What Now?
Notes
Transcript
Welcome
Welcome
Streaming Group...
Vision and Mission...
November 3rd has come and gone…Jesus is still on the throne…Our hope is still set on a solid foundation when the sea around us is unsettling…Jesus is the same today, yesterday, and forever. Jesus is with us to the very end of the age…All authority in heaven and on earth is His…His is the Kingdom…His...
For us, church, nothing has changed. Sure, the context around us may have shifted, but our call, our mission, our purpose as the church, as children of God, has not changed in the slightest...
In fact, i believe, that NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE CHURCH TO REGATHER, REGROUP, AND REALIGN AGAIN TO THE FAITH WE HAVE IN JESUS AND BE THE MOVEMENT OF GOD IN THIS DARK, LOST, AND HOPELESS WORLD...
SPEAK TO THE CHURCH…OUR FINEST HOUR…LET OUR ACTIONS REFLECT OUR HOPE…LET OUR WORDS REFLECT OUR KING, OUR SAVIOR...
I know it’s tempting to think that I’m speaking directly into our political situation…like I’m speaking to republicans who are frustrated and to democrates who are celebrating…I’m not. Please, don’t filter anything I say as leaning one way or the other...
I speaking this day, this morning, to all who call upon the name of Jesus…I’m speaking to all who follow Jesus…and going to do my best to show how we are to live in our modern day Babylon, as Christians, as followers of Jesus…speaking into how we don’t compromise our faith and loyalty to Jesus, and how we love well at the same time…REGARDLESS…OF CIRCUMSTANCE
I’M SPEAKING ON A KINGDOM ETHIC THIS MORNING…because HIS KINGDOM MATTERS MORE…HIS KINGDOM CAN NOT BE SHAKEN…HIS KINGDOM BRINGS HOPE AND LIFE…SALVATION...
And if you are follow Jesus, His Kingdom has to matter more today, and that ought to reflect in how we live...
The story of Daniel speaks into this…in 605BC, Israel, God’s people, in God’s City, God’s nation, is besieged by Babylon, whom God raised up for His greater purposes. Israel would be taken into captivity, into a nation that Bible personifies as evil...
Forced to be in their culture, called to seek the welfare of the city and to pray for them, forced to learn their language, music, education, religion, some of those Israelites, Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, realized, that even though their context has SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED…the content of their lives, the call and purpose of their lives, remains the same…WHY?
PRIMARILY…because they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is Sovereign. Their faith galvanized their hope…and their hope fueled their courage that exemplified love and respect.
They could have fought it, they could have surrendered to it, but they didn’t. They choose a third way…and this third way is how light shines brightly in the darkness…it is how they had influence in an evil empire and it is the same way for us today...
They weren’t antagonistic nor did they compromise their faith, values and loyalty…they stood out in the darkness...
BUT IT STARTS WITH KNOWING HIM…AND WHO HE IS…WHEN YOU BEGIN TO KNOW GOD, YOU LEARN THAT GOD IS ABSOLUTELY SOVEREIGN…and that does something IN HERE (point to heart)
Knowing God’s Sovereignty Leads to Hope
Knowing God’s Sovereignty Leads to Hope
No matter what happens around us, Jesus is still on the throne…We know the final score, we know the end result, that’s why there’s no room for panic or despair…it solidifies the hope we have…not wishful thinking…gee I hope it will turn out this way..NO. We know the score at the end of the game…regardless what inning it’s in, regardless of how hopeless and dark it looks...Fly the Flag! “W”...
If we believe this…then our hope MUST RADIATE IN ALL THAT WE DO AND SAY. It must inform our purpose in life, for it gives us the perspective to see and understand our present context
No matter the context, no matter how it changes and shifts, for better or for worse…those who believe in Jesus the King, our response ALWAYS OUGHT TO EXEMPLIFY OUR FAITH, OUR HOPE, AND OUR LOVE. ALWAYS.
This can only truly happen when we place our faith in our Sovereign God. When that happens, we rest on the FACT that IT’S HIS KINGDOM…and that we are here to build that kingdom, to tell others about this King and His Kingdom..
And that needs Courage…in order for the church to have influence in our modern day Babylon, we need to stand strong and love well at the same time.
Stand Strong & Love Well
Stand Strong & Love Well
And as we are going to see, this hope becomes the fuel to live courageously in our modern day Babylon…Because just like Israel had a purpose and mission to embrace in their Babylon, we, the church, followers of King Jesus, we too have a purpose and mission to embrace in our modern day Babylon...
