The Parable of the Fig Tree

Ballard Campus 8-21-11 Pastor Tim Smith
Tags: Grace
Luke 21:29-38
The Parable of the Fig Tree

Portland
8 groups up and running
20-30 groups by January
Need a new biblical families pastor

Sermon

This is it, Jesus is only a day or two away from his execution
Jesus' words are increasing in urgency and force - A strong challenge to live in light of these strong realities
+To live in light of the return of the King
+What is at the front of my mind day in and day out, what consumes my attention?
++My desire to control my little part of creation.  This is shown in my PP/OP/CC, my mental and physical protocols, my lists, my plans, my sleeplessness, my nails, my meals, my blogs
Jesus has already said that the kingdom is already here and yet still is to come fully in Jesus' second coming
The Father is so kind that he uses even us to expand his Kingdom in our own little spheres
A Tough Verse
Which generation? All of which things will be completed before a generation passes away?
Can my three pound (really it's only like 2.4 pounds, My Cranium is pretty small) brain really get the heavens into it
Possible interpretations
+There will be a future generation that will experience all of Rev's craziness and it all be accomplished in one generation
+The generation of sin, rebellion, and evil against God will not pass away (no utopia is possible) before Thug Jesus returns and ends it
+
Dissipation means that your might miss the coming because you are hungover
Don't let that day come on you
+It will come like a trap catcihing an animal who will certainly die - very strong image

Do I live a life focused on whatever is right in front of me? Is a potential relationship appearing soo much bigger than God's Kingdom? The project of the house? Are the details of my life dwarfing my Kingdom focus?  God Help me. I can't please you by planning and focusing on perfecting my little universe.  You already love me fully in your Grace. Help me glimpse you Kingdom, be caught in the image of it and live this life until the wheels fall off.
The danger is real, if I live for the pleasures of this life I will miss Jesus, I will not live in Joy, I will drown in the anxiety of this world which is passing away.
Don't get lost in the tyranny of life.
Jesus' Last Days
Jesus is razor focused on his mission
So with only a few days to live he goes out camping on the Mount of Olives to be alone with his Father, he didn't let the cares and details and demands of his life instead he focused on the Father's Kingdom and the Father's Will.
Observations from this text
Jesus' Work is all that is needed to live happily in his kingdom. I can't do anything to earn God's favor I already have it
1 - Pray so that my independence is broken down; with God's violence in my soul breaking down my walls my attempts to build my own kingdom are ruined gloriously
+Prayer is a declaration of war on my independence, a declaration of was on self-importance, a declaration of war on my focus on the details of this world, a declaration of war on my anxiety, a declaration of war on the frantic pace of life (which I love), A declaration of war on works based righteousness, a declaration of war on cynicism and unbelief
2 - Worship the giver rather than his gifts - Romans talk of worshiping the good things that become God-things making them bad things
3 - Steward everthing for the Kingdom - My stuff, talents, and time are all God's possesions, these things are not mine
+My identity is not based on my roles of gifts, I am image-bearing disciple maker who was created to worship God not to obsess over all the detail of life - Everything I have been given is to be used to make disciples and bringing glory to him
4 - Anticipate his return with a sense of urgency
+Do I believe the lies yelled at me by this world (Just wait to tell that guy about Jesus,
.....

