What a day!
Our new place is already feeling like home and the atmosphere was electric. I am very proud of everyone who went the extra mile to make this uber fast transition possible.
Be sure to click here and check out the slideshow to see the rest of the images.
Labor Day weekend hit The Pursuit crowd this morning but not as nearly as bad as I expected. Today was 70s week in our Retro series. "Do the Hustle" is still stuck in my head. 
We also had some fun at Bob's expense (nice picture). I was born in 1976 so research was fun. The ideology of the 70s was, "If it makes you happy do it. All that matters is self."
The Big Idea for today was: The world says, "Find yourself in you." But Jesus says, "Find your identity in Me."
We talked about one of my favorite guys in the Bible today, Jacob. His story is captivating. Here's a guy who lived a "me-centered" life. He didn't care who stood in his way. He was going to get his. God comes down and picks a fight and ends up giving him a brand new identity.
Doesn't take a sociologist to see we are influenced by this today in 2008. We have bought into the lie that meaning in life can be found in our own selfish pursuits.
Jesus says, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39)
Today's Highlights
Next week is 80s week. I need to wear this ensemble. It's tempting.
Yesterday we kicked off our Retro series at The Pursuit. We took a trip back in time and looked at the 60s. Like no other time in US history, the 60s was the decade of rebellion. "Question Authority" was the mantra of the day. It was widely taught that freedom could only truly be found through rejecting all authority. Today in 2008, we are still widely influenced from this mindset.
The Big Idea: The world says, "Be your own authority." But Jesus says, "Make Me your authority."
Text: Matthew 8:5-13 - Jesus and the Roman Centurion
I had an absolute blast preaching this message. I'll link to the podcast when it's up later this week.
Highlights of the day:
This Sunday, The Pursuit is going old school!
The 60s, 70s, and 80s were all known for a way of life that is still going strong in our day. Our culture has been influenced heavily by the mindsets that arose during those decades. But God calls each of us to a way of life that is radically different from the ideals of those decades.
We will explore on...
We are going to have some fun with this series! You better hide your yearbooks because if we get a hold of one this might just happen to you!
The last possibility I have on my list regarding what John the Baptist was referring to when he identified Jesus as "Lamb of God" comes from Exodus 12.
At this time, the Israelites were subjected to slavery by Egypt and their Pharaoh. God sent his prophet, Moses, time and time again to ask Pharaoh to free them. Every time Moses asked, Pharaoh refused and God's wrath fell on the land of Egypt. The final time would be a devastating blow.
God instructed Moses (and his brother Aaron) to let all the Israelites know some very important instructions. On a certain day, they were to take a lamb without blemish and kill it. Afterwards, they were to take the blood and smear it along the entryway into their houses.
Vs. 12-13 says, "On that same night I [God] will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn - both men and animals ... The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."
To this day, the Jewish community celebrates and remembers "Passover" when God saved them from His wrath.
Therefore, John the Baptist could be referring to Jesus as our "Passover Lamb" whose blood on the cross would save us from the punishment we deserved. Jesus stepped into the line of fire for us because of his great love for us.
I hope you are able to see that the "Lamb of God" statement John used points to Jesus as a very unique and special individual. This was not just a good teacher. This was not just a good man. This is God, Himself, wrapped in skin, walking where we walk, for the purpose of bringing us back to Him.
For the last three days I've been taking a deeper look into what John the Baptist meant when he identified Jesus as the "Lamb of God" in the first chapter of John. All five point to the same conclusion...the Messiah (the Chosen One of God) and Jesus are one and the same.
Today's post takes us in a whole different direction and raises an interesting question. Instead of looking back into past prophecies could John's words be speaking of something yet to come? Revelation 17 takes us to the end battle between Satan and his evil forces and Jesus and his. This is not a fair fight. Here in verse 14 it says, "They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of Kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."
I can't help but think of a little lamb armed to the teeth ready for battle. Kind of a funny picture. But don't be fooled. This is Jesus, the Son of God and the eternal King of kings. Most of us when we think of Jesus we think of a humble, peasant man who was a servant to all. That's the amazing thing about Jesus! Philippians 2:6-11 teaches Jesus was obedient to God the Father and humbled himself to the form of a servant even to the point of dying on the cross.
