https://www.bible.com/events/49203254

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

What Does God Want from Me? All

What we do with ALL we’ve been given matters to God

Throughout this series we will seek to understand and answer the question:What does God expect of me?

We believe whole heartedly that it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can be saved. There is absolutely nothing we can ever do to EARN our salvation.

But truths such as the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God do not nullify the fact that He has expectations about how we are to live our lives.

Our teaching series is based on the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25 known as the parable of the talents.

What we do with what we have been given, matters to God. God expects his people to utilize what they have been given for the growth of his Kingdom. That’s exactly what Jesus wants us to see in this parable.

It’s important that we consider things like time, talents, money, even what’s on our cards- But all these things are just handles for us to grasp what God really wants of his disciples.

What does God really want from me? He wants it all. All of you.

As we enter John Chapter 15, Jesus is just hours away from the Cross. He and his disciples are together sharing a meal, as Jesus gives some final instructions and encouragement.

Think about this scene for a moment: The master (Jesus) is going away, and he has gathered his disciples together to entrust them with some final instructions.

I can’t help but wonder if the disciples in that moment were remembering the parable of the talents.

John 15:9-11

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

When we ask, “What does God expect of me?” its asked within this relationship, this love.

It’s not an arbitrary command from an overruling boss or principal- It’s a relational commitment between you and Christ.

As we continue, we must remember- this is relational, not contractual.

John 15:12

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

As the master in Luke 19 gave the instruction “Put this money to work until I return” Jesus says “love each other as I have loved you”

In just a few hours, as Jesus went to the cross, he showed the world the ultimate standard of Love.

“Love others as I have loved you.”

John 15:14-17

You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

It’s fascinating here that Jesus takes the time to reframe their relationship. He said I no longer call you servants, but instead I have called you friends.

Friends because his disciples know the HEART of their master.

You are my friends; I have chosen you- Why?

So that you can live for yourself?

So, you can grip your card and use it how you want?

No, I have chosen you, appointed you, that you would bear fruit, fruit that will last. Cards on the table.

For Jesus there is a direct link between bearing fruit, loving one another, and laying down your life.

If we go all the way back to the beginning and pick up our theme question- What does God expect of me? What do we see here in the words of Jesus?

That we would remain in relationship with him and we would love others as he has loved us.

Moment by moment, day by day, in fellowship and intimacy with Him. We can’t begin to live a life like Jesus is talking about apart from him- We cannot do it on our own and we aren’t supposed to.

Remain in my love. Receive my JOY. Love others as I have loved you.

As Jesus loved, he didn’t hold back, he didn’t play it safe, he didn’t create a list of pros and cons to see which side made the most sense

He gave sacrificially. He gave it all. He laid down His life. And He commands that we do that same

Give up YOUR life

Lose YOUR life

Lay down YOUR life

Give him ALL

Give him your all, as he gave you His.

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49201041

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

What Does God Want from Me? Week 3

“What am I doing with what I’ve been given?”

Throughout this series we will seek to understand and answer the question:What does God expect of me?

We believe whole heartedly that it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can be saved. There is absolutely nothing we can ever do to EARN our salvation.

But truths such as the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God do not nullify the fact that He has expectations about how we are to live our lives.

Our teaching series is based on Jesus’s parable of the talents.

What we do with what we have been given matters to God. God expects his people to utilize what they have been given for the growth of His Kingdom. That’s exactly what Jesus wants us to see in this parable.

Within our teaching series we are seeking to understand what God expects with our time, our money, and ultimately our very lives.

This week’s message focuses on money.

Luke 19:11-27

While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ “ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ ”

The context for this story is deeply connected to the anticipation of Christ’s return. Jesus focuses specifically on how people should live in response to the anticipation of Christ’s return.

In both Matthew 25 and here in Luke 19, Jesus told a story like this to illustrate the truth of his coming again and the judgement that will bring. But he also wanted his disciples to see how they should live in the meantime.

Each servant has been entrusted with money, the master’s money. It hasn’t been earned, but instead, it’s a gift.

And they have been instructed to “put the Master’s money to work”

What you do with what money you’ve been given, matters to God.

As we are acknowledging throughout this series, this is a hard word from Jesus. In the parables, the hard-working wise servants aren’t just rewarded

but the lazy and faithless servant receives the ultimate punishment.

But the purpose of this parable isn’t to be harsh, the purpose is best described in a word: URGENCY.

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

What are the implications of this story, especially for us?

1. We are rich

No matter how rich you may feel, we have all been given much according to God’s economy

2. It’s not really ‘ours’

It ultimately is the master’s money, and it has been entrusted to us.

3. We can’t keep it, but we can invest it

God’s heart is not that we would feel guilty, but that we would feel responsible.

The question we must all ask ourselves:

‘”What am I doing with what I’ve been given?”

Verses for further study/reflection:

Hebrews 13:5

Proverbs 13:11

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Luke 12:15

Romans 13:8

Matthew 6:19-24

9 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 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.

Mark 12:41-44

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

What Does God Want from Me? Money

What we do with what we’ve been given matters to God

Throughout this series we will seek to understand and answer the question:What does God expect of me?

We believe whole heartedly that it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can be saved. There is absolutely nothing we can ever do to EARN our salvation.

But truths such as the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God do not nullify the fact that He has expectations about how we are to live our lives.

Our teaching series is based on the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25 known as the parable of the talents.

What we do with what we have been given, matters to God. God expects his people to utilize what they have been given for the growth of his Kingdom. That’s exactly what Jesus wants us to see in this parable.

Within our teaching series we are seeking to understand what God expects with our time, our money, and ultimately our very lives.

