Quiet Times Search

John 8:10-11 - When they were going to throw stones - Jesus just didn't say no
He said - one who is deserving of the same fate, go ahead

Jesus called what it is was - sin:

1. Not a fault
2. Not a cultural problem
3. Not a weakness

Was she being used by the Pharisees? Yes
Was she the product of a culture that oppressed women? Yes
Was she probably from a "bad" home? Yes

Sin enslaved us - John 8:31-34
Respect and love were the last things she expected
Jesus gave her freedom to change and was willing to forgive

 Sometimes we think repentance is more difficult than it is - Jesus called for immediately
We like to stall - think about it a while, talk about it

Is it hard for me to confront others in their sin?
Do I accept or resist others when they confront me with your sin?
What sin do I find difficult to leave behind me?

• Was it because his frustration level reached his limit?
• Was it because he finally had enough?
• Was it because he was going to have the last word before they killed him?
• Was it because he had justification for all things them did to him?

When Jesus first heard the news about Lazarus, Jesus declared that his illness was not going to be fatal - John 11:4

When Lazarus died, the disciples probably thought that he really blew it this time

Good thing Jesus called lazarus by nameotherwise every corpse in cemetery may have come out

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection after three days in the tomb

Jesus is a victor over death
The phrase goes: Two things are certain - death and taxes

While some could not pay taxes for a while; no one but Jesus can conquer death

Do you fear death? How does your relationship with Jesus change the way you once thought?

• Abraham
• Moses
• Esther
• Daniel
• Joesph - 13 years of set backs and suffering but became second in command to Pharaoh

• Noah was commissioned by God to build a large ship in the middle of a dessert
• Only his family would be persuaded to follow him into the ark
• He did it for one reason: obedience to God

1. A sound concept of repentance - God's kindness leads to repentance - Romans 2:4
   
2. Understanding of the purposes of God's gifts - point of the blessing is the blessing themselves but the ultimate outcome of our lives
   
3. Understanding of God's timetable - God's goal is always our repentance - 2 Peter 3:9

• Not holding to things
• Not grasping on
• Not saving ourselves
• No protectiveness
• Not a way of comfort

• Jesus served humbly as their servant - his life was all about love
  
• All men will know you as a disciple by your love of one another
• Distinctive mark by which Christians are recognized
• Does not say "they will know by your doctrine"

• People would beat tools of division into tools of peace - Isaiah 2:4
• Impossible unity - Isaiah 11:6-9
• Men would protect each other - Isaiah 32:2

• Praying for show - Matthew 22:29
• Studying the scriptures - Matthew 22:29

Gentleness

Mark 1:29-34

• At times we need to raise our voices and push in order to get things done.
• At the same time using gentle tone and pitching in to help will accomplish far more good.

Fueling

Mark 1:35-39

• People who love sleep don’t usually change the world
• Jesus slept when he had the time
• Jesus was extremely eager to pray
• Most of us live with only a vague idea of purpose
• Our personal ministries – can be tempted to lose the fire, to settle down, and get comfortable
• We laugh and patronize at younger friends who are “idealist, zealots, and radicals

Amazing Speech

Mark 6:1-6

Suspicions and fear can evaporate because of love and openness

1. Deep Conviction

• Listeners who put his words into practice were wise
• How convicted are you about what you’ll be saying?
• Think about what to say instead of how it will come across

2. Passion - If the speaker isn’t moved by the message, how can he expect it to move anyone else?

3. Integrity - Speaker must take plank out of their own eye before one can challenge other on the same topic

4. Person to person

• Speak at their level mean not “to talk down to” or “to talk up to” an audience.
• Apologizing without reason, belittles himself
• Jesus was above us, but he came down to our level

5. Inspirational

• Conservative and low-key he will have no impact
• We all want our lives to count for something

6. Practical

• Message must be practical and applicable
• He specifically addressed the sins in their lives
• He gave them direction, and at times He told them exactly what to do

7. Meet the Need - Out of touch with the needs on the audience can actually make things worst then they are.

Sounding the Alarm

Mark 7:1-13

• Living by traditions = living in vain, a waste of time.
• Jesus was not afraid to rebuke people, to “lay it out” when it was necessary.
• When stirring up things, some people wake up to discover a true relationship with God or they will become furious
• People of impact do not hesitate to raise their voices in order to shake people out of their slumber.
• They are not afraid on how people react when they are disturbed from their sleep.
• It is wrong to be silent and leave people comfortable in their false sense of security

Protectiveness

• He stood up for his followers.
• Jesus took responsibility for his disciple’s actions
• When a leader stands up for and protects his followers, a strong loyalty is forged

Time Management

Mark 8:27-30

• Jesus lived a very busy life.
• Jesus often accomplished several things at once.
• Jesus knew time was limited.

Reputation

• We also need to find out how others perceive us.
• We shouldn’t fear their disapproval.

Timing

Mark 8:31-33

• He did not reveal things prematurely.
• There is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him. – Ecc 8:6

Approachability

• Peter and the other disciples knew that they could say anything to Jesus and he would continue to accept them.
• A leader must be approachable.
• Approachability is not the product of timidity.
• People won’t open up to someone they perceive as being weak and unable to help them.
• Approachability is the fruit of those who have the ability to listen completely before responding.
• Confidentiality: Public offenses demand public discipline. (What goes around comes around)

• He was furious about the fruitfulness of another “tree” that he had planted, watered, weeded, fertilized.
• Jesus cleared the temple at the beginning of His ministry and also here at the end of His of His ministry
• There was no fear of God.
  

• Jesus knew the right place and the right time the do the things needed.
• He was disciplined and self-controlled for just the right time.
  

• What made Jesus angry was the stubborn refusal of most to change.
• A willingness to change is a precious and seemingly rare behavioral characteristic.
• Become exceedingly insecure and defensive when we are awakened to the existence of personal deficiencies.
• We must also get angry about obstinacy in our own lives and other people’s lives.

• Why didn’t anyone try to stop Jesus as he was taking over the temple? (Only one person and many of them)
• They knew that they were in the wrong.
• Teachers of the law and chief priests feared Jesus
  
• If people consider you a “nice guy” and are not in awe of you, you probably won’t have much impact.

• Explained very practically how they could pray.
• A person can be effective at almost anything by simply mastering the basics.
• Answered prayer will only amaze those who are not themselves faithful in prayer.
• He taught them whatever they lacked; his teachings were very flexible.
  

• Forced them to choose between exposing their heart toward John or their unresponsive hearts toward the Word of God.
• How do you handle confident and aggressive people?
• How would you react to a public put down in front of friends and co-workers?
• Make a decision not to buckle when things get hot.
• Remember those over us (bosses, leaders) are only mere men and women.

• meta = after, change, implies there was a before
• noia = denotes the faculty of physical and intellectual perception, then also the power to arrive at moral judgments

• The great love for surveys and polls
• We can not repent if we do not know that we have drifted – It takes a prophet of God
• See how different the prophets in your life live.

• Metanoia happens internally, fruit happens externally
• Sometimes we say, “You need to repent” – which may have meant “get it together” (a heart bypass)
• Becomes “need to” instead of “want to”
• It is easier to disciple the behavior than it is to address the mind and heart
• Consider things above – instead of considering behavior, consider the kingdom of God
• Metanoia is no technique; it’s an inside-out transformation

1. How have you broken your covenant with God?
2. Are scriptures sufficient for your repentance?
3. Do you agree with the author’s assertions that repentance isn’t something we do in order to return to God, it is our return to Him? Why or Why not?
4. How does fear play a positive role in our repentance?
5. Do your standards for morality reflect a biblical standard or simply a modern one?
6. Why do prophets go after the leaders of a society?
7. How does metanoia differ from the fruit of metanoia? How does this distinction help you repent?

• flirtation to a pure friendship
• gossip to a righteous conversation
• alcohol to a friendly gathering
• pornography to a web search
• shoplifting to a normal shopping trip

• Must set mind on things above
• Not - Just read and pray more
• Not - Accountability partners
• Not - making it a habit

• Started with only a few men.
• He was not concerned with programs to reach the multitudes but with men whom the multitudes would follow.
• Initial objective was to enlist men who could bear witness to His life and carry on His work.
• Early effort at soul winning had little to no effect on the religious.
• Turned out that the early convert became great leaders of His church.
• Who were they?
  • Common labors
  • No academic degrees
  • From the poor side of Galilee (Judas only exception)

• Bad character traits of His disciples:
  • Impulsive
  • “Unlearned and Ignorant”
  • Their abilities were limited
  • Temperamental
  • Easily offended
  • Often mistaken in their judgment
  • Slow to comprehend spiritual things
  • Had many prejudices.
• Good characteristics traits of His disciples:
  • Teachable
  • Willing to confess their need
  • Hearts were big
  • Sincere yearning for God
  • They were fed up with the hypocrisy of their leaders

• His teaching rotated between instruction and assignment
• Questions, illustrations, warnings, and admonitions were calculated to fill His work to evangelize the world.
• When the disciples were sent out they gathered themselves to see what things had been done
  • They were expected to share their experiences
  • Previous mission there was no mention of any spectacular success
  • They gain additional experience
  • Jesus cautioned the disciples against pride in their accomplishments
• Demon-possessed boy – lesson on how they needed more prayer and fasting
• Loaves and fish – lesson on faith they God will provide
• Lessons of patience
  • Danger of discouraging any sincere work - “Those who are not against you are for you” - Mark 9:50
  • Do little the little one stumble - Mark 9:42
  • Encounter resistance - Call down fire from heaven - Luke 9:51-54
  • Jesus came to save not destroy - Luke 9:55

• On the job training – let followers have experience or make some observations of their own
• Gave them greater awareness of their deficiencies
• Kept disciples going toward the goal He had set before them.
• He did not expect more from His disciples than they could do
• He did expect their best
• We never assume the work is done. Ask lots of question / probe.
• There are many things that can happen to frustrate, discouraged or defeated.
• The goal is world conquest.
  • Never dare to let a lesser concern capture us.
  • No further training or inspiration needed.
  • Focus can easily be on us.
• The ability of a worker is not developed if there is no supervision
• Our little efforts can be a excuse for not doing more.
• We can lose the advantage years of hard work and sacrifice.
• Disciples must be brought to maturity
• We have not been called to hold the fort but storm the heights.

• We may not be conscious of the plan of every action
• Actions invariably unfold some kind of pattern at the center of things.
• Our objective that we can discover may not be very satisfying
• We should seek to find a way to incorporate the wisdom of Jesus’ strategy into our own preferred method of evangelism.
• Variety is in very structure of the universe
• Master gives us an outline to follow but He expects us to work out the details.(local circumstances and traditions)
• One unwilling to fail in the determination to find a way will never get started
• People afraid to try and try again will not make much progress.
• Finding and training men to reach men

• Giving an explanation will not suffice.
• World must have a demonstration of what to believe – “Follow me, I know the way!”
• We must seek them. We must win them. We must pray for them.
• Practicals
  • Begin with a few
  • Stay together – see us on what they need to become
  • See how the message relates to daily experiences
  • Becomes intimately practical.
• Give them time – they can be with us while we are doing other things
• Arrange special times of:
  • Study the Bible
  • Pray
  • General sharing of deepest burdens and desires
• Expect results from them gradually

• To seek the person out
• Speak frankly
• Make every effort to build unity - Ephesians 4:3
  

• Everything must be re-examined
• Everything must be reconsidered
• Every desire, dream, use of money and time
• Now everything must have a kingdom-first focus

1. When you don't have daily times with God in the Bible and prayer
2. Responsibilities to the church are a burden
3. Not happy or consistent in giving
4. Personal comfort, desires direct life's decisions
5. Can't find the time to share your faith
6. Gain greater feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction serving another "kingdom"
7. You have greater regard and protection of your schedule
8. Discipleship times, family devotionals not deep or consistent
9. Gaining one more than is greater than gaining one more soul
10. Dreams center more in this world than in the kingdom

• Children blame parents
• Spouses blame each other
• Employees blame employers
• Society blame political administration
• Present political administration blame previous one

• What can I learn from this problem?
• What is your will for my life?
• What can I change that will make his/her life and our marriage better?

• We think we are not worthy
• Our faith is weak
• We don't know what we want - we need to dream

• Seldom confess
• Confess only when there is a "big" sin
• Consistently confess sin
• Am open even about temptations

Practicals for being like Jesus - putting others above ourselves:

1. Make a list of specific time when someone has met your needs - remember how you felt
2. Think in detail about others needs around you - family, friends, other Christians
3. Put yourself is other's shoes - How would you want you to treat you?
4. Do it now. - Don't just think - DO
5. Think about ways others don't want to be treated
6. Don't do these things
7. Maintain a grateful heart and attitude toward God and others
8. Keep meeting others needs with praise or recongnition

Biblical Principles of Reconcilation:

1. Realize the urgency and importance of being reconciled - Matthew 5:23-24
   • God would rather you patch up things with your brother than worship him
   • Have you called someone on a Saturday night to talk so you can worship God acceptably  the next day?
2. Accept the obligation and possibility of reconciliation
3. Know that we cannot always have our way
   • Reconciliation does not mean that everone will agree; power of the gospel is diversity working together in harmony
4. Make every effort to work things out - Ephesians 4:3
5. Forgive as the Lord forgave you - Colossians 3:13
6. Pray for your enemies (against human nature - Matthew 5:44

Examples of Conflict in the Bible

Euodia and Syntyche - Philippians 4:2-3

1. Conflict happens - normal part of a relationship
Its ultimate effect depends on our response to it
Are we sharping each other or making each other more dull - Proverbs 27:17

2. The goal is to agree

3. We may need help from a third party

David and the jealous king Saul - 1 Samuel 24:8-22

David's conduct with Saul was above reproach; He did everything he could to work things out

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people - Romans 12:18
Peace requires both parties to desire it

There are things that depend on us and others that are out of our conotrl

Some things that depend on us

We can always have a gracious attitude

Paul choose to focus on the result - Christ is being proclaimed - Philippians 1:15-19

We can always be humble

Consider others better than ourselves - Philippians 2:3-4
Walk worthy of the calling - with all humility and gentleness - Ephesians 4:1-2

We can always be positive - Philippians 2:14-15

We can always listen - James 1:19-20

We can always control our anger - James 1:20

Some things are our of control when to comes to reconciliation but they are many things within our control to build a relationship

• Who God is
• What God can do
• The changes he can make
  
• The victory he will most certainly achieve

• Bits into the mouth of a horse
  
• A rudder on a large ship
• A spark that starts a large fire
• Taming wild animals is easier that taming our own tongue

1 Corinthians 1:20-23 - Jesus came to bring salvation; to some he became a stumbling block

Romans 14:10-24...

• We are free to do many things with our faith
• Personal freedom must be balanced with personal responsibilty for others
• Questions to ask: Will my personal freedom be a stumbling block to others?
• v15 - brothers were distrussed by other's freedom - that is where is know we have gone too far with our freedom
• Areas we say it is our right to control
  • Music
  • Dating
  • Contribution
  • Evangelism
  • Commitment to church

Which is better to have?

• Win the battle of your rights or win the war of salvation for someone?
• Your opinon or unity of Jesus' church?

Preached by John Lusk (2005-01-30)

How passionate are you about maturing?

• Being a new Christian, it was easiler because everything was new. Now what?
• We must have the correct motivation if we are to continue maturing in the long run.

Motivation of Maturing

1. To regain your identify

Genesis 1:26-27

• We need to realize who we are suppose to be
• Duck example
  • First thing it sees when it is born it assumes is its mother and will follow it around
  • If the baby duck follows something other than another duck, it will get frustrated because it can only do what duck do
• Human example
  • We were made to be like God
  • We see other things and try to follow the world
  • We also get frustrated because worldly persuits are not what were designed for

2. To remian in Jesus

1 John 2:3-4 - This is a expectation from God

3. To be effective and productive

2 Peter 1:4-8

• Must make every effort
• It would be sad to find out in the end we were ineffective and unproductive
• Others need you to grow!
• Your growth rate will determine how much you are effective, not where you are right now

4. Secure salvation

2 Peter 1:8-11 - We have been given a new start

Wrong motivation - Pleasing people, selfish ambition

Preached by Richard Dixson (1997-05-18)

1 Samuel 16:7

• Worldly things look more appealing
• The people saw the others with better things
  • Most important thing:
    • Everyone spends time to get ready
    • Do you spend more time getting ready for the outside appearance than your inward?
    • The heart is most important

Psalms 51:4-9

• Being true to one's self
• When our conscience violated things are not fun
• Renew the steadfast spirit

Special Place for a special for a special friend

Psalms 63:2-4 - Remember God's Power

Psalms 63:6-7 - The night bed and protection from God

Psalms 91:4 - We are being attacked all the time

Psalms 63:8 - Confidence - God holds us up

• Beauty
• Affliction

• Been there, done that
• Life sucks, then you die
• How is it going? "Same old thing"

• Friendship
• Marriage
• Children
• Holidays

• Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
• Tree of Life

Sometimes God seems cruel:

• Unemployed
• Search for spouse

Isn't this the reason we fear to desire in the first place?

Unless we understand our desperate hearts and our tenacity to arrange life as we want it - these events seem cruel

Eden - we had it all but we threw it away by mistrusting God's heart and taking control of what we wanted
Adam and Eve set into motion what we now call addiction

Addiction exists whenever persons are internally compelled to give energy to things that are not their true desires

Addition becomes our idol - we must give it up
Anything can become an idol, even "good" things: work, hobbies, etc

Zealot = a man who aims at overthrows

Jesus mission was to overthrow Satan's ruling government over the earth

1 John 3:7-8
• Jesus came to destroy Satan
• A zealot has a cause
• What was Jesus' cause?
  • Save man from hell
  • Save man from himself
  • Save man from Satan
Matthew 26:50-55
• They saw Jesus as a renigade

Cause worth living for

Luke 9:25
• What good is it?
• What would you write down as things that you are trying to gain?
• Living for Jesus is living life to the full

Luke 10:10
• Sometimes life is not fair
  • Through salvation (Judgement) comes fairness
• We hurt ourselves with the question "WHY?"
  • Like we can demand an answer from God
2 Corinthians 5:14
• Love compels us not out of duty

Preached by Richard Dixon on 1999-10-03

Matthew 9:12

• God is looking for the person that make need for Him appearant.
• Why do we need to be healed?

Psalms 73:1-17

• They "seem to have no struggles".
• What happens behind closed doors?

10 things that can hurt us:
 

1. Hurt by others	6. Frustration
2. Hurt by yourself	7. Mistake towards another
3. Internal Sin	8. Unresolved Issues
4. Lack of Purpose	9. Not Forgiving Yourself
5. Failure	10. Not Forgiving others

Sometimes we become like rolly pollies. 
(Clam up if someone gets to close)

• How did Jesus walk?
• How do you walk?

• Jesus was willing to serve
• Are you willing?

• Zealous for God
• Mad about disgrace of God's name
• What is your heart?

• Jesus hanging out with different people
• Religious person vs women with five husbands
• Great #s come to believe
• Do you limit who you are with?

• Jesus had amazing faith
• Do you believe that God will work things out?

• - Jesus tried to help and encourage
• - How have you reachout to others?

Restoration of the world is play out each spring and summer
Jesus preached more than sin management and forgiveness

He annouced the coming of the kingdom of God

• Preaching the good news of the kingdom - Matthew 4:23
• Repent and believe the good news - Mark 1:15
• Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God - Luke 8:1
• He appeared to them for 40 days and spokr about the kingdom of God - Acts 1:3

God's kingdom - his will is done "on earth as it is in heaven"
In heaven, everything is as it was meant to be
Isn't every one of our sorrows on earth the result of things not being as they were meant to be?

Jesus healed every disease and sickness among the people - Matthew 4:23
He spoke and the kingdom of God and healed those who needed healing - Luke 9:11 

The kingdom of God brings restoration
Life is resotred to what it was meant to be

Eden was exactly as God meant for it to be
Jesus came to make all things new - Revelation 21:5
He does not say he is make all new things, rather, the things that been broken will be restored
Not new glass or crutches but new eyes and legs

Jesus called himself the Son of man to state clearly that he was what man was suppose to be
What happens to him when he dies? He is resurrected as himself, not some else - only healed and very much alive
Creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed - Romans 8:19

Too many of us have placed eternity somewhere out there
We seem to forget that we will get the earth back as well

I will create new heavens and a new earth - Revelation 21:1
When he says he is making all things new, he includes the earth

Won't the whole earth be destroyed?
That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat - 2 Peter 3:12

Noah's day of the Lord
By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed - 2 Peter 3:6
World was destroyed in the sense that all wickedness and corruption of mankind - Genesis 6-7
Fire is also used for cleansing throughout the Scriptures

To know and to be known. It is our deepest ache.
Our bodies are an outward sign of an inward reality

Love makes us to crazy things for love. No union on earth like the consummation of love between a man and woman
Lovers reach for the stars to find words fitting enough to express what the beloved means to them - to a clue to a deeper reality

Becoming one - this is what God is seeking with us
Gender, sexually and marriage server as a lving metaphor
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother ... and the two will become one flesh... I am talking about Christ and the church - Ephesians 5:31-32
The cross is a great mystery - but in context of sacrifing animal - it became clear what they had been doing and what Christ was doing

Bible is the greatest romance ever written
God has given us the highest freedom of all - the freedom to reject him
Love is possible only when it is freely chosen

Sexual intimacy is the closest parallel we have to real worship

The best impostors succeed because they are nearly indistinguishable from what they are trying to imitate
We worship sex and other things because we don't know how to worship God

Our hearts live for "an experience of worship that fills our being with a joy that is so deeply in awe that we are barely aware of ourselves
Our worship services don't get anywhere near something like our wedding night

Men have a hard time relating to the bridal imagery used in Scripture

The fear of being bored is an unspoken fear of many about the life coming

Parable of the talents, what do the faithful get when they are rewarded?

