I continued our current series in church this morning with the theme of being made in God’s image.
God Made Us
The most basic and urgent questions of life are who am I? And why am I here?
Some people spend a lifetime trying to "find themselves". But the answer to these questions is found right at the beginning of the Bible.
Genesis 1:26-30
God made men and women with a uniqueness that was not present in the other things He created. Only men and women were created in God's image. Only human beings have this special honour and privilege.
The universe we live in is beyond our comprehension - BUT the God who made the stars and everything else in the universe also made us. In the midst of this overwhelming universe God made us in a way that sets us apart from everything else He created. We may feel insignificant but we are very significant indeed!
We were created with ‘free will’, the freedom to choose. Not robots or clones!
Freedom is scary, because the potential for a human being to do great good or great evil is so tremendous. Freedom is complicated, and it’s messy. It leaves all kinds of unanswered questions that centre on questions like, who are we? Who created us and why?
Psalm 139:14 - I praise you because I am ‘fearfully’ and ‘wonderfully’ made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well
“Fearfully” and “Wonderfully” gets at the idea that each of us is capable of wonderful acts of courage and love, as well as frightening acts of selfishness and violence.
God’s imprint is upon us. The worth of each and every person, who has lived, is living now or will ever live have been established from the beginning! This imprint of God, furthermore, binds us together, because, above all else, we share God’s image in common.
God Redeems Us
Apostle Paul makes the charge that all mankind is under the curse of sin. He has clearly shown that the entire human race is guilty. Each one of us has blown it.
Romans 3:10-12 - (10) As it is written: There is no-one righteous, not even one; (11) there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (12) All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Paul summarises this again in verse 23 (Romans 10) by saying, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
This word which Paul uses here means, "to miss the mark." We miss the glory of God. We were created in his image and intended to display his glory, and we missed!
God has redeemed us. He bought us out of captivity - and it cost him immeasurably: the price was the life of his Son.
Lost but now found...because of Christ...nothing that we could do on our own.
1 Peter 2:9-10 – (9) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (10) Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come
God Restores Us
Saved for a purpose. What are we becoming? Who we were meant to be, as God intended!
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 – (16) But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (17) For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (18) So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the Spirit - makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
(Vs18 - NKJ) But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Made for a Purpose – we have a ‘destiny’!
Many people are trying to be someone they aren’t – destiny and calling are all about God and you and who God has created you to be.
Destiny is all about the plans God has for you, it involves the gifts He has given you, your talents, skills and abilities both natural and spiritual – Calling is all about your willingness and worthiness to obey, to explore and develop that call.
Many feel the pressure of the world around them to be some thing they are not. People driven by insecurity, inferiority and the pressure of friends to be some thing, join a tribe, be part of a group.
John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Meeting and knowing Jesus frees us to become what we were created to be and find the plans of God The question therefore comes to us - are we willing to heed the call of God upon our lives?
Concerning “Destiny”
You’ve got one!
Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God has a plan for you – He has a plan to give you hope, to prosper you not to harm you – he has a future for you!
Your birth was no accident, no random event! Psalms 139:13-14 - “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
You are the right person at the right time designed with God’s purpose in mind!
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
You were created in Christ Jesus to do good works and these works God has prepared in advance for you to do.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Retro: Back to Basics II
Mark Wilkins continued this excellent series yesterday in church on the subject of the fact that we are ‘Built for Community’.
We are made in God’s image, and God is relational...the Trinity. We were created for a need for ‘one another’
Genesis 2:18 - It is not good for the man to be alone
This is not just for marriage...we need many people in our lives, connected together. This is in-built inside of us...it has been put there by God – that need for relationship.
Matthew 22:37-39 – Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'
Spend time with people invest in your relationships. To have ‘fellowship in Christ’ means that we need to take down the walls that we have built up around ourselves and to be together.
Ephesians 2:19-22 – (19) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's household, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (21) In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. (22) And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit
It better for us, more prosperous, to be together and not alone. We find strength in community as we stand together.
Why do we need fellowship/community?
- It allows perspective – we cannot always see clearly when we are on our own, being together brings fresh insight and wisdom.
- It allows protection – in Luke 15, Jesus talked about the lost sheep. One sheep on its own is vulnerable, which is why the shepherd went after it. The other 99 were left on their own because they remained protected in their togetherness.
