http://bible.com/events/49049608

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Tough Sayings of Jesus – Part 3″You Can’t Serve God and Money”

Today, on our way to passion week, we continue in our 4-part teaching series called “The Tough Sayings of Jesus.”

Throughout this series we want to navigate our way through some of Jesus’ most challenging declarations- yes, the uncomfortable ones too. Jesus wasn’t trying to create likes and follows on his social media account when he said controversial or uncomfortable things. He was communicating truth, guidance and direction for his followers.

Our goal is not to somehow transform these texts into something easier to swallow. They were challenging 2000 years ago when Jesus said them, and they will always be that way, long after this series.

Today we focus on “You Can’t Serve God and Money”.-As much as we want to be generous and be a blessing to others, many of us have this other part of us that is so afraid of ‘not having enough.’-For many of us, that fear is real. There is this creeping anxiety: I’m not enough, there won’t be enough.-That is where greed is born. Beneath the surface, in the places of our lives where others may never see, it keeps us from being generous.‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭22‬‬

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.-Jesus is making an important connection – a connection between your stuff and your heart.-Our heart, our passion, our focus, and our pursuit is directly linked to what we treasure.-The reason Jesus tells us we cannot serve two masters – God and money – is that we are liable to fall into the trap of thinking that we can.

Jesus said you cannot serve God and serve money.

It begs the question: what does it look like to serve money?“

A ruthless self–seeking and an arrogant assumption that others and things exist for one’s own benefit.” John Ritenbaugh”

An accursed love of having which will pursue its own interests with complete disregard for the rights of others, and even for the considerations of common humanity.” William Barclay

“He is not poor who doesn’t have much, but who wants much”. Tomas Fuller

We can have stuff, but our stuff can’t have us.‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬‬For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

One specific way we guard against greed in our hearts and our minds is by being generous.

There is not a better way to counter-act the attachment to material things than to give what we have away.

Specifically, when I give to the Lord, I am making three important statements.1. A statement of gratitude

Greed focuses on what I don’t have, what I lack, or what I still need. But generosity is a statement of gratitude to God for all I do have and all He has provided.2. Statement of priority

My giving is an indication of what I value. When I give, I am making a commitment that God is the priority. He is Lord!3. Statement of faith

When I give, I am making a declaration of faith: Lord I trust in you, and not in my stuff.

Verses for further study/reflection:

Proverbs 28:25Hebrews 13:5

Proverbs 15:27

1 John 2:16

Luke 12:13-15

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@abeaconofhope_pbz6m2

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49049050

Church of the Nazarene – East RockTough Sayings of Jesus Part 3

You cannot serve God and money…Tough Sayings of Jesus

Throughout this 4-part series we are navigating our way through some of Jesus’ most challenging teachings.

We believe when Jesus was teaching and saying hard things, that it was for our good. It was so that his followers would pay attention and hear his warnings and live differently in light of his teaching.

As a church, we want to take in the whole counsel of God’s word, not just the sayings we like or that make us feel good, but the uncomfortable ones too. So, we aren’t seeking to make them any easier. We want to respond to Jesus, to form our thinking and our living after his word- even the hardest ones.

Today we are unpacking a tough saying. It’s tough because we tend to like our stuff, but Jesus sees the real danger of greed in our lives.

He sees how greed pulls people away from God, how it interrupts their faith, and how the pursuit of more possessions brings with it a lot of anxiety and pain.

Will you trust Jesus in that the abundance of life is NOT found in the abundance of possessions?‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭21

‬‬“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In these verses He makes an explicit connection for us- The connection between our heart and our stuff

Jesus is not just giving us insider investment secrets to boost our 401K or savings account when he says to lay up treasures where moth and vermin don’t destroy- He is teaching us how to invest our focus, our affections, our attention.

This is not a prohibition against savings accounts, wise stewardship, or investments, or even having a retirement plan. Jesus is warning about the pursuit of MORE. About allowing our hearts to become fixated on more, bigger, faster, newer, nicer things.

As with so many areas of the sermon on the mount- The heart condition is the key matter at hand. So, is your heart invested in the here and now, or in your eternal destiny?‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭22‬-‭23

‬‬“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!In a challenging metaphorical saying- Jesus teaches that what we are focused on- our eyes- effects or illuminates the rest of our body.

If our focus is good and generous, then our whole body will be full of light.

But if our focus is greed and self-fulfillment, how dark our condition.

Jesus moves to conclude this teaching with a definitive statement about our possessions.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭24

‬‬“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Perhaps this explicit teaching made the sermon on the mount because Jesus knew we would be tempted to think we could do it. We would be tempted to think we are the exception, the talented and driven few who can handle serving money and God.

The implication of this text is not that if you love money, you will be indifferent towards God. The implication of Jesus words here is that if we love money, we will actually hate God.

For us today it comes down to this: We can have stuff, but our stuff cannot have us.‭‭

1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭10‬‬

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

So, how do we combat this influence in our lives?

Begin by asking the Lord to show us where our treasures are.

Next, let’s practice gratitude

Finally, let’s live generously.

It has been said that “It’s possible for God to have all your money and not have all your heart. But it is impossible for God to have your all your heart and not have your all your money”

As God does His transforming work in and through our lives, we WILL be generous people.

Generous with our money and treasures yes, absolutely.

But also with our time, with our talents and abilities.

Generosity is the lifestyle of worship of a generous God.

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@abeaconofhope_pbz6m2

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49044074

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

Tough Sayings of Jesus Part 2

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away…Tough Sayings of Jesus

Throughout this series we are committed to navigating our way through some of Jesus’ most challenging declarations. We believe that Jesus wasn’t just saying these things to draw a crowd, we believe that he was communicating truth, painting pictures of life in his kingdom. He was giving guidance for his followers.

Often these sayings are tough for us because they shine light into the dark corners of who we are, they take us places within our hearts that we would honestly rather not go… they show us our great need for healing.

So, our goal is not to do some fancy footwork and somehow make these texts easy- we believe that the bible is God’s whole truth, and we are committed to working through the tough parts too.

Today we wrestle with Jesus’ words “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭27‬-‭30

‬‬“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

That is a tough and even gruesome saying- it’s shocking and quite honestly, hard to even hear. But we need to hear- that’s how seriously Jesus took sin.

Here is the hard truth: WE sometimes struggle to take sin seriously

We tend to want to wait to deal with it…Or to only address it in small and comfortable intervals

Or maybe, we don’t want to deal with it at all because we like it, or it feels good in the moment.

But, for followers of Christ- that’s not how Jesus said we should treat sin in our lives.

Our teaching text today is found in Chapter 5 of Matthew’s gospel in what’s known as the sermon on the mount. Jesus has been teaching in the local synagogues, healing all kinds of sickness and infirmities and now, large crowds are following him.

Matthew 5, 6, and 7 record Jesus’ teaching about his kingdom. It’s important to consider, this was Jesus’ teaching to his disciples, people who had were following him. This was NOT Jesus teaching on how to ENTER the kingdom of God.

The call of Jesus to deal so explicitly with sin in our lives, will cause some discomfort- It may be hard, uncomfortable, or costly.- It may mean the loss of some relationships- It could mean the withdraw from a substance- The long struggle of breaking free of bad habits.- It may mean saying a hard NO to our body desires and sexual desires

Jesus understood that cuts across the grain of our natural self. But Jesus urges us to deal with sin NOW, to suffer any loss any inconvenience NOW rather than allowing that to separate us from God for eternity.

Our perspective about sin is almost always about the NOW, But Jesus has a bigger perspective- and eternal perspective of sin.

The one who bore the whole world’s sin on the cross sees and knows the immediate gruesomeness of sin, the pain and suffering that it can cause now, but he also has all of eternity in mind.

To be clear, this is not Jesus saying every mistake you make you are in danger of hell- that’s not it at all. But there is danger every time we knowingly choose sin over what we know God desires for our lives.

So, anything and everything you do in your life to combat sin by his grace is worth what you do. Every step, every sacrifice.‭‭

Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

I hope that it has become clear enough that Jesus was not talking about literal body parts. Our teaching text in Matthew 5 was framed around dealing with adultery specifically, but to be sure, Jesus well intended the principal to extend beyond just that.

So not in the literal, but in the fullest sense that Jesus meant- to cut off sinning- What would that look like for you today?

We need Jesus to do that deep heart cleansing, to forgive and restore our hearts. We need his spirit to enable and empower us to live holy lives.

Along with that prayer and his Holy Spirit’s leading, we need to take action.In whatever it is God is calling you to, will you trust that his perspective is best? That he has your eternal good in view as he is guiding your heart?

In prayer and reflection, I would invite you to confess and repent- that can be a simple prayer.“

Lord, I am confessing to you today that I agree with you, this area of my life is wrong. I am sorry Lord. I want to repent, I want to stop doing that and live in right relationship with you”

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@abeaconofhope_pbz6m2Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ

!https://www.cotnaz.org/giving/

http://bible.com/events/49046169

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Tough Sayings of Jesus Part 2

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away…

Tough Sayings of JesusThe desire of this series is not to take some difficult sayings of Jesus and turn them into not-difficult sayings of Jesus. They will be difficult before and after this sermon series. The purpose of the series is for us to more deeply understand the Lord’s purpose in saying these difficult things and how we are to think and behave accordingly.

