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A WORD TO THE WISE – GUYS

Posted in Church, Culture Watch, Equip the Saints, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 10, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE HONOURS #2AM – MOTHER’S DAYLove Honours A

A WORD TO THE WISE – GUYS

Who do we celebrate? The hall of famers we celebrate as guys is often the sports heroes that have distinguished themselves with amazing achievements and courage to persevere.

Just think who we talk about the most – who we honour as our legends…

Maybe golfer Adam Scott who could possibly be world no. 1 within weeks.

What about The Don, Don Bradman, with a monster Test average of 99.94, more than 50% better than the closest retired batsman Graeme Pollock’s 60.97.

And even though he retired in 1948, Don Bradman is still the only Australian batsman to pass 100 first-class centuries with 117, the closest Justin Langer with 86, Darren Lehmann 82, Mark Waugh 81, Steve Waugh 79, Matt Hayden 79, and Stuart Law 79.

Maybe Marjorie Jackson who in the 1952 Olympics created history as the first Australian woman to win the sprint double – the 100 and 200.

Or in 1956 Olympics when Betty Cuthbert went one better with the 100, 200, and relay and eight years later added a fourth gold with victory in the inaugural 400.

Rome 1960 and the magnificent 1500 run by Herb Elliott. And Sydney 2000, when Cathy Freeman stopped the nation with her 400 gold.

Heather McKay who won 16 successive British squash Opens from 1962 to 1977.

Rod Laver won two Grand Slams, 1962 as an amateur, and 1969 as a pro, the only two-timer, Margaret Court won her Grand Slam in 1970.

Kay Cottee was the first women to sail single-handedly and non-stop around the world, it took her 189 days in 1988 and was named Australian of the Year.

Cadel Evans’ 2011 Tour de France win is right up there, with thanks to Phil Anderson for hanging in there in the early days to give Australia some recognition.

Jimmy Carruthers in boxing, The Americas Cup win in 1983, for John Bertrand, Queensland’s seven-year State of Origin domination from 2006 deserves special mention, so too the 1991 and 1999 Rugby World Cup victories.

I could go on!

But for most of us there’s someone right here at home we need to honour as a person of real courage and perseverance. – Your mother and /or your wife!

Let’s face it who could put up with you for this long without bringing out the knives or turning into a blubbering mess with sheer frustration?

A couple of weeks ago our guest speaker Marcus Ardern mentioned how his friend Ray Comfort when he had his first child, was struggling with sleepless nights and frustrating times and wrote to his mother and said thanks for not drowning me in a bucket when I was a baby!

Three times in the gospel story Jesus refers to the commandment that we are to honour our father and mother, making it a high priority in the journey of pleasing God. Ephesians calls it the first commandment with promise, saying Honour your Father and mother that your days may be long in the earth. I haven’t figured out yet if your days are longer because your father and mother didn’t kill you or if there’s a blessing of God that comes upon an honouring child that gives them long life!

Today being mother’s day throws the spotlight on the importance of honouring our mothers and just as importantly helping our kids to honour their mothers. Men, is there honour in your home? To put perspective on this subject of honour, what we are teaching this month is that Love Honours. That means that we see a tremendous importance of honour as a kingdom value and that value flows across the church and the home. Where there is honour, there is the blessing and favour of God; hence the reference to longer lives when we honour father and mother.

Let’s take a look at this scene from that famous Australian movie called “The Castle” The movie is meant to be a comedy and quintessentially Australian culture or perhaps we should say Bogan culture. (The scene is about the dinner table conversation where Darryl Kernigan, the dad, is appreciative of mums cooking and the kids see a great example of valuing the mum’s effort)

Sadly such a scene might seem make believe in many homes around the nation in recent times where getting everyone together at the dinner table seems like a lost art. I love this scene because Dad leads the way in valuing mums effort as simple as it may seem. This is honour and it comes from love. Let’s rehearse again what honour is: Honour means to value, to give weight, to esteem, to count as precious, to give worth and recognition to. In contrast to that, dishonour means to be familiar, to take for granted, to count as being worth less, to ignore and to be rude.

Where is the put down in your home? Is there a culture in your home of devaluing words directed at mum? In so many homes around the nation, not only do we see hurtful and harmful words spoken to wives and mothers but we see open violence perpetrated on an increasing scale. The definition of family violence includes verbal abuse, – “Family and domestic violence is any violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour that occurs in current or past family, domestic or intimate relationships. This includes not only physical injury but direct or indirect threats, sexual assault, emotional and psychological torment, economic control, damage to property, social isolation and any behaviour which causes a person to live in fear.” – DHS Victoria. http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/for-individuals/children,-families-and-young-people/family-violence/what-is-family-violence

Is there dishonour in your home? Guys, do not tolerate it. Do you treat your wife with honour? Do your children and teens treat their mother with honour?

Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honour to one another.

MY STORY – Growing up I had no dad, and so I had an attitude that I needed to help my mother because it was hard for her. Nevertheless I dishonoured her a few times, like when the police brought me home one day for riding a motorbike on the road unlicensed at 14 years of age. In my home I have watched over the conversations so that my four sons kept their words honourable towards their mother.

Ephes 5:33 However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband.

1 Pet 3:7 In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honouring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God’s unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot pray effectively.]

THE JESUS STORY

Of course we would expect Jesus to honour His own mother, but where would we see hat example? Perhaps in the story at the cross.

John 19:25-27 But by the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His mother, [[b]Dear] woman, See, [here is] your son!

27 Then He said to the disciple, See, [here is] your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own [keeping, own home].

 

WHY WE MUST LOVE AND HONOUR OUR WIVES AND MOTHERS

A study on women’s work responsibilities in May 2103 showed they put in a huge effort! http://tinyurl.com/leblfoo

Wondering why you’re tired all the time? It could be that you’re overworked. Not necessarily by your employer, but by both the paid and unpaid hours you’re putting in to get stuff done at home and in the office.

Australian women are still spending around twice as many hours on child care and household duties than men, even once women increase their time in paid employment.

A fact sheet prepared by the Australian Institute of Families Studies for the National Families Week conference this week breaks down the gender differences between mothers and fathers when it comes to paid and unpaid work.

It found these differences are particularly obvious during the childbearing years, with the biggest divide in the average time spent on paid work, parenting and household tasks occurring between mothers and fathers of children under five.

Mums working full-time with a youngest child under five were found to be spending an additional 3.6 hours on child care and 2.4 hours on housework a day. For part-time mums, the figure extended to 4.9 hours on child care and 3.5 hours on housework, while those not in paid employment were spending 5.7 hours on child care and 4.5 hours on housework.

So for those mums working an eight hour day in paid employment, factor in the child care and household work and she’s working a 14 hour day. That’s not including commuting time, and the extra unpaid overtime she may be putting in at the office. All up, that means she’s working a 70 hour week – also not factoring in any additional duties completed over the weekend.

Unsurprisingly, the report found working mothers were more likely than any other group to feel pressed for time, with 62% of such women declaring they’re almost always, or often, rushed or pressed for time. Just 6% of employed women with children reported they’re rarely or never rushed for time.

Dads step up only slightly when mums are in full-time work, spending 2.6 hours on child care and 1.8 hours a day on housework compared to the 2.1 hours on childcare and 1.3 they spend when mums were not working.

In households with a mother, father and children under 12, Dads were found to rarely be undertaking the child care tasks alone – with mums staying home more often when their kids were ill, while dads were getting involved during more-shared tasks, such as getting the children ready for bed.

Still, despite feeling pressed for time, Australian employees are generally satisfied with employment flexibility, according to comments made by AIFS’ Senior Researcher Dr Jennifer Baxter in the report.

“Employed men and women reported quite high levels of satisfaction with the flexibility they had to balance work and non-work commitments,” she said.

“Around six in ten employed men and women reported being very satisfied about their job flexibility. The most satisfied were those who said they could access flexible start and finish times.”

 

DISHONOUR IN YOUR HOME?

What does a put down look like?  Sometimes we don’t realise what power our words have. We may use words that devalue the gift that God has given us.

See if any of these statements have filled the air in your home, whether from your lips or your kids.

“Oh that’s rubbish! Where did you get that from? You’re an idiot!”

“You spent how much? What do you think I’m made of money? #Expletive#”

“Come on, hurry up. I’ve been waiting for hours! We are going to be late. If you’re not ready in five, I’m going without you.”

“I hate spaghetti bolognaise, do I have to eat it? We have it nearly every night”

“No I’m not watching that #expletive# If you want to watch that go and find yourself another TV set.”

“No I don’t want to go and see your mother this weekend. It’s so boring there I nearly died last time, make up some excuse.”

Guys, you’re the head of the home. You’re in charge of the culture that is set there. Even if your home has been broken through separation, don’t bow to common culture but keep honour there. Bring value to your mother, and your wife and help your kids to bring honour to their own mother. In the next two weeks we are going to look at how we would bring honour where father or mother has been unworthy of it.

1. Is there Honour in your home?

2. Instead of thinking “My home is doing OK” Let’s think of ways we can improve the Honour in our homes.

3. What conversations need to change in your home so that people honour one another and especially children honour parents?

4. What example do we set to our children as we practice Honour for those in authority like police, politicians, and teachers?

5. How does honour look in your home when discussing church leaders?

 

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WHAT IS HONOUR?

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE HONOURSLove Honours A

It has been wonderful to share so many messages on LOVE so far this year.

I hope and pray that you are being changed and your behaviour is different as you apply God’s word that you are hearing. If we say, “That sermon was interesting, but I’m doing great I don’t need to change anything, I’m truly loving,” then we are deceiving ourselves. Instead why not come to God and say, “Breathe on me Lord change my heart, let me be different.”  If January’s messages, called LOVE SEEKS, touched your heart; you will realise Love begins with God who is seeking for us to be restored and loved. In February, the message called LOVE ROMANCES was all about our love for God and how we will express that in our own lives and especially here at church in the praise and worship times at the beginning of each service. In March the theme was LOVE ANOTHER and we spoke about how we express God’s love to one another. Last week’s church picnic was a time of outworking that love. In April we unpacked the story of LOVE LIMITLESS and just how huge God’s love for us really is, and also for lost people. As that touches us, we are set free and valued, and then compelled to reach lost people.

May’s theme is LOVE HONOURS

We are part of a Kingdom. Jesus our King is building His kingdom on earth, and we are living in Kingdom values. Jesus asked us to pray; your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.(Matt 6:10) The word Kingdom is used 158 times in the New Testament. One of the values operating in the Kingdom is Honour. So what is Honour? Honour means to value, to give weight, to esteem, to count as precious, to give worth and recognition to. The Kingdom runs on Honour. Without honour there is a big blockage in the flow of life and blessings in the kingdom.

To contrast to that, dishonour means to be familiar, to take for granted, to count as being worth less, to ignore and to be rude. In our Ausssie culture sometimes dishonour is an art form. “Hey Morrie, you’re late for the BBQ, where have ya been ya dirty bludger?” This is not kingdom stuff, God calls us to give honour where honour is due (Rom 13:7) So where is honour due?

Honour is due to the godly appointed people who have purpose in the kingdom. We give honour to those in authority, to one another, and God honours us when we walk in humility and love. Let’s take a look at honour in the scriptures and see how it works.

Firstly see how Jesus honours the Father; Jesus answered, I am not possessed by a demon. On the contrary, I honour and reverence My Father and you dishonour (despise, vilify, and scorn) Me.(John 8:49) The Father Honours the Son; For when He was invested with honour and glory from God the Father and a voice was borne to Him by the [splendid] Majestic Glory [in the bright cloud that overshadowed Him, saying], This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased and delight, (2 Peter 1:17) Again the Holy Spirit Honours Jesus; He will honour and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. (John 16:14)

Let’s read a story from the Old Testament about honour.

1 Samuel 25:1-44

Now Samuel died, and all the Israelites assembled and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. David arose and went to the Wilderness of Paran.

2 A very rich man was in Maon, whose possessions and business were in Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 The man’s name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail; she was a woman of good understanding, and beautiful. But the man was rough and evil in his doings; he was a Calebite.

4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

5 And David sent out ten young men and said to [them], Go up to Carmel to Nabal and greet him in my name;

6 And salute him thus: Peace be to you and to your house and to all that you have.

For a full chapter go to – http://tinyurl.com/lesbq9l

In this story David is not yet King, but it has been prophesied that he will one day rise to lead Israel. Nabal has a bad attitude towards David. He ignores the fact that everyone in Israel knew that David slew Goliath and saved Israel and that he had been warring against the Philistines ever since and keeping Israel safe. Nabal did not know or did not care that David and his men had kept Nabal’s shepherds and livestock safe against the plundering armies of Philistines.

So when David’s men ask Nabal for some food and water for his troops, Nabal abuses David’s men and tells them to get lost. Nabal, whose name means foolish lives up to his name and dishonours David, saying David had issues with King Saul. David plans to kill Nabal and all his men, but before he can get to them, Abigail, Nabal’s wife, hears what has happened and nearly has a fit. She hurries to meet David, bows very low at his feet and gives him a whole lot of food. She asks forgiveness for her husband’s foolishness. She covers her husband, saves his life, and the life of all Nabal’s men, and gives honour to David, saying he was called of God and had been the Lords instrument in fighting the Lord’s battles. When Abigail later tells Nabal that he was nearly wiped out by David, Nabal is paralised with fear and ten days later the Lord smote him and he dies. David then takes Abigail as his wife.

Here’s the lesson. Nabal, the fool, has a wrong attitude, it stops him honouring David, a man in whom God had obviously placed His blessing. His outcome was an ignominious death. Abigail, who is a virtuous woman, honours God’s servant David and not only saves many lives; but ends up as the Kings wife to live out her life in nobility.

I recently went to a church pastors Conference in Brisbane. It was a lesson in honour. From start to finish I was honoured and valued and so were any senior pastors who attended. It was a beautiful and showed a culture in our movement that is very healthy. Last Sunday night Pastor Marcus Ardern was our guest speaker and he shared a story or two about honour. Here’s what he said:

STORY

Marcus Ardern shared how as a bible teacher one church said to him, “We will see if we can squeeze you in to speak but we are not sure whether we want you.” Marcus replied, “Well I won’t come because God can’t bless you because you’re not hungry, you be sent away empty handed. If you won’t say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,’ and receive me as a servant of God, I can’t feed you. But if you honour me for my master’s sake, not me, it’s totally different.” At another place he went to speak, it was a Maori church in New Zealand and they brought out the mats they had for King Korakeethi, they brought a king size bed from somewhere else, and gave him all this great food, Marcus said thank you so much for honouring me, They replied, don’t be so proud, none of it’s for you, it’s for Jesus.” Do you get it?

Honour in the church works up, down and sideways.

