2015
Part 1 of 1
“A New Year”
Various
Sermon #1461
January 03-04, 2015
Central Thought: Focusing on “The Essentials” Allows Us to Pursue
God’s Pathway for Christian Maturity
Introductory Thoughts:
Knowing His departure from Earth was imminent; Jesus gathered
His closest followers together, on a mountain top – -traditionally
Mt. Tabor – often recognized as the sight of the transfiguration -and shared these final thoughts with them: Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them ina the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age.”
With these words, Jesus commissioned the Christian community
to assume the responsibility He had accepted from His Heavenly
Father: Luke 19:10 (NIV) “For the Son of Man came to seek and to
save what was lost.” As members of the international Christian
community, the commission Jesus gave to His closest friends has now
been entrusted to each and every one of us.
Have you ever wondered what this means to you? Have you ever
considered what Christ’s Church of Flagstaff must become in order
to be more effective in fulfilling this Christian Commission? Have
you ever carefully reflected on what your individual role is in
“making Disciples” here in Northern Arizona?
When Vince Lombardi assumed the role of Head Coach for the Green
Bay Packers, he believed that in order for that perpetually
ineffective football franchise to become “champions”, they first had
to become experts in the fundamentals of the game. He began his first
practice by declaring, “Gentlemen, this is a football!”
a
Or into; see Acts 8:16; 19:5; Romans 6:3; 1 Cor. 1:13; 10:2 and Gal. 3:27.
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As we prepare to embark on this New Year, our Teaching Team’s
Plan is to spend the next few weekends exploring some of the Key
Fundamentals – some of the Key Essentials of the Christian life that
allow us to continue to mature as followers of Christ and empowers
us to be more effective in fulfilling the Commission Jesus has
entrusted to our care.
Let’s begin by clarifying the role of a Christian disciple:
Noted Christian Pastor and Author, Warren Wiersbe writes, “A
disciple, then, is one who has believed on Jesus Christ and has
expressed this faith by being baptized. He/she are to remain in the
fellowship of the believers so that they might be taught the truths
of the faith (Acts 2:41–47) – (the essentials).
Once these are understood and integrated into their lives, they
are then able to go out and introduce others to the Christian life
and teach them the Essentials of the Christian faith and help them
integrate these truths into their lives, as well.
This was the pattern of the New Testament church (2 Tim. 2:1–
2) and is to be our model for today.1”
In Acts 2, we find many of the basic fundamentals of the
Christian life being practiced by members of the Jerusalem church:
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching
and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs
were done by the apostles.
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had
need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple
courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad
and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the
people.
And, the Lord added to their number daily those who were being
saved.”
These comprise a pretty good basic list of the Christian
fundamentals – the “Essentials” of the Christian life – how well are
we integrating these components into the daily approach to our
Christian life?
If we were to use a scale of 1-10, how would each of us measure
our mastery of prayer? Our study of God’s Word? Our Commitment to
corporate worship? Our depth of Christian fellowship measured by our
1Wiersbe,
Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S.
Mt 28:16
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involvement in neighborhood ministry? The depth of our commitment
to Christian compassion and participation in the expansion of God’s
Kingdom here in Northern Arizona?
Over the next few weeks, we are going to explore 5 Essentials
of the Christian life – Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus & Friends. So
with those lessons before us, let’s spend the rest of our time
reviewing three key fundamentals we are asking our church to actively
pursue over the next 12 months.
The first being Prayer!
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This Year:
We will Continue to Discover the Power of Prayer . . .
(Philippians 4:6-7)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the
peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
What a promise! Paul tells us as we pray, personal peace and
contentment replaces our personal fears and anxieties. He promises
us our struggles with the situations we are facing in life will be
replaced with perpetual seasons of Thanksgiving! He tells the
Philippians our racing thoughts and pulsating emotions will find
God’s Spirit moving into our lives to guard our hearts and minds as
we pursue our daily lives!
In Romans 8, Paul reveals four additional realities that come
into the lives of those who integrate prayer in their daily lives:
1. Prayer reveals our physical and spiritual limitations . .
. (Rom 8:26a-26b) "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, . . .”
