Archive for the ‘Prayer’ Category
Sin and God’s Authority
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, 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, identity in Christ, 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, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, Trinity, Uncategorized, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Avoiding Arrogance, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Cultural Barriers Overcome, Disobedience, Genesis 11, Glorifying God's Name, God's Creation, God's Desires, God's People Gathered, God's Ways and Thoughts, God's Faithfulness, God's Judgment, God's Mercy, God's Presence, Gospel, Jesus, Language Barriers, Love, Love Overcomes Sin, Noah, Pentecost, Relationships, Salvation, Salvation from Sin, Sharing in Jesus' Humility, Sin, Sin Can't Stop God, The Flood, Tower of Babel, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity
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Part 1B
Scripture: Gen 3:1 – 4:8
Introduction:
Summary and Goal:
In the previous session, we saw that after the flood, God reaffirmed His creative purpose for people to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth (Gen. 1:28; 9:1,7). Sin, no matter how grievous and pervasive it may be, cannot stop God’s plan from marching forward. But the account of Noah ends in a surprising way, with Noah drunk and disgraced in front of his sons. The flood had brought judgment on the world, but it had
not removed sin. In this session, we pick up the story and see that it did not take long for humanity once again to shake its fist at God in active rebellion against Him. God’s command to spread out to fill the earth was not simply ignored but rejected in the city of Babylon, or Babel, as its residents sought to glorify their names instead of God’s.
Theological Theme:
Sin drives people to seek to make themselves great, even in direct disobedience of
God, but sin cannot halt God’s plans.
Christ Connection:
God confused the language of and scattered those who wanted to make a great name
for themselves. At Pentecost, God tore down the language barrier so that His people
would scatter across the world and make known the great name of His Son. One
day, God will gather together people from every tribe and language to worship Him
in unity.
Missional Application:
Because we have experienced the greatness of God through His gracious salvation
through Christ, we set aside all desires to make our names great and instead seek to
proclaim the kingdom of the Son of God throughout the whole world.
Photos compliments: pinterest.com
“Jesus: ‘Look, I Am Making Everything New!'”, Part 2
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, identity in Christ, Inclusion, 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, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: All Things Made New, All Things New, Becoming Glorified, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Directed to Jesus, Direction, Forgiveness, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God's Character, God's Encouragement, God's Mercy, God's Warnings, Good News Of The Gospel, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Is Risen, Jesus Lord of All, Jesus Makes All Things New, Jesus Savior Of All, Jesus The Resurrection, Jesus' Resurrection, Love, Maturity In Christ, Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Personal Receptivity, Personal Relationships, Personal Response, Reconciliation with God, Relationship vcs. Individualism, relationship with God, Relationships, Revelation 21, Sanctification, The Grace of God, The Love of God, transformation, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Trust In Jesus
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Scripture: Revelation 21:1-8
Introduction:
The Lord Jesus Christ Is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! So, “Who is Jesus Christ?” “Who are you Lord? And the answer he gives is that He himself is the Resurrection and the Life! The scriptures themselves testify to Jesus Christ as the person around whom all things revolve and the One to Whom we should all turn and be directed.
Theological Theme:
Holding this two all together we can say that the Gospel is the Good News about Jesus Our Resurrection, and therefore the Resurrection is primarily about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (personal doesn’t mean individual! It means sharing in Jesus relationship with his Father, the Spirit and all things!) It IS also about a glorified body! But it must be clarified in our day that Easter/Resurrection is a proclamation of the Fact that: You’re not just going to rise from the dead, you’re going to rise before, and accountable to Jesus Christ!
Christ Connection:
Relationship with Jesus is a priority ahead of receiving a new and glorified body! Because Jesus is not only the Resurrection but the Father’s Son, He is God and therefore present to us now in the Holy Spirit! He is Not first far off, but up close! He is “The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth— [and he] does not live in [things] made by hands. 25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one man[e] he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so that [we] might seek God, and perhaps [we] might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 For in [the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit] we live and move and have our being,” – Colossians 1:24-28a
The picture you should have in your head about God is one where the Father embraces and seeks to embrace you through his arms of Jesus and the Holy Spirit! And Jesus is central because he is the one who takes us to the Father and sends us the Holy Spirit, so…
“We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.” (Col 1:28-29)”
Missional Application:
In participation with Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, and to the Glory of the Father, we continue to proclaim Jesus to all and encourage all to place their faith in Him and enter a trust relationship with Him!