Today we are focusing on money

Luke 19:11-13

While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

The audience of Luke 19 believed Jesus was going to immediately bring the Kingdom of God to earth in a triumphant, almost military style victory- But that was not Jesus’ plan.

He sets out to share what the kingdom of God is like, and what he expects of his disciples until he returns.

In Matthew, Jesus speaks of Talents which was like a unit of measure. Here what the noble man is giving away is called Minas.

It’s hard to nail down the exact dollar value of a mina, but scholars believe it was equivalent to 100 days wages-

This money was given to the servants- Unlike the parable of the Talents, here in Luke, the master gives specific instructions for what the servants are to do-Put this money to work until I return.

With that, the master goes on his way.

Luke 19:14

“But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

This explanatory note makes it clear this is not just a random story- this is illustrating what is happening in the life of Jesus as this would foreshadow what was to come in the crucifixion.

Luke 19:15-19

“He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ “ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

As the story continues, we will see something entirely different for the last servant- the one who did not use what he was given for the master.

In fact, Jesus is really creating this story so the third servant would stand out apart from the rest.

Luke 19:20-27

“Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ ”

Remember- this is not a story from a preacher trying to reach into your wallet- This is Jesus speaking and illustrating.

In both Matthew 25 and here in Luke 19, Jesus told a story like this to illustrate the truth of his coming again and the judgement that will bring. But he also wanted his disciples to see how they should live in the meantime.

This is for you, and this is for me.

So, how about you today? Are you in the category of the first two faithful servants? Or the third?

What you do with what money you’ve been given, matters to God.

So, what is it that the first two servants understood that we should? What exactly is Jesus teaching us here? Where do we start?

A great place to begin is recognizing that what we call “our money” is really God’s money in the first place.

Second – the way we tend to think about money is not a matter of our wallet, but a matter of our heart.

I believe God wants us to feel RESPONSIBLE for our money, not guilty for having it.

Finally- put your money into action for the Kingdom.

What are you doing with what you’ve been given?

God has entrusted you with so much- What will you do about that?

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

Virginia District Teen Winter Retreat

Brand New

Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

What God desires for us is a closeness to him. Closeness creates character.

God is more concerned with our proximity (to Him) than our performance.

When our faith is tied to our proximity, and not our performance. When our faith and our value are tied to our closeness to Jesus he won’t fail.

Are you living and looking and loving like Jesus?

There is nothing in this world that can hold the value that you are putting on it, except for Jesus.

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

What Does God Want from Me? Gifts

What we do with what we’ve been given matters to God

Throughout this series we will seek to understand and answer the question:What does God expect of me?

We believe whole heartedly that it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can be saved. There is absolutely nothing we can ever do to EARN our salvation.

But truths such as the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God do not nullify the fact that He has expectations about how we are to live our lives.

Our teaching series is based on the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25 known as the parable of the talents.

What we do with what we have been given, matters to God. God expects his people to utilize what they have been given for the growth of his Kingdom. That’s exactly what Jesus wants us to see in this parable.

Within our teaching series we are seeking to understand what God expects with our time, our money, and ultimately our very lives.

Today we are focusing on spiritual gifts. Those abilities, passions, and strengths God has graciously given you, for the growth of his Kingdom.

1 Peter 4:10

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Here this truth today friends: If you are in Christ, you have been given at least one spiritual gift.

So, the question is not “Do I have a spiritual gift?” God’s word says you do-the question for you today is this- What are you doing with the spiritual gift you’ve been given?

1 Corinthians 12:1-6

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Where do spiritual gifts come from? They all come from the Lord.

The New Testament records some 20 spiritual gifts, while leaving the door wide open to include more. But despite their varied type and function, all spiritual gifts come from the Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Who has spiritual gifts? Each and every one who is experiencing life in Christ.

What are spiritual gifts for? Serving others in the body of Christ.

In the New Testament there are (4) lists that contain spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 12, also in Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4.

There are 20 or so different gifts mentioned in the New Testament.

Gifts like Faith and discernment. Giving and Administration. Healing and wisdom. Encouragement and leadership. Teaching and evangelism.

Let’s pause just a second to distinguish between natural abilities or talents and spiritual gifts.

Natural abilities or talents are certainly related to spiritual gifts and they often overlap, but they are in fact different. Natural abilities or talents are things that come naturally to us, through genetics or practice and refinement.

Spiritual gifts on the other hand come from God supernaturally- and they have ONE purpose, and that is serving the Kingdom.

Spiritual gifts are abilities and passions specifically given by God, to be utilized in the growth and flourishing of his kingdom through the church.

1 Corinthians 12:12-18

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

Our gifts are going to be different, and that’s by design.

God has arraigned us together to form the body he has called to be on mission here in this community- for such a time as this.

If you are in Christ today, God has given you special gifts of grace-and he expects you to use them as part of the Church, as part of the Body of Christ.

Some here have gifts of helping, others have gifts of leading, others, gifts of administration, others gifts of healing, still others gifts of encouragement, etc.

Friends, what you do with what you have been given matters to God.

So, What does God expect of me in regards to my spiritual gifts?

First- God expects that you have a spiritual gift, because he’s given you one in Christ Jesus. If you aren’t sure about which of the 20 or so spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible are yours, I would encourage you to explore the different spiritual gifts this week.

Second- God expects you to use the gift that He has given you, to serve the body of Christ, His church. Jump into serving now!

Begin a journey now to discover your gifts, and put them to work in his kingdom.

There is no one who is part of our church family who is expendable or unnecessary. He made you with a purpose. So you can obey him, serve him, and love others well.

That’s what he expects of you!

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving