Sunday – March 3, 2013

Posted on March 5, 2013 by PastorAndy

March 3, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

The Abomination of Desolation from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Many are fascinated with what Jesus said about the last days. The Olivet Discourse has all the elements of a great action movie: the tension of the saint’s persecution by those who hold earthly power set against the working of the Holy Spirit and the Jesus’ coming to gather His own, complete with cosmic fireworks. A series of sermons on the Great Tribulation and the identity of the Antichrist will usually draw far more interest from people than the ethical demands of the Sermon on the Mount. And while some view our passage a litmus test on certain views of the end, I think Mark 13 was intended to turn down the flame on apocalyptic fever because the passage contains far more puzzles than answers.
Mark’s message is far more subtle than fill in the blank answers for our “end of time” charts. Mark’s message for the saints of every generation, from first to last, is: God’s way, God’s Messiah and God’s people will be vindicated is such a conclusive way that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ to the glory of God. We should not be ignorant of the last days, but God has made it clear that we are to learn to cope with the last days.
Join us this Sunday as we explore what Jesus has to say about “The Abomination of Desolation” in Mark chapter 13 verses 14 to 23. Join us at 8:45 AM to show God is worthy of our praise!

Word On Worship – March 3, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 13:21-23
“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.”

Mark wrote his gospel at a time when the world appeared to many to be falling apart, especially if you were a Jewish Christian. Tacitus, the Roman historian of the first century, documented three civil wars, the assassination of four emperors, numerous earthquakes and natural disasters all of which took place after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The warnings of Jesus in our passage provide a guide for the saints of every generation to make sense of what has happened and will happen in the course of human history.

Mark’s message is far more subtle than fill in the blank answers for our “end of time” charts. Mark’s message for the saints of every generation, from first to last, is: God’s way, God’s Messiah and God’s people will be vindicated in such a conclusive way that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ to the glory of God. We should not be ignorant of the last days, but God has made it clear that we are to learn to cope with the last days.

The question for us to answer is how shall we live in such difficult times, with the persecutions, suffering and trials as we wait for the blessed return of our Lord and Savior? The drama of the last days will play out according to God’s plan, scene by scene. The actors on the stage can estimate where they are in the play, but only the stage director knows exactly where they are. He has given the actors instructions on what they are to do and what they are to say as they see certain events and cues take place. The actors know how the play will end, but they still do not know when the curtain will fall.

Sunday – February 24, 2013

Posted on February 27, 2013 by PastorAndy

February 24, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Setting Our Expectations for the Last Days from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

What happens when real trouble comes your way, despite the promises of hope and change, if you have unrealistic expectations about what the future holds? When the promises fail to arrive on our timeline we are going to start asking questions. When reality does not meet our expectations we will question our reality before we question our expectations. Jesus cuts through the disciples’ expectations with perspective to the temptation is to look for an escape because your plan does not include suffering, trials and persecution. Without Godly perspective, the heart of man is directed to find someone whom they can trust to get us out of our present reality, instead of trusting the One who will see us through the trials of our reality.
What are your expectations for life? Is your expectation a honeymoon or is your expectation reality? What is your expectation of the church? Whether you are speaking of the pastor or the attitude of those who occupy the pews, our expectations need to be realistic. (You may want to read 1st & 2nd Corinthians to get your expectations in a reasonable zone.) Is the gospel we preach a realistic gospel, or do we only speak of the blessing and omit the cost of discipleship? Jesus never went light on the cost of following Him, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:25). If we have the right expectations, we will not become disillusioned when God’s timeline differs from our time line.
This Sunday we continue in our study of the Gospel of Mark and look to what Jesus has to say about setting our expectations for the last days. Join us Sunday morning as we look at Mark 13 verses 1 to 13 and “Setting our Expectations for the Last Days”.

