8-27-17 Outlive your life!

Scripture:  Acts 2:14-21

“All the world’s a stage”

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.

1)  At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;

2)  And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school.

3)  And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. 4)  Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon’s mouth.

5)  And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lin’d, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part.

6)  The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound.

7)  Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion; Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

 (spoken by Jaques from As You Like It, by William Shakespeare)

How many years do you have to influence the world for Christ? I have officiated funerals for people from still born to 100 years old. Some of those are people that some would say – I know they aren’t a Christian – some, I think they believed in Jesus – some, they were a Christian – and still others, everyone knew this person had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If the greatest good we can do is to be a part in someone else’s salvation experience (going from eternal damnation to eternal life) then how many years, months, weeks, days, moments do we have to influence others for Jesus?  Is it possible, that we have the potential to influence others even beyond the number of our earthly days?

Easy example – When Billy Graham dies (he was the greatest evangelist of the 20^th century) will he still influence people beyond his life?  Of course – through video and books but mostly through all who came to faith at a Billy Graham crusade and the people who came to faith because of them. Another example: Gam Shae was my NT professor in seminary. He was born in Burma and can trace his spiritual conversion backwards through generations to a man named Adoniram Judson who was America’s first foreign missionary and landed in Burma July 13, 1813. 200 years after Judson’s death he influenced faith in Gam Shae who became a seminary professor in the US. Graham will outlive his life. Judson has and is outliving his life for Jesus.

Some of us don’t even let our family and friends know that we have put our trust in Jesus let alone do anything to influence others. That probably just caused most of us to fill up with a boat load of guilt. Don’t be dismayed – there is good news coming. Let’s examine our bible text for today.

Acts 2:14-21

(Pentecost with people amazed at speaking and hearing miracle and others think they are drunk)

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

          (quote - Joel 2:28-32) 17 "'In the last days, (Hebrews 1:1-3…in these last days) God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

God wants us growing at every stage of life. How we grew at age 10 will be different than our growth at age 27 or 42 or 78. What used to be ideals and vision now becomes hopes and dreams. What moved at break-neck speed and went from here to there now moves with consistency in a much straighter line. What we saw for our future we now see for the future of others. According to scripture in the OT prophet Joel and reaffirmed by Luke in the book of Acts, God uses young and old, male and female, and people of all social economic levels to influence others with the Good News of Jesus (aka The Gospel) knowing that “EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved!”

          God has already been pouring out His Spirit. We just need to remove the umbrella of fear to change, and let it rain. Let the HS grow us in new and different ways.

In this text – Peter has grown from one who would not stand up for his Lord…now stands at the front of the other 11 to preach the word to an unbelieving and skeptical crowd. He does this by the power of the Holy Spirit and the support of the church (other disciples). Peter gets their attention with the thought of the day – are these men drunk? And uses it to show them how proclaiming Jesus, and the beginning of the last days have begun.

In the year 1854, a 17-year-old boy was working in a shoe shop in Detroit. He didn't know Christ and had no interest in matters of spirituality or religion. But, he had been forced to go to Sunday school, (Today it is hard to get the parents to Sunday School – so the children follow their lead). One day, his Sunday school teacher went to the shoe shop where this boy was working and said, “Hey, I’m worried about you. I want to talk.” So, they went into the basement of the shoe store, where the Sunday school teacher led the young man to Christ. The Sunday school teacher’s name was Edward Kimball, and the 17-year-old boy’s name was D. L. Moody. We now know that he went on to become one of the greatest evangelists in the world, and he shared the gospel with 100 million people. And this was in the age before modern technology. Incredible! And of course, Moody also founded the Moody Bible Institute and Moody Memorial Church in Chicago. His name is well known in the Christian community, even today, more than a hundred years later.

Now, it’s kind of cool to see that Moody went on to influence a man named F.B. Meyer, a London pastor and an intellectual who never focused on Jesus. Meyer’s congregation told him that they wanted this newly famous evangelist, Moody, to come speak to them. So, Meyer reluctantly agreed to let his congregation bring in Moody.

Meyer, who had a lot of intellectual pride and was ashamed of the name of Jesus, invited Moody to do a revival in his church. When Moody showed up, Meyer immediately took a dislike to him. He didn’t like him because Moody was not well dressed, and because he only had a fifth-grade education.

