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  • Nothing Is Impossible with God

    Nothing Is Impossible with God
    2025/11/30

    Luke 1:26-37 – Matthew 1:18-25

    Holy Night – Part One

    Again and again in the Old Testament, God promises a broken and pained world that he will send a Messiah — that is, a Deliverer — to start to renew and restore all things.

    Genesis 3:15

    Isaiah 9:1-7

    Micah 5:1-4

    Because the coming of the Messiah was a long time coming, it was easy for God’s people to start to think of it as an impossibility. Most scholars agree that by the time we enter the period of the New Testament, nearly 400 years had passed since the last messianic promise had been given by God — and the Messiah still hadn’t come.

    Two messages that broke the 400-year silence — the angels’ messages to Mary (Luke 1:26-37) and Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)

    Luke 1:26-37 – Matthew 1:18-25

    I. The coming of the Messiah, Jesus, was never to be thought of as an impossibility, because all things had already been proven possible for God.

    Today marks the beginning of Advent:

    (1) the word “advent” means “coming,”

    (2) the season of Advent, which leads up to Christmas Day and includes four Sundays, is a time to reflect on the coming of Jesus to begin to renew and restore a broken and pained world,

    (3) it’s also a time to look ahead to when Jesus will come again to finish the renewing and restorative work he started at Christmas.

    God has indeed promised the Messiah, Jesus, will come again:

    Matthew 24 & 25 John 1 & 2 1 Thessalonians & 2 Thessalonians Revelation

    Because the second coming of Jesus has been a long time coming, it’s easy for us to start to think of it as an impossibility.

    As we consider what Joseph & Mary may have been thinking, we may also be experiencing doubt, distraction, or discouragement such as: “Maybe the powers of the world hold too much power for Jesus to topple them. Maybe the powers beyond this world hold too much power. Maybe we’ve sinned too much, and we’re undeserving. Maybe too much is needed by way of miracles to pull this off.”

    II. The second coming of Jesus is never to be thought of as an impossibility, because all things have already been proven possible for God.

    This is a time leading up to Christmas Day to remember the coming of Jesus. It’s a time to remember how his coming brought about a great turning point for the world. The world had been hounded by hopelessness, shame, great sadness, and the coldness of self-concern and self-preservation, and his coming caused a great turning toward hope, peace, joy, and love. Each of the four Sundays in Advent speak to these four themes, respectively: hope, peace, joy, and love. We’re going to speak to each in the four Sundays of Advent, and we’re going to do so by exploring the angelic messages that were passed along either in the days leading to the holy night of Jesus’s birth or on the holy night itself. We’ve already covered the first angelic message this morning, haven’t we? “Nothing is impossible with God.” Which, of course, gives us hope — a confident expectation that nothing is impossible for God, because nothing ever has been.

    Hope November 30
    Peace December 7
    Joy December 14
    Love December 21

    You’re probably familiar with the practice of the lighting of the Advent candles — four candles arranged in a circle (for Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love), with another larger candle in the middle (often referred to as “the Christ candle”). The lighting of the Hope candle takes place on the first Sunday of Advent, the lighting of the Peace candle on the second Sunday — and so on. The lighting of the Christ candle often takes place on Christmas Eve, but traditions vary. (Some wait until Epiphany in January.) Your church might already take part in this practice, but if your church has yet to do so, this series might be the perfect time to introduce it into the life of the congregation. If you decide to take part in the practice, you could explain the tradition and then during the conclusion of the sermon, you could light the first candle — the candle for Hope.
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    35 分
  • Pray Kingdom Come

    Pray Kingdom Come
    2025/11/26

    Matthew 6:9-13

    Praying according to God’s Purpose: “Kingdom come, will be done,”

    Praying on Purpose – in alignment with God’s purpose

    What would your neighborhood look like if each person received God’s love? What would your neighborhood sound like if each person shared God’s love with others? In what ways would the daily interactions change if each person shared God’s value on peace? What needs would be met and what challenges would be overcome if each person looked to Jesus as Savior King?


