Tag Archives: community

The Cost of Christianity [Sermon Notes]

“The Coming Received”
Series: “The Coming”
Tim Boettger
Orchard Hill Church

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God has shown mercy and kindness to all people everywhere.

We will talk about what it means to receive the coming of Christ.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God GAVE his son!

God has given the gift of his son, and that’s why we give gifts to each other at Christmas.

Along with giving comes receiving.  We get to receive the gift of Jesus.

Of all of the things Jesus was given to us for, he was sent to bring us to the Kingdom of God.

For all of this to come about, Jesus had to help us deal with the problem of sin.

Matthew 1:18-21

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yetdid not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Some people like to receive gifts, others don’t.  Sometimes it depends on the gift.  Story of Tim giving his wife gifts:

Tim likes to give gifts that solve problems.  He thought his wife could use a boost in the kitchen, so he gave her some gifts to solve the kitchen problems.

Tim gave his wife an apron as a gift and she didn’t like it.  Nor the food processor or a vaccuum.

Tim’s wife does not care for gifts that solve problems.  She would rather receive a gift to simply enjoy.

Story of another gift: The football visor

During the football season, Tim’s son, Ike, would get bruises and cuts on his face from players poking at him after being tackled.

Ike’s aunt gave him a visor to put on his helmet as a gift.

This gift was to protect his face from being poked after being tackled on the field.  A gift that solved a problem.

You and I have a problem of sin.  We have a tendency to do things that we shouldn’t do.

Envy, jealousy, lust, many things…

Romans 7:21-25

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

The greatest challenge humanity faces is the challenge of sin.

Jesus was given to solve the problem of sin.

He came to earth to save people of their sin

Acts 4:12 – Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

When we open up the gift of Jesus and receive it, we are receiving salvation.

Jesus himself bore our sin as our Savior.

When we receive Jesus, we receive him as savoir.

Jesus also came to earth to be with us as God/Lord/King

Matthew 1:22-24, 2:1

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When Joseph sees and understands the gift of Jesus, he surrenders his will to God.

The Magi, seeing the star in the east, came to give gifts, bow down, and worship Jesus as God.

The Throne of Jesus in our lives:

Jesus is in authority.  He is the King of all Kings, Lord of all Lords, everything has been submitted to Him.

Over 90% of Americans say they are Christian.

What this means is that we receive Christ for what he did on the cross, but we also receive Christ as authority of their lives.

Too many people believe you can accept Jesus as Savior, yet still remain seated on the throne with authority to themselves.

When Tim married his wife, Kris, he received her.  But in receiving her he doesn’t say that she can’t be the daughter of Bill and Jan Dailey.

When Tim receives his wife, he cannot say he won’t accept her as the sister of Karen, Kendra, and Karla.  Because that is who she is!

Tim receives her for who she is.

You cannot say about Jesus, “I accept him as Savior but I don’t accept him as the Authority or King…”  That is who he is!

To receive the gift of Jesus is to unwrap the package of Emmanuel, God with us, as King, Lord, and Savior.

The reason many of us struggle with this though is because we want to be our own God.  So we battle with Lordship or Authority with Jesus.

To be a Christian is to say, “God I surrender to you.”

Christianity has a cost to it.  And you must count the cost.

King Herod did not welcome Jesus as king

Matthew 2:3  -  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Herod used the wise men as a scheme to kill the King.

Herod wanted the power and authority to himself.  The coming of a King was a threat to his life.

I wonder where Herod is today?

To receive Jesus is to receive him as Savior and to receive him as King/Lord.

John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

You can’t just receive half of Jesus.  We’re called to receive him as who He is.  Savior and Lord.

Who sits on the throne of your life?  You? God?

Colossians 2:6-7 – 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

To receive Jesus, it is to receive the grace and authority of God in our lives every single day.

God Inside of You [Sermon Notes]

“The Coming Promised”
Series: “The Coming”
Kurt Vander Wiel
Orchard Hill Church

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God wants to be with us.

He desires this.

It’s a theme all throughout the Scriptures.

God likes us and He wants to be with us.

The Bible foretold Jesus’ coming.

Because of this, God is not surprised or shocked about what is going on in your life.

