Archive for the ‘Truth’ Tag
Our Father’s Hope For All: In The Forgiveness Of Sin! pt.6
Part 6A:
Part 6B:
Full Message:
Main Bible Verses: Luke 24 Luke 7: 36-50
Introduction:
“Our Father’s hope for all: In The Forgiveness Of Sin” has primarily to do with relationship and how relationships work. It is not some static fact apart from actual relationship. When we say Resurrection, we mean God’s forgiveness resulted not only in the sending away of sin but RELATIONSHIP with JESUS in a RENEWED HUMAN NATURE by the Spirit. This message focuses in on the forgiveness/reconciliation that is ours because of Jesus, The Resurrection.
Theological Theme:
The Gift God gives us is The Gift of Himself. God doesn’t have anything else to give humanity but Himself, so the gift you have been given in The Gospel is God -The Father, Son and Spirit and relationship with Him. This is why Jesus personalized Resurrection saying that HE IS THE RESURRECTION – John 11:25.
Christ Connection:
The primary thing Jesus has been proclaiming is HIMSELF and Who HE IS. Because He is God the Son, the only begotten of The Father, then when He is with us, in our humanity, He is God with us, God for us, for our humanity!
What The Resurrection is proclaiming:
- Jesus is God The Father for us (since He is One with the Father).
- Jesus is The Holy Spirit in us (since the Spirit is One with He and the Father).
- Jesus is God, having done something to our human nature. Jesus is literally inside our human nature and so God is intimate with us by the Holy Spirit in our human nature.
- Jesus is God, transforming our human nature up close and personal – personalizing and humanizing us.
When we say JESUS, we are saying that in Him and because of His union with us as His creation, there is now a reconciled relationship that God has with all with creation. For Jesus to become human and to touch and heal humanity means that what God created but had fallen into sin has now been made right again, in Him, so that we can have hope now and fulfillment at Jesus’ Final Appearing! We receive in Christ the complete forgiveness of sin and at the same time the complete healing of the proper relationship between God and man, and all creation.
“The Gospel is as inclusive as Jesus’ Humanity” – Bobby Grow
Missional Application:
What sin is:
Because God is a relationship and has called us into His relationship, sin means our not believing in Him, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Sin is our not trusting, or relating with Him. Sin is turning to something else other than The Father, Son and Spirit for your identity, for guidance in your life, for strength in your trials, etc. Sin is also the horrible motive of seeking to put God to death. Sin according to the scriptures is lawlessness meaning that it corrupts every part of our humanity in word and deed, and everything in between..
However, the one unchanging Truth of the universe is God and His love revealed in Jesus Christ. God is interested in us and in a restored relationship no matter that we have sinned and despite that we have done everything to mess up our relationship with Him. In His fantastic mercy and grace He has placed into the universe, and into His creation in Jesus Christ, THE FULLNESS OF THE FATHER SON AND SPIRIT IN FLESH! So Law in The New Testament is actually the Love of The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Revealed in the human nature of the Son. Since everyone has sinned, and Christ has undone our sin, every human has been forgiven of their sin and reconciled to God in Jesus Christ and, therefore, are each and all called to put their trust in Jesus and receive this forgiveness and reconciliation freely given to us!
Conclusion:
In The Resurrection Season, God The Father proclaims to you through His Son and in the Holy Spirit the forgiveness of all of your sins. Luke 24: 1-8
God wants all to participate in what Christ has done for us and to receive what is already theirs in Christ – THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN. The reason your sins are forgiven in Christ is because Jesus is “THE ONE FOR THE MANY”. Knowing Christ in His Resurrection means knowing the forgiveness of ALL your sins. Hear and receive this hope and proclamation of THE COMPLETE forgiveness of your sins because of Jesus, THE Resurrection, and because of Jesus’ Resurrection, bodily, from the dead!
