Acts--The Gospel in the City PART 3
02 December 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Acts 2:12-39
12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" 13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prohet Joel"
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.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him:
"I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
and my body will live in hope,
27because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with you in your presence.'
29"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32God has raised Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
"'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
35until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.'"
36Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
RECEIVE AND REFLECT GOD'S LIGHT THAT SHINES ON YOU.
MIND
--David didn't ascend to heaven until Jesus came along.
--Greek word for "repent" is to change our mind.
--Makes us think.
--New preachers go to the Old Testament to make connections with Jesus.
GRACE
--Bible shouldn't be read as what you can do, but rather what Jesus did for you.
HEART
--Has to get personal.
--It should sweep you up.
--We're not just breaking laws, we're breaking his heart as we wrong Jesus.
LIFE
--REPENT and receive forgiveness - freedom
--BAPTIZE into a new family.
--POWER of the Holy Spirit.
--VISION - a new view of the world.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The Ascension of Jesus
Acts: The Gospel in the City PART 1
18 November 2012
Rev. Leo Schuster
Acts 1:1-11
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eathing with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?"
7He said to them: "it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go to heaven.
Luke, a Gentile wrote Acts
PLAUSIBILITY OF ASCNESION
--v.3; Study teachings with convincing proof.
--Jesus showed himself to eyewitnesses.
REENVISION OUR PURPOSE
--v.8; Disciples witnessed Jesus go up, but they went out to spread His word.
--Jesus identified with his followers.
--Kingdom of God is his reign over the Universe.
--Jesus's ascension gives him authority as King and he delegates his power to us.
POWER RECEIVED
--His presence can run through me.
--Heart of stone becomes a heart of flesh.
--Holy Spirit is the spirit of Christ working in us to reveal Him.
--Jesus reenters us through his ascension--He's not leaving us.
18 November 2012
Rev. Leo Schuster
Acts 1:1-11
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eathing with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?"
7He said to them: "it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go to heaven.
Luke, a Gentile wrote Acts
PLAUSIBILITY OF ASCNESION
--v.3; Study teachings with convincing proof.
--Jesus showed himself to eyewitnesses.
REENVISION OUR PURPOSE
--v.8; Disciples witnessed Jesus go up, but they went out to spread His word.
--Jesus identified with his followers.
--Kingdom of God is his reign over the Universe.
--Jesus's ascension gives him authority as King and he delegates his power to us.
POWER RECEIVED
--His presence can run through me.
--Heart of stone becomes a heart of flesh.
--Holy Spirit is the spirit of Christ working in us to reveal Him.
--Jesus reenters us through his ascension--He's not leaving us.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Generoisty and Power
Genorisity: Studies in Luke PART 7
11 November 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Luke 19:1-10
1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He as gone to be the guest of a 'sinner'".
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay pack four times the amount."
9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.
NECESSITY OF CONVERSION
--v.9 Zacchaeus is being converted by Jesus, not just inspired.
--Coversion is a challenge that goes beyond morality and good behavior.
--Are you saved?
CIRCUMSTANCES OF CONVERSION
--Doesn't have to come from a crisis.
--It can come from intellectual openness and persistence.
--But you do need to be born again.
KEY TO CONVERSION
--Salvation isn't a proecess of good works.
--Are you a Christian? Your answer shouldn't be--"I try, but I'm not good enough"
--v.9 Salvation is coming to his house--not "you will be saved"; Salvation is coming because Jesus is coming to your house--JESUS, alone, is the way to SALVATION.
--You can only be saved by acknowledging what Jesus has done, you can't earn salvation yourself.
--Jesus, and thus, Salvation came to Zacchaeus's house even before he started doing good works.
SIGNS OF CONVERSION
--v.8 Amount and motivation from Zaccaeus is beyond what the law required.
--Give in an amount that affects how we live our lives and the amount of control we have.
--Giving a lot relinquishes our ability to control our circumstances.
11 November 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Luke 19:1-10
1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He as gone to be the guest of a 'sinner'".
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay pack four times the amount."
9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.
NECESSITY OF CONVERSION
--v.9 Zacchaeus is being converted by Jesus, not just inspired.
--Coversion is a challenge that goes beyond morality and good behavior.
--Are you saved?
CIRCUMSTANCES OF CONVERSION
--Doesn't have to come from a crisis.
--It can come from intellectual openness and persistence.
--But you do need to be born again.
KEY TO CONVERSION
--Salvation isn't a proecess of good works.
--Are you a Christian? Your answer shouldn't be--"I try, but I'm not good enough"
--v.9 Salvation is coming to his house--not "you will be saved"; Salvation is coming because Jesus is coming to your house--JESUS, alone, is the way to SALVATION.
--You can only be saved by acknowledging what Jesus has done, you can't earn salvation yourself.
--Jesus, and thus, Salvation came to Zacchaeus's house even before he started doing good works.
SIGNS OF CONVERSION
--v.8 Amount and motivation from Zaccaeus is beyond what the law required.
--Give in an amount that affects how we live our lives and the amount of control we have.
--Giving a lot relinquishes our ability to control our circumstances.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Generosity and Wealth (2)
Generosity: Studies in Luke PART 6
4 November 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Luke 16:1-14
1Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'
3"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg--4I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.'
5"So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the fist, 'How much do you owe my master?'
6"'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied.
"The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.'
7"Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?'
"'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied.
"He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'
8"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
10"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, wo will give you property of your own?
13"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
14The Parisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.
STEWARDS OF GOD'S MONEY
--v.8+9 Jesus compares us to the manager; it's all God's money, we're just managing it for him.
--Nothing really belongs to us.
--When we don't give money away, it's not stinginess, it's robbery.
--Malachi 3:8-12
LOOKING FOR A CITY THAT CAN'T BE SHAKEN
--Put your money in things that last.
--v.9 All money will be gone one day
--Psalms 46:1-3 (Surge)
WE NEED A LOVE THAT ISN'T HERE
--Put money in ministry.
--Fellowsip of friends that survives beyond death.
HEAVEN IS A WORLD OF LOVE - Jonathan Edwards
--Five barriers to love
1) We want to be loved for our own sake.
2) Love without impediment, but pride, selfishness, and defensiveness get in the way.
3) Love with mutuality
4) Can't stand to see our love ones unhappy
5) Losing people you love.
4 November 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Luke 16:1-14
1Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'
3"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg--4I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.'
5"So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the fist, 'How much do you owe my master?'
6"'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied.
"The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.'
7"Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?'
"'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied.
"He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'
8"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
10"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, wo will give you property of your own?
13"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
14The Parisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.
