Gospel Thanksgiving

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 ESV

John Yun

It is one thing to feel gratitude, it is another to give thanks. One is a feeling. The other is an action. We may have trouble conjuring a feeling. But we can pursue the act of giving thanks. How often is our gratitude directed towards God? How do we give thanks to God?

Pray. Do not confuse it with mediation. Prayer is a conversation. We are not to simply consider what we should be thankful for. We should talk to God about what God has given to us.

How much of our prayer life is asking for things? Do we acknowledge what God has done for us? Do we meet God with a humble heart before it's savior? If our prayer life is only about asking God to give us this, to help us out of this situation, to get us... then something's missing.

We should thank God unceasingly. For every good thing God brings into our lives. If we counted all the things God brings, then we would be praying endlessly. This doesn't mean we have our heads bowed and eyes closed all day. But it is a conscious turning towards God. A God-consciousness. Knowing that God is always present and always involved in our lives.

Why is it so difficult to feel grateful? Children are taught to say thank you, even if they don't feel it. It is the polite thing to do. So it is with the children of God. We don't feel gratitude towards God. This is often a symptom of pride. We don't want to acknowledge that God deserves credit. A proud person feels they deserve a good life. It is a sense of entitlement. The key to deep gratitude is humility. "Every good and perfect gift comes from above..." Every good thing that comes is grace from God. It isn't something we can produce ourselves.

When a child receives a gift for their birthday or Christmas, they jump up and down in joy. They did not and could not have earned that gift. They receive with unbridled joy.

Another reason that we are ungrateful is because we are forgetful and blind. We forget what God has done as soon as he's answered our prayers. We only ask and ask and ask without reflecting on how God has answered our prayers. We don't see how God has been at work...

Finally, the last barrier to thankfulness is anxiety and idolatry. An anxious heart is rooted in feeling that God either doesn't care or will not provide. An idolatrous heart is searching for anything and everything to satisfy except God. Instead of keeping God front and center, we seek satisfaction in other things. We don't think God can or will satisfy.

How do we give thanks when we have all these things going wrong in our lives? Family troubles, relationship problems, trials, struggles at work, health issues... We can always give thanks in Christ. We have a Savior who suffered and knows our troubles intimately.

Gospel Spreading

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.- Acts 11:19‭-‬26 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Every member is on mission (witnessing is priority!)

A great persecution had broken out in Jerusalem. This caused believers to spread out and preach the gospel as they went. Who spearheaded this massive spreading of the Gospel? The disciples were still in Jerusalem. It was the everyday believer. They lived their lives with gospel intention. They didn't want to leave Jerusalem. But even so, they witnessed about Jesus wherever they found themselves.

Perhaps that is you. You find yourself in Philly. But that wasn't what you wanted/planned. You're at a job or school that you're not crazy about. You are living in a neighborhood that you don't really like. But maybe that's where God wants you. He wants you to witness to that supervisor. He wants you to engage that neighbor. He desires that you help at your local school. Are you faithful to the call to make disciples in your current situation/circumstance?

Believers engaged everyone

The church at Antioch reached out to not just Jews, but the Hellenists as well. The church at this time usually reached out to the Jews. But Antioch was very diverse, if somewhat segregated, so we find that the gospel was shared with these wild pagans. What interest could they have in the God of the Jews? It was unbelievable. This is the first place where they were called Christians. Why? Because it was a diverse ethnic group. It was not just Jews, not just Indians, etc.

It is very similar to Philly. This city is so diverse, but also so segregated. Diversity is difficult. It is hard to be in community with those who are different from us. But this is what the church should look like. People of different ethnic, socio-economic status, political affiliation... making up the same church.

And the hand of the Lord was with them

It was the hand of God opening the hearts of people. It was God working through them. All these things cannot come about by our hard work alone. We need God. So we must pray for convicted hearts, kingdom growth, and wisdom & desire to love our neighbors.

