Why should I worship Jesus? (This message comes from Camp Victory Tuesday night)
Well, I'm not sure if you knew it or not, but everybody has a god, and everybody is worshiping something. Even the atheist college student that stays wasted all week has a god. (The next blog post will cover that topic in detail.) So, what is so special about Jesus that I should worship him?
Actually, he is the best God to worship because he is God. I know, that sounds a little crazy and maybe heretical to some of you, but Scripture teaches that Jesus is God the Son, who entered human flesh and history to redeem the fallen race of man. That is why almost 2 billion people on the planet today worship him as God the Son. He is the most famous person who has ever lived. More books have been written about him, more songs sung to him, more artwork painted of him, and more movies have been made about him than any other man or woman who has ever breathed. He has made such a huge impact on the world that our historical calendar is divided into B.C., "before Christ," and A.D., "the year of our Lord." No one has ever matched the life Jesus lived and no one has ever created a following of so many people like Jesus did. Why? Because he is God.
The book of Romans in the New Testament, specifically chapter one, talks about how me and you have turned our backs towards the one true God. Even though we know or knew at one point in time that God was real and powerful, we rejected that thought inside us and made or own god. The author of Romans says "we exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator." You see, we were made to worship the one true living God. When we follow that purpose for which we were created, we become fulfilled and satisfied and happy in Him. However, instead of that plan, we devise our own. We make a god of something or someone and worship and serve it without realizing that our own god cannot fulfill us and satisfy us like we want him/it to. This is the trap of life. This is what Satan is constantly trying to get people to do, and it is detrimental, just has history has shown us.
Instead of worshiping God, we worship our girlfriend or boyfriend or car or house or job or hobby. However, all the things that aren't God dissapoint us. They turn their backs on us and abandon us. They cheat on us and hurt us. They make us feel good for a moment, but they leave us with nothing left. We become empty and broken, unsatisfied and miserable. That is the problem. Ultimately, we make "idols" and "bow down" to them, and it usually takes some desperate broken situations to realize that our idols are worthless.
Therefore, the cure to idols is repentance. Repentance is making a total change of mind which leads to a new direction and lifestyle. We turn our backs to our idols and turn towards the one true God. We turn to Jesus and worship him. We let him become our joy, satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness.
Who or what do you worship? Hopefully it is Jesus.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Jesus & religion
This post comes from the Wednesday night session at Camp Victory.
When I talk about religion, I'm not talking about it in a good way. This is my meaning of "religion." Religion says I am a good person. Religion says I can be my own salvation. Religion says if I'm good enough I can get to heaven. However, Jesus believed quite differently. Jesus said religious people were like evil snakes. Jesus said religious people were hypocrites. Jesus even said religious people have a hotter section in Hell. And, for some odd reason, religious people didn't like Jesus either. They actually are the ones who murdered him.
Many times we take two approaches to get to God. 1) We try to be a good person and come to God with our hands full of "religious deeds" hoping that God will see how good we are. 2) We realize we are messed up, evil people who have no possibility to stand before a holy God, so our only means to God is Jesus. Because he suffered the penalty for our sins, we don't have to bring "religious stuff" to God, we just have to bring faith in Jesus.
In Philippians 3, Paul said the same thing. He gave his own personal story of trying to be a religious person. He even says he was more religious than anyone alive! He then lists out all his religious credentials that he thought made him a good person, but then he said after he met Jesus, he dropped all his religious deeds and counted them as "rubbish" or "dung" or manure. Frankly, this is the same way God looks at our religious stuff..."manure."
Paul used to believe a False Gospel:
"If I obey God, than He will love and accept me."
Then Paul learned the True Gospel from Jesus:
"Because God loves and accepts me, I will obey and follow Him."
Every religion in the world, other than Christianity, believes the False Gospel. They believe that if we are good enough people, then our god will accept us. However, this is drastically different in Christianity. Even when we were terrible evil sinners that hated God, Jesus showed us how much he loved us by giving his life for us.
My pastor, J. D. Greear says this often,
"Nothing I do today will make God love me more or love me less than He already does right now."
God's love for us isn't dependent on our actions or deeds. Rather, God's love is unchanging. On the cross, Jesus demonstrated that God loves us more than we could ever think or imagine.
The only righteousness we have is Jesus. Are you coming to God with hands full of religious stuff, or are you coming to God with faith in Jesus?
