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Don’t Cross Me

January 24, 2012 in Quest Series,Sermons,That Just Happened with

Aren’t you loving this series, “I Believe in God, But…?” This week, Don’t Cross Me hit a nerve for many: an unedited, un-tempered look at the indisputable fact that God wants an All-Access Pass to our lives. He wants it all…our hearts, our minds, our hobbies, our marriages, our kids…our money. When we try to welcome Him into some areas of our lives and block Him from others, we become divided and unstable, and we often don’t know why.

Many of us look at our lives and see a lack of power, fruit, passion, victory…so we pray for God to do something, to fix the problem. This weekend was a reality check: breakthrough and blessing will come when submission and surrender take place. When Christ-followers give Jesus access, He transforms us in ways we could never have dreamed possible!

Here are three critical questions we studied this weekend. Spend great time fleshing these out with Jesus:

Three Critical Questions:

1. Why does God want total access to my life?

  • A. You are designed for it. God made u to love you, to be near Him. He wants to bless you, guide you, comfort you, and the way that works is for us to receive His love and grow in intimacy. That only happens if our lives are in proper order. Put simply: when we live recognizing that there is One God and One Lord, and We’re not Him. He doesn’t want to just be the Lord of all. He wants to be YOUR Lord.
  • B. It’s best for you. You were made to rest in the leadership of another. Not only did God design us to follow Him, He crafted us so that in doing so we would be at our best by resting in His leadership and worshipping Him alone!  What that means is that when He’s at the center of your life with complete access and total freedom to lead, He has the power to move in and transform every area of your life! It’s acknowledging that He’s God, He knows what is best for you and you do not!

2. Why wouldn’t I want Him to have total access to my life?

  • A. Pride – On some level most of us think we can handle life on our own, maybe in some ways even do a better job than God. From the earliest pages of the Bible and the story Adam until now, we nurture pride, we esteem self-reliance and independence. “I’ve got this…I can handle my life. I believe in God, sure…and I’ll take His help, but I’m good.” In the OT there is an indicting little phrase that was used to describe the tragic lives of those who worshipped pride and not God. It says they “Did what was right in their own eyes.” That doesn’t have to be you!
  • B. Protection – We’ve been hurt, and in our pain we’ve learn patterns of protecting ourselves from pain, from people and from God. So, without ever saying it perhaps, we begin to pick and chose the areas we’ll place under the Lordship of Jesus. And in the others, we tell God KEEP OUT. But that leaves us trying to share the throne with God…with a divided, torn heart. We want God to hear and answer our prayers…and He longs to heal us, provide for us, protect us, bless us… but as C.S. Lewis once said, “He cannot bless us unless he has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death…There’s no bargaining with Him.” He always wants what’s best for you!

3. So How Can I be Whole Again?

  • A.   Admit - Just like the 1st step in AA, admit that you are powerless and your life has become unmanageable with you as your own lord. Admit that you need His help if you’re ever going to be whole again.
  • B.   Humble yourself - Ask God to forgive you for rejecting His leadership in your life…for treating as common that which is priceless.
  • C.   Surrender and submit to Him - DAILY. When you humble yourself, He doesn’t shame you, He embraces you…healing begins & breakthrough starts.

We were never intended to “play church”…and we don’t want to be people who “play Jesus.” We’re designed for real transformation in the hands of the God who loves us and who knows what’s best for us. When you submit and surrender to His leadership in your life, you’ll find the life you’ve been longing for!

Beyond Belief!

January 10, 2012 in Events,Quest Series,Sermons,That Just Happened with

Vision Weekend is a perfect launching pad for the year…not just for our church, but for our lives, our growth, our transformation. One of the key reasons we kick off the year with Vision Weekend is because it’s fresh, there’s an air of optimism and possibility, and there’s this clean stretch of road in front of us…asking God, “So what do have for us this year?”

There’s a universal sense that people want a better year than last year…even if last year was good. Everyone wants an advancing year. And I love this series, “I Believe in God, But…”, because we all want to be single-minded, with what we say and what we do going together.

