Words from Steve Grose

Several Sharp outlines mainly from Adrian Rogers Leave a comment

I have these outlines printed in my Bible for emergencies.

1. The Challenges Of Cruelty

A. The Stress Of Cruel Corruption Eccles 3:16-21 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. ICAC

B. The Stress Of Cruel Companies Eccl 4:1-3 Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

C. The Stress Of Cruel Competition 4-8 4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5 The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. 7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

D. The Stress Of Cruel Criticism 13 Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. 14 For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. 15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king’s place. 16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

2. The Comfort of Companionship

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

A. An Eternal Companion Isa 40:28 the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

B. An Earthly Companion

Mutual Encouragement when we are Weak Stabilizing One Another 9,10

Mutual Support when we are Vulnerable Supporting One Another 11 Paul Simon 1969 Vietnam War. “When you’re down and out, when you’re on the street, When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you, I’ll take your part. Oh when darkness comes and pain is all around, Like a bridge over troubled waters, I will lay me down.”

Mutual Protection when we are Attacked Strengthening One Another

Mutual Achievement when we are Stressed Sustaining One Another

Mutual Development When we are Shallow Sharpening One Another Prov 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

The Best Is Yet To Be I Thessalonians 5:1-11
What a glorious time this is … to be between two mountain peaks of history — the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the coronation of Jesus Christ!.

1. Learn Of His Coming The Thessalonians learned two things about Jesus’ coming ─ the certainty of it and the uncertainty of the time. Anybody who sets a date for the second coming of Jesus Christ is approaching (if he hasn’t already crossed it) the line of blasphemy (see Matthew 24:36 and Acts 1:7). Many people ask why Jesus hasn’t come yet. I believe it is the mercy of God that holds Him back (see 2 Peter 3:9). Even now the raging waters of God’s wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of His mercy. And one of these days, that dam of God’s mercy will give way to God’s judgment and the day of the Lord will come. The second coming of Jesus isn’t an incidental truth in Scripture, it is fundamental. Over and over the Bible teaches this. This bursts aflame in your heart, in your life ─ learn about His second coming.

2. Look For His Coming "The day of the Lord" is going to be a solemn day (see Joel 2:1-2, Jeremiah 30:7-9, Daniel 12:1-2, and Matthew 24:21). You can combine all the horrors this world has ever known and you will have a faint description of what the day of the Lord will be for those who are left behind.

It will also be a surprising day. The Bible compares it to the time of Noah (see Matthew 24:36-39). People were going about the normal routine of life when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, the heavens were emptied, the flood came, and carried them all away. We are to be ready.

Lastly, it will be a sure day. As surely as a birth follows labor pains, God’s judgment is going to come upon the earth. Indeed, our world is on a collision course with judgment. We are to live today as if Jesus was coming back today.

3. Live For His Coming

Be aware and wise up. We are the only ones who can make sense of what is happening all around us. Dr. Vance Havner said, "You can give a Bible and a candle to a child of God then put him in a dungeon. Even there, he will know more about what is going on in this world than all of Congress and the Pentagon put together."

Be awake and get up. Do you know the problem with many churches today? They are not preaching the second coming of Jesus Christ. Instead, many are teaching bedtime stories that lull congregations to sleep. We must wake up! Can’t you hear it? God’s alarm clock is going off all over this world.

Be alert and dress up. First Thessalonians 5:8 teaches we are to put on the breastplate of faith and love to protect our hearts. At the same time, we are to put on the helmet ─ the hope of salvation. And this "hope" is a divine certainty based on the Word of God (see Titus 2:13 and 1 John 5:13).

4. Long For His Coming First Thessalonians 5:11 teaches us that Christ’s second coming is a comforting truth. The church is going to be raptured before the great tribulation. And here are three reasons why:

Explanation. Verse 9 tells us that God has not appointed us to wrath (see 1 Thess 1:9-10). Now, that is different from His chastisement which God’s children will experience

Expectation. Paul writes that he was expecting Jesus in his lifetime. Was he wrong? No, he was right. Every Christian should be expecting Jesus to come in his life.

Exhortation. There is comfort for us in knowing that as we wait for His second coming that we will be spared the great tribulation. And the Apostle Paul tells us to exhort others with this truth. "even so come Lord Jesus."

Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts 1 Cor 12, Rom 12
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. Romans 12:5b-6 You are a gifted child. God has equipped you in a special way for a special purpose. And you are to discover that gift (you’ve got at least one), develop it, and deploy it for the glory of our Lord.

The Description of the Gifts You may have talent and thought it was a gift – and in a way it is. All talents are given by God. But talents are not unique to the saved – unsaved people have talents, as well. Spiritual gifts, though, are supernatural, grace gifts – not earned or learned. Some people also confuse the gifts of the Spirit with the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance) is to be manifested in every believer. The gifts, on the other hand, are uniquely distributed as God sees fit for the building up of His Kingdom.

The Diversity of the Gifts First Corinthians 12:4 tells us that there are "diversities of gifts." God has given His children a variety of gifts, "but the same Spirit." There are also different administrations and operations of these gifts. In the Body of Christ we exhibit unity in diversity. And what is unity? It is not unison. Have you ever heard a choir? Then, you know that they sing different parts. That’s what makes it beautiful. God doesn’t want us all to be alike. God has made each of us different. When we come together in one Spirit, our work is a harmonious symphony of loving service to our King!

The Distribution of the Gifts The gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit (read First Corinthians 12:8-11). You don’t decide which one of the gifts you would like. He sovereignly chooses the gift for you. And, there’s no need for you to ask God for a spiritual gift. When the Holy Spirit entered your life and placed you into the Body of Christ, He didn’t come in empty-handed; He came in with a gift. All you need to do is discover the gift and develop the gift that God has already given you. First Peter 4:10 says, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

The Design of the Gifts What is God’s design for your spiritual gift? First Corinthians 12:7 says: "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." Many people think their spiritual gift is for their enjoyment. But, it is not for your enjoyment; it is for your employment. If I have a gift, it’s going to bless you. If you have a gift, it’s going to bless me. Together, we’re going to bless each other. The Phillips 7 says, "Each man is given his gift by the Spirit that he may use it for the common good."

The Discovery of the Gifts The first step in discovering your spiritual gift is to present yourself to God (see Romans 12:1). Once you’ve done that, spend some time in God’s Word. Day after day, He will transform you more and more into His likeness, then you can realize your gift in Christ.

Next, I suggest you spend time serving others. You see, the Body of Christ affirms each other and helps surface our gifts. May God bless you in all your endeavors as you step out in faith to use your spiritual gift for His glory.

It Is Decision That Determines Destiny
"… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days… ." Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a What would happen to you if you were in the same valley of decision between these two mountains? Let me help by giving you some principles of choice.
1 you are free to choose. Every day, God gives us the freedom to make choices about what we think is going to be good, or even best for us.
2 you’re not free not to choose. To decide not to choose is a choice. Am I making any sense? Let me make it very clear – to decide not to choose good is always a choice to choose evil. Jesus said, "He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad" (Matthew 12:30). If you do not crown Jesus, you crucify Him. There is no middle ground.
3 – you’re not free to choose the consequences of your choice. Let me illustrate. Stand beside an open window on the tenth floor of a building. You’re free to jump. Now, that’s a foolish thing to do, but if nobody is there to restrain you, you can choose to do so. Stay in the room or jump out. Now, if you decide to jump, then you must be ready to face the consequences of that choice.
4. you are free to choose, but you’re not free to achieve. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, suppose I chose to achieve as a professional basketball player. Well, you look at my frame and you say to yourself, "How can he even hope of achieving success?" And you’re probably right. You see, I can make all the choices I want. I can even have all the hopes and dreams I want. But, I have to be realistic to see that I might not achieve success simply because I have chosen to do something.
5 – a big choice will take care of a lot of little ones. I am a man who has made up his mind that I am going to be loyal to my wife. You see, I don’t have to worry when I check into a hotel whether to watch pornography or not. I don’t have to be concerned whether I am going to flirt with another woman. I don’t have to keep making that decision to be loyal to my wife. I’ve made that decision and that one big decision takes care of a lot of the other little decisions.
6 God has already chosen you, that you might choose Him. That’s why we’re called His elect. "We love him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Had God not first chosen us, we would never have the inclination to choose Him. Thank God for His sovereignty!
7. the day of choice is passing away. Don’t think that you have forever to make up your mind whether you’re going to be a follower of Jesus Christ or not. Make your eternal salvation secure today. CHOOSE JESUS BECAUSE …
You can know immediate joy. Why wait to have joy when you can have it right now? I’d be a Christian if there were no heaven or hell for the joy that I have today in Christ. You may die tonight. These may be the last words you ever read about salvation in Jesus Christ. After you die, there are no second chances to get saved. Choose life. Jesus Christ is coming back. Matthew 24:24 says, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." If you don’t think He’s coming, then that is a fulfillment of this verse because He’s coming when you least expect Him. Each time you decide against Him, you harden your heart. Hebrews 3:7-8 says, "Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts." A person becomes proficient at anything he does for a long time. You can become a professional Christ-denier.

FINDING GOD’S WAY IN A DARK DAY
A Plan And A Promise God has a promise for us in Isaiah 58:11: "And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Here’s another promise from God: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). God isn’t simply interested in the course of nations or congregations; He has a plan for you!
A Trusting Confidence Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts. This is a complete, trusting confidence. And it is trust in the Lord – not in a purpose or a plan, but a Person. To trust a person, you must love him. Most of us are unlikely to trust a stranger. Would you trust him with your wallet? Of course not. You don’t know him well enough. But you would hand your wallet to a good friend and never worry that you would see it again. To know God is to come to love Him; and to love Him is to trust Him; and to trust Him is to begin to obey Him and to be blessed by Him. How does this process begin? Are you spending time every day with God? It is the only way to come to know Him – that we may love Him, trust Him, obey Him, and be blessed by Him. How did you come to love your spouse or a good friend? You spent time with that person. We cannot love or trust strangers. The latter part of verse 5 says not to lean on one’s own understanding. Does that mean not to have any understanding in the first place? Of course not. This is not an excuse for sanctified ignorance.
A Total Commitment Proverbs 3:6a tells us about total commitment: "In all thy ways acknowledge Him." It is a total commitment of our ways to God’s way. And how do we acknowledge Him? As Lord, as sovereign God – the rightful Ruler of life. We hand a signed, blank check to God and ask Him to fill it in. Have you ever handed someone a blank check? It takes ultimate trust, a total commitment. But it’s the only way to find God’s way on a dark day. When we know and love God, we realize His will is not to be feared. It is not a burden we have to bear; it is a gift God lavishes upon us. God chooses for us what we would choose for ourselves if we weren’t so prone to failure.
A Thrilling Consequence Out of a trusting confidence and a total commitment comes a thrilling consequence: He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:6b). Divine direction means that God will lead us into His will. How will He do it? First, through His Word. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). In a dark day, we need a little lamplight and the Bible shines brilliantly. What if a man asked you to pray with him about whether he should leave his wife for another woman? Do you need to pray for guidance on that one? Of course not! God’s will is already revealed through His Word. He will never direct a spouse to get romantically involved with someone else outside of the marriage relationship. In that case and so many others, God’s will is already revealed for us. If you seek to know God’s way, you’d best know God’s Word.
Clearing The Path The Hebrew word for "direct" in Proverbs 3:6b is yashar and it literally means "to cut a path or clear the way." The exciting thing about this concept is that God will not only lead you, but He will clear the way. Take some time to read Isaiah 40 – it contains the same idea. There is no itinerary for the journey of life. It is filled with surprises. But you will find God’s will for the rest of your life by finding His will for the next fifteen minutes. Do what you know He wants you to do today. Be faithful in the small things, and the greater things will come. He will lead the way through a dark day.

Genesis 39:20-23

Joseph was placed in prison not for doing anything wrong, but for doing something right.

DON’T DEMAND TO UNDERSTAND Proverbs 3:5-6 Isaiah 50:10-11

You can come to a time of perplexity even though you have done nothing wrong.

Job was perplexed at times. Habakkuk was perplexed at times.

John the Baptist was perplexed at times. Luke 7:28 John 1:29 Matthew 11:3

Paul was perplexed at times. Isaiah 55:8-9

DON’T FAIL TO BE FAITHFUL (Genesis 39:21-23) Genesis 39:2

The same God who was with Joseph in the good times was with him in the bad times.

DON’T BOW TO BITTERNESS (Genesis 40:14-15)

1 Peter 2:20 One of the greatest tests in life is this: Not how you react when you’re punished for doing wrong, but how you react when you’re persecuted for doing right.

DON’T BE UNWILLING TO WAIT (Genesis 40:23) Genesis 41:46

Psalm 37:5-9

1 Peter 5:6

DON’T LET DREAMS DISSOLVE (Genesis 41:37-44)

Joel 2:28 Joseph never forgot the dream that God gave him and God never forgot the dream either.

James 1:19-20

The real question is not whether or not we’re going to have conflicts; the real question is how do we settle them? Here are some practical ways to handle conflicts in our relationships.

TUNE IN BE QUICK TO LISTEN (James 1:19-20) When we listen, we encourage the other person to talk. Listening also helps us to understand the other person. Reasons many of us do not listen: We’re defensive.

We assume we already know what they’re going to say.

We’re thinking about what we’re going to say next.

How do we listen?

With observation listen not merely with our ears, but listen with our eyes.

With concentration focus on what the other person is saying.

With consideration think about the meaning behind the words without jumping to conclusions. With clarification think it through until we get it straight.

TONE DOWN BE SLOW TO SPEAK (James 1:19) Proverbs 10:19 Proverbs 17:27 Proverbs 21:23 Ecclesiastes 5:3 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Destructive games we play:

The judge we blame our mate.

The professor we act superior.

The psychologist we assume we understand everything about the other person.

The historian we keep a record; we want every detail correct.

The dictator we want to rule, sometimes by a show of force.

The critic we compare our mate with other people.

The preacher we act “holier than thou”.

LIGHTEN UP BE SLOW TO WRATH (James 1:19) The Bible does not say that we should never be angry. Ephesians 4:26 Mark 3:5

how can we be angry and sin not?

Be angry for the right reason be angry only at sin.

Be angry at the right things not at the sinner, but at the sin.

Be angry in the right way our anger should move us to do something about a situation that is wrong.

