March 24, 2024 • Anthony Delgado • Matthew 16:21–27
In Matthew 16, Jesus prephesies about what will happen when he goes to Jerusalem. There are three reasons Jesus had to go to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
1. To suffer
2. To Die and Rise
3. Because it was the will of God.
Following the pattern of Jesus, we too must "go to Jerusalem" in a metaphorical sense. A spiritual Journey requires going to Jerusalem to suffer, to die, in order to rise. We must:
1. Suffer as we deny ourselves.
2. Die to the flesh so we can be raised in new life.
3. Because it is the will of God.
You don’t have to be a follower of Jesus to know that the pain of discipline produces fruit in your life. But, as Christians, we’re not talking about the pain of not eating food you like in order to lose weight when we talk about dying to yourself. It’s more. We’re talking about a true submission to Christ as King in every area of your life–not holding onto anything you want in the flesh, but submitting all things to the will of God–complete transformation so that we can please God according to his will and purpose.
Lent Series Recap
Anthony Delgado
This video is a recap of our 2024 Lent Series:
* What is Lent
* Generosity
* Temperance
* Prudence
* Courage
* Faith
Faith
March 17, 2024 • Anthony Delgado • Hebrews 11:1–6
Faith has a static and dynamic quality. The static quality of faith is the state of faith that saves; allegiance. The dynamic quality of faith is an ongoing outpouring of faith; exercise, sanctification – virtue. the dynamic faith we live is an outpouring of the static faith that we possess.
The static quality of our faith that we can rely on. It’s an anchor, a confidence that goes back to our forefathers and will be present throughout this age. It is our hope and proof of our eternal standing before God. The Kingdom of God lies before us. Our faith is foundational. Our allegiance to Christ is the basis of our unchanging, unwavering hope - the proof of what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1-2). We don’t see the Kingdom of God, but we experience the Kingdom of God. We experience our faith in three ways:
* Experience of the Kingdom through relationship with God
* Experience of the Kingdom through the church
* Experience of the Kingdom through the wisdom of God in the scriptures
There is also a dynamic nature to our faith that affects how we live out our faith in day-to-day life. The Author of Hebrews gives us 3 expressions of dynamic faith that come from the OT scriptures:
* Creation from Nothing: Belief in the Creator (Hebrews 11:3)
* Cain and Abel: Acceptable Worship (Hebrews 11:4)
* Enoch: Living to Please God (Hebrews 11:5)
We please God through our faith (Hebrews 11:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God. But he rewards those who seek him.
Prudence
March 3, 2024 • Anthony Delgado • Ecclesiastes 5:10, Proverbs 28:19, Luke 12:16–21, Ecclesiastes 9:10, 2 Corinthians 5:6–9
Prudence: 1. Cautious; the ability to govern and discipline yourself. 2. shrewdness in the management of affairs. 3. skill and good judgment in the use of resources.
There’s a theological necessity for prudence. Prudence opposes the disorder that sin has brought. Through prudence, God gives us the strength to walk in order rather than chaos.
Two areas to apply prudence: our money and our time.
The goal of prudence is to please God in all that we do.
So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him. (2 Corinthians 5:6–9)
Temperance
February 25, 2024 • Anthony Delgado • Romans 8:12–13, Galatians 5:19–24
Temperance: noun. moderation or self-restraint (without withdrawal) in action; habitual moderation in indulging natural appetites or passions.
“The most fundamental of the four cardinal virtues is that on which the other three (prudence, fortitude, justice) depend.”
Temperance is a foundational virtue that identifies us as followers of Jesus. Temperance, for the Christian, means loving Christ over self, and denying the self, escaping sin's grasp, to follow him. We must, as Christ's followers, pursue temperance as a foundational Christian virtue. The appetites of the flesh must be mastered. Paul actually says your passions must be crucified.
Temperance/moderation reminds us that good things come from God–so we can be thankful for them.
When we indulge the passions/appetites of the flesh, we make ourselves/our pleasure out to be the ultimate end. We are inheriting our own destructive kingdoms, not the Kingdom of God. A life of excess will always leave you wanting more, but satisfaction in life comes from being thankful for what you have.
Generosity
February 18, 2024 • Anthony Delgado • Malachi 3:10–12, Ephesians 1:5–8, 1 Timothy 6:18, 2 Corinthians 9:7–11, Exodus 35:5
We are called to be generous people because God is a generous God. Generosity requires sacrifice to give more than is expected.
"He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:5–8)
It is God’s will to pour out his grace upon us generously. God’s generosity towards humankind results in praise for his glorious grace.
If God is generous towards us, the pattern is that we should be generous in his likeness. During Lent, we should intentionally make an effort to be generous to each other–neighbors, friends, and especially each other in the church. When we are generous towards each other, it reminds us of God’s generosity through Christ, and we give thanks to God.
Lent is a time of sacrifice that grows us spiritually so we become more like God. So generously giving to God is a natural thing to do at this time.
What is Lent?
February 11, 2024 • Anthony Delgado • Mark 1:12–13, Numbers 32:13, Genesis 50:3, Exodus 24:18, Ephesians 4:20–24
The ancient Christian practice of Lent is an exercise to help build spiritual muscle. Lent is a time of preparation. It is not a celebration, but rather a preparation for the celebration of Easter.
The number 40 is significant. Lent consists of fasting for 40 days - following the pattern in the Bible. The number Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness to prepare for the devil's temptations. Lent is also patterned on Moses and the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. The 40 years in the wilderness was a sacrifice that prepared the Israelites for their New Life in the Promised Land. The 40-day flood was a preparation for new life on the earth.
Following that pattern, the 40-day fast of Lent prepares us to celebrate the new life we have been given in Christ. Lent is not just about what is given up. Alongside giving up something, you are to give/gain something as well. This can be almsgiving, tithes/offering, care for each other, extra devotion to religious exercise.