Philippians - Positive Impact

Life change is a pursuit that resonates deeply with many of us. We desire better relationships with our spouses, children, siblings, and colleagues. We long to make a positive impact and leave a legacy that extends beyond our time on this earth. This desire often intensifies as we reach significant milestones in our lives. For instance, I'm about to reach a milestone myself in a few days. Now, while I won’t disclose my exact age, I can assure you it’s a point that makes one reflect deeply on the impact of their life.

In our quest for life change, we turn to various sources for guidance. Today, let’s explore what the Apostle Paul, writing from house arrest in Rome, had to say about living impactful lives. His letter to the Philippians offers profound insights into how we can live in a way that makes a lasting difference.

Philippians 2:14-18

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Paul's words in Philippians 2:14-18 challenge us to live without complaining and arguing so that we might shine as lights in a world filled with negativity. He urges us to hold firmly to the word of life, promising that such dedication will result in joy and fulfillment.

"Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people."

Paul emphasizes that our actions and attitudes reflect our faith. Complaining and arguing dim the light of Christ within us, making it harder for others to see the transformative power of God's love. On the contrary, living without grumbling allows our light to shine brightly, guiding others towards Jesus.

The Problem with Grumbling

Grumbling is more than just a bad habit; it signifies a lack of faith. When we complain, we implicitly express doubt in God's sovereignty and goodness. Grumbling suggests that we don’t trust God to navigate us through life’s challenges. It contradicts the belief that all things work together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28).

Consider how often we fall into the trap of grumbling. From minor inconveniences like traffic and slow service to more significant issues, our tendency to complain can overshadow our faith. I’ve noticed this in my own life, especially during my morning walks with my dogs. What should be a joyous activity often turns into a session of frustration and impatience. This behavior not only dims my light but also reveals a lack of trust in God's plan.

Living as Light in the Darkness

To counteract our natural inclination to complain, Paul provides clear instructions. First and foremost, we must live clean and innocent lives, shining like bright lights. This means embodying the principles of our faith in every aspect of our lives.

"Shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people."

Paul's message to the Philippians is timeless. Our world today, much like theirs, is filled with negativity and moral challenges. Yet, it is in this darkness that our light is meant to shine the brightest. Just as stars are more visible away from city lights, our faith stands out in a world clouded by sin.

Practical Steps to Shine Brightly

So, how do we ensure that our light shines brightly? Here are four practical steps based on Paul’s teachings:

1. Live Clean and Innocent Lives: This involves making conscious choices that reflect the values of our faith. We should strive for honesty, kindness, and integrity in all our interactions.

2. Hold Firmly to the Word of Life: Regular engagement with scripture is crucial. By hearing, reading, studying, and memorizing God's word, we strengthen our faith and align our lives with His will.

3. Serve Others Selflessly: Acts of kindness and service demonstrate the love of Christ. When we prioritize others' needs above our own, we embody the selfless nature of Jesus.

4. Cultivate Joy and Gratitude: A grateful heart is less prone to complain. By focusing on our blessings and expressing thanks, we shift our perspective from what’s wrong to what’s right.

Reflecting Christ through Our Actions

Living out these principles transforms our lives and impacts those around us. When people see us responding to life's challenges with faith and positivity, they are drawn to the source of our strength. Our actions can spark curiosity and conversations about faith, leading others to explore a relationship with Jesus.

A Personal Challenge

As I reflect on Paul's message, I realize the importance of examining my own life. Do my actions reflect the light of Christ? Am I known for my faith and positivity, or for my complaints and frustrations? This self-examination is crucial for all of us. We must strive to be the kind of people whose lives point others to Jesus.

In conclusion, life change is a journey that begins with faith and is sustained by our daily actions. By living without complaining, holding firmly to God's word, and letting our light shine, we can make a lasting impact on our world. Let us commit to being beacons of hope and love, reflecting the transformative power of Christ in everything we do.

Philippians - Obedience and Service

Last weekend, we had another double red flag warning, Beach Baptism. About 15 minutes after we began baptisms, a lifeguard blew her whistle and told us to get out of the water.  

So, we waited.

It was not a form of persecution.  She did not chase us out of the water with malice in her heart.  All people had to leave the water up and down the beach because of the rip tide. They were doing their job and trying to keep us safe.

So, we waited.

Because going to a beach for baptism places us under the authority of the lifeguards there.

So, we waited.  Longer than we want to.  And waited.

Finally, the Lifeguard Supervisor agreed that we could continue if two people baptized one person at a time. So, we continued with their blessing. When we were leaving, I thanked the supervisor for allowing us to finish baptizing. Have you noticed that we are often asked to do things we may not want to do? We have to obey four-way stop signs while driving. We are asked to take off our shoes to go through airport scanners. We are asked to show our Sams of Costco card when we enter. Every single day, we are asked to follow others' instructions.

In 1971, the rock group “Five Man Electrical Band” wrote a song complaining about instructions called “Signs.”  Tesla covered it in 1990.  I was reminded of the song as I prepared this sermon today.

Signs, Signs, everywhere there's signs.

Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the signs?

And the sign says, you got to have a membership card to get inside.

In today's passage, the apostle Paul emphasizes that following instructions is extremely important. Let’s read together:

Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT2) 

12  Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 

The first thing that we discover from this passage is that…

FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CONVEYS TRUST AND HUMILITY

At the birth of Christianity, the people who surrendered their lives to Jesus did not have Bibles to read, so instead, they clung to what the Apostles taught them. They didn’t know how to follow Jesus – so they listened to the instructions given to them. Paul also made it clear that he had not created the instructions. God chose to use Paul and the Apostles to give us clear instructions on how a follower of Jesus should live. God gave Paul instructions, which he passed on to believers verbally when he was with them and by letter when he was away.

Today, as a follower of Jesus, it still requires great FAITH to believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. At the birth of Christianity, believers had to have faith that God was speaking to them through the Apostles, through those who had seen Jesus face to face.  Today, faith is still required to believe that the Bible is the everlasting perfect Word of God.

Faith is believing without seeing.

Faith is trusting without knowing for certain.

Following Jesus requires faith.  You and I have never seen Jesus.  You and I were not alive 2,000 years ago to see him change people's lives, pay the price for our sins on the cross, die, and rise from the dead. But, by faith, we believe in the eyewitness testimony of those who saw him. So, when it comes to following Paul's instructions, we must have FAITH that God chose to use him to pass on God’s message to us. Throughout his letters, Paul states over and over again that the instructions he gives to the believers are directly from God:

1 Corinthians 2:13 (NLT2) 

13  When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.

1 Corinthians 14:37 (NLT2) 

37  If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself.

2 Corinthians 13:3 (NLT2) 

3  I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT2) 

13  Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. 

Paul recognized that God had chosen to use him and the other apostles to pass on God’s instructions to others. And he also acknowledged that if people did not listen to his instructions, they were rejecting God.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 (NLT) 

8  Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 

I think you will agree; it requires FAITH to follow the instructions found in the Bible. 

Dr. Calovini was my academic adviser throughout my college years. She made it clear on the first day of every class she taught that she was an atheist and did not believe in God. She was an English Literature expert, excited and passionate about what she taught.

Toward the end of my college career, I met with Dr. Calovini to discuss which classes I had to take before graduating. In that conversation, I shared with her that I was a youth pastor at a church in Nashville. She scoffed and said, “I can’t believe you would teach the Bible as truth. It's just a collection of myths and fairy tales.”  

I said, “Well, I understand you have an opinion about it.  What parts of the Bible do you take issue with?”

She said, “All of it.”

I said, “But what parts specifically?”

She said, “I have never read it.”

I said, “Wow.  I can’t believe as well-versed as you are regarding world literature that, you have never read the Bible.  It’s the number one selling book of all time – surely you could find value even in that?”

Following instructions from the Bible and others always conveys trust and humility.  

So, Paul says, “You always followed my instructions while I was with you, and now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation.”

In other words, Paul told them to:

SHOW OTHERS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BY SERVING

If you follow Jesus, you prove to the world that you have been forgiven for your sin through serving others. You prove you have a relationship with God through “good works.”  

Paul emphasizes to these believers that they needed to work hard to show the results of their salvation because doing good works and serving others is closely connected to our salvation.

In 1992, I had a 1979 Ford Fairmont.  I asked a girl to go on a date Friday night, and she said yes, but there was one problem: My car was “up on blocks” in my neighbor’s garage, waiting for me to put on new brakes.  I was paid on Friday, bought the parts, put the brakes on, hit the shower, and went out on the date. 

One week later, I was driving in the city when somebody’s tire rolled past my car!  I hit my brother in the arm and said, “Somebody’s tire!”  At about that time, the front of my car slammed onto the road. It was my tire! 

In my haste to put the brakes on the car, I had failed to tighten the lug nuts. Realizing that all my work and labor had been wasted was sickening. The reason Paul insisted that these believers followed his instructions and work hard to show God had changed them is because you and I will be rewarded for our good works:

Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 3:13-14 (NLT2) 

13  But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14  If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 

On Judgement Day, all of our “work” will go through a fire…and you and I will only receive a reward if the work has any value. Since you became a follower of Jesus, you have been building a pile of work for which God will judge and reward. The only work that survives is your good work because of your relationship with Jesus. I will not be rewarded based on the good works of anybody else. You will not be rewarded for the good works of your spouse.

That’s why we try to provide many opportunities for people to serve.  We partner with Habitat for Humanity and build homes for families in need.  We serve homeless shelters.  We go on mission trips. And church life can be fun when we work together on teams.

We may have a place for you if you want to serve on the Worship team. We may have a place for you if you want to serve on the First Impressions team. If you want to serve as a Life Group leader, we may have a place for you. Children’s, Students, Safety Team.

We create opportunities for you to volunteer and serve the body of Christ every weekend because we want you to be significantly rewarded on the day of Judgement. Finally, we see another truth in verse 13…

GOD NEVER GUILTS PEOPLE; HE CHANGES DESIRES

“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

Raise your hand if you have ever felt like a church was trying to guilt you into serving. I was on staff at a church where the Pastor stopped in the middle of the sermon and announced that we had an overflow of babies that morning and that help was needed in the nursery. He had people raise their hands if they brought a baby that morning and asked them for help. He didn’t move on in the message until some parents finally got up to help out.

God never guilts people into serving, instead, he gives us the power and the desire to do what pleases him. And, when we do what pleases him, you and I will be rewarded. It may be that today, you learned for the first time that our works will be judged on the day of Judgement, and we will be rewarded for them.  

I want each and every one of you to be blessed for all eternity because of the excellent work you have done on this earth.  So, stop by Guest Central or fill out the connect card and drop it in the offering box.  Please take the next step and let us know where you want to serve.

Philippians - Attitude of Jesus

Last week, we talked about the importance of unifying around the mission, and this week, we get to talk about: 

Your Attitude.

Your attitude is one of the most powerful tools you have. It shapes your present experiences and influences your future. When we approach failure with a negative attitude, we’re more likely to see failure rather than success.