“the ministry of the Holy Spirit is personal and personally transforming—it is dynamic and interactive, bringing about receptivity, responsiveness and participation. And the result is that we are on a journey towards spiritual maturity and full sanctification, being changed into the likeness of Christ. But this journey is not automatic, causal, or impersonal. It is not mechanically imposed on all believers…receptivity and participation do make a difference, [and so] the New Testament indicates the differences it makes and encourages, exhorts and even commands us to be receptive to the Word of God and the ministry of the Spirit out of trust in God’s faithfulness through the Son and in the Spirit. As Paul exhorts in Eph. 5:18, we are to be “filled with the Spirit.”
These personal distinctions related to personal participation should not be taken to mean that God is faithful to some but not to all. The difference our personal responsiveness makes does not condition God into changing his purpose and aim for us and all humanity. It does not make God for some and against others, and it certainly does not lead him to want to see those who are unresponsive perish.
Our personal response (or lack thereof) to God cannot undo the fact that Jesus is and remains Lord and Savior of all. The character and purpose, mind and heart of God remain just as they have been revealed in Christ. The finished work of Christ is never undone—God remains, in Christ, reconciled to all people, no matter their response. He has and holds out forgiveness for them, is ready to receive them back into fellowship with him, and in that sense accepts them. However, while God accepts them, he does not accept their rejection, their sin, their rebellion, but accepts them in order to do away with what is against them and against their participation in the reconciliation accomplished for them in Christ. Nothing changes that reconciliation (with all it means), not even a person’s complete or partial rejection of God’s gift. However, our personal response (participation) does affect the quality of our lived relationship with God and thus our personal experiencing of the benefits of Christ.”
-Dr. Gary Deddo
Photos compliments: etsy.com
“Jesus: ‘Look, I Am Making Everything New!'”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, identity in Christ, Inclusion, 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, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Consequences of Accepting Jesus, Consequences of Rejecting Jesus, God speaks, God Will Never Let You Go, Godly Warnings, Gospel, Jesus, Jesus Available Now, Jesus Christ the Mediator, Jesus Christ The Savior, Jesus Is Present Now, Jesus Near Now, Jesus The Resurrection, Life in the Kingdom, Love, New Heaven and Earth, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Pastor Timothy Brassell, Receiving God's Grace, Rejecting God's Grace, Relationships, Repent and Believe the Good News, T.F. Torrance, The Already and the Not Yet, The Kingdom of God, The Risen Lord, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity
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Scripture: Revelation 21:1-8
Introduction:
It is not just the work of Jesus that saves us, but Who Jesus IS as our Resurrection, plus what he has done, that saves us! As The Resurrection He was making things new inside our humanity even as he was killing our death in his Incarnate life!
Theological Theme:
In short, we believe:
- God, Who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is Love; and God Loves You. (If Jesus wasn’t the Father’s Son then we’re not loved!)
- The Father made plans to include you in his Love and Life forever, through Jesus, and in the Spirit. (If Jesus wasn’t the Father’s Son then we aren’t included in God’s Love and Life!)
- The Son, Jesus, Accomplished the Father’s Plan 2000 years ago, and IN HIM Who is united to our human nature, we are Forgiven and Included in His Relationship with His Father. (If Jesus wasn’t the Father’s Son then God’s plan isn’t accomplished in him, our nature is still corrupt and headed to eternal death, and we’re not forgiven!)
- The Holy Spirit invites You to Believe this Good News; and in Believing, to Enjoy and Freely Share it with others as the Adopted Child the Father Always Wanted! (If Jesus wasn’t the Father’s Son, then he couldn’t send the Holy Spirit Who he said was vital for us to receive if we wanted to enter the Kingdom, be righteous, have peace, and be saved!)
If Jesus was someone other than THE One who takes us to the Father and sends us the Holy Spirit, then what he did would have no meaning or ability to get us into a relationship with the only God there is: the Father, Son, Holy Spirit God!
