 Last Sunday, we followed Jonah's journey from the belly of a fish to the heart of a city - and in the middle of his journey we find a story of grace, obedience and second chances.
As he stepped onto the dusty road, with the city of Nineveh looming in the distance, Jonah felt mixed emotions.
Yes, God had spoken to him and asked him to go.
Yes, he had refused and run away.... and God had found him.
Yes, he had been as good as dead... and God had saved him.
And God had spoken again. A second chance had been given, not only to Nineveh and its citizens, but to Jonah as well.
He should be so grateful, so happy to be alive and breathing! But he just couldn't shake his anger and hatred for the people of this city, he couldn't help but feel utter contempt for their lifestyles and their culture, he despised them.
But he had made a vow to God... and he would obey.
[listen to the message]I think Jonah is one of the easiest people to relate to in the Bible. His struggle with living in obedience to God's call while being manipulated by his sinful nature is a story we have all shared in at some point. The apostle Paul summed up this struggle this way: "I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 7:15, 18-19, 21-25]Throughout this series, we have described sin as "any area in our lives where we have run from the love and presence of God." This includes all of us.God, in his grace, pursues us and extends to us the invitation to return to him. We have described this process as "repentance."But what good is an understanding of our running, or even of turning our running back towards God, if we don't take the next step? This week, we defined the next step after repentance as "obedience."Repentance turns you around. Obedience lets you take the next step forward.Here's some thoughts from Sunday's teaching & discussion: 1. OBEDIENCE HAS INCREDIBLE INFLUENCE
Jonah’s obedience influenced the Ninevites to:
o Believe God
o Call on God
o Repent of their evil ways
o Receive God’s mercy
2. GOD HAS CHOSEN US TO ACCOMPLISH HIS MISSION
How willing are you to be God's messenger,
taking good news to undeserving people?
3. REPENTANCE & OBEDIENCE GO HAND-IN-HAND
And they share a common factor: sacrifice.
In what situation(s) would you consider fasting and giving up your (rightful) comforts - sacrificing - in order to seek and find God? [Jonah 3:10]
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
• Repentance brings us to God’s mercy
• Obedience brings us to God’s grace
 Last Sunday we celebrated Palm Sunday together with Matthews Memorial Church.
Pastors Ryan Reveley and Travis Jarrett co-preached on the events leading up to Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, focusing on Judas,
Peter & Jesus.
:: Heart Matters - Judas
Judas is an easy target when we want to pin a "bad guy" label on someone; let's face it, how much worse can you get than the guy who betrayed his Master to face trial at the hands of the religious leaders and crucifixion at the hands of the Roman government?
We love stories that tell us about "the good within"
- but our "good" is meaningless if we are
disconnected from the heart of Jesus. What was really in the heart of Judas? Is there anything redeemable, restorable within his story? John 12:6 gives us some insight into the heart of Judas - "... [Judas] did not care about the poor, because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
Judas had a hard heart; even though he was working with Jesus, the heart of Judas was far from the person and mission of Jesus, it was disconnected from the heart of Jesus.
:: 5 Ways a Heart Grows Hard
If Jesus had addressed Judas' heart and actions directly, I think he would have said this: "Judas, your heart is hard because..."
1. You have selfish motivations
-- nothing says, "I'm selfish" like the label "thief"
-- when we sit above the desires of God and the needs of others, then we know we have a "self" problem
2. You have an unwillingness to be inconvenienced
-- Judas watched as another washed Jesus' feet without any motivation to share in that service to bring honor to his Master
-- Jesus' life and ministry modeled a willingness to be inconvenienced in order to minister to the needs of others
3. You are misusing the gifts & blessings you've been given
-- Judas' responsibility was stewardship over the moneybag
-- He took advantage of that trust, using what was given to God for his own benefit
-- Our heart hardens when we are poor stewards of God's blessings
4. You have misconceptions & false expectations about God's plan
-- Judas' heart-hardening was probably subtle and progressive
-- The more Jesus spoke of his death, the more the truth of Jesus failed to line up with Judas' expectations & image of a Messiah, the more distant he became, until finally he plots against Jesus while still sitting with him
5. You think that your secret sins are unknown because you look "good"--- This was the final stage of Judas' heart-hardening; there is nothing more deceitful than the lie that says, "I'm fine" while living disconnected from the heart, life and mission of Jesus Christ
-- Judas had forgotten God's earlier warning to his people: "...your sin will find you out." "A hard heart becomes completely disconnected from Christ;
our solution, then, is to confess our sin, allowing the Holy Spirit
to transform our hardened heart into hearts of soft, new flesh,
and then to receive forgiveness and grace from Christ,
that we may walk fully in new life with Him."
