#Perspicacity ~The Practical Art of Spiritual Living and The Spiritual Art of Practical Living.

New Series Title: #Perspicacity

Message Title: #Perspicacity= The Practical Art of Spiritual Living and The Spiritual Art of Practical Living.

Psalm 111

Smart: Showing mental alertness, calculation & resourcefulness. Characterized by quickness.

Intelligence: The ability to comprehend. To understand. To profit from experience. Gathering of information.

Knowledge: The psychological results of perception & learning & reasoning.

Wisdom: Is not mystical insights or deep revelation. In scripture it comes from the a Hebrew word with means “skill of living.” It is not for a selective few. It is common to street smarts or common sense. It has very little to do with what one knows, but rather what one does with that knowledge. It is the practical application of truth. 

*Wise & Intuitive

*From Latin roots meaning “Seeing Clearly”

➤Goods v. Guts

➤Good detective shows act on clues and 

November 2: Wisdom Begins Here    Psalm 111:10  (NIV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. 

He recommends the holy fear of God, and conscientious obedience to his commands, as the most acceptable way of praising God, Ps. 111:10.

Good success have all those that do them (so the margin), according to what was promised to Joshua if he would observe to do according to the law. Josh. 1:8; Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and shalt have good success. 

Ministry Aim: Grasp the importance of the meaning and application of wisdom

Wisdom:

• More valuable than gold (Prov 3.15)...used for exchange
• Wealth is associated with is...it increases in worth and offers dividends
• Jewelry: You’re adorned with it (Prov 3.22)
• Helps one to succeed (Ecc 10.10)

Opposite:

• Folly ~ Destructive destiny. Purposeless living (Prov. 5.23)
• They end up as the guest of Hell (Prov 9.18)

IVP Dictionary of Biblical Imagery

“Whereas the path of folly is a downward slide toward destruction, the progress of wisdom is toward something better...”

i.e. “the path of the righteous is like the light of the dawn, which shines bright and brighter until full day.” (Prov 4.18)

*Looking for it is futile...it’s the mind of God!

*Prov 1.7 states that  the beginning point is “fearing God...”

There is a place for intelligence, smarts, and knowledge. 

It’s just that when wisdom speaks...it trumps those things. It overrides them.

Wisdom is the big joker, Royal Flush, Right Bower, 

Transition To Table......

➤Listen long enough to hear plan AND strategy

➤Rec’v direction and assurance and become resolute

➤Wisdom provides a necessary corrective adjustment to your trajectory

➤Exodus 13 God protected Israel from Israel

➤Exodus 14 God protected Istael from Pharaoh

➤Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord

Be Still...And Know...I am God: A Call To Defiance ( Psalm 46 )

Wrestling with the cares of this life~ (We’re stressed)

9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

    and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.

Truth isn’t thrust upon us~ it if offered if we seek it. We seek through our pursuit of God’s will~ often found in solitude, silence and God’s Word.

Be Still...And Know...I am God: A Call To Defiance ( Psalm 46 )

Significance of stillness: Relax. Breathe.

• An interesting word to our hurried society
• Physiology of anxiety/stress (What its impact on decions?)
• Physiology of rest. Breathing. Silence. Reflection. (Impact on decisions?)

Ps 46 Our God is Great!

• Superior natural disaster
• Our God is always with us and a bulwark (cement impenetrable fence to protects agains attack)
• Survey His works
• Stand Down. Attention. Be still. Recognize. Identify. Align with. Stand behind Him protect love and word.

✺ How does this strike defiance? (David re: Goliath...understanding)

• In light of God’s strength & integrity...not our own.

✺ God’s resume

✔ God is our Fortress (v .1)

✔ Therefore, we won’t fear in the face of certain calamity

✔ God of Jacob (v. 7)...God of the past. God of your family. Is with you.

✔ Assess what God has done (v. 8, 9)

✔ God’s instruction to us (Be Still... (I’ve got this! Step out the way!!))

Be Still...And Know...I am God ( Note connection between relaxing & knowing)

Be ~ not stand still. Be still. Exist in stillness

Still ~ faint. forsake. weak. slacken. (These are bad words to our society)

Know~ Recognize. Understand. Live assuredly

I ~ Personal pronoun

AM ~ Self-identification as with Moses. “Unlimited God”. Unlimited Resource. Calling Card. Resume.

