FOUNDRYcast

At Foundry, our vision is simple.

Jesus is Big Enough.

Once it is said, the complexity begins. It opens up a whole range of emotions. We've talked about the Dark side of Jesus is Big Enough. When we begin searching for a bigger vision for our world, we realize that our own vision is simply inadequate. We need to see and understand God's vision for our world.

Jesus is Big Enough

This Sunday, we are going to look at some familiar parts of scripture to Foundry. We are going to talk about what this year in ministry looks like for us. Part of this is understanding the idea of permanent space for us as a church. The other part of it is understanding how this doesn't mean we can rest or sit back. It doesn't mean we stop behaving like a start-up, mission focused and intentional. It doesn't mean we get to be a "real church" now (yes, we have heard that statement).

It means Jesus is Big Enough.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.

15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.'"

16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.17 For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us. John 1:14-18

We understand "Big Enough" by understanding the relationship Jesus has to our world (Foundry refers to the 4 assumptions) and what He is here for. As Jesus is a revealer to us, we understanding part of our mission to be revealing to other folks. Us, as a church, doing a myriad of things which cause them to experience a God big enough for their needs. As it says earlier in John, Jesus is bringing light to dark places. As the prophet Isaiah foretold, "he is making the paths straight" and "prepare my highway for the people to return", our mission is to serve as that trailblazer for Jesus. And as John told us, he is full of unfailing love and faithfulness, because our God is full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

I've done some outrageous things to fit in. I'm sure all of us have. I remember begging my Dad to let me get lines shaved in the side of my head when I was around 8 years old. To my surprise, he totally let me…but it didn't change my social status. For many of us, adolescence is a constant journey to find just the right place in the social playground.

And sadly, it doesn't change that much as we get older.

There will always be groups of people we want to be part of. The struggle is figuring out what belonging actually looks like, what the benefits are, and ultimately…what's best for us.

Finding Who We Are

Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, ran a pretty radical course after the resurrection of Jesus. He wrote a few letters in the New Testament to a group of churches he was in a relationship with. They were all about hardships and fitting in. More specifically, what did it mean to fit in from an eternal perspective, not from an earthly one. So as we dig in deep into purpose this January, this week we will read Peter's letter to the churches he is in a leadership relationship with.

For the sake of the big picture, let's read all of chapter 2.

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness.

4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,

"I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." 7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,

"The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone." 8 And,

"He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy." 11 Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

13 For the Lord's sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

15 It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.

18 You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ sufferedfor you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

22 He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. 25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.

Peter is speaking to something much bigger than our blunder years. He is helping us understand the true role and place of belonging. As we often strive for one thing, there is something drastically bigger than we can imagine and we don't come to it as individuals. We find it as we begin to understand our own sense of place and belonging as a group called the Church.

So come Sunday and let's talk about who we are.

Over the last few weeks, we have talked about us God wants you to be and who God wants us to be. This week we are talking about what God wants us to do. We are going back into the story of Jeremiah, and looking at the larger content behind one of many folks favorite Bible verses.

For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

This verse provides comfort to many folks. We hear it in the middle of turmoil, conflict, and stress. And that is totally where it should be. Jeremiah 29 is all about turmoil, conflict, and stress, but in a situation many of us are unaware of. Let's read the beginning of the chapter and the place this verse speaks from.

Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. 2 This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the other officials of Judah, and all the craftsmen and artisans had been deported from Jerusalem. 3 He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah's ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah's letter said: 29:1-3

God's people, ripped from their homeland are carted off and made the subjects and inhabitants of the people who destroyed their country. That's a place many of us wouldn't necessarily want to be. It might cause us to go through a range of emotions. We might feel abandoned, frustrated, angry, and vengeful. Families ripped apart end up having to learn how to live in multiple places, far away from those they love.

In the middle of this chapter is a verse that I think really sets the tone of what God is telling His people to do.

This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 "Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare." 29:4-7

What we find out is the future God promises us in 29:11 is directly related to the places we are currently in. No matter the situation. No matter if we feel like we belong. No matter how we got there.

Our actions and understanding of call speaks a story about the future we belong to!

So be part of worship this week as we dive into this story of redemption and promise. And it relates EXACTLY to our understanding of what it means to be God's people AND Foundry.

One of the more popular conversations every year in January is about resolutions. Everyone has things they want to stop/start in life. Over the last few years, it has gotten even more intense. Folks take the time to set goals, they might follow the "3 words" philosophy or any other beginning of the year plan to making the current better than the past.

We each have this idea of our ideal self and want to take the steps towards making it a reality.

The only problem is we really don't have the ability. Brian Houston said this:

We can't be fooled into thinking we have the capacity to achieve our absolute best on our own.

Before you go and start lighting torches and brandishing resolution pitchforks, think about this. If we have set a health goal, we hire a personal trainer. If we want to excel in our career, we might hire a business coach. If school is super tough…we get a tutor. We are used to the idea of professional help. The highest paid public employee in 39 states is a college football or men's basketball coach. We don't expect those players to plan everything themselves?

So this week we are talking about our best selves. How we can better understand who each of us actually is. We are going to make some assumptions about God, about how He is real in our life and if He does or doesn't have a preferred future for each one of us.

What was the last thing you looked forward to? There are a handful of experiences in life that we all want to be downright perfect. Mary, a young bride-to-be, was in the middle of one. Engaged to Joseph, she was spending a season of preparation. Typically, this meant a time of learning what it meant to be a wife, how to manage a household and growing from a young lady to a wife.

