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.