Zoe Center Sermon Notes

Review

Psalm 23:1 (ESV): 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

5 Ways the Lord Pastors

The Lord pastors submitted people.

The Lord leads you to places you would not have gone if left to your own devises.

The Lord pastors through representatives

Proverbs 12:15 (ESV): 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

God pastors us through the wisdom of other people.

The Lord pastors through representatives with different gifts, callings, and contexts

The Lord pastors in groups through groups.

I Peter 5:1-4 (ESV): 1So I exhort the elders [Not the senior pastor] among you, as a fellow elder [Peter class himself an elder: elder, pastor, bishop are all the same thing] and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2shepherd the flock of God [elder, pastor bishop—they’re all shepherds—and they shepherding God’s flock—ultimately, it’s not theirs] hat is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, [Chief Shepherd means senior pastor; and the only times it’s mentioned it is applied to Jesus] you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

How Moses Pastored

Exodus 18:13–18 (ESV): 13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” [Moses is giving them individual sermons] 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. [But it makes you feel good in the moment because the senior pastor is giving you personal attention] 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, [We’re both going to be wore out because I’m not really helping you if I’m doing that {JJ Redick playing his starters for an entire half of a play off game—helping, not helping}] for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. [Even if I wanted to be a super pastor and fly in and rescue you every time I you called me, It’s not possible]

Exodus 18:19–23 (ESV): 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge [Yes, other people who aren’t the senior pastor can pastor] the people at all times. [So then what are you doing pastor?] Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. [I’m handling the big stuff] So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

Jethro’s Instructions to Moses:

Give the burdens of the people to God in prayers.

Teach people in large gatherings.

Delegate responsibility.

James 5:14–15 (ESV): 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Galatians 6:1–2 (ESV): 1Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Romans 15:1 (ESV): 1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Only address the big issues.

What are the big issues?

Crisis Management

External Factors

Covid

Politics

Economy

Internal Factors
- Virtual Church

Behavioral Change

Fire

Hidden Factors (Good things becoming stressors)

Leadership Transition

Diversity

The Church changes, so people change:

That includes people leaving the church

Some leave for healthy reasons: changes in the church help them become aware fo the changes they need to make in their lives—perhaps changes they should have made a long time ago.

Some people leave for unhealthy reasons: changes in the church are emotionally triggering and the only way they know how to manage conflict is to shut down or leave.

It’s a net loss of leaders.

Filling Leadership Gaps

Building Systems

Providing Direction

For the present

For the future

Meetings

Why Doesn’t the Pastor Quit His Day Job?

More Leadership Lessons from Moses

Numbers 11:10–15 (ESV): 10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

Numbers 11:16–17 (ESV): 16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.

The Pastoring of Jesus

The Crowd

Matthew 9:36 (ESV): 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

The Disciples (Congregation)

Matthew 5:1 (ESV): 1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The 500

1 Corinthians 15:6 (ESV): 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

The 72

Luke 10:1 (ESV): 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

The Apostles (The Twelve, The Committed)

Luke 6:12–13 (ESV): 12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

Peter, James & John (Core)

Matthew 17:1 (ESV): 1And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

Jesus communicated different things to different groups:

Matthew 13:11–12 (ESV): 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Introduction

At the beginning of the year, we introduced a theme for the entire year

One Vision, One Voice
I Corinthians 1:10 (ESV): 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
Psalm 133:1, 3 (ESV): 1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! . . .3 . . . .For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Leading with God’s Priorities

It’s okay to have an individual plan, an individual priority, an individual preference.

And within the grand scheme of things, there’s room for God to respond to our personal interests.

But that is not the highest priority.

In fact, what Jesus tells us directly is that within the context of all the things competing for our time, our treasure and our talent, we must first give ourselves to the priorities of the Lord:

Matthew 6:31–33 (ESV): 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [Scarcity—-> Anxiety] 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [Abundance—->Peace] 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What is God communicating to us?

As we prioritize what God wants, the things we truly need will be added to us.

The question is, do you believe that?

For many of us, the concern is that if I give myself fully to that, will God really take care of me, or will I be left holding the bag?

The Pastoring of the Lord

Psalm 23:1 (ESV): 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Here’s another way of saying that:

The Lord is my pastor, I shall not want.
And, by the way, all those words mean the same thing, which is: overseer of the flock
If Joshua Smith is your shepherd, you shall want.

But if the Lord is your shepherd, you won’t.

The Seduction of Crowds

This was the conclusion Jesus drew as he took note of crowds that followed him:

Matthew 9:36 (ESV) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Notice the word crowds.

What Jesus is observing is characteristic of crowds in general.

Crowds are particularly vulnerable to harassment and helplessness.

Let me be more specific: when you are in the crowd, you are harassed by the enemy with no means of resistance.

When I say, “in the crowd,” I’m not referring to a physical state, but a mental state.

What I’m really talking about is a crowd mentality

e.g. consider all the people thronging Jesus when the woman with the issue of blood was healed.

