Expanding the Family Circle … that’s what I’m talking about.
As we get closer to the Sunday of the Resurrection (Easter) on April 8, we will be seeing more people visit the church. Step out of your comfort zone and welcome a potential friend. Most everyone of us has been the new person in a church or a group of some kind. Strangers then are good friends now.
Church … it’s about relationships. Let’s keep a good thing going, and make it better!
If someone is just visiting because they are traveling, tell them that you are glad that they chose to come here for their week away from home.
If they are looking for a church home, tell them that you hope that this not the last time you will see them here. Make sure that they sign the red pew pad. Many times a visitor won’t do that unless encouraged to do so (so keep that in mind. It helps to know who they are and where they live.) We also have a PowerPoint presentation of our church (a visual brochure) in the room under the balcony for a new person to take with them if they wish. We also have regular paper brochures in the room under the balcony as well.
Don’t forget the power of ‘good old fashion’ word of mouth. If you are receiving good things from your life in this church and you know of a friend, family member or co-worker who is not a part of a church, then invite that person and (this is really key …) either pick them up personally or arrange to actually meet them here. Newcomers are many times reticent to just come to a church. It is our job to make that transition easier and less awkward for new people. If an invitation is – "Meet me here and afterward let’s have lunch" – chances are it will work (… just one idea …! You can probably think of other ideas).
PRAYER is the key to it all … how you might be used of God to expand our church’s family circle. (see Luke 14.21-23)
Monday, March 19, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Jesus - The Way, the Truth and the Life
Sunday Message Outline
for March 18, 2007
John 14.1-14
Focus Verse: John 14.6
"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Is Jesus the only way to God?
... Controversial teaching here
... Is this exclusive - unfair?
... What about people who have never heard?
... What about good people who simply have different beliefs?
Do all religions lead to the same God?
... Each are distinctive and exclusive
... Each have lofty ideals and they often show Christians up!
... Some commonality in ethics, but differ in what they actually believe.
... Differ greatly about God / gods / worship / works / afterlife ... etc.
... Christians are to respect people - connect - lead them to Christ.
A Closer Look at the One who said this - Jesus
... The "I AM" sayings of Christ - God speaking!
... I am the Bread of Life ...
... I am the Light of the World ...
... I am the Door ...
... I am the Resurrection and the Life ...
... Every human soul linked to Christ w/o exception
Way? Truth? Life?
... Consider the context of this teaching - the night of His betrayal!
... The Way would soon be stopped by crucifixion
... The Truth would be swallowed up by the lies of His enemies
... The Life would soon be laid cold and dead in a tomb
The Way - Connection Between Two Points
... The Stone rolled away ... the Way is now open!
... Mt 11.27 - No one knows the Father but the Son and the Son but the Father and those whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
... Mt 28.18 - All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
... Jn 1.18 - No one has seen God. The only Son has made Him known.
... Col 1.15-16 - He is the image of the invisible God. All things created for Him and through Him.
... Col 1.19 - All the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ.
... Col 2.9 - The fulness of deity dwells bodily in Jesus.
... 1 Tim 2.5 - One God and one mediator between God and man - Jesus
... Acts 4.12 - There is no other name given to humanity by which we must be saved.
... Jn 14.9 - Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.
The World Needs to Know
... What about those who have not heard? see Ro 2.12-16
... What about those who have not heard? see Mt 28.18-20 - He sends us to those who have not heard!
They need to know ...
... That ancestors do not need to be appeased or else a curse will follow
... That the many gods have no power
... That it is not a matter of uncertain works
... That real sins can be forgiven and forsaken
... That spiritual oppression does not need to be one's life
... That real relationship and fellowship with God is possible
... Jesus: "Tell them that I love them ... and I came to let them know."
for March 18, 2007
John 14.1-14
Focus Verse: John 14.6
"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Is Jesus the only way to God?
... Controversial teaching here
... Is this exclusive - unfair?
... What about people who have never heard?
... What about good people who simply have different beliefs?
Do all religions lead to the same God?
... Each are distinctive and exclusive
... Each have lofty ideals and they often show Christians up!
... Some commonality in ethics, but differ in what they actually believe.
... Differ greatly about God / gods / worship / works / afterlife ... etc.
... Christians are to respect people - connect - lead them to Christ.
A Closer Look at the One who said this - Jesus
... The "I AM" sayings of Christ - God speaking!
... I am the Bread of Life ...
... I am the Light of the World ...
... I am the Door ...
... I am the Resurrection and the Life ...
... Every human soul linked to Christ w/o exception
Way? Truth? Life?
... Consider the context of this teaching - the night of His betrayal!
... The Way would soon be stopped by crucifixion
... The Truth would be swallowed up by the lies of His enemies
... The Life would soon be laid cold and dead in a tomb
The Way - Connection Between Two Points
... The Stone rolled away ... the Way is now open!
... Mt 11.27 - No one knows the Father but the Son and the Son but the Father and those whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
... Mt 28.18 - All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
... Jn 1.18 - No one has seen God. The only Son has made Him known.
... Col 1.15-16 - He is the image of the invisible God. All things created for Him and through Him.
... Col 1.19 - All the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ.
... Col 2.9 - The fulness of deity dwells bodily in Jesus.
... 1 Tim 2.5 - One God and one mediator between God and man - Jesus
... Acts 4.12 - There is no other name given to humanity by which we must be saved.
... Jn 14.9 - Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.
The World Needs to Know
... What about those who have not heard? see Ro 2.12-16
... What about those who have not heard? see Mt 28.18-20 - He sends us to those who have not heard!
They need to know ...
... That ancestors do not need to be appeased or else a curse will follow
... That the many gods have no power
... That it is not a matter of uncertain works
... That real sins can be forgiven and forsaken
... That spiritual oppression does not need to be one's life
... That real relationship and fellowship with God is possible
... Jesus: "Tell them that I love them ... and I came to let them know."
Thursday, March 08, 2007
For the Third Sunday in Lent
Once for all…
We do not need to look to any other than Jesus
We do not need to look for any other than Jesus
Acts 4.12 reads:
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
This bold statement was said by Peter, the leader of the band of apostles after Jesus ascended into heaven.
Here’s the story … At the beginning of Acts, chapter 3, Peter and John go to the Temple (the headquarters for the Jewish religion in the city of Jerusalem at that time) for mid-afternoon prayer. A lame man there was begging for money. Peter and John did not have money to give him; but what they did have was the power of Jesus to help him. They took this man by the hand and helped him to his feet. He didn’t just walk, he jumped up and down and praised God with all the air he had in his lungs!
This healing, as you would imagine, created quite a crowd, and Peter and John started to talk about Jesus to everyone. However, not everyone was receptive to the message. The rulers, the elders and the scribes called a meeting headed by the High Priest of the Temple. They brought Peter and John in for further questioning, for they thought that they had gotten rid of Jesus a few months ago and now a healing had been performed using His name! Peter told them that it was by the name and power of Jesus that this healing was done. Peter also reminded them that Jesus, whom they had rejected and killed, was in fact the most important part of God’s plan. Then, he said to them, in no uncertain terms: "There is no other name … by which we must be saved."
No other name … What a claim!
At one point, John the Baptist had, what strikes me as, an amazing question for Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Look for another?!? I take comfort in this question, because I know about doubt. We are not used to linking John the Baptist and doubt together in the same thought, but if you turn to Matthew 11.2-6 you’ll get the whole story. If you have every wondered if Jesus was really "it" or not … or if you have ever wondered whether you could just have a belief in God, but by-pass Jesus (… a nice man and all, but hey … Why go overboard, y’know?) you are not alone. God and Jesus are linked. You cannot have one without the other. "I and the Father are one," Jesus said (John 10.30); "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14.9) God and Jesus are linked. You cannot have one without the other. Truly, there is no other name by which we must be saved.
Consider C. S. Lewis’ insight into Jesus:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
(C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, The MacMillan Company, 1960, pp. 40-41.)
No other name … Here are some scriptures to encourage you about the "Name" this week.
Psalm 20.1-9
Psalm 54.1-7
Proverbs 18.10
Luke 24.44-53
Hebrews 13.15
Philippians 2.9-11
We do not need to look to any other than Jesus
We do not need to look for any other than Jesus
Acts 4.12 reads:
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
This bold statement was said by Peter, the leader of the band of apostles after Jesus ascended into heaven.