God ~ No one else deserves this place in your life.

✺What happens when for we are Threatened by God and God plans for us?

3 Times (at least) did we see Jesus get away from the crowds of people to breath, prayer, walk, listen....

1. When he was baptized and entered his public ministry (Matt 4)
2. John the Baptist, his cousin, we beheaded and he retreated (Matt 13)
3. Facing his capture, trial and crucifixion he retreated to Gethsemane (Matt 23)

Read Luther’s Hymn

1. A mighty fortress is our God, 
 a bulwark never failing; 
 our helper he amid the flood 
 of mortal ills prevaling.  
 For still our ancient foe 
 doth seek to work us woe; 
 his craft and power are great, 
 and armed with cruel hate, 
 on earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide, 
 our striving would be losing, 
 were not the right man on our side, 
 the man of God's own choosing.
 Dost ask who that may be?  
 Christ Jesus, it is he; 
 Lord Sabaoth, his name, 
 from age to age the same, 
 and he must win the battle.

3. And though this world, with devils filled, 
 should threaten to undo us, 
 we will not fear, for God hath willed 
 his truth to triumph through us.  
 The Prince of Darkness grim, 
 we tremble not for him; 
 his rage we can endure, 
 for lo, his doom is sure; 
 one little word shall fell him.

4. That word above all earthly powers, 
 no thanks to them, abideth; 
 the Spirit and the gifts are ours, 
 thru him who with us sideth.  
 Let goods and kindred go, 
 this mortal life also; 
 the body they may kill; 
 God's truth abideth still; 
 his kingdom is forever.

Read Sam Cooke’s Hymn

"Jesus Be A Fence Around Me"

[Chorus:]
Jesus be a fence all around me everyday
Jesus I want you to protect me as I travel along the way
I know you can(yes Lord)
I know you will (yes Lord)
Fight my battle(yes Lord)
If I just keep still (yes lord)
Lord be a fence all around me everyday

Next Steps

• New Beginning: Commit to follow Christ (Card/Prayer)

• Grow: Adult Bible Class Sunday @ 9am & Wednesdays @ 7pm. Follow fast guidelines.

• Connect: Join a LIFE GROUP & journey with great people who are doing life together.

• Thrive: 1. Acknowledge areas in your heart that fear and worry have captured and keep you from breathing and living.  2. Ask for a boldness in God that enables defiance against the enemies of your promises. (This comes from learning about God’s nature and love.) 3. Quiet your life & calm your heart through the reality that God truly sees & knows you and cares.

• Serve: We honor God in giving our lives away. Check bulletin for opportunities to serve.

• Fear makes us run when no one is chasing us ~ It also keeps us from stillness when God is calling us.

Unbelievable Blessings, Undeniable Faith, Unshakeable Passion

Unbelievable Blessings, Undeniable Faith, Unshakeable Passion

Earlier:

• Acts 3 Peter and John are used to heal the beggar
• Acts 4 They are held in custody; released with constraints; prayed for boldness (v. 29, 31); Unity resulted (v. 32)
• Acts 5 Power is demonstrated in the church; Apostles arrested and put in common prison & freed (v. 19); v. 23 “Prisoners are gone with doors still closed & guards still watching...”; brought to council again (v. 28); v. 40 beat the Apostles...and given a gag order, but they kept preaching (42) in the temple and houses.
• Acts 6 Division shows up
• Acts 7 Stephen speaks up
• Acts 8 Saul is raging as a result to the revival that’s going on
• Acts 9 Saul is converted
• Acts 10 Gentiles are saved and visited
• Acts 11 Peter defends his ministry to outsiders. Church exploded with evangelism
• Acts 12 Herod steps in the slow things down

Acts 12:1-18 

➢King Herod killed James the brother John. James and John along with the Peter were part of Jesus inner Circle

➢It was during a festival, so Peter had Peter put in jail for seven days.

➢The king thought that this would please the people.

God tampered with the evidence

➢Note how much security became put on Peter.

➢What do you think that is?

➢Word got out about Jesus’s escape. 

