Highland Christian Church

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8. One of the strangest things about the American church is that we have spent so much time reversing the mission of God.  What I mean by that is that God spent all this time making sure the WORD became FLESH.  All that God has said and all that God is was put on full display in Jesus.  He did not drop "truth bombs" from afar, but the incarnation is the Word becoming flesh.  In America, we have tried to do the reverse of this... we've tried to make Jesus words only.  We've tried to boil the Gospel down to bits of information that we need to think about.  Transformation doesn't come with new information.  The power of Christian transformation comes by FAITH.  Do we believe this Good News?  And the quickest way to influence a person is to be AMONG them... not just speak AT them.  Paul reminds the Thessalonian church that he didn't just share words with them, but he lived WITH them.  He put on display what God was doing in him.  Yes, they shared the words of the

Matthew 9:35-38, what Jesus knew to be true (the Kingdom of God is Good News) was not communicated because He wanted to win an argument, but because He loved these people.  So much of our society wants to "be right" or "prove their point" but it comes from a place of pride.  The christian is not led by their opinions, but by a deep conviction that the Gospel is the best news on the earth - that it has transformed them - and a belief that others need to hear of the new life that they long for.  But Jesus also presents the problem - while their will be many who need to hear (the harvest is great), there are few workers.  Jesus specifically asks the disciples to pray... this is one of the few times that Jesus says "Pray for this!"  That should move us to believe it's pretty important.  

"SENT" will look at John 17. Jesus' prayer for the disciples and for all future believers.  Jesus prays NOT that we'd remove ourselves from the world, but that God would keep us safe from the evil one.  So many people think that means that we won't be tempted to look at porn, or drink, or sleep around - but the evil one's intentions are for us to live life apart from God.  So whatever form it takes - his desire is for us to say NO to God and YES to our ways.When we understand that we aren't OUT of the world... we have a decision to make, will we be isolated?  Will we be accommodating?  OR will we be transformative?  For too long the church has adopted a posture of "If you can't beat them, run away from them!"  OR even worse, "If you can't beat them, join them!"  But there is a distinct difference that arises in a group of people that believe the Gospel... not simply an invisible difference, but a visible, tangible, loving reach of a people that

Generous - A series looking at what it means to live a “blessed” life. What does it mean to be generous? Why are we a generous people? Who can be generous? Why generosity matters in eternity.

Generous - A series looking at what it means to live a “blessed” life. What does it mean to be generous? Why are we a generous people? Who can be generous? Why generosity matters in eternity.

Generous - A series looking at what it means to live a “blessed” life. What does it mean to be generous? Why are we a generous people? Who can be generous? Why generosity matters in eternity.

Generous - A series looking at what it means to live a “blessed” life. What does it mean to be generous? Why are we a generous people? Who can be generous? Why generosity matters in eternity.

One new person, joined to One new Body, in One new way of life.

Celebrating the baby story is a constant reminder that if God’s love has been revealed in Christ, it means that God has not forgotten about us, that He has let us see Him, and that death is no longer the end.John 1:14 - So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.John 3:16 - For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The Good News brings great joy. The Good News is revealed in the three titles that the angels use: Savior (a deliverer), Messiah (God’s promised), Lord (all power and authority). This joy is an announcement NOT a set of rules. This joy is a declaration NOT to do list. (SEE GALATIANS 4:4-5) The Good News is people being brought to life because God made His way to us, not that we made our way to GodLuke 2:9-12 - Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

The incarnation reveals two things:1) because of the incarnation, we are also whole. Fully God & fully man to bring us back to God. We are complete.2) The real hope in a believer is not that “things will get better.” The Christian’s hope is that “Our God Reigns.”Colossians 2:8-10 – “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

The incarnation is at the center of God’s pursuit of people. When we consider the whole of Scripture, the lengths that God went to be among His people, we respond in worship. God’s faithfulness fuels our worship (NOT VICE VERSA).1 Timothy 3:16 – “Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body…”

Like everything else a Christ-follower “does,” thanksgiving is a response. It is a response to who God is and what God has done. Every element of the Christian life is one of response. We are not thankful to earn something FROM God. We are thankful BECAUSE we have grasped what God has already done!

