Cookout on the Beach

Pt. Dave Kenney

Luke 5 : 1-11 (NLT)

Why did John write John?

John 20:30-31 (NLT)
He had a reason / purpose :

• How many miracle in the book of John? NONE. He recorded it as signs, and only 7 signs - would believe the Son of Messiah.
• Three books he wrote together? He isn't trying to cover what the others are writing. E.q Last Supper. He wrote it differently. It helps to see who Jesus is but different from what others has covered.

What has happened just before this event? The disciples had gone to Jerusalem and had experienced in less than 6 weeks a tumultuous series of events :

• The Triumphal Entry - start from Lazarus' death, then Palm day
• the expectation of a new kingdom
• a betrayal by a trusted friend
• near arrest
• denial of Jesus by their leader Peter
• the agonizing crucifixion of Jesus - He let the Roman catches Him
• the Resurrection
• and the appearances of the risen Lord

Many Bible shcolars believe that Chapter 21 was written later as kind of an epilogue by John. It is not wrong or unspiritual to believe this.

¹ Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. ² Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.

³ Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”

“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

• Jesus showed up but not for many people. He didn't go back and get revenge from Pontius Pilatus :)
• Peter still has influence

Back to finishing

⁴ At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. ⁵ He called out, “Fellows have you caught any fish?”

“No,” they replied.

⁶ Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

⁷ Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. ⁸ The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. ⁹ When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.

Where have we seen this before?

Why did Jesus do miracles twice?
Wants to remind them that He still has control on their calling as a "fisherman" - common used by teachers to their disciples, not only Jewish but also Romans.
He was using the same common language that they understood.

¹⁰ “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

¹² “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. ¹⁴ This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

Jesus' attitude (been executed, humiliated, and raised) is now serving breakfast :
He is still living up, aboutbeing great in God's Kingdom, serving others. Not trying to look important.

How about us? Do we serve, or we expect to be served?
What about the attitude that we have? [clip : the denial of Jesus by Simon Peter]

¹⁵ After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

¹⁶ Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

¹⁷ A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

¹⁸ “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

Seem to be three things here

First - We all been called as "fisher of man"
Love God, Love Others, and Reachout for others

Second - Peter has been totally faithfull, even with all this waving. Peter has been totally unstable, but turned out to be the Rock till the end. Crucified upside down!
John wrote to showed that Peter has been trully restored to Jesus. NOT once, twice. BUT three times. Has been totally forgiven.
This denial part will be forgiven by grace!

Thirdly - Peter thinks he loves Jesus more then any disciples. Turn out not so true! :) The truth of love isn't in the boasting, but in the doing!

²⁰ Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved (john)—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” ²¹ Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”

²² Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” ²³ So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.

²⁵ Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

Why did John write this?

• wants to clear the rumour.
• The nature of human / Peter - v.21 , always live our life compares to others. What about comparing to HIM? Try to loive our journey according to HIS.
• John got to clear the rumour because he is getting older and people is expecting Jesus to come soon.

Applicaitons:
we have all been called to be a fisher of man

IES is a harvest church - make disciples of Jesus everywhere

Do you serve or do you expect to be served?
Are you an asset of the Kingdom of God or an deficit?

You may be sinned many times, but Jesus is looking for people who is willing to fish for men and feed the lambs.

Don't compare yourself with others.

Focus on being ready and being busy for the Kingdom (NOW)

Supplemental Material
John 21 : 15-17
Many commentaries point out that, in this conversation, two different words are used for "love". In His questions in John 21:15-16, our Lord used agape, which is the Greek word for the highest kind of love, sacrificing love, divine love. Peter always used phileo, which is the love of friend for friend, fondness for another. In John 21:17, Jesus and Peter both used phileo.
However, it is doubtful that we should make too much of an issue over this, because two words are often used interchangeably in the Gospel of John. In John 3:16, God's love for man is agape love; but in John 16:27, it is phileo love. The Father's love for His Son is agape love in John 3:35 but phileo in John 5:20.
Christians are supposed to love one another. In John 13:34, this love is agape love; but in John 15:19, it is phileo love. It would be appear that John used two words as synonyms, whatever fine distinctions there might have been between them. The Bible Exposition Commentary

The Second Donkey

Pt. Dave Kenney

Matthew 17:24-27 (NIV)
²⁴After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"

²⁵"Yes, he does," he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?"

²⁶"From others," Peter answered.

"Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. ²⁷"But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

********

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes, he does," he replied.

Capernaum

Peter's real name is Simon.
Capernaum is a small city, head city of fishing field. Most of the disciples originate came from Batsyeba [means house of fishing] : Simon, James, John, Matthew, Philip, Nathaniel.. 7(12).
Jesus is the living in Capernaum.
That's why the question pop out.