➢The enemy recognizes Jesus in you! That’s why there’s such a lockdown on you. The enemy doesn’t want you to do what Jesus did… Escape. 

➢Don’t become discouraged when there’s so much in your way. Our enemy knows what Jesus in you is capable of.

➢And besides. This was not Peter’s first prison break! Peter had been freed before!! See the book of Acts chapter 5 

➢The church prayed fervently and with out stopping.

Acts 12:6-10

On the night before Peter was to be taken for trial and execution, 

Every exit from the building was guarded by armed men. 

In the middle of the night, an angel came to deliver Peter. First, the angel made the soldiers unconscious* (Italy trip). Then he wakened the apostle. Notice that Peter was sleeping like a baby. His ability to find rest on the night before he was scheduled to die shows that he had become a man of great courage and faith.

Peter was so deep in sleep that the angel could not waken him gently. 

The chains fell off, as if unlocked by invisible hands.

Recognizing that Peter's mind was still befogged, the angel told him everything he needed to do. He needed to gird up his robe—

The angel instructed him to follow, and Peter obeyed. All this time, Peter was not fully awake. He thought he was seeing a vision.

Peter to a spot about a block away from the prison gate and suddenly vanished * ( angels don’t do what we can for ourselves and our God)

Rhoda

Acts 12:11-17

Then Peter's mind cleared, and he fully realized what happened. With a heart thrilled to be free and safe, Peter praised God for taking him out of the hands of his enemies.

But now he had a problem. Where should he go? Once his escape was detected, the authorities would start searching for him. He decided that first he should inform the church of his deliverance. He did not want their anxiety to continue any longer than necessary. He therefore set out for the house of John Mark, where a large group of believers was having a prayer meeting.

John Mark was the same Mark who later wrote the Gospel. Many scholars believe that his house held the upper room where the believers received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and where Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples.

. They accused her of being crazy.

*Peter give them instructions to give to James. James will become the new leader of the church. This message and power him to take his position. 

Challenges:

• Let’s become a praying church & pray for leaders and God’s vision for the ministry to be carried out
• Obey quickly!
• Know what to do when angels disappear
• Don’t let anyone talk you out of your miracle

Blind Bart Sees (You'd Better Ask Somebody!) Luke 18

Luke 18: 35-43 Bart Sees: You'd Better Ask Somebody!

 *‘This chapter is really about praying without ceasing!

Story #1 Determined widow who wouldn’t not take no for an answer! (Ultimately...don’t we really want to know that Jesus hears us rather than an uncaring God/genie granting  greedy wishes?)

Story #2  Humble servant was honest in his prayer & Jesus respects him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a *blind man was sitting by the roadside *begging. 

36 When he *heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 

37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

➣ Do you even know when a shift has occurred?

➣ When Bart discovered why it was noisy (Jesus) ...he knew what to do

➣ Jesus need to be the talk of the town here in Madison!

38 He called out, “Jesus, *Son of David, have mercy on me!”

➣ He was prepared and a bit knowledgeable! (This is pre-braille) 

➣ Your cry out to prove that you know about Who He really is!

39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the *more, “*Son of David, have mercy on me!”

➣ Opposition! So?!!! What does this limit you? (Many stop right here!)

➣ You can’t let opposition outtalk your praise!

➣Bart pressed in and called Jesus by an insider’s term

40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

➣ The ones who served Jesus...know served Bart! “Bring him here!!)

42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your *faith has healed you.” 

➣ Faith?! Shown by his tenacious prayer...which yielded fruit & praise

➣ Bart left: work station, lot in life & expectations of him & followed.

43 Immediately he received his sight and *followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

➣ Bart became apart of the entourage that followed Jesus into Jericho...and was likely there when Jesus talked with Zacchaeus

Challenge: 

➣ Recognize that something is shifting...and find out what and where it is!

Next Steps:

➣ Acquaint yourself with stories about Jesus by reading your bible

➣ Learn about prayer (Fourth Watch, Prayer Partners, Prayer Clinics)

➣ Find a fellow believer to prayer together with you this week

Remember: It was Jesus who taught us to pray faithfully & relentlessly!

