Sunday, July 13, 2014

Business as Usual (Acts of Service Which Grow Out of Acts of Worship)


Message Title: Business as Usual (Acts of Service Which Grow Out of Acts of Worship)
Series Title: Words of Life 
Message Text:  St. John 6:43-56 & 60-67 (Sunday, July 13, 2014)

Four things I was taught as a new believer:

  1. God is real
  2. God is concerned with my life and affairs. God is rooting out of me & rooting for me.
  3. Any intimate interaction with God brought about lasting transformation
  4. Christianity would likely take my life (As a kid, I expected to die via martyrdom)

✺ I believe that the early church learned similar things about faith in Christ. We need to get back to the true business of Christ’s Church: Transformation

********************************
➣What was the “usual” business of the Church? Bringing healing, help and hope to destitute individuals, societies and systems as a demonstration of God’s power & love which grows out of worship & unity which = Communion with God.

*Message: God infiltrated the world for a distinctly strategic purpose
→God became human, poor, despised, hunted, belittled, accused, denied

*Journey: God infiltrated this world in order to find those who would dissent from the dark status quo of society and reveal the modus operandi of God.
→The work of God is always done in part, in community

*Landing: The dissenters assent when they are not intimately connected to the heart and mind of God.
→We’ve got to wake up and pay attention. This life isn’t the reward. This is work.

*Knowing: Heaven is riding on you. Better stated, Heaven is excited about the prospect of the Kingdom...or authoritative rule of God...through you.
→The salvation we have received is an invitation to suit up and join the action
→Business as usual for the people of God was fully displaying the Grace of God


Response: Determine what true communion with God will cost you & pay it. Jesus is knocking...(Jesus Christ has sent you a friend request)...and seeking communion.
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Sunday, July 6, 2014

Christ Our Saviour!


Our Savior came thru a lineage of shady characters so that He would be qualified to save shady characters! (Matt 1) 
➣God proves that God is Down!

✩Other deities didn’t claim to have: 1. created the worlds; 2 become human; 3. become belittled; 4. become judged & sacrificed; 5. and have overcome all of this because of the Father’s pleasure.
✩Other deities didn’t openly demonstrate their checkered pedigree

The Components of a Savior
Definition: One who saves or rescues others from danger, destruction, harm, failure
  • Rescues
  • Delivers
  • Preserves

*Ernie Rayner Story (1. His vulnerability brought me stability 2. Implications of Stability. 3. He trusted that I still needed advice...but never bailing our again!!)

Qualities:
  • Abilities: 1. Subdue enemies and  2. Rescue victims (remove from danger) & 3. Place them in a safe nurturing environment where they won’t slip back into danger. [This removal from danger and placement in a “safe-house” where adjustments are made to eliminate the threat of future abductions...is called deliverance!]

Theological Qualities and Framework
➣A savior’s work is hands on. Not remote. He became one of us. (Matt 1)
➣A savior must have super powers in order to *defeat our enemy
  • *Jesus: Defeated the enemy by loving us, taking on our brokenness and overcoming it; offering God a offering of peace on our behalf...which was accepted by the Father at the resurrection of Christ. (Approval Light @ register)
  • The enemy wasn’t appeased. He was disgusted!
  • Jesus removed us from the unsafe place of sin (Salvation: Where sin is forgotten)
  • Jesus took us to a safe-place where we’d be trained to never slip into the place of Danger again. [Care/Instruction of Holy Spirit & Christian community]

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

2 Timothy 1:9-11New International Version (NIV)
9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed(H) a herald and an apostle and a teacher.

➣He’s is NOT just a Savior! He wants to be YOUR Savior!! (Challenge)

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Supporting Scripture for Message: Christ Our Saviour


Christ Our Savior!


The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.


(And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.


They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;


And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.


For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.


Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.


For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

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