Faith & Worship Series

“Opening Up Our Faith”

2012-01-31T09:28:00.000-06:00

(part 1 of 2)

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

If this is where the gospels ended we might be left to wonder just how serious Jesus’ disciples took these final instructions. However, we are blessed to have been provided with the Book of Acts that documents the tremendous lengths, extreme difficulties and painful trials the disciples went through to fulfill Jesus’ last directive.

I began to consider this week the great commission and was struck by the idea that His final instruction to His disciples was not only directed at them, but was for me as well. I began questioning how seriously I have been taking His departing words.
I rejoiced a couple of Sundays ago when a young man visiting our church gave his life to Christ, but as magnificent as it was, it pales to compare to the harvest recorded in Acts 2:40-41:

“With many other words he warned them; and pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about THREE THOUSAND were added to their number that day.”(emphasis mine)
Acts 2:47 goes on to tell us that the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. As I considered this, I realized that it is hard to do what the disciples did if we “compartmentalize” salvation to a Sunday morning experience. According to Acts 2:42-46 making disciples was an “every day” occasion:

”They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people and the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.”

Every day they continued to meet together in the Temple Courts. They ate together and took care of one another. They worshipped together and devoted themselves to the apostles teaching. Sharing their faith became an “every day” occasion. They shared their faith openly with one another and the Lord added to their numbers those who were being saved!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Fasting-Breaking the Carnal Man”

2012-01-10T10:08:00.001-06:00

(Part 2 of 2)

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Galatians 6:8

Fasting is far more than simply “not eating”. Apart from its many physical and spiritual blessings, fasting is a statement. It is a statement to our carnal man (the flesh) that we are not slaves to our appetites. Many will say, “I am not a slave to my appetite! I have it all under control. I can say “No” anytime I want to.” However, the flesh is not something that can be harnessed or controlled. It must be crucified:

“Those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”
Galatians 5:24

The more we cater to our flesh the more carnal we become. The more carnal we become the harder it is for us to fast. Fasting enables us to crucify our appetite for things such as food, sex, and entertainment. It demonstrates a desire to be led by the Holy Spirit and not by our stomach:

“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.
Galatians 5:16-18

There is a spiritual tug-of-war that is taking place inside those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Spirit inside of them has been made alive and now is battling for the souls of men. However, the carnal man has been in control for so long, it does not want to release the reigns and fights against the Spirit of God working inside of us.

Before coming to Christ, many of us were not aware of such a struggle. That is because, our spirit man was dead! The only nature alive in us was our sin nature. Consequently, the only nature we fed was our carnal nature and it liked being the center of our attention. Once we came to Christ, and were made alive in Him, the Holy Spirit took up residence within us.

With the Spirit’s help we are to crucify that old nature. We are not to ignore it, excuse it, or cater to it! We are to crucify it! As we deprive our flesh of what it desires, it sends a clear message to our carnal man… “You are not in control!” So be led of the Holy Spirit! Start off this year with fasting and tell your flesh “NO!”

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Fasting-Breaking the Carnal Man”

2012-01-10T09:23:00.002-06:00

(Part 1 of 2)

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”

Philippians 3:17-19

Albert Haase, a contemporary Franciscan priest, is quoted as saying, “Fasting can be a painful admission that I am not free, that my life is enslaved, obsessed or addicted to external things such as food, drink, codependent relationships, sex, television, privacy and the like.”

Fasting, like no other discipline, exposes our carnal nature. It allows us to see just how carnal we have become and sadly reveals how much we have been catering to our flesh. This may be the true reason that many people do not like, want, or are even opposed to fasting.

However, it is only when we deprive our flesh that we truly see how strongly it holds us. The flesh, that has never been restrained, is like a spoiled brat of a child that throws a fit when it does not get what it wants. How many of us have seen this child in the grocery store. Kicking and screaming, throwing a tantrum because their parents told them they could not have something they wanted. Our first inclination is to think, “Someone needs to discipline that child!” We start judging their parents for their lack of parenting skills.

Yet, the moment our “flesh” rises up at the notion of not getting what it wants and begins to protest we either excuse it, or worse, cater to it! The word caters means: to provide with what is needed or required. Catering to our carnal man means that we provide it with whatever it needs to satisfy its appetites. Paul describes this above as “their god is their stomach”. Worshipping our “stomach” is no more than giving in to the demands of our flesh in order to silence its protests. When we cater to its desires we, in turn, displease God:

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."

Romans 8:5-8

Fasting is one way that we tell the “carnal” man….NO!!! It is spiritual correction keeping us from serving our own appetites. When is the last time you told your flesh “No!”?

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Memorial Offerings”

2012-01-10T08:38:00.000-06:00

“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”
Acts 10:1-4

When I read that passage, the first thing I considered was that Cornelius was just a normal guy. He was not a priest. He was not a Pharisee. He was not a Sadducee. He was not even a Jew! Cornelius was a man who loved God and loved his family. However, he was a man who lived in such a way that it got God’s attention. When it came time for God to pour out the Holy Spirit on the gentiles, God chose Cornelius and his family.
Cornelius had distinguished himself from other God-fearing gentiles through his prayers and gifts to the poor. The angel told Cornelius that his prayers and gifts had come up to God as a memorial offering. A memorial is something established, like a special day or a monument, which causes us to remember a particular person or event. Whenever Cornelius would pray or give to the needy, it rose like smoke from a burnt offering to the throne of God and caused God to remember him. Like a sacrifice made on the altar in the Temple, Cornelius’ prayers and gifts were pure. They were properly motivated. They were not done out of obligation or coercion, but from a heart devoted to God. They were not done to gain notoriety among men, but offered as an “outflow” of a right relationship with God.
Cornelius was the poster-child for Matthew 6:1:
“Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
What are the ‘acts of righteousness’ Jesus is speaking of? They are... giving, prayer and fasting. Like Cornelius, we ought to be men and women recognized by God for our generosity, our passionate prayer and perseverance in fasting. Always remembering that none of these brings us into right standing with God, but rather they are born out of our faith and relationship with Him.
Giving, Prayer and fasting touch the heart of God. They are fragrant offerings to our Lord! It is my prayer, for this New Year, as you give, pray and fast that God will pour out His Spirit upon you and your family.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Picture Perfect Christmas?”

2011-12-29T10:47:00.000-06:00

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:26-28

Like most newly engaged couples, I imagine that Joseph and Mary had dreams and plans for their life together. I’m sure they talk about things like…Where they would live and how many kids they would have. Everything seemed picture perfect!

Even the birth of their first child is captured in serene perfection. Just look at any Nativity Scene and you will see an adoring mother, precious baby, proud father, astonished shepherds and worshipping wise men. A picture perfect first Christmas filled with love, angelic worship, peace on earth, and the priceless gift of salvation.

All true and very wonderful because that is how we have crafted it to look. Unfortunately we have romanticized the reality out of the first Christmas which, in turn, has crippled many people’s ability to experience the “Merry” in Christmas.

Unlike the traditional Nativity Scene, most of our Christmases are not peaceful and serene and, if I could be so bold to say it, neither was the very first one. That loving couple adoring the child in the manger in all of our Nativity scenes, just a few months before that moment, were on the verge of divorce!

“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”

Matthew 1:18-19

Although we know that the angel Gabriel came to Joseph and assured him of God’s plan, they still had to contend with friends and family who assumed Mary had been acting immorally and got pregnant by someone other than Joseph. There was real stress in their relationship. Not the best way to start off a marriage.

Joseph and Mary eventually settle in Nazareth. Around the time when the child was to be born, the Governor called for a census of the people. Everyone was required to return to where they were born and register. Joseph was from Bethlehem approximately 80 miles away. A four day journey, over rough terrain, riding on a donkey is not ideal for a woman who is nine months pregnant.

To make matters worse, once they finally arrive in Bethlehem, there is nowhere for them to stay. The inn is full, and no one has room to take them in. They are forced to stay in a stable. Conditions were “less” than favorable. No doctors. No nurses. No monitoring devices. Not hot water. No blankets, just dirt, hay and smelly animals. Not the picture perfect place or way to bring a child into the world.

To make matters worse, after the wise men come to worship the newborn king. Joseph, Mary and Jesus are forced to flee for their lives to Egypt:

“When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under; in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”

Matthew 2:16

On top of their lives being at risk, Joseph lost his job. They lost their home. They were separated from their family and friends. This is not the picture perfect way to end the story of Christmas. There are no Christmas cards bearing these images, no songs written commemorating these events, no nativity scenes based on this part of the story. Why? Because we CHOOSE not to focus on the hardships, difficulties and negatives surrounding Christ’s birth and have chosen to focus on the blessings of Christ!

You may be going through some trials, hardships and difficulties too right now, if so, it seems to me you are in good company. The question is, will you choose to focus on the hardships or will you choose to focus on the blessings of Christ.

In the end, situations and circumstances may not be perfect, but Christ remains the same. If you keep your eyes fixed on Him you will have “Merry” Christmases year after year.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Temple or Marketplace?”

2011-12-20T08:54:00.000-06:00

(Part 3)

“But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”
John 2:21-22

How many know that there is a difference between Wal-Mart and church? Wal-Mart is designed to be a marketplace. It is designed to display goods, promote products and facilitate purchases. Its doors open wide to everyone and everything is fair game to be exchanged. Church, on the other hand is designed for worshipping God, receiving His Word, and engaging His presence.

As temples of the Holy Spirit we were not designed to be a marketplace! We were created to house the presence of God. Everything is not fair game and not everything should be let in. Interestingly enough, Wal-Mart isn’t opposed to God. It is willing to give Him an end-cap with all the rest of the things inside. However, we were not created to give God an end-cap in our lives. We were created to be a “house of prayer” engaging the presence and person of God. Unfortunately, many people have a marketplace mentality, allowing anything and everything into their lives. Like Jesus, we must recognize the need to drive some things out of the temple area!

Jesus’ frustration that day was not in what He found in the Temple. He was angry that it had not been driven out already by those who were responsible for the Temple! The high priests were responsible for what came into the temple courts and the activities that took place there. You are the high priest of this Temple. You are responsible for what takes place in these Temple courts. If Jesus, came to the temple today and stood at the doorpost of your heart, would he hear the sound of worship, prayer and praise or would he hear “Hi, Welcome to Wal-Mart”?

Jesus is passionate about this! He cleansed the temple, not once, but twice; once early in his ministry (after the miracle in Cana) and again at Passover, three years later just before His crucifixion. Cleansing our Temple is not a one-time event, but it is a daily discipline of a God-honoring life!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Temple or Marketplace?”

2011-12-13T09:11:00.001-06:00

(Part 2)

“So Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove them all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables. To those selling the doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s House into a market!”

John 2:15-16

As Jesus’ disciples watched this, they remembered Psalm 69:9 describing the coming Messiah- “Zeal for Your House consumes me!” However, as the disciples were connecting Jesus with scripture, the religious were becoming infuriated. They loathed the fact that this man was challenging the way there were conducting themselves. They demanded Jesus to give them a miraculous sign to prove He had the authority to do and say such things! Jesus’s answer:

“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”- John 2:19

The Jews denounced him saying, “It has taken 46 years to build this temple and you are going to raise it in 3 days?” However, the temple he spoke of was his body! Jesus referred to His body as the Temple of God. Did you know that your body is the Temple of God according to Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:16 states that “We are the temple of the living God.”, 1 Corinthians 3:16 declares that “You yourselves are God’s Temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you.”, and 1 Corinthians 6:19 affirms that
“Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Scripture is clear that you are the Temple of God. The question is, “How zealous are you for the House of God?” If Jesus were to come into the Temple, what would He find? Like the temple in Jesus’ day, this temple (your body) is designed to be a house of prayer, a place of holiness, a place where the Presence of God resides. Have we exchanged the truth of God for a lie? Have we compromised our faith for a comfortable lifestyle? Have we bought into the world system or sold our souls for wealth, power and influence. Have we made ourselves a marketplace rather than a temple?

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Temple or Marketplace?”

2011-11-30T11:25:00.000-06:00

(part 1)

“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.”
John 2:13-14

The Passover celebration was one of the most holy feasts celebrated by the people of Israel. It dated back to the days of Moses, when God delivered the children of Israel out of the hands of Pharaoh. During the feast, the blood of a lamb was shed and its blood applied to the doorposts of their homes. That evening when the death angel passed by, he would see the blood and “Passover” that home.

Passover was one of three feasts God commanded the Israelites they were to celebrate at the “place of His choosing.” In Jesus’ day, that place was at the temple in Jerusalem. So Jesus traveled from Capernaum to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast.

Upon reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and found men selling cattle, sheep and doves. Others were exchanging money. John tells us that a holy indignation rose up inside of Him! What once stood as a place of prayer, the place where the presence of God resided, a place of reverence and sacrifice, a place holy unto God; was now nothing more than a marketplace!

What is a marketplace? It is where things are bought and sold, where ideas are exchanged, compromises made and bartering done. There was once a time when the bleating cries of the lambs coming from the temple meant something. It weighed in the hearts of the people as they came to worship the God of Israel who had delivered them out of the bondages of Egypt, but the people had lost sight of God in their lives.
They began to exchange the truth of God for a lie, compromise their faith, buy into the world system and sell their souls for wealth, power and influence. The sounds coming from the temple courts now sounded more like a circus than a sanctuary.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sacred Marriage: A Mirror on Sin”

2011-11-24T09:23:00.000-06:00

(part 2 of 2)

“Sin never seems quite as shocking when it is known only to us; when we see how it looks or sounds to another; it is magnified ten times over.”

Gary Thomas

A single person can hide bad habits, personal failures, and a sinful lifestyle by simply removing themselves from certain situations and people. Married couples do not have that luxury, but they do have a tremendous opportunity. Marriage, unlike many relationships, provides us with the occasion to guide our spouse into imitating the character of Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 states:

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

Possessing the knowledge of someone’s sin is a powerful and dangerous thing. That knowledge can be used to crush, humiliate or gain power over our spouse or it can be used to nurture and guide them to spiritual health. If managed correctly marriage can be a powerful tool to our growing in holiness. It creates a context (safe place) for us to face our own weaknesses and deal with sin. It gives us the opportunity, daily, to build up another person. This, however, can only be done if we are conscientious of our own sin. Matthew 7:5 instructs us to:

“First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

I recently read that couples don’t fall out of love as much as they fall out of repentance. Sin, wrong attitudes, and personal failures that are not dealt with will slowly erode a relationship. When those attitudes and behaviors begin to surface the temptation will be to try and hide them from your spouse.

However, let me encourage you to consider that God gave you, your spouse to recognize those flaws and spur you toward greater maturity and holiness.

(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sacred Marriage: A Mirror on Sin”

2011-11-16T08:42:00.000-06:00

(part 1 of 2)

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sowed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”

Genesis 3:7

I think everyone who gets married experiences two “Adam & Eve” moments in their relationship. Like, Adam and Eve, we start out living what we believe to be the ideal relationship with the ideal person until one day our eyes are opened to just how exposed we are to this other person. In the story of Adam and Eve, everything seemed to be going good for our happy couple. Then one day their eyes were opened and suddenly they realized they were naked. Immediately they began to cover themselves and hide themselves from one another.

What was it that caused Adam and Eve’s eyes to be opened? The answer is Sin! Sin entered the world and one of the initial consequences was a breakdown in marital intimacy. As Adam and Eve’s weaknesses were uncovered, it wasn’t long before they felt funny being exposed to one another and shortly thereafter they began pointing the finger at each other.

There is nothing that opens the eyes of two people in a relationship more than when they experience or see “sin” in their spouse’s life. It isn’t difficult because we thought the person we married was “above” that, it stings because we realize if I can see that in them…they can see things in me too!

I love this quote by Gary and Betsy Ricucci taken from the book Sacred Marriage:

“One of the best wedding gifts God gave you was a full-length mirror called your spouse. Had there been a card attached, it would have said, “Here’s to helping you discover what you’re really like.”

Marriage holds up a mirror to our sin! As I gaze into the “full length” mirror called my spouse, I am forced to look at all the flaws in MY character, faced with MY own selfishness and struck by MY own poor attitudes.

Kathleen Thomas Hart wrote that, “Sometimes what is hard to take in the first years of marriage is not what we find out about our partner but what we find out about ourselves.”

(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

"Sacred Marriage-Building a Servant’s Heart”

2011-11-08T10:31:00.000-06:00

(part 2 of 2)

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

Philippians 2:5-7

What does it mean to become “nothing”? Does it mean that we allow ourselves to be ignored, overlooked or unappreciated? No! However, true servant hood does not begin until we are willing to “make ourselves nothing.”

In Philippians 2 the phrase “made himself nothing” is translated from the Greek word- kenosis- which means to empty oneself. Jesus voluntarily laid aside His position, His glory, rights and riches. He let go of his privileges in or to be a servant to others. The idea of giving up what rightfully belongs to us in order to serve others is foreign in our cultural and is most of our marriages. How do I know? Consider this:

How many of you would drop what you are doing to go pick up a friend or family member whose car broke down, but wouldn’t miss two minutes of your favorite TV show to take the trash out for your wife?

How many of you surge into action to take your kids to dance, soccer, or band practice, but when your husband asks you for a drink of water respond… “Are your legs broke?”

To be like Christ requires us to “make ourselves nothing.” That isn’t natural. In fact, the idea of serving is almost a supernatural concept. That’s because this type of serving is sacrificial. If it doesn’t cost us something, it isn’t really a sacrifice…and I would argue is it really serving?

Gary Thomas wrote… “The beauty of marriage is that it confronts our selfishness and demands our service 24 hours a day.”

Most people do not enter marriage with the expectation of serving. For many it is a means of meeting a need in their own life which, consequently, minimizes marriage to a selfish pursuit. Marriage, more so, is a daily opportunity to put Philippians 2:3-4 into practice:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Do nothing out of selfish ambition! Look to the interest of others! Start at home! Empty yourself, so that you can be a servant to your spouse and so God may be glorified.

(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sacred Marriage-Building a Servant’s Heart”

2011-11-01T09:06:00.001-05:00

(part 1 of 2)

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God, something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:3-7

Many of you have likely heard this passage of scripture before, but I wonder how often we consider it within the context of marriage. Ideas like… being a servant, looking to the interests of others and doing nothing out of selfish ambition are all honorable pursuits that Christians ought to emulate, but there is a very evident disconnect of these ideas in many marriages.

These concepts are viewed by most as a “good” rule of faith when we are at church, at work or in public settings, however many feel that when we get home, alone with our spouse, these expectations of us ought to cease…so that we can have our “me” time.

Marriage, however, was not designed for our personal gratification. In fact, marriage could easily be defined as- the giving up of one’s self. When we marry, we automatically divest ourselves of the idea of “self”:

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.”
Genesis 2:23

The idea of two becoming one is not that one is absorbed into the other, but rather they are united together. In some marriages the dreams, desires and needs of one spouse are swallowed up by the other’s with little to no consideration given to this spouses’ needs. This type of behavior in a relationship can have a two-fold negative affect. First it can cause resentment to set in with the spouse that is feeling short-changed, but also if left unaddressed it can cause the offending spouse to become self-absorbed further alienating themselves from their mate.

Let me be the first to say that God did not bring Eve to Adam to cater to Adam’s every whim and desire! He brought Eve to Adam so that the two of them together could bring glory to God’s Name by helping one another according to His will.

(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sacred Marriage-Honor & Respect"

2011-10-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

(part 2 of 2)

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Romans 12:10

The problem we often face, in regard to honor in marriage, is that the more familiar we become with others weaknesses and failures, the harder it is for us to show respect. In fact, the more we focus on these weaknesses, the easier it is for contempt to set in. Showing respect is an act of maturity on the part of a believer that understands the work of grace in people’s lives.

Respect- focuses on the fact that people are created in God’s image and likeness and consequently looks for evidences of God’s grace.

Contempt- focuses only on the weaknesses and failures of others.

Respect requires much more on an effort on our part. Unfortunately many people find it easier to develop contempt for those who do not respect them than it is to build a life worthy of gaining it.

In marriage, if we are quick to point out our spouse’s flaws and slower to recognize their strengths…they will certainly not feel respected. If I am quick to point out my spouse’s flaws and never honor them…they will certainly feel contempt.

Gary Thomas wrote: “Contempt is born when we fixate on our spouse’s weaknesses. Every spouse has these sore points. If you want to find them, without a doubt you will. If you want to obsess about them, they’ll grow-but you won’t!”

