Hearts at Rest

Passion of the Christ: Hearts at Rest

(Pastor Rollan shared about the September 9, 2013 hard launch vision after Labor Day (September 2).)

Though being the eternal God, who is the source of love, hope, and happiness, Jesus was often misunderstood and His ways mistrusted. What we choose to believe about God and His heart for us in the midst of an estranged culture effects everything about who we are and what we will become.

Jesus passionately invites us into His life by exposing the source of our discontent, encouraging us to recognize the signposts for godly decisions, and leading us to the rest for which our souls so desperately yearn.

The Source of Our Discontent

Matthew 11:1-19 (NIV)

1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” 7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

“The punishment of every disordered mind is its own disorder.” ― Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions

It feels like we have too many choices in life, and no choice ever becomes the right one.

The question of Jesus Christ's identity and the subsequent life decisions that follow are defining our generation. Our inability to settle the weighty matters of life affect everything from our career pursuits, to our romantic relationships, to how we use our finances and time.

How Can I Be Sure About Jesus?

"Are you the one to come or should we expect someone else?"

Jesus answered the question by giving a résumé of HIS historic fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies (Isaiah 26:18,19; 29:18,19; 35:5,6; 53:4; 61:1). In the same way, God's Word gives us a clear description of what we are truly looking for in His design for life, love, and happiness. He said to study the Scripture to see the heart of this loving God, compare it to the freedom being produced in and around us through his Word, and contend to trust Him during life's challenging moments. After demonstrating his devotion to God, showing faithfulness throughout the entirety of his life, this is exactly what John the Baptist had to do during his time of testing in prison.

"What did you go out... to see? A reed swayed by the wind?"

Commentaries note that Jesus is here broaching the subject of instability and vacillation. Just as the reeds swayed with the wind by the Jordan, so we have a proclivity to lose our Christ-centered focus and resolve with every wind of opportunity or ideological challenge that comes our way. This is often the product of coveting people, positions, and things that we think will make us happier than what we already have, or what God has prescribed, as is referenced in Jesus' mention of fine clothes and king's palaces. We are deceived into thinking that there is always someone or something better, and it is the thing that we do not presently have.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17 NIV)

The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. (Deuteronomy 7:25, 26 NIV)

Coveting is the source of so much discontent in the world. Sociological studies have shown that people in the West deal on a whole with more unhappiness than those in less affluent nations because of the number of choices that they have. It is the psychosis intrinsic to the fear of missed opportunity that has us refuse to commit to anything because something better may come along. This is true, for example, in romantic relationships where people refuse to settle on their present options, while picking apart every viable suitor that they may have, and, in the end, miss a life of love and happiness that could have been theirs. It is also true of churches where people look to give as much criticism as they can while contributing as little as they can, and, ironically, end up doing very little to aid in Jesus' cause to heal and save a broken world. The result is that people lose the ability to be fully engaged or make a lasting impact on anything.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/magazine/money-changes-everything.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/your-money/27shortcuts.html

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John. Luke 7:29, 30 NIV)

Can you imagine John the Baptist's thoughts in prison on the eve of his execution?

If it was only a matter of whether his trust in Jesus was "working for him" rather than the truth of who Jesus is, John would have abandoned His trust in God. The culture today has told us the most important thing to remember is that it is all about us and our life experiences. A recent birth control commercial artistically promotes a trip to Paris and having the freedom to indulge in extravagant getaways as far superior to a life-time commitment of parenting. We long for, yet lack, the joys that only relational and Kingdom commitments can bring: i.e. - marriage, children, seeing lives saved and transformed, beginning a movement that will transform a city.

How do we make godly decisions?

The Signposts to Godly Decisions

Matthew 11:20-24 (NIV)

20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

It is evident when our life is transforming for the good, when we are experiencing encouragement based on truth, healing based on love, and hope based on God's eternal promises. Though the people of the cities where Jesus ministered were in direct contact with the author and source of life, they deliberately rejected the signposts that would lead them to eternal life. We need to be careful not to do the same.

