Gallery Night | Friday, April 20th
Come out Friday, April 20th at 7:00 p.m. for Spring Gallery Night at the Hide House. This month, we are honored to host Bay View's own Dena Nord. Dena is a UWM graduate with a degree in graphic design and a great eye for composition. Her vibrant colors and creative displays are something to see!
The night will include:
- LIVE MUSIC (HANNAH LUREE)
- LIVE PAINTING
- COMPLEMENTARY REFRESHMENTS
- NEW WORK FROM DENA NORD
- A SPECIAL INTERACTIVE PIECE
www.denanord.com
www.reverbnation.com/hannahluree
Living Hope in the Resurrection
This is the meaning of the words by St. Paul: "Christ was raised for our justification." Here Paul turns my eyes away from my sins and directs them to Christ, for if I look at my sins, they will destroy me. Therefore I must look unto Christ who has taken my sins upon himself, crushed the head of the serpent and become the blessing. Now they no longer burden my conscience, but rest upon Christ, whom they desire to destroy. Let us see how they treat him. They hurl him to the ground and kill him. 0 God; where is now my Christ and my Saviour? But then God appears, delivers Christ and makes him alive; and not only does he make him alive, but he translates him into heaven and lets him rule over all. What has now become of sin? There it lies under his feet. If I then cling to this, I have a cheerful conscience like Christ, because I am without sin. Now I can defy death, the devil, sin and hell to do me any harm. As I am a child of Adam, they can indeed accomplish it that I must die. But since Christ has taken my sins upon himself, has died for them, has suffered himself to be slain on account of my sins, they can no longer harm me.
Martin Luther 1520
A living hope. This last Sunday we looked at that phrase as written in 1 Peter 1, he caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we discovered that this living hope is intended to be a practical daily benefit to the follower of Christ. The phrase in the greek indicates a current, alive hope. A living, breathing daily sustenance that carries us in our walk. And that is what the lesson of the resurrection should be to us.
See, we as Christians, face challenges everyday. Challenges in our relationships, in our finances, we face temptations of the flesh that work to undermine our faith and the response to the challenges are not discovered in "good advice" but in reflecting on and applying the lessons of Christ's Gospel.
Christ's resurrection teaches us the temporal nature of this life, that we have an eternal life to which we are called and therefore the trials of the life can be endured. It shows us that we have been adopted as sons and daughters of the Most High King and therefore we have an eternal inheritance secure in our walk with him empowering us to run to him in all circumstances not having to live in fear or shame. And Luther identifies, in his sermon on the resurrection, the living hope that our sins are crushed under the foot of the risen Savior and this hope allows us to "have a cheerful conscience" empowering us to defy the allure of sin in our lives.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ holds for us the Spirit empowered answer to all of the struggles of life, may we this week reflect on His resurrection for strength to overcome.
Partakers in Suffering
Jan Hus was bound to the stake with a sooty chain wrapped around his neck. Wood was piled to his chin. Hundereds of men, women and children thronged restlessly.
Hus was given one final chance to save his life by recanting all his "error and heresies". A pause fell over the meadow, then Hu's voice could be heard clearly: "God is my witness that... the principal intenion of my preaching and all of my other acts or writings was solely that I might turn men from sin. And in that truth of the Gospel that I wrote, taught and preached in accordance with the sayings and expositions of the holy doctors, I am willing gladly to die today."
An audible murmur rippled. The signal was given. The executioner set the pyre ablaze. From the smoke and flames that shot upward into the summer sky, Hus's voice could be heard once more, this time in song; "Jesus, son of the living God, have mercy on me."
In the midst of the billowing flames, witnessed by an incredulous crowd, Master Jan Hus sang these words three times. He died singing
Hus is one of the many leaders in the great history of God's great church whose willingness to follow Christ into the blaze of suffering should stand as an inspiration to all Christ followers, especially as we contemplate this the most holiest of weeks. As our hearts and minds are turned toward the Passion of Christ and Good Friday it seems right that we contemplate our own relationships to the call to "co-sufferer" that is so prevalent in God's instruction to the church found in His word.
