Great morning service at CLC today. Paul Benger brought an excellent message entitled 'Grace Grows the Church'.
Acts 4:31-end
Romans 15:7
Great grace was upon them all...God's favour
Grace is the favour of God we need in certain circumstances challenges...the grace of God is upon you
God loves you he is for you! In every circumstance Gods grace is upon you
Also we should accept others as Christ accepted you
It's not our greatness but Gods grace that grows the church
It's God that gives us all that we need, the power, to build and grow Gods church
When we get the revelation of his grace we see it everywhere! In your life and in other peoples life.
14 of 27 NT books start with grace
....ends with grace
Luke records in Acts the explosion of the church
The Gospel of Gods grace spreads
We're looking back today saying that God can do it again, an explosion of the Gospel
Imagine a church with no grace! We would not be joyful.
3 things about Grace
1. Jesus sends us to spread the good news of His grace
Acts 4:31
Luke 26:46-49
This was their message and it is ours today!
God loves you he is alive!
They spoke the word Boldly...and it spread throughout the known world
We are looking back at Act 2 and seeing how we can play our role today
We have been sent to boldly proclaim the message of his love and forgiveness...the Gospel of Grace
Give them the grace...boldly, not weirdly
2. Gods grace created a community of grace
Even when we get to people even with all that's wrong with them we still love and accept them
Acts 4:32-37
Don't just offer grace as a one off, grace should never be replaced by gossip
3. Grace Gives
It gives forgiveness, it gives love
They make space for people in their lives, new connect groups, new places
Grace grows the church
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sunday, August 08, 2010
When Ordinary People are Filled with Joy
Great day in God’s House! Spoke the last part of our series “When Ordinary People…”. This morning it was all about “When Ordinary People are filled with Joy”.
1 Corinthians 1:26-28 - Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are
The apostles were ordinary guys doing extraordinary things in God…“think of what you were before you were called”
When ordinary people are filled with joy…extraordinary things happen!
Psalm 126 - (1) When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. (2) Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” (3) The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. (4) Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. (6) He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
These were people facing ordinary times but they are reminding themselves of extraordinary things.
Nehemiah 8:10 – The joy of the Lord is your STRENGTH
This is in the same spirit that Paul is talking about in the New Testament when he says “when I am weak then I am STRONG”!
When the Bible says that the Joy of the Lord is your Strength…when we understand the power of joy, the power of laughter, of celebration then we can know what it is to bring strength to our body soul and spirit.
Proverbs 17:22 – A merry heart does good, like medicine…But a broken spirit saps a person’s strength
That’s why the Devil wants to rob us of our joy…have us think that joy is not important. BUT the Joy of the Lord is your STRENGTH!
Proverbs 12:25 - Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes him GLAD!
It’s a choice to be GLAD sometimes…it’s a choice to be Joyful! It’s a choice not to let the devil do the laughing…but you’re going to fill your own mouth with laughter…your own tongue with singing!
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
“Always” means there are going to be days when we don’t feel like it…there is a time to mourn, a time to cry…BUT there is also a time to laugh! BECAUSE a Merry Heart is like MEDICINE!
Jesus rejoiced - He had a joy above his companions
Hebrew 1:9 – You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy
Hebrews 12:2 - Who for the JOY set before him endured the cross
Like Jesus - Let’s make the choice to be joyful, to choose to be glad!
Four things we’ve got to take charge of if we’re going to live joyfully. If when things are pretty ordinary…we want to be anointed with the oil joy of the Lord and know the Extraordinary when the Joy of the Lord is our STRENGTH!
1) Take charge of your MIND (thinking)
Take charge…don’t let your mind rule you…take charge of your frame of mind and line it up with the word of God and not be conformed to this world, the ordinary stuff…be transformed by the renewing of your mind
When our thinking gets effected…Enemy wants to rob us of our DREAMS
Verse 1 - When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream
The first thing that gets robbed often is the ability to dream…the creativity that comes from an awesome God.
2) Take charge of your mouth
Verse 2 – Then our mouths were filled with laughter
Is your mouth filled with laughter or defeat? The Bible says about the people of faith…the word of God is in their hearts and in our mouths! We need to have the word of God in our mouth as well as our hearts!
