“If you’ve got it, flaunt it!” Typically, this expression means: If you have a great body, don’t hide it under modest attire. Show yourself off for the world to see. If you have a brilliant mind, don’t be humble and unassuming. Expose the genius within. If you have money, spend it so that people know you’re loaded. My favorite is, “If you are going to make a scene, be seen.”
It seems that many Christians assume that this expression is valid in the spiritual realm. It’s common for Christians to brag about how much they give, how much they pray, how much they serve, and how spiritual they are.
So what does it mean to give to the church? We hear complaints from Christians and church members who say, “Churches today only care about money.” “There is too much abuse and misuse of church funds. Why should I give?” “How do I know the money will go to a good cause?”
First and foremost giving means we are giving to God alone. Not to the church and not to the pastor. In fact, the Bible teaches us to give for our own good and for our own blessing, from a cheerful heart. The Bible also says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
Everything we own and everything we have comes from God. So, when we give, we simply offer him a small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us. Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God. It comes from a heart of worship that recognizes that everything we give already belongs to the Lord. God instructed Old Testament believers to give a tithe, or a tenth, because this ten percent represented the first or most important portion of all they had. The New Testament does not suggest a certain percentage for giving, but simply says for each to give “in keeping with his income.”
We are blessed when we give. Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). God wants us to give because he knows how blessed we will be as we give generously to him and to others. Giving is an act commanded by God; it brings more blessing to the giver than to the recipient.
In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks of ways that enable us to give in the right way.
Give without fanfare (6:1–4). Jesus urges you and I to give with pure motives that please God. Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” The word, “beware,” always warns of danger ahead. Jesus warns you to beware of seeking to impress people. He doesn’t say that you can’t be impressive. Jesus focuses on the topic of financial giving. He says in 6:2, “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” Jesus also says “when” you give. The word, “when,” is a key word throughout this entire passage. Jesus does not say, “if,” but, “when.” Jesus says in verses 3 and 4, “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Don’t give with your right hand while you wave your left hand in the air. Instead, just drop your check in the offering or send it in the mail, without drawing attention to yourself. Fold the check. Keep the envelope sealed. Give in a spirit of humility and simplicity, as an act of worship. Try giving anonymously sometimes, even if it means that you do not receive a tax deduction. “So that our giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
There is a story of Billy Graham, when he was first in the ministry and he and his wife Ruth were struggling to keep afloat. Billy and Ruth went to church and Billy had a 5-dollar bill and a 10-dollar bill in his pocket. The 5 was for the offering and the 10 was for them to live on for the week. During the service, Billy grabbed the wrong bill by mistake and placed the 10 in the plate. The story goes on to say that when he got home and told Ruth of his mistake, she said to him, “God only gave you credit for the 5 anyway.” God sees our intent not our actions. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” This is a truly amazing assertion. Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, and merry givers.
Is there joy in your heart as you give? Can you truly be characterized as a “cheerful giver”?
Showing posts with label Rick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
“But God Said”, A Closer Look by Rick Sons
When you think about this statement many things come to mind. As we read the Scriptures we find many different things that God has said. Each of us has encountered situations where we just felt like throwing in the towel. We felt like the whole world was against us. We felt like no matter what we did things would turn out bad. We’ve often said to ourselves, “No matter what I do things still won’t change.” Or we feel that we have gotten so far down that there is nothing that can bring us back up.
God’s Word is filled with promises to provide and deliver. The Bible is the ultimate source for truth and God is faithful to fulfill all His promises. At the very beginning of Scripture, God is speaking: “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)
God speaks to us throughout the Scriptures:
The book of Isaiah shares many encouraging things God said. One example: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
The Scripture has authority because God has all authority. Because God is the author of all Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), Scripture is authoritative. It is said that God Himself breathed out Scripture (using human instruments, 2 Peter 1:21) so it can be trusted to be His Word. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
Many times Satan whispers in our ear and tells us we are not worthy to be loved by God.
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Satan says, such were some of you.
But God said, you are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God!
Satan says, you can’t make it on your own.
But God said, if I am for you I am more than the world against you!
Satan says, hold on to all your problems for no one can help you.
But God said, cast all your cares on me for I care for you!
Satan says, take the easy way out.
But God said, the race is not given to the swift of to the strong but to the one that endures until the end!
Satan says that your enemies have you surrounded so come out with your hands up.
But God said, I’ll make your enemies your footstool!
Satan says, sickness will follow you.
But God said, by His stripes we are healed!
Satan says, I will make you a slave to sin.
But God said, for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son!
Satan says, I’ll take your Son and hold Him in the grave.
But God said, after three days I will rise again!
Satan says, I’ve got Him now.
But God said, death where is your sting, grave where is your victory?
Do not listen to the lying words of our enemy Satan! We need to see that God has the final word! We need to see things from the Father’s perspective and turn our ear and hear, “But God said.”
Satan says defeat.
But God said victory!
Satan says disease.
But God said healing!
Satan says hate.
But God said love!
Satan says destruction.
But God said restoration!
Satan says division.
But God said unity!
Satan says abandonment.
But God said redemption!
We might think that we have it all figured out! We might think that we know what is best!
But God said, He has a plan for every life and all we have to do is seek after His will!
God’s Word is filled with promises to provide and deliver. The Bible is the ultimate source for truth and God is faithful to fulfill all His promises. At the very beginning of Scripture, God is speaking: “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)
God speaks to us throughout the Scriptures:
- To the sad, God said: “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
- To the troubled, God said: “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.” (Psalm 34:19)
- To the sick, God said: “The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.” (Psalm 41:3)
- To the sinner, God said: “My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
The book of Isaiah shares many encouraging things God said. One example: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
The Scripture has authority because God has all authority. Because God is the author of all Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), Scripture is authoritative. It is said that God Himself breathed out Scripture (using human instruments, 2 Peter 1:21) so it can be trusted to be His Word. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
Many times Satan whispers in our ear and tells us we are not worthy to be loved by God.
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Satan says, such were some of you.
But God said, you are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God!
Satan says, you can’t make it on your own.
But God said, if I am for you I am more than the world against you!
Satan says, hold on to all your problems for no one can help you.
But God said, cast all your cares on me for I care for you!
Satan says, take the easy way out.
But God said, the race is not given to the swift of to the strong but to the one that endures until the end!
Satan says that your enemies have you surrounded so come out with your hands up.
But God said, I’ll make your enemies your footstool!
Satan says, sickness will follow you.
But God said, by His stripes we are healed!
Satan says, I will make you a slave to sin.
But God said, for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son!
Satan says, I’ll take your Son and hold Him in the grave.
But God said, after three days I will rise again!
Satan says, I’ve got Him now.
But God said, death where is your sting, grave where is your victory?
Do not listen to the lying words of our enemy Satan! We need to see that God has the final word! We need to see things from the Father’s perspective and turn our ear and hear, “But God said.”
Satan says defeat.
But God said victory!
Satan says disease.
But God said healing!
Satan says hate.
But God said love!
Satan says destruction.
But God said restoration!
Satan says division.
But God said unity!
Satan says abandonment.
But God said redemption!
We might think that we have it all figured out! We might think that we know what is best!
But God said, He has a plan for every life and all we have to do is seek after His will!
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
"Isaiah 6", A Closer Look by Rick Sons
Isaiah’s Vision of the Lord
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
God is always looking for faithful men and women that He can support and empower to accomplish His will and purposes on this earth. For some, the call may be to foreign missions or to the ministry but most of us will be called to be ministers of the gospel even though our career paths might look much different. As Andy can tell you, several years ago becoming a deacon or minister was not high on my list of priorities. Nor would the thought of me going Kenya to speak to possibly 100 pastors be an option. God is looking for people whom He can support to build His kingdom. Sometimes we must let ourselves be found.
If you take time to think about it, there is nothing particularly extraordinary about faithful men like Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, at least in and of themselves. In the book of James, James makes it clear when he says, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” He was human just like we are with faults, weaknesses, and temptations. Yet he, like many other men and women, was faithful to do what God asked him to do.
In the above scripture we have seen Isaiah’s vision of what God and heaven is like. Notice in the beginning, God has not spoken to Isaiah. He has only showed him. Then God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” The Us clearly refers to all: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
See God upon his throne and that throne high and lifted up, not only above other thrones as it transcends them, but over other thrones as it rules and commands them. Isaiah saw not Jehovah (the essence of God which no man has or can see), but Adonai, His dominion. He saw the Lord Jesus. This vision is explained in John 12:41. John says that Isaiah saw Christ’s glory and spoke of Him, which is an incontestable proof of the divinity of our Savior. It appears evident from this passage that the glory which the prophet saw was the glory of Jehovah. By saying that it was the glory of Jesus, John shows that he considered Jesus to be Jehovah.
