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Radical Love

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Here are the notes from the New Testament Challenge Message at Cityview this weekend on Radical Love.

The Big Idea: Radical love flows from a gracious and just God.

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:44-45

radical:  1) arising from or going to a root source
2) departing markedly from the norm or the culture

3) favouring or effecting fundamental or revolutionary changes

4) slang:  wonderful

1.  Jesus describes radical love as a product of knowing Him.

“A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciple, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35

“My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.”  John 15:12-13

2.  The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7 is not another “law” from which we try to gain acceptance from God if we perfect it.  Rather the Sermon on the Mount is descriptive of the lifestyle that flows from a person being transformed (blessed) by Jesus Christ. As Jesus concludes the message the nature of this life becomes more clear:

Ask the Father for good gifts… Matthew 7:7-12
Enter the narrow gate for life… Matthew 7:13-14

Good tree bears good fruit/entry into
the Kingdom of heaven via knowing Jesus Matthew 7:15-23
Wise builder puts Jesus words into practice Matthew 7:43-48

3. The Sermon on the Mount does give us insight on what hinders us from loving people radically.

A.  Contempt for people, the bearers of God’s image.  Matt 5:21-26
B.  Lust, a desire to use people for selfish ends.  Matt 5:27-30
C.  Building throwaway relationships.  Matt 5:31-32

D.  Making throwaway promises, words.  Matt 5:33-37
E.  Vengeful justice-seeking.  Matthew 5:38-42
F.   Smallness, limiting love to those who love us.  Matt 5 43-48
G.  Desiring the applause of people over the applause of God.  6:1-18

H.  Valuing financial security over the works of God.  6:19-24
I.  Worrying over the stuff of earth over the kingdom of God.  6:25-
J.  Using other people’s failure as reason to elevate ourselves. 7:1-6

4. Jesus creates a window for us to see examples of Radical love:
A.  Seeks out a person who we have heart when we realize it.

B.  Interacts with people with out using them for selfish pleasures.

C.  Values people and seeks to maintain covenants even when tough.

D.  Speaks clearly and sincerely about one’s intentions.

E.  Gives people more good than they deserve.

F.  Pursues the highest good possible even for enemies.

G.  Doesn’t mind doing good without earthly recognition.

H.  Treasures what is close to the heart of God and invests in that.

I.   Trusts God with the details of life in order to realize God’s
Kingdom and righteousness.

J.   Recognizes one’s own desperate need from God’s mercy and
grace and humbly participates in His healing and restorative work
in another person’s life.

5. Jesus is The Source for Radical Love:

10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so 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. 17 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.   1 John 4:10-17

New Testament Challenge, Introduction

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Here are the published notes for Sunday’s talk at Cityview.

The Big Idea: Jesus is the New Testament Challenge!

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

1. Getting to know someone requires their self-disclosure.  When we talk about getting to know God in the Christian worldview,  we speak of  the self-disclosure of God.  We can know only what God reveals about Himself.

“The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.”  Psalm 98:2

Creation                                             ALL POINTING TO JESUS CHRIST.
Scripture
Covenants
History of Israel
History of the Church

2. The Christian Worldview accepts the Bible as God’s revelation of Himself and what He is doing in the world.  The Bible is the primary documents from which we see WHO Jesus Christ is and see WHAT He is doing in the world.

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”  John 5:39-40
3.  Our challenge is to treat the Bible as inspired, trustworthy, true, and
authoritative Word of God and therefore to adjust our lives accordingly.

“Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it
says.”  James 1:22

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman
who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word
of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15

4. The Word of God comes with benefits.

“The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in all he does.”  James 1:25

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart.  For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”  1 Peter 1:22-25

5. Get to know Jesus through the Word of God.

A.  Read it.

I commit to take the New Testament Challenge.
I will read the New Testament through in 83 days.

When:  _________________________________
Where:  _________________________________

B.  Apply it together.

I will be a part of a Growth Group.
My group meets on ____________ at __________PM.

C.  Pray it.   This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if
we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know
that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him.   1 John 5:14-15
D.  Share it.  See Mark 4.
E.  Receive Jesus as Lord.

“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 5:24-25

Cityview New Testament Challenge 2009

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This Sunday Cityview begins a 13 week journey through the New Testament.  I am expecting God to do amazing things in our lives as we read and apply His Word together.  I hope you will be a part of the New Testament Challenge by doing three things:

1.  Commit to read the New Testament with us over an 83 day period.

2.  Join a Growth Group for encouragement and growth.

3.  Be a part of our weekly gatherings to explore the challenges God’s Word presents to our lives and how to meet them.

You can sign up Sunday on the Communication Card.

You can download the Cityview New Testament Challenge 2009 Guide.  This guide has the schedule for the readings, questions for your personal reflection after each message, and a weekly memory verse.  It is also packed with information about our Cityview Growth Groups and with other pages on how to grow in your faith.  Download the pdf and print it out as a booklet.

LOST: Financial stress reveals my heart & my plan

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lost

When you are lost, you have become disoriented and are not where you want to be.  But what if you have even lost perspective on where you need to be?  It is easy to get lost financially.  A few wrong turns, and few too hopeful decisions, a few emergencies and we are financially lost.  We are not sure which way to turn and what to do.  We can all get financially lost.

Here is the Big Idea from this week’s message:  Financial stress reveals my heart and my plan.

Financial stress reveals where my heart is with God.  It reveals the strength or weakness of my financial plan and skills.

The prophet Haggai was one of the first to speak up for God to the exiles that returned to Jerusalem.  They had returned with high hopes.  But had had mostly struggles.  Things were a mess in the city.  The surrounding inhabitants were not happy to see them.  And then the weather was not cooperating.  Haggai shows up and wants to help them see what God wants them to see about their “financial stress.”  They needed to see that their hearts were not in on God’s plan to turn Jerusalem and them into a spiritual powerhouse from which He would bless the nations.  In fact they were not even interested.  So God had let their efforts at securing their own lives and interests be not so fruitful.  You can listen to the message   and use the questions below as a guide.

1. What evidence is there that I am lost financially or in danger of getting into a financial mess?

      “Give careful thought to your ways…” Haggai 1:5

2. What do my finances reveal about my relationship with God?  Do my finances reveal a devoted life to Jesus Christ?

“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.  What you
brought home, I blew away.  Why?”  declares the Lord Almighty.
“Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.”    Haggai 1:9

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”           Matthew 6:34

“For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.”     Matt 6:21

 

3. Am I willing to respond to God in repentance?  Am I willing to learn new skills?

“Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him.  And the people feared the LORD.”   “I am with you,” declares the LORD.  So the Lord stirred up the spirit of  …the people.  They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God…”            Haggai 1:12, 13, 14

 

cityview hosts Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope

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Town Hall for Hope with Dave Ramsey

Town Hall for Hope with Dave Ramsey

Cityview will be hosting Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope this Thursday, 23 April 2009, at 7 PM PT.  I believe this will be an informative and inspiring evening on the economy and your money.  Facing a recession when your finances are great can be tough enough, however facing it when your finances are awful can be devastating.  I want you to have your heart in the right place and to have a workable plan with money.  

 

Many in our congregation have already been helped with the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University and his book Money Makeover, so let me encourage you to take the time and listen in as Dave talks to Americans.  It’s sort of like listening in behind a closed door when one of your siblings got disciplined.  Sometimes that’s a great time to learn!  

The Cityview building and offices are at 4370 Sophia St., Vancouver, BC, V5V 3V7.