Touching Base! Part 201

Botox Church 2013, PART 5
Skywalker

(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.

Has anything helped you gain or appreciate another perspective on a particular issue? When I think of this question I think of three factors that help with perspective:

• Experience: We might not understand what someone is going through until we go through it ourselves
• Education: Study can help us see things we have not seen before
• Friendship: Listening to others can help us see things in ways that our own set of eyes might not see

What might you add?

Text: Our text is 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. This is a text that is about perspective. It is about what people see and why some can see what others cannot see.

Big Idea: The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to grow the people of God.

Let’s work through the text together.

V.6-9 The Ground Level
On the ground level we cannot see everything. On the ground level our view is limited and our understanding is dwarfed. As a group, scan these verses and answer the following questions:
What terms indicate that there is a lack of understanding?
How does the bigger context (i.e. Chapter 1) define this wisdom? See 1:24,30
How is this wisdom described?
Where was it hidden? If you need a clue check out Romans 16:25-27
What is the ultimate example that the rulers have rejected this wisdom?

I love v.9. This conveys such child-like excitement. The word that I think catches the mood of v.9 is ANTICIPATION. This is the theme of our Move prayer focus this week (join us at 4pm Sunday for prayer).

When have you been filled with anticipation? Perhaps as you drink your cup of coffee at Tim’s, full of anticipation that as your roll up the rim YOU WILL WIN? This verse is obviously talking about so much more than winning a free coffee.

Note how man is portrayed in these verses - blind, unable to see, hear or conceive what God has prepared (v.9)
Note how God is portrayed as the giver of a great gift. Then notice how God moves us from the ground level to the rooftop (v.10).

V10-16 The Rooftop
How does God the Holy Spirit reveal this wisdom/Christ?

• First we see He has the ability to reveal.
V.10,11 What does the Spirit of God know?
What illustration does Paul use?
What does Paul say about the Spirit of God in 2 Cor. 3:17,18?
How does this help explain why the Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God?

• Secondly, He takes up residence in the Christ follower.
Note the really mind-blowing point Paul makes.
V.12 Who resides in believers and what is His function?
In context, the understanding He brings has to do with the person of Jesus and all that God has freely given us in Christ. Note Paul’s prayer for believers in Ephesians 3:14-19.

• Thirdly, He uses the word of God to reveal the Word (Jesus the Son) of God
V.13Notice how often words are mentioned. What did God use to reveal spiritual truths to Paul? What did God use to reveal this Jesus to the heart of Paul? Another way of asking this is what was Paul’s primary source?
Read the following verses to see what God used.
Texts: Romans 1:1-6, Romans 4:1-4, Romans 16:25-27, 1 Cor. 15:3-5
Note how often Paul talks about the Scriptures. God used the Scriptures which was the OT to reveal to Paul the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Paul preached in synagogues all over the Mediterranean. Each synagogue had its own biblical text, its own scrolls. God used the Scripture to reveal this wisdom to Paul and then Paul, in turn, used the Scripture to reveal this wisdom to his audience.

Notice v.14-15: unless the Spirit of God opens blind eyes, deaf ears and limited minds, they will think the message is foolish. See 1:18.

(A quick explanation of v.15: When Paul writes that the spiritual man ‘is not subject to any man’s judgment’ he does not mean that we cannot be called to account for our speech or behaviour (cf. 14:29), but that the natural man—that is to say, the unregenerate man—is in no position to understand our actions and the motivation of our lifestyle when we live according to God’s wisdom. They might in fact call our message foolish!)

Does God still want to deepen our understanding by his Spirit so that we might understand all that God has given us? Paul certainly believed so. This was not a unique experience for Paul. For many who heard the word, their eyes were opened. Read what he says to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

Today the main food group that God the Holy Spirit wants to use to grow us and deepen our understanding is the Word of God. Things have not changed. We are in the privileged position, not only to have the Old Testament, but the New Testament as well. Notice v.16 makes it very clear that our example of what it means to be spiritual is Christ. Having His mind refers to a way of living and thinking.

Here are some questions to ponder:

• Are you praying specifically for the Holy Spirit to open the eyes, ears, and minds of those who don’t follow Christ? Who are you praying for?
• Are you, as a Christ follower, feeding on the word? There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth.
• Is there something you need to take off your plate so you can prioritize God’s word in your life?
• What community are you part of that helps you understand the word of God?

There is an exercise you can use to help you get into God’s word. I would suggest starting in the gospel of John. Jesus is clearly revealed in John.

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

S.O.A.P.

S is for Scripture

Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.

O is for Observation

What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words, in your journal.

A is for Application

Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P is for Prayer

This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.

 

Touching Base! Part 200

Botox Church 2013, PART 4
Leadershift

(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.

We have all heard of “leadership”, how many of us have heard of “leadershift”? For our purposes in this Touching Base, I want to draw out the contrast between these two words. Leadership in our culture can be very much about the leader and her agenda. Leadership can at times be a position people use to feed their hungry ego.

Have you ever worked under a leader where it was all about him?

Leadershift is all about leading strongly but, ultimately, leading people to a greater cause than just oneself. In a company, leadershift is about leading people to embrace the values and mission of the corporation that will outlast the leader. In the Church, leadershift is all about using one’s gifts to direct people to Jesus Christ. My life becomes a means of deflecting and directing people to Christ.

In our text today we see Paul practicing leadershift.

Text: 1 Corinthians 2:1-4

Big Idea: Leadershift is God-Centered Leadership!

Paul demonstrates leadershift in two ways in our text.

1. He demonstrates leadershift by being authentic about who he is. 1,3,4a

Examine these verses and list the number of ways Paul is being authentic. How is Paul “undressing” in front of them?

To understand the emotion of v.3 read Acts 18, note specifically v.9-11.

What makes Paul’s authenticity really interesting are the following two facts:

A. He is speaking into a context where people are rejecting him and the gospel that he is preaching. He is not sharing this with people who might be kind. In fact they might be kind of mean, and use his weaknesses to further reject him.
How good are you at self-disclosing? How good are you at self-disclosing when you know your audience might use it against you?

B. His deficiencies are in the exact areas that were greatly valued in that culture. The itinerant philosophers and teachers depended on their wisdom and eloquence to gain followers. The city of Corinth was filled with such “spellbinders.” Paul is not buying into their techniques or trying to appear stronger than he really is.

Do you see how Paul is practicing leadershift? He is not building himself up in some way so as to make people think he is THE MAN, he is the hero. Instead, he is very self-deprecating.

Some questions to consider about this kind of person:

• How does this kind of person handle power?
• How does this kind of person relate to his/her team that he/she may lead?
• How does this kind of person deal with others’ failures or struggles? How do you think he/she makes others, who may not have the greatest confidence, feel?
• How approachable is this kind of person?
• How does this kind of person process praise or promotion?

2. He demonstrates leadershift by making Christ the focus. v1b,v2,4b,5.

Read and discuss these verses and see how, for Paul, Christ was clearly the focus.

The key verse for me is v.5. The result of his willingness to be authentic and to focus on Christ is that people will not attach themselves to Paul, but place their faith in Christ. Note how he says it in v.1:31.

In the context, what is a demonstration of the Spirit’s power? Verse 5 answers that question. Who does the phrase “God’s power” refer to? Check out v.1:18,24

Note the relationship between humility and being powerfully used by God (v.4).

How is it that Paul could be so comfortable that he could practice leadershift?

I think one of the answers is seen in this text: Paul had an intimate relationship with Christ (note that this week in our Move prayer focus, intimacy is the theme). Notice his passion to know Christ (v.2) and his intimacy with the Spirit in v.4. The result is that people will come into relationship (intimacy) with Christ. This is a man who knew God and as a result he led others to know God.

