Ps Darin Browne brings life changing messages from Ignite Christian Church Woombye, Australia, packed with scripture and powerful teaching that will change your life forever!
Episodes
Monday Aug 31, 2020
Sunday Aug 23, 2020
Sunday Aug 23, 2020
Sunday Aug 09, 2020
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Every family has struggles, has conflict, has some kind of drama. We can’t choose who is in our family, and while we love family, we don’t always like them, but we need family.
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Church is a family as we discussed last week. Like any family, we have our quirks, our weirdness, or as James puts it, we are “a peculiar people”, some more peculiar than others.
There are people running around saying we need to do church in a Biblical way and I agree. But what does the Bible actually teach about how a church family should behave?
Acts 2:42-47 (ESV Strong's)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
The early church was known for four activities that should be foundational for every kingdom-minded local church. These 4 activities are a blueprint for churches today, no matter the form they take, where they meet, the people they embrace or the country they are in.
These are…
1. TEACHING
First, they had devotion to the apostles’ teaching. Thus, believers learned God’s perspective (based on his inerrant Word) on every matter so that they could obey him, experience spiritual growth, and make kingdom impact. They were not led by whims, feelings, vague words or even by rules, the direction of the early church was solidly built on the teaching of the apostles and leaders. That’s why James warns,
James 3:1 (ESV Strong's)
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
Teaching is an essential part of church. God wants education for His family. These early Christians grew in the knowledge of the Word and the apostles’ doctrine. You can’t grow beyond what you know. Doing church without Bible based teaching is a recipe for heresy, because we all need godly Biblical teaching to know God properly, and to grow and prosper in the Christian faith.
Colossians 3:16 (ESV Strong's)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Without Bible based teaching a group will always drift into error. Most cults start with a group of people sincerely seeking God, but they head off track without Bible based teaching. As the family of God we need the Word of God to be central, hence the Bible reading plan, and right from the beginning in Acts, the church needed strong and Bible based teaching. Not human wisdom, God’s Word…
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV Strong's)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The Word of God cuts through the mess of our lives, penetrates the soul and spirit, and discerns or separates the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The teaching of the Word is central to our Christian lives, and this church family.
2. FELLOWSHIP
Second, they devoted themselves to fellowship—mutually sharing the life of Christ within the family of God. Ps Tony Evans said, A disconnected Christian is a disobedient and unfruitful Christian, because we are made to be together.
The Acts church experienced fellowship, and describes believers’ connection with one another, their mutual sharing of the life of Christ with each other. After months of isolation, most of us crave fellowship. Now their fellowship was really deep…
Acts 2:44-45 (ESV Strong's)
And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Fellowship is not chatting about the football, or talking about houses, cars, money or politics. Fellowship talks about the things of God. Fellowship is deep, it’s helping each other, caring for each other, praying for each other, serving selflessly. It is not the reserve of the pastor and leaders alone, it is something all of us should be involved in.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV Strong's)
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Fellowship is unity, bearing with one another’s faults, caring for each other. Sadly many churches and many believers think their God given spiritual gift is criticism. It should be encouragement.
3. WORSHIP AND PRAYER
Third, the church regularly prioritised worship, reflected in the breaking of bread (i.e., the Lord’s Supper) and prayer (2:42). Worship involves the recognition of God for who he is, what he has done, and what we are trusting him to do. The Bible says,
Psalms 22:3 (ESV Strong's)
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
God inhabits the praises of his people, and Worship is central to spiritual growth. Jesus said,
John 4:23-24 (ESV Strong's)
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
True worship is in spirit and in truth. It’s not fake, it’s not trumped up or hyped, and it doesn’t need laser lights or smoke machines. The Greek word for worship is PROS-KY-NEO, which literally means to kiss or lick the hand like a dog would affectionately lick his master’s hand. So much for COVID protocols! Worship is intimate, it is vulnerable, it is genuine.
The Word for Truth is ALETHEIA, meaning the genuine truth regardless of consequences. Spirit is PNEUMA, meaning breath or a current of air. It implies the Spirit or the soul of man, the very being of a person.
So Spirit and truth is a term that means genuine, wholehearted, soul wrenching worship, without tradition, without constraint, without embarrassment. It is King David,
2 Samuel 6:14 (ESV Strong's)
And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.
So often worship in church is controlled, it’s something that you do to a point, but you make sure you’re not embarrassing yourself. True worship in spirit is without constraint, without embarrassment, without fear. You lose yourself in worship.
4. OUTREACH
Fourth, they were engaged in evangelistic outreach because every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved (2:47). Everyone was involved in evangelism; they weren’t merely letting the apostles take care of it.
The church started with Peter’s sermon and 3000 converts, but the the daily additions were not through preaching, they were because the people were being salt and light in their communities. They were meeting peoples’ needs, loving them and sharing their faith and God was adding to the church daily. Their outreach was not handing out tracts or having evangelism campaigns, it was the natural overflow of their lives. They lived in the world, they shined in the world, and when asked why they behaved as they did, they replied,
1 Peter 3:15-16 (ESV Strong's)
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
The early church family lived genuine, honest lives shining in the darkness of their world. St Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” I don’t agree. Preach the gospel with your life and with your works but also with your words. Good works are just that without your telling people about Jesus.
On a plane to Wagga.
TIME TO RE IGNITE!
Early believers committed themselves to follow the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship together, to sharing in the Lord’s Supper (worship) and to pray together. They then out reached to their community. They helped those in need by sharing their food, clothing and even their homes. The faith, joy and loving support of the early believers were so contagious that large numbers soon joined them.
Spiritual growth does not take place in isolation. We need people to walk along with us, encouraging us when we become discouraged and holding us accountable when we stray. This common bond helps us preserve our spiritual gains, and binds us together as a church family.
If we concentrate on obeying, God will concentrate on expanding.
Coming out of COVID most churches are either confused or running scared. Ignite is not. We have a clear, exciting vision for the future.
We are going to build more community because that’s what God is doing right now. Things are changing, and while government might try and restrict us, they can’t stop us obey the Lord.
As we reignite church, I have to tell you that this week I have been savagely and viciously attacked by the enemy. Those closest to me tell me I should rejoice because I just be on the right track, but it still batters and bruises you.
The devil is hell bent on disrupting unity, and spreading disunity among our church family. Things that divide and split churches, no matter how legitimate they may appear, are generally not of God. God loves unity in His family.
But I believe that God has called us together as a family, we are better together, and I am prepared to lay my life down for the church family I love, and am dedicated to leading.
I believe we are better together. This is our moment to close ranks and stand for the Lord in a nation that desperately needs direction. So my challenge to you this morning is will you stand with us? I believe God is about to do something remarkable, and that unity is where He bestows a blessing, so let’s pray and commit ourselves to the Lord and to each other.
Sunday Jul 19, 2020
Sunday Jul 19, 2020
When you come to Christ, you become part of the greatest family on earth…
Sunday Jul 12, 2020
Sunday Jul 12, 2020
Romans 5:1-5 (ESV Strong's)
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Pray
I have to tell you that after this week I feel like the grace by which I stand sees me barely standing. There’s been a lot of horrible stuff going on, culminating in the absolute worst bit… the loss of a dear and valued friend, Dave Mallet. It’s times like these that we, in our confusion, struggle to make sense of life, and struggle to rejoice in the hope of God.
IS IT OK TO ASK WHY?
If we get what we want our faith is built up, and we are ok with that. When we believe God and He makes it happen, we celebrate our faith, and rightly so. But can we have faith in the dark times, when people attack, when tragedy strikes, when we don’t get the answers we wanted?
We can. God has taught me that this is a greater and deeper faith.
When tragedy strikes, is asking God why an anti faith act? I believe it’s ok to be honest with God. So if you have the question “why God” it is not sinful if it comes from a genuine heart of faith. God is ok when we honestly share our doubts and struggles, but He’s not ok with our disobedient disbelief.
Habakkuk was honest with God,
Habakkuk 1:2 (ESV Strong's)
O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
He’s asking why, Lord, why? So am I. A man in a stolen car killed our friend this week, and we have every right to ask the question like Habakkuk, why the righteous suffer because of the unrighteous. Consider Job…
God gave permission for Satan to severely test Job, and in his suffering Job asked God questions too! His questioning and doubts were understandable, but his faith is astonishing.
Job 1:21-22 (ESV Strong's)
And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
At times like this, it’s ok to honestly and openly ask God why. But it’s not ok to walk away from your faith, as many do, and it’s not ok to charge God with wrong and sin. The act is, sin is in our world, Sin produces suffering, Suffering produces pain, and we humans don’t like pain, so we avoid it at all costs. Yet through the prism of God’s promises, pain can produce gain.