While we’re quick to spot hypocrisy in others, when we’re honest, we recognize it in ourselves too. This series will deal with the gap, the discrepancy between what we believe and the way we live. Don’t you want that? I do! I love that we’re all going to see the hypocrisy gap closed in our lives!

Here are some of the ringing lines from the weekend…

  • God will not bless the life of casual belief that is meant to be authentic faith where He changes you to be like Him from the inside out.
  • God never wanted to be a checkmark on a list. He never campaigned for your vote.
  • Jesus Christ died on the cross to win your heart. He gave up His own life to become the Ruler of yours!
  • God loves us too much to bless a check-mark, impostor-style belief in Him.
  • The world doesn’t need to see perfect people but people that mean it!
We can close the gap between our orthodoxy (right beliefs) and our orthopraxy (right actions). We can get to the cross where Jesus meets us and let Him make us TRUE people (not perfect!), but people who live what we believe. The cross bridges the gap and makes it possible!

This is going to be a year BEYOND BELIEF, a year where we go beyond a check-mark faith, beyond a prayer or a casual belief that doesn’t change us. He’s got much, much more for you than that! What if 2012 is the year you begin to live Beyond Belief in your marriage, your dating, your parenting, your finances, your purpose…beyond belief with your friends and relatives! What if?

I started out Vision Weekend with a bold promise (a promise like I rarely make). I promised that if you’ll come to this series with an open mind and a willing heart, God will do something significant in your life and in your soul. I meant it. Bring someone with you. I think we could all use a solidifying year, especially after such a beautiful 2011 in our church – such a maturing and a thickness and an honoring of the Lord.

p.s. Artists, teams, volunteers…you guys KILLED it this weekend! Thanks for going all out welcoming our honored guests. That service was remarkable, I heard the VIP was jam-packed, and Reverb…I loved that you were there in strength this weekend giving Fused a run for their money toward the balcony! It’s gonna be a FANTASTIC year…a year BEYOND BELIEF! Let’s dive in!

God’s Up to Something BIG

January 9, 2012 in Events,Quest,Quest Series,Sermons with

LOVED Vision Weekend at Quest Saturday & Sunday! WOW! God is up to something BIG! Can you feel it? Here’s just a small sampling of the buzz flying around the web…

  • Thx for a REMARKABLE Vision Weekend @PeteHise! Can’t wait for our most advancing, wholehearted year yet! #BeyondBelief
  • “Every one of us will give our life to something… Jesus Christ gave his life on the cross to win your heart.” @PeteHise@questcommunity
  • “God will not bless the life of casual belief that’s meant to be authentic faith where He changes u to be like Him” -@PeteHise  #BeyondBelief
  • Best time ever at church this wknd. I really feel like im goin beyond belief . Thanks @PeteHise
  • People want enough of God to get them out of hell & into heaven, but not enough to change their lives! Thnx so much @PeteHise for an amazing Vision Weekend!
  • Loved hearing about all the incredible salvations @QCC this wknd…God is in the House!
  • Thanks @PeteHise for leading us this Vision Weekend. The gap between what we believe and how we live is slamming shut!
  • Honored beyond belief to get to partner with @ElevationChurch#codeorangerevival! @stevenfurtick @PeteHise Can’t wait!!
  • Thx Pastor @PeteHise for preaching the word of God so boldly! Made me discontent w/ discrepency gap in my walk with Christ! #Redeemedlife
  • Pastor @PeteHise, just got done remixing #VisionWeekend with some @QCCFUSED 7th graders. Thanks for leading us all beyond belief!
  • You know the feeling that God is doing something big? Feeling it everywhere I turn today. VisionWknd, @questcommunity  #BeyondBelief
  • God loves us way too much to bless a “check-mark, impostor of  a shallow belief.” @PeteHise #VisionWeekend #gamechanger
  • The world doesn’t need to see perfect people but people that MEAN IT! -Pastor @PeteHise #BeyondBelief
  • Going #BeyondBelief in 2012! Amazing Vision Weekend Pastor @PeteHise and @questcommunity ! Putting Action to our Beliefs!
  • Blown away by my favorite Vision Weekend ever!! Thank you Pastor @PeteHise for leading us… I’m ready for a year that’s Beyond Belief!!

