Pastor Goforth

If you had only known what would bring you peace

April 4th, 2016

Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem standing on the mount of olives
Luke 19:41-44 “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

if you’d only known what would bring you peace …

What would bring peace is a faith in a who not a what?

The coming of the Messiah was referred to as a “Mystery” that is something that is hidden. But Jesus came as the revelation of God. Jesus was the unveiling of the love and provision of God. In a world without peace, the arms of God or open wide there’s why does the arms of Christ on the cross as wide open as the empty tomb. John 14.27 Jesus says “peace I leave with you my peace I give you I did not give to you as the world gives do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”

What is the peace that he leaves? Chapter 14 verse 1-3 says “do not let your hearts be troubled and trust in God trust also in me in my fathers house are many rooms if it were not so I would’ve told you I’m going to prepare a place for you …I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”

What is the peace three things: 1) there is a place there is room for you inGod’s plan in God’s house 2) Jesus has made provision for you 3) Jesus is coming. if you only knew … the peace people need to hear from us is that there is room for them. There is room for them in our lives, room for them in the church, more importantly there is room for them in God’s kingdom through the provision of the work of Christ! The piece that the world needs is that he knows, he cares, and He is coming! The fact that we will be attacked is a reality. The reality is we will experience hardship. Jesus said “I n this world you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world.” It is not going to be easy for us. When we become Christians we do not become invincible superheroes we are just fragile vessels with the hope of glory in us. In our brokenness, God’s glory shines through us.

So, 2 Corinthians 4:6 says that the same God who said “let light shine out of darkness” May the light shine in our hearts to give light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Jesus. And sometimes the only way we see his face is when we are not down and have to look up. Then verse seven says we have this treasure -that is the light of God’s glory – in jars of Clay to show that the surpassing power is from God and not us. Then 2 Corinthians 4 goes on to say “we are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed”

If only they knew… We need to weep for those around that do not know. But do not weep without telling them. If we tell them and they will not receive them and weep for them because it is only hidden by their unbelief, by their circumstances that wall them in. Pray for the breaking that will let the light shine. Be willing to be personally broken and vulnerable to allow the light, to shine into their lives. Pray for illumination and revelation to come forth for their transformation.
Practicing Your Faith

January 13th, 2016

Message Delivered for Men of Faith – Breakfast, 9 January, 2016

James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-32

Practicing Your Faith

Well, men, as is my case, I ask the coordinator of our meetings, now Troy, what God is saying and then I work forward from there.

Well Last week, Troy emailed me this … the topic is:

PRACTICING – God’s man learns how to apply God’s Word to all areas of life. It is essential to allowing room for accountability within the men’s ministry for the purpose of consistency and obedience to God’s Word (James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-32)

Now we haven’t read the passage yet, you are perhaps familiar with it “be doers of the word, not hearers” is the way you may remember it … … and remember I didn’t pick this topic … TROY DID … Take it up with him, but remember he is a BIG GUY.

But before we break it down a bit … I sent a note to a couple of people yesterday. One a Pastor and One a Doctor. Let’s listen to their responses

First the Pastor … Here is an email response from Pastor Ken Ansell, a friend of mine from High School, a pastor for about 15 years. We regularly talk, email, tweet, iron sharpening iron. His twitter name is … @hearanddo, So, I thought it would be good to ask Ken what he thought since it is his chosen moniker. So I asked him to give me his personal “musts” and personal “pet peeves” regarding James 1:22-25 …

Not sure this helps and all just very, very quick thoughts:

James 1:22 requires intentionality. Love is the foundation: both love of God and therefore love for people.

Tangibility. Our love, the kingdom, as we practice obedience it will be tangible. So often in our heads we are evangelizing, serving, etc. but not in our hearts or with real action.

John (the Baptist) said some good stuff in Luke 3, the biggest one that I drove the stake and “did” was the 2 coat thing,(John says if we want to SHOW we are God’s people, someone with 2 Coats should give to those who have none) Ken says it’s deeper than 2 coats, and my theology on it has evolved, but I had two coats, and gave one away, still just have the one, might seem silly, but that has changed my life. Being obedient is joy. Disobedience robs us, we always focus on the sin of disobedience but some never know the consistent joy from daily obedience.

People are undeserving, love them anyway, give to the one who asks, Matthew 5:42, stop being judge all the time … Give, do it!

This is tricky but in friendships I have to have no real agenda but love. Yes I want to share Jesus or be a catalysts for spiritual growth, but I have decided to just love and be in a permanent relationship with both non and Christian people. My two new gay friends can really make me want to back out on this but I’m hanging in there I’m not giving up when they have no movement if that makes sense.

Eph. 4:1 (“as a prisoner of the Lord … live a life worthy”) following Jesus is our vocation, I just preach to pay the bills. This gives me perspective.

The golden rule compels me, if I would like someone to bring me a Starbucks, or mow my yard, or pray, or send me an encouraging card, guess what? I have to spontaneously do those things for others.

Well, that probably does not help but my thoughts are free … I had to stop being a theorists and start being a practitioner, stop waiting on others to go with me and just go and do.

