Ps Darin Browne @ Ignite Christian Church

Three Gifts of Christmas- The Coast Church Christmas Show

Christmas is a time of gift giving. We love to receive them, and we love to give them. I’m not sure what you are hoping for this Christmas.

 

I did a little bit of research and discovered some unusual, and some might say distasteful, Christmas gifts.

 

REGIFTING

 

Jerry Seinfeld coined the term years ago, and apparently it has taken off. It is now a permanent entry in the Webster’s Dictionary.  Regifting occurs when you get a present you don’t like, and then you decide to regift it and give it to someone else, usually someone you don’t particularly like!

 

The danger, of course, is that you are discovered as a regifter. So you need to be very careful about who you regift too, and what the gift is.  Personalised, monogrammed or person specific gifts are deemed to be especially unsuitable for regifting.

 

THE THREE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS

 

Matthew 2:11
And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

 

At the first Christmas, the wise men brought 3 gifts for baby Jesus. But this morning I want to talk about a different 3 gifts this Christmas.

 

1.     THE GIFT OF GOD’S SON

The greatest gift ever given is God giving the gift of His Son. So why is this the greatest gift?

The reason this gift is so important goes right back to creation, when Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, were in the Garden of Eden. They were made perfect, without sin of any kind, but they also had a free will.

 

God doesn’t want robots, He didn’t create robots. He created us with a free will, the ability to choose to love Him, choose to do right, or choose to be rebellious or evil.  Adam and Eve were tempted to rebel, and they gave in to that temptation, setting the precedent for all mankind ever since.

 

The Bible says,

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 

That’s me and you, every single one of us.  You might say, “Well I’m a good person and I haven’t sinned,” but I would challenge that!  Have you ever told a lie?  Ever had a bad thought about someone? Ever sworn, ever stolen, ever felt lust, ever said anything that has hurt someone else?

 

Of course you have, and so have I. We are all sinful, and because of our sin, we are all separated from God.

And so, the penalty for sin, any sin, every sin, big or small, is death.

 

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

We deserve death, every one of us. We get it physically, all of us, but we also get it spiritually.  The Bible says that men and women live once, once only, and after that face the judgement of God.  Eternal death is eternal separation from God, in a place called hell. I will touch on this in a moment.

 

But that’s where this free gift comes in. 

 

God loves you and I so much that He doesn’t want to see us die and He doesn’t wish for us to be separated for Him forever.  In fact, the Bible says it is not His will that any should perish, so He provided the way back to Himself. God gave His Son to this sinful world to die in our place.

 

The most famous verse in the Bible says this…

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

 

JUSTICE

 

If God just said He was going to ignore our sin and let us into heaven regardless, then heaven would be hell!  All the sins, hurts, misery, prejudice and barriers of this life would be with us in heaven.  God is just and perfect… and that means He cannot overlook sin or just ignore it. If He just overlooked our sin, He wouldn't  be just, He wouldn't  be holy and, frankly, He wouldn't be God.  He cannot just ignore your sin! And Remember, we all sin, and the wages of sin is death.

 

So God’s solution was to still pass the same judgement on us, and still carry out the same sentence.  But instead of us dying and going to hell, He decided He would pay the required price for us.

 

Imagine a judge judging your life.  He looks at you and asks if you are guilty of any sin, any sin ever.  You quietly reply, “Yes, I am guilty Your Honour.” So he passes judgement on you, say $50,000 that you don’t have.  You’re expecting to go to gaol because you know you cannot pay the price, but to your amazement, the judge then pulls out His wallet and pays the full amount, setting you free.

That’s what Christmas is about.  The first gift is God giving His one and only Son to die in your place. Christmas is not about a baby, it's about a Saviour!

 

2. THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

 

The first gift opens the way for the second gift to occur.

 

I mentioned before that the penalty for sin is death, and eternal death means hell. I talk to some guys and they say that hell won't be too bad. My mates will be there, we will break out a pack of cards, have a few beers and have a great time. Sorry, but no you won't!

 

What's heaven like? I'm not entirely sure, but I do know it's full of God. So heaven will be everything God is. Heaven is light, joy, peace, friends, fellowship, singing, laughter and love.

 

Hell is just the opposite. God is not there, so none of the things we love and enjoy are present in hell. Hell is darkness, fear, separation. Loneliness, pain… hell is not fun, and it lasts forever.

 

Don't believe that God wants this for you or anyone.  The Bible says

2 Peter 3:9

but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

 

God wants to give you the gift of eternal life this Christmas. He's already sent His first gift, so now He can offer this second gift to you, free of charge.

 

The penalty has been paid for your sin and my sin, and the result is the gift of eternal life, the chance to live with God in His heaven for ever and ever.

 

And Jesus says,

John 14:2
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

 

At Christmas time we are reminded that God not only gave His Son to die in your place, but He also opened the way for you to receive the gift of eternal life. If you ask Jesus into your life, Heaven awaits, and every day before then can be life and life to the full because God gives His HOLY SPIRIT to help you live powerfully day by day.

 

Which leads me to the third gift of Christmas…

 

3.     GIVING YOUR LIFE TO JESUS

 

While God offers you these incredible gifts, you won't get them if you don't agree to receive them. If you hand me a gift, my role is not passive, it's active… I need to accept and receive that gift.

 

And how can you receive God’s gifts and give Him your life in return? It's as simple as A, B, C…

 

• Accept that you're a sinner. Accept that you need a Saviour to bring you back to God. Accept that Jesus God’s Son came to earth that Christmas Day to die in your place on a cruel cross.

 

You have the chance today to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for you.

 

• Confess… Confess your sins, confess your need and the Bible says…

 

Romans 10:9

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

 

THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL

 

Why not make this Christmas the most significant ever? Will you accept the gifts God offers you this morning? I'm going to pray a prayer and if you want to repeat this after me, together we can make this the greatest Christmas of all, by accepting the greatest gifts of all!

What Can You Give to Jesus at Christmas

 

I remember standing in church worshipping the Lord one Sunday before Christmas thinking, "What can I give to Jesus at Christmas?"  I’ve remembered as a child thinking to myself, “How come I get presents at Christmas time?  It’s not my birthday, it’s Jesus’ birthday!”

 

In our culture it is customary to give gifts to the birthday person, not take gifts from them, so a little voice inside my heart said, “What are you going to give me for Christmas this year, Darin?”

 

So what do you give the God of all creation for His birthday? I mean, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, what are you going to get Him? A milking machine maybe?

 

GIVING TO THE GIVER

 

Thing is, God is our Father.  And like any loving Father, His great joy is not the actual gift, but the heart of the giver of the gift.

 

I remember my kids giving me gifts that they made, perhaps at school or at church. These gifts were dodgy looking plates with distortions and holes through them, bits of paper with exquisite works of modern art on them, possibly worth a fortune one day but actually looking like they were painted by a demented chimpanzee with double vision and no arms.

 

But to me, they were worth everything! Why? Not because of what they were, but because of the heart of the giver, because they were gifts from my favourite girls, they were made, albeit unprofessionally, by my children, whom I love. That's what made them special.

 

I remember recording a special album for Fiona with myself and all the kids singing pop songs. Fiona recently found this CD, and embarrassed all the kids by playing them singing when they were young, mispronunciations, lisps, flat notes and all. She doesn't care, it's the memories of the daughters who sang, not their ability.

 

God says He loves a cheerful giver. He loves the heart behind the giving, especially when the giving shows total devotion.  Let's look at such an occasion…

 

John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

 

THE CAST

 

Let's have a look at the cast of characters involved in this scene outside of Jesus… Martha, Mary and Judas

Martha:

Martha is a lovely woman, and she's a workaholic with the best of intentions. In this passage it simply says that Martha served, the same way she had been serving in Luke:10 38-42, true to her character as a “doer”.

 

Now don't get me wrong, we need workers in the church, and we need people working hard in their jobs and homes to shine for Jesus. Being slack, offering second rate service or substandard effort is no witness for the Lord, I can assure you. Yet Jesus in Luke 10, while not condemning her for her actions, commends her sister for hers.

 

Luke 10:41-42

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

 

If you are a human doing rather than a human being, and I include myself in this, then we must never let our business and all the things we do stand between us and a closer relationship with Jesus.

 

Servers like Martha give their all and work hard to bless people around them, and often get mad at others who do not share the same passion.

 

Martha's are great, but they need to concentrate on spending time with the Lord. They need to make sure that they do not invest so much time into serving the King, that they have no time for the King!

 

Their heart is good, but they have to mix a bit of Mary into their serving...

 

Mary:

Only John identifies this woman as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus. She is mentioned only three times in the Gospels, and in each instance she is at the feet of Jesus.

 

First, she sat at His feet and listened to the Word of God while her sister worked serving (Luke 10:38-42); Next, she came to His feet in sorrow after the death of her brother Lazarus (John 11:28-32); and finally, she worshipped at His feet when she anointed Him with the ointment (John 12:1ff.).

 

Mary was a deeply spiritual woman. She found at the feet of Jesus her blessing, she brought to His feet her burdens, and she gave at His feet the very best she had to give. Jesus described her actions as the good portion,

 

And that was what the Lord was asking of me that Christmas long ago… what am I going to give Him for Christmas.  The only acceptable answer was, as Mary displayed so beautifully, everything!

When we combine the gospel records, we learn that she anointed both His head, which was the normal place for anointing, and His feet. Then she wiped His feet with her hair. Wiping the feet of Jesus is an act of worship, and submission.

 

Touching anyone's feet was considered humiliating. Feet were dusty, calloused and often smelly. You might remember Jesus touched the feet of His disciples as an act of and an illustration of humble serving. Peter was offended by this, and said so, but Jesus told him that he needed to let his feet be washed.  In fact Jesus said,

John 13:14

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

 

So here's Mary, at Jesus’ feet washing them with her hair. Paul tells us that a woman’s hair is her glory (1 Cor. 11:15). So Mary was  surrendering her glory to the Lord and worshipping Him with the precious gift that she brought. It was an act of love and pure devotion that brought the most precious thing she had and let it become fragrance to the whole house.

 

It wasn't random, and it wasn't spontaneous… it was a planned act of devotion. Mary had been sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening, absorbing, understanding, soaking in His presence. She  knew that soon Jesus would die and be buried. She also knew that His body would not need the traditional care given to the dead because His body would not see corruption (Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:22-28). Instead of anointing His body after His death, she did so before His death.

 

It was an act of faith, love and total devotion. The alabaster container, in those days actually a fine marble, was broken and the perfume, possibly nard, was poured over Christ’s feet. This gift, according to Mark 14, and was worth 300 denarii, about a years wages. This would have been something she had saved all her life, for perhaps her wedding day, it was certainly the most valuable thing she had. She gave the most valuable thing she had. What will you give Jesus this Christmas?

Judas:

Seems like every time you try and give your all to the Lord, someone is there to criticise, usually a believer!

 

And when you start giving your all to the Lord, there will be people right there ready to criticise you, especially in the church. I remember as a young Christian laughing in church, and someone tapping me on the shoulder and saying, “This is church… we're not supposed to enjoy ourselves in church.”

 

Many people in church are critics. No statue was ever erected to a critic, but none the less, many people feel their spiritual gift is criticising and correcting other believers.

 

This is not a spiritual gift… it's a blight on the true church of God.

But what happens when you decide to go all out for Jesus is that not only do people criticise you, but they gather others to their side and suddenly you face a wall of people criticising.

 

In this instance the disciples did not know the true character of Judas, but Jesus did. And don't believe all that garbage about caring for the poor, he had his eyes on the cash.

 

Records show Judas was not only the treasurer of the group, but that he lined his own pockets along the way. We know the real reason Judas wanted the ointment sold: The money would go into the treasury, and he would be able to use it (John 12:6).

All this was before he betrayed Jesus with a kiss… the fact is, he was never a believer at all.

 

Judas’ criticism of Mary sounded so “spiritual” that other disciples joined him in attacking her.

 

Why did Judas follow Jesus for three years, listen to His Word, share His ministry, and then turn traitor? Some feel the motive was political, because Judas wanted Jesus to oust the Romans and become king, but I think his motives were always intensely self-serving. He was looking out for number one, and looking spiritual served his narcissistic aims.

 

Judas’s life is a warning to those who pretend to serve Christ but whose hearts are far from God. He is also a warning to those who waste their opportunities and their lives. “Why this waste?” asked Judas when he saw that expensive ointment poured out on Jesus. Yet Judas wasted his opportunities, his life, and his soul! Jesus called him “son of perdition” (John 17:12), which literally means “son of waste.”

 

What are you doing with your life? Have a look at the last 12 months and ask yourself… “Am I totally devoted to Christ, or have I wasted my life, even as I stood in church and worshipped each week?”

 

Like many professing Christians today, Judas was in the group of believers but not of them. He criticised, he manipulated, he took advantage of others and always had his own hidden agenda. He didn't selflessly serve and encourage others, he wanted his ministry and his agenda top of the list!

 

And, if you recall, he met a sticky end. These types of people are still around, and I wouldn't like to trade places with them in Judgment Day.

 

GIVE IT ALL TO JESUS

 

So back to the story… Mary gave the most precious thing she had, an alabaster jar of perfume, and even more precious, she gave her heart totally and willingly to Jesus. She didn't worry about what others thought of her, she gave it all. Judas and the other disciples criticised her, albeit in a pseudo-spiritual way, but she didn't stop. And Jesus leapt to her defence.

 

When we give Jesus Christ first place in our lives, we can expect to be misunderstood and criticised by those who claim to follow Him.

Jesus rebuked Judas and the other disciples and praised Mary for her loving act of devotion. Nothing given to Jesus in love is ever wasted. Her act of worship not only brought joy to the heart of Jesus and fragrance to the house, but also blessing to the whole world. Her devotion encourages us to love and serve Christ with our very best. Such service brings blessings to others that perhaps we will know nothing about until we see Him.