“….Despite man’s sin, God is with him, the One who was in Jesus Christ reconciling the world, drawing man unto Himself in merciful judgment. Man’s evil past is not merely crossed out because of its irrelevancy. Rather, it is in the good care of God. Despite man’s life in the flesh, corrupt and ephemeral, God is with him. The victor in Christ is here and now present through His Spirit, man’s strength, companion, and comfort. Despite man’s death God is with him, meeting him as redeemer and perfecter at the threshold of the future to show him the totality of existence in the true light in which the eyes of God beheld it from the beginning and will behold it evermore. In what He is for man and does for man, God ushers in the history leading to the ultimate salvation of man.” ― Karl Barth, The Humanity of God
Photo Compliments: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/
Contending For The Faith Delivered To The Saints! – Part 12
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fCnlbFY-m0
Audio: Part 12a: 32 min
Audio: Part 12b: 30 min
Audio: Full Message:
This Specific Message Concludes the Series of 12 messages addressing today’s big questions regarding relationships, race, marriage, love, gender/sexual identity, politics, and worship and witness as it relates to the Christian God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Photo Compliments: http://www.lifeassuranceministries.org/proclamation/2010/4/Resources/octnovdec2010fea.jpeg
The Great Fall Of Jerusalem!
Full Message: 31 min
Main Passages: 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 Jeremiah 38:14-18, 24-28
“One of the most important events in the Old Testament era was the fall of Jerusalem and the capture of God’s people. Due to the hard-heartedness of the people and their leaders, including the despising of His Word, God displayed His justice and wrath through His punishment of His people. Yet even here, in this display of God’s justice, we see how God preserves a remnant of people who will carry the hope of His promise to make all things new through a Messiah.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
God [ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] patiently pursues sinners, but His patience will one day come to an end.
Christ Connection:
God righteously punished His people for their sin, but He remained faithful to them and kept the promise He made to David to preserve a remnant and provide a king. Ultimately, God punished our sin through His Son, Jesus, and made Him our King forever.
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to listen to His Word and proclaim His patience and righteousness to others while there is still time.
Photo Compliments: https://biblicaltruthresources.wordpress.com
God (And Jeremiah) Prophesies A New Covenant
Part1a: 30min
Part 1b: 34min
Full Message: 64min
Main Passages: Jeremiah 17:1-10 Jeremiah 31:31-34
The heart of humanity is desperately wicked and in need of replacement. Because no one is able to perfectly obey the law, God promised a new covenant, one not written on stone or parchment but written instead on the hearts of His people. This is a promise concerning the coming day of Jesus, fulfilled in the gospel. In the gospel, God not only writes His law on our hearts but also gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer. – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
In the new covenant, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, who enables us to obey God’s [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] law.
Christ Connection:
The problem in Jeremiah’s day was the people had God’s law but were unable to obey Him due to the sinfulness of their hearts. Jeremiah prophesied about a coming day when God would forgive sin and write His law on the hearts of His people. This prophecy is fulfilled in the gospel. Through Jesus, God offers us forgiveness. Through the Holy Spirit, God enables us to obey His commands.
Missional Application:
God calls us to rely on the Holy Spirit as we obey God’s commands and live on mission for His kingdom.
“A new heart [is] compelled by the Spirit to obedience. It is a voluntary obedience springing from a heart that has been transformed and captivated by the Redeemer.” –Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp
God Calls Jeremiah!
Part 1a: 16min
Part 1b: 18 min
Full Message: 34min
Main Passage: Jeremiah 1:4-10
“Jeremiah was called, even before he was born, to be God’s prophet. Because his prophetic message was contrary to what his people wanted to hear, Jeremiah faced opposition and persecution. Nevertheless, Jeremiah remained faithful to God’s call despite the obstacles. In Jeremiah’s grief, we see a picture of the tender heart of God, most fully expressed in Jesus’ weeping for the unrepentant people of Jerusalem. From Jeremiah, we also learn that the God who calls us to deliver His message is the God who will empower us for His mission.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
God [ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] equips those He has chosen to minister in His name.
Christ Connection:
Jeremiah’s love for his people was so great that he often delivered God’s message in tears, to the point that he is known as the “weeping prophet.” In Jeremiah’s grief, we see a picture of the tender heart of God, most fully expressed in Jesus’ weeping for the people of Jerusalem who would not repent.
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to trust Him to overcome the obstacles we may face in carrying out His mission in our lives.
“The Lord delivers…not so that the prophet will be free of persecutions and difficulties, for we read that Jeremiah was severely afflicted. Instead, the Lord liberates one who suffers everything to overcome these tribulations rather than yielding to them.” –Jerome (circa 345-420)
Photo Compliments: https://www.kcbi.org/
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/
God Pursues Israel!
Part 1a: 22min
Part 1b: 21min
Full Message: 43min
“The life and, in particular, the marriage of God’s prophet Hosea shows us the great lengths that God goes to in order to pursue the people He loves. Despite our unfaithfulness, God loves us still and is willing to take on the personal cost and sacrifice of bringing us into and keeping us in right relationship with Him. Because of His love, God continually goes after unfaithful people like us, and in this pursuit, He provides a model for how we are to pursue others with the good news of His love.” – The Gospel Project
“The ultimate happiness in life is the conviction that one is loved; loved for oneself—better still loved in spite of oneself.” – Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Main Passages: Hosea 1:2-9; 2:14-23; 3:1-5
Theological Theme
The initiative for our salvation is in the loving heart of God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“He lifts us up out of ourselves to participate in the very life and communion of the Godhead, that life of communion for which we were created.” – J.B. Torrance, Worship Community and the Triune God of Grace. (Pg. 22)
Christ Connection:
Hosea’s relationship with Gomer reminds us of God’s relationship with the people of Israel, and with us. Even though God’s people are unfaithful and love other things more than God, God still loves us. It was because of His love that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sin and bring us back to Him.
“He [Jesus] does not appease an angry God to condition Him into being gracious, but in perfect acknowledgment of the holy love of the Father for a sinful world, seals God’s covenant purposes for all humanity by His blood.” – J.B. Torrance, Worship Community and the Triune God of Grace. (Pg. 49)
Missional Application:
God through His Holy Spirit calls us to pursue others with the good news about the God who pursues us at great cost to Himself.
God Reveals The Coming Victory!
Part 1a: 23min
Part 1b: 22min
Full Message: 45min
Main Passages:
“God’s glory is personally beneficial to those who follow Him. Understanding God’s glory reveals the certainty with which we can receive His promises. There is never a dichotomy between displaying God’s greatness and resting in His love. The ancient story of Assyria’s calloused threats against Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah illustrates that God saves us for the glory of His name and for our good. We, in turn, make known His glory so that others will rest in His grace.”– The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
God the Father saves us for the glory of His name and for our good.
Christ Connection:
Hezekiah prayed for God to manifest His glory by saving His people from the pagan kingdom that was rising against them. God exalted His name by answering Hezekiah’s prayer. Jesus also prayed for the salvation of His people, and through His death and resurrection, He accomplished the ultimate manifestation of God’s glory through defeating the enemy and saving His people.
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to live on mission for His kingdom because we know that God is victorious over His enemies.
Photo Compliments: http://soul-candy.info/2017/04/victory-of-the-cross/
Dr. Jesus’ Body Is God’s Suffering Servant!
Part 1a: 29min
Part 1b: 25min
Full Message: 54min
Main Passage
Isaiah 52:13–53:12, Luke 22:37, Matthew 8:17
Hundreds of years before Christ was born, Isaiah prophesied about a mysterious Servant who would be rejected and despised yet bring salvation through His suffering. The early Christians believed this prophecy was made about Jesus and His life and work. As those who benefit from the service and suffering of Jesus, we now embrace a life of suffering and service on behalf of others. – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme
Salvation comes through the suffering of God- Father, Son and Spirit’s chosen Servant.
Christ Connection
Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, God opened the eyes of Isaiah to see the coming Savior with detail no one had seen before. Isaiah prophesied about a mysterious Servant who would be rejected and despised and yet accomplish salvation through His suffering. The New Testament shows that this prophecy is about Jesus and His work.
Missional Application
As those who benefit from the service and suffering of Jesus, we, through His Holy Spirit, now embrace a life of suffering and service on behalf of others.
“The Servant would be regarded as a great conqueror, one who shares the spoils of victory with his followers. Victory, however, would come only through the fact that the Servant was willing to suffer as a sin-bearer and pour out himself in death. Through his death and resurrection he made intercession (53:12).” – James E. Smith
Photo Compliments: http://www.studygrowknowblog.com