At the beginning of July, I was at Torch Trail Bible Camp speaking at their teen camp. Below is one of the talks I shared.
8/18/2010
7/04/2010
Torch Trail Bible Camp
I will speaking at Torch Trail Bible Camp this week. Torch Trail is the place where I gave my life to the Lord. Torch is the place where God confirmed in my life, that I needed to be in ministry. Torch is the place where many friendships were built and I saw God work many ways. Please pray for me as we share 2 chapels a day with the teens. Pray that God will work in the campers and staff like He did in my life when I was there.
6/17/2010
Rock Stars of the Bible: Noah
What makes a person awesome? What makes a person praise-worthy? What makes a person stand out?
Noah was someone who stood out in a terrible world, and someone who was held in high regard by the highest, God.
Gen. 6:9 - "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God."
I'm not sure if there's anyone you know that can be described as righteous, and blameless; I'm kind of drawing a blank myself. The big question is: What made Noah worthy of such a description?
The answer is found in scripture>
Gen. 6:22 - "Noah did everything just as God commanded him."
Gen 7:5 - "And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him."
Gen. 7:9 - "...as God had commanded Noah."
Gen. 7, 16 - "....as God had commanded Noah."
THE ANSWER IS OBEDIENCE!!
The thing that set Noah apart was his obedience; obedience to God in a world that was anything but obedient. Just like Noah, we are called to obedience, even though it may not be popular.
2 Cor. 9:13 "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
2 John 1:6 - "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."
WHO ARE WE TO OBEY?
> GOD
Exo. 20:2,3 - "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me."
Matt. 22:37 - " ..“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
>BIBLE
Joshua 1:8 - "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
>PARENTS
Ephesians 6:1-3 - "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—3“that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Colossians 3:20 - "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."
>AUTHORITIES
Romans 13:1,2 - "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Matt. 22:17-21 - "Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Titus 3:1-3 - "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good.."
The key to righteousness is found in obedience; obedience puts us on the path of Godly living. Disobedience, following our own way can bring hurt, and leave us dissatisfied. God doesn't want you to obey because he is a ruthless dictator. God wants obedience because he knows what's best for you, and he can only give that to you through obedience.
Noah was someone who stood out in a terrible world, and someone who was held in high regard by the highest, God.
Gen. 6:9 - "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God."
I'm not sure if there's anyone you know that can be described as righteous, and blameless; I'm kind of drawing a blank myself. The big question is: What made Noah worthy of such a description?
The answer is found in scripture>
Gen. 6:22 - "Noah did everything just as God commanded him."
Gen 7:5 - "And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him."
Gen. 7:9 - "...as God had commanded Noah."
Gen. 7, 16 - "....as God had commanded Noah."
THE ANSWER IS OBEDIENCE!!
The thing that set Noah apart was his obedience; obedience to God in a world that was anything but obedient. Just like Noah, we are called to obedience, even though it may not be popular.
2 Cor. 9:13 "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
2 John 1:6 - "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."
WHO ARE WE TO OBEY?
> GOD
Exo. 20:2,3 - "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me."
Matt. 22:37 - " ..“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
>BIBLE
Joshua 1:8 - "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
>PARENTS
Ephesians 6:1-3 - "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—3“that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Colossians 3:20 - "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."
>AUTHORITIES
Romans 13:1,2 - "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Matt. 22:17-21 - "Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Titus 3:1-3 - "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good.."
The key to righteousness is found in obedience; obedience puts us on the path of Godly living. Disobedience, following our own way can bring hurt, and leave us dissatisfied. God doesn't want you to obey because he is a ruthless dictator. God wants obedience because he knows what's best for you, and he can only give that to you through obedience.
6/10/2010
In disputable matters, what dictates my actions?
