A Family Affair

Pentecost +2b      June 10, 2012

1 Samuel 8:4-11 — Psalm 138 — 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 — Mark 3:20-35

Family Affair

v Testimonies

1. God does amazing things through small numbers

2. What does he want to do through us?

House Divided:

  KU & KState, Lakers & Anyone else, Texas & Texas A&M

v Family

Ø  Who is your family?

Ø  This passage invites those that are not blood

§  Into the family

Ø  This passage certainly doesn’t say “Focus on the Family

Ø  This passage doesn’t say turn your back on your family

§  Remember: Mother Mary was there at the Cross – John 19:25-27

Ø  Jesus here brings the family together

§  Not by nationality, blood type, or family tree

§  But by the commonality of doing the will of the FATHER

v Question is:

Ø  Who is your family?

§  Are family ties more important that God?

§  Are you wanting to wait till your parents die to serve? Luke 9:57-62

Ø  Who are your peeps?

§  Not a declaration of blood family, but of commonality.

§  A declaration of Nationality.

    

v Gideon

Ø  A few months ago my dad mentioned he was working through Judges & had just passed through chapter 7.

Ø  In Judges 6, we meet a man named Gideon.

§  Ch 6 says: “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites”.

§  He’s told by an angel of the Lord that he will lead an army against the Midianites

·        Gideon doesn’t believe it’s God.

¨      Asks for a sign… laying out a fleece

§  Ch 7:2 Lord says: you have too many men, I can’t deliever Midian into their hands, they’d boast against me

·        Any who are afraid, may trun and leave (22,000)

§  Ch 7:4 10,000 soldiers left – Lord says: still too many…

·        Separate those who lap like a dog from those w/hands

·        Keep those who lap with hands (now total of 300)

§  Ch 7:22 the men in the camp turned on themselves.

v The Big 12

Mark 3:13-19 Jesus calls the 12.

§  What happens after the calling of the 12?

§  What has happened throughout the last 2000+ yrs?

God took a small few, and did the AMAZING!

§  Through 12, God transformed Human History.

§  Through the 12, God’s story continues to you and me

§  It wasn’t through the most talented

§  It wasn’t through the most schooled

§  It was with a bunch of misfits, outcasts.

·        They didn’t make the original cut.

·        But God chose them

·        God called them

·        God partnered with them.

§  God is going to use them

¨      And in a mighty way!

v This passage from Mark 3 makes me think of the song we sang earlier:

Ø  Given by Church of the Beloved

          The first verse says: We may be little, insignificant in the eyes of this world, but when we realize that God has sent us to the world as blessed
our lives will multiply and grow to fill the needs of others. Our gift is not what we can do but who we are.

v We may be little. We may be insignificant in the eyes of the world

§  But God has sent us, and we will multiply & grow

¨      For our own needs?

Ø  To fill the needs of others!

v Are we a house divided?

§  Living: in relationship to God

§  Loving: God & others

§  Longing: to see others know God

Ø  “Forming Christ like disciples in the Beach Cities”

v Why these stories?

Ø  Why the story of Gideon and the Big 12?

§  We are a small congregation.

·        But when we are lead by God, we can do great things

·        But, we “believe” we are: chosen, called & partners with the divine!

v Are we a house divided?

§  Or through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT are we a house united?

Ø  What do WE want to do for God?

Ø  How do WE want to live?

§  Howe do WE want to impact this world?

v God told Gideon to pare down,

§  so it was seen as his work, not theirs.

v Jesus pulled a bunch of misfits, and flunkies.

v The Holy Spirit empowers us.

§  We are God’s ambassadors.

1. God does amazing things through small numbers

2. What does he want to do through us?

Communion Prayer

We come to the table today: not as individuals.

     But as the FAMILY OF GOD.

         

Holy Father who invites us, bless these cup and this bread that we are about the receive. May it be for us, the body and blood of your son, who gave of his life, that we might be called brother and sister. Grant that we, who are individualistic, might come together in Unity. May we be in unity of heart and spirit with one another and in unity with you the Holy Trinity. As we partake of Holy Communion, fill us; mold us into the powerful spirit filled family you desire us to be.

            Amen.

This is the FAMILY DINNER TABLE.     COME & DINE!

v Benediction: Ephesians 3:16-18

As you Go, May you be United, be of one Mind and do the will of God.  Go and Love!

Water & Spirit

Pentecost +1b      June 3, 2012

John 3:1-17           Romans 8:12-17

WATER & SPIRIT

When you think of Fiesta Hermosa

          What do you think of?

          What comes to mind?

What images/metaphors do you see in John 3:1-17?

          light vs dark

          flesh vs spirit

          creation

          new birth

John 3:5 I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

v Not only does Christ forgive us for past sins when we accept him as our savior, he also gives us a new life

§  a new life to live differently.

v Not only does Christ deal with the guilt of our sins,

§  he also deals with the root problem that causes us to sin.

v In Wesley, new birth is the beginning of the holy life, the beginning of sanctification.

v I wonder:

Ø  We all have physical parents.

§  Those who raised us

§  Those who fed us, supported, and nurtured us.

Ø  But who are your Spiritual parents?

