A New Year, a new you?

In 2009, we spent time talking about the 3 things that constantly get us into trouble:

Lust of the flesh - passion, pleasure; Lust of the eyes - possessions, materialism; and the Pride of life - position, status.

We all are tempted by them, even Christ. But unlike Him, we've all given in and been "infected" by them, poisoned by them so to speak. We need an antidote, a substance which can counteract the poisoning. Our faith tells us the cure is Christ and that as we grow in our attitude to be like Him, we become resistant to these poisons. But how do we grow towards that?

When Jesus was tempted, with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, He confronted all three with "it is written".

So we will "kick off" 2010 by going to "the written" and studying the book of James, which is a manual on becoming mature, complete, perfect…having the attitude of Christ.

Here's what we are asking you to do:

The book of James has 5 chapters and the month of January has 5 Sundays, so we will cover one chapter each Sunday during our services. Since there is so much in each chapter, we will only be able to hit on a couple of highlights each week.

Here's your part: we want you to make a commitment to get into God's word during this time by studying the book of James with us.

We will provide on-line tools (links, blogs, Facebook post), text updates, and people (Life Groups and study partners) who will help you do this.

Will you commit to join us in this journey?

Radical

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." John 8:58

If you started to make a list of the "I am's" out of the book of John, this one seems to be the most radical.

Think about it, what would you think if the person standing in front of you right now claimed to be God? Not a god, not god like, but the One and only true God.

You would think they were crazy, probably.

Not only is Jesus claiming to have been alive 2,000 years prior, but He was the great I AM.

When Jesus says "I am" He is using the most personal name for God in the Scriptures; "Ego eimi" in Greek, YHWH in Hebrew. One of the places we find Yahweh (it appears over 6,800 times in the OT) is this passage out Exodus; God has commanded Moses to lead the people of Israel out of captivity and Moses wants to tell them God's name.

Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"  God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I am has sent me to you.'" Ex 3:13-14

"I AM WHO I AM" has been studied, examined, picked apart for centuries and the result, well let's just say it's inconclusive. I personally like what a Dutch scholar named Vriezen suggested; "I AM WHO I AM' means, 'I am there, wherever it may be…I am really there!"

I AM is the uncreated one, who does not change, who is everlasting, who is all powerful, who cannot grow faint or weary, who is infinite, who is simply who He is and not who we make Him out to be.

Christ is He.

The Trinity is where I believe the church will come under the most attack in the days ahead. We live in a culture that says that all gods are the same, where the fastest growing religions deny the co-existence of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. This statement will bring about anger in some in the days ahead; it did so when Jesus declared it.

At this, they picked up stones to stone him… Romans 8:59

Who is He?

Sorry for the delay, I had computer issues for awhile, but I also felt like God said "rest". That has been difficult to do…there's that word…we are so caught up in doing, that often we forget about being.

In our culture even to mention that it's more important to be, rather than do, people tend to have a negative. Ok, that's a blog for another time.

I wasn't sure where God wanted me to go after 1^st Samuel and "Launch the Love", so I've been waiting. I think I have found some clarity this morning.

We are in a series called Jesus –Revolutionary; looking at some of the revolutionary statements, concepts, ideas, about Him in the book of John. So this morning I went to 1 John…"didn't you say JOHN?" Yes, but I wanted to look a little further at John's writings and here's what struck me:

 ¹That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ²The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 1 John 1:1-2

John was so certain about Jesus, he had no problem proclaiming and testifying about Him.

What about you?

That was the ultimate question He asked in His ministry:

¹⁵"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Matt 16:15

I think that question more than others defines you; how you answer that defines your beliefs, values, attitudes, purpose and destiny.

But instead of us saying this is who Jesus is; I'd like to look at some of the most radical statements Christ made about himself.

To start here's what I'd like you to do; open your Bible to John and make a list of the "I am" statements Jesus makes about himself.

Change

This past week has been a reminder to me about the change that happens when Christ comes into our lives.

Baptism is a symbol of that change; from burial of the "old self"
and its ways, to a "new birth" in Christ and the ways of the Kingdom.

We should, by His Spirit, be putting off the "old" and starting to wear the "new".

Have you experienced that change?

Reading the third chapter of 1 John, here's the verse that struck me:

¹⁴We know that we have passed out of death into life…
1 John 3:14 (a) (ESV)

I think many of us might say, "Not sure I understand that, but I've got my ticket to Heaven," and then we go on living just like we used to, just like the rest of the world.

As someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ, we should be changed; our lives should be different. Look at the difference:

¹⁴ If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. ¹⁵
Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them.

 ¹⁶ We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God's love be in that person?

 ¹⁸ Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the
truth by our actions. ¹⁹ Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident
when we stand before God. ²⁰ Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

 ²¹ Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.
²² And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

 ²³ And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. ²⁴ Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. 1 John 3:14-24

Wow, read that again, slowly and let it sink it!

Experience that re-birth and live in the power of His Spirit – Be Changed!

"Launch the Love!"

 

WOW

What an incredible week!

I've had the privilege of baptizing 6 incredible people in the last 5 days!

They are all coming to understand what it means to be reborn, remade, reconciled, and regenerated IN Christ!

What struck me as I was reading 1 John and thinking about last night's baptism was how "RELATIONSHIPS MAKE LIFE RICH".

The fact that we can have a relationship with our Creator is incredible by itself, but then He takes our earthly relationship to a whole new level!

I love doing baptism in the fountain on campus, here's why.

First, you never know who will walk by and the testimony it gives to the world!

Secondly, you are at an institution of higher learning; ok, what does that have to do with it?

We are commissioned by Christ to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

A disciple is a learner, someone who has a deep intimacy with Christ and is learning His ways.

We are baptizing at an institution that is teaching the ways of the world and by our baptism we are proclaiming we are learning what it means to be a part of our Father's Kingdom!

Lastly, and this might seem like sacrilege to Seminoles!  On a campus that prides itself in being the "Unconquered", baptism is saying to the world my sins have been "Conquered" by Christ and I am surrendering to Him!  I will not be conquered by evil!

Last night Drew went with me and as we left he said, with some disappointment, "Sure were a lot of people here for only 3 people getting baptized!"

EXACTLY!

How INCREDIBLE is that?

"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10

The Heavens rejoice over one, shouldn't we?

Wednesday night and last night were an awesome display of how God is making us a family! 


Thanks for allowing me to be a part!

1 John 1

As we continue to Launch the Love we challenged you to read a chapter
a day from 1 John.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ²The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴We write this to make our joy complete.

Walking in the light

 ⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

 ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John

Not sure what exactly jumped out at you when you read the first chapter of 1 John, but here is what hit me.

If we profess to follow Christ
our faith needs to be tested.

⁵Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
2 Cor 13:5

• Is my life different
  than before I started following Christ?
  
• Has my attitude, priorities, values and desires changed since following Christ?
  
• Are there issues in my life that I feel powerless to overcome?
  
• Is there a desire to spend more time getting to know God?
  
• Is there a desire to spend more time doing the will of God?
  
• Is there a feeling of joy when among others who believe?
  
• Am I finding more joy?
  

 

I would hate for any of us to miss it!

Scott spoke yesterday about a religion versus a relationship that brings about life change. Maybe you've been religious but when you answer the questions above there are no vital signs. My challenge to you would be to read the story of the great, but unsaved, religious leader Nicodemus (John 3:1-10) and see what Jesus has to say to him.

More our joy be complete!

Truth

Today we rejoice in truth.

My prayer is that over the last week you have encountered God and have experienced His love for you! As you've come to understand just how much He loves you, you've learned to love Him with all of your heart, your soul, your mind and strength.

Today we gather to praise our God, the one and only true God, for who He is and what He has done for us!

We gather in His name, a name above all names!

We gather to praise Him because He is not distant, but a loving, relational God; Abba – our Father; Immanuel - God which walked with us; the Holy Spirit – God in us!

We gather to rejoice in the truth because He is!

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6

We gather because nothing can separate us from His love!

³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

We gather because His love for us is extravagant!

"Keep company with God and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His
love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that."     Eph. 5:2 (Mes)

We gather because He is!

⁹ Gather the nations together!
      Assemble the peoples of the world!
   Which of their idols has ever foretold such things?
      Which can predict what will happen tomorrow?
   Where are the witnesses of such predictions?
      Who can verify that they spoke the truth?

 ¹⁰ "But you are my witnesses, O Israel!" says the Lord.
      "You are my servant.
   You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,
      and understand that I alone am God.
   There is no other God—
      there never has been, and there never will be.
 ¹¹ I, yes I, am the Lord,
      and there is no other Savior.
Isa 43:9-11

Rejoice in that truth today!