what is faith?

If Jesus' sacrifice was a once and for action ... doing anything that seeks to forgive us of our sins with a repeated nature does one of two things

1. States we never had faith

2. States Jesus alone is not enough, thus 1 still

How does this apply to certain church denominations

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cost of pursuing Christ

What is the cost of pursuing Christ and his kingdom?

Why does love cause you to feel both great sorrow as well as joy, sometimes both at the same time?

How will the members of your family, who profess to love Jesus treat you?  Will they support you or tear you apart?  How will you treat them?

How will the members of your church congregation/parish, including those who preach treat you?  Will they persecute, judge, and condemn you? How will you treat them?

When you commit to God, there is nowhere to hide.  Yes he protects you, and for that I give him praise.

Please keep your eyes and heart on him.  Run to him.  Plead with him for a heart that cries out for people, in the ways he does.  Many times I contemplate taking the easy road, to give into what the world wants, but I cannot.

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confusion in the pews

God why are your people so confused? Why do we prefer to choose a life of niceties and self protection and justify it with the name of your son?  Why are we so ready to reject your reality?  Why do we call comfort and preference faith?

Why do we insist on giving all our time to people who are either like us, don't threaten us, or serve our self interests?  Please God bring our enemies, strangers, foreigners, the unlovable into our lives in such a way we cannot ignore them.  Open our eyes to what it means to reject you when we reject those you love.

Are you serious when you said you would vomit up the luke warm?  What about when you stated that anyone who does not love what you love hates you?  Is it true for you to not know us even as we go about your business?

Please God, don't leave us to our own self indulgences.  Please do something, anything to wake us up.  Please bring us to our senses.

God end our addiction to doing things our way.  Give us revelation to the dangers of pursuing sectarianism before it is too late.  Before the ground opens up beneath us, turn us around.  God teach us to see one another as family, to stop the finger pointing at our neighbours who we have labelled as heathens.  Indeed, please teach us to see one another.

Why do we justify our theological differences when you told us there is oneness in your body?  Why do we allow them to fester to the point of splits, starting something new, and mocking others?  God, what will it take for us to desire a path of healing from our family dysfunctions?

God, Please encourage us to stand by our brothers and sisters.  I am sorry that although my eyes were opened I stand back.  Should I limit my actions to prayer with the hope you will one day resolve our bickering and tribalism?  Or is there something you want me to do?  It breaks my heart to witness our situation.  Please open our eyes.  Please stoke or hearts.

"But don't we pray for other churches?  Don't our leaders gather?  Don't we celebrate at joint events or with visiting speakers?"

Why does it frustrate me to hear people claim that "All is well" or "the church has no real significant differences?"  How can this be true when there are dozens of denominations and hundreds of congregations who were formed on the basis of theological disagreement to the point where many won't even talk with one another.  How can this be a reflection of being one as you and your son are one?  Surely if there are no real differences it wouldn't matter where people go to gather and gain discipleship.  Isn't the same gospel being shared, the one Jesus, one Spirit, Father, etc?

Why have we convinced ourselves that the group we belong to is better than others?  Why have we convinced ourselves that our group has the real and exclusive truth?  Why do our elders compete for your flock, indeed compete for the right to rule your kingdom?  Should we remain silent or have we entered the guilt of enabling and cheering?  Are we to leave our family to their own devices?  How will you view us if we do?  Thank you for sending your son so we wouldn't perish.  Please God open our ears to the truth that comforts as opposed to simply seeking comfort.

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fasting

Have you heard of the 40 hour famine? Does your church encourage you to fast, for whatever reason?

These days, probably to include more people including young children, we are asked to go for a period of time without.  But what are we asked to abstain from?  Food, junk food, alcohol, TV, computer games, etc?  Are you given the freedom to choose what you give up or are the items specifically outlined for you?

Does it make a difference?  If it doesn't matter what we abstain from then the reason must be about the act itself.  However, if what we abstain from matters, then there mist be other associated reasons in addition to the act itself.

What kinds of fasting are mentioned in the Bible?

• Absolute Fast - You are not to consume any food or water over a certain number of days.  Nothing.  This is an extreme fast and should only be done for very short periods of time.
• Normal Fast -  No food of any kind is eaten for a certain number of days. Nothing.  You do drink water and plenty of it. 
• Partial Fast - You may give up particular foods and drinks for a time. (A commonly used example is Daniel 1:11-14, where Daniel and his friends ate only fruits and vegetables and drank only water for 10 days).

