03.20.16 Notes (GoodNews Week 11)

#GOODNEWS Week 11
The Gospel of Luke #3
“Where Are You Going?”
Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church

Luke 16:19-31 (NLT)

Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet.[e] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and he went to the place of the dead.[f] There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Here is a child of wrath and an heir of hell sitting in the house, fairing sumptuously, and a child of love and an heir of heaven lying at the gate, perishing for hunger. – Matthew Henry

In ancient religious traditions, prosperity had inclinations of BLESSING .

The Rich Man:
1. Dressed in purple – his adorning was pleasant, clean and royal, a prince
2. Fared sumptuously – food, servants, quality and abundance
3. Lived in luxury – he had no need of want, the upper one percent of his community
There is no sin in being rich; it is the attitude of the one who obtains it, and the manner in which they build it.

In ancient religious traditions, poverty had inclinations of SIN .

The Poor Man:
1. Poor man covered in sores – he was in poverty, unable to receive care
2. Lay at the gate – possibly so sick it affected his mobility (Acts 3)
3. Longed for scraps – rejected by the elite, thought to be less
There is no extra righteousness in being poor, but there is no indication this man was being punished but rather a victim of life.

The biggest difference in this story is the NAME .

We are not defined by our circumstances our possessions, our identity is in Christ and our inclusion is His kingdom is confirmed by how God knows us.

Definitions of Torment (Hades) – Place of the Dead
1. Torment – he was in agony
2. Sight lines – he was in envy
3. Memory – he was in regret
4. Pain – he was in agony
5. Hopelessness – he was in eternity
The greatest torment of Hell may not be the physical pain, but the spiritual SHAME .

Definitions of Paradise (Abraham’s Bosom) – Place of the Presence
1. Transportation – he was carried by angels
2. Sight lines – he looked forward and not back
3. Memory – it seems to be erased
4. Healing – the earthly disease, pain was gone
5. Heaven – he was in the eternal presence of God
The greatest blessing of Heaven is not physical blessing, but the spiritual PRESENCE .

What you HAVE will not determine where you GO, but WHERE you go will always determine WHAT you have.

03.13.16 Notes (GoodNews Week 10)

#GOODNEWS Week 10

The Gospel of Luke #2

“So the Party Began”

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

Luke 15:11-24

Parable of the Lost Son

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]’

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

The parable of the Prodigal Son has so many scriptural parallels to the Gospel story:

1. God is represented as the FATHER of all mankind.

2. People are represented as CHILDREN , but subject to sin.

3. Mistakes are overcome by redemption and GRACE .

God does not redeem sin. He redeems PEOPLE .

God DEFEATED sin.

The Prodigal Son joined himself to the “state of sin” (a citizen)

1. Sin is a departed state and DISTANT from God.

2. Sin is a spending state. It is wasteful of what is good.

3. Sin is a wanting state.

a. His pride led to greed. His greed led to waste. His waste led to destruction. His destruction led to hunger. His hunger led to desperation. His desperation led HOME .

4. Sin is a state of madness, frenzy and perpetual dissatisfaction. And nothing can conquer this desire except to return to the Father.

When the Prodigal Son decided enough was enough, he didn’t try to redeem the pigs or clean the pen. He decided in his filth and shame to return home.

God isn’t going to clean up Satan. He is going to defeat him.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The state of sin is conquered by the place of grace. His trip home:

1. He was received in love and affection

2. He submitted to a father who was already broken for him.

3. He was the recipient of provision that he had forfeited

Forgiveness is a powerful tool.

It doesn’t make sense to get a second chance. It doesn’t make right to get a second chance. It doesn’t make fair to get a second chance. 

Don’t miss the moment when God redeems people because you’re trying to fix sin. You can’t ELIMINATE SIN. Leave it alone and come home!

The Father’s response – Quick! Hurry! Don’t miss this!

- Finest robe (comfort)

- Ring for his finger (blessing)

- Sandals (peace)

- Fatted calf (nourishment)

- Feast (celebration)

“For this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ SO THE PARTY BEGAN.”

03.06.16 Notes (GoodNews Week 9)

#GOODNEWS Week Nine
The Gospel of Luke
Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church

Luke 10:25-37 (NLT)
The Most Important Commandment
25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”[a] 28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Parable of the Good Samaritan
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant[b] walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,[c] telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

“We just decided to try kindness as a strategy.”
- Danielle Strickland, The Salvation Army

The Gospel of Luke:

• Written by a Gentile (non-Jew) physician who also wrote Acts, written around 65 A.D. approximate
• Luke learned all he could and shared with us
• Detailed, longest Gospel in words, one-third of the book is full of unique stories found nowhere else
• Tells the Great Commission AND the Ascension, and seems to continue in the Book of Acts (a sequel)
• Jesus is: The Promised Messiah, Son of God, a Servant, God’s grace revealed, and the Lord at God's right hand

The Good Samaritan is a Parable that began with a legitimate question from a lawyer challenging Jesus.

“Who then is my neighbor?” - Limited obedience vs. Absolute trust - This is not a question of “who” but WHY .

The story:

• Jews and Samaritans were enemies, prejudiced, hatred
• Road from Jerusalem to Jericho was 17 miles south to avoid going directly through Samaria, called “The Bloody Trail” - often thieves hid in caves and attack victims
• Man left for dead, a Priest and a Levite (Jewish religious authority) looked but passed by. The Samaritan helped.
• Doctored, transported, paid for his room and extras

Jesus: “Who then was neighbor to this man?”