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
During Thanksgiving one of my relatives said I should check out this movie on the internet about the US economy. So that evening I went home and I watched this movie. The movie showed the weaknesses of the system and how it was vulnerable to collapse. It proceeded to explain how all the power of the system stemmed from a few wealthy people at the top that used money, and corruption to control corporations, politics, and even small countries. They explained how the average person was put in a modern slavery with debt, forcing them to work to pay it off. The movie talked about the environment and things that can easily be done to make it a better world. At this point most people, me included, are thinking this movie has some good points; it makes sense. So at this point, when the movie has hooked you in, they present their solution, the Venus project. The Venus project is this Utopia where everything is automated, everything is free, nobody works, and there is no debt. Still sounds wonderful. So it proceeds to list some of the barriers of seeing this reality; no surprise here. And then they proceed to say that one of the big barriers to this "heaven on earth" is being close-minded and controlled by religion. They mention Islam, Judaism and Christianity, but go on the attack trying to disprove Christianity. Now the true meaning behind this movie emerges as this movie calls for all to expand their minds and be one in consciousness. This movie reveals our first point.
1.The World doesn't dictate your actions. The World will lead you astray.
This should be no surprise to us; we are constantly warned of the dangers of the world. Christianity is always under the spotlight and under scrutiny. I remember when I was younger there was a movie that came out called, "The Last Temptation of Christ" which claimed to be the true story of Jesus, but was far from it depicting Jesus as womanizer among other things. I remember around 2000-2001 Time magazine claimed that 85% of the gospel was false and Jesus never actually said most of the words accredited to Him. And 3 years ago "The DaVinci Code" was a celebrated book and movie claiming that Christianity was a fabrication by the Catholic church. All these things can be compelling to some and lead them astray from the truth. It should be no surprise, as we mentioned last week, that the world sees the cross as foolishness. And we can also note that Satan has been trying to lead others astray since the beginning.
-see Genesis 3
Satan continues this same old trick today: he makes you second guess the truth and provides a convincing alternative to the truth. In our text Paul illustrates this thinking in verse 4, when he says, "We know that an idol is nothing." The world was saying to the believers, "What's the big deal if you eat this meat? So what if it was offered to an idol? What's an idol to you? Nothing. It doesn't matter." It doesn't matter. But as we see later in the text it can matter. Sometimes with disputable matters it won't matter, but sometimes it will. The decision of when it does and when it doesn't shouldn't be up to the world because the world will lead you astray.
____
How many people here went to Bibleschool? How many had kids that went to Bibleschool? My bibleschool years always have a special place in my heart because of the lessons learned there as well as the friendships that were formed. A big part of life at Briercrest was life in the dorms. You learn a lot about yourself and people when you live on a hall with 30 guys. For the majority of the guys moving into that hall it's their first time moving away from home without the leash of their parents. I had grown up with a good balance of guidelines and freedom, so I didn't feel I was being freed from oppression when I left home; plus I had gone to university before so being on my own wasn't new to me. Some guys however, were in a completely new world. Some guys do well with their new freedom and others not so well. With no one to make you do your homework, some guys fail and are out quickly. Some guys without their parents around and living on an all-guys hall think clothing is an option, something I was never a fan of. Some guys stay up ridiculously late everynight without a curfew. Some guys gain lots of weight, eating whatever they feel like. Not everyone self-destructed without strict guidelines. Some excelled a studies, studying subjects they enjoyed on their schedule, or found a balance in their sleep schedule and diet. And I locked my door to keep the nudists out. Dorm life can show us what can happen when we are left to our own decisions.
2.You Shouldn't Dictate Your Actions. Your Freedom Will Lose Your Focus.
As we mentioned earlier these were new situations and experiences for earlier believers, particularly Jewish believers. The Jewish believers had come from a religious system where everything was regulated, and guidelines were set for you in the hope that you may draw closer to God. Christianity came along and said, "If you believe, confess, and accept Jesus then you are as close to God as you can get on earth." And with it this freedom came. Like the dorm, some took this freedom and did well, while some self-destructed under it. A movement called the agnostic movement arose where people believed as long as you believed in Jesus it didn't matter what you did. Some took that to the extremes living a life of partying and excess that made a lot of pagans look like saints. We know that some of this behavior was finding its way into the church at Corinth, as you may recall the man in chapter 5, who was having an affair with his step-mother.
1 Peter 2:16 - "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."
Galatians 5:13 "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."
In each of these verse the author addresses the problem of freedom gone astray, and offers the alternative. In our text verse 9 says, "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak."
