Have you ever disappointed someone?
Have you ever let someone down?
I was a constant disappointment to my parents as I grew up.
I didn’t make the kind of grades they wanted me to make.
I didn’t excel in sports like my father wanted me to excel.
I wasn”t outgoing enough to please them.
I grew up believing that God was also disappointed in me.
The thing that changed that belief was how Jesus dealt with Peter’s failure.
Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him, Jesus, three times before the rooster crows. Peter basically says there is no way that is going to happen.
John 18:16-17
But Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. “You are not one of His disciples are you?” the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied , “I am not.”
That is one denial.
John 18:25
As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
That is two denials.
John 18:26-27
One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the olive grove?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
That is thee denials.
All three denial came before the rooster crowed, just as Jesus said.
You would think that at this point Jesus would have been disappointed in Peter. You might think that Jesus would have given up on Peter and want nothing more to do with him.
Then you would be wrong.
In John 21 Peter and five other of Jesus’ disciples were at the Sea of Galilee and Jesus appears on the sea shore as the disciples are fishing. The disciples recognize it is Jesus and go to have breakfast with Him.
What an extraordinary time that was. It would have been so cool to sit and have breakfast with the risen Son of God.
After breakfast Jesus and Peter have a conversation. The conversation went like this
Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?
Peter: Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.
Jesus: Feed My lambs.
Jesus: Simon, son of John , do you love Me?
Peter: Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.
Jesus: Take care of My sheep.
Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love Me?
Peter: Lord, You know all things; you know that I love You.
Jesus: Feed My lambs.
Jesus takes the time to focus on Peter.
Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?”
Peter says yes all three times.
Why did Jesus ask Peter three times if he loved Him? One time would have seemed to be sufficient.
Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to reaffirm his love for Jesus.
Each of Peter’s affirmations were followed by Jesus with a directive of something Peter could do to show that his affirmation of love was real.
Jesus knows that we as humans are weak, vulnerable, sinful.
Jesus knows in our own strength and resources we cannot obey the Father.
Jesus knows that we will fail at times in obeying Him.
Jesus knows that we will let Him down.
Jesus gives us the opportunity to repent, return, and reaffirm.
Repent: Acknowledge our sin and turn from it.
Return: Coming in humility back to Jesus, recognizing Him as our sole authority and ruler.
Reaffirm: Reestablishing our love for Him and our willingness to obey Him.
Why would Jesus give Peter the opportunity to do this?
Why would Jesus give you and me the opportunity to do this?
Jesus wants us to experience the fullness of His love.
Ephesians 3:18
[that you] May have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Jesus wants you to know that He loves you.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that Jesus loves you and experiencing all the dimensions of His love.
Was Jesus disappointed that Peter denied Him?
The denial did not surprise Jesus.
The denial did not anger Jesus.
The denial did not disappoint Jesus.
The denial hurt Jesus.
Our sin and failure do not anger or disappoint Jesus.
Our sin and failure does hurt Jesus.
Jesus is hurt because He knows that our sin hurts us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that Jesus is not angry at or disappointed with us.
We need to understand also who we are in Jesus.
We need to understand how the Father looks at us.
People who have yield themselves to Jesus as Lord are seen by the Father as:
Friends
Beloved
Children
I love the picture of God the Father in Luke 15, the parable of the Lost Son. The son had rebelled against his father’s authority and rejected his love. If there was ever a father who had every right to reject his son, it was this father. When the son finally comes to his senses and makes his way back home, the father sees the son and runs out to meet him and embraces him. Remember the son had been with pigs and had not bathed. He was dirty and smelly. The father still runs to him and hugs him, because how he looked or what his condition was had nothing to do with how the father saw the son.
This is an awesome picture of how God the Father sees us and wants us with Him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing who we are in Jesus and knowing how God the Father sees us.
Jesus loves you and is not mad at you.
Jesus is for you; He is on your side.
We have hope because of who Jesus is.
We have hope because of what Jesus has done for us.
We have hope because the Father sees us through Jesus.
Knowing Jesus Loves Us by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
The Light of Christmas
I am going to depart from the Gospel of John devotions and focus on the celebration of the Son of God coming into the world as a human.
The world calls this event Christmas and has basically turned it into a celebration of family, sentimentality, and “magical” moments.
I like the term The Incarnation. It is when the Son of God became the physical human being Jesus, God became flesh and bone, blood and muscle.
Matthew and Luke each give us a little different view of the coming of Jesus into the world. They both focus on the physical birth.
John gives us a view of the spiritual aspect of Jesus’ coming.
John 1:3-5
There came a man who was sent from God, his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
John refers to Jesus as The Light.
In John 8:12 Jesus speaks of Himself as The Light of the World.
Jesus came into the world as The Light.
Jesus as The Light defeats the darkness.
Darkness is simply the absence of light. When light shows up, the darkness always disappears. Light always overcomes darkness.
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
The Incarnation means I don’t have to live in darkness. I don’t have to live separated from God. I can live in the light.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
The result of experiencing Jesus as The Light is:
Living in community with fellow followers of Jesus
Being purified from all sin by the blood of Jesus
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in The Light and experiencing the presence of Jesus, fellowship with other believers, and purification from sin.
Jesus as The Light illuminates.
Jesus shows us what is real.
Jesus shows us the reality of life.
Jesus shows us the reality of sin.
Jesus shows us the reality of His incarnation.
In Colossians 1:15-20 Paul tells us who Jesus, the Son of God is.
He is:
The Image of God
Creator of all things
The Focus of all creation
Before all things
The Sustainer of all things
The Head of the church
The Fullness of God
The Reconciler of all things to God
The Peacemaker of all things through His blood
In short Paul pictures Jesus as supreme over everything.
Then in Philippians 2:6-8 Paul shows us what Jesus did for us.
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Jesus gave up all of what Colossians 1:15-20 describes Him as being. He gave it up so that as the God/Man He could be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus as The Light illuminate the truth about our lives, our sin and His sacrifice.
I pray that we will, as we celebrate Christmas, celebrate it as what it really is: the incarnation of the Son of God.
Then our focus will be on Jesus, the Son of God, who came to be our atoning sacrifice.
In the movie Talladega Nights, Will Farrell as Ricky Bobby prays at lunch to the baby Jesus. When his wife, Carley, reminds him that Jesus grew up, Ricky Bobby says that he likes the Christmas Jesus best. He says, “Look, I like the baby version best, do you hear me?”
Yes, I just used a Talladega Nights illustration because that is how the world views Jesus, as a cute baby. He is nice and sweet and safe. Baby Jesus is not going to challenge the world to change.
Baby Jesus will never be The Light to defeat darkness and illuminate the truth.
I love The Incarnation/Christmas.
I love The Incarnation/Christmas because the One who loves you and me came to become our sin so we could become His righteousness.
I pray you have an awesome time as you celebrate The Incarnation of the Son Of God.
Celebrating Jesus by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The world calls this event Christmas and has basically turned it into a celebration of family, sentimentality, and “magical” moments.
I like the term The Incarnation. It is when the Son of God became the physical human being Jesus, God became flesh and bone, blood and muscle.
Matthew and Luke each give us a little different view of the coming of Jesus into the world. They both focus on the physical birth.
John gives us a view of the spiritual aspect of Jesus’ coming.
John 1:3-5
There came a man who was sent from God, his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
John refers to Jesus as The Light.
In John 8:12 Jesus speaks of Himself as The Light of the World.
Jesus came into the world as The Light.
Jesus as The Light defeats the darkness.
Darkness is simply the absence of light. When light shows up, the darkness always disappears. Light always overcomes darkness.
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
The Incarnation means I don’t have to live in darkness. I don’t have to live separated from God. I can live in the light.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
The result of experiencing Jesus as The Light is:
Living in community with fellow followers of Jesus
Being purified from all sin by the blood of Jesus
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in The Light and experiencing the presence of Jesus, fellowship with other believers, and purification from sin.
Jesus as The Light illuminates.
Jesus shows us what is real.
Jesus shows us the reality of life.
Jesus shows us the reality of sin.
Jesus shows us the reality of His incarnation.
In Colossians 1:15-20 Paul tells us who Jesus, the Son of God is.
He is:
The Image of God
Creator of all things
The Focus of all creation
Before all things
The Sustainer of all things
The Head of the church
The Fullness of God
The Reconciler of all things to God
The Peacemaker of all things through His blood
In short Paul pictures Jesus as supreme over everything.
Then in Philippians 2:6-8 Paul shows us what Jesus did for us.
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Jesus gave up all of what Colossians 1:15-20 describes Him as being. He gave it up so that as the God/Man He could be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus as The Light illuminate the truth about our lives, our sin and His sacrifice.
I pray that we will, as we celebrate Christmas, celebrate it as what it really is: the incarnation of the Son of God.
Then our focus will be on Jesus, the Son of God, who came to be our atoning sacrifice.
In the movie Talladega Nights, Will Farrell as Ricky Bobby prays at lunch to the baby Jesus. When his wife, Carley, reminds him that Jesus grew up, Ricky Bobby says that he likes the Christmas Jesus best. He says, “Look, I like the baby version best, do you hear me?”
Yes, I just used a Talladega Nights illustration because that is how the world views Jesus, as a cute baby. He is nice and sweet and safe. Baby Jesus is not going to challenge the world to change.
Baby Jesus will never be The Light to defeat darkness and illuminate the truth.
I love The Incarnation/Christmas.
I love The Incarnation/Christmas because the One who loves you and me came to become our sin so we could become His righteousness.
I pray you have an awesome time as you celebrate The Incarnation of the Son Of God.
Celebrating Jesus by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, December 13, 2015
What Comes Out When You Are Squeezed?
The true character of a person is most clearly seen when that person faces a difficult time. When a person is “squeezed”, what comes out shows what is on the inside.
In John 18 we see Jesus being squeezed. Jesus and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane to spend their last time together. It is in this setting that we see five attributes of Jesus that set Him apart from ordinary people.
Jesus is not only arrested, but the person leading the group is one of the Twelve - Judas.
The fact that Jesus is arrested is stressful enough, but the personal pain of being betrayed by one so close to Him had to really hurt.
This leads to the first attribute of Jesus displayed in this situation.
John 18:4
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, “Who do you want?”
Jesus is courageous.
Jesus knew that He was going to be arrested.
Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him.
Jesus knew the betrayal and arrest would lead to the cross.
Jesus, knowing all this, did nothing to prevent it. Jesus, in fact, went exactly to the place where He knew that Judas would bring the men who would arrest Him.
Jesus even initiated the confrontation with the posse.
There were so many ways that Jesus could have avoided being arrested, but He didn’t.
He is courageous.
Jesus being courageous means that, as I yield my life to His power and authority, He will live out His courage in me.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus live out His courage in me.
John 18:5
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am He,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)
Jesus is honest.
Jesus could have lied.
Jesus could have tried to convince them that He wasn’t the one they were looking for.
Jesus acknowledged He was the one they were looking for.
Jesus knew why they had come.
Jesus knew what the results of being arrested would be.
Even knowing all of this, Jesus shows that He is Truth by being honest.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus as the Truth manifest Himself through us.
John 18:6
When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Jesus is in control.
Judas was not in control.
The Romans soldiers were not in control.
The Jewish religious leaders were not in control.
The Jewish temple guards were not in control.
Jesus was not panicking.
Jesus was not fearful.
Jesus was not at a loss of what to do.
Jesus, at a time when He should have been fearful and confused, was in total control of the situation.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus have total control of your life.
Jesus then again asked who they were looking for and they said “Jesus of Nazareth,” and Jesus tells them that He is Jesus.
John 18:8
“I told you that I am He,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for Me, then let these men go.”
Jesus is focused on and concerned for others.
Most people when being arrested are concerned about one thing: how I can get out of this situation.
Jesus was concerned about these eleven men.
These were men that Jesus loved.
These men that had spent the last three years of their lives with Jesus.
These men would be used to change the world.
Jesus was not only the Savior.
Jesus was not only the Lord.
Jesus was not only the Messiah.
Jesus was the Friend of these men.
Jesus, as the Friend of these eleven men, loved them and was concerned about them even when He was being arrested.
Raise the Roof and Remove Walls is being other-focused and not self-focused.
Peter, being Peter, decided that he would save Jesus and attacked one of the people there to arrest Jesus. Peter struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear.
John 18:11
Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me.?”
Jesus was surrendered to the Father’s will.
Jesus could have avoided being arrested.
Jesus could have avoided going to the cross.
Jesus didn’t because He was fully surrender to do what the Father wanted Him to do.
Jesus didn’t go to the cross just because of His love for us. Jesus went to the cross because that was the Father’s will.
In the last phrase of Philippians 3:10 Paul says, “Becoming like Him in His death.”
Paul’s desire was to be like Jesus as He died on the cross.
