Archive for the ‘The Church’ Tag

“A Divine Calling!”

Word of Life Devotional by Sherwin Scott

Therefore, holy brothers [and sisters], you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession…
Hebrews 3:1 (ESV)

Many people consider themselves to be called to a specific profession or service. They believe that they have been called to be doctors, lawyers, and teachers, or to serve in the armed forces or the local or national government of their country. Maybe they feel they are called to be the leader of a nation as president or prime minister.

Believers in Jesus Christ have received a specific and definite calling into his fellowship.  The Apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 1:9: ‘God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.’ What exactly is ’the fellowship of his Son’? It is the holy, loving relationship of God the Father, Jesus the beloved Son and the Holy Spirit – a divine relationship that has existed from eternity and will continue forever!

Believers are blessed, privileged, and honored to be called to participate or share in this wonderful relationship. It doesn’t get any better – it is finding the pearl of great value (Matthew 13:45-46), the ultimate calling! And an amazing truth about this special calling is that it cannot be revoked as explained in Romans 11:29: ‘For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.’

 Relationships are very important to God, for God is in relationship: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a communion of love. And he wants us as his children to participate in the divine relationship, which will continue forever. With this divine calling there is no going back, for God takes no pleasure in anyone who draws back (Hebrews 10:36-38). There is only one way – marching forward into the fullness of God’s glorious kingdom.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the invitation to participate in your beautiful relationship. Please help me to respond in a manner that is pleasing to you. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.

Study by Sherwin Scott

Photo Compliments: WorldChallenge.org

“Who is The Father Revealed in Jesus?” Pt. 2

Part 2A:

Part 2B

Full Message:


Scripture:

2 Cor 13: 14, Matthew 23: 8-11, John 17


Summary and Goal:

This sermon discusses the importance of understanding the relationship between God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It emphasizes the deep love and joy that comes from being united with the Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

“What I mean is this. An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into touch with God. But if he is a Christian he knows that what is prompting to pray is also God: God, so to speak, inside him. But he also knows that all his real knowledge of God comes through Christ, the Man who was God—that Christ is standing beside him, helping him to pray, praying for him. You see what is happening. God (THE FATHER) is the thing (ONE) to which he is praying—the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the thing (ONE) inside him which is pushing him on—the motive power. God is also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal. So that the whole threefold life of the three-personal Being is actually going on in that ordinary little bedroom where an ordinary man is saying his prayers. The man is being caught up into the higher kind of life—what I called Zoe or spiritual life: he is being pulled into God, by God, while still remaining himself.” (P.163) – Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Highlights:

👨‍👦‍👦 The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons in the Godhead.

👻 The Holy Spirit is not a commodity, but a person who hears, speaks, sees, inspires, and moves.

🎁 Everything we receive and do comes from the Father through Jesus and in the Holy Spirit.

😇 Joyous days in the Father surpass mere happiness and can be experienced even in affliction and distress.

❤️ The love of the Father is deep and unbreakable, even in the face of trials and persecution.

✝️ The Father’s love was demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, which reconciled and saved humanity.

🤝 The relationship with the Father is shared through the participation in the Holy Spirit’s fellowship.

“Who Is The Father Revealed In Jesus?” Pt. 1

Pt 1A:

Pt 1B:

Full Message:


Scripture: Isaiah 40: 18-31, Isaiah 46: 3-13, Hebrews 1: 1-3, 1John5, Mark 12, John 17


Summary and Goal:

This sermon is about the importance of knowing and understanding the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The speaker emphasizes the supreme advantage and relevance of having a relationship with the Father-Son-Holy-Spirit-God as Revealed in Jesus Christ the God/Man.

Highlights:

🙏 Praying to the Father before the message

🌟 The twin doctrines of faith: Who is the Father? What is He doing?

👨‍👧‍👦 Father’s Day celebration and addressing everyone

🏛️ The foundation of Jesus Christ and the importance of building on it

📖 Scripture references and teachings on the Father

🌍 The Importance of God the Father for every family

💞 Implications of understanding and relating to God the Father

💡 Knowing the Father gives supreme advantage and relevance in life.

Photo compliments: smoodock45.wordpress

Jesus Says To You, “You Know The Way Church!”

Part A:

Part B:

Full Message:


Watch On YouTube

Bible Verses: 1 Cor 8: 1 Luke 18: 9-14 Luke 12: 8 Acts 2:42-47


Theological Theme:

Jesus continues to share through His earthly Body – the Church – what he said in John 14: 1“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Christ Connection:

“While there were contenders, pretenders and usurpers who had no power nor will to create or give life, Jesus has overcome, has vanquished, all enemies who refused his reign. As the incarnate agent of the Father in the power of the Spirit, this Son opposes all that opposes his good creation and God’s good purposes for all creation. The strength of his opposition to all that would maim and destroy his good creation and deviate from his glorious ends is proportional to his love for his good creation. Were he not to oppose that which would undo his creation, he would not be its loving Lord. This Jesus with his heavenly Father and Holy Spirit is implacably opposed to all evil that distorts, twists and destroys life and loving relationships in fellowship first with him and in turn with each other and creation. To bring about his original ultimate purposes, all opposition to his rule and right must submit in repentance or be undone. Evil has no future in the kingdom of God.” – Gary Deddo

Missional Application:

Oh how relevant this message of Jesus is to the people of all times and our own times. A time in which the Holy Spirit is still being poured out upon men, women and children right in the middle of a wicked and corrupt generation! And Jesus’ disciples are still encouraged to call all of his brothers and sisters to repent because of the forgiveness of their sins in Him, a call to receive the Holy Spirit! And not only a call to be saved from their sins but to be saved FOR God and also saved for love toward their neighbor! [But who will believe our report and to whom will the arm of the Lord be revealed? John 12:38] = Those who will receive the great abundance of the Lord’s forgiveness!!!

Photo Compliments: http://www.livingwatercloverdale.com

Our Father’s Hope For all: In Jesus’ Body Being His Church! Part 9

Part 9A:

Part 9B:

Full Message:


Watch On YouTube

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

Jesus Is Risen! So Go…To Fellow Believers (Church!)

Fellowship 4

Audio – Part 1a: 33 min

https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/19.2.24-jesus-is-risen-so-go-to-church-fellow-believers-part-1a-matt-28-1-cor-15-tah.mp3”

Audio – Part 1b: 33 min

https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/19.2.24-jesus-is-risen-so-go-to-church-fellow-believers-part-1b-matt-28-1-cor-15-tah.mp3”

Audio – Full Message:

https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/19.2.24-jesus-is-risen-so-go-to-church-fellow-believers-matt-28-1-cor-15-tah.mp3”


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!…”

Theological Theme:

As Christians called to Christ and in Union with him, Jesus sends the Spirit so that we can be transformed and begin to Organize and Execute our Lives Around the Father with him and his priorities! We no longer seek to live only for ourselves. Believers have died to selfishness and self-centeredness in Jesus and now we live unto the Father and for others by God’s Grace! The Father’s people are our people, especially those of the household of faith!

Christ Connection:

Immediately following his Resurrection, Jesus began to meet with his disciples, directing them to “Go” in the Spirit.  In this message his disciples are encouraged to go to their fellow disciples, encouraging and equipping them to worship together and witness about him to others in his shared faith, hope and love!

Missional Application:

God the Father calls us to embrace a life of participation with His Son, our Savior and Lord, and in his life of fellowship and communion, whose mission was only to seek and to do what his Father was doing, in the Spirit.

Photo Compliments: faithpro.org