Sermons

Let’s talk about shame, suffering, and separation. We know shame. We know suffering. We know separation. These are part of the consequences of living in our imperfect world, but we don’t like talking about them. We would rather pretend they don’t impact us or they are only things others endure. The fact remains each have implication for how we see ourselves and others and affect how we relate to God. Shame- I know what I’ve done (or has been done to me). We realize we are not perfect. When we fail in anyway, we experience guilt (and maybe we are guilty). Others have harmed or abused us impacting our self-worth staining our psyche. We wear a scarlet letter This is shame. I am concerned it now defines me. Suffering- I know what I’ve dealt with (or am dealing with). There is pain and difficulty in the world often because of circumstances often beyond our control. Yet at times it can even be consequences of our own choices or results of our responsibilities. Craving flourishing, we face failure. I am concerned it will defeat me. Separation- I know who is distant (and maybe I even know why). People you were close with or thought were friends turn out to be foes. We try to move on, but grief needs to be processed. We carry brokenness into new relationships with bitterness from the past and fear of the future. I am concerned it disconnects me. These categories all need to be included in our concept and understanding of the impact of what the Bible calls “Sin”. Individually, Sin is missing the mark, it’s breaking God’s law, and how we are bent out of shape in this world. Corporately, it is the systems, structures, and societal norms of injustice oppression opposed to God’s rule and true human flourishing. In Creation, sin manifest itself in world hostile to enduing eternal life including disease and destruction. For most of our lives we have thought about sin in the court room context of “guilt/innocence” and that is not wrong. It is that, AND the Bible was written in and to a cultural context of “honor/shame”. When we endure shame, suffering, separation in can manifest itself dishonor. We cannot bear the dishonor of sin we’ve caused, or endured from, others. We need a salvation outside our ourselves effective to cover our shame, clean our souls, and change our relationships if we are Enduring Dishonor.

What drives you? What makes you get out of bed in the AM? Why are you here today? What are some forces, fears, or influences that you recognize drive your thoughts and behaviors? Much of what drives us is under the surface and in the culture, we are in so we are consciously aware of our key motivators. Yet there are a few categories most of our motivations are derived from all leading back to or stemming from ourselves. We live for ourselves impacting our internal motivation and our external engagement. These can manifest themselves in a few key internal/external categories I believe are helpful for our understanding and applying our text today: Self-Improvement

How long can we last? How long do you want to go? If someone said you could have 90 years guaranteed would you take it? What would you hope to accomplish and what about after? Deep in our souls we know we are made for eternity, yet our current physical bodies are anything but capable of enduring forever. But we don’t like to think about this inevitably. This past year we have a heighted awareness of human fragility as we see death totals daily rise and with it our discomfort as we respond with concern or callousness. None of us are truly comfortable death, nor should we be, but we struggle to engage with the tension we feel around life and death. We know our lives are finite yet none of us are ready to be finished. We need a clear frame work to process the truth of aging, the transition of death, the reality of the afterlife, all while remaining grounded in the time place and season we are in with purpose, perseverance, and hope. We believe today matters, but we earnestly desire something more and better tomorrow as we Endure for Eternity.

What is actually built to last? What is valuable? What we see about ourselves and experience in the world does not always seem enduring, strong, or valuable. At a certain point, as we age, we begin to see greater decay not greater glory. As we experience difficulty, we seem weaker not stronger. As we experience loss, we can lose vision of what is valuable. When we rely on that which can wear out we are left disappointed and despondent. To be prepared for eternity we need a true power worthy to endure. We need to rely on who and what is eternal if we are going to be built to last not just trough difficulty but onward to glory.

I want to start with the concept “We don’t lose heart.” Before we get into this passage deeper, I want to check in and ask, how are you doing today? Are you feeling discouraged? The last 12 months have been an incredible challenge. It’s ok, if you are feeling discouraged. That’s normal. This word “lose heart” has also been translated “faint”. To me it brought up the imagery of being so discourage you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning. It’s just not worth it. We think through this pandemic… almost 1/2 million in the US alone have died. Businesses have failed, jobs have ended, bank accounts dried up, churches have closed down… or split and to add insult to injury people have gotten cancer. Politics are a mess. It’s easy to be discouraged when the world around us is crumbling… this can sometimes lead us to a deeper more profound place of losing your trust in God. Is God really good? Is he really for me? Is he really out there? Does he care?

Where are you stuck? How do you find yourself relying on things that have outlasted their usefulness? Why do we do this? We can be easily satisfied with what we have or do if we think it “works” for us. We love “new” because we assume it’s better than what was. Because we are not easily satisfied, we cannot stand “old” so we’re always looking for something we think might be better that what is now. When something new comes along that is intrinsically better in comparison we rightly want to upgrade. Yet, at times, we settle for the comfort of what we know, even if it is inferior to what is now available. We need courage to embrace the glory of what God has for us today and forsake what has become obsolete. We need our eyes and hearts opened and directed to see where courage can be found. When have courage unveiled, we are empowered with the fresh boldness and enduring freedom to embody the real positive transformation we need.

How do you smell? Few things are more able to change our experience in a room, a home, even a community like an aroma. Nearly nothing can contain an aroma from spreading beyond its original source to impact the environment around it. Our lives, actions, and attitudes contribute to the aroma of all we are involved with. So what aroma is your life putting off? None of us wants to stink, we all want to smell good. How can we enjoy the sweat smell of victory and put of the stench of defeat? Today we are going to look at how we endure when defeat seems more real than victory, when we consume ideas and put-on identities which make us weaker rather than provide us with power, and when we realize we are not ever going to be enough.

How are you isolated? Why are you isolated? In the Northwest we’re not known as the most welcoming or warm people. In this now nearly year, we have become even more isolated than we were previously. It is incredibly difficult for us to form new relationships or even maintain ones we’ve enjoyed or find life giving when basic means of connection have been removed. Add in the societal challenges, political and cultural battle where division is the norm and our engagement primarily online and we see others as profiles to debate rather than people to be in relationship with and we individually and collectively become more isolated and independent rather than reliant, connected, and interdependent. We are not meant to be alone. Isolation reduces our ability to endure and robs us of joyful connection with others. When have you experienced significant growth in your life that didn’t also included others in some way? We are made for community, yet when we are with other imperfect people there is always the opportunity to both experience harm from others and for us to actually harm others. So we think the most courageous thing to do is go it alone. I’ll just run my race alone or I’ll just hunker down with my family. When we make our circles smaller, we are limiting the ability for community to help shape us and we are limiting our ability to impact others positively. We may be more effective in the short term, but we won’t endure for the long haul. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

What do you rely on? What is it that you look at or to for stability, direction, or consistency? If we’re Christians or in the church we “know” it God, He’s faithful, but that doesn’t mean we actually respond to the world and others like God is actually reliable. Because there is what we say and “know” but then there is how we functionally believe, act and respond. Comforted with the Gospel, but then we quickly begin to seek reliability in others. There are few things in life we find truly reliable. We plan, prepare, and promise but we are rarely able to provide a guarantee of significant flourishing on our own. If we are going to have courage, we need our faith placed where endurance can be guaranteed. Relying on people will leave us disappointed. When has someone let you down? When has someone else disappointed you? How have you responded? Why did it sting so much? Why is it the people we care the most about who we rely on the most are the ones who have the greatest capacity to frustrated or upset us? Was it because you had expectations that were unrealistic, or because we didn’t really understand the whole picture? Or maybe the just legit failed. What about when we consider leadership, who we trust, who we follow. We seek reliability and we seek integrity. We want leaders in our lives, homes, churches, and communities we can rely on for a sense of stability, strength, to encourage us to continue on. We need to be grounded beyond ourselves or other imperfect people if we are going to be truly comforted in the midst of affliction, difficulty or pain. We need our reliance shifted from inward, or outward, to upward and onward!

