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Pace

Sunday, November 25th, 2007

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This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Christmas Potential

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INTRODUCTION
Read Luke 2:1-7 (and pray)

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk NC. On their 5th attempt, the plane under the control of Orville, embarked on a 12 second flight.

Wilbur rushed to the local telegraph office and sent the following message – “We have flown for 12 seconds – we will be home for Christmas!”

Upon receiving the telegram their sister, Katherine went to the newspaper office, told the editor of her brother’s new flying machine, and informed him that they would be home for Christmas if he would like to set up an interview.

He told her that was nice, and he would be sure to put something in the paper regarding the boys. On December 19th, the local paper placed the following headline on the 6th page of the paper:

“WRIGHT BROTHERS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS”

The most important story of the year – man’s first flight – and the editor missed it!
(illustration from “A Right Pace” by Alan Tison)

I wonder if the same could be said about us when it comes to Christmas. As I mentioned last week, already trees are going up, decorations are filling our homes and stores, festive music is beginning to be played on the radio, Santa Claus parades are happening and the commercial Christmas advertising is in full swing.

However, in the midst of the Christmas rush, in all of our gift buying, in all of the things we do during the Christmas season…have we missed the potential of Christmas? Last week I reintroduced to you the event that was the catalyst for the Christmas celebration. The incarnation (“God with us”) was all about creating potential for mankind to be restored to a right relationship with God. It’s this potential that we need to be reminded of every year when we come into this season.

Last week I laid the foundation for realizing this potential and that is to ensure that our focus is rightly placed on Christ during the Christmas season. This week, I want to take the next step in sharing flesh out one of the resulting influences this potential can have in your life. And that involves the word pace.

To be honest, Christmas tends to be a time when the pace picks up, there are gifts to buy, homes to decorate, parties to attend, meals to prepare, people to visit, sometimes it makes us just tired thinking about Christmas.

To the casual observer the events surrounding the incarnation have a bit of a hurried pace as well:

• Mary discovered she is pregnant and runs to her cousin Elizabeth’s home to share the news.
• Caesar Augustus demands a census of the Roman Empire; all citizens are required to return to the city of their birthplace. Suddenly all roads of the Empire are filled with travelers for this census.
• The shepherds upon hearing the angelic announcement of the birth of the Christ Child “Hurry off” to Bethlehem.
• Soon the magi (wisemen) see the STAR, and begin a cross-country trip from the east.
• King Herod, full of jealousy and fear, believes this Christ child is a threat to His kingdom and issues a decree that all boys under the age of 2, living in the vicinity of Bethlehem are to be killed. This causes a time of hurriedness, as parents flee from Bethlehem to escape Herod’s wrath.

Certainly it appears that people in the days of the incarnation would have some understanding of the symptoms (both positive and negative) of Christmas rush that modern man experiences: anxiety, excitement, tiredness, uncertainty, crankiness, frustration, depression, edginess etc.

Yet, the apostle Paul would later write about the first coming of Christ this way:

4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)

Notice Paul’s choice of words under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “but when the time had fully come”. In other words, when the time was just right – when God’s timetable matured to that exact moment…

• He chose a little town called Bethlehem
• He chose a couple known as Joseph and Mary
• He chose the setting of a animal’s shelter

The events surrounding the Incarnation were not arranged by chance or by happenstance but by the divine orchestration of God’s sovereign plan. Every critical piece of His plan was in place for the coming of Christ to occur as it did.

When looking at the definition of the word pace you’ll discover that it’s core meaning is to describe the intervals between one thing and another. For example: to live at a fast pace means that there is more “somethings” happening in a shorter period of time; to live at a slow pace means there are less “somethings” happening in a longer period of time. Pace – the intervals between those somethings is greater at a slow pace than at a faster pace. Another example is to talk about the “pace” or footsteps of individuals (i.e. he stepped off ten paces from the old tree and began to dig).

Today I want to present the idea that there is potential at Christmas for your life pace to be altered. Remember, last week I highlighted that potential is a neutral word. In of itself potential is neither good nor bad – it’s the choices we make in response to our environment and as a result of our perspective that results in either positive or negative potential. Focusing on the person of Jesus Christ during the Christmas season gives us a right perspective that builds positive potential in our lives. In doing so positive life pace becomes possible. Positive life pace is only possible when the pace of life is on God’s timetable. In other words, the intervals between “somethings” happening are at God’s discretion rather than on our determination.

