Let's Talk About You Know What

This is a p.s. to this Sunday’s (4/28) message. You can read it before or after, but this is just a word from the Word that I want to share with the church, but will not be including it in my sermon. That happens sometimes. You could preach about 5 more sermons just with the material I have to cut out for Sunday!

As we talk about all things marriage and physical relations (aka “you know what“, aka YKW), one of the ways we can protect our marriages is by guarding our hearts. 

Proverbs 4:23 says: Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

It is sort of an abstract concept. How do I literally guard my heart? Well, he goes on to tell us specifically how to!

First (Proverbs 4:24), put away crooked speech. Lying, deceitful, lustful, angry, sinful… get those words out of your vocabulary. Stop the crass talking about YKW. But let’s hone in on the next 2 verses. Proverbs 4:25 says to let your eyes look directly forward and Proverbs 4:26 says to ponder the path of your feet.

Two words here for you: 1) Watch what you focus on (4:25). My eyes must be on my love and commitment to my own spouse. When you get your eyes off of that, and start looking around, it’s easy to let your heart go astray fantasizing about YKW with another woman. It’s easy to romanticize, ladies, about what it might be like to have a passionate YKW with some other guy. Men tend to be more visually enticed, where woman lean more towards an emotional fixation. Men AND women: Eyes forward! And fix your gaze on what (rather, who) God has provided for you. God meets your needs for YKW with your spouse. Period. Get focused on that.

And 2) Watch where you are going (4:26)! I need to pay attention where I am going. If you are not careful, you can end up on a website you shouldn’t be on (depicting explicit and sinful images of YKW), in a chatroom you have no business entering (talking openly about YKW), or some other compromising situation where temptation to YKW (with someone not named “your spouse“) is pounding down your door. Most sin can be avoided if we sincerely pray, “Lead me not into temptation”, and then follow the Shepherd when He is guiding you away from it. How many tragic stories of life-destroying sin started with, “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time”...?

When it comes to maintaining marital faithfulness, this is advice (no, sorry, it‘s a command from God) you must embrace!

The rest is coming this Sunday! I am doing a whole sermon on YKW. Because it's in the Bible. Because God invented it. Because the church is pretty lame about discussing YKW properly. Pray for me.

p.s. - Let's keep You Know What at You Know Where. You Know How and Sunday, You'll Know Why. (When is up to you and your spouse.)

If You Have Ever Met at Least One Other Person, Read This...

Starting April 21, we will be going through a sermon series from the book of Proverbs: The Joy of Committed Relationships!

Let’s be honest: relationships can be a headache. I mean, who among us hasn’t considered becoming a monk or retreating to the woods to live off the land like a modern day Pioneer? But God has given us all relationships to glorify Him… and to give us joy! How about a word from Him on how that happens? On what that looks like? On how I can not just tolerate, but JOYFULLY LOVE the most important people He has put into my life? Sign me up. We all need it.

Joy is our theme this year, but we are not going after joy; we are going after Jesus, and He gives us HIS joy (John 15:11)!

What does Proverbs and that books teachings on relationships have to do with Jesus? And how does the wisdom Proverbs calls us to in our relationships tie in to Jesus?

The goal of Proverbs isn’t to give cookie-cutter nuggets of good thinking to help us along - it is to help us draw closer to the God who is wisdom! And just as our joy is tied up in Jesus, so is our wisdom.

How so?

Jesus lived wisdom.

During His time on earth, Jesus lived perfect wisdom (Luke 2:40 and Luke 2:52). He grew in it, He lived it, He taught with it. Jesus applied perfect wisdom every moment of every day He walked on earth. Wow.

Jesus is wisdom.

Colossians 2:3 says in Jesus is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He didn’t just live it… He IS it!

Jesus is the way of wisdom.

Proverbs constantly contrasts foolishness and wisdom, calling us to choose wisdom. Jesus taught the same, but emphasized that He isn’t just telling us the way - He IS the way! (Matthew 7:24-27, John 14:6)

Jesus supplies wisdom.

It would be easy to go through Proverbs and just say, “OK, got it. I’ll just be wise.” No can do. Wisdom doesn’t come from us. Jesus has to give it to us. (Luke 21:15, James 1:5).

What’s my point? We just finished a series about Jesus called: I AM - The Incomparable Claims of Jesus Christ. And this series on Proverbs and relationships and joy is NOT “OK, let’s talk about something else for a while.” It’s still all about the Person and Work of Jesus, trusting Him for the grace and faith to apply His Word.

I hope you kept the receipt for that tent you bought. We are not retreating from people. We are going to love people. Whether you are married or someday hope to be married, or a parent or someday hope to be a parent, or a friend or someday hope to have friends… God is going to work in you through this series.

