Beyond Sunday | 12.16.18

On Sunday, we talked about the importance of waiting.  What are you waiting for this Christmas? I remember waiting for Christmas day to arrive as a kid. The days we long as I anticipated Christmas morning! Fast forward to 2018, It is hard to accomplish everything in time for Christmas as a Dad!

We spend a good amount of our lives waiting. We aren’t born with the desire to wait. The world we live in doesn’t help us wait. We want things faster and faster.

The truth is, God has a plan in our waiting.

In Luke 2, we see a guy who waited on God. A lot! Who? Simeon.

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.”

— Luke 2:25-29

People had been waiting for the Messiah for more than 400 year. As the years passed, Simeon must have wondered if God was going to come through on His promise.

“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Simon says in other words: “Lord, I can die a happy man; You’ve kept Your promise to me. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.””

— Luke 2:30-35

1. Joy begins by waiting expectantly.
   Waiting on God involves being active, not passive. Literally when it says to wait in Luke 2:25, it means to “lean forward.”

2. Joy grows by listening to God’s Spirit.
   Simeon lived day-to-day listening to the Holy Spirit. He walked in step with the Spirit of God. Do you listen for God’s leading? In prayer? In reading His Word? Are we too busy to stop and listen?

3. Joy is found in believing in what God has promised.
   Anybody can make a promise; God's great at keeping them. Simeon wasn’t alone in his joy. Anna was also there celebrating Jesus (Luke 2:36-38). She was an example of faithful waiting. As she waited, she was actively serving God.

4. Live like Jesus is coming back today.
   Simeon and Anna’s experience is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ promise to return! One day, Jesus will come and change everything. We wait expectantly for His arrival!

““However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”

— Matthew 24:36

“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

— Matthew 24:44

““Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

— Revelation 22:20

What are you doing while you are waiting?
- Are you waiting expectantly?
- Are you listening to God?
- Are you trusting in God’s promises?
- Are you living like Jesus is coming back today?

Beyond Sunday | 12.9.18

On Sunday, we answered the question, “What will I do with Jesus this Christmas?  The busyness of this season can overwhelm us. We have gifts to buy, parties to attend and plans to meet up with family. With all of the busyness and stress, it can be easy to miss the peace and joy of worshipping Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-12).

In Matthew 2, we see three responses to the birth of Jesus:   
 1. Resistance (King Herod)
When Jesus was born, it created conflict in Jerusalem. As the Wise Men showed up in Jerusalem asking questions about the location of Jesus, Herod became angry and paranoid. Herod was resistant to anyone that would overtake his thrown. Apart from Christ, the human heart at its core is prideful and controlling. We want to be lord and king of our own lives. This Christmas, we have to realize there is room for only one king of our hearts - King Jesus!    

 2. Apathy (Religious Leaders)
As paranoid Herod is trying to figure out where Jesus was born, he calls together the leading religious leaders in Jerusalem. They knew exactly where Jesus was born. Bethlehem is approximately 5 miles south of Jerusalem. They wouldn’t travel FIVE MILES to see Jesus, but the Wise Men traveled approximately 9,000 miles to worship Jesus. The religious missed Jesus because of their indifference and apathy. They knew of God but they didn’t know God! We can become familiar with the story but miss the person of Jesus.

3. Worship (Wise Men)
The Wise Men were fascinating people in the Christmas story. They weren’t resistant like Herod or apathetic like the religious leaders. The Bible calls them “magi.” Magi were a combination of philosophers, scientists, and astronomers. They spent their money and resources to travel a long distance to find and worship. They humbly worshipped Jesus and brought their best gifts for the baby King.

• Gold represents royalty.

• Frankincense signifies Jesus’ divinity.

• Myrrh points to Jesus’ death on the cross. 

Their gifts to Jesus were a miracle for Mary and Joseph. God provided what Joseph and Mary needed as they fled to Egypt because of the news that the Wise Men told them – that Herod was coming to kill Jesus (and all Hebrew boys 2 and younger).      

The Wise Men were wise because they searched wholeheartedly for Jesus and they left changed!

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  ”

— Jeremiah 29:13

What is your response to Jesus this Christmas?  

• Resistance – maybe you are mad at God, uncertain, I want to give you an opportunity to release this anger to God. To drop the resistance, I worship you Jesus.

• Apathy – God help burn a passion in my heart today. Help me respond with joy, not apathy.

• Worship – Help us to come and worship with our whole hearts! 

Who are you today in the story?

Beyond Sunday | 12.2.18

On Sunday, we talked about experiencing peace that leads to joy. Some of us are stressed out. No peace. Just anxiety and tension. Some of us are spending money we don’t have to find happiness. We might feel pressured by what the culture around us says we must have to be fulfilled. Some of us have relationships that need healing. 

The reason we celebrate Christmas is because Jesus came to give us PEACE. 700 years before Jesus was born in a smelly barn in Bethlehem, the Prophet Isaiah communicated the peace that Jesus would bring to a lost world:

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

— Isaiah 9:6

Jesus was born into a time of difficulty, persecution and darkness.

1. Peace with God (Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14-15)
Our greatest need is the peace that comes from God’s forgiveness. People that have an absence of God, have an absence of peace. We do not find peace with God by trying to earn His love, but through a relationship with Jesus Christ. We are justified by faith. You can’t have the peace of God until you have peace with God. 

2. Peace with yourself (Colossians 3:15, Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27)
Internal peace is promised through God’s presence. God produces peace from the inside out. We begin to see God’s peace in our own hearts as we begin to relinquish control. Control is an illusion anyway. The Holy Spirit reminds us of who we are in Christ and comforts us when we are discouraged. His peace is a gift that comes with a promise! 

3. Peace with others (Ephesians 4:3, Romans 14:19, Hebrews 12:14)
Peace with God and ourselves should flow into every relationship in our lives. We are to make every effort to live at peace with others. (And if you’re wondering, “every effort” in the Greek means every effort.) Peace doesn’t happen naturally. Conflict happens naturally and easily. Jesus has called us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. The word peace (Shalom) literally means to, “restore, to make complete.” 

Which area in your life is robbing you of peace?

• Peace with God

• Peace with yourself

• Peace with others