If we have an uncontrolled temper: We are very foolish. Ecclesiastes 7:9

We have a very weak character. Proverbs 16:32 Proverbs 29:22

If your mate is prone to anger: Do not practice avoidance. Do not practice appeasement. Do not practice aggression.

When you have an argument: Have it at the right time not before a meal or a social event. Have it in the right tone keep words soft and sweet; you may have to eat them. Have it on the right turf just the two of you.

We should practice accommodation. We should practice acceptance.

We should practice adjustment.

Family Fun Psalm 128:1-6

WHAT IS A FAMILY?

A God-ordained unit related by marriage, blood or adoption.

God created the family to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts and to give us a means to give and receive love, to propagate the human race, and to provide a safe and secure environment in which to nurture, to teach and to love our children.

God describes the ideal family in Psalm 128: A godly husband (Psalm 128:1-2) A faithful wife (Psalm 128:3) Happy and productive children (Psalm 128:3)

The idea of a happy family is often made fun of today. We need to bring fun back to the family. This does not mean irresponsibility or failing to do what we should because of carelessness. Laughter is a gift from God. Psalm 126:2 Genesis 21:6

Jesus was a man of great gladness. Psalm 45:7 Ecclesiastes 3:4 Luke 6:21

FAMILY FUN REFRESHES (Psalm 128:2) Psalm 127:2

This verse literally means that God “giveth his beloved inhis sleep.”

We need not be so busy making a living that we forget to live.

FAMILY FUN REPAIRS (Psalm 128:2) Joy and laughter are medicine to our bodies and souls. Proverbs 17:22 Proverbs 12:25 Proverbs 15:13-15

Three things to remember when raising children: Be firm have some rules.

Be fair be honest. Be fun.

FAMILY FUN REMAINS (Psalm 128:4-6)

We build for our children a museum of memories.

Memories bring a sense of security and belonging to a child’s life.

God desires for all of us to have three homes.

A church home A family home A heavenly home

Jesus Christ is the key to all three.

The fear of the Lord is love on its knees.

Family Finances 1 Timothy 6:5-10, 17-19

Many families are in financial bondage. The following are questions to consider when determining whether or not you and your family are in financial bondage:

Are you charging daily expenditures because of a lack of funds?

Do you put off paying a bill until next month?

Do you borrow to pay fixed expenses such as taxes or insurance?

Does your annual debt retirement on a long-term debt exceed 20% of your annual income? Are you unaware of how much you owe?

Are creditors and bill collectors writing you about past due bills?

Are you taking from savings to pay current bills? Are you making new loans to pay off old loans? Have you thought about being dishonest concerning money?

Are you having difficulty returning your tithe to God?

Do you and your spouse argue over money?

THE LACK OF WEALTH (1 Timothy 6:6-8) The lack of wealth cannot take away genuine contentment. Contentment is an inner sufficiency that keeps us at peace in spite of outward circumstances. Ecclesiastes 5:10

Contentment is found with godliness. (1 Timothy 6:6)

Your personal value is revealed by godliness.

Your personal virtue is revealed by godliness.

Your personal victory is revealed by godliness.

Worth cannot be measured by money. Psalm 23:1 We need to get our families together and confess the sin of discontent.

THE LOSS OF WEALTH (1 Timothy 6:7) The loss of wealth is inevitable. Proverbs 23:4-5 Job 1:21 Prosperity is posterity. What are we leaving behind in the hearts and minds of our children?

THE LOVE OF WEALTH (1 Timothy 6:8-10)

The love of wealth is dangerous.1 Timothy 6:9 “they that will be rich”.

This passage literally means those who determine to be rich. Prov 28:20 Mat 6:33

THE LUXURY OF WEALTH (1 Timothy 6:17-19) The luxury of wealth brings responsibility. Be humble. 1 Timothy 6:17 Be trustful. 1 Timothy 6:17

Be joyful. 1 Timothy 6:17 Psalm 84:11 Be generous. 1 Timothy 6:18

We are stewards; God is the owner. Psalm 24:1

FINANCIAL BONDAGE OF THE WEALTHY The wealthy can encounter financial bondage when: They seek satisfaction in their money.

Their wealth increases their worries. Proverbs 15:6

They become slaves to their money. Proverbs 23:4

They have no treasure in Heaven. Proverbs 11:4

Cultivating Contentment in the Home Psalm 128

WHAT IS CONTENTMENT? Contentment is an inner sufficiency that keeps us at peace in spite of outward circumstances. Philippians 4:11 The Bible is not opposed to having material possessions. Deuteronomy 8:18 Psalm 35:27 James 1:17

WHAT DESTROYS FAMILY CONTENTMENT?

Covetousness destroys contentment. Exodus 20:17 Covetousness is unlawful desire that comes out of discontent. Why is covetousness so bad?

Covetousness is deceptive. Romans 7:7

Covetousness is debasing. Mark 7:21-22 Covetousness comes out of the heart. We are covetous by nature. John 8:44 Isaiah 4:14

Covetousness is destructive. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

A discontented man is never rich, and a contented man is always rich. Eccl 5:10

The Bible refers to covetousness as idolatry. Colossians 3:5

Anytime we put God in second place, we commit idolatry. Luke 16:13 Matthew 6:33

WHAT DEFINES FAMILY CONTENTMENT?

Faith for the family. Psalm 128:1 Hebrews 13:5 Psalm 73:25-26 1 Timothy 6:6

Fellowship for the family. Psalm 128:2-3 Psalm 127:3

Food for the family. Psalm 128:2 Philippians 4:19 Proverbs 15:16-17

WHAT DEVELOPS FAMILY CONTENTMENT?

Learn to trust God. Psalm 128:1

Learn to thank God. Psalm 128:3-4

Learn to love. Psalm 128:5-6

Learn to give.

THE VALUE OF A SOUL (Mark 8:35-38)

(could you lose something and not know what it is? Beryl’s Saratoga)

THE FABULOUS TREASURE Your soul is a priceless treasure.

It’s the Essential part of you

It’s the Eternal part of you

It’s the Expensive part of you (cost the Son of God)

A FOOLISH TRANSACTION (Mark 8:36-37) Three reasons why this is a bad bargain: i. Nobody gains the whole world.

ii. The part of the world you gain, you can’t keep.

iii. The world will never satisfy you.a.Acts 17:28

To lose your soul would be a tragic loss:

i. It is an irreversible loss Hebrews 9:27 Ezekiel 18:4

ii. It is an immeasurable loss.

iii. It is an irreplaceable loss.

iv. It is an inexcusable loss. You don’t have to lose your soul

THE FATAL TRAGEDY

Many of us are engaged in bargaining away our souls for pieces of this world, and we’re not even gaining the pleasures of the world. Surrender your soul to Jesus.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the wholeworld, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Planning Your Future James 4:13-17

Failure is succeeding at the wrong thing. This passage in James tells of three major mistakes often made when planning for the future.

BEWARE OF SELF-CENTERED PLANNING (James 4:13)

This man was planning the future of his business.

He planned the period of time. He planned the places he would go.

He planned the procedure. He planned the profits.

The Bible does not discourage planning. The problem was that this man left God out of his plans; he did not seek the will of God. Psalm 32:8 Isaiah 30:21 John 16:13

Romans 8:14 God has a plan for every area of your life. The following will help you in finding His will: Confession confess your sins. Get your heart right with God. Psalm 66:18 1 John 1:5-6, 9 Ezekiel 14:3

Consecration Do you really want to know the will of God, or do you just want God to help you in your plans? Proverbs 3:6

Concentration listen to God.

BEWARE OF SELF-CONFIDENT PRESUMPTION (James 4:14-15)

Life is but a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Proverbs 27:1

Time is fleeting; be careful not to waste time. Do not presume upon the time that you have. Luke 12:16-20

BEWARE OF SELF-COMPLACENT PROCRASTINATION (James 4:15-17)

Procrastination may be the biggest problem most of us face today.

The sin of omission, or procrastination, is a very deceptive and dangerous sin.

The reason a person is not saved is because he has failed to do what he ought to do. No longer is a man condemned to Hell because he’s a sinner, because those sins have been paid for by Jesus’ death and resurrection. A person is lost because he has not believed. John 3:18

The sin of omission is the reason why many homes are falling apart; we’re simply not doing what we know we ought to be doing. What do you have to do to harm your home? Nothing, just neglect to do what you ought to do.

The reason many of our churches fail is due to the sin of omission; we neglect to do what we ought to do. Numbers 32:23

Fortify Faith

Build up each other in the faith. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says "a threefold cord is not quickly broken." A three-fold cord is a man, a woman, and God. Lorelle knows that she is not first in my life because God is first in my life. She doesn’t mind being second. Why? Because she knows I can love her more by putting her second than I ever could love her by putting her first.

Remember Roles God made us different that He might make us one (see 1 Peter 3:1, 7). He made the husband with a hard exterior and the wife more gentle, but not inferior. The husband is the head of the home, as Jesus is the head of the church and gave Himself for the church (see Ephesians 5:23-25). Most women don’t mind submitting to a man who loves her enough to die for her, and lives for her.

Cultivate Contentment "To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough." If you’re not careful, your marriage is going to be until debt do us part. Learn to be content (see Philippians 4:11-13).

Banish Bitterness There are no problems too big to solve, just people too small to solve them. If we would just banish bitterness and attack the problem rather than one another, our families would be a lot better off. Don’t go to bed angry with your backs to each other. Ephesians 4:26 says, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath."

Continue Communication Communication is so important because it is truly what builds intimacy in a marriage. 1Peter 3:8-10 has much to say about the communication a couple needs to have in order to enjoy a lasting love. One way we can build communication is to have a good date life and there are four kinds of dates that everybody needs to make. First, each spouse needs to have a daily date with God. Second, if the couple has children, each needs to have a regular date with their kids. Third, couples need to have a date by themselves. Fourth, have a date with each other.

Refresh Romance Try to keep your "courtship" going. To the husband, never cease flirting with your wife and never flirt with any other woman. Second, God’s Word tells husbands to give honor to their wives, that means to respect and be courteous to her at all times. Open the door for her – and not just when other people are looking.

Practice Prayer 1Peter 3:7 tells the husband to "dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." I implore you to humble yourself and get down on your knees with your wife and practice prayer. Let her know you are praying for her, let her hear you pouring out your heart before God. It will give her great confidence and comfort.

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2:24

Genesis 2:21-24 tells about the first marriage. It tells about God’s plan for the home and for a magnificent marriage. And verse twenty-four sums up all of marriage: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." This one verse speaks so clearly of the priority, the permanence and the purpose of marriage.

The Priority of Marriage The highest priority of human relationships is not parent to child or child to parent, but mate to mate. Therefore, as parents we must be preparing our children to leave us. Like the eagle, we must stir the nest, so they can go out and have homes of their own. Now the little eagles may not want to leave the nest, but there comes a time when they must fly. Many moms and dads don’t want to have the empty nest, so they keep it feathered and make it easy for the little baby eagles and never really teach them how to fly. What a mistake!

The Permanence of Marriage This verse further instructs the man to "cleave unto his wife." The Hebrew wording has the idea of welding or gluing. It’s not people who put themselves together; it’s God. And Mark 10: 9 says, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Marriage is permanent; it is "till death do us part." All marriages have problems. People who stay married and those who get divorced have basically the same kinds of problems. The difference is not in the problems but in the commitment. Just get rid of the idea of divorce. Take your scissors and cut that word out of your dictionary.

The Purpose of Marriage Genesis 21:24 says that the two will be one flesh. This deals with more than a sexual union – though that is included. It means they will be one flesh physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Marriage is a romance, and in the first chapter both the hero and the die heroine, so they can become one new person. God takes two and makes them one. You may say that’s old-fashioned. Yes, it is old-fashioned, but it’s still mighty good.

When all else has failed, we need to simply go back and read the directions. But if you’ve failed, remember God is a God of forgiveness. He’s the God of a second chance, a third chance, and a fourth chance. If you have a broken heart or a broken home, bring it to Jesus. He can put it back together if you’ll give Him all the pieces.

The first miracle Jesus performed was at a wedding when He turned water into wine (John 2:1-11), and He is still performing miracles. When you get right down to it, every magnificent marriage is a miracle because it is a union of man, a woman, and God. It won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it.

Confrontations are unavoidable in marriage. But the most important factor in marital harmony isn’t whether you get into a confrontation, but how you handle the confrontations. James gives us God’s formula for handling marital debates: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19).

THREE DON’TS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION Here are three things from which to steer as you find yourself in inevitable marital conflicts.

Don’t Practice Avoidance. Do you avoid all conflict with your spouse? Perhaps you are frightened of your spouse’s anger. Perhaps you don’t want to lose an argument or you’re afraid an argument will ruin your marriage. Could it be that you’re terrified you’ll have to admit something about yourself that you’d rather keep silent. Or are you so afraid of seeing a problem inside yourself, that you just retreat?

Avoiding conflict never solves conflict; it only postpones the inevitable. You may stuff it and repress it, but your stomach will keep score. Don’t practice avoidance. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:6).

Don’t practice appeasement. Some people don’t avoid conflict; they appease. They automatically concede, in every discussion. One person always wins; one always loses. One person always dominates; the other simply gives in and gives ground. Godly compromise happens when both spouses give a little. But appeasement is something else. Appeasers may think they solve problems, but they don’t.

Appeasement smolders in the heart like oily rags in a closet. They can break out and burn the house down. What’s more, appeasers are given to self pity. They develop martyr complexes. They feel trapped because they know they’ll never win. And while marriages with appeasers may stay together, they often suffer from emotional divorce, which is as tragic as physical divorce.

Don’t practice aggression. You must face your partner, but don’t attack. There are few problems husbands and wives can’t solve if they will attack the problem, rather than each other. The Bible says, you must speak the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15). To attack the problem, choose your time wisely. Psychologists say that 90 percent of family arguments begin just before mealtime, when your blood sugar is low. Another time not to bring up problems is on the way to a social event or to church. "A soft answer turneth away wrath" (Proverbs 15:1). The right time. The right tone. The right turf. All three are so important.

THREE DO’S OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Practice accommodation. We all want our partners to change. But we need to focus on ourselves. The most effective way to change your partner is to change you. Because when you change, your partner has to react to someone different. To change yourself, practice accommodation. Suppose a wife says, "My husband and I don’t spend enough time together. He doesn’t give me enough time." How can she accommodate her husband? She could learn a sport he loves – that they can play together. That way she gets what she deeply desires: time with her husband, but she does so by accommodating herself to him.

