I Do!

I Do!

We are created to crave our Creator - anything less will not satisfy.

Growing spiritually is the purpose of our lives

Relationships are the context where growth in character, obedience, and service occur.

Throughout scripture we see our relationship with God compared to many things: (-)
- master/servant relationship
- friend/friend relationship
- father/child relationship
- husband/wife relationship

Throughout Scripture, God compares His relationship to His people to the relationship a man and woman experience in marriage.
- This picture helps us understand how God wants us to relate to Him.
- God’s primary message to the world is one of reconciliation
n Bringing us back into relationship with our Maker.
n He loves us,
n Desires us
n Wants to be close to us.
n Longs for our obedience (result of intimacy&love-not fear)
- God’s faithful & sacrificial love to us demonstrates how we are to then love one another.
- Our relationships can be small pictures of what God’s love is.
n Like~signposts of the divine love God wants to share with the world.


The Bible has a Lot to say about this…
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*Eph 5:25-32 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
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After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
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“I DO”

It is important to understand this dynamic of relationship with God because we are looked at as The “Bride of Christ” many times in scripture. (From Israel to the New Testament Church) Why is it like a marriage?
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- Deep Intimacy we are called to
- God has sought us as lovers
- He loved us with a perfect, patient, unconditional love
- God desires faithfulness and exclusiveness
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*Also keep in mind, we tend to interpret this topic and these scriptures Individually only, but the way they were written and originally interpreted was Communally.

(*They can be interpreted and applied to your life and personal relationship with Christ, but you should also be seeking to understand them in the context of what they mean for us as a group (Anchor Gaslamp) and to the Church as a whole, presently and historically)

There are many great examples in the Bible to pull from…
- We could talk about almost any marriage,
- Song of Solomon - picture of God pursuing His people,
- For the purposes of the message today I want to point out 2 examples:
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What makes a good marriage and what doesn’t, specifically as a wife/bride? (because this is what we are referred to)

I gotta admit it’s a bit weird for me.
Guys, you know what I mean.
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I never considered myself the “bride” type…
But in my years of studying this out, and being married to a wonderful woman, I have learned to appreciate this metaphor.

What does it take to have a successful marriage/ relationship?
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(Exp. Relationship Pyramid: Passion, Intimacy, and Commitment.
Commitment + Intimacy = Boring people who sit across table w/books
Passion + Commitment = Bi-polar Relationships/
Passion + Intimacy = Swingers)

We all say we “love” God, but what is love for us?
- Is your love just a love of commitment?
- Are you passionate for God, but not committed to Him?
- Are you engaging with God on an Intellectual level, but not Emotionally?
- Do you have a Hot & Cold relationship with God…on again, off again?
- Is your relationship with God Boring?
- Is God there just for what you get from Him?
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What do you mean when you tell God you love Him?

The 1st Example:
(-) Hosea 1-2:1-20
a. There lived a prophet in northern Israel named Hosea / was living at the time of Uzziah, Hezekiah, Jeroboam
b. God told Hosea to marry a prostitute as a living metaphor of God’s marriage to Israel…which was rocky to say the least (He chooses a harlot to represent her)
i. He found this girl named Gomer, married her and had 3 kids
ii. She was a prostitute and found it difficult to stay faithful, she kept going back to her old ways of sleeping around until she had nothing left and decided to come home
c. God used the lives of prophets many times to prophecy what God felt or wanted to do to His people
i. In this case how God feels is found in 2:5-7 –
(-) “(Israel) has been unfaithful and has her children in disgrace. She said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.' Therefore I will block her path with thorn-bushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.'
ii. God talks about how His lover’s put on her lingerie and laid on her back for the false gods
iii. His decision about how to treat her is found in 2:14-17 –
(-) “Therefore I am now going to allure her. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. ' I will remove the names of the Baals (false gods) from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.”
d. God causes the circumstances of the wayward wife’s life to become so bad, that she wants to return home
e. When she has come to a place of repentance and wants to return to her husband God’s response is…
i. Forgiveness, a new covenant of marriage, intimacy, a fresh start, freedom from her former life, and being bound to her husband in new marriage

This picture of marriage is so powerful because…
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a. It shows a husband willing entering into a marriage with someone that He knows won’t be faithful
b. However the husband, knowing she won’t be faithful, also knows that she will ultimately return to love
c. Her husband is patient and willing to cause the circumstances of other people and His wife to become uncomfortable and sometimes deadly for the sake of love
d. Everything is done so that love can grow stronger and deeper between a husband and wife and it doesn’t matter who or what gets in the way

• The Husband Chooses Love.
• God chooses us, when we don’t choose Him. That love overcomes anything.
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• Where Sin abounds, grace much more abounds –Rom. 5:20
• The more I walk from God, the more He reaches for me
• …even if that means tough love
• Leading me into the deserts of life
• Allowing the pain of my decisions & other’s to affect me till I realize how empty all other pursuits are
• He just keeps reaching
• Compared to his love, proven by the cross (the ultimate expression of Love) all the calls of other lovers are like cheap pick-up lines
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“But I’ve given my life to Christ and I’m trying to walk in Communion with Him and live for His Purposes and Open my eyes to see reality more…I’m Committed and Passionate and Intimate with Christ (Which let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that one of us can actually claim)…what can I do?”

Well there are some ideas the Bible recommends for wives.
- Eph 5:22 - Wives, Submit yourselves to your husbands, as unto the Lord
- I Tim 3:11 - …Wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but self-controlled and trustworthy in everything.

But the best example, usually applied to women (if you’ve ever heard teaching on being a “Woman of Virtue”) is from Proverbs 31, written from the wise king Solomon to his son, telling him what to look for in a wife.
Proverbs 31:10-31
10 A good wife is hard to find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She shops for the best they can afford and works with eager hands.
14 She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises.
15 She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day.
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16 She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.
17 First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
19 She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in making her home comfortable.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
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21 In bad weather, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are pre-clothed in the finest clothing.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
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26 When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.
27 She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive.
28 Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise:
29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty fades away; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised and admired.
31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise among the finest of the city.
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Me & Nancy:

If there is one thing I’ve learned about love, it’s that IT GROWS!
- I thought I loved Nancy after a couple of months
- I had no Idea how much I would love her today
- Several kisses later, I love her more
- A couple visits from the stork Later, I love her more
- Several arguments/fights later, I love her more

*Through Trials, Pain, Joy, Tears, our love has grown deeper & wider & More Profound

UNITY.COM - Sermon

Unity.com

Unity.Com

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John 13:34-35 – (JESUS)
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.
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1 John 3: 1-24 (EPISTLE/ Letter)
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John is Writing to Christians in Community during a time of HEAVY Persecution and False Teachers.
This Stress is EVEN turning Some People from the Community against one another.
They are arguing over
- Who’s Right & Who’s Wrong,
- Who’s In & Who’s Out, &
- Why the Church is being persecuted.
They have begun:
- Gossiping,
- Backbiting,
- Sowing Disunity,
- Dividing the church.
John addresses this division and points out, with Black & White lines what God’s Children should look like AT ALL TIMES – Especially in times of Testing & Struggles?
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1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not understand us is that it did not understand him. 2My friends {John McCain}, now we are Children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (How many are trying to purify yourself?)
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4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 Surely you know Christ Showed up to get rid of sin. There is no sin in Him 6 No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues living sinfully really even understands Him. 7 So, my dear children, don't let anyone divert you from the truth. It's the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah.8 Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin…
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…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the Devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will make a practice of sin, because God's seed is deep within him, shaping him from the inside out; he won’t practice sin, because he has been born of God. 1O Here's how you tell the difference between God's children and the Devil's children: The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't love brother or sister. A simple test.
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11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13Do not be surprised, my friends, if the world hates you.
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14 Here’s how we know that we have passed from death to life (interesting way of talking about the change God is working in us), because we love our brothers & sisters. Anyone who does not love remains in the old, dead ways. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in Him. 16 (Key Verse) This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
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17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
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21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
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Unity… unity is important
Teams Lose without it
Armies Crumble without it
Your body can’t operate without it (Exp- Jr. High/ 13-13/ “Vince-Moves”)
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When I talk about Unity I’m NOT talking about Uniformity
When I say we need to Protect Unity in our church I’m NOT saying we all need to wear Nikes and drink the same punch
I’m NOT saying we all need to Think alike or Act alike or even Agree on every topic
That’s uniformity…that’s Boring & Cultic
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Old Saying: “In an all blue world there is no color”
It’s So True!
When God created everything He formed lots of colors, shapes, sizes.
God is a God of variety
We are all shaped differently - Inside & Out.
- Personalities,
- Life experiences,
- Educations,
- Habits.
- Ideals,
- Perspectives,
- Goals for life.
We all Handle Conflict Differently, Communicate differently, and even have different Values.

That’s good!
We need to Celebrate our Differences & Diversity, NOT Critique them…
God likes variety!
He made the world that way!
He called it GOOD!
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Coral Talked about this a couple moths ago!
– In Creation, God Said Everything was “GOOD!”
– Main Question of his sermon: “Is God Enough?”…God said it was all Good!
– BUT…“It is not Good that man is alone…Helpmeet”(she was hot as you can tell from this picture)
– Man NEEDS Community!
Man in Garden =Milton Called “Paradise Lost”…
Everything is “GOOD” & “Perfect.”
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God says in Gen 2:15 “Tend it, Guard it, Keep it, Dress it, Clean it, Work it, Look After it, Take Care of it, Cultivate it, Bring Order from Chaos…the ongoing creation of the world…”
- God’s creation isn’t complete: There’s Still Work to do…
- Even in paradise man had a job
* Paradise takes Work to maintain
- Trimming trees
- Pruning leaves
- Pulling weeds …etc.
- Weed pulling vs. whacking:
- (Exp: Funny Story: Karl & I @ Sister Gray’s House Pulling Weeds)
- Important to dig in there…get to root of problem
- That’s what God wants to happen in our lives…
- …Digging down deep to the root of problems
- …Not just taking care of them on the surface
- …Covering them up…Hiding them

*Life from the beginning involved fixing and correcting things…Even in Paradise!

Then God made Eve…
Did you know the term “Husband” is also Botanical term? – Means “Gardener”

The idea of relationship involves:
- Helping one another to grow fruitful,
- Maturing
- Plucking weeds out of our lives,
- Watering,
- Nurturing.

We believe this should be a mutual role for Each Person in the Relationship
Helping each other become better people.
Because, let’s face it…we are not perfect
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(Explain Rock Tumbler/ Relationships…All Relationships…friendships, romances…etc.)