His confidence came from a deep place that, no doubt, was nurtured over time, thus he was able to self-disclose.

Discuss the following: When you see your worth in Christ you don’t need to prove your worth to people!

The heart of the gospel is not about us, but about God, not about our glory, but Christ’s, not about our work, but God’s superb work, not about our agenda, but God’s, not about our wisdom, but God’s wisdom.

Who are people in your life that model leadershift?

What do you need to do to better model leadershift?

Botox Church is where we make it all about a human personality. Detox Church is where the toxic elements of human ego are set aside and Christ is glorified.

Let me close with the words of John the Baptist (John 3:30): “He must become greater; I must become less.” Leadershift!!

I would encourage you to participate in our Move prayer focus this week. Join us Sunday March 10 at 4pm.

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

Touching Base! Part 199

Botox Church 2013, PART 3
God's Soccket

(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.

Think of the amazing world that we live in. What new invention, new gadget blows you away? What is out there that you would say is a techno miracle?

Text: Today we are looking at 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. When you read this text through you discover that what God did on the cross in Christ was way outside the box of the great thinkers of the day. On Sat/Sunday I talked about God’s soccket. If you were not there, just google the word “socket” and you can read the story. God’s soccket was the message of the cross, a new “technology” that had some of the critics up in arms.

Big Idea: Better to be a fool in God’s Kingdom than wise in the eyes of the world.

Open up your bible and work through this text and see how Paul develops this big idea.

1. God demotes those on High (v.18-25)

V.18 - What is the contrast you see in this verse? How would you describe the two groups of people in this verse?

V.19 - What does Paul say God will do to the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the intelligent?
“Destroy”: render useless
“Frustrate”: to declare invalid

V.20a - Who are the intelligent and the wise?
Note that the original context is Isaiah 29:13, where Israel was saying that their wisdom and intelligence was greater than God’s. Paul now adapts this saying to his current discussion.

V.20b - Note the word “foolish”. Is this the first time Paul uses it in our text? Paul is simply taking a word that they (the wise man, the philosopher and the scholar) are using and applying it to their own wisdom.
“Foolish” - it is where we get our English word “moron” from. Take a moment and in your group talk about who the real morons are in your life (just kidding!)

V.21 - What is Paul saying about the wisdom of God vs. the wisdom of man in this verse? What was considered foolish about the wisdom of God? Before you answer that question from the context, think of 2013. What is foolish about the message of the cross today?

V.22 Paul talks about what was considered foolish by referring to two groups of people:
“Jews”
The Jews wanted a conquering Messiah with a world empire, not a condemned and crucified one (Matt. 27:42; Luke 24:21). Only criminals of the worst sort were crucified. For the first-century Jew, dying on a cross signified that one was under God’s curse.
“Greeks”
Roman society was built around power and status; power was concentrated in the male head of the household, in wealthy and aristocratic families, and so forth. Associating power with a crucified man—the epitome of weakness—made no sense.

V.23-25 - What does Paul say Christ is in these verses which would be the exact opposite that Jews and Greeks would be saying? Notice the irony of v.25.

Based on what Paul has said thus far, I would far rather be a fool in God’s kingdom than wise in the eyes of the world.

Discuss the following:

• One of the biggest road blocks to coming to faith in Christ is the power of idolatrous human wisdom that keeps us captive. Agree? Illustrate Know anyone who is being held captive by the power of idolatrous human wisdom? Why not take some time in your group or on your own to pray for that person.
• Paul is not saying don’t love God with your mind, he is saying don’t limit God by your mind! Does your mind have any stretch marks on it? Growth can be painful!
• Botox Church wants to take the mystery of the Gospel, the wonder of God’s soccket and reduce it, clean it up, reshape it, making it more palatable for the current day crowd. How do we do this today?

2. God promotes the lowly v26-31

Note the “lowly” from v.26-29. Remember the lowly were probably many of the freedmen (just a class above slaves known as trouble makers) who helped resettle Corinth.

