Good Friday

Let’s say – You have an appointment with the doctor.  You’re feeling fine, no symptoms, just a checkup.  The doctor comes in with the lab reports and says you are going to need surgery, right away.

What do you think?  Do you just sign on the dotted line and ask where those drafty blue gowns are?  NOOOO!  You ask to see the result of the tests, the x-rays, the blood tests…show me the chart that says I have a problem.

Everyone in this room tonight is at that appointment.  All of you have the problem.  It’s called sin.  No matter what tests you have done – it’s ALL going to come back positive.

And there is only one cure – you need surgery.  That sin that is part of your life needs to be removed, and the only way it can be removed:  JESUS CHRIST.

Don’t be the patient and just stare at the lab results and toss them away…Don’t be like those at the cross and just be like the crowd that walks away.  You want to be able to call this day good?

You want to have victory in your life?  Trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, have him forgive your sins and give you new life.  There is only ONE WAY.  Pray in your heart to Jesus and you will be able to see what many already see…how good, how oh so good – Good Friday is.

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Can Jesus Really Sympathize With Me?

Jesus.  King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Savior of the World.  The Messiah.

Could the Son of God truly sympathize with me?  Did he really have the same struggles that I have today?  Hebrews 4:15 says it is so.  But to what degree?  What are some examples of how Jesus knows exactly how you feel?  Off the top of my head, here are few…

1. Fatigue – Jesus’ ministry schedule was pretty packed (3 years to start a revolution) – he understands the fatigue of young mothers with little sleep, he understands the student after a long work week, and he understands the elderly weary from battling their health
2. Health – would be naïve to think Jesus didn’t go through flu season, have a cold, or a headache from all the hammering in his father’s shop
3. Physical pain – Sure there was the indescribable pain on the cross, but what about growing pains, hitting his thumb with a hammer or falling down on his 1^st camel ride
4. Temptations – Jesus was at times treated like a rock star (not what He intended). But as the crowds grew, I’m sure there were women who desired his power, businessmen who say $ signs, and an enemy who would tempt him in every possible way.  You think your temptations are intense – how hard do you think Satan tried with Jesus who held the keys to his eternal future in the lake of fire.
5. Job Demotion – Wait, when was this? Hello?  From heaven, to take a form of a servant…talk about a job loss!  Still 100% God, but took the form of man.
6. Financial struggle – Jesus was rarely home in his ministry days, often did not have much financially as he traveled, and his treasurer skimming off the top of his ministry funds!
7. Sorrow – He wept over his friend Lazarus. Had to be alone when he heard of John the Baptist’s execution.  And several times recorded his cries over the city of Jerusalem.

I’m sure there is more.  But you get the idea.  Christ is not just our Savior, he is our sympathetic high priest who was tempted in every way we were, suffered every possible ailment we experience…yet He did not sin.  Yet, He does not fail to give us sympathy in our struggles.  No, we have a high priest that cares, suffers with us, and even intercedes on our behalf.  Oh, what a Savior!

Listen to the entire sermon here – http://mbconline.org/sermons/current-year – 2/25/18 Sermon

 

Which is Better: The Creator or The Creation?

I remember when I learned that Jesus was there at creation – my mind was blown.  You understand why there are plural pronouns in the creation account in Gen. 1:26.  You see it clearly in John 1 that Jesus was a big part of the start of this world.  Colossians 1:16 becomes like a bright and shining star.  And in, Hebrews 1:2 it is pretty clear I was missing out on something special.  Jesus was THERE before creation, during creation, and will be there after the created world perishes

Every year at Thanksgiving – my wife hopes that I will show up in a different sweater.  But the last 10 years, I have worn the same sweater.  Each year, I faithfully wear that brown & orange argyle piece of art.  To my wife, it makes little sense to show up in that ugly, old, and tattered the sweater year after year.  With the choice of a new sweater vs. one that by most accounts is hideous, it should be an easy choice.

In Hebrews 1:10-12, we find a comparison of the Creator (Jesus) vs. Creation – after we review this, the choice should be easy…

CREATOR (JESUS)	CREATION
Creator	Created
Unchanged	Grow Older
Eternal	Death
Just the Beginning	End is Near

Do me a favor and look at these lists.  Which do you want to follow?  Which list do you want to be a part of?  Which list wins?  Which list is better?

It’s an easy choice.  You’d rather have the creator, unchangeable, eternal, and beginning of an incredible future…instead of an old, headed for death, ending soon creation. Easy choice?  Then why do we constantly make the wrong choice.  We choose creation all the time over the Creator.  We choose the ugly, wrinkled, old sweater…We choose money over the joy of giving. We choose lust, pride, and anger over purity, humility & grace.  We choose to love the things of this world instead of putting our treasures in heaven. We choose wrong all the time – and we put a list like this, side by side, and puts our hearts to shame.

It’s an easy choice…that we make WAY too hard.  When we get the creature (US) and the creator (Jesus) mixed up…our life gets messed up.  We do things on our own – w/out the counsel of Scripture.  We rely on our own strength and we fail in our weakness – it’s why we ARGUE (our way seems beset), why we FIGHT (our way was violated) and why we GET DOWN (our way wasn’t chosen).

I can remember in high school.  We had soccer practice in the rain, and to end practice we decided to slide through the mud.  I thought it was a good idea…until I got home.  My mom, and rightfully so, would not let me in the house.  You’ve been there – your mom looked at your clothes and said “Yeah that stain’s not coming out.”  The shirt gets rolled up and tossed…she says “Go take a shower and change into something new”.

This world we live in – it’s like those clothes.  It’s dirty.  It’s full of sin.  Just turn on the news for 5 seconds and you are reminded we live in a fallen world.  Sin has tainted its beauty and innocence that were part of it during creation week, only to be robbed of its purity in the Garden.

But Jesus – one day will roll it up, toss it aside and lay out a new one…without the dirt, the pain, the suffering…everything will be made new.  What a day that will be.

(You can listen to the entire sermon here – click on 1/28/2018 sermon)

 

Youth Curriculum Review Series – Life After High School

Series:  “Life After High School”

Synopsis:  This was one of my all-time favorite series I have done with my students.  After all, what are you preparing your teens to do?  Face life after high school with a Biblical worldview, a heart for the lost, and a desire to live a life as a servant to the King.  This series got down to business of what life will be like after high school.  We discussed money, relationships, careers, temptations…we talked about REAL LIFE.

Special Features:  We brought in special speakers from programs like “5 Minutes for Life”.  Other special speakers included missionaries that spoke on their high school experience and a panel of youth leaders that answered questions about life after high school.  At the end, we brought in parents to help us with the “Real Life Experience”, where the students went through a graduation ceremony and went out into the real world.  It was all pretend, but we put them through college admission and job interviews, budget training, and even gave them jobs to complete.

Curriculum:

God’s Will:  How to Find It and Know it by Positive Action for Christ

This was the exact topic that I wanted to be the foundation of my talks.  At the heart of everything we discussed, we kept coming back to the idea of God’s will.  What is God’s will in your career?  Your relationships?  Your future?  This book is a basic framework that will help you find footing in this foundation and provide solid Biblical support for your discussion.  You will need to supplement and add to the material, but this less-known resource acted as a great resource through this series.

Senior:  Preparing for the Future by Lars Rood

Set up as a devotional for seniors transitioning into adulthood, the table of contents became my best friend with to use this as a curriculum resource.  Once I outlined my messages, I was able to take valuable nuggets of information with each small devotional.  This book was especially helpful in the conclusion and takeaway of the messages.  It provided dynamite discussion questions that added to the final moments of each series topic.

My Future by Mark Oestreicher & Scott Rubin

Our ministry context comprises of junior high and high school on Sunday nights.  That being said, I needed a resource that would add an element for the younger student.  They are not thinking too far ahead, but they should be. This topical resource allows the teacher to engage the student from the youngest age to the oldest.  These authors were spot on with the topics that needed discussed with students regarding their future.  This was another valuable resource for this series.

Bonus Video Suggestion:

Doing the Stuff – by John Wimber

 

 

Why Do I Want to Shake Joseph of Arimathea’s hand?

Jesus was far from home during the crucifixion.  As a result, his family did not have a tomb, or any other family’s member’s tomb they could use…In comes Joseph.

Who is Joseph?

Wealthy man – shown in the size of the tomb.  A possible reference to Isaiah 53:9, prophesying Jesus would be “rich in his death”

Member of Sanhedrin – lawgivers/judges – the group of men that pushed for Jesus’ death

Jesus’ Disciple – A follower of Jesus, secret follower…until now!

Good Man – He didn’t agree with the death of Jesus.  Recorded in Luke 23:51 & John 19:38.

What did he do?

Went to Pilate – That took some guts.  But it also took some clout, but Joseph of Arimathea had it, in his Sanhedrin position.

Ven. Bede said this – “It was divinely appointed that Joseph should be rich, in order to have access to Pilate, for no mean man could have access to the governor; and that he should be a just man, in order to receive the body of our Lord”

Took the body – Took the body off the cross and carried it off the hill, most likely with the help of Nicodemus.  A Jew, willing to defile himself – willing to do so for His Savior.

Wrapped the body – He and Nicodemus spared no expense in wrapping Jesus’ body w 75 lbs. of spices.

Laid body in the Tomb–Laid Jesus’ body in the tomb – Joseph cut with his OWN hands.

Rolled the stone – Gospels just say he rolled the stone in front of the tomb.  Maybe he and Nicodemus were power lifting partners during lunch breaks?  Maybe they used a fulcrum system?  Maybe they dug a trench and rolled the stone down the hill.

Why did he do ALL that?

Here’s the point.  He didn’t have to.  He did all this because he was willing to boldly put his faith into action.

Listen this man risked EVERYTHING:  His status, his wealth, his job, his life…to bury the Savior.  Now that’s BOLD.

But to me, it’s more than that…In heaven, after praising my Savior and my God …you know who one of the first hands I want to shake next…JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA.

Why?  Well, it almost goes without saying that good men weren’t hung on a cross.  That was reserved for the worst criminals of society.  So, normal practice was to leave the crucified bodies on the cross to be eaten by the birds, the cut down and thrown into a makeshift grave by the side of the hill.

Listen, Jesus didn’t deserve the whip, the thorns, the nails…

You want to know WHY I want to shake Joseph’s hand…Because my Savior certainly doesn’t deserve for his dead body to be eaten by birds, put into a wheelbarrow and dumped on the side of a hill.

So thank you Joseph.  Jesus had suffered enough humiliation because of my sin.  Thank you for stepping up and giving my Jesus a proper burial.  Thank you for your boldness.

[Entire Sermon can be heard/watched here – click on special messages –  9/17/2017 link]

What is Good?

Most of the time, we have a very poor definition of good.  We read Romans 8:28, and we think of our own definition of good…

Good to us is a well-frosted piece of cake.  Good to us is a plush, cushioned recliner.  Good to us is sitting on the beach with an ice-cold sweet tea.  Good to us is when we wake up with clear sinuses, no aches/pains and low blood pressure.  Good to us is when we have some extra in our bank account for some fun purchases this month.

While these things are not bad…it shows we have little idea of how good the goodness of God truly is.  God’s goodness is more than this.

Joni-Eareckson Tada (a diving accident at 17 left her without use of her hands/legs…is now CEO of Joni & Friends International Disability Center, famous artist using her mouth, & international speaker) said this:

“God cares most – not about making us comfortable – but about teaching us to hate our sins, grow up spiritually, and love him.  To do this, HE gives us salvation’s benefits only gradually, sometimes painfully gradually.  In other words, he lets us continue to feel much of sin’s sting while we’re headed for heaven…where at last, every sorrow we taste will one day prove to the be best possible thing that could have happened.”

You see, God operates from a whole different level.  Not limited by time & space; Unlimited knowledge & power that has no bounds

BUT Put all these together and just TRY to doubt that God can accomplish Romans 8:28 in our difficulties.

Sure, good can be seen when life is riding on unicorns on rainbows while eating skittles.  But when life gets hard – that’s when we really see God work in miraculous ways.

God can orchestrate his plans, interweaving through the evils of this world, pulling decisions and circumstances from the past, present & future…allowing difficulties, exercising patience…and HE IS ABLE TO MAKE IT GOOD.

That’s my God – NOTHING can stop Him from accomplishing His goodness.  None of these things stopped God from producing good in Joseph’s life.  And NOTHING will stop him from producing good in your life either.

What if the Bible ended at Genesis 3?

What if the Bible ended in Genesis 3?  In Genesis 3 we witness the fall of man.  And in the punishment of Adam, God reveal the ultimate punishment of death.  Adam’s heart must’ve just broke.  You are telling me, this all is going to come to an end?  Shades of Ecclesiastes 12:7 come to mind.  As does Romans 6:23, where it tells us the wages of sin is death.  Adam’s, Eve’s, and our choice of sin = the end result is death.

What if the Bible ended there?  What if that was the end of our story?  Returning to dust.  Because there are many in this world that believe that.  That this life is all there is, and when it is over, it is over.

But it’s not the end.  Because of our Redeemer, we can have victory over death.

Let’s take a journey to the story of the Lost Son, returning to his Father.  Maybe you missed the subtle phrases at the end of the reunion, because I did.  Look at the final verse we read in that story…Luke 15:24.

How does the Father describe the son?  DEAD.  But when he came back, he was ALIVE AGAIN.  From death to life.

Please don’t let this be the end of your story.  Because, let me just share with you, that if you have not allowed the Redeemer Jesus to save you, you are dead in your sins…and that is where you will remain for eternity…

BUT…if you trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, death is not the end!  It is just like in Luke 15 with the Father and his lost son…it will be a celebration in heaven…because you have come home.

To hear/watch the entire sermon go here and click on the 8/20 sermon.

 

Does God Really Care About the Details of Your Life?

You know, there are times when I study God’s Word, and I get goosebumps when I see God’s hand.  Did you know that the temple of Jerusalem, the city which overlooked the hill of Jesus’ death…were located on what is called a “seismic ridge”, a geological fault line that extends all the way to the Great Rift Valley in Kenya.

You think God didn’t know where Jesus was to killed…where his death would be?  He did!  To think when God created the world, HE knew the very place where this fault line would be…He knew in how he formed the earth that in that specific place…there would be an earthquake that would reverberate from the core of the world he created for man to live.

You don’t think God is in every detail?  You think your life is any different?  That God doesn’t have a plan, that He doesn’t know your suffering, that He isn’t in complete control?  He was, and is, and always will be.

An Excerpt from the sermon called “The Earth Shook”.  (Watch the entire sermon here)

FREE Olympics Devotional

Last week’s blog post gave you a detailed description on how to host an Olympic Youth Event.  This week is your FREE devotional to use for the event.  It links the Olympics with the Gospel.  Hope your event brings students to Christ!

Olympics Devotional

Something very special happens every 2 years…what is it?  THE OLYMPICS!

When you think of famous Olympians, there are some names that come to mind right away… Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis, or Mary Lou Retton.

 

What about Derek Redmond?  Let me just tell you his story, and I think you will remember him.

He held the British record for the 400m at age 19.  He made it to the Olympics in 1988, but had to withdraw due to an Achilles injury.

In the course of the next 4 years, he had 5 surgeries and trained to become a favorite for the 400 meters in the 1992 Olympic games.

On that day in Barcelona, he stepped on that starting line wanting desperately to finish with a medal around his neck.  The starting pistol goes off, and the race is going great.  Derek is leading the pack as he passes the halfway mark, and suddenly he hears a pop that sounded like a gunshot.  His leg begins to shake, and he realizes he has tore his hamstring.

Some of you are getting the picture in your mind right now…Derek’s dad is watching in the stands.  He sees his son hurt from the top of the stadium.  He rushes down through the 65,000 people packed in that stadium.  He yells at the security guards as he races past them “That’s my son, and I need to help him”

You see, before that race, Derek made a promise to his dad that he was going to finish that race no matter what.  And his dad came onto the track, put his sons arm around him and together, father and son, they finish the race together in front of a roaring crowd.

 

What a powerful story, but is nothing compared to what I am about to tell you.

You see each one of us in this room is like Derek.  We try to run this life of ours and do our best, but in the end we will come up short.

Romans 3:23 – “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  What that means is we all have made mistakes and we come short of heaven.

But just like that day on the track, we have a loving Father that wants us to finish.  As Derek’s dad came down from the stands, our Father in heaven, sent His Son down to this earth to suffer for us.  He died to pay the penalty for our sins.

Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

That day on the track Derek’s dad said to him – I’m here, son,” Jim says softly, hugging his boy. “We’ll finish together.”

God is saying that to you today.  I am here for you, I died for you, and I love you.  Believe & trust in me today, and we will spend eternity in heaven together.  Will you make that decision today?  Pray to God & trust Him today.

 

Pray (Invitation Option)

A Lesson on Forgiveness

This is a true picture of Romans 8:28.  Where God can use something so tragic, and His children can display such grace in their testimony.  Would you be able to react in this way?  But for the grace of God, go I.  God’s glory shines through this family.