 

THE SELFIE GENERATION

 

Never before in the history of the world has so many photos been taken by so many people of themselves. This is the most self photographed, self promoting, self centred generation in history, and like it or not, you and I are caught up in that!

 

We live in a generation where apathy is the norm, not the exception. We are known for our addiction to video games, TV, movies and sport, we are characterised by our lack of interest in things outside ourselves, and irresponsibility.

 

Researchers suggest that this is the most biblically illiterate generation in history! All this technology, and we can't pick up the Word of life and read it!

 

It’s time to change that. When Jesus tells us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” this is not a suggestion but a command. Paul commands us…

 

Romans 12:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

 

It's not a suggestion, it's not a good idea, it's a command, and it's a challenge to you and me right now, in this day, in this church.

 

We live in a time when the most we are called to give God is a few hours a week on a Sunday. We say, “Here God, take this part of me, but I've got work, family, sport, TV and the like to deal with, so I’m going to keep the rest.”

 

We compromise. Giving God everything isn’t even on the radar. Sports, social media, work and friendships fill up our time, suck out our physical energy and fill our minds with loads of things that really don't matter in eternity, when we should be devoted to God.

 

Listen, Sports, friends, and Facebook are not evil in and of themselves, but when we put them in a place above God it becomes idolatry. “When we build our lives on anything but God, that thing – even though it might be a good thing – becomes an enslaving addiction, something we have to have in order to be happy” says pastor and author Timothy Keller.

 

We spend so much time in our modern life on things that just don't matter, trying to be good at things that have no eternal impact. Francis Chan says, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

 

ARE YOU IN OR OUT?

 

Remember the Hokey Pokey? You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, etc. Remember the last verse? You put your whole self in. Or you put your whole self out… that's what it's all about, and that's what the Lord is asking of you this Christmas!

Are you in or out?

Revelation 3:15-16

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

 

God would rather us be totally indifferent towards Him than halfheartedly for Him. We are either in or out, hot or cold, against Him or for Him. There is no middle ground with God.

 

Now you may be asking the same question that I am right now, “Is it worth it?” I believe it is, because in 1 Corinthians 3 we read of the Judgment Seat of Christ and rewards being handed out. I believe we should want to build gold, silver and. Costly stones into our lives, not wood, hay and straw.

 

Jim Elliot, a missionary martyred in the Amazon jungle, said this…, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

 

This Christmas, I'm not going to ask what you're getting for Christmas, I'm going to ask what you're giving. Not what expensive toy you've bought for your kids, not what you're going to give your spouse, what are you going to give God?

 

When He asked me this question that Christmas long ago, He placed 3 words in my heart… White Hot Passion. Not red or yellow or even blue, white is the hottest metal goes before it vaporises. I promised to give Him my life, not sometimes but always and forever, not slightly excited but totally sold out for Him, not give a little bit, but white hot passion.

 

 

Dark Side of Christmas Only the Lonely Understand

Amidst the joy of Christmas, the lights, the music, the presents, the family events, I want to pause and consider part of the dark side of Christmas… loneliness.

 

Now Christmas is a time of hope and a time for families, but that in itself can drive people into loneliness. Factors like family breakdown can drive many into loneliness, and dealing with extended family members can also ramp up the pressure at this time of year, but Christmas itself is not the cause for loneliness.

 

You can become lonely for many reasons… the loss of a relationship through death or separation, loss of friends, sickness, hard times and many other reasons. Often when we face difficult times we pull away, we isolate ourselves and add loneliness to our list of burdens.

 

Whatever the cause, Christmas is just an amplifier that causes feelings of loneliness that are there all the time to seem greater and more powerful.

 

And strangely you can be lonely even in a crowd. One of the great paradoxes of modern life is that you can have 700 Facebook friends and be the loneliest guy in the world. You see social media, as social as it might be, is no substitute for social interaction and close friends.

 

 And Christmas just makes feelings of loneliness stronger.

 

Psalms 102:3-7

For my days pass away like smoke,

and my bones burn like a furnace.

My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;

I forget to eat my bread.

Because of my loud groaning

my bones cling to my flesh.

I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,

like an owl of the waste places;

I lie awake;

I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.

 

The KJV translates desert owl in its literal sense, meaning a pelican. So what the Psalmist is saying here is that he feels like a pelican, a coastal bird, in the desert… we might say a fish out of water.

 

And loneliness is like that… you feel like you just don't belong, and especially at Christmas, where everyone else seems to be having such a great time, right?

 

Les Carter said, “Loneliness is a feeling of separation, isolation or distance in human relations. It implies emotional pain, an empty feeling and a yearning to feel understood and accepted by someone.”

 

Tim Hansel observed, “Loneliness is not the same as being alone. It's feeling alone, no matter how many people are around you. It's feeling disconnected, unplugged, left out, isolated.”

 

Today I want to look at loneliness, how you should respond to it and how you should respond to others who are struggling with loneliness.

 

MODERNISM MAGNIFIES THE MISERY

 

Loneliness has always been with us.

 

Genesis 2:18

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

 

However, our modern society escalates loneliness on a scale never seen before.

 

Albert Schweitzer said, “We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.”

 

The fact of the matter is, and if you have experienced loneliness you will understand this well, lonely people often feel left out. They feel unwanted or rejected, even when they are surrounded by others - whether it be friends, family, or a congregation of a church. With loneliness, not only can there come this feeling of being left out, but a sense of worthlessness - in other words, people reason within themselves: 'Well, since nobody wants to be with me, I guess I'm not worth being with'.

 

It is important that we realise that loneliness is one of the greatest problems that 21st century society faces. And Christmas is one of the most common times to feel lonely, even in a crowded service or a family gathering.

 

 

Contrast this with developing countries, where they may not have much in the way of money, possessions or even food… but they have each other! They have extended families, they have friends, they often leave doors open and share meals together, and loneliness, while still present, is not as extreme as here in our country. We've got big screen TVs, cars that work, the NBN, Centrelink and huge malls, but our society tends to isolate us.

 

So again, loneliness is not worse at Christmas, it's there all the time, it is simply amplified at this time of year, when others seem to have what we do not.

 

Doesn't matter who you are, how successful you are, how famous you are, everybody experiences loneliness…

 

Jack Nicholson, after years of philandering and womanising, described himself recently as single, lonely and likely to die alone. After the death of her husband Albert, Queen Victoria said these words: 'There was no one left to call me Victoria'.

 

There was once an advertisement in a Kansas newspaper that read like this: 'I will listen to you talk for 30 minutes without comment for five dollars'. It sounds like a hoax, doesn't it? But it wasn't long before that individual who had placed the advertisement in the newspaper was bombarded by about 10 to 20 calls a day.

 

The pain of loneliness for some is so sharp that they were willing to try anything for half an hour of companionship. The scourge of loneliness is something that hits all of us at some time in our life. It can last from a moment to a lifetime.

 

Loneliness is the painful awareness that we lack meaningful contact with others. It involves within it a feeling of inner emptiness which can be accompanied by sadness, discouragement, a sense of isolation, restlessness and anxiety - and even an intense desire within to be wanted and needed by someone.

 

YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY!

 

Many people in the Bible faced loneliness.  Joseph alone in prison, Jacob miles from home.  King David often felt all alone…

 

Psalms 25:16-17

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

bring me out of my distresses.

 

The Apostle Paul was abandoned in prison, 2 Timothy 4:9-11,, and John was alone rotting on the Island of Patmos.

 

Jesus hung alone on a cruel cross for your sin and mine. Even His Father turned His back on Him. Jesus understands what it's like to be lonely, to feel abandoned and isolated.

 

Loneliness is and always has been common in human experience, and in our 21^st century lifestyle, it's exacerbated. People turn to drugs, alcohol, free sex, workaholism and even suicide to cope with feelings of loneliness.

 

So as we face Christmas 2016, and the possibility that many of you will feel intense loneliness, even in a crowd of relatives, I want to have a look at the voices you will hear in your head when you're intensely lonely, and contrast that with what God says about you.

 

LONELINESS… THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD

 

When we feel lonely we become subject to those dreaded voices in our head. You know the ones that show up when you're trying to sleep. The ones that, if you're not busy doing something, pervade your consciousness and nag your mind into believing things.

 

These little voices, seemingly so innocent, can kill you… figuratively and literally. So it is in our interest to deal with them before they start affecting us. And remember… they strike and strike hard when we are lonely.

 

So what do these voices say, what are their lies and how does God’s truth counteract them?

 

1. I AM ALL ALONE

 

THE LIE: Loneliness means I am all alone

THE TRUTH: Loneliness can strip away my dependence on others and let me find true fulfilment in Jesus Christ alone.

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

 

Being alone should be looked at not as a negative, but as a positive.

 

Sometimes God allows us to feel alone for a season, and if we choose to we can use this experience to drive us closer to the Lord. We can choose to get into the Word of God, to pray or to get involved in church activities.

 

Jesus  alone is the only true and lasting source of comfort. Seeing us chase after relationships with people rather than Him must break his heart, so sometimes He will lovingly remove these from our lives to drive us into His arms of comfort.

 

So if you are feeling lonely at Christmas time, rather than getting despondent about it, turn things around and say thank you Lord for realigning my priorities and driving me into your arms!

 

2. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS

 

THE LIE: I'm the only one who ever suffered like this, so no one will ever understand my pain and loneliness.

THE TRUTH: Many have gone through similar or harder roads, and Jesus Himself promises He understands because He's been there and done that.

 

Hebrews 2:18

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

 

Very often within our circle of friends and acquaintances we are not aware of someone who has gone through what we are struggling with. Even if they have, they would have handled it differently and done things differently. So we often tell ourselves that no one really understands what we face.

 

The danger of this type of thinking is that the devil uses it against us. When he convinces us that no one understands, we tend to shut others out, even those who love us and who God has placed around us for support and encouragement.

 

So if we feel alone, we often isolate ourselves further, moving away from the very ones who could help us, and moving us towards bitterness, depression, hard-heartedness, regret and ultimately, paralysing our life. When we become so alone, so isolated, we are useless to the Kingdom of God, and ripe to be attacked and even used by the enemy!

 

So we must remind ourselves of this...

2 Corinthians 1:5-6

For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

 

Jesus is the only one who fully understands our pain, our heartache and our loneliness. He gets our fears, insecurities, emotions, needs and desires. In short, He understands!

 

John 16:32-33

Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 

So when you feel alone, fight the temptation to withdraw further by recognising that Jesus understands and cares, and that He offers the only true comfort for the lonely. People, friends, relatives, loved ones, can never fully meet our expectations.

 

Here's the thing… once we release people from our expectations, once we look to Jesus Christ alone for comfort, then we suddenly see others in a different light. We see them as God’s provision for our lives.

 

If you lower your expectations of others, everything positive they do and say is a bonus… it's a blessing!

 

And remember that Jesus doesn't try and comfort us from afar, He is with us closer than a brother. He fills us with the Holy Spirit, He gives us strength, courage and joy. He gives us each other to love and support, to reach out to us in our loneliness.

 

3. GOD JUST DOESN’T LOVE ME

 

THE LIE: A loving God would not let you be alone like this. If He really loves me He'd give me friends who understand me, who support, encourage and care for me.

THE TRUTH: this loving God sent His own Son on the loneliest road of all for you!

 

Hebrews 12:3

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

 

Loneliness is not fun, it's miserable.  Outside of the grace of God, any suffering here on earth is miserable and makes no sense! Outside of Christ, suffering has no purpose, no value and offers no hope for the believer. But when we consider Christ, when we think of the gospel, suffering suddenly has meaning!

 

One of the darkest periods of our lives was when we lost all our money in the Storm financial crisis. 20 years of work wiped out in one week, and we went from being millionaires to being debt millionaires! It was a horrible, painful, frustrating and very lonely experience. Many people we counted on just went on with their lives, and no one seemed to care. We felt isolated in our misery.

 

Now I look back on that troubled time and realise God had a plan, for our lives, our family, our ministries and our future Pastoring. Out of that pain, and loneliness, I can now care for others in a way I never could.

 

In the middle of it, I saw pain and devastation… looking back, I see the loving hand of the Father working all things for good!

 

I remember praying and saying to God, my life is a frustrated, angry, fear filled mess. But I choose to see this moment as my opportunity to shine for Jesus. Matthew 5:16.

 

So if you're lonely this Christmas, rather than thinking it’s a curse, start to see it as a privilege, a calling, even a blessing to walk the same lonely road as your Saviour walked for you! The rewards are not for now but for eternity!

 

Feeling lonely? This could be your moment to shine!

 

4. I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH

 

THE LIE: If I feel alone, I mustn't have enough faith

THE TRUTH: Your feelings should not and do not represent your faith.

 

This is a modern Pentecostal, hurtful lie that has been propagated far and wide… that if you feel discouraged, alone or sad, your faith is lacking and you need to muster some more faith.

 

As people, we tend to rely on our feelings. If we feel good, if we feel joy, if we feel connected at Christmas, then we must have faith. If we feel lonely, sad or miserable, we mustn't have enough faith.

 

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

 

How do you reach this point, when everything seems against you and yet you stay so positive and full of faith? Paul did not get this from watching preachers on the God channel, or by calling a 1800 number with a donation!

 

We've talked about this in recent weeks, how even a mustard seed of faith in an infinitely huge and powerful God trumps all the faith you can muster in an idol.

 

I'm sick of hearing people kicking those who are down and saying they lack faith. If you base your faith on how you feel, you'll have a roller coaster ride of emotions, and always doubt that you have any faith at all. But if you base your faith on the Word of God, on His promises, on His Spirit and His power, then regardless of how you feel, you will discover faith you never knew you had! Faith in an infinite God, faith in the One who loves you and gave Himself for you.

