The Lord asks us to be compassionate while knowing the 10 Commandments. The Pharisees (the "gatekeepers" of the Law & the preservation of the scriptures) put policy, procedure, and rules ahead of caring about people. Whenever Jesus came to heal the sick, restore a person's body, or talk about the Kingdom of God, the angry Pharisees were always there to antagonize, and as such, they were always bent on "undoing Jesus". What this revealed about their hearts is that they had evil in them, and that showed by their nefarious accusations leveled at Jesus. In this message, Pastor Troy Billow lays out the case that God does not care about one's ability to act RELIGIOUS, as much as He is concerned about the needs of the people around us, as He equips us to win people to His Kingdom by caring about, addressing, and taking on those concerns, showing our obedience to God and care for others.
God called a tax collector over to follow Him. Tax collectors were self-absorbed, self-righteous, self-reliant, and very wealthy due to their success. What makes this so profound is that Jesus challenged him to follow Him and leave everything else behind. The tax collector held a party where He invited Jesus and other tax collectors so that they could hear what Jesus was saying. This tax collector was named Levi, but ended up changing his name to Matthew. This poses an interesting question for us today; do we follow Jesus and leave other things behind? Moreover, can we get past our own difficulty with self-righteousness? God loves the broken, wants to forgive you, and wants to restore your life. The first step to being born-again is realizing that you are broken. The problem with the Pharisees, who are ever the antagonists here, was that they could not bring themselves to admit that they were wretched, sinful, self-righteous, and lacked humility.
How far are you willing to go in faith to seek results from Jesus? That is the fundamental question in this message. Jesus came to earth to show three foundational truths. 1. That He is God in the flesh. 2. Coming to bring God's Kingdom to earth, and 2. Jesus came to change the dynamic of worship and the primary line of communication with God by faith through Him. Hebrews 9:6 stresses the critical importance of faith to God. Faith is an ACTION that needs to be seen, not just said. One day a group of people were determined to get their sick friend to Jesus, despite all of the difficulties that stood in their way. And yet, when Jesus approached the man, He forgave the man's sins, healed the man, and sent him on his way, leaving everyone in the crowd who witnessed it amazed. What does that mean for you today? Pastor Troy Billow explains.
Peter just finished a long, rigorous day of fishing. He was tired, disappointed at the results of putting in so many hours and catching practically nothing. Peter cleaned his nets and was getting ready to go home. Totally beat from the day, Jesus comes by and asks for one more thing. Jesus instructs Peter to cast the boat out to sea and throw the nets out just one more time. Peter was yearning to go home and get some sleep, but because Jesus asked him, he did so. When he cast the nets out just one more time, so many fish were caught that it took two boats to take in the catch. God blesses obedience. In this case, Jesus caused the boats to be so full of fish, that they almost sank. Sometimes what Jesus asks of us doesn't always make sense when He asks it, but our answer, motivation, and attitude, when we know it is Him asking, will yield abundant, fruitful results if we do it.
Why do amazing things happen by God? Because we ask Him. We may have a thread of faith at times, but it is nothing short of amazing to see what can result from that. Jesus said that if you have the faith of a mustard seed (which is a very tiny grain like object), you can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). In other words, great things can happen if you have a little bit of faith, and if you act on it by seeking the Lord and asking Him to take charge, heal, make a way where there seems to be no way, etc. Share in the power of this truth by way of some of the instances where this truth has played out in this message by Pastor Troy Billow.
On the Sabbath Day, in a Synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus reads a prophecy from the scroll of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2), and proclaims that the prophecy He just read has been fulfilled by Him in that moment. That proclamation sparks a heated reaction. However, after witnessing all of the miracles that Jesus did, people doubt the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus read. Jesus notices this, and "pins" the doubters down both in their hearts and in their attitudes. The base question for them then and for us today is; do you have faith in your heart? Do you have the faith to EXPERIENCE God in your heart? Jesus ALWAYS means what He says. If you have even just a little faith (the size of a mustard seed - Matt 17:20), impossible things can, and does in fact, happen. With love, prayer, and faith, God can, and does, turn things completely around. Join us as we convey the power and truth of this dynamic.
In this message, Guest Speaker Jay Peters speaks about the importance of a believer stepping out and evangelizing to fulfill The Great Commission. A few key takeaways:
--What You LOVE, you will talk about. -
-Most of Jesus's Ministry took place OUTSIDE of a religious setting, near peoples homes. It was rarely in a temple. -
-Jesus leads by EXAMPLE, teaches people to "catch people" for the Kingdom".(Matthew 4:19)
-What does The Great Commission mean to you? Is it awkward? 100%! Is it worth it? A million percent.
--Let resistance be FUEL for you when you are obedient.
...and much more. So join us to watch this powerful, challenging, and engaging message.
When Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah in the Synagogue in Nazareth, many underlying dynamics became awaken. For one, 39 chapters are focused on punishment. The remaining 26 chapters are geared towards restoration, hope, the coming of the Messiah, which in turn offers a bright and glorious future. Until the time Jesus came on the scene, the hold of Satan was at its peak in human history all around. Sin, deception, misconceptions about God's Law, a brutal, iron fisted political system surrounding them, and a number of other factors dogged and dragged the people and their spirits, until John the Baptist's message woke them up. After John baptized Jesus, the Holy Spirit was upon Him, and the powerful hold that Satan had on the world, political systems, religious systems, and people started to come loose. This freedom that Christ initiated then is still being initiated today. What does this all mean? Find out what this means to the Body of Christ, as Pastor Troy Billow lays out the details from a Kingdom centered perspective.
When John the Baptist is preaching, He is tying repentance and God's wrath to baptism. That is, or should be, a primary motivator. In that, he illustrates how Repentance opens the door to humility, as opposed to no repentance being an act of pride and in turn rebellion against God. Pride should be put low and humility should be raised up, as John illustrates, "smoothing the road". Jesus needs humility to use you as a powerful person, and John talks about how repentance is possible, as Pastor Troy Billow will explain in this message.
When John the Baptist came on the scene, he looked like a wild-eyed crazy man who ate bugs. The background of John the Baptist is more profound. God wanted to draw John the Baptist away from the world to spend time with Him, and get John the Baptist ready to engage people from God's standard. When John the Baptist engaged people, he warned them of the need to get their "paths straight" and "prepare the way" for the coming of the Lord, which leads to a profound question? What is in the middle of your road? What needs to take place to make your road smooth? John the Baptist's message was so profound that it attracted Jesus to him, leaving John with the trust to baptize Him. Christ, is King, and wants to come in to the "highway" of your life, and John's message is one that still rings loud and true today; in our hearts and in our lives, we NEED to prepare the way for the Kingdom of God.