STEWARDS OF GOD'S MONEY
--v.8+9 Jesus compares us to the manager; it's all God's money, we're just managing it for him.
--Nothing really belongs to us.
--When we don't give money away, it's not stinginess, it's robbery.
--Malachi 3:8-12
LOOKING FOR A CITY THAT CAN'T BE SHAKEN
--Put your money in things that last.
--v.9 All money will be gone one day
--Psalms 46:1-3 (Surge)
WE NEED A LOVE THAT ISN'T HERE
--Put money in ministry.
--Fellowsip of friends that survives beyond death.
HEAVEN IS A WORLD OF LOVE - Jonathan Edwards
--Five barriers to love
1) We want to be loved for our own sake.
2) Love without impediment, but pride, selfishness, and defensiveness get in the way.
3) Love with mutuality
4) Can't stand to see our love ones unhappy
5) Losing people you love.
Generosity and Wealth (1)
Generosity: Studies in Luke PART 5
28 October 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Luke 18:18-30
18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone, 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.;"
21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then follow me."
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home, or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age, in the age to come, eternal life."
DANGER OF MONEY
--v.24 Impossible for rich people (and anyone) with other priorities to enter Kingdom of God.
--v.27 Impossible for everyone, but salvation is possible through God.
--Spiritual problems get accentuated by money
--Money creates a spiritual blindness towards the important things.
--Money makes it hard for you to think that you are wrong about something.
--Being successful at making money makes you arrogant about other things in life.
REASONS FOR DANGER OF MONEY
--Self righteousness or an inferiority complex can come from thinking you can earn your salvation.
--v.21 suggests that you don't need salvation.
--v.22 Everyone has their idols that they put before God.
--These always leave is unfulfilled--we need the living water: John 4:13-14
--v.23 He defined his self-esteem by his wealth.
ESCAPING THE DANGERS OF MONEY
--Assume you are in denial and money is blinding you.
--Come to grips with salvation through grace.
--Jesus was a rich ruler and he gave it all away.
--The happier we are in realizing who Jesus is, the more generous we become.
28 October 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Luke 18:18-30
18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone, 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.;"
21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then follow me."
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home, or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age, in the age to come, eternal life."
DANGER OF MONEY
--v.24 Impossible for rich people (and anyone) with other priorities to enter Kingdom of God.
--v.27 Impossible for everyone, but salvation is possible through God.
--Spiritual problems get accentuated by money
--Money creates a spiritual blindness towards the important things.
--Money makes it hard for you to think that you are wrong about something.
--Being successful at making money makes you arrogant about other things in life.
REASONS FOR DANGER OF MONEY
--Self righteousness or an inferiority complex can come from thinking you can earn your salvation.
--v.21 suggests that you don't need salvation.
--v.22 Everyone has their idols that they put before God.
--These always leave is unfulfilled--we need the living water: John 4:13-14
--v.23 He defined his self-esteem by his wealth.
ESCAPING THE DANGERS OF MONEY
--Assume you are in denial and money is blinding you.
--Come to grips with salvation through grace.
--Jesus was a rich ruler and he gave it all away.
--The happier we are in realizing who Jesus is, the more generous we become.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Generosity and Ministry
Generosity: Studies in Luke PART 4
Rev. David Bisgrove
21 October 2012
Luke 9:49-61; 10:1-2
49"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." 50"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers on ahead who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord do you want us to call down fire down from heaven to destroy them?" 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56and they went to another village.
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Life changing encounter with God means that there is no "My this...or that...", only His
Invest in God's mission and ministry.
PROMISE - v.51
--Jesus is on a very specific journey.
--Following Jesus will bring you to a new Jerusalem--a new promise of peace.
--Provides a contentment, joy, purpose and meaning to life.
--Private and public worship is the practical way to practice this.
PARTNERSHIP - v.10:1-2
--Celebrate and share the good news of God.
--Jesus and God sent us here not for ourselves but to spread His news.
PRIORITY - v.57-62
--Primary idea and priority should be to follow Jesus.
--Let the spiritual dead bury their own.
--Stop looking to jobs, money, love that you think are more significant than Jesus.
--Our souls are too great to be satisfied by things other than God.
PASSION
--Knowing the passion of Jesus is different than the way Elijah used to do it.
--No need to bring fire down on enemies.
--The fire of God's wrath falls on Jesus.
--When we see non-believers, we should weep and feel compassionate, not self-righteousness.
Rev. David Bisgrove
21 October 2012
Luke 9:49-61; 10:1-2
49"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." 50"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers on ahead who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord do you want us to call down fire down from heaven to destroy them?" 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56and they went to another village.
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Life changing encounter with God means that there is no "My this...or that...", only His
Invest in God's mission and ministry.
PROMISE - v.51
--Jesus is on a very specific journey.
--Following Jesus will bring you to a new Jerusalem--a new promise of peace.
--Provides a contentment, joy, purpose and meaning to life.
--Private and public worship is the practical way to practice this.
PARTNERSHIP - v.10:1-2
--Celebrate and share the good news of God.
--Jesus and God sent us here not for ourselves but to spread His news.
PRIORITY - v.57-62
--Primary idea and priority should be to follow Jesus.
--Let the spiritual dead bury their own.
--Stop looking to jobs, money, love that you think are more significant than Jesus.
--Our souls are too great to be satisfied by things other than God.
PASSION
--Knowing the passion of Jesus is different than the way Elijah used to do it.
--No need to bring fire down on enemies.
--The fire of God's wrath falls on Jesus.
--When we see non-believers, we should weep and feel compassionate, not self-righteousness.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Hospitality and God's Grace
Generosity: Studies in Luke PART 3
Rev. Leo Schuster
14 October 2012
Luke 14: 7-24
7When he noticed how guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kindgom of God."
16Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'
18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' 19"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' 20"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'
21"The servant came back and reported this to his master, Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
22"'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' 23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"
Hospitality means to open up to strangers
Become conduits of God's hospitality.
CONNECTION
--Welcome strangers as your own family.
--Invite those who can't pay you back.
--Open ourselves up to love and listen to people.
--Invite people into our physical and spiritual homes.
DISTRACTIONS
--What's my excuse for not being hospitable. v.18-20
--We are all spiritually poor.
RECEPTION
--You first have to receive Jesus's hospitality.
--Let people see a bit of heaven in us.
Rev. Leo Schuster
14 October 2012
Luke 14: 7-24
7When he noticed how guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kindgom of God."
16Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'
18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' 19"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' 20"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'
21"The servant came back and reported this to his master, Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
22"'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' 23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"
Hospitality means to open up to strangers
Become conduits of God's hospitality.
