The Acts of the Holy Spirit; Acts 2:22-41

Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on February 7th , 2010

“It was by God Jesus was sent. We may put it this way—the Cross was a window in time allowing us to see the suffering love which is eternally in the heart of God”

Intro
We are in part two of Peter’s first sermon (Actually the church’s first sermon). Last week we saw that Jesus had to leave so that the church could be born as promised in the OT and by Jesus Himself (Matthew 16:18; John 16).

This reality came at the time of Pentecost, which wascelebrated 50 days after the Passover, and was a celebration of thanks for the 1st fruits of the harvest (Deuteronomy 16:10). It became a great pilgrimage to Jerusalem over the years to offer thanks to God, the “Lord of the harvest.” The timing of this was no mistake! It insured that Jews from over 16 different ethnic/language groups would be present, and it guaranteed large “First Fruits” harvest. It was the beginning of the biggest harvest, which has been going on for 2000 years, and represents the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in John 16, which reminds us that it was advantageous for Him to go away, so the church could/would spread to the nations as planned.

Another significant find of last week was that a when Jesus left, He was sending the promised Spirit to empower His people for the task. Previously in the OT, the Spirit was given sporadically for His purposes, and sometime taken away (1 Samuel 16:14), and the Spirit of God “Lived” in the temple. Now the same fire that rested upon the tabernacle to guide the Jews by night (Exodus 13:21), took up residence in every believer (See Acts 2:3; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:20-21).

Now, Peter turns to the defense of the cross, because just like our own day, the cross is a foolish stumbling block to many people. To the Jew the cross of Christ was a “Stumbling Block” (1 Corinthians 1:23). The word “Stumbling Block” (Scandalon) meant “Scandalous.” Their law taught them that a “Hanged man is accursed by God.” (Deuteronomy 21:23). The cross has always been “Foolish (See too 1 Corinthians 1:18, 23) and a sign of cursedness. This is the point of Peter’s sermon and of the cross. It is a curse; it is an abomination. Galatians 3:1-14 reminds us of this reality. Jesus “Became sin” so that we would be made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). Let’s see where Peter takes us??

From the Head…
It is sometime taught that sermons in the first century were not logic, or propositional based, but the snippet of sermon we hear from Peter today is just that. He defends the faith with logical and propositional preciseness.

God is Sovereignly In Control (Acts 2:22-23)
The first thing that Peter wants to defend is against the idea that Jesus’ death was a per chance accident. Jesus Himself said that His death was no accident, but a voluntary action of His in order to fulfill His Father’s plans (John 10:14-19). This is precisely what Peter wants his Jewish brothers and sisters to know. This death was the culmination of the Father’s “Definite plan and foreknowledge” (v. 23; see too Acts 4:28, 29). God killed Jesus! Yet, God holds man responsible. How can that be? Well we will never fully understand it, but the fact is, God’s eternal decrees cannot be thwarted or rejected (Even though His permissive will can, and is). Throughout scripture, we have this weird antinomy; God is sovereignly in control of everything (And uses everything for His purposes), yet man is responsible for his willful actions (See John 1:12-13; 6:35 + 44). Even though it was God’s will and plan to have Jesus crucified for our sake, it was still within the framework of humanity’s sinful choice. God’s will and plan encompasses everything to fulfill it. God can, and does use evil for His purposes (Genesis 50:21; 1 Samuel 16:15; Habakkuk 1:1-11).

This is how God “Work out everything to the good of those that love God and are called to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). There is no doubt in His “Permissive Will” He allows choices to be made, but only as He uses them to weave His plan into the fabric of this finite world.

The beauty of this though is the reality that God is providentially in control of our crazy world! Everything is purposed in a greater plan that God is working out toward our own good. The killing of Jesus was the most horrid thing ever thrown on a person, yet it accomplished God’s will to save the many undeserving.

God Raised Him From the Dead As a Fulfillment of Prophecy (Acts 2:24-32)
Peter argues from a logical base here, as he Quotes Psalm 16:8-11, which appears to be a Psalm from David requesting that he wouldn’t see decay after his death, but Peter argues that David is dead and in his grace (V. 29), and that this verse speaks of the future (Now fulfilled) resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In some sense the Jews were right, God doesn’t curse His loved ones on a tree, but Jesus became that for us, but God didn’t allow Jesus to decay like humans, instead He was exalted because of His obedience on the cross (Philippians 2:3-9).

God Exalted Him and Made Him Lord As a Fulfillment of Prophecy (Acts 2:33-36)
As a result of Jesus’ obedience in fulfilling God’s plan, He was exalted and seated at the “Right hand” of the Father making both “Lord and Christ” (V. 36). Again Peter uses the Psalms (Psalm 110:1) as the prophetic reference pointing to the coming Messiah, and not to David himself. This one is clearer in that it was weird that David (Who would have had no Lord above him, since he was king), would refer to his “Lord.” It is interesting because the NT quote is from the Septuagint (LXX), which uses the Greek word “Kurios” for both of these references to Lord, but when David wrote it in Hebrew, he used the Hebrew word “Yahweh” for the first Lord (Depicted in all caps in your Old Testament), which was the personal name for the Jewish God, and then used the Hebrew word “Adonai” for the second Lord (Depicted in your Hebrew Old testament with a capital L and lower case “ord”). So what we have David saying literally is “My Yahweh, said to my Adonai.” That’s a strange statement for David to make, because his use of Yahweh would have been normal, but there was no sense that he had another “Lord” on earth. Peter is saying that this reference, was referring to Jesus, whom God placed on His right hand making this a prophecy of what would happen in the Christ.

God makes lowly the proud and exalts the humble (James 4:6). We humbly come before His, acknowledging His regency. Jesus humbly gave of Himself, for us to live in His righteousness. It has to be our guide to how we interact with one another.

Peter showed us today that the preaching (Kerygma) of the gospel is simple; He gave us a Historical Presentation of the Death, Resurrection and Exaltation of Christ, emphasizing the fulfillment of prophecy and man’s responsibility, and then he gave us a Theological Evaluation of Jesus as Both Lord and Messiah (The Christ), and finally he summoned everyone there Believe In Him, for the Forgiveness of Sins!

The last few verses are the response to this message. 3000 were added to the as the “First Fruits” of the harvest, here at the celebration of the “Feast of Weeks.”

…to the Heart
The Response (Acts 2:37-41)
Where do you stand right now? Are you trusting in the sovereignty of the Lord in the direst time of your life? Do you believe He is “Good” and that He is working everything out to the “Good of those that love Him…?”

Do you understand the magnitude of this story? Do you see it’s prophetic accuracy, and how it has culminated with Jesus’ death and our forgiveness of sins??

Do you see your sins as an affront to a holy and righteous God? Have you been playing church/religion in order to gain God’s favor?

Do you have numerous idols that take up your time and attention, leaving no time for God?

Do you need to repent of bitterness and a heart that hasn’t trusted in the sovereign work of Jesus on the cross?

Are you influenced by a culture that thinks the idea of a cross for the forgiveness of sins is barbaric and idiotic?

Are you, Like the Jews before Peter, asking, “What shall we do” (To be saved)? If so, please make today as the day of your salvation and join us in communion and make us aware, so we can baptize you, as commanded in the scriptures (V. 38 cf. Matthew 28:20).

The Acts of the Holy Spirit; Acts 1:12-26

The Acts of the Holy Spirit; Acts 1:12-26
Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on January 24th, 2010

“The spiritual history of a mission or church is written in its prayer life.”

“Much of what constitutes Christianity is not what we do, but what we receive.”
Mark Driscoll

Intro
Our passage today dives into the moments after Jesus promised the Holy Spirit and ascended into the heavens (Acts 1:8-11). It is important to remember that this book was written with the intent to demonstrate how the early church was established and then expanded into the “Other parts of the world” ala Acts 1:8.

Our goal then is to see all of its parts as pieces that make up the whole, and search for the clues that take us to the author’s intent. We’re looking for keys to help guide us, especially keys that are more “Normative” for use in our day and age.

Acts is a book reminding us of the power of the Spirit and His goal to establish God’s kingdom through His power and the obedient actions of His people.

In today’s passage we are reminded about the importance of prayer, and the sovereignty of God. The two often don’t seem to mesh, and actually appear to be contradictory. This is true if we believe that prayer is to move the hand of God rather than take the time to listen to what He has to say. Too often in the Christian community, we use prayer as a cliché to “Prove” our decisions. I pray that this passage helps us become more fervent and enduring in our prayers until we come enmeshed in God’s desires for us, and not our desires for ourselves…

From the Head…

The Necessity of “One-Minded” Prayer (Acts 1:12-14)
The disciples (120 of them) returned from the Mount of Olives, which was a “Sabbath’s journey away” (Approximately a half mile). They went together, and the 120 included women (V. 14), and they “with one mind, were continually devoting themselves to prayer” (NASB). First the idea of being of “One Mind” (omothumadon) is a compound word literally meaning “Together passionately.” I’m not sure we can extract more than this word should supply, but it’s used 10 out of its 12 occurrences in this book, and it highlights a key to the expansion of the church; fervent community.

Secondly, the word for “Continually” (proskarterountes) carries the idea to remain faithful or cling to…

Thirdly, we are to cling to “Prayer” (proseuche). This is a prayer that prays until an answer is given. It takes patience, endurance, waiting, time; many things that we struggle with. This kind of prayer blows away our five minute variety , which in of itself is not wrong, but we are often called to a fervent, enduring prayer, that may wait on God for years, but we remain faithful, knowing that we are praying for the will of God.

The disciples were given a promise by Jesus in Acts 1:8 and they were praying for that fulfillment, knowing that what Jesus promised, He would deliver.

God’s Sovereignty and The Choice of Judas (Acts 1:15-20)
God’s sovereignty and the “Free Will” of humanity has often been a huge road block to faith in the Christian tradition, but in this narrative, we see a perfect antinomy developing between the human “Choices” of Judas, and the divine sovereignty and predictive will of the Holy Spirit. One question often asked is what was the motivation behind Judas’ actions? Though we can’t know for sure, the following scenarios may give us some insight:

(The below scenarios are taken from Barclay’s “Daily Bible Study”)
(i) It has been suggested that Iscariot means man of Kerioth. If it does, Judas was the only non-Galilean in the apostolic band. It may be that he felt himself the odd man out and grew so embittered that he did this terrible thing.

(ii) It may be that Judas turned king’s evidence to save his own skin and then saw the enormity of what he had done.

(iii) It may be that he did it simply out of greed for money. If he did, it was the most dreadful bargain in history, for he sold his Lord for thirty pieces of silver, which was less than £4 (About $7 USD).

(iv) It may be that Judas came to hate Jesus. From others he could disguise his black heart; but the eyes of Jesus could penetrate to the inmost recesses of his being. It may be that in the end he was driven to destroy the one who knew him for what he was.

(v) It may be that Iscariot is a form of a Greek word, which means a dagger-bearer. The “dagger-bearers” were a band of violent nationalists who were prepared to undertake assassination and murder in a campaign to set Palestine free. Perhaps Judas saw in Jesus the very person who could lead the nationalists to triumph; and when he saw that Jesus refused that way he turned against him and in his bitter disappointment betrayed him.

(vi) It is likeliest of all that Judas never meant Jesus to die but betrayed him with the intention of forcing his hand. If that be so, Judas had the tragic experience of seeing his plan go desperately wrong; and in his bitter remorse he committed suicide.

Basically we will never know, and we can only speculate. What we can know is how easy it is for a sin-ridden heart to turn on Jesus. We are good at justifying ourselves, and our sin, and before we know it, we have drifted away from our savior.

This is an interesting situation where God’s providence and the heart of men come into agreement to fulfill God’s will and the scriptures written years before. Judas’ actions were the result of God’s will and the “Fulfillment” of the word of God (Acts 1:16), as well as his own sinful desires. I believe that this is here to remind us that the expansion of the kingdom of God is a result of God’s sovereign will, and the actions of His chosen witnesses. The Holy Spirit is involved in God’s work, but so are the actions of those that are part of His story.

The two Old Testament quotes in verse 20 are from Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8, which are messianic Psalms reminding David that God is going to re-right the wrongs done to the righteous, which can only be realized in Jesus, not David. The Psalms often reflect the despair of life in a sinful world, but they also demonstrate the hope that is found in waiting on the Lord for our comfort.

This idea of divine sovereignty and human will is seen so clearly in Acts 4:27-28 where we see that it is both human will (Motivated by personal; glory) and Divine will (Motivated by the glory of God) come together to accomplish God’s ultimate will.

And what these verses remind us of are that we are responsible for our choices even though they are used to establish God’s will. The execution of Jesus was paramount to the plan of God (See Isaiah 53) and the desires of sinful humanity. God working with human choice is nothing new to scripture (See Genesis 50:21).

Note: Any alleged discrepancies in regards to Judas’ suicide accounts (See Matthew 27:5) can most likely be understood in light of reporting two parts to the same event. It is quite possible that Judas hung himself outside of the temple walls on weak branches that overhung the Kidron valley and the branch broke hurdling Judas down onto the rocky surface below. It is discrepancies like this that would be easy for redactors and scribes to clean up, but this is not what we see happen, because eyewitness accounts vary in details, giving the witness more veracity, and less corroboration.

The Choosing of Leadership (Acts 1:21-25)
While Acts gives us the same list of Apostles as the gospels, Luke puts Peter, James and John in the forefront most likely to highlight their early leadership in the establishment and the expansion of the early church. The rest of the 12 aren’t even mentioned in the book from here on in, while Peter (Especially) and John and James play a more significant role. None of them are mentioned past chapter 15 of Acts. What we can deduct from this is the fact that Peter felt it was proper to have 12 men represent the “Witness” of the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ since Jesus Himself chose that many (Acts 1:21-25).

It is important to note that Luke includes women as part of the 120 in the upper room, which is typical of His gospel, and shows the veracity of the claims since including women wasn’t a positive for that culture, and shows Christianity’s inclusion of women in the life of the early church, which was monumental for their time frame. Paul would later expand on this type of thing in verses like Galatians 3:28.

Another thing that is important to note is the fact that being an “Eyewitness” to the resurrected Christ is a stipulation to hold an apostolic position (Acts 1:21-25). Thus the “Office” of apostle has ceased with the death of the twelve plus Paul.

