I never want to be timid about Jesus or the Gospel.
I don’t want to be the wicked described in Proverbs 28:1. They run away when no one is chasing them. I want to be like the godly in this verse “who are as a bold as lions.”
I want to be BOLD!
The word bold is defined as: not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.
Words like courageous, darning, challenging, and imaginative are linked to the idea of boldness.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:12, “Because we have this hope, we are very bold.”
Boldness flows out of our hope in Jesus.
How do we hang on to boldness over the long haul? How do I remain bold to the end?
2 Timothy 1:11-12
I was appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news. This is also why I’m suffering the way I do, but I’m not ashamed. I know the one in whom I’ve placed my trust. I’m convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what He has placed in my trust until that day.
First, we have to focus on who we trust.
Paul says that God has appointed him a herald. A herald is one who announces or proclaims.
We as followers of Jesus, like Paul, have been appointed to proclaim the Gospel.
Matthew 10:27
What I tell you now in the gloom, shout aboard when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ears, proclaim from the housetops!
We are to be people who tell the world about how awesome Jesus is.
Paul was one who represented not himself, but Jesus.
We are to be Jesus representatives or ambassadors.
In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.”
Paul was appointed a teacher of the Gospel.
We as Jesus followers we are to teach the Gospel with our words and our lives.
1 Peter 3:15
Honor Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.
The fact that Paul’s life was characterized by living as a representative of Jesus and proclaiming and teaching the gospel is why Paul endured suffering.
This suffering did not lead to discouragement in Paul’s life but to great trust in Jesus.
Paul knew whom he had put his trust in - Jesus.
Paul knew what he had put his trust in - The Gospel.
Paul didn’t focus on the suffering. He focused on the calling of sharing Jesus and the Good News with the world.
That focus kept Paul bold.
That focus will keep us bold.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about focusing on the privilege of call, not on the suffering.
Second, we devote ourselves to God’s Word.
2 Timothy 1:13-14
What you heard from me, keep as a pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives for you.
Paul tells us how to devote ourselves to the Word of God.
We are to keep it as a pattern. It is to be our standard of soundness. If anything disagrees with God’s Word, that that thing is WRONG!
We are to guard it. We are not to add to it or take away from it.
Our devotion to God’s Word is shown by loving the One who wrote it - Jesus. We show love by obeying the One who spoke God’s Word and is God’s Word - Jesus.
We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We are incapable of doing this on our own ability and strength. We need the Holy Spirit.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about believing and living out God’s Word. It is not seeing God’s Word as a theological statement, but as the living and active word of the living and active God.
Third, we anticipate the appointments and celebrate the surprises.
2 Timothy 1:15-18
As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me - even Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me because I was in chains.
Revelation 5:1-4
And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne, a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, and sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel with a loud voice was shouting out this question: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and to unroll it?” But no one in all heaven or earth or from the dead was permitted to open and read it. Then I wept with disappointment because no one anywhere was worthy; no one could tell us what it said.
The Christian life is a life where we will face disappointment. We will never be disappointed with Jesus, but because we live in a world that is fallen and dominated by sin, we will face times of great disappointment.
But Paul found one in Onesiphorus who not only did not abandon him, but one who sought him out while he was in a Roman prison. Onesiphorus didn’t just seek Paul out, he also encouraged him.
Onesiphorus fulfilled what Proverbs 17:17 says about a friend. It says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
And Paul celebrated Onesiphorus’ friendship.
Paul did not focus on the disappointment. He focused on the surprise. He asks God to show Onesiphorus special kindness. The special kindness is mercy.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about knowing that we will face disappointment in this life, but also knowing that God is gracious and merciful. And He will give us wonderful surprises to celebrate.
Jesus was bold. His desire is to make us as His disciples bold. If we are going to be bold, and to be bold to the end, we have to:
Focus on WHO we believe - Jesus.
Focus on WHAT we believe - God’s Word.
Know we will face DISAPPOINTMENTS.
Know we will celebrate SURPRISES.
Boldly Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
I never want to be timid about Jesus or the Gospel.
I don’t want to be the wicked described in Proverbs 28:1. They run away when no one is chasing them. I want to be like the godly in this verse “who are as a bold as lions.”
I want to be BOLD!
The word bold is defined as: not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.
Words like courageous, darning, challenging, and imaginative are linked to the idea of boldness.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:12, “Because we have this hope, we are very bold.”
Boldness flows out of our hope in Jesus.
How do we hang on to boldness over the long haul? How do I remain bold to the end?
2 Timothy 1:11-12
I was appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news. This is also why I’m suffering the way I do, but I’m not ashamed. I know the one in whom I’ve placed my trust. I’m convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what He has placed in my trust until that day.
First, we have to focus on who we trust.
Paul says that God has appointed him a herald. A herald is one who announces or proclaims.
