Archive for the ‘Spiritual Warfare’ Category
Becoming An Ethically Responsible Christian Disciple! Part 3 (Our Christian/ Biblical Worldview)
Part 3A:
Part 3B:
Full Message:
Bible Verses: Colossians (various scriptures)
Introduction:
“How Do I Become An Ethically Responsible Christian Disciple?” That is the question this series is trying to answer as it lays the foundations of this sermon firmly on THE Foundation of Jesus Christ, Himself, in his Person and Work. As we face the “waves and pounding surf” of the bad philosophies and false ideas and ideologies of this world, we need not be shaken because our house is built upon a rock, THE Rock, Jesus Christ! We are encouraged by the Lord Jesus to be careful how we build. The Lord Jesus Christ in calling you to Himself in His relationship with His Father does so that you might know Him and, incredibly, share in his very mind with him! NOT sharing in a mind like his, but sharing in his very own mind, in the Spirit!
Theological Theme:
“Ethics” is a way of understanding how we are to relate to our neighbors, horizontally, in the light of Who Jesus is and Who we are in Him, as we seek to glorify the Father with Jesus! As those who trust him, Jesus Christ is our Ethic! When we are directly relating to God, that’s worship. When we are relating directly to our neighbor for God’s sake, that is ethics, or witnessing to and participating with the God we worship in His love toward others.
Christ Connection:
In one paradoxical way of putting it, Christian ethics are really the end of ethics as we once thought of them! We’re no longer centered on proclaiming a nice, neatly-packaged system of rule-keeping, laws or instructions, as if that is what the bible/Christian life primarily is. We’re now centered solely on the Rule-Keeper, the Law-Giver, and THE Loving Instructor – Jesus Christ, Himself! He is our Ethic! In an intimate relationship with Him he guides and leads us by the Holy Spirit, even in the minutiae of everyday living, that we might participate with Him in glorifying His Father in a human way! In Jesus we are becoming a repetition of Jesus and His Father in an earthly way by the Spirit!
Missional Application:
The Father sent his Son Jesus into the world because of his great love for the world. John 3:16. This love for the world is what we seek to participate in both within and outside the Church in participation with Jesus and the Father. This quote from Henri Nouwen is written with just this kind of love for others in mind:
“For Jesus, there are no countries to be conquered, no ideologies to be imposed, no people to be dominated. There are only children, women and men to be loved.” — Henri Nouwen
Photo Compliments:
Our Father’s Hope For all: In Jesus’ Body Being His Church! Part 9
Part 9A:
Part 9B:
Full Message:
Main Bible Verse: Acts 2
Introduction:
The Father has poured out His Spirit upon all that all will receive Jesus as Lord, personally, receiving His invitation that He might indwell them. Jesus, in His Father’s mission continues to go out in the power of the Spirit, drawing every person, everywhere, to Himself, and with the special participation of believers, His Church! Jesus, through His Church, still has an earthly and historical Body unified in the Spirit that worships Him, witnesses to Him, and joins Him in the ministry of calling all to trust Him as Lord and Savior in Relationship!
Theological Theme:
Even In the middle of pandemic, prejudice, police brutality, panic and pandemonium, Grace and Peace is upon us from God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus is the One Who baptizes in the Holy Spirit that we might participate with Him in His Life and relationship of Love with the Father! His is not just any old kind of love but Love as it has been revealed in the life, words and deeds of Jesus Christ as attested to in holy scripture. Jesus Christ is the Revelation of Who God is! Jesus Christ is the revelation of what it means to be a Real human being and, through His Holy Spirit, is intent to share his humanity with us that we might be more truly and fully human, glorifying our Father!
