February 28th one of the associate pastors (Jon) delivered the message. The message was about Paul's first missionary journey and why we have missionaries today. Our message went over Acts 13 and 14 where Paul and Barnabas were sent out to spread the Word. We talked about why people don't like missionaries and the dangers. Who do we think we are to take our faith to people who already have their beliefs? What about tolerance?
The thing with Christianity is that it claims to be true and for everybody. How do we know what is right, wrong and the Truth? The easy way to look at things is to say that it just matters if you believe in something. But then what about murder? Is it wrong, even regardless of what someone believes? How can all religions be true?
We need something outside of ourselves. God reveals Himself to us in the Bible. He speaks to us through the Bible. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." Life is found in Jesus. The things that set Christianity apart from other religions are: Jesus, God's grace and us getting what we DON'T deserve.
Paul was compelled by grace to tell the story of Jesus and God's grace. God longs to be close to us, personal and part of our story. He is an infinite and personal creator that likes to speak to His creation.
So, why missionaries? Missionaries are not taking Jesus somewhere He hasn't already been. God is way to big for that. He has been getting the Word out in ways we can't even imagine. It's our privilege, not duty to get His story out.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Importance of Prayer
February 21st (week 13), we discussed Acts 11. Peter went to Jerusalem to explains his actions. In Acts 12:1, Herod Agrippa 1 arrested someone from the church to persecute. James (one of the original 12 disciples) was put to death by the sword. In Acts 12:4, Herod proceeded to arrest Peter during Passover. In Acts 12:5 it says the church was praying for him. In Acts 12:7 an angel of the Lord woke Peter up (while in prison, chained to 2 guards). In 1 Peter 5:7, Peter says to cast all anxiety on Him. The angel appeared to Peter the night before he was to be executed. The chains immediately fell off Peter. After 1 street / block, the angel left and Peter realized he was out of prison. He went to the house of Mary (mother of John Mark), where they were having a prayer meeting - praying for God to rescue Peter. In Acts 12:13-17 Peter knocks on the door. They think it must be an angel when Rhoda (the servant girl) tells them Peter is at the door. When they open the door, Peter tells them the story and tells them to get word to James (the half brother of Jesus). We read about Peter one more time in Acts 15. We don't know where he goes, just that he goes to another place.
In Acts 12:18-19, the guards are executed because they can't find Peter. In Acts 12:19-23, Herod went from Judea to Caesarea where the people give praise to him. Herod is eaten by worms and dies (since he did not give praise to God). A 1st century historian named Josephus (who is not a fan of Christianity) acknowledges that Herod suffers for 5 days with round worm. He basically vomits worms and then dies. In Acts 12:24 it says the Word of God increased and spread.
We discussed: what is the point / theme / moral of this story? Good guys win in the end, God is in charge, prayer works. What bothered us about the story? If the people were praying for James and Peter, why did James die and Peter didn't? Why did God take so long to bail Peter out of jail? He waited until the night before Peter was to be executed. We talked about how when God says "not yet" it feels like "not ever." Why did James die and not Peter? Because sometimes God says no to our prayers. Sometimes it is on us (Psalm 66:18). We talked about how we can be praying to God for something, yet harboring sin or how we can be asking God for something out of our own motives / agenda. Sometimes we will not know why God says no. We will understand when we get to the other side of eternity. We have to trust God's character. God doesn't always reveal His grand design, but He will always reveal Himself.
What would life be like if God gave us everything we asked for the second we asked for it? It would be chaotic. We would be like spoiled, rotten 2 year olds. We wouldn't understand the words "no" and "wait" and we would think we were the center of the universe. We wouldn't grow, mature or deepen. Faith is like a muscle. The recovery phase rebuilds us to be stronger and more stable. What God does in us while we wait is just as important as what we are waiting for. During these times, we need to cling to Him and pray to Him. We need to be anxious for nothing and pray for everything. Have faith, confidence in God.
We have a problem with blaming God for everything, yet not giving Him credit for anything. We get so used to the chains / prisons we are in and don't notice we are free. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been set free, you have been ransomed. Your chains are gone.
