Return to where our Story begins: creation, rebellion, exile and the formation of a covenant people through whom God will bring redemption to the world. COVENANT HISTORY is a fresh presentation of the Old Testament historical books from Genesis to Kings.

Groups are forming now, so you’ll want to hurry and get signed up as soon as possible.  If you are new to Lake Hills, we invite you to just “jump in” at any time!

We are providing the special Bible used in the experience for each participant at no cost.  In order to participate you’ll just sign up for our weekly community groups that will meet for 8-10 weeks.  You can do so at the church or through our website here.

The following is copied from the website of Biblica.com (formerly known as the International Bible Society), the organization who is creating the experience.

From Biblica’s website:

Every day, several hundred people give up reading the Bible. But we can change this.

People are hungry to hear God speak. According to one study, the desire to understand Scripture is one of the biggest reasons people go to church. Yet only 1 in 5 churchgoers say they’re getting the help they need making sense of the Bible. We need better Bible engagement. Community Bible Experience isn’t about reading a verse here or a chapter there. It’s the complete Bible, understood in context, experienced in community. It’s whole churches reading big — journeying through entire sections of Scripture for 6-8 weeks at a time. A Community Bible Experience is where Bible reading becomes more than just a private discipline. It becomes an experience we share with fellow travelers. It’s not about finding all the right answers from Scripture or debating points of interpretation. Community Bible Experience is about engaging God’s Word on its own terms. It’s about reading — and living — God’s story.

The Community Bible Experience is about changing the way we read God’s Word.

In eight weeks, you’ll experience an entire section of Scripture, starting with Genesis. You’ll gather in small groups to share the journey. You’ll glimpse more of the Bible’s context than ever before. And your entire community will rally around the one thing that matters most: God’s Word.

How does the Community Bible Experience work?

Participants read five days a week, using a revolutionary presentation of Scripture called The Books of the Bible.  Small groups meet for book club-style discussions of each week’s reading. Learn more about how it works.

What is “The Books of the Bible?”

The Books of the Bible is a revolutionary new format that strips away centuries of artificial formatting, leaving behind nothing but pure Bible text. Learn more about The Books of the Bible.

Why should I join a Community Bible Experience?

Every day, several hundred people give up reading the Bible. 4 in 5 churchgoers aren’t getting the help they need understanding Scripture. For most of us, Bible engagement is an isolated, fragmented experience. We believe there’s a better way. Learn more about why it matters.

How do I get started?

When you sign up we’ll send you everything you need to join in your Community Bible Experience via email.  To sign up for daily emails including the text and the audio for the day, click here:

http://biblica.com/cbe/dailyemail

Be sure to select “Covenant History” as your campaign. You will also need to tell us the first day of your reading campaign (which should be a Monday); this will allow Biblica to ensure the right emails are delivered on the right days.

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More…

The Community Bible Experience, combines three totally different approaches to reading the Bible that powerfully work together to transform participants, small groups, and even entire churches.

1. Reading Big — Participants read the first few books of the Old Testament in 8 weeks, simply by reading a few pages per day, 5 days a week. The Books of the Bible, Covenant History, is formatted without chapters or verses to enable easy reading of larger passages in a single sitting. And reading big enables a deeper understanding of the true meaning of the story of His Word.

2. Reading in Context — The Books of the Bible has re-ordered and re-combined many sections of the Bible back to the way it was originally written. This re-ordering allows the participants to experience the Bible in its historical context. By understanding the times and circumstances in which the Bible was written, participants begin to feel the real power of the God’s Word like never before.

3. Reading Together — Whether in a small group or as a whole church, participants read the same passages, at the same time, and come together in community to discuss their thoughts, observations and ‘aha’ moments. As group members engage with the Scriptures they add deeper meaning and understanding for the entire group. Together, they grow closer to God, and to each other.

• Eight weeks.
• A group of fellow travelers.
• Community Bible Experience is a journey into God’s Story so you can live a new story.

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Remember to sign up for a community group at LHCC to complete the experience if possible.  If you live elsewhere, please consider joining the experience right where you are, and maybe even forming your own group!

As we read the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) we are astonished at the mysterious depth in Jesus’ words.  He has a way of stirring a sense of hope and charged anticipation.  Do you experience any awareness of anticipation for the future?  The hope Jesus extends can give us this kind of eager expectation as we consider the amazing future for Christians and for God’s kingdom about which we rarely, if ever, hear.

Many of us need to be reminded of the promises of the Bible that offer spiritual optimism not only in our world, but also for our world, rather than the same old defeatist pessimism which immobilizes people, often rendering us powerless.

We invite you to join us this Easter as we launch a new series exploring the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus and just what it means to us, and even grander, to the world.  We’ll seek to discover more about God’s plan of hope that is dramatically reshaping our world and our lives every day, past, present and future.