John's questioning of Jesus' identity came at a time of trial and discouragement. This is never the time to reevaluate God's character or identity. We need to instead find a place of sobriety by following Christ's example of quantifying the many ways that He has been working miracles in your life to bring you to Himself, His people, and the positive life transformation that proceeds from these. These are the signposts that point you in the direction of trusting His goodness in its fullness, even when we don't understand His ways or circumstances that He allows.

Why does this all matter? What we resign to believe affects how we think, how we live, and to what things we give ourselves.

What Jesus is calling for is a spiritual discernment that must become a quality that is valued in our day.

The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure. A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated. The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. (Proverbs 14:15-18 NIV)

Most people express preferences about God rather than making statements of truth. People feel today that truth can be defined by their preferences. It is the "Build-a-God" mentality. Truth does have bearing on and consequences for our lives whether we like it or not (i.e. - gravity, aging). This is how we must relate to Jesus because of His audacious claims. We must ask whether there is veracity to His teaching and self-proclaimed identity.

“It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. I don’t like Chinese food, but I don’t write articles trying to prove it doesn’t exist.” ― Tina Fey, Bossypants

This is never more pertinent than when our wills or ideologies are crossed by the God who made us and loves us. We tend to desire to reconstruct the identity and existence of God when He does not fit into our cultural or philosophical paradigms (i.e. - issues of family, marriage, parenting, finances, and sexuality). It is here that, while reasoning with the facts, we are tested to respond to God based on our trust of His goodness, rather than our emotional reactions to His desire to reestablish our identity in the eternal Christ in lieu of lesser, changing, and degenerative things. The quality of His definitions are far superior in grand scale wisdom, for both individuals' and humanity's flourishing.

Rest for Your Souls

Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV)

25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” ― Saint Augustine of Hippo

We want to walk in the divine tension that Jesus did, having hearts that are disturbed (with a desire to grow and see His Kingdom come) while being undisturbed (by the past, present or future. Romans 8. We can relinquish control, because we don't have it anyway. What we can do is walk with God as long as it is called today with His sure promise of eternal life for those who please Him.)

Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. He longs to show you the goodness of God, which can only be fully realized through a trust walk with Him, because everything that belongs to the Father has been entrusted to Christ.

Having the ability to take Jesus' yoke of teaching, the subsequent obedience in life and activities that follow will provide rest for your souls. Because of Jesus' life, sacrifice on the cross, death, burial and resurrection, it is no longer about what we can do to work for approval or God's love. The matter is settled, and it is all about what He has done for us.

Practically: 1) Identify the sources of discontent in your life and come to repentance where you find covetous tendencies. 2) Make a decision today to do something that will contribute to the eternal Kingdom of God through our local church. 3) Find rest for your souls by coming into agreement with Jesus Christ's values and pursuing them as your own.

Second City Church- Passion of the Christ Sermon Series 2013

Compassionate Hearts

Passion of the Christ: Compassionate Hearts - Guest Speaker Cole Parleir

Revelation: God is a compassionate and good shepherd who helps His people.

Application: Have you received this help and freely given it away? (Two types of people are here today: those who have a good shepherd and those who don’t.)

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Matthew 9:35-37, 10:1-8 (NIV)

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

God is compassionate. Some Greek dictionaries say that the Greek word for compassion means “to have the bowels yearn,” to be moved with sympathy in your inmost being. This is God’s character. He doesn’t just feel compassion for people; God IS compassionate. This deep yearning characterizes the passion we so frequently hear and read about in reference to Jesus. We see God’s compassion in four ways:

The four P’s of Godly compassion:

1) Presence—He is with us. 2) Perception—He sees our plight. 3) Power—He heals us. 4) Pursuit—He empowers others to be His healing agents.

God’s Presence

The first aspect of God’s compassion is simply His being present. As we see in Genesis 3, Exodus 34, and Matthew 9-10 God is present with His people. He’s not impersonal and aloof. He is “in the mix” with us. He is in the Kool-aid, and He knows the flavor! He knows if its sugar free! He doesn’t just sympathize; He has empathy because of His presence.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” –Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

Many times we accuse God of being distant, faceless, and out of touch, like a father who has abandoned his children and left them to fend for themselves. This just isn’t true. God has gone to great lengths to reveal Himself to us. Ultimately, in the man Jesus Christ, but even for those who haven’t heard the name Jesus Christ, the book of Romans tells us that it is evident in nature that God exists, but we have repressed His voice (and His presence) through our persistent sinful lifestyles. A divine intervention is needed.