We discussed the difference between Buddhism and Christianity (since during the previous week Tiger Woods had a conference about his affair and referenced Buddhism). Buddhism says you suffer because you desire. Quench your desires and follow the 8 fold path. It is up to you, there is no god. Christianity says we are not on our own. God knows us by name and wants to help us. God's heart is good and His plan is best. We should pray and listen to God.
There is a God and the prayers of a righteous person do matter. Prayer is how we should live our life when we are in the in-between times.
At the end of service, we had prayer and reflection time.
In Acts 12:18-19, the guards are executed because they can't find Peter. In Acts 12:19-23, Herod went from Judea to Caesarea where the people give praise to him. Herod is eaten by worms and dies (since he did not give praise to God). A 1st century historian named Josephus (who is not a fan of Christianity) acknowledges that Herod suffers for 5 days with round worm. He basically vomits worms and then dies. In Acts 12:24 it says the Word of God increased and spread.
We discussed: what is the point / theme / moral of this story? Good guys win in the end, God is in charge, prayer works. What bothered us about the story? If the people were praying for James and Peter, why did James die and Peter didn't? Why did God take so long to bail Peter out of jail? He waited until the night before Peter was to be executed. We talked about how when God says "not yet" it feels like "not ever." Why did James die and not Peter? Because sometimes God says no to our prayers. Sometimes it is on us (Psalm 66:18). We talked about how we can be praying to God for something, yet harboring sin or how we can be asking God for something out of our own motives / agenda. Sometimes we will not know why God says no. We will understand when we get to the other side of eternity. We have to trust God's character. God doesn't always reveal His grand design, but He will always reveal Himself.
What would life be like if God gave us everything we asked for the second we asked for it? It would be chaotic. We would be like spoiled, rotten 2 year olds. We wouldn't understand the words "no" and "wait" and we would think we were the center of the universe. We wouldn't grow, mature or deepen. Faith is like a muscle. The recovery phase rebuilds us to be stronger and more stable. What God does in us while we wait is just as important as what we are waiting for. During these times, we need to cling to Him and pray to Him. We need to be anxious for nothing and pray for everything. Have faith, confidence in God.
We have a problem with blaming God for everything, yet not giving Him credit for anything. We get so used to the chains / prisons we are in and don't notice we are free. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been set free, you have been ransomed. Your chains are gone.
We discussed the difference between Buddhism and Christianity (since during the previous week Tiger Woods had a conference about his affair and referenced Buddhism). Buddhism says you suffer because you desire. Quench your desires and follow the 8 fold path. It is up to you, there is no god. Christianity says we are not on our own. God knows us by name and wants to help us. God's heart is good and His plan is best. We should pray and listen to God.
There is a God and the prayers of a righteous person do matter. Prayer is how we should live our life when we are in the in-between times.
At the end of service, we had prayer and reflection time.
Jesus Widens The Circle
February 14th (week 12) we started out discussing what a circle represents to us or makes us think about. People said things like the world, geometry, smiley faces, donuts, the Olympics, who's in / who's out, who's not allowed / not welcomed. The pastor talked about how many times once we are inside the circle, we make sure that others stay outside. This fits into Acts, the story of the church, specifically Acts 10 where Jesus widens the circle.
In Acts 10:1-2, which takes place in Caesarea (65 miles northwest of Jerusalem) we see God speaking to Cornelius, a Roman centurion / officer (a Gentile) who was a God fearing man, a religious man trying to understand God. God fearing does not mean terror or fear, it is simply understanding that God is God and you are not. God speaks to Cornelius in a supernatural way through a vision - find Peter (a Jew and leader of the early Jesus movement). There was a wall up. It was Jews vs. the Gentiles. The Jews were God's chosen people, the beacon for the rest of the world. But because of what Jesus did, all old lines / walls are gone! God widens the circle in Acts 10:9-10. Peter is in a trance / has a vision about food (unclean and clean animals). God told Peter to eat up. Peter was repulsed because the clean animals were "guilty by association" since they were with the unclean animals. 3 times God tells Peter to eat up. Peter resisted and tries correcting God. This vision is about more than just food. This is more about the people that make Peter gag or repulse him. Peter thinks these people are unclean. God says what's clean and unclean, not man.