We as followers of Jesus, like Paul, have been appointed to proclaim the Gospel.
Matthew 10:27
What I tell you now in the gloom, shout aboard when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ears, proclaim from the housetops!
We are to be people who tell the world about how awesome Jesus is.
Paul was one who represented not himself, but Jesus.
We are to be Jesus representatives or ambassadors.
In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.”
Paul was appointed a teacher of the Gospel.
We as Jesus followers we are to teach the Gospel with our words and our lives.
1 Peter 3:15
Honor Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.
The fact that Paul’s life was characterized by living as a representative of Jesus and proclaiming and teaching the gospel is why Paul endured suffering.
This suffering did not lead to discouragement in Paul’s life but to great trust in Jesus.
Paul knew whom he had put his trust in - Jesus.
Paul knew what he had put his trust in - The Gospel.
Paul didn’t focus on the suffering. He focused on the calling of sharing Jesus and the Good News with the world.
That focus kept Paul bold.
That focus will keep us bold.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about focusing on the privilege of call, not on the suffering.
Second, we devote ourselves to God’s Word.
2 Timothy 1:13-14
What you heard from me, keep as a pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives for you.
Paul tells us how to devote ourselves to the Word of God.
We are to keep it as a pattern. It is to be our standard of soundness. If anything disagrees with God’s Word, that that thing is WRONG!
We are to guard it. We are not to add to it or take away from it.
Our devotion to God’s Word is shown by loving the One who wrote it - Jesus. We show love by obeying the One who spoke God’s Word and is God’s Word - Jesus.
We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We are incapable of doing this on our own ability and strength. We need the Holy Spirit.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about believing and living out God’s Word. It is not seeing God’s Word as a theological statement, but as the living and active word of the living and active God.
Third, we anticipate the appointments and celebrate the surprises.
2 Timothy 1:15-18
As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me - even Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me because I was in chains.
Revelation 5:1-4
And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne, a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, and sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel with a loud voice was shouting out this question: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and to unroll it?” But no one in all heaven or earth or from the dead was permitted to open and read it. Then I wept with disappointment because no one anywhere was worthy; no one could tell us what it said.
The Christian life is a life where we will face disappointment. We will never be disappointed with Jesus, but because we live in a world that is fallen and dominated by sin, we will face times of great disappointment.
But Paul found one in Onesiphorus who not only did not abandon him, but one who sought him out while he was in a Roman prison. Onesiphorus didn’t just seek Paul out, he also encouraged him.
Onesiphorus fulfilled what Proverbs 17:17 says about a friend. It says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
And Paul celebrated Onesiphorus’ friendship.
Paul did not focus on the disappointment. He focused on the surprise. He asks God to show Onesiphorus special kindness. The special kindness is mercy.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about knowing that we will face disappointment in this life, but also knowing that God is gracious and merciful. And He will give us wonderful surprises to celebrate.
Jesus was bold. His desire is to make us as His disciples bold. If we are going to be bold, and to be bold to the end, we have to:
Focus on WHO we believe - Jesus.
Focus on WHAT we believe - God’s Word.
Know we will face DISAPPOINTMENTS.
Know we will celebrate SURPRISES.
Boldly Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Keeping the Fire Burning
In Deuteronomy 4:24, Deuteronomy 9:3, and Hebrews 12:29 we are told God is a Consuming Fire.
God is the fire that is to burn in us and He is to totally consume us. God is not to be a part of our lives, He is to be our Life.
How do we keep that Consuming Fire burning, growing, and totally consuming our lives? How do we keep the flame burning so we can finish strong?
2 Timothy 1:6
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
First, Remember your spiritual gifts.
All disciples of Jesus have spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 7:7b
But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
The purpose of the spiritual gifts that God gives His people through His Spirit is to build up the His church.
1 Corinthians 14:12
The same holds true for you; since you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, use your ambition to try to work toward being the best at building up the church.
Also God gives us spiritual gifts to serve others in His name.
1 Peter 4:10
God has shown you His grace in many different ways. So be good servants and use whatever gift He has given you in a way that will best serve each other.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
Second, Recognize what you have.
God has Not given us fearfulness or cowardice.
God has given us explosive power, unconditional love, and soundness of thinking and discipline.
Satan loves to infect our lives with a spirit of fear.
Fear is:
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
God has given us three things to overcome fear.
God has given us a spirit of power.
Ephesians 3:20
Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power He can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
God has given us a spirit of love.
Ephesians 3:17-18
I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers.
God has given us a spirit of self-discipline.
1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.
We cannot let fear dominate our lives.
We allow God, the Consuming Fire, to dominate our minds and hearts.
Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Thirdly, Rely on God.
2 Timothy 1 :8-10
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and bought life and immorality to light through the gospel.