- It enables growth (Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another)
Fellowship also means that we are not just looking to our own dreams and desires, but we are looking to and helping other people reach theirs as well. We are committed to community.
Romans 12:4-6 - Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying let him use it in proportion to his faith.
God’s plan for us is to be together and to work together. We all have our part to play.
Church is not a place where we all come with the same gifts and abilities, but we are all different people being joined together by God.
What are the characteristics of our church community? We are a community of...
- Faith, hope and love
- Encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build each other up)
- Grace, humility and gentleness
- Generosity
- Honour
- Diversity – we are unique, created by God. Different likes and interests. Our common denominator is Jesus Christ, we are all ‘one’ in Him.
We are made in God’s image, and God is relational...the Trinity. We were created for a need for ‘one another’
Genesis 2:18 - It is not good for the man to be alone
This is not just for marriage...we need many people in our lives, connected together. This is in-built inside of us...it has been put there by God – that need for relationship.
Matthew 22:37-39 – Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'
Spend time with people invest in your relationships. To have ‘fellowship in Christ’ means that we need to take down the walls that we have built up around ourselves and to be together.
Ephesians 2:19-22 – (19) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's household, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (21) In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. (22) And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit
It better for us, more prosperous, to be together and not alone. We find strength in community as we stand together.
Why do we need fellowship/community?
- It allows perspective – we cannot always see clearly when we are on our own, being together brings fresh insight and wisdom.
- It allows protection – in Luke 15, Jesus talked about the lost sheep. One sheep on its own is vulnerable, which is why the shepherd went after it. The other 99 were left on their own because they remained protected in their togetherness.
- It enables growth (Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another)
Fellowship also means that we are not just looking to our own dreams and desires, but we are looking to and helping other people reach theirs as well. We are committed to community.
Romans 12:4-6 - Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying let him use it in proportion to his faith.
God’s plan for us is to be together and to work together. We all have our part to play.
Church is not a place where we all come with the same gifts and abilities, but we are all different people being joined together by God.
What are the characteristics of our church community? We are a community of...
- Faith, hope and love
- Encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build each other up)
- Grace, humility and gentleness
- Generosity
- Honour
- Diversity – we are unique, created by God. Different likes and interests. Our common denominator is Jesus Christ, we are all ‘one’ in Him.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Retro: Back to Basics
Paul Benger began our new series this morning in Church. A great message on the fact that we were ‘Made for Worship’
Matthew 22:34-40
My first purpose in life is to worship God. We’ve all been made for worship. We all worship something. What is our first and primary focus? We all have one. Above all else what/whom will we follow? (Career, car, home, sport, a team, people, personalities, wealth, health, our bodies, family)
Let us make God the centre of our focus. What we worship will eventually come out of us.
Throughout the Bible so often God says to his people, ‘do not worship other gods’. He isn’t panicked by us not worshipping Him, but He says to us ‘do not worship this, do not worship that’, because He loves us and He only wants the very best for us. Worshipping other things, having something else as the primary focus of our lives is damaging. What we are worshipping is what we are becoming.
Why worship in church is important
We worship in the house of God to experience Heaven on earth, Heaven’s atmosphere.
Psalm 34:3 - O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together
Let us make God big in our lives and in the life of our church. Have Heaven’s culture in the house.
Acts 2:46 - Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts
The early church saw so much happening as they grew and spread rapidly, this was because they lived in Heaven’s atmosphere.
We’re here to bring heaven to earth in a world where so often we see ‘hell on earth’
The more of the Heaven atmosphere we breathe in the more we become like Him. Let us meet together as often as we can.
Three things that worship is...
1) Worship is focusing my attention on God
It is my response to God’s love.
Romans 12:2 (The Message) Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognise what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you
2) Worship is expressing my affection to God
God takes risks. His greatest risk was loving us, because He doesn’t force us to love him back. He has given us freewill, the freedom to choose.
God wants a relationship with us. He isn’t passive in His relationship with us. But remember he uses 4 words - Love, will, me, you. It’s not ‘you will love me’, but ‘will you love me?’
3) Worship is using my abilities for God
We can all serve God in some way.
Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men
Romans 12:1 (The Message) So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him
Let us make it our goal to please Him.
Matthew 22:34-40
My first purpose in life is to worship God. We’ve all been made for worship. We all worship something. What is our first and primary focus? We all have one. Above all else what/whom will we follow? (Career, car, home, sport, a team, people, personalities, wealth, health, our bodies, family)
Let us make God the centre of our focus. What we worship will eventually come out of us.