God’s expectation for us to honor and respect is counter-cultural to say the least:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

Respect takes into consideration that we were all created in God’s image and likeness. We were created with tremendous potential. Loved by God! And although we may not agree with people’s decisions we can respect their person (dignity, emotions and liberties). If there is a lack of honor and respect in your home can I leave you with this thought taken from Luke 6:38:

“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com960/

“Sacred Marriage-Honor & Respect”

2011-10-20T07:58:00.000-05:00

(part 1 of 2)

“However, each one of you also must love his wife, as he loves himself, and the wife must RESPECT her husband.”
Ephesians 5:33

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with RESPECT…”
1 Peter 3:7

God’s Holy Word has a lot to say about respect! Leviticus tells us to respect our parents and the elderly. Malachi tells us to respect God and His Name. Ephesians 6:5 tells us to respect our masters (employers). Ephesians and 1Peter tell us to respect our spouses. Ultimately, 1 Peter 2:17 sums it up nicely:

“Show proper respect for everyone.”

I don’t think I have ever met anyone who doesn’t want to be respected. Yet, respect in our society and in many of our homes is a rare commodity. Husbands and wives, alike, want to be respected. Therein lies the struggle! When we have people, who live in close relationship, each focused on “receiving” respect, it is inevitable that they are going to hurt one another. Our failure is that we have become so focused on “receiving” it that we have overlooked the two most important aspects of it- gaining it and giving it!

I have found, in my life, that if I am not respected it is usually because I am failing in one of these two areas, both of which are dependent on my response. If I am not respected in my marriage, by my children, or in my community, it is usually not because people are withholding it from me. I am not respected because I have not gained it or given it!

The problem with “gaining it” is that it takes work! How many know it is easier to receive your paycheck that it is to earn it! Respect is gained as we live lives pleasing to the Lord:

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Respect is not built on a one-time event but garnered by living a consistent life.
However, this is only half the equation. We also fail to receive respect when it is evident that we do not “give” or “show” it to anyone else. Often, the reason we do not show proper respect is because we have taken on the responsibility of determining who “deserves it”!

Respect is defined as being “deserving” of high regard. The question then is “Who gets to determine who is deserving of it?” Does the person giving it determine who is worthy of it? Does the person wishing to receive it get to determine if they are worthy of it? According to 1 Peter 2:17, God says that everyone should be shown proper respect! This means that our directive to “show respect” is not contingent on what others are doing to earn it!

(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sacred Marriage-Forgivness”

2011-10-11T14:16:00.000-05:00

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Colossians 3:12-13

There may be no spiritual discipline harder to learn in our Christian walk than the ability to forgive. Even though, it is fundamental in our salvation and at the very root of our faith, forgiveness proves to be difficult to extend to those who have hurt us. Yet, God instructs us to “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Over the last couple of weeks we have been exploring how God uses the marriage relationship to build His character in us. We began by looking at love and what love really is. Today we will focus our attention on forgiveness.

Forgiveness, like love, is not an emotion. Forgiveness is an action. An action, that daily, we must choose to exercise. Marriage provides the perfect setting to develop in the discipline of forgiveness.

Sin in marriage (on both the husband’s and wife’s part) is a daily reality, an ongoing struggle that holds many couples in bondage. Those “seemingly perfect people we marry” will eventually hurt us, sometimes even on purpose, making forgiveness a necessity in our marriage relationships.

Forgiveness, simply stated, is to “cancel a debt.” It is to release someone from having to pay what they owe you. Matthew 18:21-35 gives us a vivid picture of forgiveness from this perspective. One day the Apostle Peter came to Jesus and asked him, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-time seven times.”

I think I like this passage so much because it communicates the difficulty of forgiveness right from the beginning. Peter wants to know where the “forgiveness” line is drawn. How many times must I forgive them? If we are honest with ourselves, we all enter into relationships with an idea of how much we are willing to take from this person. If I only see someone once a year at a family reunion, the threshold is set pretty low. Those we love deeply, we will set the threshold a little higher… “Up to seven times!” Even then we limit our forgiveness!

Jesus, however, put no boundaries on His forgiveness. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:8 that “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He chose to forgive us when we at our very worst! When humanity was at its worst…crucifying Him, mocking Him, and despising His very name. He cried out in Luke 23:24: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

In marriage, we have the opportunity to see the very best in a person. We also have the opportunity to see the very worst. So we must settle the issue of forgiveness in our hearts right from the beginning. We must choose daily to “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sacred Marriage-Love”

2011-09-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

(part 2 of 2)

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”

1 John 4:7

Many people get distraught in their marriages because they equate love with their emotions. When they read in Scripture that we are to “love one another”, “love our spouse” and even “love our enemies” they become discouraged because they cannot seem to manufacture the emotion of love towards that person.

However, when God instructed us to love one another, He did not intend for us to attempt to manufacture an emotion. He intended for us to choose to sacrifice.

“My command is this, ‘Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:12

How is it that Jesus Christ demonstrated his love for us?

“Greater love has no one than this, than he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

As I read this, I am convinced that to “lay down one’s life” has deeper implications than to merely “die” for someone. To lay one’s life down suggests that I am willing in a moment to lay aside my will, my needs, and my desires and choose to sacrifice for another regardless of the personal cost to me.

Marriage provides us with these moments every day. Times I must choose to love when my spouse doesn’t reciprocate love towards me. Times I must choose to love when my spouse’s actions, attitudes and words have hurt me. Times I must choose to love when the “emotional idea” of love has waned and I am left feeling alone and disconnected.

Beyond our relationship with God, there are few relationships, like marriage, that require a 24 hour a day, seven days a week commitment. It would seem that maintaining such a discipline would be impossible. However, Romans 5:5 tells us that:

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Every one of us is created with the capacity to “love”! Marriage provides us with daily opportunities to demonstrate love towards our spouse. In doing so, we draw closer to our spouses and closer to God.

(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sacred Marriage-Love”

2011-09-22T09:02:00.000-05:00

(part 1 of 2)

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery- but I am talking about Christ and the Church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
Ephesians 5:32-33

It is evident from this passage that the context of marriage was given to us by God to teach us truth. So often times we view marriage as simply, a framework for family, but marriage is a teacher! Marriage gives us opportunity, through close relationship, to develop and demonstrate Godly character. It teaches us how to love, respect others, address sin, exercise forgiveness, and serve. Marriage is about spiritual growth.

Over the past couple of months, the marriage home groups at our church have been utilizing a book by Gary Thomas called “Sacred Marriage.” The premise of the book is- “What if God designed marriage to make us Holy more than to make us happy?” What if God’s divine purpose for marriage was to build His character into our lives, so that every trial, joy, apprehension, and victory we face as a couple draws us closer to God?

Over the next few weeks we are going to look at a few of the things that marriage can teach us, which will not only result in a better marriage, but also develop the character of God in us.

So let’s start in Matthew 22:37-40:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commands.”

It is clear from Matthew 22 that God desires for us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. It is also obvious that He desires for us to love those we are in close relationship with. So how does marriage teach us to love?

First let’s define “love”. The world defines love as an intense feeling of deep affection, an infatuation, a fleeting emotion.” However, scripture does not equate love with a fleeting emotion. It presents love as a divine attribute of God:

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:8

God is not temporal and God is certainly not fleeting, which means that real love is not meant to be temporal or fleeting. John goes on to describe what true love looks like:

“This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
1 John 4:10

Love is a choice. It is choosing to sacrifice for another individual regardless of the personal cost to you. It is not driven by emotion, but by being in a relationship with “Love” Himself!

(This marriage series was devoloped from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“As We Stand Warming Ourselves”

2011-09-15T07:57:00.001-05:00

“It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around the fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them warming himself.”
John 18:18

After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was bound and taken to the High Priest. Peter lingered in the shadows following the soldiers and religious leaders as they led Jesus into the courtyard and shut the gate.

When Peter came to the gate, the girl on duty asked him:

“You are not one of his disciples, are you?” the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.”
John 18:17

After denying being one of his disciples, Peter made his way over to the fire where he stood with those who were warming themselves. Bound, like a common criminal, Jesus was interrogated by the officials regarding His disciples and His teaching. He was ridiculed and struck in the face as Peter “stood warming himself”.

Peter’s denial led him down a dangerous path. Like Peter, once you “deny” Jesus you will begin to gravitate toward that which makes you comfortable. Peter could of stayed in the shadows, but rather chose to stay warm, even if it compromised his identity. Once he began to cater to his “comfort”, it was not long before he found himself standing with those who opposed Jesus. A careful reading of Scripture does not indicate that he joined them in verbally condemning Jesus, however regardless of what he said or did not say…he was with them! And the longer that you stand with them, the easier it becomes to deny him.

“As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.” One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove? Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.”
John 18:25-27

“Didn’t I see you with him?” is such a telling question. In the Book of Acts, the religious leaders of their day commented that the disciples where “unschooled, ordinary men, but they took note that they had been with Jesus.” The very thing that would later set them apart, Peter was now adamantly denying!

We should not, however, judge Peter too harshly as we consider our own track record. As the Body of Christ stood warming themselves…prayer was taken out of school. As we stood warming ourselves…abortion was legalized. As we stood warming ourselves…same-sex marriage was passed. As we stood warming ourselves…our military chaplains were silenced.

It is the first word of verse 19 that tears at my heart… “Meanwhile”! While he was warming himself by the fire, Jesus’ accusers went unopposed! Peter’s denial encompassed more that the words he spoke. He denied Him when he joined Jesus’ accusers around the fire. He denied Him when, as they spoke against Jesus, he remained silent.

Let us consider today if we have gravitated toward that which makes us comfortable, if we have found ourselves standing with those who oppose Him and have remained silent, and if we have found it easy to deny our faith in the face of opposition.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“The Fellowship of His Suffering”

2011-09-08T07:48:00.000-05:00

(part 3)

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

1 Peter 4:12-13

As I write these words, Christians and churches throughout the world are suffering under the weight of intense persecution. We have fellowshipped with them in many ways-through prayer support, by supplying food, releasing finances, and sending missions teams to encourage and build. However, at the end of the day, the genuineness of our faith is not communicated as much by what we pray or give, as it is by our willingness to share in the sufferings of Christ:

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Romans 8:17

This is what they recognized in Paul that caused them to receive him as “genuine”-
His willingness to “share in the fellowship of Jesus suffering!” They praised God because He was more than a “Christian” in name only. He put his life where his mouth is…and lived for the sake of the gospel. Paul told Timothy:

“So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”

2 Timothy 1:8

Paul now approached his life with a new mission:

“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering.”

Philippians 3:10

The church that he so readily persecuted had now watched Paul’s life and seen that his faith and commitment to following Christ were authentic. He was willing to go beyond the normal expressions of his faith such as praying for them, giving in the offering and breaking bread to lay down his life and suffer for the Glory of God.

I heard a story recently of a minister who asked a missionary couple of a church overseas- “How do you pray for the church in America?” The couple stumbled around for a moment before telling him… “We pray that you will experience persecution!” In large part, we are unable to identify with the Body of Christ around the world because we have never experienced or shared in the sufferings of Christ.

If we are truly going to be credible to the Body of Christ, as a whole, then we must start living our lives so that those who are “giving their lives” for the gospel will recognize the genuineness of our faith.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

The Fellowship of His Suffering

2011-08-25T09:57:00.000-05:00

(part 2)

“Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

Acts 9:19-21

Paul’s reputation as a persecutor and enemy of the faith had proceeded him. His dramatic encounter with Christ was of particular interest to the believers in the early church. Was his conversion genuine? How would they gauge his sincerity?

If Paul was going to impact the world for Jesus Christ, it was going to take more than a “little prayer at the altar” to convince those who had been giving their lives for the faith, that Paul’s faith was authentic. Although he shared in their salvation, the question would be “Would he also share in their sufferings?” That is why God told Ananias…

“I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Acts 9:16

Paul would go on to suffer much for the cause of Christ! In 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 Paul writes:

“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”

And although, not a single one of these acts “earned” Paul his salvation, they did much to earn him credibility. For Paul wrote to the church in Galatia:

“I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. And they praised God because of me.”

Galatians 1:22-23

Paul’s transformed life caused the people to praise God! There was now adequate evidence that Paul was not simply a convert (Christian is name only), but a disciple- ready to lay down his life for Jesus Christ!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“The Fellowship of His Suffering”

2011-08-18T07:55:00.001-05:00

(part 1)

“I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report, “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me.”

Galatians 1:22-24

The story of the Apostle Paul is a story of transformation. A household name among Christians today, he was also a “household name” among Christians in the early church…for entirely different reasons.

We are first introduced to Paul in Acts 7. It is the story of the stoning of Stephen. Stephen was taken before the Sanhedrin (the religious council of his day) charged with speaking blasphemy against Moses and against God. As Stephen is dragged from the city to be stoned to death, Acts 7:58-8:1 tells us that the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. Prior to his conversion Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus.

Fueled by Stephen’s death, Saul began going from house to house in search of Christians, dragging off men and women and putting them in prison (Acts 8:3). We catch up with him again in Acts 9:1-2:

“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them prisoners to Jerusalem.”

Ignited by misguided passion, confidence in the flesh and new found authority from the religious leaders of his day, Paul blazes off for Damascus, when on his way, he has an encounter with Jesus:

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Who are you Lord? Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Paul was led by the hand to Damascus and for three days was blind and did not eat or drink anything. Then the Lord spoke to a man by the name of Ananias to go and pray for Paul. Ananias, knowing who and why Paul was coming to Damascus, responded:

“I have heard may reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
Acts 9:13-14

God instructs Ananias to go. He tells him that Paul has been chosen to carry God’s name to the Gentiles and the people of Israel. He leaves Ananias with these words:

“I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Acts 9:16

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Mobilizing the People of God”

2011-08-11T09:43:00.000-05:00

(part 3)

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Mark 16:15-18

How many of us have heard that Scripture preached and taught in churches, Sunday school classes and small groups around the world? Denominations have built their core beliefs around it, churches have split over it, books have been written to analyze it…but WHO’S DOING IT? I think part of the problem is we don’t finish reading what happened after Jesus said this:

“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs and that accompanied it.”

Mark 16:19-20

Like a general commanding His troops, Jesus directed His disciples to engage the battle. The disciples went out and preached everywhere! As I thought about Jesus commanding His disciples, it made me think about how generals will often visit the staging areas, before major conflicts, to encourage the soldiers about to be deployed. I thought, what if, after one of General Patton or General MacArthur’s stirring speeches, the soldiers would have got up, came by shook their hand and said “Good message today General. Very thought provoking. Can’t wait to hear the rest next week.” …but never engaged the battle! Isn’t that what we are precisely seeing in churches today all over America!

We like coming to the staging area to see everyone, listen to the music, be encouraged by the speeches, but very few are engaging the battle! We have gone AWOL (absent without leave)! AWOL is a military acronym that simply means not being where you are supposed to be at the time you are supposed to be there! We have been given our orders by our commander and chief- Jesus Christ and yet, we hide within the confines of our churches.

That isn’t the way it is in real life. In real life, every individual who arrives in the staging area has one thing on their mind…the mission! They know that they are about to engage the enemy. When we come together, we ought to have one thing on our minds…to proclaim the glory of God to the ends of the earth, engaging peoples, tribes and nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
You have been commissioned! Go into all the world and share the good news about Jesus Christ!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Mobilizing the People of God”

2011-07-28T09:31:00.003-05:00

(part 2)

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

It is called “The Great Commission”! To be commissioned, like a ship, means that the vessel is placed into a state of readiness for service. Ships that are commissioned for service do not sit dry-docked in the shipyard! They are sent out! These great vessels were constructed to do a “work.” They were designed to carry people and resources all over the world! Like these mighty ships, we too were created to carry something to the whole world… the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We were created to do a work:

“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and send them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.”
Acts 13:1-5

Everyone of you has a “work” to which God has called you! It may be serving in the nursery at your church, volunteering at a local food bank, or taking the gospel to the jungles of Ecuador. I cannot tell you where God is sending you, but I can tell you what God has NOT called you to do. God has not called you to go week after week and occupy a pew in your church and never “go” and “make disciples”.

We have made church so comfortable and entertaining that no one wants to leave. Wonderful music, air conditioned sanctuaries, and padded seats are all designed to make those that come in comfortable. Our thinking is…“If we make them feel comfortable here, then they will stay”! Then we preach comfortable messages so that they will come back week after week. We’ll even talk about the importance of the Great Commission and reaching people for Christ as we watch the drama team perform a wonderful illustrated message.

The church, today, looks more like a “staged area” than a staging area. I like to watch the home improvement shows on television and one of things they do to sell somebody on a house is “stage it”. To stage a home is to set it up to make it appear someone lives there. Likewise, we are staging our churches to look like we care about people and taking the Gospel to the nations, when in reality, we are not “going” anywhere! If we are truly going to be Great Commission churches then we must be busy equipping people, training them and sending them out in obedience to God’s Word!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Mobilizing the People of God”

2011-07-28T08:50:00.000-05:00

(part 1)

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in faith and knowledge of the son of God, and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-13

Often times when these verses are studied much of the emphasis is placed on the offices of the apostles, prophets, evangelist, teacher and pastor. Known as the five-fold ministry, entire books highlighting their roles and responsibilities have been written discussing the necessity of these offices in the local church. So much emphasis has been given to them that they have inadvertently become the focal point of the passage. However, upon careful reading, the true focal point of the passage is “God’s people”!

In Ephesians 4, Paul is addressing not the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers of Ephesus, but rather he is addressing the “body”! Paul urges them to live a life worthy of the calling and encourages them to keep the unity of the Spirit. In order to help them accomplish this God gave them apostles- to set things in order, provide oversight, and safeguard the integrity of Scripture; evangelists- to awaken their faith and proclaim the Good News; prophets- to expose sin, proclaim righteousness, and combat worldliness; pastors- to care for their spiritual needs; and teachers-to expound the Word of God. Each set in place for a common purpose which is to “prepare God’s people for works of service.”

Their function is to train and equip God’s people to be released into ministry. Apostles, evangelist, prophets, pastors and teachers are given to mobilize the people of God to proclaim the Glory of God to all nations. It is that very concept that has seemed to escape us! Paul saw the church as a staging area- equipping and releasing people, finances and resources into the mission field to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The church was fluid and mobile, where in contrast, the church today has become a fixture…a fortress!

Fortresses are permanent. They are stationary structures with thick walls to keep the enemy at bay. They contain all the weapons needed inside, but they are only used to defend those inside its walls and keep the enemy out. The church, in America, has become like a fortress. We have become immovable. We contain all the weapons and resources needed to storm the gates of hell, but most of it remains resting comfortably within the four walls of the church.

The church, however, was not designed to be a fortress, but a staging area! By definition a staging area - is where vehicles, supplies, equipment and people are assembled for use! Everything that comes into the staging area is intended to be used in the mission. Our mission, as the body of Christ, is to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth…and everything in the “staging area” is intended to be used in the mission. Staging areas are not designed to be dwelling places. They are temporary by nature. It is where everything goes to receive its instruction…its operational assignment. Then it is “sent out” to be used in the mission!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“The Samson Syndrome”

2011-07-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

(part 3)

“Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison.”

Judges 16:21

Too many of us, like Samson, are dabbling in sin…knowing that it is crouching at the door, desiring to have us, desiring to destroy our lives. Samson knew that Delilah wanted to know “how he could be subdued!” Yet, He believed He could overcome his enemies, because He had done it before! He confused God’s power with his own strength and found himself in bondage!

Sin is a wicked taskmaster. It blinds us to the truth, shackles us to shame and imprisons us in guilt! Regardless of how harmless it may appear, sin is bent on destroying our lives. Samson was not taken into captivity by Delilah’s deception, he was dragged away by his own sinfulness:

“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

James 1:14-15

His enemies gloated and rejoiced over his demise. They held a great sacrifice to their god and had Samson brought out in order make a public spectacle of him. Humiliated and left grinding in a prison, Samson’s story of compromise, failure and bondage could equally describe many of us today. Samson’s story would be heart wrenching if not for this verse found in Judges 16:22:

“But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.”