We don’t have to be ashamed of the Gospel.
Romans 1:16 tells us not to be ashamed of the Gospel because “it is the power of salvation to everyone who believes.”
We don’t have to fear suffering.
2 Corinthians 1:5
As we have suffered much for Christ and have shared in His pain, we also share His great comfort.
We don’t have to run from commitment.
Acts 2:42
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing the meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
We don’t have to doubt God’s power.
Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about letting God be the passion that drives our lives.
The song Be The Centre expresses this concept of Jesus being our or passion.
It says:
Jesus, be the centre
Be my source, be my light
Jesus
Jesus, be the centre
Be my hope, be my song
Jesus
Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in my sails
Be the reason that I live
Jesus, Jesus
Jesus, be my vision
Be my path, be my guide
Jesus
Be the fire
Yes, be the fire
The key to Jesus being our passion and keeping the fire going is found in Galatians 6:9. It says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”
Don’t Give Up! Let Jesus be your:
One pure and holy passion
One magnificent obsession
One glorious ambition
Surrendering everything to God as our Consuming Fire allows the fire of God’s Spirit to burn in and through us.
With the Consuming Fire Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
God is the fire that is to burn in us and He is to totally consume us. God is not to be a part of our lives, He is to be our Life.
How do we keep that Consuming Fire burning, growing, and totally consuming our lives? How do we keep the flame burning so we can finish strong?
2 Timothy 1:6
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
First, Remember your spiritual gifts.
All disciples of Jesus have spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 7:7b
But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
The purpose of the spiritual gifts that God gives His people through His Spirit is to build up the His church.
1 Corinthians 14:12
The same holds true for you; since you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, use your ambition to try to work toward being the best at building up the church.
Also God gives us spiritual gifts to serve others in His name.
1 Peter 4:10
God has shown you His grace in many different ways. So be good servants and use whatever gift He has given you in a way that will best serve each other.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
Second, Recognize what you have.
God has Not given us fearfulness or cowardice.
God has given us explosive power, unconditional love, and soundness of thinking and discipline.
Satan loves to infect our lives with a spirit of fear.
Fear is:
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
God has given us three things to overcome fear.
God has given us a spirit of power.
Ephesians 3:20
Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power He can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
God has given us a spirit of love.
Ephesians 3:17-18
I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers.
God has given us a spirit of self-discipline.
1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.
We cannot let fear dominate our lives.
We allow God, the Consuming Fire, to dominate our minds and hearts.
Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Thirdly, Rely on God.
2 Timothy 1 :8-10
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and bought life and immorality to light through the gospel.
We don’t have to be ashamed of the Gospel.
Romans 1:16 tells us not to be ashamed of the Gospel because “it is the power of salvation to everyone who believes.”
We don’t have to fear suffering.
2 Corinthians 1:5
As we have suffered much for Christ and have shared in His pain, we also share His great comfort.
We don’t have to run from commitment.
Acts 2:42
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing the meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
We don’t have to doubt God’s power.
Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about letting God be the passion that drives our lives.
The song Be The Centre expresses this concept of Jesus being our or passion.
It says:
Jesus, be the centre
Be my source, be my light
Jesus
Jesus, be the centre
Be my hope, be my song
Jesus
Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in my sails
Be the reason that I live
Jesus, Jesus
Jesus, be my vision
Be my path, be my guide
Jesus
Be the fire
Yes, be the fire
The key to Jesus being our passion and keeping the fire going is found in Galatians 6:9. It says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”
Don’t Give Up! Let Jesus be your:
One pure and holy passion
One magnificent obsession
One glorious ambition
Surrendering everything to God as our Consuming Fire allows the fire of God’s Spirit to burn in and through us.
With the Consuming Fire Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Pass It On!
In 2011 Billy Graham wrote a book called Nearing Home. In the book Dr. Graham writes about growing older and finishing strong as we near our own finish line in this life.
As I grow older, the desire to finish strong grows more intense in my life.
The book of 2 Timothy is the most personal of all of Paul’s writings. It is the most intimate as he shares more of himself.
It is the last of Paul’s letters and it is written to a young man, Timothy, who Paul loved. Paul viewed Timothy as his own son.
2 Timothy is Paul’s “finishing strong” manifesto.
In 2 Timothy 1:1-5, Paul talks about passing on his faith to others. He specifically focuses on passing it on to the next generation.
We, as followers of Jesus, need certain things.
We need to know what our purpose is.
2 Timothy 1:1 (NLT)
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent to tell others about the life He has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.
Paul says that he has been sent out to tell others about the life that God offers through following Jesus.
In Acts 9:15 we are told that Paul is a chosen instrument of God to take the name of Jesus to the whole world.
Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Our purpose, our calling, our task is to pass on the Gospel of God’s grace to others.
We need to have deep affection for those who are fellow followers of Jesus and for those who have rejected Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul refers to Timothy as he beloved child. This is a young man Paul lead to Jesus, discipled him, and helped him to grow to a radical disciple and servant of Jesus.
Paul loved him because he had poured his life into him.
When we pour our lives into others, we grow to love them with deep affection. If we stay comfortably protected in our spiritual fortresses and isolated from others, we will never grow to love others like Jesus does.
Paul prays for the things we need to pass on to others.
He prays for us to have and pass on grace.
He prays for us to have and pass on mercy.
He prays for us to have and pass on peace.
These are what the world needs!
We need to be prayer warriors.
2 Timothy 1:3
I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
Paul prays constantly night and day.
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing.
We have made praying going to God with our “to do” list. Prayer for many is outlining what, how and when they want God to do stuff for them.
Prayer is the relationship we have with God. Prayer is talking to God about our lives. Prayer is submitting our lives to God. Prayer is about listening to God. Prayer is getting on God’s wave length.
There are people I will never meet or talk to or share my Jesus story with, but there is no one I cannot talk to my Abba about.
We need great passion.
2 Timothy 1:4
I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.
Paul mentions tears and joy.
We need to pass on passion for Jesus to others as we show them Jesus with our lives.
In Philippians 3:10 Paul tells us that we can share in Jesus’ sufferings.
What did Jesus suffer over? - SIN!
Sin brought Jesus to tears.
Sin breaks Jesus’ heart.
Sin should do the same in our lives as followers of Jesus.
We as Christians too often let sin move us to anger. Sin leads Jesus to broken-heartedness.
Sin is why Jesus died for us. His death for our sin doesn’t show anger; it shows great, great love.
So we are to be passionate about sin and let that passion lead us to share with others and serve them. We are to serve all people, even those caught in the slavery of sin.
We are also to rejoice.
1 Thessalonians 1:16 tells us as disciples of Jesus to “rejoice always.”
As followers of Jesus, we should be the biggest partiers in the world. We should celebrate Jesus and what He has done for us. We should celebrate all the time.
We who belong to God are to be passionate:
About what hurts God
About what pleases God.
We need faith.
2 Timothy 1:5
I remember your genuine faith, for you share that faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.
Faith is not saying you believe something and then living like you don’t. Faith is saying you believe something and then living it out every day in every situation.
Paul refers to Timothy’s “genuine” faith. Paul attributes Timothy’s faith to the fact that his grandmother and his mother has genuine faith.
Not only had Paul passed his faith on to Timothy, but so also had Timothy’s mother and grandmother.
We know it didn’t stop there because Timothy passed his genuine faith to others.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about passing on to others our faith in Jesus as the absolute Ruler of our lives.
If we are to pass on our faith, and if we are to finish strong, then we will need:
God-Given Purpose
Deep Godly Affection
Lives Characterized By Prayer
God-Driven Passion
Genuine Faith in Jesus
Following Jesus is like a marathon, not like a sprint. It is about being able to have a great kick at the end. It is not measured by how you start, but how you finish. We need to finish strong so we can pass our faith and love for Jesus on to the next generation.
Finishing Strong Raising the Roof and Removing the Wall
Joe
As I grow older, the desire to finish strong grows more intense in my life.
The book of 2 Timothy is the most personal of all of Paul’s writings. It is the most intimate as he shares more of himself.
It is the last of Paul’s letters and it is written to a young man, Timothy, who Paul loved. Paul viewed Timothy as his own son.
2 Timothy is Paul’s “finishing strong” manifesto.
In 2 Timothy 1:1-5, Paul talks about passing on his faith to others. He specifically focuses on passing it on to the next generation.
We, as followers of Jesus, need certain things.
We need to know what our purpose is.
2 Timothy 1:1 (NLT)
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent to tell others about the life He has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.
Paul says that he has been sent out to tell others about the life that God offers through following Jesus.
In Acts 9:15 we are told that Paul is a chosen instrument of God to take the name of Jesus to the whole world.
Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Our purpose, our calling, our task is to pass on the Gospel of God’s grace to others.
We need to have deep affection for those who are fellow followers of Jesus and for those who have rejected Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul refers to Timothy as he beloved child. This is a young man Paul lead to Jesus, discipled him, and helped him to grow to a radical disciple and servant of Jesus.
Paul loved him because he had poured his life into him.
When we pour our lives into others, we grow to love them with deep affection. If we stay comfortably protected in our spiritual fortresses and isolated from others, we will never grow to love others like Jesus does.
Paul prays for the things we need to pass on to others.
He prays for us to have and pass on grace.
He prays for us to have and pass on mercy.
He prays for us to have and pass on peace.
These are what the world needs!
We need to be prayer warriors.
2 Timothy 1:3
I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
Paul prays constantly night and day.