In Acts 10:17-18, 19-20, 23 Peter invites Gentiles to his house. In Acts 10:25-26, Cornelius bows to Peter and Peter tells him to stand up "I am just a man." In Acts 10:34-35, we see that God does not show favoritism. He accepts anyone who fears Him and does what is right. In Acts 10:36-37, Peter tells the story of Jesus. In Acts 10:43, we are told that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. In Acts 10:45, the Gentiles are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. God widens the circle.
Do we interfere with what God is trying to do by building up our own circle, by coming up with our own rules, by say what matters or doesn't matter? Who are the Gentiles in your own life? Who makes you squirm? Who's inside and outside of your circle? How do you keep them at bay?
We discussed people we felt were outside of our circle. Here are some things people came up with: liars, alcoholics, sex offenders, abusers, judgers, Mormons, Muslims, non-believers, liberals, conservatives, evolutionists, oddballs. (By the way, I am not saying that any of these people are out of Jesus' circle or that I feel they are out of the circle, these are the names / groups, etc that came up during the discussion. This is not for me to say. God is the judge. He decides.) It's an "us" in the circle vs. "them" outside the circle. How are "these people" allowed in the circle? We can't define who's in or who's out of the circle. We can't define that by the way people vote. We can't hide behind Scripture / the Bible when it's not in there. If there is not a clear answer in the Bible, then we need to seek His guidance and live by God's grace. We discussed listening to rock music and dancing and how sometimes that is seen as a sin. We discussed alcohol and how the Bible does not say you can't drink. It does say that drunkenness and alcoholism is a sin. The only way to get in "the circle" is by grace and the cross. Who are we to tighten the circle?
We closed the service by singing "Amazing Grace". What a powerful moment!
In Acts 10:1-2, which takes place in Caesarea (65 miles northwest of Jerusalem) we see God speaking to Cornelius, a Roman centurion / officer (a Gentile) who was a God fearing man, a religious man trying to understand God. God fearing does not mean terror or fear, it is simply understanding that God is God and you are not. God speaks to Cornelius in a supernatural way through a vision - find Peter (a Jew and leader of the early Jesus movement). There was a wall up. It was Jews vs. the Gentiles. The Jews were God's chosen people, the beacon for the rest of the world. But because of what Jesus did, all old lines / walls are gone! God widens the circle in Acts 10:9-10. Peter is in a trance / has a vision about food (unclean and clean animals). God told Peter to eat up. Peter was repulsed because the clean animals were "guilty by association" since they were with the unclean animals. 3 times God tells Peter to eat up. Peter resisted and tries correcting God. This vision is about more than just food. This is more about the people that make Peter gag or repulse him. Peter thinks these people are unclean. God says what's clean and unclean, not man.
In Acts 10:17-18, 19-20, 23 Peter invites Gentiles to his house. In Acts 10:25-26, Cornelius bows to Peter and Peter tells him to stand up "I am just a man." In Acts 10:34-35, we see that God does not show favoritism. He accepts anyone who fears Him and does what is right. In Acts 10:36-37, Peter tells the story of Jesus. In Acts 10:43, we are told that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. In Acts 10:45, the Gentiles are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. God widens the circle.
Do we interfere with what God is trying to do by building up our own circle, by coming up with our own rules, by say what matters or doesn't matter? Who are the Gentiles in your own life? Who makes you squirm? Who's inside and outside of your circle? How do you keep them at bay?
We discussed people we felt were outside of our circle. Here are some things people came up with: liars, alcoholics, sex offenders, abusers, judgers, Mormons, Muslims, non-believers, liberals, conservatives, evolutionists, oddballs. (By the way, I am not saying that any of these people are out of Jesus' circle or that I feel they are out of the circle, these are the names / groups, etc that came up during the discussion. This is not for me to say. God is the judge. He decides.) It's an "us" in the circle vs. "them" outside the circle. How are "these people" allowed in the circle? We can't define who's in or who's out of the circle. We can't define that by the way people vote. We can't hide behind Scripture / the Bible when it's not in there. If there is not a clear answer in the Bible, then we need to seek His guidance and live by God's grace. We discussed listening to rock music and dancing and how sometimes that is seen as a sin. We discussed alcohol and how the Bible does not say you can't drink. It does say that drunkenness and alcoholism is a sin. The only way to get in "the circle" is by grace and the cross. Who are we to tighten the circle?