More work!
You have faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things - Luke 19

Wouldn't a vacation be better?
Jesus believes he is sharing something delightful with us
Come and share your master's happiness - Matthew 25:23

• Thunderclouds gather over the prairies
• Plant grow or start to grow and lift heavenward
• Maple leaves are woven
• New stars are born every day
• There is always a sunset and sunrise somewhere on the Earth

• Fill up on snack on Thanksgiving
• Buy gifts for one's self for Christmas
• Look for a date at his own wedding rehearsal

1. We must have life
2. We cannot arrange for it
3. It is coming

• We can see the humanity of Jesus
• Because his hunger was real, we can learn something about ours
• Hunger is normal, except it
• Don't be embarrassed by it, don't try to hide it
• We end up repenting of the wrong thing

Grief is the antidote to the incessant possessive demand within

Sow in tear = song of joy - Psalms 126:5

Two spiritual discipline we need

1. Worship - must adore God deliberately and regularly
2. Grief - must allow a time for sorrow to do own personal sowing

Making time to grieve may sound strange
Just because we do not feel it does not mean it is not there
There are thousands of distractions these days
Sometimes it comes out in a song or movie
Sometimes small disappointments can be a door into the room of grief

Beauty and affliction are the only two things that can pierce our hearts
We must have a measure of beauty in our lives proportionate to our afflication

1. God shows up
2. The lights turn on for those who respond
3. Their heart is lifted; grateful tears flow
4. Faith, hope, and love seem like the only way to live
5. The next week, it is though nothing happened

1. God delivers his people from the Egyptians by his display of power - plagues, passover, red sea
2. Israelites celebrate with singing and dancing
3. Israelites complain about the water supply
4. God provides sweet water
5. They complain about the food
6. God drops breakfast from the sky
7. They complain about the water again
8. God provides water from a rock

• The story continues - we are headed somewhere; bad times = the story has taken a tragic turn
• It can't be done - I can not arrange for life I prize - this frees our hearts
• It is coming - The life I prize is coming, what I am aching for now, but it is coming
• Battle and journey - We are at war; watch your heart; Don't just let anything in

• Difficult to believe God's intentions are eternal life
• Hard to not feel that we are blowing it
• We will accept some awful things as God's will
  
• God is ignoring our problem or just does not care

Myth - sometimes thought of as not factual true
But a myth is a story which confront us with something transcendent and eternal; a way of seeing and knowing
A kind of story that wakes you up and you suddenly say - this is what my life is really about

Myth tell us three truths, this first one is:

1. Things are not what they seem

Examples of movies that show us this include: Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, the Matrix

Jacob saw earth in a whole new way in his dream - Genesis 28:12
He awakes more awake then ever, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it" - Genesis 28:16

Two followers of Christ did not even recongized Jesus as he talked with him after his resurrection - Luke 24:17-21
They were slow in heart to believe

Myth tell us three truths, the second is:

2. There is a great struggle or quest or battle that is well under way

Christianity isn't about:

• Going to Sunday school
• Being nice
• Holding car washs
• Sending clothes to Mexico

As good as those things might be, this is a world at war
We live in a far more dangerous and dramatic story than we ever imagine

Reason we love these is because it is telling us that this is our most desperate hour

• The Chronciles of Narnia
• Star Wars
• The Matrix
• The Lord of the Rings

Without this buring in our hearts, we lose the meaning of our days

Notice that those who have tried to wake up to this reality were ususally killed

• The phophets
• Jesus
• Stephen
• Paul
• Most of the disciples in the Bible

Has it occured to you that someone is trying to shut them up?

Myth tell us three truths, this third one is:

3. In this desparate hour, we have a crucial role to play

Neo sees himself as Thomas Anderson, but he was the one
Dorthy see herself as just a farm girl from Kansas but Joan of Arc was also on the farm but saw much more

People in the scriptures that saw this:

• Little boy slays the gaint
• Loudmouthed fisherman who can not keep a job to lead the church
• Sinful woman with a golden heart became a example of humility to the Pharisees

This eternal truth is the most difficult for us to believe
Our days are extraordinary but most don't see it this way
It is the 'veil of familarity' - you are not what you think you are

There is a glory to your life that your enemy fears

The one who knows what you could be, fears it
The whole world lies under the power of the evil one - 1 John 5:19

Things happen to you and we question why
There is a bigger story going on

If believe we have a crucial role to play and come to know it is true, everything would change