Meyer had doctorates, and he was brilliant. So, he kind of looked down on Moody. But, Moody got up to preach in Meyer’s church and was anointed by the Holy Spirit. The power of God was upon him. And, as he spoke, he focused on Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

As such, hundreds upon hundreds of people came to faith in Jesus Christ that day from the pews of Meyer’s beloved church. Because of this, Meyer was embarrassed and consumed with jealousy. After the revival, Moody quietly left, leaving Meyer with his congregation and with his jealousy and anger.

Two weeks later, Meyer was talking with one of his Sunday school teachers, and the teacher said, “You know, I used to focus on all kinds of stuff and never focused on Jesus, but Moody taught me to focus on Jesus. So, I’ve been focusing on Jesus over these last two weeks and I want to tell you about this boy who accepted Jesus during my class.”

As he told the story, Meyer began to weep. The Holy Spirit broke through; he was convicted and supernaturally changed. For the rest of his life, he preached Jesus to all who would listen.

As the years went by, Meyer influenced J. Wilbur Chapman; J. Wilbur Chapman influenced Billy Sunday; then Billy Sunday influenced Mordecai Ham. And it was Mordecai Ham who led Billy Graham to Christ. Just like Gam Shae tracing his spiritual linage back, so too can someone like Billy Graham.

Now I have moved you from guilt to inferiority because you know you will not likely become A D L Moody, Billy Sunday and certainly not a Billy Graham. So, who was this message for? It was for anyone who can witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is who the bible says he is, that he was crucified and raised form the dead for our forgiveness and to prove he is the giver of life because you have had your own personal encounter with this same Jesus. You don’t have to be an author or preacher – you could be a Sunday School teacher, a short-term missionary, a financial contributor to the church, a prayer warrior, a friend in the name of Jesus, a caring listener or even a church usher. Watch this video and see what I mean.

Right Now Media Video

“Life Span”    (2:13)

CONCLUSION

          Do you still not see where you can outlive your life for Jesus? Let me finish the story I started about Billy Graham coming to faith during a tent revival meeting and I think you will see where you fit in without guilt or inferiority – but with joy and courage.

When Billy Graham did come to Christ through the preaching of Mordecai Ham, it was during a tent meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1936. Graham, born in 1920, was 16 years old, didn't know Christ, and was "sowing his oats," as many a young man is known to do. He had a 16-year-old buddy, and they were just hanging out when they thought, “Hey, let's go into this tent and hear what this whacko has to say.”

So, they were just clowning around when they went into that tent. Once inside, they realized that there was no room for them; they couldn’t find any seats. So, Billy said to his buddy, “Let's get out of here.” As they turned to leave, an usher standing there saw them and said, “Hey, guys.” He put his big arms around their shoulders and said, “You know, hey, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Let me take you to a seat.” So, the usher took them to a seat and the rest is history.

Billy Graham found Jesus that night, and he went on to take Jesus to the world. That usher could never have known how God was using him that night through his simple yet faithful service.

So, serve Christ, knowing that it might be a mystery--what God is doing through you. The power of God attends the grace of the Gospel. So, be faithful.

8-20-17 Who is your neighbor?

Scripture:  Luke 10:25-37

          News coverage and Social Media have a had a firestorm the past couple weeks concerning racism. Those who fly under the banner of white supremisist,  neo-Nazis or the Ku Klux Klan and who also call themselves Christian are biblically misinformed.

1 John 4:20-21   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.

          Ashland’s 2017 Theme is “God’s Social Network – the Bible” Nearly every page of the Bible (which is God’s written form of Social Media – how he communicates with us) speaks about our relationship with God exhibited through our relationship with others. How we speak and act toward others is a reflection of how we love – or fail to love God.

Luke 10:25-37

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27 He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

          Who is my neighbor? The one who needs my help.

Interesting that this teacher combined the same two laws that Jesus did when Jesus said, Matt 22:37-40 "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

James 2:8-9

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Rom 12:3-4

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Phil 2:3-4

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.

What does loving your neighbor look like in scripture?

Lev 19:9-18

"'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.

"'Do not steal.

"'Do not lie.

"'Do not deceive one another.

"'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

"'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him.

"'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.

"'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.

"'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

"'Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

"'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the Lord.

"'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.

18 "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Lev 19:34

The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

          During my last two years of college I pastored the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Penelope Texas. It was there that I first encountered "colored town." My wife Julie and I were driving around one Sunday afternoon visiting people to invite them to come to our church. We drove down a dirt road we’d never been on before, crested a hill we’d never noticed before, and spread out before us was Penelope’s "colored town."

          I was shocked. I didn’t know Penelope had a "colored town!" We were delighted-a whole new set of prospects for our little congregation! We had a wonderful time playing with the children, petting the dogs, talking with people and drinking cokes in the kitchen.

          Several hours later it was time to depart. We had an evening church service to lead. Mr. Green, our deacon (we only had one) was standing on the church steps waiting for us. “We hear you’ve been to colored town,” he said. “Those people aren’t welcome here.”

          “OK,” I said.

          I suppose that there are two ways to handle racism. One is to climb on a “high horse” and angrily judge and condemn those obviously racist. The other is to take time to work on their hearts.

          I chose the latter. In fact, I set a goal. Every year our church sponsored “Vacation Bible School”. For two weeks each summer children came every morning for fun, games, crafts and Bible lessons. Bible School for this year had just ended. I decided that next year the colored children would be welcomed.

          So, I preached compassion and love and acceptance—and worked on our hearts. One year later eleven African-American children attended our Bible school. Mrs. Beard was one of our Vacation Bible School teachers. The next Sunday two African-American families came to worship with us in or church. No one turned them away. In fact, the fellowship we had was sweet.

What about you? Does your heart beat with the heartbeat of God who loves ALL people? DO you know people who hate others and need a heart adjustment? Do you love yourself? Most hatred toward others comes from a hatred of ourselves which we turn outward to mistakenly protect ourselves. God expects us to love ourselves, and love our neighbors in the same way.

Always remember – God had every right to be prejudiced toward us – we rejected his ways and put ourselves on the throne where only he belongs. Rom 5:8 God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

8-13-17 Shhhh! Don’t tell Anyone!

Scripture:  Acts 1:6-11

VIDEO: Secret Agent

DRAMA: Secret Agent live (Hat, sunglasses, briefcase/Jesus sign)

Acts 1:6-11

So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

DEAD GIRL RAISED – Two Views

Aunt Pam died (SLIDES: Prayers on facebook) – what would we do if we just heard she came back to life?

JAIRUS & WOMAN WHO TOUCHED THE HEM OF JESUS GARMENT

Luke 8:54-56

But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!"  55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

HOWEVER – same story look how it ends in Matthew…

Matt 9:25-26

…After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.

Look at the story in the next verse:  TWO BLIND MEN

Matt 9:27-31

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this."  But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

LEPROSY

Mark 1:40-45

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"  Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."  45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

THERE IS AN ORDER TO ALL THINGS:

Matt 17:9-13 (The Transfiguration)

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

(Don’t tell now – tell when I am gone)

IRONY: TELLING THE HEALED MUTE NOT TO TALK

Mark 7:32-37

Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!"). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

HEROD: LOOKING FOR A MIRACLE WORKER NOT FOR A SAVIOR

Luke 23:8-9

When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle.

CONCLUSION

LEGION: GO AND TELL!

Luke 8:38-39

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

DRAMA: SECRET REVEALED (put on glasses and hat and open brief case)

8-6-17 An altar inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD

Scripture:  Acts 17:22-34

THE ALTAR by Ray Boltz

The service is nearing an end, The choir is singing, 'Just As I Am'

And now as the old song is played

People at the altar are kneeling down to pray

Some are finding mercy, Forgiveness for their sin

Some are fighting battles, And they're struggling to win

The time has come, To give them to the Lord, That's what the altar is for

A father is praying with his son

A mother kneels beside them thanking God they've come

An old man is standing there in tears

Giving up a part of him that he's held back for years

Hearts are being broken, Lives are being changed

And those who call upon Him will never be the same

The time has come to give in to the Lord

That's what this altar is for (CHORUS LATER)

The Apostle Paul was once in Athens Greece where there more altars to the gods then anywhere else in the world. An old Greek philosopher wrote some time before Paul’s day, “In Athens it is easier to find a god than a man.” Images were everywhere; not only representations of all the gods of the various countries that made up what we call Greece, but the gods adored by Asiatics, Egyptians, Romans, and peoples from far-distant lands. Practically every false deity worshiped on earth could be found in Athens, and yet this was the educational center of the world. There were different schools of philosophy where great teachers lectured on the folly of idolatry and taught their adherents to scorn the superstitions of the less cultured strata of society. But these philosophers had nothing to offer in the place of the idolatry they scorned. They were simply theorists philosophizing as to the nature of the universe and man, but with no certainty of anything because they were without any divine revelation.