Love ya brother, hit it out of the park as always!

The Red Letters have made James 1:22,

So what did he say?

Intentionality

Love

Tangible Action

Obedience is Joy

Disobedience robs us

Stop being a Theorist

Start being a Practitioner

Just DO

So I told you I sent a note to a Pastor and a Doctor … Because we all know that Doctors “Practice Medicine” …

So here is the Response from my brother, Dr. Thomas Goforth, D.O. New York City, About “practicing” as a Doctor:

The practice of medicine is an art as well as a science. As a science we are responsible to practice “evidence based medicine,” doing things because they have evidence to support their effectiveness and safety, e.g. Knowing when is appropriate or not appropriate to give antibiotics, knowing which screening tests to recommend, which blood pressure medications are appropriate given unique medical conditions and demographic predispositions… We have to continually read, keep up with latest evidence, replace old practices with new based on current evolving knowledge of disease processes, safety/harm, side effect profiles, etc. if end points are not shown to improve, or harms outweigh the risks, we have to be willing to abandon previous traditional ways of practice. We are held accountable by standards within the medical community. Now, the is a paradigm shift of reimbursement based on outcomes. I am not only reimbursed based on volume, but based on whether or not my diabetic patients have good numbers, hypertension patients have BP controlled, children have vaccines, over 50y have colonoscopies, etc. we have peer chart reviews…

But medicine is also just as much an art. What works for one patient may not work for another, doses are not uniform in effectiveness… If you just shut up and listen to patients you will often find all the answers you need to diagnose and often even to find the solution. Like ministry, people often aren’t impressed with how smart you are if they don’t sense that you care and listen to them. My art of practice is to talk to each patient about “balance.” I call it the 4 legs of our chair. If all four legs of our chair are firmly on the ground, we will generally feel well. When legs are not in place, we don’t feel well. Our legs are: proper diet, daily physical activity (exercise), proper amount and quality of sleep, and the inner spiritual/emotional life. We generally feel well in proportion to how many legs are firmly on the floor…. Yada yada

So what did he say about Practicing?

Art and Science

Responsible to Practice Knowledge Appropriately

Continually Read to continue to Know

Accountable to Accepted Standards and Peer Reviews

Practicing is an Art … not every situation is the same though standards ARE

Listen

Balance

Yada Yada

Hmmm some pretty great advice from a Pastor and a Doctor … well, what does the Word of God say … do we really want to know?

Troy picked two VERY related passages from the Old Testament and the New … because God does not CHANGE … Let’s read them … I’m going to make some application

Ezekiel 33 begins by telling Ezekiel he is a watchman on the wall.

Gentlemen my job as a Pastor is to be a Watchman on the Wall … What do watchmen do? When they see something wrong, see danger, they SOUND the Alarm. If the people don’t respond, that is on them, but if the Watchmen doesn’t do his job it is on him. So that is what Ezekiel was doing, sounding the Alarm.

Now men, that is MY JOB every week, and people come here because they WANT to hear the message …

Ezekiel 33:30–33 (NIV84) “As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ ³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. ³² Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. ³³ “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

V31 they come … sit … listen …

Then … what does it say? They do not put them into practice

With their mouths they express devotion – is that talking about our worship services?

But their hearts are greedy – is our lack of obedience because it will cost us too much?

One who sings love songs

Then God tells Ezekiel what he feels like … and boy can I relate … he feels like someone who sings love songs or plays great music, everyone claps … but no one leaves CHANGED …

So …

James 1:22–25 (NIV84) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Gentlemen … don’t make me into a Pop singer … Oh I’m a musician and I love singing and playing for an audience, but the difference is that I have always wanted to CHANGE the World NOT Entertain the world …

Do not merely listen … WHY because that is the ULTIMATE Deception …

Do what it says … the only way to be truthful with the messages you hear is to DO it. Sometimes that takes great effort, sometimes it is simple, but it will ALWAYS COST you … that’s where we often stumble in the COST.

When you listen but don’t do you are lying to yourself, you are like the guy looks in the mirror knows he doesn’t look right but goes out confident in how good they look.

I saw a lady in the airport in Houston wearing Hot Pink wind shorts, a t-shirt, and cowboy boots … and I thought “she looked at her self this morning and said ‘This looks good’” … LIE … but she was walking confidently … believing the lie.

So how do we become DOERS?

V25 – looks intently into the perfect law

Doing without hearing, without knowing is selfishness, is arrogance. We MUST come and hear, we must read and study, we must KNOW

We won’t know by accident we won’t know without effort. He says don’t “merely listen” or ONLY listen. That is listening as to the radio but not doing. And that starts by Looking Intently parakupto two words – para meaning – beside and kupto which is – to bend stoop down near. Some of us don’t look at the word intently, come along side it, we just remember our favorite passages, our best times and think “that’s who I am” … it is like replacing your mirror with an Olan Mills Picture of yourself at your best. You walk up first thing in the morning and look at the “Mirror” but all you see is your best picture and you walk away and change nothing … We must STOOP Down Beside the Word, and take it in …

– the perfect law that gives freedom – oh the lie we have believe, that if we follow Jesus, if we obey him, if we are doers it is going to lock me up. I hate hearing the term that married men use when they call their wife an “old ball and chain”. Being in a loving relationship with my wife doesn’t bind me, because she loves me with her whole being, and I love her with my whole being then our relationship gives me the greatest freedom.

So the world is full of lies about what freedom is and where we can get it, but I’m going to look intently at God’s word because that’s where freedom lives.

Then just like Doctor Goforth said

– And continues to do this … this isn’t a one time thing, I was there when my Brother Graduated from Medical School, but he couldn’t stop reading and learning that day or any day.

How do we be people of TRUTH?

People of truth live by truth … By not forgetting what we had heard … but doing

Not DOING is Forgetting … we are called to remember to be DOING – word is poietes – to make. One who makes something, a DOER, a PERFORMER, a POET.

The Poetry, the Performer, the Singer, that we need is NOT the one on the stage, that preacher is only the WARM UP ACT … He is only the Inspiration … What we need is the singer on the street, the doer on the block, the Poet in the Workplace, the one who makes the gospel Real and Relevant in the world … that is YOU.

That’s what our friends have told us ….

Intentionality

Tangible Action not THEORY

Obedience is JOY

Be A Practitioner

Art and Science = that equals Faith, Feeling, and Action

Knowledge

Balance – like Likes on a Chair …

How about Spiritual Legs to Our Chair

leg 1 – Biblical Knowledge

leg 2 – Prayer

leg 3 – Witness

leg 4 – Service

And then

Worship is the chairback we lean on

So how is your Balance?

Did I give you enough answers today? Did I give you a big HOW to?

Could it be that we don’t need Answers as much as we need DOING

If we would spend time doing what we KNOW, we would find more answers

The answers are in the DOING …

That’s all gentlemen … that’s my song … are you going to applaud, are you going to throw tomatoes … or are you going to make a change?

I don’t want to be a Rock Star

I want to be a Watchman on the Wall

You are WARRIORS

Literally Warriors

Rise up like Warriors

Rise up

Nuf said … my guess is some we have some work to do …
Why Can’t I Follow NOW? – John 13:33-38

January 4th, 2016

Jesus was about to die, there is an urgency behind his words in John 13-16. the disciples didn’t understand the urgency because they didn’t know what was ahead; however, I am sure they felt the urgency even though they didn’t understand.

As they say “ours is not to reason why …”

Have you felt God’s urgency in his commands, do this or do that? Yet we have desires, other plans. Did you hear his command? do you sense the urgency? Then do it

Jesus says v33a “I will be with you only a little longer.” that’s a clear word … a disturbing word. Further clarity … v33b “where I am going you CANNOT come.” Still further CLARITY … a Command v34 “love one another” that’s the command. “as i have loved you” that is the comparison, the qualifier. The Purpose v35? “by this (your love) all men will know that you are my disciples.”

yet in spite of the clarity, Peter, like us, like all “children”, is stuck on what he CANNOT do “you cannot come”

Peter v36 says “Lord, where are you going?”

It doesn’t matter because “you cannot come now, but you will follow later”

v37 “Lord why can’t I follow you NOW?”

Oh the tyranny of the NOW. Peter reveals his immaturity in this exchange. He is setting aside the clear instruction, the clear commands, the clear purpose, the clear separation of yes and no, and instead wanting to focus on the unknown and the not now. One of the clearest evidences of immaturity is impatience and impertence.

“Why not now daddy?” “Why not now Lord?”

I’ve said it many times to parents, and also to Christians seeking an answer from God, “no is not a bad word”. No is sometimes the answer of a loving parent and a loving God.

“Why can’t I do this NOW Lord?”

“Because NOW I said NO. Because NOW I have a different purpose. Because NOW you are to LOVE one Another.”

They were to love one another for two reasons: one spoken, and one unspoken. The spoken reason was that the world may know you are mine. Follow me, love like me, as an agent of revelation to a watching world. The Unspoken reason was that their world was about to get shaken. Jesus would be taken, then return, but then leave and they were going to NEED one another. Jesus leaves us behind because somebody needs us. So, look up, look around, this is not about you. This is HIS Story. So if he says “you can’t come.” “You cannot go.” “You stay here.”

1) you don’t know yourself as well as you think you do. Peter said “I will lay down my life” and Jesus says “yeah well, not today you won’t, you aren’t that strong yet.”

2) you don’t know his plans like you think you do. Jesus said “yes you WILL follow me, but LATER, you WILL lay down your life

3) he has a purpose – But TODAY Love, Encourage, Wait

Jesus was urgent in his words. He was sober in his words, so NOT going NOW, must be important.

Trust the Urgency

Trust the Instruction

Wait when he says “wait”.

The “exciting” will come soon enough. His plans are more important than mine and more perfect than mine. His timing is impeccible.

