Friday, December 17, 2010
More Christmas Sermons
Another scaled down Christmas sermon outline:
Sermon Title: Make Haste
Scripture Passage: Luke 2:6-17
INTRO:
There are normally two responses to divine encounters in scripture; unawareness and fear. And often times God encounters are often missed out on today because of the same reasons. But in this awesome passage we see that the shepherds were very fearful to start with here – but I love what verse 16 says - And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And they came with haste.
I like it when people make haste after God.
The shepherds could have missed a moment – if they had waited, or doubted, or hem-hawed around – but they made haste. What was it about this most unlikely group to receive this news that caused them to make haste and not miss what God was doing? So many that we read about in this Word missed what God was doing. All through Jesus’ earthly ministry people missed the time of their visitation – but not the shepherds.
What can we learn from the shepherds?
1. They were able to transition quickly.
I hear people ask questions like – who stayed behind to watch the sheep? But then I think – who cares? You know what – doesn’t matter – whatever it took, whatever it meant for the shepherds to leave and head to the manger, whatever arrangements needed to be made – they made them. They didn’t drag their feet they went for it.
You see the reason why many folks miss revival or miss what God is doing miss what God is doing is because we become– transitionally challenged. Why are we transitionally challenged? Because for different reasons we become content with status quo.
Psalm 119:60 - I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
Often it seems that churches, movements and individual believers can have an encounter with God, or have one great time in the altar with God – and then never bother to seek more from God.
In Ephesians 1 Paul speaking to the churches at Ephesus said, “I pray that you may have more wisdom and revelation. What does that tell us? It tells us that there is more of God to know. There is more of God to get a hold of. The Bible says that God want to take us from glory to glory. But many times instead of glory to glory – we become static in our relationship with God.
This happens to people and denominations. Instead of becoming a movement to the future - they can become monuments to the past. But the glory of Christmas is that the God of the universe wants to lead us from glory to glory – from encounter with Him to encounter.
2. They were able to recognize what God was doing.
Verse 15: So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
In summary the shepherds said, "God is doing something – let’s go see it."
They were able to recognize that God was doing something. They recognized that this was God.
What is so interesting to me is that for hundreds of years Israel prayed and cried out for God, they prayed for revival – so God sent Jesus and what happened – they killed Him. Why? They didn’t recognize Him. They didn’t recognize revival. God in the flesh shows up – but because he rode a donkey instead of a white horse into Jerusalem – because He wasn’t riding at the head of a conquering army like they thought He would be. Because He didn’t come the way they thought He would – they missed what God was doing.
Jesus pointed this out to them in Luke 19:43: "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
We must be very careful that we don't miss what God is doing - it's possible to be very sincere in faith and miss what God is wanting to do.
In the history of the church each current revival or move of God persecutes the one that follows it. Reformers were burned at the stake because they believed a certain revelation that God had given them. Then the Anabaptists came along and believed that baptism should happen after you make your profession for Christ - they were persecuted by the Lutherans. Then the holiness movement springs up out of the Anabaptist movement and the Anabaptist's persecute the holiness movement – then the Pentecostal movement springs up out of the holiness movement and they are persecuted by the holiness movement. At the turn of the century if you were Pentecostal you were considered a cult member and the scum of the earth. My grandmother had rotten fruit thrown at her as she left church from time to time because of her Pentecostal faith. Pentecostal preachers were considered dangerous. Then the Pentecostal movement persecuted the Jesus movement, then the Jesus movement persecuted the charismatic movement, and on and on we go.
Jesus came with good tidings of great joy that were to all people – peace on earth – goodwill to man. The good news is that relationship with God is now possible. Who wouldn’t want that? Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to pursue that? It's time to have a heart like the shepherds did so long ago and make haste towards Him.
Christmas Sermons
Here are a couple of scaled down Christmas sermon outlines that I recently preached. Some pastors love preaching Christmas sermons, some don't - I'm in the 'love to' camp:
Sermon Title: Gifts
Scripture Passage: Matthew 2:11
INTRO: When Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God - He not only fulfilled the Law and the prophets – He brought a whole new way of looking at things.
In the Kingdom you really do have to give in order to receive. If you want to go high – you have to go low. Jesus thought that there was enough food in the lunch of a little boy to feed thousands. It’s just how He thinks. He thinks if you want to live – you have to die. These are not just token inspirational thoughts – this is what a renewed mind – this is what a Kingdom perspective looks like. With Kingdom perspective a miracle is logical.
