Archive for the ‘By Ann Vinson’ Category
Grace To A Runaway Slave!
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Bible Verse: Philemon 8-22
Introduction:
In his short letter to Philemon, Paul made an appeal for oneness and unity in Jesus Christ. He placed himself in the middle of a broken relationship between Philemon, a slave master, and Onesimus, a runaway slave. Contained within this story of reconciliation, grace, and de-exaltation is the gospel itself. A slave himself, Paul urged Philemon to consider love—not law, duty, or obligation. His instruction to receive Onesimus as a brother, not a slave, challenges us to evaluate our pride and align our perspectives of others with Christ’s perspective. In this letter, Paul helps us reflect on the racial, radical, and redemptive reconciliation Christ offers.
“The salvation secured by Christ in the gospel is more comprehensive than justification alone: it brings repentance, wholeness, love for brothers and sisters in the Christian community.” –D. A. Carson
Outline:
1. Appealing to Love, Not Obligation (Philem. 8-14)
Like Philemon, love is to be our motivation for obeying God in all things. We can easily fall into the trap of obeying God primarily out of obligation. We obey because we have to. We know we should. While this is certainly true—God has given us commands, not suggestions in Scripture— obligation cannot be what prompts our obedience. Love must be.
Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commands (John 14:15). Love fuels obedience; obedience verifies love. A steady diet of love fattens obedience, but obligation will starve it at some point. This is why Jesus fused the two together. Our love for God produces obedience that pleases Him and also brings Him glory as the world around us sees us joyfully obey.
2. Accepting a Brother, Not a Slave (Philem. 15-17)
“Love all men, even your personal enemies, not because they are brothers but in order that they may be brothers, in order that you may always burn with brotherly love, whether for one already become a brother or for an enemy so that by [your] loving he may become a brother.” –Augustine
3. Anticipating Grace, Not Duty (Philem. 18-22)
If we as Christians only obey God out of a sense of obligation or duty, then we commit the sin of the Pharisee: righteousness without right-heartedness. God desires that our obedience come from the heart.
After committing adultery with Bathsheba, David discovered, “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God” (Ps. 51:16-17). God cannot overlook a broken heart. He collects them, tends and mends them. Duty is a harsh master, but through the cracks of a broken spirit, the Holy Spirit enters into us and distributes grace to every limb. Paul had a broken heart when he penned his letter—a heart that Philemon could heal by demonstrating the grace of Christ to Onesimus. “Refresh my heart in Christ,” he instructed (Philem. 20).
Theological Theme:
Christian reconciliation models the cross of Christ.
Contained within this story of reconciliation, grace, and de-exaltation is the gospel itself – a gospel that regardless of background, skin color, class, or cultural difference unites God’s [Father-Son-Holy Spirit] family members and demonstrates the reconciling power of the cross. Christian unity is not about sameness; it’s about oneness.
Christ Connection:
When Paul appealed to Philemon on behalf of the runaway slave Onesimus, he placed himself in the middle of their broken relationship. In order to make peace, he volunteered to pay Onesimus’ debt. Through this action, Paul modeled Jesus Christ, who is the peacemaker between God and sinful humanity. By volunteering to pay our debt, Jesus reconciled us to God and to each other.
Missional Application:
God, through his Holy Spirit, calls us to live as peacemakers who reflect the heart of our crucified Savior.
Conclusion:
Jesus once promised that He would “go away and prepare a place for you” (John 14:3).
After the toils of life are over, God will declare your emancipation also. Like Paul, you will escape “this body of death” (Rom. 7:24) and abscond to your mansion in glory—a home where “neither moth nor rust destroys” and “where thieves don’t break in and steal” (Matt. 6:20). This future home is what should motivate us today. Because we anticipate entering Christ’s presence and basking in His love and grace as His brothers and sisters, we give to others today what we will receive then. It is the least we, all former slaves to sin who are now one family in Christ, can do for one another.
“We have but one leading aim, to which it is our deliberate and unreserved desire that every thing else in which we are concerned may be subordinate and subservient—in a word, that we are devoted to the Lord, and have by grace been enabled to choose him, and to yield ourselves to him, so as to place our happiness in his favor, and to make his glory and will the ultimate scope of all our actions.” –John Newton
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Once Slaves, Now Children!
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Bible Verses: Romans 8: 12-20 Romans 8:31-39
Introduction:
God the Father changes us in Christ. In exploring Romans 8, we see that Christians have undergone a radical
transformation from being slaves of sin and fear to becoming children of God who can live with full
assurance and hopeful anticipation that God is making all things new.
Theological Theme:
God [The Father-Son-Holy-Spirit] delivers us from slavery to sin and death, and He gives us life through the Spirit.
Christ Connection:
God’s people are in the process of being conformed to the image of His Son. We have been adopted into His family, no longer slaves to sin but children of God who call Him “Father.” Because of Christ’s work on the cross, we are welcomed into God’s family and are now coheirs with Christ, eagerly awaiting the glorious future He has promised.
Missional Application:
The Father calls us to rely on the Spirit’s power to put to death the deeds of the body and to follow His commands as His children.
Conclusion:
“Wherever the Holy Spirit dwells, His holy presence creates a hunger for holiness. His primary task is to magnify Christ (see John 16:14-15), and it is He who gives the believer a desire to be like Christ. In our natural condition we have no such passion. But in the Christian, the Spirit of God begins to carry out the will of God to make the child of God like the Son of God (see Rom. 8:29). And He who began this good work in the life of the believer ‘will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 1:6).” –Donald S. Whitney
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Toward An Enduring Identity!
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Main Bible Verses: 1 Peter 2: 1-17
Introduction:
We are each a part of the body of Christ. Chosen by God, receivers of great mercy, we have been given a new identity that we are to work out in our lives. With Christ as our foundation and example, we’ve also been given a new purpose and calling to be set apart for the work and glory of God.
Theological Theme:
The church is a sign and instrument of the kingdom of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, constituted and commissioned by Jesus Christ.
Each of the four preceding descriptions of the church—a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s possession— reminds us that we are fundamentally different from the world. We are, as Peter put it, strangers and exiles in this world. This is our new identity in Christ, and it is from this identity that our changed behavior should flow. Who we are should always be the root of our behavior.
Christ Connection:
The early Christians faced persecution and experienced suffering for their faith in Christ. Peter reminded them of their identity as God’s people—formed by Christ and sent out on His mission. United to Christ, the One who suffered for us on the cross, Christians can expect God to use suffering to make us into the image of His Son.
God has graciously provided a solid foundation for us to experience His goodness for eternity. That foundation was laid through Christ’s obedient life, sinless sacrifice, and powerful resurrection, and by faith in Him, we can stand firm on it……Peter teaches about the enduring, living hope we have through Christ. He records glorious truth after glorious truth about the gospel—the work of Christ on our behalf so that we might enter into a permanent relationship with God…..Since the great mercy of God has rescued us and given us a living hope and an imperishable inheritance, therefore, we take action. It’s important to understand that if the sole purpose of salvation were to rescue you from eternal damnation, there would be no reason for you to continue to exist in this world. Our lives are about more than our individual deliverance. We remain on this earth to be stones of grateful testimony who declare the salvation of our glorious Lord to every one who will hear.
Missional Application:
God, through his Holy Spirit calls us to be an otherworldly people for the good of this world, to stand against the world for the sake of the world.
One key to living out our new identity and purpose is to understand our new citizenship. We cannot live out the call to be holy with one foot immersed in the patterns and conduct of the world and another in the lifestyle of Christianity. This is a false reality for the two are incongruent with one another. Even the goodness of the world and the social norms that might jive with our biblical worldview cannot be our goal. The world does good in order to be seen as good. The Christian does good in order to point to our good God.