How was Jesus as He died on the cross? He was completely obedient to God the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being fully surrendered to God’s will.
Jesus is:
Courageous
Honest
In Control
Concerned for Others
Surrendered to the Father’s Will
We can be:
Courageous
Honest
In Control
Concerned for Others
Surrender to the Father’s will
Colossians 1:27 says that God has revealed a mystery to us that Christ is in us.
As Jesus lives His life in and through us we will become like Him and display His attributes.
Displaying the Attributes Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing The Walls
Joe
In John 18 we see Jesus being squeezed. Jesus and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane to spend their last time together. It is in this setting that we see five attributes of Jesus that set Him apart from ordinary people.
Jesus is not only arrested, but the person leading the group is one of the Twelve - Judas.
The fact that Jesus is arrested is stressful enough, but the personal pain of being betrayed by one so close to Him had to really hurt.
This leads to the first attribute of Jesus displayed in this situation.
John 18:4
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, “Who do you want?”
Jesus is courageous.
Jesus knew that He was going to be arrested.
Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him.
Jesus knew the betrayal and arrest would lead to the cross.
Jesus, knowing all this, did nothing to prevent it. Jesus, in fact, went exactly to the place where He knew that Judas would bring the men who would arrest Him.
Jesus even initiated the confrontation with the posse.
There were so many ways that Jesus could have avoided being arrested, but He didn’t.
He is courageous.
Jesus being courageous means that, as I yield my life to His power and authority, He will live out His courage in me.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus live out His courage in me.
John 18:5
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am He,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)
Jesus is honest.
Jesus could have lied.
Jesus could have tried to convince them that He wasn’t the one they were looking for.
Jesus acknowledged He was the one they were looking for.
Jesus knew why they had come.
Jesus knew what the results of being arrested would be.
Even knowing all of this, Jesus shows that He is Truth by being honest.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus as the Truth manifest Himself through us.
John 18:6
When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Jesus is in control.
Judas was not in control.
The Romans soldiers were not in control.
The Jewish religious leaders were not in control.
The Jewish temple guards were not in control.
Jesus was not panicking.
Jesus was not fearful.
Jesus was not at a loss of what to do.
Jesus, at a time when He should have been fearful and confused, was in total control of the situation.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus have total control of your life.
Jesus then again asked who they were looking for and they said “Jesus of Nazareth,” and Jesus tells them that He is Jesus.
John 18:8
“I told you that I am He,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for Me, then let these men go.”
Jesus is focused on and concerned for others.
Most people when being arrested are concerned about one thing: how I can get out of this situation.
Jesus was concerned about these eleven men.
These were men that Jesus loved.
These men that had spent the last three years of their lives with Jesus.
These men would be used to change the world.
Jesus was not only the Savior.
Jesus was not only the Lord.
Jesus was not only the Messiah.
Jesus was the Friend of these men.
Jesus, as the Friend of these eleven men, loved them and was concerned about them even when He was being arrested.
Raise the Roof and Remove Walls is being other-focused and not self-focused.
Peter, being Peter, decided that he would save Jesus and attacked one of the people there to arrest Jesus. Peter struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear.
John 18:11
Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me.?”
Jesus was surrendered to the Father’s will.
Jesus could have avoided being arrested.
Jesus could have avoided going to the cross.
Jesus didn’t because He was fully surrender to do what the Father wanted Him to do.
Jesus didn’t go to the cross just because of His love for us. Jesus went to the cross because that was the Father’s will.
In the last phrase of Philippians 3:10 Paul says, “Becoming like Him in His death.”
Paul’s desire was to be like Jesus as He died on the cross.
How was Jesus as He died on the cross? He was completely obedient to God the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being fully surrendered to God’s will.
Jesus is:
Courageous
Honest
In Control
Concerned for Others
Surrendered to the Father’s Will
We can be:
Courageous
Honest
In Control
Concerned for Others
Surrender to the Father’s will
Colossians 1:27 says that God has revealed a mystery to us that Christ is in us.
As Jesus lives His life in and through us we will become like Him and display His attributes.
Displaying the Attributes Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing The Walls
Joe
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Jesus Prays
I love it when people come to me and tell me they are praying for me. I can assure you I need people praying for me.
The thought of Jesus, the Son of God and my Savior and Lord, praying for me is beyond awesome, it is pure grace. It is grace because I don’t deserve Jesus praying for me.
We are told in 1 John 2:1 that we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus.
We are told in Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus as our High Priest makes intercession for us.
Based on those two passages it is very clear that Jesus prays for us.
In John 17 we are given a glimpse of Jesus as He prays. This is a picture of the heart of the Father and of the heart of the Son. It shows the intimate relationship between the Father and Jesus.
This prayer occurs on the last night of Jesus’ earthly life. It shows the heart and mind of Jesus as He approached the cross.
In John 17:1-5 Jesus prays for Himself.
The key word in Jesus’ prayer for Himself is GLORY.
The purpose of the prayer is for Jesus’ former glory.
When Jesus is glorified it brings glory to the Father and salvation to those who surrender their lives to Jesus.
Jesus gives us four reasons for Him be gloried.
John 17:2
Since you have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.
First, Jesus has power over all mankind.
Jesus is not just Lord over those who have become His followers, Jesus is Lord over everything and everyone.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Second, Jesus is eternal life.
In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is The Life.
Eternal life is not found in:
A Belief System
A Way of Life
A Religious Viewpoint
Eternal life is found in the person who is life - Jesus.
John 17:4
I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.
Third, because Jesus finished all the work that the Father gave Him to do.
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus tells is that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, and He did.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do when the Father told Him to do it.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do the way the Father told Him to do it.
John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.
Fourth, Jesus had glory with the Father before the world was created.
John 1:1-3 tells us that Jesus was with God in the beginning, that Jesus was God and everything that was created was created through Jesus. In John 1:14 we are told that when Jesus became flesh His glory was evident. The glory that was evident was the glory Jesus has had for eternity as the Son of God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is glorifying Jesus above everything.
In John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for the Eleven.
The key word is KEEP.
The purpose is for His disciples to have unity and experience joy.
Jesus gives us two reason for the unity and joy of His disciples.
John 17:6-7
I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything that You have given Me is from You.
John 17:10
All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
First, that Jesus owns all those who have surrendered their lives to Him. We who call ourselves Christians belong to Jesus.
In both 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 & 7:23 we are told that we were bought with a price and that we don’t belong to ourselves.
I know to some, belonging to Jesus and not belonging to ourselves means that Jesus is in control and not us, and that is “bad” news.
But the fact that I as a follower of Jesus belong to Him takes all the pressure off me.
Life is not about me, life is about Jesus.
I do not have to depend on me, I can depend on Jesus.
I don’t have just my human resources, I have the resources of Jesus.
Belonging to Jesus means He has my back and I have nothing to worry about.
John 17:8
For I have given them the words that You gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know the truth that I came from You, and they have believed that You sent Me.
Second, Jesus gives His disciples the truth of God’s Word and that leads to His disciples knowing who Jesus is and who they are.
The Word of God reveals:
Who God is.
That God can and will do what He says.
That we are who God says we are.
That we can do what God says we can do.
Knowing we belong to Jesus and that we have His word of truth brings unity and joy.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing unity and joy in Jesus through the truth of His Word.
In John 17:20-26 Jesus prays for all believers
John 17:20
I don’t ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.
This is the part of Jesus’ prayer where He prays for you and me.
The key word is ONE.
The purpose of Jesus wanting us as His followers to be one is twofold.
John 17:21
That they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
John 17:26
I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus desires unity in His followers in the 21st century so that the world may:
Believe
And
See God’s Love.
When we fight over trivial things in the church we diminish the glory and truth of God.
When we have a unity, one in Jesus and one with each other, we show the world God’s glory and the truth of who He is.
The reason we can have unity is found in John 17:23.
I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You love Me.
We can be in unity because the Father and Son are in perfect unity.
We can be in unity because the Son is in us as His followers.
We can be in unity because The Father and Son love us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being one with Jesus and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus is praying for you and me as His followers.
We as followers of Jesus can:
Glorify Jesus
Experience Unity and Love Through His Word
Be One with Jesus and His People - The Church
With Unity and Love Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The thought of Jesus, the Son of God and my Savior and Lord, praying for me is beyond awesome, it is pure grace. It is grace because I don’t deserve Jesus praying for me.
We are told in 1 John 2:1 that we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus.
We are told in Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus as our High Priest makes intercession for us.
Based on those two passages it is very clear that Jesus prays for us.
In John 17 we are given a glimpse of Jesus as He prays. This is a picture of the heart of the Father and of the heart of the Son. It shows the intimate relationship between the Father and Jesus.
This prayer occurs on the last night of Jesus’ earthly life. It shows the heart and mind of Jesus as He approached the cross.
In John 17:1-5 Jesus prays for Himself.
The key word in Jesus’ prayer for Himself is GLORY.
The purpose of the prayer is for Jesus’ former glory.
When Jesus is glorified it brings glory to the Father and salvation to those who surrender their lives to Jesus.
Jesus gives us four reasons for Him be gloried.
John 17:2
Since you have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.
First, Jesus has power over all mankind.
Jesus is not just Lord over those who have become His followers, Jesus is Lord over everything and everyone.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Second, Jesus is eternal life.
In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is The Life.
Eternal life is not found in:
A Belief System
A Way of Life
A Religious Viewpoint
Eternal life is found in the person who is life - Jesus.
John 17:4
I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.
Third, because Jesus finished all the work that the Father gave Him to do.
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus tells is that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, and He did.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do when the Father told Him to do it.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do the way the Father told Him to do it.
John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.
Fourth, Jesus had glory with the Father before the world was created.
John 1:1-3 tells us that Jesus was with God in the beginning, that Jesus was God and everything that was created was created through Jesus. In John 1:14 we are told that when Jesus became flesh His glory was evident. The glory that was evident was the glory Jesus has had for eternity as the Son of God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is glorifying Jesus above everything.
In John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for the Eleven.
The key word is KEEP.
The purpose is for His disciples to have unity and experience joy.
Jesus gives us two reason for the unity and joy of His disciples.
John 17:6-7
I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything that You have given Me is from You.
John 17:10
All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
First, that Jesus owns all those who have surrendered their lives to Him. We who call ourselves Christians belong to Jesus.
In both 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 & 7:23 we are told that we were bought with a price and that we don’t belong to ourselves.
I know to some, belonging to Jesus and not belonging to ourselves means that Jesus is in control and not us, and that is “bad” news.
But the fact that I as a follower of Jesus belong to Him takes all the pressure off me.
Life is not about me, life is about Jesus.
I do not have to depend on me, I can depend on Jesus.
I don’t have just my human resources, I have the resources of Jesus.
Belonging to Jesus means He has my back and I have nothing to worry about.
John 17:8
For I have given them the words that You gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know the truth that I came from You, and they have believed that You sent Me.
Second, Jesus gives His disciples the truth of God’s Word and that leads to His disciples knowing who Jesus is and who they are.
The Word of God reveals:
Who God is.
That God can and will do what He says.
That we are who God says we are.
That we can do what God says we can do.
Knowing we belong to Jesus and that we have His word of truth brings unity and joy.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing unity and joy in Jesus through the truth of His Word.
In John 17:20-26 Jesus prays for all believers
John 17:20
I don’t ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.
This is the part of Jesus’ prayer where He prays for you and me.
The key word is ONE.
The purpose of Jesus wanting us as His followers to be one is twofold.
John 17:21
That they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
John 17:26
I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus desires unity in His followers in the 21st century so that the world may:
Believe
And
See God’s Love.
When we fight over trivial things in the church we diminish the glory and truth of God.
When we have a unity, one in Jesus and one with each other, we show the world God’s glory and the truth of who He is.
The reason we can have unity is found in John 17:23.
I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You love Me.
We can be in unity because the Father and Son are in perfect unity.
We can be in unity because the Son is in us as His followers.
We can be in unity because The Father and Son love us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being one with Jesus and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus is praying for you and me as His followers.
We as followers of Jesus can:
Glorify Jesus
Experience Unity and Love Through His Word
Be One with Jesus and His People - The Church
With Unity and Love Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Grief Turned to Joy
In John 16:17 some of Jesus’ disciples were asking what Jesus meant when He said, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me, because I am going to the Father.”
The disciples were perplexed.
Perplexed means to be completely baffled, to be very puzzled.
The disciples were confused and uncertain about what Jesus meant.
Jesus knew this and He gave His disciples a promise to help clear up the confusion and uncertainty.
John 16:20-22
I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come, but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
The Promise: Our Grief Will be Turned into Joy
Jesus does not promise no grief.
Jesus does not promise no pain.
Jesus does not promise no difficult times.
Jesus promises to turn the grief and the pain and the difficult times into joy.
How can Jesus turn our grief into joy?
He compares it to a woman who is having a baby. The woman experiences some difficult times, pain, and even grief as she carried this child. Everyone around her is telling her how wonderful it is that she is going to have this child, but she is the one having to endure the pain of pregnancy.
When the child is born, the joy of seeing this new life she has brought into the world causes the pain to become joy.
The thing that causes our grief to be turned into joy is JESUS!
He says that at the time of our grief, we will rejoice when we see Him.
Joy is not about circumstances.
Joy is about experiencing Jesus.
We experience Jesus’
Presence
Love
Grace
Mercy
Joy is a product of the work of God’s Spirit in us according to Galatians 5:22.
The other thing that Jesus tells us about this joy that we will experience is that no one will take it away from us.
This is a joy that is eternal because it is joy based in the Eternal One - Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the daily joy of knowing Jesus and His love, grace, and mercy.
We as followers of Jesus can experience joy by:
Taking advantage of the tremendous power we have in prayer.
John 16:23-24
In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.
Our joy is complete when we get what we want. The key is wanting the right thing.
Prayer is not talking God into giving us what we want.
Prayer is letting God tells us what we want and then asking Him for it.
When I ask in Jesus’ name, I am asking for God to give me in His infinite knowledge of me what He wants me to have. It is asking according to God’s will, not my will.
In the garden Jesus prays, “Not My will, but Your will.”
We have tremendous power in prayer when we pray God’s will not our will.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is taping into the power of God by praying God’s will.
We as followers of Jesus can experience joy by:
Knowing that God loves you.
John 16:27
No, the Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.
God loves you:
Unconditionally
To the Maximum
Eternally
God does not love us based on us.
God loves us based on who He is.
Nothing can separate us from God’s love or change His love for us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing God loves us, loving Him back, and living based on His love.
We as followers of Jesus can experience joy by:
Claiming the victorious peace of Jesus in every situation of our lives.
John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
The world is broken and dark.
Everyone who lives in the world, even followers of Jesus, will face difficulties.
BUT! God’s “but” is always bigger than our “but”s.
We are to take heart because Jesus has overcome the world.
Jesus never sinned.
Jesus never let the worries of the world distract Him.
Jesus never let even death stop Him.
We get to share in Jesus’ victory by surrendering our lives to Him as our Lord.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting the peace of God guard our hearts and minds in Jesus.
We live in a very perplexing world. It causes us to be confused and uncertain.
Jesus will turn our perplexity into joy when we:
Take advantage of God’s power in prayer
Know God loves us
Claim the victory His peace gives us.
Grief Turned to Victory by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The disciples were perplexed.
Perplexed means to be completely baffled, to be very puzzled.
The disciples were confused and uncertain about what Jesus meant.
Jesus knew this and He gave His disciples a promise to help clear up the confusion and uncertainty.
John 16:20-22
I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come, but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
The Promise: Our Grief Will be Turned into Joy
Jesus does not promise no grief.
Jesus does not promise no pain.
Jesus does not promise no difficult times.
Jesus promises to turn the grief and the pain and the difficult times into joy.
How can Jesus turn our grief into joy?
He compares it to a woman who is having a baby. The woman experiences some difficult times, pain, and even grief as she carried this child. Everyone around her is telling her how wonderful it is that she is going to have this child, but she is the one having to endure the pain of pregnancy.
When the child is born, the joy of seeing this new life she has brought into the world causes the pain to become joy.
The thing that causes our grief to be turned into joy is JESUS!
He says that at the time of our grief, we will rejoice when we see Him.
Joy is not about circumstances.
Joy is about experiencing Jesus.
We experience Jesus’
Presence
Love
Grace
Mercy
Joy is a product of the work of God’s Spirit in us according to Galatians 5:22.
The other thing that Jesus tells us about this joy that we will experience is that no one will take it away from us.
This is a joy that is eternal because it is joy based in the Eternal One - Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the daily joy of knowing Jesus and His love, grace, and mercy.
We as followers of Jesus can experience joy by:
Taking advantage of the tremendous power we have in prayer.
John 16:23-24
In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.
Our joy is complete when we get what we want. The key is wanting the right thing.
Prayer is not talking God into giving us what we want.
Prayer is letting God tells us what we want and then asking Him for it.
When I ask in Jesus’ name, I am asking for God to give me in His infinite knowledge of me what He wants me to have. It is asking according to God’s will, not my will.
In the garden Jesus prays, “Not My will, but Your will.”
We have tremendous power in prayer when we pray God’s will not our will.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is taping into the power of God by praying God’s will.
We as followers of Jesus can experience joy by:
Knowing that God loves you.
John 16:27
No, the Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.
God loves you:
Unconditionally
To the Maximum
Eternally
God does not love us based on us.
God loves us based on who He is.
Nothing can separate us from God’s love or change His love for us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing God loves us, loving Him back, and living based on His love.
We as followers of Jesus can experience joy by:
Claiming the victorious peace of Jesus in every situation of our lives.
John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
The world is broken and dark.
Everyone who lives in the world, even followers of Jesus, will face difficulties.
BUT! God’s “but” is always bigger than our “but”s.
We are to take heart because Jesus has overcome the world.
Jesus never sinned.
Jesus never let the worries of the world distract Him.
Jesus never let even death stop Him.
We get to share in Jesus’ victory by surrendering our lives to Him as our Lord.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting the peace of God guard our hearts and minds in Jesus.
We live in a very perplexing world. It causes us to be confused and uncertain.
Jesus will turn our perplexity into joy when we:
Take advantage of God’s power in prayer
Know God loves us
Claim the victory His peace gives us.
Grief Turned to Victory by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, November 22, 2015
The Holy Spirit Is God In You
Have you ever been a witness in a legal case? If you have, you know that when you’re sworn in that you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth.
I felt that when I was growing up, the church was leaving something out, not telling the whole truth. I found out later that the something that was being left out was the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was rarely talked about in the churches I grew up in.
Jesus tells a lot about the Holy Spirit in John 16.
In John 16:5-6 Jesus tells His disciples that He is going away. He knows that they are filled with grief. Then Jesus says an amazing thing in John 16:7. He says that it is a good thing that He is going away.
The reason it is a good thing is that the Holy Spirit will then come.
In John 16:7 Jesus shares with us a truth about the Holy Sprit.
Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as Counselor or Intercessor or Helper.
The Holy Spirit gives us counsel and direction for our lives.
The Holy Spirit intercedes with the Father for us.
The Holy Spirit helps us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is depending on the Holy Spirit to direct our lives and helpings us to do the Father’s will as He intercedes for us.
In John 16:8-11 Jesus says, “When He comes He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. In regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; and with regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
The Holy Spirit convicts or exposes the world of sin or missing the mark. We all miss the mark by not believing. The conviction here is of unbelief and His purpose is to result in salvation.
The Holy Spirit convicts or exposes us of righteousness.
According to 1 Corinthians 1:30 Jesus is our righteousness.
When the Holy Spirit convicts in regard to righteousness He is showing us the righteousness of Jesus and He is showing us that in Jesus we are righteous.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is putting on the righteousness of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit convicts of judgment.
This is not judgment upon people. This is judgment upon the prince of this world, Satan.
Jesus says that Satan stands condemned.
If you are a follower of Jesus, Satan has been defeated. You have the Holy Spirit living in you to guard your heart and mind from him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing Satan has been defeated and living in that truth.
Jesus shares another ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 16:12-13. He says, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us.
The Holy Spirit guides us into truth.
The Holy Spirit gives life to the words of the Father and the Son. He makes them come alive in our everyday life.
Then in John 16:14-15 Jesus gives one more work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and make it known to you.”
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus.
The Holy Spirit does not glorify:
Himself
People
Churches
The Holy Spirit only glorifies Jesus!
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by confirming in the life of the believer that we belong to Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:22
Set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
The Holy Spirit lives in us as followers of Jesus and according to Romans 8:15 enables to experience a relationship with God that is so intimate that we can know Him as our Abba, our Dad.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the Holy Spirit glorifying Jesus in our lives to the point that we experience true intimacy with Him.
The Holy Spirit works in the world to bring conviction.
The Holy Spirit works in the believer to bring security.
We serve a God who is one, but reveals Himself in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Never make the Holy Spirit secondary. He is God just as the Father is and the Son is.
We are told in Romans 8:9 that everyone who is a child of God has the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit draws us to God.
The Holy Spirit reveals God to us.
The Holy Spirit makes us a child of God.
The Holy Spirit continually reminds us that we belong to God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the Holy Spirit filling us and forming in us the image of Jesus.
By and With the Holy Spirit Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
I felt that when I was growing up, the church was leaving something out, not telling the whole truth. I found out later that the something that was being left out was the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was rarely talked about in the churches I grew up in.
Jesus tells a lot about the Holy Spirit in John 16.
In John 16:5-6 Jesus tells His disciples that He is going away. He knows that they are filled with grief. Then Jesus says an amazing thing in John 16:7. He says that it is a good thing that He is going away.
The reason it is a good thing is that the Holy Spirit will then come.
In John 16:7 Jesus shares with us a truth about the Holy Sprit.
Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as Counselor or Intercessor or Helper.
The Holy Spirit gives us counsel and direction for our lives.
The Holy Spirit intercedes with the Father for us.
The Holy Spirit helps us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is depending on the Holy Spirit to direct our lives and helpings us to do the Father’s will as He intercedes for us.
In John 16:8-11 Jesus says, “When He comes He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. In regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; and with regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
The Holy Spirit convicts or exposes the world of sin or missing the mark. We all miss the mark by not believing. The conviction here is of unbelief and His purpose is to result in salvation.
The Holy Spirit convicts or exposes us of righteousness.
According to 1 Corinthians 1:30 Jesus is our righteousness.
When the Holy Spirit convicts in regard to righteousness He is showing us the righteousness of Jesus and He is showing us that in Jesus we are righteous.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is putting on the righteousness of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit convicts of judgment.
This is not judgment upon people. This is judgment upon the prince of this world, Satan.
Jesus says that Satan stands condemned.
If you are a follower of Jesus, Satan has been defeated. You have the Holy Spirit living in you to guard your heart and mind from him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing Satan has been defeated and living in that truth.
Jesus shares another ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 16:12-13. He says, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us.
The Holy Spirit guides us into truth.
The Holy Spirit gives life to the words of the Father and the Son. He makes them come alive in our everyday life.
Then in John 16:14-15 Jesus gives one more work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and make it known to you.”
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus.
The Holy Spirit does not glorify:
Himself
People
Churches
The Holy Spirit only glorifies Jesus!
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by confirming in the life of the believer that we belong to Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:22
Set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
The Holy Spirit lives in us as followers of Jesus and according to Romans 8:15 enables to experience a relationship with God that is so intimate that we can know Him as our Abba, our Dad.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the Holy Spirit glorifying Jesus in our lives to the point that we experience true intimacy with Him.
The Holy Spirit works in the world to bring conviction.
The Holy Spirit works in the believer to bring security.
We serve a God who is one, but reveals Himself in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Never make the Holy Spirit secondary. He is God just as the Father is and the Son is.
We are told in Romans 8:9 that everyone who is a child of God has the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit draws us to God.
The Holy Spirit reveals God to us.
The Holy Spirit makes us a child of God.
The Holy Spirit continually reminds us that we belong to God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is the Holy Spirit filling us and forming in us the image of Jesus.
By and With the Holy Spirit Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Dealing With Hatred and Persecution
John 15:18-25
If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word I said to you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: “They hated Me without a cause.”
In this passage Jesus uses the word hate in some form eight times and two other times He uses a form of the word persecute.
Jesus makes it very clear here that if we are following Him we will be hated by some people and persecuted by some people.
How are we to handle hatred and persecution so that it honors Jesus?
#1: We need to make sure that we are being persecuted because of our faith in Jesus.
1 Peter 2:19-20
For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God.
Many people claim there are being persecuted for their faith when it may be because they are being unloving and disrespectful of others and use their faith as an excuse.
The Gospel of Jesus will offend, but we as followers of Jesus don’t have to be offensive.
It is not about winning an argument.
It is not about being right.
It is not about make the other person agree with you.
It is about sharing the truth of the Gospel in love.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is letting the truth of the Gospel be heard.
#2: We are to pray for those who hate and persecute us.
Matthew 5:44
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Remember, those who hate us and persecute us because of faith in Jesus are not the real enemy.
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Our enemy is Satan. He uses others to do his dirty work.
When we pray for our enemies and those who hate us, we are praying for their salvation.
What great glory God receives when a persecutor of God’s people like Saul becomes a Paul and begins building God’s Kingdom.
We are to pray for boldness.
Acts 4:29
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness.
They didn’t whine about the threats.
They did not get mad or fearful over the threats.
