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.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
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.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
The god of food
Is there anything better than steak fajitas? I love those things! Thin sliced steak, peppers, onions, sour cream, salsa, a hit of lime. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
Maybe it isn't steak fajitas for you. Maybe it is a double layered chocolate cake, or Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. Who knows - but the fact is we are a culture the loves food!
$110 Billion is spent on fast food alone in the United States. We like food and we like convenience. Has there ever been a time you are headed home from a long day at school or work and pass by Runza or McDonalds? You know there is something better waiting for you at home, but the next thing you know you are stuffing that burger and fries into your mouth. Are you full - maybe. Are you satisfied - probably not.
Jesus speaks of a greater hunger in John 6. A large group of people started following Jesus because of all the things He was doing: healing the sick, bringing dead back to life, and causing the blind to see. Yet their motive for following Jesus was selfish. They wanted what He could do for them - they had no intention of giving their lives to Him.
After miraculously feeding this large group of people, He sneaks away during the night. The people wake up and want breakfast - so they set out to find Jesus. Jesus explains to them that their physical hunger is pointing to something deeper going on in their souls - they are spiritually hungry.
Ever since Genesis 3, mankind has been searching for something to make us whole. Often times we turn to food, especially during difficult times. We call it "comfort food" for a reason. This pursuit to find satisfaction often ends with us worshiping the god of food. We find some sort of instant gratification when we eat and we want to feel full. The problem with food is that we will hunger again.
Jesus has come to fulfill our hunger. That deep need to be satisfied and fulfilled can only come through Jesus. Nothing on this earth will ever bring us complete satisfaction.
It isn't just overweight people that struggle with food either. Some people will struggle with the self image and so they stop eating. Others are able to eat whatever they want and not gain any weight. Some become so obsessed with diet and exercise that they see their lives being consumed by it.
While our body is the Temple of God and should be taken care of - we are not to worship our bodies or what we put into them. We are to worship the One who has given us these bodies.
We have Jesus, the great Comforter, who has gone through everything we will face and came out victorious. We can turn to Him for the comfort we need and know that in Him we will find the greatest satisfaction.
Jesus came to satisfy and fulfill the longing we all have. He came to save us from a life of searching and emptiness. Jesus, as Savior, is the Bread of Life and will satisfy you. The question for you is this... Is He enough?
Maybe it isn't steak fajitas for you. Maybe it is a double layered chocolate cake, or Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. Who knows - but the fact is we are a culture the loves food!
$110 Billion is spent on fast food alone in the United States. We like food and we like convenience. Has there ever been a time you are headed home from a long day at school or work and pass by Runza or McDonalds? You know there is something better waiting for you at home, but the next thing you know you are stuffing that burger and fries into your mouth. Are you full - maybe. Are you satisfied - probably not.
Jesus speaks of a greater hunger in John 6. A large group of people started following Jesus because of all the things He was doing: healing the sick, bringing dead back to life, and causing the blind to see. Yet their motive for following Jesus was selfish. They wanted what He could do for them - they had no intention of giving their lives to Him.
After miraculously feeding this large group of people, He sneaks away during the night. The people wake up and want breakfast - so they set out to find Jesus. Jesus explains to them that their physical hunger is pointing to something deeper going on in their souls - they are spiritually hungry.
Ever since Genesis 3, mankind has been searching for something to make us whole. Often times we turn to food, especially during difficult times. We call it "comfort food" for a reason. This pursuit to find satisfaction often ends with us worshiping the god of food. We find some sort of instant gratification when we eat and we want to feel full. The problem with food is that we will hunger again.
Jesus has come to fulfill our hunger. That deep need to be satisfied and fulfilled can only come through Jesus. Nothing on this earth will ever bring us complete satisfaction.
It isn't just overweight people that struggle with food either. Some people will struggle with the self image and so they stop eating. Others are able to eat whatever they want and not gain any weight. Some become so obsessed with diet and exercise that they see their lives being consumed by it.
While our body is the Temple of God and should be taken care of - we are not to worship our bodies or what we put into them. We are to worship the One who has given us these bodies.
We have Jesus, the great Comforter, who has gone through everything we will face and came out victorious. We can turn to Him for the comfort we need and know that in Him we will find the greatest satisfaction.
Jesus came to satisfy and fulfill the longing we all have. He came to save us from a life of searching and emptiness. Jesus, as Savior, is the Bread of Life and will satisfy you. The question for you is this... Is He enough?
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