Hitting Pause to Live a Life in Play

This is the notes I used for the closing message at Fall Retreat 2014 at Jumonville Camp & Retreat Center (Hopwoood PA).  The message is based on the theme "Pause" produced by youthministry360.  The focus of the theme was the importance of "hitting pause" in our life to spend time with God using the disciplines of prayer and studying His Word.  By "hitting pause" we are enabled to live our life "on play" for God.

Our prayer is that 100% of the youth will be found living a life of faith in God years from now because of the seeds that were planted in their hearts this weekend!

 Intro

• (illustrate this) 80% of you will leave your faith behind as you step out on your own. 25% will return by your early 20s. 
• Heard these stats at a PYWN conference last month
• Broke my heart for youth
• That's my story

We've spent this weekend talking about "hitting pause".  This morning I want to talk to you about hitting the play button.  Living our life in play.

• Matthew 28:16-20.
• Background for this passage.
  • Jesus had been crucified, then arisen, and then had been appearing to the disciples and others over a period of 40 days.
• The scene they’re about to read is the last recorded interaction Christ had with His disciples in the Book of Matthew.
•  We can see Jesus challenge His disciples to embrace a life of action and service.
  • This is the same call we have on our lives today.

  

Read Matthew 28:16-20

• Jesus was commanding His disciples to devote themselves to leading others to follow Christ.
• • We’re called to make disciples as we go through life.
  • You and I are to live our life and to love God in such away that it draws others to a relationship with Him.
  •  Making time to seek God by hitting pause is how you lay the foundation for a life lived on mission for God. It’s how you prepare yourself to obey Christ’s call to make disciples of others.
• • You see, you need to hit pause not just for you but for others. Your Mom or Dad who doesn't know Jesus, your friend who is struggling with life, you co-worker 10 years from now needs you to hit pause now.

Here's why.......

We’re called to make God known. We’re called to lead others to a saving relationship with Christ. The question we have to ask is how we’re preparing ourselves to do this.

Hitting pause equips us to live in play.

• We have to face the fact that preparation is huge when it comes to our ability to effectively lead others to Christ and to grow in Christ.
• We can’t replicate or multiply what we don’t have in the first place.
  • An intimate relationship with God, His Word, and His ways is the groundwork for living our lives on God’s mission.
•   Read Verses 19-20, This verse is a great challenge to us.
•   “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
  • How it’s possible to teach what we don’t know?
  • How we can lead someone to obey the things we don’t obey ourselves?
  • How effective we’ll be at drawing others to Christ when we ourselves are distant from Him?

It’s OK to be a little in awe of the task we’re called to. If we weren’t, it would probably mean we weren’t listening really well! It’s a big task. However, Jesus gives us a big clue here as to how we can accomplish this task. Let’s take a closer look.

Read Matthew 28:19-20 .

• “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
• Jesus was reminding His followers and us of a great spiritual truth: As believers, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us!
• Jesus’ disciples didn’t have the full picture of this yet. But we do. We can know what it means to have the Spirit helping us along in this life.

  

Read John 14:25-27.

• Then, say something like: Jesus knew the call wasn’t going to be easy. He knew that we’re sinful and weak. He knew that we’re naturally prone to wander from Him. He knew that we’re selfish and will always look out for ourselves first. But He also knew that somewhere deep inside us, we long to make a difference. He knew that when we tasted reconciliation and forgiveness that we would want to bring this gift to others. And He knew that we would be better with His help. So, God in all His amazing knowledge planned all along to send His Spirit to help us in our call to lead others to Christ. And that’s pretty awesome.

You’re not alone. You’re not left to live this life under your own power. God is in you and with you. God’s very Spirit is guiding you and equipping you to live for Him. God has given us The Church--a gathering of fellow believers who are on mission together for God.

But here is what we need to understand about the difference between the 80% & the 20%:

• The 20% remained faithful because they internalized it; they sealed the deal, their faith became their own.
• It's easy to be on fire for God here, right?  It's easier now because you have Christian friends in your life.
• But, how easy is it when you are 1 Christian among many non-Christians?
• When I went to college, I stopped surrounding myself with other believers.  I didn't stay as connected with The Church as I should have and I did not stay connected with God.  I didn't stop believing He existed nor was I angry at Him.  I was just indifferent about my faith.

The other point is this, the attitude and the desire of their heart is to love God and to live with Him!

