Yesterday we saw how King Herod was clinging to power using violence and fear to rule. Such times were described in book of Isaiah, prophetically, as a time of great darkness.
But contrast him to Jesus. Jesus also claims to be King of the Jews. But for him, that is a position he has not taken by force or manipulation, but by right. It is a position he hangs on to not by violence and fear, but by peace and love.
This is why he’s described by the Prophet Isaiah, 500 years before Jesus, as the light rising in the darkness.
What a contrast!
Herod has gone down in history, Christian and otherwise, as a brutal tyrant, a false king who never belonged in power.
And by contrast, Jesus is still known as a king. The sign above his cross – king of the Jews. Sing this Christmas: glory to the newborn king.
Then he got in the way of a different kind of power – the religious power of the scribes and Pharisees, and eventually Rome, who had him executed. And yet, Jesus is still known today as alive and active in people’s lives.
Jesus scares the powerful, because he is truly power. He is the source of all power and authority in the world. All power is given by God. All the ways people exert power rely on God having created and sustained world in the first place. When people who are abusing those means encounter true power, they are afraid. Like an employee who has been claiming to speak for the boss will suddenly shrink when the boss actually enters the room.
Jesus had that kind of true power, he scared those with false power.
The question is how will we respond to Jesus? Will we cling to power like Herod, or do everything we can to find and worship him, like the Magi?
Question: What do you think true power and authority looks like? How would you recognize it?
Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party. Hope you’re coming!
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CloseRyan Sim - August 27, 2015
Thursday - Act On It - Finding Rest
Our efforts to impose rest on ourselves often fail. That’s because the problem is not one of having the right tools to get things done, avoid procrastination, etc. We can use these things, but it really starts with our hearts – and there is a problem in our hearts called sin – the consequence of our rebellion against God. Everything we do – work and rest, and the rhythm of Sabbath rest, takes on a selfish tinge as a result. In the 4th Century a Christian leader named Augustine wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” It’s hard work being separated from God. God said it would be – sin meant we would have to toil to overcome thorny ground and survive. But we can find our rest in God. In Jesus, we have access to that rest once again, even though we opted out in sin. Jesus did the ultimate work of closing the separation between us and God. We can once again join him in building his kingdom, in his creative work. We do this using the gifts he’s given us to work to build a better society, life-giving technology, strong families, new infrastructure and so on. Whatever is consistent with his plan and purpose. And we can also rest in him, knowing that it’s his work we help with, and not our work to force by our sheer act of will. We can find deep satisfaction in knowing God is God, and invites us to work with him, rather than against him or instead of him. This says it nicely: So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9-10 ESV) It’s in knowing God is God, and we are not, that we find rest. Said another way: It’s in knowing God, through Jesus’ work on the cross, that we find rest for our souls. Challenge: Make a list of the excuses and reasons you’ve used to avoid rest. Pray about each one of these and turn them over to God in trust.
Related Topics: Jesus, Rest | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "Work and Rest"
Just in time for summer's blend of work and rest, Redeem the Commute is starting a new series of daily challenges to help busy people restore life to the commuting lifestyle. This seven week series will look at the meaning and purpose of work, rest, and ancient practices that have helped followers of Jesus to keep the two in perspective and balance for centuries.
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Day 32 - CLUES to your calling | Ryan Sim | October 27, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 31 - Discovering our Gifts | Ryan Sim | October 26, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 30 - Work in the Christian Community | Ryan Sim | October 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 29 - Making a difference for God | Ryan Sim | October 24, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 28 - How much should I give? | Ryan Sim | October 20, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 27 - Is there a right amount? | Ryan Sim | October 19, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 26 - 4 Principles of Stewardship II | Ryan Sim | October 18, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 25 - 4 Principles of Stewardship | Ryan Sim | October 17, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 24 - Money: A matter of Stewardship | Ryan Sim | October 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 23 - Money: A matter of Security & Satisfaction | Ryan Sim | October 13, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 22 - Money: A matter of identity | Ryan Sim | October 12, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 21 - A New Way of Living | Ryan Sim | October 11, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 20 - Why join a Church? | Ryan Sim | October 6, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 19 - What do Churches Do? | Ryan Sim | October 5, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 18 - How do Churches Gather? | Ryan Sim | October 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 17 - What is the Church? - Part 2 | Ryan Sim | October 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 16 - What is the Church? Part 1 | Ryan Sim | September 29, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 15 - What words should we pray? Others' Words | Ryan Sim | September 28, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 14 - What words should we pray? Part 1 - Your Words | Ryan Sim | September 27, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 13 - When should we pray? | Ryan Sim | September 26, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 12 - What can we pray about? | Ryan Sim | September 22, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 11 - How does God Answer Prayer? No and Maybe | Ryan Sim | September 21, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 10 - How does God Answer Prayer? Yes | Ryan Sim | September 20, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 9 - To whom should we pray? | Ryan Sim | September 19, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 8 - What is Prayer? | Ryan Sim | September 15, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 7 - How the Read the Bible - Part 2 | Ryan Sim | September 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 6 - How the Read the Bible - Part 1 | Ryan Sim | September 13, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 5 - What is the Bible? Part 5 - Varied Literature | Ryan Sim | September 12, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 4 - What is the Bible? Part 4 - A Library | Ryan Sim | September 9, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 3 - What is the Bible? Part 3 - Authentic | Ryan Sim | September 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 2 - What is the Bible? Part 2 - Light and Owners Manual | Ryan Sim | September 7, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Day 1 - What is the Bible? Part 1 - A Letter | Ryan Sim | September 6, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Conclusion | Ryan Sim | September 1, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - How Much to Give? | Ryan Sim | August 31, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Giving Levels | Ryan Sim | August 30, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Attitudes | Ryan Sim | August 29, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Everything is God's, Giving is a Need | Ryan Sim | August 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Stewardship | Ryan Sim | August 24, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Security and Satisfaction | Ryan Sim | August 23, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Power and Identity | Ryan Sim | August 22, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Getting In and Out of Debt | Ryan Sim | August 18, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Credit Scores | Ryan Sim | August 17, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Payday Loan Rules | Ryan Sim | August 16, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Payday Loan Interest Rates | Ryan Sim | August 15, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Loan Sharks: Don't Get Bitten | Ryan Sim | August 11, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Reading Debt Fine Print | Ryan Sim | August 10, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Calculating Debt APR | Ryan Sim | August 9, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Financial Jargon | Ryan Sim | August 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Comparison Shopping | Ryan Sim | August 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Smart Shopping | Ryan Sim | August 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Your Money Saving Tips | Ryan Sim | August 2, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Budget Surprises | Ryan Sim | August 1, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Start your Budget | Ryan Sim | July 28, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Spending Diary | Ryan Sim | July 27, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Increasing Income | Ryan Sim | July 26, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Reducing Spending | Ryan Sim | July 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Overspending | Ryan Sim | July 21, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Savings | Ryan Sim | July 20, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Priority Expenses | Ryan Sim | July 19, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Expenses | Ryan Sim | July 18, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Income Sources | Ryan Sim | July 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Budget Basics | Ryan Sim | July 13, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
Money: Basic Budgeting - Your Money Type | Ryan Sim | July 12, 2016 | Watch | Listen | |
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We Are...Transformed - Thursday | July 7, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Transformed – Wednesday | July 6, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Transformed - Tuesday | July 5, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Transformed - Monday | July 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Made New - Thursday | June 30, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Made New - Wednesday | June 29, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Made New - Tuesday | June 28, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Made New - Monday | June 27, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...One - Thursday | June 23, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...One - Wednesday | June 22, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...One - Tuesday | June 21, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...One - Monday | June 20, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Gifted - Thursday | June 16, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Gifted - Wednesday | June 15, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Gifted - Tuesday | June 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Gifted - Monday | June 13, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...At Peace - Thursday | June 9, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...At Peace - Wednesday | June 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...At Peace - Tuesday | June 7, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...At Peace - Monday | June 6, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Protected – Thursday | June 2, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Protected - Wednesday | June 1, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Protected - Tuesday | May 31, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Protected - Monday | May 30, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Spirit Led – Thursday | May 26, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Spirit Led – Wednesday | May 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Spirit Led - Tuesday | May 24, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Spirit Led - Monday | May 23, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Love - Thursday | May 19, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Love – Wednesday | May 18, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Love - Tuesday | May 17, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Love - Monday | May 16, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Community - Wednesday | May 12, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Community - Wednesday | May 11, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Community - Tuesday | May 10, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Community - Monday | May 9, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Generous - Thursday | May 5, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Generous - Wednesday | May 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Generous - Tuesday | May 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Generous - Monday | May 2, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Healers - Thursday | April 28, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Healers - Wednesday | April 27, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Healers - Tuesday | April 26, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Healers - Monday | April 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Free - Thursday | April 21, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Free - Wednesday | April 20, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Free - Tuesday | April 19, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
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We Are...Messengers - Thursday | April 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Messengers - Wednesday | April 13, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Messengers - Tuesday | April 12, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Messengers - Monday | April 11, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Changed People - Thursday | April 7, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
We Are...Changed People - Wednesday | April 6, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
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We Are...Changed People - Monday | April 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen |