Beach Life - Captivating Celebration

Throughout this “Beach Life” series, we will explore Jesus' mission and values and how he calls us to follow him and make his mission and values our own. We kicked off this series by discussing the Mission of Beach Church. Our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Our Mission is the reason we exist. Our Five Guiding Values guide us to fulfill the mission.  

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus invited men to follow him and learn from him. He showed his disciples the way to live.

1 John 2:6 (NLT2) 

6  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 

Our Guiding Values are rooted in the life of Jesus.  The more we allow these guiding values to shape our character, the more effective we will be in leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Our Guiding Values are:

1. Life-Changing Truth

2. Transparent Living

3. Uncomfortable Grace 

4. Captivating Celebration

5. Selfless Service

Today, we are going to talk about our fourth guiding value:

Captivating Celebration

We believe that…

FOLLOWING JESUS RESULTS IN A JOY-FILLED LIFE THAT DRAWS PEOPLE TO JESUS. 

We believe that when followers of Jesus celebrate – other people without Jesus are drawn to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. I have been around people who claim to be followers of Jesus – and never crack a smile.  

They don’t laugh.

They don’t celebrate.

They are not joyful.

But that is not who we want to be.  We want to be followers of Jesus who always live lives filled with JOY.  Life is simply more fun that way. I can’t find any other man in scripture that best demonstrates this core value than a crippled man from Acts 3. I don’t know how old this man was, but I do know that since he was born, he had been carried around wherever he went. He never learned to stand or walk, and he never knew what it was like to run and feel the wind on his face.

Most likely, he was not married.  

Most likely, he did not have children.  

During this time period – anybody that was crippled, blind, paralyzed, or diseased was considered an outcast. From the time of his birth – this crippled man had been rejected by the world. 

But his life was about to change radically!

Peter and John were followers of Jesus who met this man right outside the temple…

Let’s read together.

Acts 3:1-12 (NLT2) 

1  Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2  As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3  When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. 4  Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5  The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6  But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” 7  Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8  He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 9  All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10  When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11  They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. 12  Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 

Then… Peter continues to preach and teach. We will look at the end of his sermon in a few minutes, but now I want us to focus on the man who demonstrates our Guiding Value of Captivating Celebration. This man was just sitting outside the temple asking for money…and unexpectedly…his life was changed forever.  

Peter and John looked at him and said to him,  “We do not have any money, but what we do have, we give you. In the name of Jesus, get up and walk!”

Then Peter took him by the hand – and as the man rose to his feet – his feet and his ankles were healed!

Suddenly this meant:

No more begging for food! No more depending on other people to move him around. No more dragging himself through the town. He was changed. He was made better. He was a new person. So, how does this relate to you and me?  

If, by faith, you believe that you have been forgiven. If, by faith, you believe that you Jesus rose from the dead and one day he will return. If, by faith, you took a moment, received Jesus into your life, and committed to follow Him.

Then you KNOW exactly how this man felt. Before you and I became a follower of Jesus, we were just like this crippled beggar.

We lived crippled by sin.

Crippled by shame.

Crippled by guilt.

Crippled by hopelessness.

Crippled by doubts.

But when we became followers of Jesus, we were made new and set free!

We were set free to follow Jesus.

We were set free to show GRACE to others.

We were set free to HOPE and to BELIEVE THE BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD.

We were set free to experience the overwhelming, never-ending, breathtaking love of God found through Jesus. So, as we remember what we have been rescued from, we should look at the example this man provides:

CELEBRATE LIFE-CHANGE HARD

Acts 3:8-9 (NLT2)

8  He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 9  All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 

WALKING – this shows us that this man was healed.

LEAPING – this shows us this man had strength.

PRAISING – This shows us that Jesus was credited for the change, not Peter and John.

The old, crippled man was GONE. The new man with strong feet and legs was here – and he could not have celebrated harder! If there is anything that the people of Myrtle Beach do well – whether they are born again or not – is CELEBRATE! People love to PARTY! They party on the beach – they party in the ocean. They celebrate on the miniature golf courses. They go on helicopter rides and race go-karts. People like to celebrate and gather with friends.

And…at Beach Church, we really seem to CELEBRATE well.  

We celebrate Baptisms. We cheer and applaud when somebody comes out of the water.

We celebrate when marriages are rescued from the brink of divorce and redeemed.  

We celebrate stories of people being rescued from addictions and their new life in Jesus. 

We Celebrate Recovery every Friday night.

But I would love it if we celebrated MORE.

I sometimes wish our voices were louder in worship. 

I sometimes wish our voices would drown out the band on the stage.

I sometimes wish our applause and cheers would linger longer during our services as we celebrate our great God that changes people's lives…I am not talking about the fake kind of celebration. Not the polite golf-clapping type of worship that I have been guilty of doing before. I am talking about the type of celebration this man showed:

UNHARNESSED ENTHUSIASM for the work God did in his life. And I sometimes find myself wishing for that because I recognize that…

CAPTIVATING CELEBRATION ATTRACTS OTHERS

As this man was whooping and hollering—leaping and shouting and praising God—all the people who were outside the Temple area heard the celebration and came rushing in!

Acts 3:11 (NLT2) 

11  They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.

The people who heard the CELEBRATION were curious about what had happened, so they ran together and surrounded the man, Peter, and John. When we celebrate our faith, those without Jesus, those on the outside of our faith, will grow curious. 

They will be captivated as they see us living lives that CELEBRATE GRACE, REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS, HEALING, SECOND CHANCES.

CELEBRATION will draw others in – because people love to have a good time! People love to celebrate! If you don’t believe me – stand up in a crowded restaurant, tell people it is your child’s birthday, and ask them to join you in singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY and see if they join in.

When I was a Student Pastor in Georgia, Kristy and I hosted some college students at the house.  I was at the grocery store buying food.  My daughter Naomi was about four years old. She found out we were having a party, and she stood up in the shopping cart – spread her arms wide, and yelled – EVERYBODY COME TO MY HOUSE! The more, the merrier.

And that leads me to my final point:

CAPTIVATING CELEBRATION LEADS TO MORE CHANGED LIVES

Crowds of people rushed in when they heard the celebration of the former crippled man. Now think about that. Jesus had told Peter and John to tell everybody about him – and now, because of the hollering and celebration of this man, all these people gathered around Peter and John. We see how Peter responded in verse 12.

Acts 3:12 (NLT2) 

12  Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 

Peter SAW his opportunity to tell others about Jesus! The crowd was full of questions. They wanted to know how Peter and John had made this man walk – and Peter took the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. Peter tells them about forgiveness and hope through Jesus for the rest of this chapter.  He helped them understand that the power of Jesus healed the crippled man and that the Power of Jesus can give them new life as well – new spiritual life.

The only reason why those people were there was because the celebration of the man had drawn them in. I love it when friends and family are invited to celebrate baptisms! I love it when they give their lives to Jesus and are baptized as well. An invitation to celebrate your faith in Jesus can result in more people experiencing a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

So, check it out – Peter took the opportunity to tell them about Jesus – and skip to Acts 4:4 as Peter wrapped up his message.

Acts 4:4 (NLT2) 

But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children. 

Do you see it? Isn’t it beautiful? 