“Advance in the Christian life comes not by the work of the Holy Spirit alone, nor by our work alone, but by our responding to the grace the Holy Spirit initiates and sustains.” –Donald S. Whitney
Conclusion:
We have been saved with a great purpose. Yes, we personally benefit from the rescue we’ve received, but ultimately, our salvation is not about you and me. The glorious reality of our redemption is to be proclaimed for the sake of those who still yet need it, all for the glory of our Redeemer. Therefore, we must take seriously our calling to live an otherworldly life. With our feet firmly planted on the bedrock of Christ’s character and provision, we get to live out our calling as a child of God, with all the hope of an eternal future with our glorious King.
God’s Grace Expressed Through Jesus’ Love!
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Part A: Pastor Tony Marra:
Part B: Pastor Dave Stonesifer
Part C: Pastor Ann Vinson
Part D: Pastor Timothy Brassell
Part E: Full Message: NLF Pastoral Team
Bible Verses: Mark 1: 14-16 Ephesians 1 2 Cor 12: 19 Numbers 6: 24 – 26
Introduction:
“God loves you so utterly and completely that he has given himself for you in Jesus Christ his beloved Son, and has thereby pledged his very being as God for your salvation. In Jesus Christ God has actualized his unconditional love for you in your human nature in such a once for all way, that he cannot go back upon it without undoing the Incarnation and the Cross and thereby denying himself. Jesus Christ died for you precisely because you are sinful and utterly unworthy of him, and has thereby already made you his own before and apart from your ever believing in him. He has bound you to himself by his love in a way that he will never let you go, for even if you refuse him and damn yourself in hell his love will never cease. Therefore, repent and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.” —(T. F. Torrance, “The Mediation of Christ,” 94)
Theological Theme:
“The gospel announces that salvation is available by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and not through additional obligations and works.”
The gospel is the Good News of God, that we are included in the life and love of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit by grace. It is nothing we have earned or deserve but rather something given as a free gift to us. We have to remember that Jesus is THE Savior of the world. The struggle in believing this good news is that it sounds really good but it is not easy to receive and can only be received by the grace of God; That means GOD working in us to WILL and to DO and to BELIEVE that it is actually the truth of our lives in Jesus, in our place and on our behalf!
“Grace is the hardest thing for us to be reconciled to, because it implies the renouncing of our pretensions, our power, our pomp and circumstance. It is opposite of everything our ‘religious’ sentiments are looking for.” —Jacques Ellul
Christ Connection:
Salvation is a Revelation, something God has to lead us to. Since Jesus Christ is the center-point of God, then Salvation is actually the Person Jesus Christ. But this is something only God can reveal, and through Jesus Christ. That means from beginning to end, Jesus Christ is the only one who pulls off what God wanted done with us.
The primary message of the gospel is NOT that you need to receive the gospel, but rather the gospel HAS RECEIVED YOU! The Father HAS RECEIVED YOU in Jesus Christ, by The Holy Spirit; but the good news always proclaims REPENT! When we say Jesus Christ lives IN US, we mean Jesus lives inside our human nature hence He made “human nature” capable of being able to receive that He did good for us. However the Father-Son-and-Spirit-God is NOT a substance but a relationship. God IN us means us having an INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with God, Father, Son and Spirit!
Because Jesus is our Salvation, Salvation is a proclamation not just in Word but also in Deed.
“God came in Christ, in our place and on our behalf, to actually undo what we had done (Eph. 1:10). In that undoing, a real relationship (via the hypostatic union) between God and mankind was forged in the Son of God’s own person.”—Clarifying Our Theological Vision, by Gary Deddo
Missional Application:
Salvation is a Proclamation and that proclamation is— Repent and receive Jesus as your Salvation! Salvation as a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ. It is relying on Jesus Christ. It is praying to God The Father through Jesus Christ in The Holy Spirit, and this is what we witness to others about that they may share in this relationship with us! All of humanity is encouraged to turn from what they were thinking and doing by turning to Jesus Christ! The Father calls His humanity to turn from turning away from Jesus and begin to relate with and trust Jesus in union with the Holy Spirit! God-Father-Son-and-Spirit loves and includes all of mankind in relationship with Himself through Jesus, the Son of God made human..
