The audio for the sermon is available in iTunes or on our website, but I also thought I would give a general overview in this post.

In this sermon we looked at 5 Lies this World Teaches About Money and the biblical truth that refutes them.

1. It’s all about the Benjamins!

Truth: God is King and money is to be used to serve Him well. – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

2. I worked hard for MY money!

Truth: All good gifts come from God including your wealth and ability to earn that wealth. – Deuteronomy 8:17-18

3. The purpose of money is to make me happy!

Truth: God blesses His saints so they might in turn generously bless others in His name and for His glory and their own good. – 1 Timothy 6:17-19

4. Just a little more money will finally be enough!

Truth: God promises to provide all our needs if we put our hope and trust in Him and are content with His provision. – Hebrews 13:5

5. If I give enough of my money God will bless me!

Truth: God desires an obedient, loving, sacrificial giver not an obligated, expectant, demanding giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Again this is a very general overview. We covered each point in a lot more depth, and covered a lot more scriptures in our time together. To get the full breadth of it check out the audio links a the top of this post.

–Wholly Surrender!

Luke 8:22-25

Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

I know this is just another case of, “I’ve read this before, but where did that come from?”

Still this simple text brought great personal realization and humility to me this week.

In the verses and chapters prior we have seen Christ traveling, teaching, preaching, healing, giving, …working. He and the disciples have been working hard and now they have a moment of peace and calm as they sail to their next destination. So what does Christ do… He finds a secluded place on the boat and goes to sleep. In this moment we see a clear picture of Christ’s humanity.

He was just like you and I, flesh and blood, weary, and in desperate need of rest. He submitted Himself to the same physical limitations you and I have. He confined Himself to the same temporal, decaying, mortal tents we live in everyday. He felt adrenaline, fatigue, achiness, and most of all pain. Jesus fully knew what it meant to human.

But then in a matter of minutes we equally see His Deity manifest itself in all its magnificent glory. He rises from His sleep and with the utmost authority commands Creation to cease its uproar. Without hesitation or second guess He rose above the confines of this world and took His rightful place as Creator God.

This dichotomy of 100% God and 100% Man is found only in the person of Jesus Christ. No one else in the history of the World has had that experience. No one else in the World ever has or ever will accomplish what He accomplished as the God-Man. His victory over sin as the Son of Man, and His victory over death as the Son of God simultaneously changed history for all of eternity at the hill called Mount Calvary.

The same God-Man status that redeemed all of creation is the same God-Man status that the disciples were witness to over and over again during their earthly ministry with Christ, and it is the same status that inspires us to trust in and follow Him today.

–Wholly Surrender!

THE CONDITIONS AND CALLING OF A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ was not the first, but was by far the most influential person in human history. He passed on His yoke through a form of teaching and mentoring referred to as discipleship. Christ’s disciples, unlike their predecessors, were called to a new form of discipleship with a unique set of conditions that would result in a higher and more impactful calling. As a result, the disciples of Christ would turn the entire world upside down and usher in monumental change to revolutionize human existence for the remainder of history. This was not by accident, but rather the culmination of a divine calling and specific life changing conditions.

The first two conditions of discipleship are matters of the heart and/or soul. The first condition, regeneration, is referenced in Ezek. 36:26-27 (also see Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 4:20-24; and Titus 3:4-7). Romans 3:11 states that “there is none who seeks God.” Therefore, sinful beings must be regenerated into “new creatures” (2 Cor. 5:17) in order to desire the things of God. The second condition of the heart for a disciple of Christ is self denial, as described in Luke 9:23 (also see Matt. 10:38, 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27). In response to the regeneration of the heart by the Holy Spirit, a disciple of Christ must forfeit his/her right to self and submit to the authority of Christ. As Dr. John Piper once said in a sermon, it is important a disciple of Christ knows not only who he is, but whose he is (2001, 2).

