Abiding in the One the world hates...

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

Over the past two weeks, we've meditated on passages where Jesus has made very bold statements about what it means to be disconnected from Him. "Apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5), "If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father." (John 15:24). Amazingly, however, Jesus didn't leave us like this... disconnected from Him, in rebellion against Him, lifeless without Him.

Instead, Jesus chose us to be his friends. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit... you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world." (John 15:16) We're His friends- not just servants- but trusted allies to whom He reveals His plans! And in doing so, He invites us to draw our strength from Him by being deeply rooted in Him. The only way for us to bear fruit for Him is for us to abide in Christ's love for us. As we gather this week for community groups, let's look to encourage each other in practical ways we can abide in Christ's love and grow in compassion for our friends who are still in lifeless rebellion against God.

By way of review: the VINE (John 15:1-17)
Jesus gave us the analogy of a vine to describe the invitation to be rooted in His love for us.

Pt 1- JESUS is the true vine. Where Israel failed as the root of blessing for all nations, Jesus shows Himself as the fulfillment of Gods' promises and the source of spiritual life. And Jesus is to be contrasted from false vines we can create today: church attendance, spiritual background, family connections. Question: What are you tempted to look to for your identity as a person?

Pt 2- WE are the branches. The gospel doesn't simply end with forgiveness... it invites us into relationship with God. Jesus describes that relationship by pointing to the relationship between a branch and a trunk. In the same way, we are in an organic, dependent, vibrant relationship with God that makes us fruitful. Three ways we can abide in Christ come from the text:

• We must acknowledge that we can do nothing apart from Him (v 4-5)... we are called to depend on God.
  
• We must have His word abide in us (v 7)... we are invited to welcome God's Word in our lives... "to let it rearrange our furniture."
  
• We must obey God's commands (v 10)... we are invited to continue our fellowship with God through our obedience to God (like William playing with Eric.)
  

Pt 3- THE FATHER is the vinedresser. Pruning is the removal of dead branches. Instead, pruning cuts away stems that are alive that the branch bears more fruit. Pruning is a sign of God's active love for His people (see Isa 5 and Heb 12). This can occur in our lives when God takes away things we thought were critical for our success and happiness. Question: are you receiving the pruning hand of your Father or accusing Him of unkindness towards you?

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By way of review: the WORLD (John 15:18-25)
Jesus reminds us that His choice in our lives to pardon us provides us with courage in the midst of the world. As we understand the world's rebellion we grow in gratitude and courage.

Pt 1- We understand our rebellion through the lens of GUILT. Too often, we are prone to think of our guilt as something that we did or didn't do. But Jesus reminds us that guilt is chiefly the rejection of God's glory as worthless... nowhere is this more evident than in the rejection of Jesus and the gospel (His life and work). Ultimately the most important thing about us is how we treat Son of God.
Pt 2- We understand our rebellion through the lens of HATRED. Jesus describes the antagonism between Him and His opponents in stark terms (hatred, persecution). No football rivalries could ever match the description of this animosity... the world simply put hates God and His claims over all that He has made. Instead, the world seeks to assert its independence from God. This leaves us with a choice. Don Carson wrote, "Former rebels who have been won back (by the grace of God) to loving allegiance to their King are not likely to prove popular with those who persist in rebellion."

Application: Understanding our rebellion through these lenses gives us a clearer view of grace.

• As you reconsidered your participation in a world that rejected God, how were you freshly grateful for God's choice to redeem you from this world?
• As you reconsidered the state of our culture today as rebels towards God, were there any areas in which you've been living with a desire to fit into and be popular in our world?
• As you reconsidered the state of your unsaved friends, how can we pray for you to have courage to speak with those who might respond to the message of salvation? (John 15:20).

Have a great time applying God's Word to your lives in community!

The sincerest form of flattery?

We've heard it all before... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The fact that I'm trying to reproduce somebody's musical style or artistic talent is my deepest way of paying homage to them. Strange then, that Jesus responded the way He did to Peter in John 14.

This past Sunday we started our new series from the "Farewell Discourse" in John. Jesus has only one night left with his closest group of friends... and in John 13 we see him stooped down in a dirty towel scrubbing filth from their feet (v 1-17). He endures the betrayal of Judas (v 18-30) and then calls those that remain to love each other in unthinkable ways (v 31-35). This chain of events left Peter indignant and self-confident: "Lord... I will lay down my life for you."

How often we're just like Peter... we think we know what we're supposed to do and we know that we can do it so we pipe up, "I'm in! God, YOU can count on ME." Unaware of our weakness and unwilling to consider an alternative, we figure that all God wants is for us to imitate Him... yet somehow- Jesus isn't flattered.

Instead, Jesus corrects Peter (correcting us in the process). The way to love others like God isn't to try and flex our muscles of imitation. We'll fail (like Peter) and deny our love for God (like Peter)... and ultimately receive the same promise as Peter: "I am going to prepare a place for you."

Peter wasn't qualified for heaven because of his strength but because of his willingness to be washed by the One at his feet. Only Jesus is the Way that Christians can love like God. We're not called to imitate Him; instead, we love others only when we depend on Him. In many ways, that's what this series is going to declare for us: what will it mean to depend on Christ as the Only Way to God? And answering that question is critical for us to bring glory to God... because we don't glorify God simply by our imitation but by our dependence on Him. Here are some questions that might help... you could discuss a few of them this week in Community Group:

• How are you currently serving and loving others in God's Kingdom?
• Do you see ways that God has given you gifts and abilities to do this?
• What came to mind as we unpacked the "new commandment" to love like God?
• Why is Jesus' statement in 14:6 offensive to people today?
  
• Have you ever struggled with the idea that Jesus is the ONLY way to know God?
• In what ways do you think you try to follow Jesus' example without depending on Him for strength? (be specific)
  
• As you think about Jesus' promise in verses 12, how does it seem possible that we could do "greater works than these"? How does that encourage you about God's plans for you?
• As you consider Jesus' promise in verses 13-14, how could you pray differently about what God is doing in your life right now?
  

Wisdom and Folly...

Back to School season... the commercials always seem to start up every summer a little earlier than they did the year before. Trapper-Keepers, clothing sales, and that little phone commercial about the dad doing his twitter update about sitting on the porch all seem to mark this time of the deep breath before the plunge back into the classroom. How kind that the Preacher has given us something to think about once again!

In Ecclesiastes 1:13-18 we read that wisdom as a pursuit doesn't bring much meaning to life. The reason it comes up empty is that although we grow in our ability to diagnose things about life, we don't have the ability to make things different (v 15 - what is crooked can't be made straight). As a result we wind up "vexed" and sad (v 18). So what's the point of going to school again?

First, wisdom that comes from God reveals the need our world has for a Savior. The Preacher saw things and turned into a cynic... sorrowful and bitter about the problems he saw in the world. This danger is real for all of us. Increasing in knowledge always brings about a proportional risk of growing in arrogance and disdain. But none of us wants to be a "food critic" regarding life. We want to savor and enjoy grace wherever we can find it. So how can we humble ourselves enough to do this?

Second, we have to remember that wisdom that comes from God is revealed by behavior. James 3 tells us that those who truly possess wisdom from above are marked by good conduct. Their wisdom could be described as "meek." In short, according to God- wisdom is as wisdom does (apologies to Forrest). James says that folks who are truly wise will be people who are "pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, impartial, and sincere." They will be people who are marked by "good fruit." This makes us ask ourselves, "What happens to me when I learn something new (something new about life, the world, or about others)? Do I become critical and arrogant in my observations? Or am I marked more by this list in James?" If you're not sure... I'll be there are some folks you know who could help you answer this question. But what if we see something kind of ugly about ourselves in the process?

Lastly, we must remember that the ultimate display of wisdom is seen at Calvary. Paul dealt with a church that was enamored by people who lived morally and spoke eloquently. They thought that those who were "wise" were respected and ultimately worthy of favor from God. But Paul reminded them in 1 Cor 1 that the Cross was ultimately God's greatest reminder that man's strength and wisdom were useless before God. "At the cross God shattered all human pretensions to strength and wisdom" (Carson). At the end of the day, nothing humbles us more than focusing on the Cross. And there is our hope: although it's tempting to grow in pride as we gain knowledge, living in the shadow of the Cross is a more powerful antidote to pride. Not only are we humbled by God's wisest display of what the world calls waste, we're included in God's display of this "folly!" God chose us (who aren't wise, noble, or worthy) so that people would ultimately have their eyes drawn to the One who is the wisdom of God.

Enjoy reveling in our weakness that we might boast in the Lord! (1 Cor 1:13-31)

Rethinking wealthiness...

This last week, we looked at the Preacher's take on riches in Ecclesiastes 5. We're all so tempted to look to our bank accounts as indicators of whether we can feel good about ourselves and have confidence for the future. But through that passage, God reminded us that wealth on the earth isn't all it's made out to be. Money always disappoints us in the moment and never comes through for us in the end. That's just part of the way God's ordained things: only He satisfies us fully in Christ... and He's not about to be replaced.

In order to help my family think this through, I'm considering a little book I've just run across. It's by Greg Dutcher, a seasoned pastor who recently started a church in Maryland. The book is called You are the Treasure that I Seek... but there's a lot of cool stuff out there, Lord. Interesting title... I hope the book will be a help to me as I try to subdue Here's a little blurb about it:

With honesty, humor, and compassion, author Greg Dutcher addresses a contemporary problem that most Christians aren’t even aware of: idolatry. He reminds his readers that there is a battle to be fought, and what is at stake is our lives, the lives of others, and, most importantly, the reputation of Christ Himself. With winsome anecdotes, references to modern culture, biblical references, and nods to respected theologians such as Charles Spurgeon, John Piper, and C. S. Lewis, Dutcher makes us aware of the problem, helps us isolate it, and then gives us the weapons to contain it. Study questions at the end of each chapter make this a great individual or group Bible study.

Anyway, I thought I'd list a few closing points from the sermon on Sunday:

How are we to fight materialism and gain treasure that lasts for eternity?
1. Kill those things that threaten your contentment in Christ.
2. Beware of a growing anxiety about your stuff.
3. Beware of a growing greed about other's stuff.
4. Give generously to God's work and others in need.
5. Be grateful (with your words) about your current lot.
6. Most importantly, strengthen your satisfaction in Christ alone.

Praying it helps us to use our wealth as a foundation for our futures,
Darren

Usefulness, fairness, and coolness...

Over the past three weeks, we've heard from "the Preacher" about the trouble with toil, the idiocy of injustice, and the perils of power. As we gather this week to apply God's word to our lives, I wanted to provide a basic overview of these messages and to suggest a few application questions for discussion. I pray God uses these in your groups as you seek to discuss what God is doing in your lives.

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Sunday, July 19- Ecc 2:18-23 by Jonathan Putnam
THE BIG IDEA: the gospel makes it possible for us to glorify God in the work He has assigned us.

First Point: Death renders work meaningless.
Sin has affected our work to the point that we want to labor for our own honor. We see a picture of this in the Tower of Babel. The curse on work in Genesis 3 demonstrates God's opposition to our attempts at working for our glory. In this sense, the curse on work is the mercy of God that makes self-centered labor fruitless.

Second Point: Christ rendered death powerless.
The resurrection of Jesus marks the triumph of Christ over death as the final payment for sin. Instead, Jesus' death on the cross pays our debt before God, and God's resurrection of Christ demonstrates that this payment is effective. If that is true, then death is powerless over us... and our work can be meaningful.

Third Point: Christians can labor in a meaningful way for God.
Jonathan pointed out that (in seeking to live for God) Christians can glorify God in three ways:

1. We glorify God in the tasks of our work. We can actually bring glory to God because our labor imitates God's labors (see Genesis 1). In this sense, we labor like God.
2. We glorify God in the quality of our work. We can bring glory to God because our labors are a means of "working heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." In this sense, we labor for God.
3. We glorify God in the goal of our work. We can make God look good when we remember that God uses our jobs as ways of restoring the world to himself. In this sense, we labor with God.

Some Questions to Ponder:

• What has God been showing you about how you've built your own Tower of Babel?
• How does Jesus' victory over death give you hope that your work can be meaningful again?
• In what way (from the third point) are you encouraged that you can glorify God at work?

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Sunday, July 26- Ecc 3:16-4:3 by Darren Lander
THE BIG IDEA: the greatest injustice the world's ever seen provides courage to act against injustice and comfort when I'm treated unjustly.

First Point: Injustice distorts our outlook.
The injustices of life can make us think that nobody is in control over life and that there is no comfort for those who suffer in this life. The Preacher saw this in the courts and in the workplace, and we can find those same injustices publicly on display today in corrupt trials and unfairness towards workers and stockholders today. This evidence can tempt us because...

