The Story: Book of Revelation - Hold On!

Focus: Book of Revelation

How do you encourage people to keep going? How do you motivate an athlete to give his best or get a person who has suffered a heart attack or who just has diabetes like me to change their diet and exercise because their life depends on it? Did someone scream at them like on the biggest loser? We could ask that of the church. Record numbers seem to be dropping out of the church and leaving the Lord. How does the church engage people who think that the church is boring or that they are too busy for religion? Such was the question in the early church. Persecution was heavy and temptations to leave the church were all around them. It was time for a view from above and a peek at the ending so people could be encouraged and not fall away.

They have lost their first love. Rev. 2:4 It had been over sixty years since Jesus had died on the cross. Most of the first generation Christians were gone and the second generation was growing weak in their faith. The seven letters enumerate how Satan was chipping away at the church. The once strong church of Asia Minor was slipping away. This book was a plea for the church to hold on and not give in to persecution or apathy. It is a message well taken today. Satan is killing Christians around the world who must die for their faith and is filling our American lives with busyness and hobbies.

The first battle has been won Rev. 7:14 God has already won the first battle. Through the cross of Jesus, He has saved both the Jew and the Gentile from the coming wrath here on earth and on the last day. John is pleading with the people to not throw away the victory that is theirs in Christ. They can see the beginnings of the fall of the Roman Empire. They can look to Jerusalem and see the temple destroyed. Don’t throw away your protection and future that you have in Jesus.

It is going to get tough. Rev. 16:1 There will be waves of famine, war, and seas of blood. Sadly, the evening news is filled with these occurrences every night. It is the result of a world filled with sin in which men kill each other and people starve in the aftermath. God will allow these things to happen to break down man’s pride. A world upside down shows that man cannot fix things. This is a time to hold onto the Lord. You and I cannot control what is coming in the world. We can protect ourselves, but God can. For those who have the Lord, they would be wise to not let go.

Satan will be destroyed Rev. 20:10 In the end, Satan and all the things that people rely on will be destroyed. False religions based on works or false gods will be gone. Technology and governments that people think will provide the answers will be destroyed. Satan himself will be judged and spend eternity in hell. Yes, they will wage war against God and the church. They can’t win the war because they cannot overcome the Lord. As strong as Satan is, he is not stronger than God. In the gospels, Jesus only had to utter one word and the demons obeyed.

God’s future reality- New Jerusalem Rev. 21:1 For those who do hold on, there is a vision of what the future can look like. It is a beautiful place filled with God’s people living and communing with God. In heaven, you will find the ones who overcame. Satan tempted them and they did not give in. For that reason, they will spend eternity celebrating. I want you to see all the scary things of Revelation and place yourself in God’s hands. Hold on to him and let him help you through the trials that are coming. Don’t find yourself outside His hands and trying to deal with illness, violence, and the harm of others by yourself. You can’t handle it. Revelation is a plea not to give up on God. He is your future and brings the promise of great things to come in eternity for those who just hold on.

The Story - Later life of Paul: Mission Multiplied Into Legacy

 Focus Passage: Acts 16-28

There is great power in a legacy. Mount Rushmore shows us the legacies of four of our great presidents. Washington is the father of our country. Jefferson wrote its constitution. Lincoln saved the nation. Teddy Roosevelt – well I was told that he was up there because of his stance on nature and monopolies. Imagine Fillmore, Tyler, Harrison and Buchanan gracing the monument. It is not the same. Four presidents, yes, but not the same effect. It is all about their legacy. St. Paul was one of those who had a legacy that touches every living Christian today. Few of us have not been touched by the books of Roman, Corinthians or Philippians. Many of us look to his example in life as a guide for our ministry. Today we will look at his legacy and ours.

A. Paul was always training people as they worked together: Romans 16:21  At the end of the book of Romans, twenty six people are mentioned by name as having ministered with Paul. Some we know well. Others are only mentioned in the bible here. All had a big impact on the church. His heart and life touched them and they were witnesses together of the gospel. Everyone was better because of their time with Paul. Pastors and people are not to work in isolation. Part of our ministry is to each other. God made it that way so that we could leave a piece of ourselves with each other.