 

The better you get to know God, the more faith you will have!

 

So if you are feeling alone and sad this Christmas, then turn things around and see your loneliness not as a curse sent from God, but as an opportunity to grow in maturity. This growth doesn't happen by accident, but by a deliberate decision to see joy in your pain, and Gods loving hand upon you rather than His affliction, judgement or curse.

 

5. I’M JUST NOT IMPORTANT TO ANYONE

 

THE LIE:If you were important enough, famous, successful, attractive, rich enough you wouldn't be lonely like this.

THE TRUTH: Everybody experiences loneliness, important or not.

 

This is a ridiculous lie from the devil, and I only have to mention names like Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Whitney Houston, Heath Ledger, Phillip Seymour-Hoffman and Marilyn Monroe to shoot it down.

 

Being famous or important does not make you not lonely, it actually often makes you more lonely and isolated. Don't believe the lie that successful people have lots of friends and aren't lonely. Behind the money, the fame, the big cars and houses in Beverley Hills, they're often the most lonely of all!

 

Things, fame or money doesn't buy happiness. I've seen beggars in the gutters of Kolkata laugh, eat together and have fellowship. Some of them are rich in ways we don't understand.

 

Listen, I know many poor, mistreated and less than attractive people here who have friends and are not lonely.

 

Doesn't matter who you are, there are people who love you, if you let them near! This church has people who will love you if you let them, so stop trying to be someone you're not and just let genuine people start to love and accept you.

 

Amos 3:3

“Do two walk together,

unless they have agreed to meet?

 

If you are lonely, at least make yourself agreeable! If you're nice to others, someone will be nice to you. If they reach out to you and you behave like a pig in return, don't be surprised if you're lonely! Be agreeable, be open, and no matter who you are, what your situation is, God will bring someone into your life to care.

 

So if you are feeling lonely this Christmas, open yourself to someone. Yes there's a risk, they might reject you, but nothing ventured is nothing gained. They might accept you, you never know. You don't need to be successful, rich or famous, you just need to be agreeable!

 

CLOSER THAN A BROTHER

 

Loneliness hurts, and especially at Christmas when everybody is talking about their families and friends. If you have poor relationships in your family, or no friends, it hurts even more.

 

Proverbs 18:24

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

 

Loneliness is painful, but today I challenge you to turn your perception around. Loneliness is not hopelessness if you don't let it become that, instead it can empower you to know Christ more, and to make Him known. He is the friend who sticks!

 

The choice it yours… all of these voices in your head require you to choose between the lie and the truth. You can choose to believe the lies, or you can choose the truth. At this time of year the devil uses loneliness to entrap you, to ruin you, to get into your head and depress you. But it doesn't have to be that way.

 

Take your eyes off your circumstances, off the family mishaps, off the lack of friends, and open your eyes to see things Gods way.

 

Habakkuk 3:17-19

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.

God, the Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer's;

he makes me tread on my high places.

 

Today in the loneliness that many of us face at Christmas time, Jesus is calling you to tread in high places. You can feel lonely, all of us do at times, but there is a friend who calls to you right now in your loneliness. His arms are open to you, His heart is reaching out to you. This Christmas you may be alone, alone by yourself, or alone maybe in a crowd of relatives, but none of us is exempt from loneliness.

 

In our church I am thrilled to say I'm seeing people reaching out to each other in genuine love. You might be alone, but don't be lonely. There are people here who would love to reach out to you. There are people who care, and there a Saviour who wants to wrap His arms around you right now.

 

Psalms 139:5

I look behind me and you're there,

then up ahead and you're there, too—

your reassuring presence, coming and going.

 

Hebrews 13:5

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Celebration Sunday- The Way Ahead for the Church

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

 

Today we celebrate God doing exceedingly abundantly in obtaining for us this wonderful building.

 

When I took office a year ago, the purchase of this property was by any human measure impossible. Our small body of believers would have to give more than 4 times what they had given over 7 years, in the space of only one year to even come close.

 

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

 

Today, we celebrate the purchase of this building, and the God of the impossible! But this morning I ask you church, Where to from here?

 

GOING FORWARD

 

As I quoted once before, when Winston Churchill celebrated the first allied victory of the war in Africa, he said, “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but perhaps it is the end of the beginning.”

 

Purchasing this building is not the end game, it is simply the first major financial hurdle we have faced as a church under my leadership, and by God's grace and your generosity, we stand together here today in a building we actually own.

 

Coming up, there will be more challenges, more tests and therefore more opportunities to stand together shoulder to shoulder in faith, to believe our God and to see Him provide exceedingly abundantly beyond all we can ask or think.

 

Malachi 3:10, talking about giving says,

Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

 

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

 

Ok, we own the building, and this is what we celebrate today. Woo hoo! But this is not the end of the story, it's just the beginning.

 

Here's a promise…

Job 8:5-7

If you will seek God

and plead with the Almighty for mercy,

if you are pure and upright,

surely then he will rouse himself for you

and restore your rightful habitation.

And though your beginning was small,

your latter days will be very great.

 

It is tempting to look around and say to ourselves, “We've arrived!” But brothers and sisters, we haven't arrived anywhere much! We are still on the journey, like being on a journey from the Sunshine Coast to Melbourne, and we've just made it to Caboolture..

 

So I'm hoping that none of you guys will be like my kids were, who asked me before we reached the end of our street, “Are we nearly there yet?”

 

Were nowhere near nearly there yet! We are on an incredible journey, and we have only just begun.

 

I don't know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future, and as we have explored in recent weeks, God is awesome, all seeing, all knowing, all powerful, all present and ALL FOR US, exceedingly abundantly all for us.

 

We can trust Him on this journey. And as I look around at this church, the people not the building, I recognise that He has done something wonderful in our hearts as well.

 

Wonderful, but not enough, because the Bible says,

 

Haggai 2:9

The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts.

 

That's our prayer Lord for this community of believers… let what is to come be greater by far than anything that has come before. Let it be exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or think, and I can think quite a bit!

 

Ahead, I have a vision for this church. I want to see us become a church that empowers each believer to reach their full potential in ministry. I would love to see us sending ministries all around the country and across the world. I want to see us ministering to our local people, restoring families and lives I want this church to be a safe place of learning, growing, empowering and equipping, where people who've been hurt elsewhere can find a home, and where those who have sat in a pew elsewhere can find a place to serve and GROW their ministry.  And yes, I believe we all have a ministry!

 

My job is to let you reach your full potential in Christ.

 

So, folks, today we celebrate God’s faithfulness and blessing in obtaining this building, but what is the way ahead? Let me challenge you church on how we should keep seeking the Lord from here.

 

THE 7 MAINSTAYS OF THE WAY AHEAD

 

 

1.     STAY THANKFUL

 

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Today we are thankful to the Lord, but we need to continue in this attitude ad infinitum. We should always be thankful for all the blessings we receive in our nation, we should be thankful for the blessing we have as families, as friends and as a church.

 

The children of Israel whined and complained, and suffered as a result. Bill Newman says the greatest sin of the western world is an ungrateful spirit, and he is so right.

 

So going forward we need to stay thankful for what the Lord has done. This is especially true for me, when I visit other pastors in their churches… thou shalt not covet thy neighbours crystal cathedral, right!

 

2.     STAY HUMBLE

 

1 Peter 5:5-6

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

 

I confess, I want God to raise our church up. I have a vision to become a church that releases people into ministry all around the world, that impacts its area, its nation and across the globe for Jesus.

 

The only way God will raise us up is if we stay humble!

 

Humility is a funny thing. I once was awarded a badge for humility, but they took it off me because I wore it!

 

As I share with other pastors that journey we have been on here, how the Lord brought in nearly a quarter of a million dollars in just one year to allow us to purchase this building, I am greatly humbled, because I realise I haven't done this miracle… God has!

 

People say, you must have loads of rich people in your church. I reply, if we do, please point them out for me, because this miracle is not the result of having rich people in the church, it's having humble, generous people and a rich Heavenly Father!

 

So never lose sight of the fact, this miracle is not from you or from me, it's all about Him. To move ahead, we need to stay humble and serve…

 

3.     STAY SERVING

 

Sometimes we start to serve, then after a while enjoy it when others start  serving us. Then before you know it, you're bossing people around or getting upset when they don't do things your way.

 

You might call this pedantic, you might call it struggling for excellence. I call it selfish and controlling, and God calls it sin, plain and simple as that!

 

Mark 10:42-45

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 

To become great, to reach our full potential as believers and as a church, we need to keep serving. Serve the Lord, sure, but let's serve each other with humility and dedication.

 

Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

 

Being servants means laying aside your own rights, your own agendas, your own ambitions and serving selflessly.

 

In our society people are always on about rights, always fighting for their rights. Gay rights, women’s rights, gender rights, land rights, worker’s rights, save the whale, save the koala. As Christians we should wrap them all together and have land rights for gay whales and then be done with it.

 

When you become a believer you have to give up pursuing your own rights and agendas, and become a servant. You get one right… the right to serve. As we move ahead, we need to stay serving.

 

4.     STAY TOGETHER

 

All of us, you and I, have been brought together by God. If we fragment, if we drift away, if we get slack about meeting and attending and being a part of things, we will miss out.

 

Hebrews 10:24-25

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.

 

We need to keep meeting, we need to encourage, we need to serve together. God isn't just obtaining a building here, He is building His body to reach the world.

 

We may not see eye to eye on every issue, but we can stand shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand and arm in arm together as we serve God and see Him do exceedingly abundantly.

 

5.     STAY FOCUSSED

 

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,

 

There are so many distractions, so many things screaming for your attention, and even as a church this is true. If we are to move into our destiny, we need to throw off the things that encumber us.

 

So what encumbers us? What weighs us down? SIN, yes, so we must stay clear of sin. But also, internal things in church can cause us to take our eyes off the destiny Jesus has for us. We can get so distracted by relationships, agendas, opinions and judgements that our ministry, our destiny as a church can be lost.

 

We need to love each other, overlook the faults, bear with one another, put our personal agendas and desires aside and join together in unity to move forward into our destiny together.

 

6.     STAY SEEKING THE VISION

 

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,(or perish)

 

If I don't have a vision for Coast Church, It will perish. If I have no vision for the future, we will start to die, drowning in  a pool of mediocrity. We will just become another church, playing church week by week, having a form of godliness, but denying the power.

 

I don't want to do that. I can't afford to do that. I will not leave you stranded drowning in averageness, playing church while the world perishes.

 

We need to not run ahead, not lag behind but stay with the vision.

 

Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India early last century, saw a vision of a grass slope leading to a sheer drop into infinite depths, and files of people walking over the edge. Occasionally a person stood on the edge trying to stop people falling over the edge, but most of the Christians were sitting around making daisy chains, oblivious to the lost, deaf to the screams of people perishing.

 

God has given me a vision for the future of this church. I've set in place leadership and structures that will allow the Lord to grow and direct our way forward.

 

And the way forward is to reach out and love people into the Kingdom.

 

We call people non Christians, unchurched, unbelievers… but they are just lost… the lost are lost, forever if people like us don't reach out.

 

 And this generation of believers, you and I, are responsible for this generation of souls all over the earth.

 

Bill often says, Moses was turned aside by a bush on fire. It will be a believer on fire, a church on fire that will turn a world aside that's heading to hell fire.

 

Whatever happens, church, we must stay seeking the vision God gives us.

 

7.     STAY THE COURSE

 

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

 

God is looking for faithful servants… He was back then, and He still is now. There's not many, but I aim to be one and I hope you do too.

 

If we as a church are to move ahead, we must stay committed. We've given generously and faithfully, but it doesn't stop here. There's more we need to do, and into the future we need to give even more of our time, our money, our talents and everything we have.

 

And God will bless us exceedingly abundantly in return.

 

God is still looking for faithful servants, committed people and inspired leadership, and He promises that, if we stay committed, He will strengthen us for the tasks He has laid out for us.  And so...

 

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

 

As we celebrate today, let's look to the future.

 

We live in a society where we seemingly have lost the ability to see things through. We start things and drop off, commit to things then fade away. People drop out of school, uni, jobs or life!  One recent Hollywood marriage pledged, “I promise to love you until I no longer find you attractive.”

 

The road ahead will not be easy, but neither was the path to obtaining this building, right? Yet if we stay the course, if we keep on keeping on, giving and serving and looking to Jesus, no matter what comes against us, we will prevail!

 

 

STAY CLOSE TO GOD

 

As a church, as families, as individuals, we must stay close to God. All this year I have been banging on about staying close to the Lord, and that's why we have so many people doing the daily Bible reading.

 

Why? Because living for the Lord is not just a Sunday thing. Staying close to the Lord is a daily walk with Him, that's why Jesus asks us to take up our cross daily. Don't turn up once a week for a big rev up, but decide right now, commit right now with me to live, and GROW and seek God daily, indeed every hour of every day.

 

As a church we've focussed on giving and seen God provide exceedingly abundantly beyond all we could ask or think, but we mustn't stop here. Our focus going ahead must be on reaching our community for Christ, and I’ve asked my friend, my co-labourer and I believe Australia's most anointed evangelist to share a few word to encourage us in the road ahead as we seek to share the exceedingly abundant blessings with our community...

God's Plan for Your Life in Exile

Many of us know and love the verse about God having plans for us,

 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

 

But having recently come across this in quiet times, I wanted to have a closer look at what this verse is actually saying, to whom and why.

 

WALK A MILE AS AN EXILE

 

Jeremiah 29 is a beautiful chapter, but it is written to people in a terrible position. The Babylonians had invaded Judah and had stolen all the wealthy, noble and skilled people, exiling them back to Babylon and leaving only a few leaders, a king and the “dregs” back in Jerusalem. 