The Bible also calls Christ our Husbandman?
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John 15:1,2
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman [GARDENER]. Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

He “Purges” us
This Is ‘Maturity’ Language …
Abiding In Christ and Growing to Produce Fruit

*But Westernized Christianity has often Misunderstood Maturity
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Spiritual maturity is not some “Individual” growing up in a Bubble, just taking Spiritual Vitamins … (“Read your Bible, pray everyday and you’ll grow, grow, grow”)
…Context of Maturity is Community
…Relationships
…Lives rubbing up against lives (FRICTION)

According to Ephesians 4, God gave us to one another to “Perfect” one another
- Counsel one another
- Provoke each other to good works
- Speak into one another’s lives

EXP: Guy who is ‘Christian’ but doesn’t go to church because they’re full of hypocrites…
– Who are you kidding?
– He’s Running Away
– He’s avoiding conflict because he doesn’t like the mess and doesn’t want to deal with it
– (But that’s how you grow!!!….It’s how you help others grow!!!)
– Your missing out on what your Calling is… [Like Karl Pointed Out…]
– “God was in Christ RECONCILING the World…and has Given US the ministry…”
– Reconciling relationships,
– Fixing things that are broken,
– Maintaining the garden.
– You can’t escape conflict.

Anytime there is relationship,
Including:
- Friendships,
- Marriages,
- Communities
- Etc..
Conflict is essential…

We identify with Conflict Intrinsically…it’s IN us
Every writer knows this
You can’t market a Movie, Novel, or TV show without the Element known as conflict…
It Won’t Sell!
People won’t buy it!
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In Fact the More Conflict there is, the more it appeals to us!

(* And if you’re not careful your mind will wonder off to last week’s episode because we’re SO drawn to it…
We IDENTIFY with Conflict)
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There was even Conflict in Paradise…
In fact, if you view the Bible as ONE Giant Narrative, “The Garden of Eden Story” is the Conflict!
Mankind was given a choice… God’s way/ His way
When we choose for Self instead of preferring God & Others it multiplies conflict

Conflict is everywhere!

Scripture points out that without conflict in our lives we would not grow
It’s in the Conflict of Choosing:
- Others over SELF, choosing
- Humility over Pride
- Mercy over Bitterness
- Faith over Fear
- Trust over Anxiety
- …that we grow.
That’s how maturity happens
The Bible Points Out over & over it’s
- Trials and Temptations,
- Situations in which we are Conflicted,
- Those are our Testing Grounds…
- That’s Where Character is Formed
- That’s Where Growth Happens…
- -Conflict-

But if we are Honest today, We Don’t Like that or want to Deal with it.
We have our own ideas of what Christian Community and Church should be like
We want to experience Paradise on Earth, without putting the Work in…
Without dealing with the weeds
There’s no:
- Paradise without Pain
- Ecstasy without Agony
- Testimony without Tests
- Significance without Struggle
- Community without Conflict

That Doesn’t Exist…
Paradise Takes Work
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Life Together – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“He who admires his Dream of community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter…”

If we aren’t careful, We build such high Expectations that we reject anything else!

In Other Words…
We love the idea of community when it involves Fun…
Go to movies together…
Let’s have church in a Nightclub…
…Etc.

But what about when reality sets in?
What about when:
- Relationships become strained,
- Finances bring stress
- Friendships are broken,
- When the reality that we are all fallen human beings, AND…
- We are in Desperate Need of a Savior SETS IN?
- When we realize nobody’s perfect!

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* If we try to hold on to our Dreams of Christian Community, they often turn into nightmares

We have to be people who learn to love “inspite of…”

My dad gave me great advice when I became a pastor:
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“See Everything, Overlook A Great Deal, Correct A Little”

I am SO Flawed, but How does Christ see me?
He sees me through the window of the Cross
He ALWAYS looks for the good
He looks @ Me & Sees an:
- Over-comer
- Righteous Man
- Good Person
- Someone who’s forgiven
THIS is how we all must CHOOSE to see one another…Through the Cross

*But We Don’t Naturally Gravitate to that do we?
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This is the conflict the Beloved Disciple John addresses as he writes this Epistle to a community of believers.
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He gives them a simple answer: Choose Love

{EXP: Love is a choice / NOT Emotion – That way with any relationship}

Look @ the Portion we read:
- He Talks about God’s great love for us
- How it is to infiltrate every aspect of our lives
- Then He Points out that Conflict has been there from the Beginning
- He uses the example of Cain & Abel
- He points out that anyone who doesn’t love [AGAPE- Unconditional/ Forgiving/ Patient/ Selfless Love (Cor 11)] those in his community is guilty of Cain’s Sin
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Then he gives us his Thesis in verse 16
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
(Point out Parallel - Gospel of John 3:16 – Action / Reaction)
Then in verse 18:
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“Dear children, let us NOT Love with Words or Tongue but with Actions and in Truth.”

