Church Arise

Welcome

Announcements

Just Started our New Reformation Study this morning. Join us next week

We started a new phase in our Puritan Study last Wednesday. We looked at the forming of the Westminster Confession, and this week we begin to look at specific theological aspects of Puritan thought.

Starting Next Sunday I will begin my first special series as we spend 6 weeks exploring The 5 Solas of the Reformation. Learning how it was that the faith that we practice today was rediscovered through trial and turmoil beginning 504 years ago. This will culminate in a Reformation Day Celebration on the evening of Oct 31st. 504 years after Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the castle door in Vittenburg.

Our farmers market concludes this Saturday, the 25th of Sept. So come out and support our vendors. On Oct 10th, we will be inviting all the vendors to join us for worship, and then having a potluck dinner as a means of thanks to all of them. So plan for dinner after church that day.

Prepare for Worship

Call To Worship

Scripture

Matthew 16:13–20 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Song - pg 19 - To God be The Glory

Confession

Prayer of Confession

Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open to us a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image, through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen

Assurance of Faith

Listen now to the comforting assurance of hte grace of God, promised in the Gospel to all who repent and believe; if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. AMEN.

Catechism

Q. 8. How doth God execute his decrees?

A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.

Q. 9. What is the work of creation?

A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.

Last time we reviewed the catechism questions, we asked the question

Q. 7. What are the decrees of God? A. The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

Now we describe how it is that God executes those decrees. It is through His creation of this world, and everything in it. His ongoing acts of creation in each of us, and in His providence (which means the work He does in the world by which he provides all things to us). We remember today that we do not serve a God that created, set all things in motion, and sits back waiting to react to our actions, but rather is active and present in all places, at all times, and is surprised by nothing that happens. We serve a God with a perfect plan for all eternity. We serve a God that has a specific purpose for our being here and now in this place at this time.

So join us now as we worship that God.

Worship

Song 1 - Pg 177 In Christ Alone

Song 2 - pg 353 O Church Arise

Prayers of the People

Prayer Request

Lords Prayer: Found on the back cover of the Westminster Hand out

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy

kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us

this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our

debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.

Church Arise

Review of Ephesians

Written by Paul to the church at Ephesus, or all the churches in Asia minor

Written around 60 AD while Paul was in prison

About 30 years after Christ

Written to people that were not Jewish, Gentiles, people who came to faith in a Messiah that they did not have any clue was coming, or was needed.

What is Paul trying to communicate to the reader?

May be more of a sermon, than a letter.

Wants to impart to these gentile believers their importance in God’s plan

Provide direction for their lives

Ephesians 1 Recap

We see a synopsis of the Gospel

Highlighting the Trinity

Highly focused on the sovereignty of God in all things including salvation

Assuring the reader of the victory of Christ over all things

Ephesians 2 recap

Begins with a reminder that we are not worthy of this place of honor

Tells us how we are saved in such a lowly state

Then assures us that we are not alone, one with Christ, one with one another

Where is this book going? What was the purpose of the letter?

Begins with telling us the nature of the one in charge

How he is pulling us together

And then tells us how to operate, individually, as families, and as the body of christ

Prepares us for battle

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Paul is telling them that they are the church, and He provides them with an understanding of the nature of that church

Of Church - State, Family, and Building

Paul tells them of their inclusion

inclusion in the Kingdom, in the family of God, and in the forming of a temple for God

He is speaking of the Church that in the last chapter we saw as part of Jesus’s body, under which all enemies would be defeated.

A State

Citizenry

The people of A God had always been a state

up to this point only ethnic Jews

Paul says because Jesus broke down the wall of hostility, that part of the law that separated jew from gentile, now one body

Ecclesia

What is the nature of the church really?

“Called Out” Etymylogicla Fallacy

Ecclessia was a governing body, a city-state function

Group that formed military’s, decided strategy

Sought the best for the citizens of the city

Jesus introduces the concept of Church, in Matt 16:13-19

Matthew 16:13–19 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus saw the church as a militant force

Family of God

This church is populated by the family, members of the household of God

In chapter 1 we are told we are adopted into the family

The church is family. Great benefits, and great problems

A Building

We are told we as a family, as citizens of this kingdom, of this church are being fashioned onto a structure. A structure with a purpose.

We are a dwelling place for God

Eden, the tabernacle, the temple, the holy of holies

But we are building that is not yet completed, a building that is still under construction

the stones are being fashioned one by one today

Something under construction needs a builder, The holy Spirit, does the labor, active agent

The Foundation of the Church

A building must be well designed. Must include a firm foundation.

Paul says apostles and prophets are foundation, and Jesus is the chief cornerstone.

The Prophets

The Prophets of the Old Testament laid the initial groundwork

They provided the means by which people could see that a building would soon go up

They provided a specific timeline for the start of construction, Isaiah

They provided the code by which construction must happen, Law of Moses, prophecy

The Apostles

NT apostles are the first stones laid to build this structure.

They translated the code into usable plans for us.

All of these stones were laid in perfect alignment to the cornerstone.

Doctrinal purity- this building must be built according to its purpose - a dwelling place for God. Must be done soundly,

The Chief Cornerstone

Jesus sets the mark by which all stones must be constructed. They must all align with Him. Uneven buildings fall down

In Matthew we saw that Jesus announced the building project, and gave it a mission statement.

He said He would build this church, He is the chief Architect, defining every stone, every facet of every corner of the building.

The Church Arise

We are being Built

The Spirit is the chief builder. He is working out he architects plan. And doing so perfectly

Fashioning the whole of the Church into a worthy dwelling place for God. Magnificent structure for God to dwell

Building nations

We must not stick to the metaphor so much we miss the rest of the text however.

Not merely stones at rest.

We are citizens of a nation, a nation of family members. Special privilege with membership in family, also special responsibilities.

We are citizens of a Kingdom, a Kingdom with a real King. A King who gave us a mission.

Weak Stones, Weak Structure

Must grow in strength. Fashioning Bricks not raw stones from the river.

Stronger when we are perfectly aligned and resting on the cornerstone.

The overall structure is made stronger by stronger building materials, stronger when we are reinforced by surrounding stones as well.

We were saved to good works, set before time

Conclusion

Paul is encouraging the church at Ephesus (Asia Minor). Showing them their miraculous inclusion in the family of God, the Kingdom of God

Paul is clear in Ephesians that the church is missional, and in the end of the book we will find out that we are militant. The church is not merely a restful place where we seek comfort and fellowship, though it is those things. It is the place we gather to prepare for war, the place we come to heal our battle wounds, and the place where we find out what our mission is.

Over the next six weeks we will hear about the doctrinal principals undergirding the Reformation which began 504 years ago. We will see men of God, who understood their role in the building up of the church. The necessity to align with the cornerstone.

We must seek the courage today to do the same, no matter what the cost. Like a building that is built brick upon brick, a family that is built child by child, or a nation that grows by conquering its enemies one by one and claiming back land that is rightfully theirs. We as a church must rise, we must fulfill that part of the building of the house of God that is ours, by seeking out and following the guidance of the chief builder.

Doxology

Closing Prayer

If anyone has any questions or concerns feel free to catch me afterwards. And a quick reminder we do have plates in the back for anyone who desires to worship through giving today. The plate to the right is general giving, and the one to the left is specific for our missions giving.

Join us as we sing the doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.