Praising in the Dark

Dean — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:38:13 +0000

…a continuation of if you build it…

Acts 16:22-26:
A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

This is a remarkable story. In it, Paul has just freed a young girl from demon possession. However, the powers of her possession were allowing her to make money for her masters. They got mad and had Paul and Silas thrown into jail, and not just any jail, the lowest level! It is dark and smelly and filled with mud and rats and bugs! It is not a pleasant place. In this darkness, Paul and Silas do an amazing thing: they praise! (more…)

Faith on the open water…

Dean — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:49:02 +0000

Luke 8: 22-25:

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. On the way across, Jesus lay down for a nap. And while he was sleeping the wind began to rise so that a fierce storm developed that threatened to swamp them. And they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” So Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and the storm subsided, and all was calm. And then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” They were filled with awe and amazement and they asked one another, “Who is this man that even the winds and the waves obey him?”

We’ve been talking in recent weeks about building your life. A large dimension of this process, perhaps even the largest, is building your faith. A life without faith is a life without direction, foundation, or purpose. Lucky for us, then, that God gives us a mustard seed’s worth; enough, essentially, to believe that Jesus is God, which in turn enables God to come and dwell within us. (more…)

God’s Views on Being “The Man.”

Dean — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:51:17 +0000

Mark 10: 35-45:
35) Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”
36) “What is your request?” he asked.
37) They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
38) But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”
39) “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering.
40) But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
41) When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.
42) So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.
43) But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
44) and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.
45) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

This story makes a strong point about the difference between God’s ways of thinking and man’s. James and John, despite having walked with Jesus and talked with Him and witnessed countless miracles, wanted to be exalted over the others. They wanted to be “the man!” so to speak. They had a desire to be above others and seen by all. They were thinking like the world. Jesus points out in verse 42 how the rulers of the world “lord it over their people and…flaunt their authority.” That is not how God wants His people to behave. (more…)

Filling the Gap

Dean — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:32:10 +0000

Isaiah 44:6b:
“I am the First and the Last;
there is no other God.

Ephesians 5:23b:
For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

Jesus is the first and the last, the Christ and the Savior; he is the Head of the church. He is the one and only God. Since the beginning of time, mankind has struggled with the idea that there is only one God. It is hard to find contentment in that fact. Humans do not like the idea of relinquishing control to this one God for fear of His nature and plan. What if He doesn’t truly have the best interest for me? What if His plans for my life and not the same as my plans for my life? These are difficult fears to face. (more…)

Faith

Dean — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:03:39 +0000

Hebrews 11:1:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Before we dive into this new revelation, let’s recap what we have covered so far in the If You Build It… series. The church isn’t a building; it is the people. When Christ said “Upon this rock, I will build my church,” He meant He would build Peter, the person. Christ wants to build us. Three revelations are given to us in the course of the building process: 1) That Jesus is God; 2) We find out who we are; and 3) We gain a Revelation on Leadership–God has a structure and a plan that He aligns us with when He builds us. God accomplishes His building plans by bringing other people into our world who will mold us, sharp us, and craft us into what God wants us to be. Pride can often hinder that process if we let it, but, when we keep our hearts open, God moves in wonders!

Now, onto the next step: Faith. (more…)

We don’t really get what God is doing.

Dean — Sun, 03 May 2009 04:14:52 +0000

Luke 24:1-12, 35-49:

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
…

Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.

Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.

Breaking away momentarily from our ongoing series—“If You Build It…”—let us examine briefly a proper post-Easter narrative. Well, two actually: the first when the women discover an empty tomb after they arrive to anoint Jesus’ body in the wake of his crucifixion (located in Luke 24:1-12); the second, found shortly thereafter, when Jesus first appears to his disciples (verses 35-49). (more…)

“What is Going On?” - Easter Sunday Message

Dean — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:26:25 +0000

Luke 24: 13-32:
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

19 “What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were Jesus and you had just been resurrected from the dead? I have. I would go immediately to Pilate and slap him. “How dare you kill the Son of God!” And then I would slap the Religious Leaders. “See, I told you I was God, but you weren’t listening!” I would have searched for justification and rubbed in the truth of all that had happened. Jesus did not do this. He never sought justification, nor did He seek to rub it in. No, on the day of His resurrection, Jesus did as He always did: He did something no one thought He would. Throughout His life on earth, Jesus did the opposite of what people expected. He was in no way the Messiah the people of Israel were looking for. He did not free them from Rome. He died a criminal’s death. And when He rose from the dead, He went for a walk with two of His disciples. (more…)

Priests made of Stone

Dean — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:53:37 +0000

Part Two of Series: If you build it…

Ephesians 2:20-21
Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We who believe are carefully fitted together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

1 Peter 2:5
Now God is building you as living stones into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are God’s holy priests who offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

Buildings are not the Church. People are the Church.

Last week we discussed how to go about building our lives—our individual lives, that is. Continuing on in our series, If You Build It, we focus this week on the New Testament’s instruction to build the church at large. Keep in mind that God wants to build the individual in order to help enlarge the body of Christ, the Church, but in turn the Church will assist the individual in his development. Proverbs 7:17 refers to this as “iron sharpening iron.” (more…)

God’s Building Plan

Dean — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:32:17 +0000

Part One of a New Series: If you build it…

Matthew 16:13-18:
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

God is into building things that last; things that are eternal. The catch to that is that building something that lasts takes a long while. God is all about the process. He is not a “right now!” kind of God. Many modern Christians struggle with this concept because we have been raised in a “right now!” society. Technology allows us to get what we want with minimal wait. That is not how God works, yet we bring it into our faith. We pray for the miracle, but if it does not happen immediately, we assume it is not of God and move on. God wants us to wait on Him and let Him build us through a process. (more…)

3 Keys to Remption and Resurrection

Dean — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:18:27 +0000

I Kings 19:9b-10
But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

How quickly Elijah turns from faith to fear after two great supernatural victories in a row. He has destroyed the prophets of Baal and broken a three year drought, and yet, once Jezebel threatens him, he runs away. However, he runs straight to God. He travels forty days straight to reach Mt. Sinai, and there, he meets with His God. (more…)