Cornerstone Church With Dustin Bates

Blueprints | More Than Blood

Blueprints set a STANDARD

• How it should be

When blueprints aren’t followed, disaster happens

 

That’s what this series is about…

Blueprints

God’s design for church and family
God is a God of design
Psalm 8:3-4

3 When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 4 what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?
A MAJOR THEME in the story the Bible is telling is:

 

Let’s first define Family:

A family consists of people, usually related, with shared values that provide safety, guidance, accountability, respect, and forgiveness.

 

Let’s build a BIBLICAL THEME of Family…

1: God planned and placed the family at the beginning of creation

Genesis 2:24

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.

2: God designed the family for human flourishing

Genesis 1:28

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”

3: The enemy of God hates family

Genesis 4

8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”
The enemy always tries to mimic and distort to eventually destroy anything g that God has created for our good

4: God has chosen to redeem the world through a family

Genesis 12

12 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

 

What does all this mean?
To God, Family is a BIG DEAL

• His blueprint for human flourishing and happiness is through Family

Some Examples:

Father vs. Absent Fathers

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17.8 million children, nearly 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.

No father:

Research shows that when a child is raised in a father-absent home, they are affected in the following ways…

• Greater Risk of Poverty
• More Likely to Have Behavioral Problems
• Greater Risk of Infant Mortality
• More Likely to Go to Prison More Likely to Commit Crime
• More Likely to Become Pregnant as a Teen
• More Likely to Face Abuse and Neglect
• More Likely to Abuse Drugs and Alcohol
• More Likely to Suffer Obesity
• More Likely to Drop Out of School

Kids:

Children with involved fathers have a strong foundation for child well-being. They are at lower risk for…

• Infant Mortality Low Birth Weight
• Emotional and Behavioral Problems
• Neglect and Abuse
• Injury
• Obesity
• Poor School Performance
• Teen Pregnancy
• Incarceration as Juveniles
• Alcohol and Substance Abuse
• Criminal Activity
• Suicide

Mom:

Mothers with active fathers in the home…

• More likely to receive prenatal care
• Less likely to smoke during pregnancy
• Healthier births
• Lower risk of post-partum stress & depression
• Lower parenting stress
• More leisure time
• Higher marital satisfaction

(All info taken from https://www.fatherhood.org)
Healthy Families lead to HUMAN FLOURISHING

 

Why?

Because it’s God’s blueprint

I don’t think anyone has a problem with this, but it is INCOMPLETE in scripture’s view of FAMILY…

 

5: Jesus has come, and not only is our savior but also our BROTHER

Hebrews 2

11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying: I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.
Because we belong to Christ, we belong to his family

6: The church is a family and the Bride of Christ

Ephesians 5

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word.

31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.
God has EXPANDED the understanding of FAMILY

• Not just “DAD, MOM, KIDS
• The Bible doesn’t have a category for that

Sermon Title:

More than Blood
Here’s where there is trouble for us…
Family as an INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTION

• Me and mine vs you and yours
• Instead, it is US/WE

Personal Family is important, and so is the FAMILY OF FAITH

• Christian Family
• Church Family

The Reality

• We will spend eternity with our FAITH FAMILY, not necessarily our BLOOD relatives
• God’s family is MORE THAN BLOOD

 

How did this work out in the New Testament?

 

Summarization of the Reason for the letter:

• Written to Philemon by Paul
• A resident of Colosse (Colossians)
• He held church as his house
• He had a Slave named Onesimus (oh NESS in muss)
• Onesimus stole money and ran away
• Met Paul and became a Christian

 

Listen for the “family language”

Philemon 1

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother:

To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ. 7 For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

8 For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, 9 I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, 10 appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him back to you—I am sending my very own heart. 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would me. 18 And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—not to mention to you that you owe me even your very self. 20 Yes, brother, may I benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

 

God’s plan is still the same…. To redeem the world through family

• Through those who are a part of His REDEEMED family

 

What should we take away from this?

1: Family is a BIG DEAL to God

• We should make it a big deal in our lives, too
• We treat it with respect

2: God’s vision for the world is a RENEWED FAMILY

• With Christ as our king

3: You and your family flourish MOST when a part of God’s REDEEMED FAMILY

• Your family flourishes through its activity in the church family
• Single
• Older – no kids

 

You no longer need to feel lonely because you have a LARGE family

• You no longer need to feel threatened because you are a family that protects
• You have a part to play because everyone takes part in a healthy family

Fully Worth The Cost

Usually, when we think of “COST,” it’s money

• a product “costs” us “Blank amount of dollars.”

But there is a more profound COST

• What it takes to get the money in the first place

Let’s look a place where Jesus explains the concept

Luke 14:26-33

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
What is a way for us to understand this “COST”

Cost = Time + Energy

• The greater the “COST,” the greater the investment of our TIME and our ENERGY

<Example>

Holding the door for a stranger vs. A first date

First Date vs 50th wedding anniversary
Other examples:

Work – Get money

What is the COST?

Cost = time+energy
Kids – Raise the next generation

Cost = time+energy
Friendships – not lonely

Cost = Time + Energy
The cost of following Jesus

• death to self

 

Let’s talk about 2 COSTS the Bible teaches are WORTH THE COST.

 

1: Cost of Character

What is character?

Character: The strength of moral fiber.

“As the excellence of gold is its purity and the excellence of art is its beauty, so the excellence of man is his character”

• “What you do in the dark”
• When no one is watching
• When there is no consequence

Character is the sum of our:

• disposition
• thoughts
• intentions
• desires
• actions

It is good to remember general tendencies gauge character

• Not based on a few isolated actions
• We must look at the whole life

Why is there a “COST” to character
Because character is DEVELOPED

• it’s learned

It’s through REDEEMED HEARTS
Like the refining of metals

• God REFINES OUR HEARTS

Proverbs 17:3

3 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the Lord is the tester of hearts.
How do we DEVELOP Character?

Romans 5

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Cost of Character is this:

• Cost = Time + Energy

Time:

• Suffering
• Affliction
• Hardships

Energy:

• Boasting in God
• trusting in God
• Not trying to fix it ourselves

 

The cost of Godly Character is FAITH IN SUFFERING

• We trust God when things are hard
• We do what is righteous even when it’s incredibly hard
• We are morally obligated to God’s law even when no one is looking

Paul is not the only one who teaches us this…

1 Peter 1:6-8

6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Why is this so IMPORTANT to the Christian believer?

You cannot outrun your character

• Judas
• Saul

Proverbs 10:9

The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out.
Proverbs 11:3

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the treacherous destroys them.

 

2: Cost of Wisdom

 

What is Wisdom?

Wisdom:

Understanding and applying God’s moral law for the universe through right choices

Where does wisdom come from?

Proverbs 9:10-11

10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For by me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
This is the SOURCE of wisdom

• Jesus, “I am the way, the TRUST, and the life…”
• Jesus is the source of wisdom

Humanities wisdom is foolish compared to the wisdom of God
Adam and Eve – Knowledge of “GOOD AND BAD”

• Cannot be gotten outside of God

Proverbs 4:10-15,23-27

10 Listen, my son. Accept my words, and you will live many years. 11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go. Guard it, for it is your life. 14 Keep off the path of the wicked; don’t proceed on the way of evil ones. 15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it. Turn away from it, and pass it by.

23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. 24 Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. 25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. 26 Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. 27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.

 

The Cost of wisdom is choosing to give…

Time – Learning wisdom

• we are NOT born with wisdom; it is acquired

Energy – Applying it regularly in your life

• Those who learn wisdom must guard it

 

How do we do this?

By asking good questions

 

In light of my past, my current circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?

 

<Examples>

• Should I go there?
• Should I date them?
• Should I spend money on this?
• Should I agree to this?

 

How do we get wisdom?

James 1:5

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.

 

Character consistently chooses the right thing, and wisdom is knowing what the right thing is

• Godly Character and Wisdom are FULLY WORTH THE COST

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

Suffering

• we have all experienced it
• Some of us are going through it

 

Today – Going to approach it this way

1st: A Christian THEOLOGY of Suffering

• What does the Bible teach, and how is that different than other perspectives

 

2nd: A Pastoral Response

• How we can walk through really difficult times

Let’s look at the IDEA of suffering

When Bad people do bad things, bad things should happen to them

• Karma
• You get when you deserve

 

But what about when Bad things happen to GOOD PEOPLE?

• Child gets sick
• Stolen from
• Natural Disasters

This is what is called in philosophy:

THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

Most suffering comes from evil or can be seen as evil

 

Let’s look at it from a few different perspectives…

 

BUDDISM

• We suffer because we are too attached to worldly things. Buddhism urges us to get past suffering by not clinging to material objects or even to relationships with other people.
• Buddhists say that a desire for things and relationships is what causes us to suffer.

 

HINDUISM

• Suffering is regarded as punishment for deeds done in a previous life. To the Hindu, a great deal of suffering is simply accumulated “karma” catching up with people. In Hindu thinking, the upside is that by “settling accounts” and paying for past misdeeds, the soul’s next reincarnation will be more enjoyable.
• Hindus say that pleasure cannot exist without pain.
• For Hindus, bliss and suffering are simply two sides of the same thing.

 

ISLAM

• See suffering as a way to submit to the will of Allah. Islam teaches that pain can lead us to repentance and then on to good deeds.
• Thus, one Muslim response to suffering is to focus on the rewards promised in Paradise.
• Islam’s emphasis on good works leads to the feeling that the more our lives please God, the less we will suffer.

 

ATHEISM/AGNOSTICISM

• We are just a biological result of blind, predetermined evolution, and thus, any perception of pain and suffering ultimately doesn’t matter because, ultimately, life and consciousness are an accident and will ultimately cease to exist in a distant future.

“The existentialist, on the contrary, finds it extremely embarrassing that God does not exist, for there disappears with Him all possibility of finding values in an intelligible heaven. There can no longer be any good a priori since there is no infinite and perfect consciousness to think it. It is nowhere written that “the good” exists, that one must be honest or must not lie, since we are now upon the plane where there are only men. Dostoevsky once wrote: “If God did not exist, everything would be permitted,” and that, for existentialism, is the starting point. Everything is indeed permitted if God does not exist…” ~ Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism

 

The Christian Answer to Evil is this…

Evil comes from rebellion against a GOOD God

Psalm 14:3

All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.

 

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Both an ANGELIC rebellion and a HUMAN Rebellion
This is a result of God creating FREE WILLED CREATURES

In a universe of free will, there exists the possibility of turning away
This then brings up the question of…

So why doesn’t God just get rid of all Evil and suffering?

Here is a thought experiment…

If God were to get rid of all evil tonight at 12 AM, would you still be here at 12:01 AM?
To sum up this far…

1: Pain and suffering are the results of evil

2: Evil is rebellion against a Good God

3: Rebellion is a result of free will
So now, let’s change gears and look at suffering and Evil from a pastoral response perspective…
Let’s answer the question:

When bad things happen, what should we do?

1: When bad things happen, we Look ahead

 

2 Corinthians 4:16–18

16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Looking forward to Vacation Views

• Nobody vacations to look at a brick wall or alley
• “Look at this parking lot…”
• “Look at this dead patch of grass…”
• “Look at this clean gas station bathroom…”

 

We go because the “VIEWS” remind us of a TRANSCENDENT BEAUTY
Regardless of how INCREDIBLE the view… It is incomparable to the worst view in heaven

 

Christians have an eternal perspective:

We do not lose heart
Bad things may happen to good people in this world, but this world is not the end

• Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day

1 Peter 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all

• We fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen

 

<<There is another way we look AHEAD>>
Story of Joseph
Genesis 50:19–20

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

 

Bad things happen to good people, but God uses those bad things for an ultimate, lasting good.

• “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”
• When Joseph, innocent of wrongdoing, finally came through his horrific sufferings, he was able to see God’s good plan in it all

Romans 8:28

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

 

2: When bad things happen, we look back

 

2 Corinthians 1:3–5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

 

Horatio G. Spafford

• Successful lawyer and businessman in Chicago in the Late 1800s
• Wife Anna and 5 children
• Lost youngest son to pneumonia and much of their business in the Great Chicago of 1871 (same year)
• Rebuild some of the business
• Sent his wife and 4 daughters to England for vacation, planning to join them shortly (1873)
• A terrible accident happened with their ship sinking
• Only Anna Survived
• Wrote him a letter that said, “Saved alone, what shall I do?”
• Horatio sailed to his morning wife
• On the way, he wrote this…

When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.

 

How many have sung that song in the midst of their sorrow
Philippians 4:7

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The hardest seasons of life produce the greatest anointing

 

Bad things happen to good people, but those bad things equip believers for deeper ministry.

 

Those with battle scars can better help those going through battles

• God has strengthened us so we can strengthen another

 

3: When we go through bad things, we look Up

1 Peter 2:20–23

20 For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God. 21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

 

Suffering is WEIGHTY

• It’s heavy
• It causes us to look DOWN

But I want to challenge you today to LOOK UP… TO THE CROSS
Bad things happen to good people…

But the worst things happened to the best Person

• Jesus was the only truly Righteous One, yet He suffered more than we can imagine
• Jesus is no stranger to our pain.

 

On the Cross, Christ suffered the EVIL of the WORLD

• ALL OUR SIN
• All our shame
• All our rebellion

 

The answer can’t be that He doesn’t care

He plunged himself into suffering with us!

 

We follow in His footsteps

“If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,…”

 

If you are suffering today…

LOOK AHEAD… To the promise of Eternity with God

LOOK BACK… To how God has strengthened us so we can strengthen another

LOOK UP... To the suffering Savior, who suffers with us and understands our pain

---

Resources for further study:

“The Problem of Pain” by C. S. Lewis https://a.co/d/a67XNuk

“Walking with God through Pain and Suffering” by Timothy Keller https://a.co/d/dDwbJWV

“Suffering Is Never for Nothing” by Elisabeth Elliot https://a.co/d/fE5fJ6v

“Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense by Paul David Tripp https://a.co/d/eKELCmH

Vision Sunday 2024

Cornerstone is a church “ON MISSION”

• We don’t exist to exist; we exist to accomplish something

 

Cornerstone’s Mission: We exist…

To Help DISCONNECTED People to Find, Follow, and Be Like Jesus

• The word DISCONNECTED is key…

As students of our culture, we must understand what is currently going on in our culture

 

One of the most significant issues facing Americans is:

LONELINESS

Facts on Loneliness:

• According to a study by Cigna, nearly half of all Americans report feeling lonely sometimes or always.
• The same study found that Generation Z (ages 18-22) is the loneliest generation, with 79% reporting feelings of loneliness.
• Social isolation is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
• Loneliness can increase the risk of premature death by up to 50%.

 

All indications point to the fact that our culture is:

• More DISCONNECTED than ever

Why?

The reasons behind this epidemic include the prevalence of smaller and further-flung families, the decline in traditional social institutions such as faith organizations, an increasingly individualistic culture, technology, and social media. ~ Reporter Dan Minchin

 

Our culture has torn down many of the social institutions and habits that once formed a more healthy relational society

• No more front porches
• No more family reunions
• Social media is actually less social
• Church attendance decline

 

Many experts are now arguing that it is actually the HABIT OF CHURCH that lies at the center of this crisis…
From an article titled: CAN RELIGION MAKE YOU HAPPY?

“People who do have a strong sense of religious practice in their life—they just tend to be happier,” he says.” They tend to be happier people. They have a greater sense of organization in their life. They have a better sense of community. They have an underlying physics to their life, and they’re not trying to figure things out in the same way. And life is complicated. There are things that are going to pull you in every direction all the time. And it’s nice to have something that you can actually count on, whether you agree with every single part of it or not.” ~ Arthur Brooks: Professor at the Harvard Business School

 

This shouldn’t surprise us

Genesis 2:18

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.”
So again, our MISSION is to…

HELP DISCONNECTED PEOPLE FIND, FOLLOW, AND BE LIKE JESUS

• Not just get them into the community… but point them to Jesus
• But community is a KEY part

 

The question then is: HOW

How do we go about and make this MISSION a reality?

CARE – CONNECT – CULTIVATE 

We want to be a church that…

• Connects all we can.
• Cares for all we’re sent.
• Cultivates all we have.

