This is the second half of a piece I read to the church on Easter of 2011: the raw truth about Church of the Open Door.

We’re Here to Tell You

We’re here to encourage you by telling you over and over again that the life you’ve been living is not the life Jesus wants you to have. To help you believe that you are worth far more than what the voices of this world tell you you’re worth.

We’re here to tell you that life is more than the weekly lineup of reality shows, the vacations you go on, the restaurants you eat in, the fine wine you drink, the golf courses you play on or the sports teams you follow.

We’re here to tell you that your worth is not limited or even defined by the car you drive, the home you live in, your fitness factor, your significant career, your education in a prestigious university, your political party, or your status in some sick codependent performance-based religious tradition.

We’re here to tell you that you do not need to medicate the pain of life with booze, drugs, exercise, materialism, portfolios, education, career, control, or even theology.

What We Know!

We know that we live in a world where few people keep their promises or remain faithful to anything or anyone. We want to introduce you to Jesus, who does keep His promises and will remain faithful. And we beg Him to strengthen us so that we can become the exception to your experience by keeping our promises to Him, you, and one another.

We know that you need a new vision for your life. We know from God’s Word and from personal experience with Christ that you do not have to hang onto this hurtful world with the death grip of someone who isn’t aware of a better option.

We know that you may feel like the better options are for others.

Donald Miller, in one of my favorite books, Blue Like Jazz, tells the story of a group of hostages taken by terrorists in a remote corner of the world and held there in a dark room for over a year. When the Navy Seals got to the building, opened the door and announced, “You’re rescued; you’re free. Come out into the light!” Not one of the hostages, huddled in a mass on the floor, moved a muscle. They had been in the dark for so long they didn’t believe in the light anymore. Or, like most of those who live outside the grace and mercy of God, didn’t think it was for them. So one of the seals took off his gear, got down on the floor, wrapped himself around the nearest hostage, held onto them tightly, whispering over and over and over, “It’s all right. You have been rescued. You’re safe. You’re free. You can walk out into the light.”

What We Want To Do

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The Holy Spirit in Sanctification

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you forever” (John 14:16-17).

These words from the Lord Jesus raised the expectations of His discouraged disciples. Something new and wonderful was about to happen. In just a few days, when the Spirit would come, He would live inside them. Unlike their Master who was about to leave them, the Spirit’s presence would be permanent. This had never happened before. Note even with the greatest leaders of the Old Testament.

The Holy Spirit’s ministry in our lives can be confusing. The religious lingo seems so unfamiliar—indwelling, sealing, baptism, gifting, filling, walking. How do you know if any of these have happened? When should I expect it? How will I know?

Dividing the ministries of the Holy Spirit into three primary categories helps us appreciate their importance in our Christian experience:

¨      The Holy Spirit and eternal life—indwelling and sealing.

¨      The Holy Spirit and everyday life—filling by and walking in the Spirit.

¨      The Holy Spirit and body life—baptizing and gifting.

When it comes to everyday life, an understanding of the filling of the Spirit is absolutely critical to experiencing the joy and confidence of living by (walking in) the Spirit

Here’s the link to the sermon, study notes, and discussion notes from my exposition of the Holy Spirit and Everyday Life:

The Holy Spirit Filling and Walking

ThenI will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocateto be with you forever –the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,because it does not see him or know him.But you know him, because he resideswith you and will bein you (John 14:16-17).

These words from the Lord Jesus raised the expectations of His discouraged disciples. Something new and wonderful was about to happen. In just a few days, when the Spirit would come, He would live inside them. Unlike their Master who was about to leave them, the Spirit’s presence would be permanent. This had never happened before. Note even with the greatest leaders of the Old Testament.

The Holy Spirit’s ministry in our lives can be confusing. The religious lingo seems so unfamiliar—indwelling, sealing, baptism, gifting, filling, walking. How do you know if any of these have happened? When should I expect it? How will I know?

Dividing the ministries of the Holy Spirit into three primary categories helps us appreciate their importance in our Christian experience:

¨      The Holy Spirit and eternal life—indwelling and sealing.

¨      The Holy Spirit and everyday life—filling by and walking in the Spirit.

¨      The Holy Spirit and body life—baptizing and gifting.

When it comes to everyday life, an understanding of the filling of the Spirit is absolutely critical to experiencing the joy and confidence of living by (walking in) the Spirit

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bible.cod

Dr. J Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible teaching series was born at Church of the Open Door. The genius of Dr. McGee’s Thursday evening series when he pastored our great church is its simplicity. Just teach people the Bible. All of it.

The Lord has convinced me that this is what he wants us to do as a congregation over the next two years.

I’m going to teach the Bible, all of it, book by book. Think of it as your “book-a-week club,” but the Books we’ll be reading are the 66 Books of God’s Word.

Sadly, m0st people, even Christians, have never read through the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. They may know some of the stories or even some of the Books very well, but they have no idea how it all fits together.