It may seem to us that Peter, James and John would advocate for a “Casting of lots” to find their leaders, but this method was not foreign to locate temple workers. Three things re important here:

1. Fervent Prayers (V.24)
They had two men they felt were “Qualified,” (Joseph and Matthias), and they chose to pray, and then let God intervene in the election of the person to join the apostles as a witness of the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. Redeemed Hearts (V.24)
Both of these men represented hearts that were transformed by the power of the resurrection in their life. This is what it meant to be a “Witness” (Acts 1:8, 22). Paul would later build on the qualifications of church leadership as the need became obvious (1+2 Timothy; Titus).

3. Sovereign Will (V. 24).
All through scripture God has done the choosing. He chose Adam, Abram, Modes, Israel, etc. and He chooses kings and leaders. The casting of lots is weird to a people that make “Free Will” supreme, but the apostles trusted God’s sovereign choice than they did their own.

We usually choose leaders based on their individual calls, and our corporate needs., and most often do not stop to think and pray, and ask God what He wants. We move, take jobs, spend money apart from seeking the will of the Lord, and the help of our spiritual communities. Our “Choices” are made by whim, or self-preservation. If God were sovereign, maybe it would make more sense to “Cast Lots” and seek His face as we move forward with big choices in our lives. I’m not just advocating making all decisions by casting lots, but I do believe that we could use more of a prayerful approach to making choices and deducting God’s will than personal experience or preference.

…to the Heart
Prayer and community are two things that appear antiquated and impossible for a culture that has way too much to do. I’m not sure what the disciples were praying for other than the fact that they were asking for direction. We are a body too geared to “Doing” and are not very conditioned to receiving. How much of your life is spent in “Fervent” clinging prayer, with others and alone? How much of our choices are made with much prayer?? It is so cliché to say “I prayed about it, and…” when in reality it was just the Christian thing to tack on to our lives to justify the decisions we have already made. Do you pray with God’s sovereignty in mind, or do you pray in despair?

Born to Bring Life – Newness of life in the Resurrection: Romans 6:3-4 and other selected texts

Born to Bring Life – Newness of life in the Resurrection: Romans 6:3-4 and other selected texts
Preached by Pastor Caleb Mayberry @ Renton Gathering of Soma on December 27th, 2009

Intro
Every year we often reflect on our many shortcomings and failures and experience regret for not having been more disciplined to do what we wanted to do. And so every New Year we believe that January 1st will be the date that signifies the beginning of long and lasting change. We create another list of things that we will vow to do or not do in hopes that we will perhaps make up for past transgressions or that we will finally prove our worth to ourselves, someone else, or God. And yet a month goes by, or two weeks, or sometimes just a few days and we have already been owned by the list. January 1st is not our hope. A new list and a new resolve is not our hope. Our strength and resolve to follow our lists will ultimately fail. Real hope of lasting change can only be found in Jesus. In this sermon, we’re going to see how the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is foundational to our hope to walk in newness of life.

From the Head…

Peter’s Resolve: Luke 22:33 “Lord I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Peter makes a very bold and courageous statement. Peter is part of Jesus’ inner circle of his three most trusted friends. If anyone had Jesus’ back, it would be Peter right? Well Jesus new that Peter would not be strong enough to live up to his bold statement, at least not now. In the following verse Jesus foretells of Peter’s threefold denial of Christ.

Peter’s Denial: Luke 22:54-62 – Here we see Jesus prediction of Peter’s denial come true just as Jesus has stated. Afterwards Jesus looks at Peter, and Peter remembered what Jesus said, and so he wept bitterly.

• Question for Reflection: Have you ever done something sinful that you thought you never would do? How did you feel afterward? How do you think Peter feels?

Peter’ Problem: The problem with Peter and with us is that we are still sinful. We do not yet have perfect and glorified bodies and so when we trust in our own strength to do the things that we want to do, we inevitably fail. Paul articulates this struggle in fallen man in Romans 7:21-24 “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging a war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in me. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

That’s the question we must ask ourselves. Who will deliver me from this body of death? Certainly it cannot be ourselves, because we’re the problem! The solution must look outside of us.

Jesus’ Prayer for Peter: Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus knew that Peter would deny him. And so Jesus prayed beforehand that his faith would remain. The hope for Peter is not based on his own resolve, but in trust in Jesus. But why is faith in Jesus hope for Peter? The reason is because Jesus was raised from the dead!

Resurrection is foundational to our faith: 1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” Why because of verse 17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

Like Peter we are also dead in our sins. Our hope is not just in a Jesus who died, but in a resurrected Jesus. We need hope that the death that our sins deserve has been fully paid for and conquered. The literal, historical, resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth proves that God has accepted his sacrifice as having satisfied the wrath of God and demonstrates that our ultimate enemy, death has been conquered. Through faith we, like Peter, are united with Jesus not only in his death, but also in his resurrection.

Newness of Life in the Resurrection: Romans 6:3-4 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Question: What motives us to walk in this newness of life?

…to the Heart

Love for Jesus motivates us in the newness of life

First, Jesus provides a hint of what this is in his prayer for Peter that we read earlier. Jesus prays that when he turns again, he is to strengthen the brothers. Another way to say this is that when Peter’s faith is strengthen again or as he places his trust in Jesus, he will be motivated to then strengthen the brothers. Our motivation for living out the life that God wants us to live is rooted in the object of our affection, namely Jesus. Jesus is not as concerned about our natural resolve to do good or the vows we make to become better people. But Jesus is concerned with our heart.

Read John 21:15-19. In this passage, we see that Jesus is not trying to get back at Peter for denying him. Jesus just wants to know one thing from him, does Peter love him? And that’s his question to us. Do we love him? If so, then we will, by his grace, do the things that he asks of us not out of a motivation of guilt, shame, or trying to prove oneself, but out of a motivation of love. So I pray that we would not look to New Year’s Day as our hope for new life, but that this day and every new day might serve as a reminder of God’s amazing grace and the new life that we now have as we love and trust in Him who rose from the dead.

Born to Bring Life By Death

Born to Bring Life By Death, Luke 2:28-35 and Selected
Preached @ Soma Harambee by Pastor Michael Gunn on December 20th, 2009

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.n6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”
Romans 5:1-9

“34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10:34-39

Introduction
We have been taking a look at the birth narratives in the book of Luke, and we have seen Luke craft a story surrounding Jesus the king/messiah promised throughout the ages as the “Savior” of humanity. Jesus is born to die for the sins of collective and individual humanity. He has come to inaugurate a new kingdom, with Himself as the king of that kingdom. One would think that Luke would paint a better picture of this savior-king. After all, aren’t regents regal? If He is going to dominate the world, shouldn’t He be born into power? But Dr. Luke doesn’t paint the Christian picture in the usual way. He does tell us that this little baby is the future world leader, the savior of all of mankind, yet He’s going to be born in a manger, rule through humility and weakness and save the world by dying. Hmm, isn’t that kind of reign impractical, naïve and an invitation to becoming a doormat? But this is the picture we get from Luke and the other gospels; this baby will change the world, and He will do so through a completely different power than the world operates under. After all, aren’t all historical narratives written by the powerful?