There was no physical difference between her and everyone else.

But there was a significant mental and physical difference

How does a crowd support the enemy’s objectives?

A crowd is a fake community

It offers value and makes no demands.

Promised Value

Proximity

I can be around people, but without entanglements

I don’t have to be bothered and no one’s in my business

Affiliation

I can use the name of the group to validate my spiritual status

I can make claims of being spiritually enriched without going deep

I can keep all my spiritual activity at a surface level

Access

I can legitimize requests for resources

I don’t have to be deeply connected to the church to ask for resources—I just need an affiliation, no matter how loose it is.

And the beauty of it all is that it costs nothing to be in the crowd:

No commitment

No accountability

No sacrifice

And that’s how the enemy get you:

You think you’re gaining because you’re around it all—seemingly at no cost to you.

But it just camouflages the fact that your connection to God is shallow.

And I don’t care how much you pray, read the Bible or stream, if you have no meaningful connection to God’s people, your spiritual life is shallow.

And meaningful connection is not church attendance and streaming.

Because that’s no different than your relationship with the movies.

Whether you go to the theater or watch the movie at home, your relationship with the other viewers is just as shallow.

But you think you’re connected.

So, Satan uses this fake community and the false security that comes with it to keep you occupied while he siphons your spiritual strength.

And when he knows you’re depleted, he brings a crisis into your life.

You’ll be like Samson after Delilah hires a barber to cut his hair.

When You’re Ready to God from the Crowd to the Congregation

“I’m ready to go to the new member’s orientation class and become a formal member of the church.”

That’s great. Go do that. But that’s not it.

“Okay, well I’m going to start attending on a regular basis”

Outstanding, glad to hear it. But that’s not it.

“Well, I’ve been a member hear for a long time.”

And I’m happy about that, but that’s not it.

How the Lord Pastors

The Lord pastors submitted people.

Philippians 2:5-6 (ESV): 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [Did not claim all his rights and privileges]

Philippians 2:7 (ESV): 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Humility and servanthood is something you have to put on. It’s not natural to the flesh

1 Peter 5:5 (ESV): 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Philippians 2:8 (ESV): 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself [Humbling yourself as opposed to God doing it] by becoming obedient [Obedience is not a bad word] to the point of death, even death on a cross.[Obedient to your hurt]

Luke 9:23 (ESV): 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Self-denial is a significant part of being pastored by the Lord

Christian self-denial is a daily experience.

We normally don’t associate this with being pastored.

This is vital because if you are denying yourself, Jesus can’t pastor you.

And if Jesus can’t past you, I can’t pastor you

If Jesus isn’t already pastoring you, really no one else can pastor you.

So, it all comes back to being a submitted person:

How do you know if you’re a submitted person?

You do things you don’t prefer for Christ’s sake (often privately)

You confer with God before making major decisions.

The Lord leads you in places you would not have gone if left to your own devises

Psalm 23:4 (ESV): 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

At its core, pastoring is leadership

A shepherd is an ancient metaphor for leadership

People think pastoring is about catering your felt needs

It involves responding to what you truly need and being aware of your perceived need – but at the end of the day, the flock follows the shepherd, not the other way around.

The Lord has a right to change direction without consulting with you.

Sometimes when you hear of something new at church, that’s the Lord changing the course of your life through the ministry.

And he doesn’t have to ask your permission to do it.

The Lord pastors through representatives

Jeremiah 3:14–15 (ESV): 14 Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. 15 “ ‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

When you submit to the Lord, He send you a pastor customized to true needs, not your felt needs

Or he’ll open up your eyes to the pastors who are already giving you what you need.

But that first part—submission to the Lord—has to happen first.

1 Samuel 8:7 (ESV): 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

When you’re rejecting God’s representatives, you’re rejecting Him, not the representative.

Some of you give God a hard time, not realizing you’re actually dealing with Him, not the human leading the church.

Psalm 32:8–9 (ESV): 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

The Lord pastors through representatives with different gifts, callings, and contexts

Romans 12:6–8 (NLT): 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Every pastor has a different collection of gifts

John 6:30–33 (ESV): 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Don’t compare pastors

Founders are different than successors

The Lord pastors in groups through groups

Titus 1:5 (ESV): 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—

Acts 14:23 (ESV): 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

James 5:14–15 (ESV): 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

People who aren’t the senior pastor can be effective at ministering to you

Receive them as such

1 Corinthians 12:14–26 (ESV): 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

The Love Connection

My actual name is not Jesus, but His Spirit lives within me – and in everyone who has devoted themselves to Him.

Out of an act of Love, He gave us His Spirit so that we can love like He loves.

Jesus’ most beloved apostle, who is also named John, said it like this: “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 [ESV])

And today is one of those days to remember how deeply He loves us and how far His love reached to save us.

Jesus was willing to make a connection.

Fully Human

That same John who wrote about love also taught us that Jesus, who is also known as “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14 [ESV])

That means that Jesus became human.

