Expect the Unexpected

Worship of the one and only God was the subject of last Sunday's sermon.

Read Revelation 5:11-14
[Click the Scripture reference above to read online if you don't have a Bible within reach.]

Pastor began by comparing John's vision on the island of Patmos to a flash mob, an unexpected performance at an unexpected time or place.

And I wondered... Where else would you expect all out worship of God, if not in His throne room?

Those in His presence can't help but cry out and fall down before Him:

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth

and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them,

saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"

Revelation 5:13 ESV

But then Rev. Stephenson said: How we worship says a lot about how we live.

Then I began to understand how being swept up into heaven and seeing true worshipers in His presence could feel like witnessing the actions of a flash mob... an unexpected performance at an unexpected time or place.

Unless the eyes of our heart are open to Him, His glory, and the magnitude of who He truly is, we will not see Him in our daily life or expect to encounter true heartfelt worshipers. And if someone does genuinely worship Him in our presence we respond just as we would to a flash mob... What's all this? This is just weird...

To know Him is to abide in Him. Recognizing His presence and power wherever we are.

Daily chores done before Him become opportunities to worship and fill a heart with joy!

Consider how you live. 

Do you see Him in the daily? 

Do you know His presence with you? 

Have you ever caught a glimpse of His love, power, and glory?

Have you been spontaneously moved to praise Him?

The reality is...

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

Isaiah 6:3 NIV

Don't miss another opportunity to experience authentic worship.

Seek it.

Expect it.

Embrace it.

Begin by expecting the unexpected.

His glory surrounds you and He alone deserves your worship and praise. 

The Word: Pure Spiritual Milk

This past Sunday, Rev. Stephenson directed his message to the graduating high school seniors encouraging them to grow into salvation.

Read 1 Peter 2:2-10, the text used on Sunday. If you don't have a Bible near, click the Scripture reference to read it online.

This text is rich in imagery for what it means to grow into salvation.

And I wonder... What is this pure spiritual milk we are to crave? ...the sustenance needed to become living stones worthy of being part of the one spiritual house? ...what draws us out of the darkness into His marvelous light? ...grows us into salvation...?

This wonder sends me on a word study of the original language of pure spiritual milk. And I'm surprised at what I find.

Three times the word spiritual is used in this passage, but in Greek, they are not all the same word.

The usual Greek word translated as spirit is pneuma, and that is what I expected to find. Two of the words were based on the root pneuma, both found in the same verse, pneumatikos:

...you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house,

to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable

to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:5 ESV

But the Greek translated spiritual in pure spiritual milk is different, this word is logikos. A difference seen in other Bible translations:

...as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word,

that you may grow thereby...

1 Peter 2:2 NKJV

...like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word,
so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation...
1 Peter 2:2 NASB

And do you see it coming... logikos... it comes from the root word logos, as in...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

...

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...

John 1:1, 14 NKJV

The Logos. Jesus.

And the adjective pure is added to milk of the word. Pure, meaning unadulterated, nothing else added. Filtered through the Holy Spirit, not through the traditions or philosophies of mankind.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, 
according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, 
and not according to Christ.

Colossians 2:8 ESV

Peter tells us: Just as babies crave milk, you as Believers should be craving what you get from His pure unadulterated Word so you may grow.

Logos, this is also the root for our English word logic. So what we should be craving, desiring, feeding on to grow in salvation is Christ's logic. The way He says things should be. Live according to His Word and His desire. Putting aside the desires of the flesh for the desires of the Spirit.

This is how we grow in salvation: consuming and living out His Word, becoming living stones, building up the spiritual house (the Church), making spiritual sacrifices.

"... It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ..."

---Jesus

John 6:63 ESV

Milk anyone?

Valleys vs Pits

Pastor preached from Psalm 23 this past Sunday. A psalm many know well.

Take time to read it now... really... read it. If you don't have a Bible handy, click the Scripture reference above and it will take you to BibleGateway.com.

