Encinitas Pastor

2012-01-31T15:57:00.000-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

Revelation 2:12-17 Ignore false teachers

Intro…1997 Meeting in Colorado with young pastors…

The rise of the “postmodern/emergent” theology…

Text: Revelation 2:12-17

Big Pic: In order to identify false teaching, we need to hold fast to the teachings of Jesus and not deny our faith.

A little bit about Pergamum:

Just like the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna, the believers in Pergamum faced persecution and false teaching.

They endured the persecution, but succumbed to false teaching.

The city of Pergamum was built on terraces leading up to the only accessible slope if its acropolis.

It was an important center for pagan and imperial religion, but there are also indications of Jewish religion.

v. 12 “The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.”

1:16 The words of God can cut us open, judge our thoughts and hearts.

This is a warning to the church to discipline and deal properly with false teachers.

Because if they don’t (2:16) Jesus will directly intervene.

v. 13 “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.”

We know Pergamum was a center for pagan and imperial religion.

This city had temples dedicated to the divine Augustus and the goddess of Roma.

Also to Asklepios (the god of healing, symbolized by serpents).

And a large altar dedicated to Zeus.

They also worshipped the emperor as a god, in fact it was required in the province of Asia.

This city had at least 5 strikes against it…consequently, it was a major problem for the Christians.

Add all the up and hence the name for Pergamum: Satan’s throne.

It became Satan’s throne because it allowed false teaching to creep into the church.

One of the bright spots in the midst of the paganism was Antipas.

He sealed his testimony with his life.

Jesus even shares with Antipas the title of “faithful witness” in 1:5.

Often that’s the case when someone speaks out against false teaching.

They may be the only one doing it and could even pay for it with their life!

Last week we talked about persecution in the church, people dying for their faith.

Someone’s got to speak up when false teaching enters the church, even if it costs them their life!

v. 14-15 Here’s what the church in Pergamum was doing wrong.

Sexual and spiritual infidelity, as well as eating food sacrificed to idols.

Sexual and spiritual infidelity….sounds like our culture today.

The false teachers they were following were Balaam and the Nicolaitans.

As the Israelites wondered through the wilderness, the prophet Balaam advised Moab’s king (Balak) to seduce them in both sexual and spiritual adultery.

(Numbers 25:1-2, 31:16)

The Nicolaitians (followers of Nicolas Acts 6:5) were a heretical Christian sect.

They advocated too much freedom in matters of Christian conduct.

The bigger problem was that Nicolas was just a human. Any group that follows the teaching/writings of a human is in trouble.

That’s false teaching!

v. 13 Here’s what the church in Pergamum was doing right.

Hold fast to the name of Jesus.

Did not deny the faith, even with death threats.

If we can just do the same today, the false teaching will be obvious.

“Well, how do I know if it is false teaching or not?

When we follow Jesus we can’t go wrong.

I Cor. 1:21-23, 2:1-5

As we grow deeper in our understanding of the faith and thus not denying it, we’ll know right from wrong.

v. 16 Either we do what is right, holding to Jesus and our faith or we could face some direct intervention from God himself!

1 Cor. 11:30-32

If we are wise, we will listen up. v. 17

“To those who stand true to the faith, we will receive hidden manna.”

Just as God provided food, (manna) to the Israelites in the desert, God will provide for us when we endure persecution and stay pure from defilement.

This is the sufficiency of Christ for the believers needs.

“White Stone”

Historically a white stone was given to victors of games for entrance to banquets.

A white stone was also used by jurists at trial to vote for acquittal.

This white stone given to us indicates that the believer can be assured of his acquittal before God.

“When we hold fast to Jesus’ name we will be given a new name.”

I love that part of the OT…

This may refer to the work of the HS in conforming a believer to the holiness of God. (Rom. 8:29)

Application: False teaching creeps into the church like mold.

(Starts out small and grows nasty.)

Often it starts out as things that don’t seem that bad or wrong.

“Well that doesn’t sound too bad…”

We need to be leery of words like “tolerant”, “politically correct”, “inclusive”

Who are the Balaams, Balaks, and Nicolaitans of today?

I mentioned some of the Emergent Theologians earlier….

Prosperity gospel…(A certain preacher in Texas…Osteen etc .)

Why is this false teaching so appealing? Because it “tickles our ears.”

2 Timothy 4:1-5

Conclusion: Two friends from Seminary, who are now liberal….

2012-01-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

Revelation 2:8-11 Perseverance in persecution.

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11 around AD 95 (persecution before and after)

Foxes book of Martyrs…

Big Pic: When was the last time any of us were persecuted for our faith?

(In reality, that would be the ultimate reward.)

Of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation, only Smyrna and Philadelphia are not rebuked by Jesus.

Instead, he encourages them as they endure persecution.

Smyrna was a harbor city renowned for its temple to the Mother Goddess and for its provincial imperial cult temples to Tiberious (1^st century) and Hadrian (2^nd century).

Smyrna was a beautiful city with paved streets, a library, gymnasium, and a shrine to Homer who may have been born there.

There was most likely a Jewish presence in the city and they were opposed to this new Christian faith, “followers of the way.”

Their persecution of the Christians was documented in the martyrdom accounts of Polycarp and Pionius.

v. 8 To the angel/leader of the church in Smyrna…

These words of encouragement come from non-other than Jesus Christ himself.

When the church (us) suffers slander and even persecution unto death, Jesus is our savior and redeemer.

When we read the accounts of the martyrs throughout history, when they faced death, they knew that Jesus was their savior…

Jesus prepared the way through death to resurrection life. (1:17-18)

v. 9 Poor but rich.

These people in Smyrna may have been physically or materially poor, but they were oh-so rich spiritually.

That’s the kind of rich you want to be!

We’ll see how in Rev. 3:17 the people in Laodicea thought of themselves as affluent but were bankrupt on the eyes of Jesus.

And Jesus’ scale of “richness” is always the one we want to measure ourselves against.

I got to see that so beautifully in my father’s memorial service last weekend. The richness of his legacy, faith and family…

So whether it’s Jews persecuting the church of Smyrna or anyone persecuting and killing Christians today, they may claim to be doing it for “the right reasons” but in reality, that mindset is from Satan.

PIC v. 10 Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.

Do not fear what you are about to suffer…

Prison, punishment, torture, scoffing, ridicule etc.

10 days….The persecution for the Smyrnan Christians was brief and ended in either prison or death.

So, even if we do end up dying for our faith, we will receive the crown of life, that is, eternal life.

Eternal life with Christ is the laurel wreath of victory that God promises to those who love him.

1 Cor. 9:25, 2 Tim. 4:6-8, James 1:12

v. 11 “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.”

By remaining strong and true in the face of death, we are immune from the second death.

This second death is when the wicked are returned to bodily existence and condemned for evil deeds. They will be cast eternally into the lake of fire. (20:12-15)

We avoid that second death by maintaining our faith in Jesus and resisting the beast, the anti-Christ.

We will worship as priests and reign as kings with Christ throughout the era of Satan’s binding.

2:11, “the one who conquers” We are conquerors by remaining true to our faith in God, even in the face of death.

Application:

The church/people of Smyrna were not rebuked by Jesus, because they endured persecution.

I would guess that for us today, to avoid being rebuked by Jesus, we just need to make a stand for him.

That will be different for each one of us.

That is the application point for each of us today. How/when do we need to make a stand for Jesus when it’s hard to do that?

Whenever that happens to us, whatever the scale, God is pleased.

It’s not the goal of the Christian life to be persecuted or imprisoned etc., but that we will stand true to our faith no matter what.

And when we do that, we become rich spiritually and no one can take that away from us, regardless of ridicule, teasing, persecution etc.

2012-01-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

Revelation

Intro…most people are fascinated with end times. Some people (Mayans) think the world will end this year…Harold Camping predicted the world would end on May 21 of 2011…movies, songs etc.

Text: Revelation 1:8, 17-19

Big Picture: Christians don’t need to be afraid for the world to end. We may not know all the details, but God does and we need to trust him for the perfect outcome.

Intro to the book of Revelation:

The book is an “unveiling” of unseen spiritual forces operating behind the scenes in history and controlling its events and outcomes.

This unveiling or disclosure is conveyed in a series of symbolic visions from OT prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel and Zechariah.

Like all books of the Bible, God is the ultimate author, but here he used John to convey his thoughts.

Early church fathers identified John as the son of Zebedee, the disciple who authored the 4^th gospel and 3 NT epistles. (1-3 John)

The book of Revelation is a book of apocalypse (revelation, disclosure, unveiling) and prophecy.

This book unveils the unseen spiritual war in which the church is engaged: the cosmic conflict between God and Satan.

In this conflict, Jesus has already won the decisive victory through his death and resurrection.

However, the church continues to be assaulted by evil through persecution, false teaching and the allure of material influence and cultural approval.

As we begin to understand the spiritual realities behind the churches trials, we need to be encouraged to endure suffering and to stay pure.

Revelation is addressed to the first century churches in seven cities of the Roman province of Asia (now western Turkey) as representatives of all Christ’s churches.

seven churches of Asia...

These first century church faced many of the same issues that we still do today. (idolatry, immorality, spiritual complacency)

History repeats itself. Too bad we are still dealing with the same problems.

Man is still sinful, selfish and prideful.

Jesus sent his revelation to John to fortify the churches to resist the devil.

There are 4 basic views concerning the interpretation of this book:

Preterist: the prophecies of this book have already been fulfilled in the early history of the church.

Historical: the book portrays a panorama of the history of the church from the days of John to the end of time.

Idealist: considers the book a pictorial unfolding of great principles in constant conflict without reference to actual events.

Futurist: views most of the book as prophecy yet to be fulfilled.

Some of the symbols in the book are explained and some are not.

We’re not going to study this book as a guide to all the answers about the end of the world.

Some of the symbols (today in chap. 1) are clear, some are more mysterious.

It’s important to notice carefully the words, “like,” “as,” and “as it were.”

These words indicate a comparison, not an identification.

Chapter 1

1:1-3 a great introduction.

The revelation of Jesus Christ…to John…to us.

Blessed is the one who reads these words aloud and blessed are those who hear….that’s us.

1:4-8 a greeting to the seven churches. (no great mystery here…)

The 7 Churches represent all churches

7 spirits..although the HS is one, he also appears as 7 spirits representing perfection.

Through Jesus we are freed from our sins, a kingdom, priests to God.

Jesus will come back in the clouds, all will see

“all tribes of earth will wail” a reaction to the judgment (that’ll put the fear of God in you…)

Describes the characteristics of God: who was and is to come, faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, ruler of kings on earth, Alpha and Omega (beginning and end), Almighty.

1:9-11 seven churches of Asia

Just as I’m sure those churches were diverse, we have so many diverse Christian churches today.

Kinda 31 flavors…

1:12-16 A vision of the son of man, Jesus.

And what an image/vision it was!

Long robe with a golden sash around his chest. Designating him as a priest and judge. Daniel 7:9-10

White hairs like wool or snow: represents infinite divine wisdom.

That’s probably why we see pictures of God with a long white beard and white hair…

Eyes like blazing fire: he can see right through our facades. He can say to each church, to each one of us, “I know exactly what’s going on.” 1 Cor. 3:10-15

Feet like bronze glowing in a furnace: he will crush any opponent.

Voice like the sound of rushing waters: like the sounds of the almighty, powerful, loud, deafening, scary.

Right hand, seven stars: right hand is the place of honor, the stars are the angels of the seven churches (v. 20)

This could refer to a superhuman being implying that each church has a guardian angel or refers to a human leader of each local church.

Sword: God’s word, the bible which searches hearts and judges thoughts. Heb. 4:12

Face like the shining sun…of course…

V. 17 Look at John’s reaction….can you blame him?

Actually that should be our reaction when we encounter God…

Jesus comforts him, as always, and reassures him.

And that is a pattern for our faith today.

We encounter God and it scares us, yet as we grow in our faith and understanding of God, he is there to comfort, guide and reassure us.

Now, that’s the kind of God I want to serve and worship!

Well…I hope that whets your appetite for the rest of the book…

And now a few end of times jokes…

At the end of the world, God will look in the book of life and you for all eternity to either the smoking or non-smoking section.

A man dies, goes to heaven, St. Peter says, “What was one of your best characteristics?”

Courage, how so, says St. Peter?

Well, one time I was in a bar with my wife and a big burly dude covered with tattoos, dressed in a black leather started making lewd comments to my wife and whistling at her.

I walked over to him and said, “Listen Sonny, Don’t ever do that again or you’ll have to deal with me. Then I reached up and grabbed his nose ring and yanked it right out and said, that’s just a small sample.

Wow, said St. Peter, that’s impressive. How long ago was that?

About a minute ago ….

The Outsiders

2011-12-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

The Outsiders Luke 2:8-20

Intro: Last week I talked about 3 groups of people that were present at the birth of Jesus, the young, the rich and the fringe.

I tend to identify with the fringe, so I’d like to take some time today to focus on the shepherds.

In the course of life, God often uses events or people we may never have picked ourselves.

We tend to go with what makes most sense, or is most logical.

Today’s story is a good example of that. The Son of God, savior of the world was coming in human flesh and who did God choose to announce it to first? Shepherds!

Shepherds were a despised class in 1st Century Palestine. Their jobs among the dirty sheep keep them from observing the ceremonial law, which meant a lot to religious people. They were also considered unreliable and were not even allowed to give testimony in the court of law.

So imagine the general public, receiving this all-important news from such

a lower class group of people.

Some people may feel like the Shepherds as they try to sort through all the mixed Christmas messages.

From the outside looking in...can I be part of this story too? How can God use me? What does Christmas really mean?

As we continue to prepare for Christmas, today I want to focus on “The Outsiders” in the story, the Shepherds and Angels.

Those who played a supporting role, “Best supporting actor” as it were.

Text: Luke 2:8-20

Song: “Angels we have heard on high”

Big Pic: When God talks to us we need to move from fear to action.

What do you see in this picture? (I’d like to propose 4 basic concepts….)

Shepherds, “average guys” Luke 2:8

What would you say is the most important characteristic if you’re going to

be used by God? Availability (and a willingness to be used).

“God, how can you use me to help change the world?

Awe/Fear Luke 2:9

What do you think made these shepherds terrified?…

God’s presence for sure, with the angel…

Possibly the task ahead of them too, letting everyone know.

Better known as respect for God. Psalm 111:10

Angels...God...Peace Luke 2:10-15

When God shows up in your life, is should be a bit freighting. This is the real deal…

When it’s clear God is speaking to you, you should be able to move along a natural progression of:

Initial fear to repentance (if needed), to understanding, to obedience to action.

An important message being delivered and to be delivered.

These shepherds were now official witnesses to Jesus.

That God choose to use them to spread this heavenly message must have stunned them. “Me God, are you sure?”

“The shepherds, farmers by trade, represent all of us who face a choice of the supernatural event - angels, bright lights, and music. Miraculous or fictitious? Fact or fraud? This will determine your attitude about Christmas.

To many of the "intelligent," it is not reasonable. 1 Cor. 1:18-31

For the shepherds, and should be for us today, it is the reason for our hope, and a hope for our reason.

It was supernatural splendor from a heavenly host!

The church is made up of believers, make-believers, and unbelievers.

Where are you? Don't let Christmas and its real meaning and excitement pass you by.

Conclusion: Frog Vision

How many of you hunted frogs when you were little? (Still do?)

Big ones at Camp McCullough….

Frogs have unique visual powers that enable them to elude their predators.

A frogs vision or optical field is like a white-erase board that is wiped clean. The only images it receives are objects that directly concern him.

Frogs are never distracted by unimportant things. Instead they are only aware of the essentials and whatever may be of danger to them.

So, here we are trying to focus on Jesus during Christmas...we get preoccupied with the distractions of the season.

Our lives easily get cluttered with materialistic and insignificant concerns. If we’re not careful we can lose perspective of what is most important.

Psalm 119:37

The more attracted we are to Christ, the less distracted we’ll be by the world.

As we approach this Christmas, maybe you feel like an outsider looking in.

Can this whole story actually be a part of my life? Can it have a deeper meaning than what I’m used to?

You bet! Remember, God is just waiting for us to ask…

GOSPEL

Christmas Unity

2011-12-13T10:03:00.001-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

Christmas Unity

Intro…The Chargers actually won!

(Union Tribune), “After 57 days Philip Rivers was smiling. Even Norv Turner allowed a grin en route to his first post-game victory speech since Oct. 9^th.” However, the game is blacked out today…

Just as (for some) sports can unite a city, Christmas can and should be something that unites us all.

Christmas stuff everywhere, music etc. even though some people want to call it “The Holidays.”

Big Pic: Christmas can unite the general population, if they choose to participate.

Through Christmas, Christ can change a life, if a person is willing.

Text: Matthew 2:1-2, Luke 2:6-15

Birth announcement

Who gets invited to this special birth?

They young, The Rich and The Fringe

The young (Mary and Joseph, obviously)

Mary and Joseph were a young, scared couple. God entrusted the future of his own son to them.

The young is the future of every church.

Why do you think McDonalds puts those nifty play structures right out front where all the parents and kids can see them?

The parents bring the kids and spend the money.

Let’s consider together how our church will be attractive to young families and young people.

As we grow and flex as a church, let’s keep the next generation in mind.

The rich (Magi, could’ve been 3 or more) Matt. 2:1-12

These were the upper class, priests and experts in mysteries in Persia and Babylon.

However, by this time “magi or wise men” applied to a wide range of people whose practices included astrology, dream interpretation, study of sacred writings, the pursuit of wisdom and magic.

These wise men traveled with a large number of attendants and guards for the long journey, which would have taken several weeks up to 40 days.

V. 11 They brought expensive gifts to Jesus, gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Average income of people in Encinitas area: over $90,000.00

Median house price: $600,000.00

That’s rich to me…

God is asking us to also reach our “rich” neighbors.

The fringe (shepherds)

The Shepherds were on the fringe, invited into this grand event by God.

Shepherds were stinky, living in the fields with smelly sheep.

They didn’t wear the fancy clothes like the magi.

They didn’t bring expensive gifts…

The fringe in our community could be those surfers…

Or to some people, these are people on the fringe: homeless. Couples living together, homosexuals, someone with a drinking/drug problem, someone with too many tattoo’s, a person that been divorced…twice, a theologically confused person, a non-Christian, a Presbyterian, a street kid, a goth, Encinitas new ager,

or anyone you are uncomfortable around…

The fringe should be able to walk into our church and feel welcomed.

But also need to remember that the fourth presence at Jesus’ birth was

The divine (angels, God’s presence, God himself)

In a healthy church, God’s presence is obvious.

Meeting with Ron Bachman, talking theology, “How do you explain God’s presence?”

It will be the love of Jesus and the presence of God that will truly help welcome people into our church.

And there you have a picture of healthy church life.

The young and the old

The rich and the poor

God himself

I chose this theme of unity today because this is the third service we’ve done together since Thanksgiving.

Today we’re not only talking about the birth of Christ, but also about the importance of unity.

Let’s pray together as a church on how we can move forward with this idea.

Went to the Encinitas “holiday parade” with the little ones. Ended up sitting with Relda, Becky and Josiline.

Tons of people and entries. Definitely an event that unites the town of Encinitas.

Fun event, a few churches were there…

Swami’s “Joy to the world.”

You all know how the song goes…

Let’s sing it…Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king, let every heart prepare Him room.

Christmas should unite us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Paul's final days

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

Paul’s Final Days

Intro: Two famous people we’ve all heard of: Paul the apostle and Nero the Emperor.

In the 70AD these two famous men lived in the same city. While Nero’s name was making headlines, Paul’s wasn’t. Anderson Cooper would have wanted to interview Nero. Nero would have been invited to state dinners hosted by the President Obama. Nero was hero. Paul was zero. He was a stoop-shouldered, balding, crooked nose, cloudy-eyed old man. Paul kept talking about Jesus as if he were God. So, Paul got locked up in prison in Rome. If you asked anyone in Rome in the 70 AD, “Who will make the greatest impact on the world, Nero or Paul?” everyone would pick Nero. Nero was married to Poppaea Sabina, a blonde, head-turning beauty who bathed in donkey milk. 400 donkeys were kept on hand for just that. She would be dried by swan feathers and massaged with crocodile mucous. Nero liked soft skin, and what Nero wanted, Nero got. At age 25, Nero deified himself by erecting a 120 foot tall statue of himself. People looked up to Nero, but looked down on Paul. Paul was common, described as bald-headed, bow legged, small man with a big nose and scruffy, thick eyebrows that met in the middle, and a body covered with scars.

Text: 2 Timothy 1:8-12

Big Picture: What will be your legacy? What will be on your tombstone? What will they say at your funeral?

The New Testament records the dynamic life and deep struggles of Paul. Here are a few highlights:

Paul tells of his tumultuous life. 2 Corinthians 11:23-30

Paul walked in the major cities of the known Roman world.

Paul worked as a tent-maker in the mornings and spoke about Jesus Christ and the Gospel from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day except the Sabbath.

Paul wrote books as he traveled and as he sat in prison, and we treasure his words to this day.

“Be anxious for nothing”

“Our citizenship is in heaven”

He spoke of “the love of Christ which passes knowledge”

Paul was a spokesman for God’s grace; he was a messenger of grace; his favorite word was “grace.”

“By grace you have been saved.”

“You can earn salvation no more than you can earn a mother’s love.”

“We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Paul was both a prophet and a pastor, who never got over that the living Jesus met him, changed him and commissioned him as an apostle.

Everywhere he went Paul caused an uproar.

Acts 21:30-31

Even though Paul led a crazy life, causing trouble for Jesus, he endured to the end.

Being rejected and often left for dead, how did Paul face the severe challenges in his life?

I can tell you what he didn’t do. He didn’t dig deep within himself and rely on his “inner strength”.

He knew where his help came from and he readily admitted he needed God.

Some of you may be able to relate. Some of us are rejected by our families or friends for following Jesus.

Some may thing you are crazy for even believing in Jesus.

Some feel the isolation that comes from being devoted to Jesus.

We all have storms of some kind—relational, financial, personal.

I’m sure if I asked any of you to share we would here some amazing stories of struggle in your lives.

