2022 05 22 Rebirth God's Grace in Lifes Changes

The speaker talks about their love for science fiction and comics, particularly Batman. They discuss the concept of rebirth and how it applies to different seasons in our lives. They use the example of Paul, the Apostle, and how he went through different seasons of rebirth in his life. They highlight the importance of mentors and the role they play in our growth. They encourage the audience to embrace the current season they are in and be open to mentoring others. Some of you who know me know that I'm a bit of a nerd I Like science fiction. I like things like Star Trek Star Wars those kinds of thing But I haven't I haven't I have a deeper level to my nerdom if you will. I love to read comics Okay, comics comic books. I think it started when I was a kid reading a Comic Bible actually that we had it was all like drawn out and illustrated and everything so it was really cool something that my brother and I had but then also my Dad and my uncle had kind of passed on to me a lot of These Calvin and Hobbes comic books and if you ever read that comic strip Or Archie comics old classic Archie comics and that kind of thing In recent times I've really gotten into Batman comics and You know, I've always liked Batman even as a young kid I Remember, it's probably like six or seven and my mom asked me. What do you want to be when you grow up? And I said Batman and she said, you know, you can do that if you want to I don't think there's a lot of money in that though I think Michael Keaton Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson might disagree, but So today I have here my Batman Action figure that sits in my office. It's up there because like only maybe that two three people in the front can probably see that Now what is you I keep this in my home office next to my computer? And this figure is unique because he's based on the design for the DC Rebirth series. I promise I'm going somewhere with this. I'm not selling DC comics in the lobby after The DC Rebirth series was a relaunch of the DC Comics Universe that retained elements of the previous continuity While updating them and revising them to introduce them to new readers, right? They've been going on for like 80 years They got to find a new way to get readers to understand without having to read 80 years of comics, right? So the characters went through transformations from costume designs to origin stories to motives for their heroics Right and you and I have gone and will go through many rebirths of sorts in our lives Right, and I'm not just talking Theologically right now about salvation, although that's a huge rebirth that we go through in our life But I'm also talking about phases in our lives Milestones where we can look back after seeing a photograph from ourselves From that era and say I was a truly Completely different person when that photo was taken You know Maybe for you the milestone that changed everything was when you got your first car You had some freedom to go drive around and do whatever Maybe it's when you went on your first date or when you went to college or maybe when you got married or had your first child Maybe it was your first job You know, or maybe it was something more unique to you and your interest You know the first story you wrote if you're if you like writing or the first painting you painted Maybe it was a bicycle you bought that reignited your passion for exercise But whatever the milestones are in our lives. We all have these definitive Moments where we were forever changed Some of those for me would of course be the day that I met Hannah Our first date when we got engaged we got married in other areas of my life it would be the day that I moved away from Ontario where I lived for 26 years and went to Halifax, Nova Scotia or when I Uprooted again and went from there to here on the island and you know Of course becoming a part of the family here at highway Christian Fellowship Right and serving this church and the kids and the teens in particular. So what I call these seasons of Rebirths rather than a simple season of just change, right? I think it's because there are seasons where we either learn things that God has put into us years ago or That he's growing in us now that we never experienced before things that Redefine who we see ourselves as or how other people might see us as you know So today I'd like to look at the life of someone hugely influential in scripture and history of the early church and the seasons of Rebirth that I think he went through. So first we're going to talk about Paul as the young upstart right now much like Batman's origin story with the tragedy of the loss of the parents of his alter ego Bruce Wayne the Apostle Paul's origin story or the origin story of his alter ego Saul starts with the witnessing a Tragic death as well only in Saul's case He wasn't distraught by the death of a loved one but rather Approving the death of the Apostle Stephen, right? So Stephen had performing signs and miracles and some troublemakers Spread some lies about him and he got in trouble with the religious elites and this ended up getting him Executed by stoning basically, right? So we're going to jump in at Acts chapter 7 Starting in verse 57 where we're going to meet Saul If you don't have your Bible with you today, that's alright We will have this scripture on the screen but I was encouraged bring your Bible to church, even if you know that the Scripture is going to be up on the screen There's something about reading it in your own Bible that when you see that page again later when you're at home Reminds you of what you were learning. So I'm going to start as I said in 57 So that they rushed at Stephen and Dragged him out of the city and began to stone him and his accusers Took off their coats and they laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul And as they stoned him Stephen prayed Lord Jesus receive my spirit and he fell to his knees shouting Lord Don't charge him with this sin And with that he died and then moving to chapter 8 verse 1 a great wave of persecution began that day sweeping over the church in Jerusalem and all the believers except the Apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning, but Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church He went from house to house dragging out both men and women to throw them in prison So this is this is Saul. What a great guy, right? He clearly needed to go through a season of rebirth I think we can agree. So let's jump ahead to Acts chapter 9 verse 1 where he has that first rebirth So meanwhile Saul was uttering threats with every breath and he was eager to kill the Lord's followers So he went to the high priest He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus Asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the way he found there He wanted to bring them both men and women back to Jerusalem in chains And he was approaching as he was approaching Damascus on his mission a light from heaven suddenly shone around him And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying Saul Saul. Why are you persecuting me? Who are you Lord Saul asked and the voice replied. I am Jesus the one you are persecuting. I Always think that's interesting Hey, he didn't say I'm Jesus the God of the ones that you are persecuting the people that you've been arresting You know, he didn't ask for letters to go arrest Jesus He asked for letters to go arrest the people following him. He says I am Jesus the one you are persecuting, right? He took it personally, right? So know that this is just that this is a freebie thrown in this is not on topic here, but know that when people are conspiring against your circumstances are as come Conspiring against you God steps in with that protection where he takes it personally and he's here to defend you So now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do so at this point God tells a believer named Ananias not to be afraid of Saul and To pray to pray for him and we'll pick it back up in verse 17 because we're focused on Saul Paul today. So Ananias went and found Saul He laid his hands on him said brother Saul the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit and Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he regained his sight then he got up and was baptized So Saul's made into a new creation in Christ and this is such a rebirth He even gets his name changed to Paul So God redirects his zeal into a new direction to preach the good news of Jesus Christ So that's the most obvious season of rebirth that we as Christians know of getting saved right turning from a life of sin to a life of obedience to Christ and Perhaps you're here today and that's a season of rebirth you haven't gone through yet And I'd like to encourage you speak with pastor Ralph or myself or any of the elders here You know, we'd be happy to speak with you more about how you can have that rebirth and starting a new life with Jesus You know, I find it's interesting so this season this is young Paul, right It called him a young man when they were laying down the the coats and stuff and he has so much Passion. I think what I really like about The Bible is that there's so many and and the fact that God chose to write it through Human beings, right? He inspired them to write down the scriptures, but he inspired such diverse a diverse cast of characters if you will to write Scripture, you know Paul has a very Distinct personality that comes through in everything that he writes in Scripture I don't think anyone would accuse Paul of being subtle or You know soft peddling anything and when you read him he's very very direct very one of those people that Every you have those people in your life that maybe when you were a Young upstart like Paul and you know, you're doing something kind of stupid and that person who would just tell you straight You're being an idiot. Stop, right? You know, I feel like that's Paul He's the guy who's gonna come saying you're being an idiot. Please stop, right? So he's he's very very direct and you know Maybe you've you've gone through those seasons of that passion and zeal and it's amazing how God can Can use that right but with time also Hopefully comes with them, right as God reigns that in right and he brings people Along side us. So we're going to look now at another season in Paul's life So we've got the partner and the loner Paul The partner and the loner Paul Right. So after this Paul entered another stage in ministry and life when he started working with a partner Barnabas right and They went on some amazing missionary adventures in the book of acts But that season came to a close when they had a sharp disagreement Right. So if you jump to acts 15 starting in verse 6 So After some time paul said to barnabas let's go back and visit each city where we Previously preached the word of the lord to see how the new believers are doing Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along john mark But paul disagreed strongly since john mark had deserted an impamphilia and had not continued with them in their work Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated barnabas took john mark with him and sailed for cyprus Paul chose silas and as he left the believers entrusted to him the lord's gracious care Then they then he traveled throughout syria and cilicia strengthening the churches there. So paul went on missionary journeys now with Silas right his his partner in ministry and this partnership um Isn't focused on maybe as long as the the timelines could differ but It doesn't appear to have lasted super long either But this time not really due to disagreement by chapter 17 We're not going to turn there but paul's once again in a new season administering without a partner now we see he takes on a mentoring role for timothy in scripture and working with others here and there but We don't really see again him in such a clear partnership where two people are always Referred to together right like batman and robin Paul and silas or paul and barnabas, right? We've got paul and he's going from place to place and people are helping working with them, but it's kind of it's different, right? it's a different season and Maybe that's you right now Maybe you're finding yourself in a season where you feel like you're you're going at it alone. You're working Alone, right and maybe your whole identity was wrapped up in that partnership