THE DARK ROAD OF THE SOUL
I cannot tell you why Dave was killed, and why his beautiful wife Julie and his beloved family have to suffer through this tragedy. I can’t tell you why babies die, or why sometimes even Christian marriages fail. I can’t give you a reason why strong believers suffer death, sickness or financial loss and ruin. Look around.., There’s no shortage of loss, tragedy and pain in this fallen world, and one thing I have learned is that much of it you just can’t fix! You just have to walk the dark lonely road somehow.
Experts tell us that grief and loss goes through 5 stages…
DENIAL: Denial is not just a river in Egypt. The first response to tragedy is often, no, that can’t be right.
ANGER: God, how can you let this happen, it’s not fair!
BARGAINING: If only I’d have done this, that wouldn’t have happened, or God, if you make this work I promise I’ll be obedient and do whatever You want
DEPRESSION: Life is a mess, I can’t go on, life’s not worth living
ACCEPTANCE: God, I don’t know why this happened, but I trust You no matter what.
Tragedy is beyond reason. It is simply a road we have to walk, and it is better to walk it with God, and with others who love you. I love how King David describes it…
Psalms 23:4 (ESV Strong's)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
The rod and the staff represent God’s protection and God’s guidance. The rod is a short, heavy club, and the staff is the one we picture shepherd with, with a hook on the end, used to guide and rescue sheep. David says they comfort him in the valley, and as we go through the valleys of life, we can be comforted and assured of God’s protection and also His guidance.
And remember, death has no sting for the believer, and Dave and Julie have loved and served the Lord all their life. There’s pain, there’s loss, but Paul writes,
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (ESV Strong's)
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s not that death and separation doesn’t hurt, of course they do, but we know with absolute surety that we will see Dave’s beaming smile again. As the KJV says,
2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV Strong's)
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Right now Dave is in a better place with Jesus, but we who remain suffer loss. Julie suffers loss right now, and all who love Dave suffer loss, but the Bible says this suffering is not in vain!
THE PRODUCT OF SUFFERING
There is a product, a point to suffering. Romans reveals to us a progression that develops us towards becoming like Jesus.
Romans 5:3 (ESV Strong's)
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
The Greek for rejoice is kauch-ao-mai, which means literally to boast or glory in something. When we suffer tragedy and loss, Paul is not suggesting that we be happy about it. It hurts, it may even devastate, and it’s hard to rejoice in that. Yay I’m in pain! Yippee, I’ve lost everything! That’s not what he is saying.
What he is saying is that through the lens of the tragedy we can see the bigger picture, we see the hand of God, and rejoice and even glory in the fact that God will bring good though it, and will develop us to become more Christ like through it. We rejoice not because of the suffering of the moment, but because of what the suffering opens for us in the long run.
We live in a fallen world. God doesn’t make us suffer, sin causes suffering, but God allows this because He has a higher plan. Suffering is the start of a glorious road towards becoming like Jesus. Here’s the path…
1. SUFFERING PRODUCES ENDURANCE
James 1:2-3(ESV Strong's)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Romans 5:3 (ESV Strong's)
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
Endurance is the Greek word HYPOMONÉ, meaning patient, steadfast and even cheerful waiting, and it implies a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety, by even the greatest trials and sufferings.
Endurance is not passive, and it’s not fatalistic, it’s not sitting back and saying, Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be. It is staying the course, keeping on keeping on, it’s holding to your Saviour and never letting go of your trust in the Lord, no matter how you suffer. And it gives rise to…
2. ENDURANCE PRODUCES CHARACTER
Romans 5:4 (ESV Strong's)
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
Character is DOKIMÉ, which means a proven specimen of tried worth. Tested, and found worthy.
A great analogy is tempered steel. Steel is heated almost to melting point, then quickly cooled. This creates a far stronger alloy, and a far less brittle product. It’s the heat, the fire, that produces the strength, just as it’s the trials that produces the strength of character.