Samson’s hair began to grown back! The very thing that he had compromised in order to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season began to return to him. This time, however, he did not trust in it’s strength. Instead, as he was led out in front of the shouting Philistine crowd, he lifted his head toward heaven and prayed:

“O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”

Judges 16:28

Samson, with a repentant spirit, acknowledged that the secret of his strength was never his hair, but his God! Renewed in his faith, Samson recaptured his convictions. Be encouraged! God is calling you to break the Samson Syndrome! If you will cry out to God, He will give you strength so that you will not be “tired to death” by sin’s persistence. If you call on Him, He will give you the strength to get up out of “Delilah’s lap!” You may feel that what you have done is unforgivable. You may feel that you have shattered your faith beyond repair! Maybe your enemies are gloating over your demise…but if you will repent and turn back to God you too can recapture your convictions!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“The Samson Syndrome”

2011-07-14T09:25:00.000-05:00

(part 2)

“Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.”
Judges 16:19

How did this man set apart unto God and empowered by the Holy Spirit end up with his head in the lap of sin being lulled to sleep by worldly compromise? Be certain that it did not happen overnight! I think, like Samson, each of us fall into the trap of thinking, “If I do enough things right, I don’t have to address the things that are wrong!” Although Samson obeyed the voice of the Lord in regards to fermented wine not touching his lips and the razor not touching his head…He wasn’t truly living a sanctified life:

“Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “ I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all or people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.”
Judges 14:1-3

Although Samson was diligent about keeping the Nazarite vow, he was not so diligent in following God’s law. Deuteronomy 7:3 instructed the Israelites not to intermarry with those around them “for they will turn your sons away from following me”, however it did not dissuade him from wanting a Philistine woman for his wife. Samson dishonored his parents by disregarding their instruction. Judges 16:1-2 tells us that he was driven by lust and frequented prostitutes, until once again he found himself in the arms of another Philistine woman.

It was a life of gradual compromise that led him to be “lulled to sleep.” He trusted that as long as the Spirit of the Lord was coming upon him…he must be o.k. with God. Until…

“He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.”

Judges 16:20

It is what I like to call the Samson Syndrome! When we get so comfortable with our heads in the “lap of sin”, that we will compromise even our deepest convictions. Samson had done a lot of things, but he had not EVER cut his hair! Yet, after years of compromise, in a state of being “tired to death”, he sacrificed one of his life long convictions. Like Samson, many Christian people today are being lulled to sleep in the lap of Delilah, not realizing that she is stealing their strength (the presence of the Lord in their lives). Too many of us, like Samson, are dabbling in sin…knowing that it is crouching at the door, desiring to have us, desiring to destroy our lives. Samson knew that Delilah wanted to know how he could be subdued! Yet, He believed He could overcome his enemies, because He had done it before! He confused God’s power with his own strength and found himself in bondage!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“The Samson Syndrome”

2011-07-07T08:31:00.000-05:00

(part 1)

“Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because they boy is to be a Nazarite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Judges 13:4-5

From the moment of his birth God intended Samson to be a Nazarite. The word Nazarite is derived from the Hebrew word ‘Nazar’ which means to “set apart.”
A Nazarite was an individual raised up by God whose life would be a demonstration to others of the highest level of holiness, purity and dedication to the Lord.

Samson was to be a picture of a sanctified life. From the time he was a child, no fermented juice touched his lips and no razor touched his head. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he did many exploits for the Lord. He tore a lion apart with his bare hands and struck down a thousand Philistines with nothing but the jawbone of a donkey. The Philistines were desperate to know the secret of his strength. Which brings us to Judges 16! The story of Samson and Delilah:

“Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”

Judges 16:4-5

Three times Delilah attempts to lure him into a trap. She asked him, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” She didn’t even try and conceal what she wanted. She was brazen in her approach and for a time Samson alluded her. However, her repeated efforts began to take their toll on Samson:

“With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death.”

Judges 16:16

Ultimately he told her everything! He told her about his Nazarite vow and how no razor had ever touched his head and when Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the Philistines. She then coaxed Samson to sleep in her lap:

“Having put him to sleep in her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.”

Judges 16:19

How did this man, set apart unto God and empowered by the Holy Spirit, end up with his head in the lap of sin being lulled to sleep by worldly compromise?

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sins’ Shame”

2011-06-23T10:03:00.000-05:00

(part 3)

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?”
1 Corinthians 5:1-2

In 1 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul is forced to address a situation affecting the church in Corinth. A grievous sin has been exposed within the church that the believers in Corinth have failed to address. Paul rebukes them for their lackadaisical attitude towards the issue and admonishes them to put this man out of the fellowship because of his lack of repentance:

“When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 5:4-5

Did this man create his own problem? Absolutely! Was his sin exposed? Yes! Was he repentant? Well, no…not at first. In fact, after his sinful behavior was known, he continued in his sin, and the church did not do anything to confront him. As I shared before, you cannot deal with the issue of shame until you deal with the problem of sin. This man felt no shame over his sin and so he continued in it. So, just as God put Adam and Eve out of the Garden…Paul admonished them to put this man out of the fellowship. They could not allow his sinful behavior to infect the body of Christ:

“Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast- as you really are.”
1 Corinthians 5:6-7

However, Paul leaves the door open for restoration. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes to them about how they should respond when someone they have had to discipline repents:

“If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent-not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”
2 Corinthians 2:5-8
Forgive! Comfort! Reaffirm your love! These words are blankets of grace that need to be cast over many hurting people. People who are living lives “overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” Consider today what you can do to help someone whose sin has long been atoned for, but is still steeped in shame.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sins’ Shame”

2011-06-23T08:52:00.000-05:00

(part 2)

“But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Genesis 3:9-11

As Adam and Eve stood before the Lord, the first thing God did was address their disobedience. God had given them specific direction to “not” eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The shame they were experiencing was the result of the sin that now exposed them. However, you cannot deal with the shame if you have not yet first dealt with the sin. God takes time in Genesis 3:14-20 to reprove Adam, Eve and the serpent, but once He had addressed their sinful behavior, He then addressed their shame:

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

Genesis 3:21

God would not allow them to remain exposed! Some of you need encouraged today regarding the shame that you still bear. You have allowed God to deal with your sin, but have not allowed Him to cover your shame. You have confessed your sins, repented and received His forgiveness, but are being eaten alive by shame. Funny thing about shame, it seems to linger around long after the sin has been atoned for. And sadly enough I think that it is our fault as a body of believers.

In Genesis 9 we read the story of Noah. Noah had come out of the ark, after the flood, and began the task of rebuilding:

“Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he had drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered (exposed) inside his tent.”

Genesis 9:21 (parenthesis mine)

The hard truth of the matter is that Noah got drunk and ends up passed out lying “exposed” in his tent. Scripture documents the event, however, it does not defend Noah’s behavior. Noah’s sin and exposure are his own doing and that should be rightly noted.

Then Noah’s son, Ham, enters the tent and sees his father’s nakedness. Ham leaves the tent and immediately tells his brothers’ what he has seen. Upon hearing this, Shem and Japheth take a garment and lay it across their shoulders. They turned their faces and walked backwards into the tent and covered their father’s nakedness. People, today, are reluctant to confess their sins and are terrified of being exposed because they do not know if who they are telling is a Ham or a Shem.

Ham immediately rushed out and told the first two people he saw!
He was more concerned about telling what he had seen and heard than he was concerned about his father’s shame. Shem and Japheth, on the contrary, demonstrated the utmost respect. Knowing their father’s situation, they chose not to ignore or focus on their father’s sinfulness. His sin had already been exposed. Rather they chose to address his shame.

We are cursed today in the body of Christ with too many Hams and not enough Shems and Japheths. Noah was exposed because of his own sinfulness, however Ham’s lack of concern for His father’s shame brought greater reproach.

We must never confuse “concealing sin” with “covering shame”. Concealing sin does not bring healing instead it fosters division, disunity, and destruction. Covering shame means that the sin has been exposed…now we must restore.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sins’ Shame”

2011-06-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

(part 1)

“O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.”

Ezra 9:6

How many of you can identify with that prayer. We all, I am certain, have things in our lives that we deeply regret, are embarrassed about, or ashamed of. Shame is defined as a painful sense of having done something wrong, improper or immodest. It has been evident in the lives of men since the moment sin entered the world. Genesis 2:25 tells us that before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve, both walked in perfect relationship with God. They walked in obedience to God’s Word and although they were fully exposed they felt no shame”

“The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”

Genesis 2:25

However, after they sinned by eating off the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Genesis 3:7 tells us:

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”

Upon becoming painfully aware of their nakedness, Adam and Eve’s initial response was to cover themselves. There was now something in their lives they did not wish to have exposed. So they covered themselves (hiding themselves from one another with fig leaves) and then they hid themselves from God:

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord god among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Genesis 3:8-10

Shame is always accompanied by an attempt to cover ourselves. In fact, throughout scripture, specifically the Old Testament, shame meant to “cover one’s face.” Covering one’s face is a natural response to shame. Do you remember getting into trouble as a child and when confronted about what you did wrong you “hid your face” in your hands? Psalm 44:15 says:

“My disgrace is before me all day long and my face is covered with shame.”
In those moments of painful awareness when our sin is exposed we “hide our face.”
Kid’s hide behind the curtains, in the closet or under the bed, but adults do it to. Maybe it isn’t as primitive, but we hide ourselves in busyness, work, activity, alcohol, prescription medicine…all in an attempt to conceal the pain and the shame.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Believing is Seeing”

2011-06-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

(part 2 of 2)

“Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
“You believe at last!” Jesus answered.
John 16:29-31

In John 16, Jesus reveals to His disciples that soon they will see Him no more and then after a little while they will see Him again. The disciples, perplexed by Jesus’ statement, began to ask one another about what He had said:

“They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
John 16:18

The disciples were anxious about Jesus’ remarks. They wanted to know clearly what Jesus meant when He said “soon they would see Him no more and then after a little while they would see Him again.” Where was He going? When was He coming back? What does He mean by “a little while?” Jesus perceiving their apprehension, went on to clarify His message. Like many of us, they wanted to have all the information up front before they would believe.

When Jesus had finished speaking His disciples proclaimed… “NOW we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. THIS makes us believe that you came from God.” Only after they could clearly understand what He was saying would they confess they believed. Notice that it wasn’t Jesus that caused them to believe, it what because “Now” they could see. Jesus knew that their “belief” in Him was not rooted in faith…it was rooted in sight! They only believed because it made sense to them.

However, the definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1 declares:

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Faith is being able to accept in our Spirit what is undetected by our physical man. It is the kind of faith that great men and women of God were commended for in Hebrews 11:

“By faith Noah, when warned abut things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.” Hebrews 11:7

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance , obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

Hebrews 11:8

In each case, the believing proceeded the seeing. If we are going to live by faith, we too have to believe if we truly want to see.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Believing is Seeing”

2011-06-02T08:48:00.001-05:00

(part 1 of 2)

“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Mark 15:29-32

How many of you have ever said, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” Probably everyone of us. We live in a “Seeing is believing” society, where if it cannot be verified with our senses then we have a hard time accepting it. We have been conditioned by our culture to be “sensual” allowing sight, sound, touch, taste and smell to become all the truth we need.

I came to meditate of this after asking myself, as a Christian… “Why do I believe?” The word believe means to: accept as true. So if “Seeing is believing”, then only what is seen (verified by our senses) can be accepted as true. A careful reading of the above passage, however, shows that this cannot be so:

In Mark 15:29 the people testified that they “heard” Christ’s message, but they did not accept it. In Mark 15:31 the chief priests and teachers testified that they had seen Him do miracles, yet they did not accept it! If “seeing is really believing” then why did they not accept what they had seen and heard as true.

The problem was not what they could see, hear or touch. The problem was that they did not want to accept “who” He claimed to be. So, regardless of what He did, even coming off the cross, would not have changed their minds. They would have simply asked for another sign! You cannot see your way into believing!!!

Jesus actually rebuked one of his own disciples, who refused to believe. Even after Jesus had been raised from the dead Thomas needed another sign:

“Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

John 20:24-25

A week later, Jesus came to his disciples again, this time Thomas was with them. He stood among them and said to Thomas:

“Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
John 20:27

In essence, Jesus came to him and said, “Here I am Thomas… see me , hear me, touch me!” Scripture is unclear about whether Thomas even dared lay a hand on Jesus, but he did make a confession of faith saying to Him: “My Lord and my God!” However, his confession wasn’t followed by platitudes as was Peter’s confession of faith. Jesus did not say… “Good job Thomas!” Instead he told him:

“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:29

Jesus words to Thomas are still as powerful today as they were 2,000 years ago…It is when we first “believe” that we begin to truly see!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Fear Factors”

2011-05-26T08:20:00.001-05:00

(part 2 of 2)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am you God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

Most of us are familiar with these words spoken by the Prophet Isaiah. Words that God has been encouraging His people with since the earliest of times…
“Do not fear, for I am with you.”

More than just a statement made by a righteous God, these words are a promise made by a loving, heavenly Father. A promise that speaks of His abiding presence in our lives. Throughout the Old Testament, when facing a lack of water, a shortage of food, a devouring plague or an imposing army…God encouraged His people not to fear…because His presence would be with them. In each situation, God demonstrated that with His presence came provision, providence and protection. However, it was not simply a promise for those who lived in the times of Abraham and Moses. Jesus draws attention to it in Luke 12:29-32:

“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

God continues, today, to bring provision to those who make seeking Him a priority in their lives. We must learn that whether we are facing a job loss, an illness, an enemy, or uncertainty that what we need most is not a career change, a cure, deliverance, or an answer. What we need to know, above all else, is that God is with us. When we are secure in the fact that God is with us, then fear cannot maintain a place in our lives.

The other avenue by which fear finds it’s way into our hearts is when we lose perspective of our relationship to God:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine.”

Isaiah 43:1

When we fail to realize how much God loves us, how He sees us, and how He desires to respond to us as His children we open the door to fear. Fear cripples your relationship with God by separating you from Him through rejection, consequences and failure. We disengage with Him because we fear that we have displeased Him and that He will reject us. We disconnect from Him, because in our fear of displeasing Him and others, we refuse to risk failing; burying our talents and gifts; robbing the body of Christ and those around us of the blessings God has created us with. We avoid Him, because we are fearful of the consequences that our actions have created and we must eventually face.

Ultimately we just lose sight of God’s amazing love for us:

“And we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
1 John 4: 16-18

God’s love and promises are sure. He is with you! He has redeemed you! You are His! Do not fear!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Fear Factors”

2011-05-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

(part 1 of 2)

“What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.”

Job 3:25

What would you do, if one day you woke up and everything you feared came to pass? That is a sobering thought, but that is precisely what happened to Job. In a moment, Job lost his wealth, his source of income, his children, and his health. To make matters worse, his friends and his wife all turned against him. Job was grieving, heartbroken and in pain, but his greatest hurt was that God seemed to have abandoned him.

Job, like all of us, had played out this nightmare scenario in his mind before. It is evident in Job 3:25 that he had thought about it and came to dread the idea of any of these things happening to him. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Satan came to God and was given permission to test Job. He was not allowed to take Job’s life, but basically everything else was fair game:

“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has and he will surely curse you to your face. The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Job 1:8-12

Satan then methodically goes on a rampage destroying Job’s herds, wealth, children, health and relationships.

For a long time I felt like Satan was “randomly” attacking Job to try and cause him to curse God, but after reading Job 3:25 I realized that Satan was not being “random” at all! On the contrary, he was targeting Job in specific areas…areas in which he feared. Although God had given Satan permission to test Job, it was Job’s own fears that Satan used against him.

Everyone of us could probably make a list, like Job, of the things we fear. Scenarios that we have played out in our minds, a hundred times, that are crippling us emotionally, physically and spiritually! Fears, that if we allow them to, will stop us in our tracks, strip us of our confidence and leave us feeling abandoned.

However, God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. In trying to get a handle on fear, I began to reflect upon all the fears, both rational and irrational (phobias), that people struggle to overcome. When I considered them all, I began to realize that all of them stem from one of two things:

1. We have lost the inward sense of God’s presence in our lives.
2. We’ve lost perspective regarding our relationship with God.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Dying to Live: The Resurrected Life”

2011-05-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

(part 3 of 3)

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! “
Luke 24 1-6

As I meditated on this passage I identified a couple marks of a resurrected life that I believe are relevant for every born again child of God! The first thing that I perceived was that Jesus, after His resurrection, refused to stay among the dead! The angel asked the women… “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen!” Resurrected people don’t live in cemeteries. Although we lived among the dead at one time, God has called us by His grace out of that old life:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.”

Paul goes on to say in Ephesians that God has raised us up with Christ and seated us in heavenly places! You can’t live in heavenly places if you are still trying to live among the dead! As you move away from that dead way of life you can be certain that there will be those to whom news of your “resurrection” will seem like nonsense:

“When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the other with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”

Luke 24: 9-11

It isn’t characteristic of a “dead person” to leave their tomb! That is why Peter upon hearing their words ran to the tomb. Gazing inside he saw all the things associated with a dead man… the stone, the slab, the linens, but the dead man was gone. Scripture tells us that Peter left the tomb “wondering”. You see, a resurrected life is one marked by uncharacteristic changes. A dead man is lifeless, stationary, lacks creativity and is unable to reproduce. A resurrected life looks different and acts different. A resurrected life is full of life, hope, and passion. After Jesus’ death, the disciples were locked behind closed doors when Jesus appeared to them. Luke 24:37 tells us:

“They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.”

The last picture they had of him was beaten, bloodied and hanging on a cross. They didn’t recognize him…ALIVE! Likewise, there will be lots of folks to whom news of your resurrection is going to seem like nonsense, because they only remember you as being “dead in sin”. They won’t immediately recognize the changes in you. Like Jesus, you will carry around the scars of your past life, but you will also carry with you the life that is in Him too!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Dying to Live: The Crucified Life”

2011-05-04T09:12:00.001-05:00

(part 2 of 3)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20

Before Christ demonstrated a resurrected life, He first exemplified a crucified life. A life that we are called to imitate. What then is a crucified life? I think the passage above defines it for us best… “I” no longer live!” To live a crucified life is to die to the “I” in each of us! The “I” is that part of us only concerned about ourselves…our needs, our desires, our ambitions and our plans. Scripture calls it our old nature or the flesh! It is what Jesus went to the cross put down.

That is why the cross is such a powerful emblem. It opposes the flesh and stands in stark contrast to the “I” in each of us. The flesh doesn’t want to suffer, be inconvenienced, give up anything, or better anyone else. The cross, however, stands as a beacon of another way to live. The world, which caters to the flesh, hates the cross. The world provokes the cravings of the sinful man, enflames his lusts, and bolsters his pride:

“Do not love the world on anything in the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world- the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world.”
1 John 2:15-16

All of these stand in clear contrast to the love of God demonstrated by Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary. Before the cross there were only types and shadows of how we should live nestled in God’s Word, but the cross of Christ created a unmistakable distinction between the flesh and God’s will. It is why James wrote:

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes and enemy of God.”
James 4:4

There is no gray area! We cannot love the world and love God! In Galatians 5:24, the apostle Paul tells us that “Those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” If your “I” has been crucified, then the world will have nothing to offer you that you want. That is how you determine what part of your “I” has yet to be crucified. What does the world have to offer that still interests you…music, movies, sex, alcohol, drugs, power, position, money?

If we truly see the crucifixion as a significant spiritual event in the life of Jesus, then we must also value the distinction it established between the things of God and the things of this world. We must no longer conform to the pattern of this world:

“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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.”

Romans 12:1-2

In light of the cross, It is time we start examining the “uncrucified” parts of our lives!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Dying to Live”

2011-04-28T09:44:00.001-05:00

(part 1 of 3)

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Galatians 6:14

As the Body of Christ, Christians all over the world will be recognizing two major events in the life of Jesus Christ this week: His crucifixion and His resurrection. These two events though individually rich with meaning are also intimately tied together. For without the crucifixion there would be no resurrection. And without the resurrection there would be no hope! However, this connection between the two must be balanced.

A church that focuses solely on the crucifixion and Christ’s atoning for our sins will be devoid of hope as it grieves and agonizes over the price that was paid. Overcoming our flesh, rejecting worldliness, and exposing sin become the order of the day. With so much focus on sin, it is not long before they would drift into legalism.

A church, however, that focuses solely on the resurrection and the hope of eternal life would be devoid of conviction as it addresses the abundant life, the love of God, and our glorious future. Sin isn’t seriously addressed. It isn’t long before a congregation, like this, would become morally lax.

It takes both of these events to give a clear presentation of the Gospel message. The message of Christ is powerful because of the relationship between the cross and the empty tomb. To separate them cripples the effectiveness of our message. The Apostle Paul saw just how powerful each of these events were in the life of Christ. For in one breath he declares:

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:2

By simply subscribing to this passage of Scripture, some may believe that Paul saw this event as being “more significant” in the life of Christ than any other event. However, later in the same book Paul penned these words:

“For is the dead are not raised then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”
1 Corinthians 15:16-18

Understanding the power and intimate relationship of these two events is significant in the life of a believer. The New Testament is peppered with passages proclaiming that we are to “die daily”, “take up our cross” and “crucify the flesh.” While at the same time saying… “I have come to give you life more abundantly”, “We’ve been made alive with Christ”, and “We are a new creation.”

