Sailors, Saints, & Sinners

Message Recap: Identity Theft – Part 3

This weekend we tackled the difficult subject of sin and our tendency to “control and manage” it, instead of conquering and killing it.

• 3 reasons why we tolerate, excuse, control, manage, and look for loopholes for our sins:
  • Sin is pleasurable and desirable (for a season) so we make it excusable.
  • Sin is enslaving and defeating so we make it identifying.
  • Sin is ultimately more about who we are vs. what we do (identity-related, not behavior-related)
    • Radical Depravity = born with the ability to sin but we are also not able not to sin
    • The core problem is our identity, not our behavior
• Paul’s reaction to Christians continuing in patterns of sin in Romans 6:2 is understandable in light of the fact that we have been given a new identity in Christ.
  • Romans 6:1-10
    • This passage is about God’s grace which is amazing for 3 reasons:
      • It is costly to God (but free to us)
      • It is violent power (not just forgiveness but also deliverance!)
      • It is transforming (grace by nature changes the equation from death to life!)
• Understanding the reality of the new identity for a Christian is crucial to conquering and killing sin
  • Tolerating and being enslaved to sin is inconceivable and incompatible with new life in Christ.
• Romans 6:11 is the first command in all of Romans
  • You can only kill/conquer sin that has been cancelled in Christ. This is why we can “consider” ourselves dead to sin and alive to God = because of Christ’s own death and resurrection.
    • We see our sins and all sin on the Cross and through the lens of the empty tomb. They are dead and defeated.
• Application for conquering and killing your own sins:
  • NEW CATEGORY: in Christ and against the Cross we can no longer excuse sin or stay in sin. This means all sin is moved from the “no big deal/just the way I am/everybody does it” pile to the “inexcusable/it killed Christ” category.
  • This NEW PERSPECTIVE on SIN leads to an EMPOWERED WILL to FIGHT SIN with all the weapons of grace God has given us — His Holy Spirit, His Word, His Church, small groups, accountability, prayer, etc. etc.
    • But we fight from a position of victory, not defeat.
  • My personal routine for this:
    • A-ADMIT I am powerless on my own and ABIDE in Christ (move to dependence on Christ)
    • S-SURRENDER all to Christ and be SATISFIED with all He is
    • K-KILL sin because is hurts my highest treasure and live for the His KINGDOM

Message Recap: Identity Theft-Part 2 (Manhood)

• Why the confusion and debate over manhood?
  • Even the Bible has to command men to “act like a man” (see I Cor. 16:13)
• Genesis 2:15-18
  • Man was given a garden, a job, spiritual responsibilities and a family.
  • Men are divinely designed to conquer and cultivate.
• Genesis 3:9-10
  • Due to sin, men lost their validation from God and now enter the world (tend their garden) wounded and fearful.
  • Men pursue validation from 3 sources (these 3 points from sermon on masculinity by Matt Carter):
    • Men pretend to be something they are not.
    • Men look to women to validate them.
    • Men look to work for validation.
  • Genesis 3:15-18 — all of these sources are cursed and will not give men the validation they need to be men.
• I Corinthians 16:14-18
  • Stephanas is an example and was able to “act like a man” because he was a “first fruit” = he was validated and accepted by God.
    • Matthew 3:17 is God’s validation over His redeemed children.
      • This is one reason why a meaningful, biblical baptism is significant.
    • You can only love with “agape” love (unconditional, sacrificial) when you have been loved with agape love.
      • This love only comes from Christ and is applied to us by the Holy Spirit, through faith.
  • Instead of stepping out into the world to receive validation; Christian men step into the world WITH validation of God.
    • Our frustrations and futility in the world remind us of how we treated God.
    • We depend on God and the depth of His love for us, not looking for perfect love from imperfect people or places.
      • Stand watch = alert for temptations; protecting those entrusted to us.
      • “Be strong” = persevere, endure; it will be tough and require effort/hard work
      • Serve = be leading servants in your “garden” = church, family, job
      • Refresh others (insecure men exhaust and exasperate others)
• Application this week for men:
  • Read Matthew 3:17 everyday.
  • Before speaking/acting, ask yourself: “Am I doing this in an attempt to receive validation OR because I have validation?”
  • Pray consistently over and with and for your family (wife, children) or begin praying with your girlfriend.
• Statistics:
  • 43% of Rock Bridge members are men.
  • If a husband/father becomes a Christian, 93% of the time his entire family will become Christ-followers. (This happens 17% of the time in the case of a wife/mother).

Message Recap: Identity Theft-Part 1 (Easter)

Kicked off our new series, Identity Theft, on Easter weekend with the question: “Does Easter really matter since we tend to only think about it at two times: Easter and when facing death?”

Colossians 3:1-3
–The Apostle Paul’s personalizing the resurrection with the conditional statement, “…IF you have been raised with the Messiah…”
–“Raised” could literally mean “co-resurrected”. Clearly, Paul is talking about the resurrection in applicable, personal terms.
–If we have been co-resurrected then we take our cues from Jesus, we focus on heavenly things not earthly ones, and we think differently.  Our lives will be “hidden” with Christ. Paul is teaching that the resurrection matters in how we live our lives on earth.

• Paul is addressing our very identity.
• We all know the power of identity: Identity determines direction. Who we think we are determines where we go and how we live our lives.
  • We all want something to define us and give us a healthy self-concept. We want to be perceived a certain way.
  • The world offers us a lot of choices: our bodies, our performance, our careers, our houses, our cars, our clothes, our relationships, our pleasures, fitness, etc. The problem is that what the world offers will eventually die, change, wear out, or deceive us and lead us down a dangerous path. Ultimately, our jobs will go away, our bodies will wear out, our car will break down, other people will let us down, etc.
    • Then, the world will condemn us for our “identity choice”.
  • We will have no choice but to reconstruct, rediscovery, or redefine our identity. We feel lost because we are lost — lost from who God created us to be.
  • We need a more reliable and secure source of identity. This is where God meets us.
• Colossians 3:4
  • Christ wants to be our “life”. Not part of our life, but our life.
    • This is our battle: to let God define us.
    • This is also our hope because ultimately other things that define us will deceive us or go away.
  • What is true of Christ is (can be) true of me which gives me an identity.
    • We see this need for a secure source of identity unfold in the Scriptures:
      • Job 14:14, Luke 24:46
        • Job cries out for the hope of a resurrection; Jesus is the resurrection.
      • Romans 4:25, Romans 6:9, I Corinthians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 1:9
        • From the resurrection comes our justification, our hope, and God’s trustworthiness.
      • Hebrews 7:16, I Peter 1:3
        • Jesus is the eternal High Priest able to offer new life and a living hope because He is indestructible.
• Colossians 3:5-10a
  • Everything flows from this new identity as we walk a new way in a new direction because we are new in Christ
  • This is not a list of rules to follow; this is a way to walk because of WHO we are in Christ. It is based not on what we have done, but what Christ has done on our behalf.
• Colossians 3:10b-11
  • We have a new image: Jesus. Reliable. Indestructible. Secure. Eternal.
  • The resurrection is not just something you believe; it is how you build your life.
  • Old identity patterns are gone. The new distinction: have you been raised/co-resurrected, or not?

Message Recap: Delayed-Part 3

This weekend Beth joined me to teach and share some of her journey with God through the trial of leukemia.

2 Corinthians 12:7b-10
Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. ⁸ Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. ⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. ¹⁰ So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What do we do when God says “No.” or “Not the way you want.”?

• In verse 7, we see that trials (or “thorns”) are often not accidental, but intentional.
• We also see that somehow God is “sovereign” even over what Satan tries to do in the lives of God’s children.
  • Note: This is especially evident in the events surrounding Jesus’ death on the Cross. The crucifixion was unjust, evil, and involved terrible suffering by God’s Son. However, God the Father used it for amazing good — our salvation and His glory in and through all things.
• Beth’s perspective on her genetic disorder were shaped by two foundational passages of Scripture:
  • Romans 8:28
  • Psalm 139-13-16
• When you believe in God’s love and trust in His sovereignty, you can plead with Him openly and honestly in prayer (see v. 8).
  • But we must understand that God may answer the prayer differently than we envision (v. 9a)
• God unveils that His grace is sufficient (even for daily life and not just eternal life) and that His power is actually displayed better through weaknesses.
  • Beth shared the frustration of unanswered prayer, the timeliness of her illness coming right after becoming a mom
  • She was able to land in a firm place of faith to fight through the illness and doubts through the perspective that was shaped by Scripture, her parents, and understanding God’s “bigness” through a massive thunder storm she witnessed in Montana when she was 17.
  • When told she might die from lung toxicity, Beth felt the “peace” that passes all understanding.
• Paul, begins to transition from pleading about his weaknesses to boasting in them. This is how God platforms His power and grace (v. 9b)
  • This perspective is so counter-cultural. We want to glorify God when we are strong.
  • However, God often wants to be strong and sufficient when we are weak.
• We can understand and experience God’s sufficiency in several ways:
  • Through God’s Word that we must expose ourselves to and hide in our hearts.
  • Through God’s people — the importance of not just believing in God but belonging to a church family.
  • Through God’s Names — we know God and experience His character through His Names:
    • El Roi: The God Who sees — God sees every tear and looks with compassion
    • Immanuel: God with us — Jesus knew suffering and knows how we feel
    • Jehovah Sammah: the Lord is ever-present — He is always with us
    • Jehovah Jireh: the Lord will provide
    • El Shaddai: God all-sufficient
    • Jehovah Nissi: the Lord my banner
    • Jehovah Shalom: the Lord our peace
    • Jehovah Rapha: The God who heals
    • Jehovah M’Kaddesh: The Lord who sanctifies
    • El Yeshua: God is my salvation
      • “The greatest miracle is my salvation” {Beth}
  • “God will put more on us than we can handle so we can know Him and that He can handle it.” {Beth}
• Even though Beth’s “thorn” of fanconi anemia is not gone completely, she prays that she can live the rest of her life knowing what she knows now about God.
• She is thankful for what she went through because of how she now knows God. When we are weak, He is strong!

Preaching with the Mrs.

Excited to preach part 3 of DELAYED this weekend with my wife, Beth!!

Message Recap: Delayed-Part 2

This weekend’s question when we face a “delay”: What am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

Psalm 25:1-9

• We must decide who is going to be “God” over our delay.
  • The first issue we must resolve is who we are going to trust (Psalm 25:1-2)
  • God gives us 2 incentives to trust Him (Psalm 25:3-4)
    • A promise to claim that those who wait on Him will not be disgraced
    • A warning to heed that short cutting God will prove costly
  • Before we quit believing on God, we often quit waiting on God.
• Once we decide to trust God over our delay, we can seek to know Him better. Knowing Him is transforming.
  • God begins to work on our character, transforming us to Christ.
  • If all God wanted was a “happy ending”, we’d all be in heaven now.
  • The process of waiting is the point of waiting.
    • What do we become while we wait.
• Character transformation leads to course/path determination.
  • God speaks to us through our character that can recognize Him, His ways, and His will.
  • We can walk down a path with clarity, confidence, and courage.
• 4 Paths that we see through trusting God and letting Him transform our character in a delay:
  • When in the meantime, you need to grow. (2 Chronicles 34:1-4)
    • Josiah chose to grow into his position as King.
    • Growth means maturing, developing convictions, making pre-decisions, forming a theology, and going to deep with God.
  • When in the meantime, you need to stay. (Genesis 16:1-4)
    • Abram & Sarai should have “stayed” and not taken matters into their own hands.
    • Staying means enduring with patience, not quitting, not running, and not falling for the “grass is greener” syndrome.
  • When in the meantime, you need to go. (Joshua 10:7-10)
    • Joshua marched all night to receive the God-promised victory.
    • Go means we fight, we take responsibility, we march in God’s direction, we do all we can while trusting God to do what He can.
  • When you’ve messed up in the meantime, do the right thing right now. (John 19:38-40)
    • Nicodemus had been wrong all his life.
    • But after Jesus’ death, Nicodemus got it right while the disciples ran in fear. He did the right thing.
    • His act of courage gave us irrefutable evidence of the death and resurrection.

Ultimately, what we do as we wait in trust on God is we give evidence like Nicodemus that the God we follow is alive!

