Why do we say short prayers?

Communion Thoughts November 8, 2015- inspired by Andy Stanley's "Permission to Speak Freely" podcast in 2007 and God's word.

Communion Thoughts November 8, 2015

What do you do when you know your will is not God’s will?

For instance:

·         You know God wants you to apologize, but you don’t want to.

·         You know He wants you to donate time or money, but you don’t want to.

·         You know He wants you to tell the whole truth, but you would rather leave some parts out.

·         Maybe it’s a health issue.  You are praying for healing for someone, but it just isn’t happening. 

What do you do?   Jesus prayed.  Jesus prayed a lot.  The length of Jesus’ prayers seemed related to the alignment of His will and God’s.  For instance:

In John, when Lazarus had been dead four days we read that Jesus wept.  Then he said a quick prayer:

John 11:40-44New International Version (NIV)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”   ⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out…

 

That was a quick prayer.  God, I know you want Lazarus to be healed and I am just praying so other people know you are doing this and not me. 

What about when Jesus’ will did not align with God’s will?  The night before he was betrayed, Jesus prayed long enough for his disciples to fall asleep three different times.   What was His struggle?  The will:   

Matthew 26:38-42New International Version (NIV)

³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”  ³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  ⁴⁰ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. ⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”   ⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

 

Trying to align our will with God’s will is not always easy.  Jesus sweat blood and He was part of God.  What determines the length of your prayers?   How do you wrestle with God’s will when it is not in alignment with yours?  As we prepare for communion and reflect on His sacrifice.   May we remember how the spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak.  May we connect with Him in a way that gives us power to do His will.

Prayer: Make us willing to do your will.

 

In life, do you tend to play offense or defense?

How many football fans do we have here?  What an exciting time.  Do you enjoy watching your favorite team play offense or defense?  With offense, there is a high level of anticipation and uncertainty.  Are they going to run the ball up the middle or around the outside.   Are they going to throw a short pass or a hail Mary.  Will the coach call the plays you think he should call?  So many variables come into play.

From a spiritual perspective, do you tend to play offense or defense?  There were many who played offense in the Bible.  When Noah built the ark before it had even rained, he was playing offense.  When Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he was playing offense. When the Israelites marched around Jericho, crossed the Jordan and covered their doors with blood at Passover, they were playing offense.  When David attacked Goliath, he was playing offense.   When we get to the New Testament, we discover the parable of the talents.  There, we find that Jesus highly encourages us to play offense.  What does playing offense or defense spiritually have to do with communion?

During communion, I confess I tend to pray about the things that I did over the last week that I shouldn’t have done.   Thinking about the things I shouldn’t have done and trying not to do them is playing Defense.  I am working on training my mind to focus more on things that I should do.  I am working on moving toward the offensive moves He may want me to make.  I believe playing offense allows us to use God’s gift of grace the most and naturally draws us closer to Him. 

Can you relate?  Do you tend to focus on the things you shouldn’t have done- a more defensive way of thinking, or do you tend to think about the opportunities God is laying before you- a more offensive way of thinking?  What amazing journey does He have in store for you next?  These offensive adventures may create a high level of uncertainty and may significantly complicate our lives.  Playing offense will certainly make us uncomfortable. 

Now, during communion, as we contemplate the power behind His resurrection, may we contemplate those spiritual opportunities we are facing.  May we consider how playing offense may spur us to know Him more and draw us closer to Him.  And, as Jonathan said on his way up a cliff preparing to attack the Philistines, “perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf.”

Power from the foundation of our faith

This is a great time to explore the power behind the foundation of our faith.   Have you ever thought about how people became Christ followers the first 20-50 years after He arose then ascended to heaven?   40 days after Christ ascended to heaven, there were no new testament scriptures, no typewriter, no radio, no tv, no phone, no internet, no texting, no facebook, and no twitter.   Yet, several were martyred for the sake of belief in Christ and His resurrection.  In fact, it is believed that:

·         Thomas was killed with a spear.

 

·         Bartholemew was scourged and beheaded

 

·         James was beaten, stoned and clubbed to death,

 

·         Andrew was crucified and was bound to the cross instead of nailed,

 

·         Peter was crucified upside down

The bottom line was that these men knew a man who claimed he would die on the cross.  That man did die on the cross and then He came back to life.   They believed in the power of the foundation of our faith.  They believed that if any man could die and come back to life- that was something worth dying for.  That is also something worth living for!

The power of the foundation of our faith is the resurrection of Christ.   That power fueled the spread of Christianity in the earliest of days and is with us today.  Scriptures tell us that power can:

·        Do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine (Eph 3:20)

·        Allow us to forgive and to be forgiven. (Col 3:13)

·        It can set us free from guilt. (John 8:31-31)

·        That power can free us from the power of sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

·        It can help us demolish strongholds in our lives and allow us to stand our ground. (2 Cor 10:4)

·        That power allows us to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. (1 Cor:10)

·        It enables us to not conform any longer to the patterns of this world. (Rom 12:2)

·        But that power can allow us to be transformed  by the renewing of our minds. (Rom 12:2)

·        It helps us to consider it pure joy when we endure trials. (James 1:2)

·        That power gives us the strength to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus . (Phil 3:14)

·        It allows us to never be lacking in zeal, but to keep our spiritual fervor serving the Lord. (Rom 12:11)

·        It makes us relentless in our pursuit of love for God and each other. (Mark 12:30-31)

·        That power propels us forward as we Go and make disciples of all nations. (Matt 28:19)

As we focus on Christ’s sacrifice this morning, may we also contemplate the power behind His resurrection for our community, church, and our selves.