It's interesting to note the conversation in Matthew 20 between Jesus and the sons of Zebedee, James and John when they expressed their desire to be given places of honor next to Christ in Heaven. He clarified that those positions were not His to give but responded to their request by asking; "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" This question carries with it significant implications of suffering when you look at it in light of Christ's words to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane found in Matthew 26:
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
It's clear from this reference that he was calling his followers to the "cup of suffering" that he would endure and it becomes even clearer when we view the instructions to the church from Peter (1 Peter 2, 3, 4), Paul (Romans 5 and 8, 2 Corinthians 1, Philippians 3, and others) and James (James 5). And in this regard they were not disappointed as each of the disciples endured persecution and even martyrdom save John the Beloved.
The call to suffering as followers of Christ is nothing more then the call to follow Christ. We see clearly in His life and His work the spiritual responsibility to endure hardship for the sake of the glory of God and the salvation of His people. This is the road Christ walked and to follow Him requires us also to trod that path. Fortunately for us in the United States, thus far, we have not been called to the level of suffering endured by Jesus, the disciples or Jan Hus but that does not mean we are exempt from the responsibility of sacrifice for the glory of our King. The needs of others require us to endure at times heartache, mistreatment and sacrifice so that the face and heart of Christ will be revealed through our lives. At times we are led down the path of pain and suffering so that we may show others the grace given to God's children to endure brokenness and yet not deny Christ.
This holy season graciously calls us to examine not simply the suffering face of our Savior but to reflect on our own willingness to endure for the sake of Christ. It provides us the opportunity to ask ourselves the questions posed by Oswald Chambers:
Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through— we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize— “God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!”
Easter Weekend - 2012
New Service Times
Beginning next week Sunday, 3/18, we are adding a new service to our Bay View location. We are also changing our service times as follows:
- Bay View 1st Service: 8:30 AM
- Lake Country: 9:45 AM
- Bay View 2nd Service: 10:45 AM
Welcome to Mercy Hill's New Website!
Thank you for visiting our new website. As you can see, we've redesigned it a bit and are updating our content. More importantly, we've added some functionality that will allow you to comment on our blogs and media. You'll also be able share and enjoy our media a bit more. Please drop us a note and let us know what you think so far, thank you!
Much more updates to come!
FERVENT: HEALTH & HEALING
There are a lot today in our culture who talk about wellness. There are wellness coaches, wellness programs, and a myriad of opinions on how we can be well. I think most people recognize the great need for healing. We are people who are inherently NOT well. We are broken and warped, twisted by our sinful natures. Of those of us who are members of the family of faith, however, there is a way that we can be well despite our sinful condition. The scripture above states that the Lord “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” This is the same language that is used in Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance or our God, to comfort all who mourn…” This is also the scripture that Jesus read in the synagogue at the beginning of his public ministry and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,” (Luke 4:21). For those who have put their faith in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, the process of healing has begun. The first words that Jesus spoke to his disciples after his resurrection were “Peace be with you.” Jesus reassures the disciples that they have his “peace.” The Greek word used here transliterated is “eirene” is equivalent to the Hebrew word “shalom” used by the writers of the Old Testament. These words are translated into English as “peace,” yet these terms connote a much deeper, more profound significance than our usual definition of peace. The terms express a complete and entire emotional/physical/spiritual well-being among people that affects every aspect of life and every relationship. Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus states, “For Christ himself brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us…He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death” Ephesians 2:14-16. True well-being and health are obtained through our relationship with Jesus Christ. This shalom is also not an individual experience but one that provides restoration to all relationships.
Let us pray for healing and restoration in our lives and relationships that God might be praised and glorified and that His peace may penetrate every aspect of our being.
