Monday, March 21, 2011

Jesus Wins My Victory! AT THE CROSS - Part 2


Here are the extended - and I really do mean EXTENDED NOTES,from yesterday's message (March 20, 2011) at a2 Church. This is Part 2 of our series At The Cross. As always, the downloadable mp3 of the message is available on a2's website or via iTunes.

Jesus Wins My Victory!
AT THE CROSS
Part 2

Extended Notes
March 20, 2011

Revelation 12:1-6 (NIV ’11), A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter." And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

NOTES: John is using some vivid and even disturbing images to give us a glimpse – a little snapshot – behind the curtain, at the war taking place between God and the evil one. He uses three images.


FIRST IMAGE (vs. 1-2, 4-6): A WOMAN representing the messianic community / the community of faith / the people of God… Israel in the Old Testament and the church of Jesus in the New Testament.

SECOND IMAGE (v. 5): A SON OR MALE CHILD representing the Messiah or Jesus.

THIRD IMAGE – AN ENORMOUS RED DRAGON:

Verse 9 identifies the dragon as “…the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world…”


QUESTION: What is this dragon attempting to do?

NOTES: This is one of the most horrifying images in the Bible… Here’s the picture… The woman is in intense labor… Her feet are basically in stirrups… She is pushing to give birth to the Messiah… And Satan – this enormous Red Dragon – is standing in front of her, nostrils flaring, drooling; waiting for the baby to be delivered so that he can immediately devour and destroy it… This is vivid and unsettling imagery…

John wants to give us a glimpse of the hostility and rage of Satan… He’s letting us know that Satan means business… He’s out for blood… He was determined to destroy or wipe out the Messiah…

This is the language of war… It’s brutal, obscene and rated “R” material…



Cross Reference the Attacks of Satan on the Life of Jesus:
Matthew 2:13-18 – The rage of Satan working through Herod…
Luke 4:13 – The rage of Satan in the wilderness temptations…
Luke 4:28-30 – The rage of Satan in a group of people in Nazareth…
John 8:59 – The rage of Satan in a group of Jewish opponents…

The rage of Satan in Jesus’ Gethsemane experience, His arrest, trials, torture and crucifixion…


An Ancient Prophecy
Genesis 3:15 (NIV ’11), “And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."

NOTE: God basically said, “Satan, you’ll strike at the Messiah’s heel… But don’t have any doubts about it… He will CRUSH YOUR HEAD… It’s only a matter of time!”


NOTES: Back to Revelation 12… In Revelation 12 John doesn’t mention the triumph of the Messiah… He doesn’t have to… Because he had already thoroughly covered it back in Revelation 4-5.

See Revelation 4

Revelation 5:5 (NIV ‘11), Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

Revelation 5:6-7 (NIV ’11), Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

Revelation 5:8-12 (NIV ’11), And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
”You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.12 In a loud voice they were saying:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"



NOTE: Revelation 4-5 serve as the backdrop for Revelation 12.

Revelation 12:7-10 (NIV ’11), Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.

Revelation 12:11-13 (NAS), "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."
13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.



NOTES: John is letting us know: “There’s a battle going on, and it is a spiritual battle. It is a battle between good and evil, between life and death, between heaven and hell, between our Savior and God – Jesus himself and the evil one – ‘that great dragon and ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan…’”

IMPORTANT: The reason Satan is so ticked off, frustrated, angry and filled with rage and the battle has become more intense isn’t because Satan’s so incredibly strong and believes that victory is within his reach… According to Verse 12, it’s because he KNOWS he’s DEFEATED… He knows that the CROSS sealed his fate… He knows the END is in sight… He knows the fat lady is about to sing… He knows that in principal he’s already done!