We are Weak and Weary. Courage is needed to overcome fear and strength to supplant our weakness so we can continue in confidence to where a final victory is experienced. This journey is long, includes difficulty, but it can include joy and ultimately leads to a destination of glory. We need to endure. To endure is to remain or continue even in the midst of great difficulty to a greater destination. Endurance is usually a sign of significant strength. Yet paradoxically we find ourselves both weary and weak the longer we endure difficulty. The more affliction the longer we endure the less endurance we realize we have. When do you need comfort? Well it is not when everything is going well is it? When you’ve received a great gift, achieved an accomplishment, enjoying peace and harmony in relationships you might be moved to celebrate but you don’t necessarily “need” comfort. When we need or crave comfort is when things are difficulty. It’s bitter cold you want the comfort of a warm fire. When you’re feeling alone or isolated you want the comfort of friendship and companionship. When you are in physical pain you want the comfort of relief. When anxious you want to be comforted with peace. We NEED comfort when things are unsettled, unknown, or worse seem hopeless. It is not wrong to desire comfort because it’s acknowledging that things are not as they should be. Desire for comfort is a barometer that something isn’t right, and that’s ok. Where do you go for comfort? What do you turn to in order to find comfort when you’re suffering? How do you self-medicate? How do you use food, alcohol, entertainment when you’re experiencing pain or difficulty? Maybe you seek comfort in areas where you feel strong or competent. When afflictions come, we begin to look inward hoping we have the strength to endure. We need to find both comfort in the present and courage to continue not despite our weakness, but in our weakness. We often think of endurance in terms of individual character not collective interdependence. Seeking strength, we look within ourselves for affirmation or beyond ourselves for inspiration. Yet when our hope is in ourselves alone, or even. Simply placed in others, we will eventually find ourselves disappointed as we fail or other don’t live up to our expectations. We need our gaze shifted beyond ourselves or other imperfect people if we are going to be truly comforted in the midst of affliction, difficulty or pain. We need our reliance shifted from inward, or outward, to upward and onward!

We are Weak and Weary. The challenging journey of life taxes our endurance and reveals the shallow depth of our resiliency. We have moments in our journey that serve as key markers. When they are difficult or painful, they can be traumatic and linger. When they are positive or even considered a win, they can be transformational, transitional surges of zeal. But invariable after a time the impact of that transition, the intensity of the zeal, and the memory of the experience can begin to fade and we can fall back into old patterns or lose sight of the path ahead. Crushing fear begins to set in as we begin to doubt our ability to finish well or even enjoy the journey we are on. Courage is needed to overcome fear and strength to supplant our weakness so we can continue in confidence to where a final victory is experienced. This journey is long, includes difficulty, even opposition, but it can include joy and ultimately leads to a destination of glory. We need to endure.

We are not a satisfied people. We show this at the conclusion of one year and the beginning of the next we intuitively assess aspects of our lives and find areas we want to see change in, or achievements made. These are sometimes very specific ie: run a marathon, get out of debt, etc and relatively easy to see progress, achieve our goal, or admit defeat. Other times we set vague ethereal goals like “laugh more” be a “better” spouse, parent, friend, or employee with no real understanding of what this will look like or how we should get there. We know we’re not the best version of ourselves. We want more. We want to be different that we currently are. Therefore, each year we make resolutions grow our budget or to shrink our beltline. We again go through a cycle of great effort followed by less discipline. Why do we fail to achieve what we want? We are driven by our desires. Our deepest desires will always overcome our efforts of self- discipline. What we want will drives us to what we do. Our desires are usually very immediate, temporary, and selfish so we regularly act driven by these desires which bring us short term pleasure even at the expense of long-term joy. We seek immediate comfort over long term correction. True flourishing cannot be found without looking beyond right now, outside of ourselves, and ultimately to things that are eternal. What we need is not greater discipline but greater desires. We need our attention and affections directed towards things that can stir us to strive for contentment over surrendering to compliancy. We need to be capable of being joyfully uncomfortable in the present for the purpose of greater rewards both in the near term and for eternity.

Something we should ask ourselves this morning as we close out the year, is in what ways has this world tried to offer us peace & comfort admits all the chaos we’ve faced? Slogans such as “We are all in this together,” others such as “Do your part, mask up!” But all of these are shallow attempts at trying to give us peace. that we have seen and learned from this year as things are being stripped back and the daily noise of everyday has been bogged down, is that the world has nothing to offer us for our comfort and our peace, it’s not enough to make us whole; to make us well, to heal us. I just heard on the radio the other day that of adults that live in king county, more than 50% say that they are struggling with depression this year. I think that is a number that is largely reflective of the rest of this state and maybe even the country as well. What we don’t need is 7 steps to peace or some other process were by comfort is the end goal. No, what we need is God Himself to intervene in our lives, to change and transform us. This is the job of any preacher, to present us who God is, and how we should live differently in light of Him. So here’s where we are going in Mark’s gospel today, is a couple scenes where chaos erupts and Jesus is revealing who He is in the midst of chaos for the purpose of bringing about peace. So if we would seek God first above all else, then He will give us peace, come what may.

We have moments in life that are key markers. When they are difficult or painful, they can be traumatic and linger. When they are positive or even a win, they can be transformational, transitional, surges of zeal. But invariable after a time the impact of that transition, the intensity of the zeal and the memory of the experience can begin to fade and we can fall back to old patterns or lose sight of the path ahead. If Peace is “wholeness” then where we look for and find peace needs to actually fulfill and needs to last. Peace needs to carry and lead us to where the final victory is going to be experienced. This is the journey we are on, one where peace is both present and where peace is pursued. This journey is long, includes difficulty, even opposition, but it does lead to a destination of glory. We need a peace that perseveres. Peace - From the beginning there has been enemies of peace, of God (and Man’s flourishing) came into the garden sowing seeds of doubt about God’s goodness and the consequence of rejecting God leading to darkness. Humanity willingly exchanged the presence of peace for a war of independence rejecting God’s rule, but also the connection to the source of life and wholeness. This is sin. Sin separates. Sin takes peace and brings conflict. It takes out the right relationship between God and His People. Why is peace something so difficult? Sin, evil, brokenness, unnecessary division, lack of joy and wholeness all spring from this conflict. Sin is what robbed us of Shalom and introduced conflict. God comes and engages with this conflict bring both justice, holiness, as well as mercy and grace. He makes a promise. That a savior-king will come who will bring both victory over evil and establish a real and enduring peace. Generation waited for Peace.

Peace (Shalom/Eirene) More than absence of conflict. It is completeness, wholeness. A state in which there is more than nothing clearly wrong but everything being completely right. No imperfections but also perfect. We instinctively know the difference, even if naively we like to hope when there is no conflict there is peace. Every been in home, marriage, relationship where the “conflict” is quiet but there isn’t joy. Maybe you’ve been on the road trip from hell where you’re in the car together and you’re not saying anything. That is not peace. It’s missing the joyful complexity of a full complete relationship. This presence of conflict and lack of peace is not how things have always been or how God has intended us to be. God created everything and He created it “Good”. The gospel (good news) begins with God making man and women in His image joins them together in marriage, places them in a peaceful Garden. Gives them purpose to cultivate a flourishing world while they enjoy multiplying. God dwells with them. There is wholeness, the is not conflict. This seems like the perfect conditions for lasting peace. Yet a conflict was instigated. An Enemy of God (and Man’s flourishing) came into the garden sowing seeds of doubt about God’s goodness and the consequence of rejecting God leading to darkness. Humanity willingly exchanged the presence of peace for a war of independence rejecting God’s rule, but also the connection to the source of life and wholeness. This is sin. Sin separates. Sin takes peace and brings conflict. It takes out the right relationship between God and His People. Why is peace something so difficult? Sin, evil, brokenness, unnecessary division, lack of joy and wholeness all spring from this conflict. Sin is what robbed us of Shalom and introduced conflict. God comes and engages with this conflict bring both justice, holiness, as well as mercy and grace. He makes a promise. That a savior king will come who will bring both victory over evil and establish a real and lasting peace. After generations come and go each wondering and hoping “Is this it?” only to be disappointed and near defeat. Even God’s voice is silent for 400 years until Peace arrives in Jesus.

We have to go all the way back to Genesis, where we see that God created all things good, and He created our first parents Adam and Eve, and provided for their joy and flourishing by giving the tasks to work and keep the land and to grow in number, literally discipleship. God created everything good and they sinned. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God despite all the good that He had set up for them and provided for them, and still they thought and we think that we are better on our own without God. Ever since the fall we have been as humans in a constant pursuit of peace, trying anything and everything. From one extreme of people mutilating their flesh, to another of people using essential oils. We are in need of peace. So where do you look for peace?

I don’t feel like celebrating Christmas this year. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas. Things are supposed to be back to normal by now. Come to think of it, nothing has gone according to plan this year. I know some of you put up your Christmas tree early this year, and I get it. It’s going to take a couple extra weeks to get in the mood for Christmas this year. As Chris and I were talking about a theme for Christmas this year… I wasn’t ready for Joy to the World, but maybe just a calm Christmas… or a quiet Christmas. We settled on “Peace on Earth”. Each week we will be talking about peace. My hope and prayer for each of us (including me)… whether here or online would feel true peace. Not that we would ignore the problems, minimize our pain, or pretend all is well, but find moments of real peace. Peace that comes from knowing you are right with your maker. Where you know everything is going to be ok.

It’s not how a story starts; it’s how it finishes. Condemnation of God’s people has been plotted by Haman. There is a movement to see the Jews exterminated but there is a moment that God orchestrated to have Esther and Mordecai able to effectively engage to help bring hope and relief. So now there are competing decrees one encouraging the death, destruction of the Jews and another giving the Jews the ability to not only defend themselves but to end the threat to their people. This first decree came out with a one year dead line. There was three months of activism to bring the other decree (and end evil Haman’s rule) to Persia leaving nine months of hopeful, anxious in between where victory has been promised but full resolution has yet to be experienced. We have come to the conclusion of this story where the was a great threat, great chaos, great fear, which has been meet by a greater God who has (while unseen) been greatly involved in a dramatic reversal of political and cultural fortunes. God’s people shifted from a place of certain condemnation to potential for relief to now Justice and victory being at the doorstep!

We see bad stories all the time both in our lives and in the world. We have unhappy beginnings, the middle can be discouraging and at times distressing, but then there can be a turn where victory seems possible, hope seems probable but final resolution hasn’t happened yet. It’s not how a story starts; it’s how it finishes. Recap- The self-centered king of Persia has dismissed his bride the queen launched a massive war, taken all the eligible young women in the nation for himself (not once but twice) made Esther (a Jewish minority, orphan, exile) his new queen. Dodged an assignation attempt (thanks to the heads up from Mordechai) promoted the sinister Haman to second in command. Haman is disrespected by Mordechai leading to Haman’s genocidal plot to become the Persian Hitler complete with a set date for the “final solution” to be literally executed eliminating all Jews in Persia… and effectively ending the potential for God’s promise to send a savior TO the nations FROM the nation of Israel. This is real pain, real injustice, causing real mourning and lament. Mordechai is responds with lament. Esther struggles but processes through a journey of compliance and conformity leading to conviction and courage. She is not as safe as she thinks she is, but God is more active than we realize. Mordecai has confidence that God will deliver and raise up relief, but Esther has been placed in this role and season for a reason. She is resolved to risk her life now to help her people rather than stand by and wait for things to get worse. The Jews in Susa fast with her and for her. She fasts, plans, prepares and risks her life. She is reward with favor. The king asks what she wants (I’ll give you half the kingdom) and she throws a feast in his honor (with Haman!) and says… “I’ll tell you” tomorrow at another feast. Haman, goes from high to low when he sees Mordecai fail to honor him after the feast. He throws a pity party at home, recounts his awesomeness but says it’s worthless if Mordecai is alive. His wife and “friends” plan to hang Mordecai before lunch the next day. He agrees to the plan, and the scene is set. But then there is a sleepless night where the king is reminded that Mordecai saved him years ago and was never honored. In an ironically comic scene Haman is asked what a man should receive when he’s honored by the king and he goes big! Kings Robes, Kings Whip, Kings crown all while being treated like royalty by royalty. It ends up being all for… Mordecai and Haman has to make it so. He desires honor but ends up humiliated as he runs home to whine to his wife and advisors who being to let him know the tide has turned and his defeat is likely. The next feast Haman is exposed by Esther as an evil plotter and the King’s Justice is swift and merciless as Haman is hung from the gallows he created. The author of evil has been defeated but his plot and plan of destruction still looms over the people. There is a victory experienced, but work to be done remains. We don't have the ability to undo the wrongs done to us, that is a God- sized task. Our attempts at justice either go too far, or not far enough. Our desire for justice is from God, we should also expect God will be the one who perfectly provides it. He has the Last word!

Jesus is the central figure in History we worship Him as God & King so there is a separation of church and state but not of Jesus & Politics. We are citizens of Heaven, ambassadors of His Kingdom, with the church as an embassy on a mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ who Love God and Love People. We have a role and responsibility to love our neighbors as ourselves to be involved in politics to promote flourishing, liberty and justice for all. How are you today? A lot has happened. We need Hope & Humility - History happens every day, but some events impact us more than others. The course of human events can easily propel us to the heights of elation or the depths of despair. When our political allegiances and aspirations seem to be ascending, we can assume a position of pride and satisfaction. When we suffer an apparent defeat or experience what seems like a loss our frustration can lead to fear. Regardless of circumstances, we need to remember what is true, what we are called to do now, and where our hope lies for the future.

Jesus is the central figure in History we worship Him as God & King so there is a separation of church and state but not of Jesus & Politics. We are citizens of Heaven, ambassadors of His Kingdom, with the church as an embassy on a mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ who Love God and Love People. So we have a role and responsibility to love our neighbors as ourselves to be involved in politics to promote flourishing, liberty and justice for all. This means our allegiance and activisms will transcend earthly parties and politicians. God and Government have and will have a relationship as an arena God uses for His Glory. We Need Leadership

“This is the most important election of our lifetime!” “The fate of the country and our democracy is at stake! “You cannot be a Christian and vote for Donald Trump!” “I couldn’t go to a church where there are people who voted for Obama!” “Jesus was the first socialist!” “America is a ‘Christian’ Nation!” “(X)Want’s Tyranny!” I’ve heard all of these in the last several years. From traditional media to social media, sports and streaming services, social science and climate science, even down to the coffee beans and garbanzo beans we choose; even the Avengers showing up to a rally, every aspect of how we participate in the public square seems to be influenced by a political message or position. The church in America is not immune to our highly politicized culture. It seems people are either eager to coopt Jesus and the church for the advancement of their political goals or pretended that somehow religion and politics do not have an impact on one another. How are we supposed to effectively navigate politically in this environment? There is so much pressure to engage, so many landmines to avoid, and so much temptation to check out of politics all together. So rather than remaining silent in the face of contradictory and incendiary language or to shout over opponents, let us have a civil discourse around the two topics we are told we are supposed to ignore. Let’s talk Jesus & Politics.

When there is injustice happening and more pain and death on the horizon we want it exposed and dealt with. When we are the ones who are suffering we want vindication AND we want Justice served. When we have opportunities for our voices to be used to effect real change we need to respond with courage and boldness. When we realize how powerless and helpless we are then we cry out for someone to stand up for us.

When have we have succeeded and not been rewarded? How do all the “insignificant” details of our lives function to help achieve God’s purposes in our lives? Have you ever experienced a great delay only to later see that it was ultimately profitable? What about a dramatic reversal where you were certain one outcome was assured only to have the tables turn in a way you didn’t expect leading to an outcome you didn’t foresee. When have you experienced wrong or injustice and craved vindication and victory? We begin to see hope.

What is your plan? What drives “your plan”? Is it reactive or proactive? How do you deal with it facing adversity or doesn’t all come together? Is your “plan” usually about you or others? What happens when you “win” how do you feel, how long does that last? Where are you finding true and lasting satisfaction? Recap- The self-centered king of Persia has dismissed his bride the queen launched a massive war, taken all the eligible young women in the nation for himself (not once but twice) made Esther (a jewish minority, orphan, exile) his new queen. Dodged an assignation attempt (thanks to the heads up from Mordechai) promoted the sinister Haman to second in command. Haman is disrespected by Mordechai leading to Haman’s genocidal plot to become the Persian Hitler complete with a set date for the “final solution” to be literally executed eliminating all Jews in Persia… and effectively ending the potential for God’s promise to send a savior TO the nations FROM the nation of Israel. This is real pain, real injustice, causing real mourning and lament. When we are first made aware of injustice with tender hearts our reaction should be one of mourning. Mordechai is responding the truth of the situation with true lament. Esther struggles but processes through a journey of compliance and conformity leading to conviction and courage. She is not as safe as she thinks she is, but God is more active than we realize. Mordecai has confidence that God will deliver and raise up relief but Esther has been placed in this role and season for a reason. She is resolved to risk her life now to help her people rather than stand by and wait for things to get worse. The Jews in Susa fast with her and for her. Now it’s go time. In this chapter, two plans are laid out. One plan is developed for the Jews' destruction, and looks formidable. Esther's plan, the plan with the look of weakness - is developed for the salvation of God's people. Esther's plan is destined for success not because Esther is beautiful and brilliant, but rather because God's plan is unstoppable.