In this verse Paul addresses the fact that there is freedom and while it may not affect one's salvation, it does have affect. As well, this reason for someone to mind their freedom is also an opportunity to serve, like the other verses called for; that is, I can choose to live to a standard to serve others' interests. This attitude does not come from within ourselves, but is from the influence of God's Holy Spirit, His Word, and the faithfulness of fellow believers. We cannot trust ourselves to dictate our actions alone, for our freedom will dim our focus.
Education is a double-edge sword. It can be used to better a person's life and the lives around them. It can be used to make a person arrogant and hold their knowledge over others. Christian education can, unfortunately, be the same. Some people have put almost as much into their theological theories as universal scripture truths. There has been churches divided and denominations formed over theological debate. Some scholars have taken their theological thoughts and strayed far from where they started from, denouncing their faith. Theology in itself is not a bad thing, but when a person's theology is the source of their faith it can lead them astray.
3.Your theology shouldn't dictate your actions alone. Knowing God comes through loving God.
In the gospels Jesus is constantly at odds with the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the authority on religion and scripture. The Pharisees were the experts, but yet they were not compatible with Jesus; why? Let's look at the beginning of our text.
Vs 1-3 "..We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God."
Verse 3 speaks great truths about human wisdom. We can gather all human knowledge about God and think we know a lot about God, but I wonder if we really only have a glimpse of God. And one of the true wonders of being in glory with God is truly getting to know how wonderful He really is. As for our life on this earth we can continuously learn about God, but we don’t really get a feel for what God would want us to do in situations until we are loving God and living for Him.
1 John 4:7,8 - “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Think about this for a second: What sort of people do we seek out when looking for spiritual direction? Whether it’s an important decision or direction, who do we seek advice from on God’s will? Do we go to someone with a Phd or a Masters? No, usually we go to someone who seems to have a solid relationship with God. A lot of the people that I consider spiritually wise don’t have fancy degrees, but they really love Jesus. And because they love Jesus they got a good understanding on His heart. It’s perfectly fine have a set of beliefs you hold to, a theology to call your own, but it can’t dictate your actions alone.
4.Your actions should be dictated by your purpose.
In his best-selling book Rick Warren starts off by saying, {It’s not about you. The purpose of life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams, and my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of His creatures, everyone’s life is in His power.}
When it comes to disputable matters, your actions should be determined by your purpose. All of us may have different individual purposes, but there is a common two-fold purpose to all Christians that should guide all our actions and decision. The first part of Your purpose is to love God.
Matthew 22:36-38 - “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”
Jesus didn’t lay out some deep spiritual insight, that was hard to understand, but a simple command that covers so much. So many of the decisions we struggle with, we struggle because we’re still trying to love ourselves a little more than God. When Jesus shared this commandment it summed up all the commandments in the Bible. If we weighed the things we do on a scale of our love for God, it would make disputable matters easier. Is it right to work this Sunday? It might not affect my salvation, but which decision can I love God more in. To be more specific a second part of Your purpose is to build up the church. For Paul part of his purpose in loving God was building up the church; it drove him and all he did.
1 Cor 9:19- “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” Paul was willing to do whatever to serve God, share the gospel, and strengthen the church. So when we look at our text we see this issue of meat, and Paul points out in verses 10-13 that it’s not about you, but about others.
This text reminds me of a friend of mine. We went to youth together all through highschool, and he always struggled with his faith. When he graduated he decided he needed to go somewhere away from the negative influences he had at home and immerse himself with Christians. He went to mission base in California. Unfortunately, it was a terrible experience. The other Christians there had a very liberal view on life and were involved in all the things he went there to get away from. He ended up walking away from his faith.
When you think of people like that, some decisions are easily made for you. Paul says in our text, “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.”
You know some of the best food in Birch Hills is available at the bar, but I’ve had people make fun of me for not going in there to pick some up. They say, “What does it hurt to just get food?” My response is it could mean eternity for some youth I work with.
I don’t know what some of your personal struggles are, we all have times where things aren’t clearly spelled out for us, but we got to make a choice. We know we can’t rely on the world for direction, we can’t always trust ourselves, and its not always something that knowledge can address. But if we line it up with our purpose, the purpose God created you for; to love Him, and to serve Him. If we choose the way that will build up His church, then we know we’re going to glorify God in our choices.