• That stopped being my desire for awhile.
• Let me illustrate it this way:
• • The Cross--you got there because it was the attitude and the desire of your heart to get there.  And you did it with others who had the same attitude and desire.
  • Marriage--Lori & I are in the 24th year of marriage because it is the attitude and desire of our heart to live life together and to love each other.
  • It's not because of an event on June 8 1991.  The reason we are married today is because it's the attitude and desire of our heart to be in love and share life together.  We have continued in that.
  • Lost ring.
  • It starts with the event (wedding vows/salvation) but it continues with a daily commitment.  Again, the attitude or desire of our heart.
  • We call it Surrender.
  • Pastor Nate, spoke of His kids reaching up & saying "hold me daddy"!
  • We need to ask God to hold us every day; surrender to Him.

CLOSING

• Do you want to be among the 80% or the 20%?
• Do you want to lead others to Christ?
• Do you want to experience the fullness of a relationship with God, Your Father?
• Then you need to hit pause so you can live your life in play.

• Are you on fire for God this morning?  I bet many, if not all, of you are.
• But, the question isn't just for today...... do you want to be on fire for God 10 years from now? 20 years from now?
• Then I plead with you this morning, to commit yourself to hitting pause in your life--making time not finding time--for Jesus in your life. 
• Surrender yourself to Jesus.  Cry out "Abba Father, hold me!"
•  Come and pray for what you need to do to make that happen in your life.  Come and pray for someone who you want to reach for Jesus.  Come and pray for living your life on mission for God.
• Altar time
• You do indeed have an incredible power source.  

• This is a long, long journey.
  • You will be used immediately to have an impact for the Kingdom, but you’ll also be spending the rest of your life seeking God and growing closer to Him.
  • There will be successes and failures along the way but, keep the attitude and desire of your heart firmly surrendered to Him and you will find your way home and you will find peace and joy for the journey!

Pray 

Generous For Eternity (FCC, 10/26/14) 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Introduction

Point To Drive Home With: Generosity is evidence of the Grace received.

• We are here this morning because of The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If it were not for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago, you and I would be doing something vastly different this morning and our world would be drastically different as well.  Ever think about that?
• Because of The Gospel our life in this moment is very different from what it could've been.
• And when we think of The Gospel, we know that it causes change.  When The Gospel is received, change happens.  Our life is vastly different.
• Now, you may be sitting here this morning as a committed follower of Jesus Christ, or you may be young in your faith; taking the first steps, or you may be searching, wondering; not quite believing that its all true or not quite sure about it, or maybe you are here because someone has compelled you to be here and your just waiting for this all to be over.
• Let me clear for a moment, about The Gospel
• • Romans 3:23- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
  • Romans 5: 8- But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we are sinners, Christ died for us.
  • Romans 6:23- For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • Romans 10:9- That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17-Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
• So what does that new life look like? 
• There is a lot to answer in that question but, I want to focus this morning on 1 significant mark of a Christian.
• The point I want you to drive home with is a generous nature; a generous character is the mark of a life-changed by The Gospel.  Generosity is evidence of the Grace received.
• I want to look at ways that we, as followers of Christ, are to be generous,  some principles of generosity, and then 3 reasons why generosity is a mark of Christian maturity.
• Our passage this morning is 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.  You can go there and hold your place.  We'll get there in a little bit.
• Disclaimer: I am not a very generous person--at least as not generous as I need to be.  This is a lesson that I have been learning in recent months which is probably why I am preaching it.  Its as much for me as it is for you.

Ways To Be Generous (not an exhaustive list-- in short, we are too be generous in ALL things)

1. Generous In Grace

• The same grace that saved me, saves, you and will save others.
• If nothing else, we should be generous with grace.  If not, we are subtly preaching a gospel of works.
• Our sole mission as a church is to preach The Gospel of Jesus Christ and to make disciples of all nations.
• We need to be generous with the words of salvation.  Its not enough to just be an example by our actions, we need to speak the words of salvation.
• The man at Valley Forge was generous with me with the words of salvation.
• Jim Cymbala at Refuel Conference spoke very powerfully about the power of The Name of Jesus.  We need to continually proclaim His name.
• Very simply, we need to live like Christ and we need to tell others about Christ.  We need to be generous in grace.

     2. Generous In Time

• We complain about busyness and exhaustion.   We speak of it as wrong yet we are.
• It's ok to be busy and exhausted when we are serving God. (ex. Fall Retreat, VBS)
• We only need to be concerned when we are busy and becoming exhausted with the wrong things.
• Remember this, being "busy for God" also means resting in God.  We are commanded to "Be still and know that I am God."

