GOD AND YOUR BOD

 3. THE MINISTRY OF PRESENCE
Vs. 1b “Present (offer) your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

Your body is a VEHICLE to get you places
Before man created cars – God gave you feet. – your feet are pointed FORWARD!

I have learned one thing. As Woody says, ‘Showing up is 80 percent of life.’
The world is run by those who show up.Your body is a VESSEL.
2 Timothy 2:22 – he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Your body is a TEMPLE.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

 4. A REASONABLE THING
Vs. 1c “which is your reasonable service of worship.”

* Everybody worships someone or something. (from Mark Batterson evotional)

 

 Vacuums
In Exodus 32, Moses is on top of Mount Sinai for forty days. And when the cat’s away the mice will play! Exodus 32:1 says, “When Moses failed to come down the mountain right away, the people went to Aaron. ‘Make us some gods who can lead us. This man Moses, who brought us here from Egypt, has disappeared’.”

 Aristotle said, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” That isn’t just a law of physics. It’s a spiritual law.

 I think it’s easy to miss the most obvious lesson in this story. Here it is: the Israelites couldn’t go forty days without worshipping.

Moses was gone for a few days and it created a spiritual vacuum. The Israelites had to find something to fill the spiritual vacuum that was created. Why? Because we can’t not worship! If we aren’t worshipping God with a capital “G” we’ll find a god with a lower case “g” to fill that vacuum.

 

Gold Earrings

 So Aaron told them to bring him their gold earrings. These aren’t any old earrings. These gold earrings were a gift from God. Let me hit the rewind button and go back to Exodus 12:36. The Israelites asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. And it says, “God caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So, like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians.”

 

Here’s what I’m trying to get at: the Israelites turned a gift from God into an idol. The Israelites literally used a gift from God capital “G” to make a god little “g.”

 

If we aren’t careful, God-given gifts can become idols. In fact, the greatest blessings pose the greatest danger.

 

So Aaron melted the gold earrings. Then he “molded and tooled” it into the shape of a calf. And the people said in Exodus 32:4: “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt.”

 

In the margin of my Bible I wrote the words “silly slap” next to this verse because that’s exactly what I want to do.

 

The Israelites saw God perform the ten miraculous plagues. They had box seats for the parting of the Red Sea. They ate the manna God miraculously provided in the wilderness. They saw God perform all of these miraculous signs.

 

Then they give a golden calf credit for getting them out of Egypt: “These are the gods who brought us out of Egypt.”

Are you kidding me? …..Come on, people!

Do you know where you’d get if a calf was leading you. Nowhere! All they do is chew cud.

And that’s what cracks me up. Of all the idols they could have made, they choose a calf. I don’t even get it. Maybe it’s just me, but you could certainly come up with a more impressive idol couldn’t you? If you’re going to get into idolatry, at least make it a Raging Bull with three horns that shoot lasers or a two-headed calf that breathes fire. Is that the best you can do? The Israelites aren’t even good at picking idols!

Diddley Squat

 – Let me give you a definition of worship. – Worship is giving credit where credit is due.

 

Sin is the exact opposite. Sin is giving credit to anyone besides God for anything.
Imagine someone facing the eastern horizon and motioning in a dramatic gesture intended to make the sun rise. And the sun comes up. And they think their dramatic gesturing did it. Each of us is that person. Every ounce of energy, every penny, every second of time, every thought, every talent, every opportunity, every blessing is a gift from God.

 

Whenever I start getting heady, Job 34:14 keeps me humble! “If God were to take back His Spirit and withdraw his breath, all life would cease and humanity would return to dust.”

Here’s my translation: without God we’re not even “Diddley Squat.”

 

Now let me jump back into Exodus 32.

 

God has rescued the Israelites. He has shown them miracle after miracle after miracle. He has given them gift after gift after gift. And what do the Israelites do? They take the gift God had given them and use it make idols. They give credit to some golden calf.