During Thanksgiving one of my relatives said I should check out this movie on the internet about the US economy. So that evening I went home and I watched this movie. The movie showed the weaknesses of the system and how it was vulnerable to collapse. It proceeded to explain how all the power of the system stemmed from a few wealthy people at the top that used money, and corruption to control corporations, politics, and even small countries. They explained how the average person was put in a modern slavery with debt, forcing them to work to pay it off. The movie talked about the environment and things that can easily be done to make it a better world. At this point most people, me included, are thinking this movie has some good points; it makes sense. So at this point, when the movie has hooked you in, they present their solution, the Venus project. The Venus project is this Utopia where everything is automated, everything is free, nobody works, and there is no debt. Still sounds wonderful. So it proceeds to list some of the barriers of seeing this reality; no surprise here. And then they proceed to say that one of the big barriers to this "heaven on earth" is being close-minded and controlled by religion. They mention Islam, Judaism and Christianity, but go on the attack trying to disprove Christianity. Now the true meaning behind this movie emerges as this movie calls for all to expand their minds and be one in consciousness. This movie reveals our first point.
1.The World doesn't dictate your actions. The World will lead you astray.
This should be no surprise to us; we are constantly warned of the dangers of the world. Christianity is always under the spotlight and under scrutiny. I remember when I was younger there was a movie that came out called, "The Last Temptation of Christ" which claimed to be the true story of Jesus, but was far from it depicting Jesus as womanizer among other things. I remember around 2000-2001 Time magazine claimed that 85% of the gospel was false and Jesus never actually said most of the words accredited to Him. And 3 years ago "The DaVinci Code" was a celebrated book and movie claiming that Christianity was a fabrication by the Catholic church. All these things can be compelling to some and lead them astray from the truth. It should be no surprise, as we mentioned last week, that the world sees the cross as foolishness. And we can also note that Satan has been trying to lead others astray since the beginning.
-see Genesis 3
Satan continues this same old trick today: he makes you second guess the truth and provides a convincing alternative to the truth. In our text Paul illustrates this thinking in verse 4, when he says, "We know that an idol is nothing." The world was saying to the believers, "What's the big deal if you eat this meat? So what if it was offered to an idol? What's an idol to you? Nothing. It doesn't matter." It doesn't matter. But as we see later in the text it can matter. Sometimes with disputable matters it won't matter, but sometimes it will. The decision of when it does and when it doesn't shouldn't be up to the world because the world will lead you astray.
____
How many people here went to Bibleschool? How many had kids that went to Bibleschool? My bibleschool years always have a special place in my heart because of the lessons learned there as well as the friendships that were formed. A big part of life at Briercrest was life in the dorms. You learn a lot about yourself and people when you live on a hall with 30 guys. For the majority of the guys moving into that hall it's their first time moving away from home without the leash of their parents. I had grown up with a good balance of guidelines and freedom, so I didn't feel I was being freed from oppression when I left home; plus I had gone to university before so being on my own wasn't new to me. Some guys however, were in a completely new world. Some guys do well with their new freedom and others not so well. With no one to make you do your homework, some guys fail and are out quickly. Some guys without their parents around and living on an all-guys hall think clothing is an option, something I was never a fan of. Some guys stay up ridiculously late everynight without a curfew. Some guys gain lots of weight, eating whatever they feel like. Not everyone self-destructed without strict guidelines. Some excelled a studies, studying subjects they enjoyed on their schedule, or found a balance in their sleep schedule and diet. And I locked my door to keep the nudists out. Dorm life can show us what can happen when we are left to our own decisions.
2.You Shouldn't Dictate Your Actions. Your Freedom Will Lose Your Focus.
As we mentioned earlier these were new situations and experiences for earlier believers, particularly Jewish believers. The Jewish believers had come from a religious system where everything was regulated, and guidelines were set for you in the hope that you may draw closer to God. Christianity came along and said, "If you believe, confess, and accept Jesus then you are as close to God as you can get on earth." And with it this freedom came. Like the dorm, some took this freedom and did well, while some self-destructed under it. A movement called the agnostic movement arose where people believed as long as you believed in Jesus it didn't matter what you did. Some took that to the extremes living a life of partying and excess that made a lot of pagans look like saints. We know that some of this behavior was finding its way into the church at Corinth, as you may recall the man in chapter 5, who was having an affair with his step-mother.