And with the coming Savior, came a new perspective on.
Matthew 2:11 - And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Some thoughts about giving:
1. The heart of Kingdom giving is worship.
Vs. 11 – And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.
Giving should never be done out of duty, obligation or compulsion – but rather from an understanding of giving is based in worship. Giving is never compartmentalized either. Giving as worship never says "I gave my time, so now I don’t need to give my resources". This is not Kingdom thinking. Because this act of worshipful giving affects every part of our lives. That type of thinking is Old Testament religious duty thinking – well I did my time here so that gets me off the hook in this area. Jesus introduced giving as a lifestyle of worship - illustrated by what the wise men did at His birth.
Jesus spoke to this when he dropped this epic verse on us in John 4:24:
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
He changed worship.
Worship was no longer going to come from religious conformity, or religious duty, or obligation – but now the worship God was seeking came from a genuine heart of love – it was given from the purity of an honest heart. That’s why Paul said giving can never come out of pressure or duty – but out of a heart that has encountered God that moves you to give. It’s just what you do – it’s like breathing. Kingdom giving is a grace that only belongs to the believer. It’s who we are – giving is what we are about.
Something else about Kingdom giving:
2. Something has to be opened before something can be given.
Vs. 11 – And when they had opened their treasures...
When they had opened their treasure – then they gave. Before giving could happen – a treasury of some type had to be opened up. Jesus talked about treasure.
Matthew 8:19-21: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Heart and treasure have the same exact zip code. We all have treasure to give out of. Has nothing to do with how much money you have or don’t have. One of the biggest misnomer’s about giving in the church today is that you have quote unquote ‘have to have extra money in order to give’. That’s false. Real giving starts when we cease to be able to afford what we are giving. Sometimes folks get hung up on percentages in tithing – this might be a better measuring stick – give a little more than you can truly afford – then you will be giving from your treasure.
We all have treasure – the question is does our treasure have us? Are you will to open your treasure like the wise men did?
Kingdom giving gives without regard of the thought – what I may benefit from this? Why? Because it comes from the heart.
Luke 6:45: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Kingdom giving asks, "What's in it for me?" If the answer is "nothing," then that means let’s give then!
Finally, in Kingdom giving:
3. There is a presentation.
Vs. 11 - they presented gifts to Him.
Notice they did the giving. They didn’t have their assistants give the gifts – they gave them. There was great honor and power in them presenting the gifts. The very act of giving is part of the gift - there is joy in the very act of presenting our gifts to Him.
Sermon Title: Gifts
Scripture Passage: Matthew 2:11
INTRO: When Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God - He not only fulfilled the Law and the prophets – He brought a whole new way of looking at things.
In the Kingdom you really do have to give in order to receive. If you want to go high – you have to go low. Jesus thought that there was enough food in the lunch of a little boy to feed thousands. It’s just how He thinks. He thinks if you want to live – you have to die. These are not just token inspirational thoughts – this is what a renewed mind – this is what a Kingdom perspective looks like. With Kingdom perspective a miracle is logical.
And with the coming Savior, came a new perspective on.
Matthew 2:11 - And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Some thoughts about giving:
1. The heart of Kingdom giving is worship.
Vs. 11 – And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.
Giving should never be done out of duty, obligation or compulsion – but rather from an understanding of giving is based in worship. Giving is never compartmentalized either. Giving as worship never says "I gave my time, so now I don’t need to give my resources". This is not Kingdom thinking. Because this act of worshipful giving affects every part of our lives. That type of thinking is Old Testament religious duty thinking – well I did my time here so that gets me off the hook in this area. Jesus introduced giving as a lifestyle of worship - illustrated by what the wise men did at His birth.
Jesus spoke to this when he dropped this epic verse on us in John 4:24:
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
He changed worship.
Worship was no longer going to come from religious conformity, or religious duty, or obligation – but now the worship God was seeking came from a genuine heart of love – it was given from the purity of an honest heart. That’s why Paul said giving can never come out of pressure or duty – but out of a heart that has encountered God that moves you to give. It’s just what you do – it’s like breathing. Kingdom giving is a grace that only belongs to the believer. It’s who we are – giving is what we are about.
Something else about Kingdom giving:
2. Something has to be opened before something can be given.
Vs. 11 – And when they had opened their treasures...
