What if our Worship Music was as Multifaceted as the God we Worship? (Part 3)

One of my pet peeves as a Christian and as a pastor is that even though we serve and love and worship and trust a God Who is interesting, inventive, and unique, our worship music could hardly ever be described with those same adjectives.

There are three main areas that I find especially saddening given the God we worship. First, we looked at The Lack of Variety in Themes and Subjects. Last post we talked about The Dearth of Poetic Genres in Christian Worship Music. This time we will cover the absence of diversity of musical styles in Christian worship. 

What is the number one joke (that's funny only 'cause it's true) people tell about Christian worship music? It's actually the same as the number one reason I've heard people give for not enjoying listening to Christian music. 

...  "It all sounds the same."

True that. Ok, fine, to be fair there are some exceptions...there are...right? 

Average answer: "uh...there's...uh...yeah, well, just 'cause I can't think of any right now, doesn't mean they don't exist." True. but the fact that many people would face such a difficulty illustrates the problem. 

I know that Chris Tomlin and Hillsong do sound different, but they do in the same way that I thought Justin Bieber was Taylor Swift singing the first time I heard him on the radio. See, just like Bieber and Swift are both essentially pop music, Tomlin and Stanfill are both CCM. They may have some slight differences, but they both belong to the same musical style. 

If we are honest for the most part on Sunday mornings, in many if not most churches in the U.S., we only worship God from within one musical style. Ok, for some the one musical style is "Hymns" while for others it is "CCM," and perhaps for others it is "gospel." But the fact remains that despite the fact that we worship the God Who invented artistic expression including music, and Who radiates His multifaceted nature in the colors of love, justice, wrath, gentleness, power, patience, creativity, and sovereignty, we worship our God in the same musical style week in and week out. 

I'm not suggesting that God is bored (although if we are, perhaps He is too), more like He is being under-worshiped. You see the nature of musical styles is that they typically allow for/generate a limited set of emotive responses, and usually cohere with a limited set of subjects and poetic expressions. 

For example, one style of music is blues, one which brings up and allows for the expression of sorrow, disappointment, and loss. It is given to talking about those subjects, and lends itself to laments. Rap on the other hand allows for the expression of anger, frustration, and even pride (often as a means of pointing out difficulties faced and overcome). This takes the form of boasting, confrontation, and declaration of the way things are. The form is also given to covering a lot of content quickly and memorably. Screamo, for contrast, tends to allow for super angsty, angry, or depressed subject matter, expressed in the form of wailing or screaming, venting raw emotions. 

Yet, doesn't God deserve us to worship Him in loss, in frustration, and in raw unbridled emotions?  Doesn't He deserve to be worshiped for all that He is and does? Doesn't He deserved to be worshiped in a variety of poetic forms? Doesn't He own and deserve all the musical styles to be actively used in giving Him glory through our interacting through them with Him? That's my biggest issue. Our Multifaceted and Totally Awesome God, the Holy Trinity, is being under-worshiped.

The thing is that while we might not always think of different musical styles being that important, the truth is that the absence of different musical styles in Christian worship music may have lots of unintended consequences. It may be one of the big-picture reasons that Christian worship music lacks all kinds of subject matter and many poetic forms. And those lacks may have other connected unintended consequences. 

The lack of musical genres may be one of the reasons that people in many churches feel a deficiency in their worship experience. They need to "have the blues", they need to confront terrible realities, they need to vent their deep emotions to God, but the music styles they are being offered by their worship leaders is to some degree holding them back from engaging with God on the levels they need to. Their personal spiritual growth is being held back. 

Another possible result in the contemporary American church is an overly simplistic understanding of faith in God. In other words, maybe our music is what is reinforcing the patterns of flawed thinking that many people have about God, prayer, and faith. 

And maybe what the researches call "moralistic therapeutic deism" is not merely coming poor sermons, poor discipleship, poor parenting, and poor perspectives coming from the non-Christian world, maybe it is also coming from poor worship. 

It is my hope through this short series that Christians will feel free to worship God about all subjects, in all poetic forms, with all musical styles, so that they can grow in their relationship with God personally, and so that collectively as churches and the Church we will give God the worship He deserves.

