May 13, 2007 Sermon

My notes from my sermon on Sunday...

A FRESH REVELATION OF CHRIST

May 13, 2007:

This morning I hope I am able to speak what I think God has laid on my heart for us. It is more of a feeling, more of a passion that I have in my heart, then a sermon which somehow lays out information or steps to follow in our lives. It is something that I have been meditating on based on a few scriptures that God has been laying on my heart. Some of these scriptures came to life to me as I spent time praying for you in Canada. It is not so much an idea, but a feeling. What I think God wants to say to us this morning is not something that I can portray to you, it is something that God has to reveal to you by the Holy Spirit.

Please turn with me to GALATIANS 1:11-12.

Paul tells the Galatians that the gospel he preached... meaning the teachings he gave about Jesus were not something that he had learned from someone else or had read in a book. But he taught them out of what he had experienced and seen. He had had Christ revealed to him... he had seen Christ in person. What I want to do this morning is to look again at the person of Christ and to at least give us a passion to seek out a fresh revelation of him. So I want you to open your heart and minds this morning and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the person of Christ to you in a fresh way. I want you even now to begin to hunger for more of Christ, to build an excitement about knowing him personally. Jesus Christ is a living person who can be known. He is not a historical character that we hear stories about like Julius Caesar. Christ entered history and lived here for a while... but he lives on.

Instead of coming to the Philippines, I could have read a book or talked to people who have been here and then gone and told all my friends about what the Philippines is like... and although the information would probably be true, I would not be able to speak with passion, nor would it be coming from my heart. I would not be able to truly portray what it is like to be here. If I truly want to portray what the Philippines is like, I had to come here, to experience it, the sounds, the smells, the heat, the hummidity, the tastes... to feel what it is like.

In much the same way, that is what I would like us to at least hunger for this morning regarding the person of Christ; not to be satisfied with learning of Him through others, but to experience the person of Jesus Christ yourself. He is alive! He rose from the dead and lives on and is longing to have a relationship with us. You can know about Julius Caesar, but you cannot know him... Christ can be known.

PRAYER

This morning I want to have a look at some stories from the bible that portray something about Christ. I want you to do me a favor and as we read and look at these stories. Keep in mind that they actually happened and that the same Christ lives today and can be known. There is nothing magic I can say to make these stories come alive to you. The Holy Spirit needs to reveal the truth to you.

>>>>>The first story that I want to look at is found in JOHN 8:1-11
The women was caught in the act of adultery. According to the Old Testament and Jewish law at the time this was an act worthy of death. It says that they brought her into the center of the court, no doubt against her will. For who would want to go, she knew that she was likely to be stoned to death. Imagine being stoned to death... not a quick death. Imagine her fear, knowing that she had been caught and knowing full well that they were justified in putting her to death. As the men continue to question Jesus to get him to pass a judgement on her and make a decision, he says to them “Whoever is perfect can go first and throw their stone.” Eventually, all of the men who wanted to stone the women left, no doubt frustrated.

Can you imagine how that women must have felt. All her accusers left. Only Jesus was left. The one person on the earth who was without sin and who could have thrown that first stone... but he did not and simply asked her. “Women where are the ones who were accusing you? Is there no one left who wants to condemn you?” She tells him “No one.”

Jesus tells her that he does not condemn her and that she is free to go and that she should leave her life of sin.

i) Are you fearful of drawing near to Christ? Do you fear condemnation? Do you fear that your sins or your past does not make you worthy to know Christ. Have you distanced yourself from an intimate and personal relationship with him because of some sin which you are carrying. Have you kept yourself only knowing about Christ because of the sin in your life. Look at the story here. Christ does not condemn sinners. Although he hates sin, he does not hate sinners. He loves us! So I say to you do not be afraid to come to Christ. Truly he is the only one who could condemn you... but he does not. Remember the verse, there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

When I was young I used to believe that I had to have my life in order to draw near to God. I only felt close to God when I was not sinning or when I was being strong enough to resist temptation. We can come to Christ at anytime or at any circumstance in our lives. So I say to you this morning draw near to Christ. He is waiting for you... not to condemn you, but to release you.

>>>>>The second story that I want to look at is found in LUKE 7:36-50
You can turn there yourself, but for sake of time, let me just give a synopsis of part of the story. A Pharisee has invited Jesus to his house and a prostitute shows up and begins to wet the feet of Jesus with her tears, wipe them dry with her hair and annoint his feet with perfume. The Pharisee is angry with the fact that Jesus would allow such a women to touch him. He thinks, Jesus must know who this women is, why isn't he getting upset, why isn't he repulsed. The Pharisee was no doubt disgusted by her and would never allow her to do the same to him.
Jesus knows the mans thoughts and tells him the story about two people who borrowed money from someone. One person borrowed 50 and the other borrowed 500. Neither of them could pay back the amount, so the person who lent out the money forgave them both. Jesus then asks the man who would love more... the person who was forgiven the small debt or the large debt. Simon answers, the one who was forgiven the larger debt. Jesus tells him that he is right.

