Rites Of Passage – Part 4

We wrap up our four week series today called “Rites Of Passage” .

Here are the talking points:

This weekend we wrap up the book of Philippians.

What a fascinating way to develop our spiritual journey.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a kind of sherpa, if you will, to accompany us on our own pilgrimage through this life.

Rite of passage is a celebration of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another or one season to another. It involves a significant change, growth or progress of status in society.

This talk I believe is GERMANE to our culture today – We are attempting to everything and the results turn out poorly. Instead we might attempt doing the right things with excellence.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

VIDEO Nick Vujicic: We Can Do All Things in Christ!

THE 3 RULES OF MOUNTAINEERING.

IT’S ALWAYS FARTHER THAN IT LOOKS.

IT’S ALWAYS TALLER THAN IT LOOKS.

IT’S ALWAYS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS.

“its not an adventure until something goes wrong” – Scott Brady

Making mistakes and having things “go wrong” or “not as planned” are a essential part of growth for our spiritual journey. …… As important as forest fires winter and insects are to the life of a healthy thriving forest.

We only grow by being BURNT, BROKEN, BENT AND BITTEN.

Paul is writing this book in a Roman Prison. – and he writes these words.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13

1. BEFORE DOING “ALL THINGS” REMEMBER TO START WITH SMALL THINGS.

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. – Luke 16:10

“God will entrust you with something bigger after you have proved yourself faithful in the small things.”

“Don’t despise the day of small things.” – Zechariah 4:10

The problem most of us face is we see so many “big” things and we forget or don’t even know how they originally started.

2. MAYBE “ALL THINGS” NEED TO BE RIGHT THINGS

“You can be anything you want to be.” …..”If you can dream it you can do it.”

How many of you have those statements before?

these are phrases that almost all of us have agreed we’ve heard throughout our childhood.

While it sounds so great and inspirational, it’s actually could be a a lie.

Take me for example.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics.

There were three simple steps to accomplishing my goal.

Make 24.3 points per game in the NBA
Be selected to represent the United States in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Be 6’9.”

That’s not my gift set. You would laugh watching me try out for the NBA. If I would have seriously pursued that dream, I would be lost wondering why life didn’t work out. God had something better in mind for me than I did for me.

The same goes for all of us.

We can’t be anything we want to be because we can only be who God made us to be. Our dreams are important, but God’s desires for us are even greater.

Adopting His vision for our lives sets us free to be who He wants us to be, rather than who we think we should be.

So how do we discover what we’re supposed to do with our lives?

Replace the lies we’ve been telling ourselves about who we should be by being honest about our obstacles and opportunities.

Our lies wear us out by pursuing goals that God never meant us to chase. A pipe-dream life. Unreal and unattainable. Both are not us. The lies have to die so you can finally live.

God’s miraculous plan – STOP AT 3:46 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYuVx2LU5QM

“Close some doors today. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere.”

What doors are open for you? Do they match up with your skill set?

If yes, these are your opportunities. You were created exactly the way you are for a reason and have a great purpose in being here on this planet. God has put something incredible in your grasp.

Reach out and take it.

Try “ALL THINGS” AND DO THEM POORLY OR THE RIGHTS THINGS AND DO THEM WITH EXCELLENCE.

3. “ALL THINGS” BUT MOSTLY PRAISEWORTHY THINGS.

“whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8,9 (NKJV)

Rites of passage to to an amazing life with your creator in this creation is developed through small things/right things and praiseworthy things.

ALL THINGS MIGHT NOT JUST MEAN ALL THINGS IN THE GOOD TIMES.

ALL THINGS MEANS ALL THING IN THE HARD TIMES.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Put it on a coffee mug. Put in on a T-shirt. Tattoo it on your body. Put the quote on one of those inspirational posters. The message is “you can do anything you set your mind to!” You can follow your dreams because Christ will strengthen you. You can put it on football posters, superhero posters, jumping in the air triumphantly posters, weight lifting posters, and of course “standing on the edge of a cliff” posters. One meme that I came across said, “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something when the Bible says you can do all things through Christ. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13 ESV)

This is about contentment. Paul discovered the secret to being content in every circumstance. He knows how to face anything that comes at him, whether it is the worst of times or the best of times. It is not about triumphant living. It is not a mantra that will enable you to follow your dreams. The passage doesn’t match the tone of an inspirational poster. Paul talks about being content when he is brought low and when he is hungry and in need.

ALL THINGS WOULD BE:

HARD THINGS/PAINFUL THINGS/HURTFUL THINGS

MONOTONOUS THINGS

CONFUSING THINGS

FRUSTRATING THINGS

TOUGH THINGS

ALONE THINGS

FAITHFULNESS WHEN NOBODY NOTICES THINGS

MISUNDERSTOOD THINGS

BEING FORSAKEN THINGS

ENDURING THE BROKEN THINGS, THE THINGS THAT BURN US, BITE US AND BEND US.

If we wanted to be accurate we could still make some posters though.

One poster could have someone pulling their pockets inside out with a couple moths fluttering out. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!

Another poster could have someone getting last place in a race. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!

One poster could have a picture of someone face down crying on a pillow. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!

Another poster could have someone looking in their cupboard only to find one can of peas. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!

Discovery Church

RITES OF PASSAGE – PART THREE

Here are the talking points to this message.

Rite of passage is a celebration of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group or season to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society.

What’s Your Biggest Regret? (Nobody Wants To Admit The Worst One Of All) Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R45HcYA8uRA

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12-14 ( NIV)

1. Live in the Moment and Measure in the Decade.

“Forgetting what is behind (to a point) and straining toward what is ahead”. vs. 13

Time is measured in minutes, but life is measured in moments, experiences and seasons.

Your destiny is hidden in your history!

FOUR THINGS WE CANNOT RECOVER.

* A stone after it is thrown.

* A word after is is said.

* A opportunity after it is missed.

* Time after it is gone.

We don’t want to live in the past, but we certainly want to learn from it.

2. GOD IS ALREADY THERE.

Psalm 139:16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.

3. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO BE YOURSELF.

Most of us live our entire lives as strangers to ourselves.

There never has been and there never will be another YOU –

FINGER PRINT
VOICE PRINT
EYE PRINT
LIFE PRINT

vs. 13, 14 But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Yes, you owe it to yourself to be yourself ….Or even more important, you owe it to the one who designed you and destined you to be you!

God loves you and all of your tattoos!

. “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” John Muir

4. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO NOT GIVE UP ON YOURSELF.

“Let there be light.” those four words are still creating galaxies at the outer edge of the universe. God is still shaping to person he originally had in mind.

^“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:14 (message)

Our true identities get buried beneath the mistakes and missed-steps we have made in the past. Who we are meant to be get lost in the insecurities we’ve acquired and the lies we’ve believed.

We are held captive by others expectations !

We are uncomfortable in our own skin.

We spend way too much emotional, relational and spiritual energy trying to be who we are not.

WHY? – because it’s easier and we think it’s safer. But, trying to be who we’re not amounts to forfeiting our spiritual birthrights!

IT’S NOT THAT WE ARE JUST LYING TO OURSELVES…..SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY WE END UP LOSING OURSELVES.

If you are still breathing, God hasn’t given up on you….So don’t give up on yourself.

Remember, it’s never too late to be the person you might have been.

In The End …Your creator says.

“BE MINE” and please Be yourself!

God would like to introduce yourself to yourself.

There never has been and there will never will be anyone like you . But that isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you….Some never discover the God- given identity that makes them unlike anyone else.

You were created an original….please don’t live life as a copy.

Romans 12:2 Mold me, Shape me, until I think like you Lord.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jer 31:3).
Jesus once said “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13

God’s love is unconditional, His love is eternal, His love is effectual, and His love rescues us from the wrath of God that our sins had brought.

“I can’t make you love me, but you can’t keep me from loving you”

and thankfully that is true and proven true in Scripture.

Prescott

Embry Riddle university – Greater Prescott Prayer Breakfast highlights

http://dcourier.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=154785&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1086&utm_source&utm_medium&utm_campaign

Discovery Church

Rites Of Passage – Part 2

What a fascinating way to develop our spiritual journey.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a kind of sherpa, if you will, to accompany us on our own pilgrimage through this life.

Philippians is the eleventh book in the New Testament. Paul and Timothy first visited Philippi, in Greece, during Paul’s second missionary journey, which occurred between approximately 49 and 51 AD. and it is written from a jail in Rome.

Rite of passage is a celebration of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group or season to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society.

We are going to look in the book of Philippians at 4 or 5 RITES OF PASSAGE the if navigated correctly help us start Moving from and ORDINARY LIFE to an EXTRAORDINARY life.