And then someone shows up and asks her to derail this perfect season of expectation and the perfect wedding experience.

Not only does it all change, but the exact nature of the change is something no one had ever dealt with. Typically when we are faced with a large-scale situational change, we feel like we are the only person who has ever had to navigate the diversion…but Mary was literally the only person to ever have this experience.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!"

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!"

34 Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin."

35 The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail."

38 Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38

This passage shows an unlikely place Jesus meet us, but we can breathe deeply because it is an experience covering the full range of human experience and emotion. So be part of worship and the story of Mary.

And let's all meet Jesus in a unique and unlikely way.

Have you ever found yourself in an impossible situation? We've all been there. Sometimes it just takes discipline or ingenuity. If fact, many of us pride ourselves for our ability to navigate impossible situations. It's a mark of pride. We get trophies, certificates, promotions and raises for how we can pull off the impossible.

But let's be honest for a moment.

We all remember that time when emotionally, physically, spiritually and many other ways we felt like we were in the middle of absolutely impossible.

Around 2000 years ago there was a guy named Joseph. And he was one of the good guys. Real legit. He was about to get married and he found out his beloved was pregnant. Just that alone was totally off the wall. To add to it, she explained to him she was still a virgin. God was the one who made her pregnant and the child she was carrying was the long awaited Messiah. The savior they had been praying for.

As good of a story as it was, it seemed pretty impossible.

On multiple fronts. You can read about it yourself.

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet:

23 "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

So this Sunday we are going to dig into why Joseph was ok with the impossible and how we can learn to be ok with the impossible.

Do you have that one person in your life that is IMPOSSIBLE to shop for? I think every family and friend group has one. It can be for different reasons, but you end up spending the whole year thinking about present ideas for them. The tactic I have always found helpful is to find something the person doesn't know they need. It could be something they weren't aware of, or a new hobby or interest they haven't heard about it yet.

Not knowing you need something can also mean something entirely different. There are situations in which you don't know something exists at all. I remember a teacher of mine spending an entire week manually building a bibliography for a book they were writing. After they told the whole class about the project, we all were amazed the teacher had never heard of a web plugin that pulled bibliographic data from Amazon.com and built bibliography entries for you…in whatever format needed.

There is another different scenario. When you don't know you need something because you don't even think it exists. The prophecy of Isaiah is full of verses all about the coming of Jesus. My absolute favorite is 9:2.

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

This prophecy talks about people who have lived in such despair they believe it is actually a permanent state. A darkness that is absolutely overwhelming. But light is coming. The light of God is breaking though in a way previously never seen.

Jesus is Coming.

Later on we read this in chapter 9

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!

Jesus is different than any solution to darkness we have ever attempted to come up with. He has qualities, power, and solutions beyond human capacity. And all it takes to enact this difference is His presence.

Do you have that one person in your life that is IMPOSSIBLE to shop for? I think every family and friend group has one. It can be for different reasons, but you end up spending the whole year thinking about present ideas for them. The tactic I have always found helpful is to find something the person doesn’t know they need. It could be something they weren’t aware of, or a new hobby or interest they haven’t heard about it yet.

Not knowing you need something can also mean something entirely different. There are situations in which you don’t know something exists at all. I remember a teacher of mine spending an entire week manually building a bibliography for a book they were writing. After they told the whole class about the project, we all were amazed the teacher had never heard of a web plugin that pulled bibliographic data from Amazon.com and built bibliography entries for you…in whatever format needed.

There is another different scenario. When you don’t know you need something because you don’t even think it exists. The prophecy of Isaiah is full of verses all about the coming of Jesus. My absolute favorite is 9:2.

The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.

This prophecy talks about people who have lived in such despair they believe it is actually a permanent state. A darkness that is absolutely overwhelming. But light is coming. The light of God is breaking though in a way previously never seen.

Jesus is Coming.

Later on we read this in chapter 9

For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!

Jesus is different than any solution to darkness we have ever attempted to come up with. He has qualities, power, and solutions beyond human capacity. And all it takes to enact this difference is His presence.

What would it look like if Thanksgiving never stopped? Can we get tired of the food, hanging out with family, and the otherwise relaxed few days each of us get? I think I would love it. Then again, I also think I would probably go crazy. Most of us quickly get sentimental when it comes to Thanksgiving. I have tons of memories. Many of my more recent are of Meredith and I's first "grown-up" Thanksgivings. We were living 15 hours away. We had meals with other families and then when we found our own group of friends, held several years of increasingly larger #friendsgiving. It all had to stop when we had to smoke 3 turkeys.

But what would it look like if thanksgiving weren't primarily sentimental mental gatherings? Also, what if we really took out our idea of ourselves being the main action focus for Thanksgiving? Yes-I realize I am treading on some sacred ground here.

What if we began to see Thanksgiving as our response towards situations completely outside of our control?

In 2 Chronicles we meet a king named Hezekiah. He was one of the good guys. It had been so long since God's people had worshiped him, they actually forgot how to do it! Over and over in the story, we come across the same phrase.

For He is good and His steadfast love endures forever 2 Chronicles 7:3, 7:6, 20:21, and Ezra 3:11

What we find is a biblical prayer of Thanksgiving, part of an offering of absolute awareness. Hezekiah and the people of God cleaned up the temple AND cleaned up their hearts. They made worship happen again as the people of God but also in individual relationships with Him. We find that the formal action of worship and thanksgiving had a totally different attitude than the one most of us assume one day a year. And it will probably surprise you.