Christ Connection:
We’re not waiting for our bodily resurrection before Jesus becomes the actual King over everything! Jesus, the Resurrection and King, wasn’t talking about making things new simply in the age to come in the future, he was talking about beginning to make all things new right now!!!!
We don’t have to wait for Jesus to make all things new fully and finally! He is already beginning right now to make all things new!!
“For me the most radical demand of Christian faith lies in summoning the courage to say yes to the present risenness of Jesus Christ.” (and everything else that Christ already is right now even though we can’t see it!)
“For me the most radical demand of Christian faith lies in summoning the courage to say yes to the present risenness of Jesus Christ.”
– Brennan Manning
We get to go into the resurrection alive! We get to rise from death before we rise from death!
Missional Application:
Jesus is so near and available that just as he walked among people in his day calling for a response to him, he is right now calling for people to make an immediate response to him! His Kingdom on earth has already been inaugurated, just not consummated! It has started, it just hasn’t finished, but behold He’s already making all things new, so we call on people to believe and receive this Good News and relationship with Jesus!!
We also remind people that there are real consequences to accepting or rejecting Jesus when he approaches us! Overlooking these serious warnings also has an effect of minimizing the meaning
and significance of what Jesus has done and is doing. If there are no real consequences to our encounter with God and his grace in this life then our responses to him are relatively meaningless and insignificant. Presuming upon God’s Grace is a Rejection of God’s Grace!!
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit God is not trying to wait to be King over everything, and especially you, he’s wanting you to receive and live under His Kingly Lordship Now!
“God loves you so utterly and completely that he has given himself for you in Jesus Christ his beloved Son, and has… pledged his very being as God for your salvation….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 Saviour.”
-T. F. Torrance, The Mediation of Christ, 94.
Photos compliments: outreachmagazine.com
No One Can – Except The Lord Jesus!
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, identity in Christ, Jesus Christ, Lent, 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, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: COVID-19, death, Final Judgment, Financial Issues, God's Mercy, Heaven and Earth, How to LIve, Injustice, Jesus, Jesus' Warnings, Leadership Solutions, Life Priorities, Life's Biggest Questions, New Creation, Organizing Your Life, Political Issues, Present Evil Age, Racial Discrimination, repentance, Social Issues, The Holy Spirit, The Incarnation, The Kingdom of God, Trinitarian Theology, Who Is Jesus?, World, World Leaders
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Part 1A
Part 1B
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:16
Introduction:
We’re in the season of Lent, biblically, walking with the historic Jesus as he fights for us against everything that is against us, including the evil that exists in this present evil age! And rather than just focusing on “giving something up” or even “taking something in”, we proclaim to you the Gospel of Someone, namely Jesus, and the Father-Son-Holy-Spirit-God revealed in Him. We proclaim not ideas to you but Someone Who loves you, meets you, and acts on your behalf that you might know Him, call on Him and participate in His action with Him! And in announcing Him we announce His Kingdom that is breaking in now and that will take over everything fully someday! And we do it with him as a source of your encouragement, and reorientation, and warning! We keep calling on you in participation with him to repent and believe this Good News and to enter, by grace through faith, this active relationship with Jesus and the Father you were created for!
Theological Theme:
In Jesus’ conception, life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension we see the great mercy of God to give us all time to see him, to learn of him, accept him, know him, rethink/act, and join sides with him before he returns for His final judgment! There is coming a point-of-no-return for everyone, including you, at some point! And the questions stand before you: 1.) Who do you say Jesus is? And Whose are you? and Whose world/creation is this?
Christ Connection:
In the light of Who Jesus is Revealed to be, and what he has accomplished on our behalf that
every person might share in his relationship with his Father by the Spirit (John 17:3, John 16:13-
15), you must not underestimate the priority of the Who question. As “Christ”ians we don’t
believe that just anyone could be and do who Jesus is and what he did in his birth, life, suffering
and death, resurrection, ascension and coming again. We don’t believe that just anyone
could achieve the same outcome/s. Jesus is the unique and only Begotten of the Father
(John 3:16). He is the only human Mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). He is the only
one to whom every knee will bow and tongue confess that he is Lord (Phil 2:9-11) This
“Who” is in contrast to the popular “What?”, “How?”, “When?”, “Where?” and “Why?
questions that often claim priority in our lives. (You know what we mean: What will be done about these
troubling political and social issues!? How long will the world continue to suffer racial
discrimination and injustice!? When will this physical, mental or emotional pain end!? Where is that stimulus check??? Where is the man or woman with the real leadership solution to this COVID mess, and why is it taking so long to get understood, organized and solved!? (this year we especially felt the pressure of those questions and issues.)
