Consumed-Do you want more?

I love to be comfortable, don't you? I like the colder winter months because I am a cold-natured person and I enjoy dressing warmly in layers and sitting by the fire. It's in our nature to want to find a comfortable place and stay...even if staying there in the long-term is not good for us.

Think of the people of Israel...they got comfortable in Egypt even though they were slaves! They longed to be free but once they got out in the desert...freedom was a bit uncomfortable. In Egypt, their slave masters fed and provided for them, but in the desert they would have to depend on an invisible God to provide for their every need.

God led them out of Egypt, through the bottom of the Red Sea, and into freedom in the wilderness. They were all smiles until the reality of life in the desert set in...and yet I think God wanted to speak to them in their discomfort. They were away from what they knew, what they had always depended on, what had been reality for many generations. 

Their hearts were turned towards God because of their deliverance from slavery and the Egyptiian army, but God wanted more. So he leads them to the foot of Mt. Sinai in order to deliver the 10 commandments to his people.

Moses led the people up to the mountain to hear from God...

Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.  Exodus 19:17-18 NIV

It was a game changing moment. God brought them all the way out in the desert to be able to speak a new work into their hearts. This is one of the pivotal moments in the Old Testament. We still live by the commandments He spoke to the people in their place of discomfort. God took his relationship with His people to a whole different level. He gave them more of Himself.

What would it look like in my life and your life if God was to take us to a place that is no longer comfortable for us? How would we respond? Would we be longing for more of God?

Do we want more?

Consumed-Coming for His bride

Consumed-this word describes how God feels about us and His church. He loves us with a consuming love so much so that He has promised to return for us.

But, what exactly is Jesus going to return for? Let's look at Revelation 19:6-8

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come,and his bride has made herself ready. 

He is coming back for His church, the bride of His choosing!

We are the bride of Christ and Jesus is returning for us. But are we ready for His return?

Downtown Fellowship and Bethany Church are God's plan for spreading His message of love in our community, our nation, and around the world. We have always been the plan. He has no other plan.

In order to be ready for His return, we need to make ourselves beautiful, beautiful as a people and beautiful as a church. Beautiful churches can become centers of hope and healing, a real source of truth and meaning...and a truly beautiful church can transform its community.

Let us commit today to continue to be a beautiful church that transforms our community and shines the light of the gospel message for all to see!!

Have you been Downtown?

Consumed-The Hope of the World

This past Sunday, we started our new series entitled Consumed. This series is a three week look at the vision we have for Downtown Fellowship and Bethany Church.

The crux of this series is the idea that God is very passionate for His people and for the church, the Bride of Christ. Deuteronomy states it this way...

Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:23-24 NIV

God so desired to have a relationship with us that He invaded our world and brought us life through Jesus' death and resurrection. He mae a covenant with the ancient Isrealites and He has made a covenant with us in Jesus. If we have surrendered our hearts and lives to Jesus an trusted Him as the Lord and leader of our life, then we have the promise of eternal life in Him.

But this is not enough for God...He wants our hearts completely. He is jealous of any part of our world that divides our attention and takes away from our devotion to Him. He desires to have this relationship with all of his people, so He created the church as the vehicle of the gospel message throughout the centuries. He first mentions this idea to Peter...

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18 NIV

From the very beginning, God has always intended for the church to carry His message of hope to a lost and dying world. Bill Hybels in his book Courageous Leadership changed my life with the statement "The local church is the hope of the world." The local church is the hope...not the Boy Scouts, not the government, not civic organizations, and not even excellent para-church organizations...but the church.

This idea is both beautiful and frustrating at the same time since the American church seems to be losing its influence in our culture. All across our country churches have either plateaued or declined over the past 30-40 years. Unwillingness to change, lack of evangelistic ferver, infighting and disunity, and a loss of vision are just four reasons why we have seen this trend.

Here at Downtown Fellowship the vision is simple: Making, Being, and Unleashing Disciples of Jesus Christ. 

How will we accomplish this?

By making sure Downtown Fellowship and Bethany Church really is the hope of the world.

Our Primary Resolution

As enter into the new year, Downtown Devotions returns full-time after a break for the holiday season. As we look forward in 2014, there is much to be excited about! 

God is clearly at work among us at Downtown Fellowship as each week we are blessed by His presence. Looking back at 2013, it is awesome to think of all God has done in our church this past year. From transition of leadership, to the expansion of ministy, to the launch of our second service at 9:00am, it is obvious that we have been richly blessed with God's leadership and guidance every step of the way.

We have seen growth not only numerically in both services but I sense a renewed hunger among us to know God more deeply and to see His kingdom alive among us. After all, this is God's destiny for each of us...to become more and more like Jesus each day.

For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son..those He predestined, He also called; those He called, Healso justified; those Hejustified, He also glorified.  Romans 8:29-30 NIV

So let us all recommit to be 'conformed into the image" of Jesus during this new year...let this be our primary resolution-to bring God glory with our lives an to help bring other to experience His redeeming love.

I am privileged to be the lead pastor here at Downtown Fellowship and so thankful to serve at a church that believes in prayer, that loves as Jesus has called us to love, and that desires to see God work miracles among us that we could never take credit for!

Thank You God for blessing us beyond measure this past year. Please come and take Your throne among us during this next year. Work Your miracles among us! Yes, Lord Jesus, come! Amen.