Wednesday, May 26, 2010

IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF IT

Just read this quote while reading Tullian Tchividjian's blog. In a recent post, Tchividgian quotes Mike Metzger of the Clapham Institute outlining the tragic results that occur when Christians fail to maintain the tension between purity and proximity:

"Being salt and light demands two things: We practice purity in the midst of a fallen world and yet we live in proximity to this fallen world. If you don't hold up both truths in tension, you invariably become useless and separated from the world God loves. For example, if you only practice purity apart from proximity to the culture, you inevitably become pietistic, separatist, and conceited. If you live in close proximity to the culture without also living in a holy manner, you become indistinguishable from fallen culture and useless in God's kingdom."

Our job? To be salt and light... In the world, but not of it... Pure and in close proximity...

Sunday, May 23, 2010

I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT - Extended Notes

Today is Pentecost Sunday where millions of Christians around the world celebrate what occurred on the Jewish Feast Day known as Pentecost approximately 2,000 years ago - when a group of Jesus' disciples in Jerusalem where "filled with the Holy Spirit." This morning we talked about the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Loved today's worship set.

Where The Spirit of the Lord Is by Chris Tomlin and Christy Nockels
(A great track from the new Passion Awakening release...)

Come Thou Fount Come Thou King by Gateway
(I love this version of "Come Thou Fount" by Gateway...)

I Need You More by Bethel Live featuring Kim Walker
(I love this track from the Bethel Live - "Here Is Love" release...)

You'll Come by Hillsong
(Brooke Frasher wrote this song based on Hosea 6... Incredible song...)

Today's worship experience wrapped up with an extended time of prayer and anointing... I loved getting to personally pray for everyone who came forward, and pray that we all daily seek to be "filled with the Holy Spirit."

Here are the extended message notes...

I Believe In The Holy Spirit
UNSHAKABLE - Part 6


Factors That Put The “Squeeze” On Life and Joy:

• Relationships that are all “investment” with little , or no apparent, return.

• A decreasing capacity to love.

• Chronic worry and hurry.

• Financial pressure. Way too much “month” and far too little “money.”

• A sense of stagnation or superficiality in my relationship with God.


Ephesians 5:18-21 (NLT), Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.


Acts 19:2 (NIV), [Paul] asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”


1. The Promise Of The Holy Spirit.

John 16:6 (NCV), “Your hearts are filled with sadness because I have told you these things.”

John 16:7 (ESV), Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

The word “helper” is sometimes translated “advocate” (NASB, ESV, NLT), “counselor” (NIV), and sometimes “comforter” (KJV). The word literally means, “someone called alongside to help.”


A Few Promises:

Acts 1:4-5 (NLT), In one of these meetings as he was eating a meal with them, he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. 5John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 1:6-8 (NIV), So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”


Underline the phrase, "...you will receive power..." If there is one word that describes the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, it's the word "power."


2. The Power Of The Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 (NIV), …you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…

Acts 2:1-4 (NLT), On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.


Two Examples of the "power" of the Holy Spirit:

Acts 4:29-31 (ESV), And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 19:11-12 (NIV), God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.


3. The Person Of The Holy Spirit.

1.) The Holy Spirit Is A Person. He Has A Mind (Romans 8:27), Will (1 Corinthians 12:11) and Emotions (Ephesians 4:30).

“Spell this out in capital letters: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON. He is not enthusiasm. He is not courage. He is not energy. He is not the personification of all good qualities, like Jack Frost is the personification of cold weather. Actually, the Holy Spirit is not the personification of anything…

“He has individuality… He has will and intelligence. He has hearing. He has knowledge and sympathy and the ability to love and see and think. He can hear, speak, desire, grieve and rejoice. He is a Person.”
~ A.W. Tozer, The Counselor


2.) The Holy Spirit Is God. He Possess All Of The Titles, Attributes, Qualities and Characteristics of God.