We’ll be studying the geography, structure, and message of each book, beginning with Genesis. The theme: bible.cod, Trusting His life-changing truth comes with this promise: “Give us two years and we’ll give you the whole  Bible.” To follow along with this series, I’m going to be posting daily devotions to help you not only understand what you’re reading but also apply it to your life.

I hope you’ll join us. The series begins right after our Missions Conference. I’ll introduce the structure of the entire Bible on February 26th.

Question: Have you read through the entire Bible? 

Throw-Away Week?

I use to think of the week between Christmas and New Year’s as a throw away week. It was a time to decide to somehow stop eating everything in sight and try to put together a few New Year’s Resolutions I knew I wasn’t going to keep.

Or Year In Review?

Then I got an idea that changed my mind about this week. I now view it as maybe the most important weeks of the year.

Instead of watching and listening the mindless dribble of television and radio reviews of what happened on earth last year, I spend time with God thinking about what heaven thinks about my life last year.

Since I’m addicted to journaling, I dedicate this week to reading through the pages of my spiritual journal from the year before. Using a red highlighter, I underline and make notes asking God to help me condense the pages into the one lesson He was teaching me last year.

At the end of the week I complete this sentence and write it on the first page of my journal for the next year: “Last year God taught Ed…………………………………”

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The Good Shepherd Came Down

Meditations on Psalm 23:6

On Christmas morning I’m going to lead Church of the Open Door through meditations of the wonder of Psalm 23 in light if the Incarnation. Because of Christmas, King David’s words describe the reality of our lives as Christians. The Lord is my Shepherd.

I’m journaling through a verse every morning this week, meditating on the actuality of Christ being my Good Shepherd who showed up in a manger in Bethlehem so that all that David says and feels about his Good Shepherd is true of me.

Here’s Day 6, Verse 6. You may want to subscribe or go to edunderwood.com to keep up with the series daily.

Day 6: Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days, and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life  (Psalm 23:6, NET Bible).

It’s (Kind of) A Wonderful Life

One of our Christmas Eve traditions when our children were growing up was to finish off the evening watching that Christmas classic, It’s A Wonderful Life. 

Last night we were trying to do just that with two worn out little Newkirk grandchildren, Zachy and Sam.

They had just about had it. All they wanted to do was go home and go to bed.

I pushed pause on the movie to help Zachy with his pajamas when my daughter, Celia, admitted out loud what we all were thinking, “This just isn’t working. We need to get these boys to bed; it’s been a long day. Christmas traditions just have to adjust to reality!”

She’s right of course.

Christmas traditions just have to adjust to the realities of life.

I’m sure you can remember some Christmases when you’ve had to adjust your traditions to the realities of life.

• A dying loved one
• A wayward child
• A job loss
• A strained family relationship
• A cross-country move.

But He’s (Absolutely) Good and Faithful

The last line of David’s song to the Good Shepherd assures us that whatever Christmases future may bring, there is one constant in our lives–the goodness and mercy of the Good Shepherd.

He uses an interesting verb translated pursue in the NET Bible. The term usually describes the relentless pursuit of an enemy or a stalking beast. Instead of being chased down by a relentless enemy, we’re being pursued by a Good Shepherd. He’s so good and faithful that David personifies these traits as our relentless pursuers.

I don’t know about you, but this helps me in this world where the prospect of future “Merry” Christmases seems more at risk every year.

Question: How have you experienced the Good Shepherd’s goodness and faithfulness this Christmas?

The Good Shepherd Came Down

Meditations on Psalm 23:5

On Christmas morning I’m going to lead Church of the Open Door through meditations of the wonder of Psalm 23 in light if the Incarnation. Because of Christmas, King David’s words describe the reality of our lives as Christians. The Lord is my Shepherd.

I’m journaling through a verse every morning this week, meditating on the actuality of Christ being my Good Shepherd who showed up in a manger in Bethlehem so that all that David says and feels about his Good Shepherd is true of me.

Here’s Day 5, Verse 5. You may want to subscribe or go to edunderwood.com to keep up with the series daily.

Day Five: You prepare a feast before m in the plain sight of my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; my cup is completely full (Psalm 23:5, NET Bible).

Best Christmas Ever!

“This is shaping up to be a pretty good Christmas.”

“Best Christmas ever!”

These are the sentences we all use. Sentences that betray our deep need to maximize the experience of this special season.

Problem is that when we’re honest with ourselves, there just aren’t that many “best-ever Christmases.” Even when we’re in the middle of a good one, we know that this is a happiness that can’t last.

All I have to do is think about some of our friends around the world or in our church who walk with Christ. In spite of their devotion to Christ, 2011 has been a year they’d just soon forget. Their prospects for a “perfect Christmas” are bad, very bad.

This is where verse 5 of David’s song about and to his Good Shepherd comes in.

Really David?

When I read the narrative accounts of David’s life, I have a hard time placing Psalm 23. When exactly did he experience all of this goodness? King David was constantly at war and dealing with the political intrigue and pressures of life “within the beltway” of Jerusalem.