When followers of Jesus celebrate our faith – others can be drawn in out of curiosity and become followers of Jesus as well. In case you have forgotten, here are a few reasons why followers of Jesus can celebrate.

Followers of Jesus can celebrate because Jesus defeated sin. 

Followers of Jesus can celebrate because Jesus has defeated death.

We can celebrate because Jesus holds the keys to life and death in his hand.

We can celebrate because Jesus has defeated hopelessness, loneliness, and addiction.

We can celebrate because Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to guide us.

Followers of Jesus can celebrate because we know for certain that we will be in heaven.

We can celebrate because NOT ONE THING will ever be able to separate us from the love of God. That is why CAPTIVATING CELEBRATION is one of our GUIDING VALUES at Beach Church – and I invite you to make it one of yours.

Beach Life - Uncomfortable Grace

Throughout this “Beach Life” series, we will explore Jesus' mission and values and how he calls us to follow him and make his mission and values our own. We kicked off this series by discussing Beach Church's mission. Our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Our Mission answers the question of " why” we exist, and our Guiding Values answer the question of " how” we fulfill our mission.

We could gather every weekend for worship, distribute food to 500 families every week, go on mission trips, have life groups, and have a ministry for children with special needs, but without our guiding values, we would not be leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

The Bible tells us without love, we are nothing.

Our Guiding Values, shaped by the love of Jesus demonstrated while he lived on earth, will help us fulfill our mission.

The Values are:

The Values are:

1. Life-Changing Truth

2. Transparent Living

3. Captivating Celebration

4. Uncomfortable Grace

5. Selfless Service

Today, we are going to talk about our third guiding value:

UNCOMFORTABLE GRACE

That is, we believe that:

FOLLOWERS OF JESUS GIVE THE SAME LIMITLESS GRACE THEY HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD.

If you are a follower of Jesus – the Grace god has given to you isn’t only FOR you – but it is also FOR you to GIVE to others. We are going to keep talking about that – but for now let’s look at the passage of scripture that best demonstrates UNCOMFORTABLE GRACE.

Let’s read together from Colossians 3.

Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT2) 

12  Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

If you grew up in church, you might be thinking to yourself, the two words “Uncomfortable” and “Grace” are two words that do not go together.

“Uncomfortable Grace”

We are taught that GRACE is wonderful.  And it is.

That GRACE is comforting.  And it is.

That Grace is AMAZING. And it is.

When we pray for others, we often pray that they would experience the GRACE of God in their lives…because God’s GRACE is a good thing. But – what is GRACE? The Word “Grace” can be a little confusing. For instance, I grew up saying “Grace” before I ate a meal.  My family would close our eyes and say GRACE.  

Bless us oh Lord, For these thy Gifts, Which we are about to receive, From thy Bounty, Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Then, after I surrendered my life to Jesus and received Him as my Savior and received forgiveness for my sins, people used the word differently. The mealtime prayer was no longer called Grace.  That was for the Catholics…and the Clark W. Griswold family. Now the mealtime prayer was called a Blessing…”Who wants to say the Blessing?” 

No wonder people can get confused the churches choice of vocabulary.

For the sake of the message, Grace is not referring to a mealtime prayer. Grace is not the name of a woman who is very uncomfortable right now.

You can jot this down in your Lifenotes.

God’s grace is best described as:

GRACE: GOD’S GOODNESS TO THOSE WHO DESERVE PUNISHMENT.

I deserve to be punished for my sins.

I have lied. 

I have stolen. 

I have cheated. 

I have looked at pornography.  

I have hated in my heart. 

I have been drunk. 

I have sinned in my anger and lost my temper. 

I have been arrogant.  

I have been filled with pride. 

I have wanted the spotlight on me, rather than God. 

I have been selfish, unfaithful to God, and unfaithful to friends.  

I have been rude. 

I have been impatient with others. 

I have carried grudges in my heart. 

I have not helped somebody when they needed it the most. 

I have not cared for my body, my wife, and even my children the way I should. 

I have rejected my Creator. 

I have used the name of Jesus as a cuss word. 

I have openly mocked followers of Jesus for living for Jesus.

I have not worshipped God.  

I have not lived for God. 

I have not loved others the way I should.

And…I deserve to be punished for my rebellion against my CREATOR GOD.

God says in Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 18:4 

“…all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.”

All people belong to God…and since we belong to Him, he makes the rules…and he says, “The person who sins is the one who will die.” The punishment that I deserve for my rebellion against God is DEATH.  Not only do I deserve to physically die, but I deserve to be punished by experiencing spiritual death.  

I deserve to suffer in Hell for ALL eternity. I deserve to be tormented in a fire that is so awful the flames never consume what they burn.  An everlasting flame that never goes out.

That is what I deserve. And so do you.

Let that sink in.

You deserve to be punished for your sins.

When you accept that weight of that statement – you can best understand how life-changing the Grace of God is.  God’s goodness toward those who deserve punishment.  

God’s Goodness is NOT PUNISHING us by giving us what we deserve. 

God’s Justice demands that punishment be paid.

God’s LOVE chooses to pay the punishment himself.

Jesus chose to willingly suffer on the cross and pay the price for our sins. God’s rule was that all people who sinned would die. Jesus became a person and paid the penalty as a man for our sin.

The PRICE was paid. The debt was satisfied.

And the relationship between God and People was redeemed. That is the GRACE we sing about and embrace.  

Amazing Grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost

But now I’m found

Was blind but now I see

So, if you feel hopeless, discouraged, overwhelmed.  If you wake up every morning and your past sins weigh you down. If you feel like a failure in life. If you think that God will never forgive you for something you have done…I want you to look down at your Life Notes and ask yourself honestly:

WHICH ONE OF YOUR SINS WILL GOD NOT FORGIVE?

Which ONE of your sins do you think God is holding against you?

Have you done something that damaged somebody else so bad you think God will not forgive you for it?

Do you wake up every day with regret? Shame? 

Do you go through pill after pill, or bottle after bottle trying to forget the pain you caused?

God has something better for you.

It is called: FREEDOM!

You do not have to be weighed down by the sin of your past. God’s goodness toward you cannot fail.  God’s goodness toward you, demonstrated by Jesus on the cross, cannot be watered down, explained away, or made powerless. Jesus has set you free from your sin – and that means he has set you free from shame, from fear, from doubt, and from insecurities about your past mistakes, sin and failure. He has set you free – so stop chaining yourself down by the weight of guilt.

Walk in Freedom. Live in Uncomfortable Grace. And as you live out God’s uncomfortable grace in your own life, ask:

DO YOU ALLOW OTHERS SPACE TO FAIL?

Do you allow other people around you and give them space to fail?  

Do you criticize people when they mess up? Do you harp on people around you because they have made poor choices? 

Do you whisper about the teenage girl who got pregnant? The mother who drinks too much? The parent losing their temper in the grocery store?

Do you gossip about your neighbors choice of swimwear at the beach? (She is too old to be wearing a bikini…she is 95!) 

Weren’t you once like that? (Minus the 95-year-old bikini.)

Didn’t you once make horrible mistakes? Didn’t you once live as a sinner with no hope?

