Bad Christian news swirls quickly! – MinistryWatch

• Unity is necessary for the church (people don’t vote on the facts… they vote on their friends or who they like)
• Unity is gained slowly and lost quickly
• Division: Pride, sin (sexual, money, jealousy, bitterness), heresy (false teaching), legalism (judges others, religious), primary and secondary issues & distrust.

 
PRACTICAL COUNSEL
PHILIPPIANS 4
2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I also ask you, true partner (deacon or elder), to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side (they were involved in ministry, what role?), along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life.

• They are believers… probably mature believers.
• Conflict can start at leadership.
• The issue doesn’t matter because it is not mentioned.
• Paul is saying these two women need a mediator… this is what Jesus did. (1 Timothy 2:5 - For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,[1])


• Two sides have to agree on two things:
  • 1) we will meet &
  • 2) we will do what the mediator tells us… based on trust.
• Sometimes this is needed in a marriage… sometimes in a divorce with kids.

 

• Anxiety… dealing with issues
• Right now, nearly 40 million adults (18 and older) (19.1% of the population) are living with a serious anxiety disorder.
• According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, this disorder is highly treatable, but only around 37 percent of those affected actually receive treatment.
• “Anxiety disorders cost the US more than $42 billion a year, almost one third of the $148 billion total mental health bill for the US.”
• THE POINT: Life causes anxiety
• What causes anxiety? (non clinical definition) – Anticipating the future, in the worst possible scenario… and freaking out about it.
•    1) It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and you force it to happen
•    2) You wear yourself out to the point of anxiety.
• Causes of anxiety: Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
• Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
• Family history of mental health problems
•  Screen time (24 hour lifestyle, facebook, e-mail, cell phones),
• On average, the generational cohort born in and after 1996, dubbed "Gen Z," watches of 7.2 hours of video on their screens per day.
• With content constantly available, many Gen Zers find themselves "doomscrolling" on TikTok and Instagram.
• Smartphones and social media have become ubiquitous, and algorithms condition young people to stay glued to their phones.
• Strategically curated feeds coupled with doomscrolling can be detrimental to mental health, not to mention a major time sucker.
• Traffic (license numbers should be cell phone numbers), fractured family systems (holidays), lonely, isolated, financial pains, works 60-80 hours a week, success (have to perform even more), strained personal relationships (family, co-worker, roommate)
• How do you know you are stressed? Unusual mood swings, anger, depressed, exhausted, fragmentation, disassociation or withdrawing, body changes (tongue), paranoia & suspicion, weight gain, panic, panic attics, insomnia (mattresses with instructions), too frequent use of substances: alcohol, drugs, diet coke, caffeine (Starbucks), comfort foods, general irritability, reckless driving, change in sexual desire, health related issues, irritated bowel syndrome, ulcers, victim mentality, shopping sprees and unnecessary spending (what do I need?)
• Time magazine says you need: behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, antidepressants, minor tranquilizers, exercise, eat properly and alternative procedures such as yoga, aromatherapy & acupuncture.
• Does God have anything to say about anxiety?

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Paul knew you would question this, so he said it twice) 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

• Only 21% of men say they received emotional support from a friend within the past week, compared to 41% of women, according to a 2021 survey by the Survey Center on American Life.
• Similarly, just 25% of men say they've said "I love you" to a friend recently, as opposed to 49% of women.

6 Don’t worry about anything,

• What if I have a good reason… Paul was in prison and possibly to be put to death… he gets it)
• What is worry? The Greek word translated “anxious” (careful) in Philippians 4:6 means “to be pulled in different directions.”
• Our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart!
• The Old English root from which we get our word “worry” means “to strangle.”
• If you have ever really worried, you know how it does strangle a person! [2]

but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true,

• Dr. Walter Cavert reported a survey on worry that indicated that only 8 percent of the things people worried about were legitimate matters of concern!
• The other 92 percent were either imaginary, never happened, or involved matters over which the people had no control anyway.[3]

whatever is honorable, whatever is just,

• Worthy of respect and right.

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.

