July 2, 2017 - Descending Into Greatness

So glad to be back in, Kentucky. After several weeks of travel. We had a wonderful Mission week in Mexico and likely in the coming weeks. You'll see some details about that or if you're on Facebook, you've already seen some photos that we were able to build this year for a church and a pastor which was a unique opportunity. So we built two buildings that will serve as Sunday School classrooms for a church and built a double size home for a pastor and his wife and their four children at the serve as their home in the village we were in so we were excited get to get to do that will report more on that later. All this morning. I want to begin by talking about this verse in John. I have loved you. Jesus says to the disciples and this is the time. He's teaching them before he's going to the cross. I have loved you even as the father has loved me remain in my love and really it's an amazing verse and a John 15 through 17. There's a whole section here of Jesus teaching and this is one of the themes that he keeps repeating this theme that he and the father have this love relationship and this Fellowship in this intimacy and that now what he's establishing with the disciples is that they can have this love relationship and fellowship and intimacy with the father. So the way he's close with the father you can be closer the father because you're close with me and I'm closer the father and that's a repeated theme all throughout John 15 through 17. It makes me think of Genesis 1 through 3, and I've said this before and charitable remind us of it. You have plural language in Genesis 1:27. Where God says let us make humans mankind people in our image and that plurality in the Hebrew in that passage refers to the father Son and Holy Spirit. And so there's a beauty in that Genesis 1 through 3 creation where you have the father Son and Holy Spirit having this intimate relationship disfellowshipped this love between the three of them and the father says, you know what this is too good just to keep to ourselves. Let's expand the circle. Let's make other beings. Let's make human beings. Let's make men and women in our image so that they too can be part of this love and this fellowship and this answer me. So he creates Adam and Eve and we're told in Genesis 3 that God would walk in the garden in the cool of the evening this reference to this Fellowship this unhindered Fellowship between God and Humanity between Adam and Eve and God and then as we know sin entered and Krillin obstacle broke that Fellowship in that Relationship and the rest of scripture is kind of the Journey of God making a way for us to be back in fellowship with them. And that's what Jesus is referring to with the disciples in John 15 through 70. I'm going to wave at the holy spirit's going to come you're not going to be alone. And the way I'm intimate with the father and I have Fellowship of the love of the father. You're going to have Fellowship in love with the father and with me and the Holy Spirit also will come and live inside you and guide you so that goal that God has had all along to restore things is coming true in the Life of Christ and the way he teaches the disciples Caleb referred to this and my opinion little bit last week. If you were here last Sunday or on last Sunday when he preached about three trees and he talked about the fourth tree at the end and that really God is restoring us and bringing this life and he quoted this passage in Jeremiah on so I put it up here again from the message translation, but blessed is the man who trust me God the woman who sticks with God They are like trees replanted in Eden putting down Roots near the river's never awari through the hottest of Summer's never dropping a leaf and calm through droughts bearing fresh fruit. Every season that reference in Jeremiah to being replanted is Eden is a reference to that overarching narrative and scripture that we were in Eden that we were created for relationship of God and that it was broken and part of what God is striving to do is to restore that relationship. So when we Embrace everything that God is doing in our lives, we're like this tree that's replanted not here but back in Eden replanted in this place where there's unbroken Fellowship where there's intimacy and love where we flourish Because God's intention for us from the very beginning is that we would have life's that flourish for the very beginning when he said let us make other beings in our image. Is this desire to expand the blessings that the father Son and Holy Spirit know and their relationship with one another so we know Fellowship we know love we know caring and we want to expand we want let's make other beings that make men and women in our image so that they can join us whenever I put I put five chairs up here before and talked about that Fellowship of those three chairs and they said hey, let's pull up a chair. We want to expand this circle a fellowship until God's ultimate design from the beginning is that Humanity would flourish and send interrupted and blocked that plan that God had and Christ came to redeem it. We look at Psalm 46 a couple of weeks ago and we see this same theme in Psalm 46:1 the author says therefore we will not fear and you've heard me say it before whenever you see a bear for you asked a question. What's the therefore therefore whenever they're so therefore it's referring to something that's just been said, so what is it? That is the basis of us not fearing of us not living a life based on fear or anxiety and right before that verse is this verse God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. God himself is our refuge we talked about how in the New Testament Paul uses the language of being in Christ over 90 times. That's our status of being restored to God. It's not something we accomplished not something we do. It's something God have has accomplished through Christ. So as we are in Christ, we're enjoying that restoration that Fellowship that was lost with send in the garden. And the song that says here we won't fear because God is our refuge. We can take our refuge in God. He's our ever-present help in the Hebrew were there for ever present refers not simply the physical locality but the willingness to be present. It's the opposite of