Practice acceptance. By practicing accommodation, you say, "I change." By practicing acceptance, you say, "My spouse might never change. I accept it. I accept my partner." There are simply certain things we have to accept about others. We’re different

Practice adjustment. This is the best "do" of all. In accommodation, I change. In acceptance, I make up my mind to love my spouse despite the fact that he or she can’t change. But in adjustment, we both change together. And when that happens, it’s wonderful. Now what do you do when you have a lark and an owl married to each other? You practice adjustment.

Let’s look at some of the differences between men and women. But before we do, let’s note the following qualification: These differences are generalizations. They aren’t judgments. They’re general differences between the sexes that God built into creation to help men and women be better partners.

Provider/Encourager God made man to be the provider; He made woman to be the encourager. Adam was to "dress and keep" – to cultivate – the Garden of Eden. Eve was to be his fitting helper, to encourage him and stand by his side. These differences are there, regardless of our culture’s silly efforts to minimize them – or even to eliminate them.

Protector/Nurturer According to Genesis 3:16, the man is to be the protector, and the woman is to be the nurturer: "Unto the woman [God] said, ‘I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.’ " The husband is to be in charge and the wife is to bring forth and nurture the next generation.

The man is to lead, guide, protect. That’s why God made the man physically strong. But God made the woman to be soft, gentle, and tender because she is the life giver.

Logical/Emotional men and women think differently. Men think logically – with their heads; women think emotionally – with their hearts. Now, that doesn’t mean women can’t think with logic. They just approach the world differently. A man by nature is goal oriented. He will see the goal and the steps to get there. Feelings are not his primary consideration. That’s just the way his mind works. On the other hand, a woman sees not only the goal but beyond the goal. She is more concerned with how actions will affect the feelings of others.

Risk/Security Men are risk takers. God built this tendency into men because risk taking is the only way to achieve new and great things in life. But the woman, being the homemaker and nurturer God intended for her to be, is much more interested in creating beauty, gentleness, and security. Most women would choose security before success because God has given them that instinct. But God has given men a productive instinct. So men take risks; women desire security.

Big Picture/Details Men have a propensity for seeing the big picture, while women focus on details. If you want irritate your husband discuss nitty tiny details with him while he is trying to watch the news.

Insensitive/Sensitive

Men tend to be insensitive compared to women. Now insensitivity taken to an extreme is bad. But men tend to have a thick skin, which is vital in certain situations. Life is tough, and there are tough decisions to be made, so he has a certain measure of insensitivity. On the other hand, a woman is empathetic. God made her very sensitive, so that she could be a fitting helper for a man who might get hardened out in the jungle. While the man tends to be more defensive and suspicious, the woman tends to be more trusting and open. She’s the nurturer, the life giver. She knows better how to forgive, because she’s more sensitive to the feelings of others.

Ephesians 5 magnificent marriages

Many couples today do not have this. Many do not even have a mediocre marriage. In fact, many have a miserable marriage. And the devil knows that if he can hurt us at home, he can hurt us everywhere — in the church, in the school, in society, and in the nation. So Satan levels his biggest artillery at our homes.

What Can the Husband Do? You are to be to your wife what Jesus is to the church.

Give Leadership "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church" (verse 23). Now be careful. Jesus Christ is the Lord and Master of the church, but He is not the Dictator. Jesus never makes me do anything. And you are going to be have difficulty if you take this to mean you are the boss or dictator. You’re to be the head. It’s not so much a chain of command as it is a chain of responsibility. To be the head means that you accept the responsibility.

Give Love In addition to giving leadership, in verse twenty-five the husband is told to love his wife as Christ loved the church. What kind of love is that?

It is a passionate love. He loved the church enough to die for her. You ought to love your wife that much.

It is a purifying love. Jesus cleanses the church (verse 26). Your chief assignment is to make your wife a more radiantly beautiful Christian.

It is a protecting love. Men should love their wives as their own bodies (verse 28). If you allow your wife to be hurt, you will hurt yourself.

It is a providing love. "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it" (verse 29). See to it that her needs are met — physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Give Loyalty He is to "… be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh" (31) literally means "welded" or "fused" to his wife

What Can the Wife Do? Now, let’s look at the relationship of a wife to her husband. She is to be as the church is to Christ.

Submit 22 Now, this is opposite from the world’s advice of, "Demand your rights." As a Christian, you don’t have any rights. What rights does a dead man have? You’re crucified with Christ. You are not our own. And when you refuse God’s plan to submit, you are only hurting yourself.

Support Jesus has given His work to us. He has no hands but our hands. He has no feet but our feet. You need to exalt His name. You need to advance His cause. Just as the church supports the work of Jesus, you are to support the work of your husband.

Share "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." (verse 30). What a wonderful relationship Christ and the church share, the most intimate of all relationships. There is nothing that Jesus doesn’t share with the church. How the Lord manifests Himself to us. And therefore, husbands and wives are to share together.

What If? Now some couples leave divorce as an option if problems arise. But couples that get divorced and those that don’t have basically the same kinds of problems. The difference is not in the problems but in their commitment. Others rationalize, "I owe it to myself to be happy." There’s a Greek word for that: bologna! When you were at the marriage altar, you made a vow. You owe it to God, your spouse, your children, and yourself to keep that vow. Or maybe it’s too late for you — your marriage is already broken. I’m not trying to heap more sorrow and pain on your head. You can’t unscramble eggs. Take the broken pieces and give them to God. He can and will forgive and restore. I’m simply trying to tell couples that are married to find a way to work your marriage out in the grace of God. You owe it to yourselves and to God to have a magnificent, Christ-honoring marriage.

Foundations For Marriage

From the very beginning, we learn that God created men and God created women (see Genesis 1:27). He made them different that He might make them one. Why is this important? Because any society that blurs the distinction between male and female is headed for disaster. And if you study history, it bears that out as well.

The Bible says that after each creative act, God said it was good. But when we read about His last act of creating man, it was "very good" (see Genesis 1:31). Read a little bit further and you learn something that wasn’t good – man was alone: "And the LORD God said…I will make him an help meet for him" (Genesis 2:18).

But before Adam got his helpmate, God gave him a task. First, He wanted Adam to name the animals. God had a purpose in this order. He wanted Adam to realize that animals came in sets of two. Each one had a companion. So after Adam named the animals, then the Lord created Eve. "Adam then said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ " (Genesis 2:23). I am certainly not a Hebrew scholar, but those who are tell us that Adam said (loosely translated): "Wow! This is what I have been looking for! You did it right God. This is what I want." And now for the key verse: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24, emphasis mine). And there you have an outline for preparing a young person for marriage.

The Priority Of Marriage – Leave The relationship of parent and child is wonderful, but the Bible teaches that there is a higher human relationship and that is of husband and wife. Do you know what your job is as a parent? To prepare your child to leave. A parent’s job is to build character into their children so they can mature and be the individuals that God intended for them to be. The tighter grip you hold on your kids, the more they’re going to want to get away. Your job is to work yourself out of a job but not out of a relationship. You remain in their lives as a friend for a lifetime.

The Permanence Of Marriage – Cleave Cleave means to fasten together in an unbreakable bond. Mark 10:7-9 says, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Parents need to teach their children that divorce is never an option. Show me two people who begin their marriage with the idea that if it doesn’t work out, they can get a divorce, and I’ll show you two people who are highly likely to get a divorce. When you get on this airplane, you throw away your parachute.

It is not love that sustains a marriage so much as it is marriage that sustains love. Commitment sustains love and keeps it growing. Divorce is the only game people play where both sides lose.

The Purpose Of Marriage - One Flesh When God says that the man and woman are to become "one flesh," He means that man and women will join as one – physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Sex is a wonderful gift of God. It is a way of saying "I love you" that cannot be put into words. And when God tells us to flee fornication and not commit adultery, He is not trying to keep sex from us; He is trying to keep sex for us. There is to be a marriage of our bodies, but there is also to be a marriage of our souls. Our egos, minds, wills, and hearts, are to be joined in love. And not only should we love one another; we ought to like each other. There is to be a blending of spirits where the woman who loves Jesus joins the man who loves Jesus and together they praise the Lord. Together, they study the Word of God, pray and worship God.

The Bible says, "…a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12b). There is no higher communion than a couple who is of one flesh physically, psychologically, and spiritually.

Maximum marriage

I am sure you would agree that the old ship of matrimony is sailing some troubled seas these days with couples jumping overboard by the thousands every day. Many will stay chained to the mast for the children, business, social pressure or even the church, but they won’t enjoy the trip.

Faithful Followship Of The Wife Ephesians 5:22-24

In the family, the Lord teaches that wives are to submit to their husbands – in an outward manifestation and an inner attitude. Now, why does God instruct women in this way? Because He has a chain of command. The head of Christ is God, the head of the husband is Christ, and the head of the wife is the husband. Is this order to punish women? No. Does this mean that women are inferior to men? No. This kind of subjection is similar to the way Christ and the Father are equal and yet Christ submits to the Father (see Philippians 2:6-8). Everybody knows that a woman is infinitely superior to a man when it comes to being a woman. And a man is infinitely superior to a woman at being a man. And in the sight of God men and woman are complete equals (see Galatians 3:28). When a wife chooses not to submit to her husband, she is going to have serious problems. First, she is going to have a spiritual problem with God because He is the One who told her to submit. Second, she is going to have problems with her husband because he will not be able to assume his God-given role as initiator if his wife isn’t in her God-given role as responder.

Third, she is going to have problems with her children. The woman who refuses to be under a husband’s headship will never have authority over her children.

Finally, she is going to have trouble with herself. Every wife has certain needs that will never be met until she frees her husband to meet those needs by assuming his role as her provider, protector, priest, and prayer warrior.

When a wife submits, she will experience true freedom – just like a train is most free when it stays on the tracks. A train will accomplish far more on the tracks than it will ever accomplish by trying to go through a meadow.

Loving Leadership Of The Husband Ephesians 5:25-31

What does it mean for the husband to be head of the wife? First of all, it doesn’t mean that he’s to be her dictator. Any husband who thinks this needs to learn how Jesus made His Bride submissive by loving and dying for her.

If you are a husband, then when you got married, you gave up all rights to yourself. No longer can you make decisions based simply upon what you want. Her welfare must be considered. You are to love your wife selflessly.

Second, husbands are to love their wives sacrificially. Christ died for the church. You do not love your wife as the Bible teaches unless you have died for her (notice the past tense in this sentence). Sir, you do not love your wife as Christ loved the church unless you have died for your wife by dying to yourself.

Thirdly, husbands are to love their wives sanctifyingly (26). Husbands are to make their wives beautiful by helping them become all God wants them to be! You are to be her prophet and priest with intercessory prayer and teaching from His Word.

Fourth, husbands are to love their wives satisfyingly (5:28). Husband, you are to anticipate your wife’s needs and please your wife as you please your own body. The more you give, the more you’re going to get. Be good to yourself; love your wife.

Finally, husbands are to love their wives supremely (30-31). A husband is to love his wife above all earthly relationships including his own parents and children. A husband is to love his wife above his business and hobbies, as well. The relationship between husband and wife is compared to the relationship of Christ and the church. Marriage is the highest of all human relationships.

Psalm 23

1. There Is An Appointment WE ALL MUST FACE “The valley of the shadow of death”
Eccles 3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
Centrelink Notice “Your payments will be stopped effective May 1992 because we have received notice that you have passed away. If your circumstances change you may reapply at any time.
Woody Allen : Death doesn’t scare me I just don’t want to be there at the time.

Plato :”Oh that there was some sure, certain word, upon which we might cast our hopes as we cross this vast sea of death”.
Roy Rogers: The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop at late or early hour,
Careless soul , heed the warning for your life will soon be gone,
Oh how sad to face the judgement unprepared to meet thy God
Greta NSW AUSTRALIA graveyard: Richard Grose May 1882 79 years
Weep not for me my children dear, Because I die and leave you here
My end you know my grace you see Prepare yourselves to follow me
Someone wrote at funeral of grandson in same grave and on same gravestone:
To follow you I’m not content Until I know which way you went.

Or in the UK “Pause now as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now so you shall be, therefore prepare to follow me.” “To follow you I’m not content Until I know which way you went.”

2. There Is An Assurance WE ALL CAN FIND
Personally

The Good Shepherd Sympathises with us.
The Good Shepherd Slain for us. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The Good Shepherd Seeking us 14“I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep.

Practically vs 6

Committal : Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to take out of the world the soul of our dear friend etc…….We therefore commit his body to (the ground) (be cremated) earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, remembering the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father demonstrated to us in our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14:1-16
• Heaven is real. Sigmund Freud explained heaven as a human fantasy rooted in man’s instinct for self-preservation. Harvard philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once said, “Can you imagine anything more appallingly idiotic than the Christian idea of heaven?” Freud was wrong and Jesus was right. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.
• No more sea (v. 1) — nothing that separates. • No more tears (v. 4) — nothing that saddens. • No more death (v. 4) — nothing that grieves. • No more pain (v. 4) — nothing that hurts. • No more sin (v. 27) — nothing that defiles. • No more night (v. 25) — nothing that frightens. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9). An elderly Christian woman was grief-stricken after the death of her daughter. To adjust, she boarded a ship from England to New York City to visit her other daughter. While at sea a severe storm struck. Passengers frantically raced for lifeboats. The elderly lady showed no signs of panic. A young man excitedly said, “Lady, don’t you know we may sink and all die?” “Young man,” she quietly replied, “I have one daughter in heaven and one daughter in New York City, and it doesn’t make any difference to me which one I see first.”
• Heaven is ready. Hebrews 6:20 Jesus is called our “forerunner.” In the Roman army the forerunners were the reconnaissance troops. That is what Jesus did. He blazed the way to heaven and to God that we might follow in his steps. He has gone ahead to make things ready for us. “No more patients can be accepted.” Sometimes we want to buy tickets to concerts and discover that every seat has been sold. Periodically we want to take a certain flight and learn that it is overbooked. There was no room in the inn for Mary and the child, Jesus. This experience is commonplace on earth, but it is not in heaven nor indeed on the pathway that approaches heaven. “Whosoever will, may come! . . . and yet there is room.” And, there’s room for you. John, in the book of Revelation, pictures heaven as a city with twelve gates “On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates” Rev. 21:13
• Heaven is restricted. It is an “exclusive” place. But its exclusion is not a matter of race or face or place. Jesus made this abundantly clear when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me.” Suppose we are in a strange town and ask for directions. Suppose the person said, “Take the first road to the right, then the second to the left, cross the square, and go past the church, then take the third road to the right and the fourth road to the left, and you’ll be there.” Chances are you and I would get lost before we were halfway there. But suppose the person we asked said, “Come, I’ll take you there.” In that case the person would be to us the way, and we could not miss it.
That’s what Jesus does for us. As Peter declares, “Christ died to bring us to God.” He not only gives us directions, he takes us by the hand and leads us safely there.
Robert Frost wrote a poetic masterpiece entitled, The Road Not Taken. The poem concerns a traveler who comes to a fork in the road and must decide which way to go. After evaluating the options, he makes his choice. Yet, even as he begins his trip down the road of his own choosing, he remarks: I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in the wood, And I . . . I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference! There are two roads in life. One is broad and easy. The other is straight and narrow. One leads to life. The other leads to destruction. The difference is heaven and hell. Choose Christ and heaven can be yours. Life is short, Death is sure, Sin, the curse, And Christ, the cure.