“Grace is to be understood as the impartation not just of something from God but of God Himself. In Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit God freely gives to us in such a way that the Gift and the Giver are one and the same in the wholeness and indivisibility of His grace…”—(Thomas F. Torrance, Reality and Evangelical Theology. Westminster Press. 1981. pgs 14,15).
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A Spirit-Empowered Evangelist!
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Audio – Full Message: 35min
Bible Verses: Acts 8:26-40
“The church is a sign and instrument of the kingdom of God, a people united by faith in the gospel announcement of the crucified and risen King Jesus. The mission of the church is to go into the world in the power of the Spirit and make disciples by proclaiming this gospel, calling people to respond in ongoing repentance and faith, and demonstrating the truth and power of the gospel by living under the lordship of Christ for the glory of God and the good of the world.”
THEOLOGICAL THEME:
God [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s] miracle of regeneration takes place when a willing Christian shares the gospel with a Spirit-prepared listener.
CHRIST CONNECTION:
The Ethiopian eunuch was familiar with the Old Testament prophets but was unable to understand how their message was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Philip was led by the Holy Spirit to help the eunuch understand how Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was
raised from the dead, in accordance with the ancient prophecies.
MISSIONAL APPLICATION:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to be available and obedient to the Spirit’s prompting, able and willing to show Christ in all the Scriptures.
“As part of the Spirit’s work through us for the ‘common good,’ He empowers us to be His witnesses…It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But it’s absolutely vital to grasp that He didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it’s because He has something for you to do. He placed us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Eph. 2:8-10).” –Francis Chan
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The Risen King And The Doubter
Filed under: By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, relationship with God, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Belief, Biblical Faith, blessings, Command To Believe, Confession, Confession of Faith, Different Kinds Of Doubt, Doubt, Doubting Disciples, Doubting faith, Doubting Thomas, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God in Flesh, God the Trinity, God's Grace, God's love, Historical Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 20:24-29, Pastor Ann Vinson, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Salvation, submission, The Faith Of Jesus, The Humanity Of Jesus, The Incarnation, The Resurrected Lord, The Risen Lord, Three Aspects Of Faith, Trust In God, Trust In Jesus
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Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: John 20:24-29
At first reading it looks like Thomas was more unbelieving than the other disciples, but this was not necessarily the case. They do not seem to have believed Mary Magdalene when she said she had seen the Lord—it was not until Jesus appeared to them that they were filled with joy (v. 20). Earlier references to Thomas reveal one who was dogged in his commitment to Jesus (11:16) and honest about his doubts (14:5). He refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead unless he actually saw the prints of the nails and spear wound for himself. By the way, this shows that the disciples and the evangelist were talking about a bodily resurrection of Jesus, not some spiritual survival beyond death.” – Colin F. Kruse
Theological Theme:
Faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.
Christ Connection:
Although Thomas doubted the testimony of the other disciples, he was blessed to encounter the risen Jesus for himself. He saw Jesus in His resurrected and glorified body and placed his hands in the scars from the cross, the signs of Christ’s unfailing love for His people. Though we have not seen Jesus with our eyes, with Thomas we confess by faith that Jesus Christ is our Lord and our God.
“Christ demonstrates his victory over death, not by feats of strength, not by more and more spectacular miracles, but by wounds: nail holes, spear marks. Behold, the lamb who was slain.” – Mark Buchanan
Missional Application:
God the Father calls us to be patient with doubters as we bear witness to His Son, whom we have seen only with the eyes of faith, in the Spirit.
“But do thou, when thou seest the unbelief of the disciple, consider the lovingkindness of the Lord, how for the sake of a single soul He showed Himself with His wounds, and cometh in order to save even the one.” 17 –John Chrysostom (circa 347-407)
Faith Biblical faith is the resting, or trusting, in Christ alone for salvation (John 3:16-21). More than being simply a mental agreement of historical facts, genuine faith begins with a recognition and confession of the truth of the gospel (1 John 4:13-16), followed by a receiving of Christ as Lord and Savior of one’s life (John 1:10-13). Biblical faith is not blind faith, for it rests on the historical life, death, and resurrection of Christ. – The Gospel Project
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The Risen King Forgives And Restores!