being aloof or distance is that God wants to be with us wants to be near as wants to see that relationship stored. And then after those two truths it has that most familiar verse that says be still and know that I am God. So if you're trusting in God that he's your refuge and is an ever-present help you won't fear is what this song says and what not fearing looks like is being still and knowing that he's gone seat most often. We read this verse as kind of a command that same to us. There's something you can do that will make the reality of God Be True in your life. So you need to work up the discipline of being steel and then when you're still or meditative require Go to the ocean you go to the Mountaintop and you reflect then you will know that God is God and let me make something clear. Don't mishear me being still and reflecting on God is a good thing to do but it does not manifest the reality of God. If you get the order, correct what the Samus the saying is that God is he is we're not waiting for him to show up. We're not trying to manifest him through her own discipline their efforts God is he exists? He is all-powerful. He is our refuge and our ever-present help even though the mountains would fall down even though the oceans would come and cover everything Steven donations would fight against one other and everything would be in term or else you need to understand that when God speaks. The song has this ever smelt. Is he is the ultimate power the ultimate present and in response to that reality the song Mama says therefore don't fear. And be still and know that he's God. The store be still is the is the language of cease striving? It's not as much be reflective and meditate as it is stop being filled with anxiety. Stop walking in fear. See if because really if we're walking in anxiety and fear. That's kind of betraying the fact that maybe were operating as if there isn't a god right If we put everything on our own shoulders then with constant worry and anxiety and fear. We're functioning as if there isn't a God who has a plan who will provide for us who will lead us and care for us and have our back and said we're operating as if if it's going to be right. It's up to me. That's a good American philosophy, right? It's up to me pull myself up by my own bootstraps. I will accomplish what I need to accomplish but subtly that can become a way of living your life as if God is not real as if he doesn't exist, or maybe you only pop in to call on God when there's a crisis that you don't know how to handle so suddenly you're only praying you're only calling out to God when there's a tragedy in your life. And we're missing out on the truth that God is inviting us to know this sort of flourishing that he's designed us to know from the very beginning that sort of that sort of cease striving is the position of a servant in my opinion. The rest of that song says when your steel and you know that he is God that's connected to worship. It's connected to God being exalted in all the Earth is what that song means within verse 10 and 11 that God will be exalted as I thought about this. I realized in some ways that's the position of a servant that sort of not being full of anxiety of being still and trusting that the master has thing has things in control and in Matthew. 23:11. Jesus is the greatest among you will be your servant now the context of this verse and the other places in the gospels that uses this phrase is the context of leaders who are striving to be first or who are full of power and manipulation and control and they're trying to get things done to accomplish things sometime. even inside the church, you know Pharisees and other leaders there trying to usher in the king of they're trying to make God's will happen through Power and structure and offices and all those sorts of things and Jesus says, Not so with you. This isn't how the kingdom of God works. This isn't how you could use the language. This isn't how reality works the greatest among you will be your servant. The I believe he's talking about more than simply the virtue of serving. There's a distinction. I want to make sure that I think is the key to walking with less anxiety and more peace and more. Joy and more flourishing in our own lives. The way God intended for us from the very beginning. So this is it a subtle but I think important distinction there is value to the virtue of serving and I am all for advocating and applauding and affirming the virtue of serving. Okay. So again, don't miss hear me but I believe in the context of Christianity and the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus. There's something deeper than just saying starving is a good thing. You should be people who serve I believe there's more going on there until he says the greatest among you will be your servant and I think he's talking about something deeper than just the task of serving our relationship with God is the key to flourishing and it's about trust in God and being about his business Gary talk about this at the end of his sermon on Father's Day. That all of these Divine appointments that he shared if you were here. I hope you were blessed the way I was the morning. I heard him do that and a men's breakfast these Divine encounters with God. He ended that sermon talking about we must have faith and trust God. That's the essence of the Christian Life. I believe is trusting God and since you trust him, therefore you are about his business your life is spent serving him your life is spent at dancing his agenda his will his cause it's his Hearts because you trust him. So if you trust God you will be about his business and here's what I mean about the distinction about serving. The difference is our identity. Is that of a servant I understand the difference between me saying I think serving is a wonderful virtue and I'm going to put serving in my life on occasion versus I understand God and his love for me and his trustworthiness that defend the very beginning. His intention was for me to flourish and I trust his character who he is so much so that I'm going to embrace his lordship and therefore my identity as a servant. Do you understand the difference between me and bracing the identity of a servant versus sang. I'm simply going to Value serving as a good thing to do.