FERVENT: Justice and Poverty
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love o God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18
We live in a culture that spends a great deal of time discussing the needs of the poor and downtrodden. The church is often at the center of these conversations and many people speak enthusiastically about ways that the church can impact the lives of the needy. Unfortunately, there is often a disconnect in these conversations. People have a tendency to look to charities, civic groups, churches and the government to meet the needs of hurting people, while not realizing that the call to love through action is extended to themselves as followers of Christ. In his description of the early church Luke describes a people who cared for one another’s needs. They gave of what they had to provide for those around them (Acts 4). By obeying Christ in this way they demonstrated that the Gospel was not just a man-made philosophy or a way to establish a charitable organization, but an all-encompassing way of life. They had heeded Paul’s admonition to live as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).
We often hear the reminder to “be the church”. This is a challenge to live out what the Bible teaches; to show a lost world the love and grace that Christ offers. It’s a challenge to prefer others over yourself and to give to those in need. God established the church to function as his body in the world (Ephesians 1:18-23). Part of showing that we are the body of Christ is speaking truth in love, walking in a humble manner and giving to others in the same way that God so richly gave to us (Ephesians 4:15; Micah 6:8).
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
FERVENT: Mercy Hill Ministries
FERVENT: Government
FERVENT: CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Fervent: A Prayer of Repentance
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8 The claim to be without sin is self deception. And the reason we are so deceived is that the truth has found no place in us. When a person is converted, the truth takes up residence in the heart. Or we could say the light of God comes into the heart. And what John says here is not that it immediately drives out all falsehood and sin. That is a battle that lasts a lifetime. What he says is that when the truth enters in, its light reveals sin! The mark of the saint is not sinlessness but sin-consciousness! The evidence of indwelling truth is the exposure of error. The dawning of God's light in the heart is the revelation of remaining darkness. In this life we never get beyond the awareness of remaining sin. Therefore one of the great signs of maturity in Christ is a deep and abiding brokenness for sin. There is much talk today about esteeming ourselves as new creatures in Christ. And so we are. But our newness consists in this: that the true light is shining in our hearts revealing the dreadfulness of our remaining sin and the abundance of God's grace. Our great joy is that our sin is forgiven in Christ. And our great grief is that so much of this very sin remains and defiles. The mark of the new creature in Christ is not a rosy self-concept. It is brokenness for remaining sin mingled with a joyful confidence in the superabounding grace of God in Christ. Jonathan Edwards writes of status in Christ like this: All gracious affections, which are a sweet odour to Christ, filling the soul of a Christian with a heavenly sweetness and fragrancy, are broken-hearted affections. A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is an humble broken-hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires; their hope is an humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable and full of glory, is an humble, broken-hearted joy, leaving the Christian more poor in spirit, more like a little child, and more disposed to an universal lowliness of behaviour. The greatness of this passage is that it leads us to a place of repentance and restoration: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. May we practice confession and repentance walking in the light of Christ.
Devoted to Teaching
When we use the phrase "being the church" at Mercy Hill the model for that "being" is discovered in Acts 2. It's that amazing story of the birth of the church following Pentecost and the description of the church's functioning moving forward. "They devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching...." is the first hint at where the church's head and heart was as it launched out as the front runner on mission for Christ.
As we said in the last blog the passage in Acts 2 provides insight into 5 essential functions of the church,
1. Devotion to sound doctrinal teaching. (v. 42a)
2. Deep communal fellowship (v. 42b, v. 46)
3. Generous giving and benelovance (v. 44, v. 45, v. 46b)
4. Powerful devotional experience (v.42c, v. 43, v. 47a)
5. Growth through evanglism (v. 47b)
As you can see the first essential function mentioned is a devotion to sound doctrinal teaching. That placement, the first among the five, I think gives indication that sound doctrine is the starting point for everything else the church does. That's not to say that it is the most important, I believe a healthy church is found in a healthy balance between all five, but it is to say that from sound doctrine comes the proper approach for all the others. The manner in which we fellowship, the way in which we give, understanding properly the approach to devotional experience and even the proper process of evangelism are all revealed in the sound doctrine taught through God's revelation to the apostles and handed down to us through His word. When we look through the New Testament epistles we find teaching on each of these elements. There is teaching on communal fellowship (I John 1), giving and benevolance (James 2), powerful devotional experiences (1 Corinthians 12) and evangelism (1 Corinthians 3) just to name a few.
The second truth that strikes me from this passage is "they" seems to indicate not simply leaders but also laity. In other words it wasnt simply the apostles and teachers that were devoted to the apostles teaching but the whole church. This is a particularly important point to visit in the church culture we currently find ourselves. It is common to hear church goers in American church clamoring for a church that isnt "too doctrinally deep" and far to common to hear pastors catering to this sentiment. A devotion to teaching sound doctrince is essential to produce a church that reflects, glorifies and honors God and when we as leaders and laity abandon this devotion we begin to create a church that lacks the image of God and the glory of the cross. We must be devoted to the apostles teaching and therefore striving to see that manifested in our local faith communities.
May this devotion to the apostles teaching at MHC help us produce not simply sound doctrine but also beautiful communal fellowship, a generous heart of giving, a powerful commitment to devotional disciplines and a move of the Spirit that moves hearts towards salvation and devotion to God.
BEING THE CHURCH
If you are around Mercy Hill for any period of time you're going to hear me say, "We're not interested in building a church, we're interested in being the church." That phrase to many might seem like a simple tag line or platitude but from our perspective it is not, this for me is a governing value. See, I have been around the American church enough to know that when we get fixated on "building the church", (usually this refers to more people, more money and a bigger building) we lose sight of the very purpose of church. This is why I think we need to turn our focus to "being" the church. So the big question is what does it mean to BE the church?
Fortunately for us I believe the bible provides the big answer to this big question. When we look at the inception of the church as described in Acts 2 we see a beautiful picture of the primary elements that make up a properly functioning church:
42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
When you look at this passage there are five essential elements that provide a pretty good test for whether we are being the church:
1. Devotion to sound doctrinal teaching. (v. 42a)
2. Deep communal fellowship (v. 42b, v. 46)
3. Generous giving and benelovance (v. 44, v. 45, v. 46b)
4. Powerful devotional experience (v.42c, v. 43, v. 47a)
5. Growth through evanglism (v. 47b)
When each of these elements are in proper balance and evidenced in the church we begin to operate powerfully as the church was meant to function. Unfortunately, we often time become focused on one or two of the elements at the detriment of the others and returning back to balance will allow us to BE the church.
Over the next couple of weeks I am going to go through these elements to give us a better understanding of how this should be playing out in the local community.
A Father's Will
A loving father's will for his children is always for their best. I think that statement is pretty easily acceptable. I know there are dads and for that matter moms out there who can become self absorbed and therefore neglect the best for their kids but by and large loving parents desire the best for their children. I know that when I think about my three boys I want nothing but good for them. It's in the truth of this statement that we can find our greatest strength to yield our will and embrace God's.
See, God is the great heavenly father. His love for His children is perfect and he only wants what will work out for our good. This is at the heart of Christ's declaration in Luke 11:
11What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
God is revealing the perfect love motivation of the Father towards His children, and in this, gives us the confidence to trust His guidance and gifts in our lives. Now this doesn't mean that His will will always appear to us to be "what's best" (kinda how my kids don't always think when we make them go to bed early is for their best) but He knows so much better for us then we ever will. Since He is our good, heavenly Father we can let go of our will and and rest in His. Sometimes that means hard times and struggles but in the end we know His heart of grace towards us will produce a life of grace that brings glory to God. FB Meyer beautifully expresses this reality:
MANY PEOPLE shrink from God's will. They think that it always means pain, or sorrow, or bereavement. They always feel melancholy when you speak of doing the Will of God. Alas! how the devil has libeled God. The will of God is the will of a Father. It is the Fatherhood of God going out in action.
When we yield our will to our loving Father's we will begin to mature into our highest purpose.
The Gospel Community
The phrase "gospel community" clearly consists of two concepts; gospel and community. Now as un-profound as that observation is, realizing the impact of each concept can produce a profound change in the life of the believer, the life of the local church and the community at large. I take the time to point this out because too often we embrace one without the other and in so doing we don't sufficiently serve either.
Many of us in the church profess in strong terms the "Gospel of Christ". We rightfully believe that the focus of God's Word is the Gospel, God's plan of salvation for man revealed in Christ's life and work, and we insist that the emphasis of the church reflect this focus in God's Word. While this is an admirable commitment many times we promote the message without engaging the community that the Gospel of Christ established. Others in the church are committed to community, "doing life together", while having only a passing interest in a sound Gospel message. Too often that interest is only piqued when it intersects with our desire to emphasize relationships. And while this desire for community lived out in compassion and service is beautiful it can never replace the true source of hope and salvation that the Gospel provides.
We cannot be sucked into the trap of choosing one over the other. Steve Timmis rightly describes the challenge that we face:
Evangelicals are called to a dual fidelity: faithfulness to the gospel word and faithfulness to the gospel community. The gospel word creates the gospel community; the gospel community displays and declares the gospel word. In the contemporary scene, people and movements tend towards polarization on this issue. It's often those who are solid on the gospel word who are flabby on gospel community. Likewise, those who elevate community tend to downplay the word.
The beauty of a gospel community is realized when both elements are equally vibrant in our lives as we participate in our local church as an expression of the universal church. It is then that the church becomes an instrument of of salvation, a beacon of truth, a tool of reconciliation and an expression of compassion into the lives of the needy and hurting.
Forgive.
"Not to forgive is to be imprisoned by the past, by old grievances that do not permit life to proceed with new business. Not to forgive is to yield oneself to another's control... to be locked into a sequence of act and response, of outrage and revenge, tit for tat, escalating always. The present is endlessly overwhelmed and devoured by the past. Forgiveness frees the forgiver. It extracts the forgiver from someone else's nightmare." - Lanny Morrow
This quote captures the concept that truly struck me last week as I prepared my Sunday message. If you were there you know we talked about the uniting power of the Gospel. I stated, and firmly believe, that the most powerful instrument of reconciliation is the Gospel when it is empowered by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers. And the greatest tool of reconciliation expressed in the Gospel is the power to forgive. God the Father, through Jesus Christ, provided the vehicle by which He could forgive us the sinner. He initiated it and did not require us to earn it. This example shows the path forward for us to live in forgiveness towards those around us. That's whey we are continually instructed in God's word to forgive as we have been forgiven.
But what struck me so clearly was that the ability to forgive puts in our hands the ability to live in peace. That when we refuse to forgive, unless the offending party does this or that, we empower that person who hurt us to continue to be in control over us. But when we freely and willingly release anger or bitterness towards another we take the initiative and the control of our own spiritual and emotional well being.
Forgiveness is a powerful tool of reconciliation and personal well being embodied in the Gospel life and work of Jesus Christ given to us by the Holy Spirit. May we begin today to use that tool to both discover and reveal God's peace.
Before and After
This last Sunday I talked about the incredible before and after picture the apostle Paul painted for us in Ephesians 2. I have seen some pretty dramatic before and after shots but Ephesians 2 was probably the most impressive. Paul vividly describes the state of man before the redemptive work of Christ and then the amazing state we find ourselves after His work is applied to our hearts. I had pointed out that there were three real distinct befores that Christ turns into powerful afters: Death to life, a lifestyle of sin to being raised up to holiness and from objects of wrath to objects of grace. While all three of these represent an amazing work of Christ the one I have been focused on in my own heart since Sunday is our being moved from spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
The idea that our "spirit man" is dead until the Spirit of Christ inhabits us is heart shattering for me. When I read Romans 8 it blows my mind to realize the great blessing that we in Christ now enjoy:
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
To think that without Christ in me my spirit is dead to the beautiful Spirit of God is sobering to me. It is a tremendous point of rejoicing in my life and a significant piece of insight as we reach out to others. See, Romans makes it clear earlier in the passage that those who have not been enlightened to God's Spirit can't comprehend and obey God's truth:
7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
And therefore we have to realize peoples lives only be changed in conjunction with a work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It's not by sound reasoning, shame, guilt or pursuasion, it is by His Spirit.