V.29 - What does this statement make clear about salvation? That it is a result of ____________ not works!

V.30 - Notice who is the ultimate lowlife that has been promoted?
This Jesus (that they say is a fool) is actually the wisdom of God. Wisdom is another way of saying the cleverness of God. Look at Jesus and you see the cleverness and brilliance of God. The exact opposite of what they were saying. In fact note

v.18, 24, 30 point to Christ as the brilliance of God.

How is Jesus an example of the cleverness of God? V.30
Our righteousness - A status of legal rectitude/correctness that satisfies the moral requirements of God. Jesus makes us righteous by our faith in Him (Romans 1:17)
Our holiness - This is a word that emphasizes our righteousness. I think the emphasis in this day and age is key. We need Jesus, but not to be happy or to be wealthy or to have white shiny smiles. We need Jesus because Scripture says (v.18) that we are perishing – this bears the sense of wreckage and points to the tragedy of waste and loss. Without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Our redemption - This refers to the fact that Jesus is our payment for sin (Mark 10:45), meaning to pay a price in order to secure the release of something or someone. It connotes the idea of paying what is required in order to liberate from oppression, enslavement. Scripture declares that we are bound, prisoners of sin. This was a great act of love. It was our debt not his, it was our sin not his, it was his sacrifice not ours to gain our freedom.

Do you think our world would be a better place if more people were made righteous before God? (Morally aligned with God’s values.)

Do you think our world would be a better place if holiness was found in our political hallways, exemplified in office towers? What if holiness was found in more of our churches?

Do you think our world would be a better place if humankind was redeemed from some of the dark maladies – greed, perversion, selfishness, hate, racism that controls the human heart?

Paul is saying that Jesus is the cleverness of God! Thus his final words in v.31

Like I said, better to be a fool in God’s Kingdom than wise in the eyes of the world. Jesus is our boast! Are you a fool?


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

Touching Base! Part 198

Botox Church 2013, PART 2
Are You Healthy and Smart?

(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.

As a group, start by discussing the difference between a smart organization and a healthy organization. In his book The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni draws the contrasts with the following two lists.

Smart - strategy, marketing, finance, technology
Healthy - minimal politics, minimal confusion, high morale, high productivity, low turnover

Which category do you most identify with and why?

“The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, expertise, and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.” Patrick Lencioni, The Advantage.

My guess is that there are some of you who are exhausted because your work, church, or team, context is unhealthy. It might be smart, but not healthy. Seems to me that this is a growing problem in the workplace and, at times, in the church.

Big Idea: Organizational health must be guarded, led and championed.

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Let’s look at three answers to the question, how does one guard, lead and champion organizational health?
Paul demonstrates some great answers. Remember Paul is addressing a very cosmopolitan church, deeply influenced and shaped by the surrounding culture. Last week we did a quick overview of this church that demonstrated how this church was having trouble being in the world, but not of it.

1. Paul calls them to a higher level - what could be and should be v.10,11

Note the words that describe the context Paul is speaking into.

Divisions - This word is used in the Gospels to depict a tear in a garment (Mark 2:21; Matt. 9:16).
Quarrels - The ancient Greeks used this word in their literature to mean battle strife or rivalry, and both political and domestic strife.

Note: what he is appealing for them to do?

The result is that they would be perfectly united in mind and thought. The word perfect means to readjust, restore. In light of the word division, it could mean to stitch up that torn garment. It’s sad to think that the church was like a torn garment.

Thus far in our study, how would you sum up their condition? What would you liken Paul to? (I see him as a cheerleader)

Note that their condition is one that they have normalized. Divisions and quarrels have become part of their reality. Paul is stepping in and addressing an issue that seems to be going unaddressed.

Don’t you find that the nature of division/organizational sickness is that it can be left to linger, it is the bump under the rug that we trip over every so often, it is the hot potato no one wants to touch?