There’s no place like hope.

I’ve had such emphases myself over the years—times when it seems everything I read or study is somehow connected to my current interest.  For me, there was quite a long period that my personal special interest was worship.  I was a worship leader for many years and eventually ascended to a fairly high position of influence in my denomination (at the time).  I could preach worship a thousand different ways and knew how to connect virtually any verse, thought or theme in the Bible to my flavor.  There were also the “end times” years, when I lived and breathed last-days-madness.  There were the prophetic years, the five-fold ministry years, the prayer and fasting years, the repentance years, etc., all of which in their respective seasons seemed like the most important stuff in all the world, and I couldn’t understand why others just couldn’t see it like I could. (Sounds pretty arrogant, yeah?  It always does when it’s someone else!)

Over time, in His unceasing grace, the Lord is always narrowing, always pruning, always challenging these little flavors I pick up.  As a church planter in the Bible belt I am now confronted with many folks with several of their own flavors of preference.  The great challenge I face is the ability to help move us beyond these emphases.  I don’t say ignore them, but we need to learn to literally lay them down, put them aside and move on for the sake of something considerably larger and more profound – being united as one in Jesus.  This might feel shocking to some, but think, how can we ever be one with so many divergences?  Still, the fact remains that Jesus prayed that we may be one just as He and the Father are one. Wow.  Breathtaking, this vision of Jesus for his people.

A Deeper Unity

A oneness like this is much more than simply making a vague spiritual excuse for our differences, passing them off as inconsequential.  I’ve heard (and in the past, taught) that we can be in a kind of spiritual mystical unity with the entire body of Christ despite our differences.  That may be true to some degree, but as we are now, we stand in stark contrast with the kind of unity the Lord calls for.  The sad fact is that so many feel so strongly that they are so right and others are so mistaken, that it is nearly impossible to be one in heart with those in whom we find distasteful disagreement.  Paul said (1 Corinthians 1) that we should all “speak the same things” and “be of the same mind.”  I fear that now the church in America has so many fracture lines that this is nearly impossible without a genuine reformation.

What is needed is not simply agreeing to disagree, nor is it attempting to sit down and work through every single difference in doctrine and belief.  No, I believe the answer is far more powerful than that, more breathtaking and life-giving. We need to come back to the very central focus of all the Bible, the central focus of the gospel, the central focus of God’s work on planet earth.  Jesus.

Simply Jesus

The focal point of our message must become Jesus.  Not Jesus and…  Not Jesus and worship.  Not Jesus and faith.  Not Jesus and financial prowess.  Not Jesus and prayer.  Not Jesus and healing.  Not Jesus and discipleship.  Not Jesus and the end times.  Not Jesus and prosperity.  Not Jesus and mission or purpose.  Not Jesus and the 5 points of anything.  Not Jesus and revival.  Not Jesus and a better life.  Not Jesus and baptism and communion and spiritual gifts and, and, and, and…Not Jesus and anything.  These things all create division when they move toward the center of our attentions, thus slowly occupying more and more of the place in our hearts and minds that only Jesus should fill.

While it is certain that we can and should speak of such things, we dare not let them flavor or muddy the clear message which is simply, Jesus – who He is, what He has done, and what He does.  You can typically discover what a person’s flavor is because it usually takes only a few minutes before it pops out in just about any spiritual conversation.  A few weeks ago we had an open forum type of message, where people from the congregation could interact.  It was intriguing as I watched person after person whom I know inject their particular flavor into the subject.

Do you want to see the Holy Spirit work?  Preach Jesus, not the Holy Spirit.  Do you want to see people worship?  Preach Jesus, not worship.  Do you want to see people grow in faith?  Preach Jesus, not faith.  If we preach faith or worship or prayer or _________, then people try harder to do those things.  If we preach Jesus, the Holy Spirit invades the heart transforming us to be more… like… Jesus.  This is known as a Christological approach to preaching.  (Oooo, a big, shiny theological word!)  Without it, preaching and teaching from the Bible tends to become a mere self-help seminar.  If we will embrace a solid Christological approach to understanding the Bible, we may avoid creating a lot of weird and funky pet beliefs (as well as untrue), and better yet, we may also steer clear of alienating a lot of people from the love of Jesus.

Less is More

It’s funny, but I find that the more flavor we add to the message of Jesus the less flavorful it is.  The more we work to “clearly define” God’s work into terms of great benefits or blessings or experience or expectations, the narrower and smaller it becomes.  Think of a mission statement.  The shorter it is, the more focused and dynamically powerful it becomes.  The longer the mission statement, though perhaps more deeply defined, the more narrowing and limiting it becomes.  The message of Jesus should never be limited or diminished by our special interests.  By choosing to not add anything to the Bible means learning to live with some unknowns and ambiguity and mystery, and we thus leave the powerful, life-transforming message of Jesus un-tampered-with.