Quotations on all Subjects

Dreams
TE Lawrence(of Arabia) - The Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph - All men dream but not equally those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake in the day to find that it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.
Parenting
Parents: Prov 3:11-12 “My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”
Moms: Titus 2:3-5 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”
Dads: Prov 19:13 “A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.”
Parents: Eph 6:1-4 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Dads: 1 Tim 5:8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Dads: Prov 13:22 “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children.”
Parents: Prov 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Dads: Prov 4:1-2 “Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching.”
Dads: Prov 13:1 “A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.”
Parents: Prov 13:24 “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”
Parents: Prov 23:13-14 “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.
Parents: Prov 29:17 “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.”
Dads: Job 1:5 “When the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them [his children], and he would rise early in the morning [he dealt with things quickly] and offer burnt offerings [this is worship] according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.”
Parents: Jer 29:4-7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Parents: Is 8:18 “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.”
Parents: 1 Pet 1:18 you were ransomed from ​the futile ways inherited from your forefathers…
Leadership
With the wolves you cannot be too severe; with the weak sheep you cannot be too gentle. -Martin Luther
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. -Jesus Christ
consider carefully how you listen. -Jesus Christ
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world -1 John 4:4
The greatest and most momentous fact which the history of the world records is the fact of his [Jesus] birth. -Charles Haddon Spurgeon
. . . in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord -Rom8:37-39
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold - Psalm 18:2
But you, o Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head -Psalm 3:3
“True pastors have enough of care and travail without being burdened by undeserved and useless fault-finding. We have something better to do than to be for ever answering every malignant or frivolous slander which is set afloat to injur us. . . . “ - Charles Spurgeon
“Many hearers lose much blessing through criticizing too much, and meditating too little” - Charles Spurgeon
“As ministers we are very far from being perfect, but many of us are doing our best, and we are grieved that the minds of our people should be more directed to our personal imperfections than to our divine message. . . .” - Charles Spurgeon
“Judge the preacher if you like, but do remember that there is something better to be done than that, namely, to get all the good you can out of him, and pray his Master to put more good into him.” - Charles Spurgeon
“I have no better remedy than anger. If I want to write, pray, preach well, then I must be angry. Then my entire blood supply refreshes itself, my mind is made keen, and all temptations depart.” - Martin Luther
“let each servant of God tell his message in his own way. To his own Master he shall stand or fall...” - Charles Spurgeon
A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others do." – Leroy Eims
“How do leaders earn respect? By making sound decisions, admitting their mistakes, and putting what's best for their followers and the organization ahead of their personal agendas.” – John Maxwell
“The leader finds the dream and then the people. The people find the leader, and then the dream.” – John Maxwell
“True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you.” -J.Oswald Saunders
“Pride ever lurks at the heels of power, but God will not encourage proud men in His service. Rather, He will oppose and obstruct them.”  -J.Oswald Saunders
“Before we can conqueror the world, we must first conqueror the self.”  -J.Oswald Saunders
“Lazy and disorganized people never rise to true leadership.”  -J.Oswald Saunders
“If knowledge is the accumulation of facts, and intelligence the development of reason, wisdom is heavenly discernment.” J. Oswald Saunders from Spiritual Leadership
“Wisdom gives a leader balance and helps to avoid eccentricity and extravagance. If knowledge comes by study, wisdom comes by Holy Spirit filling.” -J.Oswald Saunders
“Humility is the hallmark of the spiritual leader.”  -J.Oswald Saunders
“The goal of prayer is the ear of God.  Prayer moves others through God’s influence on them. It is not the prayer that moves people, but the God to whom we pray.” -J.Oswald Saunders
“The true test of a person’s leadership is the health of the organization when the organizer is gone.”  -J.Oswald Saunders

The Time of the Gentiles

Ballard Campus 8-14-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll
Tags: Prophesy, Escatology, Forknowledge, Soverinty
Luke 21:20-24
The Time of the Gentiles
How to see History - God's perspective on our existence
Forknowledge - Some have confidence and good guesses but God is the only
Prophesy - when God reveals the future
Soverinty - God orchestrating history and prophesy to demonstrate his foreknowledge
Jesus demonstates his Forknowledge for the coming 40 years after his death and resurrection and into out future
The conclusions of the three epochs of history
1 The Temple will be destroyed - Jewish practice will be ending
2 The time of the Gentiles - God doing something new
3 Jesus will return
The temple will be Destroyed
It will be surrounded and everyone should leave it
This was the connecting point between God and man, it was a great wonder of the world, the place where the whole nation found identity, the place of peace
This was the spot where generations and generations had come to worship God, all of your lineage as a Jew would tell stories about  the Temple
Then Jesus says all of this will be destroyed
You can't have love without wrath - God is fully Just, Wrathful, and Vengence
The destruction of the Temple was wrath from God because the nation rejected the Messiah and all the disciples putting 11 of the 12 to death.
This shows that Judgement will be pourred out on all those who reject Jesus and persecute his followers
During 70AD the Roman legions surrounded the city and waited to starve the city to death
Tacitus and Josephius both report that 500k to 1 million jews died in the siege of Jerusalem
+There was cannibalism and nursing mothers starved even as their children starved
A fire was accidentally set which burned some of the temple, then the order was given to totally deconstruct and tear down the entire city
The temple was torn appart stone by stone - It remains that way to this day
Judaism is over
We don't need to rely on a place to be closer to God, you can't be any closer than Jesus
+My faith is in a person not in a place
God chose to force the end of the Sacrificial System and the temple-centric religious system using the Romans to pour out his wrath
Jesus tells them to run away from the city (very counter-intuitive)
+The Jewish people stayed in the City and died
+The Chrstians lived and spread out carrying the good news with them
The Gentiles Will be Saved
Jesus says now the truth about God is going global
Gentiles are made into spiritual descendants of Abraham
Abram was a non-Jew who bleieved the Lord and it was credited to him as righteousness and he responded in obedience
+His spiritual descendants are the Christians because they trust in the same God who spoke to Abraham
Ruth, Rahab all became a worshipper of God and became spiritual descendants of Abraham by faith
God's plan was always to serve and redeem all of humanity so he accepted owrshippers who were not Jewish, the plan was to tell the world about Himself using the jews
God forced the issue by scattering the Christians in all dirrections
Translations (2000+ languages) and missionaries are sent everywhere even across the street
I get to be part of a global movement led by the Holy Spirit to bring the knowledge of Jesus to everyone
The only reconciliation that is possible is when people live for the Glory of Jesus
The logical next step is to plant churches where people can be taught and loved and protected from false doctrine
+The Resurgence
+Acts 29 - 400 US churches 500 potential leaders in process
+Campus plants
+Focus is in planting churches in cities because students, tourists, business poeple pass through cities and can take the news of Jesus to the nations - strategic
History Ends Because Jesus will Return
Straighten up and raise up your heads during this time
We must live faithfully and humbly until that day comes
The dead will rise
There will be a final judgment
There will be a heaven and hell
The Kingdom of God will cover all people and will never end
We must live our lives in light of eternity
Everything hinges on whether or not we trust in Jesus
Readying for Jesus Return
1 - Do you really believe that Jesus will return? Faith is believeing that Jesus is honest
2 - Am I overly concerned with the details of Jesus' return?
+Compelling His people to hysteria over the return of Jesus
3 - If Jesus comes today, would I regret anything?
4 - If Jesus comes today, who would I regret not telling about Jesus?
5 - How can I plan for future generations while living ready for judgment day?
+this required living in tension
+movements tend to either shortsightedness or long-term planning but not planning

The Worst Tragedies Can Be the Best Opportunities

West Seattle Campus 8-14-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll
Tags: Prophesy, Escatology
Luke 21:5-19
The Worst Tragedies Can Be the Best Opportunities
Scripture is true but still difficult to understand but it's all true
This is the most debated section of the New Testament
The debate is over which items were soon to occur to the early church and which are still unfulfilled
The worst tragedies are sometimes the best opportunities
+Like the Crucifixion
The Temple will be Destroyed
There will not be left one stone upon another...
+People are like what signs will show this?!
+Jesus is speaking about the core of all of Judiasm being destroyed, he is speaking of their hope and the only connection of God
This statement is scandalous to the ruling powers (Herod, the Roman Gov't, or the priests), when you take away someone's idol they react violently
+The temple was a massive idol
The listeners heard and they believed Him.
+They want to prepare themselves for this cataclyism.
False Teachers Will Arise
Jesus warns that wolves will come to lead people astray
+They will prey on the emotions of people who are afraid
+This is true in the Near day of Jesus and the Far days like today

