Matt Reagan Evening rally on December 30th, 2014 at the Campus Outreach Milwaukee New Years Conference
Rally Recap
Theme: Better
God is better at fulfilling your desires than anything else in the world is. He made you for him.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 ESV)
“You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16 ESV)
The good news of the gospel is better news than I ever thought it was, and better than you think it is. It has nothing to do with you. Jesus is our substitute.
“Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Romans 4:4-5 ESV)
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14 ESV)
1. Community is better than isolation.
Nobody wants to be alone. It is written in your heart that we are not to be alone.
“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”” (Genesis 2:18 ESV)
God is triune. He has never been alone. Father, Son and Spirit have always been together. This is deeper than accountability. You are made to tie your life in deeply with others. You are made to know and be known.
Why do we want to be alone? If people know me, my weaknesses will be exposed. When people know, I won’t be safe or accepted.
2. Christian community is better than all the other ones.
Reason 1: You are welcome in your weakness.
“And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”” (Matthew 9:10-13 ESV)
Reason 2: We’re not done with each other in our weakness.
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1 ESV)
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:12-14 ESV)
3. Community with Jesus is better than Christian community.
The clearest way you’ll see Jesus’ face in this world is through Christian community. You won’t see it all the way, because we’re still broken.
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24 ESV)
You are made for relationship not isolation. Lean into people’s lives.
Personal Reflection Questions:
Is Christ really better?
When you want to be by yourself and not in someones life, why? Why do you want to be alone?
How can you pursue deeper Christian community?