![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
Donald Miller guest speaking at WCCC
Third week of Advent… first we prepare, second we make a proclamation, and now we feel joy!
In the Old Testament, people encountered the light of God and they walked away severely sunburned…
How disarming is it that He later comes to us an an infant and that He depended on humans to care for Him?
“Can Baby Jesus get some animal crackers, Please?”
Jesus as counselor, prince of peace… and bringing a sword?
When your “good side” and “bad side” don’t communicate, then you are not an integrated person…
Integrated people are very complex!
Jesus came to penetrate people’s hearts: Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the rich young ruler, the fallen woman, the accused woman, those who were accusing her…
“There’s just something about this guy” – and many could not help but LOVE Him!
Confession is pointing out to people how I am NOT like Christ.
Darren Sloniger grew up the son of a pastor in a church in Harvey, IL.
That church was filled with “very nice people”; but they never really shared anything beneath the surface…
Let’s not be “really nice” as opposed to being “real” with each other!
September 28th, 1997 West Ridge Community Church was founded.
It was meant to be “Never Church as Usual” from the very beginning.
The core values were:
1. Authenticity (Real Faith) “owning our brokenness and allowing God to heal it” leading to emotional health and wholeness
a. Individual Courage (1 Peter 2:1) to stop hiding
b. Collective Acceptance
2. Grace and Acceptance (Authentic Community) Hebrews 10:24 – 25
3. Motivated by Gratitude (this drives the mission) Colossians 3:15 – 17
The end goal is to help people encounter, embrace, and embody the radical love of God.
We were recently visited by the actors that play “Gibby” and “Guppy” on TV. These young actors have many fans; but few people really know them…
Jesus had many fans; but few really knew Him…
Who do I say He is? What does it mean for me to follow Him?
Luke 9:23 – 26
If anyone chooses to come after me…
We are given the opportunity to follow Him and be in partnership with Him!
The high cost…
· Deny yourself (say no to the sinful flesh)
· Take up your cross (there is no comfortable way to carry a cross)
· Submit (those who hold life tightly, will lose it)
Deuteronomy 15:
Living as a bondservant – finding it would be better to be a salve under this master than to insist on living under your own leadership…
THIS is REALLY hard for Americans!
We want forgiveness without repentance
Consider the value: what the world offers versus the treasure of Christianity
THE WORLD
Fleeting wealth Eternal life
Momentary pleasure Supernatural Favor
Ageless Wisdom
Transformed Heart
Jesus is like a GPS… He provides the course, allows us to follow, allows us to leave it; then He recalculates and allows restoration!
Jeff confesses that he is now a “little bit” of a Red Sox fan… he is NOT a die-hard member of the Red Sox nation… he’s just dabbling.
Some people are a “little bit” of a Christ-follower; just dabbling… while others are die-hard, sold out, fully devoted Christians!
Matthew 13:44
Buried treasure is found in a field… something of great, life-changing value (priceless) is found in an unexpected place at an unexpected time…
He sold all he had to buy the field… willing to give away all that mattered on the surface to ensure that you could retain something of far greater value at a deeper level
He tasted and saw how great the love of God was toward him…
God’s Love
God’s Wisdom
God’s Guidance
You’re not a fool to give away
All the things that you can’t use
To gain a treasure, yes a treasure
That you can never lose!
In the parable, the man never considered his selling “all he had” as a sacrifice… “in his joy”
The treasure was of “high value” but it was purchased with all he had (at a “high cost”)
If the value far exceeds the cost, then that is what we call a GOOD DEAL!
The value is hidden – so others will view you as “insane” as you begin the process or journey of selling off your posessions…
There are landmines in life… they don’t look like much, are often hidden; but they can be devastating!
The landmine of arrogance is the most self-inflicted of the landmines!
Genesis 41:38 – 40
There is an image we project and hope to manage well; but behind the mask is often a very different reality…
Really inspiring people are the ones who have the integrity so that both their public and private lives are not shrouded in any darkness…
Joseph is rewarded as the #2 man in all of Egypt! Who is like this man?
Filled with the Holy Spirit
Connected with God
Possessing Wisdom from God
When the regional famine deepens, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt for food.
Joseph tests his brothers’ hearts to see if they have changed over the past 20 years…
Genesis 44:16 – 17, 33
Genesis 45:1 – 9
Joseph reveals himself and invites them all to live under his care.
The Power of Humility VS. The Landmine of Arrogance
Joseph is humble in not punishing his brothers
Pharaoh is humble in letting Joseph lead and rule the nation
Joseph’s brothers were willing to ask for help (even from those you have hurt)
God will never give us more than we can handle; but He also gives no guarantees that He will only give us what we like!!
Arrogance or Pride can short-circuit God’s plans for you…
James 4:6
God’s scales weigh not the good vs. bad in our hearts; but rather the humble vs. the proud…
A Jewish wedding is followed with a time of separation called the “engagement”
During this time, the man goes off to “prepare a place for” his bride
Meanwhile, the bride waits and proves her faithfulness
The groom later returns at an unannounced time
Am I willing to ask for help (even from those I have hurt)?