     3. Generous In Talents & Gifts

• Use your spiritual gifts & talents immeasureably for God's glory.
• If you are a gifted administrator, use it to organize ministry for the church, if you are creative, use it to proclaim Him, if you are good with your hands, use it next week at Pine Valley.
• Use your talents and gifts in all aspects of life to honor Him with excellence, by using it to proclaim Him, and to connect with people who do not know Him.  Your talents and gifts can put you in places where you can lead others to Christ. (School, Workplace, Community Activities)

     4. Generous In Your Treasure

• Don't just Tithe, be generous!
• Tithing: we preach it as the maximum, as a the key to a good financial wealth plan and we argue over details (Tithing vs. sacrificial giving; gross vs. net, etc.)
• All of our treasure is for God's Kingdom Work: Family & Church (2 foundations of God's plan)
• Tithing is good, if its a part of our generous giving and not just a means to be stingy.
• Honor God by generously & cheerfully giving to your family and to The Church.  You'll see here in a moment the principle by which we do that.

Upcoming Opportunities: Halloween at The Haven, Pine Valley Work Day, Movie Night, Backpack Program (ROC & Wed. Night groups; Project Hope)

Ice Cream Social

(I am learning to be generous in patience especially, with the smaller things in life.)

Note: If we are generous in Grace, the others will follow.

2 Corinthians 8: 1-5- Principles of Generosity (Find some paper to write this down.)

• Generosity comes out of pain & poverty not wealth & ease (v. 2) (persecution led to poverty)
• • circumstances of our life never define the spirit of generosity
  • there are no excuses when it comes to the will of God
• Generosity stretches us to do more than what we (without God) are able to do (v. 3)
• It's a Kingdom privilege (v. 4)
• It's directed by the Lord, not man (v.5)

3 Reasons Generosity Is A Mark Of Christian Maturity

1. It shows our trust in God.

• When we release what we have it shows we trust God to provide.
• I can freely give because I serve an infinite God.

     2. It shows that this world is not our home.

• All of these things are necessary to be Christ-followers in this world only, not in heaven.
• I have so much more waiting for me in Heaven!

     3. It's what makes a lasting, life-changing impact.

• When we are generous with all that we have we leave an eternal impact in our wake.
• We are called to be Salt & Light. 
• Our community needs a lot of salt and a lot of light!
• Reaching Our Community--being challenged to be generous with our community.

Closing

• Scott Hafemann's commentary on this passage: By participating in the collection the Macedonians were not trying to pay their dues or make a wise financial investment.  Instead, they were savoring and seeking the Kingdom of God.  Only the greater treasures of the kingdom of God can free us from clinging to the competing treasures of this world.  Only the deeper satisfaction that comes from spending ourselves for others can defeat the sinfully natural impulse to use others for our own ends.  And giving up ourselves for others can take place only when our own security needs have already been met in Christ who spent Himself for us.  Hence, rather than focusing merely on more effective ways to advertise the benefits and obligations of giving, we need to pray for the pouring out of God's Spirit on His people.  Instead of bigger fund-raising campaigns, we need a bigger picture of God.
• Let this roll around in your soul.
• Examine yourself.
• Examine ourself.
• Understand this does not come naturally or out of our self-determination.  Our heart must be changed by the work of The Holy Spirit. 
• Help me to be generous, O Lord; help me to be generous.

Prayer

• One more quote from Amy Carmichael: You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving.

Down By The Stream

He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1: 3(ESV)

I love being near the water; be it an ocean, lake, river or stream.  Its peaceful and refreshing.  Being outdoors, deep in nature, is itself refreshing.  It re-energizes me physically and spiritually as I am reminded of the greatness of God.  His character is revealed in so many ways by His creation.

I was reminded Sunday, in a small-group discussion, of the faith lessons illustrated by the trees that grow along the stream banks.  Our adult group (Abundant Life Sunday School Class) was studying Psalm 1.  The focus of the discussion was how we live out our faith in a fallen world.  Our conversation began with verses 1 & 2:

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night. 

Psalm 1: 1-2 (ESV)

Then we came to verse 3 (quoted above).  The question was "How does the example of the tree relate to the righteous person?"  Here are some quick thoughts of mine:

• Trees that grow along a stream bank are often leaning as their roots stretch out to tap into the stream flowing by.  The righteous person stretches himself to tap into the "living water" of Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit. (John 4:13-14, John 7:37-39)
• The stream is a continual source of water and the result is a strong, healthy tree.
• The water from the stream is cool & refreshing.  Our faith is refreshed by the living water.
• The stream flows, it is not stagnant.  It is teeming with life.
• The tree bears fruit, provides shade, and adds beauty to the landscape.
• The strength of the tree on the shallow ground of the stream bank is a testament to the life and strength the stream water provides.