Farakan, Harold Kamping, the SDA, the Johovah's Witnesses, etc all try to prey on people with fear by making predictions and exploiting they fear
Mars Hill is on the welcoming committee not the planning committee for Jesus' return to the World.
Fruits and Nuts
Arnold Potter 1800s - Claimed to be possessed by Jesus and became Jesus "Potter-Christ"
Bahula (1800s) founder of the behai faith, he claimed to be the uniter of all the major world religions
Sum Yung Moon - Claims to be the 2nd coming of Jesus incarnate
Jim Jones claimed to be the 2nd coming of Buddy, Jesus, and Vlad Lennin
Heaven Gate Cult - Mass suicide for a comet
David Karesh - Said he was the son of God and 70+ people died in Texas
Growing in Grace Cult - Jose Miranda - "I do must greater things than Jesus of Nazareth"

When we get stressed we tend to use something to be a medication - some idiot claiming to be God, or Alcohol, or Food, or money
+Anything we use to deliver use from hard times
+Anything other than Jesus goes away and disappoints and devastates, because all things pass away
Sin Will Continue
Their will be horror on a massive scale - War, weather, genocides, etc.
+This is all because of Sin, God called the whole World good, we made life crooked
Desasters are like dress rehersals for the final end of Sin - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
In 3,400 years of recorded history there have been less than 300 years without war - ????
Jesus' People Will be Persecuted
Covert - no rewards, loss of jobs, loss of promotion, demotion, familial rejection, maginalization from friends, divorce
Overt - Murders and false criminal charges
Make the Most of Every Opportunity
With all the terror coming, what do we do? We get to testify about Jesus
Don't think about when to say, I will speak on your behalf
Jesus is our great message to minister to the people under the horrible circumstances of a world in peril
Jesus Christ makes persecution meaningful and even in the darkness of the days leading up to the end
Jerusalem's Fall
Canabalism, 500k-1mil jews died when the Romans lay siege to the City and eventually tore down the temple in 40AD
Even this horrible event was used by god to force the Christians out into the World to spread the good news

Jesus and the Sadducees

Ballard Campus 7-17-11 Pastor Bill Clem
Tags: Parable, Rhetoric, Perspective
Luke 20:27-44
Jesus and the Sadducees
Last week of Jesus' life
The Sadducees have this great argument saying that there cannot be a resurrection
Jesus pushes back by saying you religious professionals don't understand the scriptures and the are not sons of God
Jesus is saying their perspective is not God's perspective so it is flawed
+Kind of like a man looking into binoculars the wrong way, the perspective is ruined.
God's perspective is not waiting to pour out his wrath
All of the Father's wrath was poured out on Jesus, God is not like us, he is not filled with wrath based on how we perform
Jesus is chiding the Sadducees' beliefs because they pair down the God of the Bible into something manageable, not the Big God of the Universe
Jesus quotes the Psalms and leave an impossible question that cannot be answered without his impending death and resurrection. This question cannnot be answered without a supernatural event.
+Ths Sadducees believe in a non-supernatural existence (no resurrection)
Evidence for the Resurrection
+500 people at a time saw Jesus, and Paul says go ask them
+Roman soldiers guarded the legally sealed tomb to make sure there was no tampering.
People to pray for
1 The marriages both in and not so much in trouble
2 The single folks, the other folks
3 My Pastors to live in balance not in therapy and administrative, but rather a resurrection
4 For Seattle trying to live without God's perspective
5 The public education and the students enrolled

Jesus and Taxes

Ballard Campus 7-17-11 Pastor Bill Clem
Tags: Parable, Stewardship
Luke 20:19-26
Jesus and Taxes
We are in the final week of Jesus' life
Recap of Luke
The Trap
They feared the people and sent spies to entrap Jesus
The spies are playing the role of a good person, but it doesn't fit because they are not
Luke has shown that these people have shown great partiality, yet they compliment Jesus for doing just that.
Later the high priest accuses Jesus of opposing paying taxes, even though He says nothing of the sort

