Church notes - July 2016
Church notes - July 2016
3rd July
The Welcoming Church
Welcome
- Know that your coming here gives me pleasure
- To receive gladly
- To take the initiative in action
Luke 15:1, 2
Jesus welcomed the sinners
Luke 15:11 - 24
The father represents God.
God is absolutely a welcoming God.
He welcomes us with initiative
Romans 5:8
Luke 15:24 - 32
The older son was resentful. The younger son was coming home in defeat.
How to be a welcoming church
Regulars pray for a set number of new families to come to the church.
Intentionally sit next to someone you don't know.
Go out of your way to meet someone you don't know.
When you meet a visitor, introduce them to someone in the congregration who may have similar interests.
10th July
Acts 2:44
Virtual Relationships
Smartphones, Social Media. Useful, but annoying. There is a downside.
A cost to the depth of relationships
Commandments
- Make technology your servant, not your master.
- Don't compare your real life with someone elses virtual life.
- Don't allow digial disturbances to produce an ungrateful heart
- Post with humility
- Don't confuse online popularity with authentic community
Burger King - sacrificing Facebook friends to get a free Whopper Burger. A lot of people did this...
- Spend more time face to face than on Facebook.
- - There is a great sense of sacrifice if you don't communicate face to face
Genesis 40
Joseph had learned empathy in the time since he had first had his dreams.
- Don't write something online that you wouldn't say to someone's face.
- Behave on the little screen like it's going to be on a big screen.
- Honor the digital Sabbath and keep it holy.
Let the first and last thoughts of the day be about the Lord. (Not some frivolous online thing.)
- Remember that who you are in God is more important than who you are online.
Gr. Koinonia - Acts 2:42 - 47
Fellowship - Important
- Nourishes each others faith.
Wayne Cordero - ' 'Koinonia' in great mens participation of fellowship. Where two people come on the same ship. If there is a leak on one side of the boat, it affects all people.
Relationship - Common Life
We are all united in Christ
Luke 5
Business relationship - focused on the goal
Sharing with others on a spiritual level
More than 'coffee' fellowship
Sharing what God is doing with each other.
Partnership
Sharing Material Possessions
Not an option - a way of life
Koinonia - Committment, Connection, Community
Facebook - great, but breeds superficiality.
17th
Eating with Tax Collectors
Luke 5: 27 -35
In Luke's Gospel
- Jesus is involved with meals. (He is going to, coming from, or participating in a meal.)
Despite Matthew's 'bad press' Jesus saw potential in him and worked to change the trajectory of his life.
Luke 5:27, 28
Matthew was following Jesus wholeheartedly.
1 Kings 11:4 - 6
Solomon failed to follwo the LORD completely.
Everyone has something holding them back.
It's not your ability God wants. It's your availability. Matthew made himself available. He walked away from his lifestyle.
We are to walk away from a lifestyle that consists of worldly desires.
He got Who Jesus Is immediately.
Luke 5:31
Jesus was being inclusive. The Pharisees were exclusive.
Luke 5:29
Matthew was enthusiastic for his friends to meet Jesus.
The attitude of the Pharisees is alive and well in our culture today.
Do you see your spouse as Jesus does?
Do you see the stranger in the grocery store as Jesus does?
Do you see the person who cut you off in traffic as Jesus does?
Do you see others as Jesus does?
Jesus at Matthew's banquet demonstrates that all people matter to God.
vs 33 - 35
A happy time while He was there.
Joy - the surest sense of God's presence
Jesus had a heart of acceptance
We also need to be accepting.
24th July
Eating with the Enemy
Luke 7:36 - 50
'...Become all that he was created capable of being...' - Thomas Carlyie.
Whoever you are, whatever you are - you can become what you can be through God's Grace.
Jesus at a Pharisee's house.
The woman was shunned.
It took courage for her to come to the Pharisee's house.
She was a victim of circumstances and her society.
She was wounded spiritually as well as mentally and emotionally.
But she had heard about Jesus!
vs 37, 38
The focus was on Jesus. The woman was behind Him. When she had opened the jar of perfume, she became the focus of attention.
vs39
The Pharisee's body language may have been betraying his thoughts about Jesus - that He was a fraud! He was condemning Him.
vs40 - 43
Jesus doesn't let this go unchallenged.
Simon's problem - Spiritual Blindness
- He didn't see his own sin.
- Are you like him?
- Jesus proved that He was a prophet
In the parable both were bankrupt
The woman was spiritually bankrupt - This was obvious
Simon was also
- His sin wasn't obvious
- He was prideful
Proverbs 16:18
vs 44 - 46
Jesus compared Simon's sins with those of the woman
Simon hadn't been hospitable
vs 47
Forgiveness - of the woman
Simon's reaction: Anger
- Makes himself look like an ungratious host
vs 48 - 50
The woman's sins are forgiven
The other guests were wondering who Jesus was.
Errors to avoid
She was saved by her faith
- Not by her works
- Not by her kive
- These were evidence of faith
Grace - paid for by Jesus' death on the Cross
Galatians 5:6
She knew that Jesus had forgiven her sins
1 John 1:9
We have peace with God
Our sins are forgiven
We can go in peace
The woman now had a sense of self respected
The gift of forgiveness needs to be accepted.
E.g. the case of George Wilson: http://www.cbmcint.com/the-man-who-refused-a-pardon/, http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/a2_2_1s29.html
31st July
Eating with the Dedicated
Luke 10: 38 - 42
Martha invited Jesus to her home
Background - Women were considered inferior
Martha was infuriated at Mary's inaction
Martha
- The older sister?
- Worried about the details
- She wanted Jesus to take control
Jesus
- understood the problem
- Challenged Martha about her priorities
It is possible for service to degenerate into business without the passion of devotion
Jesus has His own plan. He doesn't say what people expect Him to say.
Mary was doing the right thing by listening to Jesus
Priorities
- We need to have time for Jesus
- Martha had no time
Sometimes good things are the enemy of the best thing
We need to have time for Jesus
Jesus must be the centre of our lives
- Some things must be removed completely
- Other things need to be changed, redeemed
Remove and Redeem
Relationships, Hobbies, Work
- Redeeming them in Christ
Jesus needs our time
Warren Weirsbe - 'Worship is the heart of who we are as Christians...'
Mary is always seen at the feet of Jesus
What we do with Jesus is more important than working for Jesus
Business - Can be a major obstacle to Spiritual Growth