Do not miss it. 

p.s. - is not a monk, but has been told by others he should take a vow of silence

Top Ten(-ish) Things You Need to Know About Evangelism

Here’s the evangelism scenario we play out in our minds:

I sheepishly go up to someone to share the Gospel and say, “Do you know that God loves you and…”

I am interrupted by an outraged, offended outburst.

“How dare you push your religion on me! I curse you. You and your whole family. I will never talk to you again. I will tell everyone you know that they, too, should never talk to you again. And they won’t. Be ashamed!”

Then they pull out a megaphone: “Look everybody! A radical religious nut!”

That doesn’t happen. People generally don’t have megaphones on them at all times. But here are 10 things to get you to step off the ledge, and step up to share the Gospel.

1. Evangelism is most often a process, not a sudden event.
   
   Generally the Holy Spirit works over time in a person’s life. When someone actually receives the Gospel, there is usually much that precedes it, both in circumstances and other believers. (1 Corinthians 3:1-11)
    
2. Evangelism begins with a holy lifestyle - people seeing Jesus shine through you.
   
   The New Testament says nothing about how to “share your faith“, but it says much about honoring Christ in your lifestyle and God opening up doors for you to share the Gospel. (1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 4:1-5)
    
3. Evangelism is especially effective when strong relationships are built.
   
   True. I have shared with strangers and friends. Friends know you love them and are often more receptive to what you have to say.
    
4. Apologetics (evidence and reasoning to defend the faith) can be important in penetrating the skepticism of many people today.
   
   Some people will just not know. Some people have only “studied” enough to learn a few “objections” that they believe have no answer. Be ready, but remember you can’t argue someone into the Kingdom. Salvation is the Holy Spirit’s work, no matter how smart you are.
    
5. Once a person sincerely checks out Christianity, it’s only a matter of time before they’ll discover the truth about God.
   
   Let God’s Word speak for itself. It’s like a lion. You don’t need to defend it. Let it out of the cage and it will defend itself.
    
6. Conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit.
   
   Oh, yeah, we said that. Still true. Here is a verse for it! (John 16:7-11)
    
7. Nobody wants to be your “project”.
   
   What is your true motivation for evangelism? People can sense your motives. Don’t make someone a project. Love them with the Gospel.
    
8. There is no substitute for prayer.
   
   For boldness, for the right words, for the Holy Spirit to take control of the person’s heart.
    
9. Unchurched people are often willing to visit a church if they are invited by a friend who has already opened up spiritual issues through personal conversation.
   
   Some people are just waiting for an invite to church. Offer one!
    
10. Christians often need to partner with a church (hopefully their own church!) that offers services or events that are evangelistic in nature.
    
    I share the Gospel in some way/shape/form every sermon. Be a part of offering evangelistic services or events with the church / small group.
     
11. The church must objectively examine how they will be perceived by an unchurched visitor – without altering the message!
    
    Many people have bad thoughts toward the church in general, whether it is from a previous personal experience or an experience heard about second-handed. Our job is to remove any obstacle that may hinder the mission. God, let your glory come down on the church. The only thing that really matters in the church service is You showing up!

Deep breath. Evangelism is commanded and empowered. And it is to be more of a natural thing than some people think.

p.s. - I did say 10-ish, right?

You Gotta Have It to Give It

The 4th Pillar of Harvest Bible Chapel is: Sharing the Good News of Jesus with Boldness.

What do you need to do effective evangelism? You have to have the right message (Jesus died for our sins and rose to give us eternal life). You need to have a method to roll it out (an illustration, a bookmarked Bible, etc). These things are easy. Anybody can have those.

But the truth is, something you have to have is something that cannot be taught or learned. You have to have a passion for lost souls. Without this Spirit-inspired motivation, nothing will be effective. The content and means of sharing the message is vital, but a sound message can be possessed by those who are “sound asleep”.

Knowing the message, the methods, and the mandate of the Great Commission does not guarantee that one will go…or go with compassion…or go with enthusiasm…or go with urgency. The great need in evangelism is for the church to recover a passion for souls.

Look at the passion on these famous preachers from the Bible:

• Moses – Exodus 32:32 - But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.

• Paul – Romans 9:3 - For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
   
• Jesus – Luke 19:41-42 - And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”

What do these men all have in common? They were men who had a deep relationship with God the Father themselvesfirst!

I could make you feel guilty for not witnessing. I could take you through every passage of the Bible that stresses the urgency. But these things aren’t going to move you.

What will move you is having a love-relationship with the Lord yourself. When you have a close walk with the Lord, your heart starts to be moved by the things that move His heart. And what moves His heart is compassionately extending His mercy and grace to the lost through His Son.

Bottom line: if you struggle with witnessing, the first question you have to ask yourself is: “How fired up am I about the Gospel?”

You can’t give it if you don’t have it.

p.s. - evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread