Four Commands

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5.10.09

Hebrews 10:19-25

When we really understand the gospel of Jesus Christ that we are forgiven of sin
it gives confidence in the present to know that God is near to us

and it gives us a hope for the future

but this should change not only our own lives
but it should change the way we relate to other believers
encouraging one another with this same truth that has given us hope
and spur them on to love and good deeds

It is my belief that this command cannot be obeyed in a Sunday morning service
that is not “meeting together” as described here:
because we are not encouraging one another on Sunday morning: many of us are “forsaking meeting together”

*
The elders are committed to getting all members into 1 of 5 groups
led by Sam, Jeff, David, Jeremy and me

What are these groups?
Why do we think they are so important?
I want to answer that question this morning.

These groups will provide a place, an opportunity, to obey 4 commandments given us in the Bible.
4 commands that we cannot obey by simply participating in the Sunday service.

*We must be changed on the inside by the truths of the gospel of grace
Jesus sanctified us, set us apart into a community. We can only obey him in community.

1. Encourage one another

Eph 4.29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Col 3.16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom
1 Thess 5.11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

This is a command. This is God’s word. This is not one we can obey in a Sunday service because we are not speaking or interacting with one another.

I have been asked this question several times:
When do we encourage one another?
When do we have an opportunity to encourage and edify one another?
How can we love one another when we don’t live close to one another and don’t see each other except on Sunday morning?

These groups provide a place to obey.

Each group will be people who are bound to one another, who will commit to one another and covenant with one another.

“I promise to love you, be devoted to you, carry your burdens, look to your interests, teach and admonish you with the words of Christ, encourage you, build you up.”

They will meet weekly or at least regularly to carry out this command.
But they will also be committed to keeping it on a daily basis.

Even those who can’t come to the weekly meeting can still be encouraged and encourage others.

2. Pray Together For Each Other
Ro 15.30
I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
2 Co 1.11
you help us by your prayers.
Eph 6.18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Phil 4.6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Col 4.2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Col 4.12
He (Epaphras) is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
1 Tim 2.8
I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

I have been asked this many times:
When do we pray together?
What happened to prayer meetings?
Why does this church not emphasize prayer other than Sunday morning?

These groups will provide an opportunity to obey this command.

To pray together and pray for each other.

“I promise to pray with you and for you.”

We will be committed to pray for each other
through the week after we hear from each other our need

but also praying with each other when we gather together

On Sunday morning we practice prayer but it is lead by the elders and pastors.
And you are to pray with the elder or pastor praying.
But in these groups you will have an opportunity to pray in your own words and voice.

3. Serve the needy both believers and unbelievers
Ro 12.13
Share with God’s people who are in need.
Gal 5.13
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
Eph 4.28
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
1 Tim 6.18
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
Gal 6.10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
1 Thess 5.15
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Many times I have been asked this question:
When do we serve the needy as a church?
Where are the programs for service to the poor? Why do the elders and deacons not lead us on this and show us what to do?

These groups will give you such an opportunity to obey this command.

“I promise to share with you when you are in need, serve you, be kind and compassionate to you, do good to you and to work along side you to serve and do good to all people.”

These groups will not only serve one another within the group.

They will serve others in the church,
other fellow believers in need,
and people outside the faith as well.

They will operate as teams working alongside each other
for the benefit of others
in other words, these groups will not only be the benefit of those inside the group

4. Speak to Outsiders about the Faith
Col 4.5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
1 Pt 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

I am often asked this question:
When do we evangelize?
When do we talk to unbelievers about the faith?
Why do we not have an evangelism program?
Why do the elders not evangelize?

Some churches try to evangelize on Sunday morning, but that leaves the job (unlike these verses) to the pastor

These groups will provide such opportunity.

