Called to Love

Pastors Joe & Shelly - 17th anniversary & love story

Partner in family and ministry

• Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
• Mark 10:6-9 ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” (see also Romans 8:35-39)

Marriage as a picture of Christ & the church

Ephesians 5:25-32 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.

Strength in Unity in Christ

• The world says, "We are only as strong as our weakest link;" the Bible says, "some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary (1 Corinthians 12:22)," and that we are to "take tender care of those who are weak (1 Thessalonians 5:14)." The world says "survival of the fittest;" God says, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)."
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
• Romans 12:4-5 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Satan's scheme - divide & conquer

• Adam & Eve, Husband & wives, Believers & Christ, Body of Christ

Marriage & the church - Whole is greater than the sum of its parts

• John 13:34-35 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
• Illustration of human body - value of elements (oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, etc. - less than $5); value of body parts - millions; value of a person - priceless

Called to Love

• As husbands and wives are called to love each other, so Christians are called to love one another and to be representative of God's love for the world.
• 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! … Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
• Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.
• 1 John 4 God is love.

Called to Peace

Peace - the Message of Christmas

• Luke 2:13-14 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God and saying, "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

• Acts 10:34-36 Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel-that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

• Colossians 1:19-20 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.

• John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid."

“It Is Well with My Soul” – Horatio Safford

Called to Peace

• Colossians 3:15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
• Romans 12:18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
• Philippians 2:14-15 Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.
• Ephesians 6:15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
• Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

Called to Hope

I. Fading Hope in the 21st Century

• "Hope deferred makes the heart sick…" (Proverbs 13:12)

II. 1st Century Palestine

• Matthew 12:18-21 (prophecy of Isaiah) “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.”

III. Called to Hope

• Ephesians 1:18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called-his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
• Ephesians 4:4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
• Romans 8:23-25 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
• 1 Peter 3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Psalm 100 - A Psalm of Thanksgiving

• Thanksgiving - TODAH – ("thank you!); an extension of the hand (in adoration), make confession, sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving
• Psalm 50:23a - But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

• Shout - raise a sound; give a blast; war-cry; alarm of battle; shout of triumph (over enemies); shout for joy

Worship the Lord with gladness.

• Worship - to serve
• Gladness -  exceeding gladness, joy, mirth, pleasure, rejoice
• Zephaniah 3:17 - “For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice (to be bright, cheerful, be glad, make mirth) over you with great gladness (glee, celebration, exceeding joyfulness, mirth, pleasure, rejoicing). With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult (to spin around, under the influence of a violent emotion, rejoice) over you by singing (a creaking or a shrill sound, ie: shout of joy, cry, gladness, proclamation, triumph) a happy song.” 

Come before him, singing with joy.

• Come - same as v. 4 - "Enter"
• Before Him - "the face of God;" His presence
• Singing with joy - shout for joy, celebrate with great joy, triumphing

Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

• Acknowledge - "to know" (last week's sermon, "That I May Know Him"); perceive, learn, be acquainted with; understand; get to know; experience

He made us, and we are his.

• Nehemiah 9:6 - “You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you."
• John 1:3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
• Isaiah 45:9 “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’"

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

• Luke 15:4-7; John 10:1-18

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

• Enter - (see above - 'come')
• Thanksgiving - (see above - 'Todah')

Go into his courts with praise.

• Praise - (TEHILLAH) - song or hymn of praise; adoration; thanksgiving; praise (demanded by qualities or deeds or attributes of God); "for who He is" -- result of *knowing* God
• Psalm 22:3 - Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
• Psalm 66:2-3;8 - Sing about the glory of his name!  Tell the world how glorious he is.  Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!  Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.  Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs. … Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises."

Give thanks to him and praise his name.

• Give thanks - to use the hand, as to throw; to revere and worship; celebration
• Bless - "to bend the knee;" act of adoration; salutation; impart or invoke favor; cause to prosper
• Name - (SHEM) - "the Name;" conveys more than merely identity, but reputation, fame, glory; make famous

For the Lord is good.

