A Devo a Day: 2

"1Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 

4“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:1-7 NKJV)

It's Christmas Eve. In my family we have old traditions and new traditions that allow it so that I start and end the day with my family.

Tonight though I am going along with new traditions and attending a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with my in-laws-to-be. 

This thought crossed my mind while reading this passage: were Jesus to appear in human form tonight and roam around my hometown, where would he go?

My thoughts immediately went to the candlelight service I'm about to attend. Why not? We're his followers, bringing him glory tonight, why wouldn't he stop in for a guest appearance?

He might. But in this parable we see Jesus' heart. Would he really stay the whole service, sipping hot caramel apple cider and socializing when he knows that there are Lost Sheep still out there?

Remember, the shepherd in this story left his 99 for the 1. He would do the same today. 

He would visit the homeless, the widow, the orphan, those with no where to go tonight. He might even bring them to the rest of the flock where they're socializing and sipping hot cider. 

Isn't that Jesus' heart? To go after the lost, to bring them into whole standing in community and to rejoice over the one who's heart is turned to him?

So here's my practical application tonight. If you have a place to go, even a service or a tradition that you follow, can you pray tonight, reflect over the Lost Sheep in your life, some who you know are lost, and those who may seem fine but the Lord brings to your heart, can you invite them with you tonight? Can you open up your home, your traditions, your quaint service enough to do what a Jesus would do, bring the Lost into loving community? If we did that there might be grateful hearts choosing a relationship with Jesus tonight. 

Merry Christmas Eve.

A Devo a Day: 1

Since the Christmas season lends itself to restless nights, wondering if you've shopped for everyone in your immediate family and schedule mastering with all of the events and holiday parties, I decided to write up a devotional a day to bring us (starting with me!) back to the reason for the season.

Just this morning I had the decision to roll out of bed and leap back into the maze of presents and wrapping paper at my bedside or to start my morning meeting with the Lord. Thankfully for the both of us, presents could wait.

Day 1:

Let's start in Luke chapter 13, verse 22:

The Narrow Way

²² And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³ Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, ²⁴ “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ ²⁶ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ ²⁸ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. ²⁹ They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”



The narrow gate.

 

 

My Bible footnote says that the suggestion here is that we have to enter into salvation on God's terms. Those of us that seek to enter and are not able are those who seek entrance on their own terms. We seek to enter into God's presence and ultimately into His kingdom based off of our achievements or how many bad life choices we avoided in this life. But how true is it that God's terms are this: we come to know Him through our relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

There's a reason why Jesus says, "“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6 NKJV).

 

 



Another way of looking at the path now is like this:

 

 

 

What? But Jesus is in the way, the cross is in the way. No. Jesus is the way. The cross was Jesus' means to bridge the gap between humanity and God.

 

So how do we find the path? We find Jesus.

 

How do we follow the path? We follow Jesus.

 

In this holiday season when we could spend more of our time this Christmas break spending the money we've saved and baking and cleaning and staying busy, here's the synopsis of day 1 of devo time:

 

Slow down. Start your morning finding Jesus, following Jesus. I found him this morning in the Bible, you could find him in prayer or in singing worship while you do left over dishes. You could spend the entire Christmas break doing all of the things that can bring us close to people: baking with family or friends, having people over, giving out of love, but let's not neglect the relationship that this season is built around: the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Spend time with Him and you'll find that you're on the path that you were looking for all along.

 

He desires a relationship with you today.

Finding Joy in Christ, Week 7

When we first started out on this journey through Philippians, the book to us looked like this:

 



 



 Seven weeks later we find ourselves looking at Philippians chapter 4 like this:

 

That's right! This is our last week looking through the book of Philippians.

 

Now, just because we won't be opening up to Philippians every week doesn't mean you should mentally check the book of Philippians off your "Books in the Bible to read before I die" list, never to open it again. Come to Philippians regularly when you need to look at the truths that you found here.

