Church in the New Year

Luke 6:12-19

What happened after the first Christmas?

The bulk of Luke’s gospel shares moments that happened in the life of Jesus. Why are told about the days of Jesus? Because each moment shares with the reader what was important to Jesus.

THREE THINGS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO JESUS

1)TIME WITH HIS HEAVENLY FATHER-

“He went out to a mountainside to pray and he spent the night praying.”

I love what Richard Foster writes,

“Praying is bringing ourselves before God, as we are, warts and all.”

“Its ordinary people bringing ordinary concerns to a loving and compassionate Father.”

2)MEANINGFUL CONNECTION WITH HIS DISCIPLES

When morning came, he called his disciples to him… vs. 13

He called the large group of disciples than he chooses a smaller group of 12 to live life with. We North Americans have a reverence for individuality. We tend to be me before we. However, when God was creating the world, life was good until he saw that man was alone.

Author Randy Frazee writes, we were created with a connection requirement. The connection requirement we all have is not just for people like us but for a mixture of ages, personality characteristics and backgrounds.

The thing that Jesus modeled for us today is our willingness to open our life to a handful of believers willing to learn from and follow the Messiah.

3)WILLING BELIEVERS READY TO SERVE WHERE NEEDED.

Luke 7:17-19- He went with his disciples to a place where Jesus begins to minister to those who weren’t walking with God. Jesus modeled the importance of ministry- of serving-

Rick Warren writes, You were put on this earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created just to consume resources- to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed you make a difference with your life.

The Bible is clear that you every believer has been given a gift from God to build up the local church.

A Messy Christmas- The Wise Men’s Story

Matthew 2:1-23

I love a picture-perfect Christmas. However, my Christmas will have some “real life” attached to it.

The assumption that people have about the Christian faith is that God loves those who have their act together and that he turns his back on those that don’t.

God is looking for people who will be real about their brokenness and will trust that God can take life’s messy moments and create something marvelous from it.

Understanding the Passage:

How does King Herod bring messy to the Christmas story?

Two Messy Truths:

Messy Truth #1-

Not everyone will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ

A Merry Action Step

Don’t let your “King Herod” stop you from worshiping Jesus Christ.

Messy Truth #2

Not everyone will embrace the reign of Christ

A Merry Action Step

Choose carefully what path you will walk this Christmas season.

(Matthew 2:12; Proverbs 4:14-15)

A Messy Christmas: Joseph’s Story

Matthew 1:18-24

Series idea: God can take life’s messy moments and create something marvelous from them. (Ephesians 1: 11; Romans 8:28-29)

Book Recommendation: The Promise by Robert J. Morgan

How to Get Through a Messy Moment:

1)Listen for God’s input

(Matthew 1:20)

Three ways God still speaks:

•The Bible

•Prayer

•God’s People

2)Do as God directs

(Matthew 1: 24; John 14:15)

A crisis of belief is a fork in the road that demands that you make a decision.” Henry Blackaby

A Messy Christmas #1

Luke 1:5-20

Respectful Aspects of Zechariahs Life:

•He has an honorable calling (Luke 1:5a)

•He married an honorable lady (Luke 1:5b)

•He is living an honorable life (Luke 1:6)

Messy Moments in Zechariah’s life:

•He and his wife are childless (Luke 1:7)

•He doubts God (Luke 1:8-18)

•His doubts have messy ramifications Luke 1:19-20

Big Idea: God can take life’s messy moments and create something marvelous from them.

(Romans 8:28-29; Genesis 50:20; Jer. 29:11)

A Christmas Desire:

Question: What desires are stirring in your heart?

What the Bible teaches about desire:

1.Abandoned desire is not God’s Will for your life

Desire is the source of our many noble aspirations.

2.Unrestrained desire is not God’s Will for your life.

(Matthew 16:26; Galatians 5:17-18; James 4:1-2)

3.A Desire to connect with God, is God’s will for your life.

(Psalm 63:1, Psalm 42:1; John 7:37-38; Psalm 119:10)

Psalm 42:1- As the deer pants for streams for water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

Psalm 63:1- O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Matthew 5:6- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will filled.

Here is the reality! Desire is not hard wired to God.

Fighting Fear

Deuteronomy 1:19-33

Question: What do I do when I begin to feel afraid?

Two sources of fear:

•Legitimate fear (Nehemiah 4: 9)

•A spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7)

Why God Does Not Intend For His People to Live in a Spirit of Fear?

1)A spirit of fear will keep you from doing what God asks of you (Duet 1:19-21)

2)A spirit of fear brings out our worst (Deut. 1:26-28)

3)A spirit of fear will find a reason to deny God’s promises (Duet. 1:32)

What is a Solution to a Spirit of Fear?

Intentional focus

(Duet 1:31)

Processing a Problem

Habakkuk 1:1-2:4

Habakkuk’s Problems

Problem #1-

Habakkuk doesn’t see God working

(Habakkuk 1:1-4)

Problem #2-

Habakkuk doesn’t understand Gods actions

(Habakkuk 1:12-13)

How to Process a Problem

1)State the problem

2) Find a quiet place to wait, listen and learn.

(Habakkuk 2:1)

3) Insert faith into each new day

(Habakkuk 2:4)

Three aspects of faith:

1.Knowledge

2.Assent

3.Trust