They did not march in protest around the building where those who made the threats were.
They did not appeal to the government to have the people stop the threats.
They asked God to make them even more bold than they had been.
Look at the results in Acts 4:31. “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
God honored their request in a BIG way!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is be bold about Jesus and His Gospel in spite of bad circumstances.
#3: We are not to compromise to lessen the persecution.
Acts 3:18-20
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot helping speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
We are not to be rude.
We are to be firm.
We are not to be angry.
We are to be confident.
We are not to legalistic.
We are to be biblical.
I have been told that Christians are intolerant because we say that Jesus is the only way to God. That is not being intolerant; it is simply believing what the Bible says. We don’t need to back off speaking and living out the truth.
As we speak the truth, we need to do what Paul tells us to do in Ephesians 4:15: Do it in love.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about speaking the truth in love and not compromising.
#4: We are to rejoice in the persecution.
Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Rejoicing in persecution sounds crazy, and if anyone but Jesus had said it, it would be crazy.
Why should we rejoice in persecution?
It means our reward in heaven will be great.
The prophets of God also faced persecution.
There is another reason to rejoice in being persecution because of your faith in Jesus. It means that your faith is being effective.
We don’t worry about or get nervous about someone or something that is ineffective. We don’t bother to try and stop something that is not making a difference. The fact that we are being persecuted means that Jesus is using us to make a real difference.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is rejoicing when we are persecuted for our faith in Jesus because we are making a difference.
The Gospel of Jesus has always been antiestablishment. It has always gone against the flow of human culture because all cultures are fallen. All cultures are broken because of sin.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to seek FIRST His kingdom, and that makes people who don’t know Jesus very fearful, and that fear will cause them to hate us and persecute us.
We don’t need to get angry.
We don’t need to get paranoid.
We just need to trust Jesus.
We just need to obey Jesus.
We are told in Hebrews 13:5 that God will never leave us or forsake us. We can face hatred and persecution by remaining faithful, praying for those who persecute us and rejoicing that we are worthy enough to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake.
If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word I said to you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: “They hated Me without a cause.”
In this passage Jesus uses the word hate in some form eight times and two other times He uses a form of the word persecute.
Jesus makes it very clear here that if we are following Him we will be hated by some people and persecuted by some people.
How are we to handle hatred and persecution so that it honors Jesus?
#1: We need to make sure that we are being persecuted because of our faith in Jesus.
1 Peter 2:19-20
For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God.
Many people claim there are being persecuted for their faith when it may be because they are being unloving and disrespectful of others and use their faith as an excuse.
The Gospel of Jesus will offend, but we as followers of Jesus don’t have to be offensive.
It is not about winning an argument.
It is not about being right.
It is not about make the other person agree with you.
It is about sharing the truth of the Gospel in love.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is letting the truth of the Gospel be heard.
#2: We are to pray for those who hate and persecute us.
Matthew 5:44
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Remember, those who hate us and persecute us because of faith in Jesus are not the real enemy.
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Our enemy is Satan. He uses others to do his dirty work.
When we pray for our enemies and those who hate us, we are praying for their salvation.
What great glory God receives when a persecutor of God’s people like Saul becomes a Paul and begins building God’s Kingdom.
We are to pray for boldness.
Acts 4:29
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness.
They didn’t whine about the threats.
They did not get mad or fearful over the threats.
They did not march in protest around the building where those who made the threats were.
They did not appeal to the government to have the people stop the threats.
They asked God to make them even more bold than they had been.
Look at the results in Acts 4:31. “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
God honored their request in a BIG way!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is be bold about Jesus and His Gospel in spite of bad circumstances.
#3: We are not to compromise to lessen the persecution.
Acts 3:18-20
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot helping speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
We are not to be rude.
We are to be firm.
We are not to be angry.
We are to be confident.
We are not to legalistic.
We are to be biblical.
I have been told that Christians are intolerant because we say that Jesus is the only way to God. That is not being intolerant; it is simply believing what the Bible says. We don’t need to back off speaking and living out the truth.
As we speak the truth, we need to do what Paul tells us to do in Ephesians 4:15: Do it in love.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about speaking the truth in love and not compromising.
#4: We are to rejoice in the persecution.
Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Rejoicing in persecution sounds crazy, and if anyone but Jesus had said it, it would be crazy.
Why should we rejoice in persecution?
It means our reward in heaven will be great.
The prophets of God also faced persecution.
There is another reason to rejoice in being persecution because of your faith in Jesus. It means that your faith is being effective.
We don’t worry about or get nervous about someone or something that is ineffective. We don’t bother to try and stop something that is not making a difference. The fact that we are being persecuted means that Jesus is using us to make a real difference.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is rejoicing when we are persecuted for our faith in Jesus because we are making a difference.
The Gospel of Jesus has always been antiestablishment. It has always gone against the flow of human culture because all cultures are fallen. All cultures are broken because of sin.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to seek FIRST His kingdom, and that makes people who don’t know Jesus very fearful, and that fear will cause them to hate us and persecute us.
We don’t need to get angry.
We don’t need to get paranoid.
We just need to trust Jesus.
We just need to obey Jesus.
We are told in Hebrews 13:5 that God will never leave us or forsake us. We can face hatred and persecution by remaining faithful, praying for those who persecute us and rejoicing that we are worthy enough to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake.
Rejoicing in Persecution by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
Sunday, November 8, 2015
The Vine, The Branches, and The Gardener
In John 15:1-17 Jesus shares with us who He is and what He does, who the Father is and what He does, and who we are in relationship to Jesus and the Father. Jesus also shares with us what we are to do based on who Jesus and the Father are.
John 15:1
I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Gardener.
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:14-15
You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.
Jesus is the True Vine.
The Father is the Gardener.
We are the branches and friends of Jesus.
It is through Jesus that we have life and have what we need for everyday living.
John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Jesus as the True Vine cleans us.
Jesus cleans us by His Word.
In Ephesians 5:26 Paul says that Jesus desires to make the church holy by the washing with water through the word.
When we see Jesus as our life, we will surrender the authority to direct our lives to Him and, through His Word, Jesus will clean us and make us holy.
John 15:4
Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
Jesus as the True Vine produces fruit through us.
Braches cannot produce fruit on their own. It is the vine that provides life and all that is needed to sustain life.
Jesus is life.
Jesus gives us life.
Jesus sustains life.
John 15:9
As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain in My love.
John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Jesus as the True Vine loves us.
Jesus loves you.
Jesus loves you personally.
Jesus loves you intimately.
Jesus loves you unconditionally.
Jesus loves you eternally.
John 15:10
If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His love.
The key according to Jesus to remaining in His love is to obey Him.
Does Jesus love those who don’t obey Him? - YES!
Jesus loves those who obey and those who don’t obey.
The difference is that those who obey Jesus show that they love Him and His love is then experienced by those people. Those who don’t obey Jesus never get the awesome experience of knowing His love.
John 15:11
I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Jesus as the True Vine is our source of joy.
We look for joy in all the wrong places.
Any source that we look to for joy other than Jesus will:
Change
Fade
Go Away
Disappoint.
Jesus who never changes is the only stable source of joy.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus as the True Vine lays down His life for us.
The greatest show of love, the greatest act of sacrifice, and the greatest example of complete obedience is seen in Jesus’ death on the cross.
Jesus laid down His life for you!
John 15:16a
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.
Jesus as the True Vine has chosen us and chosen to use us for His purpose.
Jesus chose you to be His friend.
Jesus chose you to be used to take the Gospel into the world.
Jesus chose you to be one He would use to change the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about relating to Jesus as your True Vine.
John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
The Father as the Gardener removes anything from your life that hinders you from being fruitful.
The Father has a plan for you and He provides all you need to fulfill His plan and removes anything that would stop His plan.
In John 15:9 Jesus says that the Father as the Gardener loves the True Vine, Jesus.
The love that the Father has for Jesus is shown in what Jesus says in the second part of John 15:16.
John 15:16b
Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.
The Father as the Gardener will give us whatever we ask in Jesus’ name.
We are promised several times that whatever we request along the lines of who Jesus is and what Jesus is doing we will receive. We need to live based on this promise and ask.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living based on the truth that the Father is the Gardener.
In John 15:5 Jesus tells us that we are the branches.
We as the branches are to produce fruit. We can only do this as we stay connected to the True Vine, Jesus, and let the Gardener, the Father, prune away all that is not what He wants in our lives.
The fruit we are to produce is the character of Jesus being formed in us and, through becoming like Jesus, then doing what Jesus did, sharing God’s love and truth with people.
In John 15:14-15 we are called the friends of Jesus.
The difference between a friend and a servant is that the servant is given no explanation of why he is told to things and the friend is told why he is asked to do something.
Jesus shares with us the how and why of what He is doing.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being braches that, through the True Vine, produce fruit, and about being Jesus’ friends that love Him, as shown by their obedience.
Jesus ends this teaching by commanding us in verse 17 to, “Love each other.”
In Cooperation with the True Vine and the Gardener Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
John 15:1
I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Gardener.
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:14-15
You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.
Jesus is the True Vine.
The Father is the Gardener.
We are the branches and friends of Jesus.
It is through Jesus that we have life and have what we need for everyday living.
John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Jesus as the True Vine cleans us.
Jesus cleans us by His Word.
In Ephesians 5:26 Paul says that Jesus desires to make the church holy by the washing with water through the word.
When we see Jesus as our life, we will surrender the authority to direct our lives to Him and, through His Word, Jesus will clean us and make us holy.
John 15:4
Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
Jesus as the True Vine produces fruit through us.
Braches cannot produce fruit on their own. It is the vine that provides life and all that is needed to sustain life.
Jesus is life.
Jesus gives us life.
Jesus sustains life.
John 15:9
As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain in My love.
John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Jesus as the True Vine loves us.
Jesus loves you.
Jesus loves you personally.
Jesus loves you intimately.
Jesus loves you unconditionally.
Jesus loves you eternally.
John 15:10
If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His love.
The key according to Jesus to remaining in His love is to obey Him.
Does Jesus love those who don’t obey Him? - YES!
Jesus loves those who obey and those who don’t obey.
The difference is that those who obey Jesus show that they love Him and His love is then experienced by those people. Those who don’t obey Jesus never get the awesome experience of knowing His love.
John 15:11
I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Jesus as the True Vine is our source of joy.
We look for joy in all the wrong places.
Any source that we look to for joy other than Jesus will:
Change
Fade
Go Away
Disappoint.
Jesus who never changes is the only stable source of joy.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus as the True Vine lays down His life for us.
The greatest show of love, the greatest act of sacrifice, and the greatest example of complete obedience is seen in Jesus’ death on the cross.
Jesus laid down His life for you!
John 15:16a
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.
Jesus as the True Vine has chosen us and chosen to use us for His purpose.
Jesus chose you to be His friend.
Jesus chose you to be used to take the Gospel into the world.
Jesus chose you to be one He would use to change the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about relating to Jesus as your True Vine.
John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
The Father as the Gardener removes anything from your life that hinders you from being fruitful.
The Father has a plan for you and He provides all you need to fulfill His plan and removes anything that would stop His plan.
In John 15:9 Jesus says that the Father as the Gardener loves the True Vine, Jesus.
The love that the Father has for Jesus is shown in what Jesus says in the second part of John 15:16.
John 15:16b
Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.
The Father as the Gardener will give us whatever we ask in Jesus’ name.
We are promised several times that whatever we request along the lines of who Jesus is and what Jesus is doing we will receive. We need to live based on this promise and ask.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living based on the truth that the Father is the Gardener.
In John 15:5 Jesus tells us that we are the branches.
We as the branches are to produce fruit. We can only do this as we stay connected to the True Vine, Jesus, and let the Gardener, the Father, prune away all that is not what He wants in our lives.
The fruit we are to produce is the character of Jesus being formed in us and, through becoming like Jesus, then doing what Jesus did, sharing God’s love and truth with people.
In John 15:14-15 we are called the friends of Jesus.
The difference between a friend and a servant is that the servant is given no explanation of why he is told to things and the friend is told why he is asked to do something.
Jesus shares with us the how and why of what He is doing.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being braches that, through the True Vine, produce fruit, and about being Jesus’ friends that love Him, as shown by their obedience.
Jesus ends this teaching by commanding us in verse 17 to, “Love each other.”
In Cooperation with the True Vine and the Gardener Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, November 1, 2015
The Holy Spirit is Coming
Beginning with verse fifteen of the fourteenth chapter of John Jesus gives us the promise of the Holy Spirit.
The indwelling presence is huge in the life of a follower of Jesus.
I was nineteen years old before I came to understand that as a follower of Jesus I wasn’t just out there on my own. I was filled with the Holy Spirit. God was literally inside me.
That meant that I didn’t have to try and live depending on my own power. I could live filled with the Holy Spirit and depending on God’s power.
