NEWNESS: Character Quality # 28

 “What’s New?”

Scripture                                       2 Corinthians 5:14-18

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.  So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Easter (the resurrection) makes all things NEW!

 The emphasis will be on NEW LIFE!  Until we are changed to be fit for heaven we should constantly be having new life in this world.  New life is not being born again and we are done.  Spring comes once a year.  Each time there is a sunset there will also be a sunrise and a new day.  When Jesus was resurrected it showed us the ultimate experience of NEW LIFE.  We don't have to be tomorrow where we are today because tomorrow gives us the possibility of New Life.  It is not just celebrating the resurrection, rather what the resurrection means for daily living - It does mean eternal life but also means abundant life.

          How does Jesus resurrection effect your daily living?  Can you see yourself as newer in Christ a year from now compared to how you are today?  What area of life are you most in need of having become new?

What does resurrection newness look like?

It looks like a house that had mold and mildew made new again.

Lev 14:39-42     On the seventh day the priest shall return to inspect the house. If the mildew has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out and thrown into an unclean place outside the town. He must have all the inside walls of the house scraped and the material that is scraped off dumped into an unclean place outside the town. Then they are to take other stones to replace these and take new clay and plaster the house.

Remember to take the mildew and bury it and walk into a new revitalized house fit for abundant living.

Revelation 21:1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

From the Heart,

Pastor Jeff Cooper

FOLLOW-THROUGH: Character Quality # 27

PALM SUNDAY to GOOD FRIDAY

John 12:12-15

      The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

"Hosanna!"

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Blessed is the King of Israel!"

Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." 

John 12:17-19

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.  So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

          Who is our character to teach us the character of follow-through?  It is the crowd.  Can you pick out individuals from the crowd who were there at the Palm Parade but didn’t follow-through during that week?  Who were they and what did they do or not do that shows they had poor follow through?

          So then, who from the crowd did follow through that week?  And how?

Two Scriptures on Follow Through:

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

How does Jesus want us to follow through?  Find your answer in the scripture below that serves as the central text for this coming Sunday.

Luke 9:23-26

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

From the Heart,
Pastor Jeff Cooper

INVITATIONAL: Character Quality # 26

You are invited to read and respond to this blog!

Luke 14:12-24

Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

16 Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"

The concept of the invitation is as old as God's recorded word. It is in the opening chapters of Genesis; it is in the closing verses of Revelation. All the way throughout the scripture God is appealing, seeking, inviting and persuading men to come to Him.

Invitations are biblical. The Bible is filled with invitations for men to come to God. In Exodus 32:26, when Moses returned from Mt. Sinai and destroyed the golden calf, he said, "Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me." It was a clear invitation to make a public stand. After the conquest of the Promised Land, Joshua called upon the people to "choose you this day whom you will serve...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15).  It was a personal, public invitation to follow God. After the Book of Law had been found, King Josiah gave a public invitation to the people to make a covenant to keep God's commandments (2 Chronicles 34:30-32). Ezra invited the people to swear publically to carry out the reforms of God. (Ezra 10:5). At the close of his great message at Pentecost Peter gave a classic invitation. Peter delivered the body of his message and the climax is described in these words, "And with many other words did he testify and exhort" (Acts 2:40). Peter exhorted the people to act upon what they had heard. Paul reminded the people; "I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears" (Acts 20:31). Jesus invited, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28-30).

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock." This invitation is applicable to all of life. He knocks at the door of life in the time of crisis, of opportunity, of grief and of joy. The only thing that keeps Jesus from entering these doors is the willingness of people to open their lives to Him.

We are invited to the foot of the cross and the center of the empty tomb.

How have you noticed God’s character of invitation working in your own life?  Both ways:  How has God been invitational to you, and how have you been invitational for God?  Will you respond positively to God’s invitation to become more Christ like by living out these 50 character qualities we are discovering?

From the Heart,

Pastor Jeff Cooper