What We Believe - Now What___ Celebrating a Big Change in th
Secular:
Somethings radically change our lives…
- When a new baby comes into our home
- When we sleep… if we sleep
- Priorities… planning
- When and where we can go…
- Can we go at all…
- When we eat…
- When we get married…
- When we sleep… if we sleep
- Priorities… planning
- When and where we can go…
- Can we go at all…
- When we eat…
- When our children become teens
- When we sleep… if we sleep
- Priorities… planning
- When and where we can go…
- Can we go at all…
- When we eat
Now what… We are celebrating a big change in the world…
The birth of the Lord Jesus rocked the world…
Wise Men… changed their travel plans…
Kings… fretted their future
Shepherds… worldview had been shattered by angels
Mary and Joseph have a child to care for…
The World has a Saviour… the Messiah…
When such a historical event happens…
- The Saviour coming into the world…
- Or the Saviour coming into yours…
- Things change…
- They have to…
- To have truly experienced Christ… throughout history has changed the lives He has touched…
- Paul’s words…
- Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.Something this immense… awesome… life changing… the promise of eternity… the recognition of the Majesty and Deity of Christ… the Hope of Salvation… command a change… one to be preserved… encouraged and enhanced…
- Paul’s charge to Timothy…
Biblical:
1 Timothy 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.
Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
- The dramatic events of Christmas…
- The love demonstrated by God
- By bringing about not only the birth in a stable…
- But in the climax of human history at the death, burial, resurrection and glorious ascension of Christ…
- All demand a change…
Personal:
- In our journey through our Statement of Faith
- Every week I talked about putting it into practice…
- True belief is knowledge that changes the way we behave or live our life…
- Just as a belief in Christmas morning tradition of presenting giving affects a child’s ability to sleep…
- So does the reality of Christ and the truth of Scripture change the way we live…
Bridge:
- Truth changes us…
- And we need to live changed lives…
- In the weeks ahead… from next week until May we are going to study the Gospel according to John…
- John is very focused on the person of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God and His Deity… truth that will can you!!
- And we need to live changed lives…
Body:
How we live personally:
1 Timothy 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.
- What we believe should not be taken for granted…
- Pay close attention
- To yourself…
- How you live
- Reflects what you believe
- Testimony to the Body
- Testimony to whom you serve
- You are a witness to truth or a witness to lies…
- Dramatic events… the birth of Christ
- Dramatic love… the Love of God
- Dramatic outcomes… death burial and resurrection…
- Dramatically change our lives…
- To what you teach
- What you share
- Directs others or misleads others
- Declares the truth of God…
- Or Declares the lies of Satan
- Dramatic truth… changes our heart
- Dramatic love… changes our commitment
- How we live personally affects the world in which we live!!
- “…for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
- The strength of truth… a life lived as a testimony to truth… lessons taught in truth… knowledge lived to declare our belief… lives that echo the truth… point to Salvation in Jesus Christ…
- Live the message clearly…
- Declare it boldly…
How we live personally:
How we live corporately:
Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
- Faithfulness to the truth… corporately… (Continually)….
- The apostle’s teaching…
- Just because we are here… doesn’t mean we drop our guard… but grow and test…
- Paul warned…
- 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
- It is our job to protect the inheritance entrusted to the church… the Word of God… the Testimony of our Saviour… the Mission of Christ… the Hope for Eternity
- The truth of Scripture!!
- Living in community… * (Nature of preserving one’s culture… China Town… Little Italy… communities based on lifestyle…)
- We are the Church… gathered around the Love of Christ, the Truth of Scripture…
- It gives us our Worldview…
- Preserved through Fellowshipping… Breaking Bread… Teaching… Growing…
- Spread by embracing the Mission… to introduce people to the truth and love of Christ…
- 1 Thessalonians 2:3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.
If the Church of Jesus Christ is truly the “Hope of the World”… Then we must cherish that Hope and stay pure to that Hope… and lives of testimony to that hope…
How we live corporately:
Passion and Obedience:
A recognition of the Truth… that began before the foundations of the Earth… In a promise given to through the prophets… to the King of kings born in a manger… to his puncihment at the hands of his enemies, to his death on cross to his glorious resurrection and ascension… Our commitment to Truth… personally and corporately means that we will be dedicated these truth and the truth of the Word of God. And committed to living and declaring it…
The Church… the hope of the world!!
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.