Then, give other people space to fail without judging them.  You once made similar choices. You deserved death. You deserved God’s judgement over sin…

But you were made new – So why limit the Grace of God only toward you?  Why not demonstrate God’s grace so much it makes other people UNCOMFORTABLE? Followers of Jesus ought to show so much grace, that everybody gets a second, third, fourth, fifth chance.  

Kristy and I are talking about camping.  I love building a nice hot fire for mornings and evenings…When it comes to camping, the one problem I have with the campfire is the smoke! 

Have you ever noticed, when it comes a campfire, the smell of smoke soaks into everything. My hair. My beard. My hat. My clothes. My undies. The tent. The sleeping bags, the van, the tent…

After camping, in order to be clean – I have to do more than change my clothes. I need to take a shower, scrub that smoke off my skin and hair, then put on clean clothes. But, if I only changed clothes to be clean, it would not make sense. The smokey odor would still be on my skin. I would not feel clean – and I would not be clean. Putting on fresh clothes would not fool anybody. 

Sometimes people try to do that to feel better.

They start attending church.

They start using the churchy words like grace and peace and Jesus.

They begin doing nice things to other people…

But they have never accepted God’s Grace, personally.  

If you would like to receive forgiveness for your sins, all your sins, and begin a relationship with God, and start over…I invite you to surrender all you are, into God’s hands, by receiving Jesus as your Savior.

It looks something like this:

PRAYER OF SURRENDER

Thank you, God, for creating me. I admit that I have sinned, and I deserve to be punished for my sin. Thank you that Jesus paid the punishment for me I deserved on the cross. I believe Jesus died, rose from the dead, and will one day return. I surrender my life to you and receive Jesus as my Savior. 

We will continue to change the world around us, when we clothe ourselves with the Grace of God and demonstrate that towards EVERYBODY.

Beach Life - Transparent Living

Throughout this “Beach Life” series, we will explore Jesus' mission and values and how he calls us to follow him and make his mission and values our own. We kicked off this series by discussing Beach Church's mission. Our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Our Mission answers the question of " why” we exist, and our Guiding Values answer the question of " how” we fulfill our mission.

We could gather every weekend for worship, distribute food to 500 families every week, go on mission trips, have life groups, and have a ministry for children with special needs, but without our guiding values, we would not be leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

The Bible tells us without love, we are nothing.

Our Guiding Values, shaped by the love of Jesus demonstrated while he lived on earth, will help us fulfill our mission.

The Values are:

1. Life-Changing Truth

2. Transparent Living

3. Captivating Celebration

4. Uncomfortable Grace

5. Selfless Service

Today, we are going to talk about our second guiding value, 

Transparent Living

GOD DESIRES US TO BE REAL, OPEN, AND HONEST ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND ALLOW OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. 

Because we love one another, you can be the real you at Beach Church. Because we love one another, I am allowed to be a real Pastor, a real person, a real husband, and a real daddy.  You do not have to pretend to be perfect.

Maybe you grew up in a church that practiced “privacy” rather than “transparency.”  Maybe you were encouraged not to talk about real life and real problems at church. Maybe your experience was to sing from a Hymnal, listen quietly to the sermon, and leave just at the end of the last song to get to the restaurant first. 

Maybe your experience in church has leaned toward “pretending to be perfect.”

Because we love one another, you get to be real, open and honest about who you are – AND you allow others to do the same. If I get to be transparent,  if you get to be transparent, then others are allowed to be transparent, too. Because followers of Jesus love each other, we all get to be who we really are during the week. When you come to church, it's okay if you wear mismatched socks, have baby vomit on your shirt, and toothpaste on your chin.

The apostle John describes transparent living and some amazing benefits when followers of Jesus live transparently with one another.

Let’s read:

1 John 1:7-9 (NLT2) 

7  But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

First, John is writing to believers in Jesus. He describes what happens when believers in Jesus are serious about living in the light and following Jesus. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, you are living in the light. But you didn’t always live in the light. Before you surrendered to Jesus, you lived in darkness. I did too.

And, there is a vast difference between living in darkness and the light. Thanks to the light outside, every one of us followed a predictable pattern when we arrived on our campus this morning.  

You parked your car. You and your crew got out of your car. You walked through the parking lot. You entered the lobby. Maybe you stopped to use the restroom. Maybe you picked up a cup of coffee. Then, you finally entered the worship center and sat in your seat. I imagine you will do that in reverse when it is time to leave.

Getting into the building and making your way to the seat wasn't difficult because you were “living in the light.”

However, imagine that after parking the car, your crew put blindfolds on and attempted to make it into the worship center.  Just simply finding the entrance would be hard enough. Obstacles of parked cars, moving cars, bushes, and steps would make it difficult for you to enter the worship center. Some of us would still be wandering around outside. In the same way, a lack of transparency creates an obstacle for you to really experience “fellowship” with God and with other believers. The word fellowship communicates a deep intimacy with other believers. It suggests an “exchange” of lives with one another.

“Exchanging” means giving and receiving. When believers share their burdens with each other, they live in the light of Jesus. They are living in community with each other. Living in the light and fellowship means sharing the burden, which goes both ways. Others share their wins and sins with you, and you share your wins and sins with them. You may not have a problem with people sharing their real lives with you, but you may struggle to open up to others.

Maybe you aren’t sure what others would think about you if they knew what you really struggled with, so you remain private.  You listen to others but do not share your life with them. Maybe you smile and nod and tell people everything is okay, but your heart cries out for somebody to listen to you. Maybe you don’t tell others about the struggle you are having with sin at work or with your family. Many of us sometimes pretend everything is ok when everything is not ok.

You might think, “If people knew the real me, they wouldn’t like me.”

The truth is, transparent living is hard.  

Transparent Living means we are vulnerable with others

1 John 1:8 (NLT2) 

8  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

Being open and honest about who you are means you are vulnerable.

And, when we are vulnerable, we can be hurt.  

When we are vulnerable to others, we can be rejected.  

When we are vulnerable, we give people power with areas of our lives we keep secret for a reason.

And, if other people view you as a leader, vulnerability is even more difficult.

You are the leader in your family, and your family looks to you for protection and provision.

You are the leader at work, and your coworkers turn to you for advice and solutions.

You are a leader in your neighborhood, and your neighbors may bring their complaints to you to solve them.

You are a leader in your life group, and people look up to you as a role model…

You may be tempted to think, “I can’t live transparently because people expect me to be strong.”

If I am vulnerable, people will turn on me. 

If I am vulnerable, people will reject me. 

If I am vulnerable, others will think I am too weak to lead and find another leader.

If I am vulnerable with my spouse, they will find somebody else.

If I am vulnerable with my children, they won’t respect me.

If I am vulnerable at work, I will never get that promotion.

That is not true. For example, let's look at Animal Kingdom:

In the animal kingdom, every ‘pack’ has a leader guiding them through life. 

Wolves have a pack leader. Lions have a den leader. Orangutans have leaders.

The pack leader keeps the pack safe and provides solutions to the dangers they may face. We may be tempted to think that if a pack leader demonstrates vulnerability, the pack will reject them and find a new leader. We can learn some lessons about the power of vulnerability from animals!

When the leader of the pack demonstrates appropriate vulnerability, amazing things happen inside the community:

• The leader becomes more relatable.

• The leader’s vulnerability reduces tension, which leads to less conflict and stabilizes the pack.

• The leader's vulnerability helps promote and develop future leaders of the pack.

• In situations of potential conflict within the pack, leaders who show vulnerability de-escalate tension and preserve strength for the critical battles the pack faces with other packs.

Pack leaders who show appropriate vulnerability enhance the entire pack's survival and success!

The lesson: When followers of Jesus lead with transparency and demonstrate vulnerability, the entire church is strengthened. Sharing our weaknesses makes us stronger!

Paul, a Christian leader, said:

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT2) 

10  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So, trust others. Be vulnerable. Because,

Confessing our sins, our wins, and our struggles develops fellowship. 

We develop genuine, meaningful friendships when we confess our sins, wins, and struggles to one another. If you have been attending church for a while and still feel like you do not know people, you are probably correct.  

If you love the worship and are engaged with the message but are still missing friendships with other believers, it may be because you have not yet taken the initiative to join a life group or serve on a ministry team.

Transparent Living does not mean everybody in the church knows you. The power of transparent living is best experienced in the context of a life group.  

A life group commits to confidentiality, exchanges life experiences with each other and develops meaningful friendships. But from time to time, some stories must be told churchwide. Sometimes, stories of triumph and victory must be captured and shared with the church to strengthen the whole church.

I believe one such story is the story of Stephen and Mary Boyd. For years, they struggled with infertility. They prayed to conceive a baby. They desired to be parents, - but spent a long season in the valley of disappointment and struggle.

Here is their story:

When God works in our lives, the stories must be shared. Some share the story of God’s work in their lives through baptism. Some share their stories in lifegroups. And sometimes, stories need to be shared with the church.

This is because,

Transparent Living leads to freedom!

When real connections are made, we live in freedom. When real friendships are made, we live in freedom. We can confess our sins, our victories, and our journey as followers of Jesus—and that type of living leads to freedom! You can be free to be the real you.  

Transparent Living invites us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, to live in freedom with each other, and continues to help us lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Beach Life - Life-Changing Truth

Throughout this “Beach Life” series, we will explore Jesus' mission and values and how he calls us to follow him and make his mission and values our own. Last week, we kicked off this series by discussing Beach Church's mission. Our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Our Mission is the answer to the question of “Why we do anything around here.”

Why we gather together for worship each weekend.

Why we serve in our community.  

Why we have children’s ministry.

Why we go on mission trips. 

Why we provide stoves in the Mayan jungles.

Why we have student ministry.

Why we have LifeGroups.

Why we plan for the future.

Why we have an online presence.

The “Why” behind everything we do is answered by our Mission, “To lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.”

We have five Guiding Values that I believe will help us fulfill our mission.

1. Life-Changing Truth

2. Transparent Living

3. Captivating Celebration

4. Uncomfortable Grace

5. Selfless Service

For the next five weeks, I encourage you to embrace these guiding values as your own. Today – we are going to talk about the first Guiding Value of Life-Changing Truth.

You might have noticed that we begin every sermon with an invitation to take a Bible home…and then say something like, “At Beach Church we believe…”

IF WE READ AND APPLY THE WORD OF GOD, GOD WILL CHANGE OUR LIVES

That is not just a cute saying.  That statement is developed from the life of Jesus in Matthew 4 when Jesus used God’s word to resist the temptation of the Devil and in Second Timothy. I have never met anybody that didn’t want to experience some level of change in their life…

They want a better marriage. 

Better relationships at work. 

Better relationships with their family members…

They want to be better off financially. 

They want to have more peace, more joy, and give more love in their lives.

And the BEST and most PRACTICAL way to experience life change is found in 2 Timothy 3:16.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT2) 

16  All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. In the original language, Paul used the word “inspiration,” which suggests the Bible was “breathed out” by the mouth of God.

THE BIBLE IS GOD BREATHED AND TEACHES RIGHT AND WRONG

The Bible is not merely a religious book. The Bible is not just a collection of churchy books smashed together. The Bible is a collection of 66 books. God, the Creator of the world, BREATHED out into the minds of men, who recorded His words.

For the first season of Human History, God walked and talked with His creation – until Adam and Eve – the first man and woman, rebelled against God and sinned.  They preferred living for themselves rather than living for their Creator. Then, God communicated with his creation through the Prophets, through Jesus and his Apostles. His communication and interaction with humans are recorded in this Book.

The Bible is God Breathed.  

Just like these words you are hearing right now are Joe-Breathed.  I am forcing air out of my lungs into my vocal cords; they vibrate, and you hear these words I am saying – God spoke into the minds of the Prophets and Apostles and gave us words that have endured for the past 4,000 years. God loves Human Beings enough to communicate with us. We have not been abandoned by our Creator.

 Even when we FEEL alone – our feelings are wrong.  Through the Bible, we are encouraged and comforted by the heart of God.

The Bible tells us what is right and wrong.

I love hearing an ATTABOY, and I love words of affirmation when I am doing something right. It motivates me to continue to do right, but not many people like to be told when they are living or doing something wrong… 

Today, the culture of the world EMBRACES what is WRONG and REJECTS what is RIGHT. If an athlete or a politician is a follower of Jesus and uses his platform to be a role model and point others to Jesus – he/she is ridiculed and mocked by the culture. But if an athlete or politician uses their platform to promote anti-Christian views, they are hailed as heroic status symbols. The reality is this: if you enjoy doing wrong, the Bible is going to offend you.

If you enjoy doing wrong and do not want to be corrected, sermons here at Beach Church are going to offend you. They are going to step on your toes and get all up in your business. 

I will offend you because, from time to time, I will teach something from the Bible that goes against what you value and embrace. There is RIGHT, and there is WRONG.  

I acknowledge that since the Bible is GOD BREATHED, it has authority over our lives. We can depend on it as the foundation upon which we can build our lives. I don’t preach sermons wagging my finger at you. I look in the mirror, point the truth of God’s Word at myself, and seek to apply the truth to my life before I ever preach, and I ask you to do the same.

My focus when I preach is to help YOU apply God’s Word to YOUR life. We believe that Spiritual Growth is evident when each of us individually applies God’s Word to our lives. So, how can you train yourself to apply God’s Word to your life?

In 1996, five years after I became a follower of Jesus. Five years after I understood that there was a right and wrong. Five years after I surrendered my life to Jesus, received Christ as my Savior, and became a born-again believer in Jesus…

I was taught how to READ my BIBLE and develop an application from it… If we do accept the Bible as the living and active Word of God – then we have to figure out how to read it and apply it. How do we read the Bible without falling asleep? How do we read the Bible without our minds drifting off?  It happens to all of us.  We open up the Bible to read it…and our minds drift off, and we begin to think about other things.

Today I want to give you a tool to help you be able to read God’s Word and apply God’s Word to your life: If you do not have a Letter or Book of the Bible that you are currently reading on a regular basis, I want to invite you to begin reading the shorter letters in the New Testament. The letters were written to followers of Jesus and gave instructions on how to live as followers of Jesus. How to raise their children, get along with their neighbors, and LIVE out their faith as followers of Jesus.

When I read the Bible, I typically read these shorter letters in one sitting. As I read them, I underline all the verses that make me go, “Hmmm.” Or strike me in a particular way…

That’s all I do in that first sitting. I read the letter, and when a verse stands out to me…I underline and move on. The next morning, I typed out the first verse that stood out to me, and I began to meditate on it and let it sink into my life. I ask myself, did this verse leap out to me because there is a…

SIN TO AVOID or CONFESS

Is there a sin I have been thinking about doing (robbing a bank, committing murder, overeating tacos) that I need to avoid? Or have I murdered somebody, and I need to confess it to God, admit it was wrong, and stop doing it? Mostly, I don’t struggle with temptation in those areas – but I am tempted in areas of lust, gossip, greed, selfishness, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness…

If there is, I will write about it.  I journal about it. Then, I ask myself if this verse leaped out at me because there is a…

PROMISE TO CLAIM

Within the New Testament, God has made over 250 promises to followers of Jesus.  Here are a couple of them as examples:

Jesus promised rest in 

Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT2) 

28  Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Jesus promised abundant life to those who follow Him 

John 10:10 (NLT2) 

10  The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 

There are many more promises of God, and every single one of them find their ultimate fulfillment in a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. If there is a promise, I write it down and CLAIM it. I pray it into my heart and life.

Third, I ask myself…did this scripture pop out to me because there is an…

EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW

Am I supposed to follow the example of somebody I am reading about? Is there an example I am supposed to follow about somebody’s strength, faithfulness, or obedience? Does somebody inspire me to walk with God more closely?

If so, I will write about it, and I will seek to follow their example. Fourthly, I ask myself, is there a…

COMMAND TO OBEY

Is there an area of my life that I need to bring into alignment with the Word of God?  What is it?

I write about it and begin to apply it to my life. I often find commands I once obeyed that I have become relaxed about continuing to do. Am I no longer generous like I once was?

Do I love others as I once did?

Am I being patient and kind and tenderhearted with my family and friends?  Am I following Jesus like God expects me to?

Then, finally – I ask myself if the verse leaped out at me simply because it has some bit of… 

KNOWLEDGE TO GAIN

…about God or my fellow man that I need to be reminded of, tuck away, and even pass along one day.  

You will never know how much of an encouragement you can be to others by simply passing along an encouraging thought from the Bible to others. Now, I have given you solid questions you can ask yourself as you read the Bible. These things will help your mind stay focused and alert as you read God’s Word.

I want you to ask yourself,

WHAT IS MY DAILY PLAN TO READ GOD’S WORD?

Will you wake up thirty minutes earlier daily to read the Bible and pray?

Will you go to your bedroom thirty minutes earlier to read God’s Word and to pray?

Devise a plan for the next thirty days and stick with it. I guarantee you will never regret developing a plan to read and apply the Word of God.

Beach Life - Our Mission

Today, we are launching our Beach Life Series. Throughout this series, we will explore Jesus' mission and values and how he calls us as a church to follow him and make his mission and values our own. If you are interested in joining our church or if you are already a partner or member, this series is going to be very appealing to you. As we begin, it is so important to address the question, “Why?” Why should we spend 7 weeks in a series called Beach Life?

As followers of Jesus, ultimately, when our life is finished here on this earth, and we stand before God, we all want to hear Jesus say to us: Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Most of us want to be a part of something significant. We want to leave our family, friends, community and even the world a better place when we pass on from this life. The only way we will hear those words from Jesus is if we value what Jesus values and make his mission and values our mission and values—personally and together as a church.

The Bible calls Solomon the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon was a great “people reader.” He knew how to read and motivate people. Read through the Proverbs, and you will discover incredible God-breathed wisdom. In Proverbs 29, Solomon wrote about the importance of leaders casting vision for God’s people. 

He writes:

Proverbs 29:18 (NLT2) 

18  When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. 

If you grew up in church, you may be familiar with other translations. The King James version reads:

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) 

18  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. 

And the English Standard Version reads:

Proverbs 29:18 (ESV) 

18  Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. 

In other words, without divine guidance and vision, God’s people will not hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  

Without vision, God’s people will run wild.

Without vision, God’s people will cast off restraint.

Without vision, God’s people will perish.

The direct result of not living with a clear direction and mission will result in God’s people running wild. I really like the emphasis on “running wild.”  During my college years, I worked in an after-school program for elementary-age children. If we didn’t have a plan, those kids ran wild! 

Cliques of kids would do whatever they wanted to do. Some would try to play kickball on the same field others were trying to play football. Kids would swing on the swings, and other kids would play tag in between.  Girls were playing, dancing, and getting smashed by others playing football. 

Without direction – there would be bumps, bruises, and tears.

That’s how it is for the church or any organization without a clear mission. Without unity around a clear mission, God’s people can be playground bullies and hurt others. So, that’s why, for the next seven weeks, we will do this series on “Beach Life.”

At Beach Church, we are…

Leading People to a Life-Changing Relationship with Jesus.

Our mission, our purpose, is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus, and our mission is formed by Jesus's life and mission. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus' mission is very clear. Before he was born, an angel appeared to Mary and told her his purpose:

Matthew 1:21 (NLT2) 

21  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus described his mission early on in his ministry and said:

Luke 5:31-32 (NLT2) 

31 …. “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32  I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” 

And he made his mission even more clear in Luke 19:10

Luke 19:10 (NLT2) 

10  For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

50-60 years later, the apostle Paul described the mission of Jesus to Timothy and said:

1 Timothy 1:15 (NLT2) 

15  This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.

The mission of Jesus was to seek and save the lost.  

The mission of Jesus was to save sinners.

The mission of Jesus was to save people from their sins.

That is why our mission as a church could not be any clearer. Our Mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus, that is your mission as well because the mission of Beach Church is the mission of Jesus. Over the last few weeks, we have looked at the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  Now, before Jesus ascends into heaven, Jesus passed his mission on to his followers:

Let’s read together From Acts Chapter One.

Acts 1:6-11 (NLT2) 

6  So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7  He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9  After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10  As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” 

Jesus left the earth because his part of the mission, to save people from their sins, had been fulfilled. There is only one way a person can be forgiven for their sins, and that is through Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus' role in his mission had been completed, but his mission is ongoing. He told his followers that His mission to seek and save the lost now rested in their hands.

The timing of when Jesus invited these men to participate in his mission is crucial for us to understand how we are supposed to fulfill Jesus's mission. Jesus did not wait until he ascended into Heaven to select the people to fulfill his mission; he selected them at the very beginning of his ministry. He had already shown them how to fulfill their mission and how to lead people to a life-changing relationship with him.  

He did not ask them to do something he had not already shown them how to do. In Jesus's culture, when a teacher invited people to follow him and be his disciple, the teacher was inviting them to become LIKE HIM. 

The reason he invited them at the beginning of his ministry is because Jesus knew…

A follower of Jesus reflects the character of Jesus.

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John describe roughly three years of Jesus's life. They describe how he interacted with religious leaders, prostitutes, the worst of the worst, and the best of the best. Jesus spent time in the slums with the poor, and he went to the parties of the rich. Jesus taught people who went to the synagogues, and he taught in the streets and fields.

