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Connecting with Others in Community
Here are the sermon notes from July 13, 2014. Our series, “No Matter What” is coming straight from the book of Philippians. This week’s message is from chapter 2. You can listen to the podcast of this message here.
Philippians 2:1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?
These are great questions. They need to be answered honestly. When it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ the answer is YES. If you honestly answer these question NO, then don’t go further. There is more of Jesus that you can receive. There is more of his Spirit that you can be baptized with. SEEK HIM.
For those who answered YES to verse one, then we continue:
Verses 2-4 basically say:
Live in Community with Other Believers!
2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Be an active member of a healthy church (body of believers).
- Agree wholeheartedly with each other
- Love one another
- Work together with one mind and purpose
- Don’t be selfish
- Don’t try to impress others
- Be humble – think of others as better than yourself
- Don’t look out only for your own interests. Take an interest in others.
How can we accomplish that list: JESUS CHRIST
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God (obeyed God’s Word) and died a criminal’s death on a cross. (sacrificed his self-center, killed the desire to satisfy himself) 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
How we live in Community at PSM:
- We worship together (Sunday Celebration)
- We live life together (Weekday Community) – Friends/companionship, helping, listening, carrying burdens.
o Informally –friendships develop
o Small Groups –(PSMU right now) In September, we are launching new groups – we are looking to launch 50 groups this fall. In order to do that, we need 50 people or couples that
- People that are currently not doing it
- People that might have never done it before
- People that feel like they don’t have enough time
- People that feel like they know enough about the Bible
When I started pastoring this church, I was 26 years old. I had never been to seminary. I was scared that people would reject or mock me. All that was true, BUT GOD. God worked through me. He wants to work through you.
IT’S GAME TIME! The church leadership are here to help you get a group of some sort started.
o Classical Group – discussing the sermon from Sunday
o Book Groups – reading and discussing a Christian book
o Interest Groups – softball team, volleyball, shopping, golf, fishing, riverfloat, nursing home, moms/kids playgroup, homeschooling, scrapbooking, working out, decorating, gardening, hunting, geocaching, video-gaming, cardplaying,
If you love Jesus and he has impacted your life, then use your natural skills and ‘likes’ to gather others in community.
Participate in that activity and we can help you figure out how deep you go with the Biblical/Spiritual application.
If you want to launch a new small group, click here.
Work Out Your Faith
Philippians 2:12 (Amplified Version) Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
13 [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
Paul circles around and ends the chapter with the same concept at the opening verses.
Live in Community with Other Believers!
Get Risky (not frisky) – Be Venerable – Be Open –
19 If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare.
When Paul checks Facebook, he doesn’t get jealous or thrive on other people’s failure. He doesn’t feel depressed or heavy when comparing himself to others! HE IS ENCOURAGED BY THEIR WINS.
21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23 I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24 And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.
25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26 I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill.
27 And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. 28 So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. 29 Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 30For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.
How We Connect Others to God
In the movie, Nacho Libre, there is a sub-plot that parallels life and scripture almost perfectly. This sub-plot helps us with a core part of Christianity. We will call it:
4 Parts of Connecting Others with God
You can listen to the podcast of this message here.
Nacho and Esqueleto become friends and wrestling partners. Nacho is a friar. Esqueleto is…well we aren’t sure what he is.Their relationship takes a very unexpected turn during their first wrestling match.
Nacho: You take the stallion, I’ll take the pony.
Esqueleto: I can’t wrestle him.
Nacho: But you’re tall and fast like a gazelle, you can do it. Pray to the Lord for strength.
Esqueleto: I don’t believe in God. I believe in Science.
Nacho is Shocked that his partner is not a believer in the Lord.
Nacho is shocked and saddened. This gives us point #1:
1. We Discover that Others are Far from God
This is the first step. The realization and the responsibility of ‘the Lost’.