1 Peter 2:16 - "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."
Galatians 5:13 "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."
In each of these verse the author addresses the problem of freedom gone astray, and offers the alternative. In our text verse 9 says, "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak."
In this verse Paul addresses the fact that there is freedom and while it may not affect one's salvation, it does have affect. As well, this reason for someone to mind their freedom is also an opportunity to serve, like the other verses called for; that is, I can choose to live to a standard to serve others' interests. This attitude does not come from within ourselves, but is from the influence of God's Holy Spirit, His Word, and the faithfulness of fellow believers. We cannot trust ourselves to dictate our actions alone, for our freedom will dim our focus.
Education is a double-edge sword. It can be used to better a person's life and the lives around them. It can be used to make a person arrogant and hold their knowledge over others. Christian education can, unfortunately, be the same. Some people have put almost as much into their theological theories as universal scripture truths. There has been churches divided and denominations formed over theological debate. Some scholars have taken their theological thoughts and strayed far from where they started from, denouncing their faith. Theology in itself is not a bad thing, but when a person's theology is the source of their faith it can lead them astray.
3.Your theology shouldn't dictate your actions alone. Knowing God comes through loving God.
In the gospels Jesus is constantly at odds with the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the authority on religion and scripture. The Pharisees were the experts, but yet they were not compatible with Jesus; why? Let's look at the beginning of our text.
Vs 1-3 "..We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God."
Verse 3 speaks great truths about human wisdom. We can gather all human knowledge about God and think we know a lot about God, but I wonder if we really only have a glimpse of God. And one of the true wonders of being in glory with God is truly getting to know how wonderful He really is. As for our life on this earth we can continuously learn about God, but we don’t really get a feel for what God would want us to do in situations until we are loving God and living for Him.
1 John 4:7,8 - “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Think about this for a second: What sort of people do we seek out when looking for spiritual direction? Whether it’s an important decision or direction, who do we seek advice from on God’s will? Do we go to someone with a Phd or a Masters? No, usually we go to someone who seems to have a solid relationship with God. A lot of the people that I consider spiritually wise don’t have fancy degrees, but they really love Jesus. And because they love Jesus they got a good understanding on His heart. It’s perfectly fine have a set of beliefs you hold to, a theology to call your own, but it can’t dictate your actions alone.
4.Your actions should be dictated by your purpose.
In his best-selling book Rick Warren starts off by saying, {It’s not about you. The purpose of life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams, and my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of His creatures, everyone’s life is in His power.}
When it comes to disputable matters, your actions should be determined by your purpose. All of us may have different individual purposes, but there is a common two-fold purpose to all Christians that should guide all our actions and decision. The first part of Your purpose is to love God.
Matthew 22:36-38 - “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”
Jesus didn’t lay out some deep spiritual insight, that was hard to understand, but a simple command that covers so much. So many of the decisions we struggle with, we struggle because we’re still trying to love ourselves a little more than God. When Jesus shared this commandment it summed up all the commandments in the Bible. If we weighed the things we do on a scale of our love for God, it would make disputable matters easier. Is it right to work this Sunday? It might not affect my salvation, but which decision can I love God more in. To be more specific a second part of Your purpose is to build up the church. For Paul part of his purpose in loving God was building up the church; it drove him and all he did.
1 Cor 9:19- “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” Paul was willing to do whatever to serve God, share the gospel, and strengthen the church. So when we look at our text we see this issue of meat, and Paul points out in verses 10-13 that it’s not about you, but about others.
This text reminds me of a friend of mine. We went to youth together all through highschool, and he always struggled with his faith. When he graduated he decided he needed to go somewhere away from the negative influences he had at home and immerse himself with Christians. He went to mission base in California. Unfortunately, it was a terrible experience. The other Christians there had a very liberal view on life and were involved in all the things he went there to get away from. He ended up walking away from his faith.
