Messages

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: If Jesus Gave You A NicknameBy Dr. Rick Mandl, Friday, September 18, 2020
 
Hey church family, in Mark chapter 3 we have the record of our Lord’s calling of the 12 disciples. It’s there that we read these words… “These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”
 
Among these twelve that he was calling to follow Him, three of them in particular, would have a closer relationship with him than the others. Those three were Peter, James and John. Those were the three that Jesus would take with him to the Mount of Transfiguration where they would witness the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Those were also the three that Jesus would take with him to keep watch and pray at the Garden of Gethsemane, on the evening before he went to the cross.
 
Mark tells us that Jesus gave nicknames to these three. To Simon, “he gave the name Peter” which means rock. In Matthew 16:18 we’ll learn the special significance of that name because Jesus says that Simon was the “rock” upon which Jesus would build his church. James and John received the nickname Boanerges. Which translates “sons of thunder.” Although we don’t know exactly why Jesus gave the two brothers this nickname, we can imagine that it had something to do with their explosive personalities. 
 
In Luke chapter 9 we’re told of a time when Jesus and his disciples were approaching Jerusalem. And Jesus sent messengers on ahead, looking for lodging. And those that he had sent came back and reported that the town where they had inquired was unwilling to extend any hospitality and provide a place for them to stay. These were the two who upon hearing that said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” James and John were bold, they were brash, they said whatever came into their minds, without any filters. And yet these two, along with Simon Peter, were three of his closest friends.
 
As I was thinking about Peter the Rock, and James and John the ‘sons of thunder’ it started me thinking, I wonder what Jesus might choose as a nickname for me. Whatever name he would choose would in all likelihood, be based on two things. First, the fact that Jesus knows me through and through.  He knows everything about me, my strengths and weaknesses, my hopes and fears. Nothing about me is hidden from him. That might be a scary thought, were it not for Jesus’ matchless love and abundant grace.
 
Second, I’m reminded that Jesus wants to be a friend with his followers, and that includes you and me (John 15:13-15). Now, make no mistake, Jesus is much more than just a friend. He is Lord and Savior, He is the unique Son of God, fully human and fully God. And, Jesus seeks friendship with us. Maybe Jesus is the kind of friend who would invent nicknames for us. But, whether or not this is true, we who follow Jesus have the incredible privilege of knowing him as a friend. In John 15:15 Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
 
The next time you’re trying to come up with a list of things for which you can be thankful, include this one on your list. That Jesus has chosen to call us his friends.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Raquel reflects on Psalm 112:7-9 and challenges us to consider how different our lives might look if we followed the example of the Psalmist when facing fears and bad news.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Two Ways to Amaze JesusBy Dr. Rick Mandl, Thursday, September 17, 2020
 
Hey church family, I’ve got a question for you that you may never have considered before and the question is… Is it possible to amaze Jesus? The answer is… YES
 
The Greek word for marvel or amaze (thaumazō) is used often in the New Testament and most often it’s used in the context of how people responded to Jesus. That’s probably not a surprise. They were amazed by him. But that’s not the only time the word is used. There are TWO times that we are told Jesus was amazed.
 
One was an encounter that Jesus had with a Roman soldier and it’s recorded in Matthew chapter 8. And there we read that…
“When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him,  ‘Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.’
Jesus said, ‘I will come and heal him.’
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” (Matthew 8:5-10 NIV) 
Great faith amazes Jesus. He notices with joy when we trust Him in the midst of impossible circumstances, believing that He is in control and will provide what we need.
 
The second passage is found in Mark 6:5-6. “And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.” Great unbelief also amazes Jesus, but not in a positive way. The word “stunned” could be an appropriate substitute. We allow what we see and how we feel to place limitations on the Lord. When we doubt His goodness and power, it grieves His heart and potentially even ties His hands.
 
When you and I come up against situations that are seemingly impossible, how do we respond? Will we throw up our hands in despair, because it is all too impossible? Or will we throw up our hands in surrender and trust? We have the potential to amaze Jesus. My prayer is that it won’t be because of our lack of faith, but instead because of our great belief in who He is and what He can do, and our illingness to simply trust Him no matter what.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.”
Reflecting on Matthew 20:25-28 Judy Mandl reminds us that if we’re going to follow the example of Jesus, then we need to be serving, not just when others are watching but as a regular practice of our lives.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Pastor Andrew continues his look at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians by reminding us of how incredibly valuable Timothy was to the ministry of Paul. As you look at the role that this co-laborer in ministry played in Paul’s work, you quickly realize that everybody needs a Timothy. Whether or not we’re able to find that person to assist us in the things that God is calling us to do, all of us can do something no less important. We can all be a Timothy to someone else.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Judy Mandl continues looking at the spiritual practices that help us to grow and reminds us that none of us drifts into godliness. In order for us to grow to be like the one we follow, it requires intentionality. Reflecting on Psalm 113:1-3, Judy challenges us to make sure our worship isn’t something that’s limited to one hour each weekend.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: The Wrong QuestionBy Dr. Rick Mandl, Tuesday, September 15, 2020
 
Hey church family. I was thinking this week about some of the encounters that Jesus had with different people during his three-year ministry. Without a doubt, one of the saddest meetings he had was with a man whose name we don’t know. We only know him by the description that was given of him, by the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Today we most often refer to him as the ‘rich, young, ruler.’ He is a man, we are told, that Jesus looked at, and felt genuine love toward. This man approached Jesus with a question. The question He asked was, “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
 
Through that simple question we can see that this rich young ruler has brought the issue of eternal life and salvation down to a kind of works righteousness. For him, Salvation is like any other transaction, and he thinks that once he knows what the price is, he can pay it and work his way into eternal life. Jesus begins his answer to the question by correcting this man’s concept of who is good, which is no one, except God. This young man is not good and no amount of doing good will make him good.
 
Jesus then gives him the summary of the Law in the form of some of the Ten Commandments and the young man has the nerve to tell Jesus that he has kept them all. With that statement he breaks a law Jesus didn’t mention which was lying. What’s unfortunate is that this young man completely misses the point of Jesus’ definition of righteousness. When Jesus starts rattling off commandments, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man starts checking off the boxes. And he says, “yep, yep, yep.” “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus replies – one thing… “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
 
And upon hearing that, this rich young man walked away sad. You reflect on this story and you wonder… Is this a lesson in generosity? It could be, but I don’t believe, that the one thing he lacked was not being generous or not, not having possessions. I believe the one thing he lacked was Jesus. Because when you have Him, you have an awareness that nothing else is necessary. I pray that that is a lesson that, the Lord, would be impressing on you and me – Amen.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Judy Mandl continues to look at some of the spiritual practices that encourage growth in our lives by examining one that we might not think of as a spiritual discipline, and yet without which we can’t grow to be all that God wants us to become.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Playing Hide And Seek With GodBy Dr. Rick Mandl, Monday, September 14, 2020
Hey church family. Ever wonder why we sometimes try and hide from God? Maybe it’s in the genes. You’ve heard the expression, “Like father, like son.” You can read in Genesis chapter 3 about how our father Adam and his wife Eve, committed the first sin, back in the garden. And do you know the next thing they did? They hid.
 
Hiding from God is not the smartest thing you can think of. Have you ever played Hide and Seek with a two-year-old? You close your eyes and count to ten, turn around and you can see his feet sticking out from under the blanket. Or if you’re like my grandson, when you’re trying to hide, you just close your eyes. Because you figure that if you can’t see me, that means I can’t see you. It’s like that when we try to hide from God. We think we’re being so clever, but God just sees right through us. We know that we are forgiven. So why do we try to hide from God?
 
There are so many reasons: We hide because we’re ashamed; We hide because of our pride; We hide because we want to pretend that we are better than we are; We hide because we doubt God’s love; We hide because we want to punish ourselves; We hide because we have not yet forgiven ourselves. We worry that there is a limit to his forgiveness… And that this time his love might have run out.
 
