This Week's Assignment

Here's this week's assignment, a few passages to read and some questions to answer as we continue through our Trajectory Series and prepare for this coming Sunday (7/29).

This Week’s Assignment:

Read these three passages:

Hebrews 13:7, 17 

Hebrews 10:24-25 

Romans 12:3-18

On a piece of paper - draw three columns. 

Put Obligation at the top of the first, "To Whom" on the middle column, and "Why?" at the top of the last column.

You can do the assignment in one sitting, but it might be better to spread it out over three days. 

Then - as you read the passage, ask: 

• What Obligation/Duty is pointed out?

Write the answers in the first column.

Then, go back and read it again and ask:

• To Whom is it Owed?

finally, read it one more time asking:

• Why? What’s the reason/motivation?

As you know - the screen was out yesterday - here are all the blanks for the notes in case you missed anything:

What Is Church Membership?

Sermon Notes

Today’s Question:

How do we obey God in a right pursuit of church membership?

Peter’s confession is the central belief of the church.

Jesus Christ is the Foundation of the Church

Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church

Pursuing membership in a local church Glorifies God. 

Defining Membership

Membership Is:

1. A  Covenant

2. An affirmation of your profession of faith

3. Oversight of your discipleship.

4. Regularly gathering

Pursuing Membership:

…is Discipleship

We should be helping each other follow Jesus better. 

…Pursuing Unity

… Seeking Interdependence

You need the Body - the Body needs you

… Think Obligation

(Not Privilege)

The Gospel According to the Bible

The Word of God, working with the Spirit of God, accomplishes the will of God. 

The single most practical thing that the Word of God does is save us. 

How much more personal can it get?

1 Peter 1:23 – you have been born again... through the living and abiding word of God;

James 1:21 – ...the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 

Romans 10:17 – faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

On Sunday, during my sermon, I shared a brief gospel presentation using only the words of Scripture. Here are the verses and references I used:

Psalm 96 – the Lord made the heavens…Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;”

1 Corinthians 10:31 – ”So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Romans 3:10-11– None is righteous, no one understands; no one seeks for God. 

Romans 3:23 – ” all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

6:23 – ”the wages of sin is death

Acts 17:30-31 – “…now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world...”

Romans 2:8 – for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Romans 5:8–“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”

1 Peter 3:18 – “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that he might bring us to God…”

1 Corinthians 15:4 – of first importance .... Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

Romans 10:9-10 – ...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” 

so....

Mark 1:15 – …repent and believe in the gospel.

Ephesians 2:8 – …by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

We’re commanded to repent and believe.

And as 2 Corinthians 5:20 says - We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

If you have not repented of your sins and placed your faith in Christ alone for salvation, please get in touch with me - I'd love to talk with you more about what it means to be follower of Jesus. 

Rob

Preparing for Sunday, July 22

Preparing for Worship

Matthew 16

Matthew 18

2 Timothy 3:10-17

As you prepare your heart for worship this coming Sunday (7/22), here are a few brief thoughts as you read the passages assigned on Sunday at the end of the sermon. This Sunday’s sermon looks at church membership and what it is according to the Bible. 

Matthew 16

Read the entire chapter, to get the entire flow and context. Next, pay close attention to verses  13-18. After warning the disciples of the false teaching of the Pharisees and Saducees (verse 12), Jesus mentions “church” for the first time. He spends far more time talking about the Kingdom of God than the church. Jesus is building His church on Peter and his statement - on both the person and on their confession. The keys and the term “bind” and “loose” are about authority. 

Matthew 18

Verses 15-20 again use the terms “bind” and “loose”  implying the authority factor again.- this passage is the classic passage about church discipline. Next Sunday, we’ll be looking at the connection between church membership and discipline. This chapter introduces it. 

2 Timothy 3:10-17

The focal verses in this passage are 16 & 17 - they form a foundational idea that we can never relegate to the background. In verse 16, what four things is Scripture helpful for? In verse 17, what is the goal of the activities mentioned in verse 16? How might keeping this in mind inform your approach to reading Matthew 16 and 18, and all of your Scripture reading?

Here are the songs we'll be singing together this Sunday:

Let Your Kingdom Come

The Lord's Prayer

The Solid Rock

Community

Let It Be Said of Us

We are the Body of Christ

Be praying for our time together!

Rob

Romans 13:11-14 - the AfterBlog

Why This Blog?

Often, when hearing a sermon, it’s easy to leave the service, and not keep what you learned, or were challenged to, in front of you. 

As soon as church is over, it’s easy to get distracted by where you’re headed for lunch, what you need to get done before evening church, and other tasks on your “weekend to-do list.”

To help with that, below is a summary of the major points and application points from today’s sermon. You should be able to read through this blog in three or four minutes. 

The main theme of today’s passage, Romans 13:11-14, is Sanctification.

Sanctification is simply spiritual growth - the efforts we make to be more like Jesus.

Sanctification is an Urgent Matter - of the utmost importance

1 Peter 1:15 – be holy in all your conduct

As the passage opens, there’s an emphasis on  Urgency.

When we think about the imminent return of Christ, that He IS coming back, one immediate implication is that we need to tell as many as we can about the hope found only in Him.

Paul is calling us to wake up from our spiritual sleep and stop being apathetic in your spiritual life.

There are some general guidelines that help us think through evangelism within the framework of urgency:

Evangelistic Thinking 101

• Time is Short

1 Corinthians 7:29 – the appointed time has grown very short

verse 11b – salvation is nearer to us now...

Some questions to consider:

• Do you realize that you’re accountable to God for how you use your time?

2 Corinthians 5:10 – we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 

Time is a resource that He’s given you just like your money, job, home, car, etc. 

• Think about how much time you’ve wasted already

• How might you improve the “present time?”

Looking at the rest of the passage, verses 12-14, there’s a distinct focus on the “how” of sanctification. 

Sanctification is being clothed with Christ. 

Galatians 3:27 – For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

It’s an idea that’s synonymous with salvation

A Christian that’s not pursuing holiness is an oxymoron - it just doesn’t make sense.

The basic idea -

Put Off - sin

Put On - holiness

Verse 14 -is a beautiful conclusion.

It’s the summary of what sanctification looks like: But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. 

This is an action – something that we do. 

The key word is “provision”

It has to do with planning.
How will you plan for your sanctification?
How will you plan to cast off the works of darkness and put on Christ?

How to Pursue Sanctification

Five simple (but not easy) steps:

1. Know the Word

John 17:17 – Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

You cannot achieve sanctification apart from the Word of God. 

It will come through:

hearing - like what you’re doing now

reading - this should be a daily thing

studying - don’t be content to just read

memorizing - hide God’s Word in your heart

meditating - all of those lead to meditation

on God’s Word. 

Simply put - you need to be saturating yourself in God's Word daily. Seek to continually grow in your knowledge of all that Scripture teaches. 

2. Seek to be Changed

Romans 12:2 – Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. 

Don't just read, but read looking to be changed by what God's Word is doing in your mind and heart. 

We all need to be corrected by God’s Word in some way - at some point

3. Increasing Desire

Psalm 19:10 – [Gods’s Word is] More to be desired... than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 

Don't just read for information - pray for the Lord to change you as you saturate yourself in His inspired Word (Hebrews 4:12)

When you’re ready to be serious about growing in God’s Word and in holiness (they go together) - Read Psalm 119 - and as you read it, keep track of all the times there’s a reference to delighting in or loving God’s Word

4. Make a List

Search Scripture for the lists that tell you what to do and what not do to. What to put off and what to put on. Colossians 3 is a great place to start. Whenever there's a list - note what's on the list. Keep a list of all the commands of Scripture somewhere and refer to it often.

5. Do It Together

Hebrews 10:24 – let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works

We’re not meant to live the Christian life alone. 

God intends for us to do this together. 

Everyone helping one another. 
You need the Body and the Body needs you.
How are you encouraging others to grow spiritually? What is your "default conversation" with other believers? Can you re-set that to have a more spiritually focused dynamic?
Who will you encourage spiritually today?

Let’s all daily re-commit ourselves to: Following Jesus TOGETHER. 

Every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection!

Good afternoon everyone!

As you think toward our worship gathering this Sunday, here are a few things you can do to prepare your heart so that we can make the most of our time together. 

The passage we’ll be studying is Romans 13:8-14. Read Romans 12 and 13 a couple of times between now and then, and think through the following questions from 13:8-14:

1. What do we owe one another?

2. What commandments are referred to? Why did Paul list the ones he did in verse 9?

3. Think about the phrase “are summed up in this word” - what is summed up? What is the summary statement it points to?

4. What do we need to wake up from? 

5. Could any of the “works of darkness” in verse 13 be present in your life?

6. What does it mean to “put on” the Lord Jesus Christ? Where else in Scripture do we see the “put off/put on” idea?

7. In what ways could you be making provision for the flesh? 

Here are the songs we’ll be singing together:
Christ Is Risen - 

Our choir will be singing "My Ransom" this Sunday - what an amazingly beautiful song and a beautiful expression of what Christ has done for us!

   

Jesus Messiah

 Grace Greater Than Our Sin - this is one of my top five favorite hymns!! I could sing this every week. 

Trust and Obey - Love this version by Big Daddy Weave

Be praying for our time together that we are all able to engage in intense, focused exaltation of our Risen Lord TOGETHER!!

Preparing for our Time TOGETHER this Sunday

Preparing Your Heart for Worship - March 11, 2018

As we finish Romans 12, the checklist turns outward in its focus without setting aside how we are to love one another genuinely. As we always seek to live out the gospel in the details of our daily lives, what we’ve seen so far is that it should not only impact how we live together (in faith, love, and unity) but also be evident in how we relate to those outside the Body. 

The Catechism

What a joy it’s been to walk through the Catechism together! To see our children learning Christian doctrine and not just learning it, but memorizing it has been so great. Even my three year old asks to do catechism each evening. I know that the concept and idea of a catechism is still new and different to many, but the Christian community has used the catechism as a method of teaching biblical doctrine to children for hundreds of years and I look forward to seeing the impact it has not just on our children in the years to come, but also to our entire church.  

Call to Worship

It is God Himself who calls us to worship. In the Scriptures we read, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord,” and “Serve the Lord with gladness.” In writing these Holy Spirit inspired words, the Psalmist is speaking for God as He calls His people to worship. When we begin our time together with a call to worship we are not inviting God to be present, he is inviting us to “Come into His Presence.” He calls us to turn away from all of our preoccupations, join our hearts and minds as His people, and exalt Him together. 

Hosanna (Praise is Rising) and Praise Him Praise Him

As we begin our time together, these two songs are a great declaration of the reason we have gathered - to praise and exalt our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

  

Prayer of Praise

This prayer reflects, let by one of our men, is intended to engage our minds in praising God. As the prayer concludes, when we all say “Amen” we’re voicing our agreement with the one who is leading us. We’re saying, “YES, we’re here to praise Him together!”

Bringing Tithes and Offerings

During the month of March, through Resurrection Sunday, we’re taking an additional offering for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. While we do give to this fund year round through our regular tithes and offerings, we set a goal of giving $5,000 over and above our regular tithes to missions in North America. Churches from Canada to the U.S. to Mexico (including the Church @ Affton) benefit from this offering.  

Community

We sang this song a couple of weeks ago. The words of this song are a wonderful expression of what the cry of our heart should be in response to what Paul writes in Romans. Be sure and listen to the tune and read the lyrics a few times. I’m really looking forward to singing this song with everyone again this Sunday.

In Christ Alone

As we prepare to dig into Romans 12, we need to always remember that the foundation of what we’re studying is the first 11 chapters of Romans. Romans 12:12 says to “rejoice in hope,” and this song is a wonderful expression of where our hope is found. 

Sermon: A Manual for the Christian Life, part 2, Romans 12:9-21

Read through Romans 12:9-21 several times between now and Sunday morning and think through the “checklist” that it presents. Think about how you might follow the commands of this passage in the details of your daily life.

Blest Be the Tie that Binds

This song, written in 1782 by John Fawcett (who wrote over 100 hymns), beautifully expresses the unity that we have in Christ and how it should be lived out in the life of the Body. Many of the ideas and commands of Romans 12 are found in this song. 

Be Praying for:

• Rex, the worship team, and choir as they prepare to lead us musically this Sunday.   

• Pray that we all come together on Sunday with hearts prepared to engage in intense, focused exaltation of God. 

• Pray that we are obedient to God’s commands and strive for the unity He desires of us.

• Pray for me as I prepare to preach God’s inspired, inerrant, sufficient, authoritative Word. 

Rob

The Checklist

Remember - it's not just a simple "check!" and I'm done - but this is a tool to help US constantly examine OUR hearts as we strive to BE the Body of Christ TOGETHER:

• The Checklist:

Pursuing Genuine Love

__ Hate Evil (first in myself)

I must hate the evil in my own life more than that I might see in anyone else’s life. 

Matthew 7:1-5 – We are to be pursuing sanctification together

Psalm 1 – It’s absolutely critical that we surround ourselves with those who will encourage us toward holiness. 

__ Cling to Good

1 Peter 1:15-16 - Pursue righteousness - holiness -sanctification

HOW are you pursuing righteousness?

What specific things are you doing toward that end?

(make a list, write it down)

__ Pursue Family kind of Love

Think of your fellow Christians (especially those who are members of your church) in terms of brother & sister. Use the terms regularly.

__ Setting the example of love 

Look for a way to encourage, honor, praise, compliment one person each day this week. 

• a text message

• a note

• a phone call

• a personal conversation

• drop by their house with cookies

• take flowers to a widow or someone who is homebound

__ Passionately serve the Lord

Pursue serving the Lord, using your unique gifting, by serving others in the Body.

__ Hope in Christ

Are you intentional about not only forming your thoughts around the gospel, but also encouraging others with those same thoughts. 

Our only hope is in Christ. In who He is and what He has done. 

Be intentional to keep that in the front of your mind. 

__ Perseverance

It’s our hope in Christ that gives us the ability to do this. 

__ Prayer

We need to be praying both in unity and for unity. 

Pray the Lord’s Prayer - when are being obedient as a Body, we become a picture of the Kingdom of God, glorify Him, and it makes the gospel look beautiful to a watching world. 

__ Tangible Assistance

How are you helping others in specific, tangible ways?

There are 1,000 things you could do - the idea is.... DO IT!

showing that this entire passage

John 13:35 – By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

James 1:22-25 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 

As you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer this week, be sure to be praying for our Body. Pray that we would all exhibit the Marks of the True Christian that are found in Romans 12:9-21. Be reading the passage daily in preparation for our time together this Sunday.