Kurt has a tendency to be anxious.  A bad habit.  Especially this time of year:

Anxious about money – That’s a lot we’re spending on gifts!  Some of that money could be used for different things.

Anxious about making everyone happy – Constantly rearranging the pieces to make sure that everybody is happy

Anxious about making all of the calendars sync – We’ve gotta make sure that all of our schedules are squared away and it works for us to get together.

Anxious about what we do when we gather – Now that we’re all gathering, what do we do?

Anxious about not knowing the future – What will the upcoming years look like?

Story: The staff working on a project together

A lot of energy and fun with the co-workers who were on the project together

One employee left the room and comes back to a “funeral scene.”  The air had been sucked out of the room.

Kurt had tripped a discussion about “Financial Armageddon…”  Not a good thing.  Very tense.

We don’t know what’s ahead.  But we can focus on what we do know!

Some things we know:

God will want us to be with Him
God will want to be with us
God will not be surprised
God will want to work through us to restore things
Eventually all things will be renewed

God’s Plan to Dwell with His People

God will want us to be with Him

God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden.  He wanted to be with them.

Genesis 3:9 – When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Right after man fails and blows the relationship, God says, “Where are you?”

He wanted to be with them.  He knew where they were, but he called out to them to bring them in.

You ever have your kids do something wrong?  You want to bring them in, get them close.

That’s what God was wanting.

God will want to be with us

God directed Moses to gather fine material to create a tent-like tabernacle.

Exodus 25:8 – “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.”

God wanted to be with His people.  This was the way for him to dwell among the people.

Exodus 29:45-46 – Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, 46 and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.

God tries so hard to be with us.  To dwell among our lives.

John 1:14 – So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

God will not be surprised

Whatever is coming, God is already there.

Whatever will happen, God has seen it.

There are Old Testament Prophecies that were fulfilled:

Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:22-23

Micah 5:2 & Matthew 2:1

Jeremiah 31:15 & Matthew 2:16-18

Hosea 11:1 & Matthew 2:14-15

God sees the future as if it is the present.  We can take faith in this.

Whatever you’re worried about, God is already there.  “Come on in!”

This is a part of God’s plan to dwell with us.  In a tangible way, through Jesus.

God will want to work through us to restore things

Jesus taught upside down Kingdom and restored people.

Ephesians 2:22 – Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

You are becoming a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  This is amazing!

God has built you as the place where he lives.

Not only does God want to be with you, he wants you to do work through him.

Eventually all things will be renewed

Revelation 21:3 – I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.

God will be with His people

Reading the biography of Steve Jobs:

Steve was dedicated to Eastern philosophies – Fasting, meditation, seeking a spiritual teacher

Some of these ideas are appealing – Becoming an empty vessel, detaching from anxiety and feelings of the world…

But there is something more appealing in the Scriptures: To be a FULL vessel

God doesn’t want you to be empty, but full of him

God is on a mission and has invited you to be a part of it

The end of the story is a full vessel overflowing of God.

Reasons Why I’m Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!  Yesterday I wrote about why we should be thankful and challenged you to write a list of twenty reasons to be thankful.  I believe this is a valuable activity to do any time of the year.  Here’s my list.

  1. Jesus – He’s the reason there is hope for today.
  2. Liz – My wife is my best friend.  I’m thankful we celebrated five years of marriage together this year.
  3. My kids – CC, Vera, Miko, and Cooba: Thanks for the incredible joy you bring to me every single day.
  4. Mom – Thanks for making Sunday lunch for the whole family every week and for making the commitment to ‘Grandparent Wednesdays’
  5. Dad – Thanks for arranging your schedule to pick-up the kids from school every Wednesday and to be with them for the day.
  6. Siblings – Alex, Tony, and Haley: I’m thankful that we live near and get to see each other regularly.
  7. New Family Member – Mark: I still haven’t gotten used to my sister having a new last name!  Thanks for being a man of God and for your commitment to care for my sister.
  8. Extended Family – It’s a blessing to continue our large holiday gatherings and reunions.
  9. The Church Family – Church isn’t a building, it’s a people.  We’ve been blessed by some amazing people this year.
  10. Friends – We enjoy sharing life together and navigating its twists and turns.
  11. CHAOS Volunteers – Thanks for making a difference in the life of a junior high student through this weekly ministry
  12. Lindsey Bakker – Thanks for being my junior high small group leader.
  13. Work – Both Liz and I are blessed to have jobs.  Flexible ones as well.
  14. Teachers – Thanks for encouraging my kids each day and helping their development.
  15. A House – We have a wonderful home for family and friends.
  16. St. Louis Cardinals – Great joy from the World Series this year!
  17. Transportation – We have two vehicles that fit our family of six.
  18. Serving others – Through mission trips and local opportunities, it is a blessing to be able to serve other people.
  19. Learning – There are many resources at hand to continue to learn about anything.
  20. Treadmill – My exercise escape.

