Thursday, September 27, 2012

Touching Base! Part 182

Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog?

(You can find a recording of this sermon here.)

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.


Dangerously Over-Challenged

Appropriately-Challenged

Under-Challenged

 
As a group, or in personal reflection, use the above chart to plot out where you are at these days. What is it about your life that has you pegged where you are? What can you do to change or improve your situation? Who is helping you on your journey these days?

There are a number of reasons why we can end up in the “dangerously over-challenged” section. One reason is because of the Word of God.

On Sunday, as we started our series in Jeremiah, we looked at the idea that The Word of God Will Challenge and Change Our World! In other words, how it speaks into our lives can, at times, make us feel that we are way in over our head - we’re not sure if we can do what God’s word is asking of us or if we can become what God’s word is wanting to shape us into. Remember Jesus’ prayer- “sanctify them by Your truth”!

We looked at three ways this was happening in Jeremiah’s life. When God said to Jeremiah, “Get yourself ready”, He wasn’t kidding! (v.17)

Text: Jeremiah 1

Get yourself ready because the Word of God will call you to go off-road (v. 1-5)

Read v. 1-4 - What do you note about the context of Jeremiah’s life?
Note in particular the road he is on - he was born into a priestly family, a well-worn path. He knows what to expect since he has seen his dad and grandfather be priests. His whole life, he’s been mentored, molded, shaped and prepared for being a priest. The language of the priesthood is common. But then the word of God comes and says – “Get yourself ready….!” He is only 20 years old and things are about to change.
What was God calling him to become?
Read the chapter and note what this new role would entail.

Like Jeremiah, God’s Word still call us out today and say “Get yourself ready!” (Note 2 Tim. 3:16,17) Note how the Word of God can challenge. Talk about how that has happened in your life. Have you ever felt dangerously over-challenged?

The Word of God is not a “stand still” book but a “get yourself ready” book. It’s like getting on to an escalator - you don’t get on it to stay where you are, but because you’re going somewhere! Likewise with the Word of God - you don’t open it up to stay where you are but to go somewhere. Are you willing?

Get yourself ready because the word of God will call you out from behind familiar fences (v.6-10)

Note the excuse Jeremiah comes up with so he won’t have to move. I call these excuses “fences” that often hem people in, and keep them from stepping out. Fear is certainly a big one, can you think of others? What is your most common response to God’s Word when you feel that it is calling you to overly-challenging areas? The sad truth is that some people have stopped growing because their “fence” has limited their growth.

Note what God does for Jeremiah: He reassures him that the word of God will be fulfilled and that Jeremiah does not need to allow fear to hem him in. Instead his faith in the certainty of God’s word should lead him onward. In v.11, God draws Jeremiah’s attention to the almond tree. They were famous for their white and snowy blossoms that would appear earlier than most other blossoms in the spring. When you saw the blossoms you knew that there was more to come. The blossoms built anticipation for the change of seasons. Likewise, the word of God is like the blossoms that build anticipation that God will act, that more is to come, that a new season is on its way and God is watching over it all to make sure it will happen just as He says.

Get yourself ready because the word of God will set you apart from your culture (v.13-19)

Scan the chapter and find phrases that make it pretty clear that Jeremiah is not going to fit in that well with his culture any more. On Sunday, I gave some texts illustrating that in the New Testament God’s Word is still calling us to engage in culture, but not blend in. What New Testament texts can you come up with?

For some, this is the most difficult area to be challenged in because we value acceptance more than anything else. We want to be loved, accepted, not disagreeing with those around us. At times we find it very hard to speak up and say we don’t agree, or that what someone is doing is wrong. If Jeremiah valued acceptance more than God and His Word, he would never have gone to the places God was calling him.

Are you embracing God’s Word?
Are you opening it and reading it and being challenged and changed?
God says to Jeremiah, “Get yourself ready!” God still says to us today, “Get yourself ready!”


Mark
If interested in joining or starting a small group contact bethelcommunitygroups@gmail.com

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Touching Base! Part 181

WORLD!

(You can find a recording of this sermon here.)

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

Today is the last part of our three-part series on City, Nation and World! The reason we have done this series is so that people both understand the vision and engage with it. We want to be very clear that it is impossible to burn passionately for every part of the vision, but it is very possible to be passionate about aspects of the vision and support the entire vision. If we try to be passionate about every part, involved in every part, we may find we burn out. So prayerfully seek God on what He would have you do, and how He might have you go, get involved, give and pray.