NOT because they will comb the neighborhoods going door to door
but they will give you an opportunity to speak to unbelievers
in the group itself
(as we see in the verses)

these groups should not be shut down and closed to outsiders
they should not be cliques
but welcoming communities that make a constant practice of inviting in outsiders

Instead of you simply inviting someone to a service to hear a preacher

you can speak to them of YOUR faith and hope
and they can talk to and ask questions of real Christians

Sabbath Rest

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11.16.08

Hebrews 4:9-10
1. When Jesus comes there will be rest from the bitter struggle of this age

“Sabbath rest” of course is a reference to God’s rest on the
seventh day after six days of work

“Sabbath rest” means the seventh day of the week (Saturday) when the Jews rest from their work

“Sabbath rest” is also a reference to Israel reaching the land of Canaan after wandering in the desert for 40 years

but the real “Sabbath rest” is the final coming of Christ
and the end of our hard labor in this age

it is difficult for us to realize how sweet the Sabbath was for the Jews
day laborers in the first century
who would work from sunup to sundown,
6 days a week, hard physical labor in the fields
the Sabbath was the day of rest, relaxation, refreshment

We have experiences in our culture like this
students work hard for an 18 week semester
and long to finish their exams
and go on Christmas holiday
or the summer holiday
there will be a holiday when Christ comes

in some cultures they eat very poor food
just staples and drink water
but they look forward to feast days a few times a year when they eat
meat and drink wine and have other rare delicacies
the return of Christ is described as a feast day

My next door neighbor has 5 children, he is in the Army reserves
he was called up and left them for 18 months to serve in Iraq
imagine the joy of coming home and leaving that military campaign forever
We are looking forward to going home and leaving the war

verse 11
II. We must make great effort in order to enter the rest

he has just been saying that some of the children of Israel did not
enter the rest
because of their disobedience

the writer is warning his readers that this may happen to them as well
that they may “fall short of it” (vs 1)

I saw a movie about a man in a prison camp in the jungles of Laos (true story)
he escaped the camp
but then he journey through the jungle for weeks and weeks
he was near starvation but kept going trying to reach some place where
he could contact Americans and get out
at the end of the movie he succeeds
but if he had sat down and given up
if he had not kept going
not kept exerting himself
he would not have entered his rest

We have all seen movies about people in the desert trying to find their way out
if they sit down and give up and stop making the effort they die

We are on a journey
a journey that takes exertion
we must make every effort to enter the rest at the end of our journey

what is the effort and exertion?
loving God and doing what he commands
loving your neighbor as yourself

verses 12-13

These verses tell us that one day we must give an account to God of how we have spent our days
That God’s word will judge our thoughts and the attitudes of our heart
We will be naked before him

The implication is that if we are disobedient and give up on obeying God
And drift away (2:1)
we will not enter the Sabbath rest

but of course this raises a problem:
We are not able by exertion and effort to reach the Sabbath rest
our flesh is so weak,
full of sinful desires,
anger, pride, etc.

verses 14-15
III. Only Jesus can help us to enter the rest at the end of this journey

we must hold firmly to our faith in him which means receiving
spiritual help from him to love God and our neighbors

1. Jesus can help us because he also has gone through the test of
being a human being trying to obey God in this present evil age

Jesus was human, not a superbeing disguised as a human
he sympathizes with us
he feels our pain and the bitterness of our struggle to obey
he knows how hard it is
he has a brotherhood with us,
shares our experience of being human

Imagine a man named Bill who has lost his job, his family has fallen on hard
times– goes to a church to ask for help

the first church Bill goes to he meets a deacon who grew up in a well-to-do family, went to a good school, got a good job right out of school, he has climbed the corporate ladder and his income has increased every year, this man treats Bill with condescension, not
sympathy and is not happy to help him, he lectures him and looks down on him–
Bill gives up there and goes to another church

at this church he encounters a deacon who has seen hard times himself, who has lost his job when he had little children, not known how he was going to feed his family, struggled to survive, gotten behind on his bills, this man understands Bill, feels his plight,
He truly sympathizes
and wants to do anything he can

2. Jesus can help us because he succeeded where we have failed

he obeyed God and he can help us to obey God
if an alcoholic wants help to quit he seeks out the help of one who is also an alcoholic but has been sober for several years
He knows the struggle be he also knows success

If you are overweight
You need the help and companionship of not someone who has always been skinny
But someone who has struggled against obesity and reached a healthy weight

*
verse 16

“our time of need”
is our daily struggle to obey God when we find it impossible and find
evil desires and selfishness inside of us

it is then that we can go to Jesus with confidence that he understands
and is willing and able to help us

we find grace to help us

go to the throne of grace today

The Purpose of a Man’s Heart

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4.1.07

Today is Palm Sunday
and today we celebrate communion
Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus as King
and I want to ask the question today:
is Jesus your king?
some of you are like the people in Jerusalem
you will say words, but your heart is far from him
Communion is a time for self-examination
I want to help you to examine yourself
my intention is to challenge
fake Christians to become real Christians
disobedient Christians to return to the way
and strengthen obedient Christians
and encourage them to do so more and more

1 Corinthians 4:3-4
I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court;
indeed, I do not even judge myself.
My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.
It is the Lord who judges me.

Paul is telling the Corinthians
I don’t care about how you or anyone else judges me
It does not even matter how I judge myself
only one person’s judgment matters
and that is the Lord’s
this should teach us this:
we should be concerned with the question
what will the Lord’s judgment be of what I am doing?
many of us live by the question:
what will they think?
and we do what we think will please certain people

verse 5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time;
wait till the Lord comes.
He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.
At that time each will receive his praise from God.

Paul is teaching that when Christ comes
Christ will expose the true purpose of our hearts in everything we do
in everything you do
the question should not be
how do people judge this action?
(even your own opinion of your own action
does not matter)
your only consideration should be
how does God judge this action?
Will what I am doing right now
bring praise from God at the judgment?

Jesus will judge the purpose of your heart
What is the purpose of your heart
in everything you do?
everything you do– you must do BECAUSE
it pleases God and for no other reason
not because it pleases others
not because it pleases you
you must have this conversation with God:
“God: whatever you want me to do
I choose that, because you want it
and for no other reason.
I surrender what I want.”
is this the purpose of your heart
in everything you do?

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
that each one may receive
what is due him for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad.

No one merits or earns God’s salvation
God does not investigate and find out how good people did
and then make a decision
At the judgment he reveals those he saved
and now live to please him
AT the judgment God proclaims to the world
his work in his people
our good deeds will be seen at the judgment as the work of God
he will be glorified and exalted

but his people will receive what is due them
because of Jesus working good in them
but some will be exposed as people who talked God talk,
but did not please God

verse 9
So we make it our goal to please him,
whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

if we live another day it is to please God
but even if we die today it is to please God

1 Thessalonians 2:4
We are not trying to please men but God,
who tests our hearts.

What is the purpose of your heart?
God will test it! Is it to please God?

2 Timothy 2:4
No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs–
he wants to please his commanding officer.

Do you live like a soldier to please
and carry out the orders of your commanding officer–
your Lord Jesus Christ?

1. You must be learning what pleases him.

Ephesians 5:10
Find out/Learn what pleases the Lord.

A disciple is a learner.
A student in the school of Christ.
We are to be learning all the time,
growing in knowledge.
Some of you go to church every now and then,
barely crack your Bibles,
and barely pray for the Spirit to show you what is good.
You are not learning! You are not students!
Students like that fail out when examinations come.

1 Thessalonians 4:1
Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God,
as in fact you are doing.

It is the apostles in the New Testament that instructs us
the commandments of Jesus and how to please God.
We must be students of the scripture,
and we must sit under the God appointed teachers of the church and learn.

