Crowds

Matt 5:1-12 - The Beatitudes

I found this little story interesting....

Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds. Imagine how the disciples would have been feeling. I think they would have been loving it....

"Wow, we are so successful! We've got bigger crowds than all the other Rabbis put together. We've made it! We're so blessed."

So Jesus takes them away, sits them down, and starts teaching....

"This is not blessing. This is not real success. These crowds are not the guage.

You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope.

   when you feel you've lost...

    when you're content with just how you are

    when you're hungry and thirsty for God

   when you care

   when your mind and heart are right

   when you help people get along

And when you're persecuted because of me."

Maybe the disciples were thinking, "What?! Persecution? Wake up and smell the adoration, J Dog! They LOVE us. You're a hero!"

But Jesus was right. The crowds are fickle. Numbers mean nothing. Those same crowds all deserted him. These same people crucified him.

He needed to tell his disciples all this, especially when things were going well.

And then he goes on...

"Let me tell you why you're here. It's bigger than this. Not just to build crowds, and grow a "successful" ministry. You're here to be salt, and light.

"Love. Shine. Give. Pray. This is the way to influence."

Psalm 4:6-8

"Why is everyone hungry for more?...

"I have God's more-than-enough,

more joy in one ordinary day

Than they get in all their shopping sprees.

At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep,

For you, God, have put my life back together."

- King David

iTunes Game

1. Put your ZUNE/iPod/iTunes/MP3 Player/etc. on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. You must write that song name down no matter how silly it sounds!
IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
"Goodbye Apathy" (OneRepublic)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
"My Glorious" (Delirious?)... I have a healthy self-esteem

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
"Plan B" (Mute Math)... ha

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
"Sacrifice" (Tree63)... actually that's pretty true

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
"Beautiful" (Phil Wickham)... no surprise here

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
"Elevation" (U2)WHAT IS TWO PLUS TWO?
"Stars" (David Crowder Band)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
"Mixtape" (Butch Walker)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
"Befriended" (Matt Redman)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
"Seasons" (Susie Suh)... very philosophical

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
"Orphans" (Jack's Mannequin)... uh oh

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
"Politicians" (Switchfoot)... ha

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
"After Your Heart" (Phil Wickham)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
"Rapture" (iiO)... true, can't wait for heaven!

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
"Roll Right By You" (Powderfinger)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
"Only You" (David Crowder Band)... are you sure you won't tell anyone else?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
"What If" (Coldplay)... what if they were as cool as me...

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
"Come On Back To Me" (Third Day)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
"Reset" (Mute Math)... I'm really not a robot... I promise...

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
"101" (Tree63)... i have a lot of regrets

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
"Won't Stop" (OneRepublic)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
"Lift" (Audio Adrenaline)... well it does taste like rubbish

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
"Nothing But the Blood" (Phil Wickham)... especially when you can see the bone sticking out too

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
"*Fin" (Anberlin)... my swedish friend

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
"Anthem" (Tree63)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
"Never Let You Go" (Evermore)... Ok Fin, but can you loosen your grip a little?Wow, that was informative. Obviously I'm more good-looking than I thought, I like politicians, but I've discovered that only my Swedish friend likes me (must have been the mixtape). Oh, and I think I'm going to be an orphan....

Don't Let the Meals Die!

"It is striking how much of Jesus' life is told in settings defined by meals." - Eugene Peterson.

I've been reading a great book lately, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, by Eugene Peterson, and it's had a long string of brilliant thoughts (where I say "Wow, I've never thought of that before"). The latest one was about hospitality, and how closely it's tied to evangelism.

He talks about how for Jesus and for the early Christians, evangelism and salvation was always very personal (not crowd-evangelism), and very often closely tied to meals. Much of Jesus' teaching was around a meal, and many of the illustrations he used were food-related as well.

There are some big advantages for this. It's very difficult to have a meal with someone and be uninvolved. It's always a relationship, and relationship is the richest soil for evangelism, isn't it? And serving meals to people gives us an opportunity to sacrifice ourselves for them, and that's what real living is all about. Or it's an opportunity to be blessed by other people's sacrifice.

But we've got a problem today, because meals are dying. Fast food has meant we can eat on the run, while doing other things (is multi-tasking really a good thing?). And if the TV or the laptop is on, that kills any conversation during meal times (and therefore kills relationship). I know I'm guilty of this one. And how many of us are working late and miss having dinner with friends altogether? not to mention our own family....

We're just not as good at hospitality these days as they were back then. But Eugene Peterson reckons it's not too late to fight back. As he points out, we've all got to eat. If we can only do it together, we'll be making a difference.

Have meals with the family. Invite friends over for a barbie. Enjoy the coffee breaks at work. These are the best places for evangelism, so we can't let them die!

Isla

Lily's World

Me: Lily, stop pulling Isla's head.

Australia Day

Lily

Temptation

I read Matthew 4 this morning, and I don't think I'd ever quite realised just how much of a temptation that last test must have been for Jesus.

The devil offered him everything - the whole world - and all Jesus had to do was just bend over and kiss the devil's feet. Such a simple offer. So easy. Could have been over in seconds. Done.

"Do this," the devil says, "And you can have the world right now. You won't have to go through any of the heartbreak later. No rejection. No persecution. No frustration of disciples who don't understand. No betrayal by your closest friends. No need to suffer the excrutiating pain of crucifixion. No abandonment by your Father.... I'm right here. It's easy. Just kiss my feet. Forget your Father's way. You don't have to do all that. This way's easier. I can give it all to you now."

And Jesus, even after 40 days without eating anything, as weak as he'd ever be, is still a solid rock of strength and character.

I want to be this strong. How much more quickly do I cave in to MY temptations! Pretty weak, really - and I eat every day and sleep on a comfy bed every night, let alone 40 hungry days in the desert.

Somehow, I need to figure out how to let Jesus' strength live in me more often, and more fully.

Love These Lyrics

They tell me to abandon you
To make my dreams come true.
But what am I supposed to do
If I only dream of you?

- Tree 63

Lily's World

Me: What are you doing, honey?

Lily: I'm licking the TV.