Please engage through the comments or share this post with someone who you think would have some good input in the discussion. 

What if our Worship Music was as Multifaceted as the God We Worship? (Part 1)

One of my pet peeves as a Christian and as a pastor is that even though we serve and love and worship and trust a God Who is interesting, inventive, and unique, our worship music could hardly ever be called by those same adjectives.

There are three main areas that I find especially saddening given the God we worship. Today we look at the first, over the next couple weeks, we will also talk about the dearth of poetic and musical genres in Christian worship.

First, unless we are singing about God's love, we Christians in the West seem to not know anything to sing about. Ok, so we also sing about His holiness and sometimes our commitment to Him. That's good, but we are still missing out on worshiping God for His other important attributes. But what could they be? How about His wrath? His Truth? His Creativity?  His Triunity? 

Someone just choked on their coffee and destroyed their keyboard--"HIS WRATH!?! Why would anyone ever praise Him for getting angry? Anger is bad. It isn't nice. I thought God was nice. I don't like thinking about when God doesn't act nice like good people should." 

Ok, well for us in the west, we have believed a lie abundant in our culture that all expressions of anger are bad. Sure, many are, but not all. On top of that, if anyone has a right to get angry at the world, I'm guessing it's the One Who created it to be good and now is watching fill with more and more evil. Make no mistake. Our God gets ticked. Angry. Enraged even. Throughout the Old and New Testaments this has been something that God's people have celebrated, just read Revelation 6, Revelation 11.16-19, or Exodus 15.1-21. 

His Truth and His creativity, subjects of such grand importance one would think that they captured more of our attention given Isaiah 44.6-20 on God's Truth/Reality and Psalms 19 and 139 on His creativity and reality. Not to mention His Triunity, which distinguishes Him from all other so-called gods. 

This subject has come up to my attention again and again throughout my years in ministry. It is pressing in upon me again right now because I am preaching through the book of revelation, which is not really about the love of God. Yet, I want the songs we worship with to resonate with the passage we will be listening to and meditating on. For the past couple of weeks, and for the next couple God's wrath will be the main focus of the passages, so I have looked all over for a song that celebrates God's righteous anger and praises Christ for His coming ruthless victory over all those who oppose Him. I have found this song, written by the worship team at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville. It's called Warrior. FYI the Warrior is Jesus. Please enjoy it. Please leave a comment on your favorite line in the song (or least favorite, if you want to be that person). 

Pentecost Sunday: The Promised and Providing Holy Spirit (Acts 2)

Scripture: Acts 2

Translation: ^{Acts 2.1}And when the day of Pentecost arrived, all of them were together at the same place. ²And suddenly a sound came from the sky like the sound a violent wind brings. And if filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³And tongues like fire appeared being distributed to them. And it settled down on each one of them. ⁴And all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages according to how the Spirit was giving them to speak out.

⁵And there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing men from every ethnic group from all the places under Heaven. ⁶And when this sound came, the huge number of people gathered together and became confused, because each one of them was hearing them speaking in his own dialect. ⁷And they were shocked and amazed, saying, “Look, don’t absolutely all of these people speak the Galilean dialect? ⁸So how is each one of us hearing them in our own dialect that we were born in? ⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites and those who live in Mesopotamia, as well as Judea and Cappadocia, Egypt and the parts of Libya that are near Cyrene, and the visiting Romans, ¹¹both Jews and converts, Cretans and Arabs, we are hearing them speaking in our languages the great things of God!” ¹²And all of them were shocked and dumbfounded, one saying to one another, “What wants this to be?” ¹³But others who were making fun of them were saying that “They’re really just drunk on new wine!”

¹⁴And Peter standing with the Eleven lifted up his voice and spoke boldly to them, “Men, Jews, and all those staying in Jerusalem, Let this be known to you and pay attention to my words. ¹⁵You see, it is not as you suggest “these people are drunk,” because it is 9am. ¹⁶Instead, this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel. ¹⁵“And it will be in the last days, God says, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams! ¹⁸And indeed on My male slaves and on My female-slaves in those days I will pour out My Spirit and they will prophesy! ¹⁹And I will give omens in the sky above and signs on the earth below: book and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰The sun will turn into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious Day of the Lord comes. ²¹And it will be that everyone who will call on the Name of the Lord will be saved!”

