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?

Feverish Ways!!! - Wednesday Prayer

Wednesday night prayer service was peaceful - a resting place for all of us. Bro Mike read scriptural selections that made us pause and ponder God's control of all events. We prayed between his readings.

If his goal was to lead us to search out an inner place of peace and serenity -- then, at least for me, it worked.

It reminded me of that old hymn "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind". Feeling an urge to re-visit the
words of this fine old hymn, I turned to it in our hymnal.

All of a sudden I didn't feel such peace and serenity -- the wording is wrong! It was so upsetting!

What an awful surprise!  The first lines in the hymnal are "Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways."


That's not the way it goes....It is supposed to say:   forgive our feverish ways...it fits the context so much better. The author was the Quaker (Friends) John Greenleaf Whittier, and he was also talking about pausing in our frantic busy-ness and feeling God's "still, small voice of calm."

Certainly our ways are foolish and we need to seek forgiveness for that. But he is not talking about our foolishness. He is talking about our feverish activity -- our greatly excitable and agitated motions -- our inability to sit still and hear God's voice. Our feverish spirit expresses our restlessness and impatience. Our frantic frenzies do not display God's calm and assuring peace that  "passeth all understanding."

That's what Bro Mike wanted to convey to us. He wanted us to stop -- to block out all the turmoil around us -- and feel God's peace and assurance. To be thoughtful, not impulsive and frantic.

 Don't just do something -- stand there!

Anyway, I looked at some more hymnals -- they all said "foolish." Then I was really agitated...I went back to Whittier's original poem -- it said "feverish.."  People, listen to me, read my lips....it is supposed to be "feverish.."  "FEVERISH..." I'm getting really upset now.

Good grief, is everyone in this world nuts?

I guess I should go back to prayer meeting.....maybe Bro Mike will do the same thing next week, because I think I need a second dose.

In the meantime, I will read Whittier's original lines...that should help...

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, forgive our feverish ways

Reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives Thy service find

In deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like those who heard, beside the Syrian Sea,

The gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word

Rise up and follow thee.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness, til all our strivings cease

Take from our lives the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of Thy peace

Breathe through the heats of our desire Thy coolness and Thy calm

Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire, speak through the earthquake, wind and fire

A still small voice of calm!

You know, I feel better now.

Those words: let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace..

Looks like I have a long way to go.





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Do We Really Want to Know...? Sermon Notes

Sunday, July 10



Bro Mike went back to Moses again. This time the question of the day was "Do we really want to know God's Will?"

Hear the full sermon on our website: fbc-bc.org.

These are just some notes that I felt I needed to pay particular attention to:

The context is Moses at the burning bush. Moses approaches the bush and hears God's voice.
(Exodus 3)

GOD'S WILL

1. His will always reflects His heart.  

    Exodus 3:7. "The LORD said, I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering..."

God had seen. He had noticed. He cared. This is where it gets dangerous. Do we really want to pursue? Do we really want to know God's heart?  That means we have to care about what (and who) He cares about.

Aren't we usually interested mainly about our own situations and problems?

Bro Mike encouraged us to run a check on our prayer life. Is it 90% about us? Do we really want to seek God's heart and how to please Him?

2. His will always involves us - our service.

   Exodus 3:10. "So now go. I am sending you to Pharoah to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

Every believer will be asked to do something. Opportunities are open for everyone. Seeking God's will brings us into the picture.

3. His will always challenges our faith.

Exodus 3:11.  "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'"

There is a fine line between our "comfort zone" and being exactly where God wants us and loving it!
Is it OK to love where we are?

See verse 12 where God tells Moses that "I will be with you." And notice the sign God gave Moses: And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.....

The sign comes after obedience.

When Moses said to God (verse 13): "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you and they ask me, 'What is his name? Then what shall I tell them?'"

God's answer in verse 14: "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites:"

"I AM has sent me to you."

It's the Hebrew statement of God. There is no one like Me.

It is vague. It leaves us with questions., as it should.

It's a leap from serving God on Mt. Horeb and doing something in the local church.

The promise is the same: I will be with you.

Moses had excuses. God answered them all.

Bro Mike's original question was: "Do we really want to know God's Will?"

It's going to involve service....

.What God wants us to do will (1) reflect God's heart (2) involve service and (3) challenge our faith.

When we  say no is it:

Humility or unwillingness?
        Humility or pride?
                   Humility or fear?
                           Humility or unbelief?

Sermon Notes: Believers Living in a Free Society

Sunday, July 3

What a great Independence celebration! We sang important songs and expressed our gratitude for God's provision in the history of our country.  I am thinking I should go back and re-read the American Revolution and count again how times our little fledgling army was saved by those unprecedented weather conditions - fogs and rivers freed of ice and rivers solidified by ice....and more fogs....

But the greatest example of God's providence was the leadership -- the great intellects and strong believers who were gathered on this small shore at that precise time in history -- "in the fullness of time."

One of them was Samuel Adams, The "Father of the Constitution," as he is known.

Bro Mike included in his message an important quote from Sam Adams. I didn't get the entire quote, but you can hear it on our fbc-bc.org website.

Anyway, the quote had to do with Sam Adams' observation that the success of the new government hinged entirely on the capacity of all the people to govern themselves.

Not on the President, nor the Congress, nor the army or the police. But on the requirement that we can govern ourselves.

The text Bro Mike used was Romans 12:18:

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men

We must:

1. Be aware of what is not possible. We are interacting with people who do not believe in the way we do. They do not vote as we do. They see the world differently. We must get along with people we disagree with in a free society.

But a mature Christians knows that is not possible to be at peace with all people. We must not be naive. If this is not heaven, then we will face conflict.  "If" in the verse is a big word.

2. Accept the greater share of the burden.  In a time of conflict, as in our nation's capital today, with anger and tension and apparent stalemate, we must voluntarily take a greater burden. Another phone call. Another letter. More times on our knees in prayer. More patient and reasonable discussion with those who differ.

This new government  is still an experiment.

3. Never be the source of the problem. Never exclude anyone from our area of responsibility. We need to treat people peaceably, not contribute to the hostile climate.

We concluded the service singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic -- what a great title of this grand hymn!

I was looking at the lines of the last verse: "In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, with a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me..."

I don't know about the lilies part -- but certainly we can't live as Christ wants us to live without being "transfigured" by the Holy Spirit. And at the beginning of Romans 12 Paul says we should not live conformed to the world, but "transformed" by the renewing of our minds.

Wednesday night at  prayer service we looked at that verse (Romans 12:2), and recognized that we conform ourselves to the world, but the transformation has to come from the Holy Spirit.

Isn't it wonderful of our God to, along with urging us to be holy, provide for us a way to become more holy, and then on top of that, promises us holiness when we go to be with Him!