CONNECTION
--Welcome strangers as your own family.
--Invite those who can't pay you back.
--Open ourselves up to love and listen to people.
--Invite people into our physical and spiritual homes.
DISTRACTIONS
--What's my excuse for not being hospitable. v.18-20
--We are all spiritually poor.
RECEPTION
--You first have to receive Jesus's hospitality.
--Let people see a bit of heaven in us.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Generosity and Relationships
Generosity: Studies in Luke PART 2
7 October 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Luke 17: 3-10
3So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent', forgive him."
5The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
6He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
7Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
ENORMITY OF RELATIONAL GENEROSITY
--Forgive people no matter what.
--Pay attention to your feelings if someone sins against you. Guard against anger as it defiles you.
PRACTICE OF GENEROSITY
--Don't demonize the wrongdoer, but rather identify with them.
--Relieve others from their debt by forgiveness--Pay for it yourself.
--Accepting the debt that comes from forgiveness is painful to you.
--Reconcile out of love.
KEY TO GENEROSITY
--Stop trying to be the judge of what's right and wrong.
--Accept the enormity of what Jesus, the true judge, did for you
--Mark 11:25.
7 October 2012
Dr. Timothy Keller
Luke 17: 3-10
3So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent', forgive him."
5The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
6He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
7Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
ENORMITY OF RELATIONAL GENEROSITY
--Forgive people no matter what.
--Pay attention to your feelings if someone sins against you. Guard against anger as it defiles you.
PRACTICE OF GENEROSITY
--Don't demonize the wrongdoer, but rather identify with them.
--Relieve others from their debt by forgiveness--Pay for it yourself.
--Accepting the debt that comes from forgiveness is painful to you.
--Reconcile out of love.
KEY TO GENEROSITY
--Stop trying to be the judge of what's right and wrong.
--Accept the enormity of what Jesus, the true judge, did for you
--Mark 11:25.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Generosity and God's Grace
Generoisty: Studies in Luke PART 1
Rev. Leo Schuster
30 September 2012
Luke 18:9-17
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
15People were also briging babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
BARRIER TO GENEROSITY
--Comparing yourself to others and thinking you are superior because of some external generosity like giving to charity.
--Pride stops internal true generosity.
--Self consumption with oneself leves no generoisty for others and no room for God in our hearts.
SIGN OF TRUE GENEROSITY
--Humilty--like a child who comes with total dependency.
--Humilty comes from seeing ourselves accurately with all our flaws.
--When we see ourselves as sinners, we can receive Hope from God.
WAY TO TRUE GENEROSITY
--Receive God's generoisty through repentence.
--Receive grace as a gift--like a child would.
--Receiveing God's generosity to reorient ourselves.
Rev. Leo Schuster
30 September 2012
Luke 18:9-17
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
15People were also briging babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
BARRIER TO GENEROSITY
--Comparing yourself to others and thinking you are superior because of some external generosity like giving to charity.
--Pride stops internal true generosity.
--Self consumption with oneself leves no generoisty for others and no room for God in our hearts.
SIGN OF TRUE GENEROSITY
--Humilty--like a child who comes with total dependency.
--Humilty comes from seeing ourselves accurately with all our flaws.
--When we see ourselves as sinners, we can receive Hope from God.
WAY TO TRUE GENEROSITY
--Receive God's generoisty through repentence.
--Receive grace as a gift--like a child would.
--Receiveing God's generosity to reorient ourselves.
Friday, September 28, 2012
How We are Formed as Believers
Gospel in Life PART 3
Dr. Timothy Keller
23 September 2012
Psalm 1:1-6
1Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not whither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 150: 1-6
1Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3Praise him with sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and the lyre,
4praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
5praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
WAY INTO PRAYER
--Fill the mind with scripture and meditiate on them.
--Roots in gospels enables you to access God to handle your life.
--Exploring the truth to affect our heart.
--Reorient your mind to God often.
--Prayer is a response to God speaking to us.
PRAYER THAT CHANGES YOU
--People tend to create a God that works for them.
--Psalms helps you through every situation.
PRAYER ENDS IN ADORATION AND PRAISE
--Delight in the hand of God as he tells you how to life your life.
--Yet, you can't live up to the rules.
--You will always fail.
--Meditate on the fact that we have a savior in Jesus
--Even at the worst moment, Jesus processes crucifixion by mediting on Psalm 22:1
Dr. Timothy Keller
23 September 2012
Psalm 1:1-6
1Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not whither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 150: 1-6
1Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3Praise him with sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and the lyre,
4praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
5praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
WAY INTO PRAYER
--Fill the mind with scripture and meditiate on them.
--Roots in gospels enables you to access God to handle your life.
--Exploring the truth to affect our heart.
--Reorient your mind to God often.
--Prayer is a response to God speaking to us.
PRAYER THAT CHANGES YOU
--People tend to create a God that works for them.
--Psalms helps you through every situation.
PRAYER ENDS IN ADORATION AND PRAISE
--Delight in the hand of God as he tells you how to life your life.
--Yet, you can't live up to the rules.
--You will always fail.
--Meditate on the fact that we have a savior in Jesus
--Even at the worst moment, Jesus processes crucifixion by mediting on Psalm 22:1
How We Become Believers
Gospel in Life: Grace in the Case of Naaman PART 1
Dr. Timothy Keller
09 September 2012
2 Kings 5:1-14
1Now Naaman was commander of the army of the kink of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of leprosy."
4Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5"By all means go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of leprosy."
7As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"
8When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him the message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come and to me and he will know there is a prophet in Israel." 9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
11But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of leprosy. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
12Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
WHY DO WE SEEK GOD?
--Self sufficientcy is a lie; something will always mess with your life.
--Nothing of this world can ultimately help you.
--Our deepest problems are beyond what the world can solve.
HOW DO WE FIND GOD?
--Shift our selfish focus of our own suffering to forgiving sins.
--Immediate suffering isn't the most pressing need.
--You need reconcilliation with God.
--Salvation can't be earned...it needs to be received.
--Believing in God is too humbling and radical for most people.
HOW DO WE ATTAIN SALVATION
--Jesus did the work for us...We just need to accept it and receive it.
Dr. Timothy Keller
09 September 2012
2 Kings 5:1-14
1Now Naaman was commander of the army of the kink of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of leprosy."
4Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5"By all means go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of leprosy."
7As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"
8When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him the message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come and to me and he will know there is a prophet in Israel." 9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
11But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of leprosy. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
12Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
WHY DO WE SEEK GOD?
--Self sufficientcy is a lie; something will always mess with your life.
--Nothing of this world can ultimately help you.
