Midweek Moment - January 16, 2011

Midweek Moment for January 16, 2011

Sabbath Rest: Stop and Rest

Pastor R Greene

Spiritual Disciplines: Slowing and Unplugging

· We suffer as a culture from “hurry sickness”

· We must relentlessly eliminate hurry from our lives

· Unplugging: no technology (cell phones, computers)

· We need face to face contact with real people.

Stop and Rest (John 5:1-18)

· In this chapter Jesus performs a healing miracle on the Sabbath.

· He heals a paralytic man at the Pool of Bethesda.

· The man is broken as we all are. We are all broken!

· Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed.

· Do you want to be healed? Well, do you? Really?

· God will heal you but you must want to be healed.

· Jesus said “Get up” (faith needed) “Pick up your mat” (trust needed) and “walk” (obedience needed).

· The Pharisees condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.

· Jesus says that His Father was at work at all times and Jesus was also working like the Father. (John 5:17).

Colossians 2:16, 17

· Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

· Do what is restful to you and don’t judge how someone else spends their Sabbath.

Burning Questions:

· You are broken……

· Do you want to be healed?

· Ask God to heal you of your brokenness NOW!

Please give us your thoughts, feedback and comments if you're willing.

· What is God doing in your life?

· What is God speaking to you about our new series on "Sabbath Rest: Stop..Rest..Delight..Contemplate!"?

· What new insight or concept have you learned and how have you been applying it to your life this week?

Sneak Peek

Here's a little sneak peek at the next two weeks of our series on "Sabbath Rest."

We're guessing that this whole concept of "resting" has been far easier to talk about than to actually DO. We here's one practical way that you can prepare for the upcoming two weeks. Start by taking some "baby steps." How about trying one of the following things right now ...

*Turn off the computer, turn off the cell phone, turn off the TV, whatever distractions might be for the next 20 minutes and just sit in silence. Don't think about anything. Just be still.

*Read Revelation 4 (the Throne Room of God passage) and as you picture the imagery depicted in this powerful passage ... why don't you imagine going into His Throne Room and taking whatever burdens you have, carry them past the elders and the 4 living creatures and take them to God. Imagine sitting on the throne with Him, putting those burdens in His hands.

*Spend 5 minutes meditating ... really thinking hard about each of the following verses and how it applies to your life. Think about how it should apply to your life. What truths do you need to learn from these verses. How would your life look more peaceful if you were able to fully apply these verses. Make sure to take the full 5 minutes, don't cheat yourself of this time.

- Psalm 37:1-7

- Isaiah 58:13-14

- Romans 15:13

These are just some simple suggestions that hopefully will help you in this process of slowing down and resting in Him. We'd love to hear your feedback on what's been working for you in the process of "resting." Please share with us in the comment section below!

Resting

By Pastor R

I asked Debbie to give me a picture of herself about thirty years ago. She was a school teacher then and the picture was a standard 2x3 size. Looking at that picture day after day was probably the closest I have ever come to idolatry. I would look at that picture in the morning and in the evening and think about her. I looked at the picture because I wasn’t with the real person.

The day came when Debbie became my wife. Since then I haven’t spent that much time with the picture. When I am away, I may glance at the picture. She hasn’t changed very much at all. She is still beautiful to me. I find that picture incomplete and unsatisfying. Why? Because when the reality came, I had no more use for the picture.

When Jesus Christ came, our Sabbath Rest, we believed and entered into Sabbath Rest. God, from the very beginning, showed us how to finish His work and then rest. When we believe, we rest from our works, just as God rested from His works, and enter into His rest. The Sabbath is merely a picture that looks back to the beginning and forward to the future. We rest in the finished work of Christ.

Colossians 2:16,17 says …Do not let anybody judge you by… a Sabbath. These are a mere shadow of the things that were to come: the reality, however, is found in Christ.

With that being said, we need as individuals, couples, families, a community, to Sabbath. I have been trying over the last two months to stop doing what I normally do, to rest, to delight and contemplate on the Sabbath. My Sabbath begins at 6 p.m. on Sunday and lasts until 6 p.m. on Monday. Since I am normally with people, on the Sabbath, that is Monday morning, I will normally ride my bike in the Middletown countryside for about two hours. I think I feel closest to God when I am outside enjoying a gentle stream, riding underneath a tree canopy or seeing a great blue heron stirred.

Midweek Moment - January 12, 2011

Midweek Moment from January 9, 2011
Sabbath Rest: Stop and Rest
Pastor R. Greene

Stop, Rest, Delight, Contemplate

Text: Genesis 2:1-3
· God rested on the 7th day after creating the heavens and the earth.
· He took pleasure and delight in His work.
· He gave us a pattern to follow in resting from our labors: The Sabbath.

1. Rest from being "productive". (Take a break from what you normally do)
2. Rest from whatever causes you exhaustion (physically or emotionally)
3. Rest from technology and other distractions.

Jesus Offer of His Rest
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30.
· The Pharisees put a burden on the people's shoulders
· Jesus offers to give us His yoke (that we share with Him).
· We can choose to join Him in His yoke.

Jeremiah 6:16
· Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

Hebrews 4:1-11
· God's offer of rest still stands (v. 1)
· Salvation is entering His rest: you rest from your attempts to earn God's favor, you rest from your attempts to reform yourself and rest on His finished work on the Cross.

Questions - Please give us your thoughts, feedback and comments if you're willing.

· What is God doing in your life?

· What is God speaking to you about our new series on "Sabbath Rest: Stop..Rest..Delight..Contemplate!"?

· What new insight or concept have you learned and how have you been applying it to your life this week?

Did You Ever Think of Your Marriage as “Musical”?

By Jim Peterson:

On the last week of January, the church will once again sponsor the Married Couples Retreat at Rocky Gap Resort. According to current registrations, it would appear that almost 100 people will be in attendance. Because so many will be going, we will only have one service that Sunday at 9:30 am. After 45 years of marriage, Lois and I will be attending our first marriage retreat and are looking forward to it with great anticipation.

Sometimes we are asked why we place such heavy emphasis on healthy marriages –even to the point of sponsoring a Married Couples Retreat that takes so many people away from our Sunday Services. I could answer the question a number of ways, but I particularly like the way the question is answered in the book “Life-Style Evangelism” by Joseph C. Aldrich.

He says it this way: “The music of the gospel must precede the words of the gospel and prepare the context in which there will be a hunger for those words. What is the “music” of the gospel? The “music” of the gospel is the beauty of the indwelling Christ as lived out in the everyday relationships of life. The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ has solved the problem of man’s sin and offers him the potential of an exchanged life, a life in which the resources of God Himself are available for his transformation. And as the gospel is translated into music, it makes redemptive relationships possible. When the world observes husbands loving their wives, and wives supporting and caring for their husbands and families, they have seen a miracle; they have heard the music. It is miraculous music for which many of them are longing.

The two greatest forces in evangelism are a healthy church and a healthy marriage. The two are interdependent. You can’t have one without the other. It is the healthy marriage, however, which is the “front lines weapon.” The Christian family in a community is the ultimate evangelistic tool, assuming the hoe circle is an open one win which the beauty of the gospel is readily available. It’s the old story: When love is seen, the message is heard.”

There is still time to register for the retreat if you wish to attend. You can go all three days (Fri-Sat-Sun) or for just two (Sat. Sun.). Registration forms can be found at the Connection Center or the church office. Based upon feedback from couples who have gone before us, it can be a life changing experience. Hope to see you there and let the “music” begin!