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing.
We have made praying going to God with our “to do” list. Prayer for many is outlining what, how and when they want God to do stuff for them.
Prayer is the relationship we have with God. Prayer is talking to God about our lives. Prayer is submitting our lives to God. Prayer is about listening to God. Prayer is getting on God’s wave length.
There are people I will never meet or talk to or share my Jesus story with, but there is no one I cannot talk to my Abba about.
We need great passion.
2 Timothy 1:4
I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.
Paul mentions tears and joy.
We need to pass on passion for Jesus to others as we show them Jesus with our lives.
In Philippians 3:10 Paul tells us that we can share in Jesus’ sufferings.
What did Jesus suffer over? - SIN!
Sin brought Jesus to tears.
Sin breaks Jesus’ heart.
Sin should do the same in our lives as followers of Jesus.
We as Christians too often let sin move us to anger. Sin leads Jesus to broken-heartedness.
Sin is why Jesus died for us. His death for our sin doesn’t show anger; it shows great, great love.
So we are to be passionate about sin and let that passion lead us to share with others and serve them. We are to serve all people, even those caught in the slavery of sin.
We are also to rejoice.
1 Thessalonians 1:16 tells us as disciples of Jesus to “rejoice always.”
As followers of Jesus, we should be the biggest partiers in the world. We should celebrate Jesus and what He has done for us. We should celebrate all the time.
We who belong to God are to be passionate:
About what hurts God
About what pleases God.
We need faith.
2 Timothy 1:5
I remember your genuine faith, for you share that faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.
Faith is not saying you believe something and then living like you don’t. Faith is saying you believe something and then living it out every day in every situation.
Paul refers to Timothy’s “genuine” faith. Paul attributes Timothy’s faith to the fact that his grandmother and his mother has genuine faith.
Not only had Paul passed his faith on to Timothy, but so also had Timothy’s mother and grandmother.
We know it didn’t stop there because Timothy passed his genuine faith to others.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about passing on to others our faith in Jesus as the absolute Ruler of our lives.
If we are to pass on our faith, and if we are to finish strong, then we will need:
God-Given Purpose
Deep Godly Affection
Lives Characterized By Prayer
God-Driven Passion
Genuine Faith in Jesus
Following Jesus is like a marathon, not like a sprint. It is about being able to have a great kick at the end. It is not measured by how you start, but how you finish. We need to finish strong so we can pass our faith and love for Jesus on to the next generation.
Finishing Strong Raising the Roof and Removing the Wall
Joe
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Jesus Faced Troubles
In John 14:1 Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” The word troubled there means to strike one’s spirit with fear and dread. Jesus is telling His followers not to let things bring fear to their spirits.
So did Jesus ever face this kind of trouble?
The answer is -- Yes!
Jesus enters Jerusalem on Sunday, the beginning of the last week of His earthly life. When Jesus enters, Luke 19:41 says, “And when He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it.”
The word wept here means to mourn. Jesus saw the spiritual condition of the people of Jerusalem and it caused Him to deeply mourn.
When we mourn over people we love because of their spiritual condition, Jesus understands because He has been there.
Jesus mourns along with us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being broken over the spiritual conditions of our family, our friends, our nation, and the world.
In Matthew 26:37-38, Matthew describes Jesus as He began to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew writes, “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, ’Sit here, while I go and pray. And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and troubled.’”
The word translated sorrowful means to be greatly grieved. The word translated troubled means to be depressed.
Jesus was greatly grieved and was experiencing depression. The weight of all the sin in the world was about to be put on Him and the stress was huge.
Then in Matthew 26:38 it says, “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with Me.’”
Jesus was facing a time in His life that was not just about the pain of the physical death, but also about the spiritual agony He would endure. It was causing Him great mental anguish.
Jesus faces the deep grief of our lives with us. Jesus faces the times of depression with us. Jesus faces the times of hopelessness with us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about acknowledging our times of struggle with discouragement and depression. And realizing Jesus understands and is with us in the midst of the struggle.
When Jesus was informed that His friend Lazarus was sick, He waited four days before He went to Bethany, Lazarus’ home. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus was dead.
In John 11:33-35 John describes Jesus’ visit to the tomb. John writes, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.”
Jesus is emotionally moved when He sees the hurt of Lazarus’ family and friends. Though Jesus knew what He would do, and Lazarus would be brought back to life, the pain in the lives of people He cared about moved Him to weep.
We also see here a deeper hurt in Jesus’ life. The word troubled means struck with terror and depression. We find the same word in Mark 14:33 and John 12:27.
Jesus fully understood what it was to experience overwhelming fear and depression.
In John 12:27 Jesus asks the Father to save Him from what was about to happen to Him, but then He acknowledges that what was about to happen to Him, His crucifixion, was the very reason He had come into the world.
