we work... and work... and work.. to make this happen.
In every way - we are just like Jacob.
The good news is that in every way Jesus is greater than Jacob!
One story, found in Genesis, seems to connect the dots for us.
Jacob is about to be killed by his brother so Jacob's dad, Isaac, sends him away to find a wife because Jacob's mom, Rebekah, would not be able to live if her son married the wrong person. (Talk about a dysfunctional family!)
Jacob may have been a big deal years after his death, but during most of his life he spent it trying to gain favor from his father, on the run from his brother, and cheating his uncle. Jacob was not a great guy. If you read up on his life in the book of Genesis you can see the tracks that lead to his life being a train wreck.
Jacob spent most of his life doing what we do. Fighting to make it on our own. Wanting to generate some sort of significance. Doing things to make ourselves matter and be happy. Desiring to be favored in the eyes of someone else.
He spent his whole life trying to justify himself. He wanted to guarantee that his life passed the test and tried everything he could to make that happen.
We are the same way. We hate to fail. We want approval from someone. We feel pressure to be a success.
So we work... and work... and work.. to make this happen.
In every way - we are just like Jacob.
The good news is that in every way Jesus is greater than Jacob!
One story, found in Genesis, seems to connect the dots for us.
Jacob is about to be killed by his brother so Jacob's dad, Isaac, sends him away to find a wife because Jacob's mom, Rebekah, would not be able to live if her son married the wrong person. (Talk about a dysfunctional family!)
Jacob was considered great because through him God preserved and expanded His people
Jesus was considered great because through him God purified an impure people that reaches every tribe, tongue, and nation
Isaac sent his lying son away to find a faithful bride
God sent his son who was full of truth away to save an unfaithful bride
Jacob chose the pretty one (Rachel)
Jesus chose the ugly one (the church)
Because Jesus is greater we don’t have to live our lives trying to justify ourselves.
We are free from the pressure to make ourselves matter and to prove ourselves to anyone - because the One that truly matters has already proved that we matter.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Who fought the battle of Jericho?
Last week we talked about Joshua 6 and the battle of Jericho. Most of us know the song about Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho. It talks about how great and mighty Joshua is and that once the horns blew and people shouted the walls came tumblin' down!
One of the problems with that song is that it never mentions God. The primary character in the song is Joshua and how there is "none like good ol' Joshua."
Major problem. I don't want to pick on children's songs but I don't want us to miss what is really being said in Joshua 6 and the battle of Jericho.
Yes, Joshua was there. Yes, horns were blown and people shouted. Yes, people marched. Yes, the walls came tumblin' down. But don't think Joshua had much to do with it.
Take a look at verse 2
"But the LORD said to Joshua, 'I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors."
The victory was already given to Joshua and Israel before the battle plan was announced. Before there was any obedience on the people's part.
It was an unconditional victory. God gave them the victory over Jericho. Over the tallest and thickest walls that harbored people full of fear, but thought their walls could save them.
God tore those walls down.
Years later another victory was given over the walls of "self-salvation" projects. We put up walls hoping to keep us safe and even to save us. The conquering of those walls cost The Father the life of His Son. The victory is secure.
It is time to live in the victory.
One of the problems with that song is that it never mentions God. The primary character in the song is Joshua and how there is "none like good ol' Joshua."
Major problem. I don't want to pick on children's songs but I don't want us to miss what is really being said in Joshua 6 and the battle of Jericho.
Yes, Joshua was there. Yes, horns were blown and people shouted. Yes, people marched. Yes, the walls came tumblin' down. But don't think Joshua had much to do with it.
Take a look at verse 2
"But the LORD said to Joshua, 'I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors."
The victory was already given to Joshua and Israel before the battle plan was announced. Before there was any obedience on the people's part.
It was an unconditional victory. God gave them the victory over Jericho. Over the tallest and thickest walls that harbored people full of fear, but thought their walls could save them.
God tore those walls down.
Years later another victory was given over the walls of "self-salvation" projects. We put up walls hoping to keep us safe and even to save us. The conquering of those walls cost The Father the life of His Son. The victory is secure.
It is time to live in the victory.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Christ > Adam
Most of us know the story of Genesis 3. The "Fall" of Adam and Even. The single event in the history of creation that allowed sin, death, destruction, and disease into the world.
While mankind did fall - that fall was a result of a leap. Adam and Eve were tempted to be like God. To be higher that God and make themselves the ultimate authority. It was a giant leap that failed and lead to a giant fall.
That fall has been felt in all of creation since that time. Every person and relationship has tasted disease and destruction in some way. Everyone has felt that their life is empty, meaningless, and without purpose at some point.
This all stems from one colossal sin. Mutiny. Treason. Rebellion.
The created Adam telling Creator God that there needs to be a new sheriff in town.
Adam and Eve immediately knew they had lost something. The Bible says they realized they were naked so they sewed fig leaves together. A poor attempt to regain something that was lost. These "self salvation projects" are all attempts to fix what was broken.
The only problem is that this problem can be fixed by Adam and Eve. Someone needed to step in and save them. Someone who had never sinned.
God promised that would happen - just moments after the fall.
God always keeps His promises. The One who came was Jesus. Known as the 2nd Adam, Jesus never sinned even though He was tempted in a garden. Jesus too would deal with a tree just like Adam. In every way that Adam failed, Jesus succeeded.
The failure of Adam leads to death for all. The success of Jesus leads to life for all who would believe.
The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man.
We are either "in Adam" or "in Christ." EVERYONE starts "in Adam" in that we are all broken sinners by nature. We don't have to teach others how to lie, steal, cheat, and disobey. This is what is within us. By being "in Adam" we are all condemned to death and eternal torment away from the blessing of God in Heaven.
We can be "in Christ" and be saved from that eternal torment and condemnation. We can have a life that has meaning, value, and purpose. By placing our faith in Christ as the only Savior from our sins we are now transferred from "in Adam" to "in Christ," from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, and ultimately from death to life.
While most of us don't think of Adam as a hero we must remember that Adam points to the true hero of the story - Jesus. The one who has come to show one way love and clean up our mess.
While mankind did fall - that fall was a result of a leap. Adam and Eve were tempted to be like God. To be higher that God and make themselves the ultimate authority. It was a giant leap that failed and lead to a giant fall.
That fall has been felt in all of creation since that time. Every person and relationship has tasted disease and destruction in some way. Everyone has felt that their life is empty, meaningless, and without purpose at some point.
This all stems from one colossal sin. Mutiny. Treason. Rebellion.
The created Adam telling Creator God that there needs to be a new sheriff in town.
Adam and Eve immediately knew they had lost something. The Bible says they realized they were naked so they sewed fig leaves together. A poor attempt to regain something that was lost. These "self salvation projects" are all attempts to fix what was broken.
The only problem is that this problem can be fixed by Adam and Eve. Someone needed to step in and save them. Someone who had never sinned.
God promised that would happen - just moments after the fall.
God always keeps His promises. The One who came was Jesus. Known as the 2nd Adam, Jesus never sinned even though He was tempted in a garden. Jesus too would deal with a tree just like Adam. In every way that Adam failed, Jesus succeeded.
The failure of Adam leads to death for all. The success of Jesus leads to life for all who would believe.
The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man.
We are either "in Adam" or "in Christ." EVERYONE starts "in Adam" in that we are all broken sinners by nature. We don't have to teach others how to lie, steal, cheat, and disobey. This is what is within us. By being "in Adam" we are all condemned to death and eternal torment away from the blessing of God in Heaven.
We can be "in Christ" and be saved from that eternal torment and condemnation. We can have a life that has meaning, value, and purpose. By placing our faith in Christ as the only Savior from our sins we are now transferred from "in Adam" to "in Christ," from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, and ultimately from death to life.
While most of us don't think of Adam as a hero we must remember that Adam points to the true hero of the story - Jesus. The one who has come to show one way love and clean up our mess.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
What Makes For A Good Relationship?
Some of the lyrics to one of my favorite songs is as follows:
I stand amazed in the presence,
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned unclean.
How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!
He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.
When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
'Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me!
