Random Ideas

Ed Murphy, Handbook of Spiritual Warfare:

page 37 - Once we have been deceived by the Evil One into doubting God's goodness, we will automatically begin to doubt His Word. The latter naturally follows the former.

page 42 - quoting John Calvin, "the principle point of wisdom is a well-regulated sobriety in obedience to God."

page 43 - How many of us as believers have accepted similar ego-centered thoughts as totally our own, not recognizing them as the voice of the serpent?...they are always reinforced by Satan, who has assigned evil Spirits against each of us (Acts 5:3-9; Cor. 7:5; 1 Thess. 3:5).

page 45 - Donald Guthrie sums it up best: "Whereas Eve was deceived or beguiled, Adam sinned with eyes wide open."

page 50 - quoting Timothy Warner, "it would be impossible to be owned and controlled by Satan and have a saving relationship with Christ at the same time."

page 54 - even persons like Ruth [analogy precedes] who was not a believer in Jesus as Christ and Lord at the time can resist the entrance of demons into their life if they know what is occurring.

page 54-55 - in pre-deliverance counseling it is crucial to bring the counselee to at least two firm convictions. First, if in truth they do have demons, they must recognize it. Second, they must realize that they have authority over these demons.

Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler

Ballard Campus 5-22-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll

Tags: Money, Commedy

Luke 18:18-30

Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler

This man is a man who has money and power, but he sees a lack - I don't have eternal life, what do I need to do to earn/buy my salvation

This is a story of an arrogant man who comes with hands full asking what he needs to do

The ruler says I'm not perfect but I'm really closer

He puts Jesus in the category of a good leader/teacher, but not God not savior, but a good example

Jesus rebukes him in love trying to bring the rule to the knowledge of the truth

Jesus says only God is good, so Don't call me good unless you think I am God

Jesus is in a category unto himself, he is not the best of us, he is God

Idolatry

Jesus says you know the big 10 commandments, you haven't followed them iin your heart

There are two commandments: There is only one God & Love the Him Alone

Today we only look and treat the outward behavior of people so this ruler meeting a pyschologist, would be told that he is awesome

Jesus looks straight at the heart

If I worship god I won't worship food, money, sex, reputation, etc. I'l love people and use things

Behavior modification is garbage, only worship alteration leads to real change

The ruler idolizes his status and his success

Jesus then says ok let's test this high moral conduct and wonderful life...

GIVE UP YOUR IDOLS - give away you stuff and lose your reputation

He walks away, because he can't do it

Do I seek to use God to get my idols? Better Idols?

Prosperity theology

An Idol is usually a good thing that I make into a God thing

Kids can be an idol

A grade point can be an idol

To keep and pursue this idol other people and things must be sacrificed on the alter to worship this idol

Peter reveals his and the other disciples' idols: family and the comfort of home

When an Idol is lost we become devastated/destroyed, angered with God

To Idolize one thing means you must demonize something else

Idols lie / disappointment is guaranteed, my spouse as idol will disappoint me and I will end up demonizing them

Money

One of the surest ways to find idols is to follow my spending

My money - I have purchased Guns and ammo and permits recently...God is one of my idols SECURITY or even CONTROL over when I die and an uncertain future

I am rich my historical standards: compared to this rich young ruler, I am way richer, I have indoor plumbing, I have access to a fridge, I could buy a plane ticket and travel farther than this guys ever did, I have electricity and the internet, I AM RICH

I am even rich my the world's standard today

It is harder for me to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

Alexi de Toqueville said Americans every choice and lifestyle is based on the pursuit of money

The Bible says we should tithe (cheerful, regular, sacrificial), spend, save (times get hard), invest for the long term, Give generously (single moms, the hungry), don't worship money, don't put your hope in money, don't be enslaved to money (borrower is slave to the lender),

Brad Pitt: "the stuff we own ends up owning us"

The stats:

$58K a year household in Seattle

$80K a year household in Bellevue

$45K a year household in ABQ

The folks who earn under $10K give the most percentage wise

The more you make the less you will give

20% of professing US christians give nothing per year

12% of US protestants give 10% or more

$300 million are earned collectively by attenders to Mars HIll

50% of attenders gave nothing last year and will give nothing this year

Commedy

Marshall Mclure - how you say something is the thing folks remember

Jesus was witty, funny and clever

He says the camel line as being a sarchastic, he was inviting the ruler to take himself less seriously, "Lighten up"

Elton Truebolld - When we become liberated from the viewpoint that Jesus was serious all the time we can see his wit and humor

