Are You All In?

Have you read Acts 5:17-42? If you haven’t, read it real fast!

Waiting…

Waiting…

This is not one of the famous passages of Acts. This isn’t Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41), The Fellowship of Believers (Acts 2:42-47; 3:32-37), Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11), The Stoning of Stephen (7:54-60), Conversion of Saul (9:1-31), or any of the other passages that some of us were taught in Sunday School. This passage flies under the radar. This passage doesn’t have any miracles, martyrs, or conversions.

Yet this passage has three things that we could all learn to adopt: purpose, endurance, and wisdom.

First, how awesome is the resolve of these apostles? They have been given a purpose: Preach the Good News (aka the Gospel) of Jesus Christ! Nothing is stopping these apostles from preaching this good news! Getting mocked by their culture? Doesn’t stop them. Getting thrown in jail? Doesn’t stop them. Getting beaten multiple times? Nope, still going to share the good news.

They are united in the purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, no matter the cost. Their endurance is unbelievable! Who in their right mind would keep preaching a message of love and hope if they are just going to get mocked, beaten, and thrown in prison? I’ll tell you who: people who have made Jesus their #1 priority.

Have you ever tried to train for something big? A marathon or ½ marathon? A huge certification test? Being a part of a sports team? I swam the 5k and 10k in the Gulf of Mexico in 2004. They took 2 hours and 4 hours, respectively.

My taste buds couldn’t get the salt taste out for a week.

If you have ever done something big you were proud of it wasn’t because you flippantly achieved it one day. It was probably something you worked hard for over a period of time. Swimming the 10k in the Gulf was the hardest physical endurance test I have ever tried to do. It is the one thing I brag about to this day (ß can’t you tell?). I brag about it because I went to hundreds of swim practices that shaped me to be able to complete that event. I worked hard to be able to achieve this. I was determined and that is what helped get me through so many practices that consisted of swimming back and forth in a swimming pool for hours. It was boring, it hurt, and I had to wear a Speedo.

I would never have completed this task if I wasn’t completely committed to the outcome at the end. In the same way, the apostle have a life purpose that made their trials worth it. They knew the outcome was greater than the cost. Can I say the same for my race of faith?

The last thing I loved in this passage is how the leader of the enemy of the Christians presents the greatest wisdom of the passage: if God is against it, it will fail; if God is for it, it will succeed.

Even though this came out of Gamaliel’s mouth, an enemy of early Christians, he gives the test of why this Christian race is from God. Gamaliel points out two other movements where the odds were completely against them and they subsequently failed and it burned out. He seems to then say, “The odds are so against this Jesus movement, that we can just let it burn out. Their leader Jesus, is already dead.”

Yet this Jesus Movement didn’t die out. It actually became the most powerful movement the world has ever seen.

Do you believe that God is behind you? Do you believe in this purpose? Do you believe in this Jesus Movement enough to make it your first priority over everything else you do? In the end, this movement will be proved true by two things: 1) Is God behind it? 2) Are you all in?

-Alex Berger, High School Pastor

Utmost Respect

When you read through Job 40 you don’t get quite the response from God that maybe you would expect.  Today in the American church we oftentimes forget that while God is loving and patient and forgiving (all the things we like most about God right???) he also demands our utmost respect and many times throughout scripture our fear.
Check out Revelation 14: 6-7   

   Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.   He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
 
   “Fear God, give him glory and …worship him.”

Job’s response to all of this is a response of unworthiness and a realization that he maybe went too far in his words.  God continued to run through the list of things he created as if to say, “Trust me I got it remember you place.”

For us a great thing to consider is how are we approaching God amidst the trials?  Do we end our complaining / justification in worship?  Did we remember our place in the big scheme of things?

Sheldon – Jr High Youth Pastor and disc golf guru

 

 

Broken Praise

              This last Sunday we covered the story of Job in our “The Story Leftovers” summer sermon series.  I was glad our sermon team selected Job because his story is so invaluable in understanding human suffering – and specifically when suffering comes to the righteous.  Our worship team worked hard to present this really great song about Job from the album Music Inspired by The Story called Broken Praise.  If you missed it or would like to see it again, you can view the video and song here - http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/34529/Broken-Praise-The-Story

                Two things struck me today about Job and the subject of the righteous suffering.

                First, God really does see and care very much about His righteous people suffering – even when He seems to be silent.  God heard the innocent cry of Abel when his brother Cain murdered him (Genesis 4:10).  God was with Joseph in slavery and prison and guided his life all along (Genesis 39:23).  God heard the cries of His people Israel  in slavery in Egypt (Exodus 4:31).  When Saul persecuted the early church, Jesus spoke to Saul in blinding light and told him, “Why do you persecute me?”  Jesus took very personally the persecution of his followers (Acts 9:4).  In Revelation 6:9-11, we read that the souls of those slain because of the word of God and the testimony they maintained cry out to God, and that He hears them and waits to bring judgment.  So even when we feel God is silent, God hears.  God sees.  God cares very much about the suffering of His righteous ones.

                Second, when we suffer for righteousness or for no fault of our own, we are like our Master.  Jesus never sinned yet bore the weight of every sin.  Jesus deserved no punishment but paid the punishment of us all.  When we suffer for doing right, we follow in the footsteps of our Savior.  Saul the former persecutor of Christ became Paul the persecuted for Christ, and he wrote in Philippians 3:10 that he wanted to know Christ so intimately so as to even share in His sufferings.  When we walk the way of suffering, we become more like Jesus and we come to know Him even more.  Would that we had the courage of Paul to pray such a prayer and the faithfulness of Job to stand true when we suffer !

  Jeremi, the older, shorter music guy 

Misfits to Mighty Men

As I began reading II Samuel 23 I couldn’t help but chuckle…they have a ‘girlie girl’ writing about David’s final words and comments concerning his rough, tough, sword swinging, neck breaking, mighty, fighting men! Anyone else find that a little humorous?

Well, regardless of the fact that I’m about as opposite from these men as I possibly could be, there are several things that stand out to me in this chapter. The first being, the love and admiration that David possesses for these men that stood faithfully by his side. As you read it, aren’t you impressed that he makes the effort to name each man, along with giving great details about their heroic battles and feats? It is moving to me, not so much the blood and guts, but rather the respect and pride that radiates from David’s commentary. For example: 

·         Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword – now that’s fierce fighting!!

·         Shammah (as the Israelites fled) took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down – courage!!

·         Benaiah… struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. – talk about confidence and strength!

 

Following David’s tribute to the brave, he makes his list; name by name…not one would be left out or forgotten. Why would David go to such lengths to recognize these men? I can’t help but believe it’s because of their submission, obedience and love.

 So, let me ask you question…do you think these mighty men were always magnificent warriors? I Samuel 22 says; ‘So David got away and escaped to the Cave of Adullam. When his brothers and others associated with his family heard where he was, they came down and joined him. Not only that, but all who were down on their luck came around—losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts. David became their leader...’ (The Message) You might want to go back and re-read that…the men that came to David were down on their luck, losers, vagrants and misfits. Those are the men that he used to become his greatest defenders. They were the most unlikely resources and yet, they were used where they were, as they were, to become David’s most loyal and committed warriors. Their efforts earned them the benefit of having their names recorded in history.

Consider with me for a minute...do you ever feel like a misfit? Would you agree that at times you feel down on your luck, or more like a loser than a warrior? Do you ever read stories of great faith, and obedience and think, "I wish I could be like that?” The truth is that we too can be mighty men or women! While we may not be in a physical battle like David and his leaders were, we are in a spiritual war everyday. We are constantly battling an enemy that comes in many shapes and forms; fleshly sinful desires, selfishness, pride, unforgiveness, and greed. Many times the enemy comes looking for us and at other times we carelessly live our lives in the enemy's territory where we become easy prey. But regardless how it happens, it happens.

 So, how do we live not as misfits, but as mighty men and women? First, we must acknowledge who our commander is. David's men knew who was in charge. They looked to him for instruction, and wisdom. They recognized David's authority and yielded to his position. In the same way, must we acknowledge that God is God, the Commander and we are not. He is to be the Lord of our lives. We need to seek his counsel, trust his position and humbly bend to his authority!

 Secondly, we need not only acknowledge our Commander but we need to be obedient to Him as well. It wasn't just enough for David's men to hear the orders, they had to act upon them. Whether they understood or agreed with them, they realized it was their job to carry out their duties and instructions. Sometimes the convictions or instructions that God places on our hearts are not things we want to do. Many times it would be easier to ignore the pleas from the Holy Spirit, but mighty men and women understand that it is not their job to question the Commander it is only their job to obey.

 Finally, and most importantly, we need to love our Commander, the Lord God with all our heart! I believe that David's men loved him as their leader.  I believe their true willingness to acknowledge and obey David came from their heart. Their actions, whether it be following orders, standing guard, or fighting the enemy were not tasks to complete and check off their to do list but rather were a full representation of what was in their heart. I say this attribute is the most important factor in changing misfits to mighty men because I truly believe when we come to a place where we undeniably and unashamedly love God as we should it completely and utterly changes our heart. Changed hearts no longer struggle to have control but seek to offer full authority to God. Changed hearts long to be obedient in every aspect of life and not just where it feels or looks good but because they seek to honor their Lord. 

 Oh, and one final thing, mighty men and women are courageous. Real changes, heart changes take courage. Stay doing what you are currently doing...and you'll keep feeling like more like a misfit...start making some heart changes and God will transform an unlikely resource and into that of a mighty man or woman!!

 

- Christy Garison, Serve Minister

 

Multi-Faceted 2 Samuel 19

As we read through our passage today, many things have takenplace surrounding King David. In the previous chapter, his son Absalom was killed in battle. David mourns Absalom’s death and ignores his troop’s hard fought battle. Joab, one of David’s commanders rebukes David for slighting them. David relents and goes to encourage his troops. Later as David makes his return to Jerusalem, he is approached by Shemei, a man who cursed David two chapters previous. David forgives him. Next David is approached by Mephibosheth who is also asking for mercy because of an earlier incident involving the king. David is merciful. And finally, before crossing the Jordan, he is approached by Barzillai, A wealthy man who had helped David by providing for him while he was away from Jerusalem. David wanted to show Barzillai appreciation for the help he had provided by inviting him to stay with him and allow David to return the favor.

So, what do we see in all this, besides the fact that people in those days had names that were hard to pronounce? We see a multi-faceted display of a Godly king; a man whom God referred to as “A man after my own heart.” So what is so special about David’s life? First of all he was a human being. What I mean by that is even though Absalom wanted David dead, David still mourned his death. Regret? Perhaps, but regardless, we see a soft side in David’s reaction to his son’s death. Next we see approachability; Joab went before the king to inform him that the morale of the troops was down because of David’s actions. David was gracious; Even though what Shemei did was punishable by death, the king spared his life. WithMephibosheth, he showed compassion, forgiveness and fairness.Mephibosheth was not only from ex-king Saul’s family, he was crippled. No one in that day would have thought different of David if he simply allowed Saul’s kin to die. But not only did he take him in, he also spared him when there was a dispute.Finally he shows great appreciation for the service of Barzillai, a man who stood by him when he needed it most.

So what can we take away from all this? (Besides the fact that there was once a time when politicians were honest and fair?)David was a great role model for any of us today. How he handled these situations showed great self control and grit. Something we desperately need in our lives as followers of Christ. Many times it’s easy to read over these Old Testament stories and miss some amazing character traits in the lives of those who lived, But God chose the right people to tell his story; were they flawed? You bet! But we see proof that God uses the flawed to achieve his perfect will. (Yes, even you!)

Take some time today and ask God to give you that same kind of strength; ask him to make you into a multi-faceted masterpiece of love, grace and mercy.

Blessings,

Jimmy Garison, Family Care Pastor

All In The Family

I am not sure what your family is like but there are not many out there like David’s, he has one messed up family. Today we are reading about the return of Absalom to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 14 – Absalom (David’s son) ran away after he killed his brother because his brother raped his sister… seriously messed up. I know it’s weird but I am really glad this story is in the Bible. I am not glad that it happened but I am glad that it is a part of God’s word. I am glad because it gives me hope that no one, no family, is too far from God to be saved – no one is too messed up.

My own family has a history of sin that is hard to understand – thankfully my brother and I are the first generation that did not suffer the same sin as the one before. It is hard to see how God will make things right sometimes, how He can forgive and bring us to a place of forgiveness after terrible things have happened around us and to us.