 

That being said, let's dive into Philippians chapter 4 together:

 

"1Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. 15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

Isn't it amazing that Paul considers the church of Philippi his crown and joy? He views them as such a blessing in his life.

Paul then continues on to encourage a member of the church (possibly Syntyche--the unpronounceable name of a person Paul was close to) to help reconcile two women in the church who's disagreement was affecting the church.

From there Paul says to rejoice. "4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

I love what my study Bible had to say about this verse: "In the midst of difficulties, in the midst of all situations, Christians are to rejoice. The joy of Christians is not based on agreeable circumstances, instead it is based on their relationship to God. Christians will face trouble in this world [true that!], but they should rejoice in the trials they face because they know God is using those situations to improve their character (see James 1:2-4)."

Amen. That is the nugget of truth that is supposed to help us press on when the going gets tough: we know God SOMEHOW is at the very least using the situation to better something in us, or should I say God is able to use the situation to better something in us if we let Him.

Paul addresses what a gentle character means and then goes to talk about prayer. This verse for me is well-known, much-quoted, and often watered down by what we think it means. You know when you can taste that juice is watered down? It's flavorless and that much less enjoyable? Well, let's bring the flavor back to Philippians 4 verse 6.

"6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Chuck Smith, who founded Calvary Chapel, has a lot to say about this verse. He said first off that the answer to worry is prayer. Short and sweet, simple and pure. The answer to worry is prayer.

He said that prayer is a very broad term that refers to communion with God. So when Paul here uses words like prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, he's not just getting greedy with Thesaurus.com, he's describing different elements of prayer.

 "Through my years I have come to the conclusion that it is more important that God talk to me then that I talk to God. I am convinced that what God has to say to me is far more important than what I have to say to God. And I started to develop that listening side of prayer. Prayer is communion with God. Listening for him to speak to my heart. Waiting upon him. Worshiping him. Loving him. All are a part of prayer."

Supplication is a word that refers to our requests, both about ourselves to God as well as intercessory prayers, prayers on behalf of others. It's true, prayer is both listening and being listened to.

Along with prayer also comes thanksgiving, thanking God for what He has already done.

We often think prayer is a monologue. A long speech we make to God, listing out where our needs need be met. Chuck Smith says that prayer in fact is a dialogue with God. (Mono= one, di= two, so a two-way convo instead of a one-way convo with God.)

So let's look at this verse again, freshly squeezed of its goodness:

"6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by (1) prayer and (2) supplication, with (3) thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

The peace of God. Somehow through communion with God, admitting that God has the control, not us, God knows that we're then vulnerable and in need of having our hearts and minds guarded through Christ against anything that would try to come against us.

It takes faith to realize a problem, a need, a request, realize that God is the only one that can do anything about it, put our trust and faith in Him by praying over it, and believing that God has it handled, and we no longer need to store up all of these thoughts and worries and concerns over it. It rests in God's hands. God has the control.

"8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."
 The Philippians didn't just dress like Paul and talk like Paul and become little Paulites, they took what Paul had taught them and actually walked it out and let it change who they are. We can still do that today! In fact, we will be doing this tonight. We will look at what we've learned in Philippians through Paul and we'll put into practice what we're going to do about it.

But before I spoil the ending, let's finish this chapter strong:

"10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

The Philippians were able to give Paul a gift while he was in jail. Perhaps this was the whole reason Paul started out to write this letter! To thank the Philippians for their generosity and prayers on his behalf.

Nevertheless, Paul says something here that is quite profound. He says that he's learned in whatever state he is, to be content.

Now, the theme we've been talking about throughout the book of Philippians has been...?

That's right, good job! Finding joy in Christ.

Paul says he's learned to be content in all things, in being hungry, in being full, in being humbled, in being exalted, and how is that? Well, true sufficiency, true contentedness is found in the strength of Christ.

So I'll ask you now, where does authentic, long-lasting joy come from? Where is it found?

You know it! In Christ.