• You come to Church this morning and you hear encouragement from the Word of God.
• Tonight, you end your day watching the Grammy’s, Tulsa King, 1923 and Mayor Kingstown and what are you going to be dwelling on when you go to bed.
• You’re going to be dreaming about Taylor Swift, Lizzo and Beyonce shooting each other in long dresses over a bag of weed and then end up getting killed in prison.
• Or you can dwell on moral excellence and have the potential to sleep peacefully.
• Either we yield heart and mind to the Spirit of God and practice right praying, thinking, and living;
• or we yield to the flesh and find ourselves torn apart by worry.[4]

9 Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.[5]

• The result is that the “peace of God” guards the heart and the mind.
• We experience “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1); and the “peace of God” takes us a step farther into His blessings.
• This does not mean the absence of trials on the outside, but it does mean a quiet confidence within, regardless of circumstances, people, or things.[6]

 
What do you do?
It is a lifestyle issue… It is a mindset.

• Michelle does the iPod.
• Keith… Connie reads the Bible to him.

 
Paul’s list of encouragement to the church
        1) Anchor your joy in Jesus… not circumstances. (Reasons to complain or reasons to rejoice; rejoicing cultivates a heart of hope)
         2) Respond gently/reasonably… I DEMAND!!! FREAKING OUT… chill out
         3) Jesus is always with you… He never leaves you… when you are lonely
         4) Prayer allows you to be conversational with your Savior. Who do you call?
         5) Choose to be anxious about nothing… sometimes it is a difficult battle.
         6) Meditate… mentally… stay focused on Jesus. Think… dwell… in order to respond.
         7) Live according to the Truth you know rather than your anxiety
         8) Plug into the church… we do this as a community… walk with each other.
         9) Accept the peace of God… it is a gift from God that you already have.

Paul writes this to the church because he loves them… and I tell you these things because I love you.

• I’ve responded both ways… one way I typically regret… the other way I have learned to rest.
• I’ve learned to say “I love you” more.

[1] Christian Standard Bible (1 Ti 2:5–6). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 94). Victor Books.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 95). Victor Books.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 96). Victor Books.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Php 4:2–9). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 95). Victor Books.

Luke 12
BEWARE OF RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY
1 Meanwhile, a crowd of many thousands came together, so that they were trampling on one another. He began to say to his disciples first,

• He was teaching the disciples first… and actually in front of the multitude.

“Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

• Hypocrite – one who is concerned about cleaning up the outside but doesn’t have a heart change.
• Power of sin wants to accuse me of being a hypocrite.
• People don’t come to church because they believe we are hypocrites.
• Leaven – It is the change agent in a dough product that causes it transform and rise while it is in a state of rest.
• Leaven is a neutral term until it is attached to a result.
• Good leaven or bad leaven.
• Like leaven, hypocrisy begins very small but grows quickly and quietly.
• As it grows, it infects the whole person.
• Hypocrisy does to the ego what leaven does to bread dough: it puffs it up
• Soon pride takes over and the person’s character deteriorates rapidly.[1]

2 There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, nothing hidden that won’t be made known. 3 Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

• Whatever your sin is in the dark… it will eventually come out into the light.
• Hollywood, politics, churches and businesses are proof of this.
• #CTPA – Countdown to Public Apology
• Baker Mayfield – Heisman Trophy Candidate – antics on the sideline.
• In the same way… The Twelve might be tempted to cover or compromise the truth so that neither the crowds nor the Pharisees would be offended[2]
• Jesus said, “Let your light shine!”

 
FEAR GOD
4 “I say to you, my friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear!

• If this is the only two verses to draw conclusion who God is… then this is bust!
• But Jesus is saying, “Don’t fear the Pharisees.”
• They are not the ones to be afraid of.
• The fear of God is the fear that conquers all other fears of man.
• The person who fears God… fears nothing else.

6 Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. 7 Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

• These two verses are completely opposite concerning God.
• You do your thing and God is going to take care of you.
• The men were all thanking me for their meals this week… and they were good meals.
• I thanked those who helped financially.
• The real thanks is to the Father.
• He provided all the resources to His workers this week.

 
ACKNOWLEDGING CHRIST
8 “And I say to you, anyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God, 9 but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. 10 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

• Applies to the generation of Jews who were under the leadership of the Pharisees and lawyers.
• The rejected Jesus as the Messiah and died in 70 AD

11 Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.”

• Adrian prayed one of the most beautiful prayers for our meal on Friday night.

 
THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 “Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?”