Who The Holy Spirit Is and What He Does…
1) The Holy Spirit is our constant companion. (John 14:16)

2) The Holy Spirit is our reliable teacher. (John 14:26)

3) The Holy Spirit convinces the world of its sin, of God’s righteousness and of coming judgment. (John 16:8)

4) The Holy Spirit leads, guides and instructs us into the truth. (John 16:13)

5) The Holy Spirit “grooves” on glorifying and magnifying Jesus Christ. (John 16:14)

6) The Holy Spirit takes all that Jesus has and all that He says and reveals it to us. He discloses to us the mysteries of Christ (John 16:14b)

7) The Holy Spirit empowers believers for life and service. (Acts 1:8)

8) The Holy Spirit liberates believers from the power of sin and death. (Romans 8:1)

9) The Holy Spirit brings the resurrection life of Christ to my day in and day out life. (Romans 8:11)

10) The Holy Spirit leads us to wholeness and holiness. (Galatians 5:16-25)

11) The Holy Spirit seals our salvation and redemption. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

12) The Holy Spirit confirms and reminds us that we are children of God. (Romans 8:16)


Three Practical Applications:

1.) Reverence The Spirit’s Mystery.

John 3:8 (NCV), The wind blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit.


2.) Resolve To Align Yourself With The Spirit’s Work.

a. Remove All Barriers and Blockages.

Ephesians 4:30 (NIV), …do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God...

b. Respond To The Spirit’s Leadings and Promptings.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NKJ), Do not quench the Spirit.

c. Relate To The Spirit Personally and Relationally.

Galatians 5:25 (NKJ), …walk in the Spirit.
(NIV), …let us keep in step with the Spirit.


3.) Be Filled With The Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 (NIV), …you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…


Ephesians 5:18-21 (NLT), Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit…

NOTE: This is not a polite suggestion! This is a command! It’s a command that includes the idea of conscious continuation. You could actually translate the passage, “…be being kept filled with the Spirit.”

The word “filled” is the Greek word “pleroo” and it means a whole lot more than filling something up like someone would do if they poured water into a glass all the way to the rim… Here’s what the word means…

• First of all, it was a word used to describe wind filling a sail and moving a ship along.

• Second, the word carries the idea of being completely “permeated.”

• Third, the word also carries the idea of “total control.”

When a person is filled with the Spirit it means that every area of there life is being totally dominated and controlled by the Holy Spirit – their mind, emotions and will are under His total domination and control. That’s why I love the New Living Translation here…

Ephesians 5:18 (NLT), Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.


A Great Prayer:

Ephesians 3:16 (NIV), I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his [Holy] Spirit in your inner being…


Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Common, too common is the sin of forgetting the Holy Spirit. This is folly and ingratitude… As God, He is good essentially… He is good benevolently, tenderly, bearing with our waywardness, striving with our rebellious wills; quickening us from our death in sin, and then training us for the skies as a loving nurse fosters her child… He is good operatively. All His works are good in the most eminent degree: He suggests good thoughts, prompts good actions, reveals good truths, applies good promises, assists in good attainments, and leads to good results. There is no spiritual good in all the world of which He is not the author and sustainer… They who yield to His influence become good; they who obey His impulses do good, they who live under His power receive good… Let us revere His person, and adore Him as God over all, blessed for ever; let us hourly seek His aid, and never grieve Him; and let us speak to His praise whenever occasions occur. The church will never prosper until more reverently it believes in the Holy Spirit.


Recommended Resources:

The Beauty of Spiritual Language by Jack Hayford

Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack Deere

The Forgotten God by Francis Chan

The Word and Power Church by Doug Bannister

I Believe in the Holy Spirit by Michael Green

Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

God the Holy Spirit by Mark Driscoll (mp3 download)

Jesus and the Holy Spirit by Mark Driscoll (mp3 download)

A Primer on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit by Winfield Bevins (Free e-book)
theresurgence.com/files/HolySpirit.pdf

The Holy Spirit and You (CD Album by Jack Hayford)
jackhayford.org/products16-2815/TheHolySpiritandYou

Saturday, May 22, 2010

We Need The Holy Spirit!

"Pray daily for a great outpouring of the Spirit on the Church and on the world. This is the grand need of the day—it is the thing that we need far more than money, machinery, and men. The 'company of preachers' in Christendom is far greater than it was in the days of Paul; but the actual spiritual work done in the earth, in proportion to the means used, is undoubtedly far less. We need more of the presence of the Holy Spirit— more in the pulpit, and more in the congregation—more in the pastoral visit, and more in the school. Where He is, there will be life, health, growth, and fruitfulness. Where He is not—all will be dead, tame, formal, sleepy, and cold. Then let everyone who desires to see an increase of pure and undefiled religion, pray daily for more of the presence of the Holy Spirit in every branch of the visible Church of Christ." ~ J.C. Ryle

What's So Important About Church Membership?

We've been struggling for a few months with the question of, "What should we do about church membership?" This post by Kevin DeYoung quoting Jonathan Leeman was very insightful... Check it out...

Why Christians Should Covenant Together Through Local Church Membership
Posted By Kevin DeYoung On May 12, 2010 @ 6:33 am In Uncategorized | Comments Disabled

God’s covenant with us is prior to any covenant we make with each other. He chooses us, sets us apart, calls us to holiness, and enjoins us to love one another. But all this must happen in particulars. The commitment to live out the principles of the new covenant takes place with a specific people in a specific place. This results in a local church. Membership matters because particularization matters.

According to Jonathan Leeman (whose ideas I’ve borrowed in the paragraph above), submitting to a local church accomplishes a number of crucial things. Church membership:

1. Identifies us with Christ.

2. Distinguishes us from the world.

3. Guides us into the righteousness of Christ by presenting a standard of personal and corporate righteousness.

4. Acts as a witness to non-Christians.

5. Glorifies God and enables us to enjoy his glory.

6. Identifies us with God’s people.

7. Assists us in living the Christian life through the accountability of brothers and sisters in the faith.

8. Makes us responsible for specific believers.

9. Protects us from the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

In other words, “the covenant commitment of the local church makes the invisible new covenant visible. It’s an earthly symbol, sign, or analogy of this wonderful heavenly reality” (The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love [1], 267).

Friday, May 21, 2010

15 Questions...Plus One Every Church Needs To Answer

James White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charolotte, North Carolina. His heart beats fast for the church of Jesus...

In this post on the Christianity.com Blog, James asks pastors and church leaders "15 questions... Plus 1" related to how our churches can improve when it comes to reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ...

How would you answer these questions? We'll be working through a few of these questions, along with a few others at our upcoming "Dream Team Huddle" on Sunday PM, June 6.

Check out James' post for yourself... Something to think about...

Fifteen Questions... Plus One
James Emery White

Almost every church leader would tell you they want their church to be a growing church - not just in terms of spiritual growth, but numerical growth. Such growth matters because it represents people, and people matter to God. The early church was noted and celebrated for its numerical growth (Acts 2:47), and the Great Commission from Jesus is one great big marching order to go out and reach as many people as possible (Matthew 28:18-20).

But not many are growing, and many of the leaders do not seem to know why.

Here are fifteen questions that are meant to prod and probe. They are taken from a larger questionnaire I recently prepared for our staff that covered six key areas related to church growth: prayer, member/attender participation with the mission, communications, guest services, the weekend experience itself, and assimilation.

We graded our response to each question on a scale from one to five, with one being "never" and five being "always." Any area we gave ourselves less than a "four" was flagged as a high concern in terms of effectively fulfilling our mission.

See how you do:

1. You and/or your team regularly pray for the church and your ministry in the church to grow numerically.

2. You are able to pray for unchurched people by name.

3. Members and attenders regularly invite their friends to attend weekend services.

4. There is a high "buzz" factor. Members and attenders regularly talk about the church to others like they would a good movie, restaurant or vacation spot.

5. Members and attenders believe our weekend services would "win" their friends if they could only get them here.

6. There is a powerful synergy created through appropriate marketing and promotion that makes inviting friends an easy task.

7. Our website is an impressive and effective "front door," constantly updated and user-friendly.

8. Our campus is a warm and welcoming environment from the minute you drive on to the campus until the moment you take your seat.

