The Well Church OKC

He Is Risen!

Recall where we have just been. John has just shared the intimate account of Jesus' divine appointment with Photima. (or at least that is the name we will use for her.) “This man really is the Savior of the world.” Not just because of another person's account or words, but because of personal encounters with Jesus. Because of “his words.” In other words, because they listened to what Jesus said to them intimately and it changed who they believed him to be. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

All about us. Or, rather, all about how Jesus sees and accepts us. Each and every one of us. The Gospel of John is utterly consistent in sharing both the dire consequences of sin that must be dealt with, and the perfect redemption available to those who would believe in Jesus, accepting his gift of salvation. Either we are responsible for our sin, or He is. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

The most important time in our lives is not when we were born, or when we die. It is not when we graduate or when we get married or when we have kids. It is not when we get a promotion or get a terminal diagnosis. It is when we make the decision about whether or not to place our faith in Jesus as our Savior. Everything in our eternal existence hinges on this choice. Nothing is more important than that we are born again. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Last week, Lukas spoke about the clearing of the temple. This was, as all events recorded in John, deeply important. In this account, we see Jesus depicted as anything but shy, retiring and peaceful. He brought justice and accountability to those who would defile the temple and use religion to profit. He brought unflinching challenge to those unwelcome people who had made themselves at home in His Father's house. He was forceful and clear in making right what was wrong. In this we get a hint at the character of God. God is perfectly holy and will always reconcile this trait by the eradication of sin and imperfection. It is clear that one day God will make all things perfect. It is inevitable and we can look forward to it, deny it, or anticipate it with dread. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Guest Speaker Lucas Lunsford leads us through the second half of John chapter 2 as Jesus demonstrates His zeal for His house by cleaning out the temple. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

The Book of John exists so that we might be saved through our belief in Jesus Christ. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Today we continue our study of the life and person of Jesus Christ as most likely narrated by the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, former fisherman and brother to James, apostle of Jesus. Written likely around 70 AD, and is probably the last Gospel written. It is John's careful account of Jesus which is told through a narrative that includes about 21 days of his life. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Today we will begin our study of the Gospel of John. This is often the first book that new believers are encouraged to read. As all of the Gospels, it is a remarkable narrative of the life and person of Jesus Christ. Written most likely by the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, former fisherman and brother to James, apostle of Jesus. Written likely around 70 AD, and is probably the last Gospel written. It is John's careful account of Jesus which is told through a narrative that includes about 21 days of his life. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

I have occasionally struggled with some of the ways that Christianity pursues the ideas of discipleship. Each generation of Christ followers works on this diligently, and each has a bit of a different take. Bible studies, tools and teachers abound. Resources, study guides and sermons on discipleship are abundant and available everywhere. It seems that we should be very well positioned to have unity and agreement on what a follower of Jesus is and does. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Guest Pastor Britt Clay shows us why the Great Commission is so important in our lives as Christians. We do not have time to waste. Will you choose to follow the command our King has given and make disciples of our King? If your answer is yes. Here are a few things you need to do. 1. Surrender your life to Jesus 2. Find someone to help you grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. – An expert disciple maker 3. Learn how to reproduce what you have taught into other people's lives. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

All the parts, materials, ingredients and resources we need to construct our lives have been given us by our God. Nearly infinite possibilities. Nearly infinite pathways. We have a great deal of agency and a huge number of choices we can make as we form our lives. We have control of what we put in our bodies, in our minds and into our spirits. We can choose healthy pathways in relationships and we can choose ways to grow the talents and gifts we have been given. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

As believers and followers of Jesus, we do want to get better, but sometimes we make it hard on ourselves. However, the more we understand about who we are, what our issues may be and how we can make steady progress, the better off we will be. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Last week we learned about the change to come. The way we will be made utterly complete and perfect in God's image. Our material, that is physical, beings will be perfected, nurtured precisely to be what we can and should be. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Last week we talked about what to do with Jesus. Each person who heard about him and encountered the truth of his birth dealt with it in personal ways. The shepherds, the magi, Mary, Joseph, Zachariah and Elizabeth, Herod… How you chose to deal with the person of the Messiah of all mankind is the most important thing that you or any other human will ever determine. Once we have decided what to do about Jesus, change is upon us. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Figuring out what to do with Jesus is a world-wide problem to solve. Sooner or later, all people have to decide and we see this played out in countries around the world, in governance structures, in academia and in our personal lives. Major religions have had to decide what to do with Jesus as well. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