²²Men, Israelites, listen to these words! Jesus, the Nazarene, a man who really was endorsed by God for you with miracles and omens and signs, which God did through Him in the middle of you just as you yourselves know, ²³This Person by the determined plan and foreknowledge of God, who was given over, you killed via the hand of lawless people by nailing Him to a cross, ²⁴Who God raised breaking the pains of death, given that it was not possible that He be held by it. ²⁵You see, David says about Him, “I saw the Lord before me through it all, because He is at my right hand, so that I would not be shaken. ²⁶Because of this, my heart is rejoices and my tongue celebrates, but moreover my flesh settles on hope, ²⁷because You will not abandon my life in Hades, and You won’t allow You Holy One to see decay. ²⁸You make me know the path of life. You fill me with joy with Your Face!” ²⁹Men, brothers, I have to speak to you with boldness about David the Patriarch that he is both dead and buried. And his tomb is among us to this day. ³⁰So, because he really was a prophet and knew that with an oath God promised him someone from the fruit of his loins would sit on his throne, ³¹looking ahead, he spoke about the resurrection of Christ that he was not abandoned to Hades and His flesh did not see decay. ³²God raised this Jesus, which we are all witnesses of.

³³So, after being exalted to the right hand of God, and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured This Spirit out, which you both see and hear. ³⁴For David didn’t go up into the heavens, but he says, “The Lord says to My Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand. ³⁵until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet!’” ³⁶So, certainly, all the house of Israel had better know that God made Him Lord and Messiah—this Jesus Who you crucified!”

³⁷And when they heard they stabbed in the heart and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, What should we do, men brothers?” ³⁸And Peter said to them, “Repent and each of you get baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, ³⁹because the promise is for you and your children and all those far into the future, as many as the Lord our God will summon.” ⁴⁰And with many other words he was warning and urging them saying “Get saved from this warped generation!” ⁴¹So, those who accepted his message were baptized and about 3000 lives were added on that day.

⁴²And they were focusing on the teaching of the apostles and on sharing, breaking bread, and prayers. ⁴³And fear came over every life, and many omens and signs were happening through the apostles. ⁴⁴And all those who believed were at the same place and they held absolutely everything as shared. ⁴⁵And they were selling their possessions and properties and distributing them to all according to how someone had a need. ⁴⁶And daily focusing with one mind on being in the Temple, and breaking bread in different homes, they were sharing food with great joy and sincerity of heart, ⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding the people being saved every day to their group.

Interpretation

1.      Structure

a.       The Coming of the Spirit (vv.1-4)

b.      The Response of those in Jerusalem (vv.5-13)

c.       The Spirit-empower Sermon of Peter (vv.14-36)

                                                              i.      Peter Explains the Languages as a Fulfillment of Joel 2 (vv.14-21)

                                                            ii.      Peter Explains Christ raised from the dead, not David (vv.22-32)

                                                          iii.      Peter Explains Christ poured out the Spirit and is Lord, not David (vv.33-36)

d.      The Response of the People in Jerusalem to Peter’s Sermon (vv.37-41)

e.       The Nature of the Early Church (vv.42-47)

2.      Themes

a.       The Holy Spirit

b.      The death and resurrection of Christ

c.       The killing of Christ by the Jews

d.      Languages/tongues

e.       Prophecies interpreted

f.       Calling on the Name of the Lord

g.      Conversion

h.      Church

3.      Doctrines

a.       The Holy Spirit comes from God via Jesus

b.      The Bible is reliable

c.       The Holy Spirit comes on every Christian at conversion

d.      The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts, boldness, insight, and empowerment

e.       The Holy Spirit transforms the human heart

Applications

1.      Outline

a.       The Promised Holy Spirit

                                                              i.      Promised by Jesus (Acts 1.4-5, 8)

                                                            ii.      Promised in Joel 2 (Joel 2.28-32)

b.      The Providing Holy Spirit

                                                              i.      The Holy Spirit Provides Spiritual Gifts

1.      He provided different languages

2.      He provides other gifts too, like leadership and preaching

                                                            ii.      The Holy Spirit Provides Boldness

1.      Boldness to speak up in general

2.      Boldness to say harsh and even dangerous things

                                                          iii.      The Holy Spirit Provides Words

1.      He will give the words we need when we need them

                                                          iv.      The Holy Spirit Provides Insight

1.      He enabled Peter to correctly apply Joel 2.28-32 to His coming

2.      He enabled Peter to correctly apply Ps. 15.8-11 to the resurrection of Christ and not David

3.      He enabled Peter to correctly apply Ps. 110 to the Lordship of Christ not David and in particular to the sending of the Spirit from God by Christ

                                                            v.      The Holy Spirit Provides Incentive

1.      The Holy Spirit is so awesome and should be such a part of our spiritual lives that He naturally comes up in evangelism as an incentive to convert

2.      The offer of the Holy Spirit can motivate people to come to Christ in faith

                                                          vi.      The Holy Spirit Provides Dedication

1.      Dedication to learning and following God’s Word

2.      Dedication to sharing our stuff generously

3.      Dedication to eating together regularly

4.      Dedication to praying consistently

                                                        vii.      The Holy Spirit Provides Generosity

1.      Through Him we can share our time

2.      Through Him we can share our talents

3.      Through Him we can share our money

4.      Through Him we can share our stuff

                                                      viii.      The Holy Spirit Provides Joy

1.      His joy is sometimes mysterious

2.      His joy is always overwhelming

                                                          ix.      The Holy Spirit Provides Praise

1.      He brings the praise of God out of us naturally

2.      He brings the praise of people to us naturally

                                                            x.      The Holy Spirit Provides Unity

1.      He brings people together from all the different languages

2.      He brings people together from all the different places

3.      He brings people together from all the different cultures

4.      He brings people together from all the different backgrounds

5.      He brings people together from all the different statuses

2.      Discussion Questions

a.       What do you think it would have been like to have the Holy Spirit rush on you with fire over your head and different languages coming out of your mouth?

b.      If you had been on the outside looking in, what would you have said about these Jesus-followers?

c.       Before today, did you know God promised through prophecy to send His Holy Spirit on all His people? Why is sending the Holy Spirit so important to God?

d.      How important is the Holy Spirit to your daily life on a scale of 1-10? Why do you say that number?

e.       What places do you want the Holy Spirit to have on your daily life? What is keeping that from happening?

f.       How can you rely on the Spirit while reading and applying the Bible?

g.      Of the 10 things the Spirit provides mentioned in the sermon today, which 2 things do you want Him to provide to you the most? Why? Which 2 things do you want Him to provide the Universal Church the most? Why? 

How God Uses Failure and Helplessness

Scripture: Romans 8.28-39; Matt. 14.22-33; Luke 8.22-25; Luke 22.28-35; John 21.15-19; 2 Cor. 12.7b-10

Translation: ^{Romans 8.28}And we know that for the people who love God, He is working everything out for good, for the people who really are called according to plan. ²⁹[We know] that the people He had a relationship with before time, He also destined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the Firstborn of many brothers. ³⁰And the people He destined, these same people He also called. And the people He called, these same people He also made righteous. And the people He made righteous, these same people He also glorified! ³¹So, what will we say faced with these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²The One who didn’t even spare His own Son, but instead gave Him up for all of us, how will He not grace everything to us with Him? ³³Who will bring charges against God’s chosen ones? God is the One who makes righteous! ³⁴Who is the person who will condemn? Christ Jesus the One Who died, but moreover Who was raised, Who also is at God’s right hand, Who also is interceding for us! ³⁵What will separate us from Christ’s Love? Suffering, or stress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or swords? ³⁶Just like it’s surely written that “because of You we’re being put to death all day long! We’re thought of like sheep marked for slaughter!” ³⁷But in all these things we take absolute victory through the One who loves us! ³⁸You see, I’m convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor demons nor the present nor the future nor powers ³⁹nor height nor depth nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