Word On Worship – February 24, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 13:1-2
“As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

As Jesus departs the temple, the disciples are in awe of the magnificence of the construction around them. Many of us have seen models of the temple or read descriptions and marveled at engineering it would take to construct a building with such huge stones inlaid with gold. This structure went beyond civic pride; it gave the Jews a sense of security because it was the place where God lived. The psalmist wrote of the temple in Psalm 132:14 “This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.” How could the Lord abandon such a magnificent structure or allow it to be destroyed by an occupying enemy?

Just as the great harlot of Babylon mesmerized John in Revelation 17, the temple’s awesome majesty enthralls the disciples with its size, beauty and the power of its economic engine. What they need is perspective to see through the gleam of the gold and to realize this was not going to stand forever. God is no longer blessing this building which must come down stone by stone. The temple belongs to the old order, whose builders will reject the stone who will become central to God’s new temple. If there is one thing Jesus always gives people, it is perspective.

Despite the promises of hope and change, what happens when real trouble comes your way if you have unrealistic expectations about what the future holds? When the promises fail to arrive on our timeline we are going to start asking questions. When reality does not meet our expectations we will question our reality before we question our expectations. Jesus cuts through the disciples’ expectations with perspective to say the temptation is to look for an escape because your plan does not include suffering, trials and persecution. Without godly perspective, the heart of man is directed to find someone who they can trust to get us out of our present reality, instead of trusting the One who will see us through the trials of our reality.

What are your expectations for life? Is your expectation a honeymoon or is your expectation reality? What is your expectation of the church? Whether you are speaking of the pastor or the attitude of those who occupy the pews, our expectations need to be realistic. (You may want to read 1^st & 2^nd Corinthians to place your expectations in a reasonable zone.) Is the gospel we preach a realistic gospel, or do we only speak of the blessing and omit the cost of discipleship? Jesus never went light on the cost of following Him, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:25). If we have the right expectations, we will not become disillusioned when God’s timeline differs from our time line.

Sunday – February 17, 2013

Posted on February 22, 2013 by PastorAndy

February 17, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

How different are God’s ways when compared to the ways of men? The Pharisees loved riches and considered their wealth as the evidence of God’s reward for their piety. In their minds, God would be pleased with the size of their contributions. Yet in our passage we see Jesus condemn the “rich and famous” for their faulty thinking and elevate the insignificant gift of the widow. The rich were only focused on how much their gift was. Jesus was focused on what the gift meant to the giver. That small donation was her life and all she had to live on. In making this gift, she gave evidence of her faith in God, not her money, to provide for her needs.
I am not here to tell you or myself how much to give. I do not see in Scripture where Jesus was ever impressed with how much was given. But I do see Jesus is very impressed with how much was left after we give. How much faith do you have that God is Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord Will Provide)? With all the corruption going on, the widow’s gift was an act of faith. When those coins left her hand, she had totally entrusted herself to God. But she did what she believed God had for her to do. The question is what will we do as stewards with the limited time, talent and treasure He has given us?
Join us Sunday morning as we continue our series in the Gospel of Mark in Mark 12 verses 38 to 44 and see “Less is More”

Word On Worship – February 17, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 12:42-44
“A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

It is easy to use the widow and her two coins as an example of sacrificial giving. Clearly this is a woman who loves God with all she has and stands in stark contrast to the rich in light of her poverty. She also stands in contrast to the scribes who go to great lengths to highlight their piousness for personal gain and attention. She is just another person fallen through the safety net of society and holds no honor in this community of alleged faith. Yet she still loves God and will sacrifice all that she has in service to God as she responds to Him.

The so-called “little gifts,” which count as nothing in human circles, eclipse the gifts given from excess from God’s perspective. Religious institutions cannot build great temples with their massive stones from the meager gifts of widows. But then God is not looking for stone buildings to call His home. God is looking to occupy people’s hearts. But He can only do that with disciples willing to submit themselves to Him and to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

I am not here to tell you or myself how much to give. I do not see in Scripture where Jesus was ever impressed with how much was given. But I do see Jesus is very impressed with how much was left after we give. How much faith do you have that God is Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord Will Provide)? With all the corruption going on, the widow’s gift was an act of faith. When those coins left her hand, she had totally entrusted herself to God. But she did what she believed God had for her to do. The question is what will we do as stewards with the limited time, talent, treasure and breath He has given us?