When you think of people like that, some decisions are easily made for you. Paul says in our text, “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.”
You know some of the best food in Birch Hills is available at the bar, but I’ve had people make fun of me for not going in there to pick some up. They say, “What does it hurt to just get food?” My response is it could mean eternity for some youth I work with.
I don’t know what some of your personal struggles are, we all have times where things aren’t clearly spelled out for us, but we got to make a choice. We know we can’t rely on the world for direction, we can’t always trust ourselves, and its not always something that knowledge can address. But if we line it up with our purpose, the purpose God created you for; to love Him, and to serve Him. If we choose the way that will build up His church, then we know we’re going to glorify God in our choices.
6/07/2010
The real climb
From March 2000: "How blessed is the comfort that Jesus is all forgiving; that He will turn his eyes away and forget our iniquities? How frustrating is trying to live for God on our own strength? How torturous are our thoughts when we allow Satan to convince us that we have ultimately failed and there is no redemption left? Living is a struggle, without struggle we are not really living. We will continually climb up hill to that glorious rest in God's eternal kingdom."
6/03/2010
5/30/2010
How do I stoke the fires of other believers?
The following is from a sermon I preached in 2009 on 2 Tim 1:3-11:
How do I stoke the fires of other believers?
1. Prayer - It's been said time and time again, prayer is essential to Spiritual growth.
Oswald Chambers once wrote - "When a person is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way to nourish one's life with God. "
In our text, Paul demonstrates two different ways, how he used prayer to build up Timothy.
2 Tim. 1:3 - "I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers."
- Paul took it upon himself to intercede in prayer on behalf of Timothy. To pray for God's protection, God's guidance, God's blessing for Timothy, and he didn't do it casually, but with passion
- If you're like me sometimes its easier to say this then to carry it out. We know we ought to pray lots. We know we ought to pray for other believers, but in the distractions of our day and world we sometimes fail to pray with the passion and fervor that we should. Sometimes its easier to tell someone we'll be praying for them, then to spend the time with them, showing we care. I know at Bibleschool sometimes, the phrase, "I'll pray for you" seemed to be a courtesy greeting at times; said in passing.
- However, Paul demonstrates how the prayer alone for others becomes real and effective; through direct prayer
2 Tim. 1:6 "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands."
- Paul not only prayed for Timothy in his quiet times with the Lord, but had prayed for Timothy directly; in audible voice, with physical contact. I know throughout my life there has been people praying for me, and I will never fully understand the impact of those prayers this side of eternity. However, some of the prayers that I have come to understand the impact of are those which someone came up to me and prayed for me.
- my uncle is someone I highly respect and look up to. Several times he has taken me aside and prayed for me. One such prayer was shortly after I had given my life to God. He put his arm around me and prayed, "God use Adam to be a leader..." A prayer that has greatly impacted my life.
James 5:16 - "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
If we break down this verse, the thing that sticks out to me is the picture of these people coming together, be open with one another, and praying for one another. And this is seen as powerful and effective. Continue to spend time praying for everyone in your alone times with God, but boldly bless someone by directly praying with and for them; doing so will flame the fire of their heart.
The second way to stoke the fires of other believers is:
to testify what God has done in their life
It is essential for faith to look back from time to time. The Bible is full of reminders that were left to look back upon. Throughout the Old Testament, there were altars built in all kinds of places as reminders of what God had done in that particular place; such as Jacob building an altar after seeing the stairway to heaven, in that same spot the temple would sit later on. The Passover and other feasts celebrated as reminders of marvelous things God had done in the past. Today we celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Easter that celebrate the 1st coming of Christ. We celebrate communion to remind us of His 2nd coming.
- in our text Paul takes the time to remind Timothy of specific things God had done for him. In 2 Tim. 1:5, Paul reminds Timothy of the spiritual legacy he continues which was lived in his grandmother Lois, his mother Eunice, and now carried out in his life. Paul also reminds Timothy of this special event in verse 6 where he was prayed over and something special happened. Most scholars believe that this event was a type of ordination where Timothy was set aside for ministry and not only prayed for by Paul, but other elders as well. There was much more to be thankful for in Timothy's past and I'm sure Paul often reminded him of the good things God had done in his life. It eventually carried over into Timothy's life where he was reminding others of God's goodness as well.