So this is where our great journey through Philippians will come to an end. Tonight at youth group, everyone will be getting this sheet:

 

We are going to split into our small groups and everyone will have this paper. In groups we're going to come to each other and share what we've learned through reading Philippians, what we remember from our seven weeks of going through it. Then we are going to take our papers and answer the practical question of: How will you strive to find joy in Christ? Paul has mentioned method after method in how to find joy in Christ. So we are going to look at our Bibles and discover individually what truth hit home for us.

 

Then we're going to reference the verse that is going to stir us on.

 

For example, if mine was: "I will strive to find joy in Christ by praying instead of worrying", my fighter verse would be Philippians 4:6-7, which I would write out.

 

I hope that we can hang these on our walls, in our lockers, by our beds, wherever we can see them in be reminded.

 

Thank you for joining us through this series.

 

God bless you and keep you! 

Finding Joy in Christ Week 6

Here we are at week 6 of our series! As of the first Wednesday in November, we'll have gone through Philippians! Give yourself a pat on the back why dontcha?

(Major props to those who actually did pat themselves on the back just now.)


Let's dive into the text. We're in chapter 3, starting at verse 12. David Albers has taught us that Philippians is after Ephesians and before Colossians, thank you David.

So here we go:

"12I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

15Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

17Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control."(Philippians 3:12-21 NLT)

You know what I appreciate about verse 12? Paul is humble. Paul doesn't pretend that he's perfect though in my opinion he was sure on that path to perfection! He says here that he doesn't look at himself as being perfect.

"12I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me."

Even Paul isn't perfect, but he is reaching. Reaching for what? Christ. Why? Some versions say:

-that I may apprehend after that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus (KJV)
-to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me (NIV)
-reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me (MSG)

Do you remember when Christ first laid hold of you? When He first apprehended you? When He first reached out for you? When He said "I have chosen you to be my disciple. I love you. Follow Me" and you turned to follow Christ?

When Christ obtained us He had a plan and a purpose for you, a purpose for you to live out.

Have you fulfilled it yet? Well, we are still here aren't we? Looks like we've got work left to do.

Another way of looking at verse 12 is that the Lord had a purpose when He first possessed us, and we have not yet completed that purpose but we continue to reach and discover that purpose that God has for every one of us.

We've been talking about our purposes and our passions through this series. Many of our youth mentioned their passion for reading and writing, passion for sports, passion to be a missionary in a country God has laid heavy on their heart, passion for music and playing instruments in worship to Him.

What are some of the passions or dreams you believe God has given you?

If you truly believe that God has a plan for your life NOW, then you have to believe that God is revealing His plan for you today, and more often than not the purpose God has for you NOW, TODAY has to do with the passions that He's already given you!

In Luke chapter 2 when Mary the mother of Jesus and Joseph had lost pre-teen Jesus, upon finding him in the temple, Jesus said said to them, "49'Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?'"

This is the same attitude we can hope to have. Needing to be about our Father's business looks like going through with the passions and desires you think that He's given you. (Just so we're clear, that doesn't mean you can come to youth group every week and tell us that God has told you to date a new person, that's not how this works. God's will for you aligns with Scripture and with His character. So run it by a fellow believer before you run off the edge of a cliff.)

Okay, verse 13 unleashes for us the secrets on how to be about our Father's business. "13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead."

There are a lot of people trying to live in the past. Have you ever found yourself doing this? Where you're so mad at someone or so hurt by a situation that you can't seem to move past it?

Do you want to find joy in Christ? I mean actually find joy in Christ?

If so, it is CRUCIAL for you to let go of the past and look forward to what lies ahead.

Am I saying this like it's a simple, two-step process? No. But I am saying that it's NECESSARY for a believer to be present and future-minded if they want to be about God's business. Otherwise they'll always be looking to their past, asking the wrong questions, because our questions and peace of mind live in the future, not in the situation itself.

Paul had reason to be miffed! 2 Corinthians 11 is a laundry lost of all the times Paul had been beaten, shipwrecked, nearly stoned, cast out of cities and yet he said that those experiences showed him that his weaknesses reveal his need for God. And having a past worthy of some resentment, Paul says to forget the past and to look forward.

