Just one thing - Part 1

Notes from today's message preached at The Oak Community Church.

Audio can be downloaded from:

http://www.oakchurch.co.uk/podcasts.htm

JUST ONE THING

INTRODUCTION – MATTHEW 28:18-20

• What one thing that is the focus of your Christian walk?

• If you could ask God for one thing what would it be?

• What would you consider is the one thing this church focuses on?

• What is the one thing the bible calls us to do?

o Truth is it’s hard to limit this to one thing

A JOURNEY

• Remember the movie “Fantastic Voyage” or “Inner space”

o Closer to the heart - you would hear its beat as you got closer

• Two week journey to the heartbeat of the church

THE WHAT

• The church has one great commission

• This is our mission - the what

o Make disciples / Baptising them / Teach them

WHAT ABOUT THE HOW?

• The bible provides a few 'one things' – Six ‘one things’

o All important to OCC

o Each gets closer to the heart of the church

• Not exclusive but complementary

o Not just ‘one thing’ but not equal either

DIFFERENT SORT OF MESSAGE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS

• A bible study

o Take us on a journey to the heartbeat of this church

o Examine 6 different focus areas for churches

• Purpose of this preach

o To draw you closer and closer to the heartbeat of this church

o This is corporate vision – Vision leaks!

1) A FOCUS ON ESCHATOLOGY - 2 PETER 3:3-15

• Churches with a focus on eschatology

o Doctrines related to the 2nd coming and end of the world

• The Bible is both historic and prophetic

o All the events relevant to man are contained in the bible

o Basis Instruction Before Leaving Earth? Maybe!

THE DANGER ZONE

• Obsessing - We are the bride

o We should anticipate the wedding – not obsess

• Fixated with interpreting the signs

o More attention to ‘The beast' than the savior

o Stories of the antichrist – Prince Charles

• Bogged down in doctrinal disagreements

• Scare Tactic Evangelism based upon ‘The end of the world is nigh'

ESCHATOLOGY AT THE OAK

• Stand on the very clear parts

o Jesus is returning

o He will come back to judge the living and the dead

o He will come when we least expect it

• Don't speculate the ambiguous

o Order of events and timing is not central – He’s coming back!

• Feel free to have a view but don't be dogmatic or obsessive

o Podcast of 3 very different views

• Spend your time on what matters

o Are you ready?

ONE THING

o God's timing is perfect - He longs to save people

THE GREAT COMMISSION

• Share the gospel - Jesus is returning

• Have hope - a new world order (and earth is coming)

2) A FOCUS ON THE MIRACULOUS – JOHN 9:24-25

• Churches with a focus on healings/miracles

o God is a miracle working God

o Many experience God's healing hand upon the body

• Miracles are a reversal of the natural order of creation

o Red sea, Blind eyes, water into wine–cars without a carburetor!

THE DANGER ZONE

• Chasing the miracle not the source

o Focus on the spectacular

• What can God do for me culture

o Quick fix culture

• The reality of God is directly link to existence of miracles

• The power of God is directly linked to the size of the miracles

MIRACLES AT THE OAK

• We believe in miracles

o happened in the past

o And can and do happen today

• By their nature miracles are rare occurrences

o We haven't seen many

• We should pray in faith believing

• We take a mature approach to welcome God to develop us

o Bring glory to him through the absence of a miracle

ONE THING

• Experience doesn’t always lead to conversion

o Some don't know Jesus despite experiencing his healing power

THE GREAT COMMISSION

• Show your faith in God to others even when miracles don't come

• Be confident to pray for others

o Don't exaggerate God's hand

• Make space for power of the testimony

• Look for personal commitment beyond personal experience

3) A FOCUS ON TEACHING – LUKE 10:38-42

• Churches with a focus on teaching

o A centre for teaching

o Maybe a bible college attached

o A programme of bible classes

• A TV ministry

THE DANGER ZONE

• All head knowledge and no heart/character

o Teaching knowledge induces unteachable character

• TV ministry becomes bigger than the church mission/community

• Individuals isolate from church and focus on independent teaching

• All Mary no Martha - 'One thing' of teaching excuse for not serving

TEACHING AT THE OAK

• To equip you as best as possible to grow in your relationship with Jesus

• To remain relevant to everyday life

• To empower personal growth in your own personal study

o Great resources – podcasts, blogs, everyday with Jesus

• To learn together how the word of God relates to our lives (Kairos)

