Your King is Coming to you - Matthew 21:1-11

Title: Your King is Coming to You
Date: March 16, 2008
Text: Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21:1-11

Introduction

- today is one week before Easter, Palm Sunday
- on this day, 1,977 years ago, Jesus fulfilled a prophecy
- Zech 9:9-" Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey."
- this was a prophecy of the King, the Messiah, coming on a donkey
- Mat 21:1-11
- he was a king, yet riding a lowly donkey
- he even told the disciples to ask for permission to use the donkey
- this symbolized Jesus coming in humility and meekness
- not as a conqueror, but as the Lamb ready to be slain
- later, when Messiah comes again, he will come as a conquering king
- but at this time, the King comes on a donkey

The people's perspective

- the people welcomed their Messiah
- they wanted to be rid of their Roman conquerors
- they were looking for someone to solve their problems and bring healing to their wounds
- they saw that Jesus had the power and the integrity to bring change into their situation
- but they were fickle
- just one week later they were crying out, "Crucify him, crucify him!"
- popular opinion changes from moment to moment
- most people are looking for a quick fix, an easy solution
- they would like someone to step in and bring instant healing in their lives
- they want a king but on their own terms
- they do not look forward to a lifetime of discipleship, learning to be obedient
- many of the Jews were not ready for life-change
- towards the end of Jesus' ministry, many forsook him
- the words he spoke were too radical
- he said to them, eat of my body, it is the bread of life

The leaders' perspective

- the leaders of the Jews did not want Jesus around
- they were not a part of the throhgs that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem
- they were too busy trying to maintain their positions as rulers under the Romans
- they did not want an upstart prophet to upset their applecart
- they felt they had it all together
- they did not need someone to show them their sins and require them to change
- they instead wanted stability, they wanted to maintain the status quo
- they were happy enough that the Romans were there, it gave them power
- they could not handle an upstart Jew from Galilee
- one who dared to step in and rid the temple of money changers and businessmen
- 5 days later they crucified him

Jesus' perspective

- God knows what is in man's heart
- God knew how the people were thinking
- He knew that they were not yet ready for life-change
- that is why Jesus spoke in parables to them, they were not ready to change
- if they had fully understood what he was saying, they would be accountable
- so he veiled the meaning in stories, so they would later have the chance to turn around
- he knew what their hearts were like
- that is why Jesus came
- he came to be a sacrificial lamb, to pay for their sins
- he did this so that the way would be open for them to change their ways
- he wanted so badly to give people a fresh start
- the people are shouting Hosannah, which means "the one who comes to save or liberate"
- they are looking for a deliverer who will set their nation free
- but Jesus knows that true freedom starts within
- true freedom comes when past guilt is washed away, and people can start afresh
- in just five days, he would be paying the price to make that possible

What is our perspective?

- are we looking for a Savior who will take care of our physical needs?
- one who will heal us of our sicknesses?
- who will take care of our addictions?
- who will provide for our needs?
- who will get us a job, or send us the perfect wife or husband?
- while we continue to live our old ways
- while we refuse to forgive those who have sinned against us
- while we hang onto that bitterness about something that happened long ago
- or are we looking for a Savior who paid the price to forgive us of our sins?
- One who gives us a fresh start, so we can live life the way it was intended?
- One who sends us the Holy Spirit so that we can do battle against our old ways?
- One who gives us the power to be able to reach others with the good news?
- One who teaches us by his example to live for others and not for ourselves?
- what is our perspective?

Conclusion

- Jesus offers us a choice
- on the one hand, he offers us a fresh start, clean and pure
- on the other hand, we can hang onto our old ways, do the same things, and reap the same consequences
- choosing the one means we will be embarking on a journey of life-change
- choosing the other is easier, but will result in the misery that brought us here
- he says to us, "Choose life!"

Jesus the Messiah - Mark 8:27-33

Title: Jesus the Messiah
Date: March 10, 2008
Text: Mark 8:27-33

INTRODUCTION
- Why has it been so difficult for the Jews to receive Christ?
- Why have the Jews had the Old Testament and yet have generally been unable to accept that Jesus was the expected Messiah?
- There are many reasons
- But God has not given up on the Jews
- Paul in his ministry never disowns his own heritage as a Jew
- Paul explains that a day will come when their eyes will be opened
- Romans 11:1-23
- Today we will look at some of the prophecies re the coming Messiah

Prophecies re 1st coming of Jesus
- Old Testament (written between 1450 BC and 430BC)
- Jesus’ fulfillment in the New Testament (written between 45 and 95 AD)
- The Messiah will be the offspring (descendant) of the woman (Eve) - Genesis 3:15, Galatians 4:4
- The Messiah will be a descendant of Abraham, through whom everyone on earth will be blessed - Genesis 12:3; 18:18, Acts 3:25,26
- The Messiah will be a descendant of Judah - Genesis 49:10, Matthew 1:2 and Luke 3:33
- The Messiah will be a prophet like Moses - Deuteronomy 18:15-19, Acts 3:22,23
- The Messiah will be the Son of God - Psalm 2:7, Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22
- The Messiah will be raised from the dead (resurrected) - Psalm 16:10,11, Matthew 28:5-9; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:4-7; John 20:11-16; Acts 1:3 and 2:32
- The Messiah crucifixion experience - Psalm 22 (contains 11 prophecies—not all listed here), Matthew 27:34-50 and John 19:17-30
- The Messiah will be sneered at and mocked - Psalm 22:7, Luke 23:11,35-39
- The Messiah will be pierced through hands and feet - Psalm 22:16, Luke 23:33 and 24:36-39;John 19:18 and 20:19-20,24-27
- The Messiah’s bones will not be broken (a person’s legs were usually broken after being crucified to speed up their death) - Psalm 22:17 and 34:20, John 19:31-33,36
- Men Will Gamble for the Messiah’s clothing - Psalm 22:18, Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23,24
- The Messiah will accused by false witnesses - Psalm 35:11, Matthew 26:59,60 and Mark 14:56,57
- The Messiah will be hated without a cause - Psalm 35:19 and 69:4, John 15:23-25
- The Messiah will be betrayed by a friend - Psalm 41:9, John 13:18,21
- The Messiah will ascend to heaven (at the right hand of God) - Psalm 68:18, Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9; 2:33-35; 3:20-21; 5:31,32; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20,21; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet 3:22
- The Messiah will be given vinegar and gall to drink - Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23; John 19:29,30
- Great kings will pay homage and tribute to the Messiah - Psalm 72:10,11, Matthew 2:1-11 - The Messiah is a “stone the builders rejected” who will become the “head cornerstone” - Psalm 118:22,23 and Isaiah 28:16, Matthew 21:42,43; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8
- The Messiah will be a descendant of David - Psalm 132:11 and Jeremiah 23:5,6; 33:15,16, Luke 1:32,33
- The Messiah will be a born of a virgin - Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-35
- The Messiah’s first spiritual work will be in Galilee - Isaiah 9:1-7, Matthew 4:12-16
- The Messiah will make the blind see, the deaf hear, etc. - Isaiah 35:5-6, Many places. Also see Matthew 11:3-6 and John 11:47
- The Messiah will be beaten, mocked, and spat upon - Isaiah 50:6, Matthew 26:67 and 27:26-31
- The “Gospel according to Isaiah” - Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
- People will hear and not believe the “arm of the LORD” (Messiah) - Isaiah 53:1, John 12:37,38
- The Messiah will be rejected - Isaiah 53:3, Matthew 27:20-25; Mark 15:8-14; Luke 23:18-23; John 19:14,15
- The Messiah will be killed - Isaiah 53:5-9, Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37-39; Luke 23:46; John 19:30
- The Messiah will be silent in front of his accusers - Isaiah 53:7, Matthew 26:62,63 and 27:12-14
- The Messiah will be buried with the rich - Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:59,60; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:52,53; John 19:38-42
- The Messiah will be crucified with criminals - Isaiah 53:12, Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32,33
- The Messiah is part of the new and everlasting covenant - Isaiah 55:3-4 and Jeremiah 31:31-34, Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6-13
- The Messiah will be our intercessor (intervene for us and plead on our behalf) - Isaiah 59:16, Hebrews 9:15
- The Messiah has two missions - Isaiah 61:1-3 (first mission ends at “. . . year of the LORD’s favor”) - First mission: Luke 4:16-21; Second mission: to be fulfilled at the end of the world
- The Messiah will come at a specific time - Daniel 9:25-26, Galatians 4:4 and Ephesians 1:10
- The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem - Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-7
- The Messiah will enter Jerusalem riding a donkey - Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21:1-11
- The Messiah will be sold for 30 pieces of silver - Zechariah 11:12,13, Matthew 26:15 with Matthew 27:3-10
- The Messiah will forsaken by His disciples - Zechariah 13:7, Matthew 26:31,56
- The Messiah will enter the Temple with authority - Malachi 3:1, Matthew 21:12 and Luke 19:45
(adapted from http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/m_prophecies.shtml )

Prophecies re 2nd coming of Jesus
- Shiloh will come and people will be gathered to him - Gen. 49:10
- God will set a King in Zion, begotten by God - Psalm 2:6-9
- A future righteous King will reign, the nature of animals will change -Isaiah 11:1-6
- A King will execute judgment and justice in the earth - Jer. 23:5
- A future kingdom will be set up which will stand for ever - Daniel 2:44
- Second coming prophesied - Zech 14:3-19
- The Lord will return to Jerusalem, it will be called the city of truth - Zech 8:3
- A future repentance of the Jews - Zech 12:9-10