Psalm 121

1. You Have A Problem You Can’t Solve
Enemies Israel.. over the side of the mountains enemies.. Middle east even George W can’t solve.
Emptiness Solomon vanity, vanity, all is vanity Eccles 1:2“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.” Pascal: God shaped vacuum that only God Himself can fill Jesus : John 6:31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 32 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always!” 35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again
Eternity Centrelink Notice “Your payments will be stopped effective May 1992 because we have received notice that you have passed away. If your circumstances change you may reapply at any time.”
Woody Allen : Death doesn’t scare me I just don’t want to be there at the time.
Plato :”Oh that there was some sure, some definite word, that might bear him across this vast sea of death”.

2. You Have A Preserver Who Can Save You “Keeper” “Preserve”
One of my favorite stories is about the preacher who was talking about being prepared to die. He said, “Every member of this church is going to die!” A kid on the front pew laughed out loud, so the preacher repeated his statement a little louder. He said, “I said, EVERY MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO DIE!” At that, the kid laughed even louder. The preacher stopped and said, “Young man, how can you laugh at that?” The kid replied, “Because I’m not a member of this church!” Well you and I have to deal with the prospect of death. In the 14th century, the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, wrote a trilogy of books tracing his imaginary journey through hell, purgatory, and then heaven. His first book in the trilogy was called The Inferno. In it, he described hell as seven circles of increasing punishment, based on the seven deadly sins. His descriptions are fictitious, but he does get one detail of hell completely correct: Hell is a completely devoid of hope. Dante’s inscription above the entrance to hell stated, “Through me the way into the city of woe, / Through me the way to eternal pain, / Through me the way among the lost… / Abandon all hope, you who enter here.” But that need not be the consequence for any one of us. Many years ago Queen Victoria wrote upon the tomb of her dead husband, “Here at last I shall rest with thee–with thee in Christ to rise again.” mausoleum of the Prince Consort at Throgmore. The Lord promises to be the Preserver of those who trust in Him. John 3:16
3. You Have A Person To Possess You need to make the One your God.
Procrastination is putting off today what you can do tomorrow. But true procrastination is putting off today what you can put off again tomorrow. Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind” is the matron saint of all procrastinators. Her mantra was, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” “Procrastination is my sin. It only brings me sorrow. I know I ought to change my life. In fact, I will, tomorrow.”
Bertrand Russell 1927 wrote Why I am not a Christian. When he was 81, he was interviewed by the BBC. The interviewer asked him, “What do you have to hang onto when death is obviously so close?” Russell’s answer was: “I have nothing to hang onto but grim, unyielding despair.” You don’t have to be like that. You can receive the life that Jesus offers each one of us. Let Him be your Lord, your Keeper Preserver, Your Saviour. Jn 1:10,12

Raising Young Christians
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart form it" (Proverbs 22:6) It’s issuing a challenge. which of these do you want in your home – Christians or prodigals? Webster says to train means "to prepare for a contest; to instruct by exercise; to drill; to form to a proper shape; to discipline for use." Training is not the same thing as teaching.

Training Commences With Childhood little babies, newly weaned are learners. The word way in Pr 22:6 implies a bend in a branch, bow or river. You can bend a branch when it’s tender and a bow when it’s green. You can change the bend in a river when it trickles into a stream. But when the branch is hard, the bow sturdy, and the river broad and raging, it’s too late. Their shape and course are already set.

Training Communicates With Creativity The phrase train up implies, putting something in the mouth to be tasted. It means literally, to touch the palate. Try touching your own palate now. It makes you swallow. In other word, parents need to create a hunger and thirst in their children for the things of God. They cannot be force-fed the Word of God.And as parents, we cannot put anything in our child’s heart that is not first in our own, any more than we can come from where we’ve not been. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."Isn’t that exactly what Jesus did? Walking along with His disciples, He would see someone planting a field, and He would say, "Behold, a sower went forth to sow his seed…." Or if He saw some beautiful flowers, He would say, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow…"

Training Corrects With Consistency Not pc! Too many people have the idea that their little darlings don’t need to be corrected. But the Bible disagrees and gives three reasons why children need discipline.

First, it is proof of our love. "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes" (Proverbs 13:24).

Second, it is the only way to set our children free from foolishness. Proverbs 2:15 says foolishness is found in the heart of a child and is driven out with "the rod of correction," something that stings but does no damage, such as a switch.

Third, correction helps keep our sons and daughters out of hell. Proverbs 23:14 says, "Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." In addition to giving chastisement when necessary, we need to set limits for our children. Without them, children feel unloved and rejected. Finally we need to assign responsibility for our children and hold them accountable.

Training Consummates With Conversation The ultimate purpose of training our children is to bring them to Jesus Christ. The moment your child can understand that sin is not just naughtiness but rebellion against God, he or she is ready to accept Christ. You need to lead your children to Christ as soon as possible. I often hear people say, "I just don’t believe in childhood conversions." Fortunately, God does not agree. Three out of four Christians today were saved before they turned 14! It’s also very important to remember that Proverbs 22:6 is a principle, not a promise. A parent cannot override a child’s will. You can do everything right, and your child can still rebel again God.

But if you want to do everything right and give your child the best way, you have only to follow the clear plan God laid out for you in His Word.

The Avoidance of Financial Bondage

The Principle of Priority
God is our priority, and we shouldn’t let possessions get in the way. When this priority is maintained, life is successful. What do Deuteronomy 26:2 and Matthew 6:33 say about our priorities?

The Principle of Industry Many people want more money so they won’t have to work anymore. But God created us to work. As His workmanship, we have the need to work built into us. To cease being productive in life is disastrous. Even retirement simply means more time to serve God. What do Proverbs 10:4 and Proverbs 20:4 have to say about God’s attitude towards laziness?

The Principle of Generosity God blesses us when we learn to share. The more we share, the more we have. The more we hoard, the less we have. What do Proverbs 11:24 and Luke 6:38 say about generosity?

The Principle of Reliability God is reliable. As we handle our possessions and our industry, we can, and must, trust God at all times. We know He will provide and care for us. What does God say in Philippians 4:19 about relying on God?

The Principle of Integrity We must be faithful in what we have. Luke 16:10 tells us to be faithful even in the little. What is integrity? What warning does 1 Timothy 6:9-10 offer?

The Principle of Sufficiency God is far more than sufficient to care for His children. What does Ecclesiastes 5:19 says “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.” If we will honor God with what He has already given us, He will pour out more blessings than we have the ability to handle (Malachi 3:10). Poverty is no sign of godliness, and wealth is no sign of wickedness. God wants us to have wealth with godliness. Prosperity is simply having what we need to do what God wants us to do. Now you are armed with what God’s word says. Why not start now and evaluate your finances based on what you’ve read and if necessary, take some immediate steps to find the financial freedom that God promises and desires for you

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Romans 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The story is told of the philosopher Schopenauer that he was walking in a local park one day, deeply anxious and depressed about his philosophy of life. Lost in thought he inadvertently walked right into one of the municipal flower-beds. A grounds-man nearby seeing this shouted at him ‘Who are you and what do you think you are doing here?’ ‘Ah my friend’, replied the philosopher, ‘if I only knew the answer to those two questions’. Those are still the great questions of life for every human being: Success?

Fame? Fortune? Power? Pleasure? Solomon all is vanity.

Know who you are and know what it is that you do?

Know who you are: a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Ex 21: 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. When I survey

Know What You Do

A debtor to the Lord,

to the lost,

to the learned,

to the locals.

Posted January 4, 2012 by grosey in Uncategorized

Baptist Identity Rooted In Conversion, Sustained By A Renewed Gospel Focus Leave a comment

Baptists preserve entry into their churches only through conversion. The concept of a regenerate church membership is the key concept in distinguishing Baptists from many other Christian groups.

Conversion into the fellowship of a church occurs when someone gives testimony to conversion, usually through demonstration of this through acceptance of believer’s baptism. (The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith Chapter XXIX : Of Baptism)

“1. Baptism is an Ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party Baptized, a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death, and resurrection; of his being engrafted into him; of remission of sins; and of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of Life.

2. Those who do actually professe repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience, to our Lord Jesus, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance. Mark 16:16. Acts 8:36-37.

3. The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

4. Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance.”

By being baptised (totally immersed in water) upon confession of their faith, in the triune name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Baptists bear audible and visible witness to their personal conversion experience.

Because Conversion is a key concept within Baptist belief systems, the nature of conversion is of great interest to Baptists.

Luke 14: 12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.
13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.
17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’
19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’
20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’
23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”

Baptists have long advocated a free church within a free state. The basis of this is expressed in the term “soul competency”. The basic concept of individual soul liberty, or soul competency, is that, in matters of religion, each person has the liberty to choose what his/her conscience or soul dictates is right, and is responsible to no one but God for the decision that is made.

A person may then choose to be a Baptist, a member of another Christian denomination, an adherent to another world religion, or to choose no religious belief system, and neither the church, nor the government, nor family or friends may either make the decision or compel the person to choose otherwise. In addition, a person may change his/her mind over time. (Wikipedia)

Is soul competency the primary Baptist distinctive? Some very outstanding Baptist leaders, past and present, seem to indicate that it may be.

“…the principle of the competency of the soul in religion under God is a distinctive Baptist contribution to the world’s thought….” E. Y. Mullins (b.1860 — d.1928) model Southern Baptist educator/theologian.

“Out of this principle flow all other elements of Baptist belief….” Herschel H. Hobbs recognised Southern Baptist statesman and pastor (b.1907 — d.1995)

Baptists understand that the nature of conversion as described in the Bible endorses a view of soul competency where:

■ Individuals have a God-given ability or competency to know God.

■ God has provided this liberty for people to know God.

■ God does not force or coerce compliance with His will, he rather persuades individuals to know Him.

■ Competency and freedom or liberty automatically implies responsibility and accountability.

■ The integrity of the individual is maintained holding the individual responsible for choices. Therefore faith responses are expected from individuals rather than groups, as each one must “choose for themselves” (Joshua 24:15).

■ A concomitant of this individual soul liberty or soul competency is that government ought not in any way to impede the free exercise of the individual’s soul liberty with regard to religion. Neither should Government sponsor or endorse religious groups.

Baptists endorse Soul Liberty. However, that “soul liberty” has probably contributed to soft secularism’s distaste for institutional religion. Baptists may not have recognised themselves as becoming the perceived proponents of the very institutional religion of which they themselves have been most critical in past eras. Baptists hold to a view of the church being a “gathered community”; gathered out of the secular world through personal and individual conversion, and gathered to fellowship together contrary to the Established Churches of the various countries in which they were located. The passage that most exemplifies the charge of the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples to gather people from the local community to Him may be that found in Luke’s gospel and the narrative surrounding the Lord Jesus’ parable of the Wedding Feast.

The Heart Of A Baptist

It Begins with Jesus. The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, ³ “and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding;

“Jesus.” The Baptist heart gains its life through Jesus. Baptists believe in the centrality of Jesus Christ, both in His divine-human person and in His atoning work.

Christ is central to this text and to our faith. The disciples came to Galilee and ―when they saw Him, they worshiped Him. “Why worship this man? We worship Jesus Christ because He is God; because He is our salvation; because He is our way, our truth, our life. In His person, Christ bridges the divide between God and man. In His atoning work, Christ bridges the divide between a righteous, wrathful God and sinful humanity by the propitiatory shedding of His blood. Christ, our redemption, is applied to our heart, through regeneration by the Holy Spirit, all for the glory of God. Indeed, we might even be bold enough to say that it is the life-giving blood of Jesus that courses through the Baptist heart. Yes, Baptists worship a Triune God, for we are baptized in the one name of the threefold God. Yet, unlike some evangelicals, we recognize that the Trinity is focused primarily on the glorification of the Son. The Spirit Himself glorifies Christ, and therefore, we glorify Christ. The Father Himself glorifies Christ, and therefore, we glorify Christ. Yes, we also glorify the Father because Christ glorifies the Father. Yes, we also glorify the Spirit because He, too, is God.” But the Trinity is primarily focused on glorifying the Son; therefore, we simple Biblicists primarily glorify the Son, too. Baptists are a Christocentric people. Ask a Baptist child what she believes and she will invariably begin her answer with the precious name of ―Jesus. It Begins with Jesus

It Continues With Beseeching

Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹ ‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ ¹⁰ “So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹

Today this invitational approach is called being missional. What exactly is mission? Mission is the beginning of this process of entering into personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The process of inviting others into this relationship is also termed evangelism, which results in a willing change of beliefs and values, culminating in a healthy membership of a local Baptist Church.

David Bosch notes that the word ‘mission’ was used only of the Trinity in the first sixteen centuries of the Church’s existence. It was used in the context of the sending of the Son by the Father and of the Holy Spirit by the Father and the Son.5 By derivation it came to be used of those sent by God and sent by the Lord Jesus Christ. After His resurrection Jesus Christ said to the disciples: ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you’; or, ‘As the Father made me a missionary, so I make you ‘missionaries’ (John 20:21). The word ‘send’ is a critical one for understanding who Jesus is, as the Sent One from the Father, and what our mission is; as sent ones of the Risen Christ.