Notes end had amazing conversation with two of the hospitality volunteers

The Father of a Murdered Son

Ballard Campus 7-10-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll
Tags: Parable, Wrath, Murder
Luke 19:11-27
The Father of a Murdered Son
Jesus wants us to see the world and history from the perspective of God.
Should we put ourselves in the position of judge over God?
+We are the guilty trying to place ourselves on the Bemis seat.
Jesus is trying to open our understanding so we can gain a right perspective
Parable
There is a landowner who cultived the land by planting the vineyard and then went away - This is God the Father, the owner of everything
+He is not only a landowner but he is a father with an heir
In the OT there are 14 references to God as Father (always as the father of a nation)
There is a vineyard - This would have been the nation and people of Israel, see Isaiah 6, see the Temple with a gold vine with jewels in place of fruit - the Vine was a national symbol (like the maple leaf represents Canada)
There are Tenants  - they are like renters who pay money to the lanlord based on what they make of the grapes
+These guys make a profit, they get greedy and don't pay their rent, they are stealing, They are basically saying, "This land doesn't belong to the landowner, it's mine"
+These guys are like the religious people who don't lead people toward repentance rather they are selling their voice to tell people what they want to hear
This parable is a rebuke of corrupt religious leader and a system that is not speaking for God
The First Servant - he preaches reptentance, he is like a prophet sent in the OT and John the Baptist
The Second Servant - he preaches reptentance, he is like a prophet sent in the OT and John the Baptist
The Third Servant - he preaches reptentance, he is like a prophet sent in the OT and John the Baptist
+The Prophets lives sucked, they were alone and called to preach to hard-hearted people who would not yield to the Holy Spirit, they would just try and often succeed in killing them
Humanity kept doing to the servants of God
Then the Father send his Beloved Son - He is Jesus
+He comes to mediate the disagreement and help the tenants
They decide to steal the land finally, they kill the son.
+This is the Story of the World from the Perspective of God
God loves so when his kid is murdered GOD MUST GET ANGRY
What does the Father Do?
Hell makes perfect sense - We hate God, we reject Him, We kill his servants, and finally we kill his Son - IT SHOULD GO BAD FOR US
The landowning father will destroy the renters - God will set aside the nation of Israel and work through other people
The commentators - Jesus is refering to the story of a particular stone that looked wrong to the builders, it was rejected and thrown to the scrap heap, then after laying everything out they see that that one odd-ball stone was the perfect one to be the cornerstone, so they reclaimed that stone, and used it to build the Temple
....
What I must do is start with Jesus and then build my life on that
If I don't then Jesus will be like the stone that crushes me
Jesus Says I died, If you renpent then I will take my death and count it to cover your eternal debt
The Father says if you take my son's offer, then I'll adopt you into my family and give you my family name of Christian
Oh and by the way since you were greedy to get my stuff I'll give you an eternal inheritance
Scandalous
Are there any aspects of my life where Jesus is not the cornerstone?
Are there any aspects of my life where I am acting like the wicked tenants?
Are there any aspects of my life where I am not a fruitful like the vine?

Angry Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Ballard Campus 7-03-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll
Tags: Anger, Temple
Luke 19:28-44
Angry Jesus Cleanses the Temple
The City of Jeruslem is filled with corrupt business seeking to rip people off
+The City and region is not a Holy land only Jesus makes people Holy not a place
Jesus Got Angry
Jesus is pissed because the Temple while filled with the presence of God is made a Den of Thieves
If you love God means you hate injustice you hate sin
Anger is a responce to what is invalid or against God
Jesus quotes Isaiah 56 when he points to the Temple's purpose (Prayer)
....
....
....
The court of the Gentiles were the non-Christians, they got the cheap seats
The Businesses were placed in the place for evengelism thus crowding out the people and the bickering and haggling was ruinging the worship of the curious
The Businesses were taking advantage of the poor people who had walked miles and miles and Jesus was furious
The reputation of God was disrespected because as unbelievers come to meet Him they see a bunch of greedy religious people ripping people off.
The money exchangers are makeing a ridiculous profit by exchanging foreign currency so people can pay the temple tax in the Jewish currency
Jesus is a Preacher and Teacher
He taught for free to anyone wh wanted to hear him
The crowd hung on his every word
Jesus has all Authority
He preached unlike any other teacher He spoke with Authority
The religious people are pissed that their monetary scams and power is being challenged so they come out to undercut Him
They meet and come out with a question designed to humiliate him publicly
Jesus comes against the question prepared by the religious super committee for days and on the spot in a second he owns them publicly
+They are left on the horns of a dilemma either piss off the crowd by saying John was opposed to God or become Christians
Jesus' life fulfills the requirements of the the Temple
Jesus is the Greater Temple
The presense of God is Jesus, his death fulfilled the sacrificial atonoment that the Temple performed
The center of Life and Worship is Jesus, so we don't need a place
The Temple acted as a mediation, but Jesus is the greater mediator
+Today the wailing wall or underground wall are meaningless because drawing near to Jesus anywhere is the closest we can be in this life to God
Jesus is the greater sacrifice, the lambs killed at the Temple are now meaningless because Jesus the infite God was punished infinitely paying back all my sin debt to God the Father