John is calling us to Action, not words or feelings…
Let’s not just say we love one another let’s SHOW it

Anything worth having is worth working for & fighting for…
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NOT some Sense of nationalism:
“If someone talked bad about My Church I’ll defend Anchor Gaslamp”
But 90% of the time that means defending it from within…
Worst enemy is inside (raise hand… “me”)
Refusing to:
- Gossip,
- Choose sides,
- Break confidence…
- Trying to Prove we are right & They’re wrong
Showing Love not Pride…
Giving your life for your Brother & Sister
Going the way of the Cross
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Jesus Said, “They will know you’re my disciples because you have love for one another”

(1 John…loving one another…)

We love each other as Christ loved us

What does that mean?
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We lay down our lives for one another.
When we want to be First, we become Last,
When we want to be Greatest, we become Least,
When we want Revenge, we Turn the other cheek,
When we feel taken advantage of, we walk an extra mile…
When we feel Unloved, Hated and Mistreated, we Love in return…
(We Are never judged by Other’s Actions…only our Actions/ Reactions)
We CHOOSE NOT to Gossip, Slander, Divide, Mislead, Hurt, or Reciprocate Pain
We Always CHOOSE to Build, Exhort, Unite, Assist, Heal, and Love.

John admonishes us to keep loving patiently, knowing the mess might never get cleaner!

We Love because we have been loved… and are still loved!
We Forgive because we have been forgiven… and are still forgiven.
We Treat others how we would want to be treated
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(Exp: “How Most of us Drive” example – “SPEED UP!” – later someone tailgates you & you say “What’s His Hurry!!!” Road Hog!)

We are all hypocrites!
We want to get Mercy but we want to give Judgment!
We want God to forgive us of everything we’ve done wrong, but we want God to punish those who have hurt us!

God Relates to that emotion of wanting things made right.
We’ve all done wrong against God
He requires judgment to Preserve His Holiness & Righteousness.
BUT He Also is a God of Love & Mercy & wants all to come to Him
(How do we Reconcile these 2 sides of God? – Love & Judgment)
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See that’s the Beautiful thing about the cross!
At the Cross God’s holiness is preserved…
His righteous feelings (that we have sinned against Him & wounded Him) are vindicated, But His loving Mercy is also distributed
The cross is this central place where God’s Wrath against sin is poured out on one man, but God’s Mercy is given to all!
It’s the Place Where God’s Judgment meets God’s Mercy,
Where his Wrath Meets His Love
* And the Result: LIFE
That love becomes life…
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“God's love is not simply a thing to be admired.
It is, rather, the power that transfers those who have faith from Death to Life,
From the realm of Hatred to Love.

(John talks about this: Verse 14 – “…we know we have passed from death to life”)
From death to life, NOT life to death
This is the Christian view of life
Everything goes from death to life,
From old to new
The Cross is a place of Death to Self & Resurrection into a New Life
Calvin And Luther Referred to it as Christ’s Throne…the Highest peak of His Ministry

The Cross is the center of our salvation…
When we “Take up our Crosses” (as Christ pointed out):
- We learn to Absorb Judgment and give Love,
- We learn to Withhold Wrath and give Mercy,
- We learn to NOT spread Negativity or be Reactive,
- Instead we Choose to be Positive and Proactive,

We learn to Die to the Old ways and Live in New ways

(*This is The Awesome Part!)

The cross enables us to:
- Mend relationships,
- Forgive those who have hurt us,
- Love inspite of differences,
- Be gracious to those who rub us the wrong way.

* The Cross enables True Christian Community.
Without it we just have a regular group of friends who happen to be Christian,
BUT with the cross we live alongside one another with a Loving “Gospel Intentionality.”

In Other Words…
When we see situations that we used to see as huge struggles…
Where we Used to see Drama,
We NOW see Opportunities for sharing the good news with one another,
We begin to see Chances for Transformation & Reconciliation
Opportunities for Growth and Strength and Mercy and Grace and Humility and Love.
This is our calling: Reconciliation

When someone in our community Wounds another, we Don’t Choose Sides,
We Repair with Patience & Love.
When Pain strikes in our community we Heal.
When Needs arise, we Give.
When Failure happens, we Restore
When Wars break out, we make Peace.

This is how we truly live and spread the Gospel.
It’s:
- TRUE Evangelism
- Picture of Heaven to a dying and longing world.
- The life of every True Disciple.

* We Actively Seek Opportunities for Redemption and Creative Love.
* We Look for Chances for Reconciliation & Unity

You can’t say Community without the word Unity.
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Unity.com = Community (I know It’s Cheesy…lol)
We stop being a Community when we lose Unity
We Cease being a Christian Community when we:
- Cease stomping out drama,
- Covering for one another,
- Forgiving,
- Loving & Moving on.

If Christ ever moves out of the center…
If we put ourselves in the center…
- Our desires,
- Carnality,
- Selfishness,
- Then we cease to be a Christian Community

But If we let Christ be the Glue in our Relationships & the Center of our lives…
That’s when we begin to experience True Life…. Life more abundantly

The Heart of Christian Community is the Cross
It’s Soul is Christ and His Unconditional Love that led to His Selfless Sacrifice
That is the Good News of God,
-The Gospel-

Our Community is and always must be a picture of that…

Let’s Pray this prayer together:
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Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

-Then Really Pray-

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Discussion:
What are the enemies of Unity and Community?
How do we combat them?
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What allies build Christian Community?
How do we reinforce them?


Scriptures for discussion:

Discord:

- Proverbs 13:10
Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other's counsel.
- Proverbs 29:22
Angry people stir up a lot of discord; the intemperate stir up trouble.
- Rom 16:17-18
My friends, I beg you to watch out for anyone who causes trouble and divides the church by refusing to do what all of you were taught. Stay away from them! They want to serve themselves and not Christ the Lord. Their flattery and fancy talk fool people who don't know any better.