Yes, God became a man and became subject to this raggedy human experience – the ups, the downs, the joys, the pains, the haters.

Who would sign up for this when you don’t have to be bothered?

But let me tell you that He was so committed to connecting with us, really Re-connecting with us, that He took on every aspect of the human experience.

One of the First-Century church leaders said this in a letter to a local congregation: “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. . . [Hebrews 2:17 (NIV)]

What’s the most important word in this verse?
- Merciful:
  - Jesus is merciful with us because He’s become one of us.
  - Now Jesus was already merciful because He’s God.
    - And mercy is one of God’s attributes.
  - However, He wanted to demonstrate to us how committed He was
    - so that He knows that we know that He knows what it’s like to be human.

The Emotional Pain of Jesus

And when look at how one of His biographers characterized the extent of the suffering He endured—both physically and emotionally—as He was tortured by Roman capital punishment, we see how deeply and intimately He was connected to the human experience.

The apostle Matthew documents a signature moment in His suffering: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Matthew 27:46 (ESV)]

Bible scholars have debated the significance of this statement, as at face value, it seems like Jesus is confused.
- Isn’t He God?
- Has He actually been abandoned by the Father?
- Is Jesus regretting His decision?
- Has He lost His divinity?
Well two things:
- One: It was prophesied hundreds of years before this that the Messiah who is Jesus, would say these very words. So, in saying this, He’s affirming that He’s the Messiah.
- Two: The question contains one of the music human words anyone could say: The word, “why”
“Why” is deeply human.
- It’s deeply human because it’s not being asked as part of a scientific study.
- Jesus is not looking for information.
- It’s an expression of emotion.
- Jesus in this moment is a human being who’s trying to come to terms with his own pain.
- When human beings ask “Why” in that context, they aren’t looking for answers,

- - They’re looking for comfort.
  - They’re looking for empathy.
  - They’re looking for a connection—to another person.
Jesus feels abandoned.
- And some would say, “And that’s because the Father really did have to leave Him. Because Jesus was bearing the sins of the world and God cannot bear to look at sin, so for those few moments, the Father had to look away from Jesus.”
  - I understand why people say that, but that’s not it: It’s not God who can’t handle the presence of sinful people. It’s sinful people (untouched by His mercy and grace) who are undone in the presence of a holy God.
The Father did not abandon Jesus.
- Then what was Jesus crying about?
  - Because it felt that way.
  - He felt abandoned.
    - And His question is the emotional expression of the pain that comes from abandonment, but also the isolation of being in pain—alone.

Jesus Identifies with us at an Emotional Level

Which is what all people experience at some point in their human journeys.

If Jesus was going to human, He had to experience that.

Which is why we get this statement in the first century letter to the Hebrews:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 [ESV])
- The word “sympathize” means sympathy compassion, pity – which speak to an emotional connection Jesus has with us.
  - Which Jesus would already have for us, as mercy is one of the attributes of God
  - But as a human, He can identify with us because He knows our pain from experience.

- - When He sees you hurting, Jesus can go, I remember feeling that pain.

So out of that identification, He invites us to connect, for in the very next statement, the writer of Hebrews continues:

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 [ESV])
- Jesus invites us to draw near to Him when we are in pain—for healing, but also because he identifies with us emotionally
  - Jesus was subject to disconnection.
  - And when He was crying out the Father on the cross, He was basically saying, “I’m struggling, and I need to connect.”

And because Jesus knew He needed to connect with people during the ups and downs of His human journey, He is intimately aware of our need to do the same over the course of our human journeys:

We Connect with Each Other at an Emotional Level

James, the brother of Jesus, in his letter to a local church, writes this:
- Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 [ESV])
  - Here James speaks of the power of sharing our spiritual struggles with each other.
  - And the healing that comes from sharing our pain with other people who out of their intimate knowledge of pain—and of Jesus’ mercy and of Jesus’ grace—they pray for us and we experience healing.
    - Now connecting with other people in intimate settings is not just about sharing our pains, but also about sharing our joys.
      - As the Apostle Paul writes to the Roman church:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15 [ESV])

We need human connection for our highest moments just as much as we need human connection for our lowest moments.

The Reality of Sin

Now to experience the fullness of that connection, we’ve got to unpack a word we just read from James.

Let me read his words again:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 [ESV])
- James talks about confessing our sins.
- Now don’t be intimidated by the word sin.
- The sins we commit are just symptoms of being broken.
- And if you live for even just a little while, you can tell that human beings are just broke.
  - That’s why there’s so much pain in the world.
  - That’s why people get abandoned, abused, neglected, taken advantage of
  - And unfortunately, the enemy of our souls—the devil—he doesn’t play fair.
    - He will start the drama when we’re young—when we’re too young to even know what happened to us or why it’s happening.
    - And then as we suffer from the pain of this, we inflict pain on others.
Sin is the fruit of brokenness

The Gospel Message

But there’s an answer to this brokenness which is why we’re celebrating today.

Now that answer is a little complicated on the front end of it.