What have you lost this year? What has changed in a way that has caused you to move from pretty good to melancholy? What pain have you experience that has actually caused you to need to mourn. Maybe it’s personal or it’s something you’ve seen happen to others. What injustice have you seen or experienced? How do you typically react? How have you reacted to the pain, lose, and injustice around us? Has it lead you anger, activism, or paralyzed you with passivity? Passivity is not humility. Most of us want to or are inclined to live peaceful lives. But even when I say that, we are mistaking “peaceful” lives with conflict free lives. We love NW nice and so we get really uncomfortable with people expressing opinions different that the mainstream of the day. When we are faced with grave injustice, we are not to cooperate with it or capitulate to it. We are to be confronted with the truth of a situation and then be humbly conformed to God’s will which will include processing grief and may include confronting injustice so our mourning can be turn to joy.

What do you expect (or expected) your life to be like? When you grew up or even now what do you expect life to be like? What are you entitled to experience? What you expect to be shielded or protected from? We walk in entitlement. We believe we are due decadence or at the very least deference, when we succeed all our good actions should receive a reward, people should be throwing parades for us and life should be a series of continual promotions and straight-line growth in wealth, influence, responsibility, pleasure, etc. When something interrupts this progress, we find it personally offensive and how we response tells us (and others around us) a lot about ourselves and the world we believe we live in. We do good or succeed we hate delayed gratification or denied honor. When we fail or know we’ve done something wrong we firmly believe our transgressions should be overlooked. In this current climate fear, insecurity (both personal and in the state of the world) have driven us to be more and more isolated and self-focused. This has made us more susceptible to self-preservation rather than self-sacrifice, fits of paranoia fueled by various conspiracy theories or the truth of brokenness in the world. In isolation and division we see us and them entitlement high and empathy is low. Honor is sought but horror is experienced. How do you your sense of personal entitlement impact those around you? The driver of entitlement is pride, the driver of empathy is humility. Let’s find perspective in our pride in and hope for humility in Esther 2-3.

How do we faithfully navigate difficult circumstances? What does it look like to engage with the world when darkness seems to cover like a cloud all aspects of life. How do we preserve when we are powerless especially if and when the powerful in the world seem to be erratic at best and evil at worst. When we are in challenging chapters of our individual or collective stories where do we find hope? How do we process the darkness we face or even the darkness we participate in either willingly or because those with power over us have inflicted damage, pain, or even abuse. It’s darkness we dread and light we long for. We want suffering, difficulty and oppression to end AND we want joy, justice, flourishing, and glory to reign. That is a good desire. We all desire glory because we are all created to reflect glory. Yet when we search for glory in ourselves what we find will always be fleeting at best. Struck with reality, we can easily experience fear with our imperfect selves and surrounding, when we are called to faith found in a perfect God. One who knows our story and is working out all things for good for His glory and our Joy. One who is with us in our darkest chapters and is able to both change our perspective, destiny, and circumstances. As we seek to process the pain, trauma, and seeming senselessness of our lives and culture we are often (in the rearview) able to see God’s hand active in and through our path. I hope this can give us greater confidence in Him when He seems to be distant, Unseen God. Let’s find hope in Esther Chapter 2.

Welcome to Mercy Fellowship where we are Saved by Jesus Work, Changed by Jesus’ Grace, and Living on Jesus’s Mission. Today we begin a new series walking the through the book of Esther called UNSEEN GOD: Hidden Hope Found in the Book of Esther. Thank you for joining us! When do we need hope? Is it when everything is going well in our lives or in the world, where the present seems pleasant and a clear vision of a flourishing future is in sight? Is it when we are led by strong and tender leaders whose virtue, caring character, and defense of justice is plainly visible to all? It is when we have a secure sense of self and we know we are valued and respected in our context even when we bring our full selves to the table? Or...

Good Morning! Welcome to Mercy Fellowship where we are Saved by Jesus’ Work, Changed by Jesus’ Grace, and Living on Jesus’ Mission. Mercy Fellowship exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ who love God and love people. Today we are continuing our summer series Parables: Small Stories, Big Ideas, Great Jesus. We are beginning to gear up for back to school, whatever that is going to look like. So how are you? I ask because if we’re honest we feeling weak, worn out, discouraged, and maybe a bit empty. When we are weak deeply desire something or someone powerful to lead and protect. When we are feeling small we want to be part of something big, when we’re joyless we want something glorious, when we are empty we want to be filled. We are drawn to power and value. That more than ok. It’s acknowledging how weak and dependent we are. We need to hear some good teaching to give us hope. More than simply a good teacher, Jesus ministry on earth had an intense focus on teaching people about the character and nature of God, His kingdom, His values, and how we are to live in response to who God is. While Jesus intended meaning with each of these stores, parables is specific, the response to them varies depending on the condition of the heart of those who hear them. For those who follow Jesus the parables lead to greater understanding, for those indifferent or opposed to Jesus they cause greater confusion. Today we have five parables showing the kingdom’s power, the kingdom’s value, and what life looks like for those who understand the kingdom. Four times we will see Jesus say the “Kingdom of Heaven is like…” each instance is used to correct to easy misconceptions about the Kingdom of Heaven. It is exponentially more powerful than it appears and more valuable than you think. So let us let Jesus be our teacher and our treasure.

What are you hoping for? What are you looking forward to or eagerly anticipating? Right now, from an earthly standpoint, there doesn’t seem to me much and what available is slow either being cancelled or being replaced with decidedly “less than alternatives.” We are getting more and more disconnected and despondent. We need to be driven by a vision of a future that is hopeful and just plain better than now. There is a sifting and an unsettling going on that is leaving us disoriented. While there is much to grieve, and might be more, not all disruption is bad. 2,000 years ago there was “law and order” a “civil society” that left many hopeless in the face of the power of Caesars, governors, and systems. Fear and frustration ran high. Enter Jesus. He preaches, teaches, heals, and feeds. Comes to Jerusalem. Jesus then made his first order of business aggressively coming into the temple cleaning out the temple of corrupt dealers and restoring it to a house of prayer and healing. Jesus returned to the temple to teach and is confronted by the Chief Priest and elders of the temple about the nature of the authority. Jesus responds with challenging them on the nature of John the Baptist’s ministry. “Make a call, is John a prophet from God or is he a crazy person?” They gave an answer with best chance of keeping authority AND did not require them to submit to or recognize Jesus (who John held as the Son of God). Jesus continues teaching the leaders and the crowd with the parable of the wicked tenants of a vineyard and the gracious king reminding them where all authority rests and where all honor is due. In a world obsessed with power it is Jesus who is charge. If you continually reject the will of the king failing to recognize the authority of the King’s Son (Jesus) the vineyard/kingdom will be given to those who love the king. Jesus is going to give clarity and hope for many.

Today, we continue in the short series on the Parables of Jesus and we will be in Luke 11 and what is commonly known as the Parable of the Persistent Neighbor. The questions of “What is a parable?” and “Why did Jesus use parables to teach” have been discussed before. Briefly though, Jesus told simple, earthly stories, stories rooted in earthly events that anyone could understand, on that level. But he told them to illustrate truths about God’s coming kingdom, a kingdom that in most part God’s chosen people had rejected. To those who had not rejected the Father and His Son, the meaning of the story was discernable as told, or later through his patient explaining. For the rest, the meaning was lost or its truth perverted. Their eyes could not see. Their ears could not hear. Their hardened hearts could not yield.

In the beginning of this chapter, Jesus enters into Jerusalem on a Donkey and is celebrated as He rides in as people line the streets and lay their cloaks they would wear down on the road and palm branches they would have cut, they laid on the road as well. And they did this as a sign of submission to Jesus being King. We celebrate this in our church calendar as Palm Sunday. The issue with this though, is that they thought that Jesus Kingship, would be to overthrow the Roman government, and when He doesn’t act like they want, they will later chant for Him to be crucified. But as the narrative goes, they are celebrating Jesus entry into Jerusalem, and an issue arises. They’re excited thinking that He will overthrow the Roman government, but instead of doing that, Jesus first move is to go to the temple, and overthrow tables of the money changers who are cheating and swindling others for their own selfish gain. And as Jesus Kingship/authority is established, it is established but not in the way that people want it to be. So let me say this. Jesus is King now and forever, and that is good news!