“We should not take it personally when we’re attacked or tired or depressed. Things like that go with the territory. We’re in a spiritual battle. When a soldier is shot at he isn’t shocked. His feelings aren’t hurt. He doesn’t peek over his foxhole at his adversary and shout, ‘Was it something I said?’ He expects it. He plans on it. That’s spiritual realism.” ~ Ben Patterson, The Pastor’s Soul Volume 7: Deepening Your Conversation with God


Three Weapons in the Enemy’s Arsenal:

• Intimidation (vs. 3-4)


NOTES: Throughout the Bible, Satan used intimidation against people who knew better… They knew they could trust God... They knew they could bank on God to have their back… But the moment Satan started talking smack, individuals and entire generations caved under the pressure…

EXAMPLES:

• It was intimidation that caused 10 of the spies to see themselves as grasshoppers and an enemy nation as giants…

• It was intimidation that caused Aaron to cave and create a golden calf for the people of Israel to worship…

• It was intimidation that caused Peter to cave during the trials, interrogation and torture of Jesus…

IMPORTANT: Satan understands that sometimes, the greatest sins in life aren’t the wrong things we do, but the great things that we leave undone… Courageous words that get stuck in our throat… Generous gifts that never leave our pocket… A bold witness that remains silent…

QUESTION: Has the evil one come at you with intimidation… Magnifying your insecurities, inadequacies and idiosyncrasies?


• Deception (v. 9)

NOTES: Deception is Satan’s habitual and continual activity… He is, by nature, a deceiver… Earlier in life, John described Satan like this:

John 8:44b (NLT), He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

NOTES: Satan’s agenda is to attempt to get you to believe his lies over God’s truth… He knows that every chain of sin begins with a link of deceit… So he attempts to paint false pictures in your mind day in and day out…

Question: What are the false pictures Satan is planting in your mind?


• Accusation (v. 10)

“…the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down…”

NOTES: Satan accuses men to God, God to men, and men to other men… He’s a malicious and relentless prosecutor of God’s people…

In fact, part of what’s probably going on when Satan prowls around like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), is that he’s looking for junk… He’s looking for your dirty laundry… He’s looking for some sin he can use to accuse you before God and accuse you before your own conscience…

There’s something inside all of us that is so vulnerable to the voice of accusation… The accusation of the evil one will make you want to despair, give up, run, hide, give in, give out, throw in the towel, quit…


Question: Are you struggling with accusations? Has Satan pounded you with memories of past sin, mistakes, failures, opportunities to the point of despair?


Three Realities That Assure Your Ultimate Victory:

Revelation 12:10 (NIV ’11) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.”

Revelation 12:11 (NAS), And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.


1. The finished work of the cross!

Revelation 12:11 (NAS), …they overcame (defeated – NLT; triumphed – NIV ’11; conquered – Holman) him because of the blood of the Lamb…

NOTES: The redemptive act that freed us from our sin (1:5), and gave us the right to reign as priests and kings (5:9), is also the act that gives us authority over Satan and enables us to overcome very attempt he makes at intimidation, deception and accusation…

You can bet, Satan will continue to accuse us… This chapter says that he accuses us day and night… He’s relentless in his assault… He wants us to feel dirty, guilty, weak, ugly, defeated, depressed, and discouraged… And sometimes his accusations are spot on…


QUESTION: How do we respond to his accusations and lies? Do we buy the line of popular self-help books and say, “Oh, I’m not that bad… I’m okay… You’re okay…” Not if we want to defeat him!

Instead, we look him in the eye and say, “Satan, I’m even worse than you can think… But the amazing thing is that God loves and accepts me anyway… Not on the basis of what I’ve done, but because of the blood of the Lamb… Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross when he died for my sin, in my place…”


IMPORTANT: Get this: Every blessing, resource and good thing we enjoy as the people of God is grounded in the blood of the Lamb… It’s all been secured by Jesus’ cross of Christ!


Colossians 2:13-14 (NIV ’11), When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:15 (NIV ’11), And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 2:15 (MSG), [God] stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.


2. The bold declaration of God’s Word.

Revelation 12:11 (NAS), And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony…

NOTES: This is a reference to the only offensive weapon we have… It’s the Word of God… The sword of the Spirit…

How do we activate the Word of God in our personal lives?


Four Practical Ways to Declare God’s Word:

• Share the gospel!


NOTES: “The word of our testimony” is a reference to the gospel or good news about Jesus! The ongoing proclamation of the gospel is a means of taking back territory from the evil one.

• Affirm your identity in Christ!