Because if you believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that the Bible is true, then you know that there’s good news about your spiritual life and that there’s bad news about your spiritual life.

Bad news first.

And I’ve already started sharing it: We are born criminals, participating in crimes worthy of death; we are guilty of high treason, enemies of the state,
Well you might ask “how is this possible”?
Because by state I mean a kingdom ruled by Jesus Himself.
- Jesus created heaven and earth;

- everything that is made was made By him and for Him.
- That means that he gets to create the rules;
  - He defines what good is;
  - He is the essence of goodness Himself.
  - He created us to live by that goodness.
Unfortunately, our original Daddy and Mamma, Adam and Eve, broke God’s law in the worst way
- —They thought they could be their own gods and told the true God they didn’t need Him.
- Well that didn’t go over so well.

- - Not only did they lose their citizenship in the happiest place on earth—the kingdom of God, not the magic Kingdom
  - —but they also experienced something they had never encountered before and were never supposed to: death.
That doesn’t mean they stopped living biologically—although that would eventually happen.

- God’s definition of death is different.

- - What He means by death is separation from Him.
  - Death is when His Holy Spirit leaves us and we attempt to make sense of the world though the creation instead of through the Creator.

- - - Death alters our spiritual DNA so that our nature rebels against God.

- - - What’s worse is that this fallen state is genetically transferable.

- - - - So every person born possesses the sin nature.

Sure, we still have a conscience, so that we can recognize the need to do good–and even pursue it.

There are plenty of examples of people who do really good things, some of whom don’t even believe in God.

- - - The problem is that our best efforts to do good still fall short of God’s holy standard.

- - - - One day we will all be judged by God Himself.
      - He’s going to hold us accountable for His standard of righteousness, not ours.

But here’s the good news:

Jesus, maker of heaven and earth, ruler of the universe and God Himself, became one of us, a human—like we talked about.
While He was still God, His humanity made it possible for Him to receive punishment on our behalf.
- He lived a perfectly righteous life, but was capitally punished on a cross, dying like the criminals we were.
- The power of this act is that because He was innocent, He was eventually resurrected because His goodness demanded that He come back to life.
- In essence, He paid for our sins and then lived to tell about it.
And His message is what I’m telling you.
- Jesus became a new Adam.
  - The first Adam left us an inheritance of death.
  - Jesus, the final Adam, gave us an inheritance of life.
  - Through Jesus, we can be born again. Jesus puts His DNA in us.
  - The Jesus in us gives us the power to fulfill God’s standard of goodness.
  - But this is just the beginning.

- - - Not only does Jesus restore our natures, but He restores our citizenship in His kingdom.
    - To follow Jesus means that you make life in His Kingdom and His standards of goodness your top priority.

John 12:1–19 (ESV)

12 ¹Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ²So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. ³Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. ⁷Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

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The Plot to Kill Lazarus

⁹When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

¹²The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” ¹⁴And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, ¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion;behold, your king is coming,sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

¹⁶His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. ¹⁷The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. ¹⁸The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. ¹⁹So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

John 12:1 ESV)

12 ¹Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

- John 11:3 (ESV): ³So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
- John 11:5 (ESV): ⁵Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
- John 12:2-3 (ESV):²So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. ³Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
  - Luke 10:38–39 (ESV): ³⁸Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.
- John 11:4 (ESV): ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
  - - John 11:6 (ESV): ⁶He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. ⁷Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

John 12:9 (ESV):⁹When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

John 12:10-11 (ESV):¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

John 2:23–25 (ESV): ²³Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

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The Triumphal Entry

Crowd vs. Congregation

The crowd wants to see and be seen.

The congregation wants to know and be known.

Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV): ²³Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! ²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV): ¹²For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
2 Corinthians 3:12–18 (ESV): ¹²Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, ¹³not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. ¹⁴But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The crowd wants to go viral

The congregation wants to be virtuous

John 12:36–43 (ESV): ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. ³⁷Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, ³⁸so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” ³⁹Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, ⁴⁰“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” ⁴¹Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. ⁴²Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

The crowd wants to be important

The congregation wants to do important things

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- John 12:2-3 (ESV):³Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
- John 12:42 (ESV):⁴²Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;

The crowd wants to be served (as a sign of being important)

The congregation wants to serve

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Mark 10:35–37 (ESV) – ³⁵And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” ³⁶And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³⁷And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
Mark 10:42–43 (ESV) – ⁴²And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

The crowd wants to know His acts

The congregation wants to know His ways

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Psalm 103:7 (ESV): ⁷He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
- Proverbs 103:20-33 (ESV): ²⁰Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; ²¹at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: ²²“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? ²³If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. ²⁴Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, ²⁵because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, ²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, ²⁷when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. ²⁸Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. ²⁹Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, ³⁰would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, ³¹therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. ³²For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; ³³but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Luke 10:38–42 (ESV): ³⁸Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴²but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Three Benefits of Being in a Small Group

1 We are CONNECTED

I Corinthians 12:24-26

Acts 10:10-16

2 We CARE

I Corinthians 12:24-26

Romans 12:15

3 We CONTRIBUTE

Our Presence

Our Prayers – James 5:16

Our Gifts – I Peter 4:10

Review

We discussed how local outreach would make us more racially diverse and that effective ministry required us to not only examine the spiritual impact of this change but also the social impact.
We discussed this in great detail so that we could remove any reservations you might have had about this significant change in our ministry.
At various times over the last several months, I’ve summarized these changes—some of which were imposed on us (e.g. Covid, the sanctuary fire, the political climate).
But other changes were ones we initiated.

