Sermon Title | Series Title (3)

Welcome! I’m Devin

ABOUT TCLA: Why are we called The Commons LA? When we started the church 3 years ago, we embraced the name The ‘Commons’ knowing that as a part of city planning over the last centuries the name was used for a central location where people could gather. Same with universities. A place where the common interests for the city or university could be shared and pursued and celebrated. As “The Commons LA”, we are not marked by four walls that bound us, but by what we are centered on— rather “who” we are centered on- the presence and power of Jesus Christ! We are a community for anyone to come and taste and see the love of Jesus.

TCLA Line: 424-242-8110 for CONNECT & Q&A

Pre-sermon announcement

Open to text for sermon

We open the scriptures each week because we need to hear from God’s word what Jesus has done to right our relationship with God through the gospel, how grace transforms us to live immersed in the life of God, and how God invites us to participate in His peace bringing work in the world.

Current Series Summary: “The Prophets: God’s heart for a broken world”.

HUGE BENEFITS TO THIS SERIES:

Biblical Justice: See God’s heart for justice + understand the biblical pursuit of justice in the world. But like we probably feel listening to the narratives going on in culture, the prophets are complicated. Delbert Hillers, a 20th Cen OT scholar said, “The books of Israel’s prophets are probably among the most difficult books ever written.” We need to brace ourselves for the hard work of excavation.

Biblical Literacy: Skipped over quarter of the bible! We need the prophets in our day. The prophets were about renewal: Moving from ritual based religion to relational presence with God. We read the scriptures as if God did something amazing way back in history but we settle for a lesser version of Christianity here and now. That’s not a biblical way to read the Bible! Who were prophets? Three formal offices in ancient Israel: Priests mediated for God’s people, Kings ruled over God’s people, and Prophets spoke God’s words to His people. The prophets were called by God to address the propensity for His people to drift away from deep and dependent relationship with him. "Do you want to see revival in Los Angeles and at UCLA?" yes! Then we need to allow the word of God by the Spirit of God to bring humbling conviction to US. The scary truth is, we might not want more of God if we won't receive God's word with humble submission. My deep ambition is that this series will tenderize our hearts to the word of God, to see the glorious cost of getting more of God and realize that it is ALWAYS WORTH IT. The prophets call us back into the fullness of God’s PRESENCE to serve in the magnitude of God’s POWER!

Short Prayer

Let’s think about it.

Point 1

About Isaiah:

Isaiah 6:1-

Vision of God, conviction, confession, purification, & commissioning.

Ch 1-39: Isaiah is writing to his contemporaries and calling them to a be a generation who repent from ritualistic religiosity and return to the relational presence of God- he doesn’t want your sacrifices alone, He wants your very heart! They were separating their faith in God from their hearts and their treatment of others. Isaiah sees the Assyrian armies threatening the northern kingdom of Israel. Ch 40-66: Isaiah sees the future threat to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, that Babylon will come and conquer the southern kingdom (see ch 36-39). Isaiah is writing to a future generation who will be taken into Exile- he can see a later day, he can see it, and he’s writing down what they are gonna need.

Point 2

“There is an end to God’s discipline, but there is no end to God’s comfort.” Ray Ortlund

Takeaway:

PRAY to End

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What stood out to you in the text or teaching?

Which are you more prone to use to avoid communion with God: religious performance or serving others?

Q&A

Response

Prayer: Message TCLA user Mens/Womens prayer

Ministry: Embrace the Presence & Power of God

Praise God in Song

Announcements:

Continue in worship: Giving (stewardship/mission/budget).

MP interest meeting after the gathering!

Baptisms NEXT WEEK’s gathering at the beach in Santa Monica!

BENEDICTION:

Scripture

Commissioning