His family was a mess. His own son tried to take his throne.

He sinned terribly. His adulterous and murderous behavior scandalized his administration.

He lost a baby.

So when exactly was this time when his cup of life was completely full?

A Good Shepherd in a Bad World

The secret to David’s joy in verse 5 was that he chose to focus on his Shepherd rather than his circumstances.

On his worst day, David knew that his Shepherd was still good.

David’s secret can be our secret. If ever there was a season we should concentrate on the goodness of our Shepherd rather than the badness of our life, it’s Christmas.

Question: What are some ways you’ve found that help you think more about the goodness of your Shepherd than the badness of your life during Christmas?

The Good Shepherd Came Down

Meditations on Psalm 23:4

On Christmas morning I’m going to lead Church of the Open Door through meditations of the wonder of Psalm 23 in light if the Incarnation. Because of Christmas, King David’s words describe the reality of our lives as Christians. The Lord is my Shepherd.

I’m journaling through a verse every morning this week, meditating on the actuality of Christ being my Good Shepherd who showed up in a manger in Bethlehem so that all that David says and feels about his Good Shepherd is true of me.

Here’s Day 4, Verse 4. You may want to subscribe or go to edunderwood.com to keep up with the series daily.

Day Four: Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff reassure me (Psalm 23:4, NET Bible).

The Dark Valleys of Christmas

For most of us this Christmas, like just about every other Christmas of our lives, will have at least one of those “now you need to walk through the darkest valley” assignments from the Good Shepherd.

• “Now you must trust me as you take your children to your ex-husband’s godless home to celebrate who knows what and be exposed to I hate to imagine.”
• “Now you must trust me as I tell you to go to the bedside to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to your dying friend or loved one, even though you have no idea what to say or how to be.”
• “Now you must somehow make it through this season with the heavy heart of loss since this is the first Christmas without your lifelong partner.”
• “Now you must go to the seventeenth event or get-together with your wacked-out in laws or your dysfunctional family, when all you really want is a simple Christmas at home with your kids.”

I can’t know what your specific “Now you must” assignment from the Good Shepherd that feels like a dark valley of life is, but I know that you have at least one. We all do.

But I do know what you can do about it.

Read on in Psalm 23, verse 4.

“I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me.”

The Shepherd’s presence and guidance–the reassuring touch of his rod and staff–calms the fearful sheep, giving them confidence and courage to follow him through the darkest valley.

I’m on my fifth dark valley assignment from the Lord Jesus this Christmas, and today’s the big one. I’m not looking forward to it because memories of dark experiences in that valley from Christmases past. I’m pretty sure this is going to hurt.

A lot.

But I am looking forward to being with my Good Shepherd, and feeling the reassuring touch of his rod and staff through the dark valley that is December 23, 2011.

Questions: How can I help you through your dark valley this Christmas Season? How can i encourage you to trust the Shepherd’s care? 

The Good Shepherd Came Down

Meditations on Psalm 23:3

On Christmas morning I’m going to lead Church of the Open Door through meditations of the wonder of Psalm 23 in light if the Incarnation. Because of Christmas, King David’s words describe the reality of our lives as Christians. The Lord is my Shepherd.

I’m journaling through a verse every morning this week, meditating on the actuality of Christ being my Good Shepherd who showed up in a manger in Bethlehem so that all that David says and feels about his Good Shepherd is true of me.

Here’s Day 3, Verse 3. You may want to subscribe or go to edunderwood.com to keep up with the series daily.

Day Three: He restores my strength. He leads me down the right paths for the sake of his reputation (Psalm 23:3, NET Bible).

Every Christian needs the Good Shepherd’s strength during the demanding days ramping up to December 25th.

But verse 3 makes me think about some friends and loved ones who are facing more than the every-year pressures of Christmas.

These are those precious disciples of the Savior who are walking with Him through life’s toughest days.

The newly-single mom trying to somehow make this Christmas less painful for her children now that “daddy” (and I use that term grudgingly) decided he wants a new family.

The Bible teacher fighting for her next breath from a body full of cancer.

The spouse stuck in a loveless marriage because of a “life-partner” (and I use that term grudgingly too) who has decided they’re not going to live for Christ, their marriage, the children, and others but for their own interests, career, and fulfillment.

For these dear followers of Christ, Christmas hurts too much to get all festive.

Does this describe your life this year?

If so, Psalm 23:3 is your verse.

Your Good Shepherd wants you to know that he will restore your strength, even when the pain of life takes your breath away.

Your Good Shepherd promises that if you will take his hand and trust him with the pain of the next challenge, the next hurt, the next day, hour, or minute, he will take you down the right path for you.

He can’t promise that it’s going to be okay this Christmas. But he does promise that if you trust him enough to follow, he will redeem your pain in ways that enhance his reputation.

Question: Does this describe your Christmas this year? Write me and I promise to pray for you.