• Good -beautiful, best, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, be in favor, fine, glad, gracious, joyful, kindly, loving, merry, pleasant, pleasure, precious, prosperity, sweet, wealth, welfare 

His unfailing love continues forever,

• Love - Goodness; kindness; faithfulness; mercy; favor

And his faithfulness continues to each generation.

• Faithfulness - firmness; security; stability; truth

Application:

• What are YOU thankful to God for?  How are you expressing that thanksgiving?
• Make EVERY day a day of THANKSGIVING. 
• Psalm 103:1 ESV Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
• Psalm 103:1 NLT Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

That I May Know Him

Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

• From the invitation to "follow me" to the command to "go and make disciples of all nations," why would the disciples follow and go when it would cost many of them their social status, their friends and families, their jobs, even their lives?
• “In the New Testament, the Greek word translated "power" is dunamis, the source of the English words dynamic and dynamite, both of which are easily associated with "power." In addition, dunamis can also be translated "mighty works" and "wonderful works." The implication is not just the capacity for activity or accomplishment, but actual actions and achievements of such magnitude that they inspire a sense of wonder in others. Similarly, dunamis is also translated "miracles" a few times.” (Forerunner Commentary)

Ephesians 1:15-23 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

2 Peter 1:3-4 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

See the Value

Opening Verses:

• Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
• Romans 11:36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

You're not going to get anything out of church, or out of the Kingdom of Heaven, unless you see the value in it!

See the Value of the Kingdom

• Matthew 13:44-26 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"
• Discovering something you've inherited, rightfully owned all along, learning of the material value, the heritage value, and eventually the personal value.
• Philippians 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
• Joshua Bell story
• Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Christ Saw the Value in Us

• Luke 12:6-7 "What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."
• Touch of the Master's Hand

See the Value in Other People

• People are valuable because they are valuable to God.
• John 21:15-19 "Do you love me? … Feed My sheep." "Follow Me."

Help Others "See the Value" through Evangelism & Discipleship

Evangelism - "The active calling of people to respond to the message of grace and commit oneself to God in Jesus Christ."

• 2 Corinthians 3:3-7 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
• Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
• No "one size fits all approach." Each person is unique, the sum of their temperaments, experiences, perspectives, values, beliefs, etc.
• Ezekiel 33:30-32 “Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!’ So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!"
• Not everyone will receive your message. Don't let that stop you. The joy set before you is well worth the pain and rejection along the way.

Discipleship

• Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 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.”
• (from "Multiply: A Call to Disciple Making" by Francis Chan): "What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? As you will discover, the answer is fairly simple, but it changes your life completely. The word disciple refers to a student or apprentice. Disciples in Jesus’s day would follow their rabbi (which means teacher) wherever he went, learning from the rabbi’s teaching and being trained to do as the rabbi did. Basically, a disciple is a follower, but only if we take the term follower literally. Becoming a disciple of Jesus is as simple as obeying His call to follow. When Jesus called His first disciples, they may not have understood where Jesus would take them or the impact it would have on their lives, but they knew what it meant to follow. They took Jesus’s call literally and began going everywhere He went and doing everything He did. It’s impossible to be a disciple or a follower of someone and not end up like that person. Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). That’s the whole point of being a disciple of Jesus: we imitate Him, carry on His ministry, and become like Him in the process."

Do you see the value in the Kingdom of God? Do you see the value in the people for whom Jesus Christ came to seek and to save, and for whom He gave up His very life? Are you doing everything in your power to live out the Gospel to which you've been called?

“Go and Wash”

I. Naaman the Leper (2 Kings 5:1-14)

A. Characteristics of leprosy 

1. Contagious
2. Incurable
3. Often a death sentence
4. "Unclean" (Leviticus 13)
5. Results in separation & isolation

B. Naaman - power, position, & wealth / yet, infected by exposure 

C. "Go and wash yourself…" - Healing was already ordained and provided for. 

D. Obedience = healing & cleansing 

II. Man born blind (John 9:1-11)

A. Characteristics of blindness 

1. Inability to see anything, even light
2. Dependence upon other senses to "see"
3. Never knows anything different

B. Blind man - afflicted since birth 

C. "Go wash yourself…" - Healing was already ordained and provided for. 

D. Obedience = healing & sight 

III. Leprosy & blindness as an illustration of sin

A. By birth - we have inherited our sin nature 

B. By exposure - we have been contaminated by our environment 

IV. What does God want YOU to do?

A. John 6:28-29 - They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”  Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

