Fusion Community Church

The Story, Chapter 12 "The Trials of a King"

"The Trials of a King"

Who's on the throne?

In The Story this week, King David was the King of Israel and, up to this point in David’s career, everything was going incredibly well. The kingdom was expanding. God was on the throne of David’s heart and he was known as one of the greatest kings ever. What could go wrong?
 
You know, it’s often when things are going their best and things are working out for us that we are the most susceptible to a fall and we let our guard down. That's what happened to King David. Despite all he had, he wanted what was not his: He had an adulterous relationship with a woman named Bathsheba, and to make matters even more complicated, Bathsheba got pregnant. But it got worse than that. To cover his tracks, King David created a plan that had Bathsheba's soldier husband killed in battle.

 
Then, in a matter of weeks, David, the man after God’s own heart, had Bathsheba move in with him as his own wife! At this moment in David’s life ... who was on the throne of David’s heart … David or God?

by Pastor Tom VandeBerg

 

The Story, Chapter 11 "From Shepherd to King"

"From Shepherd to King"

Written by Pastor Tom Vandeberg

This lesson of The Story looks at the life of David … a common shepherd boy who became King of the nation of Israel.  We might think of him as some kind of spiritual Superman in a world without a trace of kryptonite, but David didn’t have any superhuman qualities. That’s not how God selects people. God’s method of choosing leaders runs contrary to human reason.
 
God told Samuel to go to the home of Jesse of Bethlehem because one of His sons would be chosen to be the new king. Jesse had many sons and God rejected them all. So, Samuel asked Jesse if there were any more, and Jesse sent for his youngest who was out with the sheep. As soon as Samuel saw David, God told Samuel, “Rise up and anoint him; this is the one."
 
So right off the bat, we learn this from David’s story: God looks at your heart. God must have been watching David even at this young age and knew the type of person he was - not just on the outside but also in the inside.  People might have looked at David’s brothers and picked them before picking David. But you see, There's a quote from George Herbert that says, "God sees hearts as we see faces." God knows our motives. He sees our actions, He hears our thoughts.  People think they can fool God.  That doesn’t work.  God sees right through our excuses and motives. God sees right through our hypocrisy and knows our heart.  We can’t hide from God. We cannot fool God.  That is a deadly game. So we must ask ourselves, "Is my heart the kind of heart that God is looking for?"
                       
The second thing we learn from David is to keep your eyes on God. When David stood up to the giant Philistine, Goliath, he said this, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel."
 
And that is exactly what he did. Who do you think was on the throne of David’s heart as he was approaching Goliath?  Was it David or God?  So often we are focused on OUR problems, OUR challenges and OUR situations. We forget that we serve a God who specializes in the impossible. God can use the challenges in our life. He wants us to draw closer to Him and overcome when those things happen.
 
Which leads us back into The Story. King Saul eventually became insanely jealous of David and threatened his life, so David had to flee into the wilderness. In the wilderness, God did some of His deepest work in David. It was in the wilderness that David was at his best. In the wilderness, God was on the throne of David’s life. In the wilderness, David met with God. In the wilderness, David wrote many of the Psalms, spoke to God, and learned. When we find ourselves in the wilderness, we must look to God and ask, “What can I learn in this place?”  We need to avoid the natural reaction of running away.  We have to learn as David did, that God does some of His best work in us when we are in the desert.
 
The third thing we learn from David: Live for God with everything you’ve got. David got a group together to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. And when it was coming, he began to celebrate and was swept into worship. With all his might, he began to dance to express his praise and thanks to God.  Right in the middle of the celebration, the Bible mentions that he’s wearing a linen ephod ... really nothing more than his underwear. The Bible mentions this, I think, because it shows us that David was worshiping God with total abandon; with complete disregard about how he looked or what others might think. How freeing is that?  To be so lost in God’s glory that you could care less how your voice sounds or how the person next to you sounds or whether people point at you when you pray or read your Bible in public! Who do you think was on the throne of David’s heart as he was dancing before God?  Was it David or God?
 