While in the Roman prison Paul wrote to Timothy revealing the secret of his endurance. (2 Timothy 1:8-12)

Since we can relate to Paul, let’s discover his secret.

Don’t ashamed of the testimony of our Lord

Share in the suffering (knowing many have gone before us)

We have been saved by God and called to a holy calling.

We’ve done nothing to earn this grace, what a Christmas gift!

Death (spiritual) had been abolished and we have immortality through the gospel.

Again, we don’t need to be ashamed because: “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”

That’s the secret! Not some silly book…

Paul anchored his life to a hope out of this world and beyond himself.

Paul entrusted his life into the hands of God.

We can identify with Paul because many times we feel like nothing in life is going right.

Paul ended his life very well; Nero did not.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Paul’s new life began on the Damascus road and ended on a chopping block in a prison cell in Rome.

Nero at the age of 29 was lonely and paranoid.

His second wife killed his first wife and Nero kicked/stomped on his pregnant second wife and she died.

Four years after Paul’s death, Nero committed suicide.

Nero was no hero. Paul still impacts us to this day.

Think about this:

There are no Saint Nero Cathedrals or churches.

When was the last time you heard of someone naming their son Nero?

Lots of people are named Paul or Pauline or Paulina.

Who are the real difference-makers in the world?

Not the spot-light seeking, attention-craving celebrities. (ad nauseum)

It is the ordinary Pauls and Paulines, the church, who are making a difference for all eternity.

Only those who believe in Christ have received the story of grace.

Upper Story/Lower Story

In the lower story of our lives there is chaos, confusion, struggles, sickness, and imprisonments. Sometimes we feel like that is all there is. The Christian realizes though, that above all this there is an upper story. God has a plan before time that will continue after this version of earth.

Maybe you’re laboring away in relative anonymity, doing your thing for the glory of God. You’re loving your kids. Teaching first graders. Manning the fire station. Showing up at work. Hanging in there with that grumpy spouse. Taking it a day a time.

Life comes with challenges. Life comes with storms. You are a living epistle. Do not underestimate how God is going to use your life.

The real change makers are those who are quietly working under the radar, not those who are walking the red carpet.

They are touching lives and making a difference, one life at a time. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disheartened.

Most of us look awfully ordinary. And the church, with all of her bumps and bruises looks terribly ordinary.

Are you fighting the good fight?

Are you finishing the course?

Are you running the race?

What will be said at our funeral, in you obituary?

Communion intro…

2011-11-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

The importance of Paul’s Mission

Acts, Romans and 1 Corinthians.

Intro: A little boy was asked by his Sunday School teacher why is it important for us to be quiet in church. The little guy answered, “Because people are sleeping.”

I hope our study of the Bible is not putting people to sleep.

Review: God used Israel in the Old Testament to win people back to himself, even though Israel failed in many ways.

In the Gospels we read of God sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to win us back by dying on the cross for us, solving the big problem called sin.

In the Book of Acts and the New Testament epistles (or letters), we see God using the church—us—to find his lost children and to bring them home.

We are the church—the body of Christ 1 Corinthians 12:27.

Text: 1 Cor. 12:12, 26.
Big Pic: Paul’s mission to the Gentiles is important to us today because we were once Gentiles in need of a savior and can only be saved through grace and faith, not by sticking to a set of laws.

The church is the body of Christ in the world. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Assembled together the church is Jesus, and we are to think like Jesus, act like Jesus and love others like Jesus loves them.

WWJD

The church is commissioned to go into all the world as witnesses to Jesus. Acts 1:8

God wants all people in the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:16-17

Tebowmania

God raised up a point leader to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth: Paul.

Saul of Tarsus was an unlikely candidate to become the world’s first and most renown missionary.

Susan Boyle

Acts 9:1-9 The Message

Saul hated Jesus and the church and hunted down and killed Christians.

Even Saul who became Paul was amazed that Jesus chose him as a missionary to the ends of the earth. I Corinthians 15:9

Paul’s three missionary journeys

Paul planted 10 churches and wrote 13 of the 27 New Testament books.

When the NT books were written.

The Book of Galatians was written in correlation with the great Jerusalem Council (Acts 15).

The Jerusalem Council dealt with the question: Do Gentiles have to become Jews (in practice) to be true Christians?

Some Jewish leaders said Gentiles had to do two things to become true Christians: 1) believe in Jesus Christ, and 2) be circumcised (i.e., practice Jewish laws).

The Jerusalem Council reached the conclusion the Gentiles did not to submit to Jewish laws. Acts 15:23-25, 28-34

Paul’s book of Galatians argues for the reasons behind the strategic decision.

Mainly that these Gentiles did not have to become Jews or follow the outward ceremonies of the Mosaic law.

To require these things is to deny the heart of the gospel, which is justification by grace and faith alone, not by obedience to the law.

Oh, I know we’d like to earn it…book pg. 69

Why is Paul’s mission to the ends of the earth important to us?

Because we all start of as Gentiles. It is because of Paul’s mission that we are invited into salvation.

We need to be saved as much as the Gentiles did in the time of Paul.

If you are a follower of Christ, somebody told you about God’s plan, and that took a “missionary.” Think back to the very first missionary who approached you, invited you, and lived out their faith in front of you.

For me it was my Dad and Mom…

The Book of Acts is our story.

The book of Acts is still being written today.

The acts of the apostles are to be the acts of our local church.

The mission of the church is our mission: to be Jesus to our Jerusalem, (Encinitas) to our Judea (San Diego) and Samaria (California) and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

In the power of the Holy Spirit we intend to do that until we breathe our last breath, or until someone chops our head off, which is exactly what happened to Paul.

As we continue to study the Bible, let’s always remember the “upper story” and “lower story” of the Bible.

In the last 29 weeks, instead of diving into the details of the Bible, we have focused on the upper story of God, what God is up to, his story.

Right from the first page you get the idea that God is up to something. We see he has a vision, a passion simply to create us so he can be with us.

Our representatives, Adam and Eve, had a different vision, and their choice injected sin into the human nature and is transmitted to every human being, separating us from God.

That’s just Chapter One. The rest of the Bible tells the story of the extent that God will go to get us back; the relentless pursuit of God.

Now the question is, who is going to take the message of Jesus and what he has done to the world?

Starting in the book of Acts and continuing to the end of the Bible in Revelation, God establishes the church.

God’s primary relationship in the Old Testament is with Israel, but in the New Testament it is with the church.

What is the mission of Pacific View? Love God, Love others and Serve the World.

Barnraising…we all gotta work together to build God’s church.

Paul was God’s original point man.

Tim Tebow’s doing his best…

Now it’s up to us “normal people.”

All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master's disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.

He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?"

He said, "Who are you, Master?"

"I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next."

His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn't see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.

Just for fun

2011-11-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

Some truisms of life:

There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

Was learning cursive in school really necessary?

Map Quest really needs to start directions on #5 since I’m quite sure I already know how to get out of my driveway.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you why the person died.

I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories.

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks if I want to save the changes to my 10-page technical report that I did not make any changes to.

I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone so I’ll know not to answer if they call.

I think the freezer ought to have a light inside like the refrigerator.

I wish Google maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand what was said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them almost forever.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket or purse, finding their cell phone, and pinning the tail on the donkey. But I’d bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from three feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

Always giving thanks

2011-11-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

Always giving thanks Psalm 100

Intro…One of the challenges of being a pastor for so many years is coming up with “new” stuff for the major holidays.

I have this fear that people are subconsciously “bored” before they get here…”How will the pastor put a new spin on this holiday?”

I suppose Thanksgiving is not quite as bad as Christmas and Easter, but it’s good we are reminded yearly of what is important.

Today and on Thanksgiving, we take time to be extra thankful. Just like Christmas and Easter we should actually be thinking of these things all throughout the year though.

Text: Psalm 100

Here’s a few nuggets from this passage:

v. 1-2 “ Make a joyful noise” is relative to culture.

This Psalm invites all the earth to join the song of praise.

Let’s focus on the fact that we are told to make a joyful noise to the Lord, serve him with gladness and come into his presence with singing.

If those three things are happening, then we need to let it happen! Even if we don’t like the style, format or method.

We can easily get comfortable with “our style” of music, what we are comfortable with, and there is nothing wrong with that!

I’m as guilty as the next person…I will admit I like a certain style of worship music.

Worship videos…

Sanctuary, Cowboy church, reggae, rap etc.

Even today we experienced 3 different styles of worship. For some of us, that was a stretching experience.

But here is something all Christians should have in common,

“Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”

As Christians, we have so much to be thankful for, in every culture, in every place around the world.

v. 4 Come into God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise.

“Gates and courts”

Sometimes we are actually in a church building/sanctuary where there are gates and courts.

Other times we are enjoying his creation outdoors.

In reality, we are always in God’s gates and courts so let’s not save up all the thanksgiving and praise only for Sunday mornings.

Enter each day with thanksgiving and praise.

v. 3 & 5 Know that God is good and he takes care of us.

This is a fact and should eliminate any questions we have about God’s goodness.

“God is good, all the time.” Let’s say it…

What are the qualities of a good shepherd? (Guides, keeps the sheep from getting lost, protects, gently nudges with the crook,

Most of us would like to think we aren’t dumb like sheep…

We are thanking God for the privilege of being the sheep of his pasture.

In fact, God is so good that his love endures forever and he is faithful to all generations.

Conclusion:

Look at the title: “A Psalm for giving thanks.”

We are thankful to God because we need him.

Well, we are about to eat…

2011-11-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

New Beginnings Acts 2

Intro: A book, 100 pages long published by the Department of Justice, can be downloaded is a book that no parent wants to read.

The title is When Your Child is Missing.

Key bullet points and action steps are on the cover of the book, like, “You’re not alone,” “Hope is essential,” “Trust your feelings and share them with law enforcement officials,” “Distribute pictures,” “Keep your focus,” “Exercise caution,” and the final exhortation is “Never stop looking.”

The parents of Jacob Wetterling have been searching for him since 1989. They post messages saying, “We’re still searching for you and we will never quit.”

Parents will spare no expense as with resolute passion they search for their missing children.

So does God. God has lost children, people who have gone the wrong direction, lost their bearings, lost their place in this life and lost their vision of the next life.

God initiated a massive, three-phase search and rescue strategy to find his lost children.

The first phase was Israel. God wanted a nation through whom to show his character and to call people back to himself.

The second phase was Jesus Christ. Jesus declared, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

We are lost and Jesus is the way back home. By his death on the cross and his resurrection, we can be reunited to our heavenly Father.

The third phase is the church. We will be looking at the Book of Acts, beginning with Acts 1:8.

Text: Acts 2:42-47

Big Pic: The church is not a museum for saints, it’s a hospital for sinners.

Thankfully, we have a God who continues to pursue us, even when we continue to sin.

The Book of Acts is the second of a two-book set written by Luke.

The Gospel of Luke describes the second phase: God finding his lost children through Jesus Christ.

The Book of Acts, written by Luke and addressed to the same person, Theophilus, as his Gospel, describes the third phase: God finding his lost children through the church. Acts 1:8 is the theme verse of Acts.

How many disciples did Jesus have? (more than 12)

The disciples, 120 of them, (v. 15) wait in Jerusalem as Jesus commanded.

Why Jerusalem? Because the Day of Pentecost is approaching and about a million people will be in Jerusalem.

On the Day of Pentecost, the 120 disciples hear a violent wind and are anointed with tongues of fire as the Holy Spirit is poured out upon them. Acts 2:1-4

The 120 disciples become cross-cultural missionaries, speaking the wonderful works of God in the languages of the world. Acts 2:5-12

The people are rightly so amazed at the miracle of the languages.

The burning question is: “What does this mean?” Acts 2:12

Peter, who had previously denied the Lord, is now filled with the Spirit. He boldly declares the meaning of the events of Pentecost: Jesus is alive and he is Lord. Read Acts 2:14-36

The response? Three thousand respond to Peter’s explanation by repenting, being baptized, and becoming the first people in the birth of the church. Acts 2:37-41

The massive, diverse, multi-cultural crowd of 3000 believers becomes the unified community—the church. (Acts 2:42-47)

God is still finding his lost children and creating a thriving family.

Think about the church throughout the world, so-o diverse, so great!

Amidst the diversity, what keeps us all united? The presence of the Spirit.

There are no singular pronouns in Acts 2:42-27. (re-read emphasizing “they”)

The church is not a collection of saved individuals; it is a community living in the Spirit of God.

Illustration/Application:

There is an Episcopal priest who wears a huge golden cross. To some other pastors, it seemed a bit showy at first. That is, until you hear the story behind it.

Jim served many years in his congregation and when he became bishop, he had to leave the congregation he loved. The congregation loved Jim and donated gold items that could be melted down and molded into a cross. In Jim’s cross were melted wedding bands, a friend’s ring meant for his bride, rings from widows and widowers, golden add-on beads, even some crowns from teeth. Over 242 different contributions made up Jim’s huge, golden cross. Stories of peace and pain were forged into a cross binding them altogether.

The bishop’s cross is a picture of the church. When we hold a hand in the hospital, when a conservative loves a liberal, when a Hispanic loves an Anglo and an Anglo loves an African-American, when the young respect the elderly and elderly love the young, a cross is forged and visible for the world to see.

The new church met from house-to-house, eating meals together and using their homes as places of God’s love. Acts 2:46-47

The church spread into Judea and Samaria as Jesus commanded.

Saul of Tarsus was converted and became a missionary to the nations in the far reaches of the world. Acts 9

Paul wrote many of the books in the NT.

Application:

Did you know that a military general’s command remains in effect until he issues a new command?

Good soldiers follow commands, they don’t stop to think about it.

Jesus issued a command to us and it hasn’t changed…Acts. 1:18

We have a task/command to carry out and that’s how the church grows.

This isn’t a suggestion…

The Resurrection

2011-11-09T10:04:00.000-08:00

(To hear a podcast of this sermon, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on Sermons from the menu on the left.)

The Resurrection Matthew 27:62-64

Intro: “Christmas in July”…how about “Easter in November?”

Last Sunday, the importance of the cross, today the importance of the resurrection and “Moving from Friday to Sunday.”

“It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming” VIDEO

The first Easter Sunday was so good because the days before had been so bad.

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and Easter Sunday the resurrection.

The Saturday in between commemorates desperation. On that Saturday it seems that Christ was totally defeated as his body lay utterly dead in a rock tomb.

The spear had sliced his heart and his tongue had gone silent.

Death was absolute. No one was betting on resurrection.

How could they? No one had ever seen a resurrection before..

Today we’ll see how we can get unstuck from “Saturday mindset” and move into “Sunday mindset.”

Text: Matthew 27:62-64

Big Pic: What a difference a new day can make. In the life of Jesus, Saturday seemed hopeless, but Sunday was glorious. In our lives, any day can seem hopeless. God gives us a new chance everyday to have a glorious life.

Saturday was a no hope, no courage day.

While Jesus’ opponents celebrated his death, his disciples were hiding in fear that they, too, would receive a cross.

The disciples hid behind closed doors in fear.

The disciples did not trust Jesus’ promises of a resurrection.

Mark 9:30-32

The women disciples did not intend to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection body, but to embalm his dead body. Mark 16:1-3

Application: We too can easily get stuck in Saturday, living with a Saturday state of mind—no hope, no courage, no plans, believing that death is the final end.

Not only are we talking about physical death, but the circumstances in your life that seem so hopeless.

Take a minute and think about a situation in your life that is bumming you out…

Everyone dies, but we try to avoid that reality.

We attempt to stay in the land of eternal youth, plastic surgery, botox, exercise, etc. etc.

We brush our teeth, eat good foods, pay our taxes, drive a Chevy….

Famous people who have died?

Love gets buried in a tomb, poetry gets buried in a tomb.

Is this all there is?

If it was, what a gloomy outlook.

Sunday—resurrection day—is a day of eternal love, life and hope.

Mary Magdalene came to Jesus’ tomb stuck in a Saturday state of mind. John 20:11-18

The empty tomb did not take away her despair and grief.

The angels did not take away her despair and grief.

Mary Magdalene, the one Jesus befriended and delivered from demonic oppression, had the sadness of Saturday covering her heart.

She was “stuck in Saturday.”

Jesus, alive from the dead, meets with Mary Magdalene, calling her by name.

Mary thought wrongly that Jesus was the gardener.

When everyone thought Jesus was dead, no one called him “Lord” except one—Mary Magdalene.

Jesus speaks Mary’s name and she realizes that Jesus, her Lord, is alive from the dead.

Application:

Why did Jesus personally appear to Mary Magdalene?

Because that is just the kind of person Jesus is. He is full of mercy and full of compassion.

Are you in a season of darkness?

This could be a good season for you.

During the times we are stuck in Saturday God does not get upset with us.

God is patient with us. Shh, be quiet and listen, Jesus is also calling you by name.

God’s desk calendar in heaven is stuck on Sunday.

God is inviting you to move from a Saturday state of mind into Sunday. The choice is yours.

2011-10-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Cross: The Hour of Darkness Matthew 27: 32-44

Intro: My bus training…it’s driving me nuts at times….

Constructive criticism…we may hear 10 negative things but if there is one hidden gem, we need to hear it and make those changes.

When we look at the world we can easily see ten problems, but what is the one that causes the other nine?

With all the problems in the world, is there one that causes the others?

Yes! It’s called sin or human nature.

Jesus dealt with the particular problem, the fountainhead of all others, on the cross.

When the problem was addressed, Jesus declared, “It is finished.”

The question comes to us, “What was finished?”

What happened on the cross that makes the cross such a big deal?

As Christians, we emphasize the cross all the time/everywhere.

Text: Matthew 27: 32-44

Big Pic: The cross has more deep meaning than most people realize. It is pivotal in our understanding of human nature as well as the nature of God. Without it, we are hopelessly lost.

The assessment of Jesus’ death on the cross by the religious leaders was correct. Jesus could not both save himself and save us also.

Here were the options: (only 2)

He could save himself and leave us in eternal jeopardy.

He could save us and lose his own life on the cross.

Who can define “algorithm” for me?

“A set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, as for finding the greatest common divisor.”

The algorithm of God is that God restores life to the world by the death of his Son.

The cross reveals both the holiness of God and the severity of sin.

That God is holy is a foundational truth of the Bible, presented from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation.

Holy means to be set apart, to be unique; God is totally and utterly different.

Our holy God cannot look on evil because our sin absolutely disgusts the holiness of God. Habakkuk 1:13; Revelation 3:15-16.

(“spit out” means “vomit”)

We never hear on the news, “Well, the world’s problem is sin.”

We hear about government, business, education, psychology and sociology. Not a word about sin.

Holy God does not pretend our sin is a mental lapse or condone our sin as simple stubbornness.

God hates sin and cannot turn a blind eye to it.

I know hate is a strong word, but when you think of God’s pure holiness and righteousness, that leaves no room for sin.

God will not compromise his holiness by indulging our sinful behavior.

God’s stern holiness operates from God’s infinite love.

God will both honor these two strong emotions—his fiery holiness and his tender love; God’s holiness and love function together.

I know that is hard to understand. It’s quite the dichotomy.

How can a loving God reject sin and sinful people?

It has to be that way. Imagine if God tolerated our sin.

Just like you want a good fair judge or cop or teacher or parent…

If God were only holy, we would be destroyed; if God were only love, a lack of discipline and correction would destroy us.

We always need to emphasize both sides of God.

God’s holiness and love combine to do something unimaginable: God becomes a human being and saves us from ourselves.

God as human leads a sinless life.

God as human dies on the sinners’ place.

God as Jesus is the only perfect sacrifice for our sins.

This is the great and very important drama of the cross.

Matthew 27:45-54; John 19:28-30

Jesus was forsaken by his heavenly father so that we might be forgiven and received by a holy God—this is the beauty of the cross.

Jesus became sin as all the sins of the world were placed by God on Jesus.

The sinless righteousness of Jesus Christ can now be ours.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Application/conclusion:

On August 16, 1987 Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed on take-off in Detroit, Michigan, killing 155 passengers. Only four year old Cecilia survived, found walking among the wreckage totally unhurt. Just prior to the crash, Cecilia’s mother, Paula, unbuckled her seat belt and knelt in front of Cecilia with her arms wrapped around her daughter for protection. Paula took the devastation of the crash and Cecilia lived. Paula took the fall for her daughter that she loved.

God sent his Son, Jesus, who wrapped his arms around you and me, took the horrible fall with all its sin so that in the midst of the wreckage of this world, we might live.

God is holy and God is love. Our merits do not enhance God’s love and our mistakes do not diminish it.

Will you receive God’s love in Christ for you?

12 ordinary men

2011-10-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

Ordinary men doing extraordinary things. Mark 3:13-19

Intro… Superhero’s and comic books have been popular for years. Why? Because of the story line of the average guy doing superhero stuff.

Jesus picked average guys to carry on his ministry. Matt. 4:18-22, 9:9

Text: Mark 3:13-19 12 points today…12 disciples…

Big Pic: If God chose 12 ordinary men to do extraordinary things and to carry on the future of the Christian faith, he can use you and me to accomplish his goals in our lifetime.

As Christians, we are his disciples today.

A follower of the doctrines of a teacher or a school of thought

As his disciples today we need to:

Cast a wide net. Matt. 4:18

Let’s not limit ourselves on who we can and cannot reach for Christ.

Ask God to bring people into your life and share the gospel in a variety of ways.

The wider we throw the net, the more we catch.

Let God do the sifting.

Become fishers of men. Matt. 4:19

Whatever skills you’ve acquired over the years in regards to influencing people, now use that skill for Jesus.

For the disciples, they went from fishing for fish to fishing for men.

Sales, teaching, coaching, organizing block parties, room mom, party planner at work, throwing great parties, etc.

Drop everything and go (immediately). Matt. 4:20

There are times in our lives when we recognize the urgency of something and we drop everything and go.

Fire, earthquake, emergency’s (LilyAnna choking)

When it becomes evident to you that you need to follow Jesus, you need to be willing to drop what seems so important and go.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Follow the master. Matt. 4:20

We need to make sure we are following the right leader.

There are plenty of people out there with great ideas looking for followers.

