Beyond Sunday | 1.6.19

Happy New Year!

On Sunday, we talked about the power of defining moments in our lives. We have all experienced those moments that mark and shape us. I remember my wedding day when Cassidy and I exchanged vows and she said “yes!” to marrying me! She has encouraged me more than I can even explain. She is an amazing wife, mother, friend and leader for Christ. I remember the moment when I asked Jesus into my life. That moment forever changed me! I remember when we began the process of starting the North Campus in 2016. As I look back, God has been incredibly faithful!

Since Chets Creek North launched on January 29, 2017:

- 77 people baptized
- 270-300 people attend on average during the Fall/Winter
- Started 7 Adult Life Groups/Bible Studies
- We exceeded our budget in 2018 because of people’s generosity!
- 70+ people volunteer on serve teams weekly

All glory to God for how He is working! And now as we turn the page to 2019, I believe the best is yet to come!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

— Ephesians 3:20

In Isaiah 6, we see a defining moment in the life of Isaiah.

HOW TO EXPERIENCE TRANSFORMATION IN 2019:

1. God does not waste our pain

It was in the year King Uzziah died… Isaiah 6:1

The year that King Uzziah died was a defining moment. As Uzziah’s reign came to an end, many wondered what the future would hold. They were experiencing a time of peace and prosperity.  Like Isaiah felt after Uzziah died, your situation might seem difficult and painful. Every struggle we face in this life, know that Jesus hasn’t left His throne. God will not waste your pain or struggle!

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ”

— Romans 8:28

“God does not waste an ounce of our pain or a drop of our tears; suffering doesn’t come our way for no reason, and He seems efficient at using what we endure to mold character. If we are malleable, He takes our bumps and bruises and shapes them into something beautiful.”

— Frank Peretti

2. See God for who He is

Isaiah is dealing with the loss of His friend and now he is ushered into a vision of seeing God in the throne room of Heaven:

“…that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” 4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.”

— Isaiah 6:1-4

God is holy. He is beyond the beyond. He’s above the above! We can’t compartmentalize or control Him. Isaiah was faced with the power and perfection of God. He saw Himself in comparison and it led him to change..

3. See your need and receive transformation

Notice how Isaiah responds the vision of God seated on His heavenly throne:

Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Isaiah 6:5-7

Real change can only happen when we stop comparing ourselves to others and instead look to Jesus!

4. Be fully available

“Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, Here I am. Send me.”

— Isaiah 6:8

It was only after forgiveness that Isaiah was ready to hear the voice of God and respond. Isaiah didn’t hear a job description with detailed plans, He just said, “I volunteer, I’ll go!”

This is God’s calling for us…

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

— Matthew 28:19-20

 Never underestimate what Jesus can do with willing people! God is doing something in you so that He can do something through you.

How available are you? Are you fully available to God?

Beyond Sunday | 12.16.18

On Sunday, we talked about the importance of waiting.  What are you waiting for this Christmas? I remember waiting for Christmas day to arrive as a kid. The days we long as I anticipated Christmas morning! Fast forward to 2018, It is hard to accomplish everything in time for Christmas as a Dad!

We spend a good amount of our lives waiting. We aren’t born with the desire to wait. The world we live in doesn’t help us wait. We want things faster and faster.

The truth is, God has a plan in our waiting.

In Luke 2, we see a guy who waited on God. A lot! Who? Simeon.

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.”

— Luke 2:25-29

People had been waiting for the Messiah for more than 400 year. As the years passed, Simeon must have wondered if God was going to come through on His promise.

“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Simon says in other words: “Lord, I can die a happy man; You’ve kept Your promise to me. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.””

— Luke 2:30-35

1. Joy begins by waiting expectantly.
   Waiting on God involves being active, not passive. Literally when it says to wait in Luke 2:25, it means to “lean forward.”

2. Joy grows by listening to God’s Spirit.
   Simeon lived day-to-day listening to the Holy Spirit. He walked in step with the Spirit of God. Do you listen for God’s leading? In prayer? In reading His Word? Are we too busy to stop and listen?

3. Joy is found in believing in what God has promised.
   Anybody can make a promise; God's great at keeping them. Simeon wasn’t alone in his joy. Anna was also there celebrating Jesus (Luke 2:36-38). She was an example of faithful waiting. As she waited, she was actively serving God.

4. Live like Jesus is coming back today.
   Simeon and Anna’s experience is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ promise to return! One day, Jesus will come and change everything. We wait expectantly for His arrival!

““However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”

— Matthew 24:36

“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

— Matthew 24:44

““Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

— Revelation 22:20

What are you doing while you are waiting?
- Are you waiting expectantly?
- Are you listening to God?
- Are you trusting in God’s promises?
- Are you living like Jesus is coming back today?

Beyond Sunday | 12.9.18

On Sunday, we answered the question, “What will I do with Jesus this Christmas?  The busyness of this season can overwhelm us. We have gifts to buy, parties to attend and plans to meet up with family. With all of the busyness and stress, it can be easy to miss the peace and joy of worshipping Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-12).

In Matthew 2, we see three responses to the birth of Jesus:   
 1. Resistance (King Herod)
When Jesus was born, it created conflict in Jerusalem. As the Wise Men showed up in Jerusalem asking questions about the location of Jesus, Herod became angry and paranoid. Herod was resistant to anyone that would overtake his thrown. Apart from Christ, the human heart at its core is prideful and controlling. We want to be lord and king of our own lives. This Christmas, we have to realize there is room for only one king of our hearts - King Jesus!    

 2. Apathy (Religious Leaders)
As paranoid Herod is trying to figure out where Jesus was born, he calls together the leading religious leaders in Jerusalem. They knew exactly where Jesus was born. Bethlehem is approximately 5 miles south of Jerusalem. They wouldn’t travel FIVE MILES to see Jesus, but the Wise Men traveled approximately 9,000 miles to worship Jesus. The religious missed Jesus because of their indifference and apathy. They knew of God but they didn’t know God! We can become familiar with the story but miss the person of Jesus.

3. Worship (Wise Men)
The Wise Men were fascinating people in the Christmas story. They weren’t resistant like Herod or apathetic like the religious leaders. The Bible calls them “magi.” Magi were a combination of philosophers, scientists, and astronomers. They spent their money and resources to travel a long distance to find and worship. They humbly worshipped Jesus and brought their best gifts for the baby King.

• Gold represents royalty.

• Frankincense signifies Jesus’ divinity.

• Myrrh points to Jesus’ death on the cross. 

Their gifts to Jesus were a miracle for Mary and Joseph. God provided what Joseph and Mary needed as they fled to Egypt because of the news that the Wise Men told them – that Herod was coming to kill Jesus (and all Hebrew boys 2 and younger).      

The Wise Men were wise because they searched wholeheartedly for Jesus and they left changed!

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  ”

— Jeremiah 29:13

What is your response to Jesus this Christmas?  

• Resistance – maybe you are mad at God, uncertain, I want to give you an opportunity to release this anger to God. To drop the resistance, I worship you Jesus.

• Apathy – God help burn a passion in my heart today. Help me respond with joy, not apathy.

• Worship – Help us to come and worship with our whole hearts! 

Who are you today in the story?