- I Stand Amazed in the Presence
This song strikes a chord within my soul. It speaks of the love that Jesus has for me. If you stop and think about how holy and great He is, then take a moment to compare us to Him - we dont'... we can't live up to the standard.
Usually if something doesn't live up to my standard it is hard for me love it. Especially when it falls short. For example - I have been craving a really good hamburger. It is February in Nebraska and my grill needs to be fired up. Until that happens, I will have to settle for some restaurant burger. There are a few that top my list here in Nebraska. There are times I can taste that burger in my mouth with all the toppings piled high. I can see myself take a bit and have a glimpse of what Heaven will be like!
Often times I build up that burger and set the standard so high there is no chance of it living up to that standard.
That is how you are I are when it comes to God. We have no chance of living up to the perfect standard He has set. Instead of leaving us hopeless and helpless - God chose to love us. His love is shown through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life I could never live and then died in MY place on MY cross, taking MY punishment.
How can we not "stand amazed" at what He has done? Just like the second verse of the song tells us:
"He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone."
My relationship with Jesus doesn't end there. He died, but He didn't stay dead. He came back to life and destroyed the power of death over me! How Marvelous! How Wonderful!
When I think of what makes a good relationship - I think of love. Unconditional love. Love that puts someone before self. Love that says I will serve you. Love that is exemplified by Jesus giving up His life so that I could live.
I have had a lot of different relationships in my life. Some good, some bad, but one has been greater than all of them. My relationship with Jesus - one in which I am COMPLETELY known. Think about that. He knows everything. Every sin, every mistake, every thought and still loves me. Not only does He love me - He is changing me from the inside out.
I stand amazed in the presence,
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned unclean.
How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!
He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.
When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
'Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me!
- I Stand Amazed in the Presence
This song strikes a chord within my soul. It speaks of the love that Jesus has for me. If you stop and think about how holy and great He is, then take a moment to compare us to Him - we dont'... we can't live up to the standard.
Usually if something doesn't live up to my standard it is hard for me love it. Especially when it falls short. For example - I have been craving a really good hamburger. It is February in Nebraska and my grill needs to be fired up. Until that happens, I will have to settle for some restaurant burger. There are a few that top my list here in Nebraska. There are times I can taste that burger in my mouth with all the toppings piled high. I can see myself take a bit and have a glimpse of what Heaven will be like!
Often times I build up that burger and set the standard so high there is no chance of it living up to that standard.
That is how you are I are when it comes to God. We have no chance of living up to the perfect standard He has set. Instead of leaving us hopeless and helpless - God chose to love us. His love is shown through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life I could never live and then died in MY place on MY cross, taking MY punishment.
How can we not "stand amazed" at what He has done? Just like the second verse of the song tells us:
"He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone."
My relationship with Jesus doesn't end there. He died, but He didn't stay dead. He came back to life and destroyed the power of death over me! How Marvelous! How Wonderful!
When I think of what makes a good relationship - I think of love. Unconditional love. Love that puts someone before self. Love that says I will serve you. Love that is exemplified by Jesus giving up His life so that I could live.
I have had a lot of different relationships in my life. Some good, some bad, but one has been greater than all of them. My relationship with Jesus - one in which I am COMPLETELY known. Think about that. He knows everything. Every sin, every mistake, every thought and still loves me. Not only does He love me - He is changing me from the inside out.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Then What?
We all look forward to different things in our lifetime. I remember how I could not wait to get my driver's license. It was such a great day when I could drive my 1980 Mercury Grand Marquis around my small neighborhood. Who needs to ride a bike anymore?
Then it was my high school graduation. I had big plans for after high school and could not wait to get started. During college I had dreams of getting married and getting a job. Then having kids and starting a family.
Here I am and I begin asking myself what is next? Well, I would guess I will continue to work and raise my family. One day I will see them go through some milestones of their own.
Too often we think that we need to get through all the milestones, retire, and then die. Life is over right?
No. Death is just the beginning.
Everyone dies. I think most of us get that. We have been impacted by death one way or another. A family member, friend, or teacher - we have experienced death and the aftermath it leaves. What happens after we die?
The answer to that question hinges on how you answer another question - what will you do with Jesus? In John 3 we see that those who believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He came to save us from the punishment of Hell will spend forever with Him in Heaven. Those who don't believe this will spend forever separated from Him in punishment and torment.
Jesus came to take the punishment that you and I deserve because we have done things that offend God. Things like lie, cheat, steal, disobey our parents are all considered sins. Even if we think evil thoughts we are considered guilty before God who is perfect.
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us.
Death is really the beginning.
What will you do with Jesus?
Then it was my high school graduation. I had big plans for after high school and could not wait to get started. During college I had dreams of getting married and getting a job. Then having kids and starting a family.
Here I am and I begin asking myself what is next? Well, I would guess I will continue to work and raise my family. One day I will see them go through some milestones of their own.
Too often we think that we need to get through all the milestones, retire, and then die. Life is over right?
No. Death is just the beginning.
Everyone dies. I think most of us get that. We have been impacted by death one way or another. A family member, friend, or teacher - we have experienced death and the aftermath it leaves. What happens after we die?
The answer to that question hinges on how you answer another question - what will you do with Jesus? In John 3 we see that those who believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He came to save us from the punishment of Hell will spend forever with Him in Heaven. Those who don't believe this will spend forever separated from Him in punishment and torment.
Jesus came to take the punishment that you and I deserve because we have done things that offend God. Things like lie, cheat, steal, disobey our parents are all considered sins. Even if we think evil thoughts we are considered guilty before God who is perfect.
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us.
Death is really the beginning.
What will you do with Jesus?
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Worth
"The value of something is determined by what you are willing to pay for it." - Zane Black
We give things value all of the time. We have determined that a double cheeseburger from McDonalds is worth about a dollar. We determine a pair of Air Jordan shoes are worth about $160. Everything has a value - homes, cars, animals, books, music - the list is endless.
The list includes you and me.
We have value. We are worth something.
A lot of the time that value is determined by our actions. When we do good things we feel more valuable than when we do bad things. When we are recognized for our actions we feel as if we are given value. Maybe it is the clothes we wear or the things we own. Maybe our value has something to do with our past and what we have done, or our future and what we could do.
We have a value that has already been determined and we are worth far more than we can imagine. Our value is not determined by what we do or who we are but by the act of Jesus who died on a cross in our place so that we could have life. Jesus gave up His life in order to save ours. With this act, He tells the world we matter and we are worth dying for.
No matter who we are, where we have been, or how we have been used, know that God loves us. Because you have sinned, we need a Savior.
Jesus came and died on the cross for us, not to condemn us, but in order to save us.
You matter.
You are valuable.
Jesus' actions prove it.
We give things value all of the time. We have determined that a double cheeseburger from McDonalds is worth about a dollar. We determine a pair of Air Jordan shoes are worth about $160. Everything has a value - homes, cars, animals, books, music - the list is endless.
The list includes you and me.
We have value. We are worth something.
A lot of the time that value is determined by our actions. When we do good things we feel more valuable than when we do bad things. When we are recognized for our actions we feel as if we are given value. Maybe it is the clothes we wear or the things we own. Maybe our value has something to do with our past and what we have done, or our future and what we could do.
We have a value that has already been determined and we are worth far more than we can imagine. Our value is not determined by what we do or who we are but by the act of Jesus who died on a cross in our place so that we could have life. Jesus gave up His life in order to save ours. With this act, He tells the world we matter and we are worth dying for.
No matter who we are, where we have been, or how we have been used, know that God loves us. Because you have sinned, we need a Savior.
Jesus came and died on the cross for us, not to condemn us, but in order to save us.
You matter.
You are valuable.
Jesus' actions prove it.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wonder
Last night we started a new series from Dare 2 Share called "SALT: Creating Thirst." It is the goal of this 5 week series to use 5 questions to get students thinking about God. Last night we started at the beginning with asking the question "Have you ever wondered about God?"
Most of us at some point have wondered about God. The question of "What is He like" pops into my mind most often. I remember asking myself that question many times as I was growing up. Too often I thought of God as either a genie that would grant my wishes if I was good enough, or as a cosmic deity up in the sky not really caring about what was going on.