Conflict:

4 Stages: Roots, Conflict, Effects, Resolution
*Need to learn how to handle conflict at all 4 stages

4 ways of Handling:
• Aggression
• Ignorance
• Calm/ Open-Minded
• Short-Term Solution
-Aggression
You tend to use aggression when you are trying to resolve problems. This does not solve the problem; in fact it makes it worse. You could end up hurting people and getting hurt yourself.
- Ignorance is Bliss
You tend to ignore the situation when you are dealing with problems this means you are not sorting out the issues and trying to find out why the conflict started and so the conflict is always there at the back of your mind and gets you angry when you think about it.
-Calm/ open-minded
You try to resolve problems calmly and this will help you to resolve the conflict and find out what started the conflict. This means that you have better relationships with the people you know
-Short-term
You only look for short-term solutions meaning you only partially resolve conflicts; this could get you into more problems later and means you are not dealing with the problem fully.

Our Dreams

Church can get boring. Jesus never really did. He was fun. His message was simple. He told stories even children could understand, yet somehow The most intellectual people were still challenged by him. He was the only one of his kind and his message changed the world. We dream to put that simple message back into the audio-range of people who want to hear it. There are plenty who are interested in him, and even curious about Christian spirituality, who would never go to a "church." That's why we are here. We believe it is God's purpose to bring change to lives and culture by the simplicity of His Gospel. This Gospel is not a man-made, dry & boring, traditional religion. This Gospel is the message of his saving love for all mankind that was exhibited in the life of Jesus, and is now echoed through the lives of his followers. We want to peel away any beliefs, ideals, or traditions of man that tend to make this gospel more complex than we believe it was meant to be. We want to find the Christ in Christ-ianity. We want to celebrate him and his powerful work just as the early 'apostolic' church did. We believe that there are many out there who feel this way also. if you do, come join us this Thursday, or give us a call/e-mail and let us know what you're thinking. We would love to hear from you.

Wikipedia

Anchor Gaslamp is now on Wikipedia!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor_Gaslamp

Podcasts

Our Podcasts are back up and running!!!! Oh yeah! Simply go on our main page to the "podbean" player to listen or link to the website. You can also subscribe for free on iTunes. Go to the iTunes Store and type "anchor gaslamp" in the search bar. from there you may listen or download our most recent podcasts for free. You can even put them on your iPod... Anchor-Gaslamp-on-the-go. Let us know what you think.
-Vince

Update as of 07/2008

The Last 2 months here @ Anchor Gaslamp have been eventful to say the least. Exciting. Challenging. Rewarding.

At the Beginning of March we were busy with our weekly Bible Studies ("Word Alive"), which were being held at Westin Horton Plaza. We were at the end of our expository series on the Life of Christ through Luke. We were able to articulate a lot of our core values, mission, and doctrinal stances during this exciting series.

We did a number of group activities that brought us together even more as a group during this time, like attending King of Kings, a local church passion play, hanging out together, and even joining with our friends from Epikos Church for a Good Friday Event @ Gamer's Universe. (Gamer's is a local hotspot owned by our friends Scott and Rowie, who have been attending off and on for a couple of months). On St Patrick's Day (Monday 3/17), We Joined in the Gaslamp Festivities…One of the largest block parties of the year, and passed out a few thousand flyers about who we are, what we are trying to do, and info on our 1st service. We had several good responses.

As we geared up for our 1st "preview" service that would launch on Easter (3/23), we received a surprise-call from the senior Editor of Religion and Ethics for San Diego's Largest Newspaper, The Union Tribune. Sandi Dolbee was her name, and she had read a free classified we had posted about our launch service…which was being held in a Nightclub. For some reason this peaked her interest and she asked for an interview with our co-pastor's, Karlton Edison and Vince Larson. The article was a great way for San Diego to see what we were doing, not to mention an incredible source of free advertising. It came out in Saturday's edition, the day before our launch. If you would like to read the article and people's responses go to: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20080322-9999-1c22church.html

Our First Service went unbelievably well. The Nightclub Staff @ Minus-1 was a joy to work with and the atmosphere/ ambience was nothing short of perfect. Nancy Larson set up a nursery in the back. With the absence of a stage/ focal point we arranged the music to the side and the "platform" just across from the bar. Our good friend and multi-talented musician Tony from a neighboring church volunteered to do the music. Everything was set… Then 3 minutes before we started service, Tony somehow sliced his 3 middle fingers on his left hand so deep he should have gotten stitches. With blood gushing, he was down for the count! Vince jumped up on the guitar in a moment's notice (with no power-point since he couldn't play Tony's songs) and led us in worship. Then he rushed from the Music area, with the music stand in hand, and over to the "platform area." There Vince Preached a sermon on Free Grace entitled "Open Bar: It's on the House!"

After Service we went out to the Pacific Ocean and baptized Kashema, our 1st convert, in the Name of Jesus!

We had a number of visitors who have returned to our second service and many other events. At first we planned on having one service a month, but we are planning on adding a second monthly service because of the overwhelming response.