before Batman and robin you were always referred together with that other person, right? Maybe it was your whole identity was wrapped up in your family or someone you were dating or a best friend or maybe in your job or your education that's kind of Changed and maybe you're an empty nester and all the kids have moved out now and for whatever reason in this season You're not as close to those things or people that you felt defined your identity Right, and you feel like without those parts of your identity. You're not really sure who you are anymore You know Maybe you're the type of person you've been known as oh you're hailey's mom You're joey's dad, right? Or you've been always one half of the dynamic duo of you and your best friend and on your own You're not sure how to navigate, right? so I remember when I was about 15 Living in ontario my best friend tyler moved to newfoundland. Actually, my best friend tyler is here today We've known each other since we were like nine years old. He introduced me to hannah So if you guys like hannah you you have him to partly thank for that but um And then uh his and hannah's family introduced him to his fiancee now. They're getting married soon in august so, uh We've we've got a close long ties, but I remember When I was about 15, we both grew up in ontario and they moved to newfoundland and it was a huge change for me I was a shy Homeschooler, I didn't have very many friends, right? And while it was a sad season to be apart from my best friend There were things that god grew in me that forever changed who I am It's one of those dividing lines in my life or like the before and after right? I got more into creative writing and drawing and Reading my bible and praying and growing closer to god and in that season in a very real way god became my best friend right And now of course years later, like I say tyler is here today Listening to me preach for the first time. So that's fun So he'll give me his review later, I guess but um And now while it's not always useful to hypothesize on what if this or what if I had done that in my life Right, I do I can't help but wonder If we hadn't been apart for that time If I had real if I really would have gotten as close to god as I did in that season And if I hadn't really gotten as close to god as I did in that season, would I be standing here today? Sharing about paul and all that kind of stuff, you know, so I think Whether you're in that season where you're, you know You've got lots of people around you or you're in that season where you feel like you're going it alone God uses each of those things to to bring out his glory Yeah, so So we're going to look now at this last Season in in paul's life that i'm going to focus on Today and that is paul as a mentor as he's kind of getting towards The the end of his life so paul in the last season of his life We'll look at he's like I say getting towards the end of his life He's focused on encouraging the next generation and for him to finish his life in a way that honors god right So in his second letter to timothy chapter four, we'll pick it up in verse two and the important thing to remember is, uh, you know, I Mentioned this to the kids a bunch of times and the teens um, because I think we take this for granted that every well, of course everybody knows this but that uh, The bible is a library It's not just one book. It's a library of books Each of those books has a a purpose a context who was written to you And I think that helps that's important So timothy was not the the the this this is a letter right second timothy is a letter It's not just a generic book written to you and I although we learned from it as well It was written to a man named timothy who was timothy He was a young man that paul had mentored who was pastoring and that sort of thing. So he this is Paul encouraging this young minister now Um much later on in paul's life, so he's starting verse two. He says preach the word Be prepared in season and out of season correct rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine instead to suit their own desires They will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths But you keep your head in all situations endure hardship do the work of an evangelist To start discharge all the duties of your ministry For I am being poured out like a drink offering and a time for my departure is near I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness with the lord which the lord the righteous judge Will award me on that day and not only to me But also to all who have longed for his appearing Do your best to come to me quickly for demas because he loved this world has deserted me and it's gone to the thessalonica Christians has gone to galatia titus to dalmatia. Only luke is with me Get mark and bring him with you because he's helpful to me in my ministry So paul knows the end of his journey on earth Is coming soon He knows he's going to die to put it bluntly and he wants to take this time to encourage the young pastor timothy as well As put in a good word about mark and I always i've always found this really interesting right now I want to be clear here scholars don't agree whether or not the mark referenced here Is the john mark that paul and barnabas had a partnership and a debate debate over but Some speculate that this paul. This is paul softening and showing forgiveness towards john mark Right now calling him useful to him in his ministry I'd like to think that that's what it is I'm, not going to say definitively That's what it is because I know there's disagreement in the scholarly world about that But I just think that's a really interesting idea to see him softening there so This is a different season For paul, it's a very different season for paul. It kind of reminds me I had heard a um a an evangelist a while ago, and he was talking about how god had um Had called him into a season of of mentoring right he's like I feel like I still i've got a good 10 years left in me of Energy where I can go out and do this and so that's what I want to do And I feel like god is telling me not to He's telling me that I got to start mentoring the next generation, but I still have the energy. Why would he tell me to