The third and fourth conditions of discipleship in Christ are matters of position. The third condition is a properly prioritized life of worship. With worship defined as, “our response, both personal and corporate, to God, for who He is and what He has done, expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.” (Giglio 2003, 53), and properly prioritized defined as, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Ex. 20:3). Everything in a disciple’s life must come second to God, and must be submitted to His authority. Other verses supporting this condition are Matt. 8:22, 10:37, 19:21; Mark 10:21, 28; and Luke 9:59, 61, 14:26, 33, 18:22.  The fourth condition is a life of humble servant-hood. Christ directly addresses this condition in John 12:26 equating, following Him with serving Him and proclaiming that any who serves Him will be honored by God the Father. Other scriptures that encourage disciples of Christ to live as humble servants include Matt. 10:42, 20:25-28; and James 1:27. Most of all, in Scripture, Christ is seen repeatedly taking time out of His busy and tiring schedule to humbly serve the least of these. So disciples of Christ should seek to model after their Great Teacher and do the same.

The final two conditions of Christ’s disciples are matters of the will. The fifth condition is faithful obedience to the teachings of Christ and the Word of God. Christ very plainly stated this truth in John 8:31 and 15:9-10. The apostles also believed and taught this principle as a necessary condition of Christ’s disciples in Acts 5:29 and James 1:22. To be a disciple of Christ, one must decide to mentally know, spiritually believe and physically do God’s Word. The final condition is the decision to partake in and exhibit divine love. In John 13:34-35, Christ tells His disciples that the world will truly know they are His disciples if they love one another with the same love with which He loved them (see also Rom 5:5; Eph. 5:1-2). Love was the foundation of Christ’s life and ministry likewise it should be ours as well.

The Bible does not give a concise, pinpointed definition or description of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Still, by taking the proposed conditions, related scriptures, the Great Commission, the Greatest Commandments and the Acts 2 Church example, a disciple of Jesus Christ can be defined or described as: a regenerated follower of Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, seeks to humbly love and serve God, love and serve others, spread the gospel, share in life with the family of God, be faithful to the Word of God and aid fellow believers in following Christ for His glory and our good.

Bibliography

Giglio, Louie. The Air I Breathe. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers Inc., 2003.

Piper, John. Christian, Know Whose You Are. [online sermon script] (Desiring God, December 2001, accessed 23 March 2009); available from http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2001/77_Christian_Know_Whose_You_Are/; Internet.

Note: All Bible References are from the New American Standard Bible.

So I managed to dig it up, but I do need to offer a few clarifying points before you listen.

1. This talk was written for and delivered to a consortium of pastors, therefore some of the material is directed solely at them and may not be applicable to all lay people.

2. The first recording CD ran out of space and we had to quickly switch to a second cd to get the remainder of the talk. So most of point three is missing, and then the recording picks back up at the beginning of point four.

Well then without further ado here you go. I hope it is beneficial for you.

Nuts & Bolts of Corporate Discipleship

Download audio file (Nuts&BoltsOfCorporateDiscipleship.mp3)

–Wholly Surrender!

Well I am not going to do a full album review today, but rather I want to delve into one song that has struck me. Before I do that I will quickly say that Starfield‘s new record Saving One is really good, and I would totally recommend you check it out if you haven’t already.

Having said that Something to Say in one of the tracks on the new album that has really impacted me. Here are the lyrics for those of you who have not yet heard it:

I’ve got something to say
It’s been one of those days
When I’m finding it hard to believe in You

I’ve got something to say
I’ve forgotten how to pray
And I’m finding it hard to believe the truth

I’ve got something to say
Right now it feels like You are slipping away
Like I am drowning in a crisis of faith
Like I’m alone

I’ve got something to say
What was black and white is grey
And I’m finding it hard to believe in You

And faith might mean there won’t be answers
And hope might mean enduring through the night
But help me not forget in darkness
The things that I believed in light

I’ve got something to say
Right now it feels like You are slipping away
Like I am drowning in a crisis of faith
Like I was found, but now I’m lost in the fray

Granted they are not the most theologically/doctrinally deep lyrics, but they attempt to express (but thankfully not answer) the nagging question that I think all Christians deal with at some point in their spiritual lives. The song honestly and openly confesses how our humanness can sometimes interfere and even defeat our faith in our great Savior.

It is a hard confession to make, and brings about an even harder questions to face. What does it mean that my faith can be broken? What does it say about me and my relationship with Jesus I doubt? What does it express about my God, and most importantly what does He think about me when it happens?

I have had many conversations surrounding these very questions with friends, family, and even myself. I can’t say that I necessarily have definitive answers to all of them, and am not sure we even can have generic answers that fit ever situation such as this. I believe these are matters of the heart and moments of testing that are best left to the discernment and personal conviction of the Holy Spirit.

However, the bridge of this song (bold section above) did bring me new clarity and personal revelation about how I perceive these times in my life.

See often when faced with hardships, temptations, trials, or attacks I cling to my faith and hope in Jesus because I expect He will deliver me. That is good, but when the answers don’t come in the variety or time table I expect that same faith and hope inexcusably starts to fade. So as this song so eloquently reminds me, I have to ground my faith and hope in the truth of who He is, not in past or future outcomes.

Lord Jesus, please help me to remember in the darkness what I believed in the light!

–Wholly Surrender!

I was asked to speak on The Nuts and Bolts of Corporate Discipleship. So while the main goal of my talk was to give specifics on how we disciple believers here at Calvary, I also wanted to start with a challenge and exhortation about discipleship in general. So I did that by outlining and discussing the following ten discipleship truths spoke by Christ in Matthew 10:24-42.

1. It requires the Pastor/Leader be a disciple & a disciple maker. – v. 24-25
2. It requires embracing change. – v. 27-28
3. It requires trusting & following God’s sovereignty. – v. 29-31
4. It requires personal commitment & surrender. – v. 32-33
5. It requires bearing trials & tribulations. – v.34-36
6. It requires single-minded undivided worship. – v. 37
7. It requires personal sacrifice. – v. 38
8. It requires denial of self. – v. 39
9. It requires proper motives & purpose. – v. 40-41
10. It requires service. – v.42

I considered unpacking each one of those and explaining in more depth what I shared today, but instead I think it might be more beneficial for you to read each truth, the verses, that accompany it, and then prayerfully and humbly ask God to reveal how each of these truths needs to speak into your own life.

You might even want to take one a day for a week and half and just meditate on each one.

Maybe later on when I have more time I can flesh out more details on each one, but I know that Holy Spirit is a much better teach and interpreter than I could ever be so trust Him to speak to you through this simple outline and accompanying scriptures.

We could all stand to deeper evaluate our walk with Christ and commitment to discipleship. Hopefully this will help you in that endeavor.

–Wholly Surrender!

I always loved the interchange between these two characters partly because of the cool, calm, and collected way Michael Douglas handled the situation, but also because it is a testament to how differently we as humans respond to various people and roles. When she thought he was absent or just some guy she new she spoke self-confidently, honestly, and without regard for his person or position. However, as soon as she met him “face-to-face” her tone, words, and respect completely changed.

This past Sunday as we were studying the Gospel of Luke in our class we came across a similar situation.

Luke 5:4-9

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken;

When Jesus first instructed Simon to put down his nets Simon’s response is not surprising.

Simon was professional fisherman with a whole fleet of ships and other men working with/for him. They had been fishing hard all night with nothing to show for it, and now it was clock-out time. They were already cleaning up their nets and headed home when this guy asked to use his boat in the first place. Now this Jewish Rabbi/Carpenter was trying to tell him how to fish?

Still Peter tried to show some respect by calling Him Master, or in other words Teacher/Rabbi. See in this day Rabbis were kind of like rockstars in the Jewish culture. Not that they necessarily had giant egos, tattoos, trendy hair/clothing, and expensive cars/homes, but who knows maybe some did. No it was more that this role of a Jewish Rabbi was the greatest honor and dream of Jewish males. Only the best of the best were selected to train and become Rabbis.

So Peter essentially responds, “Great Teacher I am almost certain this is futile, but since you are a Rabbi and all I will indulge your request.”