From the Head…
The Dedication of the Life Giver (Luke 2:22-27)
Here we see a couple of interesting things about Jesus’ first days of life. First His parents were devoted to the law of the Lord (vv. 22-23), next, we see that His parents were poor (v. 24) and lastly, Jesus went through some standard religious ceremonies that every Jewish male went through: Circumcision, which identified Jewish males with Yahweh, The Redemption of the Firstborn, which was performed on firstborn human males and unclean animals (Numbers 18:15-17), showing Christ’s identification with the human race and all of its impurity, and lastly The Purification After Childbirth, which the woman went through after giving birth. She could only be restored into the temple community after the allotted days, and then sacrificing a lamb (Leviticus 12:6) or, as is the case in this passage, if she is poor she would sacrifice to “Turtledoves (Pigeons; V.8).

All of this demonstrates the devotion of Jesus’ parents, but also Luke’s emphasis that this gift from God is being manifested in the temple (The metaphoric place for the house of God). Jesus’ life was manifested in a place, with humans. The emphasis on place here is significant, in that Jesus’ rule is in space in history, and His end game is the redemption of all things including place.

A Song of Life (Luke 2:28-33)
Simeon begins his song in praise of the God that kept His word (vv. 28-29). Here God not only keeps His immediate word (Luke 2: 26), but He has kept His promise from the past (See Isaiah 40:1-5; 42:6; 46:13; 49:6; 52:10; 56:1; 60:1). Simeon is praising God for bringing salvation to the world (Jews and Gentiles), which has also brought glory on Israel, since salvation came from the Jews (See John 4:22). This salvation to the gentiles had Mary and Joseph marveling over this prophetic word from Simeon.

Death’s Reaction to Life (Luke 2:34-35)
Simeon then moves from praise to prophecy reminding Mary and Joseph of the blessing and heartache Jesus will become. When Jesus’ kingdom confronts the kingdom of this world death will become inevitable, as it did in the life of Jesus. Conflict and chaos dictated much of Jesus’ life, and those that desired to live in comfort running in the direction of the world’s kingdom became the enemy of the savior. Jesus came to bring abundant life (John 10:10), yet that life is found in death (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:1-9; Matthew 10:34-39).

…to the Heart
Religion (Any meta-narrative that makes claims to answering man’s deepest issues) can be an enemy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When it places its traditions and customs ahead of the gospel and the person of Jesus Christ, and adds works to the gospel equation, it crushes the gospel that comes to us through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas is a brutal anti-gospel. The god of Christmas (Santa) gives gifts (Blessings and salvation) to those that are “Good,” and have behaved. Religion thrives on this, and it is created by the powerful to guarantee public obedience and compliance to cultural norms. This is what religion has been relegated to in our culture; moral structuring, but anyone who has been around the church long enough knows that religious morality is a façade, a smokescreen that is laid bare as the smoke clears.

Christmas is our cluttered with a cultural gospel, that good people get blessed, while evil people don’t. This is culturally insensitive, as most of this world is not blessed in the way many in the west are. Religion preaches a damaging, crushing gospel of restriction and self-made righteousness; Jesus is a life giver, that promises life abundant, through His suffering, and He calls us into the joy of His suffering, for His glory, and our happiness.

The Advent Conspiracy
The “Advent Conspiracy” is a reminder to believers to “Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.” Christmas has become a shameful ode to capitalism and materialism, and have replaced the Hope of the gospel, with the materialistic hope of more stuff. We have been duped into believing that hope comes from what we (The ones that are hopeless) create. We live in a “Please me now” culture that has an insatiable desire for more. Advertisers promise way more than they can deliver, and christmas has become their “Holy” season. The advent conspiracy helps us recall that this simple gospel story is the ultimate story offering more joy and hope than any of man’s hopes can deliver. Let’s work in our Missional Communities to recapture this meaning, and to find out who we can bless this Christmas with the money that we are saving from spending less on ourselves. If you can’t find anyone to bless, then please consider giving your money to “Living Water International” (http://www.adventconspiracy.org/water/), and agency that helps bring clean water to the millions who are without it (1.8 Million people die every year from unclean water related illnesses. This figure includes 3900 children a day).

To find out more about “The Advent Conspiracy” please go to: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Born to Bring Peace; Selected Text

Born to Bring Peace; Selected Text
Preached @ Harambee Church (A Soma Communities Expression) by Pastor Michael Gunn on December 6th, 2009

“…and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Colossians 1:20

Intro
Throughout church history, Christians have struggled to deal with the implication of the Jesus event here on earth. The verses we are going to look into today have some potential for incendiary and potentially misguided interpretations. When Jesus preached the “Gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:14), what was preaching about? What exactly was “Fulfilled” by Jesus when He read from Isaiah in the temple (See Luke 4:18-21)? What is His kingdom? What does this have to do with me? What does this have to do with Christmas Advent season? All good questions, and ones that the church needs to wrestle with, and come to some very biblical convictions in regard to its implications on our lives.

I pray that this Advent/Christmas season is the first one that converts you to a new relationship with the risen Christ. For some that is going to be a first time conversion as you are hearing the gospel either anew, or for the first time in your life. For others, it will mean a conversion to God’s kingdom purpose here on earth, right now!

From the Head…
An OT Prophet Is Born to Proclaim the Coming Rule of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7)
This is one of many astounding prophecies of the coming Messiah, who will bring peace, and rightly govern this world with proper justice. While God had fulfilled this prophecy in a micro sense through some for the rulers that were born at that time, history reminds us that none of Israel’s rulers fulfilled this, including David, Israel’s greatest king. They were types of the one who would come to bring forth the peace that this world so badly needs.

Then word peace in the Old Testament is the word “Shalom,” which carries the idea of “Wholeness,” not the absence of conflict. The words from the pen of John (John 16:33), remind us that in this world, we will have conflict and tribulation, but “In Him, we will have peace.” God’s peace brings us beyond our circumstances to a “Shalom” that brings peace as we become closer to the people that we were created to be by God, for His glory in the first place.

A NT Prophet Is Born to Proclaim The Coming Forgiveness and Peace (Luke 1:76-79)
God had promised that He would send one to “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3 cf. Luke 1:76; 3:4), which this passage shows was preparing the people to know that their sins were being forgiven by the “Tender mercy of our God.” True peace comes from being forgiven of our sins by the mercy of God. Our salvation makes us reconciled to God and therefore at peace with Him (See Romans 5:1, 9).

An Angel Visits to Proclaim The Glory of the Lord in the Good News About the Son (Luke 2:8-21)
First we note that this “Good News” is for “All People” (v. 10). Next, we note that this baby is both “Savior” and the Messiah, as promised in the Old Testament (“Christ the Lord, v. 11). This designation “Savior” and Messiah” is one that was reserved for God only (Isaiah 43:11; 45:21). While this is true, we are also told that a “Savior” will be sent in the future (Isaiah 19:20). Thirdly, this Messiah/Savior was going to be born into humble means (v. 12). Fourthly, we see that this promised peace comes to those “Whom He is pleased” with (v. 14). This goes back to last week’s findings. He is pleased with His Son (Luke 3:22), and as we are “In Him,” we too are pleasing to Him.

We Are Reminded By Paul That Our Peace Comes Through The Cross (Colossians 1:20)
Peace is not something that we obtain by mitigating conflict in this world. As we saw in John 16:33, conflict is a part of this upside down, sinful world. While we are called to be “Peacemakers” it is clear that all of man’s efforts have not brought this world into the very state of peace that so many of us claim we desire. Man’s greatest need is the peace that comes from the bloody cross of Christ, because it is the idolatry that the cross is there to crush that is responsible for the horrors humanity unfolds on one another.

