Uncomfortable Facts

Intro

PRAYER

God our father in heaven we pray that as we gather to look at some uncomfortable facts this morning, we ask that you would gather us to yourself. You have called us to die to ourselves so we pray that you might help us to do that even now this very hour. Let us hear your word as YOUR WORD not mans opinion. Help us to understand that not everything your Bible says is going to be easy to understand or even accept and yet it is YOUR WORD and therefore must be not only accepted but cherished and heralded unashamedly. As you are opposed to the proud and yet giving grace to the humble let us all then humble ourselves under your Holy Word this morning. Grant us understanding through your Holy Spirit, gifted to us through the power of Christ as He purchased us for you by his death burial and resurrection. In His name we do pray. Amen

Message

He is the authority.

Revelation 1:8 ESV

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Matthew 28:18 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.” - Jeremiah Burroughs

The Authority of God / Christ

God is God… You are not

Love of Personal Autonomy is the original sin

The Authority of Scripture

2 Tim 3.16 “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

2 Pet 1.20-21 “20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

1 Cor 2.12-13 “12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “We should not interpret Scripture in the light of our experiences, but we should examine our experiences in the light of the teaching of Scripture.”

The Authority of The Church Community

If we join a community we are part of the community even the uncomfortable parts

community is uncomfortable in a mind your business culture

community is a gift and a guardrail

Matt 18:15-20 = Church discipline V17 the church

The Authority of Church Leaders

Apostles

Elders / Deacons

1 Co 12.28 “28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.”

1 Th 5:12-13 “12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.”

1 Tim 3.1-13.

James 3.1 “1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

Heb 13.17 “17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

1 Pet 5.1-3 “1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”

He is the authority… God is God and we are not… He rules and reigns… He does not ask for our permission… He does not need our approval… He is the ultimate, the alpha and omega… He is our authority and that is just an uncomfortable fact !!

His word is truth.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

“We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.” - John Stott

The Supernatural

Invisible, all powerful, eternal, omnipresent being that created us in, sustains us, oversees us collectively as well as guides us personally…

Mystery food from the sky (Ex. 16:14–35) and water from a rock (Ex. 17:5–7)

Aaron’s staff turning into a snake (Ex. 7:10–12) and later blossoming and producing almonds (Num. 17:1–11)

Days longer than twenty-four hours because “the sun stood still” (Josh. 10:12–14)

Three men survive standing in a blazing fire (Dan. 3:10–27)

A man survives being swallowed by a big fish (Jonah 2:1–10)

A man has a conversation with a talking donkey (Num. 22:21–35)

Mary, a virgin, becomes pregnant with the Son of God (Luke 1:34–38)

Jesus heals blind people (Matt. 9:27–31), deaf people (Mark 7:31–37), and lepers (Luke 17:11–19), to name a few

Jesus walks on water (Matt. 14:25; Mark 6:48; John 6:19)

Jesus turns five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food for five thousand people (Matt. 14:15–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17; John 6:1–14)

Jesus raises people from the dead (Mark 5:23–42; Luke 7:11–18; John 11:38–44)

Jesus raises himself from the dead (Matt. 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–10)

The Exclusivity

Only One God

Only One Way

Only One Truth

Only One Authority

Objective Morality

The Ten Commandments

Jesus’ Exposition over these Commands

Gender and Sexuality

Two biological genders only

God - created and celebrates our bodies and sexuality

Christian sexual contact, different then the world

Sexuality is not a private matter

Sex outside of marriage is never ok

Sexual immorality includes thoughts, words, and deeds

pursuit or practice outside of this is sin and dishonors God

Race, Ethnicity and Diversity

One Race Only - Human

Value human life in all contexts

Elderly | Incarcerated | Disabled | Unborn

By God’s grace there are diverse cultures and ethnicities, to be celebrated

Christ’s Call to DIVERSITY for His glory!!

His Word is Truth, not a truth, not my truth, The Truth… Sometimes this truth is offensive.... Sometimes this truth is controversial… Sometimes this truth is hard to understand or believe… His word is truth and that is just an uncomfortable fact !!

Close

This is what we’re committed to.

2 Timothy 4:1–2 ESV

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

“The Church is the beloved bride of Jesus, church is not His hobby; it is His marriage—and it’s ours too.” - Sam Allberry

We can’t accept some of scripture and not all of it.

We can’t have Jesus without the church.

Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community 13 Uncomfortable Commitment

Our real choice is this: Do we want to be plugged into the life-blood and energy of the body, or do we want to cut ourselves off from this body, lying inert somewhere as a severed finger or amputated leg? The upside of being a severed finger is, you don’t have to bother with cooperating with the other fingers, annoying as they are. The downside is, you can’t really do anything, and you have no biological connection to the neuron signals coming from the head.

We are a people of covenant not comfort.

I believe that every Christian ought to be joined to some visible Church—that is his plain duty according to the Scriptures. God’s people are not dogs, otherwise they might go about one by one. They are sheep and, therefore, they should be in flocks.

Charles Spurgeon

I am commited to confidence in the gospel rather than compromising to the consumer.

I am commited to leading with, rather than apologizing for, the offense of the cross.

I am commited to raising the bar for this flock rather than lowering it, calling you to Jesus-like holiness rather than affirming your “personal autonomy”.

I am commited to joyfully building an uncomfortable church?

Will you commit to joining and sticking with this church, not because it is a perfect fit for you but because it is fitting you to become more like Jesus? Will you commit to looking at church not in terms of what you can get but what you can give, considering how your presence with the body might encourage others and stir them to love and good works? Will you embrace the awkwardness and inconvenience and uncool costliness of the uncomfortable commitment to Christ, His Word, and His Church?

His Word is Truth… He is the Authority… Will you be commited to this uncomfortable fact !!??

PRAYER

Group Questions

Share a story of a time when you had a problem submitting to an authority figure in your life.

Looking back now what (if anything) would you have done differently? Why?

Look at Ephesians 5:22-33 how would you describe authority in the home based off of this text?

What are some ways you can think of that this text gets disobeyed/abused?

What is the biggest struggle to you personally in this text? Why?

How does this translate into the context of the local church?

1 Co 12:28; 1 Th 5:12-13; James 3:1; Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 5:1-3 all have to do with church leadership and authority. What others might you add?

In your opinion how do the above texts fit together with the section in 1 Tim 3:1-13?

Should church leadership be/function differently today then it did back then? If so why and how? If not why not?

This sermon covered some hot button issues. Which was most uncomfortable for you to sit though and why?

Commitment to the local body of believers is so very important. Have you seen/been hurt by this commitment in the past? Share with the group what happened.

How can you be more commited to this body of believers?

How can we as a church foster growing in commitment to one another?