We should study the Word of God as if our very souls depended on what it says. Because, of course, they do. We are betting everything on the fact that Jesus is who the Word says He is. We are placing ALL of our hope in Him. Our beliefs, as Christians, require that we embrace no other way to salvation except through Him. No other God but Yahweh. No other spirit than the Spirit of God. No other Savior, but Jesus. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Basic morality is a hallmark of a saved person. It is one of the things that we should actually consider frequently and pay attention to in our daily lives. We should be attentive to not only the “big” things, but even the smallest things that might ruin our witness and set us back. No cheat days! CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

If we live long enough, we will find that there are some folks who just don't like us. This may be the case for several reasons. First, we could have very well given them a legitimate reason to not care for us. Next, they could have a misunderstanding about something that causes them to turn away from a relationship or otherwise not care for us. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064

Paul knew that only sharing the Gospel was not the fullness of his work. He knew that it was critical to see to the growth and development of believers so that they became mature followers of Christ. He spent the majority of his life after conversion in this pursuit. His visits to churches on his 3 missionary journeys were largely for this purpose. His letters to individuals and local churches were as well. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

The Word of God is our True North. It allows us to see all things in light of the design of God. Without this grounding standard, we would simply wander through life, unwilling and unable to avoid destruction. We would never be able to truly thrive in the lives our God has given us. We would never really know the answers to life's questions. We would not have the motivation to move in the right direction. We would not be able to seek purpose and meaning. We would not know how to direct our children or support our community. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

So, it seems simple to see that Jesus affirmed that Children of God are those who seek peace. We are not only called to desire peace, but to work to see it come on earth. This is the desire of our God. Our enemy desires conflict, sin, brokenness, war and sadness. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Contrived fears are one thing. Real fear is something altogether different. It isn't enjoyable for anyone at all. It seeps in or leaps in. It takes over. When you get the news about the diagnosis. When your boss schedules a meeting at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon. When you get the phone call from one of your kids or family members late at night. When the tornado sirens go off at 1:30 AM… CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Communication is key. How many times have you heard this said? It is often pointed out when it has broken down between parties. In the workplace and in the home, many times. Between nations who are in conflict and in business dealings. The nature and effectiveness of communication are absolutely essential to human interactions. Until and unless we become able to actually read each other's minds (and this thought horrifies me a bit,) communication is critical to interaction with all kinds of people in all places. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Lucas Lunsford encourages us to maintain vigilance as we listen for God and obey. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

So many times we consider the Word of God as we would any other piece of mail, electronic or otherwise. I wonder why we do this. Perhaps because we ultimately treat it as if it was from another human, like us. Flawed, selfishly motivated, no more or less than what we could offer ourselves. We see it as something that should be evaluated, contemplated, discussed and reviewed. Then, perhaps, we might choose some portion of it to consider if it adds value to our lives. Most of it, perhaps, ends up in the trashcan. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Last week, I previewed a bit of what the final chapter of Nehemiah would hold for us. Another accounting of the Jewish nation drifting from their focus on the God who had redeemed them from exile, given them purpose and resources, and seen them through the rebuilding process of the wall, the city of Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel. We often look at the book of Nehemiah only in the narrative of the wall being built, but in its entirety, it is a much more honest look at the nature of the nation of Israel, and truly, our own lives. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

We are God's chosen people, selected before we were even created! This is hard to understand on many levels, and yet its truth is true! So, as we look at the concluding chapters in Nehemiah, we would do well to identify this book as a reminder of God's faithfulness even more than it is a reminder of our infidelity.

Unity within the body of Christ is a calling worth living for because it points to Christ crucified and promotes spiritual growth. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

What's in a name? It is a common phrase but one I want to explore a bit this morning. A name is a powerful and meaningful word. It communicates a significant amount and is often overlooked in our day to day lives. Why? Because it is common perhaps. All of us have one it seems. Some of us actually have several. We have the name or names we were given at birth. We have names that our friends call us. We have nicknames and names that fit in certain contexts, etc. Names from before we were married, and names after. Work names and house names. The fact that our God truly, deeply and fully knows us by name should be one of the most comforting things in our lives. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

We are, or were, all lost. None of us has chosen to remain true to our Creator. At some point, or at many points in our lives, we have taken paths that lead to our destruction. We are prone to wander, prone to leave the God who loves us. We give our affections to the things of the world. To violence, to lust, to attention, to power, to easy money, to anger, to fear. Even to things that seem good by the world's standards. To building a business, to pursuing a degree, to buildings family. But these things, devoid of the aim to pursue God, are a placebo that keeps us from desiring the Kingdom - a snare that pulls us away from our true purpose. When we do these things, we are willingly walking into the trap of sin slavery. We are in exile. We eventually wake up to our condition, but we are never able to rescue ourselves. This is the endless hopeless cycle that all humanity traps itself into.