Missional Application:
Because this is the Son’s world, the Father’s world, and the world of the Holy Spirit, and They, in Christ have done everything to give us life and godliness – and have done everything to pull off every good thing for us, we share this Good News with everyone we can, inviting them to place their trust in God and be his fully devoted son or daughter by the Spirit, in participation with Jesus!
Photos compliments: quotesbeste.blogspot.com, Dr. Gary Deddo,
I, Yet Not I, But Christ In Me!
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, identity in Christ, 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, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Holy Spirit, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Christ In Me, Emotional Pain and Relief, God is Faithful, God Is Making Everything New, God Is True, God's Primary Goal, How To Be A Conqueror, Jesus, Jesus' Accomplishment, Lent, Life With The Father, Love, Me In Christ, Mental Pain and Relief, New Heavens and Earth, No More Crying, No More Grief, No More Tears, Participating In The Divine Nature, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Physical Pain and Relief, Politics, Satan Overcome, Social Problems, The Christian Faith, The Kingdom of God, The Who Question, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Victory Over Evil and the Devil, Victory Over Sin, Victory Over Temptation, What the Resurrection Accomplished
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Bible Verse: Galatians 2:20
Introduction:
The primary goal of God, Father, Son and Spirit is that you share in His Divine nature and relationship as a GIFT! This time of Lent can help you remember this basic point and foundation of the Christian Faith. We remember the gift Jesus gave us of giving up so many things and becoming poor in the desert that we might become rich in his victory over evil’s temptations! He now shares with us the gift of participation in his victory over temptation and sin that we might share in the unobstacled and rich relationship he shares with his Father!
Theological Theme:
“You, yet not you, but Christ in you” is the only Christian Gospel we have!
Christ Connection:
In the light of Who Jesus is Revealed to be, and what he has accomplished on our behalf that
every person might share in his relationship with his Father by the Spirit (John 17:3, John 16:13-
15), we must not underestimate the priority of the Who question! As CHRIST-ians we don’t
believe that just anyone could be and do Who Jesus is and what he did in his birth, life, suffering
and death, resurrection, ascension and coming again! We don’t believe that just anyone
could achieve the same outcome/s! Jesus is the unique and only Begotten of the Father
(John 3:16). He is the only human Mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). He is the only
one to whom every knee will bow and tongue confess that he is Lord! (Phil 2:9-11)
Knowing Who Jesus IS, do you see the qualitative difference the Who question can have on your faith, hope, and love? Regarding the politics and social issues of this world, Whose world is it? Regarding
all physical, mental and emotional pain, Whose body and soul is it? With regard to COVID and
the disturbance of death it has brought to far too many in this world, Whose Resurrection from
death was it that makes all alive? Jesus! Which means there is nothing Jesus has allowed that he can’t redeem!
Missional Application:
In the Holy Spirit Jesus sends to us, we seek to proclaim this Good News of the transformation of the world to all who will hear and receive it by grace through faith:
Rev 21:1-7 CSB: “1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first
earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will
live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their
God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and
pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said,
“Write, because these words are faithful and true.”6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring
of the water of life. 7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and
he will be my son.”
Photo Compliments: pinterest.com
Once Greedy, Now Generous!
Filed under: Bible, By Melvin McKee, Jr., Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, identity in Christ, Jesus Christ, Lent, 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, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Cheerfully, Generosity, Generous, Generous vs. Greedy, Gift, Giving, Health, Hear, Heart, Jesus, joy, Love, Melvin McKee Jr., money, Overflow, Poverty, Provide, Rich, Share, Surplus, Wealth
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Bible Verse: 2 Cor 8:1, 2 Cor 9:6-15
Introduction:
The grace of God works deeply into us so that it can also work out of us to benefit others. Grace
hoarded is grace squandered; in fact, it may be grace misunderstood or even unexperienced. God’s
gracious gifts are meant to be held loosely with generosity, not held onto tightly with greed. Our
motivation for living with generosity comes from God’s exceeding generosity to us in giving us the
fullness of His Son despite our total spiritual bankruptcy. Because we have been given the eternal
riches of His glory in Christ Jesus, we are compelled to live generously, not reluctantly, and with joy
and gratitude.