A. THE PRICE OF PATIENCE

Inevitably when we talk about God’s timing, or God’s pace of doing things, we must talk about patience because patience or the lack of patience contributes to positive or negative potential in the interval. In order to embrace God’s pace of doing things we need to grab a hold of God’s gift of patience. For many people, the first image that enters our mind when we think of the word patience is the last long line we waited in! However, patience is not simply waiting, patience is waiting with anticipation. Listen to the words of David as he cried out to the lord in Psalm 40:

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
Psalms 40:1-5 (NIV)

David wasn’t just waiting – he was waiting with anticipation that God would respond. Therein lies the hidden truth of Godly patience – you can only anticipate something if you believe or trust that it will happen. David emphasizes this as he wrote (note vs 3 and vs 4).

The price of patience is trust.

Let’s go back to the waiting part for a moment. Do you find it difficult to wait for something? Especially something you know is obtainable?

We live in a world where patience is LACKING.
We live in a culture of instant gratification. If we see it we buy it. “90 days same as cash” is music to our ears. Waiting is just not a part of our culture – or at least not something that is considered good. If we’re hungry we can zap things in the microwave for a few seconds (one of the fastest growing aisles in the supermarket is the frozen dinner section). For when we need money we have our ATM machines. We can communicate anywhere at anytime with the instant connection provided by cell-phones, email, text and instant messaging. We have instant rice, instant coffee, instant pudding. Television teaches us that no problem is too large that it cannot be resolved in 30 minutes and no illness is too serious that it cannot be healed in 30 seconds.

I think we could agree that we live in a culture where patience is lacking and no more is needed then to look at the frenzy surrounding today’s Christmas!

Now let’s look at how God’s pace is exemplified in the incarnation. It was there that we can see the price of patience taking root in individual’s lives.

Paying the price of patience…

Joseph and Mary discover God’s plan through an Angel. Fear gives way to excitement, which eventually leads to patience. Nine months would pass before the promise was fulfilled. Meanwhile in Jerusalem an aged couple, named Zechariah and Elizabeth are being rewarded for their faithful patience in the birth of a son named John; John would be the forerunner of the Christ Child and would announce His imminent coming to the rest of the world. For 400 years God was seemingly silent and now all of a sudden He is moving in a might way where both His son and the forerunner to His son would be born in the same year.

Next to suffering, patience may be the greatest tool God uses to conform us to His will. Patience requires us to wait upon God, even when He is silent. The only thing that sustains our patience through the interval of His pace is our trust in Him. Isarel went through nearly 400 years of God’s silence and when God spoke, it was to a young man and woman who might have not been totally prepared for what would be spoken to them – yet nevertheless accepted His direction. Joseph and Mary patiently submitted to God’s plan, they patiently waited for the birth to occur, they patiently traveled to Bethlehem and when there was no room at the local inn, they patiently accepted the next available lodging (a stable), knowing that God had the best plan. No complaining, no doubts, no fears – simply trusting God.

What is the potential of Christmas? The potential is that your life pace could get turned right-side up. Instead of living life on your terms and in your timing – you will live life on God’s terms and in His timing. Inevitably when we make Christ our focus and when we put our trust and faith in Him there will be an interval where God builds into us patience. And it is in this interval where we discover if we really do trust Him!

Are you willing to pay the price of patience? Are you seeking God’s will in your life, your schedule, your spending decisions? Are you practicing patience with other people this season? Modern day Christmas is probably the one time of year where our patience is put to the greatest test!

Paul wrote,

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

In the hurriedness of this Christmas season, God may want you to wait and discover His will for your life. Joseph and Mary were patient and God used them to fulfill His divine plan.

The price of patience is trust but it isn’t a blind trust. God has given us reason to trust Him. Our trust isn’t only that He will do what He said He would do BUT is based on the fact that God has already done things He said He would do.

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
Psalms 40:5 (NIV)

Our trust is in God’s FAITHFULNESS…

Mary and Joseph were patiently waiting the birth of the promised child in Mary’s belly. They trusted that what He said was going to happen would happen – but their trust was also based on what God had already done in sending His angel as a messenger.

Christmas and the life of Jesus should be a reminder to us that God is faithful to His word and to us. There are over 300 predictions made in the Old Testament – prophecies made hundreds of years before the birth of Christ – that came true in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yes, God is always faithful – but is always according to His timetable, His pace!