9. A first-time guest would know exactly which entrance to approach, where to take their kids, where to get information, and where to enter the auditorium.

10. The music is well-performed and well-led.

11. The style of the service, including music, media and message, is culturally current in ways that allow first-time guests to optimally engage the experience.

12. The messages are relevant, engaging, and practical (let's assume that they are already biblical).

13. The children's ministry is a positive experience for both children and their parents, in terms of safety, education, and fun.

14. If you are a new attender, it is easy to meet people and foster new relationships.

15. Our follow-up process to a "surfaced" new attender, whether through first-time donation, first-time children's ministry registration, or information card, is prompt, effective, warm and impressive.

Did any of the questions surface an area for improvement? They sure did for us.

Will there be another set of questions to follow up?

Yep.

And here's the first one:

What are we going to do about it?

Sunday, May 16, 2010

When Our Mess Meets God's Art... Mosaic - Part 5 Extended Notes

Here are the extended notes from today's message... One of our best days ever...

Worship absolutely rocked! And I'm not just talking about style of music... There was an amazing vibe in the room from the "get go." You could sense God's presence...

Here's the worship set list:

Rise and Sing
, Steve Fee
Our God, Chris Tomlin (Passion Awakening)
Healing Is In Your Hands, Christy Nockels (Passion Awakening)

The band did three item numbers and blew it away on every number:

Desert Song
, Hillsong
Beautiful Things, Gungor
Lay 'Em Down, needtobreathe

Once again, a couple of the artists in our church brought the message to life with a beautiful mosaic depicting God's amazing ability to take the broken fragments and pieces of our life and create a stunning masterpiece. Thanks Kevin and Mike. I thank God for you guys...

The worship experience wrapped up with seven people following the Lord in water baptism! So cool!

Immediately following the worship experience, Billy and Kendall Walters, Andy Lang, Jon Behrens, Greg Gilbert, Ron Wiggins and crew cooked up some amazing barbecue! Wow! You guys were amazing... Darrell and Julie Garrett and an amazing team of adult and student ministry volunteers did set up, served the meal, did take down and clean up! You guys rock!

What an amazing day! I love this place!

Here are the extended message notes from today's message. You can download the entire mp3 via the a2 podcast located on our website or iTunes.


When Our Brokenness Meets God’s Art
MOSAIC – Part 5


This is the truth about life… Live long enough, and at some point in your life, you'll end up being broken…

“All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair.” ~ Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven, page 104


Four Mega Themes In The Book of Ruth:

• Providence: Even when I’m not aware of it and even when life rips me off; God is present. God cares. He is at work and He will provide.

Romans 8:28 (NLT), …we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:28 (MSG),
…we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.


• Grace Happens, When and Where You Least Expect It (Genesis 19:37; Deuteronomy 23:3; Romans 5:20).


Hesed
is “the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, furious love of our Father God!”


Ruth 4:18-22 (NLT),
This is their family line beginning with their ancestor Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron. 19 Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. 20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. 21 Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. 22 Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.

Matthew 1:5-6 (NLT),
Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.



• Redemption really is possible.


Redeem:
“…to buy back, to regain possession, to free from distress or harm, to release from captivity by paying a ransom, to set free by paying a price…”


Ruth 3:7-9 (NLT),
After Boaz had finished his meal and was in good spirits, he lay down beside the heap of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8Around midnight, Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! 9“Who are you?” he demanded.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”


Ruth 4:13-17 (NIV), So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!
15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” 
16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.
17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.”



The Duties and Obligations of a Family Redeemer:


1. A Family Redeemer Could Redeem A Relative Who Had Sold Himself Into Slavery.

Leviticus 25:47-49 (NLT), ...if a resident foreigner becomes rich, and if some of your Israelite relatives go bankrupt and sell themselves to such a foreigner, 48they still retain the right of redemption. They may be bought back by a close relative—49an uncle, a nephew, or anyone else who is closely related. They may also redeem themselves if they can get the money.


2. A Family Redeemer Could Buy Back Property That Had Been Sold Outside The Family. He Could Redeem A Lost Inheritance.

Leviticus 25:25 (NLT),
If any of your Israelite relatives go bankrupt and are forced to sell some inherited land, then a close relative, a kinsman redeemer, may buy it back for them.