Isaiah saw holy angels called seraphim; for He makes his ministers a flaming fire (Psalm 104:4). They burn in love to God and zeal for His glory. Hearing them sing praise to God. Hear the anthem, or song of praise, which the angels sing to the honor of him that sits on the throne, how this song was sung. With zeal and fervency they cried aloud. In Isaiah 6 we see the vision of the awesome majesty and holiness of God presented. Isaiah had to have been moved by the wonders he was seeing just as we will be when we see God and heaven for the first time and bask in the glory. With this knowledge of the glories of God, Isaiah had to have been filled with wonders maybe just as Moses was on the mountain.
With this question asked by God, Isaiah’s only reasonable answer was to volunteer himself. After all, there was no one else standing there at the time. In Isaiah 6:8 he says, “Here I am. Send me.” Interestingly, God didn’t force Isaiah to volunteer. He merely asked if there was any who would go and Isaiah said, “I’m available. I’ll go.” God doesn’t force us to serve but He works in our hearts so that we desire to volunteer for Him. Deep down I think it is safe to say that every one of us want to do as God asks us to do.
In Sunday School last week, we discussed the change in our church over the past few years. Our church has always supported missions and we have had several go and work with others in different states and countries. But the mission to spread the Word locally has fallen short. Too often, we wait for someone else to share the gospel with a loved one because we don’t want to stir the waters. Sometimes we expect our pastor or our deacon to do all of the ministry things while we just show up and support him.
God wants us to have willing hearts and not pass off our responsibilities to someone else. God has created good works for us to do, and it is our responsibility to do them. We will not be judged one day by what our pastor has done or by what other people do but by what we do. We will give an account for ourselves.
Isaiah, an ordinary man, was willing to obey God and step out in faith to let God do extraordinary things through him. Let us pray that we would come to see the value of God’s mission (as Isaiah did) and say with Isaiah, “Here I am. Send me.”
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
God is always looking for faithful men and women that He can support and empower to accomplish His will and purposes on this earth. For some, the call may be to foreign missions or to the ministry but most of us will be called to be ministers of the gospel even though our career paths might look much different. As Andy can tell you, several years ago becoming a deacon or minister was not high on my list of priorities. Nor would the thought of me going Kenya to speak to possibly 100 pastors be an option. God is looking for people whom He can support to build His kingdom. Sometimes we must let ourselves be found.
If you take time to think about it, there is nothing particularly extraordinary about faithful men like Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, at least in and of themselves. In the book of James, James makes it clear when he says, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” He was human just like we are with faults, weaknesses, and temptations. Yet he, like many other men and women, was faithful to do what God asked him to do.
In the above scripture we have seen Isaiah’s vision of what God and heaven is like. Notice in the beginning, God has not spoken to Isaiah. He has only showed him. Then God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” The Us clearly refers to all: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
See God upon his throne and that throne high and lifted up, not only above other thrones as it transcends them, but over other thrones as it rules and commands them. Isaiah saw not Jehovah (the essence of God which no man has or can see), but Adonai, His dominion. He saw the Lord Jesus. This vision is explained in John 12:41. John says that Isaiah saw Christ’s glory and spoke of Him, which is an incontestable proof of the divinity of our Savior. It appears evident from this passage that the glory which the prophet saw was the glory of Jehovah. By saying that it was the glory of Jesus, John shows that he considered Jesus to be Jehovah.
Isaiah saw holy angels called seraphim; for He makes his ministers a flaming fire (Psalm 104:4). They burn in love to God and zeal for His glory. Hearing them sing praise to God. Hear the anthem, or song of praise, which the angels sing to the honor of him that sits on the throne, how this song was sung. With zeal and fervency they cried aloud. In Isaiah 6 we see the vision of the awesome majesty and holiness of God presented. Isaiah had to have been moved by the wonders he was seeing just as we will be when we see God and heaven for the first time and bask in the glory. With this knowledge of the glories of God, Isaiah had to have been filled with wonders maybe just as Moses was on the mountain.
With this question asked by God, Isaiah’s only reasonable answer was to volunteer himself. After all, there was no one else standing there at the time. In Isaiah 6:8 he says, “Here I am. Send me.” Interestingly, God didn’t force Isaiah to volunteer. He merely asked if there was any who would go and Isaiah said, “I’m available. I’ll go.” God doesn’t force us to serve but He works in our hearts so that we desire to volunteer for Him. Deep down I think it is safe to say that every one of us want to do as God asks us to do.
In Sunday School last week, we discussed the change in our church over the past few years. Our church has always supported missions and we have had several go and work with others in different states and countries. But the mission to spread the Word locally has fallen short. Too often, we wait for someone else to share the gospel with a loved one because we don’t want to stir the waters. Sometimes we expect our pastor or our deacon to do all of the ministry things while we just show up and support him.
God wants us to have willing hearts and not pass off our responsibilities to someone else. God has created good works for us to do, and it is our responsibility to do them. We will not be judged one day by what our pastor has done or by what other people do but by what we do. We will give an account for ourselves.
Isaiah, an ordinary man, was willing to obey God and step out in faith to let God do extraordinary things through him. Let us pray that we would come to see the value of God’s mission (as Isaiah did) and say with Isaiah, “Here I am. Send me.”
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
“The Diet of Worms”, A Closer Look by Rick Sons
Today we are going to talk about the Diet of Worms. No this is not some sort of fad diet, nor is this a biblical reference like John the Baptist eating grasshoppers and wild honey. I will on a side note say I have eaten earthworms and they are not that bad.
In politics, a diet is a formal assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries. The word came to be associated with Latin dies, “day”. The word came to be used in the sense of “an assembly” because of its use for the work of an assembly meeting on a daily basis, and hence for the assembly itself. (1)
Over the past few weeks we have been hearing about the different players in the reformation. And while many agreed with the idea there were those who did not agree with Luther and his agenda.
Luther posted his list of propositions (95 theses) in 1517 and burned the papal bull in 1520. A year later he was condemned by the Diet of Worms. His “95 Theses,” which propounded two central beliefs—that the Bible is the central religious authority and that people may reach salvation only by their faith and not by their deeds. (2)
The Diet of Worms 1521 was an imperial diet (assembly) of the Holy Roman Empire held at the Heylshof Garden in Worms Germany, then an Imperial Free City of the Empire. This one is most memorable for the Edict of Worms, which addressed Martin Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation. It was conducted from 28 January to 26 May 1521, with the Emperor Charles V presiding. (3)
The main events of the Diet of Worms relating to Luther took place from April 16th to the 18th 1521.
On 16 April, Luther arrived in Worms. Luther was told to appear the following day before the Diet at 4 p.m. Dr. Jeromee Schurff, Wittenberg professor in Canon Law, was to act as Luther’s lawyer before the Diet. (4)
The imperial marshal, Ulrich von Pappenheim, and the herald, Caspar Sturm came for Luther. Pappenheim reminded Luther that he should speak only in answer to direct questions from the presiding officer, Johann Eck.
The main concern was a series of books and their content to which the diet wanted Luther to admit that they were his to call them heresy. Luther, stating he’d prayed for long hours, consulted with friends and mediators. Luther first apologized that he lacked the etiquette of the court. Then he answered, “They are all mine, but as for the second question, they are not all of one sort.” Luther went on to place the writings into three categories: (5)
Luther is said to have declared, “Here I stand, I can do no other,” before concluding with “God help me. Amen.” Private conferences were held to determine Luther’s fate. Before a decision was reached, Luther fled.
Charles V signed an edict against Luther, ordering his writings to be burned. Luther hid in the town of Eisenach for the next year, where he began work on one of his major life projects, the translation of the New Testament into German, which took him 10 years to complete. (6)
The Edict of Worms
The Edict of Worms was a decree issued on 26 May 1521 by Emperor Charles V, declaring:
“For this reason we forbid anyone from this time forward to dare, either by words or by deeds, to receive, defend, sustain, or favor Martin Luther. On the contrary, we want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic, as he deserves, to be brought personally before us, or to be securely guarded until those who have captured him inform us, whereupon we will order the appropriate manner of proceeding against Luther. Those who will help in his capture will be rewarded generously for their good work.” (7)
Citations:
(1) Christian-history.org
(2) Britannica.com
(3-7) Wikipedia
In politics, a diet is a formal assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries. The word came to be associated with Latin dies, “day”. The word came to be used in the sense of “an assembly” because of its use for the work of an assembly meeting on a daily basis, and hence for the assembly itself. (1)
Over the past few weeks we have been hearing about the different players in the reformation. And while many agreed with the idea there were those who did not agree with Luther and his agenda.
Luther posted his list of propositions (95 theses) in 1517 and burned the papal bull in 1520. A year later he was condemned by the Diet of Worms. His “95 Theses,” which propounded two central beliefs—that the Bible is the central religious authority and that people may reach salvation only by their faith and not by their deeds. (2)
The Diet of Worms 1521 was an imperial diet (assembly) of the Holy Roman Empire held at the Heylshof Garden in Worms Germany, then an Imperial Free City of the Empire. This one is most memorable for the Edict of Worms, which addressed Martin Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation. It was conducted from 28 January to 26 May 1521, with the Emperor Charles V presiding. (3)
The main events of the Diet of Worms relating to Luther took place from April 16th to the 18th 1521.
On 16 April, Luther arrived in Worms. Luther was told to appear the following day before the Diet at 4 p.m. Dr. Jeromee Schurff, Wittenberg professor in Canon Law, was to act as Luther’s lawyer before the Diet. (4)
The imperial marshal, Ulrich von Pappenheim, and the herald, Caspar Sturm came for Luther. Pappenheim reminded Luther that he should speak only in answer to direct questions from the presiding officer, Johann Eck.
The main concern was a series of books and their content to which the diet wanted Luther to admit that they were his to call them heresy. Luther, stating he’d prayed for long hours, consulted with friends and mediators. Luther first apologized that he lacked the etiquette of the court. Then he answered, “They are all mine, but as for the second question, they are not all of one sort.” Luther went on to place the writings into three categories: (5)
- Works which were well received by even his enemies: those he would not reject.
- Books which attacked the abuses, lies and desolation of the Christian world and the papacy: those, Luther believed, could not safely be rejected without encouraging abuses to continue. To retract them would be to open the door to further oppression. “If I now recant these, then, I would be doing nothing but strengthening tyranny.”
- Attacks on individuals: he apologized for the harsh tone of these writings but did not reject the substance of what he taught in them; if he could be shown from the Scriptures that he was in error, Luther continued, he would reject them.
Luther is said to have declared, “Here I stand, I can do no other,” before concluding with “God help me. Amen.” Private conferences were held to determine Luther’s fate. Before a decision was reached, Luther fled.
Charles V signed an edict against Luther, ordering his writings to be burned. Luther hid in the town of Eisenach for the next year, where he began work on one of his major life projects, the translation of the New Testament into German, which took him 10 years to complete. (6)
The Edict of Worms
The Edict of Worms was a decree issued on 26 May 1521 by Emperor Charles V, declaring:
“For this reason we forbid anyone from this time forward to dare, either by words or by deeds, to receive, defend, sustain, or favor Martin Luther. On the contrary, we want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic, as he deserves, to be brought personally before us, or to be securely guarded until those who have captured him inform us, whereupon we will order the appropriate manner of proceeding against Luther. Those who will help in his capture will be rewarded generously for their good work.” (7)
Citations:
(1) Christian-history.org
(2) Britannica.com
(3-7) Wikipedia
Monday, September 25, 2017
“Ulrich Zwingli”, A Closer Look by Rick Sons
Ulrich Zwingli, like Martin Luther and John Calvin, was a key player in the Reformation (also referred to as the Protestant Reformation). Unlike Luther and Calvin, Zwingli never had a following that led to the formal theology based upon his name. The theology of Zwingli was based on the Bible, taking Scripture as the inspired Word of God and placing its authority higher than what he saw as human sources such as the church fathers.
Ulrich Zwingli was born in 1484, to a successful farmer in the Toggaburg Valley of the eastern lower Alps. Zwingli was the most important reformer in the Swiss Protestant Reformation and the only major reformer of the 16th century whose movement, as I stated before, did not evolve into a church. He attended universities at Basle and Vienna and served as a parish priest in Glarus, Switzerland. Zwingli is not as famous as the likes as Martin Luther or John Calvin but he did play his part in the break with the Roman Catholic Church. Zwingli and Luther met at Marburg in 1529 in an attempt to unite the Protestant faiths. This meeting failed to do this because both men could not reach an agreement on what Christ said at the Last Supper.
Like Martin Luther, Zwingli believed in the necessity of reform. Martin Luther and Zwingli stand at the heads of two of the most influential streams of Protestant theology—the Lutheran and Reformed traditions, respectively. While the two men were united in their opposition to Roman Catholic doctrines and agreed on many doctrinal issues, they also differed so substantially in a few points of their theology that they were unable to unite their movements in a single front against Roman Catholicism.
Luther and Zwingli both emphasized justification by faith alone and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believers. Both rejected the Catholic doctrines of papal authority, purgatory, priestly celibacy, veneration of saints, Marian devotion, and transubstantiation. Both affirmed sola Scriptura and the necessity and centrality of preaching in the life of the congregation. They affirmed similar views of the atonement and embraced an Augustinian understanding of salvation and regeneration. They both wrestled with the question of infant baptism but ultimately affirmed it for political reasons. In the political sphere, both embraced the idea of the Territorial Church, in which the religious views embraced by the magistrates of a given region were to be enforced upon the citizens of that region.
These wide-ranging points of agreement notwithstanding, the two not only could not unite their movements but considered each other heretics. To begin, they embraced substantially different views of the New Testament’s teaching on worship services.
As it turned out, it was the Lord’s Supper that prevented the uniting of the German and Swiss reform movements. At a 1529 meeting at Marburg, called to unite the two movements, Luther and Zwingli met. Though they agreed on 14 points of doctrine, they stumbled on the fifteenth: the Lord’s Supper. Most significant of the differences between Zwingli and Luther was their opinion on the body of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. They differed not only on what to call the Eucharist, but also (and much more importantly) on what was happening when the elements were offered to the congregation. While both rejected the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, Luther continued to embrace the doctrine of Real Presence, arguing that Jesus is especially present in the elements. Zwingli, on the other hand, rejected Real Presence and embraced a memorial view, arguing that Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father. Insofar as Christ might be especially present in Communion, Zwingli said, it was only by the presence of his Spirit with the church—not physically, as Luther asserted. Zwingli believed there was no trace of God in the consecrated sacraments. The service of Communion was simply an act of commemoration. The belief that there was a presence was mere superstition. In this, Zwingli differed from Martin Luther. Luther believed that “This is My body” meant just that whereas Zwingli believed that ‘My’ meant “signifies.”
The beliefs of Zwingli can be found in his ‘67 Articles’, published in 1523. They include:
Where did Zwingli fall in history? In a timeline we find the following:
As with Martin Luther and John Calvin, the problem Zwingli faced was that some people were concerned that he had gone too far too soon while others, especially the Anabaptists, felt that he had not gone far enough. The Anabaptists were dealt with when Zwingli fell in with the city’s magistrates and supported the move to exile the Anabaptists. If they refused to leave the city, they dealt with them in another way – drowning. The Protestants under Zwingli were the first to persecute the Anabaptists. King Ferdinand declared drowning (called the third baptism) “the best antidote to Anabaptism.”
Zurich, Switzerland became a stronghold of Protestantism and the areas surrounding the city remained wary of a resurgent Catholic Church. They also feared that Zurich might become too powerful and assert its city powers within these regions. Also, the area around Zurich was famed for the mercenaries it provided and such a ‘profession’ was frowned on by Zwingli. In 1529, these areas around Zurich formed the Christian Union and joined with the Catholic Austrian Monarchy. Zwingli preached a religious war against them and two campaigns were launched in 1529 and 1531. Zwingli was killed at the Second Battle of Keppel in October 1531.
In the battle, approximately 7,000 soldiers from the five Catholic cantons met an army of only 2,000 men from Zurich. Zurich’s army was unsupported by the other Protestant cantons and was led by Zwingli, while the combined Catholic army was led by Hans Jauch of Uri. The main Zurich force arrived at the battlefield in scattered groups, exhausted from a forced march. The Catholic forces attacked and after a brief resistance, the Protestant army broke around 4:00 in the afternoon. About 500 Protestants were killed in the battle and while they were fleeing. Among the dead were Zwingli and twenty-four other pastors. Zwingli’s body was taken by the Catholic army and burned as a heretic.
Zwingli died before his dreams were fulfilled. It was left to Zwingli’s successor as Bishop of Zurich to establish Zurich as a center of international Protestantism. Heinrich Bullinger, Zwingli’s son-in-law, served as bishop over four decades between 1531 and 1575. Zwingli’s followers, especially Bullinger, spread his Reformed influence throughout Europe, to England, and eventually to America. Bullinger’s Decades of Sermons, which began to appear in 1549, were more widely read in some parts of Europe than were Calvin’s Institutes. Bullinger’s conception of covenant theology undoubtedly played its role in the development of normative Reformed covenant theology, the federal theology during the early part of the seventeenth century. This theology was brought to North America by the Puritans in 1630.
Ulrich Zwingli was born in 1484, to a successful farmer in the Toggaburg Valley of the eastern lower Alps. Zwingli was the most important reformer in the Swiss Protestant Reformation and the only major reformer of the 16th century whose movement, as I stated before, did not evolve into a church. He attended universities at Basle and Vienna and served as a parish priest in Glarus, Switzerland. Zwingli is not as famous as the likes as Martin Luther or John Calvin but he did play his part in the break with the Roman Catholic Church. Zwingli and Luther met at Marburg in 1529 in an attempt to unite the Protestant faiths. This meeting failed to do this because both men could not reach an agreement on what Christ said at the Last Supper.
Like Martin Luther, Zwingli believed in the necessity of reform. Martin Luther and Zwingli stand at the heads of two of the most influential streams of Protestant theology—the Lutheran and Reformed traditions, respectively. While the two men were united in their opposition to Roman Catholic doctrines and agreed on many doctrinal issues, they also differed so substantially in a few points of their theology that they were unable to unite their movements in a single front against Roman Catholicism.
Luther and Zwingli both emphasized justification by faith alone and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believers. Both rejected the Catholic doctrines of papal authority, purgatory, priestly celibacy, veneration of saints, Marian devotion, and transubstantiation. Both affirmed sola Scriptura and the necessity and centrality of preaching in the life of the congregation. They affirmed similar views of the atonement and embraced an Augustinian understanding of salvation and regeneration. They both wrestled with the question of infant baptism but ultimately affirmed it for political reasons. In the political sphere, both embraced the idea of the Territorial Church, in which the religious views embraced by the magistrates of a given region were to be enforced upon the citizens of that region.
These wide-ranging points of agreement notwithstanding, the two not only could not unite their movements but considered each other heretics. To begin, they embraced substantially different views of the New Testament’s teaching on worship services.
- Luther took the view that the New Testament’s explanation of the practice of the early church is descriptive, not prescriptive (the so-called “normative principle of worship”).
- Zwingli understood the New Testament descriptions of the early church’s worship to be prescriptive and binding on the church: anything not explicitly described or enjoined of believers in the New Testament was verboten.
- Luther retained much of the language and many of the trappings of the traditional Catholic service, including calling it the Mass, and left decorations and instrumental music in place.
- Zwingli excluded instrumental music, white-washed the walls of his church, destroyed all icons, and referred to the Eucharist not as the Mass but by its biblical name, the Lord’s Supper.
- Luther continued to embrace much Tradition as genuinely good and valuable, even if not binding at the same level as Scripture.
- Zwingli rejected almost all Tradition, moving beyond sola Scriptura (the church has authority with scripture) almost to the point of solo Scriptura (the Bible is the only authority).
As it turned out, it was the Lord’s Supper that prevented the uniting of the German and Swiss reform movements. At a 1529 meeting at Marburg, called to unite the two movements, Luther and Zwingli met. Though they agreed on 14 points of doctrine, they stumbled on the fifteenth: the Lord’s Supper. Most significant of the differences between Zwingli and Luther was their opinion on the body of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. They differed not only on what to call the Eucharist, but also (and much more importantly) on what was happening when the elements were offered to the congregation. While both rejected the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, Luther continued to embrace the doctrine of Real Presence, arguing that Jesus is especially present in the elements. Zwingli, on the other hand, rejected Real Presence and embraced a memorial view, arguing that Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father. Insofar as Christ might be especially present in Communion, Zwingli said, it was only by the presence of his Spirit with the church—not physically, as Luther asserted. Zwingli believed there was no trace of God in the consecrated sacraments. The service of Communion was simply an act of commemoration. The belief that there was a presence was mere superstition. In this, Zwingli differed from Martin Luther. Luther believed that “This is My body” meant just that whereas Zwingli believed that ‘My’ meant “signifies.”
The beliefs of Zwingli can be found in his ‘67 Articles’, published in 1523. They include:
- Faith demanded an active commitment to God.
- The practices of the Roman Catholic Church took one’s mind away from what Christ taught. There was no justification for these practices in the Bible.
- Whatever could not be justified by the Bible was to be abolished.
- Religion was a personal experience which did not require sacraments or ceremonies to sustain it.
- The Bible is the law of God.
- A truly Christian community must follow the Bible as closely as possible.
Where did Zwingli fall in history? In a timeline we find the following:
- 1453 Constantinople falls; end of Eastern Roman Empire
- 1456 Gutenberg produces first printed Bible
- 1478 the start of the Spanish Inquisition
- 1483-1546 Martin Luther lives
- 1484-1531 Ulrich Zwingli lives
- 1509-1564 John Calvin lives
- 1536 John Calvin publishes first edition of Institutes
As with Martin Luther and John Calvin, the problem Zwingli faced was that some people were concerned that he had gone too far too soon while others, especially the Anabaptists, felt that he had not gone far enough. The Anabaptists were dealt with when Zwingli fell in with the city’s magistrates and supported the move to exile the Anabaptists. If they refused to leave the city, they dealt with them in another way – drowning. The Protestants under Zwingli were the first to persecute the Anabaptists. King Ferdinand declared drowning (called the third baptism) “the best antidote to Anabaptism.”
Zurich, Switzerland became a stronghold of Protestantism and the areas surrounding the city remained wary of a resurgent Catholic Church. They also feared that Zurich might become too powerful and assert its city powers within these regions. Also, the area around Zurich was famed for the mercenaries it provided and such a ‘profession’ was frowned on by Zwingli. In 1529, these areas around Zurich formed the Christian Union and joined with the Catholic Austrian Monarchy. Zwingli preached a religious war against them and two campaigns were launched in 1529 and 1531. Zwingli was killed at the Second Battle of Keppel in October 1531.
In the battle, approximately 7,000 soldiers from the five Catholic cantons met an army of only 2,000 men from Zurich. Zurich’s army was unsupported by the other Protestant cantons and was led by Zwingli, while the combined Catholic army was led by Hans Jauch of Uri. The main Zurich force arrived at the battlefield in scattered groups, exhausted from a forced march. The Catholic forces attacked and after a brief resistance, the Protestant army broke around 4:00 in the afternoon. About 500 Protestants were killed in the battle and while they were fleeing. Among the dead were Zwingli and twenty-four other pastors. Zwingli’s body was taken by the Catholic army and burned as a heretic.
Zwingli died before his dreams were fulfilled. It was left to Zwingli’s successor as Bishop of Zurich to establish Zurich as a center of international Protestantism. Heinrich Bullinger, Zwingli’s son-in-law, served as bishop over four decades between 1531 and 1575. Zwingli’s followers, especially Bullinger, spread his Reformed influence throughout Europe, to England, and eventually to America. Bullinger’s Decades of Sermons, which began to appear in 1549, were more widely read in some parts of Europe than were Calvin’s Institutes. Bullinger’s conception of covenant theology undoubtedly played its role in the development of normative Reformed covenant theology, the federal theology during the early part of the seventeenth century. This theology was brought to North America by the Puritans in 1630.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
How Big Is God? by Rick Sons
Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977. Part of the Voyager program was to study the outer Solar System, Voyager 1 launched 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2. Having operated for 39 years, 11 months and 1 day (as of August 6, 2017), the spacecraft still communicates with the Deep Space Network to receive routine commands and return data.
Voyager 1 is the first spacecraft to reach interstellar space. The spacecraft officially entered interstellar space in August 2012, almost 35 years after its voyage began. The discovery wasn’t made official until 2013. The spacecraft’s next big encounter will take place in 40,000 years, when Voyager 1 comes within 1.7 light-years of the star AC +79 3888. (The star itself is roughly 17.5 light-years from Earth.) However, Voyager 1’s falling power supply means it will stop transmitting data by about 2025, meaning no data will flow back from that distant location.
As big as the universe is it is not bigger than God.
As vast as the universe is, it was still created by God.
Genesis Chapter 1 begins “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
Now if this is too big a scale to grasp. Consider that 70 percent of the earth is ocean. The ocean is the lifeblood of Earth, covering more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface, driving weather, regulating temperature, and ultimately supporting all living organisms. Throughout history, the ocean has been a vital source of sustenance, transport, commerce, growth, and inspiration. Yet for all of our reliance on the ocean, 95 percent of this realm remains unexplored, unseen by human eyes. The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the deepest known point in Earth’s oceans. In 2010 the United States Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping measured the depth of the Challenger Deep at 10,994 meters (36,070 feet) below sea level. If Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, were placed at this location it would be covered by over one mile of water. As big as the ocean is it is not bigger than God.