The Gospel writers provide accounts of Jesus working miracles: He healed people with leprosy, brought the dead back to life, made the sick well, and made the paralyzed run and skip. For three years, Jesus engaged with people and taught them how to love God with all their hearts and love their neighbors as they loved themselves. His disciples were right there watching him every step of the way. 

Jesus knew their observation of his life would transform their lives. He knew that before he could assign them the responsibility to fulfill his mission, they must be prepared, and the preparation happened partly through their observation of his life and as they became more like him.

Growing up, I acted just like the friends I hung out with. The more time I spent with them, the more I became like them. If they spit spitballs from a straw in the cafeteria, I spit spitballs from a straw in the cafeteria. If they superglued their fingers together, I superglued my fingers together. If they did dumb things, I did dumb things. My teachers always told us that we acted just like each other. If you are a follower of Jesus, the more you observe the life of Jesus through prayer and reading the Bible, the more you will reflect the character of Jesus. When we reflect the character of Jesus, we will lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

In other words, the character of Jesus rubbed off on his disciples. The disciples became like Jesus – not just in regard to their mission, but in regard to their character.

We have Five guiding values that guide our decision making at Beach Church, these guiding values are reflected in the life of Jesus.  The more we grow in these values, the more we reflect the character of Jesus, and the more we fulfill his mission:

Our first guiding value is…

GUIDING VALUE #1: LIFE-CHANGING TRUTH

“We believe if we read and apply the Word of God, He will change our lives.”

Matthew 4:1-11 tells the story of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Despite being hungry and weak, Jesus stood firm and resisted the temptation to sin by quoting Scripture and applying the truth of God's Word to His life. In doing so, Jesus demonstrated the power of God's Word to overcome temptation and sin.

GUIDING VALUE #2: TRANSPARENT LIVING

“We believe God desires us to be real, open, and honest about who we are and allow others to do the same.”

In John 11:35 and Matthew 26:36-46, Jesus is vulnerable. He wept at Lazarus' tomb and experienced anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. We cannot be transparent without being vulnerable.  It is okay not to be okay.  

GUIDING VALUE #3:  UNCOMFORTABLE GRACE

“We believe followers of Jesus give the same limitless grace they have received from God.”

In Matthew 9:10-17, Mark 2:15-22, and Luke 5:29-39 and throughout the Gospels, Jesus ate with prostitutes, tax collectors, and other notorious sinners.  In that culture, sharing a meal was the greatest way to demonstrate love and acceptance.

We must make allowance for the personality clashes, sins, and faults of other people and show the same type of grace Jesus did. 

GUIDING VALUE #4: CAPTIVATING CELEBRATION

“We believe following Jesus results in a joy-filled life that draws people to Jesus.”

Throughout the Gospels, when Jesus healed people, the healings led to joy for the person healed and spilled over to others who saw the change in their lives. The joy and celebration that followed the healing would draw more people to Jesus.

We intentionally celebrate during the hardships that living in a broken world brings.

GUIDING VALUE #5: SELFLESS SERVICE

“We believe followers of Jesus best demonstrate love to others through acts of kindness and service.”

In John 13:1-17, Jesus washed his disciples' feet, a powerful act of humility and deference that indicates servanthood is a defining characteristic of Jesus, and he calls his followers to become servants to one another and the world.

We demonstrate selfless service by serving our community with no strings attached. Throughout his ministry, Jesus reflected the value of the Word of God, Grace, Transparency, Joy, and Serving others. These values were blueprints for how we, as followers of Jesus, fulfill his mission. When first-time guests walk into our church, we want them to see that we live with purpose and encounter Jesus's values through each and every one of us.

So, invite!

We are building a culture in which each of us strives to exemplify the values of Jesus. We are developing followers of Jesus who strive to live their lives like Jesus did.

1 John 2:6 (NLT2)

 6  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

We are developing a culture where people are not ashamed to invite their family, friends, and neighbors who don’t yet know Jesus. Regardless of their lifestyle, political views, and past, all people are welcomed at Beach Church because all people are welcomed to the cross.

So, invite others!

And finally, 

Jesus will return, are you ready now? (Acts 1:10-11)

I am ready for Jesus to return because I know Him as my Savior.  

By faith, I have been made a new creation through the GRACE and FORGIVENESS of Jesus death on the cross.  By faith, I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, that he rose from the dead, went up into heaven and will one day return.

But I am not ready based on what BELIEF.  I am ready because I have RECEIVED the free gift of forgiveness. In 1991, I knelt beside my youth pastor, and I asked Jesus to forgive me, and I invited Jesus into my life.  I had already KNOWN what Jesus had done for me.  But I never received him as my Savior.

Paul writes in Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9 (NLT2) 

9  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

If you have not yet made a decision to follow Jesus, I invite you to pray with me right now and surrender your life to God and accept Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. Wherever you are.  In your car. At the beach. In an RV. In your House. You can get ready for the return of Jesus, right now.  

So let’s pray together.

You can pray something like this:

Dear God,

I am ready to receive Jesus as my Savior.  I believe that Jesus paid the punishment for my rebellion and sin. I believe he suffered and died on the cross for me.  I believe he rose from the dead. I believe he went up into Heaven and will one day return.  God, I give you my life and accept Jesus as my Savior.  Thank you for forgiving me!

The Ascension

Last week, we examined the Resurrection, and this week, we will examine Jesus's ascension.

Let’s read together:

Luke 24:36-53 (NLT2) 

36  And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37  But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38  “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39  Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40  As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41  Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42  They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43  and he ate it as they watched. 44  Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48  You are witnesses of all these things. 49  “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” 50  Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52  So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53  And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God. 

If you are a follower of Jesus, you made the decision to trust your life to Jesus at some point. If you surrendered your life to God, you understood that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, you asked him to forgive you, and you accepted him as your Savior.

That only happened because, as we see in verse 45…

GOD HAS OPENED YOUR MIND TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE v. 45

The disciples had seen Jesus do some pretty amazing things. He healed people who were disfigured. He fixed the sight of people who were blind. He healed the deaf, and they could hear. Over and over, he healed people with diseases. 

Miracle. After Miracle. After Miracle.

Now, in order for his disciples to become fully convinced that Jesus was truly the Savior that the Old Testament prophets had prophesied about, Jesus opened their minds. These disciples had heard the Old Testament prophecy.  In fact, by the age of 10, boys had to have memorized the first five books of the Old Testament. Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy.  In the Jewish language, that was roughly 80,000 words! Most likely, these men had memorized these five books of the Bible, and they attended the synagogues each week to worship God and hear the teaching of God’s word on the Sabbath.

But even though they had memorized 80,000 words. Even though they attended the synagogue for worship every week of their lives. Even though they spent roughly three years with Jesus. They were still limited in their understanding of scripture. They knew God created them. They knew that Adam and Eve chose to sin, and sin entered the world. They knew that all descendants of Adam and Eve sinned. They knew THEY were sinners…and they knew they were separated from God…but they did not UNDERSTAND why JESUS died on the cross and rose from the dead.

They heard but did not understand. They HEARD but did not truly get it. Hey, parents, does that remind you of anybody? 