…to the Heart
So what do we do? First we must realize that our salvation is both spiritual and physical. Second then, we must begin to see our role here on earth as peacemakers since we have been given the gift of peace between God and ourselves through the cross of Jesus Christ. The good news of Jesus Christ is that He has come to inaugurate a new kingdom, with a new ethic, and a new way to power and transformation. We no longer do this through the world’s system of power and force, but through the “Good News” of Grace, repentance and forgiveness. This news of Jesus coming the first time is “GOOD NEWS!” He has come to begin His liberation of the poor and the captives (Luke 4:18-21) and because we are now free from the need to gain our identity in our stuff and reputation, we are then free to live for His purposes in this world, and proclaim the peace of the new kingdom of God, made possible in the cross of Jesus.

Born to Bring Hope, Luke 1:39-56

Born to Bring Hope; Luke 1:39-56
Preached @ Harambee Church (A Soma Communities Expression) by Pastor Michael Gunn on November 29th, 2009

Introduction
What gives you hope? Or maybe a better question is “What is hope?” Does “Finite” hope bring lasting satisfaction? The Christmas story is an ancient story. It’s a story of hope copied by many different folklore, movies, books, etc. (Movies like the “Terminator” and the “Matrix” are a good example). So often in the past, I have been reluctant to preach this story, because it has become mythology in a culture that believes in Santa Clause. As a matter of fact neo-Atheist Richard Dawkins fondly refers to the belief in a god as equivalent to believing in “Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny or the Great Spaghetti Monster.” What he fails to recognize is that neither of his co-equals provides the world with real hope, nor have any of these other myths (The “Spaghetti Monster” is his own sarcastic creation, without any mythical meaning), had the world-wide impact that the Jesus story has had on this world for 2000 years!

This story has eternal implications! This story was the result of a promise that had been embedded into the hearts and minds of the ancient Israelites, and told to the nations through their witness (As weak as it was), and has now been delivered to His Church (His gathered people for His glory). Our story reminds us that ultimate Hope can only come from believing in Christ, and recognizing that He is the promised one who has come to give hope to the lowly and the humble. He has come to re-right a severe wrong. He has come to establish His own kingdom, which operates upside down, where the weak are strong, and the first shall be last.

From the Head…
A Contrast of Hope (Acts 16:19; 26:6-7)
It has been felt for quite some time in biblical scholarship that Luke and Acts are written by the same author and that the book of Acts is a continuation of Luke’s treatise on the story of Jesus and the acts of His church for the first 30-40 years of expansion into the gentile world. I am using this as a contrast between biblical and earthly hope, and using it as an intro into an understanding of biblical hope, that only comes “In Christ,” and anything else will only bring forth disappointment, bitterness, stress, anxiety, etc.

The Story of Hope: A Reminder (Genesis 1-3; 12:1-3)
In order to better understand this story in our passage today, we must have at least a basic understanding of the “Promise” that our story is centered around. There is so much recent controversy in regards to the birth story of Jesus being a rip off from other pagan religions, and it has been documented that the use of the 25th of December and many of the traditions associated with Christmas are a conglomeration of pagan myths from a few mythologies over the years. The fact is Christianity has always used cultural festivals and stories to better communicate and incarnate the truth of their own story. This in no way mitigates the truth of the gospel story, but the gospel story is a fulfillment of humanities greatest hopes. There is nothing that man can deliver in religion, philosophy, psychology, technology, rehab, or anything that can provide the hope of Jesus, who is born into our world as a humble servant who ultimately inaugurates a new kingdom, that reaches the humble and the poor and the hurting. Jesus’ story comes with centuries of prophecy, promise and anticipation.

Hope’s Journey (Luke 1:39-41)
Mary has just accepted her glorious fate (See Luke 1:38) in humble obedience, and her life will never be the same. Our passage says she, “Arose and went with haste into the hill country.” Maybe it was a time to be with familiar faces and remove herself from the stress that would most likely follow her for the rest of her life. God has to do a miracle to show Joseph the truth, but it is apparent that most people did not believe that Mary was a virgin with child (See John 8:41), and as a matter of fact the rumor has always been that Mary had sex with a Roman guard named Pantera. Being in Christ brings forth a hope that is beyond imagination, and beyond a hope that ends here on earth with your own life. Can you imagine Mary’s life, and can you imagine holding her son’s limp body in her arms wondering, “Where is the hope?” The hope God offers is a surprising hope! There is a paradox in the Christian story of Hope. This hope comes with death. Mary’s joy, was a life of suffering, and her hope came with a price. We so often look for hope in short term solution, because the hope the gospel promises comes with death (Of ourselves) and sacrifice (Of our time, talent and treasure). This is what it means to “Know the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.”

Hope’s Song Part 1: Elizabeth’s Song (Luke 1:42-45)
Our passage tells us that Elizabeth is “Filled with the Holy Spirit,” and she breaks into song blessing Mary, and God, and reminding Mary that she is blessed because God has found favor in her and because of Her “belief” that there would be a fulfillment of the promise. Mary and Elizabeth were poor, but their joy came in knowing that Jesus came to overcome the evil and oppression that enslaves others, and creates poverty and destruction in this world. They were aware that Jesus is the one to fulfill Isaiah 61:1-2, and that He was there to bring forth a kingdom that would reward the humble and judge the proud oppressors; but this would come through believing “That there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Was this always easy for her? After all Mark seems to indicate that not even his own kinsmen always believed in Him (See Mark 3:21, 31-35). And it is possible (Given the context) that Mary may have had her moments of doubt??

Hope’s Song Part 2: Mary’s Song; The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-56)
This song is known as the “Magnificat,” which are the Latin words expressing her exaltation and praise of the Lord in verse forty six. This song is reminiscent of so many other women who gloried in their pregnancies (1 Samuel 2:1-10; Genesis 21:6-7), and a reminder of God’s faithfulness to His promise (See too Isaiah 54:1-5). Mary’s song is filled with her memory of the many Psalms she uses to construct her praise toward God for His favor upon her, and His fulfillment of the promises He had made to her forefathers. Her praise and her glory is to God for the fact that He has sent His Son and He has brought forth His kingdom, incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ. This is the fulfillment of many prophecies and God’s promise to redeem this world of sin and the destruction it has caused. Jesus’ birth story is a story of humility, because ultimately power is gained through weakness in this upside down kingdom.

…to the Heart
If our hope is in anything but the coming of our Lord Jesus and Christ, and the joy that produces in our lives, then we will be living under a “Secondary” and inferior hope, that will only produce a momentary hope and sense of meaning. What are you “Hoping” for? What story is building your trust, and promising to deliver joy, happiness, a new identity?? Is the Jesus story a passé mythology, told once a year in order to assuage the guilt of a spending nation? Or is this story still the defining story in your life? IS the Jesus event, the story that dominates your story, or is it another story competing against many others in a world still waiting for what it’s looking for?

I pray as we consider the Jesus story this time of year, we consider the consequences of that story; lives transformed to bring Him glory by being enraptured with the joy He gives us, so we can in turn, lavish blessings on others. During our advent time, we are requesting that you seriously consider what you “Need” and refrain from spending on just what you want, so that you can bless others with the money saved. Below is information re: the “Advent Conspiracy” that can help you think through this.