Business as Usual (Acts of Service Which Grow Out of Acts of Worship)

Message Title: Business as Usual (Acts of Service Which Grow Out of Acts of Worship)

Series Title: Words of Life 

Message Text:  St. John 6:43-56 & 60-67 (Sunday, July 13, 2014)

Four things I was taught as a new believer:

1. God is real
2. God is concerned with my life and affairs. God is rooting out of me & rooting for me.
3. Any intimate interaction with God brought about lasting transformation
4. Christianity would likely take my life (As a kid, I expected to die via martyrdom)

✺ I believe that the early church learned similar things about faith in Christ. We need to get back to the true business of Christ’s Church: Transformation

********************************

➣What was the “usual” business of the Church? Bringing healing, help and hope to destitute individuals, societies and systems as a demonstration of God’s power & love which grows out of worship & unity which = Communion with God.

*Message: God infiltrated the world for a distinctly strategic purpose

→God became human, poor, despised, hunted, belittled, accused, denied

*Journey: God infiltrated this world in order to find those who would dissent from the dark status quo of society and reveal the modus operandi of God.

→The work of God is always done in part, in community

*Landing: The dissenters assent when they are not intimately connected to the heart and mind of God.

→We’ve got to wake up and pay attention. This life isn’t the reward. This is work.

*Knowing: Heaven is riding on you. Better stated, Heaven is excited about the prospect of the Kingdom...or authoritative rule of God...through you.

→The salvation we have received is an invitation to suit up and join the action

→Business as usual for the people of God was fully displaying the Grace of God

Response: Determine what true communion with God will cost you & pay it. Jesus is knocking...(Jesus Christ has sent you a friend request)...and seeking communion.

Christ Our Saviour!

Our Savior came thru a lineage of shady characters so that He would be qualified to save shady characters! (Matt 1) 

➣God proves that God is Down!

✩Other deities didn’t claim to have: 1. created the worlds; 2 become human; 3. become belittled; 4. become judged & sacrificed; 5. and have overcome all of this because of the Father’s pleasure.

✩Other deities didn’t openly demonstrate their checkered pedigree

The Components of a Savior

Definition: One who saves or rescues others from danger, destruction, harm, failure

• Rescues
• Delivers
• Preserves

*Ernie Rayner Story (1. His vulnerability brought me stability 2. Implications of Stability. 3. He trusted that I still needed advice...but never bailing our again!!)

Qualities:

• Abilities: 1. Subdue enemies and  2. Rescue victims (remove from danger) & 3. Place them in a safe nurturing environment where they won’t slip back into danger. [This removal from danger and placement in a “safe-house” where adjustments are made to eliminate the threat of future abductions...is called deliverance!]

Theological Qualities and Framework

➣A savior’s work is hands on. Not remote. He became one of us. (Matt 1)

➣A savior must have super powers in order to *defeat our enemy

• *Jesus: Defeated the enemy by loving us, taking on our brokenness and overcoming it; offering God a offering of peace on our behalf...which was accepted by the Father at the resurrection of Christ. (Approval Light @ register)
• The enemy wasn’t appeased. He was disgusted!
• Jesus removed us from the unsafe place of sin (Salvation: Where sin is forgotten)
• Jesus took us to a safe-place where we’d be trained to never slip into the place of Danger again. [Care/Instruction of Holy Spirit & Christian community]

Psalm 106:21

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

Isaiah 19:20

And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

Isaiah 43:11

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.

Luke 2:11

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

John 4:42

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

1 Timothy 4:10

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

2 Timothy 1:9-11New International Version (NIV)

9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed(H) a herald and an apostle and a teacher.

➣He’s is NOT just a Savior! He wants to be YOUR Savior!! (Challenge)

Supporting Scripture for Message: Christ Our Saviour

Christ Our Savior!

2 Samuel 22:3

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

2 Kings 13:5

(And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.

Psalm 106:21

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

Isaiah 19:20

And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

Isaiah 43:3

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Isaiah 43:11

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.

Isaiah 45:21

Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

Isaiah 49:26

And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Luke 2:11

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

John 4:42

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Acts 5:31

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 13:23

Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

Ephesians 5:23

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Philippians 3:20

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Timothy 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

1 Timothy 2:3

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1 Timothy 4:10

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

2 Timothy 1:10

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Titus 1:3

But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;