So when you come to Lake Hills I encourage you to check your favorite flavor additives at the door.  If you’re looking for the next, newest, latest, greatest, oldest, vintage, radical, progressive, modern, postmodern, prophetic, liturgical, organic or revelatory flavor of preaching and teaching… I’m afraid we’re not that. Furthermore, by God’s grace, we won’t become that.  So if you’re hoping we somehow mature into, or receive a deeper revelation of your flavor, I sincerely suspect that will likely not happen.  In fact, I’ve got a “been there, done that” tee shirt to prove it!

I want you to come face to face with the living, all-powerful Christ, whose overwhelming presence causes people to fall on their faces before Him.  Paul said, “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Corinthians 2:1-2)  This is the power of God. (1Corinthians 1:17-18)

For the sake of a real working unity, I am seeking to leave undefined or under-defined whatever the Bible leaves undefined or under-defined.  So if you’re wondering what flavor Christian I am or what flavor our church is going to be…you will either be delighted or disappointed to learn that we are seeking to define ourselves by just Jesus, no additives, please.

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Right and Wrong

We’ve all been in some discussion which enters into disagreement and escalates into argument, or perhaps even a full-blown fight.  We have, everyone of us, declared at one time or another in just such a situation that we know beyond any shadow of doubt that what we are saying is…right.  But if we are honest we will admit that we have also had the dubious and deflating discovery that, well, no, despite our complete assurance of being correct we were actually…wrong.

It’s an odd feeling to be utterly convinced one is right – to know I am right – only to discover I am completely and fundamentally off beam, mistaken, incorrect, erroneous and wide of the mark!  I remember the first time I faced such an experience with an open and honest heart.  After one doozy of an argument with someone to whom I smugly felt intellectually superior, I learned afterward that I was fully mistaken.  While I don’t remember the specific matter, I remember quite well my epiphany regarding my fallibility.  That was one bitter pill to swallow.

The Dangerous Weight of Personal Theology

Consider a brick.  A random brick in a wall.  Let’s say our brick is about 4 or 5 rows up from the bottom. There are several rows of bricks above it.  Our brick of choice is built on top of other bricks, resting its weight on them.  All the bricks above it are built on the foundation provided by our brick.  All their weight pushes downward on our brick.

This brick represents a single belief in your personal system of beliefs, your personal theology – what you believe about God and all things spiritual.  There are beliefs our subject rests upon, and other beliefs that rest upon it.  A great many of these bricks got placed through things you’ve heard throughout your life through a sermon here, a story there, personal views held by friends, common phrases spoken in Christian circles, an opinion formed while reading a Bible verse, popular beliefs that you were led to believe that all good Christians believed.  Unfortunately, these beliefs aren’t all true.

It can be very healthy at some point to choose to examine our beliefs in light of some objectivity afforded by others who do not share our same beliefs.  This can prove to be uncomfortable and even difficult, because we are accustomed to defending our dogma.  We tend to avoid those who can provide piercing challenges that shake and rattle our beliefs.  Hence the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.”  Just look inside most churches.

A Formidable Predicament

When you hear something that calls into question some belief, represented by our brick, you are faced with a problem.  You see, you have other beliefs resting on this belief.  If this one is faulty, then it affects all that rests on it.  If it’s the wrong size, shape, composite, etc., then there is a danger involved in removing it or exchanging it.  And there are times that several of the bricks atop it may need to be removed as well.  If you try to repair the single brick, the danger is that your structure begins to feel unstable and there is a danger of experiencing quite a bit of demolition.  The deeper in the foundation that the brick lay, the more weight it bears and the more fragile the structure when tampering with it.  Also, the deeper it sits, the more important that it be examined from time to time.

Consequently it can feel quite dangerous and threatening when some of our beliefs gets challenged.  When we will not allow such challenges we end up clinging to dogma – a belief regarded as being unquestionably true.  As Christ-followers who want to grow spiritually, we should place very few beliefs in the dogma category since to do so allows no room to admit mistakes about those beliefs. Our dogma bricks often become nearly impossible to even reach, let alone adjust.

Teachable

This past week before our worship team rehearsal my wife, Cathy, led a group devotion on being teachable. What I write next is what I believe to be one of the single most important characteristics to all forms of growth in our inner lives – spiritual, emotional, cognitive, etc.

“To be teachable I must be willing to be wrong.”