(closing disclaimer: this doesn't mean that we don't live holy lives. One of our goals as a believer is to be holy as Jesus was holy. This post today is focused on how we view the love of God and the gospel. Our holy living doesn't get us closer to God, but after salvation, we have a motive and a new desire to be holy.)
When I talk about religion, I'm not talking about it in a good way. This is my meaning of "religion." Religion says I am a good person. Religion says I can be my own salvation. Religion says if I'm good enough I can get to heaven. However, Jesus believed quite differently. Jesus said religious people were like evil snakes. Jesus said religious people were hypocrites. Jesus even said religious people have a hotter section in Hell. And, for some odd reason, religious people didn't like Jesus either. They actually are the ones who murdered him.
Many times we take two approaches to get to God. 1) We try to be a good person and come to God with our hands full of "religious deeds" hoping that God will see how good we are. 2) We realize we are messed up, evil people who have no possibility to stand before a holy God, so our only means to God is Jesus. Because he suffered the penalty for our sins, we don't have to bring "religious stuff" to God, we just have to bring faith in Jesus.
In Philippians 3, Paul said the same thing. He gave his own personal story of trying to be a religious person. He even says he was more religious than anyone alive! He then lists out all his religious credentials that he thought made him a good person, but then he said after he met Jesus, he dropped all his religious deeds and counted them as "rubbish" or "dung" or manure. Frankly, this is the same way God looks at our religious stuff..."manure."
Paul used to believe a False Gospel:
"If I obey God, than He will love and accept me."
Then Paul learned the True Gospel from Jesus:
"Because God loves and accepts me, I will obey and follow Him."
Every religion in the world, other than Christianity, believes the False Gospel. They believe that if we are good enough people, then our god will accept us. However, this is drastically different in Christianity. Even when we were terrible evil sinners that hated God, Jesus showed us how much he loved us by giving his life for us.
My pastor, J. D. Greear says this often,
"Nothing I do today will make God love me more or love me less than He already does right now."
God's love for us isn't dependent on our actions or deeds. Rather, God's love is unchanging. On the cross, Jesus demonstrated that God loves us more than we could ever think or imagine.
The only righteousness we have is Jesus. Are you coming to God with hands full of religious stuff, or are you coming to God with faith in Jesus?
(closing disclaimer: this doesn't mean that we don't live holy lives. One of our goals as a believer is to be holy as Jesus was holy. This post today is focused on how we view the love of God and the gospel. Our holy living doesn't get us closer to God, but after salvation, we have a motive and a new desire to be holy.)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Jesus & new life
This past Thursday night, I spoke on "Jesus & new life" from 2 Corinthians 5. I had no idea what the night would turn into when I first started preparing the message months in advance. I thought the students needed to hear that we become new in Jesus, but I was deeply moved by how many students needed hope and encouragement. Some students were struggling with losses, broken families, being outcasts, not being loved, not being valued, not feeling beautiful or pretty, and not feeling a sense of worth. Thankfully, we find the remedy of all these things in Jesus. He makes us new, He shows us how much we are loved and valued as children of God, He says we are His friends, we are the called, gifted, chosen, and set apart for a specific relationship and calling with God. He takes our hopeless lives and breathes new life in us.
"When we meet Jesus, we become new."
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
What is new about us??
*our heart, our mind, our desires, our goals, our gifting, our calling, our Spirit
Where do we experience this new life in Jesus?
*in the Spirit of God, in the Word of God, and in the People of God
Ladies: Don't ever let anyone tell you that you are not beautiful and valuable! You are incredibly beautiful and valued and loved by God, and He has chosen you, called you and gifted you to be a beautiful daughter of His
Guys: Don't ever let anyone tell you that you aren't good enough, talented enough, big enough, or strong enough to be a successful person! You are loved and valued by God, and He has chosen you, called you, and gifted you to be an awesome leader for him.
When we meet Jesus, we become new.
"When we meet Jesus, we become new."
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
What is new about us??
*our heart, our mind, our desires, our goals, our gifting, our calling, our Spirit
Where do we experience this new life in Jesus?
*in the Spirit of God, in the Word of God, and in the People of God
Ladies: Don't ever let anyone tell you that you are not beautiful and valuable! You are incredibly beautiful and valued and loved by God, and He has chosen you, called you and gifted you to be a beautiful daughter of His
Guys: Don't ever let anyone tell you that you aren't good enough, talented enough, big enough, or strong enough to be a successful person! You are loved and valued by God, and He has chosen you, called you, and gifted you to be an awesome leader for him.