"14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

We need to look forward to what God has for us today, and what He has for us looking forward! If we were looking forward we would be asking God the rights kinds of questions like, "God, reveal what You would have for me today" and "God, show me how I can live for you this school year."

If you really want to know what pressing on looks like, look to examples given in the Bible like King David, like Aaron, like Nehemiah, like Ruth, like Esther, like Daniel.

Or if you're needing some modern-day examples, look to believers in your life that are living our their lives, pressing on for what God for them presently and in the future.

Pressing on looks like Jordan, our DJ-Tech Youth Leader who a month ago at youth group said he was sick and unmotivated before youth group and yet was praising God the loudest out of everyone when it came time for worship. That's pressing on for the future God has for you. Not out of the joy of your current circumstance, but joy in what Christ has done, is doing, and will do in your life.

Pressing on looks like Carolynn, Natalie Billharz, Jack, Evan, Sarai, and others who make time for youth group even on days where they have to go from school to their sport practices and then strait to youth group. That's what pressing on for what God has for them today looks like.

Pressing on looks like David Albers running in the cross country championships today and yet he's still going to try to make it to youth group tonight because he's invested in what God has for him TONIGHT.

That is pressing on to reach the end of the race and receiving the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling us.

Tonight is a short message because what we're going to do with the remainder of our time at youth group is we are each going to search out Philippians for a verse or a few verses that mean the most in our relationship with Christ right now. We are going to make a poster using that verse or verses.

So for those of you at home, try doing this as well! Write out a verse in such a meaningful way and hang it somewhere that you see often (office space, kitchen, car). Scripture is living so it can bring you hope and remind you to press on during days where you need some heavenly motivation.

Blessing to you in your workplace, in your homes, in your schools, and in your relationships. Press on for the One that has always, and will always press on for you.

Finding Joy in Christ, Week 5

We're at it again! Last week as Wes preached, we looked at Philippians 2:19-30, about Finding Joy in Christ through Friendships. We talked about the difference between living out a Philippians 1:21 lifestyle "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" and living out a Philippians 2:21lifestyle "For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus."

In our small groups we talked about what our lives would look like if we lived only for ourselves and not for anyone else (we'd gossip, we'd lie, we'd do whatever made us feel good), versus what it would look like if we were living for Christ and loving His people (we'd say "Thank you" more, we'd not expect people to do so much for us, we'd do things for the people, especially the ones that always do things for us).

We're carrying those same goals for a Christ-centered life into this week, as we start of in chapter 3.

Philippians 3:1-11

"1Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from

the dead!"

 If you have your hard-copy Bible while you're reading this, pull it out. Open to Philippians chapter 3 and highlight, underline, or circle verse one where Paul says, "rejoice in the Lord."

Is Paul here rejoicing in the circumstance? Is he saying to the Philippians, "Rejoice! I'm in jail! Rejoice! I may die soon! Rejoice! You may never see me again!"

No. He says rejoice in the Lord. Because Paul knows that God is the one in control, He's the point of everything Paul had the privilege of suffering. He wasn't suffering for funzies or just to suffer, he suffered for God. (Remember in chapter 1:29, "For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.")

Paul suffered for a higher call and a higher purpose--the Lord.

So what is Paul talking about in verse 2 when he talks about "dogs" and "evil doers" and "mutilators"?

 

Dogs in verse 2 doesn't refer to your cuddly house dog (yes, I'm guilty of any excuse to look up puppy memes!) but if you've ever been to poor areas of the country or other countries where there are stray dogs that turn wild and are thin and have to scavenge for scraps, they are dangerous. In Israel there were such dogs, and they barked and belonged to no one. Those are the types of people Paul is warning the Philippians about. Pharisees, judging and condemning everyone and belonging to no one, not belonging to God.

  

Mutilators here is referring people that are still stuck on Jewish religious laws where they think they are holy and God's people because they obey the letter of the law and are circumcised.

