REVELATION: Character Quality # 23

Revelation 1:1-3

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Who is the object of Revelation?

Where does Revelation come from?

Why do we have Revelation?

How was this Revelation made known?

What Revelation had the angel seen?

What happens when we receive this Revelation?

Revelation  = an uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously hidden.  The Scriptures are not merely the "record" of revelation; they are the revelation itself in written form.

Hebrews 1:1-4

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

          If anyone wants to know if there is a God, it stands to reason that such knowledge would come from a revelation – God would make known that which was previously hidden.  Then what do we do with the following who had a revelation from God?

          Siddhārtha Gautama      Buddhism

Confucius                      Confucianism

Muhammad                             Islam

Michael Servetus            Unitarianism

Joseph Smith, Jr.           Latter Day Saints

Charles Taze Russell      Jehovah's Witnesses

Sun Myung Moon          Unification Church

L. Ron Hubbard             Church of Scientology

          How can we be so sure that the Revelation of Jesus Christ is not only a true revelation but THE true revelation?  Any one of those listed requires faith to believe, just as it takes faith to believe in Jesus.  How can you answer someone if they ask you to distinguish between these and other belief systems if in fact they are all based on faith and all received by revelation?

ATTITUDE: Character Quality # 22

Your attitude has a direct effect concerning what you are able to learn about your Christian faith.  In fact, your attitude has everything to do with what you learn about your Christian faith.  Even Jesus needed the right attitude before he could leave the glories of heaven and come to earth to accomplish his work as our Savior.

Phil 2:1-18

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

          5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

          6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!  9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

          12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

          14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life — in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation's deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But humming-birds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do by the character quality of our attitude – is yours the same as that of Christ Jesus?. 

Philippians 4:8 gives us a great place to start in forming the kind of attitude every Christian should have.

Philippians 4:8     Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.

True — think about it.                     John 14:6-7, John 8:32

(Gk. “alethe”) It means actual, true to fact, conforming to reality, factual.

It means not false and has its norm in God.

Noble — think about it.                    Rev 19:11-16, II Tim 2:20

(Gk. “semnos”) It means a noble seriousness, worthy of reverence.

It means dignified, serious – in speech and behavior.

Right — think about it.                    Josh 1:7-9, Romans 7:15-25a

(Gk. “dikaios”) It means that which is in conformity to God’s standards.

It means “just, fair, that which is in har­mony with God’s will and law

Pure — think about it.                      Matt 5:8, James 1:26-27

(Gk. “hagna”) It means wholesome, not mixed with moral impurity.

It means not defiled or contaminated, free from fault/sin/evil.

Lovely — think about it.                            Ps 84:1-4, I John 4:10-12

(Gk. “prosphile”) It means what promotes peace rather than conflict.

It means “that which inspires love.

Admirable — think about it.            Rev. 4:9-11, James 3:9-12

Gk. “euphema”) It means what is positive and constructive, admirable.

It means uttering words of good report.

Excellent — think about it.               Ps 34:8, I Peter 2:1-3

(Gk. “arete”) It means virtue; good in it.

It means moral/spiritual excellence; virtue.

Praiseworthy — think about it.                 Ps 78:1-4, I Chron 16:25-31

(Gk. “Axiέpainos”) Anything worthy of praise.

Has there been a thought or an event in your life that helped changed your attitude for the better?  After reading the words above what area of improvement do you see for yourself concerning your attitude that might help you learn about or grow in your Christian faith?

From the Heart,

Pastor Jeff Cooper

EXPERIENCE: Character Quality # 21

Experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience.  Aristotle said, "For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them."

Mark 6:6-13                   Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.  Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.   These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff — no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.  Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."  They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Why did Jesus choose this time for experiential learning?  Look at the verses just before sending them, out.  He wanted his disciples to grow their faith and the only way would be through experiential learning.

According to David Kolb, an American educational theorist, knowledge is continuously gained through both personal and environmental experiences.  He states that in order to gain genuine knowledge from an experience, certain abilities are required:

1)     the learner must be willing to be actively involved in the experience;

2)     the learner must be able to reflect on the experience;

3)     the learner must possess and use analytical skills to conceptualize the experience;

4)     the learner must possess decision making and problem solving skills in order to use the new ideas gained from the experience.

      James 2:26     As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

 I see John Mark as a great example of an experiential learner.  He watched and heard in his own home the things of Jesus, he was in the garden, he went on a missionary journey with Paul, he failed, he was reconciled, he wrote a gospel.  Can you think of others from scripture who really learned by experience?  How so?

          How has experience taught you about your Christian Faith – your life with Jesus?

LISTENING: Character Quality # 20

Over the next five weeks I want to answer the question: “How do I learn about my Christian faith?”

The first aspect of learning is to listen.  If you can’t or won’t listen, you can’t learn.  Definition of LISTEN = to hear something with thoughtful attention.

The first aspect of listening I call “decluttering.”

We clutter our ears with noise…others talking, music, television, city noise, babies crying or cooing, dogs barking, cows mooing, the car engine running, the cell phone ringing, the furnace humming, the rustling newspaper, etc.  Can you think of other noise that clutter your ears?

          There is another obstruction to hearing before we move on to listening – and that is thought.  Have you ever been so deep in thought that you literally did not hear what someone said to you, even though the sound made your ear drum vibrate?

When listening, don’t be putting together your next response.  Do you know people who are more interested in a response then they are in what you have to say?

James 1:19  My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak.