It's a pretty big distinction. I think when you understand it, sometimes we serve and we get great joy out of that serving we talked about this on our mission trip in Mexico, cuz all of us love that week of serving in Mexico, but sometimes folks say yeah, but I get back home and I just don't have that same Joy. It's not the same thing. I think I ever do that. You can do any of y'all to go out of the country to do that. Sometimes you can love serving downtown. You think I just love that. I love that. I love making the food. I love interacting with folks. I love being there and making a difference that way but then you know, I miss it. You know, I have the rest of my week doesn't have that kind of joy in it. And I think sometimes we can miss it when we simply are embracing serving as a virtue. I'm going to do that. That's a good thing to do and then we kind of stopped its 3, I'm done serving and then we go back into the rest of our life mode where we really don't. 24/7 you know, we joke and it's a it's a it's got some truth in jest folks can be serving in Mexico and then we cross the border then the week when the trip is done and they can be at the desk at the hotel in California and be saying hey my room's not we're supposed to be what's the deal with that? You don't we all say what happens? What's that switch that turns where we go from having a humble attitude of a servant to being entitled and insisting. Hey have we ever left church, you know, we sing to God. Oh God, you're the father of all and we humble ourselves before you. You're great and you call us to be a servant in the ice such a warm spirit in church this morning and then we go to a restaurant and the waiter or waitress doesn't get our order right and we said hey I want to talk to the manager. Police lose that that that Joy of serving because we're thinking of it as a task to do versus our identity. So if you embrace your identity as that a servant if you have that faith in God, I trust God I trust that he is real I trust that he exists. I trust that he rewards those who placed their faith and trust in him and you Embrace that identity observant. It changes everything then the joy, you know isn't simply when I cross some sort of border on some sort of special trip or when it's that special time each week. When I work in the nursery are at work in one of the classes, you know that I get to destroy it's a joy that can be in every part of your life and there's a piece that comes from embracing the identity of service because look,

We're not the boss. Are we? We're not in charge and if you're not the master, if you're not the boss, if you're not in charge, guess what there's a whole lot that you don't have to worry about.

You see the wisdom of that if we looks if we say I look God is a good good father and he is trustworthy and I have a good master that I'm serving until what I can do is be about the Master's business. I can do what he asked me to do and I can let go of anxiety of trying to force all the results to happen. I can be a witness to others and do what God wants me to do but I don't have to feel the anxiety of closing that deal if it's not the right moment God's not working in that moment. I don't have to install on my snot all on my shoulders. My job is to be faithful to the master and do what he asked me to do and trust him. But he will work things. Toward good of those who seek Him of those whose hearts are willing and open. So there's a great deal of joy that can be in our lives. If we embrace the identity of servant not simply the task of service and I think that's part of letting God. Let us flourish helping us to obey him and Florist. We see this sort of confidence in this sort of faith in God and how it results in have peace and being about the father's business in the life of Jesus in Matthew chapter 8. He's on the boat and they're in a great storm and he's sleeping now that there's a great storm. I mean there's a real contrast in that story between Jesus and the disciples. The disciples are saying we are all going to die. The storm is horrible is tossing about everywhere. Where is Jesus? He's asleep. Would somebody go wake him up and say how can you sleep we're going to die. Don't you care that we die. That's the kind of stuff. They say go read that story just wakes up and says don't you don't? Did you guys have any faith?