We see the destruction of loved one’s lives around us. Their lives often frustrate us. We are often disgusted with our friends, neighbors, co-workers. How could you? Why did you? Why don’t you?
It seems so obvious where others go wrong. From our outside perspective, we can often give advice or prescribe a solution for them. When we see their mess and their pain, this is a God-given red-flag. This is a system given to us by God, not to judge or condemn or EVEN give advice.
What we are seeing is their distance from God. Instead of their lifestyle making you frustrated or mad or calloused to ambivalence, we should feel a burden for their separation from God.
Romans 9:2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief 3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.
Probably what ever thing or sin that makes you the most frustrated or upset is the area of people that God is calling you to reach out to.
After feeling the burden of the lost,
2. We Participate in Their Relationship with God.
One day while preparing for a match:
Nacho: I’m a little bit concerned about your salvation and stuff. Why have you not been baptized?
Esqueleto: Because I never got around to it, Ok?!
We participate with others’ relationship with God, Just as Jesus participated in our relationship with God
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…
So we are commanded to participate in others’ relationship with God:
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
The movie shows an accurate picture of life:
3. We Often Stumble and get Anxious in the Process.
Nacho stumbles with his humanity. He is frustrated and gets anxious with the process.
Nacho: I’m not listening to you! You only believe in Science. That’s probably why we never win! The kids have no food because of you!
Esqueleto: I’m sick of hearing about your stupid orphans.
Nacho: What did you say?
Esqueleto: I hate orphans
Nacho: Say it again to my face
Esqueleto: I hate dem
Nacho: Come again
Esqueleto: I hate all de orphans in the whole worl!!
In the midst of living life with others, we screw things up. We often expect those who have no relationship with God to somehow live like they do.
We often don’t say enough or when we do talk, we show the wrong attitude. Our sin shows up.
What do we do in that instance? Get up, dust off, refocus on God and continue your pursuit of God. Demonstrate your dependence on God.
This leads us to our final point:
4. We Tell a Story and Reflect the Light. God Saves.
Nacho’s life, his example, his testimony in the natural rhythm of life influences Esquelto.
Acts 1:8 …You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…
In spite of our sin, God uses our story to bring His truth and power to others. Jesus Christ reveals Himself in our weakness! He is made present or appears to everyone when we suffer weakness and then overcome. This tenderizes the heart of those around us.
In the movie, God changes Esquelto’s heart. We see a conversion.
- FIRST, shows up in his practical life.
Nacho: I have given up wrestling.
Esqueleto: Nacho, you are great fighter. You’ve got something none of these guys have. (heart). And the childrens need a real hero.
Nacho: I thought you hated all the orphans in the whole world.
Esqueleto: Not anymore. I like them. And they need you Nacho.
- SECOND, it shows up in his religious life.
When Nacho is facing Ramses, in the final match, it is Esquelto that leads the prayer.
Esquelto: Maybe we should pray.
Nacho: Yes
Write the names of three people who you know need an encounter with Jesus. We are going to pray for them.
Some of you are a name on someone’s list. You are ready to commit your life to Jesus today! Let’s pray right now about that!
When you want to participate in someone’s relationship with Jesus Christ, a powerful tool that you have in your toolbox is inviting people to PromiseLand San Marcos.
This is something we talk about in 101 (first Sunday of every month).
We specifically design our worship services to reach the lost. We want you to have a place where you can worship God intimately yourself, but you can also be confident to invite friends and know that they will have a place to meet God themselves.
Honorology Discussion Guide
Instead of posting my sermon notes today, I decided to post our small group discussion guide. It gives a good picture of the story and how to apply to your everyday life.
PROMISEGROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE: WEEK OF MAY 19 – Honorology – Bringing Honor Back!
What part of our society is missing honor the most?
David was a man of great honor. He honored the man of God, Saul even when Saul hunted David to destroy him. He told his men to never touch Saul.