Second Point: Injustice lies about our God.
The "Preacher" in Ecclesiastes came to the conclusion that injustice makes life a hopeless cause. He thought that people were no better off than animals and that death was the only hope for those who suffer. In fact, when we try to reconcile whether our lives are meaningful, we often look (like George Bailey) back on the impact we've made on those around us. Sadly, we often find a lack of evidence that supports the idea that our suffering in life has been worth it. But God brings hope to us because...

Third Point: Injustice reveals God's justice and control.
The truth is that we've never suffered in any degree as Jesus has suffered for us. Rather than making us feel guilty that we struggle under suffering, this should encourage us about 4 things:
a. God uses our suffering to prove our faith (1 Peter 1:3-7)
b. God uses our suffering to magnify His glory (Romans 8:16-19)
c. God used Christ's suffering to bring us to God (1 Pet 3:17-18)
d. God used Christ's suffering to reveals His righteousness (Romans 3:21-26)

If God can use the greatest injustice in history to guarantee His justice and our salvation, then we can trust Him to use the lesser suffering in our life to rivet our faith on Christ and to declare His worthiness to others who suffer. Therefore,

1. We will never WINK at injustice, instead- we'll act wisely to help others who suffer.
2. We will never WORRY about injustice, instead- we'll pray fervently when we suffer.
3. We will always TAKE COMFORT in the cross- the greatest injustice ever seen.

Some Questions to Ponder:

• In what ways have you been feeling as though you've been unjustly treated lately?
• What has this tempted you to believe about God and His way of dealing with you?
• How does God's treatment of you (through Christ's suffering) encourage you as you suffer?

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Sunday, August 2- Ecc 4:13-16 by Darren Lander
THE BIG IDEA: the lies of popularity to stick with us and protect us are countered and conquered by the fear of the Lord and the love of Christ.

First Point: Popularity pledges to stick with us forever.
The "Preacher" observed the ways in which the king of Israel (beloved and old) would be replaced by his successor and forgotten by his people... and that this would be the lot for all who would succeed him on the throne. This reality sobered him, but we are all tempted to place our identity in what others think of us. Because we all want to be remembered and have our namesake honored forever...

Second Point: Popularity pledges to protect us from harm.
In Ecclesiastes 8, the Preacher gave advice to the counselors to the king, who would be in danger of suffering harm at the hands of the tyrannical king of Israel. To protect them, the Preacher provided rules to live by in order to keep themselves out of trouble. In the same way, we can live under rules that we think should help us to know the right thing to say at the right time (v 2-6)... but we can't really know how to act all the time (v 6-9). People are troubled by things we can't see and respond in ways we can't predict. We see this in public settings and in our private lives. We'd love to be free from this desire to live for other's approval so that we'd never feel hurt in social settings again... but we seem chained by the desire to live for other people's approval. But good news exists...

Third Point: The Savior pledges to change our allegiances.
Jesus died to free us from living for our glory and to release us to live for His namesake. We see a model of this in Paul's life (who was threatened and mocked but who chose to serve Christ and others nonetheless). In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul demonstrates that he was motivated by 2 things:

1. Paul was motivated by the fear of the Lord (v 11). This knowledge of Jesus as the Creator and Judge over all freed him from fearing others' opinion or lack of honor for himself.
2. Paul was motivated by the love of Christ (v 14-15). This awareness of Christ's love for Him motivated him to die to others' approval and to live for Him who died (namely Christ).

Some Questions to Ponder:

• In what ways are you living for the limelight... aiming to be the "flavor of the month" for others?
• What do you think you might be afraid of that keeps you so committed to living for other's approval?
• What could you imagine being different about the way you lived if you were to grow in an awareness of God's majesty (the fear of the Lord) and God's affection (the love of Christ)?

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I hope these are some reminders of what we've discussed and help to provide a refresher of what God's been doing both to convict you of sin, to remind you of His work, and to encourage you that He's provided grace for you. Have a great night together!

Darren

Happiness and the Problem with Pleasure

Yesterday in church, we heard God speak to us from Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. The "Preacher" in the book of Ecclesiastes recounted his pursuit of pleasure in the world of work, wine, women, and song. He possessed more stuff and claimed ownership over servants and their children to such an extent that he "surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem." He must have been a pretty happy guy.

Truth is, the "Preacher" looked in all the wrong places for real happiness and joy. He built his world around his own agenda ("whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them." v 10). But verse 11 gives us his pitiful conclusion: "The I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and beold, all was vanity and a striving after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun."