We are to honour those over us in the Lord. Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honour [and of adequate [a]financial support], especially those who labour faithfully in preaching and teaching.(1Tim 5:17)

We honour one another; Show respect for all men [treat them honourably]. Love the brotherhood (the Christian fraternity of which Christ is the Head). Reverence God. Honour the emperor.(1 Peter 2:17)

As leaders we honour those under us;I warn and counsel the elders among you (the pastors and spiritual guides of the church) as a fellow elder and as an eyewitness [called to testify] of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a sharer in the glory (the honour and splendour) that is to be revealed (disclosed, unfolded):

2 Tend (nurture, guard, guide, and fold) the flock of God that is [your responsibility], not by coercion or constraint, but willingly; not dishonourably motivated by the advantages and profits [belonging to the office], but eagerly and cheerfully;

3 Not domineering [as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons] over those in your charge, but being examples (patterns and models of Christian living) to the flock (the congregation).

4 And [then] when the Chief Shepherd is revealed, you will win the [a]conqueror’s crown of glory.(1 Peter 5:1-4)

 

Be careful not to give dishonour to one another and to leaders; because when we do we shut down God’s flow of favour and blessings.

And coming to His own country [Nazareth], He taught in their synagogue so that they were amazed with bewildered wonder, and said, Where did this [u]Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?

55 Is not this the carpenter’s Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

56 And do not all His sisters live here among us? Where then did this Man get all this?

57 And they took offense at Him [they were repelled and hindered from acknowledging His authority, and caused to stumble]. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house.

58 And He did not do many works of power there, because of their unbelief (their lack of faith [v]in the divine mission of Jesus).(Matt 13:54-58)

Let’s take note here, no honour – no favour – no miracles.

Respect is earned but honour is given and is not about the person as an individual but is about who they represent.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Discuss what  honour looks like in the presence of an earthly king or queen.

2. What are some of the attitudes that stop is from honouring those in authority?

3. Why do you think people in Nazareth couldn’t honour Jesus in the passage above?

4. Discuss how familiarity blocks honour.

5. How can we practice honour in our church in a better way?

 

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CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT?

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 13, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE LIMITLESS # 2 PM

CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT?Love Limitless

Some people are so ugly they are referred to as someone with a face “only a mother could love.” Let’s face it mothers deserve a break… They put up with a lot and they still love their rotten to the core offspring! So who here has a mother? And tell me does your mother love you?  My mother only watched me play football once! She wanted to go on the field and “Bop the guy who tackled me.” So your mother loves you, right? So can you feel her love right now? Maybe if you think about it a bit you can sense that reality, right? What about God’s love, can you feel that?

The facts: Jesus lived in Palestine around 2000 years ago, He claimed to be the son of God. He died on a cross and his followers told of how He rose again from the dead.

The Motivation: John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (ESV)

The Connection: God’s love demonstrated in this act of surrender can be experienced or not depending on your receptivity.

Let’s look at those who were and who weren’t affected by this love.

  1. Barabbas – Doomed to die for crimes of insurrection, but now pardoned instead of Jesus. Did he ever stop to think that Jesus went to death in his place? So close he came to losing his life, but Pilate wanting to release Jesus was forced by the crowd to crucify Him and release Barabbas instead.- Did he feel the love?
  2. One Bitter Thief – This man crucified with Jesus cries out: Luke 23:39  One of the criminals who was suspended kept up a railing at Him, saying, Are You not the Christ (the Messiah)? Rescue Yourself and us from death! (AMP) His one time meeting with Jesus who died for him was brief but ineffective. Did he feel the love?
  3. One open hearted thief – The other thief rebuked the first and could clearly see Jesus was who He said He was – The Son of God and not worthy of this ignominious death, unlike himself who deserved all he got due to his many wrongs. He said: Luke 23:40-43

40But the other one reproved him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you yourself are under the same sentence of condemnation and suffering the same penalty?

41 And we indeed suffer it justly, receiving the due reward of our actions; but this Man has done nothing out of the way [nothing strange or eccentric or perverse or unreasonable].

42 Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingly glory!

43 And He answered him, Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.

  1. John the disciple – As John watched the agony of the crucifixion, he was moved to do what he could to alleviate Jesus pain. All that rushed through his head and heart were those things that Jesus had repeatedly told the disciples over and over: I will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes to be killed; to give my life a ransom for many, for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. And so the words rang in his head and heart; but to see the agony in such a graphic scene must have broken his heart.

 

  1. Mary the mother of Jesus – For thirty three years she watched her beloved son grow up. She watched Him fall down as He tried to walk at a tender age, she watched him learn his father’s trade at carpentry, She wondered at His amazing wisdom that arose so early in His life as He lived in the reading of the old testament writings. Now as she watches the crucifixion, His agony is her agony. This is not another man tortured for his crimes but her beloved Son in complete agony. Yet over and over He had told her: this is why, because of my father’s love. It ripped her heart out but she saw the love first hand.

Millions have heard of His love. His love for them. Millions have let that love pass them seemingly unaffected. Millions more have been deeply affected by this love, this limitless love. Whether this love affects you or not is not up to God but up to you!

I can tell you all the facts of the greatest act of Love, but whether it affects you or not depends on you and where you stand. Where do you stand tonight? What affects you? What moves you? Will you allow your heart to be moved and if not why not?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What does love feel like? What about God’s love?

2. How is it some people are open to God and others are not?

3. How open are you to God?

4. What can you do to be more open to God, more willing to listen to Him, more willing to hear His voice?

5. Could you become more responsive to God’s love?

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DEEPER THAN THE DEEPEST OCEAN

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 6, 2014| 1 Comment »

LOVE LIMITLESS # 1 AMLove Limitless

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.

The firmament or the sky declares the glory or the bigness of God, since He created all things, and there is not anything that is made that he has not created. So how big is the universe? This is just one site that tries to estimate the vastness of the universe. http://www.space.com/25303-how-many-galaxies-are-in-the-universe.html

200 Billion Galaxies in the observable universe and what lies beyond that? A galaxy such as the one we are in, called the Milky Way, is big. The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy some 100,000–120,000 light-years in diameter which contains 100–400 billion stars. It may contain at least as many planets as well. Get the picture!

The size of the universe is so vast and beyond our comprehension and this verse says the universe declares the glory or the bigness, wonder, power of God. God is big, and since the bible declares that God is love, then obviously love is limitless; infinite. As God’s love is limitless, so also is His holiness and His justice. So let’s begin at the beginning.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1) God created man in His own image, after His likeness (Gen 1:26) God the Father desired offspring, to have sons and daughters with whom He could have fellowship. As God created the first man Adam, He created him with the capacity to know and understand and communicate with Him. Adam walked with God in the cool of the garden. (Gen 3:8)

To deepen the fellowship and have true love from His offspring, He made man with free will. This was a two edged sword giving man the capacity to walk away from God or come to Him and choose to love Him for who He is. To make room for the bigness of this decision God made a way for redemption and salvation for man should He choose to walk away and then need to return. God in His infinite wisdom choose His only begotten son to give his life as a sacrifice and ransom to pay for the wrongs of the whole of mankind that would come. (Rev 13:8)

In ages past some of the angels, created beings had also chosen to walk away from obedience and had fallen, there was no way back for them since they already possessed their eternal state. This creation of man in mortal attire provides his opportunity on earth to know God, and choose to serve Him before the final judgement that sets his eternity.

And so God created man and in his choices, he chose to disobey God and he was cast out of the garden and he tilled the ground for food and his wife bore children in the pain of childbirth. (Gen 3:16-23) One son murdered another and lawlessness grew, until the time of Noah when God said: Gen 6: 5-7

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.