All In

January 3, 2012 in Guest Blogger,Quest,Sermons with

Pastor Kenny Land was in the house this past weekend wrapping up 2011 & ringing in 2012…a fitting way for our newest QCC Pastor to mark this milestone moment in a milestone year of our church. (Frankfort, I hope you were pumped to see your campus pastor going for it from the main stage in Lexington!)

I love having Kenny and Jess on board at Quest Frankfort. The passion God has placed in Kenny to be ALL IN is who God has hard-wired us to be as a community. It’s who He wired me to be…and I believe it’s how we’ll live out the plans and dreams God has for us individually and as a church. We’re meant to be people who live with audacious faith!

I tweeted this great verse yesterday…a verse I believe to my core:

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9

Get ready for our best year yet, Questers. Go ALL IN with Jesus. I can’t wait for what He’s got in store.

p.s. Here’s a glimpse of what Kenny had to say about this great community and his experience teaching this weekend…let’s follow his lead and go ALL IN in 2012!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The saying goes “Time flies when you are having fun.” If that is true, then this has to have been the most fun I have ever had. It was just 7 months ago when Jess and I moved our family to Frankfort, KY. We had no idea what to expect when Jesus called us to be part of the Quest Community family. All we knew for sure was that He had our “yes” in advance.

Now, in retrospect, I see more clearly the gift he was offering us…

  • I see the 72 lives that have been changed in Frankfort since May.
  • I see more than 1,000 eternities forever altered in the U.S. alone.
  • I see friends we have made that it seems like we have known forever.
  • I see ministries exploding in Lexington and Frankfort that are transforming unconvinced people into whole-hearted followers of Jesus.
  • I am living out Ephesians 3:20.

I would not have even known to ask Jesus for this beautiful community, and yet it was His plan all along. It makes me believe more for you and for the people I love than ever before.

Thanks for the privilege of speaking from the main stage in Lexington this weekend, Pastor Pete. I believe God has plans for us in 2012 that we can’t even imagine. Like I said, “He is calling us to the other side. Will you say yes?” We get the opportunity to be in the boat as we cross over and because of that, we know Him in deeper ways. Where others may know Him as “Teacher” , we know Him as “Peace Speaker”. It is out of that transforming knowledge we get to follow Him into uncharted territory. It is out of that place we get a front row seat to see Him do the miraculous. It is out of that place we get posed the question by Him like Isaiah did, “Who will I send? Who will go for us?”

We get the opportunity to respond like Isaiah and say “Here I am Lord, Send Me.” We get the honor, in great humility, to push our chips to the middle of the table and trust Him with the outcome. No matter if 2011 gave you 10,000 chips or if just 1 chip remains, you can still trust Him enough to go All-In in 2012.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thanks, Kenny. It’s a great question…“Will you go ALL IN with Jesus?” He’s already gone ALL IN with you. You can bank on it. How you respond will impact your whole year…and beyond.

 

Jesus: The Promise

December 20, 2011 in Quest Series,Sermons,That Just Happened with

What are you longing for?

What is it that you’re hoping for in your life? Your marriage? Your family? Have you given up hope or is it right there in front of you? This week our kids are counting down the seconds (and nanoseconds) waiting for Christmas morning to arrive.

For millennia, the people of God hoped and longed for God to fulfill His promise. They longed for the day when God would come Himself and dwell among us, when Immanuel would come and the Messiah would be born. They longed for the day when God’s ultimate promise would be fulfilled.

And one night in a little obscure village on the other side of the world, it was.

That first Christmas, the ultimate promise of God was fulfilled when He sent us the best He had, not just some slouch, but His Son…the Messiah. God ALWAYS keeps His promises.

It’s unbelievable that He’d make us any promise at all! He gives us life and the air we breathe…He’s not obligated to promise us anything. He just loves us that much. And in 2 Corinthians 1:20 says this, “no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.”

