The Things That Make For Peace

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Influencing A City
Jeremiah 29

Backstory:
Israel is the family of Abraham.
A guy who trusted God with reckless abandon.
God told Abraham that he would have children...he was very old / his body was as good as dead.
But God followed through and gave him a son called Isaac.
Through Isaac came Israel.
Israel is in captivity.
Israel didn't trust God
They didn't honor the sabbath.
They worshipped other gods.
God followed through with His discipline.

Jeremiah writes a letter to the Israelites.
Good News / Bad News
It's going to take 70 years...
So Jeremiah is telling them what to do in the meantime..............

Jeremiah 29:4-7
"This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:
"Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.
Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare."
**In it's peace you will have peace!**

It's easy to be searching for what you're staring right at.

Luke 19:42
"How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes."
You're craving peace, it's right in front of you...but you're blind to what you have.

Shalom goes much deeper than the absence of conflict.
Shalom - a state of wholeness that all is well with your soul.

They wanted to get out of Babylon to get peace, but what they didn't realize was that God wanted them to bring peace to Babylon.

Pray to the Lord for your trial!

You are meant to be a blessing.

Exile - a person who lives far away from their native country.
Heaven is our true home, so we are all here as exiles.

How do we flourish in exile?
How do you thrive in exile and have the impact you're meant to have?
Two solution that are both wrong..
1. imitation
2. separation
NEITHER WORK!

Separation - they were on the outskirts of town when Jeremiah wrote the letter.
Christian becomes an adjective instead of a noun.
Retreating from the world in order to not become contaminated by the world.
We cannot separate from the world and reach the world at the same time.

Imitation - you're so much like the Babylonians that they can't tell you're not.
So in the world that you are not set apart from the world.

Solution //
INFILTRATION!
Be in the world but not of the world.
You'll have influence over the world without letting the world have influence over you.

You'll quickly drift when you're not keeping your bearings.
Hearts on Heaven!
We need to quit fixating on the world's distractions.

As we love God and stay in community but also as we're moving into the city, here are 4 takeaway truths //
1. Work Hard!
Work your tail off.
Work through the hardship.
Something being hard doesn't make it bad.
Push through and keep working.
Colossians 3:17
"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

2. Do Good!
Seek - don't just pray!
Matthew 5:16
"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
1 Peter 2:15
AMPC "For it is God's will and intention that by doing right [your good and honest lives] should silence [muzzle, gag] the ignorant charges and ill-informed criticisms of foolish persons."
MSG "It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society."

3. Enjoy Life!
Explore a little bit.
If your life to God was worth saving, your life is worth savoring!

4. Be Patient!
Plant a garden, eat the fruit.
That's not how quickly it works.
There's time in-between.
Sometimes we give up too quickly.
Cities don't get built in a day and they don't get changed overnight.
Give them space to grow.

Where Love Is

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church 

Father's Day

Proverbs 15:15-17

"All of the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. 

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.

Better is a dinner of herbs (Hebrew = vegetables) where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it."

It's been said - "The greatest tragedy in life is to win at the wrong things."

Before all else we should focus on :

1. The fear of the Lord

2. Loving others

Fear of the Lord = a reverential awe that produces a life of worship.

Proverbs says fear of the Lord is : the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, prolonging of days, fountain of life, departs from evil, leads to life.

God, I want to honor you.

God, I want to please you.

Loving people = 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Mathew 22:39

"A second is equally important : "love your neighbor as yourself."

The 2nd commandment is equally as important as the 1st!

LOVE IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WHEN IT'S IN PLACE :

Little is much when God is in it, much becomes little when God is not.

1. Love is so powerful that there is a joy that has nothing to do with circumstances.

Proverbs 15:15 merry heart // cheerful heart

Habakkuk 3:17-18

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there is no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!"

Disconnect how things are going from how you are doing!

Acts 16:25

"Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening."

2. Where love is there is a peace that can't be purchased!

Peace in a home cannot be overemphasized!

What is spent on your family is not nearly as important as the atmosphere that surrounds your family.

Proverbs 17:1

"Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting and conflict!"

Money without love doesn't bring peace, it brings problems.

The grass will always be greener where you water it.

Get the love right, and you'll be safe to be blessed with more!

We shouldn't just provide for our families we should be present for them.

Provision for your family spiritually.