To grow in Christ, to mature as a human being, I must be willing to be shown where I am wrong.  The tricky aspect of all this is that if I’m not willing to be wrong, I’m not really willing to be right.  Truth, like a great statue, is often formed in us as falsehood gets chiseled away. Some of us fight tenaciously to defend our “rightness,” withstanding every onslaught against our fortified immaturity and ignorance.  When it comes to being right or wrong, the stakes are high and we generally have far too much riding on being right.  Our fragile sense of intelligence and the self worth attached to it, our belief systems, some self-righteousness (typically unbeknownst to us), and worst of all – the paralyzing fear of feeling or appearing inferior to others, these all come to bear on our willingness to be proven wrong.

Enter the beautiful grace of spiritual humility…  God has His ways of humbling us at key moments and seasons in our lives.  One of the most freeing experiences of the human soul is when God blows away some dogma to which we’ve clung for years and defended at the cost of deepening of relationships or perhaps seeing some new light of insight.  Some friends separate, some acquaintances never blossom into friendship, some families even splinter over dogmatic positions held against all possibility of being…wrong.  Humility, on the other hand, can heal the barriers we build and the wars we wage.  It is a corrective first step on the path to new adventures in spiritual growth in grace and the knowledge of God.

You know, it’s not as though we are very right to begin with and fall into being in error.  We don’t begin in the light and only stumble occasionally into the dark.  We begin our lives already engrossed in error and darkness, and the entire life of the follower of Jesus is one likened unto a light that shines brighter and brighter the farther we go. (Proverbs 4:18)

On the journey,

Mike Knapp, pastor

“Lord Jesus, help me be willing to be wrong, expand my capacity for humility, help me challenge my deeply held beliefs and dogma for the sake of knowing You, the truth.  Chisel away the hard stone of error held in my heart so I may know you more fully and be more gracious toward others.”

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In our American culture we have overlapping spheres of influence and authority which, like perpetual waves from an ocean, nudge and push us doggedly, ever moving us toward a determined destination…self-absorption.

Social Spheres

The current social mindset declares, “I don’t judge.”  This is another way of saying, “I don’t question or measure the ‘rightness’ of any behavior or views of any person in any circumstance.”  While it sounds virtuous, what many are really saying is, “We absolutely will not tolerate anyone questioning our behavior and views.”  The prevailing climate of “tolerance” is often a façade masking a secret desire to live unchallenged and unfettered of any system of real moral accountability.  To unmask the tolerance lie, simply challenge such a person’s beliefs.  If they quickly decry our right to challenge them, they are affirming that I may believe anything I want…except that their beliefs or morality are false.

I find it interesting that the same ideology that produces this oblique notion of tolerance is the same thinking that has given birth to the “occupy” movement.  I can’t get past the picture that the “occupiers” are like monkeys in a cage infuriated that some other monkeys have acquired more bananas, so they scream and tear at the happier, higher-climbing monkeys, trying to pull them back to the bottom of the cage.  Hmm, so much for tolerance.

We have social media which adds fuel to our smoldering narcissistic fires, promoting the idea that whatever we’re doing throughout the day is so important that others simply ought to want to know about it (ala Hollywood stars).  For some, if friends fail to comment on the recent trip to Sonic to get a slushie they can feel overlooked and slighted, and begin to wonder what’s wrong that people aren’t acknowledging  them.  And should they ever remark (God forbid) on the triviality of such obviously newsworthy posts, then they simply “unfriend” the vile offender instead of challenging the little tyrant growing within.

Marketing gurus spend their lives learning the best way to convince us to dole out our dollars. They bombard us day and night with mantras of how important we are, how our time is ours and should be spent on us, how we deserve a break today, and how much, after all, we’re entitled to it all.  They bolster and appeal to our vanity, magnify and commend our whims, and subtly sell us the notion that it’s all about us and ours.

They create TV, billboard, newspaper, magazine, radio, internet, direct mail and email ads, ads, ads coming at us relentlessly, manipulating and shaping us into the kinds of self-centered consumers they crave.

Spheres of Authority

We have school systems which pass kids when they deserve to fail, legal systems that set people free when they deserve incarceration (or worse), and parents who make excuses for children rather than spanking their selfish little behinds.

We have a government selling entitlements in exchange for votes and power.  I saw a news report showing that the number of people receiving disability income has increased over 5,000 % in the past 40 years.  We have experienced a 125% increase in food stamp distribution in the past 4 years.  Politicians are selling, selling, selling the idea that we are owed a living, and a darned good one, at that.  The land of equal opportunity is dying.  Many Americans now want equal outcomes.  “It is owed to us; we deserve it.”

Jesus and in Society and Authority

All the while, Jesus calls to us, “Come and die with me. Die to your selfishness, your self-centeredness, your thoughts of deservedness, your desire to live unchallenged and unfettered.  Take up your cross, die to yourself, follow me and find life.”  The really hard sell of following Christ is still about who gets to sit on the throne of our lives and call the shots.  Who will be Lord and master?