Last Sunday we wrapped up our "Finding Your G.P.S." teaching series by asking, "What motivates you to give?" Pastor Nelson addressed these "matters of the heart" as he continued building on the Kingdom-based principle, "God owns it all" and challenged us to examine our motivations and heart when we give so that our offerings, tithes and sacrifices would be pleasing and acceptable to God.If you missed last Sunday or a previous teaching from this series, visit our media archive where you can listen to the message online or download it and take it with you. Music from Sunday was led by Travis Jarrett. Songs were: "Be Praised" (Michael Gungor), Faithful (Steve Fee), Mighty to Save (Hillsong United), Here I Am to Worship (Tim Hughes), Only the Blood (The Village Church) and
"I Stand Amazed in the Presence" (The Village Church)
What's guiding your life? Last Sunday, Pastor Nelson began a new teaching series called "Finding Your GPS" which lays out what life looks like when it is guided by a "God-Purposed System."
This series offers practical and spiritual insight for managing your resources so that you can do great things for God and also reminds us that God's system for
success is often different than our system.
Music from Sunday was led by Travis Jarrett and Chris Donahue. Songs were: "Ancient Skies" (Michael Gungor), "You are Here" (Steve Deal), "Glorious One" (Steve Fee), "Your Love, Oh Lord" (Third Day), "The Solid Rock" (Mars Hill), and "I Stand Amazed in the Presence" (Traditional).
Last Sunday we wrapped up our teaching series, "4 Ways to Live Like Jesus."If you missed a week of the series or want to review a teaching, click here to listen to the podcast.Over the past few weeks, we've shared that living like Jesus requires:1. Courageous, faith-driven obedience with the resources you have2. Existing for the mission of Jesus to seek and save those who are lost3. Living in a sharing community where your life, faith and mission are relationally and spiritually connected to othersThis week we examined our fourth area: the public ministry of Jesus.Life in the public eye is stressful and oppressive - and those negative elements can create negative responses in us such as fear of people, paranoia and anxiety concerning other's agendas/interests, and even situations where those close to us fail us or betray us. How did Jesus deal with all that in his public ministry?
1. Jesus put his trust in the love and approval of the Father:* He began his ministry hearing the Father's words, "This is my Son in whom I am well pleased." When we begin to fear and panic, it is important to remember that God the Father is pleased with us and supports us.2. Jesus knew that people were not the real enemy:* Throughout the Gospels, Jesus encountered opposition - and He knew the hearts and motivations of those opposing him. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we do not fight against "flesh and blood" but against the "powers of the air."
3. Jesus stayed connected to community and to the Father:* Opposition and pressure can often cause us to isolate ourselves; they can trigger our self-preservation mechanisms. Jesus - knowing that he would be betrayed - connected himself to his friends at the Last Supper and to His Father in the Garden of Gethsamene.
Music from Sunday was led by Chris Donahue and Travis Jarrett
Last Sunday we celebrated the second week of Advent; during this forty-day period, we turn our focus and our spiritual rhythm to the incarnation of Christ and we prepare for an encounter with Jesus. [Mark 1:1-8]
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" - "a voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
John comes, speaking of a Messiah, a Savior, who is to come... and while many respond in hope, there are still those in the crowds who must have thought, "I've heard this one before."
Our nature is prone to disillusionment; we hate to be let down and disappointed. Our lives seem to tell story after story of times and people that have done just that. So we are left, jaded and numb, questioning and skeptical.
But then Jesus steps in. [John 1:14-15]
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, "This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'")
1. As the Word, Christ was God become vocal. Through Christ, God speaks His great and glorious message - that salvation is here - in a new and living language of life in Christ.
2. As the Word, Christ was God become visible. Jesus portrays the mind and heart of God, reminding us that God loved the world so much, He gave Jesus so that all could believe, all could be forgiven, all could enter into life.
We should ask ourselves, "What difference does the incarnation make in my life?" As people who have been brought from darkness into light, who have heard the Word of God and responded to it, we are to make known the glorious name of Christ, the one who came to live among us and die for us.
- This is the Word of God – have we become jaded with it?