Jesus then asks the Father to glorify the Father’s name.
The Father’s response in John 12:28 is, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The Father was assuring Jesus that His name had been glorified by Jesus’ obedience, and through Jesus’ death it would be even more glorified.
Jesus understands that we will face fear. He also knows that some things that He tells us to do will cause us fear as we face them. His promise is the same as the Father’s. When we obey Him, especially in fearful situations, His name will be glorified.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about obeying God even when what He is telling us to do scares us, and knowing that His presence is there with us all the way through the situation.
Jesus faced: fear, discouragement, grief, and even depression. He understands our feelings when we face circumstances that cause us to experience those emotions.
The Word of God gives us three awesome promises that will help us as we face grief or fear or depression.
One is found in Hebrews 13:5. It says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Jesus will not abandon us. He will not leave us when the difficult times come.
We are told in Psalm 34:18 that God is near to the brokenhearted. In Psalm 147:3 God heals the brokenhearted. In Isaiah 61:1 God binds up the brokenhearted.
The second promise is found in Hebrews 4:15 which says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus faced everything you and I face, but nothing moved Jesus to disobey God and to sin. He faced the fear and grief and depression but it did not cause Him to sin. When you and I face fear we don’t have to let it lead to sin.
When we face fear it does not have to lead to sin. When we face grief it does not have to lead to sin. When we face depression it does not have to lead to sin.
The third promise is found in John 16:33. Jesus says to His disciples, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”
Jesus knows we face times of fear. We don’t have to live in the fear because He has overcome fear.
Jesus know you will face times of grief. We don’t have to live in the grief because He has overcome grief.
Jesus knows you will face times of depression. We don’t have to live in the depression because He has overcome the depression.
We sometimes visualize Jesus as living His life with no problems. But Jesus faced all the trying circumstances that we face. He understands our struggles. He stands with us in our struggles. He will empower us to overcome our struggles.
In the Struggle with Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
So did Jesus ever face this kind of trouble?
The answer is -- Yes!
Jesus enters Jerusalem on Sunday, the beginning of the last week of His earthly life. When Jesus enters, Luke 19:41 says, “And when He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it.”
The word wept here means to mourn. Jesus saw the spiritual condition of the people of Jerusalem and it caused Him to deeply mourn.
When we mourn over people we love because of their spiritual condition, Jesus understands because He has been there.
Jesus mourns along with us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being broken over the spiritual conditions of our family, our friends, our nation, and the world.
In Matthew 26:37-38, Matthew describes Jesus as He began to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew writes, “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, ’Sit here, while I go and pray. And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and troubled.’”
The word translated sorrowful means to be greatly grieved. The word translated troubled means to be depressed.
Jesus was greatly grieved and was experiencing depression. The weight of all the sin in the world was about to be put on Him and the stress was huge.
Then in Matthew 26:38 it says, “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with Me.’”
Jesus was facing a time in His life that was not just about the pain of the physical death, but also about the spiritual agony He would endure. It was causing Him great mental anguish.
Jesus faces the deep grief of our lives with us. Jesus faces the times of depression with us. Jesus faces the times of hopelessness with us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about acknowledging our times of struggle with discouragement and depression. And realizing Jesus understands and is with us in the midst of the struggle.
When Jesus was informed that His friend Lazarus was sick, He waited four days before He went to Bethany, Lazarus’ home. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus was dead.
In John 11:33-35 John describes Jesus’ visit to the tomb. John writes, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.”
Jesus is emotionally moved when He sees the hurt of Lazarus’ family and friends. Though Jesus knew what He would do, and Lazarus would be brought back to life, the pain in the lives of people He cared about moved Him to weep.
We also see here a deeper hurt in Jesus’ life. The word troubled means struck with terror and depression. We find the same word in Mark 14:33 and John 12:27.
Jesus fully understood what it was to experience overwhelming fear and depression.
In John 12:27 Jesus asks the Father to save Him from what was about to happen to Him, but then He acknowledges that what was about to happen to Him, His crucifixion, was the very reason He had come into the world.
Jesus then asks the Father to glorify the Father’s name.
The Father’s response in John 12:28 is, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The Father was assuring Jesus that His name had been glorified by Jesus’ obedience, and through Jesus’ death it would be even more glorified.
Jesus understands that we will face fear. He also knows that some things that He tells us to do will cause us fear as we face them. His promise is the same as the Father’s. When we obey Him, especially in fearful situations, His name will be glorified.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about obeying God even when what He is telling us to do scares us, and knowing that His presence is there with us all the way through the situation.
Jesus faced: fear, discouragement, grief, and even depression. He understands our feelings when we face circumstances that cause us to experience those emotions.
The Word of God gives us three awesome promises that will help us as we face grief or fear or depression.
