Saturday, October 24, 2015

The Church Has Left the Building Sermon Notes: Living Outside Yourself


Living Outside Yourself                            10/25/15

Acts 9:1-31

 

Living Outside:  Assumptions, Barriers, Fears, Materialism, Conflict, Rejection

 

Today:  Outside Yourself

          --putting God first

          --understanding who you are in light of what God has spoken

                You are a son or daughter of the King of kings.

                You are redeemed by Jesus Christ.

                You are a temple where the Holy Spirit dwells.

                We belong to God.

What lessons do we learn from the disciple Ananias?

1.  vs 10   He was a disciple

2.  vs 10   He is close enough to God that he responds when God calls

3.  vs 11   God has a specific job for him, one that involves details.

4.  vs 12   The person Ananias is to help is being prepared for his visit

5.  vs 13-14 Ananias’ excuses are very rational and reasonable

6.  vs 15   God the Father responds with “Go!”

7.  vs 15-16  There is a reason that Ananias is to help.

8.  vs 17   Ananias did what God commanded him to do.

9.  vs 17   Ananias announces in prayer the exact way that God will work

10. vs 18  Saul is helped because Ananias listened and obeyed.

11. vs 19  Saul’s life is restored and renewed because he listened to God.

 

Romans 14:  The Truth About Moving Outside of Yourself:

We are servants of God and will stand by God’s strength (1-4)

We live to the Lord (7-8)

We will be judged by God (9-12)

We should live our faith with our brothers and sisters in mind (13-15)

We should make every effort to work for peace and mutual edification (19)

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Church Has Left the Building Sermon Notes: Living Outside Rejection


Living Outside Rejection                                                10/18/15

Isaiah 53, Acts 8:26-40


Living Outside:   Assumptions, Barriers, Fears, Materialism, Conflict


Rejection:    from the Latin, (the act of throwing back)

Medically, when a transplant or graft is rejected by the immune system of the host body.  It is a failure on the body’s part.

Dismissing or refusing of a proposal or idea, or spurning of human affections

Reject (verb):  to refuse to take, have, recognize.  To refuse to grant.  To rebuff, cast out, discard as useless or unsatisfactory.

 Eunuch rejected  (Acts)

Jesus rejected  (Isaiah)

Jesus, the stone rejected by the builders, becomes our cornerstone of faith (Psalm 118:22,  mt 21:42, I Peter 2:7)

Philip does not reject the voice of God

          Consider the definitions of reject in light of when the Spirit speaks

          The length that Philip goes to reach this person.

          Philip’s obedience leads to a person’s salvation.

          Our response to not reject God’s will and call:

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

            Hebrews 12:25-29

Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”[ 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. 28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.

Doing right will lead to some rejection

          Matthew 5:11
 
          Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
          against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for
          the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

James 1:2, 12:  Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance…blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised for those who love him.

Hebrews 12:2-3  Let us fix our eyes on  Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

 How Do We Live Outside Rejection?

          Be confident in the Lord, and how Scripture defines you.

          Acknowledge that God is Redeemer

          Don’t give too much power to any human being.

          Do your best.

          Be faithful, persevere.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Church Has Left the Building Sermon Notes: Living Outside Conflict


Living Outside Conflict                                    10.11.15

5th in The Church Has Left the Building series

Living Outside:

Assumptions, Barriers, Fears, Materialism, Conflict


Conflict (Websters): from the latin, conflictus: act of striking together

Fight, battle

Competitive or opposing actions of incompatibility

 
Two Chinese characters for crisis:   danger and opportunity

(H. Halverstadt, Managing Church Conflict)

“Church conflicts present us simultaneously with a danger of 

  divisiveness/disintegration and an opportunity for

  wholeness/reconciliation.” Pg 4

 
The Early Deacons  (Acts 6:1-7)

          *qualifications are:  Full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom

          *The opportunity that arises out of conflict

          *The opportunity allowed everyone to use their gifts

          *Out of conflict, growth

                   --word of God spread

                   --the numbers increased

                   --the priests obeyed

 

Service according to our Lord Jesus (Matthew 20:20-28)

          We find conflict in the mother’s request and the disciples’ reaction

          Jesus teaches that service is truly a different, counter-cultural way--

                   “the gentiles lord it over”

          Service is what pleases the Lord  (story from Bible Study)

          Service is how we become like Jesus Christ

 

Titusville’s story of Tithing to the Deacon’s work

Stockton’s story of the Shop Rite cards for mission work


FOR TITUSVILLE:  Three Models of how the tithe/shop rite contributions could be used.

          --These models comprised of my ideas, to model some amazing

 positive change you could bring into the world.

          --board will make their own decisions,

         

Model #1:             $5000                   (cautious, loosely 3% of 2014 income)

          Would support:

                   3 Compassion International Child Sponsorships,  $1300

                   West Trenton Community Center                        1200

                   Deacon Grant Requests                                        2000

                   Heifer International                                              500

 

Model #2              $10,000      (attainable, 6% of 2014 income)

          Would support:

                   6 Compassion sponsorships                             $2600

                   West Trenton Community Center                       2400

                   Deacon Grant Requests                                       2000

                   Heifer International                                              1200

                             (1 sheep & 4 chickens for one family in each continent)

                   10 Business Starter Loans in Emerging nations      1000

                             (loans through World Vision are paid forward)

                   Operation Christmas Child                                  800

 

Model #3              $15,700      (10% of 2014 income)

          Would support:

                   10 Compassion sponsorships                          $4400

                   West Trenton Community Center                      4100

                   Deacon Grants                                                    2000

                   Heifer International                                            1200

                   10 Business Starter Loans                                  1000

                   Operation Christmas Child                                1000

                   Mission Trip to Bahamas        Support                        2000

                  

                  

What were the Biblical qualifications listed in Acts 6 for being a Deacon?

          Being filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom

 

 

 

FOR STOCKTON

Three Models of how the tithe/shop rite contributions could be used.

            --These models comprised of my ideas, to model some amazing

 positive change you could bring into the world.

          --board will make their own decisions,

          --The church receives 5% of value of Shop Rite and Giant food cards

          --$ Numbers based on $20 per day spent on groceries

          --percentage of families participating based on those who meet

             location and at least 1 attendance in the last year)

         

Model #1:             $5000                   (1/3 of families participating)

          Would support:

                   3 Compassion International Child Sponsorships,  $1300

                   Heifer International                                               1200

                             (1 sheep & 4 chickens for one family in each continent)

                   Hunterdon Interfaith Outreach Council                500

                             (offsets winter fuel bills for low income)

                   School Supplies for Jason School                        1000

                   Operation Christmas Child                                  1000

                  

Model #2              $10,000      (just under 2/3’s participation)

          Would support:

                   6 Compassion sponsorships                             $2600

                   Heifer International (2 families per continent)        2400

                   Hunterdon Interfaith Outreach Council               1000

                   Operation Christmas Child                                  1000

                   School Supplies for Jason School                        1000          

                   10 Business Starter Loans in Emerging nations      1000

                             (loans through World Vision are paid forward)

                   Lambertville Food Pantry                                    1000

                   

Model #3              $14,000      (“100%”* participation)

          Would support:

                   10 Compassion sponsorships                          $4400

                   Heifer International (3 families per continent)       3600

                   $1000 each for OCC, Jason School, HOIC,                 5000

                             Starter Loans, Food Pantry

                   World Vision Gift Catalog opportunities           1000

                             (would buy one year of clean water for one family,

                             Medicines, US School supplies, 15 fruit trees and seeds

                              for 3 families)

 

*Your friends and neighbors can buy Shop Rite/Giant cards to support the furtherance of the Good news of Jesus Christ.  As long as we can grow the program, we will never reach 100% participation.

                  

What were the Biblical qualifications listed in Acts 6 for being a Deacon?

          Being filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom

Church Has Left the Building Sermon Notes: Living Outside Materialism


Living Outside Materialism                              10.4.15

4th in The Church Has Left the Building series

 
1.     Use Your prayers for truly important prayers   (Joshua 7)

          What is wrong with Joshua’s prayer?

                    Assumes a step back/difficulty is a reverse of God’s decision

                   It questions that God’s expressed intent for Israel was/is not

                             good

                   It brings forth the impossible folly that God’s name will be

                             wiped from the earth

         

          What is the Lord’s response to Joshua’s prayer?

                   Stand up!  (they had been in a position of humble prayer)

                   Israel didn’t obey me, and has stolen, lied, hoarded

                   Israel has made themselves liable to destruction.

                             (your own worst enemy)

                   Make it right.                

 

2.     Live simply in speech and action      Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

 

3.     Don’t lie to God.  Acts 4:32-5:11

 

Ananias and Sapphira died because they conspired against the Spirit.

                   God will not be defeated by any conspiracy.

                   The people had just prayed as to why do the nations conspire?                         
                   In this story, God had to clear out what was in the way.

                             --Ananias means “God is gracious”

                             --Sapphira means “beautiful”

                   May we pay attention, and live up to, the meaning of our names.

Great fear in the church. 

Last week:  the fear of the Lord draws you closer.  Any other fear separates you. 

Great fear that comes from this story redirects the people back to proper obedience, as well as healing, spreading of the word, servanthood and the growth of the church.  This is how they were living before the conspiracy story.

Church Has Left the Building Sermon Notes: Living Outside Our Fears


Living Outside Our Fears                                            9/27/15

Acts 4:1-31, II Corinthians 7:5-7

3rd in The Church Has Left the Building sermon series

 

Called to Live Outside our---Assumptions, Barriers, Fears

 

Fear:  unpleasant strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of

             danger

Profound reverence or awe of God

 

Fear of the Lord:

          Proverbs 1:7         :   The beginning of wisdom

          Ecclesiastes 12:13:   the whole duty of humankind

          Luke 12:5:  fear the One who has power over body and soul

 

Don’t Fear:

          Psalm 23:4: evil  (Acts 5 story of Gamaleil)

          Psalm 27:1, 56:4, Proverbs 29:25:  humans, this fear is ensnaring

          Psalm 46:1:  the ways of nature

          Isaiah 51:7:  the reproach of people (fault finding, disapproval)

 

What We Feel:

          Psalm 91:5:  God’s strength in the midst of difficulty

          Isaiah 41:10:  God’s help in the midst of rejection

          Isaiah 43:1:  God’s redemption in the midst of our distance

          I John 4:17:  God’s love overcoming our fear, and its punishment

          Hebrews 2:15:  Christ’s saving power for those enslaved by fear of

                                  death

         

What Morning Scriptures Suggest for Living Outside Our Fears:

Acts:           --4:9            The Apostles knew what they did

                   --4:10                   Have their answer prepared, simple explanation

                   --4:14                   Let the story speak for itself   

                   --4:19                   Obey God, and when possible, people

                   --4:24                   prayer aware of God’s will and God’s word

                   --4:31                   being in community

 

II Corinthians:    --We are never in a perfect situation

                             --You are comfort

                   --Staying on message alleviates fears and moves us to

                      Faith