NOTES: One of Satan’s primary weapons is the lie or deception… He’s committed to deceiving you into believing that you are not what, in fact, you are… He wants you to believe that you can’t do what, in fact, you can…

In his book, Victory Over the Darkness, Neil Anderson writes: “No person can consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with the way he perceives himself.” ~ Neil Anderson, Victory Over The Darkness

That’s why Satan uses deception and accusation to attempt to convince you that you’re a failure, a fool, of no use to God or His church, worthless, an embarrassment to Christ, inferior to others, inadequate to the task, helpless to change, a pathetic excuse for a Christian, you’ll always be what you are right now, things will never change…

Instead of listening to his accusations, remind yourself of the truth of God’s Word! Affirm what God’s Word says about you on a regular basis… Affirm your identity in Christ…


Who Am I?
Our Identity In Christ


I am completely accepted...
• I am a child of God... I can call God “my Father”... (John 1:12; Romans 8:14, 15; Galatians 3:26; 4:6)
• Because I’m God’s child, I am an heir of God and I am a coheir with Jesus Christ... (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:6-7)
• I am a friend of God... (John 15:15)
• I have been justified by faith have peace with God through Jesus Christ... (Romans 5:1)
• I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit... (1 Corinthians 6:17)
• I have been bought with a price and I belong to God... (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
• I am a member of Christ’s body... (1 Corinthians 12:27)
• I have been chosen by God and adopted as God’s child... (Ephesians 1:3-8)
• I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins... (Colossians 1:13- 14)
• I am a new creation. The old is gone. The new is come. The past is forgiven. The old life is forgotten. Everything is new... (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• I have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and translated into God’s wonderful kingdom of light... (Colossians 1:13)
• I am complete in Christ... (Colossians 2:9-10)
• I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ and can be confident that He will hear me when I pray... (Hebrews 4:16)
• I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people... (1 Peter 2:9-10)
• I am a saint... (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2)


I am totally secure...
• I am free from condemnation... (Romans 8:1)
• I am sure that God works all things for my ultimate good, regardless of my present circumstances... (Romans 8:28)
• I cannot be separated from the love of God in Jesus Christ... (Romans 8:31-39)
• I have been established, anointed and sealed by God... (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
• I am hidden with Christ in God... (Colossians 3:1-4)
• I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me... (Philippians 1:6)
• I am a citizen of heaven... (Philippians 3:20)
• I have not received a spirit of fear... I have received a spirit of power, love and of a sound mind... (2 Timothy 1:7)
• I am born again in Jesus Christ – and the evil one can’t possibly touch me... (1 John 5:18)


I am deeply significant...
• I am the salt of the earth... (Matthew 5:13)
• I am the light of the world... (Matthew 5:14)
• I am part of the true vine - Christ’s life flow in, through and out of me... (John 15:1, 5)
• I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing... (Ephesians 1:3)
• I am chosen and appointed by Jesus Christ to bear fruit... (John 15:16)
• I have the mind of Christ. He enables me to make right and wise choices... (1 Corinthians 2:16)
• I am a Holy Spirit empowered agent and witness of Jesus Christ giving the mission and assignment of telling everyone possible the good news of the Gospel... (Acts 1:8)
• I am a temple of God... God’s Spirit lives in me... (1 Corinthians 3:16)
• I am a minister of reconciliation... (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
• I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heavenly places... (Ephesians 2:6)
• I am God’s workmanship... (Ephesians 2:10)
• I can approach God with freedom and confidence... (Ephesians 3:12)
• I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me... (Philippians 4:13)
• I am right now a child of God, you can’t yet see what I will be, but when He appears I will be like Him. I will see Him just as He is... (1 John 3:1-2)
• I can overcome the enemy by the blood of the lamb, through the word of my testimony and because I don’t love life so much that I shrink back in my commitment when I’m faced with death... (Revelation 12:11)
• Greater is who lives in me than He who is in the world... (1 John 4:4)
• I am a king and priest unto our God... (Revelation 5:10)


“The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity.” (Dr. Neil Anderson, Victory Over the Darkness)

• Go audible with your praise and worship!

