Vision Casting (9/12/14)

For those of you who missed last Friday, Zach shared with us the vision for the year, running the race of faith", and what it means for us as individual followers of Christ and as a whole fellowship.  Catch up on his notes here!

Introduction

introduce and read to them the vision for the year: “Running the race of Faith”

• Living out the Christian life and enduring trials and hardships with the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
• A race may be life, or it may be a trial, temptation, battle you are currently facing
• as the body of Christ, we are going to be facing many of these throughout the year, and school is actually just one big trial in itself, but why and how are we going to handle these things?
• Often times we become apathetic in a solution or believe we can’t do it, “maybe this just can’t be resolved” but to me, that just shows that we have given up. When the time comes and you are face to face with the Devil, in however that may be, what are you going to do?  

The Cause - why are we running this race in the first place? If I’m a Christian and I’m already saved, then what are you talking about. why does this matter to me?

• Chap 9: the reason why we are running the race of the Christian Life
• before only the high priest could enter the most holy place in the earthly sanctuary (9:7) and what the high priest did was that he would be the one who would appeal to God for the atoning of sins and make the sacrifices in order to gain God’s forgiveness
• Without shedding blood, there was no forgiveness (9:22) and this is why we had to sacrifice animals beforehand
• So God sent his one and only BELOVED Son to die for us, and it is only by his GRACE that we are living the way we are now. Christ is the mediator for us, more on that later, but He is also the one who grants us grace.
• Christ died for us 9:14 → The blood of Christ who enters not into a temple that is made by man but enters heaven as the most high priest and sacrificed himself for the forgiveness of MAN
• It is Christ who cleanses us, why? look at verse 9:14 - Christ cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God”
• 9:15 - Christ is the Mediator of the NEW covenant that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance
• Mediator → Mediate → to reconcile between two parties → to settle and bring harmony to two parties.
• Therefore Christ is the one who reconciles and makes peace for us with God, he faces God on OUR behalf. This in a sense is the idea of repentance and continuous sanctification (being continuously cleansed and being made holy)
• 9:26-28 - “...but now he has appeared once for all at the end of ages to do away with sin by sacrificing of himself. Just as a man destined to die one, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people”
• Chapter 10:11-17 talks about what we receive from Christ and what WE GAIN from his sacrifice
• after that, it proceeds that the author tells us that, “Where these have been forgiven there is no longer any sacrifice for sin” (10:18)
• this is a clear indication that we should not be living our lives trying to earn God’s grace, trying to earn salvation and earn our way into heaven, we have already been forgiven, so what is next?

The start (“This isn't so bad, i could probably do this!” - the easy and fun part, filled with optimism // with Jesus anything is possible!!!)

• we often are too optimistic in our attempts to conquer our battles and end up going and ‘running’ too quickly without realizing the distance that is left to go

Runners High (“the feeling that you could go on running forever, and you could beat anyone in the world” - easy to fall to pride, and only lasts for so long)

• runners usually go in between here and the previous point for the duration of the race
• it is easy for pride to sneak up onto you and take you down
• often times people push themselves too hard and don’t pace themselves and end up getting the cramps again

A little bit on faith...

• Chp 11: talks about faith, and the heroes of faith (the perseverance through trials in appreciation for the sacrifice)
• Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
• faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things unseen (ESV)
• Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (NASB)
• Chapter 11 talks about all the heroes of faith who were “longing for a better country, a heavenly one. therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared a city for them”
• talks about Moses - He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward”
• what does that mean for us?
• All of these people were commended for their faith but none of them had received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only TOGETHER with us would they be made perfect - 11:39
• not all of them experienced triumph over their circumstances but they were all blessed by God for what they stood and believed for
  

The Finish (The Reward) (Finishing the race and sitting at the winners podium where Jesus is first place)

