The Source Of Your Strength
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Nehemiah 8:10 (The Message): He continued, “Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don’t have anything: This day is holy to God. Don’t feel bad. The joy of God is your strength!
Illustration:
Monsters, Inc. is about a monster world that is fueled by fear- literally. The company motto is “We scare because we care.”
Each day, Mike, Sully, and the other monsters line up on the shop floor as a machine carries dozens of closet doors to individual scaring stations. A scream collection canister rests alongside each closet door, which is a portal to the room of a small child.
If the monster does his job correctly, he will elicit a scream from the child that will be sucked into the scream canister, and voila, be converted into power.
We Power your car, warm your home.
Human kids are becoming harder to scare
I need scarers who are confident, tenacious, tough, intimidating
Without scream we have no power!
The kid almost touched me, I could have been dead.
Kids these days, they just don’t get scared like they used too.
Child Detection Agency
Mike and Sully are the number one scare team. Sully (voiced by John Goodman), an easygoing, large, blue, fluffy creature, is the primary scarer. Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal), his assistant, is an impatient green Cyclops, 90 percent eyeball and 10 percent arms and legs.
There’s more to life than scaring
Did you hear that:
If the monster does his job correctly, he will elicit a scream from the child that will be sucked into the scream canister, and voila, be converted into power.
Large and easygoing as well as 90 percent eyeball and 10 percent arms and legs monsters.
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Illustration: In his book, “Why bother with church?” Sam Allberry states
The church is not this new society that God is creating, so:
The church is not a building itself, but the people meeting there.
People don’t enter a church, the church enters a building.
The church is not the denomination
The church functions like an embassy: functioning like an outpost of heaven within the world
The church is a family:
The church is God’s family. You cannot claim Christ and avoid God’s people. You cannot serve Christ without serving his people
The church is the earthly outlet for God’s truth- world needs a church in every place
The church is not just singing and teaching- you can do that alone, it is the people.
Baptism as the front door of church
Communion is the family meal together
Baptism is initiation into the church
Communion is ongoing membership of it
Being a whole church through Sunday worship reflects God’s diversity for church
Any church is a collection of sinners
Chapter 5: How do you survive church?
In this chapter we’re going to look at three imperfections in our churches that often become reasons why Christians switch off in their church or leave it altogether.
Church is boring to me
Church has hurt me
Church has exhausted me
Consider:
What the church is humanly?
What the church is spiritually?
Survival kit for your imperfect and flawed yet precious and God dwelled church:
Remember who who you met & why you are there
Seek to be patient, to lovingly confront
And completely forgive when hurt
Hold together the human and spiritual view of your church so you remain realistic and ambitious
How to express our membership:
Attend- show up weekly
Involvement- aware of what is happening and know church needs
Praying- pray for life of our church
Serving- put needs of others above our own
Giving- have financial stake & investment in the church
Transition To Body
Transition To Body
Strengthened through our joy in the LORD (through worship) instead of weakened by grief...
Why would or were the people grieved? What is Israel grieving?
Why did the Levites need to calm the people?
Original audience- The remnant of Israel that survived the exile but are experiencing great trouble and shame
My audience- People of God who are now in the church and reconciled to Christ but are experiencing great trouble & shame from our past sins
Last Week
1 While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. 2 And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3 Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. 4 Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.”
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Body
Body
Grieved
Verb. As a verb, ʿṣb indicates a state of mental or emotional distress. The serious inward agitation denoted by the word can be defined more precisely by noting the terms with which it is used. It is associated with lēḇ, “heart” (Gen. 6:6), the essential self of an individual, as well as with rûaḥ, “spirit” (Isa. 54:6; 63:10), the soul or spirit of a person. The serious aspect of the verb’s meaning appears where it is used in contrast to great “joy” (Neh. 8:10: rejoicing accompanying worship and sacrifice on a day holy to the Lord) or well-being and peace (Neh. 8:11) as well as blessing and prosperity (1 Ch. 4:10).
C. L. Meyers, “עָצַב,” ed. G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry, trans. David E. Green, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001), 279.
Joy
JOY. The experience of deliverance and the anticipation of salvation provide the most significant occasions for rejoicing among the people of God in the OT. The coming of the Messiah, who delivers his people and brings salvation becomes the basis for rejoicing in the NT. The response of joy, gladness, or happiness is not only a deep inward feeling, but is expressed in celebration when God’s people gather together.
Clinton E. Arnold, “Joy,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1022.
Strength
protection, formally, place of refuge, i.e., the means of being safe in a situation of danger as a figurative extension of a fortress
James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
Joy Amidst The LORD’s Provision
Joy Amidst The LORD’s Provision
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Illustration:
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (July 8, 1926 – August 24, 2004) was a Swiss-American psychiatrist, a pioneer in near-death studies, and author of the internationally best-selling book, On Death and Dying (1969), where she first discussed her theory of the five stages of grief, also known as the "Kübler-Ross model"
The five stages of grief model (or the Kübler-Ross model) postulates that those experiencing grief go through a series of five emotions: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Although commonly referenced in popular culture, studies have not empirically demonstrated the existence of these stages, and the model is considered to be outdated, inaccurate,[1] and unhelpful in explaining the grieving process.
“Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion to death.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Laura B., grief counselor has said that…
Guilt is a powerful emotion. It can hold us in bondage, isolate us and alter how we look at the world. Realistic guilt exists when we have done something we knew was wrong, but we may also unrealistically blame ourselves for things over which we had no control. Guilt causes us to punish ourselves and keeps us focused on the past.
Joy Among The LORD’s People
Joy Among The LORD’s People
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.
11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.”
Joy After The LORD’s Proclamation
Joy After The LORD’s Proclamation
12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
Transition To Close- (and Joy at the Proclamation that the LORD has Provided Redemption)
Transition To Close- (and Joy at the Proclamation that the LORD has Provided Redemption)
Illustration: Monster’s Inc continued…
By the end of movie, the scream-collection business is not going well, and the company is scheduled to shut down. Mike and Sully lament the closing of the company as they depart Monsters, Inc. for what appears to be the last time. “Yeah, but we had a lot of laughs.”
We see an idea crossing Sully’s face. “Laughs,” he says thoughtfully.
In the next scene, the closet door of a child’s room opens and an ominous shadow falls across the frightened child and his bed. The light comes on and we see Mike, who pulls out a stool and begins a comedy routine. “Hey, its great to be in your room! You’re in kindergarten, right? Hey I loved kindergarten. Best three years of my life!” The jokes are so bad that Mike has to resort to lowbrow burping humor, but the results are magnificent.
The child begins to laugh hysterically, and on the other side of the closet door, a canister fills up with laugh power.
What is the source of your power?
Where do you get your power?
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear
Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
In This Life You Will Have Tribulation
In This Life You Will Have Tribulation
33 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.”
Close- Say to yourself: The Joy of The LORD is my strength!
Close- Say to yourself: The Joy of The LORD is my strength!
Moses said the LORD is my Strength & Song
Moses said the LORD is my Strength & Song
1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
David Said Seek the LORD & Strength- Seek His Presence Continually
David Said Seek the LORD & Strength- Seek His Presence Continually
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! 11 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Weeping May Endure For A Night
Weeping May Endure For A Night
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
The Sons Of Korah Sang. God is Our Refuge & Strength, A Very Present Help
The Sons Of Korah Sang. God is Our Refuge & Strength, A Very Present Help
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Isaiah Would Later Say, The LORD Is The Everlasting God
Isaiah Would Later Say, The LORD Is The Everlasting God
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Jesus is the true vine (our true strength comes from Jesus)!
Jesus is the true vine (our true strength comes from Jesus)!
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Greater Is He That...
Greater Is He That...
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.