    “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13

    “We can approach God with confidence, honestly confessing our need and heart condition. At the same time, we can learn to speak faith and align our heart, emotions, and confession with the Word of God. We can learn to pray the prayer of faith.” – Wendell Smith

    “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power (as it is working) and produces wonderful results.” – James 5:16


    “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them.” – 1 Timothy 2:1

    “’Don’t be afraid, Daniel,’ he said to me, ‘for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia.” – Daniel 10:12-13 CSB

    • Prayer Topics for the church? God’s instrument for His purpose here and now!
    • Pray according to God’s Kingdom / Jesus Movement Purpose. Pray for the lost.
    • Praying for God’s purpose > current events.

    This service has been helpful to me, in keeping up with the news. The free account has been better than several paid services I’ve used. For local news I use a digital subscription to The Baltimore Banner and for the USA, The Pour Over: https://www.web.thepourover.org/subscribe?ref=Kw6vI7VQq4

    Corruption? “So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.” – 1 Corinthians 4:5 (CSB)


    Praying for the miraculous, according to God’s value system & power, over famine/war

    What should we do? Plan it. Pursue it. Weekly Prayer Calendar ideas

    Closing Prayer:
    “O God, we acknowledge that too often we have not had confidence in Thy power to bring light out of darkness, good out of evil; by faith we believe through Thy chosen one Jesus the Carpenter, People’s Leader, Chosen One, Prisoner, Defendant, Condemned Man and Confident Man, that good will indeed overcome evil, love overcome hate, and life overcome death.” – M. Moran Weston 1972 Good Friday Declarations of Awareness
    “Loving Savior and Ever Present Friend, we thank you this morning for the opportunity to pray for ourselves and for others. We know that no prayer goes unanswered. We trust you Lord, and we love you. We know that you will be steadfast – Oh thank you Jesus.” – Nancy Lynne Westfield I Must Tell Jesus

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    51 分
  • Prayer on Purpose – Part Two

    Prayer on Purpose – Part Two
    2025/11/16

    Matthew 6:9-13

    How do we know what Jesus’ followers believed about their participation in God’s Kingdom?

    “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2

    “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT

    Purpose – in alignment with God’s purpose

    “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Matthew 6:9-13

    What do we learn? Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently.

    Questions to ask ourselves: Is prayer a priority to me?

    What should we do? Plan it. Pursue it. Weekly Prayer Calendar ideas
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    33 分
  • Prayer on Purpose

    Prayer on Purpose
    2025/11/09

    1 John 5:14

    “We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” – 1 John 5:14

    How do we know what Jesus’ followers believed about their participation in God’s Kingdom?

    “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2

    “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT

    The evidence of their following Jesus: “Luke gives considerable attention the role of prayer in the early church: first, he refers to the prayers of individuals such as Stephen (Acts 7:59), Saul (Acts 9:11), Peter (Acts 10:9; 11:15), Cornelius (Acts 10:30-31) and to Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25); second, he records time of corporate prayer among the believers when they selected Matthias (Acts 1:24), prayed for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:5; 12), commissioned Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3), appointed elders to certain churches (Acts 14:23), and when Paul said farewell to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:36) and the church in Tyre (Acts 21:5).” – Arthur G. Patzia The Emergence of the Church

    “Prayer which is felt as a mighty force is the…product of much time spent with God.” – E. M. Bounds Power Through Prayer

    Relationship Time: Quantity Time – Quality Time

    Purpose – in alignment with God’s purpose

    “if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” – Jesus in John 15:7

    James 4:2-3, 6-8 “Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ (Prov. 3:34 Greek) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” – James 4:2-3, 6-8 NLT

    “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13

    What do we learn? Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently.

    Questions to ask ourselves: Is prayer a priority to me?

    What should we do? Plan it. Pursue it. Weekly Prayer Calendar ideas
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    24 分
  • Passionate Prayer