If we go back to the account of creation in Genesis, He’s present.

In the time of Moses, God proves Himself to be a compassionate shepherd as well. In the account of God delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He gives a sermon about Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai after Moses cries out to him to see His glory. The account reads:

4So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:4-7 (NIV)

Have you recognized the ever present God described in Psalm 139:7-8:

7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Today, God is inviting you into His presence like He did Moses and the disciples so that He can reveal himself to you and begin the process of redemption. As Moses brought blank stone tablets (this was round two because Moses broke the first ones in his anger) for God to write on, have you brought an accepting heart to Jesus for Him to write His self-revelation? If not, today is the day.

God’s Perception

The second aspect of God’s compassion is His perception, or understanding, of he dire situation of His creation.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36 (NIV)

When Jesus is on the scene, He is keenly aware, like a good doctor. He sees behind the scenes of the apparent distress all the way to the root of our problems. He sees the spiritual warfare in our lives like no one else does. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. God is moved with compassion to help us, because He sees us.

One of my favorite Old Testament accounts is of Hagar, Sarah’s maid servant whom she gave to Abraham in her frustration of bareness. After Hagar gave birth to Abraham’s first born son, Sarah harassed Hagar out of jealousy causing Hagar to flee. When Hagar fled, she took her son to the desert, but God showed up and saw her dismal situation. He had compassion on her. He went to her, and He heard her and blessed her with dignity and prophesied of the future of her child Ishmael giving her hope. She then said, “You are the God who sees me,” knowing the she was seen and understood. This caused her to dig a well that future generations would drink from and remember the compassion of God.

Today, know that God is not only present with you in your affliction, but He perceives and understands your harassment. Do you know this? If you do know this, have you shared this compassion with others, like the many who were healed by Jesus? Have you dug a metaphorical well of remembrance that future generations can drink from?

God’s Power

God, in His compassion, is not impotent today; on the contrary, He is omnipotent. God is here, God perceives, and He wants to fix what is broken.

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness” Matthew 9:35 (NIV)

God the Father sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost as well as destroy the works of the devil. What are the works of the devil? The devil has been sinning since the beginning, 1 John 3 says. His mission is to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus says, “I have come to bring life, abundant life. I have come to forgive sin. I have come to set the captives of Satan and sin free. I have come to protect the harassed, to help the helpless, to bind up broken hearts, to preach good news to the poor, to heal every sickness and disease, to cast out demons, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. I have not come to condemn the world, but to save the world. I make all things new. I am called the Christ, because I am His anointed one with power and authority to bring the Father's will to pass.”

God does not tease us. I will say it again, “GOD DOES NOT TEASE US”! When he says He came to do all these things, He means it.

Today, God is here in power to give you a second life. Have you received forgiveness of sins and began to live a new life lead by this Jesus? Have you received healing in your body? Have you received grace to forgive your abusers like God has forgiven you? Today is your day of freedom and healing.

God’s Pursuit

Compassion is not content with the ninety-nine in the flock if there is one who is lost. Jesus is God in the flesh, the Christ, the perfect image of the invisible God. One thing He is not, is omnipresent in His human nature. He traveled all throughout the towns and villages, but the world is so ravaged and distorted by sin and its consequences that His compassion drove him to ask those who love him to help him and delegate His authority.

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV)

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:1-8 (NIV)

The disciples had been with Jesus and seen Him having compassion on people. Compassion is contagious. When we spend time with Jesus, not only in the secret place of our prayer closets, but also in His work place, the world, we begin to catch His heart. These disciples had been approached by Jesus and called to follow Him. God found them. Now Jesus, with the impetus of His asking for help being His compassion, asks the disciples to pray for God to send out workers to preach good news, find the lost, heal the sick, and free the demon oppressed. This is very funny to me because Jesus is essentially saying, “Ask me to send you out into my field”. The disciples left their fields, their careers, and became laborers in the Lord’s field.

We must not say to ourselves, “This authority that was delegated was only for the 12 apostles and not for me.” Luke 10:1-21 (NIV) says:

1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

God loves delegating power and authority. He will continue to do so until Jesus returns and completely realizes God’s Kingdom and all the elect are brought under the head shepherd Jesus.

Practical Application

1) Who’s your shepherd? (Because we’re all sheep.) 2) Have you freely received? (Do you need forgiveness, healing, or hope?) 3) Have you freely given? (What have you received that you can give?) 4) Who have you been sent two-by-two with? (It’s a team sport.)

Second City Church- Passion of the Christ Sermon Series 2013

Faith-Filled Hearts

Passion of the Christ: Faith-Filled Hearts

Matthew 9:18-34 (NIV)

18While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 22Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. 23When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region. 27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. 29Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. 32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." 34But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

As we've unpacked Matthew's biography of Jesus, we see that it has been organized thematically to highlight express emphases of Jesus' ministry. This segment has clearly shown that Jesus is passionate about reaching lost people who do not know Him and healing the broken through His supernatural power. As we continue with the narrative, Jesus is ministering from His base of operations in Capernaum, where we find that He takes multiple moments to emphasize His passion for faith-filled hearts. The Bible provokes us to understand that Jesus is ready to work miracles as we endeavor to understand Biblical faith, learn how to create atmospheres of faith, and position ourselves to allow Jesus to meet us according to our faith.

Understanding Faith

Because of the stresses of life, the changing economy, and the mortality of human beings, we will all hit walls in our lives where we will come to the end of ourselves. People generally turn to either despondency or faith when they reach the emotional limits of their time, talents, and reasoning.

“Life, as we find it, is too hard for us; it brings us too many pains, disappointments and impossible tasks. In order to bear it we cannot dispense with palliative measures... There are perhaps three such measures: powerful deflections, which cause us to make light of our misery; substitutive satisfactions, which diminish it; and intoxicating substances, which make us insensible to it.” ― Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents

At any point on your journey, you may find yourself like one of the four groups of people who encountered Jesus in need of a miracle:

-You may be like the man who came on behalf of his dead daughter - "I feel like something towards life inside of my family member or friend has just died - they've lost the will to live."

-Or the woman who came to Jesus by herself on behalf of herself - "I've gone to all of the best therapists, support groups, and doctors, but instead of getting better, it seems like I've gotten worse."

-You and a co-worker may be like the two blind men, possibly friends who came together - "We have no real direction in life. We don't know where we are going or why we even do the things we do each day."

-Or you may be like the friend who brought the demon-possessed man to the assembly - "My friend is literally oppressed in life. The trauma of life, seemingly otherworldly, has stolen their ability to connect with the world around them. It seems like they've lost both their voice and the capacity to relate to people in a healthy manner."

The good news is that Jesus is the living God who can meet us before, during, and after we hit these challenging times. When we see the people approaching Jesus, these are ultimately prayers synonymous to the manner in which we can relate to Him today. Imbedded in the encounters with Jesus was a recurring expectation of faith which moved the heart of God to intervene on behalf of those who would seek Him.

What is the faith to which Jesus responds?

Biblical faith is not just wishful thinking. Though believing in yourself or having a positive attitude is a far better posture than walking around hopeless, not every fantasy that we have, or even the hard work that springs from it, can produce a miracle.

Life in God is not reduced to motivational speaking. It is only the intervention of God that can restore sight to the blind, raise the dead, and even free us from our sins. Biblical faith is defined as trust - nothing more, nothing less. It means that you have believed not only in the testimony of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, but that you continue to entrust yourself to the person of Jesus as He works in and through your life today. This begins as we submit to obeying his commands and continues as we make relational requests as we walk with Jesus.

If you are going to pray, you have to know the disposition and character of the one to whom you are praying. In this manner, the woman with the issue of bleeding was able to take a stand of faith, and Jesus rewarded her resolve. To persist in prayer and accompanying action, we need to offer at least three answers to the troubling question:

What happens when we have faith for something and it does not happen?

