Looking Forward to the Future: Intentional Inclusivity

Transcription

1 April 17, 2013 Looking Forward to the Future: Intentional Inclusivity Home Time is a weekly devotional that follow s Dr. Brooks weekend message. If you d like to listen to the message, please to go How to use Home Time: Home Time can be used as a daily devotional throughout the week. Read a section a day while memorizing scripture daily. Memorize: John 14:6, Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Read: Acts 11:19-26, 13:1 This past Sunday Dr. Brooks preached about the need for all of us to embrace Christ's call to share the gospel with the nations. It took persecution for the first believers to take the gospel outside their comfort zone and begin sharing it with Gentiles in Antioch but when they did God blessed their work and the good news spread throughout the Roman Empire. The truth of the matter is that sharing the gospel can be a scary proposition. We can never be completely sure how others will respond and that is even more the case when we are sharing the good news with people from a different culture. I would imagine that those early believers that told the first Gentiles about Christ felt a similar sort of apprehension. However, at the end of the day they knew that their message, the gospel message, was important and that it was something everyone needed to hear. If we truly believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6) then we can find similar courage in the fact that other people from all nations need to hear the gospel, even if the prospect of sharing it with them is still a bit intimidating. We are not in this alone though. When Barnabas went to visit that church in Antioch it was evident that the Lord's hand was with them and when we share the good news according to God's guidance, the same will be true of us. So how does God want to use you to reach the nations this week? Worship Suggestions: Worship is loving God in all of our life. Below are suggestions you can apply to your life through upward, inward, and outward worship.

2 Upward Worship. Upward worship is giving praise and adoration to God. It is recognizing and confessing who God is, in His nature and power. (Hebrews 13:15) Character of God: Truth 1 John 5:20, We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." John 8:31-32, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Jesus is truth. In His ministry, Jesus did His Father s will (John 6:38), He fulfilled the Old Testament (Matt 5:17), He sought and saved the lost (Luke 19:10), He died for our sins (1 Cor 15:3), and He reconciled us to God (2 Cor 17-21). This week spend time worshiping Jesus for being true to His Word, His name and His character. Jesus promised that if we believe the truth of who He is and what He did for us, we will be set free! The truth will set us free! This is praise worthy! Inward Worship. Inward worship refers to worshiping God through our personal behavior. Ephesians 5:8-10 gives an example of worshiping God through our goodness, righteousness and truth. Inward Attribute: Courage 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men (and women) of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. Joshua 1:9, Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. What is courage? Courage is not the absence of fear, but it is ability to act in the presence of fear (Author unknown). Super heroes are thrilling for kids. Spiderman, the Hulk, and Wonder Woman all charge forward in the midst of great odds to conquer an enemy. But, in real life, how come we hesitate, rather than charge forward? The opposite of courage is fear and fear is real! Fear can paralyze us from moving forward with great opportunities or even pointing out something embarrassing like food in our friend s teeth. How can we act in courage when fear is real and present? Here are few steps to identify your fears and Bible verses to encourage you to move forward with courage. o Begin in prayer. Ask Jesus to bring to mind the desires of your heart and the courage to see what is really going on. He is faithful and full of truth! Remember our praise from above, Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. o Draw 3 columns in your journal, label the first column Courageous Acts, the second column Fears that Stop Me, the third column, Jesus is with me. o Step 1, In the first column list the Courageous Acts you would like to accomplish. Here are a few ideas: take a balloon ride, parachute out of a plane, talk to your boss about a work issue, restore a past friendship, end an addiction, share your faith with a parent or friend, go on a mission trip.