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please, discipline me nicely

Discipline is doing what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it.

Have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? Don’t downplay God's discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For he disciplines those he loves, and punishes all those he accepts as his child.  Endure by remembering  God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by their father?  If God didn't you are not his children at all. (Hebrews 12:5-8)

click on concordance (left sidebar tools) to seek definition of discipline

• Why does God need to discipline you?
• Do you get to choose what you are disciplined for?
• Will complaining or ignoring about being disciplined stop it from happening?
• How does the author of Hebrews ask you to respond to God's discipline?
• Is this asked of you for your benefit or to harm you?  What if the discipline feels painful or is difficult?

If you are someone who believes that "only good things happen to good people" or "I know things are from God when they make me feel positive" then you are unlikely to enjoy this message.

How did Moses feel when reprimanded about his whining when asked to relay God's message to the Hebrew people captive in Egypt?

How did Job feel when put through many life trials?

What about Jonah, David, and Peter?

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God agrees with ME (friendship)

introduction

When you read the bible, how do you discover and understand what God means?  Do we simply read the words and go apply it?  Do we listen to a church sermon from or the advice of a Christian and simply do as suggested?

Why did Jesus say to the religious leaders and scholars of his day that knowing the words is not enough (e.g. John 5:39-40)?  What did he say we need instead?

Can understanding what God means occur by interpreting the bible through the lens of your society’s culture or your personal life experiences, preferences, desires, biases? (Isa 55:8).  Or should we be evaluating our culture and personal expectations through God's meaning?

Other things to consider:

[dropdown_box expand_text=" " show_more="click to read more" show_less="click to hide" start="hide"]

• Context ... How much of the message are you being told?  A few words, a sentence or two, maybe a paragraph.  The sentences before and after a passage or quote often bring what is being said into focus.

• Topic ... What is the real focus of what you are being told?  Is the passage or quote the focus of what is being explained or is it used to justify a predetermined theme or topic?  This is seen when a speaker starts with a quote but the rest of the time is used referring to personal and cultural concepts, ideas, presumptions, etc.
  [/dropdown_box]xample

example: friendship (top of page)

To explore this further, read John 15:12-15, a quote sometimes used to speak of friendship.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
(John 15:12-15)

In a recent church service, the speaker chose this to open a message about friendship (audio).

Was the surrounding text (context) spoken of (John 15:1-27)?  No, these were the only sentences used.  In addition, they were used to open the message, a message among a series about relationships (topic), and explored by a list of cultural types of friendship and concepts (e.g. purpose, value, time needed, number of people involved) about friendship.

Does this passage clearly state that Jesus is teaching about friendship?  Yes.

Does this passage give an explanation for how Jesus defines friendship?

No. It only reveals that he was talking about friendship.

Was the text explored before or after to discover whether Jesus gave any further.  No.

So, what is the context of what Jesus was saying?

What did he say both before and afterward?befo

re

the text before (top of page)

Jesus gives an analogy where He is a vine, God the Father is the viticulturist (grape farmer), and people are a branch.

[table id=9 /]co

mmandments
what does Jesus ask? (top of page)

What are Jesus’ commandments?

• That we love one another, just as Jesus loved us (and the Father loved him)
• This means to lay down (sacrifice) your life for your friends
• As a result, a friend is anyone who does this

The benefit of this is that Jesus will share everything he has heard from God the Father.after

the text after (top of page)

Jesus continues his comments about friendship by stating that "the reason why the world hates you is because it hated him first."  Why?  Because when Jesus calls you out of the world you stop being part of it, and the world hates anything and anyone who is not part of it.  Consequently, since Jesus was persecuted, because God the Father is not known, so will you be persecuted. 

summary

summary (top of page)

To be a friend is to sacrificially love people.  This is how God the Father loves Jesus and Jesus loves us.  If you do:

• You will be glorifying God the Father by proving yourself a disciple of Jesus
• Jesus will share with you everything he has heard from God the Father
• God will prune you in such a way that anything you ask of him will be done
• You will be persecuted by anyone who doesn't know God

action plan: what to do next?

From the teachings of Jesus in John 15, is it possible to list the various types of friendship, or relationships we find in our society?  Is it possible to analyse their value or how to achieve them? Indeed does the teaching justify or prove our culture and personal expectations of friendship or other relationships?

If we take the teaching at face value, we must ask:

• How do we love people sacrificially? How did Jesus?  How did God?
• How do we prepare for and persevere through persecution?  What does persecution look like?
• How does God prune us?
• Do we limit our sacrificial love (friendship) to certain people or open ourselves to anyone?  What does this mean for our current relationships?  What does it mean for the people we currently exclude or don't see at all?

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relational responsibity

Whose responsibility is it?

A woman is sitting on her own.  She is new to town and knows no one.  She does not even have family with her.

Whose responsibility is it to initiate an interaction.  Is it hers to introduce herself or for others to approach her?  Assuming she has a level of courage in this scenario, relationships could form even if no one approached her because she can make the first move.

But what if this lady has been experiencing some trauma in her life or something else that is causing her to hold back, to not make the first move? What if she is has a bad reputation or is physically unattractive?  What if her personality is different?  What if she has low self-esteem?  What if she finds it hard to trust people due to how she has been treated in the past?

Is it fair to suggest it was her responsibility if no interaction occurred?

What if this lady was you?

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following jesus is easy

Accepting to follow Jesus means choosing to change how you live, unless you are one of the lucky perfect few.

How does God ask us to live? To worship him with everything you are, and to love other people as you would hope others would treat you (Matthew 7:12). And, fortunately an example of being loved by someone else has/is already given. God.

Choosing to live is to love as God loves us (John 15:1-17). Indeed, anything you say or do, if it lacks love is nothing (1 Corinthians 13).

What does it look like to love as God loves us?

How would church activity need to change in order to start and finish in love?

God has given the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip his people to do what he asks them to do. Until, the church is unified in faith and knowledge of Christ in such a way that we are mature, that is measure up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4).

Is the church mature today?

Are people who say they are 'christian' pursuing teachings that sound like the gospel, but not? Which ones do you do this?

How are these teachings different, no matter how obvious or subtle?

Are people who say they are 'christian' speaking and living God’s truth with love?

What are some examples of how they should be speaking and behaving?

Are people who say they are 'christian' doing what God asks them to do or are they doing what people ask of them? What about you?

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real love = attending church

The following is a response to a spoken message by Tony Rainbow of Victory Church (Adelaide, Australia) to the people of Fusion City Church (Canberra – Australia)

audio link

 

Topic being shared: Staying the Course

For the most part this message shared was positive.  However, part way through Tony stated:

"a person's church attendance reflects their real relationship with God.  If they are not attending they are reflecting a lack of genuine love for Him." Tony Rainbow, Victory Church, Australia - 27 Nov 2011

Given the information of the rest of the sermon, the context for this is attendance of Sunday church services.

In other words, Tony was suggesting that people who do not regularly attend a church service lack a genuine love for God.  Alternatively, people only really love God if they attend church services, preferably every week.

(This kind of comment is in the same category as those that suggest "Your love for God is measured by the amount of money you give to the church.")

Shortly after Tony stated

"If you hang around (spend time with) people who hate the church or speak against it, then we are going to become like them."  Tony Rainbow, Victory Church, Australia - 27 Nov 2011

Unfortunately the implications of this are:

• No one should speak against anything a church does, even if it does or says something counter to what appears in the Bible
• Decision makers and leaders of churches view themselves as infallible
• Anyone who raises a question of how and why things are done is seen as a hater of the church and indeed the people involved in it

And even if it is possible to ignore these comments, what are the implications for our relationship with God?  Ask yourself:

• Who did God send his son, Jesus, to hang around?  Did he become like them?
• Did he speak against religious attitudes and behaviours or people?
• Who did Jesus send his disciples amongst?
• People who pursue a life that copies Jesus will be hated and persecuted because the world first hated him (John 15:18-27).  Why does Gods warn us about this?  Does it mean we are to run away or persevere?  What does each choice here say about how we view God and Jesus?
• The Bible teaches us that we are not perfect and we make mistakes.  Is this is a reason to limit our relationships to those who agree with us and behave like us (Mt 5:43-48)?
• Consider evangelism.  Who is the audience?  How can discipleship occur if we are not to spend time people who disagree with us?