Theological Theme:
God-Father-Son-Holy-Spirit already owns all that we have. He has called us to be stewards of the wealth He entrusts to us.
Christ Connection:
In Jesus Christ, we have both a model and a motivation for generosity. Because God has been
merciful and generous to us by giving us His Son, we are empowered to be merciful and generous
toward others.
Missional Application:
God gives us wealth in order that we might share it with others in need, not out of a sense of guilt or
obligation but cheerfully and willingly.
Photo Compliments: sharinghorizons.com
John Has A Vision Of Jesus!
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, 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, identity in Christ, Jesus Christ, Love, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Book of Revelation, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Godly Hope, Gospel, Jesus, Jesus Always With Us, Jesus' Defeat of Hell, Jesus' Glory, Jesus' Power Over Death, Jesus' Power Over Hell, Jesus' Power Over Time, Jesus' Victory, Jesus' Power, Jesus' Presence, life, Love, Overcoming Fear, Pastor Richard Andrews, Rejecting Fear, Relationships, Revelation 1, Salvation, Stepping Out In Faith, The Mission of God, The Mission of Jesus, Trinity
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Bible Verse: Revelation 1
Introduction:
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus revealed Himself in a vision to His beloved disciple John. He revealed
Himself in the glory of the most holy triune God, affirming that He is the Son of God the Father. He
revealed His power over time, death, and hell, each of which factor significantly in the Book of Revelation.
This vision also revealed Jesus with His church—with us—giving us hope and confidence as we strive to
remain faithful to the mission He has given us while waiting for His return.
Theological Theme:
The reality of Jesus’ glorious presence gives hope to Christians today.
Christ Connection:
When Jesus revealed Himself to John, He pointed to His identity as the First and the Last, the Living
One. He also pointed to the work He accomplished while on earth—defeating death and hell through
His crucifixion and resurrection. The same Jesus who was once crucified in shame is the Jesus who is
now exalted in glory.
Missional Application:
God-Father-Son-Holy-Spirit calls us to believe John’s testimony about Jesus and to trust that Jesus is present with His people as they fulfill His mission!
Photo Compliments: youtube.com
JESUS: The Most Important PERSON and TASK For Everyone! Part 1 (Our Christian and Biblical Worldview)
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Liturgy, 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, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, 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: 1 Cor 15: 1-11, Adoption, All Are Included In Christ, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, enlightenment through JESUS ALONE, father, Fruit of God's Grace, GCI Baltimore, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God Father Son and Spirit, God in Flesh, God Incarnate, God Likes You, god the father, God The Father's Love, God the Trinity, God's Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's Humility, God's love, God's Love And Life, God's Mercy, God's Mission, God's Patience, God's Power, God's Presence, God's Unconditional Love, Gospel, grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, Grace Communion International, humanity, Humanity Uplifted, Humility, Humility of God, Humility of Jesus, Incarnation, Included In Christ, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Is God's Love Revealed, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, jesus ministry, JESUS THE CHRIST, Jesus Transforms, Jesus' Authority, Jesus' Presence, Love, Luke 2: 52, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Perichoresis, Purpose, Receiving God's Love, Reconciled To God, Reconciliation, Relationship With Jesus, Relationships, Salvation, Salvation By Grace Alone, Salvation In Christ, Sharing God's Love With Others, sharing in Jesus' humanity, Spiritual Maturity, Spirituality, The Father, The Father's Love, The Father-Son-and-Spirit-God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit Of Love, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Unconditional, Unconditional Love, Union and Communion, Union With Jesus, Union with Jesus Christ, Wholeness in Christ, Worship
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Part 1A:
Part 1B:
Part 1 C:
Full Message:
Bible Verses: Luke 2: 52 (Various Scriptures)
Theological Theme:
God-Father-Son-Holy-Spirit proclaims in a living personal relational way that:
- God the Father does not stand far off from sinners but he draws close to sinners in His Son.