3 o Step 2, prayerfully ask Jesus to give you His wisdom of what fears may be keeping you from moving forward with these Courageous Acts. Some fears may be: fear of heights, fear of someone s opinion, fear of facing past hurts, fear of rejection, fear of raising financial support. o Step 3, next to your fears write down the promises of God s Word. Use these verses to encourage you to move forward with your Courageous Acts in God s perfect timing! A few verses to encourage you are: Psalm 34:4-5, 23:4, 27:1, 46:2, 40:1-3; 1 John 4:18; Mt 14:27; 1 Cor 16:13-14; Joshua 1:9. And remember, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act in the presence of fear. Faith is not the absence of doubt, but the courage to believe in spite of doubt. Trust is not the absence of qualms, but the capacity to go forward despite misgivings (Reverend Mary Harvey). Outward Worship. Outward worship reflects our love for God and others through our actions. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16. Outward Attribute: Share Jesus. Acts 1:8, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. How do we begin to share our faith with our friends? This is a great question! Once we move beyond our fears, we naturally ask, How do I begin to share my faith in Jesus? o Ask God to give you a passion for people. Sharing our faith isn t so much a program or a technique, it is a passion of the heart. So, ask God to give you a passion and desire to share your faith in Jesus with your friends and family. o Second, be authentic. People are not looking for perfection, they are looking for friends who are real and authentic. Share how God is working in your life, in the ordinary events and activities so they may see God is real. o Third, love people unconditionally. Jesus is our example of how to love unconditionally. Demonstrate the love of Jesus by loving your family and friends through their struggles and pointing them to Jesus through His word, prayer, and encouragement. Additional Home Time Suggestions are given below for families with preschoolers, children and teenagers. For Families with Preschoolers: This week the passage that Dr. Brooks preached from is the account of the beginning of the church at Antioch. This became the model for what we call New Testament churches. Tallowood is a New Testament church. A church is a group of people who believe in and follow

4 Jesus Christ as their Savior. Often we think of our church as being just a building with a steeple on top, but really the church is made up of the people inside, God s people! Together as a family, gather some of these supplies that you might have around the house: popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, egg cartons, cereal boxes, straws, toothpicks, tape, etc. Also find magazines or ads in newspaper circulars to find pictures of people that you can cut out. Use these items to create a structure that resembles a church. Remember parents, this doesn t have to be perfect, allow your child some room for creativity! Use tape to add the pictures of people from magazines or mail circulars to your structure. Make sure that you have a variety of types of people. You want to remember together that God s church is made up of all types of people, young and old, male and female, and from all nations. As you are doing this project together, talk with your child about how God wants all people to come to know Him and be a part of His church. For Families with Children (Grades 1-5): What do you do when something exciting happens to you? Who do you tell? Read together Acts 11:19-26 In the early church days, after Jesus went back to Heaven, some people were mean to his followers so they decided to leave Jerusalem to visit and live in other villages, cities, and countries. The good news is that as they made new friends, they began telling even more people about how Jesus died for their sins, was buried for three days, and then came back to life again just like he said he would. When the people heard the stories about Jesus, many believed in him, too. Just like in Bible times, people still go to their own city, other cities, states, and countries to tell people about Jesus. Sometimes people might go on a mission trip for a few days or weeks and other times they choose to live in another country for several years. Since we live in and around Houston, we can meet people from other countries and cultures here in our own city. If our family moved to another country, what are some things a friend could do to help you feel welcome? Do you know someone at church, school, or our neighborhood that is from another country or has just moved here from another city? Take a minute to talk about that country or city. You might even show pictures or maps of where the person lived. How can you be a friend to them?

5 God wants us to treat people just like we want to be treated; and he especially wants us to tell people the exciting news about His Son, Jesus. For Families with Students (Grades 6-12) Read: Acts 11:19-26, 13:1 Hi Friend! The book of Acts is truly an incredible story. It is the chronological happenings of how Christianity grew from a few people meeting together to pray to the forming of the first churches that spread across the region. Christianity was formed because Jesus s disciples shared their faith. And their faith in Jesus was contagious! As one candle can light a room, so one Christian can show the love of Jesus through their joy, choices they make, conversations they chose to participate in, how they struggle and solve problems, and most importantly through sharing their hope, joy, and salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. My Friend, you are a light in your classrooms at school, your hallways, your peer group, and even your family. Let your light shine for Jesus as go through each day. Ask Jesus to give you a passion for your peers to know Him. Sharing your faith isn t about following a program or a special technique; it is a passion from your heart for people to know Jesus and to discover the power and peace of God in their life. Second, be authentic or real with your friends. Teenagers are really sharp about detecting the difference between kids who try to be what other people want them to be and kids who are authentic. Kids are looking for real friends who they can be themselves around without being judged. Be that authentic friend who will love them no matter what. And last, if you have fears, no worries, Jesus is with you. He totally understands. God encouraged Joshua with these words, Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). As you go on with your day, remember these words that Jesus spoke, You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).