West Pines Community Church

10-22-17 Upside Down, Part 5: Sincerity by West Pines Community Church

10-15-17 Upside Down, Part 4: Approved by West Pines Community Church

10-08-17 Upside Down, Part 3: Truth by West Pines Community Church

10-01-17 Upside Down, Part 2: Courage by West Pines Community Church

09-24-17 Upside Down, Part 1: Replicate by West Pines Community Church

09-17-17 But if Not by West Pines Community Church

One of the oldest and most beloved olympic events is the relay race. Rather than racing individually, the athletes work together towards the common goal of being the fastest team to finish. Perhaps the most critical part of every relay is the transition between team members. It is not an exaggeration to say that the passing of the baton can make or break an entire race. Throughout history, God has given His people a mission. And each generation faces the critical moment when a new generation must rise up and continue the race. Psalm 78 calls us to remember all that God has done and proclaim that boldly to the next generation.

When I picture astronaut training, I imagine people floating around in zero gravity chambers. And that is definitely part of the training. But they need to be equipped with so much more than just experience floating in space. They are trained in all kinds of survival techniques. They have language training so that they can communicate to other astronauts in the Space Station. They have to learn the science and mechanics of how the rocket works. These adventurers have to be ready for anything. The training is essential. Interestingly, the Bible describes the church as a training ground. It is tasked to equip believers. But what are they training them to become? According to Ephesians, a church is called to grow Christians to the full degree of the greatest, most catalytic, history altering individual that has ever walked the planet - Christ. To put it simply: the church is intended to be a training ground pumping out world-changers.

When you think about the mission of landing someone on the moon, what images come to mind? Maybe astronauts descending out of the lunar module onto the desolate gray surface of the moon. Or perhaps you think of President Kennedy addressing the nation with the challenge to win the space race. When we think of major endeavors, we typically think of a few key visible players. But like any initiative, there are thousands of invaluable contributors that are vital to success. Each engineer, scientist, and aviator formed links in a chain. Without one of them, the mission would have broken down. If you are a follower of Christ, then you are a part of the Church. The Church has a mission that is critical to the salvation of humanity. The Bible tells us that every single person is required for such a mission to be accomplished. What is your part?

Man has walked on the moon. The human race has been able to say that for almost 50 years. Maybe now we say those words without the slow head shaking of disbelief. But consider that it has to be one of the most courageous exploratory expeditions in human history. Human beings left this world and walked on another - an alien world. It was a tremendous vision and an unbelievable accomplishment. Could there be any mission more dramatic than going to the moon? Could there be a more catalytic calling, something more igniting and inspiring than sending humans up to the heavens? It would have to be a mission that could launch a unifying movement, inspiring a generation to give their lives to accomplish something one could only dream about.

We know that forgiveness is a good thing. Everyone loves a good story of how two people reconciled their differences and came back together to form an even stronger relationship. It’s the stuff of a good Hallmark movie. But in real life, forgiveness is messy. We know we are supposed to forgive people, but how do we trust again? How do we forgive and not put ourselves into a position to get hurt over and over again? There is a fascinating hidden nugget in the story of Philemon. It is where we get a window into Paul’s own relationships. And through those, we learn that there are different components of forgiveness: Release, Reconcile, and Restore. Knowing these aspects and learning how to apply them to different situations, helps us navigate the messiness of forgiveness.

Forgiveness can be one of the toughest things to learn to do. When we’ve been hurt and wronged, it is hard to let it go. Some hold on to their unforgiveness for the rest of their lives. But it would be wise to pause and consider this question: Which is harder, forgiving or living with unforgiveness? Holding on to bitterness and anger is costly. It eats away at our emotional health. It can cripple future relationships. It can even take a physical toll on our bodies. So while following Jesus means we will forgive those who wrong us, Jesus is only asking us to do something that is in our best interest. Obedience to Jesus always bring vibrant life. Do we have the courage to obey?

Have you ever watched an amazing musician and wondered what it would be like to have the freedom they have with their instrument? Maybe you have seen their hands furiously striking the keys up and down a piano. Maybe you have seen someone who can solo on a guitar as if their fingers have minds of their own. Ability like that did not come easy. There were hours of painful practice to free up their bodies to accomplish the music they wanted. This is similar to how the inner part of our lives operate. There are things that lock us up on the inside, but the pain of building character brings freedom. This is true of forgiveness. We don’t realize how confining bitterness is. We can be enslaved to it. But through the pain of forgiving, we find freedom.

“What prevents me from being baptized?” This is a question that a Eunuch from Ethiopia asks in Acts chapter 8. The question is a loaded one. If we were to turn the question around on ourselves and answer honestly, there is actually just one legitimate answer. There is only one thing that would prevent a person from being baptized. This encounter in Acts chapter 8 exposes that one thing and invites us to ask the same question: “What prevents me from being baptized?”

God is JUST. Here is another big truth about God! King David uncovers a real and raw approach to God. In Psalm 139, he cries out to God and wants Him to set things right in the world. David’s approach is one of righteous anger toward God’s enemies because they are his enemies. You see, David knows where to place his anger, and he knows who can do something about it. Like it was for David, it can be a challenging task for us to trust that God not only can set things right but that He will. Ultimately, God does set things all right, through Jesus!

God is ALMIGHTY. Here is another big truth about God, He has all power and authority in His hands! This bedrock and stunning attribute of God is revealed in today's study. In Psalm 139 King David praises God for His power and His intimacy in creating us! It is no easy task to get our minds around the immensity and the intimacy of power that could create the astounding things we see in the world and at the same time intricately weave the beautiful fabric of our lives! God is showing us not only His awesome power in creating us, but His careful intimacy in giving us profound meaning, value and great purpose! God’s power is on display!

God is everywhere. By definition, God would have to be ever-present. It is not that God is in everything (pantheism). God is not the tree or the plant or the clouds. Those are creations of God. But God’s presence is everywhere. That’s hard to get into our minds on a theoretical level. But it is even more challenging on a practical level. How would it change how I live if God is always with me? Are there times I wish God was with me? Are there times I wish He was not? This is more than just a theological point. This truth actually changes things in our lives. As we engage this idea of God’s ever-presence, it will realign some off-balance components in our lives.

Who is the person that knows you the best in this world? Think about how deeply they know you. They know your history. They know your tendencies. They can often predict what you will say and even think. They know your strengths and your weaknesses. When someone knows us that well, it’s vulnerable. They know things we would rather people didn’t know. And it’s dangerous. They can use that knowledge to deeply help us or deeply hurt us. But if by definition God is All-knowing, what does that mean about His knowledge of us? If He deeply knows you, what would that change in how you interact with Him?

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you are falling? It is kind of a rush until you are startled awake. One of the scariest feelings is falling. You have no control. By nature when you fall you are helpless. So what about the phrase “falling in love”? There is some truth in it, particularly when talking about affection and infatuation. But we also use the inverse of that phrase: “falling out of love.” Have you ever heard someone say, “the love died,” or “I just don’t love them anymore”? It is almost like love happens to us. As if it comes and goes and we can do nothing about it. But what if that is the polar opposite of how love operates? If we don’t understand how love works, we may be missing out on real love altogether.

“You’ll know it when you experience it.” Sometimes that’s the best we can do to explain the powerful, mysterious concept of love. But we need more than that to build a lifelong vibrant marriage. It can’t be done accidentally. It is not done on instinct. Relationships are too hard for that. We need a full description of what it looks like to truly love well. We need to be trained on what it looks like to love in a way that forges an ironclad, lifelong covenant between two people. We want a love that kindles a raging fire of passion. We want the kind of love that fosters a vibrant, thriving marriage. The Bible gives us a description of love that can do that. It gives us a description of a love worth fighting for.