As High as the Heavens are above the earth, so much higher are your thoughts than my thoughts, your ways than my ways Oh Lord

So 14:1 Jesus says “Do not let your hearts be troubled (in the waiting) Trust in God; Trust also in me.”
I Made You … Listen to Me

December 9th, 2015

Two great deceptions we often fall for 1) God doesn’t speak to me, so I don’t need to listen and 2) There isn’t anything for me to do

I have said for years that God doesn’t make “knick-knacks”. You know those things that you picked up somewhere, someone gave you, they have no purpose other than to sit on your shelf, gather dust, and perhaps facilitate a memory. God doesn’t make “knick-knacks”, and he doesn’t buy “knick-knacks”> Yet you were created with intention and love. You were purchased with great price, the precious blood of Jesus.
So, Isaiah calls out to those near Israel and those far away Islands and distant nations, and he uses himself as an example to say “God made me, God made you, so we need to LISTEN to him.” To say “do not imagine for a minute that your position or posture means that you do not have a purpose, so pay attention.”

Isaiah 49:1–7 (NIV84)
1 Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” 4 But I said, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” 5 And now the LORD says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength— 6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” 7 This is what the LORD says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

v1 – Listen to me – this is the testimony of a witness and the call of a creator … “Listen … open your ear, open your heart, engage your mind, turn away from other chatter, and listen to me.”
Hear this … this is important
You Islands and you distant nations – this message is for two groups 1) those who are God’s people and have been scattered by invaders and 2) Those within those lands who do not acknowledge yet the Lord
Before I was born, the Lord called me … From my birth, he has made mention
Do you believe that God has always had plans for you and it is for those plans that you were created? Or, do you believe that when you acknowledged and believed THEN he decided “well I have to find something to do with them?” If you have yet to receive him, he still has a plan for you.
v2 For Isaiah he made your mouth, a sharpened sword
Perhaps you have a child with a quick tongue and it drives you crazy … that is from God it just has to be sharpened correctly and taught to be used.
He Hid me polished me, and concealed me
He has not forgotten you, he has hidden you and is preparing you. Sometimes we tend to cry out and say “Lord what are you doing? Why am I in this bag. Look, I’m straight and shiny, sharp, and yet stagnant. Load me up and fire me Lord.” But our Master Archer, says “not yet child, not yet, I have a purpose. Let’s polish a little more, let’s sharpen a little more.”

v3 But your day will come, but better yet, we should say HIS day will come. “you are my servant … in whom i will display my splendor” He is the vine, WE are the branches … we reach out FROM him, we reach out FOR him, we find our fullness in our connection to him.
v4 Here comes an honest statement that shows we don’t understand … i have worked for nothing … spent my strength for nothing … yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand. I am his to use as he desires. He is my portion and reward. He can pay me as and when he desires. Remember our Labor is not in vain in the Lord 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Stand firm let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of hte Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
You will never spend one day, one dollar, one devotion that is for nothing if it is to the Lord and from his direction. Oh it will wear us out at times, but he renews our strength and we will not faint.
v5 Remember the Lord FORMED us … we are ergodynamic. That is our form is designed for our purpose. “Lord, why am I different than they are, than that one?” “My child it is because you are made for a different purpose.” “So Lord, how come I don’t get any honor or credit.”
“Oh child, I see … you ARE honored in my eyes and will be honored in my presence.”
Luke 18:28, Peter says “we have left all we had to follow” vv29-30 “The truth … no one who has left … for the sake of the kingdom … will fail to receive many times as much …”
v5b He is our reward … and our strength … I am your strength
Psalm 73:26 God is my strength and my portion forever
SO
v6 – Since he is my reward, my portion, my strength … It is not a LITTLE thing for me to use you that is a huge thing. But see it as it is written It is a small thiing to serve him … to follow him … to be hid … to be used … to be sharpened … to be polished … to be fired … it is ALL his doing, his purpose
I will make you a light … that was his purpose in different ways but still for all to display his splendor
v7 WHY? He Created, he knows, he redeems, he is the unique one of a kind Holy One. People will see and get up, will see and bow down.
He is faithful, He is Choosing, He has chosen me …
Near or Far
Known or Unknown
Ready or Being Readied

You are His
He has Chosen You
My Kingdom Is From Another Place

October 26th, 2015

John 18:36 My Kingdom is not of this world … my kingdom is from another place

Where is your territory? What do you fight to protect? Do we sometimes fight for things that are of THIS world?

Things of this world

are about me

will not last

may not glorify God

will give temporary returns on investment

So often we are involved in “turf wars” and we want to set up fences and fight. In the southwest, there were cattle herders and sheep herders. Cattle were managed by cowboys on horseback and they grazed. Sheep though would strip a place bald and were fenced in and so territory wars broke out over the sheep and cattle and fences or no fences. The question for us is what are we fighting for? Are we battling for territory or treasures, souls or surface things? Are we fighting for things WE own or things we manage?

Jesus said “My Kingdom is NOT OF this world.”
I think the great challenge for us in ministry is to keep our battles in the right realm and keep our attacks focused on the right enemy. What does Ephesians 6:12 say? We struggle NOT against FLESH and blood … So if we are fighting an enemy with a human face, we are missing the real enemy. Why was Jesus able to face Caiaphus, Herod, and Pilate and remain calm, at peace? It was because his enemy didn’t have a human face. His enemy was not flesh and blood. Our enemy is our own selfish desires, and satan’s desires. My kingdom is not of this world, my battle is not in this realm. If we have our heels dug in, fighting for earthly territory, we are fighting in the wrong plain.