Here’s the story … At the beginning of Acts, chapter 3, Peter and John go to the Temple (the headquarters for the Jewish religion in the city of Jerusalem at that time) for mid-afternoon prayer. A lame man there was begging for money. Peter and John did not have money to give him; but what they did have was the power of Jesus to help him. They took this man by the hand and helped him to his feet. He didn’t just walk, he jumped up and down and praised God with all the air he had in his lungs!
This healing, as you would imagine, created quite a crowd, and Peter and John started to talk about Jesus to everyone. However, not everyone was receptive to the message. The rulers, the elders and the scribes called a meeting headed by the High Priest of the Temple. They brought Peter and John in for further questioning, for they thought that they had gotten rid of Jesus a few months ago and now a healing had been performed using His name! Peter told them that it was by the name and power of Jesus that this healing was done. Peter also reminded them that Jesus, whom they had rejected and killed, was in fact the most important part of God’s plan. Then, he said to them, in no uncertain terms: "There is no other name … by which we must be saved."
No other name … What a claim!
At one point, John the Baptist had, what strikes me as, an amazing question for Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Look for another?!? I take comfort in this question, because I know about doubt. We are not used to linking John the Baptist and doubt together in the same thought, but if you turn to Matthew 11.2-6 you’ll get the whole story. If you have every wondered if Jesus was really "it" or not … or if you have ever wondered whether you could just have a belief in God, but by-pass Jesus (… a nice man and all, but hey … Why go overboard, y’know?) you are not alone. God and Jesus are linked. You cannot have one without the other. "I and the Father are one," Jesus said (John 10.30); "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14.9) God and Jesus are linked. You cannot have one without the other. Truly, there is no other name by which we must be saved.
Consider C. S. Lewis’ insight into Jesus:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
(C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, The MacMillan Company, 1960, pp. 40-41.)
No other name … Here are some scriptures to encourage you about the "Name" this week.
Psalm 20.1-9
Psalm 54.1-7
Proverbs 18.10
Luke 24.44-53
Hebrews 13.15
Philippians 2.9-11
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Christianity Today Article on Denominational Splits
Quick post ...
There is an online article at Christianity Today entitled: "Church Divorce Done Right: Denominational Splits Just Aren't What They Used To Be" by Ted Olsen (posted 3/07/2007)
I am not allowed to violate copywrite laws and copy it in my blog, but I can give you the link < http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/april/1.24.html > so that you can read it directly.
The article starts ... "When I asked Orlando Sentinel religion reporter Mark Pinsky if he'd covered the February meeting where as many as 150 Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations made plans * to leave the denomination, I wasn't terribly surprised when he answered no ..."
This article starts out by talking about the PC(USA) scene, but it also does a wider observational analysis of the overall demarcation between liberal-progressive and evangelical concerns.
Plus it gives some history that you may find helpful concerning a similar time - the 1920s when J. Gresham Machen gave leadership to the conservative wing of the Presbyterian Church in contrast to the liberal-progressives that by and large spurned the witness of scripture and the voice of the creeds.
Take a few minutes to check this out.
* The link within this first paragraph takes you to an online article at < http://www.pres-outlook.org >
There is an online article at Christianity Today entitled: "Church Divorce Done Right: Denominational Splits Just Aren't What They Used To Be" by Ted Olsen (posted 3/07/2007)
I am not allowed to violate copywrite laws and copy it in my blog, but I can give you the link < http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/april/1.24.html > so that you can read it directly.
The article starts ... "When I asked Orlando Sentinel religion reporter Mark Pinsky if he'd covered the February meeting where as many as 150 Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations made plans * to leave the denomination, I wasn't terribly surprised when he answered no ..."
This article starts out by talking about the PC(USA) scene, but it also does a wider observational analysis of the overall demarcation between liberal-progressive and evangelical concerns.
Plus it gives some history that you may find helpful concerning a similar time - the 1920s when J. Gresham Machen gave leadership to the conservative wing of the Presbyterian Church in contrast to the liberal-progressives that by and large spurned the witness of scripture and the voice of the creeds.
Take a few minutes to check this out.
* The link within this first paragraph takes you to an online article at < http://www.pres-outlook.org >
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Why Denominations? – Do They Make Any Difference?
The top 7 "mainline" denominations have lost collectively 5 million (plus) members over the last 42 years (since 1965 when they reached their peak in American society) The Presbyterian Church has lost basically half of its membership nationwide in that time, from approximately 4.5 million in 1965 to 2.3 million at this point. Of all the mainline churches the Presbyterian Church (USA) seems to be losing the most members at the fastest rate. By and large we do not lose our members to other churches. The majority of those who drop out no longer go to any church …!