It is easy to see that there are many reasons to be thankful!

Question: What are some things on your list?  Click here to comment.

Stuffing Happens

Pardon the Thanksgiving pun, but it is true.  When families get together to celebrate, stuff happens.

Growing up, Thanksgiving Weekend was the highly anticipated Turkey Bowl on the Patterson side of the family.  Maybe your family has this too where you out to the yard and have a “family friendly” football game as a part of the celebration.  This was my highlight of the holiday.

The Turkey Bowl with my brothers and cousins was more than just for fun.  It was about pride.  And as far as I was concerned, this game was bigger than the National Championship and Super Bowl.  Combined.

Unfortunately, I think more games ended in crying or fighting than they did with an actual winner of the game.  I remember one year my mom said, “I don’t think we’re going to let you play football this year.  It doesn’t end good for anyone.”  That was the horror of horrors!  We had to play the game!

As a parent now, and having semi-retired myself from the Turkey Bowl, the lesson I have learned from looking back is this: Kids will be kids.  Even on a holiday.

I’m sure my parents would have really enjoyed a fight-free football game.  But my brothers and I bickered all the time as it was, why would the holiday be any different?  And it was only amplified with cousins around!

There is nothing wrong with having behavior expectations for Thanksgiving Day and talking about them beforehand.  That’s actually a good idea.  But be realistic and reasonable.  If misbehavior does happen, resist public reprimand or humiliation and handle the matter as privately and quietly as possible.

I think the same applies to teens.  For some teens, spending a full day with the family is the equivalent of a death sentence.  They might want to get out of the house as quickly as possible to go hang out with friends.  Try to avoid the “I hate you, Dad” scene by being proactive and talking about the expectations ahead of time.  It’s better for everybody.

Be creative, have fun together, and celebrate.  Don’t expect perfection and remember, “stuffing happens.”  You have the power to determine your attitude and that will go a long way.

Question: What is one of your favorite Thanksgiving memories?  Click here to comment.

Excited About the First Time

Taylor Mason is a hilarious comedian who is a Christian.  His entertains with comedy, music, and ventriloquism.  The show he brings is absolutely hilarious and he has a fantastically clean performance.

I’ve been fortunate to see Taylor’s show half a dozen times.  The downside of that though is that I’ve seen him so much that I know his jokes and can, at times, predict what is coming.  It’s still funny, but it’s not as funny as it was for me the first time.

What I really enjoy now is going to Taylor’s show with someone who has never seen him perform before.  Someone with fresh eyes and open ears.  Someone who is salivating with anticipation for the next joke.

When I watch Taylor’s show with someone who is experiencing it for the first time, it comes alive.  I begin to recall my first reaction to the show.  The show is more enjoyable when being slapped on the shoulder by a first timer who is busting a gut over the comedy.  Even if you’ve heard the joke before.

Remembering the first time is important but first-time memories often fades away.

Remember the feeling you had on the first day of junior high?  Your first date like?  The first time you bought a car?  Your first job interview?  Your first day at the new job?

Chances are that day is more memorable than today.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Today can be memorable as well!

If you’re a first timer, engage an old timer.  If you’re an old timer, mix it up.  Connect with a first timer to gain a fresh perspective.  Share your ‘old timer’ wisdom with a newbie and experience the moment with a fresh outlook.

A journey is exciting!  Let’s not miss out on the thrill by simply growing accustomed to its familiarities.

Question:  What is one of your significant ‘first times?‘  Click here to comment.