Message Recap: Delayed-Part 1

We all struggle with God’s timing, asking “God, when are you going to do something about this?”
–This struggle can take us down a path of disillusionment, doubt, and despair
–It also can lead to a deeper and richer faith.

The pattern in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation says that delays more fully display Jesus.
–Can we find this pattern in our own delays?

John 11:1-44

• Jesus’ intentional delay in responding to Lazarus’ sickness is challenging:
  • The Scripture says that because Jesus loved this family, He delayed in going to help them
  • The Scripture says that Jesus will use this sickness for His glory
    • We define “glory” as God’s weightiness, His fullness
    • Is God’s glory more important than our immediate comfort and well-being? Apparently so.
  • Jesus tells His disciples that He is glad Lazarus died so He can help their belief in Him.
• Delays remind us that we are not in control.
  • Does not mean that no one is in control; just that we aren’t.
    • The passage clearly reveals that Jesus is in control
  • This is where lots of us leave the faith or settle for God “from a distance”.
  • This also creates an opening for greater faith and connection to God because once we lose the illusion of control, we are open to the One Who actually is in control.
• Jesus meets Martha first.
  • Martha was looking forward to a favorable event or circumstance
  • Jesus taught her to look for Him as the “I am”
  • Who God is is bigger than when God is.
• Jesus then meets Mary and comforts her with deep emotion: tears of sorrow and anger at sin & unbelief.
• Some in the crowd understand, some do not.
  • If we insist on being loved the way the world does, we will miss God.
    • The world spells love “O-W-E” and places expectations on people, government, etc.
    • God spells love “M-Y S-O-N” and gives us Himself.
• Delays help us meet God personally, and not just circumstantially.
  • When you can’t find God in favorable circumstances, you must look for Him in His Word and at His Cross which we see visibly through the Lord’s Supper.
• Delays force the issue of faith forcing us to lean on what we cannot see and trust the One we cannot comprehend.
  • Jesus raises Lazarus so that the people may believe in Him.
  • Lazarus’ resurrection was not the point, just the platform.
  • Jesus was/is/always will be the point.
• Does this answer satisfy us? It depends on how we see Jesus?
  • If He is the source of life, we are satisfied and have peace that passes understanding.
  • If He is a threat to our way of life, we run or doubt or despair.
    • The Lazarus miracle was the catalyst for the diabolical plot to kill Jesus (see John 11:53).
    • Jesus as God is threatening to some.
• 3 Choices:
  • Receive salvation
  • Lean into God’s sovereignty
  • Live for God’s glory

Bible Translation: Switching to HCSB

A few weeks ago I posted that we were prayerfully considering switching from using the NIV (1984) translation of the Bible. Our staff and Elders weighed in on using the English Standard Version (ESV) or the Holman Christian Standard Version (HCSB). We were basically split in our opinions and preferences; however, the decision was made to adopt the HCSB as the primary translation we will use for preaching and to offer this translation in our resource areas.

Why the switch from the NIV (1984)? With the release of the 2011 New International Version (NIV), the NIV-1984 will no longer be published. We felt a new and different translation was needed for 2 reasons:
#1–Since 1984 there have been improvements in scholarship and understanding of the ancient texts as well as changes in the English language. Therefore, an updated translation seems wise and timely.
#2–As a church, we are committed to the authority and inerrancy of the Scriptures.  We desire a translation to be accurate, understandable, and suitable for public reading.  We question some of the NIV-2011 accuracy related choices which then affects arriving at a correct understanding of the inspired writing of the biblical authors.

Why the HCSB?

1-The HCSB is primarily about accuracy and readability as their website states:
The HCSB, as a Bible translation project began for many reasons. One of the main reasons was accuracy. The HCSB translation team sought out from the beginning to render an accurate reading of the Bible from the Greek, Armaic, and Hebrew texts. Another reason was readability. Modern English continues to change with time, so the HCSB translation team set out to advance the Bible in up-to-date language that any reader can understand clearly.

2-The Name of God is given special significance in the HCSB to help us better understand how personal God is in His revelation of Himself to us as sinful creatures.

3-The HCSB is precise in its translation. From the HCSB website:
The word count of the original Hebrew and Greek texts in the standard critical editions is 545,202. The HCSB comes closer to this word count than other major translation … the HCSB is able to convey the original texts in a more precise fashion.