When faced with failure, the person with a negative attitude says to themselves:

I'm not good enough

I can't do this

I'll never succeed.

Things never go my way

I'm stuck like this forever.

On the other hand, when we approach failure with a positive attitude, we’re more likely to see opportunities rather than obstacles.  

When faced with failure, the person with a positive attitude says to themselves:

I got this. Things will work out. I'll bounce back. I won’t give up. I’ll keep trying.

Sometimes, our attitude can change.  We can bounce between positive and negative – but today – the most important thing you will walk away with is learning to have the attitude of Jesus.

Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT2) 

5  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

One of the reasons the religious leaders had a difficult time believing that God sent Jesus to save people from their sins is because of the irony of his life. In the days before and after Jesus, leaders were recognized and defined by their power, title, and authority. 

Herod the Great was known for building cities, temples, and fortresses. He executed family members and murdered thousands of male Jewish babies. The Pharaohs of Egypt were considered gods on earth and had absolute power over their subjects.

Leaders like Caiaphas, Tiberius Caesar, and Pontius Pilate were known for their power and authority. They often ruled harshly to maintain political or religious control. Jesus was like no leader the world had ever seen.  He made a radical departure from cultural norms.  He gave up his power, title, and authority to live as a servant to his creation.

And you and I are supposed to live with his attitude.  

Never forget, as difficult as life feels sometimes:

YOU WERE CREATED TO BECOME LIKE JESUS

Philippians 2:5 (NLT2) 

5  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 

Now, Jesus's attitude on earth cannot be categorized simply as positive or winning. His attitude was much more complex.

He wanted people around him to succeed by surrendering their lives to God. He wanted people around him to be blessed by following God obediently. He wanted people around him to experience peace, joy, and hope that could only come through experiencing the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus knew the only way to achieve this was to give up His right to rule and dominate as God and become a servant to show us the way to Heaven. Jesus always knew He was the most important person in the room, but He always treated others like they were most important. Jesus always knew He was the most important, most powerful, and most dominant force on the planet, but He gave up His life for us as though we mattered more.

And you and I were created to become like Jesus.

That means our attitude toward others and about ourselves must be shaped by His attitude toward us. If Jesus was willing to lay His life down for sinners like you and me, shouldn’t we be willing to sacrifice our wants, desires, and preferences for other people?

I love watching my daughter Naomi play Volleyball.  She plays in the position that is called the “setter.”  She plays on the front of the line, and her job is to “set” the ball to the “hitters” on the left, right, and middle.  Their job is to get it across the net in a way that can’t be returned.

The hitter gets the recognition, but the setter gives them success. Naomi’s job is to help the people of her team shine.

You and I are called to become like Jesus in our attitude and help all those around us win and succeed. So, let’s continue to become more like Jesus every day and, in our attitude, give up our rights to help others win. And with that thought comes another perplexing and ironic truth:

THE UNCHANGING GOD CALLS US TO CHANGE

One of the greatest ironies for followers of Jesus to accept is that our God, who never changes, calls us to change. The Bible teaches us that God’s character can always be counted on because He NEVER changes.

Malachi 3:6 (NLT2):

“I am the LORD, and I do not change…”

Numbers 23:19 (NLT2): 

“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Since before creation, God is, was, and always will be. His character has never changed, and his heart for you has never changed. He has always longed for you to know Him as your Heavenly Father. You might ask, since Jesus gave up His rights as God and became a human servant, doesn’t that mean God can change?Did Jesus change if He stepped away from power and authority and took on the nature of a servant?

That would be the case if God had never demonstrated His servant heart toward us before the days of Jesus. But we see God's servant heart at work in creation. God, the Creator, served mankind by creating us and giving us life. He designed our bodies to draw in oxygen, our hearts to pump blood, and our brains to think thoughts higher than ourselves.

We see the servant heart of God when He held back the hand of Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac. We see the servant heart of God when He parted the waters of the Red Sea and rescued the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. We see the servant heart of God as He raises up kings, appoints judges, and protects His people.

Jesus stepped away from God's power and authority and embraced God's servant heart, which God had always demonstrated. That is why we can say with confidence that our God is unchanging. And that:

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT2):

 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

And – if you are a follower of Jesus: By that, I mean if you understand that God created you. You sinned and rebelled, choosing to live your life your way. If you know that because of your sin, God says the punishment for rebellion is separation from God and death. And if you know that Jesus paid the price for your sin, died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead. If you believe He ascended into Heaven and will one day return. If you think all that – and you surrendered your life to Jesus: Then, at that moment, you became a NEW CREATION.

Since that moment of surrender, God has been calling you to change and live more and more like Jesus every single day. The unchanging God has called you and me to change. Personally. If a follower of Jesus is constantly changing individually, then as a church filled with changing people, our church must embrace change, too.

Songs will change. Ministries will change. The way we do things will change. However, we will always have the same mission because God is unchanging in His purpose for the church. So, saying, “We have never done things like that before, is okay, as long as we pair it with, “So let’s try it that way to see how it goes.”

That is the attitude and mindset that we are called to have. And finally, we see in this passage that:

ALL PEOPLE WILL CONFESS, BUT NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED

Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT2) 

9  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

If you have ever wondered what life after death will be like, Paul explains clearly what happens after you take your last breath on this earth. At some point, everyone in this room will die and afterward will stand before God's full majesty, power, and marvelous glory.  You will stand before the one who created the Galaxies. The One who exists outside of time. The One who holds the keys to life and death in his hand. The one who rescued Egypt. The who walked on water. For a moment, all will recognize that Jesus paid the price for their sin because God Loved the world. They will realize Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  They will recognize that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

All people will drop to their knees and confess that Jesus is the LORD, God, and Savior.

All people.

All religions.

All beliefs.

All who have ever lived will behold the glory of the Living God and will not have any other choice but to fall to their knees and cry out, “Jesus is Lord.”

And the final irony?  All will confess, but not all will be saved.

Some people will confess that Jesus is Lord, too late.

Some people are so stubborn and have such a negative attitude toward Jesus that they will wait to surrender their lives to Jesus only after they pass from this earth.  And, for them, Jesus will say: “Depart from me. I never knew you.”

But you.

You, do not have to be one of those sent away from entering into Heaven.  Today, you can begin a new life in Jesus by surrendering to Him.

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 are ready to surrender your life to Jesus, read through the words of this prayer: 

PRAYER OF SURRENDER

God,

I believe that Jesus suffered for my sin 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 and receive Jesus as my Savior.

Thank you for forgiving my sin and changing my life.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Make that prayer, your own prayer, and turn your life over to Jesus.

How is God calling you to Change?

How will you live today more like Jesus?

Philippians - Unity in Humility

A couple of years ago, my family and I were traveling on Interstate 40, over 1200 miles, from Lake Havasu City for a Celebration of Life in Fort Smith, AR, for a friend who passed away from Brain Cancer.  We made it to Gallup, New Mexico when the van broke down. 

Oil was everywhere. 

Dripping off the undercarriage. 

Oil covered the sides of the van and the back.  

It was bad.

I was standing by the tow truck driver when a man approached me and told me that he had slept behind the dumpster the night before with his family and was wondering if we could help him out financially. I said rather hastily, “Sorry, I do not have any cash on me. Our van has broken down, and my family and I are 400 miles from home. I can’t help you.” 

He walked away.

I could have helped him. I did not have any cash, but…

I could have walked him to the local grocery store.

I could have bought his family a dinner at the burger joint across the street. 

I could have booked a hotel room for his family for the night.

Instead, I could only think about my problems and what was going on in my life

In this letter to the Philippians, Paul was under arrest for sharing the life-changing news of Jesus with other people.  He was chained inside a house for two years.  During those two years, Paul could have focused on himself and his problems. 

He could have focused on writing letters to help him get out of jail. He could have focused his writing on his own needs. He could have focused on obtaining legal counsel and raising funds for his defense. 

Instead, Paul focused on God and other people and tried to motivate the church in Philippi to do the same.

Philippians 2:1-4 (NLT2)

1  Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2  Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 

How did Paul keep his focus on telling others about Jesus when he was experiencing great distractions and obstacles in his life?  I think it is because he understood that…

UNITY AROUND THE MISSION RESULTS IN LIFECHANGE

Paul asks the Philippian believers to “agree wholeheartedly with each other, love one another, and work together with one mind and purpose.”

In Chapter One, Paul said that his imprisonment had actually turned out to further the Gospel, so it had become evident to everybody that his chains were in Christ. Paul never lost sight of the mission, even when he experienced major changes in his life. He encouraged the believers to stick together and be unified around the Good News of Jesus. He wanted the followers of Jesus to stay focused on living out the Good News of Jesus and to avoid being distracted by minor things in life.

Beach Church's mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. We draw our mission from Jesus's life. And, by the way, that is my mission as well. So, why did I not help that man and his family out? I viewed my situation from my perspective, not from God’s perspective. I focused on my own problems and my own family’s needs. Paul knew that followers of Jesus in Philippi might struggle with focusing exclusively on things that did not matter, so he challenged them to have the same mind, the same love, and the same mission.

There are churches dying today because they value the wrong things.

The reason why I did not help that man and his family in the parking lot is because, at that moment, I believed I was more important than him.  I was the most important person in that parking lot. My problems mattered more than his.

Now, I have confessed my sin to you. So, I have a question for you.  

Who do you think is the most important person in this room right now?

Some might say the Pastor is the most important. After all, I am teaching the Word of God, and all eyes are on me…(unless you have fallen asleep.) Some may say Jarrett and the worship team are the most important. After all, they are responsible for leading us in Worship…

But if we were to say the Pastor and the Worship leader are the most important people in this room right now, we would be wrong.

The most important person in this room is not me…

And…It is not you.

The most important person in this room right now is the person sitting beside you. 

It is the person sitting behind you.  

It is the person sitting across from you.

It is the stranger, the friend.  

I am not the most important person. You are not the most important person.

Other people are always more important.

That is why our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. (That means your preferences, your wishes, and your desires always come in last place to the mission of Beach Church.) Other people are always more important than yourself. It is a beautiful concept to grasp.

SELFISHNESS AND PRIDE HINDER UNITY (FOR LIFE-CHANGE)

Look again at what Paul said in verse 3.

Philippians 2:3 (NLT2) 

3  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Paul was an APOSTLE. The Holy Spirit spoke through him to write letters inspired by God. He was the leading Christian Leader. There was none like Paul in the whole Christian world.  

He was an advanced thinker, an incredible scholar, he understood the mysteries of God and was able to explain them to others…

The early church probably thought Paul was the most important person…but…

Paul did not think he was the most important. In fact, he considered the Roman guards more important than himself.  Paul considered the church in Philippi more important than himself.  That weekend in Gallup, New Mexico, I did not consider that man as more important than myself…

What about you? Who mattered more than you today?

When we are irritated with others, it is often because our desires matter more.