The question then becomes… “How do we die and live at the same time?”

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Separating the Holy from the Common”

2011-04-21T08:11:00.001-05:00

“So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.”

Ezekiel 42:20

At the writing of this passage, Israel had been in Babylonian captivity for 25 years. In a vision, God showed the prophet Ezekiel the dimensions of the new temple that would one day be rebuilt in Jerusalem. He showed Ezekiel the outer courts and its gates, the inner courts and its gates, the rooms to prepare sacrifices, rooms for the priests and the Temple. After describing what was inside the Temple area an angel of the Lord led Ezekiel out through the east gate and showed him the wall that surrounded it. The angel told Ezekiel that this wall is to separate the holy from the common.

Immediately after this, the glory of God came and filled the Temple. Before God filled the Temple, He made certain that the wall between the holy and the common was in place! This is a Word from the Lord to you! You are God’s Temple according to 1 Corinthians 3:16:

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

God desires to fill us with His Glory, but the wall between the holy and the common must be in place. God would not allow that which was unclean into the “inner place”. Before the Israelites were taken into captivity, the priests of Israel had forsaken this wall:

“Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.”
Ezekiel 22:26

If we are going to live holy and righteous before the Lord we must maintain a wall of holiness that distinguishes between clean and unclean; the common and the holy. God would have me tell you that many of you are profaning what is holy inside of you by what you are allowing in!

Israel’s priests had forsaken the wall, they had profaned the inner courts by allowing that which was unclean and unholy inside. This grieved the heart of God and He looked for someone who would bear a burden for holiness:

“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.”

Ezekiel 22:30

Our God is still looking! He is looking for a people who will once again become concerned about what is holy, build up the wall, and guard the gates. We are God’s Temple and must distinguish between the clean and the unclean, the holy and the common, if we are going to maintain our inner holiness.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

"The Sign of Jonah”

2011-04-14T10:05:00.001-05:00

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested Him by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.” Matthew 16:1-4 Jesus had scarcely left the place where 4,000 people had been miraculously fed, when He is approached by the religious leaders of His day. These men prided themselves on being knowledgeable and made certain to express their abilities among the people. However, the one thing they could not understand and, in fact, were blinded to, was the coming of Jesus Christ. Although He came precisely as was foretold in Scripture, they did not see it. Although He did miraculous signs and wonders…healing the sick, lame, blind and deaf…they would not believe it. It did not matter how may were saved, healed, delivered or fed! They were truly not interested in the people or their needs. Even if Jesus had opened heaven itself, no sign was going to make them believe. Jesus understood this and told them that “No sign will be given you, except the sign of Jonah.” This statement should cause us to stop and think! What sign is so significant that Jesus Himself would take time to point it out? The sign of Jonah is better explained to us in Matthew 12:40: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Jonah’s time spent in the belly of a huge fish was a foreshadow of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Jesus is telling them that if they are going to believe a sign, the only one that matters is that one! Believing it is critical to our salvation! Romans 10:9 declares: “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” If we do not believe that Jesus Christ was raised to life…WE ARE NOT SAVED! Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, was vomited out, and brought salvation to Nineveh. In like manner, Jesus spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, came out, and brought salvation to all mankind. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most significant miracle that ever happened. It is THE sign for all generations. In fact, Jesus said it is this sign that generations will stand in judgment over: “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.” Matthew 12:41 We will not be condemned over whether we believed Noah built an arc, Moses parted the Red Sea, or David slayed Goliath. We will, however, have to answer the question… “Do you believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried and after three days rose again!” Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Bringing Men to Jesus”

2011-04-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

“Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon down to the sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Him to place His hand on the man.”

Mark 7:31-32

In a parallel passage Matthew (15:30) described what was happening like this:

“Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at His feet and He healed them.”

As Jesus laid hands on them, the people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the cripple made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. With every miracle came a growing confidence in Him. As their confidence grew so did the crowds and soon they were bringing the sick, crippled and hurting with them.

They recognized from following Jesus two important truths:

1. An encounter with Jesus was a life-changing experience.

2. Everything He touched was made whole.

This motivated people! They took time to look around and find hurting people. They looked for those who truly needed a miracle in their lives and then they brought them to Jesus. They did not simply “identify them” as someone who needed Jesus, but they made the effort to lead them to Him. This takes a tremendous amount of faith! Why? Because it exposes what we believe?

I often wonder… “If we have enough faith in Him to follow Him, then why have we stopped bringing men to Jesus?” Are we afraid of having our faith exposed? Are we afraid that He will not do for them what they need? Are we concerned that it will reflect poorly on us if they do not receive? Or are we more concerned about our reputation than their wholeness? We do not see the miracles today, not because God is unwilling to heal, but we are unwilling to “bring men to Jesus”.

These people whom Jesus healed did not show up “two by two” like animals to Noah’s ark. They were found and led there by PEOPLE! In fact, Jesus commanded us to bring them to Him. In Luke 14:21-23, the Parable of the Great Banquet, His servants are instructed to: “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” Once this was done the servants replied… “Sir, what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.” So Jesus ordered them: “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.”
Have we, as the church, lost our confidence in Christ’s ability to save, heal and deliver? If we, too, believe that an encounter with Jesus is a life-changing experience and that everything He touches is made whole…shouldn’t we be the first to “bring men to Jesus?”

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Is It Worth Losing Your Head Over?”

2011-03-17T10:22:00.001-05:00

“King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying , “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
Mark 6:14-16

It is evident from this passage of scripture that King Herod was very conflicted over his role in John the Baptist’s death. It was Herod that had John arrested and put in prison. John had been telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to be married to Herodias. Herodias had been married to Herod’s brother Philip. It appears that on a regular basis John took the opportunity to remind Herod of his reprehensible behavior.

This infuriated Herodias. She began nursing a grudge against John and wanted to have him killed, however Herod feared John and protected him. Finally, the scripture tells us that the opportune time came:

“Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.”

Mark 6:21-22

Herod was so taken with her that he said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” Immediately she went out and found her mother. She asked Herodias, “What shall I ask for?” Herodias told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist:

“At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
Mark 6:25

The King was greatly distraught by the request. He did not want to execute John, but also did not want to lose face because of the oath he gave in front of his dinner guests. So he gave the order and John was beheaded.

Ultimately John lost his head over something he believed in. John had favor with the king. It is apparent that Herod enjoyed listening to him, but losing favor with the king never kept John from sharing the truth with him. Later when John was bound and imprisoned, he could have let the matter go. He could have said, “Well, I’ve done all I can,” but instead he continued to stand for what was right. Even with his head on the chopping block he could have recanted and apologized for his brazenness, but instead he held to his principles even unto death.

What about you? Are you that passionate about God’s Word? Maintaining your purity? Upholding righteousness? There will always be opportunities to abandon what you believe in…the question is “Is there anything you believe in that is worth losing your head over?”

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Sore Amazed

2011-03-10T09:40:00.000-06:00

(part 2)

“When evening came the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed in the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed.”
Mark 6:47-51

Out on the lake, the disciples found themselves hungry, wet, scared, exhausted and totally overwhelmed. They were once again in an impossible situation. I am certain that they had employed every “natural” means of saving themselves that they could feasibly maneuver, but the situation only worsened. It was at that moment that Jesus comes passing by!

It is evident from the text that not one of them expected to see Jesus. If fact, they were terrified when they saw Him:

“But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.”
Mark 6:49-50

Their amazement at seeing Jesus show up, in the midst of their impossible situation, demonstrated that they were entirely more sensitive to the “natural world and it’s limitations” than they were to a supernatural move of God. Their thoughts were consumed with their situation and how to save themselves. However, they were only considering the “natural ways” of deliverance.

Like with the fish and the loaves, Jesus wanted them to stop being “dominated” by their natural thinking. The hardness of their hearts was caused from being more sensitive , set or influenced by natural thinking than by God’s Word. Remember, whose idea was it for them to get in the boat. Jesus constrained them to get in the boat and head back for Bethsaida. Again, He had put them in the middle of an impossible situation.

However, somewhere along the way they failed to remember that they were in the middle of God’s will. Like many of us, they assumed that “surely” anything God asks us to do is going to end up well and I am sure it did at the first. I would venture to say that the topic of discussion for the first mile or so was the miracle on the mountain, but as the wind and the waves began to beat against them their focus began to shift towards the precarious situation unfolding around them. After several more hours of fighting the wind and the waves…their hearts began to fill with fear and doubt. They had exhausted all their options.

They had failed to learn the lesson on the mountain! God has answers for impossible situations. They were prepared for many things as they started rowing across the sea of Galilee that day, except for God to answer their need supernaturally. Many of you may be facing impossible situations right now in your life. I want to encourage you not to get so wrapped up in trying to find a natural solution that you miss “Jesus passing by!”

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Sore Amazed!”

2011-02-24T09:16:00.001-06:00

(part 1)

“And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”
Mark 6:48-52

Only in Mark is there a connection made between Jesus’ walking on water and His feeding of the five thousand. Mark makes a telling statement is verses 51-52 when he indicates that their “amazement” at seeing Jesus walking on the water was due to a hardening of their hearts. Most of the time, when we think of a person with a hard heart, we think of someone like Pharaoh or King Nebuchadnezzar. Someone in complete rebellion towards God! However, Mark is using it describe Jesus’ disciples. The men who loved him, followed him and served him. So we need to take a moment to examine the meaning of the word “hardened”.

Hardened can be defined several ways, but it is best understood as “becoming set” like as in concrete, to be made calloused, or to become insensitive to. Just hours before the disciples found themselves being tossed about at sea, they were all on a mountainside, on the other side of the lake, participating in an amazing miracle. Jesus had fed 5,000 men (not counting women and children) with two fish and five loaves. He did the impossible before their very eyes. Immediately after this Jesus constrained His disciples to get in the boat and leave for Bethsaida.

For hours they struggled against the wind and the pounding waves. Again, they found themselves in the middle of an impossible situation. However, their hearts began to fill with fear because although they had experienced the miracle of the loaves earlier in the day…they had failed to learn the lesson.

Large crowds had followed them that day and Jesus had compassion on them. So He began teaching them many things. As the day drew on, the disciples realized that there was no way to care for that many people in such a remote location, so they approached Him:

“By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

Mark 6:35-36
It is at that moment the “lesson” began as Jesus turned to them and said:
“You give them something to eat.” Immediately the disciples go into panic mode. They whip out their calculators and start trying to do the math. They went to work trying to figure out how much food they will need to feed that many people, then how much money they need to buy that much food, and then how long it will take to raise that kind of money! They were consumed only with what they could see!

It was in, that moment, that Jesus taught them that there is not always a “natural” answer to our impossible situations. In fact, if it is an impossible situation that appears to have no natural answer…then we need to start looking for a supernatural response.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Drawing from the Wells of Salvation”

2011-02-24T08:27:00.000-06:00

(part 2)

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:11-14

Just outside the town of Sychar, Jesus has an encounter with a Samaritan woman by a place known as Jacob’s Well. In one of the most compelling passages of Scripture in the Book of John, Jesus reveals Himself to this woman as the Messiah. Moved by her encounter with Christ the woman left her water jar and immediately rushed back to town and began to tell everyone what had happened to her and urged them to come see him. Many believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony.

I am convinced that God desires to see great outpourings like this still today! However, witnessing today looks markedly different than it did throughout Scripture. Witnessing for Christ, throughout Scripture, was a natural outflow of an abundance of joy experienced by a person being saved. In contrast, our witnessing has become perfunctory and rooted in obligation rather than an outflow of our joy! When this happens we find ourselves in a dangerous place, because when we lose our joy…we lose our witness!

Witnessing is “joyfully drawing water out of the wells of salvation.” When we lose the joy of our own salvation we become ineffective. King David was a man after God’s own heart, but he too recognized the need to keep the waters stirred. Psalm 51 is the Psalm written by David after he was confronted by Nathan the prophet for committing adultery with Bathsheba. David had fallen into sin. He had lost the joy of his salvation that resulted in his witness being weakened. He cries out to God:

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.”

Psalm 51:12-13

I find it interesting that once David’s witness had been jeopardized, He didn’t ask for more power to witness, more wisdom, better speaking skills, or more opportunities. He said… “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” David recognized that it was out of the abundance of this joy he was the most effective in turning sinners back to God. As individuals and churches when we lose the joy of God’s salvation…we lose our witness.

When we believed in Christ we were filled with inexpressible and glorious joy over the salvation of our souls:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:8

Some of you have lost that joy. This happens when our wells stagnate from a lack of drawing out. The only way to keep your well stirred up is to draw from it! TO WITNESS! In the Old Testament the quickest way to stop a people form flourishing was to “stop up their wells.” Just like then, our enemy today knows this! As with King David, if he can distract you from drawing from your well…keeping it stirred…soon it will stagnate.

God wants to restore to you, today, the joy of your salvation, but you are going to have to keep those waters stirred by drawing on them!

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Drawing from the Wells of Salvation”

2011-02-17T08:14:00.000-06:00

Part 1

“When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord had done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
Psalm 126:1-3

Psalm 126 is about as clear a picture of salvation as you will find in the scriptures. A song depicting the children of Israel, after being held in captivity, being set free and brought back to the land of Zion! Like men who dreamed they were filled with laughter and songs of praise. They rejoiced in the great things God had done for them and they were filled with joy! Isaiah, the prophet, described it this way:

“And the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Isaiah 35:10

The imagery that emerges is “a ransomed and redeemed people returning to God, overflowing with joy over their salvation.” It is out of this abundance of joy that the people begin to cry out to God:

“Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”

Psalm 126:4-6

This phrase “restore our fortunes” is better translated… “bring back our captives.” Moved by the joy of their salvation, they begin to cry out for their brothers…believing God for a harvest of souls. Drawing from the wells of their salvation they longed for their brothers to enjoy the same taste of salvation they had received:

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done and proclaim that his name is exalted.”
Isaiah 12:2-4

Witnessing for Christ, throughout Scripture was a natural outflow of an abundance of joy experienced by a person being saved. The person being saved with great joy would draw from the wells of salvation and share the Good News with others around them. Isn’t it interesting that one of the most vivid “soul winning” encounters in the Bible took place by a well in John chapter 4?

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Full Rights as Sons”

2011-02-10T08:30:00.001-06:00

(part 2)

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become MATURE, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
Ephesians 4:11-14

Ephesians 4 tells us that God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service, foster unity and to mature the Body. It appears, however, that there was a tendency in the early church to stagnate. People either through ignorance or choice were not “progressing spiritually” neither individually or as a body. After what was considered a reasonable amount of time, many believers had not progressed beyond the elementary teachings:

“We have so much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Hebrews 5:11-14

Upon reading Hebrews 5, we are left with the impression, that the early church was simply re-hashing the same foundational teachings concerning repentance from acts that lead to death, faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

They were living on milk (like an infant) and not acquainting themselves with the meat of God’s Word. It is the meat of God’s Word that keeps us from being tossed about by every wind of teaching. It is the meat of God’s Word that teaches us to distinguish between good and evil. It is the meat of God’s Word that enables us to escape the corruption in world caused by evil desires:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our KNOWLEDGE of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises , so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
1 Peter 1:3-4
In order to attain life and godliness we must learn to possess “knowledge” of Christ in increasing measure. By maturing in our knowledge of Christ we can avoid becoming ineffective and unproductive:

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-8

By maturing in our faith, growing in our knowledge of Christ, and possessing godliness we demonstrate our commitment to spiritual growth and position ourselves to enjoy “full rights as sons.”

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Full Rights as Sons”

2011-02-03T09:27:00.002-06:00

(part 1)

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.”
Galatians 3:26-4:2

A slave in ancient times had no rights or claims to his master’s inheritance. The inheritance was reserved for the sons. Likewise, when we were steeped in sin (slaves to sin), we had no claim or rights to the promises of God. However, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we became sons and heirs.

Paul recognized that the believers in Galatia were not exercising their “full rights as sons.” They were heirs, but they were like children. They owned the whole estate, but were not benefiting, because they lacked the maturity to operate in it.

A child, that is heir to an estate, is likened to a slave, in that he cannot operate without the aid and consent of a guardian or trustee. He is bound by his own immaturity. In light of this, Paul is encouraging the Galatians to move beyond just thinking like heirs and to see themselves as sons. An heir has rights to what is promised, but it is only available to them at a “time set by the father.” A son, however, in ancient times, had access and rights to the promises at any time. Remember the story of the prodigal son. He went to his father and said “Father, give me my share of the estate.” His father didn’t argue with him, he simply divided the estate between them. The young man was more than just an heir…he was a son!

Nevertheless, we cannot attain, to the place of “full rights” as sons as long as we are still acting like children. Paul makes a clear connection between the need for spiritual maturity and receiving full rights as sons. He told the Corinthian Church in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2:

“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly- mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?”

Notice how he equates being worldly and being mere infants in Christ. As a “mere infant” we are just as constrained by others as a slave is to his master. As “mere infants” we are constrained by the teaching, leading and direction of others. We can be easily “blown around” by every wind of doctrine:

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become MATURE, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
Ephesians 4:11-14

Again, Paul is calling the church to “maturity”…so that we may attain to the full rights as sons.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“God’s Answer to the Sinful Nature”

2011-01-27T08:12:00.000-06:00

(part 2)

“You, my brothers were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.”
Galatians 5:13

When we conclude that “asking forgiveness” is an acceptable substitute for exercising self-control, it will not be long until we use the liberty it brings to indulge the sinful nature! In very short order, we will begin to see “asking forgiveness” as a sort of spiritual reset button! Rather than exercise self-control, or one of the other fruit of the Spirit, in a given situation, we choose to indulge our flesh. We opt to push the forgiveness button rather than exercise any spiritual discipline.

Suppose you struggle with watching inappropriate shows on television. One day your spouse is gone, the kids are at school and you are alone with your television set. You pick up the remote and begin to scan through the channels. As you are flipping past one of the channels you catch a glimpse of a couple “less” than fully dressed. Knowing that you do not need to watch those kind of shows you continue flipping through the channels. All of a sudden your flesh begins to say… “Let’s watch it!” Eventually, you find yourself back to that channel. This time you decide to see what is on. The Holy Spirit cautions you again! Instead of heeding His lead, you determine to cater to your flesh. Later you begin to feel the weight of remorse for your disobedience. You realize you are out of step with God. However, you do not repent. (And by repent, I mean, take action to prevent being drawn in by it again.) Instead, you simply ask God to forgive you. Believing that this will bring you back in step with the Holy Spirit!

When we attempt to substitute “asking forgiveness” for “exercising the fruit of the Spirit” we cheapen the grace of God, negate the need for repentance and make a mockery of the cross of Christ. In essence, we are telling God… “I am interested in Your forgiveness, but I am not interested in pleasing you!” Remember, just as the works of the flesh gratify the desires of the sinful nature, it is the fruit of the Spirit that gratify the heart of God.

I think it is good for us to bear in mind that the God we serve is just as much a “Just” God as He is a “Forgiving” God. This may get me in trouble with some religious folks, but I don’t think God is as “good” as some of you are making Him out to be! We put ourselves in a dangerous position when we start to believe that our unwillingness to exercise self-control will be adequately covered by God’s grace.

Romans 14:10-12 tells us:

“For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
Some of you have been out of step with the Holy Spirit for a long time. You have found yourself “asking forgiveness” over and over, but you continue to find yourself indulging the sinful nature. My counsel to you is to stop trying to perfect “asking forgiveness” and start exercising the fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus shed His blood so that our sins could be forgiven, but He gave us the “fruit of the Spirit so that we can live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“God’s Answer to the Sinful Nature”

2011-01-18T09:43:00.000-06:00

(part 1)

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I ward 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, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature- with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:19-25

As believers, there is a conflict that is happening within us between- “what the sinful nature desires” and “what the Spirit of God desires.” Galatians 5 gives us a vivid description of these “works of the flesh”…these attitudes and behaviors that cater to the desires of the sinful nature. Paul warns that this type of living- living to indulge the sinful nature- has eternal consequences:

“I warn you as I did before that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:21

As I meditated on this passage of Scripture, I was forced to stop and consider: “How do we, as believers, manage this conflict within us between the flesh and the Spirit? How do we respond when we are tempted? How do we react in times of trouble?”

God’s answer is found in Galatians 5:22-23:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law.”

The fruit of the Spirit is God’s response to the sinful nature. The fruit of the Spirit, do not simply reflect the character of God, but they are “responses.” Responses that gratify the Spirit of God! Just as the “works of the flesh” gratify the desire of the sinful nature, the fruit of the Spirit gratify the heart of God.

Galatians 5:24 says that: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passion and desires. Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Keeping in step with the Spirit is about managing conflict by consistently responding with the fruit of the Spirit. When we respond to temptation or trial by gratifying the flesh we get out of step with the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, after we have indulged the sinful nature and found ourselves out of step with God…we have somehow wrongly determined that “asking forgiveness” puts us back in step.
Notice from Galatians 5:22-23 that “asking forgiveness” is not a fruit of the Spirit.

Too many people suppose that asking forgiveness when they choose to indulge the sinful nature is as good as exercising the fruit of self-control from the start. When faced with temptations, they reason that the difficulty or their unwillingness to “exercise self-control” will be adequately covered by God’s Grace.

We have confused what it means to “ask forgiveness” with true repentance. Asking forgiveness simply acknowledges our remorse for having participated in the acts of the sinful nature. We are asking God to extend His mercy towards us. It calls for action on God’s part, but none on our own.

Repentance, however, calls for action on our part…to flee, forsake, and turn away from the fruitless deeds of darkness. Repentance brings us back in step with the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“The True Christmas Spirit”

2011-01-13T10:07:00.000-06:00

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.”
Ephesians 4:17-21

This may seem like an unlikely Christmas passage, but ultimately it is a reflection of what the true Christmas Spirit is all about. As Mary sat holding Jesus, the day after He was born, I wonder if she knew how things were about to change! Her and Joseph’s life, of course, was changing. Just ask anyone with kids. Introducing a child into your family dynamic changes things…more work, less sleep, amazing joy!
But did she realize that with His birth, the way that man approached God was about to change…how we think, the way we live, our relationships with one another?

The coming of Christ that day changed things! Mary and Joseph were changed! The shepherds were changed! The Magi were changed! In essence, it is the purest example of the Christmas Spirit. Being in the Christmas Spirit is not about wearing festive clothes, hanging lights, putting up a tree or giving gifts. The Christmas Spirit is about “living a changed life in light of His coming.”

It is a telling thing really. How many of you “the day after Christmas” feel enriched, alive and full of hope? How many of you feel depleted, drained or at best unchanged? Luke 2:8-16 tells us how the shepherds came to know of Jesus’ birth. Upon hearing the news, they traveled to Bethlehem to “see this thing the Lord had told them about”:

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in a manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.”
Luke 2:16-18

Scripture tells us that they returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen! They didn’t go home, take down their tree, put away their decorations and go back to business as usual! They came back enriched, alive and full of hope. For most folks, Christmas is over on December 25th. Most of you probably already have your trees down and your decorations put away, but that first Christmas…things were just getting started! People’s lives were being changed.

Matthew 2 tells the story of the three wise men. Matthew 2:1-2 reveals how they reacted to the birth of Christ:

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

These wise men, from the east, were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. With great expectation, they watched the skies, night after night, waiting for the sign of His coming. Upon seeing the star, they did not simply, congratulate one another and go back to their day jobs. These men, changed by the light of His coming, traveled hundreds of miles, leaving comfort behind, to go and worship:

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:11

I’m here to tell you that the 1st Christmas season did not start with a Black Friday sale and end with His birth! The Christmas season started with His Birth! It took the Magi two years to get there and two years to get home! Their whole lives changed course “in light of His coming”! That is the real Christmas Spirit!

That is what Paul was saying to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 4:22-24:

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Living a changed life is the purest expression of the Christmas Spirit! Are you in the Christmas Spirit?

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Making Communion Personal”

2010-12-09T08:51:00.000-06:00

(part 2 of 2)

“Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
John 6:53-56

On hearing this, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed him. Turning to the Twelve he asked them, “Do you, too, want to leave?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy one of God.”

As I meditated on this passage I was struck by this thought: “How you respond to the blood and body of Jesus Christ determines your eternal future.” As I read the context of this event I found three responses to the blood of Christ that are revealed to us between the Passover and the Crucifixion. The difficulty of Christ’s teaching was centered around “What YOU do with the blood and body of Christ when it is before YOU.”

Do you receive it by faith as did the Twelve. Jesus closest disciples determined at the Passover to receive it by faith. They recognized Him as the Holy One of God and put their trust in Him. However, not everyone was willing to do so.

After the Passover meal Jesus went out to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. It is there He is arrested and eventually brought before Pilate the governor. Pilate questions Jesus, but finds nothing by which to charge Him. Pilate’s wife, after being troubled in a dream, pleads with Pilate to release Him. However, because of the uproar being created by the crowd Pilate determines to wash his hands of the situation. It was the custom for the governor to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. He puts Jesus and a criminal by the name of Barabbas before them. He then asks them to choose. They choose Barabbas. When asked what to do with Jesus, they reply “Crucify him!”

“When Pilate saw that he we getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hand in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

Matthew 27:24

Like many people today, Pilate attempted to wash his hands of the responsibility of Christ’s blood. By his actions, he made a decision. A decision with eternal consequences. For Jesus said, ““I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

By ignoring Jesus Christ’s sacrifice we make an eternal decision to remain separated from the life of God.

The third response to his blood is found in Matthew 27:25:

“All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

This is just blatant rejection of Jesus Christ. They did not ignore Him, but rather they willfully rejected and vocally opposed Him. They were not trying to wash their hands of it, but rather dip their hands in it!

How then will you respond to the blood and body of Christ? Jesus presented Himself on the cross 2,000 years ago. It is now personal! YOU must decide how you will receive Him. Will you receive Him by faith as the Holy One of God? Will you refuse to take responsibility? Or will you blatantly reject Him? Your eternal future rests on your decision!

“Making Communion Personal”

2010-12-02T09:39:00.000-06:00

Part 1

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
Matthew 26:25-29

What does communion mean to you? In all the times you have participated in the Lord’s table have you ever made a “personal connection” with Christ, or have you simply been going through the exercise of receiving the elements. The more I read about it, the more I am convinced, that communion was never intended to be formalized, but rather personalized. Not personalized in that it is changed to fit each individuals needs, but rather “made personal” by the people receiving it.

Communion was personal to Christ. As He took the bread He said… “Take and eat; this MY body.” When He lifted up the cup he said… “Drink from it, all of you. This is MY blood of the new covenant.” Jesus was painfully aware of what He was about to face. Later, that very evening, He would anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane praying… “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:44 tells us that he would pray so earnestly that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Communion was more to Jesus than a tiny piece of broken bread and a little cup of juice.

Do you take it personal? Taking it “personal” is more than just understanding that the bread represents Christ’s body and the fruit of the vine represents His blood. In John 6 the people who were following Jesus asked him:

“What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
John 6:30-31

What I found interesting was that these people had never seen manna, tasted manna, or experienced it. They knew what had been written about it, but by their own admission it wasn’t a personal experience for them… “Our FOREFATHERS ate the manna.” “He gave THEM bread from heaven.” They wanted Jesus to do something similar for them. Jesus responded to them by saying:

“I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
John 6:32-33
They cried out to him saying… “From now on give us this bread.” What Jesus would say next would challenge them to the very core of their beliefs:

“Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up a the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
John 6:53-58

On hearing this, many of Christ’s followers said: “This is hard teaching. Who can accept it?” and from that time on many of them turned back and no longer followed Him. It had become too personal for them!

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Where Are You?”

2010-11-18T08:43:00.001-06:00

I was surprised recently, while I was browsing on YouTube, by how many videos are posted of people who are driving around lost. I began to think that if there are that many posted videos…how many people get lost and don’t post it? How many people are we passing everyday who are lost?

You see, we are not lost because we don’t know where we came from. We are not lost because we don’t know where we are going. Lost is not knowing where we ARE along the way! Have you ever left home to go somewhere and somehow along the way ended up someplace that is unfamiliar to you. I think we have all been unsettled, to some degree, from time to time from being lost. Spiritually we all have a similar story. We all started from the same place- steeped in sin, separated from God and we all have a desire to reach the same eternal destination-heaven. However, not everyone makes it.

Fortunately for us, Jesus has a heartbeat for lost people:

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Luke 19:10

Jesus was man who understood how easy it could be to get off course. In John 8:14 Jesus said:

“I know where I came from and where I am going!

Jesus knew that He had come from God and was returning to God (John 13:3). Yet, along the way there were plenty of opportunities for Him to get off track. In John 6:15 some wanted to take Him by force and make him king. Although it wasn’t His time. In Luke 4:28-30 we read how some wanted to kill Him prematurely before He finished His work. Satan even tried to get Him off track in Luke 4:5-8 by tempting Him with the kingdoms of this world. Taking any of these paths would have kept Jesus from His final destination.

Let’s face it, it doesn’t take much to get us off course. Just ask a ship’s navigator how a 1 degree miscalculation can affect the destination of a vessel on a long voyage.
Jesus said in John 14:6:

“I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

To deviate off that path even 1 degree will leave us far from our eternal destination.

The problem is people don’t like to admit to being lost. Daniel Boone once said: “I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.” As humorous as that may be, there is a sobering reality, for those who deviate from the path, found in Proverbs 14:12:

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

Take time today to determine where you are on your spiritual journey. Are you still on course? Have you deviated from the path? Jesus is the Way, the Truth and Life. You must keep in step with Him if you are going to reach your eternal destination!

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“That Your Faith Not Fail”

2010-11-11T08:57:00.001-06:00

(Part 3 of 3 )

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Hebrews 11:6

Satan knows that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” And so, he uses events, circumstances and weaknesses (like a sieve) to separate us from our faith.
This type of an attack by Satan is not unique to the apostles. It is a tactic that Satan has employed since the earliest of times. If fact, one such instance is recorded in one of the oldest books of the Bible- the book of Job. In the book, God puts forth Job as a righteous man, to which Satan protests saying:

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

Job 1:9-11

So God gave Satan permission to test job. Satan began by sifting Job of his possessions. First the Sabeans attacked and carried off Job’s oxen and donkeys. Then fire from heaven fell from the sky and burned up Job’s sheep. Later, the Chaldeans attacked and carried off Job’s camels. Then, tragically, Job’s children are killed when a mighty wind collapses the home they are all inside. However, even after losing so much Job maintained his integrity:

“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Job 1:20-21

In all of this Job did not lose faith, so Satan returned asserting that Job would not be so blameless if he didn’t have his health:

“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

Job 2:4-5

So God gave Satan permission to inflict Job with painful sores from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. All Job could do was sit and scrape himself with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. Things got so bad that even Job’s wife asked him: “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Yet Job refused to give up his faith. He told his wife in Job 2:10... “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?”

Finally Job was placed in the sieve of contention. When Job’s friends came, under the guise of friendship, they began to mock, criticize and ridicule Job for bringing this calamity upon himself. Instead of encouraging him and building him up, they each took turns tearing him down. Yet, in the midst of this contention, Job declared:

“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.”

Job 13:15

Satan had sifted Job of his wealth, health and closest relationships, but he could not get separate Job from his faith! Satan does not care if you are rich or poor, healthy or sick, surrounded by friends or lonely! Many of you are facing some very difficult and pressing times right now. Like Job it seems that Satan has sifted you dry, but when the tossing and shaking are over, if you hold on to your faith… you win!

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

That Your Faith Not Fail

2010-11-04T10:57:00.000-05:00

(Part 2 of 3 )

“Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”

Luke 22:35-36

Jesus, recognizing He was on the verge of His crucifixion, again, attempted to convey to His disciples the intense changes that were about to take place. Prior to this, when they had walked with Him, they had lacked nothing, but soon He would be crucified. Soon they would no longer have Him “physically” there to rely on. Soon, they would have to learn to walk by faith.

In this passage, He is encouraging them to make provision for what is about to take place:

“It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

Luke 22:37

Peter’s response was abrupt and forceful, as he swore his undying allegiance to Christ promising to go to prison and even die for his Lord. Jesus, however, knew precisely what Peter would face and prayed that his faith would not fail. Jesus warned them that they would soon face a great sifting. In ancient Israel, a sifter was used to separate the wheat from the rubble. It was placed in the sifter and shaken aggressively causing the wheat to fall through and the debris to remain within the sifter. Jesus uses this analogy to explain to His disciples what was about to happen to them. Satan was about to sift them as wheat. His objective? He would put them in the sifter and aggressively shake them in an attempt to separate them from their faith.

Satan knows that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” And so, he uses events, circumstances and weaknesses to separate us from our faith. In Peter’s case, he used Peter’s pride to sift him. Peter had proclaimed, “I will go to prison and death with you!” He was certain that even if all the rest of the disciples fled, he would stand strong. Later, when Peter is confronted by a servant girl outside the home of the high priest, Peter begins to deny that he even knows Jesus. When the rooster crowed at daybreak he recalled Jesus’ answer to his boasting:

“Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Luke 22:34
Peter’s story serves as a reminder that we face a real enemy who desires to separate us from our faith. Peter and the disciples were not immune to it. In fact, Jesus warned them it would come. What, then, is separating you from your faith? Are you trapped in the sieve of poverty, sickness, wealth, ambition, unbelief or unforgiveness? And, if so, how do you overcome?

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“That Your Faith Not Fail”

2010-10-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

(Part 1)

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Luke 22:31-32

Jesus is eating the Passover meal with His disciples, when in the midst of the feasting He announces that one of them is going to betray Him. Before long they began questioning among themselves which of them it might be, which then led to a dispute, among them, over who was the greatest. As they bickered among themselves, Jesus weighed in and said to them:

“The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Luke 22:25-30

Up to this point in their walk with Christ, the disciples had faced very little opposition. They had stood by Jesus in His trials, but they had not yet tasted the bitterness of persecution. In fact, the times Jesus had sent them out (prior to this) had been amazingly fruitful as they preached the gospel, healed the sick and cast out demons. Luke 10:17 tells us that:

“The seventy two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”

Jesus cautioned them though that this would not always be the case. In Luke 5 when Jesus was asked why His disciples did not fast like the Pharisees and John’s disciples He relied:

“Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken and then, in those days, they will fast.”

Luke 5:34-35

Jesus was about to “leave the earth” and in doing so would confer the Kingdom to His disciples. So He equipped them with the authority of His name and the power of the Holy Spirit to assume the spiritual responsibility of spreading God’s Kingdom in the earth. They were about to eat and drink at “His table”, but not the banqueting table, instead they would be introduced to the table of suffering. When James and John desired to sit at His right and left hand in the Kingdom, Jesus said:

“You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

Matthew 20:22

They both answered: “Yes” and Jesus responded:

“You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right and left is not up for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

Matthew 20:23

He had been trying to prepare them for what was going to be the biggest spiritual shock of their lives.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

2010-10-21T10:06:00.001-05:00

(Part 2)

“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.”
John 8:7-9

Like this woman, there are many people who are afraid to approach Christ because they are fearful of being condemned. They approach Jesus the same way the priests would approach the Ark of the Covenant. They would enter once a year, with fear and trembling, beyond the veil to make atonement for sin; fearful of being struck down as they placed the blood on the altar. However, as the woman caught in adultery stood there in her shame Jesus straightened up and asked her:

“Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8:10-11

The good news today is that God in His great love made a way for us to come to Him and receive mercy. We can now enter the inner sanctuary, behind the curtain. We enter by a new and living way, opened for us through the curtain, that is Christ’s body. Jesus went before us into the Holy Place on our behalf and made atonement for sin.

“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Hebrews 9:12

We can now draw near to God with full assurance of faith. He desires for us to come to Him. He is not waiting to condemn us, but rather waiting to extend His precious mercy toward us if we will come in humility.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

Maybe you need God to do something in your life that you don’t deserve. You, yourself, created the mess you are in, either by ignorance, willful disobedience, rebellion or unrestrained sin. Your marriage is a wreck because you were unfaithful. Your finances are a mess because you were a poor steward. Your kids are running wild because you were disengaged. Your without a job because you were chronically late. Like the adulterous woman, you have no defense for your actions. All you can do is repent and throw yourself on the “mercy” of God. Can I tell you, that is precisely where God wants to meet you. He wants to meet you in the place of mercy. His Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for our sins. Through the blood of His Son, God made a way for us to approach Him to receive mercy. The Judgment Seat of Christ is very real, but it holds no fear over those who have come first to the mercy seat…because mercy triumphs over judgment.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment”

2010-10-14T08:43:00.000-05:00

(Part 1)

“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?”

John 8:1-5

The Pharisees had once again skillfully manipulated the situation in an attempt to trap Jesus. They waited eagerly to hear what Jesus would say. Would he reject the Law of Moses and give them a basis for accusing him? Would he agree that she must be stoned and position himself with the other religious leaders of his day? What would he have to say in the face of this woman’s blatant sinfulness?

As he stooped down to write on the ground they kept pressing him for an answer, questioning him, and prodding him to take a position. And although they were wanting to “know” for all the wrong reasons, there stood among them a woman who, too, was anxiously waiting to hear what Jesus had to say! This woman was a sinner. These were not fabricated charges. She had been caught in the act of adultery. She had willfully and knowingly transgressed God’s Law. She was well aware that if she was ever caught, it meant she would be stoned to death. She makes no defense for her actions. The Pharisees seized the opportunity and dragged the woman before Jesus for judgment.

All of this played out in the Temple Courts where just a few hundred feet away was the Holy of Holies. At one time, the Holy of Holies had housed the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the Ark was the very Law of Moses to which the Pharisees had made reference. It was here that the High Priest would enter ,once a year, to make atonement for the people. The blood was applied to the lid of the Ark, known as the Mercy Seat. It is the place where God promised to meet them:

“There, above the mercy seat between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”
Exodus 25:22

The mercy seat depicts for us how mercy and grace overshadow the Law. Judgment and death were the penalty for sin, but mercy could be found through grace and faith in the blood. God established the mercy seat as the place He would meet and commune with His people. It was the place where sins were atoned and redemption imparted. God desires to meet us in a place of mercy where He can extend His grace toward us.

Here in the Temple Courts Jesus straightened up and said:

“If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

John 8:7

He did not minimize the severity of her sin. Nor did He trivialize the weightiness of the Law. Rather, He chose that His first encounter with this woman be at the mercy seat rather than the judgment seat. God never brings people to judgment without first extending His hand of mercy.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Remaining In Christ

2010-10-07T09:13:00.000-05:00

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
John 15:1-4

It’s important to notice that it is the “branch” that must bear fruit. Never do you read where the gardener “cuts” or “prunes” the vine to make the branches bear fruit. The vine has already demonstrated and proven to the gardener it’s ability to give life. So any lack of fruit bearing is not on the vine side. So what must a branch do to enjoy a fruitful life?

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be me disciples.”
John 15:7-8

God’s Word is life blood to the branch, just as blood coursing through my veins is life to my body. My arm is like a limb. It is attached to the trunk of my body. The blood passes from my heart, located in the trunk, to my arm ensuring life to the limb. If you cut off blood circulation to my arm, eventually my arm will wither. Cut yourself off from God’s Word and eventually you will wither. God’s Word cleans us and keeps us pruned. Hebrews 4:12 describes God’s Word like this”

“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

We will wither like an arm with no blood flow, if we do not allow God’s Word to ebb through every corner of our lives. However, remaining in Christ is more than just remaining in His Word. It is also remaining in His love!

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”

John 15:9

Jesus is very specific about what that entails. He tells us in verse 10 that: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in His love.”

Just as my arm needs life-giving blood flowing to it to make it viable, my arm must also be exercised! If you fail to use your arm, even with proper blood flow, your arm can still wither and become unusable. Remember fruit is the outward testimony of a life connected with Jesus. This outward evidence in manifest in our obedience to God’s Word. As we live out the Word, that is flowing through us, we demonstrate our love for God. By exercising God’s Word in our lives, we reveal ourselves to be friends of God.
“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.”
John 15:14-16

God recognizes the fruit that is born out of the vine. As the master gardener, He can identify what fruit is being born out of a life connected to Jesus and what fruit is being born out of a connection to something else. Matthew 7:17-20 declares:

“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit . Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

God’s desire for us is to bear good fruit. Fruit that will last. You can live a fruitful life if you remain in His Word and remain in His love.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

He Set Eternity in Our Hearts

2010-09-23T10:44:00.000-05:00

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

There are some preachers, when they speak, who are so convincing that in one moment you can feel the breath of heaven and in the next moment feel the flames of hell. There are some authors who can write so vividly that you can almost see the streets of gold that pave the heavens and subsequently hear the “troubled screams” of those confined to the deepest parts of hell. There are some singers whose voices and lyrics can move us to experience tremendous joy at the prospect of seeing Jesus face to face and then bring us to tears as we consider being separated from God for all eternity.

But even with the amazing gifts and talents that God has given us to use to communicate eternal life to those around us, I have found that “death” is far greater at causing men to stop and consider eternal life than any preacher, author or singer. Death has an uncanny way of getting people’s attention. Even those who have managed to steer clear of church, religion and the Bible can’t seem to escape the message that death brings to the table.