Don't you trust God the Father? Don't you think he knows what's going on? Don't you think he's in control of things in the original Greek? I love something about this passage that says they're filled with great fear because of the storm and then when they weigh Jesus he gets up and you know, he's like you guys are wearing me out.

Bastille the storm obeys him calms down and then in the original language, it says the disciples were afraid when they saw him do that and it's a different Greek word. It's a stronger Greek word. They were afraid of the storm. But then when Jesus read the sleep out of his eyes and said be still and the storm obeyed him. They were more afraid of Jesus Not Afraid in a negative sense just in who is this? They say that can command even the wind and the sea. But you understand Jesus had this confidence in God the Father this Faith just trust in God the father that he could sleep in the boat. And that he can wake up and simply be about the father's business. All right, we'll give the disciples a little boost in their faith. Let's teach them a lesson here be still and it's still He was to steal for them. You get up get up. Don't you understand Jesus? You've got to be full of anxiety. There's a storm. You're going to be running around her. Niece's now I don't. I trust God the Father. I'm following him. I'm his servant he says in John 5, whatever the father asked me to do. Whatever I see the father doing I do it. Even the Pharisees are wanting him to get upset. Don't you understand what you're saying? How can you come and kiss this kind of stuff you what kind of trouble you can get in and Jesus just remains calm. What the father asked me to do? I do. God is your father if he's the creator of the universe, he's all-powerful all-knowing all present and you're doing his will be gastric beside that and you're doing his will then you have peace. I'm doing what the father would have me do so we won the Pharisees are trying to rile him. He just has this sort of peace and continues to do what the father would ask if we see the same thing in John 11, Jesus too slow for Martha and Mary when he shows up and Lazarus has the teeth. They say if you had been here earlier.

High speed baby how many people feel like you operated high-speed any people ever feel too busy you ever drive a little fast cuz you're late to an appointment. Every hand should be up cuz you're all lying in the house of the Lord, right? Have you ever been filled with a sense of urgency you ever have too many things on your to-do list that you think I'm going to get it. I got to stay up late never stay up late. You're going to bless your family and I stop preaching to start meddling, right? You never send. Because of this sense of anxiety and I got to get it done if it's up if it's going to be it's up to me. I've got to accomplish this until we really take shortcuts. We do things God would not have us do because we're so burdened with a sense of urgency. So Jesus shows up and Martha Mary. This is not a new thing in the in our time. This is a human thing and they say Jesus if you had just hurried if you just hurry wouldn't you run? What do you get here quicker in Jesus just

He's not 10 stop. He's not full of fear. He's not full of anxiety. He's not apologetic. interesting don't apologize reprise with Mary and Martha. That's where we get the shortest verse if you need to memorize a verse you can memorize John 11:35. Jesus wept. He cries with him his heart goes out to them, but he says don't you don't you know?

Those who trust in me will will be resurrected. Yeah, I know someday, maybe I get it I get it.

Lazarus jump Force Lazarus comes out of the grave the Dead or Alive the worst thing that could ever happen to us. I think is death. He might think of anything worse. You know the old joke taxes this second, but death is definitely first in it. The worst thing that could ever happen to us Jesus demonstrated.

Power over it. I don't hear Lazarus has been there's nothing worse that could have happened to Lazarus. He's dead. And Jesus trust the father says in that passage. Thanks the father and then says Lazarus come forth and he does. This is the kind of walk that God wants us to have in our life this confidence in trusting the father that allows us to be about his business this position of a sermon that says I know God the father is good and trustworthy that will his goal for my life is flourishing. And so therefore I can trust him in the midst of any circumstance. I can trust him so much so that I can relax. That I can walk through life at a pace that allows me to serve him. Could you serve God more if you were able to slow the pace of your life down?

