Red Sea Rule #2

Notes from Bro Mike's message August 28:

Main Text:

     Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Haharoth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this.   Exodus 14:1-4

Red Sea Rule #1: Realize that God means for you to be where you are. (August 21 message)

Red Sea Rule #2: Be more concerned for God's glory than for your own relief.

Most of our prayers seem to be involved with asking God to relieve us, or at least bring us relief,
in particular circumstances. "LORD, help me get out of this!" Or, more often, "LORD, get me out of this...PLEASE!!"

Bro Mike challenged us, next time we feel overwhelmed, instead of praying, "How can I get out of this mess?" to pray instead, "LORD, how can I help bring glory to You in this situation?"

Examples:

1. John 9:1-3. As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

We should be careful about giving God options. It's often not "this" or "that." We do not see the whole picture He is painting.  He is working out His Kingdom Agenda. It's not about us. It's about God's glory.

2. John 11. The death of Lazarus. When Jesus received the word that Lazarus was seriously ill He did not immediatley drop His plans. He didn't rearrange His schedule to rush to be with the family. And we know that Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were dear to Christ.

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days.
Two whole days more?

Jesus' said: "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
And that's exactly what happened.  God's glory was shown through His Son when Lazarus was raised from the dead, after 4 days.

3. John 12: Some faithful Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Feast came to Philip and said, "Sir we would see Jesus." Philip told Andrew and they both told Jesus about the request.

Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified....now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour?' No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
Father, glorify your name!"

Those Greeks who wanted to see Jesus needed to know that basic truth -- we are saved, not for our own comfort and blessings, but for God's glory.

How many of us, when we said "Yes," to the gospel message, did it because we thought it would be a good thing for us? It all sounded like a good idea. After all, it IS the best deal in the universe. We give Him our filthy rags and He clothes us in garments of joy and salvation.
But it's not about us. It's about Him.

What is the chief purpose of man? "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." I learned that when I was
about 8 years old. And it's still the best news I've ever heard!

Once he was nicknamed 'Son of Thunder' - Sermon Notes from Terry Farrar

Terry Farrar brought us the message Sunday. He spoke about John -- of his transformation from
one of the 'Sons of Thunder' to the loving and patient John of his Gospel of John and his letters (1, 2, and 3 John) to early Christians.

His metamorphosis from the loud and angry fisherman Christ called to follow Him to the John who declared For God so loved the world....  (John 3:16) and  Dear children, let us not love  with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18) was not an over-night journey.

Terry's overall theme was about doing the right thing - all the time. An example from his own life
concerns his duty as a statistician for the Texans. It is his job to record exactly (and there is no room for error) which players played in each game. There is a video that can be checked in case of error - it is another record. But managers and family members and the press and the public depend on Terry's meticulous notes. They have to be right - every time!

We have only once chance to "do it right" in life.

In looking over John's life, Terry talked about John's original calling in Matthew and we compared it to the other synoptic gospel accounts. Putting them all together we learn that James and John were the sons of the fisherman Zebedee.

Since Zebedee is named several times it probably indicates he was a successful fisherman, maybe an important man in the community, maybe even an early church leader. He had hired men to help and so it must have been a thriving business. And we know James and John were business partners with Simon and Andrew.

Certainly Zebedee was anticipating that his sons would take over his business later. What did he think when James and John just left him in the boat and followed that strange Man named Jesus! And the text says immediately. Maybe he knew them to be impulsive at times and maybe he thought they would quickly tire of their "calling" to become  "fishers of men"  and would soon return to their real family fishing  business.

But both James and John persevered in their new calling. They were still acting like "Sons of Thunder" in Luke 9 when some towns did not welcome Jesus and His disciples. "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?" they asked. (I wonder, could they really have accomplished that? Was it just arrogant bravado?)

Later John wrote, "I ask that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love." (2 John)

The details given us in the synoptic gospels are left out of John's gospel--he just starts in at John 1 talking about no one else than Christ Himself. He doesn't even use his own name in his gospel.

Terry  took us on a sprinting tour of the Gospel references of John,  and even posed the possibility that Salome was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John.

We know that John was there at the end -- in the courtyard of the High Priest (where he was well known) and at the Cross when Christ turned the care of His mother Mary over to John.

John- only one life  - but through making the right choices and leaning on Christ - his life was changed from a 'Son of Thunder" to a disciple who loved Jesus, stood by Him, and taught the early church to "love," reminding them constantly, that true love comes from God.

These are just notes -- for the full sermon go online to our church website - fbc-bc.org -  and click on sermons. Hear the full text in case you missed it Sunday, or listen a second time to enjoy it again.

And yes, Terry did incorporate a dramatic element in his message -- we were waiting for it -- he had brought out two large pillows and placed them on the platform before he began his message. That certainly intrigued us. Then at the end of the message when he was talking about John 'leaning back on Jesus' at the Last Supper....Terry arranged the pillows and lay on them to illustrate how the people "reclined" at the table during meals - and especially on that particular evening. They were not all seated on one side of the table in a "photo op" like so often pictured!

I  went home and re-read 1, 2, and 3 John -- !

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.....And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming...everyone who loves the father loves his child as well...we  love because He first loved us....Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God...anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

                          
John did the right things - from the very beginning! What about us?