God has set eternity in our hearts! We have been hard-wired by God to look beyond the grave. The writer of Hebrews describes it this way:

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 11:13-16

It is because we have been hard-wired by God for eternity that so many people believe in life after death. Life beyond the grave is universal among cultures and religions. As Christians we may not believe in a paradise with 70 virgins, a happy hunting ground, or reincarnation, but each of these differing cultures and religions has embraced the fact that there is more beyond the veil of death. Which according to scripture is a good thing:

“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man, to living should take this to heart.”

Ecclesiastes 7:2

Consider these words of wisdom for a moment. How often do we consider eternity when we are “splashing around at the water park with our family”, or “enjoying a night out with friends”. However, how often is eternity considered when we are seated in the house of mourning. Death stirs us to consider our eternity!

I can’t tell you how often, at or after a funeral, I will hear someone ask… “Do you think they are in heaven?” Sometimes it is out of a genuine concern for the soul of the loved one who passed, but most often it is asked out of the uncertainty of their own hearts. It is a good thing to be troubled by death, to have “eternity” stirred up in our hearts. However, we do not have to live uncertain or leave our loved one languishing over our eternal destination. Jesus said:

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my Word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, he has crossed over from death to life.”

John 5:24

If death is troubling you, maybe God is trying to stir up the “eternity”, that has been set in your heart, so that you can make a decision for Christ that will give you the eternal peace that your soul is longing to receive.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

“Silencing the Voice of Intimidation”

2010-09-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

(part 4)

“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.”

2 Kings 19:14

As Hezekiah heard the voice of intimidation, once again, he had a choice to make. He could try, yet again, to bargain with his enemies; he could put on sackcloth and ashes and mourn in the streets with all the people; or he could come boldly to the throne of God and make his petition known. Hezekiah with the letter from the messengers in hand made his way to the temple of the Lord. He took the letter and opened it before the Lord:

“And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: ‘O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.”

2 Kings 19:15-16

Hezekiah took the words sent to him by his enemies and laid them before God. He recounted before the Lord everything that Sennacherib had said to him:

“It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste to these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands.”

2 Kings 19:17-18

Hezekiah then prayed with confidence for God to deliver them so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that “You alone, O Lord, are God.” God is not moved by intimidation! He was not moved by Sennacherib’s threats, the size of his nation, or the strength of his army. God was moved by the faith of Hezekiah…who finally chose to listen to the Word of the Lord rather than the voice of intimidation:

“Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.”

Isaiah prophesied the downfall of the Assyrian army and King Sennacherib! That night the angel of the Lord put to death 185,000 in the Assyrian camp. Sennacherib broke camp and withdrew to Nineveh where he was cut down with the sword by his own sons in the temple of his god Nisroch.

So what is intimidating you? What is drawing you away from your confidence in God? What is causing you and those around you “on the wall” to fear? What does the enemy keep re-visiting in your life that is creating a stumbling block for you?

Take a moment to write it down on a piece of paper. Then find a place of prayer and spread it out before the Lord and pray with confidence:

“O Lord, my God, maker of heaven and earth. You are God over all the Kingdoms of the earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear, open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to the words that “my enemy” has sent to insult the Living God! It is true, that (what is intimidating me) has created a stumbling block for me in the past and laid waste to a lot of my dreams. I’ve trusted in my own strength and the ability of others, but it amounted to little. So, I turn to You! Lord, deliver me from the hand of my enemy so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that “You alone, O Lord, are God!”

The Word of the Lord will silence the voice of intimidation!

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

"Silencing the Voice of Intimidation"

2010-09-09T08:37:00.001-05:00

(part 3)

“When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and went into the temple of the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.”
2 Kings 19:1-3

How did a man, whose name was associated with a strong trust in God, arrive at the end of himself with no strength and no options? In sackcloth and ashes, Hezekiah’s officials approached the Prophet Isaiah asking him to pray for a remnant to survive the coming onslaught by the Assyrian army. They had resigned themselves to the idea that they were going to be devastated, but the Word of the Lord came through the Prophet Isaiah:

“Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, “This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard- those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.”

2 Kings 19: 6-7

Isaiah directed Hezekiah to stop hearkening to the words of the King of Assyria’s “underlings”. He had received their threats as “reality” and fear had swept over him and all his officials. Isaiah redirected him to consider the Word of the Lord who promised to cut down the King of Assyria with the sword. Hezekiah was further infused with confidence upon hearing that the King of Egypt was marching out to attack the armies of Assyria. However, intimidation is not stymied by an infusion of confidence!

“Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite King of Egypt, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria. Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?”
2 Kings 19:9-11

Immediately, the field commander struck back with another wave of intimidation and fear attempting to undermine Hezekiah’s new found confidence by re-visiting past successes:

“Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them: the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sephavaim or of Hena or Ivvah?”

2 Kings 19:12-13

Hezekiah had first hand knowledge of the Assyrians victories. He had seen close up the Assyrian army sweep in and take Samaria and the northern cities of Judah. He had bargained with “intimidation” in the past, and now it was back to collect!

Silencing the Voice of Intimidation (Part 1)

2010-08-26T08:41:00.001-05:00

“Silencing the Voice of Intimidation”
(part 1)

“Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him, he was successful in whatever he undertook.”
2 Kings 18:5-7

What a testimony! How many of you would love to have words, like these, penned in the pages of history about your faith in God? Hezekiah was a man who trusted God, was persistent in his faith, and very successful. However, there was a time in his life where his confidence in God was undermined by the voice of his enemy!

In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign as King of Judah, the King of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

“So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.”
2 Kings 18:14

However, this did not stop the King of Assyria from advancing on Jerusalem. The King of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer, and his field commander with a large army from Lachish to address King Hezekiah. They stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool on the road to the Washerman’s field and called for King Hezekiah to come out. This was a strategic decision. Assyria now controlled the water that was flowing into the city, which meant they could easily lay siege to Jerusalem. So Hezekiah’s officials were forced to go out and meet the commanders of the Assyrian army. Their mission was one of “intimidation”. When Hezekiah’s officials came to the Upper Pool the Assyrian field commander stepped up:

“The field command said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength- but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me: Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. And if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”- isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem?”

2 Kings 18:19-22

In a nutshell, the field commander was asking: “On what are you basing your confidence?” Are you depending on your own strength? Are you depending on the strength of others? Are you depending on the ‘Lord Your God’? The ultimate purpose of intimidation is to undermine our confidence in God! It’s goal is to move us away from God causing us to seek safety, provision, and protection from another source.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

"Stand Firm in Your Faith"

2010-08-18T11:38:00.000-05:00

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

Isaiah 7:9b

I was gripped during my devotion, earlier this week, by this verse found in the book of Isaiah. In the passage leading up to this verse, Judah had come under attack by Rezin- King of Aram and then again by Pekah- King of Israel. Both armies tried and failed to penetrate the walls of Jerusalem and destroy the City of David. Ahaz, son of Jotham, was King of Judah at that time and managed to keep the imposing armies at bay.

Then word came to the king that Aram & Ephraim (Israel) planned to join forces and try again to overpower them:

“Now the House of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.”

Isaiah 7:1-2

Have you ever been shaken? Like Judah, we can usually face opposition and trials, with a measure of confidence, if they come at us “one” at a time. However, when “more” than one comes at us at once we often become gripped with fear. Ahaz faced his opposition successfully when they came at him separately, but now they were coming at him at the same time. Trouble always seem to comes in pairs. We never really face one problem at a time, but usually we get bombarded from many different directions.

In the midst of this, God spoke to Isaiah and told him to go to the king and give him this message:

“Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm, and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood.”

Isaiah 7:4a

Judah’s enemies wanted to invade them, tear the city apart and divide it among themselves, but God had the final word:

“Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “It will not take place, it will not happen.”

Isaiah 7:7

God promised Judah that within sixty-five years Aram and Ephraim would be too shattered to be a people. He told them to stand firm in their faith and trust Him! If they did not stand firm in their faith, they would not stand at all! He told Ahaz to ask Him for a sign that would signify His faithfulness. Ahaz refused to ask, so the Lord gave Him a sign:

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14

God pointed to the coming of Christ as the sign of His faithfulness. Be encouraged today! Jesus is still God’s sign of faithfulness towards us. Although you may feel as if the enemies that you are facing are going to overwhelm you, God says, “It will not take place, It will not happen.” But you must stand firm in your faith, if you hope to stand at all.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Establishing Ancient Boundary Stones

2010-07-22T09:37:00.001-05:00

(part 2)

“Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.”

Proverbs 22:28

In ancient Israel, boundary stones were seen as immovable markers that established some defined parameters within which they would live. Likewise, as fathers, we too need to establish some principles that are “immovable” in our lives that create a perimeter inside of which we and our families live. We must put in place some rock solid principles that can be communicated and passed down from generation to generation. Principles that we are willing to maintain over the course of time and committed to protect.

In 2 Samuel 23:11-12 we read the story of one of David’s mighty men by the name of Shammah:

“Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field of lentils, Israel’s troops fled form them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.”

We read that when the Philistine armies banded together, at a place where there was a field of lentil beans, that Israel fled from them. However, Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field and defended it. He struck down the Philistines and the Lord brought about a great victory. I often wondered, reading that passage, why that field of beans was so important to him. When the rest of the army fled before the Philistines, why would Shammah defend that particular field? In my humble opinion, I believe that the field in which they were standing was his! To Shammah it would have been something worth defending. It wasn’t just a field of beans, but an inheritance. Shammah was willing to die defending that field. The Philistines were trying to encroach on Israel’s territory, but Shammah stood in their way!

We must have boundary stones that we can identify, communicate, maintain and defend or we can be certain that “the world” will attempt to encroach on our inheritance. Let me give you an example of what I mean. If we have no boundary stone when it comes to purity, then the world will attempt to push the envelope on what is appropriate. Nudity, violence and obscene language are common on television today, because the ancient boundary stones of purity were ignored. Adultery, fornication, and homosexuality are rampant today because the ancient boundary stones of purity were left unattended. Unlike Shammah, our enemies did not approach us with a full frontal attack. Rather, they slipped in and moved the stones ever so slightly night after night, week after week, year after year until our inheritance in the land was unidentifiable.

If we hope to secure a spiritual inheritance for our children then we must once again establish, maintain and protect our ancient boundary stones.

Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Establishing Ancient Boundary Stones

2010-07-08T08:15:00.001-05:00

(Part 1)

“Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.”

Proverbs 22:28

When Joshua entered the promised land, God told Joshua:

“Be strong and of good courage; for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.”

Joshua 1:6 (kjv)

Once Israel, crossed over, and was able to occupy the land. God instructed Joshua to divide the land among the tribes. From there it was divided among clans, families and individuals. Once allotted their portion of the inheritance the men would set up ‘boundary stones’. These ancient landmarks were like survey stakes marking the perimeter of a families inheritance. Boundary stones established inheritance. Without boundary stones, a families inheritance in the land was unidentifiable. Once these ancient boundary stones were established they were to be honored by the Israelites:

“Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set by your predecessors in the inheritance your receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

Deuteronomy 19:14

In fact, moving an ancient boundary stone was listed by Moses on Mt. Ebal (Dt. 27:17) as a command that if not followed would invite a curse on them. The Israelites, in many cases, would actually inscribe curses on the boundary stones as a reminder to those who might try to encroach on their property.

Because these boundary stones marked their inheritance, the Israelites had to be diligent about maintaining their landmarks. It would be easy for someone to move them gradually, slowly stealing their inheritance. The responsibility of maintaining these ancient landmarks fell on the fathers. Fathers were given the responsibility of protecting their inheritance.
Without the presence of a father, it was easy to gradually encroach upon and take advantage of widows and orphans:

“Do not move the ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless.”

Proverbs 23:10

There is a story found in 1 Kings 21:1-14 about a man named Naboth who owned a vineyard in Jezreel. It was located in close proximity to the palace of King Ahab. King Ahab fancied how close the vineyard was to the palace and wanted it for his vegetable garden. He approached Naboth about buying the property, but Naboth replied:

“The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”

1 Kings 21:3

Scripture tells us that King Ahab went home sullen and angry. He lay sulking on his bed when his wife Jezebel arrived. She devised a plan and had charges brought against Naboth.
Naboth was accused of slandering “God and the king” and was dragged out of the city and stoned. With Naboth out of the way, King Ahab was able to take possession of his vineyard. 2 Kings 9:26 tells us that in order to ensure that no one would attempt to claim Naboth’s property, Ahab had all of Naboth’s sons killed as well. Without Naboth, the father figure, standing in Ahab’s way, Ahab could easily move the ancient boundary stones.

As fathers we have a huge responsibility before us. We must establish some boundary stones for our families. If we fail to, we will be denying our children access to their spiritual inheritance.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Addressing Our Spiritual Enemies

2010-06-17T08:35:00.000-05:00

(part 3)

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons that we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

To many the tearing down of a stronghold may be an intimidating idea. How do I rid myself of a stronghold in my life, marriage, home or family? How do I confront a spiritual enemy that has set itself up against me, or my family, in opposition to “the knowledge of God”? What are the weapons that Paul is talking about here in 2 Corinthians 10 that I have been given to use?

The first thing that we must firmly grasp is that not only are we equipped to face our spiritual enemies, but we are “authorized” to face them! We have been spiritually deputized by Jesus Christ:

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 28:18-19

We have been deputized, like the 12 disciples, to preach the Kingdom of God, heal the sick, cure diseases and drive out all demons. In Luke 10, Jesus sends out 72 faithful followers with the same commission who returned to Him rejoicing and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” The badge of authority that we operate under is the “name of Jesus Christ“. Jesus affirmed this in Mark 16:15-18:

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demon; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.”

I am reminded of the old westerns that my dad used to watch when I was a kid. A group of outlaws would rob a bank and the town marshal would gather up a posse to go after them. However, before they would ride off, he would deputize them. By doing so, they were authorized to act on his behalf and could confront, apprehend and arrest the men they were pursuing. If they had not been deputized, they would have been simply acting as vigilantes because they did carry the authority or backing of the marshal. Each man was often given a small badge that indicated that he carried the authority of and was operating under the covering of the marshal. As believers in Jesus Christ, we operate under the authority and the covering of Christ’s Name! Rooted in that authority we can then lawfully exercise God’s Word and employ the disciplines of prayer and fasting.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Addressing Our Spiritual Enemies

2010-06-10T10:08:00.000-05:00

(part 2)

“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?”

Matthew 12:25-26

It is important to understand that not every struggle we face is demonic! Some people seem to believe that every problem they have is caused by the devil. Their car won’t start and they will call it an “attack of the enemy” when, in reality, some standard maintenance would have prevented the problem. Jesus, Himself, did not see a “demon” in every situation. Not every person Jesus healed had to have a demon driven out. Not every person with erratic behavior was demon possessed, some were told to just “stop sinning”! Still, on the other hand, there are those who make no room for the possibility that their struggle is against a spiritual enemy.

The realm of the Spirit is very real and throughout the gospels Jesus repeatedly addressed demonic activity whenever He came upon it. Such is the case found in Matthew 12:22-28, where a man who was demon-possessed was brought to Him. The man, in this instance, was blind and mute because of a demon. Jesus, recognizing this, cast out the demon and healed the man. Needless to say, this caused quite a stir among the people. However, when the religious leaders heard this they attempted to say that Jesus was driving out demons by the power of Satan. This passage of Scripture is significant in two ways. One, it rightly identifies the existence and reality of a spiritual enemy. Jesus makes it clear to us that Satan is real, he has a kingdom, and that demons and demonic activity are a part of his “household”. Secondly, Jesus uses it to educate us regarding a principle that Satan understands and will use against us if we are not discerning of it. He is keenly aware that division proceeds destruction. John 10:10 confirms that Satan’s primary objective is to steal, kill and destroy. He knows that a house divided against itself will not stand, and WILL attempt to “sow division” (through demonic activity) into our homes if given the opportunity. We must be willing to look hard at the struggles we face and acknowledge that they may be spiritual in nature.

Listen to Paul’s counsel to the church in Ephesus found in Ephesians 6:10-12:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms.”

We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood! We are facing a “spiritual” force that is bent on sowing division into our homes, marriages, and families. However, by refusing to recognize it, we may eventually “demonize” our spouses, kids, co-workers, bosses and family perceiving them to be the source of our problems! Through our own ignorance, we have allowed Satan a foothold into our lives. A foothold that he desires to see become a stronghold!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Addressing Our Spiritual Enemies

2010-06-10T10:07:00.000-05:00

(part 1)

“When the servant of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my Lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid.” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servants eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

2 Kings 6:15-17

The King of Aram had sent his troops to capture the Prophet Elisha. God had been revealing the King of Aram’s plans to Elisha and, in turn, Elisha was relaying those plans on to the King of Israel. When the King of Aram found out about it, he sent his army, including his best horses and chariots to the city of Dothan to detain him. When Elisha’s servant woke up the next morning, the place where they were staying was surrounded. They were in a very real, physical dilemma. They were completely surrounded by the Aramean army.

What is significant about this passage of scripture is that, through it, we are made aware of the “spiritual component” pertaining to Elisha’s situation. Where Elisha’s servant was only aware of the “physical struggle” playing out in front of them, it is clear that Elisha was aware of the spiritual.

Like Elisha’s servant, many of us have “carnalized” our problems. We have relegated them to the “physical” while ignoring the spiritual. We have “demonized” our friends, co-workers, loved ones, and spouses; rather than addressing our very real spiritual enemies. We have done in the natural all that we know and care to do, but have largely ignored the “spiritual struggle.”

Jesus was very much aware of and addressed these spiritual struggles on a daily basis. He recognized demonic activity in people’s lives and was not afraid to address it. We see a great example of this in Mark 1:21-28. Jesus is teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum when a man possessed by an evil spirit cried out:

“What do you want with us , Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are- the Holy One of God!”

Mark 1:24

Jesus, recognizing that the man was possessed by a demon, turns to him, commands him to be silent, and then casts the demon out of him. Jesus didn’t try to ignore him, explain him away or even medicate him…He recognized the “spiritual struggle” this man was steeped in and addressed it! We, too, must recognize that the realm of the Spirit is very real and acknowledge that there are spiritual enemies that must be faced!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Frustrated by God's Goodness

2010-05-27T15:23:00.001-05:00

“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
Matthew 20:13-15

Have you ever gotten frustrated by God’s goodness? In the parable of the “Workers in the Vineyard” a landowner goes out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He finds some men in the marketplace and agrees to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them to his vineyard. A few hours later he went back out to the marketplace and found some more men standing around doing nothing. He offered to pay them “whatever is right” to work in his vineyard. So they went. This happened again around noon and again around three o’clock. Finally, around five o’clock, the land owner went out to the marketplace and found a few more men, who had not been hired, and he sent them as well to work in his vineyard.

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard called in the workers to pay them their wages. Beginning with those he hired last he began to distribute the pay. Those hired around five o’clock were each given one denarius. When the men who were hired first saw this, they expected that they would receive more. But each one of them also received one denarius:

“When they received it , they began to grumble against the landowner. These men who were hired last only worked one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and heat of the day.”
Matthew 20:11-12

Although they had received what was right and fair, not to mention what they agreed upon, they protested against the landowners generosity! Have you ever caught yourself grumbling and complaining when God has chosen to demonstrate His goodness towards someone you believed had not earned it? I am reminded of the story of Jonah. God asked the prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach the gospel to them. Nineveh was an enemy of Israel. Instead of obeying God, Jonah ran. Later, after spending three days and three nights in the belly of a fish, Jonah relented and went to Nineveh. He did precisely what God had asked him to do and the people of Nineveh repented. So God did not bring upon them the destruction He had planned. This, however, made Jonah furious:

“He prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee 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.”
Jonah 4:2
Why is it so hard for us to rejoice with those who are on “the receiving end” of God’s goodness? I believe, it is because, we have adopted an unhealthy attitude of entitlement rather than an attitude of “gratefulness.” We have become sorely selfish, in that we often do not recognize the goodness of God unless it is happening to us. Take the time to rejoice with someone today that God is showing His goodness towards and let’s learn to rejoice over God’s goodness with one another!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

The Perfect Sacrifice- Accepted by God

2010-05-20T09:16:00.001-05:00

(part 2)

“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord.”

Leviticus 1:3

Anytime one of the children of Israel brought an offering before the Lord, they were required to bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to be inspected by one of the priests. If the offering was acceptable, then it could be sacrificed to the Lord.

Today I want to encourage those of you reading this article who are NOT living a life that is pleasing to God. You have always felt disconnected from God and have grown to believe that He would not accept you even if you did call out to Him. Can I ask you this question based upon what we have learned from God’s Word: “When the person who sinned brought in their sacrifice, did the priest scrutinize the sinner or the sacrifice?”

In all the passages I have studied, I never read where the priest ever took a sinner off to the side and interrogated him about his level of sinfulness. No, rather he took the lamb and scrutinized “it” to make certain that “it” was acceptable. By coming to the priest with a perfect lamb, the man was declaring to everyone that he was a sinner. He needed to make atonement for his sins and brought what was required to satisfy the law’s demand.

Like the man who brought his offering to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, we too are sinners! Romans 3:23 declares:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Let me share with you what happened to me the day I called out to God. It happened at the First Baptist Church in Princeton, IN. back in December of 1991. Rev. Joe Wilson gave the invitation to those who wanted to receive Christ as the Lord and Savior of their life. I had nothing to bring to God, aside from a sinful life, but I came to the altar anyway. Little did I know, God had already provided a sacrifice for me. As I stood there, I wondered how God, after examining my heart, would ever accept me. Nevertheless, I confessed my sins to God and put my trust in Jesus Christ. At that moment, God peered down from Heaven and rather than scrutinize me, He scrutinized the Perfect Lamb of God (Jesus) and found Him to be perfect!

God found Jesus to be perfect and because “I” had identified myself with “Him“, God accepted me too. I received forgiveness and eternal life with God! I still look back in utter amazement and ponder upon just how much God loves me! God knew that there was nothing I could bring that would make me “acceptable”! In His love, God provided an acceptable sacrifice for me:

“God demonstrates His own love for us in this, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

We all come to the altar of God as sinners, but God made a way for us through the perfect Lamb of God to be accepted…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

You too can put your trust in Him and be accepted into God’s family! Romans 10:9 declares:

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Go to God! Confess your sins! Put your trust in Christ! Live an “accepted” life!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

The Acceptable Sacrifice

2010-05-11T10:09:00.001-05:00

(part 1)

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
John 1:29

Have you ever stopped to consider just how radical a statement that John the Baptist was making when he made this declaration about Jesus? It was such a magnificent statement that it would have stopped people in their tracks. If John was correct, they were gazing upon a man who was going to do the utterly impossible.

For generations, the Israelites only had one way of dealing with sin. According to Leviticus 4:27-28:

“If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed, a female goat without defect.”

Leviticus 4 goes on to tells us that the man was to lay his hands on the lamb’s head and slaughter it. The “laying on of hands” was seen as a symbolic transferring of sin to the lamb. Thus the man identified himself with it, and then sacrificed it. The priest then would take the blood of the lamb and put it on the horns of the altar and pour the rest on the base.

“In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.”
Leviticus 35b

This process would be a mammoth daily undertaking. It would take an entire priesthood to pull it off. Daily the people would make their way to the tabernacle with their lambs. The priest would examine each one thoroughly to make certain they were “acceptable” and then receive them to make atonement. For John the Baptist to point to Jesus and say “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” would have sounded too good to be true. The Israelites knew of no lamb that was capable of doing that! They were unaware that their endless sacrifices were but a shadow of things to come:

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming- not the realities themselves. For this reason in can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who drew near to worship.”
Hebrews 10:1

That is why Christ had to come into the world. So that by one sacrifice He could make perfect forever those who are being made holy. When Christ came to Calvary, the ultimate brazen altar, it is here that the “Priest of Heaven” examined the sacrifice to make certain it was acceptable. He must be perfect, pure and holy:

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
1 Peter 1:19

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

The Testing of Our Faith

2010-04-27T09:50:00.000-05:00

(part 2)

“Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parable.”

Mark 4:1-2

It is hard to miss the sound of dissatisfaction in Jesus’ voice as He turned to His disciples in Mark 4:40 and declared, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” To better understand His displeasure, we must go back to earlier in the day when He sat with the crowds along the Sea of Galilee.

It must have been a relatively mild day in order for Jesus to have been able to teach from a boat to the eager crowd on shore. He began to teach them, through parables, a Kingdom message regarding the magnitude and importance of the “seed”. The seed in these parables represents God’s Word! He taught them the “parable of the sower” and how important it is that we receive the Word of God in it’s fullness. He shared with them the “parable of the growing seed” and how God’s Word brings us to spiritual maturity. He also explained to them the “parable of the mustard seed” and the extraordinary power that is housed in such a tiny vessel; further demonstrating the power of life that is carried in God‘s Word.

Once He had finished addressing the crowd Jesus turned to His disciples and said: “Let us go over to the other side.” Mark 4:36 tells us:

“Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.”

After a long day, Jesus made His way to the stern of the ship and went to sleep. Did Jesus know the storm was approaching? I personally believe so! Jesus had spent the entire day sowing God’s Word into their hearts. He had equipped them with all the faith they needed to face the coming storm. Romans 10:17 tells us:

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

Jesus believed enough in the “Word” that He had sowed into them that He was able to rest knowing that the storm was approaching. He was fully confident that His Word could produce the faith needed to meet any situation!

Can I challenge you today with something? Maybe YOU are in a storm! Perhaps you are facing sickness, divorce, or a loss of income! Maybe you have been feeling like God doesn’t care! You keep waiting on Him to see you in your misery and come and “rebuke” the bad things that are happening in your life. You think to yourself, “I am just going to bail water until it gets bad enough for Jesus to help me.” Or perchance, you are waiting on a special word from heaven, a “revelation” from the Lord, that will help you to make it through.

Is it possible that Jesus has already equipped you? His disciples were equipped with everything they needed to make it through the storm. In fact, they had it with them from the moment they left the shoreline. I think that for many, the answers we are looking for are already within us. We must stop waiting on Him to rebuke the wind and the waves and start believing the Word that has been sown inside of us!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

The Testing of Our Faith

2010-04-22T08:42:00.000-05:00

(part 1)

“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be Still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:39-40

Most of us are familiar with this story found in the book of Mark. Jesus and his disciples are crossing the sea of Galilee when a strong storm comes upon them. Jesus is sleeping in the stern of the boat as his disciples are franticly bailing water to stay afloat. In desperation one of the disciples wakes Jesus to ask him, “Don’t you care if we drown?” Immediately Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and the waves. As the boat slowly settles from being tossed about, Jesus turns his attention to his exhausted disciples whose lack of strength is only matched by their absolute lack of faith.

Most of us have a picture in our minds of what this scene must have looked like. Twelve anxious, freezing, drenching wet disciples bailing water furiously out of the boat as wave after wave relentlessly pounds against them. In the midst of certain chaos, Jesus lay sleeping in the boat’s stern. For a while, I imagine, the disciples were not overly concerned. Some of them were avid fishermen. They knew how to command a vessel in stormy conditions. I am sure they were confident in their own ability to reach the shore. At some point in the night, however, the situation got away from them:

“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.”

Mark 4:37

Nearly swamped! Anybody out there ever feel like that sometimes? The feeling that you couldn’t take on another ounce of water without drowning. I believe that being “nearly swamped” is a serious spiritual condition. It is the condition we find ourselves in when we fail the testing of our faith.

Upon calming the wind and the waves, Jesus turned to His weary disciples and asked:

“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:40

Most likely, that was not the response they were hoping for! Let’s be honest, after going through an ordeal that almost “drowned” them they were probably expecting more compassion. However, I am going to let you in on a little secret…God does not always respond because He is moved with compassion, sometimes He simply shows mercy on our ignorance. Jesus’ response to the wind and the waves was not motivated by compassion.

In fact, His disciples thought that He was being very uncompassionate because He lay sleeping in the boat beside them. However, Jesus laid quietly in the boat that night, not because He didn’t care about the plight of His disciples. Rather, He lay there resting because He had already equipped them to face the storm.. “earlier that day!”

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Are You Looking For A Risen Savior?

2010-04-15T09:09:00.001-05:00

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.”

John 20:1-3

Upon hearing the news, Peter and John raced for the tomb. John arrived first, but did not go in. Rather he stooped and looked inside to see the strips of linen lying near the place Jesus had been laid. Arriving shortly after, Peter entered the tomb and found it to be just as Mary Magdalene had told them. The tomb was empty! As I read the story again on resurrection morning, I was struck by this statement found in John 20:9 concerning Peter and John:

“They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.”

After witnessing His death and seeing the empty tomb, they still did not grasp that Jesus was risen! When Mary Magdalene informed them that He was not there, they did not respond as men who were running to meet Jesus! In a parallel passage found in Mark 16, Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome encountered a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting inside the tomb. The young man said to them:

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Mark 16:6-7

It is evident that Peter and John’s faith had stopped at the tomb, because if they had been looking for a risen savior they would have ran all the way to Galilee. That is where Jesus told them He would see them. Many of you, today, have a very similar ‘resurrection morning’ type of faith. You believe that He died! You believe that the tomb is empty, but you are not seeking the risen savior.

You see, it is not enough to have faith in His birth, His miracles, His death on the cross, or an empty tomb. It is “eternally significant”, however, that you embrace His resurrection:

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

1 Corinthians 15:17-19

If our faith stops at an empty tomb, then we are to be pitied as men who have no hope! Peter, one of the men who went looking for an empty tomb later wrote:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..”

1 Peter 1:3

It is clear from this passage that Peter realized that there was no hope in an empty tomb. He traveled to Galilee and had an encounter with the Risen Lord that forever changed his life. How about you? Have you allowed your faith to bring you to the Risen Lord? Or are you still stuck at the door of an empty tomb?

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Are You Looking For A Risen Savior?

2010-04-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

Let the Cross Finish It's Work

2010-04-08T10:51:00.001-05:00

“Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others- one on each side and Jesus in the middle.”

John 19:16-18

American pastor and author, A.W. Tozer, once wrote:

“The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down
the road had already said good-bye to his friends. He was not coming
back. He was going out to have it ended. The old cross is a symbol
of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being…
the cross made no compromises, modifies nothing, spares nothing;
it slew all of a man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep
on good terms with it’s victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when
it had finished it’s work, the man was no more.”

The man who took up the cross was keenly aware of it’s implications. To say the least, this experience would be a life-changing one. The march of death through the streets of Jerusalem to Calvary’s Hill suddenly brought a lot of things into perspective. The old way of life was about to come to an abrupt halt. Jesus was very mindful of where the road heading out of the city would take him. He knew that when the cross finished it’s work-”The man would be no more.”

I am certain that there were many who were shocked to see Him in the procession of criminals that were passing by. The cross was reserved for traitors, thieves and murderers. Jesus, however, was not surprised. In fact, months before His crucifixion, He told his disciples:

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 9:23

He knew precisely the manner of death in which He would die and tried to prepare His disciples for it. Soon they were going to be faced with the reality of the cross. Jesus’ death on Calvary would bring new meaning to the cross. It would become the means of putting an end to the old nature. Calvary would represent death to the old way of living…

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”

Romans 6:7-8

Have you “died” with Him? Have you “died” to the things that He died for? Have you taken up our cross and followed Him? You see Christ finished His work on the cross, but the cross has not finished it’s work in you! If you let the cross finish it’s work, you will no longer compromise in the area of sin. You will no longer be interested in holding onto anything from your “old nature” because the cross spars nothing. You will no longer be interested in being on good terms with sin or anything else in your old life.

Jesus did not go to Calvary so that we could simply memorialize it, take the day off of work and receive communion together. As His disciples He fully expects us to “take up our cross”, follow Him and die to things that He died for. We cannot live with Him if we do not first die with Him. It is time that we come and let the cross finish it’s work in our lives crucifying the old habits, attitudes and relationships that at one time kept us from our Savior.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Three Battles We All Must Face

2010-03-30T08:58:00.004-05:00

(Part 1)

"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses aid: 'Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan river into the land I am about to give them- to the Israelites. I will gie you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses."

Joshua 1:1-3

For years the Israelites had heard about the promised land. God had led them out of Egypt, through the Sinai, to the edge of the Jordan River. They were now on the cusp of realizing that promise! Strenthened by God, to cross over, Joshua gathered his officers together and gives them an order that sets up the rest of the story...

"So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 'Go through the camp and tell the people', "Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will corss the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own."

Joshua 1:10

When I read that, what stirred in my Spirit was this..."What was involved in Joshua 'taking possesion' of the promised land?"

If we are going to see real lasting victory in our lives, we must disassemble our 21st Century idea of 'taking possession'. Let me use an illustration:

A couple of years ago I moved to a little town closer to the church I pastor. I bought my house in September of 2007. I took possession of it in October of 2007. It belonged to me in September, but I didn't take possession right away. When I arrived at my house in late October I found everything to to clean, in order and the old residents gone. I did not have to evict the old residents or run them out. They were gone and everything was in order for me to step into.

Spiritually, for many, when they come to Christ they anticipate that possessing God's promises works the same as taking possession of a home. You arrive and everything is cleaned up, put in order, and the old resident (sin nature) is moved out.

However, what really happened was this: God, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, secured for us the key to "go in." His promises are fully ours because of the sacrifice of His Son. Nevertheless, WE must take possession of those promises. As Joshua entered the land, the land was fully his, but there were still battles to be fought. In fact, Joshua spent the rest of his life 'taking possession' of God's promised land.

Wrestling With God

2010-03-09T09:58:00.001-06:00

Part 2

“When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

Genesis 32:25-26a

As the two men grappled throughout the early morning hours, Jacob struggled to maintain control. Even after his hip had been afflicted, through excruciating pain, Jacob refused to submit. Recognizing Jacob’s resistance the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” In a very real sense the man was saying, “Let me go, I am done contending for you.” Jacob was now forced to make a decision. Jacob could have let him go and moved forward to face Esau without God’s help. He could have, also, stiffened his neck and returned to tend Laban’s flocks rather than face his older brother. Instead, he latched himself onto the Lord and declared:

“I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

Genesis 32:26b

At some point, Jacob realized that he was wrestling with the Lord. Even so, it wasn’t until the Lord was willing to walk away from him, that Jacob grasped the implications of his decisions. He quickly realized that he was no longer wrestling for control, but holding on for dear life! As Jacob now lay clenching the man close to him, the man asks him:

“What is your name?

Genesis 32:27a

God was about to further humble Jacob, by causing Jacob to face himself! In ancient days, a man’s name revealed something about him. Jacob’s name meant heel-catcher, supplanter, schemer, swindler, deceiver. He had supplanted Esau’s birthright and obtained the blessing deceptively. He had been wrestling with his own identity for years. By acknowledging his “name“, he was confessing his shortcomings. It is here that God began the work of restoration in Jacob’s life. He gave Jacob a new identity:

“Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”

Genesis 32:28

Jacob walked away from his encounter with God a changed man:

“So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.”

Genesis 32:30-31

Be certain of this, that those who wrestle with God walk away limping! They not only have a new identity, but they are visibly different, too. They act different, talk different and pursue different things. They are no longer dependent upon self, but humble themselves and put their trust in God. How long will you wrestle with God?

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Wrestling With God (Part 1)

2010-03-02T10:41:00.001-06:00

“That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.”

Genesis 32:22-24

The story of Jacob and Esau is familiar to most of us, but I will condense the story down for those who may be unfamiliar with it. Twin brothers, Jacob and Esau, were born to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was the first born. Jacob came out second, grasping the heel of his older brother. The two boys grew up very differently. Esau a rugged hunter. Jacob a shepherd. To say the least, there was contention between the boys, most likely created by Rebekah’s favoritism towards Jacob and Isaac’s favoritism towards Esau. The ill feelings were compounded when Esau lost his birthright to Jacob and later his father’s blessing. The enraged Esau sought to kill Jacob and the younger sibling was forced to flee the country. After many years, Jacob, along with his family are returning to finally face Esau. The Bible says that on the evening before their meeting, Jacob was filled with uncertainty:

“ In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well.”

Genesis 32:7

He had been running from this problem his entire adult life, but before he could face Esau, first he had to face God! Left alone on the other side of the river, Jacob had nothing to hide behind. Behind him was his family, his possessions and his past. As he stood gazing over the river a man apprehended him and began to wrestle with him. As Jacob grappled with the man in the early morning hours, he realized that the man he was struggling with was the Lord, Himself.

The word wrestle means to struggle for control. The ultimate goal of wrestling is not “pinning” someone to the ground. It is about submission. God wrestled for control of Jacob’s life that night. Jacob fought against it!

“When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.”

Genesis 32:25

What? God could not overpower Jacob? That doesn’t make since! He is God Almighty! How is that possible? The answer is simple. God will never force His will upon you if you are not willing to submit. God loves you too much to allow you to stay in a fallen state, so He will wrestle with you, but He will never pin you down and force His will on you. Reluctantly, He will let you stay in control, but He may not contend with you forever!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

The Eternal Work of the Holy Spirit

2010-02-25T08:25:00.001-06:00

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”

John 14:16-17

From the beginning, God intended our relationship with the Holy Spirit to be an eternal partnership. A relationship, through which, each of us could become partakers of God’s everlasting life. So how is this partnership initiated?

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of His glory.”

Ephesians 1:11-14

The eternal relationship is established, when, upon hearing the gospel, we put our faith in Jesus Christ! As a show of good faith in this newly established relationship, God imparts to us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit acts as a seal and a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance and God’s commitment to His promise. The seal & deposit serve as spiritual reminders of those promises.

A seal of hot wax was often placed on ancient scrolls to secure and fasten them shut. The king would then press his signet ring into the hot wax guaranteeing that the contents within the scroll belonged to him. As we look forward to the day of redemption we can have confidence in knowing that we carry the “king’s seal”- the precious Holy Spirit. We are marked by Him and recognizable, as one of His own, by the Holy Spirit we carry within us. The sealing of the Holy Spirit is beautifully described for us in Galatians 4:6: “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” God’s Spirit testifies that we are sons and daughters of the king. We are no longer slaves, but heirs!

The Holy Spirit also serves as a deposit. A deposit is a pledge of more to come.

“Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
2 Corinthians 5:5

This is why after Jesus had breathed on his disciples and said- “Receive the Holy Spirit” in John 20:22, that He then instructed them in Acts 1:4: “Do not leave Jerusalem , but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Initially, they did not get the fullness of the Spirit. A deposit was given, but there was still more to come! This deposit authorizes us, as “heirs” or “owners” , to enjoy the blessings flowing from this account. Jesus describes it this way in John 7:38-39:

“Whoever believes in me as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

In this way, God has opened up His limitless Spirit to us, so that we may enjoy the blessing flowing from Him! Have you initiated your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Are you sealed for the day of redemption? Has God placed His deposit guarantee inside of you? You can know today:

“We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.”

1 John 4:13-15

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

A Divine Partnership: The Spirit’s Mission

2010-02-18T08:49:00.001-06:00

“When He comes, He will expose the guilt of the world, in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”

John 16:8

One of the first things you are encouraged to do when you are looking to start a new business is to develop a “mission statement.” Wikipedia defines a mission statement as: a formal short written statement of the purpose of an organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a sense of direction, and guide decision-making. It provides "the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated. Now that we have established that we are in a “divine partnership” with the Holy Spirit, I think that it is important that we understand the Holy Spirit’s mission. As recorded in John 16:8 the mission of the Holy Spirit is to expose the guilt of the world in three areas- sin, righteousness, and judgment. As partners with the Holy Spirit, that means that, we have a definitive role to play in reaching that goal. So let’s look a little closer at the mission of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s mission focuses on three specific arenas- sin, righteousness, and judgment:

“In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

John 16:9-11

Sin is that which separates us from God. The sin, in particular, that Christ is showcasing here is the sin of unbelief- failing to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior. Many do not see their “unbelief” as a sin, but simply as a choice. The Holy Spirit’s mission is to bring truth and warn them concerning the consequences of rejecting Christ. False religions, false teachers, and scholars have attempted to dismantle the idea of sin. Even going as far as to proclaim that there is no such thing as sin! For without sin- there is no need of a savior. Yet, this is not the extent of the world’s guilt.