Filed under: By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Counting The Cost, Encountering God in Jesus, Entrusting Ourselves To God, Failures Forgiven, Focusing On Jesus, Following Jesus, Forgiveness, Glorifying God, God Provides, God's Forgiveness, God's Grace, God's love, God's Mercy, God's Will, Intense Suffering, Jesus Forgives, Jesus Revealed, Jesus' Power, Jesus' Provision, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Questioning God, Reconciliation, Reconciliation with God, repentance, restoration, Restored to God, Strengthened By God, Suffering For Jesus, Suffering With Jesus, Supported By God, The Cost Of Following Jesus
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Audio – Part 1a: 19 min
Audio – Part 1b: 19 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Luke 24:13-35
Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples for a third time after His resurrection. Through this breakfast encounter, Jesus demonstrated the reality of His restorative power. Because He fulfilled God’s plan to rescue people from sin, Jesus was able to forgive the disciples for their sins and failures and then recommission them in their task of following Him. As Jesus’ followers, we trust in the power of His restoration to enable us to move beyond our sins and failures and accomplish great things in His name.
Theological Theme:
Forgiveness of sins is what makes following Jesus possible.
Christ Connection:
Through His breakfast encounter with His disciples, Jesus showed the reality of His restorative power. Because He fulfilled God’s plan to rescue people from sin, Jesus was able to forgive the disciples for their sins and failures and then recommission them in their task of following Him.
“Reverencing the presence of his Lord, [Peter] threw himself into the sea…The love of Christ draws men through fire and water.” – John Wesley (1703-1791)
Missional Application:
God the Father calls us to demonstrate our love for Jesus by following Him in the Spirit, no matter where the journey might lead and no matter what happens to other followers.
“[T]he Lord Jesus Christ is entrusting the slave with sheep he bought with his blood, and so he requires of the slave the capacity to suffer to the point of shedding his blood. It is as though he were saying, ‘Feed my sheep. I am entrusting my sheep to you.’ What sheep? ‘The ones I bought with my blood. I died for them. Do you love me? Be ready to die for them.’ And as a matter of fact, while that human slave of a human master would pay money for sheep destroyed, Peter paid the price of his blood for sheep preserved.” – Augustine (354-430)
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Jesus and the Gadarene Demoniac
Filed under: Bible, By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Sermons, Spiritual Warfare, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Uncategorized, Union with Christ | Tags: Demon Possession, Evangelism, Evil Spirits, God's Authority, God's Compassion, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's love, God's Power, God's Unconditional Love, healing, Jesus, Jesus Casting Out Demons, Jesus' Compassion, Sharing Jesus With Others, Spiritual Warfare, Unclean Spirits
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Audio – Part 1: 27min
Audio – Part 2: 26min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Mark 5:1-20
Jesus Christ has power and authority over evil spirits. Jesus showed His care and concern for a man who was isolated from society and controlled by evil spirits. After delivering the man from his bondage, Jesus called him to testify to the goodness of God. As those who trust in the authority and power of Jesus and who have been delivered from our bondage to sin, we too are called to testify to the goodness of God.
Theological Theme:
Jesus has power and authority over evil spirits.
“There is no reason to believe that demon possessions are restricted to the past. There are cases, especially but not exclusively in less developed cultures, which seem to be explainable only on this basis.” –Millard Erickson
“Unbelief about the existence and personality of Satan has often proved the first step to unbelief about God.” – J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)
Christ Connection:
In this account we see Jesus’ compassion for those held captive to the Evil One as well as His confrontation with the dehumanizing powers of evil. With one word, Jesus delivered the demon possessed man. This account points forward to the end of the Gospels when Jesus would give His life on the cross, appearing for a time to have lost His battle against evil only to rise triumphantly, having defeated sin, Satan, and the grave forever.