To encapsulate (a word my wife likes to use), our righteousness is the result of our roots being stretched into the cool, refreshing, life-renewing water that flows from Christ through the Holy Spirit.  As a result we testify to the power of God, provide a place of shade for the weary, add beauty to the landscape around us and continually produce fruit for the benefit to others.

Its a encouraging picture of what the life of a Christ-follower is to look like.

Where are your roots stretching today?

_________________________________________________________________________________

Add your thoughts to the discussion: What characteristics of the "tree planted by streams of water" would you add to the list?

Riding The Wave: Body Surfing & Ministry

You stand in the salt-water watching the movement of the waves as they roll into the beach.  You are watching the pattern, looking for the one you know will take you to the shore.  You focus on the timing.  The key is to get the wave at its peak; just when it is ready to break.  Then you want to stretch yourself out on top and let the wave swell underneath you and ride its motion all the way to the shoreline.  Its an exhilarating feeling as it rolls underneath you, pulling you down with it and taking you along for the ride.  If you did it right, the ride ends right where you want it to end--the beach.

My summer ended right where I wanted it too--at the beach!

I spent the first week of August, enjoying several awesome days at Ocean City, NJ with my family.  The weather was sunny and hot, the waves were larger than normal most days due to Tropical Storm Bertha moving along the Atlantic Coast; close enough to affect the waves but not the weather.   Ocean City has provided me with my favorite moments of my childhood so, it was a thrill to once again take my family with me to enjoy the life at my favorite beach- morning walks & bike rides on the boardwalk, afternoons in the sun, sand and water, and evening strolls back on the boardwalk and along the shoreline.  We threw in a day trip to historic Cape May, NJ to celebrate my son, Sam's 16th birthday, a weekend in PA Dutch Country (home to my favorite foods) and it all added up to a very fun, laugh-filled, memory-making vacation for the Van Nests (and my mother-in-law).

What made it even more special is it came on the tail-end of an amazing summer of ministry.  I love what God has called me to do year-round.  However, what happens in the summer is always a step above the rest of the year.  Between the camps, mission trips, VBS and other special events, God does some great work in the lives of so many.  The nature and purpose of the events lend themselves to experiencing God in rewarding, faith-growing ways.  The rest of the year feeds into summer and vice-versa to make an awesome cycle of spiritual growth and ministry.

This summer was even better than the others before them (as great as those were).  This was the summer when I caught the wave at its peak and stretched out and rode it until my face was pushed down in the sandy shore!  More, because of what I witnessed God do in the lives of others:

• One of my team leaders, grow by leaps and bounds in her faith and in her personal ministry.  It began in a matter of hours at Senior Camp and rushed on through every event of the summer.
• The same team leader finding love with an amazing young man who is passionately pursuing and serving God.  Its still early, but you can see the God-given potential in this relationship for love and ministry.
• Youth who bonded with each other, served wholeheartedly and pursued God passionately.
• A young, dynamic church generously (and I mean generously) showing God's love and grace to their struggling community.
• Adults and youth coming together to give kids some great faith experiences this summer via Summer @ Camp Faith, VBS and Jr. Camp.

Every ministry event exceeded my expectations!  The presence of The Holy Spirit was uplifting and guiding. The heart of leaders and of those being led were beautiful.  Thank you God for such an amazing summer!  All glory is yours!!

Let me close with the lessons learned--lessons that came to my mind as I stood in the ocean water, watching the waves thinking of the parallel between body-surfing (something my Dad taught me and something I enjoyed teaching to my wife and kids) and ministry. I'll let you make the connection in your own mind.  Its easy.

• To catch the right wave, you need to patiently watch the pattern of the waves.  Not every wave is worth riding.  Some are too small and won't take you too far.  It will leave you disappointed and in the wrong place when the right wave starts breaking.
• On the flip side, you can wait too long and be too particular that you miss the thrill of the short ride even if you didn't catch it at its peak.  The rush of the wave already rolling, while not as thrilling as catching it at its peak, can still be a fun and worthwhile ride.  So sometimes you need to just jump on and ride!
• Sometimes you need a storm to cause the best waves to ride.
• You ride some great waves but the really-thrilling rides come few and far between.  I am talking the rides that begin at the peak, pull you down, pounding you in the surf and leaving you with a face-full of sand!  When you catch that wave, enjoy it for all its worth and give an extra hoop-n-holler and smile when its all done.  You'll agree it was worth the wait.
• God makes the waves you just need to be available for the ride!

I hope this encourages you to passionately and purposefully pursue God and His Kingdom work.

Surfs up!

Lessons From Love Week

Last week I returned from an amazing experience called "Love Week".  It was a  youth mission trip that exceeded all expectations!!

