One on One Connections

How Are Rip Currents Formed?

Beach with pounding Surf
There are underwater barriers that prevent the water from going back out to sea
The water is then pushed sideways by incoming waves

Result is a narrow current running parallel to the beach.

Typical flow is at 0.5 meters per second (1-2 feet per second)
Can be as fast as 2.5 meters per second (8 feet per second)
- That's slower than you can run but faster than you or even an Olympic swimmer can swim.
- 8 feet / sec is faster than the speed at which an Olympic swimmer can swim a 50-meter sprint.

Each year America's surf lifeguards rescue over 60,000 people from drowning.

Of these, over 80% are rescues of people caught in rip currents. In the absence of timely rescue, we believe that over 80% of the drowning fatalities at surf beaches are also caused by rip currents. It is estimated that well over 100 fatalities a year are caused by rip currents.

http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/faq.shtml#what

The beach is a good thing.

Waves are beautiful, can be relaxing and give us a chance to surf

But as all these good things come together, there is a chance for something deadly to develop.

The same sort of thing can happen in our spiritual lives.

1. The Good Things that We Receive in Christ

Confidence to Enter the Most Holy Place

Layout of the Temple
- Most Holy Place is the Holy of Holies
- Separated by a heavy curtain
- Incense altar in front
- Ark of the Covenant was there
Only One Time Priest Could Enter Most Holy Place: Day of Atonement (Lev 16)
Lev 16:2 - will die if come at other times
Lev 16:3-4 Major Preparation
- still fear (bells on hem, rope on ankle)
- Basic Image of God - Holy and inaccessible
- "The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates." (Psalm 11:4-5)

Jesus Christ Himself is our High Priest

Priest = the person who stands between you and God

Lobbyist / Mediator

Old Priests

Wore special clothes, lived in a special area, ate special food
Constantly had to sacrifice for their own sins before acting as mediator for anyone else

Jesus as high priest

No need for special clothes ... he was holy
Never sinned, never had to pay for his own sins.

Hebrews 5:1-3 - For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.

Hebrews 4:14-16 - Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus is our Atonement

Hebrews 9:11ff - Jesus is the realization of the Day of Atonement.

The sin offering provides us access to God

Yes ... the audience of Hebrews had missed how this sin offering had community implications.

They forgot that Jesus is also our Peace Offering /Fellowship Offering.

Jesus is our Peace Offering / Fellowship Offering

Leviticus 3:1-17; Leviticus 7:11-34

Blood is still sprinkled (atonement)
Body is roasted as a fragrant sacrifice
Then the meat is shared as a fellowship meal
- This symbolizes the intimacy we have in our fellowship with the Lord

§ Connection to God

§ Connection to each other

A few rules of the Peach Offering

(1) The people gather together for the Peace Offering and encourage each other to faith, hope & love.

(2) The Peace Offering is an occasion to read scripture and remind each other of God's faithfulness.

(3) The Peace Offering can never be made alone.

The point is that faith, hope & love can never be exercised by individuals.

- Maybe faith.

- Maybe hope

- But love is only found in community.

[TS] That's what we receive in Jesus.

Atonement / Fellowship / Peace / Community

Those realities come rushing into our lives like waves crashing on the beach.

They are beautiful, powerful realities.

But like the rip current, these realities can create some chaos and danger in our lives.

2. Problem of a Good Outlet

A. Result of Riptides, Drowning

Remember the rip currents form when there are barriers that keep the water from flowing back out to sea.

Almost 50,000 people are caught in these currents every year.

Fortunately they have lifeguards who save all but a slim fraction of them.

B. Result of Riptide Forces in our lives = No Passionate Spirituality

Peggy Noonan on America:

America is a huge and lonely country. We are vast, stretch coast to coast, live in self-sufficient pods; modern culture tends us toward the atomic, the fractured and broken up. When two people meet, as they come to know each other as neighbors or colleagues, one of the great easers, one of the great ways of making a simple small human connection is: shared laughter.

George Gallup Jr. concluded from his studies ... polls that Americans are among the loneliest people in the world.

- Americans are becoming more and more isolated and unconnected in their relationships

- 7 in 10 of us do not even know who our neighbors are

- 6 out of 10 marriages will fail,

- As a result Americans are among the loneliest people in the entire world.