On Sunday we looked at God’s heart for the world. Be Incredible In The World! Now that may be easier said than done. There are many Christ followers whose focus is very much on themselves. We could call these people cats. When you pet a cat they think, “You pet me, feed me, shelter me, I must be god!” They are in to “meowology” and anything else that would prop their needs up as being central to everyone else’s agenda. However, thank God there are dogs. In fact it may not sound complimentary but there are many Christians who are like dogs. You pet a dog and they think, “You pet me, feed me, shelter me, you must be god!” These kinds of Christ followers are not the center of the universe but God is, and so they are very much interested in what God is passionate about. Well, guess what? He is passionate about the world.

Now before we move on think about cat theology and dog theology. What are the differences? How would a cat church look different than a dog church? If a cat was looking for a new church what might they be looking for? If a dog was looking for a new church what might they be looking for?

Ok, let’s move on. Dogs want to know the heart of God, and as they investigate they discover that God has a heart for the nations. Check out the texts.

Genesis 12:1-3 - Where does the blessing flow? Cats can get stuck on the part that says God wants to bless us. They can sometimes forget that we are blessed to be a blessing.

Exodus 19:6 - Note that Israel had two priesthoods. The Levites were the priests to the nation of Israel, yet Israel were a kingdom of priests to who? Check out Isaiah 49:6 and Malachi 1:11. Got any ideas? How does this influence or shape your understanding of God choosing Israel to be His treasured possession? See also Ex. 19:5.

You will note as you read the Old Testament that it predicts the coming of Jesus, and in the New Testament, Jesus is presented. What do the words of Simeon tell us about this priest? See Luke 2:28,29. Answer: He is an international priest, a priest to all the nations. Note Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:19,20.

Dogs note with delight (cats like to ignore this) that the Scriptures reveal that it is all about the glory of God, not man. He is the ultimate satisfaction, but more importantly, He satisfies what justice demands for our sin, a Saviour! Read the following verses on the glory of God.: 1Chronicles 16:24, Psalm 67:1,2, 2 Kings 19:17-19, Isaiah 61:11, Revelation 5:9-10

After reading these verses reflect on these questions:
Do you think the consumerism in the church flies in the face of the glory of God? - Meowology
Do you think if we made it less about ourselves and more about God’s glory the church would be stronger?
I wonder if, in the current challenges we are facing, we might move a little closer to resolving them if it was more about the glory of God, not the glory of me?

God desires for us to Be Incredible In The World, because He has a heart for the nations. From Genesis to Revelation, we see God’s international heart.

How can you, your small group be involved in global issues with a focus on spiritual and physical needs?

Would you consider getting involved in the Honduras focus this year at Bethel? Check out the brochure that was in the bulletins on Sunday.

Next time you watch or listen to the news, pray for the global issues that are constantly being piped into our air space. Pray that God would be glorified!

Welcome to the dog pound!

Mark

If interested in joining or starting a small group contact bethelcommunitygroups@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Touching Base! Part 179

CITY
Jeremiah 29

(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

“Responding to the Heart of God;
Transforming the Heart of the City, the Nation and the World.”
Bethel’s Vision Statement

Rodney Stark, a sociologist of religion, writes,
“Christianity served as a revitalization movement that arose in response to the misery, chaos, fear, and brutality of life in the urban Greco- Roman world… Christianity revitalized life in… cities by providing new norms and new kinds of social relationships able to cope with many urgent problems. To cities filled with the homelessness and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments… To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities face with epidemics, fires and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective…services.” The Rise of Christianity (New York: Harper, 1997, page 161)

At Bethel our heart for the city is encouraged by realizing the role the church has played in the past in ministering to major city centers. However, the ultimate model and inspiration is rooted in understanding the life and message of Jesus. His heart as He walked the face of the earth was the heart of God seen in the flesh - a heart that loves people, reaches out to the least likely, empowers the few to transform the many, and invests in the overlooked to achieve great kingdom purposes. Cities matter to God because cities are made up of people. It is as simple as that!

In the Old Testament, the prophet Jeremiah called the people of Judah who were exiled to Babylon to not neglect the city or leech off its resources but to be Incredible In The City! Note the three ways we can be incredible in the city that we highlighted on Sunday:

Be incredible in the city by contributing to its economic vitality (v.5).

The backdrop of this statement is that the Babylonians are hoping that they Jews will just be absorbed into the community and lose their distinctiveness. The false prophets of the Judah are telling the Jews that they will soon depart Babylon, so don’t invest. Just live off the city but don’t invest. Jeremiah, God’s spokesperson, tells them to invest, engage and plant roots. Move out of your bubble and get engaged.

Jesus models this when, in John 3:16, we are told that that because of love, God gave, engaged and built for Himself a house (so to speak) an earthly, fleshly dwelling to be with the people. “Emanuel” means “God with us”.