--Our deepest problems are beyond what the world can solve.
HOW DO WE FIND GOD?
--Shift our selfish focus of our own suffering to forgiving sins.
--Immediate suffering isn't the most pressing need.
--You need reconcilliation with God.
--Salvation can't be earned...it needs to be received.
--Believing in God is too humbling and radical for most people.
HOW DO WE ATTAIN SALVATION
--Jesus did the work for us...We just need to accept it and receive it.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Forgiveness in the Kingdom
Savior and Teacher - A Study of Matthew PART 30
Rev Abraham Cho
2 September 2012
Matthew 18:23-35
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded, 29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
POWER OF FORGIVENESS
--It's always my responsibility to repair wrongs done to me or by me.
--How often do we forgive? ALWAYS
--If left unchecked, human sin multiplies to great violence as in Gen 4:24
--Forgiveness is a new positive force that can change the world!
--Forgiveness breaks the cycle of counter reprisals.
PRACTICE OF FORGIVENESS
--The King from the passage offers ultimate forgiveness because of great money owed.
--It should serve as an example to forgive people in our lives.
--Our ability to forgive stems from feeling the magnitude of Jesus's forgiveness of us.
--Tasting cosmic forgiveness gives us to power of infinite forgiveness.
PAIN OF FORGIVENESS
--Forgiveness demands a sacrifice from the wronged party.
--We have to learn to take it.
Rev Abraham Cho
2 September 2012
Matthew 18:23-35
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded, 29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
POWER OF FORGIVENESS
--It's always my responsibility to repair wrongs done to me or by me.
--How often do we forgive? ALWAYS
--If left unchecked, human sin multiplies to great violence as in Gen 4:24
--Forgiveness is a new positive force that can change the world!
--Forgiveness breaks the cycle of counter reprisals.
PRACTICE OF FORGIVENESS
--The King from the passage offers ultimate forgiveness because of great money owed.
--It should serve as an example to forgive people in our lives.
--Our ability to forgive stems from feeling the magnitude of Jesus's forgiveness of us.
--Tasting cosmic forgiveness gives us to power of infinite forgiveness.
PAIN OF FORGIVENESS
--Forgiveness demands a sacrifice from the wronged party.
--We have to learn to take it.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Greatness in the Kingdom
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 28
Dr. Timothy Keller
19 August 2012
Matthew 18: 1-14
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in hevaen.
5And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who beleive in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life mained or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
10"See that you do not look down onone of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for that one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than abouth the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
WHAT IS TRUE HUMAN GREATNESS?
--Not reached through any worldly achievement as that always comes with strife.
HUMILITY
--Willingness to engage the marginalized.
--Determines how you deal with others as well as your own flaws.
REPENTENCE
--Part of greatness and greatness can come from repentence.
--Biggest failure can become the biggest leader--Peter's denial.
Jesus was the greatest shepherd and became a lost sheep for us on the cross.
Dr. Timothy Keller
19 August 2012
Matthew 18: 1-14
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in hevaen.
5And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who beleive in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life mained or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
10"See that you do not look down onone of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for that one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than abouth the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
WHAT IS TRUE HUMAN GREATNESS?
--Not reached through any worldly achievement as that always comes with strife.
HUMILITY
--Willingness to engage the marginalized.
--Determines how you deal with others as well as your own flaws.
REPENTENCE
--Part of greatness and greatness can come from repentence.
--Biggest failure can become the biggest leader--Peter's denial.
Jesus was the greatest shepherd and became a lost sheep for us on the cross.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Parables of the Treasures and the Net
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 27
Rev. John Lin
12 August 2012
Matthew 13: 44-52
44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had an bought the field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fisherman pulled it up to the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understand all those these things?" Jesus asked.
"Yes," they replied.
52He told them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
UNEXPECTED FIND
--Parables of treasures in the field and pearl of great price descibes Value.
--Something more valuable than anyone's expectations was found.
--Things that are easy to overlook may contain great value.
UNDERGROUND VIEW
--Seeing true value beneath the superficial.
--Isaiah 53 - It was also easy to overlook Jesus when you know his origins.
--Judging others--their true value is never on the surface.
--God's work is buried deep within and is often hard for us to see.
INESTIMABLE PRICE
--Giving up things for paradise should be a joyful process.
--It is the for the Cost that the King paid for you.
--We become the treasure of the field, the pearl of great price to Jesus.
--We need to realize that he gave it all up for us.
Rev. John Lin
12 August 2012
Matthew 13: 44-52
44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had an bought the field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fisherman pulled it up to the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understand all those these things?" Jesus asked.
"Yes," they replied.
52He told them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
UNEXPECTED FIND
--Parables of treasures in the field and pearl of great price descibes Value.
--Something more valuable than anyone's expectations was found.
--Things that are easy to overlook may contain great value.
UNDERGROUND VIEW
--Seeing true value beneath the superficial.
--Isaiah 53 - It was also easy to overlook Jesus when you know his origins.
--Judging others--their true value is never on the surface.
--God's work is buried deep within and is often hard for us to see.
INESTIMABLE PRICE
--Giving up things for paradise should be a joyful process.
--It is the for the Cost that the King paid for you.
--We become the treasure of the field, the pearl of great price to Jesus.
--We need to realize that he gave it all up for us.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Parables of the Kingdom
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 26
Rev. John Lin
05 August 2012
Matthew 13: 24-33
24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
28"'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
29"'No,' he answered 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"
31He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
33He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
MIXED CROPS
--Weeds are intertwined with the good stuff crops.
--Good is intertwined with evil.
PATIENT FARMER
--Everything is intertwined and difficult to disentangle.
--Everything is broken.
Weeds are like the evil in the outside world as well as in our hearts.
Jesus Christ is the first fruits of the harvest.
Rev. John Lin
05 August 2012
Matthew 13: 24-33
24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
28"'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
29"'No,' he answered 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"
31He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
33He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
MIXED CROPS
--Weeds are intertwined with the good stuff crops.
--Good is intertwined with evil.
PATIENT FARMER
--Everything is intertwined and difficult to disentangle.
--Everything is broken.
Weeds are like the evil in the outside world as well as in our hearts.
Jesus Christ is the first fruits of the harvest.
The Parable of the Soils
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 25
Rev. John Lin
29 July 2012
Matthew 13: 1-9
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
NATURE OF THE KINGDOM
--Christianity begins as a seed.
--Small and unrealized potential.
--Seed eventually transforms everything.
RECEIVING THE KINGDOM
--Christianity can't just be an intellectual construct.
--Christianity must be deeply personal and move us greatly.
--We can't turn away from it when things go badly.
--Worries of life can choke the seed too.
--Thorns are things in life that we can't control.
PATTERN OF THE KINGDOM
--A kingdom of service and humility.
--Leads to a beautiful and cultivated world.
--To have eternal life, we must be willing to give up our selfish lifestyle.
PARABLE OF THE KINGDOM
--Immerse yourself in the gospel and receive it.
--Change and transform yourself as a seed does.
--It could be a life of toil where we won't see the fruits of our labor to the end.
Rev. John Lin
29 July 2012
Matthew 13: 1-9
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
NATURE OF THE KINGDOM
--Christianity begins as a seed.
--Small and unrealized potential.
--Seed eventually transforms everything.
RECEIVING THE KINGDOM
--Christianity can't just be an intellectual construct.
--Christianity must be deeply personal and move us greatly.
--We can't turn away from it when things go badly.
--Worries of life can choke the seed too.
--Thorns are things in life that we can't control.
PATTERN OF THE KINGDOM
--A kingdom of service and humility.
--Leads to a beautiful and cultivated world.
--To have eternal life, we must be willing to give up our selfish lifestyle.
PARABLE OF THE KINGDOM
--Immerse yourself in the gospel and receive it.
--Change and transform yourself as a seed does.
--It could be a life of toil where we won't see the fruits of our labor to the end.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Word of the Lord
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 24
Rev. Leo Schuster
22 July 2012
Matthew 11:20-30
20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and SIdon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
25And that time Jesus siad, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
27"All things have been committed to my by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
EDGE OF JESUS
--Repenting means a radical change in you.
--Allow the challenge to move us.
--Jesus isn't just part of our life, He is our life.
IS THERE SOMETHING IN US THAT RESISTS BELIEF IN JESUS?
Will we allow His ultimate beauty to transcend everything in our lives?
Faith comes through a revelation of God's grace to those that are dependent and needy
Rev. Leo Schuster
22 July 2012
Matthew 11:20-30
20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and SIdon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
25And that time Jesus siad, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
27"All things have been committed to my by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
EDGE OF JESUS
--Repenting means a radical change in you.
--Allow the challenge to move us.
--Jesus isn't just part of our life, He is our life.
IS THERE SOMETHING IN US THAT RESISTS BELIEF IN JESUS?
Will we allow His ultimate beauty to transcend everything in our lives?
Faith comes through a revelation of God's grace to those that are dependent and needy
Are you the One?
Savior and Teacher - A Study of Matthew PART 23
Rev Abraham Cho
15 July 2012
Matthew 11:2-19
2When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
4Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what youhear and see: 5The blnd receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
7As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written:
"'I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.'
11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come. 15He who has ears, let him hear.
16 "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17"'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'. 19THe Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners.'" But widom is proved right by her actions."
SEARCH - We are always searching for some kind of meaning.
SCANDAL - Jesus will infuriate and disappoint us.
--Do we continue the search when this happens, or do we fall away?
--JOhn might have questioned JEsus because he was disappointed by his situation of being in jail.
--We fall away when we don't think our lives are unfolding as we think it should.
--Do I see myself as weak and in desparate need?
--Heaven is filled with the weak.
--What does a community of the weak look like?
SONG
--We need to listen to the warnings of the Prophets.
--We are ultimately moved by the silence of Jesus during the crucifixion.
Rev Abraham Cho
15 July 2012
Matthew 11:2-19
2When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
4Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what youhear and see: 5The blnd receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
7As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written:
"'I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.'
11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come. 15He who has ears, let him hear.
16 "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17"'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'. 19THe Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners.'" But widom is proved right by her actions."
SEARCH - We are always searching for some kind of meaning.
SCANDAL - Jesus will infuriate and disappoint us.
--Do we continue the search when this happens, or do we fall away?
--JOhn might have questioned JEsus because he was disappointed by his situation of being in jail.
--We fall away when we don't think our lives are unfolding as we think it should.
--Do I see myself as weak and in desparate need?
--Heaven is filled with the weak.
--What does a community of the weak look like?
SONG
--We need to listen to the warnings of the Prophets.
--We are ultimately moved by the silence of Jesus during the crucifixion.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Fearless Discipleship
Savior and Teacher-A Study of Matthew PART 22
Rev Leo Schuster
08 July 2012
Matthew 10:26-39
26"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32"Whover acknoledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn
"'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law agaisnt her mother-inlaw--
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
ENVIRONMENT
--Expect a social divide when you follow Jesus.
--Comfort produces complacency.
--Conflicts produce profoud faith.
--Peace and resistance comes from following God.
FEARS
--It's hard to follow Jesus, but remeber Healing is on the way.
--My ultimate fear of Jesus makes it easier to deal with lesser worldy fears.
--The Lord is a tower of strength.
--Remember that I am important to God.
--Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
DEVOTION
--Daily denying of self to follow Christ regardless of the consequences.
Rev Leo Schuster
08 July 2012
Matthew 10:26-39
26"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32"Whover acknoledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn
"'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law agaisnt her mother-inlaw--
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
ENVIRONMENT
--Expect a social divide when you follow Jesus.
--Comfort produces complacency.
--Conflicts produce profoud faith.
--Peace and resistance comes from following God.
FEARS
--It's hard to follow Jesus, but remeber Healing is on the way.
--My ultimate fear of Jesus makes it easier to deal with lesser worldy fears.
--The Lord is a tower of strength.
--Remember that I am important to God.
--Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
DEVOTION
--Daily denying of self to follow Christ regardless of the consequences.
Rules for Relationships
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 19
Dr. Timothy Keller
17 June 2012
Matthew 7:1-11
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of you eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how good to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
RELATIONSHIPS WE NEED
--Romans 14:10 - Why judge people and why look down on them?
--Judge humbly; respectfully criticize others instead of trying to make them feel bad.
--We need help from others to deal with our sins.
--My own sins should feel greater than those around me.
--Surround yourself with people that can speak the truth with love.
--People who discern, but don't condemn.
WHERE IS THE HEART TO DO THIS?
--Don't think about how to use God.
--Think about how I can lose myself to find God.
--Everyone has their own story and pace with God.
Sometimes, you will be trampled by people who are angered by the Truth.
Jesus experienced the ultimate "trampling".
Dr. Timothy Keller
17 June 2012
Matthew 7:1-11
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of you eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how good to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
RELATIONSHIPS WE NEED
--Romans 14:10 - Why judge people and why look down on them?
--Judge humbly; respectfully criticize others instead of trying to make them feel bad.
--We need help from others to deal with our sins.
--My own sins should feel greater than those around me.
--Surround yourself with people that can speak the truth with love.