Jesus Christ is Lord, King, and Savior

Ballard Campus 6-26-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll
Tags: Wedding, Funeral, Prophesy
Luke 19:28-44
Jesus Christ is Lord, King, and Savior
Kids are innately desiring of being a prince or a princess/queen
Then they graduate to loving a wedding
The biggest moment for the bride is when the doors open and she sees the groom and knows he is there for her
The Brits were really into the royal wedding
+18million watched on the internet, 40 million on TV, 500,000 on the street
The Story fo theBible is that Jesus the prince of peace came to take a bride for himself
The entry of Jesus to Jerusalem as a prince riding in his processional to claim his bride
The day when the wedding finally happens is coming and the World will erupt in joy
Jesus Christ is Lord
Jesus says get the colt and say the LORD needs it
This procession is on the eve of the big holiday of Passover
Jesus chooses a lowly pack animal as his royal entry vehicle
The King of Kings rides into town on a beater Kia
He continually chose humility when he could have used his infinite power to live a life of grandeur and wealth and comfort, yet he rides a Kia
Jesus calling himself Lord was treason against Rome
Jesus calling himself Lord would be blasphemy to the Jews, He is saying "I am God" and he got kiled for that statement
Prophesy
Zacheriah 9 said that Jesus' entry will be at Jerusalem and there will be shouting even though he rides a colt the foul of a donkey in humility
The crowd knew this verse well and then they see Jesus and they flip out
The feeling of the crowd was like a bride who had been promised a husband and waited and waited and loses hope, then one day she meets him and walks toward her and she knows, "Oh here he is!"
+This is the feeling in Jerusalem they see it and the very stones of the city is ready to sing out
This is why we love weddings, processionals, why little girls like t dress up for a wedding, it's an echo of the Gospel.
Jesus Christ is King
At this time Jesus has ministered in more than 35 locations and here he comes into the city
Jesus is soo poor that he doesn't even have a saddle so his disciples offer they coats
+This is huge generosity
+Most folks only had one cloak and they need it, yet they are generous
The disciples go first by raising up Jesus and exalt him, then other people join in and praise Jesus
+Would I throw my most important possesion on the ground for Jesus to trample in worship?
Jesus' red carpetentry is one the coats of the poor giving they most vital possesion to worship God
David, a loved king, he rode a lowly donkey around his kingdom showing he was a humble king
+Later other kings rode more regal animals fit for a king and Jesus shows up back on a donkey's colt
Psalm 118 - a Psalm sung for a King riding out to kill the enemies of Israel "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"
+This song is the same one that was sung as the King goes out to war
+this is fitting because Jesus is coming to wage war and conquer our enemies of Satan, Sin, Death, and to bear the wrath of God
Peace in heaven means that Jesus actually brings peace with God
+Before this time God was at war and we had no peace with God
+Only in Jesus will the wrath passover me because it would be unjust to punish both me and Jesus
The People want Peace and so they sing to the only one who can bring it
There are two Kings, two Kingdoms, two color Black and White.
+Jesus will deal justly with his enemies
The crowd is rejoicing because God is bringing Peace between Man and God
+Appart from Jesus that peace is not possible, without Jesus to show up and reconcil there will be eternal consequence for the rejection of God
Mars Hill Church
Do we get really excited about Jesus like at a concert and sporting event?
All of creation was made to worship Jesus, and it is yearning to cry out in worship to it's creator
Charismatic - The responce to the wedding monent of Knowing Jesus is loving "Jesus loves me unconditionally"  Yeah!!
Mars Hill & Me - More of a funeral Chirstian "Oh I killed God" Oh Shit!
Mars is just a bunch of People gathered around Jesus rejoicing around how awesome he is
Jesus Christ is Savior
All of a Christian life is a series of weddings and Funerals
Jesus weeps over his City of Jerusalem who is blind to its only hope and misses the precious moment
People closed their eyes spiritually speaking
Real men don't cry except for what breaks the heart of God
It's only recorded three times where Jesus wept
1 - His buddies funeral, Lazarus
2 - Over Jerusalem
3 - In the garden before his dies
While the crowd enjoys a wedding moment, Jesus weeps because the people are missing the moment and that the City will be judged in destruction
It's a lot easier to criticize how people worship than to worship