In story of Daniel, we see their faith in our Sovereign God, we see how that faith galvanized their hope…and how that hope was the fuel for their courage…that demonstrated, exemplified love and respect...
They didn’t fight, they weren’t antagonistic, nor did they compromise their faith and values…no. THEY STOOD STRONG & LOVED WELL.
And no, those don’t contradict each other…in fact they compliment each other…Look at Jesus…
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus came embodying grace and truth…100% grace…100% truth. Jesus stood strong and loved well…Still stands strong and loves perfectly well…This is the pattern we see in Daniel and his companions…we see them standing strong and loving well in chapter 1-6.
This is what I want to speak on…I know that we want to hear the stories of the courage, of how to stand strong, how to stand firm in our modern day Babylon…But I need you to wait one week before we get into that…Because, if, hear me now, if we stand firm, stand strong, and do it apart from a posture of love and respect, what good does it do?
In fact, when we stand for God, we ought to stand as He stands - full of grace and truth.
13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.
You will never find Daniel and his companions being antagonistic, argumentative, can’t wait to tell the Babylonians how wrong they are and what they are against…NO…they loved well…they understood their purpose there…to seek their welfare, to pray to God on their behalf…they are respectful, when threatened with the fiery furnace, they call the King SIR…very southern of them! Daniel, lions den, for 66 years, impeccable character, respectful, loving, firm…they started out this way…they finished this way...
If our courage is fueled by our hope then OUR COURAGE MUST FEEL, LOOK, AND SOUND LIKE LOVE.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
The only thing that counts…notice the strategic importance of these words…Faith is absolutely important, but the only thing that counts is FAITH DOING WHAT? Expressing itself through love…This is a strong distinction…Paul isn’t saying that having a strong faith isn’t important…it is important, but faith that isn’t expressed through love, can be hurtful, can be damaging, can be negative...
How do we win others for Jesus? How do we help people see that there’s a greater Kingdom, a better way, a faithful and loving Savior King? Do we do this by being antagonistic and argumentative just to point out that they are wrong, just to proclaim what we are against?
How is that influential? How is that beneficial to those in our modern day Babylon that are still in darkness and who are still spiritually dead and don’t understand the way of Jesus?
Friends…listen…WE CANNOT antagonize and influence at same time
JESUS NEVER TAUGHT US THAT THE WORLD WOULD KNOW THAT WE ARE HIS DISCIPLES, HIS FOLLOWERS, BY OUR OPPOSITION AND ANTAGONIZING LIVING.
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Fill in the gap…VERSE 35…not what you know it says, but what you would expect it to say…BY THIS ALL PEOPLE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU _____________________...
Do this, do that, know this, know that, stand for this, stand for that…WHICH ALL OF THOSE PLATFORMS AND VIRTUES ARE IMPORTANT…but if you remove love from it, what GOOD IS IT?
Friends, THE MOST DISTINGUISHING FEATURE OF GOD’S KINGDOM IS LOVE.
How can you say that Brandon???…look at Jesus…he didn’t come to be served but to serve...
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
What’s that about if it’s not love…we are to do as He did, walk as He walked…love b/c He first loved us...
But Pastor, we want the deep stuff…the deep Scriptural truths, unlock the language for me, what’s the Greek tense of this word and that word…Want the meat…Friends, I can do that…I have a masters of divinity…spent years studying the Greek, was a TA in NT and in Greek…I could do that...
But listen, the guy who’s drowning doesn’t want to know the greek word for life raft…he wants me to throw him a life raft...
Isn’t the deep stuff, the meat, really living out the Gospel? Faith expressing itself through love? Want deep...love your neighbor. Want meat...love your enemy and pray for the one who persecutes you…CHURCH, THIS IS TIME TO SHINE BRIGHTER THAN EVER BEFORE...
Turn to 1 Corinthians 13…the passage that you probably heard at a wedding…a beautiful passage on love, but it’s written to a jacked up, divided church, that has forgotten it’s purpose...
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
Best way to say to understand this verse is by saying it this way - ALL I SAY IS WASTED WITHOUT LOVE.
Right now, and it has grown over the past few years, where our culture absolutely glorifies people’s opinions. There is no more room for disagreement, misunderstanding. It immediately moves right into hate. There doesn’t seem to be any room for seeking to understand another and when that happens, there is no more room for empathy, sympathy or patience.