1) It may be a matter of fully comprehending the big picture of God's will (Jesus at Gethsemane).

God's plan is always redemptive as we maintain the posture, "Not my will, by your will be done." i.e. - Could it be that in your years of singleness, God needed your undivided attention to form your character and have your devoted time for the greatest amount of Kingdom advance?

Atmospheres of Faith

Seeing as He Sees

“We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus' miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.” ― Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Our best decisions are never our first response decisions. We need to get before the face and in the counsel of God.

Nothing creates an atmosphere of faith more than a functioning discipline of worship and prayer. It is here that you are not limited to your immediate and limited assessment of a relationship, financial state, or area of health, which more often than not is negative. Instead, prayer brings you into the counsel of Jesus by first discovering the will of God through His Word.

You will always have people around who are "professional wailers," those who are ready to mourn over why things are the way that they are. These are the people who will mock and laugh when you say that God can work a miracle in your situation. They laughed at Jesus before He raised the dead girl, but Jesus put them out of the room to create an atmosphere of faith. Whose voice do you need to sequester in your life because it does not align with God's written word of hope that He is offering you?

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1:1-6 NIV)

What happens when we have faith for something and it does not happen?

2) It may be a matter of repentance from sin so that you might not gain the desired thing but lose your soul.

The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. (Proverbs 15:8 NIV)

We only have so much emotional energy and space, so much time in a day. The things of God take focus and investment if they are going to be a completed work. (Rollan referenced the half-completed structures throughout the city as an example.)

The sin of coveting can steal the focus necessary to have a transforming faith.

Some of us need to disassociate with those who are dragging us down in sin. If they're not willing to come now, put them out of the room for a while until you have life and strength enough to be a witness to them. This is what the parents did. They didn't get rid of the family members and wailers forever, but they did have to create an atmosphere to strengthen their trust in Jesus to see their daughter raised from the dead. Practically, bar hopping may not be the after hour activity of choice for a while.

According to Your Faith

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness." - Martin Luther

What happens when we have faith for something and it does not happen?

3) It may be a matter of timing (i.e. the blind men and Joseph in Genesis 37-50).

Faith can be a process, as we see with the two blind men who did not get immediate answers. The result of faith is not a determination of how spiritual or not you are, it is rather a matter of the privileged decision and intervention of a loving Father who works out all things for the good of those who love Him. Some healings come immediately. Some come gradually. Christian counseling can be a fantastic way to have the Word of God appropriately applied to wounded areas, allowing us to unravel knotted emotions, relieve trauma, and apply the balm of right thinking. God has also obviously allowed medicine to provide relief from pain, help balance body chemistry, and treat symptoms. We always want to allow God to work through the various means that He will to bring us to a place of health and peace, while avoiding addictions that will strip them from us.

We go to either one extreme or the other: We either reduce our faith to a self-help program without real relationship with Christ, or we try to make it an independent study where we forsake the process of healing which includes other relationships in the church. Make sure they are the right relationships.

There are periods when it seems that Jesus is not answering, like the blind men who had no word from Jesus until He went indoors.

During that time of perceived silence, our speech needs to come in alignment with the word of God.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:17 NIV)

From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. (Proverbs 12:14 NIV)

You can only imagine that the two blind men were reminding each other of how Jesus had healed others as they continued to follow Him in his silence, into the house. The persistence of their faith allowed them to gain an audience with Jesus and be healed. In the case of the mute who was delivered, the religious pundits proceed to give their opinion.

And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” (Matthew 9:33, 34 NIV)

Once again, it was the religious Pharisees, with their lack of exposure to and understanding of the spiritual realm, who began to denounce Jesus and call the very work of God something as having its origins in the devil. The same happens today and we must beware.

Take note that this was the ruler coming on behalf of the dead daughter, yet Jesus chose to resurrect the daughter. There is no mention of the daughter's request, the one who actually needed the resuscitation. This is a clear picture of our intercession which is expressed through prayers and ministry of the Word of God to others. Jesus is good to respond and work with you in the midst of your faith for another person. That faith can be used by Jesus to prepare the way for God's healing when your loved one does not have faith for himself or herself. In the other instances the people had faith of their own. In either case, we need to pray with tireless faith, giving Jesus the opportunity to move, and do so with community who will hold us up until we see the goodness of God.