B. Paul multiplied his ministry by letters: Colossians 4:18 In prison, Paul could not be silenced. They could chain him up and keep him from going to those he served, but they could not stop his pen. 13 letters of Paul are included in the Bible and I am sure that there were others as well. His letters multiplied his ministry as one church got the letter and then copies went out to other churches around them. His letters still touch people’s hearts for they are his legacy to us. We sense Paul’s faith and his intimate knowledge of God’s wisdom and plan.

C: Paul multiplied his ministry by training coworkers: Titus 1:5 The churches that Paul planted got to be so many that he could not minister to them all. So Paul sent Titus to Crete, Timothy to Ephesus, Crescens went to Galatia and many others went to other churches. Paul multiplied the ministry by training and sending coworkers across the mission field. Paul would probably tell us to mentor someone else and be mentored by them. Invest in someone else and it will pay dividends for years. They, too, will be your legacy for years to come.

D: Poured out, Paul left an example: 2 Timothy 4:6 Yet one of the greatest legacies that Paul ever left was the example of his life. Second Timothy is the last letter that Paul ever wrote and it talks of his upcoming death. The message is simple: Timothy follow the example of my life that you have witnessed and participated in. People don’t look at your achievements, they look at your life. What were your values and what was the character that you exhibited. All the degrees and accolades don’t mean as much as the example that you showed others and the way that you poured yourself out in life.

People are our greatest legacy. I think of several pastor friends who have retired lately and some churches around us that have closed and I wonder what they left behind as legacy. The pastors may have rooms named for them or churches had massive building projects that doubled their size. Yet what they really leave behind is the memories of the people who they helped. It may be the person with cancer that pastor and people helped for months. It may be a children’s program that brought a family to the Lord. The currency of legacy is people. How do you want to be remembered? How would you like people to remember your church? How do you want them to remember you? Legacy is built now. What we do today can have an impact for generations to come.

The Story: Early Life of Paul - The Church Expands

Focus Passage: Acts 8-16

Change brings blessings. Think what life would be like if we all still used horses and wagons or lit our homes with kerosene lamps. Think of what it is like when your furnace goes out or if the electricity is gone for a night. People used to live like that all the time, but I doubt that we would go back. Yet, churches are not supposed to change. Try and change the style of service or the way the voter’s meeting is run and you will have a mutiny on your hands. Yet, as we will see change comes even in the church. The church expanded into new areas and new people. God wants the church to reach the world and have the blessings that it brings.

A. God changes hearts Acts 9:15 Three years after the first Easter, God changed a heart that became a movement. Saul was a persecutor of the church and was one of those who did not want any changes to the Old Testament way of doing things. Then God stepped in with a blinding light and a disabling blindness. His message delivered by Ananias to Paul was that Paul would take the Gospel out to the world. God is still changing hearts because he wants the church to expand. People need to know that God wants to include them into His family.

B. God moves beyond Palestine Acts 13:2 For fourteen years, the gospel had been centered in Palestine. Now it was time for the church to move beyond Judea and Syria. God called Paul and Barnabas to begin this ministry in earnest. The church at Antioch would be their base and give them support for the ministry. God wants us to move beyond these walls to places we care about. It might be a family that needs the comfort of the gospel. It might be a coworker who is struggling and needs a friend. The Gospel was not meant to be contained in these walls. It must expand and reach out into the community.

C. God moves beyond the Jews to the Gentiles Acts 15:19 Yet the success of the ministry made some uncomfortable. They wanted the Gentile Christians to follow all the Jewish rules if they were to be part of the church. The church wondered, “Did you have to be Jewish to be loved by God?” The answer came back no. Gentiles should obey the Ten Commandments and keep themselves pure, but the gospel was being freely given to them. God wanted all these people to be part of His family just as He did the Jews. God did not want to make it difficult for all men to be saved.