This truth should lead us to gratefully "bath" in the Spirit of God and dilligently pray for the Spirit's working in others. The transformation of the heart of man is a Holy Spirit work, may we seek the Spirit in all we do.
The Perfect Church
The perfect church is obviously as illusive as the LochNess monster. Attempting to find in a congregation of broken people a "whole" church is quite a daunting task. There will always be conflict, there will always be hurt feelings and there will always be issues with which the church will have to deal. But the Bible does give incredible hope for a beautiful, unified church if we as a people commit to the formula.
Now Ephesians 5 does describe a "radiant church without spot or wrinkle" that Christ has washed to present to himself but this description is one of the redemptive work of Christ, not of the practical operating nature of the church here on earth. It speaks to the cleansing done by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross that has made His people pure and perfect in the eyes of the Father. And although this amazing work has established us as children of the most high God it doesn't preclude us from somes times acting here on earth like rotten, spoiled kids. So it is an antidote to this behavior that we need so that we can live as the unified body of Christ.
Fortunately we have been given the simple prescription Peter's pastoral epistle to the church in 1 Peter 4:
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
The antidote to the inevitable offense that we will suffer at the hands of our brothers and sisters in the church is to love others deeply and serve them faithfully. When we find ourselves offended, especially to the point of breaking fellowship, Peter brilliantly calls us to examine not the offense of others but the degree of our love and service to the offender. This is a love that is not found in us but is provided by the Holy Spirit (in fact is a Fruit of the Spirit) to those who have been regenerated by the Spirit. "Love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sin". May that be the heart of all who attend Mercy Hill. It may not make us a perfect church but it will make us a perfectly loving church which is the most we can hope and strive for this side of heaven.
Immanuel: God With Us
Immanuel is a name for Christ we hear often during the Advent season. It is taken from several prophecies found in Isaiah that we accept as a references to Jesus and then we see it explicitly applied in Matthew 1:23. The name literally means God with us and as such you can see why during Christmas this word is used. I mean what we celebrate that time of year is God, in bodily form as Jesus, came to dwell with mankind. God with us. But it has been front and center in my mind over the last couple of weeks.
It really started with the first week of this current series, Belief Project, as we discussed the Trinity. In that teaching we covered the roles of the Godhead; God the Creator, God the Redeemer and God the Comforter. How each member of the Godhead played specific roles in the redemptive plan of salvation for man. As such I began to think about the role that God the Holy Spirit plays now in the life of the believer and the Church. He abides with us.
And then last week I met with a friend of mine who is planting a church in Milwaukee. He is naming his church Immanuel Community. As I read that at the top of the page it struck me, God with us. As I thought about the Holy Spirit being fully God I was reminded that Immanuel doesn't simply represent the act of God the Son who came and dwelt with mankind 2000 years ago but it declares how God continues to dwell with us by the Holy Spirit. I know that might seem elementary but do we really live in the full understanding that God is with us. When we are sick do we realize God is with us? When we can't pay the bills do we realize God is with us? When we are struggling in our relationships do we realize God is with us? When we come together as the Church do we realize God is with us? We are not alone and God is not far off but God is with us always in all circumstances and all situations. God the healer is here. God the provider is here. God the redeemer is here. God the provider is here.
Immanuel is not just a Christmas word but in the life of a believer anointed by God the Holy Spirit is an always word. God is with us.