When we meet Jesus, we become new.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Jesus & His mission
For those of us who are Christians, we have been called and invited to Join Jesus in the greatest mission on the planet...His mission. These are the notes from the last night of camp!!!
1. What is Jesus mission?
**the people of God bringing redemption and restoration to all peoples through the gospel.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Colossians 3:17-4:1; Mark 12:28-31
2. Why help in Jesus' mission?
**B/c you have experienced the gospel personally.
**B/c Jesus' mission is unstoppable. (Matthew 16:18)
**B/c it is the most satisfying and fulfilling thing you can do with your life.
3. How can I join Jesus and His mission?
Locally-
mow your neighbor's lawn, take your neighbor's trash can to the street and bring it back, rake your neighbor's leaves, serve at the rescue mission, buy your friends a meal, bring drinks and snacks to soccer practice, buy everyone on your ball team or cheer squad a Bible, have an eBay competition selling your junk and give the money to someone who needs it, pray with your pastor at the hospital for sick people.
Globally-
check out Zack Hunter, Toms Shoes, Compassion, Blood:water mission, One Verse, and go on a mission trip
In conclusion, lets use our lives for the greatest story thats ever been told, the one thats still going on and will never end...the story of Jesus and his rescue for all mankind!! His kingdom will never end, ours will be tiny and gone before we know it. Build His!
1. What is Jesus mission?
**the people of God bringing redemption and restoration to all peoples through the gospel.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Colossians 3:17-4:1; Mark 12:28-31
2. Why help in Jesus' mission?
**B/c you have experienced the gospel personally.
**B/c Jesus' mission is unstoppable. (Matthew 16:18)
**B/c it is the most satisfying and fulfilling thing you can do with your life.
3. How can I join Jesus and His mission?
Locally-
mow your neighbor's lawn, take your neighbor's trash can to the street and bring it back, rake your neighbor's leaves, serve at the rescue mission, buy your friends a meal, bring drinks and snacks to soccer practice, buy everyone on your ball team or cheer squad a Bible, have an eBay competition selling your junk and give the money to someone who needs it, pray with your pastor at the hospital for sick people.
Globally-
check out Zack Hunter, Toms Shoes, Compassion, Blood:water mission, One Verse, and go on a mission trip
In conclusion, lets use our lives for the greatest story thats ever been told, the one thats still going on and will never end...the story of Jesus and his rescue for all mankind!! His kingdom will never end, ours will be tiny and gone before we know it. Build His!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Camp Victory 2008
Hey Hey Everybody! What Up!! Yes, you have successfully reached my blog. Congratulations! Go ahead and pat yourself on the back. First of all, I want to give a shout out to God for giving us an awesome week at camp. God is Awesome!! Secondly, thanks to all of you campers who made the week tons of fun. You guys are great! By the way, who won? Marines or Army??
Two Big Things You Need To Know:
1. I want you guys to know that everyday I will be posting a new set of notes on the blog from each of this past week's services.
2. Check the right hand side of my blog for the "Teen" section. Over there I've put several links to websites that you can check out...including my facebook.
To the guys, if you want to know about "X3 Watch," the accountability thing i was talking about this past week, click on the link to your right, and download the program for free.
Now, go get some sleep and worship Jesus!! Make sure you check back tomorrow!!!!
Two Big Things You Need To Know:
1. I want you guys to know that everyday I will be posting a new set of notes on the blog from each of this past week's services.
2. Check the right hand side of my blog for the "Teen" section. Over there I've put several links to websites that you can check out...including my facebook.
To the guys, if you want to know about "X3 Watch," the accountability thing i was talking about this past week, click on the link to your right, and download the program for free.
Now, go get some sleep and worship Jesus!! Make sure you check back tomorrow!!!!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Tonight is the Night
No, I'm not popping the question, going on a date, or hoping "tonight will be the night that I will fall for you." For the first time in the history of the world, I'm the main speaker of a youth camp this week, and tonight is the first night. Ok, that was a little over-done, I apologize. Seriously, I'm speaking at Camp Victory near Burlington NC this entire week, and I need you to lift me up this week in prayer. I'm very stoked about the week, and I've been planning for almost 12 months. I'm asking God to rock some student's lives with the truth of the gospel, changing them for His glory. The entire week will be focussed on teenagers removing themselves from the center of their lives and replacing their kingdoms with Jesus at the center of their lives. I want God to get the credit and show up. Thanks so much!!!
For the glory. Jude 25
For the glory. Jude 25
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