Pastor Matt

December 24, 2015

December 24 – Advent – Christ

John 1:1-18

The Deity of Jesus Christ

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Witness John

6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Made Flesh

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

December 21, 2015

Born is the King of Hope

Matthew 2.1-12

A tale of two kings…a tale of two hopes. Herod, an earthly king, living in Jerusalem, seeks to build a name and a kingdom for himself. Jesus, a heavenly King…but not just a heavenly King, but also an earthly King who came to reconcile heaven and earth, born in Bethlehem, has already been given a Name and a kingdom.

Herod’s hope is a very earthy hope…a hope for his own kingdom, a hope for power, prestige, position, pleasure. A hope that was very selfish and self-serving. A hope that did not save him because it could not. The scribes and the chief priests seem to have a similar hope, but slightly different. While they were not in the position of king, they still were building their own little kingdoms and hoping in an earthy king who could not save.

But the magi’s hope was in Someone far greater…His arrival was announced by the heavens. A star pointed the way. The magi’s hope led them to go to crazy, incredible lengths to see Jesus, and seeing Him, they couldn’t help but worship Him, bringing Him their costly gifts…a picture of their submission to Him (service). In Him, they found an object worthy of great pursuit…chasing after Him with ardor, zeal and perseverance…their hope was in Jesus, the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, the Warrior-King from the line of David, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Hero of the story and the only One who could rescue them.

What are you hoping in this Christmas? Who are you hoping in? Is it causing you to be selfish and self-serving? Is your confidence in people or things that are destined to disappoint? Or are you hoping in Jesus, the only One who can save and deliver and rescue…not just in an eternal sense, but also here and now? Is He your hope every day? Do you live that way…going to crazy incredible lengths to be in His presence, to worship Him, to serve Him with the same passion and diligence that the magi did? Are you living as one who has realized their hope in Jesus? Are we as God’s people making much of Jesus this Christmas, or are we caught up in the hustle and bustle of building our own little kingdoms?

“May Jesus the King be our one true hope this Christmas season.”

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on a sermon from our Advent series, Born is the King. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

December 19, 2015

December 19 – Advent Week 4 – Hope

Matthew 2:1-12

The Visit of the Magi

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

December 17, 2015

Born is the King of Joy

What is the greatest news you’ve ever received? I’ve had plenty of good experiences. I’ll never forget the day my wife said “Yes!” Or the day I found out I was getting my dream job. I remember hearing that a sick loved one was healed. I remember getting accepted to college. I cherish game 7 of the 2001 World Series and every Lakers’ championship.

Happiness is the natural response to good news. And not only that, but happiness is something we all want. According to a recent study, 84% of adults in the US, and 66% of practicing Christians, agree that “the highest goal for life is to enjoy it as much as possible.”

The good news for us is that happiness is a gift from God. The gospel of Jesus is good news of great joy for all people.

Sometimes life’s circumstances try to rob us of our joy, and the temptation can be to try and find happiness in a new circumstance: a relationship, or a shiny new purhase, but those are only temporary fixes.

Jesus is the only gift that can make our hearts sing. The Ellen Show may give amazing gifts for 12 days of Christmas, but Jesus has new mercies for us every day, all year long. Jesus is the one worth talking about. He is the ultimate treasure.

Joy is possible. In fact, anyone who has actually understood and embraced the gospel of Jesus is guaranteed to have joy that surpasses circumstances.

Jesus brings joy because His advent is the best news in human history. In Jesus, God bends down from heaven to bless lowly shepherds. Jesus alone brings rescue and forgiveness. He is perfectly loving and good. He is our God and King; He has all power and perfect justice. Jesus is the answer to every human struggle – He forgives our sins, comforts us in our suffering, changes us from the inside out, sets all things right, and grants us eternal life.

Make Jesus your most valued treasure this holiday season, and be amazed at all the reasons He gives you to rejoice!