--People who discern, but don't condemn.
WHERE IS THE HEART TO DO THIS?
--Don't think about how to use God.
--Think about how I can lose myself to find God.
--Everyone has their own story and pace with God.
Sometimes, you will be trampled by people who are angered by the Truth.
Jesus experienced the ultimate "trampling".
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
No Worry
Savior and Teacher-A Study of Matthew: PART 18
Rev. John Lin
10 June 2012
Matthew 6:25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow, will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Christianity begins with a Savior and then provides the guidelines.
Ethical change begins with a change of heart.
Do not worry means to have a character of contentment.
REALITY of WORRY
--Comes from an irrational fear of the undefnied.
--Things that we worry about should not be all consuming.
CAUSE of WORRY
--Axiety arises when you try to exert control over the uncontrollable.
--Exerting control is similar to trying to take the place of God.
CURE
--Understand and believe that we will be taken care of.
--Give up our need for power and control.
--Jesus gave up his power and control for us.
Reorient priorities--Aim at heaven and the rest will come.
Reframe work--Work to seek is kingdom and to make the world flourish.
Relinquish control.
Rev. John Lin
10 June 2012
Matthew 6:25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow, will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Christianity begins with a Savior and then provides the guidelines.
Ethical change begins with a change of heart.
Do not worry means to have a character of contentment.
REALITY of WORRY
--Comes from an irrational fear of the undefnied.
--Things that we worry about should not be all consuming.
CAUSE of WORRY
--Axiety arises when you try to exert control over the uncontrollable.
--Exerting control is similar to trying to take the place of God.
CURE
--Understand and believe that we will be taken care of.
--Give up our need for power and control.
--Jesus gave up his power and control for us.
Reorient priorities--Aim at heaven and the rest will come.
Reframe work--Work to seek is kingdom and to make the world flourish.
Relinquish control.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Treasures
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 17
Rev Leo Schuster
03 June 2012
Matthew 6:19-24
19" Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in a steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24"No one can serve two msters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
--Role of money is tied into our spiritual lives.
--Don't store treasuers for yourself on earth because there is another more important kingdom.
--We don't own anything--Only God does.
--The world will be gone--all our tresures will be gone--including our selves.
--Money is the personification of human desire--Don't let it control you.
--Giving money away is empowering.
--Puring is refreshing; just let it go.
--Jesus gave up his rich and noble life for us and our empty bank accounts.
Rev Leo Schuster
03 June 2012
Matthew 6:19-24
19" Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in a steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24"No one can serve two msters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
--Role of money is tied into our spiritual lives.
--Don't store treasuers for yourself on earth because there is another more important kingdom.
--We don't own anything--Only God does.
--The world will be gone--all our tresures will be gone--including our selves.
--Money is the personification of human desire--Don't let it control you.
--Giving money away is empowering.
--Puring is refreshing; just let it go.
--Jesus gave up his rich and noble life for us and our empty bank accounts.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Prayer and the Poor
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 16
Dr. Timothy Keller
27 May 2012
Matthew 6:1-15
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This is then how you should pray:
10'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not in temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you don not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
FOUNDATION
--Don't pray and do good works for pride and self congratulation.
--Don't try to control God through moral actions.
--God rewards you as a Father--so it's not a conditional relationship.
--Prayer is about relationship---not about asking for things.
--Based on adoration.
--Grace based familial relationship with God.
SUBSTANCE
--Adoring language of intimacy.
--Plunging yourself into the fullness of God.
--Acceptance - THY will be done!
--Romans 8:28
--Accepting the good, bad, and things I don't understand.
--Asking or strength to face the challenges.
--Resolution for guilty feelings and behavior.
--Lack of forgiveness means a lack of repentance.
--Repentance means rebelling against the evil status quo--God did not create the world as it is now; it got this way through sin; He will put things right.
--Prayer connects us with that future.
--Prayer allows us to be an agent of change.
KEY
--Father, forgive them is the ultimate Lord's prayer because it was prayed by Jesus who was free and clear of sin--It was a prayer for us!
Dr. Timothy Keller
27 May 2012
Matthew 6:1-15
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This is then how you should pray:
10'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not in temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you don not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
FOUNDATION
--Don't pray and do good works for pride and self congratulation.
--Don't try to control God through moral actions.
--God rewards you as a Father--so it's not a conditional relationship.
--Prayer is about relationship---not about asking for things.
--Based on adoration.
--Grace based familial relationship with God.
SUBSTANCE
--Adoring language of intimacy.
--Plunging yourself into the fullness of God.
--Acceptance - THY will be done!
--Romans 8:28
--Accepting the good, bad, and things I don't understand.
--Asking or strength to face the challenges.
--Resolution for guilty feelings and behavior.
--Lack of forgiveness means a lack of repentance.
--Repentance means rebelling against the evil status quo--God did not create the world as it is now; it got this way through sin; He will put things right.
--Prayer connects us with that future.
--Prayer allows us to be an agent of change.
KEY
--Father, forgive them is the ultimate Lord's prayer because it was prayed by Jesus who was free and clear of sin--It was a prayer for us!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Love in Hard Places
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 15
Rev John Lin
20 May 2012
Matthew 5:38-47
38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
CHALLENGE OF VENGENANCE
--Eye for an eye describes a sort of fairness
--Socially lower classes had more severe punishments than upper class for the same crime.
--In theory, a more equitable punishment to fit the crime.
--Instead of insult for insult, maybe we absorb the deficit.
--Resolve the situation by bearing the burden.
OBSTACLE OF OTHERNESS
--Kindness and forgiveness to all whether they are like us or not.
--Facebook is about creating an image of ouselves--narcissism.
--Emotional disengagement makes your life thinner when you blow people off that aren't more like you.
NAKEDNESS AND EXOSURE TO GOD'S GAZE
Forgiveness means that I'll take the burden of your offense.
Rev John Lin
20 May 2012
Matthew 5:38-47
38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
CHALLENGE OF VENGENANCE
--Eye for an eye describes a sort of fairness
--Socially lower classes had more severe punishments than upper class for the same crime.
--In theory, a more equitable punishment to fit the crime.
--Instead of insult for insult, maybe we absorb the deficit.
--Resolve the situation by bearing the burden.
OBSTACLE OF OTHERNESS
--Kindness and forgiveness to all whether they are like us or not.
--Facebook is about creating an image of ouselves--narcissism.
--Emotional disengagement makes your life thinner when you blow people off that aren't more like you.
NAKEDNESS AND EXOSURE TO GOD'S GAZE
Forgiveness means that I'll take the burden of your offense.