6 And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart.

7 So the Lord said, I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away mankind, whom I have created from the face of the ground—not only man, [but] the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air—for it grieves Me and makes Me regretful that I have made them.(AMP)

God is holy. Perfectly Holy, without any sin or blemish. God is righteous, and He is unable to accept wrong doing, sin, and overlook it. If righteous men, as judges, must punish lawless men found guilty; and we expect them not to let off a criminal for his misdeeds, how much more would we expect a Holy and righteous God to punish every wrong man commits? Not only is God just and righteous, He is the judge of all and He sets the standard of what is right and wrong. (Remember how big He is) It is God’s holiness that requires He be just and execute judgement on all wrong doing.

As Noah’s offspring populate the earth again, God promises to never judge the earth in the same manner again – that is, with a flood. He desires to have men choose to follow Him because He is good. Yet again and again man chooses his own way. (Is 53:6) As Moses leads the chosen nation of Israel into a promised land, God is incensed at their rebellion; In Ex 32:9 God chooses judgement;

9 And the Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people;

10 Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and that I may destroy them; but I will make of you a great nation.(AMP)

And again later after the nation of Israel refused to believe the two faith filled spies who told of the Promised Land, God chooses to destroy all of Israel. Num 14:11-12.

11 And the Lord said to Moses, How long will this people provoke (spurn, despise) Me? And how long will it be before they believe Me [trusting in, relying on, clinging to Me], for all the signs which I have performed among them?

12 I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and will make of you [Moses] a nation greater and mightier than they. (AMP)

 Again and again God warns Israel; Walk in My ways and obey me and you will be my people; and again and again they rebel.

At this time let me remind you of how the human heart and mind work. How easy it is for us to measure ourselves against one another and for each and every person to come to the conclusion quite wrongly that I am a good person. That God should accept and receive me as I am. The strong deception of pride rules the hearts of men.

Prov 21 :2-4 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs and tries the hearts.

3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4 Haughtiness of eyes and a proud heart, even the tillage of the wicked or the lamp [of joy] to them [whatever it may be], are sin [in the eyes of God].

Again and again Israel promise to walk with God only to fall into disobedience again. God warns them continuously,

1 Kings 17:13-14. 13 Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all the prophets and all the seers, saying, Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.

14 Yet they would not hear, but hardened their necks as did their fathers who did not believe (trust in, rely on, and remain steadfast to) the Lord their God.

Again and again God promises to forgive and restore them if they would only return to Him with all their hearts.

Zechariah 10:6  And I will strengthen the house of Judah and I will save the house of Joseph [Ephraim]. I will bring them back and cause them to dwell securely, for I have mercy, loving-kindness, and compassion for them. They shall be as though I had not cast them off, for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them. (AMP)

Why is it that man cannot see the holiness of God, and cannot comprehend His passion for righteousness and holiness and His unending thirst for justice? We stand before Him naked and ashamed with no defence for our many sins. We are fodder for the wrath of God and He will execute His judgment upon all who have disobeyed Him.

2 Thess 1:8-9

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (KJV)

Can you see that, as with all of God’s attributes, His Holiness is infinite? If His thirst for righteousness and justice are infinite, then where do we stand? Just as His holiness and righteousness are infinite, so is His love and mercy. So great was His desire for His offspring to be restored and set free from the power of sin, He sent forth His only begotten Son to take the entire and complete punishment for all our sins. All His wrath against sin was released against Jesus Christ. The wrath of God against sin was born by Jesus Christ as our atoning sacrifice.

Romans 5:8-10

8 But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

9 Therefore, since we are now justified ([f]acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ’s blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God.

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion) through His [[g]resurrection] life.

How vast our God is, His ways are past finding out. How great are His judgements. He is righteous altogether. His holiness is complete to perfection and all His ways are just. When He executes judgement, who can stand before Him? Yet as vast as His justice is; and His desire for all wrongs to be punished, He is full of mercy and loving kindness to all who bow their knee and their hearts to Him. His love limitless compels Him to place our judgment upon Jesus, and to let us go free if we repent and bow our hearts to the living God.

Ps 103:11

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.(AMP)

His love is limitless. His love needed to be limitless to meet the challenge of His perfect justice and wrath against all sin. To the extent of His holiness, is the extent of His great love.

Our Key verse for the month – Ephes 3:17-19.

17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, [e]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [f]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [g]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and[h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR URBAN CONNECT GROUPS

1. How can we describe God’s holiness?

2. If God is perfectly just and He knows all things, then what will be His reaction to any sins or wrongful deeds?

3.  Do you think some people, perhaps even Christians, take a casual approach to sin?

4. Knowing all God’s wrath against your sin was endured by Jesus – how do you feel?

5. This justice – limitless; this holiness – limitless; this mercy – limitless; Our thankfulness – ????

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LOVE ONLINE

Posted in Church, Culture Watch, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE ANOTHER  5PMonline dating

LOVE ONLINE

FINDING LOVE

Proverbs 18:22 The Message (MSG) – Find a good spouse, you find a good life —
and even more: the favour of God!

Dating websites abound. Figures released last week from Fairfax-owned RSVP’s annual Date of the Nation report show Australians have reached a tipping point – 51 per cent of us have tried finding love online or would consider it a viable match-making option. While not a direct comparison, the same report in 2010 showed that just 25 per cent of Australians had used online dating. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/online-dating-the-marriage-maker-20130709-2pmv0.html#ixzz2xPlp7MAu

What is the reason? People find it hard to find a friend because they don’t know who’s looking and they hate rejection. Perhaps the stigma attached to it has largely gone, with the surge due to our increasingly time-poor, technology-driven lives and the fact online dating is now an accepted part of popular culture. Now we are over the 50 per cent mark, it’s really suggesting it’s becoming commonplace.

The upside. Quality websites that have a good reputation do personality matching. You have a much higher chance of meeting someone that firstly wants a relationship and secondly is more suited to you. American survey released last month of 19,000 people, which showed those who met their partners online were happier and less likely to divorce.

The downside. It’s only works if the person has been honest. You can meet someone who takes you down. If you’re easily influenced then it’s dangerous for you. When you go online with your personal details, there is only a 1 in 6 chance a man will respond to a woman’s message regardless of her age. [44]; however the average man has only a 1 in 25 chance a woman will respond to his message on a dating site. [44]; and 54% of dating site users have found someone who has misrepresented themselves in their dating profile. [49]

Long distance relationships. What if Mr. Right lives in Bolivia? If Miss Right lives in California?

It can be very expensive.

The stats are on your side if you use a reputable website and you are prepared to stick at it and meet a few people.

DANGEROUS LOVE

Love is dangerous on the net when:

  1. You are looking for relationship and you meet a predator.  Recently a world-wide porn ring was busted and some victims were Australia teens. http://www.echo.net.au/2014/03/aust-victims-massive-us-child-porn-ring/
  2. Pornography gets a grip on you. The stats for porn use among teens and adults in Australia is high and rising. Strangely the porn use addiction is much worse among Christians than among non Christians. The Christian psychologist and internationally known speaker Robi Sonderegger reports that studies on the human brain show that addictions are harder to break when the victim suffers shame and guilt. The non- Christian may actually believe there’s nothing wrong with watching porn as long they keep it under control. However very authentic Christian believer knows the word of God has string warnings against un cleanses and sexual immorality. This means that once the Christian crosses the line in temptation,the guilt and shame that kicks in almost guarantees that the victim will go back to those prohibited images. http://phot-o-live.livejournal.com/83819.html
  3. Bullying takes away love. When your communications on line are not building you up – take decisive action. The bully hides behind a made up identity or they may be a real person but they hide behind a remote screen where they think what they says is funny or makes them feel bigger. When you get bullied, do this…
    1. Tell someone, show someone the comment. Never walk through this alone.
    2. Record the comment.
    3. Warn the bully, it’s not appropriate, if it continues you will take action.
    4. If it continues, unfriend, block, and remove the link in what ever way you can.
    5. If they continue someway, call the local police and report the bullying and show the recordings you have (screenshots etc)

 

SHARING LOVE

When sharing love the best way to get a read on someone is face to face, then phone call, then written. What you see written online has potential to be misread. A text or Facebook comment does not contain facial expression, body language, or tone of voice. That means that when you share your love and friendship online it needs to be very clear.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:9, 10 NLT)

If you’re going to vent, never make it personal. You can say you’re ticked with the MYKI system but not with an individual.   Why are people sometimes so rude online? The Wall Street Journal shows some research about it here: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10000872396390444592404578030351784405148

We’re less inhibited online because we don’t have to see the reaction of the person we’re addressing, says Sherry Turkle, psychologist and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor of the social studies of science and technology. Because it’s harder to see and focus on what we have in common, we tend to dehumanize each other, she says.

