Beach Church 2/5/23 Beach Church 2/5/23

Meeting Jesus - Walking Away From Religion

Some people believe Jesus is a republican, a democrat, or an independent. Some people believe that Jesus is like a Genie in a bottle–if you rub the lamp through prayer, you get whatever you want. Still, some view Jesus like a Mascot the church rallies around once a week.Over this next year, we are going to seek to understand who Jesus really was,what he was really like, and how you and I can become more like Him.

We mention week after week that our mission as a church is to to become a connected people, captivated by Christ, whose changed lives are changing lives. Have you ever wondered why we mention our purpose as often as we do?

See, if Beach Church as a gathering of believers, or as individuals, if we ever forget our purpose and our mission – we will become nothing more than a country club. I know this might sound ridiculous to even mention – but sometimes churches forget “who they are” and “why they exist” so instead of having an outward focus to reach people, they develop an inward focus.

They focus on the comfort, care, and preferences of those inside the church.

Instead of valuing and pursuing people to see them surrender to the life-changing power of Jesus, they began to value the things that matter to the majority of the people inside the church and cater to each other.

They have forgotten their purpose.

They engrave names of people on buildings…Sunday school rooms get nicknamed after the leaders of their classes. Nobody else is allowed to use that room during the week because “it’s theirs.” Inward focused churches focus on things NOBODY else cares about. Inward focused churches argue about paint, the color of the carpet, choir robes, translations of the Bible, and the qualifications of Deacons. They become known as a church you would rather not visit than one you would.

That is one of the reasons why it is important that we talk about our purpose so much. If we don’t, we will slowly begin to drift and become more focused on property and possessions rather than people. Inward focused people focus on the surrender they made to Jesus in the past – but they no longer live surrendered lives to Jesus. People who become “Followers of Jesus”.

Meaning they have come to a point that they believe that God sent his son into the world to save the world, not condemn the world…They have had a moment that they surrendered their lives to God by trusting in Jesus as their savior – and they have been changed from the inside out…In that moment of trust, they became a follower of Jesus through surrender.

But it is interesting that some people become followers of Jesus, people become Christians through SURRENDER…and yet never surrender anything to God again!

And if you and I want to continue to live surrendered lives to Jesus it is important that we as a church and as individuals, apply these lessons to our lives.

Luke 5:1-11
One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

One of the ways that you and I can continue to live surrendered lives can be drawn out from verse one. Verse one tells us that as Jesus was teaching – great crowds were pressing in to hear him. The crowd was so big – Jesus had to get on a boat in the water…far enough away that he could speak to the crowds – but not so far away that people could not hear him.

Why were these crowds pressing in to hear from Jesus? One of the reasons, is because they understood what he was saying!

JESUS SPOKE PLAINLY TO PEOPLE, SO LET’S DO THE SAME

Luke 5:1
One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.

The reason why great crowds were gathering to hear Jesus teach is because they understood what he was saying. Have you ever met somebody that used large complicated words to communicate to you, and you had no idea what they were saying?

Maybe you have watched a TED talk. They were speaking about technology, medical breakthroughs, research…and even though they spoke in your native language – you had no idea what they were talking about. I have sat in classes in college and in seminary and I could tell that the teachers in charge of the class really loved to hear themselves talk.

They used big churchy elaborate words.

They used religious words. They used words like:

Justification.

Sanctification.

Incarnation.

Transfiguration.

Hypostatic union.

Atonement.

EXEGESIS…

When I first heard the word exegesis, I thought it was another name for Jesus…And then the Professor started saying things like “exegetical” and I knew I was wrong. I had to look the word up and read that it simply meant “an explanation of what a bible passage means.” Why didn’t he just say that?

And I guess that’s fine in a seminary classroom environment, but then Seminary trained pastors use “Christianese” language in their pulpits, then the members of their churches use that language as well. Then what happens is the people who need Jesus, those outside the walls of the church, have KNOW idea what we are talking about, so they seldom surrender their lives to Jesus. Just like Jesus taught plainly – you and I, if we use “Christianese”, need to surrender our language to Jesus so people can understand and experience the life-changing power of Jesus in their lives. Jesus taught plainly, large crowds gathered, and after Jesus used Peter’s boat, through a miracle of Jesus, Peter and the others caught such a large haul of fish, the nets were tearing and both boats were filled to the verge of sinking.

I LOVE the response of PETER.

He said, “Lord please leave me. I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.”

That response is one I have heard a hundred different ways from people.

People say things like, “If I were to walk into a church, the church would catch on fire.”

“If you knew what I have done in life, you wouldn’t be talking to me about God.”

Please understand this…

JESUS PREFERRED RELATIONSHIPS WITH SINNERS, NOT THE RELIGOUS.

If you came to church today, and you are under the impression that God only wants to connect with “churchy” people, you are wrong.

Way wrong!

Two thousand years ago, the God-Man entered the world…and even though he went to the temple on a regular basis – Jesus seemed to prefer hanging out with sinful people. We read in scripture that “as was his custom” Jesus went to the synagogues for worship…yet he didn’t seem to hang out with the people he went to church with. He was always with the people OUTSIDE the temple. He connected with the people that DIDN’T necessarily fit in with the churchy people.

In fact, the “churchy people” called the people that Jesus connected with and hung out with, “SCUM.”

Later on in Luke Chapter 5:30 the RELIGIOUS leaders complained about the people that Jesus and his disciples hung out with…they said, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

So if you feel like scum.

If you feel rejected.

If you feel like you don’t fit in at church.

If you feel like you are too much of a sinner to be here…I have good news!

You are right where you belong!

Jesus came to “take away” your sin. (1 John 3:5)

He takes away your sin when you stop trying to be good enough on your own to connect with him, and surrender your life to God by trusting Jesus as the one who takes away your sin and makes you a new person.

RELIGIOUS people think God is blessed to have them church…

BUT Jesus preferred the presence of sinners, scum, and low lifes.

You don’t have to impress Jesus. You just have to surrender to him.

The building has not caught on fire. You have not been zapped with lightning. God loves you, in fact, he prefers to hang out with you because he loves you. So, just take a moment and tell God you SURRENDER to him and trust Jesus as the one who took away your sin. Take that moment right now – even while I am talking. Let the Love of God fill your heart and flood your mind and surrender to Him.

FOLLOWING JESUS REQUIRES SURRENDER OF MORE THAN SIN.

Jesus invited Peter to follow him – and he and his brothers left everything to follow Jesus. Verse 11 says, “As soon as they landed they left everything and followed Jesus.”

These were fishermen. They surrendered more than sin…and they surrendered their occupations that were not bad! It is not as though they were strip club owners or pornographers. They weren’t cheating people out of their money. They walked away from their boats. Their nets. Their source of income. Because they wanted to follow Jesus.

Now, I am not suggesting that you walk away from your jobs. And I am not suggesting that surrendering your life to Jesus requires you to change your occupation…But it might.

If you earn a living cheating people out of money – God is calling you out of that occupation. If you earn a living harming other people…God is calling you to surrender that and walk away from that lifestyle. God may desire that you sell off land, houses, cars and give it all away. I don’t know what God is calling you to surrender when it comes to your possessions, but I do know that God is calling you to surrender your time by loving your neighbor as yourself.

I believe God is calling you to walk away from Christianese. I believe God is calling you to walk away from Religion. I believe God is calling you to live a surrendered life through Jesus.

A person who lives a surrendered life is more concerned with people than property. So love surrendered. A church that lives surrendered understands that God has called us to lead people into a relationship with Him, not to become a religious hypocrite. Jesus told Peter from now on he would be fishing for people. That purpose must shine in all we do. Fish for people.

Invite your neighbor to church.

Invite your spouse to church.

Invite your children to church.

Invite your coworkers to church.

Invite your Barista, your lawn care worker, and the person that cuts your hair to church.

God is doing a new thing at Beach Church. He is leading us to walk away from religion and make everything about our relationship with God, and real relationships with others.

What else besides sin, do you need to surrender today? What else is getting in the way of your relationship with God?

Ask God to show you, and He will.

Beach Church 1/29/23 Beach Church 1/29/23

Meeting Jesus - Purpose and Rejection

Look at one of the moments in the life of Jesus where He was rejected...and learn how we can Deal with rejection we receive as followers of Jesus.

If you are at the end of your rope…If you feel broken, crushed and misunderstood…

I want you to know if you begin to read God’s Word and Apply it to you your life, your life is going to change!

If you have ever interviewed for a job and you thought it went well, but never heard back from the employer, you know that feeling of rejection.

In today’s passage we are going to look at one of the moments in his life that Jesus was rejected...and learn how we can Deal with rejection we receive as followers of Jesus.

If you are a follower of Jesus. Meaning, if you had a moment when you understood that God created you to have a relationship with Him. If you believe that the penalty of sin separated you from God. If you believe that Jesus death paid the penalty for sin and through Jesus death and resurrection, you have been forgiven for your sins…and you had that moment when it all clicked and you surrendered your life to Jesus and now have a friendship with God then most likely you have had to deal with rejection because of your faith in Jesus at some level. Maybe you have been rejected by friends, family, or neighbors because of your commitment to follow Jesus.

But maybe you have had to deal with rejection at a different level. Maybe your husband or wife has rejected you and abandoned you. They divorced you when you did not want to divorce them. Maybe the pain of that rejection still lingers. Maybe your adult or teen children have rejected you. You love them. You care for them. But right now, they have rejected you. No returned phone calls or text messages for years…

Even if you are not yet a follower of a Jesus – I think you will discover some heathy ways that you are able to overcome the feelings that rejection can bring in your life.

At this point in his life, the ministry of Jesus was just beginning. People were just beginning to talk about him. He had been baptized. As we looked at last week, he had faced 40 days of temptation and fasting in the desert. Then he returned to Galilee, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and reports about him began to spread quickly through the region. The people were excited and there was a “buzz” about him wherever he went and as Jesus traveled, he came to Nazareth, the town he grew up in. Initially people spoke well about him – but after he began telling the churched-Jewish people that God loved those outside the Jewish faith – he experienced rejection.

Luke 4:16-30

When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” 20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.

This passage of scripture prophesied or predicted the purpose of the life of Jesus. It predicted his mission. It summed up what his life was going to be like. After he read this passage and began to explain his purpose – the people – his friends and family from his hometown – rejected him.

REJECTION HAPPENS TO THOSE LIVING WITH PURPOSE

Jesus said: I have come to open the eyes of the blind, set captives free, bring Good News to the poor, and set the oppressed free…

But then he said to the “churched people” – not just for you! God wants people outside the walls of the Jewish faith to experience hope! He loves and cares for ALL people – including the broken, the blind, the oppressed and the rejected outside the walls of the church.

That’s what made the Jewish people so upset!

There are many churches that say they want to reach those without Jesus, but they don’t want “those types” of people in the church!

Now, rejection still happens to all of us whether it is because we are a follower of Jesus or because of our occupation:

If you are a Real Estate agent, rejection is going to happen.

If you are a mechanic, people aren’t always going to be satisfied, rejection is going to happen.

If you sell insurance, cars, and are self-employed – you know rejection is going to happen.

If you are going to live with purpose, not everybody is going to like it and some people will reject, you. If you are wondering about how people will continue to react to you if you do continue to live with purpose, look at how people reacted to Jesus. The very same people that spoke well of Jesus in one moment, were ready to throw him off the cliff the next moment.

PEOPLE ARE FICKLE – THEY CAN BE FOR YOU, THEN AGAINST YOU

Luke 4:22
Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

Luke 4:28-29
When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.

Because you and I are broken – sometimes we treat people wrong. Sometimes we are like this group of people that rejected Jesus.

After I had surrendered my life to Jesus, was baptized, reading my bible and growing in my faith, I sat down with my grandmother to explain what had happened to me and how I had surrendered my life to Jesus. My Nana looked at me and said, “You have been brainwashed.”

She was FOR me if ever a person was! When I was going to be sent to a boys home after I had run away from home, Nana opened up her home to me and let me live with her for four years throughout high school. She fed me and clothed me and supported me. Then she didn’t like what I had to say about Jesus changing my life – and she said I was brainwashed.

You may hear this and think that I am suggesting we should not trust people. That is not even close to what I am saying, I am saying that when people are fickle about supporting you – it hurts. So don’t be like that!

Do you like it when people are for you, or against you?

It is always better to be like Jesus and be FOR others than AGAINST others. Sadly, it is in our sinful nature to fail other people and sometimes the same people who are for us one moment, can be against us the next moment. That’s what happened to Jesus. The same people who were pleased with him one moment tried to push him off a cliff and stone him the next – not because of what he did, but because of what he said.

So how do we deal with rejection?

How do we deal with rejection when we know sometimes people will be for us and against us, because they are human sinners too?

Be CONFIDENT IN YOUR CALLING AND IDENTITY

If you are going to live in this world for any period of time, you will be rejected.

Your ideas will be rejected.

Your presence will be rejected.

Your personality will be rejected.

If you are convinced that your calling is to sales – be confident in your calling to sales, and in your identity as a salesperson.

If you are convinced that your calling is to cook great food, be confident in your calling to cook, and in your identity as a chef.

And...if you are a follower of Jesus – your main calling and your main identity is not found anywhere else but in Jesus.

Remember, your calling is to be the salt and light of the earth.

Matthew 5:13
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

You are called to bring flavor and preservatives to this world by following Jesus – others are not like you and the world needs your flavor mixed in with it!

You are God’s PARTNER.

2 Corinthians 6:1
As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.

You are a partner with GOD! You can be confident that He is your Co-Worker and you are His. He is working right alongside you caring for others, ministering to others, and loving others.

You are God’s masterpiece.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

When you feel like more of a MESS-terpiece than a masterpiece, be confident that you may have messed up and sinned, but sin has not ruined your story. God calls you a Masterpiece of Grace, mercy, and forgiveness. You are beautiful and wonderful, a work of art.

You God’s child and the evil one cannot touch you.

1 John 5:18
We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

If you are a follower of Jesus, the devil cannot touch one hair on your head. You are protected, cradled, loved, and guarded by Jesus Christ – Live confidently in that truth!

Jesus was confident in his calling and in his identity. He knew what his purpose was and even when people rejected him and rejected his message – he kept on going. He kept on moving forward – because his calling compelled him and his identity strengthened him.

Beach Church 1/22/23 Beach Church 1/22/23

Meeting Jesus - The Word & Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. 3 Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’” 5 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” 8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’” 9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. 11 And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” 12 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’” 13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.

The Devil saw this as an opportunity to stop the ministry of Jesus before it even started. This was a no-holds barred attack on the character of the Son of God.

JESUS EXPERIENCED TWISTED TEMPTATION

When God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and they wandered in the desert for 40 years…and the Israelites and their animals were thirsty, Moses hit a rock with a stick and water came pouring out. Every single morning, so they didn’t go hungry, God gave the Israelites food they called, “Manna”.

The temptation that Jesus faced was twisted – it was reminiscent of how God had worked in the past among the Jewish people.

Then the devil resorted to using scripture. “For the scriptures say – “God will protect you.” So jump off this cliff and you will float safely to the ground.” Jesus knew God was going to raise him from the dead – but not this way and not this time.

This entire attack of temptation was twisted and manipulative. And if somebody has manipulated you with partial truths, I am sorry. That is the worst kind of hurt because you trusted them, and they manipulated you.

But make no mistake about it – Jesus WAS tempted to sin! If Jesus did not have a desire to DO these things – then Jesus wasn’t really tempted.

As LORD and GOD – Jesus never knew what it was like to hunger – he was always satisfied. He never got hangry. When the devil tempted Jesus – a full stomach must have appealed to him.

And, Jesus knew what it was like to have AUTHORITY. All things were created through Him. Authority and power in this world was a temptation for Jesus because he Knew what it was like to have power and control.

Jesus was tempted by these things because he remembered what it was like to never be hungry, have ultimate authority, and never be in danger.

JESUS OVERCAME TEMPTATION THROUGH TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD

Jesus overcame the temptation to live selfishly and live for his own pleasure through the truth of God’s Word, and…

YOU CAN TOO

Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Sometimes I convince myself that every other follower of Jesus has it together and I am the only one that struggles with the temptation to sin. I know others struggle with temptation to sin – but I sometimes convince myself that others don’t struggle like I DO.

I remember many times sitting in church and thinking, “They read their bibles every day, they don’t struggle like me…Something must be wrong with me…”

Have you ever felt like that?

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man.

Man, woman, or child, temptation is something we all experience.

Memories of experiences that appealed to us in the past, can stir up temptation in our present and future. If we liked it in the past, our flesh tells us we will like it again. We may have messed up in the past – but we know if we give into those pleasures in the future, it could damage those around us, and hinder our relationship with God.

THE DEVIL STILL WANTS TO DEVOUR YOU

1 Peter 5:8
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.