#0 - why is today so exciting?

3 John 1:13-14

¹³ I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.

It’s finally HERE!!!

Like John, we send you greetings and desire to greet you by name too.

9:45 AM, Central Intermediate School, Waterloo, IA

There is more that could be written, but we'd rather chat in person.
 

We hope to see you this morning so that we can talk face to face.

May God’s grace be with you in amounts overflowing to good works for His glory.

All of Candeo Church thanks you for following along and for praying for us.

We are praying for plenty of people to gather this morning to thank God for what He’s done and continues to do by His grace.

 

Don't stop praying. As we launch into Ephesians this morning, Paul's closing words to the Colossians seemed quite fitting for going forward this semester.

 

Colossians 4:3a-4

 

^{3 ...}pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah... so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak.

God, thank You for everyone who read and prayed and put themselves to work to help make this day happen.  We are Your disciples and this is Your church.  Please send Your Spirit to again refresh the hearts and minds of the saints who prayed for us.  You are worth it God. Every last thought. Every last dollar. Every last ounce of energy. We need You more than we need any earthly resource. Thank You for orchestrating every last detail leading up to today. Please make this morning an opportunity to really celebrate.  All of our hard work all for You and making much of Jesus' Name.  Today is only a preview of the celebration we look forward to in Your presence forever.  Thank You God for everything. It's so much fun to serve You.  Amen.

#1 - why should we all be looking all around us?

Acts 17:22-23

²² Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. ²³ For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed:

TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

Everyone worships. God made us to worship. Sin has corrupted how and what we worship, but it has not removed that desire altogether, rather it has just aimed it at things which are less than God Himself (Rom 1:21-23, 25).

Sex, self, spouse, money, comfort, control, kids, and even ministry are some of the most common alternatives we prefer to God. What is the thing you cannot imagine life without? There is a place deep inside of each one of us that cries out, “anything but that!” Whatever you use to fill in the “that” is what you worship. It is the person or thing to which you retreat when you feel out of sorts. It is the person or thing to which you give in order to get what you want. You run to it because it runs your life.

Everyone worships. They're doing it right now. Look around. Everyone has someone or something to which they willingly give their time, money, energy, effort, anxiety, affection, talent, etc… Every last single person you know. We all bow down to someone or something.

What many worship in ignorance, I proclaim to you.

There is a God worthy of every last thing you have. He made everything, including you. He is not limited to the places we here seek Him. He does not receive anything from us because He created everything we have and everything we are. If we give ourselves fully to Him, He only gets back what was rightfully His to begin with. He superintended all time and history and determined who would live where and when they would live there. You were born where you were at the time you were because He decided it. He put each of us where and when we currently are so that we would seek Him, reach out for Him and find Him. He is not far from any one of us. If He is so close to have intimately determined the day and place of our birth, He is near enough still now to hear if we should cry out to Him. We were created to live and move and have our being entirely and finally in Him. We were made by Him, so it is ridiculous to think that He would worship us or that we should worship ourselves. The time for overlooking this silliness is past and as you read this, God is commanding each and every person in each and every place to repent. Turn away from your idols and turn to Him. Die to the lifeless “that’s” which distract from Jesus. Just like God has set a time and place for you to be born, He has set a time and place for each and every last one of us to die. On that day, He will judge the world, one by one as they enter into His presence. The standard of judgment will be by the Man, Jesus Christ. He’s the only Mediator between God and mankind. He’s the only Way to salvation. God has proven that this Man, Jesus, will be the only means by which any will be judged “not guilty” by raising Jesus from the dead. He exalted and elevated Jesus to the place of highest praise. He owns the Name above every other name ever uttered by the hearts of men. By faith in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection you will find a place to exhaust your worship both now and evermore. You were made to worship Jesus. Don’t waste it on idolatry! (Acts 17:24-31; paraphrased)

People need to know this. Our neighbors are spending themselves on things that will rust and decay and waste away in graves. Tell them the Good News of Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes peeled. Everyone is worshipping. Proclaim to them the One worthy of all the efforts they currently waste elsewhere.

God, help us to look around. Our friends and families are spending their hearts and minds on substitutes that enslave them deeper into sin and suffering. You made all of us to worship. You deserve all of it. Lord, so much of it goes to waste in other places. Help gain glory for You in the hearts of more as we attentively look around and listen to our friends in order to proclaim to them what their hearts are stumbling over daily. Amen.