Strive for Souls … battle the real enemy.

Psalm 42:2-11 NIV84

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

We easily are downcast when we have our heart and focus on earthly things

Put Your hope in God.

David closes out Psalm 17 with the correct perspective. After talking about the fleshly one who seems to always have enough, though God’s child might seem to be left out … David says

But as for me, I will behold your face in righteousness, and be satisfied when I wake with your likeness
As the Father Has Sent Me, I am Sending You

October 26th, 2015

John 20:21 NIV84 Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me. I am sending you

Jesus appears to his disciples while their world is still in a turmoil. Jesus died on Friday. Here it is Sunday evening. He is reported alive, seen by Mary and he appears to his disciples behind locked doors in the upper room. “Peace be with you” Oh he had never really left them, he is always with us. He told them on Thursday “I will never leave you nor forsake you” But now darkness has given way to life. Jesus is standing in front of them and says “Peace be with you” v19 and then v20 he shows them his hands and side, probably as they are just standing there with their mouths wide open. So in v21 again Jesus said “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

I’m sure they had been thinking, since Friday, that the story was over for them. Maybe they were next to die. Thinking “if we survive this, what now, back to fishing, back to tax collecting, back to find something else about which to be zealous.”

But Jesus says “this is not the end of the story, this is the beginning … I am sending you”

But HOW is he sending us?

1. At Peace

Regardless of the struggle around us … At Peace

Peace where it matters. Peace from God. Peace within us

Jesus had said to them Thursday night, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Now they see this statement in the flesh. Oh listen “trouble” was just starting for them. The moment we make peace with God, the struggles really begin. The attacks of the evil one, the struggle of the flesh and our new nature, it is only starting. Persecution is coming, but peace be with you. So then we are sent, at peace, as ministers OF peace.

And we are sent

2. AS the Father Sent

How was Jesus sent?

He was sent with a clearly defined purpose. He came humble. He came emptied of glory. He came an intentional servant. He came committted to the plan of the Father. His purpose was to live in perfection, declare God’s glory, die a sacrificial death, redeeming and reconciling all who would believe. Then he came to rise victorious over sin and death.

We then are sent to live in his righteousness. We are to live in humility. Check James 4:7-10. We are submissive to his will, victorious over satan, drawing near him, daily dying, dealing with external sin struggles, humble before him, and he will lift us up in due time. We are sent intentionally to serve. Jesus had said if I your master have come not to be served but to serve, how much more should you serve.

We have a clear mission. As you go, (Matthew 28:19-20)make disciples, that is imitating followers, baptizing them in the name of Father, Son, and Spirit. We go to all (Acts 1:8) nations as witnesses telling them what we have seen and heard.

And so we are

3. Sent

I don’t men to be redundant, but he is sending us, SENT.

Again it is about living with purpose. He doesn’t say “get out of here.” he doesn’t say “just go, have fun, do as you please.”

No, we are SENT. We belong to him, so we must go as HIS children, his Ambassadors. We are SENT. We are commanded so we can’t just live and minister aimlessly, when we feel like it. No we are SENT.

Pray: Lord you are always at work. You have sent me. So, what are you doing and how can I join you?”

The Greatest Peace we can know is NOT in the ABSENCE of Trouble or Conflict, but in the Presence of Christ, and Our presence in the world, sent by Him.
Men of Faith – Taking the Lead

October 6th, 2015

Men of Faith Breakfast
Taking the Lead
Ephesians 4:31-32

I asked Troy what God was saying to him for today and if there was a theme or focal scripture for today. So, he wrote me back and pointed me to Ephesians 4:31-32
Ephesians 4:31–32 (NIV84)
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
And then Troy said his reason is that if a man is head of the household, then he must Lead with Faith.

So you see there two lists: Don’ts and Dos … but Paul in these verses puts them in two categories “get rid of” and “be”.
The phrase “get rid of” means “to take away, to withdraw from the bank”. So we are saying here … Where will you spend or deposit your resources? Where will you deposit your wealth and what will you have when you come back for a withdrawal. So, bad accounts to deposit your wealth are in the first list
Get Rid of
– Bitterness – that is a frame of mind that is resentful, thinking we deserve better than we get
– Rage – is excessive anger that becomes a flashpoint
– Anger – not definitive anger, but distorted by uncontrolled passions
– Brawling – anger acting out physically
– Slander – it isn’t always lying but it is evil speaking about someone in order to hurt them or their reputation
– Malice – Wuerst says this is the root of the rest, a hateful feeling
Those are the bad accounts … where we deposit our resources, passions, actions

Be – ginomai – Become = Abandon one thought for another. Change Banks for your Deposit
– Kind – good, kind, easy
– Compassionate – displaying felt affection, tenderhearted
– Forgiving – this is not forgiving in the sense of bearing the sin in atonement but charizomai – comes from the same word charis … Grace. To do a favor … not deserved, but pleasant, benevolent …
So … simple list of dos and don’ts … we know what we are supposed to do …
But Troy said he was interested in these verses because WE are supposed to LEAD
So, what is this about taking the lead? What is Paul teaching us? We don’t learn it from just two verses. Hopefully today I’m going to make you think. Hopefully I’m going to make you go back and read the entire section.

What are we learning about leading our families?

1. Leading Comes From an Understanding of Position

4:1 says “As a prisoner of the Lord … live a life worthy of the calling … be humble, gentle, patient bearing with each other.”
Why? Because I am a Prisoner of God’s Grace
Every other instruction is based on this understanding.
Jesus is Sovereign Lord of All, Creator, Redeemer, the One who gave his life to purchase yours … if you have never surrendered to him, you will be a frustrated Leader at best or a cruel dictator at worst.
Our position is that we serve under authority. We can’t lead without understanding that
The worst leaders are those who want no accountability
The worst leaders are those who think they world revolves around, rises and falls with them.
Great leaders understand their position, those over them, those under their responsibility.
I have heard recently retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey saying “my job is not to create policy, but to recommend and implement the plan to carry out the policies and objectives we are given.”

So, I belong to Christ. I am under authority, so I cannot just do whatever I want.

So as we continue to Read this Chapter and Understand

2. Leaders Understand More is Caught Than Taught

Paul says that God has given us church leaders to help us become mature so we aren’t tossed about by the waves. You don’t get there alone. Submitting to and welcoming instruction and mentoring
Paul talks about Actions, Attitudes, and Accountability in this chapter. If our kids are rebellious, angry, selfish, … where did they get that?
I’m not saying we can’t lead unless we are perfect men, but we have to be transparent with our family. When we ignore the rules that we don’t think are important, our family is watching. If your kids obey YOU, but not your wife, maybe they are catching it from you. Do you follow? Do you speak respectfully? Do you process and control your anger or do you rage? They are watching. Do you always act like everyone owes you something? Actions, Attitudes and Accountability. I can’t just do what I want.
Ephesians 4:22–23 (NIV84)
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

I must get rid of the one list and become the other because I am accountable to our God and Savior and because I am leading others. V30 says “do not grieve the Holy Spirit” … We are accountable to the Spirit who lives in us. What does that mean?
1 Thessalonians 5:19 calls it “putting out the Spirit’s Fire”. It hinders the fire of transformation in our lives as well as for those we lead, beginning with our family.
I won’t develop it, but if you want to Fan the Flame instead of quenching the Spirit … it is found there in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 … Read it later, but here are the cliff notes
• Rejoice Always
• Pray Always (without ceasing)
• Give Thanks Always (in everything)
• Test Everything
• Always abstain from every kind of evil

So … as we understand it is Caught more than Taught …

The Last thing on Taking the Lead then is

3. Leadership Has a Clear Vision

Be, Live, Say …

If you continue chapter 5:1 it says “Be Imitators of God as Dearly Loved Children”
– Be Imitators of God as dearly loved children
Lift your eyes. Lift your target. Your family is going to follow YOU first, so don’t compare yourself to someone else, aim higher, imitate God
How?
As Dearly Loved Children
Stop saying I will do this as soon as I’m good enough, mature enough, it fits your schedule or personality.
No, as Loved Children – don’t you love it when your children try and imitate you? How do children imitate? The word is to mimic.
Imitate God like Loved Children
• What God does, You just do it because you are imitating God
• You don’t care how it looks, you just do it, imitating God
• You don’t care if it fits or looks cool, just do what God does
• You don’t care if you are good at it, you just imitate God
Like a child loving Daddy, knowing Daddy loves them

Be … Live …

– Live a Life of Love
Live a LIFE … not occasionally, weekly, monthly the word peripateo means walk, behave, conduct, in a manner of living
Make your life … LOVE – agape … This is not sensual love that makes me feel. This is not conditional love that asks what have you done for me? This is DEVOTION. We do it because we choose TO. How do we live this manner of life love.
• As Christ loved you … don’t miss that what he has done for you is a past action, a present reality, and a future expectation. Love like Christ, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
• He gave himself up … It is not enough to bring your children here to be taught God’s Word. And Send them to school to learn, and to a coach to be trained … You give them YOURSELF … it is the best you will give them, particularly if you are seeking God
• As a sacrifice … God loves it because he loves you … do it as an act of worship

Be … Live … Say …
– Say … back to 4:29 … we have to watch what comes out … Only let out what is beneficial. Only allow what is:
• Helpful
• For Building Up
• According to their needs

Men your wives, your children, need to hear your voice. But is what they hear helpful (good, fair, generous) Helpful to building up? Is there a positive future for those words? Is there a useful structure? According to their Needs?
Understand me men. I’m not saying you have to go around saying sweet nothings …
Sometimes correction is needed
Sometimes discipline
Sometimes Grace or Mercy
Sometimes it is an Apology that is needed from US
But Always it is with Love and an Expressed Vision of the Desired Future
That is Taking the Lead
So
Ephesians 4:31–32 (NIV84)
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