So Peter goes fishing again and finds a miraculous catch of fish. So many in fact he has to quickly get the other boats in his fleet out to help bring them all in.

Then we see a distinct change in Peter’s perspective. Notice how he talk to Jesus now.

Luke 5:8

But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

No more of this condensing Master talk. Embarrassed and humbled he falls at Jesus’s feet and admits his own sinful and unworthy state. Being the expert fisherman that he was he immediately recognized this as a miracle, and in turn recognized Christ’s great deity.

That is what happens at the true conversion of a Christian. There comes a point in one’s life where they come face to face with the majesty and deity of Jesus Christ which in turn exposes their great pride and sinful state. At that point one of two responses is possible. A. the person pridefully rebels further away from Christ the Pharisees did later in Matthew Chapter 5, or B. the person humbly falls at the feet of Christ to admit their need for rescue.

The true revelation of Christ by the Holy Spirit is a perspective changer. It exposes us for who we really are, but more importantly it reveals the the only true hope that we have is in Christ Jesus and His gracious gift of redemption and rescue. Peter experienced it. Have you?

If so your life will be one of complete surrender just like Peter’s was:

Luke 5:11

When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

–Wholly Surrender!

I generally am not a big fan of the science fiction/fantasy genre. Most of movies, books, and shows in that category seem to blow past my limited imagination and I quickly lose interest. So when LOST first came on the scene and started receiving such rave reviews I wrote it all off to the fanatical musings of the die hard Sci-Fi community. However about two seasons in my entire family started getting on the LOST bandwagon, and before to long Courtney and I found that we were becoming conversational outcasts. Everyone was discussing LOST and its infinite complexities. They were delving into the characters and events. Offering up conspiracy theories, personal observations, and pre-drawn conclusions.

There was some type collective experience going on amongst the people we loved and we were not part of it. We were missing out. We had no connection. So obviously the only solution was to start watching this infamous TV series. So we borrowed the first couple seasons on DVD from my parents, and proceeded to watch the first three seasons over the summer months via DVD and online streaming. Pretty soon we were hooked. We were drawn in. We were just as excited, confused, and enthralled as everyone else.

So as I started to watch LOST and trying to digest the story, characters, mysteries, and surprises I had an epiphany. The same thing that drew us all to this story was the same thing that made the story work. Our attraction to the show was rooted in the same humanity that made the story relatable and plausible despite its abundance of far fetched elements. This universal truth is most clearly articulated by Doctor Jack very early on in the series:

We live together, or we die alone!

Community. It is what attracts us, drives us, motivates us, strengthens us, and saves us. See if we are really really honest with ourselves none of us wants to be alone. We were made for relationships and without them our life quickly becomes frail and meaningless. Everything in our society screams for connections with others. Sports, Movies, Facebook, Twitter, State Fairs, Concerts, Community Organizations, Restaurants, Demonstrations, etc… We are constantly in search of community that will make this life worth something.

Jesus actually explained this concept many many years ago:

Matthew 22:37-39

And He said to him, ” ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ ”This is the great and foremost commandment. ”The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

See He understood that in order for our lives to work the way they were designed we had to have relationships. In fact we have to put relationships above everything else in this world. Our relationship with God comes first, and in turn teaches us and strengthens us to have true community with everyone else in our life.

See the reason I love Dr. Jack’s statement is that there is no middle ground. There is no third option. It very simply expresses the eternal truth that if we are not living in community, we are not really living. Without relationships we are simple existing.

The scary/sad part is that we have found out that prior to the island most of these characters were simply existing, however now on the island they are actually living. Still for some reason their greatest desire is to get back to the lifestyle of simply existing.

I think we often do the same thing. As we start learning how to really live in relationships with other people that means we open ourselves up to both love and pain, and at the moments that the pain seems to overwhelm the love we want to retreat back to simply existing.

So my encouragement today is simply this: don’t retreat. Living in community no matter how much pain is always better than dieing alone. Love wins!