§  Who’s your Spiritual Daddy?

§  Who’s your Spiritual Mommy?

v We must be Born AGAIN.

Ø  “Again” can be translated/understood: “Above”

§  John 3:6  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.       

§  We still need to grow!

§  We’re not “Mork” (from mork and mindy – who grows backwards, starts old)

Ø  When we are saved:

§  We are not immediately scholars

§  We’re not immediately able to “run the race”

Ø  When we are Saved,

Ø  When we are Sanctified,

§  We must Grow

§  We must take baby steps

§  We must train!

v What does it mean to be “born anew, of the spirit?”

Read Romans 8:12-17

          Shall we go on sinning?

Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,^[b] you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children^[c] of God.

        

Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

QUESTIONS:

§  Can we live a “perfect life?

§  Can we live a sinless life?

§  Were Adam & Eve designed to live a perfect life?

§  Was Jesus able to live a sinless life?

§  Why?

Water & Spirit

Ø  2^nd work of grace. (we call it sanctification)

Ø  Nicademas – believed in Christ.

§  He needed to be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT

§  He needed to be born anew.

Ø  I was raised in the church.

§  I knew church.

§  I lived church.

§  I knew God

§  I loved God

Ø  But growing up in the church isn’t enough.

§  I needed something more.

§  I needed to go to the next level.

§  Like Nicademous, I needed to be born of water & Spirit.

v You have been Justified – “saved”

    §  Have you been Sanctified?

    §  Have you been filled?

    §  Have you been born again?

    §  Have you been born from Above?

    §  Have you been born of water & Spirit?

                  

 Today, Christ is calling you to be born a new.

          You have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

          You can live a Spirit Filled, Spirit Led Life.

          You can live as God designed you to live.

Today Christ is calling you to grow in him.

          You no longer are bound to sin.

          You no longer have to eat baby food.

          You can eat solids.

          You can grow, in faith, hope, and love.

Today, Be Born of WATER & SPIRIT.

          Just as God created with Water & Spirit, so he is creating a new within you.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

          Be consumed with God.

                   Be Holy as the one who calls you is HOLY

1 Peter 1:15, 16, 23 Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Closing Prayer

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

As you Go, Be Born of the Spirit. Grow in the Spirit. Live in the Spirit.  Go and Love!

Pentecost 2012

Pentecost b          May 27, 2012

Genesis 11            Acts 2:1-21            John 15:26 – 16:15

Read the story of Tower of Babel: Jesus Story Bible

1.    Confusion & DisUnity: Tower of Babel

Ø  building a staircase

Ø  be close to God, appear as God

Ø  be seen by others

Ø  Purpose: Confusion & DisUnity.

§  people were doing things on their own

§  without God

§  God wanted them to be in relation with him.

§  People wanted to be in relation with God

§  but the people forgot to communicate with God

v Clarity & Unity: Acts 2

1)   History of Pentecost - "Fiftieth Day"

·        Jewish holiday (which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus.)

·        Mt Sinai - Giving of the Law

Ø  Burning Bush - God spoke to Moses...

2         2)   Purpose: Clarity & Unity

·        "Tongues" in the Bible means: an instrument of speaking or a human language that communicates.

·        "Speaking in Tongues" or "neo-Pentecostal tongue" is a modern day practice of speaking in meaningless ecstatic (emotional - ecstasy) utterances, which do not constituted communication.

·        "Unknown tongues" are also understood as meaningless ecstatic utterances.

·        The modern day movement of "speaking in tongues: started in 1901

-      1 Corinthians 14:10-19 ("how can they join you, if they don't know what you're saying")

-      God is not a God of disorder. 1 Cor 14:33

3         3)   Among Christians, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the twelve apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Acts of the Apostles 2:1-31.

·        For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as the "Birthday of the Church."

v Evidence of the Holy Spirit

Ø  Speaking in Tongues

Ø  Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23

"²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

r        Ø  Participation: 2 Peter 1:3-8 (vs 4 = Participation)

a.    no longer dispersed.

b.    no longer fighting on our own.

c.    no longer the "Lone Star" the Maverick...

         Ø  Pentecost, The Holy Spirit has come.

·        the helper, the comforter, the counselor

4) Holy Spirit has come: 

v Pentecost is God's answer to the problem of confusion and disunity.

v Pentecost seeks to bring unity.

v The baptism of the Holy Spirit - extends the boundaries

§  includes the Greeks, the gentiles, the Ethiopian Eunuch

v At Pentecost, heaven humbly descended to man in the third person of the Trinity, reconciling the irreconcilable.

v God's answer to Babel was the birth of the church

v At Babel, the languages were confused; at Pentecost, the languages were understood.

v At Babel, the people were dispersed;

§  at Pentecost, united

v While Babel depicts earth's divided nations, Pentecost brings all peoples together as one people of God!

v The old humanity with Adam as its head, has now been superseded by the new humanity with Christ as its Head.

v At Pentecost, Jesus replaced what Adam erased. The ecstasy of community has been restored, and the Trinity rejoices.

        

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

As you Go, May you be filled with the Holy Spirit, Sanctified through and through.Go and Love!