Denver Community Church

July 6, 2014: The God of Psalm 23 – Dave Terpstra

June 29, 2014: A Direction and a Plan – Landon Lynch

There are some people who are always on the inside looking out. They can’t stand the process of settling, but are always feeling a tug toward the next horizon. Others feel nervous when they see this sort of thing. For them, the highest value is staying rooted and centered and cultivating the hearts of people who are already with them.

This is what we see at work here. Paul is always on the move. And he is sent as a pioneer by the settlers. But without the settlers he’d have nowhere to leave from, and without Paul there would be no one to carry the message as a witness. In this we see that we all work together better.

June 22, 2014: What Is God Calling You To? – Jon Gettings

The word of the Lord came to Jonah, “Go to the great city of Nineveh …” What did Jonah do? He ran the other way, and went to the port city of Joppa. There was no way he would hear God’s command to go to those people. They were a horrible lot. We know how the story goes – God finally convinces Jonah to go to Nineveh. And when he goes, those in the city repent. 

Now, the word of the Lord comes to Peter. Where is he? Joppa. What is God asking him to do? Go to those people. At first Peter refuses. Would he do the same thing as Jonah or would he hear the word of God and go to Cornelius? What about us? Who are the people God is calling us to go to? Are we Jonah or Peter? 

June 15, 2014: Words That Bring Leprosy – Landon Lynch

Saul is breathing out murderous threats against the Christians when he is confronted by Jesus. The experience leaves him blind. Thousands of years before that Miriam spoke against Moses. The result was that she was struck with leprosy. This led the rabbis to teach that when one spoke evil, God would strike them with leprosy. 

Which brings us back to Saul. He is speaking evil words, and is blinded by “scales” on his eyes. The word in Greek is lepra - the root of the word leprosy. How would Saul, a devout Jew, have felt in this moment? In his encounter with Jesus he was confronted with his own sin – and this led to his conversion.

June 1, 2014: Rebels and Saints – Landon Lynch

Few people like prophets when they are alive. It’s not until decades later that the establishment can make a sinner into a saint and use that person for their purposes. This has been true of many who have spoke up in the strength of the Spirit of God. They are killed, because people don’t always like hearing what God might be saying to them.

Stephen, in a small way, prophesies his own death. He is speaking prophetically to those in power about what happened to the prophets – and in the end meets the same fate. Death at the hands of the powers.

May 25, 2014: What Shall We Do? – Landon Lynch

When Peter stands up and preaches, he is doing far more than just preaching a sermon about some familiar Old Testament passages. In fact, the response of the people tells us all we need to know. They don’t say, “Thanks for the reminder.” No, they say, “What shall we do?” Why would they say such a thing when all they have heard is information?

Because it was not information – it was the proclamation of a whole new reality. It was, for them, a gospel. A message that proclaimed an entirely new reality. And so we ask, “How does the gospel continue to be told and retold?” When we see beyond the gospel only being salvation, we are able to wake up to a brand new world, and ask “What shall we do?”

May 18, 2014: Can I Get a Witness? – Dave Neuhausel

The story of Acts is contained in the first few verses. Jesus tells the disciples “you will be my witnesses …” This is the story. It is the witness of the church, and we learn what it looks like to be the witnesses of Jesus through all the trials, joys and tribulations that are there.

Jesus is not interested in them knowing the times when the Kingdom will come, he is interested in them being faithful to proclaim the kingdom’s coming in the world and being willing to testify as to who Jesus was and is. If this is the mission he sent them on, then what does it mean for us to be witnesses today?

May 11, 2014: That's a Long Fall – Landon Lynch

Two times in this story of Eutychus falling from the window we are told about “breaking bread.” It is a celebration, on a Sunday, of the resurrection of Jesus. And on this night, a young man (maybe even as young as 9 years old) falls asleep and falls out of a window and dies. In the midst of this meeting, Paul runs outside and raises this boy from the dead. It’s story of resurrection on the day the church would celebrate the resurrection.

May 4, 2014: Lame and Dead – Michael Hidalgo

Jesus told his disciples they would do greater things than him. Let’s be honest, that’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? But Luke wants us to know that the power of Jesus is still alive and well and at work in his followers. This is why we hear echoes of stories about Jesus when he was “traveling about” and healing people.

Peter’s words to the Aeneas “Get up and roll up your mat” and his words to Dorcas “Tabitha Koum” are eerily similar to Jesus’ words spoken in the healing of a lame man and raising a girl from the dead. Even the details come close to one another. It goes to show that we can do great things, and greater things. Which raises the question, “What are we waiting for?”

April 27, 2014: Everything Changes – Landon Lynch

The Gate called Beautiful separated the court of the Gentiles from the court of the Jews in the temple. It was massive – so large in fact that it took twenty men to close it. It was a busy place, with people walking in and out all day long, and there in the midst of the busyness sat a man who was lame. One who was cut off from the very people who walked in and out of the gate everyday. It was this man that Peter healed. 

His response? Jumping, dancing and praising God … only because he could walk? No, because he “went into the temple courts.” He was given a new life. He could join with his people and be one of them. Because this is what healing does. It is not just about the physical healing. It is a holistic reality.