Any kind of godly leadership is worth following.

Jesus CEO

What a great thing to say to others, “I’m following Jesus…”

God calls those whom he desires. Mark 3:13

We need to listen to God’s calling and come to him.

Like I mentioned earlier about letting God do the sifting…God has predestined who will come to him.

Instead of getting all freaked out over that, let’s assume everyone we come in contact with is predestined…

God has sent us out to preach. Mark 3:14

You may not preach in front of a church every week, but your audience is just as important as those who gather with us on Sunday mornings.

And, our preaching doesn’t always have to be verbal.

Be different, counter cultural, but not to be rebellious, be a rebel for Jesus.

Jesus was a rebel.

He helped people think about life in a different way.

When we live moral, godly lives, we are “rebelling” against societal norms.

Leave a legacy.

When you look up “disciple” in the dictionary… “one of the 12 personal followers of Christ.

Any other professed follower of Christ.

What do you want to go down in history for?

Sell out for Jesus.

He/she’s a sell-out…normally not a good thing to be known for.

“Jesus freak” DC Talc

Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.”

Be willing to give your life for the cause.

Most of the disciples died for their belief in Jesus.

World Mag. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

Here’s some of the things these ordinary men/disciples accomplished because they were willing to drop everything and follow Jesus:

Andrew: preached to the Scythians [modern day Georgia] and Thracians [modern day Bulgaria], and was crucified, suspended on an olive tree.

Bartholomew: preached in India the Gospel according to Matthew, and was crucified with his head downward.

James, Son of Alphaeus: “ When preaching in Jerusalem, was stoned to death by the Jews, and was buried there beside the temple.

James, Son of Zebedee: The brother of John, the disciple "that Jesus loved".

According to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, James was killed by Herod:

Act 12:1-2 And at that time Herod the king threw on his hands to oppress some of those of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

John, brother of James and son of Zebedee: John was one of the few disciples that did not die a cruel death, but of "old age".

John was banished by Domitian to the Isle of Patmos, and later died in Ephesus

Matthew: Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could."

Simon/Peter :

Peter and Paul founded the Church in Rome:

Peter was put to death under Nero in Rome:

It is, therefore, recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and that Peter likewise was crucified under Nero. This account of Peter and Paul is substantiated by the fact that their names are preserved in the cemeteries of that place even to the present day.

(Paul was a Roman citizen and couldn’t be crucified but got an "easier" death sentence)

Philip: Philip preached and was executed in what today is eastern Turkey:

Philip preached in Phrygia, and was crucified in Hierapolis with his head downward in the time of Domitian, and was buried there.

Simon the Zealot: Simon the Zealot was the second Bishop of Jerusalem.

Thaddaeus son of James: preached to the people of Edessa, and to all Mesopotamia, and fell asleep at Berytus, and was buried there.

Thomas: An active missionary, he met his fate in India:

And Thomas preached, he was thrust through in the four members of his body with a spear and was buried there.

Judas: We all know what happened to him...

Most of these guys had things happen to them that will never happen to us.

Yet so many people today are afraid to be identified as followers of Jesus or Christians.

Remember, once you become a Christian you are a disciple of Christ and need to represent him accurately to the world.

Who is Jesus?

2011-10-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Who is Jesus? Mark 8:27-30

Caesarea Philippi: 25 mi. north of the sea of Galilee, once the center worship of Ba’al and eventually the Greek god Pan (Pantheism or Pantheist) and then of Caesar who was worshipped as a god.

Syrian gods were also worshiped in the surrounding village.

It is in this cross-section of ancient religions that Jesus asked his followers, “Who do the people say that I am?

Many different answers were given to Jesus by the disciples.

Some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist alive from the dead. Others thought Jesus was Elijah. Still others said Jesus was one of the great Old Testament prophets like Jeremiah, for example.

Jesus, then, asked the disciples directly, “Now, who do you say that I am?” Peter answered first, saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God.” The question reverberates through history about Jesus: “Who is this guy?"

Peter, at Jesus’ bidding, walked on water. Peter helped feed over 5000 people. He saw Jesus whip the animals out of the Temple and chase out the money-changers. “Who is this guy?”

Every thoughtful person has to raise and answer this question. Just as in Jesus’ day, there were various popular answers, so there are many answers in our own time.

In The Story, let’s consider some of the answers to the question about Jesus, “Who is this guy?"

Jesus is a real nice guy. (the soft, hippie Jesus)

Jesus was a good person who created “the golden rule,” showing he was a friend of the poor, dependable advocate for the down-trodden, said a lot of great things, everybody’s best friend.

Yet, Jesus kept asserting that he was God as he kept referring to himself as “the Son of Man.”

In the Gospels, there are 80 references to “the Son of Man,” a favorite name Jesus used for himself. Daniel 7:13-14, “the Son of Man” is a reference for a divine being.

This phrase combines in one person both human and divine traits. Other clues: “come on the clouds” “given dominion and glory and a kingdom”, “all nations should serve him”

So, Jesus is more than just a “nice guy.”

Jesus kept using “I AM” statements about himself, a title for God in the Old Testament. John 6:35 & 8:12. Jesus claimed to forgive sins, to be greater than Jonah, than Abraham, than Solomon and even greater than John the Baptist, greater than the Temple and the Sabbath.

Since Jesus made these claims, namely to be God, then you’ve got to do something with that…

Was Jesus just a little bit crazy?

Was Jesus was a megalomaniac of the likes of Adolf Hitler or Alexander the Great, speaking and acting crazy or mentally disturbed?

Did he have delusions of grandeur, power and wealth

Many people were deeply devoted to Jesus, not becoming murderers like Hitler or power-hungry like followers of Stalin.

The disciples gave their lives for Jesus.

Jesus won the admiration of men and women and people from all levels of the social structures. No one led and taught people like Jesus. Jesus did not make people into lunatics; he made them better, with common fisherman writing some of the most revered books in human history.

Some people think Jesus was a deceiving fraud.

Oh, he was just a trickster and a huckster, a pied-piper who led blind followers over the cliff to their destruction. Yet, the miracles that Jesus performed (over 36 different ones recorded in the Gospels) demonstrate that he was not a huckster. He never performed miracles to merely draw a crowd and make a name for himself or show off. He never made a profit or took a penny for his miraculous works. One of the greatest testimonies to the veracity of the truth of Jesus Christ is the historically documented explosion of the New Testament church.

So who is Jesus? Jesus Christ God, Son, Savior. (Christian fish)

Jesus did miraculous things with a wonderful heart, showing that he was a tender, compassionate person who befriended and truly helped people.

Peter said it correctly for all of us, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

Jesus went to the cross on a hill named after a human skull, (Golgotha) showing what he thought of us: he loved us deeply and gave his life for us

Application:

Go to your own Caesarea Philippi—a place of many gods: materialism, atheism, secularism, Mormonism, Buddhism, etc. and answer Jesus’ question for yourself, “Who do you say that I am?” Your answer will define your destiny. I’ve said it many times over the years, “You want to cause trouble in a room full of people, mention Jesus.” You can usually mention God and people won’t freak out as much. It’s because of the claims that Jesus made, the things he said about himself. Either he was truly the Lord, or he’s lost his marble. He showed you what he thinks of you by dying on the cross for you and rising from the dead.

2011-06-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Wanderings: Israel on a Road Trip
Numbers and Deuteronomy

Intro: Road trip! “Are we there yet?” Kids getting impatient.
• They say men hate to ask for directions, not me. I hate getting lost. I want to get there without taking a bunch of wrong turns. Maybe I should get a GPS
• In the Bible, Moses had over 3 million kids on a road trip who were complaining and asking “Are we there yet?”
• Leading Israel was like herding cats. In The Story we come to the wanderings of Israel as Moses leads them toward the Promised Land that flowed with milk and honey.

Big Pic: God has our “road trip” all lined out for us. To avoid getting lost, stay in the Word and ask for directions.
• Today we’re going to talk about the “road trip” we are all on and how to stay on course.

Text: Deut. 30:9b-10

Not long into the trip, the people of Israel start complainung to Moses. Numbers 11-12
They complain about general hardships of the trip. Num. 11:1-3
• Stop your whining!
• Same with us. I know life is hard…

They complain about the food (every day it’s “manna”). Num. 11:4-6
• We should be grateful for what we have!
• It’s so easy for us to always want more…

Miriam and Aaron complain about Moses being the driver (leader). Num. 12:1-9 PIC
• Do you know what you are doing/where we are going?
• 12:6-8 is key…
• Follow the God-appointed leaders in your life.

PIC The people of Israel takes a dangerous wrong turn/stall out at Kadesh-barnea. Numbers 13-14
• On their way to the promised land (Canaan), because of their stubbornness and pride, the Israelites start wandering in circles…for 40 years!
• They are so close to the Canaan that they send twelve spies (a man from each tribe) to survey the Promised Land. Num. 13:1-2, 17-20
• Ten spies report about the abundance of the land and also the
giants who live there and conclude “We cannot take the
land.” Num. 13:25-28 & 31-32

• The Israelites lived in and near Kadesh-barnea (PIC) for 40 years. This was the southern end of Canaan, so when the Israelites reached there, they were on the verge of entering the promised land.
• But as a result of the rebellion prompted by the spies negative reports, God punished the people by making them wait 40 years to enter the land. 14:34 PICS 2
• These 10 spies and doubting people represent those people and circumstances that come into our lives and threaten to distract us from what we know is true.
• We can’t listen to those negative messages….

Two spies (Joshua and Caleb) report the same thing, but conclude, “Because God is with us, we can take the land.” Num. 13:30, 14:5-9
• Joshua and Caleb represent everything that we know is right and true.
• That would be godly leaders, the Bible, other mature Christians…we need to listen to the voice of God.
• After Moses urges the people to trust God and take the land, the people rebel and refuse to obey. 14:10-12
• This is such and typical example of human nature. We know what is right, but we let doubt, worry and sin pull us away from what we know is right.
• God makes it very clear to Moses what the consequences will be for the peoples disobedience and lack of faith. Numbers 14:26-34
• Our consequences today may or may not be as severe, but there will be a price to pay for not following God.

PIC Israel’s lack of trust in and disobedience to God is what created this 40 year detour.
• Even the children are punished for their parents’ disobedience. Numbers 14:18
• After 40 years of wandering, they end up where they began—at Kadesh-Barnea.
• This is a classic story of disobedience. Wandering in circles, getting lost, grumbling the whole time, asking for God’s judgment…
• As we continue the road trip that is each of our lives, we need to be careful not to rebel and wander off God’s path for us.
• It may not be a 40 yr. detour in our lives, but if we’re not careful we will give up precious years to our rebellion.

Between Numbers 14 and Deut. 32 we find all kinds of stories and lessons God taught his people as they wandered.
• Even Moses also failed to trust God: Numbers 20:7-13
• God told Moses to speak to the rock and Moses struck it twice. PIC
• As a result of Moses’ disobedience, he is allowed to see the Promised Land, but not allowed to lead the people into it. Deuteronomy 34:1-5
• Finally, the people come around, repent and are forgiven. Deut. 30:1-16

Moses’ Victory Speech/Song at Kadesh-Barnea:
Deuteronomy 32-33
• Moses tells the people that they have a fresh opportunity to trust and obey God who is the divine GPS.
• Moses tells the people that they are not alone—God is with them.

Application:
On our road trip of life, God allows us to drive the car.
That is both a privilege and a curse. PICS 3

There is going to be people in the car with us.
On this “road trip” called life, you need to covenant with this local community to trust and obey God, knowing that God will never lead you into a wrong turn.

Who are the people in your life that are your “backseat/sideseat drivers?” PIC
We need people to tell us when we are getting off course. Look at the map (bible) with us and get us back on course.

It’s called accountability.

Genesis 1-8

2011-05-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Intro…The beginning of our journey through the story of the Bible is like the beginning of an action-packed movie.
• If you miss the opening minutes of a movie with its fast-paced scenes, you will not understand the rest of the story.
• It is the same with the Bible’s grand Story. The Story opens with “intense action sequences”.
• If the Bible were a movie…
• The creation of the world, animals, humans, The Fall, Cain and Able, the first murder, Noah, the flood…talk about some action!
• These opening chapters of the Bible introduce us to God who is the main character of the Grand Story.

Big Picture: Our universe was created by a personal, loving God who allowed The Fall but had a plan for our salvation from the start.

Text: Genesis 1:1

The Bible Story opens with the account of creation.
• The creation is not an impersonal accident, but the creative purpose of a personal God.
• Big Bang vs. Personal creation.
• If we came from nothing and have no greater purpose for being on this planet, then life can be shallow and meaningless.

Creation is presented poetically and artistically.
• Genesis 1:3 Day 1—Light and Dark
• Genesis 1:6 Day 2—Sky and Water
• Genesis 1:9-13 Day 3—Land and Vegetation
• Genesis 1: 14-19 Day 4—Sun and Moon/stars
• Genesis 1:20-23 Day 5—Birds and Sea creatures
• Genesis 1:24-31 Day 6—Animals and human beings

The story of creation concludes with God’s core passion: human beings.
• God’s passion is people made in His image.
• Genesis 1:26-27…Adam and Eve

• All the beauties of creation are secondary to you. This truth is
a self-esteem builder.
• God’s supreme passion is to be with us at all costs.
• We are God’s highest creation…believe it or not…..I love animals and all…
• We have an enormous responsibility not only to take care of the planet, but animals and each other!

The Bible Story continues with the story of the Fall (Adam and Eve’s rebellion) in Genesis 3.
• Adam and Eve were created with the freedom and power to choose. God will never force his love on anyone. We have to make that choice.
• Next we have the tale of two trees.
• The “tree of life” and the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” present a choice: Genesis 2: 9 and 15-17
• Adam and Eve rebelled against God and ate from the forbidden “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” and God’s vision to be with people was ruined.
• The rest of the Bible is about God’s pursuit to get us back.

The Bible reports the story of sin’s damage to the human race.
• Because Adam and Eve chose a different vision than God’s vision, sin became part of their spiritual DNA and they passed that on to everyone else.
• Instead of getting all freaked out over that…know that this was all part of God’s plan and that he had a remedy to our sin problem…Jesus!

Genesis 3 – 9 show us the consequences of sin.
• Adam and Eve’s relationship with God was strained, pain in childbirth, work the soil, Cain and Able, jealousy, the first murder, punishment, Cain forced to become a fugitive and wonder the earth.

• There was Increased corruption on the earth from Adam to Noah, (about 1600 yrs. and roughly 10 million people) to the point where God’s chooses Noah to build the ark and God does a “do over” of the human race after the judgment of flood waters.
• God regretted that he had made humans…Gen. 6:6
• The flood erased the wicked human race, but did not erase the sin nature from Noah and his family: Genesis 9: 20-23.

The Bible offers a salvation clue even in the midst of the opening story.
• After Adam and Eve sinned and became aware of their nakedness, they made fig leaf clothing to cover their nakedness.
• God took away the fig leaves and covered Adam and Eve with the skins of animals.
• The Clue: For God to restore the vision that human beings are His supreme passion will require the shedding of blood.

Application:
From the creation story we discover the value of all human beings.

God wants to be with you. Think about that. You. God wants to personally be with you.

At great cost to God, God has done everything possible to get you back.

You are valuable. True, lasting self-esteem begins by believing what God says about you.

How we got our Bible

2011-05-06T11:31:00.001-07:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Intro to “The Story” Heb. 4:12
Intro..
• If you think Genesis is just a band from the ‘80’s . . .
• If you think it was Dr. Dolittle who took two of each animal into a big boat . .
• If you think an epistle is a woman married to an apostle . . .. . . you may need to know more of The Story.

Big Pic: The Bible may seem to be made up of a lot of different, seemingly unrelated stories. But it really is one big, exciting story of God’s love for mankind and His plan for our salvation.

Text: Hebrews 4:12

The Bible can be intimidating… odd names like Jehoshaphat and Nebuchadnezzar. Places you probably never heard of, like Sinai and Samaria.
• The first words found in Genesis 1:1 read: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
• Then, if you turn all the way to the back of the book, Revelation 21:1, you find, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . .”
• In the beginning God is creating the heavens and the earth. At the end he is creating a new heaven and a new earth.
• So the big question is this: “What happened between the beginning and the end of the Bible?”
• Through this series, over the next 31 weeks, we will answer that question and uncover the one seamless story of God.

Good things to know about the Bible:
• The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years by 40 different people (kings, shepherds, scientists, attorneys, an army general, fishermen, priests, and a physician) inspired by God.
• The 66 books of the Bible were written: On three continents, in three languages, on the most controversial subjects, by people who, in most cases, had never met, by authors whose education and background varied greatly.
• Some people think it was merely created by a select few in order to consolidate, gain or maintain power and prestige.
• However, when you consider the adversity faced by the Hebrew people and, later, the persecution suffered by Christians, that couldn’t be true.
• Rather than gaining power or prestige, the early Christians were severely oppressed, while many others were killed – martyred for believing the message of the gospel.

Three key areas regarding the Bible: inspiration, canonization, transmission.

Inspiration
• Is it possible to have an accurately transmitted record that is still just a human invention?
• That's where inspiration comes in. The word "inspire" comes from the Latin, meaning to breathe on or into. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed."
• Inspiration means that human writers were inspired by God and moved by the Holy Spirit to record accurately what God wanted them to preserve.
• It does not mean God took control of people where the writer is in a trance-like state.
• It also doesn't mean the writers of the Bible were simply taking dictation.
• But it does mean that their words were divinely inspired and recorded.
• The Bible was written by real people, living in real places, recording real historical events, and also communicating God's real truths.

Canonization
• How did we get the final 66 books? What was the criteria?
• The word canon originated in reference to a measuring reed or standard by which something is measured. In reference to the Bible a canon has to do with genuinely inspired writings.
• Decisions about which books were "in" and which books were "out" in relation to today's Bible were not made by a single group of people at a single point of history.

• This especially relates to the New Testament, as the Old Testament was already accepted and codified in the books accepted by the Jewish people as divinely inspired. The OT canon was not finalized until a few years before the birth of Christ.
• Following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ around 33 A.D., the young Christian church found itself struggling for survival and, in the process, writing inspired documents that would later become the New Testament.
• The Church was very methodical in reference to the New Testament canon. Several criteria were necessary in order for a writing to be accepted.
• The document in question had to conform to the rule of faith, "conformity between the document and orthodoxy, that is, Christian truth recognized as normative in the churches."
• The document required some sort of apostilicity, "which as a criterion came to include those who were in immediate contact with the apostles or people with a direct connection to Jesus.
• A document's widespread and continuous acceptance and usage by churches everywhere was taken into consideration.
• In the first and second centuries after Christ, many, many writings and epistles were circulating among the Christians. Some of the churches were using books and letters in their services that were definitely spurious. Gradually the need to have a definite list of the inspired Scriptures became apparent.
• In 367 AD Athanasius first provided the complete listing of the 66 books belonging to the canon.
• He distinguished those from other books that were widely circulated and he noted that those 66 books were the ones, and the only ones, universally accepted.
• The point is that the formation of the canon did not come all at once like a thunderbolt, but was the product of centuries of reflection.
• From God to us, the Bible is true, reliable, and inspired.

Transmission:
• “Transmission” relates to how the contents of the Bible were transmitted through history.
• Obviously, if the record of transmission is poor, then the record we have is highly suspect.
• But if the record of transmission is rich, having a variety of manuscript copies for instance, then we can trust the reliability of the record.
• Transmission of the documents through history is astounding.
• There are over 5,300 manuscripts or parts of manuscripts we can examine today. If you count all the early copies of translations of the New Testament, the number skyrockets to over 24,000. This is about 43 times as much as the second most prevalent writing, The Iliad, with only 643.
• Not only do we have thousands of manuscript copies, as well as thousands more fragments or portions of the New Testament, but in comparing the New Testament copies we have today in various languages with those available centuries ago we can see the message remains intact.
• In ancient times, there were diligent Jewish scribes who spent their entire careers copying material. These individuals were very meticulous in regard to providing an exact duplicate of the original document.
• One group of scribes, known as the Masoretes, set its standards much higher than all the other scribes. The Masoretes counted every single letter, word, and verse of the Old Testament in order to preserve its accuracy.
• In 1948, an Arab boy was looking for a lost goat. As most children would, this young boy entertained himself by throwing rocks as he walked. He threw one of those rocks into a small cave, and heard the sound of pottery breaking. Scampering up the hill and into the cave, the boy found some leather scrolls with ancient writing on them.
• Amazingly, he had stumbled across what is known today as the Dead Sea scrolls. Inside the cave were hundreds of scrolls, most likely written by a group of people known as the Essences.
• Throughout history, errors or changes are slight, known as variants, and do not change any central belief of Christianity. When it comes to transmission and translation, then, we can indeed trust the documents.

Conclusion:
Throughout all this, the 66 books maintain harmony with each other.
• Often new concepts on a subject are expressed, but these concepts do not undermine what other Bible writers say on the same subject.
• Ask people who have viewed an identical event to each give a report of what happened. They will differ widely and will virtually always contradict each other in some way.
• The four Gospels do sometimes differ in the way they report the same event, but they complement each other.
• Yet the Bible, penned by 40 writers over a 1,500-year period, reads as if written by one great mind. And, indeed, it was:
• For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21
• The Holy Ghost "moved" them all. He is the real Bible Author.

Think about the last time you had a good book and couldn’t wait to read it.
My hope is that we will approach the Bible that way and get a copy of “The Story.”

Is it wrong to take a job in a bar?

2011-04-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith
“Is it wrong to take a job in a bar?” Eph. 6:5-9, Col. 3:23

Intro…My years at Bobby McGee’s…
Big Pic: Every job is a ministry for God.
Text: Ephesians 6:5-9

Today’s message is a follow-up from last week about being salt and light in our world and being part of our culture.
• This passage follows the first 4 verses where Paul is talking about healthy family relationships…and that helps us understand better the slaves/masters theme of verses 5-9.