ONE THING

• Being busy without Jesus is wasted effort - sitting at Jesus feet

THE GREATE COMMISSION

• Our message is that good works won't save you, only Jesus

• Conversions must develop into disciples/learners

CLOSE

TWO PARTS

• Next week continues to our final destination the heartbeat of the church

o Look ahead of what 'one thing'

• For now

o Remember these are not exclusive but also not equally important to us

• These are all how's to the what

o We have a great commission

o Matthew 28:18-20

Who turned the light off?

Psalm 119:105-112

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.

107 I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised.

108 Lord, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations.

109 My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions.

110 The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments.

111 Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.

112 I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.

When life gets really busy, I miss out on quality time with my family and especially my wife. It's not a contract that we must spend at least an hour of quality time each day with each other. It's a relationship. When it doesn't happen it's often for good reasons. We both understand why. It's not a guilt trip. But we both miss that time. We both long to get back to a routine where we get that regular time together. If we see life slipping into a pace where we don't get that quality time for a series of days we know the balance is lost and we need to get back to a right pace of life.

I try to read the word of God every day. It's not legalistic. I don't feel guilty if it doesn't happen. But in the same way I do miss it. That same warning bell goes in my head that says "need to get some time back in the day for the word of God". This week has been one of those!

The Psalmist said "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." When I miss out on the time for God's word, the lamp isn't guiding me and the pathway looks a little dimmer. When this was written the Psalmist must have been in great personal danger. "My life constantly hangs in the balance" he would say, and "the wicked have set traps for me". I cant say I experience it as severely as that. But I have my own pressures, struggles and hinderences.

Looking at Psalm 119:105-112 I wrote my own paraphrase that fits my life well:

The Bible guides my choices and shows me how to live. God, Your way is the right way and I'm committed to follow it. Yes I've suffered, but you've promised to keep me safe. So, I'm going to continue praising you. Teach me more of You. Life has its dangers, but I wont forget your word. Some have it in for me, but they wont sway me from doing things your way. Your words are mine forever, they're my greatest treasure. My commitment is to stick with your plan

On YouVersion

I do this because I love you

John 11:5-6 (NKJV) Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

I always remember my mum and dad telling me "we only tell you off because we love you". Whenever they did things I didn't like that were apparently for 'my good' they would roll this line out. When I couldn't have the sweets I wanted, when I received some punishment for being naughty, when I couldn't go and play on the motor bike that other kids were (I was only 9!), the response was "it's only because we love you". As a child it wore thin. But I know it wasn't just a line. It was a reality. To give way on these things simply wasn't the way of showing love. To say 'no' many times was the best way to show love. Maybe you have to become a parent to fully understand most of things your parents did.

The story in John tells us that Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. It also explains that it was because He loved them that He didn't rush to see Lazarus when he was sick and dying. Some translations wrongly use the 'but' word. Jesus loved Lazarus, but, he stayed where he was for two days. In any conventional understanding it would make sense. The NLT says 'although Jesus loved Lazarus he stayed' like we was doing something wrong. However, as shown by my parents, doing what would seem at first detrimental is sometimes the best way to show love.

It was because Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus so much that He waited to return to them. He knew that the delay would mean He would arrive well after Lazarus's death. Had He arrived in time He could have healed him. Had He arrived soon after Lazarus death many would have said "he wasn't really dead, just very ill, or sleeping". By Jesus waiting two extra days He made sure He arrived when Lazarus was well and truly dead.