Thom Rainer on 18-30 year olds leaving the church because it doesn't connect with their lives.

NCD Focus Groups on Passionate Spirituality

‘Individual hearts reflecting Gods Love.'

Passionate Spirituality Attributes

Experiencing God

Faith is integrated into all areas of church members' lives.
Church members sense God's presence and involvement in the different areas of their life.
Church members' lives are transformed by God.
People are taught how to absorb the new insights and experiences that come from God working in their life.

Passion for Church

People are enthusiastic about our church.
God's desires for our church's future are taught.
Over the last year, the pastor & church leadership team have made their lives more transparent to the church.
Our faith in our people is promoted so that they believe firmly God will work even more powerfully in our church in the coming years.

Passion for Devotions

People in our church spend personal time connecting to God during the week.
We can see personal and corporate prayer empowering the ministries of our church.
There are opportunities for people to learn how to use the Bible as a guidebook for life.
People read the Bible on their own. They are integrating what they read into their everyday life.

Spiritual interconnectedness

Opportunities (in worship or in groups) are given for people to talk about God's work in their lives.
Religion is not a private matter, but instead is a commonly accepted topic with other believers.
Our experience of God is reflected in our conversations with others.
People are informed of prayer needs. Praying for each other is one of our highest priorities.

Focus Group Results:

This is a good church

People have good teaching

Small groups are vibrant

But there is a lacking ... an outlet.

People want badly to connect to God, but there is some chaos.

Some don't feel connected to each other.

Some don't feel able to serve.

Some don't know anyone's names or stories.

In short, as a church we live in the fact that Jesus is our Sacrifice of Atonement

But maybe we've forgotten that He's also our Peace Offering.

3. Let Us ...

Hebrews 10:19-25 has 5 "let us" statements...all of which remind us what we've received in Jesus, our Peace Offering.

Let Us Draw Near to God (with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.)

Let Us Hold Unswervingly to the Hope we Profess (for he who promised is faithful)

Let Us Consider How We May Spur One Another on Toward Love and Good Deeds.

Let Us Not Give Up Meeting Together (as some are in the habit of doing)

Let Us Encourage One Another (-and all the more as you see the Day approaching)

2/5 = the theology of salvation

3/5 = the theology of community

Friendship is a lot like food. We need it to survive... What is more, we seem to have a basic drive for it... Psychologists find that human beings have fundamental need for Inclusion ion group life and for close relationships... We are truly social animals...in fact evidence has been growing that when our need for social relationships is not met we fall apart mentally and even physically. (Psychology Today - The Dangers of Loneliness by Hara Estroff Marano)

Let Us Draw Near to God (with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.)

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Let Us Hold Unswervingly to the Hope we Profess (for he who promised is faithful)

Let Us Consider How We May Spur One Another on Toward Love and Good Deeds.

Consider κατανοέω= "to direct one's whole mind to an object," also from a higher standpoint to immerse oneself in it and hence to apprehend it in its whole compass

"Spur" = normally used for "to stir up anger", "to provoke", "to be irritated", "incensed"

Let Us Not Give Up Meeting Together (as some are in the habit of doing)

This is not just Sunday morning.

Small groups

Mentoring

Real relationships

Let Us Encourage One Another (-and all the more as you see the Day approaching)

Encourage = to give courage

1 bad comment needs 7 good ones

4. Solution = Swim With the Current

The way to survive a rip current is to swim along the short to the outlet.

Rip currents are generally only 30 to 100 ft wide, thus swimming out of one via swimming parallel would only take a few moments.
Then swim back to shore at an angle to the rip current

In short, you have to look find God's appointed outlet instead of fighting the current.

For us, we will die or thrive depending on whether we are willing to go against habits and human nature and live in community with others.

Malachi 3:16-18 - Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. "They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

1. They talked with one another

- Not just conversation

- Opened up to each other.

- Confessed weak points

- Prayed for one another

2. They honored the name of the Lord

- Not just good community

- They Meditated on His name

- Real insights from the Bible

"The fact is, you can take away all the props of the church - its buildings and staff, committees and commissions, its programs and budgets, its philosophy of ministry and church growth strategy, its experts and consultants - and if you have nothing left but some committed people who have learned to focus on the name of God, you HAVE NOT LOST A THING." (Ray Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible p. 422)