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Jesus came to reveal the Father and bring the Kingdom and invites you to be a part of it. Following Jesus means that people are going to be mean to you, but that's a sign that you're on the right track.
Message Notes 16/06/2024
There might be pain in the past but there is hope in the future. Keep moving forward
Hebrews 12:1-3
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
It's Father's Day - my late dad met God in a moment and turned his life around - completely different! All of our cars over the years had Bible verses on, and some found it offensive!
“A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” 1 Peter 2:8
Jesus is either a rock to build upon or a rock of offence - because it touches pride, performance, and self, and brings conviction.
The world has a vision of what living is, and so does Jesus. The world tells us all kinds of lies, and there is a prevailing narrative that if you do good things you will go to heaven, if you do bad things you will go to hell.
Jesus came to bring the Kingdom Matt 4:17), and reveal the Father (John 14:9) - and salvation is a gift, not earned!
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24
His teachings are no prescriptions to go to heaven but rather descriptions of what you begin to look like when you are part of the Kingdom.
Matt 5:11-12
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you
Q1 - How do you feel when someone says something mean about you?
I feel angry, hurt, wanting revenge!
Q2 - What do you find challenging about what Jesus says here?
How do you rejoice when insulted?
Persectuion will come!
Q3 - What do you find encouraging about what Jesus says here?
There is a reward in heaven!
Persecution is proof that you are on the right track!
The proof is in the persecution!
The self that Jesus proclaims is so grounded that it can consider persecution a blessing
Thank you enemy; you are giving me proof that I am a child of God
NB Persecution here is not because a cause, or doing silly things BUT because you are like Jesus. When you follow him, you carry his light, the darkness can't stand the light
If you try to imitate Christ the world will praise you; if you become Christlike it will hate you. Richard Rohr
John 15:18-21
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me
The world system is broken, full of lies and limitations, and does not know the Father.
When you believe in Jesus, you no longer belong to the world, but to the kingdom of heaven. You are not slightly different, but completely different. You know the Father.
16 June is a commemoration of the youth that suffered during the evil apartheid regime - a world system that is limiting and oppreseive
Fathers Day - in SA 45% of children have absent fathers - the trend going the wrong way - apartheid. Children who have unsupportive or absent fathers have a higher likelihood of poor mental health compared to children whose fathers are involved. International studies have shown that the country is unique in the extent that parents are absent from children’s daily lives Families form the foundation of norms and values for children and are responsible for behaviour patterns being passed down from one generation to the next. In South Africa only 42% of children live with both of their biological parents, 38.6% live with their biological father and 20% don’t live with either of their biological parents.
Source UCT Children Count
Deloitte and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fun Report 2023
Jesus came to show us what the Father is like, the way to the Father who is full of love, grace, compassion, slow to anger, and sets people free from oppression, bondage
God's calling you to stand up and make a difference - to show people, Jesus, to show people the Father. it's going to cost - but the proof is in the persecution
Watch this message that Rory Dyer shared at Urban Life Church last week at the Youth Conference - in light of Father's Day and Yout Day
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