We began our new series in church this morning entitled ‘Dangerous Church’. Paul Benger brought a great message about us having a culture of devotion in the church.
Acts 2:42-47 - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
God loves the church. ‘The local church is the hope of the world’ - Bill Hybels
The church should be dangerous to...poverty, sickness and disease, lost people. God is doing something phenomenal on the earth. He wants us to recapture a little of that danger.
Don’t be distracted from the vision of the church that God has given you.
A Culture of Devotion
A dangerous church continues the ministry of Jesus. Jesus ministers though us to the world. The church should be a place that equips us to reach the world.
Matthew 4:23 - Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people
Luke 4:18 - The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed
A dangerous church cares about the same things that God cares about.
Rick Warren says there are 5 giants that affect the world...
Spiritual emptiness, self-centred leadership, extreme poverty, disease and sickness, lack of education
The answers...Plant churches, train leaders, assist the poor, bring healing, bring education to the uneducated.
We have to fall in love with Jesus and his cause to be a dangerous church.
6 things present in a ‘Culture of Devotion’
The Church says ‘Yes’ (they devoted themselves)
God is waiting for the day when the church gets the revelation of the vision.
The Church is amazed (everyone was filled with awe)
They believed that God as going to do something through them and were amazed he was going to include them. What are we complaining about today that we ought to be thankful about?
The Church builds on proven truth (devoted to the Apostle’s teaching)
We need to shine the light on some old truths. This message of redemption works.
The Church believes in corporate success (they gave to everyone as they had need, devoted to fellowship)
Fellowship is partnership. ‘Those planted in the house of God will flourish’.
The Church lives out of the new covenant (they broke bread from house to house)
This is not about what can we do for God, but what God has done for us.
The Church has a lifestyle of prayer (devoted themselves to prayer)
Life should not be compartmentalised – devoted Christianity is a lifestyle, God is included all of the time.
Maturity means we will live a life of devotion and therefore we will become a dangerous church.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Famous Last Words
Great Easter service today in church. Paul Benger spoke a message entitled ‘Famous Last Words’.
There have been many famous last words throughout history. Here are some of Jesus’ final words on the cross before his death.
- Father forgive them
- Today you will be with me in paradise
- Woman behold your son
- My God my God why have you forsaken me
- I thirst
- Father into your hands I commit my spirit
- It is finished
John 19:16-30
In the Greek, Christ's cry from the cross, "It is finished!" had a number of meanings in that day.
A servant would say it meaning ‘I have overcome all the difficulties. I have done the job to the best of my ability. It is finished’.
In the Offering, the High Priest would say it meaning, ‘Your offering is accepted. It is perfect’.
A Merchant would say it meaning ‘the deal is finished, the price has been paid in full. I am satisfied’.
It is finished – nothing left unfinished!
What is God saying to us today? It is finished meaning...
Finished with the Past – whatever is in our past God is saying we can come to him and find freedom and forgiveness.
Finished with the Season – a season of difficulty and trouble is coming to an end. This is a new day, a new season of life in Christ.
Finished with the Obstacles – the issues and problems that have got in our way will be removed as we put our trust in him and all he has done and accomplished for us at the cross.
We know that Christ’s final words at the cross were only his final words before he died. He rose again on the third day and lives today! Here are some important words he spoke before he ascended to heaven...
Acts 1:3-8
We can now resurrection power today! In our lives, Christ at work in us...from deliverance to inheritance. We will know and experience the Kingdom of God advancing. We will see God’s house being filled – more people knowing Jesus!
There have been many famous last words throughout history. Here are some of Jesus’ final words on the cross before his death.
- Father forgive them
- Today you will be with me in paradise
- Woman behold your son
- My God my God why have you forsaken me
- I thirst
- Father into your hands I commit my spirit
- It is finished
John 19:16-30
In the Greek, Christ's cry from the cross, "It is finished!" had a number of meanings in that day.
A servant would say it meaning ‘I have overcome all the difficulties. I have done the job to the best of my ability. It is finished’.
In the Offering, the High Priest would say it meaning, ‘Your offering is accepted. It is perfect’.
A Merchant would say it meaning ‘the deal is finished, the price has been paid in full. I am satisfied’.
It is finished – nothing left unfinished!
What is God saying to us today? It is finished meaning...
Finished with the Past – whatever is in our past God is saying we can come to him and find freedom and forgiveness.
Finished with the Season – a season of difficulty and trouble is coming to an end. This is a new day, a new season of life in Christ.
Finished with the Obstacles – the issues and problems that have got in our way will be removed as we put our trust in him and all he has done and accomplished for us at the cross.