You know where do you get rid of it and where do you get what you need? His name is Jesus
The Real Struggle

October 6th, 2015

Romans 5:12 (NIV84)
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—

When Adam surrendered to Eve’s suggestion of the forbidden fruit, after Eve surrendered to the suggestion of the serpent … the struggle with sin began.
But what was the “Real Struggle”? I once had a man, well meaning, come into my office in St. Louis and say “Pastor, you don’t preach about ‘sin’ enough.” I looked at him in disbelief and asked what he meant. He repeated his desire again for me to speak more about ‘sin’. Well, I manuscript all of my messages and I was preaching through the book of Romans. So, I pulled out my previous few messages and referred to some things about sin and pointed to a section and said “that’s sin”, and another section and said “that’s sin”. But he said, “no, ‘sin’, like lying and immorality, and murder, and abortion …” and he just had a long list. I redirected and said “Oh, I thought you were talking about sin.” (He looked confused) And I continued, “you are talking about sins”, and he said “yeah, ‘sin’”.
And there is often the problem. We don’t focus on the Real Struggle. When Adam and Eve sinned, they opened the door to sin. The world wasn’t full of all the evil ‘sins’ we know today, nor even the ‘less than evil’ sins. I don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in the world before that fateful day, but there was NO sin, and so no sins. So that day when they sinned, the issue was and remains, who will be ‘god’? Oswald Chambers in my utmost for his highest says “the disposition is not immorality and wrong-doing, but the dispostion of self-realization – I am my own god.”
You see before that act, there was only The Lord as God. The very thought that we could even do differently than he had instructed had not entered into our consciousness. But the Serpent planted a seed of doubt and possibility that we could be god. satan always called into question the goodness of God and the Word of God. He said to Eve “Did God say that you couldn’t eat from any tree.” “No just this one tree, if we eat IT we will die” … But satan countered “you won’t die, you will become like god.” And there it was. The ONLY act at his point that was possible to be called sin, was the act of taking up the role of determining right and wrong, taking up the role of lord, and deciding for myself what I will do.
So, both Adam and Eve, instead of putting to death that thought, they gave it life and found “yes, I CAN become my own lord, i can be my own god.” But Oh the consequences when we take that road.
So it is for us the daily struggle, the Real Struggle is not with actions that we call sins, but it is an attitude of rebellion or an attitude that acquiesces, that is accepts, even reluctantly, the rule of Jehovah God as Lord.
It is as I am crucified with Christ that I no longer live, but Christ lives in me … then and only then, I find that the life I live is lived by faith in the goodness of the Song of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
It is in coming after him (Luke 9:23) in denial to self,to the way that I want to go, that I take up the cross and follow him. Taking up the cross is not about suffering and sacrifice, though that often comes with it. No, taking up the cross is about surrendering to HIS will, HIS way, HIS plan, HIS purpose.
The Real Struggle is in putting my hand to the plow and not looking back (Luke 9:62)
Eve and then Adam followed their own desire instead of the will of God and so the Real Struggle allowed every other sinful action to enter the real of possibility in life. Praise Go that He didn’t leave us to the consequence of that one sin though.
Romans 5:18–21 (NIV84)
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

the Real Struggle, moment by moment is about Lordship, who will be God?
It is about surrender
It is about the salute to the higher rank and authority
It is doing an “about face” to follow the plan of God

When once that decision is made, when that conflict is settled, obedience leads to life and peace with God.
Peace with God over lordship, leads to victory over the sins that so easily entangle us
You Lack One Thing

September 15th, 2015

You still lack ONE Thing. sell Everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come and follow me. Luke 18:22

God doesn’t keep score like we do. We have been so bound by the idea of fairness and “good enough” that we miss the expectations of Christ.

Jesus’ call in Matthew 4 was “repent, the Kingdom is near”. That means turn around, go this way. But we ask “is this good enough?” Anything less than everything is not enough. This young man in Luke 18 comes to Jesus and says “what must I do?” Jesus says, “do? Well do what you have been told” Being doesn’t come from doing, but doing is a result of being. I follow and that causes me to Do what he desires. I don’t try to do, to be a follower, but I do because I am a follower.

This young man doesn’t get it. He says “I’ve done all of this my whole life.” i.e. I’m still not feeling it, so what is missing? Jesus says “one thing you lack.” Most of us start keeping score here. We say, “well good, I am almost making 100. I just lack ONE thing, that’s pretty good, right?” If we think this is about the 10 commandments, and he only lacks one thing, he’s making a 90, that’s a pretty good grade. “Thanks Jesus, see ya later, I’ll keep at it”

No, wait … you LACK (leipo – to be in need, fall short, be incomplete, to forsake, to be wanting, to be defeated)

There is a war going on and you lost one of the battles, you are incomplete, you fall short. When we fall short, what does Romans 3:23 call that? SIN .. missing the mark.