• Inheritance can split families.
• Was Jesus denying Himself to be a judge?
• Was Jesus asking under whose authority was He made judge?
• Exodus 2:11-15 - 11 Years later, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 Looking all around and seeing no one, he struck the Egyptian dead and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your neighbor?”
• “Who made you a commander and judge over us?” the man replied. “Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

Then Moses became afraid and thought, “What I did is certainly known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well.[3]

• Moses was rejected as leader of the Jewish people the 1st time he came.
• Moses came a second time and led the Jewish people out of captivity.
• Jesus was foreshadowing based upon stories they as a Jewish people treasured.
• The Jews wanted Jesus to serve them rather than save them.

15 He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

• Pharisees based their faith upon the amount of possessions they owned.
• A judge appointed by man is concerned about earthly possessions.
• A judge appointed by God is concerned about the heart.

16 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’
21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

• You can work harder… but just know what your end purpose is for.
• You can store up your treasure here on earth or store up your treasure in heaven.
• People who are satisfied only with the things that money can buy are in great danger of losing the things that money cannot buy.[4]
• This team that went with me to Houston finished and stood back and looked at what they had accomplished.
• I don’t believe a single one of them thought, “Look what I/we did.”
• They all looked and probably honestly said, “Wow, look at this. Look what God did this week for this family. Thanks for using us.”
• And by us… we mean the whole group… even those who stayed behind to pray and financially support the hands and feet.

 
THE CURE FOR ANXIETY
22 Then he said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear.

• Similar to Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5-7

23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? 25 Can any of you add one moment to his life-span by worrying? 26 If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 28 If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith? 29 Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. 30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. 32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

• This was totally opposite of what the Pharisees taught.

Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• Cure for Anxiety?
• Quit worrying about “stuff”.
• Is it stuff that is causing your anxiety?
• Stuff is stuff… worrying about stuff is just another ploy to steal your joy.
• Some have made bad decisions about stuff and worry is a constant struggle.
• Learn to trust God with what you have been given.

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 219). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 219). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ex 2:11–15). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 220). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Ezra – Nehemiah Timeline
         - 465–425 BC - Artaxerxes Reign
         - 464–446 BC – Construction in Jerusalem stopped (Ezra 4)
         - 444 BC – Artaxerxes sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2)

“At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.”

Nehemiah 2
         - Have you ever been overwhelmed with fear?

         - Court etiquette required those in the king’s presence to have a cheerful countenance;
         - thus, sadness on his part could lead to his dismissal.
         - Alternatively, Nehemiah may have feared for his life.
         - If Artaxerxes suspected foul play, Nehemiah could be imprisoned or executed.
         - It is also possible that the king might be unwilling to grant his request.
         - Nehemiah waited months, and the crucial moment had finally arrived.

         - Ancestral tombs were universally respected throughout the ancient Near East, especially among the nobility and royalty.

         - Nehemiah returns to Susa after 12 years in Jerusalem, suggesting he requested a 12-year leave of absence (5:14; 13:6)

         - The Persian province “across the river,” referring to the area from the Euphrates to Egypt, which included Syria-Palestine.

         - Ezra (7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31)
_________________________________________
         - 444BC now
         - Time enough to gather supplies

         - Nehemiah’s governorship effectively took away any authority the governors had over the region of Judah.
         - Their hands were tied.
         - Israelites were permitted to regroup, fortify & build strength.

         - Ezra’s caravan also rested for three days following its journey to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:32)

         - A donkey is more probable since it is quieter than a horse.

         - Temple mount – 144,000 Square Ft. 20 football fields.
         - Probably located near the southwest corner of the city, opening into the Hinnom Valley (Gehenna).
         - Probably destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.
         - This the place in the city where they came to the wall and dumped their… dead bodies… and it constantly smelled.
         - Jesus and others often referred to this place in comparison with eternal punishment of the wicked.

         - Pool of Siloam… south of temple.
         - Same pool that Jesus told the blind man to wash the mud out of his eyes.

         - Kidron Valley – East side… where Jesus traveled with his disciples from the Passover to the Garden at Gethsemane.

         - Each individual is likely the governor of his respective region.
         - Together, they represent the nations surrounding Jerusalem and the territory of Judah on all three sides—Samaria to the north, Ammon to the east, and Arabia to the south (the Mediterranean Sea borders Judah to the west).

         - Nehemiah is claiming that the opponents of the Jews have no civic, legal, or cultic rights in the Jerusalem community.[1]

Nehemiah not only had the backing of the King…
But he had the confidence that God had favor on him.
It is “knowing”… that carries you through fear.

[1] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ne 2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.