1: Connecting all we can

Walking into a room of strangers

• Seeing someone you know

If loneliness and isolation is a big problem

• Connection is the answer

Connecting takes intentionality

• doesn’t happen by accident

 

To be a connecting church, it will take…

A Missionary Mindset

• To reach our culture, we must think more like missionaries

Romans 10:14-15

14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

 

As a church, we are called to help the DISCONNECTED in our towns CONNECT with God and Christian Community

How can you do this?

Just finished a series on CALLING

• Who is God calling you to?

Make the effort to CONNECT with those around you

 

How is the church doing this?

Connect Process

Relational spaces

• Ministries
• Serving
• Groups

2: Caring for all we’re Sent

Care is POWERFUL

• It’s what people remember

 

Why is Care so important?

 

The “ONE ANOTHER” of Care in scripture
1 Thessalonians 5:11

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

 

John 13:14

14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Romans 12:9-10

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. 
Romans 12:15-16

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

 

Galatians 6:2

2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

 

Colossians 3:12-13

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. 

 

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

14 And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

 

Caring is:

• Forgiving
• Serving
• Carrying
• Bearing
• Living in harmony
• Loving
• Encouraging

 

Connect to Care

• Tells us what others are in need of

How can you do this?

• Make the effort to be there for others
• Not just Facebook comments
• Go to hurting people

 

How is the church doing this?

• Care Ministry
• We care best for those who are CONNECTED

Lastly…

3: Cultivating All We Have

Being taught to “BE USEFUL”

• No one owes us anything, so learn to be someone others can count on
• What are you bringing to the table

 

This is at the heart of CULTIVATION

 

We are not just “SAVED FOR HEAVEN”

• Fire insurance Christianity
• If that is all you think it is, you may not be saved

 

This is what Jesus’ brother James wrote to the church…

James 2:14-18,26

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”[a] Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder. 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

 

True Christian faith GROWS

• It’s an action and a trajectory

If our faith is a growing plant, then the CHURCH is the GARDEN

• Cultivate every person we can
• Every age group
• Every life season

How can you do this?

Take OWNERSHIP of your faith

• Study scripture
• Be in community
• Be in church regularly
• Take part in the process

 

How is the church doing this?

>>Growth Tracks

• Kingdom Marriage
• Grief Share
• 84 Days – Men’s track

>>Serving the Church (Heroes)

Student Ministry

>>Mission Trips

>>Men’s/Women’s Ministries

 

We here at Cornerstone Church are committed to building a STRONG Christian community that produces healthy Christian people by CONNECTING all we can, by CARING for all we’re sent, and by CULTIVATING all we have for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Living With Purpose | Ignoring The Voices of Fear

Perspective:

What we see based on our circumstances

 

The reason I bring up perspective is…

This series has been all about “LIVING WITH PURPOSE”

What that purpose is will be determined by your PERSPECTIVE

 

In the first week, we learned the important foundational truths concerning our PURPOSE

God created the world ON PURPOSE and FOR A PURPOSE

 

The ULTIMATE PURPOSE for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is to GLORIFY GOD

Isaiah 43:7

…everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”
Last week, we found out that we all have a PERSONAL CALLING

A personal calling is simply God’s tug on our hearts toward a particular thing. It can be for a specific situation, a season of life, or a lifetime. 

Finished last week with some best practices around finding out that calling
Acts 13

2 As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
Today, we are talking about one of the most difficult aspects of following your calling

Overcoming FEAR

 

Your calling will be out of your comfort zone…

 

Any time we are pulled out of our comfort zones, we will have to deal with fear

• Leaving things we like behind
• Meeting new people
• Changing locations
• Changing friends

 

Your calling will be out of your comfort zone but is accompanied by God’s peace and Provision

 

To help us understand this, I want us to think of fear as a VOICE IN OUR EAR

• This voice has some lies that it tells us

 

Voices of fear around calling:

Voice #1: I don’t have what it takes

 

Often in our calling… WE LIMIT WHAT WE BELIEVE GOD CAN GO THROUGH US

 

Let’s look at someone who experienced this

Moses:

• Raised in Egypt
• Ran away and, for 40 years, kept sheep
• Burning bush
• God calls Moses to go and free His people

Exodus 3

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”
Exodus 4

10 But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant—because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.”

 

Here is that voice of fear… “I DON’T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES…”

• I can’t do this
• I can’t overcome my issues
• I can’t speak well enough (Moses)

This is the WRONG PERSPECTIVE
11 The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” 13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

 

This voice of fear can be strong

• Moses talking to God in a bush on fire
• He begs God to send someone else

14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you. 15 You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do.
This is what it means that God’s calling will be out of your comfort ZoneThis is what it means that God’s calling will be out of your comfort Zone
Fear can paralyze you

• It keeps you out of God’s will
• Miss out on God’s purpose for your life

 

Key Question:

How do we overcome this voice?

 

By understanding:

What we lack, God will provide

 

But this is IMPORTANT

God’s provision always FOLLOWS obedience

 

God is patient with our struggles

• See how patient he is with Moses
• Explains his power and authority
• Sends aid through Aaron

 

Don’t fall for the incorrect thinking that…

“God will never give you more than you can handle”

• This is wrong

A better way of thinking is…

“If you can handle it without God, then it’s not from God”

We get to see Moses mature as he follows God

• Leads the people for 40 years

 

At the end of his life, he gives Joshua and the people this wisdom…

Deuteronomy 31:6,8

6 Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.” 8 The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
Follow Him… Trust Him… Seek Him

• And He will lead you

Voice #2: It’s not worth the trouble

 

Worth the trouble:

The benefits, outcomes, or results of an action or effort are sufficient to justify the time, energy, and difficulties involved in carrying it out.