This weekend at Quest we spent time looking back at the promise of Isaiah 9. (Remarkable!)  Jesus entered the world as a helpless baby, but He is our…

  • Wonderful Counselor… the One who knows tomorrow, knows every word, every thought before formed. Knows the events of our lives, knows the date of our death. Knows when sun will shine & when rain will come down in torrents. He won’t just show us the way, He IS the way.
  • Mighty God…the God who not only has the power to calm the storms in our lives and help us through to the other side, but the only One with the power to forgive our sin and restore us to Himself.
  • Everlasting Father… the Father who always cares, who’s always present, who always provides, protects & draws us near. He is head over heels in love with you and He loves to meet your needs…sometimes disciplining and convicting, always adoring and embracing. You are dearly loved by the Most High God.
  • Prince of Peace…the One who longs to spill His peace into us so that the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts.

I pray this Christmas you’ll experience the promise of God as His faithful promises are fulfilled in your life. Jesus will always be true in your life and He is here to counsel you, show Himself strong in your life, re-parent you and give you peace. Have a great Christmas week reflecting on how much you’re loved by the God who left heaven to be WITH you…the only One who has ever loved you perfectly.

Jesus: Our Hope

December 13, 2011 in Quest Series,Sermons,That Just Happened with

Therapists and theologians alike agree that there is one ingredient in the recipe of life that humans can’t live without…at least not for very long…HOPE. We can live without wealth, fame or acclaim. We can be plain, have below-average intelligence, lack direction and have no purpose in life, but “when hope is lost, the heart is crushed.” (Prov 13:12)

For all of those struggling for hope, a baby’s cry was the signal of heaven that an irrepressible hope had been born. Hope was poured out on the shepherds 2000 years ago and on us just days ago as we looked at Jesus: Our Hope at our Christmas Baptism services.

Here are a few things that stood out:

  • Hopelessness is rampant. When we think “this will go one forever & will never change” we begin to experience a Hope Shortage and start to isolate ourselves, magnify negative circumstances, and embrace self-pity. But God loved us too much to leave us there!
  • Over time people in a hope shortage begin to develop Spiritual Amnesia: we overlook God’s blessings in our lives…forget His work in our past…distrust His faithful promises for the future. God’s remedy? To REMEMBER!
  • There is a distinct relationship between recalling God’s work in your life and having hope for the challenges ahead. When we begin to remember Jesus’ character, His heart and His enduring love, then hope begins to swell in our hearts…eventually overflowing w/confident hope from Jesus! (Romans 15:13)
  • In Luke 2, the shepherds were stunned out of a hope shortage by a series of events that would change them forever. They experienced a hope infusion we still talk about two millennia later. There is a phrase in verse 2:8 that does a good job describing the lives of shepherds, “outside the village.” They were not well thought of. They were poor, uneducated, mostly forgotten men…and God sends His messengers to these guys, of all people! He entrusts the GOOD NEWS the world had been waiting for…to them!
  • Make no mistake: The Miracle of Christmas is that it’s for those on the outside!
  • If you’ve ever felt on the outside…you’ve met your match. Take it from the shepherds. God took time to visit them in remarkable way…they were worth visiting. If God loves you, you are loved. If you’re valued by Him, then you’re valuable!
  • I was so proud of all of you who were baptized – both those of you who courageously shared the good news through your stories, and all of you who were spontaneously baptized at the conclusion of our worship experiences!
  • Seeing hope stirred up all weekend and finally born on the faces of so many of you who who once and for all asked Jesus into your hearts…there’s nothing like it in the WORLD! Congratulations!
  • WAY TO GO leading out in Being Christmas, Questers! We received 751 red bags filled with gifts for Millcreek and Bridgeport Elementary Schools!!! I wish you all could see their faces when they receive these unexpected gifts! WELL DONE! Keep stepping into the challenge to finish 2011 with fully funded ministries. What we saw this weekend is why we do what we do – and it all happens through your support!
  • Listen to these great words in 1 Samuel 2:8b – “He rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives.” God can rekindle hope in your life. Why not take Him up on it this Christmas?