Find out what is not funny to you, that's where my idols are

There are two choices: Either I laugh at myself or God will laugh at me

Children Under Jesus

Ballard Campus 5-15-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll

Tags: Parenting, Children, Daddy

Luke 18:15-17

Children Under Jesus

Sheparding a Child's Heat by Tripp

Jesus Storybook Bible

Long Story Short - 10 min devotionals

Billy Graham comes to the Marriott Hotel and PM gets to meet him...and ruin his quiet breakfast

Jesus here is like Santa Claus at the Mall

Roman treatment of Children

Abortion

Abandonment

Exposure for baby Girls who were not seen as valuable as sons

These babies would be picked up as sex slaves or gladiators

Rome was just like US today - 1.5 million will be aborted

30-60% depending on community go to sleep without a father

every 10 seconds there is a report of Child abuse

Jesus' take on Kids

He bestows particular dignity on kids

He was a little boy himself after all

Kids can relate to Jesus because he was a kid

Jesus as a single man who is not a father and he likes kids and kids like him

Single men are the least likely demographic to hang out with kids

It is a masculine manly thing to enjoy little kids and to love and serve them

Gideon says they liked him and they wanted to be with him because he was Fun

One of Jesus' divine attributes is being FUN

Alexie I think they liked him because he was fun and wanted to be taught by him

Gideon said that the adults didn't think that Jesus should "waste" time on kids

Lie: spending quality time is more important that quantity of time.

You never know when the quality time will surface, so you need to be ready by spending a lot of time with the kids

Alexie said that the adults thoughts the children would be disruptive

Zack said that the adults didn't think that the kids were as important as the adults

Loving women well and loving and serving children in a noble way is the cause I must be about

Children at Mars Hill

The Parents are responsible before God to raise and train their kids in the fear of the lord

Institutions cannot replace the involvement of the parents

Community Groups are set up with families all together so that Mars is driven not by programming by rather as a family

Chrissie C. is Mars HIll's awesome teacher who will be writting and publishing Mars' Kid's Bible and content

There will be a series of age appropriate video lessons

We get to teach kids and we can learn from them

Entering the kingdom as a Child of God:

Kids implicitly believe they're dad's words

Kids approach their father for anything

Kids rely on their father for provision and protection

Kids live in their father's kingdom

Kids carry the name of their dad

Kids are objects of thefather's love

Kids are a glorious inconvenience

I tend to not see myself as a little kids who needs his dad to take care of him

How can we be Righteous?

Ballard Campus 5-01-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll

Tags: Justification

Luke 18:9-14

How can we be righteous?

God only can declare a sinner righteous, can justify him

How Humans pursue righteousness: Works or Gift

Works Righteousness

The Parable: the Pharisee wants to be declared righteous by God because he acts well so God will love him

The Modern Options to become righteous:

I assume that I am good enough to be decalred righteous

My life has been hard so God sort of owes me so I'll be favored by God

I have supported good causes: I am a good person because I do _________

You are not as good as me because you don't support my cause

I have high self esteem, despite low morality

Leo Tolstoy said: I have not found a man who is my moral equal

We are loved by God because we perform well so God as the judge likes us

Works righteousness is unrighteous

Eight reasons why Works righteousness is stupid:

1. It is man centered - the pharisee used the pronoun "I" six times, God exists to be impressed with him

2. It compares himself to someone other than Jesus, thanks that I don't suck as bad as the tax collector or adulterers

3. Our performances establishes our worth, God keeps score for our fantastic life

4. The Focus is on the external not the internal, trusting in myself instead of trusting in God, they are the only judge of their righteousness

5. People are our judge, not God - That's why he prays out loud

6. Leads to pride - the sin that is pregnant with all the other sins

7. Causes contempt, not compassion - harted of a type of person

8. Offends God - We are to come empty handed, not with our filthy "good" deeds

Isaiah 64 & Philippians 3 - Works righteousness is a pile or filthy menstral rags

God says that this man is not justified when he leaves the temple

Gift Righteousness

Everyone who humbles himself will be exalted

This man is a monster who destroys people

He talks about his own sin, he keeps his voice low, he is asking for a gift, he is justified in the sights of God

How to become righteous:

1. Compare yourself to Jesus and Scripture to see your sin

2. Despise and do not excuse, tolerate, or manage you sin

3. HUmbly repents to God

4. Recieve Grace and place your faith in Jesus

5. Recieve the righteous of Jesus and be Justified

6. Be sanctified by the Spirit of God to do your good works

We are Saved to our Good Works, not by our Good Works

It is done for us by Jesus

Works Righteouness leads to Religion where we make rules about the rules about the rules about hoe be becom righteous until we murder God

Theology: How can a man be righteous in the sight of God?