#2 - why say, "Yes!" to being sent?

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said , 'Here am I, Send me!

When God reveals His glory, two things will inevitably result. First, you will be gripped with the reality that you are a sinful schmo, at best, in God's presence. Second, you will have an intense desire to join His mission. Personal inadequacies and self-doubt quickly fade away in the light of God's power and glory.

God makes His people inadequate before He makes them competent.

After Isaiah says "yes" to God, God tells him that his ministry will be to preach to people who won't listen. Isaiah asks how long he'll have this ineffective ministry. God says that he'll continue this ministry until everything is cut down until only a stump, the holy seed, remains. In other words, God called Isaiah to "fail." However, God's mission, which is always bigger than our understanding, was for Isaiah to prepare God's people for Jesus. What a high calling! What ultimate success!

We become competent only when we see God's mission is like God: it transcends our understanding, but it's beautiful and always worth it.

As you enter this journey of planting Candeo, is God your treasure or are you seeking selfish desires? Are you okay with the results God wants to give, even if it means no one listening? If God blesses and explodes Candeo, are you prepared to give God all the glory?

Our Father in Heaven, show us who you are. More than anything today, we want You. That's our priority and our mission- it's You, God.

I am on my knees again today because I believe that this church does not rely on my gifts or power or wisdom, but solely on You. I am okay with the results you give Candeo Church. Give me grace in failure to trust that You have a bigger plan and grant me humility in success to know it's Your power at work.

I will go wherever You call me and follow You wherever You lead. Whatever happens. Here am I, LORD, send me! Amen.

#3 - why shouldn't we just dine and dash?

Titus 2:11-14

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, ¹² instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.

The very first time we have someone over for dinner in our home, my wife will often clean from top to bottom and spend a good deal of time preparing a meal and place settings to warmly welcome our guests. We want them to feel at home in our home.

We recognize that if the goal is a glowing report from our guests, we need to invite them into something special, so we spruce everything up. We also want to invite people into Candeo by doing our very best to make it a place where guests can feel at home.

That said, if you are family,  you are put to work.  My wife, kids and I get after getting our home in ship-shape before guests come over.  It is a common goal and we all work together to get things in order. It’s good to pitch in, to contribute, to know that your efforts are making it possible for someone else to feel welcomed into what you already find exciting.

Do you love Candeo? Do you call it home? Are we your family? Don't just dine and dash on Sundays. Stick around. Get eager to get after good works by signing up to serve. It is fun to pull your weight and to give back to the family you love. It makes it possible for the whole family to be more productive and it creates a place we are excited to welcome others into.

We will set a pace for servant-hearted sacrifice if we embrace our role in the family of God by getting after the good works He has placed before us.  It will help our family to be healthy internally and attractive externally to our guests.  It will be natural for them to sign up to serve after they become part of our family because that is the pattern they’ve observed from the beginning when they were just our guests.

Jesus redeemed us for His service so that the ones we serve might surrender their lives to serve Him too.

So let’s get to work!

God, thank You for adopting us into Your family because of Jesus. We are so happy to be part of Your family.  Forgive us for being so upset about having chores to do. We get to live under Your roof, sleep in safety, eat Your food and call You dad.  We love being Your kids.  Thank You for good work to do.  Please use them for our good, Your glory and our neighbor's testimony that You are good (Mt 5:16) Amen.

#4 - why does the church have a couch in it?

Romans 16:3ff
 

³ Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches.
⁵ Greet also the church that meets in their home.
Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.
⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you.
⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow countrymen and fellow prisoners. They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles, and they were also in Christ before me.
⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord...

Have you ever noticed how almost all of Paul’s letters end with personal greetings? Sometimes it is a general greeting to the “church” or the “brethren,” but often it is very personal, including a list of names. This list in Romans is the most extensive, and if you can get past the inability to pronounce any of the names, it is easy to see how much Paul loves each and every one of these people. He doesn’t just say “Greet Andronicus…,” (surely his nickname was Andy), he includes a very descriptive phrase that shines light on how well he knows each of them and how well he thinks of them.

Paul had a close connection with each of these members of the church in Rome and my guess is that each of these people also knew and loved each other. One clue to that is the fact that at this point in Church history, the churches were meeting in homes. (v. 5). There is something about meeting together with brothers and sisters in Christ in your home that builds closeness and develops love.  

This is one of the reasons that Candeo Church values Connection Groups. Meeting together regularly with other believers in our living rooms helps us go deeper in those relationships. There is just something about sitting together on a couch that is different than seeing someone at church on Sunday. Inviting someone into your home essentially invites them into the heart of your life. It opens up the door for real conversation and real love. And then, like Paul, we begin to truly know our brothers and sisters, not just by name, but who they truly are.

Lord, may we be people who desire to open our homes and our hearts to others. May we not be content with surface level relationships. Let us desire and make the effort to connect with our fellow believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and seek to bring others into our homes. Thank you for the example of Paul and the church in Rome. Help me go deeper with those in my connection group so that I truly know them and truly love them. Thank you for your constant love that fills me up and enables me to love others. Amen.

#5 - why must disciples be disciplined?

1 Timothy 4:7–8

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

I’m fascinated by the Navy SEALs.  They are the military’s most elite fighting force able to bring the fight to the enemy in the sea, through the air, or on land.  SEALS.  They begin with the most rigorous weed out process, BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL), before continuing on with combat diving, land warfare, and jump school training.  Through mental and physical strain, these men are brought to edge of their breaking point.  And they are kept there for weeks on end.  They are the best of the best and some of them will aspire to join SEAL Team 6, the top 1% of the Navy SEALs, ready to deploy at any moment to engage insurmountable odds against the most dangerous enemy forces on the planet. 

Imagine the average teenager waking up at 10:00am in the summer, sitting on a couch, watching some documentary on the SEALs, putting his bag of potato chips down and shouting, “I could do that!”  Your response would be, “Riiigghhhttt," as you roll your eyes and keep walking.  No one, and I mean no one, fights and survives and thrives against the enemy like a SEAL without the most aggressive, ongoing training available. 

The same is true in our faith. 

Paul tells young Timothy to have nothing to do with godless wastes of time, but to train hard to be godly.  We too have a hate-filled enemy, the devil himself.  To walk in victory, we must train as well.  What’s more, no one who merely wants godliness becomes more godly. Only those who combine that desire with the training of the body obtain it.  Like a Navy SEAL trains regularly, so Christians must realize that there are no short-cuts to usefulness in His kingdom.  We must set alarms and get up when we are still tired to hear from God’s word.  We must fight regularly to pray alone and to pray with other Christians.  We must carve out times to meet with other Christ followers and work hard to obey what God is showing us.  We must learn to severely limit Redbox and TV and Facebook and Angry Birds and a thousand lesser joys if we will grow in godliness and joy in Christ.  Physical discipline benefits us in this lifetime.  It’s good.  But spiritual discipline blesses us now and stores up blessing for you that you will realize and enjoy in heaven.  It’s going to be awesome.  It’s going to be worth it.  It’s going to be the privilege of all who will discipline themselves to know and follow God.

God, I am by nature, lazy and distracted.  The truth is, it’s easy to sit around and do nothing.  And it’s easy to fill my life with a thousand lesser pleasures.   Help me to embrace a path of spiritual discipline so that I can be a warrior for You.  Help me to look honestly at my schedule and change it so that it reflects a life of spiritual discipline.  And help me to realize that intimacy with You, usefulness to You, joy and power and future blessing are all held in store for me as I pursue You wholeheartedly.  Help Candeo to not be a lazy church, but aggressive in our pursuit of You, for Your glory and our joy.  Amen.

#6 - why must we hold fast to first love?

Revelation 2:4

 

But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.

 

This charge was directed at the church at Ephesus. It is hard to imagine a church that had more going for it on the front end than the one in Ephesus. They were gathered together and taught by a man who had met Jesus face to face. Their church planter literally wrote the book on "how to build a church." Yet years later, Jesus told John to warn the Ephesians to repent of having lost their first love. If it can happen in Ephesus, it can happen at Candeo.

 

Churches are built on love: the love of Jesus and the love of our neighbors.Sound familiar? When people hear the Good News of Jesus and respond with repentance and belief, churches are born. These people then begin telling their neighbors, their co-workers, and their family members about Jesus and God adds to their numbers. This is how a church grows.