4 Responses to Jesus

December 6, 2011 in Quest,Quest Series,Sermons,That Just Happened with

We find ourselves in a season that comes every year. You can feel it everywhere. Christmas is right around the corner – and like every year, we click into the routine of it all – maybe because we love it, maybe out of habit. But what if we didn’t do that this year? This past weekend we turned the page of our “Jesus” series to Christmas, asking Jesus to open our eyes to the new thing He wants to do in us. Because at its core, Christmas is new. A new era, a new day, a new dispensation of grace…the presence of God among us.

GOD IS WITH US.

In our darkness, God responded to us.

To a world that had largely forgotten Him, Jesus showed up on the scene…in person. Long before we knew to cry out for Him, He came for us. The story of Christmas is really a love story. God is a loving Father eager to do whatever it takes to get our attention so that we’ll receive the gifts He has for us. God shows up on our doorstep, personally…not just 2,000 years ago to Mary & Joseph, but to us.

How will you respond to Jesus?

Take some time this week and self-identify your response to Jesus. Analyze over the past few years/seasons which of the following is most like you?

  • A Willing Spirit (Mary): God shows up unexpectedly with a turn Mary never saw coming. God’s plan that would wreck her plans. And Mary responded with a willing spirit. “This wasn’t my plan, but Your pick is now my choice.” Is that you? When Jesus shows up – sometimes unexpectedly, how do you respond?
  • Indifference (The Innkeeper): He’s in every Christmas drama, but he’s is not directly in Bible. When Jesus showed up at his door, he had no room for Him. He was busy, his life was crowded, his attention was on other things. Jesus was on his doorstep and he did not recognize Him. He didn’t send Him far, but He never let Him get too close. How do you respond to Jesus? Do you put Him off? Is your response indifferent?
  • Pursuit (The Wise Men): The wise men were looking for signs of God in their lives and when they saw them, they tirelessly pursued Him for years. They put aside lesser pursuits and went all out to pursue the One who was pursuing them. They were determined not to miss what Jesus was doing in their own lives and in the world. Are you expectantly looking for Jesus to move in your life? Are you looking for Him? Ready to respond…to pursue Him?
  • Threatened (King Herod): God showed up in the most approachable way we can imagine and even then, Herod lashed out. He was afraid. He didn’t like what he perceived as a challenge. In his self-consumption and fear, he did everything in his power to KILL Jesus and to kill His work in the world. He was so caught up in building his own kingdom, He tried to destroy the King of Kings. How do you respond when you feel out of control? Are you afraid of what God’s presence might do in your life…in your family? Do you grasp for control any way you can?
You can choose how you’ll respond to Jesus this Christmas. You can throw off your old responses and let Jesus do a new thing in you. I pray you’ll choose a willing spirit, not indifference. I pray you’ll pursue Jesus, not your own kingdom. Jesus has been working hard to get your attention. Since that first Christmas, God has been reaching out and calling out to you as the Unexpected voice of love and hope and redemption in your broken world. How will you respond?


Abandon your “fake jesus” for good

November 22, 2011 in Quest Series,Sermons,That Just Happened with

This was a different kind of a weekend at Quest. We were in challenging territory as we took a ‘no-holds-barred’ look at the real Jesus – the One who always stirred things up. In the same way, this weekend stirred things up for many of us as we looked at why Jesus is so polarizing.

Jesus not just a kind, gentle compassionate moral teacher. He was not very well-liked. He was not well-behaved or well-received. He drew crowds, but He also repelled them. By the end of His life, He was not overly popular, or even very successful by the world’s standards…few followed Him. Fewer still stood by Him. He was not predictable, safe or manageable. Jesus was far more like His cousin John-the-Baptist than like the religious leaders of His day. A wild-man, rather than a comfortable cleric. If you look up the word polarizing in the dictionary, it says it is something that causes opposing points of view…then it shows Jesus picture. He always kept things on edge. If you encountered the real Jesus, I’m not sure you’d want Him in your life group or in your homes. I’m not sure you’d want to hire Him or want Him in the seat next to you when you’re worshiping. Jesus was raw. Jesus was polarizing. THEN & NOW.

When Simeon encountered Him as a baby 2000 years ago he said this about Jesus, ““This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” (Luke 2:34-35)

Jesus always stirred it up and it’s been said that it’s often in the places we’re stirred up that we experience the most spiritual transformation. I think that’s true. I encourage you to spend some time here.

Jesus dismissed the spiritual gray in the world. He turned the lights on and evicted the haze of spiritual confusion. He was crystal clear in every conversation, in every encounter. He is God’s dividing line of clarity in the world.

Through What He Said (turn the other cheek, bless those who persecute you, your sins are forgiven!)… What He Did (healing the blind, feeding the 1000s, turning the temple tables upside down, confronting the religious leaders!)… and What He Claimed (I am the WAY, the TRUTH & the LIFE…no one comes to the Father except through ME), Jesus was determined that we would not miss Him…that we would not confuse Him with just a soft-spoken, mild-mannered moral teacher. Jesus was fierce and strong and bold. He drew crowds and He repelled them. He took on the sin of the whole world and He defeated death itself. Jesus is like no one else in the world!

Whatever other pictures you’ve had of your “fake jesus,” whether it’s…

  • Happiness jesus… (here to meet your needs, do as you’d like & make your life happy)
  • Homespun jesus (a jesus you’ve crafted out of what your grandmother always told you mixed in with your own ideas)
  • Fix-Me jesus… (a genie always ready to come fix you up & make you all better)
  • Green jesus… (more concerned with saving the planet than rescuing people)
  • Right Wing jesus… (who shockingly always votes republican & who always agrees with you)
  • Co-dependenant jesus… (who perpetuates your emotional brokenness)

I want to challenge you to become so discontent with the “fake jesus” you’ve crafted to meet your needs that you would pitch him forever. Whoever he is, if he’s not the Jesus we read about in the pages of scripture, he is an imposter and he will ultimately leave you disappointed or disillusioned.

The real Jesus is the only One strong enough to confront death and free you from it’s power. He is the only One who can heal your heart and make you whole. He is the only One through whom we receive forgiveness of our sins. He is the One who heals marriages, breaks addictions, restores families, makes stingy people generous and unfaithful people faithful. I pray you’ll consider the real JESUS on His own terms.

Jesus didn’t come to repair you & make you happy. He came to redeem you & make you whole. The question is: do you want happiness or wholeness? If it’s wholeness, you’ll come to Jesus on His terms…as He really is. If it’s happiness, you’ll manipulate, emasculate and shrink him until it’s til not Jesus at all. It’s your choice…happiness for a day or wholeness for a lifetime.

I pray you’ll choose wholeness. I pray you’ll choose the real Jesus.

Was Jesus’ Mission a Success or Failure?

November 15, 2011 in Quest Series,Sermons,That Just Happened with

After 5 weeks of the “Jesus” series we’ve got some serious momentum! If you haven’t gotten to attend or at least listen/watch these past weeks, get caught up and make sure you don’t miss another week. God is doing something powerful in our church as we continue to get a clearer picture of who Jesus really is. This past weekend was no exception!

Assistant Pastor Justin McCarty brought us the message, along with our fantastic artists (strongly supported by one afro-sporting, eight-year old rapper!). Here are a few of his reflections:

Special thanks to all the musicians, dramatists, dancers and those that told their personal stories this weekend — you helped us experience the mission & heart of Jesus in brand new ways. And a big shout to Carson Hise who not only rocked Tobymac’s “Momentum”, but did it all on his 8th birthday — Happy Birthday, Carson!

This weekend was unique because the question “Was His Mission a Success or Failure?” actually came down to our answer. Jesus accomplished exactly what He set out to do: securing redemption by His death on the cross — but the ultimate success of the planet wide movement of redemption rests in our hands. In John 17, Jesus made it clear that people will believe in Him because of how we represent Him!

Here’s a recap of the 3 questions that helped zone in on how we’re contributing an answer to this week’s question:
  1. Is His heart becoming your heart?
  2. Is His mission becoming your mission?
  3. Is His sacrifice becoming your sacrifice?
Also, here were a couple of key lines from this past weekend that really seemed to resonate with lots of folks:
  • The plan of redemption begins with what appears to be failure.
  • The whole story about you hasn’t been told yet.
  • If the mission of redemption was worth the life of Jesus Christ, it’s worth yours!
  • Most of us will not be required to give our lives for the cause of Christ in a single moment, but all of us are called to give Him our lives one moment at a time.
  • God’s ultimate gamble: Will we relinquish the grip on our own lives and give it back to Him?
So grateful to Pastor Pete for the chance to bring this message this weekend! And can’t wait to have him back on stage this coming weekend as we tackle a topic that will definitely stir things up: Why Was Jesus So Polarizing?

Why Didn’t Jesus Fix the World?

November 8, 2011 in Quest Series,Sermons,That Just Happened with

I can recall in both my undergraduate and graduate work studying the topic of theodicy and the philosophical implications of what was called problem of evil — the challenging topic of why bad things happen to good people. After being a pastor for many years, I now realize this topic, more than most, can spin us off of our axis and detour us in our spiritual journeys. Pain has a way of shipwrecking our faith and hijacking our experience of God’s love like nothing I’ve seen. Hurt and disappointment can quickly cause call someone to call God’s character into question.

I was eager this week for a chance to speak to this topic (as I have many times in the past). The reflections and reactions of what God accomplished this week have been so encouraging. If you weren’t at one of our campuses or able to worship online with us (Saturday at 5:55 or Sunday at 9:30 and 11:30), here’s a link to the Quest website where you can watch it yourself. I encourage you to go there and listen since I won’t be hitting everything here – just the highlights.

I’d like to bring up two key points on this topic from the weekend:

  1. God sees our pain and our struggle, and He hurts when we hurt. It’s central to character of Christ to weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh. You are dearly loved by the One who made you. He is eager to step into the experience of our lives — as is commensurate with His desire to have deeper and deeper intimacy with everyone who’s willing. You are not alone in your tears. As Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.” In fact, Jesus wept over Lazarus with with Mary and Martha, even though He knew He was about to raise him from the dead. He enters in because He cares and He loves us. You matter to Him.
  2. While we would love Jesus to fix the world…and more directly, fix our lives, and we pray prayers to that end, the New Testament is abundantly clear it was not Jesus’ mission to FIX the world, but to REDEEM it. Jesus always has a deeper work in mind. As we saw this weekend in Mark, chapter 2, He was far more interested in healing the broken man’s soul more than his body, but He lovingly did the latter also. Millions have experienced the same over the last 20 centuries – a healing and redeeming of the soul. Sometimes while Jesus is healing someone’s inner world, past, marriage, and identity, sometimes He also fixes their life (directly and sometimes indirectly) as a result of the deeper healing…the deeper work of redemption. Rest assured in your life, there’s a deeper healing to come. Jesus has a deeper healing, a deeper intimacy and a deeper work in mind for you.

No one is outside His reach. No one is beyond His redemption. He wastes nothing…neither the good or the bad in our lives. He will use it all to draw us to Himself…to redeem us and to build intimacy with us. In tears and in laughter, He enters in with us and reminds us of His great love.

After this great weekend, I really hope I’ll be someone who cries out for the deeper work Jesus has for my life – more than seeking after quick fixes. Bear in mind, Jesus is the Savior of the World, preparing us for the world to come. He is neither a genie handing out wishes or a vending machine where we push a button and what we want drops into our lives. One day every living being will see Him for who He really is, and on that day, as we read in Revelation 21, He will make all things new. He will heal everything that’s been broken — in “only Jesus” fashion. He loves us too much to give us any less than Himself — the Savior of the World, the Messiah — the healer of our hearts and the redeemer of our souls.

p.s. Part of the beauty and joy in this remarkable church are the people I get to to do this life and ministry with…people I never saw coming. They are such gems to my life and ministry. There is no better example of that than Dani Anderson, who is celebrating her six year anniversary as my assistant this week. Dani does an amazing job, serving me, my family and this church. She and her husband Chris are just remarkable people. If you see Danielle this week, wish her a happy anniversary – she makes a huge difference for the kingdom.

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