Fervent Prayer Week: Led to Repentance
Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Romans 2:3-4
Fervent Prayer Emphasis Week
SUNDAY, JANUARY 27 - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2
We will seek the heart of God during this time dedicated to prayer. The week will include a special daily prayer focus, a prayer gathering, and daily devotionals posted on our blog.
Little Dresses for Africa | Saturday, 1/12
Saturday, 1/12 9a to 12p at Bay View location
Join us as we gather together to sew dresses for the Little Dresses for Africa missions group. If you have any materials or supplies that could be helpful, bring them along. For more information, contact the church office at bayview@mercyhill.org or 414-755-6772
Ecclesia Semper Reformanda
Today is Reformation Day and it commemorates the day Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis on the door at Wittenberg setting off, finally, the protestant reformation. Every time I think of the Reformation I am reminded of the phrase "ecclesia semper reformanda", the church always reforming, and it challenges me to remember the call to daily reform both individually and as a church and the call to reformation always reminds me of a "pre-reformer", Jan Hus, and the image of Christ.
In 1402 Jan Hus was appointed the pastor of Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, Czechoslovakia and it was at that place that he began his journey calling for the reformation of the church that ultimately ended in his being burned at the stake. You see, on the walls of the chapel there were paintings contrasting the behavior of the Popes and Christ; the Pope rode a horse; Christ walked bare foot. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet; the Pope preferred having his feet kissed. Hus was so moved by the images of Christ that he had no choice but to call to the most “spiritual” in his society and condemn their betrayal of those images.
Seeing Jesus
The book of 1 John opens with the testimony of John's personal relationship with Christ:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us...
John wants people to know he met Jesus and really knew him. It is the testimony of his personal experience but it's the change in his life as a result of this meeting on which he focuses. He says, "I met Jesus and because of that I need to proclaim Him to you. I want you to know that you can know this same Jesus and in knowing him we will have fellowship together, we will have fellowship with God and we will be cleansed of our sins finding joy, complete joy". I point this out because it is so instructive how when John saw Jesus it compelled him to show Jesus to others.
To experience Christ, to see Jesus, inevitably leads us to want others to experience Him and the more we know Him the more we want others to know Him. I believe one of the reasons we in the church move away from showing others Christ is because we have moved away from seeing Christ. Often times when we first come to know Jesus we are excited for others to see Him too but over time we move from the central focus of Christ onto other things. We get too caught up in actions and practice and methods and turn from the face of Christ. We abandon the central focus of Christ and His Gospel life embracing behavior modification and good advice and as such lose an enthusiasm for others to see Him too.
John had that every day experience with Jesus, he walked with Him daily, talked with Him daily, gave his life to the pursuit of a relationship with Him and as a result his central desire was that others would know Him too. His focus wasnt on building a bigger church or better life but helping others see Jesus.
If we keep our focus on the face of Jesus, if we approach His word with the intention of having Christ's image daily impressed on us we will not only see Him more clearly but we will help others to do the same.
Friend's Day in Lake Country This Sunday
This Sunday is our annual Fall Friends' Day in Lake Country and also kicks off our new series BELOVED, a study of 1 John. Make sure you are there with a car-load of friends!
Receive Power
As I prepared my message last week I was particularly moved by the correlation between the gift of Holy Spirit power and the mission of God's people as described in Acts 1.
It's a fairly common verse that we all have heard but I wonder if we get the powerful implications of Christ's admonition:
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The most often emphasized element of this passage is the calling. Christ tells us, "Be my witnesses, not just at home, but throughout the world." There is no doubt that this command is central to the mission of the church but I fear for many this direction by Christ has become far too sanitized. The word that is translated as witness is the greek word martys. Just a quick reading should give you a clue to the magnitude of this calling. This is where we get our word martyr. The Websters dictionary defines it like this: one who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles; one who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle. We Christians so often blithely go about our lives, "living as Christians" and inserting a message of Christ when the opportunity arrives and consider that a fulfillment of being witnesses but the command to martys is so much greater then simply this lifestyle. It is to martyrdom. For all. Now, we might not be stoned like Stephen or beheaded like Paul or burned at the stake like Jan Hus but we are all called to lay down our lives; to die with Christ, as Paul puts it in Romans. The commitment to Christianity is not simply about a prayer or joining a spiritual community but an active sacrifice of personal will, comfort and purpose. The Christian walk has become far to cheap a calling and when that is the case we don't really understand the role the Holy Spirit must play.