To have Jesus as Lord means to allow another to judge us. It is also to answer the call to rightly confront evil thinking and behaviors in ourselves and then in others.  Will we allow God to challenge us, and hold us accountable to a moral authority outside ourselves?  Harder still, will we allow Him through us to create moral accountability in our spheres of influence?

Will we as a people relearn how to allow others to acquire and to have that which we cannot, and then resist being envious and resentful toward them?  Can we perhaps even learn to be glad for them?

How much happier would we become if we primarily used social media to encourage and bless others, making their day while taking personal slights and affronts with a grain of salt?  Such small forms of selflessness can help us dramatically in our social  circles.

To have Jesus as Lord means to fight the consumer mentality, not allowing ourselves to be manipulated into making our lives about our wants and wishes, but to consider rather how to be generous and helpful to those less fortunate.

Serving Jesus as Lord in authority means failing students who deserve to fail (even if they are our children), and enforcing punishments on those who break laws (even if they are our children), and training children to honor authority outside themselves (even if they are our children).

To serve Jesus as Lord in America means to do the hard work to responsibly discern where political leaders want to take us as a nation, and to engage our nation societally and politically, holding politicians to accountability at the voting booth.

Christianity is not meant by Jesus to be marginalized into some subset of life where it never makes it into the public social arena. It is to allow Christ to reign in and fill every single area of life and to selflessly reflect Him back into our spheres of society and authority.

Looking for something new or different?

Exciting?!?

A place to hang out?

Come check out FUSION, with Free Food, Games and Music.

– Video games on a big screen

– Loud Music, Lighting & Fog

– Ping Pong, Carpetball, Table Games

– Video & discussion on real problems teens face (15 – 20 min.)

– Coffeehouse atmosphere

Friday, April 27, 2012

8:00pm until 10:00pm

Doors open at 7:45 and close at 10:15, sharp. Grades 7-12 only.

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Jesus the King

The Big Palm Sunday Question

Matthew 20:17 – 21:11

Palm Sunday: THE GOSPEL  (Thanks is due to Frank Viola for the following 5 paragraphs, which I have paraphrased in places. http://frankviola.org/2012/01/26/thegospel/)

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As a young Christian, I was taught that the gospel is a plan—”the plan of salvation.”

1^st century Roman world – the word “gospel” was used to describe the announcement that a new emperor had taken the throne. “Heralds” (apostolos) would be “sent” throughout theRoman Empire to announce this “good news.”

Their message was, “We have a new emperor. His name is Tiberius Caesar, adjust your life and bow the knee.” Interestingly, the Roman emperor was also called “Savior” and “Lord” and was regarded as the one who would establish “peace” in the Empire.

In addition, the Roman emperor was expected to bring justice, peace, prosperity, and blessings to the world. He was also called “Pontifex Maximus” which means “chief priest.” The Romans also believed that when an emperor ascended into heaven, he was enthroned as being divine. Thus the emperor (at his death) was also called “son of God.”

Consequently, when the apostles (“sent ones”) used the term “gospel” and declared that Jesus was now the Lord and Savior of the world, it was a direct affront to the Roman hierarchy, especially Caesar (see Acts 17:7, as an example). The believing Jews no doubt connected the gospel-preaching of the apostles to Isaiah’s prophecy—a proclamation that God Himself was now reigning in the Person of Jesus (see Isa. 52:7).

In short, the message of the gospel is Jesus Christ as Lord (= world ruler), Savior, the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament (including the Adamic commission, the prophets, the priests, the kings, the sages, the temple, the sacrifices, the land, the Law, the promises, and the entire story of Israel), and Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life.

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It is by no accident that the first speech Jesus gave in Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”  This is the King announcing His kingdom and the only appropriate response is to repent – to humble and adjust your life and bow your knees and believe that there is a new king.

Our modern “gospel” has been reduced from an announcing of kingship and kingdom to mere personally focused forgiveness. While this is awesome, the gospel is so very much more than this.

The term gospel is a shortened form of the phrase, “gospel of the kingdom.” cf. Mt.4:23 (1st mentioned), Mt.9:35, Mt.24:14, etc.

The problematic state of our generation of evangelical Christians is that we have largely lost sight of the towering majesty of King Jesus, the righteous judge, and few of us have a real understanding of His ever-increasing kingdom and kingship in the earth:

• We have had 150 years of a gutted and spineless gospel which ignores the reality of the kingship of Jesus over absolutely every power, every domain, every kingdom, all power and authority on this Earth and throughout the universe.   We have been trained in a pessimism about the affairs of the world which effectively denies the power and presence of God’s kingdom which will eventually fill the whole earth with God’s glory.