Philippians 2:5-11 (the message)

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, becamehuman! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

1. I WOULD RATHER BE HUMBLED THAN HUMILIATED?

Vs. 8 He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Pride is concerned about WHO IS RIGHT …..Humility is concerned with WHAT IS RIGHT.

. WE CAN REALLY FRUSTRATE THE GRACE OF GOD.

But we have a cure for it!

Humilify VIDEO

“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6

Humility isn’t denying your strengths; it’s being honest about your weaknesses.

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS ABOUT… HUMILITY

God humbles us for our own good : Deuteronomy 8:16

God hears the prayers of the humble : 2 Chronicles 7:14

God saves those who are humble : Psalm 18:27

God preserves the lives of humble people : Psalm 147:6

Those who are humble become wise : Proverbs 11:2

God cares for the humble : Isaiah 66:2

God will exalt the humble : Luke 18:4

We must be humble in dealing with others : Philippians 2:1-11

We should humble ourselves before God : James 4:10

3. DON’T YOU LOVE IT WHEN SOMEONE DOESN’T LEVERAGE THEIR ____________AGAINST YOU?

(fill in the blank)

Family , Wealth, Togetherness, Strength, Brains, Speed, Talent, Spirituality, Religion, Coolness?

Vs. 6 ” Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. “

He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. – Phil. 2:6 (Message)

In other words ….Jesus didn’t leverage being God over us….He didn’t take advantage or use “being God” against us.

Humility, according to Thomas More is, “that lowly, sweet root from which all heavenly virtues shoot.”

Stay humble or you’ll stumble.

FEELING SMALL IN CREATION AND HOW IT CAN HUMBLE US.

God created the human mind so that, among other things, we would be able to discover the beauty of his creation. God created us to be scientists – to be discoverers.

What about our amazingly ordered universe, the development of life on our planet, and the intricate systems that keep us and other beings alive – well, it just blew me away. You see, I always understood that God is an intelligent being, but being reminded – even in a small way – of the intelligence and creativity behind this world of ours – fills me with awe. And of course, contemplating the greatness of God also fills us with humility.

CREATION/THE EARTH AND THE UNIVERSE KEEP ON GIVING AND SERVING US …..IT IS A REMINDER OF HOW WE ARE TO SERVE.

Jesus set the example just like He set the order of things – to humbly serve.

Mark 10:45 – For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

4. SERVING OTHERS PREPARES YOU TO LEAD OTHERS.

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Phil 2:10-11

Pride OR Humility? (Questions) VIDEO

Communion

Has everyone been served?

Discovery Prescott

RITES OF PASSAGE – Part 1

Rite of passage is a celebration of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society.

Philippians 1:1-6

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the Bishops and deacons

²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

THE BACK STORY TO PHILIPPIANS.

The best way to get a grip on Philippians is to get the “back story” from Acts 16 (Paul arrives in Philippi around 50 A.D. )

Philippi is near today’s modern day Kavala, in North eastern Greece.. Philippi as the first city to be evangelized in Europe.

Some quick key points to Philippi

1. Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi Acts – 16:11-14

This is the first person according to historians to come to Christ in Europe!

From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight ¹²From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. ¹³On the Sabbath we went outside the city to the river, (Gangites River (or the Crenides river) where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.

A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay.” So she persuaded us. — Acts 16:14-15 World English Bible

2. Paul and Silas in Prison because of a teenage demon possessed girl. – Acts 16:16

¹⁶Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

¹⁹When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.

3. Jail house rock.

After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.³⁰He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

So here we have Two families (households) that have come to Christ.

One by a river and the other in a jail.

Now fast forward about 10 – 15 years….Paul is in another Prison, this time in Rome writing back to the Church he started at Philippi.

Philippians 1:1-6

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the Bishops and deacons^[a]:

²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We have “rites of Passage’ but have we ever thought about the RITES OF PASSAGE FOR GOD?

NOT JUST WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR US TO GET TO GOD….BUT WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR GOD TO GET TO US?

RITES OF PASSAGE OF JESUS TO GET TO LYDIA AND THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER?

1. It took a DREAM.

2. It took a RIVER.

3. It took some JAIL TIME.

4. It took some PRAISE and PRAYER.

5. It took an EARTHQUAKE.

Paul saw him about to destroy himself and shouted, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here” (Acts 16:28). The jailer called for a light and came in trembling before Paul and Silas and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31).