Sunday – February 10, 2013

Posted on February 13, 2013 by PastorAndy

February 10, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Friendly Fire from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Let us be very clear: our love for God is a response to God’s love for us. So when did Christians decide our love would be like tithing? As long as I love 10% of the time, I must be in God’s good graces. We are overwhelmed by God’s infinite grace that does not save us by fractions, but still sadly surprised that God is not satisfied with a mere fraction of ourselves. The command given to Israel is the command given to the Christian: give your entire life to the personal God who first loved us by sending His Son as an offering for our sin.
The sum of what Jesus is saying is our love for God needs to be all of who we are: heart, soul, mind and strength. Not some fraction of ourselves, a tithe of who we are to somehow horde the rest of ourselves to squander as we see fit on ourselves. We sing about how the world will know we are Christians by our love, but love of God is how we are known by God. “But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.”
Join us this Sunday as we see Jesus give His commentary on the greatest commandments in the Scripture as we see “Friendly Fire” in Mark 12 verses 28 to 37

Word On Worship – February 10, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 12:29-32
“Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH. The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Let us be very clear: our love for God is a response to God’s love for us. So when did Christians decide our love would be like tithing? Some may reason: As long as I love 10% of the time, I must be in God’s good graces? Yet we are overwhelmed by God’s infinite grace that does not save us by fractions, but we are still sadly surprised that God is not satisfied with a mere fraction of ourselves. The command given to Israel is the command given to every Christian: give your entire life to the personal God who first loved us by sending His Son as an offering for our sin.

The heart is more than just our bodily pumping station. The heart is where our decisions are made, plans are evaluated and the calculations of our lives are weighed in the balance. We may agree with something in our mind and speak about it with our lips, but that is not where the decision is made. It is in the heart, not the mind, where we decide for or against God and expose our true loyalties. The people perceived the scribes to be models of those who loved God, but Jesus examined their hearts to unveil the object of their true love: themselves.

Our soul is the vitality and motivating power of our lives. Together, with the heart, the soul determines how we will conduct ourselves in our daily walk. To love God with all of our soul will focus our energy on pursuing God’s purposes no matter the response from those around us as we are consumed to proclaim the gospel and fight the good fight. The mind is what directs our opinions and judgments. Our love for God must be more than an emotional response, but a demonstration to all that we “know why” instead of trying to impress others with our “know how.” Our strength is all that we possess while we walk this earth. Yes, it is the physical demonstration of love by what we do, but it is also the leverage for the work of love that our possession can do. The widow who gives her last mite provides the best example of this love.

The sum of what Jesus is saying is our love for God needs to be every part of our being: heart, soul, mind and strength. We are not to offer God only a tithe of ourselves we are while we somehow horde and squander the rest on our own shallow purposes. We sing about how the world will know we are Christians by our love, but love of God is how we are known by God. “But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.” (1 Corinthians 8:3)

Sunday – February 3, 2013

Posted on February 6, 2013 by PastorAndy

February 3, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Did the Religious Leaders Wear Boxers or Briefs? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Our passage raises the important issue of the relationship between God and the governments of the earth. This is not just an issue in Jesus day, but an issue that every generation in every society must confront. Jesus is not saying Caesar is control of the political sphere and God is in control of the religious sphere, as if they were counter-weights against each other. To Jesus, the coin with the face of Caesar was just another idol in a long list of idols and Caesar can have it back if he desires it.
Whoever’s face is on the money has the right to ask for it back in terms of taxes. Jesus had no problem with the people giving back to Caesar what was his. But the expectation goes both ways- just as Caesar expected to get back the things that were his, so too God expects to get back the things that are His. If we bear God’s image, as we are told in Genesis 1, then God owns us and we owe Him worship and obedience. The danger is we have grown to love our money. If government owns the money, and we make money our god, then the government owns us.
Join us this Sunday as we look at Jesus answering questions about money and marriage as we look at “Did the Religious Leaders Wear Boxer or Briefs?” as we continue in Mark 12 verses 13 to 27.