On July 5, I traveled with our team (my wife, Lori; children, Sam & Grace; and a team that included Kayla Lane, Ruth Zeigler, Tiffany Miller, Steven O'Brien, Braden Walker (my nephew), Stuart Moore and Parker Snyder.  We teamed up with The Well EMC in their "Love Week" outreach to their community of Grafton WV.  After worshiping with them on Sunday and enjoying the splendor of Valley Falls, we turned our focus to serving during the week at the Simpson house (fire reclamation),  the Bread of Life Mission (remodel the dining room & clean the kitchen) and a blood drive.  An unexpected opportunity to serve came about, when a severe thunderstorm blew through the Tygart River Valley Tuesday evening.  That night we became a storm damage cleanup team.  In the end it was a great week with a great team and one that has left a lasting impression on me.

I want to take a few moments to reflect on some life lessons learned and confirmed during the Love Week:

• The importance of listening.  On Sunday, I had the privilege of kicking off the week and the message series on LOVE by talking about listening and its importance in serving God and others (you can listen to the message at  The Well's website).  The people of The Well and my team demonstrated this well (no pun intended). Particularly, The Well listened to its community.  They saw its hurts, its needs and its hopes.  This drove the projects that were selected.  They also dreamed big...two projects, a big renovation of a nearby playground and a wheelchair ramp had to move off the list for the week due to various circumstances.  Don't worry the passion and commitment to these projects is there to finish them in the very near future.
• Lesson: The size of the impact is not measured by the size of the project but by the connection you make to the deepest of needs and desires.  The project at the mission not only brought a clean and brighter look but communicated to the people a greater sense of value as individuals.  In choosing this project, The Well saw not only the need for an updated dining room but the need to be loved and to be treated well regardless of one's story or social status.
• Unexpected opportunities.  Tuesday was a long, hard day of work for everyone.  A severe storm rolled in as we were returning to The Well's downtown campus for dinner.  Our Simpson house team was trying to dodge falling trees and raindrops as they made their way into town.  The nerves of some were frayed.  The storm ripped off a large sheet of tin from the roof of one of the businesses on main street.  Three of us joined the city manager, a policeman and building owner to remove the debris from the street.  After dinner, several of us returned to assist the owner in dismantling the wood supports and cutting the sheet into sections so he could haul it away.  After returning to the church, we got word that one of their own had several trees down on her property.  Our team did not hesitate to answer the call.  We spent the next 3 hours assisting in cutting, hauling and piling the branches.  It was sweaty, exhausting work after a long day.  However, the satisfaction of showing love to our new friend in a time of need was worth time and energy expended.
• Lesson: Always be looking for unexpected opportunities to show the love of God especially, when its not convenient.  The moments when you are exhausted and wanting to do something for yourself may very well be the moment you will need to answer the call to love and to serve. Rely on God's leading and His strength to do the amazing.
• Be Generous.  Too many of us, myself included, confuse stewardship with "pinching pennies".  Yet, we serve a generous and extravagant God!  The people of The Well demonstrated generosity. (By the way, generosity is not an excuse for foolishness.  Stewardship is really about being extremely generous with what God has blessed you in the way that He has directed you to glorify Him.).  First, they made us feel so welcome.  They stocked "our home" at the North Pike Campus (the small building where the church was launched several years ago) with lots of food and drinks for breakfast and snacks.  They fed us lots and lost of great food and desserts at lunch and dinner.  They made a welcome banner just for us on the platform and they were generous with their kinds words, smiles, encouragement and hugs.  Second, they were generous in their serving.  Again, using the mission project as an example, the project went above and beyond what many would say was necessary (except God).  It wasn't just a clean-up, touch-up type of job.  They made the room special for a group of people who don't get to experience a whole lot of special in their life.  After, the "demolition" and removal of the old, we got busy putting up drywall, painting the room in a mix of cool colors, putting down wood laminate and adding new light fixtures.  The end result was a warm, comfortable, welcoming place for the people to gather for conversation (something they begin doing every day at 3pm) and to enjoy a meal together.  By the comments and the smiles they were very appreciative of the extra effort to brighten their dining place.

• Lesson: When serving don't look to do just the minimum but exceed expectations.  Allow yourself to be stretched to make a significant and lasting impact of love.

Love Week was a very special week.  One that my team and I will long remember.  I pray the lessons will stick with me even longer as the memories may fade.  I am grateful for my friend, Pastor Micah for inviting us to join in their efforts and for God calling us to do it and for the team He put together.  It was a week that far exceeded my expectations!  For that, all of us have been extremely blessed!