anybody Do you ever not help somebody you used catching by the corner? And you see that they've got something going on some dilemma. Maybe they haven't got enough money for their meal. Maybe maybe their car is got a flat. I mean, let's just be honest you ever driven by you know, what car? I can't there's no. This used to be on my wrist. Now the phone just pull that out based on the time. This God. Call time. I can't do that. I can't stop and help you. I can't come over to your table and ask why you're crying if I can do something for you. I've got I've got to beat don't you I've got an appointment to see how suddenly we're not following gone in our daily life. And what he wants us to do is walk like Christ that have this trust in this piece. I mean think about it. It happens throughout the gospels. They bring a woman to him that they kind of rigged. It seems in this situation called her an adulterer. They left the man scot-free bring the woman throw her at his feet. What you going to do about this mystery Theologian. Mr. Smoothie with the words. Everybody likes you the crowds are gathering around you call adultery. What are going to do?

What to do I don't know what to do. You know the passage John 8. He remains completely calm. stoop down applies wanted to do and what you to start writing something in the sand.

and all the people but he says those of you without sin cast the first stone.

Start to scuff their feet.

back away

How many of us churches split? Over conflict because our first response is to be filled with anxiety instead of trusting God. I first response is to say how can I imagine that I can fix this? How often is our default position? That we assume if it's going to be it's up to me. So we immediately runs through all the ways we could solve a problem before it ever even occurs to us that God could solve it. And then if we can think of a way we can solve it then we do it right. Don't even ask God to get involved in our life. Then sometime later like I just don't feel God's presence. I just don't know what you he's long for us to trust him the way Christ models. To trust him to lean on him.

Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. Jesus said whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Another one of those paradoxal true that I think is more than just yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I know serving is a good thing and I'll try to work serving into my life. I'm telling you it Jesus says that the servant will be the greatest the one who Embraces the identity of servant who says God is my Lord Jesus Is My Lord and because he's my Lord he's got my back. He can handle everything. My job is simply to be obedient to him as a serpent. That's a big load off your shoulders. And I believe it's also more than just kind of a reflective thought when he says I'm telling you if you try to hold on to your life. It's going to slip between your fingers like trying to hold onto water. But if you will give your life away if you will trust me with your life. If you would choose humility when the world around you says, you better look out for number one. You better make a name for yourself. If you will choose service when the world around us and the voices in our own Hearts challenges us to to Champion our self or own career on Destiny Ron Victory. If we choose choose being a servant instead of Jesus tells us again. And again, I'm telling you. Send you some poetic words look. Jesus says

I wish there. beginning Paul talks about this in Colossians chapter 1 I was there when everything was created Tamara fact God the father created everything through me. I'm the ultimate Insider. I know which matter fact everything holds together because of me. I know how the universe and the human heart works. And I know what the ultimate Destiny of humanity is going to be because God's will will not be thwarted. It will come about in good time. So I'm telling you I know how really works of the Emissary throws a blanket over our eyes and over the world around us and tries to convince us that reality Works a different way the end of story tells us look if you don't look out for number one. No one else. Will you got to look out for yourself? You got to provide you got to say you got to worry about a big fat bank account. It's all on you. It's going to be it's up to me, right the answer convinces us that the powers of this world are the ultimate powers. Jesus says no. But that curtain drop that's all an illusion. There is only one God only one master and that's the father. And the smartest the greatest is the one who Embraces the position of servant to the one true most high God. And trust him trust his heart trust his agenda. Trust him to direct Our Lives. and our path

the worship team can can come forward now will end on this verse. It's interesting and John 15:15. Jesus says, I no longer call you servants. I think about it. I believe the default position of humans relating to God. Is that a servant to master? Because God is God. I mean that we're talkin Divine human. It's not done. What would happen. If Ben Robinson's a brain scientist, you know a rocket surgeon to figure it out if there's a God and I'll present and there's us then the relationship is such a servant to master human to the Divine last of the default understanding in the beauty of scripture. Is that that's a that's a relationship that God ask us to willingly choose. He never stops his foot and threatens and manipulates instead. There's this constant If any man will follow me if any woman Will Follow Me. Jesus says throughout the gospels. Let them pick up their cross deny themselves with all me. It's an invitation.

Do you know an MBA servant and master? It's an invitation and that's the default understanding and if nothing else was ever said that makes perfect sense then it God is God and we are not and it makes perfect sense for me to stay. I'll just be your servant what it what a blessing for me. Just give your servant in Jesus says this radical thing and John 15th. I no longer call you servants. Is it wasn't radical enough everything that's happened to other scriptures and do the gospels. Jesus says, I no longer call you servants because servants don't know anything about what their masters doing. They simply take orders, but I've told you everything that I've learned from the father. I told you the secrets of the universe themself. I told you that if you lose your life, you will find it. I told you that you can trust God the father that his his purpose for you from the very beginning is that your life would flourish. I told you that the reality is the greatest among you will be servants. He's let us in on the truth of the universe and invites us to build our houses on that rock. So that they will stand so that our lives will flourish to trust him and his teachings not as an act of obedience to earn some sort of standing with him. He's accomplished are standing with him through his sacrifice on the cross now. He wants to bless us with his teachings and say I'm telling you this is how the world works and so trust me build your house on this rock. And you will know greater. Peace. You will No Greater Joy you can serve when those around you say, why are you starving? You don't mention that person is is is is 5 ladder steps below you in our social Elder the other than they work in the Mailroom and you're the boss or a few all those silly things that this world plays on his lyrics are 18 in in in your, you know, your 50 you need to tell him we're going to do things my way. Where to play my songs cuz I'm older.

I don't think that getting older and Christ getting more mature. Means getting my way.

Now it applies to the 18 year old who followed Jesus to don't mishear me. We should be like Chip and Dale and the old Disney cartoons constantly falling all over each other to say no no, no. No you go ahead and there should be so much love that. We are at scripture says we're striving to serve one another to kind of out serve one another. We can't, slip into the church the ways of the world that says I'm taller or I'm older or I make more money or I'm this that or the other. I've got 10 year. Instead you're this even speaks to the to the radical Proclamation and a culture where women were considered property. John Paul in in Ephesians chapter 5 says here's what it's going to be like him on Christians. You're going to submit to one another. Ephesians 5:21 submit to one another due to meet men must have just a Middle East Admiral. This is ridiculous. I mean, you can't just turn everything. We've always established in belief on his head. And Jesus says trust me. Trust me. Office out of reverence for Christ in Ephesians 5:21 that you submit to one another. An amazing and anybody who's done that in a marriage understands. Hey, I Think Jesus knows what he's talking about.

I think being a servant even in my own marriage in my own household. I think giving your life away. You actually find it. And if I hold onto it anybody ever hold onto an argument and when and when you when you realized I lost I lost or did I lose? I fought hard to win that argument cuz about me winning. But as soon as I want it I realized I should listen to Jesus.

Is wanting to bless us throughout our lives with that sort of flourishing when we hear his word and Obey it.

So if you've never made the decision to accept Christ as your lord and your master that invite you to do that. And I'm not you to know that it's this amazing thing. We're even though he could stomp his foot and say I Am Lord and Master get before me instead. He simply asked. Will you follow me? Will you trust me and he's a Lord and Master who is looking to advance your best interest? As the one who created you who knows you and knows this universe. He knows what's best. It only says lose your life to find it. We trust him we trust about the invitation. It's invitation to trust God with your life. If you've never done that during the song I invite you I'll be in the back come to me. I'd love to take that decision about the pray with you. If you have a concern or pruney, they'll be folks both in the front and the back that you can come to prepare during this time. The truth is what God has in store for us is blessings. And greater blessings than we could ever imagine. I mean think about it, aren't you glad that we don't get to say what blessings are. It is if 10% of The Wishes. We've other than our lifetime for what we wish would happen to our life, especially when we were less mature than we are now and come true. Our lives would be total wrecks total wrecks. God understands what truly will bless us and cause us to thrive and he brings those things into our lives when we trust him. It's a fountain of blessings. So take this time to make a decision. If you have one on your heart or two, to one of the prayer warriors on for prayer during this time, please stand this way.