- This is the Unexpected Word who came to an unexpecting world to save us in a most unexpected way – have we taken it for-granted?
- This is the message of Christmas – are we bored with it?
- This is the message of the Logos, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh – are we connected to Him?
Last Sunday began one of my favorite times of year - Advent, the celebration of the Incarnation of the Christ. Over the next 40 days, we will turn our focus and spiritual rhythm to the anticipation of Jesus' coming.
This anticipation and celebration is often elusive to us; we so hate to be let down and disappointed. So often we would rather keep the promise of God - with all of its uncertainty - at an arm's length rather than embrace it fully, which demands our trust and faith. But if we are to truly engage in the real depth and meaning of Advent, it begins with the understanding and belief that God keeps his promises.
On Sunday we said it like this: The promises of God are inevitable,
yet often unexpected. And so when Paul talks about the return of Jesus (while referencing a prophecy of the coming of Christ) he writes,"For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.
[1 Thess. 5:2]
What we see here is: 1. We can be unaware or unconcerned about Jesus' coming
"As it was in Noah's day, so will it be when the Son of man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept them all away. This is what it will be like when the Son of man comes." [Matthew 24:37-39]
2. We can be filled with guilt, fear, and shame at Jesus' coming
"What sorrow awaits you who say, “If only the day of the Lord were here!” You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light. Yes, the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope." [Amos 5:18, 20]
3. Or we can put our faith and hope in Christ, and be filled with joy and celebration that the day of the Lord has come
"But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night."
[1 Thessalonians 5:4-5] Paul's directive then is that those who believe in Jesus should be:
1) Awake and aware of what God is doing; 2) Clearheaded and have a proper perspective on this life and the next; 3) Prepared and equipped for the unexpected day and work of God. What difference will the incarnation make in
your life this Advent season? Prayer for the First Week of Advent
“Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; that in the last day, when He comes again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to eternal life; through him who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”
Last Sunday we welcomed Mark and Deb Schory to NewSong. The Schory's will be spending the next few weeks at NewSong as they reacquaint themselves with the greater Boston area and seek God's leading for ministry and church-planting opportunities in New England.Mark joined me in teaching this week from 1 Thessalonians 4 -- if you have missed a Sunday or want to listen to a previous message, you can find the message podcast here. Last Sunday, we walked through chapter 4 and discussed some of Paul's teaching in light of our big idea: that we begin to live for God fully when we are captivated by the story of what He has done for us.This means that many of us find ourselves in an awkward situation - we realize that the Gospel has not really captured our heart and life, and we discover that we are not really living for God, we are merely imitating a life of faith. And we're not alone in this; one of the early churches faced this same situation: "[The Lord says], 'I know all the things you do,
and that you have a reputation for being alive -
but you are dead." [Revelations 3:1] 1 Thessalonians 4 gives us first, some pulse checks - ways to verify that we are alive - and second, some growth points to ensure that we continue to live and develop. We can evaluate our pulse and our growth as we: ++ Manage our relationship with GOD ++
"We urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you
to do so even more." [1 Thess. 4:1]
++ Manage our relationship with OTHERS ++
"God himself has taught you to love one another... indeed, you already
show your love for all the believers... we urge you to love them even more."
[1 Thess. 4:9-10]
++ Manage our SELVES & our LIFESTYLE ++
"Make it your goal to live a quiet life..." [1 Thess. 4:11]
++ Manage our DIRECTION ++
"For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever." [1 Thess. 4:14, 17] Jesus continually challenged his disciples and his audience not to let their lives and their faith become imitations - he wanted us to be full and overflowing with life! As he said, "I have come so that you can have life, and have it abundantly!"To go deeper into 1 Thessalonians 4, listen to the message.
Hey NewSong! Join us Sunday morning, October 16, as we kick off a new teaching series called "Balance." This series leads us to Paul's first letter to the believers in Thessalonica, which was written to encourage and affirm the young church as they embraced the Gospel in their lives - and to help them navigate the the path of following Jesus.
This series asks the big question: "How do you find balance between the life you're living and the life the God has for you?" Come discover the answers with us over the next few weeks as we read 1 Thessalonians.
"Can we only do what the Bible commands, or can we do whatever we want except what the Bible forbids?" [M. Driscoll, "The Elephant Room")
Here is the video that we used to introduce our teaching series, "Proverbia" and launch into a discussion about applying wisdom in our everyday life. Be sure to check back later this week for our Sunday Recap!
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