The LESSONS of Patience

Have you ever wondered why God chose to come to the world in the form of a baby? I believe one of the reasons is because babies move at their own schedule. No matter how much we long for the baby to come, it still takes 9 months for a healthy baby to be born. After the birth of a baby, patience is needed to help the baby talk, walk, and eat. In fact, a baby’s survival is based on our patience. Patience is one absolutely necessary trait when caring for a child. Yet with all the work, all the time and sacrifice one gives to a child, we still call the birth of a child a blessing. Why? Because in the process patience opens the doors to so many other important lessons and rewards.

There are several lessons we can learn from the patience as illustrated in the incarnation:

a. Waiting is easier when you are WITH someone.
In the events surrounding the incarnation, you seldom see anyone alone:

• Mary and Joseph are together
• There were several shepherds in the fields who received the good news from the angels
• The wisemen traveled in a caravan.

It’s interesting that the only person who is alone in the story is King Herod. Matthew’s gospel tells us that Herod met with the Wisemen in secret to discover the birth of Jesus. Left alone with his thoughts, Herod began to distort the situation and his fears soon led him to issue the decree which brought about the death of many innocent children.

It is always important to have someone with you while you are waiting. The write of Hebrews writes:

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.
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

As believers we are ultimately all waiting for the second coming of Christ, but in the process of anticipating His return we are to encourage one another for the purpose of growth and discipline.

b. Waiting is easier when you know the END is NEAR.
While Joseph and Mary didn’t understand all of what was happening in their life, they knew enough to know God was bringing about salvation to all mankind. When the angel visited Joseph, he was given specific instructions which indicated to Joseph that salvation was at hand.

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:21-23 (NIV)

The interval became easier, and patience came more readily because Joseph and Mary knew that salvation was near.

As believers, our lives should be less stressful as well, for we know everyday draws us closer to the return of our Lord. When we learn to embrace life at God’s pace – not ours – the intervals between happenings are filled with patient trust, not urgent anxiety.

CONCLUSION

I want to finish with two examples of how you can seize the potential for living at God’s pace this Christmas season.

a. take inventory of your schedule
How much of what you have planned is absolutely necessary or is simply time filler? Ask yourself, “Am I too busy doing Christmas that I’m not celebrating the incarnation?” Are there times carved out in your schedule to “Be still” and know He is God? How much of what you do during the Christmas season is focused on Christ and His coming?

b. recognize opportunities to live at God’s pace
There is incredible potential in the Christmas season to embrace a life at God’s pace and to build patience.

• Before opening the gifts on Christmas day, read the Christmas story of Luke 2:1-19 to your children. Help them (and you!) slow down and remember it is not about the gifts, but about God. Take some time to change the focus off the toys and onto the King.
• Start a tradition of reading the Christmas cards you receive in the mail and praying for the family that sent the card.
• Take the opportunities to spend time with your church family at the Christmas Eve service

If your focus is on Christ. If you recognize the potential of Christmas and embrace it you will find that life lived at God’s pace dramatically changes the priorities of your life.

The lesson for today? God’s timing is always perfect.

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Drift, Surf, Drown or Sail

Wednesday, November 21st, 2007

Mike Metzger, professional mentor and president of Clapham Institute, observes, “You meet four kinds of people on the ocean of life. Those who drift just go with the flow. The wind and the waves control their speed and direction. The drifter quietly floats along and says, ‘Whatever.’ Those who surf are always riding a wave, the next big thing. They stay excited until the wave fades away, then they scan the horizon for something new. Surfers don’t usually get anywhere, but they make a lot of noise and put on a good show. Those who drown seem to stay in the center of a storm. It doesn’t matter how often you rescue them, they’ll soon be in another crisis, crying, ‘Help me, save me, it’s been the worst week of my life. I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ Those who sail are navigating toward a fixed point. They counteract the wind and waves by adjusting the rudder and shifting the sails to stay on course. But without an immovable, fixed point in your life, there can be no sailing. There’s nothing for you but drift, surf or drown.” Everyone, but especially ministry leaders need to have a fixed point in their life and insure their team members establish one as well.
Monday Morning Memo 4/9/07

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Change of Focus

Sunday, November 18th, 2007

Podcast: Download

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Christmas Potential

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INTRODUCTION

We are still over a month away from Christmas but already the decorations have shown up in the stores, banquets are being planned, lights are going up and Santa Claus parades have started. It’s clear that we entered into Christmas season.I’ve got confess this morning, that when this time comes around each year, I find it harder and harder to know what it is I should speak about. I mean it’s not as if the “story” of Christmas changes – it’s the same – and really, it’s not like people don’t know about the baby the manger, the shepherds, the wisemen and what not from the traditional manger scenes that show up this time of year. And so, I reread the gospel accounts of the incarnation story, hoping and praying for some fresh insight that will have relevance to where we are today.