Ephesians 5:18 commands us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:13 says that God gives both the desire and power to do what pleases Him. He does that through the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus talks about what the Holy Spirit does in John 14, it is very important.
In John 14:17 Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth.
The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us.
When you read a passage of Scripture and the words jump off the page, that is the Holy Spirit revealing truth.
When you hear a sermon and the words convict, that is the Holy Spirit.
When you are in a Bible study and what you are studying encourages you, that is the Holy Spirit.
When you are dealing with a life situation and the solution becomes clear, that is the Holy Spirit.
All truth comes from God and it is the Holy Spirit who reveals that to us.
In John 14:18 Jesus says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
The Holy Spirit is our companion.
He is in us and He will never leave us.
John 14:16 says, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”
The Helper, the Holy Spirit will be with us as followers of Jesus forever. He will not leave. We cannot lose Him, thus we cannot lose our salvation.
The Holy Spirit will teach us.
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
You don’t discover truth; The Holy Spirit reveals truth to you.
It is the Holy Spirit that teaches in a Bible study, when you read the Bible, when you hear a sermon.
The Holy Spirit brings to your memory all the things that you have learned through God’s Word.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
The Holy Spirit is our peace.
Peace as the world tries to give it is an absence of problems or conflicts. We live in a fallen world so we will never have a life free of problems or conflicts. The peace that is the Holy Spirit is a rest in the midst of problems and conflicts.
The peace that is the Holy Spirit is a confidence that even with problems and conflict everything is ok because God is in control.
John 14:28-29
You have heard Me say to you, “I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.”
The Holy Spirit is our faith.
In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul says that we are saved by grace through faith. We know that grace is a gift from God and so is faith. The Holy Spirit brings faith when He comes into our lives.
God pours out His grace through Jesus, and the Holy Spirits gifts us with the faith to believe, and the grace then changes our lives.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being filled with the Holy Spirit so He can be to you the revealer of truth, your companion, your teacher, your peace, and your faith.
There is a key to the Holy Spirit filling you and being to you those things revealed in John 14, It is OBEDIENCE.
John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 14:21
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
John 14:23
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him .”
Three times in this section of Scripture Jesus says that if a person loves Him, they will obey Him.
The key to the Holy Spirit filling us is obedience to the words of Jesus.
In verse 21 Jesus promises that if we keep His commandments, He will manifest Himself to us.
In John 15:26 Jesus says, “But when the Helper comes, whom the I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, He will bear witness about Me.”
The Spirit when He is filling us will bear witness or manifest Jesus.
In verse 23 Jesus promises that He and the Father will come and make their home in those who obey Jesus’ word.
Obedience is the key to the Holy Spirit completely filling us as followers, and as the Holy Spirit fills us, Jesus and the Father make their home in our lives.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is obeying the words and will of Jesus.
If you are like I was and thinking that, now that Jesus has delivered you from the penalty of sin, you have to live out this relationship with God in your own power and strength, then I have great news: You don’t!
You have, through your surrendering your life to God’s authority, a new companion, the Holy Spirit, who fills you to empower and enable you to live as Jesus tells you to.
Zechariah 4:6
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel (and you): ‘Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord.”
By God’s Spirit Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The indwelling presence is huge in the life of a follower of Jesus.
I was nineteen years old before I came to understand that as a follower of Jesus I wasn’t just out there on my own. I was filled with the Holy Spirit. God was literally inside me.
That meant that I didn’t have to try and live depending on my own power. I could live filled with the Holy Spirit and depending on God’s power.
Ephesians 5:18 commands us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:13 says that God gives both the desire and power to do what pleases Him. He does that through the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus talks about what the Holy Spirit does in John 14, it is very important.
In John 14:17 Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth.
The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us.
When you read a passage of Scripture and the words jump off the page, that is the Holy Spirit revealing truth.
When you hear a sermon and the words convict, that is the Holy Spirit.
When you are in a Bible study and what you are studying encourages you, that is the Holy Spirit.
When you are dealing with a life situation and the solution becomes clear, that is the Holy Spirit.
All truth comes from God and it is the Holy Spirit who reveals that to us.
In John 14:18 Jesus says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
The Holy Spirit is our companion.
He is in us and He will never leave us.
John 14:16 says, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”
The Helper, the Holy Spirit will be with us as followers of Jesus forever. He will not leave. We cannot lose Him, thus we cannot lose our salvation.
The Holy Spirit will teach us.
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
You don’t discover truth; The Holy Spirit reveals truth to you.
It is the Holy Spirit that teaches in a Bible study, when you read the Bible, when you hear a sermon.
The Holy Spirit brings to your memory all the things that you have learned through God’s Word.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
The Holy Spirit is our peace.
Peace as the world tries to give it is an absence of problems or conflicts. We live in a fallen world so we will never have a life free of problems or conflicts. The peace that is the Holy Spirit is a rest in the midst of problems and conflicts.
The peace that is the Holy Spirit is a confidence that even with problems and conflict everything is ok because God is in control.
John 14:28-29
You have heard Me say to you, “I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.”
The Holy Spirit is our faith.
In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul says that we are saved by grace through faith. We know that grace is a gift from God and so is faith. The Holy Spirit brings faith when He comes into our lives.
God pours out His grace through Jesus, and the Holy Spirits gifts us with the faith to believe, and the grace then changes our lives.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being filled with the Holy Spirit so He can be to you the revealer of truth, your companion, your teacher, your peace, and your faith.
There is a key to the Holy Spirit filling you and being to you those things revealed in John 14, It is OBEDIENCE.
John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 14:21
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
John 14:23
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him .”
Three times in this section of Scripture Jesus says that if a person loves Him, they will obey Him.
The key to the Holy Spirit filling us is obedience to the words of Jesus.
In verse 21 Jesus promises that if we keep His commandments, He will manifest Himself to us.
In John 15:26 Jesus says, “But when the Helper comes, whom the I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, He will bear witness about Me.”
The Spirit when He is filling us will bear witness or manifest Jesus.
In verse 23 Jesus promises that He and the Father will come and make their home in those who obey Jesus’ word.
Obedience is the key to the Holy Spirit completely filling us as followers, and as the Holy Spirit fills us, Jesus and the Father make their home in our lives.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is obeying the words and will of Jesus.
If you are like I was and thinking that, now that Jesus has delivered you from the penalty of sin, you have to live out this relationship with God in your own power and strength, then I have great news: You don’t!
You have, through your surrendering your life to God’s authority, a new companion, the Holy Spirit, who fills you to empower and enable you to live as Jesus tells you to.
Zechariah 4:6
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel (and you): ‘Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord.”
By God’s Spirit Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Jesus Is The Way, The Truth, The Life
The first statement in John 14:1 would be a totally absurd statement if it had come from any one but Jesus.
Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”
The word troubled here means to be agitated, to cause one inward commotion, to take away calmness of mind, to make restless, or to render anxious or distressed.
Jesus is telling us not to be in inner turmoil, but to be at peace.
First, because Jesus is our Provision.
John 14:2-3
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go and prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself that where I am you may be also.
Jesus provides all the we need:
Physically
Emotionally
Relationally
Mentally
Spiritually
He does not want us to look at any other source to be satisfied.
Second, because Jesus is the Way.
In John 14:4 Jesus tells the twelve that they know the way to the place that He has prepared for them.
In John 14:5 Thomas says that they don’t know where Jesus is going, so how could they know the way.
In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is the Way, the Truth, the Life.
Jesus being the Way means that we don’t follow rules, rituals, or religion, but a person - Jesus.
It is about a relationship, and in relating to Jesus as the Way, we follow Him by denying ourselves and taking up our cross every day.
Third, Jesus is the Truth.
There is mathematic truth
There scientific truth.
There medical truth.
There is historical truth.
There is archaeological truth.
There is spiritual truth.
All truth comes from Jesus and points back to Jesus.
We as followers of Jesus never need to be fearful of the truth, It will always prove that Jesus is who says He is.
Fourth, Jesus is the Life.
Colossians 3:4
When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Jesus never asked to be part of your life.
Jesus asked to be your life.
It is not about fitting Jesus into your life. It is about yielding your life to Jesus.
It is about submitting your will to Jesus’ will.
It is about surrendering everything you are and everything you have to Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is trusting Jesus as your Provision, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Jesus also claims that He is God.
John 14:7-11
If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him. Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”
Jesus is saying that He and the Father are the same. Jesus speaks the words of the Father and does the works of the Father.
Jesus is our Provision.
Jesus is the Way.
Jesus is the Truth.
Jesus is the Life
Because Jesus is God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing, following, and obeying Jesus as God and nothing less.
Because Jesus is God He gives us two promises.
John 14:12
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works then these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
We will do the works that Jesus did and greater ones.
Greater Works:
Pentecost
Paul taking the Gospel to the Gentiles
Billy Graham having preached to over two billion people
Bible in over 2,500 languages
We can do greater works because Jesus has gone to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit. It is not our works but the works of God through us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being God’s instrument to take the Gospel of His grace to the world.
John 14:13-14
Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
What A Promise!
Jesus is saying, “If you ask Me anything that is according to My will, I will do it.” Jesus doesn’t say He might do it or He could do it or He will think about doing it. He says “I will do it.”
James 4:2
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
We don’t have because we don’t ask.
Then in James 4:3 God reveals another reason we don’t have. It says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
We don’t have because we ask based on the wrong motives. We want it for OUR passions. We are to ask and want it for God’s passions.
I have been praying for revival for over fifteen years. Two weeks ago God spoke to me about why I was praying for revival. I came to understand I was praying for revival because I wanted things to change in the church and become more like what I wanted. God told me that I was praying for the right thing but for the wrong reason.
I am still praying for revival but now I want revival for the honor and glory of God. I want revival for the church because God wants revival for the church.
I hear a lot of Christians wanting our country to change, but I have to be honest. Many American Christians are wanting the country to change so it will be like it was or to become more conservative or become safer or become more moral. Many are wanting God to make the American Dream happen.
We must, as God’s people, lose the attitude that it is about me and return to our first love as God’s people - Jesus.
The promise is Jesus will give us what we ask for when what we ask for is all about Him.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is praying according to God’s will, to glorify Jesus and watching God do awesome things beyond what we can imagine.
In Peace, Not Worry, Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls
Joe
Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”
The word troubled here means to be agitated, to cause one inward commotion, to take away calmness of mind, to make restless, or to render anxious or distressed.
Jesus is telling us not to be in inner turmoil, but to be at peace.
First, because Jesus is our Provision.
John 14:2-3
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go and prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself that where I am you may be also.
Jesus provides all the we need:
Physically
Emotionally
Relationally
Mentally
Spiritually
He does not want us to look at any other source to be satisfied.
Second, because Jesus is the Way.
In John 14:4 Jesus tells the twelve that they know the way to the place that He has prepared for them.
In John 14:5 Thomas says that they don’t know where Jesus is going, so how could they know the way.
In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is the Way, the Truth, the Life.
Jesus being the Way means that we don’t follow rules, rituals, or religion, but a person - Jesus.
It is about a relationship, and in relating to Jesus as the Way, we follow Him by denying ourselves and taking up our cross every day.
Third, Jesus is the Truth.
There is mathematic truth
There scientific truth.
There medical truth.
There is historical truth.
There is archaeological truth.
There is spiritual truth.
All truth comes from Jesus and points back to Jesus.
We as followers of Jesus never need to be fearful of the truth, It will always prove that Jesus is who says He is.
Fourth, Jesus is the Life.
Colossians 3:4
When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Jesus never asked to be part of your life.
Jesus asked to be your life.
It is not about fitting Jesus into your life. It is about yielding your life to Jesus.
It is about submitting your will to Jesus’ will.
It is about surrendering everything you are and everything you have to Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is trusting Jesus as your Provision, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Jesus also claims that He is God.
John 14:7-11
If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him. Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”
Jesus is saying that He and the Father are the same. Jesus speaks the words of the Father and does the works of the Father.
Jesus is our Provision.
Jesus is the Way.
Jesus is the Truth.
Jesus is the Life
Because Jesus is God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing, following, and obeying Jesus as God and nothing less.
Because Jesus is God He gives us two promises.
John 14:12
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works then these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
We will do the works that Jesus did and greater ones.
Greater Works:
Pentecost
Paul taking the Gospel to the Gentiles
Billy Graham having preached to over two billion people
Bible in over 2,500 languages
We can do greater works because Jesus has gone to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit. It is not our works but the works of God through us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being God’s instrument to take the Gospel of His grace to the world.
John 14:13-14
Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
What A Promise!
Jesus is saying, “If you ask Me anything that is according to My will, I will do it.” Jesus doesn’t say He might do it or He could do it or He will think about doing it. He says “I will do it.”
James 4:2
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
We don’t have because we don’t ask.