This story of Absalom is terrible and what happened to Tamar is unspeakable but the grace and mercy that is shown to Absalom regardless of whether he or his brother deserved it is humbling. At the end of the chapter, David and Absalom are brought back together and it closes with a moment of reconciliation.

I think this is a message so many of us need to hear, there can be reconciliation. Even when it seems impossible, even when it is impossible – God can bring reconciliation. That doesn’t mean that what happened was ok, that doesn’t mean that it was right or that it needs to just be forgotten but reconciliation can happen. I don’t know how and I know that it won’t be easy but I know that God knows and I trust Him.

If you are reading this and are in need of reconciliation – whether it’s between you and another person or between you and God, I pray that you will hear that nothing is impossible with God. I am so glad to serve a God that is big enough to use people like me that don’t have all the answers, I am so glad that when things don’t make sense I don’t have to have the answers before it can be made right. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

- Vicki Sommerwerck, Youth/Missions Minister

Do You Have a Nathan?

2 Samuel 12 is a great story about the need to confront bad behavior.  

In chapter 11 we read the well-known story of David’s adultery with Bathsheba, his attempted cover up of the pregnancy and the subsequent murder of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite.  

But how do you confront a King?  He’s the most powerful guy in the nation and he could have your head for stepping out of line! 

The prophet Nathan had chutzpah… the courage to tell David that he had really blown it… that the things he “had done displeased the LORD.”  (See 2 Samuel 11:27)  But Nathan takes a very interesting approach in this confrontation.  He tells David a fable about a cute little lamb. 

Stories about cute, innocent animals can really get to us.  The images are extremely powerful.  And the thought of animals being abused can be even more disheartening.  When my wife Gina and I are watching television and that commercial comes on for the ASPCA with Sara McLachlan singing that freakishly haunting song in the background, “In the arms of an angel…”, Gina will get up and walk out of the room.  It’s brutal.

It’s a simple story.  A poor man has a little lamb and he loves and cares for this lamb like it is one of his children.  His rich neighbor, who has tons of cattle and sheep, has a friend come into town and he wants to throw a dinner party.  Instead of cutting something from his own massive herd he takes the little baby lamb of his poor neighbor and turns it into lamb chops for supper. 

David is furious.  He says, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!” 2 Samuel 12:5 

We have such a keen eye for spotting sin in the lives of others while completely ignoring the sin in our own.  Jesus used the analogy of how we can notice a tiny speck of dust in someone else’s eye while we ignore the gigantic log sticking out of our own.  (See Matthew 7:3-5)  That’s a good mental image!  It’s also a reminder that we need to really be careful as we approach others when confronting them about their bad behavior.  Self-examination is a must.

Nathan’s confrontation of David is just two words in the original Hebrew:  “It’s you!” 

David repents and Nathan makes an interesting statement: “The LORD has taken away your sin.” 2 Samuel 12:13b  The grace and forgiveness of God is a beautiful thing!  But… there are almost always lasting consequences to our sin.  He loses the son and David’s family, as we talked about this past Sunday, becomes a train wreck. 

But David continues to trust God… he continues to be a man after God’s heart and returns to the path and plan of God.  And this is because his friend Nathan had the guts to confront him. 

I’m very thankful for the people in my life who hold me accountable to the profession I have made to live like Christ.  My wife, who will gently address my less than appropriate attitude in bad traffic.  My minister friends who keep my head from getting too big because of any ministry success I might think may be the result of my leadership.  My close friends who constantly call me to live as a man of purity, integrity, and loyalty to Jesus. 

Do you have a Nathan?   Do you have the courage to be a Nathan?

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.  Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1-2 (NLT)

- David Garison, Preacher with a sweet goatee 

Perhaps...