They are guilty in regards to righteousness, too. Christ’s deity was challenged by religious leaders relentlessly in His day. They called Him a heretic and a blasphemer because of His claims. Yet, God chose to exalt Jesus to His right hand, gave Him a name above every name, and put everything under His feet. Jesus lived a sinless life and gave Himself as the perfect, blameless sacrifice. He was righteous without fault, and in Him we are made righteous in God’s eyes:

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

Romans 3:22

Many believe that there are numerous ways to God. They are hoping that access to God’s kingdom is not based on Christ’s righteousness, but on their own good deeds. We have an obligation to show them from God’s Word that the only way to the Father is through the Son:

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

However, the world’s guilt does not end there. The world is appalled by the notion that there will ever be a judgment day. Saying things like: “A loving God would never send people to hell!” They fail to realize that it is not God who sends people to hell, but our own choices and our own disobedience. God is not willing that any should perish, but all would to come repentance. Unfortunately, for the world, in order to come to repentance, you have to believe you have sinned and you have to put your faith in the righteousness of Christ. Let us therefore be committed to the mission placed before us and partner with the Holy Spirit to spread these truths to a world in need. IT IS YOUR MISSION TOO!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

A Divine Partnership

2010-02-11T08:33:00.001-06:00

Part 1

“On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

John 20:19-22

From the very moment Jesus breathed upon His disciples, God ordained there to be a special relationship between “You & I” and the Holy Spirit. A divine partnership, in which, we become minister’s together with Him of the very great and precious promises found within the New Covenant. God’s intention, here in John 20, is clear. He is sending us out to be His witnesses on the earth, but He is not sending us alone. He has given us a partner (precisely as Jesus explained it):

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”

John 14:15-17

Together with the Holy Spirit we have been given the task of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and proclaiming the coming of the New Covenant established in Christ’s blood. This is the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses, because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious.”

2 Corinthians 3:7-8

It is a rare and unusual partnership, one in which the Holy Spirit does not simply come alongside us, but comes within us and upon us to accomplish the will of God:

“Whoever believers in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified!”

John 7:38-39

The partnership we share with the Holy Spirit is not a silent partnership. I describe this type of partnership as: one where “you” purpose to work alone and the Holy Spirit is there only if you should need Him. Our partnership with the Holy Spirit is also not a hostile takeover. I describe this type of partnership as: one in which the Holy Spirit takes you by force to accomplish God’s work in the earth. Partnership with the Holy Spirit is one of cooperation as we willfully submit our will to God’s will.

If then we have become partners with Him in the “Ministry of the Holy Spirit” we should be familiar with the Holy Spirit’s mission!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Missed Opportunities

2010-02-04T08:52:00.002-06:00

“Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

2 Kings 13:18-19

Have you ever got that sick feeling in your stomach whenever you realized you just missed an amazing opportunity? I wonder if that is how the King of Israel felt the moments after Elisha the prophet spoke those words. Israel had been oppressed by Hazael, king of Aram, for many years. Hazael, along with his son Ben-Hadad, had taken land and captured cities in the northern regions of Israel. During this time, Elisha the prophet, became ill. It would be an illness from which he would eventually die. Jehoash, king of Israel, came to him and wept over him. As the king mourned over him, Elisha instructed him:

“Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”

2 Kings 13:15-17

From his death bed, Elisha prophesied victory for the King of Israel. A door of opportunity had been opened. A door to complete and total victory over the Arameans. There was an amazing opportunity there for Jehoash to do something remarkable. However, his heart was not fully committed to God:

“He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them.”

2 Kings 13:11

A door had been opened, once and for all, for Israel to be delivered from the threat of Aram, but Jehoash’s half-heartedness cost him! Elisha told Jehoash take the arrows and “Strike the ground.” Jehoash took the arrows and instead of striking the ground forcibly five or six times, he simply struck the ground three times and stopped. Elisha became angry and said:

“You should have struck the ground five of six times, then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

2 Kings 13:19

I can only imagine what King Jehoash’s face must have looked like when he heard the prophet’s pronouncement. Instead of completely destroying the Arameans, now he would only defeat them three times. Jehoash failed to make the most of the opportunity that had been given him. William James, a famous American philosopher, once said: “He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed.” Jehoash failed because he did not fully embrace the opportunity afforded to him by the prophet Elisha. Like, Jehoash, we are not held back by a lack of opportunity, but more often by our failure to make the most of the opportunities that have been afforded to us. As we move into 2010, let it be our fervent desire to make the most of every moment that God opens a window to our victory!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

The Disease of Idleness

2010-01-28T08:43:00.002-06:00

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.”

2 Thessalonians 3:6

The church in Thessalonica was a young vibrant church, birthed through persecution. It was familiar with suffering and patient in trials. Paul called them a “model” for other churches. Their faith in God was evidenced through their perseverance in facing hardship. However, Paul recognized a weakness in his fledgling congregation that he warns them about in 1 Thessalonians 5:14:

“And we urge you, brothers warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

Paul cautions them regarding our tendencies to drift into idleness. A message that they did not heed as Paul has to expound upon his warnings again in 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12:

“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ’If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’ We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy, they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.”

According to Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, this disease called idleness manifests itself in two strains. One is just outright laziness (slothfulness). This strain of the disease is pretty straight forward. It is knowing what needs to be done, but choosing not to do it. Paul calls his brothers and sisters in Christ to task instructing them that if they do not work, they do not eat! There is no place for laziness in God’s Kingdom. The second strain of the disease is equally as devastating. It is called “being a busybody”. People who are busybodies occupy their time with many things that have no bearing on their responsibilities. They are busy, but their activities are not useful. They fill their day with so many things that they neglect to accomplish the most necessary tasks. They don’t appear lazy, but they are accomplishing no more than the man who puts his hand to nothing.

It is a “disease”! It is habitual and contagious! In his letter to Timothy, Paul instructs him to encourage the younger widows to remarry for two reasons: one is that their sensual desires may overcome their dedication to Christ, but secondly it is to keep them from becoming idle:

“Besides, they get into habit of being idle and going from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.”

1 Timothy 5:13

We must be aware that idleness can very much develop into a lifestyle habit! A habit that robs us of our productivity. Idleness is also contagious, that is why Paul instructs the Thessalonians to “keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” We must separate ourselves from those people who have no desire to move forward. If you yoke yourself to a man who will not plow, you too will not plow! Let us then expose and avoid the temptation to eat the bread of idleness. No one ever accomplished anything great for God by embracing it!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Prayer of Faith

2010-01-18T15:08:00.000-06:00

“In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:20-24

Here in Mark 11, Jesus brings the matter of prayer and faith into perspective. As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Bethany, Jesus became hungry. He saw a fig tree in the distance and he went to it to see if it had any fruit:

“When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it.”

Mark 11:13b-14

The next day, as they left Jerusalem for Bethany, they were shocked to find that the tree Jesus had cursed had withered overnight! It is here that Jesus reinforces the nature of the relationship between prayer and faith. The disciples had overheard Him speaking to the fig tree. When they saw the tree, the very next day, withered from the roots, Peter exclaimed: “The fig tree that you cursed has withered!” Is it possible that Jesus could simply speak something and it come to pass? Can “our” words carry that kind of power? The answer is yes, but not without faith!

Jesus tells his disciples that if you have faith in God, you can say to the mountain ’Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt and believe (that’s faith) it will be done for you. Faith is the catalyst! A catalyst is defined as something that makes a change happen or brings about an event. Once Jesus was speaking to His disciples after they had repeatedly tried to drive a demon out of a man’s son. His disciples came to him in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”:

“He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move, Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20

Without faith nothing moves! We must have faith if we are going to ask God to do the impossible. If we leave out faith, our words are devoid of power. They may be heartfelt, well-meant, and even passionate, but if they are not housed in faith they are ineffective. It is the prayer offered “in faith” that heals the sick! It is the prayer offered “in faith” that raises the dead! It is the prayer offered” in faith” that moves the mountain! When your prayers are housed “in faith”, nothing will be impossible for you!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Tis' the Season of His Coming

2009-12-22T09:49:00.001-06:00

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:6-7

It is no secret that my favorite time of year is Christmas. When I was a little kid my heart brimmed over with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the arrival of that glorious day. As a child, I was captivated by the various sights and sounds of the season: Christmas Muzak would fill the air outside the shops downtown, the giant snowflakes would light up the town square, mom would make a various assortment of cookies, Santa’s Shed would sit nestled on the Courthouse lawn, my dad and I would haul the Christmas tree from the attic and my sister and I would fight over who put the star on top. However, the true meaning of Christmas was lost on me, until I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. At that point the Christmas season took on a whole new wonder for me! It is the same “wonder” that captured the attention of the world 2000 years ago. The season that preceded Christ’s birth was marked by many wonderful attributes that characterized the times leading up to His coming. They are also reflective of the season that will precede the Lord’s return. So often when we think about the season of the Lord’s return, we choose to reference Matthew 24:6-8:

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Similarly, the days preceding Christ’s first coming were ones of severe oppression, heavy taxation, and intense moral failure. Nevertheless, the season was also marked by some other wonderful characteristics that are just as pertinent today as they were then.

It is a season marked by God’s favor towards His people:

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:26-28

It is a season of encouragement:

“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.”

Luke 1:29-30

The angel of the Lord encouraged Mary as he explained to her that the Messiah was going to come and God was going to use her in His divine plan.

It is a season of possibility:

“How will this be, “ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

Luke 1:34-37

It is a season of leaping and rejoicing:

“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”
Luke 1:39-42

There was joy at the prospect of His coming!

It is a season of praise:

“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is His name.”

Luke 1:46-49

Finally, It is a season of expectation:

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”

Luke 2:4-5

The season was not lost on Mary and Joseph, because they were expecting Him to come! As we enjoy the signs of the season I wonder how many of you, as we see that day approaching, are expecting His coming. May your Christmas be filled with God’s favor, encouragement, possibility, leaping/rejoicing, praise and expectation!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

The Hard Truth

2009-12-22T09:46:00.002-06:00

(Part 2)

“He said this while teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

John 6:59-60

Jesus’ method of weeding out the “insincere” and the “religious” takes a new direction as He turns to the crowd and begins to teach. The crowd squirms in their seats as Jesus declares that those who do not eat His flesh and drink His blood have no life in them. He declares that He is the bread from Heaven, and whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. All of a sudden the celebratory atmosphere evaporated as the crowd became increasingly uncomfortable with Christ’s teaching. They began to grumble among themselves to which Jesus responded:

“Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”

John 6:61-64

Following Jesus is easy when the truth is convenient for us. However, once it becomes hard to swallow, the depth of our commitment is revealed. The problem is that not all the truth that God desires for us to obtain is easy to accept:

“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.”

John 6:66

This unwillingness to accept “hard truth” is why many “believers” walk away from their faith or at the least fail to embrace God’s fullness. It is ultimately why many refuse to embrace the Holy Spirit:

“But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.”

John 16:13

The Holy Spirit’s job, like it or not, is to lead us into ALL truth. How we respond to that truth reveals and exposes the true motives of our heart. What “truth” are you unwilling to accept that is hindering your walk with God? Are you honestly willing to walk away from God because you don’t like what He has to say about forgiveness, bitterness, gossip, adultery, poor stewardship or marital issues? What truth will stop you from pursuing Him? Will you still stand firm, when everyone else walks away? As Jesus watched those who were unwilling to accept the “hard truth” walk away, He turned to the remaining disciples and said:

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

John 6:67

It response Peter declared:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy one of God.”

John 6:68-69

True followers of Jesus Christ; do not abandon their faith when they don’t like what they hear! The truth may be hard to swallow sometimes, but they are the words of eternal life to all who will believe.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

The Hard Truth

2009-12-10T10:12:00.000-06:00

Part 1

“Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the sea of Galilee (that is, the sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.”
John 6:1-2

The gathering of the multitudes on the far shore of the sea of Galilee set the stage for one of the greatest miracles found in scripture- the feeding of the five thousand. Because of it’s miraculous nature, it is remembered as a highlight of Jesus’ ministry. Thousands sat captivated by His teaching and were fed by His disciples after He had blessed the two fish and five loaves. However, as often as we have study this passage, we fail to remember the controversy that followed within hours of this amazing event:

“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”

John 6:66

Within 24 hours of the last morsels of food being collected, Jesus went from having a “crowd” of followers to a “handful” of disciples. After His encounter with the multitudes Jesus returned to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Realizing He was gone the people went in search for Him. Upon finding Him in Capernaum, Jesus told them:

“I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.”
John 6:26

It is here that Jesus begins to expose and weed out those people who are following Him from wrong motives. The first group that He identifies are those who followed Him simply to have their needs met. There were those who came looking for Him who were not as concerned about “seeing God” as they were about getting their next meal. The spiritual component of what took place the day before was lost on them. They only hungered after Him because they had a need. He told them:

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

John 6:27

After exposing the this crowd another group then emerges from among them. This group didn’t come seeking food, but rather they came in search of another miracle:

“Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ So they asked him, ‘What miraculous sign will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?”

John 6:28-30

In other words, “If you don’t do anything ‘visible’ in my life, I won’t believe. I won’t follow you.” For these people, as long as God is answering their prayers, working supernaturally in their church services, and acknowledging their spiritual giftings…they are eager to follow. However, if that dries up, they are off to greener pastures. Jesus described them in John 4:48 this way:

“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “ you will never believe.”

However, the most difficult group Jesus had yet to confront were those who appeared to be closest to Him. They were not there to be fed or to see another miracle, but would they still follow when the truth was no longer easy to swallow?

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

My Cup Overflows

2009-11-25T09:22:00.003-06:00

Part 1

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Psalm 23:5

Psalm 23 is a picture of a life submitted to God and to His care. David uses the imagery of a cup overflowing to describe a life brimming over with spiritual fullness. When I hear this passage I am reminded of the wonderful song written by Richard Blanshard entitled “Fill My Cup, Lord”:

Chorus
Fill my cup Lord,
I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

But what exactly does God desire to fill our cup with? And is “fullness” really the objective? It made me begin to contemplate if we should be happy being full or if we should be striving to be overflowing? Having a “full” cup is a wonderful thing. Many people, however, feel limited on how much they can receive due to boundaries placed on them by the size of their container. They rationalize that in order to receive more from God they have to enlarge their capacity to receive, by acquiring a larger glass. Eventually, however, we are still limited in what we can receive because we are nonetheless confined to the boundaries placed on us by our new container. An example of such thinking is found in Luke 12: 16-19:

“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’

He had barns filled with grain and other commodities! But once He was full, his ability to receive was limited by the boundaries placed on him by his containers. So he decided to tear them down and build bigger barns in order to enlarge his capacity to receive. This displeased God:

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.”
Luke 12:20-21

Enlarging our “capacity” to receive was never God’s intention! God’s desire for us is to live a life of “overflow.”

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

Heal the Wound, Leave the Scar

2009-11-19T09:30:00.000-06:00

(Part 2)

“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 30:17

In the culture that we live in, we don’t see scars as a sign of triumph over adversity. Instead, they are seen as marks of imperfection. We are embarrassed by them and try everything to cover them up. We see them as reminders of the wound. A wound we very much want to forget. For this reason, many people never really heal. In a roundabout way, they believe that if they don’t heal, they won’t scar. We want God to heal the wound without leaving any evidence that we were ever injured. If we cannot heal without a scar then many choose to live with an open wound.

An open wound is a wound that we experience the pain of everyday. It must be agitated daily as the wound is packed and dressed. The healing is hindered as the wound is forced to stay open. However, a wound that stays open too long becomes susceptible to infection. Spiritually speaking, an open wound that does not heal is vulnerable to unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred and depression. That is why Jesus declared in Luke 4 these words from the Prophet Isaiah:

“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.”

Jesus declared that He was sent not just to comfort us in our time of need, but to heal our wounds…to bind us up. Many of you have been wounded or have been left with some pretty ugly scars. You may feel like Jesus, in that your “visage”- your reputation, dreams, and aspirations have been marred. You think, how can God use me now? Will anyone every trust me again? Will anyone ever accept me again? Will anyone ever love me again? The answer is….Yes!

There is a beautiful song by the group Point of Grace entitled “Heal the Wound”. The lyrics of the chorus of the song are this:

Heal the wound but leave the scar
A reminder of how merciful you are
I am broken, torn apart
Take the pieces of this heart
And heal the wound but leave the scar

Scars are a sign of God’s mercy and goodness towards us. How He walked with us through some of the most difficult times of our lives. Let’s face it, the more battles we face the greater the potential to be wounded. Even so, we can take comfort in these words recorded for us in Isaiah 53:5:

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

Lord, heal the wound, but leave the scar.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

Heal the Wound, Leave the Scar

2009-11-12T08:24:00.001-06:00

(Part 1)

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”
John 20:19-20

Many words could be used to describe Jesus’ disciples as they huddled together, behind closed doors, after Christ’s crucifixion…words like hurting, distressed, disillusioned, discouraged and wounded. The man that they had put their hope, trust and future in had been nailed to a cross. They were helpless to do anything but watch as the Roman soldiers pierce His side, sealing His fate, as the blood and water flowed. He was later removed from the cross and placed in a borrowed tomb…along with their dreams, hopes and aspirations.

Of course, the good news is that He didn’t stay there! After three days God quickened Him by the Holy Spirit and Jesus rose from the grave. He then came to those who were hurting, distressed, disillusioned, discouraged and wounded and spoke peace to them. The shepherd had returned to the sheep and the sheep knew His voice. However, Jesus did not stop there. He moved into the midst of them and showed them His hands and side.

There on His hands and side were the scars that identified Him as the one who was nailed to the cross and was pierced in His side. Although He had been healed and resurrected, He still bore in His body the scars of His affliction. Scars are caused by traumatic events. Isaiah the prophet described the brutality of Christ’s crucifixion this way:

“Just as there were many who were appalled at him, his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form (visage) marred beyond human likeness.”

Isaiah 52:14

It is these scars that Jesus chose to use to identify Himself to His disciples. He could have chosen to walk on water, cast out a demon, heal a blind man, raise the dead, or even still the wind and waves. Instead He identified Himself to them by showing them His scars. These scars were not pretty. They did not bring back pleasant memories for Jesus. They were, in fact, evidence that a traumatic event had taken place in His life. They were also evidence that His wounds did not kill him.

You see, there is a difference between a wound and a scar. According to Webster’s Dictionary a wound is defined as: “an injury involving breaking or cutting of bodily tissue. An injury or hurt to feelings or reputation.” Hurt, distress, pain and discouragement are often associated with it. A scar, however, is defined as: “a mark left after the injured tissue is healed.” It is a mark that expresses to others that you survived a traumatic event. A sign that you overcame your affliction. Scars mean that our wounds did not kill us, because scars don’t form unless the wound is healed.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

Whitewashed Tombs

2009-11-05T08:12:00.001-06:00

“When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.”
Luke 11:37-38

Probably one of the most frequently heard objections, held by unbelievers, about going to church is that “the church is full of hypocrites.” Unbelievers, from my experience, perceive a hypocrite as being someone who tells you that the lifestyle or things you do are sinful, while struggling with the same things themselves. If that is what it means to be a hypocrite, then the church truly is full of hypocrites!

However, Jesus’ perceived hypocrisy through different lenses:

“Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.”

Luke 11:39

Many people view hypocrisy as pretending to be something that we are not. When in all actuality it is more about concealing something that we are. Jesus uses a parallel passage to drive this point home in Matthew 23:27-28:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every unclean thing. In the same way you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Hypocrisy is an attempt to conceal that which is dead inside by making the exterior more attractive. Unfortunately, the beauty of the exterior does not change the absence of life on the inside. A hypocritical spirit develops when we are more concerned about how people see us than we are about the fact that we are full of death and wickedness. Hypocrisy is projecting on the outside to have something that we “know” not to have on the inside. This is not pretending. This is deception!

It is condemning others for refuting the truth, while concealing the fact that we are actively rejecting it in our own lives. However, I am not a hypocrite because I struggle with sin. Let’s say that someone tells you a lie. You confront them about it and explain to them that lying is not the way God intended us to live. Immediately, they say, “Don’t be so hypocritical. Are you going to tell me that you have never lied?” At this point you have done nothing hypocritical. I have simply proclaimed a truth about God and the way He desires us to live. However, if we go on to deny that we have ever lied and work to conceal that fact that we have lied in the past; we will find ourselves moving beyond the truth into hypocrisy. It is not hypocritical to say, “I wanted to talk to you about the lie you told. It isn’t the way that God intended us to live. I know because I struggle with that at times myself.” The fact that I struggle against sin, does not negate the truthfulness of God’s Word. The fact that I don’t always live up to the standards of God’s Word, does not negate the truthfulness of it. Truth is hard to swallow whether is comes from a righteous man or a hypocrite. You may be very transparent with people and they may still reject the truth, but they will likely not reject you, giving you the opportunity to continue to live out your witness before them. Conversely, if you attempt to conceal the fact that you struggle against sin and continue to project a life free from wrongdoing, people will not only reject the truth you bring, but you as well. To them you are nothing but a whitewashed tomb. Yes, you look good from the outside, but you are full of dead men’s bones. Are you in sin? You must take time to deal with it. The shiniest tomb in the graveyard still holds dead men’s bones. Let us confess our sins to God and He promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness-from the inside out!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/