Our modern gospel is not a gospel of Christ’s kingdom – it is rather a gospel which has been gutted of Christ’s authority over all spheres of human life – not only in personal life, but also in political life, not only in “religion” or “spirituality” but also in such spheres as human endeavor, worldview, culture, justice, ecology, family & friendship, scholarship and sex.

The true gospel of the kingdom has been gutted through the gospel of man – the prevalent teaching and worship that focuses on us rather than on Christ.

• cf. Copernicus, 15 – 16^th century:  Challenged the popular scientific view of the Geocentric center of the solar system vs. Heliocentric center – the Sun.  In the same way the true gospel focuses on Jesus Christ, not on us.

The true gospel of the kingdom has been gutted through the greatest false teaching of our modern era – the immensely popular and grossly erroneous pop eschatology of our time – the false teaching that floods our pulpits and bookstores and airwaves regarding the end times.

And finally, the  gospel message of Christ’s kingdom has been gutted through our own Biblical laziness. More and more decline to learn interpretive disciplines and principles for studying and rightly dividing (as the Bible puts it) God’s word — we don’t want to work that hard at learning how to learn, at discovering truth that is often confrontational, of asking hard questions of our faith and demanding real and solid answers.

Consequently we can become dogmatic and unwilling to allow our beliefs to be powerfully challenged by what the Bible refers to as “the word” (Gr. logikos) which means rational, spiritual reasoning (this is the Greek word from which we get our modern word, logic). Many are losing or have lost the ability to think spiritually, intelligently, rationally and cogently so as to not be blinded by our own existing dogmas. (see 1 Peter 2:2)  [This is a dangerous view held by some large segments of Christianity which is similar to the Gnosticism the early church fought, which holds that rational, intelligent, reasoning thought is evil.]

Before we can approach speaking of Christ’s kingdom, let’s first address His kingship…

 Mt. 20:17-34    Jesus always drew a crowd.  People were, and still are, drawn to Him.  Some for the “oohs and ahhs” of His miracles, others for the food he gave, but those who really knew him were more likely drawn to his person: his grace, his kindnesses, probably even his deep inner joy that probably kept a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and how that joy would have spread contagiously to those around him.  Just think about the aura of peace projected from those who are confident, steady and sure.  (Just see the picture the story paints.)

In his entourage:

• His disciples (v.29)

• a large crowd from Jericho(v.29) – home of Zacchaeus (Lk.19)

• Lazarus, recently raised from the dead, who was causing all kinds of difficulties for the religious leaders, and the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. – Joh 12:17  (vv.9-19)

• the blind men just healed (including Bartimaeus)

Mat 21:1  As they approachedJerusalem and came to Bethphage on theMount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,

Mat 21:2  saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.

Mat 21:3  If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

Mat 21:4  This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

Mat 21:5  “Say to the Daughter of Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

• Jesus and his kingship is the fulfillment of prophecy – Zech.9:9

Mat 21:6  The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.

Mat 21:7  They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.

• Note their obedience, their willingness to follow Jesus’ instructions; Jesus creates this kind of obedience in those who know Him.

• See the act of simple kindness and respect they offered; Jesus instills this in those who know him best

• It was not unusual to put garments on donkeys to ride on; the princes and kings of Israel were commonly known to ride upon donkeys, strewed or saddled with all kind of “painted garments”

Mat 21:8  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  (Picture this…)

• Jewish writers say, it was done that he might be higher than them all, suitable to the dignity of a king.

• re: palm branches (not the time for their use in the feast of tabernacles), it was common with the Jews to signify their joy upon any occasion, by such ways and methods.

Mat 21:9  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

• Hosanna – “Save, O Lord” A prayer that over time morphed into a form of praise to the God who saves.

• Now these branches were lifted up and shaken, when the above words were recited with Psa_118:25: “O Lord save us; O Lord grant us success.”

• or “O Lord I beseech thee, send now prosperity”

Mat 21:10  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

• The most important question in your life… cf. Who do men say that I am – who do you say that I am?

• Catch a glimpse of His infinite glory and majesty and awesome authority

• “LORD” – 654 occurrences in the New Testament alone

• “He’s not lord at all until He’s lord of all.” ~ familiar Christian saying, author unknown

• “Jesus’ saviorhood is forever linked with His lordship.” ~ A.W. Tozer

• The center and circumference of the Christian life is none other than the person of Christ. ex. – Just as the sun is the center of our Solar system and eclipses all other forms of light, without which no life can exist.

• Dietrich Bonhoffer – German pastor & theologian during Nazi Germany – Book:  Christ, the Center – “Jesus is the center of human existence, of history, the center between God and all nature.”