We spend half our time parenting, reminding our children of what we have already told them to do. But honestly, our kids get it from us! It is a common problem throughout the history of man.

Ezekiel 12:2 (NLT2) 

2  “Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people. 

I grew up Catholic. I understood that God created me. I understood Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross. I understood he rose from the dead. But nothing in me changed until God opened my mind to understand how to surrender my life to Jesus. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, it is only because a miracle has occurred. God has opened your mind to understand the hope found in the Bible, that means God loves you and has chosen to open your mind to HIS TRUTH about your life. You have been FORGIVEN.

And we also see in this passage…

FORGIVENESS IS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH CHANGE v. 47

In verse 47, Jesus said,  “There is forgiveness of sin for all who repent.”

REPENTANCE and FORGIVENESS are two separate words that communicate one idea.  Some people need clarification about the word repentance. They live their lives thinking repentance means living a life filled with remorse, guilt, and shame from their past. They don’t allow themselves to become the person God has created them to be because they do not understand what repentance actually is. Repentance is simply a “change in direction.”  

Suppose you are in your car on the 501 headed to Conway. But instead of going west on the 501, you are driving east!  Instead of heading to Conway, you are driving to the Coast. You must change your direction to arrive in Conway. If you want to get to Conway before you drive into the Ocean, you make a UTURN and change your direction…

That is what it means to REPENT. When you repent and surrender your life to Jesus, you make a UTURN in life. If you have been forgiven, you will WANT to please God.  

You will show signs that you reject the sinful lifestyle you have been living, and you will stop doing those things. Some things you will stop doing immediately, and other sins may take some time, but the difference is…but there has been an inward change because you have been forgiven.

The word FORGIVEN is actually a mathematical term. 

In the days of Jesus, when an individual borrowed money from a lender, their name was written down in a book or ledger. As the person made payments on what he owed, the payment was subtracted, and a new balance would be recorded. But if the lender FORGAVE the debt, they would open the book, find the name, and completely blot out that individual's name and amount due. It was erased. It was as though it never existed in the first place. The person who owed that money was no longer bound to the lender. They were no longer loaded down with debt…they were free.

God has dealt with sin the same way. If you have surrendered your life to Christ and received Jesus as your Savior, it is now as though your sin had never existed in the first place. Your sin has been erased through the sacrifice of Jesus. Your sin has been removed from existence. You do not need to live like you are still loaded down with the guilt and the weight of your past lives.  You have been set free. So live like it. Embrace the freedom that God has given to you through Jesus.  Demonstrate the freedom of forgiveness through a visible change in your life.  

LIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT v.49

This is the fantastic part of what happens when you become a follower of Jesus. When you receive forgiveness for your sins, you also receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples he was sending the promise of his Father to the disciples and for them to…

Luke 24:49 (NLT2) 

49  “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” 

We see this incredible promise fulfilled in Acts 2.  After Jesus ascended into heaven, these men and women gathered in a room. They were praying, then…

Acts 2:2-6 (NLT2) 

2  Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3  Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit…

If you are new to following Jesus, please understand. The HOLY SPIRIT of God does not live inside a church building, a statue, or a painting on the wall.  The Holy Spirit of God lives inside YOU. Growing up, I was told the church building was God’s House.

I had to speak reverently and quietly. I had to dress nice. I couldn’t wear a hat. I was told to behave in God’s HOUSE. I now know that God does not live inside brick, steel, and drywall. The house of the Holy Spirit is reserved for God’s most incredible creation—you and me.  

What a blessing to know that we are not abandoned and left to figure out life on our own! You have been changed not through your decision but through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Lean into the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Let Him Guide you to be baptized, serve, or invite others to worship with you. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your generosity and your relationships.

So, since God opened your mind, you have been changed and now have the Holy Spirit. You can live under the influence of the Holy Spirit! That means…

JESUS BLESSED OTHERS, AND SO CAN YOU. v. 50

Luke 24:50 (NLT2) 

50  Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 

The word BLESSED can be hard to understand. I was an altar boy. I remember the Priest taking Holy Water and flicking it on people in the church – and they considered that a blessing.   

In the movie Rocky…right before his big fight, Rocky asks Father Carmine for a blessing. Father Carmine says a prayer in Italian and makes the sign of the cross. We say God Bless you when somebody sneezes. But what does it mean to bless others biblically?

A BLESSING means:  TO SPEAK WELL OF, TO THANK, OR TO ASK GOD’S FAVOR UPON AN INDIVIDUAL. 

So, as Jesus was leaving, he wasn’t telling his disciples that they better have their rooms clean when he got back home. He did not threaten to punish them if they did something wrong while he was gone. Before he ascended into Heaven, Jesus spoke well of his disciples, thanked them, and asked God’s favor upon them.   

He BLESSED them through ENCOURAGEMENT.  He Spoke words of LIFE over them. He didn’t point out all their flaws – and certainly could have – instead, he focused on using his words to cause their hearts to swell with joy…not just joy – GREAT JOY. Typically when somebody is saying goodbye to a loved one headed out for a long trip, moving away, or even passing from this life…most don’t waste their breath being critical. Some might.  But most people will not waste their being critical and talking about how much their loved ones have disappointed them. 

It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode in which Frank Costanza creates a holiday called Festivus, and at the Festivus dinner, he goes around the table and tells everybody why he is sick of them! The sad truth is that while many people may not have a Festivus tradition like that, many choose to live every day like that.

They use their words to criticize, tear down, and destroy others.   

They use their words and influence to hurt others…and who knows why?   

WORDS of BLESSING can bring great JOY to others. 

Don’t you feel good when others speak well of you?  

Don’t you feel good when somebody goes out of their way to say THANK YOU to you and appreciate and value you?   

So, let's model our lives after Jesus and bless others, encourage them, and say words that will help them, not destroy them.

Easter - 2024

Growing up, my family had a tradition in which the Easter Bunny had hidden our Easter Basket filled with candy around the house, and we had to find it.  Sometimes, the baskets were hidden so well that I was certain The Easter Bunny had forgotten about me.

Every Easter, Kristy hides Easter Eggs in the yard, and the girls search for plastic eggs filled with money, candies, and jellybeans.

Can you imagine explaining Easter egg hunts to someone who's never heard of them before? 'So, we celebrate the resurrection... by hiding chocolate eggs... laid by a bunny? Perspective can make our traditions seem a bit quirky. Have you ever noticed that we all respond differently to events?

For instance, if your wife gets a speeding ticket, some husbands will get mad, and some of you will laugh at her.  Wives, If your husband stubs his toe or steps on a Lego in the middle of the night, some wives will laugh, others will hide their giggle, and some won’t wake up. We have different responses to almost everything, including the most incredible event in history, the resurrection of Jesus. Some people respond with belief. Some people respond with disbelief. Some people may not care one way or another.

Today, we celebrate Easter, and I think people respond to the resurrection of Jesus the exact same way.  Some refuse to believe.  Some have doubts. Some fully believe. That is precisely how it was at the time of the resurrection. Many of the followers of Jesus did not believe he had risen from the dead. Even after they talked with him, they still struggled to believe he was actually alive. Today, we will examine Luke 24 and discover how those who did not believe Jesus had risen came to the conclusion that he was indeed alive. 

