05-22-16 Three guys in the wilderness!

Moses: Led the people out of slavery

John the Baptist: Pointed the people to Jesus

Jesus:  Showed us how to live

SONG: - MOSES

Moses:  Led the people out of slavery

Ex 3:1-14

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight — why the bush does not burn up."

          When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.  The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

John the Baptist: Pointed the people to Jesus

Mark 1:1-11

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

          2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way"— "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.'" 

          4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

          9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus:  Showed us how to live

Matt 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

          Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

          Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

05-15-16 Getting to know You

Scripture  Luke 14:16-24

DRAMA: The Temple Trader

Jesus loves us by letting us get to know him.

Born like we were born – poor – not in a palace

Raised like we were raised – asserting his independence at age 12 – but obedient to parents.

Let himself be found: at his Baptism – at a wedding – at a well – in a home – at church/synagogue – at work – in prayer – at the transfiguration.

John 12:32-33

“But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”  33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

Scriptures of Jesus wanting people to know him.

Ps 76:1

In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel.

Ps 98:2

The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

Ps 103:7

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.

Isa 19:21

So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord.

Ezek 38:23

“And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Ezek 39:7

I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.

Mark 6:14

King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known.

John 1:17-18

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John 1:29-34

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

Rom 1:19-20

What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

1 Cor 2:16

"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Cor 13:8-12

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

CONCLUSION – I want everyone at my feast

Luke 14:16-24

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.”

We love others by letting them get to know Jesus.

In letters of crimson, God wrote His love
On the hillside so long, long ago;
For you and for me Jesus died, 
And love's greatest story was told.

Chorus 1
I love you, I love you
That's what Calvary said;
I love you, I love you, 
I love you, Written in Red

Verse 2
Down through the ages, God wrote His love
With the same hands that suffered and bled;
Giving all that He had to give, 
A message so easily read.

Chorus 2
I love you, I love you,
That's what Calvary said; 
I love you, I love you,
I love you.....

Bridge
Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood, 
The blood of Jesus.

Chorus 1
I love you, I love you
That's what Jesus said;
I love you, I love you,
I love you, Written....In Red

05-01-16 Are you a love Sherpa?

Scripture  John 13:1-17

A new command I give you  - love one another.

          On April 18, 2014, as the climbing season was beginning on Mount Everest, a massive avalanche crashed down killing 16 Sherpas. Sherpas = the local people who make their living aiding foreign climbers to achieve their dreams of reaching the highest point on Earth. This avalanche was the worst tragedy on the mountain, and has called into question whether climbing on Everest would ever be the same again.

          The film; SHERPA looks at how Mount Everest's Sherpa community united in grief and anger to reclaim the mountain following this devastating tragedy; and features members of the Sherpa community, their families, and western adventurers who were getting ready to climb Mount Everest before the tragic event, which served as a turning point for many of the Sherpas and their families as they considered whether to continue working on the mountain.

          If you were an Everest Sherpa, would you have continued helping other people achieve their dream after several of your family and friends had been killed in this tragedy?

And although more than 4,000 people have scaled the summit since Sir Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first conquered the mountain in 1953, hundreds have also perished.

SHOW TRAILER

Let me read to you the ‘love sherpa’ training manual

Scripture                                                 

            John 13:1-17

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 

          2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

          Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

          9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

          10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."  11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

          12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

          What is a Sherpa? Someone who is trained to take others to the summit of the highest place on earth - Mt. Everest.  What is a disciple of Jesus? Someone who is trained to take others to the summit of the highest place on earth – love. How? By themselves being willing to take the risk and go to the lowest place on earth, washing someone else’s feet.  The Sherpa risks their lives so that others may get to the top. The disciple gives their life so others may know the greatest love of all – the love of Jesus Christ!

          Wait – we think washing someone’s feet would be humbling and difficult and costly for us – but that was just Sherpa love training 101.  Let’s jump ahead to senior year – what was Jesus greatest act of love?...how did he show the full extent of his love?...what did Jesus do to show how we must live for others if we are going to call ourselves disciples of Jesus? Look at what Jesus says just before the Passover meal they were about to share - John 12:23-28 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"

     Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my (sherpa) disciple.

          Why should we love others? Why not just leave it at “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so?”  BECAUSE:

          1 John 4:7-12  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

          1 John 4:16-21  God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. (What are you afraid of?) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (Why do we love others?) We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

          FOOTWASHING TODAY requires losing pride, giving up status, and choosing to love in the way the other person needs to be loved more than only loving in ways we want to love.

Foot washing is having the tender conversation with someone we know is hurting.

Foot washing is asking the questions that people may not initially elicit but are desperate to pursue.

Foot washing is listening – really listening – in a world that only wants to hear their own voice.

Foot washing is sacrificing a portion of our hard-earned money for the sake of the work of the Kingdom – the Church’s work – so that more and more might find the road to Life in Christ.

Foot washing is sacrificing personal preferences in order to reach others in ways they will understand that may be unfamiliar and perhaps even distasteful to us.

Foot washing requires practice. You need to practice on others. Others need to practice on you. The practice makes you more like Jesus. You become more whole, more loving, more like Christ. And people notice.

So, how are you going to love like Jesus? How are you going to wash someone’s feet?

It’s not a choice. It’s what a trained Sherpa does – sacrifices so that others may reach the summit. It’s what a disciple does – sacrifices so that others may know the fullness of the love of God in Jesus Christ! If one 10^th of Jesus’ followers would do this one thing – the world would be turned upside down and won for Jesus Christ.   Are you ready - to be a love Sherpa?

COMMUNION

LET IT RISE

www.bible.com/events/27362