          So, in to this atmosphere we find Paul who is waiting on Silas and Timothy to join him there. He has spoken in the synogogues and in the streets and has been invited to speak to the leaders of this religious melting pot. They are always interested in hearing what is new. Some had heard him preach of Jesus and the resurrection and thought that he spoke of two new gods of whom they had never heard, for they took the expression “resurrection,” which in Greek is Anastasis, to be the name of a god! Therefore, they invited him to go up to Mars Hill, or the Areopagus, where the philosophers were accustomed to presenting their teachings, and there tell them what the new doctrine was of which he had been speaking.

Acts 17:22-34

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. (KJV incorrectly uses ‘superstitious’ – Paul would not have begun by offending them) 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. (Obviously someone did not want to offend any gods who might have been left out – covering all the bases – this sounds very much like current day America – worship anything you want and offend none. Paul was not deterred and used this to his advantage) Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' 29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone — an image made by man's design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33 At that, Paul left the Council. (At this point it would seem that Paul faced defeat – however…) 34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Amazing Altar Stories

The transjordon tribes

Elijah and the prophets of Baal

Abraham and Isaac

My personal Altar Story: Nov 4, 1974 and other times.

The physical altar space gives our spirit a reference point for coming to the altar of our heart. The symbol is not sacred – what takes place in you – at the altar of your heart is sacred.

Ps 51:1-11

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

That's what this altar is for

You don't have to carry those burdens anymore

There's a light in the darkness, there's a love that's true

And Jesus is waiting, He is waiting here for you

Go quickly now, before they close the door

That's what the altar is for

7-30-17 At many Times and in Various Ways

Scripture:  Ephesians 2:19-22

Hebrews 1:1-3a

In the past (before our time) God spoke to our ancestors (people in our faith family who died before we were born) through the prophets (who were the prophets?) at many times and in various ways, (God uses the personality and skills of different people to proclaim His word) but in these last days (we are still 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.  (The prophets were imperfect messengers of God’s word in that they revealed a small part of God’s word whereas the Son reveals all of God’s word…according to John, Jesus is God’s word…made flesh)

          The prophets were ordinary people called by God to speak on his behalf. They were passionate about the living God and many gave their life for His purpose. You don’t have to go back 3000 years to see people with such passion:

Maximilian Kolbe (Polish Franciscan, died at Auschwitz), 1941

Edith Stein (Carmelite nun, died at Auschwitz), 1942

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (April 9, 1945) Lutheran Pastor and member of the German Resistance

Wang Zhiming (1907 - December 29, 1973) Chinese pastor, publicly executed

Martin Burnham, 2002 missionary killed by terrorists after being held captive for a year.

Jacques Hamel – Priest killed in the 2016 Normandy church attack.

So too, many of the prophets died for their faith in God. How then can we take our faith or leave it? How can it be such an easy thing for us? Why do we (I) seek comfort more than the cross of Christ?

          Who are the Prophets?

SLIDES FOR EACH SECTION BELOW:

Old Testament Prophets

Major Prophets

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel

Minor Prophets

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Other Prophets

Elijah, Elisha, Gad, Micaiah, Nathan, Samuel

New Testament Prophets

John the Baptist, John the Revelator, Agubus, Anna, Barnabas, Paul the Apostle

What is the role of a prophet?         Deuteronomy 18:18-20

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

God speaks to us through the prophets      Hosea 12:1

I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them."

God reveals His plans to the prophets.     Amos 3:7

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

Why did God send prophets?         2 Chronicles 24:19, NKJV.

“Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the LORD; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.”

The gift of prophecy is intended to build up the church and unify it.  Ephesians 4:11-13, NKJV. "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;"

Jesus didn’t come to get rid of the law and the prophets, rather to reveal all of it perfected and complete: Matt 5:17-20   "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Luke 18:31-33

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."

Acts 10:42

All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Acts 28:24-25

From morning till evening Paul explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.

Ephesians 2:19-22

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

          As a church we are to be a prophet of God and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ through everything we do – through our programs, our worship, our service and through the lives of each individual believer.

Elijah and the widow of Zarephath / Rich man in hell – Lazurus and Abraham

Luke 16:27-31   "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

CORNERSTONE

My hope is built on nothing less / Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame / But wholly trust in Jesus' name

When Darkness seems to hide His face / I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale / My anchor holds within the veil

Christ alone; cornerstone / Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord / Lord of all

7-23-17 Tent Camping…with Jesus!