Lastly, show others grace as God has showed grace to you. After he was made king, David asked if there were any members of Saul's family left that he could show grace to. There was one, a crippled grandson named Mephibosheth, and he was brought before David. What do you think was going through Mephibosheth’s mind?  He knew that his grandfather tried to kill David. And the words David spoke probably shocked him and many of those gathered.  David said, “Don’t be afraid.”  David extended grace and gave gifts to this man. David even went so far as to invite Mephibosheth to eat at the royal table for the rest of his life! He didn’t just spare Mephibosheth's life, he gave him life. And isn’t that exactly what Jesus does for you and me?  You and I are disabled because of sin, banished, deserving of death. And yet, Jesus comes to us and says,
"I extend to you my mercy and kindness. Come and share in my wealth. Come into my kingdom and sit at my table."
 
God was clearly on the throne and ruling David’s life. The heart of God can beat within us, too. When God is on the throne of our heart, we can extend compassion, grace and generous kindness. Who in your life does not deserve mercy but needs it?  What can you do to show that God is on the throne of your life?

The Story, Chapter 9 "The faith of a Foreign Woman"

The Story, Chapter 9 "The faith of a Foreing Woman"

A woman by the name of Naomi packed up and moved from Judah to Moab due to a terrible famine that was affecting her family. She and her husband moved there with their two sons, who eventually took wives while living in Moab.

Tragically, Naomi lost her husband and two sons. Broken and empty, Naomi decided to move back to Bethlehem in Judah. Her daughter-in-law Ruth came with her, since she had also lost her husband. Keep in mind that Ruth was a Moabite woman, and she was now moving to Judah as a foreigner. This was a big deal in their culture, but she was committed to Naomi as her daughter-in-law, and she wanted to follow after the God of Israel.

While in Judah, God worked out an amazing plan for a man named Boaz to take Ruth as his wife, give her a child, and provide for her and Naomi. What’s remarkable about this plan was that Boaz was qualified as a “kinsman redeemer” to take her as his wife.

What in the world is a “kinsman redeemer” you may ask? Well, they had a custom in those days, based upon >Deuteronomy 25:5–6, that directed that a relative of a man who dies should marry that man’s widow in order to perpetuate his lineage through this woman.

According to God’s remarkable sovereignty, it turned out that Boaz was a relative to Ruth’s husband who had passed away; so, he was qualified to marry her and perpetuate his lineage. So, even in the midst of Ruth and Naomi’s awful affliction, God still had a plan to take care of them.

Application From Ruth For Our Lives Today

1)  God is concerned about all people regardless of race, nationality, or status.

Ruth was not a Jew. She was a Moabite. Even though many discriminated against her, God loved her just the same. God does not discriminate, and He loves all people just the same.

2)  Men and women are both equally important to God.

God cares about men and women all the same. We are all one in His eyes. While most false religions that have been constructed over the centuries often elevate men and dishonor women, Christianity is the one religion that consistently honors men and women at the same level. There is no difference in His eyes.

3)  There is no such thing as an unimportant person in God’s eyes.

At a surface level, few saw Ruth as an important person. She was from Moab, which was a nation that originated from an incestuous encounter between Lot and one of his daughters (see >Genesis 19:30–36). She was a poor widow. She was living in a foreign land away from her birth family. 

But God saw her as important and His plan for her life culminated in her becoming a part of the lineage of Jesus (as the grandmother to King David). God’s plan typically involves using people who are considered to be underdogs or unimportant or unimpressive from man’s perspective. His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

4)  God uses “little” things to accomplish great plans.

What an amazing plan God had for a series of “little” things that all added up to important pieces in God’s big plan. God intended for Ruth to be a part of the story of the lineage of Jesus. So, He pulled together events such as the famine, Naomi’s relocation to Moab, their return to Bethlehem, Boaz’ bloodline, and many other events just to ensure that Ruth could be a part of His plan. And God does that same thing in our lives today!

5)  God has a Redeemer in place who can rescue us from the devastation of our own sin.

God has a Redeemer for our lives, too, and His name is Jesus. Boaz was a type (prophetic symbol) of Christ and His redemptive work in our lives today. You see, we are all desolate as a result of our sinful natures. We are empty, just as Naomi was empty and devastated after she had lost everything and returned to Judah. Our sin has rendered us empty and desolate spiritually.