However, after accomplishing his mission he is now "highly exalted" and ruling at the right hand of God where he belongs. You want a picture of the true identity of Jesus? Read Revelation 19:11-16. After reading this, you will understand why every knee will someday bow and every tongue will confess, "Jesus Christ is Lord."
Isaiah 53 is one of the most rich texts in the Bible loaded with prophecies pointing to the Messiah. In verse 7, God tells His messenger Isaiah that even in the midst of being afflicted and oppressed, [the Messiah, God's Chosen One] would not open his mouth to speak. "Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth (ESV)."
Throughout his trials before Caiaphas (Matt. 26:63; Mark 14:61) and Pilate (John 19:9), Jesus chose the silent treatment rather than answer questions regarding the trumped up charges against him. Even during the violent beatings he took at the hands of the Roman guards and his crucifixion he did not lash out in anger or retaliate in any way. Jesus knew this was his purpose. He was sent to lay his life on the line for us. No one took his life. He willingly gave it.
Could John have had Isaiah 53 running through his mind when he saw Jesus walking by?
The Old Testament often talks about the Jewish practice of offering sacrifices to God for purification of sins. Leviticus 4:32-35 details this process which required the man to bring a lamb without defect to the priest. He would symbolically place the sin of the man on the innocent lamb and kill it. The blood of the lamb was then placed on the horns of the altar while the lamb was burned on the altar itself. Only after this would the priest absolve the man of his sins.
However, as the author of Hebrews mentions it's impossible for the blood of animals to take away sins. It took God sending "His lamb" or "His Son, Jesus" who was without defect or sinless to take away our sin once and for all. God placed all of our sins on Jesus and put them to death along with His Son. Because of this sacrifice forgiveness is available through his death on the cross.
It is very possible, John the Baptist was referring to this idea when he identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)."
Yesterday (Sunday), I was preaching at the 2nd Preview Service of The Pursuit Christian Church. Specifically, we were in John chapter one where John (not author of John) the Baptist saw Jesus and actually twice on two consecutive days identified him as "the lamb of God (vs. 29 & 36)." In 1:29, John even adds, "who takes away the sins of the world."
Due to the length of the message, I decided to post the five most probable meanings of this phrase here on the blog. In all five, I still believe John's point is to identify Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah (or God's chosen one). So here's possibility #1:
Read Genesis 22:1-19
Abraham and his wife Sarah, had always wanted kids but she was unable and both were well passed the years of having kids (11:30). However, God miraculously gave them a son in their old age and they named him Isaac (21:2-3). God promised Abraham that he would become a mighty nation and he would be the father of numerous generations. Then came the test in chapter 22. God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
Ever met a parent who was overly cautious when it came to their child? Most parents are like that with their first child and after they get used to the parenting gig they loosen up. I should know I was the 4th and baby of the family. Imagine how cautious Abraham and Sarah would have been. This is not just their only child for now but unless God has another miracle up his sleeve this is going to be their only one ever. Now God is asking Abraham to give him up.
Unwavering from his faith, Abraham takes his son to the mountain where the sacrifice was going to take place. Burnt offerings to God were common practice but usually a lamb was the object of sacrifice (note the term sacrificial lamb). We don't know how old Isaac is here but he's smart enough to know something is missing (vs. 7).
The father says in faith, "God himself will provide the lamb." Two things here: 1) I believe Abraham knew God wouldn't allow him to go through with this action. Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% sure he was sweating and asking, "What if?" However, Abraham could take refuge in the fact God promised him that many generations were going to come from him. Plus in verse 5, he tells his servants, "we will come back to you." 2) This is also a prophetic statement in the sense that God would provide the ultimate lamb in His own Son, Jesus.
As the knife was about to be lowered on his son, the Lord saw Abraham's great faith and stopped the sacrifice from happening. Just then Abraham saw a ram whose horns were caught in the bushes. God had indeed provided the lamb just as he had told Isaac.
Before they left Abraham aptly named the place, "The Lord will provide."
So possibility #1 is John the Baptist, whose job from God was to prepare the people for the Messiah, saw Jesus as the fulfillment of "the lamb God would provide" who had come to "take away the sins of the world."
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