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assuming authority over others

introduction

When Paul first came to the church in Corinth he didn't speak about God's plan with big words and impressive wisdom.  Instead, he chose to focus only on Christ and rely upon the Spirit:

• Paul used plain words
  ... people understood not because of what he said
• Paul was timid and trembling
  ... because did not know what would happen next

Why did Paul behave this way?  Because he wanted people to trust in God's power not human wisdom (1Co 2:1-5)

Yet, when he was among people who claimed to know God well, he chose to use words of wisdom.  Why? Because God gave us his Spirit so we can understand his thoughts.  Without his Spirit we cannot understand him.  As such:

• people who know God, have his Spirit and thus can understand spiritual truths when they are shared to them, however,
• people who don't know God, cannot understand, no matter how much they claim to know him.  It sounds foolish to them.

how this is generally applied in local churches

In some churches these passages are interpreted to mean that

• God sends certain people of authority to "speak into our lives", as justified by Paul speaking to the church of Corinth.
• And, because they are appointed "over you" "you need to submit to them".
• However, if you disagree with them, this evidences your own personal pride.

But what if the speaker is wrong?  Do you have the opportunity to discuss the matter?

please read again 1 Corinthians 2

Does Paul state anywhere that some people are "placed in our lives to speak into our lives"?  Can this be fairly justified because it Paul, an authority, was the one who spoke?  Who does Paul say is speaking into our lives?  How?

Who does Paul suggest we need to submit to? A person or God?  How?

Finally, what are we to make of comments like "a person is prideful if the won't receive from others" or "people won't agree with what I tell them, but prefer to wait to hear from God"?

Does these comments reveal more about the person or the person claiming authority? (1Thes 5:19-22; 1Jn 4:1-3)

Is it wrong to first consider and seek God's counsel before doing what someone asks of you?  Or is it wrong to ask someone not to do this and just do what you ask of them.

conclusion

It is one thing to be willing to be fully submitted to Christ.  It is another to submit to another person simply because they claim to have godly authority.  Yes, they might have this authority.  But what if they don't?

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who are God's gifts for?

Read Ephesians 4

• Christ gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
• Why?
  › To equip God’s people so they can to do his work and build up the church.
• Why?
  › Because as each does their own special work, it helps others grow, enabling the whole church to be healthy, grow, and full of love.
• How long will this continue?
  › Until we all come to unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son. That is, we are mature, full and complete like Christ.
  › We are no longer influenced by false teachings that sound like the truth. Instead we will speak the truth in love, growing more like Christ.

It is sometimes suggested that God gives people, specifically christians, spiritual gifts. Examples of these are found in the New Testament, with Ephesians 4 (above), Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 12 being the main ones. This list is probably not an exhaustive one. Please note that each of these three all are introduced by a description of the unity and diversity in the body of Christ.

who are God's gifts for?
A quick definition is that the gifts God gives enable his people to do the things he needs to happen.

• Does this mean they are spiritual or practical gifts?
• Does God only give them to church people or anyone who follows Jesus Christ?
• Are they for the benefit of the person who is given the gift or for someone else?

The purpose of this message is to explore the third question: are the gifts God gives for the person he gives them to or for others.
People who suggest God's gifts, spiritual or otherwise, and whoever they are given to, are for the benefit of the receiver tend to justify this by claiming that having a gift:

• Gives you purpose; gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning
• Helps you in personal ways (worship, understand people, heal, etc)
• Enables you to feel special or even loved
• Helps improve you intellectually and/or morally
• Proves you are 'saved' or 'filled by God's spirit'
• Helps increase your power and influence or helps draw attention to your importance

What is common between the following passages of the bible (1Co12:7; Eph 4:12; 1Pe 4:10)? Do they recommend seeking gifts from God to benefit yourself or others?

conclusion

So are any of these reasons valid? Yes, all except the last wherein attention needs to be directed to God as they are his gifts, his power, his influence. And yet the yes is a qualified yes. A trumpet does not own the breath given it anymore than we do what is given us. The air does not belong to the trumpet. The gift is not yours. Nor is the input of the air what was intended, rather the sound out the other end. The music.

Moreover, if the music cannot be heard, no matter how gifted the musician, what was the point? So could be said of God's gifts. He invests them in you so others can be affected. And in the case of Ephesians 4, he enables some to equip others, who may then affect even more.

 The question then is who are these other people?

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