12/19/10 - Vunerability - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "The Beautiful Exchange" in this Sunday service.

The Beautiful Exchange Part 3 - Vunerability

Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, December 19, 2010

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

The Beautiful Exchange: 
Jesus put His life in our hands so we can put ours in His.

Vulnerability:


*   Dangerous—living on the edge.  Without vulnerability we will never change the world.  Changing the world requires us to interact, connect and be vulnerable.  The world’s system is conformity.  Fit in so you can be replaced.  Just another cog in the machine.  You will never stand out if you blend in.  The world sells us the lie that rebellion is the dangerous, living on the edge life.  Not true—it is the safe way, no risk, just be like everybody else.  The most radical person who ever walked the face of the earth was Jesus.  He challenged the status quo.  It is not surprising He was rejected and crucified.  It is surprising they waited as long as they did to do it.

 John 12:24-25 (Message) "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.

Romans 12:1-2 (JBP) “With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give Him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and acceptable by Him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”


*   Swap the lies for the Truth (lies that keep us from becoming vulnerable).  Our experiences, worldview, attitudes, and insecurities have resulted in building defenses that “protect us”.  But protect us from what?  Those defenses are actually obstacles that wall us off from our destiny.  Our destiny—God’s plans and desires for us—carries with it the promise of life beyond our wildest dreams.  Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, Gideon, David, Peter, Paul.  What are the lies that have become your truth? What justifies your invulnerability?

Luke 11:34-36   “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”                     

Romans 1:16-17, 21-22, 25, 32 “16For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.  21Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.”


*   Perseverance and Endurance:  Jesus was born a Jew and first took His message and ministry to the Jews.  Historically, the Jews continually rejected God’s advances, betraying Him and choosing other gods and ways over Him.  Yet, He continues to make them a target of His love and vulnerability. 

John 1:11 “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.”


Keys to A Vulnerable Life:


*   You choose to whom you will be vulnerable and how vulnerable you will be.  Many times we are hurt, feel betrayed or rejected, are disappointed or disillusioned, because we gave part of ourselves that should be given only to God.  We gave away something valuable and it was treated like it was ordinary.  We decide we will not be taken advantage of again and shut down our ability to influence others for the Kingdom.

Matthew 7:6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. (CEV: Don't give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you.) Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.”


*   Practice being unoffendable.  When we “take offense” we fall prey to the bait that robs us of the life of God—we become “touchy and fretful”, our focus shifts from others to us, and we sacrifice Kingdom values and influence for our feelings.  Our feelings and emotions become our standard instead of His Word.  We find our insecurities again, build our own defense systems to insulate us, and end up isolated from others—trapped again by our invulnerability. If you think about the areas where you are most easily offended, it comes from a root of bitterness due to rejection.  I am most easily offended when I feel you don’t think I am important.  That comes from feeling like no matter what I did, it didn’t get noticed by my parents. 
Matthew 11:6 (AMP) “And blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is he who takes no offense at Me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through Me and is not hindered from seeing the Truth.” 

Matthew 24:10 (HCSB) “Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another.”


*   Quit playing fair.  “It’s not fair.”  ‘Fair’ is the standard for an invulnerable life.  Vulnerability, and the rich and satisfying life promised by Jesus, requires us to abandon the “fair” standard.  Fair says “I’ll be good to you if you are good to me.  But if you mess me up, I’ll get you.”  That is the death of relationship and the destruction of Kingdom influence.  Great relationships are not fair.  When I am at my worst, I don’t need you to be fair, I need you to be better than me.  Fair joins me in a downward spiral of destruction until the relationship finally is beyond repair. 

Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.  If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”