Throughout the Bible so often God says to his people, ‘do not worship other gods’. He isn’t panicked by us not worshipping Him, but He says to us ‘do not worship this, do not worship that’, because He loves us and He only wants the very best for us. Worshipping other things, having something else as the primary focus of our lives is damaging. What we are worshipping is what we are becoming.
Why worship in church is important
We worship in the house of God to experience Heaven on earth, Heaven’s atmosphere.
Psalm 34:3 - O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together
Let us make God big in our lives and in the life of our church. Have Heaven’s culture in the house.
Acts 2:46 - Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts
The early church saw so much happening as they grew and spread rapidly, this was because they lived in Heaven’s atmosphere.
We’re here to bring heaven to earth in a world where so often we see ‘hell on earth’
The more of the Heaven atmosphere we breathe in the more we become like Him. Let us meet together as often as we can.
Three things that worship is...
1) Worship is focusing my attention on God
It is my response to God’s love.
Romans 12:2 (The Message) Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognise what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you
2) Worship is expressing my affection to God
God takes risks. His greatest risk was loving us, because He doesn’t force us to love him back. He has given us freewill, the freedom to choose.
God wants a relationship with us. He isn’t passive in His relationship with us. But remember he uses 4 words - Love, will, me, you. It’s not ‘you will love me’, but ‘will you love me?’
3) Worship is using my abilities for God
We can all serve God in some way.
Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men
Romans 12:1 (The Message) So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him
Let us make it our goal to please Him.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Change
Jeannie Benger spoke a great message in church this morning on the subject of ‘change’.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 – What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun
We should always be looking to change, to grow. It’s the way that we embrace change that causes us to grow. Never be happy with status quo. Be constantly moving forward. Expect change...expect good things.
Principles of Change…
People can change (but you can’t change them)
Change happens from within, from the inside out. As we allow God to change us it portrays in everything that we do.
Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life
Focus on changing yourself and pray for others.
Change is a process
Occasionally change happens suddenly, but most of the time it does not happen like that. It is a journey. You don’t always get it right first time. It’s ok to fail, to learn from our mistakes. Let our attitude be expectant...that we can do it! Live with that anticipation of what God can do!
Fear is inevitable
As we experience new things we experience fear. So often we have to ‘do it afraid’.
To trust God...to step out. When afraid keep moving forward. Fear is an emotion that can keep us from our dreams…if we allow it to. Don’t let fear rob you. The promises of God...Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future
Small steps will get you to the finish line
Consider the dreams that God has given you, the desire that you have for your life. Take little steps towards your dreams. We may have to change our thinking on this.
Position yourself in a place where people encourage you
Get yourself in that ‘grandstand’ place. Where people are encouraging you, ‘you can do it!’ Here in God’s house is a grandstand place. We want the very best for you and encourage you in attaining your dreams and desires in God! Go for it!
‘Constant change is here to stay’
Ecclesiastes 1:9 – What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun
We should always be looking to change, to grow. It’s the way that we embrace change that causes us to grow. Never be happy with status quo. Be constantly moving forward. Expect change...expect good things.
Principles of Change…
People can change (but you can’t change them)
Change happens from within, from the inside out. As we allow God to change us it portrays in everything that we do.
Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life
Focus on changing yourself and pray for others.
Change is a process
Occasionally change happens suddenly, but most of the time it does not happen like that. It is a journey. You don’t always get it right first time. It’s ok to fail, to learn from our mistakes. Let our attitude be expectant...that we can do it! Live with that anticipation of what God can do!
Fear is inevitable
As we experience new things we experience fear. So often we have to ‘do it afraid’.
To trust God...to step out. When afraid keep moving forward. Fear is an emotion that can keep us from our dreams…if we allow it to. Don’t let fear rob you. The promises of God...Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future
Small steps will get you to the finish line
Consider the dreams that God has given you, the desire that you have for your life. Take little steps towards your dreams. We may have to change our thinking on this.
Position yourself in a place where people encourage you
Get yourself in that ‘grandstand’ place. Where people are encouraging you, ‘you can do it!’ Here in God’s house is a grandstand place. We want the very best for you and encourage you in attaining your dreams and desires in God! Go for it!
‘Constant change is here to stay’
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