See Psalm 50:23; 2 Chronicles 20; Jonah 2:9; Acts 16:25

• Remember that prayer is a big part of the battlefield.

See Ephesians 6:10-20


3. A “fasted” lifestyle.

Revelation 12:11 (NAS), And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

(NLT), …and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

NOTES: What’s being described in the last part of Verse 11 is a value judgment… It’s the description of a guy or gal who has made Jesus the ultimate priority of their life, and this decision has affected every area of their lives…

They love Jesus more than their job, more than pleasure, more than convenience, peace, prosperity, comfort, you name it…

They’re willing to give up good things for the sake of better things? They’re willing to sacrifice it all, because what’s most valuable to them is not their life… Instead, they would rather die than yield one inch of their hearts to the world or Satan…


POSSIBLE APPLICATION: a2 Observes Lent 2011

QUESTION: Has the evil one come against you with deception, intimidation, or accusation? Do you wonder whether or not you’ll make it?

Revelation 12:11 (NAS), And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.


Death By Love Recommended Reading
Chapter 1 – “Demons Are Tormenting Me”; Jesus Is Katie’s Christus Victor
Pages 37 – 56

Jesus Takes My Place! AT THE CROSS - Part 1 Extended Notes



Here are the extended notes from Part 1 of our new series, At The Cross. We shared this message at a2 Church on Sunday, March 13, 2011. The entire podcast or downloadable mp3 is available via a2's website or iTunes.

Jesus Takes My Place!
AT THE CROSS
Part 1
Extended Notes

March 13, 2011

The Big Idea: The mysterious and incredible Jewish “holy day” called Yom Kippur or “Day of Atonement” powerfully demonstrates what Jesus Christ accomplished for us through his death on the cross. On the cross, Jesus became our substitute, dying for our sins, in our place, so that we could be forgiven and our sin could be forgotten.


“The CROSS of Jesus is a GORY STORY of shame and pain, violence and silence.” ~ Andrew Wilson, God Stories


NOTES: This series is about the cross. We believe that the cross is the center of history and eternity. It’s the center of our Christian faith, Christian life and Christian worldview…

In Galatians 5:11, Paul the Apostle indicated that the cross is “an offense.” The Greek word is skandalon. We get our English word scandal from it… Paul basically said, “The cross is scandalous....”

In 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul indicated that “…the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…”

And in 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul says that the cross “…a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness or nonsense to Gentiles.”


1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (NIV ‘11), …but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV), For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…


A PICTURE OF SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT: THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

Leviticus 16:29-30 (ESV), …in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work...


Three Major Themes (in Leviticus 16):

• God is holy.

• Sin is serious.

• Grace really is amazing.



Leviticus 16:29-30 (ESV), …in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. 30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins.


NOTES: The word atonement means “at-one-ment.” In other words SIN has separated us from God, and atonement is the means whereby God seeks to be AT ONE with us again… ~ Mark Driscoll, Death By Love

The word also means “to cover over or propitiate.” One theological dictionary says it means to be “obliterated.” ~ Blue Letter Bible.com

Atonement is the arrangement of God whereby an innocent third party stands in the place of the guilty sinner and absorbs the penalty for sin due the sinner. The demands of holiness and justice are satisfied, and the guilty party is allowed to go free.

It’s a word used to describe how sinful, guilty and messed up people like you and me can be restored to a relationship with a perfect, good and holy God by having our sins forgiven and forgotten…



AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

Leviticus 16:2 (ESV), "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

Leviticus 16:3 (NLT), When Aaron enters the sanctuary area, he must follow these instructions fully. He must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 16:4-6 (NLT), He must put on his linen tunic and the linen undergarments worn next to his body. He must tie the linen sash around his waist and put the linen turban on his head. These are sacred garments, so he must bathe himself in water before he puts them on. 5 Aaron must take from the community of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 6 Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord.

Leviticus 16:7-10 (NIV ’11), Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. 9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

Leviticus 16:15-16 (ESV), Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 16 Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.