    Passionate Prayer
    2025/11/02
    Acts 1:14 Colossians 4:2 Romans 15:13 Prayer that is personal, persistent, and on purpose. “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2 “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT “constantly” Ephesians 1:15 is related to “fervently” of Luke 22:43 Acts 12:5 It should be no surprise to us that the Jesus-followers who gathered, “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer.” – Acts 1:14 “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42fervently Acts 12:5 Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently. 1. Personal “It’s one thing to just pray. It’s another thing to know the God you’re praying to”. “How we begin our prayers says a lot about us. We can either begin with a problem or with a Person”. – Jackie Hill Perry Prayer is “relationship time”. “Prayer is conversation with God. However, conversations can remain mere exchanges of information that do not lead to true personal encounter and relationship. We do not want just to know about God, but to know God, to seek his face and presence.” – Timothy Keller Prayer A. God makes it personal. “The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” – Psalm 34:17-18 B. Jesus’ Good News & Saving Relationship as context: “Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,” – Ephesians 1:15-16 NLT “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” – Hagar in Genesis 16:13 Communion – prayer as a means to experience God’s love and to know oneness with him Psalms 27, 63, 84, 131, 146-150 And yet, if prayer only starts from our thoughts and emotions, then it will be limited by them. We will only ever enjoy part of the relationship with God that He designed. “If God is not the starting point, then our own perceived emotional needs become the drivers and sole focus of our prayer. We cannot grow in a relationship with a person unless we learn who they are.” – Timothy Keller Prayer 2. Persistent In Luke 11:1-4, Jesus teaches His followers how to pray. This is followed by a rowhome story of meeting a visitor’s need that Jesus uses to teach them persistence in prayer.“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8“Don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!” – Luke 18:7-8 “keep praying” persistent widow – Jesus“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” – Ephesians 6:18“Pray about everything.” – Philippians 4:6-9 Benefits: If _, then _, so that _.“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18“Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.” – James 5:17-18The evidence of their following Jesus: “Luke gives considerable attention the role of prayer in the early church: first, he refers to the prayers of individuals such as Stephen (Acts 7:59), Saul (Acts 9:11), Peter (Acts 10:9; 11:15), Cornelius (Acts 10:30-31) and to Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25); second, he records time of corporate prayer among the believers when they selected Matthias (Acts 1:24), prayed for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:5; 12), commissioned Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3), appointed elders to certain churches (Acts 14:23), and when Paul said farewell to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:36) and the church in Tyre (Acts 21:5).” ...
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    39 分
  • Prayer Matters

    Prayer Matters
    2025/10/26
    Colossians 4:2 Romans 15:13 Prayer that is personal, persistent, and on purpose. “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2 “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT “constantly” Ephesians 1:15 is related to “fervently” of Luke 22:43 Acts 12:5 It should be no surprise to us that the Jesus-followers who gathered, “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer.” – Acts 1:14 “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42fervently Acts 12:5 Why is New Testament prayer passionate? Because it is personal, persistent, and on purpose. We can all participate in God’s Kingdom by learning to pray fervently. 1. Personal “It’s one thing to just pray. It’s another thing to know the God you’re praying to”. “How we begin our prayers says a lot about us. We can either begin with a problem or with a Person”. – Jackie Hill Perry Prayer is “relationship time”. “Prayer is conversation with God. However, conversations can remain mere exchanges of information that do not lead to true personal encounter and relationship. We do not want just to know about God, but to know God, to seek his face and presence.” – Timothy Keller Prayer A. God makes it personal. “The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” – Psalm 34:17-18 B. Jesus’ Good News & Saving Relationship as context: “Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,” – Ephesians 1:15-16 NLT “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him (Jesus). Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NLT “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” – Hagar in Genesis 16:13 Communion – prayer as a means to experience God’s love and to know oneness with him Psalms 27, 63, 84, 131, 146-150 And yet, if prayer only starts from our thoughts and emotions, then it will be limited by them. We will only ever enjoy part of the relationship with God that He designed. “If God is not the starting point, then our own perceived emotional needs become the drivers and sole focus of our prayer. We cannot grow in a relationship with a person unless we learn who they are.” – Timothy Keller Prayer 2. Persistent In Luke 11:1-4, Jesus teaches His followers how to pray. This is followed by a rowhome story of meeting a visitor’s need that Jesus uses to teach them persistence in prayer.“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8“Don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!” – Luke 18:7-8 “keep praying” persistent widow – Jesus“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” – Ephesians 6:18“Pray about everything.” – Philippians 4:6-9 Benefits: If _, then _, so that _.“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18“Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.” – James 5:17-18The evidence of their following Jesus: “Luke gives considerable attention the role of prayer in the early church: first, he refers to the prayers of individuals such as Stephen (Acts 7:59), Saul (Acts 9:11), Peter (Acts 10:9; 11:15), Cornelius (Acts 10:30-31) and to Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25); second, he records time of corporate prayer among the believers when they selected Matthias (Acts 1:24), prayed for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:5; 12), commissioned Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3), appointed elders to certain churches (Acts 14:23), and when Paul said farewell to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:36) and the church in Tyre (Acts 21:5).” – ...
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    22 分
  • Holy Nation