We will do that because you may relate to the people who could not believe that Jesus was alive, and I want to help you move from unbelief or ambivalence to belief and faith in Jesus. So, Let’s read about the events that happened three days after Jesus had been killed on the cross and buried in a tomb.

Luke 24:1-11 (NLT2) 

1  But very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2  They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3  So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4  As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5  The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7  that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8  Then they remembered that he had said this. 9  So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11  But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 

“Very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb.” 

Now, I don’t know about you, but getting anywhere very early on a Sunday is miraculous in itself, especially if you have kids. It makes sense to me that if anybody ever wanted Jesus to be alive – it would have been the men who followed him for three years of their lives. When somebody you love dies tragically and suddenly, you miss them and want them to be alive. The disciples aren’t any different. This wasn’t a long, drawn-out battle with cancer or disease.  One moment, Jesus was healthy and enjoying dinner with his closest friends; the next moment, he was arrested and murdered. They saw him work miracles and change lives. They ate with him, learned from him, and saw the hope he brought to people. 

I am sure they wanted Jesus to be alive more than anybody.  Yet,

THE DISCIPLES REFUSED TO BELIEVE.

The word Luke used in verse 11 that describes where the friends of Jesus were on their journey to belief was:

Apisteo (aw pis tay o:) to have no belief, to disbelieve

The disciple's first response was not “Hurray! He is alive!”  

Their first response was, “No way! That’s not possible!”  

They thought the women were nuts! They refused to believe Jesus was alive. That may be where you are today.  

You believe Jesus existed, that he did good things, and that you may even appreciate what he taught about forgiving others, loving those who do not deserve it, and the kindness and compassion he showed. You believe that he was put to death by execution on the cross…but like the disciple’s early response, you refuse to believe that Jesus rose from the dead.

It is important to note that the disciples changed.  Their minds were changed. They went from “refusing to believe” to fully surrendering to Jesus.

How did they get there? 

Well, between verses 12 and 36, Jesus made a few special appearances.  

• Jesus appeared to a couple of men walking down a road and talked with them.

• Then he appeared to Peter.  

• Then he appeared to his disciples to show them the nails in his hands and feet.  

And the disciples got together, and they were talking about it.  Jesus appeared to me, me too! He showed us his hands and feet…We had an entire conversation with him…

Luke 24:36-41 shows us that the disciples moved from refusing to believe that Jesus was alive…they conceded a little ground…

And now…

THE DISCIPLES DESIRED TO BELIEVE (v. 38, 41)

Luke 24:36-41A (NLT2) 

36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder…

When Jesus said, “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?” He used the word:

Dialogismos (dē-ä-lo-gē-smoss): the thinking of a man deliberating with himself.  A deliberating, questioning about what is true.  Hesitation, doubting, disputing, arguing.

They desired to believe. They made eye contact with Jesus. They saw the wounds on his hands and feet. They wanted to believe, but they were torn by what they saw happened to Jesus at the cross. Their resistance to embrace the TRUTH of Jesus being alive reinforces the suffering and brutality of the cross. Before Jesus was arrested in the Garden, he had been pleading with God to find another way to bring forgiveness to mankind rather than face the brutality of the cross.

Luke 22:42 (NLT2) 

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

We do not understand the phrase “cup of suffering” the way the Jewish people did back then. In the Old Testament, “the cup” is often used as a metaphor for the wrath of God. 

Isaiah 51:17 (NLT) 

17  Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the LORD’s fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops.

Jeremiah 25:15 (NLT) 

15  This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. 

Habakkuk 2:16 (NLT) 

16  But soon it will be your turn to be disgraced. Come, drink, and be exposed! Drink from the cup of the LORD’s judgment, and all your glory will be turned to shame. 

Isaiah called it a cup of terror.  Jeremiah called it a cup filled to the brim with God’s anger. Habakkuk called it a cup of the Lord’s Judgement. 

Throughout the Bible, we see glimpses of God’s Wrath:

• God’s Anger over sin is seen in the great flood that destroyed the earth…

• God’s wrath destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone.

• God’s wrath is seen in the 10 Plagues upon Egypt.

It was not the physical agony of the beatings, the scourging, and the crucifixion that Jesus dreaded. It was the spiritual agony He would experience as he drank every last drop of God’s wrath that we deserved.
The Disciples watched the physical brutality of the cross. They watched the flesh ripped from his back through the scourging. They heard his final words and watched him breathe his final breath. They saw his dead body. They knew NO MAN was going to come back from that.

If you have heard the message that Jesus is ALIVE over and over yet walk away with doubt, understand that the very same men followed Jesus! Jesus stood in the same room.  They made eye contact with Jesus, yet they STILL had doubts!  They wanted to believe, but they just couldn't because of what they had already seen.

Is that you? Maybe you really would like to believe that Jesus is alive – but because of the troubles, difficulties, and emptiness you have experienced in this world, you struggle with accepting. If the disciples who walked and talked with Jesus after he was resurrected struggled with believing – it is understandable that 2,000 years later, men and women struggle with fully believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Let’s look one more time in Luke 24, and we will discover that…

THE DISCIPLES FULLY BELIEVED, AND THEIR LIVES WERE CHANGED

Luke 24:45-47 (NLT2) 

45  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’

What did it take for these men to have faith?  The same thing still required today. For us to believe in JESUS as SAVIOR – God must open our minds to believe. If you have repeatedly heard about Jesus’ death and resurrection yet still have doubts or think, “So what? That is not going to change anything about my life...” 

I want you to understand why you think that way. The Apostle Paul tells us why some people do not believe:

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT2) 

4  Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ... 

So, if you desire to believe, ask God to open your mind to believe. Ask God to remove the blindfold preventing you from becoming a follower of Jesus. You can ask him right now. 

“God, please remove the blindfold on my mind. If Jesus did rise from the dead, that changes everything. I would like to believe, but I need you to open my mind.”

Take a moment right now.  In your own words, say, “ God, open my mind to understand Jesus.”

Then, in verse 46, Jesus taught them that the Savior of the World would have to suffer and die.  God opened their minds, and they understood now that Jesus was the Savior who endured the “cup of suffering for all people” so that mankind might never have to experience God’s wrath again.

They understood the words that Jesus told them in John 3:16:

John 3:16 (NLT2) 

16  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Maybe at this moment, God has opened your mind to understand Jesus. Maybe something has clicked, and you understand how much God loves you. In verse 47, Jesus said, “There is forgiveness of sin for all who repent.”

The word that Jesus used for “repent” communicates a shift or change in thinking. The Disciples SHIFTED their thoughts about Jesus. This was the moment they put their DISBELIEF behind them—they chose to believe that Jesus was alive and that he had died for their sins, and they fully believed by surrendering their lives to him through repentance.

To repent – you, too, must have that SHIFT in your thinking. If you would like to repent, be forgiven for your sins, and become a follower of Jesus today, pray this with me:

God, 

I believe that Jesus suffered for my disobedience on the cross and died.

I believe he rose from the dead; he is now with you in Heaven 

and will return to earth one day. 

I surrender my life to you as my Savior.

Thank you for forgiving my sin and changing my life.

In Jesus name, Amen.