December 12, 2015

December 12 – Advent Week 3 – Joy

Luke 2:8-21

8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

December 7, 2015

Born is the King of Love

Advent theme of Love through the eyes of Mary…

So today we’re going to talk about love…true love, God’s kind of love, a love that is foreign to the world we know today. Love that is action and not just emotion…notice I said “not just emotion” because love is not emotionless, but it is not primarily emotion. The love that the Bible talks about is a choice. God chooses to love us, not because we are so lovable…we’re not. We’re rebellious…we broke the good world He created and rejected Him in the process. But God chose to love us and He acted… “For God so loved the world, He gave…” Love asks the question, “How can I best serve you?”, not “what’s in it for me?” That kind of love is very different then than what our culture defines as love. You see, culture has what I like to call, a Walt Disney view of love. It’s actually a view of love that goes way back to the ancient Greek philosophers like Plato, who believed that at one time, we humans were two people in one body…4 arms, 4 legs, 2 heads, etc.…and because we became arrogant, thinking we could replace the gods, Zeus split us in half, rendering us less powerful and condemning us to spend the rest of our lives yearning for our other half to complete us. It’s where the idea of soulmate comes from. Somewhere out there there is a perfect match for me, my soulmate, the one who completes me. For you gals, it’s your prince charming. For the guys out there, it’s our Cinderella. When I find my soulmate, then we will live happily ever after. So when the happily ever after isn’t so happy, when the frog you kissed turns out to be just a frog and not a prince, then you have every right to throw him back and kiss another frog. When the glass slipper doesn’t fit, try it on someone else. Love lasts as long as I am happy, as long as my needs are met. Love is really about me. Now granted, that describes a particular kind of love between a guy and a gal, but the selfish aspect of that kind of love infects all of our relationships. I’m friends with those who somehow make me fill good… 

Mary didn’t know what she was getting into when she said, “Yes” to the Lord (Luke 1.26-33) and began the indescribable adventure of both parenting and following Jesus. She couldn’t have predicted the great joy and the great pain that it would bring. But she believed in God’s great love for her. She trusted that He was concerned about her good and was working things out to that end. Surely not what she had expected…but she didn’t regret saying, “Yes.”

What’s the great adventure He’s calling you to? What do you need to say “yes” to Him about?

 Saying “yes” assumes that you know God loves you…so, do you know that God loves you? Not just intellectually, but do you really know, do you believe that God loves you? He has gone to the greatest lengths to prove it. Sending His own Son to die so that we, you and I, might live. 

How are you experiencing God’s love? What does it look like in your life? Can you see His fingerprints in your circumstances? Are you learning to listen to His voice? You can only experience God’s love when you believe He loves you. 

 If other folks loved God the way you love God, and if they loved others the way you do, how would the world be different? What would that look like? More or less selfish. Remember love is a choice.

 “May we experience and share the love of the King this Christmas season.”

December 5, 2015

December 5 – Advent Week 2 – Love

Luke 1:26-37

Jesus’ Birth Foretold

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

November 28, 2015

November 28 – Advent Week 1 – Peace

Matthew 1:18-25

Conception and Birth of Jesus

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

November 26, 2015

Reading through the Bible

Well, we did it!

We began the Bible reading plan with the Old Testament on January 4th, 2014.

It took us almost two years but we have read and blogged through the entire Bible, having read through all 66 books, 1189 chapters and 31,173 verses.

As we make our way through the Advent season we will pause in our blog to embrace the Advent Devotional prepared by the staff here at Central.

But I thought it might be fun to add some of my favorite chapters in the Bible to read through in the coming weeks… extra credit anyone?

So here goes:

Genesis 1-3 Creation, Fall and Promise of a Savior

Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments

1 Samuel 17 – David and Goliath

Psalm 23 – The Lord is My Shepherd

Psalm 119 – God’s Word

Daniel 3 – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Daniel 6 – Daniel in the Lions Den

Isaiah 6 – The Lord on His Throne

Isaiah 53 – Pierced for our Transgressions

Luke 2 – Nativity

John 1 – The Word

John 3 – For God so Loved the World

Matthew 28 – The Resurrection

Acts 2 – The Holy Spirit

Acts 9 – Conversion of Paul

Romans 8 – Nothing Can Separate Us

1 Corinthians 13 – Love

Galatians 5 – Fruit of the Spirit

Ephesians 6 – Armor of God

Hebrews 11 – Hall of Faith

Revelation 20-21 Defeat of Satan, New Heaven and New Earth

Have a great Holiday Season – Born is the King!

See you next year, until then… keep reading!

Jim

November 19, 2015

How would knowing your future change the way you live today?

This is a question that I often ask myself… It’s not meant to be a morbid question. Instead, it is a realization that my days are numbered. According to the Bible, God knows our beginning from our end. Psalm 139:16 says, “In your book were written, every one of the them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.” One of the great mysteries of life is that although God knows our future, we do not.

The exciting thing about the book of Revelation is that God allows us to peek through the curtain of time. Not every question regarding our future is answered, but a number of future realties are expounded upon. One of those future realities is the immanent return of Christ. One day Jesus will return in glory and power, and all of us will give an account to him

This is what our passage of interest is all about. Here are three things from Revelation 11 that you can be absolutely certain of regarding the future.

  1. Jesus Will Rule Unchallenged

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15 ESV)

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.” (Revelation 11:17 ESV)

  1. The World Will Stand In Judgment

“The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged… and for destroying the destroyers of the earth” (Revelation 11:18 ESV)

  1. All Believers Will Be Rewarded

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great…” (Revelation 11:17-18 ESV)

So let me ask you… How should knowing these realities about the future change the way that you live today? Are you prepared to meet Jesus?

The good news about the Kingdom of God is that all are invited by Jesus to call it their home. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” ~ Jesus