A world about slaves during this Biblical time.
• Slaves comprised about 1/3 of the population of a city like Ephesus.
• They were considered an integral part of the family, not unlike many nanny’s today.
• So, Paul’s instructions to slaves were a natural part of his dealing with family relationships. (see vs. 1-4)
• In both Greek and Roman culture, slaves had limited rights and were subject to exploitation and abuse.
• Paul is not condoning the system of slavery, but instead provides instructions to Christian masters and slaves regarding their relationship to each other in the Lord and how this should be lived out within the bounds of their social and legal culture.
• Slavery eventually died out through the influence of Christianity.
• So…the principles in this passage apply today in terms of the boss/employee relationship, the law etc.

Principles we can take in relation to our jobs.
• We need to work well for our bosses (within reason) because in the big picture we are working for God. (v.5, 6, 7 and 9).
• As long as you have a boss who isn’t a complete tyrant, you gotta go to work and get it done.
• In a recent job interview I had we were talking about how basic good employees are hard to find…
• In whatever job we have, we are missionaries and witnesses for Christ!
• If you’ve been in the church for awhile, sometimes full time ministry positions get put on an unreal pedestal, like that’s a “real” Christian job…I’m here to dispel that myth.
• For me, this is kinda what I do best…

Let’s talk about bartenders for a minute since that’s the title of the sermon.
• This could be a job for the Christian who could handle that atmosphere.
• In reality, our world could use more Christian bartenders…it’s a place where people from all walks of life gather, coming from work, wanting to relax, celebrate an event, watch a game, some come in complete despair…the bartender is the only person who interacts with all of them.
• The bartender is often the promise of acceptance, the hope of forgetfulness.
• What if that bartender were a Christian? How many times a day could he share his life with another person? How many great conversations could he/she have and be a bright light in the darkness?

Not everyone is called into “the ministry” yet all Christians are in “the ministry.”
• These verses give us some specifics on how to do be good employees.
• Sincere heart. A good heart helps you do the right things. You care about people, you’re not selfish etc.
• Not being a people-pleaser. Standing up for what’s right…
• Doing God’s will from our heart. Again, back to the heart. This takes it a step further. You have to ask yourself in every work situation, can I do _____________ and stay within God’s will?
• Rendering service with good will (being a good employee).

Ok so let’s say your kids grow up and take a job in an industry you aren’t exactly comfortable with?
• PIC Parents, can we love and accept our kids if they choose work that we may not necessarily agree with and even pray for them and encourage them to be creative in how they share Jesus in that work?
• In reality, working in a Starbucks, hospital, school, construction etc. gives the average Christian way more contact with non-Christians that someone “in ministry.”
• We need to be everywhere for the cause of Christ.
• As an employee of ______________ are you ethical, godly, righteous and a good worker? Is your work sacred?
• What industries have the greatest need for Christian influence?

Colossians 3:23-24, Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

• V. 8 God will reward us (not sure exactly how) for doing good.
• Selfless service is not ignored or forgotten by God. There is no discrimination with God. He will reward every faithful servant equally.
V.9. There is even a word to bosses. Stop threatening knowing that even you work for God.
• At the time, Masters had the power of life and death over their slaves. Beatings, imprisonment or sale into harsher servitude were other punishments.
• The duty of master or bosses in all authority is to do good to those in submission and not take advantage of their authority.
• Both the bosses and the workers will be judged by God.

Conclusion:
Growing up and choosing a career is one of the biggest decisions we make in life. Some of us work one career, some have many.
Unless you work someplace that is clearly unethical, unbiblical and ungodly, I encourage you to find work in a field you enjoy and then look for ways to live out your faith within that career.

As a Christian, am I suppossed to hate the world?

2011-04-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith: “Do I have to hate the world?”

Matthew 5:13-16 Intro… NOTW (John 15:19)

• On one hand, we are not of this world and our thoughts should be towards God, heaven, living godly etc.
• Yet on the other hand most of us will have 70-80 years on this world and we’ve got a call from God to make a difference while we’re here.

Big Pic: When it comes to engaging with culture outside of church, you gotta know your strengths and weaknesses.

Text: Matthew 5:13-16

v. 13 Salt adds flavor and makes things taste better.
• Unsalted tortilla chips or sunflower seeds…just not the same.
• Salt is also a preservative…
• When any seasoning loses flavor, it has no value. If we don’t make any effort to reach the world around us, then we are of little value to God.
• Are we willing to be friends with people even if they don’t come to Christ on our time frame?
• Are we friends with non-Christians just to be friends or do we have an agenda? I think it needs to start out on the friendship level and from there we look for opportunities to share our faith.
• Yet, if we are too much like the world, we are worthless.
• Just like good seasoning brings out the best flavor in food, we should affect others positively.
• As Christians we can add a flavor of Jesus and his love to this world.

v. 14-16 Light in the darkness is an obvious analogy.
• Picture a city set on a hill at night. Its light can be seen for miles.
• Just think about how welcome a good light is in a dark, scary situation. (Micah and Lily being scared to go to the bathroom…)
• The hope that Jesus offers to a dark and scary world is just as bright.
• The typical lamp in a Jewish home was fairly small and placed on a stand to give it maximum illumination.
• When you think of yourself as a light for Jesus, what is the stand you can be on for maximum illumination?
Where can you be most effective in reaching others for Christ?

• How do we shine the light of Jesus? Through good works.
• Article from World Magazine..

• Example….Teacher appreciation etc. 3 churches, gives glory to God…
• We have the light of Jesus and just as it makes no sense to hide a light under a basket when it’s needed, we don’t need to hide our faith.

How do we hide our faith?
• Being quite when we should speak
• Going along with the crowd.
• Denying the light
• Letting our sin dim the light.
• Not explaining our light to others.
• Ignoring the needs of others.

We need to be a beacon of truth, “let your light shine before others.”

• Choose wisely when you go into the dark places and shine that light. • Make sure it’s something you can handle…
John 17:13-19

• Most Christians know that we’re not supposed to hate the world outside the church, yet many Christians are at the very least ambivalent about the world around them, and some definitely harbor a hostility that comes close to hatred.

• If we all run from popular culture, what will happen to those places we vacate? If Christians withdraw completely from popular culture, that can prevent non-Christians from ever seeing a real Christian. Then they are stuck with only images of Christians from the media. Do we want that?

"Roaring Lambs" written by Bob Briner in 1995
• This book focuses on our calling to fulfill the Lord's commission; specifically by being salt and light in our culture. Briner firmly but lovingly condemns the "ghetto" that many Christians have created for themselves by withdrawing into their own subculture.
• He states: "We feel we are making a difference because we are so important to ourselves. We have created a phenomenal subculture with our own media, entertainment, educational system, and political hierarchy so that we have a sense that we're doing a lot. But what we've really done is create a ghetto that is easily dismissed by the rest of society."
• "Culturally, we are lambs. Meek, lowly, easily dismissed cuddly creatures that are fun to watch but never a threat to the status quo."
• We must engage in the discourse of our culture. Christians must involve themselves in the culture shaping arenas of art, entertainment, the media and education. In short: "It is time for the lambs to roar."

Now that is true, but we have to use discernment.
• We can’t stroll through popular culture embracing everything and criticizing nothing and we don’t need to defend all art and entertainment, but the image of God in human creativity and imagination was not completely defaced by the fall.
• We need to have critical engagement with the culture, studying art, music or movies to see the work of God.
• We need to ask a lot of questions, interrogate popular culture, discern what God is doing and determine where and how participation will be most effective.
• We need to be committed to love and mercy as well as holiness and righteousness. It is important in the text to define “world.”

• 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”

• It helps if you think about the hesitancy to say “I love you” in a relationship until you are both really ready for that.
• I “love” TV, sometimes, I “love” certain movies, music etc.
• The “world” translates several different Greek words, which range in meaning from universe to planet Earth to inhabitants of the Earth to a time period or age.

• So we can’t just indentify “world” with culture or pop culture. That can be misleading and harmful.

• Most likely, John was talking about specific pitfalls within every culture.

Examples: • Money is neither evil or good, but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. 1 Tim. 6:10
• Dancing, drinking, TV, movies, music, clothing, tattoos etc.
• These all can either be good or bad depending on the situation.
• We always want to consider the company we are in.
• We don’t want to cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble.
• Romans 14:13-21
• Problem is, people that are strong in one area, really like to condemn those in other areas...

If we assume that popular culture is inherently evil and must be avoided, we will miss whatever good God is doing in culture and likely fail to see the evil that is going on within the church. (judgmentalism) Conclusion: Galatians 6:1-5 In our quest to remain pure before God and not be too influenced by the world, we need to know our limitations and be careful not to amputate wounded limbs of the body of Christ (the church) and develop more skill in gently restoring the dislocated members.

Are people basically good?

2011-03-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith. (Are people basically good?) Do good people go to hell?

Intro…VIDEO of kids fighting…

• I know it sounds nice to say that we are all basically good, but everyone of us was born selfish. It is our natural tendency to sin.

Big Picture: Many present day philosophies and worldviews claim that people are basically good and that bad or immoral behavior is the exception. The Bible states quite the opposite - that people are selfish and sinful as soon as they are able to express that kind of behavior. Because of this fact, people need a Savior in order to be acceptable to God. In contrast, the implication of the "people are good" worldview is that good people don't need a Savior.

• I know that not everyone commits human atrocities; however, we see examples of it every day and throughout history.
• We can all think of numerous examples of how humans have mistreated each other since the beginning of time.
• And it all started with Adam and Eve…

Text: Genesis 3:1-13

Nugs from this passage and how they relate to the human condition:
v.1 Satan is crafty, deceitful and tricky.
• He’s always trying to get us to think we are better than we really are, that what we are doing “at least isn’t as bad as what he is doing.”
• Look at how he fooled Adam and Eve, v. 2
• “Did God actually say…” “Oh it will be ok, surely you won’t die…” completely contradicting God. Gen. 2:9, 15-16 v. 6-7

Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and is passed down to each generation.
• Now before you get all freaked out over that…remember that there is a way out of the sin problem.
• Sin entering the world wasn’t a surprise to God…
• He had a plan all along for our redemption/making things right with God…Jesus.
• It’s really not worth trying to figure out why we have to deal with sin. That’s the way it is and there is a solution!

v. 12-13 Adam and Eve started sinning right away! (just like you and I would have)
• Shifting the blame, pointing fingers…just like little kids.
• He made me do it! It’s her fault!
• They are a fair representation of the human race.
• We all have the propensity to sin and make wrong choices.

For example:
• Marriage? A verbal promise is not enough; we need a contract.
• Home security? Doors are not enough; we have to lock and bolt them. Security systems etc.
• Riding the Coaster from Encinitas to Downtown? The payment of fares is not enough; tickets have to be issued, inspected and collected.
• Police officers? Law and order is not enough; we need the police to enforce them.
• Basketball referees calling technical fouls? We’d argue all day if there weren’t officials.
• All this is due to man's sin. We cannot trust each other. We need protection against one another. It is a terrible indictment of human nature."

But what about the person I know who is so-o nice and has never hurt anyone and in fact does more for people and the community than most Christians I know?
• Gandhi, (Hindu) Mother Theresa, (Catholic) or how about your neighbor.
• Someone like Gandhi or Mother Theresa acted more like a Christian than many Christians we know.

It all comes down to which scale of goodness you are using.
• On man’s scale of goodness, it’s not too hard to be good.
• What does it mean to be good according to human standards?
• On God’s scale, since he is perfect and holy and we’re not, we are not good. That’s just the way it is…

• According to God’s standards, we all need to repent and turn to God.
• “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

• Now that doesn’t mean we are awful, wicked people 24/7…
• But, sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and we will have to fight the tendency to sin our entire lives.

• (Isaiah 64:6) "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

Do good people go to Hell? Do bad people go to heaven? Yes and No.
• There will be “good” people who will not end up in heaven.
• There will be “bad” people who end up in heaven…because of God’s mercy.

We may not be able to fully comprehend that, but it’s true.
• There is a tricky balance between someone who said the “sinners prayer,” and may or may not be saved and the moral “good” person who lives like Jesus.

• What is the real proof of the Christian life? Someone who lives like Jesus.

• We don’t receive Jesus with words alone. Jesus doesn’t become our “Lord and Savior” simple because we refer to him in those terms.

• Becoming a disciple of Jesus is a process that starts with acknowledging a need for God, recognizing your sinful nature, repenting of that and accepting Christ.

All you have to do is study the bible to see numerous examples of God’s justice and his mercy.
• Deut. 9:19 I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me.
• Isaiah 51:4-5 “Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations.
• Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
• Psalm 33:5 “The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

We HAVE to emphasize both sides of God. They are equally important!
• I want to worship and serve a God who is wholly righteous and demands our best.
• It’s good when we recognize our need of God, where we fall short and to be humbled in his presence.

• 1 Tim. 1:15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”

Conclusion: In a trial, in a small town the prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elder woman. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” “Why yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, cheat on your wife, manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you are a big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you’ll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher.” The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?” She again replied, “Why yes I do. I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster too. He’s lazy, bigoted and has a drinking problem. He can’t maintain a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. The defense attorney nearly died. The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and said in a very quiet voice, “If either of you two idiots asks her is she knows me, I’ll send you both to the electric chair.”

Are Christians the morality police?

2011-03-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith.
“Are Christians the morality police?” John 4:7-26

Intro…Christine’s blog. “thoughts on church.”
• What happens when we encounter people who have a different set of beliefs than us?
• Can we treat them with respect?
• Is it our job to be the morality police?
• Should non-Christians adopt the moral values that apply to Christians?
• How much time are we allowed to spend with a “sinner” before another Christian will accuse you of being too tolerant or compromising?

Big Picture: When Jesus spent time with “sinners” he engaged them in conversation which helped them see their need for God. We would be wise to do the same thing.

Text: John 4:7-26

Jesus sets the example of how we should encounter “sinners.”
v. 4-6 Jesus broke cultural taboos.
• Jesus took the initiative to speak to a Samaritan woman…
• This was a huge break with culture and tradition.
• He spoke to a woman, (from the hated Samaritans) in public.
• This showed Jesus’ willingness to be with sinners, not so much as the “morality police” but as someone who cared about the deeper things in a person’s life.
• Who is someone you could talk to that would be a break with culture and tradition for you?
• I would hope that all of us are having regular conversations with people who don’t share the same religious views.
• We need to think through what language we use, not too much “Christianese.”
• Think about these words in a Christian context and what they mean to us vs. a non-Christian. Judge, preach, convert, crusader, proselytize, missionary, indoctrinate.
• What do you think of when you hear these words?
For many people outside the church, these words mean:
• judge (to determine that someone else is not as good as you are, to point out the faults is someone else while ignoring your own.)
• preach (to talk down to people, telling them what they ought to do)
• convert (to pressure someone to adopt your way of thinking, believing or living)
• crusader (someone who forces with the threat of violence someone else to accept his faith.)
• proselytize (to constantly attempt to either coerce or seduce others into our religion)
• missionary (someone who tries to destroy indigenous cultures in the attempt to Christianize or civilize those cultures)
• indoctrinate (to brainwash other people into a system on belief)

One of the reasons the Moral Majority failed to have a lasting influence in U.S. politics is because the true majority of Americans felt the leaders of the Moral Majority exemplified all of most of those characteristics.
• That is what my friend Christine is starting to feel about church…

So how do we communicate the truths of the bible without knocking people over or shoving it down their throats?
• I believe we can look to the example of Jesus in this story.
• Even though this woman had a whole list of stuff she’d done wrong, Jesus got to what was really important.
• (Divorced, been married 5 times, “Living in sin,” most likely a bunch of kids from different fathers, a social outcast, she came at midday to draw water because of her shame. Normally women would come to draw water in the morning or evening when it was cooler. This well was located at a major junction of ancient roads.)
• v. 16 “Go call your husband and come here.” NOT, “You did what?”
• It’s almost like Jesus is saying, “Yeah, yeah, I know what you did in the past, let’s talk about the really important stuff, where we go from here.”
• What we need to ask ourselves: “Is it my job to interfere with the process through which God is taking a person, or do we cooperate with God by showing them love and acceptance for who they are in that moment?
• When we look at all the things this woman at the well had done wrong, these are the kinds of lists we come up with for people and then stick them in certain categories. And if we’re not careful, that’s when we’re tempted to be the morality police.
• If all we are is the morality police and stay away from those we disagree with, than we won’t be nearly as effective as Jesus was when he associated and ate with sinners.

v. 9 Jesus spoke with someone who was despised. (Most Jews hated Samaritans.)
• Samaritans were considered by most Jews to be in a continual state of uncleanness.
• So drinking from this woman’s water jar would make a person unclean, yet that’s exactly what Jesus did.
• The phrase “have no dealings” could also have a more specific meaning of “share use of (things).”
• We need to be comfortable spending time with non-Christians without criticizing their language, habits, behavior, values and morals.
• When dealing with people who have opposing religious views, are we willing to set aside our bias and listen?
• We need to be careful that we don’t make judgments without first establishing rapport and credibility through friendship, conversations and other interactions.
• Spiritual wanderers need to know they are loved rather than judged.

What’s the biblical balance? A little bit of both.
• Eph. 5:11, “Have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
• John 3:17, “God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
• Yes, God has called us to reveal his salvation to the world, just remember that we too are broken and sinful and need to be transparent.
• If Jesus were in our city tonight, would he be in all the Christian hangouts, or would he be among the sinners?
• Would we recognize him? Would we tell him, “You have no business spending time with “those” people!

v. 13-15 Only Jesus can give us what we really need and quench our thirst.
• Talk about being “culturally relevant”, the analogy with the water was ripe.
• A person’s deepest spiritual need is to know God personally.
• That can only happen through Jesus, the living water.
• GOSPEL

Conclusion: VIDEO “Reverse thinking”

Q & A?

What makes Christianity unique?

2011-03-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith
What makes Christianity unique? John 14:1-14

Intro…For most people today, it’s not politically correct to say that Christianity is the only true, right religion.
• How can you know that? Is your answer based on reason or scripture or a combination of both?
• So many people “experience” or “feel” spiritual, so what makes the Christian “experience” unique?
• What is the balance between human reason and faith? (It’s actually both.)

Big Picture: As you grow deeper in your understanding of the Christian faith, you discover that our faith or Christian experience of God in Christ according to the Bible is unique, desirable and at the same time threatening to other religious claims.

Text: John 14:1-14

I chose this passage because it centers on Jesus Christ.
• What makes Christianity unique is Jesus Christ and his grace extended to us.
• C.S. Lewis “Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional.”

v. 1-4 (How can Christianity be the ONLY way to God?)
Don’t be troubled. Trust God. Trust Jesus.
• Jesus says that the way to eternal life, though unseen is secure.
• Jesus reminds us that he has already prepared the way, we just need to follow it.

Here we have verses that actually describe eternal life:
• Jesus will return for us.
• Jesus is preparing a place for us.
• In vs. 4 Jesus reminds us that we know how to get there.
• These are comforting thoughts! (On the quest for God)

v. 5 Thomas (doubting) speaks for many, “Lord we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?”
• So many people feel this way in regards to the exclusive claims of Christianity. (How do we know this is the way?) What is the right way? What is the right path?
• And remember, this is Jesus saying this, not us. Point people to Jesus and let them sort it out from there.

One of the challenges is how we communicate our faith to a culture that does not believe there is absolute truth.
• Why do people want to deny absolute truth? (It’s so limiting, confining, non-politically correct).
• Do we learn about God’s truth only through reason?
• Can we intellectually reason our way to God? (for some yes…)
• For others, God reveals some things to “little children” that the “wise and learned” could not discern.
• Luke 10:21, At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
• 1 Cor. 1:17-31
• So whether Christianity makes sense to you in a “reasonable way” or takes more faith, remember there is truth and it’s found in Jesus!

v. 6 Jesus covers all the bases here, he is:
• The way to God
• The truth we all seek
• The life we all really need
Vs. 7 Know Jesus – Know God
Vs. 8 Philip says, “Show us the Father”
Vs. 9 Jesus says, “I’m right here!”

When it comes to the balance of human reason and scripture, one of the safest ways of protecting ourselves from errors and misinterpretations is to study the Bible in community. That helps keep human reason in check.
• Nothing like a good bible study/discussion to keep us all sharp.
• We need to look for an encounter with God that is both experiential and rational.
• We need to leave enough slack in our beliefs to be corrected, to allow God to teach us even more and to make room for discovering the truth with clearer and clearer vision.

v. 12 If you are willing to believe that Jesus truly is the way, then follow up action is needed.
• “Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works.”
• IOW, We need to live like Jesus.
• What makes Christianity unique is not only Jesus, but his disciples. We should be living different and better than everyone else!
• If we are doing that, then we can ask anything in his name and God will do it. (that is, if it’s best for us).

Throughout the history of man other religions have a belief in a supreme being, that there is a problem with man, that a god reaches down to man, that a god dies, even the concept of a virgin birth dates back to pagan traditions before Christ, there is a concept of judgment, miracles and the belief in heaven and hell.

Yet that doesn’t mean that Christianity is essentially equal or parallel to other religions. Key elements of orthodox Christian theology stand unique:
• The character of the Christian God (including the way mercy and love are intermingled with holiness, righteousness and purity),
• The transcendent/immanent God (God is God, wholly other, yet with us through Jesus)
• The nature of God (including the Trinity)
• The nature of the love relationship between God and humanity, (although there is sin in the world, God loves us so much that he created a way for us to come back into relationship with him.)
• Salvation by faith alone, (nothing we can do to earn it)
• The openness and the simplicity of the gospel (the good news is to all, no secrets, no difficult rituals)
• The role of sacrifice in the life of the believer (a reflective role versus an appeasing role, we don’t need to appease God)
• The humility and the exaltation of the lowly (servant to all, first will be last and the last will be first)
• The community of the church as the body of God (we are his “hands and feet.”)
• And the nature of the eternal state. (our souls in heaven)
• The resurrection of Jesus (necessary to make his death on the cross complete and show that he is God…)

Conclusion:
(Chuck Swindoll)
When it comes to following God, believing and having faith, he still prompts us to follow a certain direction. No audible voice. No image of Jesus on a piece of toast or tortilla. Nothing mystical or magical. But as you are moving along and trusting Him, you stay sensitive to the quiet, yet all-important prompting of God through His Holy Spirit. By doing so, you may well sense inner promptings that will spur a thought, such as, “I can’t believe I’m still interested in that. I wonder what the Lord is doing? I wonder where He’s going with this?”
That inner prompting is crucial because, much of the time, we just can’t figure it out. Evaluate the prompting. Obviously, you know the Spirit of God will never contradict the Bible. In fact, the prompting often is a passage from Scripture.