Because it's so familiar, read it in more than one Bible version. There are many to choose from on BibleGateway. Let the words soak in.

***

Rev. Stephenson reminded us that the Lord is our Shepherd, and for the psalmist to embrace this truth meant he had to embrace his neediness. Embrace the fact he was a dumb sheep, one who needs lots of care and direction.

Sheep without shepherds get in all kinds of trouble.

And I'm struck by the image pastor created, reminding me that following the Shepherd is not all green pastures and quiet waters. Sometimes, serving God faithfully means being led into darkest valleys... valleys under the shadow of death...

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me...

Psalm 23:3-4 NASB

He shared the story of a student pilot being tested by his instructor. The instructor sat perfectly silent waiting for the student to pull the plane out of a free fall for the first time. The student succeeded, eventually remembering instructions, but in the aftermath poured out his fear and anger on his teacher. In the veteran pilot's calm response, he heard God speak to him...

As you serve Me there is no position you can get your life into

that I cannot get you out of...

To serve God, is to follow Him as our Shepherd. Recognizing our complete lack of understanding, self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, and wisdom. Knowing that apart from Him we can do nothing. Willingly following Him in... and through... the darkest valley...

But sometimes, we forget He will lead us into shadowed valleys of death. And when things get dark or life isn't turning out the way we think it should when we follow Him, sometimes we take things into our own hands. Choose our own way, because we don't trust Him to bring us through this valley of pain, disappointment, fear.

And the problem occurs when we stop following, stop serving, stop trusting. Then we can end up in a place we cannot walk through.

In the dark, sometimes, we fall into a pit.

When I consider pits, I equate them with sin. The sin that occurs when we stop following the Shepherd and begin to lean on our own understanding. We don't trust Him to provide what is needed so we seek it from other sources. 

Sometimes we jump into the pit ourselves. 

Sometimes we are pushed.

Sometimes others drag us into theirs.

But a pit is not like a valley. There is no walking through a pit. The only way out is to be lifted out. 

So consider today, if you find yourself in a dark place:

How did you get there? Were you following the Shepherd? Or someone or something else? maybe self?

Is it a place you can walk through? Or do you find yourself walking in circles?

For whatever reason, you may find yourself in a pit. This is the time to humble yourself before God --- His Word and His Way --- cry out to Him for help and wait...

I waited patiently for the Lord;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth, 

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:1-3 ESV

Our Shepherd hears the cries of His sheep. There is no pit so deep that He cannot rescue and redeem.

The beauty of being lifted out is the trust that is gained: Many will see... and put their trust in the Lord. And next time you're following Him, and the valley gets dark... you'll know the safest place to be is with Him and you'll have the faith to walk through.

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4 NASB

Lord Jesus, Great Shepherd, help me to recognize when I am in a pit. Bless me with the humility and trust to cry out to You and wait for You to lift me out. Use my past pit experience to help me stay close to You even through the darkest valley.

Jesus-Talk

Read Luke 24:13-35
[No Bible handy? Click Scripture reference to read online.]

Rev. Stephenson told us Jesus made the way for two things we both desire and need:

He brings truth and His presence.

Reading, again, the Scripture from Sunday, I'm struck by what these two men were doing. They were walking together along the same road and talking about Jesus.

While they were talking and discussing together,

Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

Luke 24:15 ESV

And I wonder... 

What if they had been talking about something else? the weather? family? politics? Would Jesus have drawn near?

Fellowship is important among Believers, but it's not just potluck suppers or a gathering to hear guest speakers or learn a new skill or talk about current events. Fellowship happens when we walk with other Christians going the same way and share our hearts about all the things Jesus is doing in our lives, or not doing when we think He should be doing. A sharing of doubts, fears, expectations, hopes and dreams centered on faith and the gospel.

When we have Jesus-talks, Jesus shows up.

What is the primary topic of conversation when you gather with other Believers? Is it Jesus? Or something completely different?

Remember to include Him in your time with other Believers and see if He doesn't make His presence and truth known.

And whatever you do, in word or deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17 ESV