Like everything else a Christ-follower “does,” thanksgiving is a response. It is a response to who God is and what God has done. Every element of the Christian life is one of response. We are not thankful to earn something FROM God. We are thankful BECAUSE we have grasped what God has already done!

Like everything else a Christ-follower “does,” thanksgiving is a response. It is a response to who God is and what God has done. Every element of the Christian life is one of response. We are not thankful to earn something FROM God. We are thankful BECAUSE we have grasped what God has already done!

Peter’s life is a picture of a lifetime of Gospel growth. Strength & weakness, sinner & saint, courage & cowardice. The moment on the beach where Jesus “restores” Peter is a moment marked in time for Peter, but becomes a reassuring moment for us… no how matter “strong” we think we are or how “fallen” we think we are… Jesus meets us. Jesus not only allows Peter to say words (“I love you”), but Jesus speaks words of assurance over Peter’s life – that God’s plan will have its full effect. Peter will become all that God has planned for him to become.

Just outside the Garden Tomb area (one of the possible burial tombs of Jesus’ body), stands the possible location of Golgotha. They now suspect that the location of where the crosses stood is actually a bus station. Whether it’s humorous or ironic, the cross, by its very nature moves people out. They either hit the bus RUNNING FROM the cross, or they hit the bus SENT from the cross. Either way, people are moved. At the cross and resurrection, Mary’s message to the disciples is still our message today: “I have seen the Lord!” It was after declaring that Jesus was alive, she shared His message. The order in which Mary did these things still influences our lives today. For those that have seen Him alive, His words become our message and life.

While walking the road that Jesus took as He headed outside the city walls, toward Golgotha (Place of the Skull), we came upon an Inn that people can stay at – Literally called “The Guest House.” Also, across from the Guest House was a route that would allow you to leave the Via Dolorosa. So much imagery came to mind considering these visuals. When you are someone’s guest, you stay with them. You are living with them, eating their food, sharing their things. It’s an odd thing to choose to stay in a Guest House on the road Jesus took to his crucifixion. To share in His suffering is the hardest concept for an “anti-suffering” culture to grasp. The “Exit” is always present. The way out is always before us, but it was not the route Jesus took. Thankfully, Jesus did not exit early but remained. While Jesus walked this road, it was not filled with pride and arrogance, but humility and falling. Tradition says that Jesus fell on this road THREE times. Falling isn’t failure or permanent. Jesus remained committed to Hi

The Mount of Olives is directly across from the Old City of Jerusalem, separated by a short walk through the Kidron Valley (a famous landscape in Israel’s history), that is now marked by thousands of graves. Even as you walk up toward the wall to the city now, it is marked by hundreds of Muslim graves. The scene in the Garden of Gethsemane is one that many believe – is where Jesus won the victory for us, even before the cross! The garden was a picture of Jesus’ life, totally surrendered. Jesus didn’t live to please Himself, He lived surrendered to the Will of God, perfectly. Knowing the glory that was to come, He could surrender Himself in times of suffering. “Your will be done” is the most surrendered prayer we can pray. It is the road to freedom.

This fountain was controlled by a small church in Bethlehem and was not running but sits dry. It was turned off because of the churches fear that people wouldn’t come into the church and give offerings. If they allowed people to see the water outside, they might not come inside. When we forget that Jesus said fountains will flow FROM HIS PEOPLE – we miss the power of being the church. We don’t just come to church to worship, we come worshipping. Living water doesn’t stop… rivers flow, but the source is key… if it’s not Jesus we are coming to – stagnant water will result, dried up sources will be the result. To keep the water flowing – the source must remain.