Isn’t it amazing how quickly we forget what God has done for us?

 

Let me demystify worship. Worship is saying “Thank You.”

Maybe I’m simple-minded. But I think “Please” and “Sorry” and “Thank You” aren’t just good manners. They are the key to spiritual maturity. Never stop saying “Sorry.” Never stop saying “Please.” And never stop saying “Thank You.”
Isn’t that what I Thessalonians 5:18 says? “No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ.”

 

I think there’s part of us that reads a story like Exodus 32 and we chuckle. Those silly ancient people! How could they worship a golden calf? They were so ancient and so silly. But we worship little green pieces of paper with numbers on them. Is that really any different? I think our idolatry is much more refined and civilized. But if we’re worshiping anything other than God Almighty then we’re bowing down to a golden calf. 

 

Dance Party

So the Aaron makes a golden calf and the people get all excited. They build an altar in front of it. They even throw a dance party.
“EVERYBODY DANCE NOW.”

Moses comes down the mountain with Joshua and they hear this ruckus. Joshua said, “It sounds as if there is war in the camp.” Moses said, “No, it’s neither a cry of victory nor a cry of defeat. It is the sound of a celebration.“

 

Have you ever seen someone get super excited about something you thought was super silly? And you’re sort of embarrassed for them. Like something who thinks they can dance, but they can’t really dance.

 

Permission to speak frankly? I’m embarrassed for them! You would think that this golden calf was producing Cold Stone Creamery shakes through its golden udders or something. But all it is is an inanimate object. That’s it.

 

Here is my observation.

 

They were getting excited about the wrong thing. There is nothing wrong with getting excited. The word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words: En Theos. It means “in God.” In other words, the more we get into God the more enthusiastic we become. Christ followers ought to be the most enthusiastic people on the planet.

 Soren Kierkegaard said, “Boredom is the root of all evil.” I find that fascinating. Let me share a personal conviction: I don’t think our biggest problem is not feeling bad enough about what’s wrong with us. I think our biggest problem is not feeling good enough about what’s right with God.

I think our greatest sin is under-celebrating. Heaven is going to be a cosmic celebration.

 Let me reveal one of Satan’s tactics. The enemy tries to get us to focus on what’s wrong with us so that we won’t worship what’s right with God. I’m going to say it over and over again in this series: don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshipping what’s right about God.

 

Here’s the bottom line: the Israelites celebrating the wrong thing.

We were hardwired to worship something so much bigger and so much better than our manufactured idols.

 

5. BE A NON-CONFORMIST

Vs. 2 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world

God made you an ORIGINAL….please don’t die a COPY.

Be a thermostat!
Don’t be a thermometer, be a thermostat. Thermometers just reflect the climate around them – thermostats set it. Actually, they lift it! Most of us are like thermometers reflecting the culture around us. We buy things others buy, say things others say, wear things others wear, and value things others value. Oh, there are slight variations, but most of the time we don’t set the climate for the world we live in; we simply adjust to it. But not overcomers! No, they take life to the next level. They become thermostats and change the environment in which they’re placed. For instance, you may know people who raise the spiritual temperature of a group, or determine the attitudes of others just by being present. They’re pacesetters. They influence, rather than merely allowing others to influence them. Paul’s challenge to the Romans was to move from being a thermometer to being a thermostat. Listen: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you” (Ro 12:2 TM). God calls us to be authentic. The word authentic comes from the Greek word “to author.” It means to read God’s script for your life and then write your own story, not copy somebody else’s. That’s living. That’s being a thermostat, not a thermometer! – (Bob Gass)Romans 12:1,2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper (reasonable service of) worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

