Activated by the Holy Spirit

September 10, 2019September 9, 2019 Matt EricksonLeave a comment

This past weekend at Eastbrook Church, we begin a new five-week series called “Roots.” This series is an opportunity for us at Eastbrook as we celebrate 40 years as a church to look back at what have been the roots of our church. It also offers us the chance to look forward to how we can continue living from these roots as we move forward for years to come.

This weekend we looked at how the Holy Spirit activates the church. Since our inception, we have said that we wanted to be a church that could only be explained by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is really supposed to be true of any local church, and was definitely true of the early church in Jerusalem.

You can watch my message from this past weekend and follow along with the message outline below. You can also engage with the entire series here or download the Eastbrook mobile app for even more opportunities for involvement.

Freedom with God: the radiant seal of spontaneity in virtuous living

November 16, 2018November 15, 2018 Matt EricksonLeave a comment

Josef Pieper writes about strenuous effort versus free spontaneity in living the virtuous life with God:

The strain of self-mastery, which for us countrymen of Kant is inseparable from any concept of upbringing and moderation and is generally tied to and fused with the concept of virtue, is an accompanying phenomenon only of less perfect and beginner stages, whereas authentic, perfected virtue, by dint of the very definition of the concept, bears the happily radiant seal of spontaneity, of freedom from constraint and of self-evident inclination. (From A Brief Reader on the Virtues of the Human Heart, p. 10)

I love the way Pieper highlights the difference between immature and mature virtue. The effort-driven, straining of self-mastery is a reflection of beginning in virtue. The movement toward maturity is marked by an increasing spontaneity of virtuous action.

The Apostle Paul’s words ring in my mind here: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. . . . If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:15, 26 ESV). As we increasingly walk by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit, like someone learning a dance, we become increasingly overcome by the rhythms and patterns and less conscious of the effort it takes to move our feet to the rhythms of the dance.

Self-conscious spiritual effort feels tense and difficult to watch, yet it is the necessary first steps of growing with God, sensing His Spirit’s work in us, and learning the patterns of life with God. But it is the spontaneous living with God that brings out the sweetest rhythms of grace, overflowing into the most beautiful dance of life in step with God’s calling for holy living.

I Am Filled with God’s Power

May 21, 2018May 20, 2018 Matt Erickson1 Comment

In our current series at Eastbrook Church, “Who Am I?“, we are exploring biblical answers to questions about our identity as human beings. This past weekend I concluded the series by looking at how the Holy Spirit anchors our identity in God, connects us to a broader family, and sends us out with a new sense of mission.

You can view the message video and an expanded sermon outline below. You can follow the entire series at our web-site, through the Eastbrook app, or through our audio podcast.

Self-Control, anyone?

November 15, 2017November 14, 2017 Matt EricksonLeave a comment

fullsizeoutput_5ee — My crazy notes for last week’s message.

With all the hullabaloo in the news these days about failures on the right and on the left, abuse of power, and the angst over unacknowledged sexual abuse, it was ironic that last Thursday I spent time with young adults at Kaleo talking about self-control. I hate to say it’s not surprising to me that not only are these painfully abusive things present in people’s lives, but that we do not know either what to do with it or how to apparently prevent it. It should not surprise us when we have heavily criticized any standards of character in hopes of finding ourselves through vain self-fulfillment fantasies. These two things go hand in hand.

Jesus was not being ‘spiritual’ in an esoteric way when he said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). He was revealing the practical truth that the way we truly become ‘ourselves’ is not through rampant, visceral, unbounded self-centered desire but through turning from ourselves to a source of greater guidance; in this instance, Jesus as our Master Teacher and Lord.

When we read in 2 Peter 1 that God has given us “everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3) it comes to us only “through our knowledge of him” – that is, Jesus – and God’s “great and precious promises,” not through our self-will. Such a move toward God and from ourselves is what saves us from “the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (1:4). On the one hand as humans we tend to get worried about prudish morality here, but on the other hand we are disgusted by the abusive immorality so prevalent. Peter reminds us there is no happy medium here, there are only those equipped with God’s power to live a different sort of life and those that are left to live from their own power, which struggles gasp air above the sinking waters of sin’s corruption. Read More »

Spiritual Freedom (discussion questions)

February 3, 2015February 2, 2015 Matt EricksonLeave a comment

As we continued our series, “Free: A Study on Galatians,” this past weekend at Eastbrook Church we looked at the power of spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ from Galatians 5. Here are the discussion questions that accompany my message, “Spiritual Freedom,” which is the fifth part of our series.

Discussion Questions:

We continue our series on freedom in Christ this weekend as we make our way into Galatians, chapter 5. Before you begin, pray that God would speak to you through your study of the Scripture. Next, read Galatians 5 out loud.
Galatians 5 is built around two major declarations by Paul related to our freedom, found in verses 1 and 13. Verses 1-12 carry forward themes Paul has discussed throughout the letter so far. What would you say is Paul’s main point or points in this first section of Galatians 5?
Once again, Paul makes some fairly dramatic statements about those who rely on legalism or religious performance to make themselves right with God, particularly in verses 4 and 12. Why do you think Paul get so upset by this situation?
With verse 13, Paul begins talking about the everyday way we relate to others as Christians, commonly called ethics. In verses 13-18, Paul contrasts the way of the flesh with the way of freedom. What characterizes the way of the flesh and what characterizes the way of freedom?
Do you resonate with Paul’s description of the conflict between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit? How do you deal with that conflict in your own life?
Paul outlines the ‘acts of the flesh’ in verses 19-21, saying “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” How do you think this relates to Paul’s strong words that “a person is not justified by the works of the law” (2:16)?
Paul’s words on the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-26 are well-known. Look over chapter 55 and see how Paul talks about the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. What does it mean to truly by led by, walk with, and live by the Spirit?
What is one practical way you need to surrender more to the influence of the Holy Spirit and less to the acts of the flesh this week? If you are with a small group, take some time to discuss these things with one another. If you are alone, share that with someone this week. Close in prayer.

Spiritual Freedom

February 2, 2015 Matt EricksonLeave a comment

This past weekend at Eastbrook Church I continued our series “Free,” as we looked at Paul’s version of “Two Truths and a Lie” in Galatians, chapter 5.

You can view a video of the message and the accompanying outline below. You can listen to the message via our audio podcast here. All the messages from the “Free” series can be viewed here. Comment on the series on social media using the hashtag #ebcfree.

Connect with us further at Eastbrook Church on Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Who is the Holy Spirit? (discussion questions)

May 28, 2013 Matt Erickson1 Comment

Here are the discussion questions that accompany my message at Eastbrook Church this past weekend entitled “The Character of the Holy Spirit” from our “Holy Spirit” series.