3. If a family member had been murdered, the redeemer could avenge the crime (Number 35:9-34).


4. A Family Redeemer Could Marry The Widow Of A Dead Relative and Perpetuate The Family Name of the Relative Who Had Died By Providing An Heir.

Deuteronomy 25:5-6 (NLT),
If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother must marry her and fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law. 6The first son she bears to him will be counted as the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.


Three Important Qualifications:

1. The Family Redeemer Must Be A Blood Relative.

2. The Family Redeemer Must Be Able To Redeem.

3. The Family Redeemer Must Be Willing To Carry Out The Process Of Redemption.


Ruth 4:1-6 (NLT),
Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. When the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, Boaz called out to him, “Come over here, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together. 2 Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses. 3 And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 I felt that I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.”
The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way, she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.”
6 “Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.”



Jesus Christ: Our Family Redeemer

• The Redeemer Had To Be A Blood Relative.

John 1:14 (MSG),
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.

Hebrews 2:11, 14 (NLT), So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers… 14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death.


• The Redeemer Had To Willing.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT),
…God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.


• The Redeemer Must Be Able!

Hebrews 7:24 (NLT),
…Jesus remains a priest forever; his priesthood will never end. 25Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever to plead with God on their behalf.


Because of Jesus, Our Redeemer:

• Our freedom has been purchased!

John 8:34-36 (NLT), Jesus replied, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.”


• Our lost inheritance has been restored!

Romans 8:16-17 (NIV), The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.


• Our brokenness and mess has met God’s restoring art.

Isaiah 61:1 (CEV),
The Spirit of the LORD God has taken control of me! The LORD has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives.


1 Peter 5:7-10 (NLT / MSG),
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. 8 Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. 9 Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith… 10…And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will restore, will have you put together, and on your feet for good…

Room Mates, Bad Dates and Soul Mates... MOSAIC – Part 3 Extended Notes

Not certain what happened, but it was brought to my attention today that we had not posted the extended notes for Mosaic - Part 3. Here they are... Sorry for the delay...

Room Mates, Bad Dates and Soul Mates
MOSAIC – Part 3

There are nearly 96 million singles over the age of 18 in America. This represents about 43 percent of the adult population. ~ U.S. Census Bureau.

Almost 53 million households in the U.S. are now maintained by single women or men…
~ U.S. Census Bureau.

Almost 40% (39.2%) of singles over the age of 18 have been married in the past… They’ve experienced the pain and trauma of divorce. The other approximately 60% have always been single… ~ U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), 2008.

Statistically in the U.S., the number of unmarried adults has steadily increased over the last few decades… In 1970 the number was 36%. In 1980 the number climbed to 39%. In 1990 the number increased to 41%. In 2000 the number hit 44%…

Then, according to one report, in 2005, for the first time in our history, the number of unmarried households in America became the majority of all U.S. households. ~ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey: 2005.


One of the big reasons for the dramatic increase in the number of singles, is that men and women are waiting longer to get married… The median age for men has gone from 23 years of age in 1950 to 27 years of age in 2003, and the median age for women jumped from 20 to 25 in the same time period.

In some ways, the increasing number of singles has reshaped the entire social landscape in our country.

Experts are quick to point out that these stats don’t mean that singles are not “hooking up.” These stats don’t mean that singles are pursuing God, engaging in Bible Study, memorizing proverbs waiting for the day they can be a godly husband or a great wife…

Instead, a report on NPR (April 20, 2006) indicated that 80% of Americans are sexually active by the age of 20, and that only 20% of women will be virgins at the time they marry…

Get this: the number of unmarried people living together increased tenfold between 1960 and 2000. - U.S. Census Bureau. “America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2000.”

Another report indicated that there were 12 times as many couples living together in 2008 as there were in 1960.

In fact, the number of people living together increased 88% in the 17-year period between 1990 and 2007. ~ U.S. Census Bureau. “America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2007.”