Church, may we never engage this way…the words we say are important…because our words reflect our heart…this is a call to the church…to those who follow Jesus…our words need to reflect the love of God...
The Gospel is a proclamation of God’s love…if our words are empty and not followed up with tangible acts of love, or even if our words don’t reflect the Gospel, shame on us...
THIS HAS TO STOP. If we want the Gospel to transform society, the homes, lives, our words must be accompanied with love. Can’t just spew out mantras and dogma without love…It’s a both and simultaneously
Otherwise everything we say as the church, as believers sounds like this…CLANG…Hey, JESUS LOVES YOU (hit at same time)…Hey, LIVE THIS WAY AND THAT WAY (CLANG)…we are so against this and that....(CLANG)
This is, this ought to be the churches moment to rise up and point to Jesus and His kingdom…Our words must build up and not tear down…Yes, have strong opinions but not at the detriment of the Gospel...
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
But it’s not just what we say, it’s also in what we know...
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I have the whole Bible memorized and can win any Bible trivia game, if I can give the right answer to all the questions…it doesn’t matter if it’s not embodying in love...
A study has shown that our knowledge base is doubling every 2 years, which means, statistically we are getting smarter, or at least ought to be…but if we also look at morality…they are in sync...
Then without love, ALL I KNOW IS IRRELEVANT.
If knowledge was enough then why aren’t more problems solved and dealt with? Maybe it’s because knowledge isn’t what people are really looking for...
Isn’t the point of the Scriptures to point people to the One who is the lover of their souls? Why do we feel the need to win arguments for the sake of winning an argument, or to flaunt our Biblical sophistication...
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…IF OUR DOCTRINE DOESN’T LEAD US TO LOVING JESUS AND OTHERS IT’S PROBABLY IDOLATRY.
But EVEN IF I HAVE THE FAITH TO MOVE MOUNTAINS…but if its not paired with love…then ALL I BELIEVE IS FUTILE.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Even if my external acts of generosity are not inspired, not motivated from love…THEN ALL I GIVE IS EMPTY. Friends, the truth is you can give and not love…but it’s IMPOSSIBLE TO LOVE AND NOT GIVE. Love gives and gives generously.
Even if I give my all, my very life, if I achieve a lot with my sacrifices, if its detached from love…IT GAINS YOU NOTHING.
It’s clear isn’t it…that they way of His Kingdom is the way of love...
Church this is an opportunity for this hour to be her finest…realize now more than ever that A LIFE WITHOUT LOVE ACHIEVES NOTHING.
The way we stand firm, stand strong in our faith, is to have fully embraced the ethic of Kingdom love. Daniel and his companions exuded this, Jesus embodied this, the early church and its martyrs also understood this...
This is what we need to show the world...
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
How do we influence and love without compromising at the same time? Why do we think it’s impossible to do?
1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
For 66 years, Daniel stood firm and choose to be loving and respectful in Babylon. Daniel had significant influence because of that. He was consistently polite but firm and resolute. He was never compromising but gentle and respectful. Never budged on his convictions and people loved and respected him because of his choice to love others, to seek the welfare of the city, to pray on behalf of the city, to serve God by serving Babylon...
Friends, you must choose this. CHURCH, I APPEAL TO YOU, WE MUST CHOOSE THIS FOR JESUS’ SAKE! CHOOSE TO LOVE WELL!
Remember…sheep among wolves…Jesus prayed to the Father that we would be in the world but not of the world...
Daniel made a conscious choice to love well. He knew, b/c of God’s Sovereignty, that he was going into a hostile culture…he choose to not be like everyone else…HE HAD EXCEPTIONAL QUALITIES…character, integrity, honesty, convictions, respect, honor, love...
Listen, never down play good character, godly character…God’s word tells us that it shines, it’s salt…and it by itself, comes up against the darkness and moves people...
You can’t control your contexts often, you can however, make a choice to love well…not feel your way into loving well…but choosing your way to love well...
So here’s how we can do this very moment, today, TO STAND FIRM IN LOVE...
SERVE OTHERS.
Figure out ways to serve those around me. Not just those like you, voted like you, see the events the same you do...
Instead of demonizing each other, serve each other…Don’t assume that every person on this side is like this and everybody on the other side is like that…Did Jesus ever do that? When it came to people he served…the ones he challenged openly where the very ones that were to be His ministers and priests that have placed legalistic burdens on people and spiritually oppressed them, the Pharisees…and those religious folks who compromised their beliefs for wealth, the Sadducees.
