Phil 2:5-7
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,
Nothing?
Wow, I'm usually trying to make myself
something, not
nothing.
Lord, I need your help on this one, may there be less of me and more of you!
My hometown is a soap opera right now, no really!
The former sheriff has been indicted for trying to have sex with a teenage boy at gun point; the former city attorney, police chief, mayor, and police Lt. are being sued for interfering with a criminal investigation; and the District Attorney has an all out war with the Sheriff's Office, Police and local paper, which has caused chaos and a petition to recall him.
I read this morning that a group of "concerned citizens" is starting a petition to recall the city council for voting to provide a portion of the legal defense for these city officials.
Here's what got me – a spokesperson for the group said "the group doesn't have a date in mind for the recall and charter change election. We're talking about petitioning in cooler weather."
Really?
Cooler weather?
If you truly believe strongly about something and have a conviction to make changes aren't you willing to step out of your comfort zone to make sure they happen?
Isn't that just like us, we want change without sacrifice and oh, heaven forbid we should have to suffer!
But suffering is an essential part of the Christian life; we seem to have forgotten that.
I will suffer. I must suffer. My hope is that I'll be prepared to suffer for the glory of Christ and not worry about a little sweat running down my brow!
Here is a great talk about suffering by
John Piper
Yesterday I taught on the story of Nicodemus, well actually, it is the story of Christ when He encounters Nicodemus. (John3:1-21)
Something struck me in the story; Nicodemus is a master teacher, a member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme court so to speak). This means that by the age of 10 he had more than likely memorized
the Torah (Geneis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy), by the age of 13 or 14 he had memorized the entire Old Testament (39 books!) and he probably taught and discussed Scripture all day long, he was an expert on all things religious.
But something was missing.
What drew Him to Jesus?
I've had several conversations over the last few weeks with individuals who have followed Christ, taught God's Word, served Him regularly and even went for Him, but their relationship with God these days, well in their words, "it's distant", "not there", or "dry".
Come on, be honest, it's easy to get there, right? It's what I call "the drift".
I'm wondering how many times I've drifted to the point where Paul might have said these words to me; "Are you foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Gal 3:3)
Maybe that's where Nicodemus was, he realized everything he was pouring out was from his own power, he was dry! Was the stuff coming out of his heart, living waters, or just water? (John 7:38)
Interesting thing, the next chapter is the story of the woman at the well and Jesus says this, "Whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life." (John 4:14)
Hmmm, both are thirsty, but he draws one and just shows up in the other.
Maybe He's calling you to
come and sit at His feet or maybe He's sitting next to you already!
May God grant us the ability to listen and see Him today!
If you have been a Christ follower for any length of time you are probably familiar with the story of Nicodemus. Nicodemus was the Jewish Rabbi who snuck over at night to see Jesus.
Couple of things that struck me as I was preparing teach this story.
One, Nicodemus was a Rabbi, in those days an expert in the Kingdom of God, yet Jesus tells him he doesn't know the basics.
"Don't know the basics?"
Really?
How would I handle that comment from Christ if it were directed at me?
Is there something that I have built my whole identity around that is a lie?
The second thing, Jesus tells him "you procrastinate with questions", okay that one I am obviously guilty of!
But, aren't we all?
Think about it, don't we all know more
than
we do?
The gap between what I know and what I live continues to get wider.
I think Nicodemus was at that place and he needed help. Maybe he showed up on Jesus door step because he needed a personal guide to show him what the next step was in his journey, "how do I..."
Do you have a personal guide?
Someone who is pushing you to live out what you already know?
"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me."
John 17:20-21
Reality: We grow in spurts, not a consistent same rate.
There are times of growth and times of consolidation!
No person and no church grows straight up, everything on earth grows in seasons. In the fall and winter it may not look like you are growing…but you are actually putting down roots!
We won't worry about the speed & size of our church…we will focus on the growth of our people.
We will program seasonally – push and then back off. Growth seasons are done at FOTH during campaigns.
Campaigns drive 5 reinforcements for 6 weeks:
What season are you in?
This is how we will join God to move people from "come and see" to "come and die."
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:16 (NIV)
Myth: Maturity is measured by your bible knowledge.
Real maturity is so much more than about knowing…it is about doing.
To be a Pharisee…you had to memorize the Torah! And these are the people that Jesus went off on! They KNEW but didn't do!
You only believe the parts of the Bible that you do.
Reality: It takes all 5 purposes to grow
Warmer through fellowship
Deeper through discipleship
Stronger through worship
Broader through ministry
Larger through mission
Maturity is not an ends to itself.
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27 (NLT)
We've got to be about public charity and personal purity!
Do something to advance the Kingdom today,
even if it's being still and knowing that He is God!
A huge myth is that you can become spiritually mature on your own. We can only grow in community. America has gotten so into isolation that we don't believe this.
If you are not in community then there are at least 58 commands in the Bible that you can't do.
You measure spiritual maturity not in head knowledge, but in character development, in love, it's all about love. You measure spiritual maturity not in how much doctrine you know, but how deeply you love. Knowledge makes us feel important…but love IS what is important. Hebrews 10:25
You are most like Christ when you love. If you're not around people you can't learn to love. You learn to love by being around unlovely people.
You cannot grow without the church, you can get head knowledge without the church. That is the difference from every other religion in the world, they teach that you separate yourself from the rest of the world – In every other religion the most spiritual person is the one most isolated from society, a monk in a cave. Jesus on the other hand was at parties, in the marketplace, in the world, He was called "friend of sinners."
There is a difference between acceptance and approval. That does not mean you approve of their behavior, if you have a ministry like Jesus, you will be criticized by believers. You will not be criticized by the world. Faith is personal, by it is not private.
Who really knows you?
Who is pushing you to become all that God desires you to be?