This is why Ruth is such an important book for us to look at… The main characters in the book are three single adults (Naomi, Ruth and Boaz) who knew how to honor God in their singleness…


Ruth 2:14 (ESV),
And at mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.


Ruth 2:15-16 (ESV),
When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her."


Ruth 2:17 (ESV), So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.


Ruth 2:18 (ESV), And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied.


Ruth 2:19 (ESV), And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz."


Ruth 2:20 (ESV),
And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers."


“Hesed” is “the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, furious love of our Father God!”

“Hesed” is “driven, not by duty or legal obligation but by a bone-deep commitment – a loyal, selfless love that motivates a person to do voluntarily what no one has a right to expect or ask…” ~ Carolyn Curtis James, The Gospel of Ruth


Ruth 2:20 (ESV), And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!"


Ruth 2:21 (ESV), And Ruth the Moabite said, "Besides, he said to me, 'You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.'"


Ruth 2:22-23 (ESV), And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted." 23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

THEY SAID WHAT?

Wow! Just read this post from David Burchett on Christianity's Today's blog... Talk about a "WWE style body slam" to the spirit, this dude nailed it in this post on gossip.

I've been around church all my life... I love the church... I wish every member of every church could read this and heed this... This is really good... It's really important...

Redefining Gossip
Dave Burchett

There is a little saying that I have heard all of my life.

If you can't say something nice about them…then don't say anything.

Had I practiced that very wise advice I would have had many more "quiet times" in my life. I have not always practiced that simple principle even though I have read and nodded solemnly in agreement as I read James and Paul warn of the dangers of gossip and an uncontrolled tongue. Whether you call it venting or sharing it is always perilously close to gossiping. That is one of those "fine line" challenges. Like Dave Barry's quote that "there's a fine line between ‘hobby' and ‘mental illness'." I would submit that there is a fine line between venting/sharing and gossip. Gossip is one of the favorite tools that Satan has in his toolbox.

Brooklyn Tabernacle takes gossip very seriously. New members hear this charge as they become members of the church.

"And now, I charge you, as pastor of this church, that if you ever hear another member speak an unkind word of criticism or slander against anyone—myself, another pastor, an usher, a choir member, or anyone else—you have authority to stop that person in mid sentence and say, ?Excuse me—who hurt you? Who ignored you? Who slighted you? Was it Pastor Cymbala? Let's go to his office right now. He will get on his knees and apologize to you, and then we will pray together, so God can restore peace and unity to this body. But we will not let you talk critically about people who are not present to defend themselves. New members, please understand that I am entirely serious about this. I want to help resolve this kind of thing immediately. And meanwhile, know this: If YOU are ever the one doing the loose talking, we will confront you."

If every church practiced this I suspect we have far less division in the church. An interesting thought about gossip comes from Frank A. Clark. "Gossip needn't be false to be evil - there's a lot of truth that shouldn't be passed around."

Ouch. That convicted me. I have vented and shared things that were true. Somehow that made me feel better that I was venting truth. But I later realized that my venting was not edifying to the body of Christ. I was not giving the grace that I had received from God. I may have been right but I was not righteous. King Solomon wrote that "a perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends." How tragic. But that is happening every single day in the church. Later the wise King notes that "without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down."

So my challenge to you and to me (as I look uncomfortably into the mirror) is to not add any fuel to the gossip fire. I have too often added kerosene instead of kindness. I want to be tender and not tinder. I cannot use the lyric from the old Billy Joel song as an excuse that "I didn't start the fire". Jesus is asking us to not spread the fire and He especially is asking us to extinguish it with grace.

Dave Burchett is an Emmy Award winning television sports director, author, and Christian speaker. He is the author of When Bad Christians Happen to Good People and Bring'em Back Alive: A Healing Plan for those Wounded by the Church. You can reply by linking through daveburchett.com.

A FEW BARE ESSENTIALS EVERYONE NEEDS TO REMEMBER

Mother's Day 2010

Here are the extended notes from this past Sunday's Mother's Day message.