 

Candeo must not grow out of these things. We cannot use these principles to build a church and then abandon them for programs to manage a church. Churches are sustained by the same means by which they are built. But when disciples stop discipling, the church becomes just another club and when we try to protect the product of our hard work as though the church was ours, we begin to lose our first love. It's not our church. Candeo belongs to God.

 

The church at Ephesus was commanded to repent and go back to doing what they did at first. Everything Candeo is doing right now is our "at first" - at least for now. Observe what is happening here and now. Continue and persevere in it. Resist the urge to graduate past it. 

 

Love God.  Love people.  Make disciples.

#7 - why do we care what you think?

Ephesians: 5:18-21

18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of the Christ.

“What are you thinking about right now?”  This is a question my husband and I often ask when either of us is deep in thought.  Sadly, most often my thoughts are filled with worries and distractions about myself and therefore what comes out of my mouth often sounds a whole lot like whining and complaining.

In this passage there are several by-products of the Holy Spirit’s influence in our lives.  A few are singing, making music, and giving thanks. That doesn’t mean that we all walk around with guitars strapped around our chests only discussing religious matters.  It means that our hearts and minds are filled with the knowledge that God has given us everything we need, His mercies never cease, and that He is in control.  When we focus on our Father, our attitude changes.  We become filled with joy. We’re thankful. We’re way more likely to encourage and build up others. 

The Bible says  “sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”  When we love someone, we not only think about them, but we also want to express our love in words and actions.   One of the ways we express our love for God is to sing music for Him.   You can sing to Him anytime, anyplace and anywhere. It doesn’t matter what you sound like, He loves it!

Psalm 96: 1-3 says,

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to Yahweh, praise His name,

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonderful works among all peoples.

“And give thanks always for everything. “ As Christ followers we have a lot to be thankful for.  We need to zoom out of our own self-centered bubbles and take a look at the big picture.  We have been saved from eternal judgment and given an eternal hope in Heaven.  We are clothed, fed and at peace with God.  We are so blessed! That’s worth singing about!

Oh, may it be that Candeo Church is filled with thankful people who love to talk and sing about Jesus!  And that we’d all respond to the question, ” What are you thinking about right now?”, by saying (or singing), “ How awesome my God is!”

Dear Father, Thank You for Your incredible love for us.  Thank You for salvation through Your son, Jesus.  Thank You for providing everything we need.  May our hearts and minds be filled with Your Spirit so that we may “declare Your wonderful works among all peoples.” Amen.

#8 - why did I join?

James 4:7-8

 

⁷ Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!

 

I’ve joined Candeo Church because it is led by a group of people dedicated to these words of James. Candeo encourages a practical and active faith. One that understands that we cannot live passive, distracted lives. 

 

As James teaches, the process of drawing near to God involves a transformation of our behavior (the cleansing of our hands), a realignment of our desires (the purifying of our hearts), and the fixing of our thoughts on the things of God (the recognition of our being double-minded). 

 

Candeo Church understands that growing closer to God does not occur by happenstance, it is the intentional and constant submission of our body, heart, and mind to our Creator.

God I want to be closer to you.

Help me to submit my body to you.

Transform my bad behavior such as (___________)

Help me to submit my heart to you.

Change my desires so that I no longer yearn for (___________)

Help me to submit my mind to you.

Clear my thinking of such inappropriate thoughts as (___________)

Draw near to me, oh God.

Amen.

#9 - why is a campus a great place to engage culture?

Acts 17:21

 

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new.

 

Read Acts 17:26-34 for more context.

 

The birthplace of democracy, Socrates, and Plato; Athens was a hub for higher education.  Boasting a population of only 20,000 to 25,000, Athens was a culturally rich, aesthetically impressive, and world-shaping university town.

 

Petronius, a pagan Roman writer, said of Athens that, “It was easier to find a god than a man there.”  Has much changed?  The same fire that built in Paul’s heart as he walked the streets of Athens, burns in our hearts today.  The next generation is starving for the greatness of God.

It’s not rocket science; tomorrow’s citizens, values, media, leaders, and world are being shaped in college towns across America.  Yet, tragically less than 4% of Generation Y (those born after 1980) participate in church activities on a weekly basis (1).   I wish I could personally refute that statistic, but this is confirmed by what we see at ISU. Combine these two facts and the future seems dim, yet the call of the hour seems clear.

