When I was twelve years old I realized I was a sinner. I gave my life to Jesus and asked Him to forgive me. I didn’t fully realize what the call of Jesus on my life was. So what is the call that Jesus gives to us?
Luke 5:10b-11
Jesus said to Simon :Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be fishing for people.” As soon as they brought the boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Matthew 4:19-22
Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. As Jesus went on, He saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee preparing their nets to go fishing. He called them, and followed Jesus.
Matthew 9:9
As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed Him.
The call of Jesus to us is - FOLLOW ME!
So why should we follow Jesus?
Because Jesus is THE SAVIOR of THE WORLD.
John 4:42
They said to the woman, “First we believed in Jesus because of what you said, but now we believe because we heard Him ourselves. We know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Jesus is the Savior of the world. What does that mean?
In Luke 5:17-26 Luke shares the story of how Jesus healed a paralytic. In this story three truths are revealed based on Jesus being the Savior of the world.
#1: We can come to Jesus
Luke 5:17-19
One day as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
Jesus is infinitely approachable.
Jesus will accept you
whatever your past
whatever you sins
whatever your issues and struggles
whatever you have done
whoever you are or think you are.
Hebrews 4:16
So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.
You can really come to Jesus no matter what.
#2: We can receive forgiveness from Jesus.
Luke 5:20
When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Jesus is infinitely gracious.
When you come to Jesus you may come
without knowing why
not being excited about seeing Jesus or expecting Him to be able to do anything
with a bad attitude
with absolutely no faith in Jesus.
It doesn’t matter! You are there in His presence and if you open your life to Him and let Him do what He wants in your life, He can and will forgive you.
Whatever brings you into Jesus’ presence is the instrument that God has chosen to connect you and Him.
It can be anything
Fear
Pain
Desperation
Guilt
Joy
Comfort.
Jesus is offering you forgiveness and new life.
Jesus will forgive you from
sins of a lifetime
sins of the week
sins of the last hour
sins of the last second.
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.
Jesus came for the outcast, the hopeless, the misfit, the lost. He came to be our perfect sacrifice for sin.
#3: We can receive healing from Jesus.
Luke 5:24-25
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.
Jesus is infinitely powerful.
Jesus heals physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Jesus heals
broken hearts
broken relationships
our weariness
our worries
our bodies
our minds
our spirits
Isaiah 57:15
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.
JESUS HEALS!
The fact that Jesus is the Savior of the world is great. But more important is that Jesus is YOUR SAVIOR.
If Jesus is your Savior then you are free. Because if the Son sets you free you are free indeed.
If Jesus is not your Savior you
are still in your sins
are still enslaved to sin
are headed for an eternity separated from God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about helping people
come to Jesus
receive forgiveness from Jesus
receive healing from Jesus.
Jesus as The, not a, Savior of the world is the only one who can accept you, forgive you and heal you. But forgiveness and healing only come as you surrender your life to Jesus as your Savior.
With Jesus as Savior Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Don't Grow Weary
I have noticed something. I have noticed it in my life. I have noticed it in my faith family. I have noticed it in the lives of many followers of Jesus. What I have noticed that we grow weary.
The definition of weary in the dictionary is simply tired, worn out. It is all about simply being physically tired. We all experience that.
The definition of weary in Scripture is to lose heart. It means to be utterly spiritless. Weary is to lose our will, our spirit to go on. It is a complete loss of hope and desire.
We don’t have to get there, but many of us have.
Paul writes to the followers of Jesus in Galatia in Galatians 6:9 these words, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Then Paul writes to the followers of Jesus at Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 these words, “And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.”
Jesus got physically tired. In John 4:6 we are told Jesus was tired from His travels.
Jesus became at times emotionally discouraged. In Mark 8 Jesus becomes discouraged because the Twelve didn’t understand when Jesus told them to be careful about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.
Jesus never became weary. He never lost heart. He never was utterly spiritless. He was never without hope.
What makes you grow weary? I can’t answer that for you. I will share with you some things that are tempting me to grow weary right now.
2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
Growing old and dealing with health issues tempts me to grow weary.
I am 62 years old. That is totally unreal to me. How did I get this old? Being 62 means many things and many of them are great. But at this age my body does not work like it use to. And the truth is it will not get any better.
BUT, 2 Corinthians 4:16 says even though my physical body is wasting away, I, Joe, the real me inside, is being renewed every day.
I see many of my faith family dealing with health issues. I see my own sister suffering with Alzheimer’s and at times it spiritually discourages me.
Ephesians 3:13
I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Suffering tempts me to grow weary.
Suffering is a part of life in a fallen world like the one we live in.
There are three kinds of suffering.
One is suffering that every human experiences because of the fallen nature of creation.
Second is the suffering that comes when we sin. Sin always leads to suffering and unless sin is dealt with by confession and repentance, it will lead to death.
I see many people suffering because they will not surrender their will and desires to God. They will not do God’s will and develop God’s desires.
I see
Marriages
Families
Churches
Lives
being destroyed because people will not submit their will and lives to Jesus.
A third is suffering that comes from following Jesus. Jesus tells us to expect it, but also see it as our glory. If we are truly seeking to follow and obey Jesus, the enemy, Satan will try to stop us. When we experience suffering because of our faith in Jesus it should cause us to celebrate.
Hebrews 12:5
But you have forgotten that the Scriptures say to God’s children, “When the Lord punishes you, don’t make light of it, and when He corrects you, don’t be discouraged.”
I am tempted to grow weary when I am disciplined. I have to remember that God only disciplines those who are His children. So God’s discipline is really an indication of His love.
God’s discipline should not tempt me to grow weary.
God’s discipline should cause me to be greatly encouraged.
If God does not want us to grow weary, what has He given us to enable us to not to?
Luke 18:1
Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them they should always pray and not give up.
Jesus has given us prayer to help us not grow weary.
Prayer is not
A Ritual
A Duty
A Religious Exercise
Something to do when you have tried everything else
Prayer is the relationship. Prayer is communicating with Jesus. Prayer is the sharing of our lives with the Maker of our lives.
In prayer we find not just strength or hope or encouragement but we find a person - Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:1
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
God has poured His mercy out on us. His mercy enables us to not grow weary as we minister to others.
Ministry is serving others in the name of and for the honor of Jesus. When we serve others in Jesus’ name, they don’t always respond the way we want them to. Some people at times may respond in very hostile and harsh ways. God’s mercy enables us to not grow weary, but continue to love and serve those people.
2 Corinthians 7:6
However, God comforts people who are discouraged, and He comforted us by Titus’ arrive.
God comforts people who are discouraged. God can do that in many ways. One way I have experienced God’s comfort is through the Comforter Himself - the Holy Spirit.
