Crowds Suck

In our passage today, Jesus had just performed an amazing miracle by feeding several thousand with five loaves of bread and two fishes. So amazing was it that people saw in Jesus someone who would be a physical provider for them. Think about it, with Jesus around you would never have to work, you would never run out, not even of wine, and you would always have what ever you wanted.
And People flocked to Jesus to be that provider.
But Jesus did something even more amazing.

Matthew 14:22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

Yea, He sent them away.

Why is this important? Because its important to note that Jesus has no interest in a crowd. A crowd is nothing more than a group of people gathered for thier benefit where a church is a group of people gathered together for others benefit.
and too many people think that a crowd is what God is looking for. They believe that because people are gathered together in His name that it must be of God, but like many today, they are only gathered together for what Jesus can give them.

They come to Jesus for physical provision
They come to Jesus for financial provision
They come to Jesus for emotional provision (Many who worship Him in Churches do so out of a personal emotional benefit)

and when Jesus doesn't provide those things they leave Him in a heart beat.

Its not that Jesus isn't interested in numbers, but He is seeking those numbers who want to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. (John 4:23-24)

Truth is, Jesus isn't interested in Crowds. Crowds suck the life out of Him as they do the church.

So here is my question.
Are you a Christian (a disciple) or part of the Crowd?
How do you know?
Ask yourself these questions.

#1 Why do I follow Jesus?
Am I willing to follow Him if it costs me physically, financially, and even emotionally or do I follow what is popular, what is easy, what everyone else is following?

#2 Do I Give or do I Take?
When it comes to Christianity am I really willing to give my life to His cause or am I always seeking how I can benefit from the cause?

#3 Do I question God's provision?
Is having Jesus enough for me?

Historically, its not been the crowd who has changed the world but those few disciples who were willing to live and give their whole lives to reach the world, even at the cost of thier own.

Are You?

They thought the Titanic was Safe, But Jesus wasn't involved

When it comes to following Jesus it is difficult at times to understand why we go through what we go through in life. The difficulties, the battles, the problems all cause confusion. For me this lesson from Sunday July 15th helped me in a big way and so I thought that I would re post every point one day at a time to allow for more opportunities to further explore this truth.

Point 1 - Jesus Develops Disciples

Matthew 14:22 (KJV) And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

When God created man, He did so for a reason, and that reason is relationship.

He being a God of love created us to be loved and love. This is at the core of His being. (1 John 4:8 b)

But the Love God created us for was not a mechanical love but a pure love. A Love that comes from the heart, willing, and wanting relationship with Him. To experience this Love of God and towards God man has to be exposed to not only who God is but what He is and does.

and to do develop a relationship with God we must all go on a journey of exploration.

This is called Life and Jesus was sent so that we could see God. In our passage we find a couple of things that we might want to examine in our own lives.

#1 Jesus has a goal for YOU. To get the Disciples to the other side.

Where they were was not sufficient relationally and so Jesus was allowing a circumstance to occur to deepen that relationship.

Jesus has a goal for you and I. He wants us to know Him more, but to know Him is to experience Him and that requires a Journey to a place different than you are.

So here is a question.

Where do you think Jesus is trying to move you to in Life?

If you could guess, what would be His goal for you?

#2 Jesus has to push YOU. The bible says that Jesus Constrained the disciples, meaning that they didn't want to go. As fishermen they knew a storm was brewing as well as how crazy it was to go at this time. But Jesus had to push them into this experience.

Truth is most of us struggle with trials. Even if we know that our lives will be improved by them we still need to be pushed at times into situations and circumstances that we fear.

Where is Jesus applying pressure to you today?

What are you being convicted by?

You know life would be better if you experienced it but your fearful.

My suggestion today is seek the Lord for the answers to these questions and then...........GET IN THE BOAT.

You might know its gonna get rough but Jesus is trying to develop your relationship with Him.

GET IN THE BOAT

Read 1 Peter 1:6-9 for encouragement

An Amazing Story

I was just wondering what some of you though of Lori's story on Sunday. Especially her mothers statement. (I might be paraphrasing a little)
"If I am not worth Loving, Life's not worth Living"

That has haunted me because I think of the number of people who feel as she did.
For me it only shows me that the bible is true.
"The Greatest of these is Charity or Love"

Keep on Loving newLife, give them HOPE!