Temple Tax

a voluntarily tax - every non slave through out Mediterian will sent it.
Rome conquered and destroyed the temple, but keep the tax system but sent it to Rome.
That's why they are questioning Jesus' on paying taxes.

Peter is always quick in giving answer.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes - from their own sons or from others?"
"From others," Peter answered.

Taxes are from others to the King, not the king to the King.
"I don't have to pay cause I am the SON." Not obligated.

Simple Parable - Jesus give answers to Peter.

"Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. ²⁷"But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." Matthew 17: 27 (NIV)

Jesus wants to do it because He doesn't want to offend others.

• What kind of fish is this?
• it might have been a tilapia [also called St. Peter's fish]

• 

• The coins came out - this is one out of two stroy that don't have result.
• Only Peter's tax was paid. Why? Because Peter is older. Jesus was 30. The others is under 20 years old.

So why this story became important? Why did the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to tell this story?

1. Jesus is God's son - check out the parable about King and Son.

2. Jesus uses His power
Jesus knows what's going on.
miracle with the coin [pix of coins eating fish]
It was at the right time, right coins : Miracle!
Jesus' miracle is the same kind of miracle. When He says something, it actually happens!

3. Jesus has total control.

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
[they didn't bring him to be repent, but to get him healed]
At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say,'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on eart to forgive sins..." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." ANd the man got up and went home. WHen the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Matthew 9:1-8

it's easier to say "your sins are forgiven" - everyone can say, coz there's no evidence.
That's why then Jesus decide to say 'Get up and walk' so crowd knows the power He have. This is the miracle He did to validate.

4. Jesus accepts everyone.

Jesus chose :
Peter - failed as a Rabi
Matthew - tax collector, a crook.
Levi
James and John - disciples of John the Baptist.
Nathanael, Philip, Andrew - no one want then for students.

These are all non star potential Galalean - they talk funny, and people make fun of them.

Applicaitons

Jesus really is God's Son
He is the Son of God. Not just as a role model.
How do you related yourself to Him?

Jesus uses His power - and keep using it. We just need to be reminded.

Jesus has total control
He knows every action. But He doesn't control what you want and what you desire.

Jesus accepts everyone
Not just accepts. BUT He chose, and give value and purpose in people's life.

The Second Donkey

Pt. Dave Kenney

Historical Background
Jesus is going to be riding up [Jericho is at sea level] to Jerusalem through a crowd of Jews on their way to Jerusalem for Passover, one of the greatest if not the greatest feast. A time they remembered God's deliverance from Egypt when God killed Egyptians but spared the Israelites.

Jesus is riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, in fulfillment of a prophecy in Zechariah 9:9
most people walk from place to place, so it's not common. Only people that has money that ride on donkeys.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)
crowd who's only looking for the KING, not the King of Peace, but just a King

The Hasmonean Dynasty (the Maccabees)
Ruled from 167 BC until the Romans conquered in 63 BC

Mattathias (the leader of Maccabees), the head of the family, served as a priest (Jewish) in the temple. -revolved against the Celluist? who ruled after Alexander the Great.

Judas (ruled from 166 to 160 BC), nicknamed Maccabeus or the "hammer", was Mattathias' third oldest son.

Jonathan (ruled from 160-142 BC), 4th son of Mattathias, a good worrier and a diplomat. Named high priest.

Simon (ruled from 142-134 BC), 2nd oldest son, ruled into Independence.

John Hyrcanus, Simon's son, ruled from 134-104 BC.
Time of prosperous.
John was the one who died at peace full death.

By 103 BC the throne passed to Alexander Janneus who ruled until 76 BC.

His wife Alexandra, ruled from 10 years after him.

Civil war broke out between her sons Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II - since they invited Rome Pompeii. Small nation against big empire.

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the King of Israel!" - John 12:12-13 (NIV)

Palm branches were a symbol of the Maccabees
in other words : get out of Roman! - a small symbol of protest.

The other words are from Psalm 118 - songs ascending riding up to Jerusalem.

He is riding a donkey's foal, like the promised messiah.

[a few days earlier] He has raised Lazarus from the dead in Bethany.

Jesus has all the qualification as predicted.
3 days later they were standing in from of the court, executing Him.

Matt 21: 1-11
¹As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."

⁴This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
⁵"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. ⁸A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

¹⁰When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"

¹¹The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Expectations of the Crowd [miss guided]

1. Militaristic liberator

• David - Goliath
• Mattathias - Maccabeus
• Jesus - ?

2. Something to happen NOW

3. Return to glory and importance for Israel
They were humble : God chosen people, but was laughed out by the Romans. Now they're going to be prominent again. Unmet expectation when they didn't get it from Jesus, then they started to turned their back from Him.


What does this say to us today? what usually happened when we ask something from Jesus?

• The answer that we want - if we didn't get it, we don't like it. We should not wonder when we don't get it

• The answer when we want - God's timing is the best.

We won't get good stuffs, if we decided when we want it.

• The conditions that we want.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." john 16:33
Are you disappointed about your condition? Have you been crucified yet? Don't expect an easy life.

• Empty praise

They were singing good words to Jesus, but their hearts was filled with what they can't get. And their hearts was quickly changed when they realized they're not gonna get it.
"Not as long as it fits my heart" attitude, will brings to frustration.

What did Jesus do that day? - Jesus came to died on the cross. Nobody realized that.
Heb 2 : 14-15
¹⁴ Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. ¹⁵ Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to t he fear of dying.

They were looking for someone to conquer the Romans.
Jesus conquered the death, sin and the grave!

They were looking for someone to set up Israel as a kingdom.
Jesus reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

They were looking for a leader of power who would make them great as a people.
Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father, where He intercedes with God for us!

The Ram

Pt. Dave Kenney
Gen 22:1-19 (NLT)

What was the Old Testament's perspective?
Hebrews 11:17-19 (NLT)

God can be trusted - He don't know how not to be one.
God will always provide - Abraham was the one who come out with the idea of subsitute

What is the New Testament's perspective? [an additional perspective]
Romans 8 : 31-32 (NIV)

Where have we seen this before?

v.2 Mount Morriah in city of Jerusalem. Jewish temple was there. Abt immidiately 80 km away.
v.6
v. 14 Probably the place where Jesus will later be sacrifice.

What is the lesson for us?

Izaac was never at risk here. God was totally against human sacrifice, which used to be practive in Kanan.

Only two things had happened :

* Abraham would obeyed - God will stopped him and substitue
* Abraham would say No - don't know what would happened afterwards.
But the point is, Izaac wasn't at any risk at all!

God ties the old and new together




God was willing
Abraham was a good father, but also an obiedient servant. He said Yes, and trusted everything in His hand.
God also did the same - laid His Son down for me, for us!
So, what God did was far way beyond what Abraham did!

Our God provides - it's about God provide : someone willing to die for us. It's about the cross!
the coke and the gun story.

What is our response?
????

Acceptance and License

Pt. Dave Kenney

John 8:1-11 [NIV]
¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" ⁶They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

¹¹"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

1 Cor 5:1-2 [msg]
^1-2 I also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn't be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you're so above it all that it doesn't even faze you! Shouldn't this break your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with?

"We don't care where you've been, we only care where you are going"

Acceptance - anybody as we are
⁷Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Rom 15:7
when we accept people, we're not doing it with preconditions.

Grace
⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. Eph 2:8-9

we are not saved by faith, but through faith! Salvation is a gift.
If I received the free grace by faith, means that there's no proof that Jesus died and raised!
If we are not saved by Grace, we will have the opportunity to boast around.
It took much grace for God, to save me and you!

Christian life has no certain life of standard, only one. That is Jesus' life of standard!
Church is a place for people with problems, and want to get out of the problem.

Growth
¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph 4:13

"IES is a river, not a lake" - has a process of growth
we don't want people to stay, not for the chairs to be occupied, but for us to grow.

Relational
¹⁵ Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. ¹⁶ He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Eph 4:15-16

grow like Jesus :
love - 1 Corinthians 13
the fruit of the Spirit - Gal 5:22-23
Now, grow in Life Groups, ministries, etc.

Intentional - we don't do things because it's just traditional/habit, we do things only for a reason to grow!
¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2 : 10

Acceptance or License?

Do we really want and can we accept sinners in church?
What do we do with them if they refuse to stop sinning?
What can we learn from these two stories?

First story

We are all sinners and cannot judge others.

"...But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
John 8:6b-8 [NIV]
This happened during the Tabernacle, second popular event celebrating ___ and the 10 commandments.
He was writing with his fingers like God wrote on the mount of Sinai [10 commandments].

Forgiveness only comes from Christ
¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
John 8:10

Included in forgiveness is a challenge to leave sin behind.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:11

He forgave her but He told her to stop sinning.
remorse - is feel bad, not enough.
repentance - changing 180 degree from your habit.
you got the forgiveness, now stop doing it again!

Second Story

There are boundaries [of behaviour/activities]

1 Cor 10:23-24
²³"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. [NIV]

^23-24Looking at it one way, you could say, "Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well. [MSG]

The church needs to be against sinful acts.
1 Cor 5:6-8 [msg] - you can't be a sinful man!
^6-8Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it's anything but that. Yeast, too, is a "small thing," but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. So get rid of this "yeast."