3. CHARACTER PRODUCES HOPE
Romans 5:4 (ESV Strong's)
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
Character produces hope. Hope is ELPIS, meaning a Joyful and confident expectation. We misuse the word hope in English. I hope it all works out, I hope you’re OK. There is a possibility it could go either way. But Biblical hope is not like that. It’s a sure thing, it is an absolute surety. Hebrews says…
Hebrews 6:18-19 (ESV Strong's)
it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
A believer’s hope doesn’t change with circumstances, it is firmly grounded, anchored by a strong character, developed by long-suffering.
HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT US
Romans 5:3-5 (ESV Strong's)
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
We rejoice in and through and out the other side of our sufferings, not because we are suffering, but because what suffering produces in our lives is beyond value. We have hope, no matter what! Hope stands, despite circumstances, despite hardships, and it is our source of true joy.
When we have descended into a pit of despair, when we are surrounded by trials and tests and suffering, when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we can come forth with incredible hope, tapping into the strength that comes by faith. This is a resource beyond our understanding or ability to cope, within a divine plan for hope and a future. So this week of all weeks I ask, Are you living that truth?
JOYFUL HOPE
True joy is not what the rest of the world thinks it is. In their mind, when things are going well we are happy. When we get what we want, we are happy. When people love us, when we get a job promotion, we are happy. But that’s not joy.
Joy is based not in what we get, or what we experience, it is based in who we are. A few verses after Paul talks about joy in suffering and hope, he writes this…
Romans 5:8 (ESV Strong's)
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Our joy is based on God’s immense, unconditional and sacrificial love for us, not on what befalls us. Today we all feel loss, especially Julie and the family. But no matter the circumstances, God’s love and therefore our joy can be unchanged!
These last few weeks and months have been full of doubt, uncertainty, pain, loss and confusion. I wish I could skip straight to next year, maybe the one after that. This last week I’ve cried, I’ve felt loss, I’ve been attacked and criticised, I’ve been threatened and frankly, I’ve been discouraged and miserable. But God said,
Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV Strong's)
do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
My joy, your joy, should not depend what happens to us or what we get… It depends on who we are. In suffering, we have joy, because we belong to Him. If we pray and we don’t get what we want, we have joy, because we belong to Him. If my heart is broken, I can take those pieces to the Lord with an unquenchable hope, because I have joy, because I belong to Him.
TRUE JOY IS INEXTINGUISHABLE
This week, as we reel from the loss of a dear friend, as we stand with Julie and the family in their pain, as we don’t understand and ask the question, why, Lord, we have a joy that no one and nothing can extinguish. As the Psalmist wrote…
Psalms 94:18-19 (NIV-WS)
When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, LORD, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
It’s ok to ask why. It’s ok to hurt and feel down. But how much better is it to rejoice in something that death, pain, fear and loss can never erase. Our joy, our hope our faith is in the Lord, and in the fact that we are His children. As an old hymn by Oswald Smith says,
Joy in the face of sorrow, peace in the midst of pain
Jesus will give, Jesus will give
He will uphold and sustain
Whatever pain, whatever fear, whatever hurt or doubts you face today, you are God’s beloved child, and in that you can have everlasting joy. Suffering is a stepping stone, pain is a paver, loss is a lane way to everlasting hope and joy.
Habakkuk started questioning God, full of fear, full of doubt, miserable and in pain. But let me read the last few verses to show where he ended up…
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (ESV Strong's)
Habakkuk Rejoices in the LORD
Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
Sunday Jul 05, 2020
Sunday Jul 05, 2020
This year of 2020 has seen in unprecedented changes, never before seen in history.
The corona virus pandemic has afflicted the world for months now, causing a near shut down of life as we know it, social isolation and a climate of fear that still persists. Don’t believe me? 37 new infections 2 states away, and suddenly there’s a run on toilet paper!
We might sing Advance Australia Fair, but the question right now is Advance Australia Where? Where do we go from here, as a nation, as a church, as a people?
Here’s what I know…
GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL
The world is out of control, and leaders, governments, even the media have no idea how to manage it! They are passing laws and handing out money, but honestly, no one has a clue. Human wisdom is failing us.
But in a world where people won’t shake your hand, and football is played to a crowd of cardboard cut outs, I declare to you this day, God is still in control, and still in the throne. None of this was a surprise to Him, and He says,
Isaiah 46:9-10 (ESV Strong's)
for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
If you are fearful or confused, it’s time to put your faith in the one who knows the beginning from the end. So where we go depends not on us as a church, not on our government and their crazy decisions, ultimately it depends on obedience to God.