If you really think about the REASON people bother you and annoy you, it ultimately is because, in that moment, you matter more than them. 

Do you get annoyed by others when you can’t find your car keys?

Do you get more irritated when people don’t live up to your expectations?  When “they” lose the remote control?  When they don’t put something back in its place? So, how important were others to you this past week?

It is hard to be unified around the life-changing message of Jesus if your preferences and desires matter more to you. It is hard to be unified with the mission of Beach Church if you matter more than the people around you.  

So treat everybody you see with love, gentleness, respect and kindness. 

I hope you understand what I am about to say.  I love what God is doing in our church.  I love how God is changing lives.  I love how God is showing up and showing off.  I love the joy and the excitement in our worship.

But please understand this:

Our community is more important than our church. 

Those without Jesus are more important than those with Jesus.

That is one of the reasons we will baptize followers of Jesus at the Beach next Sunday afternoon.  We believe that those outside the walls of the church, those without Jesus, are more important than those with Jesus, and baptizing at the Beach puts us right there with them.

So, demonstrate that our community is more important when you leave church today.

Leave large tips at the restaurants. Let other drivers in front of you. Let God use you to bring PEACE to our city – not more strife and stress. God loves you. God cares for you. But He will allow you to choose to…

BE HUMBLE OR GET HUMBLED.

Are you supposed to be concerned about yourself? Of course. Should you be concerned about your family? Of course.

Paul writes in verse 4.

Philippians 2:4 (NLT2) 

4  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 

Humility IS looking out for your own interests AND the interests of others.  A truly humble person will care for others AND care for themselves. If all you ever do is try to take care of the needs of others, but you never care for yourself, it may be because you do not really love yourself the way God loves you. And if all you ever do is care about your own needs and do not care about others, you love yourself a little too much.

And if you are a follower of Jesus but struggle with PRIDE…God will help you to be humble by humbling you.

1 Peter 5:5-6 (NLT2) 

And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God resists the proud but favors the humble.” 6  So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 

God resists the proud. He does not bless the arrogant and prideful like he blesses the Humble.

So when your family is running late, be humble.

When you do not get your way, be humble.

When somebody steals a parking spot, cuts you off in traffic, or asks for a few dollars, be humble.

Remember, our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus, and we do that by loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Philippians - Citizen of Heaven

What does it mean to be a “Citizen of Heaven?”  Paul uses that phrase twice in his letter.

This Thursday ( July 4th) – we are celebrating our Freedom!  We celebrate our freedom as a nation and we celebrate our freedom in Christ. In school, at the start of every day, a bell would ring, and the entire class would rise, turn to the American Flag, and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.”

I remember as a child, waving the American Flag during July 4th Parades, applauding veterans, police officers and first responders…but the most Patriotic Season that I remember experiencing came immediately after terrorists attacked the Nation by hijacking passenger planes and flying them into the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon.  

After our Nation watched the towers collapse. After we saw smoke rising from the Pentagon.

After we heard the heroic story of Flight 93 – and how the passengers fought back and lost their lives when they crashed in the field in Pennsylvania….

America responded.

Neighbors spoke to neighbors they had not spoken to. Families called one another to check on them. People lined up across the nation to donate blood. Spontaneous applause broke out for First Responders and Police as they responded to car accidents and fender benders.

And for weeks, as First Responders searched for survivors among the rubble of the World Trade Center, a Massive American Flag Flew in the background. Even with smoke still rising from the rubble, Americans began packing sporting events and arenas as soon as they could. It was as though we were one. Our Nation stood together and said, “You cannot break the American spirit.”

That SEASON was the most PATRIOTIC season of my lifetime.  

Today almost twenty-three years later, the United States of America does not feel as united as we were then.  

It feels like people are trying to divide us by hate.  

It feels like people are trying to divide us by political party.

It feels like people are trying to divide our country by race.

Honestly, our Nation is more divided than I have ever seen it.  

So.

I am an American. I love the freedom we have been given by God. I love that our Declaration of Independence begins with the words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I do love my country.

But as followers of Jesus, how do we balance our responsibility as Citizens of the USA and as followers of Jesus living in the USA?

As we look at Philippians, I hope we are each challenged by the Word of God – because I believe he has a particular message crucial for us all to hear and understand.

Let’s read together:

Philippians 1:27 (NLT2) 

27  Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. 

Philippians 3:17-4:1 (NLT2) 

17  Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18  For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19  They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20  But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21  He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. 1  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

At this time, Paul was being persecuted by his own Country. It was not just the religious leaders – he was actually being persecuted by the government of Rome.  He was upsetting the Roman culture by insisting that Jesus was the one true God and that when a person surrenders his life to Jesus, they are forgiven for their sins and made a new person. The Jewish leaders and the Roman government did not like it.

In fact, a few years later, a Roman Emperor named Nero, would falsely accuse Paul of setting the city of Rome on fire, and he would, as Christian Scholars tell us, have Paul arrested and beheaded. Paul made it clear that if we have indeed surrendered our lives to Jesus, our citizenship is in Heaven. That is where we belong. That is where we are going. Even though I am a Citizen of Heaven – I was born a Citizen of the United States of America, and I am to be a good steward of the Nation that God has entrusted to me.

I think it is important to remember that for followers of Jesus:

WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN FIRST, AND OUR NATION SECOND

Paul stated clearly that we are citizens of Heaven…but he did not teach that followers were not citizens of the countries they belonged to or that followers of Jesus should give up their rights and claims as citizens of their Native Countries.  

In Philippians 3:17, Paul writes, “Pattern your lives after mine.” So, let’s examine how Paul balanced his citizenship of Rome and Heaven. 

In Acts 16, Paul was in Philippi leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus – Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten with rods, and locked up in the inner dungeon.  While in Prison, Paul led the jailer and his family to Jesus and baptized them.  

The following day, the City Officials ordered the release of Paul and Silas… You would think that Paul would high tail it out of there…but listen to what he said: 

Acts 16:37-38 (NLT2) 

37  But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!” 38  When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39  So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.

Can you hear the defiance in Paul’s voice?  

Paul knew he was a citizen of heaven – but he also understood his rights as a Roman Citizen. He knew that He and Silas were arrested and beaten because they were citizens of Heaven – but he also knew it was ILLEGAL for them to be beaten and arrested without a trial, because he was a citizen of Rome. Paul waited until after he was arrested, beaten, and spent the night in jail before he said anything.  

Why did he do that?

I think it is because Paul understood that:

OUR FREEDOM SHOULD ADVANCE THE GOSPEL, NOT HINDER IT.

Paul knew his pain could lead others to find freedom in Jesus. Paul believed God had allowed his suffering so he could share HIS HOPE IN JESUS with those he encountered. As citizens of the United States, we believe that we have been granted unalienable rights directly from God.

Right to Worship, Right to free speech.

We are FREE to align with a political party, and support the candidate that we want. But we can learn from Paul’s example that we are not free to be jerks. We should never allow our freedom to hinder the Good News of Jesus. Rather, we should use our freedom to advance the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We see this is Paul’s life again in Acts 21. 

Some Jewish men caused a riot and made loud accusations against Paul.  The whole city was in an uproar. A mob gathered and they tried to kill Paul. A Roman commander arrested Paul.  

As the commander was trying to lead Paul away the crowd followed close by, yelling to KILL HIM.  As Paul was about to be taken inside, Paul asked the commander if he could speak to the crowd that had gathered.  A deep silence fell over the crowd, and Paul spoke to all of them and shared the story of Jesus and how Jesus had changed his life. After Paul shared the gospel of Jesus with the crowd, the commander took Paul inside and ordered him to be beaten and whipped. They tied Paul down to lash him, and Paul said, 

“Is it legal for you to whip a Roman Citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” (Acts 21-22)

This frightened the Roman soldiers. They kept Paul under arrest…but they did not beat him. Paul understood that HIS RIGHTS as a Roman Citizen should advance the Gospel NOT hinder it.

When we elevate our RIGHTS higher than our RESPONSIBILITIES to Love God and Love our Neighbor as follower of Jesus – we will hinder the good news of Jesus.  People will not want to hear from us. In fact, when we “set our minds on earthly things” we actually become more like those that Paul described in Philippians 3:19.

Philippians 3:18-19 (ESV) 

18  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Did you catch the significance of those last few words?  Paul was describing people who lived their lives as enemies of the cross of Christ.  In the last few words, he said that enemies of the Cross of Christ “Set their minds on earthly things.”

“Setting our minds” on earthly things and “thinking about” earthly things are not the same thing.  

It might surprise you, but 

I think about eating. I think about brewing coffee. I think about my wife.(Not in that order…I should have listed my wife first.) I think about my children. I think about my future. I think about earthly things every single day.  

I think about the government. I think about our local school board and the decisions they are making. I think about Public education. I think about America and the Political divide.

And I think to myself, wouldn’t it be amazing to have born again followers of Jesus, running for office at the local, state and federal levels? Wouldn’t it be amazing if people understood that God has blessed them as Citizens of the United States to point more people to Jesus? Wouldn’t it be amazing to have followers of Jesus defend our freedoms, establish justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with God?  

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are called to advance the Kingdom of God first. 

But - when we set our mind on earthly things – we live as enemies of the Cross of Christ…

When we set our mind on earthly things – it means we are obsessed and devoted to Earthly things. Our mind is non-flexible.  Like concrete when it sets up – our minds become so focused on earthly things Jesus will for our lives does not matter.

The question I ask myself is this…

IS MY MIND RIGHT?

Is my mind right? Does the BORDER of our Nation matter more than expanding the Border of God’s Kingdom? Am I living more like a Citizen of Heaven than a Citizen of the USA? Do I place my political kingdom above God’s Kingdom?

Our Patriotism is best demonstrated by being good stewards of the Nation that God has entrusted to us.  Let’s live with gratitude to live in the best Nation on the planet – and use our freedom to tell other’s about Jesus.

God can heal divided families.

God can restore broken marriages.

God can unify divided churches.

And I believe, if we seek God’s Kingdom first, God can unify our divided Nation.

May God truly Bless America, and may America be a Nation that blesses God.

Philippians - Purpose Keeps Us Going

When we apply God's Word to our lives, we draw closer to Him and begin to trust Him more. Trusting God helps us understand our purpose, which keeps us going even through difficult times. Knowing your purpose can motivate you, keep you focused, and sustain you through challenges and distractions.

Understanding Purpose: Philippians 1:20-26

In today's passage, the Apostle Paul exemplifies a life driven by purpose. Let's read Philippians 1:20-26:

20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. 25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

Paul's life purpose was to serve Christ and His people, magnifying Christ through both his life and his death. His mindset was that whether he lived or died, it was for the glory of Christ.

God's Direction in Our Lives

God directs our lives for a purpose, as seen throughout the Bible:

• Ruth: Though she may not have recognized it, God guided her steps, leading her to Boaz's field and eventually into a pivotal role in the lineage of Jesus.

• The Woman at the Well, Noah, Moses, Joseph: Each experienced God's purposeful direction, often through circumstances that seemed coincidental or challenging.

God is constantly working in our lives, often in ways we may not immediately see. He places us where we are for a reason, and there are no accidents or coincidences with God.

Personal Testimony: Finding Purpose in Pain

I struggled with understanding my purpose during a challenging period in ministry. My life was full of despair and hopelessness, and I wanted God to change my circumstances. However, when I began praying for God to change my heart about my circumstances, I found that He had placed me exactly where I needed to be for a purpose.

For instance, I experienced a heart attack, which wasn't a stroke of bad luck but part of God's plan for me. This taught me that suffering cannot destroy the real purpose of life. Life is not just for happiness and personal fulfillment but for serving and honoring God.

Living Out Our Purpose

As Christians, our calling is to become like Christ, a process that continues throughout our lives until we see Him face to face. Purpose keeps us going, as illustrated in Philippians 1:20-26. Even in the midst of pain, chaos, and life's challenges, we can hold firm to the belief that God is directing us.

Reflection and Prayer

Consider these questions:

• Does your purpose keep you going?

• Have you questioned where God has placed you?

• Are you fearful of where God is guiding you?

Don't let the pain and suffering of this world keep you down. Embrace the purpose God has for your life, which is far better than anything we could ever want or imagine.

Philippians - Things That Have Happened

If any early follower of Jesus was considered a “superstar” it was the Apostle Paul. He had the origin story of being a former persecutor of Christians. He hunted them down. He chased them out of towns. He was a Pharisee following in the footsteps of those Pharisees who worked with the Roman government and murdered Jesus. But then – he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus.

He met the resurrected Jesus on the Road to Damascus. A few days later he received the Holy Spirit.  He became a missionary, traveling from town to town, telling people that hope for their broken lives can be found in Jesus. 

Hope for the forgiveness of sins. 

Hope for a relationship with the true God. 

He planted churches. He raised up leaders. Wherever Paul went, people became followers of Jesus. People surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus and their lives changed. They stopped placing their hope in false idols, in sorcery, in witchcraft, in Caesar and began to live lives of worship to God.

It was a radical change.

And many Roman citizens and the government of Rome did not like it. Paul’s message was that there was only one GOD…but Rome believed there were many gods. So, Paul was arrested.  He was placed under house arrest and chained to a wall…for two years.

I have never been arrested.  I do not know what that feels like.  I love the fact that we have many men and women who are part of Beach Church who know what it is like to sit in a jail cell and experience the GRACE of GOD that has changed their lives.

 I do not know what it is like to be confined to a certain amount of space, sleep in a certain spot, have somebody tell me when it is time to wake up, go to sleep, what to wear, and what to eat…

Wait a second – that sounds like Parenting.

And when Paul was arrested – some people were ecstatic…but they thought, “His arrest isn’t enough. We need to make it harder on him…”

So, they devised a plan. Just outside the quarters, Paul was confined; day after day, they preached to anybody who would listen. They told others that Jesus was the Son of God, and nobody could be saved except through Him…

Paul was able to hear them from within his place of confinement…mocking his ministry.  So as he wrote this letter to the Philippian church, Paul addressed the fact the fact that other people were trying to make life more difficult for him. Let’s begin reading in Philippians 1:12-18.

Philippians 1:12-19 (NLT2) 

12  And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13  For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14  And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. 15  It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16  They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17  Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18  But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19  For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. 

Scholars tell us that this was one of the first times that Paul had been arrested for his faith – if not the very first time.  No doubt, some early followers of Jesus were discouraged when they heard that Paul – the “superstar” preacher, had been arrested.

This imprisonment caused pain for Paul and Pain for the early followers of Jesus. May I ask, is there something in your life that has recently caused pain for you?

As much as we would like to think that some people never experience pain…we all do.  Painful seasons of life happen to us all.  

Some may experience a miscarriage. 

Some have recently experienced the death of a family member.  

Some have experienced the pain of a diagnosis or disease. 

Some people have to deal with childhood trauma. 

Other people have to deal with a marriage that seems to be on the brink of disaster. 

Some people have to deal with being rejected and not accepted by others. 

So how should followers of Jesus manage pain in our lives? What type of Pain Management should we be involved with?

How do we walk through painful seasons in life?

First, we have to understand that even for followers of Jesus…

PAIN WILL MAKE ME BITTER OR BETTER

Pain will make me BITTER or BETTER.

What do I mean by that?  

I have met people with the chronic symptoms of bitterness. I love them.  God loves them…but they sure make it hard to be around them. They are almost always a victim.  They are always blaming other people when something bad happens to them. 

The moon is too bright. The sun is not bright enough. They complain about their work, their family, their church. They always seem to speak negatively about other people.

They simply are not pleasant to be around…have you ever met somebody like that?

Look—if you struggle with bitterness, I want you to know that you can change. God can change you, and God can help you become a better person.  If you struggle with any hurt, habit or hangup, Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday night at 6 PM in Adventure Beach, and can help you overcome bitterness and negativity.

Paul was arrested for telling other people about Jesus, but the arrest did not make him bitter. In fact, it made him better.  His confidence in the Lord grew.  It actually grew! He could have complained and said, 

“God – why did you let this happen to me?  I have been busy telling people about the good news of Jesus and now you let me get arrested.”

“Thanks a lot.”

But instead, his pain made him better.

Philippians 1:12-13 (NLT2) 

12  And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13  For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 

When he said, “helped spread the Good News,” he was making it clear to the early church that this setback, this discouragement, this two-year imprisonment would not cause him to take a step backward in his faith. He said the pain actually helped him carry out his mission to spread the good news of Jesus…Now the whole palace guard had heard the good news about Jesus.

I love it.

He is chained to the wall of the house.  And smiling.  

He is confined and chained up for two years. And joyful.

He tells every one of the guards…you know why I am here?  Jesus.  Jesus sent me here to tell you about Jesus. He acknowledged that even though the people outside his window had wrong motives, the gospel was still being preached.  When people experience church hurt and see a church leader's selfish motives, they can begin to question whether or not God has been working through this pastor or church leader.  

If this person is so bad, how could God have been working in my life? If these things are true, was God ever really working in my life?  

If you have recently asked yourself questions like that, I understand.  These men outside Paul’s windows had selfish motives to make Paul’s imprisonment worse, so they preached hard and loud.  Paul said, as long as Jesus was being preached, that’s all that matters. Let me add this.  God can use the teachings of a selfish, self-centered, corrupt pastor to help you grow in your faith.

In Numbers 22:21-39. God spoke through a Donkey to get Balaam’s attention.  If God can speak through a donkey, God can speak through anybody. So, it’s understandable if you leave a church when you discover the truth about the church leader; just don’t doubt the work that God has been doing in your life.  

Paul’s arrest. His pain made him BETTER.  

What about you? Does your PAIN make you better?  

If you are not intentional about becoming better when you experience pain, by default, you will become bitter.  You have to be determined when you walk through hardship that you will not let this devastating event that has occurred to you make you a bitter person.

Rest assured, your…

ATTITUDE DETERMINES OUTCOME

Now, your ATTITUDE can not take away your diagnosis. Your ATTITUDE can not cure disease, but your attitude when facing pain and discouragement in your life can determine whether or not you become a better person.  

Those people outside Paul’s house wanted to make life miserable for Paul. In the streets, they were “mocking” the Good News of Jesus. Up and down the streets, they yelled that people needed to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. They thought that by doing so, they would make life more difficult for Paul. So, how did Paul say that their motives in preaching the Gospel did not matter in verse 18? We see HOW later in his letter in Chapter 4:8.

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) 

8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 

Paul’s attitude was determined by focusing on the things that were excellent and worthy of praise. Anyone without Jesus can focus on the negative…but followers of Jesus have hope, and when we walk through pain, we must focus on the things that are just, pure, lovely, and full of virtue. As you focus on these things, it will become clear that…

YOUR PAIN CAN BE A DOORWAY TO LIFE-CHANGE FOR OTHERS

Paul said his pain actually was helping him in telling other people about Jesus.  The pain of his arrest gave him an opportunity to demonstrate LOVE and FORGIVENESS to the people guarding him. But Paul’s attitude was simple: He chose to use his PAIN to bring the life-changing good news of Jesus to other people.  If he had not been arrested, he may have never shared the good news with the prison guard. God has used the pain I experienced as a child as a doorway to life change for others.

Before I turned thirteen:

My dad sexually abused me.  He was an alcoholic with an Irish temper.

Night after night, he would holler, scream, and play loud country music.

My mom finally had enough; she left him, and we moved into a domestic violence shelter in Nashville, TN.

I ran away from there and went back to my dad.

My dad sent me back to the shelter and the shelter had me placed at a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital for three months.

Then, my mom couldn’t afford me, so I moved in with my nana for my High School years.

And, after I graduated from High School, I surrendered my life to Jesus.

For over 26 years, I have been transparent about my childhood and the pain I experienced, because I understand my pain can be a doorway of life change for other people. It’s uncomfortable, and sometimes, it makes others uncomfortable. But my pain is a doorway to sharing the life-changing good news of Jesus.  And so is yours.

I firmly believe in the power and the promise of Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 (NLT2) 

28  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Everything means everything.

Your cancer diagnosis is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with your medical team. Your Church-Hurt is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with others. Your child’s crazy behavior in school is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with his teachers. Every bit of pain God allows in your life can be redeemed to impact others if you are willing to allow the pain to make you better and amplify the message of Jesus.

So live Romans 8:28 like you really believe it.

Philippians - Unfinished

With four girls, we have many toys that I never played with as a child. One Christmas, among the typical toys, an unusual and sometimes offensive creature waited for Sofia to open it.

Furby.

This little guy can be fed, showered, use the bathroom, and lay eggs through an app on our phone. He talks and uses his own language, which is mixed with English. He’s a rather silly toy. One of the unusual things about Furby is that the designers of that particular model designed him so that his personality is shaped by the way he is treated. The designers shaped him to learn and adapt constantly, and his personality was shaped by the attention he received.

When Sofia received Furby, she was six years old, a snuggler, and a lover. She would cup Furby in her hands, nuzzle their nose, pet him lovingly, and treat him sweetly. For the first few days, he cooed and ooh-ed and said things like, “Me like that. Me love you.” Furby’s personality was warm, loving, and caring…until our two-year-old, Violet, got a hold of him.

On Day 3, while Sofia was occupied with something else, Violet carried Furby around the house by his foot, sometimes by his ear, banging him against the wall, the stairs, and her toys. He tumbled down the stairs and was dropped on his head a few times…then she sat him down and walked away. Later, when Sofia picked him up to snuggle with him, the Furby yelled, “No likey!” He made all kinds of odd shrieks because Violet had shaped Furby’s personality, too.

Most toys that came into our house were finished products, but the Furby remains unfinished, even today. 

He, like us, is unfinished.

If you are a follower of Jesus, take a moment and reflect upon who you were the day before you surrendered to Jesus as your savior. What did you find pleasure in?  What did you want to do with your life? If you had any, what were your goals and objectives?  Hopes and aspirations?  Desires?  

Now, fast forward one day to the moment after you surrendered your life to Jesus. You experienced the life-changing power of the Spirit of the Living God and were made brand new.  What did you find pleasure in?  Who did you want to become like?  What were your hopes and aspirations?  Desires?  

And now, fast forward to this moment.  This worship service.  This sermon.  Are you any different from the moment you were saved?  Have you changed?  Perhaps you have become stronger in your faith.  More disciplined.  More joyful.  More seasoned.  

Or perhaps your journey from that day to this has been riddled with ups and downs.  Two steps forward, one step back.  Perhaps you have backslidden several times yet still cling to your hope in Jesus Christ. Or perhaps you are not as joy-filled as you once were. Perhaps you feel empty on the inside…shallow. Not a deep trust and closeness with Jesus, but a hesitant faith.

Today, we will look at Philippians 1:6. You will be encouraged.  Regardless of where you are on your journey…Christ is not finished with you.

Let’s read:

Philippians 1:6 (NLT2) 

6  And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 

In describing to others the moment we surrendered our lives to Jesus, we may at times use language like: 

“I trusted in Christ.”

“I surrendered my life to Christ.”  

“I was saved.”

“God saved me.”

But…

GOD BEGAN THE GOOD WORK.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you.”

It is interesting that the Greek word Paul chose for “began” is only used once other time in the New Testament.

Enarchomai: to make a beginning

The use of this verb communicates that it indeed was God who BEGAN salvation in our hearts.  

“God made the beginning.”

He is the initiator.  We did not initiate our salvation – if we did, it would be considered a “work.”  

And, we understand we are not saved by works but by Grace. 

By using the verb enarchomai (en-ark-home-eye), Paul reminds the Philippians that God began the work in their hearts. And, the very first time Paul visited Philippi in Acts 16, we see a perfect example of God initiating salvation in someone’s heart.  

Acts 16:13-14 (NLT2) 

13  On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14  One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.

The Lord opening the heart of Lydia is the perfect picture of God making a beginning in a person’s heart.  Lydia listened to the same message we preach every weekend.

She heard Paul tell her that God loves her.  

As humans, we sinned and rebelled against our creator God. We chose sin and rebellion rather than obedience. But God’s love never changed.  We sinned, and the punishment for sin was death. Yet, God loved us, so Jesus voluntarily came to the earth to pay our punishment for sin. Then, he rose from the dead, returned to heaven, and will one day return. As Lydia listened to the Good News, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted Jesus as her Savior.

That is what happened to me.  I heard that Jesus paid the price for sin through dying on the cross.  While I listened, the Lord opened my heart to trust Christ as my Savior.  

It wasn’t a WORK I began.

It wasn’t a journey I began. 

It was a supernatural encounter with the Living and Holy God who loved me and gave up his Son for me. Then, Paul uses another word to teach us that:

GOD WILL CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK

Paul used the word Ergon for the word work.  

Ergon: that which one undertakes to do, undertaking …

Paul used this word to communicate God is presently working in your life.  If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, God will continue to work! It is an ongoing undertaking of God for each of us who have surrendered to Him. We can find great confidence and inner strength when we understand He not only initiated our salvation, but he has been working in our hearts since then as well! From the moment you trusted in Christ – God has been working in your heart.

The seasons of hard you endured. 

The brokenness.

The moments you almost walked away from your faith in Jesus.

When you experienced the miscarriage.

The diagnosis.

The betrayal.

The divorce.

God is taking all the pain, heartache, and crud that living in a fallen world brings and is PRESENTLY using it to craft your character so that you become more like Jesus. All of the good. All of the bad.  He uses those things to cut away the parts of you that do not reflect Jesus so you continue to LIVE more like Jesus and reflect Jesus to people in need of a Savior.   

He is working on the foundation he laid! From the moment you surrendered, God has been working in your heart.  Whether you have wandered far from Christ or not – He has been working in your heart. 

None of us are finished.  

God has not stopped working in our hearts.  

But…why?  

Have we not been made NEW?  Is not the old gone, but the new here?  What work is there to do within our hearts if we have already been made right with God?  If we have already been perfected through the blood of Christ, what work could He possibly do? After all, Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT2) 

11  Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

If we have already been made right with God, why would God continue to work in our hearts? A few paragraphs later, Paul speaks about the ongoing work of the Lord in the hearts of the believers…and this time, he tells them…

Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 

God continues to work in our hearts to give us the desire and the power to do what pleases Him! 

This October, our staff and leadership will have an annual planning meeting. Each ministry will come prepared to share its Goals and Objectives for 2025, centered around our Mission to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

I will not dictate their goals; they will develop them because I have learned that when it comes to following Jesus, it is impossible to accomplish goals if you lack desire. Without desire, we will not finish goals that require hard work. And you can trust that:

GOD WILL FINISH THE GOOD WORK

God began the good work in your life and continues to work in your life, giving you the godly desire to do what pleases him. God will finish the good work in your life.

He began it.  

He will continue it.  

He will finish it.  

Paul described what the finished Christian would look like as the Lord continued to work inside them.  

Paul said in Acts 20:24:

Acts 20:24 (NLT2) 

24  But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. 

The unfinished goal for followers of Jesus is to invite others to experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Are you inviting others to Jesus? Invite them to church, to lunch with you afterward, to a relationship with Jesus simply by inviting them to experience worship here at Beach Church. Paul’s attitude was so strong that he could write, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the TRUTH that his life was worth nothing to him unless he used it to finish the work of telling others. Even though God had used Paul in the past to tell countless others about Jesus – unless he was used in the future, it meant nothing to him.  He wanted to finish the unfinished work.

Do you?  

Do you sense the desire and compelling tug of the Spirit of God to tell others about Jesus and finish the work?

Listen to the words of Paul written about ten years later to Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:7 (NLT2)
7  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

Paul wrote to the Philippians from a prison cell and told them to finish...roughly ten years later, he sat in another prison and wrote to Timothy that he had finished the race. Paul finished the work that had been assigned to him. Let’s strive to finish our assignment and lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus by inviting them to worship with us.  

Philippians - Slave and Saint

I am excited to kick off our sermon series from Philippians! Over the next 18 weeks we are going to be teaching from the letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians. Before he became a follower of Jesus, Paul was a Jewish terrorist.  He was one of the leading pharisees that persecuted followers of Jesus – but then – Paul surrendered his life to Jesus, and everything changed.

Instead of being the persecutor, he became the persecuted.  

• He was chased out of city after city by the Jewish religious leaders.

• He was threatened, beaten, stoned, and left for dead.  

• He often went without food, was often in prison, and was constantly on the move telling people about Jesus and leading others to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

As Paul traveled and preached, people responded to the good news and surrendered their lives to Jesus.  Churches began to pop up. Paul would help establish leaders in the churches who would help people grow in their faith and then he would move on to another city. Many of the Letters Paul wrote, were written to churches he had planted. When Paul wrote Philippians, he was under house arrest for preaching the Gospel. 

Most of us got a small taste of what it would be like to be under house arrest a few years ago when we had Covid. But in Paul’s case it was a little different.  He was chained up – but friends and others could come and go as they pleased.  So, Paul spent two years chained up, teaching about Jesus.

Paul began his letter with his traditional greeting – let’s read it:

Philippians 1:1-5 (NLT2) 

1  This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons. 2  May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3  Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4  Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5  for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 

Any time I receive an email, text, or message, one of the very first things I do is to see WHO sent it.  If it is an anonymous letter or spam, I throw it in the trash can. Now, I have softened a bit on this, but if someone does not think it is important enough to sign their name, I do not think it is important enough for me to read. And, I am guilty of writing anonymous letters in the past.  Mostly to girls that I liked in Middle School…and high school…

If you have your hand up, we are also collecting handwriting samples for the future just in case. Paul never wrote an anonymous letter. From the start, he said HE wrote it, and WHO he was sending it to.

From his greeting, we see that…

A FOLLOWER OF JESUS IS A SLAVE AND A SAINT

Your identity always matters.  In my younger days of driving, I was known to speed and drive recklessly.  One year, I was pulled over five times for speeding, and I even was given a ticket for riding in a friend's trunk. That’s a sermon illustration for another day. Every time I was pulled over, the Officer asked for my Driver’s License first. The identification that I handed to each officer told him exactly what he needed to know. 

In verse one, the word Paul used for Servant in the original language is Doulos. (doolos) It means SLAVE. Paul described himself as a SLAVE of Jesus.  

He is in chains. 

He is locked up for telling people about Jesus. 

And he identifies as a SLAVE.  

But – he also called the Jesus followers he was writing, saints. In the original language he used the word hagios (hag-ee-os) which means “morally blameless and pure.”

These two words, side by side, sum up how followers of Jesus should describe themselves. We are slaves. We are saints. Think about the weight each of those words has behind them. First,

A SLAVE IS BOUGHT, BELONGS, & BIDDABLE

In Early America – slavery was a horrible evil.  Men and women in Africa were living out their lives peacefully, and then, by force, they were taken from their families and sold in the United States. They were bought by a master and often beaten, treated harshly, and thought to have less value than cattle.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you too, have been BOUGHT. A transaction has been made. A price has been paid.

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT2) 

20  for God bought you with a high price…

It is a clear teaching throughout the New Testament that Jesus BOUGHT you with his blood. There is no higher currency than the BLOOD of Jesus.  Nothing is as valuable as the blood of the Son of God. So that means, you BELONG to him!  He owns you. You are his property.  We belong to Jesus. We have been adopted into his family through the blood of Jesus.  We belong to him, and we belong with him.  

Since he bought you and you belong to Him, that means you are biddable.

When Paul called himself a slave of Christ, he implied that he did God’s bidding. That he was the hands and feet of Jesus.  That Christ lived his life through Paul. And if you are a follower of Jesus, I encourage you to ask yourself what God is bidding you to do for him.  

Whether you are the youngest in this room or watching online your responsibility as a follower of Jesus is to DO his bidding.  A slave of Jesus never gets to retire. Do what he wants you to do. 

Serve in the way He is calling you to serve.   

SLAVES do their master’s bidding. You have been BOUGHT, you BELONG so continue to be BIDDABLE. That is what Paul implied when he called himself a slave. 

Then look how he addressed the Philippian followers of Jesus in the second part of verse one…

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi.”

It is a little uncomfortable to think about ourselves from God’s point of view.  In most of our prayer time with God, as we describe ourselves, we most likely lean toward our sinfulness.

I am a miserable sinner.

I am the chief of sinners.

Undeserving of grace and forgiveness

While those thoughts are true, I also think we need to remind ourselves of how God sees us. God sees us through the lens of Jesus's sacrifice.  Through the sacrifice of Jesus, I am no longer only a sinner.  I am a SAINT.

You are too.