Jesus says the only way to remedy this problem is to “sell everything … give away” Reevaluate what you treasure and lift your eyes to treasure in heaven. What do you own? What do you treasure? This young man most likely struggled with materialism. His identity was wrapped up in possessions. I believe it is why Jesus used the word “treasure”. The word means “storeroom, repository”. Jesus elsewhere says not to “lay up our treasures in places where they can corrode, or be criminalized. If your treasure is in eternal things, then if someone takes something of earthly value, you can move on because you don’t find your worth, value, or identity in those things.

The word is Priority

In 1 Kings 19:19-21 … Elijah goes to Elisha to call him to follow him in serving God as a prophet. Elisha is running a big family farming business. he is overseeing 12 sets of oxen. That’s 24 plowing oxen. That’s 11 men working them plus he is working the 12th. That means a large number of fields. Elijah calls him out by laying his prophet’s mantel on him. God had commanded this. Elisha knows that this means. The call to come was a call to leave all you had. There is an immediacy of the call. He says, “let me kiss my father and mother … then I will come with you.” Cultural historians tell us that this phrase really meant “after my parents die and are buried, then I will go with you. Similarly in Luke 9:59, Jesus told a man to follow him and the man said “let me bury my Father”. Jesus said “let the dead bury the dead” Another said “let me say goodbye to my family.” And Jesus told him that if he looks back he isn’t FIT for the Kingdom. Again, both of these are talking about the idea of following him later, just not today. After my father is dead and gone, after my kinds are grown, after I retire … and Jesus says “sell it all, and follow me. What you lack is a Spirit to follow me”

So, Elisha says it … and Elijah just basically replies “fine then, go on back, what have I done but invite you into God’s plan?”

Elisha realized the call was a call for NOW and the past is gone, all things are new, no turning back. So Elisha did the right thing. He slaughtered his 24 oxen. He burned the plows. He cooked the mean and served to his men to eat … 1 Kings 19:21 says “then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant”

Jesus said in Luke 9 that when we set out with him there is no turning back.

Lord, what is the one thing I lack? Because where I lack, I am falling short and I want to be what you have called me. Jesus called those fishermen to be disciples. They pulled their boats up on shore, left their nets, and followed him. But sadly, we are like the man in Luke 9:57, “Lord I will follow wherever you go” but what we mean is “Lord where ARE you going, exactly?” “You have a place right?” Jesus told him “foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head.”

Following is about FOLLOWING, not about the destination. Following is about the ONE we follow not WHERE he is taking us. So, Jesus told this young rich, religious seeker, “sell everything, and then you will lack nothing because I will be your source and substance. I will be your treasure and your treasure house.”

But when he heard, he was sad because he was wealthy. He was sad about what he was losing not joyful about what he was gaining. Oh Lord, may we not be sad and satisfied with trash and temporary satisfaction when you offer us treasure eternal. May we forsake all, sell all, empty ourselves, that we might lack nothing in our. As we leave all to gain all in Christ, Fill us with Joy!
When Do You See the Lord?

September 15th, 2015

When do you see the Lord? We see the Lord when we look up. Not that god is bound to a time or space location, as we think of it, but we see him when we look “up”.
Looking up happens intentionally or experientially. Either we make it our plan to look or circumstances force us to look up. Isaiah saw the Lord because his hero died in Isaiah 6:1. “in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and lifted up …”
Uzziah was the King. He was a good king, a godly king. Additionally he was related to Isaiah, perhaps as an uncle or cousin. So, he was a big hero to Isaiah. On top of that, he had a personal failure. He had become impatient with God and had offered incense in the Temple, a task for the priests, and God had stricken him with leprosy. So, he had been “dead” to the world for some time. Now, he died for real. The result of his sin was his physical death. Isaiah’s hero had failed him and now he was gone and Isaiah “saw the Lord”

Oswald Chambers says “” our soul’s history is frequently the history of the ‘passing of the hero’ … God has to remove our friends in order to bring himself in their place.”
So when the “hero” is gone, we either look down, look around, look back, or we LOOK UP.
Isaiah looked up and saw the Lord. We must decide to look to God and see his glory. Sometimes we are flat on our back from a fall, sickness, or humility and it is the only way we see him.
We also have to ask God to open our eyes to see him right in front of us. Jesus said in John 6, “my Father is always a work around us.” Most times, we just don’t notice.
Jacob had a dream and saw God’s angels doing his work. he woke up and said “surely the Lord is here, it is awesome in this place, and I didn’t even know”

Elisha’s servant was afraid but God opened his eyes and he could see angels surrounding their enemies. They were afraid, but the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire to protect them. (2 Kings 6:17) Lord open my eyes that I can see you at work, exalted, high and lifted up, powerful, holy, and awesome. Then i will see myself, receive his cleansing, hear his heart, ask to join him, and go for him.
Remember 1 Corinthians 2:14 says that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit for they are foolishness to him, he cannot know cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned.

I have to have my spiritual eyes opened. My heart must be tuned like a Radio into God’s Spirit. Oswald Chambers again says “it must be God first, God second, and God third, until life is faced steadily with God and no one else is of any account whatsoever.”

Lord let all my heroes fall save you.

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