Quiet Times Search

We want to be know but we keep a safe distance
Jesus has X-ray vision to our hear and see right our heart

John 4:39 - Samaritan women:

• She was minding her own business
• Ran into Jesus and was never the same
• Will you give me a drink he asked - the fact that he (a Jew) spoke to her told her (a Samaritan) that there was some very different about Jesus
• Whoever drinks from living water will never thirst again - John 4:13-14
• He confronted her sin and help her see the emptiness of her life
• He wanteed her to see who she was without God
• Due to her discomfort, the woman tried to change to subject
• Jesus skillfully drove out her fears with his love -  brought her back to the conversation of life
• She shared with others

We too can be afraid of seeing who we really are
When we opened up and were forgiven,  we couldn't wait to tell other either

To set people free, we must be like Jesus:

• Relate to them in deep ways
• Not studying the Bible superficially - not helping them see who they are without God
• Ask the difficult questions
• Expose sin so they will see their deepest need for Jesus

Jesus' love and acceptance allowed the woman/us to be real and to change

Jesus was in ahuge crowd and suddenly a Roman centurion walks up to Jesus - Matthew 8:5-10

NT centurions are often mentioned with honor:

• Cornelius was the first Gentile to become a Christian - Acts 10:22
• A centurion rescued Paul from the Mob - Acts 23:27
• A centurion saved Paul's life in the shipwreck - Acts 27:43

Lord, my servant lays paralyzed and in terrible suffering - Matthew 8:5-6
To many Romans, a slave was defined as nothing more than a tool

Jesus was moved by the man's heart - I will go and heal him
When Jesus saw a need, he met it
He lived to serve and meet needs directly and continuously
He loved a man many hated

Lord, I don't deserve to have you under my roof - Matthew 8:8
He was a Gentile, Jewish law - a Jew could not enter the house of a Gentile - Acts 10:28
In spite of his desperate need, he respected Jewish law

Say the word and he will be healed - Matthew 8:8
His authority produced results, how much more would the authority of Jesus do?

Jesus did not find anyone in Israel with such faith

Some people's needs could be quickly dealt with: "Heal my blindness" or "Let me just touch your garment"

But not Nicodemus, Jesus knew it would be a long night - John 3:1-3

Nicodemus, was a man looking for something:

• Groun up learning about God
• Surrounded by a system caught up in traditions
• Knew the Bible stories
• Very active in the Jewish faith
• Jesus capured his attention by his teachings and his works
• Felt that there was something missing

Could this be right? Could Jesus be the Messiah?

Jesus was straight to the point: I tell you the truth, you must be born again - John 3:3
He needed a wake up call - Same lesson we need today - we need a new birth
He was part a system of legalism  (following rules with seeking the heart of God)
People trying to earn what God desired to just give them

Nicodemus knew he could get time with Jesus and he did
He receieved the answer and Jesus taught him the depth of God's love

Who was intrumental in answering your questions and healping you see the truth?
What sacrifices do you see that they made for you?
Are you doing the same for others?

Upon hearing about the death of his close friend Lazarus, Jesus wept...

Jesus really felt the emotions that we feel
He fully divine and fully human at the same time
He knows what it is like to experience loss, pain, hurt, and fatigue

Why did he cry? Scripture does not say. Could be because:

• He felt the hurt of Mary and Martha
• He was expressing the hurt of the loss of his friend
• He was antipating his own death

Who are your deepest relationships in the church?

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?

Jesus was tempted in every way we are but was without sin - Hebrews 4:15

How could he put up with this day after day?

Jesus was in complete submission of God's will:

1. Jesus God no matter what the cost
2. He chose Judas so the scriptures would be fulfilled - John 13:18
3. Suffered emotionally each time he looked at Judas

How Jesus' heart must have ached when teaching:

1. Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over - Judas. - Matthew 10:17
2. Brother will betry brother to death - Judas. - Matthew 10:21
3. Love your enemies - Judas. - Matthew 5:44

Luke 18:1-8 - Jesus tells of a parable about praying not giving up; concluding, 'will he find faith on the earth?'

After Jesus was crucified and resurrected he could have gone home to the Father but chose to remain with his friends again
Enter the scene on the road to Emmaus

He wanted to know their hearts. Where was their faith? - They still did not get it

He did not walk away in disgust and give up on them
He waited to see if their faith would revive

Remember Your Sins No More - Hebrews 8:12

God wants to forgive
God has spent all of his time since man's fall working out our forgiveness - it cost him dearly

God's nature is to forgive
If God kept a record of sins, who could stand? - Psalms 130:3-4

Psalms 103:

• v3 - He forgives all
• v13-14 - He is compassionate and gracious
• v8 - He is slow to anger
• v9 - He doesn't hang on to his anger forever
• v10 - He does not treat us as our sins deserve

God doesn't need forgiveness
He commited no sin - 1 Peter 2:22
We are the ones who sinned - Romans 3:23
The most foolish thing in the world is to have this attitude toward God

1. Justify your sin and say it's not all that bad
2. Blame God for not keeping Satan at an appropriate distance
3. Decide to leave God because this repenting thing is not working out
4. Decide to be not to be open about your sin
5. Tell yourself how bad of person you are
6. Could trust God and his promises

• New priorities – with people who have different ones
• New loyalties – with people who have different ones
• Mission is to reachout and share with people why they need his message
• Associate with sinners but call them change
• Love unconditionally; Live radically – declare this is the way to live

Preparation

Mark 1:12-13

• Jesus overcame himself first so that he could then overcome the world
• Considered it a joy when you face many trials
• The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare

The Message

Mark 1:14-15

• His message was attractive – proclaimed that an intimate involvement with God
• 'Seize the day' attitude – it was an urgent message and he called for an immediate response
• We must be urgent with people if we want them to act urgently
• This may be there only opportunity to respond.

Dream Shared

Mark 4:26-32

• He did not hesitate to express his vision to those around him.
• Jesus confidence that the Father would keep his promises fostered faith in his followers

Choice words

Mark 4:33-34

• Did not teach over the listeners’ heads nor did he overwhelm them with information
• Those that were already committed to follow him – he explained everything
• The way we speak has almost as much impact as what we say.

Actions speak louder

• They assumed that he could not help and they wondered if he even cared
• Natural reaction would to rebuke the disciples than help – not Jesus

Communicator

Mark 7:31-37

• Jesus did not use slang word that his audience could not understand.
• Jesus found a way to get to all types of people’s heart.
• His method was an overwhelming love for all people – communication that fit the individual

A standard of excellence

• Jesus never did a shoddy job.
• He never quiet halfway.

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)

• 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.

The Warning

Mark 13:1-37

• Life is a challenge and it is a adventure.
• Too often we want a fairytale ending.
• We will be tested to find what our position in our faith.

The Spark

Mark 14:1-2

• His words ignited people, both for and against him.
• By his words this one man could have started a riot, initiated a revolution, overthrown the rules and made himself king. But he chose to die.

• Matrix – do you know what this is, Neo?
• Feeling we have all had – there is something wrong with the world
• Blue Pill – You wake up and you believe what you wan to the believe (Jewish leaders chose this one)
• Red Pill – you are only offered truth
• Without repentance, we will remain blinded
  • How could a kingdom transcend geographic boundaries?
  • How could a kingdom be within us?
  • What sort of kingdom has no capital, no government, no army, and no temple?
• Longed for a tangible kingdom rather than a spiritual kingdom

• Many Christians the kingdom of God as something the future holds
• Some wish to avoid the kingdom commitment here on earth
• Kingdom expect allegiance ahead of all others
• Any real government expects this type of loyalty

• King exerted seasonal influence
• Three levels of subjects:
  • Disciples – treated him a Lord
  • Christians – little bit naughty, gave mainly to friends and family, on rear occasions to the poor
  • Unbelievers – little bit naughty, did not believe, not Hitler or other really bad people
• Most indirectly believe in this theory of the world
• If I abandon this paradigm, I would have to admit I am wrong.

• 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

• Little more than 500 after the resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:6
• 120 received baptism at the day of Pentecost - Acts 1:15

• Why not an army?
• He needed leaders to lead the ministry after He left. Not all followers. It takes energy to produce a leader.
• Not trying to impress the crowd but the usher in a Kingdom
• Mass are like helpless sheep wandering aimlessly without a shepherds
• Masses willing to follow anyone that came along with some promise for their welfare
• Jesus was a realist. He knew he could not meet all the needs on His own.

• We are not even keeping with the growing population
• We in an age where more rapid communication is now being seen than ever before
• Must not be frantic to try to change the pattern overnight
• Do like Jesus – start with a few lowly disciples and do as it was done by Jesus
  • Slow, tedious, painful, and probably unnoticed at first
  • Not spiritual “junk-food” revivals
• Which generation are you living for?