I don’t know about you, but I find myself facing this reality
almost daily in my personal and professional life. Situations arise
and I just don’t have the answer. How great it is to be able to
present those situations to the One who truly knows exactly how to
answer the issues I and others are facing in our daily lives.
2. Prayer Introduces Us to Our Powerful Partner: (Rom 8:26c)
“ . . . but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that
words cannot express.”
In 2015, our lives are going to be full of challenges,
adventures, personal needs, meaningful relationships, and times of
fun. Life will bring us all kinds of issues and opportunities that
will lead us to pray.
Sometimes the issues will be cloudy; sometimes we will not know
what or how to pray; and, sometimes we will experience seasons of
confusion and discouragement. Yet, even when the issues are clear,
even when we know what to pray for or for whom we are to pray, due
to our spiritual partnership . . . we can expect God’s power to be
unleashed!
Prayer is not an academic exercise . . . it is a powerful element
of Christian experience . . .and, it’s great to know that when we
are facing situations for which we do not know how to pray, we can
relax because of the deep connections we have with our powerful
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spiritual partner – God’s Holy Spirit!
3.
Prayer reveals the Purpose for the Holy Spirit’s Participation
in our Prayers! (Rom 8:27) “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind
of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance
with God's will.”
As we pray in 2015, we will discover prayer is not primarily for the
purpose of influencing God’s approach to the needs in our lives; but, rather
prayer is the primary means by which God empowers us to discern His mindset
and will for our lives.
Elisa Morgan once shared this story about her daughter Eva: “One
night my 11-year-old daughter Eva noticed I was distracted as I tucked her
in to bed. I told her about a friend's teenage daughter whose hair was
mysteriously falling out and I encouraged Eva to pray for Amy. Her simple
words, "Jesus, please hold Amy's hair on her head," touched me.
As the doctors experimented with different treatments, Amy continued
to lose her hair. Eva continued to pray the same prayer.
After six weeks the doctors determined Amy had alopecia, an extremely
rare disorder where hair loss is unpredictable but can be complete and
permanent. When I told Eva, she took my hand and closed her eyes.
This time her prayer was different. "Dear Jesus, if you won't hold
Amy's hair on her head, would you please hold Amy?" Tearfully, I realized
how sometimes God doesn't move mountains; He moves us.” Elisa Morgan in
Christian Parenting Today. Christian Reader, Vol. 34.
I believe prayer allows each of us to pour out our heart to God and
allows Him to pour out His heart to us. When I pray, even when I do not
know exactly what to pray for, it is always comforting to me to know that
even when I do not get the answer I want, I will have received the answer
I need.
Ruth Graham Bell seems to affirm this point with this statement: “God
has not always answered my prayers the way I prayed them. If He had, I would
have married the wrong man-several times!”
Finally, Paul tells the Roman community, Prayer reveals God is always
Compassionately Involved in Our Lives: (Rom 8:28) “And we know that in
all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose."
The more we pray; the more we will realize that even when we do not
know for what to pray; we will discover the active involvement of God’s
Holy Spirit; and, through this partnership, the more God’s will become known
in our lives; and, the more each of us comes to understand God’s will, the
more we will discover how much God loves us and how crazy He is about us.
Quite a few years ago, Archbishop Trench penned these words . . . “We
kneel — and all about us seems to lower; We rise – and all, the distant
and the near, Stands forth in sunny outline, brave and clear. We kneel,
how weak! We rise, how full of power!”
This year, As We Pray, We will Continue to Discover the Power
Prayer brings to Our Lives!
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This Year:
We will Participate Together in a Season of Fasting . . . Acts
13:1-3 (NIV) “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen
(who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy
Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which
I have called them.”
3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands
on them and sent them off.”
Fasting is one of the practices which comprise the spiritual
disciplines within the Christian faith. Christian author, Walter
Elwell notes, “Fasting entails setting aside physical activities as
well as reducing the intake of food and replacing these activities
with the exercise of prayer and a season of focus on spiritual
concerns.” The NT word which is translated “fasting” literally
means one who has not eaten, one who is empty.”
Traditionally prayer and fasting are joined together. John
Wesley said, “…with fasting let us always join fervent prayer,
pouring out our whole souls before God…” Over the next 90 Days, we
are asking our people to abstain from certain foods or meals and then
devote time in conversation with God, to quietly rest in His presence
or to present to Him all our desires for our neighbors and our church.