- Though we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, we still have human dignity from the fact of our being God’s good creation from our conception and beginning, and now from the stronger fact of Christ living in our human nature and uniting it to his Godly nature forever!
- God-Father-Son-Holy-Spirit has revealed in the virgin birth of the Son that God does the dirty work of dealing with the tensions and paradoxes of our dignity and brokenness and heals them in HIMSELF, in our humanity that he has now taken on and assumed!
- The Father takes responsibility for His creation and He loves us so much that He even subjects Himself to taking on our sinful flesh, suffering flesh and, ultimately, even evil for our sakes, in His Son. In the power of His Spirit he destroys sin and evil, and preserves us by grace!
Christ Connection:
“If there are two sides to humanity, ”Ray Anderson proclaims, “Christ will be on the wrong side. “1 Jesus embodied the unreserved presence of God with and for sinners. “Those who are well have no need of physician,” Jesus declares ‘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” (Mt.9:12f.). Christ’s incarnate humanity – his entire life, death, and resurrection among and on behalf of sinners – provides the basis for and the reality of reconciliation. He stands in our place and acts on our behalf to heal our humanity. His vicarious humanity – i.e., his substitutionary life and death in our place and representative humanity on our behalf – reconciles us to one another and to God. Social reconciliation is both an indicative and an imperative of the gospel of Jesus Christ, both gift and task, both command and promise.”
Missional application:
“A key understanding of our theology has to do with what God has accomplished for all humanity in and through his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ….. God [in and through Jesus Christ] has reconciled all people to himself.
This theological declaration is based on the biblical revelation that Christ died for all and that God has loved and reconciled the world to himself.
Because this reconciliation is accomplished, and thus a present reality, God’s desire, which is fulfilled by the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit, is for all people everywhere to come to repentance and faith so they may personally experience (receive and live into) this reconciliation and so not perish...
…[from God the Father in a variety of ways, all people in all places and times have been included in God’s love and life in and through Jesus and by his Spirit. In that we rejoice, and on that basis we make our gospel declarations.” -Gary Deddo
Conclusion:
Because of the virgin birth and what it reveals about God in Christ having to replace us even from our conception, we can see that we do not gain enlightenment through meditation and mindfulness practices. We cannot look inside ourselves and come to realize what it takes to meet our true selves and the true power of self-compassion and self-love! No! We gain enlightenment through JESUS ALONE! We must look outside of ourselves to Him to find the fullness of humanity we were meant to bear! In Jesus, the Father is filling us and our human nature with His life and love as GOD – The Father Son and Spirit. Receiving this enlightenment by grace can then lead to the fruit of our practicing with Jesus His meditations and mindfulness of His Father and the Gospel, in the Holy Spirit!
Photo Compliments: http://www.halomtidings.org (edited)
The Most Important TASK Done For Everyone Everywhere – JESUS CHRIST! (Our Christmas and Biblical Worldview)
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Bible Verse: Luke 2
Introduction:
Can you see from reading this section of the Nicene Creed what would be missing if as Christians we ONLY spoke about Jesus in terms of His birth (Christmas), His suffering, death and resurrection?
Excerpt about Jesus from the Nicence Creed
“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit, He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.”
What happens if we leave out His incarnate life for 33 years? What if after speaking about His Resurrection we stopped and never addressed His human Ascension and Bodily Return?
Theological Theme:
“Christ does not heal us as an ordinary doctor might, by standing over us, diagnosing our sickness, prescribing medicine for us to take and then going away, leaving us to get better as we follow His instructions. No, He becomes the patient. He assumes that very humanity which is in need of redemption, and by being anointed by the Spirit in our humanity, by a life of perfect obedience, by dying and rising again, for us, our humanity is healed in Him, in His person. We are not just healed through Christ, because of the work of Christ, but in and through Christ. Person and work must not be separated.” – James Torrance
Christ Connection:
Christ emptied himself so we may be filled
“The very Son of God, older than the ages, the invisible, the incomprehensible, the incorporeal, the beginning of beginning, the light of light, the fountain of life and immortality, the image of the archetype, the immovable seal, the perfect likeness, the definition and word of the Father: he it is who comes to his own image and takes our nature for the good of our nature, and unites himself to an intelligent soul for the good of my soul, to purify like by like.