Discuss the following: Organizations/churches don’t fall into organizational health. They fall into organizational sickness, they are led into organizational health. This requires tough talks, face-to-face conversations, speaking the truth, determined dialogue.

Have you ever seen someone do this well?

2. Paul unpacks the problem v11,12

I don’t have space to write here what I said on Sat/Sunday, thus you may need to do some homework to figure out why certain people followed Paul versus Apollos etc.

One observation- It is so easy to make the church about a personality rather than Christ. Agree?

Man centered and competitively driven is what is unfolding. However the Church is to be Christ centered and Spirit driven.

Where have you seen this happen? What is the fall out? Imagine rival groups within a church.

Botox church is when we inject into the purity of the message of the church a big name, personality that robs Christ of the glory that He alone is worthy of.

Unresolved division/organizational sickness always distracts from the primary message of the church, it always distorts, obscures and diminishes Christ from being central.

3. Paul points to and models the solution not the problem. v13-17

How?

First seen in his argument technique – “reductio ad absurdum” - reducing an opponent’s position to its natural but absurd conclusion. Note v.13a. How would you answer the question? Paul is saying that what they are saying and doing is in complete contradiction to the head, Christ!

Ever seen absurd behavior in the church that completely goes against the very character or teaching of Christ? It is amazing how it can be tolerated.

Secondly, he steps aside. First he shows them that he does not have the credentials that Christ has, v.13b. Secondly he did not baptize many of them. Note the humorous, almost absent-minded way Paul recalls who he baptized. Because baptism was so important, often the person who did the baptizing was idolized. Paul, for this reason, steps aside in baptizing people so that Christ will be glorified, not himself. You gotta love a leader whose desire it is to lead but not rob Christ of the glory. You gotta love a leader who is part of the solution not the problem!

What are practical things leaders can do to “step aside” so that Christ is honored in the church?

Here are some questions as we wrap up:
Is God calling you to be a Paul and call people to what could be and should be?

Is God calling you to name the problem, call it what it is? This takes courage! If you are a leader at this church - we need you to be like a Paul - guarding, championing, leading on this front. God is grieved when division or other issues are left to simmer and thus compromise the culture.

Are you modeling the solution or are you as much a part of the problem as everyone else? Would Paul say to you “Your behavior is absurd, it goes against everything Christ your Savoir and Lord represents.”

Do you need His restorative measures in your life? Living in an unhealthy work, church team culture can suck the life right out of you.

Mark

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

Touching Base! Part 197

Botox Church 2013, PART 1
God’s Kingdom Wave!


(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.

This morning/evening we are accomplishing two things - kicking off our Botox Church series that will cover 1 Corinthians 1-4, and kicking off our Move prayer focus. We hope that you will be engaged with both. The Botox Church series will encourage you to systematically move through scripture in our study. The Move focus will encourage you to engage in prayer over the next seven weeks.

As we think about prayer, answer the following questions.

What are the top five things you think people talk to God about?
Do you have one particular issue that you keep bringing to God?
Do you ever struggle with knowing what to say in prayer? (Romans 8:26)

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Break down the text with the following questions:
- Who is Sosthenes? Check out Acts 18:1-17
- Based on Acts 18 what kind of city was Corinth?
- What are the issues for which the Corinthians should be grateful?(see v.4-9)

Note v.2 “...together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ- their Lord and ours.”:

Can you remember the first time you called on the name of the Lord? Were you a believer or seeking after God?
How many times since then have you called on the name of the Lord?

The construction of this phrase is not only getting at the idea of one’s initial calling on God, but the ongoing calling on God that all Christ followers engage in. It is a continuous dialogue that has a starting point, but has no end in sight.

Who is Paul referring to in this verse?

He is referencing all those (big group) everywhere (in other words anywhere) who are calling on the Lord Jesus Christ. I love the last four words, “their Lord and ours.” The “their” and the “all those” are Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, male and female.

Big Idea: Prayer is God’s Kingdom Wave.

On Saturday/Sunday I likened prayer to a wave in a stadium. Ever been at a sports event when successive groups of spectators briefly stand, yell, and raise their arms? The result is a wave of standing spectators that travels through the crowd, even though individual spectators never move away from their seats. This is a picture of “together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...” In God’s stadium Christ followers from all over the planet rise to their feet or fall to their knees to pray, calling on God.

Group Exercise:
Corinth was part of that wave and… boy, oh boy!... did they ever have things to talk to God about. As a group take the next several minutes and finger through the pages of 1 Corinthians and list what you think were items on their prayer list. This exercise will serve as a good review or introduction into the book of 1 Corinthians.

To get you started, let me suggest that, no doubt, part of their prayer wave involved praise. As you read v.4-9 you can see that they had much to be grateful for and it had a lot to do with God’s character, faithfulness and generosity! If you were with us on Saturday or Sunday you will have seen the list we developed. The reason we are calling this series Botox Church is because some of the Corinthians were guilty of “injecting” into the Gospel so-called truths to make it more palatable to that particular culture. Certainly this would have been another issue to pray into.

As you make your list, the obvious conclusion is that they desperately needed God to move! Whether it is their list or ours, whether 2000 years ago or in the present day, the one thing we all have in common is that we want God to move, His Kingdom to come, His power to be displayed, His will to be done! Move! It is not that we are ordering God around, but simply wanting more of God. We want Him to move and do what only God can do. We want Him to move and do what for us seems impossible on a human level.

God wants us to be part of His kingdom wave. Some (not all) of the Corinthians were petitioning God on behalf of their church, their city and no doubt the Roman Empire. Today His wave continues, the needs continue to present themselves and the church continues to have the opportunity to enter and invite God to Move!

How can I get involved in God’s Kingdom Wave?

As a small group or an individual, use the weekly tools that will help you to pray into each week’s theme. Go to our website (http://bethelkingston.com) and you will see the Move slide. Just follow the instructions and you will be able to download the tool for that week. Another option is that you can pick up the Move tool in the foyer each week.

Let’s choose to be part of “all those everywhere who call on the name of the Lord.”

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

Touching Base! Part 196

HOT TOPICS 2013, PART 3
Hush! Hush!

(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.

This past Sunday was part 3 of our Hot Topics series for 2013. We have one more Sunday to go, when we will welcome Dr. Andy Bannister speaking on the issue of faith and science. After that, we are jumping into 1 Corinthians, looking at the first four chapters. A series entitled Botox Church. I would encourage you to read and re-read the first four chapters in preparation for this series. In part 3 of our current series we looked at the issue of failure and specifically how Christ responded to the failure of the disciples when they all denied him.

Key texts: John 20: 18,19,20; 21:1-14; Luke 24:13-35

Big Idea: Our response to people experiencing failure can make the difference between overcoming or being overcome.

Before you jump into the main text answer the following questions:

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where failure was handled poorly?

Sometimes in the church we crucify those that fall. Once the news hit the street that you did...... you are a marked woman or man for life! Labeled, categorized, and shelved. The person who has fallen ends up avoiding that group, that church or that relationship because it seems like all they want to do is dagger you to death.

Other times we sweep it under the rug and say or do nothing, and let the person just carry on with a light slap on the wrist. We certainly have seen that scenario many times in the media. Spiritual leaders allowed to carry on in leadership as though nothing has happened, yet guilty of moral failure.

What is it about our makeup that can cause us to come down too hard or too soft?

Look at the text- John 20:19,20.
Note who is not there. See v.24. You might want to read the second group encounter (20:24-31) for context.
What was the dominant emotion in John 20:19,20?
What other words would you use to describe this scene?

How do you account for the fact that the writer does not mention that the disciples were afraid of Jesus? Note the fear they had of the Jews, but when Jesus appears it says that they were overjoyed.