We are all trying to convert other people to how we see things. Masks, Race, Candidates, Economics, Policing, education, economics, the virtues of the musical Hamilton. We get incredibly frustrated when we simply explain our point of view, drop some ‘facts’ or science and data, our that they can’t see what we see. If we could just be clearer, or louder, or more persuasive maybe then they would change their mind. So we post more online, keep texting, send people books (or links) to read… and it never works. We all assume that we have the perspective that needs to be adopted. We rarely consider that we might be the one who is lost, misunderstands… or wait for it…. Might even be wrong. What if WE need to be the ones who are converted, illuminated, taught, for our own flourishing and joy and to fruitful bless others. Today we’re going to look at a familiar teaching of Jesus that seems simple but has some big ideas. Let’s go.

Well meaning Christians can miss the point easily here. Peter had been with Jesus a while and was starting to understand that Jesus was about forgiveness when he suggested that we forgive 7 times. 7 times was generous. In those days religious people said 3 times was plenty. I mean let’s think about it in our lives. Let’s say someone sins agains you... like steals something from you. According the passage above, you go to that person and say “Hey, you stole that from me.” They say, please forgive me... and you forgive. Then they steal something else from you... Peter’s question is valid. How many times do you forgive? Maybe it’s not stealing. Maybe someone lied to you. Maybe someone gossiped about you. If we all forgave people 7 times we would probably be considered the most merciful people in he world. We give up on people too quickly. 3 strikes and you are out. What Jesus is getting at is that Peter is missing the point all together. It isn’t about how many times. It isn’t about making a list. It’s about the heart. We want rules so we can follow Jesus with our mind, but not our heart. Quick caveat... if someone is stealing from you, don’t give them a key to your house. We can forgive and still have wise boundaries. Let’s say someone has an abusive husband and he occasionally gets mad and hits her or threatens her. 1. The husband needs to be confronted with their sin 2. Boundaries need to be put in place. Including separation, etc. 3. Forgiveness is still on the table.

We are in . These chapters are an extended period of teaching Jesus gives his disciples which falls into the category of Eschatology (Study of the End Times). Jesus is about to go to the cross and He wants his disciples and us to know what our lives should like and be defined by between now and when he returns. When Jesus came first is was for salvation, mercy, humility, when He returns it will be for justice, restoration, and glory. We will be accountable to King Jesus for our lives. This is true for all, those who currently have no concern for Jesus, and those who profess to know and follow him. Just before this section is the parable of the bridesmaids, invited to the wedding, desired the wedding, professed to be ready for the wedding; but there was division between those who had short-term zeal, but foolishly didn’t respond with action and those who were prepared for a long obedience. The wise entered the feast while the foolish were left out, because the Lord of the feast said “Truly, I do not know you.” The focus for disciples of Jesus is to remain vigilant during this in-between period between Jesus ascension and His return. This week the parable shifts from vigilance to diligence, as the church’s call to “keep watch” goes deeper to include “keep working.”

Because many of us may have the idea that a parable is nothing more than a story with some moral truths being portrayed, which would be wrong. We know this to be wrong, because that is not the gospel message. Jesus didn’t leave all His glory in heaven and come to earth, and live a perfect sinless life obeying the law of God, of which you and I have broken repeatedly and deserve damnation for, go to the cross in our place and on the third day rising from the grave defeating Satan, sin and death and now rules over all of creation as king of kings and lord of lords; He didn’t do all of this to make us moral, to make bad people good but rather He came to make dead people live. So we don’t believe that parables are just stories with moral truths attached to them.

What does” Fellowship” mean? Greek is Koinonia - Rich word. It refers to a participation and communion with God and His people sharing, contributing for a common purpose. A "Fellowship" is a group of people brought together for a purpose. In the New Testament God's people, the church, were defined and described as a partnership for the Gospel because of the Gospel. A fellowship is more like a team to play on than a club to join. In Acts 2 we see “fellowship” identifies the idealized state of unity and purpose that should exist within the church. Created by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Everyone was invited to experience this community and encouraged to actively participate rather than passively consume. True Fellowship exists when it is from and for God. Fellowship runs deeper than our superficial differences. God created Fellowship binds us together with those whom we have nothing in common but Christ deeper than those with whom we have everything in common but Christ. Matt Nickel - “My prayer for our church is that we would be rich in mercy and devoted to fellowship” Today as we close this series out, we are going to simply attempt to answer the questions “who are we?” and “Why do we exist?” both individually and collectively as a church.

Mercy is strength because God is Rich in Mercy. As we consider what Mercy is, means, calls us to do and be, we need a comprehensive understanding so we can be inspired to embody mercy and be a place inviting others to experience Mercy. In the Bible, the concept of "Mercy" is not getting the just consequence we have earned as a result of our sin. It can also be as simple as extending or experiencing "kindness" think Steadfast Love. Mercy is a mega theme in scripture across generations and genres. Epistles, Gospels, Prophets and Psalms there is a constant theme of God meeting our sin with His mercy and then calling us to respond to sin in the world with Mercy. When we come to God in Christ, we do not have to fear judgment because judgement has been so roundly defeated that Mercy stands over it and declares I HAVE WON! Mercies victory is ours. We embody and embrace Mercy as conduits who receive from God and live and give mercy to others. Matt Nickel - “My prayer for our church is that we would be rich in mercy and devoted to fellowship” What does” Fellowship” mean? Fellowship

What is Mercy? What does it mean? I think we have a concept of mercy that is pretty weak. When we hear the word, we don’t think of strength, victory, order, but softness, capitulation, and even cowardice. Mercy is: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. So even a worldly definition Mercy implies that you have been empowered and that you are forgiving. As we consider what Mercy is, means, calls us to do and be, we need a comprehensive understanding so we can be inspired to embody mercy and be a place inviting others to experience Mercy. In the Bible, the concept of "Mercy" is not getting the just consequence we have earned as a result of our sin. It can also be as simple as extending or experiencing "kindness" think Steadfast Love. Let’s look at this theme across scripture:

Yet as this season has drug on the list of things we’re concerned about has grown in number and intensity. The news daily begins to look more and more like societal break down. Anger has supplanted empathy. I think we’d all be happier if our biggest concerns were murder hornets rather than the mayhem we see. We want comfort but we are instead confronted with world events or personal circumstance which are too overwhelming to process and which we are powerless to change. There is so much that has changed (positively and negatively) and there is so much that has remained the same again both positive and negative. How do we find hope and courage in broken world when God is not seen, heard, or felt? I want to bring us back to some key ideas we held on to when this season began. We need faith in what is true. 1: God is Good, Mighty, Loving, Wise, and is in control. He is not surprised by any of this, and He is not overwhelmed. He is active in world events and is engaged in your individual story. 2: We (you) are known and loved by God in Christ Jesus. He knows your circumstances, and has not forgotten His promises, so we have a hope that is imperishable, and one that cannot be taken away. 3: This is a challenging chapter, and while we do not know how long it is, we know it’s not the last chapter. The Story ends very well with Jesus return and reign making all things new with no sin, sickness, darkness, disease, or death. Our forever future is better than our present pain. With those in mind we also need to be equipped and encouraged to endure this current season. As we process how we should respond to those around us and engage let make sure we’re seeking the wisdom and direction of Jesus to ensure we’re asking the right questions with the right motives to be transformed.

What do we think we deserve? How do we think we’re entitled? Where does this sense of entitlement come from? What is to be our motivation and ambition? Is ambition always bad? When we are self-focused things like ambition and self-interests become preeminent in our lives. We begin to think more and more about ourselves and our circumstances and it never leads to greater contentment or joy. This only serves to reinforce the bars of our cell. In the Gospel we are set free from the prison of sin and ourselves. We’re freed from ourselves, for others, to be unified as citizens/family, etc. But what gets in the way of this? Because we don’t easily default to this. We do! We don’t know how to be humble. What example can we have to see how deep these concepts go? When we are freed from the prison of self, we have unity with others, we have a Hope that Humbles. Hope creates Humility for the purpose of stronger unity, greater glory and forever joy. Why don’t we do this? What hinders this unity? What keeps us from experience both greater peace and the fulfillment of pure ambition? We are to be a united community of saved sinners, who are broken and are (at different places) being Changed by Jesus’ Grace. WE believe a lie that we are the best at taking care of ourselves and that if we aren’t looking out for our interest and significance no one else, even God, will. That we will not gain by caring for others but in fact will wholly lose if we walk in humility. We need to have the orientation of our lives changed for our sake because humility leads to Glory.

Paul has told them about how his suffering has been purposeful in sharing the Gospel and how his focus has been on others, but now he’s turned his attention back to the Philippians. I know you are concerned about the challenges I’ve been facing, but I am fine. I am here to serve you. How I want to serve you is to remind you about who you are and how who are impacts what you do. This verse opens with one Greek word that has been translated into a phrase. The word is politeuo and it’s a rich word that has been translated into “Only let your manner of life be worthy” or literally it means “Only behave as citizens worthy” It’s a word/phrase they would have been familiar with and understood it’s meaning because of their unique context and understanding of the concept of citizenship. In the US we have birthright citizenship. So if your born here, you’re a citizen. Some of us value it, some of us don’t. But for the people in Philippi there was a sense that what they had was something they had earned. There was pride.

What is driving you in this season? Who do you think about most? What or who do you talk about most? Who do you worry about most? What do you hope for in the future? What goals do you have or are you look forward to? Who is the focus of those goals? What do you fear the most? Most of us at our core live for ourselves. We think about ourselves, we talk about ourselves. We think about others in relation to how they interact with us or how they make us feel. This focus on self grows in times of great difficulty, we cannot see others or beyond our difficult circumstance. It grows as we face criticism, opposition, or hostility from other people, particularly people we think should be FOR us. Walls start to close in and we find ourselves in a prison cell of self when we start to consider the finiteness of our lives. Now everything seem to be on pause and we’re are in a state that we think life will begin, have meaning, and purpose later. It’s like Hope is on pause when we need it now. How do we break free from this? If we’re not going to focus on us who will? Where does our focus need to change or shift to in order for us to have peace and wholeness when facing challenges externally and especially internally. We need a hope that frees us for life now!

We are given the church as a functioning and flourishing family. When Paul (and Timothy) write to all the “Saints, in Christ” he’s referring to all the Christians (people who love and follow Jesus) in the city. Saints In Christ

Mary has moved from wallowing in grief to beholding the Glory of Jesus. This is the moment that will define her life, she never wants this moment to end. When we’ve been met by Jesus, and believe in Him, our first inclination is to want to say where we are with Jesus. But we aren’t saved to say with Jesus but be sent by Him. We don’t stay at the tomb. Our life with Jesus is not one where we’re stuck just outside of the tomb clinging to Jesus, holding on for dear life hoping He never leaves, or worried that we’ll be without Him. No! Later we’re told by Jesus “behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” in the Holy Spirit empowered to live a new life. We don’t have to tremble in fear of losing Jesus if we don’t hold on tight enough. We walk in boldness with purpose, comforted knowing we’re held by Jesus. We don’t stay stuck at the turning point we move on and move outward. Mary is the first evangelist… Go tell ….. Don’t think Jesus is yours to keep to yourself. But to go and tell “I have seen the Lord” and “In Christ” we are God’s children.

What we are doing today in gathering is not expecting to hear something new, but be reminded of what is true. We all need constant reminders of what is true about God, this world, and us because we easily forget, get distracted, discouraged, or even deceived. We look out at the world and something within us cries out “It shouldn’t be this way!” We begin to search for answers, we seek comfort, and rest for our souls. We desire purpose and wholeness. This is where what we call, The Gospel comes in. The Gospel is the Good news of what God has done for us in Jesus. It provides answers, purpose, comfort, rest, and wholeness. To have Hope remembered it has to be a hope we’ve received. Paul is writing to a church of people who have heard the Good News, received the Good News, are standing in the Good News, and believe the Good News. Let’s remember the Hope we’ve received:

Jesus arrived in humility. God is powerful and glorious, here in Jesus we see God displaying great humility. This characterized all of Jesus earthly life, born in a manger, raise by a poor working family, in a poor region. Homeless during His ministry. In Jesus we see God coming down to us. God has to humble Himself to come to us. Not because we are so great but because we are so small. God meets us where we are at. Jesus left heaven and came to earth for us. That is humility! Hope arrived where it was needed most.

1: God is Good, Mighty, Loving, Wise, and is in control. He is not surprised by any of this, and He is not overwhelmed. He is active in world events and is engaged in your individual story. 2: We (you) are known and loved by God in Christ Jesus. He knows your circumstances, and has not forgotten His promises, so we have a hope that is imperishable, that cannot be contained or restricted. 3: This is a challenging chapter, and while we do not know how long it is, we know it’s not the last chapter. The Story ends very well with Jesus return and reign making all things new with no sin, sickness, darkness, disease, or death. Our forever future is better than our present pain. That is what I want to talk about today. I want us to see where we are going so we can have Hope now in the wilderness for glorious forever city! Before we get to the hope at the end of the story we need to understand where we are in the story.

What are we worried about? I mean the list is pretty long at this point, right? Your individual health, the fabric of society, the state of the economy. We are very fearful people, especially at the front end of this season where all we are used to relying on for routine and stability has been uprooted or restricted. I am talking to everyone. We have fears about how we are going to provide for ourselves or others. Fears of loneliness, fears of what others think of us, fears of not living up to others expectations or our own, fear of loss possessions/job/relationships, fear of the unknown. These fears and concerns are driving and dominating how we live our lives. Fear seems to be the biggest motivator over our decisions and disposition. What is your fear? Why do we fear? We fear things we cannot control or easily predict. We play around with “What if?”. We fear because we recognize the world we live in is dangerous, bad things do happen, and everything is NOT awesome all the time. We say we hope for the best and prepare for the worst, but really, we act with little hope and nearly everything we do is under the shadow of fear.

When do we need hope? Is it when everything is going well in our lives or in the world, where the present seems pleasant and a clear vision of a flourishing future is in sight? Is it when we are led by strong and tender leaders whose virtue, caring character, and defense of justice is plainly visible to all? It is when we have a secure sense of self and we know we are valued and respected in our context even when we bring our full selves to the table? Or...

Listen When it comes to spiritual adoption, this is essentially what God has done for us He has pardoned us by forgiving us of our sins. He has clothed us in the perfect righteousness of his Son. Then he adopts us into his family..... Think about the serial killer and the governor The governor can pardon the killer with a few strokes of his pen He doesn’t have to get personally involved But to adopt the serial killer, he does have to get personally involved By adopting him he has become personally responsible for both his welfare and his behavior.

We are people who have been known loved and saved by the grace of God the Father through faith in Christ Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit to be adopted into God’s family, citizens in His kingdom, individuals with a promised inheritance, a communal body growing in maturity. We were spiritually dead lurching as self-consumed zombies now we have been made alive to contribute good works God has prepared for us walk in. From this new identity we now live a new way in terms of every earthly relationship. Walls racisms, classism, hostility have been torn down. We are forgiven people who forgive others. Our speech and engagement with others is seasoned with grace in good times and conflict. Our sexuality is aligned to God’s design. Our marriages are reflections of love, honor, respect, and self-sacrifice which reflect the truth of Jesus love for His people. Our families are led by firm and gentle fathers and mothers who have children who know they’re loved and respond to love with joyful obedience. As workers and leaders we are all aware we are ultimately under God’s authority so we work and lead for His approval and purposes to bring Him Glory and to promote our joy and flourishing. We hear this, read this, and assuming it’s all carried out perfectly we should have heaven on earth and be coasting toward eternity. And yet…. Our life seems so different. As Ephesians closes, we are reminded of the fundamental truth that while we have been made ALIVE by God, have promises of a forever future with God, and are living a new life for God now, we are not yet home. Reality of life is not us effortlessly strolling through a pastoral glad but trudging through a gory battlefield of opposition, oppression, and ongoing struggle where we wonder if we’ll make it through and if there will ever be real rest, peace, and victory. We need the clarity of understanding conflict, how we are equipped to endure until we can be at a place of eternal enjoyment. Paul, writing to the Ephesian church (and to us), closes this letter with a charge to keep fighting to the end.

This song starts and ends with God’s goodness, His love and his works. They are worthy of singing about! What could be greater than being called “the redeemed of the Lord” who have been delivered from distress. God Saves people from trouble (hand of the foe). Why? Because of His steadfast love. Six times in this psalm it God has a “steadfast love” This is not the same thing as our emotive love. This is a specific type of love that God perfectly reflects. It is a covenant love. God making a promise to love His people, more than a promise it is a “binding” to His people. They are His! This is a song sung by those who have been “redeemed by the Lord” and brought back from distant exile. In this case the song was about the nation of Israel being brought back from exile in Babylon. Unfaithful to God they were scattered by a foreign enemy, but now they are no longer in “trouble” or the hand of the foe, they have been gathered. Apart from God we are all people in exile, separated from where we desire and where we belong and God purchases a people and brings them together from scattered individuals to gathering of His people. God Saves and we celebrate! But saved from what? The song breaks out into four distinct verses/stories showing there is a diversity of distress, and different groups in need of deliverance or salvation. We will see there are no perceivable limits to how and who God is able to save, but there is only one solution. They cry out to the Lord in distress and God answers. Despite sin, God saves. Because of sin, God saves.