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RIGHTS OF PASSAGE FOR GOD?

1. TO GET TO US HE HAD TO BECOME LIKE US.

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

2. TO GET TO US HE HAD TO LIVE LIKE US.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” – Hebrews 4:15

” Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” – Hebrews 2:18

3. TO GIVE US LIFE HE HAD TO GIVE UP HIS.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. – 1 John 15:13

“who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” – Galatians 1:4

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. ” – 1 John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

Jesus went through the RITES OF PASSAGE to get to you. He suffered, obeyed, gave up, sacrificed and loved even when we did not love him back.

The RIGHTS OF PASSAGE OF GOD to get to you.

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”

Books I'm Reading, outdoors

BACKPACKING WITH THE SAINTS

Diving into this tonight at the suggestion of a friend.

The only problem with me reading this book is now I know I will need to do this.

Here is the review on the Jacket cover.

“Carrying only basic camping equipment and a collection of the world’s great spiritual writings, Belden C. Lane embarks on solitary spiritual treks through the Ozarks and across the American Southwest. For companions, he has only such teachers as Rumi, John of the Cross, Hildegard of Bingen, Dag Hammarskjöld, and Thomas Merton, and as he walks, he engages their writings with the natural wonders he encounters–Bell Mountain Wilderness with Søren Kierkegaard, Moonshine Hollow with Thich Nhat Hanh–demonstrating how being alone in the wild opens a rare view onto one’s interior landscape, and how the saints’ writings reveal the divine in nature.

The discipline of backpacking, Lane shows, is a metaphor for a spiritual journey. Just as the wilderness offered revelations to the early Desert Christians, backpacking hones crucial spiritual skills: paying attention, traveling light, practicing silence, and exercising wonder. Lane engages the practice not only with a wide range of spiritual writings–Celtic, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi Muslim–but with the fascination of other lovers of the backcountry, from John Muir and Ed Abbey to Bill Plotkin and Cheryl Strayed. In this intimate and down-to-earth narrative, backpacking is shown to be a spiritual practice that allows the discovery of God amidst the beauty and unexpected terrors of nature. Adoration, Lane suggests, is the most appropriate human response to what we cannot explain, but have nonetheless learned to love.

An enchanting narrative for Christians of all denominations, Backpacking with the Saints is an inspiring exploration of how solitude, simplicity, and mindfulness are illuminated and encouraged by the discipline of backcountry wandering, and of how the wilderness itself becomes a way of knowing-an ecology of the soul.”

Now to make plans of my own.

My saints will be:

Frank Boreham, John Muir, Ed Abby, Henry David Thoreau, a little Leonard Sweet and some good maps.

Thanks Eric N for the tip on this one.

“there are those who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” – Aldo Leopold- A Sand County Almanac

Steve

Discovery Prescott

Four converging streams at Discovery.

“A RIVER WENT OUT OF EDEN TO WATER THE GARDEN…AND BECAME…FOUR [STREAMS].” GENESIS 2:10

1. Biblical Absolutes.

these are the truth statements provided for us in the Bible. As an absolute, we mean that these concepts are true no matter when or where we live. For example, the Bible makes it clear that all of us are sinners. That’s true whether you lived in 15th century England or 21st century Mexico, or even 24th century America should such a day ever come. Biblical absolutes stand tall regardless of current culture. The Bible’s insistence that Jesus is the only means of salvation is absolutely true, even though modern thinking wants to open up other roadways to God. No matter our ideas or preferences, absolutes are absolutes–even in a culture that wants to define truth as what works for you.

2. Personal Convictions.

comprised of those things that we have personally chosen as expressions of our faith in Christ. For some of us, there are things we won’t do because of our own convictions. The Apostle Paul dealt with these at Corinth when the issue of eating meat that had been previously offered to idols arose. Some felt that such eating was inappropriate while others didn’t wrestle with the idea. We should note that Paul didn’t take a side or establish either view as a standard or absolute, but instead made room for each person to follow their own heart and asked them to respect and love each other enough to allow for different choices.