Matt Cancio takes us through some of the ways our enemy Satan tries to distract us from doing God's will for our lives, and how we should respond. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Those who are most fragile are the ones most quickly and profoundly affected by stress and economic challenge. They simply have no buffer, no margin to absorb the hard times. They are not only more quickly impacted, but the proportionate harm is much greater. The systems of support, the resources and the networks needed to make it through challenge are simply much less for the less affluent. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Sometimes you have to fight for what you know to be true. This is simply reality. It has always been so, apparently. When you stand for something that is in opposition to what others gain from, you will find yourself in their crosshairs. Let's pick up our story where we left off. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

We are actually not moving toward the inevitable complete destruction of the world and its people, but toward the perfect restoration of all creation! We should act like it. The ultimate story of the Gospel is embodied in this idea. Our lives, intended for a perfect and perfectly fulfilling relationship with our Creator, can only return to the original condition when the redemptive work of Jesus is fully completed in our spirits. Nehemiah had awakened to his work in his world and was working to awaken it in God's people. They were inspired to act and act they did. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

The people of Jerusalem had grown accustomed to seeing their walls broken down, heaped in piles. They walked around the rubble. They did not care that the gates of the city, actual and symbolic for the power and protection of a people, were destroyed. They were making due, simply accepting what was, not seeing what could or should be. Nehemiah was in a pretty good place. His life was good, in fact. Elevated to a high position, his life was made. He was personally in no need of a mission or work like what he was taking on. However, he was willing to move on it once God revealed what needed to be done. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Guest speaker Dr. Henry Chan teaches the importance of preserving unity in the church. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Visiting Pastor Lucas Lunsford takes us through life and times of the unwilling prophet, Jonah. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

The book of Nehemiah could be read as a sequel to the book of Ezra, and some scholars believe the two were originally one work. It is possible that Ezra compiled Nehemiah's original accounts with other material to create the book of Nehemiah. However, most scholars believe the book was written by Nehemiah. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Some people think that we become fully perfected autonomous driving vehicles when we are saved. That we are simply on spiritual autopilot and now we can sit back and just cruise through life. As if we now have a way of avoiding sin, destruction and all other aspects of our carnal nature. Wow. Wouldn't that be something. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Last week we talked about our tendency to want to return to the things that we were once practicing as unbelievers. Paul balances the very clear contention against works as required for salvation with the equally clear expectation that once saved, we will act like we are saved. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

We are prone to wander, inclined to return to our mess from which our God has saved us. We are weird like that, given to a gradual slide back into the lives and tendencies we once had. We once wore a groove of sin in our lives. We got up every day and chased sinful goals, sought sinful experiences. Associated with other sinful people. We worked to become experts in sinning through repetition and practice. It was our whole way of living. It was a path willingly chosen that was leading to complete destruction of both our own eternal lives and often, those around us. We were so good at living in anti-God ways that sinning was as easy as breathing. In fact, it didn't even seem that bad to most of us. It just was the way we moved through life. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

I picture Paul a bit like the following when he is dealing with the churches in Galatia who are falling prey to the Judaizers. He was, however addressing a very common misconception in the Church, even today. We are so prone to message and believe that our works are what is required to make us acceptable to God. Even in our most earnest moments, with our best effort, this is still not true. In fact, it is a dangerous tendency and a terminal belief. This is why Paul was so passionate about correcting it in the churches. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

There is simply not a better understanding of God's love, our sin and Jesus grace and sacrifice than the Gospel. No other God, no other Savior. No other way than Jesus. There is no other Good News No other means by which we can be saved. No other attempt by any God to save us. No other opportunity by which we can save ourselves. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

What is your story of redemption? How were you brought to an awareness of who God is and your position before God? When did you know how dire your condition was and when did you deeply desire to be His child? CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Last week we spoke of what happens after folks have encountered the living God. After the resurrection, after the ascension, after one has been saved. What takes place after someone has had a genuine experience with God is worth thinking about. We simply cannot remain the same. After we have been changed by God, our life is not the same any more. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

What do we do now? What do we do next? What do we do after? This must have been the question asked by Jesus followers on a number of occasions. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Pastor Phil Brewster shows us the results of Biblical characters who made excuses instead of responding to God in obedience. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

Pastor Lucas Lunsford encourages us to become a living scrifice. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

One of the most beautiful things about being a Christian is that we, after having received the best gift, can be a part of giving this same gift to others. It is an incredible part of being a Christ follower. One of the very best parts in fact. We can give the gift of love because He has given it first to us! CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l

The power of God is expressed through the Church. The work of the Kingdom is done through the Church. The message of Jesus is shared through the church. It seems clear that the thing all believers should be doing is found in the understanding and participation in the Church. Again today we will work to better understand the expectation and obligation of being active members of our church. CCLI Copyright License 11107056 CCLI Streaming License CSPL085064l