But David lost his honor when we found comfort in the palace. He found himself lost in the maze of adultery. Sin had crept into David’s life and when that happened, honor was the first to leave. When he found out that his lover, Bathsheba, was pregnant, he sent for her husband Uriah. Ironically, it would be Uriah that brought honor back to the palace.
2 Samuel 11:6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. 8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. 10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? 11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. 12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. 13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. 14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
What part of that story is most upsetting to you?
Where all does dishonor show up in that passage?
What characteristics does Uriah display in this story? How does he honor his God and his country?
What pleasures did he sacrifice to display this honor?
What ultimately happened to Uriah because of his honor?
Because of Uriah’s integrity, honor was brought back to David. His sin was revealed and purity/honor returned to the Kingdom.
Compare the act of Uriah and his act of integrity and honor with the life and work of Jesus Christ.
How does Jesus’ submission to man (disciples and Romans) pave the way for righteousness to return to Earth?
How does our honor or lack of honor display our heart? Explain.
How do we bring honor back to the society where we live?
How can we mirror Uriah and Jesus in modern times?
Is there anyone in your life right now that you need to show your honor to?
How can we pray with you today for any of these questions/topics of honor?
How the Resurrection Changes Everything
Here are the sermon notes from Easter 2014! Listen to the podcast here.
There is a day coming when everything will be perfect. As the Prophet Isaiah said, “When the lamb and the wolf will lay down together.” The prophet Amos said, “When justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Dr. Martin Luther King said, “When the sweltering heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”
The Apostle John wrote about the future world:
Revelation 21:3…Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”… 6… “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
V:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
There will be no need for passwords on your computers, you won’t need a security system or even need to lock your doors. In fact, you don’t need doors. There is no need protection. There will be no need of keeping things out or keeping yourself in.
Revelation 22:3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
This will be an awesome time! An unbelievable place of love, peace, joy, purity, justice. All the situations that we thought were unresolved, God will resolve them. We have always called that heaven. Heaven. The unadulterated Kingdom of God. A place of wonder. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL! Before the movie and book made it famous. We have always known that HEAVEN IS FOR REAL!
But let’s be REAL honest! We live on a EARTH that is FAR different from Heaven!
The world that we live in is filled with flaws. We are surrounded by many people that are far from God. It is evident in their life status and situations. When we look at many of the circumstances of our own lives sitting here at PSM this morning, There are aspects of our lives that are not right. Grief plagues humanity as we see many folks struggling for joy, lost in anger and bitterness, lonely. And includes a lot of people who go to church on a regular basis.
We live in a broken world. Why? We live in a world that is currently separated from Heaven. BUT IT WAS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THAT.
Genesis 1:1 in the Beginning God made the heaven and the earth.
You might think that these two realms were disconnected from each other, but no where in Genesis chapter 1 or 2 does it say that earth was down here and heaven is some disconnected thing far away. It does say that there were lightings in heaven to bring light to the earth, but it also says that birds flew in heaven too. They were distinct but interwoven and connected with each other. We see differences like night and day, land and water, fish and bird, man and female, etc, BUT everything was TOGETHER AND GOOD.
There is no separation or disconnectedness until chapter 3 when Humans decide to bail on God’s plan. From that point forward there is huge distinction and separation between heaven and earth!
For thousands of years, all throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites talked about the end of time when heaven and earth would be resolved again.
As you see the entire storyline of the Bible you begin to see a beautiful picture of redemption unfolding. A redemption that is not just the salvation of your individual soul, but a redemption that includes the entire cosmos.
Paul talked about this in his letter to the Romans
Romans 8:18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
They called this great day at the end of the world the RESURRECTION.
When each of their loved ones died, they reminded themselves of the day when they would be resurrected. They believed a day would come when all of God’s kids would be resurrected and live with him forever. In Matthew 22, Jesus was asked who would be married to who “in the Resurrection”. He used that moment to teach them about resurrection life.