Hebrews 10:23-26 NLT), "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

Note: Most of us excel at criticism... It's not something we even have to "work at." It comes naturally... But according to Hebrews 10:23-26, it's crucial that we excel at the art of encouragement and affirmation... It's crucial that we learn to "cheer one another on" to "acts of love and good works."


A Few Bare Essentials We Need To Remember:

1. God Loves You!

Isaiah 54:10 (NIV), Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken...

Deuteronomy 4:31 (NAS), For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you…

Romans 8:38-39 (NLT), And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. 39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Example: Story of God's Love for a "Single" Mom named Hagar (Genesis 16).


2. You Are Valuable!

Proverbs 31:10-12 (NLT), Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. 11Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12She will not hinder him but help him all her life.

Psalm 18:22 (NLT), The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the LORD.


3. You Don’t Have To Be Perfect!

2 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT), “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”


4. We Appreciate You!

Note: One of the greatest things the "Proverbs 31 woman" had going for her was that she was surrounded by the affirmation and encouragement of her husband and children...

Proverbs 31:28 (MSG), Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: 29 “Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!”

Question: Do you regularly communicate love, affirmation, encouragement and praise to the people around you?


5. You Are Making A Difference!

2 Timothy 1:4-5 (MSG), I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion. 5 That precious memory triggers another: your honest (sincere – un-hypocritical) faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you!


6. God Is Faithful.

Isaiah 46:3-4, Listen to Me… You whom I have upheld since you were conceived and have carried you since your birth. 4 Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He who will sustain you and carry you…

Baptism, Barbecue and the Big Wrap to MOSAIC

Sunday, May 16, 2010
9:45am - 12:00pm
a2 Church

Three Big Deals are going down at a2 Church this Sunday, May 16.

First of all, don't miss a special illustrated message titled MOSAIC (the big wrap to our series on the book of Ruth). Get a glimpse of God's amazing ability to take the broken pieces of our messed up lives and create a masterpiece.

Second, right on the heels of an amazing worship experience, we'll celebrate water baptism. If you've trusted Jesus as the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life, but not yet followed Him in water baptism, this is your shot! Contact us asap @ info@a2church.org.

Finally, the day will wrap up with an old-fashioned barbecue picnic (rain or shine) featuring barbecue pork (Boston Butts), chicken, baked beans, potato salad, home-made desserts and more... All benefiting a2's Summer Student Ministry Missions Trip.

A suggested donation of $7 per adult, $5 per child or $25 for a family of five is recommended. (But if you're strapped for cash, don't let that keep you away... Lunch is on the house... We want you here...) Then again, if you want to "rock the house" for Student Ministry Missions, that's awesome, too... It's a great cause!

Invite a friend to join you this Sunday @ a2 church. The action starts at 9:45 am. The barbecue will be hot off the grill from a2's own bang up crew and fresh on your plate at about 11:30...

See you this Sunday!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

LET'S GET MARRIED... MOSAIC - Part 4 Extended Notes

Ruth 1:20-21 (NLT), “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty.”


Ruth 2:1 (NLT), …Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.

THOUGHT: Ruth’s choice of a field to gather grain in, while totally random to her, was by NO ACCIDENT to God… Even when Ruth and Naomi were unaware, God was behind the scenes silently working, nudging Ruth in the direction of the field belonging to Boaz…


Ruth 2:20 (ESV), …[the Lord’s] kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!"

NOTE: The Hebrew word for "kindness" is "hesed."

“Hesed” – “the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, furious love of our Father God!”


Ruth 3:1 (NLT), One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for.

NOTE: In that culture, it was the responsibility of the girl’s father or brother to arrange the marriage of a daughter or sister… This insured the girl's protection and provision. Unfortunately, Ruth's Dad is absent from the scene...


Ruth 3:2 (NLT), Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor.

Ruth 3:2 (MSG), And isn’t Boaz our close relative the one with whose young women you’ve been working? Maybe it’s time to make our move…


D-T-R
Define The Relationship



Ruth 3:2b-3 (NLT), Tonight [Boaz] will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. 3 Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes.