On our Off Sundays We have been doing community BBQ's, which we advertise well in advance, bring lots of food and games to (Like Volleyball, Horseshoes, and Bocci). The BBQ's have been an incredible success, but our last BBQ was shut down by the police. Apparently we attracted too may of our Homeless friends with the free food. Unbeknownst to us there is a city ordinance against feeding the homeless in public. Some people who lived across the street were unhappy with the large amount of homeless in their park and called the cops. The Police were very nice and told us we could stay, just not to serve food. We obeyed and thanked them for their understanding. A woman in the Park saw all of this and was moved by what we were trying to do, so she came and talked to us for over an hour. After she left she returned with a check for $250 to fund further ventures of the kind…then she picked up a homeless couple we had been talking to and took them to her house to clean out her garage and give them a little work. We wept because of the love and compassion in that woman.

We had our first brainstorming session with our core group in early April. This week, for our Bible Studies, we are beginning our new 10-week series on the Book of Acts called "You Too can be an Action Hero." We are moving from our present location in the Hotel, which costs us $200 a week, and are adding 2 more nights and locations for Bible Studies. We'll meet Tuesday's in Little Italy in Princess Pub & Grille, Wednesday's in Gaslamp @ Starbucks on 5th & F, and Thursdays down in Eastlake. We hop to add a 4th in the next couple of months in North County.

Also this week begins our Bi-weekly Sunday Services in the Gaslamp @ the same Nightclub. Please continue to support us in prayer and finances, as starting a church never falls short in the problems department. There is always a rent or print job to be paid, or a truly lost soul to be loved into Christ.

We Are Learning, Loving, And pressing Forward. We are so excited for what the future holds. God Bless you and thank you for your friendship.

Vince Larson & Karlton Edison
Anchor Gaslamp

Our 1st Service - Easter 2008

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Our 1st service! We had our 1st service today on easter sunday. It was a success, with some interesting happenings. We had about 25-30 people in attendance. Our Superstar Musician and good friend Tony had an accident where his fingertips got sliced up pretty badly 5 minutes before our gathering began. Our teaching pastor, Vince Larson, who was also preaching today had to pinch-hit and do the music as well. he tried his best (God bless him). The sermon was great. Vince spoke on Grace and titled his sermon "Open Bar, It’s on the House," which was fitting because we were in a bar/ nightclub. the feeling and energy in the place was great! we had people from 5-55 years old in attendance from every walk of life. Various ethnic backgrounds, various walks of life. Our good friends from Invisible Children graced us with their presence and set up a table about their cause, for which we feel a great burden. Thanks Lisa! All in all today was a success. This Wed, we begin a new 6-week series entitled "They like Jesus, but not the church." Next Sunday, we are throwing a Big FREE Community BBQ. Pray for us that God will use us to bring many people to the truth of Who God is, what he’s done for us, and how that can change our lives! God Bless! -The Anchor Church

Union Tribune does article on Anchor Gaslamp

Would you like to view the union tribunes article on us? copy the link below and paste it in your browser.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20080322-9999-1c22church.html

Excerpt from the Luke Series 6 months ago

How Far Is Heaven... Expository series...Luke 10
Category: Religion and Philosophy

"How Far Is Heaven?"
There's this song that Los Lonely boys wrote and recorded and it simply asks, "How far is Heaven?" Good question. How far is heaven? The answer is it's as close as you want it to be…. that will make a whole lot more sense to you after I'm finished today

The Work of the Seventy-Two Followers

Last week Ben Talked about what it takes to be a disciple…the Cost of Discipleship and so forth.

Now that Jesus has trained and lived with these disciples for some time, He sends them out on a quest to "Proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven"

Not Necessarily "How to go to heaven when you die"
(Do you notice a lot of people view the church as a scam, selling insurance for the afterlife?)
Rather, "The Kingdom of Heaven is now close!"
We see this over and over
What is this Kingdom of heaven?
Heaven is Both present reality and afterlife

The Bible Says in Ps 115:16- The Highest heavens belong to the Lord But the earth God has given to man (collective "man" meaning human beings male & female- So the earth he's given to us)

In the Hebraic way of thinking, Heaven is a place where things are exactly as God wants them…

Jesus Preaches about heaven a lot more as a present reality than he does as an eternal destination…
- So earth is the realm we have been given control or dominion over.
- In Heaven things go God's way
- On earth, things go the way we choose
- With every decision we can choose to do God's will or our own…Live God's Way or some other way
- In Jewish mindset, God's way is heaven- Brings "peace" or "shalom" of God upon the earth.
- When We choose to live selfishly, our choices bring destruction…Hell, upon the earth
- With every decision we are choosing heaven or hell in our lives and those connected to us…
- As Christians it's our part to Preach the Kingdom of Heaven… by placing food in someone's mouth who is starving… by clothing the Naked… visiting the persecuted…

Mt 25:35 When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, 36and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me."

37Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, "When did we give you something to eat or drink? 38When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear 39or visit you while you were sick or in jail?"

40The king will answer, "Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me."

In fact, Jesus prays (in the prayer we refer to as the Lord's prayer) "Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done down here as it is up there…"

For Jesus, this new kind of life in Him is not about just escaping this world, but also about making it a better place While we are here, right here and right now.

A Large part of the kingdom message was about us making the world a reflection of heaven.