Word On Worship – February 3, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 12:15-17
[Jesus] said to them, “Bring Me a denarius to look at.” They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Our passage raises the important issue of the relationship between God and the governments of the earth. This was not just an issue in Jesus day, but an issue that every generation in every society must confront. Jesus is not saying Caesar is control of the political sphere and God is in control of the religious sphere, as if they were counter-weights against each other. To Jesus, the coin with the face of Caesar was just another idol in a long list of idols and Caesar can have it back if he desires it.

In the past it was the desire of the church to exercise sovereign control over the state in the name of God. For centuries in Europe, the rule of kings was just another instrument of the papacy to enforce the will of the church in secular society. But the church that seeks earthly power and glory always loses both its moral compass and its spiritual vigor. The pursuit of power in earthly terms, whether by the church or the state, has always done tremendous harm to both. It is the spirit of this world that lies to us with the promise of might makes right and take before it is taken from you. It is only the power of Christ which enables people to give so that God can give us yet more.

Whoever’s face is on the money has the right to ask for it back, usually in the form of taxes. Jesus had no problem with the people giving to Caesar what was his, but the expectation must go both ways. Just as Caesar expected to get back the things that were his, so too God expects to get back the things that are His. Since we bear God’s image, as we are told in Genesis 1, we are owned by God and we owe Him worship and obedience. The danger is we have fallen in love with our money. If government owns the money we love, and we make money our god, then the government owns us.

An unhealthy union between church and state has been the undoing of both. We are drawn away from our primary mission of the proclamation of the gospel when the church becomes politicized. Inevitably, politics distracts the church to get behind good causes, not the gospel which transcends every society and government. However this should not distract the individuals who make up the church from being salt and light in every arena they are called to serve, from the school room to the board room and from public sector to the private sector, even political action. However, the church must deter the things of God from becoming political wallpaper for programs and policies promoted by politicians. The church is to have clean hands and hearts to speak with power the words of life: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

Sunday – January 27, 2013

Posted on January 29, 2013 by PastorAndy

January 27, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Who Does Jesus Think Is? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

The world of wicked tenants described in the parable given from Jesus is very much like the world we live in. The tenants will stop at nothing to get what they way. They do not care that they have made obligations of themselves for the fruit of their labor, in the end they want what they want and will take it by any means necessary. They have not forgotten who owns the land, but their covetousness knows no bounds and leads them to say “mine is the power, the kingdom and the glory”. Do humans think that by erasing God from their lives that they can control their earthly and eternal destinies?
Join us Sunday as we continue in our study of the Gospel of Mark as we look at “Who Does Jesus Think He is?” as we study Mark 11 verse 27 through chapter 12 verse 12.

Word On Worship – January 27, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 12:6-10
“He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ “But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ “They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others.”

The world of wicked tenants described in the parable given by Jesus is very much like the world we live in. The tenants will stop at nothing to get what they want. They do not care that they have made obligations of themselves for the fruit of their labor; in the end they want what they want and will take it by any means necessary. They have not forgotten who owns the land, but their covetousness knows no bounds and leads them to say “mine is the power, the kingdom and the glory.” Do humans think that by erasing God from their lives that they can control their earthly and eternal destinies? Even when they have killed the son, they still have God to contend with.

To many, God seems to be the absentee landlord and a foolish one at that. They want to establish themselves as the lords of their little world rejecting the reality that they are creations of God and live in God’s vineyard. People think they will get away with it, but God’s judgment will inevitably come. The parable assures us that God will win even when it seems He has lost. Those who reject God’s claims on their lives and God’s call to repentance will always be losers, even when it seems they have won. They sow the seeds of their own destruction.