Investing for Jesus

Ballard Campus 6-19-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll
Tags: Parable, Stewardship, Money,
Luke 19:11-27
Investing for Jesus
This parable is more of a kingly sermon, this reveals more of the administrative care of Jesus
Jesus is about 7 days from his Crucifixion and 7 weeks from his entering of Heaven as exalted King on the throne
Before he assumes the throne, he needs to go away
But when he returns he will bring his Kingdom and slaughter those who have set themselves against him
Parable
There is a king in waiting who is loved by some but hated by others who travels far away leaving some stewards behind
The stewards are waiting for the King to return but busy taking care of the country until he comes back
We are in the same place in history as these stewards; we are waiting for our King to return and in the mean time we are taking care of his resources.
King Jesus will come back and will review how we have stewarded all of his resources
A trueism from Jesus - we all start humbly with very little but as we prove ourselves faithful with little things we are given more responsibility, this is the same in business, in minstry, and in other areas
The Kingdom Coming
This is a hint of a new World purified and restored to a status as God originally intended.  There are cities, many people, culture, art, singing, joy, all existing as a physical reality.
There will be a similarity in our bodies but they will be made incorruptible
There will be the overwhelming presence Jesus
There will be rulers over the cities in the Kingdom Come
+There wil be culture and singing and joy in a perfected world filled with worshippers of Jesus
+Jesus wants us to aspire to humble leadership with kingdom compassion
Jesus wants us to aspire to greatness but in humility
The Second guy, a Good return on investment
This man recieves a corresponding reward in proportion to the results of his investment
Jesus is talking about a man receiving the appropriate reward for his results in this life
Jesus is showing us a fantastic example of what it looks like to live invested well
In Durbin South African PM met strong aggressive men who "want their life to count for God"
Piper says, "Don't waste your life"
The Third guy, No return on investment
Takes no responsibility, he blames the investor for being to scarry
Calls the King a severe man
Sin can be not doing anything at all - Omission
Jesus rebukes this guy with his own words
Do I have my Christian life wrapped in a handkerchief not earning any investment?
+I think I am wasting my life.  I give my time and money, but I'm not really changing anything and impacting my community for Jesus
The Goal is to be faithful and get started the long you wait to get started the worse it is.
The Bible tells us that we have a killer inheritance from Jesus so we've got to use it.
+We have knowledge, eternal salvation, a big brother who came to die for us, a relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit...
The Reaction
"That's not fair!" the one guy who was a phenomenal steward gets the llittle from the one who did nothing with his mina
Jesus is not a complete socialist who says we should all have the same amount
The more faithful effective stewards should be allocated more resources so that they can get stuff done.
Jesus says the more faithful righteous guys should be intrusted with more resources
What is Jesus Like?
He is like a serious investor, he puts resources into the hands of the folks, ministries, families, and organizations that are good stewards.
If you waste or do nothing
The Truth about Jesus
The citizen are cared for by Jesus in the proportion of how they stewarded his resources
The enemies, Yes Jesus has enemies, are all "slaughtered"
Not everyone will go to heaven
Revelation says there will be blood 4 feet high for 200 miles in all directions from all the dead that Jesus will slay on the day of Armegedon, "as high as a horse's bridle" (Maybe 3-4 feet)
+1.3 gallons of blood for the average adult
+200miles = 5280ft X 200 = 1056000ft => pi X 1056000^2 X 4ft = 14006108160000cuft volume of blood shed
+1 gallons is 0.133680556cuft
+1.3 gallons = 0.1737847228cuft
+So...
+14006108160000cuft / 0.1737847228cuft =
 +Jesus slaughters 805,950,360,557 people? Hmm...Maybe my math is wrong...I did go to public school
Jesus' enemies couldn't be happy in His kingdom so why would they want to spend all eternity with him?
There was a season in the parable where the enemies were invited by the stewards to become friends, this is just like this brief period between the times where we find ourselves
Hell, like heaven, has various degrees of consequence for how God's gift of life was used.
Jesus is not an unjust king but he is an immensely generous king who provides a way to serve
Our life will be judged at the end
Investing for Jesus in Mars Hill Church
In 15 years...
10 up to 10,000 people
2 up to 1246 baptisms
1 up to 10 locations
52 up to 1500 services
$90k up to $15.25Million
0 churches up to 400 planted US churches and 13 nations with more churches
+500 potential new church Planters being assessed
For Easter the Combined easter attendance was 175,000 people @ Easter
from a few hundred downloads up to 7 million sermon downloads
Portland, Rainier, and Orange County are new campuses
Mars Hill want to hear well done good servant when Jesus looks over his ledgers at the end
Investing for Jesus in your life
1 - Which Faithful servants have I benefited from? Bernadyne, Mars Hill RGs, Facility Leaders, etc
2 - Do I understand the judgement of believers vs unbelievers? White Throne Vs. the Cross
3 - If Jesus came right now would he be pleased with my stewardship?
4 - Do I want to hear well done good servant? Do I labor for Jesus' approval and favor?
5 - What changes do I need to make?
Jesus cares about results

Jesus and Zacchaeus

Ballard Campus 6-12-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll
Tags: Prosperity Theology, Hard Heart, Repentance
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus and Zacchaeus
Men prefer money and power because comfort, security are desired more than God
Bernie Madof is our generation's example of Zacchaeus
Who is Zacchaeus
The Chief of the tax collectors => power and authority
The head of the tax collectors recieved a cut of what all the other tax collectors extort in addition to what he himself can extort
Jesus Called Zacchaeus
Jesus knows Zacc by name
Jesus asks to urgently stay at his house
Jesus is asking to be a friend of Z
God is inviting his enemies to be his friend
What would your response have been
Who would I grumbled about if Jesus saved them?
The crowd is frustrated that there will not be any justice for all the sins that atrocities he has perpetrated
Repentance + Restitution = Rejoicing
Z says Jesus is Lord acknowledging that his is now a Christian
Z openly says I am a sinner and Jesus is Lord who is my only hope
The new Christian nature desires to repay all the people I've sinned against
The community feels the ripple effect resulting from Jesus and the joy that Z shares
Z just met the most generous person who has ever lived, he is practicing discipleship by becoming like his teacher
Jesus loves and saves the rich and the poor, and in the kingdom both can image their savior
Prosperity & Poverty Theology
The Prosperity theology folks emphasize the wealth Christians
The Poverty theology folks emphasize the poor Christians
The four states of humanity: Righteous/Unrighteous Rich, Righteous/Unrighteous Poor
In the grace of God people can change and be like Z who became the Bishop of Caesarea
Repentance + Restitution = Rejoicing
What have I taken that I need to repay?
How have I defrauded nd what should I pay?
When have I been lazy and what does change look like?
Who have I neglected and what does restitution require?
Which Sinner have I not called out to but only grumbled about?
What joys have you stoen and need to repay?
What sins have you tolerated and what does repentance look like?
Have I been greedy and