Gift of God's Guidance

For me, the most fascinating element of David's story that we looked at this last Sunday in 1 Samuel 30 was his immediate inclination to seek God's guidance in his desperate situation. With his home burned to the ground and his family carted off by the Amalakites he didnt simply turn to his sword and his army to avenge his loss. He turned to the revelation of God.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”.  (1 Samuel 30:7-8)

As I explained this last week, the ephod mentioned in this passage references the breastplate of the high priest upon which precious stones were affixed. Two of the stones, attached above the high priest's heart, were known as the Urim and the Thummim and they were used to determine God's direction. There is great mystery surrounding how these worked but with Urim and Thummim meaning "light" and "perfection" the implication was clear; God was perfectly illuminating the path of His people. The paths of His people who turn to Him for guidance. 

In the age of the New Covenant, in our time following the redemptive work of Christ, God has continued His commitment to providing direction to His people. He has graciously given the Church the gift of guidance by His Word and His Spirit and these two work in conjunction one with another. God's Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reveals God's way for His people, a way that is revealed to our hearts by His Spirit at work in us. In addition Christ sent the Holy Spirit after His departure from this world to serve as comforter and counselor, "guiding us into all truth". This is the interactive role of God's Spirit giving personal direction to the believer always in concert with His Word. Seek after the wisdom of God's Word and inspiration of God's Spirit and you will be amazed at where they will lead you.

As mysterious as the Urim and Thummim, God's inspired Word and His powerful Holy Spirit hold God's direction for the believers life. May we be as committed to seeking God's guidance in the midst of turmoil as David.

Right Thinking

            The primary purpose of the teaching at Mercy Hill is to communicate the ultimate truth that is inherent in the Bible. Our goal is to preach, teach, sing and discuss what we know to be true from the revelation of Scripture. But this approach is unpopular with many churches.  Many pastors are far more concerned with being perceived as brilliant self-help gurus than about communicating the truth of who God is. Rather than being faithful servants of the church and purveyors of the Gospel they become virtual PEZ dispensers of cheap, self-serving, advice capsules.

            The communication of Biblical truth is foundational to any Gospel-focused church.  Of course, the goal is not to be right just for the sake of being right. Rather, we promote faithfulness to truth as essential to the daily walk of the believer. As the old adage goes, “right thinking leads to right living”. In essence, if you think rightly about who God is you will begin to live rightly. This is because the relationship between God and His children is different than any other relationship you can experience. As we learn and experience who God is we begin to understand the depth of His love for us. The kind of love that led the Father to choose us as His children (Eph 1:4-5). The kind of love that led Jesus to the cross (Rom 5:8). The kind of love that leads the Holy Spirit to pray for us with groans that cannot be uttered (Rom 8:26). After we are exposed to this love we are forced to make a decision: Will I reciprocate the love that God has demonstrated for me and live my life in light of what He has done or will I ignore the wooing of the Holy Spirit and pursue my own short-sighted pleasure?

            Ultimately, understanding truth is what drives us to live a life that is pleasing to God: a life of service, sacrifice and sanctification. Once the Holy Spirit moves that truth from a head knowledge to a heart understanding we are able to experience what Jesus described in John 8: you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Film & Theology: "The Book of Eli" on 5/12

Film & Theology events are evenings where we watch a film followed by an exposition and discussion of the film’s cinematic and philosophical elements. It’s a time to enjoy film with others as well as we dive deeper into what storytellers have to say through the art of cinema. At Mercy Hill, we believe God is the ultimate storyteller and within us is a yearning toward narrative; either to create or to partake. 

Film & Theology is a way for Mercy Hill as a community within a community to embrace and enjoy culture as well as cultivate culture. Film & Theology also uses film to identify Jesus’ presence (and lack thereof) in the religion that is pop culture. I hope to see you there!

"The Book of Eli"
Saturday, 5/12 @ 7:00 p.m. in Bay View

• THIS MONTH'S MOVIE IS RATED R for some brutal violence and language.
• For more info about the film, click here.
• For more info about the event, email info@mercyhill.org

What Does it Mean to be "Yoked"?

 ¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

2Corinthians 6

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers." What does that mean?

I know if you've spent any time in church at all you have probably heard someone say, "don't be unequally yoked with an unbeliever," and almost exclusively that reference is made in the context of dating or marrying a "non-Christian". But is that it? Although I think that it is Godly wisdom to avoid such relationships and that this concept is included in Paul's admonition I think when we limit it to this application we miss so much of what God's Word is trying to teach us. 

As is often the case context is everything. The historical context is that Paul is writing to the Corinthian church and he's not trying to confront some rash of devotionally "mixed marriages". He is writing to a church that has struggled with being sucked into ideas and practices that are counter to sound Gospel teaching. They are connecting with and adopting the belief systems of those around them who don't know Christ and have not conformed to Christ-like principles. As David Guzik says in his commentary on 2 Corinthians it is about influence:

It really applies to any environment where we let the world influence our thinking. When we are being conformed to this world and are not being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2), we are joining together with unbelievers in an ungodly way. This speaks especially to the issue of influence. Paul is not suggesting that Christians never associate with unbelievers (he makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13). The principle is that we are to be in the world, but not of the world, like a ship should be in the water, but water shouldn't be in the ship! But if the world is influencing us, it is clear we are unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 

There is another interesting contextual note that leads us to an understanding that Paul is confronting the adoption of anti-Christian philosophy as the real issue. When Paul chooses the word "yoke" it carries with it, in a first century mindset, the idea of philosophical teaching. You see, as young Jewish men would come of age they would tend to find teachers, or rabbi's, who's interpretations of the Torah they would follow.  Each rabbi had their own added commandments and regulations and a rabbi's own particular interpretation of the Torah was called that rabbi's "yoke." When Paul makes this reference he's saying "you can't yoke the teachings of Christ to the teachings of those who are driven by a worldly philosophy, they are incompatible."

This teaching is not simply about being married to an unbeliever but it is a warning to all Christians to make sure we are not melding our Christ given "yoke" with a "yoke" born of worldly values. A Gospel born philosophy of selfless love and sacrifice with a "yoke" of greed, pride, self pleasure and preservation. This is a warning that I think is particularly poignent in our American church culture. May we adopt Christ's "easy yoke" and reject the corrupting influences of worldly philosophy that is found far too often in the hearts and churches of American Christians.  

Chosen for His own... but why?

As the primary worship leader at Mercy Hill, many of you have heard me share the idea that our worship is more than a song on a Sunday morning.  In all honestly, I realize I probably sound like a broken record.  But the brief moment I take to share my heart between two worship songs is hardly enough time to give this idea the weight it deserves.  

See, as a follower of Christ- as someone who has been chosen by HIM to follow HIM- my life now takes on new LIFE. My life is now filled with a new aim, a new goal, a new purpose.  I no longer live life toward my sinful desires or even, simply, my own ambitions.  Rather, I live my life to accomplish my purpose in God.  

And what is my purpose in God?  WORSHIP.  TO PROCLAIM HIM. 

The last few weeks, we in the youth ministry here at Mercy Hill, affectionately known as UPRISE, have been studying through the book of 1 Peter.  This week we came to 1 Peter 2, and although I've read it many times, this week the simplicity of my 'calling' or 'purpose' in God was renewed.  

^"9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

As Peter writes these words to the persecuted and scattered Church, he’s encouraging them to take heart in who they are: God’s chosen.  And they’ve been chosen to proclaim who God is and what He has done: to worship.  Worship not just with words or a song on a Sunday, but in Spirit and Truth- with heart and deeds.

So, no matter what circumstance you find yourself in today, take heart.  If you have been awakened to the beauty and truth of the Gospel, trust that it was God’s doing and choosing.  And He chose you to proclaim His excellencies: to live in WORSHIP.  

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

Join us this Easter weekend. We'll have services on Friday and Sunday!

We'll start Friday with our Tenenbrae service in Bay View at 6p.

BAY VIEW | Sunday

08:30 a.m. - First Service

09:15 to 10:45 - FREE family portraits

09:45 a.m. - Complimentary Breakfast

10:45 a.m. - Second Service

LAKE COUNTRY | Sunday

09:15 a.m. - Complimentary Breakfast

09:15 a.m. - FREE family portraits

09:45 a.m. - Service

We look forward to worshipping together with you this Easter weekend.

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

Building or Being? If you've been around Mercy Hill for any length of time, you've heard us talk of being the Church and not building a church. This is not simply some cute catch phrase adorning our website, but rather something that helps direct us as we plan events and start new ministries. To me, BEING the church is about glorifying God in all we do, living in unity within the congregation, meeting each other's needs and building one another up in Christ, and living-out the Gospel in our homes, workplaces, and communities. And the ministries of the church is what helps facilitate the being the Church. That's it. But often times, the ministries of the church are thought of as ways to grow or build the church, and most often, this is thought of numerically. We ask questions like, "What can we do (what ministry can we add) to attract more people; to increase giving?" That's "building" the church mentality. The funny thing is Christ said that HE would build HIS church (Matthew 16:18). It's not our job- that's His job. Our job is the being. We simply do our best to create an atmosphere where we can truly be the radiant Bride of Christ that He is building. Through things like the Sunday morning service, the City on a Hill Outreach, Greeters, Hospitality, Children's Church, and Gallery Nights- we are engaging in opportunities to glorify God, build-up one another, and reach out to a lost and hurting world. BE THE CHURCH. Please join with us today as we focus our prayers on the ministries of Mercy Hill Church. Pray that God would provide all that is needed for us to effectively be His Church: His Holy Spirit, His wisdom, compassion, humility, our participation, and finances.

FERVENT: Government

Praying for our government is really never at the top of our list, is it? Scripture urges that "...supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." (I Timothy 2:1-2) In a time when we are bombarded with messages from the right, the left and everywhere in between, it's easy to get cynical, disparage or belittle the government because we don't agree with their points of view. However, regardless of where we stand, scripture lays out that we are ambassadors of Jesus. We aren't called to disobey our goverment and we must respect and subject ourselves to the law of the land (Titus 3:1-2). The other night, I was reading Bible stories to my 16 month old and we came accross the story of Daniel. I was reminded of what a great example we have in Daniel as that amabassador who intercedes no matter the opposition. In Phillipians 3:20, we find an important verse that reminds us that "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.." So regardless of the political spectrum, as we pray for our goverment, we pray as ambassadors that together, our leaders may lead us in a peaceful, godly and dignified way through Christ, Jesus.

FERVENT: CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Heb 13:17-19 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Whenever the Bible gives an instruction it’s because the instruction is needed. The people in this church were groaning about their leaders. It says here about those men who were leading, “for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give account.” So whether or not the people appreciated them, these leaders were going to stand watch. The instruction to the people here is to bless the leaders by not grumbling and groaning. The writer asks for prayer too. Prayer for what? That he, the leader, would be restored to them again! So here we have a people who are groaning about their leader and yet the leader’s desire is to be with them. This make me think about Jesus and His desire to be with me. Look what the next verses say! Heb 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Jesus desired to be with me so He spilled His own blood as a sacrifice for everything that was and is wrong with me, my sin. My God is seeking my good which is to do His will in which I’ll be pleasing to Him. You see, these leaders were men who understood the gospel of grace that is in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Just a few verses previous the writer of Hebrews wrote about how the people should consider the lives of their church leaders. Heb 13:7-9 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, The leaders at this church wanted the people to understand and know the grace of God towards them. The writer suggested the people watch the lives of their leaders to see their faith and way of life they had following Jesus. They taught the Word simply without complexity of weird doctrine; but instead taught about the grace that is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ really is the same yesterday and today and forever full of grace towards us the great Shepherd of our souls…our souls…what did that first text say, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls.” That is the heart of Jesus and so that is the heart leaders have had worked into them by Him to be His “watchman” in His church.

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.