^{Matt. 14.22}And immediately urged the disciples to get in a boat and go ahead of him to the other side, until He had dismissed the crowds. ²³And after He dismissed the crowds, He went up into the mountain by Himself to pray. And when it became evening He was there alone. ²⁴Meanwhile, the boat was already many stades away from land being tormented by the waves, because there was a hostile wind. ²⁵And during the fourth watch of the night, He came towards them walking on the sea. ²⁶And the disciples, watching Him walking on the sea, freaked out, saying that it was a ghost. And they screamed out of fear! ²⁷And immediately He spoke to them saying, “Get a hold of yourselves. It’s Me. don’t be scared.” ²⁸And in response Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it’s you, command me to come to You on the waters!” ²⁹And He said, “Come!” And getting out of the boat Peter walked on the waters and came towards Jesus. ³⁰But seeing the wind he got scared, and as he began to drown, he screamed saying, “Lord, save me!” ³¹And immediately Jesus reached out His hand and grabbed on to him and was saying to him, “Man of little faith, for what purpose did you doubt?” ³²And when they got in the boat, the wind stopped. ³³And the people in the boat worshiped Him saying, “Truly You are God’s Son!”

^{Luke 8.22}And it happened on one of the days that He got in a boat with His followers and said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out. ²³And while they were sailing, He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down towards the lake and they were being swamped and were facing danger. ²⁴And they came over and were trying to wake Him up, saying, “Master! Master! We’re dying!” And after He woke up, He rebuked the wind and the waves. And they stopped and became calm. ²⁵And He said to them, “Where’s your faith?!” And terrified they were amazed, saying to one another, “So Who is This Guy, that He even rebukes the winds and the water, and they obey Him?!”

^{Luke 22.28}And you are the ones who will actually stay with Me during my tests. ²⁹And I’m arranging for you, just like My Father arranged a kingdom for Me, so that you will eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. ³¹Simon, Simon, look, Satan was demanding to sift all of you like flour. ³²But I prayed for you [Peter], so that your faith would not fail. And you, after you have repented, strengthen your brothers.” ³³And he said to Him, “Lord, I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” ³⁴And He said, “I’m telling you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you deny knowing Me three times!”

^{John 21.1}After these things, Jesus show Himself to the disciples again at the Tiberian Sea. And He showed up in this way. ²Simon Peter and Thomas, called Twin, and Nathanael from Cana in Galilee and the Zebedee brothers and two other of His disciples. ³Simon Peter was saying to them, “I’m going fishing.” They were saying to him, “We’re coming with you too.” They left and got in a boat, and during that night they caught nothing. ⁴And when it was already early in the morning Jesus stood on the shore, although the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus. ⁵So, Jesus was saying to them, “Dear children, don’t you have anything to eat?” They responded to Him, “No.” ⁶And He said to them, “Throw the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they threw the net, and they were not strong enough anymore to pull it in because of the huge number of fish! ⁷So, that disciple that Jesus loved was saying to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So, Simon Peter, when He heard that it was the Lord, tied his outer clothes around his waist, because he was naked, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸And the other disciples came in the small boat, because there were not far from land, but about 200 cubits away, dragging the net full of fish. ⁹So, as they moved out towards the land they saw a charcoal fire set up and fish set on it and bread. ¹⁰Jesus was saying to them, “Bring some of the fish that you caught now. ¹¹So, Simon Peter got up and pulled in the net to land full of 153 huge fish. And even though there were so many huge fish, the net didn’t break. ¹²Jesus was saying to them, “Come on, eat breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” because they knew that it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus was coming and taking the bread and giving it to them, and the fish in the same way. ¹⁴This was already the third time Jesus showed Himself to the disciples, after rising from the dead.