Astoundingly, Dr. Turkle says, many people still forget that they’re speaking out loud when they communicate online.

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I PRAYED FOR YOU TODAY!

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE ANOTHER # 5AMLOVE ANOTHER

WORDS OF LOVE

This month our theme of Love Another is a powerful encouragement to turn our love loose on one another in the same manner that Jesus loves us. We determine to love the brothers and sisters that God has placed us with. You can’t choose your relatives in the natural sense and neither can you in the spiritual sense. God places us together. Any reluctance to love a certain annoying brother or sister reveals the tendency in us to fail to see ourselves as we are. It’s not all about you! As a church we are continuously others focussed.

Today we are focussing on words of love.

How would you like to help create such a powerful atmosphere of love and encouragement that whenever members of this church gather together on Friday night, Sunday or in Urban Connect Groups that people always leave feeling uplifted, inspired and loved? Do you realise you are all ministers of the Spirit? You are creating the culture and atmosphere of this local church by what you say and do when gathered together? Our words can be uplifting or they can be hurtful. Being sensitive to others is part of love, realising how people hear or receive what you say is important also. As Australians we are good at sarcasm, but it only works when trust is high.

EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL AUSSIE-SPEAK

A red head is called – “Bluey”

A really tall bloke can be referred to as “Shorty”

A big overweight bloke as “Tiny”

If you’re going to use this kind of approach with people, only do it when you have built up a deep trusting friendship first.

There is a powerful tool we have at our disposal. The words of our mouth. Let’s look at James 3:1-12

Dear brothers and sisters,[a] not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.[b]

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.[c]  (NLT)

Your words are very powerful! Love another means being kind with your words. With our words we can bless another. Ephesians 4:29-31 trains us in the way we speak to one another:

29 Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

31 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).(AMP)

Do you know the power of your words? When you criticise attack and vilify another person when they are not there, you are speaking words into the air, there’s passion behind them and that constitutes prayer of the most destructive kind.

 

Your words are not just sound waves but they have spiritual effect! John 6:63 teaches us that: It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life. (AMP)

So your words are powerful and have spiritual impact. When we curse or talk negatively about one another we make room for demonic forces to attack and hinder God’s people.  Look at this unusual verse in Ecclesiastes 10:20

Curse not the king, no, not even in your thoughts, and curse not the rich in your bedchamber, for a bird of the air will carry the voice, and a winged creature will tell the matter.(AMP)

Loving another is more than just not gossiping or not talking negatively; it’s speaking words of life over them. It means speaking words of encouragement to people and also about them to others when they are not there.

PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

The best way to let your words be loving and up-building is to pray for your brothers and sisters. Your prayers are very powerful. In our local church often members are asking for prayer through Facebook or by calling the church or me or John personally. We send out prayer requests on email or if it’s not sensitive in nature on Facebook at the church group page and people begin to pray. Often there is a positive result.

James 5:16 Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].(AMP)

Often Paul asks for prayer, and it’s not only the leaders that need prayer, we all do. This is especially the work of our small groups called Urban Connect groups. When your part of an UC group your fellow members will be praying for you. UC leaders I ask that you pray for your members regularly, every day if possible. Listen to Paul’s requests:

1 Thess 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.

2 Thess 3:1 Furthermore, brethren, do pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may speed on (spread rapidly and run its course) and be glorified (extolled) and triumph, even as [it has done] with you,(AMP)

Heb 13:18 Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good (clear) conscience, that we want to walk uprightly and live a noble life, acting honorably and in complete honesty in all things.(AMP)

When you love people, you pray for them. How do you pray for another.

  1. Pray for blessing, grace and favour; for God’s mercy to be poured out on them.
  2. Pray the Lord’s will be done. (Luke 11:2 When you pray, say: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done [held holy and revered] on earth as it is in heaven.)
  3. Specifically for their prayer request, calling to remembrance the scriptures that promise answers.

Don’t pray against anyone, all men are precious to God, pray and bind demonic forces. Matt 16:19  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[d] in heaven.(ESV)

Famous Korean Pastor Dr. Yonghi Cho was preaching on prayer once and remarked how he was so upset with his deacons that he wanted to pray – “Dear God, Please give them a heart attack!” Try to avoid prayers like that one. A really powerful way to pray for others is to ask for God’s mercy to be poured out on them.

KIDS PRAYERS – They are so honest with their prayers.

Dear God, I went to this wedding and they were kissing right there in church. Is that OK?
Dear God, thank You for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy.
Dear God, it must be super hard to love all the people in the world, especially my brother. I don’t know how You do it.
Dear God, Did you mean for a Giraffe to look like that or was it an accident?                                                                                                                 Dear God, I think about you sometimes even when I’m not praying.                                                                                                                               Dear God, If you give me a genie lamp, like Aladdin, I will give you anything you want, except my money or my chess set.                     Dear God, If you watch in church on Sunday I’ll show you my new shoes.

Make room in your prayer life to pray for your brothers and sisters in your own local church regularly. As you pray for one another, you are exercising love. AS God answers these prayers, blessings flow and the church edifies itself growing up I love.

WHAT NOW?

Keep your words to one another sweet and encouraging. Don’t speak negatively about one another behind their backs. Make a habit to pray for others.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How would you define gossip?

2. Why is gossip destructive?

3. What should your response be when someone speaks negatively about another brother or sister to you?

4.  How do you feel when you know others are praying for you?

5. How can you make room in your life to pray for others?

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THOU SHALT NOT COMPARE

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Leaders Training, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE ANOTHER # 3AMLOVE ANOTHER

THOU SHALT NOT COMPARE

What a great year it is this year as we journey through the theme of LOVE. A whole year of unpacking the subject of love in 12 different sub-themes.

This month’s theme of “Love Another” is one of the key love themes for the year. When we love one another as Christ loved us, we demonstrate that we are His disciples. This is much more powerful than we realise! If unbelievers have any criticism of church folk at all, what is it that they most commonly say?

  1. They are all hypocrites
  2. All they do is fight among themselves.

Jesus shows us the example of loving another, whether that person is a Christian or not. We are called to love the brethren, love those who are lost and far from God, and even to love our enemies! Is there anyone left? However, the real power to change the world is how we treat each other within the church because this has the greatest power to demonstrate the reality of Jesus and His truth about eternal life.

Wouldn’t you love to be part of a church that reaches many lost people? I know you have a heart for the lost. I want to show you how that can happen today.

This is one of the key factors that led to my own conversion at the age of 20. To see the Christians really loving each other unconditionally in the church really stood out to me as being so very different from the world; and I gave my life to Christ.

Let’s look carefully at this verse together:

John 13:33-35

33 [Dear] little children, I am to be with you only a little longer. You will look for Me and, as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: you are not able to come where I am going.