William Carey said, The future is as bright as the promises of God!
SUCH A TIME AS THIS
So why have we gone through this pandemic, why us, why now and why are we even here? I believe God has you here for such a time as this. The message is the same as Esther heard fro, her uncle Mordachai…
Esther 4:14 (ESV Strong's)
For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
God has great plans for His people post COVID, but many will stay silent, stay isolated from church and thereby miss out on being great and part of His plans.
What we do as a church is so important right now. We have a golden opportunity to shine into our dark nation like never before, if we are willing to listen to Him, to change and to be obedient.
Isaiah 1:19-20 (ESV Strong's)
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
THE WHOLE WORLD COUNTS THE COST
The cost of this unprecedented pandemic is horrendous. The Asian Development Bank predicts that the economic cost of the slowdown due to the pandemic could reach $8.8 trillion (1000 times a billion) US dollars, with one Cambridge study suggesting it could cost up to $82 trillion over 5 years! Australia is losing $4 Billion a week according to the ABC.
The social cost? The AMA is predicting and increase in suicides as a result of the pandemic of between 25 and 30%, and reports of domestic violence, what is now called intimate terrorism, have sky rocketed.
Even in the church, with draconian laws being made against it, the numbers of attendees are predicted to fall significantly post virus.
Romans 1:21-22 (ESV Strong's)
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
Look at the way the world has tried to handle this pandemic… trying to be wise they haven’t really handled it well. Human reason is limited. They’ve tried to do the right thing, but honestly no one has a clue! So they change laws every 5 minutes.
THE CHURCH UNDER ATTACK
State government laws tell us we can have up to 100 people attend church, but must allow 4 sq m per person, or 7 sq m per person if singing is involved. Name a church that doesn’t sing. Sporting events can have up to 2000 people screaming and spitting, and social distancing is only 2 m. Where is the sense in that? Pubs playing music, you don’t think anyone is going to sing?
The Bible says,
Romans 13:1-2 (ESV Strong's)
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
Yes, Ignite will be obedient to our government, but I call upon our government to stop persecuting churches with targeted, more restrictive laws for Christians only. If you have integrity, make the laws the same across pubs, clubs, sports and churches. Suicide, mental health and domestic violence rates are far less in the church, so for the mental and spiritual
wellbeing of all Australians, government, treat churches with respect and give us a level playing field!
CH-CH-CH-CHANGES
But whatever happens, change is here to stay for the church. I wish change was easy.
An old man from the mountains took a trip to the big city. For the first time in his life he found himself standing outside an elevator. He watched as an old, haggard woman hobbled on and the doors closed behind her. A few minutes later the doors opened and a young, attractive woman marched smartly off. Amazed, but realising the possibilities, the old man turned to his son and said, “Boy, go home and get your mamma so I can run her through that thing.”
But sadly, genuine change is not instantaneous, but a process. All of the changes we see around us make us uncomfortable.
No one likes change. Mark Twain said, The only person who likes a change is a wet baby.
David Bowie sang, ch-ch-changes, turn and take the strain. Changes make us strain, they hurt, but sometimes they are necessary, and I believe right now we need to embrace changes and the strain like never before, and do so without fear, for the one who is within us is greater.
Psalms 91:9-11 (ESV Strong's)
Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
Changes might be uncomfortable, even unwelcome, but you should not face these changes with any fear. Our God is our refuge, and our provider, so we in the church can accommodate changes with confidence.
THESE CHANGES ARE HERE TO STAY
911 was a pivotal time in history. After 911, things changed forever especially in the world of security. No longer are kids asked up into the cockpit, and we now allow lengthy time for security at airports. It’s all changed, and now we are use to it… It’s the new norm.
COVID will change how we live forever. Many of the changes are most likely here to stay, including meetings via zoom, working from home and probably some aspects of social distancing. I guessing football in front of cardboard cut outs and toilet paper shortages will go.
So I have said to the Lord, I am not interested in changing how we do church for a month, or 6 months or whatever it takes to overcome the restrictions. I’ve asked God for keys as to how we can do church into the future. Are there things we can learn now that will last, and things that can improve our effectiveness as a church?
THE UP SIDE OF THE DOWNTURN
There’s no doubt the corona virus is responsible for many bad things, including people dying, economies collapsing, businesses ceasing and mental health, who even knows!