This parable particularly applies to the church today. Israel was chosen by to fulfill God’s gracious purpose for the whole world. God equipped them for the task, but they mistook that assignment as a special privilege and wanted to be accountable only to themselves, not God. If you ask what fruit God requires from us today, the answer comes from what immediately precedes and follows the parable. God requires that our place of worship be a house of prayer for all people and that our community be a forgiving one. We are to render to God what belongs to God and to love God with all of our heart, strength and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. In other words, God expects the vineyard – God’s people – to be an accepting, prayerful, forgiving, devoted and loving fellowship of people built around His Son, Jesus Christ. Whenever we fall short of this standard, we invite God’s judgment.

Sunday – January 20, 2012

Posted on January 22, 2013 by PastorAndy

January 20, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Jesus & The Original Occupy Jerusalem Movement from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Sadly most readers, and many commentary writers, are shocked to read that Jesus could be so spiteful to curse a poor fruit tree. Instead of seeing the guilt of an unproductive tree in full leaf, many people instead think Jesus is being irrational and petulant as He curses the tree. Yet would they wring their hands in disbelief when a chicken farmer assigns a chicken that no longer produces eggs to the stew? What we fail to see is both the fig tree and the activities of the temple failed to produce the very thing they created to produce. The tree was created to produce figs and the temple was created to be a house of prayer for all nations. What should the Master do when the when the proverbial chicken does not produce what it was created to produce?
Join us tomorrow as we continue in our study of the Gospel of Mark as we look at “Jesus and the Original Occupy Jerusalem Movement” from Mark 11 verses 12 to 26.

Word On Worship – January 20, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 11:12-14
“On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.”

The last miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark is the most unusual. For the first time, a miracle of Jesus brings about death, not life. Needless to say, this raises many questions. How is it that Jesus can tell the disciples where to find a colt tied up from outside the city and yet He can’t see from a distance whether a tree has edible fruit? How is Jesus able to feed five thousand people with five fish and two loaves but one fig tree frustrates Him to the point of cursing it?

Sadly, most readers and many commentary writers are shocked to read that Jesus could be so spiteful as to curse a poor fruit tree. Instead of seeing the guilt of an unproductive tree in full leaf, many people think Jesus is being irrational and petulant as He curses the tree. Yet would they wring their hands in disbelief when a chicken farmer assigns a chicken that no longer produces eggs to the stew? What we fail to see is that both the fig tree and the activities of the temple failed to produce the very thing they were created to produce. The tree was created to produce figs and the temple was created to be a house of prayer for all nations. What should the Master do when the proverbial chicken does not produce what it was created to produce?

Jesus has taken the place of the temple during His ministry. Jesus announced in John 2 that He is the Temple. From there, Jesus proclaims throughout the gospels the forgiveness of sin, healing for the sick, and the restoration of people to society. He has replaced the tables of the money changers, where worshippers had to pay for atonement, with the Lord’s Table, were He presents the free offering of His life on the cross as payment for the forgiveness of sins to all who come to the Father through Him.

And that leaves one last question for you and me. What were we created for? Were we merely created to make sure we make arrangements with God to get our fire insurance in order? Or should we have learned from the parable of the soils in Mark 4 that the desired end is for our lives is to be people of the fourth soil producing fruit? The Lord is very serious about His people growing in maturity so that we produce good fruit. Do not miss the lesson of the fig tree. Realize how God deals with things that do not produce – especially when they outwardly profess to be fruit bearing.