 

There were several exiles. The first in 605 BC removed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo. In 597 BC 10,000 more were deported, including the likes of Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, and a puppet government was installed in Jerusalem under Zedekiah. Jeremiah lived at that time under him, but was writing to the earlier deported and exiled people.

 

Imaging you are in your home one night, and soldiers burst in arresting you and your family. They steal everything you own, burn down your house and deport you as a captive thousands of miles away, to a country you know nothing about, to a people who look, act and speak differently to you.

 

These exiles had lost everything but their lives and what few possessions they could carry with them to Babylon. They’d lost their freedom and were now captives. They’d been taken from their homes and had lost their means of making a living. They were separated from relatives and friends, some of whom may have perished in the long march from Jerusalem to Babylon. No matter how they looked at it, the situation seemed hopeless.

 

That's what these people faced… deported to the other end of the world, mistreated, living in squalor, living in fear. Living in despair. Living without hope.

 

It was to these people, the so-called people of God, downtrodden, mistreated, worthless, scared, hungry and hopeless, that Jeremiah wrote his letter, and through it God said, “I know the plans I have for you.”

 

YOUR SEASON OF EXILE

 

These exiles were a long way from home. They were alone, hurting, fearful and disconnected from everything they knew, everything they had ever known.

 

You may not be physically exiled today, but chances are that you experience seasons of exile in your life.

 

You may not be banished to a far-away country, but perhaps there is distance between you and your spouse. Maybe  you are isolated at work, alone at home or alone in your ministry. Maybe friends you've always been close to seem distant all of a sudden, and you don't know the reason why. Maybe you're sick or tired and there seems no reprieve. Maybe you're alone and overlooked, and it seems no one cares.

 

Perhaps you're  exiled from other Christians. So many believers are dislocated from the body of Christ on the Coast. Many don't have a church to call home, and some have given up on church all together. You may have been hurt by a pastor, upset by a church or just bored with church life in general, so you face a period of exile, disenfranchised and alone, knowing you should be going to church, but unable to face it.  You may even have periods of exile from God, when the Lord seems distant and you feel like you're stuck in a desert. You're hot, dry, thirsty and tired. You cry out to God, but nothing works.

 

Exile is never fun. Your time of exile may not last forever, but for a time it seems to stretch on and on. It’s a season of waiting, usually frustrating waiting. And you feel trapped. You feel isolated, without hope and  you feel like you don't know how to bridge the gap!

 

So how do you react in your season of exile? When you're miserable, when you're alone, when you're discouraged and down and everything just sucks?

 

REACTING TO YOUR EXILE

 

The people of Judah were in exile, miserable and alone. They felt like God had abandoned them, let them down. I'm guessing many of them were not privy to some of the lead up to their exile.

 

Prophets  like Isaiah and Jeremiah had warned the leaders of Israel that, if they continued sinning, they would be defeated and taken into exile. God spelled it out, but these guys ignored Him and so suffered exactly what He said He'd do.

 

Did these poor exiles do everything wrong? Nope, they were caught up in the collateral damage. But they were miserable and alone, none the less. They said the, and you might recognise it as a Boney M song from the 70s…

 

Psalms 137:1-5

By the waters of Babylon,

there we sat down and wept,

when we remembered Zion.

On the willows there

we hung up our lyres.

For there our captors

required of us songs,

and our tormentors, mirth, saying,

“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

How shall we sing the Lord's song

in a foreign land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

let my right hand forget its skill!

 

As you face your exile, you can collapse in a screaming heap of despair, and if you look at circumstances, you may feel you have every right to do that!

 

These exiles had every right to be despondent.

 

But along with the right, you have a choice… you can choose to see your exile differently.

 

Why?

 

Because during times of exile, when we are struggling and hurting, when we are lonely and feeling like God has abandoned us, He will fashion us more and more into what He intends us to be if we will let Him.

 

Even if He does not change our circumstances, He can and will change our hearts if our attitude is right and we believe His promises.

 

Ultimately we will determine the shape of our own futures by how we fare in our exile times. It will be our own actions and attitudes that will either hammer out or beat down the potential of our tomorrows.

 

So if you are there right now, if you are experiencing or have experienced a period of exile, maybe from someone you should be close to, maybe from church, maybe from God, then here are 7 steps to surviving and thriving in your exile..

 

7 STEPS TO SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN EXILE

 

 

1.     FACE REALITY

 

 

There is a school of thought in Christianity that you should ignore reality and just believe and trust God for whatever you are praying for. The problem with this is that most people just ask God for what they want, not for His will.

 

Sticking your head in the sand when you are living through an exile experience is going to break your heart and let you down terribly. And besides all this, it's plain stupid.

 

So how should we handle such a depressing situation?

 

Step 1 is to accept it from the hand of God and let God have His way.

 

Jeremiah 29:4

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

 

 It does no good to hang our harps on the willow trees and sit around and weep, although this may be a temporary normal reaction to tragedy (Psalm 137:1-4).

 

One of the first steps in turning tragedy into triumph is to accept the situation courageously and put ourselves into the hands of a loving God, who makes no mistakes.

 

Jeremiah wrote to the exiles, particularly to the elders and priests among the exiles, trying to get them to face reality.  He wrote because he wanted them to know a few things about the situation they were in. The gist of what he told them is that even though you don’t want it to be this way, and even though you would wish it to be entirely different, the reality of it is that you’re in a situation that is not going to be resolved overnight.

 

The reality is that the unpleasant circumstance we may find ourselves in may not change today or tomorrow or the next day. In fact, it may never change. But that’s only part of the reality—the rest of it is that God is in charge, and we can trust Him.

 

 

2.     CONNECT IN, DON’T ISOLATE YOURSELF

 

Jeremiah 29:5-9

Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

 

The false prophets had convinced the people that the stay in Babylon would be a brief one, perhaps two years or so (vv. 8-9; 28:3). Therefore, there was no need to settle down and try to resume a normal life, but rather they should offer resistance and constant warfare.

 

But Jeremiah told them just the opposite. Since they would be there as long as seventy years (v. 10), there was plenty of time to build houses and set up homes. It was important that the exiles have families so there would be people available to return to Judea when the captivity ended. This small Jewish remnant was holding in its hands the future of God’s great plan of salvation, and they must obey Him, be fruitful, and multiply (v. 6).

 

Not only were they not to resist, but they were instructed to pray for the city in which they were captive. The exiles were to be peacemakers, not troublemakers, and they were to pray sincerely for their enemies (Matt. 5:43-48; 1 Tim. 2:1-3; Titus 3:1-2).

 

Remember, said Jeremiah, if we reject the wooden yoke of submission, we end up wearing only an iron yoke of subjugation…

 

Jeremiah 28:13

“Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron.

 

So if you are feeling exiled and disassociated right now,  the best course is to yield ourselves to the Lord and to those who are over us, no matter how badly they may treat us. (See Peter’s counsel to Christian slaves in 1 Peter 2:18-25.)

 

Most often people experiencing exile distance themselves from others, from those who love them and even from the church.  Our area is full of upset people who won't darken the door of a church again, and this is sad because there are churches and pastors who want to love them and care for them. I'd like to believe there are more loving, shepherding pastors than aggressive, controlling ones.

 

So if you've been hurt, or you feel disconnected from people, don't run, don't hide and don't assume the leadership is out to get you. Connect back in and in the long run you will be far better off!

 

 

3.     DON’T GIVE UP

 

Who here ever feels discouraged? I can tell you now, the exiles were rock bottom discouraged, on a level you and I may never experience. Estranged from everything they knew, captive, persecuted, mocked, having lost everything, strangers in a strange land. They could be excused for giving up, right?

 

Do you ever feel tempted to give up? Perhaps right now you feel overlooked, forgotten, mistreated, and you want to quit. Satan’s goal is to get you to do just that—throw in the towel and call it quits. Discouragement is one of his most effective weapons.

 

But remember this: while disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice. You have a choice right now… You do not have to yield to the devil’s debilitating whispers of doubt and fear or be trapped in self-pity.

 

During this terrible time in Israel’s history, God directed Jeremiah to speak words of hope and encouragement to the disheartened exiles in Babylon: “‘I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”’

 

Give up? Give in? Give me a break! The people of Israel could avoid discouragement by remembering that God had wonderful plans for their future.

 

If you are going through exile like them, don't lose sight of the fact that God is God! He made the stars and the galaxies, He controls them all, He transcends time and space and HE LOVES YOU!

 

 

4.     KEEP A GRATITUDE ATTITUDE

 

When you are in exile, it's tempting to whine about everything. “Woe is me, nobody cares, I'm going through a private hell that no one seems to understand or even care about. I'm so alone. Think I'll go and eat worms!”

 

Your attitude is important if you're experiencing a time of exile. So how does yours measure up?

 

Do you subtly let everyone know, in little comments or barbs, just how disenchanted you are? Do you pull everyone else around into the whirlpool of despair you are drowning in?

 

Listen… You can’t control the cards that are dealt to you, but you can control how you play them. You can have a bad attitude—moaning, grumbling and participating in pity parties with others in the same pool… all drowning alone together! Or you can have a gratitude attitude. Your choice!

 

Habakkuk 3:17-18

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.

 

God challenges us and commands us to make the most of our exiles, to experience greatness and prosperity even though we are in less-than-ideal positions. Why? Because during times of exile He will fashion us more and more into what He intends us to be.

 

This morning in my quiet time I read Hebrews 12:1-2. It talks about the crowd of witnesses cheering us on as we run the race. Now think of a hurdles runner… they don't look st every hurdle closely as they run, their eyes are fixed on the finish line. Being thankful takes your eyes off yourself and your circumstances and puts the, on the finish line.

 

He's shaping us, He's moulding us, He's developing character within us, if we have the eyes to see it. And the right way to see is with eyes of faith, and faith grows when we are thankful for what we do have, not critical of what we don't have!

 

5.     DISCIPLINE YOURSELF

 

In 70 years of exile in Babylon, Israel sorted out her faith and rediscovered her deep need for the Lord. We must do the same. If we are ever going to reach our full potential, we must understand a very important truth: God is for us. He is not against us. Regardless of the trials we face, the hurt, the pain, the opposition, regardless of whether we get what we so desire and pray for, He is for us, not against us!

 

He often uses trials to position us for greater blessing, and even in times of great disappointment, we can trust that He has our best in mind and will work all things out for our good.

 

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

 

He knows how He wants to use the exile time, with all its disappointment or hardship for our benefit.  He wants us to see Him as our only source of salvation and blessing.

 

So if you are going through an exile experience right now, go to God in prayer. Tell Him all you are feeling. God has an objective view of the situation. He sees the future and knows the direction your life will take. He also wants you to totally depend on Him and not rely on the compliments of others, earthly success, or worldly resources to make you happy. Discipline yourself by praying and reading God’s Word, because these affect your faith and your attitude.

 

When you're in exile it's not always easy to be disciplined, but it's essential to truly grow in your exile. Daniel was one of the exiles Jeremiah wrote to, but he prayed every day in Babylon and became a great prophet of the Lord!

 

And while disappointments will come—you live in a fallen world, after all—you can live above it by focusing your heart on Jesus Christ. Rejoice and be glad in Him, whatever it is that you face right now!

 

Get disciplined and g t serious about coming out of the exile you are in now a better person and a stronger and more faithful servant of the Lord!

 

 

6.     KEEP BELIEVING HE HAS A PLAN FOR YOU

 

Jeremiah wrote these words to the exiled people to remind them that, no matter what the false prophets preach, no matter what the circumstances dictate, no matter what your faithless heart throws up at you, He still has a plan.

 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

No matter what you see, God sees good for you. God sees a future and a hope, and when you understand what the exiled Jews were facing, these words become very powerful indeed!

 

We're captives, we’re poor, we’re alone, we’re thousands of miles from everything we know and hold dear… and Jeremiah, you're telling us that God has a plan for our future, for our prosperity and to give us hope?

 

Yep, He sure does.

 

But we often forget the next 2 verses after this one of promise…

 

Jeremiah 29:12-13

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

 

When you are feeling like an exile, hurt, alone, discouraged, that's when you need to press into God and seek Him with all your heart. Don't run, don't turn to sex or drugs or booze, don't throw yourself into your work or a hobby to dull the pain, just seek God, and He promises that when you seek Him, you'll find Him!

 

 

 

7.     DON’T LOSE HOPE

 

In Jeremiah, the exiles were without hope, so he wrote to them to give them hope. Not the false hope of the false prophets, but real hope, and real advice on how to face their time in exile.

 

When we are in our own exile, we may be tempted to bog down in the ugly details of life. It may be difficult to visualise what tomorrow will be like, much less plan for next year, or beyond. But that is when true hope, God given, Bible based, Holy Spirit inspired hope is most necessary.

 

Whatever you face now in your time of exile, God is not finished with you yet, and in spite of the way things may look at any given moment, it is important for us to realise that God has a plan, that He knows what that plan is, and that He is going to be faithful to keep all the promises He has ever made. Every single one of them!

 

He has promised us He has a future for us, and for us to sit down and act as though there is no future is to deny the inexplicable love of our Heavenly Father. To be without hope is the gravest insult to the Father who loves you and gave His only Son in exchange for your life!

 

My brother-in-law’s marriage to my sister was falling apart. He had abused her, threatened her life, and he called me up to try and force me to release her whereabouts. He was a believer of sorts, he'd grown up in the church but he didn't have a close relationship to Jesus. He was a nice guy who'd lost hope, and he was my friend.

 

2 days later, devoid of hope, he put a rope around his neck and jumped, hanging himself in his garage. He could only see the problems, and he had lost all hope, and it killed him.

 

The sun goes down today, but the eyes of faith allow us to see that will rise again tomorrow, just as bright, just as life-giving. While in a difficult situation, we who know Jesus Christ should not act as though there will not be a tomorrow—because there will be! And He will be King and Lord tomorrow, just as He is today.

 

 

So if you are struggling with some sort of exile, some situation that leaves you feeling broken, alone, in despair or estranged from God or people, lift up your eyes and see the dawn of a new day.

 

Habakkuk 3:17-18

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.

 

Because He promises me…

 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

Some you here feel you face situations where there is little hope. Some of you feel alone, feel estranged, feel disconnected, feel like you are in exile, especially as Christmas approaches. Don't walk the road alone… let us stand and believe with you and support you out of your exile.

The One God Chooses and Uses

We've been talking about faith, and so I started to ask the question, “Who is the person that God chooses and then chooses to use?

 

CHOOSED AND USED?

 

In Don’t Waste Your Life John Piper contrasts two stories. The first story is about two women, one over eighty, the other in her late seventies, who had given their lives to make Jesus Christ known among the unreached people of Cameroon. In April, 2000, their brakes failed, their car went over a cliff, and they were both killed instantly. Piper asks, “Was that a tragedy?” He answers, “No, that is not a tragedy. That is a glory. These lives were not wasted. And these lives were not lost. ‘Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it’ (Mark 8:35).”

 

The second story shows how to waste your life. The February, 1998, Reader’s Digest, told of a couple who took early retirement when he was 59 and she was 51. They moved to Florida where they cruise on their boat, play softball, and collect shells. At first Piper thought that the story was a spoof on the American Dream, but then he realized that this is the dream: “Come to the end of your life—your one and only precious, God-given life—and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells.” “That,” says Piper, “is a tragedy.”

 

Most of us here want to make a difference in the world. We don't want our life to amount to us doing things only for ourselves, things that simply make us happier. Most of us have a feeling that, deep down, we want to bless people around us and not just satisfy our selfish desires.

 

As Christians, most of us want to do something significant for God in our lifetime. The big car, big house, big business or big career are secondary to making the world a better place for our passing through, right?

 

You're not the first to want to serve Jesus. Many Christians have this desire, but many do nothing about it. Others sense God’s calling and will do anything to grow into it.  Perhaps they join Isaiah…

 

Isaiah 6:8

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

 

My question to you today is this… do you want to be the one chosen by the Lord for a special task, used by Him to reach our generation? Do you want to be CHOOSED and USED of God?

 

CHOSEN PEOPLE

 

 

1 Peter 2:9

 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

 

Like it or not, when you accept Christ you are chosen. You may have thought that you chose Him, but long before that He chose you. He did not choose you because you're good looking, smart or talented, but because you are you. God chose you because He knew your heart, and before you were even born He had a destiny planned for you that would blow your mind!

 

Jeremiah 1:5

 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

 

You're not an accident, you're not a product of chance. Long before you even drew breath, the Bible says God knew you by name. He knows your life, when you will die, and what He has planned out for you.

 

If you are willing, God wants to use you. If you want your own way, He won't, or your effectiveness for Him will be limited. The choice is yours. Are you all in, all out, or do you just want to dabble a bit, be a good person, an average Christian and achieve not very much that's world changing?

 

We said when discussing faith, it's not about your circumstances, it's about God.

 

I've met single mums with small kids, not here in Australia on a pension but on the mission field in India. Helen Keller couldn't see or hear, but she made a massive difference world wide.

 

What about the farm boy who used to draw pictures for his neighbours for money then became the cartoonist for the school newspaper. No one would give him a job, so he started illustration ads, then made his own cartoons. One time he drew a mouse, and for Walt Disney the rest is history.

 

If you are willing today, God can choose to use you, no matter who you are, where you are from, the colour of your skin or what Problems or disabilities you have. There are clear, Biblical steps you can take to be used by God. Question is, do you want it?

 

So what are these steps and how can you and I be used by God in the fullness that He intends for us?

 

1. DESTINY

 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

God has plans for us, to prosper and not harm us. He has a future for us, a hope, a destiny for each of us, and if you are willing and obedient, it will blow your mind. But destiny is not some cosmic force blowing around out there, carrying you along without your permission. It's not something that randomly happens to you either…

 

Destiny is a series of choices!

 

And here's the thing… despite God’s plans for you and His perfect destiny, you can lose it by making the wrong choices. You can step out of your destiny and lose it forever, if you choose!

 

King Saul had a destiny to become Israel’s first and greatest king. In 1 Samuel 15 we read that disobedience caused him to lose his destiny. Samson was a great judge, who lost his destiny by a series or bad choices, including chasing the wrong partner. Ananias and Sapphira could have been an integral part of the fledgling church, but instead were a dead loss.

 

But what about you. I believe that each of you have a destiny, something special that God has lined up for you. Do you choose to follow Him into your destiny, or do you choose to satisfy your own desires and just make yourself happy.

 

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

God has good works prepared for you, but you need to decide to walk with Him into your destiny. This morning the choice is yours, but remember the gravity and the consequences of the decisions you make.

 

2. DREAM

 

Martin Luther said, “I have a dream,” but many of you have a dream as well.

 

A dream is not your destiny necessarily. A dream is something placed in your heart that you want to do. You may dream of playing football for the Broncos. You might dream of being a pastor, or a fireman, or you might change your hairstyle and dream of becoming the president of the US.

 

Many dreams are actually given to you by the Lord Himself…

 

Job 33:14-15

For God does speak—now one way, now another—

though no one perceives it.

In a dream, in a vision of the night,

when deep sleep falls on people

as they slumber in their beds,

 

 And in the last days, which we now live in, the Holy Spirit will bring dreams and visions to mind

 

Acts 2:17

 

“‘In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

 

If you believe that God has placed a dream in your heart, obey Him and ask Him to bring it to pass. Draw near to Him, because if He's given you that dream it will come to pass, and if it's not His will you won't care less if you are close to Him. Either way, you win!

 

 

3. DEVOTION

 

OK, here's where it starts to get a bit tricky. To see your dreams come to pass, obedience is better than sacrifice. Most of us become devoted to something in life, but many a well meaning Christian has lost their destiny by being devoted to the wrong thing.

 

Why? Because Devotion is actually an act of worship, so be careful what you become devoted to!

 

Romans 12:1

 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

 

Being devoted to anything or anyone before Christ will block and maybe even lose your destiny. The measure of this is often the amount of time you devote to it. I've seen many Christian men who love God devoted to their businesses to the extent that they live their lives ultimately unfulfilled in ministry. I've seen many a Christian woman so devoted to the family that they miss their destiny in Christ.

 

So if devotion is key, what should be become devoted to? Our football team? Our families? Our jobs? Our church?

 

Matthew 6:33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

Become devoted to God, and everything else comes into perspective. As you live for Him, as you are devoted to Him, all your dreams begin to come true.

 

I always wanted to sing. I wanted to be a rockstar. I wanted to play in front of thousands of people. I gave it all up to the Lord, I stopped playing in bands, I stopped by own concerts, I gave it all up and served Bill Newman. Since deciding that, I have ministered in front of tens of thousands, up to 80,000 people.

 

Devoted to my ministry? No chance, I want to be devoted to Jesus!

 

4. DIRECTION

 

If you are devoted to the Lord, and if you are seeking Him and His will for your life, how do you know what to do next?

 

Psalms 32:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

 

Psalms 143:8

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I entrust my life.

 

Psalms 37:23-24

The steps of a man are established by the Lord,

when he delights in his way;

though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the Lord upholds his hand.

 

Following God, having our steps “ordered by the LORD”, does not guarantee success in every endeavour.  The verse does not say he will never fall, but that when he does the Lord will uphold him.

 

Thing is, some lessons that God wants to teach can only come through failure. When God’s people fall, however, He does not allow them to be “utterly cast down” or “cast headlong.” Instead, He helps them back up so that they can learn what He wants to teach them and move on toward success. The only real failures are those who give up on God and refuse to get up and go on.

 

So walking hand in hand with the Lord, through success and failure is the way ahead for those who want to be used by God. Better to step out in faith and start serving than to sit and do nothing. It's easier to steer a moving ship.

 

 

5. DRIVE

 

If you are stepping out and serving the Lord, you need to have drive or zeal. Even as a pastor, there are days I just don't want to even get up. Some of the situations I face and try and navigate through just break my heart and sometimes attempt to break my spirit. But…

 

Psalms 69:9

For zeal for your house has consumed me,

and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

 

Without drive you just fall flat. With out drive you just struggle on and amount to nothing for the Lord. When you start you need to see it through and be full of zeal not for yourself, not even for your ministry but for the Lord and His house!

 

6. DEVELOP… IT TAKES HUMILITY

 

God uses humble people. Why? Because they are open and ready to learn and be developed.

 

Whatever your dreams, whatever your talents, whatever your ministry, you need to learn, train and develop your gifts. The Bible says..

 

Proverbs 27:17

 

As iron sharpens iron,

so one person sharpens another.

 

I've spoken to singers who want to be worship leaders and who believe they don't require training or mentoring, that the Spirit will lead and inspire them to become great worship leaders.

 

Sounds spiritual, but this is extreme arrogance. We all need training in our ministries. Even myself as a pastor, I am constantly being trained and mentored. When I think I've got it all together, when I think I have nothing more to learn, I am stepping out of God’s will and into pride!

 

If you want to be used by God, be open and humble enough to let others speak into your life. Especially, seek to be mentored by those further advanced in your ministry than you are. Make sure you are training in the right area.

 

As a Christian musician, I once faced a choice. The best lead guitarist I know offered to give me free lessons, but it was on the same night as Bible college. Do I train my music skills or my soul? I chose the latter, and that is the reason I stand before you a fully credentialed pastor. I chose training in the right area. My lead guitar is still average!

 

Our job as a church is to train and equip you for ministry. We want to train you and release you into what the Lord has for you in ministry. If you're choosed, and you want to be used, then this is a great place for you.

 

That's why we have 101 and 201. We want to train and equip you for ministry, and we also want to provide an avenue to serve, and opportunity and a team to serve the Lord with. We believe in teams, and if you go to the GO table afterwards, you can find out about 101 and 201, and discover a way into serving the Lord here at Coast Church.

 

7. DEDICATION

 

If you want to become great at anything, you need to be dedicated. Football players go to practice and train every day, great musicians practice regularly and actors practice over and over… anyone who becomes great at anything needs to be dedicated.

 

And if you are truly dedicated to being used by God, He will never let you down…

 

Matthew 19:29

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

 

Dedication to serving the Lord is how you take your dream, gift and training and make it all happen. Dedication is living it, breathing it and loving God more than anything, including your ministry! It's all about Him, not you, not your ministry, and not your gift or dream.

 

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Which leads me to the final step…

 

8. DEATH OF SELF

 

So many Christians have dreams, have gifts and have ministries, but they never move into all that God has for them because they face one huge, immovable obstacle… THEMSELVES.

 

But the Bible says,

 

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 

If you are ever going to become great in God's kingdom, you need to learn to be the servant of all. When you die to yourself, you lose your life, but ironically you actually find it in being used by the Lord.

 

Luke 9:23-25

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

 

If you are truly dead to yourself, you don't care who gets the credit for your ministry, you don't fight for your rights, and you don't push your own way all the time.

 

People who micromanage and control heavily and not dead to themselves. If you are truly crucified with Christ, His will becomes the most important thing to you, and your will is relegated way back. Ultimately, it's all about Jesus!

 

Humility and servanthood are the hallmarks of those who are great in the Kingdom. If you are dead to yourself, your own ambition, your own agenda and your own desires, then you are truly in a place to be used mightily by God to reach our generation.

 

 

IT'S OVER TO YOU!

 

So what about you? Are you choosed? Are you used? Do you choose to be used? Do you want to be used of God is an incredible , inspired and satisfying way? What's your dream for ministry? Are you prepared to be dedicated, trained, directed, devoted and dead to yourself?

 

Look deep into your heart. What's your dream? What has God placed there? I've watched some quiet, humble ladies recently gather folk after church and share coffee with them down the road. I didn't tell them to do this, their love for people and especially for God just did it. It's called ministry, and I'm so proud that God raises this sort of thing up all over Coast Church.

How Big is God? Faith in a Big God Really Works

So far in this series we have looked at faith, discovering that it should not be dependent on circumstances, feelings or even the results (can you have faith in God if you don't get what you want?). Faith is dependent on the object of our faith… God Himself!

 

So this morning I am going to show you just how unbelievably huge and powerful your God is..

 

Mankind thinks it is pretty awesome, and I suppose in many ways we are. We've designed great things like cars, TV, cell phones and the internet, we've travelled to the deepest depths of the ocean and right around our incredible world. We've even travelled to the moon and back, and sent probes into deepest space, learning, exploring and all the time glorying in ourselves and what we can do.

 

Mankind is pretty smart, pretty clever and ultimately that feeds into the fact that we fear each other… what we say, what we do and threats we make towards one another.

 

And fear destroys faith. We have been speaking about faith, and many of you leave here inspired to be more and more faith filled, but then you encounter people, or you turn on the TV and see so many things to fear in this world.

 

The Bible says

 

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

1 John 4:8

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

 

 As I have repeatedly told you, true, Biblical faith is not dependent on circumstances, or even results. Faith is dependent on the object of our faith, and that's God.

 

So if we can focus on the facts that God not only loves us, but is perfectly in control and orchestrating everything for our growth, development and benefit, and if we can begin to understand just how awesome He really is, then a tiny amount of faith in an infinitely powerful God will move any mountain, and make us into everything we could possibly become for Christ in our lives.

 

Hence this message... Rather than talking directly about faith I want to focus on the object of our faith, and how big, awesome and great He really is. If you believe God loves you as He has promised, and that He wants the best for you, then in these next few moments as I prove how big, amazing and awesome He is, you cannot help but have faith in Him!

