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© Evergreen Church | Tulsa, OK
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Evergreen Church: Knowing God, Sharing Life, Changing the World.
Evergreen Church: Knowing God, Sharing Life, Changing the World.
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The habitation of the gods has been a fascination in almost every culture throughout human history. The prophet Isaiah stands tall with a revelation that would have stunned his hearers and all who had come before him—God lives in a most extraordinary place. He dwells among humble men who honor His Word.
The Servant has already been presented as the ideal prophet conscious of a worldwide mission from God. His complete dedication and trust gives assurance of His final success. But until now, Isaiah has hidden the news that the Servant’s activity would be interrupted by death. A dreadful puzzle this—why must the Servant suffer, bleed, and die alone?!
The Servant’s mission appears, at first glance, to lack any real hope of success. He was charged to reach the entire world; he was overwhelmingly rejected by men; he suffered horribly and finally died. Yet the nations will be stunned and kings will be speechless at His ultimate accomplishments. God will reward the Servant with eternal honor and glory!
Our perspective changes when we learn to set our eyes on Jesus and to learn who He is according to Scripture. The challenge is to keep our focus on Him in a generation that is fighting a never-ending battle against distractions. If we lose sight of our Savior, we will grow discouraged and lose heart. But to find peace in the battle, we must fix our eyes on the King and relentlessly pursue His presence.
Many Christians struggle to find meaningful change in their lives. They work themselves to the bone but never seem to achieve the rest or “easy yoke” that Jesus promised. What if God intended for our lives to look differently than we think? What if He has given us the answer to our problems but we have believed a lie? If we are to truly live the crucified life, maybe it is simpler than we thought.
Ultimately, prayer is motivated by a yearning for eternity, a pull toward a time when God will make all things right and righteous. As this longing for another place moves in us from subconscious to awareness, prayer has greater power since it increasingly aligns with God’s eternal will and purpose.
Prayer is often an exercise in talking ABOUT God or even talking AT God. Especially in times of stress or suffering, we often think that events are based on our assumptions about the way life works; and things would change if we could only get God to listen to our thoughts on the matter. Yet, when God truly enters the conversation, silence is our primary response.
The cry for spiritual revival in any generation is more than merely a call for God to make society better. Rather, it is a plea for God to intervene dramatically in the decline of a nation, and to do so by raising up and re-invigorating His own people first. Praying for revival is dangerous; but not praying for revival is disastrous.
There are two lives that all humans live- There is the life they live in public to convince themselves and others that they are good and right, and there is the life they live in private that accuses them in their hearts of their shame and guilt. The enemy of God's children tells them with each passing moment that they are a fraud and guilty of all things. The message of the Gospel is that God can also see that private guilt, and He still wants to save and use us.
We live in a generation driven to remove all vestiges of God and faith from the public square. The Bible is ignored. The Constitution is twisted beyond its meaning. One offended person can block any religious exercise or censor public prayer. Christians wring their hands and worry for the future. But is this our only recourse? Can we do nothing else? What if we were desperate enough to pray as Moses prayed?
Our generation lives “on the run.” Jacob lived like that. He was literally born “on the run,” trying to outfox everyone around him. He ran from his brother Esau. He ran from his father-in-law Laban. He was really running from himself. Yet a day came when he ran out of resources and ran into God. At that moment, everything in Jacob’s life changed.
Jesus’ final point challenges disciples to live well in the middle of the “real” world. Isolation is not an option for us. Therefore, He finishes with a consideration of relationships. In other words, what does the world see in us? His closing words invite us to grasp the inevitable result of responding to or refusing His call to discipleship. Will we follow Him?
Christianity makes little sense when considered from the perspective of this world. Like an optical illusion, the benefit of a godly life is seen only when one relocates to a new vantage point. This God-perspective inevitably compels believers toward a change in priorities, a radical realignment of life.
Following a definition of true happiness and a call to influence and duty, the sermon continues with an explanation of conduct appropriate among Kingdom people. Jesus teaches it is not enough to avoid sinful behavior if we also fail to deal with the heart. Likewise, positive behavior must flow from a right heart, a correct motive. Jesus-followers display a radical commitment to a higher standard for life.
The Sermon on the Mount presents the profile of an authentic follower of Christ. This description is not offered as a sort of ethical creed for society at large. Rather, these ideals can only be lived out in an obedience based on a personal relationship with Jesus. These principles challenge us, but they are not beyond reach as we walk in the power of the Spirit within us.
As the early Church grew in numbers and influence, persecution increased. Stephen is the first recorded Christian martyr, and his testimony provides a model for serious Christian commitment in every generation. His powerful prayer compels us to take seriously our status as outsiders in this world.
Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, “Life does not consist of having a good hand at cards, but of learning how to play a poor hand well.” The ancient Chronicler would have agreed, adding that in the game of life an essential part of learning how to play is learning how to pray. The presence of God overcomes the liabilities of the past and the uncertainty of the future.
An absolutely essential verse, here is Paul’s confession of the power of the cross in his own life. It stood between him and his past. His self-life was nailed there, and this new life was no longer derived from vain struggles to be religious, but from the indwelling and overflowing life of Jesus. 2024 is, for Evergreen, the Year of the Crucified Life!
Contending for the Faith is not the most pleasant of spiritual duties, but it is action required of particular generations of Jesus-followers at moments of intense spiritual warfare. Jude writes at just such an historical moment. His words are disturbingly relevant for believers today.
The story of Christmas didn’t begin in the manger in Bethlehem. It actually began long ago in the plan of God before creation. The entire sacrificial system of the Old Testament was a huge canvas that pictures man’s need for an innocent substitute to die in his place. Jesus is the eternal Lamb of God, sufficient to provide for our redemption. Merry Christmas!
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