2018 Jewels

These are my key point extracts from my notes of the 2018 sermons at Common Ground Church Durbanville

God is on a mission to include, not to exclude. He turns us rebels into united friendship and community. Current culture has ‘me’ at its centre. God wants to free us from these cultures that are hurting us more than we know.

In community we live lives open to challenge by others, and this revitalises us to give wings to our faith and our lives.

Don’t just ‘go’, but rather ‘belong’ to a church. We all need each other. God wants us to move from loose or casual connections to genuine community, living in communion with one another.

When we come together, we experience the belonging and care our soul craves. We try to substitute belonging and care with things like career, social media, hobbies and entertainment, which creates distant connectedness and no real relationships.

A successful recipe requires all the correct ingredients in the correct combinations, not cherry-picking only certain ingredients you like most.

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The life you should seek is way more than a self-help programme. Spiritual birth is a new birth that opens you to a new reality – it is a supernatural act from God.

Don’t be a slave to rules; rather be part of God’s family as sons and daughters, under our Father’s grace and mercy.

Jesus destroyed the fence such that you cannot remain undecided as to who He is.

The cross magnifies and glorifies God like a telescope does with what you see through it. Do I have the correct lens for the correct view of God?

Get off the throne of your life and let the true king of the universe step onto your throne and take over your life.

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We don’t avoid suffering by being good.

Suffering people become more receptive and open to healing truths.

We are called to alleviate pain and bring wholeness into situations, so don’t just measure situations: involve yourself to bring relief from pain and suffering.

At church you get to lift your eyes above your problems to God’s answers for you.

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The resurrection is the power working within our hearts. We will not suddenly become perfect and it will not suddenly all become easy, as we will still sin and experience difficulties.

There is hope in the resurrection and it is referred to as biblical hope, which is not the uncertain hope generally prevailing, but rather one of absolute certainty that it has happened and that it will result in certain realities.

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Baptism is not about what I know in order to formally become part of the church (like confirmation is), but it is rather about the burial of an old life and a rebirth after washing away the old sinful self, raised up to new life, being transformed and moved away from sin day by day, one step at a time, to become more like Jesus.

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Religion offers advice on how to live, whereas the gospel is an announcement that something has happened. You no longer have to live under the tyranny of self-rule, but rather under the benevolent rule of Jesus.

Jesus’ call to follow Him is the progressive transforming work of the Holy Spirt over time. Jesus revealing Himself to us is not static, so we need to learn to grow over time in His slipstream as He takes us up hills and through valleys. He breaks our self-absorption and narcissism.

If God intended our life to be easy, it would be. He provides us with tools of refinement over time. In the gospels you need to see Jesus doing absolutely everything he is calling you to do, in order for you to see that following His calling is all doable.

1 Corinthians 3 advises that all things are given to those who believe, and so there is no need to pursue it ourselves at all costs as our only option. We have a restored present and a restored future.

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The fact that Jesus said ‘Enough’ just before Judas betrayed Him reveals that His suffering happened in the context of His authority, i.e. he was fully in charge of those events, and this shows us how God’s sovereign hand is over even suffering.

Jesus showed us that physical and emotional suffering is part of life, and that we can respond to suffering with grace and courage as we follow in His footsteps. He said “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”

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God never calls us to blind faith with no substance in reality.

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The Christian life is a life of sojourn, travelling through the world to our final destination, Heaven. We are to be attentive, engaged, loving and caring, be in the world, but not of it. We should thus be a little bit out of step with the rest of the people in the world who are not believers.

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What does submission look like? Respectful and pure conduct. Respect is basically the opposite of contempt. It is to ‘bear with’ and encourage, not to ‘mock’ others.

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Jesus will not condemn you in this life; His grace and forgiveness will uplift you.

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It is not women’s responsibility to be unattractive because of what is going on in some men’s minds that they do not properly control. Women are to move past the culture of shame.

Men are advised to notice how kind and compassionate women are, as opposed to how attractive they are from their clothing or jewellery. Men should focus on these former aspects of women, as opposed to their looks or physical attributes.

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The bible is the story of how God’s grace breaks into people’s broken lives; it is not a book about perfect people. We learn from each other’s examples and mistakes.