 ¹⁵So, when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus was saying to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He was saying to Him, “Yes Lord, You know that I love You!” He was saying to him, “Feed My lambs.” ¹⁶He was saying to him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He was saying to Him, “Yes Lord, you know that I love You!” He was saying to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” ¹⁷He was saying to him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was hurt that He said to him three times “Do you love Me?” so He was saying to Him, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You!” He was saying to him, “Feed My sheep. ¹⁸Amen, Amen I’m telling you, When you were younger, you were dressing yourself and walking wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands and someone else will dress you and will bring you where you don’t want. ¹⁹And He said this, signaling the kind of death that He would glorify God by. And having said this, He was telling him, “Follow Me!”

^{2 Cor. 12.7b}Because this, so that I wouldn’t get cocky, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, specifically a messenger/angel of Satan, so that he could torment me, so that I wouldn’t get cocky. ⁸I urged the Lord three times about this, that He might take it away from me. ⁹And He was actually telling me, “My grace is enough for you, because My power is best experienced in weaknesses!” So, unexpectedly, I will brag the most happily in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ will dwell on me! ¹⁰Because of this, I will celebrate in weaknesses, in insults, in obligations, in persecutions and troubles, for Christ. You see, whenever I’m weak, it’s at that point I am powerful.

Interpretation

1.      Themes

a.       Failure

b.      Helplessness

c.       Problems

d.      God’s Sovereignty

e.       Repentance

f.       Restoration

g.      God’s plan

h.      Goodness/beneficialness

Applications

1.      Outline

a.       God uses failure for your good

                                                              i.      He uses your own failures for your good (Romans 8.28-39)

1.      Examples

a.       Luke 8.22-25: The Storm at Sea

b.      Matt. 14.22-33: Peter tries to walk on water

c.       Luke 22.28-34: Jesus tells Peter he will deny Him three times, but also tells Peter to later strengthen his brothers

d.      John 21.15-19: Peter is reinstated

2.      Implications

a.       Don’t let a fear of failure keep you from living for Christ

b.      Don’t give up on living for Christ after a failure, even a major failure

c.       Failure will sometimes be unavoidable, because God has planned to use Your failure

                                                                                                                                      i.      in other words, sometimes God will refuse to keep you from failing on some level because He has a plan that includes failure

d.      Don’t lose your failure; Use your failure to glorify God and strengthen others

                                                                                                                                      i.      When you fail, repent from it, and use the growth that God gives you through the failure to serve God and help others

                                                            ii.      He uses other people’s failures for your good

1.      Examples

a.       Gal. 2.11-21: Peter gets rebuked by Paul

b.      Gen.37-47 : Joseph’s Life-story

c.       Christ on the Cross

2.      Implications

a.       Sometimes God will expose the failures of others to prevent us from falling into those same failures

b.      Sometimes the failures of others will be part of a grand plan for your own growth, for your own good, and even for the good of many people

                                                                                                                                      i.      This means that sometimes you will not see the purpose for your own failures and the failures of others for a long time. in fact many years may pass by before you see how God worked it all out for good, and you know what sometimes you might even have to die before you see why.

c.       Sometimes the failure of others is required for us to receive true blessings

b.      God uses helplessness for your good (2 Cor. 12.7b-10)

                                                              i.      To humble you

                                                            ii.      To deepen your faith

                                                          iii.      To reveal His Glory and Power

Illustrations/Explanations

1.      It’s like saying, “hey I failed the last quiz, so I’m not even going to study for this quiz.”

2.      A person who caves in and smokes pot, and then thinks, “o well, I’ve done drugs now, so there’s no reason not to try crack.” So the person tries some crack, and thinks “O well, I’ve tried crack, why not try heroin?”—Why not?! Have you lost your mind? It’s heroin! That’s exactly why not!

3.      In my own life, I was an addict to a particular sin when I was in junior high/high school. No one ever knew, and no one would have ever suspected. But I remember being trapped in it. I would try to overcome the addiction every single day, day in and day out. But literally for years I experienced almost no victory. It got so bad, I started questioning, “Am I even really a Christian? Because all I seem to do is give in to this sin, even when I don’t want to, and even when I fight against the urge to sin hardcore!” But one think I did do was keep fighting. I kept fighting day in and day out for years. And I failed way more times than I would ever like to admit. I didn’t understand. I couldn’t see any good coming out of it. And you know what? I didn’t. not for a long time. but somewhat recently, somehow the topic of all that failure came up in my conversations with God. And the Spirit told me, “Anthony, I was training you to pursue Me day in and day out, with desperation, with passion, with hope, with faith, with love. I used your failure to give you a thriving relationship with Me that will last for eternity!” And I was like, “Mind blown. Whoaaa!” I am the pastor—no, I am the Christian I am today, because like 10+ yrs ago, God refused to answer my prayers for victory in the way I expected. God basically said, “I’ll see your one-time win, and raise you a life-time of wins.” God’s just bawler like that!

5 Steps to Embrace the Risen Jesus Today and Everyday (John 20)

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Scripture: John 20

Translation: ^{John 20.1}And on the first day of the week, Mary from Magdala came early in the morning while it was still dark to the tomb and saw the stone taken away from the tomb. ²So, she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple that Jesus loved, and said to them, “They took the Lord from the tomb and we don’t know where they put Him!” ³So, Peter and the other disciple left and were going to the tomb. ⁴And the two of them were running together and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and he got to the tomb first. ⁵And taking a look in he saw the linen cloths lying there, although he didn’t go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter also came , following him, and went into the tomb. And he was staring at the linen cloths lying there, ⁷and the face-cloth, which was over His head, not lying there with the linen cloths, but folded up separately in one place. ⁸So, at that point, the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, also went in and saw and believed. ⁹You see, they didn’t yet understand the Scripture that it is necessary for Him to rise from the dead. ¹⁰So, the disciples went back to the other disciples [lit. them].

¹¹And Mary was standing outside right in front of the tomb crying. So, as she was crying, she took a look into the tomb. ¹²And she saw two angels in white clothes sitting, one by the head and one by the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. ¹³And those angels were saying to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” she was saying to them that “They took my Lord and I don’t know where they put Him!” ¹⁴After saying these things she turned around behind her and saw Jesus standing and she didn't know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵Jesus was saying to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” That woman, thinking that He was the gardener, was saying to Him, “Sir, if you carried Him away, tell me where you put Him, and I will take Him!” ¹⁶Jesus was saying to her, “Mary.” Turning around that woman was saying to Him in Hebrew, “Rabbuni!” which means “Teacher.” ¹⁷Jesus was saying to her, “Don’t touch me, because I haven’t gone up to My Father yet. But go to My brothers and tell them, “I’m going up to My Father and your Father, and My God and Your God.” ¹⁸Mary from Magdala went, announcing to the disciples that “I really saw the Lord!” and that He said these things to her.

¹⁹Then, while it was early in the morning on that day, the first day of the week, and while the doors were locked up tight where the disciples were due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle and was saying to them, “Peace to you!” ²⁰And after saying this, He showed them the hands and the side. So the disciples celebrated because they saw the Lord! ²¹So, He said to them again, “Peace to you! Just as the Father sent Me, I’m sending you!” ²²And after saying this, He breathed on them and was saying to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! ²³If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven for them; if you hold anyone’s they are held tight. ²⁴And Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one called Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So, the other disciples were saying to him, “We really have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails on His hands put my finger in the place of the nails and put my hand into his side, there’s no way I will believe!” ²⁶And a week later, His disciples are inside again and Thomas is with them. Jesus comes while the doors were locked up tight and stood in the middle and said, “Peace to you!” ²⁷Then He was saying to Thomas, “Bring your finger here and see My hands; bring your hand and put it on My side. And don’t become faithless, but faith-filled!” ²⁸Thomas responded and said to Him, “My Lord and My God!” ²⁹Jesus was saying to him “ Is it because you really have seen me, you actually believe? Blessed are those you don’t see and believe!”

³⁰So, on the one hand, Jesus did many other signs in front of the disciples, which are not actually written in this book, ³¹but on the other hand these things are actually written, so that you would believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that by believing you would have life in His Name!