D. God moves beyond Asia into Europe Acts 16:9 Paul began his second missionary journey seeing many of the churches in Asia Minor that he had started two years before. A new chapter was beginning and it was to places unfamiliar to Paul. The cities of Greece and later Rome were places filled with people crying out for the message of the gospel. These were the home of Lydia, Luke, Pricilla, and Aquila to name a few. God loved the whole world. Today we see the gospel expanding onto all the continents and with all kinds of people. The world is His.

Expansion of ministry is a blessing Acts 8:1 You might think that it was easy to expand the gospel, but human nature tells you that it was not easy at all. The early church enjoyed the fellowship of each other and did not seem eager to disperse. An expansion is a blessing. We may not want to do it at first, but God knows how much it will be a blessing. The early church moved from the safety of Jerusalem and started going out into the world around them. New people became part of the church and it prospered. God knows the blessings. He knows the new friends that people can make. He knows how the church expanding will impact its community for good. He wants those blessings for His people and so He nudges his people out of the comfortable nest.

The Story: Holy Week - He Came to be a Savior

Focus: Matt 26-27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, John 13-19

 I walked into the auditorium excited to be at this mega church for an exciting conference on outreach and preaching. The speakers were first rate and the conference was sold out. I saw banners proclaiming some of the opportunities for members to work in the inner city with the homeless and posters for several missionaries that they were supporting. Yet, something felt wrong as I walked into this sanctuary. I wondered what it was. Then it hit me. There was no cross in this building. It could have been a college lecture hall or symphony concert hall. I am not sure why there is no cross in some churches when they are doing great ministry. It does point to a concern of mine. What does it mean that Jesus is Savior? For us, the story of the cross is central and we show it, but savior had different meanings to many in Jesus’ day.

Some want a Savior who will give an easy life. Matt 17:4 On the way to the cross, Jesus takes three of the disciples up on a mountain for the transfiguration. There they get a bit of heaven. Moses and Elijah are there and Jesus is in all His glory. Here trouble was far away and the gates of heaven were opened. Some still think that Jesus came to give the easy life. They are disappointed when life has problems or when ministry is tough. There is a desire to expect heaven without the cross. And when the Christian life is not easy or people face problems, they think that Jesus has failed.

Some want a Savior who will provide for their needs Luke 19:38 It is Palm Sunday and Jesus is riding into Jerusalem on a colt. The people decided that the Messiah had come and was ready to take His throne in Jerusalem. He would push out the Romans and would take over the throne of great king David. Peace and prosperity will be had by all men here in Judea. Some still think of Jesus as the savior from our problems. Feeling sick, Jesus will cure you. Need a job, the answer is a simple prayer away. What if someone doesn’t get well or that job doesn’t come?

The real Jesus came to be a Savior from sin John 19:30 He never said that His work as Savior was done when he rode into Jerusalem or when He healed some sick person. His work when He diedon the cross. It was what God had promised Adam and Eve in the garden and what God had continued to promise through the ages. The Savior had finished it. Man was forgiven. It is what all of us are really here for. We need someone who will take away the guilt that haunts us from the past and the eternal death that haunts the future.

It isn’t pretty to see His beaten and bloody body on the cross. It was something that only one of the twelve disciples could bear to come and see on that day. Yet, it was for this reason that He came. Make Jesus a great prophet who died too early in life or a caring man who helped many who were ill or hurting and you miss the whole point of His life. He came to die. He came to save us from sin. Everything else was secondary to Him and should be to us. The heart of the Bible is that we are all sinners who sin daily and can’t save ourselves, but that God sent His son to come and save us by His death and resurrection. Believe in the cross and everything changes. All the other things that people want from Jesus are now possible. Savior can mean many things to many people. What it meant to Jesus was a cross and salvation from sin and eternal death.

The Story: No Ordinary Man - He Redefines Extraordinary

Focus passage: Gospels

What is extraordinary really like? Our culture is filled with self-proclaimed and media proclaimed heroes. They are athletes and movie stars and the ordinary guy who saves a woman from a burning car. What makes someone extraordinary for more than their minute of fame? An extraordinary person does things that no one else can do and does it repeatedly. Jesus was such an extraordinary person. He did things that no one else had ever done. He healed the blind and spoke like He knew God first hand. You want to be around extraordinary people so that you can be better. Those who realize how extraordinary Jesus really is and who build their lives around Jesus will be the most blessed of all. Here are four ways that Jesus is extraordinary.

He has an intimate knowledge of God Mark 1:22 Jesus did not teach like the Jewish teachers of the day. They taught out of a book sharing ideas of past scholars. Jesus taught as if He knew God personally. Jesus is still an extraordinary teacher and we would be wise to hang on every word that He says. His teaching gives people an edge in life. The bible is filled with insights about how to raise a family, how to be a good employee and how to manage your money that really work.

He seemed to be able to heal anyone Matthew 15:31 The days of miracles had seem to have passed. Then Jesus burst on the scene and the lame could walk and the dead were raised. The number and scope of his miracles were like nothing that had ever been seen before. Jesus is still a great miracle worker for those who come to Him in prayer. He is worth following when life is filled with troubles. He still performs miracles of healing and provides for His people when they hurt.

He could give orders to demons Luke 4:36 Satan had the hearts and lives of many. He controlled them and often they were naked, half crazed and out of control. The demons were afraid of Jesus. They cried out in fear when He came. Yet, when Jesus cast them out or commanded them to be quiet, they had to obey. Life can easily be out of control for you and me. We may not believe in demons, but they are still around us. It can be the unreasonable person at work or a string of “coincidences” that are all bad luck. Those are the times to come to Jesus for help.

He had great compassion for the helpless He was never too busy to help someone. Even when He was tired, He stopped to heal the mob of people begging for help. He saw their pain and how their illness had destroyed their bodies. It broke His heart. Jesus still has compassion for people like you and me. He hurts when you and I are feeling pain. He grieves when someone dies too early or when a child doesn’t have a meal all day. He is the friend that every person needs.

Those who know Jesus will never forget Him Sixty-five years after Jesus had died, John writes because he still could not get Jesus out of His mind. He had a front row seat and could call this one his friend. Jesus was so extraordinary that John had lived his whole life for Jesus. He had spent these sixty-five years in a nonstop conversation letting people know all that Jesus had done for him and others. Yet, the best part is that the extraordinary rubs off. The book of Acts describes the change that had come on the disciples because of their connection with the extraordinary Christ. What would you be willing to do to be a little more amazing? Would you be willing to spend a half hour a day in prayer to have less worry in your life or find a place of service so you can do miracles for God? Jesus is extraordinary and being with Jesus lets the extraordinary rub off on you.

The Story: The Son of God - He Is Not Your Equal

Focus: Gospels

 In the military, a general is still a general. I have never been in the military. I have never even been in the boy scouts. Yet, rank seems to be everything in the military. When a general gives an order, the soldier doesn’t question the order. He just does it. A soldier realizes that the general holds the soldier’s future in his hands. Now we make fun of the president and of company CEO’s. The guy on the line talks like he could do the job better. The comic on late night television makes you believe that he understands the presidency better than Bush or Obama. No wonder there is so little respect for Jesus today.

He is the eternal Son of God– John 8:58 He has been speaking of God as a Father and here He claims to be older than Abraham. For two years, the people had seen His miracles of healing, demon casting, and feeding the masses. His works and teaching were undeniable. A Greek would have called it the work of the Gods. The first thing man has to learn about Jesus is our place before Him. He is God, not just some prophet representing God.

He is Lord of all – Luke 8:28 Second, He expects to be obeyed. Now I don’t know why the demons give Jesus more respect than the humans, but they do. They also obey him when he issues a command. He is Lord and they obey Him to the letter. It is like His power is so great that they have no other option. They must and do obey even if it means their destruction. The second thing that man has to learn is to obey God instead of trying to make God obey you and me.

He is one with the Father John 10:29-30 The time for His death on the cross was only months away. The Jewish leaders have seen His miracles and wonder if He is the Messiah promised to come. The answer is of course yes, but He is more and he tells them plainly that He is one with God the Father. His position in the trinity is not second to the Father as if He is an inferior God. The third thing that man has to learn is what a gift it is that the Almighty God became man just to save them.

