Archive for the ‘Suffering With Jesus’ Tag
JESUS: The Most Important PERSON and TASK For Everyone! Part 3 (Jesus’ Suffering / The Biblical Worldview)
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Easter, 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, relationship with God, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The 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, Crucifixion of Jesus, death, Entrusting Ourselves To God, evil, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Humility, God's Mercy, Gospel, healing, Human Nature Renewed, Incarnational Theology, Jesus, Jesus' Humility, Jesus' Suffering and Death, Living Again, Love, Punishment, redemption, Relationships, Renewal, Sin, Suffering, Suffering With Jesus, Sufferings of Christ, The Christian Hope, The Father's Love, The Forgiveness of Sin, The Incarnation, The Incarnation of the Son, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus
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Part 3A:
Part 3B:
Full Message:
Bible Verses: Luke 4: 1-28
Introduction:
In this series we continue understanding the Person of Jesus and the Father’s Work in Him, and what the entire course of His Incarnate Human Life (God in Human Flesh) meant and means for us. We’re understanding more accurately and biblically what it means to place our trust in and say “Jesus Christ!”
Theological Theme:
We’re in the process of answering the question “Who are You Lord?” and Jesus’ own answer back to us as the revelation of God, in the Holy Spirit, is that He is, Himself, God, and therefore He is the human expression of God’s Love. It is Revealed in Jesus that because God is Love and God is a Relationship in His own Being, God stoops and draws near to His creation, to sustain it, and, when it falls into sin, He seizes and lifts it up again in His Son, renewed. He does not forsake His own or turn from what He has made, He fulfills that which He has purposed! He literally fulfills it in Himself! The story of Who God is and Who he has revealed Himself to be for us in Jesus is the Greatest Love Story there is!
Christ Connection:
As the One Who becomes human taking our place in the entire range of our human activity, Jesus is also the one who substitutes for us in our suffering, and our death. With Representation, Substitution and Renewal in mind, we can receive that the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus isn’t about the wrath of the Father against His Son, but the Father, Son and Holy Spirit against sin and for our complete and total salvation! The suffering of Jesus is not about God the Father needing to have a pound of flesh (or an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth) so that he could be satisfied (the Lord does not take pleasure in the death of anyone – Ezekiel 18:23, 32, 33:11!) but because the Father is intent to absorb every drop of evil out of our nature and give us a renewed and healed nature in its place! The suffering and cross of Jesus is not about the Father punishing His Son because He hates us, but about us punishing His Son because we have hated him in the evil of sin! Jesus did take on the punishment we deserved but it was sinners who dealt it out!
God is not afraid of sin as if he is intimidated by it and can’t get near to or touch it. He can and must get near it (assume it by getting inside of it) to get rid of it. His goodness absorbs it completely because he is completely righteous and doesn’t sin at all, therefore “mopping up” the mess of sin – undoing it !
Missional Application:
Because of Jesus, sinners can draw near to God to be healed, reconciled and redeemed. God in Christ touched lepers! Sick people touched him! It was the sickness that was defeated and overcome when Jesus drew near, not Jesus! This is what we proclaim to the world of pre-believers that they might turn from their sin and put their trust in Jesus. This is also why St. Augustine wrote about the Spirit Jesus now sends in this way:
“There is nothing too subtle or dense for the Spirit to penetrate or too sinful for the Spirit to cleanse or too weary for the Spirit to refresh or too dead for the Spirit to breathe life into again. The Spirit strives with us, prays for us, groans with us (Rom. 8:18–27; Augustine, Hom. on 1 John 8).”
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Take Up Your Cross!
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, 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, 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, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, Song, Spiritual Warfare, 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: Acts 6, Acts 6: 7-60, Acts 6: 8-15, Baltimore GCI, Blessing Your Enemies, Christian Living, Creation, death, Death In Christ, Deeply Rooted In Christ, Discipleship, Empowered By The Spirit, Facing False Accusation, Facing Hostility, False Accusation, Follow Me, Following Jesus, Forgiving Your Enemies, GCI Baltimore, God Father Son and Spirit, God Likes You, God the Trinity, God's Calling, God's Grace, God's love, God's Love And Life, God's Loving Authority, God's Mercy, God's Mission, God's Patience, God's Presence, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Heaven, Humanity Uplifted, Incarnation, Included In Christ, Jesus, Jesus' Authority, Jesus' Presence, Lord Jesus, Love, Make Disciples, Making Disciples, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Patient Endurance, Persecuted For Jesus, Persecuted For Your Faith, Persecution, Persecution For Christ, Praying For Your Enemies, Praying For Your Persecutors, Purpose, Relationship With Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, Self-denial, St. Stephen's Suffering, Strengthened By Jesus, Strengthened By The Spirit, Suffering For Jesus, Suffering With Jesus, Take Up Your Cross, The Boldness Of Christ, The Father, The Father's Love, The Holy Spirit, The Persecuted Church, The Sufferings Of Jesus, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Union and Communion, Union With Jesus, Worship
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Audio – Part A: 25 min
Audio – Part B: 20 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Acts 6:8-15; 7:44-60
“In this session, we will see how God’s Holy Spirit empowers the followers of Christ to endure suffering for the sake of Christ. Whether that suffering takes the form of false accusations, death, or other variations, our faithful witness in the midst of suffering is a testimony to Jesus Christ, who came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets and to save us from our sin. When we suffer in faith, we are following in the footsteps of our Savior and bearing witness to His worth above all things, even our very lives.”- The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit strengthens his people to testify to Jesus Christ in persecution and death.