Paul in verse 3 talks instead about the true circumcision, where God does a work on your heart and cuts out the parts that leads to death and let's grow the things that lead to life. Paul lists attributes of what true circumcision can lead to:

• Worshipping God in the Spirit
• Relying on what Jesus Christ has done for us
• Putting no confidence in human effort as a means to reach God

 If you could be saved by works, Paul would be. He lists this pedigree, these Jewish laws and standards that he lived by, not to boast ("7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done."). Paul lists these works to say that he's not objecting to works because he can't fulfill them, but he objects to works because he fulfilled the standards and they didn't mean anything, it didn't save him.

"7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!"

If you were handed this paragraph and someone told you this was a post-summer camp testimony, what would you think? Would you think this person was going to feel this way years later? You might! You might also think, "Eh, give it a couple years. They're just all excited now, but it gets harder."

Now look down at the Bible that you pulled out to highlight. Look at verses 7-11. This paragraph was written by a man 30 years in his faith. Thirty years after he turned his life away from works, toward a life for God. And this is what his testimony was. This is what he had to say.

You know, we often talk about our past experiences with the Lord. We talk about summer camps and how God touched us and we felt His presence for the first time. Or we talk about how some Christian impacted our life on God's behalf or maybe even how we impacted someone's life because God led us to do that. We bring up these past experiences.

Let me say it this way: these past experiences have to be translated into our presented relationship with Jesus Christ or they'll only ever be memories. Tonight, I want to know how your relationship with Jesus Christ is today! If it's lousy, let's get in small groups and as a community speak life into each other, if it's great then share with those who aren't quite there how you got to be where you are in your relationship with God. Share how your past experiences with God were great but they're no where near over and that's why your faith has picked up momentum.

 Thank God for these experiences, they're great! But what are they worth if they are not propelling you forward in your relationship with Jesus Christ?

This was Paul's faith, well into his years of believing in God. And he says all this, that he'd still choose God over that lifestyle of works, of counting on his own efforts to please God. Paul is in jail and He is doing more than making the best of the situation, he's rejoicing! In himself? No, in Christ.

"8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith."

So why is the knowledge of knowing Christ so excellent? Why is it worth so much to Paul? To Us?

Paul says I will treat my former gains as rubbish, garbage because the true gain is in verse 8, that he could gain Christ and be found in Him. That's worth tossing out everything you had worked up before you really understood who Christ is and what His life means for us today.

True righteousness (being made right with God) is a matter of faith and not of works. True righteousness is God's righteousness that comes through Christ, not of ourselves. Basically, do you want to work and labor and strain your whole life for God, obeying every Levitical law, every command, only for the hope of God being pleased? Of a ticket to Heaven? OR do you want to put your faith in Christ and believe in what He can do through you and then believe that He will give you the power and means to do it (remember 2:13? ^"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.")

"9I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!"

Paul wanted to humble himself in obedience to God, just as Jesus humbled himself in obedient to God (chapter 2, verse 8). And Jesus was obedient even to death.

Today, we may never due for outrightly proclaiming faith in Jesus Christ. But having that same attitude of humility in obedience to God will mean that we will have to die to some things.

You will have to die to fitting in with everyone else's opinions about how the world works. Jesus in Matthew 10:32 said, "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven." So if our friend is judgmental and condemns everyone for what they wear or how they act or what their background is like or what sport teams they favor, you will have to die to the desire to just go along with it. Honoring Jesus before men may means stating your faith in your actions by saying, "I don't see that person that way. That's not fair to treat them that way."

These are the questions that we're going through in our small groups tonight, maybe if you're at home and you couldn't make it to youth group tonight, or are a blogging visitor and aren't involved in Ignition Youth Group, find a fellow believer, a friend in the faith and go through these questions with them:

1. What things were gain, seemed good to you before you really understood who Jesus is? What ideas did you have about life and people and yourself that you realized were worthless once you knew Jesus?

