Examine Your Heart
Sunday, we began a new sermon series called, “God Is…” You can listen to week one HERE. Our goal in this series is to examine some core truths about God we often forget in moments of trial or temptation, and how remembering and applying these truths can help us overcome the ‘restlessness’ in our hearts which often lead to sinful habits and negative emotions.
To begin, let’s examine our own hearts. Are we loving, trusting, or hoping in something other than Christ? Ask yourself these questions:
- What am I most afraid of? What is my greatest fear?
- Where do I run for comfort?
- What do I complain about most?
- How do I explain myself to other people?
- Whose approval am I seeking?
- What do I want/need to have more than anything else?
As Augustine has said, “Oh Lord, You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.”
My parents have started to raise sheep, and last night their first lamb was born.
I don’t think the average Xtian understands the analogy of Christ being considered the Holy Lamb of God. Perfect. Without blemish. Innocent. Slaughtered.
A perfect animal is impossible for a human to create. My folks have just had to wait and see what was born-would it have a defect? Would the mother reject it? To a person of the ancient world, the analogy of God sending a perfect lamb was much more meaningful and easier to be amazed by. Our modern culture is so far removed from animals in general that we have no grasp of the amount of work it takes to nourish and tend to a sheep. The shepherd is constantly watching the flock; my parents know their movements and the differences between their sheep.
So when Christ is spoken of as perfect, it is meant to be taken as a symbol of great fate. Only God can create perfect lamb. We have nothing to do with this.
He is so valuable and special-a sight to behold, rare and amazing. Now take that precious, tender lamb and lead him to receive all the wicked and base moments of humanity. He will not resist as he stumbles under the weight of every abuser, murderer and thief-every one of us. It is an act of complete contradiction. When I feel injustice my throat gets hot with words of anger and I sense this indignation inside of me when I think of the Crucifixion.
Tear that lamb to shreds and make him stare into every moment of evil this world has made.
And he does. He pays for it. He is obedient and submissive. Not fighting his handlers. He cries out and dies.
Looking to Good Friday. Looking through the dark to the light promised. Straining eyes and minds, praying for it to dawn Resurrection.
Be Courageous.
The resurrection of Jesus makes cowards courageous. The early church faced tremendous opposition and persecution. Many of our past brothers and sisters in Christ were imprisoned, disowned, outcast, and even killed for preaching and serving King Jesus—and the same holds true for many in the Church worldwide today.
Why? Because the resurrection of Jesus means we have no reason to fear. Jesus has defeated death.
Jesus is alive today, and when truly believed, that truth changes you forever. Take for instance the Apostle Peter, who denied Jesus three times while he hung on the Cross. Upon seeing the risen Jesus, Peter gave his life to serve him faithfully—planting hundreds of churches and eventually dying himself on a cross—only upside down because he deemed himself not worthy to die as Jesus did.
Today, in the US, very few of us face death for serving Jesus. But we do face persecution. We are mocked, disowned, made fun of, fired, and more. Unfortunately, our response to to persecution isn’t always admirable. We often soft-peddle our faith and deny Jesus in both big and small ways—just as Peter did. Jesus calls us to be better.
It’s time to be courageous, and the charge is very simple:
INVITE SOMEONE
We all have friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and more who don’t know Jesus. Because Jesus loves us, we love Jesus. Because Jesus loves others, we love others. Show your love by inviting someone to meet King Jesus this Easter at Missio Dei Church.
We’ve provided 4 resources to help you:
1. Pick up invite cards this Sunday
2. Share this e-invite http://t.co/IuY34qmd
3. Facebok invite http://on.fb.me/AhFW4t
4. Forward folks to the website avleaster.com
Thanks to Pastor Mark and Mars Hill Church for this post.
Fat Tuesday & Jesus
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matt. 6:17-18)
Today is Fat Tuesday, the traditional name for the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. It is more popularly known as Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday in French). Fat Tuesday gets its name from the custom throughout the centuries of feasting before the season of fasting begins.