Then in James 4:3 God reveals another reason we don’t have. It says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
We don’t have because we ask based on the wrong motives. We want it for OUR passions. We are to ask and want it for God’s passions.
I have been praying for revival for over fifteen years. Two weeks ago God spoke to me about why I was praying for revival. I came to understand I was praying for revival because I wanted things to change in the church and become more like what I wanted. God told me that I was praying for the right thing but for the wrong reason.
I am still praying for revival but now I want revival for the honor and glory of God. I want revival for the church because God wants revival for the church.
I hear a lot of Christians wanting our country to change, but I have to be honest. Many American Christians are wanting the country to change so it will be like it was or to become more conservative or become safer or become more moral. Many are wanting God to make the American Dream happen.
We must, as God’s people, lose the attitude that it is about me and return to our first love as God’s people - Jesus.
The promise is Jesus will give us what we ask for when what we ask for is all about Him.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is praying according to God’s will, to glorify Jesus and watching God do awesome things beyond what we can imagine.
In Peace, Not Worry, Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls
Joe
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Jesus Washes Dirty Feet
Several years ago a friend of mine said, “I love being a servant, until people beginning treating me like a servant.”
It sounds very spiritual and godly to talk about being a servant. It is very different when we actually function as a servant.
Jesus talks a lot about being a servant, but He backs it up by being a servant.
In John 13 we see the servanthood of Jesus demonstrated as He washed the feet of the Twelve.
John 13:4-5
He laid His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.
The Creator, The King, The Lord, The Master of all creation was on His knees washing the dirty feet of humanity.
The duty of washing people feet was given to the lowest of the servants in the household.
Jesus had not just become a human being.
Jesus had just become a servant.
Jesus had become the lowest of servants.
Not only did Jesus wash the feet of Peter, James, John, Andrew, Mathew, but He washed the feet of Judas. He washed the feet of the guy who would betray Him.
What did Jesus know that gave Him the humility to act as that lowest of servants and wash the feet of these men?
Jesus knew that:
(1) His Hour Had Come
John 13:1a
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His our had come
Jesus knew that what the Father had given Him to do was about to come to a climax. Jesus knew that He had obeyed the Father and all was in order.
We need to face life and death with the same confidence that Jesus did, knowing that we have obeyed the Father.
(2) It was time to depart and go to the Father
John 13:1b
To depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
Jesus knew that when He left this world, His earthly existence, He would go to the Father. This allowed Him to love His own even when His own misunderstood Him, denied Him, or even rejected Him.
(3) All things were in His hand
John 13:3a
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands
Jesus knew that He was in control. He is always in control.
When they came to Jesus, Jesus asked them who they were seeking and they said Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus told them that He was Jesus. In John 18:6 it says, “When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he’, they drew back and fell to the ground.”
Even when Jesus is being arrested, He, not the ones coming to arrest Him, was in control.
(4) He had come from God
John 13:3b
And that He come from God and was going back to God
Jesus knew who He was.
Jesus knew why He had come.
Jesus knew what He was to do.
God doesn’t play hide and seek with us about who we are as His children, and what our purpose is. He doesn’t play hide and seek about what we are to do based on what our purpose is and who we are.
We, like Jesus, can know and in the knowing be free to follow God’s will.
(5) He was both Master and Lord
John 13:13
You call Me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Jesus is the Teacher.
Jesus is the Master.
Jesus is the Lord.
Jesus is all of that and more, and He washed the feet of His:
Students
Subjects
Inferiors
The grace and love that Jesus shows here reinforces the truth found in Isaiah 57:15.
For this what the high and lofty One says - He who lives forever, whose name is holy, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Jesus is high and holy, but He chose to live with us and to give His life to save us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that Jesus is the absolute ruler in our lives with absolute authority.
Why does Jesus wash the feet of the disciples?
In short, because He is God and He wanted to. We know that Jesus only did what the Father told Him to do.
Jesus did it as an example of humility.
John 13:15
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
In Matthew 21:5 Jesus is described as humble. He showed the extent of that humility in the washing of the disciples’ feet.
Since we are being recreated in the image of Jesus we are to allow His Spirit to make us humble.
Jesus did it as a rebuke to pride.
In Luke 22 a conversation between the Twelve is recorded.
Luke 22:24-27
Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and one who rules like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? But I am among you as one who serves.”
Jesus says this at the very time that He is washing their feet. Jesus adds great power to what He says by showing them pure service.
Jesus did it as a picture of daily cleansing.
John 13:10
Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
When we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us and cleanses us from the dirtiness of sin. We need only allow Him to clean us daily from the dirtiness of living in a broken, dirty world.
Jesus did it as a reminder of His union and communion with the believer.
John 13:8
“No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”
Jesus physically, emotionally, and spiritually touches the lives of the Twelve.
Jesus wants to physically, emotionally, and spiritually touch our lives daily.
Raise the Roof and Removes the Walls is allowing the Holy Spirit to make us humble like Jesus and cleanse us and make us one with Jesus.
Humbly and Submissively with Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
It sounds very spiritual and godly to talk about being a servant. It is very different when we actually function as a servant.
Jesus talks a lot about being a servant, but He backs it up by being a servant.
In John 13 we see the servanthood of Jesus demonstrated as He washed the feet of the Twelve.
John 13:4-5
He laid His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.
The Creator, The King, The Lord, The Master of all creation was on His knees washing the dirty feet of humanity.
The duty of washing people feet was given to the lowest of the servants in the household.
Jesus had not just become a human being.
Jesus had just become a servant.
Jesus had become the lowest of servants.
Not only did Jesus wash the feet of Peter, James, John, Andrew, Mathew, but He washed the feet of Judas. He washed the feet of the guy who would betray Him.
What did Jesus know that gave Him the humility to act as that lowest of servants and wash the feet of these men?
Jesus knew that:
(1) His Hour Had Come
John 13:1a
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His our had come
Jesus knew that what the Father had given Him to do was about to come to a climax. Jesus knew that He had obeyed the Father and all was in order.
We need to face life and death with the same confidence that Jesus did, knowing that we have obeyed the Father.
(2) It was time to depart and go to the Father
John 13:1b
To depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
Jesus knew that when He left this world, His earthly existence, He would go to the Father. This allowed Him to love His own even when His own misunderstood Him, denied Him, or even rejected Him.
(3) All things were in His hand
John 13:3a
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands
Jesus knew that He was in control. He is always in control.
When they came to Jesus, Jesus asked them who they were seeking and they said Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus told them that He was Jesus. In John 18:6 it says, “When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he’, they drew back and fell to the ground.”
Even when Jesus is being arrested, He, not the ones coming to arrest Him, was in control.
(4) He had come from God
John 13:3b
And that He come from God and was going back to God
Jesus knew who He was.
Jesus knew why He had come.
Jesus knew what He was to do.
God doesn’t play hide and seek with us about who we are as His children, and what our purpose is. He doesn’t play hide and seek about what we are to do based on what our purpose is and who we are.
We, like Jesus, can know and in the knowing be free to follow God’s will.
(5) He was both Master and Lord
John 13:13
You call Me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Jesus is the Teacher.
Jesus is the Master.
Jesus is the Lord.
Jesus is all of that and more, and He washed the feet of His:
Students
Subjects
Inferiors
The grace and love that Jesus shows here reinforces the truth found in Isaiah 57:15.
For this what the high and lofty One says - He who lives forever, whose name is holy, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Jesus is high and holy, but He chose to live with us and to give His life to save us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that Jesus is the absolute ruler in our lives with absolute authority.
Why does Jesus wash the feet of the disciples?
In short, because He is God and He wanted to. We know that Jesus only did what the Father told Him to do.
Jesus did it as an example of humility.
John 13:15
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
In Matthew 21:5 Jesus is described as humble. He showed the extent of that humility in the washing of the disciples’ feet.
Since we are being recreated in the image of Jesus we are to allow His Spirit to make us humble.
Jesus did it as a rebuke to pride.
In Luke 22 a conversation between the Twelve is recorded.
Luke 22:24-27
Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and one who rules like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? But I am among you as one who serves.”
Jesus says this at the very time that He is washing their feet. Jesus adds great power to what He says by showing them pure service.
Jesus did it as a picture of daily cleansing.
John 13:10
Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
When we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us and cleanses us from the dirtiness of sin. We need only allow Him to clean us daily from the dirtiness of living in a broken, dirty world.
Jesus did it as a reminder of His union and communion with the believer.
John 13:8
“No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”
Jesus physically, emotionally, and spiritually touches the lives of the Twelve.
Jesus wants to physically, emotionally, and spiritually touch our lives daily.
Raise the Roof and Removes the Walls is allowing the Holy Spirit to make us humble like Jesus and cleanse us and make us one with Jesus.
Humbly and Submissively with Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Jesus Is More
I heard a conversation between two people. The first person asked the second if he believed in Jesus. The second responded that he believed that Jesus existed. The first person said, “Then you believe in Jesus.” The second person responded again that he believed that Jesus had existed. The first person went away seemingly satisfied.
We throw that phrase, “Do you believe in Jesus?” around a lot. What are we really asking?
Many people believe that:
Jesus existed
Jesus was a great man
Jesus was a great teacher
Jesus was a prophet
Jesus does not really leave any of those options open to us.
In John 12:44-50 Jesus shares five things about Himself that move Him out of the category of “merely existed” or “being a great man” or “a great teacher” or “a prophet“. What Jesus shares puts Him in a higher category than an any human.
John 12:44-50
Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in Me, he does not believe in Me only, but in the One who sent Me. When he looks at Me, he sees the One who sent Me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness. As for the person who hears My words but does not keep them, I do not judge them, For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of My own accord, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it. I know that His commands lead to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say.”
Jesus says that He is God.
Jesus says that believing Him is the same as believing God.
Jesus says that seeing Him is the same as seeing God.
If I said that believing in me is the same as believing in God or that seeing me is the same as seeing God, I would either be lying or crazy.
I have never healed anyone.
I have never calmed a storm.
I have never kicked a demon out of anyone’s life.
I have never miraculously fed thousands of people with a small amount of food.
I have never raised anyone from the dead.
Jesus did all these things and He did them more than once.
Jesus’ life backed up His claim to be God.
Oh, yeah. He rose from the dead!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing and following Jesus as God.
Jesus is light.
Jesus makes the claim that He is the very essence of light and that if we believe in Him as God we will never walk in darkness.
In Psalm 4:6 David prays, “Many are asking, ’Who can show us any good?’ Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.”
Jesus is telling us that He is the light of God’s face.
If I or any mere human were to claim that we were the light of God’s face, then again, we would be lying or crazy.
Jesus as recorded in Matthew 17 shone with a light that was so overpowering that Peter, James, and John could not look upon Him. It says that Jesus’ face shone like the sun and that His clothes became as white as the light.
Jesus didn’t just claim to be light, He demonstrated the very essence of light.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is walking in Jesus as the Light.
Jesus is the Savior of the world.
Jesus says that He didn’t come into the world to judge the world, but to save the world.
In Luke 19:10 Jesus says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus hung out with sinners.
In Matthew 9:11 Jesus’ disciples are asked by the Pharisees, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus ate with sinners because He came to be the Savior of the world.
We as the church need to really keep in mind that Jesus didn’t come into the world to judge or condemn people, but to save people. Many people see the church not as people who are in the world to help and serve out of love, but see us as being here to judge and point out all the bad things they do.
We need to become much more like Jesus in this area.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is surrendering your life to Jesus as your one and only Savior.
Jesus hears directly from God.
Jesus says that He does not speak on His own but what the Father commands Him to say.
Jesus claims to have direct communication from God and that He speaks only the word that is given to Him.
This is not just knowing God’s Word.
This is not just an impression.
This is not just a strong feeling.
This is a direct revelation from God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is seeing Jesus and hearing His words as a direct revelation from God.
Jesus is eternal life.
Jesus says that the words He speaks are eternal life.
We have made eternal life something God gives us. Jesus says that eternal is Him and the words He speaks.
Jesus doesn’t give us eternal life, He is eternal life.
Jesus raised three people from the dead:
Jarius’ Daughter
Widow of Nain’s Son
Lazarus
Jesus didn’t do these with medicines or medical procedures or by enlisting any other people to help. Jesus by simply speaking restored life to these three dead people.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living based on the truth that Jesus is eternal life.
In Acts 17:17 Luke writes that the early church turned the world upside down by proclaiming Jesus as King.
Jesus is the Lord of lords and King of kings. We as followers of Jesus need to proclaim Jesus not as a good man, a great teacher or a prophet. We need to proclaim to the world who Jesus says He is - Lord and Savior of all creation.
With Jesus as King Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
We throw that phrase, “Do you believe in Jesus?” around a lot. What are we really asking?