–Wholly Surrender

One of the most simple company’s by far is Apple. I do not mean necessarily the company structure, but rather their products and platforms. Steve Jobs has struck gold multiple times in his career by taking in demand items and making them simple and therefore beautiful in design and use. Mac’s claim to fame is that they are simple, intuitive, easy to use. We see the same great magic in the iPods and iPhones that are sweeping the globe. My iPhone is so simple my 3 year old nephew picked up for the first time and within minutes was opening apps, taking pictures, and changing settings I really didn’t want changed.

Quite simply Jobs and Apple have discovered that simplicity is beautiful both in our hearts and in our lives. We crave it. We seek it. We are always looking for the next great thing that will make our lives simpler. Have you ever wished you could just go back to your childhood. You know back to when things were “simpler.” Back before you had to plan, worry, bear burdens, fix problems, meet deadlines, fulfill expectations, etc…

However the Bible tell us that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9). So we know Jobs was not the first to have the revelation that simple is beautiful.

Actually that thought originated with God (as all good thoughts do). If fact Christ Himself, taught on it many many years ago.

Matthew 6:25-34

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Christ is trying to warn us that the only life that honors God is one of simplicity. One that has a narrow and concrete focus. One that is only concerned with God and His purpose.

At another point in His ministry Christ was asked to simplify the entire law, and pinpoint the the most important thing for His followers to do. His response was:

Matthew 22:36-40

And He said to him, ” ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Did you catch that? Simple right? Everything the Lord commands of us as His followers can be simply summarized in these two statements. Love God. Love Others.

Now granted living out those two statements is not nearly as simple. Still the message is so simple a child can understand it. Now it is just a matter of our willingness to surrender our lives and will to His Lordship so that the Beauty of Simplicity can be manifested in our own lives.

I will leave you with this great song from Telecast. I hope that is helps encourage and inspire you to seek the Beauty of Simplicity in your own life.

–Wholly Surrender!

So I was thinking today, how would God’s Facebook profile read? I know a little cheesy, but roll with me. I promise it’s going somewhere.

Profile pic – Jesus (John 1:14)
Age – Everlasting (a.k.a The Alpha and Omega – Rev. 1:8)
Hometown – Everywhere (Matt. 28:18)
Family – Plethora of adopted Sons & Daughters (2 Cor. 6:17-18)
Relationship – Married to the Church (Eph. 5:25-27)
Religious Views – I AM that I AM (Exodus 3:13-15)
Activities – Sovereignly Reigning and Ruling over all Creation (Dan. 7:14)
Interests –  My Own Glory (Isaiah 42:8, Rom. 11:36)
Work = Creator, Artist, Judge, Father, King, Author, Composer, Husband, Counselor, Architect, among other things.
Favorite Books – Everything I have written (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Email/Phone Number = Prayer/The Bible (1 John 5:14-15, 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

You get the picture. Pretty different than most of our profiles. It seems to point to a different purpose. A different view of existence.

See the reason that so many people are drawn to services such as Facebook is because we were all created in the image of God. God created us for a relationship with Himself for His glory. Christ clearly stated this in the gospel of Matthew:

Matthew 22:36-38

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
And He said to him, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” This the great and foremost commandment.

He also went on to say that the next most important thing to our relationship with God is our relationship with other people.

Matthew 22:39

The second is like it, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

So I guess in reality Facebook founders have the original Creator to thank for their great success. We were wired from the beginning of time for relationships and that is what so many are seeking via this new digital media.

Still for us to fully comprehend these truths we must accurately define what it means to have a loving relationship. See our society has corrupted the word love. Love is not something you feel, not something you fall into, not something you make, and not something you can demand or take from someone else.

Love is action. Love is something you do. In the infamous words of DC Talk, Love is a verb!

To love God means to keep His commandments:

John 14:21

He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

To love others means to forfeit your right to self for their good:

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

So how is all this possible? After all we are only human. We do not naturally have the capacity to love like God does. Good thing we don’t have to do it on our own:

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

So go and love well, and if possible you can use Facebook to help.

–Wholly Surrender!