When you understand Christ's charge to the disciples, to us, to be martys you really understand why he told them to go to Jerusalem and tarry until the Holy Spirit came upon them. You understand more clearly why Christ said he had to leave so "the Comforter", God's Spirit, could come. They needed, we need, the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill this calling. Francis Chan wrote a great book about the importance of the Holy Spirit entitled "Forgotten God" and the premise that motivated this book was the belief that many in the American church have forgotten the Holy Spirit's vital role in the believer's life. I agree with his assessment and I believe one of the greatest contributers to this condition is how unaware we are of the great sacrifice, and even suffering, that is required to follow the path of Jesus. We have made Christianity too cheap and too easy in an attempt to make it attractive.
If we are going to truly be His witnesses, His martys, we will need to receive power. May we seek the power of the Holy Spirit and may it manifest in our lives and in our church.
Powerful Humility
This last week's message was on the 6th prayer in the series "Dear Father... Pastoral Prayers for Mercy Hill" and it was the prayer of humility:
Dear Father, we pray this morning that we would turn away from spiritual pride. That we would be convinced of the destructive nature of arrogance in the heart of the believer and the life of the Church. May the image of Christ's humble Gospel inspire us daily to emulate his service and sacrifice. Father, may our deepening love for Christ produce a true love for others.
As we were studing the foundational importance of humility in the life of the believer and community of Christ that is expressed in Philippians 2 I was struck by Paul's emphasis on the depths of Christ's example of humility.
When you look at verses 1-4 Paul aggresively is calling the church to unity. He says if you have "any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy," then be unified. He is essentially saying if you get this "Christian thing" at all, be unified. Now, when you look at the state of most churches in this day and age, with the commonality of division and politics, you are immediately struck with what a large challenge this calling is for us as Christ followers. But as is often the case, Paul provides the means by which this is acheived; humility through a Gospel call that empowers us.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Paul is saying look to the example of Christ's Gospel humility, be conformed to that image and the church will find unity. But look at the intensity of humility to which we are called; "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS." It's like humility that causes death isnt enough, he has to remind us that it was a death on the cross. For many of us, 2000 years removed from the ancient image of the cross, we might not understand the significance of that emphasis but I believe Paul is trying to call the church to a humility that is so counter to our humanity. You see, Paul is emphasizing the unfair brutality of Christ's humbling. A death on the cross was reserved for criminals, for those who's punishement was well deserved. It was brutal and painful and was meant for those who earned it. Christ humbled himself, preferred others, sacrificed his rights even when he didnt deserve it, even when they didnt earn it.
I can't tell you how many times I have been called into the middle of disputes between brothers and sisters in Christ and heard the defense, "I didnt deserve to be treated that way. I was nice and generous and he took advantage and mistreated me. He's the one at fault not me!" We as human beings, especially as Americans, are great defenders of our personal rights, advocates of personal fairness but when we are only willing to reconcile, to exercise humility, to prefer others when it fits into our sense of justice we will not find the unity to which Paul is calling us.
May we be conformed to the image of a humbled Christ, even Christ on the cross.
Worship Experience | This Saturday 8/25
Pizza @ 6p
Worship @ 6:30p
Join us for a time of worsip at our Bay View location, prayer and reflection. We'll be serving free pizza at 6PM. Worship will start at 6:30PM. For more info contact Pastor Kevin at 262-672-9996 or kevin@mercyhill.org.
Water Baptism Postponed | Now Sunday 9/9
Sunday, 9/9 at 12:30 PM
Summer Gallery Night on Friday, July 27
- Doors open at 7:00p. Music starts at 7:30p.
- Questions: contact kevin@mercyhill.org
Broken Systems
Releasing joy into the life of the believer requires releasing our infatuation with and dependency on the brokeness of this world. As I said this last Sunday the first step to releasing Godly joy into your life is to stop believing that broken vessels can contain your joy. We no longer live in Eden and when sin entered the garden the world became a broken place, full of broken systems, populated by broken people. The more we turn to those broken vessels for our joy the more we will discover frustration and anger robbing us of Godly joy.
One of the "broken systems" I mentioned, to which we often turn, is the arena of politics. In this political season I wanted to share a quote from this week's message that I feel will be helpful to carry with us into this fall and beyond:
I love this country and even knowing it’s imperfect past, still believe it is the most perfect exercise in freedom this broken world has ever produced, but my true freedom was not written in any constitution, was not won by any nations army, was not secured by any court and is not maintained by any legislative body. My freedom was written by the hand of God since before the dawn of time, was won by Christ at the cross, secured by his resurrection and is maintained by God’s Spirit. Whether in a theocracy, democracy, dictatorship or socialist state the joy of my freedom can not be eradicated here in this world because the joy of my freedom is not from this world.