4-The HCSB is suitable for public reading and reads in a clear manner that audiences can follow. As a preacher, this was the single greatest advantage of the HCSB over the ESV and some other translations.

5-The HCSB has some unique features that aid in understanding the original and intended meaning of the Holy Spirit-inspired authors. For example, the “Bullet Notes” feature offers great explanations of frequently used biblical terms.

On a final note, no translation is perfect in its attempts to accurately communicate the original meaning of the inspired writers. Using a variety of translations aids in understanding and provides greater insights into the Scriptures. I still read the NIV, NLT, ESV, the Message, the Amplified, and the KJV/NKJV. We love the Bible and the God of the Bible. However, we believe it is wise to have a standard translation used in our services that is accurate, readable, and understandable; for us and for now that is the HCSB.

Extra Scenes

This weekend’s message was a “vision” message and because I get so passionate about that subject I usually don’t have time to cover everything.  I want to provide some of the “extra” scenes that did not make this weekend’s message –

Gospel Partnerships
We not only want to faithful in Gospel proclamation but also forging Gospel partnerships.  The truth is that no person or church can be as effective in pursuing the mission of God without partnering strategically with other likeminded organizations, individuals, and churches.
*Next year we hope to partner and help plant churches in Statesboro, south Atlanta (Clayton County), and Chattanooga.
*This year we partnered with over ten agencies in our three county area (Gordon, Murray, & Whitfield) to meet needs in Jesus’ Name.
*Globally, we are partnering with organizations to take care of orphans, plant churches, dig wells, and care for impoverished children.

Multiplication
God’s Kingdom spreads through multiplication. This is how the church left Jerusalem and spread outward. God’s love and the message of the Cross has that impact.  We called it “flow” in the message.  God’s love and message of salvation flows from one person to another as a natural effect of the Holy Spirit’s influence in a Christian. God’s love cannot be contained or isolated but it longs to be multiplied.
This multiplication or “flow” happens among individuals, in groups, in communities, and ultimately all over the world. This explains our church’s growth and our multi-site strategy to helping NW Georgia know the Jesus of the Bible.

Lifeboats
Lifeboat #14 off the Titanic chose to risk all to save some while the other half-empty life boats rowed away from the cries of the drowning. Churches, Christians, and small groups are to be life boats, not pleasure boats. As a lifeboat, we adopt the mentality that if we don’t, no one else will. If we don’t invite people to see Jesus in us and in our church, then who will? We don’t even wait for the answer … we stay on mission with God:  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.” {Luke 19:10}

Worship Evangelism
The example you set in worship matters!! When you worship in the freedom and passion of the Holy Spirit, you are adding to the Holy Spirit’s “presence” in the service AND non-believers are watching your example.

Wrap-up
I am unbelievably excited about God’s hand in our church. I heard a story this week of a person who invited FORTY people to church!! 40!! People are dealing with sin and fightings its effects. Lost and un-churched people ARE at our services EVERY week (praise God!).  Our small groups are being mission-minded, building relationships, and contemplating birthing new groups for new people in new areas. We are working to hire a Missions Pastor by the first part of 2012 to further advance our local and global efforts to meet needs and share Christ.  So let’s keep praying, keep growing, and keep multiplying the Name of Jesus!

A GREAT WEEKEND TO BRING A GUEST!!

This is a GREAT weekend to bring a friend to church with you!!

In Dalton we will be talking about “gaps” or problems that exist in our relationships … parents & children, husbands & wives, friends, family members, etc.  But more importantly, we’ll discover biblical truths to close those “gaps” and experience relational healing and health.  We all know people with struggling marriages, difficulties with their kids, and emotional strain caused by problematic relationships — INVITE THEM TO CHURCH WITH YOU!!!

In Calhoun we’ll learn the critical question we need to be asking ourselves in all facets of our life.  This question gives clarity when there is confusion and gives us confidence to move forward into God’s best for our life and His glory.  If you know anyone who wants to know about God’s plans for them, this message will show them how to take the first step — BRING THEM TO CHURCH and then take them to LUNCH

To all of us @ RBCC … PRAY for God to give people the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the desire to do His will!!