Again, from Genesis we read (1:9). “God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters he called ‘seas.’ And God saw that it was good.:”
How Big Is God?
I want to talk to you today on this subject, HOW BIG IS GOD? Now when I ask the question, how big is God, don’t think that I’m going to try to answer that question because I can’t answer that question. The question is unanswerable, because God is immeasurable. God is infinite. God is limitless. For instance, when we speak of God’s peace we speak of the peace of God, that passes understanding. So, I want to tell you from the beginning you will never fathom God but you can find God. You can never fathom God because of his greatness but you can find God because of his grace.
Song titles try to tell us how big God is. Kids learn songs such as “God is Big”:
God is big God is big, God is very, very, very, very big God is big God is big God is very, very, very, very Very, very big! God is bigger than a lion stretched out from head to tail.
Or from Veggie Tales, Bob and Larry taught kids that “God is Bigger than the Boogie Man”:
God is bigger than the boogie man.
He’s bigger than Godzilla,
or the monsters on TV.
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man.
And He’s watching out for you and me.
And many children have learned the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” which has many verses as they are listed here.
He’s got the whole world in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands.
He’s got the sun and the rain in His hands,
He’s got the moon and the stars in His hands,
He’s got the wind and the clouds in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands.
“How Big is God?” Another song writer, Doris Akers, asked and then attempted to answer that question in a song. Akers compared God’s bigness to the mightiest ocean, the tallest of trees, the broadest of rivers, the deepest of seas, and the highest of mountains. But it falls far short of telling how big God is.
How big was Israel’s God?
Israel thought they knew something about the bigness of God. They tried to make His bigness known by the names they used to speak of Him.
a. Yahweh (Jehovah) is the name they used for Him and like all Old Testament names, it has a meaning. It means: “He who is at one with the limitless, unbounded universe because He has created it.” This is the name that God gave to Moses when he said “I am who I am.”
b. One of the most beautiful names Israel used for God is ELSHADDAH; the literal meaning of which is simply “ALMIGHTY GOD.” Made from the two words EL, meaning the strong and mighty one and SHADDAH, or the breasted one. Clearly, to the mind of every Israelite God was a big God.
It is my belief that every person who came in contact with God in the Old Testament. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah and so on must have felt that they were in the presence of a very big God. To these men God was very big.
But what I really want to ask you is, “How big is your God?”
How big is your God?
1. The real answer to that may lie in how big a role God plays in your life minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day.
a. No matter whom you are, relationships are critical to your existence as human beings. Humans are social creatures. In our correctional system the death penalty is not the cruelest form of punishment, solitary confinement is – to be absent of all human contact. (Remember Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” and Wilson.) God created you to have relationships with others, and him. He wants to be connected to you through his Son Jesus. A relationship with your creator is to be known by God himself.
b. God wants us to know him.
The Bible says God is at work in everyone’s life. “So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27)
2. If you can see God as big enough to make a universe, Surely He is also big enough to be worth offering Him your body as a living sacrifice.
a. Romans 12:1, Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s words to the believers in Rome were to sacrifice themselves to God, not as a sacrifice on the altar, as the Mosaic Law required the sacrifice of animals, but as a living sacrifice. The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice?
b. What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense? The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
3. If you can see God as big enough to put the stars in place, is he not also big enough to save your lost loved ones?
a. There isn’t a person reading this post that doesn’t have someone who they love that is lost. It may be a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling, or it may be a friend or some other relative, but there is someone you care deeply about that would be in Hell if they were to die today.
b. The Bible was given to man for the express purpose of revealing God to man. That is why I say that the Bible is proof positive that God has made efforts in the past to save those you love. Do you not owe it to God, to help see that others are saved?
4. If you can see God as big enough to lead Israel out of Egypt’s bondage, is He not also big enough to set you free from whatever it is that binds you and saps your victory?
a. We are Victors not Victims! All too often we walk around with the poor me attitude. God way did he or she get that I am a better person than they are. (Who has not said this at least once in our life)
b. Romans 12:2 says, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” In Romans 4:17 we read “the God who gives life to the dead calls things into being which do not yet exist” Finally, in Romans 4:20- 21 we see the example of Abraham; “Yet with respect to the promises of God he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith giving God the Glory, being fully assured that what God had promised He was able also to perform.” Be encouraged!
5. If you can see God as big enough to fill you with the Holy Spirit then can you not also see Him as big enough to work His spiritual gifts through you?
a. The Bible says, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
b. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to make the changes God wants to make in our lives. The Bible says, “God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:13) We see many people claiming to be Christians, walking around with religion but without the spirit.
6. If God is big enough to hear and accept the vows you made when he saved you and you joined His church; is he not also big enough to expect you to keep your vow?
a. There are about 30 biblical references to vows, most of which are from the Old Testament. The books of Leviticus and Numbers have several references to vows in relation to offerings and sacrifices. There were consequences for the Israelites who made and broke vows, especially vows to God.
b. The story of Jephthah illustrates the foolishness of making vows without understanding the consequences. Before leading the Israelites into battle against the Ammonites, Jephthah—described as a mighty man of valor—made a rash vow that he would give to the Lord whoever first came out of doors to meet him if he returned home as the victor. When the Lord granted him victory, the one who came out to meet him was his daughter. (Judges 11:29-40)
c. Perhaps this is why Jesus gave a new commandment concerning vows. “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No ,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (Matthew 5:33-37).
So How Big is God?
The book of Isaiah chapter 40 says:
1. The Greatness of God’s Hands (v. 12). “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?”
• He can hold the entire oceans in His hand. (Recent estimates put the volume of the Earth’s oceans at 1.332 cubic kilometers. This is equivalent to around, or 352 quintillion, gallons of water.) (A Quintillion is a 1 followed by eighteen zeros) God can measure the universe with the “span” (the distance between your thumb and the end of your middle finger) of His mighty hand.
• As if that was not enough, he can measure all the dust of the earth and weigh all of earth’s mountains and hills on His scale of balance.
2. The Greatness of God’s Spirit (v. 13-14). “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?”
• The Holy Spirit has never needed advice, counsel, or teaching. He was the one who moved all the forces of nature forward to commence creation.
• His intelligence is complete. There is no book to read or course He needs to take. He wrote the book on everything, period. That includes the Bible.
3. The Greatness of God’s Perspective (v. 15-17). “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”
• The nations are like a “drop in the bucket” and like a few grains of dust on a scale. The nations are not just “nothing” but “less than nothing” before Him. Over history we have seen many nations claim to be the greatest. According to a recent study the top ten nations of the world were Italy, United Kingdom, United States, China, Greece, Egypt, Iraq, India, Iran, and Chad. Some of us may have a different order but to God the greatness of each is still not important.
• The inhabitants of earth are like grasshoppers to Him. The universe is merely His “tent.” Now that may refer to the universe and earth being round, or “circular” in shape. However it is important to understand that this is not the main meaning or purpose of these kinds of verses, but rather to again show the incredible greatness and glory of God.
4. The Greatness of God’s Care (v. 26). “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.”
• He numbers and calls every star by name. Research says, there are a “septillion” number of stars in the universe. This is a 1 with 24 zeroes behind it! No computer needed, just His infinite care.
• He checks on every one to be sure they are not missing. If He cares about a single star billions of light years from here, why would He not notice you or your needs?
5. The Greatness of God’s Strength (v. 29-31). “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
• He never grows tired, weary, or faint. He will give that power to anyone who “waits” on Him. This word “wait” in Hebrew is not like waiting for a bus. It is actively seeking Him like a “waiter” in a restaurant. Yes you have to do some of the work. We have all gone out to eat someplace what do you look for in a great waiter.
• Faith insures a participation in His incredible strength. He will “renew” our strength. This words means to “change clothes.” We have a new outfit of God’s power for every challenge we face! Each time we see circumstance or adversity he will give us new and fresh armor to face it. Gods Armor as we read in Ephesians chapter 6. As a history major, I have had the opportunity to study warriors and armies of the world. One thing I have seen is that how an army appears to the enemy is often part of the battle. This is why you see the clean sharp well-kept uniforms. God will see that you go into battle with a clean new uniform not an old a tattered one.
Larry Stockstill, teacher, speaker, and pastor of Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, asked: How big is your God? Are you looking at God through your circumstances or looking at your circumstances through God?
When we write, we use big G God for the Almighty God Jehovah the true living God, and little g god for all the other gods. When we are faced with circumstances and trial how often do we make our big G God into a little g god?
How big is your God? Big enough to intervene, Big enough to be trusted, Big enough to be held in awe and ultimate respect, Big enough to erase your worries and replace them with peace?
The more you know God, the bigger He becomes.
 |
| Voyager 1 |
Voyager 1 is the first spacecraft to reach interstellar space. The spacecraft officially entered interstellar space in August 2012, almost 35 years after its voyage began. The discovery wasn’t made official until 2013. The spacecraft’s next big encounter will take place in 40,000 years, when Voyager 1 comes within 1.7 light-years of the star AC +79 3888. (The star itself is roughly 17.5 light-years from Earth.) However, Voyager 1’s falling power supply means it will stop transmitting data by about 2025, meaning no data will flow back from that distant location.
As big as the universe is it is not bigger than God.
As vast as the universe is, it was still created by God.
Genesis Chapter 1 begins “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
Now if this is too big a scale to grasp. Consider that 70 percent of the earth is ocean. The ocean is the lifeblood of Earth, covering more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface, driving weather, regulating temperature, and ultimately supporting all living organisms. Throughout history, the ocean has been a vital source of sustenance, transport, commerce, growth, and inspiration. Yet for all of our reliance on the ocean, 95 percent of this realm remains unexplored, unseen by human eyes. The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the deepest known point in Earth’s oceans. In 2010 the United States Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping measured the depth of the Challenger Deep at 10,994 meters (36,070 feet) below sea level. If Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, were placed at this location it would be covered by over one mile of water. As big as the ocean is it is not bigger than God.
Again, from Genesis we read (1:9). “God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters he called ‘seas.’ And God saw that it was good.:”
How Big Is God?
I want to talk to you today on this subject, HOW BIG IS GOD? Now when I ask the question, how big is God, don’t think that I’m going to try to answer that question because I can’t answer that question. The question is unanswerable, because God is immeasurable. God is infinite. God is limitless. For instance, when we speak of God’s peace we speak of the peace of God, that passes understanding. So, I want to tell you from the beginning you will never fathom God but you can find God. You can never fathom God because of his greatness but you can find God because of his grace.
Song titles try to tell us how big God is. Kids learn songs such as “God is Big”:
God is big God is big, God is very, very, very, very big God is big God is big God is very, very, very, very Very, very big! God is bigger than a lion stretched out from head to tail.
Or from Veggie Tales, Bob and Larry taught kids that “God is Bigger than the Boogie Man”:
God is bigger than the boogie man.
He’s bigger than Godzilla,
or the monsters on TV.
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man.
And He’s watching out for you and me.
And many children have learned the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” which has many verses as they are listed here.
He’s got the whole world in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands.
He’s got the sun and the rain in His hands,
He’s got the moon and the stars in His hands,
He’s got the wind and the clouds in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands.
“How Big is God?” Another song writer, Doris Akers, asked and then attempted to answer that question in a song. Akers compared God’s bigness to the mightiest ocean, the tallest of trees, the broadest of rivers, the deepest of seas, and the highest of mountains. But it falls far short of telling how big God is.
How big was Israel’s God?
Israel thought they knew something about the bigness of God. They tried to make His bigness known by the names they used to speak of Him.
a. Yahweh (Jehovah) is the name they used for Him and like all Old Testament names, it has a meaning. It means: “He who is at one with the limitless, unbounded universe because He has created it.” This is the name that God gave to Moses when he said “I am who I am.”
b. One of the most beautiful names Israel used for God is ELSHADDAH; the literal meaning of which is simply “ALMIGHTY GOD.” Made from the two words EL, meaning the strong and mighty one and SHADDAH, or the breasted one. Clearly, to the mind of every Israelite God was a big God.
It is my belief that every person who came in contact with God in the Old Testament. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah and so on must have felt that they were in the presence of a very big God. To these men God was very big.
But what I really want to ask you is, “How big is your God?”
How big is your God?
1. The real answer to that may lie in how big a role God plays in your life minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day.
a. No matter whom you are, relationships are critical to your existence as human beings. Humans are social creatures. In our correctional system the death penalty is not the cruelest form of punishment, solitary confinement is – to be absent of all human contact. (Remember Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” and Wilson.) God created you to have relationships with others, and him. He wants to be connected to you through his Son Jesus. A relationship with your creator is to be known by God himself.
b. God wants us to know him.
The Bible says God is at work in everyone’s life. “So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27)
2. If you can see God as big enough to make a universe, Surely He is also big enough to be worth offering Him your body as a living sacrifice.
a. Romans 12:1, Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s words to the believers in Rome were to sacrifice themselves to God, not as a sacrifice on the altar, as the Mosaic Law required the sacrifice of animals, but as a living sacrifice. The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice?
b. What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense? The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
3. If you can see God as big enough to put the stars in place, is he not also big enough to save your lost loved ones?
a. There isn’t a person reading this post that doesn’t have someone who they love that is lost. It may be a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling, or it may be a friend or some other relative, but there is someone you care deeply about that would be in Hell if they were to die today.
b. The Bible was given to man for the express purpose of revealing God to man. That is why I say that the Bible is proof positive that God has made efforts in the past to save those you love. Do you not owe it to God, to help see that others are saved?
4. If you can see God as big enough to lead Israel out of Egypt’s bondage, is He not also big enough to set you free from whatever it is that binds you and saps your victory?
a. We are Victors not Victims! All too often we walk around with the poor me attitude. God way did he or she get that I am a better person than they are. (Who has not said this at least once in our life)
b. Romans 12:2 says, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” In Romans 4:17 we read “the God who gives life to the dead calls things into being which do not yet exist” Finally, in Romans 4:20- 21 we see the example of Abraham; “Yet with respect to the promises of God he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith giving God the Glory, being fully assured that what God had promised He was able also to perform.” Be encouraged!
5. If you can see God as big enough to fill you with the Holy Spirit then can you not also see Him as big enough to work His spiritual gifts through you?
a. The Bible says, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
b. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to make the changes God wants to make in our lives. The Bible says, “God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:13) We see many people claiming to be Christians, walking around with religion but without the spirit.
6. If God is big enough to hear and accept the vows you made when he saved you and you joined His church; is he not also big enough to expect you to keep your vow?
a. There are about 30 biblical references to vows, most of which are from the Old Testament. The books of Leviticus and Numbers have several references to vows in relation to offerings and sacrifices. There were consequences for the Israelites who made and broke vows, especially vows to God.
b. The story of Jephthah illustrates the foolishness of making vows without understanding the consequences. Before leading the Israelites into battle against the Ammonites, Jephthah—described as a mighty man of valor—made a rash vow that he would give to the Lord whoever first came out of doors to meet him if he returned home as the victor. When the Lord granted him victory, the one who came out to meet him was his daughter. (Judges 11:29-40)
c. Perhaps this is why Jesus gave a new commandment concerning vows. “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No ,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (Matthew 5:33-37).
So How Big is God?
The book of Isaiah chapter 40 says:
1. The Greatness of God’s Hands (v. 12). “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?”
• He can hold the entire oceans in His hand. (Recent estimates put the volume of the Earth’s oceans at 1.332 cubic kilometers. This is equivalent to around, or 352 quintillion, gallons of water.) (A Quintillion is a 1 followed by eighteen zeros) God can measure the universe with the “span” (the distance between your thumb and the end of your middle finger) of His mighty hand.
• As if that was not enough, he can measure all the dust of the earth and weigh all of earth’s mountains and hills on His scale of balance.
2. The Greatness of God’s Spirit (v. 13-14). “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?”
• The Holy Spirit has never needed advice, counsel, or teaching. He was the one who moved all the forces of nature forward to commence creation.
• His intelligence is complete. There is no book to read or course He needs to take. He wrote the book on everything, period. That includes the Bible.
3. The Greatness of God’s Perspective (v. 15-17). “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”
• The nations are like a “drop in the bucket” and like a few grains of dust on a scale. The nations are not just “nothing” but “less than nothing” before Him. Over history we have seen many nations claim to be the greatest. According to a recent study the top ten nations of the world were Italy, United Kingdom, United States, China, Greece, Egypt, Iraq, India, Iran, and Chad. Some of us may have a different order but to God the greatness of each is still not important.
• The inhabitants of earth are like grasshoppers to Him. The universe is merely His “tent.” Now that may refer to the universe and earth being round, or “circular” in shape. However it is important to understand that this is not the main meaning or purpose of these kinds of verses, but rather to again show the incredible greatness and glory of God.
4. The Greatness of God’s Care (v. 26). “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.”
• He numbers and calls every star by name. Research says, there are a “septillion” number of stars in the universe. This is a 1 with 24 zeroes behind it! No computer needed, just His infinite care.
• He checks on every one to be sure they are not missing. If He cares about a single star billions of light years from here, why would He not notice you or your needs?
5. The Greatness of God’s Strength (v. 29-31). “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
• He never grows tired, weary, or faint. He will give that power to anyone who “waits” on Him. This word “wait” in Hebrew is not like waiting for a bus. It is actively seeking Him like a “waiter” in a restaurant. Yes you have to do some of the work. We have all gone out to eat someplace what do you look for in a great waiter.
• Faith insures a participation in His incredible strength. He will “renew” our strength. This words means to “change clothes.” We have a new outfit of God’s power for every challenge we face! Each time we see circumstance or adversity he will give us new and fresh armor to face it. Gods Armor as we read in Ephesians chapter 6. As a history major, I have had the opportunity to study warriors and armies of the world. One thing I have seen is that how an army appears to the enemy is often part of the battle. This is why you see the clean sharp well-kept uniforms. God will see that you go into battle with a clean new uniform not an old a tattered one.
Larry Stockstill, teacher, speaker, and pastor of Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, asked: How big is your God? Are you looking at God through your circumstances or looking at your circumstances through God?
When we write, we use big G God for the Almighty God Jehovah the true living God, and little g god for all the other gods. When we are faced with circumstances and trial how often do we make our big G God into a little g god?
How big is your God? Big enough to intervene, Big enough to be trusted, Big enough to be held in awe and ultimate respect, Big enough to erase your worries and replace them with peace?
The more you know God, the bigger He becomes.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
“Church Vision”, A Closer Look by Rick Sons
Jambo (Hello!)
Nina maono (I have a vision.)
Kanisa letu lina maono (Our church has a vision.)
Maonoi yako ni nini (What is your vision?)
No organization will survive without vision. Apart from vision, individuals will wander forever without direction. Without vision our children, communities, churches and societies will be lost. Without vision, lost souls will suffer eternal death. Without vision, the sick and the elderly would lose hope and die. Without vision, the incarcerated would see no avenue for freedom. Without vision, we as a people will surely perish.
Let’s take a look at our world today. Our world has gone wild; it is a reflection of a people who are without vision. Someone has said that vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.
A man named George Barna, the Executive Director of the American Culture & Faith Institute said, “vision for ministry is a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through you to build His Kingdom” (not your kingdom).
John Maxwell defines vision as: the ability to see, (awareness). The ability to believe, (attitude). The ability to do, (action). A true vision from God is not self-seeking, but praises God and brings glory to Jesus Christ.
Vision is essential to a church. Unlike the values, mission, and purpose, the vision is more subject to change. It is in constant motion and never stands still. Over time, the vision must be renewed, adapted, and adjusted to the culture of the congregation. The core of the church vision, the Great Commission, does not change. The details of the vision and the words used to convey them will change. The vision provides us with a picture of what the mission will look like as it is realized in the church.
The idea of a vision for the church is not new to the Scriptures. You will find visions sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments. For example, God caught Abraham’s attention with his vision for him in Genesis 12:1–3 (the covenant He made with Abraham). God used Moses to communicate His vision for His people, Israel, in Exodus 3:7–8 and Deuteronomy 8:7–10. It is possible that the “joy” that Jesus looked forward to while enduring the cross was the vision of His return to the presence of His Father in heaven (Heb. 12:2).
Let’s look at the meaning of vision. Webster says:
1. The act or power of seeing the special sense by which the qualities of an object are perceived.
2. Something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation
3. The act or power of imagination or insight.
Nothing starts happening until somebody starts dreaming. Every accomplishment begins as an idea in somebody’s mind. It starts as a dream. It starts as a vision or a goal. If you don’t have a goal for your church, your default goal is to remain the same. If you aim at nothing, you’re definitely going to hit nothing.
Not to step on the toes of the pastor or the deacons but a church without a vision is never going to grow and a church’s vision will never be larger than the vision of its pastor or its leaders. So we as leaders and as pastors must have God’s vision for our church.
The vision of Fairfax Baptist Church is to be A large church in a small town.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16
In this passage, Jesus issues two examples to motivate us to fulfill this calling. First, Jesus says that disciples play a valuable role in their culture. He begins by declaring, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” To discover the meaning of the salt metaphor, we need to understand the function of salt as it would be understood by Jesus and his audience. Salt had so many uses that it was highly valued. It was used as a seasoning, as a preservative, and as an antiseptic. In fact, salt was so valuable that the Romans sometimes paid their soldiers with it. If a soldier did not carry out his duties others would say, “He is not worth his salt.” That’s where we get the expression, “worth his salt.” The question is, are we here at Fairfax Baptist Church worth our salt? As disciples we are called to season the earth. This requires us to recognize our value and fulfill our calling.
Second, Jesus declares that his followers are called to shine the light of Christ. He begins by stating: “You are the light of the world.” People often get very disturbed because the world is dark. This is because the world and its sin has no light. What else can a sinful place be but dark? The world is lost and without any direction because the world is not light. As I stated in the beginning, we are a world without vision.
But Jesus is the Light and we are to reflect Him. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is not enough to have private personal holiness; we must also have public exposure. Which brings us to, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” In Jesus’ day, cities were set on a hill for a number of reasons. It was cooler on a hill. In that arid, middle–eastern land, the only air conditioning they had was a breeze. Cities were also situated on hilltops for protection against attack. A city set on a hill was easier to defend. Jesus concludes this passage with a powerful statement, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” This verse is a command, not a suggestion. Jesus is saying, “Since you are light, SHINE!” We are not here to get used to the dark but to shine as lights. The light of Christ is to shine in and through us “before men.” In other words, this is a public exhibition of light.
The following are things we need to know to help get our vision out to the world:
So what do we need to do at Fairfax Baptist Church? As Maxwell stated, we have the ability to see, the ability to believe, and the ability to do. Visions have taken men to the stars and to the bottom of the seas. It has led men to be the father of nations and led nations out of bondage. Vision led Jesus to pay a price for us all. Where will our vision take us?
Nina maono (I have a vision.)
Kanisa letu lina maono (Our church has a vision.)
Maonoi yako ni nini (What is your vision?)
No organization will survive without vision. Apart from vision, individuals will wander forever without direction. Without vision our children, communities, churches and societies will be lost. Without vision, lost souls will suffer eternal death. Without vision, the sick and the elderly would lose hope and die. Without vision, the incarcerated would see no avenue for freedom. Without vision, we as a people will surely perish.
Let’s take a look at our world today. Our world has gone wild; it is a reflection of a people who are without vision. Someone has said that vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.
A man named George Barna, the Executive Director of the American Culture & Faith Institute said, “vision for ministry is a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through you to build His Kingdom” (not your kingdom).
John Maxwell defines vision as: the ability to see, (awareness). The ability to believe, (attitude). The ability to do, (action). A true vision from God is not self-seeking, but praises God and brings glory to Jesus Christ.
Vision is essential to a church. Unlike the values, mission, and purpose, the vision is more subject to change. It is in constant motion and never stands still. Over time, the vision must be renewed, adapted, and adjusted to the culture of the congregation. The core of the church vision, the Great Commission, does not change. The details of the vision and the words used to convey them will change. The vision provides us with a picture of what the mission will look like as it is realized in the church.
The idea of a vision for the church is not new to the Scriptures. You will find visions sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments. For example, God caught Abraham’s attention with his vision for him in Genesis 12:1–3 (the covenant He made with Abraham). God used Moses to communicate His vision for His people, Israel, in Exodus 3:7–8 and Deuteronomy 8:7–10. It is possible that the “joy” that Jesus looked forward to while enduring the cross was the vision of His return to the presence of His Father in heaven (Heb. 12:2).
Let’s look at the meaning of vision. Webster says:
1. The act or power of seeing the special sense by which the qualities of an object are perceived.
2. Something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation
3. The act or power of imagination or insight.
Nothing starts happening until somebody starts dreaming. Every accomplishment begins as an idea in somebody’s mind. It starts as a dream. It starts as a vision or a goal. If you don’t have a goal for your church, your default goal is to remain the same. If you aim at nothing, you’re definitely going to hit nothing.
Not to step on the toes of the pastor or the deacons but a church without a vision is never going to grow and a church’s vision will never be larger than the vision of its pastor or its leaders. So we as leaders and as pastors must have God’s vision for our church.