The story of Jonathan and his armor bearer in I Samuel chapter 14 is one of my favorite Old Testament stories. Jonathan just cannot stand the fact that the enemies of God are in the Promised Land of God’s people. He is offended by the presence of the Philistines because their strongholds in Israel are a reminder of the Hebrews failure to faithfully follow God. God’s great name is being disrespected by heathens and Jonathan feels compelled to do something about it. He doesn’t want to sit around idly like his dad (lounging under a pomegranate tree), so he grabs his armor bearer and they march over to the nearest Philistine garrison which sits at the top of a cliff. When they get there, this is where you would figure that human self-preservation would kick in. They are looking up at a garrison full of enemy soldiers on top of a cliff. Jonathan and his armor bearer are all alone, outnumbered, and in a bad position. This is a “no win” situation. This is where most of us would say, “Hey, we tried. We came over here and made a show of our displeasure…now we’re gonna go back to the safety of our camp.” That’s what most sane people would do. But Jonathan is a man of faith…he is a man who loves God with every fiber of his being and cannot stand the way God’s chosen people in their chosen land have been corrupted by outside influence. He says to his friend, “Come let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. Perhaps the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” They don’t even try to sneak into the Philistine garrison. They show themselves to the enemy. They climb up the cliff hand over hand. They get to the top, probably exhausted from the climb…hands shaking…surrounded by foes…and they unleash a whirlwind of pain on the Philistines. Jonathan and his armor bearer strike down 20 men in hand t hand combat and the entire garrison flees in terror before them.

Interestingly enough, we actually talked about this passage when we were on our mission trip in Haiti a few weeks ago. The trip leader, Mike – the founder of CORELUV Intl., gave our group a challenge one evening based on story from I Samuel 14. I want to share his challenge with you. Go back in your bible and read what Jonathan said to his armor bearer in verse 6 (I also wrote it out in my paragraph above). Does anything stand out to you are particularly strange there (Besides the fact that two men want to take on an army by themselves)? One word really stands out to me – “perhaps.” Jonathan says, “Perhaps the Lord will work for us.” This simple statement is an incredible testament to the faith of Jonathan. He does not know for sure that God is going to bring him victory. He does not know what is going to happen when he gets to the top of that cliff. There is a good chance that he and his armor bearer are going to die, but regardless Jonathan knows that something needs to be done about the evil presence in Israel. No matter how this battle turns out…no matter what the outcome…Jonathan knows that he will stand for the Lord.

I meet people all the time who want to know God’s will for their lives. The answer is pretty simple. Love God. Love people. Make disciples. You do those things; you are definitely staying within God’s will! But that answer isn’t good enough for most – they want to know exactly what they are supposed to be doing. They want to know what it looks like specifically for them to love others…to love God…to serve in this world. They want details. They want dates. They want options. Unfortunately it doesn’t always work like that on this crazy journey we call faith. There are times when God will speak very specifically to us - through prayers, into our minds, through other people, etc. There will most likely be times in your life when what you are supposed to be doing with your life is crystal clear to you. Yet that is not always the case. Sometimes we don’t know what the next step in our journey looks like. Sometimes we are not told exactly how we are supposed to be serving the Lord. There is a beauty to that unknown future. There is this fearful wonder that spreads over us when we have to trust God without having all the answers…we have to move forward in faith without understanding the end game. That is what Jonathan was experiencing at the foot of that cliff. As he looked up at the overwhelming odds, I can imagine a crazy smile spreading across his face as he turns to his good friend and gives the comforting words, “Hey, let’s head on up and fight – maybe God will be with us!” He knew that if God wasn’t in that endeavor, it was doomed…and he still stepped out in faith.

Can you do the same? There are things in this world that are wrong – plain and simple. I was surrounded by wrongness for 11 days last month in Haiti…surrounded by beautiful children who were starving…surrounded by unique and amazing kids who have no families…surrounded by poverty, pain, struggle and helplessness. There are all kinds of things that exist in this world that need to be fought against. There are all kinds of things that should make us angry…that should drive us toward loving action as followers of Christ. Yet so many of us sit in neutral, because we feel like God has not told us specifically to do something. You don’t always get a memo from God on what you are supposed to be doing. Sometimes you just need to act. Sometimes you just need to say, “This is wrong…I am going to do something about it…and PERHAPS God will be with me.” Can you trust God like Jonathan did? Can you step out without knowing where the journey is going to end? Can you step out in faith knowing that you could fail? Knowing that if you fail, you will still trust that God is in control and you will move on to the next mission faithfully? Too many times, we sit back in fear and do not step out in faith and we wonder why God never does amazing things in our lives. It’s time to get upset about the twisted and wrong things that exist in this world. It’s time for us to get our hands dirty and to stand for the honor of God’s name in this world. PERHAPS the Lord will work through us…

- Brandon, the Long-haired Spiritual Formation Dude