B. John 9:35-39 - When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”  “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”  “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.  Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

V. "Go and wash…" - faith in action through obedience

A. Ephesians 5:25b-26 - Christ "gave up His life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word."

B. Hebrews 10:22b - "For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water."

C. 1 Peter 1:22 - You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

D. 1 Corinthians 7:1 - Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

E. Our spiritual healing has already been ordained and provided for. 

The City of Refuge

Psalm 61:1-4 O God, listen to my cry!  Hear my prayer!  From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed.  Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.  Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!  (see also Psalm 91) 

City of Refuge (Joshua 20) 

• Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 

Being "in Christ" includes being part of the church 

• Ezekiel 34:11-16 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!" 

• John 17:15 "I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one."

• Ephesians 1:22-23 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. 

• Ephesians 4:15-16 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. 

• The church is not a place, nor a day and time.  It is the ekklesia; the assembly of the "called-out" ones.  It is the collective body of believers, anytime and anywhere two or more come together.  Jesus said, "For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

So, why don't people go to church? 

Don't fear others; don't give others a reason to not feel safe.

• Proverbs 29:25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. 

• Ephesians 5:3-9 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 

• Galatians 5:19-26  When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. 

• Mark 7:20-23 And then he (Jesus) added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you.  For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” 

City on a Hill (Matthew 5:14) 

 "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden." ~ Jesus 

• Church needs to be a safe environment; whether when gathering together on Sundays, or through the rest of the week; online and off; in groups, or one-to-one. 
• Ask yourself: Do I feel safe where I am in my spiritual walk?  Am I making others feel safe?

Jesus, “I AM”

Jesus' controversial statement

• John 8:12-59
• "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" (John 8:58)

God's Name in context

• Exodus 3: 13-15 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”  God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”  God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.   This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations."

The seven "I am" statements of Jesus:

• "I AM the Bread of Life" (John 6:32-58)
• "I AM the Light of the World" (John 8:12)
• "I AM the Gate for the Sheep" (John 10:7-10)
• "I AM the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11-16)
• "I AM the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25)
• "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:1-7)
• "I AM the True Vine" (John 15:1-6)

Other "I am" Sayings

• "You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I AM." (John 13:13)
• When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."(Matthew 16:13-17)
• The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”  Then Jesus told her, “I AM the Messiah!” (John 4:25-26)
• But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I AM," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:61-62)
• "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I AM the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."  "Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied.   "I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."  They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.  So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me." (John 8:23-28)

OLD TESTAMENT IN THE NEW

• Psalm 23 - "The Lord is my shepherd." / John 10:11 - "I am the good shepherd."
• Exodus 15:26 - "I am the Lord who heals you." / Matthew 8:16-17 - "… healed all the sick … took up our sicknesses and carried our diseases."
• Exodus 17:15 - "The Lord is my banner." / John 12:32 - "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."
• Jeremiah 23:6 - "The Lord is our righteousness." / 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV - "… in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
• Judges 6:24 - "The Lord is peace" / Ephesians 2:14 - "Christ Himself has brought peace to us"
• Genesis 22:14 - "The Lord will provide" (a sacrifice) / John 1:29 - "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
• Jonah 2:9b - "My salvation comes from the Lord alone." / Matthew 1:21 - "You are to name him Jesus (the Lord saves), for he will save his people from their sins."

Jesus, the eternal unchanging I AM

• Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
• “I AM the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” (Revelations 1:8)
• "I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelations 22:13)

Who do you say that He is?

Strength in Meekness

What attributes do you identify with?  Patient?  Kind?  Faithful?  Merciful?  Forgiving?  Gentle?  Peaceful?  Loving?  Meek?