“The great people of the earth today are the people who pray! I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor those who explain prayer; but I mean those who actually take the time to pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. That something else is important, very important and pressing, but still, less important and pressing than prayer. There are people who put prayer first, and group the other items in life's schedule around and after prayer. These are the people today who are doing the most for God in winning souls, in solving problems, in awakening churches, in supplying both men and money for mission posts, in keeping fresh and strong their lives far off in sacrificial service on the foreign field, where the thickest fighting is going on, and in keeping the old earth sweet a little while longer.” -S.D. Gordon

Practically:

1) Identify which areas of life you need to take a stand of faith to see Jesus work a miracle on behalf of yourself or another. 2) Find a way to replace the professional wailers with a community that will create atmospheres of faith for your miracle. 3) Establish a consistent time of meditation on God's Word and prayer so that Jesus can grow and meet you according to your faith.

Second City Church- Passion of the Christ Sermon Series 2013

Hungry Hearts

The Passion of the Christ: Hungry Hearts

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8 NIV)

As Jesus looked to validate the fact that He was the God incarnate Messiah, the Savior of the world, he made sure to mark His ministry with the miraculous. As he lives today, He is still in the miracle working business. Whether it be through a restored body or a transformed heart, Jesus is passionate to have us taste and see that the God of the universe is in fact good. To experience this goodness we must have a hunger for change, desire to dine with God, and determine when to eat or not to eat.

Hunger for Change

Matthew 9:1-8 (NIV)

1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7Then the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

All of us in this life have dealt with the consequences of living in a fallen world. Different forms of struggle are a natural product of this which Jesus makes clear are not always the result of an individual's personal faults. In many cases the challenges that we face are are the product of another's sin, like infidelity, neglect, or abuse. There are also circumstances where lives have been forever altered by situations like the bombings that recently took place in Boston.

Though being upwardly mobile in your education, career or station in life, the things that challenge us can turn into things that immobilize us on deeper levels, and will take the God of miracles to change.

Sin can paralyze us in multiple ways. For example:

In relationships, having seen things like broken marriages, we fear vulnerability to develop healthy relationships ourselves.

In pursuits, when finding worth in a godless measure of success, we limit our efforts because of a fear of failure.

In devotion to Christ, having seen hypocrisy, we emulate empty religion and never really walk with God.

In giving, having seen those to whom kindness has been shown be ungrateful or take advantage of us, we want to withhold our generosity.

Our own choices and sin can also be the root of our suffering.

A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord. (Proverbs 19:3 NIV)

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” ― Nelson Mandela

This desire for change is the type of response that Jesus commends and the one to which He responds in the case of the paralytic.

What are the obstacles to a hunger for change?

A critical attitude towards those aspiring to bring about change is one of the greatest deterrents to seeing God remain active in a person's life. It was the religious people who made it difficult for the paralytic to get to Jesus (Luke 5), the Pharisees coming to judge and criticize rather than to help. They were more concerned about trying to catch Jesus in something that He said than the man's well being.

(This was my experience with a religious man last weekend who wanted to spend more time grilling me about what I thought about the Bible than helping me pass them out to those who needed them.)

The same is many times true for the irreligious. As we discussed last week, in the midst of the Gentile community where the demoniacs were healed, the people were more concerned about the income stream that they lost in the pigs rather than the men who were placed in their right minds.

Jesus, however, was passionate when He saw the faith of the friends. We should all have friends that will help us get to the feet of Jesus. This friendship wasn't instantaneous. It had more than likely developed over the course of time to the extent that the friends were willing to go to great lengths and take great risks for the immobile man. This is what your church community is to provide.

Dining with God

Matthew 9:9-13 (NIV)

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus works physical miracles today, but the greatest miracle is that of a truly transformed heart as someone chooses to leave a life of sin to follow Jesus. Jesus showed His passion for this in His very first miracle changing water into wine (John 2). It would be a seemingly insignificant display of power, except for the fact that He was demonstrating His ability to change the very inward composition of an individual, like that of the wine.