He takes to himself all that is human, except for sin. He was conceived by the Virgin Mary, who had been first prepared in soul and body by the Spirit; his coming to birth had to be treated with honor, virginity had to receive new honor. He comes forth as God, in the human nature he has taken, one being, made of two contrary elements, flesh and spirit. Spirit gave divinity, flesh received it.
He who makes rich is made poor; he takes on the poverty of my flesh, that I may gain the riches of his divinity. He who is full is made empty; he is emptied for a brief space of his glory, that I may share in his fullness. What is this wealth of goodness? What is this mystery that surrounds me? I received the likeness of God, but failed to keep it. He takes on my flesh, to bring salvation to the image, immortality to the flesh. He enters into a second union with us, a union far more wonderful than the first.” – St. Gregory The Theologian
Missional Application:
Just as Jesus took on all the parts of our human nature and flesh through the history of a human life to bring us Salvation, as those in union with Jesus in the Spirit we participate with Him in all the parts of His human history and continued Lordship, pointing others to Him as their Salvation also!
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The Most Important PERSON For Everyone Everywhere – JESUS CHRIST! (Our Christmas and Biblical Worldview)
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Discipleship, 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, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Liturgy, 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, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, 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: Active Participation With Jesus, Adoption, All Are Included In Christ, birth of christ, Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Fruit of God's Grace, GCI Baltimore, God Father Son and Spirit, God in Flesh, God Incarnate, God Likes You, God the Trinity, God's Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's Humility, God's love, God's Love And Life, God's Mercy, God's Mission, God's Patience, God's Power, God's Presence, God's Unconditional Love, Gospel, grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, Grace Communion International, haring the Gospel With Others, Humanity Uplifted, Humility, Humility of God, Humility of Jesus, Incarnation, Included In Christ, Jesus, Jesus Is God's Love Revealed, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, Jesus' Presence, Love, Luke 1, Luke 1: 26-38, Luke 1: 46-55, Luke 2, Luke 2: 30-32, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Participation with Jesus, Participation with Jesus Christ, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Perichoresis, Purpose, Receiving God's Love, Relationship With Jesus, Relationships, Salvation, Salvation By Grace Alone, Salvation In Christ, Sharing God's Good News, Sharing Jesus With Others, son, Son of God, Spiritual Maturity, Spirituality, The Father, The Father's Love, The Father-Son-and-Spirit-God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit Of Love, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Unconditional, unconditional acceptance, Union and Communion, Union With Jesus, Union with Jesus Christ, Wholeness in Christ, Worship, Worshipping Jesus
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Bible Verse: Luke 2
Introduction:
Luke 1:26-38
1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
1:28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
1:29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
1:30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
1:31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.
1:33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
1:34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
1:35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.
1:36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
1:38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Theological Theme:
This story in Luke, noted above, is a good example of how we can preach and witness to others similarly about the Gospel!
vv.26-31 “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” You should start your witnessing with Who God is as Revealed in Jesus and who we are in Him – Favored!
v.31 “And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” ONLY AFTER PROCLAIMING WHO GOD IS IN HIS WORDS AND DEEDS do you proclaim our participation with Him!
v.34 “Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’, 35 The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.’”
All of this happens by the grace of God – from the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit!
Christ Connection:
“God loves you so utterly and completely that he has given himself for you in Jesus Christ his beloved Son, and has thereby pledged [promised and given] his very being as God for your salvation. In Jesus Christ God has actualized [made actual and real] 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)
Missional Application:
As we are filled with the Love of the Father and Son Relationship in the Holy Spirit, we participate with God, compelled to go to all and say:
“In and through Jesus, God has included all people everywhere in a particular relationship with himself for just these purposes so that what has been fulfilled for us objectively in Jesus by the Spirit, will then be fulfilled in us personally (subjectively) by the Spirit via our deliberate, purposeful participation (response) as subjects who are moral, spiritual agents. What Christ did for us, he did so that the Holy Spirit could work a response out in us. When we understand that the person and work of Christ establishes or reestablishes a living, vital, personal relationship with all humanity, then the biblical teachings concerning inviting, admonishing, encouraging, directing, commanding and warning in regard to setting forth the fitting or appropriate response make sense.” – Gary Deddo
Trinity and Humanity 