• H.G. Wells: “I am a historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history.  Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”

• Jesus was rejected as king by the nation ofIsrael.  People don’t tend to reject Jesus on the basis oh his being a savior, or gift-giver, or life-improver, or prayer-answerer, or healer – the epic struggle people face is His claim as King.

Mat 21:11  The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

• that prophet Moses spoke of, in Deu_18:15, and the nation of the Jews in general expected

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Though they celebrated Him as a savior; they crucified Him as a king. 

• He was accepted as a savior, rejected as a king.  What will you do?

• The most important question in the world: “Who is this?”  Jesus asked Simon Peter, one of his closest friends, this same question in a personal way. He asked, “Who do men say that I am?”  Then he followed it up with this, “Who do you say that I am?”

• So today, Jesus still asks people, “Who do you say that I am?”  You can’t accept Jesus as your savior and reject Him as your king…we cannot ignore that aspect of who he is.

• To have Jesus as savior, you must have him as king.

• He is who he is – he’s not a smorgasbord!  We don’t get to pick and choose how we want Him to be.  You either accept or reject the whole package.

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Five Days to Denial – That’s how long it took for the crowd to turn from acceptance to rejection.

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The Reason Jesus wasn’t the sort of King people wanted…

1. Jesus, the real Jesus, Ruler of the Kingdom of God, is much larger, more alarming and disturbing, more urgent than we, the church, have imagined.

• We successfully manage to hide behind other questions, though admittedly important ones, and we thus avoid the huge, world-shaking challenge of Jesus’ central claim and achievement.  We have reduced the kingdom of God to private piety and the power of the cross to comfort for the conscience.

2. They were looking for a builder to construct the home they thought they wanted, but he was the architect, coming with a new plan that would give them everything they needed, but within a new and different framework.

• They were looking for a singer to sing the song they had been humming for a long time, but he was the composer, bringing them a new song to which their favorite old songs would only be at best, the background music.

• He was the king, alright, but He came to redefine kingship itself around His own work, His own mission, his own fate.

3. Many of us want a spiritual leader, not a king.  We want someone to save our souls, not rule our world.

• Some do want a king, someone to take charge of our world, but we want someone to implement the policies we already embrace.  Truth is, it is as hard for us to turn loose of the old and familiar as it was for the people of that time.

• In other words, they wanted a king, but on their own terms, which in effect makes Him the servant, and them the ruler.

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4 Duties of a King

1. With Jesus as our king we can  expect Him to preside over our everyday lives.

• None of us have ever experienced living under a real king, a ruling monarch who was the embodiment of absolute power and judgment over their realm.  We have dictators, presidents, and those called kings who are nothing at all like a Caesar of Rome, or a Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, or an Alexander the Great, or a Pharaoh of Egypt.

• He is not an undemanding friend – not a low maintenance friendship we can slip in and out of – He presides, He demands, He expects – though he is as close as a brother, he is still a king.

• The Story of Arthur is in large part a story about the struggle of many small and lesser kings and the rise of a high king to unite the realm, the Pendragon.  Jesus comes to claim authority over all lesser kings and kingdoms, and will do so until the final consummation when His kingdom in Heaven is united with His kingdom in the earth.

2. With Jesus as our king we can trust Him to provide for our needs.

3. With Jesus as our king we can trust Him to protect us.

4. With Jesus as our king we can expect Him to punish us when we need it.

• Hebrews 12:5-7  ”My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.

• Many of us struggle with the concept of God’s disciplinary actions.  A very, very important thing we need to remember:

• His discipline of His children is not an expression of anger. (Isaiah 54:1-10)  It is designed to produce what the Bible calls “godly sorrow” which has many wonderful qualities (2 Corinthians 7:9-11).

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Close

Our salvation, our forgiveness, our future hope rests not in simply believing that Jasus came to save us, but in our acceptance of His kingship, his “Lordship”:

Romans 10:9  That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

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“So God raised him up to the most important place and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. God did this so that every person will bow down to honor the name of Jesus.

Everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow. They will all confess, ‘Jesus Christ is Lord,’ and this will bring glory to God the Father.”  ~ Philippians 2:9-11, ERV

 Application this week:

1. Question to ponder and meditate on:

• What does Jesus as king mean to me?  to us?  to the church?  in the world? on my job?  in my marriage?  between my kids and me?  In my  sex life? my entertainment life?  in my politics?

2. I want to challenge you, every day this week, to adjust your life and bow your knee to Christ the king, physically getting down on your knees, asking him to be the center of your world.