Gospel Community: part 2

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.- Galatians 6:1‭-‬2 ESV

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.- James 5:19‭-‬20 ESV

Rev. Dan Whang

Truth telling

Pursuing Holiness through Accountability

Why is gospel community important?

We need to hear the truth. We need accountability. This reminds us of what sin is doing in our lives. It keeps us from drifting away. We do need a personal spiritual life, but that is not enough. We need a community that challenges and confronts sin in our lives.

Gospel community is hard

Speaking the truth in love requires love. We are selfish and harsh. We either don't confront because we don't care what that sin will do. Or we confront them in a harsh manner in order to belittle.

For those being confronted, there can be this fear of judgement. Or this need to defend ourselves. Finally, pride. We don't want to hear other people's feedback on our spiritual lives. Or maybe it's simpler than that, maybe we don't want to grow. Maybe we don't want to change, we're comfortable. Are you okay with your current state of spiritual stagnation?

How do we practically build each other up?

First, we need to realize that this is not a casual activity. We need to pray for God to empower us. For humility; for a selfless love. We must be in his word, so we can recognize sin.

Pray for your heart. If this bothers just you, perhaps you should bear with them. If it affects the community, then ask for another point of view. Not gossip, but rather if whether you discern rightly. Then confront them lovingly.

For those who are confronted, stop and consider the words of rebuke or admonishment. Put aside your pride and consult the word. See if there is truth in what was said. 

Gospel Transformation (Part 2)

Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.- Romans 7:16-‬25 ESV

Dr. John Applegate

A Picture of Addictions

For a layman to preach, one of the best ways to start is to address from where we come. Not to instruct about topics that we know little, but rather what we are familiar with.

Addiction to drugs are much like desire for other's approval. Addicts were seen as people with some sort of moral failure. Why then are we equating pride to addiction?

"Bondage to the rule of a substance, activity, or state of mind, which then becomes the center of life, defending itself from the truth so that even bad consequences don't bring repentance, and leading to further estrangement from God." - Ed Welch

Each person has different desires and natures that makes them vulnerable to various substances, activities... From gambling, drinking, eating, ... etc.

Challenges to Applying the Gospel

We go through these addiction cycles. We're told to apply the gospel, but what does that mean? We don't unpack the gospel and see how it maps and applies itself to each person's addictions and the rest of their lives.

We are aware of our conscious personality, but what of the the subconscious? A picture of a crack pipe, needle, or other drug paraphernalia can trigger the reward center of the brain in 33ms. Too fast for the conscious mind to process, but enough for the brain to start considering the addiction. It's like our addictions know how to bypass the guard at the front gate and go around to the easy back door.

The heart knows both the conscious and the subconscious. It drives them both. It is our core identity that drives our behavior. This is why we often co-op the gospel to drive our own desires and agendas. The Gospel is used and abused, often rationalized as a way to justify our sinful addictions.

The Gospel Path to Freedom

So what then? Are we to be forever stuck in this cycle of addiction? Paul calls us wretched men. And then tells us of our new identity in Christ. What does this mean?

We need to learn several things:

First, there is a fight. Self deceptions are coming. There is an enemy within, foremost among sinners. Prepare to spot the lies that will open the door for other sins to sneak by. We must prepare for the next attack rather than sitting in the dark.

Secondly, we need to know our counterfeit gods in our lives. There are competing desires that keep us from taking in the Gospel. They keep us from tapping into the power of the Gospel when the battle comes to our gates.

Lastly, consider the downsides of our sin. Burn the sweetness of Christ into our hearts. Consider the aftermath of sin, the guilt and remorse. Think of the intimacy we have with God and how this sin distances us from God. We need the pleasures afforded by Jesus to overtake the pleasures of our addictions/sin.

"Faith keeps us laying hold of the grace and mercy of Christ and thereby avoiding despair.  Repentance keeps us facing our ongoing struggle with sin and thereby avoiding pride." - How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp

We are without hope without the gospel of Christ. This is our path out of addiction. Jesus came into our world to identify with the outcast, shameful, and guilty. We need not be afraid, Jesus came for those who struggle with guilt and shame.