"From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.  He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” [Acts 17:26-27]
 

Thank You Jesus, though I was once blind in my sin and didn’t know what I longed for.  You pursued me with patient grace, and awakened me to new life in Christ.  As I orient all that I am around your heart, set my gaze toward the next generation and put me to use. Amen.

(1) Article by Doug Paul and Jo Saxton, Mobilizing the Missing Generation

Tomproject.org

#10 - why do we want you to read too?

Acts 17:11

 

The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

We do, by nature, what we want to do. 

We do, by will power, what we prioritize. 

 

Think about it. 

We find a way to do the things we think are important. We make room in the budget for our morning coffee because we like it.  We make room in our evening to check our facebook because we want to. We diet and watch what we eat because we want to look good and be healthy. We endure examinations that are uncomfortable and embarassing because we hope that they'll keep us safe.

 

If you are not regularly reading your Bible it is either because you don't want to or because you don't think it's important. If you liked it or thought it was important, you'd make a way to do it. If you're having trouble wanting to read your Bible, get into a Connection Group and find someone who delights in reading theirs. Ask them how they do it and if they'd be willing to take time to teach you how to read yours. If you want to read, but have a hard time prioritizing it, join a Connection Group and sit across from men and women who have reoriented their entire lives around doing what God has said. Ask them if they too have ever struggled like you or how they keep from falling back into bad habits.

 

So your priorities have been out of whack for years. Repent. Tell your Connection Group. They will help you read your Bible. They will pray for your wants to change. Don't just feel guilty and walk away. Turn to God and find someone who is doing what you want to do and ask them for help.

 

Candeo will teach and preach God's Word faithfully on Sunday mornings and we will depend upon it to guide our application in Connection Groups throughout the week. We can't read your Bible for you, but we will read ours with you if you’re up for it. We want you to want to read too. Join a Connection Group and ask someone how.

 

God, thank You for Your Word.  Forgive us for choosing facebook news and twitter feeds over Your Word.  We have valued other people's words more than Yours.  Have mercy on us for not making it more of a priority in our lives to listen to You. Use Your Word to inform our prayers, enlighten our minds and soften our hearts.  We want to know You. Create in us a hunger for heavenly bread. Amen. 

#11 - why does my voice matter?

Psalm 30:4

"Sing to the Lord, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name."

The Bible commands us to sing.

You may say things like, "my voice isn't very good," or "I'll leave the singing to the pros on stage," but you may not understand one very important detail about YOUR voice.

God created us with many unique features that we share with no other person on the planet. You probably know that your fingerprint is unique to you, but did you know you also have a unique voiceprint?

I found this quote on a site that specialized in voiceprint security systems:

"A voiceprint is a set of measurable characteristics of a human voice that uniquely identifies an individual. These characteristics, which are based on the physical configuration of a speaker's mouth and throat, can be expressed as a mathematical formula."

This means that no one else can worship God the way you can with your unique voice. No one else can sing to God the way you can. Your voice is known to your Heavenly Father and He wants to hear it, even if you think the people around you don't agree.

God, help me to take comfort in knowing that I have been fearfully and wonderfully made. Help me to find my identity in who You say I am, a beloved child of God. No one else has my set of vocal characteristics. You recognize my voice among the millions, I will use it to sing to my Savior and to speak of Your great name. Amen.

#12 - why could we all use a pinch?

Colossians 4:5-6

 

⁵ Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. ⁶ Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

  

Do you make the most of the times you interact with outsiders? Are you nice to people? Do people like being around you? Many people enjoyed being around Jesus which is saying something considering some of the difficult things Jesus often said. They invited Him to their weddings.  They asked Him over for dinner. Is there an unbeliever anywhere that would call you 'friend', that would invite you to the most important events in their lives, that would want to spend time with you eating and talking?

 

The verse above assumes that when we act wisely toward outsiders, we end up being invited into their lives.  It also assumes that you have not compromised your faith and faithfulness in order to be invited.  I know this because the text urges you to know how to "answer each person." If you are a flashlight hanging out in the dark, people will eventually ask questions. 

 

"So, what's the deal with you shining your light all the time?"

"Don't you ever just want to turn off and be dark like the rest of us?" 

"Where do you get the power and energy to light up like that?" 

"If I wanted to light up, what would I have to do?"

 

You should have outsiders asking you about your faith because you live a life of faith AND you are often around people who don't know what it's like to live that way themselves.