THE FIRST GOAT: The high priest slaughtered an innocent goat… This is a picture of the doctrine of “SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT.” This goat was not guilty of sin. In fact, it was INNOCENT. But this goat assumed the PENALTY for sin that the people rightly deserved. This is all a picture, foreshadowing or type of what Jesus Christ accomplished for you and me…

The priest sprinkled some of this goat’s blood on the mercy seat, which sat on top of the Ark of the Covenant inside the Holy of Holies, indicating that the sins of the nation were COVERED… They were “atoned for…” They were obliterated…

This goat became a sin offering for the people… It’s blood represented life given as payment for SIN…

The doctrine is called PROPITIATION, and it’s the concept of God’s wrath against sin being propitiated, satisfied or taken away from us, because of a sinless substitute… This is an amazing picture of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross…


Leviticus 16:10 (NIV ’11), But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.


THE SECOND GOAT: The second goat remained alive, but had an important assignment… This goat was called the “scapegoat.” The Hebrew word for scapegoat is “azazel.” It’s not a proper name. It’s a rare Hebrew word… Scholars debate the meaning of it…

Some say it comes from two Hebrew words… One word, which means “to depart or go away” and the other word, which means, “goat.” You put them together, it means, “the goat departs” or the English equivalent, “scape goat…”

Other scholars say it literally means “to dismiss, remove or TAKE AWAY.” That it’s an ancient technical term for the entire removal of sin and guilt…



Leviticus 16:20-21 (NLT), When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat. 21 He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness. 22 As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people’s sins upon itself into a desolate land.

NOTES: This aspect of the ceremony was PUBLIC. Everyone could see Aaron, as the representative and mediator between sinful people and a Holy God… They could see him lay his hands on the head of this goat… They could hear as Aaron confessed the sins of an entire nation over the head of this goat.

IMPORTANT: And these people literally and actually believed that God was capable of REMOVING their sins and TRANSFERRING their sins onto the head of this goat. They believed that when the GOAT left the camp, that their SIN left with the goat!


QUESTION: What sin, guilt, weakness, addiction, habit, pain, hurt, junk, garbage or sickness have you been carrying, that from this point on, you need to place at the foot of the cross and allow Jesus Christ to carry for you?


Psalm 103:12 (NLT), He has removed our sins as far from us 
as the east is from the west.

Micah 7:19 (NLT), Once again you will have compassion on us. 
You will trample our sins under your feet 
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!


Unpacking The Text:

• Jesus Is Our High Priest!


Hebrews 9:11-12 (NLT), So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

Hebrews 10:1-2 (NLT), The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

Hebrews 10:11-14 (NIV ’11), Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.


• Jesus is our SIN OFFERING…

On the cross, He willingly took upon himself the penalty for our sin… His blood obliterated our sin!


• Jesus is our AZAZEL or SCAPEGOAT…

He took our place and bore our sin so that we could go free!


Isaiah 53:4-6 (ESV), Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

John 1:29 (NLT), The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Romans 5:8 (ESV), …but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV ’11), God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 3:13 (ESV), Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"…

1 Peter 2:24 (NLT), He personally carried our sins 
in his body on the cross 
so that we can be dead to sin 
and live for what is right. 
By his wounds 
you are healed.


On the cross Jesus – God in the flesh - willingly took our place…


“The essence of sin is we human beings substituting ourselves for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for us. We…put ourselves where only God deserves to be; [but] God…puts Himself where we deserve to be.” ~ John Stott quoted by Tim Keller in The Reason for God, page 195


Three Major Themes:

• God is holy.

• Sin is serious.

• Grace really is amazing.



NOTES: On the cross, Jesus became our SUBSTITUTE. He was made to be the WORST of what we are… He NEVER SINNED, but on the CROSS He was MADE SIN for us…

On the cross, Jesus became the most ugly, wicked, defiled, evil, corrupt, rebellious and hideous thing in all creation.

Martin Luther called this, “…the GREAT EXCHANGE …”

On the cross, Jesus EXCHANGED HIS perfection for OUR imperfection, HIS obedience for OUR disobedience, HIS intimacy with the Father for OUR distance from God the Father, HIS blessing for OUR curse, HIS life for OUR death… Jesus died FOR our sins, IN our place…



QUESTION: What sin, guilt, weakness, addiction, habit, pain, hurt, junk, garbage or sickness have you been carrying, that from this point on, you need to place at the foot of the cross and allow Jesus Christ to carry for you?

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

a2 Observes Lent Devotional Blog

a2observeslent.com Devotional Blog

During Lent, a2 Church will post daily devotionals (Monday - Friday) from March 9 - April 22 on a2's special Lent blog @ a2observeslent.com. Our purpose is to assist the a2 family in focusing on the work of the cross by reinforcing the weekend message.

If you would like to submit a devotional piece for consideration, please email your submission to dan@danbutcher.com. Each submission should be no longer than one, single-spaced, type-written page. Our At The Cross Devotional Review Team, led by Dan Butcher (UAB Department of English) will prayerfully consider your devotional, and reserves the right to edit, tweak, use or not use the devotional.

Submitted devotionals should help support the following topics.

March 13 - 18
Jesus takes my place!

March 20 - 25
Jesus wins my victory!

March 27 - April 1
Jesus gives me freedom!

April 3 - 8
Jesus pays my debt!

April 10 - 15
Jesus forgives my sin!

April 17 - 22
Jesus makes me clean!

Your submitted devotional / devotional stories can be a significant part of a2's Lenten spiritual journey. For more information on submitting a devotional blog, email Dan Butcher at dan@danbutcher.com.

a2 Observes Lent

a2 Observes Ash Wednesday and Lent
a2observeslent.com


Ash Wednesday is a day set aside by many churches for prayer, repentance and fasting. It is also the first day of Lent, a 40-day period that begins on Ash Wednesday, Mary 9 and culminates on Good Friday, April 22.

The observance of Lent offers us a great opportunity to deepen our commitment to Christ and grow in our relationship with God… During Lent believers step back from the busyness of life, turn off the noise, see through the superficiality, reflect on how we got here and re-focus our attention on Christ and what He accomplished on the cross.

Many writers see the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness (Luke 4) as being a model for what Lent is all about…. During His wilderness experience Jesus prayed, fasted, was tempted, but ultimately emerged with power!

Lent is a time for 1) focused prayer, 2) intentional fasting, 3) personal repentance, 4) and random acts of kindness (Isaiah 58:5-12). And just as Jesus stepped out of His desert experience in the “power of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:14), we make ourselves available to be filled with and empowered by the same Holy Spirit. We also prepare ourselves to more fully experience the miracle and power of Jesus’ victorious resurrection on Easter Sunday!

Lent represents a great time for us to:

1) Focus on all that Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Sometimes the busyness and superficiality of our world keeps us from really thinking about all that Jesus accomplished on the cross. That’s why throughout Lent our weekend worship experiences will focus on the cross (At the Cross) and include the opportunity to worship each Sunday by receiving Holy Communion.

2) Pursue God for the freedom, deliverance, healing and wholeness made available at the cross.

Perhaps there are self-defeating, sinful habits that have held you in bondage for years. When Jesus stepped out of the wilderness, He stepped out with an announcement of “freedom for the captives and setting at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18). The next forty days could represent a defining moment for you to believe God for complete healing and total freedom! Your complete freedom really is possible!

3) Finally, Lent represents a great time to seek God for personal direction and guidance.

Sometimes we can’t hear God simply because we don’t get quiet and still enough to listen. Lent is a season to “be still and know that [He} is God” (Psalm 46:10).

We really believe Lent can represent one of the most meaningful church-wide experiences in the short history of a2 Church, and a strategic opportunity for spiritual growth and breakthrough.

Make certain you check out a2’s special Lent devotional blog with daily devotionals (Monday – Friday) from members of the a2 family. It’s our prayer that these devotionals help our church family to focus on Christ and believe God for breakthroughs in every dimension of life.

a2observeslent.com

Monday, March 7, 2011

WIRED FOR WORSHIP - Part 1

Here are the extended notes for Part 1 of a four part series we will present over the next nine months at a2 Church. The complete mp3 of the message is available for download via a2's website by clicking here or on iTunes by clicking here.

Thanks for your interest in the teaching ministry of Chris Goins and a2 Church.

WIRED FOR WORSHIP - Part 1
What It Is and Why The Wires Get Crossed

March 6, 2011

“Worship is the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do and all that I can ever become in light of a chosen or choosing god." ~ Harold Best, Unceasing Worship

Hebrews 13:15 (NLT / NIV), Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.

Hebrews 13:16-17 (NLT), And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. 17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say...

According to Mark Driscoll, this passage indicates that worship includes rubber meets the road stuff like:
(1) praise;
(2) proclamation;
(3) humble acts of service or random acts of kindness;
(4) generosity;
(5) sacrifice; and,
(6) submission to or respect for the godly authority God has placed in our lives. ~ Mark Dricoll, Doctrine, Chapter 11, Worship: God Transforms


“Worship is every act of the heart, mind, body and soul, which intentionally expresses the infinite worth of our great God.” ~ John Piper

"Worship is our response to what we value most." ~ Louie Giglio, The Air I Breathe

"Worship is responding to all that God is with all that I am." ~ Unknown


Three Facts About Worship:

• Worship is a response. It includes both acts and attitudes.

Worship is a verb.

Psalm 96:1-3 (NLT), Sing a new song to the Lord! 
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! 2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name. 
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. 3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. 
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

Psalm 96:7-9 (NLT), O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. 8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! 
Bring your offering and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. 
Let all the earth tremble before him.

• Worship is a response to the truth about God.

“Worship is every act of the heart, mind, body and soul, which intentionally expresses the infinite worth of our great God.” ~ John Piper

• Worship involves every aspect of our lives.

Romans 11:36 (NLT), “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.”

Then Paul says, “Guys, in light of who God is, all that He has done and that fact that all glory (weight, prominence and preeminence) go to Him and Him alone…” Paul makes the following statement…

Romans 12:1 (MSG), So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

You are wired for worship!
Worship is central to who God made us to be.



Four Reasons Our Wires Get Crossed In Worship:

1. Our wires get crossed in worship when allow it to become casual and routine.


Example: Rehoboam replacing “shields of gold” with “shields of bronze.”

2 Chronicles 12:9-10 (NLT), So King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. 10 King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes…


Example: Israel’s worship in the aftermath of God’s faithfulness, His intervention in their lives, and His presence.

Exodus 14:31 (NIV ’11), …when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Exodus 15:21 (NLT), And Miriam sang this song: 
“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.”

Exodus 19:16 (NLT), On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled.

Exodus 19:17-20 (NLT), Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. 20 The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain.


Psalm 96:9 (NLT), Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. 
Let all the earth tremble before him.

Hebrews 12:18-23 (NLT), You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19). 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command… 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
22 No, you have come to Mount Zion to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself…



Three Practical Actions To Keep From Crossing Your Wires
and Getting Casual and Routine:

1.) Prepare your heart for worship.

2.) Invest or engage yourself fully!


Psalm 66:2 (NIV ‘11), Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.

3.) Don’t ever lose the wonder.


2. Our wires get crossed when we become consumer oriented.


IMPORTANT: Worship isn’t primarily about what I can get out of it, but worship is about what I am able to give to God! Worship is not about ME or YOU; it’s about GOD!


OUR GOAL when it comes to CORPORATE WORSHIP at a2 Church:

We’re going to respond to ALL THAT GOD IS with ALL THAT WE ARE! We are going to respond to God’s holiness, righteousness, passion for justice, honor, goodness, compassion, tender mercy, amazing love and extravagant grace! We’re going to respond to the fullness of God’s being, every facet of who God is, with every resource we have at our disposal! We’re going to respond with our hearts, minds, voices, bodies, the arts, the spoken Word, prayer, dance, art, silence and reverence! We will never put God or our response to Him in a box! But we will never be consumers when it comes to our worship!

Examples: Isaiah 6; Luke 7; 2 Samuel 6; Psalm 47:1


3. Our wires get crossed when our worship gets out of balance.

John 4:23-24 (NLT), "But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

IMPORTANT: Worship should always strike a balance of being “in spirit” and “in truth.”


4. Our wires get crossed when our worship gets disconnected from real life.

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV ’11), The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

Isaiah 29:13 (MSG), “These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their hearts aren’t in it… …they act like they’re worshipping me but [they] don’t mean it…”

Isaiah 29:14 (NIV ’11), Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder…

IMPORTANT: Worship is not meaningful because of the words that come off our tongues or the actions of our body. Worship is meaningful to God only to the extent that it’s a reflection of WHO we really are and WHAT we’re really about… Worship is only meaningful when the actions and words are connected with the way we are living our lives.

Isaiah 29:14 (NIV ’11), Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder…

WORK - Game Plan Part 8 Extended Notes

Here are the extended notes to Part 8 of our series GAME PLAN presented at a2 Church on Sunday, February 27. Sorry about the delay in getting this up...

The entire podcast of the message is available on the website of a2 Church or via iTunes by clicking here.

WORK
Game Plan - Part 8

February 27, 2011

Acknowledgement: Thanks to John Ortberg and his message, “Life’s Too Short To…Work All The Time” for most of the insights contained in this message, especially the concepts of "abounding" and "abiding."


FIRST IMPORTANT WORD: “ABOUND”

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV), Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT), “Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 (MSG), “…don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master…”

Colossians 3:23 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men… (See Colossians 3:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Colossians 3:23 (NIV ‘84), Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart…


Genesis 2:15 (ESV), The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

iMPORTANT: This was before sin, before the fall and before the curse… God created man, placed Him in the garden and commanded him to work… Before there were bills to pay, a family to support or a child to put through college, God put Adam to WORK…

“Before God gave Adam britches, He gave Adam a job…” ~ Max Lucado

THOUGHT: Unfortunately, when sin entered the picture, it changed the nature of work…

Genesis 3:17, “From this point on, all your life you will struggle to scratch a living… You will labor by the sweat of your brow…”

THOUGHT: Work is part of what God Himself does… God creates… He works… He likes it when we work… Over and over again throughout the Bible, God says, “I want you to excel at what you do… I want you to abound… I want you to take the gifts, talents, abilities and experiences I’ve given you and develop them to their fullest potential… I want you to discover the deepest passions that have been hard wired into your make up, and I want you to fan those desires into burning flames… I want you to make a difference in this world…”


Ephesians 2:10 (NIV ’84), For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 (ESV), Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.


SECOND IMPORTANT WORD: “ABIDE”

John 15:4 (ESV), Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

John 15:4 (AMP), Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you…]

John 15:4 (MSG), Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you.

Psalm 23:1-3 (NLT), The Lord is my shepherd; 
I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

Matthew 11:28 (NLT), Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”


Two “Larger Than Life” Goals:
I want to abide and to abound…



Four Important Questions:

1. When can I expect the tension between “abounding” and “abiding” to go away?

Answer: When you die…

Mark 1:35 (NIV 2011), Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.


2. Who is responsible for balancing the tension?

Answer: I am. You are.


3. What are the consequences of ignoring the tension?


Example of Consequences: (See Elijah – 1 Kings 18-19)

1 Kings 18:21 (MSG), Elijah challenged the people: “How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!” Nobody said a word; nobody made a move.

1 Kings 18:45 (NLT), Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.


Five Consequences of Ignoring The Tension:
(Getting Out of Balance)


• Fear That Becomes Overwhelming

1 Kings 19:3, Elijah was afraid and fled for his life…

• Frustration

• Fatigue (Emotional and Physical Exhaustion)

• Isolation and Loneliness

• Failure



4. What practices will help me balance the tension between “abounding” and “abiding”?

• Keep focused on the stuff that matters most.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV), But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT), So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

• Develop the art and habit of being fully present.

• Do life in community.


Hebrews 10:25 (NIV ’84), Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

• Plan and prioritize your leisure time.

• Live with a sense of rhythm.


Exodus 20:8-10 (NLT), Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work.


Example: Elijah (1 Kings 18-19)

1 Kings 19:12 (NLT), And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG), Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 29Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Recommended Resources:
Choosing To Cheat by Andy Stanley
The Me I Want To Be by John Ortberg