10 pics 01-10 / 3 seconds each (transition from song to preaching as I walk to the platform)

Scripture:      2 Corinthians 5:1-5

Who has ever been tent camping?

As a kid, we used to tent camp at Kelly’s Island with my dad.

As a youth, I tent camped a few times.

As an adult, I have not done tent camping much. When I was a youth pastor in Kansas City we went tent camping in the Ozark mountains – it was so cold Kim stayed in the van.

Camping in a tent can be miserable – or it can be wonderful…it brings you closer to nature, and closer…literally to your family or friends.

It seems God enjoyed tent camping and that style of camping (not like todays’ popular glamping which is glamorous/camping), but the simplicity of a tent is where God seems to relate to us. It is also a perfect way for understanding our theme text:

Hebrews 1:1-3a

In the past God spoke to our ancestors 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.     

          The omni-present or Everywhere present God – came to a specific people/person (Jews/Moses), at a specific time (Over 3400 years ago), in a specific place (foot of Mt. Sanai = Gulf of Suez & Aquaba)…a tent.

          Before there was a formal Tabernacle – Moses had a simple tent where he met with God:

Exodus 33:7-11

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting." Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. (Ex 13:21-22 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. [Pillar is designed to hold up a building – temple of God / Were these pillars man made or divine?]) Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Tents of Israel pic Notice that the people all lived in a tent – and God was showing that he came to them in a form that is understandable yet miraculous – a miracle pillar of fire and cloud but also residing in a tent even as they did.  As the community moved toward the promised land and had an understanding that God came to live among them – God instructed Moses to have them build Him a more permanent Sacred Tent called the “Tabernacle”. mishkan: dwelling place, tabernacle. 

RNM – the tabernacle video 3:00 minutes

          God was serious about “tabernacling” dwelling with the people in a way that was familiar to them – in a tent.  As the video said, this lasted until David – through his son Solomon, built the first more permanent Temple – designed very much like, and for the same purpose as the mobile tabernacle – it was a sacred tent made from stone, wood and gold instead of canvas. The pillar of smoke and fire were no longer present, but the shekinah glory of God still rested in the holy of holies.

          When the Babylonians destroyed the temple, Ezekiel describes it as the glory of the Lord leaving the scene (tent) and going back to heaven. The Greek word skenoo used in John 1:14 literally means “to pitch a tent.” In Greek, the word for tent is skene — which is the word from which we get our English word, scene. Early Greek actors used tents as changing booths for their performances; and eventually, when scenic backdrops were used for their plays, the same word was applied. Over time the word skene began to be applied to any scenic background, and hence the word scene has come down to us with that meaning.

This word skene (tent) is the very word used in the New Testament to refer to the tabernacle of God used by Israel in their early worship of God. In the Greek NT therefore, the word translated “tabernacle” is skene — “the tent” The writer of the book of Hebrews calls it “the true tent [skene] that the Lord set up” (Hebrews 8:2).

Hundreds of years later God returns to pitch his tent – this time not made with human hands but God himself in the flesh. John wrote that the glory of God had come back—this time in a new tent — in the body of Jesus Christ. “…and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father…” (John 1:14). God’s presence was bound by a little tent outside the camp to a larger tabernacle to the temple – all mere representations of the true tabernacle/tent – Jesus himself.

Now the Mt. of transfiguration makes sense – When Moses and Elijah appear to Peter James and John = Peter wants to build TENTS for them to stay in so they can worship them. However – a “cloud” appears and hides Moses, Elijah and Jesus form their view and God says: “This is my son, worship him” and the cloud is gone and only Jesus remains.

And what did Paul say? (who was BTW a...“tent” maker)  2 Cor 5:1-5  Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Spoke thru prophets in the past – now thru his son – the old tent / the new tent!

CONCLUSION

          We began talking about that first TENT where Moses met with God. Do you remember where it was located?  Exodus 33:7  Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting."

          Now we know that God has tented among us in Jesus – where do we meet Jesus?  Hebrews 13:11-14   The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

7-16-17 Is it time for a reboot?

Scripture:     John 21:15-19

TITLE SLIDE:

Does your PC not seem to run as well as it once did? Wait – you thought I meant Personal Computer – NO – Presence of Christ. Is the presence of Christ not what it once was? Are you like the first church mentioned in the book of Revelation – the church of Ephesus? Rev 2:2-5  I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

          You have gone to church for many years and you serve in several areas but you feel burnt out – spiritually lethargic – uninspired? Well, sounds like a case of a lost first love. We will come back to this text in a little bit to find a solution to our situation.