Interpretation

1.      Structure

a.       The Disciples Run and Find the Empty Tomb (vv.1-10)

b.      Mary from Magdala sees angels and the Risen Christ Jesus (vv.11-18)

c.       Jesus appears in the locked room twice, so that His disciples would believe and know that He was alive, truly raised from the dead, and to send them on their mission with the Holy Spirit (vv.19-29)

d.      John gives a preliminary conclusion: Believe in Jesus as Messiah and God and Have eternal life (vv.30-31)

2.      Themes

a.       Empty tomb

b.      Resurrection

c.       Proof/Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection

d.      Faith in Christ

e.       Jesus is going to the Father

f.       Running/coming/going

g.      Deity of Christ

h.      Witnesses

i.        Holy Spirit

j.        Mission

3.      Doctrines

a.       Jesus physically raised from the dead

b.      Jesus is God

c.       Jesus is the Messiah

d.      Belief in Jesus brings eternal life in Christ.

e.       Jesus is in heaven

Applications

1.      Outline: 5 Steps to Embrace the Resurrected Jesus the Messiah Today and Everyday

a.       Step 1: Care

                                                              i.      Examples of people who cared

1.      Peter and John cared

2.      Mary cared

3.      The disciples cared

4.      Thomas cared

5.      The angels

                                                            ii.      Things that can keep us from caring

1.      Business

2.      Sin

3.      Skepticism

4.      Laziness

b.      Step 2: Believe

                                                              i.      Jesus actually raised from the dead

1.      Proof 1: The empty tomb

2.      Proof 2: The folded cloths

3.      Proof 3: The angels

4.      Proof 4: The eyewitnesses of the resurrection: Peter, John, Mary, Thomas, etc.

5.      Proof 5: All the other miracles and prophecy of Jesus the Messiah

                                                            ii.      Jesus is God the Son

                                                          iii.      Jesus is the Messiah, the Promised and Prophesied Savior and King

                                                          iv.      Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life

c.       Step 3: Rejoice

                                                              i.      Because Jesus is alive

                                                            ii.      Because your sins are forgiven through faith in the Risen Jesus

                                                          iii.      Because new life—eternal life—is yours through faith in the Risen Jesus

                                                          iv.      Because Jesus gave us a mission and the Holy Spirit

d.      Step 4: Worship

                                                              i.      Worship Jesus as our Lord

                                                            ii.      Worship Jesus as our God

e.       Step 5: Go  

                                                              i.      Go out into the world

1.      You will need to be bold

2.      You will need to be diligent

3.      You will need to be determined

4.      You will need to be directed

                                                            ii.      Go out into the world full of the Holy Spirit

1.      Rely on the Holy Spirit for courage

2.      Rely on the Holy Spirit for strength/discipline

3.      Rely on the Holy Spirit for determination

4.      Rely on the Holy Spirit for direction

                                                          iii.      Go out into the world full of the Holy Spirit to Complete the Mission

1.      To bring the Good News of Jesus the Messiah’s resurrection

a.       He is alive

b.      He is God

2.      To bring the Good News of forgiveness through faith in Jesus

3.      To bring the Good News of eternal life through faith in Jesus

2.      Discussion Questions

a.       Do you ever find yourself apathetic? What about? Is there something you are never apathetic about? What about Christ, do you ever find yourself apathetic about Him? Why or why not?

b.      What proofs of Jesus’ resurrection are most convincing to you? Is there any proof you wish you had?

c.       How do you think Jesus being God’s Son and the promised Messiah are related to His resurrection? In other words, how does the resurrection prove that Jesus is God the Son and that Jesus is the Messiah?

d.      Why/how does Jesus’ resurrection matter to you personally?

e.       Jesus gave us a mission to complete by going out into the world filled with the Holy Spirit. What are some things that make it difficult for you to engage in the mission Jesus gave you? what are some things that are hold us back as a group?

f.       How can the Holy Spirit help you to accomplish Jesus’ mission for us? Be specific.

Illustrations/Explanations

1.      Skepticism that you should care is like when you are trying to convince your friend that this one restaurant is awesome, and he’s all like, “uh…I doubt it.” Or like someone who’s never had pizza before, and you are trying to tell them, “hey man, you have to try pizza! It’s so good.” And the guy is like, “no, I’m fine with the food I’m used to.” And you’re like, no way, dude, you got to try it!