Explanation: When I read this, I wondered why they might not be afraid of Jesus. You see the last time they saw Jesus as a group was when they denied him and left him to hang out to dry. They were all like a cat on a hot tin roof - gone! Now, Jesus appears… the one they betrayed, the one they walked away from stands before them. Is this their day of reckoning?

Ever miserably failed someone and then had to face them again? What was that like? What made the difference between being fearful to face that person vs. having humble confidence to go face to face?
My observations of this text and what happened previously, would suggest to me that they knew Jesus was not coming at them with a hammer to beat them to a pulp but with grace to help them overcome. Read John 20:18 and note that Mary Magdalene encountered Jesus before the group of disciples did. Read Luke 24 and note that the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and Peter (1 Cor 15:5) all saw Jesus before our scene in John 20:19,20. My hunch is that they knew Jesus wasn’t coming at them with a get-even kind of attitude but with grace, love and a heart to see them restored. Mary, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and Peter would have known and likely communicated that fact before they (the larger group) had encountered Jesus!

Jesus the head of the Church models a posture that enabled the disciples not to be overcome by their failure but to overcome their failure. We see this so dramatically demonstrated in the life of Peter. His failure, denial of Christ gets “special” mention in Scripture. But so does his restoration. Note in John 21 the BBQ Jesus prepares for the disciples. This is a powerful scene of healing, restoration and hope. Table fellowship indicated intimate relations among those who shared it. You ate with your friends, not with those you despised! Jesus is modeling for Peter (and the rest of the disciples) his desire for them to overcome, not to be overcome by their failure. Then we see Jesus reinstating Peter in front of the other disciples in John 21:15-19.

Jesus models several great principles of restoration in these narratives. Discuss and pray about these.
Jesus moves towards those that have failed. He gets in their space. He did this with Peter one-on-one, he did this with the larger group as well. Restoration and healing of those who have fallen, often is most powerfully experienced through loving relationship, not another 12-step program of recovery (even thought that certainly has its place).

Jesus spoke the language of love that made sense. He barbecued some fish and prepared some fresh bread. In that culture that was the language of love, of acceptance and friendship. As we seek to heal those in our midst we need to understand what language of love is most appropriate. We are all guilty of saying stupid, insensitive things to people going through tough times. What best communicates? Maybe words should be our final option.

He reinstates them. We see this in 20:22,23 and in John 21:15-19. In other words, people who fail can have hope that they can be used by God again. Peter rose up from the ashes of failure to become a key leader in the New Testament Church. The other disciples also rose up and fulfilled key roles.

As a church, let’s follow Christ’s lead in helping people overcome their failure, not be overcome by it!

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

Touching Base! Part 195

HOT TOPICS 2013, PART 2
Freemasonry
Guest speaker, Kent Bandy

(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.

This Touching Base may help some who are currently involved in Freemasonry or want to learn more about this organization. Understand that it is Bethel’s desire that we live Biblically-measured lives, that we examine our hearts in light of God’s truth and live in a way that is consistent with God’s Word. The following are some questions and resources to reflect on this morning’s teaching.

• How do we evaluate if an organization is in harmony with Christ and the message of the Gospel?
• Is social contribution enough to merit the church’s endorsement?
• In light of our track record of responses, how should we, as the church, respond?
• How does loving our neighbor play out in a God-honoring way?
• What’s the Lord saying to you personally through this conversation about Freemasonry?

Kent Bandy

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

FOR FURTHER READING

Books:

Harris, Jack. Freemasonry, The Invisible Cult. ISBN 978-0-88363-669-0


Gordon, Ian. The Craft and the Cross. ISBN 0-9528865-0-2


Online: (all websites were accessible as of 17 Jan 13)


Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library
http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/

Help for the church:
http://www.christian-restoration.com/


Seminar:

Ellel Ministries International - Freemasonry: a Christian response.
http://www.ellelministries.org