 

God, help Candeo to develop a reputation among the Cedar Valley residents as a place fueled by grace and graciousness, faith and faithfulness because it is true.  May we not be thought of as something that we aren't. May we intentionally think about what we say and what we do and with whom we say and do these things.  Help outsiders to get a taste of Who You are. May they see that You are good and that You are God and give themselves entirely to feasting on You forever. Amen.

#13 - why are we planting with plurality?

Mark 6:7

He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

It is interesting that Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs here in Mark 6. Some of the benefits of plurality of leadership are obvious, like accountability and encouragement. But I wonder if it was just simply because He knew personally that being on mission for God is just not for loners. Jesus himself was never alone: 

John 16:32 

Look: An hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

 

Maybe Jesus knew that just as He was not alone, so the disciples should not be alone. Throughout the book of Acts we see a plurality of leadership established at the beginning of each new church plant as Paul was quick to establish a council of elders everywhere he went. It makes sense that this would be such a priority for Paul as he saw what a blessing plurality of leadership could be in the example of the Trinity.

God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit: all fully God, yet all filling a different role within God's plan for salvation with the Father being first among equals. This seems to be the model of eldership we see throughout the book of Acts, utilizing the various gifts God has given church leaders to serve His purposes, and is therefore something we try to implement throughout Cornerstone's church plants.

God, thank You for modeling leadership through the Trinity in a way that empowers us to move with unity of Spirit through your Son. Holy Spirit, please move ahead of Candeo into the hearts of the Cedar FalYs and Waterloo community preparing hearts for the Gospel and drawing the lost to You. Jesus thank You for making this possible by laying Your life down on the cross and being with Candeo as they go out to make disciples. God the Father, please determine the footsteps of the plurality of leadership within Candeo to fall in step with Your plan and Your purposes for your Kingdom. Amen.

#14 - why does wrongdoing require the right response?

Galatians 6:1-2

Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Jesus is the only good guy to ever walk the earth.  We are all bad guys.  If this were a western movie, only Jesus would have a white hat.  The rest of us would be sporting black hats and bandanas.  So let’s not pretend when we get together for Connection Group that the only prayer requests we have are for other people we know who are struggling.

Do not believe the lie that confessing your sin disqualifies you from being a member of a community of people seeking Jesus.  It is a lie from the devil.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our shortcomings.  If we claim we are without sin, we make Him out to be a liar (1 John 1:8-10).  Confessing sin is a prerequisite of communion with Christ, not a disqualifier.

Candeo needs men and women who are eager to restore their brothers and sisters with gentle spirits: capable and qualified men and women who are able to save drowning swimmers without themselves being drowned.  Candeo needs drowning people who cry out, “Lord, save me!” (Matt 14:30) in the hearing of others who are being saved. 

The law of Christ is fulfilled when saints confess their sins and carry one another’s burdens, just like Jesus carries ours.

 

Jesus, You ever live and plead for me before the Father.  You know my sin.  You know my fears.  I confess that I pretended to be alright when I was all wrong.  Help me to confess my sin.  Provide Candeo with credible men and women who confess their sins.  May we carry one another's burdens as Christ has carried ours.  May we seek to restore those in sin.  Grant us gentle spirits to minister to those entangled in sin.  Protect us from being taken under as well.  None of us is ever beyond our need for You to save us daily in Jesus' Name. Amen.

#15 - why these guys and why Cedar Falls?

Acts 15:22

Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers.

We are so pleased to send men like Paul Sabino, Joel Vint, Stan Hayek, and others to start a church in Cedar Falls. From the earliest days of their faith until now we have been able to watch the Holy Spirit develop them in their faith in Jesus Christ and love for His people. Each has been uniquely gifted to equip the saints for the work of the ministry and together form a strong church leadership team.

Church attendance in some countries in Europe has dropped by over 50% in the last generation. To stand still with the Gospel is to lose ground. We need to continue to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the next generation and equip them to become godly leaders in families, churches, businesses, schools, and throughout their communities. Cedar Falls and the University of Northern Iowa provides opportunity to influence thousands of young people who have potential to be influencers for Jesus across Iowa and beyond in the next generation.