The topic of resurrection came up again when Jesus was dealing with the death of Lazarus.
John 11:23Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother (Lazarus) will rise again.”24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again “in the resurrection” on the last day.”
The statement in the next verse is what changes everything forever.
25 Jesus said to her, “I AM THE RESURRECTION and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
This world of Heaven that was to be reserved for a future resurrection is now personified in front of their eyes! What a BOLD proclamation! The promise of a new life where everything would be made right. The eternal perfect Heaven and Earth coming together.
This resurrection that everyone thought was an event being reserved for the End of Time turns out to be rushing forward from the future to the present time!
A beautiful, perfect heavenly space and the broken earthly space were now overlapping in a person. The only way that Jesus could claim to BE the resurrection as a person, is to in himself conquer death himself!
There will be a day when the earthly realm is completely restored as it was in the Garden of Eden and is united with the heavenly realm FOREVER. Both spaces will be one in the same. They will be inseparable.
Now, in our present, In the man JESUS CHRIST both of these realms overlap. In Jesus and Because of Jesus, the broken world doesn’t have to wait until the end of time to access the heavenly world. He IS the resurrection and the life. He said the Kingdom of Heaven is HERE. NOW.
Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.
Through Jesus, the Kingdom of God is here. Now.
In Mark 1:15, the terms “fulfilled” and “is at hand” literally means that the eternal God is RIGHT NOW BREAKING INTO your circumstances. Today.
Jesus says repent and believe. When you repent and believe, you begin living in the overlap of heaven and earth just as Jesus is.
BUT ANYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD, can find peace NOW, can find hope NOW. We can abide in the Resurrection. We can rest in/stay in the hope that Jesus Christ IS our redeemer
There are some of you who are sort of on the outside looking in. You often feel trapped in the world that you live in. It seems as though you are unable to break from the depression. Some of you have job situation that is a dead-end and there seems to be no alternate solution. Others are struggling with a spousal romantic relationship and have given up.
The Resurrection brings Good News to you today.
The Kingdom of God is Breaking In and Bursting forth in your life.
The promised heaven of the future is rushing forwards in time to rescue you heart and mind. Repent and Believe in the work of the Resurrected Christ! What I am trying to say this morning is that your life can reflect the resurrection!
Your mind and heart can be at peace today no matter what type of brokenness you are facing on this earth.
A repentant heart, submitting to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the resurrection of the empty tomb begins to live in a NEW REALM. A place where heaven and earth overlap.
The Lamb of the Story
These are the raw sermon notes from my message on April 13, 2014. Palm Sunday. You can get more clarity by listening to the podcast.
Exodus 12:1While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. 4 If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects. 6 “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. 8 That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning. 11 “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the lord’s Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the lord! 13 But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.
The Passover demonstrates the uniqueness. For Jews and Christians – the Passovers defines and gives identity. At the center of Judaism and Christianity is the bloody death of a helpless victim. Why? What does it mean?
There is a Bible long story of the Lamb.
The Offering of the Lamb
The Pharoh won’t let the people go. God says he will strike down every first born.
v.23 Moses says- the Lord will not let the destroyer into your house to strike you down.
There is a simple fact/law: when you violate God’s laws you unleash forces of destruction, disintegration, and chaos.
Examples:
- If you overwork- career as an idol leads to breakdown of all sorts of life
- Holding a grudge- there is breakdown and disintegration of all sorts.
When God says the destroyer will come, I have scrolled ahead and in one night and in one place, eternal/divine judgment day justice (consequence) will be focused at one point in one place. There will be a preliminary, temporary but devastating judgment day. Not just the forces of destruction, disintegration, and chaos that are out there in general, but for one night there will be a release of destruction.
I’m about to unleash the most irresistible, unstoppable, irreversible force in the universe. The destroyer. It will go through the most powerful military and dynasty that the world has ever seen (Egypt). It will go right through it like a knife going through hot butter.
Robin Steele 