Jews did not understand
- John 1:9-14
- The Jews were in bondage to the Romans,
- Everywhere they looked, Roman soldiers were there
- They wanted freedom from the Romans
- They wanted Messiah to come and wipe out the Roman legions
- But they forgot that Messiah had a tender part to him
- Isa 42:3
- His first coming was with compassion, bringing healing to the people, and dying for their sins
- His second coming will be as a conquering King, restoring order into the chaos Satan has caused in this world
- The New Testament gives extensive prophecies about the second coming

CONCLUSION
- The Jews are not lost as a people
- Today, however, their eyes are still blinded to the Messiah
- One day, their eyes will be opened and we will see hundreds of thousands of Jews coming to Jesus
- Jesus Kingdom will start at Jerusalem and then extend to the rest of the world
- That mission has started in us
- Jesus has made Himself known to us and has conscripted us into his service

Don't Be Afraid, Only Believe - March 9, 2008

Title: Do Not Be Afraid, Only Believe
Date: March 9, 2008
Text: Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

INTRODUCTION
- We are all faced by trials and difficulties
- Part of the reason we were brought to our knees was probably some circumstance that we could not possibly deal with
- Today we will look at an example of how we should face impossible circumstances

BACKGROUND
- The background to the story starts with Jesus
- He and the disciples had sailed across the sea of Galilee to Decapolis on the east side of Galilee
- There they ran into a demonized individual, who remains nameless in the story
- Jesus casts out the demon, and the demon went into a herd of pigs, which then commit suicide by drowning
- Jesus then returns to Capernaum, where he is met by Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue
- Jairus would have been a very respected member of his community, was probably well off, was responsible for the smooth running of meetings in the synagogue
- The synagogue had been built by the Roman garrison commander (Luke 7:5) probably because it was a poor town
- There were probably only around 1000 to 1500 inhabitants
- The town had around 1600 feet of shoreline, or 1/3 mile
- So it was not very large
- It was finally destroyed by the Arabic invasion in 640 AD
- Mark 5:21-24
- Jesus is at the seafront, then starts walking through town with Jairus, to minister to his daughter
- A lady who had been bleeding for 12 years came up to Jesus, touched his cloak, and was instantly healed.
- Jesus stopped and talked with her
- Jairus is probably biting his fingernails, because he knows the urgency of his daughter’s situation
- Then they hear that the daughter has died
- Jairus’ heart sinks

Don’t be afraid
- V. 35 - Jairus was afraid – the situation had gone from bad to worst – his daughter was now dead
- He had had a little faith, now it dropped through the floor
- Our situation may not be good
- We may have prayed about it and done all we could
- But things have only gotten worse
- We may owe money but have no way to repay it
- We may have relationship issues with our family, and have just about given up trying to find reconciliation
- We may have come here looking for recovery and yet we fear relapse
- V. 36 - Jesus tells Jairus “Do not be afraid”
- Capernaum was a town where Jesus had spent a lot of time
- Many miracles had been done there, and Jairus would have seen many of them, it was not a big place
- He says, don’t be afraid, even if the problem seems hopeless
- He says to us, Don’t give up, I am here, let me deal with it

Ignore what things look like
- V. 36 - Jesus ignored what had been said, and told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, only believe”
- We so often focus our anxiety and fears on the problem, rather than looking at the One who can fix the problem
- Our natural tendency is to focus on the obvious situation, what we can see, feel, hear or touch
- But there is more to life than meets the eye
- 2 Kings 6:17
- This room is filled with angels who are listening to the words that are being spoken here
- We are not alone, or left to our own devices
- Heb 13:5 NIV “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”

Trust God
- V.36 - Jesus says “Only believe”
- God does ask of us to trust him
- There is the kind of faith to trust that God wants relationship with us and then acts on that faith
- There is the kind of faith which refers to believing what God has said in his Word
- And there is the faith that says, “I am trusting you, God, with this situation. I am placing it in your hands to take care of. I believe that you are able to deal with it, and I believe that you love me enough that you will do what is best for me. I ask you to change this situation. Thank you for what you are about to do”
- Jesus says, only believe, he says, trust me
- Trust him for dealing with your illness
- Trust him for helping you pay your debts
- Trust him for staying clean and sober
- Trust him for helping you pay your back child support
- Trust him for reconciliation in your family

God does things His way
- Notice that Jesus did not tell Jairus to go home, that his daughter was healed
- Jairus would have liked the answer straight away
- He did not like his faith sinking through the floorboards
- Jesus had a bigger purpose, which Jairus did not see
- Jesus allowed his daughter to die, so that a greater miracle would happen, so that Jairus’ faith would be strengthened even more
- God does not always give us what we want
- Sometimes we want something immediately, but God does not respond when we want
- Sometimes we have to wait a long time before we see the answer
- Sometimes the answer will not come in our lifetime
- When my wife died, that is when she was healed of her cancer
- She now lives in a healthy body, in Jesus’ presence, with no pain or suffering. I am glad for her.
- We would like things now
- But God’s answer may be later, or maybe not at all
- Trust him that he will do what is right and best for you
- He said he would never leave us
- He walks through our storms with us
- And ultimately he will work all things out
- What he asks of us is “Do not be afraid, only believe”

Leaving Ur - Genesis 12:1-4

Title: Leaving Ur
Date: March 2, 2008
Text: Genesis 12:1-4, Hebrews 11:8

INTRODUCTION
- When I was 12 I once read through the life of Abraham, in one sitting
- I found it an interesting read, it grabbed my attention
- In some way it spoke to my heart, and suddenly I knew that I wanted to be like Abraham
- I wanted to be obedient to God, I wanted to have that closeness of relationship with God, that I can speak to God and that he replies to me
- Today I am going to start a series about the life of Abraham, examining incidents in his life and showing their relevance to each of us

Abraham was faithful
- Gen 12:1-3 – Abraham had previously heard from God, to leave his father’s house and go to another land
- His father’s house was in Ur of the Chaldeas – that is where Abraham was born
- The bible does not say when God spoke this to Abram – reading the story it sounds as though this happened while they were still in Ur
- In response to this word to Abram, Terah, Abram’s dad, took Abram, his wife Sarah and his grandson Lot, to a place called Haran, a place where Lot had probably grown up
- This was on the way to the land of Canaan
- It seems that Nahor, Abram’s brother together with his wife milcah, later also followed them to go settle in Haran
- Haran was a nice town, at the middle of the Fertile Crescent
- There were family there – Haran had probably established this village, before he died while on a trip back to Ur – the town Haran was named after him
- There is a lesson in this – Haran left Ur and settled in Haran – then he turned back to Ur – he died there
- There is death in Ur
- Maybe the lesson for us is that when we embark on a journey with God that we do not turn back
- Hebrews 10:38
- But there came a point when Abraham realized that he had not yet completely fulfilled the word from God
- It was time to resume the journey
- This took a step of faith
- Heb 11:8-10

God is faithful
- God goes on our journey with us
- Heb 13:5 He promised never to leave or forsake us
- Numbers 23:19 He is not a man that he should lie
- Whatever he has promised will be done
- No matter if we go through hard time or smooth, he is there
- Psalm 23 – when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil because God is with us
- Phil 1:6 the work he has started in us he will complete
- He does not stop halfway, he completes the project

God expects us to be faithful
- Abraham got stuck in Haran
- He had left Ur in obedience and then settled down in Haran
- It was comfortable to be in Haran
- There was plenty of room, there was family around, no need to feel lonely
- But it was not the place where God had sent him
- When Terah died, Abraham realized it was time to move on, in obedience
- This was a step f faith
- Luke 19:17 God has called us to be faithful too
- Like Abraham, we have started on a journey
- When we accepted Jesus into our life, we took step one of the journey
- We have left all kinds of things behind us
- We have left behind our family of origin, the place where we may have learned a lot of our bad ways
- We have left behind our old way of life, and been raised a new creation
- It may be comfortable for us to rest there
- We have been saved and we are able to pray and communicate with God – awesome
- But God has called us on a journey
- We learn more about that journey in the coming weeks
- Step 2 is to continue the journey
- Not being satisfied with just being saved, but wanting to be the best we can be for God
- We have not yet reached the city that Abraham was looking for
- We too are on a pilgrimage, a journey
- But God is faithful, and as we follow him we will be living and walking with God
- We will have relationship with him, and he with us!
- One day he will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
- Because we have been faithful, we have stayed on the journey
- Now, that is awesome!

Love in a perfect world - Song of Songs 2:7

Title: Love in a Perfect World
Date: October 17, 2008
Text: Song of Songs 2:7

Story

- "I stand by the bed where a young woman lies after an operation on her face, her mouth twisted. A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed. She will be thus from now on.
- I had followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh; I promise you that. Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek, I had to cut the little nerve.
- Her young husband is in the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private. Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry mouth I have made, who gaze at and touch each other so lovingly?
- The young woman speaks. "Will my mouth always be like this?" she asks.
- "Yes," I say, "it will. It is because the nerve was cut."
- She nods and is silent. But the young man smiles. "I like it," he says, "It is kind of cute."
- Unmindful, he bends to kiss her crooked mouth and I am so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works" - Richard Selzer, M.D., Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery, 1978, pp. 45-6.

Introduction

- Love like this takes time to grow, it is a deep love that withstands storms
- We are used to getting what we want, now – 5 minutes waiting is too long
- And sure enough, we do get it now – we get an addiction after experimenting with our friends, we get poverty after gambling all our money at the casino, we get gonorrhea or syphilis or AIDS from our casual sex
- Now does not always work all that well
- God has better things for us, but it take time to get it right
- It takes a lifetime for our minds to be totally renewed
- Today we are going to be talking about a sensitive subject
- I am going to ask of you to treat this subject with the respect it deserves, because it can make a huge difference to your happiness after graduating from the program
- This morning we are going to look at a short video clip dealing with three Hebrew words: raya, ahava and dode

Video clip – Nooma #2 – Flame

- I love tacos and I love my wife
- The word love is used in different ways
- Three Hebrew words are used for love – three flames
- Raya – to love a friend, a companion, a soulmate – its core is friendship
- Ahava – a deep affection, desire to be with the other person with passion, would rather be with her than anywhere else – it is as strong as death, can’t be quenched – it is a decision to join two lives – it is not a fleeting feeling – it makes things last
- Dode – means to arouse, rock, fondle, drink – equivalent to greek word eros meaning erotic love
- When a man and a woman get together, all three forms of love are united – a picture of a deeper spiritual reality
- Sex is ultimately spiritual, meant to endure forever
- But so often we want the whole bonfire, made up of all three flames, from just the dode flame on its own
- When you separate the flames it does not satisfy
- True sexuality is more than just a body experience
- When it is time for us to explore this territory, we want the full experience, not a cheap shortcut
- True love is a precious thing, it endures for a lifetime
- SoS 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised
- So often we may be satisfied with momentary dode love, the sexual love
- But dode love on its own, outside of the context of marriage, is sinful
- When I first married, I had known my wife for four years
- We were close friends, but without having become involved romantically
- We supported each other through things that happened in our individual lives, and we were there for each other
- Leni was my best friend
- I got to know Leni while I was living in Holland
- We met on the train, going to church
- It was not time for us to marry – it was a time for RAYA
- I was 26 but my emotions were still messed up from my past
- I recognized my problems, at least partially
- And I respected Leni
- I did not want to accelerate our friendship into romance until we were ready for it
- SoS 2:7 “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.”
- We could have been married right away, but then we would probably have ended up as one more painful divorce statistic
- We waited till the time seemed right, after having been close friends for 4 years
- Then one weekend I suddenly saw Leni in a new light
- We danced one night and it was as though we were meant for each other, it was so perfect – AHAVA had arrived
- We counseled with our minister and after an engagement period of 6 months, we were married
- I have no regrets about how we did things
- We had our ups and downs
- I believe my past intruded into our marriage and it caused trouble in our relationship
- But because we respected each other and had a solid RAYA foundation, we were able to weather the storms
- Here in the program is not the time to experiment with building relationships
- There is a time and a place for everything
- Now is the time to focus on getting your life sorted out, so that you can be the right husband or wife, so your past will no longer have such a big impact on your future marriage
- Later on, when we ask God to lead us to the right person, we will meet that special someone with whom you want to spend the rest of your life
- Take time, savor the experience
- Enjoy the time of friendship, get to know each other in all kinds of situations
- Build that RAYA experience
- And one day you will recognize that the AHAVA flame has ignited
- This takes you down a road to the time when DODE comes along on your wedding night, when you are able to give all of yourself to the other person, not holding anything back
- Not having all kinds of images in your mind of former casual partners, of quick sordid actions in the dark
- Loving your partner with all your heart mind and soul
- Be patient, the day will come for you when you can meet the person of your dreams and have a huge bonfire relationship, when all three flames come together as one

Love in a Perfect World - Song of Solomon 2:7, 8:7

Title: Love in a Perfect World
Date: February 19, 2008
Text: Song of Songs 2:7, 8:7

STORY
- I stand by the bed where a young woman lies after an operation on her face, her mouth twisted. A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed. She will be thus from now on.
- I had followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh; I promise you that. Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek, I had to cut the little nerve.
- Her young husband is in the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private. Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry mouth I have made, who gaze at and touch each other so lovingly?
- The young woman speaks. "Will my mouth always be like this?" she asks.
- "Yes," I say, "it will. It is because the nerve was cut."
- She nods and is silent. But the young man smiles. "I like it," he says, "It is kind of cute."
- Unmindful, he bends to kiss her crooked mouth and I am so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works.
(Adapted from Richard Selzer, M.D., Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery, 1978, pp. 45-6).

INTRODUCTION
- Love like this takes time to grow, it is a deep love that withstands storms
- We are used to getting what we want, now – 5 minutes waiting is too long
- And sure enough, we do get it now – we get an addiction after experimenting with our friends, we get poverty after gambling all our money at the casino, we get gonorrhea or syphilis or AIDS from our casual sex
- Now does not always work all that well
- God has better things for us, but it take time to get it right
- It takes a lifetime for our minds to be totally renewed
- Today we are going to be talking about a sensitive subject
- I am going to ask of you to treat this subject with the respect it deserves, because it can make a huge difference to your happiness after graduating from the program
- This morning we are going to look at three Hebrew words: raya, ahava and dode

Three words of love

- I love tacos and I love my wife
- The word love is used in different ways
- Three Hebrew words are used for love – three flames
- Raya – to love a friend, a companion, a soulmate – its core is friendship
- Ahava – a deep affection, desire to be with the other person with passion, would rather be with her than anywhere else – it is as strong as death, can’t be quenched – it is a decision to join two lives – it is not a fleeting feeling – it makes things last
- Dode – means to arouse, rock, fondle, drink – equivalent to greek word eros meaning erotic love
- When a man and a woman get together, all three forms of love are united – a picture of a deeper spiritual reality
- Sex is ultimately spiritual, meant to endure forever
- But so often we want the whole bonfire, made up of all three flames, from just the dode flame on its own
- When you separate the flames it does not satisfy
- True sexuality is more than just a body experience
- When it is time for us to explore this territory, we want the full experience, not a cheap shortcut

Treasure love

- True love is a precious thing, it endures for a lifetime
- SoS 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised
- So often we may be satisfied with momentary dode love, the sexual love
- But dode love on its own, outside of the context of marriage, is sinful
- When I first married, I had known my wife for four years
- We were close friends, but without having become involved romantically
- We supported each other through things that happened in our individual lives, and we were there for each other
- Leni was my best friend
- I got to know Leni while I was living in Holland
- We met on the train, going to church
- It was not time for us to marry – it was a time for RAYA
- I was 26 but my emotions were still messed up from my past
- I recognized my problems, at least partially
- And I respected Leni
- I did not want to accelerate our friendship into romance until we were ready for it
- SoS 2:7 “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.”
- We could have been married right away, but then we would probably have ended up as one more painful divorce statistic
- We waited till the time seemed right, after having been close friends for 4 years
- Then one weekend I suddenly saw Leni in a new light
- We danced one night and it was as though we were meant for each other, it was so perfect – AHAVA had arrived
- We counseled with our minister and after an engagement period of 6 months, we were married
- I have no regrets about how we did things
- We had our ups and downs
- I believe my past intruded into our marriage and it caused trouble in our relationship
- But because we respected each other and had a solid RAYA foundation, we were able to weather the storms

A time and a place

- Here in the program is not the time to experiment with building relationships
- There is a time and a place for everything
- Now is the time to focus on getting your life sorted out, so that you can be the right husband or wife, so your past will no longer have such a big impact on your future marriage
- Later on, when we ask God to lead us to the right person, we will meet that special someone with whom you want to spend the rest of your life
- Take time, savor the experience
- Enjoy the time of friendship, get to know each other in all kinds of situations
- Build that RAYA experience
- And one day you will recognize that the AHAVA flame has ignited
- This takes you down a road to the time when DODE comes along on your wedding night, when you are able to give all of yourself to the other person, not holding anything back
- Not having all kinds of images in your mind of former casual partners, of quick sordid actions in the dark
- Loving your partner with all your heart mind and soul
- Be patient, the day will come for you when you can meet the person of your dreams and have a huge bonfire relationship, when all three flames come together as one

Allowing God to direct your life - Proverbs 3:5-6

Title: Allowing God to direct your life
Date: February 17, 2008
Text: Proverbs 3:5-6

Story

- I want to tell the story of homeless man at In-and-Out in Carson City
- Visited the restaurant while we were on a drive down through the Carson Valley
- Dianne and I had just ordered our meal
- Saw the homeless man sitting there with just a small cup of water - I felt a prompting to go buy him a meal - At the same time, Dianne said, let’s buy that man a meal
- So Dianne went and found a seat and I went up to the man and asked if he would like something to eat
- He said yes, he hadn’t eaten all day
- I asked what he would like, went to the counter and placed the order - Then I gave him the slip to claim his food
- I went back to Dianne with our own meal, only a lady was sitting there with her
- This lady had come up to Dianne, all remorseful, and told her that the Lord had told her to give that man a meal
- But she had felt uncomfortable at the idea of her as a lady on her own, talking to the homeless man
- Dianne said, that’s OK, God got it sorted out anyway, and the man now had a meal
- The lady then said, but you don’t understand, I am a pastor
- Dianne replied, so are we
- The lady then said, I am a pastor in the Foursquare denomination
- Dianne was amazed and said, so are we!
- The odds against this happening were amazing!
- This lady was the pastor of a small church up in the mountains, and she was just on her way back after a visit to family in Winnemucca
- In her church was a group of ladies knitting hats and scarves, but they did not know what to use them for
- Dianne told her about our homeless ministry, and the lady offered to send us the hats and scarves, for the homeless
- 2 weeks ago there was a large box sitting on our doorstep, full of hats and scarves
- We handed them out last Sunday, down at the river, along Galletti Way
- (Show samples of hats and scarves)
- This is an example of following God’s direction
- Prov 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart – v.5

- Trust in the Lord
- Trusting someone else can be difficult
- We have learned not to trust
- Man has let us down
- We all have feet of clay
- All of us have inherited the sinful nature that came as a result of the fall
- Psalm 146:3 and 118:8 say not to put our trust in man
- But 1 Cor 10:13 tells us “God is faithful”
- We can trust our maker
- Num 23:19 God is not a man that he should lie

- With all your heart
- With all your heart means total surrender
- When we first accept Jesus we give him our all
- But then the world encroaches on our life
- Bit by bit our first love starts to cool down
- We need to continually turn back to God and get that fire that we had at the start
- Acts 13:22 David a man after God’s own heart – he made big mistakes but he was totally surrendered to God
- James 1:8 God wants us to trust him, with all our heart, not half-heartedly

2. Lean not on your own understanding – v.5

- It often seems like something unusual
- It doesn’t make sense to go feed a homeless person
- We don’t associate with them, we can’t spare the money, all kinds of excuses
- God says, just go and do it! Just be obedient
- We need God’s direction in our lives
- But sometimes that direction does not make sense
- Genesis 12 - Like when God told Abraham to leave home and travel to an undetermined destination
- Abraham didn’t argue the point – he just went and did it – he was obedient
- So when you have an inner prompting to do something or say something, that is OK per the Bible, even if it seems strange, it may be from the Lord
- Don’t lean on your own understanding

3. In all your ways acknowledge him – v.6

- In everything you do, involve God
- This means walking closely with him
- When you rise in the morning, spend time with him
- Ask him for direction for the day, to guide your steps and use you as he sees fit
- Be aware that he may have assignments for you and be aware of promptings he gives you
- He won’t tell you to go and stab someone in the back, or steal from someone, or lust after someone
- The thoughts we have can be influenced from three other sources – our own mind, society, and even the enemy
- The things God says will be approved by his Word the Bible
- So you need to test your thoughts, is this something God would say and approve of - Isaiah 8:20
- Involve God in all you do, have a prayerful relationship with him
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – pray continually

4. He will direct your paths – v.6

- Then we are promised that God will direct our paths
- God starts with the little things
- He says that if we are faithful in little, we will be faithful also in much - Luke 16:10
- So if we show God we are faithful in small assignments such as feeding a homeless person, he will give us other things to do
- He tells us he will direct our paths - This means he will give us direction
- That direction may be for an immediate event
- On the other hand it may be direction for our life’s goals
- I often hear from people, how do I know what God’s purpose is for my life
- God’s purpose for us is described in Micah 6:8 – to walk humbly with your God
- When we do this, he will show us the way to go – he will direct our paths

Communion

- Sometimes that path is not where we would want to go
- Jesus is the supreme example of this
- Luke 22:42 - In the garden of Gethsemane he prayed to the Father, if it would be possible to not have to go through with the crucifixion
- Yet he said to the Father, yet not my will but yours be done
- Just an hour or so before, he sat down with the disciples and performed a ceremony with them which would remind them of the most important aspect of his ministry
- Luke 22:17-20 “Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Joy in Trials - James 1:2-4

Title: Joy in trials
Date: February 10, 2008
Text: James 1:2-4

Introduction

- As we go through life there will be good days and bad days, good experiences and bad experiences
- Maybe you are going through some hard times right now
- Here at the mission there are many opportunities to go through difficulties, just because we are in such close proximity to each other
- Maybe your hard patch is because of family situations
- Maybe your wife has told you she is giving up on you, or you may never see your children again - Maybe your area of need is in finances, you just don’t know how you are going to be able to survive, after graduating from this program
- We all have our own particular point at which we wonder how we will ever get through the trial - James tells us in his letter in the NT, about the purpose for trials in our life
- And he starts off by telling us to be joyful during our hard times!

1. Consider it pure joy – verse 2

- James 1:2 – consider it pure joy
- Hard to understand
- Perspective of being in God’s hands
- Eph 2:10 - We are his workmanship
- Isa 64:8 - You are the potter, we are the clay
- Learning to trust God
- Psa 37:7 - Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him
- Amplified Bible “Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass”

2. Testing develops perseverance – verse 3

- As we go through trials, and persevere, God is doing something inside us
- We are learning to trust him and depend on him
- He is shaping us and preparing us for his purpose
- 1 Kings 6:7 - Stones of the temple were shaped off-site, yet fitted perfectly – Solomon’s quarries under Jerusalem
- Eph 4:16 - What every joint supplies
- We stand together, supporting each other
- Particularly while we are going through trials

3. Perseverance makes us complete and mature – verse 4

- We are used to living for the moment
- We don’t like the idea of preparing for retirement
- God looks at things from an eternal perspective
- Though we cannot see beyond this life, he is preparing us for a glorious future
- 1 Cor 2:9 – eye has not seen nor ear heard

Conclusion

- 2 Cor 4:17 - Exceeding weight of glory
- 2 Tim 4:8 - Laid up for me a crown of righteousness
- As we go through trials, learn to look at it from God’s perspective
- We are in his hands, he will not let us fall
- 1 Cor 10:13 – he will provide a way for us to stand up under the trial
- So don’t be praying for the trial to be taken away – oh woe is me
- Instead, pray that we might learn the lesson and thank God that he is working in our life
- Look forward to the future when all this will be done, complete, and we can move on to the purpose for which we have been made

There is a Way Out of the Valley - Psalm 143

Subject: There is a Way Out of the Valley
Date: January 27, 2008
Text: Psalm 143

Story

- One day a preacher who had just lost his family to a tragic fire, and had fallen into the depths of a deep and dark depression was walking down a city street. There, he came upon a construction crew that was erecting a new church. He stopped to watch them as they worked, as he watched, he observed a worker who was busy carving a triangle out of stone with a chisel and hammer.
- Stepping closer, he asked the stonecutter what he was carving. The worker pointed to the steeple of the church and said, "Do you see that small opening up there near the steeple? Well, I am carving this stone down here so that it will fit in up there."
- The preacher was immediately stirred in his heart. He realized anew the faithfulness of God and came to understand that the valley he was in at the moment was God's way of carving him down here so that he would fit in up there.

Introduction

- During this life we often go through dark times of despair
- We may be faced with seemingly impossible situations
- Some of us may be thinking, how on earth will I get through this 13 month program
- Maybe we are approaching graduation and wonder what life will be like once we have our certificate in hand
- Will we relapse, will we be strong enough
- David, who was the king of the nation Israel, often went through times of depression and fear
- For much of his early life he was on the run from king Saul
- This was tough in itself, but later on, after he became king himself, even his own kids turned on him and wanted him out of the way
- He became depressed, just like sometimes happens with us
- When we are depressed it often feels like we are walking in a dark valley, we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel
- David refers to this as the Valley of the shadow of death
- Let’s look at how David experiences this in Psalm 143

There is pain (v.3-4,7)

- Context – the rebellion of his son Absalom and the revolt of Ahithophel,
- Psa. 41:9 “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.”
- David is in the depths of depression - he is totally overwhelmed by the hurt and pain in his life
- V.3-4 “For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. 4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed.”
- He despairs of life, it is as though God has gone into hiding – the word overwhelmed gives the idea of being encased in darkness
- David is in distress
- V.7 “Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.”
- David feels as though he is at the end of his rope, there is no way to turn
- There seems to be no end to the pain, and no light at the end of the tunnel. Many of us may identify with David, we may feel we are in such a valley too

There is treasure (v.1-2, 5-6)

- That treasure is the treasure of a pure walk with God
- Our trial and our trouble may not be due to our personal sin
- Sometimes trials are the result of another’s sin, sometimes God allows the trial to teach us something, sometimes it is the enemy attacking us
- We are people who still sin continually, though
- That is why we need to turn to God in repentance and total surrender
- V.1-2 David acknowledges God’s faithfulness and his need for mercy
- In our dark valleys we remember times of God’s deliverance
- We remember those times when things looked bleak before, when troubles overwhelmed us and God stepped in and rescued us
- It is good to write these things down on paper, so that when we need them they are available to read
- During these times, we read God’s word and find example after example of God stepping in and rescuing his people
- V.5 David remembers God’s works, both in his life and in history
- In our dark valley, we learn to rely on God
- David knew he couldn't find the way out
- The problem and trial overwhelmed him
- So he was forced to look to God for the answer
- In our dark valley we come to the end of our rope, and now we have to rely on a big God to save us
- Pro. 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

There is a way out (V.1, 6, 8a, 9a, 11-12)

- In your dark valley, pray
- Time after time in these verses we see that David prayed, even when in the depths of despair
- V. 1, 6 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness. 6I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.”
- Our duty is to pray! Pray when God says "yes", pray when He says "no", pray when He says "wait". Pray! Prayer is more than a religious activity, it is a path out of the dark valley
- Even in the darkness, David recognized God’s goodness
- V.10b “Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness [lead me on level ground NIV].”
- Keep on walking with God
- V.8, 10b, 11-12 Keep on going
- When we lie down and quit, that is when we fail
- But if we keep walking, we will find the exit sign
- God will provide a way, even when there seems to be no other way out

Summary

- There is pain and hurt in the valley of despair
- We all go through this valley at one time or another
- There is treasure in the valley – the treasure of a pure walk with God, the treasure of remembering God’s faithfulness in the past, the treasure of learning to rely on God
- There is a way out of the valley – it comes through prayer, it comes through acknowledging God’s goodness, and it comes through keeping on walking

Conclusion

- In our trials there is a strong temptation to lie down and quit
- But we are not made of that kind of stuff
- We are made to persevere and be conquerors
- Rom 8:35-37 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

Personal integrity - Daniel 3:17-18

Title: Personal integrity
Date: October 17, 2008
Text: Daniel 3:17-18

Story

- "Some time ago there was a movie “Indecent Proposal” which starred Robert Redford and Demi Moore
- “A young couple very much in love are married and have started their respective careers, she as a real estate broker, he as an architect. She finds the perfect spot to build his dream house, and they get loans to finance it.
- When the recession hits, they stand to lose everything they own, so they go to Vegas to have one shot at winning the money they need.
- After losing at the tables, they are approached by a millionaire who offers them a million dollars for a night with the wife.
- Though the couple agrees that this is a way out of their financial dilemma, it threatens to destroy their relationship.”
- What are you willing to do for $10,000,000?
- Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:
- Would abandon their entire family (25%)
- Would abandon their church (25%)
- Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
- Would give up their American citizenships (16%)
- Would leave their spouses (16%)
- Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
- Would kill a stranger (7%)
- Would put their children up for adoption (3%)" - James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth, 1991.

Introduction

- In life there will be times when your integrity and honesty will be put to the test.
- How will you react?
- Where will you draw the line?
- For what price would you give up your integrity?
- This morning we will examine the example of three young men, who put their lives on the line for the sake of keeping their integrity

Definition of integrity

- Merriam Webster Dictionary
- 1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : Incorruptibility
- 2 : an unimpaired condition : Soundness
- 3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : Completeness

Daniel 3 – Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego

- they are first mentioned in Dan 1:7, companions of Daniel
- Idol – 90 feet high and 9 feet wide –
- Iraq, near present location of Baghdad
- They do not bow down before the idol
- Does not say that they made a lot of trouble about it
- No petitions or rebellion, but people accused them before the king
- They had opportunity to change their mind

They stood up for their beliefs

- verses 16-18
- examine what this means
- they are faced with being killed for their beliefs
- they preserved their integrity
- they refused to compromise their values

A choice to be made

- there is always a choice to be made
- will I stick to what I know is right or will I compromise?
- Acts 5:29 obey God rather than man
- God is more permanent than man
- Will I give up my reward for the sake of some cheap temporary thing?
- That kind of person is concerned about other people’s approval
- John 12:43 The Pharisees loved the praise of men more than their relationship with God
- We want to be more concerned about what God thinks of us

What does God think about us?

- God loves us, we are his children, he trusts us
- We cover all this in our classes
- We have been moved from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son – Col 1:13
- This is from the greek word “methistemi” meaning “to transpose, transfer, remove from one place to another"
- We become changed inside
- Rom 2:29 – we no longer need to worry about what others think of us
- It is what God thinks about us that really counts

The end of the story

- Dan 3:16-18 – their response to the king
- They are thrown into the furnace
- But God delivers them
- He did so because they trusted in him – verse 28
- Psa 31:1 - In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

Conclusion

- we may be going through situations
- we may be tempted to compromise
- but God says trust me and I will bring you through
- no matter what the mountain, he says he will make it flat as a pancake
- whatever our struggle, if we trust him he will come through for us

The Power of Pentecost - Acts 1:4-8

Title: The Power of Pentecost
Date: May 27, 2007
Text: Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4, 37-39

INTRODUCTION

- The church today needs power.
- More churches close their doors each year than new ones that are started.
- Witchcraft is growing faster than mainline Christianity.
- The church has a task to witness to the power of the risen Christ but it seems to have lost the power of his resurrection.
- The same thing happens in personal lives.
- People hunger for something more, but seek it in New Age philosophy or eastern religions.
- The enemy is willing to give something that looks like power, but it is only a counterfeit, temporary, and instead of giving freedom it enslaves you.
- We want the power to be healed of our inner struggles, to be given peace and to live a meaningful and purposeful life.
- But because it seems impossible we give up and just allow ourselves to flop downstream like a dying fish, doing whatever seems to give us a good feeling for the moment.
- God knew we needed more.
- That is why he sent us the power of Pentecost.
- Someone once said the average person is so afraid of getting out on a limb they never even bother to climb up a tree.
- Over the years we have seen spiritual gifts and God’s power abused and misused.
- We are afraid of the excesses of people who go to extremes.
- But we cannot afford to allow these fears to scare us from the real thing!
- God knows we need the power of the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit was sent for a reason.
- I am not talking about becoming Pentecostal or charismatic.
- This has nothing to do with denominations.
- I am talking about a need for power in our lives to overcome our addictions.

1. The Promise of Pentecost

- Acts 2:37-39
- This outpouring of the Holy Spirit was given for all ages, not only the early church.
- It is for all people who turn to God for forgiveness of their sins and direction in their lives.
- As many as the Lord our God shall call!
- So it is for today as well, today here in this chapel!
- Dr. John R. Rice, a well-known Baptist preacher, said, “There is an experience after Salvation, called the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. All Saved people do have the Holy Spirit. When someone is saved, the Holy Spirit puts him into the Body of Christ. But besides that, Christians ought to be filled with the Holy Spirit and special soul-winning power. Saved people are not always filled with the Holy Spirit, they ought to be, and can be, but many are not.”
- At Baylor University, a seminary professor said to ministerial students, “There is an experience subsequent to salvation, called the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, which is an enduement with power from on high…Don’t you dare go out and preach without it!”
- Dr. R.A. Torrey, a famous Bible Teacher, pastored the large Moody Bible Church and led the Moody Bible College in Chicago. He said, “The baptism in the Holy Spirit (the filling of the Spirit – not the work of the Holy Spirit at conversion to place us into the Body of Christ) is for every child of God in every age of the Church’s history. If it is not ours, it is because we have not taken what God has provided for us.”

2. What was the promise?

- Acts 1:4-8
- The promise was of the Holy Spirit coming in power into the lives of Christians.
- It relates to the promise in John 14:15-16.
- God would send us a Comforter, one to come alongside, to give us power to live the Christian life.
- This is what happened on Pentecost Sunday roughly 1977 years ago.
- And it continues to happen in the lives of believers who open their hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to come in all his fullness.
- Acts 2:1-4
- This is what happened.
- There was a sound of a rushing wind, and the disciples saw cloven flames of fire sitting on each of them, and they started speaking in tongues.
- People wondered what was going on.
- Then Peter preaches an awesome sermon, starting with the prophecy in Joel that God would in the future pour out of his Spirit on all flesh.
- People were convicted of their sins and cried out what can they do?
- Peter tells them that it is time to repent, and that when they do God has this free gift for them, the Holy Spirit.
- This was for them at that time, it has been for Christians for 2000 years, and it is for us today.

3. We will know when we receive this promise

- Dr. R.A. Torrey said, “The infilling of the Holy Spirit is a definite and distinct experience. A Christian will know whether he has received the Spirit or not. Jesus commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from on high. If this were not a definite and distinct experience, the disciples would not know whether they had complied with Christ’s command.”
- When we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, we will know.
- The power of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life will be evident.
- There will be fruits in their life which will show that they have received power from on high.
- Acts 1:8

4. How can we receive this filling with the Holy Spirit?

- Luke 11:9-13
- How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask Him.
- We need to ask God for it.
- There are examples in the book of Acts, showing how people received it.
- Some received it spontaneously.
- Others received prayer from Paul or Peter.
- In Acts 8 the people in Samaria heard the gospel and repented and were baptized. When the apostles laid hands on them they received the Holy Spirit.
- In Acts 9 Paul received Jesus during his Damascus Road experience, and when Ananias prayed for him 3 days later, he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
- In Acts 10 Peter preached for the first time to Gentiles, and God spontaneously filled them with the Holy Spirit.
- In Acts 19 Paul finds disciples who had not heard about the Holy Spirit. He prays for them and they are filled with the Spirit.
- There is nothing weird about being filled with the Holy Spirit.
- But it is a promise and an important part of living the Christian life in power.
- If you want to receive this gift, ask God for it. Seek it. Keep knocking on heaven’s door till you receive it.
- You will know when you have received the answer to your prayer.
- Because the promise is “to you, to your children, and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

A time to receive forgiveness - Psalm 51

Title: A time to receive forgiveness - Psalm 51
Date: May 5, 2007
Text: Psalm 51

Introduction

- Sometimes we do something and we feel consumed by guilt
- This happens particularly when we have been found out
- How could God ever forgive us?
- David once sinned in a big way, and he was punished for it
- 1 Samuel 11
- Notice that David seems to carry on with life in seeming ignorance
- David knew what was right and wrong, he was aware of his sin
- But each time that guilt cropped up, David crushed his conscience
- David was getting to be in a bad place where he thought he had covered his tracks pretty well
- But God does not give up on him
- 1 Samuel 12
- After 9 months, God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David with what he had done
- David wrote down his prayer asking for forgiveness
- This morning we are going to examine how David asked for forgiveness

1. David acknowledges his sin (v.1-6)

- Starts asking for mercy – his sin weighs heavily on him
- His sin is ever before him, he cannot forget about what he has done
- Knowledge of his sin torments him
- He acknowledges that God is loving and merciful
- He wants to be totally cleansed
- This was not just a sin against Bathsheba, Uriah and her son
- This was a sin against God, and a stumblingblock for the nation

2. David asks for restoration (v.7-12)
- He wants to be clean and pure again
- He wants to experience joy in his life again
- Joy is something that comes from being right with God
- When we carry around guilt it is impossible to feel joy
- He recognizes that it was God who made him face his guilt
- He asks for his sins to be blotted out
- He recognizes that he is unable to do this himself, God has to renew a right spirit within him
- He particularly wants a restoration of relationship with God
- He asks for a restoration of the joy of being saved
- He asks for God not to take the Holy Spirit away from him
- His biggest concern is that he needs God’s presence, and he wants that relationship restored

David moves on (v.13-19)

- Having been restored, he now thinks about others
- There are others who have sinned, and he wants to help them come to full restoration as well
- He wants to tell sinners about a God who is prepared to remove our guilt
- He can now speak from experience, God is good
- He has a testimony, he can tell of the grace and forgiveness God has given him personally
- He is restored to true worship again, he understands God’s heart
- God desires humility in us, which comes from seeing ourselves in the true perspective
– God is holy and sinless, we are the ones who mess up and sin
- When we recognize our place in the order of things, then we are able to worship in a way God can accept
- He does not want worship dripping in pride or doing our own thing
- He seeks worshippers who come to him in spirit and in truth – John 4:23
- David intercedes for Zion, the city of David, and asks for blessing for the people in front of whom he had placed a stumblingblock
- He prays that God would accept the worship of his people, that the breach between him and the people and God would now be healed and they can move on

Summary

- God is a merciful God
- He forgives our sins
- Our relationship with him can be restored
- If we want that relationship, we can accept our forgiveness
- this takes humility, and being prepared to say, "I was wrong" - 1 John 1:9
- God blots out our sins and no longer thinks about them - Psa 103:11-12
- However, we also need to move on - Philippians 3:13
- Despite David's sins, God still treasured him, because he desired relationship more than anything else
- God knew David could be trusted and his heart was right with him - Acts 13:22

Conclusion

- Each of us has the opportunity to come to God in sincerity and humility
- whenever we sin, the way is open for restoration
- no sin is too big, no crime is too great for God to forgive

Listening to God - Psalm 32:8

Title: Listening to God
Date: April 22, 2007
Text: Psalm 32:8

INTRODUCTION

- during the past week a number of people have asked about how we can hear God’s voice
- God is a God who wants relationship with us
- when we invite Jesus into our lives, we want relationship with him
- this relationship involves communication
- when we marry we need communication with each other
- if I spend all my time talking to my wife but only listen to her once or twice a year, I won't have much of a marriage
- it is the same way with God, he wants to speak to me, too
- he wants to have input in our lives
- Psalm 32:8
- we need communication with him, not only in praying to him but in listening to what he has to say
- this morning we are going to look at some aspects of listening to God

1. Why do we need communication with God?

- he tells us where we need to change our ways - John 16:8
- he gives us spiritual instruction - 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
- he tells us things he wants us to do - Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4), Moses (Ex:1-10)
- he gives us comfort - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
- he listens to our prayers and responds - Psalm 34:17-19

2. How does God communicate with us?

- he speaks to us through the Bible - Matthew 4:4
- both "logos" (the written words of the Bible) and "rhema" word (words in the Bible which the Holy Spirit gives life for our particular need)
- but there are other ways in which he speaks to us:
- he speaks to us through circumstances - Acts 16:6-7
- he speaks to us through dreams and visions - Matthew 2:12, 13, 19, 22, Acts 16:9
- he speaks to us quietly, sounding like our own thoughts - 1 Kings 19:12-13
- occasionally he speaks to us audibly - 1 Samuel 3:1-10

3. How do we know it is from God?

- the word can come from three sources, our own mind, the enemy, or from God
- this is why we must evaluate or discern, where the word is coming from
- is the word according to the Bible? - Isaiah 8:19-20, John 17:17
- does the word agree with previous guidance - 1 Cor 14:33
- does the Holy Spirit give us an uneasiness about it, or are we at peace? - 1 Cor 2:13, John 14:27
- have we checked the word with someone who has more spiritual insight? - Proverbs 11:14

4. What can stop us from hearing from God?

- we can be so involved with physical things that we cannot hear the spiritual - Colossians 3:2, Luke 10:39-41
- unconfessed sin can get in the way - Isaiah 59:2
- if we have not submitted to God, pride may keep us from hearing his voice - James 4:6-8
- unbelief will also stop us hearing from God, he wants us to walk in faith -Hebrews 11:6, 10:38

Conclusion

- God desires to be close to his children
- when we draw nigh to him, he will draw nigh to us
- he looks forward to our prayers, and he also looks forward to our listening to what he has to say to us
- remember that God is not the author of confusion, he will make things plain, he will enable us to reach his purpose for us
- stay close to God and he will be close to you

Our God is an Awesome God - Mark 16:1-8

Title: Our God is an Awesome God!
Date: April 8, 2007
Text: Mark 16:1-8, John 20:1-18

Introduction

- This was written in an inter-office memo a few years ago
- “If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains; If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles; if you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time; If you can overlook when people take things out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong; If you can take criticism and blame without resentment; If you can relax without liquor, sleep without worry, then… then you are probably the family dog.”
- many of us have come here with problems
- some of our problems seem huge and insurmountable
- Jesus can relate to that
- you see, Friday was Good Friday
- we commemorated the mock trial, the scourging and the crucifixion of Jesus
- why was it that Jesus was killed?
- what was the purpose for him enduring pain, fear, rejection and mockery?
- why did he go though with it all?
- around 3pm on that terrible day, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, it is finished!
- a soldier plunged a spear into Jesus’ side, and out flowed water and blood
- Jesus died
- the centurion confirmed to Pontius Pilate that Jesus was dead
- Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb that had been cut out of the hillside
- a huge stone was rolled over the entrance to stop people from having access to the body
- it seemed that the phenomenon called Jesus had disappeared from the scene
- a movement that had seemed to have so much promise seemed to fizzle out like a wet firecracker
- Jerusalem started to get back to normal, people went back to work, no doubt talking about the events of the last couple of days
- but in the darkness of the tomb, somewhere between Saturday night and daybreak Sunday morning, something awesome happened
- Jesus’ body disappeared
- the body had been wrapped in bandages, like an Egyptian mummy
- but suddenly the bandages collapsed, the body vanished

1. Jesus was not held by the tomb

- Mark 16:1-8 – Mary Magdalene and Mary Jesus’ mother and Salome visit the tomb, and find that an angel has rolled the stone away from the entrance to the tomb
- he has risen! He is alive! He is no longer dead!
- the disciples were very human – they found it hard to believe that Jesus was alive
- they had to experience it for themselves
- aren’t we like that too?
- we find it hard to believe that Jesus is real, that he is alive and well
- we want to experience it for ourselves, we want to see a sign, we want to see some proof other than another person’s testimony
- we need to see a change from the status quo
- we can prove that God exists – each class that comes through the program discusses this question
- we can know logically that the Bible is God’s word, and that it has been faithfully preserved for our use
- but ultimately, the proof we are seeking is that our own life has been touched, that something has changed inside of us
- when Jesus walked and preached 2000 years ago, lives were changed
- people with sickness and physical disabilities were healed
- people with mental illnesses were given a sound and stable mind
- people who were dead were raised to life
- and Jesus himself walked out of the tomb
- there were many witnesses that this actually happened
- the Bible tells that over 500 people saw Jesus after his resurrection
- historians like Josephus and Tacitus recorded Jesus’ death and resurrection

2. Jesus is alive today

- but the Bible tells us that God does not change
- Mal 3:6 – “I am the Lord, I change not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed”
- God is a merciful God, as well as an awesome God
- Jesus is the one who created the earth, who keeps everything running in an orderly fashion
- there is no conflict between true science and God, many scientists believe in God
- on the other hand there are many who do not want God to interfere in their lives
- many of us may not be really interested in having God touch our lives
- that would mean changing the way we talk, the things we do, the way in which we relate to each other
- but Jesus has not changed
- he is alive today
- Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”
- the way Jesus was 2000 years ago, is the way he is today, we can depend on him
- the way he was 2000 years ago, is that he came to bring healing into people’s lives
- the blind saw, the lepers were cleansed and the dead were raised to life
- and he came to save men from the penalty for sins they have committed

3. Jesus has the power to forgive, to heal and to set things right in our lives

- Jesus was given the power to make change in people’s lives
- the people who were touched by Jesus were changed
- leprosy is a terrible disease
- on the island of Molokai in Hawaii, there used to be a leper colony
- Father Damien went there to serve the lepers, and to witness to the power of Jesus to change lives
- in Jesus’ day lepers were feared and rejected from society because of the risk of contagion
- there was nothing that could be done about their disease
- a leper came to Jesus in Matthew 8
- he knelt before Jesus and said “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean”
- Jesus said, “I am willing”, reached out his hand and touched him
- for decades no one had been willing to touch this man
- but Jesus did so, and his life changed forever
- when you have been rejected by all the people around you, because you have a contagious disease, it affects you deep inside
- you feel worthless, unworthy, a failure, nobody loves you, you are lonely and sinking in quicksand
- is that the way we feel?
- we feel powerless to get out of debt
- we feel powerless to break our addictions
- we feel powerless to save our relationships
- we feel powerless to change our situation
- to us, Jesus says “I am willing”
- he touches us and brings change
- no matter how tough things look, no matter how painful things may be right now, Jesus is able to take care of the situation
- not only is he able to take care of the situation, he is also willing to do so
- we are powerless
- but Jesus is powerful
- Jesus says to us today “Don’t give up, there is power available, and I am willing to touch you
- “I am not too proud or mighty to reach down into your personal and private situation
- “I am want to give you a meaningful, purposeful life, I am willing to change your life, just as I did for a leper 2000 years ago
- “because I have not changed”
- do we want Jesus to be the change maker in our life?

Conclusion

- the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, is available to bring change in our life
- God desires relationship with us – he offers us an eternity with him
- we may have been rejected by society, but God loves us, wherever we are at, whatever we have done
- we have sinned and broken the rules
- but Jesus died for us so that that barrier between us and him can be taken away
- he has the power to change our lives
- to bring order into chaos, to bring confidence where there is depression, to bring purpose where we have given up and lost our way
- do you want to ask Jesus into your life?
- all you need to do is get on your knees like the leper, and ask Jesus to forgive your sins, and come into your life
- we do not have the power to bring lasting change in our life
- but God does, he is an awesome God

Tears For Jerusalem - Luke 19:29-44

Title: Tears for Jerusalem
Date: April 1, 2007
Text: Luke 19:29-44

Introduction

- The nation of Israel was born in slavery
- the Israelites were descendants of Abraham, a nomad from Chaldea
- his descendants grew up ostracised from the rest of the Egyptians, and as time progressed they turned them into slaves
- they built treasure cities for Pharaoh, and served with hard labor
- The cry of the Israelites rose up before God and he rescued them and brought them to a land flowing with milk and honey
- they had a fresh start, and for a time they were obedient
- then they relapsed and left the Lord
- the Jewish nation went into captivity and were transported to prison in Babylon, modernday Iraq
- the king Nebuchadnezzar was a tough ruler and once again there were people praying for a return to Jerusalem
- the Jewish captives were taken over by the Medo-Persian empire, and under Cyrus a number of them were allowed to return to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple
- then the Romans invaded Judea and once again the Jews were oppressed by a foreign warlord
- the Jews wanted freedom! They looked for their Messiah who had been promised!
- it was in this environment that Jesus approaches Jerusalem on the final part of his journey
- Luke 19:29-40

1. The Messiah is Here!

- prophets had foretold about the coming of the Messiah
- Is 35:5-6 - Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy
- Is 61:1-2 - The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn
- Zech 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey
- they were seeing the fulfilment of these prophecies before their very eyes
- Luke 7:22 - the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor
- Jesus preaches about his fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 61 - read in Luke 4:18
- and for 3 1/2 years they had seen the miracles, they had heard his message of hope, just a short while before Lazarus had been raised from the dead!
- here indeed was the Messiah!
- here was the Messiah, riding a young donkey, coming into Jerusalem, just as had been prophesied
- so they welcome him! They welcome this King, their Messiah!
- they are shouting "blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

2. The Messiah weeps

- Luke 19:41-44
- this particular morning Jesus climbs the road over the south side of the mount of Olives, and as he descends he looks toward the west where he sees a magnificent view of the temple
- it is built with huge white stones, the doors of the temple were overlaid with gold and they must have shone in his eyes, reflecting the morning sun
- and while the people around him are shouting out "Hosanna, blessed be the King, the son of David, the Messiah", Jesus weeps
- while the people are excited and shouting and jubilant, Jesus is crying
- while the crowds are celebrating, tears are falling
- why was Jesus crying?
- because this was the first coming of the Messiah, a coming which was marked by meekness, the coming of the suffering servant described in Isaiah 53, the one who would be crucified and killed, unrecognized for who he was
- the Messianic prophecies spoke of a conquering king, but also a suffering servant
- they spoke of one who would be their deliverer who would restore them to greatness, and also about a Messiah who would be humble and compassionate and close to his people
- these people were looking for the conquering king, and they thought that this triumphal entry would be the start of that rise to greatness
- but it was not to happen the way they wanted
- they were looking for a King who would immediately, miraculously, rid them of their oppressors
- but Jesus does not raise an army, he does not march up to the governor Pontius Pilate saying "Let my people go"
- instead, Jesus weeps, he goes into the temple and makes a stand for pure worship
- just a couple of days later, these crowds who were now welcoming him as their Messiah, would be shouting just as loudly, Crucify him, crucify him
- why was Jesus crying?
- because they had turned away from God and their worship had turned into ritual
- because he was the answer to their oppression but they did not recognize it
- and because they rejected him, Jerusalem would be destroyed and the temple would be demolished
- verses 41-44

3. Is the King still weeping?

- Israel was given many opportunities to repent
- God sent prophet after prophet, but they were beaten and killed and rejected
- finally he sent his son Jesus to show them the way out of their oppression
- but they did not recognise him
- Jesus wept because they did not recognize him as being the answer to their problems
- how about us?
- are we looking for a Messiah who will come as a conquering king, suddenly changing our life, taking away our anger and addiction with one fell swoop?
- one who miraculously and instantly solves all the problems we have spent 20, 30, 40 or 50 years getting into?
- will we recognize the Messiah who knocks at the door of our heart asking for a welcome, who introduces us to a new way of life, a way of overcoming, of fighting battles, a way of learning to gradually overcome our issues
- he partners with us in changing our lives, he is not into the quick fix mentality
- will we recognize him?
- Jesus wept about the destruction of Jerusalem that was just around the corner
- will he weep because we are not ready for his kind of deliverance?
- the choice is ours

Washing each other's feet - John 13:1-17

Title: Washing each other's feet
Date: March 25, 2007
Text: John 13:1-17

Introduction

- last week we looked at an event that happened in Bethany
- Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anointed Jesus feet and head with spikenard
- this was a very precious ointment, and cost her roughly a year's wages
- Jesus says that she anointed him for burial, ahead of the event that would happen 6 days later
- in that event, Jesus would die for mankind, and become a sacrifice for us
- in his death he would become the fulfillment of all the sacrifices that had been made for 4000 years since Abel offered a lamb in sacrifice
- the evening before he was taken captive, Jesus celebrated Passover with the disciples, just like Jews still do today
- at the end of the Passover meal, Jesus did something unusual
- he got up, laid aside his outer robe, and wrapped a towel around his waist
- the next thing Jesus did, has huge significance for your life
- it will change the way in which you see yourself, and is essential for your recovery
- John 13:1-17

1. Jesus washed the disciples' feet

- roads were dusty
- example of working at temple mount excavation
- it was the role of a servant to wash the feet of visiting travellers
- Luke 7:44 - Jesus rebukes Simon the Leper that his feet had not been washed
- remember they were probably lying on cushions, rather than sitting at a table
- smelly feet were as embarrassing as today!
- yet Jesus here sets an example for the disciples
- he took on this menial, not very nice job, for the disciples
- he was not too good, or too holy to take on this task

2. Jesus set an example of being a servant

- this Passover evening was not unique for Jesus
- this was not the first time Jesus had served people
- his mission was to serve others, not himself
- his first act of service was to empty himself of his divine attributes and humble himself to become a man, born as a helpless baby
- he provided dinner for 5000 people, and then another time for 3000
- he listened to the hurt and pain of a broken humanity, and brought healing and comfort
- it seems he had a house in Capernaum, yet he lived most of his ministry on the road, sleeping wherever he could
- he was called to be the Messiah, yet he did not serve himself but the people around him
- when he was attacked, he did not respond in kind
- when he was hanging on the cross, struggling to breathe, his mind was on others
- he made arrangements for John to take care of Mary his mother
- he led the thief hanging on a cross next to him, to salvation
- he prayed for those who were killing him, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do"
- and on his shoulders he carried the sins of the world, taking our burden upon himself
- in his final act in this life, his life was poured out for every man who has ever lived
- he had died to his own will, his own desires for an easy life
- instead, Jesus lived as a servant, he lived for others
- Jesus lived as a living sacrifice

3. We too have been called to be living sacrifices

- Romans 12:1 - "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service
- Philippians 2:3 - esteem others better than self
- Mark 9:41 "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward"
- John 14:12 - we have been called to do the works that Jesus did
- Philippians 2:5 - we have been called to live, and think and act and breathe the way that Jesus did
- Luke 9:1-2 - go and preach the gospel, heal the sick, and set the captives free
- Matthew 6:33 - seek first the kingdom of God, not money, God will supply your needs
- we have been called to live for others, to be living sacrifices
- v.14-15 - we should follow Jesus' example in washing each others feet
- in today's culture, we wear shoes and socks and our feet don't become dusty, dirty and smelly like in Jesus' day
- but Jesus is telling us, if he as our Lord and Master, conducts himself as our servant, we should serve each other too
- that service extends far beyond kneeling in front of each other, and washing each other's feet
- it extends to how we treat each other, from day to day
- it means turning the other cheek when someone offends us, rather than getting our own back
- it means taking on what seem to be menial tasks in order to serve our friends
- it means laying down our life for others, both in our family and outside

4. Jesus offers to wash our feet today

- notice the short conversation Jesus has with Peter, while washing his feet
- v. 6-13
- Jesus says, if he does not wash our feet, we are not part of him
- there is a particular significance to this washing
- Peter then wants his hands and his head washed as well, but Jesus says the feet is sufficient, the symbolism is complete
- 1 Cor 6:11 "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God"
- Heb 10:22 - "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water"
- Rev 1:5-6 - "To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen"
- Psa 51:1-2, 7 "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin...Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow"
- Isa 1:18 - "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool"
- Jesus is saying to us, come to me all who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest
- he is saying, I came to be a servant and I am still your servant
- he invites us saying, allow me to come and wash your feet, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white and pure as the driven snow

Conclusion

- Jesus came to be a servant to humanity
- he was a servant to the disciples, and washed their feet
- he did this as an example to us, that we too should be each other's servant
- finally, Jesus offers us a cleansing which is permanent, a parole which wipes out our record, a forgiveness that leaves us as white as snow
- are we ready to accept his offer?