I could not have been farther from the truth. Since accepting Christ at the age of 14 I have been on a journey of knowing God. There are times I go back to thinking He is a genie and I have to be good enough. There are times I live as if He really doesn't care about what goes on here - but for the most of the past 15 years I have been trying to figure out who God is.
The best place to go for this information is His written Word - the Bible. Let's remember that this question "What is God like" is not original with you or me but has been on that has been asked ever since Genesis 1 when God created our first parents - Adam and Eve.
One of Jesus' followers asked Him what God was like and Jesus answered that if a person wanted to know what God was like - look at the life of Jesus. Colossians 1:15 tells us that Jesus is the "image of the invisible God" - so that makes us ask "what was Jesus like?"
Jesus was kind and compassionate to the outcast and broken. Prostitutes, tax collectors, the sick and diseased all flocked to Him looking for healing. Not only did Jesus give them physical healing, but He provided a spiritual healing as well for all who would believe.
Jesus loved. He loved people so much He was willing to take their place and be punished for all their wrong doing. Not just the people who walked around with Him, but people who were alive hundreds of years before He was on earth and thousands of years after. There is much more about Jesus but not the space here to explain all of who He is.
Basically, if you want to know God - know Jesus. This doesn't mean filling your head with facts about Jesus, but to really know Him. As friends get to know each other, they do know facts about each other, but at some point really good friends know more than addresses, phone numbers, and birthdays. They are able to know what each other is thinking and some can even finish sentences for the other. This is a deep and intimate knowledge.
Do you KNOW Jesus?
Jesus has come to satisfy the deep cravings that are within us. The desire to be accepted and loved. The desire to be known and understood. The desire to really live and believe that we matter. In Jesus we are able to have all of these desires (plus many more) fulfilled.
What does it mean to know Jesus? It means having life. Real life - something more than the physical life you have now - but a spiritual life that will never end. A life where you know you matter because someone gave His life for you. A life where you know you are accepted and loved because you are now in a family with a perfect Father. A desire to be understood because Jesus walked in this world just like you and me.
Most of us at some point have wondered about God. The question of "What is He like" pops into my mind most often. I remember asking myself that question many times as I was growing up. Too often I thought of God as either a genie that would grant my wishes if I was good enough, or as a cosmic deity up in the sky not really caring about what was going on.
I could not have been farther from the truth. Since accepting Christ at the age of 14 I have been on a journey of knowing God. There are times I go back to thinking He is a genie and I have to be good enough. There are times I live as if He really doesn't care about what goes on here - but for the most of the past 15 years I have been trying to figure out who God is.
The best place to go for this information is His written Word - the Bible. Let's remember that this question "What is God like" is not original with you or me but has been on that has been asked ever since Genesis 1 when God created our first parents - Adam and Eve.
One of Jesus' followers asked Him what God was like and Jesus answered that if a person wanted to know what God was like - look at the life of Jesus. Colossians 1:15 tells us that Jesus is the "image of the invisible God" - so that makes us ask "what was Jesus like?"
Jesus was kind and compassionate to the outcast and broken. Prostitutes, tax collectors, the sick and diseased all flocked to Him looking for healing. Not only did Jesus give them physical healing, but He provided a spiritual healing as well for all who would believe.
Jesus loved. He loved people so much He was willing to take their place and be punished for all their wrong doing. Not just the people who walked around with Him, but people who were alive hundreds of years before He was on earth and thousands of years after. There is much more about Jesus but not the space here to explain all of who He is.
Basically, if you want to know God - know Jesus. This doesn't mean filling your head with facts about Jesus, but to really know Him. As friends get to know each other, they do know facts about each other, but at some point really good friends know more than addresses, phone numbers, and birthdays. They are able to know what each other is thinking and some can even finish sentences for the other. This is a deep and intimate knowledge.
Do you KNOW Jesus?
Jesus has come to satisfy the deep cravings that are within us. The desire to be accepted and loved. The desire to be known and understood. The desire to really live and believe that we matter. In Jesus we are able to have all of these desires (plus many more) fulfilled.
What does it mean to know Jesus? It means having life. Real life - something more than the physical life you have now - but a spiritual life that will never end. A life where you know you matter because someone gave His life for you. A life where you know you are accepted and loved because you are now in a family with a perfect Father. A desire to be understood because Jesus walked in this world just like you and me.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
We Are Family!
Our lives are a bicycle wheel. The spokes in the wheel represent all of the relationships in our lives. Family, friends, acquaintances, even enemies. All of spokes are held together at the center of the wheel.
Sometimes we try to be the center - holding everything together. Sometimes we allow others or put others in the center and expect them to hold everything together. Every single relationship we have can be represented in the bicycle wheel.
The problem is that God is not interested in being just another spoke on the wheel. God is to be the center of the wheel - He is what holds all our relationships together. Without the center of the wheel - everything falls apart. The wheel won’t work. God is essential to all of our relationships - family, friends, even enemies.
Check out what Jesus says in Luke 14:26. He tells us to hate our other relationships. Something about this doesn't seem to fit into the character of God - isn't one of the commandments to honor our father and mother?
So what is Jesus getting at?
Our primary love has to be for God. This doesn’t mean that we stop loving our parents, siblings, children, spouses, or friends, but we cannot allow these relationships to rule our lives. They cannot become idols.
"Loving God supremely is a “top button” truth. Have you ever put on a shirt with buttons and didn’t line up the top buttons? The rest of the buttons look like a mess because nothing lines up. If you get the top buttons lined up, everything else falls into place." - Kyle Idleman in gods at war.
This is how our relationship with God works. If God is our primary relationship all others will fall into place. This doesn’t mean that life will be great and that there will be no arguments but that we have the power to live in relationships with God at the center. Our dealings with people ought to reflect how God has dealt with us - in Christ.
We see an example of this in Genesis 22 with Abraham and Isaac.
Consider the love that Abraham and Sarah had for Isaac. He was the one who was promised to them in a hopeless situation. He was the one they named after “laughter” - he brought so much joy to their lives. They were able to see him grow up and learn and say cute things. They were able to teach him, play with him, and love on him. Isaac had the ability to become the world to Abraham and Sarah. That is when God comes to Abraham with a message.
God tells Abraham to travel to a mountain and sacrifice his son.
"God knew what He was asking. He is not some remote cosmic deity who doesn’t understand the feelings and thoughts involved in sacrificing his son. He sees past, present, and future at the same time and fully knew that one day He too would have to sacrifice His own Son whom He loved." - Kyle Idleman in gods at war.
God doesn’t ask us to do anything He has not already done.
Who do you love so fiercely and protectively, so desperately that you would lay down your life for that person? A parent, spouse, friend, sibling? The more we fear losing something, the greater capacity that thing has to become an idol.
When God gives us the gift of children, parents, friends, and siblings He asks us to love them without worshipping them. Instead as we love _____ we ought to be engaged in worship of the giver. Thanking Him for the family and friends He has given us. Praising Him for creating us to be relational and giving us the ability to love and connect.
As Abraham approaches the base of Mt. Moriah, he tells his servants to stay behind as he and Isaac to up to worship. This gives insight into the heart of Abraham and we realize the choice has already been made. Abraham also uses the word “we” - as in he and Isaac will worship and return.
Abraham believed God and was counted righteous. Hebrews 11:17-19 gives us a little more insight into what Abraham really believed. He believed that God kept His promises. He believed that God knew what He was doing. He believed that God would bring his dead son back to life.
Abraham made a choice. He would not this relationship with his son direct his life. It would not control him and he would not love Isaac more than he loved God.
Do you have a relationship that controls you? One that directs how your day goes? If that person is happy, you are happy. If they are upset, you are upset. If they are mad at you, does your world fall apart? Does that person fill you with anger, joy, peace, or disappointment? Do you order your life around a specific person?
Parents: Do your children run your lives? Does their schedule dictate everything about your day? If you were to look at a week of your life - what does it revolve around?
Students: Do you feel pressure to succeed or perform a certain way because of the expectations of your parents?