Yes, Mary and Martha would have gone through some pain in mourning. But what joy they would have gone through in seeing the resurrection. How greater was their trust in Jesus through this event. How more indisputable was their testimony with Lazarus being dead so long. What greater opportunity would this have given all three to testify to God's greatness.

When Jesus' way seems strange to you. When the timing is off. When you go through pain before great joy. Realise it's because He loves you that He does this. It's not "Jesus loves me, but, He did this." It's really "Jesus loves me, so, He did this."

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Have you seen my kingdom?

Mark 9:1, Luke 9:27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

Luke 17:20-21 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

Matthew 21:31 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.

If you've been to my house you will have seen a piece of my kingdom. I cant say I have complete dominion over this place as my wife and 3 children place their own mark on it. However, there are many things the way I want them to be. The guitars are hung on the wall where I want them. The lounge is laid out how I like it. My T-Shirt draw is organised in the way I want them to be organised! It's probably easy to think of this house as my 'kingdom' (if you stretch your imagination a bit!)

If you come to my place of work you may also get a glimps of my kingdom. As with the house many other people have influence over how my team runs. But some of the culture, the values, the behaviours and the practices have my stamp on them. It gives you a glimps of how I would like the world to be. Although the physical office space is not my kingdom, how some of it operates is a part of my kingdom. It's not physical but observable nonetheless. It's imperfect, just like me.

The concept of the Kingdom of God is one of the most empowering and exciting concepts in the New Testament in my opinion. It's also the most commonly misunderstood. I'm not an expert on the subject and recognise that many have written and preached volumes on the subject. However I do see that many substitute the words "Kingdom of God" with the word "Heaven" when reading the Bible. If that's true we have a problem with some of the passages. Both Mark and Luke tell us that some who stood with Jesus would not taste death before seeing the Kingdom of God. Did that mean they would visit heaven first? In Luke 17 Jesus said that people cannot say "here it is" or "there it is" because the Kingdom of God is within you. Is Heaven really found inside of us?

To quote Dallas Willard, the Kingdom of God "is the range of God's effective will, where what God wants done is done." I like this definition. If that's the definition then I want the Kingdom of God within me. I want to pray "Your Kingdom come, your will be done". I want to sing "Lord, we want to see Your Kingdom come". When I look around me and see injustice, oppression, cruelty, poverty and sin, I can say "God's Kingdom is not here and needs to be". Best I bring God's Kingdom to those places! It would appear that Tax Collectors and Prostitutes are moving into the place where God can truly have His way before the religious leaders ever let Him have a say!

Oh, and when I see the faults in my life, the sin, the mistakes, the poor character and the ego I can also say "God's Kingdom is not here and needs to be", time to let the true King rule on the throne of my kingdom. He's probably not too bothered about the T-Shirt draw but there's no harm in asking anyway!

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Did God really say that?

Hebrews 2:1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

Remember playing Chinese whispers at school? I don't know if they still play this game, or even if it's politically correct to use that title. There is certainly no evidence to suggest that the Chinese are any better or worse at passing on messages whispered in the ear! If you've never played the game its simple. A collection of kids stand in a line. One person at the start of the line whispers a message in the ear of the person next to them. They in turn pass the message onto the person next to them. No-one is allowed to ask for clarification, you must simply repeat what you think you heard. The last person in the line speaks outloud what they heard and everyone laughs at how the final message could ever have derived from what was originally spoken. Some sermons can be like that!

When you were not at church that week you ask someone who was "what did tne Pastor speak about on Sunday". The person then attempts to repeat what they think the Pastor said to those absentee. They then tell someone else "I hear the Pastor said such and such on Sunday". There is of course no guarantee that this retelling is now anything like what the Pastor said.