Have you ever experienced a generalized anxiousness which seems to have no immediate source? What about a need to control people and events around you, or conversely the reluctance to set a course for yourself? Are you a spendthrift? Miserly? Do you continuously seek the approval of others, or actively avoid contact? Do you avoid decision making? Are you frequently too hasty? Terrified by confrontation? Always up for a good battle? What about you, this morning? Is there an anxiousness in life which hinders your joy? My starting point for this morning is that in many cases these pervasive states of the heart and mind are response mechanisms to a fear different than physical threat. Fear that burrows deep inside us, which requires a completely different solution in order that we may experience joy and flourishing in our lives. We need God’s perfect provision to defeat the enemy we face and his weapon of choice, Fear of Man.

Living New - The way unearned is not a way unchanged. Chapter 5 verse 15 says we are to “look carefully how we walk” and in verse 16 it says making the best use of time. This n the context that we have been made Alive by God and that He has prepared “good works” for us for us to “walk in them”. This include pursuing wisdom over foolishness and being stewards over the life we have been given. Joy and patience are to plays itself out in relationship and in responsibilities where we are engaging with each other making a (joyful harmony with God and people) with attitudes that are not entitled but are grateful to God all leading to dispositions humility rather than pride where we don’t seek to dominate one another but rather submit to one another. This is possible when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit in us not in our ability to change ourselves. Those are big important assumptions that have to proceed any discussion of the instructions from God. When we skip identity and go right to instructions, we will think our identity comes from our ability respond to direction rather than in receiving the grace and mercy of God. There are few ways we screw up our sense of identity and purpose than when it comes to the concept of work. We are Alive for a purpose. The way unearned is not a way without work. Before there was sin in the world there was purposeful God-given work to cultivate a culture of flourishing. Work was meant to be fruitful and good; we know this when we are enjoying our work. Sin has turned what should be productive into painful toil so we should not be surprised when our work is difficult or discouraging. We are all made to work. Since most of us spend ½ or more of our waking hours involved with work, if we’ve been made ALIVE by Christ then it will have an impact on our work. We are going to be looking at this from a variety of angles both practical and theological.

We are created for relationships- The way unearned is not intended to be walked alone. We have relationships with friends, family, neighbors, etc. which are important and edifying. We are all part of a family. Our families have great influence over how we learn about and practice relationships. As adults we are not neutral blank slates, but individuals formed over two decades (or more) of shaping, intentionally or accidentally by the families we grew up in. We take the various joys, victories, as well as the traumas and the wounds with us as our personalities and ways of being are established. Our generations who proceeded us went through the same process of transferring and forming before we arrived on the scene, so they start the process with us being impacted by their parents and family. We cannot minimize the impact our families of origin have in who are today and how we hope to change, grow, or engage in the future. This will overflow into how we interact with one another as a society as we navigate being people with distinct roles and responsibilities as members of different generations. So, as much as any area of our lives, if we want to see change in our world, our society, our communities, even in our churches, we have to start with individuals, with marriages, and families. Children led and loved by parents who are loved and led.

We are created for relationships. The way unearned is not intended to be walked alone. We have relationships with friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, etc. Each of these can be important and edifying. However, God has created one earthly relationship that is unique and distinct from all others both in its nature and in what it represents. Marriage has been given by God to men and women to reflect the exclusive, faithful, and pure relationship Christ has with the church. It is not a human invention, but a God given gift. So why do we need these verses on how marriage relationship are to functions, who has what roles and what the purpose of it is? Because our marriages are broken and have sin and selfishness in marriages. Why? Because our marriages are two imperfect people apart from the work of God who are broken and selfish and so when a husband and wife come together sin and selfishness isn’t masked it’s multiplied. At the same time, it is a relationship that is intended to bring great joy and flourishing for the individuals in the marriage, as a couple and the other people around the marriage impacted by a flourish union. So, as much as any area of our lives or any other earthly relationship, if we want to see change in our world, our society, our communities, even in our churches, we have to start with our homes and marriages.

Living New - The way unearned is not a way unchanged. Sin needs to be turned from. We are not made alive by repentance, but we are made alive to practice repentance. In Christ, we have been gifted with soft hearts that illuminate our understanding of this new life. Like wore out clothes, our old life does not suit our new life. Parts of our old life will have to be taken off and new ways of being will have to put on. This includes our sexuality

We plan accordingly to what we desire and long for in hopes that they will be fulfilled, but what often happens is when the new year/new decade comes the expectations that we set up are often met with disappointment, wether they are fulfilled or not. And we need to ask our selves the question why that is. Why are we met not with satisfaction but rather disappointment or left unsatisfied or empty when what we desire is fulfilled or not? This is a problem; this is something the whole world struggles with, and this is something the bible specifically has an answer to.

We start to ask a lot of questions about our life. How did the year go? What about next year? How is my health? Where do I stand with my job situation? What about this family or friend relationship? How is my parenting? What are the questions you’re asking? Behind all these questions are bigger questions, what we’re really asking is “Where do I stand with myself, other, and really God?” Am I significant? Is God near? What is my purpose? God seems distant there is a gap. I feel insignificant in the scope of the world or history. This impacts our sense of purpose. It can lead us toward a downward spiral. Then we see Mary, a young woman, in a forgotten rural town, pledged to be married to a local carpenter who has an angelic visit and gives birth to Jesus. When we think of Mary, we often think of nativity scenes or Christmas carols. We either saint her and for some even worship her or make too little of her. She is significant and in her story we find a picture of God’s grace needed, given, received, spread, and responded to, that is for us too!

It’s easy to read past these verses to get on to the good stuff, you know shepherds, angels, and kings. But let’s for a second imagine what it is like to be Joseph. Joseph is probably no more that 18. It used to be thought that Jospeh was a bit older, but recent scholars now say that Joseph was probably still in his teen. Ok, so think about what it is like to be 18. Young, good-looking, full of life, excited for his future. He probably had big dreams about getting married, getting his own house and starting his own business. Life was going just about as well as he hoped. And that is when the first Christmas meltdown happened.

We started are Christmas series, titled “Unexpected” last week, which will go all the way up to Christmas eve, highlighting characters from the Christmas story, and the idea behind “unexpected” is that the Christmas story we celebrate of God incarnate, Jesus, the Son of God taking on flesh and entering into human history, is unexpected. Israel was expecting a Messiah at this time, who would come and liberate them from the Roman Government, and this Messiah would come in great strength, but Jesus rather came in great vulnerability as a baby. This Messiah was expected to come and overthrow the nations with the sword, and yet Jesus came and was pierced with the sword for the nations. Along with the Christmas story being unexpected, there was a period of time from the last book in the Old Testament to the beginning of the gospels, where God is silent for 400 years. No prophet arises to speak for God to the people in that time frame. And some of you this morning are in a season of life that seems that way. Where there is a hard season in life right now, perhaps the Holiday season brings up old wounds and hurts and it seems as though God is absent because of His silence. And what I am here to preach on today is not only what we all need but what the people of Israel in that time needed as well, and that is hope!

The story of Christmas found in the gospel is unexpected. For the people of God, God had been silent for 400 years. Many of them felt forgotten and yet, in the quiet, dark countryside, God remembered and came to them. But not how they expected. He came in the form of a baby, not to the king or powerful leaders, but to the lowly, the poor, the young and the old. The 2 gospels capture each person’s response when they encountered the angel or Jesus and those emotions capture our emotions at Christmas. In the same way, we will look at the Christmas story and see the many emotions we feel at Christmas and see that God is with us in all those places. How God shows up to unexpected people in unexpected ways. Christmas is often remembered by a miraculous birth, yet before the “silent night” when baby Jesus was born to a virgin outside an inn and laid in a manger there was another birth as unlikely as it was necessary. Before the arrival of the Savior King, God tells the OT prophet Malachi He will send a messenger who will preach to the people and prepare the way for the Kings arrival. In Luke 1we begin to see this prophecy fulfilled. It is here we meet an aged, faithful, childless couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth.