3. Personal Preferences.

This group is filled with all sorts of ideas. It’s “the way we like it” category of opinions and ideas. Music styles, Bible versions, carpet colors, ministry models, and so much more offer different approaches baed on what I personally enjoy most. And yet, while these are the lowest group on the conviction scale, they are often the largest source of conflict. You see, many of us (especially when we’ve taken our eyes off of God’s harvest) simply want things to be the way we like them.

Now, having preferences surely isn’t wrong. You can prefer certain styles of worship expression or decide that you like the New King James Version better than the old one, but when personal preferences aren’t kept personal, problems arise. Any time these start climbing the ladder into the other categories, trouble will soon erupt.

If I insist that my preferences are really my convictions, I will find myself easily offended. If try to make my Convictions into Community Standards, I will become demanding and difficult for others to work with. And if we try turning our Community Standards into Biblical Absolutes, we end up treating our ways and traditions as equal with the Bible.

4. Community Standards

This second level of conviction contains the rules we choose to live by in our community of faith. They are not Biblical directives, but they are agreed upon standards that allow our place in the body of Christ to be evident. For example, most of us worship on Sunday mornings. While local churches have been doing that for a very long time, it’s not a Biblical absolute, is it? We don’t discount congregations that choose to meet on different days, but we have our own agreed upon practices that we maintain. We also choose certain behaviors to either act out or avoid. Here, we often see a church’s membership standards or the “understood” rules we live by. We may not be able to offer chapter and verse to insist that everyone act as we do, but in our community, this is what we do.

Let’s Get along so we can move along.

Steve

Discovery Prescott

Enjoy The View -part 3

ephesians wood

WHERE YOU STAND DETERMINES WHAT YOU SEE!

Intro: One day, six blind men decided to go to the zoo. They hired a guide to tell them about all the exotic animals they couldn’t see. When they came to the elephants, the zoo keeper wanted them to have more than a verbal description, so he allowed them each to feel the elephant.

Since the elephant was large, and since the zoo keeper had limited time, he let each man touch one part of the giant mammal.

The first blind man reached out and his hand grabbed the elephant’s tail. “Aha,” he exclaimed, “the elephant is like a big rope.”

The next man felt a massive elephant leg. He looked strange, no rope was that big. “No, the elephant is like a large log or tree.” He was sure of this.

The third blind man walked forward and ran straight into the elephant’s side, whereupon he pronounced that, “The elephant is really a big wall.”

Next, another of the blind men reached out and took hold of one of the elephant’s ears. It must have tickled, because the elephant wiggled the large ear, causing the fourth man to exclaim, “Oh, see this, the elephant is like a big fan.”

The fifth blind man decided that the first four were all slightly daft and they couldn’t be describing the same creature, so he carefully walked up and put out his hand, the elephant raised his trunk to the man who felt it and grinned in wonder. “My friends, it is obvious the elephant is like a huge snake.”

The final man was totally confused, he walked forward and reached out, hoping to find the truth, and encountered a tusk. He paused and brightened, “I understand, the true nature of the elephant is this, he is a sword.”

The zoo keeper and guide smiled at one another, knowing that none had seen the big, elephantine, picture.

Sometimes we don’t see the whole picture – we just see parts of it – We see our situation from the wrong vantage point.

WHERE YOU STAND DETERMINES WHAT YOU SEE!

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints Ephesians 1:18 (niv)

Ephesians is has a two part theme:
1. Who we are in Christ Chapters 1-3 – DOCTRINAL chapters
2. How we should live Chapters 4-6 – PRACTICAL chapters

‘Who are you, Lord?’ … “‘What do you want me to do, Lord?’ I asked Acts 22::8-10

The Threefold postures of the Christ life
1. Our Status – SIT
God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus Ephesians 2:6

2. Our Service – WALK
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8

3. Our Strategy – STAND
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

The Greek verb to “STAND” means to “HOLD YOUR GROUND”

We don’t fight FOR victory …..we fight FROM victory

“They overcame the devil by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.“Rev – 12:11

SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO TAKE A STAND!

Yes you have to stand for something or you will fall for anything

1. STAND UP – Nehemiah. 9:5

“Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.”

The first priority in a spiritual battle is to stand up and praise the lord.

Why ? Because it announces to everyone that you are on God’s side and God is on your side.

2. STAND OUT –

Romans 12:1,2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer 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.

DON’T CONFORM IN THE BATTLE

3. STAND IN –

1 Corinthians. 2:5 your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers Psalm 1:1

Luke 1:19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

4. STAND STILL –

Exodus. 14:13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Numbers 9:8 – stand still and see what the Lord says.

