The Gospel & The Kingdom

Yesterday, we started our Rooted Series in a packed club.  God was definitely present.  I preached on "The Seed" from Jesus' parable of the sower found in Matthew 13.  You can listen to the message here.

The Big Idea from yesterday's message was that the gospel proclaims that there is a Kingdom, a King, and a Way.

The parable of the sower (which Jesus called the key to all his other parables, Mark 4:13) begins first and foremost with a sower who is sowing seed.  Luke tells us that “the seed is the word of God.” (Lk8:11)

Jesus as he stands in the boat preaching this parable is the sower of the seed.  His words are the word of God (the gospel).

Matthew gives us additional insight into what the seed (the gospel) is.  “The seed is the word of the Kingdom.” (Mt13:19)  Jesus' gospel message was a proclamation of the reality of his coming Kingdom.

As we start this series, we want to understand what the gospel is saying. What is the seed, the word of his Kingdom, that Jesus is sowing into the world?

First, through Jesus' preaching, God is saying, "There is a kingdom!"  Jesus during his trial would tell the Roman governor Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of this world." The gospel begins with a simple proclamation that a Kingdom that is not of this world exists, and it is entering our present reality.  It is a Kingdom of among other things hope, healing, and freedom.  A Kingdom where there is no sin and death.

The second thing the gospel says is there is a King.  This statement makes complete sense for wherever there is a kingdom there must be a King who reigns over it!  The King that is proclaimed in the gospel is the man, Jesus.  A King who came to earth as a peasant, to live a selfless life, and die a brutal death. So that he might rise from death, in order to make life in his Kingdom possible. 

The third thing the gospel says is there is a Way into the Kingdom. The gospel proclaims not only is there a Kingdom and a King, but that the King has made a Way for a person to enter his Kingdom.  

King Jesus through his death made a way for us to be cleansed from sin and through his resurrection made a way for us to be freed from the power of death. Since sin and death have not part in the realm of the resurrected King, we must first be cleansed from sin and freed from death in order to enter into the life of the Kingdom.  

Jesus' death and resurrection made a way for those who believe his message to enter the Kingdom.  When we understand and accept there is a Kingdom, a King, and a Way, we are repenting (changing our way of thinking).  We end our old lives where we were our own rulers (and headed towards death) AND begin new lives with Jesus as ruler of every area.  We demonstrate this decision through baptism.

This new life is life in the Kingdom, life with the King Jesus, a life heading in a totally new direction.

As we continue this series, we will be taking an expansive look into what this new direction and life with Jesus looks like and how we can be firmly rooted in it.

Something I Learned by Investing in Others

ONE LESSON I have learned over the last 6 years is that when I invest in and disciple others, when I take the time to focus on others instead of myself, I learn and grow.

This week, I had the opportunity to spend time one on one with 3 young men in our church.  In our times together, we prayed, talked, assessed our lives, read scripture, and made decisions to take specific actions in the coming week in our journey of following Jesus.

One young man I was encouraging to come to Father daily asking for what he needed for that day. The next day in prayer, I thought - wow I should do that too - and I did!  Another young man I was encouraging to pursue the gifts and fillling of the Holy Spirit (I Corinithians 14 & Luke 11).  It reminded me to spend more time praying in tongues in my personal prayer times, and I did. Finally, a young man asked me whether he was teachable or not, and we had a fruitful conversation.  Today, the Holy Spirit started asking me if my heart was teachable.  Was my attitude the attitude I had encouraged him to have?

These relationships illustrate a significant principle.  As I invest in others, I become more like Jesus myself.

This principle is the beauty of discipleship - it is not just me teaching someone else - but through the relationship that is fostered in discipleship we BOTH become more like Jesus.

Daily Prayer Guide - Our Future Jan.7

"They shall build up the ancient ruins; 

they shall raise up the former devastations; 

they shall repair the ruined cities, 

the devastations of many generations." 

(Isaiah 61:4)

This week has been filled with many life giving moments.  Mainly, I believe because when I take the time to learn to walk with Jesus my life becomes filled with life.  Guess that's what Jesus was referencing when he said, "I want you to have life and have it to the full." (John 10:10)  Strange how in the midst of partially starving ourselves and saying no to our bodies, we can find fuller living then when we are indulging in all the world has to desire... that is the wonder of life with Jesus.

As we come to the end of this week, two things stand out to as having had the greatest impact on me this week.  

One is our corporate times of prayer.  I am so encouraged listening to and agreeing with the prayers of my brothers and sisters - what passion, what love for God, what incredibly compassionate hearts for those they encounter in their lives.  They make me want to be more like Jesus and through their faith make me want to keep coming back to the place of prayer.  If you haven't made it out to a prayer gathering this week, you need to make it out Saturday night just to hear some of our brothers and sisters praying (January 7 from 6-8PM at 874 Beacon Street).  