However, there is nothing wrong with planning. Nothing wrong with thinking it through. There’s everything right and wise about listing all the pros and cons. But stay sensitive to God’s leading. His plans may be different than yours. By the way, His are always better.

“The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. . . .
Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way?” (Proverbs 16:9; 20:24)

I love that! When all is said and done, you’ll say, “Honestly, I didn’t figure this thing out. It must have been God.” Talk about mysterious! The longer I live the Christian life, the less I know about why He leads as He does.
But I do know that He leads.

Q & A?

Is forgiveness real?

2011-03-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith, "Is forgiveness real?" John 8:1-11

Intro…. One year anniversary of the Chelsea King death (John Gardner)
• Crazy, weird, unexplainable, awful things happen in our lives.
• How do we forgive others?
• Or maybe you are wrestling with a sin in your own life that seems unforgiveable.
• For some of us, the first step may be learning to accept God’s forgiveness, before we can ever consider forgiving others.

Big Pic: If we can learn to accept God’s forgiveness for our “wickedness” we’ll have an easier time forgiving others for their wickedness.

Text: John 8:1-11
(v. 1-2 Get ready for a teaching moment…)
v. 3-6 The accusers, Scribes and Pharisees.
• These Jewish leaders had already disregarded the law arresting the woman without the man.
• The law (Lev. 20:10) required that both parties to adultery be stoned.
• When it comes to pointing fingers and accusing others, often we are quick with our judgment, ready to attack.
• The Scribes and Pharisees started out with good intentions to obey God, but eventually they became so devoted and extremist in very limited parts of the Law, plus all that they themselves added to it, that they became blind to the Messiah when He was in their very midst. They became nitpickers of the law always trying to trick Jesus.
• And now they are attempting to use this woman as a trap to trick Jesus.
• If Jesus said the woman should not be stoned, then they would accuse him on not keeping the Mosaic law.
• If he told them to stone her, then his reputation for compassion and forgiveness would have been questioned and,
• They could report Jesus to the Romans who did not permit the Jews to carry out their own executions. (18:31).
• This is a classic example of someone who wants to skip right over the possibility of forgiveness and land on judgment…
• That’s too easy and too fun for most of us…think about that.
• Why is that the case?

What we need to do first of all is remember that God forgave us in our wickedness.
• “Wickedness” may too heavy of a word for some of you, but it’s actually accurate for all of us.
• And that’s why Jesus says in verse 7, “Let him is who is without sin among you, be the first to throw a stone at her.”
• Romans 3:23 …”all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
• It started with Adam and Even in the garden. They did exactly what God told them not to do and sinned.
• Then they (rightly so) ran and hid. They were ashamed and probably expected God’s wrath.
• And what did God do? He called to them. (Gen. 3:7-9)

v. 9 Jesus’ reaction and statement silenced the Jewish leaders and sent them away.
• Imagine the impact this must have had on the crowd.
• It would be the same today. As Christians, we love to pounce on people who have public sexual sins.
• At the top on the list would be premarital or extramarital affairs, abortion, divorce and pornography.
• While those are wrong and have dire consequences, you know what else is just as wrong with dire consequences?
• Greed, pride, injustice, self-indulgence, stinginess, gluttony, hatred, materialism, domestic violence and just plain meanness, polluting the air, exhausting the earth’s resources, hoarding our possessions, ignoring those in need, supporting oppression or slavery through what we buy, gossiping, slandering and maligning others...
• Or what if someone is going through a divorce, or their kids are on drugs, or came to church “messed up.”
• Any of us can fall into any of these categories!

• So, let’s not act like the Scribes and Pharisees in today’s story.
• They needed to learn how to forgive others.
• When it comes to forgiving others, there is a way to love and forgive people, even to show them mercy and at the same time act toward them with wisdom and discernment.
• I started today’s message with the example of Chelsea King, that kind of forgiveness take time and doesn’t need to be rushed into.
• That will take an act of God on her parents hearts…
• Forgiveness should cost you something, “One of the basic characteristics of forgiveness is that the one who forgives is the one who suffers.”

Let’s be especially careful when it comes to creating two classes of Christians:
• “First class” those who have never been divorced, never had an affair or abortion, never looked (or got caught looking) at pornography etc.
• “Second class” anyone who is guilty of one or more of these actions and is therefore unfit for church membership or ministry in the church.
• What we need to be saying is, “How can I dare judge someone else, seeing how messed up I am?”
• However, forgiveness, mercy and understanding does not translate into freedom to disregard the Bible’s moral code.
• It also does not allow us to live a permissive lifestyle or fail to address sin because we know we’ll be forgiven. That’s abusing grace.
• Look what Jesus said at the end of this story, (v. 11) “Go and sin no more.” or, “Leave your life of sin.”
• There is a condition with Jesus’ forgiveness. We are to continually strive to walk away from sin. To press on, move forward.
• Jesus will forgive any sin in our lives, but confession and repentance means a change of heart.
• Communion intro…
• With God’s help we can accept Christ’s forgiveness and stop sinning.

Eventually it came down to just the woman and Jesus. v. 9b.
• And that’s what it always comes back to.
• Can we continually accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers us?
• Many of us will carry the scars of our sins for the rest of our lives, even though we are forgiven and spiritually healed and restored to God.
• There are some people who love God and want to serve him, but have made a serious mistake and are forever blackballed from Christian service. That’s not right!
• In reality, we’ve all made mistakes and would do well to confess those mistakes and share our growth.

Conclusion:
• What if our churches really practiced mercy to the degree that Jesus taught and demonstrated?
• True forgiveness includes healing, in the one doing the forgiving, in the one being forgiven and the relationship between them.
• As Christians, we should never forget the debt we’ve been forgiven and as a result, know how to extend mercy when mercy is what God wants to give us.
• Who are we in this story? Either the woman or the accusers…

Does God speak outside of the Bible?

2011-03-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith, “Does God speak outside of the Bible?”
Psalm 19:1-6, Romans 1:18-22

Intro…”God moments” for me… in our lives…
Text: Psalm 19:1-6
Big Pic: God has revealed himself to mankind since the beginning of time. If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we can be surprised at the messages he has for us that can come in a variety of ways.

These verses speak of the majestic heavens and describe how features of the sky bear witness to their Maker.
• Through creation, there is a divine speech that goes out to all humanity.
• Part of that creation as includes mans creativity, movies, music, books, art etc.
• I do believe that God speak primarily through the Bible…

V. 1 “The heavens, the sky above…”
• The heavens show God’s creativity, power, majesty, wisdom etc.
• They also show God’s worthiness of honor and worship.
• Think of the last time you saw the stars away from the city lights, or witnessed and amazing sunset or sunrise…it’s truly awesome.

v. 2-3 “Day to day pours out speech”
• God is speaking to us with each new day…if we’re willing to listen.
• Every evening reveals God’s knowledge.
• God is speaking to us through His creation, and he’s saying, “Look for me, I’m here. I created all this for you.”

v. 4 All the world has received some kind of message from God.
• But what it comes down to is, “Are people willing to listen?”
• It’s important to distinguish between “general revelation” (what is known about God through the natural world) and “specific revelation” (the proclamation of the gospel).
• Ps. 19:4 refers to “general revelation.”
• Romans 10:14-18 is “specific revelation.”

Let me mess with your mind for a minute when it comes to the gospel going to the ends of the earth.
• Let’s look at Romans 1:18-22
• God’s power and divine nature are clearly revealed through the world he has made (so that men/they are without excuse).
• The wonder, beauty and majesty of all of creation points directly to God (not just a “higher power”).
• No one can complain that God has left insufficient evidence of his existence and character. The fault is on those who reject him.
• Usually it’s pride that gets in the way of believing that.
• When we get to heaven, we are going to be surprised at who is there and who isn’t.
• I believe that God can reveal himself even to someone “in the middle of nowhere” if they look up at the heavens, or at God’s creation and realize there is something bigger than themselves and that they have a need to connect with God.
• All cultures and people have a knowledge of right and wrong…
• People’s moral standards are always better than their behavior.
• Yet salvation does not come through “general revelation”
• People have an inner sense of what God desires…a need for forgiveness and redemption…

v. 5-6 Just consider the power of the sun, a specific way in which the voice of the heavens is revealed to all mankind.
• The sun is so powerful, we need protection from it.
• The sun comes out every day with the “excitement of a bridegroom.”
• The suns runs its course or does its job with joy (like a strong man).
• The sun is all-powerful shining on the entire earth, there is nothing hidden from it.
• Same with God, same with his relevations to us, through his creation and specifically through the scriptures. (As verses 7-11 show)

One of the key factors in determining if God is speaking through sources other than the Bible…is the Bible!
• The more we study the scriptures and God’s character throughout history, the more we’ll be able to detect a wrong message.
• Silly example, the movie “Hall Pass”….it doesn’t take a theological genius to know that it’s going to be a trashy movie…
• On the other hand, sometimes I’ve heard God speak clearly to me through the story told in a “non-Christian” movie.
• God can insert his messages into popular culture that tell us something about our world, our neighbors, ourselves and our relationship with God.
• God has used wicked rulers etc. throughout history…
• Again, the key is having the Christian maturity to be able to discern right from wrong.
• The bible never says that God would at some point limit himself to speaking exclusively through the written text and abandon any other form of communication with humans.
• To refuse to listen to God through whatever medium he chooses diminishes our experience and awareness of him.
• “God is larger and more bountiful than our intellectual boxes or theological constructs that we tend to put him in.”

Conclusion:
• There is no book we should love and treasure more than the Bible.
• Every time we read it we should approach it with a sense of wonder and awe, always ready to hear from God in a new way.
• When it comes to hearing from God, let’s see when we look, hear when we listen and understand with our hearts what God is saying to us everywhere and at all times.
• God can speak to us clearly everyday through his word.
• Let’s not limit what God has to say to us to only that time we spend in the Bible.
• However, when we do feel like we are getting a message from God, let’s always go back to the Bible as a comparison.
• Mark 8:14-21

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith, Can Christianity be reduced to simple steps or stages?

2011-02-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

"Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith."
"Can Christianity be reduced to simple steps or stages?"
1 Corinthians 2:6-16, Mark 4:10-12, Eph. 3:1-6, 6:18-20
Intro…In Seminary I took a class on Spiritual formation…We used the Richard Foster book, “The celebration of discipline.”
• Yet over the years I’ve learned that just like it’s hard to systematize theology, it’s hard to pin down exactly how we mature spiritually.
• Messy Spirituality…is unstructured, unpredictable, unstable, like the real life most people know.
Text: 1 Cor. 2:6-16
Big Pic: How someone comes to Christ and then continues to grow in their faith includes many diverse events and encounters that in retrospect, are obviously the work of God’s spirit and not man’s engineering.

The theme of 1 Cor. is that Paul wants the church to put aside its differences and work together for the advancement of the gospel.
• Paul wants them to drop the one-upmanship, build the faith of those who are weak and witness effectively to unbelievers. This is a pastoral letter to a spiritually troubled church.
• Chapter 2 of 1 Cor. is all about proclaiming Christ crucified.
• V. 2 Paul wanted to keep the message simple.
• At the fundamental level, becoming a Christian is a simple step of humbly admitting your need for a savior, Jesus Christ.
• But that’s just the start of the journey and the rest of the Christian life.
• Growth, maturity, discipleship, living like Christ etc., takes time and a continual willingness to be stretched and learn new things.

In that sense, the Christian life is complicated and different for all of us.
• V. 3-5 …”that your faith may not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
• Saving faith is produced by the heart-changing power of the Holy Spirit.
• The Christian life is beyond the wisdom of men. How someone grows deeper in their faith is a mysterious process that God engineers.
• V. 6-7, “secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”
• The wisdom of God is centered in Christ and includes all of God’s plans for man’s salvation from before the foundation of this world.
• IOW, God knows what he’s doing as has known since before our world was even created.
• Even when Jesus walked the earth, the foolishness of men was evident. Most people didn’t understand who he was or what his mission was. V. 8
• V. 9 We can’t comprehend it
• God’s spirit bridges the gap between the deep things of God and the human heart, graciously enabling human beings to understand the message of the cross, which would otherwise be incomprehensible.
• V. 11 Only the spirit of God knows our thoughts, how we are progressing in our faith etc.
• Eph. 3:1-6

I think it’s tempting for us to want to put things in steps, stages or order.
• 5 steps to relationship happiness, 4 easy steps to shooting free throws, 7 steps to financial freedom, all the “Dummy” manuals…
• So, naturally it also seems like if we follow the logical steps in our spiritual life we can achieve maturity, humility, patience, the fruits of the spirit etc.
• It’s just not the same process for everyone.
• Christian faith “created in a lab” is a manageable faith rather than a scary and uncertain faith. Where there is no mystery, there is no reverence.
• Our Christian faith is constantly growing and changing.
• The Bible tells us to “continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12-13
• We can’t be content with things we already learned but need to continue to demonstrate our faith day by day as we nurture our relationship with God.
• We know that we are incapable of saving ourselves so if there are definite steps that every Christian must take to accomplish spiritual goals, then we’ve reverted to a performance based religion that negates faith, grace and the hand of God.

Basically we want to be careful when we start thinking that we’ve matured enough or “already heard that Bible story a hundred times.”
• God will grow and change us throughout our lives if we are open to his leading.
• For me, just when I think I’ve got my faith nailed down and it all “makes sense”…that’s usually when I’m about to learn something new.
• Our coming to Christ and subsequent growth from there can’t be reduced to simple steps or stages. It is a complex process, beyond sorting.
• Now this doesn’t mean we study the Bible less, it actually means we need to study the Bible more.
• The more we study God’s word, the more we can learn as we come to it with a fresh perspective at different times in our lives.
• Instead of trying to manage our Christian lives, we need ask for God’s guidance as we observe and discover what emerges, then respond accordingly.
• Through this process we can be confident that God is always in control so that even unexpected and painful events somehow fit into God’s great design.
• Most often the unplanned events are the most crucial life-changing moments in our journey.
• “When God doesn’t make sense.” Book
• “In our Christian faith we need to look for mystery, beauty, passion, love and God. Not a totally comprehensible god, dissected into miniscule doctrines and from whom all mystery has been drained, but the unpredictable and consuming fire of a God whose presence engulfed Abraham in dread and made Moses tremble.” Chuck Smith Jr.

Conclusion:
• Trying to simplify our faith is like trying nail jello…
• We need to approach the bible to see what it actually says, not to find the key chain of life’s secrets to wealth, happiness and piety.
• We also need to realize the danger of twisting scripture to support a philosophy, theory or practice that contradicts the overall message of the Bible.
• Let’s let God steer the boat as he takes us on this unpredictable journey called the Christian life.
• the armor of God….Eph. 6:18-20

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith, "Do we need to sell God?"

2011-02-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith “Do we need to sell God?” Romans 12:9-21

Intro….”Power team” and other gimmicks to get people into church
• An Arkansas church builds a new children’s sanctuary complete with a baptistry that resembles a fire engine that shoots confetti at the audience.
• A Brazilian church starts a new men’s club: a fight club in the basement.
• A denominational leader rides into a seminary chapel in a Hummer, dressed as General Patton, with blank-firing machine guns blazing.
• Dove World Outreach Center, a church with a name that could not sound like more of a scam if it tried, is hosting the first ever “International Burn a Koran Day,” which again succeeds in making almost every other group of people, except cannibals seem more reasonable.

Text: Romans 12: 9-18
Big Pic: In contrast to “selling God” if we have the true marks of a Christian, the Christian faith will sell itself.

When it comes to sharing our faith, some Christians struggle with questions like:
• Am I supposed to evangelize every single person I come in contact with?
• Is evangelism most effective through the spoken word or through large events?
• Am I always supposed to be on an agenda to convert all my friends?
• Does the church need to try and be the “coolest thing in town”
• in order for people to come?
• Were the disciples saved when Jesus said “follow me” or was it a journey that they took with Jesus which ended in salvation?

Let’s take a look at some of the marks of a true Christian.
Genuine love, Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good., Brotherly affection, Honor each other, Serve the Lord with zeal. Be thankful for the hope God gives us each day, Patient during tribulation, Constant in prayer, Hospitality, Bless those who persecute you, Rejoice with those who rejoice, Weep with those who weep, Live in harmony, Not too full of pride/helping the lowly, never wise in your own sight, Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
• Examples of how we do this?

This is such an amazing list, just reading through it, it is obvious that these are the marks of a true Christian.
• This is a description of a life that pleases God.
• What’s at the top of the list? Love
• And what I’m saying today is that if we live like this, we’ll never have to “sell God” or the church.
• If we are living like this every day of our lives, especially when we are around people who are not Christians, then the Christian faith will sell itself.
• That doesn’t mean we don’t participate in outreach events…I’ve asked you all to distribute these flyers, we’ll get a press release in the Coast News, we did the Skip Frye/Jay Adams deal back in November… we’ll do beach services this summer….
• I’ve tried lots of creative things over the years, but I do my best as a leader in the church not to go overboard.
• Yet, when people do actually come to church it’s important that they hear the truth, the gospel, the Bible, the words of God.
• Reader article…”vague spirituality” …which is worse!

When it comes to conversations with people about Christianity, we may be better off if we became skilled listeners, creating an atmosphere of dialogue.
• Yes it’s important to know what our faith is about, 1 Peter 3:13-17
• The average Christian lives, works, learns and plays among more non-believers than will be effected by church services.
• Evangelism is about so much more than just delivering a message. Conversation, dialog, interaction and listening as just as important as having a memorized speech about your faith.
• It’s not always our job to “close the deal” when it comes to sharing our faith. If it was, we’d be hucksters or telemarketers for Jesus.
• Movie, “Leap of faith.”
• As Christians we don’t need to live under a cloud of guilt if we don’t take every single opportunity to force the topic of salvation into every conversation and encounter with family, friends, coworkers, fellow students and strangers.
• As Matt. 22:36-39 reminds us, we need to “Love the Lord our God with all our heart, strength and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.”
• It’s actually not our job to convert anyone. God does it, and we are blessed to be a part of that process.
• Let’s get a new image of evangelism in our minds. Instead of “mass evangelism” only, it’s more about “you.”
• If we are not transformed into the kind of people who reflect Jesus, then what is the point in talking other people into becoming Christians?

Paul goes on to say in Romans 12:19-21
• Revenge or vengeance is not our job…
• On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
• This goes way beyond just caring for the poor and needy…
• In doing this, you will “heap burning coals on his head.”
• (This is a quote from Prov. 25:21-22 and is likely an image for leading someone to repentance, suggesting that they will feel inward burning pangs of guilt for doing wrong.
• However, in the OT, “burning coals” represented punishment. Christians are to do good to wrong doers, leaving their punishment up to God…12:19
• V. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
• Again, the marks of a Christian…

Conclusion:
• What come to mind when you hear the word Ambassador?
• A diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government/country as the resident representative of his or her own government/country.
• As Christians, that’s what we are here on earth…
• Some new Christians and even mature Christians just don’t want to ever tell others about Jesus. “It doesn’t fit my personality.”
• Promising to tell others about Jesus is not a requirement for being a Christian, but when we choose to accept Jesus, we become ambassadors for Christ.
• 2 Cor. 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…”
• When God is doing great things in your life, it’s hard not to share it with others.
• Since we have been reconciled to God through Jesus, we now have the “ministry of reconciliation” according to 2 Cor. 5:18, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…”
• Since we are His ambassadors, it is our job to represent Christ well.

•

Why the Bible?

2011-02-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith
“Why the Bible?” 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Intro…The “bible” for tennis etc…
Big Pic: When we live the Bible instead of just speak the Bible, people will be able to see the transforming, life-changing power of this God inspired book.
• New Series based on the book, "Frequently avoide questions"

Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The theme of chapter 3 in 2 Timothy is “Godlessness in the last days.”
• One of the things that makes people Godless is having no moral base to work from. vs. 1-5
• Paul addresses these problems with advice to follow his example,
v. 10-11
• Knowing, believing and living the Bible solves that problem.

Now, that all makes sense to those of us who are Christians and have read and studied the Bible for years.
• However, there are some people who have questions like:
• “What makes the Bible better than the Koran, the book of Mormon or “Conversations with God?” “You mean you actually believe the Bible?” “Do I have to read the whole thing…what is the really important stuff?” “What good does it do me to read the Bible?” “Wasn’t it just written by a bunch of men with a limited world view?”

From about 320 AD until the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bible was THE sacred book for the Western world.
• After the enlightenment, ( a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine.) the Bible still continued to influence culture, language, thought etc. throughout Europe and the New World.
• Here in America, among the founding fathers there were many aristocrats who rejected the deity of Jesus and denied the God-inspired Bible, yet continued to use Biblical language and images.
• Early on in the history of our nation, the Bible carried the weight of absolute authority.
• Most public communication in the original 13 colonies, written or spoken was influenced by the King James Bible.
• Over time there developed a more liberal view of the Bible and a more conservative view.
• There is actually some danger is both views of scripture.
• Liberals tend to dismiss some of the larger miracles and core doctrines of the faith.
• Conservatives sometimes go to the Bible as if it were an encyclopedia of religious and secular knowledge.
• They have a topic in mind, find a verse or verses that in some way refer to the topic and congratulate themselves on finding the truth. “God has spoken.”

I’ve said it before, but the Bible does not have an answer to every specific issue in life. (sex outside of marriage…Heb. 13:4, 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20)
• The Bible is one large book consisting of stories, laws, poems, prophetic warnings, letters to churches etc.
• The Bible tells the overarching story of God, the plight of mankind and our divine redemption secured through Jesus and revealed to his people.
• We also need to remember that every verse in the Bible is embedded in a context that affects it’s meaning within that chapter, book, Old or New Testament and finally the entire Bible.
• The Bible is the word of God, but we shouldn’t use it as a club to win arguments (beating someone over the head with a Bible).
• The Bible may be “logical” to those of us studied it for years, but to the average non-Bible believing person, telling them the Bible “makes sense” doesn’t always work.
• Anyone can search the internet and find endless arguments against the Bible. Or people may just dismiss logic with a shrug of the shoulders.
• We live in a world of chaos and our worldview doesn’t always make sense, at least not to us humans.
• I believe we need to allow room for mystery and wonder as we study the sacred texts of the Bible…and to admit that sometimes it doesn’t “make sense.”

