Darryn Scheske

40 Days of Faith: Day 32—Surprised, But Not Surprised

My coach Gary Rohrmayer writes, "One of the rewards of fasting is experiencing the satisfying presence of God."

That should not surprise me, but it does. Yesterday I experienced God in a powerful meeting with our staff as we shared one story after another of how God is changing lives. I will be sharing one of the most powerful and compelling stories of God's healing power this Sunday at Heartland.

All through the day I was very aware of the activity of God and His work in people. The highlight was dropping by a local store to buy some printer ink on my way home from work. I ran into a Muslim friend that I have been engaging for over three years now. About a minute into the conversation it was clear that the reason I was in the store was not for inkjet cartridges. I love when God has divine appointments in my path and I am sensitive enough to see them. My heart was singing for hours after that brief, but God-inspired conversation.

God is at work in the world calling people to know Him. He wants to include me in what He is doing in people's lives every day by set up these "divine appointments" to intersect with my life. My conversation yesterday again confirmed how much people are longing for the love of Christ. When it is genuinely expressed and actively spoken, people are so hungry to respond. I never have to push people towards Christ. I simply respond to what the Holy Spirit is already doing in them. Sometimes it a simply showing someone what a geninue Christ-follower looks like. Other times its sowing seeds of curiosity that generate spiritual questions. Other times God uses me to move a barrier that is blocking the progress of their spiritual growth.

I wonder how many of these divine appointments I have missed? One thing I know, fasting has such a powerful way of bringing clarity and sensitivity to my heart to hear the whispers of God.

Let Christ use you today. Ask Him to open your eyes to see people like He sees them. Ask Him for a divine appointment today. Let Him know he can use you in the life of someone He is already drawing to Himself.

Remember, share your stories with me. What is God doing in your life during these 40 Days of Faith?

Today's Scripture
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen"..."he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:6,11

"Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. John 4:31-34
 
Thought
"The rewards of fasting are not often instantaneous but are experienced overtime. They come as surprises, like in the midst of a worship service when my soul is stirred and strangely satisfied. Or when I am reading the Word and my inner being is lifted beyond this world with a fresh perspective. Or when I am in prayer and the groanings of my heart experiences a peace that is unexplainable. I have found the rewards ultimately lead to a more intimate and satisfying experience with the God who made me." —Gary Rohrmayer
 
Prayer
Father in Heaven, today may I continue to experience the sweet, satisfying nature of Your presence and may I experience the refreshing power of Your abiding strength. Father, I want to be like a well watered garden, like a spring that never runs dry. Use me today for Your honor and glory. I am totally available to you. Help me to respond immediately to the impluse of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Heartland Church Vision Rally...The Next 10 Years

If you missed the 2011 Vision Rally at Heartland Church, here is the entire presentation. This is what I'm believing God to do in the next 10 years! Don't miss the amazing baptism of Betsy Swetnam at the end.

Heartland Church Vision Rally by Darryn Scheske 11.7.11 from Heartland Church on Vimeo.

What if There is No Hell? Part 2

Of all the sermons I've given in my life, this one was by far the most sorrowful to deliver. Early Sunday morning, an old hymn kept ringing through my head,. We used to sing it when I was a little boy in the Islands. I thought about it all morning and couldn't stop the tears.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
—Frances J. Crosby, 1869

The Apostle Paul said, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel." I pray you'll hear the heart of God and experience a fiery baptism of compassion in your soul.

Heaven, Hell & The Hereafter : What if There Is No Hell from Heartland Church on Vimeo.

What if There is No Hell?

Three weeks ago, the Easter cover of TIME Magazine asked the question, “What if there is no Hell?” The question was prompted by the release of "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived", by popular pastor, Rob Bell, arguing that a loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering—that in the end, love wins. (For a brilliant review of Love Wins, check out what George P. Wood had to say as well as his reviews on the book page at Amazon.com. Dr. Randy Alcon has written extensively about the controvery on his blog.)

I watched Rob Bell's promotional video for the book with my son. At the end, Nick said, "Wow, Dad, he asks some really good questions. He makes sense." I agree. Rob is a brilliant communicator. Then I had Nick read several passages of Scripture. He sat quietly for a while and said, "Dad, he totally contradicted the Bible!" It blew his mind because Rob had just been so convincing. Rob didn't fare so well either when he was put on the run by journalist, Martin Bashir.

