Why Am I Here?

Joseph, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to serve Him to the church in Vona, the faithful who are in Christ Jesus, I pray that you hear the heart of this message

Paul said – Romans 7:15-20 – For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

As your pastor – my main struggle is with pride. And while pride is root of all sin – pride itself is as well – I tend to overcompensate when it comes to my shortcomings and the feelings of unworthiness – that comes across as pride as well.

Kanda has told me from the beginning of our marriage – you need to see other people’s point of view and not be so bullheaded – after 25 years of marriage – I still have not figured out how to show anyone, especially my family that I do see the other side – I see your point of view. It feels like when this comes up – what people want from me is to agree with them and when I feel God is telling me go left and Kanda or Mike or anyone is saying lets go right – I don’t know how to communicate so that the full message is received – yes I see where you are coming from but I feel called this direction. How desperately I needed my brother Tony this past month – he knew how to do all of this – he knew how to balance this kind of communication – I know how to communicate facts – that is how God wired me as teacher.

Paul said in Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I believe this verse is my truth as well – everything I do as Pastor, Shepherd, Teacher is by the faith I have in the Son of God

While preparing this message Casting Crowns song – Nobody came on –

Why You ever chose me Has always been a mystery All my life I've been told I belong At the end of the line

'Cause I'm just a nobody Trying to tell everybody All about Somebody Who saved my soul Ever since You rescued me You gave my heart a song to sing

I'm living for the world to see Nobody but Jesus I'm living for the world to see Nobody but Jesus

So let me go down, down, down in history As another blood-bought faithful member of a family And if they all forget my name, well that's fine with me I'm living for the world to see Nobody but Jesus

This is my heart – this is my passion and sometimes my passion comes across as being angry – but I often ask myself – why did He choose some nobody from the slum of Colorado to encourage and challenge believers to take their relationship to the next level – to move out of an American Christian church to just a God-loving, God-focused, God-serving church? I am nothing special – there are people that know more than me – are more talented than me – why me God?

I was recently reminded by a good friend that maybe this church structure is not the hill to die on – that we need to love people first. It caused me introspection and a conversation with my wife and son -

I do love people – I love everyone here

I love this church – that is why I am not content for me to remain the same I am today to be the same tomorrow and have that same urging for you – that is also why when the Holy Spirit is guiding me and leading me and I hit opposition – it looks like I am taking it personally, and to be honest I do – “It's me again God – are you sure?” “Do you have the right person – why me?” “Are you sure this is the path to go?”

If I didn’t love this church and love the people that make up this church – these messages wouldn’t be a burden – I would be ok with us picking and choosing what Scripture we follow and what Scripture we don’t.

And that good friend and confidant is correct – we are called to love people – but that is the second commandment – we cannot skip 1 and go right to 2. The first commandment is this

Matthew 22:37 – And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

Which comes from Deuteronomy 6:5 – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

How do we do that – first love God’s Word – if we don’t how can we truly Love God then Love Others?

I am passionate about the Word of God – it is not semantics – it’s is not just labels – it’s not just words that we can pick and choose from

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

These verses are what ignites the passion in me – look over the last almost 3 years of messages – I don’t teach or talk about Christian authors or philosophers – it’s the Word of God and always the Word of God – why go back to what Paul tells Timothy and us –

Church – friends – family of the body of Christ – I ask that you think about these questions when I pose a question about changing our constitution to align more biblically –

· Does it give me more power?

· Does it give me more pay?

· Does it give me a promotion?

If the answer is no – then what is the result – a body of Christ that more aligned with Scripture than the American Constitution

There are only 2 ways to interpret the Bible –

(Stand on it) – I am the authority – God made some mistakes – I will correct them – this was before democracy was born

(Hold it over my head) – God’s Word is the authority – If I disagree with it – I am wrong not God– if I think God made a mistake – the mistake is in me not the printing – I do not know more than God – we have been talking a lot about false teachers in 1 Timothy 1 – the route to being a false prophet is not in rejecting all of the Word of God – it is rejecting one part – I don’t want to be a false teacher – I don’t want to lead you away – we need to all get to the point of saying that God knows better - What I don’t understand He knows and what I don’t agree with I choose to place His authority over mine desire to be in control, to be right

Satan twists the Word of God for his purposes – how are we any different if we do that to satisfy our own needs and desires?

1 Timothy is going to get harder to swallow if we don’t hold complete authority of the Word of God as true – all true – all applicable – there are hard parts coming up – parts that don’t agree with democracy and women’s liberation, don’t agree with 2023 thought.

And we all have some choices to make in the upcoming weeks – will I continue to come to church where God’s Word is preached that makes me uncomfortable and confront things in my own life – or – do I leave and find a church that fits my comfort zone – or – do I fight the church and try to make it change? What will be your choice – I know what I am praying for!

Equation God > I we need to remove ourselves from the equation

God > all

How we answer these questions indicates what is in our hearts – Is It

My Church or His Church?

My Ministry or His Ministry?

My Worship or His Worship?

My Life to live or His Life?

My Will or His Will?

I am calling on our deacons and trustees especially but if anyone else here feels called to do the same – please join us

I am asking for the next 3 days to do an Ester fast - a complete fast for 3 days and pray over these questions – and I ask that the deacons and trustees to meet on 24th

My good friend asked me if this was a good hill to die on –

I was asked to be involved in a pastor focus group this past year and I made the comment that I didn’t know if this hill was worth dying on and they all responded – God’s Word is always a hill worth dying on – the question is – is today the day that we die on this hill?

If my friends are listening – yes this is a hill worth dying on – I can only try to live out and teach the Word of God - I am not content with what was the past – only where God is calling us – I am hoping that you – the church are willing to move to go where God is calling us – and that is only complete obedience to His Word.

His Word – His Will – His Way – its my motto – its my slogan – but for me its more – its my way of life that I honestly feel like I am trying to live out –

Romans 8:6 – For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

The Word of God should not be dividing us – as believers we should be united and all be able to look at each other – look up to God and these be the true feelings of our heart

GOD’S CHURCH

GOD’S MINISTRY

GOD’S LIFE

It's not comfortable – it’s not easy – but it is simple – and I promise you it is worth it -

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with everyone in Christ Jesus. May the God of peace that gives peace beyond all understanding be with us not only as we leave here but as we move forward - every day being more obedient to His Word - His Will - His Way -

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Amen

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