One is found in Hebrews 13:5. It says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Jesus will not abandon us. He will not leave us when the difficult times come.
We are told in Psalm 34:18 that God is near to the brokenhearted. In Psalm 147:3 God heals the brokenhearted. In Isaiah 61:1 God binds up the brokenhearted.
The second promise is found in Hebrews 4:15 which says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus faced everything you and I face, but nothing moved Jesus to disobey God and to sin. He faced the fear and grief and depression but it did not cause Him to sin. When you and I face fear we don’t have to let it lead to sin.
When we face fear it does not have to lead to sin. When we face grief it does not have to lead to sin. When we face depression it does not have to lead to sin.
The third promise is found in John 16:33. Jesus says to His disciples, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”
Jesus knows we face times of fear. We don’t have to live in the fear because He has overcome fear.
Jesus know you will face times of grief. We don’t have to live in the grief because He has overcome grief.
Jesus knows you will face times of depression. We don’t have to live in the depression because He has overcome the depression.
We sometimes visualize Jesus as living His life with no problems. But Jesus faced all the trying circumstances that we face. He understands our struggles. He stands with us in our struggles. He will empower us to overcome our struggles.
In the Struggle with Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Letting God Move You to a New Place
Have you ever sensed God telling you to do something and your response was total amazement that God was telling you to do that? You wanted to ask, “Are you talking to me?”
In Genesis 12:1 God tells Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s house, and go to the land I will show you.”
God not only tells Abram to leave his
country
friends
family.
He tells Abram to going in a direction, and when he gets where God wants him to be, He will tell him. Abram didn’t know the exact location of the place God wanted him to be. He only understood that God wanted him to leave where he was and go to where God wanted him.
When God directs Moses to take the people out of Egypt, He uses a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to direct them step by step along their journey. God didn’t give a road map of their entire journey at the beginning.
Remember we are called to follow Jesus. We are to be followers.
God tells Abram that if he will obey Him and let God lead him to where God wants him to be, God will:
Make Abram a great nation
Bless Abram
Make Abram’s name great
Bless those who bless Abram and curse those who curse Abram
Bless all the people on earth through Abram.
Genesis 12:4 says, “So Abram left as the Lord had told him.”
That is obedience to God. Notice that verse 4 also mentions that Abram was 75 years old when this occurred. Abram was not some young man just starting out. He was a man with family (wife, nephew), a man with a large household (servants), and a man with a lot of property.
There are three steps in following God as we see in the life of Abram.
First, there is listening.
We have to listen to what God is saying to us.
For us to listen to God, we have to put ourselves in a position to listen.
The position that allows us to best listen to God is humbled, submitted, and quiet.
Humbled is an act of the mind. I understand that God is the One in control, not me.
Submitted is an act of the will or spirit. I consciously put my life in God’s control.
Quiet is an act of the body. I carve out time to spend with God, listen to what He has to say.
Listening to God involves recognizing.
We have to recognize that it is God who is speaking.
In John 10:4 we are told that Jesus’ sheep know His voice. The Bible is Jesus’ voice. He may also help us to hear His voice in other ways. But anything that does not agree with God’s Word is not the voice of Jesus. We need to do what John 10:5 says that the Jesus’ sheep do when they hear a stranger’s voice, “they run away from the voice of the stranger.”
Listening to God involves knowing.
We have to know what God is saying.
God does not hide His will in hidden messages or images.
Exodus 3:9-10
And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of
Egypt.
Moses understood what God wanted him to do. That is why Moses came up with so many excuses not to do it. This was also true of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Daniel, many, many others.
Second, there is preparation.
We have to be prepared to do what God tells us to do.
We have to be prepared spiritually.
Luke 1:38
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”
Mary was young, but she was spiritually prepared to do what God told her to do.
We have to be prepared physically.
We should not be in a physical situation that would stop or hinder us from following God anywhere or doing anything He directs to do.
Debt or comfort or personal preferences or even family should not hinder or stop us from following God’s will.
I recall a time in my life when I was considering a church position and when I found out what the salary would be, my response was, “I can’t afford to live on that salary.” It wasn’t that the salary was bad; it was that I was so in debt that I couldn’t live on the amount that the church was offering.
When we let anything other than God’s will determine what we do, we are letting that thing control us. God doesn’t want any rivals for our hearts.
So lets us be like the Boy Scouts: Always Prepared.
Third, there is obedience.
We can listen.
We can know it’s God speaking.
We can know what God is saying.
We can be prepared to do what God says.
But if we don’t obey - those things mean nothing.
1 Samuel 15:22
Samuel replied, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
It is not about making huge sacrifices occasionally.
It is about everyday obedience.
John 14:23
If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teachings. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Obedience is what shows Jesus and others that we really do love Him.
Obedience is what allows us to experience the presence of God in our lives.
Abram listened. He heard God’s voice. He knew it was God.