The vision of Fairfax Baptist Church is to be A large church in a small town.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16
In this passage, Jesus issues two examples to motivate us to fulfill this calling. First, Jesus says that disciples play a valuable role in their culture. He begins by declaring, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” To discover the meaning of the salt metaphor, we need to understand the function of salt as it would be understood by Jesus and his audience. Salt had so many uses that it was highly valued. It was used as a seasoning, as a preservative, and as an antiseptic. In fact, salt was so valuable that the Romans sometimes paid their soldiers with it. If a soldier did not carry out his duties others would say, “He is not worth his salt.” That’s where we get the expression, “worth his salt.” The question is, are we here at Fairfax Baptist Church worth our salt? As disciples we are called to season the earth. This requires us to recognize our value and fulfill our calling.
Second, Jesus declares that his followers are called to shine the light of Christ. He begins by stating: “You are the light of the world.” People often get very disturbed because the world is dark. This is because the world and its sin has no light. What else can a sinful place be but dark? The world is lost and without any direction because the world is not light. As I stated in the beginning, we are a world without vision.
But Jesus is the Light and we are to reflect Him. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is not enough to have private personal holiness; we must also have public exposure. Which brings us to, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” In Jesus’ day, cities were set on a hill for a number of reasons. It was cooler on a hill. In that arid, middle–eastern land, the only air conditioning they had was a breeze. Cities were also situated on hilltops for protection against attack. A city set on a hill was easier to defend. Jesus concludes this passage with a powerful statement, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” This verse is a command, not a suggestion. Jesus is saying, “Since you are light, SHINE!” We are not here to get used to the dark but to shine as lights. The light of Christ is to shine in and through us “before men.” In other words, this is a public exhibition of light.
The following are things we need to know to help get our vision out to the world:
- Understand the vision. If you don’t understand our vision ask the pastor to explain it to you and keep asking until you understand.
- Who we are. What’s our church about? Every church should fulfill the five biblical purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. But how we fulfill the purposes depends upon the nature of our church. What makes our church unique?
- Where we are going. Besides communicating our identity, we need to communicate the church’s direction and goals. Leadership is influence and the quickest way to tell if you are a leader is to look over your shoulder. If somebody’s following you, you’re a leader. If nobody’s following you, you’re not the leader. It’s that simple.
- Why we are going there. Once we’ve communicated where we’re going, we’ve got to tell our congregations why we’re going there.
- What it feels like to be going there. People want to be in on the fun and they want to be fulfilled. No one wants to be left out of the excitement. To get people behind our vision, we need to communicate to people how fulfilling it will be to join God in what he’s doing through our church.
- What people can do in the vision? As a part of vision, we need to help individuals in our church see what they can do. Everybody will need to play his or her part in realizing the vision of the church.
- How we are going to do it. We need to share with our congregation how we are going to move forward. As soon as we share our vision for our church, people will want to know how we are going to do it. Let them in on the strategy. (I think we do this very well.)
- What the rewards will be. As leaders we need to tell our church what the benefits will be for fulfilling the vision that God has for us. What are the spiritual and emotional benefits? What will it be like when Jesus tells you, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23)
So what do we need to do at Fairfax Baptist Church? As Maxwell stated, we have the ability to see, the ability to believe, and the ability to do. Visions have taken men to the stars and to the bottom of the seas. It has led men to be the father of nations and led nations out of bondage. Vision led Jesus to pay a price for us all. Where will our vision take us?
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
“Nurture”, A Closer Look by Rick Sons
Hujambo
Jina langu ni Rick Sons
Mimi nizaliwa tena
Mimi ni hapa kukupa neon
Mungu ni mwema
Yesu anakupenda
Nurture: to care for and encourage the growth or development of.
Today we will learn about Nurture as it fits in our JOURNEY. The Scripture we use for Nurture in our JOURNEY is:
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” – Ephesians 4:11-13
What is discussed in these verses is the follow-up of what God has done on the cross through Christ. We would expect the resurrected Lord Jesus to remain on earth, but He didn’t. Instead, we know Christ’s Spirit came upon His people and lives through them. Christ is living Himself out through our lives. So Christ, in a real way, is living His life out on earth through our lives.
The first thing that is mentioned is how God, through Christ, has made it possible for all of His people to receive the truth they need to live right and good lives. God gave certain gifts and associated them with certain key positions in the church. These men are not called leaders here but certainly play that influential part. There are five categories: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
While on our JOURNEY as disciples, we are to see that the Word of God is passed on to build the body of Christ. In a few short months, four of us will be going to Kenya to do just that. When I opened my lesson today I spoke to you in Swahili. Which along with English, is the main language of Kenya. I said,
Hujambo – “Hello”
Jina langu ni – “My name is Rick Sons”
Mimi nizaliwa tena – “I am born again”
Mimi ni hapa kukupa neno – “I am here to give you the Word”
Mungu ni mwema – “God is good”
Yesu anakupenda – “Jesus loves you”
These are simple phrases alone but together they form the beginning of a powerful and true statement. I have been working on some of the Swahili language for the past month so that when I go, the people will know that I am serious about being there to help them. To nurture their love of Christ, to equip the people of Kenya, to nurture their walk, so that they too can build the body of Christ – this is our main goal as believers and disciples of Christ. This may not be done in a faraway country, as not everyone can take on this type of ministry. Still, it is out the comfort of the doors of our congregation. We say, “I am saved and I am a disciple” (as long as I can do it from the comfort of my pew). My friends, a JOURNEY is traveling from one point to another and if we stay put in the pew our JOURNEY will stop.
God will be calling and raising leaders from among our congregations to these positions. Are you one of them? Are you so burdened down by misconceptions that you cannot seek God’s best for our congregations?
If we start opening our eyes in faith to the God who is serious about equipping the church, then He indeed will bless us. We must not fall into the mindset of doubting our need for any of these gifted men.
We need to pray that God all the more equips us, like the Antioch church. God is serious about training His people. We need to get with it and start recognizing those He has gifted around us, otherwise we will never get where God wants to take us.
Asante sana – “Thank you very much”
Jina langu ni Rick Sons
Mimi nizaliwa tena
Mimi ni hapa kukupa neon
Mungu ni mwema
Yesu anakupenda
Nurture: to care for and encourage the growth or development of.
Today we will learn about Nurture as it fits in our JOURNEY. The Scripture we use for Nurture in our JOURNEY is:
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” – Ephesians 4:11-13
What is discussed in these verses is the follow-up of what God has done on the cross through Christ. We would expect the resurrected Lord Jesus to remain on earth, but He didn’t. Instead, we know Christ’s Spirit came upon His people and lives through them. Christ is living Himself out through our lives. So Christ, in a real way, is living His life out on earth through our lives.
The first thing that is mentioned is how God, through Christ, has made it possible for all of His people to receive the truth they need to live right and good lives. God gave certain gifts and associated them with certain key positions in the church. These men are not called leaders here but certainly play that influential part. There are five categories: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
While on our JOURNEY as disciples, we are to see that the Word of God is passed on to build the body of Christ. In a few short months, four of us will be going to Kenya to do just that. When I opened my lesson today I spoke to you in Swahili. Which along with English, is the main language of Kenya. I said,
Hujambo – “Hello”
Jina langu ni – “My name is Rick Sons”
Mimi nizaliwa tena – “I am born again”
Mimi ni hapa kukupa neno – “I am here to give you the Word”
Mungu ni mwema – “God is good”
Yesu anakupenda – “Jesus loves you”
These are simple phrases alone but together they form the beginning of a powerful and true statement. I have been working on some of the Swahili language for the past month so that when I go, the people will know that I am serious about being there to help them. To nurture their love of Christ, to equip the people of Kenya, to nurture their walk, so that they too can build the body of Christ – this is our main goal as believers and disciples of Christ. This may not be done in a faraway country, as not everyone can take on this type of ministry. Still, it is out the comfort of the doors of our congregation. We say, “I am saved and I am a disciple” (as long as I can do it from the comfort of my pew). My friends, a JOURNEY is traveling from one point to another and if we stay put in the pew our JOURNEY will stop.
God will be calling and raising leaders from among our congregations to these positions. Are you one of them? Are you so burdened down by misconceptions that you cannot seek God’s best for our congregations?
If we start opening our eyes in faith to the God who is serious about equipping the church, then He indeed will bless us. We must not fall into the mindset of doubting our need for any of these gifted men.
We need to pray that God all the more equips us, like the Antioch church. God is serious about training His people. We need to get with it and start recognizing those He has gifted around us, otherwise we will never get where God wants to take us.
Asante sana – “Thank you very much”
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