The English word ‘mission’ derives from the Latin ‘missio’, a sending. So it involves a sender, a person or persons sent by the sender, those to whom one is sent, and the assignment to be fulfilled.

The Sender concept has the presumption of authority: someone has the authority to send, someone else. This gives us a direct link with Matthew 28: 18-20, the ‘Great Commission where authority is indeed linked with sending: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations’.

Christianity (like some other world-religions) is intrinsically ‘missionary’. Mission is not an optional extra for Christians and the Church.

The sent ones have a task. Their task as designated by the scriptures is to ‘preach the gospel’ to bring good news. The imperative to mission is God’s deliverance in Jesus, In other words, evangelism is part of mission and should not be thought of as another definition of mission, but as part of it. Evangelism is the proclamation of salvation in Christ with a view ‘to leading others to turn from sin and their self-centred lives to trust, in Christ, to announce the forgiveness of sins offered in Christ and invite those who respond to become members of a community of fellow learners of Christ.”

Historically, Baptists were an offshoot of those churches formed during the Reformation in Europe. The reformation was largely a reform, movement of the Roman Catholic Church of the time, and, although some of the Reformers spoke of evangelism and mission, they largely saw their work as reform, rather than as evangelism.

Some, however, like John Calvin, were more evangelistic than has usually been depicted. According to Calvin the church has an integral role in the Missio Dei and ‘all God’s children’ must be involved in this mission. Believers have a sacred responsibility: ‘Is not that the highest honour that God could grant us, that after enabling us to feel his goodness, he should want us to become streams and conduits of his grace, that others might be participants of it?’

Baptists find their beginnings in the 16^th century with a Swiss Reformer in Zurich by the name of Balthasar Hubmaier, and one of the earliest and brightest of the Anabaptists, had a different understanding. In the most significant book written on baptism in the sixteenth century, Hubmaier treated the Great Commission as if it were normative for all Christians. He repeatedly cited Matthew 28:18–20 and its parallels. According to Hubmaier, the Great Commission must be obeyed by all Christians, ―For a serious command demands serious obedience and fulfilment. Those who will not follow the commission in its entirety and in an orderly manner are disorderly and disobedient to Jesus Christ.

The Great Commission has been a central passage for believers’ churches since at least the sixteenth century." Moreover this passage was central in the early development of the critical Christian doctrine of the Trinity, and by extension, Christology. According to Balthaser Hubmaier, the earliest Anabaptist theologian, the Great Commission cannot be lightly considered, "for a serious command demands serious obedience and fulfillment."

It Continues With Obedience

Hubmaier’s comment appeared in the most important book on baptism written in the sixteenth century. Anabaptist baptism was understood as more than a mere symbol, not in the sense of being a grace-conveying sacrament but in the sense of a personal and visible commitment to testify with a holy church to a lost world. Baptism carried with it "the determination to change one’s life by the help of God."" Baptism was a symbol of commitment and a testimony of faith: "But when he receives the baptism of water the one who is baptized testifies that he has pledged himself henceforth to live according to the Rule of Christ."

"Commitment," "pledge," "determination," "submission," "obedience," "fulfillment": these terms appear again and again in the great literature of the Anabaptist movement of the sixteenth century. It pictures a profound and ongoing personal commitment to Jesus Christ within His body, the church, as it witnesses to the world. The term has three interrelated aspects. First, the term is soteriological, describing the entirety of salvation. A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who has the attitude of yieldedness to Christ. Second, the term is ecclesiological, for the disciple is integrated with the body of Christ, the church. If "disciple" represents one’s personal commitment to follow Christ, "discipline" represents the church’s commitment to follow Christ. Third, yieldedness is apologetic in intent. Those who are yielded to Christ seek to bring others to the same relationship with Christ. yieldedness begets yieldedness. Disciples beget disciples through witness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Harold Bender said the "first and fundamental" point of the Anabaptist vision is "the essence of Christianity as discipleship .. In his book The Anabaptist Story, William R. Estep disclosed the roots of the Anabaptist movement within the Reformation. With the Protestant Reformers the Anabaptists embraced the cardinal Reformation doctrines of solo scripture, justification by faith alone, and the priesthood of all believers. But because the Reformers refused fully to carry out their call for an earnest commitment to Christ, the Anabaptists manifested consistent discipleship through their obedience to follow Christ in believers’ baptism. As a result, they formed believers’ churches that depended neither on Rome nor on the state but on Christ alone. "Baptism was held obligatory for three reasons: Christ has commanded it; it is a necessary act of personal discipleship; and it is the symbol of corporate discipleship of the visible church."

Two English separatists formed the foundation for Baptist beliefs and practises in England, John Smyth and Thomas Helwys.

Helwys wrote a book rightly honoured for its strong emphasis on religious liberty for all – whether they were heretics, Turks (Muslims), Jews ‘or whatsoever’: A Short Declaration of the Mistery of iniquity (1612). His closing appendix brings us to his strong vision of a mission to his countrymen. With what Wheeler Robinson has described as ‘the ardent spirit of a true evangelist’11, Helwys explained why he and his companions had returned from the safety of Holland to the very real danger for all nonconformists in the England of his days.

“Now as we through the grace of God, and by the warrant of his word (as we have manifested) cast away these perverters of the Holy Scriptures and their doctrines, so we wish all to do that fear God and serve the glory of his name and come and lay down their lives in their own country for Christ and his truth, and let none think that we are altogether ignorant, what building and warfare we take in hand and that we have not sat down and in some measure thoroughly considered what the cost and danger may be; and also let none think that we are without sense and feeling of our own inability to begin and our weakness to endure to the end, the weight and danger of such a work, but in all these things we hope and wait for wisdom and strength and help from the Lord.”

Helwys was imprisoned in Newgate prison 1612 and was dead by 1616. His beliefs had cost him dearly. His death in this way became a model for the Baptist cause, demonstrating that the concern for preaching the gospel to their fellow citizens, no matter what the personal cost was a high and holy value.

Later English Baptists exemplified this same heart beat;

Henry Denne at Fenstanton, a vigorous and educated Baptist leader, a former Anglican clergyman, was appointed a ‘messenger’ to be engaged in personal evangelism in other districts. Denne insisted that ‘evangelism was of the essence of Baptist churchmanship’ Hanserd Knollys (1609-91) who signed the revised version of the London Confession in 1646.) appeals to his hearers:

“Open your heart to Christ when he knocks at the Door of your souls, and calls you to come to him, to receive him, and let him come into your hearts, and dwell in your hearts by his Holy Spirit, and sanctifying Grace … Let the LORD Jesus Christ have the Throne, and be exalted above ALL in your souls, that every Thought may be brought into Captivity to the Obedience of Christ.”

John Bunyan’s (1628-88) famous classic Pilgrim‘s Progress has been interpreted as having an essentially evangelistic purpose. He wanted to reach an audience who would never listen to plain preaching so embellished his story of Christian’s journey to the Heavenly City with allegory. He wanted to evangelize the sophisticated and carnal Englishman who looked for ‘truth within a fable’ and for those who ‘read riddles’ and ‘love picking meat’. He wrote evangelistically in The Pilgrim‘s Progress by demonstrating the life’s journey of one that attains ‘the everlasting prize’.

But in 1785, the Particular Baptist minister, William Carey, burdened by the Spirit of God for the salvation of all the nations, questioned the Calvinistic truism. He was promptly accused of compromising the sovereignty of God. John Collett Ryland, a hyper-Calvinist Baptist minister, retorted, ―Sit down, young man; when God wants to convert the heathen, He‘ll do it without your help or mine.

Michael Haykin notes that Baptists first appeared in the late 1630s and early 1640s in London. By 1715, there were some 220 Baptist churches in England and Wales. During the 17th Century, they had been one of the most vigorous evangelistic bodies in the British Isles. These Baptists often referred to their local churches as “enclosed gardens.” For example, Benjamin Keach (1640–1740), a leading Baptist theologian of this period, noted that “all mankind naturally were alike dry and barren, as a wilderness, and brought forth no good fruit,” but “God hath separated some of this barren ground, to make lovely gardens for himself to walk and delight in.” Here the idea of the church as an enclosed garden functions to highlight the way Christians have been drawn out of the barrenness of this world and planted in a specific place of spiritual fruitfulness. In Keach’s words, “the Church of Christ is a garden enclosed, or a community of Christians distinct from the world.” For scriptural support, Keach turned to the Song of Solomon 4:12, which stated, “a garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse.”

During the course of the 18th Century, the passion and fire of the Baptists for evangelism began to wane, and by 1750 their number of churches had declined to about 150. The image of an enclosed garden can easily depict something that is insular, refusing to engage with what lies beyond the garden walls. So it was that far too many congregations of the English Baptist community in the 18th Century became inward-looking, closeting themselves within their meeting-houses and limiting their horizons to the maintenance of church life. The image of the enclosed garden, which had been a positive image in the 17th Century, became a picture of stagnation in the following century. Various reasons can be cited for this decline. It was illegal for Baptists to engage in mass evangelism outside of their meeting-houses, and so their money and effort began to be poured into the erection of church buildings instead of evangelistic outreach. There was also a tendency to get stuck in traditions that had had lost their efficacy. Baptists, for instance, were the only major group in 18th-Century Britain that insisted upon believer’s baptism, which, they rightly argued, is the baptism set forth in the New Testament. Anglicans, Congregationalists, Presbyterians (and later, the Methodists) all upheld infant baptism, while the Quakers dispensed with the rite altogether. Apart from a very few exceptions, the tradition was to have baptisms done outdoors in a pond, stream or river. All and sundry could come and watch what was happening and ideally the Baptists would be furnished with an excellent opportunity to bear witness to the Gospel and their distinct convictions.

However, with the building of churches and the institutionalising of the Baptist churches, their evangelistic fervour became lost, and provided a seed bed for the theological liberalism that became “the downgrade controversy.” The very intent to preserve Baptist identity became the very destroyer of that Baptist identity.

There has only ever been only one way to preserve Baptist Identity; that is by refocussing on the gospel itself and its challenge to local and world evangelism.

J.G. Oncken (1800-84) began Baptist churches in Germany and then in other European countries. His famous slogan – ‘Every Baptist a missionary‘ – was taken up by many other Baptists in succeeding ages. Mission is at the heart of Baptist Identity. It is the conviction that conversion to faith in Christ is our first responsibility that places conversion to the gospel as the core of every Baptist distinctive. The cross is not only at the centre of the universe, it is not only at the centre of God’s purposes. It is also the centre for distinctive Baptist beliefs. It all flows from the cross.

I have quoted freely from the following sources;

BenderH.S. The Anabaptist vision

Bosch, Transforming Mission, pp. 246-47.

Haykin, M The 18th Century Great Commission Resurgence Baptist Messenger December 7, 2009

The 18th Century Great Commission Resurgence: Theological Reformation, Baptist Messenger, March 22, 2010

Manley K, The beating heart of a Baptist, The Baptist Recorder Feb 2008, no. 100

Parsons, Calvin’s Preaching, pp. 209-210. This analysis of Calvin‘s teaching confirms the view of Scott Hendrix who has recently argued that the Reformers were effectively trying to re-root the faith, ‘to re-Christianize Europe‘: S. Hendrix, ‘Re-rooting the Faith: the Reformation as Re-Christianization‘, Church History 69 (2000), pp. 558-77; idem, Recultivating the Vineyard. The Reforma-tion Agendas of Christianization (Louisville, KY: John Knox, 2004). See the discussion in Parsons, Calvin’s Preaching, pp. 189-91.

Yarnell, M, The Heart Of A Baptist

Yarnell, M, The Formation of Christian Doctrine

Posted January 2, 2012 by grosey in Uncategorized

The Three Stooges? Leave a comment

I contend that the 3 wise men were not so wise.

Matthew 2: Wise Men from the East
1    Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
2    saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
3    When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4    And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5    So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6    ‘ But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ "
7    Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
8    And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."
9    When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10    When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11    And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12    Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

16    Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
17    Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18    " A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more."

Please Note… They were late!! Possibly up to 2 years late.

Now, being from the region of Babylon, where Daniel had prophesied of the birth of Christ, they could have figured the year of the birth of the Lord.

Daniel 9:21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:24 " Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.25 " Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.26 " And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

And yet, they were still 2 years late.

Well I guess this tells us that its not too late for you to come to Jesus! You may have been as silly as stooge in delaying coming to Christ, but its not too late for you to come to Christ right now. You can come to Him and find Him as your Saviour and redeemer. You can come to Him and have the forgiveness of all your sins past present and future. You would be really silly to put it off any longer though wouldn’t you!

The Good News is that even if you are late you can still come to Jesus. But come now before its too late!

Please Note.. They were Odd Folks.

These wise men were from Persia, Iran! They weren’t Jews. They were stargazers! They may have been into horoscopes! well .. guess what.. Many odd people have come to Jesus. the Good news is that even if you are odd you can still come to Jesus! He wont reject you! “Whoever comes to me I will not cast them out!” (John 6:39)

And if you are not sure of this, just take a look around you. There are plenty of odd people in this church! The good news is that if you are odd you can still come to Jesus.

Please Note: They went to the wrong person. They went to Herod. You may have gone to the wrong person. You may have gone to worship Mary. What a waste. Its Jesus who is the Saviour. You may have gone to a church! Church folk won’t save you. Sometimes we make real mistakes in finding our way to Jesus. What really matters is that you come to Jesus!

Matthew 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

Only in Jesus is there saving from sin, forgiveness for our sins. Only in Jesus can God be with us, for us, and even indwell us!

The Good News is that whatever mistakes you make in coming to Jesus, you should still come to Jesus! He will receive you and give you eternal life.

John 3: 16    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17    For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18    "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19    And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20    For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21    But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

Posted December 25, 2011 by grosey in Uncategorized

Teaching Missions Leave a comment

Pastor Steve Grose is availaible weekends for teaching missions in churches or halls throughout Australia.
Steve’s Bible talks are available on his other blogs.
http://stevegrose.tripod.com/ http://grosey2.blogspot.com/
You may contact him directly on 0245787308.

Posted October 1, 2011 by grosey in Uncategorized

Core Group discipleship Leave a comment

Try this website for free discipleship resources http://coregroups.org/core3strand.html

C3 Discipleship Process

Jesus did it. Wesley did it. You can too.