THOUGHT: Ruth was a widow! Since the death of her husband, she had probably been wearing clothes that designated her as such! On top of that, the only place Boaz has seen her has been while she was at work out in the field, hair pulled back in a pony tail, clothes all funki-fied, dirt and grime smudged on her face and up under her finger nails…

Naomi is basically saying, “All right, girl! Enough is enough! Take a bath… Put on some of that perfume that you packed away a long time ago… Get your nails done and your hair done… Put on your make up… Go to the tanning bed and the spa… Take off the black dress and those work clothes… Put on that gorgeous red dress…

Ruth, its time for us to stop living in the PAST… It’s time to take off the symbols and garments of a widow… It’s time to start living in the PRESENT… It’s okay… I’m on your side… It’s okay for you to LIVE again… It’s okay for you to LOVE again…”


Ruth 3:3b-4 (NLT), Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking.


Ruth 3:4 (NLT), Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.”

THOUGHT: Naomi is not suggesting that Ruth cross any lines... This is important! Naomi is counting on the CHARACTER of Boaz. She knows the INTEGRITY of Ruth. This is going to require a colossal, gutsy step of FAITH.


“Family Redeemer”

• If someone had sold themselves into slavery or servitude to cover their debts, the redeemer could purchase their freedom (Leviticus 25:35-55).

• If a family member had been murdered, the redeemer could avenge the crime (Number 35:9-34).

• If someone had lost their land because of poverty, the redeemer could save the land by paying off the debt (Leviticus 25:23-34).

• Or, if a widow was desperate and in need, the redeemer could provide care and protection (Ruth 4:4-10), and if the widow’s husband had died without leaving behind an heir, the family redeemer could marry the widow and the first born son from that union would carry on the family name (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).


Ruth 3:5-6 (NLT), "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.


Ruth 3:7-8 (NLT), After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet!

Ruth 3:9 (ESV), He said, “Who are you?”
And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer."



Ruth 2:12 (NLT), May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully.

THOUGHT: Most scholars agree, this is a proposal of marriage. But, in this proposal Ruth is actually framing her proposal based on the very blessing Boaz had prayed over her back in Ruth 2:12, the first time they met…

Ruth 2:12 (NLT), May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully.


How Did Boaz Respond?

Ruth 3:10 (ESV), And he said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.”

THOUGHT: The reason Boaz hadn’t made his move was because he thought that Ruth was OUT OF HIS LEAGUE…

THOUGHT: The word "kindness" in Ruth 3:10 is the Hebrew word "hesed." Here, Boaz praises Ruth for being an agent of God's "hesed" - His loving kindness, consistent, ever-faithful, unrestrained and furious love in his own life...


Ruth 3:11 (NLT), “Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman.

THOUGHT: Boaz and Ruth were what Paul would call, “equally yoked” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Both of them deeply loved God and were people of impeccable character…


Ruth 3:12 (NLT), But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am.

THOUGHT: Boaz is forced by his integrity to tell Ruth, “I’m related to you… But I’m not the closest in line… I’ve already checked this out… There’s a guy more closely related to Elimelech than me…”


Ruth 3:13-15 (NLT), Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.”
14 So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” 15 Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town.


Ruth 3:16-18 (NLT), When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, 17 and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.”



Four Qualities We Need To Imitate:

1. The Courage to Risk.

THOUGHT: Trusting in the sovereignty and providence of God, Naomi and Ruth take some bold and gutsy risks in Ruth 3.


2. The Faith to Wait.

THOUGHT: To “wait” means to surrender your rights to CONTROL the situation and to “let go” and “let God” control the situation…

Naomi and Ruth were patient... They trusted God and Boaz to go to work on their behalf…


3. Grace to Break The Rules.

THOUGHT: A servant asks the boss to marry her… A Moabite asks an Israelite… A woman asks a man… A poor, penniless widow asks a wealthy business guy…

Grace ignores protocol and embraces Ruth.



4. The consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, furious love of God.

THOUGHT: This entire story is a picture of God's love for us and the gospel of grace. Charles Spurgeon called Jesus "our glorious Boaz."

Want a picture of God's "hesed" for you?

Romans 8:35, 37-39, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.