The Bible is alive and powerful!
• We need to approach the Bible with a sense of wonder, expecting to hear from God, wanting to hear truth and have our lives transformed.
• As we learn to properly interpret the Bible, we will be able to discover its depth, beauty and power.

Yet we can’t equate spiritual maturity only with Biblical knowledge.
• The critical issue is what effect the Bible produces in the lives of those who read it.
• Since there is more to the Bible that what is found in other holy texts, the proof will be in the loving lifestyle of people who travel the world demonstrating the kindness and integrity of Jesus.
• The Bible is God’s word to us today, but it’s also one grand story of God’s redemption of the human race.
• We are part of that story, ideally we should be living the bible.
• Our lives should show why we choose the Bible over other holy books, rather than just telling people or resorting to religious language.
• The Bible is the word of God and it does offer hope and salvation.

So, if you get to the point where you are ready to view the Bible as the inspired word of God that has real meaning for your life today, then Paul’s advice in vs. 14-17 will help.
• Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed…that’s called studying the Bible.
• As you read and study, God works in and through you, making you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

But here is the key: (v. 16)
“God breathed”, or “breathed out by God”
• At the time Paul wrote this these words applied to the OT and some of the NT writings.
• “God-breathed” comes from the Greek word: theopneustos. It’s the first time this word is used.
• This term emphasizes the divine origin and authority of the Bible.
• God worked through the authors of the Bible to make the scriptures inspired. These are words spoken by God.
• All of scripture is profitable in a variety of ways, ultimately leading to righteousness.

• Useful or profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. What a great place to be!
• Then we are competent and equipped for every good work…which is the balance to having only head knowledge.

Remember, the Bible takes place in the real world, our world, the world of our experience.
• Into this world order, justice and mercy must be imposed because those things are not here inherently.
• Our world needs to be fixed, rescued and redeemed.

The people in the Bible, like us, are sinful and broken and need to be rescued and redeemed.
• The Bible is an “R” rated book with people we can relate to.

The common theme throughout the Bible is God’s salvation of mankind.
• Unlike other sacred texts, the Biblical story includes a Redeemer/savior who, even though he is transcendent, steps into the human story, embraces it as his own and loves us to the point of self-sacrifice.

Conclusion:
A great response to someone who questions the validity of the Bible is: “What have you heard about the Bible?” “What would make you want to read it?” “What is your most pressing spiritual concern?”
• When the story of our lives is defined by the story of the Bible, people will see the power of the Word.
• When we as Christians live lives that are loving, generous, hospitable, and compassionate… and when we speak the truth in love, the Bible becomes a real, believable book.

2011-02-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Service in the church, 2011

Intro… In the SuperBowl...it’s all about teamwork...

Big Picture: Today I am concluding our series, “Foundations of the faith.” I’m going to talk about being a servant, especially to our committed attenders, members and everyone who considers this their home church.

I’d like you to view our church in three ways today:
• 1. As a team where every member is vital.
• 2. As a body where all parts work together and need each other.
• 3. As a family where we all pitch in to get the job done.

Text: 1 Cor. 12:14-20

Our church as a team.
• Joshua 6:1-6 what a great story of teamwork
• God had a plan from the beginning. (vs. 2), same with this church.
• God set up leaders to guide the people in the defeat of this city. (vs. 4) We’ve got leaders in this church that head up our teams.
• They marched with the Ark of the Covenant as a constant reminder of God’s presence. (vs. 6)
• This was literally God’s presence.
• When you get on the team, it’s important to remember why we are doing all this...to the glory of God.
• It was a concerted effort. They had to work together to pull this off. (vs. 16, 20-21).
It’s the same way every week here. We need all the team members here each week to offer this service to the community.
• Just like they experienced a great victory (vs. 20-21) we do also. Every week just having church and being here gives people an opportunity to give their hearts and lives to Jesus. And when that happens, the wall of pride and selfishness comes down!
• It’s called teamwork. When we all work hard to have a great Sunday morning each week...what a great feeling to be part of that.

Our church as a body. (“Ok, I recognize some needs, but does the church really need me?”)
• Can you function without an arm? An ear? An eye? A foot?
• Yes, but it forces all the other parts to work extra hard to compensate. (Zach’s toe surgery. He was fine until the sedatives wore off, then he rest of his body reacted to the wounded area.)
• 1 Cor. 12:12. This is the church body.
Vs. 21-22 It’s obvious, we need each other!
Vs. 27-31 lists the different gifts God gives us. Now, these are specifically spiritual gifts listed here, but the principle is the same. Discover what you like to do and then do it.

You may not have specific “gifts” when it comes to our Sunday morning teams, but
what we really need is just a willingness to serve.
• Once a month!
• Rotate and substitute when needed!
• Specific needs: pass out the flyers…

Our church as a family. Mark 10:35-45
• Check out the selfish motives of James and John in vs. 35 & 37…
• Imagine if our kids came to us with this request...I know how I’d react…”What did you just say?”
• Jesus is so full of grace in this story. Look at his response in vs. 38.
• “Drink the cup” refers to the cup of suffering.
• Next Jesus deals directly with pride. These rulers were full of pride in their high positions of authority
• “Not so with you.” says Jesus. (Everyone else may be acting this way…)
• “Not so with you.” (may be the key phrase of our Christian life…)
• Instead…(vs. 43-45) even Jesus did not come to be served...that’s HUGE!
• Jesus came to serve and wash the disciples feet.
• By serving others we are following the example of Jesus.

(Back to the family analogy)...What were some of the chores or responsibilities you had growing up?…And were you expected to do them? Why would our parents require this of us? It’s called helping out…
• It’s actually selfish for you to come here on a regular basis and only take.
• Again, if you are a regular attender here and not doing anything on Sunday mornings to help out, check your motives.
• The call to greatness comes through service.

Frank Grubbs, World Vision

An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse, named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move.
Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond.
Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!"
Nothing.
Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.
The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times. The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try."

Foundations of the faith, giving back to God

2011-01-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Giving back to God
Mark 12:41-44, 2 Corinthians 8:2-7, Malachi 3:7-12

Intro… A Monk giving everything to God…a bit extreme…that’s not going to be most of us…

Text: Mark 12:41-44

First of all, I think it’s important that we all think about the title of today’s sermon...giving back to God.
• We give out of gratitude, gratefulness, acknowledging that God allows us to even have anything in the first place.
• Think about when someone does something incredible generous for you. Most of us want to give something back. “That was so kind, what can I ever do to pay you back?”

The money we give to God should come right off the top, the first check we write after getting paid.
• Why? God deserves our best, not the leftovers. I know that’s a huge step of faith, but that’s when God can really show you some crazy stuff.
• Proverbs 3:9-10
• Don’t just tithe when you’re rolling in dough….Mark 12:41b
• “I can tithe now, I’m covered, here’s a little for you God.” God wants/deserves our best.

Give with a cheerful heart, right attitude.
• How many of you have ever volunteered for something? If you show up with a bad attitude, it’s no fun for anyone.
• How could God be pleased if you are giving spitefully?
• 2 Cor. 9:7-8

Support your local church.
• “Think globally, act locally.”
• Pacific View is part of something bigger than ourselves. We support missionaries and our denomination is HUGE!

How much to give?
• Lev. 27:30 “Tithe” literally means 10%.
• 10%...a good place to start, but be careful!
• If you’re too concerned about the “gross/net” thing, then you are already heading in the wrong direction.

Does anyone want to share today on how God has blessed you because of tithing?
• God has all of us here today for a purpose…
• BTW, today’s message is really for our regulars...

God wants all of us, not just our money.
• Besides your money, what else can you give to God?
• 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

Still doubting? Check out Malachi 3:7-12
• Yes, God is asking you to actually test him in this area. Makes no sense, but go ahead and start tithing on what little you may have now.
• We have a tendency to be so tight with all our stuff...especially our money.
• In Matthew, Mark, and Luke 1 out of every 6 verses deals with money. Of the 29 parables Christ told, 16 deal with a person and his money.

Conclusion:
• An employee in the bill-collection dept. of a large store gives us important insight into the human nature:
• An oft repeated response from people who are delinquent in paying their bills: “I know you must have others who owe a lot more than I do. Stop bugging me!”
• Problem is, these people are missing the point entirely. Yes, there are others who owe more, however, what they owe isn’t the issue. Our records show that YOUR account is overdue!
• When it come to money issues, our tendency is to shift attention from ourselves by pointing the finger at others.
• “Yeah, well, I might not be tithing, but I’m sure everyone else is, and the church seems to be doing OK, they never have to beg and plead for money…”
• Thank God, we are doing fine in finance dept. year after year...but that’s only because people have taken it upon themselves to make sure they are tithing.
• Or you could be saying, “Hey at least I’m giving something and it’s better than those “pagans” who don’t go to church and never give anything.
• Well, guess what, the “pagans” are pointing at us and figure we’re just hypocrites anyways, cause they see us mess up…
• God isn’t fooled by any of us finger pointers. He’s seeing right into our hearts and minds.

God doesn’t need our money, just our heart, because God doesn’t operate on a money scale anyways.
• And once he has our hearts, we won’t have a problem giving back to him.

“The sooner we realize that no one owes more to God than we do, the more likely we are to receive his free forgiveness. He extends pardon only to those who humbly acknowledge that they are hopelessly in debt.

Remember today’s sermon title...Giving back to God.
• Psalm 50:7-12 He owns everything…
• I know this is a huge area of faith for all of us. I want God’s best for you and this is an important step in the right direction.

Feedback?
Any tithing/blessing stories?

Foundations of the faith, personal time with God.

2011-01-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Foundations of the faith, personal time with God.
(Bible reading and prayer) Psalm 119:97-112

Intro… My dad and I getting very lost in the rainy woods…hot tomato soup when we got home.
• It could’ve all been prevented had we taken a compass reading from the start.
• Setting the moral compass…

Big Pic: In this world of craziness, we need personal time with God.
• This is a time to listen to God through the reading of his word and talk to God through prayer.

Text: Psalm 119:97-105

• How many of you have heard the phrase “quiet time?” It’s actually a good name…I want to talk to you this morning about being still and quiet before God
• Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."

Good communication involves two things, what are they?
• Talking and listening.
• We usually have no problem talking to God.
• We need to learn how to listen to him better.
• One of the ways that happens best is through time in the Bible.

A few things consistent time in the bible will do for you:
V. 97 Teaches you to love the laws of God.
• “Love your law” It takes time to get to that place, but it’s key.
• As you mature in your faith, you learn that God’s laws are for our good, our protection.

v. 98-100 & 104a Makes you wiser/gain understanding.
• Talking the other day with a friend about college costs/our kids careers etc...that’ll all come later, but for now…
• Nothing thrills me more than to see my children developing a love for God. (Elijah’s quote, “New years resolution, read a book of the bible.)
• 3 John 4 We all need a child’s eagerness for the Bible.

v. 101-102, 104b & 110 Teaches you to hate what is wrong.
• May sound harsh, but that’s actually what happens.
• As someone matures in their faith, it’s great to hear them say, “You know I don’t even have a desire to do ____________ anymore.”

v. 103 Gives you a taste of the sweet things.
• Learn to crave the meat of the word and not just the milk…
1 Cor. 3:1-3, Heb. 5:11-14
• We’re all excited about Mo and Arielle’s baby…Babies are cute and all… but we need to grow past that stage.

v. 105 Guides and directs your life.
• The bible is our roadmap/direction for life.
• I can’t tell you that the bible addresses every single issue we face, but the more time you spend in God’s word, the more wisdom you’ll have when it come to making decisions that are not “black and white” spelled out directly in the bible.
• ...living together/sex before getting married… ”But the bible doesn’t say…” Yeah, but you should know better.

“The bible does not expressly condemn many things, including racial discrimination against certain races, killing abortion doctors as a means of fighting abortion, or smoking crack, yet few people would argue that these acts are morally justified.”
• When it comes to these “unspoken” issues in the Bible, we all need to pray about them and search the scriptures.
• If you do make a change, it needs to be because God is telling you to do this, not me.
• THAT’S THE KEY! Time in the word will do that for you. We need to hear from God!

v. 107-108 Gives us perspective when suffering.
• We’ll learn to praise God through it all.
• We all know that suffering is a part of life and that it’s going to happen.
• We need to seek God’s perspective when it does.

v. 109 Keeps us focused when we continually try to make a go of it on our own.
• We need to be able to get to the point where we can say, “I’ve prayed about it, read the scriptures etc. and Lord it’s in your hands from here. “
• Prayer Always pray about everything and trust God for the outcome. Don’t be surprised is God changes you through your time of prayer…
• Ideally you have the time to spend with God in the morning before things get crazy. A nice peaceful hour with God, no interruptions...right parents?
• Or maybe it’s more chaotic...
• Somehow, somewhere, we need to carve out quiet space for God. Your personal time with God may come in shorts bursts, or later in the day.
• There will be times when it’s long and uninterrupted and time where you have to squeeze it in. Yes, you want to give God your day from the start, but don’t forget to check in with him throughout the day.

v. 111 Gives you a rich heritage and joy in your heart.
• That’s something that only God can give you, real, lasting joy.
• Not only personal time with God, but also setting the example to your families, dad and mom….family prayer time, devotions, etc.

v. 112 Gives you a heart after God.
• God only wants our hearts...fully devoted to him. Once that happens, the choices we make will be obvious.
GOSPEL

Where, how to start?
• Get a translation you can understand. Take a free bible here...
• Psalms and Proverbs…NT
• Read entire books, follow the story, resist the temptation to “salad bar” your theology…
• Start small, 5-10 min. a day before you venture in to a BSF or Beth Moore study.
• Why not embark on your own quest to read through the bible this year?

Conclusion:
Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we
treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

Discussion/questions/thoughts etc.

Foundations of the faith, small groups

2011-01-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

“The social network, the importance of small groups.”

Intro…“The social network” FB, etc.
• I am now at 506 friends, kinda weird…
• Jesus had a social network too…crowds of followers demanding his attention, raw disciples needing to learn…
• We need to connect in life. As humans we need each other. This bonding or connection happens on many levels. Initially (hopefully) with your family, friends, teammates, roommates, boyfriends/girlfriends, new families, church families etc.

Big Picture: As Christians, we need to connect with each other for support, accountability and encouragement. The best way for that to happen is to meet in small groups.

Text: Mark 3:7-14
Jesus spent lots of time with many disciples. How many disciples did Jesus have? (He picked 12 to spend most of his time with,)
• Let’s get a perspective as to why Jesus needed to spend time with a smaller group of disciples. (see highlighted passages from Mark 1:32-3:20)
• He also spent time with a few…Mark 5:35-37, 9:2, 14:32-34.
• Even Jesus saw the value in small groups, trusting the future of Christianity to 12 men.
• So, we are talking connecting on a big scale (Sunday am), smaller scale (comm. Groups) and an even smaller scale 1-3 close friends.

Small groups are really about community, connecting and discipleship.
Actually getting to know some people at church. Having them pray for you, hold you accountable to your growth, getting connected.

Our small groups are:
• Discussion oriented (most of ‘em).
• Time oriented (usually between 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on how long you hang out…)
• A place to ask questions you can’t on Sunday am.
• A place to open up your life, be accountable. (I know it’s scary...but o-so good for you. And don’t worry it’s not like AA...)
• There’s normal people that attend these groups….
• A place to pray and be prayed for…
• A place where you will feel cared for/loved on and taken care of.
• As you get to know that group, it will become your “mini-church’.
• They will and should take care of you even before I hear about it!
• A place to grow deeper in your faith/discipleship…
• When you hear “discipleship” what come to mind?

As a church we exist to: Love God, love others and serve the world.
• One of the best ways to love others is through a small group.

Let’s take a look at some good verses on this subject of growing deeper in your faith:
Matthew 16:24-26
• To truly follow Jesus will require a level of sacrifice.
• What part of your pride do you need to let go in order to go deeper with God?

Luke 18:28-30
• Even to these extremes (if necessary) we should be willing to follow Christ.
• We need to follow Christ even if it means giving up those things that are so near and dear to our hearts.

Why should we have this type of dedication to Jesus?
• Because: 1 Peter 2:9
• But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you. 1 Peter 2:9
• Look at these titles we get as Christians:
• Chosen people royal priesthood holy nation a people belonging to God
• We need to act like it!

I’m going to assume that no one is dragging you here kicking and screaming every week.
• So, if you are at all serious about your Christian faith, then you will take the next step which is getting connected to a small groups which is a form of discipleship.

Here’s what we’ve got for small groups for now.
• Tuesday evenings
• Wednesday evenings
• Other nights, more groups?
• OR You tell me what kind of small groups you’d be interested. If we find enough matches, we’ll organize new groups! Base ‘em on common interest.

What if I’m afraid to jump from Sunday’s into a possibly confrontational small group?
• Start on a “lower level.” Tech team, music, greeters…see bulletin.
• It’s great when you get to church and actually know some people…
• The challenge for every church (100 or 5000) is to get people in small groups.
• You will never be as connected to God, other Xians and this church…
• What happens if you don’t connect? We lose you…”I never really go to know anyone at that church.”

Theme for today? We want you to be able to connect with a smaller group of people outside of Sunday morning…so that you can grow deeper in your faith with God.

Conclusion:
• I’ve been fortunate enough to have been involved in “small groups” for over 30 years now…these groups have been instrumental in my walk with God.
• FB vs. real life…contact is kinda like the large church service vs. small groups.
• And as great as it is to have hundreds of “friends” on FB or at church, there is nothing like real time conversations.

Foundations of the faith, church attendance

2011-01-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Foundations of the faith, church attendance
Zechariah 7:8-14

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Intro… ”I don’t need church”, “The ocean is my church.” “I love Jesus but not the church.”
• If someone were to ask you why you go to church, what would be your answer…?
• Yes, all churches have problems…yet for the Christian who is truly committed to God, staying away from them is a form of self-righteousness.
• Some people are too full of pride to find a local body of Christ and learn to get along with everyone in that church.
• There is no way you can grow deeper in your faith unless you are involved in a community of faith.
• It’s like a family, sometimes gets along, sometimes doesn’t….
• We need each other for support, accountability etc.
• If we really want to get to know Jesus better, you must be deeply involved in the church.
• And remember, “the church” is the people, large or small group.
• Only if you are part of a community of believers seeking to resemble, love and serve Jesus will you ever get to know him and grow into his likeness.

• Big Pic: Being actively involved in the “church” is a sign of your commitment to God and shows a desire to grow deeper in your faith.

Text: Zechariah 7:8-14

Brief background to Zechariah:
• Zechariah is a OT prophet encouraged the people to finish the Temple.
• They had laid the foundation for the Temple in 536, but the work had stalled for about 15 years.
• Zechariah predicted more about the Messiah than any other prophet except Isaiah.
• This book is one of consolation and hope, beginning with a call to repentance and ending with prophecies concerning the return of Christ.

In chapter 7, he tells the people to move from ritual to reality in their worship of God.
• He does what all prophets do best, tell people things they don’t want to hear!

Let’s take a look at chapter 7…
• The people are asking, (v. 3) “Should we weep and fast as we have done for so many years?”
• Zechariah’s response…(v.4-6) ”Are you fasting and mourning for yourselves or for God?” IOW, do you have the right motives?
• Religion without obedience and justice is empty.
• These people’s ancestors had brought God’s wrath by hardening their hearts.
• And now the Israelites had lost their sincere desire for a loving relationship with God.
• That’s usually what messes up church life…when it becomes more about the programs and performance than a loving relationship with God and others.
• Now that the temple was being rebuilt, the people were questioning whether there was a need to observe these rituals.
• So, when we go to church, small groups, pray or fellowship with other Christians, are we doing it out of habit or routine?
• Or maybe for only what you can get out of it.
• An attitude of worship without a sincere desire to know and love God will lead to his anger and our ruin.
• Then Zechariah gives examples of healthy “church” life…what a gathered group of believers should be acting like…

V. 8-10 “And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah” (remember what I said last week about God’s revelation in the OT)
• Render true judgments (be careful how we judge others, always recognizing our own failures…)
• Show kindness and mercy to each other (that never gets old)
• Don’t oppress those in need (widows, fatherless, poor, etc.)
• Quit backstabbing each other (why is that so easy?)
• This is healthy church life!

Look at the contrast in those who are not acting godly to each other; v. 11-14
• Refusing to pay attention (to God)
• Turned a stubborn shoulder
• Stopped their ears that they might not hear
• Made their hearts diamond-hard (Chilean miners) lest they should hear the law and words of the Lord

And here is the consequence: (v. 12b-14)
• Great anger from the Lord (or what we tend to think of as the “OT God”….when actually that’s the eternal, timeless God.)
• God turning a deaf ear toward us! v. 13
• A scattered people…(just the opposite of what we need)
• A land left desolate
• Video clip of “The book of Eli”
• A land (or heart of group of people) left desolate

We come to church, we are the church, we gather with the church:
• Out of respect for God
• To worship him, be humbled before him and to hear what he has to say.
• To stay accountable to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
• To show what a healthy family should look like…showing kindness and mercy to each other, taking care of the poor.
• To stay nurtured, cared for, loved on.
• To keep us from being scattered and desolate.

Being around God’s people will also help us to:
• …listen to God, keep from being stubborn, open our ears and soften our hearts.
• … better hear the words of the Lord.

Conclusion:
• So whether it’s the surfer/ministry guy I read about at the beginning of the sermon or “Patrick” not wanting to go to church because they were talking about God’s judgment…
• It’s not up to me or any other pastor to tell you how many Sunday’s a year to be in church.
• What I can tell you is to be in church more often than not this year.
• I’d also like you to broaden your definition of church this year and realize the importance of gathering with other Christians under many different circumstances.

Q & A?

Communion intro

Pause, reflect, look back, look forward

2010-12-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

Pause, reflect, look back, look forward
Proverbs 16: 1-9

(To hear this sermon live, please go to www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Intro… Game of life/ life maps etc. These are games where the risks aren't quite so high, but we learn lessons nontheless from these games.
• We hit this time of year and we can’t help but to pause, reflect, etc.
• Sometimes it seems like God places us in a holding pattern between Christmas and New Years. I think it’s for the purpose of evaluation.
• Christmas, family gatherings, old year passing, new year coming etc.

Big Pic: Let’s take advantage of the natural seasons God gives us to evaluate our lives according to a biblical standard.

Text: Proverbs 16:1-9

It’s so easy to rush ahead with our plans. Let’s take a look at some good, solid, practical, biblical advice when it comes to planning our lives.

v. 1, 9 There is an important balance between the plans of our heart and the directions the Lord gives us.
• On one hand, we have to go with what seems right in our hearts.
• On the other hand, we need to base our decisions on biblical study.
• Three ways God has revealed himself throughout history (OT, Jesus and the Holy Spirit)
• The more time we spend in the word, the more we know God’s character.
• We also learn from all the saints that have gone before us.
• We learn from the mistakes and victories of those in the Bible and other great Christians throughout the centuries.
• We just need to be careful that our emotions or heart doesn’t get too carried away and make decisions that God would not be pleased with.
• The heart-action with God’s guidance is an important connection.
• God has given us emotions and logic.
• Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn’t.
• Sometimes we step out completely in faith, other times we are more sure of God’s direction.
• Questions/thoughts?

v. 2-8 give us some practical advice on how we combine the two. (heart/logic)
v. 2 Reminds us that we can justify just about anything…but we’ve got to let God weigh our spirits or hearts.
• Listen to the Holy Spirit. Usually you know if it’s right or wrong.
• This comes with more time in the Word, being around other Christians etc.
• That’s the value of the church community…

v. 3 Commit your (life) work to the Lord…
• Baby dedications…that should be the pattern for your whole life.
• Dedicating everything, everyday to God, asking for his guidance and blessing.
• When we’ve given everything to God, or dedicated it to him, then our plans will be established, in the way God wants them to be.

v. 4 God “allows” everything.
• Just think about this last year—or better, the last two or three years.
• Things haven’t gone at all like you expected, have they?
• As an example, you may be living in a completely different city than where you lived three years ago.
• In fact, you may have assumed you would be living in that previous location all your life.
• But you’ve now come to realize there are other places to live . . . and that God’s grand plan for you includes a complete change of scenery.
• As we ask God to guide our lives each year, be open to the changes he may bring that you weren’t expecting.

v. 5 Pride comes before a fall.
• Maybe you’ve had a great year and are giving yourself too much credit.
• Taking too much credit (arrogance) is an abomination to the Lord!
• Abomination: anything greatly disliked or abhorred, a vile, shameful, or detestable action, condition, habit.
• I think we’ve all experienced the punishment from too much pride.

v. 6 There is power in steadfast love and faithfulness.
• The ultimate example of steadfast love and faithfulness is God.
• Because of that love he atoned or paid for our iniquity, or sins through Christ’s death on the cross.
• That should give us such respect and fear of God that we will turn away from evil.
• The right response to God’s grace is moral effort…continually trying to do the right thing.
• And that helps us make good life choices, year in and year out.

v. 7 When our plans please the Lord, all will be at peace.
• So as we face a whole new year, we all want peace, right?
• That peace comes when our ways, our paths, our choices please God.
• Sometimes that path is easy and sometimes it’s hard…
• When the path gets rough... tragedy strikes, a dark shadow has been cast across your life . . . or perhaps within the life of someone in your family…
• At such times, it helps to cling to the perspectives of Joseph and Paul, who factored God’s sovereignty into the struggle of their lives. (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28)
• And somehow, we even make our enemies at peace.
• That one I can’t really explain, but it’s right here in the Bible, so I’m going to believe it.

v. 8 Even a small bit of righteousness goes a long way.
• At times it seems like evil wins out over righteousness, but God is ultimately righteous and that will win out.
• That’s why we want to keep doing what it right. It’s the right (godly) thing to do.

v. 9 Just have to remember that tricky balance.
• I’ve been a Christian my whole life and never heard an audible voice from God…
• Yet I’ve also spent my whole life studying the Bible…
• I’ve made good and bad decisions, thankfully nothing to disastrous.
• Whatever we might say about the events of the past few years, we have to confess that most of these things have come without announcement.
• We really had no way of knowing they would occur.
• As we close out the old year and prepare for the new, we often find ourselves shaking our heads in amazement as we look back . . . and lifting our eyes in faith to heaven as we look ahead.
• The future remains a vast, unknown, open space. Yet it lies completely in the hands of our sovereign Lord. “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:3).

As you step out into the unknown, stay close to Him.

Questions/thoughts?

One way to God John 14:1-6

2010-12-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

Vintage Jesus, “One way.” John 14:6

Intro… there is really only one right way to fix things…(goofy things guys do when trying to fix stuff)
• Vintage Jesus series…this is a HUGE one…
• Contrary to what some people think, all religions or paths don’t lead to God…
• It sounds good and “politically correct” to think that all paths lead to God…but in reality, there is only one way to God.

Big Pic: Jesus makes the claim the he is the only way to God. What each person does with that claim will determine their eternal destiny.

Text: John 14:1-6
There are a lot of people today who don’t know where they are going. They may know what their career is, where they should live, etc. but when it comes to eternal things…

Let’s look at some of the key statements Jesus makes leading up to John 14:6
v. 1 “Don’t let you hearts be troubled, trust in God, trust also in me.”
• Life is troubling, times are hard, things can get confusing….trust in God.
• That’s the first step, being willing to trust in God…
• The way to eternal life, though unseen and tough at times is secure.

v. 2-3 Heaven is full of rooms and Jesus is preparing those rooms or house for us.
• Since the way to eternal life has been prepared, the only question is are you willing to believe Jesus’ words?

v. 4-5 Jesus reminds the disciples (us) that they/we know the way, yet doubting Thomas says, “How can we know the way?”

v. 6 Then Jesus makes it very simple and clear:
• “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
• Isaiah 45:21

"Are you saying Jesus Christ is the only way, and that if someone doesn't believe in Him they're actually going to hell? That's so narrow! So insensitive! So intolerant!"
• I’m not saying it, Jesus said it in John 14:6. So…we’ve all got to deal with that statement.

Well, all religions basically say and teach the same thing. They're all true. And besides, if a person is really sincere in what they believe, they'll get to heaven."
• “They’re in a better place…”
• You can’t make the most important decision of your life based on feelings and opinions.
“If a person truly is sincere in what he believes and tries to live a good life, then he will get to heaven.”
• So Adolf Hitler is in heaven, right? He sincerely believed what he was doing was right.
• "No!" you protest. "He is not good!" Really? According to whose definition?
• Why is it wrong to lie, steal and murder? As much as we may hate to admit it, it's because God said it.
• Sincerity is never enough. We have to have a set of absolutes to live by. We can't simply make up the rules as we go along. You may want to believe that "all roads lead to God."

It helps if we distinguish between "matters of truth" and "matters of taste."
• Taste: In-N-Out has the best burgers in SD. I love the Dave Matthews Band. SDA is the best high school in north county.
• Truth: Barack Obama is our current president. The Titanic sunk into the icy waters of the Atlantic on April 15, 1912 about 2:20a.m. Over six million Jewish men, women and children perished in the holocaust.
• Matters of truth require us to make a decision anytime the "mass of evidence or weight of reasons point in one direction rather than another.”

So…with all due respect, all religions don’t teach the same thing. We don’t need to get ugly about it or argumentative, just take a look at the facts.

Let’s look at three basic areas:
• The existence of a personal God. Buddhists deny it altogether. Hindus believe that God is formless and abstract, taking the form of a trinity as well as millions of lesser gods. In Christianity, the Bible teaches that God is a personal deity, who created man in His own image, loves us and wants to have a relationship with us.
• Salvation. Buddhists believe salvation comes by self-effort alone – with no personal God to help or guide you. Hindus believe you achieve salvation by devotion, works and self-control. Muslims insist that man earns his own salvation, pays for his own sins, and that you can never be certain if you have achieved salvation or not. In Christianity, the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and if we will turn from our own way and follow Him, we can be forgiven and have the hope of heaven.
• Jesus Christ. Buddhists believe Jesus was a good teacher, but less important than Buddha. Hindus believe Jesus was just one of many incarnations, or sons of God. They teach that Christ was not the one-and-only Son of God. He was no more divine than any other man, and He did not die for man's sins. Muslims will tell you that Jesus Christ was only a man, a prophet equal to Adam, Noah or Abraham, all of whom are below Muhammad in importance. Christians believe that Jesus is God, was crucified for our sins and rose again.

They can’t all be true.
Acts 4:12, 1 Tim. 2:5

Christianity does not teach that only Christians deserve to go to heaven.
• It teaches that no one deserves to go to heaven, because we have all done wrong during our lives (Rom 3:23…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God).

We can gain admittance to heaven by repenting of our wrongs, accepting Jesus Christ's death as payment for our wrongs and deciding to follow and worship him as Lord.
• John 14:6 reminds us that Jesus is the only way to God, not any particular church or denomination. (John 6:40).
• Salvation is accessible to everyone and is intended by God for everyone: “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 45:22)

Actually all paths do lead to God, but all paths don’t lead to heaven.
• Everyone of us will stand before the judgment throne of God..
• Unfortunately for many, God won’t be pleased with them.
• Some will get Grace. Some will get what they deserved.

Conclusion:
C. S. Lewis "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. ... You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to" ("Mere Christianity," 52).

To hear this sermon live, go to: www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.

File this under bizzare San Diego news

2010-12-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

Escondido Bomb House: Controlled Burn Of Explosives
After several weeks of planning, the San Diego sheriff's department, ATF , and other authorities began a controlled burn of the so-called "Bomb House" in Escondido. The home came under scrutiny on November 18, when landscaper Mario Garcia stepped on an explosive device in the yard. He sustained injuries to his chest, eye, and arm. Investigators stumbled upon a home that was packed with bomb-making chemicals, hand grenades, and other explosives.

How strange is it that; A. The guy was building bombs in his house. B. There was so much explosive materials they had to burn it all the ground. C. They had to burn the entire house down...and they did! Not sure I want San Diego on the national map for this one.

Mindbending Jesus statements

2010-12-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

“Mindbending Jesus statements” Luke 12:1-12

Intro…Turn the other cheek, the meek will inherit the earth, the first will be last and the last will be first, take up your cross and follow me, hate your father and mother etc. These are “Mindbending Jesus statements.”
• “Vintage Jesus” series…these are famous quotes many people are familiar with…and only someone like Jesus is qualified to make a statement like these.
Text: Luke 12:6-12

Big Pic: God has a personal interest in our everyday affairs.

Background:
• In the first 4 vs. Jesus is warning people to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. Why?
• The Pharisees had a bad habit of trying to appear holy when their hearts were far from God.
• These attitudes couldn’t be hidden forever (v. 2-3).
• The Pharisees where just power hungry
• Speaking to a crowd of many thousands trampling on each other.
• In vs. 6-12 Jesus reminds this crowd of what is really important.

v. 5 “Fear him…who has the power to throw you into hell.”
• Yikes! But that has to be recognized.
• God alone has the power to decide who enters heaven and who enters hell. Rev. 20:10
• Yes, we make choices, but there is predestination. Remember, we don’t know who God has chosen, so let’s not guess…
• God’s personal interest is that we make the right choice.
• Just make sure that you aren’t going to hell.

v. 7 “The very hairs of you head are all numbered.”
• What? Actually? Yes, God could tell you the exact number of hairs on your head if he needed to.
• Our true value is what God thinks of us, not others.
• God cares for us, as he does all of his creation, because we belong to him.
• God cares about every detail of your life.
• God’s personal interest is that nothing is too small or insignificant.
v. 8-9 “Whoever disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.”
• We need to be willing to make a public stand for God.

• Initially that means becoming a Christian…but we also deny or disown Jesus when we:
• Hope that no one will find out we are a Christian
• Decide not to speak up for what is right
• Are silent about our relationship with God
• Compromise culturally

• What we should be doing is:
• Living a godly life, look for opportunities to talk about our faith, serve others, take a stand for justice, acknowledge loyalty to Christ, carry out God’s desires instead of our own.
• God’s personal interest is that we are proud of our relationship with him.

v. 10 “Anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
• We may think there are other unforgivable sins, but this is actually the only one. What exactly is it?
• It’s denying or rejecting the Holy Spirit’s prompting of your heart, or his power in your life.
• Closing your heart to God.
• It’s the deliberate refusal to acknowledge God and his power, having nothing to do with God.
• A deliberate and irreversible hardness of heart. Turning your back on God and rejecting all faith.
• This person can’t be forgiven because they will never ask for forgiveness. It’s called pride and ego.
• The first step to coming to God is admitting your fault and need of God.
• If you are afraid you’ve committed this sin, that actually a good sign that you haven’t!
• So remember, blasphemy is a serious offense!
• We should all look at this word in a different way now…
• God’s personal interest is that we don’t reject his offer of salvation.

v. 11 “Do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
• Just imagine the disciples a bunch of uneducated fishermen going at it with the educated Jewish leaders…
• They might have been rough around the edges, but what God did in their lives was undeniable. Same with all of us today.
• This is actually a very comforting verse, especially when it comes to talking to others about your faith.
• Even if we “had all the answers,” the Holy Spirit still needs to speak to people and soften their hearts.
• However, this isn’t an excuse to not be prepared.
• We are still called to diligent study of God’s word etc.
• God’s personal interest is that we trust him and let his power show for itself.

Conclusion: The sayings of Jesus are important to understand. They give us a deeper insight into our faith and the Christian life.

Vintage Jesus

2010-12-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

Vintage Jesus
“Next time you think you’re perfect, try walking on water.”
Matthew 14:22-33

Intro….When it comes to “Vintage Jesus”, the story of him walking on the water is one of the best known.
• There are countless cultural references to walking on water.
• I think you could go up to most people and ask them who was the only person to ever walk on water and they’d say Jesus.
Text: Matthew 14:22-33
Big Picture: The story in Matthew 14 is “Vintage Jesus” because it is well known, is truly miraculous, proves that Jesus is God, and teaches us about faith and trust in God.

The boat full of disciples is now in the middle of the lake, in the middle of a storm and check out this statement:
• (v.25) “During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.”
• Yes, I fully believe Jesus walked on water. I also believe he fed the “10,000” etc.
• Vintage Jesus is the Jesus who is miraculous.
• And I’m talking miraculous in a God way, not a way we use the term today to describe a full court basketball shot at the buzzer, or grand slam in the 9th inning to win the game…
• This was no big deal to Jesus, he wasn’t showing off. He was just doing what he does best, perform needed miracles to make a point.
• The miracles of Jesus always served a purpose. He didn’t walk around “blowing stuff up, or setting things on fire” just to show off…
• Jesus had just fed at least 5000 people to show them that he will always provide and that there will always be enough.
• In the miracle of Jesus walking on the water, Jesus teaches about faith, trust and staying focused on him.
• The miracles of Jesus should lead us to worship him, to awe and wonder.
• Jesus used miraculous power to heal the sick, feed the hungry and raise the dead.
• (Tim Keller “The reason for God” on the importance of miracles.) “Jesus’ miracles are about more than just about the suspension of natural order, they are about restoration of the natural order.
• God did not make the world originally to have disease, hunger and death.
• Jesus has come to redeem what is wrong and heal what is broken.
• “His miracles are not just proof that he has power but amazing foretastes of what he is going to do with that power.”

Now all this miracle stuff sounds great to the casual observer…

v. 26 “They were terrified, it’s a ghost, they cried out in fear.”
• Who can blame them? It was sometime between 3-6am and it’s not like you see someone walking on the water every day. As far as we know, this is the first and last time this ever happened.
• This part of the story, we can all relate to…image driving down the freeway in the middle of the night on your way home from a Thanksgiving gathering and you see Jesus walking down the freeway in the middle of all the cars…
• However, “Vintage Jesus” wants us to trust him…to know that this actually is him wanting to show us something important.
• The natural tendency is to shrink in fear or amazement when the miraculous happens.
• Instead, Jesus wants us to follow him, to trust in him.

v. 28 Peter is such an important part of this story. He represents all of humanity.
• What do you see in this picture? (fear, faith, trust, cheering on..)
• We know God is asking us to step out and have faith.
• That first step can be easy or hard, but what’s really hard is to continue to keep focused, keeping our eyes on Jesus.
• Doubt is not the absence of faith it is a test of faith.
• Peter had faith to step out but he did not count the cost and he looked down. He got distracted by the “world around him.”
• It was only then that Peter began to falter and sink.
• Yet, the hand of grace pulled Peter to safety.

So, when we talk about “Vintage Jesus, ” here are some important things to remember:
• Jesus has control over the situation. Wind and waves obey Him.
• We must keep our eyes on the LORD rather than the situation that threatens to engulf us.
• That will give us the confidence we need to walk through the raging storms in our lives.
• Christ's hand is always extended to the lost.
• We all need to reach out in faith to the LORD for salvation.
• Jesus walking on water is a principle that the invisible realities of faith in Christ are victorious over the visible threats of this world, regardless of the form they may take.
• This story of Jesus walking on the water is one that just about everyone has heard of.
• It’s a great chance to have a conversation with someone about why this is possible, why Jesus can do this.
• It affirms his deity.
• It shows he is asking us to keep our eyes on him and have faith.
• “Vintage Jesus” is not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.

v. 27 If we listen we can hear the soothing voice of Jesus, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

2010-11-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

Growing up a skate rat of the 70's I kinda idolized skaters like Jay Adams, Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta etc. It was pretty cool having Jay at our church this morning. He's lived a rough life, but by the grace of God, he's coming out strong in Christ. Skip Frye has been a great friend for many years and it's always great having him help out with events at our church. It was a good day for those of us who grew up surfing and skating.

Questions

2010-11-13T07:56:00.000-08:00

We are excited about having Skip Frye and Jay Adams at our church on Sunday. Here is a sample of some of the questions we'll cover during the interview process.

• One of the things you enjoyed most when you were “young and famous.”
• When did you become a Christian and what led to that choice?
• What caused you to walk away from God for a period in your life?
• What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned from your failures?
• Jay, are you in touch with the Dogtown crew and what do they think about your Christian faith?
• Skip, can you explain the fascination the Japanese have with your boards?
• How are you able to share your faith with fans who want to know more about your “fame” then your Christianity?
• Jay, what was the hardest thing about prison?
• Skip what was the hardest thing about your time in France?
• What advice do you have for us today in regards to helping people keep the faith?
• What do you want your legacy to be?

If you have any other questions you would like to ask these guys, we'll have a time for Q & A after the service. See you all at 9:30am tomorrow morning!

Skip and Jay

2010-11-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

This Sunday is our official "grand opening" of Crossroads, the contemporary service at our church. We are honored to have Skip Frye and Jay Adams as our guest speakers. They are both legends in the surf and skateboarding worlds. Skip is a world famous shaper/surfer and Jay is from the Dog-Town Z boys era. Come hear their stories of how they have gone from fame and success to meaning and purpose. Service time is 9:30am. Our church is located at 845 Sante Fe. Dr., Encinitas, Ca. 92024

Flexibility

2010-10-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

(Once again, Chuck Swindoll says it well. This article applies to all of us who are resistant to the changes God wants to bring in our lives and churches.)

Flexibility
Are you open to change?

People who make a difference can be stretched, pulled, pushed, and often changed. You heard it from me: traditionalism is an old dragon, bad about squeezing the very life out of its victims. So never stop fighting it. Watch out for those age-old ruts!

Let’s be careful to identify the right opponent. It isn’t tradition per se; it’s traditionalism. I’m not trying to be petty, only accurate. The right kind of traditions gives us deep roots—a solid network of reliable truth in a day when everything seems up for grabs.

Among such traditions are those strong statements and principles that tie us to the mast of truth when storms of uncertainty create frightening waves of change driven by winds of doubt. For example: believing in the authority of Holy Scripture, knowing and loving God, bowing to the lordship of Jesus Christ, committing ourselves to others, filling the role of a servant-hearted leader, and becoming a person of genuine encouragement. Such traditions (there are others, of course) are valuable absolutes that keep us from feeling awash in a world of relativism and a culture shot through with uncertainty.

However, a great deal of difference exists between tradition and traditionalism. By traditionalism, I have in mind mainly an attitude that resists change, adaptation, or alteration. It is blindly and forcefully holding fast to a custom or behavior. It is being suspicious of the new, the up-to-date, the different. It is finding one’s security, even identity, in the familiar and therefore opposing whatever threatens that. And if you’ll allow me one more, it is substituting a legalistic system for the freedom and freshness of the Spirit—being more concerned about keeping rigid, human-made rules than being flexible, open to creativity and innovation.

By now, you’ve guessed where I stand. Clearly, my position is on the side of openness, allowing room for the untried, the unpredictable, the unexpected—all the while holding fast to the truth. Believe me; there are plenty of people around who feel it is their calling to tell others what to do and what to say. They are self-appointed wing-clippers who frown on new ways and put down high flight. They work hard to squeeze you into their mold.

Whoever decides to soar must first fight through the flatland fog that hangs heavy over the swamp of sameness.

—Chuck

Where are we going? What are we doing?

2010-10-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Why we are doing what we are doing.
Matthew 22:34-40, 20:26-28

Intro…I’m sure to the average person looking for a church it can be confusing…so many options…
Text: Matthew 22:34-40, 20:26-28
Big Picture: PLove God, love others and serve the world.

Here we are, almost 4 months into Crossroads.
• How did we get here? (Easter, combined service, pleased nobody, Look what God has done! )
• Where do we want to go? (We’d like to see our entire church grow healthy, both the contemporary service and the traditional. What a great opportunity we have to offer both!)
• How do we get there? By keeping it simple: Love God, love others and serve the world.

Let’s break that down:
We love God through our worship of Him.
• The Sunday morning service is still the primary front door to most churches.
• Through our corporate worship we learn the value of setting aside time for God, koinonia, communion, prayer, teaching, fellowship etc.
• It should be both our duty and our pleasure to worship God.
We love others through our small groups/bible studies.
• Right now we offer two mid week small groups…
• We will create new small groups as the need arises.
• We can be accountably in these groups and really get to know each other, pray for each other etc.
• I know it’s hard to get out on a weeknight…but it’s worth it!
Serve the world.
• That can start locally (SOS, outreach events etc.) and eventually expand to missions trips around the world.
• How many of you have been to other countries on mission trips?
• Be creative with how you serve others. It can happen in so many ways on a small scale and a large scale.
• Start in your home, your neighborhood, your work place, your school, your community.
• The power of service can never be denied.
• Jesus sets the ultimate example in Matt. 20:26-28

In our text today, the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus into making things more complicated than necessary.
• This expert in the law, a scribe said, “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment?”
• They were actually more interested in debating Jesus than learning the truth.
• They had over 600 laws they were trying to keep, so to them which one was the most important was huge.
• Jesus basically said, “Love God and love others.”
• The entire OT hangs on these two commandments.
• If we can love God, we’ll do the things that please God and live a morally upstanding life and naturally keep the other commandments.
• This is a positive spin on God’s laws instead of worrying about what we should not do.
• If we can love others, then we won’t be so selfish, and that naturally leads to wanting to:
• Serve others.
• Sometimes we want to make the Christian faith such a complicated deal.
• It doesn’t need to be. That’s why I’m trying to keep our mission as a church as short and simple as possible
• It’s a mission statement you all can easily memorize and repeat.
• That way we all know where we are going and we can track peoples spiritual growth or discipleship through those three basic steps.
• We always want to be moving people through those stages of Christian maturity. Each step builds on the other.
• The reason? It’s because we naturally tend to shift towards complacency and what is comfortable. Change is never easy.
• Sources of complacency. (This is what we want to avoid in our own Christian lives and in the life of our church.)

Nov. 14th Outreach
• Skip Frye, Jay Adams
• Article in The Coast News
• Flyers to houses, on business windows etc.
• New sermon series that Sunday, “Search for the Vintage Jesus.”
• Social networking (Please help!)
• Website
• We want people to know we are here, that we’ve made changes.

Plant new churches

Let’s keep the vision right on front of us as to why we are doing all of this.
• We want to see people become Christians and live their lives fully for him.
• It’s about a movement and getting people to follow Jesus.

Conclusion: Dancing nut video

Children obey your parents

2010-10-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Children obey your parents Eph. 6:1-3
Intro…Christian fish comic…parents set the rules.
Text: Ephesians 6:1-3
Big Picture: Children obey your parents in the Lord…so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on this earth.

Our series: Husbands love your wives, Wives submit to your husbands, Children obey your parents…
• Notice how these are all short, simple commands from God. Let’s not make things more complicated than need be.

Review: Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church.
Wives submit to your husband’s as to the Lord.
Children obey your parents in the Lord.

Common theme?
As Christians we serve God first. Loving our wives, submitting to our husbands and obeying our parents is the duty of all Christians. We do these things because they are right in God’s eyes…
• It’s not just about loving your wives, submitting and obeying, it’s really about loving God, submitting to Him and obeying Him.

So…in light of all that (today’s sermon)
Ephesians 6:1 Children obey your parents in the Lord…because it’s the right thing to do!
It's like our kids are in the Marines…first time obedience
• When children learn to obey their parents, it sets a precedent for the other authority figures in their lives later on.
• I say to my children all the time (when they complain about doing tasks/chores around the house) “It’s not like I’m asking you to do something that is unreasonable.”

Eph. 6:2 Honor your father and mother.
• It’s also the first commandment with a promise!
• Exodus 20:12 …”so that you may live long in the land the Lord is giving you.
• Obedience sets the stage for a long life. How so?
• Because proper order in the family is the basis for a solid social structure.
• Deut. 21:18-21
• Kids, when you are young and under the authority/influence of your parents, learning to obey them brings a sense of order to your life.
• It teaches you from a young age the line of authority. And what is that line?
• It starts with kids and goes all the way up to God.
• From Old to New Testament, God wants us to obey and honor our parents.
• The general lack of respect that kids have for their parents today is ridiculous. When that respect is established and maintained early on, it will reap benefits for years to come.
• Proverbs 6:20-22
• This is a passage that warns against adultery!
• These verses are similar to Deut. 6:4-9

BTW, we should honor our father and mother all throughout lives. (We are all “kids” until our parents die.)
• For some of you that’s easy, talking, phone calls, emails FB etc.
• For others, parents represent pain. Yet I still believe we can honor them, somehow.

Let’s look at a few other important verses on this topic of children obeying their parents.
• Leviticus 19:3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
• Proverbs 1:8-9 ,
• Prov. 13:24, (when you see a 6 yr. old throwing a temper tantrum in the store…ages 1-5 are critical and can set a pattern for life)
• Prov. 22:6, (Our children need constant training, they aren’t going to get disciplined on their own!)
• Prov. 23: 13-14 (our “rod”) What did your parents use?
Prov. 30:17 We used to quote this verse as youth pastors to put the fear of God into the kids…(the body will lay unburied for the birds to feed on. Duet. 28:26 “Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away.)

• 2 Timothy 3:1-5

• Luke 2:48-52 The example of Jesus.

Conclusion:
• To bring this all full-circle (v. 4) the responsibility always comes back to the Father.
• (Living) “And now a word to you parents, don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather bring them up with loving discipline the Lord himself approves with suggestions and godly advice.”
• So there is the balance. Children need to obey their parents and parents are not to exasperate your children.
• What a tricky balance.
• All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting to encounter yourself.
Gore Vidal

Wives submit to your husbands.

2010-10-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Relationships part 2, “Wives submit to your husband’s as to the Lord.”

Intro…The perfect couple
The Perfect Story: There was a perfect man who met a perfect woman. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect.

One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve this perfect couple was driving along a winding road when they noticed someone at the roadside in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to help. There stood Santa Claus with a huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys into their vehicle. Soon they were driving along delivering the toys. Unfortunately, the driving conditions deteriorated and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Only one of them survived the accident. Who was the survivor?

Answer: The perfect woman. She's the only one that really existed in the first place. Everyone knows there is no Santa Claus and there is no such thing as a perfect man.

A Male's Response: So, if there is no perfect man and no Santa Claus, the perfect woman must have been driving. This explains why there was a car accident.

Text: Eph. 5:22, Colossians 3:18
Big Picture: “Wives submit to your husband’s as to the Lord.” (Husbands, be the godly man your wife would want to submit to!)

Eph. 5:22-24 and Col. 3:18
• Let’s get it out in the open. It’s right there in the Bible…
• It doesn’t need to be that scary of a concept when understood within the entire framework of a healthy, godly marriage.
• If the husband is doing his job (last week’s sermon) then the wife will want to submit to his leadership.

A parallel that will help: (Eph. 5:23-24)
• Husband: head of the wife
• Christ: head of the church
• So…as the church submits to Christ, wives submit to their husbands.
We follow Christ because we want to, we know it’s right. And that’s the way it should be in a healthy, godly marriage.
• As the husband provides godly leadership, the wife submits because she wants to, knows it’s right (most of the time).
• It helps to point out that this type of godly marriage with mutual submission only works if both partners are fully committed Christians, living their lives for God!

4 main points to this passage I’d like to point out:
Wives submit to the leadership of their husbands.
Wives are to respect their husbands.
Wives are to love their husbands.
Wives are to be committed to their husbands.

v. 22 & 24 Wives submit to the leadership of their husbands.
• “As to the Lord, as is fitting to the Lord.”
• Good wife/husband relationships bring glory to God.
• Woman I told we were married 20 yrs…”I’ve never done anything for 20 yrs!”
• “You have 5 kids! All from the same wife?
• Yes, by God’s grace we’ve been married “all these years.”

1 Peter 3:1-6
• Submission could bring your husband to Christ!
• When a husband sees Christianity lived out consistently in the life of his wife, the purity and reverence for God, it can’t be denied.
• This is the inner beauty that comes from God.
• “The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s eyes.”
• Like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master…
• Women, you are daughters of Sarah…”Do not give way to fear!”
• Fear of what people may think of you.
• Don’t forget vs. 7!

v. 33 Wives are to respect their husbands.
• Husbands need to earn the respect by being godly, servant leaders.
• Men, we can’t expect that respect, unless it’s earned.
• Remember, men want respect, women want security. What a tricky balance.

Before I go any further, I thought it would be good for you to hear this from a woman’s perspective. Kelley…

Titus 2:3-5 Wives are to love their husbands.
• This point should be a no-brainer…tips to the older and younger women..
• Older: be reverent in the way you live…
• Younger: Train the younger women to love their husbands…
• Getting to the point where you love, respect and submit to your husband takes time, training and mentoring from older women.
• Seek out some of the great older women we have in our church.

Romans 7:2 Wives are to be committed until death.
• “Til death do us part”
• “As long as we both shall live.”
• “I will love you faithfully from this day forward.”
• “I give you my life to keep.”
• “I vow to love your forever”
Now obviously this applies to both the wife and husband.
• I’ve used many of the same words today to the women that I did last week to the men: love, commitment, respect, honor.

Conclusion:
• “Mutual submission” is the key phrase I want you to go home with today.
• We need to fight the cultural trend of divorce.
• Let’s reverse the statistics: almost half of Christian couples divorce, just like non-Christians couples.
• George Barna, president and founder of Barna Research Group: "While it may be alarming to discover that born again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce, that pattern has been in place for quite some time. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that when those individuals experience a divorce many of them feel their community of faith provides rejection rather than support and healing. But the research also raises questions regarding the effectiveness of how churches minister to families. The ultimate responsibility for a marriage belongs to the husband and wife, but the high incidence of divorce within the Christian community challenges the idea that churches provide truly practical and life-changing support for marriages."

• That’s one of the reasons I’m preaching this series…
• Men, it is our job to be godly leaders in the home.
• Women, it’s your job to submit to that godly leadership.
• As couples, if we can work together as God has intended, we’ll see some beautiful marriages.
• What an example to others!

Husbands love your wives

2010-10-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

Relationships part 2, Husbands love your wives.
Ephesians 5:25-33

Intro… God said to Adam, "I am going to make you a helper, a companion. What would you like your companion to be like?" Adam replied, "Well I want someone that is humorous, witty, intelligent, compassionate, caring, loving, trusting, polite, generous and beautiful."

God paused a moment after Adam's wish list and told Adam that a companion like that 'would cost him an arm and a leg.' Adam seemed a little dejected and then brightly replied: "What can I get for a Rib?"

• Today I want to talk to the men about being Super Dads/husbands.
• Part 2 of our series on relationships…last week…
• Women, wives, women who want to be wives…hold your men to these Biblical standards!

Text: Ephesians 5:25-33

Big Picture: Men, young men, boys, husbands, future husbands, men who want to be better husbands, guys who are considering the possibility of being a husband someday… love your wives.

v. 25-28 Love your wives (simple and straightforward)
• Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
• What did Christ do for the church? He died for her.
• Husbands are you willing to die (to yourself) for your wives?
• Is she that much of a priority to you?
• Does she come above any other woman in your life? Even your mother?
• Colossians 3:19, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

How are we to love our wives?
• As we love ourselves. V. 29
• Not all of us are in great shape physically, but think about the other things that you do that you love, things that make you feel good about yourself. (recreation, tech stuff, mechanical, work, books…etc.)
• Just as you are going to make that a priority in your life, (loving yourself) love your wife in the same way.
• Paul devotes twice as many words to telling husbands to love their wives than telling wives to submit to their husbands. (Next week’s topic.)
• I’ve always said that in these passages on marriage, the husband has a much greater responsibility.
• V. 26 Just as through baptism we are prepared for entrance into the church, in the Near East, brides were prepared for marriage by a ceremonial bath.
• It is God’s word that cleanses us. John 17:17, Titus 3:5
• So when we love our wives as Christ loved the church, then we are building them up spiritually.

v. 23 Lead your wives
• This may not be politically correct, but it is Biblically correct!
• And here we are talking primarily about being a spiritual leader.
• Men, it’s your job to be the head of the home. Lead, guide, give direction. Set the course, make decisions.
• Unlike most bumbling husbands on TV…(Al Bundy, John Goodman, Jim Belushi, etc.)
• 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
• “Weaker partner,” yes women may lack some of the physical advantages of a man, but in the new life that we are both heirs to, we’re equals.
• Check list: Initiate prayer with your wife, make church a priority, lead by example, be the spiritual leader in your family.

v. 29 Nurture your wives (in the things of Christ).
• “Feeding” and caring for her. We to need make our wives well-being of primary importance. Anticipate her needs.
• Not so much feeding her with food, instead, feeding her emotional needs and spiritual needs.
• We nurture our wives spiritually by following the guidelines above in point #2, “Lead your wives.”
• Active listening, “Really, how did that make you feel?”
• I said it last week, chivalry (gallant or distinguished gentlemen) never gets old. Most women love to be nurtured, loved and taken care of.
• I always remind husbands that they can tell their wives 10 times a day that she is pretty, looks good etc. and she’ll say, “tell me again.”

v. 31-33 Be committed to your wives.
• Besides the grace and power of God, you know what makes a marriage last? Flat-out commitment!
• Marriage vows never get old. Maybe you need to review them.
• Sometimes that commitment needs to be revisited.
• Commitment is the engine that pulls the train of marriage.
• Like the church (us) and our relationship to Christ, marriage is a holy union, a biblical living symbol, a precious relationship that needs tender self-sacrificing care from the husband and wife.

Conclusion:
• I’m overwhelmed by these standards! Every man in this room should be!
• We are seeing each week that God’s standard for human relationships is set high.

Relationships

2010-09-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Relationships, part 1, Ephesians 5:1-22
Intro… “Dr. Phil, Oprah, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” etc. There is endless advice out there on relationships.
• They are confined to the limits of public television, etc.
• Let’s take a look at the Biblical standard for human relationships. Warning, the bar is set high!
• This series is straight up solid advice from the Bible, most likely stuff we don’t want to hear.
• Today we’ll start out with general guidelines for all us, single or married.

Text: Eph. 5: 1-3, 5, 11, 15-16, 18, 21.
Big Picture: When you need relationship advice, go right to the source, the Bible. From there, counsel with godly Christian people/couples you respect.

5:1 Be imitators of God. (not the latest celebrity or great book you’ve read)
• Unless that book is rooted in solid, biblical advice, don’t take it too seriously.
• Imitate God In every area of our lives.
• Start with that premise and it will positively affect all areas.

5:3 No sexual immorality (not even a hint)
• Greek word: porneia, “unchasity, prostitution, fornication (sexual intercourse between a man and a woman not married to each other)
• This covers everything from our thought life to what we see on TV, movies, magazines, the internet, our language, how we interact with others….
• Sexual purity is the duty of all Christians! Men, women, boys, girls, single, married, engaged, divorced, looking for love, confused about love, confused about your sexual identity.
• God’s design for human love relationships is one man, one woman married for life. Gen. 2:24, Mark 10:7-9
• No sex outside of marriage…

• Sexual immorality and impurity is improper for God’s holy people. It just doesn’t make any sense. ( End of v. 3)
• That’s why it’s so sensational when a high profile Christian has a sexually immoral fall.

v. 4 And if you think you are doing ok because you are not presently sexually immoral…we also need to avoid:
• Obscenity
• Foolish talk
• Coarse joking
• These are all out of place (don’t make sense) for the Christian.
• Once again the Bible does a great job of nailing all of us.

v. 5 Here comes a harsh warning:
• No one that is immoral, impure, greedy or an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
• This doesn’t mean that people who have lived this way can’t ever go to heaven…v. 8
• It does mean that if someone continues to live an immoral life, it could keep them from being humble enough to realize the error of their ways and accept God’s forgiveness.
• “God never tolerates sin which has no place in His kingdom, nor will any person whose life pattern is one of habitual immorality, impurity and greed be in His kingdom because no such person is saved.” John McArthur
• These are the things that incur God’s wrath.
• Therefore, have nothing to do with them!

v. 8-14 As Christians, we should know better!
• Live as children of light.
• Think of all the adult clubs or men’s club out there.
• All the windows are darkened…partly to keep minors or others from peering in, but also to hide the guilty parties on the inside.
• Everyone is guilty of wrong doing, from the owners, to the dancers, to the customers!

• Imagine if you were to walk in there with a bright spot-light…that’s what it means to be children of light.
• That’s what v. 11-13 is telling us to do…

v. 18 And here’s something that will really help…
• Don’t get drunk. When you fill yourself up with performance altering drink or drugs, that when stupid happens.
• It leads to debauchery. (extreme indulgence in sensuality, seduction from virtue or duty.)
• Synonyms: corruption, vice, depravity, immorality, iniquity, licentiousness, profligacy, sin.
• I know the concept of getting drunk seems appealing (for various reasons to various peole), but the Bible is telling us not to do it.
• Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit.

v. 15, 19-21 So, how is the Christian supposed to live?
• It’s not that complicated, it’s the opposite of what we just read.
• Live as biblically wise people.
• Make the most of every opportunity (to be godly).
• Don’t be foolish, continue to seek what the Lord’s will is.

v. 19-21 Look at these beautiful words in stark contrast to words like debauchery, depravity or iniquity:
• Speak to one another in hymns and spiritual songs
• Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord
• Always give thanks to God for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
• What a beautiful concept, putting our own needs aside and submitting to one another.
• “How can I help/serve you?”
• “How can I treat you kindly and with proper respect?”
• “How can our relationship bring honor to God?”

Conclusion: The Eddie Fisher article, his life, many marriages etc.

"Hipster Christianity: Where Church and Cool Collide"

2010-09-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

The Perils of 'Wannabe Cool' Christianity
By BRETT MCCRACKEN(Please see Corrections & Amplifications item below.)
'How can we stop the oil gusher?" may have been the question of the summer for most Americans. Yet for many evangelical pastors and leaders, the leaking well is nothing compared to the threat posed by an ongoing gusher of a different sort: Young people pouring out of their churches, never to return.
As a 27-year-old evangelical myself, I understand the concern. My peers, many of whom grew up in the church, are losing interest in the Christian establishment.
Recent statistics have shown an increasing exodus of young people from churches, especially after they leave home and live on their own. In a 2007 study, Lifeway Research determined that 70% of young Protestant adults between 18-22 stop attending church regularly.
Statistics like these have created something of a mania in recent years, as baby-boomer evangelical leaders frantically assess what they have done wrong (why didn't megachurches work to attract youth in the long term?) and scramble to figure out a plan to keep young members engaged in the life of the church.
Increasingly, the "plan" has taken the form of a total image overhaul, where efforts are made to rebrand Christianity as hip, countercultural, relevant. As a result, in the early 2000s, we got something called "the emerging church"—a sort of postmodern stab at an evangelical reform movement. Perhaps because it was too "let's rethink everything" radical, it fizzled quickly. But the impulse behind it—to rehabilitate Christianity's image and make it "cool"—remains.
There are various ways that churches attempt to be cool. For some, it means trying to seem more culturally savvy. The pastor quotes Stephen Colbert or references Lady Gaga during his sermon, or a church sponsors a screening of the R-rated "No Country For Old Men." For others, the emphasis is on looking cool, perhaps by giving the pastor a metrosexual makeover, with skinny jeans and an $80 haircut, or by insisting on trendy eco-friendly paper and helvetica-only fonts on all printed materials. Then there is the option of holding a worship service in a bar or nightclub (as is the case for L.A.'s Mosaic church, whose downtown location meets at a nightspot called Club Mayan).
"Wannabe cool" Christianity also manifests itself as an obsession with being on the technological cutting edge. Churches like Central Christian in Las Vegas and Liquid Church in New Brunswick, N.J., for example, have online church services where people can have a worship experience at an "iCampus." Many other churches now encourage texting, Twitter and iPhone interaction with the pastor during their services.
But one of the most popular—and arguably most unseemly—methods of making Christianity hip is to make it shocking. What better way to appeal to younger generations than to push the envelope and go where no fundamentalist has gone before?
Sex is a popular shock tactic. Evangelical-authored books like "Sex God" (by Rob Bell) and "Real Sex" (by Lauren Winner) are par for the course these days. At the same time, many churches are ﬁnding creative ways to use sex-themed marketing gimmicks to lure people into church.
Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, Georgia, created a website called yourgreatsexlife.com to pique the interest of young seekers. Flamingo Road Church in Florida created an online, anonymous confessional (IveScrewedUp.com), and had a web series called MyNakedPastor.com, which featured a 24/7 webcam showing five weeks in the life of the pastor, Troy Gramling. Then there is Mark Driscoll at Seattle's Mars Hill Church—who posts Q&A videos online, from services where he answers questions from people in church, on topics such as "Biblical Oral Sex" and "Pleasuring Your Spouse."
But are these gimmicks really going to bring young people back to church? Is this what people really come to church for? Maybe sex sermons and indie- rock worship music do help in getting people in the door, and maybe even in winning new converts. But what sort of Christianity are they being converted to?
In his book, "The Courage to Be Protestant," David Wells writes:"The born-again, marketing church has calculated that unless it makes deep, serious cultural adaptations, it will go out of business, especially with the younger generations. What it has not considered carefully enough is that it may well be putting itself out of business with God.
"And the further irony," he adds, "is that the younger generations who are less impressed by whiz-bang technology, who often see through what is slick and glitzy, and who have been on the receiving end of enough marketing to nauseate them, are as likely to walk away from these oh-so-relevant churches as to walk into them."
If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that "cool Christianity" is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken. As a twentysomething, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don't want cool as much as we want real.
If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it's easy or trendy or popular. It's because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It's because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It's not because we want more of the same.
Corrections & Amplifications
Pastor Mark Driscoll at Seattle's Mars Hill Church has talked about sexual topics in church services but says he has not delivered sermons with sex-themed titles. An earlier version of this column mistakenly used the word sermon.
Mr. McCracken's book, "Hipster Christianity: Where Church and Cool Collide" (Baker Books) was published this month.