The Savior cares for sinners. Jesus was moved to the core when He saw the effects of sin on people (Matt. 9:36). If that was His heart attitude toward those trapped in the bondage of sin, then what should we feel toward those who are in the same condition today? Since we have the Spirit of Christ, shouldn’t our hearts break over the sin that plagues our family, friends, and coworkers? Shouldn’t we feel a deep anguish over the sin that ravages countries and the world at large? When what breaks the heart of Jesus doesn’t break our hearts, there’s a problem. An area of our heart that does not break over sin is an area of our heart that isn’t conformed to Christ.
Missional Application:
God calls us to report, like the former demoniac, how much the Lord has done for us and how He has shown us mercy.
“Tell them how much the Lord has done for you,’ commands Jesus. The man then went out and told ‘how much Jesus had done for him.’ For this man, the Lord and Jesus are one and the same.” – James R. Edwards
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The Unmerciful Servant!
Filed under: Bible, By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Costly Grace, Death of Jesus, Faith, Faithfulness, Following Jesus, Forgive, Forgiveness, Forgiving Others, God's Faithfulness, God's Forgiveness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's love, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Life of Jesus, Love, Matthew, Matthew 18: 21-35, Mercy, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Participating with Jesus, Receiving Forgiveness, The Father's Love, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Part 1a: 21 min
“https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/2018.08.19-the-unmerciful-servant-matt18.21-35-part1a-guest-vinson-tah.mp3”
Part 1b: 22 min
Full Message:
Main Passage: Matthew 18:21-35
“Jesus taught on forgiveness through the parable of the unmerciful servant. Jesus’ followers are invited to forgive others because they have been forgiven a much greater debt. Forgiveness of others is an overflow of God’s good news, not simply an occasional act when it feels appropriate. To follow Jesus means to remember we are forgiven and to extend that forgiveness to others.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
Those who receive forgiveness of God- Father, Son, and Spirit, must, in turn, extend forgiveness.
Christ Connection:
Though our debt before God was too great to be paid through our good works or effort, we have received forgiveness through the grace of Jesus Christ, who paid our debt through His death on the cross. God has wiped the slate clean with the blood of His Son.
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to model forgiveness in our relationships in order to put on display the nature of God’s forgiving heart.
“We reveal the true condition of our hearts by the way we treat others. When our hearts are humble and repentant, we will gladly forgive our brothers. But where there is pride and a desire for revenge, there can be no true repentance, and this means God cannot forgive.” –Warren W. Wiersbe
Photo Compliments: Jimmy Larche
The Son Of God Is Baptized!
Filed under: Bible, By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, Song, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Matthew 3:17, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Part 1a: 25 min
Part1b: 21 min
Full Message:
Main Passage: Matthew 3:17
“John the Baptist was the prophet who prepared the way for Jesus’ public ministry. John prepared the way by preaching a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and by baptizing people as a sign of their allegiance to God. Jesus chose to be baptized, even though He was sinless, in order to identify with His sinful people and provide an example of righteousness. Similarly, Christian baptism symbolizes our union with Christ in His death and resurrection and marks us out as God’s people.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
In His baptism, The son of God, Jesus the Christ, through The Spirit’s power, identifies with His sinful people.
Christ Connection:
Jesus’ baptism shows us that Jesus completely obeyed God and identified with sinners by being baptized like sinners are baptized. His baptism points to His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. For those of us in Christ, the words spoken over Jesus at His baptism are also true of us— we are the Father’s beloved children in whom He takes delight.
Missional Application:
God through His Holy Spirit, calls us to repent and be baptized as a sign of our identification with Jesus and His people.
“Every day presents another opportunity to realize afresh our need for the forgiveness that only Jesus can give—the One who identified with us through His baptism. Baptism is an act with several layers of meaning. John’s baptism focused on repentance and preparation for the coming kingdom. Christian baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit goes further—symbolizing our sins being washed away; representing death, burial, and resurrection in Christ; and marking one’s formal entrance into a community of believers in Jesus.”
“Both by the words of the prophets and by John’s own preaching, this one thing is clear: he had arrived, making a way and preparing it beforehand. John was not bestowing the gift, which was the remission of sins, but preparing beforehand the souls of those who would receive the God of all.” –John Chrysostom
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