By comparison, our love for God must be far greater than our love for anyone or anything else - including our family. Perhaps you feel the burdens to living up to a certain standard that has been set for you. You have goals you are expected to reach. Parents get caught up in the thrill of comparing the achievements and successes of their children. They push them to the edge of greatness.
Because we are relational, we want relationships. This looks different for different people, but the void is the same shape in all our lives. We must take the relationships we have and remove them (parents/children; children/parents) from the center of our wheel. That place only belongs to God. We cannot let others determine our worth and value - because that has already been determined by Jesus when He died for us.
In Jesus, you are chosen to be valued and loved. You now have to choose to make Him the source of your worship.
Sometimes we try to be the center - holding everything together. Sometimes we allow others or put others in the center and expect them to hold everything together. Every single relationship we have can be represented in the bicycle wheel.
The problem is that God is not interested in being just another spoke on the wheel. God is to be the center of the wheel - He is what holds all our relationships together. Without the center of the wheel - everything falls apart. The wheel won’t work. God is essential to all of our relationships - family, friends, even enemies.
Check out what Jesus says in Luke 14:26. He tells us to hate our other relationships. Something about this doesn't seem to fit into the character of God - isn't one of the commandments to honor our father and mother?
So what is Jesus getting at?
Our primary love has to be for God. This doesn’t mean that we stop loving our parents, siblings, children, spouses, or friends, but we cannot allow these relationships to rule our lives. They cannot become idols.
"Loving God supremely is a “top button” truth. Have you ever put on a shirt with buttons and didn’t line up the top buttons? The rest of the buttons look like a mess because nothing lines up. If you get the top buttons lined up, everything else falls into place." - Kyle Idleman in gods at war.
This is how our relationship with God works. If God is our primary relationship all others will fall into place. This doesn’t mean that life will be great and that there will be no arguments but that we have the power to live in relationships with God at the center. Our dealings with people ought to reflect how God has dealt with us - in Christ.
We see an example of this in Genesis 22 with Abraham and Isaac.
Consider the love that Abraham and Sarah had for Isaac. He was the one who was promised to them in a hopeless situation. He was the one they named after “laughter” - he brought so much joy to their lives. They were able to see him grow up and learn and say cute things. They were able to teach him, play with him, and love on him. Isaac had the ability to become the world to Abraham and Sarah. That is when God comes to Abraham with a message.
God tells Abraham to travel to a mountain and sacrifice his son.
"God knew what He was asking. He is not some remote cosmic deity who doesn’t understand the feelings and thoughts involved in sacrificing his son. He sees past, present, and future at the same time and fully knew that one day He too would have to sacrifice His own Son whom He loved." - Kyle Idleman in gods at war.
God doesn’t ask us to do anything He has not already done.
Who do you love so fiercely and protectively, so desperately that you would lay down your life for that person? A parent, spouse, friend, sibling? The more we fear losing something, the greater capacity that thing has to become an idol.
When God gives us the gift of children, parents, friends, and siblings He asks us to love them without worshipping them. Instead as we love _____ we ought to be engaged in worship of the giver. Thanking Him for the family and friends He has given us. Praising Him for creating us to be relational and giving us the ability to love and connect.
As Abraham approaches the base of Mt. Moriah, he tells his servants to stay behind as he and Isaac to up to worship. This gives insight into the heart of Abraham and we realize the choice has already been made. Abraham also uses the word “we” - as in he and Isaac will worship and return.
Abraham believed God and was counted righteous. Hebrews 11:17-19 gives us a little more insight into what Abraham really believed. He believed that God kept His promises. He believed that God knew what He was doing. He believed that God would bring his dead son back to life.
Abraham made a choice. He would not this relationship with his son direct his life. It would not control him and he would not love Isaac more than he loved God.
Do you have a relationship that controls you? One that directs how your day goes? If that person is happy, you are happy. If they are upset, you are upset. If they are mad at you, does your world fall apart? Does that person fill you with anger, joy, peace, or disappointment? Do you order your life around a specific person?
Parents: Do your children run your lives? Does their schedule dictate everything about your day? If you were to look at a week of your life - what does it revolve around?
Students: Do you feel pressure to succeed or perform a certain way because of the expectations of your parents?
By comparison, our love for God must be far greater than our love for anyone or anything else - including our family. Perhaps you feel the burdens to living up to a certain standard that has been set for you. You have goals you are expected to reach. Parents get caught up in the thrill of comparing the achievements and successes of their children. They push them to the edge of greatness.
Because we are relational, we want relationships. This looks different for different people, but the void is the same shape in all our lives. We must take the relationships we have and remove them (parents/children; children/parents) from the center of our wheel. That place only belongs to God. We cannot let others determine our worth and value - because that has already been determined by Jesus when He died for us.
In Jesus, you are chosen to be valued and loved. You now have to choose to make Him the source of your worship.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Love Is In The Air
Romance and love make people do silly things. I have watched the same movie over two dozen times. You know that one movie where the girl and the guy fall in love. They fall in love and things are going so great until one of them lies, steals, cheats, or kills a pet. They decided it would be best to go their separate ways but as they being life anew it seems they can’t shake the other person from their thoughts. There is sappy and cheesy love songs playing in the background. Maybe the guy tries to make it up to the girl but just barely misses her as she leaves her apartment. It seems as if all hope is lost until the very end when someone blurts out some cheesy line like “you complete me” and then its happily ever after!
You know that movie right? What was the title? Oh yeah… every romantic comedy ever made.
I know the plot of the movie. Every single time, never fails. I hand over my money for the tickets (and my man-card) and watch it. Why?
Because I love my wife. And she likes that movie.
That movie plays out a thousand times a day in the real lives of people. It speaks to a longing that has been needed to be filled since Genesis 3 when all of creation was broken by disobedient sin. There is a longing to be loved. To believe we are valued and accepted by another. You feel it. I feel it. It is a legitimate need and desire inside every single person.
We find this all over our culture. It is in our movies and in our music. It comes up with our friends and family. We hear it screaming from every avenue that we need someone in order to be complete.
How true that is. We are created for love. To give love and to be loved by others. The issue arises in where we turn for love, value, and acceptance.
We are wired for relationships. It is the way God built us. Adam’s first relationship was with God and when Adam sinned, that relationship was turned from child to enemy. It was broken. Not only was Adam’s relationship with God broken, but so was Adam’s relationship with Eve and everyone who would come after. Sure they loved each other, but now there was the temptation to become god to another person.
Eve wasn’t created to complete Adam. She was created to complement him. The only person who completed Adam (and us) is Jesus. What happens is we put all our eggs in one basket and we would do anything for love. The basket falls and all the eggs break and we are let down, disappointed, and hurt because the one we wanted to be god has failed us.
The Bible records the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah in Genesis 29.
Jacob wants to marry Rachel. He loved her and worked seven years just to be able to marry her. Rachel was beautiful and pleasant to look at. She had a sister, Leah, who had “weak eyes” - that doesn’t mean she needed glasses, but that she “had a nice personality.”
Jacob fulfills his seven year work program and wants to begin his life with Rachel and husband and wife. Rachel’s dad gets Jacob drunk and sends Leah in to marry him. Jacob has to work another seven years in order to have Rachel.
Leah wanted more than anything for Jacob to love her. I am sure that she was looking for her identity and value in being loved by her husband, but Jacob didn’t - - wouldn’t love her. God saw this and gave Leah children and here is how she named them:
Reuben - “the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me” v. 32
Simeon - “the LORD heard that I am hated” v.33
Levi - “now my husband will be attached to me” v.34
Judah - “This time I will praise the LORD” v.35
Leah was unfulfilled, unvalued, and unaccepted by her husband. She allowed that to become her identity. Something happened between Levi and Judah. She stopped looking to Jacob to complete her and started looking to the LORD who alone could provide everything she needed.
When you make a relationship a god it will be marked with disappointment and bitterness. You will get let down when you want someone to satisfy you, to save you, to give you significance. The greatest command is to love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. To often we love someone else the way we are supposed to love the LORD.
Where does that get us? It brings short-lived satisfaction. It satisfies our thirst like drinking salt water. It may go away for a time, but it will come back stronger than ever. Eventually it leads to death.