On Sunday we talked about how it is easy to live in a bubble - the Queen’s bubble, church bubble etc. Can you name some bubbles that are easy to live in and consequently ignore the city? What are symptoms (“bubblitis”) that can accompany bubble dwellers? Some answers I gave on Sunday were arrogance, indifference, misunderstanding, apathy, self-focus, simplistic answers to complex problems.

Be incredible in the city by contributing to its social vitality (v.6).

Certainly the admonition to raise families was to keep the family line intact. However, one of the spin-offs of building strong families is social vitality. You may ask, “How so?”

Well think about the answers to these questions.
  • Do you believe that healthy family units can contribute to the overall health of a city?
  • Do you think a mom and dad who love each other, not only benefits the children but might also spill over beyond the immediate family?
  • Do you think healthy family units might improve a kid’s self-esteem, school performance, freedom from addictions?
  • Do you think there is any connection between a grown adult’s mental health and the type of family they were raised in?

This text is not saying everyone needs to get married or that divorced families cannot be redeemed and result in great good. But there is a social implication stated in these verses. I believe very strongly that building strong families in the city is one way to be proactive in building healthy people that, in turn, bless the city.

Jesus modeled a priority of children in his ministry. Some may have said there were bigger and better things to do with one’s time, but Jesus valued children. He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matt 19:14)

Ever thought of investing in family ministries in the city? Why not mentor a child whose father is out of the picture? How about investing in a single mom who might be finding it hard to make ends meet and stay emotionally healthy? The demands can be great. This is one of the reasons why we partner with the Salvation Army. Don’t hesitate to ask Jamie Stinson our Family Director on how you can get involved. (rstinson2@cogeco.ca)

Be incredible in the city by contributing to its spiritual vitality (v.7).

Peace
Interesting, isn’t it that the Jews were to pray for the peace of the city? No doubt there can be all kinds of issues that disturb the peace. As Christ followers we pray that one means of peace would come through understanding the full plan of God in Christ to make people right with God - peace with God.

C.S. Lewis, literary critic and professor of medieval and renaissance literature for 29 years at
Magdalene College at Oxford, wrote, “The salvation of a single soul is more important than the preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world.” While it is important to make good culture and redeem social ill, sharing the redemptive, saving message of Jesus Christ is of utmost importance. Even the great literary critic C.S. Lewis saw the soul as more important than culture.

Prosperity
The Hebrew word translated “prosper” means to be healthy, to increase, to have things go well. It means growth in all its dimensions. One form of prosperity is not just material, but finding meaning, significance and belonging. Many know financial prosperity but are stricken with meaninglessness. Other forms of prosperity that we might not think about is for a city to prosper in justice, compassion, integrity, honesty, and equality. Can you identify other ways for a city to prosper?

In what specific ways can you and your group seek to serve and love Kingston? What can you and your group do to become genuinely interested in its peace and prosperity?

Cities matter to God because people matter to God. Does the city matter to you?

Mark

If interested in joining or starting a small group contact bethelcommunitygroups@gmail.com

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Touching Base! Part 180

NATION
Psalm 24

(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

In our service today, the big idea was “Be Incredible in the Nation”. Our vision at Bethel is to be “Responding to the Heart of God; Transforming the Heart of the City, the Nation and the World”. Our national focus is Constance Lake First Nation. In order to “be incredible in the nation”, we have to do two things well:

1. Know and understand the issues:

To gain further understanding of our First Nations people, consider visiting these websites:


2. Get engaged and make things better:

There are 3 things that you can do to engage and make things better: Give, Go and Pray.

Give: More information will be coming in October as to how you can give to Operation Constance Lake (shoeboxes).

Go: Would you like to go and minister at CL? If you’re in grades 9 to 12, consider March Break 2013. If you’re not, consider going during the summer of 2013.

Pray: There are a number of ways you can pray into these issues:

A. Spiritual bondage: that it would be broken, and that the King of Glory would become the centre focus of CLFN

B. Salvation: to the best of our knowledge, there were no “first-time salvations” during our summer trip, although the gospel was presented to the children in a very creative and relevant manner. Pray for seeds to grow. Bibles were handed out as well - pray that they are read.

C. Education: hat the children would become engaged in their education and attend school each day

D. Health concerns: teen pregnancies, Type 2 Diabetes and head lice are some major concerns

E. For peace: in homes that are sometimes filled with fear

F. Bethel's partnership with CLFN: to grow, flourish and really begin to transform CL.

G. Drug addictions: many 12-year-olds will admit to smoking pot. As well, the Principal of the school, Zandra, and Patty and her son Theo speak of an issue with over-prescription of certain drugs. Pray for medical integrity, wisdom, truth and justice to reign. This is especially importance as CLFN is 6 km north of the Trans-Canada Highway and 44 km from Hearst, which is described at the Drug Capital of Northern Ontario.

