Case of the Mundays

Started Monday off a little tired after our homegroup BBQ (yea Berkeley HG!!).
Got the morning paper which I usually toss after reading the sports. this morning I wasn’t too interested in sports as the lakers had lost yesterday. so I flipped through and saw this advertisement asking “which one deserves to die?”, and I was reminded of the scary truth that because of our sins and our sinfulness, we all deserve to die. it’s only by God’s common grace that we don’t get struck down immediately, and it’s only by saving grace through Christ that we can be forgiven and regenerated and infused with new life. sweet sermon yesterday to remind us of the importance of the resurrection.

Praise the Lord for His saving grace!

Such a loser

yesterday our homegroup went out o share the gospel. in all honesty, I was hesitant to go out, cowardly fearing man. but my wife, patty, greatly encouraged me as she reminded me not only of the great commission but the joy of proclaiming the gospel. I was cut to the heart and quickly repented for my selfish an foolish thinking.

as we went out, and I watched people walk around campus, I began to think, “wow, I am such a loser, and I must look like one too.” then, I smiled and began to praise the Lord in my heart for the great gift of salvation.

going out reminded me of a few things:
- the preciousness of salvation
- the grace of God
- the refreshing reality check that sharing the gospel makes you feel alive
- and, as Caleb shared, the reminder that when we share, all the other things seem so unimportant

hopefully we can go out to CE more

Joshua 18-19

- the gospel is not a sedative but a stimulant – our response to the gospel is not, “hey I’m saved. now what can I do with all this time for my own self glory and satisfaction?” but it should be “praise the Lord, I’m saved! how can I use this time to glorify God?”
- be wary of being spiritually wandering and not being rooted and focused on God’s task
- we need to recognize that God has sovereignly given us our lots. stop comparing to others and being bitter and discontent
- there is no room for self-will but obedience to God
- Christianity is about sacrifice not easy believism
- according to the command of the Lord
- Num. 14:30
- God rewards faithfulness
- The book of Joshua is the most nationalistic book for Israel in the Bible

1 John 5:1-4 – Pastor John

- Moral Test – look at your life. do you obey God’s word?
- Doctrinal Test – is what you believe in accordance to God’s word?
- Social Test – do you love the brethren with your resources?
- what do we mean when we call each other brother or sister? there is a spiritual connection through Jesus Christ
- Victory
- Genuine faith is the result of God’s grace
- Christ
– so many specific OT prophecies that it points to the reality of who Christ is and that He is the only One who fulfills all of these prophecies
- 1 John 2:15 – do not love the world
- Satan’s #1 weapon to deceive people is religion
- if Jesus is Lord, that makes me a slave. then why do I live as if I’m the master?
- our lives will show if we really belong to God
- agape love for the brethren is a sure sign of salvation
- Proper response to the gospel = what is my life but an altar to burn for the glory of God
- what do you do in regards to God’s word?
- how do you love an invisible God? by a life of loving obedience
- God’s word is His autobiography – do you know God’s word? Do you obey God’s word or ignore it?
- when you truly love someone, could you still sin against them and still say you love them?
- God gives us the ability to obey
- you cannot be saved by works. you will be like the hamster on his wheel. you’ll never get anywhere
- genuine faith raises us up over any circumstances and or difficulties
- victorious in Christ
-

box.net app for iphone

i’m sure there are plenty of other apps and things that do this, but i just started using this and i am excited about it. basically, you can sign up for a free account and then store up to 1 gig of files. if you have an iphone, you can get the app for free and have access to those files anywhere. this is pretty cool! so i uploaded all of our praise songs. now i can carry it around anywhere i go.

1 john 4:17-21

- get away from this ethereal idea of love and live love out in daily practice
- love emboldens our approach to God; it purges fear in approaching God
- it’s not about doing religious activities but a personal relationship with God
- God’s perfect love is demonstrated through sending His Son to die for us while we were His enemies
- Agape promotes confidence
- the more we understand the love of God, the more confident and bold we will to come before God
- true Christians will long for and expect Jesus’ returning
- Agape gives us equal standing before God
- God is our Abba Father
- glories of Calvary; Jesus paid it all
- Agape removes fear
- In Christ there is no fear and condemnation
- if you do fear God’s punishment, it will cause you to live deceptively and have a double life
- love of God and fear of His punishment are incompatible
- a life motivated by love NOT fear
- God desires for us to be free from fear
- godly fear is a reverential awe and honor, not a fear of punishment
- nothing can separate the love of God from us
- true love will produce a genuine love for other brethren
- God gives us daily opportunities to love the brethren. in marriage, you get to practice love every day
- we are perfect in loving ourselves. nobody has to tell us to love ourselves
- whatever you do, do it unto the Lord
- be wary of doing things you like and calling it ministry
- true test is costly, sacrificial, others-oriented
- Love God and love others = fulfillment of every command of God

Joshua 15-16

- do not dabble with sin
- never have an entitlement attitude: we never deserve anything good; every good thing is a gift from God
- did you take the trash out this week? then God has blessed you with much. praise Him!
- perspective is crucial; be thankful for what God has blessed you with
- are you so busy doing your daily activities that you forget your so-called identities in Christ?
- do we suppress our need and desire for God by compromising and living immorally?
- men of faith take action
- our plans don’t always work out as we want. we mist trust that God has a plan an is in control
- we need to wrap our minds around the reality of God and His real, concrete and tangible blessings
- God is slow to fulfill his promises? no! He is compassionate to save wretched sinners like you and me!
- God doesn’t need us to fulfill His commission. we are not the answer. but we get to partake in His blessings
- you cannot be saved and live sinfully
- Galatians 6 – whatever you sow, you will reap
- Jude 4 – turns God’s grace into licentiousness
- judges 2:1-3
- most of the problems of sin is because of unfaithfulness to deal with sin in the past; we fail to eradicate every vestige of sin
- we are never in a place where we can boast in and of ourselves

Zeal’s umbrella

1 John 4:13-16 – Pastor John

- to say you are a Christian is to say that you have been loved supernatually by God
- only Christians can truly love
- it’s our Savior who determines who we are
- if you don’t make time to practically love other believers, it may be an indication that you don’t truly know God
- subjectivism is no test for assurance of salvation
- God gives us objective evidence – obedience to God and loving the brethren
- guard your hearts against moralism and legalism
- test 1 – Do you believe in Christ as Savior and Lord?
- test 2 – Do we love in practice?
- anchored on certainty of God’s word, not how you feel a the moment
- offend the unbeliever over the believer – love the brethren
- the world is drawn by our love for each other
- the love for the brethren is our greatest weapon to reach the lost
- stop patting yourself on the back as if you are saved by your abilities
- is your faith genuine? do you submit to Jesus Christ alone?
- reality of fellowship with God
- we cannot pick and choose who to share the gospel with
- self-righteous moralists who trust their own righteousness will go to hell
- do our lives confess that Christ is our Lord?
- how can we not obey Christ if we say He is our Lord?
- are you submitted to Christ in everything?
- to be a Christian
– deny himself – die to yourself
– take up your cross – ready to die
– follow Him – don’t have your own agenda; live in God’s agenda which is His glory, His kingdom
– wrestle with God to ask how you can be used by Him for His glory
- love beckons to be reciprocated
- if you practice biblical love, you will experience the love of God

What Do You Say When You Lead Worship? Part 3

What Do You Say When You Lead Worship? Part 3.