For every one time Jesus talks about the afterlife, he talks ten times about some social issue (foreigner, fatherless, widow… taking care of those around us who are in need…Instead of living lives that are centered on ourselves )
He refers to this profound shift in thinking as the Kingdom way of doing things
Like I said it's both a present reality and a future destination
He sends them out to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven
To heal broken people,
To set free the spiritually oppressed,
To teach love
To let people know that there is a New Kingdom on it's way
A new Way of doing things, new life

Reading on…

Verse 3 Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. Don't take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don't waste time greeting people on the road. As soon as you enter a home, say, "God bless this home with peace." If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don't move around from house to house. If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer.
Heal their sick and say, "God's kingdom will soon be here!"


Jesus is sending these 72 out as like the 1st missionaries and he's giving them instructions on how to do it…

Go to your place of ministry
Bless the people there,
Eat what they eat,
stay where they stay
proclaim the gospel with words and action (teaching & Healing).

Application:

Now our church (the Anchor Gaslamp) we are starting is a missional/ church…

What does that mean for us?

- We are not Just trying to start another church!
- This city doesn't just need more churches
- We want to become a community of believers who feel it is our calling to reach this city, love this city, and help transform this city by the power of God, starting right here in the heart of Downtown San Diego

1st let's talk about our city…that's the context of the mission we have been Given by God if we are true disciples…


We have many different cultures in our area:

Hispanic 891,442 29%
White 1,577,029 51%
Black 163,766 5%
American Indian 15,942 < 1% Asian 298,740 10% Hawaiian & Pacific Islander 13,046 < 1% Other 7,893 < 1% Besides different cultures based on racial backgrounds, there are many subcultures. We have: - indie–rockers - rap culture - skaters - techies - nerds - surfers - balers - subcultures based on religion, sexual preference, occupation, socio-economic standing… etc. We need to reach these cultures and subcultures! www.sandiego.areaconnect.com 54% under age of 34 70.4% under age 44 median age= 32.5 about 50 % between 20-40 Young City. Focused on professionalism, health and success. Most of these young business professionals are single… 39.8% single/non-family households…we're full of singles almost 40% Other Facts… www.sandiego.gov SD= 7th largest city in USA/ 2nd in CA 4th least segregated city in USA median household income = $47,067 USC.EDU Evangelical Groups % of of of % of Churches People Pop. Adherants S. Baptist Conv. 104 27,228 1 2.2 Presbyterian USA 31 24,008 0.9 2 United Methodist 43 20,799 0.7 1.7 Evangelical Lutheran Ch.Amer. 39 17,873 0.6 1.5 Assembly of God 72 16,770 0.6 1.4 Episcopal 38 16,284 0.6 1.3 Independent Non-charismatic 16 15,580 0.6 1.3 Total Evangelical Christians = 5% 11.4% Jesus tells his disciples in this passage to look at the fields that are ready to be harvested, but they need laborers… We call those people missionaries and we normally think of them as people who go to other countries (AKA Mission Field) to preach the gospel. BUT… …America is a mission field San Diego County is at highest estimates, about 11.4 % evangelical Christian Mainland Communist China is about 8% evangelical Christian! We are only 3.4% more "Christian" than they are! We need to talk about doing missions there as well as places like China If I said we are taking a special offering today to send missionaries to Communist China to convert all the communists, you would say, "YAAAY!" San Diego is not far behind China folks! San Diego has some weird religions, perverted lifestyles, and people hungry for something their not getting: Jesus Question: how does Jesus reach them? The Answer: If We are true disciples of Christ, he has sent us. Say "I am a missionary" Who are we reaching for? Let's look @ most San Diegans

- They don't want church

- They don't want customs, traditions, or dry religion

- They are hungry for social justice

- They are hungry for the spiritual (Kabala, scientology, Buddhism)