“You cannot build a reputation on what you are going to do.” - Henry Ford

FOUR TRUTHS

1. You best neighbor is your own ATTITUDE .
2. Your attitude will determine who/how you SERVE .
The lawyer couldn’t even say “Samaritan” - this story wasn’t about the victim, it was really about the servant!
3. How you serve may determine WHERE YOU GO .
4. Your failure/enemy is your greatest OPPORTUNITY.

“You might be the professional, but I was their neighbor.”

Leadership is the servant step of taking what is the best of God and working it out on a daily level in the lives of others.

Stay on the Script...

By Kris Freeman
Revolution Church

The P.A. script for Vanderbilt vs. Troy

"Just stick to the script, son, and let the rest take care of itself. When the team does well, just be a fan and tell people how you feel." - A mentor and friend

I sat down at Memorial Gym the day before Halloween, 2015, to audition for the job of public address announcer for the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The question was asked, "how do you do following a script and reading what is prepared for you?" I chuckled, knowing that as a P.A. announcer for high school for many years, there are no scripts, producers and programs. Most of the timing, music and words are done by our own preparation. It's truly an ad-lib job with personal production, many times choosing my own music, writing my own sponsor announcements and typing my own script.

My answer was simple: "So you mean, I just have to show up and talk? That's easy."

I've spent my life talking -- too much. But it is the gift God has awarded me, and I am thankful that at times I have been able to use it for the purpose of telling about Jesus. So is the power of the tongue, though, our greatest mistakes can also happen with the same tools of our greatest strengths. For out of the mouth comes blessing and cursing, and all of us have experienced the joy and failure of each.

Why? Because we go off script.

What is the script? For a follower of Christ, it is the Bible, the written, breathed, inspired Word of God. For an announcer, the script is the paid advertisements, special recognitions and timed production set for a specific purpose to be used throughout the course of the event.

I just completed my first season as the public address announcer for Vanderbilt Men's and Women's Basketball with 35 home games between both teams. All but two of those games involved the home team, plus two games in a holiday tournament round robin with Ohio, Indiana and Austin Peay. I am proud to say that in 35 games, we stayed on the script. I was able to perform with excellence because of the preparation of our team, many times working long hours before the production ever goes live in the gym.

There were moments of tension. The men's game versus Austin Peay featured four head sets and three microphones. The women's game with Mississippi State had no producer in my ears until 20 seconds before the national anthem. I almost missed the women's game versus Presbyterian with a wonderful traffic jam in downtown Nashville on Monday morning at Demonbreun Street. Senior night for the women was done without any contact with producers and cameras.

I once hit the wrong button and talked to my producer over the air into the gym during live action. I left my headset one halftime versus Georgia and missed my cue for the video board highlights.

But each time there was an issue, revert back to the script. That is the fallback. If "man-made" moments fail, go back to the preparation. Stick to the script and that is the most fool-proof way to be successful.

The steps of being prepared are: 1. Review the script. 2. Check your input. 3. Check your output (sound check). 4. Mark your timing. 5. Adjust to the game. 6. Be sharp and on point during ad-lib situations. 7. Finish well. 8. Say thank you for a job well done.

Let's apply this to our daily lives. Before you use your voice, stay on the script.

1. Review the Script - have a daily quiet time to read God's word.
2. Check your Input - check the voices coming into your head and eliminate noises which should not be there like negative influences, chatter, unnecessary elements.
3. Check your Output - let your voice be heard at the proper time, the proper way and be sure to push the right buttons at the right time. Check your volume, adjust the controls and be professional.
4. Mark your Timing - Always know when the right time to say the right thing exists and do more listening than talking to others.
5. Adjust to the Game - In live action, always play by the rules. Don't say things which don't belong and never put yourself above the action. Let God shine in YOUR story, not YOU shine in God's story.
6. Be Sharp and On-Point - Elevate your game when the pressure is on and blend into God's glory with the team and the purpose as the primary point.
7. Finish Well - Don't slack off when the game gets long. When life throws curveballs, stay on point. Let your frustration point you to success, not slack you into failure.
8. Say Thank You - Spend time daily thanking God for living in your story and blessing you above what you deserve.

To the men and women who work production for a basketball game all the time, being there might have seemed like a job to do, but for a kid turned man who sat in the rafters as a fan, this was a dream come true and I pray for an opportunity to come back next year.

This was not just a job, I saw it as more. I was a complement to a bigger story. The bigger story was the team.

And signing off each game, we all told each other "Good job," and "thank you" even when the night might not have been the best.

My prayer life sometimes has to be like that too. I have to approach God on days when I know I did not live up to his production. But because of the preparation He has made for me, I can end the story with a job well done, even by His grace that is greater than my failures.

So to my colleagues - Aimee, Stephen, Katie, Jay, Rick, Dean, Travis, Doug, Brady, Warren, Milton and more - thank you for a job well done. You prepared a great script and a great table, I am thankful to get to be the voice.

Even if I never deserved to shine, may the people who did the hard work get the glory.

Just like God, who wrote the script, deserves all our praise. When you mess up in life, use your voice for repentance, and go back and read what He has written.

It's amazing how the script is always on time, always on point, and always on the mark.

AnchorDown. Live.Love.Serve.

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I love you, and these are my thoughts.

Pastor K