We know that Christ’s final words at the cross were only his final words before he died. He rose again on the third day and lives today! Here are some important words he spoke before he ascended to heaven...
Acts 1:3-8
We can now resurrection power today! In our lives, Christ at work in us...from deliverance to inheritance. We will know and experience the Kingdom of God advancing. We will see God’s house being filled – more people knowing Jesus!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Missions Sunday
Great time in church today. It was our Missions Sunday where we shared about our mission giving in the past year and also presented the church with our commitment to missions giving over the next 12 months.
It was great to have a number of important visitors with us...Betel of Britain...City Hearts House (Sheffield).
We also continue to support the Ground Level Network Overseas Missions, Links International and Compassion.
We also had our friend Pastor John Andrews from Rotherham New Life who spoke an inspiring message from 2 Kings 7:3-11, on the fact that ‘with great privilege comes great responsibility’.
As Christ transforms our lives we move from living for ourselves to living with responsibility and living for others. What can I do with what God has given me?
Jesus said ‘freely you have received, freely give’
Don’t look at what you haven’t got...look at what you have got! Mission is sharing the good news in whatever way is at your means.
We’re called to be local but also global citizens, effecting the whole world. You’re here to impact the whole world...not just Chesterfield.
Jesus said “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, AND in all Judea AND Samaria, AND to the ends of the earth”.
You’re making a difference with every gift, every contribution every bit that you can do.
It was great to have a number of important visitors with us...Betel of Britain...City Hearts House (Sheffield).
We also continue to support the Ground Level Network Overseas Missions, Links International and Compassion.
We also had our friend Pastor John Andrews from Rotherham New Life who spoke an inspiring message from 2 Kings 7:3-11, on the fact that ‘with great privilege comes great responsibility’.
As Christ transforms our lives we move from living for ourselves to living with responsibility and living for others. What can I do with what God has given me?
Jesus said ‘freely you have received, freely give’
Don’t look at what you haven’t got...look at what you have got! Mission is sharing the good news in whatever way is at your means.
We’re called to be local but also global citizens, effecting the whole world. You’re here to impact the whole world...not just Chesterfield.
Jesus said “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, AND in all Judea AND Samaria, AND to the ends of the earth”.
You’re making a difference with every gift, every contribution every bit that you can do.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Miracles III
Jeannie Benger finished our Miracles series this morning. The message was called ‘A Miracle on the High Seas’.
Mark 4:35-38
We all have times when we feel like we’re in a storm. Three reasons why we face storms...
1) They were in the storm by His appointment
Mark 4:35 – That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side”
Some storms can come because of poor decisions, bad choices.
Some storms come from the enemy. Vet often when we have made a stand, the enemy attacks.
Some storms come from a broken hurting world. We can get entangled with a hurting world.
2) They were in the storm with His presence
Mark 4:36-37 – Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
He used the storm so that they could trust him. Hebrews 13:5 – Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
3) They were in the storm for His purposes
Mark 4:38 – Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
In the storm we want God to do a ‘removing’ job - when He wants to do an ‘improving’ job.
As we step out God responds to our faith. Although we have his presence during storms we can sometimes doubt his care. But God is at work in our lives often in the background turning our lives around.
Jesus calms storms by His words
Mark 4:39-40 - He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Let us speak his word over the storms in our lives. Stand on his word in those difficult life situations.
Do we have his word in our lives? The Bible
Do we have confidence in his word? Let us read, meditate and believe in his word to us.
Do we have a prophetic or ‘now’ word for our present situation?
Do we have confidence in his care? ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’
Mark 4:35-38
We all have times when we feel like we’re in a storm. Three reasons why we face storms...
1) They were in the storm by His appointment
Mark 4:35 – That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side”
Some storms can come because of poor decisions, bad choices.
Some storms come from the enemy. Vet often when we have made a stand, the enemy attacks.
Some storms come from a broken hurting world. We can get entangled with a hurting world.
2) They were in the storm with His presence
Mark 4:36-37 – Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
He used the storm so that they could trust him. Hebrews 13:5 – Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
3) They were in the storm for His purposes
Mark 4:38 – Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
In the storm we want God to do a ‘removing’ job - when He wants to do an ‘improving’ job.
As we step out God responds to our faith. Although we have his presence during storms we can sometimes doubt his care. But God is at work in our lives often in the background turning our lives around.
Jesus calms storms by His words
Mark 4:39-40 - He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Let us speak his word over the storms in our lives. Stand on his word in those difficult life situations.
Do we have his word in our lives? The Bible
Do we have confidence in his word? Let us read, meditate and believe in his word to us.
Do we have a prophetic or ‘now’ word for our present situation?
Do we have confidence in his care? ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’
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