5. STAND BEFORE –
Romans 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:
” ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.’ “12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Discovery Prescott

Enjoy The View – Part 2

Message notes and outline for Sunday January 10, 2016

Here is the video of Sit, Walk, Stand .

https://vimeo.com/151471266

Introduction:

The book of Ephesians is like the Empire State Building and Glacier Point!

Ephesians gives you a BIRDS EYE VIEW of not only the rest of Paul’s letters in the New Testament but you begin to get a CLEAR VIEW of who God is through Jesus Christ as well as a VISION of who you are in Christ.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints Ephesians 1:18 (niv)

The view from the observation deck of the Empire State building.

Glacier Point – Yosemite, Ca.

Ephesians is divided into two sections:

1. Who we are in Christ Chapters 1-3 – DOCTRINAL chapters

2. How we should live Chapters 4-6 – PRACTICAL chapters

Paul gives us a great look at how we can understand how the Christian life works.

” ‘Who are you, Lord?’ … “‘What do you want me to do, Lord?’ – Acts 22::8-10

1. Our Status – SIT

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ..That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” – Ephesians. 1:18-21

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”. – Ephesians 2:6

When take a seat we relax and rest at once.

To sit down is simply to rest take our whole weight off of ourselves.

* OUR BURDENS.

* OUR FUTURE.

* OUR CARES.

* OUR ANXIETIES.

* OUR FEARS.

* OUR FRUSTRATIONS.

* OUR LOAD.

1 peter 5:7 ” Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Psalm 55:2 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

GIVE THE LOAD TO THE LORD!

PEOPLE WHO TOOK A SEAT

1. Those PROVIDED FOR. – for the Hungry
“Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” John 6:10

2. Those DELIVERED FROM. – for the Desperate
“they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.” – Luke 8:35

3. Those RESTED IN. – for those who Desire God’s presence
“Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught” – Luke 10:39

SEATED OR DEFEATED

This was God’s way of doing things from the beginning.

In the creation God worked from the first day to the sixth day and rested on the seventh.For the first six days God was very busy – but on the seventh day he rested – THE SABBATH is a day of rest. – In the days of creation we can see that in all the work Adam was created on the 6th day.

On the sixth day …God said, “Let us make man in our image.”- Genesis 1:26

Principle is this: God’s 7th day was Adam’s 1st day.

God worked the first 6 days so Adam could rest on his 1st day.

God set up the order of priorities like this – God works and then rest – we are to rest and then work.

At the cross Jesus 7th set of words were “IT IS FINISHED” – HE WORKS on behalf of our salvation so that we can rest in his WORK not our own.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” – Eph 2:8

Let’s seek God’s face, not just His hand!

Discovery Church, Discovery Prescott

ENJOY THE VIEW – Ephesians part 1

Message notes from January 3, 2016

Happy New year friends. – We are going to get through the New Testament this year …..But remember…

The goal is’nt getting THROUGH the Bible …. the goal is getting the Bible THROUGH us.

Here is the outline and a view brief notes from the message “Enjoy The View>’

Introduction – “ENJOY THE VIEW.” – THE WORDS OF THE ELEVATOR ATTENDANT IN THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING back in 1978.

A birds eye view of New York city.

Total Height: 1,454 feet
To 86th Floor Observatory: 1,050 feet
Steps: 1,860 from street level to 102nd floor.

Glacier Point in Yosemite gives you yet another amazing view – YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN / WHERE YOU ARE CAMPED AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING!

The book of Ephesians is like the Empire State Building and Glacier Point!
To have a grasp of the book of Ephesians gives you a BIRDS EYE VIEW of not only the rest of Paul’s letters in the New Testament but you begin to get a CLEAR VIEW of who God is through Jesus Christ as well as a VISION of who you are in Christ.

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints’ – Ephesians 1:18 (niv)

“Walk by faith not by sight”. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (niv)

At Discovery, it’s not so much us telling you how to live as much as it is helping you to see.

As the “eyes of your heart are enlightened“, you will be able to see God in situations when others can’t see Him

You will be able to not be blinded by materialism – emotionalism – or other distractions that can easily blind us to God’s best …. EPHESIANS IS A BIRDS EYE VIEW TO SEE GOD AND TO SEE THE GOD LIVED LIFE!