Proverbs 10:11 - The mouth of the righteous is a well of life!
3) Take charge of your COUNTENANCE
Verse 3 - The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.
They weren’t in a GLAD season. We are glad...that’s a choice, that’s a decision they have made.
Our disposition, our temperament…we’ve got to take charge of it! Are we being led by our smile! It’s not FAKE its FAITH!
Psalm 34:5 - Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy! (The Message) Look at Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him
4) Take charge of your ACTIONS
Verse 6 - He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Take charge of your actions - stay generous, bearing seed for sowing…they shall ‘doubtless’ come again with rejoicing! When we are sowing in tears one of the things that can shrivel up is our generosity. We’re not generous with our words anymore, with our action, with our finance.
One of the greatest things we can do in the face of discouragement is to extend generosity
1 Corinthians 1:26-28 - Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are
The apostles were ordinary guys doing extraordinary things in God…“think of what you were before you were called”
When ordinary people are filled with joy…extraordinary things happen!
Psalm 126 - (1) When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. (2) Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” (3) The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. (4) Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. (6) He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
These were people facing ordinary times but they are reminding themselves of extraordinary things.
Nehemiah 8:10 – The joy of the Lord is your STRENGTH
This is in the same spirit that Paul is talking about in the New Testament when he says “when I am weak then I am STRONG”!
When the Bible says that the Joy of the Lord is your Strength…when we understand the power of joy, the power of laughter, of celebration then we can know what it is to bring strength to our body soul and spirit.
Proverbs 17:22 – A merry heart does good, like medicine…But a broken spirit saps a person’s strength
That’s why the Devil wants to rob us of our joy…have us think that joy is not important. BUT the Joy of the Lord is your STRENGTH!
Proverbs 12:25 - Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes him GLAD!
It’s a choice to be GLAD sometimes…it’s a choice to be Joyful! It’s a choice not to let the devil do the laughing…but you’re going to fill your own mouth with laughter…your own tongue with singing!
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
“Always” means there are going to be days when we don’t feel like it…there is a time to mourn, a time to cry…BUT there is also a time to laugh! BECAUSE a Merry Heart is like MEDICINE!
Jesus rejoiced - He had a joy above his companions
Hebrew 1:9 – You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy
Hebrews 12:2 - Who for the JOY set before him endured the cross
Like Jesus - Let’s make the choice to be joyful, to choose to be glad!
Four things we’ve got to take charge of if we’re going to live joyfully. If when things are pretty ordinary…we want to be anointed with the oil joy of the Lord and know the Extraordinary when the Joy of the Lord is our STRENGTH!
1) Take charge of your MIND (thinking)
Take charge…don’t let your mind rule you…take charge of your frame of mind and line it up with the word of God and not be conformed to this world, the ordinary stuff…be transformed by the renewing of your mind
When our thinking gets effected…Enemy wants to rob us of our DREAMS
Verse 1 - When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream
The first thing that gets robbed often is the ability to dream…the creativity that comes from an awesome God.
2) Take charge of your mouth
Verse 2 – Then our mouths were filled with laughter
Is your mouth filled with laughter or defeat? The Bible says about the people of faith…the word of God is in their hearts and in our mouths! We need to have the word of God in our mouth as well as our hearts!
Proverbs 10:11 - The mouth of the righteous is a well of life!
3) Take charge of your COUNTENANCE
Verse 3 - The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.
They weren’t in a GLAD season. We are glad...that’s a choice, that’s a decision they have made.
Our disposition, our temperament…we’ve got to take charge of it! Are we being led by our smile! It’s not FAKE its FAITH!
Psalm 34:5 - Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy! (The Message) Look at Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him
4) Take charge of your ACTIONS
Verse 6 - He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Take charge of your actions - stay generous, bearing seed for sowing…they shall ‘doubtless’ come again with rejoicing! When we are sowing in tears one of the things that can shrivel up is our generosity. We’re not generous with our words anymore, with our action, with our finance.
One of the greatest things we can do in the face of discouragement is to extend generosity
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