• For three years, Jesus had been training them by being with them
• Follow-up was not just confined with His disciples
  • Zaccheus on the street of Jericho - Luke 19:7
  • Women at the well - John 4:39-42
• Some attention was given to others – but not compared to the attention given to the twelve
• Faithful women – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others - Luke 8:1-3
  • He did not refuse their kindness
  • Jesus was well aware of the sex barrier
  • He did not try to incorporate these ladies in the select company
• Primary task was to develop some men who in turn could give personal attention to others

• Consequences for not following up
  • The other choice is for the convert to find solutions to innumerable problems in on their own
  • Haphazard follow-up could mean disaster for their faith
  • Fall ways - come about more often be not getting with them enough
  • There is not substitute for getting with people
• No such thing as assembly line discipleship
• You must be a personal guardian to those you lead.
• It is your job to:
  • Stay with them as much as possible
  • Study the Bible and pray together
  • Answer their questions
  • Clarify the truth
  • Seeking together to help others
• If it took three years to develop His disciples by getting with them, how much more should we get together with those that have not physically have seen Jesus? How much longer will it take (not seeing them all the time)?

• Love is the only way to win the free response of men
• Work of the Holy Spirit
  • Must be born again
  • Christ began His ministry by being baptized - John 3:3-9
  • Made clean through the Word and set apart to God for Holy Service - John 15:3
  • Only the Spirit can carry on the redemptive mission of evangelism
  • Jesus was God in revelation but the Spirit was God in operation
  • Evangelism was not a human undertaking but a divine project.
• With Him they felt that everything was possible
• The superhuman work to which they were called demanded superhuman help.
• Through confession of their deep-seated pride and enmity in utterly surrender of themselves to Christ
• It is not who we are but Who He us that makes the difference
• Only those who followed Jesus all the way came to know the glory of this experience
• Jesus was deliberately investing all He had in these few men so that they could be properly prepared to do His work.
• We cannot give something away which we do not possess ourselves.
• The very ability to give to give away our life in Christ is proof of its possession.

• Prayer
  • Jesus often let His disciples see Him conversing with the Father (They ask, not forced)
  • Unless they grasped the meaning of prayer and practiced consistently – not much would come from their lives.
    
• Using Scripture
  • He never ceased to use the Scripture in His conversation with them.
  • 66 references to the Old Testament
  • 90+ Old Testament references speaking to others
  • Jesus could freely recall scriptures by heart
• Everything that he did and said had some relevance to evangelism
  • Revealing the truth
  • How to deal with men
  • Disciples may (at the time) have not known that they were being taught
• Jesus was the Master of His own teachings
  • Presentation was not flashy; the truth was the main attraction.
• Disciples observed how to:
  • Jesus drew people to Himself
  • Won their confidence and inspired their faith
  • He called them to the way of salvation and He called them to make a decision

• 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.

• The Test
  •  Could His disciples do a good job without His bodily supervision as they could with it?
  •  Human point of view: Never could be sure that His investment in their lives.
•  Life-sustaining power of the vine was not to be given to endlessly upon lifeless branches
  •  A barren Christian is a contradiction.
  • A tree is known by its fruit
• Principle throughout His ministry
  • Reward of His own sacrifice for the world - John 12:24
  • Distinguishing work of those who did the will of His Father - Matthew 7:16-23
  • Wages given to His disciples for their work in the harvest - John 4:36
  • What was lacking in the Sadducees and Pharisees - Matthew 3:7-8

• Described himself as someone who could do nothing without God
  
• This poor man called and the Lord saved him from his troubles - Psalms 34:6
• God is his help and deliver - Psalms 40:17
• I am poor and needy - Psalms 109:22
• Modern thinkers might say he needed some self-esteem 
• God said he was after his own heart

• Woe to me, I am ruined for I am unclean - Isaiah 6:5
• Today we can go to church wanting to be told how good we are
• God forgave his sins and sent him on a life mission full of purpose

• ignore it
• postpone it

• Choose God over self
• Realize we have broken his heart
• Our response is to be broken, vulnerable, contrite, and humble
• No other response makes sense or brings healing

What occupies my mind?
What concerns me?
When I think of security, is my focus on God or money?

If we are eager and driven to gain more we will stray from the faith and be pierced with many griefs - 1 Timothy 6:10

Secret to being content, I can do everything through him that gives me strength - Philippians 4:12-13

Judas: example of someone trying to live with 2 masters:

• Expressed concern for a waste of money that could have gone to the poor - John 12:4-6
• The hold money had on Judas' heart eventually led to his betrayal of Jesus

• Race
• Money
• Gender
• Culture
• Distance
• Too busy

• Past hurts
• Bitterness
• Sin - yours, mine or others

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

• Show the life of Christ in his life
• Tell others the good news
• Mature those who were disciples

• Delivered from prison
• Delivered from his life and struggles
• Delivered from his loneliness and anxiety

1. The performance model
2. The grace model

• There are never enough requirements we could meet
• There are never enough rules we could keep
• There is never enough rituals we could experience
• Even if obedient to death, our only hope of salvation come from work from another

• Listening to Christ everyday
• Holding on to his faith in the fiery trails
• Slowly and painfully

• Paul had an encounter with Jesus
  • Encounters with Jesus are significant
  • Paul understood he was living in opposition to Jesus - killing Christians (people following Christ)
    
  • Don't want to be on the opposite side of the battle from God
  • Where are you at today? Do you know?
  • Share
    • Grow up religious - Every Sunday - through High School
      
    • Ask to come to church, study the Bible
    • Saw life and heart wasn't matching; my sin was in opposition to God
    • Tried to make it personal - mean and angry (Hoping the standard would changed)
    • They were there to help
• Paul had the humility to ask "What shall I do?" - v10
  • Paul had a heart of humility to be taught - Bible
    
  • Could have brought up his religiousness or accomplishments
  • Opened himself up to anything, Not "I'm sorry, won't do that again"
    
• Paul was religious all this life and had the heart to immediately obey and be baptized - v16
  • Perhaps, God uses the life of Paul to prepare our hearts for surrender
    
  • What have you been holding on to instead of Jesus? What is stopping you?

Preached by Richard Dixion - 1999-07-18

Understanding the bad news

Romans 1:18-32

• To understand the good news - we must be convicted about the bad news
  • Conviction in US law - proven
  • We need to be shown where we are wrong
• Spirit convicts us about sin - John 16:7-8
• Questions we could ask:
  • Wrong: Why would a loving God send anyone to hell?
  • Right: Why would a just God save anyone?

John 3:19-21

2 Timothy 3:1-5

• Having a form of godliness...is ungodly
• Describes people:
  • People then and now
    • "Church-goers" - who do you know who is like this?
    • Are you like this?

Jesus offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry to the one who could deliever him - Hebrews 5:7

Strong desires make strong prayers

Children are often not embarrassed by desire
We hide our true desires and call it maturity - Jesus is not impressed

Why are we embarrassed by our desire? Why do we pretend?

• Persistent widow wasn't embarrassed
• "Sinful" woman wasn't embarrassed

We don't pray like Jesus because we don't allow ourselves to nearly alive
We don't allow ourselves to feel how desparate our situation truely is

Pretending seems a much more reliable road to Christian maturity
Only the price is we pay for the loss of soul, communication with God, loss of direction and loss of hope

Without a deep and buring desire of our own, we will be ruled by the desires of others

In this world, you will have trouble
But take heart! I have overcome the world - John 16:33

Why aren't we encouraged by this?
We are still committed to arranging our life
We are disappointed that there is not a "7 secrets to a great life"

Desire can not live without hope. Hope in what?
Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed - 1 Peter 1:13
for most Christians, heaven is a backup plan

We try to create heaven here
In our heart we say, "I really could be happy here without God"
God must take away the heaven we create or it will become our hell

How are we to bet our arranging a good life in the face of death?

Even after the fall, the wickedness of the human heart seems out of control
People lived 700, 800, 900 year - can you imagine the arranging of lives that could be done during that time?

So God set our years shorter - Genesis 6:3
Death is never natural - it wasn't meant to be

Those left behind experience such pain
Each death can begin to understood only within the larger story God is telling

Consencate yourself

1 Chronicles 29:5

• Who is willing to consecrate himself to God?
  • Kingdom not about men
  • What is stopping you? hurts?
    • Suffering matures us
  1 Corinthians 6:7
  • Have you been wronged?
    • Join the club!
  • God gets justice, not you!

  
  1 Chronicles 29:6-29

  • Where there is consecration (repentance) there brings rejoicing
  • They flat-out worshiped
  • Where was David's heart? with God
    • David thought it was amazing that he could give back what God gave him
  • Has earth become your home?