Many people believe that:
Jesus existed
Jesus was a great man
Jesus was a great teacher
Jesus was a prophet
Jesus does not really leave any of those options open to us.
In John 12:44-50 Jesus shares five things about Himself that move Him out of the category of “merely existed” or “being a great man” or “a great teacher” or “a prophet“. What Jesus shares puts Him in a higher category than an any human.
John 12:44-50
Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in Me, he does not believe in Me only, but in the One who sent Me. When he looks at Me, he sees the One who sent Me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness. As for the person who hears My words but does not keep them, I do not judge them, For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of My own accord, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it. I know that His commands lead to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say.”
Jesus says that He is God.
Jesus says that believing Him is the same as believing God.
Jesus says that seeing Him is the same as seeing God.
If I said that believing in me is the same as believing in God or that seeing me is the same as seeing God, I would either be lying or crazy.
I have never healed anyone.
I have never calmed a storm.
I have never kicked a demon out of anyone’s life.
I have never miraculously fed thousands of people with a small amount of food.
I have never raised anyone from the dead.
Jesus did all these things and He did them more than once.
Jesus’ life backed up His claim to be God.
Oh, yeah. He rose from the dead!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing and following Jesus as God.
Jesus is light.
Jesus makes the claim that He is the very essence of light and that if we believe in Him as God we will never walk in darkness.
In Psalm 4:6 David prays, “Many are asking, ’Who can show us any good?’ Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.”
Jesus is telling us that He is the light of God’s face.
If I or any mere human were to claim that we were the light of God’s face, then again, we would be lying or crazy.
Jesus as recorded in Matthew 17 shone with a light that was so overpowering that Peter, James, and John could not look upon Him. It says that Jesus’ face shone like the sun and that His clothes became as white as the light.
Jesus didn’t just claim to be light, He demonstrated the very essence of light.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is walking in Jesus as the Light.
Jesus is the Savior of the world.
Jesus says that He didn’t come into the world to judge the world, but to save the world.
In Luke 19:10 Jesus says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus hung out with sinners.
In Matthew 9:11 Jesus’ disciples are asked by the Pharisees, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus ate with sinners because He came to be the Savior of the world.
We as the church need to really keep in mind that Jesus didn’t come into the world to judge or condemn people, but to save people. Many people see the church not as people who are in the world to help and serve out of love, but see us as being here to judge and point out all the bad things they do.
We need to become much more like Jesus in this area.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is surrendering your life to Jesus as your one and only Savior.
Jesus hears directly from God.
Jesus says that He does not speak on His own but what the Father commands Him to say.
Jesus claims to have direct communication from God and that He speaks only the word that is given to Him.
This is not just knowing God’s Word.
This is not just an impression.
This is not just a strong feeling.
This is a direct revelation from God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is seeing Jesus and hearing His words as a direct revelation from God.
Jesus is eternal life.
Jesus says that the words He speaks are eternal life.
We have made eternal life something God gives us. Jesus says that eternal is Him and the words He speaks.
Jesus doesn’t give us eternal life, He is eternal life.
Jesus raised three people from the dead:
Jarius’ Daughter
Widow of Nain’s Son
Lazarus
Jesus didn’t do these with medicines or medical procedures or by enlisting any other people to help. Jesus by simply speaking restored life to these three dead people.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living based on the truth that Jesus is eternal life.
In Acts 17:17 Luke writes that the early church turned the world upside down by proclaiming Jesus as King.
Jesus is the Lord of lords and King of kings. We as followers of Jesus need to proclaim Jesus not as a good man, a great teacher or a prophet. We need to proclaim to the world who Jesus says He is - Lord and Savior of all creation.
With Jesus as King Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Exalting Jesus
I am continually amazed at the transparency of God and His Word.
In John 12:27 Jesus says, “Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”
Jesus is troubled about the cross. He knows that is the purpose for which He has come into the world.
If the Bible was not truly the Word of God it would paint another picture of Jesus. It would not show His troubled soul here in this passage.
Jesus then in John 12:28 says, “Father, glorify Your name.”
Jesus wanted to glorify the Father in every circumstance of His earthly life.
Then God the Father does an awesome thing. He answers Jesus. The crowd hears something but is not quite sure what it was, and Jesus tells them that the voice had been for their benefit, not His.
Then in John 12:32 Jesus says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.”
John 12:33 tells us this is a reference to how Jesus would die.
This verse also shares with us a very important truth.
When we exalt Jesus in our lives, He will use us to draw people to Himself.
What does it mean for Jesus to be exalted in our lives?
It means that we live based on who the Word of God says that God is.
God is Infinite.
Colossians 1:17
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Infinite means limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.
God cannot be measured or calculated or compared to anything.
God is Good.
Psalm 119:68
You are good and do good; teach me your statues.
God being good means He is morally perfect. There is no sin, no sin at all, in God.
God is Just.
Psalm 111:7
The works of His hands are faithful and just; all His precepts are trustworthy.
God never acts in an unjust or unfaithful manner.
God is Mercy.
2 Corinthians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.
God always shows mercy before any judgment is dispensed.
God is Grace.
Romans 3:24
And are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Grace is God’s undeserved love for us. We cannot do anything to make God love us more or love us less. He loves us to the max all the time.
God is Holy.
Leviticus11:44
For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.
God is separate and above His creation. He is pure and undefiled.
God is Perfect.
Psalm 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
There is nothing about God that is not perfect.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls means living based on who God is.
Exalting Jesus in our lives means that we live based on what God Word’s says about what God can do.
Psalm 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He also hears their cry and saves them.
God saves us from the penalty and power of sin
Psalm 103:3
Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.
God forgives and heals.
Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
God restores.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls means living based on what God can do.
Exalting Jesus in your life means living based on who God’ s Word says we are.
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved.
We are Saved and Alive.
Galatians 3:3
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”
We are Redeemed.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are Forgiven and Cleansed.
Ephesians 2:4
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us.
We are Loved.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls means we live based on who God says we are.
There are mnay more things that God is and does and many more things that God says we are and exalting Jesus means living based on all those truths.
It is time that the church, all followers of Jesus, live not based on what the enemy is telling us about God and ourselves, but on what God says about Himself and us.
The world does not need to see what we can do.
The world does not need to see us exalted.
The world does not need a human-based solution to our problems.
The world needs to see what Jesus can do.
The world needs to see Jesus exalted.
The world needs to see a Jesus-based solution to our problems.
Exalting Jesus in Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
In John 12:27 Jesus says, “Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”
Jesus is troubled about the cross. He knows that is the purpose for which He has come into the world.
If the Bible was not truly the Word of God it would paint another picture of Jesus. It would not show His troubled soul here in this passage.
Jesus then in John 12:28 says, “Father, glorify Your name.”
Jesus wanted to glorify the Father in every circumstance of His earthly life.
Then God the Father does an awesome thing. He answers Jesus. The crowd hears something but is not quite sure what it was, and Jesus tells them that the voice had been for their benefit, not His.
Then in John 12:32 Jesus says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.”
John 12:33 tells us this is a reference to how Jesus would die.
This verse also shares with us a very important truth.
When we exalt Jesus in our lives, He will use us to draw people to Himself.
What does it mean for Jesus to be exalted in our lives?
It means that we live based on who the Word of God says that God is.
God is Infinite.
Colossians 1:17
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Infinite means limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.
God cannot be measured or calculated or compared to anything.
God is Good.
Psalm 119:68
You are good and do good; teach me your statues.
God being good means He is morally perfect. There is no sin, no sin at all, in God.
God is Just.
Psalm 111:7
The works of His hands are faithful and just; all His precepts are trustworthy.
God never acts in an unjust or unfaithful manner.
God is Mercy.
2 Corinthians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.
God always shows mercy before any judgment is dispensed.
God is Grace.
Romans 3:24
And are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Grace is God’s undeserved love for us. We cannot do anything to make God love us more or love us less. He loves us to the max all the time.
God is Holy.
Leviticus11:44
For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.
God is separate and above His creation. He is pure and undefiled.
God is Perfect.
Psalm 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
There is nothing about God that is not perfect.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls means living based on who God is.
Exalting Jesus in our lives means that we live based on what God Word’s says about what God can do.
Psalm 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He also hears their cry and saves them.
God saves us from the penalty and power of sin
Psalm 103:3
Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.
God forgives and heals.
Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
God restores.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls means living based on what God can do.
Exalting Jesus in your life means living based on who God’ s Word says we are.
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved.
We are Saved and Alive.
Galatians 3:3
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”
We are Redeemed.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are Forgiven and Cleansed.
Ephesians 2:4
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us.
We are Loved.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls means we live based on who God says we are.
There are mnay more things that God is and does and many more things that God says we are and exalting Jesus means living based on all those truths.
It is time that the church, all followers of Jesus, live not based on what the enemy is telling us about God and ourselves, but on what God says about Himself and us.
The world does not need to see what we can do.
The world does not need to see us exalted.
The world does not need a human-based solution to our problems.
The world needs to see what Jesus can do.
The world needs to see Jesus exalted.
The world needs to see a Jesus-based solution to our problems.
Exalting Jesus in Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, September 27, 2015
The Driving Force of Your Life
Purpose: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.
Psalm 86:9
All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.
Romans 15:6
That together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.
These and many other Scriptures make it plain that the purpose of all human beings is to glorify God.
How do we glorify God?
All of nature except humans glorify God naturally.
Birds glorify God by singing.
Flowers glorify God by blooming.
Fruit trees glorify God by producing fruit.
The sun glorifies God by shine and giving light and warmth.
We as humans are to glorify God by being who God created us to be. We do need to remember that we are each created uniquely. No two human beings are exactly alike and so we glorify God by being the unique creation that God made us to be.
In John 12 there is a great example of this truth in the person of Andrew.
John 12:20-21
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
Some people had come to celebrate the Passover and they heard about Jesus. They come to Philip and ask him to arrange a meeting with Jesus.
Sounds like a simple request. But Philip does an interesting thing.
John 12:22
Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
Why did Philip go and get Andrew?
In John 1:40-41 we are told that Andrew encounters Jesus and the first thing he does is go and get his brother Peter and bring him to Jesus.
In John 6 Jesus feeds five thousand people. He does it with five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus got the bread and fish from a boy that Andrew brought to Him.
Philip went to Andrew because Andrew took things to Jesus. And the things he took to Jesus, Jesus used to accomplish the Father’s will. Andrew glorified the Father.
Jesus took Peter and used him to change the world.
Jesus took the bread and fish and fed over five thousand people.
Jesus took the Greeks and shared some awesome truth with the crowd.
Jesus tells us in John 12:24 that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Jesus then connects the seed being planted with our willingness to lose our lives for His sake.
John 12:25-26
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
If my life is focused on glorifying Jesus and not focused on me then I will experience eternal life. If I am going to serve Jesus, I have to follow Him. Following Jesus means I will be where Jesus is, doing what Jesus is doing. The Father will honor Jesus’ servants.
When we glorify God by fulfilling His purpose for us it also results in three things:
Honor to God
Growth of God’s Kingdom
Benefit for us
Andrew glorified God by bringing whatever came into his life to Jesus.
The driving force our lives is meant to be bringing glory to God by being who He created us to be.
We have to ask the question: What is the driving force of my life?
Many people are driven by guilt. (This is one the church has unfortunately used.)
Many people are driven by resentment and anger.
Many people are driven by fear.
Many people are driven by materialism.
Many people are driven by the need for approval.
All those driving forces are negative and they lead to living lives of defeat and desperation.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is making glorifying God the driving force of your life.
There are great benefits to letting this be the driving force of your life.
When glorifying God is the driving force of your life, your life has meaning.
This is an eternal purpose. If life is driven by guilt or anger or fear then, when those feelings go away, so does what drives your life.
Glorifying God gives life eternal meaning.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing your life has an eternal purpose.
Knowing your purpose will simplify your life.
When I know my purpose, my driving force, I can then evaluate what is essential and what is not.
If I am driven by the need for approval of others, I am constantly having to figure out want “they” want me to do. I have no clue as to what is really essential.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about life being simpler.
Having glorifying God as the driving force of your life allows you to focus your life.
I know that multitasking is encouraged by our culture, but Jesus was focused. He was singled minded in who He was and what He came to do.
John 8:28
Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but speak just as the Father taught Me.”
Jesus was not directed by anything but what the Father wanted. it freed Him to live a focused life.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living a life focused on Jesus.
When we have glorying God as our driving force, it motivates us to live life with godly passion.
If fear or anger or guilt is my driving force, I am going to very reluctantly do anything because all my motivation is negative.
When glorify God is my motivation, then I can passionately pursue God and His kingdom.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is passionately pursuing God and His kingdom.
God has created all of us differently, but He has wired each of us in our own unique way to glorify Him.
We don’t have to do it like anyone else.
God created Andrew to be Andrew and to glorify Him by bring people to Jesus.
God created you to glorify Him just like you are.
SO DO IT!
Uniquely Glorifying Jesus by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Psalm 86:9
All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.
Romans 15:6
That together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.
These and many other Scriptures make it plain that the purpose of all human beings is to glorify God.
How do we glorify God?
All of nature except humans glorify God naturally.
Birds glorify God by singing.
Flowers glorify God by blooming.
Fruit trees glorify God by producing fruit.
The sun glorifies God by shine and giving light and warmth.
We as humans are to glorify God by being who God created us to be. We do need to remember that we are each created uniquely. No two human beings are exactly alike and so we glorify God by being the unique creation that God made us to be.
In John 12 there is a great example of this truth in the person of Andrew.
John 12:20-21
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
Some people had come to celebrate the Passover and they heard about Jesus. They come to Philip and ask him to arrange a meeting with Jesus.
Sounds like a simple request. But Philip does an interesting thing.
John 12:22
Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
Why did Philip go and get Andrew?
In John 1:40-41 we are told that Andrew encounters Jesus and the first thing he does is go and get his brother Peter and bring him to Jesus.
In John 6 Jesus feeds five thousand people. He does it with five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus got the bread and fish from a boy that Andrew brought to Him.
Philip went to Andrew because Andrew took things to Jesus. And the things he took to Jesus, Jesus used to accomplish the Father’s will. Andrew glorified the Father.
Jesus took Peter and used him to change the world.
Jesus took the bread and fish and fed over five thousand people.
Jesus took the Greeks and shared some awesome truth with the crowd.
Jesus tells us in John 12:24 that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Jesus then connects the seed being planted with our willingness to lose our lives for His sake.
John 12:25-26
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
If my life is focused on glorifying Jesus and not focused on me then I will experience eternal life. If I am going to serve Jesus, I have to follow Him. Following Jesus means I will be where Jesus is, doing what Jesus is doing. The Father will honor Jesus’ servants.
When we glorify God by fulfilling His purpose for us it also results in three things:
Honor to God
Growth of God’s Kingdom
Benefit for us
Andrew glorified God by bringing whatever came into his life to Jesus.
The driving force our lives is meant to be bringing glory to God by being who He created us to be.
We have to ask the question: What is the driving force of my life?
Many people are driven by guilt. (This is one the church has unfortunately used.)
Many people are driven by resentment and anger.
Many people are driven by fear.
Many people are driven by materialism.
Many people are driven by the need for approval.
All those driving forces are negative and they lead to living lives of defeat and desperation.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is making glorifying God the driving force of your life.
There are great benefits to letting this be the driving force of your life.
When glorifying God is the driving force of your life, your life has meaning.
This is an eternal purpose. If life is driven by guilt or anger or fear then, when those feelings go away, so does what drives your life.
Glorifying God gives life eternal meaning.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing your life has an eternal purpose.
Knowing your purpose will simplify your life.
When I know my purpose, my driving force, I can then evaluate what is essential and what is not.
If I am driven by the need for approval of others, I am constantly having to figure out want “they” want me to do. I have no clue as to what is really essential.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about life being simpler.
Having glorifying God as the driving force of your life allows you to focus your life.
I know that multitasking is encouraged by our culture, but Jesus was focused. He was singled minded in who He was and what He came to do.
John 8:28
Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but speak just as the Father taught Me.”
Jesus was not directed by anything but what the Father wanted. it freed Him to live a focused life.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living a life focused on Jesus.
When we have glorying God as our driving force, it motivates us to live life with godly passion.
If fear or anger or guilt is my driving force, I am going to very reluctantly do anything because all my motivation is negative.
When glorify God is my motivation, then I can passionately pursue God and His kingdom.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is passionately pursuing God and His kingdom.
God has created all of us differently, but He has wired each of us in our own unique way to glorify Him.
We don’t have to do it like anyone else.
God created Andrew to be Andrew and to glorify Him by bring people to Jesus.
God created you to glorify Him just like you are.
SO DO IT!
Uniquely Glorifying Jesus by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Being a Risk Taker
I am not by nature a risk taker. But I am beginning to let God break down some of the fears I have lived with over the years and free me to risk for Him.
There are many risk takers in the Bible, but one of my favorites is found in John 12.
Jesus is at a dinner party in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper. While Jesus was eating His meal, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, came with an alabaster flask of ointment made of pure nard and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair.
She was criticized by Jesus’ own followers for “wasting” something that could have been used to help the poor.
Jesus comes to her defense. He says, “Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.”
Jesus is saying that Mary had the right focus: Jesus. Helping the poor was important, but Jesus is more important.
Mary was a risk taker.
What does it take to be a risk taker?
It takes courage.
In the Jewish culture women were not considered very important. In the John 12 passage the other woman mentioned was Mary’s sister Martha. She was serving. Serving was the proper position for the women of that time.
Mary chose to do something that was not accepted by her culture.
In the first chapter of Joshua, God tells Joshua four times to be courageous.
God knew that leading the people of Israel into a land where they would have to fight was a big risk. He knew that, for Joshua to take the risk, he would need to be courageous. So, God commands him to be courageous and in commanding him to be courageous, God empowers him with courage.
God never commands us to do something or be something that He is not the source for us to fulfill the command.
In Joshua 10 Joshua and the Israelites defeat a coalition of five kings. In verse 25 Joshua says, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
Joshua had been empowered by God to have courage and now he was helping his people to experience that same godly courage.
Many define courage as not being afraid, but courage is trusting God more than you fear something.
It is living based on the truth on 1 John 4:4: Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a courageous risk taker.
It takes confidence in God.
Being a risk taker is not about confidence in yourself. It is not thinking that you can do anything.
Being a risk taker is about believing that you can do anything that God tells you to do.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
It does not say I can do:
What I have the training and education to do
What I am good at
What I enjoy
It does not say I can do:
Many things
Most things
All put a few things
All but one thing
It says I can do ALL, not in my ability, but through HIM who gives me strength.
Paul says a similar thing in Philippians 2:13. He says, “God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out His good purposes.”
We don’t have to come up with what God wants us to do; He will.
We don’t have to come up with how God wants us to do it; He will.
We don’t have to come up with the power or ability to do it; He will.
We have to listen, trust , and obey. All based not on confidence in ourselves but in Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a confident risk taker.
It takes humility.
When Mary came, in she didn’t make a big production out of what she was doing. She didn’t anoint Jesus’ head, she anointed His feet. For Mary to anoint Jesus’ feet she would have to bow down. Bowing down is an indication of humility.
Being humble is not condemning yourself.
Being humble is not seeing yourself as worthless.
Those ideas come from Satan, not Jesus.
Jesus sees us as so valuable and worthwhile that He died on the cross for us.
Being humble means I see myself in the proper position in relationship to Jesus.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
Look at the process here in this passage.
I humble my self under God’s authority.
God, at the time He chooses, exalts me. (He can exalt me because I am humble. If I am not humbled, God cannot exalt me because I have already exalted myself)
I cast all my cares on Him.
He cares for me.
The all-power, all-know, all-loving, ever-present God of all creation says, “If you will surrender your life over to me I will exalt you and take all your worries on me because I love you.”
This is a no brainier! And the answer is YES!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a humble risk taker.
It takes making Jesus everything.
When we risk for Jesus, others will criticize us.
Sometimes that criticism will be, as in Mary’s case, verbal.
Sometimes risking for Jesus will bring physical persecution and even death.
Just recently I faced a situation that, by doing what God had directed me to do, I could have been detained in jail. The possibility was small, but still a possibility. I asked myself, “Is it worth it?” It made me very much appreciate our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church and determine to increase my praying for them.
Criticism, mocking, persecution or death are not things we seek or rush into.
The criticism of the disciples was that the perfume could have been turned into money to help the poor. Helping the poor is important. Jesus commands us to help the poor.
Jesus is teaching His disciples something that is huge. It is huge for followers of Jesus who minister in any form. The ministry is never to be more important than the One whose name we do the ministry in - Jesus.
Life and ministry are about Jesus.
We don’t minister based on the needs of people; we minister based on what Jesus wants us to do. It is not about human need; it is about God’s will.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a Jesus focused risk taker.
I want to share the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. It is Alabaster by Rend Collective Experiment.
Being a Risk Taker for Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
There are many risk takers in the Bible, but one of my favorites is found in John 12.
Jesus is at a dinner party in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper. While Jesus was eating His meal, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, came with an alabaster flask of ointment made of pure nard and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair.
She was criticized by Jesus’ own followers for “wasting” something that could have been used to help the poor.
Jesus comes to her defense. He says, “Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.”
Jesus is saying that Mary had the right focus: Jesus. Helping the poor was important, but Jesus is more important.
Mary was a risk taker.
What does it take to be a risk taker?
It takes courage.
In the Jewish culture women were not considered very important. In the John 12 passage the other woman mentioned was Mary’s sister Martha. She was serving. Serving was the proper position for the women of that time.
Mary chose to do something that was not accepted by her culture.
In the first chapter of Joshua, God tells Joshua four times to be courageous.
God knew that leading the people of Israel into a land where they would have to fight was a big risk. He knew that, for Joshua to take the risk, he would need to be courageous. So, God commands him to be courageous and in commanding him to be courageous, God empowers him with courage.
God never commands us to do something or be something that He is not the source for us to fulfill the command.
In Joshua 10 Joshua and the Israelites defeat a coalition of five kings. In verse 25 Joshua says, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
Joshua had been empowered by God to have courage and now he was helping his people to experience that same godly courage.
Many define courage as not being afraid, but courage is trusting God more than you fear something.
It is living based on the truth on 1 John 4:4: Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a courageous risk taker.
It takes confidence in God.
Being a risk taker is not about confidence in yourself. It is not thinking that you can do anything.
Being a risk taker is about believing that you can do anything that God tells you to do.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
It does not say I can do:
What I have the training and education to do
What I am good at
What I enjoy
It does not say I can do:
Many things
Most things
All put a few things
All but one thing
It says I can do ALL, not in my ability, but through HIM who gives me strength.
Paul says a similar thing in Philippians 2:13. He says, “God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out His good purposes.”
We don’t have to come up with what God wants us to do; He will.
We don’t have to come up with how God wants us to do it; He will.
We don’t have to come up with the power or ability to do it; He will.
We have to listen, trust , and obey. All based not on confidence in ourselves but in Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a confident risk taker.
It takes humility.
When Mary came, in she didn’t make a big production out of what she was doing. She didn’t anoint Jesus’ head, she anointed His feet. For Mary to anoint Jesus’ feet she would have to bow down. Bowing down is an indication of humility.
Being humble is not condemning yourself.
Being humble is not seeing yourself as worthless.
Those ideas come from Satan, not Jesus.
Jesus sees us as so valuable and worthwhile that He died on the cross for us.
Being humble means I see myself in the proper position in relationship to Jesus.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
Look at the process here in this passage.
I humble my self under God’s authority.
God, at the time He chooses, exalts me. (He can exalt me because I am humble. If I am not humbled, God cannot exalt me because I have already exalted myself)
I cast all my cares on Him.
He cares for me.
The all-power, all-know, all-loving, ever-present God of all creation says, “If you will surrender your life over to me I will exalt you and take all your worries on me because I love you.”
This is a no brainier! And the answer is YES!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a humble risk taker.
It takes making Jesus everything.
When we risk for Jesus, others will criticize us.
Sometimes that criticism will be, as in Mary’s case, verbal.
Sometimes risking for Jesus will bring physical persecution and even death.
Just recently I faced a situation that, by doing what God had directed me to do, I could have been detained in jail. The possibility was small, but still a possibility. I asked myself, “Is it worth it?” It made me very much appreciate our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church and determine to increase my praying for them.
Criticism, mocking, persecution or death are not things we seek or rush into.
The criticism of the disciples was that the perfume could have been turned into money to help the poor. Helping the poor is important. Jesus commands us to help the poor.
Jesus is teaching His disciples something that is huge. It is huge for followers of Jesus who minister in any form. The ministry is never to be more important than the One whose name we do the ministry in - Jesus.
Life and ministry are about Jesus.
We don’t minister based on the needs of people; we minister based on what Jesus wants us to do. It is not about human need; it is about God’s will.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being a Jesus focused risk taker.
I want to share the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. It is Alabaster by Rend Collective Experiment.
I am broken at your feet
Like an alabaster jar
Every piece of who I am
Laid before Your majesty
I will bow my life
At Your feet
At Your feet
My lips
So lost for words
Will kiss Your feet
Kiss Your feet
Oh the gravity of You
Draws my soul unto it knees
I will never be the same
I am lost and found in You
I will bow my life
At Your feet
At Your feet
My lips
So lost for words
Will kiss Your feet
Kiss Your feet
Being a Risk Taker for Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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