Abram was prepared. He had his life in position that he could do what God was telling him to do.
Abram obeyed. He left where he was to go where God wanted him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about listening to God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being prepared to do what God tells us to do.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about obeying God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about following God.
God will tell you to do something that will cause you to say to Him, “Are You talking to me?” He will then tell you that, yes, He is talking to you. Then you have the great privilege of letting God take you to a new place in your relationship with Him.
This place will be strange.
This place will be risky.
This new place will be scary.
This place will be out of your comfort zone.
This place will cause you to totally depend on Jesus.
This place will be an exciting adventure with Jesus.
Letting Jesus Lead the Way, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
In Genesis 12:1 God tells Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s house, and go to the land I will show you.”
God not only tells Abram to leave his
country
friends
family.
He tells Abram to going in a direction, and when he gets where God wants him to be, He will tell him. Abram didn’t know the exact location of the place God wanted him to be. He only understood that God wanted him to leave where he was and go to where God wanted him.
When God directs Moses to take the people out of Egypt, He uses a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to direct them step by step along their journey. God didn’t give a road map of their entire journey at the beginning.
Remember we are called to follow Jesus. We are to be followers.
God tells Abram that if he will obey Him and let God lead him to where God wants him to be, God will:
Make Abram a great nation
Bless Abram
Make Abram’s name great
Bless those who bless Abram and curse those who curse Abram
Bless all the people on earth through Abram.
Genesis 12:4 says, “So Abram left as the Lord had told him.”
That is obedience to God. Notice that verse 4 also mentions that Abram was 75 years old when this occurred. Abram was not some young man just starting out. He was a man with family (wife, nephew), a man with a large household (servants), and a man with a lot of property.
There are three steps in following God as we see in the life of Abram.
First, there is listening.
We have to listen to what God is saying to us.
For us to listen to God, we have to put ourselves in a position to listen.
The position that allows us to best listen to God is humbled, submitted, and quiet.
Humbled is an act of the mind. I understand that God is the One in control, not me.
Submitted is an act of the will or spirit. I consciously put my life in God’s control.
Quiet is an act of the body. I carve out time to spend with God, listen to what He has to say.
Listening to God involves recognizing.
We have to recognize that it is God who is speaking.
In John 10:4 we are told that Jesus’ sheep know His voice. The Bible is Jesus’ voice. He may also help us to hear His voice in other ways. But anything that does not agree with God’s Word is not the voice of Jesus. We need to do what John 10:5 says that the Jesus’ sheep do when they hear a stranger’s voice, “they run away from the voice of the stranger.”
Listening to God involves knowing.
We have to know what God is saying.
God does not hide His will in hidden messages or images.
Exodus 3:9-10
And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of
Egypt.
Moses understood what God wanted him to do. That is why Moses came up with so many excuses not to do it. This was also true of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Daniel, many, many others.
Second, there is preparation.
We have to be prepared to do what God tells us to do.
We have to be prepared spiritually.
Luke 1:38
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”
Mary was young, but she was spiritually prepared to do what God told her to do.
We have to be prepared physically.
We should not be in a physical situation that would stop or hinder us from following God anywhere or doing anything He directs to do.
Debt or comfort or personal preferences or even family should not hinder or stop us from following God’s will.
I recall a time in my life when I was considering a church position and when I found out what the salary would be, my response was, “I can’t afford to live on that salary.” It wasn’t that the salary was bad; it was that I was so in debt that I couldn’t live on the amount that the church was offering.
When we let anything other than God’s will determine what we do, we are letting that thing control us. God doesn’t want any rivals for our hearts.
So lets us be like the Boy Scouts: Always Prepared.
Third, there is obedience.
We can listen.
We can know it’s God speaking.
We can know what God is saying.
We can be prepared to do what God says.
But if we don’t obey - those things mean nothing.
1 Samuel 15:22
Samuel replied, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
It is not about making huge sacrifices occasionally.
It is about everyday obedience.
John 14:23
If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teachings. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Obedience is what shows Jesus and others that we really do love Him.
Obedience is what allows us to experience the presence of God in our lives.
Abram listened. He heard God’s voice. He knew it was God.
Abram was prepared. He had his life in position that he could do what God was telling him to do.
Abram obeyed. He left where he was to go where God wanted him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about listening to God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being prepared to do what God tells us to do.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about obeying God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about following God.
God will tell you to do something that will cause you to say to Him, “Are You talking to me?” He will then tell you that, yes, He is talking to you. Then you have the great privilege of letting God take you to a new place in your relationship with Him.
This place will be strange.
This place will be risky.
This new place will be scary.
This place will be out of your comfort zone.
This place will cause you to totally depend on Jesus.
This place will be an exciting adventure with Jesus.
Letting Jesus Lead the Way, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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