New Work Fellowship Podcast

Worship Fools (4/23/2023)

Worship Jesus: It Has Nothing to Do With Volume - Worship Fools (Joshua 6)

Joshua 6:20, "...they shouted as loud as they could...Jericho collapsed..."  It was loud.

Who would go to war with a marching band? Really? Is this a good strategy?  Do you win a war by fighting with musicians? this was foolishness. Maybe it is a reminder that when we come to worship, we are also to surrender our plans, our hopes - and cling only to the Lord. Trust Him. Be willing to be foolish for Him. (Maybe this is the idea behind King David who in worship declares - I can be more undignified than this! And yet, so often it is in worship that we are most refined. It is in foolish abandonment to Him that we find our greatest victory.

Worship Moment: Hâlal

Psalm 159:3-4, "Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory." Could it be that our fear of being seen as foolish makes us miss the blessing and victories that God has in store for us?

 

Wholly Surrendered (4/16/2023)

Worship Jesus: It Has Nothing to Do With Volume - Wholly Surrendered (Exodus 19 - 20)

Worship begins with the surrender of the whole heart to God. It is bringing all we are to the God who is above and beyond all that we imagine. We stand before him in awe and wonder - overwhelmed and undone because of who He is.

Worship Moment: Yâdâh

Psalm 67:3, "May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you." What was happening at Sinai was not about one nation but all nations. Worship is about "extending our hands" until all hands (all nations) come to worship the Lord. all of history is pointing to that moment in eternity, when every nation and every tribe will bow before the King of Kings an praise (Yâdâh) Him.

First Words (4/9/2023)

The First Words of the Resurrected Jesus - First Words (John 20:1-18)

Mary Magdalene lives the Easter story for all of us. All who follow Christ come the way she traveled. At the beginning of her story, she is described as "standing outside and crying."  that is where faith is born. Easter begins in the pain. But we do not have to stay there. What Jesus did for her, he longs to do in you.

• Jesus saw her pain, "Dear woman..." (His compassion is endless).
• Jesus knew her name, "Mary..." (His love is personal. You are not the only one, but it is as if you were).
• Jesus met her need, "Do not cling..." (His provision is perfect. You don't have to cling to your salvation. He does the work. Just surrender. Trust Him).
• Jesus gave her purpose, "go...find...tell" (His plan is for good).
  • He reminds her of the promise, "My Father, Your Father. My God, Your God."

In the coming weeks, come expecting a worship encounter that not only teaches worship - but provides fresh experiences of authentic worship. We all worship. But we do not all worship Jesus. Come in the next weeks prepared to worship Jesus!

The Way Home (04/02/2023)

Jesus and His Final Words: Lived Out - The Way Home (Luke 23:44-46 & John 12:23-33)

 

Here we hear Jesus, the Son speaking to the Father. It is a word of serene surrender and total trust. I put myself in your hands. The truth is, throughout the gospels, if you were listening - you could hear the words the Father spoke to the Son.

Matthew 3:17/ Mark 1:11/ Luke 3:22 - at this baptism, the Father splits the skies to announce His love.

At the Mount of Transfiguration, (Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36) God again calls Him dearly loved - and implores the disciples to listen - give Him your full attention. (Peter recalls the sacred moment: 2 Peter 1:18). Another interesting moment in that encounter is after the disciples heard the voice of the Father - when they looked, they only saw Jesus. Of course, we can only see the Father by looking to Jesus (Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:15).

At the beginning of this final work on the cross, John's gospel sets it up by sharing Jesus' announcement, John 12:23-33: "Now the time has come..." Confidently, Jesus declares that the Father will glorify the Son as the Son does the work of the Father. He will not shrink from that work. And in that moment, the Father speaks yet again (and it is heard by others) - but they think they are hearing thunder. That word is a clear reference back to the moment of Sinai - when God shows up and the mountain is covered by thunder (Exodus 19:16-20, 20:18-21).

God, the Father thunders His love for His Son. Here on the cross, the Son declares His love for the Father.

Both Father and Son speak with one voice of love. And Jesus shows us the way home - entrust your life to the Father.

It Is Finished (3/26/2023)

Jesus and His Final Words: Lived Out - It Is Finished (John 19:28-30)

Throughout the life of Jesus, he is all about the work to be done. In Luke 2:49, he declares as a child on the cusp of growing up, that he has to be about his Father's business. Jesus told us that he can do nothing on his own (John 5:30) - he works the will of the Father. He does only the will of the Father (John 6:38). He told the disciples that he and the Father are ALWAYS at work. Jesus was careful to give to God the Father exactly what was demanded. Isn't that what he taught? Give to God what is God's (Mark 12:13-17)? So, what is it precisely, this work that is finished? It is the work that began in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:9). It is the work that was finished on the cross (John 19:30). But it is the work that will not be culminated in conclusion until we are in heaven (Revelation 21:5-7). There in Heaven, seated on the throne, we hear the echo from the cross, "It is Finished!"

Jesus has done what we could not do for ourselves. He declares it is "paid in full." Are you trying to pay for the debt that He's already paid?