2. What does your righteousness look like vs. God's righteousness. How are they different? Why can't we have them both equally?

3. What can we die to this week in order to live more fully for Christ? What can we give up in our lives that would give us more freedom to pursue God in our everyday? What may we have to suffer in order to live an obedient life for God?

Finding Joy in Christ, Week 3

Here we go, week three of our series through Philippians, which lands us in Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2

"1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? ² Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

⁶ Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
⁸     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

 

¹² Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ¹⁶ Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. ¹⁷ But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. ¹⁸ Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

¹⁹ If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. ²⁰ I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. ²¹ All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. ²² But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. ²³ I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. ²⁴ And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.

²⁵ Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. ²⁶ I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. ²⁷ And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

²⁸ So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. ²⁹ Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. ³⁰ For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away."

When I read through this chapter, I tend to answer the questions that Paul asks as I read. So I will read like this:

"Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?" Well, yes.
"Any comfort from his love?" Mhm, comfort, yup.
"Any fellowship together in the Spirit?" Oh yeah, fellowship, got that.
"Are your hearts tender and compassionate?" Oh...well. Um, maybe? Maybe, yeah. When God's working in me, yeah.

And now I'm having a conversation with Paul, so when he promotes lifestyle choices that would help me to have an attitude like Christ's, I feel as though Paul is actually talking to me.

"² Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose."

I'm receiving this advice and making a note here: Paul puts major importance on loving others and working together. Christ-like attitude = loving others and working with them towards a common goal.

^"3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."

Note: Apparently I can't love others and therefore I can't have a Christ-like attitude if I'm always, everyday, in all ways acting out of a place of selfishness, pride, and looking out for myself. Christ-like attitude = selfless, humble, looking out for the interests of others.

Now, before we continue, are we creating a checklist that we are going to come back to at the end of every day and try and check off each quality we managed to pull of? No. If it were that easy to love others and to be selfless all on our own, then we could be "perfect Christians" without actually needing Christ to guide us and give us the strength.

So no, this is not a checklist that we are holding ourselves to, because if it were we would fail daily.

Having said that, Paul shows us our model, Christ:

^"6 Though he was God,    he did not think of equality with God    as something to cling to. (Selfless)
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
⁸     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

 We read over this summary of who Christ is and His loving qualities pop out: selflessness, humility, obedience to God and how God honored him for his sacrifice on the cross.

It's about here that I begin to disqualify myself. Selflessness? Yeah right. Obedience? Well, yeah I s'pose. But ooh, humility? Thinking of others as better than myself?

But that is in no way the point of why Paul was writing or me for that matter! Remember, Paul is writing out of right heart towards the Philippians, a full and Christ-like heart towards them. Paul is getting to the crux, the point of all that he had written up to this point:

"¹² Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."

Hold the phone, who is working in me, giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him? Who?

God.

Now what does that mean? It means that by accepting God into your life and into your heart, it is now He that works in you in such a way that He gives you the desire to do what pleases Him and the power to do what pleases Him.

So it's not your job to wonder and wish and hope that one day someone will tell you what your purpose is, God does that. If you invite God to work in that way in you, He will reveal His will for you to you!

You know what I think is hard about hearing testimonies of Christians that are farther along in their faith? We hear about all that they went through and how God saved them from all that and gave them a passion for something, a desire to do something HUGE, a calling to go places that we can't imagine ever going to, from ministering in prison to traveling deep into foreign countries to work for nothing and to bring people to Christ's loving arms.

We see these people in the middle of what God has given them to do, and we walk away, having thought their story is so cool and how we would love to do something like that, but we don't know what and we can't imagine how we get to there.

How does God reveal His will to you?

Pastor Chuck Smith in talking about Philippians, chapter 2 said something like this: God reveals His will to you by the desires He places in your heart. He places in your heart His desires. It is He that works in you both to want these plans He has for you and to do these plans He has for you. You find that you have this desire, this will to do a particular work or to go to a particular place and you discover that it is actually God revealing in your heart what He wants you to do. Then He works out the means for you to do that work.

Already among the people that attend Ignition Youth Group, I have heard you mention these desires: A heart for Central America, a heart for missions, a heart to write, a heart for participating in an internship of a well-known church, and even a desire not to judge others, not to respond to drama, not to gossip, to be the positive force in your school and in your class. These are desires that God has placed in you to do His will, and the more you invite God to work these things out in your life, the more you notice that He begins to make a way in your lives and in your hearts for these things to take place.

God has placed many desires on our hearts, some we know, some we don't yet know. But if we were to commit to God working even one of those desires out in our lives NOW, we would be "shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people".

^"14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ¹⁶ Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. ¹⁷ But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. ¹⁸ Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy."

I want my life to be like a liquid offering poured out to God. I want what I do to be an offering to God.

And look what at Paul says next here: "And I want all of you to share that joy." On our search through Philippians to find joy in Christ, Paul reveals a major piece to the puzzle here: in living and working and believing in what God has already placed in our hearts, there is joy to be found.

Paul proclaimed this word over his beloved friends in Philippi when he was in jail. He had this joy while he probably reeked of dungeon smells, while he was probably eating small amounts of bad food, while he was far away from the people that he loved, he had this joy.

Now, I'm giving you lifework (like homework, but it's for life) because I love you all. Your homework is this:

1. If you do not yet know the desires God has placed on your heart, your lifework this week is to pray, asking God to reveal to you what His will for you right now, where you're at in school and in life, and after praying take out a piece of paper and right out anything that comes to your heart, no matter how small or big. Repeat this process until you have something on your paper, this may require praying every day this week!

2. Look at the two people Paul mentions at the end of this chapter, Timothy and Epaphroditus. What desires has God given them? I think Paul mentions them here both to encourage the Philippians that Paul is sending his people their way, and also as examples of what he has just spoken about.

May God reveal His will for you in this time, and may your heart be ready and accepting of whatever you may hear from Him. Til next week.

The God of Grace and Truth

There once was a world full of sin.

In this world there lived human beings, and they worshipped two different gods. The first god was one that accepted them and loved them just as they were. These devout worshippers were great at loving one another, accepting one another, but they failed to grow and mature. It seemed as if they were constantly sinning, falling into the same temptations over and over again, without any discipline. This was because of the god they followed-- the god named Grace.

The other god was more severe. He had no grace, only rules. If the devout worshippers of this god failed to do what was right, they were cast away and shunned from everyone else. This god made the people of this world feel very bad about themselves, but there was structure; something that the god called Grace did not have. This god's name was Truth.

I've been reading a book called Changes That Heal, and it begins with an adaption of the story I just told you. Two separate gods, Grace and Truth, and human beings worshipped one or the other. It's too bad the two gods couldn't be combined... Because if they were, we human beings would actually have a chance at growing. 

But there is this one God called Jesus.

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

-John 1:14

Grace and truth are not meant to be divided, but sadly they often are.

How often do we see Jesus as only grace? With this belief, and without truth, we will continually sin and be forever in bondage to the desires of our flesh. After all, if we sin, Jesus will just keep forgiving us, won't he? So why should we stop?

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature."

-Galatians 5:13

This is where truth comes in. But truth without grace is equally as damaging. How can truth be damaging? Because truth is God's holy and perfect law. And because we as humans are sinful by nature. We continually fall short.

"Law brings wrath." 

-Romans 4:15

"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."

-Galatians 5:4

Grace cannot be productive without truth, and truth without grace. Only when they are both combined, as they are in Christ Jesus, can true growth an maturity occur.

"...'Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?'...

...Jesus said, 'Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her'...

...those who heard began to go away...

Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'

'No one, sir,' she said.

'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'"

-John 8:3-11 (paraphrased)

Jesus accepts us the way we are, in the midst of our sin, ("Neither do I condemn you") but he loves us too much to allow us to stay where we are ("Go now and leave your life of sin").

Do you follow a God of grace, or a God of truth? 

Or is He a God full of grace and truth.