34 I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.

35 By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].

The context here is that Jesus is about to depart (He went to the cross the next day) so His words take on amplified importance as summing up those very important messages to remember before He goes. Jesus says it’s a new Commandment – but how is it new? When Leviticus 19:18 says You shall not take revenge or bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord. Matthew Henry explains it like this: “it was the second great commandment of the law of Moses; yet, because it is also one of the great commandments of the New Testament, of Christ the new Lawgiver, it is called a new commandment; it is like an old book in a new edition corrected and enlarged. This commandment has been so corrupted by the traditions of the Jewish religion that when Christ revived it, and set it in a true light, it might well be called a new commandment.”

This new commandment is a refreshed and renewed and reinstated commandment, that was to be applied with renewed purpose to your brethren as being apart from, and distinct from, your neighbour (as in the story of the good Samaritan where Jesus clearly said the neighbour was anyone who was close by to you whether of your own kind of people or not). The point Jesus clearly wanted to make in John 13:35 was our love for one another is a key factor in the spreading of the Gospel. So here’s our incentive to win the lost, perfect the practice of loving one another in church.

When the love of God has come into your life and radically changed you; you are full of that love. There is plenty to go around and you can love your brothers and sisters no matter what obstacles might be in the way. The evidence of changed lives is that we love one another. Of the myriad of fallen human attitudes that might be evident in people, the Love of God overwhelms these in the truly converted believer. The light goes on and the revelation of who we are as fallen creatures, and in need of forgiveness, overwhelms our prideful disposition and we see all God’s people as trophies of His grace and marvel at the wonder of God, instead of the prideful view of seeing ourselves better than someone else.

To be clear – it’s an evidence that you are saved when you love the brethren. Loving people is easy when you’ve been filled with His love. Salvation opens our eyes with humility to see each other as precious to God.

One of the great obstacles to loving each other is comparing. When we compare ourselves with others we make a grave error that holds back our Christian growth.

Look at his verse with me: 2 Cor 10:12 Not that we [have the audacity to] venture to class or [even to] compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely. (AMP)

When we look at another Christian there is often an overwhelming temptation to judge and assess them in comparison to ourselves. We surreptitiously look them up and down and draw conclusions based on flimsy evidence that they are better or worse than us.  Jesus covers this idea when He says: Luke 6:41-42 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye but do not notice or consider the beam [of timber] that is in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You actor (pretender, hypocrite)! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

The fault of the man with the beam in his eye is that he has not examined himself before examines another. This is obvious only to the other and not to himself. Jesus calls this person a hypocrite – one who pretends to be something they are not. Love accepts people as they are and when that becomes difficult, we are very careful to check ourselves out first before we go and help someone else see where they need to change. Remember advice unsolicited is seldom taken.

Comparing is unhelpful in two ways, looking down on someone or looking up.

Comparing ourselves to another by looking down on them is not love. We are caught in the web of pride, and we can’t see the reality of who we are, next to God, a person who has many faults. Look with me at Galatians 6:2-5                                                                    2 Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].

3 For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another’s load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself.

4 But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable [in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor.

5 For every person will have to bear (be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [little] load [of oppressive faults].(AMP)

How then should we treat a person who is vastly annoying or has sinned and created a problem for us? Galatians 6:1 answers us this way: Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.(AMP)

The idea comes through again here that we keep an eye on ourselves right through the whole process – that’s humility. The practice of judging another is condemned by Jesus in Matt 7:1 Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.

2 For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.(AMP)

As one becomes more and more mature, the gift of discernment carries no condemnation with it, but an ability to see beyond the surface and understand the spiritual realities behind the façade in a persons’ life. The outcome of that discernment is always for the betterment of the person being ministered to. Check out this verse; 1 Cor 2:15  But the spiritual man tries all things [he [a]examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].(AMP)

Comparing up can be just as dangerous for a Christian. When we observe another who is blessed – do we envy? When observe someone who is successful in their walk of faith do we compare our own results and put ourselves down? This is a common trap for pastors who sometimes get their self-worth from the size of their church. Am I a failure if I don’t have a church the size of so and so’s church?  As a believer, if everyone in church seems to be doing so much better than you, do you put yourself down, curse yourself and want to give up? Or do you recognise each one has their own call and journey with God and that we will all be judged on what Jesus called us to do as individuals not what He called someone else to do. Remember some people have to climb a ladder to reach the bottom!

When interacting with your brother or sister, get to know their story. You will most likely take on a real appreciation for them and see them in a different light. This is so much the case in Urban Connect groups. Let me tell you about Anna, who attended our church many years ago. An older lady who was born in Hungary. She had some broken relationships and tough times but she deeply loved God. When she told us her story of being a young girl in her home at the end of WWII and German soldiers coming in and raping her sister. She took the gun of one soldier and shot and killed him. Some people live through very dark times, and we take on a new appreciation for them as having survived and found Christ and now living what we think is a fairly normal life.

Let me tell you about Jimmy. He came to a John Mellor meeting in our church and was quite strange in how he spoke and interacted with people. It seemed a bit off-putting. Then John Mellor told his story. He has been suffering with Schizophrenia for so many years and doctors believed he would never come out of hospital. After prayer he has made significant improvement. While he may not appear to our version of “Normal” he has made so much progress and now has much to look forward to. When you know the journey some people have been through you realise what a long way they have come. I love the bumper sticker: Please be patient with me, God hasn’t finished yet!”

One of the great comparison traps we fall into at church is not listening to the message. We are apt to say, “I hope so and so is listening to this message – they sure need it!” This act of comparison says I’ve got it all together, but all these losers around me better take on board what the pastor is saying! Familiarity can breed contempt when we say “I’ve heard that message before” OR, “I know that passage back to front and I know what it says.” Really, that’s religion talking and we miss what the Holy Spirit wants to say to us at that point. I love the disciples’ attitude at the last supper when Jesus tells them, “One of you will betray me.” And one by one they say to Jesus, “Is it I Lord?” Wouldn’t you know if you had it in your heart to betray Jesus? Yet none of them dared trust themselves, but stayed open to God that maybe that word from Jesus was for them. This is how we must come to church and to the preaching time every week, Holy Spirit talk to me, show me what you want me to do and to change.

What now? What impact has this message made on you? Let’s examine our own heart and see; how do we treat others in this church? Do we have a love for each and every person in this local church? Do we ever compare ourselves with someone and feel superior? Turn the mirror of the word around to see yourself like the disciples did. What do you see?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.  Why do we find it so easy to judge others?

2. Have you ever been mistaken about someone and thought differently about them after you heard the facts about their life?

3. Have you ever been misjudged? What did that feel like?

4. What do think the verse is talking about above (Galatians 2:5) when it say OUR own little load of oppressive faults?

5. What plans can you make to love each other in the Urban Connect group you are in?

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DO YOU LOVE ME?

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE ROMANCES # 4 PM pay_the_price

Do you love me?

When your significant other asks you the question, “Do you really love me?” We cringe and think – “Yes, well of course I do, but where is this leading?”  “What do you want?” “Well…” They answer sheepishly, “You know that diamond ring I’ve been looking at in the Michael Hill jewellers store lately? Well, it’s on sale at half price!”

Now we pit the depth of love for the little lady against the depth of love we have for the three thousand dollars we have saved up; and all the different things that money could do instead of buying a diamond ring. Life is full of choices like that.

“Do you love me?” Your mother says to you. “Then you’ll be home by 11 o’clock tonight.”

“Do you love me?” Your husband says to you. “Then you’ll let me go on this fishing trip with the boys to wolf creek.”

“Do you love me?” Your work colleague says to you in the corridor at work? “Then cover for me doing this extra shift, so I can go to a wedding interstate.”