Colossians 1:9-10
For this reason, since the day we heard about you,
we have not stopped praying for you
and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will
through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord
and may please him in every way…

This is what the leaders of this church should be praying for you,
what you should be praying for each other, praying for yourself.
Only God can teach us what pleases him
it is not just reading and studying
only he can do this by his Spirit
This says that if God fills us with knowledge of his will
then we can “please him in every way”!

have this conversation with God:
“show me what pleases you, every day”

2. You must receive Spiritual power from God in order to please him.

Hebrews 13:20-21
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant
brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
equip you with everything good for doing his will,
and may he work in us what is pleasing to him,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Only God can equip you to please him
Only God can work in you what is pleasing to him
have this conversation with God
“give me spiritual power to do what pleases you,
I can do nothing on my own”

The Weakness of God (III)

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2.25.07

I am preaching a series on the meaning of the cross
called “the weakness of God”

Today I want to deal with suffering
both emotional and physical pain

When we are experiencing pain
we often feel like God has left us, failed us, does not love us,
has removed his power from us, his spirit from us

The cross teaches us
that God is working in power
where there is weakness and suffering

the cross was where God seemed weak, defeated
The cross is “the weakness of God”
and the weakness of God is stronger than the strength of men

I. God uses suffering in our lives
to bring us great comfort and joy

2 Corinthians 1:5

Christians share in Christ’s sufferings

but as his suffering resulted in resurrection and salvation,
our sufferings results in comfort
God gives comfort in the present

it is those who are not suffering
who lose their joy
and know little of the comfort of Jesus

Christians who are comfortable
for a long period of time
often lose their joy in Christ

II. God uses suffering in our lives
to teach us obedience

Even Jesus himself learned obedience by suffering
Hebrews 5:8
“he learned obedience from what he suffered”

Hebrews 12:7-11

verse 7
we should consider hardship “discipline”
discipline is not punishment
it is training, teaching, discipling
he disciplines us because we are his children

hardship is teaching you obedience
just as it taught Jesus

verse 8
discipline is not rejection or abandonment
it is fatherly care

he even says if you are not going through discipline,
you are not a real son

verse 11
discipline is painful when we undergo it
but it results in righteousness and peace
holiness
obedience

3. God uses suffering in our lives
to work through us with great power

2 Corinthians 12

in verses 1-6 which I am not going to read
Paul talks about a great vision he had 14 years earlier

but he is not talking about the vision
because he wants to encourage people to have visions
in fact, he kept silent about the vision for 14 years
he brings up the vision to teach
about suffering and pain

verse 7
“a thorn in the flesh”

the word “thorn”
actually means “stake” or sharpened wooden shaft
although sometimes used for thorns
the image seems to be
a man impaled by a stake
rather than a thorn in his foot
a thorn could imply something small
a stake is serious suffering

we do not know what Paul’s thorn was
there has been much conjecture:
epilepsy, headaches, a human enemy, great persecution,
sexual temptations, other temptations, eye problems, malarial fever,
Malta fever, depression, gout, rheumatism, gastritis, leprosy,
tooth infection, speech impediments, etc.

it could have been any of these things
or none of them
but many of you have your own thorns or stakes in your flesh
they come in many different ways
physical pain, emotional pain,
besetting temptations, relationship problems

Paul also calls it a
“messenger of Satan”
It comes from Satan
but is permitted by God for his purpose
to keep Paul from being conceited
(sounds similar to Job)

Afflictions in our lives come from Satan but God allows them,
part of his will and plan of good for us

God often allows these afflictions
to keep us from becoming proud

verse 8

Have you been there?

Have you pleaded with God to save you from something?
Sometimes he did.
Sometimes he did not.