Integrity
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 14
Dr. Timothy Keller
13 May 2012
Matthew 5:33-37
33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all; either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No,' 'No; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
God is always present--so how can we lie in his presence.
Psalms 16:8
We want to delight Jesus, even though it's hard to live up to--but we know he loves us.
INTEGRITY AND COMMUNITY
--we must trust those around us.
IDENTITY
--Who am I really?
--What remains constant in me?--even when I'm alone.
DIGNITY
--By lying, we try to control people--and thus disrespect them.
--No levels of truthfullness.
--We will be judged for idle words.
Truth is hard, because so often we pay a price for it
--Jesus paid the ultimate price.
--He paid the price for our lies as well.
Dr. Timothy Keller
13 May 2012
Matthew 5:33-37
33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all; either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No,' 'No; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
God is always present--so how can we lie in his presence.
Psalms 16:8
We want to delight Jesus, even though it's hard to live up to--but we know he loves us.
INTEGRITY AND COMMUNITY
--we must trust those around us.
IDENTITY
--Who am I really?
--What remains constant in me?--even when I'm alone.
DIGNITY
--By lying, we try to control people--and thus disrespect them.
--No levels of truthfullness.
--We will be judged for idle words.
Truth is hard, because so often we pay a price for it
--Jesus paid the ultimate price.
--He paid the price for our lies as well.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Law and Love
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew - PART 12
Reverend Leo Schuster
29 April 2012
Matthew 5: 17-22
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them them. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of fire and hell.
AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
--Practice the truth of scripture.
--How do we build our lives?
--God uses authors to compose the Holy Document.
--Is our foundation strong enough to sustain us?
AIM OF THE BIBLE
--Designed to show us Jesus and to change us.
--Jesus enters our world to show us a way for a whole new life.
--The Bible allows us to see ourselves as we truly are--FLAWED.
God's anger is good in its righteous indignation to injustice.
In our brokenness, we contribute to injustices towards Jesus.
Live a life of love when we feel anger.
Reverend Leo Schuster
29 April 2012
Matthew 5: 17-22
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them them. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of fire and hell.
AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
--Practice the truth of scripture.
--How do we build our lives?
--God uses authors to compose the Holy Document.
--Is our foundation strong enough to sustain us?
AIM OF THE BIBLE
--Designed to show us Jesus and to change us.
--Jesus enters our world to show us a way for a whole new life.
--The Bible allows us to see ourselves as we truly are--FLAWED.
God's anger is good in its righteous indignation to injustice.
In our brokenness, we contribute to injustices towards Jesus.
Live a life of love when we feel anger.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
The Witness of the Kingdom
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew: PART 11
Dr. Timothy Keller
22 April 2012
Matthew 5:11-16
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
SALT
--a preservative; presereve the community-help out.
--Colossians 1:17 - Jesus is the preserver of everything.
--Get invovled with the world
--Integrity and Compassion.
LIGHT
--the world is dark and decaying
--Christians are light because they have a Truth and hold it up.
--The church is an alternate society in a city.
--Christians are a community of light.
HURT
--Beatitudes - statement of what a Christian should be.
--Don't be obnoxious about your faith - don't be a meddler - 1Peter 4:15
--Speak the truth with love.
--Get rid of self pity and be of good cheer.
--Phillipians 2 - Don't do things out of personal glory and reputation.
Stand up for Jesus and he will be with us.
Share Jesus' suffering to share his glory.
Dr. Timothy Keller
22 April 2012
Matthew 5:11-16
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
SALT
--a preservative; presereve the community-help out.
--Colossians 1:17 - Jesus is the preserver of everything.
--Get invovled with the world
--Integrity and Compassion.
LIGHT
--the world is dark and decaying
--Christians are light because they have a Truth and hold it up.
--The church is an alternate society in a city.
--Christians are a community of light.
HURT
--Beatitudes - statement of what a Christian should be.
--Don't be obnoxious about your faith - don't be a meddler - 1Peter 4:15
--Speak the truth with love.
--Get rid of self pity and be of good cheer.
--Phillipians 2 - Don't do things out of personal glory and reputation.
Stand up for Jesus and he will be with us.
Share Jesus' suffering to share his glory.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
The Norms of the Kingdom
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew part 10
Dr. Timothy Keller
15 April 2012
Matthew 5:1-10
1Now when he saw the crods, he went up on a mountainside and sad down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blesssed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Sermon on the Mount.
GLORY - HOW WE SHOULD LIVE.
--The salt of the earth; salt was a perservative.
--Help people and communities that are falling apart.
--Religion is also about what you do in solitude--when people aren't watching.
--Worrying and anxiety are about pride.
TERROR
--Realization of our shortcomings.
--The sermon exposes and condemns me.
--We are spiritually bankrupt.
--Even are good deeds are often selfishly motivated.
--Meekness means that I rely on Jesus completly.
--We need to thirst for righteousness (absolute love and integrity)
--We need to ask for salvation, not as a right we deserve, but as a gift.
--Phillipians 3:7-14 - Righteousness through faith
HERO
--We can be comforted because He was stripped of everything, so we don't have to be.
--We are fulfilled because He thirsts.
--He is poor in spirit for us, so we can be poor in spirit in front of God and others.
Hero of Heroes: Seeing Christ in the Beatitudes by Iain M. Duguid
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Timothy Keller
15 April 2012
Matthew 5:1-10
1Now when he saw the crods, he went up on a mountainside and sad down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blesssed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Sermon on the Mount.
GLORY - HOW WE SHOULD LIVE.
--The salt of the earth; salt was a perservative.
--Help people and communities that are falling apart.
--Religion is also about what you do in solitude--when people aren't watching.
--Worrying and anxiety are about pride.
TERROR
--Realization of our shortcomings.
--The sermon exposes and condemns me.
--We are spiritually bankrupt.
--Even are good deeds are often selfishly motivated.
--Meekness means that I rely on Jesus completly.
--We need to thirst for righteousness (absolute love and integrity)
--We need to ask for salvation, not as a right we deserve, but as a gift.
--Phillipians 3:7-14 - Righteousness through faith
HERO
--We can be comforted because He was stripped of everything, so we don't have to be.
--We are fulfilled because He thirsts.
--He is poor in spirit for us, so we can be poor in spirit in front of God and others.
Hero of Heroes: Seeing Christ in the Beatitudes by Iain M. Duguid
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Resurrection
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew Part 9
Dr. Timothy Keller
08 April 2012
Matthew 28:1-20
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead me.
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you wil see him.' Now I have told you."
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them, "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated to this very day.
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirity, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
The Resurrection is a life transforming commitment.