Christ Connection:
“The church is commanded to lift up its head in joy, for its ‘redemption is drawing near’ Meantime in all its waiting and expectation the church is commanded by its Lord to lift up its head in thanksgiving and joy, for its ‘redemption is drawing near’. The church of the risen Lord has no right to be a prophet of gloom or despair, for this world has been redeemed and sanctified by Christ and he will not let it go. The corruptible clay of our poor earth has been taken up in Jesus, is consecrated through his sacrifice and resurrection, and he will not allow it to sink back into corruption. Hence the whole creation groans and travails waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, looking forward with eager expectation to the hour of final liberation and renewal in the advent of its risen saviour.” – Thomas Torrance, Atonement: The Person and Work of Christ, page 348 (Chapter: The Nature of the Resurrection Event)
Missional Application:
“The church must learn to take into its mouth the good news of the resurrection and new creation, for that must be its primary note, one of limitless joy and thanksgiving. That is how the church began its mission at Pentecost where the dominant emphasis in all its preaching was the resurrection of the crucified Christ and the astounding fact that because of Christ the Spirit of God himself was poured out upon men and women. They knew that the last times had overtaken them and that they were caught up in the onward and outward thrust of the resurrection of Christ toward the new creation in which all nations and peoples and all times would be brought to share. The involvement of the church in the suffering of mankind must never be allowed to stifle that supreme note of resurrection triumph or to smother the eschatological joy at the astounding events that have broken into history and pledged for mankind the final day of regeneration.” – Thomas Torrance, Atonement: The Person and Work of Christ, page 348 (Chapter: The Nature of the Resurrection Event)
Photo Compliments: turnbacktogod.com
Contending For The Faith Delivered To The Saints! – Part 3
Part 3a: 32min
Part 3b: 34min
Full Message:
This message of God’s Good News urges believers to contend FOR the faith once delivered to the Church, in participation with Jesus Christ!, and AGAINST the ungodly and cultural pressures and influences of our current times!
This is a Gospel message to a specific congregation of our times facing issues similar to congregations in other times as seen in the scriptures, particularly the Books of Jude and John. In this series, we make Christ-centered comparisons with the congregation in Jude and the Samaritan woman of Jesus’ time in John 4 to our particular congregation. You may, of course, see that the Church (maybe your local congregation!), especially in the United States, faces these same issues in general, and also be helped by WHO is proclaimed.
In the light of Jesus and the God revealed in Him (and over the course of 12 messages), we address today’s big questions regarding relationships, race, marriage, love, gender/sexual identity, politics, and worship and witnessing to the Father and Son through the Christian faith.
How To Stay Faithful In Exile!
Part 1: 27 mins
Part 2: 28 mins
Full Message:
Main Passage: Daniel 1
Theological Theme: As Christians, we can trust in God – Father, Son and Spirit’s guidance even while we are in exile here on earth.
Christ Connection: Daniel stayed true to his identity, obeyed God, and was a testimony to God’s grace. He points forward to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who willingly embraced a sinful world without ever defiling Himself and through His death and resurrection became the greatest picture of God’s grace the world has ever known.
Missional Application: God, through the Holy Spirit, calls us to be a shining testament to His grace by remaining true to our identity in Christ and living in holiness.
*Picture courtesy of mannymanueliii.blogspot.com
God Pursues Disobedient Prophets and People in Christ!
Part 1a: 24min
Part 1b: 23min
Full Message: 47min
Main Passage: Jonah 1-4
“God [Father, Son and Spirit] goes to great lengths to pursue people, even when they have no interest in being found. God pursues sinners of all kinds in order to bring them to Himself. Jonah was a prophet who rejected God’s call and ran away from his enemies. Unlike Jonah, Jesus heard God’s call and ran toward His enemies. While we were still sinners, He died for us, and now He commissions us as His people to pursue others with the good news of His love.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
Salvation belongs to God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Christ Connection:
Jonah was a prophet who rejected God’s call and ran away from his enemies. Jesus heard God’s call and ran toward His enemies. While we were still sinners, He died for us.
Missional Application:
God through His Holy Spirit, calls us to put aside our tribal attitudes and break down walls as we share the news that forgiveness is possible through repentance and faith.
“God breaks down walls and leads His people out into the world with good news: forgiveness is possible through repentance and faith. Tribal attitudes melt away when constantly exposed to the warm embrace of our missionary God.” –Trevin Wax
Photo Compliments: http://wildwoodstudents.com/