Added to the denominational dilemma is the desire of some congregations to formally change their affiliation from the PC(USA) to the EPC (The Evangelical Presbyterian Church*). The PC(USA) is not the only denomination experiencing this level of dissatisfaction and church property concerns. The ECUSA (The Episcopal Church) is also undergoing it institutional hemorrhaging, as individual congregations align with more conservative Anglican diocese located outside of the United States. The ECUSA is experiencing their property law suits in the courts as well as headlines surface in print and on line.
Why denominations?
Denominations are a purely utilitarian church or ministry structures that were developed rather late in church history.
Thumbnail review: … After the age of the Apostles (early church) official church leadership was centered in Rome and is the basis of the Roman Catholic Church of today. The Roman Church has its ties deep in Christian history drawing on the witness of Peter and Paul in that, which was the most important, city of its day. As the Roman Church spread it influence its eastern branch became independent and in 1056 there was the official spit of the Roman Church and, what is known as, the Easter Orthodox Church.
It isn’t until we get to the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s that we find a church structure that resembles the denominational structures we know of today. But at the time of the Reformation in Europe, we don’t really have ‘denominations’ per se, but regional protestant churches: The Lutherans among the German kingdoms, The Reform Churches of Switzerland and Holland, the Huguenots of France, the Presbyterians of Scotland and the Puritans of England. You also have the rise of radical protestant of the Anabaptist traditions in central Europe as well. There is a basic protestant theology, but also doctrinal distinctives in each "camp."
It is when these European regional church groups get to the United States that we have the concept of ‘denomination.’ Since the U.S. government does not recognize a state religion, it allowed different Christian communions and other faiths to form voluntary associations (as long as no federal laws were violated). So, with the concept of protected voluntary association, Presbyterians were allowed to form their own ‘network’ of churches, establish their own internal church government, etc. Other protestant church groups could and would do the same. The result was and is various churches coinciding peacefully in the same community – a Methodist Church (England) across the street from a Lutheran Church (German) right down the street from a Roman Catholic Church (Italy) and one block west of the Baptist Church (German-England). Each group establishing their unique standards and proffering their distinct witness to Jesus Christ.
Is there then a biblical mandate to preserve at all costs a denominational structure?
I will write more on this later …!
* I want to write more about the EPC in a later post as well.
Added to the denominational dilemma is the desire of some congregations to formally change their affiliation from the PC(USA) to the EPC (The Evangelical Presbyterian Church*). The PC(USA) is not the only denomination experiencing this level of dissatisfaction and church property concerns. The ECUSA (The Episcopal Church) is also undergoing it institutional hemorrhaging, as individual congregations align with more conservative Anglican diocese located outside of the United States. The ECUSA is experiencing their property law suits in the courts as well as headlines surface in print and on line.
Why denominations?
Denominations are a purely utilitarian church or ministry structures that were developed rather late in church history.
Thumbnail review: … After the age of the Apostles (early church) official church leadership was centered in Rome and is the basis of the Roman Catholic Church of today. The Roman Church has its ties deep in Christian history drawing on the witness of Peter and Paul in that, which was the most important, city of its day. As the Roman Church spread it influence its eastern branch became independent and in 1056 there was the official spit of the Roman Church and, what is known as, the Easter Orthodox Church.
It isn’t until we get to the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s that we find a church structure that resembles the denominational structures we know of today. But at the time of the Reformation in Europe, we don’t really have ‘denominations’ per se, but regional protestant churches: The Lutherans among the German kingdoms, The Reform Churches of Switzerland and Holland, the Huguenots of France, the Presbyterians of Scotland and the Puritans of England. You also have the rise of radical protestant of the Anabaptist traditions in central Europe as well. There is a basic protestant theology, but also doctrinal distinctives in each "camp."
It is when these European regional church groups get to the United States that we have the concept of ‘denomination.’ Since the U.S. government does not recognize a state religion, it allowed different Christian communions and other faiths to form voluntary associations (as long as no federal laws were violated). So, with the concept of protected voluntary association, Presbyterians were allowed to form their own ‘network’ of churches, establish their own internal church government, etc. Other protestant church groups could and would do the same. The result was and is various churches coinciding peacefully in the same community – a Methodist Church (England) across the street from a Lutheran Church (German) right down the street from a Roman Catholic Church (Italy) and one block west of the Baptist Church (German-England). Each group establishing their unique standards and proffering their distinct witness to Jesus Christ.