Lets read LUKE 7:44-50

ii) Don't worry about what others will think. This women was willing to humilate herself and come to Christ, whereas the Pharisee would never. He did not annoint Christ... she did. He did not kiss him... she kissed his feet and dried them with her hair. This goes hand in hand with the previous story. This women had sinned much, but she had the courage to come to Christ and lay her sin at his feet. She was not concerned how she would look or how others would percieve. She was known by all as a women of sin... but she came to Christ anyway. Imagine wiping your own tears from someones feet using your own hair.

This women was full of sin, but she looked to Christ. She saw him as her only chance. She set aside pride and dignity and said Jesus I need you. He did not turn her away or condemn her, but freed her. We should not be afraid to draw near to Christ, regardless of the sin in our lives. Christs words are “your sins are forgiven” ... “go in peace.”

>>>>> The final story that I want to look at is LUKE 8:43-48
I have been meditating on this story a lot in the past few weeks. Reading it over and over again. I am not totally sure why this story stands out to me so much. Why is this story stuck in my head? I think there are a couple reasons why it is so significant to me.

The utter suffering this women was in. My stomach problem in Mexico. Desperation. I pray that we would have a sense of desperation to know Christ more and to reach out to him. This story does not just apply to physical burdens, but to emotional burdens, wounds in our life...
The shame she felt. She snuck up on Christ to get near to him and be healed. Wanted to go unnoticed. How many of us have done things or have had things done to us that we are ashamed of? We can come to Christ with those things.

Christ's insistence on making a personal connection with her. Christ had to know who it was who touched him and to connect with her. I think she was afraid that he would be angry for she came trembling. Christ could have left it... and let her go away healed... but he wanted to look into her eyes and say “Go in peace.”

iii) Just come. With just one touch we can be healed... how much more does God have for us. With all of her fears and all of her problems and desire to remain annonymous. This women came to Christ the way she knew how and the way she felt comfortable. I want to say to you this morning to come to Christ. With all your sin, whatever you are carrying, whatever has happened, whatever abuse, whatever mistake... Throw away fear of condemnation, do not be concerened about what others think, but come to Christ. Have you been bleeding inside... come, Christ will heal you.

We as the church should be alive in Christ! We should be bursting with excitement and energy because we know Jesus. I want to see fresh joy and passion in this place for the person of Christ. I want us to come to know him more and to be hungry to have a fresh revelation of the person of Christ.

www.dawicks.blogspot.com

Newsletter and house

Hey all...

Here is the text to my May 5, Newsletter. Had a hard time getting the PDF to be uploadable... next time ok.

"Well I have been on the ground working for a few days now (strange to think that the Philippines feels like home now) and it is hard to describe the way that I feel. Guess there is a lot of anticipation, excitement, a little fear, but there is mostly a sense of joy in the goodness of God my life. So many little things fell into place that just confirmed that this is where I am supposed to be at this time in my life. But on top of that and in spite of any circumstances, I feel a great sense of peace in my heart about being here.
I have a sense of anticipation to see what God will do in the lives of the people here. I know that as we continue to love and serve them that Christ will be revealed to them. One of our interns was discouraged that she was not making a difference in the life of a malnourished child and her mother. I told her to keep doing unto one of the least of these. She kept trying to feed the young child and teach the mother about nutrition. A couple days later our intern was beaming and praising God. She had spent some time praying with the mother and the mom had been crying on her shoulder. This is quite a miracle in itself as this mother has been a hard case for us. Praise God. I have also had the opportunity to spend lots of time with our staff encouraging and building them up. Pray that God continues to use us all and that His glory continues to shine into the lives of the precious people we work with.
Well, that's about all I really wanted to say, being the first one and all. One my first newsletter... ha. Miss you all and please stay in touch. Thanks so much for all your prayer and support. God Bless!"

I am doing good. Been so busy these last few days, have not really had a chance to set up my house, but I have a hammock, a guitar, a bible, a laptop and a place to sleep. What else do I need right? Anyway, thought a good idea to put up a video of my house... where I live. Enjoy... it was raining really hard when I took it, so its hard to hear me talk... in fact it is still raining really, really hard. Miss home, but I am so glad to be hear. This feels like home now, there is no doubt. God bless!



Here is the video.

www.dawicks.blogspot.com