 

 

IT IS TIME TO LOOK UP

 

Psalms 19:1

 

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

 

Like men throughout the centuries, this morning I want you to look up, and I am hoping you will see God’s creation in a new and fresh way. And as you marvel at the wonder, stop and realise that this God loves you, is for you and

 

Romans 8:28

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

 

Have you ever looked up at night and started to ponder how far it really is between you and any of the stars, between you here in earth and that tiny pinprick of light in the sky you can see? 

 

Why bother? Why try and learn, contemplate and understand the heavens? Because it builds our faith.  When we stop to realise that the God we serve, the God who loves us, the God who works all things for our good, this is the same God who created everything. Is He able to do anything? Yes! And does He love us? Yes again! So should we have faith in Him? Yes!

 

"Ah, Lord God! Behold You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You!" (Jeremiah 32:17).

 

While the you and I cannot even begin to fathom how awesome God is, we can learn a little and stand in wonder. Let's start our celestial journey close to home…

 

THE SUN AND THE MOON

 

Earth is a perfect environment for life. Nowhere else that we've discovered comes close. The atmosphere is perfect, the tides controlled but the moon, life and energy by the sun, all in perfect balance for us to live.

 

1 Corinthians 15:41

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

 

Both the Sun and the Moon appear the same size in Earth’s sky because though the Sun is four hundred times larger than the Moon, it is also four hundred times further away.

 

The Moon is the perfect size to contribute to a habitable Earth. If the Moon were larger, it would cause Earth to tilt so far on its axis that the side facing the Sun would experience unbearable heat while the opposite side of Earth would know perpetual subzero winter. As it is, the Moon is just the right size to cause Earth to tilt at a very acceptable 23.4 degrees, bringing both winter and summer to the planet.

 

The Sun, on the other hand, is a star, burning brightly in a process called nuclear fission, which is what atomic bombs do. 99.9% of all matter in our solar system is contained within the Sun. The luminosity (intrinsic brightness) of the Sun is 40 billion billion megawatts. Putting this into perspective, the total human consumption of power on Earth is about 2 million megawatts. The temperature of the Sun’s surface is 10,832 degrees Fahrenheit

 

And, remarkably, the Sun is stable. Were the Sun to have huge swings in output or if it were slightly closer to or farther away from Earth, we'd be vaporised or frozen instantly!

 

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth … and in him all things hold together. (Col. 1:16–17)

 

Our Sun is just one of an unfathomable number of stars in our galaxy, called the Milky Way. Although it is a fair size, it certainly shrinks to insignificance next to some of the other stars in the neighbourhood.

 

SIZE DOES MATTER

 

So to help you get your head around just how big and awesome your God is, let's talk for a moment about size, because as they said in Godzilla, “Size Does Matter!”

 

Now remember, God spoke and these worlds sprang into being!

 

Psalm 33:6

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,

and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

 

The comparison scale works like this: If Earth were the size of a golf ball, the Sun would be fifteen feet in diameter. I think we can comprehend that, right? Taking it a step further, again, if Earth were a golf ball, that would be enough golf balls to fill an entire West National Coaches bus!

 

But looking a little deeper into space we find a more massive star called Betelgeuse, which is 427 light-years away. Betelgeuse is so big, in fact, that it’s twice the size of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, and 262 trillion earths would fit into Betelgeuse.

 

So if Earth were a golf ball, that’s enough Earths to fill an indoor football stadium with golf balls—three thousand times!

 

I mean, God is really, really huge!  But let's not stop there, just because we are having trouble getting our heads around things.

 

Mu Cephei  is a red supergiant and one of the largest and most luminous stars in our galaxy. Mu Cephei would hold 2.7 quadrillion Earths!

 

But hey, why stop there? Let me consider one more star, which we call  VY Canis Majoris.

It’s 4,900 light-years from Earth, it boasts a diameter of about 1.7 billion miles. If Earth were a golf ball, VY Canis Majoris would cover the state of NSW end to end filled with golf balls almost up to your knees.

 

And that's just four of the hundreds of billions of hundreds of billions of stars that YOUR God manages every second of every day.

 

SO HOW DENSE DO YOU FEEL?

 

If you're having trouble fathoming all that, and feeling not so bright and more than a little dense, let me mention brightness and density to you.

 

Heard of supernovas? They're massive stars in the throes of death—blazing millions of times brighter than our sun.  In fact, during their final stages, these dying stars can shine brighter than an entire galaxy. We also find neutron stars—so compacted and dense that scientists predict one teaspoon worth would weigh a billion tons. Spinning around at speeds of up to six hundred revolutions per second, these stars are far beyond our imagining.

 

Add to theses dark stars or black holes, which are so dense at their core and exert a gravitational pull so extreme that not even light can escape from them!

 

 

And beauty, wow, this is beauty on a cosmic scale that makes mere earthly beauty look like a pinprick!

 

 

Stars are beautiful, aren't they? And we find myriads of them—clusters and galaxies with hundreds, thousands, and even billions of stars in beautiful formations. We discover other objects too, such as nebulae—stunning clouds of gas and dust, far larger than we could ever fathom.

 

It seems that Annie Dillard was right when she looked up and concluded, “The creator loves pizzazz.”

 

Isaiah 45:12

I made the earth

and created man on it;

it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,

and I commanded all their host.

 

The immense beauty and power of these stars… and your God is in control of all of them, all day every day!

 

SUPER GOD, SUPERNOVAS

 

Supernovas and nebulae are the really sexy, colourful parts of God’s creation. And why on earth, or in heaven, would God bother doing such spectacular things so far away in the heavens? Because He can, that's why! Because God is extravagant.

 

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

 

I mean, if you have a room in your house that no one sees, you basically never clean it, right? But God, God is different. He does it simply because He can. He's creating, He's having fun, He is your God and He loves you!

 

Job said it well…. Job 26:14

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,

and how small a whisper do we hear of him!

But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

 

Red giant stars have a crazy way of dying… they throw off their outer layers of dust and gas in a round shape that resembles a planet when glimpsed in earthbound telescopes. However, when seen through Hubble’s superior lenses, these dust and gas clouds, called planetary nebulae, and other similar supernova remnants appear in random, whimsical shapes and are composed of vibrant and varied colours.

 

Who knew that death could be such a glorious thing, producing some of the most mesmerising spectacles in the heavens? And we’re not talking small-scale, Earth-sized glory here; some of these nebula clouds defy description. Some of the “death-bed” phenomena of these stars are so massive and powerful that they stretch far beyond the limits of our ability to comprehend.

 

For example, the Eagle Pillar Cloud is a cloud-like tower of gas stretching 9.5 light-years (about 57 trillion miles) above the Eagle Nebula. One of NASA’s most famous photos of the Eagle Pillar Cloud is called “The Pillars of Creation.” This “pillar cloud” alone is just a tiny fraction of the entire nebula, though it’s many times the size of our entire solar system.

 

The horse head nebula is only 3-4 light years high, and made up of hydrogen and dust. It is part of the Orion constellation, which is an enormous birthplace for stars spanning hundreds of light years across.

 

How about this Supernova, 1987A, one of the brightest supernovae seen in over four hundred years of astronomy and research. This star exploded into a  supernova which burned over one hundred million times brighter than our own Sun.

HOW FAR WILL GOD GO?

 

Distance and time are more areas where God’s awesomeness is on display.

 

Psalm 90:4

For a thousand years in your sight

are but as yesterday when it is past,

or as a watch in the night.

 

 

Light, as you know, is ridiculously fast, screaming along at nearly 186,000 miles or 300,000 kilometers per second). It’s so fast that a beam of light can circle Earth seven times in one second. Now traveling nonstop for 365 days, light covers a distance of about 5.8 trillion miles. We call this a light year, and Star Trek fans will be familiar with the term, but don't lose sight of just how far it is… 5.8 trillion miles!

 

So, Just to put the universe, and indeed the God of said universe, in perspective here, the distance from the Sun to the next closest star, Proxima Centauri, is 4.3 light-years, or 270,000 times the distance between Earth and the Sun.

 

Our immediate star  neighbourhood, the Milky Way Galaxy, is somewhere in the range of 100,000–120,000 light-years rom side to side and 1,000 light-years thick.

 

But listen, the Milky Way is not the whole of space. In fact, to a cosmologist, a galaxy like the Milky Way, which contains hundreds of billions of stars, is the smallest thing in the universe worth taking note of. So here on earth, we’re simply orbiting just one of hundreds of billions of stars in the relatively insignificant Milky Way Galaxy, which is only one of hundreds of billions of other galaxies in a universe that’s too big to fully map.

 

At present, with our very best instruments, the furthest we have been able to detect objects in space is around 13 billion light-years from Earth. So far away, without sophisticated instruments we can't even detect them, but God in His extravagance just does it! God says…

 

I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself. (Isa. 44:24)

My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshalled their starry hosts. (Isa. 45:12)

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Heb. 11:3)

 

But even more specifically, Scripture reveals that Jesus is the creative force behind it all.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3)

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible … all things were created by him and for him. (Col. 1:16)

But in these last days he [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Heb. 1:2)

 

WHILE SCIENTISTS AREN’T ENTIRELY SURE JUST HOW BIG THE UNIVERSE IS, ONE THING IS CLEAR: Earth, and us human beings are really, really small within it. In fact, in terms of scale, Earth itself is inconsequential amid the expanse of space around us. The same could be said for our entire solar system, and the Milky Way Galaxy, both of which, when it comes to size, really don’t matter at all in the grand scheme of things.

 

Yet in the midst of this insanely huge universe, God looked through all the planets and galaxies, across 7 million humans on earth and chose you, God loves you and God, in the middle of all this, takes time for you and has a plan for your life.

 

So our entire solar system is tiny in the midst of the vast Milky Way, which itself is only one of billions of other galaxies in the known universe. By way of example, scientists say the size of our solar system relative to the Milky Way would be roughly the size of a 20c coin in an area as big as all of North America, Canada, the US and Mexico. Imagine placing a 20c coin in the Rocky Mountains , gaining enough altitude to view the entire North American continent at once, and then trying to find that quarter. No way. You wouldn’t even be able to see cities!

 

HOW SMALL WE ARE

 

It was February 14, 1990, and the Voyager 1 spacecraft screamed through the darkness of space, traveling forty thousand miles per hour away from the Sun. Launched thirteen years earlier, in 1977, Voyager was now beyond Pluto, having successfully accomplished its mission of photographing each of our distant neighbour planets. Amazingly, though the spacecraft was flying past the edges of our solar system, scientists had Voyager take one last Earth-facing image before continuing on its one-way journey away from the Sun through space.

 

 

Spanning the canopy of black, Voyager snapped a series of 60 images, storing them for future delivery to Earth. Each of these 60 images consisted of 640,000 pixels (a pixel is one of the tiny series of dots that make up a photograph), yet because Voyager was now an estimated 3.7 billion miles from home, it took each individual pixel 5½ hours to make the journey back to Earth. Not 5½ hours for each photo, mind you, but 5½ hours for each of the 640,000 tiny dots in each picture. Talk about waiting a long time for something to download!

 

PALE BLUE DOT PHOTOGRAPH

 

But finally, an image appeared. Dubbed “The Pale Blue Dot,” the composite photograph captured within one of the coloured shafts a tiny dot, scarcely visible to the naked eye. Yep, you guessed it. That little speck is Earth, photographed from almost 4 billion miles away.

 

Psalms 8:1,3-5

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

 

A W TOZER WRITES…

 

God is above all things, beneath all things, outside of all things, and inside of all things. God is above, but He’s not pushed up. He’s beneath, but He’s not pressed down. He’s outside, but He’s not excluded. He’s inside, but He’s not confined. God is above all things presiding, beneath all things sustaining, outside of all things embracing, and inside of all things filling.

 

This is the awesome thing… the God who spoke and all this sprang into being, sees you, and loves you, and cares for you. Can you have faith in a God like that? This Creator God who became and man and died on a cross in your place.

 

That’s right, with all this creating of galaxies, universes, supernovas and so on, God knew He would have to die in your place. Even in creation the cross was always central to what God was doing.

 

THE WHIRLPOOL AND THE CROSS

 

Let me introduce you to the whirlpool galaxy, alias M51. This galaxy is not too distant from us, and quite beautiful. Scientists have discovered that, right in the centre of this galaxy, is a black hole. This black hole is so powerful that not even light can escape it.

 

When Hubble photographed this black hole at the centre, believe it or not they proved that, even in creation, God had the cross in mind…

 

There's a cross right in the middle, reminding us that Jesus, the creator of everything, died on a cross for each of us, then rose again to prove the awesomeness of who He is! That wasn't plan B, it was always God’s plan for us.

 

 

BRINGING IT DOWN TO EARTH

 

It’s overwhelming (and somewhat dehumanising) to realise that God is so unbelievably huge and powerful, and that we live on an obscure planet in the Milky Way galaxy, and that even on this tiny planet there are close to seven billion of us alive at this moment.

 

You might think that it’s too much for God to know everything about every single one of us, but I've shown you that there are more stars than that in just one arm of the Milky Way Galaxy than people on earth. In fact, the Milky Way contains hundreds of billions of stars, and our God put each one in its place.

 

Isaiah 40:26

Lift up your eyes on high and see:

who created these?

He who brings out their host by number,

calling them all by name,

by the greatness of his might,

and because he is strong in power

not one is missing.

 

 It’s crazy to think that God can name each of the stars. But what’s more stunning is that He can call you by your name as well.

 

And while God is big, but He’s not too big to miss you in the crowd.

In this massive ocean of cosmic activity, you are not alone, or unnoticed. He knows the exact number of hairs on your head, and the number of fears in your heart.

 

He sees your fears—so why not bring them to Him?