In Matthew 18, (NIV) Peter asks Jesus, Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” If we humans — frail, limited, and full of envy — are expected to forgive 77 times, how much more limitless is God’s forgiveness for us?
 
Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV) says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Shame is one of Satan’s greatest tools. He lies to us and says, “Look at your life, you’re a mess. God could never use you.
 
One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This verse and others tell me that I have a complete new identity now that I am in Christ: In God’s eyes, I am pure, holy, honorable — utterly forgiven and loved. God already sees me, right now, the way I will be in eternity — perfectly delivered from all sin, fully in God’s image. The next time you’re tempted to play hide and seek with God, ask him to remind you of who you are in his sight.
 
 

A message from the series “Stay Positive.” Sermon Manuscript: Stay Positive Message 5- Be EnthusiasticSermon preached by Dr. Rick Mandl, Eagle Rock Baptist Church, September 12 & 13, 2020Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
 
Hey church family great to welcome you today. We’re wrapping up our Stay Positive teaching series with the idea of Being Enthusiastic. And when it comes to Enthusiasm, there are two types of people. Those who let CIRCUMSTANCES influence their enthusiasm and their passion for things. And then the other type of person is the one who… Those who use their ENTHUSIASM to influence their circumstances. So which one are you?
 
Are you the one who lets the things going on around you determine where your passion flows. Or are you the kind of person who says “No, nothing will derail my enthusiasm.” Think of the difference this way… You are either a THERMOMETER or a THERMOSTAT. A thermometer, as you know, takes its cues from the outside world. Bring it into a room and it will let the room determine what the temperature will be. A thermostat, on the other hand, does the opposite. It sets the mood for the room. You either SET THE TEMPERATURE or you READ THE TEMPERATURE. There are those who let what’s going on around them dictate the mood and spirit of their lives, and there are those who let the enthusiasm and mood and spirit of their lives influence the mood of those around them.
 
I want for a moment to look at the “root” of this word “Enthusiasm.” Our word “Enthusiasm” comes from the Greek word En Theos. It’s actually a compound of two words… En Is Greek for “In.” And “Theos” is the Greek word for “God.” En Theos means “in God.” Or “Filled with God.” It is the passion that you have that is borne out of a connection with God.
 
I love how the Apostle Paul says this to the church in Corinth. He says, “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). To which all of us want to say AMEN. And he goes on and says, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.” What Paul is saying there is – don’t let the circumstances around you affect you – be immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord.
 
Why? Here’s why… “for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Paul is reminding us that “we work for the Lord.” And that when we work for the Lord, that transforms something mundane into something meaningful. He said it this way in his letter to the Colossians… He said, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” (Colossians 3:23). What Paul is saying here is it’s not WHAT you do that makes it meaningful it’s WHO you do it for. That’s what makes the difference. The fact is, you can have passions for any variety of things. You can have passions for sports and hobbies. For your job or any number of other things. You can have passion. You can also lose it. And when that happens, how do you get it back?
 
We’re going to see that as we look at the life of King David. What I want to do is I want to look at what I’m calling the “en theous” of David. From the example of David, we’ll see that you can have spiritual enthusiasm and you can lose it. I want to look at the spiritual enthusiasm of a little shepherd boy who grew up to be king. I want to show you when he had spiritual enthusiasm and when he lost it, because maybe some of you have had it, and you’ve lost it, and just like David, you can get it back again. I want to start with the very well-known story about David and a giant named Goliath. When we read this I want you to read it through the lens of spiritual enthusiasm.
 
If you know the story of David & Goliath then you know that the Philistine army was at war with the Children of Israel and what they would sometimes do was to pick a representative from each side to engage in a fight. And based on who won that fight they would declare which army had won the battle. So David goes into battle. Fighting on behalf of the Philistines was this massive giant named Goliath. Fighting on behalf of Israel was a little shepherd boy named David. “David said to the Philistine, (Goliath) ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin.'” In other words, you come against me with all your stuff. All your state-of-the-art weapons of warfare. And truth be told you’ve got some pretty impressive stuff. And I’ve got no doubt that you know how to use it. “… but I (David) come against you (Goliath) in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied’” (1 Samuel 17:45). “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and…”
 
Pause there for a moment. You know we tell these Bible stories to our kids. And we absolutely should tell these Bible stories to our kids. But when we do, we kind of sanitize them. We make sure they’re rated “G” for general audiences. And that’s okay. We need to communicate Bible truths in an age-appropriate way. But we need to make sure that as adults we do know for ourselves, the rest of the story. David didn’t just predict that he would be victorious in this battle. What he specifically said to Goliath was… I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army… Not just yours, but your entire army… to the birds and the wild animals, and those birds and those animals will chow down on those bodies. They are going to pig out! Well, David might not have said “Pig out” because he was Jewish. What he did say was… and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.” 
 
Where does this guy, this guy who is 17, 18, 19 years old, get this enthusiasm? How did this teenager? How did this young adult get this enthusiasm? Where Did David’s Enthusiasm Come From?
 
Three things… He trusted God daily. He walked with God daily. He worshiped with God daily. David trusted God daily, he walked with God daily, and he worshiped God daily. And the key word, just to make sure you don’t miss it is… Do you know what the key word is? If you know what it is, write it in the chat or say it out loud. The key word is DAILY.
 
How could David fight a giant? He could fight a giant because He trusted God. Because in previous days when David was taking care of the sheep and a bear would come up to attack one of the sheep, what did David do? He charged after the bear, and God gave him the strength to defeat the bear. And because David TRUSTED God the day before for that battle – – Boy vs bear – –  he could trust God today for the battle ahead of him – – Boy vs Giant. He trusted God and God had been faithful, and so he said, “God did it once. God will do it again. David figures, “I just happen to believe, based on my past experiences from the times that I’ve trusted God, that he will continue to be faithful and deliver the enemy into my hands. He TRUSTED God daily.
 
David also WALKED with God daily. Remember, David was the one who wrote the 23 Psalm. He was the one who said, “The Lord is my Shepherd…” “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He restores my soul. He leads me, he guides me, he comforts me, he protects me. He’s always with me. He guides me along the right path. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for He is right there with me, His rod and His staff protect me. He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. He anoints my head with oil.” David said that as I walk with God I am convinced that mercy and goodness will follow me all the day of my life, and when my life is over… Then I know I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. David TRUSTED God daily. David WALKED with God daily.
 
And David WORSHIPED God daily. When the Ark of the Covenant, where the presence of God dwelled, came into town, scripture says, “David worshiped God and he danced with all of his might.” So much so that it embarrassed his wife, like, “You are humiliating yourself,” and he didn’t care. David’s relationship with God was not a “click” on a computer screen once a week to watch a sermon so that he could say “Check. I did the church thing.” It wasn’t even a drive across town to sit in a church service and sing some songs once a week. It was a daily abiding in the presence of God that gave him this enthusiasm.
 
Why did he have such enthusiasm? Because he TRUSTED God. He WALKED with God. He WORSHIPED God.
 
The tragedy is, this didn’t last forever in David’s life. He was very, very enthusiastic, spiritually charged at one point in his life, but as he grew older, evidently the spiritual fire stated to cool. Fast forward from 1 Samuel 17, which is David & Goliath to 2 Samuel 11, which is David & Bathsheba. When we reach 2 Samuel 11 David’s not a kid. Life is more comfortable, and he is now the king. Verse 1 and 2 of 2 Samuel 11 tells us that, “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war…”
 
Pause there for a moment. What time is it? It’s spring-time. Who is David? David is the king. Where do kings go in the spring? They go off to war. Does David go off to war? No. David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army” (2 Samuel 11:1). David sent his army. David sent his general. But David does not go. He stays at home. And at a time when he wasn’t WHERE he was supposed to be… He climbs up on his roof and SEES something that he’s not supposed to see. A woman taking a bath on the roof of her house. And as a result he THINKS something he wasn’t supposed to think and then ultimately he DOES something that he wasn’t supposed to do – he has an affair with her.
 
I don’t want you to miss the contrast between these two periods in David’s life. As a kid with enthusiasm, David ran into the battle to serve his God. But as a king with apathy, David stayed home to serve his comfort. As a kid, with enthusiasm, he ran into the battle to serve his God. With apathy, David walked on the roof to serve his comfort.
 
Question. How did a man with so much enthusiasm as a kid, lose it as a king? Think about it. How did a man who had so much spiritual enthusiasm as a kid, lose it as a king? The answer is he took his eyes off his calling and he put it on his comfort. My question to you today is this… Which one best describes you? Which of those two categories best represents you? Are you filled with “En theos” – enthusiasm – filled with God? Whatever you do – it’s not meaningless – because it’s not about the WHAT – it’s about the WHO. Or do you find yourself – more spiritually comfortable? More complacent? With a calling on your life, are you charging into spiritual battles? Do you even know what those battles are? Are you gaining ground? Helping others find and follow Jesus? Or are your days mostly spent, making yourself comfortable?  Is your priority your CALLING or your COMFORT? Which one best represents YOU?
 
During COVID everyone has established new habits. All of us! What new habits have you established? Are those new habits all about yourself? Or are those new habits about you and God? Based on what I know about human nature and what I know about people… We don’t drift toward discipline…  We don’t drift toward health… We don’t drift toward good decisions… We drift toward complacency. We drift toward apathy. We drift toward self-centered attitudes. And sadly, when people are sometimes disengaged from the physical presence of worship, they may start out at church online for a little while, but then they start to drift. And bad habits set in. And the good disciplines go away and rather than being filled with the presence of God, they’re filled with fear, and doubt. And a loss of joy. And a loss of purpose. And what once was a vibrant passionate calling from God has been replaced by comfort.
 
Which best represents you? En theos… Calling? Purpose? Passion? Spiritual Enthusiasm? Or comfort….and complacency? David had that Spiritual Enthusiasm, but then he lost it. And in God’s grace, he sent a prophet named Nathan to confront David. And after the confrontation David realized how he had fallen away. And he cried out to God in the very powerful Psalm 51. And it’s there that we read these words… “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me… Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
 
Jesus said this to the church at Ephesus… He said, “Yet I hold this against you…” When Jesus tells you he has something against you, it’s time to listen up and take notice. What did he have against them? He says, “It’s this… You have forsaken the love you had at first.” Another version says, ‘You’ve forsaken your first love.” In other words, you didn’t LOSE your enthusiasm, you LEFT it. You didn’t LOSE it. It’s not like it slipped down between the cushions in the couch, or you left it at TARGET. You LEFT it. You walked away. You surrendered it.
 
Some of you can relate to this. There was a time in your life when you were enthusiastic about God, and now, you’re not so much anymore. It’s almost like you’ve been comfortable with the, “Yeah, Jesus saved me, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Now, I’m going to do my life thing.” To you Jesus say, “You’ve forsaken the love you had.” And then Jesus says, “Consider how far you have fallen!” And it might be good for some of us to do that. Consider how you drifted. Consider the intimacy you once had. Consider the power of God that was with you. Consider his presence that never left you. Consider!
 
And then Jesus says very simply, “Repent. Change direction. Change the way you think and do the things you did at first.”  Do them again. What do you do? You walked with him daily. You trusted his goodness daily. You worshiped him daily. Not out of DUTY but out of DELIGHT.
 
Like I said at the beginning… There are two types of people. There are those who let their circumstances… COVID-19, Fear, Panic, Anxiety… influence their posture, their heart, their own spiritual temperature. And there are those who let their ENTHUSIASM, borne out of a vibrant and ongoing relationship with God, influence their ENVIRONMENT. There are two types of people… Those who WALK with God and DWELL with God and TRUST God and he EMPOWERS them with SPIRITUAL ENTHUSIASM. And there are those who don’t LOSE it but they LEAVE it. Which type are you? Do you want your enthusiasm back? Then make the commitment to always work Enthusiastically For The Lord, knowing that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted.
Let’s pray.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.