 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."
CALL TO WORSHIP:  Last Sunday, we continued our Lenten teaching series as Pastor Travis preached from Mark 9:2-9.
In this passage we find Jesus leading Peter, James and John up a mountain. While on the mountain, Jesus is transfigured, his Divine glory visibly seen by his disciples. Peter, not knowing what to say, shouts out, "Lord, let us build three tents - one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah!"
Immediately, a cloud overshadows them and the voice of God the Father is heard saying, "This is my beloved Son - listen to Him!"
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.
What a week it was! Following the previous week's snowstorm, I spent a lot of time reaching out to friends and neighbors without power, without heat... some even had to go without coffee! ;) It was a week of need, which means that it was a week of ministry; I was reminded yet again that even the most comfortable of us have moments of difficulty, challenge and need.
And that's a great opportunity to live like Jesus. "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." [1 Corinthians 15:58] In Paul's letter to the young church of Thessalonica encourages them to continue ministering and meeting needs - living the Gospel - in their community, regardless of whether their situations are comfortable or challenging. In fact, Paul emphasizes that their work will not go without result, and he uses his own ministry experience to them as an example.
Paul connects the Gospel and ministry to faith -- he encourages the church to take on the challenge of faith in order to see the victory of faith. But now Timothy has returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.” [1 Thessalonians 3:6-8]
Our takeaways from Sunday:
>> Nothing that we do out of love for Jesus is in vain
>> With that realization comes incredible hope and joy – and a desire for more of God, to be with him, to worship him
Music from Sunday was led by Chris Donahue and Travis Jarrett.
Songs were: "Eastern Hymn" (David Crowder), "Our God" (Chris Tomlin), "The Stand" (Hillsong), "Hallelujah" (Steve Deal), "Forever God You Reign" (Steve Deal)
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.
Last Sunday, Pastor Travis shared from Galations 5 as we continued our teaching series "Pentecost" with a discussion about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In that passage of Scripture, the Apostle Paul lists four areas where our rebellious, resistant nature looks to produce its work:
1. Sexual areas - immorality, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lust, abuse
2. Spiritual areas - witchcraft (manipulating God) & idolatry (replacing God)
3. Community areas - breakdowns & divisions in our relationships
4. Behavioral areas - compulsions & addictions that enslave us
Paul then contrasts the product [fruit] of the Holy Spirit's work in & through us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And we asked the question: "How do we move from the work of the flesh/sin nature to the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?" Again, we followed Paul to his conclusive answer: "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of the sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." [Galations 5:24]
Paul would tell us, then, that:
1) we cannot see the evidence of the Holy Spirit fully and freely in our lives unless we belong to Jesus,
2) that belonging to Jesus means the death of our flesh-nature.
Jesus would say it to his followers like this: "Remain in me. Apart from me you can do nothing." The commission was given for us to belong to and remain in Jesus this week as the Holy Spirit continues to grow and produce fruit within us that pleases God.
Our worship gathering also featured these songs: "Songs of the Redeemed" (Charlie Hall), "Faithful" (Chris O'Brien), "In Grace" (Steve Deal) and "Breathe" (Kathryn Scott).
Last Sunday we introduced a 2 week mini-series called, "BLUR." This series helps us prepare for Lent by reminding us of Jesus' prayer for all who would follow him: that they (meaning us) would be in the world, but not part of the world, but not exclusive from the world.
We talked about what happens when the church becomes anti-cultural, or at least non-cultural. We talked about churches - and even believers - that isolate themselves from the world, forgetting the prayer of Jesus. We talked about churches that are ruled by culture, that accept anything and everything thrown their way - churches that have forgotten the prayer of Jesus.
Life is blurred when we forget that Jesus expects us to live righteously in culture. Not just righteous. Not just in culture. Instead, living just like Jesus.
No wonder Jesus needed to pray. :)
Songs from last week were: "Open Skies" (David Crowder), "Micah 6:8" (Charlie Hall), "The Earth is Yours" (Michael Gungor), "Surrender" (Steve Deal) and "Always" (Martin Chalk).
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