He is the giver of life – John 20:31 Ultimately, He has our eternal fate in our hands. Who is it that scripture continually declares will judge who gets to go into heaven and who will face the fire of hell? The answer is Jesus. That is why it is so foolish to ignore Jesus. This judgment is the choice of God alone for He created you and Christ redeemed the world. Those who believe in Him have nothing to fear. Those who reject Jesus will find that they are lost without Him.

I have always wondered why we humans think that we have the right to tell Jesus how to run the world or think that we can tell Him what our life should be like. We are not even as powerful as the demons and maybe not as smart as they are. When Jesus commanded, they obeyed. Maybe we still have the option to disobey because we still have the choice and demons don’t. We can go against the Almighty and powerful Son of God all the way up till we die and face Him on judgement day. Yet, where is the sense in that? You go against the general and you will pay the consequences. I would rather have Him on my side. Jesus is rooting for you and me. He has offered salvation to every man woman and child whether they take it or not. Moreover, he has given us His word and a way to contact Him in prayer so that we can have his guidance and help every day of our lives. He is the son of God and I will treat Him that way. As terrifying as His power should be, I am content in His arms for He loves me. He is God and I trust Him with my life.

The Story: New Beginnings - Living In The Light

Focus passage: Matt 3-4, John 3-4

His miracles were so numerous and powerful that people could not ignore them. Crowds began to follow Him everywhere He went hoping that he would heal their sick. Even the Jewish leaders who came to hate him could not dispute the miracles of healing, providing food or raising the dead. His teaching attracted crowds as well. He had a way of bringing the most complex doctrines of the Old Testament to light in a way that common people could understand them. He spoke as if He knew God personally instead of just reading out of a commentary somewhere. Some would shy away from the light in Jesus day. Yet those who come into the light of Jesus will find new opportunities and joys.

The Light is announced Matt. 3:1-2 On the scene after 400 years comes John the Baptist. He comes with power gathering his own disciples and proclaiming a message of repentance. The last of the Old Testament prophets has come like an opening act to warm up the crowd for the light to come. He announces the light so all may know Him. He also announces the Light’s theme: change. Change is coming and people need to be aware that things will not be just as they have always been.

The Light is powerful Matt 4:10-11 The Light can do amazing miracles. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons. He is so powerful that the consequences of sin and the power of Satan in people’s lives can be overcome by a simple word from Jesus. Yet the true measure of his power is found here in the way that Jesus flicks Satan away. Satan used the three main tricks in His arsenal against Jesus and Jesus pushed them all away without working up a sweat. It was as if Jesus was serving notice that Satan was toast.

The Light brings salvation John 3:17 Nicodemus was a leader of the Jewish people who had come to have a deep talk with Jesus away from the crowds. He and others had seen the power of Jesus’ miracles. They had heard his teaching which was more powerful than any rabbi that they had heard. Yet they wondered “Who was this man?” Jesus minced no words, but got to the heart of the matter. He was the one who brought salvation.

The Light is available to all people John 4:9 The woman at the well was a half breed with several divorces who was living in sin. By all the Jewish rules, she didn’t belong in the kingdom of God. Even she is surprised with Jesus stops to talk with her and offer His love and forgiveness. He was saying that the Light belongs to all people. It was God’s plan from the beginning that all men might have light. Jonah was sent to the people of Nineveh. The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to learn of his God.

Jesus changed everything. The Jews were looking for a Messiah-king who would make life easy and golden like the age of King David. God gave them so much more as He came to be their Messiah and their Savior. Kings and presidents can make life better, but they cannot change things like Jesus can. He changes our past by giving us forgiveness and healing. The light has come. Don’t let the past destroy the present. Give it to Jesus. He changes our present by walking beside us and helping us each day with our lives. Those who have the light have an advantage that money cannot buy. He changes your future. We don’t need to fear death for we have salvation. You are the keepers of the light. Turn up the wattage of the light in your life so that Jesus can make your life less stressful and more filled with joy. Bring light into the people around you. There is no reason for people to have to live in the Darkness of Satan when the light of Jesus can change everything in their world.