Do not torment yourself with many ‘if only’ moments – you will see their purpose in the bigger scheme of things in due course, because God works in all moments and circumstances. God knows how to take us through processes that result in deep change within us; He knows the profound power of journey. We need to trust the deep wisdom of His love in all circumstances.

Don’t mistake God’s silence for His absence. Assurance is there for all in Christ Jesus.

We often ask, why does God not make my life (seemingly) easier? He could make it far better than this. But it is not Him making it difficult for us, it’s the fallen world of sin that causes this. He does, however, find ways to grow us or work for our good in these situations.

People often blame things beyond our control for the fault in our lives, but it is actually sin that is responsible (ours and that of other people).

God is not the author of evil; He permits it but over rules it, in total control overall. God’s plan for (and work in) your life doesn’t always make sense to you as it unfolds.

You need to get to a place where your character is compatible with the destiny God has for you. God helps us in our challenges to become more dependent on Him, instead of being self-sufficient. We need to really feel and know our need for the Holy Spirit to guide us in life.

God is likely doing the most in your life when things are seemingly going worst for you.

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Self control is not about suppressing certain desires; it is about allowing an overarching desire to grip your heart and take control of all things; it is a complete reordering of the loves of your heart.

When you focus on temptation it will blind you to the realities of the situation.

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Sometimes it’s only after a season of having no choice that we learn to trust in God’s timing.

It is not a matter of ‘if’, but rather ‘when’ you will face character-building challenges. Do not waste a good suffering; ask God to help you look beyond and understand what he is trying to teach you through that time, remembering that He is with you always.

We have to reject self-pity while we wait on God. Self-pity happens when suffering defines us, and when we compare to others and see ourselves as being in a worse position than them. It can prolong suffering and make it worse, as we are unable to see how God is helping and can help us. We miss the avenues for out. It is a form of faithlessness, as we do not put our trust in God, but focus on our own circumstances. It includes being angry at God instead of taking our anger to God; it excludes God and blames Him instead of moving closer to Him in dependence upon Him; it is trusting in self instead of in God; it is being in an unteachable state.

You have a much higher chance of receiving favour as you serve others, because serving takes the focus off of you as you focus on other’s needs.

Do not edit or de-emphasise part of what God is telling you: it is all for your growth and part of His plan for you.

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We need to be working for the Lord before our earthly bosses. Be fully engaged in your work by ensuring you are adding value and being a blessing to others. Don’t be neutral, disengaged or negative and thus waste other people’s time and energy. Always work with the highest level of integrity and engagement.

We should take responsibility instead of shirking it, and give credit where credit is due instead of taking all the credit ourselves. We are to practise servant leadership, which means that we are here to serve others in leading them, as opposed to being served by them. We do this by seeing people for who they are, instead of as objects to use to achieve something or as a stepping stone to a promotion, or as obstacles in our way, or as nothing or irrelevant.

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We should carry an attitude of forgiveness, kindness and love instead of one of bitterness and resentment.

1. Our attitude lies at the centre of our ability to bring harmony into relationships.

2. You cannot control other people’s attitudes, only your own, and so be intentional in your attitude choices.

3. The person we tend to hurt most as we aim to bring wrath on others is ourselves, as we hold onto the grudges of the past and allow this to control and hurt us out of the freedom to allow goodness to flourish.

4. All forgiveness is costly because you bear the cost yourself as you absorb the debt (Tim Keller).

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It is chronological snobbery when we think the Bible (or parts thereof) no longer applies to us.

Don’t be afraid God ‘won’t get it right’ according to you. We actually do not know what is best and how things will play out; only God does.

God weaves it all together into the tapestry of or lives, even the sinfulness, faithfully determining where each thread goes.

God often does not allow us to see the complete picture/tapestry too soon or only allows us to see the ‘messy’ side because we could otherwise be caught up in our circumstances and thus not see God in the picture and His hand in our lives.

God is transcendent and beyond our full comprehension as a triune god, and yet He makes Himself known and comes close to us. There is much mystery in who God is, and it is right that we do not understand all the detail.

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A self-centred life does not work out[ward] – deep emptiness and loneliness result.

Thoughts have the ability to shape our lives, our behaviour and the way we engage the world.

Your current state of mind is a factor of repeated thoughts and what you focus on mentally over time. Thoughts drive emotions.

Self-talk is often lying to ourselves, becoming captive to our minds and the thoughts in our head.

A healthy soul requires healthy thinking. You change the way you think when you become a Christ-follower.