This is the Way

There’s a mantra repeated by the characters when they are doubling down on one of their core beliefs.
They say, “This is the Way.”
And once that’s said, it ends all debate: “This is the Way.”
It feels imposing.
It feels controlling.

It feels like I’m overstepping my bounds.
Because we’re used to doing what you want to do.
We’ve gotten comfortable submitting to your preferences.
- And we’re not alone.
  - This is an attitude that has quietly been adopted by American Christian culture over the last several decades but has spread significantly more after Covid.
  - The Covid years were of course traumatic, but during those people found a new superpower.

Our New Superpower

- - - What was that power?
      - The power of options

We told the movie theaters, our employers and the church:
“You don’t control me.”
“I’ll show up if I want to show up.”
“And if I do show up, it better be good.

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“And if you try to check me, I’m going to check you.”
“I’ll
troll you,”
block you,”
ghost you”
“I just won’t show up.”
“Because I no longer need you”
“You need me”
So, you’d better accommodate me.

People worship their options and churches worship the people.
Then churches justify giving in to what people want in the name of outreach.
There is a place for being strategic.
We’ve been talking about—as Paul says in Corinthians: become all things to all people that we might win them.
However, winning them means winning them over to what Christianity actually is—which is about prioritizing what Jesus wants, not what we want.

The Priority of Jesus

Matthew 6:33 (ESV):³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
- What’s the most important word in this statement?
  - First.
  - If you don’t understand this word, you don’t understand the rest of the verse.
  - The things that matter to Jesus must always go first.
  - Whatever else you do, whatever else you seek–what matters to Jesus always goes first.
  - That is, we figure everything else out after we’ve addressed His priorities.
  - What we’ve done is the opposite:
    - We figure out what Jesus wants after we’ve addressed our priorities.
    - He gets the leftovers, if He gets anything at all.
    - We seek first the things and then add Jesus.

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The Reality of Human Need:

Matthew 6:25–33 (ESV): ²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
- Look at the things He’s addressing:
  - Food, water, clothing
  - Basic human needs
  - He didn’t tell us not to seek them.
    - Of course you should seek them.
    - They are critical for your survival.
  - What He’s saying is “Don’t be anxious about them.”
    - He’s saying, “Don’t allow them to be a source of worry”
The vast majority of people in the ancient world didn’t aspire for much more than food, water, and clothes.
There was no practical pathway for most people to change their stations in life.
There was no practical way to become rich, famous or powerful if you were not already born into a family with ties to those things.
If your parents were sheepherders, you were sheepherder. Your children would be sheepherders, and their children would be sheepherders.
There were no commercials advertising an alternative way of life.
There was no college pathway toward a new socioeconomic status.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html):

Physiological Needs: air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction
Safety Needs: personal security, employment resources, health, property
Love and Belonging: friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection
Esteem: respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, strength, freedom
Self-actualization: desire to become the most that one can be
However, the difference between them and us is that they did not have all of the artificial influences on their minds.
They weren’t aggravated by the constant comparisons to other people that were imposed on them through commercials, social media and the status symbols of neighbors.
Also, back then traditional family structures were a much more reliable source of affirmation than they are today..
they take their business elsewhere

How Jesus Responds to Our Need

Matthew 6:31–33 (ESV): ³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [and you can add: “Where do I belong? Does anybody see me? Does anyone care? Do I matter”] ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [I’m not ignorant about what you need. I know all about it because I made you. I know what you need. Your needs are legitimate. But look if you really want to address those needs] ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

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The Kingdom is the Key to the Best Pastoral Care

John 6:24–27 (ESV): ²⁴So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. ²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” ²⁶Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
- They are seeking Jesus, but not for the right reasons.
- They want the human Jesus to personally respond to their material needs on their terms.
- Jesus redirects their focus to their most basic need: Thier need for Him
  - John 6:35 (ESV): ³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
    - Living Bread
      - Jesus, the lamb
      - Like Priests

- - John 6:53–55 (ESV): ⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

The Differences Between the Crowd and the Congregation

Matthew 13:18–23 (ESV): ¹⁸“Hear then the parable of the sower: ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. ²⁰As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. ²²As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. ²³As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

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Markers of the Crowd

John 4:34 (ESV): ³⁴Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

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Markers of the Congregation

Principles:

Contribution and Continuity
Lead with the seed, not the need.
- The Word is a seed.
- Your contribution is a seed

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5 Markers of the Congregation

Payer

Filled with Him.
Change the situation
Hear from Him (He Sounds like the Word)

Bible Reading

Giving

Giving is one of the ways that Jesus pastors you.
- Matthew 6:21 (ESV): ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
  - God uses giving to shape your heart.
  - God doesn’t need your money, but you need to give.