2 Cor 5:21 - the Great Exchange, God made Jesus who knew no sin to

Double imputation - Jesus takes my unrighteousness and I recieve Jesus; righteousness

God is not impressed with you, but he loves you

I do not have any righteousness, but Jesus will gladly give you his

We do not change so that God will love us or accept us, we change because we get to respond

We change so that people will be impressed with the work of Jesus

We don't change to feel better about ourselves, but to glorify God

Thank you Lord for showing me how much like the religious man I am like and that you have taken my unrighteousness

Mother's Day

West Seattle Campus 5-08-11 Pastor David Fairchilde

Tags: Parenting

1 Kings 3:16-28

Mother's Day

Solomon makes a judgement between two prostitutes as to which mom is the real mom

There is no moral highground here neither of these women have lived a life above reproach, they have brought shame on their whole life

Deep down, mom's would be like Solomon, "I don't know how to take care of this little one, please give me a discerning heart to steward you child"

After talking to God, his first case is one where there is no black and white answer, he opted to hear their case and God shows up

The true mom decided that she needed a king to help her, she doesn't try to fix herself first, she just throws herself on his mercy

The second woman's deep idol is revealed in her responce to the king's threat of diving the little boy

Any sin in my life in its original condition is actually a good thing that is twisted in my heart

Any culture that lacks Jesus doesn't become atheist, they become idolatrous

The king holds the threat of taking away something to reveal the heart of the woman

What in my life reveals that if God took it away I would turn my back on God?

Wisdom from Idols speaks folly into my life's decisions.

If I give myself repeatedly to an idol, I will destroy myself and my relationships.

Underparenting occurs because if I discipline him then I fear they will reject me

Over-parenting occurs because I want to control them and replicate exactly who I am

Dream about parenting in a way so that I need nothing from them. I just want to love them, because in Jesus I already have everything I need

When I take a good thing and I make it into a God thing, I have just told God that Jesus in all of his perfecting and sacrifice is not enough. I also need this idol to feel complete.

Evidence of an idol: When that thing is threatened and taken away I become undone.

Jesus says that if you let that very thing that is enslaveing you go, and give it to me I am enough to love you and care for you.

What do I do? Look to him who offers a deeper affection.

The Coming of the Kingdom

Ballard Campus 4-03-11 Pastor Justin Holcomb

Tags: Video, MMA, Repentance

Luke 17:20-37

The Coming of the Kingdom

Ella May's story in Wenatachee at Zach's Tournament

Church planter's kid - Spinobifita means her life will last less than 35 years

She has experienced the Kingdom of God, she is filled with the Ghost

If your focus in on Jesus they you don't have to be bitter even if your life is hard

She is still waiting for the conclusion of the Kingdom of God to be full unveiling of the Kingdom when she will be a ballerina

We have been waiting for someone to fix things and make things right. God's people began to get prophesies about the coming king who will fix everything. Daniel 7 - There came one like the son of man

Jesus uses this language of the Son of man whose kingdom will not be destroyed

Jesus' Kingdom Is Coming

The kingdom broke into our world with Jesus.

Where is it? God is patient and planning an epic finish even with all the evil and horror of this life

There is no Kingdom without the Cross

Sin is the problem it must be dealth with.

Jesus came first to identify and deal with Sin

Jesus will come a second time as a glorious warrior to slay the dragon and inaugurate his Kingdom

Jesus says the second coming will be massive, sudden, unexpected, and obvious.

Will You Be in Jesus' Kingdom or Be Condemned

Lot's Wife - Jesus is affirming the truth of a miracle where she became salt

Gen 19 - Sodom and Gomorrah are incernerated while Lot's wife looks back longingly

Am I a person like Lot's Wife who is looking back longingly to my life of worldly sin? Am I condoning things I should be condemning? Am I tollerating sin that I have left?

KEEP GOING

True Chiristians have conflicted desires but their deepest desires are for Jesus not worldly folly

Jesus is affirming the truth of the Great Flood

Gen 6 - Noah's story is a forshadowing of the end. The World was judged by water and God's people are brought to a new world

The second mass judgement will be through fire

"Most people are far more prepared for a vacation than they are for eternal life"

Jesus is our humble servant king who was forshadowed by the Ark.

God shuts the door of he ark because God decide when his offer of grace come to and end and only judgement remains

The Butchered story of Noah

Noah was a good guy, everyone else was bad, be good and you get a boat = Moralism = legalism = Crap

The Bible's Story of Noah

Noah was a deeply evil man who only did evil all the time just like everyone else. God gave grace to one man and his family. He was given what he didn't deserve.