My prayer for all believers is that when we face defeat in the political word we don't become desperate and when we secure victory we don't cling to a false hope. May our joy always be rooted and grounded in the eternal victory Christ won on the cross.
Bay View Beach Clean-Up
Bay View Park is one of the natural jewels of our lakefront. Many of us use the paths for jogging, biking, walking the dog or just enjoying the beauty of nature. It offers a welcome relief from the noise of every day life. Unfortunately, some areas of the beach are in trouble from an abundance of trash. From cigarette butts to bottle caps to random pieces of plastic, Bay View Beach (particularly the south side) needs help.
We would like to ask for your help to maintain our neighborhood beach. This will not be a major workout – you can listen to the birds, watch the waves crash against the shore and visit with your neighbors while picking up a few items that shouldn’t be there. Volunteers often enjoy beautiful sunsets and once saw a waterspout move across the lake. This is a great opportunity to enjoy nature while helping nature.
Summer Splash in August
Invite your friends, neighbors, and grandchildren to join us for this year's Summer Splash kids' camp where they'll engage in fun games, water sports, bible lessons, and crafts! See dates and times below:
- Thursday, August 9 - 6:00pm (dinner included)
- Friday, August 10 - 6:00pm (dinner included)
- Saturday, August 11 - 9:30 am registration 10:00 am start
One Generation to the Next
This last week in our wrap up of the series "Shepherd, Soldier, King: The Life of David in Song" we looked at David's final admonition to the assembled people of Israel and the Psalm that was inspired by that event, Psalms 145. We saw buried in the middle of that song a call for one generation to the next to pass on the greatness of God.
As we studied this scripture I was reminded of a passage from the journal of Jim Elliot. At age 22, Jim Elliot had a promising ministry in front of him in the United States. He probably could have been a very successful pastor or evangelist or teacher. His parents were not very excited about his call to go to the Quichuas in South America. They wrote and told him so. He answered bluntly.
"I do not wonder that you were saddened at the word of my going to South America," he replied on August 8. "This is nothing else than what the Lord Jesus warned us of when He told the disciples that they must become so infatuated with the kingdom and following Him that all other allegiances must become as though they were not. And He never excluded the family tie. In fact, those loves that we regard as closest, He told us must become as hate in comparison with our desires to uphold His cause. Grieve not, then, if your sons seem to desert you, but rejoice, rather, seeing the will of God done gladly. Remember how the Psalmist described children? He said that they were as an heritage from the Lord, and that every man should be happy who had his quiver full of them. And what is a quiver full of but arrows? And what are arrows for but to shoot? So, with the strong arms of prayer, draw the bowstring back and let the arrows fly - all of them, straight at the Enemy's hosts.
"Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious, Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way, Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious, And all thou spendest Jesus will repay."
May we at Mercy Hill, as parents and as a church, so exult the greatness of God to the next generation that we see young men and young women with this devotion sent into the world to exult God to the next generation.
City On A Hill Outreach | July 14
Join the Mercy Hill Community Service Team and volunteer in the free health clinic at City on a Hill. More than 100 volunteers staff City on a Hill Health Clinic. These helping professionals are joined by many other volunteers from academic institutions, churches and other organizations who have a heart for the poor and a desire to make a difference. The volunteer team provides a wide range of vital services in a community where many people are indigent and uninsured, and the incidence of nearly every major disease is elevated.
Saturday, July 14
2224 W Kilbourn Ave. Milwaukee, WI
A Life of Worship
This last week we looked at the life of worship that David exhibited. It was so clearly on display when in one of his first acts as king he moved the ark of the covenant to the nations capital, Jerusalem, and he couldnt contain his worship of God. His realization of God's grace to him caused him to dance and sing and shout so enthusiatically his wife was embarassed by him. But he was just a man who lived a life of worship.
That phrase, "live a life of worship", is one we hear all the time but rarely ever consider. "Worship is not simply what we do on Sunday's but we must live a life of worship", is something we are told often in the church but do we really understand this concept. As we said this last week, we all live lives of continual worship the only question is what is it that we worship. Hebrews 13 gives us great insight into what it means to live a life of worship that is worshipping the one true God:
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise (worship) to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
In this passage we see a life of worship includes five real elements;
1) Praise- the practice of worshipping God.
2) Proclamation - we have lips that confess his name.
3) Service - we do good to others as demonstration of the Gospel in this world.
4) Participation- share with others as a demonstration of grace in this world.
5) Sacrifice- giving of time, talent and treasure.
A life of worship should contain and exhibit each of these expressions as a response to God's grace at work in our lives.