December 29, 2013 Teaching Notes at The Chapel at Somerset

Here are the notes I had in preparing to preach this morning. I enjoyed studying this portion of Scripture with the Lord, hopefully the message was helpful for those who were there today...

New Year is quickly approaching
- reflection
- dreaming
- resolutions

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 AMP (read through once first)

1 KEEP YOUR foot [give your mind to what you are doing] when you go [as Jacob to sacred Bethel] to the house of God. For to draw near to hear and obey is better than to give the sacrifice of fools [carelessly, irreverently] too ignorant to know that they are doing evil. [Gen. 35:1-4; Exod. 3:5.]

Ecclesiastes 5:1 NLT
...It is evil to make mindless offerings to God.

2 Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 NASB
Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God...

3 For a dream comes with much business and painful effort, and a fool's voice with many words.


Go back through the Scripture now slower to teach...


Hear and obey...
Position of humility. Proper position before the Lord of all. Right way to approach the Lord.
We've gotten too casual in our approach to Him, even on how we think about Who He is.

Careless, irreverant, mindless offerings...
Hasty in word, impulsive in thought...

Mindlessly going to God.
That is the picture in my mind of how we communicate with God often. Talking at Him, but missing Him. He is there, but we are not engaged. Like someone walking in on an existing conversation and blabbing whatever without care to what's already happening. Do you know what is happening?? He is forever worshipped.

Like talking at our spouse but never listening. Its not conversing and it will sap your intimacy. You don't really know who you are talking at! You don't take time to listen!

To just come and babble without much awareness of your words reveals your immaturity and possibly your problem. In other words, by how you are approaching Him you think God is someone that He isnt. You think He is here for you. When He isn't. You are Here for Him. And if you thought more accurately of the Lord and who He really is, you may not even have the very problem you are coming to Him with! Like a whiny 2 year old who things he deserves something that he doesn't. He thinks He's being wronged or not cared for when He is actually revealing His selfishness and His lack of uderstanding the bigger picture!


For God is in heaven, and you are on earth...

But wait, He calls me friend! Yes, He calls you. You don't call Him. Ask John about that in revelation. Ask the 24 elders around the throne. He is still God and you are not.

John 15:14 NASB
You are My friends if you do what I command you.

Notice there is a requirement of Him calling us friends. He commands, we obey.

Colossians 1:15-20 NLT
In case you have forgotten......

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.

Yes, HE calls YOU friend.

Let your words be few...

There is such benefit in our walk with the Lord to being still, coming reverantly and quietly, and listening to obey. We remind ourselves of who He is and who we are not. Let Him speak if He wants, and let our words be few. And I believe we will find what we need through less mindless talking and deeper, more mature communion.

End in NLT version...

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 NLT
As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don't make rash promises, and don't be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.

Love Fuel

Yesterday I had the great opportunity to share from the Word of God at The Chapel. God orchestrated the morning in a beautiful and amazing way, a way that floors me and built my faith. Praise Him! He is so kind and gracious and loving towards us, to put it lightly.

This pic is a snapshot of one line in my notes from my message. It hit me while I was preaching on His love yesterday, that without love, there are no promises. His love for His people is the fuel that feeds these promises. Love is the motivation behind such great promises...

I have healing,

I have provision,

I have forgiveness,

I have authority,

I have protection,

I have favor,

And more,

...because of His love.

Without His love for us, there would be no promises for the Christian.

Yea, and it just so happens that God is love.

His Voice

So thankful to receive wisdom and insight from the Lord today.

Anytime the Lord speaks, I am uplifted and encouraged. The Lord spoke to me through my good friend Tom Zurowski, the pastor at the church I gather with, The Chapel. Tom preached this week on finding the Lord's will for your life. As Tom says, most people play the "Don't ask, don't tell" game with God. They think that if they don't ask Him what His will is for their life, then maybe He wont tell them. Anyone who is playing that game with God of course has it all wrong and backwards, as finding out what He says for our life is what the Christian walk is all about.

I have had something in my heart for some time regarding the Lord's will for my and my family's life. However, I have had a seeming lack of direction regarding what to do next. I am going about my everyday life, carrying this vision in my heart. Sometimes I think about it, other times I am giving it little to no attention.

Tom's word this morning that spoke to me was, "Step toward it," and, "Lean into it."

That's what I needed to hear today. Simple, maybe, yet powerful enough to move a person toward their destiny, and it's what I needed to hear today.

He talked briefly to those who felt like God had given them a vision or calling or dream, but weren't sure what to do next. You've prayed, you desire His leading, yet you are unsure of what to do next. His advice? Step toward it. Don't wait for all the ducks to be in a row. Don't wait for the whole path to be laid out clearly. Lean into it.

Like I said, it was what I needed to hear. I believe that was the word that Tom felt was for someone in attendance today, and it very much could've been just for me.

As I reflect on it though, this word of encouragement only breathes life and focus into what I already felt the Lord was saying. It also reminds me that I am not obeying what I felt like He has said.

Convicted and encouraged. Time to lean in.