God just doesn’t give us impersonal comfort. He is our comfort. He draws us up into His lap and wraps His arms around us.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
The picture in Zephaniah 3:17 is of a parent who holds their child in their arms and sings to them to quiet and comfort them. That is our God!
1 Thessalonians 5:14
We encourage you, brothers and sisters, to instruct those who are not living right, cheer up those who are discouraged, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.
God has given us the church as an instrument to help us as followers of Jesus to not grow weary.
We need the church. We don’t necessarily need the church building, the church structure, the church programs or church ministries. We need the CHURCH, the called out ones - the people.
I need the brothers and sisters of my faith family. It is through them that God many times speaks comfort and encouragement to me. The church is the Body of Christ and we need a God with skin on and that is the church.
Hebrews 12:3
Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and won’t give up.
The greatest blessing God has given us to enable us not to grow weary is JESUS.
Jesus came, lived, and died for you and me. His example of enduring all that He endured should cause us to see that Jesus, the unique, all-power, all-known, ever-present, majestic, Creator God loves us.
The fact that Jesus loves us and gave Himself for us should enable us to not grow weary even in the worst situations.
Raising the Remove and Removing the Walls will make you physically weary.
But Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls will enable you to let God encourage you through prayer, through God’s mercy, through God’s comfort, through God’s church, and through Jesus Himself not to grow weary and give up.
Acts 5:41
As they left the council, they weren’t discouraged at all. In fact, they were filled with joy over being considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of His name.
Life is many times unfair, discouraging, and difficult. The message God would have you and me as His children to hear is DON’T BE DISCOURAGED, I love you and I am with you.
I admit to you that part of why God directed me to write this devotion this week is because I am feeling tempted to be weary and give up.
So don’t grow weary, keep on following Jesus and I will too.
Not Growing Weary in Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The definition of weary in the dictionary is simply tired, worn out. It is all about simply being physically tired. We all experience that.
The definition of weary in Scripture is to lose heart. It means to be utterly spiritless. Weary is to lose our will, our spirit to go on. It is a complete loss of hope and desire.
We don’t have to get there, but many of us have.
Paul writes to the followers of Jesus in Galatia in Galatians 6:9 these words, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Then Paul writes to the followers of Jesus at Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 these words, “And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.”
Jesus got physically tired. In John 4:6 we are told Jesus was tired from His travels.
Jesus became at times emotionally discouraged. In Mark 8 Jesus becomes discouraged because the Twelve didn’t understand when Jesus told them to be careful about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.
Jesus never became weary. He never lost heart. He never was utterly spiritless. He was never without hope.
What makes you grow weary? I can’t answer that for you. I will share with you some things that are tempting me to grow weary right now.
2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
Growing old and dealing with health issues tempts me to grow weary.
I am 62 years old. That is totally unreal to me. How did I get this old? Being 62 means many things and many of them are great. But at this age my body does not work like it use to. And the truth is it will not get any better.
BUT, 2 Corinthians 4:16 says even though my physical body is wasting away, I, Joe, the real me inside, is being renewed every day.
I see many of my faith family dealing with health issues. I see my own sister suffering with Alzheimer’s and at times it spiritually discourages me.
Ephesians 3:13
I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Suffering tempts me to grow weary.
Suffering is a part of life in a fallen world like the one we live in.
There are three kinds of suffering.
One is suffering that every human experiences because of the fallen nature of creation.
Second is the suffering that comes when we sin. Sin always leads to suffering and unless sin is dealt with by confession and repentance, it will lead to death.
I see many people suffering because they will not surrender their will and desires to God. They will not do God’s will and develop God’s desires.
I see
Marriages
Families
Churches
Lives
being destroyed because people will not submit their will and lives to Jesus.
A third is suffering that comes from following Jesus. Jesus tells us to expect it, but also see it as our glory. If we are truly seeking to follow and obey Jesus, the enemy, Satan will try to stop us. When we experience suffering because of our faith in Jesus it should cause us to celebrate.
Hebrews 12:5
But you have forgotten that the Scriptures say to God’s children, “When the Lord punishes you, don’t make light of it, and when He corrects you, don’t be discouraged.”
I am tempted to grow weary when I am disciplined. I have to remember that God only disciplines those who are His children. So God’s discipline is really an indication of His love.
God’s discipline should not tempt me to grow weary.
God’s discipline should cause me to be greatly encouraged.
If God does not want us to grow weary, what has He given us to enable us to not to?
Luke 18:1
Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them they should always pray and not give up.
Jesus has given us prayer to help us not grow weary.
Prayer is not
A Ritual
A Duty
A Religious Exercise
Something to do when you have tried everything else
Prayer is the relationship. Prayer is communicating with Jesus. Prayer is the sharing of our lives with the Maker of our lives.
In prayer we find not just strength or hope or encouragement but we find a person - Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:1
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
God has poured His mercy out on us. His mercy enables us to not grow weary as we minister to others.
Ministry is serving others in the name of and for the honor of Jesus. When we serve others in Jesus’ name, they don’t always respond the way we want them to. Some people at times may respond in very hostile and harsh ways. God’s mercy enables us to not grow weary, but continue to love and serve those people.
2 Corinthians 7:6
However, God comforts people who are discouraged, and He comforted us by Titus’ arrive.
God comforts people who are discouraged. God can do that in many ways. One way I have experienced God’s comfort is through the Comforter Himself - the Holy Spirit.
God just doesn’t give us impersonal comfort. He is our comfort. He draws us up into His lap and wraps His arms around us.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
The picture in Zephaniah 3:17 is of a parent who holds their child in their arms and sings to them to quiet and comfort them. That is our God!
1 Thessalonians 5:14
We encourage you, brothers and sisters, to instruct those who are not living right, cheer up those who are discouraged, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.
God has given us the church as an instrument to help us as followers of Jesus to not grow weary.
We need the church. We don’t necessarily need the church building, the church structure, the church programs or church ministries. We need the CHURCH, the called out ones - the people.
I need the brothers and sisters of my faith family. It is through them that God many times speaks comfort and encouragement to me. The church is the Body of Christ and we need a God with skin on and that is the church.
Hebrews 12:3
Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and won’t give up.
The greatest blessing God has given us to enable us not to grow weary is JESUS.
Jesus came, lived, and died for you and me. His example of enduring all that He endured should cause us to see that Jesus, the unique, all-power, all-known, ever-present, majestic, Creator God loves us.
The fact that Jesus loves us and gave Himself for us should enable us to not grow weary even in the worst situations.
Raising the Remove and Removing the Walls will make you physically weary.
But Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls will enable you to let God encourage you through prayer, through God’s mercy, through God’s comfort, through God’s church, and through Jesus Himself not to grow weary and give up.