“Do you love me?” Your old school friend says to you. “Then you’ll let me stash this stolen property in your garage for a couple of days while I find a place to stay then I’ll move it back.”

There’s the love commitment; and there’s always the cost.

Jesus said to Peter the disciple, “Do you love me?”

What a question! Loaded with so many expectations. When Jesus asks do you love Him, that’s totally different to anyone else in this world asking, do you love me? What’s more difficult is that Peter had just let Jesus down big time. Like, really let him down! Like betrayal at the big moment in Jesus’ life when He really needed support.

No pressure Peter, but “do you love me?”

There’s a cost, there’s always a cost. Peter was waiting for the cost. What would it be?

  • Confess my sin to all the disciples?
  • Give away all my money and possessions like Jesus asked of the rich young ruler?
  • Go back and tell the Roman guards that, Yes. I was the one who was with Jesus.

No; the cost was just this, Feed my sheep. – is that it? Is that all? Is that your best shot?

That is a statement of purpose. Jesus is always on purpose. Not a “make-you-feel-good” purpose, a kingdom purpose.

So I’ll ask you this same question tonight. Do you love Jesus?

Yes there is a cost. Will you baulk at it? Will you say yes now, and walk away later? Will you genuinely and sincerely mean yes now, but just never pay the price and have endless excuses as to why it was too hard for you?

Do you love me Peter, was followed by the next two times Jesus asked the same question. Peter was wondering why that was necessary. Didn’t Jesus believe him the first time? As usual Jesus had a reason for asking the same thing three times, and whether it was because Peter denied Him three times or not; it worked! Peter was restored and not just one of the boys but the lead preacher and top disciple in Jesus band of unlikely world changers.

You see Jesus prepared Peter for the kind of cost that he would later be asked to when He goes on to say, John 21:18 “I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, when you were young you girded yourself [put on your own belt or girdle] and you walked about wherever you pleased to go. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will put a girdle around you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” There was going to be a cost for Peter to pay, and it was more than any of us will ever pay.

Are you ready for the question? Do you love Jesus? Sure there’s a price to pay when you answer that Question. So, will you answer it?

Paul talks about the price of that question when he says, Phil 3:7-8 7 But whatever former things I had, that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [[a]one combined] loss for Christ’s sake.

8 Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),

This is why we read the bible…. This kind of statement is loaded with so much truth and value as to what it means to follow Jesus. Do you love Him? It will cost you everything.

Teeny price I have paid, left well paid career, abused for following Christ, punched twice, endured hardship. What price will you pay to follow Jesus?

Jesus is asking you, “Do you love me?” The answer is in your heart. And if you want to know whether you do already love Him here’s the test….

John 14:15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. (AMP)

The story of Brother Yun in China shows pretty much the ultimate price a man could pay to follow Jesus. (Read the book) If you love Jesus in Australia today there may come some ridicule or maybe even some workplace bullying or persecution, but we get it pretty easy. Still there is a price to pay and that’s “Not my will but yours be done” – It’s all the things you want to do in your life but it isn’t what Jesus wants for you.

Sometimes obeying Jesus commands is dead easy, other times it takes every bit of courage and strength you’ve got. So what’ll it be? Do you love Him or not?

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LIVING A LIFE OF PRAISE

Posted in Church, Culture Watch, Equip the Saints, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 22, 2014| 1 Comment »

LOVE ROMANCES #4 AMLOVE ROMANCES

LIVING A LIFE OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP

RECAP:

YEAR LONG THEME IS LOVE. This year our church is focusing on Love for a whole year. Twelve different aspects of it.

This month’s them is Love Romances. It’s about loving God. We spoke about King David being a worshiper. His life was so powerfully successful. Why? He was a worshiper. He was called a man after God’s own Heart. He was a man’s man and he was a worshipper. Real men worship God!

Last week end we had one of the most successful inc movement Christian music ministry people (Ps. Aaron Lucas) speak to us about the War for your Worship and a Worship Encounter last Sunday night.

Living a life of praise and worship is what we call normal Christianity. Any person who has truly encountered God will be a worshipper. Look at Peter in Luke 5 – falls to his knees and says depart from me – I am a sinful man. To see God as He really is means we see ourselves in contrast and we are undone. What does worship mean? It’s used 15 times in Psalms alone. Here are some meanings translated as worship: Bow down, to stoop, to humbly beseech.

Church is not a spectator sport! We are here to praise and worship God, to enter in, to join with others in a meeting place with the creator of the universe! We can worship according to religious tradition or according to the bible. Many people have a deep love for tradition and it limits them to experience only part of what God has for them. So many Christians grew up without biblical praise and worship and are embarrassed by Christians who worship according to the scriptures. If we come together as a people and praise God and worship God together, great and awesome things will happen.

Remember the story of Jehoshaphat.(2 Chron 20:21-22) God inhabits the praises of His people. David Hogan, a pastor in Mexico has such incredible praise and worship that they sing nonstop for over eight hours, and then the presence and power of God falls so powerfully that every person in a half mile radius is laid out on the ground under the power of God.

In church I encourage you don’t come as a spectator but enter in. Don’t be afraid to be foolish in the presence of God. True passion and enthusiasm is not viewed as off putting by non-Christians but is a powerful witness of true believers.

Story: One of my sons at the age of about 7 began his basketball career standing just inside the sideline, fearful of venturing onto the court.

Our movement, inc/COC probably more than any other movement in the history of Australia was the most expressive in praise and worship. We were known for dancing in church, raising hands, shouting praise, falling down under the power of God etc. We were heavily criticised and vilified by most other denominations including other Pentecostal groups. Why were we extreme? Because we had a passion to obey the scripture.

Remember the definition of a fanatic is someone who loves Jesus more than you do.

This is what biblical praise and worship looks like:

Ps 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (ESV)

What Gates? The gates of heaven! The gates of righteousness. The gates are the outer area, the first place we approach God, we are not even in His throne room yet. Thanks is powerful. It’s for God and it’s for you. Jesus said – Rejoice that your names are written down in the book!

Thirty-Eight times the book of Psalms encourages us to give thanks!

Ps 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. (ESV)

After we are in through the gates, now step two is praise.

Ps 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (ESV)

The outer courts are where the house of the Lord begins. The idea is we are coming closer to the ultimate destination – the holy of holies, the throne of God, the place of intimacy. Is that what you came to church for? If not why not? What did you come to church for?

Thanks, now Praise. Words for praise are meaning to: raise hands, play an instrument, to sing, to shine, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to celebrate,

How do we express praise?

  • Come into the church – the house of the Lord –Ps 134 :1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
  • Clap hands: Ps 47:1 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

Story – The objections of the Ukrainian church to clapping.

  • Raising of hands: Ps 134:2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!
  • Sing a song to the Lord: Ps 84: 2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. (150)
  • Sing a new song: Ps 40:3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord. (5)
  • Dance before the Lord: Ps 149:3 Let them praise His name in chorus and choir and with the [single or group] dance; let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre! (AMP) (2)

Praise and worship in your own personal life.

Isaiah 61:3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

If you want to change your day from stress and anxiety to joy and refreshing, put on the garment of praise.

If you want to experience God’s presence and His life, enter into worship at home. Some people meditate at home, some people practice yoga, some people listen to classical music, BUT some people just choose to put up with worry, stress and negative thoughts!

For God’s own Valium; Listen to God; His remedy for stress, negativity and anxiety is this:

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. AND

Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

You can live a lifestyle of stress and worry OR you can live a lifestyle of praise and worship. When you praise and worship you see God as He really is and you see you problems in comparison to Him and His resources then the problems seem small.

What now?

Will you choose to be a worshiper? Will you make room in your day to praise and worship God? Fill your house and your car with worship music. Sing along to the anointed songs of praise and worship. When trouble comes and stress arises, open the book of Psalms and pray those words of praise.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS.

1. Do you think you live a life of praise?

2. What stops you from praising God?

3. Is self -consciousness a factor in how you express praise and worship?

4. Why was King David so free to dance before the Lord foolishly?

5. What can you do to enter into real biblical praise and worship?

 

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HAVE YOU GOT AN ITCH?

Posted in State Conference, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Main Corflute Sign - 1800x1000mm.inddCraig’s Message at the Victorian State Conference Friday 7th February 2014.  

I had treatment once for hair growth – UV light – the side effect intense itchiness all over my body.

One thing about itchiness it’s got your attention all the time!

Well I love this inc movement and our new name and our updated operating system. To take that empowerment of pastors and leaders to a new level!

We are the hope of Australia

What’s our vision? – Health – for the Pastor and wife, for the leaders and for the church which leads to growth which leads to multiplication.

We are born for more. – Not just as a slogan but as a revelation.

Jeremiah 1:4-10

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me [Jeremiah], saying,

5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.  BORN FOR MORE!

10 See, I have this day appointed you to the oversight of the nations and of the kingdoms to root out and pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.

 There’s some alarming trends in Australia.

Church attendance slipped from 17% in 1999 to 10% in 2011

The % of Australians identifying as Christian reduced to 60% form a high of 90% in 1900.

Another trend we are seeing here in Melbourne is the church is receiving a big influx of Christians from other nations. 10% of all immigrants are born again Christians and when these come into our churches there’s a new culture. It’s not always a bad culture either. Although some are a bit religious many have deep respect and honour for the God appointed leader unlike some Aussies.

Atheism has grown from 10% to 27% in the last census.

Increasingly the church is portrayed in the media as strange, irrelevant and sometimes criminal.

Exciting isn’t it?

The fact is the church is the answer – we all know and shout Jesus is the answer but He isn’t about to do anything without the church leading the charge because He said I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

God’s got a plan

He happy to save by many or by few.

STORY  – 1 Samuel 14:1-15

Jonathan and his armour bearer

One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side. But he did not tell his father.

2 Saul was remaining in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron; and with him were about 600 men,

3 And Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

4 Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; one was named Bozez, and the other Seneh.

5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

6 And Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the Lord from saving by many or by few.

7 And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your mind; I am with you in whatever you think [best].

8 Jonathan said, We will pass over to these men and we will let them see us.

9 If they say to us, Wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.

10 But if they say, Come up to us, we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be our sign.

11 So both of them let the Philistine garrison see them. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.

12 The garrison men said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, Come up to us and we will show you a thing. Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into Israel’s hand.

13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, his armor-bearer after him; and the enemy fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him.

14 And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made was about twenty men within about a half acre of land [which a yoke of oxen might plow].

15 And there was trembling and panic in the [Philistine] camp, in the field, and among all the men; the garrison, and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked, and it became a terror from God.

Saul sat down, but Jonathan had an itch.

Vs. 2 Meanwhile, Saul was taking it easy under the pomegranate tree at the threshing floor on the edge of town at Geba (Gibeah). (MESS)

Saul sat down, his posture revealed his attitude, he was unmotivated and did not see the objective.

The objective was clear wipe  – out the Philistines!

But Jonathan had an itch – he had a keen desire to move things along, he was itchin’ for a fight. He had a desire to see the enemies of God defeated and the nation of Israel overcoming. His itch was going away anytime soon, he evaded a whole lot of good reasons not to pursue the enemy to satisfy his itch.

I’ve got an itch to plant churches, I’ve got an itch to multiply leaders, I’ve got an itch to see souls saved, and it’s not about to go away anytime soon.

THE STORY

Before this story begins Saul has faced failure. He is left with only 600 men who are still with him. They all have no weapons, and not one tradesman in Israel could sharpen any implement. The Israelites used to go down to the enemy, the philistines and ask them to sharpen their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sickles. How pathetic!. The only people who owned swords were Saul and Jonathan.

One sword is enough!

Saul is under the pomegranate tree (the symbol of healing and resurrection) but he has given up. He has no itch, it left long ago, can he be healed?

But Jonathan had an itch. He was sitting down too, but he couldn’t stay there. He had to get up.

No lack of resources on his side made the itch go away.

No fear of the enemy made that itch go away.

No lack of swords or ideas or plans made that itch go away.

Jonathan said let’s go. – What do you say?

Jonathan was young, the armour-bearer was young, Jonathan’s main thought was – “it may be that he Lord will work for us”

It says in the middle of the story that the High Priest was some guy related to Eli the nephew of Ichabod – the glory departed. Why did God put that in? Just to let you know, there’s no leadership from the king and there’s no leadership from the priesthood. In practical terms there’s no reason for an expectation of victory today!

The armour bearer says – Whatever you reckon – I’m in! – Willingness.

Here’s the plan:

  1. Let the enemy see us
  2. Let the enemy dictate the terms
  3. We do what they say and God will give us the victory!

Up they go and Jonathan kills 20 – not a big massacre, but look what God does… 15 And there was trembling and panic in the [Philistine] camp, in the field, and among all the men; the garrison, and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked, and it became a terror from God.

God intervened. And God will intervene here in Australia if He finds somebody with an itch! Do you have an itch?

God can save by many or by few- but he likes to save by few.

In fact God likes when there are ridiculous odds.

–      Gideon 300 Vs 30,000 Midianites

–      Jehoshaphat – 3 armies; ten’s thousands

–      David’s mighty man Adina – one Vs 800

Do you disqualify yourself? Do you tell yourself, there’s no resources? There’s no leaders, there’s no one here who wants to know Jesus. Do you tell yourself that you are not able? That you’re…

Too old  – listen to Abraham.

Can’t talk  – listen to Moses.

Haven’t seen any miracles – listen to Gideon.

I have no resources  – listen to Nehemiah.

If you’re worried about resources remember Isaac sowed in famine – 100 fold increase

Have you got an itch? An itch to plant? An itch to raise leaders? An itch to see souls saved? God will flow onto what you offer Him in that plan, Let’s go!

We plant churches in a time of drought. To Isaac it seemed like there’s drought but Isaac had a covenant promise.

The enemy contended for wells, the source if life and refreshing.

But there is always one more well.

We release the call of God over our churches.

Testimony of my call. What good is an arrow that never flies?

Power of seeds. There’s a call going out to men and women to serve God, for some it’s to plant churches.

Like Joseph it’s out of nothing that great things come. Expect great things.

If you are not overwhelmed by your assignment you’re not seeing it clearly enough.

Glory of the young men is their strength, the glory of the old men is their wisdom. When you’re an old man you have perspective. You see change over time. But it’s not enough to declare how things have changed and how much need there is. It’s not enough to say we must do something about this, there must be leadership, the voice must be heard … This is the way; walk in it. This is God’s message for the hour, this is the plan.

And the plan is the gospel, it is the power of God unto salvation We will raise leaders, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit and preach life, there is a seed of life in us for salvations to flow, for people to get saved, through our message, our church and our people.

Give yourself to these goals

Identify people with a call

Preach the call and raise up and call up the people who are called.

Connect with your state exec and partner with them to plant.

You can plant

–      We planted three in 2012

–      Traralgon one in 2013 with more in the pipeline.

Partner to plant churches.

Connect key leaders to development opportunities

Pray and lead your church to pray for planters (Labourers for the harvest)

Raise funds for planting.

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