Romans 8:28 (ESV Strong's)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
I believe God can make lemonade out of lemons. He can bring tremendous good out of a really bad things. So what is the upside of the downturn due to corona for Ignite?
- We are going live online with Facebook, and downloads of sermons far exceed the numbers we use to get in the building. We are reaching more people.
- Sparks give me as a pastor a chance to speak into people’s lives daily. A lot of work, but we get hundreds of downloads every day. Is this a key of how we can reach our community and beyond online?
- Small groups have formed in homes that are going very well, and the Holy Spirit is moving in them wonderfully. Participants report closer fellowship, and seeing visions and prophetic words among the attendees.
- We have ground to a halt as far as “normal” church is concerned. I believe that we now have the opportunity to makes changes we probably couldn’t have made before.
- Everything is different. Never before have people in general and church people in particular been open to change to this extent. Normally it takes 2.5 miles to turn the Titanic 90 degrees. It’s harder to change a church culture. COVID has caused a reset that stopped us and our long term preferences, and we can now start afresh in a new, Spirit led direction.
- People are not so much hungry for preaching or worship, they can get that online. But people are hungry for fellowship.
So how can we capitalise on these trends to become a stronger, more powerful church, reaching more people and setting more lives free in our community?
THE WAY FORWARD IN THE NEW NORM
God spoke to me yesterday in my Quiet Time and said,
Isaiah 42:9 (ESV Strong's)
Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
I said, great Lord, please show me and tell me about these new things.
If you are waiting for things to get back to normal, you could be waiting a really long time, years in fact. They tell us that most of us will not be travelling overseas any time this year. We can’t even travel to Victoria. And church may not get back to what it was pre corona until next year, if ever!
So we need a new way if doing church, that complies with heavy handed, abusive government laws, but still connects our people.
After much prayer and seeking the Lord, I believe God has given us a plan to move forward as a church, and to restart church, call it reignite, so that there will be something for everyone going forward. At the present time, and possibly for a long time to come, restrictions on the numbers of people in the church auditorium remain, and we have no idea when they will cease.
So as we always do, we turn to the Word of God for guidance. The early church faced severe restrictions too, and they grew through it…
Acts 2:46-47 (ESV Strong's)
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
That’s our plan… Some attending the temple, and some breaking bread in homes. I believe this is God’s blueprint for us to grow and prosper as a church in this moment, and maybe even long into the future.
SO WHERE DO YOU FIT?
I believe there’s a place at Ignite for you, every one of you. If you want to attend a church and experience church live, we have limited spots, but you can. If you want to experience close fellowship, you can attend a house party, watching the first part of the service on the big screen, then fellowshipping in the small group.
So here are 3 positive decisions I am going to ask you to make today…
- RESET YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Above all I want to urge you at this time to reset your relationship with God. Some of you have just let it slip. You are still a Christian, but in all the upheaval, in all the isolation, it’s just quietly slipped out of your reach.
Now is the time to reset your relationship with God, starting with your quiet time. Read His Word, join us in the Bible reading plan, and come join us at church, in some form or other. Prioritise Jesus.
- COMMIT TO IGNITE AS YOUR CHURCH COMMUNITY, NO MATTER HOW IT LOOKS
If you are willing and have an open heart, I believe the Lord will give us insight and principles that will enable us to be closer than ever before, and to grow more than ever before. God did it in Acts, and He will do it again at Ignite…
Acts 2:42-44 (ESV Strong's)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
So we will have a time of teaching, a time of fellowship, a time of breaking of bread which is eating together and a time of prayer and worship. I think church at Ignite is going to be more exciting and engaging than ever before.
- BE PATIENT WITH US AND EACH OTHER, GOD’S NOT FINISHED YET
I am asking you to be patient with us as we learn and understand what the Lord is saying, and I’m asking you to be committed to Ignite, believing God is growing something truly powerful and profound in these dark times.
I don’t have all the answers. Our worship team is learning new ways to enter into deeper worship. Our group leaders are learning how better to facilitate discussion, how to pray more effectively. We are all learning how to hear God more, how to move in the Spirit more, how to see more lives transformed, more miracles, more healings, more marriages restored, everything. So please be patient.
I read a meme, Lord, bless me with patience, not the opportunities to be patient, I’ve had plenty of those and they don’t seem to be working, I mean the actual patience.