He sees your wrongs—so why not confess them and receive His grace and forgiveness?

He sees your struggles—so why not stop pretending and lean on Jesus for strength?

He sees your questions and doubts—so be honest with Him.

He sees your dreams and aspirations—so put them in His hands.

He sees your motives and intentions—so let Him work beneath the surface.

He sees your deepest needs—He alone can meet them.

 

God knows everything that’s true about you, and He loves you anyway. You are His offspring, His creation, His idea.

 

And when it come to faith, it's not about how much you can muster. It's not about whatever circumstances you face. It's not even about the results, if you can get what you are praying for.

 

True faith, even a tiny mustard seed’s worth, is dependent on the object of our faith… God Himself. It's never about your ability, it's only ever about Him.

 

Knowing He controls all that we have seen today, and knowing that He loves you, can you trust Him with your life? Can you give Him first place in your life? What is it that you need to trust Him for today, because while He controls planets, supernova and galaxies, He always has time for you!

 

If you are believing for something today, there's only 4 possibilities…

Either He does it

Or He can't do it (clearly untrue)

Or He doesn't love you (Scripturally untrue)

Or He has a better plan.

 

Can you truly trust in this awesome amazing God today?

 

Don't tell God how big your mountain is, tell your mountain how big you God is!

Finding Faith in the Valley of Depression

We've seen that

 

Hebrews 11:1

… faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

 

Trouble is that many of us find it hard to maintain a good level of faith, especially when we face difficult circumstances around us. Now we know that faith is dependent on the object of our faith, which is God Himself, not on circumstances, not on results and not on our desires.

 

But we live in the real world, with pain, heartache, disappointments, frustrations and sin, right? And the truth is, if you get enough of these smashing into your life for long enough, it will get you down and depressed.

 

IS IT WRONG TO BE DEPRESSED?

 

I have heard Christians claim that we are saved, therefore we should never be depressed. That's nice in theory, but these Christians are either living in a holy bubble or lying to themselves. We all face pressures, we all face things that can and will make us depressed from time to time, and some of us struggle deeply with depression.

 

Behind this “happy clappy” façade the Bible actually identifies with and speaks quite a bit about depression. Look at this Psalm...

 

Psalms 130:1-5

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

 

The picture here is of a drowning person who cannot touch the bottom and cannot swim to safety. They're weary, tired, discouraged and desperate… maybe that described you right now. It continues…

 

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

 

If it was wrong to be depressed, then half the heroes of the Bible are wrong, and some of the greatest and most creative people in history are wrong!

 

I would rather you admit to being down and depressed than paint on a happy face and play pretend every time you come to church. Let's get real, folks, and if you are struggling with life, for whatever reason, face the fact and be honest with God, with each other and most of all with yourself.

 

Fake it til you make it FAITH isn’t real faith at all!

 

FINDING FAITH IN THE VALLEY OF DEPRESSION

 

Depression kills off your faith. It is impossible to be full of faith when you are constantly down and depressed. It's hard to be faith filled in the valley of depression. If you are there now, don't beat yourself up because the Bible says, if you are struggling with depression, you are in good company!

 

At times, everybody feels sad, down, and blue. Solomon wrote of “a time to weep” and “a time to mourn” (Eccl. 3:4).

 

Clinical depression, however, is a deeper level of emotional turmoil and affects many people in many ways. According to research, nearly one person in five will experience significant and persistent levels of depression, and even more than that will be medicated for it. Significant and persistent depression causes people to miss more work than diabetes and heart disease, and it is a major risk factor in heart attacks, strokes, mental health issues and suicide.

 

It is not weird or unusual to suffer clinical depression, and many godly people battle it all their life. It affects the sufferer, it also affects those around them, especially those closest to them. Depression saps the faith out of the person and those around the person.

 

It is a long, dark, dangerous valley, the valley of depression, but yea though we walk through it, we can do so without fear for the Good Shepherd is with us. Keep walking, don't stop, don't rest up there and above all, don't camp there. The Bible often says “It came to pass”, not it came to stay, so keep passing through!

 

CAUSES OF DEPRESSION

 

Depression can be caused by a variety of factors, including stress, fear, loneliness, guilt, anger and loss of hope. If you are depressed, you're in good company…

 

King David often wrote of his Depression, Job experienced financial, personal, health and relationship losses which caused his depression. Elijah had a great victory in Mount Carmel then plunged into depression and many other Bible heroes have walked this lonely path.

 

Although environmental issues such as work, stress, family, and other relationships can add to depression, many times a number of medical factors are involved, including thyroid abnormalities, female hormone fluctuations, and diabetes. Depression can also be a side effect of medication or drugs like cocaine or alcohol.

 

HOPE DEFERRED… a frequent cause of depression, is worth highlighting, because it definitely affects me and I know many of you are facing this right now.

 

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

 

This is a general observation on life: a legitimate longing that is delayed indefinitely grows wearisome. People naturally tire of persistently unmet expectations, either in your work, your church or someone you love. If something you are hoping for is being deferred, watch carefully for the symptoms of depression, because as you wait it is easy to slide into it.

 

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

 

Psalm 102 provides a virtual checklist of symptoms that King David experienced during a particularly stressful period in his life. “Let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble” (102:1, 2).

 

He wrote of feeling stricken physically and described losing meaning and purpose in his life: “My days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned like a hearth. My heart is stricken and withered like grass” (102:3, 4).

 

He lost his appetite: “I forget to eat my bread” (102:4).

 

He felt isolated and rejected: “I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert” (102:6). He couldn’t sleep: “I lie awake” (102:7). He had frequent crying spells: “I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping” (102:9).

 

Serious depression can present itself in a number of ways. You are wise to not cover it up, to not fake happiness, and you are also wise to share your feelings with someone. Suicide has risen nearly 60% in recent years in Australia for men over 55 because they bottle it up and fake success and happiness while inside they are falling apart.

 

RESPONDING TO DEPRESSION

 

Elijah demonstrated both healthy and unhealthy responses to depression (1 Kings 19). After the great victory on Mount Carmel, his life was threatened and he became afraid. He focused on the situation instead of on God. During a sequence of events, he sank deeper and deeper into a depressed state. His fear became so intense that he eventually ran away, isolated himself, and prayed that he would die (1 Kings 19:4). His faith drained away.

 

A summary of his behaviour can be described as the HALT syndrome- a very vulnerable place for a person to be. At his most depressed state he was:

 

H ungry-He stopped eating. He was off his food.

 

A ngry-He was mad at God for not caring about him. So many Christians are mad at God. Now God is big enough to take it, and caring enough to understand your feelings, but He doesn't want you to stay there! Remember, if you have prayed for something and not got what you wanted, chances are God never promised you that in the first place… so don't get mad at God for not performing for you, when He never told you that in the first place!

 

L onely-He left his servant and traveled alone. People who get depressed withdraw from others, even those who love them. If you find yourself withdrawing, if you are feeling depressed and lonely, you need to reach out to someone who cares. This church is full of people who care, that's what church is all about, and what it should be. Share, don't isolate!

 

T ired-He collapsed into sleep. If you are abnormally tired and exhausted, the risk of depression is high.

 

Any time a person experiences an intense combination of these characteristics, he or she is becoming vulnerable to developing some form of depression.

 

Again, you're not bad or evil for experiencing such feelings, you're just depressed.  However, you need to recognise that if those feelings are starting to control you, you must cry out to God and look to Him in faith. You may not feel like you have much faith, but as we have seen even a mustard seed, the smallest seed known to Biblical writers, in an amazing and omnipotent God can change your life forever!

 

RECOVERING HOPE

 

If you are going through the valley of depression, God cares, and so do I. Our faith may struggle here, but all is not lost, and faith is not dead!

 

Whatever you face, however painful or depressing, however down you feel, it is time to take your eyes off what is happening around you and look up to the Lord of Hosts, the One who loves you and gave His life for you. If this is you, now is the time to recover hope and restore faith!

 

God acted to deal with Elijah’s symptoms directly. In 1 Kings 19:5-18, God provided food, rest and companionship to bring Elijah out of his depression. He restored his faith! It took time, it took effort and it took patience, and it will with you also, but it's ok, just keep going and never give up!

 

STEPS TO RESTORING FAITH  IN THE VALLEY OF DEPRESSION

 

It's ok to feel down, it's ok to struggle with depression. Like Jonah, sometimes I get down and I just want to run away. These feelings are normal, and they are ok for a time. What's not ok is to stay there, wallowing in the pain. What's especially not ok is contemplating taking your own life.  Look at Elijah…

 

1 Kings 19:4

And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

 

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and it destroys you and those around you. It is never God’s will for you, I promise you that.

 

So if you find yourself down, depressed, feeling hopeless or overwhelmed by life, here's some steps to overcoming depression and regaining your faith in the valley of depression. Bear in mind, I'm not a doctor so if their advice is to take medication, you need to comply at least for a time. But there are other things you can do…

 

1.     CRY OUT TO GOD

 

You can fake happiness and play happy families or happy life with others, but you can't fool God, so why try?  He created you, He loves you and He knows you better than you know yourself.

 

Psalms 61:1-2

Hear my cry, O God,

listen to my prayer;

from the end of the earth I call to you

when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock

that is higher than I,

 

Cry out to God. Get mad at Him if you want to, but please just be honest. He is big enough, He can take it. When your world falls apart, rather than faking faith why don't you cry  out to the Lord in honesty and let Him restore genuine faith in your life! Faking faith is a bandaid on a haemorrhage.

 

 

2.     TREAT YOURSELF WELL

 

If you are struggling right now with depression, don't beat up in yourself. Whatever the cause, be it physical pain, relationship pain, financial stress, sin, guilt or just exhaustion, you have to nurture your physical needs just as God met the physical needs of Elijah when he was struggling with depression.

 

So, eat the right food, not junk! Drink something healthy, not alcohol, which is a depressant after all. Don't numb the pain with drugs. Get some sleep, lots of it, and start doing things you like. Go to the movies and watch a comedy, go to the beach, hang out with people you love, do things you enjoy, with people you enjoy.

 

Take a holiday, even a few days away somewhere out of the ordinary. You could even spend a few days at home relaxing. If depression is due to stress and overwork, like my life tends to be, time out is essential.

 

1 Kings 19:8

And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

 

 

3.     SHARE THE LOAD

 

No man is an island. When you get depressed, not only do you tend to isolate yourself from God, and from faith, you also isolate yourself from others. Depressed people don't feel like going out, you don't feel like talking and you don't feel like going to church. But...

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

 

If you are down and struggling with your faith, share it with someone. Come forward and have our team pray with you, because sharing the load not only minimises the burden, but also increases our faith, by joining the shields of faith together.

 

Don't struggle on alone. This Church is about loving and supporting each other, and this church is big on loving and supporting you, whatever it is you face. Isolate yourself at your own peril! Try going it alone and the devil will pick you off at will!

 

4.     FILL YOUR MIND WITH WORTHWHILE THINGS

 

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

When you get depressed, everything looks bleak and dark. You start interpreting things people say and do in the worst possible light, you start seeing every situation you face as a hopeless cause.

 

But the Bible teaches us to fill our minds with true, honourable, just, pure lovely, commendable, godly things.

 

So, turn the TV off and open the Word of God. If you are doing your Bible reading plan, let God minister to oyou through His living and active Word. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt depressed, even over this last week, and God has spoken to me from my daily Bible reading.

 

Listen to Christian music, listen to Godly podcasts, stick encouraging verses all over your fridge. Come to church, listen to the sermons, download them and listen to the again.

 

Do whatever it takes to put good, wholesome, God centred things into your mind. In depression and in faith, the battlefield is the mind, so tip the balance of the battle in your favour and  FILL it with good things!

 

5.     HAVE A GRATITUDE ATTITUDE

 

 

A sure fire way to turn depression around and start to see faith grow up in your life is having an attitude of gratitude. If you're depressed at all you will not find this easy, and definitely won't feel like it.

 

But if you make the choice to be grateful, then you will experience peace if you persist in it.

 

 Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Fiona and house

 

6.     TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE

 

2 Corinthians 10:5

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

 

Even if you are trying to fill your mind with good things, still stray thoughts will come in. You try to speak words of faith, but something happens and suddenly you are filled with fear or dread. Those stray thoughts can destroy your faith, and plunge you back into the depths of despair.

 

So take the initiative and take them captive. When a thought infiltrates your mind, stop everything, recognise it for what it is (a faith destroying flaming dart from the evil one), and say out loud, “In the name of Jesus I refuse to entertain that thought and I take it captive and neutralise it's poison.”

 

These thoughts are going to be thrown at you, so get ready to intercept them. This is like the iron dome defence system like what the Israeli Air Force has to knock out incoming missiles.

 

7.     WAIT PATIENTLY

 

This is hard, but if you are down or depressed it usually takes some time to come out of the valley. 

 

Psalms 25:21

May integrity and uprightness preserve me,

for I wait for you.

 

Psalms 27:14

Wait for the Lord;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

 

Psalms 37:7

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

 

 

God does not spring into action on our timetable. In fact, He waits until the very best moment to intervene and rescue us.

 

Why? Waiting is the Lord’s training ground for building strong faith. As we wait, we learn to trust Him. So even when you are down and depressed, wait patiently for the Lord, and this will serve to build your faith and even lift you out of your depression.

 

Note that waiting patiently is not constantly whining about how long the Lord is taking. If you truly have faith and trust Him, you know you can also trust Him for His perfect timing.

 

8.     KEEP ON GOING

 

The final step in rediscovering your faith in the valley of depression is to keep going. As you walk this lonely, bleak, colourless valley, keep walking, don't stop and don't just camp there!

 

1 Corinthians 15:58

 

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

 

In the Message:

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

 

THERE IS HOPE

 

If you are walking through the valley of depression right now, I promise you there is hope.