The Advent Conspiracy
The “Advent Conspiracy” is a reminder to believers to “Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.” Christmas has become a shameful ode to capitalism and materialism, and have replaced the Hope of the gospel, with the materialistic hope of more stuff. We have been duped into believing that hope comes from what we (The ones that are hopeless) create. We live in a “Please me now” culture that has an insatiable desire for more. Advertisers promise way more than they can deliver, and christmas has become their “Holy” season. The advent conspiracy helps us recall that this simple gospel story is the ultimate story offering more joy and hope than any of man’s hopes can deliver. Let’s work in our Missional Communities to recapture this meaning, and to find out who we can bless this Christmas with the money that we are saving from spending less on ourselves. If you can’t find anyone to bless, then please consider giving your money to “Living Water International” (http://www.adventconspiracy.org/water/), and agency that helps bring clean water to the millions who are without it (1.8 Million people die every year from unclean water related illnesses. This figure includes 3900 children a day).

To find out more about “The Advent Conspiracy” please go to: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

What Are You Living For?

What Are You Living For? Colossians 2:6-15
Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on October 4th, 2009

“Why am I fighting to live, if I’m just living to fight
Why am I trying to see, when there ain’t nothing in sight
Why am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try
Why am I dying to live, if I’m just living to die”
Tupac, Runnin (Dying To Live)

Intro
Do you ever stop and consider what you are living for? What’s the point? What is that one thing that gets you up in the morning excited about the day’s prospects? I’ve often heard a certain phrase iterated differently, but basically has the idea that “We only have one life, we need to live it to it’s fullest!” Man that sounds so right on, but what doe is mean? Is it a hollow exhortation uttered by slick motivational speakers, or is there a way to really “Live” our lives? We just completed three weeks on biblical stewardship, and discussing giving as an act of grace in response to the grace we are lavished with in Christ, but what is that grace??

In our passage today, Paul exhorts the Colossians to “Continue to live in Him (Jesus)” in the same way we have “Received” Him. I want to ask three questions I think the text answers as it relates to living in Christ.

From the Head…
How Are We To Receive Jesus? (Colossians 2:6-7)
It is easy to think that “Receiving” Jesus in this text means “Inviting Him into out heart,” but this would prove to be an anachronistic way to read this text. The word “Received” in this text (Paralambano) is a technical term that has the idea of the “Transmission of teaching from one generation to another” (See 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This exhortation almost explodes in the face of an American church that desires experience over facts, but what Paul exhorts the Colossian believers to do is contemplate the truth of Christ, not just the “Experience” or feeling of Christ. This idea is supported in the context (See v. 7). Thus receiving Jesus in this text doesn’t mean coming to salvation, but it means for us to dwell on the things we have been taught that are true about Jesus. Paul lists four characteristics of what it means to “Live in the Lord:”

“Rooted ”
“Built up”
“Strengthened in the Faith”
Overflowing with Thankfulness”

The first three verbs are in the Passive Voice, which carries with it the idea that the objects are being acted upon by the subject. In this case we (The objects) are being acted upon by God (The subject); but the fourth verb is in the Active Voice, which means that the object is active in the action of the verb. This may seem like a grammar lesson until we understand the significance of it in Paul’s theology. He doesn’t begin with prayer that we all become more thankful and contented; this “Overflow” of thanksgiving is the result or reaction to the truthful reality of what God has given (Or done) for us. If we are looking for an experience without understanding the truth of what God has done, we will always miss the blessing we have in Jesus, because we make the experience, not Him preeminent. Thankfulness is a completion of the giving circle, where the one gifted gives back to the giver. This is the only way we can give; cheerfully, resulting from what we have been given. Thanksgiving is a prerequisite to living “In Christ,” because it is a sign of a healthy spiritual condition, knowing the truth of God’s word and the depth of His love for His people (See Ephesians 3:17)

This idea of being rooted in Christ is found in Jeremiah 17:7-8, where Jeremiah says that a person of faith is like a “Tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” This kind of life is a result of being “Rooted” in Christ and His love for us, and being thankful for it. This is the result of a content life, which allows us to handle stress in a different kind of way.

What Is The Killer Of This Life? (Colossians 2:8)
Simply looking to other worldviews (“Hollow, deceptive philosophy) for our happiness. These are the lies we believe. The world’s marketing pleas that promise much and provide little. This warning is centered around empty religious panderings. Religion promises too much, with little return, and it is a frustrating lie that many are truly sick of. Religion doesn’t provide what it says it provides, and so many are thankfully leaving religion, but unfortunately they are leaving religion for another set of religious lies; the lie that we do not need God to be happy. Paul is exhorting them to leave religion and its powerless promise to feast on Jesus, who is not a promise, but a reality.

What Ignites This Kind of Life? (Colossians 2:9-15)
What is it that causes one to have an abundance of thanksgiving? While the pagan religions that Paul was combating in this letter rooted their salvation stories in ahistorical myths, Paul and the early Christians rooted their stories in stated historical truth (The Teachings). In this passage Paul connect everything to an event in Jesus’ life; His death, burial and resurrection (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-6; 14). Some commentators try to mitigate Paul’s message by pointing out that Paul doesn’t talk about other aspects of Christ’s life, but Paul knows that it is His cross and His resurrection that matter. These are true, historical realities or “Our faith is in vain!!” It is on the cross of Christ only that you are Spiritually circumcised; it is in faith in the “Power of God” (v. 12) to raise Jesus from the dead that we will be raised with Him in eternity also. It is on the cross that our sinful nature has been “Put off” not with a religious ceremony, or moral grandstanding, but through the glorious cross of Christ. It is at the cross that we (Who were DEAD) are made alive since all of our sins were forgiven, and all our debts were canceled; ON THE CROSS!; and then last, but not least, He destroyed evil powers ON THE CROSS. These are the realities of what we have “Received” and Paul says LIVE IN THEM!! Yes I have used CAPS and exclamation points, because this is what “Roots you in Him, and establishes you and brings forth real thanksgiving, because we are grateful for His act of grace in our own lives, so we can live contently knowing that a loving God is present, when all hell breaks loose. He is our joy and our strength and our rock, when the world is collapsing underneath us. Knowing that Christ is supreme and His love for us is unending is what IGNITES us to a thankful joy in the midst of our pain, because we know that HE has felt that pain on the cross, and that all the crap that life can throw us is part of a glorious purpose that w aren’t privy to, but gives us hope and joy in a crazy world.

…to the Heart
What broken and empty philosophy are you living? What marketing scam are you believing that forces you to be cynical about the truth of the glory of the cross in your life? What idol has you convinced that you need something other than the love of Jesus and His glorious cross to make you happy. Please place it on the cross today, and allow it to be “Nailed” to Jesus’ cross as you repent of this idol, and place your faith in Christ for the “Fullness of the deity lives in bodily form.”

The Stewardship of Grace Pt. #3

The Stewardship of Grace Pt. #3: Proverbs 3:1-12
Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on September 27th, 2009

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1

“Faith is not opposed to knowledge; it is opposed to sight.”
Dallas Willard

“Stepping out onto the invisible bridge without the assurance of little pebbles to bolster your courage.”
Greg Wright

“God did not give so much to us to improve our standard of living, He did it to improve our standard of giving.”
Mark Driscoll quoting unknown source

Intro
In our last week on biblical “Stewardship,” we are going to take a look at trust and its connection to biblical stewardship. Trust is something that we all have are issues with; especially trusting the people we give money to. There are so many people using unscrupulous methods to take our money, and nothing is as horrific as when the church uses those methods to do it, since they are playing on your fears and guilt, and actually destroy the gospel in the process since they direct your devotion toward what we do for our acceptance before God and not what Jesus has done. Any giving to God is an “Act of grace (Devotion)” not an act of merit. We already are fully accepted by God through the work of Jesus on the cross. Our giving is a result of that gift. As Mark Driscoll says, “God did not give so much to us to improve our standard of living, He did it to improve our standard of giving.”

Today I want to take a look at the value associated with giving; trust/faith. What does it mean to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding?”

From the Head…
Obedience Is The result Of A Changed Heart Caused By God’s Steadfast Love (Proverbs 3:1-4)
Our set of verses today begins with Solomon exhorting his son to “Remember” his teaching and to let his “Heart keep my commandments.” You can’t look very far in the scriptures without realizing this is what God cares about. Not religious devotion, but a heart that is given to Him. And then in v. 3 we see the motivation for this kind of heart change (“Let no steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you, bind them on your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.”

In typical “Proverbial” fashion, we see that the command to obey is completed with a promise of prosperity and success. Words like this are often used to prove a poor theology. Proverbs are statements of basic reality. If you do the right thing, don’t drink too much, eat right, etc, chances are you will live longer. These aren’t existential principles that are formulas for success. They need to be seen in context with all of scripture and even all of Proverbs that make it clear that the righteous don’t always prosper right away (See Proverbs 10:2-3; 16:8, 19; 17:1; 19:1, 22; 21; 9). It also must be seen in light of its literary genre (Primer on morality for his son), which looks toward the future when the righteous will rise (Proverbs 24:16). Whereas some of these consequences are logical, some of them are realized qualitatively, not quantitatively. The main issue in these promises is the fact that justice will ultimately be done (Proverbs 3:31-35). In these verse we are promised that our days will be extended and that we will find favor and success, the very thing that we are trying to gain through disobedience and faithlessness.

Trust In The Lord, Not In Yourself (Proverbs 3:5-8)
So much of our culture and our parenting and our education is centered on “believing in yourself.” Somehow we think this is a positive message to our children, but after a couple decades of this message we have created self-centered, narcissistic kids who feel entitled to wealth and success, without the work and hardship that success usually takes. As I said in the intro, “Trust” is very hard for us to do and a barometer for us to see how well we understand the gospel. Trust (Batach) is the primary meaning of faith. It has the idea of 1) to trust, 2) have confidence, 3) be confident, 3) to be bold, and 4) to be secure. These parameters all have something to add to the idea of trusting in the Lord. Proper confidence begins in trust/faith. The question is where is our confidence coming from? Our own abilities? Our achievements? Our money? Trust is the linchpin to obedience, honoring the Lord with our wealth, with service, etc. This trust leads to a Whole body (Meaning a psychological wholeness). Trusting in God brings mental healing to our fallen brains. One respondent to my Facebook question (“How do you define faith?”) said “believing God tells the truth.” Do you believe that?

Honor The Lord With Your Wealth (Proverbs 3:9-10)
Here we have context to the verses in regards to trust and obedience. Giving of our money and wealth is a sure sign of our belief that Jesus is all we need. Note the giving here is the “Firs Fruits” of what you make. Giving to the Lord doesn’t mean you spend on yourself all month and then give to the Lord what is left over. God demands to be first in our lives, not an after thought.

Connected with the meter of each of these verse sets the author promises that God will bless you for giving. Here he promises “Fullness” of the things that money can buy (Wheat and wine). Ultimately they are metaphors for happiness. It is wine that “gladdens the heart!” The promise of blessing here is a strong wine that will be a symbol of success and blessing and happiness.

Understand The Discipline Of The Lord (Proverbs 3:11-12)
In our last two verses the author exhorts his son not to “Despise the Lord’s discipline.” This is the verse quoted in Hebrews 12:5-6). Here we have a strange requests, but one that is real important for us as believers; as kids. When we hate discipline, we are in a sense asking God to stop caring. Only in a trusting heart can we truly not despise God’s discipline in our life. The Jars of Clay song “World Apart” is a very scary song to sing:

“I look beyond the empty cross
forgetting what my life has cost
so wipe away the crimson stains
and dull the nails that still remain
so steal my heart and take the pain
take the selfish, take the weak
and all the things I cannot hide
take the beauty, take my tears
take my world apart, take my world apart
I pray, I pray, I pray
take my world apart”

Can you say that with any certainty that God is good enough to handle such a request? Is God’s discipline better than the most loving parent?

…to the Heart
What is it in your heart that holds you back from trusting in Him? Why is it that you feel you have to control everything in your life? How is that working for you in regards to your mental health and relational spheres? How is your lack of trust a sign that the gospel has not taken full root in your heart? What is it that you need to repent of, and believe that that God has forgiven you, so you too can trust Him with your wealth, with obedience, with loving Him and others?

The Stewardship of Grace Pt. #2

The Stewardship of Grace Pt. #2: 2 Corinthians 9:6-14
Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on September 20th, 2009

“Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!!”

Intro
As we continue our series on stewardship, we must remember that our giving of our time, talent and treasures is a consequence of the joy we have in Christ due to the riches He has lavished upon us. It is first because of His grace and mercy and love shown to us, that we can give with the same motivation and desire to bless others with our giving. If we give grudgingly out of guilt or pride or fear, we are not practicing biblical worship in our giving; we are simply giving to ourselves and for ourselves. Last week we saw that giving is linked to joy and grace (2 Corinthians 8:6). In today’s passage we see that this “Grace act” is a result of a heart change that God does to us (See 2 Corinthians 8:16), for the glory of God (2 Corinthians 8:19).

From the Head…
Biblical Giving Is An Act of Praise, Not An Act of Desire (2 Corinthians 9:5)
This little phrase by Paul here I think is important to unraveling some of the rest. Paul is sending ”Brothers” ahead of him to determine if there giving was “Willing” and not an “Exaction.” He has been encouraging them, and saying that they are ready to give, but he needs to make sure that this gift was being given as a response to God’s grace in their lives (2 Corinthians 8:6-9), and not as a way to gain something for themselves. The two words “Willing” (eulogian) and “Exaction” (pleonexian) are important here. The word eulogian means “Blessing or Praise.” As a consequence of God’s grace, we give as an act of praise, not as an pleonexian “Desire to have more.”

Giving To Get Thwarts God’s Blessing of Joy (2 Corinthians 9:6, 8, 11)
It is the previous verse (As well as vv. 9+11) that gives us key context here, so we don’t extract this verse and interpret it too widely and selfishly. The context gives us its interpretative limits. All too often this biblical truth is used to preach a self-centered principle of sowing. It is true that as we sow, we will reap, but the question is what are we reaping here? Poor sowing (As we saw last week) may be a sign of a disingenuous faith, which results in a joyless act. When we don’t understand the gospel of grace, we look to other things (People, events, status, etc.) to give us joy. Since most of us turn to money as a key to secular joy, we are reluctant to part with our money, and therefore are robbed of the joy that we get (Not just for giving) from knowing that we have been truly graced by God (See 2 Corinthians 8:9). I have heard the adage giving is the link to joy and happiness, but I think it misses the point by one step. Giving to get joy makes joy the object of our desires, whereas biblical giving sees God’s glory as that object, and gains the joy from knowing that the act glorifies Him, which is our highest object of affection. When we give like that, God’s blessings are overwhelming, sufficient, and full (2 Corinthians 9:8, 11).