In 2005, Newsweek ran a story that US troops in Guantanamo flushed a Koran down the toilet as part of their interrogation tactics to get captured muslim terrorists to cooperate. The story sparked riots in the Middle East resulting in more than a dozen people being killed. But in a stunning reversal, Newsweek later conceded that their source was faulty and they issued a retraction, apologizing for their error. It was one of the most dramatic examples in recent history of how important it is that we only rely on highly credible sources of information.

A lot of people’s theology is based less on Scripture and based more on their feelings, their traditions, and the movies.

What do you actually believe is the truth? Is Christianity more of an ethical habit of mind or is it a faith based on divine revelation? Do you actually KNOW what Jesus said will happen after you die? Do you know what Jesus said about the fate of every man and woman who will ever live? (It's not naturalism, nihilism, universalism, reincarnation or purgatory.)

Q: Are you willing to suspend your traditional beliefs and opinions about Heaven and Hell and discover what God says about the Hereafter?

This weekend at Heartland Church, I'm continuing a new series called, "HEAVEN, HELL & THE HEREAFTER," tackling one of the hardest polarities to reconcile for our postmodern generation: The mercy and the justice of God and what would happen if there is no Hell.

Don't miss it! 9:00 am, 96th Street Campus | 10:00 am Hamilton Southeastern High School | 11:00 am 96th Street Campus.

Here's last week's message to catch up:  "WHAT IS HEAVEN REALLY LIKE?"

Heaven, Hell & The Hereafter : What Is Heaven Really Like? from Heartland Church on Vimeo.

 

Longing to Matter. Longing to Connect. Longing to Make a Difference.

"You cannot know for sure where the Holy Spirit is going to act and bring renewal. You really can't. The Spirit, still, like the wind, blows where He wishes. And without issuing a weather forecast! Only one sign appears often enough to betray His intentions...the period immediately before some fresh outpouring of the Spirit seems to be marked by a burden for prayer in the hearts of a least a small core of Christians in an area. I have been impressed recently, in different parts of the country, to find groups meeting in just this sort of way. Expectantly, open to God for whatever He may have for them, for their town, for their congregations. I wonder sometimes where this may not prove to be the most significant of all the facts in the scene we have been surveying?"

—Poulton, John. A Today Sort of Evangelism. London: Lutterworth Press, 1972., as quoted by Gunstone, John. Greater Things Than These: A Personal Account of the Charismatic Movement. Leighton Buzzard: Faith Press, 1973., p. 77

One of the most common experiences for many of us as Christ-followers is the longing for more close and connected relationships with other Christ-followers in our community. We wish there could be a deeper sharing of the things of God. Not that we would abandon our own communities of faith. But wouldn't it be great if there were opportunities for seeking God's will more intimately, for personal praying, for telling and hearing the joys and struggles of walking by faith.

We want to be together more.

I am finding myself more and more longing to be with my like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ in our community. Too often we have accepted the necessary but somewhat artificial connection strategy of getting people into small groups within our individual local churches. I wonder what would happen if Christ-followers, regardless of their local church affiations, began to  join together with like-minded Christ-follower who are already present in their neighborhoods and workplaces for the purpose of praying together, open to whatever God may have for them; be the functional body of Christ in that location.

"All together in one place"—it is striking the way the New Testament refers so often to the way the Body of Christ is supposed to function: Accepting one another, serving one another, praying for one another, forgiving one another, bear one another's burdens, love one another...

Sergeant Randy McFarland of the Fishers Police Department decided to take personal responsibility for his workplace, to be a catayst in the lives of other Christ-followers in the department. Representing several local congregations, officers began to meet for encouragment, study of God's Word, prayer for one another, the entire police department, and their community.  Today four groups of officers meet and the number of officers attending is growing. The presence of the unified body of Christ within the Department is having a transforming effect on our entire town.

Kevin & Elizabeth Sliwa lead a small group of Christ-followers in their home. Orginally, their small group consisted only of those who came together through their local church congregation, but they began to sense an increasing sense of "holy discontent" about the spiritual condition of their neighbors. They group began to pray for the neighborhood. They began walking in the neigborhood, praying for the families who lived there. Eventually they had the idea that on the first Tuesday night of each month they would invite their neighbors for dinner and discussion about spiritual concerns.  This is the third month they have done this and the impact is growing. There were about 30 adults from the neighborhood this past Tuesday who were asking spiritual questions about God, Christ, suffering in our world...it was incredible! Who knows where this will end up?