The Anointing at Bethany - Matthew 26:6-13

Title: The Anointing at Bethany
Date: March 18, 2007
Text: Matt 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:1-8

Introduction

- as Jesus travels to Jerusalem, he passes through Bethany, about 2 miles from his destination
- during this week before his crucifixion, he uses Bethany as a base and walks to and from Jerusalem each day
- Jesus had acquaintances who lived in Bethany- Lazarus, Martha, Mary and Simon the Leper
- Lazarus was the person Jesus had raised from the dead
- Simon the Leper was probably one of the lepers Jesus had healed
- today, Jesus is staying at Simon the Lepers home, it is evening and they are sitting down for dinner
- something happens at dinner, which shows us two important lessons

1. Mary anoints Jesus' head and feet

- Matthew 26:6-13
- they are at the house of Simon the Leper
- Martha was there, serving as usual, Lazarus was there at the table, and Mary his sister was there as well - John 12:1-3
- it seems that the Mary who anoints Jesus' feet was Lazarus' sister
- Matthew and Mark record that she anointed Jesus head
- John records that she anointed and wiped his feet with her hair
- when we examine the whole pictures she must have anointed both his head and his feet, or the ointment dripped onto his feet - each writer looks at the event from the way he saw it happen
- the ointment was very expensive, and was in an alabaster container, a translucent semi-precious stone
- the disciples valued it at 300 denarii, around a year's wages - some say that the spikenard came all the way from the Himalayas
- Mary brings what is probably her most precious possession, to anoint Jesus
- she breaks the container in the process, it will not be used again
- she does this in faith, having believed what Jesus was saying, that he would be taken and killed by the religious leaders in Jerusalem
- she has anointed him for burial, and he was very precious to her
- the disciples on the other hand seem to have only looked at the value of the ointment and considered it a waste, and Judas says why did we not give this to the poor

2. Stay with Jesus, keep your focus

- the disciples had been with Jesus for three years, and listened to his teachings
- they had been involved in ministry, daily, they baptized people and they were sent out to preach and to heal the sick
- Jesus had told that he was going up to Jerusalem to be killed
- they did not seem to comprehend what Jesus was doing, nor the significance of Mary's act
- the disciples were all involved in doing things, they had no attention for what Jesus was saying
- Mary, however, had an awareness of what was important
- on a previous occasion, Martha had complained that she was having to do all the kitchen work on her own, but Jesus commended Mary for recognizing what was important - listening to Jesus' words
- we too can be all involved in God's work and yet not quite get it
- I can be so involved with doing the work of a chaplain, that I miss out on the important thing that God is doing
- we can all be so involved in the physical, that we cannot see or hear the spiritual
- we can be close to the Word physically, involved in religious activity and works, and still be far, far away spiritually
- what is important is listening for what he is saying, keeping focussed on what God is doing and where he is active

3. Mary was grateful for the gift of Jesus

- Mary gave her most precious possession to prepare Jesus for burial
- she was listening to Jesus' words, and she heard the pain in Jesus' voice as he told he was going to be killed
- she had been close to Jesus for a long time, he had brought her brother back to life after he had succumbed to some illness
- she had learned from Jesus about the resurrection, she had learned about the good news of another kingdom that was coming, which would never pass away
- she believed Jesus' words
- and she was grateful
- her life had been empty, but now it had purpose
- she was single, just like her brother and sister
- but her life had a purpose and she was grateful for all Jesus had given her
- what about us?
- how grateful are we for all Jesus has done in our life?
- he has set us free and given us a new beginning, a fresh start
- he has given us a reason to live and a purpose
- do we live our life as a prayer of gratitude to him?
- Jesus commends Mary for her act of devotion
- but he rebukes the disciples for only looking at the physical aspects of ministry, Jesus himself needed ministering to at this awful time in his life

Summary

- there are two lessons for us in this story
- firstly that we should keep our focus on God and what he is doing, and not be so bogged down in things we are doing that we do not hear what he is saying to us
- secondly, we need to express our gratitude to the one who called us by name, forgave our past, and gave us a fresh start
- let's concentrate this week on deepening our relationship with God - let's set ourselves to each day consciously stop and listen to what he is doing and saying to us
- let's be thankful for all he has done for us, and show our gratitude
- Jesus gave us his all, he held nothing back
- we can do nothing in return, but offer him our most precious possession, by being a living sacrifice, dedicated to his use

The Parable of the Ten Pounds - Luke 19:11-27

Title: The Parable of the Ten Pounds
Date: March 13, 2007
Text: Luke 19:11-27

- The triumphal entry into Jerusalem is about to happen.
- Jesus has left Jericho behind and is on the road to Jerusalem and is now approaching the city.

Background

- When Herod the Great died, he left his reign in the hands of three people: Philip, Herod and Archelaus.
- Archelaus was to rule over Judea.
- There were a group of Jews that did not want Archelaus to rule because of his wickedness, ego, etc.
- Before Archelaus could take the throne, he had to be confirmed in Rome by Caesar that it was his right to rule in Judah, so he had to make a trip to Rome - 4 BC.
- There was a group of Jews that went to Rome to see Caesar to complain about Archelaus.
- Caesar let Archelaus go ahead and take his throne and when Archelaus went back to Judah, he killed all those who had complained.
- He reigned in Judea from 4 BC to 18 AD
- That is the historical background of this story.

1. Purpose of the Parable - verse 11

- people thought Jesus was the Messiah and that he was about to become king
- the Archelaus story was still fresh in people's minds, so Jesus bases his parable on this historical event
- his reign as Messiah was not immediate but would be delayed for some time
- the delay means an interval of time, so the question is, what happens during that period?
- the purpose of the parable is to refocus people's thinking away from an immediate kingdom, and more onto how they need to be living in the meantime until the king returns

2. What do the pounds represent?

- there are various measures referred to as pounds or minas, so it is hard to quantify exactly how much these pounds were worth in today's money
- my Bible margin notes that the mina weighed 12.5 ounces of silver - today's price of silver is $12.95 per ounce, so on that basis the mina may have been worth $160 in today's money
- it was enough to be able to do something with, but not a vast fortune by any means
- this agrees with verse 17 where the mina is described as being very little
- the reward that the nobleman gives for wisely using the silver, is out of all proportion to the value of the original mina
- the 10 servants all received an equal amount with which to work
- each servant, however, varied in how much they had accomplished in developing this investment
- so what does this mina represent?
- when we came to Jesus, each of us has been given the Holy Spirit, with the fruits of the Spirit as well as spiritual gifts
- we all receive a down payment of the Holy Spirit, a promise of more to come in the future when we receive our inheritance
- Eph 1:14 - the Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, a guarantee - we are all the same in this
- in that sense we all receive the same investment over which to be stewards
- the question is, how have we done with developing and using the gift of the holy Spirit in our lives?
- how have we used these gifts to develop in our ability to serve in the kingdom?
- one day the king will return and will ask how we have done in using the spiritual gifts God has given us.

3. The king will return - verse 15

- Jesus will return, there is no doubt about that
- when he returns, there will be an accounting of how we have used the gifts he has given us
- one person will have grown enormously, and he will be rewarded accordingly
- another person may not have done all that much in developing his gifts, and he also will be rewarded according to the effort he has put into his Christian walk
- we are all going to appear before the Bema judgment seat of Christ
- 2 Cor 5:10
- this is not a place where we will be told we are going to heaven or hell - that is decided when we accept Jesus into our life
- instead, this is a place where we will be rewarded for how we have developed in using the gifts God has given us
- this reward will be out of all proportion to what we have been given to work with
- in the parable, for having dealt wisely with $160 we receive rulership over 10 or 5 cities!
- we don't know exactly what God has planned for us when he returns and it is not spelled out exactly in scripture
- but I am sure we will be surprised at God's generosity!
- some people will have done little or nothing in developing their kingdom potential
- God says their gifts will be given to others to develop
- it does not mean they will not be in the kingdom with Jesus - they will be there, thanks to the blood of Jesus
- but they will not be rewarded the same as someone who has spent his whole life in the Lord's service, developing in his spiritual walk

4. There will be others who will not be in the kingdom - verse 27

- there is another group of people, who do not want to the Lord to reign over them
- these represent people who refuse to submit to the Lord, and accept Jesus in their life
- God will not force these people to exist forever in some kind of inner struggle, having to submit but rebelling against it inside, for all eternity
- these people have chosen not to want Jesus in their life, so they will be sent to hell and receive the fruits of their choice

Summary

- Jesus is returning, and he will return with a kingdom
- when he returns, he will bring a reward with him, which he will give to each of us, depending on how we have grown in using the gifts he has given us
- this will happen at the Bema judgment, when all believers give an account of how they have done with what God has given them
- this is not a judgment of condemnation, but a rewarding of the faithful
- believers will be rewarded according to how open they have been to allowing themselves to be molded by Jesus, and according to how much they have done in using the Holy Spirit for kingdom purposes
- there will however be another judgment, at the end of the Millenneum, when all those who have chosen not to submit to Jesus, will be granted their wish - they will be sent to hell
- this life is the playingfield upon which our eternity is being determined
- what we decide today will affect the rest of our life