Acts 5:41
As they left the council, they weren’t discouraged at all. In fact, they were filled with joy over being considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of His name.
Life is many times unfair, discouraging, and difficult. The message God would have you and me as His children to hear is DON’T BE DISCOURAGED, I love you and I am with you.
I admit to you that part of why God directed me to write this devotion this week is because I am feeling tempted to be weary and give up.
So don’t grow weary, keep on following Jesus and I will too.
Not Growing Weary in Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, March 16, 2014
The Authenticity of Jesus
Jesus was and is authentic. He is believable, trustworthy, reliable, genuine.
JESUS IS REAL!
First, He is real in that He exists. He is not made up like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. I hope I didn’t shatter any illusions.
Also He is real in that He is believable.
John 14:1
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.
Jesus is real in that He is trustworthy.
Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
Jesus is real in that He is reliable.
2 Corinthians 1:9
In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.
Jesus is real in that He is genuine.
Mark 12:14
They came to Him and said, “Teacher, we know that You’re genuine and You don’t worry about what people think.”
Salvation is not about going to heaven! I know that is a shocking statement for those of us who have grown up in the American Church.
The plea to people in most churches in American is to come and be forgiven of your sin so you can go to heaven. That is not the call Jesus gives in the New Testament.
The call of Jesus is to come and give Him your life. The call is a to complete surrender to Jesus.
Matthew 4:18-21
As Jesus walked alongside the Galilee Sea, He saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, because they were fisherman. “Come, follow me,” He said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed Him. Continuing on, He saw another set of brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father repairing their nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed Him.
Jesus didn’t beg them to let Him forgive them so that they could go to heaven. He didn’t try and convince them that they needed to be better people. Jesus called them to leave everything and follow Him. Jesus called them to allow Him to totally transform their lives and become people who focused on what God focuses on - changing people’s lives.
It was a call to come and DIE!
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, But Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Salvation is about surrendering, dying and being transformed.
Jesus calls us to surrender our lives to Him so He can transform us. Jesus wants us to be transformed into being just like Him.
Romans 8:29
For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
2 Corinthians 3:18
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the Spirit - makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
Salvation is an event and a process.
The event is when we realize that we are dirty rotten sinners who deserve death and hell. We confess, agree with God that we sin because we are sinners and then repent, turning from our sin to Jesus.
Then the salvation process begins. The goal of the process is for us to become like Jesus.
So, since Jesus is real that means becoming like Him is becoming real.
We are to become believable, trustworthy, reliable and genuine.
When I ask people why they are not involved in church or why they do not follow Jesus the number one answer I get is because Christians are hypocrites.
This attitude is reflected in a statement by Mahatma Gandhi. He said, “I like your Christ but I don’t like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.”
The world does not want or need a really good Joe.
The world does want and need a real Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is getting rid of all the stuff that would hinder or stop us from being filled with Jesus (being real). Then when we are completely surrendered to Jesus and He is filling us, the world will see Him in us. We will be transparent display cases of Jesus and His glory to a dark and hurting world.
The world is desperately looking for the authentic.
Jesus is authentic!
Jesus does not require us to be:
talented
smart
rich
accomplished
morally perfect.
Jesus does call us to be totally, fully, completely, absolutely, 100% submitted to Him as our Lord, our Master, our Present, our Future, our Everything.
For us to be real like Jesus, everything we are and ever will be has to belong to Jesus.
For us to be real like Jesus, everything we have and will ever have has to belong to Jesus.
We have to view our:
Material Possessions
Marriages
Families
Achievements
Abilities
Time
as belonging to Jesus and not us.
Everyday I pray the following for my families, my biological one and my faith one.
Father, make us pure and holy like Jesus. Make us radically surrendered disciples and followers of Jesus, who have humble, holy courage because we know, we love, and we obey Jesus. Fill us with the Holy Spirit and focus our whole lives on Jesus and nothing else. Give us one pure and holy passion, one magnificent obsession, one glorious ambition for our lives - to know and follow hard after Jesus. To grow as Your disciples in the truth and to see this world as what it is - poor, broken, and unsatisfying.
In the Realness of Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
JESUS IS REAL!
First, He is real in that He exists. He is not made up like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. I hope I didn’t shatter any illusions.
Also He is real in that He is believable.
John 14:1
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.
Jesus is real in that He is trustworthy.
Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
Jesus is real in that He is reliable.
2 Corinthians 1:9
In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.
Jesus is real in that He is genuine.
Mark 12:14
They came to Him and said, “Teacher, we know that You’re genuine and You don’t worry about what people think.”
Salvation is not about going to heaven! I know that is a shocking statement for those of us who have grown up in the American Church.
The plea to people in most churches in American is to come and be forgiven of your sin so you can go to heaven. That is not the call Jesus gives in the New Testament.
The call of Jesus is to come and give Him your life. The call is a to complete surrender to Jesus.
Matthew 4:18-21
As Jesus walked alongside the Galilee Sea, He saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, because they were fisherman. “Come, follow me,” He said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed Him. Continuing on, He saw another set of brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father repairing their nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed Him.
Jesus didn’t beg them to let Him forgive them so that they could go to heaven. He didn’t try and convince them that they needed to be better people. Jesus called them to leave everything and follow Him. Jesus called them to allow Him to totally transform their lives and become people who focused on what God focuses on - changing people’s lives.
It was a call to come and DIE!
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, But Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Salvation is about surrendering, dying and being transformed.
Jesus calls us to surrender our lives to Him so He can transform us. Jesus wants us to be transformed into being just like Him.
Romans 8:29
For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
2 Corinthians 3:18
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the Spirit - makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
Salvation is an event and a process.
The event is when we realize that we are dirty rotten sinners who deserve death and hell. We confess, agree with God that we sin because we are sinners and then repent, turning from our sin to Jesus.
Then the salvation process begins. The goal of the process is for us to become like Jesus.
So, since Jesus is real that means becoming like Him is becoming real.
We are to become believable, trustworthy, reliable and genuine.
When I ask people why they are not involved in church or why they do not follow Jesus the number one answer I get is because Christians are hypocrites.
This attitude is reflected in a statement by Mahatma Gandhi. He said, “I like your Christ but I don’t like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.”
The world does not want or need a really good Joe.
The world does want and need a real Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is getting rid of all the stuff that would hinder or stop us from being filled with Jesus (being real). Then when we are completely surrendered to Jesus and He is filling us, the world will see Him in us. We will be transparent display cases of Jesus and His glory to a dark and hurting world.
The world is desperately looking for the authentic.
Jesus is authentic!