It’s remarkable that no matter how many times I read the story of the incarnation – you know, what Christmas is really about…God taking on flesh, the immortal being clothed in mortality, and laying as a baby in a manger – no matter how common the story has become – I can never get over the incredible contrast between the incarnation as we read about in scripture and today’s Christmas which is supposedly a celebration of that event. It is this contrast which is frankly the fuel for many sermons and messages that are preached across North America every year during this time of year. And rightly so! We should be reminded of the most significant event in history, next to the creation of the Earth and the fall of man. Of course, the events of Calvary, and the empty tomb on Easter are important in their own right but neither would exist nor matter if it weren’t for the truth of Jesus Christ – fully God – becoming fully man.

So this year, I am once again motivated to speak out of an awareness of the contrast between the incarnation (which really wasn’t the first Christmas…it is the inspirational event that Christmas is supposed to honour and celebrate) and today’s seasonal frenzy. But, in the course of observing these contrasts there is something common between the events that happened in Judea over 2000 years ago and the events happening today in the 21st century. You see, I believe that Christmas holds incredible potential. Now potential, left alone, is a neutral word. Potential can refer to something that could be good or could be bad. The reality is that the potential outcome of our lives is really something that depends on the choices we make in response to the environment we encounter. The more right choices we make the more positive potential our lives will have, the more wrong choices we make the more negative potential our lives will have. In both case, potential becomes reality, as we act upon the choices we make.

Four the next four weeks, I want to share with you the potential that Christmas holds for every single one of us. Yes, at the heart of it all, Jesus really is the reason for the season. Christmas wouldn’t even be existing if it weren’t for the reality of the miraculous baby laying in a manger. Yet I think we can all agree that in our commercialized society, that sentiment is often an add-on thought rather than the primary motivating factor behind what happens with Christmas today. Still, even in the midst of this commercialization there is incredible positive potential for this seasonal event to be a catalyst for good. That’s what I want to focus on. Hopefully, these series of messages will give you glimpse into a way of doing Christmas that will inspire you to seize the potential!

I want to start today by declaring that what influences the choices we make the most is the perspective we hold in life. What is it that our focus is on? What is it that we dwell on? What is it that we value? What is it that we believe in? It is important that we start here this morning because this will lay the foundation for embracing
the positive potential Christmas has to offer.

Let’s read what Matthew wrote in the first chapter of His gospel (1:18-25)

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

PRAY

I want to read again verse 23 (reread). God…with…us. I really think, sometimes we miss the significance of those words. The key to discovering and unleashing the positive potential of Christmas is to have the right focus in this season. The angel Gabriel announced to Mary the incredible news that the baby she was going to carry would be like no other baby ever born. His name would be Jesus which means, “God saves us” which is ultimately possible because He is also Immanuel which means “God with us”.

The right focus of Christmas is not presents, it is one person. It is not what we get but on what God gave. It is not the coming of Santa Claus but the coming of God. In order to understand the potential of Christmas we must focus on the person of Jesus Christ – because ultimately He is the source of that potential.

So let’s zero in on the person of Jesus Christ for a moment. The first important observation we need to make is that there is an incredible change of location.

God’s change of location

I want you to understand this morning. That Christmas is a celebration of the first coming of Christ. Whenever I hear the song, “Santa Claus is coming to town” I can’t help but think to myself…”ahh, it’s a cute song – but come on…where is he? He’s been coming for 34 years of my life and he still hasn’t arrived” The thing with Jesus though, is He has come. Max Lucado remarked,

Let’s not lose the majesty of Christmas, somehow the God who created everything, allowed His son to become a baby. -Max Lucado

The one with unlimited power, became powerless in the form of a baby. The One who was wrapped in radiance more piercing that the brightest supernova was wrapped in swaddling cloth. The One who walked the streets of Heaven, would now be born in a cave. The One who had no needs, was now dependant on a young mother.

It’s remarkable to me that God would undergo such an incredible change of location! There are three words that describe the significance of what “God with us” means.

A. Humility
Thinking about the birth of Christ, I can’t help but marvel at the incongruity between who He was and what He chose. No earthly royalty would ever show their humility. That would be too human, too common. Kings have parades & entourages to draw the focus toward them.

Have you ever seen news coverage of Royal Visits (such as Queen Elizabeth II) to a country? They are always characterized by pomp and splendour. There are grand dinners where no expense is spared on dress and entertainment. When the Queen comes to town, everyone knows.

In meek contrast, God’s visit to earth took place in an animal stable, no attendants were present, there was no place for the baby to lay down except in a feeding trough known as a manger. In fact, the event, which divided history and our calendars, went by unnoticed except for a few shepherds who came by for a visit.

Not is that a contrast to the presentation of Earthly royalty in our world but is also a contrast to the circumstances that take place in the celebration of Christmas today. Although sometimes people wish too, you really can’t escape Christmas in today’s society. Yet on the morning of the incarnation, the world had no idea what was happening.

Why did God choose to come to this planet in such a humble way? He did it because He was creating potential.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

B. Approachability
It’s hard to comprehend, that God would be laying in a manger. But in doing so, He became accessible and approachable in a way that hadn’t been experienced by any human since creation. In the Old Testament God was anything but approachable:

• When Moses came upon the burning bush, he was commanded to remove his shoes for he was on Holy ground.
• Isaiah tells us that when he was brought into the throne room of God he cried “Woe is Me I am undone” fearing that death was at hand
• The Jewish children knew the lessons well, “Touch the Ark of the Covenant and you die”, “Enter the Holy of Holies and won’t come back out alive”.

However, in this amazing scene of the incarnation there is a new born baby? What could be more approachable? Have you ever noticed how people react when a baby is in the room? People have a desire to touch, hold and talk to a baby. The baby becomes the centre of attention.

I wonder what it must have been like for the shepherds when they first saw Jesus? When they arrived at the stable, they find no sentries to guard the entrance, no one to announce their present to the king. All they find is a father, a mother and the baby – waiting to greet the world.

Christmas is the time when the Son of God became man so, that men may become the Sons of God. – CS Lewis

For thousands of years it was understood that sinful man and a Holy God could not exist together, but on this special morning God was teaching us once again He was approachable.

The potential of Christmas is that you can approach the King of the Universe, that He is accessible to anyone who will come to Him.

The third word that describes the significance of what “God with us” means is…

C. Courage
Have you ever noticed the courage that was displayed during the events of the incarnation?

• Mary – she would give birth to the Messiah, as a virgin, having never slept with a man. Her only explanation? An angel told her this would happen. God had not spoken directly to Israel for 400 years and now He was speaking through a young unwed mother… Mary displayed incredible courage in her obedience.
• Joseph – He would take care of Mary – he would make her his wife, and he too would have only the word of an angel for assurance. Joseph demonstrated courage and stood by Mary regardless of public opinion or scandal.

The most courageous person had to be Christ Himself. Listen to how Paul described the life of Jesus…

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)

I wonder what it must have been like when Jesus experienced hunger, pain, or rejection. The Christmas carol “Away in the Manger” gives us the idea that the manger was a safe place for a baby, but in truth, by becoming a baby he exposed Himself to all the frailties of a human, including that of death. Why was Jesus so courageous? Because of His love for you and for me. Because He wanted to create potential.

Christmas is a celebration of God changing His location for this brief time in history (compared to His eternal existence) so that the potential for His greatest desire could be birthed. His change of location created the potential of our change of position. Let me explain

Potential: Our change of Position

In the Garden of Eden at the beginning of History there is perfect harmony. The first man and woman are enjoying fellowship with their creator. Yet in Genesis 3, harmony quickly changes to chaos. Sin, introduced by the serpent brings about changes in the relationship between God and His creation. One word defines the change – separation. This separation brought several consequences:

A. Physical Death
First, Adam and Eve experienced the aging process that would eventually lead to their physical death. In their perfect state, they knew no pain, but because of sin their bodies began to deteriorate. There would be aging and suffering. Soft skin would give way to wrinkles, eyes would dim and eventually death would come.

B. Curse on creation
Secondly, because of sin, all of creation was affected. In the first two chapters of Genesis 1 there is a phrase that God speaks repeatedly, “It is good.” God’s creation was good; God designed a perfect creation for His servant Adam – no shortcuts, no leftovers. Yet when sin was introduced – all of creation was affected. Thorns and weeds started growing next to flowers and fruits. Animals began to hunt each other. It took incredible effort for the ground to bring forth a harvest. Storms and natural disasters wreaked havoc on the planet.