Lord Jesus, Thank You for the progress of the Gospel in the leadership of Candeo Church from the first day until now. Please use them to boldly proclaim the saving Good News of Jesus to the many thousands in Cedar Falls. Please establish and use Candeo Church as another beacon light of hope in the darkness of this world. For Your kingdom's sake. Amen.

#16 - why not just settle for fat and sassy?

Amos 4:1

Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan

who are on the hill of Samaria,
women who oppress the poor
and crush the needy,
who say to their husbands,
“Bring us something to drink."

Wait, what?  Did God just send a message down from heaven that included calling his people “cows?”  Oh yeah.  He did. 

Have you ever noticed that there are tons of ways to insult people by simply referring to them as some kind of animal?  Dog. Chicken. Pig. Snake. Ape.  I don’t think being called a “cow” in Amos’ day probably felt any better than it does in ours.  And yes, I think God knew that and said it anyway.  Step back.

What Amos is saying here is that, according to God, His people had become so near-sighted, and their priorities had gotten so screwy, that they had become concerned only with themselves.  “Forget the poor and needy, and even forget the needs and purpose of my own family; I want some fun, and I want it now,” is essentially the mantra of the people he’s talking to and about.  They wanted self-fulfillment and personal entertainment at any cost.  And that disgusted God.

Our lives are not our own.  We have been purchased at a high price – the blood of Jesus Himself rescued us from the enslavement of self-worship.  God did not save us so that we could be Real Housewives.  He saved us so that we could be His active hands and feet in a lost, broken and hurting world.

Look around: there are tons of people whose paths cross yours everyday.  How could you be serving them?  How could you be reaching out?  How can you step outside of yourself today to be a walking, breathing example of the sacrificial love of Christ? 

Father, we pray You would stir Your Holy Spirit in us to desire to love others more than we love ourselves.  We thank You that Your Son Jesus came to actively love us and sacrifice for us, even when it was difficult, and we pray for strength to follow Him in obedience and likeness.  Please allow Candeo to become a church marked by a level of service, submission and sacrifice that can only be found in modeling Your character.  Amen.

#17 - why are we a church of connection groups?

Hebrews 10:23-25

23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.24 And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, 25 not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

When you think about how you live your days, where does your hope really lie? Going to college and getting out of the house? Getting married? The perfect Pinterest-worthy home? Just a “little more” money? Nice kids? Your “dream” job?

The author of Hebrews says “hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering." If we follow Jesus, our hope should be in Him. He suffered, died, and rose again to rescue us from the depravity of our sinfulness. Through relationship with Him, He promises to never leave us or forsake us, that He will work everything for good, that He will complete the good work He started in us, and that we will get to enjoy eternal life with Him forever. Hope in God. He keeps His promises. He is faithful. He is worthy of hope. 

In the next phrase, we are directed to be “concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works.”  What goes on in your head when you are concerned about something? For me, all of my mental, emotional, and physical energies are funneled toward whatever is of great concern. I study it. I focus on it. I am preoccupied with it. So how do we be concerned for one another? We study each other. We focus on each other.  We let our minds be preoccupied for each other. The author tells us to do this SO THAT we can encourage each other to love and to do good.

What’s the motivation behind all that love and good? The answer is found back in verse 23, “Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

Love and good are rooted in the faithfulness of God.  It’s us saying to one another in times of rejoicing and mourning, “Put your hope in Jesus. He can be trusted. He is faithful. You are weak, but He is strong. He is worth it all. He can be trusted.” We must remind one another of this hope in order to love and to do good.

Verse 25 then makes it very clear what this looks like... meet together in order to encourage one another. These verses aren’t just about Sunday church attendance, but about people conversing back and forth with Christ-centered, hope-filled encouragement. Candeo Church is a church of (not just with) small groups of people (connection groups) that meet together regularly. The goal of these groups is exactly this - to consider how we might influence one another to the love and good deeds displayed in the life of Jesus.

If we aren’t regularly meeting together to encourage one another to love and good deeds, namely sharing the Good News of Christ and making disciples as He instructs (Matt 28), then as believers we will undeniably waver and become ineffective. Don’t waste your life. Don’t miss the focus of where your hope should be – in the faithfulness of Jesus.

Jesus, thank You for Your consistency and faithfulness.  Your concern for me is great.  Help me to have that same concern and faithfulness for others.  May Candeo Church be a church of connection groups that consistently show love and do good for each other. Help us to point each other to the only true hope – You.  Amen.