Am I willing to be tested?
Am I willing to surrender all?
Assignment:
List out the crisis/ problems in your life…
Identify the problems that would be helped by your humility… circle those
Share the circled items on your list with an accountability partner
There are landmines in life… they don’t look like much, are often hidden; but they can be devastating!
17 year old Joseph, son of Jacob… born into a blended, dysfunctional family…
There are a whole mess of family relationships; but all of the older brothers can certainly agree on one thing: They all hated Joseph!
Jacob sends Joseph to go “check on” his bothers…
The brothers beat him, throw him in a dry well, and planned to kill him.
Genesis 37:26 – 28
It is decided that rather than killing Joseph, they would sell him into slavery and out of their lives
Genesis 37:33 – 35
Jacob mourns the reported death of his favorite son
Joseph falls from “favored son” to “unknown slave”
Joseph struggles with self-worth, deep insecurities, broken vows, and devastating relational pain
HURT PEOPLE ARE THE ONES THAT HURT PEOPLE
Human response choices are Fight, Flight, or Ignore
Fight (hit back)
Flight (run, flee, emotionally isolate)
Ignore (pretend it didn’t happen, it didn’t hurt, stuff it down)
God’s recommendation is to Forgive
Choose Healing (2 Corinthians 1:3 – 4)
Choose Love (Luke 6:27 - 31)
Choose Peace (Romans 12:18)
Psalm 42 – 43
There is a tremendous difference between standing in a waterfall and facing a large wave…
You get wet either way but one of them will likely terrify you just before it knock you off your feet.
Psalm 42:6 –
My soul is downcast, therefore I will remember God…
Some people focus on changing their circumstances, rather than connecting with God
Some people have ideal circumstances; but are empty without God
Some people have rotten circumstances; but know joy in their relationship with God
God’s voice (Psalm 42:7)
God’s presence (Psalm 42:7) coming like a waterfall or a wave…
God’s love (Psalm 42:8)
God’s praise (Psalm 42:8)
We often feel that God is distant while we are in a dark time… so did the psalmist (42:8 – 9)
How can I reconnect with God? Take the next four statements deep into your heart:
1. God, I know you are real
2. God, I know you are here (Jeremiah 29:11)
3. God, I know you are looking at me
4. God, I know you are feeling love for me
Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.
Greed: a passionate pursuit of resources so we can spend them on ourselves...
We live in a ferocious egg-hunt... only as adults, the prizes inside the eggs are of much higher value and accordingly our competitive behavior gets FAR WORSE!
We are looking at the life of Lot... last week he chose to live outside of Sodom.
Ezekiel 16:49 states, "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy."
The sin of Sodom was not purely sexual but they were greedy, self-centered, and utterly lacking in compassion.
Because of the great wealth that Sodom had acquired, enemies attacked the city, looting it, and dragging away the people...
Lot was among the prisoners... well, this is what comes from living among the self-centered materialists...
Abram leads a guerrilla attack against the armies and save the captured people AND their possessions...
Genesis 14:18 introduces Melchizedek, the king of the city of Jerusalem, bringing gifts of bread and wine... he is both King and Priest!
Abram gave 10% of the possessions of Sodom to the ministry in Jerusalem...
Why do we "tithe"?
- Gratitude (Psalm 116:12) I am SO blessed
- Partnership
- Trust
- Priority (Genesis 14:21)
- Reward (Proverbs 3:9 - 10)
- Worship (Hebrews 7:4) (Genesis 15:1)
Comparing 1968 to now (2011)...
- there are 5x more drug arrests
- 8x more incarcerations
- 11x more cohabitation "shacking up/ living together"
- 200x more abortions
- 9000x more pornography
In Genesis there was a guy named Lot that might be able to show us something about moral drift...
Late in Genesis 11:
The story really begins with Terah, Abram (later called Abraham), and Lot leaving Ur and taking the scenic route towards Canaan...
Terah, the patriarch, decided that they would stop and stay in Harran... while living there Terah was successful in business...
As soon as Terah died, Abram was finally cleared to continue the journey to Canaan... Lot chose to go with Abram.
The family and servants of Abram were one tribe, the family and servants of Lot were another tribe; but they were travelling together...
That large of a group with that herds of livestock that large put a high demand for resources wherever they went...
In Genesis 13:
Abram and Lot meet up together and agree that it would be best if the two groups separate...
Abram is now the patriarch and tradition says he should have first choice of where to go; but Abram gives Lot first choice.
Lot looked around, he saw the rugged, challenging, sparsely populated high country...
Lot also saw the easy looking, pleasant, well-watered plains which already had populated cities...
Lot chose the plains and let Abram have the high country. Lot set up his tents outside the wicked city of Sodom.
If we look ahead to Genesis 19:
Lot is no longer living outside the city of Sodom, keeping his distance... Lot has moved into the city and is now a man of power and importance in the city... He is found sitting in the city gate - that's a place of importance.
What did Lot not do, that we should do?
- Monitor your bad influences (don't try to live in an isolated "holy huddle" but also remember that those who lie down with dogs wake up with fleas)
- Maximize your good influences