When listening, be intentional.  A perfect example of this in scripture is Mary of Bethany.     Luke 10:38-42

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

          Her posture was sitting where?  At the feet of Jesus.  I call that intentional listening.  How do you learn by listening at the feet of Jesus? Declutter the noise, listen intentionally: to what?  To God’s word, to others, to circumstance, to his creation.  Sit at his feet and listen, learn, worship.

Proverbs 4:20-22

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them  and health to a man's whole body.

Matthew 17:5

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

          Can you think of a time when you really sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to him?  Can you think of practical ways to make this type of listening a greater part of your life or the lives of others?  Go ahead and share, we’re listening.

From the Heart,

Pastor Jeff

DEPENDABILITY: Character Quality # 19

This Sunday’s scripture: Psalm 62:5-8     Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.   He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

            Below is a great illustration I found concerning dependability.  I have added two questions at the end you may answer on the blog as a way to encourage others.  With this blog, I depend on you to read it and give a thoughtful response so we can grow together in the Lord.

When the Swallows Come Back . . .

“Yes, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young” (Psalm 84:3)

Church members tell me that, like their fabled cousins of Capistrano, the barn swallows come back each spring. As Jeremiah the prophet said, they know their “appointed time.”

Rapidly darting blurs of color, they busily built a nest of mud and twigs under the eaves near the main church door. One Saturday, a work-day crew member knocked the nest from its perch with water from a carefully aimed hose and then washed away the debris. “That should take care of that,” he said.

It didn’t. A week later, on Sunday, worshipers noted the nest had been rebuilt. Again, a church member destroyed it.

Within a week, the industrious birds had built a third nest. This action put the birds on the church executive board’s agenda. Some objected to the way the birds decorated the wall beneath the nest. Others said the bird’s chatter during worship was distracting. Still others argued that, as God’s creatures, they were entitled to build a nest wherever they chose.

The nature-lovers carried the day. It was agreed the barn swallows should be left undisturbed and a notice to that effect was posted beneath the nest.

I suspect that if we kept destroying the nest, the dependable swallows would spend the entire summer starting over. They had chosen their spot and, like Jesus when he “steadfastly set his face to go up to Jerusalem,” they were not to be turned aside.

If there’s a bit of contemporary jargon the church can embrace and employ, it’s the phrase, “Hang in there.” Too many in the church give up too soon. “We tried that once and it didn’t work…” is an easy excuse. “I don’t think that will work with our people…” has stopped more than one good proposal on the launching pad. To a generation wired for fast food and quick results, the 19^th century poet’s admonition, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” is both quaint and antiquated. The words of Edison, after another failure in creating a filament for his envisioned light bulb – “but I know a thousand ways it CAN’T be done” – no longer challenge us.

Consider the Scriptures: “Who endures to the end, will be saved” (Matt. 24:13); “No one who puts hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62); “Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing your labor in the Lord is not wasted” (1 Cor. 15:58); “Do not be weary or lose heart in doing right” (2 Thess. 3:13); “Let us hold fast without wavering the hope we cherish…” (Heb. 10:23); “We count them happy who endure” (James 5:11); “[Do not] fall from your own steadfastness” (2 Peter 3:17); “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).

          Can God depend on you?  Give an example how God has depended on you or on someone you know.

          Can you depend on God?  Give an example of how you have depended on God.

From the Heart, Pastor Jeff

AVAILABILITY: Character Quality # 18

Joshua 24:14-15

"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Jonah didn’t make himself available – ended up in the belly of a fish

Made himself available and an entire city was spared destruction.

Moses didn’t make himself available and argued with a bush in the dessert

Made himself available and led a nation from slavery to the promised land.

No one in the Israelite army (including King Saul) made themselves available.

Little David made himself available and brought down the giant!

Can you think of other leaders who made themselves available and what the resilts were from such availability.  Not just those who went from unavailability to availability but those like Joseph who kept making himself available to whatever ways God would use him as a leader.  Or Joshua who made himself available and the walls came a tumblin’ down.

Joshua 24:15-18

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."    Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!  It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.  And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God."

From the Heart,

Pastor Jeff

ENDURANCE - Character Quality # 17

Sermon title for this week:  “Pastor to compete in Ironman Event”

The Ironman name has become synonymous with the pinnacle of athletic endurance. Ironman finishers proudly lay claim to being among the fittest athletes in the world.  Ironman events consist of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a 26.2 mile marathon run. The Ford Ironman World Championship is held in Kona, Hawaii every October.

Philippians 3:7-14

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

          Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

en·dur·ance     –noun

1.     the fact or power of enduring or bearing pain, hardships.

2.    the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions.

Proverbs 27:17     As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Jesus is the ultimate ironman, having had his hand and feet and side pierced with a metal object (like iron).  He endured the opposition of sinful men even to the point of death.  Jesus is the only one capable of leading us into the presence of almighty God.  He gained that ability by enduring.  To be successful in any area of life, to be the best leader you can be, you must be able to endure through all kinds of trials.  Name a leader who has not had to endure through struggles.  Consider how many people are not leaders because they lack this one Christ-like quality, the ability to endure.  People become a victim and everything wrong becomes someone else’s fault.  Those who would lead well have learned how to endure based on the fact that God has always seen them through before and know he will do it again.  No questions this week.  Just thoughts about leadership and endurance.  To endure or to give up – the choice is yours.  I pray you will endure and lead others to Jesus who will in turn lead them to our Father in Heaven!

From the Heart,  Pastor Jeff Cooper