We exist to be unified and to build one another up! That’s the idealistic desire and direction, but there is a realistic disposition that can sometimes cause destruction. We’re trying to live out this new life but then there are other people…..who might punch us in the mouth. We also cannot forget our roll and contribution to a culture of conflict. For others, we’re the other people making it difficult. How are you, me, we going to address this? We have responses that are similar to the world. The world and the church do love, relationship, and conflict the same ways… not healthy. Division, retaliation, bitterness and destruction rule the day. When we are loved, pursued, spiritually alive people, in relationship with God, how we do love, do relationship, and yes even how we do conflict needs to be distinct from the world. Jesus said we’ll be known in the world by what? Our love for one another. If gospel unity is going to be experienced as a community then gospel purity needs to be pursed as individuals in community. Our life with God is tied to our life with God’s people. We cannot believe that the vertical relationship we have with God, if it is vital and active won’t impact our horizontal relationships. We don’t live dead, we live as ones who have been made alive. So there is a transformation that changes what it means to be alive and how we now live.

"Grace is the gift that unleashes the Gospel of Jesus Christ to give us life! It’s worth fighting for!!” It was so life giving and joyful to have Shaun Garman from Acts 29 US West serving our church by preaching the good news of freedom and grace in Jesus this AM

The gospel of grace has been extended to us, through Jesus, as the primary means to our salvation and plays a key role in our spiritual growth as Christians. How does this gospel powerfully shape us so the grace, truth, and peace of Jesus Christ are the defining characteristics we embody as individuals permeating the culture of our relationships, families, and churches, while ultimately impacting our communities and beyond? Our “Gospel Culture Workshop”, was a special one-day training event taught by Shaun Garman, Vice President of Development of Acts 29 Global. Shaun was a business entrepreneur for 12 years before entering into the pastorate. Since then he has planted and pastored churches in Portland, Oregon and Ventura, California. He currently serves the Acts 29 Network as the Associate Network Director. Shaun has been married to Daisy for 30 years. They have 7 children and recently welcomed their 4th grandchild into the family. Shaun is passionate about Jesus, family, the Dodgers, surfing, fish tacos, film and learning from people that like none of those things. Session 1 | Sainthood Session 2 | Brother & Sisterhood Session 3 | Neighborhood

The gospel of grace has been extended to us, through Jesus, as the primary means to our salvation and plays a key role in our spiritual growth as Christians. How does this gospel powerfully shape us so the grace, truth, and peace of Jesus Christ are the defining characteristics we embody as individuals permeating the culture of our relationships, families, and churches, while ultimately impacting our communities and beyond? Our “Gospel Culture Workshop”, was a special one-day training event taught by Shaun Garman, Vice President of Development of Acts 29 Global. Shaun was a business entrepreneur for 12 years before entering into the pastorate. Since then he has planted and pastored churches in Portland, Oregon and Ventura, California. He currently serves the Acts 29 Network as the Associate Network Director. Shaun has been married to Daisy for 30 years. They have 7 children and recently welcomed their 4th grandchild into the family. Shaun is passionate about Jesus, family, the Dodgers, surfing, fish tacos, film and learning from people that like none of those things. Session 1 | Sainthood Session 2 | Brother & Sisterhood Session 3 | Neighborhood

The gospel of grace has been extended to us, through Jesus, as the primary means to our salvation and plays a key role in our spiritual growth as Christians. How does this gospel powerfully shape us so the grace, truth, and peace of Jesus Christ are the defining characteristics we embody as individuals permeating the culture of our relationships, families, and churches, while ultimately impacting our communities and beyond? Our “Gospel Culture Workshop”, was a special one-day training event taught by Shaun Garman, Vice President of Development of Acts 29 Global. Shaun was a business entrepreneur for 12 years before entering into the pastorate. Since then he has planted and pastored churches in Portland, Oregon and Ventura, California. He currently serves the Acts 29 Network as the Associate Network Director. Shaun has been married to Daisy for 30 years. They have 7 children and recently welcomed their 4th grandchild into the family. Shaun is passionate about Jesus, family, the Dodgers, surfing, fish tacos, film and learning from people that like none of those things. Session 1 | Sainthood Session 2 | Brother & Sisterhood Session 3 | Neighborhood

Christopher Rich

Pastor Chris Rich preaches on John 16:4-33 and the importance of God's presence in our lives.

Easter 2019

Where are you from? Rather who are you from? How does you past origin impact your present character? What has happened in your past that is still impacting you today? What has happened even before you were born that has influenced your life? None of us are neutral blank beings that write our own stories or choose every influence in our lives that impacts us. So it’s not a matter of IF you’re impacted by your family of origin, but HOW have you been, and what it means for your present identity and future hope. Listen as we look at John 8:30-39, where, from Jesus' teachings on Freedom and Family, and what it means to be a genuine disciple, we are "Reframing Your Father".

"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone" -John 8:7 This familiar and controversial text (John 7:53-8:11) about a women caught in adultery is significant in how we understand the Gospel of Grace, engage with sin, and/or walk in judgement of others. What is our role in condemnation of others and how should we evaluate our own heart motivation and guilt? How do we experience the grace and mercy of God? Even when we actually are guilty? What should it lead us to in response?

The storyline of the Bible in its simplest form can be understood through the four words: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration.

Forgiveness embodies the very nature and character of God, therefore when a person has been truly saved, rescued, redeemed and restored through their forgiveness of sin and new life in Christ, they will have a desire and possess the ability to “like God” forgive others.

Is Jesus your provision, or is he a means to something else that you want?

Join us as we are "Reframing Power" from John 6:15-21, where we see Jesus miraculously meets us in the midst of our storms to take us where He calls us to go.

Most of us are living our lives in 'Want', with a lack of satisfaction in our circumstances. 'Want' is not bad, but need is deeper and necessary for survival. If we’re going to experience a life that is full, joyful, at the bare minimum it needs to be sustainable. Some of us see our desperation and need as too great to overcome while believing we are isolated with little hope of real change. Listen as we "Reframe Need" (John 6:1-15) seeing how Jesus is both willing and able to met us and move us from empty and desperate to full and satisfied in our place of greatest need.

We can move away from a definition of authority as something to be feared or reject to something to be received and responded to out of gratitude when we Reframe Authority.

We have been loved by God actively so we can actively love one another. You’ve heard it said, “Hurt People, hurt people” but what we see is “loved people, love people.”

We need HOPE when we can't see evidence of how things get better. Jesus gives us hope.

During the next four Sundays of Advent at Damascus Road we will explore how true Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love can only be experienced when we Trust Jesus.

How do you define rest? What is keeping you from rest? We’re unsettled, in discomfort, and we wonder if it is ever going to change. When this happens we can easily get inward focused, even whiny, and down right annoying. People can be really annoying … and Jesus heals them. Not because of their attitudes, but usually despite them.

11/18/18 | Gospel Leadership | Pastor Christopher Rich | Damascus Road Church | rdchurch.org

How do you define faith? What is something you’ve placed great faith in, only to see what you hoped for unrealized? What do you turn to or go to when you are in a place of desperation? Why do you believe what you believe? A vague "faith" will never give us true hope, any more than being a “person of faith” will lead to healing new life. It is always the object of faith that always determines the nature of your faith, not the intensity or sincerity of it. In John 4:1-42 will be "Reframing Faith" to better understand what it means to walk in faith in Jesus alone.

Dignity. All people are worthy of it and thirsty for it. But what happens when it's been stripped away by outside culture or our own actions? Gender, race, sexuality, and spiritually are all issues that have to be navigated with the hope of seeing dignity restored. In John 4:1-42 we will be "Reframing Dignity" seeing the mission of Jesus is to bring and restore dignity to people and groups who are thirsty for it!

How do you understand what a Christian is? How do we comprehend the necessary change that happens as Christians? What is the irreducible essence of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? -- *Note: Audio quality is slightly lower than normal.

Don’t follow Jesus for things you hope He’ll do for you. Follow Jesus for what He’s already done for you.

Portrait of John the Baptist | John 1:6-8, 15-34

ROAD LIFE | Gospel Unity |Ephesians 4:1-16

PSALMS | Soundtrack for our Souls | Wk 1

Easter 2018

Ezra-Nehemiah

Ezra Nehemiah

Week 2 in our series through Ezra-Nehemiah

The Gospel: His Work, Our Name, Our Identity and Our Values | Actis 9, 1 Cor 15, 2 Cor 5

Passion of the King - The Book of Matthew Pt. 5

International Justice Mission guest preacher on the power of church prayer

Separation Day - Matthew 25:31-46

Rejection of the King - The Book of Matthew Pt. 4 Wk11: The Woes from the King Part 3: Forsaken City | Empty Temple| 23:37-24:2

The Woes from the King Part 1: Unbearable Preachers | Matthew 23:1-12