Jesus does not require us to be:
talented
smart
rich
accomplished
morally perfect.
Jesus does call us to be totally, fully, completely, absolutely, 100% submitted to Him as our Lord, our Master, our Present, our Future, our Everything.
For us to be real like Jesus, everything we are and ever will be has to belong to Jesus.
For us to be real like Jesus, everything we have and will ever have has to belong to Jesus.
We have to view our:
Material Possessions
Marriages
Families
Achievements
Abilities
Time
as belonging to Jesus and not us.
Everyday I pray the following for my families, my biological one and my faith one.
Father, make us pure and holy like Jesus. Make us radically surrendered disciples and followers of Jesus, who have humble, holy courage because we know, we love, and we obey Jesus. Fill us with the Holy Spirit and focus our whole lives on Jesus and nothing else. Give us one pure and holy passion, one magnificent obsession, one glorious ambition for our lives - to know and follow hard after Jesus. To grow as Your disciples in the truth and to see this world as what it is - poor, broken, and unsatisfying.
In the Realness of Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, March 9, 2014
The Poor Little Rich Church
What do you use to measure people?
Money
Position
Personality
Looks
Abilities
What do you use to measure a church?
Music
Nice Pastor
Services: Preaching & Worship Style
Your Needs Getting Met
Your Comfort & If It Is fun
Or do you measure a church by whether:
It Has a Clear Godly Mission
Jesus is Really the Head of the Church
Disciples Are Being Made
The Church is Making a Difference in the Community
The Church is United & Loving
The church at Smyrna was a paradox.
Revelation 2:8-11
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Jesus tells us three things about this church:
They were under heavy pressure and great stress.
They were financial bankrupt, they had nothing materially.
They were slandered by both the Romans and Jews.
In the middle of these three truths Jesus tells the church that they:
Are Rich
and
Are Not to Be Afraid
and
Have an Eternal Relationship with the Father.
How could Jesus say they are rich?
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says: Don’t let wise people brag about their wisdom. Don’t let strong people brag about their strength. Don’t let rich people brag about their riches. If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know Me. They should brag that I, the Lord, act out of love, righteousness, and justice on the earth. This kind of bragging pleases Me, declares the Lord.
Wealth and success are not measured by God as they are measured by we humans. God measures wealth and success in terms of how intimate we are with Him and how much we are being made to be like Him.
Material wealth, position, power, success do not bring what we are longing for in life.
Knowing Jesus, experiencing His love and being in an intimate relationship with Him does bring us what we long for in life. It brings us:
Purpose/Meaning
Joy
Peace
Knowing We Are Loved for Who We Are
Fulfillment
The church at Smyrna was poor and weak by human standards, but rich and strong by God’s standards.
But, based on what Jesus tells us about this church, their poverty and persecution, how could they not be afraid?
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loves us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.
Hebrews 13:5
I will never leave you or forsake you.
We can know that God loves us.
How? - He tells us.
How does He tell us? - The Cross
We can experience that love because Jesus promises us that He will never give up on us or leave us helpless. Even in the middle of the very worst thing we will ever go through, He is there and He is loving us.
The trials we go through are meant by the Father to strengthen us, not defeat us.
James 1:2-4
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when you faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God wants the best for you and everything He does is for your benefit. We can know that God will use every circumstance in our lives to somehow grow us, make us more like Him.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
God will use the hard times, the difficult times, the confusing times, and yes, even the absolutely crappy times to make us complete in Him.
What does not kill us makes us stronger. And remember that death is not a bad thing for followers of Jesus.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that “We are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.”
The church at Smyrna and the church at Corinthians had some things in common.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 1:26-29. He says, “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks is foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no can boast in His presence.”
The churches in Smyrna and Corinth didn’t make sense.
They were poor, but rich.
They were weak, but powerful
They were of no influence, but wise.
The church at Smyrna was like that because it followed Jesus wholeheartedly. They loved Jesus passionately and wanted more than anything to please Him.
The church was never intended to fit into the culture. The church is not to feel comfortable with the culture. Cultures, all cultures, are fallen.
The church is to be counter-cultural. It is to be different than whatever ever culture it lives in. It should be a living organism that God uses to transform the culture.
You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that you think is what the church should be. You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that someone else has told you is what the church is to be. Many people today think that the church is to be part of the established culture. The church is to a revolutionary group of called- out people who are letting Jesus use them to transform culture.
What are you chasing? What drives your life?
Money
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is surrendering your life to Jesus and letting Him be your:
Wealth
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being part of the church that, like the church at Smyrna, give themselves and everything they have to Jesus.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being the church that doesn’t make sense to the world.
Poor But Rich Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
What do you use to measure people?
Money
Position
Personality
Looks
Abilities
What do you use to measure a church?
Music
Nice Pastor
Services: Preaching & Worship Style
Your Needs Getting Met
Your Comfort & If It Is fun
Or do you measure a church by whether:
It Has a Clear Godly Mission
Jesus is Really the Head of the Church
Disciples Are Being Made
The Church is Making a Difference in the Community
The Church is United & Loving
The church at Smyrna was a paradox.
Revelation 2:8-11
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Jesus tells us three things about this church:
They were under heavy pressure and great stress.
They were financial bankrupt, they had nothing materially.
They were slandered by both the Romans and Jews.
In the middle of these three truths Jesus tells the church that they:
Are Rich
and
Are Not to Be Afraid
and
Have an Eternal Relationship with the Father.
How could Jesus say they are rich?
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says: Don’t let wise people brag about their wisdom. Don’t let strong people brag about their strength. Don’t let rich people brag about their riches. If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know Me. They should brag that I, the Lord, act out of love, righteousness, and justice on the earth. This kind of bragging pleases Me, declares the Lord.
Wealth and success are not measured by God as they are measured by we humans. God measures wealth and success in terms of how intimate we are with Him and how much we are being made to be like Him.
Material wealth, position, power, success do not bring what we are longing for in life.
Knowing Jesus, experiencing His love and being in an intimate relationship with Him does bring us what we long for in life. It brings us:
Purpose/Meaning
Joy
Peace
Knowing We Are Loved for Who We Are
Fulfillment
The church at Smyrna was poor and weak by human standards, but rich and strong by God’s standards.
But, based on what Jesus tells us about this church, their poverty and persecution, how could they not be afraid?
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loves us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.
Hebrews 13:5
I will never leave you or forsake you.
We can know that God loves us.
How? - He tells us.
How does He tell us? - The Cross
We can experience that love because Jesus promises us that He will never give up on us or leave us helpless. Even in the middle of the very worst thing we will ever go through, He is there and He is loving us.
The trials we go through are meant by the Father to strengthen us, not defeat us.
James 1:2-4
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when you faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God wants the best for you and everything He does is for your benefit. We can know that God will use every circumstance in our lives to somehow grow us, make us more like Him.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
God will use the hard times, the difficult times, the confusing times, and yes, even the absolutely crappy times to make us complete in Him.
What does not kill us makes us stronger. And remember that death is not a bad thing for followers of Jesus.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that “We are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.”
The church at Smyrna and the church at Corinthians had some things in common.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 1:26-29. He says, “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks is foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no can boast in His presence.”
The churches in Smyrna and Corinth didn’t make sense.
They were poor, but rich.
They were weak, but powerful
They were of no influence, but wise.
The church at Smyrna was like that because it followed Jesus wholeheartedly. They loved Jesus passionately and wanted more than anything to please Him.
The church was never intended to fit into the culture. The church is not to feel comfortable with the culture. Cultures, all cultures, are fallen.
The church is to be counter-cultural. It is to be different than whatever ever culture it lives in. It should be a living organism that God uses to transform the culture.
You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that you think is what the church should be. You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that someone else has told you is what the church is to be. Many people today think that the church is to be part of the established culture. The church is to a revolutionary group of called- out people who are letting Jesus use them to transform culture.
What are you chasing? What drives your life?
Money
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is surrendering your life to Jesus and letting Him be your:
Wealth
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being part of the church that, like the church at Smyrna, give themselves and everything they have to Jesus.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being the church that doesn’t make sense to the world.
Poor But Rich Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
What do you use to measure people?
Money
Position
Personality
Looks
Abilities
What do you use to measure a church?
Music
Nice Pastor
Services: Preaching & Worship Style
Your Needs Getting Met
Your Comfort & If It Is fun
Or do you measure a church by whether:
It Has a Clear Godly Mission
Jesus is Really the Head of the Church
Disciples Are Being Made
The Church is Making a Difference in the Community
The Church is United & Loving
The church at Smyrna was a paradox.
Revelation 2:8-11
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Jesus tells us three things about this church:
They were under heavy pressure and great stress.
They were financial bankrupt, they had nothing materially.
They were slandered by both the Romans and Jews.
In the middle of these three truths Jesus tells the church that they:
Are Rich
and
Are Not to Be Afraid
and
Have an Eternal Relationship with the Father.
How could Jesus say they are rich?
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says: Don’t let wise people brag about their wisdom. Don’t let strong people brag about their strength. Don’t let rich people brag about their riches. If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know Me. They should brag that I, the Lord, act out of love, righteousness, and justice on the earth. This kind of bragging pleases Me, declares the Lord.
Wealth and success are not measured by God as they are measured by we humans. God measures wealth and success in terms of how intimate we are with Him and how much we are being made to be like Him.
Material wealth, position, power, success do not bring what we are longing for in life.
Knowing Jesus, experiencing His love and being in an intimate relationship with Him does bring us what we long for in life. It brings us:
Purpose/Meaning
Joy
Peace
Knowing We Are Loved for Who We Are
Fulfillment
The church at Smyrna was poor and weak by human standards, but rich and strong by God’s standards.
But, based on what Jesus tells us about this church, their poverty and persecution, how could they not be afraid?
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loves us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.
Hebrews 13:5
I will never leave you or forsake you.
We can know that God loves us.
How? - He tells us.
How does He tell us? - The Cross
We can experience that love because Jesus promises us that He will never give up on us or leave us helpless. Even in the middle of the very worst thing we will ever go through, He is there and He is loving us.
The trials we go through are meant by the Father to strengthen us, not defeat us.
James 1:2-4
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when you faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God wants the best for you and everything He does is for your benefit. We can know that God will use every circumstance in our lives to somehow grow us, make us more like Him.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
God will use the hard times, the difficult times, the confusing times, and yes, even the absolutely crappy times to make us complete in Him.
What does not kill us makes us stronger. And remember that death is not a bad thing for followers of Jesus.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that “We are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.”
The church at Smyrna and the church at Corinthians had some things in common.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 1:26-29. He says, “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks is foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no can boast in His presence.”
The churches in Smyrna and Corinth didn’t make sense.
They were poor, but rich.
They were weak, but powerful
They were of no influence, but wise.
The church at Smyrna was like that because it followed Jesus wholeheartedly. They loved Jesus passionately and wanted more than anything to please Him.
The church was never intended to fit into the culture. The church is not to feel comfortable with the culture. Cultures, all cultures, are fallen.
The church is to be counter-cultural. It is to be different than whatever ever culture it lives in. It should be a living organism that God uses to transform the culture.
You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that you think is what the church should be. You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that someone else has told you is what the church is to be. Many people today think that the church is to be part of the established culture. The church is to a revolutionary group of called- out people who are letting Jesus use them to transform culture.
What are you chasing? What drives your life?
Money
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is surrendering your life to Jesus and letting Him be your:
Wealth
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being part of the church that, like the church at Smyrna, give themselves and everything they have to Jesus.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being the church that doesn’t make sense to the world.
Poor But Rich Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Money
Position
Personality
Looks
Abilities
What do you use to measure a church?
Music
Nice Pastor
Services: Preaching & Worship Style
Your Needs Getting Met
Your Comfort & If It Is fun
Or do you measure a church by whether:
It Has a Clear Godly Mission
Jesus is Really the Head of the Church
Disciples Are Being Made
The Church is Making a Difference in the Community
The Church is United & Loving
The church at Smyrna was a paradox.
Revelation 2:8-11
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Jesus tells us three things about this church:
They were under heavy pressure and great stress.
They were financial bankrupt, they had nothing materially.
They were slandered by both the Romans and Jews.
In the middle of these three truths Jesus tells the church that they:
Are Rich
and
Are Not to Be Afraid
and
Have an Eternal Relationship with the Father.
How could Jesus say they are rich?
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says: Don’t let wise people brag about their wisdom. Don’t let strong people brag about their strength. Don’t let rich people brag about their riches. If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know Me. They should brag that I, the Lord, act out of love, righteousness, and justice on the earth. This kind of bragging pleases Me, declares the Lord.
Wealth and success are not measured by God as they are measured by we humans. God measures wealth and success in terms of how intimate we are with Him and how much we are being made to be like Him.
Material wealth, position, power, success do not bring what we are longing for in life.
Knowing Jesus, experiencing His love and being in an intimate relationship with Him does bring us what we long for in life. It brings us:
Purpose/Meaning
Joy
Peace
Knowing We Are Loved for Who We Are
Fulfillment
The church at Smyrna was poor and weak by human standards, but rich and strong by God’s standards.
But, based on what Jesus tells us about this church, their poverty and persecution, how could they not be afraid?
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loves us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.
Hebrews 13:5
I will never leave you or forsake you.
We can know that God loves us.
How? - He tells us.
How does He tell us? - The Cross
We can experience that love because Jesus promises us that He will never give up on us or leave us helpless. Even in the middle of the very worst thing we will ever go through, He is there and He is loving us.
The trials we go through are meant by the Father to strengthen us, not defeat us.
James 1:2-4
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when you faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God wants the best for you and everything He does is for your benefit. We can know that God will use every circumstance in our lives to somehow grow us, make us more like Him.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
God will use the hard times, the difficult times, the confusing times, and yes, even the absolutely crappy times to make us complete in Him.
What does not kill us makes us stronger. And remember that death is not a bad thing for followers of Jesus.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that “We are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.”
The church at Smyrna and the church at Corinthians had some things in common.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 1:26-29. He says, “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks is foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no can boast in His presence.”
The churches in Smyrna and Corinth didn’t make sense.
They were poor, but rich.
They were weak, but powerful
They were of no influence, but wise.
The church at Smyrna was like that because it followed Jesus wholeheartedly. They loved Jesus passionately and wanted more than anything to please Him.
The church was never intended to fit into the culture. The church is not to feel comfortable with the culture. Cultures, all cultures, are fallen.
The church is to be counter-cultural. It is to be different than whatever ever culture it lives in. It should be a living organism that God uses to transform the culture.
You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that you think is what the church should be. You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that someone else has told you is what the church is to be. Many people today think that the church is to be part of the established culture. The church is to a revolutionary group of called- out people who are letting Jesus use them to transform culture.
What are you chasing? What drives your life?
Money
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is surrendering your life to Jesus and letting Him be your:
Wealth
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being part of the church that, like the church at Smyrna, give themselves and everything they have to Jesus.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being the church that doesn’t make sense to the world.
Poor But Rich Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
What do you use to measure people?
Money
Position
Personality
Looks
Abilities
What do you use to measure a church?
Music
Nice Pastor
Services: Preaching & Worship Style
Your Needs Getting Met
Your Comfort & If It Is fun
Or do you measure a church by whether:
It Has a Clear Godly Mission
Jesus is Really the Head of the Church
Disciples Are Being Made
The Church is Making a Difference in the Community
The Church is United & Loving
The church at Smyrna was a paradox.
Revelation 2:8-11
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Jesus tells us three things about this church:
They were under heavy pressure and great stress.
They were financial bankrupt, they had nothing materially.
They were slandered by both the Romans and Jews.
In the middle of these three truths Jesus tells the church that they:
Are Rich
and
Are Not to Be Afraid
and
Have an Eternal Relationship with the Father.
How could Jesus say they are rich?
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says: Don’t let wise people brag about their wisdom. Don’t let strong people brag about their strength. Don’t let rich people brag about their riches. If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know Me. They should brag that I, the Lord, act out of love, righteousness, and justice on the earth. This kind of bragging pleases Me, declares the Lord.
Wealth and success are not measured by God as they are measured by we humans. God measures wealth and success in terms of how intimate we are with Him and how much we are being made to be like Him.
Material wealth, position, power, success do not bring what we are longing for in life.
Knowing Jesus, experiencing His love and being in an intimate relationship with Him does bring us what we long for in life. It brings us:
Purpose/Meaning
Joy
Peace
Knowing We Are Loved for Who We Are
Fulfillment
The church at Smyrna was poor and weak by human standards, but rich and strong by God’s standards.
But, based on what Jesus tells us about this church, their poverty and persecution, how could they not be afraid?
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loves us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.
Hebrews 13:5
I will never leave you or forsake you.
We can know that God loves us.
How? - He tells us.
How does He tell us? - The Cross
We can experience that love because Jesus promises us that He will never give up on us or leave us helpless. Even in the middle of the very worst thing we will ever go through, He is there and He is loving us.
The trials we go through are meant by the Father to strengthen us, not defeat us.
James 1:2-4
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when you faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God wants the best for you and everything He does is for your benefit. We can know that God will use every circumstance in our lives to somehow grow us, make us more like Him.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
God will use the hard times, the difficult times, the confusing times, and yes, even the absolutely crappy times to make us complete in Him.
What does not kill us makes us stronger. And remember that death is not a bad thing for followers of Jesus.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that “We are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.”
The church at Smyrna and the church at Corinthians had some things in common.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 1:26-29. He says, “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks is foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no can boast in His presence.”
The churches in Smyrna and Corinth didn’t make sense.
They were poor, but rich.
They were weak, but powerful
They were of no influence, but wise.
The church at Smyrna was like that because it followed Jesus wholeheartedly. They loved Jesus passionately and wanted more than anything to please Him.
The church was never intended to fit into the culture. The church is not to feel comfortable with the culture. Cultures, all cultures, are fallen.
The church is to be counter-cultural. It is to be different than whatever ever culture it lives in. It should be a living organism that God uses to transform the culture.
You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that you think is what the church should be. You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that someone else has told you is what the church is to be. Many people today think that the church is to be part of the established culture. The church is to a revolutionary group of called- out people who are letting Jesus use them to transform culture.
What are you chasing? What drives your life?
Money
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is surrendering your life to Jesus and letting Him be your:
Wealth
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being part of the church that, like the church at Smyrna, give themselves and everything they have to Jesus.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being the church that doesn’t make sense to the world.
Poor But Rich Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
What do you use to measure people?
Money
Position
Personality
Looks
Abilities
What do you use to measure a church?
Music
Nice Pastor
Services: Preaching & Worship Style
Your Needs Getting Met
Your Comfort & If It Is fun
Or do you measure a church by whether:
It Has a Clear Godly Mission
Jesus is Really the Head of the Church
Disciples Are Being Made
The Church is Making a Difference in the Community
The Church is United & Loving
The church at Smyrna was a paradox.
Revelation 2:8-11
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Jesus tells us three things about this church:
They were under heavy pressure and great stress.
They were financial bankrupt, they had nothing materially.
They were slandered by both the Romans and Jews.
In the middle of these three truths Jesus tells the church that they:
Are Rich
and
Are Not to Be Afraid
and
Have an Eternal Relationship with the Father.
How could Jesus say they are rich?
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says: Don’t let wise people brag about their wisdom. Don’t let strong people brag about their strength. Don’t let rich people brag about their riches. If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know Me. They should brag that I, the Lord, act out of love, righteousness, and justice on the earth. This kind of bragging pleases Me, declares the Lord.
Wealth and success are not measured by God as they are measured by we humans. God measures wealth and success in terms of how intimate we are with Him and how much we are being made to be like Him.
Material wealth, position, power, success do not bring what we are longing for in life.