Quenched (3/19/2023)

Jesus and His Final Words: Lived Out - Quenched (John 19:28-29, John 4:1-15, John 7:37-39, Revelation 22:1-3)

There is nothing like thirst to put on display the vulnerability of our human condition. Thirst is a metaphor that permeates the story of faith. From the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai to Samson the great judge, we all thirst. It is a picture of our longing for God. Jesus, however, is the source of a water that quenches every thirst. When you read of his life - and the promise he offers to others - one should marvel at the fact that he was thirsty. Jesus chose to be thirsty. He chose to take on frail humanity. He who is eternal took on the frailty of human existence. To the woman at the well, he offered an eternal spring. She was thirsty and longed for this water. At the great water festival of Jerusalem, Jesus stood up when the waters would have flowed down the streets of the holy city, and he declared that he himself is the source of living water. Water is a picture of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Through baptism, water is the picture of new life, life refreshed. Through the waters of baptism, he quenches our thirst. Like the Ethiopian eunuch, when we come to faith - we cry out, "Here is water!" Water is also our destiny. In John's final vision of eternity, he sees the river of life - flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Has your thirst been quenched?

Coming Out of the Shadows (3/12/2023)

Jesus and His Final Words: Lived Out - Come Out of the Shadows (Mark 15:33-36, Psalm 22)

There are two challenges to consider with this statement of Christ. First, we are most uncomfortable with the idea that God really abandoned Jesus. How is that possible? The Father and the Son are one. The Trinity is one. The great ancient declaration is that our God is One! Let us not move from this too quickly. In Jesus, upon Jesus, or Jesus himself became our sin. God is separate from sin, is He not? Is not the context of darkness (v33), an indicator that He who is the Light - is now experiencing something new, afresh? Something, uniquely dark. The bystanders are watching for something spectacular to happen.

The other challenge is that we too quickly recognize that Jesus was quoting Psalm 22. The way in which Hebrews referenced scripture was to quote the first line. Everyone then knew the total passage. Psalm 22 begins with the heaviness of abandonment, but it quickly turns to confidence in God's deliverance and praise to the Glory of God. Like believers who move too quickly from the darkness of Good Friday to shout the praise of Easter morning - so too we shouldn't just dismiss this as a scripture quote, as if Jesus was saying, "It's all good."

The truth lies somewhere in the middle. What Jesus is feeling here, is not unlike what he felt when he stood at the tomb of his beloved friend, Lazarus. John 11:33-40. There, in Jesus, we too feel what he felt. He felt grief, anger, troubled. The feelings were right. But he doesn't just act on feelings - he steps into faith. "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?" Isn't that what the bystanders wanted to see?

In our own brokenness, grief, sorrow, pain, and anger - at the condition of this world/or the reality of our lives - the feelings are right. But step into faith. Jesus invites us that wherever we find ourselves; to step into the life and promise of what he has done. He does not leave us abandoned as orphans - he invites us to step out of the shadows. By faith, we truly can experience something glorious - even in this dark moment - especially in this dark moment.

All About Family (3/5/2023)

Jesus and His Final Words: Lived Out - All About Family (John 19:25-27 & Matthew 12:46-50)

Of all the sayings on the cross, this is the one that feels most remote to us. Sure, we get that Jesus is taking care of his Mom. That was the duty of the oldest son. He was a good son. But this is so much more than housekeeping instructions. Jesus has radically redefined family.  The family journey with Jesus had its bumps in the road. Remember when his mother and brothers all thought Jesus was out of his mind, and they came to get him? Matthew 12:46-50. Mark tells it a little differently - in the preceding verse, just before telling that story about Jesus, in Mark 3:30, there were some who were... "saying 'He's possessed by an evil spirit." In other words, Jesus, you've lost your mind. Jesus uses that moment to redefine family. He broadened the definition of mother and brother - to include you and me. He opened the door of family and invited us in. No matter the journey you have been on - no matter how family may have stung you - no matter the depth of disappointment or wound - there is a family that awaits you. Jesus invites you to the family.

Choose Paradise (2/26/2023)

Jesus and His Final Words: Lived Out - Choose Paradise (Luke 23:39-43, Luke 16:19-31, John 14:1-6)

The cross is the great divide of all humanity. The two criminals on the cross clearly outline the only two options for eternity. The clear message is Choose Paradise! You have to choose. You get to decide. Are you ready? It is important that you make the right decision at the right time.

This same great decision divide is evident in the teaching of Jesus in Luke 16 - the parable of two men who die. The parable tells us at the end, that there are those who will not believe, even if someone rises from the dead. In other words, the Rich Man and His Five Brothers are sorely unprepared for the choice that awaits them. Now is the time of preparation. Even Jesus taught us that his work in the paradise of His Father's House - is to prepare for us. Jesus prepared. Are you prepared? All through the Bible God urges us to choose life. Have you made your choice? The day is coming when Jesus himself will come to get us, are you ready? Choose Paradise. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is the only way to the Father. Are you ready? Choose Paradise.

The Power of Forgiveness (2/19/2023)

Jesus and His Final Words: Lived Out - The Power of Forgiveness (Luke 23:32-39, Matthew 18:15-35)

Jesus embodies forgiveness. Before he spoke it, he lived it. He taught it. He demonstrated it. It was more than words. And we are to live out that reality in our lives as well. As shocking as these words of Jesus may be at the very start of his crucifixion - his forgiveness quotient and forgiveness expectation - is always shocking. The teaching from Matthew 18 left the disciples with gapping mouths. Peter attempts a reasonable clarification of the forgiveness expectation. I can almost hear him, "say what???!!!" The kind of forgiveness that we need and the kind of forgiveness that Jesus calls us to - is beyond anything reasonable - it is rooted in Grace. When you fully realize that the debt was paid that you could never pay, in order to secure your forgiveness - then you too will show grace and forgive.