Psalm 37:10-11 (ESV) In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.  But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Matthew 5:5 (ESV) "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

How would you describe someone who is meek?

Meekness is not to be confused with weakness, or cowardliness, or wimpiness; rather, it is power and strength under control.  (illustration - horse, being carried)

"The adjective was often used of taming a wild animal or the calming of people who were excited or irritable. By association it was therefore applied to the outcome of such taming, to the gentle, quiet and friendly who, like a well trained animal, do not succumb to bitterness or anger, whatever the provocation. As with the trained workhorse, this is not simply a matter of passive submission to a stronger force, but involves an active choice to accept instruction." <http://www.sermononthemount.org.uk/Matthew/Matthew05v05Detail.html>

"Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. ... Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will (Gal 5:23)." <http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G4239&t=KJV>

Isaiah 30:14 (ESV) For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV) "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Matthew 26:23 (ESV) "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?"

1 Peter 2:21-23 (ESV) For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

“The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto.” ~ A.W. Tozer

Colossians 3:12, 14 (ESV) Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 

Lonely in a Sea of People

Quotes on Loneliness

• "It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely." -- Albert Einstein
• "The round of pleasure or the amassing of wealth are [often] but vain attempts to escape from the persistent ache. The millionaire is usually a lonely man and the comedian is often more unhappy than his audience." -- J. Oswald Sanders
• "Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty." -- Mother Teresa

Opening

The world is far more interconnected than ever before, yet loneliness continues to be even more pervasive.  Social networks like Facebook, which somewhat relieving the sting of loneliness, can end up contributing to a deepening sense of isolation and loneliness. 

NPR reports, "Not long ago, we reported on a new University of Michigan study that found the more young people used Facebook, the worse they felt. According to the research, Facebook use led to declines in moment-to-moment happiness and overall life satisfaction. But the New Yorker did some further digging and found a few recent studies that show the opposite — that using Facebook can make us happier."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/09/16/223052837/whether-facebook-makes-you-lonely-depends-on-how-you-use-it

Elijah on the Run - 1 Kings 19:1-18

When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.  So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.   Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”  He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.  There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.

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.”

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied again, “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.”

Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.  Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha!  Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

Lessons to learn from Elijah:

• Realize that although you may feel alone, you are never really alone.
• If you're lonely, you're in good company.

John 16:32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.

2 Timothy 4:16-18 The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them.  But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death.  Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

• "Get up and eat!" -- God is always with you -- in the greatest of victories AND in the depths of depression and despair.

Proverbs 18:24 ESV A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Psalm 27:10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.

Hebrews 13:5b For God has said, “I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.”

Matthew 28:20 I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Isaiah 43:2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

• "What are you doing here?" -- Loneliness often comes as a result of unmet expectations.

Elijah assumed he was alone, and complained that "everyone else" failed but him.  Elijah may well have expected a complete and total victory on Mt. Carmel, even over Jezebel.

"Dependence on others for your happiness is a sure way to feel lonely even in a crowd. I have found that my loneliest times are when expectations of others are unmet." -- Grace Lavigne

"Relying on people to fill the void…" -- Michele Avery

• We feel most lonely when we feel unneeded, unwanted, unvalued, unheard, unappreciated, and overlooked.  We feel like we could completely disappear and nobody would care… or even notice.  And yet we don't dare say a word, much less let ourselves be vulnerable to others.
• There are always others.  God has a greater plan, and never intends for life to be lived alone.

Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun.  This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing. Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.   If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.  Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?  A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Psalm 68:6 God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

How to overcome loneliness

• "That's it's ok and it's good to want and need others…  To know its ok to need love and it's ok to be loved and give love." -- Jennifer Wilbur
• "How about forcing yourself to be around others even when you do not want to?" -- Debby Baker
• Like Facebook, a digital reflection of 'real life' social interactions, loneliness is related to how involved (or uninvolved) you are.  God designed life to be lived in fellowship with Him and with others.
• "Being content with where I am ... even if it is "alone" makes all the difference. Furthermore, there is satisfaction in knowing that He is near. Always." -- Grace Lavigne
• "When I was blessed with my salvation in Christ and learned to seek Him first, my life completely turned around and now I know I am never alone, He is always with me!" -- Michele Avery
• "Go back the way you came." -- You didn't become lonely overnight.  Reach out to others.  Find your place in the body of Christ.  Look for the lonely around you, and find ways to alleviate their loneliness.  Take care not to base your sense of happiness and well-being on others, but delight yourself in the Lord.
• Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
• 2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

The Root of Bitterness

What is Bitterness?

• Definition: "adjective" 1 having a sharp, pungent taste or smell; not sweet. 2 causing pain or unhappiness. 3 feeling anger, hurt, and resentment. 4 (of a conflict) harsh and acrimonious - which means having ill feelings. 5 (of wind or weather) intensely cold.
• Bitterness is one of our four tastes, designed to help us guard against ingesting poison, or other toxic substances

(Passover & Bitter Herbs) Exodus 12:6-8 “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast." (Bitter herbs -- dandelion, endive, horseradish, etc.)

What causes bitterness?

KEY VERSE -- Hebrews 12:15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

Causes:

1. External hurt / offense - what is done, what is said, what is taken
2. Failure (of a marriage, a job, etc.)

Holding on to bitterness is sin.

• James 3:7-16 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring. If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

What are the consequences of bitterness?

• "When harboured for a long time,’ says Professor Wrosch, ‘bitterness may forecast patterns of biological dysregulation (a physiological impairment that can affect metabolism, immune response or organ function) and physical disease.’" Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2024386/Harbouring-bitterness-increases-likelihood-physical-disease.html#ixzz2eFruuDTv

“I know from personal experience how damaging it can be to live with bitterness and unforgiveness. I like to say it’s like taking poison and hoping your enemy will die. And it really is that harmful to us to live this way.“ ~Joyce Meyer

The passage in Hebrews says, "trouble you, corrupting many" - bitterness is an internal cancer, eating you up from the inside, but it also impacts others as it affects how you relate to others.

How to Deal with Bitterness

1) reframe the "failure" and/or loss - see the grace of God at work - God works all things

• 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 To keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

• Romans 8:28 - 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.

2) walk in forgiveness

• (from above article) "In some cases, overcoming bitterness demands more than self-regulation. When bitterness arises from blaming other people, then recovery may involve others. ‘In order to deal with bitter emotions there may need to be something else required to enable a person to overcome the negative emotion - that something is forgiveness,’ says Prof Wrosch."

• Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

It is not a one-time fix. Garden of our heart -- stony ground, thorns and thistles, weeds, choke the life out of you. Like picking at a scab, licking our wounds, preventing healing.

Tearing up the visible part of the roots is an exercise in futility. Clearing the roots involves digging.

Choose to forgive. Choose to let go. Choose to let God make beauty for ashes. Let His grace be sufficient for you.

Look Again!

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” ~ Albert Einstein

1 Kings 18:41-46 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look.  Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’” And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

Mark 8:22-25 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him.  Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”  The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.

Matthew 17:1-8 - The Mount of Transfiguration Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

Luke 24:30-32 - The Road to Emmaus As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them.  Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! 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?”

John 20:4-14 - Disciples Fishing At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was.  He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.  The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore.  When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said.  So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn. “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

• Even as believers, we still sometimes have moments of waning vision, of discouragement; yet we are constantly called to "look again," to lift our eyes, to fix our eyes upon Jesus
• Earlier, the disciples had thought they had seen a ghost; here, they recognize Him at last

John 9:39 - Jesus, on spiritual blindness: "I have come to judge the world. I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind."

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.  We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.  If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.  Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.  You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

• Satan blinds the minds of those who don't believe, but God is the One to shine light into our Hearts, to illuminate the truth -- we all were blind at one point.

James 5:16b-18 The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.  Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!  Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

• The prophets of old looked with anticipation for the day of salvation; Jesus was crucified by people who didn't recognize who He was. They were like people in the drought, waiting for the rain, but not discerning that the one small cloud would bring them the relief they so desperately needed.

Jesus Christ revolutionized history. To the unbeliever, who may have dismissed Him in the past, He deserves a second look. Look again.