OK Guys, now I start my work weekend to attempt to encourage people in God’s amaZing love.
I will attempt to create a space for people to recognize how much they are loved by a God that created them for a purpose.
My job description can be defined in the following terms.
ambassador, advocate, administrator, baptizer, building usage consultant,

confidante, confronter, community builder, discussion leader, encourager, emotional baggage handler, (did I mention emotional baggage handler?) funeral companion, grace giver, grounds inspector, historian, interpreter, justice seeker, knowledge dispenser, latent gift discoverer, mediator, missionary, nurturer, connector,organizer, opportunity spotter, public speaker,

problem solver, questioner, quarterback, reviewer, spokesperson, spiritual director, teacher, trainer, unifier, utility player, volunteer coordinator,vision caster, wedding ceremony presider, explorer, discoverer,planner, map reader, mountain biker,

photgrapher,designer,lover, friend, father,X-traordinary ingenuity with limited resources (like figuring out a way to use the letter X), youth advocate, yule celebrator, tribal elder,fundraiser,soul winner,prayer warrior,zeal stoker, zoo keeper (okay, so it just seems that way).

Pray for me and the other 10,000 pastors in our amazing America.
I want to do a good job and be faithful to my first calling.
I love you guys.
Pastor Steve

Here are a few scribbles and notes from today’s challenge at Discovery Church.

Here is a brief clip and outline of the message.

Romans
Living Life At A Totally New Level – Part two
EXCHANGING THE TAPES

We are telling ourselves our own story everyday.

The night Lincoln was murdered at Ford’s Theater, he was carrying in his pockets to following items;

a pair of small spectacles folded into a silver case,
a pair of reading glasses,
a small velvet eyeglass cleaner
an ivory pocketknife trimmed with silver,
a large linen handkerchief with “A. Lincoln” stitched in red,
a tiny pencil
a brass sleeve button,
a fancy watch fob
a brown leather wallet lined with purple silk. It contained a Confederate five-dollar bill bearing the likeness of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and
8 newspaper clippings Lincoln had cut out and saved. All of the clippings praised him.

The voices we hear in our heads
THE EGO – THE SLAVE DRIVER – THE RUT – THE MISER
“Pride” “never good enough” “Nothin’s gonna change” – “not worthy”

“Speak to yourselves ……..in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” – Ephesians 5:19
Proverbs, chapter 23:7: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”.

What If What We Are Speaking To Ourselves is A Lie?
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. Romans 1:25
Devil speech= “Has God Said?” Genesis 3:1 & “If you are the Son of God” Matthew 4:3
HOW TO CHANGE THE TAPES THAT PLAY IN YOUR HEAD

 
1. I NEEDED A DOCTOR WHO WAS THERE.
WHAT IF YOU ARE THE DOCTOR?
THINK OF HOW YOU WANT THE ONES YOU LOVE TO THINK ABOUT THEMSELVES AND THEM DO THE SAME TO YOURSELF.
Mark 12:31 ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
2. TWO SCRAPS OF PAPER IN MY POCKET
“I am dust” – “God made this just for me”

3. I AM A STUDENT
Proverbs 24:16 “though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.
4. CHANGING THE CONVERSATION IN YOUR HEAD
2 Corinthians 10:4,5 – “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
A WOMAN WHO TALKS TO HER SELF
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Matthew 9:20-22

SHE SAID TO HERSELF!
“She said to herself”…..If I can just get to Jesus”

Everyone is speaking to themselves.

It’s not really about what people say ABOUT us it’s what we say INSIDE of us.

“I’m not gonna make it …My life is a wreck …I’ve been stuck in this for 12 years ….I’m broke.”

Whatever you say inside yourself will move you closer to or further away from Jesus.
Our life is always moving in the direction of our self talk.
Her feet moved in the direction of her mouth.

What would you look like if you would EXCHANGE the lies for the TRUTH OF GOD?

Past pains can be rewritten as battles won, not scars collected. Nostalgia can be enjoyed without giving up anticipation of the future. Maybe if we can outgrow the stories we’ve told ourselves, we can become something different.

Here are a few scribbles and notes I put together for a talk called Faces In The Fire at Discovery Church

FACES IN THE FIRE
Finding Your Story In God’s Story
Acts part 5

“We soon learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us, building a bonfire on the beach to welcome and warm us in the rain and cold. – Acts 28:1-2 (TLB)

I. IT IS VERY NATURAL TO BE COLD.

Vs. 2 “the rain and cold.”

John 18:18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

Malta, Melivth / Melit in Greek, is an island
some 60 miles south of Sicily and about 180 miles east of Tunisia, Africa. It is
relatively small being only about 18 miles long and 8 miles wide. It had been
settled by the Phoenicians and its name means “place of refuge” and it certainly

English word sincere comes from two Latin words: sine (without) and cera (wax). In the ancient world, dishonest merchants would use wax to hide defects, such as cracks, in their pottery so that they could sell their merchandise at a higher price. More reputable merchants would hang a sign over their pottery — sine cera (without wax) — to inform customers that their merchandise was genuine

“In the last days….the love of many shall wax cold.” – Matthew 24

2. THERE ARE WAYS OF GETTING WARM AND GIVING WARMTH.
“While I was musing the fire burned” – Ps. 39:3.
“Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way?” – Luke 24:32.

3. WE SHOULD KINDLE FIRES FOR OTHERS.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. – Matthew 5:15

Our Fire – His Fire
pura –a fire, a pile of burning fuel Greek – “pur” – cleansing/ lightning
The church’s call today :
is not to be a COUNTER CULTURE but to ENCOUNTER CULTURE.
a fine line between trying to be RELEVANT and trying to be REVERENT.
BEING HIP and BEING HOLY

Our Island needs a good fire

Gather the Tinder.
kin·dling – easily combustible small sticks or twigs used for starting a fire.
“kindred spirit” – Philippians 2:20
Be careful when you gather tinder – vs.3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.

Strike a match.
I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn. – John Wesley
Fan the flame.
“fan into flame the gift of God.” – 2 Timothy 1:6

Save the goals. – “Our God is a consuming fire” Hebrews 12:29

Relevance to our culture and reverence for God are not optional.

Stay together and stay warm

The German philosopher Schopenhauer compared the human race to a bunch of porcupines huddling together on a cold winter’s night. He said, “The colder it gets outside, the more we huddle together for warmth; but the closer we get to one another, the more we hurt one another with our sharp quills. And in the lonely night of earth’s winter eventually we begin to drift apart and wander out on our own and freeze to death in our loneliness.” Christ has given us an alternative-to forgive each other for the pokes we receive. That allows us to stay together and stay warm.

Gather and stay warm my friends.

Steve

THE FOG OF FEAR
The bureau of standards in Washington tells us that A dense fog that covers a seven-city-block area one hundred feet deep is composed of less than one glass of water divided into sixty thousand million drops. Not much is there but it can cripple an entire city. (LESS THAN A GLASS OF WATER)

Fear is faith in the negative, trust in the unpleasant, assurance of disaster and belief in defeat…fear worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles. FEAR IS LIKE A dense fog that covers a seven-city-block area one hundred feet deep is composed of less than one glass of water divided into sixty thousand million drops. Not much is there but it can cripple an entire city. …A CUP FULL OF FEAR CAN HAVE THE SAME EFFECT…WE FORGET TO TRUST GOD….AND TINY DROPS OF FEAR CLOSE IN AROUND OUR THOUGHTS AND WE GET SUBMERGED WITH NO VISION NO HOPE NO FAITH!

Fret not–He loves you (John 13:1) Faint not–He holds you (Psalm 139:10) Fear not–He keeps you (Psalm 121:5)

I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is.
I am so made that fear, worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In fear anxiety and worry, I’m gasping for breath–this are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely–these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, “We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non- worriers, but that is a fact.” But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by fear is to live against God‘s story.

Fear is the end of your story  …. perfect love starts the story again…..

get new ink and start writing again.