We closed the service by singing "Amazing Grace". What a powerful moment!
Change Is Hard
February 7th, we talked about change. Change is hard. It's hard because it doesn't happen fast enough. We want change now. We talked about repenting and how Saul was an enemy of Jesus. After his conversion, Saul says that he is not in charge, Jesus is. Acts 26 is Saul's (Paul's) own account of his story. God puts people, places, conversations, situations in our lives to get our attention. God will be there for us today, tomorrow, always. Christians live in the real world. They will suffer. Life doesn't get easier just because we are Christians. It gets better because we have hope. In Acts 9:19-20, Paul is preaching in the synagogues, telling that Jesus is the son of God. At first people aren't buying it, but he gets more convincing. The Jews decide to have him killed. Paul finds himself trapped inside Damascus (guards were at all exits). His friends lower him out of the city and he makes his way to Jerusalem.
Acts 9 is the story of Christianity. Galatians 1 is the story of Paul. If we wedge them together we can find Paul's timeline: Conversion, Synagogue, Arabia (desert), Damascus, Jerusalem - over 3 years time. Why does Paul go to Arabia? We can't do this alone. God was preparing Paul while in the desert (Arabia). In the desert is where we grow strong and realize what matters most. "Sometimes you don't realize that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you got."
In Acts 11, after Paul's 3 years in the desert, he spends 10 years in Asia. When Paul goes back to Jerusalem, they think he is a traitor. Barnabas steps up and takes a risk for Paul. Barnabas is an encourager.
When we are in the desert, God is there. Followers of Jesus are not alone. God is working in us while in the desert. God can change us while we are in the desert. Jesus is working in our heart while we wait. The desert is where the makeover happens.
This message made me think of times when I have felt I was in the desert and how God changed me. When was the last time you were in the desert? How did God change you or prepare your heart?
Acts 9 is the story of Christianity. Galatians 1 is the story of Paul. If we wedge them together we can find Paul's timeline: Conversion, Synagogue, Arabia (desert), Damascus, Jerusalem - over 3 years time. Why does Paul go to Arabia? We can't do this alone. God was preparing Paul while in the desert (Arabia). In the desert is where we grow strong and realize what matters most. "Sometimes you don't realize that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you got."
In Acts 11, after Paul's 3 years in the desert, he spends 10 years in Asia. When Paul goes back to Jerusalem, they think he is a traitor. Barnabas steps up and takes a risk for Paul. Barnabas is an encourager.
When we are in the desert, God is there. Followers of Jesus are not alone. God is working in us while in the desert. God can change us while we are in the desert. Jesus is working in our heart while we wait. The desert is where the makeover happens.
This message made me think of times when I have felt I was in the desert and how God changed me. When was the last time you were in the desert? How did God change you or prepare your heart?
Accepting Grace
January 31st, we went through Acts 8 and 9. We talked about what a hero or superhero is and which superheros come to our minds. We talked about saints and what the Bible says about them. They are followers of Jesus. In Acts 8, we are introduced to Saul (who will later be called Paul) who was present at the stoning of Stephen's death. Saul was a Christian, Roman citizen, from Tarsus, spoke Greek, Aramaic, and Latin, and was a Jew. He was part of the group that dragged Stephen out of the city to stone him. Acts 8:1 says he approved of Stephen's death. Acts 8:1-3 says Saul began destroying the church. Later in Acts 26:9-10, we see that he thought he was doing right. When we get sucked into religion, we think we are doing God's work. In Acts 9:3-4, Saul falls off his horse and God asks "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" God knows us by name. He knows us so well he knows the number of hairs on our head. Saul says he saw someone and asked who was speaking to him. It was Jesus. This experience left Saul without sight. Acts 9:9 says he was blinded for 3 days. In Acts 9:10-11, God called Ananias (a disciple) to go and heal Saul. Acts 9:18 says that Saul sees through grace healed eyes.
What does this story have to do with us? It gives us hope that we can change. We are saved from our pasts. We get to know God in spite of what we do, not because of what we do. We need to learn how to accept this grace, accept that there is a God that knows us by name and accept that we are forgiven.