Sunday – January 13, 2013

Posted on January 16, 2013 by PastorAndy

January 13, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

The Triumphal Entry from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

But have we gathered to welcome Jesus on our terms, in order to bow to a king who will give us what we want? Many in churches this day welcome a Jesus who will bring them wealth, health, success and the tokens of pleasure recognized by the world. Like the crowds at gates of Jerusalem, they will loudly acclaim Jesus as King as long as they believe He will satisfy their desires. Is that why you are here this morning? Is it to prepare for the return of the King, or just a hollow and empty pretense? The words of the multitude were right as Jesus entered Jerusalem, but their hearts were not. How does your worship this morning differ from the worship of the crowds at the triumphal entry?
Join us this Sunday as we look at Jesus entry into the city of Jerusalem before Passover from Mark 11 verses 1 to 11 and look at “The Triumphal Entry”

Word On Worship – January 13, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 11:9-10
“Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!”

As Jesus is entering Jerusalem, He is completely surrounded by a throng of humanity cheering His arrival. Some in the multitude spread their garments in the roadway as Jesus approached. Others were cutting palm branches, the symbolic picture of joy and salvation, and spreading them in the road before the Lord. There was such great excitement and ecstasy as this multitude gave praise to the Rabbi from Galilee who taught with such authority and healed the people from every illness and even raised the dead. Their expectation that the Messiah would bring deliverance was so great, even strangers were caught up in the euphoria.

The praise that comes from their mouths is the fulfillment of prophecy. The Hebrew word HOSANNA means “save now.” They acknowledge Jesus as the Son of David. They were crying out for the Messiah’s deliverance today, to save them now. They were celebrating that their King, the Son of David, had arrived to remove the Roman oppressors and establish His Kingdom. Now at last, they thought, Jesus will manifest Himself as Conqueror on the very week of Passover where Israel commemorated the Lord’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage. What better occasion could there be for the Lord’s anointed to deliver His people from Roman tyranny.

Now fast forward almost 2,000 years. Is what is taking place in this building on this Sunday morning any different from the throngs did as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem? The words of our songs are entirely appropriate for the occasion. We lovingly speak about the reigning Messiah to come; who will lift the yoke of injustice and usher in the rule of the Son of David today. And we acknowledge His authority as a teacher, a great healer and one who casts out demons. Listen to the words that are spoken calling Jesus Lord and Savior and feel the enthusiasm that comes when people with a common desire feed each other’s passion for the coming of a new heaven and a new earth.

But have we gathered to welcome Jesus on our terms, to bow to a king who will give us what we want? Many in churches this day welcome a Jesus who will bring them wealth, health, success and the tokens of pleasure recognized by the world. Like the crowds at gates of Jerusalem, they will loudly acclaim Jesus as King as long as they believe He will satisfy their desires. Is that why you are here this morning? Is it to prepare for the return of the King, or just a hollow and empty pretense? The words of the multitude were right as Jesus entered Jerusalem, but their hearts were not. How does your worship this morning differ from the worship of the crowds at the triumphal entry?

Sunday – January 6, 2013

Posted on January 10, 2013 by PastorAndy

January 6, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

James & John Make Their Pitch and Strike Out from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Jesus did not choose His disciples because they were more qualified or more compassionate than others. Human nature has not changed over the years and the gospel has not eliminated pride and selfish ambition from the people of God. You will still find people in the church put meeting their ego needs before meeting their obligations as a disciple. Somewhere along the way, we have taken the cross out of discipleship and replaced it with a purpose that meets material and egotistical needs and thus produces fruit of selfishness and materialism in the church.
The church cannot thrive when the people in the pews are competing with one another for positions of power. Too often we look to the world of business for role models when we should be looking to Jesus. The life and teaching of Jesus Christ turns the world’s understanding of what is great on its head. The greatest work ever done was accomplished by One who gave His life for others. It is not as the world judges great things but through self-dying service that greatness is recognized by God. Only those who give of themselves for others will be recognized by God as great in His Kingdom.
Join us tomorrow as we explore Mark 10 verses 32-52 and See”James & John Make Their Pitch and Strike Out”.

Word On Worship – January 6, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 10:35-38
“James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”

Once again the disciples are competing for first place, looking for ways to outmaneuver their brothers for power and advantage. They are interested in dominion not humility and service. They want a Messiah who is beyond suffering and will offer them their heart’s desires. But no one can understand Jesus Christ without understanding His suffering and the cross. It is the cross that distinguishes Jesus as Messiah and ours as disciples. To know Jesus as Messiah is to accept Him as One who dies for others and accept that destiny for ourselves.

The church cannot thrive when the people in the pews are competing with one another for positions of power. Too often we look to the world of business for role models when we should be looking to Jesus. The life and teaching of Jesus Christ turns the world’s understanding of what is great on its head. The greatest work ever done was accomplished by One who gave His life for others. It is not as the world judges great things but through self-dying service that greatness is recognized by God. Only those who give of themselves for others will be recognized by God as great in His Kingdom.

We cannot forget that Jesus holds Himself up as the example to be followed. He does not explain atonement as much as He shows the disciples the way of atoning life. The only way the disciples, and ourselves as well, can live up to the demands of Jesus is to realize He has gone before us, broken through and cleared the way for others to follow. We can either look to Jesus as our example, or James and John. Hopefully, looking at James and John in this passage will be like looking in a mirror where we see the reflection of our own selfish and foolish thoughts.

Sunrise – December 30, 2012

Posted on January 1, 2013 by PastorAndy

December 30, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

What Does Not Get You to Heaven? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Who rules over your life? Is it God or money? Jesus is calling this rich young man to join a community of believers who will take care of others material needs. And the challenge given to this man should be a warning to all of us who live in a materialistic culture that possessions, even when they are few, can be a hazard. Wealth possesses many dangers because so many people crave it. No Christian is immune to its seductive lure. Covetousness is a virus which takes residence in the soul and then slowly begins its work of destruction. Once the anesthetic of self-gratification is applied to our heart, the call for self-sacrifice deadens into numbness the things of eternity.
Join us this Sunday as we continue our study on the Gospel of Mark chapter 10 verses 13 to 31 and we look at “What Doesn’t Get You to Heaven?”

Word On Worship – December 30, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 10:23-25
“And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

It is easy for many in our culture to dismiss the command by Jesus to sell all we own and give it away as a statement of hyperbole because it appears so unreasonable. The central point of the passage is not Jesus denouncing the having of possessions, but rather one’s ultimate loyalty. Jesus did not insist Zacchaeus sell all of his goods and give them to the poor before He would agree to eat in his home. Zaccheaus voluntarily offers to give half of his possessions and restore fourfold whatever he gained from his treachery. Very few are willing to divest themselves of whatever provides them security in this life to enter a new life under God’s rule.

Who rules over your life? Is it God or money? Jesus is calling this rich young man to join a community of believers who will take care of others’ material needs. And the challenge given to this man should be a warning to all of us who live in a materialistic culture that possessions, even when they are few, can be a hazard. Wealth possesses many dangers because so many people crave it. No Christian is immune to its seductive lure. Covetousness is a virus that takes residence in the soul and then slowly begins its work of destruction. Once the anesthetic of self-gratification is applied to our heart, the call for self-sacrifice deadens into numbness the things of eternity.

Jesus told the man he lacked one thing, yet in human terms he lacked for nothing. He had plenty to live on, but nothing to live for (a sad truth of our culture today). Money brings us many things, but neither holiness nor eternal life. Yet for all the rich young ruler had, the emptiness became a gnawing hunger. What must I do to have life beyond this life? Yet when confronted by Jesus with the invitation to sell all and follow Him, he counted possessions dearer than the hope of eternal life with God and a meaningful life on earth.

Possessions can easily deceive us into thinking that they offer security and the abundant life. Having money leads us to the false conclusion that anything can be had for a price – even salvation when it is given to the right charity. We must sound the alarm to our generation about the dangers of committing ourselves to possessions and share with those who are looking for eternal life to look to Jesus Christ alone. Eternal life will only be found by people who are willing to lose their lives and their possessions for the sake of Jesus and the gospel.

Sunrise Community Church

Jesus is THE Way, not only a statement of faith; the way of life.

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