DID IT HAPPEN?
--Women eyewitnesses that were still alive--women's testimony was not admissible
--Why choose women as an eyewitness if you were trying to fake a narrative.
--Some of his disciples doubted the he rose again--he kept coming back to prove it.
--People were skeptical back them.
--They weren't any more gullible than people today.
JESUS IS WITH US IN HISTORY AND IN THE GOSPELS
--Ephesisans 2:14-18
CHRIST TURNED OUR LIVES INTO A PERSONAL RESURRECTION AND CONNECTION WITH GOD
--"I am with you always"
--It allows all our grief to be swallowed up.
It is the ultimate happy ending.
Dr. Timothy Keller
08 April 2012
Matthew 28:1-20
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead me.
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you wil see him.' Now I have told you."
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them, "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated to this very day.
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirity, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
The Resurrection is a life transforming commitment.
DID IT HAPPEN?
--Women eyewitnesses that were still alive--women's testimony was not admissible
--Why choose women as an eyewitness if you were trying to fake a narrative.
--Some of his disciples doubted the he rose again--he kept coming back to prove it.
--People were skeptical back them.
--They weren't any more gullible than people today.
JESUS IS WITH US IN HISTORY AND IN THE GOSPELS
--Ephesisans 2:14-18
CHRIST TURNED OUR LIVES INTO A PERSONAL RESURRECTION AND CONNECTION WITH GOD
--"I am with you always"
--It allows all our grief to be swallowed up.
It is the ultimate happy ending.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
The Crucifixion
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew - PART 8
Rev. John Lin
01 April 2012
Matthew 27: 45-56
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
47when some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." 48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine and vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When the centurion and those with him who were gurading Jesus saw the earthquake and all that happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
REALITY OF JESUS'S DEATH
--Women were not held in high regard back then, yet they were the witnesses of his death, burial, and resurrection.
--They may have been still alive when the story started spreading in the gospels--living witnesses.
PASSION
--True passion involves suffering.
--Jesus screamed for God as he was forsaken by Him.
--Spiritual collapse.
--Temple was torn, so that the presence of God becomes availabale to us all through Jesus
--Jesus gave up his spirit to give us all a new life.
--Jesus was forsaken so we don't have to be.
Rev. John Lin
01 April 2012
Matthew 27: 45-56
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
47when some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." 48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine and vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When the centurion and those with him who were gurading Jesus saw the earthquake and all that happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
REALITY OF JESUS'S DEATH
--Women were not held in high regard back then, yet they were the witnesses of his death, burial, and resurrection.
--They may have been still alive when the story started spreading in the gospels--living witnesses.
PASSION
--True passion involves suffering.
--Jesus screamed for God as he was forsaken by Him.
--Spiritual collapse.
--Temple was torn, so that the presence of God becomes availabale to us all through Jesus
--Jesus gave up his spirit to give us all a new life.
--Jesus was forsaken so we don't have to be.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
The Last Temptation
Savior and Teacher-A Study of Matthew Part 7
Rev. John Lin
25 March 2012
Matthew 26: 36-46
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
JESUS WAS SHAKEN BY THE THOUGHT OF HIS DEATH
--not the physical pain, but the abandonment of God.
--the feeling of rejection, by God, his FATHER.
SACRIFICE OF JESUS WAS A SACRIFICE OF LOVE
--a TRUE love that answers to the objective reality of God's wrath.
--God's love and wrath are interconnected.
JESUS OBEYS GOD DESPITE UNANSWERED PRAYERS AND EVENTUAL ABANDONMENT
--We are treated in the way that Jesus unequivocably obeyed God.
--God sees us through Jesus's Record and actions.
COMFORT IN HARDSHIP
--Jesus endured the wrath of God, so what can we really do to lose his love for us.
PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
--Honest prayer where be bear all our sins and secrets.
--Don't pray for results, pray so that "thy will be done".
PATIENCE WITHOUT SELF PITY.
--Jesus endured the ultimate suffering without complaint--surely, we can endure our petty issues.
Rev. John Lin
25 March 2012
Matthew 26: 36-46
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
JESUS WAS SHAKEN BY THE THOUGHT OF HIS DEATH
--not the physical pain, but the abandonment of God.
--the feeling of rejection, by God, his FATHER.
SACRIFICE OF JESUS WAS A SACRIFICE OF LOVE
--a TRUE love that answers to the objective reality of God's wrath.
--God's love and wrath are interconnected.
JESUS OBEYS GOD DESPITE UNANSWERED PRAYERS AND EVENTUAL ABANDONMENT
--We are treated in the way that Jesus unequivocably obeyed God.
--God sees us through Jesus's Record and actions.
COMFORT IN HARDSHIP
--Jesus endured the wrath of God, so what can we really do to lose his love for us.
PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
--Honest prayer where be bear all our sins and secrets.
--Don't pray for results, pray so that "thy will be done".
PATIENCE WITHOUT SELF PITY.
--Jesus endured the ultimate suffering without complaint--surely, we can endure our petty issues.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Into Jerusalem
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew - Part 6
Dr. Timothy Keller
18 March 2012
Matthew 21:1-14
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away"
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5"say to the Daiughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.;"
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hoasanna in the highest!"
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11The crowds answered, "this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer', but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"
14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
CONFRONTATIONAL KING
--Jesus was humble, but not modest.
--Crown me or Kill me--worhsip or destroy me.
--Once you hear his words, there can be no middle ground.
COUNTERINTUITIVE KING
--The King didn't ride in on a grand stallion, but rather on a baby donkey.
--Coming in to rule and save--not by grand power, but by sacrificing and dying.
--We mistakenly go to God and ask Him what we think we need instead of realizing that He already knows what we need.
COMING KING
--His sacrifice and resurrection marks the end of everything that is wrong with the material world...and points the way to fix it.
Dr. Timothy Keller
18 March 2012
Matthew 21:1-14
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away"
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5"say to the Daiughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.;"
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hoasanna in the highest!"
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11The crowds answered, "this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer', but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"
14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
CONFRONTATIONAL KING
--Jesus was humble, but not modest.
--Crown me or Kill me--worhsip or destroy me.
--Once you hear his words, there can be no middle ground.
COUNTERINTUITIVE KING
--The King didn't ride in on a grand stallion, but rather on a baby donkey.
--Coming in to rule and save--not by grand power, but by sacrificing and dying.
--We mistakenly go to God and ask Him what we think we need instead of realizing that He already knows what we need.
COMING KING
--His sacrifice and resurrection marks the end of everything that is wrong with the material world...and points the way to fix it.
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