H. The need for long-term on-site missions and workers: Bethel Toronto Church (yes they too are called Bethel!) and Café Church have also sent teams to CLFN. In fact Bethel Toronto has been sending teams for 14 summers! All three churches agree that there is a need for long-term full-time workers to go to Constance Lake and be integrated into the community. Pray for workers to be called and sent.

I. The local church: Bethel Toronto and Café Church enjoyed meeting with the Anglican Church and Bethel Kingston enjoyed meeting with the Full Gospel Church. There seem to be Christ followers in these churches that just need more encouragement.

J. Local leadership: Pray for Chief Roger and for his council.

Thank you for being an incredible in the nation! We are open to answering your questions and concerns. Feel free to email fred@kingston.net

Fred

If interested in joining or starting a small group contact bethelcommunitygroups@gmail.com

Touching Base! Part 178

Rigorous Faith in Turbulent Times, Part 17
Putting on the Armor - Ephesians 6:10-20

(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

There are six tests that come out of Paul’s letter regarding the Armor of God. How are you doing in these areas?

The Foundation Test
“Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist….”

Are you a student of the Word of God? How do you work it into your life? What’s your greatest challenge in this area? The following are questions you can ask the text as you study God’s Word:
  • Is there an Attitude to adjust?
  • Is there a Promise to claim?
  • Is there a Priority to change?
  • Is there a Lesson to learn?
  • Is there an Issue to resolve?
  • Is there a Command to obey?
  • Is there an Activity to avoid or stop?
  • Is there a Truth to believe?
  • Is there an Idol to tear down?
  • Is there an Offense to forgive?
  • Is there a New direction to take?
  • Is there a Sin to confess?

The Identity Test
“ …with the breastplate of righteousness in place…”

Our true identity is that He has made us righteous. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Identity in Christ is key in growing in the wholeness that Christ wants us to experience. Satan will take your areas of failure, weakness, struggle, vulnerability and will throw them in your face to shame you and beat you down if you are not rooted in all that Christ has done for you. The enemy uses shame, and embarrassment to imprison Christians.
Have you ever sensed the enemy attacking your identity? Is there an area in your life that the enemy uses to bring shame and repeated failure? How does understanding God’s righteousness as my breastplate help you?

The Peace Test
“ … and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace.”

The enemy will try to make us feel like we have no footing. That we have lost our grip, and that we are falling, out of control. He tries to rob us of peace and then we first panic, and then lose perspective and then we plummet - action(s) we may later regret.
How’s your sense of peace these days? Rate it out of 5. Can you relate to the 4 p’s listed above?

The Alertness Test
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

The attack can come from above, behind, in front. You must be willing to move that shield to protect yourself. “The devil has more temptations than an actor has costumes for the stage.”
Finish this sentence, “I am most vulnerable when….” Who is holding you accountable in that area of your life?

The Hope Test
“Take the helmet of salvation…”

In 1 Thess. 5:8 Paul refers to this helmet of salvation as offering hope. Every soldier in battle needs to have hope. This is not speaking of salvation from sin. This is not saying that everything will turn out as we want it to. This has to do with believing that I can make it through this challenge, that God is with me, and that I can be strong.
What are “hope killers” in your life (unresolved sin, failure, major disappointment etc.)?
How important is hope on the journey?

The Agreement Test
“…and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.”

I call this the agreement test because when we pull out the Sword we are saying I choose not to agree with the lies of the enemy. Note in Matthew 4 how Jesus used the Sword and chose not to agree with the lies of the enemy.
What are common lies that people believe? How do these lies affect behavior, and relationships? For some people the lies they believe are more powerful and life-shaping than the truth that is declared in God’s Word. Lies can have a long shelf life and shape our entire lives! Are you well versed in Scripture to counter the lies with truth?

Finally, be sure that you are in a community where you can say as Paul did, “Pray also for me...” As leaders, and we all lead in some capacity, we need to admit our own battles and ask for help. I am convinced that there are many issues in our lives that, unless we bring them out into the open, we will never find the freedom we desire. Who do you need to say to, “Pray also for me...?”

Take time to pray back to God some of the issues that have surfaced as you have worked through this exercise. Also be sure to weekly, if not daily, “put on” the armor of God!

Mark

If interested in joining or starting a small group contact bethelcommunitygroups@gmail.com