The Audacity of Intimacy Pt. 2

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Wednesday 2/22/15

 

Series: The Audacity of Intimacy Pt. 2

Topic: Co-Partnership IS New Covenant Intimacy

 

Podcast: Download (100.0MB)

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Scriptures:

Matt. 11:25-30; 1Jn. 3:1-3; Eph. 4:1-3; 1Peter 1:3-7; Jn. 14:15; Mt. 7:17-19; Eph. 5:1-17; Heb. 12:11; 2Cor. 10:14-16; Lk. 8:22-25; Matt. 13:58

We began where we left off on Wednesday night, reading Matthew 11:25-30…

“At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.  (26)  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  (27)  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  (28)  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  (30)  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.“

Let’s look at the invitation…

  1. Come unto Me: Jesus shows His authority when He says come unto Me. This invitation is unthinkable in the mouth of anyone else but God, and woe to the men who call people to themselves instead of Jesus!
  2. All you who labor and are heaven laden: Jesus directs His call to those who are burdened. He calls those who sense they must come to Him to relieve their need, instead of living in self-sufficiency.
  3. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me: Jesus makes a wonderful offer, inviting us to take My yoke upon you and learn OF Me. We must come as disciples to learn, willing to be guided by His yoke – not merely to “receive” something but HIM. Not an attribute He has, not some wisdom He has to impart, but learn OF Him. It is a learning that is more “caught than taught”. We learn AS WE WALK with Him in intimate co-partnership in establishing the Kingdom within – Christ IN us.
  4. For I am gentle and lowly in heart: Jesus displays His nature when He describes Himself as gentle and lowly of heart. It is His servant’s heart, displayed throughout His ministry, that qualifies Him to be the one who bears our burdens.
  5. And you will find rest for your souls: Jesus describes His gift to His followers as rest for your soul. This gift is as simple as it is powerful and profound.
  6. My yoke is easy and My burden is light: Jesus summarizes this wonderful call with this. The yoke is light and the burden is easy because He bears it with us.
  7. When training a new animal (such as an ox) to plow, ancient farmers would often yoke it to an older, stronger, more experienced animal who would bear the burden and guide the young animal through his learning.
  8. If your yoke is hard and your burden is heavy, then it isn’t His yoke or burden, and you aren’t letting Him bear it with you. Jesus said it plainly: My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

We examined what kind of love the Father has for and toward us by looking at 1 John 3:1-3

“Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him.
Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.”

 

I cannot even begin to keep up with this recording even as I am listening to it now trying to offer you a review. These scriptures we looked at, but in the end you really just need to listen to the recording.

2Cor. 3:12-16

 

False relationship

In our day, this is part of the distortion of the gospel….

  • Fundamentalists have you bearing it all to prove something TO God

 

  • Hyper-grace has Christ doing and/or having done everything FOR you

Example: Akin to if you knew what toys Jimmy had, you’d like him!

 

True relationship and intimacy in the New Covenant is Co-partnership

The invitation was not to accept the mediator as the substitute for the Father, nor to go beyond the mediator to the Father alone, but to go to the Father BY MEANS OF and IN THE COMPANY OF the mediator.

“In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;  (27)  for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.  (28)  I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.” ~ John 16:26-28

 

If this ministry has been a source of spiritual “food” for you, and therefore have it in your heart to contribute to it’s support, you may do so here.

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!