In both these cases, the work of God through His functioning body began with a season of a small core of people beginning coming together to pray, open to whatever God would have for them.

It's not complicated. When a group of Christ-followers, regardless of their denominational traditions, set their minor differences aside, and take on an attitude of loving co-responsibility for one another and the people in their sphere of influence, amazing things can happen. Read another great story here.

This is a move of God that is happening across our world right now and I want to be a part of it.  Instead of saying, "What would Jesus do?", we realize that the risen  Jesus is actively working in our world right now. Our prayer is be, "Jesus, What are you doing?" and then boldly join in, knowing his power and presence go with us.

What it means to be a Christ-Follower

Majorities of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. What's more, many Christians don't even want to call themselves "Christian" because of the baggage that accompanies the label. The findings were based on surveys of a sample of 867 young people between the ages of 16-29 by the Barna Research Group.  One in four non-Christians said that modern-day Christianity was no longer like Jesus.

Dr. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life recently said, "For some time now, the hands and feet of the body of Christ have been amputated, and we've been pretty much reduced to a big mouth."

Something is really, really wrong with popular American Christianity.

Read through this riveting lesson Jesus taught, then I invite you to listen to what I think is at the heart of being a Christ-follower.

John 8:1-11 (NLT)
1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.

3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.

7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11“No, Lord,” she said.   And Jesus said, “Neither do I.  Go and sin no more.”

The Incredible Privilege

For all of you who sacrificially love, serve, give, pray, share, volunteer ... it wasn't just your idea. God chose you for this special priviege of making a difference. What a privilege to be chosen to be his hands. I love this verse that centers me back on course:

Ephes. 3:8 (NLT) 
 Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling [those far from God] about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.

It is joy to be on the journey together!

What it Means to be Christian

Bill Hull, author of Choose The Life offers a compelling argument for what it means to be Christian:

An interesting discussion that won’t take place here is why the word Christian won in general usage over Disciple. Christian used three times in the New Testament has been preferred over Disciple, used 269 times. Christian seems to be a word that has lost its meaning more so than those who think Disciple is passé. It seems that outside the Church Christians are thought of as intolerant, even hateful, they are critics and judges. It is a title that has disappeared into the fog of Western culture to define religious origin. Inside the Church, Christian has become a word that describes agreement with a set of religious ideas; it does not require action or movement. Some evangelical leaders don’t like Disciple because it sounds too demanding, too tired and out of reach for the seekers. This is not a call for the elimination of the word Christian; it is a call to recapture the richness of the word Disciple and how a change in language can be a change in mind set and then behavior.

Disciple is a robust word; it calls upon a person to give an answer to God, to do something, to follow and in doing so create an opportunity for transformation. Answering the call to discipleship means positioning oneself for spiritual formation. It requires intentionality, self-denial, and commitment to follow Jesus wherever He leads.

As Bonhoeffer aptly stated, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” This really comes down to how members of the Church view themselves. Are we primarily members of an organization by belief or doctrine alone, or is the expectation that we are obedient followers of Jesus ready for a life of spiritual sacrifice?

This redefinition requires a change in the way we see ourselves. 

American Christianity

A few months ago I was part of a discussion with a group of pastors about Christianity in America and how far it has drifted from what the scripture teaches. Our cultural version of Christianity is marked by:

Consumerism
Patriotism
Institutionalism
Individualism (me, my stuff, mine ... even my ministry).

This is what is being exported here and around the world. Just watch a half hour of Christian television.

By contrast scripture teaches a church is
A body
A bride
A family ... All highly connect living organisms

THE problem: What happens when people have no reference point for the metaphors? Does anybody know what a healthy body, a healthy marriage, a healthy family looks like?

“Churched and unchurched people alike look at church today and they’re sure that’s not what Jesus had in mind” --Erwin McManus

What is the Gospel

Dallas Willard has given probably the most simple definition of the the Gospel I know:

"Two words, Trust Jesus. Trust him for everything, not just what happens when I die. "

The very first "apprentices" of Jesus were invited to be with him. They watched and listened to what he did and said. Then he would say, "Now, you do it."