Staff Questions

Last night I met with the ministry leaders of newLife and I shared with them a simple truth that I thought was important enough to share with you as well. Here it goes.

The truth that we want to recognize is that if the Church is the Bride of Christ than it is valuable to God. The Church was purchased by His Sacrifice, established by His Providence, empowered by His Holy Spirit and pursued Passionately through His Love.

Than it ought to be valuable to those who follow Him.
and as God gave His all for the Church (Eph. 5:25) so should we.

The Calling the church has is to reach the world with the Good News of Jesus and there is way more at stake with that calling than any business on the planet.

Looking then at the secular world, the church ought to be doing things better than the world. better than Apple, better than Disney, better than anyone.

When it came to saving mankind God did not go and get the lowliest of Angels to die for mankind, He came, He suffered, He paid for our sins.

He gave His BEST for the BEST and His followers should do the same.

Which is why God says that an Obedient Christian is one who serves Him with ALL your heart, and ALL your soul.

Deuteronomy 11:13-17 (KJV) ¹³ And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
¹⁴ That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
¹⁵ And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
¹⁶ Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
¹⁷ And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

Joshua 22:4-5 (KJV) ⁴ And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.
⁵ But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Which is why God says that an Honest Christian serves Him with ALL your heart, considering all of the GREAT things He has done for YOU. And to not serve Him with ALL your Heart would be SIN.

1 Samuel 12:24-25 (KJV) ²⁴ Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
²⁵ But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

Again God says that the Christian that does not give ALL their Heart to Him cannot find Him. (this is for those who claim to know God but give halfhearted offerings of their time, talents and tip instead of tithe.

Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV) ¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And for those who use the excuse that they are tired because they worshipped their secular jobs, Jesus said the first commandment was to Love God with ALL your heart, Soul, Mind, and STRENGTH.

Mark 12:29-31 (KJV) ²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: ³⁰ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
³¹ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Here is my Question for us:

Did you give your best to the Church on Sunday?

Did the Greeters give ALL their Best or did you show up whenever?

Did the Music ministry give ALL their Best or did you slide by?

The one Ministry that I know that gave their best was our Children's Ministry!

They set the example for us as they are well prepared, they are wildly passionate, and they are wonderfully producing the BEST Children's ministry in Astoria.

When you come, does the Church get your BEST, your ALL or do they get what is left?

Just a side note, Apple and Disney expect their employees to give their all to the success of the company, what do you think God expects of us since He gave nothing less to us?

Just a Little Thought

Somebody Honor Somebody

Grinch Christians?

As I was studying this morning I began to get a vision of people that I have known throughout my years in Ministry and I got stuck on one type of Christian.
The Grumpy one.

They never really smile as there's not much happiness in them.
They have strong beliefs about the bible but little faith that brings joy.
They struggle to get close to people and tend to lean towards judgementalism.
They know their bible, and why we use one, but they don't know God or others.

They fit well in the kind of church we used to be, cold and controlled.
But they fight to fit in here where Loving God and Others is celebrated.

and they make me sad.
So today I will be praying for you grumpy Christian to come to know the God to whom you claim. And by knowing Him begin to bear the Fruit of the Spirit to which #2 is Joy.

Philippians 1:25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

A Letter to newLife from Pastor A

There are five things that I want to share with you this morning.

#1 Its Done. Kind of. The main auditorium work has been finished as of 8:30 am this morning thanks to the strong minds of many men and the strong backs of a couple of teens! This fall we will tape, texture, and paint. But not when the sun is shining.

#2 Its Great. The picnic was at least. It was great to see the Sun come out, great to see several new families come out, great to see the adults beating the teens in volleyball, and great to see so much joy in one place.

#3 Its Strange. The way you responded to the American Idol skit. It was like we were really there. I just hope that we continue to give God the same Enthusiasm.

#4 Its Awesome. To see the age of our current crop of men and women taking the step of Baptism. Its not religious but real and we have another one this Sunday!

#5 Its Exciting. I can't wait to see how much Mercy God shows us as we develop in Prayer as individuals and as a body.

newLife never gets old