 

Yes, times are tough, yes the future may look hopeless, yes, your faith may be small right now, but remember faith is not dependent on what you can muster, it's not dependent on what the results are, our faith depends only on the object of our faith, which is God Himself, Creator of the universe, Lord of all, Lover of your soul!

YWAM Ministering

What a great morning we had at Coast Church with the YWAM Team from Toowoomba ministering for us.  Here's a great recording of Gunnar's message and Alex's song which encouraged our people heaps in their walk with God.

Enjoy!

Journey of Faith 2- Four Fatal Flaws of Faith

Last week we started our series on faith discovering that, for many people, faith is flawed from the outset because they simply don't ask God for His will.  People decide what they want, pray for it, expect God to do as He's told, then get mad at Him if He doesn't perform to our expectations. He gets blamed if what we've prayed for doesn't come true, even if He never promised us that!

 

Clearly faith is more complex than convincing yourself that something will happen. All the faith in the world you can muster won't work if what you are believing for is wrong. And a tiny, sliver of faith in an omnipotent God according to His perfect will is a sure bet!

 

Last week we learned that true Biblical faith depends not on you, not on circumstances and not even on the outcome, whether it comes true or not, it depends on the object of our faith, God Himself.

 

Today we're going to assume that you are close to the Lord, and that what you are believing for is His will. Even if your will aligns with His, there are still potentially fatal flaws to your faith, that can tear your faith apart and destroy the blessing God has for you.

 

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

 

So what are the 4 fatal flaws to faith that can destroy your faith and rob you of the Lord’s blessing in your life?

 

1.     FRET NOT

 

Psalms 37:1-2

 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

 

MESSAGE

Psalms 37:1-2

Don't bother your head with braggarts

or wish you could succeed like the wicked.

In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings

and wilt like cut flowers in the sun.

 

Psalms 37:7-8

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

 

Fretting is not faith, fretting, or worrying, is a faith killer!  Yet we all do it!

 

 

Worry is wasting today's time to clutter up tomorrow's opportunities with yesterday's troubles. A dense fog that covers a seven-city-block area one hundred feet deep is composed of less than one glass of water divided into sixty thousand million drops.

 

Fretting or worrying is like a rocking horse… it keeps your mind occupied, but you don't get anywhere! You know it well, I'm sure, you go round and round, you expend loads of energy, you can't concentrate, you can't sleep, you wake up all through the night, and you profit… absolutely nothing!

 

There are many things we can fret or worry about. We can worry about whether God will do what we are believing for. Most of us agree that God is able to do everything, but would He withhold something from us for no reason? Does He really want the best for us? If the answer is yes, you forfeit the right to fret!

 

But one of the things we frequently fret about has no relation to our own situation with God.  When we see evil in the world, we ought to feel a holy anger at sin (Eph. 4:26), but to envy the wicked only leads to fretting, and fretting leads to unrighteousness anger (v. 8).

 

The Hebrew word for fret is HARA, which literally means “to burn, to get heated up.” When we see evil people prospering, when we see the bad guys coming first and good, righteous people suffering, we get angry, we get heated up, especially if we are the aggrieved party. We often even feel jealous  towards evil people we think are successful. We even feel upset when God heals someone else and not us, don't we?

 

But David starts this Psalm by saying fret not, or “Calm down, be cool, cool it guys!”

 

David says, why bother being envious or fretting about evil men prospering.  His argument is that the wicked are temporary and will one day be gone (see vv. 9, 22, 28, 34, 38). They are like grass that either fades away or is cut down and burned.

 

In Israel, it rains and vegetation is abundant, but it quickly vanishes as soon as the moisture is gone.

 

We do not need to worry about or be jealous of others who seem to be getting away with doing wrong things. Their day in the sun is short; their moment of glory will be gone soon. Why envy that? The life we live is different, because we are called to live by faith, which means we must lead lives of lasting value—faithfully serving our God and helping the people around us.

 

The fretting heart is not a faithful heart. Why waste time, energy and faith worrying about how evil men seem to prosper, or worrying about why you're not prospering?

 

Dr. G.C. Robinson of John Hopkins Hospital said, “Personal worry is one of the principle causes of physical ailments which send people to hospitals.” He found that out of 174 patients, 140 were worrying patients.

 

So before we get all steamed and fired up (fretful) about how the wicked seem to be prospering, or how we don't seem to be prospering, remember that faith sees things God’s way, not man’s way. And God’s agenda is to develop character in you, not comfort. Money comes and goes, success comes and goes even health goes up and down, but character is permanent, and lack of character is extremely hard to ever overcome!

 

Matthew 6:31-34

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

A Christian who “frets” or is resentful is a poor testimony. By their constant worrying, they are sending out a message: “God is unable to cope with my problems; He’s not big enough or He’s big enough, but my faith is too small. I just can't trust Him.”

 

So how do you stop fretting?

 

1) Live one day at a time… remember, most of what we worry about never happens.

2) Lift someone else’s burden that day… take your eyes off your own worries, stop fretting about others doing better than you, and care for someone in need. Caring for others takes your eyes off you and your perceived needs.

3) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths (Prov.3:5,6)… don't try and understand everything, don't ask why all the time. Just have faith, trust God and shut up!

4) Delight in the Lord… Read His Word and believe in that, not the fruitless thoughts in your head! The closer you are to God, the less you will worry and fret.

 

 

2.     FEAR NOT

 

Isaiah 41:10

fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 

Fear is a close relative to fretting or worry. They both paralyse, they both can control your life and place your life in bondage.

 

Recognise that fear is a natural thing, and feeling fear is not wrong or bad. If I walk near a cliff, I fear getting too close to the edge.  That's protective, and that fear is fine. The other day someone with a Chinese accent called asking me to invest in their company, turning $10,000 into $100,000 in a year. I feared this was a scam, and this is a good, safe fear.

 

Another good fear is Fearing God… the Bible calls this wisdom…

Proverbs 1:7

 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 

Fear is not necessarily wrong. What is wrong is when any fear controls you rather than you controlling it. When it fills your thoughts and controls your actions, it's controlling you!

 

Many people  today are living in bondage to fear, and this fear controls their lives and destroys any attempt at faith they may make. It might be fear of death, sickness, failure, poverty, loneliness or even something a bit more crazy!

 

Peladophobia: fear of baldness and bald people.

Aerophobia: fear of drafts.

Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple.

Chaetophobia: fear of hairy people.

Levophobia: fear of objects on the left side of the body.

Graphophobia: fear of writing in public.

Phobophobia: fear of being afraid.

 

Fear is the great enemy of the human race. It inhibits, it reduces us and causes us to live as spiritual midgets. It paralyses us, and makes us do things we would never otherwise do.

 

Fear is also the great enemy of faith. Moody said that some folks went to heaven second class and some go first class. He said the second class people were those who said as David did in Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid I will trust.” The first class folks say with Isaiah in 12:12: “I will trust and not be afraid.”

 

Fear is the father of cruelty. The rattlesnake strikes, the dog bites and the cat scratches when they are in a panic of fear. The same is true when a man kills. It’s often because of the panic of fear. Fearful people lash out, say things they don't intend to say, often hurting those they love. Volatile, unpredictable, always pessimistic. They fear the worst.

 

Fear is the devil’s other name. Fear of ridicule by his peers causes the teenager to take up drinking and drugs. Fear causes us to miss opportunities, for ourselves and for God.

 

Fear robs the soul of sunshine. It turns the optimist into a pessimist.

 

To all of this Jesus says,

 

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

 

If you live in fear of something or someone. If this fear is controlling you, then you need to recognise that fear is the opposite of faith…

 

Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. There was no one there! Do not fear, trust!

 

 Fear is a fatal flaw to faith.  You cannot be faith filled if your life is controlled by fear, and “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”  - Jack Canfield

 

I've often heard that fear stands for F.E.A.R… False Evidence Appearing Real. At the height of the Great Depression FD Roosevelt put it this way.. We've nothing to fear except fear itself.

 

Isaiah 8:12-13

“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

 

Overcoming fear is not easy, because it is the most powerful emotion. But you can start by naming your fears and giving each one to the Lord. Pray through them, and have someone stand with you and walk the journey with you. Having a friend share the road is a powerful antidote to the poison of fear. (Revisit the poisons series)

 

The solution is not alcohol, drugs, sex, movies, holidays or any other form of escape. When you come back down to earth, the fear is still there!  The solution is handing it over to Jesus!

 

If fear controls you you will fall. If faith controls you, you will fly. Give your fear to Jesus, and let go of it. Look up not down, and let your faith fly!

 

3.     FORGET NOT

 

We humans are a forgetful lot.

 

I remember thinking that when John Howard lost the prime ministership. We forgot the financial mess he rescued the country from, and apparently just felt like a change. We traded 10 years of stability and a surplus budget for a $400 billion dollar debt within 12 months, that we are still trying to pay off. We forgot, and paid the price.

 

It has been said that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Ambitious Napoleon was defeated but the Russian winter… so was Hitler. After the holocaust the world said never again… enter Rwanda, Kosovo and Cambodia, just to name a few.

 

Even in our personal lives, we often forget the good family times and remember only the bad. We forget the good times at church when facing a crisis. People leave churches when the dislike something, forgetting all the good things, love and support they've had for years!

 

But more importantly, we forget God… This is not new...

 

Jeremiah 2:32

Does a young woman forget her jewellery,

a bride her wedding ornaments?

Yet my people have forgotten me,

days without number.

 

Listen to these verses…

 

Psalms 103:2-5

Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

 

The Bible is full of stories about how God has prevailed for His people. Why read these? Why bother learning these? Because they build our faith.

 

When you face persecution, remember the 3 young mn in the furnace. When you face financial lack, remember God leading the people into a land flowing with milk and honey. When you face ill health, remember the blind man or the Leper being healed.

 

And even in your own life. Has God ever come through for you. Have you ever prayed in desperation and seen God prevail for you.

 

I remember having a tax bill one year of $50,000. I had nothing like that money in the business, so I prayed in desperation. I saved like crazy and managed to save $24,800, and the day before it was due an accountant came in as a patient and when I shared my dilemma with him, he asked to have a look at the bookwork overnight. He did not know what I had saved so far, but the next morning he informed me he could reduce the tax bill… to $24,700.

 

My life is filled with similar incredible miracles. Even this church, the generous giving and provision we have seen to buy this property. We must never forget, right?

 

Whatever we face, when we remember how God has come through for us in the past, our faith is built up. Forgetting is one of the great enemies of faith. Remembering, both Bible stories and our own experiences, is one of the great pillars of having faith in God.

 

So with whatever you face right now, can you think of a time when God has proven Himself faithful?

 

Lamentations 3:22-24

 

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.”

 

4.     FAINT NOT

 

 

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

 

Fainting faith is faith that starts well, but fades away and eventually gives up. Winston Churchill in his famous speech at Harrow, his old school, said, “Never give up! Never, never, never give up” and he is still right today.

 

Vince Lombardi said, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

 

How many of us have fainted just before the breakthrough? How many of us have believed for something, then given up? How many of us would have given up trying to discover the light globe after 9,900 attempts? Edison didn't!

 

Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again:

 

"Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might."

 

He kept fighting, and fighting, and years later saw the dream come true as slavery was outlawed in the British parliament.

 

 

William Carey labored for 7 years before he led one person to Christ in Burma. Noah Webster labored for 36 years writing his dictionary. Leonardo DaVinci worked on the painting of The Last Supper for 10 years, often so absorbed he forgot to eat for whole days.

 

Spurgeon: “The snail reached the ark by crawling one centimeter at a time.”

 

2 Chronicles 15:7

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

 

Some of you right now are facing things and you're weary, you're tired, you've been struggling on in pain for so long, and you are in the verge of giving up. This message is for you! Don't let this faith killer have its way in your life.

 

However, remember where we started this discussion? Remember we said not our will, but Yours, Lord. If your faith is for something you're not sure the Lord promised to you, then you will faint if you keep going.

 

But if God has said it, if He has specifically promised you a breakthrough, a healing, a provision, whatever it is, then faint not. If He has given you a verse, confirmation from Scripture, then you can take that to the bank! Faint not, but keep believing by faith!

 

 

THREE LITTLE WORDS BEAT FOUR FATAL FLAWS...

 

Now is not the time to give up! Now is not the time to fret, it is not the time to be controlled by fear, it is not the time to forget and it certainly is not the hour to faint and give up, regardless of how weary or discouraged you may feel.

 

Matthew 11:28-30

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

COME

 

This morning His hand is outstretched to you. Come, bring your burden to Him. Bring your faint hopes, your shattered dreams, bring them all to Him this morning.

 

TAKE

 

Take His hand, take his yoke, one that fits you, one that enables you to serve and go on in faith. Take the encouragement of believers around you. Take the eternal life He offers you. Take His provision, because you can trust Jesus. See Him hanging on a cross for you… laying His life down for you… You can trust the Good Shepherd this morning

 

LEARN

 

Growing in faith, defeating these fatal flaws of faith is not an instant thing, it is a journey of faith.

 

Obtaining true faith isn’t a once-a-week hobby… it's not a Sunday pick me up! It is the daily discipline of a lifetime. But in this age of microwave ovens, fast foods, google searches and numerous “made easy” books, many people are out of the habit of daily investing time and energy in digging deep into Scripture and learning wisdom from the Lord.

 

Thanks to television and the internet, our attention span is now less than a goldfish.  Thanks to consumer Christianity and religious entertainment that passes for worship, our spiritual appetite is feeble and spiritual knowledge isn’t “pleasant to [their] soul” (Prov. 2:10 NKJV). It’s no wonder fewer and fewer people “take time to be holy” and more and more people fall prey to the enemies of faith that lurk along the way.

 

Read the Word, and let us stand with you in faith!