The problem of the Preacher is the same one we run into time and time again like a sliding glass door: we've all been looking in the wrong places for the reward of significant and lasting joy. God offers himself and his purposes as our delight (see Psalm 1, 16, 21). He calls us to set our hopes on Him (1 Tim 6) and to rejoice because of Him (Phil 4). He graciously gives us all good things to enjoy but sin has left its effect on each of these gifts... lying to us... claiming to be THE final and eternal pleasure in life. And we must be able to discern the difference.

You see, only the gospel frees us to enjoy both God and His gifts... because only the gospel redeems us from the futility of life. We look to the pleasures of this world for lasting comfort, for relief from guilt, for the source of joy. But only God grants comfort, forgiveness, and joy... and only the finished work of Jesus brings us to God. That's why we celebrate the gospel in our quest to enjoy God.

This week in community groups, we're going to follow up on the sermon with the following questions:

WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE PLEASURES OF THIS WORLD:

• The Preacher savored and probably inebriated himself with wine… is there anything you savor to the point of habit or addiction?
• The Preacher constructed something of a Paradise (like Eden) for himself… what have you constructed in life to create your own sanctuary of ease?
• He surrounded himself with slaves as possessions and increased his sense of power through money… have you been treating other people like possessions to do your bidding or given your life and energy in pursuit of one more toy or goodie?
• The Preacher entertained himself with personal court singers... are there forms of entertainment that dominate your budget or schedule?
• (IF YOU BREAK INTO MEN/WOMEN): The Preacher and delighted himself with sexual pleasures… have illicit sexual pleasure captured your imagination or pursuits?

WHEN YOU CONSIDER YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

• The Preacher lived his life unaware of the reality of God's desire to lift his eyes "above the sun"... what have you been doing lately to "set your hearts on things above, not on earthly things?"
• The Preacher was ultimately miserable because he built his search for pleasure around himself. Jesus calls us to lives of ultimate joy that are found in living for His kingdom (Matt 6), knowing His Son... serving Him... and even suffering for Him (Phil 3), ultimately that we would experience the blessing of serving in His Kingdom (Matt 5) and one day seeing Him face to face (1 Cor 13, Rev 22)... what promises from God have been especially significant for you in treasuring Jesus Christ above all pleasures of the earth?

Seeking to treasuring Jesus with you all,
Darren

Back in the saddle again...

This past week twenty-four teens and parents made their way out to Clymer, PA for Youth Camp 09. We enjoyed 3 days of worship, teaching, games, and the incomparable experience of sleeping on 1 in foam mattresses. All in all, God blessed us by giving us a greater appreciation for our new birth in Christ as we studied John 3 and Ephesians 2 together. Some at camp were assured of their new life in Christ, some grew in their enthusiasm for their new birth, and some experienced the miracle of being born again this past week. What a great time we had!

Here's my concern for us as a church: YC09 marks the 3rd conference our church has made a concerted effort to attend just this year. In January married couples attended the conference "Marriage and the Mercy of God" as we heard how God intends us to transfer the mercy we've received from God to our spouses. In May, young adults attending NEXT were refreshed by looking again at the person and work of Jesus Christ. And now Youth Camp... why should we be concerned with that?

Because hearing God's word always comes with the danger that we aren't going to do anything about it. James 1:22-27 describes this danger and uses the analogy of someone looking into a mirror, seeing the truth about themselves, and walking away without making any adjustments. James calls this deception... the deception that we're changed by hearing alone. And we've heard a lot at SGC over these past few months... a lot at conferences, a lot from the pulpit, and a lot personally as we've looked at the books Worldliness and When Sinners Say "I Do" over these past few months. And next week, we're starting a brand new sermon series from the book of Ecclesiastes. So here's the question: what have you been doing about what you've heard?

Don't get me wrong... James isn't asking us to work our way into God's good graces or to find a way to earn our salvation- that was all accomplished by Jesus. Instead, James is asking us to seriously consider how what we've heard is affecting the ways we're living. In particular, James asks us to look at our speech (v 26), our compassion (v 27), and our purity (v 27). As we've looked into the mirror of God's Word over these last 6 months, we've all seen areas that need adjustment and repentance. Have we humbled ourselves by confessing these sins and asking for help from God? That's the means by which God helps us because God "gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6).

So... how have you been humbling yourself lately in order to receive grace to change?