A SAINT IS HOLY, HAPPY, & HELPS SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS

I grew up Catholic. I attended Catholic school until fourth grade, and later, I went to Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. The walls of the school and church were covered with images and portraits of Saints. The Saints were always portrayed with glowing halos above their heads. Their hands folded in prayer…. a cross necklace… in my mind…they were HOLY… 

Saints were people I could never identify with.

In the Catholic church, a person can only be called a Saint after they have been through a long process called canonization.  It happens long after that person dies.  They look for at least two miracles that happened through their hands. They read all of their writings to make sure they were theologically sound.  Their actions, attitudes, and works are examined closely…then if they pass the process, they are made saints.

But, from God’s perspective, there is only ONE step to become a Saint.  

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. 

• A SAINT can be a drug addict who has surrendered her life to Jesus. You might think of them as an ex-addict, but God says she is a saint.

• A SAINT can be an alcoholic who has surrendered their life to Jesus. You may call him a drunk, but God says he is a saint.

• A SAINT can be a man who has surrendered his life to Jesus but still struggles with temptations to be unfaithful to his spouse. You may call him an adulterer, but God calls him a saint. 

• The married couple who have each surrendered their lives to Jesus are SAINTS, but they struggle with bickering back and forth.  You may say their marriage is crumbling, but God says they are SAINTS. 

If you have convinced yourself that you are worthless and add no value to this world, God says you have been chosen and purchased and that you are a masterpiece. If you feel like a zero on a scale of 1 to 10, God says that you are a perfect 10. The sacrifice of Jesus has made you RIGHT with God – YOU have been perfected in his sight. You have been made HOLY. As Holy as Jesus is and was. And since you have been made HOLY you should live HAPPY.  

Happy because God loves you. 

Happy because God KNOWS you.

Happy because God lives within you.

Happy because have been chosen and adopted by God.

Happy because you are free from condemnation.

Happy because you have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. 

Happy because you have been forgiven for all your sins.

Happy because you are a citizen of Heaven.

Happy because you are born of God, and the Evil one cannot touch you.

Happy because you are the dwelling place of the Most High God

Happy because you can approach God with freedom and confidence anytime day or night.

Happy because you will never be rejected, abandoned, deserted, overlooked, or treated poorly by the one who gave his life for you.

God’s TRUTH about your identity matters more than your negative thoughts about yourself. Because a follower of Jesus is HOLY and HAPPY, they HELP spread the GOOD NEWS of Jesus to others.

Paul said in v. 5.

Philippians 1:5 (NLT2) 

5  for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.

Sharing the GOOD NEWS of JESUS is all of us working together in unity. Our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

When you invite others to church – you help lead people to Jesus.

When you serve on the tech team, you help lead people to Jesus.

When you help in the Junior High ministry, you help lead people to Jesus.

When you serve on the First Impressions team, you help lead people to Jesus.

When you serve in the Kids ministry, you help lead people to Jesus.

And if you are interested in serving to join us in our mission, grab one of those connect cards, fill it out and drop it in the offering box on your way out.  We believe that people who have experienced the overwhelming love of God want to show others the same love they themselves have experienced – and we often do that by helping and serving. 

A few years ago, I served as Lead Pastor at a church that averaged about 2,500 on the weekend, and I volunteered to serve in the Junior High Ministry on Thursday night. I was not up-front preaching…I sat quietly in the back of the room, and when the students went to small groups, I grabbed a broom, a dustpan, and a trash can and went to work sweeping up candy wrappers, skittles, crushed candy bars. Then, I filled a mop bucket and went to work cleaning up all the cans of Coke that had spilled onto the floor.  

I was finishing up when a 7th-grade boy came over and said, “Are you the Janitor?”  

I said, “What makes you think I’m the janitor?” He said, “Because you are mopping the floor. Aren’t you the Pastor? Why are you mopping? That’s what the janitor does.”

I told him, “I am a Pastor…but I shouldn’t be if I am not willing to mop floors and serve others. I don’t ever want to be guilty of asking other people to step in and serve but be unwilling to myself.”

I am a SLAVE and a SAINT and there is nothing else I would rather be! 

When you experience difficult days and seasons, know that you can overcome any difficulty that comes your way because you belong to Jesus. You do not face life alone because you have been bought by the blood of Jesus, and you belong to Him.And if you are facing life alone without Jesus, you don’t have to.  Jesus can be your Lord and Savior if you surrender your life to Jesus and commit to following Him.

Beach Life - Anchor Points

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 in fulfilling our 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 Jesus's life. 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

The life-changing truth of the Word of God begins to change a person. They embrace the value of transparent living and understand that they find accountability when they share their wins, sins, and struggles. That leads to Uncomfortable Grace. We show grace so powerfully that it's unusual and a bit uncomfortable when we first begin to demonstrate it. That leads to Captivating Celebration. Followers of Jesus celebrate their faith even through the hard seasons, which is captivating to others drawn to Jesus. This leads to Selfless Service. Jesus has changed our lives, and we want to serve others.

You may be asking, now that we have discussed our mission and our Guiding Values, what is left to discuss?

Today, we are talking about our Anchor Points and looking at Matthew 7:24-27.

Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT2) 

24  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26  But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27  When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” 

Jesus said the life of a follower of Jesus can be compared to a house. Every decision you make in life is part of the house you are building. According to Jesus, our lives are the houses we build, and the materials used are our decisions.  

Those who listen to his teachings and develop applications are wise and are building a strong house that can withstand storms. And those who hear and ignore his teaching are building a house that will collapse when the storms come.

When we bought our house, we looked at many homes, and every house we looked at had a foundation. Even the houses in the Grand Strand that appear to be built along the coast on shifting sand are built on piers that dig deep through the sand into the bedrock. Can you imagine only being concerned about what the house looked like on the exterior and not being worried about the foundation of the house? It would not matter how beautiful the home is if it isn’t built on a solid foundation.  When the hurricane comes, the house will be destroyed.

Jesus tells us that our lives are the very same way.

A dating relationship built without the solid foundation of the word of God will collapse.

A marriage without the solid foundation of the Word of God will collapse.

And, a LIFE without the foundation of the word of God will collapse. When the storm of this life comes, the flood waters will crash against the life you have built, and if you have not built on the proper foundation, great will be your fall.

Life Storms come in all varieties

At points in your life, you will face STORMS that have the potential to destroy you.

Storms that can destroy your faith and weaken your trust in God.

Storms that can wipe out everything you.

Many of you have faced storms you never thought you would have to face, and if it wasn’t for your faith in God, you would not have made it through the storm.

You kept your faith through that cancer diagnosis.

You kept your faith through the betrayal of a close friend.

You kept your faith through the financial collapse that wasn’t supposed to happen.

You kept your faith in God through that injury at work.

You kept your faith through that job loss – you didn’t know how to provide for your family, but you made it through, and God took care of you.

You kept your faith in God even though your spouse was unfaithful to you.

You faced death, family disputes, friendships falling apart, divorce, and unemployment. 

You faced depression, anxiety, and darkness – but you made it through to the other side of that dark storm because you kept getting out of bed. You kept putting one foot in front of the other. You kept trusting in God. You kept believing in His Word. You kept applying His Word to your life. You kept on following Jesus…

You made it through the storm because you continued to follow Jesus and apply his word to your life. 

You have faced high winds, rain, tornados, and hurricanes of life…and have made it through because you have spent a lifetime building your house on the Word of God.

You have anchored your life to the Promises of God’s word. 

You have anchored your heart and your attitude into the bedrock of God’s word.

Somehow, you learned along the way that…

Anchors prevent drift and provide stability

Last July, during a double red flag warning, we baptized 95 people at the beach. This summer, we will have another Beach Baptism on July 14. I learned the importance of having an anchor last summer.  I set my water bottle and phone down in a little spot on the sand, walked out into the ocean, and began baptizing people.

We could go through the line, take turns, and baptize one at a time. The sand under my feet was twisting and churning. The foundation was constantly shifting under my feet because of the power of the waves and the tide.  I was continually in motion, trying to stand up and encourage people to enter the waves. 

When we finished baptizing, and I came out of the ocean, I couldn’t find my water bottle or my phone. I thought, “Somebody I just baptized stole my iPhone!”

Then, somebody pointed down the beach and explained we had drifted about forty yards from where we began. I had no idea we had drifted far from where we began. And sometimes, as followers of Jesus, we can drift away from our relationship with him.  

The storms come, the waves beat us down…, but we make it through. But our relationship with Jesus drifts. It is not as deep, meaningful, or personal as it once was. We made it through the storm; our faith in God carried us through, but our relationship with Jesus feels…hollow. Not all storm damage can be clearly seen. Some storms gut us, but other storms cause us to drift away from Jesus.

In the book of Revelations, Jesus spoke to different churches and warned them about specific issues they were facing. To the church in Ephesus, Jesus acknowledged how hard the church had worked. The church in Ephesus knew the Word of God so well that they discovered false teachers and turned away from them because they were liars. But they were missing something.

Listen to Jesus:

Revelation 2:2-5 (NLT2) 

2  “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3  You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4  “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5  Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. 

Hard work.

Patient Endurance.

They did not tolerate liars, evil people, and those who pretended to be God-called Pastors.

They patiently suffered without quitting…

But they still drifted away. They endured the storm but drifted away in their love for Jesus. I have been there. I have endured brutal storms in my life.  

Childhood of abuse.

Six years of infertility.

Three children were diagnosed with type one diabetes.

Job loss.

Financial loss.

Betrayal of friendships.

It appears as though I have endured those storms…but the words of Jesus call to me today as they call to you.

“I have this complaint against you: You don’t love me or love each other as you did at first. Turn back to me. Turn back to your relationship with me. Turn back to your first love.”

We can be on target with our mission to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

We can live out our guiding values of:

Life-Changing Truth

Transparent Living

Uncomfortable Grace

Captivating Celebration

Selfless Service

We can practice 1 John 2:6 and live our lives as Jesus did.  We can do all of the right things. We can live right through the storms…but our hearts can drift away from our first love. We can endure the storms. We can endure suffering. We can stay on target in our mission.

But our hearts can drift away from Jesus.

So, to prevent ourselves from becoming hypocrites, we must daily check to see if we are truly anchored to Jesus. To help you with that, in the Beach Church App, you have 7 Anchor Points to ask yourself daily.  To prevent drifting away, even when you do everything right, use these questions to reflect on and evaluate your life every single day:

Beach Church Anchor Points:

1. LOVING: How am I showing others kindness and respect?

2. GROWING: How am I deepening my relationship with God?

3. CONNECTING: Who am I getting real with?

4. FORGIVING: Who am I forgiving and extending grace to?

5. SERVING: How am I selflessly meeting the needs of others?

6. INVITING: Who am I encouraging to follow Jesus?

7. GIVING: How am I trusting God with my finances?

All of these questions are rooted in the challenge to return to Jesus daily—to return to your first love every single day. And, when you build your house on the words of Jesus. When you face the storms of life without drifting away…

You can become a refuge for others

I was living about forty miles south of Atlanta when Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans.  Lives were lost, and homes were destroyed. Families fled. Refugees from New Orleans made their way to Atlanta and needed food, clothing, and shelter. Kristy and I got involved, cooking meals, leading clothing drives, and trying to help as much as we could. It seemed that the entire community wanted to do something to help because of the storm's damage and destruction.

Beach Church is a place for refugees searching to rebuild their lives.  

Beach Church is a place for those who have been hurt by the church, hurt by life, and hurt by the storms. Here, you will find community, you will be encouraged, you are welcome, and you can join our mission to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

This isn’t just a place for you to attend. This is a body of believers in Jesus Christ who are serious about building our lives on Jesus, and we are committed to building relationships with each other and doing life together.

Beach Life - Selfless Service

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 in fulfilling our 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)

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

Our Guiding Values are rooted in Jesus's life. 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

The Life Changing truth of the Word of God begins to change a person. They embrace the value of transparent living and understand when they share their wins, sins, and struggles, they find accountability.

That leads to Uncomfortable Grace.  We show grace so powerfully, its unusual and a bit uncomfortable when we first begin to demonstrate it.

And, that leads to Captivating Celebration. We celebrate forgiveness, honesty, and reconciliation. That life of celebration centered on Christ leads us to our final guiding value: Selfless Service. Today, we are going to talk about our fifth guiding value:

Selfless Service

FOLLOWERS OF JESUS BEST DEMONSTRATE LOVE TO OTHERS THROUGH ACTS OF KINDNESS AND SERVICE.

Love is best demonstrated through our ACTIONS, not through our words.  If you love somebody, you show them that you love them by doing things for them. If you are married, you show your spouse you love them by serving them and doing nice things for them.  You go out of your way to show them how much you care for them.

And if you are a follower of Jesus…by that, I mean …you believe that God created you.  You believe that you were separated from God because of your sin.  You believe that Jesus paid the price for your sin when he died for you on the cross. You believe that Jesus rose from the dead, went into heaven, and will return one day.  And because you believe, you surrendered your life to Jesus and received forgiveness for your sin.

Then, you try to live out the greatest command: to Love God with all your heart. You strive to love your neighbor as yourself.

The entire life of Jesus demonstrates God's love for us, but one story stands out among all his miracles and teachings. 

Let’s read together.

John 13:1-17 (NLT2)

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2  It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3  Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4  So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5  and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 6  When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7  Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8  “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9  Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” 10  Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11  For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12  After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13  You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14  And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15  I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16  I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17  Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. 

I am willing to bet that the last time you entered a friend's house, you may have taken off your shoes—or offered to take them off. I am also willing to bet that your friend did not grab a bucket of sudsy water and wash your feet.

In order for us to fully appreciate the significance of Jesus washing His disciples' feet, we need to understand the historical context. In Jesus' time, people wore sandals and walked long distances on dusty, dirty roads. But people were not the only living things that traveled those roads. Goats. Horses. Donkeys and livestock traveled the roads as well. And, I have never seen a potty-trained horse. When a horse has to “go,” they “go.”  

They don’t get embarrassed, and they don’t care who is watching. In Jesus’ day, the roads were filled with horse and livestock filth. Sandals had a single leather strap for the toes, and a leather strap around the heel. So, feet were disgusting: Caked in mud, dirt, and who knows what else. 

So, because feet were so filthy when guests entered a home, the host provided water, and the least important servant would wash their feet. (That lowly servant also had to remove human waste from the house as well.)

So, understand the significance of Jesus's act. Jesus took on the role of the lowest servant because, 

DOING THE HARD DEMONSTRATES LOVE 

We often don’t mind serving others when it is easy. We can let others in line in front of us at the grocery store or wave them into our lane of traffic. But, if strong winds knocked over your neighbor's trash can on trash day, and a bag had opened and was being spread around, would you go out of your way to demonstrate love, do the hard, straighten up their can, and pick up the trash?

We demonstrate real love when we choose to do the hard things for others.  

When your neighbor’s dog is missing, you could go out of your way to help them find it.  

When your neighbor’s grass is too high, you can go out of your way to cut it.  

Selfless service often does the hard things that other people do not want to do. Jesus washing His disciples' feet was hard physically and emotionally. Jesus washed the feet of all 12 of his disciples, including Judas, whom he knew would betray him.

So, the neighbor that has hurt you in the past? Demonstrate love to them.

The neighbor who has called HOA on you for painting your front door the wrong color?   Bake some cookies for them.  

Washing the disciples' feet was gross, but it wasn’t physically demanding…(Unless they smelled.)  The “hard” part was the emotional hard part: washing the feet of the man Jesus loved and invited to follow him, who betrayed him for a little cash. We selflessly serve our neighbor when we do the hard, physically or emotionally. Next, it is important to understand that…

SELFLESS SERVING IS A LIFESTYLE, NOT AN EVENT

Peter could not believe that Jesus would stoop to such a lowly position and do the work that the lowest of the servants did.

John 13:6-7 (NLT2) 

6  When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7  Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 

Jesus wanted Peter to understand that serving is a lifestyle, not an event. Serving others should be a way of life for each of us. Doing the hard things others do not want to do should be how we live. If we truly do want to become like Jesus to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus, we must understand that serving is part of our new nature because God is love, and love is best demonstrated through acts of kindness and service.

It wasn’t just this example of washing feet that proved Jesus loves us.

And it wasn’t just his willingness to pay the price for our sins that proves he loves us.

The entire life of Jesus is an example of selfless service.

The Apostle Paul wrote this to followers of Jesus: 

Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT2) 

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Jesus was a servant long before he washed the disciples' feet. Jesus was a servant long before he paid the price for sin. In fact, there never was a time when Jesus was not, in his nature, a servant.

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT2) 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If Jesus poured out his life to demonstrate God’s love to us, then Jesus is still a servant today. In fact, even now, Jesus is taking the form of a servant, and he is praying for you and me:

Romans 8:34 (NLT2) 

…Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Hebrews 7:25 (NLT2)

Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. 

So, if you want to live your life like Jesus, learn to live like a servant to everybody. And finally, 

SELFLESS SERVING LEADS TO BLESSING

John 13:15-17 (NLT2) 

I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16  I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17  Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Selfless serving leads to Blessing. Can you imagine what the disciples thought when Jesus told them this? Out of the thirteen men there that evening, Jesus was the most important.  They knew him as “Teacher,” but the universe knew Him as Creator. They knew him as “Rabbi,” but the Angels knew him as The Promised Messiah. They knew him as the one who held the keys to life and death in his hands.

So, why didn’t one of the disciples serve the others first? It was customary for the Jewish people to have a servant to clean guests' feet, so in the absence of a servant, why didn’t one of the disciples get up and wash their feet? The topic of dirty feet must have come up because the disciples were arguing with each other over who the most important follower of Jesus was. 

During supper that evening…

Luke 22:24 (NLT2)

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 

The disciples refused to wash each other’s feet because they wanted to portray themselves as the greatest. I am sure they were talking trash to each other and saying things like, “You wash our feet; I’m too important.” Then, Jesus rises. Takes off his robe and proceeds to wash all their feet.  Then he says, “When you live your life as a servant to others, you will be blessed.”

The disciples must have felt so dumb at this moment.  They argued about who would be the greatest, and “the Greatest” washed their feet.  

If you want to be blessed, live your life “washing the feet” of others.

If you want to be blessed, do the hard things others won’t.

If you want to be blessed, prove to the world you are a follower of Jesus by doing kind things.

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.

Guardrails - Do Not Lie or Covet

1. No Other Gods.

2. Do Not Have Idols

3. Do not misuse God’s name.

4. Rest on the Sabbath.

5. Honor your Father and Mother.

6. Do not Murder.

7. Do not Commit Adultery.

8. Do Not Steal.

9. Do Not Lie.

10. Do Not Covet.

Today, we look at the ninth and tenth commandment, “Do not lie and do not covet.”

Exodus 20:16-17 (NLT2) 

16  “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. 17  “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” 

I had been a follower of Jesus for roughly one year, in 1992. I was a construction worker earning about $4.60 an hour, and I needed new contacts. I could not afford an eye examination and contact lenses…so I lied. I changed the date on my written prescription, took it to my eye doctor, and said I needed to order new contacts. As soon as the receptionist looked at my lying prescription – I blurted out…”I am so sorry!  Please forgive me!  I am a follower of Jesus, and I knew better than that…I don’t have the money to pay for both an examination and contact lenses.  I am so sorry.  Please forgive me.”

In that moment, I mishandled the truth.  I was willing to lie to get what I needed.  And thankfully, I couldn’t go through with that lie. The reason we must speak the truth is because:

TRUTH BUILDS TRUST AND PREVENTS CONFUSION 

The Apostle Paul challenged the church with these thoughts:

Ephesians 4:25 (NLT2) 

25  So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

The Church in America has been under the microscope in recent years because of abuse scandals, coverups, and failure to live transparently. In separate studies in 2023, Lifeway Research and Gallup each found that only 32% of Americans had a "great deal" or "fair amount" of confidence that the “church” could be trusted.

Their research highlights the top reasons why people don’t trust the church:

• High-profile cases of sexual abuse, financial misconduct, and cover-ups. 

• The close association of some churches with Republican or Democrat Parties has eroded the perception of the “moral” voice of the church.

• Affirmation of lifestyles that do not line up with Scripture

I was only a few months into my first Pastorate when I discovered that our student pastor, who was loved and respected by the church and the community, had been grooming a female student since she was sixteen years old. Immediately after the young lady turned eighteen, he initiated a physical, digital, and sexual relationship with this young lady. She was in her Senior year of high school, and he was married.

Here is how I handled it:

I talked to him, and he admitted it, and I asked him to resign. Because he was married, we provided 6 months of salary and health insurance and offered counseling. I talked openly with the young lady and her parents and offered counseling from an outside therapist for as long as she wanted it. We called law enforcement. I protected her identity and communicated this to our leadership, staff, and deacons. I protected her identity and met and counseled with all of our student ministry leadership. Then, I met with all student ministry parents, explained what happened, and answered every question. Then, I had a church-wide meeting and addressed it there.

The entire time, the only information I withheld was the young lady's name. I still do to this day. She received over one year of counseling and is now married, raising her children, and pointing them to Jesus.

Why take all of those steps? 

Because truth builds trust and prevents confusion. People want to believe the church can be trusted, and the church can only earn trust by telling the truth even when it's hard.

Are you truthful in your relationships? If people do not trust you, it may be because you are not living in the truth.

Now, let’s talk about Coveting.

I grew up Catholic. We were taught the 10 Commandments from a very early age. Because of the language used in the translation, I always believed that the 10th Commandment was the “dirty” commandment.

Exodus 20:17 (KJV) 

17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Now you see why. I thought this commandment was dealing with adultery! But, here is the truth about this commandment:

COVETING POINTS BACKWARD TO REFLECT AND FORWARD TO GRACE.