To the believer, he deserves more than just our occasional passing glance, but to be the enduring focal point of our vision. Look again.

Insanity may be as Einstein defined, but in this case, look again. And again. And again...

Ask, Seek, Knock

Luke 11:9-10 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

ASK

• Matthew 6:8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
• Luke 11:11-13 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

• Ephesians 3:20 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.

• John 14:13-14 "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"

• Matthew 18:19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you."

• James 4:2-3 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
• John 15:7,16 "But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! … You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name."
• 1 John 3:22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
• 1 John 5:14-15 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
• James 1:5-6 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

SEEK

• Acts 17:27 "His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us."
• Luke 12:31 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need."
• Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
• Romans 2:7,29 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. … No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
• 1 Corinthians 14:12 Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.

KNOCK

• Luke 11:5-8 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him,  ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’  And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’  But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

God doesn't always answer in expected ways.

Jesus doesn't teach us to do something He will not do; He is the ultimate model and fulfillment of asking, seeking, and knocking.

• ASK - John 14:15-17 - “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you."
• SEEK - Luke 19:10 - "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (also see Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32)
• KNOCK - Revelation 3:20 - “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."

The Provider and the Provision

Mark 6:30-44 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.  Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat.  So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.  But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.  Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.  Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late.  Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat."  But Jesus said, "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!"  "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out." They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish."  Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.  Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.  They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.  A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves!

Mark 8:1-10 About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat.  If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance."  His disciples replied, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?" Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" "Seven loaves," they replied.  So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd.  A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.  They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.  There were about 4,000 people in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten.  Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.

Mark 8:14-21 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat.  As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod."  At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread.  Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don't you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?  'You have eyes-can't you see? You have ears-can't you hear?' Don't you remember anything at all?  When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?" "Twelve," they said.  "And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?" "Seven," they said.  "Don't you understand yet?" he asked them.

John 6:26-27 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.  But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval."

Matthew 6:31-34 "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

• Jesus is not only our provider, He is our provision
• How many times will it take for us to truly understand who He is?
• As we grow in our understanding, we grow in faith & trust, and the more we love Him and respond to His Lordship

Freedom from Condemning Memories

I. 'Condemnories' - memories of past and secret shame/sin; tormenting guilt; maybe prayed repeatedly for forgiveness, but never feel forgiven; conscience still condemns, bearing silent witness against us, contrasting with image we desperately want to project to others and even ourselves

II. Unresolved Guilt

a. Makes you feel like a hypocrite, a phony, a fake

          i. A disconnect between how you imagine others to perceive you and how you really are

b. Hinders your relationship with God and with others

          i. You know God loves you… but you also feel He cannot forgive you

         ii. You also may feel that if others knew the truth about you, they would also reject you

       iii. The flow of forgiveness is broken - ("If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15; "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Colossians 3:13)

       iv. Your prayers sometimes feel empty and flat; it is hard to "trust" God's mercy when we are all too aware of our own history and ongoing/recurring weight of guilt

c. Robs us of our joy of life & joy of our salvation

          i. David & Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 & 12)

        ii. Psalm 51 - repeated prayer? Or one-time?

      iii. External consequences may follow our actions, but Jesus came to set us free from internal and eternal consequences -- to set us free from our guilt in the eyes of God

III. Guilt (conviction) is meant to lead us to action (repentance, reconciliation, & restoration)

a. "For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation." (2 Corinthians 7:10)

b. We were never meant to live our lives under the weight of guilt's condemnation

          i. Lightsaber story

c. What does God say?

          i. 1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

        ii. Romans 4:7-8 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.

       iii. Psalm 103:12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

       iv. Isaiah 43:25 "I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again."

        v. Micah 7:19 Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

      vi. Hebrews 9:13-14 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

    vii. Hebrews 10:21-22 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

viii. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

d. "Yes, but…" Who are we going to believe? God or our flesh?

         i. 1 John 3:20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

IV. Trust in His love

a. 1 John 4:16-18 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

b. 1 Corinthians 13:5b (Love) keeps no record of being wronged.