stop? right and his wife said because If you have the energy now, you still will have that energy to go Minister to those people who are going to go minister to other people if you burn up that energy now In 10 years, you're not going to have energy to mentor anybody right So that's not for everyone. It's just specific in his case, but Perhaps you've always been the active person right who gets things done But god has reformed you in this new season to be someone who's Taking a bit slower and offering advice as a mentor to the younger generation And that does I want to be clear here that doesn't imply you're at death's door like paul was okay But it could mean that god wants you to share the things he taught you and the experiences you've been through for the benefit of others Right everything we are not an island right everything that we go through everything that we've learned Is also for the benefit to share with others, right? So if you're in this season now Please know that that doesn't mean you're taking a back seat It's not less important than that young person who appears to be at the forefront of getting things done. The truth is the younger generation Isn't always going to follow your advice And frankly, they shouldn't always follow it because let's be honest. We haven't gotten everything right along the way. I certainly haven't Um, but god's taught us some things And he's taught you many things And if you can share those things humbly knowing that that wisdom is not something that we've earned But it's something god gave us through his grace Then we can share that with humility and leave the results Of whether anybody's listening to god So And I think that Young upstart paul probably could have used someone like mentoring paul At the beginning and it would have changed a lot of things for him, you know And speaking of these seasons of change As many of you know, this is a new season for hannah and for myself Uh, and in many ways I feel like i'm going through a rebirth as i'm sort of rediscovering What god has for me, you know the the things that the labels that we take identity pieces from that we go well Is that who I am, you know or like, you know and rediscovering what does it mean to be just? um that How do I put this? There is a great danger and for those Doing I mean, we're all we're all here ministers of god. I want to be clear clear with that, right? God is the holy spirit is in you. You're a minister of god. You don't need to have Uh that label right? You're still a minister of god, but I think there is a A challenge let's put it that way for those who do this Vocationally to Get their idea of their worth wrapped up in it like i'm useful to god because I do this ministry you know and uh It's not about that god loves you because he loves you because he is love And because of what he has done for you, you know, he first loved us while we were still sinners Not he loved us once we became useful to him, you know it's and plus the things that we do for god is is like Have you ever seen or maybe you've been that person Somebody with their their little kid and you know, they're trying to get something some project done dad's You know using a drill to put some drywall up and the little kid wants to help so they bring in their little plastic screwdriver and they kind of Try and screw the Non-existent screws into the wall and that kind of thing and they're like I helped I helped dad today, right? That's us When it comes to what we do for god, and i'm not saying that it's insignificant But i'm saying that he could do it without us, but he wants the pleasure of having us with him, right? It's not about earning. Um his favor through what we do. That's just a um a little Aside for you, but yeah, I feel like there's a there's a rediscovering then for me in that sense of like Who I am just as a child of god Apart from everything else just who I am as a child of god, you know But I know that this rebirth is going to be good just as God grew me here at highway and the ways that he did so if you'll indulge me a little reminiscing um While I didn't grow up on the island here or in this church, I feel like Uh in many ways I did grow up a bit in this family Um, and I got more growing up to do but you know the moment that I stepped into this church uh was in the midst of a season of discouragement um and confusion Regarding my future my purpose my adequacy as an adult Right and to actually get somewhere in my life, right, you know Hannah and I had sensed the call to leave behind a Subjectively good life on the east coast to come to the west coast with really no idea why it was one of those abraham moments of like just go where i'm showing you and Maybe it'll make sense one day, you know And hannah was still finishing university at the time and I came here first alone without knowing a soul the first person I met on the island was like through Someone in my old church knew this person. I didn't know this person So I was just taking the word that weren't a crazy person kind of thing, you know, and uh, I remember coming here. And again, I didn't know anybody here. I knew Someone who knew Ralph and sue and their son, but that was it, right? They said they're really nice people if you need anything you can talk to them and i'm like well, I also need to go to a church and They're they're in the ministry. Maybe I should go check it out. See what it's like, right? And I remember sitting right over there. Maybe right about where cynthia is and um, and I remember enjoying the service that this uh, The sermon that this pastor ralph guy was doing he had a basketball with him. I remember he had this little Basketball with him. I think it was um some some some appropriate sports Events, he's I don't know anything about sports, but it has some basketball thing was going on at the time but I remembered that and I liked that he had an object kind of thing going with as you can see i've learned from that but And I remember after the service gene hasker handed me a note and You know, she didn't know me from adam But she heard a word from god that she wrote Down for me and I still remember that it told me not to worry about what's next in my life And how god had it figured out around the next corner and to trust god and to know that he loved me You know and in my time of personal discouragement um, my initial response was to chalk it up to sort of a Generic note that this kind woman probably gave some sort of version to everybody who comes in, you know I'm, like probably I don't know and you know, it's facetiming hannah later and she says what are you talking about? This is exactly this is from god Like this is exactly the things that you are going through right now and it and honestly still speaks to me right now The reminder of how he has things figured out right around the next corner, you know I I also grew up in this church by taking my first official official ministry position and growing a ministry from scratch by god's grace and his guiding hand and you know, I grew up in this church as Pastor ralph officiated hannah's in my wedding during the the height of lockdown, you know with Nine other people and I grew up in this church as pastor ralph patiently and admirably Mentored me as a minister and put up with a lot of the nonsense and attitude that so often comes from passionate young upstarts So my respect and Uh Now i'm growing up as I learn how to say goodbye in a caring and a meaningful way You know, so I just want to say thank you to everyone who helped me to grow uh more into the man that god wants me to be and um And I also want to say will I will I have this opportunity to to please support and pray for ralph? And and pastor sue as well, you know, I got to see a unique glimpse Behind the scenes to look at all the hard work that they do you know, I I think that um Yeah, I had a unique look to see a lot more of what they do than than the average person coming in here Um does and I know that I only saw the half of it if that right? So I just want to say keep praying for them As we talked about that membership vows or or um covenant rather earlier that we want to be Uplifting we don't want to be criticizing and gossiping all those things to be praying for your pastors Um, they're hard working. They love you. They love this community So please pray for them and support them in this mission in sydney I also want to encourage you guys because while this is a A a rebirth season for me. I also believe it's a rebirth season for highway not just because of the changes in regards to My portfolio of ministry, but just in general. I really believe Uh in my spirit that god is doing something new for highway and this community That is you will not recognize it in like six months to a year That's not i'm not saying that prophetically for an exact timing But that's just what I believe in my spirit that this is going to really really change. So buckle up So I want to encourage you with this the mighty work that has been done here for our youth and kids Is not a credit to me, but it is a credit to god God has built this church's reach to the next generation. God has painted a new painting I have been privileged to be able to be a paintbrush, but it's his painting He is the artist and we got to give all glory to that painter our lord. Jesus christ So the law and and I also want to put this in here the lord put a burden on your hearts For the next generation many years before I got here And I pray that that passion will not grow cold Um, but rather it's going to grow into a raging fire Right that our god would consume you with a passion to reach the loss of all generations in this community That the mission of christ bride the church. It's bigger than me. It's bigger than hannah. It's bigger than hcf It's bigger than sydney. It's huge. It's vast and we each play a part of it. Like I said, you are all ministers You all play a part in it and I pray that you continue to And I just want to say your prayers Your meals and snacks for the youth every time you invited us into your homes or out for coffee You made a profound impact much more than you can imagine a kingdom impact And if I could offer any future any, um Encouragement for the future of integrating the next generation Into hcf and reaching the next generation in sydney and the peninsula Uh, I would encourage the continue to contend the church to continue being a welcoming loving church right and add to that foundation an Overwhelming desire to see the church culture transformed and reborn into one that gives voices to young people and old Even before those people have got it together So as we Come out of uh caves of loneliness brought on by covid and isolation Let's refuse to go back to comfortable It's overrated and let's refuse to blend the old with the new no one puts new wine Into old wine skins or else the new wine bursts that wine skin The wine is spilled and the wine skins are ruined but new wine must be poured into new Wine skins that's from mark 2 22 So let's refuse to make church in our own image But rather to seek whatever choices are necessary to welcome the hurt The broken and confused people in this community young and old to be able to hear the freedom giving gospel of jesus christ So continue in that welcoming heart with which you welcomed us Not just to the next person who fills the role that i'm leaving but to every person who comes through those doors Open your hearts and your homes not just to the young man or woman who wants to bless the next generation But to the potty-mouthed atheist who wants to figure out what life is all about To the broken mess-ups who aren't there yet and we're not even sure if they're trying People who are messed up as saul before he became paul because while we were still sinners christ died for us So while these people are still sinners Let's die to ourselves and be willing to do what it takes to share the gospel even when it hurts And I know That this is the heart of highway christian fellowship Because this is the heart that you guys have shown me and that you've shown hannah So continue in jesus fight the good fight finish the race Ephesians 3 20 to 21 says now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine According to his power that is at work within us To him be the glory in the church and in christ jesus throughout all generations Forever and ever. Amen. I love you all and you're in my prayers. Thank you