- What they do not realize is that they are searching for what Jesus brought 2,000 years ago… What did Jesus Do? Jesus came from eternity, entered time, and dwelt among a people, ministering to them. He took up his Cross. He died, was buried, and rose again. That's the Gospel. (We identify with that backwards. We identify with his death, burial, and resurrection in the new birth experience – we then learn to take up our cross- and then we learn to live as he lived…in a culture ministering to people. "to live is Christ," Paul said. We need to observe how he lived!) Jesus was born into a culture. He participated in all the cultural customs of his day. He went to the parties. He ate the food. He sang the songs. He dressed like them. He talked like them. He incarnated (that doesn't just mean he came in flesh. It means he came to us through a people and a culture). I know it's a funny way to think about it, but God became a missionary! (I Tim 3:16) What does a missionary do when they go to a country? They do what Jesus instructs the 72 to do in our scripture tonight. They stay where the people are. They learn the language and cultural customs of the group of people they have been called to. They eat their food. They often wear their clothes. They take the Gospel message and contextualize it for that culture in terms people can understand. None of us have a problem with that. We say, "Well sure…They're going to China." Well same thing if they're going to Indie-Rock Culture, or Hip Hop Culture, or Techie Culture. If they're going out into the Suburbs with families, or into the city with all of us crazies, we have to find a way to speak and live that contextualizes the gospel where they can relate to it without leaving their culture. (We don't try to make them fit our mold. I got news for you. Jesus never wore a suit and tie…. In fact, Jesus had a beard and wore sandals to church. That's preposterous in some churches! I think it was CS Lewis who said "If Jesus returned to this world today, would he even associate himself with Christians. OR Would we be the Pharisees…. would we want to crucify him?" … Many Christians want people to get saved and fit into Their church's culture. "They'll learn to like hymnals." BUT, Jesus went to their culture. He hung out with the low-lifes of his society…. the religious people were the ones having a cow). Paul was also a master @ this. Read the scripture sometime in the book of Acts and how he wins the Athenian Greeks @ Mars Hill. This Passage demonstrates what it means to be a missionary Paul sought to understand the people he was reaching and relate to them in their cultural context. His approach was controversial then, and still is. What did he say to churches @ Corinth… "To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews…to those who are without the law I became like a person who is without the law… to those who are weak I became weak so I could win the weak. I have become all things to all people so I could save some of them in any way possible. I do all this because of the Good News and so I can share in its blessings." 1 Cor. 9:20-23 (NCV) "…Whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ." 1 Cor. 9:22b-23 (LB) Just as Jesus Christ came to live among us, we dwell with the people around us. In many ways we are like them. BUT We are also changed and transformed, and because of that we seek to change and transform. God has blessed us, so we seek to bless others. God gave everything to us, so we seek to give everything to him…including our ideas… our will, our way of doing things. "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done!" That should always be our attitude! However many religious people have a cow @ this… as they did in Jesus day…He even addresses it when he says… Verse 10 But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into the street and say, "We are shaking the dust from our feet [d] as a warning to you. And you can be sure that God's kingdom will soon be here!" I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than the people of that town! The Unbelieving Towns So he points to Sodom (Sodom & Gomorrah), then he goes on this tirade against cities that have rejected truth! 13You people of Chorazin are in for trouble! You people of Bethsaida are also in for trouble! If the miracles that took place in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. [f] 14On the day of judgment the people of Tyre and Sidon will get off easier than you will. Throughout history, God has dealt with many cities, and a number of these have had their destiny foretold Babylon Egypt Rome Petra Jerusalem TYRE, the island city in the Mediterranean Sea, (which is THE CITY CAST INTO THE SEA…by Alexander the Great…) had been prophesied about in the OT by prophets such as Joel, Amos, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, because it was a city that never listened to the voice of God Fascinating study done @ http://preacherstudy.com/tyre.htm Of Course Jesus also mentions Sodom and Gomorrah, the twin cities destroyed by Fire raining Down from the Heavens…Literally judged by God…But maybe not because of the reasons we jump to… Ezekiel 16:49 " 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant (stuck on them selves), overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. Apparently, Jesus lists their arrogance and total indifference to those around them in need right up there with their other more notorious sins The Return of the Seventy-Two 17When the seventy-two followers returned, they were excited and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed when we spoke in your name!" 18Jesus told them: I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you. But don't be happy because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven! Then Jesus prays and tells everyone how lucky they are to be witnessing all they have seen…every great prophet throughout history wished they could see this day … Moving on… The Good Samaritan 25An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to have eternal life?" 26Jesus answered, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?" 27The man replied, "The Scriptures say, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' They also say, `Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.' " And we see another place in scripture when Jesus is asked "which is the greatest commandment?", this is his response.. he even says on these 2 commandments hang ALL the LAW and the Prophets… so since this is bulk of Jesus message… …28Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life." 29But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my neighbors?" And this is the part that messed everybody up… 30Jesus replied: As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. 32Later a temple helper [i] came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side. 33A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him 34and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine [j] and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return." 36Then Jesus asked, "Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?" 37The teacher answered, "The one who showed pity." Jesus said, "Go and do the same!" Now I'm gonna mess with your theology for a moment, because - We are always taught to be good Christians - Turn the other cheek When someone strikes you - Love your Enemy Many Christians I know can't even seem to get along with other Christians… Some churches today view non-Christians as outsiders So who is my neighbor?? Everybody!!! Let me explain something about this passage: Jesus was a Jew. He saw himself as one of Abraham's descendants. Abraham's original contact with God involved a kind of purpose or mission statement: " I will bless you," God said, "And I will make you a blessing to others. I will make your name and nation great," God said, "and through you all nations will be blessed" One of the greatest heresies (false destructive, divisive belief) in monotheism results from taking the first half of God's call to Abraham (I will bless you, and make your name and nation great) and neglecting or rejecting the second half (I will make you a blessing, and all nations will be blessed through you). Do you see the difference? It's tragic! If we take the 1st part of God's call to Abraham more seriously than the second part, we are not carrying out God's true mission. One scholar says, "Remember, in a pluralistic world (world with many different beliefs), a religion is valued based on the benefits it brings to it's non-adherents." In other words… To the people we are reaching, our gospel only matters if it helps others… especially those who do not believe like us. Are you nice to Muslims? Do you go out of your way to help them and show the love of Christ? How about people struggling with lifestyles you don't agree with? How about people who are not from our country…what about homeless? What about ex-cons? What about rich people? Do you go the extra mile to show them God's love? The Gospel should bring blessing to all…adherents and non-adherents alike. In our world, which is basically "flat," if you've read the book by Thomas L Friedman, everyone is our neighbor… Martha and Mary 38The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. 40Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!" 41The Lord answered, "Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, 42but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her." Mary Chose the better part not because she was a slacker, but because she knew how to have hang time with God… What good is it to live for God and do all kinds of things for God and not even know him… It's not about religion (things we do for God) but it's about relationship (…After just about every great miracle session, we see Jesus get alone with God and pray) None of this stuff we have talked about tonight matters if you don't take time alone with God -vince larson