Have you pleaded repeatedly and the pain did not go away?
Did you feel like God had failed you? was holding out on you?

verse 9
Here is the answer that Paul receives
to his prayer:

“I am not taking away your thorn
Instead I am giving you grace and that is sufficient for you
in fact, you need this weakness
because my power is made perfect only when you are in weakness”

because this is the answer Paul received
he said he now boasts gladly about his weakness:
announce it publicly

because he sees that it is in this weakness
that Christ’s power rests on him

God uses suffering
to work through us with great power

God’s power works through our weakness
just as his power worked through the weakness of Jesus on the Cross

we should not be ashamed of our weaknesses and illnesses
we should boast about them,
announce them to all,
because this draw attention to our own poverty
and gives all the glory to God

verse 10
Paul is content in these things
weaknesses, insults, afflictions

because when he is weak, then he is strong
because only then does God work in him in power

he humiliates us through times of suffering
because the man who knows he is weak,
only he can be strong in Christ.

he heals us by breaking us,
by emptying us of self-confidence
and leaving us with only confidence in God.

only then can the power of God
which is stronger than men work through us

Church: What’s the point? (VI)

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2.4.07

1. The church is to be a community of brothers and sisters
who love one another
before the world

John 13:34-35

“love one another” is a different command from
love your neighbor, enemies, strangers
love in community, brotherly love

One of the primary ways we witness to the world
is by loving one another in community

When we live in a real family and love one another,
the world will take note.

this community love will bear witness to Jesus
before the world

2. The church is to be a community that offers spiritual sacrifices to God

Hebrews 13:15-16

“through him” is in the emphatic position
we offer sacrifices to God through him
not through a priest or temple

we offer spiritual sacrifices to God
that are pleasing to God (vs.16)

there are two kinds of spiritual sacrifices

*
First sacrifice is praise to God
the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name
these are words that we speak
we offer to God words

we speak praises to God continually
not only in a Sunday service
but at all times and under all circumstances

acknowledging Jesus Christ before men
this is our duty to God

we are to speak his praises in community before other believers
this will strengthen our brothers and sisters

but we are also to speak these praises before the world
this will bear witness to Jesus Christ

*
Second sacrifice is
doing good to others
and sharing what you have

we do good to and share with
both fellow believers
and unbelievers

when we do good to others
this is a spiritual sacrifice offered to God

this is what God wants from us
this is how we worship him
honor him

4. The church is to be a community
where sinners can speak openly their sins
and find forgiveness and help

James 5:16

Many people hide their sins because churches
live in lies and hypocrisy pretending everyone is good

Churches become a places where you do not actually speak your sin.
People hide their sin.
Many Christians are left alone with their sin
cut off from the community.

This causes us all to live in lies and hypocrisy.
It also leaves us without help and prayers.

Hidden sin will suck all the life out of you.
You will become isolated and sin will destroy you.

We must be a church where sinners can speak openly their sin
and find forgiveness and help.

When you confess your sin, you give up all self-justification.
You speak truthfully what you are.
It is a humiliation, in admission of our emptiness and evil.
An admission that we really do need Jesus!
Everything begins there.

Jesus then forgives and works in us by his Spirit.
A real break with the past is made.

*
John Wesley is famous for starting hundreds of discipleship groups.
He said that he did it in obedience to
James 5:16

in his own words “a company of men having the form
and seeking the power of godliness, united in order to pray together,
to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love,
that they may help each other to work out their salvation.”

between 5 to 20 in a group
under the direction of a lay leader
They met weekly in the evening (did not miss services on Sunday)
The purpose was mutual confession of sin
and accountability for growth in holiness

Imagine if we had groups of people in our church
that met weekly for confession of sin
but also loved one another daily.

Imagine if they made this commitment to the others:
I commit to love you, serve you, do good to you, confess my sins to you, pray for you, bear your burdens, forgive you, exhort you, build you up, stir you up to good works, submit to you, act humbly toward you, live at peace with you, sing praises and thanksgiving to you, and eat the Lord’s Supper with you.

Several such groups have already formed at the initiative of the people.

Let me challenge you to consider forming such a group
with brothers and sisters in this church.
Form these bonds with others, not just to meet once a week,
but to daily minister to one another.