“Ought we not to look upon our own history as being at least as full of God, as full of His goodness and of His truth, as much a proof of His faithfulness and veracity, as the lives of any of the saints who have gone before? We do our Lord an injustice when we suppose that He wrought all His mighty acts, and showed Himself strong for those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders or lay bare His arm for the saints who are now upon the earth.” ― Charles H. Spurgeon

In this case we see the doctrine of election working as Matthew does not come looking for God, but God comes looking for him. Jesus approaches the rich, influential, despised man in love, calling him to leave his life and occupation of sin. (Pastor Rollan spoke regarding tax collectors in Jesus' day.)

It can not be overlooked that Matthew here made a career choice to follow Jesus. What we can learn is that our course can change when Jesus is calling us. Dining with God today means that we can practically hear His voice through the Word, prayer, and godly counsel. To keep in step with God, we need to build our lives around the eternal thing that we see Jesus doing in our lives through the community of faith to which he's called us, not just in response to the latest, coolest opportunity that we have.

How does our change affect our relationships?

In reconciling the hated tax collector to Himself, Jesus also reconciles Matthew to the people of God. He becomes one of Jesus' prominent disciples amidst men like Peter, James, and John, who He more than likely used to exploit. Matthew also immediately recognizes that if Jesus is passionate about him, He is also passionate about those who know Matthew, so he throws a party. In essence, he begins a community group for others to meet Jesus.

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31, 32 NIV)

At the party, Jesus validates this effort when He says, to the surprise of the religious, that the very reason He came is to call those who do not follow God and the sick to repentance and health. We have all been a part of a lifestyle separate from the life of God and know others who now are. How can we, following Matthew's example, help bring them back? Organizing parties where individuals can connect with the people of God is a fantastic way to introduce people to the life and person of Christ.

The Jewish culture was rich in celebrations that commemorated God's goodness and allowed the people to spend concentrated time with one other building community resulting in greater worship of God. Our outings, fun gatherings, and meals should do the same.

To Eat or Not To Eat

Matthew 9:14-17 (NIV)

14Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

As we throw these reconciling parties like Matthew, Jesus shows us that we can and should prepare the way for His work with fasting.

Fasting is not:

1) Dieting - It is not the god-ordained way to get your bikini body for the summer.

2) A Requirement for your Salvation - It does not put you in a better standing before God. Only Jesus' shed blood makes us clean before God.

3) A Command - God will at times call His people to fast, but Jesus relates to it here more like a free will offering as you desire to go deeper in God or express your desperation to see him move.

Fasting is:

1) A Manner in Which We Humble Ourselves Before God - It is here that we acknowledge our own limitations and express our need for God to move on our behalf or on behalf of others.

2) A Sanctifying Agent - Combined with prayer, the focus of this time prepares a new wine skin in our hearts that allows us to have clarity of direction and grace for greater responsibilities.

3) A Sacrifice -

“Seven Deadly Sins"

Wealth without work

Pleasure without conscience

Science without humanity

Knowledge without character

Politics without principle

Commerce without morality

Worship without sacrifice."

― Mahatma Gandhi

Sacrifice is what Jesus clearly exemplified giving us 100% of Himself. It is self-denial that breaks the strangle hold that greed and our daily felt needs have over us. It helps to put things in their proper order and place. This is from whence the practice of Lent comes, but was never meant to be limited to that season.

Jesus fasted in the desert before the start of his earthly ministry to return in the power of the Holy Spirit to be a miracle worker on behalf of the people (Luke 4). As we change the way we offer the practical sacrifices of our time, talent, and treasure to build the Kingdom of God, we will be set free in our own hearts to see Jesus release His passion and power in the same manner today.

Practically:

1) Identify the areas of paralysis in your life and develop friendships that can help bring you to the feet of Jesus to experience the miraculous. 2) Throw a Matthew party with some friends with the goal of building relationships that will introduce people to Jesus. 3) Ask how you can sacrifice to bring breakthrough in the spiritual community in which you find yourself.

Second City Church- Passion of the Christ Sermon Series 2013