 

We make this decision ALL THE TIME

• Is this conversation worth the trouble?
• Is this friendship…
• Is this job…
• Is apologizing…
• Is forgiving them…
• I’m trying to help…

Let’s look at a story about someone who felt the same way…

Jonah 1

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me.”
Jonah was a prophet of Israel

• God called him to go to Israel’s enemy, Nineveh

 

Here is how Jonah Responded…

3 Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence.

 

This voice works because we want to stay comfortable

• Because we can be lazy

 

The way this voice often sounds is…

“I like where I am in life right now”

“God wants me to be happy, so he’s not calling me to do this”

“If I say yes, then everything in my life is going to change”

I don’t like them enough to help them
These are all the WRONG PERSPECTIVE
There are consequences when we say NO to the voice of God and listen to the voice of fear instead

• We don’t want to be out of God’s will

 

We will be “SWALLOWED UP” by CHAOS

Back to Jonah

• Swallowed by the great fish
• Spit out 3 days later
• Goes to Nineveh and preaches
• The city turns to God and repents

 

Jonah 4

2 He prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and one who relents from sending disaster.

 

This is the God that Jonah was running from

He knew God would forgive them
It’s also why God didn’t destroy Jonah when he tried to run
How do we overcome this voice?
Hebrews 12:1-2

1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t look at us and say…

• “They’re not worth the trouble”
• They are always messing up
• They are always hurting each other
• They are always hurting themselves

No…

He saw us at our WORST and still said, “THEY ARE WORTH IT”

Living With Purpose | Finding Your Personal Calling

Last week… Started a new series

LIVING WITH PURPOSE

 

Learned 2 important truths:

God created the world ON PURPOSE and FOR A PURPOSE

Which means…

The ULTIMATE PURPOSE for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is to GLORIFY GOD

 

Today, we are talking about the next step in purpose, which is…

• Finding Your Personal Calling

 

Separate into two parts:

Part 1: What do we mean by “PERSONAL CALLING”

 

A personal calling is simply God’s tug on our hearts toward a particular thing. It can be for a specific situation, a season of life, or a lifetime. 

Specific Situation

• At work
• With a person

 

Season of life

• Parenting (adoption)
• Marriage
• School
• College
• Job

Lifetime

• Full-time ministry
• Personal calling that takes your whole life

Let’s talk about what a calling is NOT

This means that a calling is NOT Necessarily…

• What is going to make you rich
• What is going to always make you happy
• What you are meant to do forever

 

>>But it DOES mean that you will find the MOST FULFILLMENT in your personal calling<<

Why is that?

Your Calling is a specific way to glorify God in your life

 

Remember what we have already said about everyone’s purpose…

• The ULTIMATE PURPOSE for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is to GLORIFY GOD

Your personal calling will help you be a part of the team to build God’s kingdom

• Don’t find your own calling in someone else’s calling

“Your calling isn’t about you; it’s about all the people that you’re going to impact.” ~ John Bevere

 

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

11 In view of this, we always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
Your calling may or may not be your “JOB”

Your calling is your MINISTRY

• It can take many forms

 

Don’t need a bunch of “PASTORS.” We need Christian…

• Teachers
• Medical workers
• Scientists
• Engineers
• Mothers/Fathers

People who “DO EVERYTHING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD”

 

People who are passionate about doing what God has uniquely wired them to do

 

Another important point about calling…

Your calling will be out of your comfort zone but is accompanied by God’s peace and Provision

• Callings are not easy, but HARD/DIFFICULT

 

Your calling may cause you to…

• Go somewhere new
• Talk to people you don’t know
• Take risks that you can’t control

 

And ultimately…

Trust God like NEVER BEFORE

 

Philippians 4:7

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Lastly, what is a personal calling?…

Your Calling can often be seasonal, and each season teaches you what you need to know for the next

 

David being prepared for Goliath…

 

1 Samuel 17

32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

33 But Saul replied, “You can’t go fight this Philistine. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young.”

34 David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. 36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

 

David had CONFIDENCE because of God’s faithfulness in the past

• That season prepared him for the next

CONTENTMENT vs HOLY DISCONTENTMENT

• Contentment: Being OK where you are
• Holy Discontentment: Feeling of God calling you to a new place, but waiting on HIS TIMING…

 

Stay faithful where you are NOW, and God will be faithful in placing you where you NEED TO BE

Part 2: How do you find your calling

 

A few steps…

1: Seek God purposefully and intensely

Prayer and fasting
What is God pulling your heart to?

• People
• Problems
• Passions
• Gifts

1 Thessalonians 5:16-21

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t stifle the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies, 21 but test all things. Hold on to what is good.

 

James 1:5

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.
Will include gifts and talents

• Can’t sing… probably not called to be a singer

 

It can be pretty obvious

• Student
• Parent

2: Seek Confirmation

• The role of the church family

 

Acts 13

2 As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.

 

3: Begin to operate in faith

 

Trust God in your calling

• Walk like David

Look for opportunities

 

This is one of the most important things you can do in your life

Living With Purpose | The Lullaby Of False Purpose

The Power of Lullabies

 

Pastor of Underground Church in Iran (Muslim Country)

“It seems to me that the church in the West is under some sort of satanic lullaby.”