What about OT and those nations, etc…that’s God’s place to judge, not ours. We are not to judge those outside of the church…that’s God’s role…
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
To serve others means you have to move towards another…you must choose to do so…you don’t just accidentally serve others…Start simply…by asking questions... How are you doing? Is there anything I can pray for (never really been denied that)? Get to know them. If you see a need, find ways to meet that need.
but the heart beat of this is found in what Paul went after...
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
SERVANT TO ALL…WHY? To win arguments…to let people know that I’m against them…no, to win them…to what? Your position? Your viewpoint? To Jesus!
Jesus modeled this so well…Came in grace and truth…Jesus always had this knack of connecting with people first, before he ever got to the correcting part.
Imagine how the scenario would have unfolded with Zaccheus (wee little fella) if Jesus would have acted like we are prone to act…Remember Zaccheus, a traitor, scam artist, ripped people off, oppressed them substantially...
Hey you little guy, you are going to hell…NOPE. ZACCHEUS, I GOTTA HAVE LUNCH WITH YOU…AT YOUR PLACE…and who knows what conversation went down in that house, but it’s clear that Jesus connected with him as a human being in need of love first, and then correction came...
When you think about serving others - think CONNECT BEFORE CORRECT.
EAT WITH OTHERS…BREAK BREAD…GREAT WAY TO CONNECT
Not only serve others, but realize that WE SET AN EXAMPLE BY WHAT WE SAY AND DO.
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
This is true of who we are…LISTEN TO ME KNOW…IF YOU ARE FOLLOWER OF JESUS…THIS IS WHO YOU ARE…You ARE salt…you ARE the light of the world (yes all through and b/c of Jesus).
Do you know what this means? CHRISTIANITY WILL NEVER LEAD YOU TO A PRIVATE LIFE. Don’t be a private, secluded Christian.
Your identity as a Christian is make things taste better, to preserve things…to be an additive so it doesn’t rot…You are to make things brighter…IT’S NOT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT IS SALT AND LIGHT…IT’S NOT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT IS SALT AND LIGHT…ONLY THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS ARE...
You must stand firm in love…SO THAT OTHERS SEE BY WHAT YOU SAY AND DO…and then see God b/c of it.
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIVES.
Serve others, embrace the role of being an example to others, and SHARE JESUS WITH OTHERS.
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Does this not resemble Daniel? Previous verse speaks about the potential of suffering, as you stand firm, to not have any fear of those who would cause harm…But that in your heart…keep loving Jesus…stay devoted to Jesus…keep Him set apart…Keep him top love...
If you do so, guess what begins to be seen? THE HOPE YOU HAVE…When asked, you begin to tell them about Jesus…but notice the how…gentleness, respect…integrity, honor, love…Good behavior...
Don’t attack their beliefs, connect first, tell them about what Jesus has done in your life, tell them what you are for…This doesn’t mean we never do apologetics and give a defense for our faith…of course there’s always a time for that…
Stay above reproach…the heart is to win as many to Jesus...
This is the third way…this is the most excellent way to live in our modern day Babylon…and yes, opposition will come b/c Christianity is being besieged…but look here...
17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
I know that people think that if we love others with gentleness and respect we are compromising and becoming tolerant of culture, etc. etc. etc. And I know that people think that all we should do is love and love and love with never standing firm on our beliefs and convictions…it’s both and simultaneously...
Make no mistake, we live in Babylon and Christianity is under siege. But we are still to win as many as we can for Jesus…we are still to be salt and light…we are still to give a reason for the hope we have…to love in all things...
Yes…Stand firm…but stand in love...
Stand and Love like Jesus
Stand and Love like Jesus
Jesus stood for us
When I stand, He stands with me
When I love, He loves through me
we love b/c He first loved us
STAND FIRM - DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF JESUS - LOVE WELL AS YOU STAND FIRM...
In New Testament…Jesus, once ascended is always portrayed as sitting at the right hand of the Father…but then there are a few moments, where He is described as standing...
Stephen...
Paul in Timothy
Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego (different outcomes)
Jesus stood for you…you can stand for others...
When you are attacked for your courage, faith, and posture of love, remember, Jesus is standing with you...
CONFESS THE LACK OF LOVE; THE ANGRY WORDS; ANTAGONIZING; ETC...