Service

Romans 12:4–8 (ESV): ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
- Your gifts contribute to other people’s development as we gather together: Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV): ²⁴And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Your own need for care should remind you of your responsibility toward other people’s needs:
- Proverbs 24:10–11 (ESV): ¹⁰If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. ¹¹Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

Discipleship

Matthew 9:35–38 (ESV): ³⁵And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
- Pray gives you God’s heart.
- While you’re praying for laborers, you become a laborer.
- God’s sending you.

Review

The Lord commands things that often go against what we think is wise, sensible, rational or beneficial.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (ESV): ⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. ⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

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1 Corinthians 2:6 (ESV): ⁶Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.

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1 Corinthians 2:7 (ESV):⁷But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

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Ephesians 3:20 (ESV): ²⁰Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

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Hebrews 3:7(ESV): ⁷Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, ⁸do not harden your hearts. . . .

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Become a Kingdom Insider

Matthew 13:10–11 (ESV):¹⁰Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

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- Jesus used parables to test people’s readiness for a more intimate understanding of the truth.
Matthew 13:19 (ESV): ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

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James 1:5 (ESV): ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

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Matthew 13:12 (ESV):¹²For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, [But the opposite is also true:] but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

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Matthew 13:13 (ESV):¹³This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

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Embrace the Spirit of Innovation

Acts 16:6–10 (ESV): ⁶And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. ⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

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A Church Designed for Innovation

Looking Closing at the Ingredients for Innovation

The Holy Spirit: Our Divine Innovator

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV): ²⁰Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

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James 1:5 (ESV): ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

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1 Corinthians 2:9–10 (ESV): ⁹But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— ¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

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1 Corinthians 2:11–13 (ESV): ¹¹For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God [Requires the Holy Spirit to unlock it] except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

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Diversity and the Power Collaboration

Genesis 11: 1, 6 (ESV): ¹And Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.

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Genesis 11: 6 (ESV): ⁶And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

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Acts 2:5–11 (ESV): ⁵Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

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1 Corinthians 1:22 (ESV): ²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

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1 Corinthians 1:22–24 (ESV): ²³but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

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1 Chronicles 12:22–37 (ESV): ²²For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God. ²³These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord. ²⁴The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were 6,800 armed troops. ²⁵Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. ²⁶Of the Levites 4,600. ²⁷The prince Jehoiada, of the house of Aaron, and with him 3,700. ²⁸Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own fathers’ house. ²⁹Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰Of the Ephraimites 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses. ³¹Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were expressly named to come and make David king. ³²Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. ³³Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose. ³⁴Of Naphtali 1,000 commanders with whom were 37,000 men armed with shield and spear. ³⁵Of the Danites 28,600 men equipped for battle. ³⁶Of Asher 40,000 seasoned troops ready for battle. ³⁷Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, 120,000 men armed with all the weapons of war.

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Rethinking The Exodus Story

Exodus 3:11–12 (ESV): ¹¹But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” ¹²He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

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Exodus 4:22–23 (ESV): ²²Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, ²³and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”

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Exodus 7:16 (ESV): ¹⁶And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed.

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Exodus 8:20 (ESV): ²⁰Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.

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Rethinking the Joseph Story

Genesis 37:5–11 (ESV): ⁵Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. ⁶He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: ⁷Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” ⁸His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. ⁹Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” ¹⁰But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” ¹¹And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

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Genesis 37:18–20 (ESV): ¹⁸They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. ¹⁹They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. ²⁰Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”

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Genesis 37:25–28 (ESV): ²⁵Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. ²⁶Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? ²⁷Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. ²⁸Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

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Genesis 39:1–6 (ESV): ¹Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. ²The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. ³His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. ⁴So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. ⁵From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. ⁶So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. . . .

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Genesis 39:19–23 (ESV): ¹⁹As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. ²⁰And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. ²¹But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. ²²And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. ²³The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

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Genesis 40:20–23 (ESV): ²⁰On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. ²¹He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. ²²But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. ²³Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

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Genesis 41:14–16 (ESV): ¹⁴Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. ¹⁵And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” ¹⁶Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

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Genesis 42:6–9 (ESV): ⁶Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. ⁷Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” ⁸And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. ⁹And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. . . .

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Genesis 45:4–8 (ESV): ⁴So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸So it was not you who sent me here, but God. . . .

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Genesis 50:15–21 (ESV): ¹⁵When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” ¹⁶So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ¹⁷‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” ¹⁹But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. ²¹So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

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Preface

Review

The promise of the kingdom is the promise of a government that fulfills what we wish our earthly governments would do:

Provide peace and justice.
Provide for the general welfare.
Protect our way of life.
Support our freedom to live Zoe

Keep in mind that

1.) Biblical application is always specific AND
2.) Biblical application always addresses something that exposes a competing interest.