What does this story have to do with us? It gives us hope that we can change. We are saved from our pasts. We get to know God in spite of what we do, not because of what we do. We need to learn how to accept this grace, accept that there is a God that knows us by name and accept that we are forgiven.
It's Not About Religion
About a month ago, I went through the podcasts from our sermons / teachings from weeks 9-11 (January 24th, 31sth and February 7th).
January 24th started the series on Acts called When the World Changed (pt. 2). Acts was written by Luke, a physician and historian. It is his 2nd volume. He wrote Luke and Acts. Luke is volume 1 and is the story of Jesus. Acts is volume 2 and about the followers of Jesus. We reviewed Acts 6-7, which is a story about grace and the story about Stephen. People were gossiping about Stephen because they didn't like him / what he had to say. We talked about gossip and how that is the devil's game. It is a tool of the evil one. The Sanhedrin brought Stephen up on charges. He answers to these charges and says it is not about religion, it is about God meeting us (through Jesus). We talked about the trap of religion (God is in a sacred place. He is here -in the temple, but not here). God can not be contained (this was spoken to Abraham in Mesopotamia). He is bigger than a place or a land. God will meet you where you are.
We want a god that is tangible. We love objects. We use objects as symbols and that's OK, but they are not Jesus. We should not worship objects. Objects that connect us to God can be dangerous (because they sometimes end up being worshipped).
We talked about things people get hung up on (specifically at our church) - the way our pastor dresses (he does not wear a tie), music at church, creative / fun things done at church or during the messages. It's not about the music, the pastor, the people, acts we do, good deeds, pet projects as those are our golden cows (idolatry). Church will not save you. The pastor can not save you. God does not reside at church. Church is important, but it is not God. Jeremiah 7:8-11 says it is ALWAYS ABOUT JESUS.
At then end of Acts 7, Stephen is dragged outside the city walls and stoned / bludgeoned to death. Stephen says "God forgive them."
What does it mean to have a relationship with God? How does persecution affect our life today?
We need to remember that it is all about Jesus. God understands us and will meet us where we are.
January 24th started the series on Acts called When the World Changed (pt. 2). Acts was written by Luke, a physician and historian. It is his 2nd volume. He wrote Luke and Acts. Luke is volume 1 and is the story of Jesus. Acts is volume 2 and about the followers of Jesus. We reviewed Acts 6-7, which is a story about grace and the story about Stephen. People were gossiping about Stephen because they didn't like him / what he had to say. We talked about gossip and how that is the devil's game. It is a tool of the evil one. The Sanhedrin brought Stephen up on charges. He answers to these charges and says it is not about religion, it is about God meeting us (through Jesus). We talked about the trap of religion (God is in a sacred place. He is here -in the temple, but not here). God can not be contained (this was spoken to Abraham in Mesopotamia). He is bigger than a place or a land. God will meet you where you are.
We want a god that is tangible. We love objects. We use objects as symbols and that's OK, but they are not Jesus. We should not worship objects. Objects that connect us to God can be dangerous (because they sometimes end up being worshipped).
We talked about things people get hung up on (specifically at our church) - the way our pastor dresses (he does not wear a tie), music at church, creative / fun things done at church or during the messages. It's not about the music, the pastor, the people, acts we do, good deeds, pet projects as those are our golden cows (idolatry). Church will not save you. The pastor can not save you. God does not reside at church. Church is important, but it is not God. Jeremiah 7:8-11 says it is ALWAYS ABOUT JESUS.
At then end of Acts 7, Stephen is dragged outside the city walls and stoned / bludgeoned to death. Stephen says "God forgive them."
What does it mean to have a relationship with God? How does persecution affect our life today?
We need to remember that it is all about Jesus. God understands us and will meet us where we are.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Favorite Song
I absolutely love this song. It makes me want to worship and also makes me want to cry because it makes me think of my dad. He is no longer imagining, he is walking by Jesus' side.
I Can Only Imagine lyrics by MercyMe
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in honour of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
When I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
[Chorus]
I can only imagine [x2]
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you
I can only imagine
I Can Only Imagine lyrics by MercyMe
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in honour of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
When I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
[Chorus]
I can only imagine [x2]
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you
I can only imagine
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