Despair is often the result of a lack of hope and a lack of faith. Nobody actually knows the future, so stop thinking negatively about it. As Christians we are friends with the one who knows the future.

Christians view the world as full of hope, because we know that death is just a doorway into a life of joy in the presence of God.

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Scripture reflection moves people forward in their love for God and for others like no other spiritual practise does.

Normal Christianity is about what flows out of me and into others; it is not just about what happens within me. It is about becoming more concerned for and about others.

You need to say ‘no’ to many things in life, but do not neglect fellowship if you wish to have spiritual health and wish to grow spiritually.

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Our passive faith feeds and fuels our active faith, in that proper belief leads to transformed behaviour.

Sinning in our active faith leads us back to our passive faith to remind us of God’s forgiveness and love, so we don’t beat ourselves up too much about our sins, and try harder to not repeat the sins.

Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see. This confidence has substance, like a title deed to your inheritance and reward.

People often see faith as a means to an end to accomplish great things for God, but the point is not what you accomplish, but the faith you display as you follow in Jesus’ footsteps, hence the term Christ-follower.

When you are going through a difficult time, it is often the case that God is disciplining you, always for your good. This disciplining is not primarily about correction, but it is so that you can grow in wisdom and follow Jesus well and bless those around you.

Obedience is something you learn each and every time you make the correct conscious decision with specific intent. Opportunities and opposition create times to be intentional and to make the correct decisions, so you can grow in faith and fortitude.

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You have a God of peace. He is in His essence peaceful, and He provides peace for us. He is at peace no matter what and despite all our rebellion and sinfulness.

No matter how difficult it gets, there is something greater that holds you and will go on beyond your difficulty.

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When your outflow exceeds your inflow, the shortfall will be your downfall.

Margin is the difference between your load and your limits.

A. We need margin in our time. We need to avoid falling into the constant availability and accessibility mode, and also FOMO. We need to make time to read God’s word, to reflect thereon, to think and to pray.

B. We need margin in our finances. Spend less than you have. God’s provision can change over time, from times of excess to times of little, and we must adjust accordingly. Pride and comparison cause us to spend what we don’t have. Beware the lies that money tells us, in terms of its lack of ability to follow through on its (perceived) promises.

C. There are all kinds of margin, including emotional and work margin. Don’t over-commit or overload.

Own and accept your limits. See yourself as finite, and free yourself from society’s demands on you.

We must remind ourselves that God does not tie His affection for us to our net asset value. This relates to equating the status of our relationship with God with our financial wellbeing or poverty; a way of keeping score, or even of (incorrectly) believing that obedience and faithfulness will bring a comfortable life (prosperity gospel).

Be determined to fight for margin in your life. Create a ‘not to do’ list. Perfect the art of saying ‘no’ in the nicest possible way, for all the right reasons.

Take action by listening to God’s voice over money’s voice in our lives. Jesus wants your heart (what you love), not your money.

Jesus offers a peace that goes far beyond a gap in your calendar. He will drain the restlessness from your soul and give you contentment and rest/margin.

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When we are praying for justice, we tend to pray for people and against wickedness and oppression, but we actually need to leave it up to God and not try to resolve it ourselves.

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Pressure causes us to doubt who we are. Only God justifies our thoughts and actions because He knows all (we need look to nobody else for this justification). We walk with God’s arm over our shoulder and hand on our chest.

Pressure causes us to doubt where we are going. God is in control and nothing surprises Him. Romans 8:28. When you feel the pressure, remember that sometimes you are the cause of the pressure.

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Jesus carries us in our pain. He gives us meaning in our suffering by teaching us through the suffering. He makes us wounded healers, so that we can use what we experience to be a fountainhead of healing in others’ lives. God whispers to us through our conscience, but He shouts to us in our pain = big lessons are learnt in pain and suffering. Hardship has a way of making us responsive.

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Everything our Father does is an overflowing of His love. Thus, do not share your message out of a feeling of guilt or duty; do it out of the love that is within you for others.

Like Jesus, be in the culture of the people, but not of the culture - thus reject the sin and wrong beliefs of the popular culture.

Mission is something you do with God (not for God), and so you can expect supernatural support. God helps us by opening up people’s hearts.

When things are going well people generally don’t respond to the gospel; they rather do when they are going through challenging situations.