C. Spiritual Death
The third result of sin was the severance of the relationship between God and man. Before sin, Adam and God enjoyed an intimate relationship – even walking in the garden together. Adam and Eve’s spirits were alive to God and they were able to connect and communicate with Him hindrance free. But sin severed that connection. After the introduction of sin, throughout history God appeared in many forms from a burning bush to a small voice whispering in the quiet but sinful man would never walk with God again on this planet.

D. Sacrifice
Finally, the fourth result of sin was one of sacrifice. After God had banished Adam and Eve from the garden, he replaced their leaf clothing with animal skins. God was teaching Adam and Eve that they could not cover, atone or pay for their own sins. It was a debt they could not pay. In replacing their feeble attempts to cover themselves with leaf clothing with animal skins God had to shed the blood of an innocent animal. Thousands of years before Jesus was born, God was giving a lesson on the importance of innocent blood to be shed to atone for the debt of sin. While the shed blood of pure animals was practiced throughout the Old Testament as the way of covering sin it was only a temporary remedy that always pointed to the permanent remedy affected by the Messiah. The one that the angel Gabriel announced to Mary,

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21 (NIV)

Friends, there are many consequences that resulted in creation because of the introduction of sin. As a result our position when we are born into this world is that of death and separation from God. However, God does not want us to stay there. He wants to more than anything else for every single person in His creation to be repositioned from sinfulness to righteousness, from death to life, from separation to restoration, from brokenness to wholeness.

The corruption of sin in our world compelled Jesus to come to this planet as a baby to grow up into a man and face the cross at which His own blood would be shed in order that the potential for our change in position might be created. You change your eternal position through Jesus Christ. This is the focus we must have in this season, This is the perspective we must embrace. We can let many perspectives shape what potential we’ll embrace this season but I encourage you to focus on the person of Jesus Christ. Celebrate the incredible potential that was created by God choosing to courageously humble Himself, and become approachable in the incarnation that His greatest desire might be possible. That our positions would change from being children of a lost world to citizens of the Kingdom!

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Purpose over Perks

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

Leaders don’t allow dollar figures to dictate how they make decisions. Rather, leaders dig within to bring out the best they have to offer to the world – regardless of the compensation. Likewise, they aren’t seduced into settling for a life of luxury. Leaders have a burning passion to make a difference. As a result, they willingly put themselves on the front lines to be in the place of greatest responsibility. Counter to modern culture, leaders know no entitlement. They think in terms of creating rather than consuming. (more…)

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Overflow

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

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INTRODUCTION

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)

I remember the first time I was introduced to a restaurant called the Mandarin. Now those who know me given a choice of where to eat when dining out my top choice will nearly always involve the words “Chinese” and “Buffet”. Those who have eaten at the Mandarin know that it is a king among buffet restaurants and has a smorgasbord of Chinese food. Needless to say I really enjoyed eating there. There was really good food and you could just pile it on. You could go back to your table with all the various delicacies just hanging off the plates. Overflowing in food. It made me want to go back for more – over and over again!

I wonder. Do people see you as a source of good stuff? Do people see you as someone who overflows with good stuff in your life…spilling over to others? And do they come back to you over and over for more? Do they know that you will do something or say something that will encourage them, that will challenge them, that will help them become better people?

Or is it true that some people run the other way when they see you coming – because you suck the life out of others with constant demands, criticism, and whining?

There’s a young teenager out there who’s about ready to cave into sexual temptation. Her friends are telling her that it’s fun. She wants to keep her boyfriend and he’s putting the pressure on. She’s wondering, “Is there someone I can go to? Someone who won’t condemn me for being tempted? Someone who will give me some good stuff? Someone I can go back to over and over for help?” She can’t think of anyone in her world.

There’s a young man who’s confused about the direction to go in life. He’s been cramming 4 years of college into 6 ½ years. Why? When he was a kid, he stood at the free throw line when his team was down by one and he missed the shot. Ever since, he’s wondered, “Do I have what it takes to be a winner?” So, he’s stalled in life. He’s wondering, “Is there someone I can go to? Someone who won’t condemn me for procrastinating? Someone who will give me some good stuff? Someone I can go back to over and over for help?” He can’t think of anyone in his world.

There’s a single mother who’s sitting at her table one evening overwhelmed by the responsibilities of looking after her 2 children and working 30 hours a week at a part-time job that barely pays the bills. Her lawn needs cut, she’s got a leak in the roof, and a laundry room full of dirty laundry. As the tears trickle down her cheeks she wonders, “Is there someone I can go to? Someone who won’t just talk about small stuff but someone who will genuinely care for me? Someone who will give me some good stuff? Someone I can go back to over and over for help?” She can’t think of anyone in her word.