When they had opened their treasure – then they gave. Before giving could happen – a treasury of some type had to be opened up. Jesus talked about treasure.
Matthew 8:19-21: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Heart and treasure have the same exact zip code. We all have treasure to give out of. Has nothing to do with how much money you have or don’t have. One of the biggest misnomer’s about giving in the church today is that you have quote unquote ‘have to have extra money in order to give’. That’s false. Real giving starts when we cease to be able to afford what we are giving. Sometimes folks get hung up on percentages in tithing – this might be a better measuring stick – give a little more than you can truly afford – then you will be giving from your treasure.
We all have treasure – the question is does our treasure have us? Are you will to open your treasure like the wise men did?
Kingdom giving gives without regard of the thought – what I may benefit from this? Why? Because it comes from the heart.
Luke 6:45: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Kingdom giving asks, "What's in it for me?" If the answer is "nothing," then that means let’s give then!
Finally, in Kingdom giving:
3. There is a presentation.
Vs. 11 - they presented gifts to Him.
Notice they did the giving. They didn’t have their assistants give the gifts – they gave them. There was great honor and power in them presenting the gifts. The very act of giving is part of the gift - there is joy in the very act of presenting our gifts to Him.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Five Books
Since I'm often asked about what books I'm reading and which ones I'd recommend (besides the Bible obviously) - I thought it was time to post a list of what I'd call my top five books that every Christian should read. This list is obviously highly subjective and is subject to change from time to time as the years pass and there are many others that I've read that are 'top five' quality to be sure. But these five books have impacted my life for various reasons and in various ways. To make my top five list a book must epically rock my spiritual world, increase my passion for Christ exponentially, and light fires in my heart to do more for God than I ever have before. With that criteria in mind - here is my list (in no specific order):
1. Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala. Cymbala is the founder and pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church. This book will epically rock your prayer life and build your faith.
2. When Heaven Invades Earth, Bill Johnson. This book will inspire and grow your faith to places you didn't know it could go - guaranteed. You will learn exactly what it means to not 'put God in a box'.
3. Tale Of Three Kings, Gene Edwards. Humility, brokenness, honoring others and dealing with authority in our lives. These qualities handled wrong are often the cause for division, broken relationships and church problems. This book will challenge you to grow in these crucial areas.
4. The Final Quest, Rick Joyner. This book is unusual in that it was a prophetic vision that the Lord gave to Joyner. I was first exposed to this book during a 'Shake the Nations' missions conference in the early 90's. I grabbed a copy - read it in a couple sittings - and then spent much time weeping before the Lord with my face in the carpet. Another book that will rock your prayer life.
5. God's Generals, Roberts Lairdon. There are actually three books currently in this series and I've read two so far and they have both moved me beyond words. Lairdon's research for these books was top notch and the stories of our fathers in the faith are incredibly inspiring and encouraging as well as very informative. I learned much and was greatly blessed. The two I've read are, God's Generals: Why They Succeeded And Why Some Failed; God's Generals: The Revivalists. I realize I have six books in my top five - but you can pick one of these two and not go wrong.
What books are in your top five?
1. Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala. Cymbala is the founder and pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church. This book will epically rock your prayer life and build your faith.
2. When Heaven Invades Earth, Bill Johnson. This book will inspire and grow your faith to places you didn't know it could go - guaranteed. You will learn exactly what it means to not 'put God in a box'.
3. Tale Of Three Kings, Gene Edwards. Humility, brokenness, honoring others and dealing with authority in our lives. These qualities handled wrong are often the cause for division, broken relationships and church problems. This book will challenge you to grow in these crucial areas.
4. The Final Quest, Rick Joyner. This book is unusual in that it was a prophetic vision that the Lord gave to Joyner. I was first exposed to this book during a 'Shake the Nations' missions conference in the early 90's. I grabbed a copy - read it in a couple sittings - and then spent much time weeping before the Lord with my face in the carpet. Another book that will rock your prayer life.
5. God's Generals, Roberts Lairdon. There are actually three books currently in this series and I've read two so far and they have both moved me beyond words. Lairdon's research for these books was top notch and the stories of our fathers in the faith are incredibly inspiring and encouraging as well as very informative. I learned much and was greatly blessed. The two I've read are, God's Generals: Why They Succeeded And Why Some Failed; God's Generals: The Revivalists. I realize I have six books in my top five - but you can pick one of these two and not go wrong.
What books are in your top five?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)