Two is the daily schedule of early morning prayer and fasting has produced a certain rhythm to my life that causes me to end up praying throughout the day as I go about various activities.  I have been so much more aware of Jesus' presence with me.  This awareness has encouraged me greatly and I am seeing God move and give me faith for things in ways I don't typically experience.

As we enter into this last day, Isaiah 61:4 reminds us of what our future will be.  We will be those, though once lost and wounded, who now build up, raise up, and repair.  Through our love and hope many will be encouraged and built up.  Through our faith and the Spirit of God, many will be raised from death to life.  Through our compassion and diligence, households, neighborhoods, and whole people groups will find their societies transformed into communities of hope, love, and genuine care for each other.

On Saturday night, we will pray into this future.  We will pray into this task that lays before us.  We will pray that the Holy Spirit will anoint us so that we may continue to partner with Jesus to build his church, raise sinners to life, and repair the lives of many.

Why not join us?  Or, let your amen be heard right now where you are as you join your spirit with ours in faith that God will do it.

Love and grace in Christ Jesus.  It is a joy to labor with you for the desires of the Father's heart.  I thank God for you and this week he has given us together.

Love,

David W.

Daily Prayer Guide - Planted Oaks Jan.6

"That they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."

(Isaiah 61:3)

What is God's purpose in the proclamation of the gospel, the anointing of his messengers, the binding of broken hearts, the freeing of captives, and the comforting of those who mourn? 

It is two fold.

First, it is for the good of those who were once far from God but have now been brought near by faith. Their healing and restoration is so that they might be planted with roots growing and surging deep into Christ and that from from this relationship they would grow into mighty oaks bearing the fruits of righteousness.  Imagaine, the person that once felt their life was crumbling into ashes, whose heart was broken from mourning, now rooted and established in the love of Christ bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness.

Second, the result is that the power, majesty, steadfast love, and glory of the LORD is revealed through our transformation.  As John Piper says, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him."  God longs to exalt his Son and his name, and therefore he longs that we be completely and fully satisfied in him.  God calls, anoints, and transforms because he wants to display his glory and goodness in us!  This is our inheritance, this is our future.

Prayer Points

Father God, thank you that your desire is to bless me.

Jesus, thank you for healing me, restoring me, and giving me a hope and a future.

Holy Spirit, continue to make this truth ever real to me.

Father, pour out a revelation of your goodness in my life that I might be fully satisfied in you so that you may be glorified.





Extension of Early Morning Prayer

This morning God showed up at early morning prayer (EMP).  It truly felt like a holy moment lasting for more than 30 minutes.  At the end of prayer, God confirmed by speaking to multiple people who were there that we were to continue our corporate daily prayer gatherings. 

What does that mean?  It means tomorrow we will again meet at Ruggles for 6AM prayer.  Saturday we will meet for our previously scheduled 6-8PM church prayer meeting.  Beyond that we will together continue to weigh and assess how long to keep meeting for daily early morning prayer.

What are we longing for?  Themes that emerged this morning (and throughout the week) were a greater measure of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives, a deeper understanding of Jesus' love for us, and the salvation of our family members. 

What is our passion? Like Jacob (Genesis 32:24-26) and the persistent widow (Luke 18), we will not stop coming to God until we receive the fullness of what he has for us in this season.

Sarah Neslund captured this mornings encounter with God well.  I pray you will be encouraged by it.  For those pondering a Biblical model for this type of persistent prayer, our model is the Jerusalem Church which met every day and was devoted to prayer. (Acts 2:42-47)

Sarah's account of today's prayer gathering:
David encouraged an attitude of reception and invitation for the Holy Spirit to fall, inviting anyone to receive prayer and be filled. At least four people expressed a desire, but even after at least 25 minutes of intense spiritual prayer, that sense of urgency, of desperate thirst for the Holy Spirit still remained. And we agreed that, yes, we are contending-- our appetites have been whet and now we are hungering for more. Even though he can fill us, even when we don't ask, as a lover He seems to be romancing us, leading us closer, causing us to long more for Him. And to this we are responding with passionate pursuit, declaring, "WE WANT MORE OF YOU, GOD."

We will wrestle with him, clinging tightly until we get more of Him! We want to be filled; to receive His presence and experience all that it confers- spiritual gifts, power, love, compassion, mercy, courage and conviction. And, we will not easily relent. No. Just as he has pursued us, so we pursue Him fervently with that same intent of Jacob-- to receive His blessing and a greater impartation of the Holy Spirit. And, like Jacob, knowing it may cost us everything or just something, we lift up our hands in full surrender and complete desperation saying, "There is no place I'd rather be and no joy outside of You. You are my only desire and I don't want to be anywhere without you fully there."

Daily Prayer Guide - Comfort for the Faint Jan.5

"The LORD has anointed me... to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit..." (Isaiah 61:1-3)

The world is full of mourning.  The mourning of death, incurable diseases, broken relationships, emotional pain, and more.  An abused child mourns the loss of security, trust, and innocence.  The grieving parent mourns death of a young child.  The tired woman mourns the pending divorce from an unfaithful husband.  The Lord is very aware of the distress of this world.  He knows our lives can become charred and fragile by the harshness of life.  He knows our lives can waste away disintegrating into nothing but ashes.  This He knows, and this is why he is the God of all comfort. (1 Corinthians 1:3)

It is a part of the missionary calling is to comfort the afflicted. One must not be surprised when he discovers great darkness and sadness in the world.   As this passage demonstrates, bringing comfort really is a significant part of the missionary calling.  So much so, that the prophet interrupts his sequence of statements to elaborate on God's promise to those who come to Zion (his church) in mourning.

To those who feel like their life has come to nothing, God promises a headdress - a sign of beauty, purity, and acceptance (typically worn out weddings or by priests).  To those who are mourning, the oil of gladness - pressed down, shaken together the joy of knowing were loved spilling over into our hearts.  To those worn down by life, the garment of praise.  Why?  Because you will find the anointing of God is strong enough to bind up any heart, break any bondage, take your sadness and clothe you with gladness.  Those who have encountered the anointed ones of God will be clothed with praise!

Yet, we come to those who are mourning with quiet hearts and meek spirits.  We come along side them in the place of prayer and in the realities of life.  We weep and cry with them, and we ask God to comfort them.

Prayer Points

Father, comfort all who mourn. (Pray for those who God puts on your heart)

Father, give to your children who mourn - a beautiful headdress, the oil of gladness, and the garment of praise.

Father, strength the faint hearted in our church, in our families, and in our lives.

Father, break our hearts for those who are truly mourning.

Father, may those your heart years for come to know you as the God of all comfort.

Amen.

Daily Prayer Guide - The Year & the Day Jan.4

"To proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, 

and the day of vengeance of our God..." 

(Isaiah 61:2)

Yesterday at early morning prayer, God was speaking clearly to us about being God's laborers in the harvest.  In answer to the call of Isaiah 6, we were responding in prayer, "Lord, send me."  Pastor Dave encouraged us at the end of prayer about how meaningful it was that each of the attendees gathered had made commitments to be a witness for Jesus in the city of Boston.  We were all reminded that if Pastor Dave had not heeded God's call to come to Boston in 1989 we would not be here right now. Praise God for a man who did not just say "send me" but actually went!

The anointing of God empowers us for the task (see previous days).  Does God have a message that he expects us to proclaim as we go out into our world to be witnesses for Jesus?  Yes, he does.

The message has two parts.

We get to tell the greatest news ever known to mankind - we are living in the age of the Lord's favor!  Since Jesus' death and resurrection, we are living in a time in history where salvation is freely available.  On the cross, Jesus paid the debt from sin you owed, purchased you out of slavery to sin and Satan, and earned you the right to share in his future inheritance - heaven's riches.  Though each one of us was indebted due to our sins, in bondage to self, and unable to earn God's favor, God by his grace and mercy through Jesus Christ has shown unmerited favor to humanity and welcomes every person who puts their faith in his Son Jesus to enter into fellowship with Him.  What hope we have to proclaim!

It is exceedingly good news when we also proclaim that not only does God save us out of our sinful condition but also saves us from a future judgment sentence.  We live in the year (age) of his favor, but this age will have an end.  There will be a day of the vengeance of our God when he will destroy all that is evil and corrupt, when he will banish Satan and his forces to eternal torment, and when he will send those who despised or refused his offer of grace to the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  The proclamation (good news) that we get to speak of is that this day of vengeance need not be dreaded.

Friend, you need not be uneasy.  God offers you today the gift of faith in his Son Jesus so that the last appointed day can be one of rejoicing for you as you are welcomed with a mighty throng into the new heaven and new earth, NOT one of weeping, judgment, and hell.

Prayer Points
Father, thank you for extending an age of grace to humanity.
Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to save me from my sin and the judgment to come.
Father, make me a speaker of your truth.
Holy Spirit, empower us to proclaim the reality of this year of favor and the coming day of vengeance.
Jesus, may you get all the glory you deserve (the salvation of many) as the reward for your suffering.