There’s a mid-aged guy driving home one night and his thoughts are drifting to the pressures he’s been facing lately at work. Add that the pressures of fatherhood, the threat of looming layoffs at work, the stack of bills waiting for him to go through when he gets home, and the restlessness he’s been feeling for the last year as he compares what he is doing with what he wants to do and some days he feels like he’s going to explode! Sometimes he does…and his family pays the price…and all the guilt rushes in. He wonder’s as he turns on the road to his house if there’s anyone who would understand where he’s at? He’s got some other guy friends he sees now and then – but talk never goes past the latest sports scores and the weather. Is there anyone he could call up for a heart to heart talk? He can’t think of anyone…

To help make this message more meaningful to you, think of at least one person who needs you to overflow for them. Who’s counting on you being a source of life for them?

Overflow can only happen when there’s something flowing into you first, and good stuff will only overflow out of you when there’s good stuff flowing into you. I want to talk today about overflowing with the life of Jesus Christ.

Let me just give a couple of quick points about how this happens. What is it going to take to have Christ overflow in our lives?

I remember watching a TV show called ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (a real tear jerker) where families are picked to receive a free home renovation that often includes demolition of the old house. Families that appear on the show record an application video and say, “We hope you pick us!” Of course the producers of the show can’t pick everyone and only a select few become the recipients of a brand new home.

However when it comes to our lives, the possibility for a makeover isn’t limited to a select few – God can pick ANYONE and from EVERYONE. It is possible that every single person in this room today can experience the makeover of God in their lives but sadly only a few actually apply for this privilege. There’s a certain type of person God picks.

…But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. (Isaiah 66:1-2, ESV)

Look – to show regard to, to pay attention to. (NIV – says “I will esteem”)

“Lord, pick me for a makeover – Why? Because I want your overflow in my life…

Scripture teaches us that God will “look” at me when I…

1. …am humble.
Proud people pretend to have it all together. Humble people know they don’t. They admit it!

2. …am contrite.
The word means extreme sorrow for sin. There’s no blame-shifting going on. I am sorry about what I have done to create my relationship problems. I don’t blame you. I am sorry about my part.

3. …tremble at His word.
We expose ourselves to God’s voice – to the Bible. We know it is God who is speaking. We dare not “do” when God says “don’t”. We dare not “don’t” when God says “do”

Bottom line? God is looking for brokenness. God picks the broken people all the time, every time. Why? So He can display His glory – His strength, protection, reward, forgiveness, and renewal.

Our problem is that we want to act like we’re unbroken. We’ll say, “I’m not that bad!”

God knows better. And deep in our hearts, we know better, too. God is waiting for us to see ourselves as we really are – to admit our brokenness. That’s when He looks at us – that’s when He picks us for an Extreme Makeover.

Now, with that in mind, I want to shift our thinking to ask another kind of question: not “What it’s going to take to have God pick me for a makeover?” but “What’s it going to take for me to experience an overflow?” It’s important to understand that before overflow can happen a makeover has to happen because really, overflow is proof that an extreme makeover has really taken place.

Why is it that most of us are living lives that just trickle? Not much Jesus is really flowing out of us to others. Is it because God is stingy?

Do a little study on the word “overflow” in the Bible and you’ll come to the conclusion that God is not stingy.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psalms 23:5 (NIV)

“Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”
Zechariah 1:17 (NIV)

11 I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your cup of joy will overflow!
John 15:11 (Living)

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NIV)

God doesn’t want to give us just a little of his blessing, just a little of his life. He wants us to overflow with love and joy and peace – and all good things that will encourage the lives of others – and point the way to Him!

Question: Is that your experience? Really? Some of us have to admit that when a child or a friend or a co-worker is struggling, we’d be the last person they would pick to go to. Why? Because there’s very little overflow of good stuff in us.

In preparing for this message I’ve had to ask myself: “What pours out of me when difficulties and troubles and irritations collide with my life?” Is it joy and peace and kindness? Is it the fruit of the Spirit? Is what flows out of me something that gives life to others?

That’s what Jesus wants for us. That’s why He came.

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
John 7:38 (NIV)

Think of it! Rivers of living water flowing out of our hearts. It’s an attractive image. I want that to be true for me and I’m sure you do, too! I want an overflow in my life. I want to offer refreshment to my wife, to my children, and to the people I have contact with every day.

Another question: If Jesus had promised rivers of living water to all who come to Him and drink, then why are there so many “followers of Christ” and so little overflow? The beginning of the answer to that question is found in Matthew 12:

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:34 (NIV)

And what’s in the heart?

20 He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ 21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”
Mark 7:20-23 (NIV)

What blocks the overflow of Jesus in our lives? What makes us overflow with all the bad stuff? What keeps us from overflowing in joy and peace and kindness into the lives of others?

Let’s work through this process carefully this morning. Three prayers for a life that overflows good stuff:

1. Father, search me.

Our problems are so severe, so deeply imbedded that they can’t be wiped out without an extreme makeover. And this is a kind of revival that will never come until we ask God to search us and show us our sin.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalms 139:23-24 (NIV)

“God, open up a searchlight in my soul. You know me so, show me the dirt, the junk, the sinful motives, attitudes, thoughts. Reveal it to me so I can confess it to You!”

Too many times, we want God to show that other guy his sins or to show that other girl her sins (always the “other” person). But we’ve got to say, “God, show me!”

To overflow, let’s pray… “Father, search me.”

2. Jesus, wash me.

Once I see how dirty my soul is, I won’t be able to take it. It won’t be OK with me. It can’t be business as usual.

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Psalm 51:2,7 (NIV)

Let me describe the people who are washed. They have a great awareness of our sin. They have a conscience that is deeply wounded. They have a great fear of God – a holy reverence of Him. They have a strong desire to stop sinning – to live holy lives. They have a willingness to make restitution where necessary – to right the wrongs they’ve done. They love what God loves and hate what God hates. They desire more than anything His smile. They dread more than anything His frown.

Is that you? Is that me? When we get there, we will confess and be cleansed.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)

When you come clean with Christ, He cleans your cup. When your cup is clean, you are honoring God and feeling good inside.

To overflow, let’s pray… “Jesus, wash me.”

3. Spirit, fill me.

When you’re empty, you need to be filled with something. Why not with God?

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Galatians 5:16 (NIV)

How can I be filled with the Spirit – the living water of Jesus so that there is overflow in my life? It takes time alone with God. Prayer. Bible intake. Being in a community group to hang out with the sold out. Obedience.

And know this: eventually, an Extreme Makeover – produces an overflowing life of indescribable joy. It’s the kind of joy people in heaven know. It’s a form of heaven on earth.

Overflowing lives will mean that we share our faith. And many come to faith. The community is transformed. The light shines bright. The city is seen on the hill.

In Wales in 1904, the life of God began to overflow. It’s called the Welsh revival. Interesting fact: Many policemen during the Welsh revival lost their jobs. Why? There was so little for them to do!

God is saying that when you are filled with the Spirit, something changes deep within you. This internal change is so radical and so extensive that you become more and more like Jesus. You become a spring of living water. Streams of life-giving, living water flow from you, bringing hope and help to others. This would do wonders for marriages, for parent/child relationships, for love within the church family.

What pours into you, pours out of you. The promise is not only that we will be satisfied but that we will be satisfying. In being filled with the Spirit, we become not merely receptacles but rivers. A draining person transforms into a refreshing person!

To overflow, let’s pray…
Spirit, fill me.

CONCLUSION

A truth to take home: I can overflow with the life of Jesus to others.

Our problem is that we don’t want to pay the price to have an overflow. Overflow – revival – is always preceded by earnest, fervent prayer, by soul searching, by on-fire teaching that calls people to repentance. Christian leaders are made fun of. Followers of Christ are called fanatics. And all this is just too much for most of us in our comfortable Canadian lifestyles to endure.

A verse to remember:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (NIV)

A question to consider:
How will I remind myself to ask God many times each day this coming week to search me, cleanse me, and fill me?

That teenage girl who’s being tempted is still out there. Will you be that overflowing person for her? That young man who is afraid to pick a career is still out there. Will you be that overflowing person for Him? That single mom who is overwhelmed by everything is still out there. Will you be that overflowing person for her? That middle-aged guy looking for genuine friendship is still out there – will you be that overflowing person for him? Others are out there. They are waiting. Waiting on you to be a person who will overflow with the life of Jesus for them.

When people come to the diner of your life – when they get a taste of your life, will they find you full of good stuff for them – overflowing with the life of Jesus? And will they come back over and over for more because you are giving them love and joy and kindness and tenderness and toughness and truth – you are giving them Jesus?

This is why our mission here at HPC is so important , we want to, “let the light of God shine so powerfully in our lives that people can’t help but want to join us in becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ!”

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