Gospel Worship

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.- Isaiah 6:1‭-‬13 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The making of worshippers

Isiah was a prophet during the reign of King Uzziah. He was walking into the temple when he received a vision. He saw angelic beings. These were pure beings compared to humans. So the angels covered the eyes and feet in an act of modesty. God was set apart even from the angels. He is so great that he is on a whole other level. Isiah sees this and he is lost, he is undone. Isiah was considered the most righteous man in his generation. But when he caught a glimpse of God, his sense of self worth and righteousness fell apart. As long as Isiah compared himself to his peers, he could consider himself righteous. But the moment he saw the greatness and righteousness of God, he saw himself as unclean. But God does not come to crush and judge, he comes to save. He sends the angel to cleanse him of sin. Then God asks for someone to go and speak to his people and not be heard. This is a job that nobody would want. Preach and get no response. Speak and be ignored. There is nothing for Isiah to gain from this. Isiah is not coerced. This is grateful response of one who is forgiven by God.

The pattern of encountering of God
. Sees God
. Sees his sin
. Receives grace and assurance
. Responds in grateful devotion
. Given a promise

The focus of worshippers

The story of Jesus is the central storyline of the Bible. Some consider the Bible to be a book of stories. A collection of good moral teachings. But we consider the Bible to be all about Jesus. The Bible is not like a bag of pearls, but rather if we grab a pearl, we will find that we have pulled out a necklace of pearls and Jesus is the centerpiece.

But it is not just the general worship of God. We worship God for his redeeming work through the life and death of Jesus. The gospel is how we focus our worship.

The shaping of worshippers

Why do we need to reminded again and again of the gospel? Doesn't it get old? Why are we called to worship again and again? Worship is where God does a work in our hearts. He is working on our hearts. Why would we need this? Because this world is constantly trying to turn us away from God and to worship other things. We are prone to wander. We are easily distracted from and forget the gospel.

Sundays are important. But we need more, we need daily gospel immersion. More than just worshipping on Sundays, our everyday lives should become a daily worship of God.

The Gospel

And he said, "There was a man who had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them.  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.  And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.  "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."'  And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.  And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.  "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.'  But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,  but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.  It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"- Luke 15:11‭-‬32 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

In the coming weeks, we will be doing a series on the core values of Renewal church. We typically cover chapters of books, but we will be taking this time to visit this topic. This is not only to inform newcomers. It is also to remind and help those who have been here for awhile what it is that we desire. And not only intellectual agreement, but to assess whether we follow through with our actions, time, and resources.

Today, we will be covering the Gospel. We could have chosen many different passages. But I think the story of the prodigal son fits well. This story summarizes the two alternatives to the Gospel: religious and irreligious living. In this case, religious living refers to belief systems & moral frameworks other than following Jesus.

The sons

The younger son represents irreligious living. He asks his father for his portion of the inheritance. This is the equivalent of wishing his father was dead. This is utterly shocking. But the father gives the younger son what he wants. And the son takes this and goes to a far off country to squander everything in wild living. Prodigal does not mean lost. It means wild and excessive expenditure. And how does it end? The son runs out of money and becomes a servant. Not just any servant, but one that feeds pigs. For a Jewish boy, feeding and wishing to eat the food of pigs is absolute rock bottom.

This son represents those who want nothing to do with God. They want good things without a heavenly father. But it only ends in enslavement. They desire these earthly created things above all, but these things cannot fulfill. So they work and work and work, but still cannot find satisfaction. We were created to worship and we will worship even if we run from God. The son is dehumanized. He's living like an animal.

The older son has been working at home this entire time. Hospitality is a big deal. For the older son to not come in is utterly shameful. The older son is angry. He says that "all these years" he has worked hard for the father. This is not anger of the moment. This is a festering resentment. This son did not go to some far off country and squander his inheritance. This son was always so close to the father, but his heart was so very far.

The accusation leveled by the older son is this: "Father, you are stingy towards me. You are not fair!" The fattened calf is like a steak and the goat is like a hamburger. The older son thinks of his relationship with the father in a transactional manner. He is bitter at God. This is how outwardly religious people are like. They appear to love God, but when you peel away the layers they only love themselves. God is only a means to an end. They count their righteous deeds carefully. It inflates their view if their own goodness. This makes them critical of those who do not measure up. Their actions make them seem right with God, but their hearts are so far away from God.

How God treats his sons...

For the younger son, his actions would have shamed both his family and the community. He was planning to ask for his father to make him a servant. The son's actions would have required restitution in this society of shame. The father called for a ring, a robe, and shoes. The ring and robe was symbolic of status and authority. This was no servant. Slaves went barefoot. This is no slave. The father is saying that the younger son was restored to family in every way.

For the older son, the father speaks words of reassurance. The older son may have wondered about his own inheritance. Was the father playing favorites? No, the father said that the older son's place was secure. The older son has the love of his father.

The third son

There is no third son in this story. The third son is the one telling the story. He does what the older son did not. He goes to the younger son in a pig sty and tells him to come home. He takes in the sins of both of the brothers and takes their punishment. Jesus is the righteous son, the older brother in the kingdom. He shares the father's inheritance with those two brothers.

The sons cannot pay the father back. Christians do not act out of fear or for wages/blessings. They serve because they have the love of the heavenly Father through Jesus.

Leaders day '18

What are Renewal Core Values? (And do we embody them?)

. Gospel
. Gospel Worship
. Gospel Transformation
. Gospel Community
. Gospel Spreading
. Gospel Mercy and Justice

Churches can fall into the trap of being gospel centered in name, but not in action. It may appear on the website, but the church isn't driven by the gospel. What we are seeking is a Gospel centered culture. And who drives culture? Leaders.

Gospel-centered Leadership

. Humble Confidence

Confidence without humility is oppressive to those not leading. The leader knows everything and imply there is only one way to do it. Humility by itself is always focused on their own failings. They are always listening to others. But gospel leaders are called to walk a middle ground with both confidence in Christ and humility in their personal abilities (1 Cor 15:9-10).

. Invites Critique

As we pour out in ministry, the last thing we want to hear is criticism. But we are sinners with blindspots, so should welcome critique. Leaders should be quick to listen. And not only that, but even badly given critiques should be humbly considered. We should not discard it based purely on the packaging.

. No "Game Face"

With positions and titles in the church, there are those who will serve but don't want the title. We don't want the expectations. There are standards for these positions. There is always a gap between the standard and our lives. This gap will always exist. The problem does not lie in the gap, but in our comfort with this gap. We become comfortable with the gap between our personal lives and the responsibility of our position. This is spiritually perilous.

What does this peril look like? We don't shared our weaknesses or struggles. We only share "safe" things. The leaders teach those under them to hide their sin.

So what should it look like? We should share our failures. We don't minimize the sin. But we don't hide it. We put a spotlight on it and ask for prayer. When we do this, we highlight the greatness of Jesus. We don't glorify ourselves, but our God.

. Restfully Ambitious

We aren't always busy working. But we also don't want to completely lose any ambition for God's kingdom. We need both motivating and moderating grace. We need grace to fire us up and also grace to cool us down. We need to both serve and rest in the church.

What does it look like when it goes wrong? We start to get our sense of identity from what we do. We are workaholics in ministry or some other area of our life. We can't rest properly. Or we can't say no to people who ask for help. We may have savior complex. (Psalm 127:1-2)

One possible application may be to take a media fast daily. Don't use your phone first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Bring your fears to God. Find a quiet time for God.

. They marinate in the Gospel

When fears come up, they preach the gospel to themselves. When self centeredness comes up, they consider what God is concerned with. When we peel back the layers, people should find the gospel. Regardless of the ministry, when people encounter us, they should find the gospel at the very heart of those who lead. It should be found in our speech, our actions, in our personal lives.