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“WHEN IT SEEMS THAT ALL IS LOST: BANKRUPTCY & YOUR OPTIONS”

While bankruptcy is not the end of the world, it may certainly feel like it. Though there can be some stigma attached to bankruptcy, it is in some cases the best way forward. Others find that what they need most is to learn some options for either going through or avoiding bankruptcy. This workshop is designed to help you find your way forward, and to find practical help and answers for your questions.

Presenter: Teresa M. Terry, Attorney

Free coffee and snacks. Come as you are.

For more information call Lake Hills Community Church, 573-552-4182.

P.S. Many Christians really struggle with this matter, hoping desperately to handle their debts with integrity.  The last thing a true Christ-follower wants to do is to bring injury of any kind to another person, and that includes financial injury to our creditors.

That being said, there are still times for some people where they simply cannot find their way out of the hole where they are trapped.  God acknowledges this in scripture, and He implemented the relinquishing of all debts every seven years.  Can you imagine?  Just think of all your debts being cancelled!  Those very laws from the Bible are where our bankruptcy laws came from.  God still offers hope to the desperately needy in America in several ways, and one of those ways is through bankruptcy.  While we view this as a last resort, it is still a valid course of action provided the individual has already really done all he or she can to eliminate their debts.

On Saturday, March 3, from 10 A.M. – Noon, Lake Hills Community Church is offering these two free workshops:

“PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD”
SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 10:00–11:00 A.M.

This is a free “Job Search & Interview” workshop. This workshop will offer practical help for those who have perhaps lost a job or are seeking work in today’s difficult and highly competitive world. We will seek to give you “a leg up” by offering practical help in creating your resume, filling out job applications and doing well in interviews. (Presenter: Kim Spangler)

“WORKING FOR YOURSELF: WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW”

MARCH 3, 11:00 A.M.–NOON

Avoid some of the pitfalls and serious mistakes that are often made as people engage in working for themselves, start a small business or get into a home-based business. Learn some practical tips to help you get started and to help along the way. (Presenter: Ron Smith)

The workshops will be held in our cafe area. Free Coffee and snacks will be served. Casual atmosphere; come as you are!

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NOTE:  Both sessions will be recorded and will be available on the “Messages” page of our website after March 3.

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Feb. 12: This Little Piggy Went to Market…The Dangers of Debt
Feb. 19: This Little Piggy Stayed Home…Coping with Joblessness
Feb. 26: This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef…Learning to Handle Money Well
Mar. 04: This Little Piggy Had None…Strapped
Mar. 11: This Little Piggy Went, “Whee!”…Money & Happiness God’s Way
Mar. 18: Chasing the Greased Pig… Money & the Church

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In addition, we are offering free workshops on Saturdays for anyone who wants to attend.  The workshops are all hosted by professionals and experts who will answer your questions and offer you advice, all for free!

• Opportunities for questions and answers
• Free coffee and snacks provided
• Casual dress, come as you are

Saturday, Feb.11, 10:00 a.m.–Noon:  ”How To Fix Your Bad Credit”

Free Credit Repair workshop. Learn how to fix bad credit, clean up your credit report and avoid scams.  Credit Guys from Lees Summit, MO will be at Lake Hills Community Church in Greenview to offer free professional information about getting your credit problems under control.   (Presenter: Keith Knapp, owner and founder of Credit Guys, Lees Summit Missouri)

Saturday, Feb.25, 10:00–11:00 a.m.: “Finding Balance in Your Budget”

When it comes to money, preparation is everything, but knowing where to start can be difficult. This workshop will show you how to set up a budget that works for you by helping you understand loans, borrowing and the importance of managing credit and debt.  (Presenter: Sherri Tangsrud, Edward Jones Investing)

Saturday, Mar.3, 10:00–11:00 a.m.: “Putting Your Best Foot Forward”

Job search and Interview workshop.  This workshop will offer practical help for those who have perhaps lost a job or are seeking work in today’s difficult and highly competitive world.  We will seek to give you “a leg up” in creating your resume, filling out job applications and doing well in interviews. (Presenter: Kim Spangler)

Also on Mar.3, 11:00 a.m.–Noon: “Working For Yourself: What You Really Need To Know”

Avoid some of the pitfalls and serious mistakes that are often made as people engage in working for themselves, start a small business or get into a home-based business.  Learn some practical tips to help you get started and to help along the way.  (Presenter: Ron Smith)

Saturday, Mar.17, 10:00–11:00 a.m.:  ”When It Seems That All Is Lost: Bankruptcy & Your Options”

Bankruptcy is not the end of the world, though it may certainly feel like it.   The laws exist to provide help and a safety net for those in deep financial crisis.  Though there can be some stigma attached to bankruptcy, it is in some cases the best way forward.  Others find that what they need most is to learn some options in going through bankruptcy or options in avoiding bankruptcy.  (Presenter: Teresa Terry, attorney)

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