Pleasing God Requires Both Hearing and Doing

Luke 6:47–49 (ESV): ⁴⁷Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: ⁴⁸he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

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The Reality of Diversity in Our Local Church

Matthew 28:19 (ESV): ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . .

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1 Corinthians 9:20–23 (ESV): ²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law. . .that I might win those under the law. ²¹To those outside the law I became as one outside the law. . .that I might win those outside the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. . . . . ²³I do it all for the sake of the gospel. . . .

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Strong Relationships Require Communication About Difficult Subjects

We have to communicate, or we can’t be a community.

New Language for a New Direction

A Change in Direction Requires a Change in Thinking

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV): ²⁰Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

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Numbers 13:25–27 (ESV): ²⁵At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. ²⁶And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.

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Numbers 13:28–29 (ESV): ²⁸However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. ²⁹The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

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Numbers 13:30 (ESV): ³⁰But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”

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Numbers 13:31-32(ESV): ³¹Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” ³²So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.

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Numbers 13:33 (ESV): ³³And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

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Today If You Hear. . .

Hebrews 3:7(ESV): ⁷Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, ⁸do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,

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Hebrews 3:9 (ESV): ⁹where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.

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Hebrews 3:10 (ESV):¹⁰Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’

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Hebrews 3: 11 (ESV):¹¹As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”

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Hebrews 3:18 (ESV): ¹⁸And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

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Hebrews 3:19 (ESV):¹⁹So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

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Hebrews 4:1 (NKJV): ¹Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

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Hebrews 4:2 (NKJV): ²For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

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Top 10 All-Time Stupid Quotes

(The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. New York: Fireside. pp.11-12)

10. “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.”– Kenneth Olsen, President and Founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, In 1977

9. “Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.” — Marshal Ferdinand Foch, French Military Strategist and Future World War I Commander, In 1911

8. “[Man will never reach the moon] regardless of all future scientific advances.” — Dr. Lee De Forest, Inventor of the Audion Tube and Father of Radio on February 25, 1967

7. “[Television] won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” — Darryl F. Zanduck, Head of 20^th Century-Fox, In 1946

6. “We don’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.” — Decca Records Rejecting The Beatles, In 1962

5. “For the Majority of people, the use of tobacco has a beneficial effect.” — Dr. Ian G. Mac Donald, Los Angeles Surgeon, As Quoted in Newsweek, November 18, 1969

4. “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — Western Union Internal Memo, In 1876

3. “The earth is the center of the universe.” –Ptolemy, The Great Egyptian Astronomer, In the Second Century

2. “Nothing of importance happened today.” — Written by King George III of England on July 4, 1776

1. “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” — Charles H Duell U.S. Commissioner of Patents, IN 1899

The Blessing

Psalm 133:1 (ESV): ¹Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!. . .

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Psalm 133:32 (ESV):³. . . .For there the Lord has commanded the blessing. . . .

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Mark 4:13 (ESV): ¹³And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

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Review

The way of the kingdom often goes against what we think is wise, sensible, rational or beneficial.
Jesus used parables to test people’s readiness for a more intimate understanding of the truth.
John 6:66-67 (ESV): ⁶⁶After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”

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“All ministry is contextual” –Dr. A.R. Bernard
- 1 Corinthians 9:19–23 (ESV): ¹⁹For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. ²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. ²¹To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. ²³I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
  
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  - Ministry requires strategy.
Proverbs 4:7 (NKJV): ⁷Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. The term “black multiracial church” is specific to a church that becomes multiracial when it starts off as a black congregation.

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How Latino and Asian American Churches Navigate Racial Diversity

Challenge # 1: Churches led by immigrant communities must overcome tension between first- and second-generation populations.

The Following excerpts are from Estranged Pioneers: Race, Faith, and Leadership in a Diverse World by Korie Little Edwards and Rebecca Y. Kim:

“Asian American churches are immigrant ethnic congregations that function much like ethnic enclaves.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 46)
- Ethnic Enclave: A strong concentration of a particular ethnic group in a particular geographical area where there’s a distinct culture and economy separate from the surrounding community.
“[Asian American Churches] are primary spaces where immigrants can worship in the language and culture of their home country and find comfort and support as they struggle to adjust and ‘make it’ in the new land.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 46)
“All but one Hispanic American pastor in our study grew up in predominately Hispanic, Spanish-speaking contexts. And most were born Latin American, Spanish-speaking countries and maintained active connections to those countries.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 30)
- The majority of Asian and Latino churches are immigrant focused.
- “The literature on Asian American congregations, particularly Korean American, which predominates studies of Asian American congregations, reveals intergenerational strife between the first and second generations.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 88)
- “The immigrant Korean church is in many ways viewed as a church for the first, not the second generation” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 88)
- “The services are held in Korean; the congregations support Korean culture and traditions. . .and they are led by first-generation Korean Americans.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 88)
Challenge # 2: Churches led my immigrant communities must settle the question of language.
- “Asian American pastor. . .Pastor Hurh, had a uniquely positive relationship with this home church, an independently second-generation Korean church. This church was born out of a Korean immigrant church as an ‘English ministry’ for the children of immigrants.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 88)
- “In time, it became a separate independent church that attracts latter-generation young Asian American adults who want a ‘church of their own.’” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 88)
- “Support for [Asian American] church plants, if there is any, tends to come from white religious networks and denominations.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 88)
Challenge # 3: Churches led by immigrant communities must create mainstream versions of their cultures.
- “Lacking racialized multicultural competency is not a problem for white pastors in their leadership, nor is it a barrier to gaining or maintaining their position as a pastor of a multiracial church.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 116)
- “A white pastor could be fluent in only one culture (their own) and have no awareness of the historical and sociological implications of systemic racism and white supremacy and still be a pastor of a multiracial church.” (Estranged Pioneers, p. 116)
- “[White pastors of multiracial churches] have the privilege of looking like the normative pastor. They have the privilege of having their preaching style considered to be the standard for all pastors, including pastors who head multiracial churches” (Estranged Pioneers, p.125)

The Following excerpts are from Against All Odds: The Struggle for Racial Integration in Religious Organizations by Brad Christerson, Korie Edwards, and Michael Emerson

- “One woman who grew up in the Philippines expressed it this way: Filipinos avoid people who are too direct or too offensive, so those people who offend them feel invisible” (Against All Odds, p. 52)
- She continues: “I’ll give you an example. When Lynne [a white woman] was leading the Sunday school ministry, she would ask me, ‘Can you teach Sunday school this week?’” (Against All Odds, p. 52)
- “Whereas a Filipino would say, ‘I know you’re busy and tired, so if you can’t that’s OK.’” (Against All Odds, p. 52)
- “So Lynne asks me that question and I say that I can’t because of work or I’m tired or something, then I feel bad because I’m the one saying no.” (Against All Odds, p. 52)
- “And then if I say no, she’ll say ‘well how about next week?’ For a Filipino that’ an awful position to put someone in, because it makes them feel bad for saying no.” (Against All Odds, p. 52)
- “Filipinos have a hard time saying no. You have to give people an out. So after someone does that to you, you just avoid them, and so Lynne feels invisible to Filipinos.” (Against All Odds, p. 52)
- “Another obstacle to social connection at the church between Filipinos and non-Filipinos seems to be the tradition of hierarchical social relationships. Non-Filipinos referred to it as the ‘kuya ate thing” (Against All Odds, p. 20)
- “Yes, the whole kuya and ate tradition. I can relate to it, because in Africa if someone is older than you, they are like your uncle or aunt, but it creates a distance and protocol to the relationship. If I need support from an older person, I wouldn’t know if I could share anything too deep with them.” (Against All Odds, p. 20)
- “One particular aspect of the church service that was frustrating to many white members was the issue of time.” (Against All Odds, p. 26)
- “In the early years of the church white members frequently complained of the lack of punctuality in the way the service was run.” (Against All Odds, p. 26)
- “Typically, the service would start five to ten minutes after the official starting time, and even then most of the church would be empty, except for a few white members of the church.” (Against All Odds, p. 26)
- “The church had no ‘ending time’ at that time and could end anywhere from 12:00 to 12:45 depending on what activities went on during the service.” (Against All Odds, p. 26)
- “Both Filipino and non- Filipino members joked that the church runs on ‘Filipino time.’” (Against All Odds, p. 26)
Challenge # 4: Churches led by immigrant communities must convince their congregations that becoming racially diverse is beneficial.

The Definition of a Black Multiracial Church

- A black multiracial church is a black church that has opened itself up to the world while effectively ministering to black people.
- A black multiracial church is a multiracial church with black culture at the center of it and black people significantly influencing it.
- A black multiracial church is a diversity party that black people are hosting.
- A black multiracial church is how black Christians do diversity

The Strategy

Keep This in Mind

Read the Story of Joseph

Introduction

Recap

1 Corinthians 1:10–13 (NKJV): ¹⁰Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

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Psalm 133:1 (ESV): ¹Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

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Psalm 133:2 (ESV):³. . . .For there the Lord has commanded the blessing. . . .

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New Blessings Require New Thinking

Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV): ²⁰Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

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Ephesians 3:20 (AMP): ²⁰Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,

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Ephesians 3:20 (NIV): ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

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Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV): ²⁰Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

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God’s Thoughts Need a Place to Land

Repentance.

The Message of the Kingdom Requires that our Minds be Prepared for It

- Matthew 3:1–2 (ESV): ¹In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ²“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
  
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- Matthew 3:3 (ESV): ³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ”
  
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- The way of the kingdom is the way of the Lord, and The way of the Lord is the way of the kingdom.
  
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- John 6:66 (ESV): ⁶⁶After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
  
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Bracing Yourself for What God is Going to Do Next

How Do You Explain Our Church to Other People?

We are a black multiracial church
Proverbs 20:14 (NIV): ¹⁴“It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer— then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

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