1 Cor. 4:17 - "For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church."
- When we look back at the road of our spiritual journey, we too, should be encouraged.
F.E. Marsh wrote that when we look back there common elements believers should see:
i) The deliverances the Lord has brought; ii) The way He has led; iii) The blessings He has bestowed; iv) The victories He has won; v) The encouragements He has given
- the result of looking back upon such things is encouragement, renewed strength, and stronger faith. Paul often in his letters to the different churches would be quick to remind the people of God's faithfulness and what He had done for them.
The third way to stoke the fires of other believers is to:
Quietly, demonstrate God's effectiveness in your own life
Timothy, as a protégé to Paul, had undoubtedly seen Paul at his best, and had a fine example to follow in his own ministry and spiritual life. And Paul at the time of this letter was setting his greatest example to Timothy. Many believe that 2 Timothy is the last letter Paul wrote, from jail, before he was executed. Yet, Paul still carried the same conviction and confidence as he had before.
vs. 12 - “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”
Paul was not only inspiring Timothy by his example, but he left instruction for Timothy and us that can teach us how to inspire by example
vs. 7 - “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”
Those 3 things are what each of us as believers should quiet demonstrate to each other to inspire each other and encourage us to grow: power to over-come evil and this world; over-abundant love for the love that flows from God, and self-discipline to live the life God has called us to.
- in my life one who quietly demonstrated and a great impact was Ken Leonard, the former director of TTBC. Ken never was much for words, but his life motivated myself and a lot of the staff he lead. His life demonstrated the power of God’s provision. He constantly demonstrated love for the staff and campers. His discipline for prayer and reading God’s word was unmatched. If he had a busy day, he would get up even earlier to have his quiet time, sometimes as early as 4am. Even today when I don’t feel like loving as I should, or serving the way I should; God will remind me of his example to spur me on. We can have great impact on other believers without saying a word, and it is through quietly demonstrating God at work in our own lives.
The fourth way to stoke the fires of other believers is:
lead and partner with them in ministry
Paul had in his life, an overwhelming calling to share the gospel with the Gentile world. He could have easily taken this upon himself, felt he alone was called to. But instead he partnered with others and invested in them as well; he brought along Silas, Barnabas, John Mark, Timothy, as well as other he encountered along the way.
2 Tim1:8 he tells Timothy - "Please join with me in suffering for the gospel.." This is what God desires for ministry, not to go at it alone, but to partner with other believers and spur each other on. There are many along my journey who has gently brought me along and allowed me to share in ministry that God has entrusted to them.
How do I stoke the fires of other believers?
1. Prayer - It's been said time and time again, prayer is essential to Spiritual growth.
Oswald Chambers once wrote - "When a person is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way to nourish one's life with God. "
In our text, Paul demonstrates two different ways, how he used prayer to build up Timothy.
2 Tim. 1:3 - "I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers."
- Paul took it upon himself to intercede in prayer on behalf of Timothy. To pray for God's protection, God's guidance, God's blessing for Timothy, and he didn't do it casually, but with passion
- If you're like me sometimes its easier to say this then to carry it out. We know we ought to pray lots. We know we ought to pray for other believers, but in the distractions of our day and world we sometimes fail to pray with the passion and fervor that we should. Sometimes its easier to tell someone we'll be praying for them, then to spend the time with them, showing we care. I know at Bibleschool sometimes, the phrase, "I'll pray for you" seemed to be a courtesy greeting at times; said in passing.
- However, Paul demonstrates how the prayer alone for others becomes real and effective; through direct prayer
2 Tim. 1:6 "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands."
- Paul not only prayed for Timothy in his quiet times with the Lord, but had prayed for Timothy directly; in audible voice, with physical contact. I know throughout my life there has been people praying for me, and I will never fully understand the impact of those prayers this side of eternity. However, some of the prayers that I have come to understand the impact of are those which someone came up to me and prayed for me.