Love surpasses knowledge!

Do you ever feel intense pressure to make Mother's Day just right?  How do you honor someone adequately who has such an influential part on all our lives as Mothers?  To make my wife's Mother's day as good as possible, I thought I would get advice from our kids.  I asked them, "what do you think we should get Mommy to show her we love her and to surprise her in honor of Mother's day?"  My six-year-old, Isaac, quickly volunteered the idea that we should buy her a four wheeler.  My four-year-old, Rachel, suggested we buy her earrings, a necklace, and flowers.   My two-year-old, Liam, added that he thought we should buy her a chicken! 

As silly as some of their ideas were, they were motivated out of love.  No matter what we would have given Amanda, even if it was a chicken, she would have lovingly accepted it…because of how much she loves her kids.  In fact, we often here it said that “there is no greater love than the love of a mother for her children.”  

While mothers certainly have a huge capacity to love,  there is even a greater love!  The love God has for us.  In Ephesians 3:18-19, Paul prays we will know this love.  He prays we will have the power to know how wide, how long, how high and how deep is the love of Christ and to know His love that surpasses knowledge.   

This kind of love is amazingly vast.  Huge love!  I heard the amount of love that Christ has for us is similar to the amount of water available in the ocean for a sea bird.  All the small sips it will take from the ocean in it's life span will never come close to sipping all the water it has available in the ocean.  All our attempts to understand Christ's love will never come close to grasping how great it is.  This morning as we take communion together, I encourage you to pray that He will help you know His love that surpasses knowledge.

But...THAT'S NOT FAIR!

Protects.  Trusts.  Hopes.  Perseveres.   It never fails that when I sit up front in church, Rick will share a heart wrenching story that will make me battle back tears in front of the congregation and my wife.  Last week I was not just a little misty, I felt like I was going to need a Kleenex!  Of course I would never ask for one.  I have a feeling we all could relate with the story he told of the young lady blogging about her trials with infertility. 

Amanda and I could directly relate, however, we all have had those life is not fair moments!  Like Rick said, it is false for us to believe that just because we are Christians life will be fair.  He spoke to my heart when he said we need grace and that we actually don't want life to be fair.  It got me wondering, what do you, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, do when life is not fair? 

What do you do when a loved one becomes sick or passes much earlier than they should?  That's not fair!  What do you do when you discover a grim diagnosis?  What do you do when those you love, the very people who are supposed to be helping you, turn on you?  What do you do when a job promotion continues to pass over you year after year? It's just not fair!  What do you do?

Two things I try to do during my "life's not fair moments" involve directing my focus.  The first thing I try to focus on is Christ and the second is His definition of love.  I try to remember that, of all people to have the right to say "life's not fair," it was Jesus Christ.  Communion time reminds me of that.  

Protects.  Trusts.  Hopes.  Perseveres. Christ death on the cross was not fair, but His resurrection was to protect us from God’s wrath:  Christ’s death on the cross was not fair, but His resurrection proves we can trust the promises of Christ and God’s word.    Christ’s death on the cross was not fair, but His resurrection provides us with hope in salvation in spite of our sin.   Christ’s death and resurrection demonstrates love as perseverance…Matthew tells us He could have called 72,000 angels to destroy the world and set us free.  But, if He had, He wouldn’t have accomplished His purpose on earth…to save us from Sin. Fortunately, Christ didn't get what He deserved. 

Christ’s resurrection proves that His love never fails!  God is love.  Christ is love.  Love defeated death.

In addition to focusing on Christ, I try to focus on His definition of love.  The same love that defeated death now lives in us.  When I am lacking focus, it has really helped me to just say "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" over and over.  As we prepare for communion and even for the next 14 days before Easter, if you have a problem with your mind wondering/staying focused, I encourage you to repeat those words. Consider saying those words repeatedly for the next three to four minutes.  Pray them.  Apply them to your life/your battles, your challenges and your hopes.  Imagine what would happen if we as a church body had this kind of love mastered?

Father thank you for your love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres and never fails.    Forgive us for falling short.  As we remember your love and sacrifice, As we contemplate your defeat over sin and death, Help us to  catch a glimpse of your love that surpasses knowledge.

 

The old way Vs. The new way

I have been reading through the old testament and I love this series by Andy Stanley:  http://northpoint.org/messages/brand-new/

West Branch Reservoir Camping July 2014

We saw a bald eagle in Northeastern Ohio while camping last weekend.  It was seen flying through the swim zone at west branch state park in Ravenna, Ohio.  I also should note that if anyone uses site 57 while there, to be prepared in the event of rain.  The ground becomes very muddy and soaked where you step out from inside your camper.  Suggestions would be to bring lots of straw, saw dust, tarps or other forms of barriers to help control for these conditions.  We had a patio mat that became covered in mud/water.