EXPLORE IT - 1 Corinthians 10:1-3

1 Corinthians 10:1-3  For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food…

This week beings our journey into our next sermon series “iRock.”  We will be working our way through 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, beginning this week with verses 1-3.  1 Corinthians is the first of two letters the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth sometime during A.D. 54-55.  He was writing in response to several problems that had arisen in the Corinthian community.  Factions within the church were developing, taking sides on several areas of spiritual health (i.e. spiritual gifts, sexual immorality, heresy about the resurrection, etc.)

Our passage this week begins by addressing the Corinthians as “brother,” encouraging this church to see one another as family and not as individuals or as separate groups causing division.  Paul desired the Church of Corinth to have true unity.  He also begins to speak of “our forefathers all under the cloud.”  This refers to the Israelites as they journeyed through the desert with Moses, following God as a cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire through the night.  Paul is encompassing the entire Corinthian community, whether Jew or Gentile, as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Patriarchs of the Jewish faith.  This encourages the understanding that the Gentile believers are full heirs of the Biblical stories and promises, just as the Jewish community is.

As Christians, we too are grafted into God’s family and are full heirs of the stories and promises within the Bible.  We too are brothers and sisters through Christ with the Corinthians Church.  The teaching Paul gives to them is written to us as well.  So as we begin our journey through a portion of 1 Corinthians, will you commit to listening to its teachings as if Paul is writing to you?  Because he is!

Blessings,
Pastor Amy

PREPARE FOR IT! - Up Now Son - Matthew 28

Let's review the scripture passage we've been studying this week in preparation for  Easter Sunday tomorrow and the final lesson in the Up Now Son sermon series.


Jesus Has Risen
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The Guards’ Report

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Living on Mission and Experiencing Jesus on the Way

Living on Mission and Experiencing Jesus on the Way

Matthew 28 just gets better every time you read it. It has so many dramatic elements… sadness, fear, joy, instructions, unbelief, scandalous bribery, and a Great Commission. It is also packed with really Good News!

It’s difficult to pick a favorite passage, but this part is so good:

Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.

The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. (Matthew 28:5-9)

Notice that the women were running off to do what they were instructed by the angel to do, (go tell the disciples that Jesus is alive – now that’s spreading Good News!) and they encountered Jesus Himself. “…as they went, Jesus met them…they ran to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him.” He came to meet them. Beautiful!

Doesn’t that just make you want to rush out and obey?!?! Remember, the last thing He said was that He’d always be with us.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and experience His presence while we are on our way to obey!

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! Up Now Son - Matthew 28

So, a couple months ago, in the cold, snowy winter, I watched Samuel Keller's fish for him while he and his family were away.  Fish are low maintenance... or so I thought.  How hard could it be?  Kim brought Gill to work in a travel-sized container, along with his food, water drops, and larger tank.  When I left work, I gathered up Gill and we both drove home in the snowy, cold weather.  When I got home, I prepared his larger tank, and plopped him in.  He looked momentarily energized.  Then he pretty much looked like he was dead.  I was so certain that I had killed dear Gill, that I sent Kim a text letting her know what was likely going to occur.  Pastor Celia had killed Samuel's fish.  Oy.  I prayed he would live and I slept on my couch, near Gill, so that at least I could tell dear Samuel that his fish did not die alone. 

But... wonder of wonders... Gill lived!  I nicknamed him Lazzy, after Lazarus.  I was so happy.  So surprised.  In fact, Gill stayed with me several days and each morning, to be perfectly honest, when I saw him alive, I was just as surprised as the morning before.  I have since come to believe that perhaps dear Gill-Lazzy always looks and acts...well... not in any kind of lively manner what-so-ever.

I was so excited and relieved.  And, let's face it, that was for a fish, who only seemed like he might die and then didn't.  I cannot imagine the excitement of Lazarus and his friends and family when he was raised from the dead.  Nor can I imagine the excitement of Mary and Mary (in Matthew 28) as they discovered Jesus was risen.  Jesus... whom they had seen crucified.  Jesus... who was buried.  Jesus... their friend.  Jesus... Savior of all. 

In Matthew 28, the Angel of the Lord appears to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.  They are told to not be afraid.  To come and see.  To go quickly.  To tell.  Jesus' instructions to us echoes this.  What I love is that in the midst of their obedience to the instructions given to them, Jesus meets them.  Much like Jesus does with all of us.

Wow.  That's my summary.  Wow.  (Brilliant, huh?) 

So... in light of this passage, how do we "pray it?"  As we conclude this final week of the Up Now Son series, in the "PRAY IT" blog, we'll spend one final time looking at the passage from Ephesians 6:10-20, in conjunction with our passage from Matthew.  Let's focus in on verse 10:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

As we pray, we can be strong in the Lord who is who He says He is.  We don't proclaim a Christ-Who-Almost-Kind-of-Died-But-Didn't, like Samuel's fish.  We rejoice in our RISEN Lord, who overcame death, for us.  Who wants a relationship with us.  Who loves us.  A lot.

As we pray, we pray for the same response as Mary and Mary:  Let us pray that we are not afraid.  (Leaning into Jesus with all we have can be scary...) Let us pray that we come and see (Walking with Jesus takes open eyes/ears/minds/hearts...it takes action on our part...)  Let us pray that we go quickly (In whatever mission Jesus gives us, let's not dawdle.  Let's just get to it.  May our excitement get us moving!)  Let us pray that we tell (Because why would we want to keep our awesome Jesus a secret???)  And let us pray that in the midst of our obedience, Jesus continues to meet with us.  (Because He will...)

Dear Jesus,
Please help us draw near to you, and joyfully so.  Please help calm any fears we may have about surrendering to you and letting you be Lord of our lives.  Please help us stay open to all that you have for us, and to actively continue to pursue you daily.  Please strengthen us as to not delay in our obedience, but to act quickly.  Please help us radiate You from the inside out, and that people can see You in our words, in our actions, and in our lives.  We love you Jesus.  Help us love you even more.

Amen.

Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “All the News That’s Fit to Share”

Supplies: Bible; newspaper, news website, or news app

SHARE 

Do you like to watch the news?  I certainly didn’t when I was a kid.  I thought the news was boring and almost impossible to understand.  Now that I’m older, I enjoy watching and reading the news much more, because I like knowing what’s going on in the world.  Even so, there are times I wonder why news reporters pick the stories they do.  For example, I just did a quick scan through a top news website, and here are the stories: a court case from a bombing; a plane crash; government workers who broke the law; trouble in the Middle East; an explosion; and a bridge collapse.  Ugh!  Now, I’m not saying these stories aren’t noteworthy.  If that’s what’s happening, I’m sure some people want to know.  But there’s absolutely NO happy news!  There’s no joyful, positive, feel-good kind of stories that reporters feel is worth sharing.  I repeat—ugh!

What kind of stories would you like to hear?  What do you think would be the most interesting, worthwhile headline?  What kind of TV news show would you be most likely to watch?  Think about it for a minute, then share with your family.

READ

Now grab a Bible and read Matthew 28.

THINK

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a more stirring, interesting, attention-grabbing headline than “JESUS LIVES!”  I mean, even if I had no idea who this son of a carpenter was, I’d want to read that story.  I would turn up the volume when it came on TV.  I would want to know what that was all about.  Seriously!  Betrayed by a close friend, arrested, tortured, executed, buried…then three days later He’s back???  Find me any ten news stories today that are even half that fascinating!  And it only gets more engaging the more you know.

This man was innocent—not just of the crimes of which He was accused, He was innocent of all crimes…of all sin!  This guy never once did anything apart from the highest moral standard.  In fact, He spent most of His time helping, healing, and basically giving to others.  Even His death was an act of service to His fellow man.  As it turns out, this man’s wrongful execution serves as payment for all sin ever committed—past, present or future.  He didn’t die because He had a rotten lawyer or because the jury was rigged.  He chose to die for YOU, person and/or family reading this blog, dying in your place so that one day, you could know God.

And then three days later He came back to life!!!  He’s not still dead—this guy’s ALIVE AGAIN!  That unprecedented (and unmatched) miracle means that every person has the chance to be alive again, too.  Each and every human being, from Mother Teresa to Charles Manson, and everyone in between has the opportunity to accept this Jesus as their Lord and Savior, to be forgiven of their sins, and to experience eternal life.  Hoo-ah, now that’s some news worth sharing!

APPLY

That’s one of the things I love about this passage in Matthew.  It begins with truly the greatest story ever, and ends with a charge to share that story.  Now let’s be real, if this happened tomorrow in Random Town, Kansas, we’d ALL hear about it.  It would top the trending charts, clog up your news feed, and set a new record for reTweeted post.  It’d be every headline on every paper, and the top story on every station.  It’d be NEWS!

So why isn’t it still?  What’s keeping us from sharing this amazing, fascinating, attention-grabbing, life-transforming story with others?  Granted, you may not want to run out to the street, stop the first car that drives past, and start telling them about Jesus.  But I bet there’s at least one person you know, someone you have a relationship with, who would be interested to hear this bit of news.  You can share it yourself, or you can always invite them to Easter service.  Let’s agree that we won’t let the greatest story ever end up in the trash.  Talk about how you as a family can work together to share Jesus with the people you’re close to.  Who can you each invite to Easter this week?  Now let’s pray.

PRAY

You did it, Jesus.  You did the impossible, the incredible, the incomprehensible. Some would say You even did the insane.  But You did it, and You did it for us.  Thank You!  Guide us, God, to know who you’ve placed around us that’s ready to hear this amazing story.  In Your Name we pray, Jesus.  Amen

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.