If you were Jesus would you smile?

This morning's service came from the following passage. 

Mark 2:1-5 - After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." 

The message was a sound one. I encourage anyone who wants to look it up on iTunes, simply search City Revival Church. It will come up. 

The thought I had does not have to do with the message preached. I found myself thinking, thinking about Jesus. As many of you know I have been focusing on what men can learn using Jesus as their role model. That has led me to desiring to be more like Jesus. I have recently begun to think of what he would be thinking or I should say based on what we know of his actions and character what he could have been thinking. I am not willing to presume that I would know what my Lord thinks. 

Let’s pretend for a moment we are Jesus in this passage. You are sitting in a house probably filled with some people who are curious about you, some of your traveling companions are in the room with you (maybe their family, come to see who has stolen them away from their careers), and some religious leaders looking to question it all. Suddenly you see some dust fall heavily from above. You hear a noise on the roof. You perhaps hear yelling; after all it wasn't their roof they were destroying. The religious men are asking some question they think they already know the answer to, when you see the first bit of light break thru. You see them now. Men! Regular men! They have two things, you can feel it. They have love for the man that is crippled and faith you can heal him. They know as you know his body is just part of the problem. His condition has left many scars and emotional issues. His anger with God has led him to sin by lashing out in anger and despair. You feel his pain. These men didn't come for a lecture. They came, they would not be stopped, simply to get the one they care about into your presence. You stand up slowly as the man begins to be lowered. You look up and lock eyes with the men lowering the cripple, one at a time you look into their faces. You see they know. They know you are the one they have waited on. You don't have to prove it. They already know. All they want is there friend to know. 

How pleased you are. In a minute the religious ones will accuse you of blasphemy. But for the moment you see 4 men who know you can fix all things. They know you and you them. You know all you will go through will be worth it, because there are men like these out there. These men that have found faith that people and buildings cannot stop, faith that moves out of love for another, you smile.

I think Jesus smiled. 

Oh how I want faith that will make Jesus smile. 

Am I good enough?

Am I good enough?

I normally try to have some word of wisdom when I write a blog post, something that God has enlightened me with and filled my heart to share with others. Today that is not the case. Today I would like to share a personal struggle. 

I am a person that has a reckless past, I am a guy who made every mistake short of murder and that only by God’s grace is left off the rap sheet of my past. I am a man that still struggles with all kinds of issues and way to often those issues are foremost in my mind. I know what God wants of me, but I hold off on pressing towards that goal based on the nagging little voice that says, “You are better than you were, but you’re not good enough yet”! Have you ever heard that voice, the one that says there is another person is better suited to do what God has laid on your heart? The voice that says if you start it you will be a stumbling block. The voice that is arrogant enough to question God?

Is that the voice of fear, the voice of the devil, or in my case the voice of the church? See church members don’t want imperfect leaders in any position. I think it is not out of any reason other than to protect the church and even in thoughts that they need to protect Jesus and the Gospel from us imperfect people.

My conclusion, we are all imperfect and screwed up, I think the same Peter that denied Christ is the same Peter that preached on Pentecost. The same screwed up Peter; the same confused Peter, the same fearful Peter. I think he just decided he would rather be used by God then left behind. He wanted to perform the role God had for him and trust that God was enough. Why should I think Jesus can cover my sins and make me righteous but not cover me in the grace needed to share him with others? In my imperfections I will continue, so that God gets the glory. I cannot fix me, but He can use me.

Why Jesus? And the age old question…..Why are we here?

I am often asked why Jesus? Man I don’t need Jesus I am just as good as those guys. Actually you may be better than them; there are a lot of really moral non-Christians. Seriously, I see Christians and they still got problems so I guess all that church stuff doesn’t work. Yep, that is true, Jesus doesn’t take away all the problems of this life, work is work, bad things happen, and sometimes you get a raw deal. So if that is true then why do I need or want Jesus, why do you? Here is what I tell them.

We were created in the image of God and were intended to be in communion with Him which we see in the garden. Genesis 2:19-20 God brought the animals to Adam and allowed him to name them, Genesis 3:8, God walked in the garden, calling to Adam. By these statements we know that Adam had a relationship with God. There was communion of the created with the creator. Isaiah 43:21 states that the people God formed for himself will proclaim his praise, so he created us to glorify him, so He alone is praised. 1^St Corinthians 10:31 tells us “do all to the glory of God.

So I will submit that we are here to glorify God and walk in communion with him. Either you have agreed to see where I go with this and you will keep reading or you just determined I am untrained, poorly educated, and clearly unskilled and are not going any further with this. Awesome!!

 for the those still reading let’s look at why Jesus?.......

So do we need communion and glorification of and with the Father God in order to be happy?? Yes, without the communion we were created for we will have an empty spot in our life. We see this all the time, a generation of people that promote themselves through social media, everyone wants to have value. There is a need to feel purpose. We attempt to find purpose in career, we find that in family, we find that in social causes, or the next material thing we desire. We seek things to fill the empty spot that was meant for God, and when we seek stuff to fill that we sin, the more we put between us and our intended function of communion and glorification the further that we get from God. All that is not of God is sin. Since the beginning of time, with Adam and Eve the devil has been telling us that we can use the “fruit” of sin to fill the spot intended for God. The fruit of sin has always been choosing our desire over what God has created and instructed for us to be. This is the lie that the devil has been telling us for years. “You don’t need to give up all the stuff your pursuing, it makes you a better person”, but does it bring you closer or further away from God?

I know what you are thinking, we still haven’t gotten to why Jesus? I told you about what you need to be happy so that I can tell you who can get you there. Jesus came and created a way for us as sinful creatures to no longer live separate from God. Through Jesus (his selfless actions and sinless life) he carried our sin to the cross, he died willingly, then rose again. Allowing us to return to communion with God through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes to us after salvation and allows a two way communion between us and the Father God.

The Holy Spirit does this by replacing all those things that we tell no one about with Joy. All of us have those secrets we want no one to know about, those things that the devil will drag up when we start to turn to God. The devil uses them to remind us why we should or could not be accepted. Jesus has already paid for all of those things; the devil reminds you of things God no longer remembers.

God remembers no sin that was washed away by the blood of Jesus.

Jesus takes those sins away, provides the Holy Spirit, allows communion, and brings JOY. JOY guys, is doing what you were made for. JOY is better than happiness, happiness can be found in things and will pass way. JOY is forever,  it is communion with God.

So why Jesus? Because there is a Joy you were intended to have, but you cannot get there on you own, only through him.

 Jesus is the key to JOY!

Sovereignty of God

King David, man after God's own heart....... he danced to his clothes fell off, we credit him with worship and song...... we say we want to be a "house of David"!

What else was David, adulterer, womanizer, killer, warrior, bandit.... all of these titles fit as well.

I would like to point out something that King David knew that allowed him to be a man after God's own heart. He knew God was sovereign.

Do you understand that word, I didn't. So I did what all good students do, I Googled it- supreme power of authority. David knew that is where God stood, as supreme power and authority over all.

This is why we see he will not kill Saul, God's annointed. It is why he fled from Saul, because God had not told him it was time. It is why he did not build the temple, though he wanted to so badly. He understood God's decisions are without question, the final authority.

I submit the example:

2 Samuel 12:22-23

New International Version (NIV)

²² He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ ²³ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
In this we see David weeping and praying for the life of his child that bore the sin of his murder of a soldier for his wife and adultery that led to it. In this event, confronted with his sin, David begged to make in him a clean heart never denying his issues or questioning God. Here we see a man that understands God's authority and supreme power, even to the point that he knows God is just, even when he takes the life of the child.

I agree we need houses of David in the sense of worship, but I believe equally important is heart that bows to the sovereignty of God. Singing and shouting are hollow acts if the heart does not acknowledge the sovereignty. God is not a genie, we do not have the right to blame Him when He does not do it our way. Understanding who He is, His sovereignty is the only way to truly see Him in all the power and glory and worship our Lord as David did.

My prayer is that the Lord make in me a clean heart and allow worship God as sovereign.   

Does the your church share the gospel of Jesus?

It is with a unique mindset I begin this blog today.

I have struggled over whether to write this. The question comes from the fact that some who read this may be able to determine the churches that I mention, please realize that is not the point. There is no malice in the writing and I would ask that none of the readers even consider which churches I reference only the occurrences. This is an issue that can be found in too many churches and the Lord has burdened my heart with this.

My wife and I have been attending a church together for over a year now. In that time we have seen Sunday school and then eventually Wednesday night services canceled in the name of restructuring. I am in agreement that it was needed and I think that the idea was accepted as a good thing by the congregation, lack of progress weighs on some, but there is no lack of support. The pastor is a powerful worship leader, a gifted evangelist, and so we have what people would deem anointed worship meetings on Sunday morning. The music is phenomenal and we are blessed, but not growing.

I recently set in a meeting of the Sunday school remnant that met on their own accord and listened to people speak of tough spiritual times, they spoke of feeling they are in a holding pattern, hard times spiritually. I believe this is because they are in a holding pattern in the physical in regards to the church. Children of the kingdom were meant to serve and for those truly committed to serving and who had been serving the church, they are unsure of an outlet for that service. They desire to serve but they are struggling as there is no outlet and they feel they are linked to this physical church. They also know in spirit that there is something missing.

My wife and I began attending another church on Wednesday evening for a small group, we follow the preaching by podcast, and have attending a time or two. We both agree that it is not the type of church we prefer. These services are not as powerful and seem not to have the same flare. But they are growing, they are seeking to involve their members and have allowed us an outlet to serve the community, and without any pressure for us to leave our church home. Not a week goes by where they are not active in doing something in the community. Sometimes just quietly going to the park and picking up trash.

They are doing all the things the other church is not. They have published worship times, website, community involvement, outreach, small groups, and children’s ministries. I had thought to myself, clearly this is the reason they are growing. No it is not. I thought they get all members involved, giving them an area to serve, that must be the reason. No, a servant will serve regardless of whether their church organizes it for them. So why are they growing?? What is the secret??

There is no secret, I realized the other day what the difference is, it is obedience to the great commission. Keep in mind this is not meant to hurt feelings or step on toes. Most of you that read this have no idea the churches and those that do, understand this plays out all over the country in the same way. This is not unique. One church is sharing the gospel, people are being saved, heaven is rejoicing weekly for the lost sheep saved (Luke 15:1-7). As heaven erupts in rejoicing the church grows. Not only do they share the gospel every Sunday but they teach there people how to share it. Jesus is enough, no secret needed. Now the church that is not growing is great at worship and they love God, and they have fallen into a pattern. They have settled for the presence of God and worshiping together (there is nothing wrong with this) but there is no outreach, it is an inward presence. The church corporately is not sharing the Gospel. There had been no one professing salvation and no baptisms. After a year of attending I had to ask if the church even believed in baptism. I cannot remember the last time salvation was shared during Sunday morning, the sermons seem to soley address the saved. I asked a member that had been there longer than me about this, I almost cried, they said there had been no baptism in years (they had never seen one). Be honest, we all know a church like this one, you may even attend one. They gain member by doing better at something than others, or by creating an anointed environment, perhaps they have the latest and greatest music, coffee, or awesome youth group. They grow through transfers, or not at all.

I think Peter Haas says it best in latest book, “Sunday Morning is for Lost Sheep”, he states Substance Church was designed with the lost in mind. I think they all should be. If you are sick you go to the doctor, if you know you need a higher power to help, if you are prompted by the spirit to get help, you go to a church. Every Sunday somewhere there is a person that walks in needing to hear the gospel. Teach the flock, but also address the lost sheep. What good is anointed worship if heaven remains silent, grieving for the lost sheep that did not get to hear the gospel. 

Ask yourself 2 things and then read below:

Have I shared the gospel with anyone?

Is my church sharing the gospel from the pulpit and the classroom?

Please join me in praying that all churches will develop a burden for the lost, and that Jesus will always be shared, and the lost sheep will always be allowed to respond. We do not need revival to reach the world, this is a misconception, here is why. Remember Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore 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.”(Mathew 28:18-20) We need to share the gospel and disciple. It is brilliant really, here is why, 1/3 of the world’s population claims Christianity. Let’s assume half of them just answered that because it was popular. If we assume only 1/6 truly are believers, and for each one a person is saved and discipled in a five year time then repeats the same. In less than 15 years every person would be a Christian or at least heard the gospel. I used low numbers. I used long time periods. With God all things are possible, quicker than we can imagine, if we are willing to be used. God can do it in a little time as He chooses, but we must be willing to follow the great commissions.  Please join me (pray for revival if you feel led too) but pray always for boldness and to use the Spirit of boldness to share the gospel. Tell someone about Jesus and then lead you church in the direction of doing the same. When the kingdom grows, heaven rejoices.