This happens with our own memory too. We hear something once said and store it in the memory bank one day. On a bad day the devil tries to play these words back to us - "didn't the preacher say such and such, you are not a very good christian are you". It's ironic how the devil did this in the garden of Eden with Eve. The devil questioned "did God really say you must not eat the fruit" and Eve replied "we must not eat it or touch it". God never said anything about touching and the Devil's business was to cause doubt and use good words to bring trouble.

The warning in Hebrews is that we must listen very carefull to the truth we have heard. This doesn't only mean we must listen carefully to what is preached but listen to the source of the truth - the word of God. After all the preacher is still the 2nd person in the chain of chinese whispers. The source is still the infallable word of God. So lets hold fast to the truth. Our memories will fade. Our enemy wil twist words to condemn, confuse and generally cause trouble. Our preachers will all at some point make a mistake in their preaching (I speak as one who does!) But the word of God never fails. 1 Peter 1:23 says his word endures forever.

So listen carefull to the truth of His word or we may drift away from it!

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I could never make a difference!

Matthew 14:19-21 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 15:35-38 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children.

How often do I see an impossible challenge which I can do nothing about. The scale of the problem seems so big that its overwhelming. I know a miracle is the only thing can change the situation and hope and pray for God's amazing power to be shown. In fact it can be a very passive waiting for God. As if He will pluck out of thin air the resources and solutions to this huge challenge with no effort on my part. Of course He can do this, but so often works in a different way.

I tell myself that I can do nothing about the situation but in reality what I mean is the little I could do would make little difference. Since I can't do enough I won't do anything. God's challenge to us is to bring what we have, no matter how small, and play our part.

Matthew contains two different accounts of multitudes being fed from a very small amount of bread and fish. We often think of this as a single instance but it would appear this may have been a more regular occurrence. The great thing about seeing at least two examples is we can see a common thread in both accounts.

Firstly, the resources available for the problem were vastly insufficient but Jesus still wanted to use these. Secondly, Jesus gave thanks for what was available. Thirdly, the multiplication happened in the disciples hands as they started to use the resources available. Fourthly, God provided more than enough than was ever needed. (My wife would remind me that lastly the disciples tidied up the mess afterwards but I'm not convinced there is a spiritual principle here!)

So when I see the challenge of a project with insufficient funding, a harvest field with insufficient workers, broken community with inadequate expertise for the complex issues, it's best I remember these principles.

Give and use what little I have.

Thank God for these resources no matter how insignificant.

Start doing the work and let God do the multiplication.

Watch and see God's abundance at work!

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Did Jesus grieve?

Matthew 14:9-13 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. So John was beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened. As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.

We have all known someone who has died. Its a sad loss and is often associated with some form of grieving process. For people we know little of it may prompt a moment of thought. We may think of the brevity of life, the good memories of the person or how they will be missed. For those closer to us this may be a significant grieving process that takes a long time to work through. When Jesus heard than John the Baptist had died he appeared to go through some form of grieving process. He withdrew for some solitude.

At first glance this seems perfectly normal. "Jesus the man," feeling human emotions, identifying with our frailties and mourning the loss of a family member and good friend. But when you think about it there may be something different going on here.

Jesus knew how and when John would die. He holds the keys to life and death and is sovereign in all things. Jesus may have missed John but knew with complete confidence that He would see him in glory. Jesus also knew the truth of the words that John said 'he must increase, I must decrease'. Jesus knew John's ministry was to diminish and His was to come to forefront. So why did Jesus seek a solitary place and wish for some time alone?

We can only speculate but nonetheless let's speculate. Perhaps He thought of John's beheading and considered His own suffering that lay ahead of Him. Perhaps He considered the last days of John and what he would have gone through. He may have thought of the fear John may have felt when he knew he would be beheaded. Jesus may have considered the feelings of John's family and his disciples and the pain they would no doubt be going through. Either way I strongly suspect Jesus was not grieving for His own loss but for the thoughts and feelings of others.

What comfort to know that Jesus shared our humanity. Jesus had human emotions. But what greater comfort to know that His thoughts are towards us. He knows our pains and suffering. He suffered too.

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