I believe we are about to see church change as it has never changed in history, and in it Ignite will discover incredible keys, keys that will enable us to reach our community more effectively than ever before.
Come with us, stand with us, believe with us and together we can build the church God has destined us to be!
Jesus is still praying His high priestly prayer
John 17:21 (ESV Strong's)
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Lord, make Ignite my home. I join hands and join hearts with Ignite to build the church You want in such a time as this.
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Judges 4:1-2 (ESV Strong's)
And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD after Ehud died. And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera,
We live at a time in history when ordinary people can become heroes, and today I want to look at a team that rescued Israel from Canaanite oppression.
JUDGE JUDY?
In ancient Israel, much like today, sexism was alive and well. Women were essentially 2nd class citizens, considered inferior to men, and the property of men. This is common throughout history, and while in most areas of society today women now have equal rights, this prejudice is still common among some in the church today. While I don’t want to enter into a debate about the value or otherwise of women, and I believe every life matters, Deborah was the only woman judge Israel had. Can a woman be a judge?
Judges 4:4-5 (ESV Strong's)
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.
This lady was a judge, that is a leader in Israel. I don’t believe it’s because God couldn’t find a decent man to do the job, it’s because she was uniquely gifted and anointed. Her role was similar to Samuel later, she was a prophetess but also a leader. She heard from God, and she lead the people.
Now before you get all uppity towards me, and God, for putting a woman in a position of authority, stop and recognise that God raises up both men and women, uniquely gifted for specific roles. Most judges were warriors. Deborah wasn’t.
A DREAM TEAM
Deborah formed part of a dream team, so she summoned the other side of the partnership, the commander of the army, Barak…
Judges 4:6 (ESV Strong's)
She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun.
In an incredibly sexist society, what I want you to see here is that God used an anointed man and an anointed woman together in unity to deliver His people. When we read this, we want to debate about who was in charge of whom, but we need to see that this was 2 people with 2 different skill sets working together in unity. Each was in charge of their own area of gifting, Deborah hearing from God and setting the direction for the people, and Barak actually getting it done. She didn’t fight the battle for him, and he didn’t try to hear from God for her.
Deborah was perceived by the entire nation, and Commander Barak, as having a hotline to God. But she couldn’t fight or lead the army. This is not about who was in charge of whom, this is about 2 complimentary skillsets pulling together.
Romans 12:4-5 (ESV Strong's)
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Instead of debating who is in charge, we should pull together in unity, each person shining in the role and gifting that God has given them. Deborah sough the Lord, Barak fought the fight, and the two formed a dream team.
It’s like that in life too. I am in charge of my household, responsible to the Lord. But Fiona is in charge it the cooking, and groceries. Each of us have a specific area we are gifted for, but in he end we pull together. Am I greater than her, or her than I? No, we’re a team. The church should be a team. Zac in finances, Tania in admin. Was Jesus inferior to the other parts of the God head? No, but to get the job done he chose to become submissive. Deb and Barak were a team, and each had a unique role to play!
IT’S TIME TO JOIN HANDS TOGETHER
There is too much division in churches today, over all kinds of perceived Biblical interpretations, most of which are not our core beliefs. We need to put our prejudices and preferences aside, but not our principles, and stand together in unity. I can tolerate people disagreeing with me, unless it is a salvation issue, then I don’t bend! We can disagree on matters of doctrine, interpretation and preference but still be in unity. Unity did not mean we see eye to eye on everything, but we can still walk hand in hand. Unity is more important than your preferences.
A Canadian farmer lost his 2 year old boy in a corn field, so he called neighbours to search for the child. He told them to be careful not to trample the corn, as it was ready to harvest. After several hours of fruitless searching and with temperatures dropping below freezing, he gathered the men together and said, let’s join hands, trample the grain, but find my son!
Eventually they found him curled up, frozen to death on the ground. The farmer said, gentlemen, we should have joined hands sooner.
Now, perhaps more than ever before in history, is the time to join hands in unity, bringing our strengths and gifts to the table to serve together, just as Barak and Deborah did… Deb said,
Judges 4:7 (ESV Strong's)
And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?”
Draw is Hebrew MASAK, which means to sow, to drag or draw down. Deborah’s role was to seek God and God’s plan for luring Sisera, the opposition general, out into battle. Barak’s role was to fight that battle, but he had reservations. Barak didn’t want to do it alone. He needed to know Deborah was with him.