Scripture generally recognizes three types of fasting: (a)
normal, in which there is no intake of food for a prescribed period
of time, though there may be an intake of liquids; (b) partial, in
which the diet is limited, though some food is allowed; and (c)
absolute, in which there is a total abstinence from food and liquids
in all forms.”2
Chris and I believe we are being called as a church to a time
of prayer and fasting during the months of January, February and
March. During this time, you can sign up for a period of prayer or
prayer/fasting. Suggestions for prayer topics will be made
available on a weekly basis. How you choose to fast, whether a
specific food, a specific meal or for a specified time depends on
your physical condition and desire (prior to any extended season of
fasting – review with your family physician) . It is our hope God
2Elwell,
Walter A. ; Beitzel, Barry J.: Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker
Book House, 1988, S. 780
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will make His will and His care known to each of us during this season
of fasting and prayer.
This Year:
We will Discern Insights Together within God’s Word through SOAP
. . . 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) “All Scripture is God-breathed and
is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work.”
It is our hope that the majority of you will join us in exploring
God’s Word together on a daily basis. It is a process that begins
by:

Identifying a Comfortable Place … (Mark 1:35 NIV) "Very early
in the
morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and
went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."
Where is your favorite place to meet your family? What are the
spots where you find yourself spending quality time with your
friends? What makes those places so special? What makes them
attractive to you and the people you meet?
I have two primary places where I visit with God … (1) one is
our spare room where I have set up my home office, but my favorite
place is our living room (2)I pour myself a cup of coffee, turn on
the lights, turn on some quiet music, grab my Bible, journal, & pen,
and sit down in my recliner and clear some time for the most important
person in my life and reflect upon the greatest adventure I have ever
experienced in my life.
Life’s greatest adventure begins when we regularly clear our
schedules and identify where we want to meet with our God.

It Continues when We Create a Consistent Course of Action …
(Mark
10:1 NIV) "Jesus then left that place and went into the region of
Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and
as was his custom, he taught them."
(Luke 4:16 NIV) "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought
up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his
custom. And he stood up to read."
1. Create a Journal; 2. Identify Your Scriptural Pathway
(Project 3:45 on You Version); 3. Follow a Daily Plan
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S stands for Scripture …
As you are reading through a passage
of Scripture, ask God to reveal the portion of that Scripture He would
like for you to focus on that day.
O stands for Observation
…
as we read through the daily
passage, we are to ask God to help us make observations about the
passages we are reading. Who is the author? Who is his audience?
What is the purpose for writing this passage? What sections of the
passage strikes you? What truth is being affirmed? What truth is
being revealed?
Ho is God speaking to you today through this
passage?
As these observations are identified, we simply write them down
in our Journal (Diary).
A is for Application … As Portions of Scripture speak to us,
we then ask God to reveal to us areas of His truth He would like for
us to integrate into our lives.
This is one of the powerful results that come from spending time
with God and His Word. As we read … God’s Spirit brings insights
to mind and we make observations … Our observations give us the
opportunity to discover ways God desires us to integrate His truths
and apply His principles into our lives.
And finally …
P is for Prayer … during our times of prayer, we can communicate
the depth of our adoration – the reasons we treasure our covenant
relationship with God … during our times of prayer, we can express
the issues we need to confess and remove from our lives – we can deal
with our failures in life and be purified from the issues that have
tainted us … during our times of prayer, we can express our
thanksgiving – we can count our many blessings and reflect on all
of the reasons we are so blessed in life … during our times of prayer,
we can express our concerns for others through times of supplication
– we can make our personal requests and entreaties for others known.
In addition, we can pray for God to impress the passage of
Scripture we have read upon our hearts – to keep a written record
of the insights He has revealed to us – and, empower us to put our
application options into practice.
The final ingredient in
our S.O.A.P is praying that God will integrate His truth into our
lives and we become living agents of His lifestyle in our Northern
Arizona community.
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Take Away Items:
1.
Membership on Our Prayer Warrior Team
2.
90 Days of Prayer & Fasting
3.
Commitment to Engage in SOAP Daily
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