I have a challenge for everyone...
Take one minute (or longer if you need) and think about eternity.
Then post a comment and share with me your thoughts.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Motivated by Compassion, 9/16 sermon
· A 1978 study by Alan P. Bell and Martin S. Wineburg reported that 43% of homosexuals had more than 500 sex partners during their lifetime. Value: hurting people
· 40-50% of marriages in America end in divorce Value: covenant of marriage
· The number of reported abortions in the U.S. more than doubled in the first two decades after legalization, reaching more than one million each year. Value: human life
· at least 5 million people in North America claim Islam as their religion and/or practice. Value: souls
1. Some things stir our emotions and others do not.
2. Our emotions are stirred because of the value or lack of value we have put on what we are experiencing. Remember the story of Moses…his mother had put him in a basket and set him in the reeds in the river because the Hebrew sons were to be killed… Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket Ex. 2:6 “And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him” and she took him into her home and raised him. Even though her father did not value human life, especially of the Hebrews, his daughter did.
3. Jesus was often moved with compassion, but Christ’s compassion was more than just a stirring of His emotions.
Matthew 9
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
1. He was moved with compassion
a. They were as sheep having no shepherd-- they were vulnerable, they needed someone to care for and protect them. He had come to give that care and protection.
b. Called us to ask the Lord for workers
i. We cannot pray for workers unless we are willing to go ourselves, should the Lord call us.
ii. In the AG we have close to 5000 appointed world missionaries and over 1500 appointed home missionaries. We need to pray for more workers, of course, not just in the AG.
Matthew 14
13When Jesus heard what had happened (John the Baptist beheaded), he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 16Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
2. He met people at the point of their need
a. He touched them. Mark 1 40A man with leprosy[f] came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." 41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
i. If you touched someone with leprosy, you were at risk of getting it
ii. It was gross
b. He didn’t send them away for someone else to meet their need
i. “You meet their need”
ii. “But Lord, I’m not able to meet it. Do you see all these people?” “Maybe not, but I am, if you will allow me to.”
c. They touched Him. Matthew 14 35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
Conclusion
1. Jesus was moved with compassion because He saw:
a. Where they were
i. Do we see people where they are? In sin, hurting, in poverty, helpless, hopeless – remember the video we watched at the beginning of the Igniting the Passion video series? It was of people drowning in the sea, and they sat in their comfortable house boat, instead of sending out the the rescue boats.
ii. Jesus said he saw them harassed and helpless
b. Where they were going
i. Do we see where they are going?
ii. Jesus did and that is why He died on the cross.
c. Where they could be
i. Do we have the vision of Christ? If we share with them the hope that we have of abundant life on earth and eternal life with Him in heaven!
2. What stirs me? Am I more concerned about the physical or the spiritual? Am I repulsed at the sore, or am I broken over the leprosy, or in today’s terms, the cancer?
3. What am I placing value on?
4. This kind of compassion comes only through the heart of Jesus.
a. Pastor Don, Diane and I have been praying for the Lord to stir up compassion for our kids, and He has answered that prayer with Sharleen. It has been so exciting to see her brokeness for them first of all, but also seeing her obedience in taking action. She shared with us in our women’s fellowship the vision that she has and all the activities she has planned. Praise the Lord!!!! So please, let’s do what we can to support her and encourage her and prayer for her and our kids!
5. Will we purpose to have Christ’s compassion? This purpose must motivate us to act.
a. We must go where people are: work, parks, rec center, campgrounds, bars if you feel comfortable or called
b. Meet their needs: give a shoulder to cry on, pray with them!
c. Give of ourselves: open your home and your resources. Remember the example of the believers in Acts, giving to anyone as they had a need.
· 40-50% of marriages in America end in divorce Value: covenant of marriage
· The number of reported abortions in the U.S. more than doubled in the first two decades after legalization, reaching more than one million each year. Value: human life
· at least 5 million people in North America claim Islam as their religion and/or practice. Value: souls
1. Some things stir our emotions and others do not.
2. Our emotions are stirred because of the value or lack of value we have put on what we are experiencing. Remember the story of Moses…his mother had put him in a basket and set him in the reeds in the river because the Hebrew sons were to be killed… Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket Ex. 2:6 “And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him” and she took him into her home and raised him. Even though her father did not value human life, especially of the Hebrews, his daughter did.