God pursues you - “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)
God rescues you - “In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me!” (Psalm 71:2)
God loves you - “As indeed He says in Hosea, ’Those who were not my people I will call “my people” and her who was not beloved I will call “beloved.”’” (Romans 9:25)
This is Jesus. The One who comes to complete you. The One who gives you value. The One who loves you more than anyone ever could and ever will.
Ask the woman at the well what she thought about Jesus.
You know that movie right? What was the title? Oh yeah… every romantic comedy ever made.
I know the plot of the movie. Every single time, never fails. I hand over my money for the tickets (and my man-card) and watch it. Why?
Because I love my wife. And she likes that movie.
That movie plays out a thousand times a day in the real lives of people. It speaks to a longing that has been needed to be filled since Genesis 3 when all of creation was broken by disobedient sin. There is a longing to be loved. To believe we are valued and accepted by another. You feel it. I feel it. It is a legitimate need and desire inside every single person.
We find this all over our culture. It is in our movies and in our music. It comes up with our friends and family. We hear it screaming from every avenue that we need someone in order to be complete.
How true that is. We are created for love. To give love and to be loved by others. The issue arises in where we turn for love, value, and acceptance.
We are wired for relationships. It is the way God built us. Adam’s first relationship was with God and when Adam sinned, that relationship was turned from child to enemy. It was broken. Not only was Adam’s relationship with God broken, but so was Adam’s relationship with Eve and everyone who would come after. Sure they loved each other, but now there was the temptation to become god to another person.
Eve wasn’t created to complete Adam. She was created to complement him. The only person who completed Adam (and us) is Jesus. What happens is we put all our eggs in one basket and we would do anything for love. The basket falls and all the eggs break and we are let down, disappointed, and hurt because the one we wanted to be god has failed us.
The Bible records the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah in Genesis 29.
Jacob wants to marry Rachel. He loved her and worked seven years just to be able to marry her. Rachel was beautiful and pleasant to look at. She had a sister, Leah, who had “weak eyes” - that doesn’t mean she needed glasses, but that she “had a nice personality.”
Jacob fulfills his seven year work program and wants to begin his life with Rachel and husband and wife. Rachel’s dad gets Jacob drunk and sends Leah in to marry him. Jacob has to work another seven years in order to have Rachel.
Leah wanted more than anything for Jacob to love her. I am sure that she was looking for her identity and value in being loved by her husband, but Jacob didn’t - - wouldn’t love her. God saw this and gave Leah children and here is how she named them:
Reuben - “the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me” v. 32
Simeon - “the LORD heard that I am hated” v.33
Levi - “now my husband will be attached to me” v.34
Judah - “This time I will praise the LORD” v.35
Leah was unfulfilled, unvalued, and unaccepted by her husband. She allowed that to become her identity. Something happened between Levi and Judah. She stopped looking to Jacob to complete her and started looking to the LORD who alone could provide everything she needed.
When you make a relationship a god it will be marked with disappointment and bitterness. You will get let down when you want someone to satisfy you, to save you, to give you significance. The greatest command is to love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. To often we love someone else the way we are supposed to love the LORD.
Where does that get us? It brings short-lived satisfaction. It satisfies our thirst like drinking salt water. It may go away for a time, but it will come back stronger than ever. Eventually it leads to death.
God pursues you - “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)
God rescues you - “In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me!” (Psalm 71:2)
God loves you - “As indeed He says in Hosea, ’Those who were not my people I will call “my people” and her who was not beloved I will call “beloved.”’” (Romans 9:25)
This is Jesus. The One who comes to complete you. The One who gives you value. The One who loves you more than anyone ever could and ever will.
Ask the woman at the well what she thought about Jesus.
Friday, November 15, 2013
the god of achievement
Larry the Cable Guy is known for git-r-done. We want to achieve. It is built into our culture and begins to be expected of us. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, AWANA, Fundraising, Athletics, Getting our name on plaques, trophies, and walls to cement our achievement into history. It can be as simple as a daily checklist, a clean house, or a mowed lawn.
“But when our live are all about getting things done, we can find that there is not much room for God. Instead, our approach to worshiping God can be checking off a box on our to-do list labeled “go to church.” - Kyle Idleman
Jesus is greater than the god of achievement. Jesus was a pretty big deal during His three years of ministry. He had large crowds following Him wherever He went. It only took three years for Him to turn the world upside down. In that time He was able get gather a following and have people plotting His murder. Some loved Him, some hated Him, most wanted to be around Him because of what He could do.
He didn’t let the achievements dictate His life. He regularly would sneak away to spend time praying, He made time for children (Matt. 19:14). With about six months until His crucifixion there is a lot to do and time is running short yet He makes a stop at the home of some friends. Luke 10:40-42 gives this account.
Too often achievements distract us from what is really important. We begin to see the check list as something that must get done by the end of each day or week if we want to feel as if we did anything that really mattered. Perhaps this is why we get stretched so thin by being so busy with all life can “offer” us. Just think of the last time you didn’t accomplish something on your list - how did you feel?
Achievements are measurable. We can see what we can accomplish. Mowing the grass, painting the house, an award, a medal, a clean kitchen, a promotion, recognition. We feel like we did something that matters when we are able to check something off the list. Often times we are able to prioritize our to-do lists. What is most pressing? What can be put on the back burner? What will give me the greatest results? What can be done quickly and easily?
It boils down to one word: choice.
Moses, Joshua, Elijah all told the people to make a choice.
To many times competition is linked to achievements. With Mary and Martha we see:
1. Frustration with people who just don’t get stuff done. This boils down to productivity. Are you critical of those who don’t get enough done or aren’t doing it well enough?
2. Are you discontent with yourself for not getting done what you had hoped? Do you compare yourself to others who seem to get more done or have more awards?
Scripture tells us to “be still and know that I am God” - Psalm 46:10. There is also a sense of Sabbath or rest. Man was not made to “go go go” and never rest. We need rest because we aren’t God.
Back to Mary and Martha. In this story, Martha is doing, accomplishing, and achieving. She is trying to make everything perfect because Jesus is there. She has become distracted with all of this and frustrated with her sister, Mary. When bringing this up to Jesus, He simply tells her that Mary, who has chosen to sit and listen to Jesus has chosen better.
Are there times we get so wrapped up in our achievements that we miss what is really important? This isn’t an excuse to be lazy, but a call to readjust our priorities and what really matters in the long run.
Look at what Paul says about himself in Philippians 3:4-11. He had it all. He was the top dog when it comes to religion. He was famous - people knew him, respected him, and feared him. There was nothing that Paul had not accomplished, but one day that all changed. It was the day he met Jesus.
That day changed his life forever. Paul would say that all the stuff he had, all the things he accomplished was NOTHING compared to knowing Christ. Paul also says that he suffered the loss of those achievements and that was probably difficult. It probably hurt.
But it was nothing compared to knowing Christ.
The god of achievement becomes so dangerous because we start to find our identity in our achievements. We begin to believe that if we are not achieving the next step we are nobody. We forget who we really are.
Sometimes removing this idol means losing everything we have worked for. Idols have to burned down, and that can be incredibly painful. We may feel as if we have lost everything, but really we have gained the only thing worth having.
Paul writes “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:18
Because Jesus succeeded, you are free to fail.
Because He won, you are free to lose.
It is time to stop to reflect, to think about who you are now and who you want to be when all the temporary is gone.
“But when our live are all about getting things done, we can find that there is not much room for God. Instead, our approach to worshiping God can be checking off a box on our to-do list labeled “go to church.” - Kyle Idleman
Jesus is greater than the god of achievement. Jesus was a pretty big deal during His three years of ministry. He had large crowds following Him wherever He went. It only took three years for Him to turn the world upside down. In that time He was able get gather a following and have people plotting His murder. Some loved Him, some hated Him, most wanted to be around Him because of what He could do.
He didn’t let the achievements dictate His life. He regularly would sneak away to spend time praying, He made time for children (Matt. 19:14). With about six months until His crucifixion there is a lot to do and time is running short yet He makes a stop at the home of some friends. Luke 10:40-42 gives this account.