Biblical Giving Must Be A Result of What God Has Placed In Your Heart (2 Corinthians 9:7a)
Ten percent is not a bad place to start our giving, but for some it is too small. The “Tithe” (Which is an OT idea) was actually more than ten percent. After the “Tithes and offerings” it came out to more than thirty percent. New testament giving is a “Heart” thing, not a law thing.

Biblical Giving Needs To be Freely and Cheerfully Given (2 Corinthians 9:7b)
If your giving is “Under compulsion,” then most likely you are giving for the wrong reasons. Whether we give of our time or treasures, our giving ought to be the result of God’s grace and cheerfully done. If we are doing it for the praise of men, or in order to manipulate God into blessing us, we are not giving biblically.

God Blesses Us To Be A Blessing (2 Corinthians 9:8-15)
First we are a blessing to those that we show generosity to (2 Corinthians 9:8-11a). God blesses us, so that we can give more, which leads to the second blessing, which giving leads to God being thanked and praised (2 Corinthians 9:11b-12). Lastly, it leads to the goal of the gospel, the demonstration of the glory of God (2 Corinthians 9:13). When people see us “Submitting” our time, talent and treasures for the benefit of others, they see the reality of the “Confession of the gospel of Christ” in your giving.

…to the Heart
Paul ends this chapter on his knees with the phrase of praise, “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!!” Do you see the gospel as that, or are you looking for more? What is it in your heart that acts as a blockade toward being a blessing to others? What idols are you holding on to, that forces you to hold on to your belongings so tightly? Is your gospel teaching you that you need God in order to get more, or is your gospel teaching you that you have everything you need in Christ, and therefore you can use what God has given you to give back to Him for the sake of His glory!!

The Stewardship of Grace Pt. #1

The Stewardship of Grace Pt. #1: 2 Corinthians 8:1-14
Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on September 13th, 2009

Intro
As we celebrate Harambee’s 7th year of existence and enter into a new year; albeit a year of change and maybe some uncertainty, we enter in hope, because of the gospel of grace. This year we will be in the book of Acts (Starting November 2009), but we are going to look at stewardship for these next few weeks. Stewardship (Or giving) is a tough subject since it is so connected to our circumstances and idols. Some churches certainly talk too much about giving, while other, such as Harambee do not talk enough about it. It is my apology that we have not preached the full counsel of God’s word. Stewardship is spoken about quite often in the bible, and it is a subject that can bring out many emotions, because we are so controlled by our time and our money. We don’t think that the gospel ought to make any demands on our life; certainly not in the area of what we do with our money. I could take the tactic of causing you guilt so as to raise our giving, but that would be quite un-gospellike. If we have yielded our lives to God, then we have yielded that which is most important to us; our time, talent and treasure. Discipleship is connected to giving and the proper stewarding of the many gifts that God has graced us with. We are called to die to ourselves and empty ourselves and it is there (In Christ) that we find our joy and abundance.

One thing is for sure giving is a heart issue, related to grace, and not related to our procuring a new identity and standing with the Lord. Grace giving is a natural by-product of the gospel working on our lives. It is a sign of grace residing in us. Let’s take a look at 2 Corinthians 8 for the words of Paul on this subject.

From the Head…
First of all, we note that Paul is discussing the giving of the Macedonian church to the Jerusalem church as a way of relief. However the principles of giving here (2 Corinthians 8-9) are good guidelines to stewardship of all kinds. Paul is commending the Macedonian church (These are churches that Paul founded near Greece) to the Corinthians as a way of teaching them in regards to giving. Paul took no money from them (See 2 Corinthians 11:7-9). Paul was a tent maker, and he raised his own support. I too can say the same thing, as I now raise all of my support outside of Harambee, so I am freed up to do what God has called me to do. Paul can talk about giving freely knowing that he has no ulterior motive. So many of the TV preachers preach about giving as a way to blessing, so that they can be the one being blessed.

Giving is not the path to the blessing, it is the result of the blessing (2 Corinthians 8:1-3)
Generosity is an affect, not a cause. Giving sacrificially is a result of the reality of the joy of Christ in our lives. Giving isn’t a pathway, or a work to be done because we ought, but a result of the gospel working in our lives. It is a showing of God’s grace. Joy is connected to contentment, which leads to the ability to live with any means since we are filled in Christ (See Philippians 4:11-13). When we are joyless, we need to create that joy through circumstances and new toys. Paul so clearly indicates this point in verse 9 when he uses the prime example of God’s grace in our life; Jesus’ death in our behalf. He was made “Poor” just like the Macedonian church was, so that we could be made “Rich.” It is when we are content and joy filled in Christ that we can be givers of ourselves and our stuff as an act of “Re-Gracing” to others.

Giving is motivated by a restructuring of our understanding of our possessions (2 Corinthians 8:4-5)
They weren’t motivated by guilt and human expectations, but the desire to participate in what God was doing. This wasn’t done as an expectation of Paul and his people; it was done because they “Gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God, to us (2 Corinthians 8:5). The will of God in this instance was ascertained by the fact that they had given themselves and their stuff to the Lord. This is a key to stewardship; that we see all of who we are and the things we have as the Lord’s and not our own (See Psalm 24:1). It is easier to depart with things that aren’t our own. We live in a culture that emphasizes material possessions as a symbol of our success and significance. This makes giving things up in accordance with God’s will harder for us to obey. The Macedonian church saw their possessions as first the Lord, then they recognized that God was working through the ministry of Paul and his men, so they were happy to participate in the work of the Lord in this circumstance.

Giving is an act of grace and love (2 Corinthians 8:6-8)
While giving is a consequence of grace in our lives, it is also an act of grace and love demonstrating God’s grace and love in our lives. When we withhold giving, we are missing out in the grace opportunities we are given to bless others with a symbol of the grace we are blessed with. Paul is urging Titus and his team to complete what their intentions were, and to demonstrate the grace of God to others through their gift.

Giving is the result of restructured desires (2 Corinthians 8:10-11)
This last point is crucial to biblical stewardship. It was their desire that motivated them to give. Desire is ultimately what motivates us to do anything. We do what we desire. We can try to do something else, but it is the desires of our heart that we ultimately follow. It is a restructuring in this area that happens to us through the preaching of the gospel. If our desires are truly self-centered then giving is not going to be a part of who we are. It is our desires that bring glory to God or ourselves. Anyone can give money and actually have a desire to help others, but if their desires are not motivated by God and His glory, the work is not pleasing to the Lord, because their motives of their heart are self-centered. This is why two people can do the same act, yet one is doing for completely different reasons than the other.

…to the Heart
Anyone can be a giver, and as a matter of fact, many non-believers are more hospitable and gracious in their giving than non-believers. This does not negate the gospel in our lives. Biblical giving to help others is not based on nationalism, moralism, self interest, or guilt; it is based on the grace that God has shown us in Jesus Christ, which restructures our desire and understanding of our possessions, so that we are free to give of ourselves for the glory of God in this world. As believers, we have more reason to be givers than anyone else. There is no greater motivation to care for the world’s poor than the grace of God when we truly understand what that means.