Church notes - January 2020
5th January
Ephesians 1:3 - 14
Communion
Isaiah 40:28 - 31
Hope in Him and His strength will be in you.
Abortion
Statistics South Australia 2014
Of those who reported having an abortion only 0.6% were under 16.
Secular humanism is a philosophy or life stance that embraces human reason, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making. - Wikipedia
'Greater Good' - Who's 'Greater Good', and who decides what that is?
The individual?
Secular Humanism is an attempt to organise society without God.
An underlying attitude in the Australian media.
On a collision course with Christian faith. A foundation of secular humanism is the theory of Evolution.
In the secular humanist worldview, there is no God to consider. The individual human is sovereign.
Human life is valuable.
Genesis 1:27
Genesis 9:6
Life is valuable
Psalm 100
He is shepherding our lives.
Isaiah 64:8
Value life because God created us.
Every fetus is different.
The heart starts beating after 22 days.
A continuity between the womb and after birth.
Jeremiah 1:5
Luke 1:39 - 45
Even in the womb, John the Baptist reacted to Jesus' presence.
Exodus 21:22 - 25
Wonderfully made
Psalm 139:13 - 16
This calls us to defend the rights of the unborn child.
Abortion makes no sense at all.
The sin of abortion is not beyond God's grace. No sin surpasses Christ's ability to forgive.
1 John 1:9
Romans 8:1, 2
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 147:3
God doesn't hate sinners.
Joel 2:12, 13
God's love is not based on our works. Not even the sin of abprtion can separate us from His love.
Romans 8:37
Romans 5:8
Prayer: The Australian Bushfire Crisis. For those who have been affected to get the help they need. For the weather to change, both literally so the fires would be easier to fight, and also politically, so the Government can deal with the crisis in an effective manner. In Jesus Name. Amen.
12th January
Colossians 1
Psalm 22
Leviticus 18
God was saying that He didn't want Israel to be like all the other nations around them.
Don'ts
Like a sculptor, the LORD is removing the undesireable bits.
Same Sex Marriage
There is no place for hatred, hurtful comments or other forms of ostracism of those who are engaging in same sex sexual relations, or who identify as gay or lesbian.
Secular humanism is a philosophy or life stance that embraces human reason, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making. - Wikipedia
'Greater Good' - Who's 'Greater Good', and who decides what that is?
The individual?
Secular Humanism is an attempt to organise society without God.
In the secular humanist worldview, there is no God to consider. The individual human is sovereign.
A worldview very different to that of Biblical Christianity.
We need to push back.
Marriage is Biblically defined as hetrosexual.
Genesis 1:27 - 28
Mark 10: 5 - 9
The Bible prohibits all kinds of sexual promiscurity - hetrosexual as well as homosexual.
God's people are to be set apart, different.
Leviticus 20:26
He calls us to be Holy, set apart.
Lev 18
Sinfulness:
Sexual relations with close relatives
Adultery
Child Sacrifice
Homosexuality
Bestiality
Biblical sexuality - within a marriage - to produce children.
We need to be loving in the condemnation of homosexual activities.
1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11
19th January
Ephesians 2:13 - 18
Communion
1 Corinthians 11:23 - 34
Message
Philemon
Broken Relationships
Any time a relationship breaks - there is pain and grief.
Trust broken.
Onesimus - Slave of Philemon
The Word never condones slavery, even not here.
God had been at work in both of their lives.
Philemon was respected by Paul.
Fellowship - next week.
Love - not a vague kind of love; but practical, Christ-like.
A True love that is never coerced or manipulative.
Paul doesn't order Philemon to do anything. Not as an Apostle, but as someone who has little power and freedom.
He was recommending to Philemon not to treat Onesimus harshly. Not as a disobedient slave, but as a brother on equal ground.
Philemon would be risking his reputation - being different to the Roman culture around him. (Estimates of 1/3 of the population of the 1st Century AD Roman Empire being slaves...)
vs 8 - 9
Onesimus would have been concerned that it wouldn't have been enough. But Paul was appealing on the Love of Christ.
vs 18 - 19
Paul was demonstrating love by offering to pay the price for what Onesimus did. A sacrifice. A parallel to the Penal substitution on the Cross, where Jesus paid the price for all of us.
The central belief we should not loose sight of. It should drive our behaviour, our beliefs, as id did Paul, in sending Onesimus to Philemon.
A powerful appeal to the love of Christ, so he would forgive Onesimus, no matter how hard it would be.
A love that doesn't expect anything in return.
What does it mean for you in your relationships in 2020?
26th January
Philippians 1:3 - 6
Hebrews 10:19 - 25
Philemon
The focus - Philemon's relationship with his slave Onesimus. Paul appeals on the basis of love.
True love - Love that imitates Christ's sacrificial love for us.
vs 6 - Partnership, sharing your faith
Gr. Koinonia.
Acts 2:42
Fellowship
A radical fellowship central to our faith.
Fellowship is not comfortable togetherness.
Fellowship is deeper than mere socialising.
Fellowship is a partnership based on we hold in common, Faith and salvation in Jesus.
Fellowship helps to deepen their understanding of God and His Word.
Fellowship - Partnership in vulnerability and encouragement.
The Lord of the Rings Parallel - The Fellowship of the Ring goes through trials on their journey, so they come out of it more than just friends.
Paul encourages Philemon and Onesimus.
We need to be vulnerable in our fellowship. Be open to challenge and rebuke.
vs 1, 2 - Philemon's church knew what Paul was saying to him.
vs 22
Paul assumes a fellowship that is not conditional, nor superficial
1 Thessalonians 2:8
Fellowship is not a maybe. It is a must. True Fellowship is a necessity, a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:19
Ephesians 1:3 - 14
We are brothers and sisters in Christ.
How seriously do we take fellowship as a gift from God?