In Hebrew, the word “covet” means: “Indulge in thoughts that lead to sin.”

God placed this commandment at the end to point BACKWARD to reflect on the rest of the commandments. When broken, the first nine commandments can be observed by an outward action:

A lie is heard.

People can see theft.

Adultery and murder have clear unmistakable actions.

Honoring parents is visible.

Rest on the Sabbath. Misuse of God’s name, Idolatry, and worship of other Gods can be clearly seen.

But of the 10 Commandments, coveting is the only commandment that addresses what cannot be seen.

God placed this command at the end for us to reflect because this commandment EXPLAINS why we choose to break the other commandments…We break the other Commandments because we “think thoughts that lead to sin.”

The reason why we steal?  We think about doing it.

The reason why we lie? We think the truth will get us in trouble.

The reason we commit adultery?  We think that person will give us something we don’t have.

The reason we dishonor our parents? We think they should have been better.

The reason we don’t take a sabbath rest?  We think we don’t need to.

God placed this commandment strategically after all the others as if to say, “Don’t even think about doing these things.”

The 10th Commandment moves away from measurable sinful actions and enters the secret places of our hearts and thoughts. As we see in the life of Jesus, God is concerned about our hearts and our actions. But if I only ever think about doing the action but never do it, why does it matter to God?

If I only think about murdering somebody but never do it…

If I only think about idolatry, stealing, or disrespecting my parents but never do it, why does God care?

God does not only want our obedience, God wants us to want to follow him. God wants us to be content in him. In 1647, Church leaders got together and came up with a statement that deals with our desires: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

When you find pleasure in obedience to God, and through Christ, ENJOY your life – God is glorified! God doesn’t want us to simply obey him without finding enjoyment, God wants us to obey him and enjoy obeying him. This leads us to the final point:

THE CURE FOR COVETING IS CONTENTMENT FOUND IN JESUS.

The apostle Paul had been beaten, robbed, stoned, left for dead, hungry, homeless, and abandoned…and he faced those challenges because he had TRAINED HIS MIND to be content. 

He writes:

Philippians 4:11-13 (ESV) 

11  Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Contentment is a learned attitude.  If we have had enough of the negative thoughts racing through our mind that leads to coveting, we must ask God to help us learn to be CONTENT.

God is RECONDITIONING my heart in this area.  When I was a child, I coveted other homes, other families, other siblings, other moms, other dads, others athletic abilities, others grades…I coveted everything.  I had grown to such a dark place in my heart because of the abuse I experienced from my dad – 

I coveted other people's lives and stuff so much that I became embarrassed of our stuff.  My house was not good enough to invite people over.  My clothes were not good enough to fit in with groups of kids.  The family car was worse than everybody else…I coveted everything.

Since I became a follower of Jesus – I thought that old way of thinking was behind me.  It wasn’t. I allowed COVETING to creep into my life as a Pastor.  I wanted to have a nice big office like other senior Pastors had.  I wanted to have a nice big automobile that other senior Pastors had.  I wanted to wear the right clothes and speak correctly, “God Bless you…” “Have a blessed day…”

And that is just over the decade.  Coveting is thinking that other things should belong to us…and that is precisely what I have done. Paul tells us we have the capacity to CONTROL our thought life.

Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)

8  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. 

If you desire to experience contentment, which is the peace of God in your life, train your mind to think correctly. Think about OURSELVES less and less. Think of ways to honor others. Think of ways to put into practice what is right and good and honorable and true.  Take those negative thoughts captive and put into practice God’s word. I mentioned that this final command points us backward and forward.  

The 10 Commandments point us forward to the FORGIVENESS and GRACE of JESUS.  I hope you have realized, throughout this series, that it is impossible for you to live your life and never sin.  You and I will break these commandments. We will never be able to live a sinless life. That is why God gave us Jesus.  

If you have come to the end of TRYING and are ready to TRUST in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, I invite you to silently, in this moment, tell God you are tired of trying to do good and be right on your own, and ask him to forgive you of your sins.  Thank Jesus for dying on the cross and paying the penalty for your sin.

Guardrails - Do Not Steal

1. No Other Gods.

2. Do Not Have Idols

3. Do not misuse God’s name.

4. Rest on the Sabbath.

5. Honor your Father and Mother.

6. Do not Murder.

7. Do not Commit Adultery.

8. Do Not Steal.

9. Do Not Lie.

10. Do Not Covet.

Today, we look at the eighth commandment, “Do not Steal.”

The first time I stole something was in a grocery store.  I was around seven years old, and I had gone down the candy aisle with my mom.  I begged her for one of the candy bars.  She said, “No.”  But they looked so good!  I whined. I begged.  

Then, we went to another aisle…and somehow became separated.  I wandered back to that candy aisle…I couldn’t keep my eyes off the candy bar.

I passed by the candy bar once…and had this overwhelming impulse to reach out and take it.  My heart raced. My face felt flushed. I passed it one more time…grabbed the candy bar, and shoved it under my clothes. I couldn’t believe I had it…and nobody saw me take it!

Then, as I walked out of the aisle to catch up with my mom, a man in a green shirt with thick, curly hair walked past me and said: “Better put it back…”

Shocked, I walked quickly back to the candy bar section, put the candy bar back, and went to find my mom.

Exodus 20:15 (NLT2) 

15  “You must not steal.”

The first thing I want to say about “stealing” is this:

If we trust God to provide, this command is easy!

Throughout scripture, we are repeatedly shown that God wants to provide for us. He is our heavenly father and wants to deliver what we need. And, if we trust that God will provide for our needs, this command is easy.

The only reason I have a life insurance policy is so that my death will be a financial blessing to my family when I die. God is your heavenly Father, and He also wants to provide for you. He wants you to trust that He will provide for you.

Psalm 24:1 (NLT2) 

1  The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.

If everything belongs to God, then we can reasonably make the connection that God gave you your possessions.  Your stuff, our car, our house, our toys, our boats, our family, our jobs: everything is provided to us by God. You do not need to be anxious or worried about whether or not you have the right stuff; God wants you to trust in Him and trust that He will provide for whatever you need.

Jesus said in Matthew 6: 

Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT2) 

31  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

If you are a follower of Jesus…by that, I mean if you believe that God created you, but you chose to sin… there is a penalty for that sin. But as God, Jesus came to this earth and paid the price for your sin on the cross. You believe that he died, rose from the dead, and will one day return.  And, because you believed, you surrendered your life to Jesus and committed to follow him, then as a follower of Jesus, you prioritize the mission of Jesus to lead people to Jesus.

Our mission at Beach Church is to “Lead People to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.”  We are committed to Jesus' mission, and as we stay focused on it, He continues to provide for us and change lives. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” This is a promise from God.

Notice that the promise is what we NEED…not what we WANT. I want many things, but what I want is not what I need. Jesus promised to provide us with food, water, and clothing—which is all we need. I know that does not sound appealing.  We want the mansion on the hill, we want a big pool, we want a big checking account, we want the outdoor toys…

But your perspective might change if you go on a mission trip to a third-world country.  Several years ago, I went on a mission trip to Haiti. The Haitian people live in small, crumbling shacks, and the average person only eats three meals a week. As a follower of Jesus, God has promised to provide for all your NEEDS.

Philippians 4:19 (NLT2)

19  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 

So, if I begin to compare my house, car, or checking account to others and think I need what they have, I call God a liar for not providing those things to me. If I steal to get what I want, I am telling God that I know better than him, that he really doesn’t keep his word, and that if he does, he doesn’t really understand what I need.

That’s why, if we trust God, this commandment is easy to follow.

The second thing I would like to say about this commandment is:

God created us to contribute

Each of us was created to add and contribute to the world around us in some way. You were created to make a difference and contribute to others. 

At the very beginning of creation, God gave Adam a JOB. 

Genesis 2:15 (NLT2) 

15  The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.

Before Adam and Eve chose to sin, God gave ADAM a job!  He was to contribute and make a difference in the world. “Working” is part of God’s plan for me!

Now, think about that in connection to Matt 6:33…

Part of putting God’s Kingdom first is working to contribute to the world around us.  As you work, you are paid. God is providing for you! If you are curious about how you can work to put God’s Kingdom first, I want to challenge you to consider volunteering in some capacity here at Beach Church.

Now, you might be thinking:

“You don’t want me to contribute.” 

“If you knew my past, you would know that you would never ask me to contribute.  You would never allow me to wear the Beach Church hoodie.”

Your past does not disqualify you from contributing to God’s Kingdom and participating in the mission of Beach Church. When the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, he said: 

Ephesians 4:28 (NLT2)

28  If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work and give generously to others in need.

This letter was written to people who had already been born again and were following Jesus. That means stealing did not disqualify people from serving in the Kingdom of God. There is genuine life-changing power in the GOOD NEWS that Jesus gives us a second chance through FORGIVENESS!  

God does not hold the sins of your past over your head. God shows grace, kindness, and forgiveness! In this passage, Paul tells the thief to stop stealing, go to work, earn money, and give generously to those who need it. That is the opposite of stealing! And, if God calls the thief to stop stealing and be generous, then that means…

God calls us to be generous

It is just like our life-changing God to use a former thief to provide for other people! A former thief is now working hard—not for himself but so that he can GENEROUSLY GIVE to others in need! The thief should no longer steal but work so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. What a beautiful picture of how followers of Jesus trust and serve God by blessing others with generosity.  

In Matthew 6:33, God promised to meet our needs. He keeps this promise by calling us to be generous. When we are generous, we reflect God's character. God wants his followers to live generous lives. The more generous we become, the more we experience his peace and trust in him.

A couple of years ago, I noticed I had grown callused enough to justify my stinginess.  At almost every intersection, I would stare straight down the street instead of making eye contact with the homeless person with the cardboard sign asking for money.  

I justified my stinginess by saying things like:

“They are probably just running a scam…”

“They probably have a nice car…”

“They should go get a job…”

“If I give them money, they will probably buy booze.”

But God tells us the poor will always be among us.  

Mark 14:7 (NLT2) 

7  You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.

Deuteronomy 15:11 (NLT2) 

11  There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.

So, I began to carry cash in my car…I began to make eye contact with them. I now roll down my window and ask them their name. If I have time, I will ask them their story. I will ask them if they have a place to get warm…

Why did I begin to do that?  

Because I want to be generous like God.

Have you ever felt bad about being stingy?

Have you ever felt good about being generous?

That’s because followers of Jesus WANT to be generous to others.

If you are interested in being generous with your time and money, New Directions is a non-profit ministry in Myrtle Beach. It provides for the basic needs of those without, connects them to resources to overcome barriers they may experience, and provides training and guidance. 

If you go to HelpNewDirections.org, you can get involved with their ministry by submitting your information to their website. It feels “right” when we put God’s Kingdom first when we trust God to provide,  when we contribute, and when we are generous.  It feels right because we are becoming more like our Heavenly Father.