Knowing Jesus, experiencing His love and being in an intimate relationship with Him does bring us what we long for in life. It brings us:
Purpose/Meaning
Joy
Peace
Knowing We Are Loved for Who We Are
Fulfillment
The church at Smyrna was poor and weak by human standards, but rich and strong by God’s standards.
But, based on what Jesus tells us about this church, their poverty and persecution, how could they not be afraid?
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loves us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.
Hebrews 13:5
I will never leave you or forsake you.
We can know that God loves us.
How? - He tells us.
How does He tell us? - The Cross
We can experience that love because Jesus promises us that He will never give up on us or leave us helpless. Even in the middle of the very worst thing we will ever go through, He is there and He is loving us.
The trials we go through are meant by the Father to strengthen us, not defeat us.
James 1:2-4
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when you faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God wants the best for you and everything He does is for your benefit. We can know that God will use every circumstance in our lives to somehow grow us, make us more like Him.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
God will use the hard times, the difficult times, the confusing times, and yes, even the absolutely crappy times to make us complete in Him.
What does not kill us makes us stronger. And remember that death is not a bad thing for followers of Jesus.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that “We are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.”
The church at Smyrna and the church at Corinthians had some things in common.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 1:26-29. He says, “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks is foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no can boast in His presence.”
The churches in Smyrna and Corinth didn’t make sense.
They were poor, but rich.
They were weak, but powerful
They were of no influence, but wise.
The church at Smyrna was like that because it followed Jesus wholeheartedly. They loved Jesus passionately and wanted more than anything to please Him.
The church was never intended to fit into the culture. The church is not to feel comfortable with the culture. Cultures, all cultures, are fallen.
The church is to be counter-cultural. It is to be different than whatever ever culture it lives in. It should be a living organism that God uses to transform the culture.
You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that you think is what the church should be. You may be trying to fit the church into some pattern that someone else has told you is what the church is to be. Many people today think that the church is to be part of the established culture. The church is to a revolutionary group of called- out people who are letting Jesus use them to transform culture.
What are you chasing? What drives your life?
Money
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is surrendering your life to Jesus and letting Him be your:
Wealth
Position
Power
Privilege
Wisdom
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being part of the church that, like the church at Smyrna, give themselves and everything they have to Jesus.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is being the church that doesn’t make sense to the world.
Poor But Rich Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, March 2, 2014
The Church With No Passion
The judges on American Idol are always telling the constantans to believe in what they are singing. The judges remind the constantans that to just get the words right and to sing the right notes is not enough. If they are going to connect with the audience they will need to sing with PASSION.
You see, without passion the audience in the studio and the audience at home will not believe them.
The same is true of us as Followers of Jesus. If we don’t have passion for Jesus and for His Kingdom, the world will not believe us and not believe in Him.
In Revelation 2:1-7 Jesus instructs John to write a letter to a church with no passion. The church was the Church at Ephesus.
Now, Jesus has some great things to say about this church. They were a:
Serving Church
Sacrificing Church
Steadfast Church
Separated Church
Suffering Church.
They seem to also be a very busy church with activities on every night of the week. They led the denomination in baptisms, giving, and mission projects.
But in verse four Jesus says, “He has this against them, they have forsaken their first love” Their first love was Jesus and they had forsaken, forgotten, abandoned Him.
In other words, they had lost their passion for Jesus and His Kingdom.
God wants His people to be passionate because He is passionate.
Deuteronomy 4:24
Because the Lord your God is an all-consuming fire. He is a passionate God.
John 2:17
His disciples remembered that it is written, “Passion for your house consumes me.”
God is passionate and the thing He is most passionate about is YOU!
What does it mean to have a passion for Jesus?
It means to live passionately.
Living passionately for Jesus involves several things.
First, it means we are to follow God passionately.
Numbers 14:24
But my servant Caleb - this is a different story. He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately.
Second, we have a passion for doing what is right.
Titus 2:14
He gave His body for our sakes and will not only break us free from the chains of wickedness, but He will also prepare a community uncorrupted by the world that He would call His own - people who are passionate about doing the right thing.
Third, to hate evil with a passion.
Job1:1
Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.
We are to lead passionately.
Romans 12:8
If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouragement. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
Leading passionately means to wait on the Lord passionately.
Psalm 37:34
Wait passionately for God, don't leave the path. He'll give you your place in the sun while you watch the wicked lose it.
I know that waiting and leading seem the opposites of each other. As a leader I cannot lead effectively unless I am following Jesus. Just as Moses said he was not going to move unless God moved, we lead only as God reveals to us the direction and the path to go.
Leading passionately means have a passion for justice.
Isaiah 16:5
Then God will establish a royal throne, in loyal love - the One who rules there will be utterly reliable, with absolute integrity under the auspices of David. With a passion for justice, He will be quick to decide and do what is right.
Leaders must lead with a sense of loyalty to God, reliability, integrity and a desire to lead people to do the right thing, the thing that pleases God.
We are to care passionately.
That means we need to be passionate about the welfare of others.
Colossians 4:12-13
Epaphras, another member of the Church, and a real servant of Christ, sends his greeting. He works hard for you even here, for he prays constantly and earnestly for you, that you may become mature Christians, and may fulfill God’s will for you. From my observation I can tell you that he has a real passion for your welfare, and for that of churches of Laodicea and Hierapolis.
We also need to have a passion to put others first.
Philippians 2:1-4
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others, be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.
We need to worship passionately.
We are to sing with passion.
Psalm 33:1
Release your heart’s joy in sweet music to the Eternal. When the upright passionately sing glory-filled songs to Him, everything is in its right place.
We need to pray with passion.
1 Kings 8:54-55
Having finished praying to God - all these bold and passionate prayers - Solomon stood up before God’s Altar where he had been kneeling all this time, his arms stretched upward to heaven. Standing, he blessed the whole congregation of Israel, blessing them at the top of his lungs.
The church in Ephesus had lost all of the passion for Jesus in their living, leading, caring, and worshiping. God rebukes them for it. God being not only a God who rebukes, but a God who also corrects tells them how to get the passion for Jesus back.
God says REMEMBER.
We have to go back in our minds and hearts and remember what it was like when we first came to love Jesus. It is not just about believing in God or even about just believing God. It is also about loving God passionately.
God says REPENT.
We have to turn from apathy (yes, that is a sin) and turn to Jesus as the greatest desire and passion of our lives.
We have to care more about what God thinks and wants than what people think and want.
John 5:44
How could you possibly believe? You like to have your friends praise you, and you don’t care about praise that only God can give!
God says RETURN.
We have to start doing again what gave us the passion for Jesus in the first place. Things like worshiping with God’s people, praying with God’s people and individually, Bible study with God’s people and individually, serving, and sharing our Jesus stories.
Jesus also tells us that if we will do those things thus allowing Him to give us a renewed passion for God, then two things will result.
One is a renewed life. A life that is full. A life that is purposeful. A life that is passionate.
Second, an intimacy with God. We will know and experience the presence and power of God in our lives daily.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about knowing, really knowing, that God loves you passionately.
Look at Jesus’ words in Luke 23:34: “Father forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”
Jesus is not just praying for the Roman soldiers.
Jesus is not just praying for Pilate.
Jesus is not just praying for the Jewish mob.
Jesus is not just praying for the Jewish religious leaders.
JESUS IS ALSO PRAYING FOR YOU AND ME.
Jesus said that there is no greater demonstration of love than laying down your life for someone. Jesus did that. And Jesus did that while you and I were still sinners. That is passionate love.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about loving God passionately.
God created you to love Him more passionately than you love anyone else.
If we don’t love God more passionately than we love anyone else:
We won’t experience fulfillment.
We are sinning.
We are living in fear and with lack of confidence. (Only perfect love does away with fear and only God’s love is perfect)
Jesus invites us to:
Experience His Perfect Love
To Be Fulfilled By Loving Him Passionately
Passionately Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
You see, without passion the audience in the studio and the audience at home will not believe them.
The same is true of us as Followers of Jesus. If we don’t have passion for Jesus and for His Kingdom, the world will not believe us and not believe in Him.
In Revelation 2:1-7 Jesus instructs John to write a letter to a church with no passion. The church was the Church at Ephesus.
Now, Jesus has some great things to say about this church. They were a:
Serving Church
Sacrificing Church
Steadfast Church
Separated Church
Suffering Church.
They seem to also be a very busy church with activities on every night of the week. They led the denomination in baptisms, giving, and mission projects.
But in verse four Jesus says, “He has this against them, they have forsaken their first love” Their first love was Jesus and they had forsaken, forgotten, abandoned Him.
In other words, they had lost their passion for Jesus and His Kingdom.
God wants His people to be passionate because He is passionate.
Deuteronomy 4:24
Because the Lord your God is an all-consuming fire. He is a passionate God.
John 2:17
His disciples remembered that it is written, “Passion for your house consumes me.”
God is passionate and the thing He is most passionate about is YOU!
What does it mean to have a passion for Jesus?
It means to live passionately.
Living passionately for Jesus involves several things.
First, it means we are to follow God passionately.
Numbers 14:24
But my servant Caleb - this is a different story. He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately.
Second, we have a passion for doing what is right.
Titus 2:14
He gave His body for our sakes and will not only break us free from the chains of wickedness, but He will also prepare a community uncorrupted by the world that He would call His own - people who are passionate about doing the right thing.
Third, to hate evil with a passion.
Job1:1
Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.
We are to lead passionately.
Romans 12:8
If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouragement. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
Leading passionately means to wait on the Lord passionately.
Psalm 37:34
Wait passionately for God, don't leave the path. He'll give you your place in the sun while you watch the wicked lose it.
I know that waiting and leading seem the opposites of each other. As a leader I cannot lead effectively unless I am following Jesus. Just as Moses said he was not going to move unless God moved, we lead only as God reveals to us the direction and the path to go.
Leading passionately means have a passion for justice.
Isaiah 16:5
Then God will establish a royal throne, in loyal love - the One who rules there will be utterly reliable, with absolute integrity under the auspices of David. With a passion for justice, He will be quick to decide and do what is right.
Leaders must lead with a sense of loyalty to God, reliability, integrity and a desire to lead people to do the right thing, the thing that pleases God.
We are to care passionately.
That means we need to be passionate about the welfare of others.
Colossians 4:12-13
Epaphras, another member of the Church, and a real servant of Christ, sends his greeting. He works hard for you even here, for he prays constantly and earnestly for you, that you may become mature Christians, and may fulfill God’s will for you. From my observation I can tell you that he has a real passion for your welfare, and for that of churches of Laodicea and Hierapolis.
We also need to have a passion to put others first.
Philippians 2:1-4
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others, be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.
We need to worship passionately.
We are to sing with passion.
Psalm 33:1
Release your heart’s joy in sweet music to the Eternal. When the upright passionately sing glory-filled songs to Him, everything is in its right place.
We need to pray with passion.
1 Kings 8:54-55
Having finished praying to God - all these bold and passionate prayers - Solomon stood up before God’s Altar where he had been kneeling all this time, his arms stretched upward to heaven. Standing, he blessed the whole congregation of Israel, blessing them at the top of his lungs.
The church in Ephesus had lost all of the passion for Jesus in their living, leading, caring, and worshiping. God rebukes them for it. God being not only a God who rebukes, but a God who also corrects tells them how to get the passion for Jesus back.
God says REMEMBER.
We have to go back in our minds and hearts and remember what it was like when we first came to love Jesus. It is not just about believing in God or even about just believing God. It is also about loving God passionately.
God says REPENT.
We have to turn from apathy (yes, that is a sin) and turn to Jesus as the greatest desire and passion of our lives.
We have to care more about what God thinks and wants than what people think and want.
John 5:44
How could you possibly believe? You like to have your friends praise you, and you don’t care about praise that only God can give!
God says RETURN.
We have to start doing again what gave us the passion for Jesus in the first place. Things like worshiping with God’s people, praying with God’s people and individually, Bible study with God’s people and individually, serving, and sharing our Jesus stories.
Jesus also tells us that if we will do those things thus allowing Him to give us a renewed passion for God, then two things will result.
One is a renewed life. A life that is full. A life that is purposeful. A life that is passionate.
Second, an intimacy with God. We will know and experience the presence and power of God in our lives daily.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about knowing, really knowing, that God loves you passionately.
Look at Jesus’ words in Luke 23:34: “Father forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”
Jesus is not just praying for the Roman soldiers.
Jesus is not just praying for Pilate.
Jesus is not just praying for the Jewish mob.
Jesus is not just praying for the Jewish religious leaders.
JESUS IS ALSO PRAYING FOR YOU AND ME.
Jesus said that there is no greater demonstration of love than laying down your life for someone. Jesus did that. And Jesus did that while you and I were still sinners. That is passionate love.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about loving God passionately.
God created you to love Him more passionately than you love anyone else.
If we don’t love God more passionately than we love anyone else:
We won’t experience fulfillment.
We are sinning.
We are living in fear and with lack of confidence. (Only perfect love does away with fear and only God’s love is perfect)
Jesus invites us to:
Experience His Perfect Love
To Be Fulfilled By Loving Him Passionately
Passionately Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)