 

New Series:

LIVING WITH PURPOSE

Next few weeks

Looking at how we Discover our purpose
Today, we will look at the Idea of Purpose from a 50,000-foot view

Title: THE LULLABY OF FALSE PURPOSE

 

To know your part in the plan, you need to understand the LARGER PLAN

We can’t understand our purpose outside of God’s larger purpose for all things

 

This is what we MUST know…

God created the world ON PURPOSE and FOR A PURPOSE

We are not an accident

 

On Purpose = You and this world are NO Accident

• You are not a mistake
• You have purpose because all of God’s creation has purpose

 

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
For A Purpose = Why did God create the World

FOR HIS GLORY

 

Isaiah 43:6-7

6 Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

7 everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

 

That means:

The ULTIMATE PURPOSE for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is to GLORIFY GOD

 

This is where the Lullabies Come in

If your ultimate purpose is to Glorify God with your life, then our enemy wants to do anything he can to distract you from that purpose
What are some of the SATANIC LULLABIES in our current culture?

 

Satanic Lullaby of Happiness

As long as I am doing things that make me happy and feel good, then everything will be OK, and I will have purpose.

 

• Sexual gratification
• Laziness
• Over-eating
• Things that make us “FEEL GOOD”
• Addictions to substances and experiences

 

There is nothing wrong with “BEING HAPPY” unless that takes over priority

 

God’s purpose for your life is not to be HAPPY but to be HOLY and display His GLORY

 

Seeking pleasure only leads to FLEETING HAPPINESS

Seeking Holiness leads to FULFILLMENT and JOY
Ephesians 4

17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. 20 But that is not how you came to know Christ, 21 assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

Satanic Lullaby of Power

As long as I am in charge or people who think like me are in charge, then everything will be OK, and I will have purpose.

• Political power
• Racial/national power

The Lie in the Garden

Genesis 3

4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it…

 

The lullaby of power speaks to a part of us that WANTS to be in charge

• Wants to BE OUR OWN GODS

1 Peter 5

5 All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

Satanic Lullaby of Fame

As long as I can be popular and accepted by enough people, then everything will be OK, and I will have purpose
Most kids today want to be “YouTubers”

• Our culture highly values fame

Many may not want to be “MACRO FAMOUS”

We do like being “MICRO FAMOUS”

• Social Media

Fame is giving ownership of yourself to those who don’t know you

 

1 Samuel 15:24

24 Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the Lord’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them.

 

With fame, others become your master
This lullaby will tell you to…

• Do whatever
• Believe whatever
• Be Whatever
• Others think you should do/believe/be

 

Matthew 5:16

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

 

Satanic Lullaby of Accomplishment

As long as I can work hard to have the life that I want, then I will be worthwhile, everything will be OK, and I will have purpose
The American dream

• Wealth
• Success
• Status

 

“I can take care of myself”

“I did it MY way”

“I didn’t need ANYONE but me”
You can strive and strive, and you will still go to the grave the same as everyone else

 

Luke 12

16 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there.

19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’

21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

 

Mark 8:36

36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?
Don’t pursue accomplishments for yourself but for God’s kingdom

• These accomplishments are eternal

 

Satanic Lullaby of Personal Goodness

As long as I do good and treat others good, that means that I am good, everything will be ok, and I will have purpose.

• Spirituality
• Religion
• Secular morality

 

Isaiah 64

All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

 

Personal goodness is a satanic lullaby
Instead, we pursue God’s righteousness by being renewed

Romans 12:2

2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
If the Pond is poisoned, then everything downstream of the pond will be poisoned as well

• We have been drinking poisoned water as a culture
• These lullabies are the poison

So, we start with the story the Bible is telling

The ULTIMATE PURPOSE for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is to GLORIFY GOD

• You will not find true purpose outside of this

 

Are you allowing satanic lullabies to distract you from your purpose?

Lost | Rules Of The Relationship

A WILDERNESS SEASON IS WHERE WE LEARN WHO GOD IS, HOW HE LOVES US, AND HOW WE SHOULD INTERACT WITH HIM

 

All relationships have rules

• Friendship has rules
• Dating has rules
• Marriage has rules
• Parenting has rules
• Business partnerships have rules
• Employees and employers have rules

Rules give identity and terms to relationships

What are some common rules?

No lying – Breaking trust breaks the foundation of EVERY relationship

Eyes only for that one person – Choosing each other over everyone else

No stealing – Don’t take what doesn’t belong to you

In the absence of rules, there is no freedom except for the one who is mightier and meaner than all the rest

 

God has

• Reintroduced Himself – THE GREAT I AM
• Rescued – From Egypt and their enemies
• Provided – Food and water in the desert

All this without ANY RULES

• But God is about RELATIONSHIP

Exodus 6:7

7 I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians.
In order for this to happen, God has to give the people:

RULES FOR THE RELATIONSHIP

 

Exodus 20

1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

3 Do not have other gods besides me.

4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 Do not murder.

14 Do not commit adultery.

15 Do not steal.

16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
What do the 10 Commandants teach us?

1: They teach us about God

 

Dating & finding out you hate what they love

I HAVE to go Camping

I NEVER want to travel

I MUST have 5+ kids
Rules demonstrate values

• God’s rules demonstrate his values

 

We see this in the Structure

• The first 4 commandments deal with the Israelites’ responsibility to God
• The final 6 commandments address the Israelites’ responsibility toward each other

 

This is why Jesus said…

Matthew 22

37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

• This has ALWAYS been what God valued
• He wasn’t saying something new

 

2: God’s rules don’t strip us of our freedom

• Instead, they give us freedom in their design and order

 

The right tool for the job – WASHING THE CAR

• Car wash mitt vs Sanding block
• Both will “CLEAN” the car
• But only one will not require a lot of EXTRA work

Living in God’s laws allows us to OPERATE as he designed us

• That was true then; it’s true now

If your life seems out of order, then you need to EXAMINE your life to see what must change
Psalm 139

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

3: We don’t earn our salvation by following God’s Rules; we follow God’s rules because we are saved.

 

Wedding Vows…

• Sickness and in health
• Rich or poor

Imagine saying these things to someone you just met…

 

Wedding Vows only apply because the RELATIONSHIP is established

• You are not EARNING their love; you are responding to it

 

This is how God’s laws work

• You choose not to follow them
• But then you are choosing not to be in a relationship with him
• He has made the way
• He has paid the price
• He only asks that we respond

But we are NOT saved through following them

 

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

There is only ONE way to God

• Through JESUS

 

John 14:6

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
So if we are NOT saved THROUGH the rules, then what are the rules for now?

 

Knowing how to walk in God’s freedom in his designed order

• He is the creator
• He knows how we best operate

Paul talked about this…

Romans 6:1-2

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

 

Romans 6:12-13

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.
Offer yourself to God for RIGHT LIVING (righteousness)

• Live in the grace and Goodness of created order

New Rules for New Relationships

• Some of you have never truly experienced what following Jesus feels like because you have not chosen to live under HIS rules
• You have continued to live in old habits and desires
• You will NEVER experience life there

New Rules for New Seasons

In some wilderness seasons, you need to operate under NEW rules

• Fasting more
• Praying more
• seeking more
• Cutting out unnecessary things

Are you willing to learn what God is teaching you in your WILDERNESS SEASON?

• God is trying to teach you who He is
• How he loves you
• How to follow him
• How to trust him

Lost | The Direction Of Disappointment

Disappointment is more than a feeling – It’s a direction

• Leads you on a path

This is important because our series is called “LOST”

• A WAY out of the wilderness

A WILDERNESS SEASON IS WHERE WE LEARN WHO GOD IS, HOW HE LOVES US, AND HOW WE SHOULD INTERACT WITH HIM

Part of this learning is learning HOW to handle Disappointment

• Especially disappointment with God

 

What is disappointment?

Disappointment happens when my expectations are not aligned with my real-time experiences

Disappointment is magnified in “WILDERNESS” season because we are already stressed/worried/anxious/frustrated

 

“When God’s timing seems questionable, his lack of intervention seems hurtful, and his promises seem doubtful, I get afraid. I get confused. And left alone with those feelings, I can’t help but feel disappointed that God isn’t doing what I assume a good God should do.” ~ Lysa Terkeurst

 

This is exactly where some of you are right now—disappointed with God:

• You keep praying, but he keeps ignoring you.
• All your friends are getting married right now, but you aren’t.
• You asked him to heal, but instead, your loved one got worse.
• You busted your butt in the off-season, but someone else got the starting position.
• You’re killing yourself trying to make rent and feed kids, but prayer isn’t paying the bills.
• You’ve done everything right in parenting, yet your kids aren’t turning out like you hoped. . . or maybe God isn’t giving you the kids you long for in the first place.

And you’re like, “God, I don’t understand! How can this be your perfect plan? How can this be good? God, I had dreams but all you’ve left me with are disappointments.”

 

The Problem with disappointment is that it’s NOT just a FEELING, it’s a DIRECTION…

 

Disappointment Directed Decisions

Examples:

Disappointed in a previous relationship, so you overcompensate in the next one

• Overly Jealous
• Overly Controlling

 

Disappointed with yourself, so you second guess or push yourself too hard

• Never have any joy

 

Disappointed in how you were raised, so you choose to either over-control or passively parent

 

Disappointed in your life, so you look for someone to blame

 

What we must know:

Disappointment in life is unavoidable, but how we handle it matters and the story the Bible is telling has a lot to say about that…

 

Catching the story up to this point

• Freed the people from Egypt
• Led them through the Red Sea
• God has fed the people in the desert
• Manna
• Quail
• God has given them victory over some enemies
• Taken them to Mount Sinai
• Gives them the 10 Commandments
• Moses goes up the mountain to hear from God
• Gone for about 40 days

 

Exodus 32

1 When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make gods for us who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!”

1: Disappointment Leads you to FORGET

They forgot what ALL God has already done for them

 

What all had God done for them:

• Fed them
• Led them
• Gave them water
• Freed them from the greatest empire

 

But as soon as Moses was gone a little too long, they FORGOT

• What God had commanded
• What his purpose for them was as His people

 

Disappoint causes us to come down with…

Spiritual Amnesia

 

How do we handle disappointment?
Remembering that…

GOD IS FAITHFUL

 

2 Thessalonians 3:3

3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

 

1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

Forgetfulness is not Disappointment’s only problem…

2: Disappointment Leads you to DESIRE CONTROL

• This God Yahweh is uncontrollable, different, and scary
• Let’s make a God we can SEE, TOUCH, and FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH

“Come, make gods for us who will go before us…”
Since Adam and Eve, we have either been trying to BE LIKE GOD or MAKE OUR OWN GODS
You may be thinking…

We would NEVER make a God of our own…

• We literally do it ALL THE TIME

 

What is “god” (The idea of)

And Ideal that gives purpose, meaning, and direction

 

That Means…

What God values is valuable, and what he doesn’t value is not valid
A positive example of this…

“Because humanity is made in the Image of God, then ALL human life is Valuable – From the beginning of life to the end
A negative example of this…

My Jesus loves EVERYONE

• Don’t Judge, Love is love, love wins, God created me this way,

My Jesus is a PATRIOT

• Law and order over alone.. No mercy, Might makes right, Judgement, and religion

 

The reason these stories are SO IMPORTANT is because the Bible is telling us a very important story…

The story the Bible is telling is any God we make in our own image to control is no God at all but just a fake, sad attempt to control our own lives, which always ends in our own destruction

 

Disappointments last problem direction is…

3: Disappointment Leads you BACK into captivity

 

Exodus 32

2 Aaron replied to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the gold rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf. Then they said, “Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”
Let’s follow the Logical Flow

Disappoint makes us:

• Forget – Giving us the freedom to…
• Desire Control – Gives us the insane idea that
• Where we came from is better than where God is leading us Back to captivity

False gods, whatever they are or whatever they look like, don’t give us freedom; they only make us slaves

 

What do I mean by CAPTIVITY?

Back to patterns of Sin that Jesus has freed us from

• Patterns of broken thinking
• Patterns of Worry/stress/fear
• Patterns of Selfishness and greed
• Patterns of hate and violence
• Patterns of bitterness and unforgiveness

 

Don’t go back to those things

• This is the ONLY PLACE disappointment leads

 

Finishing the Story…

• God sees what the Israelites had done
• His anger burns against them – As it should
• Moses goes before God and begs for mercy
• God does not destroy them

 

This is a PICTURE of the gospel

• We deserve God’s wrath – Instead, he offers salvation
• But we HAVE SINNED. We acted Like his ENEMIES
• Any enemy of a perfect and powerful God should be destroyed

But the Gospel says this…

 

Romans 5:8

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

• On our worst day
• While serving false God/ideas

That’s the God of the Bible

• That the God who created you

Disappoint is Inevitable

• We will all experience it

 

But don’t let disappoint direct you, instead let the TRUST of God be your guide
Psalm 119

97 How I love your instruction! It is my meditation all day long.

98 Your command makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers because your decrees are my meditation.

100 I understand more than the elders because I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path to follow your word.

102 I have not turned from your judgments, for you yourself have instructed me.

103 How sweet your word is to my taste— sweeter than honey in my mouth.

104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Lost | God Always Makes A Way

Choose Your Hard

• In your health
• In your relationships
• With your kids
• With your career

Same with Following God

• Without God = HARD
• With God = HARD
• Choose your heard

 

Just because all things are difficult doesn’t mean all OUTCOMES are the same value

• Some things, while difficult, are worth more than others
• We’re talking about this because of the new series…

>>LOST: A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS

 

Being in a wilderness season is when things are abnormally…

• Difficult
• Confusing
• Disorienting
• Uphill
• Just plane HARD

 

But wilderness seasons have purpose…

A WILDERNESS SEASON IS WHERE WE LEARN WHO GOD IS, HOW HE LOVES US, AND HOW WE SHOULD INTERACT WITH HIM

We are looking at the story of the EXODUS

• The escape of the Israelite people from Egypt to the PROMISED LAND

Last week was about the 10 plagues in Egypt

God’s purpose for many wilderness seasons is to teach us about Himself

Today, we continue that story…
Egypt finally has enough of God and his people

• They let Israel Go
• They send them with riches

Pharaoh has a change of heart…

Exodus 14

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”

So he gathers part of his army and pursues the people of Israel

• Israel is gathered on the banks of the Red Sea

 

Exodus 14

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians coming after them! The Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Moses responds…

13 But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”

 

Moses prays…

• Stretches out his arms
• God parts the waters
• Israel walks through unharmed
• Pharaoh follows them in
• God releases the waters and drowns the Egyptian army

 

Through this, Israel and the world learn that…

God always makes a way for His People

• God parted the waters
• God gave water from a rock
• God fed them in the desert
• God ALWAYS makes a way

 

What does this mean for us?

God is the one who makes a way in your circumstances

• In your pain
• In your struggle

 

First, God introduced Himself to the people

Next, God was teaching the people to TRUST HIM

• That is what wilderness seasons do
• They point you back to God and teach you to trust

 

There are two important things to know about GOD MAKING A WAY

1: Following God doesn’t always mean it will be easy or make sense.

 

That is what following God can be like

• You won’t always understand why

Israel didn’t know why God had brought them to the sea

“Have you brought us here to die!”

 

But God had a bigger purpose in bringing them there

• We’re still talking about it today

 

When you don’t know the WHY, Focus on the WHAT

What should I be doing now?

• Praying
• Serving
• Grow where you are planted

 

In most wilderness seasons of your life, you will not know the WHY until you are out of it

• But you can know the WHAT
• Back to the story…
• Israel has crossed the Red Sea
• Phorah’s army is gone
• For the first time, they experience real freedom

In celebration, they sing one of the first recorded songs in the Bible.

Exodus 15

2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.

11 Lord, who is like you among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?

12 You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them.

13 With your faithful love, you will lead the people you have redeemed; you will guide them to your holy dwelling with your strength.

 

2: Worship While You Wait

 

If you haven’t ever been desperate for God, then worship doesn’t make sense
People in the desert

God had not told them what was next

• they were only just beginning their wilderness season
• But they worshiped

Worship does a few things…

Worship reminds us of God’s Goodness

• His faithfulness
• His love and purpose for us
• Our salvation

 

When we sing songs of God’s goodness, it helps our spirit rest assured that

If He was faithful then, He will be faithful now

 

Next

Worship Tell us is not all about us

• This is God’s story
• This is His plan

 

Worship realigns our hearts to Worship GOD and not OURSELVES.
God ALWAYS makes a way

• When the way seems blocked, WORSHIP
• When you don’t know why, focus on WHAT

Isaiah 43

1 Now this is what the Lord says— the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel— “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you.

3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.

 

You are not Forgotten in your wilderness

• God will make a way!
• TRUST HIM!