Often these sayings are tough for us because they shine light into the dark corners of who we are, they take us places within our hearts that we would honestly rather not go…they show us our great need for Him.

However, it is important that the church teach the whole truth of the Bible – the ideas that are pleasant and those that are terrifying and make us uncomfortable.

Today we look at Christ difficult declaration, “Cut off your hand…”‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭27‬-‭30‬‬

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

John Stott

What he was advocating was not a literal physical self-maiming, but a ruthless moral self-denial. Not mutilation but mortification is the path of holiness he taught, and ‘mortification’ or ‘taking up the cross’ to follow Christ means to reject sinful practices so resolutely that we die to them or put them to death.‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭7‬-‭9

‬‬Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Note the words ‘eternal fire’ in verse eight.

For most of the history of the church, some have asserted either some form of ultimate universal salvation for everyone or ultimate annihilation of the lost.

But for the entire history of the church, the vast majority of Christians and the vast majority of the church’s most eminent and reliable theologians have affirmed that what Jesus and the apostles taught about hell is eternal, conscious punishment.“

The devil doesn’t care if you read your Bible or go to church, as long as you don’t apply it to your life.”

Sin is gruesome and deadly – not laughable and light hearted‭‭

Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭24

‬‬So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The moment you think sin is acceptable, cut that thought off!‭‭

1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD

John Stott continues: Jesus was quite clear about it. It is better to lose one member and enter life maimed, he said, than to retain our whole body and go to hell.

That is to say, it is better to forgo some experiences this life offers in order to enter the life which is life indeed; it is better to accept some cultural amputation in this world than risk final destruction in the next.

Of course this teaching runs clean counter to modern standards of permissiveness.

It is based on the principle that eternity is more important than time and purity than culture, and that any sacrifice is worthwhile in this life if it is necessary to ensure our entry into the next.

We have to decide, quite simply, whether to live for this world or the next, whether to follow the crowd (the culture) or Jesus Christ.

Today is the day, choose to obey God whatever it cost.

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know:

finance@abeaconofhope_pbz6m2Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

https://www.cotnaz.org/giving/EXTRA:

Proverbs 14:27

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

1 John 1:8-10

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Hebrews 12:1-4

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.“

St Ignatius of Loyola notes that, ‘Sin is unwillingness to trust that what God wants is our deepest happiness.’ Until I am absolutely convinced of this, I will do everything I can to keep my hands on the controls of my life because I think I know better than God what I need for my fulfillment.”

https://www.bible.com/events/49041612

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Tough Sayings of Jesus

“Love your enemies”

Today, on our way to passion week, we begin a 4-part teaching series called “The tough sayings of Jesus.”

Throughout this series we want to navigate our way through some of Jesus’ most challenging declarations- yes, the uncomfortable ones too. Jesus wasn’t trying to create likes and follows on his social media account when he said controversial or uncomfortable things. He was communicating truth, guidance and direction for his followers.

Our goal is not to somehow transform these texts into something easier to swallow. They were challenging 2000 years ago when Jesus said them, and they will always be that way, long after this series.

Today we begin with “Love your Enemies”.‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭43‬-‭48

‬‬“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Before we consider how we relate to our enemies, perhaps we must first consider how God relates to us.

-We began as God’s enemies. Because of sin, we were all his enemies. And what if the story ended there?

-Through Jesus, we were reconciled and forgiven. This is how God treated his enemies.

-When Jesus tells you to love your enemies, what he is actually saying is: “Love like God”.”

God befriended you while you were still His enemy. In that case, He loved His enemy: You.”-John Piper‭‭

Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭10

‬‬For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

We tend to love according to what feels reasonable to us

We love those who love us.

We love those who deserve our love.

Jesus said, anyone can do that.

What these words of Jesus don’t mean:

-We don’t allow someone to abuse us or someone we love. Loving your enemy doesn’t mean you allow yourself to be a victim of abuse. You don’t allow yourself to be a doormat.

-It doesn’t mean to just blindly agree with everyone, accepting sin or never standing up for injustice. Remember that just before Passover Jesus cleared the temple of corruption and hypocrisy.

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭4‬‬

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah believed the people of Nineveh did not deserve the grace of God.

Simply put: Jonah does not want to love his enemies.

The question the Lord asks Jonah, in response, is so poignant:

“Is it right for you to be angry?”

Bottom Line:

Love like God loved you.

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know:

finance@abeaconofhope_pbz6m2

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

Giving