Too often achievements distract us from what is really important. We begin to see the check list as something that must get done by the end of each day or week if we want to feel as if we did anything that really mattered. Perhaps this is why we get stretched so thin by being so busy with all life can “offer” us. Just think of the last time you didn’t accomplish something on your list - how did you feel?
Achievements are measurable. We can see what we can accomplish. Mowing the grass, painting the house, an award, a medal, a clean kitchen, a promotion, recognition. We feel like we did something that matters when we are able to check something off the list. Often times we are able to prioritize our to-do lists. What is most pressing? What can be put on the back burner? What will give me the greatest results? What can be done quickly and easily?
It boils down to one word: choice.
Moses, Joshua, Elijah all told the people to make a choice.
To many times competition is linked to achievements. With Mary and Martha we see:
1. Frustration with people who just don’t get stuff done. This boils down to productivity. Are you critical of those who don’t get enough done or aren’t doing it well enough?
2. Are you discontent with yourself for not getting done what you had hoped? Do you compare yourself to others who seem to get more done or have more awards?
Scripture tells us to “be still and know that I am God” - Psalm 46:10. There is also a sense of Sabbath or rest. Man was not made to “go go go” and never rest. We need rest because we aren’t God.
Back to Mary and Martha. In this story, Martha is doing, accomplishing, and achieving. She is trying to make everything perfect because Jesus is there. She has become distracted with all of this and frustrated with her sister, Mary. When bringing this up to Jesus, He simply tells her that Mary, who has chosen to sit and listen to Jesus has chosen better.
Are there times we get so wrapped up in our achievements that we miss what is really important? This isn’t an excuse to be lazy, but a call to readjust our priorities and what really matters in the long run.
Look at what Paul says about himself in Philippians 3:4-11. He had it all. He was the top dog when it comes to religion. He was famous - people knew him, respected him, and feared him. There was nothing that Paul had not accomplished, but one day that all changed. It was the day he met Jesus.
That day changed his life forever. Paul would say that all the stuff he had, all the things he accomplished was NOTHING compared to knowing Christ. Paul also says that he suffered the loss of those achievements and that was probably difficult. It probably hurt.
But it was nothing compared to knowing Christ.
The god of achievement becomes so dangerous because we start to find our identity in our achievements. We begin to believe that if we are not achieving the next step we are nobody. We forget who we really are.
Sometimes removing this idol means losing everything we have worked for. Idols have to burned down, and that can be incredibly painful. We may feel as if we have lost everything, but really we have gained the only thing worth having.
Paul writes “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:18
Because Jesus succeeded, you are free to fail.
Because He won, you are free to lose.
It is time to stop to reflect, to think about who you are now and who you want to be when all the temporary is gone.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Hope for the Hurting
Tragedy is all around us. Most of the time we read about it online or hear about it in the news. It is miles away in other cities where gunmen kill and tornadoes destroy and we think “that would never happen to us.”
And then it did. Tragedy strikes and it has touched everyone in our community in some way. Tragedy leaves us asking all kinds of questions like “why did this happen?” “where was God?” “what do I do now?” “how should I feel?” “how do I move on - is it even ok to move on?”
I am sure there are many more questions and some of those questions have definite answers. Some questions don’t. One of the questions I want to answer is “where do we turn to?” I believe the answer to this question will help us with all other questions that will arise in the midst of a difficult time.
Tragedy has been around almost as long as mankind. We don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in the Eden before they were tempted, but my guess is that is wasn’t terribly long. Satan comes into the picture and places a choice before them. They can believe that God is who He says He is, or they can believe that God is a liar. This is the first tragedy in our history when Adam and Eve choose to believe that God is a liar and they can set themselves up as God and King over everything.
This tragedy results in death and we have been dealing with death ever since.
Death is separation.
Separation from life.
Separation from God.
We see this all over the Old Testament. In the chapters following in the Book of Genesis we see death. People live and people die. Moses, as he writes this knows about life and death, he has seen it, experienced it, even killed a guy. He has to be wondering - isn’t there something more? What is the answer to the problem.
God was working behind the scenes of the entire New Testament, using every messed up person and circumstance and a way to point to the solution to tragedy. Jesus.
Jesus arrives on the scene as a little baby. An old man named Simeon was promised that he would live to see the the Messiah, the Savior and upon meeting little baby Jesus who is only a few weeks old, he sees the fulfillment of that promise.
Simeon uses words like “depart in peace,” “salvation,” “light,” and “glory,” for Jesus - WHO IS A BABY. Something stirred Simeon to do this - he wasn’t going around and picking up random babies for the fun of it.
Jesus grows up and sees tragedy all around. Hurting and sick people flock to Him for help and healing, and He provides. He makes the lame walk and the blind see. He feeds the hungry and loves the outcast. He brings people back from the dead…
Wait.. what was that? Brings people back from the dead? Ah yes - that has been the problem this whole time. Death.
Jesus had a friend who died. A close friend. Who died. But wasn’t Jesus able to stop that? Yes. So why didn’t He? So that God would be glorified through what was about to happen. Making a person who is sick become healthy is one thing - but bringing someone who is dead back to life? That is varsity.
That is what He does. Brings Lazarus back from the dead. Not before seeing the family and shedding some tears himself. Jesus knew the hurt that death brought to people. He experienced it and then said I am greater than death.
Nothing proves this more than His victory over death. His resurrection tells us that He defeated death. He is greater than death. He is more powerful than death. He wins the war.
What does this mean for us? Well simply put:
1. We are going to die. We don’t know when, but we will die.
“it is appointed for man to die” Hebrews 9:27
“our life is a vapor” James 4:14
2. There is hope because Christ is greater than death
“living hope” 1 Peter 1:3
“laid down his life” John 10:14-15
“eternal life because of Jesus “ 1 John 5:11-12
"Face death without fear” Psalm 23:4
“There is comfort during death” John 11:17-26
3. This isn’t the end
“guaranteed resurrection” 1 Corinthians 15
“dwell with God forever” Psalm 23:6 and John 14:1-4
4. What is Jesus to us?
"Anchor" Hebrews 6:19-20
“Hope” Psalm 42:5
"Living Hope" 1 Peter 1:3
“Joy, Peace, Hope” Romans 15:13
5. In the end
“Co-heir with Christ” Romans 8:16-18
“Nothing can separate” Romans 8:35-39
So now what? People asked the same thing when John the Baptist came on the scene in Luke 3. There has to be a response. Maybe you have been a Christian for many years. You need the Gospel. Maybe you aren’t a Christian. You need the Gospel. How you respond to this message of hope will help answer all the questions you have during times of tragedy. Jesus is hope. Not just hope, but the ONLY hope we have in this life. Will you trust Him?
You can hear the lesson HERE.
And then it did. Tragedy strikes and it has touched everyone in our community in some way. Tragedy leaves us asking all kinds of questions like “why did this happen?” “where was God?” “what do I do now?” “how should I feel?” “how do I move on - is it even ok to move on?”
I am sure there are many more questions and some of those questions have definite answers. Some questions don’t. One of the questions I want to answer is “where do we turn to?” I believe the answer to this question will help us with all other questions that will arise in the midst of a difficult time.
Tragedy has been around almost as long as mankind. We don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in the Eden before they were tempted, but my guess is that is wasn’t terribly long. Satan comes into the picture and places a choice before them. They can believe that God is who He says He is, or they can believe that God is a liar. This is the first tragedy in our history when Adam and Eve choose to believe that God is a liar and they can set themselves up as God and King over everything.
This tragedy results in death and we have been dealing with death ever since.
Death is separation.
Separation from life.
Separation from God.
We see this all over the Old Testament. In the chapters following in the Book of Genesis we see death. People live and people die. Moses, as he writes this knows about life and death, he has seen it, experienced it, even killed a guy. He has to be wondering - isn’t there something more? What is the answer to the problem.
God was working behind the scenes of the entire New Testament, using every messed up person and circumstance and a way to point to the solution to tragedy. Jesus.
Jesus arrives on the scene as a little baby. An old man named Simeon was promised that he would live to see the the Messiah, the Savior and upon meeting little baby Jesus who is only a few weeks old, he sees the fulfillment of that promise.