    Holy Nation
    2025/10/19
    “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB A People of God’s choosing sealed with the proof of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 ‘And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 1 John 4:13 ‘This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22 ‘Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.’ Royal Priesthood Revelation 5:6-10 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.” What were the duties of a Priest in Israel? Sacrifices Teaching Maintained the sanctuary Stood guard over the Tabernacle Speak the blessings of God over them (the Lord bless you…) Prayed for the people Lead the people in worship Access to God’s presence “Christians exercise priestly functions but always as members of a group who all exercise the same function.” Schreiner, T. R Holy Nation Nation – a people with a specific identity and loyalty, with defining characteristics “Holy Nation” – a new group of people living in wholehearted devotion to God Holy – sacred, pure, devoted to One purpose, dedicated without reservation, in the Holy process of sanctification Jesus’ Good News brings in people from every nation/ethnicity (John 3:16, Acts 1:7-8, 10:9-16, 1 Corinthians 1:9:19, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Galatians 3:27-29, Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 3:20-21) ‘So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ‘ Galatians 3:26-28 Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘ Philippians 3:19-20 W. A. Grudem, So we are a new spiritual nation which is based now neither on ethnic identity nor geographical boundaries but rather on allegiance to their heavenly King, Jesus Christ, who is truly King of kings and Lord of lords. People for God’s own possession We are purchased with the blood of Jesus (Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:14) We belong to God: But we are treasured!! (Peter echoes the verse in Ex. 19:5 and Isa 43:21) ‘God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ‘ 1 Corinthians 1:9 ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ‘ Ephesians 1:3 ‘He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 ‘He has lavished his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. ‘ Ephesians 1:8 Lavished: abundance, more than enough, leftovers What is our new Nation? When we are born again, our salvation includes being incorporated into a new community. (a group of people having a particular characteristic in common. This Community = Church This community is: Communal in nature: between God and a people (not an individual all y’all). This bond entails a communal vocation, a mission; in the exercise of its priestly role, this people exemplifies God’s holy character and propagates his will. J.B Green Ephesians 2:19-22 ‘So now you Gentiles ...
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    41 分
  • Citizens on Purpose

    Citizens on Purpose
    2025/10/12
    “no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, of God’s household,” – Ephesians 2:19 Context: Ephesians 1:7-14 God’s Purpose – salvation Ephesians 1:7-14 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight, He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. (And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. NLT) In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1:7-14 NASB We need to introduce a few new concepts for the next several weeks. “In Him,” (close relationship) Fresh start, forgiven, made clean, given peace and new life, born again. Redeemed in Him. Regenerated in Him. One in Him. Victorious in Him. Jesus is my #1. Savior King of my heart. God’s Purpose Never Changes. God’s Instrument May Change. You are an instrument in God’s hand. The Local Church is God’s Instrument for this Age. (Covenants – Tabernacles – Animal Sacrifice – Circumcision) “time” – last days as spiritual era, here and now the local church is God’s instrument (timeline) What does God care about? What is God doing? How should we be involved? Ephesians 2:13-22 “Now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So, then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:13-22 NASB “no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, of God’s household,” – Ephesians 2:19 God’s Purpose Never Changes. God’s Instrument May Change. Every instrument has a purpose. You can’t have an effective purpose without an instrument. The Local Church is God’s Instrument for this Age. (Covenants – Tabernacles – Animal Sacrifice – Circumcision) Ephesians 2:19-22 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:19-22 NLT What have we learned? 1. God’s purpose includes salvation through Jesus. 2. God’s purpose never changes. 3. God’s instrument may change. 4. God’s instrument for this age is the local church. Wisdom & Warning 1. Jesus followers must pursue a close relationship with Jesus through wholehearted devotion. 2. Jesus’ life and teaching are reliable as instruction, foundation, and covering. 3. Our enemy wants to diminish and destroy our relationship with Jesus and His church. 4. Our enemy works through wrong theology and wrong emphasis. 5. Any teaching that diminishes our devotion to Jesus or participation in the local church is not from God. 6. Any teaching that predicts the failure of the church is not from God, nor is it biblical. What should ...
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    38 分