Lent is often marked by fasting from certain foods, beverages, or activities for the 40 day period. Too often, people simply enter into the Lenten fast without thinking about why. Why are we saying no to these things for the season? What is the point? Simply to deprive ourselves? To ‘pay’ for past indulgences? Some sort of religious weight loss program?
Firstly, fasting reveals our true hearts. Sometimes we find that we become depressed, anxious, embittered, even angry when we fast. This simply reveals the idolatry of our hearts; that we have placed more value on that thing, that activity, that food, than it was ever meant for. Having this revealed so that we have the opportunity to repent and put these things back into their proper place is a mercy of God. John Piper asks, ’What are we slaves to? What are our bottom-line passions? Fasting is God’s testing ground - and healing ground.’
Secondly, fasting is a declaration that Jesus is better. What we are doing when we fast is confessing that Jesus is more important to us than what we are fasting from. When we’ve had our hearts revealed, when we’ve repented, then we’re able to reconnect with God on a deeper, more intimate level. Again, John Piper says, “If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul’s appetite for God.” When we feel the withdrawl or the hunger pang, it is a reminder to pray and seek Him. When we find we have extra time on our hands, it is a chance to dive into Scripture. If Jesus truly is better, then fasting allows us to pursue Him with greater attention.
If we decide to enter into fasting for the season of Lent, we should not simply see it as ‘giving up’ something, but as an opportunity to remove things (even good things) temporarily in order to reprioritize our lives and have our affections for Christ renewed. Fast from the distractions of this world. Feast on the riches of your relationship with Christ.
Download you Lent Guide HERE.
Passing the peace 2/19/12
The Season of Lent
The season of Lent begins on ‘Ash’ Wednesday, February 22nd. Lent is a season of prayer, fasting, & preparing to celebrate the risen Christ concluding on Easter Sunday, and has been practiced by the Christian Church for centuries. We’ve prepared a daily reading guide to help you journey through the season of Lent with us. We hope the Lent Guide will be a blessing to you as you prepare for Resurrection Sunday. Click HERE to download the Lent Guide. Dwell Deep!
Basics for Believers by D.A. Carson (Baker Books)
7 Tips for Talking to Your Neighbors About Jesus
We met in the elevator of our condo building.
Instead of the classic stare down at the ground and avoid eye contact bit, I said hello and introduced myself. I asked him a few non-awkward, basic questions. How long have you lived here? Do you like it? Have you met any cool people?
The following week, I saw him in the lobby, and we picked up the conversation with a longer discussion revolving around the Seattle Mariners and their dim prospects for the year. I checked again to see if he was up for talking more, “If you want to watch a game at Sport, [the appropriately-named Seattle sports pub,] let me know.” He accepted, we figured out a good date and time and within a few weeks, we were grabbing a bite and watching a game together.
Breaking the Stereotype of Judgmental Jerk
It wasnʼt long before he found out I was a Christian, went to church, and loved Jesus. He said to me, “Wow, my stereotype of Christians has been blown away. Youʼre normal. You like good food and drink, you love your city and donʼt come off as a judgmental jerk.” I soon invited him to church, where he heard the gospel preached powerfully. He became a Christian and got involved in Community Groups, praise God.
For whatever reason, it’s easy for Christians to clam up and get weird when talking about their faith in the day-to-day. Here are a few tips to make bridge those inhibitions and get the conversation going:
1. Find a road that leads to Jesus.
In the course of conversation, be thinking of how Jesus intersects with the discussion, because Jesus intersects and touches everything in our culture: sports, music, art, politics. Look for bridges to introduce Jesus into the conversation. It should be just as casually or passionately as you talk about everything else.
2. Donʼt be weird and awkward.
“So…now, Iʼd like to talk with you about Jesus.” If all of a sudden you put on your “Jesus” hat and you are talking to them like a project and not a friend, then you’re entering awkward territory. Now, there will be times it becomes awkward because talking about Jesus and sin can be that way, but don’t let it be because you are socially weird.