Simeon uses words like “depart in peace,” “salvation,” “light,” and “glory,” for Jesus - WHO IS A BABY. Something stirred Simeon to do this - he wasn’t going around and picking up random babies for the fun of it.
Jesus grows up and sees tragedy all around. Hurting and sick people flock to Him for help and healing, and He provides. He makes the lame walk and the blind see. He feeds the hungry and loves the outcast. He brings people back from the dead…
Wait.. what was that? Brings people back from the dead? Ah yes - that has been the problem this whole time. Death.
Jesus had a friend who died. A close friend. Who died. But wasn’t Jesus able to stop that? Yes. So why didn’t He? So that God would be glorified through what was about to happen. Making a person who is sick become healthy is one thing - but bringing someone who is dead back to life? That is varsity.
That is what He does. Brings Lazarus back from the dead. Not before seeing the family and shedding some tears himself. Jesus knew the hurt that death brought to people. He experienced it and then said I am greater than death.
Nothing proves this more than His victory over death. His resurrection tells us that He defeated death. He is greater than death. He is more powerful than death. He wins the war.
What does this mean for us? Well simply put:
1. We are going to die. We don’t know when, but we will die.
“it is appointed for man to die” Hebrews 9:27
“our life is a vapor” James 4:14
2. There is hope because Christ is greater than death
“living hope” 1 Peter 1:3
“laid down his life” John 10:14-15
“eternal life because of Jesus “ 1 John 5:11-12
"Face death without fear” Psalm 23:4
“There is comfort during death” John 11:17-26
3. This isn’t the end
“guaranteed resurrection” 1 Corinthians 15
“dwell with God forever” Psalm 23:6 and John 14:1-4
4. What is Jesus to us?
"Anchor" Hebrews 6:19-20
“Hope” Psalm 42:5
"Living Hope" 1 Peter 1:3
“Joy, Peace, Hope” Romans 15:13
5. In the end
“Co-heir with Christ” Romans 8:16-18
“Nothing can separate” Romans 8:35-39
So now what? People asked the same thing when John the Baptist came on the scene in Luke 3. There has to be a response. Maybe you have been a Christian for many years. You need the Gospel. Maybe you aren’t a Christian. You need the Gospel. How you respond to this message of hope will help answer all the questions you have during times of tragedy. Jesus is hope. Not just hope, but the ONLY hope we have in this life. Will you trust Him?
You can hear the lesson HERE.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
money money money ... MONEY
Money can do a lot of things for us. It can provide us homes, clothes, cars, games, food, toys, and entertainment. No wonder the Bible says that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." The love of money is God's greatest competition for our hearts. With money we feel like we are invincible. If we only had enough...
Jesus tells a story of a man who came into great wealth in Luke 12:13-21. The farmer has a great crop but pays no attention to what God would want him to do with the new wealth. This farmer doesn't even give thanks to God for providing this great crop. There are a lot of factors that go into a bumper crop - most of those are out of the control of this farmer, yet directly in the hands of God. There is no gratitude towards God, but only plans of what to do next.
He decides to tear down his old barns and build bigger ones. Why would he do this? Well this way he won't lose the profitable land that has produced the crop by putting new barns on it. If he were to sell all the grain, the supply would go up and the demand would not - so prices would drop. He will sit on the grain and sell a little at a time and life in luxury.
Not a bad plan. Until God enters into the story and says this farmer will die that very night. All the wealth is left behind. There was no security in it. There was no lasting satisfaction. The significance the farmer had because of his money is now gone.
Jesus goes on to tell us that our treasure is not to be on earth, but in Heaven. We should treasure the eternal and not the temporary. In essence, Jesus is saying, "let ME be your treasure."
Why Jesus?
I think the answer is as simple as asking why do we depend on money? For security, significance, satisfaction, provisions, power, the list could go on. Doesn't Jesus give us all of those on an ETERNAL level?
In Jesus we are eternally secure. No power of Hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand.
In Jesus we are eternally significant. We were bought with a price. The Son of God thought enough of us to give His life so that we can live. We are members of God's family.
In Jesus we are eternally satisfied. He is all we need. Living water, the bread of life. Satisfying every longing and need we have.
In Jesus we have eternal power. Jesus gives us a Helper. The Holy Spirit comes and gives us power to accomplish the mission of God. There is no greater power we could receive.
In Jesus we have eternal provisions. Yes, God also promises to provide for this life - Luke 12:22-34. We also have an eternal home in the Kingdom. We will be eternally provided for.
For students, we many not chase money - but we chase "stuff" as materialism has gripped our culture. We have to have this and that. We "need" shoes, cars, games, clothes, instruments, food, etc.
Most of the world's population lives on less than $2 per day. Yet we "need" more and more.
Jesus wraps up the story by telling those to give to the poor. Don't cling so tightly to money and possessions because in the end - it is all left behind. Be generous. What can we do today to respond His teaching?
Thursday, October 17, 2013
the god of entertainment
We love to be entertained.
Anyone who has been to a Husker football game can attest to the idea of almost 100,000 people coming in and looking to be entertained. We rejoice in victories and we become down in defeats. We analyze every aspect of the players, coaches, and game plan to see where things worked and failed. We know who the recruits are. We know who the depth charts. We get up early to tailgate and celebrate. We drive through crazy traffic and park miles away just to get to the game. We pay the money and clear the schedule.
We want to be entertained.
Culture hears this and provides for us. Social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snap Chat almost come preloaded on every phone and tablet. Television and movies are always giving sneak previews of the next episode or the great sequel to come. We see promos for video games and concerts and pre-order just to make sure we can secure the next high.
Yes, the next high. It seems as if entertainment has become addictive that we seek more and more for something to get us to the next level of ecstasy. Video gamers are compared to heroin addicts in the way they behave. Spending 48 hours a week playing a game only to get up for energy drinks and potty breaks.
While culture has provided so much for entertainments, we are the most bored generation in history. Why is that? Why do we become bored so quickly and easily when we have so many choices all around us. We flip through timelines and posts without hardly reading anything. It has become second nature to have a phone connected to our hand and our eyes on the screen that we are forgetting how to talk to each other.
We spend countless hours in silence watching sports, movies, and TV shows that our relationships suffer.
John Piper says "One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time."
God gives us an example in King Solomon. The most powerful person on earth at his time. Solomon had it all. Money, power, armies, houses, women - there was nothing that could be kept from Solomon. Solomon had everything and still felt empty. He had entertainment - able to bring in musicians, sporting events, comedians, plays. He busied himself with building projects by constructing houses, forests, and water systems. He had 1,000 women at his disposal. He commanded a great army, had all the wisdom you could ask for, and was a respected king - yet was empty.
Let's take a quick look at Solomon and his journey in the book of Ecclesiastes.
Solomon tells us that everything he is about to write about ends up as vanity (meaningless, useless, vapor). It is like chasing the wind (1:2,14). Have you ever tried chasing the wind? Would you be willing to go try it for a couple minutes right now? Probably not - you would look pretty silly trying to catch something that is impossible to catch. I think that is the point Solomon is trying to make - we can chase all the stuff in the world (in this case, entertainment that brings a lasting pleasure) and never reach the end. The chase will go on and on until we fall off the cliff.
In Chapter 2 Solomon lists all the things he tried to make himself happy. He was the top dog with all the money and power a person could ask for. If he wanted something, it was done at his command. He planted forests and water systems to bring water to those forests. He took up gardening and architecture. He had the best parties with the best wine, the best comedians, and the best musicians. Solomon's conclusion in the end is that it never brings LASTING pleasure.
3:11-13 Tells us that God has put eternity into the hearts of man. We understand deep inside of us that there is something more. We have all felt empty and unsatisfied at some point. Think about the last time you built something up with such great anticipation and excitement only to be let down when it came to fruition. Was it a concert, football game, movie? This leads us to read what C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity.
"Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger… well, there is such a things as food. A duckling wants to swim; there is such a thing as water. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing"
Nothing in this world lasts. In the end it will all be gone. Only Jesus can fill the void in our lives that we try to fill with the stuff on this world. In what ways are you trying to fill your life with entertainment in order to find pleasure and joy? Jesus is greater than those good gifts of entertainment. He is the GIVER of those gifs - why not look for joy and pleasure in the Giver rather than the gift?
1 Tim. 6:17 - As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
Anyone who has been to a Husker football game can attest to the idea of almost 100,000 people coming in and looking to be entertained. We rejoice in victories and we become down in defeats. We analyze every aspect of the players, coaches, and game plan to see where things worked and failed. We know who the recruits are. We know who the depth charts. We get up early to tailgate and celebrate. We drive through crazy traffic and park miles away just to get to the game. We pay the money and clear the schedule.
We want to be entertained.
Culture hears this and provides for us. Social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snap Chat almost come preloaded on every phone and tablet. Television and movies are always giving sneak previews of the next episode or the great sequel to come. We see promos for video games and concerts and pre-order just to make sure we can secure the next high.
Yes, the next high. It seems as if entertainment has become addictive that we seek more and more for something to get us to the next level of ecstasy. Video gamers are compared to heroin addicts in the way they behave. Spending 48 hours a week playing a game only to get up for energy drinks and potty breaks.
While culture has provided so much for entertainments, we are the most bored generation in history. Why is that? Why do we become bored so quickly and easily when we have so many choices all around us. We flip through timelines and posts without hardly reading anything. It has become second nature to have a phone connected to our hand and our eyes on the screen that we are forgetting how to talk to each other.
We spend countless hours in silence watching sports, movies, and TV shows that our relationships suffer.
John Piper says "One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time."
God gives us an example in King Solomon. The most powerful person on earth at his time. Solomon had it all. Money, power, armies, houses, women - there was nothing that could be kept from Solomon. Solomon had everything and still felt empty. He had entertainment - able to bring in musicians, sporting events, comedians, plays. He busied himself with building projects by constructing houses, forests, and water systems. He had 1,000 women at his disposal. He commanded a great army, had all the wisdom you could ask for, and was a respected king - yet was empty.
Let's take a quick look at Solomon and his journey in the book of Ecclesiastes.
Solomon tells us that everything he is about to write about ends up as vanity (meaningless, useless, vapor). It is like chasing the wind (1:2,14). Have you ever tried chasing the wind? Would you be willing to go try it for a couple minutes right now? Probably not - you would look pretty silly trying to catch something that is impossible to catch. I think that is the point Solomon is trying to make - we can chase all the stuff in the world (in this case, entertainment that brings a lasting pleasure) and never reach the end. The chase will go on and on until we fall off the cliff.
In Chapter 2 Solomon lists all the things he tried to make himself happy. He was the top dog with all the money and power a person could ask for. If he wanted something, it was done at his command. He planted forests and water systems to bring water to those forests. He took up gardening and architecture. He had the best parties with the best wine, the best comedians, and the best musicians. Solomon's conclusion in the end is that it never brings LASTING pleasure.
3:11-13 Tells us that God has put eternity into the hearts of man. We understand deep inside of us that there is something more. We have all felt empty and unsatisfied at some point. Think about the last time you built something up with such great anticipation and excitement only to be let down when it came to fruition. Was it a concert, football game, movie? This leads us to read what C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity.
"Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger… well, there is such a things as food. A duckling wants to swim; there is such a thing as water. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing"
Nothing in this world lasts. In the end it will all be gone. Only Jesus can fill the void in our lives that we try to fill with the stuff on this world. In what ways are you trying to fill your life with entertainment in order to find pleasure and joy? Jesus is greater than those good gifts of entertainment. He is the GIVER of those gifs - why not look for joy and pleasure in the Giver rather than the gift?
1 Tim. 6:17 - As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
the god of sex
Sex is everywhere we look. Movies, television, internet, school, work, restaurants, football games, video games - sex is everywhere. Our culture is saturated with it and we would be considered foolish to think that somehow we are sheltered from the society's take on sex.
Society has its own views on sex. Sex has been taken from something that was created as a good and perfect gift between a husband and a wife, and twisted into what the Apostle Paul would call "sexual immorality." A term that would encompass just about anything you can think when it comes to sex.
Like food, and so many other things, sex is a good gift from a gracious giver. Not only does it have a purpose, but it also brings pleasure. All good things, but...
"when good things become god things, that is a bad thing." - Mark Driscoll
From the beginning, God designed sex to bring two people together and make them one. The Hebrew word used has a definition of "mingling of souls." This act is to unite two people in a strong bond. God designed this to occur within the boundaries of marriage between a man and a woman.
One example from Scripture on how sex has become twisted occurs in 2 Samuel 13. Amnon is one of the son's of King David. His half sister Tamar was a beautiful young woman and Amnon lusted after her. He made himself sick thinking about her. She consumed his thoughts day and night. He HAD to have her - and so Amnon and a buddy devise a plan to make it happen.
They play out the plan and it ends up with Tamar being raped by Amnon, Amnon saying that he despised Tamar to the point that "the hate he had for her was greater than the love with which he had loved her." Amnon got what he wanted - and it left him feeling empty and unsatisfied. It made him angry that this one thing he desired so much didn't fulfill him.
Amnon wasn't the only one feeling empty.
Tamar was left helpless, violated, mourning, shamed, and who knows what else. Tamar isn't the last character is the story. Tamar had a big brother, Absalom, who found out what occurred and exacted revenge on Amnon.
Worshipping idols leads to destruction. The more intensely you chase after something, the less likely you are to catch it. During the chase the pleasure you seek and may be receiving from the idol dies in the process so that you need more and more just to reach the same level.
Sounds a lot like addiction.
I would venture to guess that most people are looking for intimacy, pleasure, and acceptance when it comes to sex. The downfall to that is occurs when sex is gone, ,hen that person leaves or dies. What are you left with?
Jesus knows us intimately. He loves us beyond anything we could imagine. He loved us to the point of giving His life so that we could truly live. In Christ we are accepted by God. We are loved.
Nothing in this world can do for us what Jesus has already done. Let us not turn to things, but run to Him who makes us whole.
Society has its own views on sex. Sex has been taken from something that was created as a good and perfect gift between a husband and a wife, and twisted into what the Apostle Paul would call "sexual immorality." A term that would encompass just about anything you can think when it comes to sex.
Like food, and so many other things, sex is a good gift from a gracious giver. Not only does it have a purpose, but it also brings pleasure. All good things, but...
"when good things become god things, that is a bad thing." - Mark Driscoll
From the beginning, God designed sex to bring two people together and make them one. The Hebrew word used has a definition of "mingling of souls." This act is to unite two people in a strong bond. God designed this to occur within the boundaries of marriage between a man and a woman.
One example from Scripture on how sex has become twisted occurs in 2 Samuel 13. Amnon is one of the son's of King David. His half sister Tamar was a beautiful young woman and Amnon lusted after her. He made himself sick thinking about her. She consumed his thoughts day and night. He HAD to have her - and so Amnon and a buddy devise a plan to make it happen.
They play out the plan and it ends up with Tamar being raped by Amnon, Amnon saying that he despised Tamar to the point that "the hate he had for her was greater than the love with which he had loved her." Amnon got what he wanted - and it left him feeling empty and unsatisfied. It made him angry that this one thing he desired so much didn't fulfill him.
Amnon wasn't the only one feeling empty.
Tamar was left helpless, violated, mourning, shamed, and who knows what else. Tamar isn't the last character is the story. Tamar had a big brother, Absalom, who found out what occurred and exacted revenge on Amnon.
Worshipping idols leads to destruction. The more intensely you chase after something, the less likely you are to catch it. During the chase the pleasure you seek and may be receiving from the idol dies in the process so that you need more and more just to reach the same level.
Sounds a lot like addiction.
I would venture to guess that most people are looking for intimacy, pleasure, and acceptance when it comes to sex. The downfall to that is occurs when sex is gone, ,hen that person leaves or dies. What are you left with?
Jesus knows us intimately. He loves us beyond anything we could imagine. He loved us to the point of giving His life so that we could truly live. In Christ we are accepted by God. We are loved.
Nothing in this world can do for us what Jesus has already done. Let us not turn to things, but run to Him who makes us whole.
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