Get better at :

Attention

Interested in what their interested in

Affirm them

To speak life over them

Instruct them

Celebration

Correction

As God trusts you with more what do you do with more?

Ramp up the generosity!

Love always gives!!

3. Where love is there is a power worth fighting for!

Example to them.

Don't just give instructions, live the instructions.

Lean into the power of the example God has called you to be.

Proverbs 20:7

"The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them."

As for forgiveness when you know you've blown it.

AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!

Joshua 24:15b

4. Where love is there is a hope that cannot be overcome!

We're teaching them not only to live, but to die with Hope!

Only Jesus can death proof your life!

Tornadoes & Potatoes

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

Romans 8 - read the whole chapter!

Overview : the tension of living in this home away from Home.

Up to this point in Romans 8 Paul had been discussing the suffering & glory we experience as God's children.

Vs 17-18

And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.

Share in the suffering and share in His glory.

There will be times the darkness doesn't like the Light.

When darkness comes, ask, "what did I do RIGHT?" Not, "what did I do wrong?"

The suffering comes from a fallen world, from following Christ, and glory. 

There are present problems & a promised prize!

The promised prize is the way through the problems...keep your eyes on the prize!!

Perspective = fight through the suffering by leaning into the glory!

2 Corinthians 11:23-28

Paul's struggles

Paul is being honest that the pain is real.

God doesn't want you to walk around in denial. 

Always keep in mind what you've gained.

The way to make something that feel big feel small is to look at something bigger!!

Measuring your pain alone will weigh you down...pull the prize into the pain...you'll see the crown inside the cross.

Eugene Peterson quote :

Reality is mostly made up of what you cannot see.

Glory ultimately 

Glory incrementally

RIP = rise in power

There is a glory God wants you to experience glory every day.

From glory to glory, from grace to grace.

He always saves the best for last.

This has happened so that the glory of God can be revealed!!

Perspective eliminates despair.

2 Corinthians 4:17

"For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!"

These hard times are small potatoes compared to the good...

Perspective is relative

Fluid not fixed

Perspective is constantly changing

Every day continue to focus on the glory and not just the present suffering.

Rock & Soul Recap

Kevin Guido - Fresh Life Church

What Now?

John 10

How are we going to follow in the footsteps of our Shepherd?

1. We Listen

The sheep recognize their Shepherd by voice.

You can't hear your Shepherd's voice if you're not listening for it.

We have to allow God's word to guide us!!

Luke 10:3 "Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves."

Everyone is seeking/searching for that Voice.

2. We Respond

John 10:7-10 so He explained it to them: "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through Me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."

Abundant pasture! How do you get there?

Jesus said, "I am the gate!"

John 10:11-18 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." 

The access to that life is Jesus!

Jesus is the gate & the Good Shepherd!

Romans 10:9

"Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures." 

ABBA = father/dad

I NEED YOU!

Rock & Soul : week 6

Levi Lusko - Fresh Life Church

The Best For Last

Psalm 23:6

Proverbs 20:17

"Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth."

What the devil gives is always best, first.

Blesses up front, then bites in the back.

1. Don't ever put a period where God has a comma.

There's more to the story.

God wants us to remember the grand scheme of things.

Our God can make a way where there is no way.

2. You don't need to chase what's supposed to chase you.

Goodness and mercy SHALL FOLLOW ME.

Our job is to follow Jesus.

If God hasn't opened the door then no one's going to open the door. If God opens the door no one will be able to close it.

3. Don't ever underestimate your impact.

Follow : chase or sequentially.

Pleasant, charming, cheerful, loyal, full of favor...

A sweet agreeableness!

You want people to leave thinking about Jesus!

4. Mistake what's temporary for what's forever.

It's not the end of the road, it's a bend in the road.

Philippians 3:20

"But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior."

1 Peter 1:3-4

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ form the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in Heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay."

5. Don't wait until you're dead to enjoy being in the family.

John 14:1-2

"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's Home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?"

If Heaven is God's home, why is the church called God's house?

Ephesians 2:19-20 

"So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. Together, we are His house, build on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself."

YOU BELONG HERE!!

Brick by brick he's fitting you in!

One's His Home, one's His investment property!!

Hebrews 10:25

"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near."

Psalm 27:4

"The one thing I ask of the Lord - thing thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in His Temple."