How we see God, the world, Jesus, the church, the means to salvation, Christian behavior, marriage and the family work ethic, and spiritual warfare ….

Ephesians is has a two part theme:
1. Who we are in Christ Chapters 1-3 – Our position in Christ
2. How we should live Chapters 4-6 – Our practice in this world – (practice….religion is a discipline)

Getting a firm grasp on the three main aspects of the Christian life.

1. How to sit.

2. How to walk.

3. How to stand.

1. Our Status – SIT

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ Ephesians 1:3

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus Ephesians 2:6

“The Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 16:15 NIV

Knowing God better comes from sitting down and getting to know him.
Spiritual activities can never replace spiritual intimacy. A lot of us go to church with the wrong focus. We want to know what the pastor’s subject is. What we should be thinking is: “Lord, whatever the preacher says today, I want You to speak to me personally so I’ll know what Your will is for my situation.” When God’s Word starts coming alive for you in ways that change you and take you in a direction you would never have discovered for yourself, you’re on the same wavelength as the Holy Spirit, whose job is to clarify and reveal God’s purpose for your life. Living on this wavelength puts you in a world apart from others, even many professing Christians.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2, verse 14, that the “natural man” can’t grasp anything from God because his spirit is dead. He says the things of God are “foolishness” to such a person. So a mature believer is worlds removed from the understanding of the spiritually dull or dead person. The truth is, even church-goers don’t understand the mature believer. Paul said such a person “is appraised [properly understood and evaluated] by no one” (1Co 2:15 NASB). Folks can’t figure mature believers out because they have “the mind of Christ” (1Co 2:16 NIV). This kind of intimacy with God is rare today, even though the mind of Christ is God’s will for, and is available to each of us. Spiritually mature believers have a passion to pursue and know God, and they aren’t satisfied until they are in an intimate relationship with Him. So make your goal – knowing God better.

What if?

What if you rejected everything about God that wasn’t God and just accepted him for who he is?
God is really more than what religious people say he IS or ISN’T.God is for you not against you. – Romans 8:31God doesn’t just love you …. He actually likes you!
He likes you enough to want to spend eternity with you!

2. Our Service – WALK
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live and walk a life worthy of the calling you have received Ephesians 4:1
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8

“OUR GOAL IS TO MEASURE UP TO GOD’S PLAN FOR US.” 2 CORINTHIANS 10:13 TLB

Three all-important questions when it comes to our walk!

How will I know when Christ is the center of my life? Because you’ll walk in confidence before Him. Worry is a warning light that Christ has been shoved to the sideline. The moment you put Him back in His rightful place and say, “I’m trusting You, not myself,” you’ll have peace again. Listen: “A sense of God’s wholeness…will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (Php 4:7 TM).

What kind of person am I becoming? Peter says, “Don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love” (2Pe 1:5 TM). Tall order, eh? Don’t get discouraged. It takes a lifetime to put these building blocks in place.

What will my contribution be? While we’re called to serve others, even Jesus didn’t try to meet everybody’s needs. Choose where you can be effective based on your gifts; ask, “Who do I have a desire to help most?” Jesus said, “I appointed you to go out and bear fruit” (Jn 15:16 NRSV). But each of us bears different fruit.
One day God will review your answers to these questions. Did you make Jesus the center of your life? Did you seek to become more like Him each day? Did you devote yourself to serving others? Ultimately, these are the questions that will matter.

3. Our Strategy – STAND

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvationand the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

stevelummer.com

Author Archives: Lummer Steve

Rites Of Passage – Part 4

Take me for example.

The same goes for all of us.

So how do we discover what we’re supposed to do with our lives?

RITES OF PASSAGE – PART THREE

1. Live in the Moment and Measure in the Decade.

Embry Riddle university – Greater Prescott Prayer Breakfast highlights

Rites Of Passage – Part 2

Humilify VIDEO

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS ABOUT… HUMILITY

Pride OR Humility? (Questions) VIDEO

RITES OF PASSAGE – Part 1

Some quick key points to Philippi

1. Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi Acts – 16:11-14

Thanksgiving and Prayer

BACKPACKING WITH THE SAINTS

Four converging streams at Discovery.

1. Biblical Absolutes.

2. Personal Convictions.

4. Community Standards

Enjoy The View -part 3

Enjoy The View – Part 2

ENJOY THE VIEW – Ephesians part 1