There are not a lot of examples in the NT of a reboot because it does not cover enough time, though there are some. The OT is full of reboots.  Adam and Eve sinned, they had to reboot in a new location outside of paradise. Cain killed able, God gave Adam and Eve Seth and other children. God hated how His creation was living and he killed them all except his Noah reboot team. God’s people were enslaved in Egypt and God gave them a reboot right through the Red sea across the Jordan River and into the Promised land. When the people offended God, He was always raising up a remnant to reboot the Hebrew people to be in right relationship with Him. While the Jews were in Exile, Jerusalem was in shambles and God used Nehemiah to reboot the city, and restore the word of God.

The best reboot example in the NT is Peter. As predicted by Jesus, he denied even knowing Jesus - 3 times. After the resurrection, during breakfast on the beach Jesus reboots a discouraged failed Simon Peter. John 21:15-19 (Not this text on a slide)

When they had finished eating,

Jesus: "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

Peter: "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus: "Feed my lambs." "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

Peter: "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus: "Take care of my sheep." "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter: (hurt Jesus asked him the third time) "Lord, you know all things; you know that I

            love you."

Jesus: "Feed my sheep. " (3 times denied – 3 times rebooted) Jesus accentuated the reboot by using the exact same two words he had used to call Jesus in the beginning): "Follow me!"

Sometimes long term Social Networks (relationships) need a reboot. The only way they get rebooted is when you do something different – not when you wait for someone else to do something different.

Computer Reboot may refer to any of the following:

A reboot is the process of restarting a working computer using hardware (e.g. a power button) instead of software. Rebooting is sometimes necessary after installing a software program, installing operating system updates, to recover from an error, or to re-initialize drivers or hardware devices.

A HARD reboot vs. a SOFT reboot

A reboot may be a cold or hard reboot, which means the power was physically shut off and then turned back on. It can also be a warm or soft reboot, which means the system restarted without loss of power.

Note: Users should only perform a hard reboot if the computer is completely frozen, as it may damage hardware components.

          Spiritually speaking we only need a hard reboot one time. God started us up and we used our own intelligence to determine how our life should be and we were not living by God’s way – we lived without faith in Christ. In that case, we need a complete shutdown to allow the bad stuff to go away (that is called forgiveness and cleansing). Then we are restarted or rebooted with everything aligned for a fresh start. To not get sluggish again this may require a change of friends, location, external situations.

Or maybe you are just a bit distant and need a soft reboot requiring a change of thoughts, attitudes and perspectives. This is the person in the church who has been a Christian for awhile and the Christian life has simply become routine. Church attendance, worship, financial giving, bible reading, prayer time, fellowship, are less than they were at first. Inviting people to New Life in Christ or even inviting people to church has taken a distant back seat. If any of those are true – it is time for a soft reboot – you don’t need unplugged or completed shut down, because your hardware is working fine – it is your software that needs rebooted – your thoughts, attitudes, perspective – it is time to regain your first love with the passion you had at first.

          Over time churches can get tired, lethargic and distant from God and may require a hard reboot (like FBC Jerome) or a soft reboot where some reorganization is needed.

          Every church will need some kind of reboot at least every 10 years, if not sooner.  10 years ago, Ashland Church rebooted by making a major change in location, and now we are ready for another reboot which is why we are going through the church Unique process. Insanity is to keep doing the same things in the same way and expect different results.

In his book "Crazy Love", Francis Chan put it this way: people who truly follow Jesus care about the Kingdom, live lives that connect with the poor, do things that don't make sense in terms of worldly success or wealth, will seek humility not recognition, take joy in loving people, will be known as givers, not takers, will orient their lives around eternity; and will be characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God.

Isn't choosing to be changed an absolute necessity of entering into God's Kingdom? Cardinal Newman once said: "to live is to change, and to live well is to change often." In other words, if we always do what we've always done, we will always get what we've always gotten.

The culture around us is not changing to make church growth and evangelism easy – in fact it is always working to make it harder. As the culture changes – our methods and systems and procedures must ALWAYS be changing founded on the unchanging Word of God and Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!

3 REBOOT STORIES [FOCUS ON JESUS]

1               James & John (Salome) Sit at your right and left hand in heaven.

2               Peter walk on water

3               Thomas needs to see nail holes in Jesus’ hands

Jesus said (SLIDE) “Follow Me”