- my uncle is someone I highly respect and look up to. Several times he has taken me aside and prayed for me. One such prayer was shortly after I had given my life to God. He put his arm around me and prayed, "God use Adam to be a leader..." A prayer that has greatly impacted my life.
James 5:16 - "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
If we break down this verse, the thing that sticks out to me is the picture of these people coming together, be open with one another, and praying for one another. And this is seen as powerful and effective. Continue to spend time praying for everyone in your alone times with God, but boldly bless someone by directly praying with and for them; doing so will flame the fire of their heart.
The second way to stoke the fires of other believers is:
to testify what God has done in their life
It is essential for faith to look back from time to time. The Bible is full of reminders that were left to look back upon. Throughout the Old Testament, there were altars built in all kinds of places as reminders of what God had done in that particular place; such as Jacob building an altar after seeing the stairway to heaven, in that same spot the temple would sit later on. The Passover and other feasts celebrated as reminders of marvelous things God had done in the past. Today we celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Easter that celebrate the 1st coming of Christ. We celebrate communion to remind us of His 2nd coming.
- in our text Paul takes the time to remind Timothy of specific things God had done for him. In 2 Tim. 1:5, Paul reminds Timothy of the spiritual legacy he continues which was lived in his grandmother Lois, his mother Eunice, and now carried out in his life. Paul also reminds Timothy of this special event in verse 6 where he was prayed over and something special happened. Most scholars believe that this event was a type of ordination where Timothy was set aside for ministry and not only prayed for by Paul, but other elders as well. There was much more to be thankful for in Timothy's past and I'm sure Paul often reminded him of the good things God had done in his life. It eventually carried over into Timothy's life where he was reminding others of God's goodness as well.
1 Cor. 4:17 - "For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church."
- When we look back at the road of our spiritual journey, we too, should be encouraged.
F.E. Marsh wrote that when we look back there common elements believers should see:
i) The deliverances the Lord has brought; ii) The way He has led; iii) The blessings He has bestowed; iv) The victories He has won; v) The encouragements He has given
- the result of looking back upon such things is encouragement, renewed strength, and stronger faith. Paul often in his letters to the different churches would be quick to remind the people of God's faithfulness and what He had done for them.
The third way to stoke the fires of other believers is to:
Quietly, demonstrate God's effectiveness in your own life
Timothy, as a protégé to Paul, had undoubtedly seen Paul at his best, and had a fine example to follow in his own ministry and spiritual life. And Paul at the time of this letter was setting his greatest example to Timothy. Many believe that 2 Timothy is the last letter Paul wrote, from jail, before he was executed. Yet, Paul still carried the same conviction and confidence as he had before.
vs. 12 - “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”
Paul was not only inspiring Timothy by his example, but he left instruction for Timothy and us that can teach us how to inspire by example
vs. 7 - “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”
Those 3 things are what each of us as believers should quiet demonstrate to each other to inspire each other and encourage us to grow: power to over-come evil and this world; over-abundant love for the love that flows from God, and self-discipline to live the life God has called us to.
- in my life one who quietly demonstrated and a great impact was Ken Leonard, the former director of TTBC. Ken never was much for words, but his life motivated myself and a lot of the staff he lead. His life demonstrated the power of God’s provision. He constantly demonstrated love for the staff and campers. His discipline for prayer and reading God’s word was unmatched. If he had a busy day, he would get up even earlier to have his quiet time, sometimes as early as 4am. Even today when I don’t feel like loving as I should, or serving the way I should; God will remind me of his example to spur me on. We can have great impact on other believers without saying a word, and it is through quietly demonstrating God at work in our own lives.
The fourth way to stoke the fires of other believers is:
lead and partner with them in ministry
Paul had in his life, an overwhelming calling to share the gospel with the Gentile world. He could have easily taken this upon himself, felt he alone was called to. But instead he partnered with others and invested in them as well; he brought along Silas, Barnabas, John Mark, Timothy, as well as other he encountered along the way.
2 Tim1:8 he tells Timothy - "Please join with me in suffering for the gospel.." This is what God desires for ministry, not to go at it alone, but to partner with other believers and spur each other on. There are many along my journey who has gently brought me along and allowed me to share in ministry that God has entrusted to them.
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