Is there then a biblical mandate to preserve at all costs a denominational structure?
I will write more on this later …!
* I want to write more about the EPC in a later post as well.
For the Second Sunday in Lent
It is easy for our spiritual life and our praying to be centered on our needs alone far too often. But John lifts our sights higher and reminds us of this truth from the cross upon which Jesus hangs:
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2.2)
The cross can be thought of as a form healing for this broken world.
We are so aware of the deeply troubling, pervasive and ever-entrenched problems in this world … war, starvation, the torture of innocent people, terrorism, sickness … as well as political corruption on the bad end of the spectrum and political ineptitude on the other. It worries us when we start to pay attention to it all. We prefer to set our sights on entertainment and amusements instead. Life is short. We are powerless to do anything against human misery, so we pursue the "feel goods" of life.
Jesus had in mind when He took on the burden of the Roman cross being the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. One need only go the Servant Songs of Isaiah (certain passages in the Book of Isaiah that describe a ‘Servant’ of God who would take away the sins of the world upon Himself) to see the world-wide scope of Christ’s supreme act of redemption. … Selected verses from the Servant Song of Isaiah 53:
"He was despised and rejected … a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief … Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows … He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; Upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have each turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all … Because He poured out His soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors."
Think of it … His perfect, sinless blood poured out for you and for me. Only one drop … one drop! … would be enough to deliver our world, and yet He sheds His life’s blood through the injustice of crucifixion in order to connect with a suffering world and to identify with fullest range of human suffering. We know as we read the end of the Bible that Jesus’ world-wide embrace is successful. For before the Throne of God at the end of time stand the ransomed "… from every tribe and tongue, people and nation."
The closer we get to Christ spiritually, the more we take on His hearts for this world. Christ’s compassion reaches deep and wide as captured in this verse from a hymn of the Welsh Revival, entitled "Here is Love" by William Rees:
"On the mount of crucifixion,
fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
poured incessant from above,
And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
kissed a guilty world in love."
Let these marvelous words sink in to you: He kissed a guilty world in love.
Isaiah 53.1-12
John 3.16-18
Ephesians 2.13-22
John 12.31-33
Philippians 2.5-11
Revelation 5.1-14
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2.2)
The cross can be thought of as a form healing for this broken world.
We are so aware of the deeply troubling, pervasive and ever-entrenched problems in this world … war, starvation, the torture of innocent people, terrorism, sickness … as well as political corruption on the bad end of the spectrum and political ineptitude on the other. It worries us when we start to pay attention to it all. We prefer to set our sights on entertainment and amusements instead. Life is short. We are powerless to do anything against human misery, so we pursue the "feel goods" of life.
Jesus had in mind when He took on the burden of the Roman cross being the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. One need only go the Servant Songs of Isaiah (certain passages in the Book of Isaiah that describe a ‘Servant’ of God who would take away the sins of the world upon Himself) to see the world-wide scope of Christ’s supreme act of redemption. … Selected verses from the Servant Song of Isaiah 53:
"He was despised and rejected … a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief … Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows … He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; Upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have each turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all … Because He poured out His soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors."
Think of it … His perfect, sinless blood poured out for you and for me. Only one drop … one drop! … would be enough to deliver our world, and yet He sheds His life’s blood through the injustice of crucifixion in order to connect with a suffering world and to identify with fullest range of human suffering. We know as we read the end of the Bible that Jesus’ world-wide embrace is successful. For before the Throne of God at the end of time stand the ransomed "… from every tribe and tongue, people and nation."
The closer we get to Christ spiritually, the more we take on His hearts for this world. Christ’s compassion reaches deep and wide as captured in this verse from a hymn of the Welsh Revival, entitled "Here is Love" by William Rees:
"On the mount of crucifixion,
fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
poured incessant from above,
And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
kissed a guilty world in love."
Let these marvelous words sink in to you: He kissed a guilty world in love.
Isaiah 53.1-12
John 3.16-18
Ephesians 2.13-22
John 12.31-33
Philippians 2.5-11
Revelation 5.1-14
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