Christ Connection:
In his death as the first martyr, Stephen followed in the footsteps of His Savior. Both Jesus and Stephen were falsely accused and charged for blasphemy. Both Jesus and Stephen prayed for their executioners. Both Jesus and Stephen entrusted their spirits to God as they died. As a follower of Jesus Christ, Stephen reflected His Master, in life and in death.
Missional Application:
God the Father, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to bear witness to the greatness of Jesus Christ, even when we are maligned or persecuted for our faith.
“The history of the church is rich with stories of Christians who, emboldened by the Spirit, faced suffering and death while testifying to Jesus. Missionaries have died while going to share the gospel with hostile people. Countless martyrs the world over and through ages past have faced torture and death for their faith in the risen Savior…..
The persecution of the church and the martyring of its people is like the pruning of a plant. It grows stronger, richer, and more deeply rooted as a result…..
As we face ridicule and persecution for our faith, we are following in the faithful steps of these martyrs, just as they were following in the trailblazing steps of the Savior. He gave Himself for us—may it be our joy to give ourselves for the glory of His name.” – The Gospel Project
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Jesus Is Risen! So Go…Make Disciples! Part 4
Filed under: 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, Humor, 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, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Baptizing New Believers, C.S. Lewis, Christian Courage And Boldness, Confession, Destruction Of Sin, Disciple-making, disciples, Discipleship, Discipleship Defined, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, Go And Make Disciples, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God Is Love, God's Creativity, God's Deliverance, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's love, God's Love Is Concrete, God's Perfect Love, God's Salvation, God's Spontaneity, God's Unconditional Love, God-Father-Son-and-Spirit Wants to Be Known, Grace, Hope, Hope and Love, Jesus Is God's Love Revealed, Jesus Is God's Salvation, Jesus' Boldness, Jesus' Command, Jesus' Commitment To You, Jesus' Courage, Jesus' Disciples, Jesus' Love, Love, Love's Purity, Loving God, Loving Our Neighbor, Make Disciples, Make Disciples Who Can Make Disciples, Making Disciples Who Make Disciples, Multiplying Disciples, New Believers, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Pointing Others To Jesus, Pure Love, Receiving Jesus Christ As Lord, Receiving Jesus Christ As Savior, Reconciliation, repentance, Respecting Each Unique Person, Salvation, Self-giving, Selflessness, Sent Out By Jesus, Sent Out By The Father, Sent Out by The Holy Spirit, Sharing Christian Faith, Sharing God's Love With Others, Suffering For Jesus, Suffering With Jesus, Suffering With The Church, Teaching New Believers, The Father's Love, The Gospel Preached, The Gospel Proclaimed, The Gospel Taught, The Spirit's Love, Transformed by Jesus, Turning To Jesus Christ, Valuing Differences, Wholeness in Christ, Witnessing to Jesus, Your Commitment To Jesus
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Audio – Part 4a: 27 min
Audio – Part 4b: 30 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Matthew 28
This Good News series is about Jesus’ Believers and Disciples “GO”ing in Active Participation with Him, Wherever He Says to “Go!…” AND MAKING DISCIPLES WHO CAN MAKE DISCIPLES!
Theological Theme:
Christian Disciples are those who willingly, by grace through faith, and in loving obedience, participate with Jesus in offering their total humanity in allegiance to the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit! Christian Disciples participate with Jesus in his repentance and baptism, being incorporated into his body, the Church. Christian Disciples become fully committed to making disciples of Jesus who can make disciples of Jesus that make disciples of Jesus – in the Spirit, through the Son and to the Glory of our Father!
Christ Connection:
“When the people of Jesus follow the way of Jesus, their stories will begin to look like his story (which is beautiful but it also comes with a cost).” – The Gospel Project
We have been drawn into the self-giving, other centered, self-sacrificing and generous, loving compassion of the Father, Son and Spirit God, through Jesus Christ. And though it comes at great cost, it also comes with great joy!
Missional Application:
*Don’t just “Bring a Friend” (everyone needs Jesus!), more than that, bring a pre-disciple of Jesus to the community of the Church Body.
*Start with one person (and only more if Father has made it obvious!) When rejected, go elsewhere. Feel free to look everywhere! Talk to disciples more about Jesus than something called Christianity. Talk more about Jesus than his Church!
*Don’t worry too much about bringing others to Church at first (think relationship, home, small group first!)! A person genuinely called by Jesus will be drawn to his Body, the Bible, prayer, the Father, the Spirit and loving all people.
*Remember that life is short and death is sure and people are living under the sentence of death! Physical death and spiritual death are real but now is a day of salvation.
*We must not be lax in discipleship because of past and poor teachings but we must be renewed at the living voice of Jesus Christ! “Can these bones live??? You know Oh, Lord!”
You received Christ though the proclamation and discipleship of his Church! Now is not the time to put down the Church but to lift up and be the Church and pray for the Church! God is not limited to the Church but in his oversight of this world Jesus is building his Church (and his Church is called to participate with him and to go and make disciples of all nations).
For the purposes of discipleship: There is a “them” and an “us”! We must never confuse who Jesus is on behalf of all, and who we are as individuals distinct from him and each other! There are some of us who are knowing, loving and trusting Jesus as he draws us to himself, and some who aren’t knowing, loving or trusting Jesus as he draws them to himself!
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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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Trinity and Humanity 