3. Be winsome.
Included in that word is the word “win.” Be “winning” friends and the conversation by being engaging, friendly, and kind. For more on being winsome, check out Soul Winner by Charles Spurgeon.
4. Counter stereotypes and caricatures of Christians.
Many urban, secular folks have a particular caricature of a Christian, which is not very flattering (judgmental, harsh, the “morality police”), although many don’t personally have any Christian friends. Be gracious and talk with them, serve them, and love them.
5. Host an open house.
When my wife and I moved into a new apartment building we hosted an open house for the whole building and went over the top with really good food and wine. Dozens of our neighbors came out and it was the foundation for future gospel-centered conversations.
6. Be honest about your struggles and failings.
We all fall short. We all struggle and fail. The credit has to be given to Jesus in your life. Many non-Christians donʼt want to talk with Christians as they will feel guilty regarding their own problems.
7. Actions also communicate.
Serve your neighbors. Serve your neighborhood. Look for opportunities without being an attention-getter. Your neighbors are watching you and just as James said, faith without works is dead.
This was originally posted by Tim Gaydos on TheResurgence.com
Spurgeon: 5 Ways to Be A Minister of Reconciliation
We concluded the “Follow” series on Sunday with a look at how we fit into God’s mission to reconcile all things to Himself. You can listen to the sermon here. Charles Spurgeon encouraged every member of the Metropolitan Tabernacle to be engaged on mission. Here are a few encouraging words from Mr. Spurgeon.
To you who sit in the pew… Brothers and sisters, you have different gifts. I hope you use them all. Perhaps some of you, though members of the church, think you have none; but every believer has his gift, and his portion of work. What can you do to win souls?
Bring others to hear the Word. Take somebody with you to the very next sermon… go up with the prayer that your minister’s sermon may be blessed, and if you cannot yourselves preach, yet, by bringing others under the sound of the Word, you may be doing what is next best… Get them under the Word, and who knoweth what may be the result?
Try after sermon to talk to strangers. The preacher may have missed the mark, but you need not miss it; or the preacher may have struck the mark, and you can help to make the impression deeper by a kind word… Oh, if you would all help me, you who love the Master, if you would all help me by speaking to your neighbours who sit near to you, how much might be accomplished!… seek with your whole heart to impress upon your friends the truth which I can only put into the ear, but which God may help you to put into the heart.
If you cannot preach to a hundred, preach to one. Get a hold of the man alone, and in love, quietly and prayerfully, talk to him… Your Master was not ashamed to sit on the well, and preach to one; and when He had finished His sermon, He had really done good to the whole city of Sychar, for that one woman became a missionary to her friends. Timidity often prevents our being useful in this direction, but we must not give way to it; it must not be tolerated that Christ should be unknown through our silence, and sinners unwarned through our negligence… Beloved, we must win souls, we cannot live and see men damned; we must have them brought to Jesus.
Write letters for your Lord and Master. To far-off friends, a few loving lines may be most influential for good… Could not you do it? Will you not try? Some of you, at any rate, if you could not speak or write much, could live much. That is a fine way of preaching, that of preaching with your feet,—I mean preaching by your life, and conduct, and conversation… Give us your holy living, and with your holy living as the leverage, we will move the world.
Be a master of the art of prayer. You cannot bring souls to God if you go not to God yourself… If you are much alone with Jesus, you will catch His Spirit; you will be fired with the flame that burned in His breast, and consumed His life… My dear hearers, specially you members of the church, I am always so anxious lest any of you should begin to lie upon your oars, and take things easy in the matters of God’s kingdom… Oh, do let me see you all in earnest! If you were all wells of living water, how many thirsty souls might drink and be refreshed!
-Charles Spurgeon, from The SoulWinner or How to Lead Sinners to the Saviour
Beautiful, beautiful morning at @missiodeichurch! Can’t wait for part 2. (Taken with instagram)