But Jesus is willing to redeem us. He wants to rescue us from the penalty of our sin. And all we have to do to be rescued is to call on Him in faith and ask Him to save us (Romans 10:13). My hope is that you are one of His redeemed. If you are not, my hope is that you will call on Him right now and ask Him to save you once and for all from the consequences of your sins!

 

The Story, Chapter 8 "A Few Good Men and Women"

The Book of Judges is a tragic account of how Yahweh [God] was taken for granted by His children year after year, century after century. Judges is a sad contrast to the book of Joshua which chronicles the blessings God bestowed on the Israelites for their obedience in conquering the land. In Judges, they were disobedient and idolatrous, leading to their many defeats. Yet God has never failed to open His arms in love to His people whenever they repent from their wicked ways and call upon His name. (Judges 2:18) Through the 15 judges of Israel, God honored His promise to Abraham to protect and bless his offspring (Genesis 12:2-3).

After the death of Joshua and his contemporaries, the Israelites returned to serving Baal and Ashtaroth. God allowed the Israelites to suffer the consequences of worshiping false gods. It was then that the people of God would cry out to Yahweh for help. God sent His children judges to lead them in righteous living. But time after time they would turn their backs on God and return to their lives of wickedness. However, keeping His part of the covenant with Abraham, God would save His people from their oppressors throughout the 480-year span of the Book of Judges.

Probably the most notable judge was the 12th judge, Samson, who came to lead the Israelites after a 40-year captivity under the rule of the ruthless Philistines. Samson led God’s people to victory over the Philistines where he lost his own life after 20 years as judge of Israel.

Judges 2:16-19: "Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD's commands. Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways."

Judges 10:15: “But the Israelites said to the LORD, 'We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.'”

Judges 21:25: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”

Disobedience always brings judgment. The Israelites present a perfect example of what we are not to do. Instead of learning from experience that God will always punish rebellion against Him, they continued to disobey and suffer God’s displeasure and discipline. If we continue in disobedience, we invite God’s discipline, not because He enjoys our suffering, but “because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son" (Hebrews 12:6).

The Book of Judges is a testament to God’s faithfulness. Even “if we are faithless, He will remain faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13). Though we may be unfaithful to Him, as the Israelites were, still He is faithful to save us and preserve us (1 Thessalonians 5:24) and to forgive us when we seek forgiveness (1 John 1:9). “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9).

The Story, Chapter 7 "The Battle Begins"

'After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord , the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ' Joshua 1:1-9 

'Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.” “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.” So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.” Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”' Joshua 2:1-24 

The Story. Chapter 6 "Wandering" 03/17/19

The Story, chapter 6

"Wandering"

The people marched out from their yearlong campout near Mount Sinai in organized units, grouped according to the 12 tribes (named after the 12 sons of Jacob). God continued to Guide them with the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. He had rescued his people from slavery, showed them his power, guided their steps given them his law and gifted them with his presence. By now, perhaps the people would trust God and his leading. But the Israelites continued to blame God for their hardships. 

The Story, Chapter 5 "New Commands and a New Covenant" 03/10/19

NEW COMMANDS AND A NEW COVENANT

At Mount Sinai, 

'On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord . The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.” After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.” On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the Lord , must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.” Moses said to the Lord , “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’ ” The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord , or he will break out against them.” So Moses went down to the people and told them.' Exodus 19:1-25 

The Story. Chapter 4 "Deliverance" 03/03/19

THE STORY, CHAPTER 4

"DELIVERANCE"

'Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. and worked them ruthlessly. The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”.........

Exodus 1:6-22

 

The Story. chapter 3 "From Slave to Deputy Pharaoh" 02/24/19

Joseph:

From Slave to Deputy Pharaoh

Now his brothers had gone to graze their Father's flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them."

"Very well," he replied.

So he said to him,"Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and brings word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" 

He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?"

"They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'"

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.

But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.....

 

 

The Story. Chapter 2 "God Builds a Nation" 02/17/19

The Story

"God Builds a Nation"

The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you.

"I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth 

will be blessed through you."