The church needs to act against those who refuses to change and grow - Church disciplines
1 Corinthians 5:3-5

"... You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master..."

The goal of the discipline is to save and restore.
No one is in this just only to tell people how to run their lives. It's bigger than that.
But then, you will never grow if you live a sinful life.

1 Corinthians 5:3-5

"...Hold this man's conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can't, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.

1 Cor 5:1-13 [Msg]

^1-2I also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn't be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you're so above it all that it doesn't even faze you! Shouldn't this break your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with?

^3-5I'll tell you what I would do. Even though I'm not there in person, consider me right there with you, because I can fully see what's going on. I'm telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. Assemble the community—I'll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. Hold this man's conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can't, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.

^6-8Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it's anything but that. Yeast, too, is a "small thing," but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. So get rid of this "yeast." Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast. So let's live out our part in the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread—simple, genuine, unpretentious.

^9-13I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn't make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. I didn't mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with crooks, whether blue or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You'd have to leave the world entirely to do that! But I am saying that you shouldn't act as if everything is just fine when a friend who claims to be a Christian is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can't just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. I'm not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don't we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.

God's Word Changes Live

Pt. Dave Kenney

Romans 1:16-17

How do we know God?
creation - not enough
others - sometimes can be confusing

Main ways [to know God]:

The things He said and did
as Christians, you are not under any obligation to follow ALL rules in the Old Testament.
we studied the O.T coz we want to learn about Him and what He did to the group of people at that time.

The things Jesus said and did
John 14:8-11
Jesus is God being accessable to us.
God is wonderful, but also abstract. [that's why He became man]

The instructions that God has for us
2 Tim 3 : 14-17
v. 16 All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness..

Timothy was Paul's emeseries
Timothy was given authority to corrected all the wrong doing in the church of Ephesus.
Paul wrote this for Timothy to read it.
2 Tim -> two things happened after Paul left :
better preacher came along, but then they started to push aside what Paul taught them. They say it doesn't fit the modern life at that time.

what would Paul feel?
He than wrote to them, felt sad about the situation.

For us, we were blessed by what Paul experienced.

An example
2 Kings 22 : 1-2
Josiah's dad was accessioned.
But he changed the nation.

In the New Testament we have the story of Paul
Act 9:3-6
Paul - his Greek/Roman name
Saul - Jewish name.

Paul was 12, need to memorized ALL the names in the Old Testament in order to enter the school.
Paul had an encounter with Jesus and changed, and understood that:
Jesus is the Messiah

• Because of Messiah has come, God old ways was gone
• He was the enemy of God, thatz why he change

God's Instructions for us

How can we be changed?
1 Cor 6:9-11

Read God's Word
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People over Program [POP]

Pt. Dave Kenney

Ezekiel 34 : 7-16 [NIV]

How does God view people?
What Jesus' thinks?
What is our role?

God cares for people - to the level that He even willing to removed the shephard [leaders], when they didn't do their job well.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 [NIV]

Psalm 23:1 [NLT]
when the Lord is MY shephard, everything seems unimportant. This also doesn't mean you can do anything you want.

Exodus 34:6-7a [NLT]
A picture of a lovingly, marvelling God.

Throughout the Old Testament we see that God cares for people.
He cares for His own people.
He cares for the foreigners and aliens - we need to treat them fairly
He cares for the poor, the widows and the orphans.

ex. Jonah and the big fish. Niniweh, kota paling bejat. When they conquer a city, they will skinned everyone away. but God give this city a chance to repent. Jonah doesn't want them to repent.

What about Jesus?

Why people hate tax collectors: Romans used to take tax from the Palestine people [since it's part of the Romans] Tax collector will bid, from whom to collect. If the $ bidding > $ jericho they will mark up the amount that need to be collect from the poor.

Luke 1:10 [NLT]
a sycamore-fig tree - 15 meters from the road, very sticky, big leaves, short branches. v.5 - Jesus came by - "..I found you.."

Mark 10:41-45
He gave His life to ransom others

Jesus cares for people

The story about a little boy, who was excited at first finding his first star fish ever, floating in the beaches.
But then after awhile just standing there watching, he ended up with no star fish in his hands.
The dad ask, "why didn't you get any starfish?"
The boy answered, "I was afraid to let go of my other shells in my hands"

"sometimes we focus on doing good things and forgot to look out for the best things."


So, what about the church?
IES is not the building business
IES is not in the music business
IES is not in the training business
IES in in the people business