Judges 4:8-9 (ESV Strong's)
Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
Barak was scared. He needed to know the prophetess, God’s representative, went with him into battle. Deb agreed, but said because of his lack of faith the glory will go to a woman. That wasn’t an insult, or a threat, it was a consequence.
It’s ok to be scared. John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death and mounting up anyway.” If you’re fearful as you look ahead, that’s ok, just do not give up. God has a destiny for you, just keep going…
Galatians 6:9 (ESV Strong's)
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
This COVID thing has dragged on for too long. It’s hard yakka, it’s restrictive, but let’s stay the course. Don’t give up on church. Ignite is changing into what we believe God wants us to become, all of us in unity, so let’s covenant to see it through together. We may not all agree on how church should be done in these challenging times, but I want you to be in unity. We leave no man or woman behind.
THE BATTLE… ANYBODY PLUS GOD IS A MAJORITY!
Barak’s heart must have melted as he saw 900 chariots of iron in the valley. The details of the battle form the basis of Deborah’s song in Judges 5. But he heard thunder, turned around and saw torrents of rain sweeping across the slopes, turning the valley to mud. Now the 900 chariots became 900 stuck in the mud coffins, and Barak’s 10,000 men swept forward. The enemy army was defeated, the remnant including the commander Sisera fled on foot, with Barak in hot pursuit, because he wanted his enemy as his prize.
Judges 4:15 (ESV Strong's)
And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot.
BEWARE A WOMAN WITH A TENT PEG
So Sisera fled to the only ally he had anywhere close, Heber the Kenite. Heber’s wife Jael offered him sanctuary…
Judges 4:18 (ESV Strong's)
And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
She gives him sanctuary and a nice glass of milk, and hides him. He directs her,
Judges 4:20 (ESV Strong's)
And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’”
OK, Sisera can relax now, and exhausted he falls asleep. But Jael had him pegged…
Judges 4:21 (ESV Strong's)
But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.
Something went through Sisera’s head than had never gone through it before. By the time Barak arrived, Jael had made her point… she, not Barak, nailed Sisera!
Judges 4:22-23 (ESV Strong's)
And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.
So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel.
SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT
The next chapter, Judges 5, is a song about this event, composed and sung by the dream team, Deborah and Barak… it starts this way…
Judges 5:2 (ESV Strong's)
“That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD!
Judges 5:12 (ESV Strong's)
“Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, break out in a song!
Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam.
Jael features in the song, even though she was the lowly wife of a lowly nomad. It was her who was the one who did something big for God. She shows that God will use anyone willing to be used by Him, it doesn’t matter who gets the credit, as long as He does.
While some are busy debating who was in charge over whom, I believe God gives us a huge key here… God was in charge over the whole nation, and he used a man and a woman bringing their unique gifts together in unity to serve Him. In an age of protests against prejudice, the church should lead the way by standing in unity, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, black and white, men and women, old and young, we are one in the Spirit.
IT’S TIME TO STAND TOGETHER
In the lockdown, the enemy has done his best to divide us and separate us and isolate us, because he knows the real strength of our witness comes when we stand in unity together. We may not agree all the time, but we can be in unity.
Psalms 133:1 (ESV Strong's)
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
1 Peter 3:8 (ESV Strong's)
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
Jesus Himself said a house divided will not stand, and the enemy is trying to divide us right now. Already some have fallen away, saying they want to stay home and worship God their own way. But this plays into the hands of the devil. He’s doing everything he can right now to divide the church.
So now is the time to let our petty grievances go and instead stand together in unity. You might think you’re right, that God and the Bible are on your side, but listen, most controversies in the church are argued from both sides using Scripture!
Unless it is a core value, like salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone, can we not lay our preferences and interpretations aside and stand together? If you think you’re truly Biblical, stop concentrating on verses that support your pet doctrine and concentrate on the ones that are about unity, and there’s loads of them!
1 Corinthians 1:10 (ESV Strong's)
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
It is time to stop our preferences becoming prejudices, and celebrate what unites us, not what divides us.
This moment in history is ours if we are willing to be obedient and stand in unity. Come and be part of a dream team here at Ignite, because when we stand together the enemy shakes in fear.
Ryuno Satoro said, Individually we are one drop, but together we are an ocean.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV Strong's)
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Prayer for commitment to unity.