3. Jesus was often moved with compassion, but Christ’s compassion was more than just a stirring of His emotions.
Matthew 9
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
1. He was moved with compassion
a. They were as sheep having no shepherd-- they were vulnerable, they needed someone to care for and protect them. He had come to give that care and protection.
b. Called us to ask the Lord for workers
i. We cannot pray for workers unless we are willing to go ourselves, should the Lord call us.
ii. In the AG we have close to 5000 appointed world missionaries and over 1500 appointed home missionaries. We need to pray for more workers, of course, not just in the AG.
Matthew 14
13When Jesus heard what had happened (John the Baptist beheaded), he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 16Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
2. He met people at the point of their need
a. He touched them. Mark 1 40A man with leprosy[f] came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." 41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
i. If you touched someone with leprosy, you were at risk of getting it
ii. It was gross
b. He didn’t send them away for someone else to meet their need
i. “You meet their need”
ii. “But Lord, I’m not able to meet it. Do you see all these people?” “Maybe not, but I am, if you will allow me to.”
c. They touched Him. Matthew 14 35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
Conclusion
1. Jesus was moved with compassion because He saw:
a. Where they were
i. Do we see people where they are? In sin, hurting, in poverty, helpless, hopeless – remember the video we watched at the beginning of the Igniting the Passion video series? It was of people drowning in the sea, and they sat in their comfortable house boat, instead of sending out the the rescue boats.
ii. Jesus said he saw them harassed and helpless
b. Where they were going
i. Do we see where they are going?
ii. Jesus did and that is why He died on the cross.
c. Where they could be
i. Do we have the vision of Christ? If we share with them the hope that we have of abundant life on earth and eternal life with Him in heaven!
2. What stirs me? Am I more concerned about the physical or the spiritual? Am I repulsed at the sore, or am I broken over the leprosy, or in today’s terms, the cancer?
3. What am I placing value on?
4. This kind of compassion comes only through the heart of Jesus.
a. Pastor Don, Diane and I have been praying for the Lord to stir up compassion for our kids, and He has answered that prayer with Sharleen. It has been so exciting to see her brokeness for them first of all, but also seeing her obedience in taking action. She shared with us in our women’s fellowship the vision that she has and all the activities she has planned. Praise the Lord!!!! So please, let’s do what we can to support her and encourage her and prayer for her and our kids!
5. Will we purpose to have Christ’s compassion? This purpose must motivate us to act.
a. We must go where people are: work, parks, rec center, campgrounds, bars if you feel comfortable or called
b. Meet their needs: give a shoulder to cry on, pray with them!
c. Give of ourselves: open your home and your resources. Remember the example of the believers in Acts, giving to anyone as they had a need.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Martyrs
I don't know about you, but sometimes I forget when I'm reading the Bible what happened to the men of the New Testament. This morning in Sunday School we talked shortly about Paul's death as a martyr, and that the "opposition" tried to quickly get rid of the eye-witnesses of Christ because they have the strongest testimony, which makes complete sense if you're trying to destroy a "movement." So here are their stories, all martyrs for the sake of the Good News: Stephen- stoned to death (recorded in Acts), James- beheaded with his accuser (because his accuser was so amazed at James' courage he chose to be beheaded with him), Philip- crucified, Matthew- slain with a. halberd, James the less- beaten and stoned and finally had his brains dashed out with a fuller's club, Matthias- stoned and beheaded, Andrew- crucified on an X cross, Mark- dragged to pieces, Peter- crucified upside down (because he said he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Christ), Paul- beheaded, Jude- crucified, Bartholomew- crucified, Thomas- thrust through with a spear, Luke- hanged, Simon- crucified. My reference was Fox's Book of Martyrs.
Even when the eye-witnesses were all "offed", the movement continued and continues to this day in our own testimonies of what Jesus Christ has done in our lives. I can't help but think of the martyrs of our generation, Rachel Scott and Cassie Burnall of the Columbine High School shootings, who answered "Yes" to the question, "Are you a Christian?" They will receive the greatest reward.
Even when the eye-witnesses were all "offed", the movement continued and continues to this day in our own testimonies of what Jesus Christ has done in our lives. I can't help but think of the martyrs of our generation, Rachel Scott and Cassie Burnall of the Columbine High School shootings, who answered "Yes" to the question, "Are you a Christian?" They will receive the greatest reward.
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