Radical - Week 6

Radical - Week 6
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV Sun,
Oct 30, 2011
Message by Pastor Terry Crawford

Church Link =============== Covenant is a God-centered church, leading people into an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, purposefully building bridges that connect Christ to our community, region and world.
http://www.covenantexperience.com/ (link)

Bible Reference 1 =============== Mark 10:17-31 (NIV84) ---------------As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “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.”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields–and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Bible Reference 2 =============== Mark 10:17-22 (NIV84) ---------------As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

A Radical Approach... =============== Jesus’ call to salvation demands total surrender. • Salvation is never a matter of external reformation.

Bible Reference 3 =============== John 6:28-29 (NIV84) ---------------Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Salvation is... =============== Salvation is always a matter of internal transformation

Jesus is... =============== Jesus is not merely a respectable teacher

Jesus is... =============== Jesus is the sovereign Lord.

A Radical Affection... =============== Jesus calls us to give sacrificially because He loves us.

Parable of Rich Fool =============== Luke 12:32-34 (NIV84) ---------------“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

He is... =============== He is a Shepherd who protects us.

He is... =============== He is a Father who delights in us.

He is... =============== He is a King who provides for us.

A Radical Command... =============== Jesus gives commands, not considerations.

Bible Reference 3 =============== Mark 10:21 (NIV84) ---------------Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

As followers of Christ... =============== As followers of Christ, we do not consider options.

As followers of Christ =============== As followers of Christ, we obey.

Radical Urgency

Radical - Week 4
Covenant Church - Shepherdstown, WV
Message by Pastor Terry Crawford

Jesus vs John the Baptist =============== John 4:1-3 (NIV84) ---------------The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

Jesus vs John the Baptist =============== Jesus does not have an urgent interest in a contest over converts with John the Baptist, nor does He seem interested in a political fight.

Jesus talks with a woman =============== John 4:27-30 (NIV84) ---------------Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

Radical urgency =============== Radical urgency does not come from what we know; it only comes from who we know.

Unknown Food =============== John 4:31-34 (NIV84) ---------------Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

Filled by Following =============== We get filled as we follow.

Quote =============== “The greatest single hindrance to evangelism today is the secret poverty of our own spiritual experience.” - John Stott

Harvest Now =============== John 4:35-36 (NIV84) ---------------Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

Seeing Urgently =============== Seeing with the urgency of the gospel results in action.

Church Link =============== Covenant is a God-centered church, leading people into an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, purposefully building bridges that connect Christ to our community, region and world. http://www.covenantexperience.com/ (link)

Connection News Letter =============== Helping you stay connected to Covenant. http://www.covenantexperience.com/images/images_C6791/October%20%202011% 20Connection.pdf (link)

Radical - Week 1 =============== Message by Pastor Terry Crawford (What Does the Gospel Demand)
http://www.covenantexperience.com/files/podcasts/20110925WebMaster.mp3 (audio)

Radical - Week 2 =============== Message by Pastor Terry Crawford (Radical Sacrifice)
http://www.covenantexperience.com/files/podcasts/20111002WebMaster.mp3 (audio)

Radical - Week 3 =============== Message by Pastor Terry Crawford (Radical Compassion)
http://www.covenantexperience.com/files/podcasts/20111009WebMaster.mp3 (audio)

Radical - Week 3

Covenant Church - Shepherdstown
Message by Pastor Terry Crawford

Question 1 =============== Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?

Question 2 =============== Do we want to remain in religious ruts and in a consumer style faith or do we want to get radical and change the world?

Bible Reference 1 =============== Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV84) ---------------Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Two Ingredients of Radical Compassion... =============== Supernatural awareness of the condition of the lost.

Two Ingredients of Radical Compassion... =============== Sacrificial obedience to the commission of Christ.

Note 1 =============== Awareness of the condition of the lost enables us to see their size, feel their suffering and realize their separation.

Note 2 =============== When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them

Note 3 =============== When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Bible Reference 2 =============== Revelation 20:15 (NIV84) ---------------If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The Commission of Christ... =============== Jesus beckons us to pray.

The Commission of Christ... =============== Jesus summons us to go.

Note 4 =============== Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Note 5 =============== As we go with radical compassion, we will learn to trust God’s provision and depend on His power.

Quote =============== “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful--that’s what matters.”

Question 3 =============== Followers of Christ, what matters to you? Have you done something wonderful?

Radical - Week 2

Message by. Pastor Terry Crawford Covenant Church - Shepherdstown, WV Sun, Oct 2, 2011 at 9:30am to Sun, Oct 9 at 12:00am EDT http://bible.us/e/CJm

Jesus requires … =============== superior love.

Jesus requires … =============== exclusive loyalty.

Jesus requires... =============== total loss.

Bible Reference =============== Luke 14:25-26 (NIV84) ---------------Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.

Note 1 =============== Superior love in Jesus changes our perspective.

Exclusive loyalty =============== Luke 14:27 (NIV84) ---------------And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Note 2 =============== Through the cross of Christ, we die to the life we live which changes our priorities.

Bible Reference 2 =============== Luke 14:28-33 (NIV84) ---------------“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

We are... =============== We are workers constructing a building.

We are... =============== We are warriors fighting a battle.

For the cause of Christ =============== For the cause of Christ, we give up everything we have which changes our possessions.

Bible Reference 3 =============== Hebrews 10:32-36 (NIV84) ---------------Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.