• Chp 12: Running the race that we are called to (the race of faith of which that is life)
• 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. - 12:1
• called to persevere in faith because this is what is going to carry you throwing the disciplining that God puts you through, as well as to persevere when you are tempted or face to face with sin
• 12:2 - “let us fix our eyes on Jesus as he has already defeated these things as he is the perfecter of our faith” - Jesus is the author and pioneer of our salvation as he demonstrated for us his obedience to the cross in view of what please His father and in view of what would happen in the future.
• Jesus already beat sin and his example is here in Matthew 4
• “and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” - Jesus was exalted being seated right next to God’s side.
• we run the race as the end goal where we may share in his Holiness, so that we may also sit at the right hand and bask in the presence of our Savior, so that we may be treated and loved like how God loves Jesus…… oh my.
• As we become more like Jesus, we are able to fend off the temptations of sin much more easily, therefore allowing us to maintain a constant connection with God without being interrupted by the Devil. Of course, the closer you get to God, that harder it is, but that's for another day…
  
• “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. …You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist.” - C.S. Lewis

• The Christian Life is not easy, but filled with trial and persecution, we are called to be faithful to the end, as we know there is someone who has already done it, and we can use Christ, as the example of the best runner in the race.

running - how to run → see 1 Cor 9:26-27, it requires self discipline.

The Cramps (How are we going to run this race?) - There is no way to complete a race without being disciplined in training and being disciplined by God. There is so often a temptation to give up on what we are doing, what we are fighting for, so easy to cave into sin, but we are called to be disciplined in what we do. When you follow a training plan, you don’t skip a day or a week of training just because you feel like it, you keep going because you know every moment you train counts. what do you do and think when you start to feel the heat?

• Chp 10: the building of perseverance and confidence (it is key that we have this as faith is about having confidence in the things unseen)
• We are to draw near to Christ - “...and since we have a great priest over the house of God let us DRAW NEAR TO GOD with a sincere heart in full assurance of FAITH… having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water (HS). Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for He who promised is faithful. Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, let us not give up on meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching” (10:21-25)
  
• 10:35-38: so do not throw away your confidence it will be richly rewarded you need to persevere so that when you have done the WILL OF GOD you will receive what he has promised.
  
• 10:39 - Identity of those who are saved - we are not people who shrink back, but stand up and fight for what is Good. (this is Christians being put on the line and being harassed for loving Christ and spreading the word, they were being tortured and crucified for the good of the Word)

• The way Hebrews is structured is that it tell us about the the prize and then it tells us a bunch of characteristics, but seemingly with no point to them, why? Well lets look at chapter 12.
• Jesus is the example, and A fathers discipline. it is in preparation of what we are going to be doing as Christians and that is running the race that we are called to.
  
• It is important to recognize that the Lord disciplines “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,  and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” - Hebrews 12:5-6

• In order for us to discipline ourselves, as well as get through the way the Lord disciplines us, we must have perseverance and endurance in what were doing, we can’t just give up, but we must be disciplined in our pursuit of the Lord

• So why should we endure his discipline and endure trials, what does this have to do with the theme?
  
• James 1:2 “[run the race] and persevere trials so that your faith may be made perfect and complete lacking in nothing” → no one is perfect, the only one is Christ , and we will only be made perfect when we are reunited with Christ, therefore the race is until we are reunited with him. → Every hardship that we face and endure and complete makes us more like Christ.
  
• know that God disciplines us for our good in order that we may share in his Holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:10-11)
  
  
• what is so interesting about Righteousness and peace? well lets look at Romans 14:17 and James 3:17-18
• Romans 14:17 - for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit
• when we accept Jesus into our hearts and are baptized, we are blessed with the HS. Therefore, those who accept to run the race, we have the holy Spirit, that means the kingdom is Heaven is here with us right now.
  
• James 3:17-18: but the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, then peace; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the harvest of righteousness
  
• Peace and righteousness is from heaven, so in this sense, the kingdom comes down from heaven. So what does this have to do with the Vision?
  
• When we run the race of faith, we are living the life of a Christian which is all inclusive with the ups and downs; we are endure hardship, face trials, get disciplined by God, and in the end we are rewarded by being able to sit and bask in the presence of our Maker.
  
• What does that mean and why should we run the race then?
• We run the race of faith so that we may inherit the kingdom of God. God disciplines his children so that they may be ready to inherit and receive the kingdom in the here and now. We are here now making the kingdom of God a reality that exists here on earth just as it does in Heaven.
• Heaven will come down to earth → hallowed be thy name...thy kingdom COME thy will be done on EARTH as it is in heaven.
  
• we become kingdom transporters, therefore as we life as Christians, we are people transporting the kingdom of heaven down to earth. how awesome is that?
  
• we are currently bringing the the kingdom down here to earth, and thus we are part of it, it is not something that is going to happen tomorrow or the day after but it is now. we are building the kingdom here and now so that God may dwell with us and rule over His kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven.
  
• So that we may share it, and be a light unto others, we don’t know what or how it may look like in a practical sense, but we are confidence that God will be the one who reveals it all to those who endure these types of situations. It is God who grants wisdom (James 1:5) but only when we ask for it in FULL FAITH.

So now that we know what it means to run the race? What can we do? We’ll running a race involves the body, the Body of Christ.

Trials allow us to be receptive of God's grace and God's love, but it is times like this that produces endurance and perseverance in our faith. By this we are enabled to run harder and run longer in the race we are called to. (Hebrews 12:1). We are called to run a race of self discipline in our actions and in our love (1Cor 9:24) and part of that is training our bodies, both physical and Christian bodies to have self control of our desires and wants. All parts of the body must work together cohesively in the same direction, moving towards, and being led by the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Practical Applications…

• so together as the body of Christ what can we do?

• Prayer meetings - sometimes you feel like you don’t want to go, but are you saying that your work is more important?
• praying is a battlefront, when we pray the devil is not pleased, we must keep pushing forward in this, especially praying for people who are dealing with struggles in their lives as prayer
• are you doubting the power of God to carry you through what He’s already doing in your life? or are you trusting Him to get you through it no matter what because anything you do for Him is worth the sacrifice. He died for you, and you would rather look at a book than talk to Him? Do you really know your Savior?
• DG - this is where the disciplining happens
• CCF Fridays - maybe you’re an introverted person and you don’t go because its too much to handle, what would it look like for you to allow God to handle the people instead of your own energy and your own emotions?
• for the extrovert - what does it look like to be sensitive to other peoples emotions and not be the person driving the conversation? what about praying for someone who seems to be having a bad day?
• When someone has a struggle and is willing to share, are we willing to walk along side and pray for that person then an there? are we there to walk with the person until they overcome it?

• For the individual
• temptations come and temptations go, but where will you run when your are tempted? it is super easy to just sit down and say I quit and just cave, i can relate. but when we face trials of many kinds and overcome them, we are rewarded in that our faith is built up over and over again re: James 1:2.
• give example of running (“I always ask myself, should i stop?”) anyone who runs knows that once you stop, its extremely tough to start back up again and go at the same pace. this is likewise with our faith runs.
• Sharing with a friend - its hard to share, but when the chances come around, are you willing to take it?
• are you willing to stand up for what you believe and what you do?
• Give example of housemates mocking for “Jesus things”
• Trials in life - do we just cave in and give up, or do we keep running? do you push to get over it, and when you can’t push anymore, do you look at yourself in the mirror and give up or are you going to let God be the one that pushes you through?
• what about day to day discpline with your spending time with Christ? When you commit to a time, do you stay committed? Even when it becomes dry, or you get a ‘running cramp’ in your faith, do you stop?

"It's not about making sense. It's about believing in something, and letting that belief be real enough to change your life. It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you." - Shepherd Book

Welcome Back!

Hi CCF! Welcome back to a new year of school.  But not only that but we're excited for this upcoming year and what God is going to do with it.  Check out our calendar for events, we'd love to see and meet you.