Jesus’ 3-Strand Discipleship

The most effective manner to train and equip people for any skill is by providing effective models and opportunities to practice the skill itself. Jesus used a show, tell, release, and supervise model of training. Jesus ministered to the multitudes (crowd), the 12 (cell), and the inner circle of 3 (core). After calling the disciples, He took them along with Him, teaching and healing the sick as He went. Then, after He thought the disciples had seen and learned enough to try for themselves, He commissioned, empowered, instructed, and sent them out to do the same things. This discipleship process should be no different for those desiring to bring others into a complete understanding and walk in Christ-likeness.

John Wesley’s 3-Strand Discipleship

In 1743 John Wesley created a 3-strand discipleship model, a company of people having the form and seeking the power of godliness, united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they might help each other to work out their own salvation. The 3 groups were called societies (crowd), classes (cell), and bands (core).

C3 Discipleship Process

The C3 discipleship process can be integrated into any church using all 3 strands or by launching stand-alone Core Groups. It can be used by any Christian church as a roadmap and adapted to fit any church expression or in small groups or for individual study. In addition to the process, we also provide free resources to assist you in equipping the saints.
C3 Discipleship

Strand 1: Crowd

Size: 50+ people; this is typically the large gathering of people for corporate worship
Purpose: To bring about a change in knowledge
Focus: celebration – worship.

Wesley’s society or crowd group included those in a geographical area, much like a typical, congregational meeting in today’s church. These large groups of people met once a week to pray, sing, study scripture, and to watch over one another in love. However, as is true of today’s corporate church gathering, there was little or no provision made at this level for personal response or feedback.

Strand 2: Cell

Size: 5-16 people
Purpose: To bring about behavioral change; conduct
Focus: community – fellowship.

Wesley’s class or cell group was the most basic group structure of the society. The class was composed of 12-20 members, both sexes, mixed by age, social standing and spiritual readiness, under the direction of a trained leader. It was not a gathering for academic learning. They met weekly in the evening for mutual confession of sin and accountability for growing in holiness. This group provided the structure to more closely inspect the condition of the flock, to help them through trials and temptations, and to bring further understanding in practical terms to the messages they had heard preached in the public society meeting. Membership in a class meeting was non-negotiable. If you wanted to continue in the society you had to be in a class. In 1742 in one society in London there were 426 members, divided into 65 classes. Eighteen months later that same society had 2,200 members, all of whom were in classes. Every week each class member was expected to speak openly and honestly on the true state of his or her soul. This strand closely resembles today’s cell groups, small groups, life groups, etc.

Strand 3: Core

Size: 3 or 4 people
Purpose: To bring about a change of direction, heart and position; knowledge, character and conduct
Focus: committment – discipleship.

Wesley’s band or Core was made up of 4 members, all the same sex, age, and marital status. This was a voluntary group of people who professed a clear Christian commitment, who desired to grow in love, holiness, and purity of motive. The environment was one of ruthless honesty and frank openness. There were specific rules about punctuality and order within the meeting. He introduced accountability questions which everyone answered openly and honestly in the meeting each week. Bands became the training ground for future leaders. This group held to extreme confidentiality in a “safe place”, mutual submission where matters of indifference were yielded to the released leader, and godly stewardship. This was the group that could intensively pursue goals and vision together. There is a strong case to be made for churches to review, adapt and integrate a 3-Strand Discipleship Process into their expression. It begins with the Bible, is supported by sociological evidence, makes sense from an organizational standpoint, and has been proven successful for thousands of years.

Biblical Evidence

"One standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

Biblical Evidence for 3-Strand Discipleship

Scripture paints a clear picture of a God who not only lives in community but embraces and seeks after it. First, with Adam (Gen.1:26), then with the people of Israel (Deut.6:4) and finally in the Godhead itself (John 1:1-3). There is power in a cord of three and this concept runs throughout God’s Word. Since God Himself lives and works in community, and we are made in the likeness of God, then we too are created to live in and for community. To be human is to hunger for community.
Additionally, Jesus and the disciples modeled a closely knit community. Christ Himself came to provide community and live with us (Mth. 1:23) and then He called a small group of disciples to live and walk with Him (Mark 3:7-10,13-14). Jesus knew that the multitudes had great needs, but chose to minister to the twelve and especially the three (Peter, James and John). By walking with and training a few, He ultimately transformed many lives.
This cord of three strands is Christ’s highest dream for His Church. It is seen in His prayer for us that we may be one as He and the Father and Holy Spirit are one (John 17:11). Additionally, Christ sees our unity and community as our message to the world that He came and that He is love, and if we, the Church, fail at community, we fail our mission (John 17:21, 23).

Relational Evidence for 3-Strand Discipleship

There is relational evidence that God created us to crave relationships and community:
• God wants us to seek a relationship with Him (Acts 17:24-27)
• God wants us to have relationships with others (Genesis 2:18)
• God reveals His emotions to us (Ephesians 4:30; Zephaniah 3:17)
• God intervenes when we can’t communicate (Romans 8:26-27)
There is also blessing that comes from community:
• Strength for storms of life (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
• Wisdom for making good decisions (Proverbs 15:22)
• Confidentiality and accountability for spiritual health (Proverbs 27:17)
• There is strength, reliability and assurance in community (Proverbs 18:24)

Structural Evidence for 3-Strand Discipleship

As churches are planted to accomplish God’s work in the world, organization becomes a necessity to ensure community. The Core Discipleship process and groups are a way to ensure that this done in a life-giving manner by “doing life together” – everyone is cared for and no one cares for too many (not more than four). Just as is true in a natural family, the Core Discipleship Process enhances spiritual parenting to ensure that no one stands alone, struggles alone, serves alone, develops alone, seeks alone, or grows up alone.
The Core Discipleship Process and groups are a God-ordained way to provide infrastructure within any church to assure the development of disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), where the workload is shared (Exodus 18:9-22), where everyone receives care (Acts 6:1) and where leadership can be determined, equipped and repeated (Titus 1:5).
Finally, the Core Discipleship Process provides a structure for “mutual membership” to promote unity in the body (Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16), a sense of belonging to one another (Romans 7:2-4) and a place to edify, bless, grow, serve and challenge each other through the exercise of each person’s spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12:12-27).

Next: The Core Discipleship Process: The Master’s Discipleship Plan

Church: 3-Strand Discipleship Process

Strand 1: Crowd

Size: 50+ people; typically large gathering
Population: Mixed gender
Purpose: To bring about a change in knowledge
Focus: Celebration/worship

Strand 2: Cells (Life, Home, or Small Groups)

Size: 5-16 people; typically in homes
Population: Mixed gender usually
Purpose: To bring about behavioral change; conduct
Focus: Community/fellowship

Strand 3: Core Groups

Size: 3 or 4 people
Population: Same gender (see process)
Purpose: To bring about a change of direction, heart and position; knowledge, character and conduct
Focus: Commitment/discipleship – intentional, relational, reproducible

Core Groups specifically embrace the Great Commandment and the Great Commission by focusing on the imperative to make disciples found in the Great Commission as they are taught to "…observe all that I commanded you"(Mth. 28:20). This is accomplished as we build life-long relationships in the context of safe and confidential groups of no more than four disciples, men with men and women with women. Core Groups are not accountability groups or smaller, small groups. Core Groups develop students and adults who commit their lives to Jesus Christ and are willing to follow Him as presented in the pages of God’s Word. From the very beginning, Core members are held accountable to begin praying for two to come to Christ and for someone they are called to disciple.

Core Key Values

There are 5 key values emphasized within a Core Group: Matthew 22:37-40(Great Commandment); Matthew 28:19-20 (Great Commission); Acts 2:42;Ephesians 4:11-16, and 2 Timothy 2:2.

1. Love: Great Commandment

The first foundational value of a Core Group is the pursuit of the Great Commandment – our vertical relationship with God and our horizontal relationship with others (Mth. 22:37-40).

2. Christ-likeness: Great Commission

The second foundational value is the pursuit of Christ-likeness as we observe the Great Commission (Mth. 28:18-20). It is our desire to be genuinely conformed to the character of Jesus. We believe God’s vision for man is to make us in the image of Christ (Gen. 1:26; Rom. 8:29). We believe that all spiritual progress is the result of God’s grace. We believe that humility is the pathway to Christ-likeness. In seeking to truly become like Christ, we remember His command to, “Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Mth. 11:29).

3. Devoted: Acts 2:42

The third foundational value of Core is a commitment to the four fundamental devotions of the church as recorded in Acts 2:42: devoted to God’s Word, fellowship, communion, and prayer. It is learning to be a doer of the Word.

4. Equipped: Ephesians 4:11-16

A Core Group outfits the saints for the work of ministry – the privilege and enterprise of each member of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16).

5. Faithful: 2 Timothy 2:2

A Core Group is facilitated by a more spiritually mature person who prayerfully selects others whose faithfulness and gift have been evidenced (‘faithful men, teach’) as presented by Jesus (Luke 6:12,13) and by Paul (2 Timothy 2:2): "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Discipleship as "spiritual parenting" is a life-long process and those we prayerfully select are those we will invest a significant portion of our lives.

Discipleship And The Great Commission

From Matthew 28:19-20 we learn: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (bold mine).
The Great Commission has three participles: "go," "baptizing," and "teaching” and one imperative verb, a command: "make disciples." The main idea is to make disciples. The participles tell us how to do that: we make disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching. So the goal of a Core Discipleship Group is to make disciples, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded.
There appears to be a lack of consensus regarding the Biblical definition of discipleship as it appears in the Gospels and the Epistles (theology and methodology). It appears from Scripture that the main verb, ‘make disciples,’ does not really explain the means of discipleship, but its goal. To make disciples according to Jesus’ Great Commission is accomplished by going (first participle), initiating people into the life of discipleship by ‘baptizing’ (second participle), and achieved by ‘teaching’ (third participle) which is the continuous obligation of the church in the life of a new convert as they develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as both Savior AND Lord. Teaching then is the process of getting the person to know Him in a life-long, deeper, and more intimate way. Scripture is an absolute essential element in the process of Holy Spirit-inspired, transformation of knowledge, conduct, and character. Discipleship is the corporate responsibility of the church. Discipleship is a life-long process, beginning at the point of salvation, and participated in by a variety of individuals within the church, each as the Lord directs, from his or her own unique gift set and way.
Making disciples does not refer to some formal structured program intended only for the super-spiritual. It is God’s imperative for every believer in His church. It involves the initiation and the instruction of every believer into an ever deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. It seeks to make every person a follower of Christ.

The Promise

The last phrase of Matthew 28:20 contains an incredible promise: "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." In context, this verse is primarily talking about making disciples. What Jesus is saying is that when we make disciples according to His plan and process, He will be with us. When Jesus sees a disciple making church, He gets involved there. When He sees disciples going out to make new disciples, then baptizing and teaching them, He is very present. According to Romans 12:1-2; Romans 8:29, God wants disciples to be conformed to Christ’s image, and according to His Commission, He promises to help us make disciples to accomplish His plan.

Posted September 15, 2011 by grosey in Uncategorized

Rhetorical Methods 1 comment

I recently heard someone preach against someone else’s view of the second coming. While there are a few different views about what may happen at the second coming, we must be very careful lest we abuse someone’s view. If we abuse someone’s view we may lose the argument, but most certainly we will lose the friendship and the respect of the other person.

Our arguments may seem good to us. Our reasons for rejecting another’s viewpoint may seem inscrutable to us. But we may have violated basic principles of good behaviour, honesty and integrity by inadvertently using some very bad rhetorical methods to make our argument.

The preacher presented his arguments for the Amillenial interpretation of the second coming in contrast to the premillenial position of the Second Coming of Christ.

This material is placed here not for the purpose of criticising the amillenial position, nor for the purpose of defending the premillenial position. I want to demonstrate that Christians are as apt to use bad arguments in defence of some positions as anyone else.

Arguments against the premillenial view	My Response
That holders of the Premillenial view are prone to extremes; i.e. Pentecostals, and predicting dates and times for Christ’s return.	This is *poisoning* *the* *well*, where we might say that because Hitler supported Government support for the automobile industry that all such support is evil. In a similar way it could be said that the greatest proponents of amillenialism are liberals and catholics. The amillenial view has been the standard view in the Catholic church since Augustine in 400 AD. That notable heretics can be named on both sides of an argument is not a proof of the truthfulness of a proposition.
That the view is novel, newly invented by Darby in the 19^th Century	Many if not most of the early church fathers from 100 AD until 400 AD with the notable exceptions of Origen and Augustine were premillenial in their viewpoint. However, again, *novelty* of a view is no proof of its error or truthfulness. If it was we would all have to be flat earthers.
That all passages in the Bible dealing with any aspect of the Second Coming(specifically the book of Revelation, the gospels, the epistles and parts of the Old testament prophets) are to be interpreted under the category of apocalyptic material and therefore cannot be interpreted by normal interpretative methods.	This is called “*Special* *Begging* of the question.” If special interpretative methods have to be employed without reference to the plain meaning of a text in order to interpret a text in line with a preconceived view, then there is something wrong with the interpretative method.
All Apocalyptic material is to be interpreted as a generalised statement concerning Christ’s ultimate victory and only has reference to the current era in which the passage was written. Therefore it is not about the events of the second coming, but is rather a re-statement of the events of Christ’s death and resurrection, no matter how much it looks like it is prophetic of future events. All events involving thunder and lightning refer to the inauguration of the first covenant at Mt Sinai, and this event is fulfilled at the cross and resurrection, then only the cross and resurrection is significant at all, and all thought of a futuristic interpretation must be removed.	See above. This was the only assertion of a positive argument for the amillenial position. If this were the only argument for the amillenial position, then the amillenial position is on very shaky ground.
There are people who offer to look after the pets of premillenial people after the rapture occurs.	*Ridicule* is a poor argument. It is not premillenial people who offer this service, but hard core atheists, in order to ridicule this opinion. If this argument is permissible, then the rejoinder that the preacher is a closet atheist may as justifiably be made.
Premillenial people read Matthew 24:40, 41( “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.”) as referring to the rapture. The term rapture is not a biblical term.	*“Straw man argument”* The preacher made a case against a particular view not held by many (if any at all) proponents of the premillenial view. The term “rapture” is latin for the greek word“Arpidzo” (ἁρπαγησόμεθα) found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be *caught up* together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” That a word does not appear in Scripture does not make it an invalid interpretative word. The word “Trinity” is not found in scripture, although the concept is present. However “rapture” or “caught up” does appear in Scripture, and therefore is a biblical term although it is the Latin word for “caught up”.
The real problem with Premillenial people is that they all see the book of Revelation as a timetable for the events of the Second Coming.	*Generalisation* Has the preacher concluded that all premillenial people make rash statements? *Hasty* *generalisation* Has the preacher given convincing proof that the Book of Revelation is not a timetable of some sorts?
The preacher indicated that the New Testament teaching is that we since the resurrection of Christ are all living in the Last Days (Hebrews 1:1-2). That the Last days are now, does not mean that we are in the last days before the second coming.	This is an “*irrelevant conclusion*”. This irrelevant conclusion presupposes that premillenial people do not conclude that the entire era after the resurrection are the Last Days. Secondly, that these are not the last days of the last days is not proven unless the rapture does not happen in these “last days” however long these “last days” may be, as premillenial people do not specify the length of time of the “last days”. It can only be concluded that Premillenial people are wrong if indeed a rapture does not ever occur in the future. Since we do not have access to the future this conclusion cannot be made until after the second coming has concluded.

There is a real need to have integrity in our arguments. Whatever our position may be that we are defending, we need to defend that position with integrity. Integrity means that we are careful how we present our position, and how we defend our position.

Posted September 12, 2011 by grosey in Uncategorized

Mark 9 THE SPLENDOUR OF HIS TRANSFIGURATION Leave a comment

Perhaps one reason why the subject of the transfiguration of our Lord has been so neglected is the fact that we feel that there is something unpractical, or even mystical, about the event. We do not doubt for a moment that it took place exactly as recorded by the three Evangelists, and we stand in awe as we gaze upon “the sacred mountain” – look up 2 Peter 1:18; but are there any practical lessons in this event in our Lord’s life for us? Please be sure to read the accounts in the three Gospels – Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10 and Luke 9:28-36; and notice the fact that the transfiguration marked a division in the ministry of our Lord. So far this had been, to a certain extent, popular and public, but now it was to become private until He reached Jerusalem and died upon the Cross. But for whose benefit did this event take place?

Moses and Elijah appeared on the scene and conversed with our Lord, but surely He was not transfigured for their benefit!

Some have suggested that this experience on the mount took place in order to strengthen our Lord for the great redemptive task which He would so soon undertake, and that this experience was given in order to confirm Him in His intention to be the Sin-bearer of His people. If there is any truth in this suggestion it is certainly not the primary reason for the transfiguration.

Our Lord took Peter, James and John on to the mount and “was transfigured before them” – And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,

Surely it was primarily for their benefit that He was transfigured – and for ours too?

What lessons are there for us to learn on “the sacred mountain”? Let us join Peter, James and John in imagination – and what do we see?

1. Worship the Lord Jesus

Read Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:3 and Luke 9:29. What actually happened? They saw the Lord Jesus in all the splendour of His own perfect character. The majesty of His own inherent glory shone forth upon His countenance and through the very garments He wore. Moses and Stephen reflected the glory of the Lord – look up Exodus 34:29 and Acts 6:15; but this was different. This was not reflected glory resting upon Him; it was His own inherent glory shining forth from Him. This is the vision we need – a vision of the splendour and majesty of the One who is the brightness of His Father’s glory and “the exact representation of his being” – look up Hebrews 1:3. He is the “altogether lovely” One – look up Song of Solomon 5:16! Have you found Him to be so?

Ex 33:18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Ex 34:5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

A. Acknowledge Him As Preeminent

While they were on the mount, Moses and Elijah appeared before them. Impetuous Peter suggested making three shelters, so that they could all stay on the mount. What happened? Immediately a cloud overshadowed them and the voice of the Father said: “This is my Son…listen to him!” Then what happened? “They saw no-one except Jesus.” God will never allow anyone to be placed on the same level as His Son. Jesus stands alone. Colossians 1:18. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

B. Acknowledge His Authority as Preeminent

2Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Listen to Him

Read his Word

Obey Him, He is Lord. Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2. Witness to the Cross is Preeminent

What are they talking about? Luke 9:30-31 tells us – And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

it was Calvary! Moses (and Elijah) spoke of His exodus (as the word really is). That is very significant. Yes, the ‘exodus’ in Egypt was but a prelude and a type of this great ‘exodus’ which Jesus was to accomplish at Jerusalem. What a mighty deliverance was wrought by Him there! But this conversation tells us that the one great theme of the ages is the Cross of Calvary and the Christ of the Cross. The death of the Lord Jesus is the recurring theme in Scripture. Is the death of our Saviour the constant theme of our conversation and of our preaching? – Luke 24:13-27 and Acts 8:27-35. After hearing him reading from Isa 53, that great OT prophecy of Christ’s atoning death, 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

The cross is the centre of the Universe.

(This is the actual image at the very center of our universe, found at the core of the Whirlpool Galaxy)

Last week I heard a tragic story. Some clergy will not sign on for SRE or chaplaincy because they do not believe in the atoning death of Jesus at the cross! They don’t believe that He suffered in our place for our sins at the cross! And they claim to be Christians? Any belief system that omits the cross omits the main thing, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.

The sacrifices of the Mosaic economy and the hopes aroused by the prophets all found their fulfilment in the Lord Jesus. Yes, Moses represented the sacrifices and types of the old Jewish economy. Elijah represented the prophets. All the Mosaic types and the prophetic ministries of the old dispensation pointed forward to the Lord Jesus. It is as though Moses said to the Lord Jesus, “When we slew the lamb…we thought of You”; and as though Elijah said, “When we prophesied, we did so in anticipation of Your coming”.

1 Cor 1: 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Cor 2:1And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

There is no greater them than that God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us.

Isa 53: 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Alexander Maclaren said, “Now notice what follows from such thoughts as these. To begin with, the Gospel is not a speculation, is not a theology, still less a morality, not a declaration of principles, but a history of fact, things that were done on this earth of ours, and that the Apostle’s Creed which is worked into the service of the Anglican Church is far nearer the primitive conception of the Gospel than are any of the more elaborate and doctrinal ones which have followed. For we have to begin with the facts that Christ lived, died, was buried, rose again from the dead … ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God. Whatever else the Gospel is, that is the kernel and the basis of it all. Out of these facts will come all manner of doctrines, philosophies of religion, theologies, revelations about God and man. Out of them will come all ethics, the teaching of duty, the exhibition of a pattern of conduct, inspiration to follow the model that is set before us. Out of them will come, as I believe, guidance and light for social and economical and political questions and difficulties. But what we have to lay hold of, and what we preachers have to proclaim, is the story of the life, and eminently the story of the death. Not what Christ said, not what Christ did, not what Christ was, beautiful and helpful as all that is, but to begin with what Christ bore, is the fact that makes the life of the Gospel. And just as He is the centre of humanity, so the Cross is the centre of His work. Why is that? Because the deepest need of all of us is the need to have our sins dealt with, both as guilt and as power, and because nothing else in the whole story of Christ’s manifestation deals with men’s sins as the fact of His death on the Cross does, therefore the sacrifice and sufferings are the heart of the Gospel.

Strike out from the gospel that you preach ‘the sufferings of Christ,’ and you have struck out the one thing that will draw men’s hearts, that will satisfy men’s needs, that will bind men to Him with cords of love. ‘I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me.’ So, wherever you get what they call an ethical gospel which deals with moralities, and does not impart the power that will vitalise moralities, and make them into thankful service and sacrifices, in return for the great Sacrifice; wherever you get a gospel that falters in its enunciation of the sufferings of Christ, and wherever you get a gospel that secularises the Christian service of the Sabbath, and will rather discuss the things that the newspapers discuss, and the new books that the reviewers are talking about, and odds and ends of that sort that are thought to be popular and attractive, you get a gospel minus the thing that, in the Old Testament and in the New alike, stands forth in the centre of all. ‘We preach Christ crucified’; it is not enough to preach Christ. Many a man does that, and might as well hold his tongue. ‘We preach Christ crucified.’ “

3. Christ and His Cross is offered to each of us.

8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

You will never have the atoning power of the cross unless you do for yourself and by yourself the most individual and solitary act that a human soul can do, and that is, lay your hand on the head of ‘the Lamb … that takes away the sin of the world,’ and put your sins there. You must begin with ‘my Christ,’ which you can do only by personal faith. And then afterwards you can come to ‘our Christ,’ the Christ of all the worlds, the Christ of all the ages. Go to Him by yourself. You must do it as if there were not any other beings in the whole universe but you two, Jesus and you.

Posted September 12, 2011 by grosey in Uncategorized

Discipleship And Salvation Mark 8:31-34 Leave a comment

Before I became a Christian there was no way that I would enter a church! I knew what church was like! I had attended a church service once when I was 5. There were 700 people crammed into a small building seating 300. It was hot! It was boring! It was crowded! It was boring and it was boring!

As a young man, growing up in a non-christian family, I was invited by friend to attend a church service. The problem was that my friend stood well over 2 metres tall. He had to crouch to get through doors! And big! His dad was a concreter and my mate Dave was (and is) a mass of muscle!

Dave said to me, “Grosey! If I got to go to church Sunday night, you can come too!” There wasn’t a whole lot of choice in it. Well Dave and I went to church. The third Sunday night that we went along there was this short elderly man in his eighties who was preaching about Eternity. I was interested! But.. we were invited to go along and have a cup of coffee and cake at one of the church members;’ house after church. And there was this little fellow. And he spoke. Again! After he spoke about eternity or something again, he said “Right. Every head bowed, every eye closed! Now! If you want to get to heaven, just put your hand up.”

Well I thought about that for awhile. To get to heaven you just put your hand up.

‘Okay. Sounds easy. Maybe.’

After another five minutes or so (in the mean time three or four people put their hand up, and the preacher said softly and deeply “I see that hand, God bless you!”) I decided to raise my hand. ‘Couldn’t hurt,’ I thought. ‘And , well he said if you put your hand up you go to heaven! Sounds like a good deal!’

“I see that hand! God bless you!”

Another five or ten minutes went bye with the 30 or so people in the room solemnly with bowed head and closed eyes sitting on the floor. I wondered what would happen if I opened one eye and took a peak. Finally the elderly gentleman invited us to open our eyes. Then came words I never expected to hear;

“All those who put your hands up, come out into the back room!”

‘Uh oh… what is this? Didn’t he say of you want to go to heaven just put your hand up? Now he’s adding something extra? I’ve been conned! What are they going to do out there; circumcise me?’

Well we weren’t going out to be circumcised! I placed myself at the tail end of the line of 9 young men aged between 15 and 25 who had raised their hands. Whatever was going to happen, they could all go first!

The elderly man came to where I was standing, stretched out his hand to shake my hand and said the magic words; “What are you?”

I stood there stunned. He said it again “What are you?”

I heard a voice in my head… “Well what are You?”

Discouraged he turned to the next guy and repeated the question; “What are you?”

‘Ha! This guy won’t know!’ I thought, and he answered “Saved!”

I thought to myself ‘What a dumb thing to say.. ‘saved?’ saved from what? How? Who? Him? Why?’

“Well praise the Lord!” The elderly fellow then turned to the next young man in the line.

“What are you?” and he answered “Saved!” Well Praise the Lord, as he shook the young man’s hand.

And to the next “What are you?” and he answered “Saved!”

And then the next “What are you?” and he answered “Saved!”

I thought to myself ‘Hey I get it now, I am supposed to say “saved!” I can do that!’ I waited for the elderly man to finish inquiring of each of the nine men standing in line, so he would return to me. AND HE DIDN’T! I was gypped again! I knew the expected answer now, and there was no one to ask me!

Well my mate drove me home in silence. Dave asked me what had happened in the back room. I told him, “We all got saved, and you better get saved too!” that night those words struck home to Dave, and before he went home he knelt at the side of his mini minor and prayed to receive Christ as His Saviour! And I was just plain confused!

(I did come to know the Lord as my own Saviour over the next 6 months as I read the Bible and trusted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour!)

Have you ever been confused? Have you ever felt gypped? Every felt that you couldn’t figure out this God thing, and when you think you have, you suddenly cop a twist in the story and wind up confused again?

Some people read these words of Jesus and think, “Whoa there, this discipleship thingy isn’t part of the deal! I am saved by grace, I don’t have to DO anything to be a Christian!”

But Jesus did say these words:

Mark 8: 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?

Is it a con? How are we “saved by grace”, but we are expected to lay down our loves to get it?

The Truth about Discipleship

Discipleship and Salvation

Christ’s invitation to salvation is, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28) His call to discipleship is, “Come after Me” (Mark8:34).

Salvation is about the Cross of Christ (Mark 8:31) while discipleship is about your own cross (Mark8:34).

At salvation, you receive a gift, eternal life; in discipleship, you give a gift, your body (Mark8:35).

Look at this chart:

1. Discipleship and Salvation

Is Discipleship the same as becoming a Christian? Can you be a Christian but not go all the way and be a disciple? Well let’s think about some basic truths first:

Discipleship doesn’t save; God does

Jonah 2:9 “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

John 1:11-13 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Salvation is found in a person, not in a formula!

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Taking your cross doesn’t save; Christ dying at the cross does

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

2 Cor 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

But, if you are not a disciple you are not a Christian!

If you are not obedient to the faith, you have never experienced saving faith.

Because Salvation is found in a Person and not in a theory, when a person comes to that Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, a whole new relationship begins. Repentance is turning from our ways and turning to Him as the Saviour and Redeemer. It is turning from the mess we made of our lives, and inviting Him to take over that mess and lead our lives in the best way He knows how, and He does know the best way how!! When a person turns to the Lord Jesus Christ, they can NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!

They become a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Old things pass away, everything becomes new!!

I remember the day I was really “saved!” I woke up the next morning singing “Everything is beautiful!” and it was! I was surprised at the beauty of the creation around me! Why? Because I had a whole new way of seeing life. I was Forgiven! I was pardoned! I was a child of God! I had peace with God through what the Lord Jesus had done at the cross! Heaven above was softer blue, earth below a sweeter green, something lived in every hue, Christless eyes had never seen, Since I knew as then I knew I was Christ’s and He is mine!

DL Moody a famous evangelist had a similar experience :

“I remember the morning on which I came out of my room after I had first trusted Christ. I thought the sun shone a good deal brighter than it ever had before. I thought that it was just smiling upon me, and as I walked out upon Boston Common and heard the birds singing in the trees, I thought they were all singing a song to me. Do you know? I fell in love with the birds. I had never cared for them before. It seemed to me that I was in love with all creation. I had not a bitter feeling against any man and I was ready to take all men to my heart. If a man has not the love of God shed abroad in his heart he has not yet been regenerated."

Now that brings us to a bigger chart:

2. Discipleship and Sanctification

Discipleship and Sanctification are the work of God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit and the Believer.

Sanctification is the big word that means make holy and different. When you come to jesus you can never be the same again. That is because first of all;

There is the work of God the Father in Sanctification

Method	Bible	Application
*Chosen to holiness*	he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Ephesians 1:4	God chose that you should be holy right from the foundation of the world. He chose that you should be a disciple of Jesus. Better get in on His plan!
*Recreated heart*	Jer 31:33 I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. Ezekiel 36, Eph 4:24	Do you feel bad about your sin? God has put His law in your heart and He wants you to change.
*Raised from spiritual death to new life*	Ephesians 2:1-10	You were dead in your sin! God raised you from Spiritual death and put Spiritual life into you!
*Change heart and mind granting repentance*	2 Tim 2:25 God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.	Phil 2: 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. It is God’s work! He will do it! Phil 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
*Chastising and trials*	Romans 8:28,29	Heb 12:1-18 participate willingly in God’s discipline. If you kick against it, it will only hurt you more!

There is the work of God the Son in your sanctification;

*Method*	Bible	Application
*Union in death*	Read Romans 6 Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Rom 6:11	Somehow, when the Lord Jesus was on the cross your old sin nature was nailed with Him there. You were united with Him in death, and that old you is now gone!
*Union in resurrection*	1Peter 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,	It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead that is at work inside you!
*Motivation to Love*	1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

There is the work of God the Holy Spirit in you.

Did you notice that his name begins with “Holy”. That is what He intends to make you!

*Method*	Bible	Application
*Regeneration/* *Spiritual life*	2Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
*Renewal*	Titus 3: 4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, Rom 8: 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
*Indwelling*	“to enlighten the eyes of the understanding” (Eph 1:18), that we may know the things freely given to us of God (1Cor 2:12)
*Fruit of the Spirit*	Gal 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
*Filling With Spirit*	Eph 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
*Strengthened*	Eph 3:16-19 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

Why don’t you fill in the application box for what that will mean for you!

And there is your work in you.

The work of the believer in sanctification and discipleship.

It is a cooperative partnership to make you a holy sanctified disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Phil 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

*Method*	Bible	Application
*Renewing the mind*	Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, Col 3: 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.	Read God’s word! Let it renew your mind!
*Taught by fellow believers*	Ephesians 4:11-16	That us what we do at church! We build each other up in love.
*Serving the people of God*	Heb 10:24,25	Don’t forsake going to church. We need one another
*Bible*	John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth,” Col 3:10 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.	Get God’s Word into you. It is life changing. Read it each day!
*Apply Scripture to heart* *Rom 8: 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.*	Phil 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.	Submission, confidence, self-denial, patience, and meekness, as well as faith, hope, and love, are called forth, or put to the test, more or less effectually every day the believer passes on earth.
*Conversion, Repentance and obedient Discipleship*	Rom 1:5 to bring about the obedience of faith	Mark 8:34, And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
*Abiding in Christ*	John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
*Put off* *the old man and put on the new man*	Col 3:1-17

It is as you walk with Him that you become holy!

Mark 8:34, And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

So how does all this work out when Jesus calls you to become a disciple?

3. Discipleship And Its Seriousness

Discipleship is serious business.

1. Discipleship involves self-denial.

If any man would come after me, let him deny himself,

Denying yourself means that you deny that you can sort out your life. Jesus calls you to turn from your mess and turn to Him. He is the only One who can take out your trash!

2. Discipleship involves servanthood.

If any man would come after me, let him deny himself,

Denying yourself means that you are letting Him be the boss.

There were Old Testament rules for when someone got into debt. There can be crushing debt that you cannot get out from under. Proverbs tells us that the borrower is the slave to the lender, and we experience that every day with our banks: the bank loans us money for a house, and we spend all the rest of our days worrying about repaying that debt. We wear the slave mark that says “Owned by the CBC!” or “NAB” or “ANZ”.

In Old Testament times, if things got bad, someone could sell himself out to a boss as a slave on one third the wages of a normal hired hand. But the boss would look after his food, clothing, shelter and family. It really wasn’t such a bad deal for a Jewish “slave’. Not only did he get looked after for 6 years, but at the end of it, he got to keep some of the stuff he had earned!

Deuteronomy 15: 12 “If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.

And if he got a good master.. some folks wouldn’t want to leave! Why leave if your boss looks after food, clothing, work and healthcare? It sounds a bit like the Army, or the Public Service!

Well if the slave liked the new deal, he could arrange to stay past the 6 year time limit.

Deuteronomy 15:16,17 But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, 17 then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And to your female slave you shall do the same.

So if you saw someone walking down the street with a hole in his ear, you would have said “Man he must have a good master! I better remember that guy’s name! I may need a job one day!!”

Have you got a good Master? Is Jesus a good master? Hasn’t He loved you and cared for you and lead you along the way as your trusted in Him? That was why Paul loved to call himself “A bond-servant of Christ Jesus (Rom 1:1). He knew where to get a good deal! Will you serve Him?

3. Discipleship involves sacrifice.

If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross.

It costs to be a Christian!

The word sacrament comes from the Roman legion’s “sacramentum” a yearly ritual of a soldier offering incense to a bust of Caesar and declaring “Caesar is Lord!” It was understood that by offering that incense the soldier was vowing faithful service to Caesar even to die for him.

This sacrifice and oath was later required of every person within the Roman Empire. Of course, that brought Christians into conflict with the Empire. For a Christian the only declaration that could be made was “Jesus is Lord!” and all others are pretenders to the throne! He alone was worthy.

Have you made that sacramental vow to the Lord Jesus? As we share in communion, the Lord’s Supper, there is a sense in which this Sacrament is our opportunity to say “Jesus is Lord! And I will follow Him even until death!”

4. Discipleship involves sharing.

If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

The word sharing, means fellowship, communion, a getting to know one another at the deepest of levels. Jesus invites you to such a fellowship. Jesus said “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”. (John 17:3)

He wants you to experience fellowship with Him as you walk along following Him.

Will you be a disciple of Jesus? If you are a Christian you are a disciple. You have entered a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and you can never be the same again!

Posted September 8, 2011 by grosey in Uncategorized

The One Sanctuary In A Savage World Leave a comment

This morning I heard disturbing news from Canberra. I guess that is no surprise, Canberra always seems disturbed by the people who we elect to go there. Must be something in the water! The news explained that with the failure of “the Malaysian solution” for illegal immigration in the High Court, the arrival this week of 600 new illegal immigrants by boat from Indonesia, that Tony Abbott was predicting rioting of the nature of the London riots in the face of this unlawful immigration to our land.

To this current background Bruce Milne speaks timelessly back in 2006 of the necessity of the kind of fellowship Christians can enjoy in a multicultural world.

Dynamic Diversity. (IVP 192 pages, Paperback 2006 only $5.20 at Koorong)

From the footpaths of our cities to the chat rooms of the Internet, people are connecting today as never before. As the planet shrinks through the multiple forces of immigration, travel, electronic communication and more fluid employment patterns, we will find ourselves increasingly forced into contact with those who are significantly different from ourselves. Sadly however, the stranger is often a threat to be resisted rather than a friend to be embraced.

In this context of in-your-face diversity, it is time to revisit the heart of the New Testament, with its claim that in Jesus Christ a new quality of human relationship is possible. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul claims that Christians are a new kind of people, part of a new community: a ‘new humanity’ in Christ (Ephesians 2:15). We exist not in isolation, but in relationship.

‘Dynamic Diversity’ contends that all Christian congregations everywhere are called to be bridging places, centres of reconciliation, where the major diversities separating human beings are overcome through the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

Milne reminds us that in his world-wide best seller Future Shock, written back in the 1970’s, Alvin Toffler predicted that “The human race far from being flattened into monotonous conformity, will become far more diverse socially than it ever was before.”

10 years later Toffler wrote in the Third Wave “ “Two things cut through everything as the third wave thunders in our ears. One is the shift towards a higher level of diversity in society –the demassification of mass society. The second is acceleration –the faster pace at which historical change occurs. Together these place tremendous strains on individuals and institutions alike, intensifying super struggle as it rages about us.”

He was right.

The Problem!

The teeming world cities have become mosaics of national sub-groups. Driven by massive international migrations, spawned in many cases by wars and ethnic conflicts hundreds of millions have abandoned their family roots and set out to find new lands in which to live.

Family structures are also diversifying; the percentage living in single-parent families has risen substantially.

We inhabit a society where it is increasingly less possible to escape into ghettos of similarity where there are ‘my kinds of people’.

“This stirred up world is experiencing the widening deepening and speeding up of world-wide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life.” Davis Held

“We are being propelled into a global order that no one fully understands, but which is making itself felt upon all of us.” Anthony Giddens

One of the paradoxes of the appearance and growth of this global skin of unity is the way in which it has produced fragmentations and even a certain type of localization termed “glocalisation”; where local markets and communities morph their identity to suit the global forces and in the process become more self-conscious.

The Historic Precedent!

The Greco-Roman world of the first century may not unfairly be described as “Skin over cracks.” The “skin” was the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire expanded its rule over new territories by dominating native populations through military might. They did not seek to absorb the tribal people into a full Roman identity. They tended to utilize existing governmental structures utilizing different kinds of local supervision and control. The “skin” of military dominance, law and some institutions, the network of roads, a common language (koine Greek) and a religious veneer of the Emperor cult covering a religious pluralism, did not make the Roman Empire a melting pot, but rather a mosaic of multiculturalism. There was a diversity of ethnicity, language, race and culture, over the top of which was imposed a skin called the Roman Empire. However, it was a mere skin. Divisions arose again. The cracks broke through the skin. Rioting broke out across the Empire as cultural units, ghettoed into like-cultured communities erupted into violent protest against the Roman skin over the cracks!

In our increasingly diverse and multi cultural world, are we experiencing mere skin over cracks. Is this likely to erupt into the violent mob riots, race riots, that the Australian politicians fear will mimic the recent London riots? Perhaps the skin of western civilization carrying the common language of English into the far reaches of the world has acted as a skin holding it all together. But are we now seeing the demise of this skin?

The first century skin of Empire had fulfilled God’s prearranged plan as it became God’s means for the immediate and extensive spread of the Kingdom of God beneath this fragile skin of a common language, a common Empire, increased communications and transport facilities and a common market place into the various communities. Has the skin of the lingua franca (common language) of English allowed the spread of the Gospel during this last generation?

The Prophecy!

Milne reminds us of Daniel’s prophetic picture envisages the effect of the Kingdom of God upon the nations:

Daniel 2: 34 While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by humans. It struck the statue’s iron-and-clay feet and smashed them. 35 Then all at once, the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were smashed. They became like husks on a threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain which filled the whole world. 36 This is the dream. Now we’ll tell you its meaning. 37 “Your Majesty, you are the greatest king. The God of heaven has given you a kingdom. He has given you power, strength, and honor.

40 There will also be a fourth kingdom. It will be as strong as iron. (Iron smashes and shatters everything.) As iron crushes things, this fourth kingdom will smash and crush all the other kingdoms. 41 You also saw the feet and toes. They were partly potters’ clay and partly iron. This means that there will be a divided kingdom which has some of the firmness of iron. As you saw, iron was mixed with clay. 42 The toes were partly iron and partly clay. Part of the kingdom will be strong, and part will be brittle. 43 As you saw, iron was mixed with clay. So the two parts of the kingdom will mix by intermarrying, but they will not hold together any more than iron can mix with clay. 44 “At the time of those kings, the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed. No other people will be permitted to rule it. It will smash all the other kingdoms and put an end to them. But it will be established forever. 45 This is the stone that you saw cut out from a mountain, but not by humans. It smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told you what will happen in the future, Your Majesty. The dream is true, and you can trust that this is its meaning.”

Incredibly, this new Kingdom revived a universal deep set longing for a larger world of harmony and peace, where ancient hatreds and rivalries would be buried forever, where neighbor love would be extended across human borders and touch each human heart in its multicultural variety. But is this just “pie in the sky”? Is this just a fairy story that speaks of an ideal world but which will ever only be an ideal of “living happily ever after”?

The Power!

Milne reminds us that the fulfillment of this Prophecy of peace has come!

Notice how the Apostle Paul speaks of that new humanity found in union with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2: 13 But now through Christ Jesus you, who were once far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He did away with the law of the commandments in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it. 17 When Christ came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

For these disciples of the first century, as for the disciples of Jesus all over the world in the twenty-first century, the Lord Jesus brings peace and He reigns as the Prince of Peace.

Our tremendously diversifying Australian culture that reflects an exploding multiculturalism has only one hope of finding a skin of unity in our fragile world: the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Privilege!

Milne forces us to ask the hard questions, for we, the people of God, have the tremendous opportunity to reflect as God’s people, the church, that unity that transcends multiculturalism and can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Do our churches extend neighbor-love to those in our communities around us regardless of ethnicity, language, and culture of origin?

Have we as God’s people recognized that one of the greatest privileges we have is to be a visible presentation of that love and care that God has for all peoples?

Do we celebrate our Unity in Christ in spite of our cultural diversity in our church meetings through the participation of people of varying cultures, communities and ages?

We may not be racist, but we may be ageist, as we celebrate our “oneness in Christ” in our differing age grouped churches!

Do we provide in our churches the One Sanctuary in a Savage World?

Posted September 8, 2011 by grosey in Uncategorized

Sanctification Chart Leave a comment

Person	Method	Bible	Application
God the Father	*Recreated heart*	Ezekiel 36, Eph 4:24
		Jer 31:33 I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.
	*Raised from spiritual death to new life*	Eph 2:1-5
	*Change heart and mind granting repentance*	2 Tim 2:25 God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.	Phil 2: 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
	*Chastising and perfecting trials*	Romans 8:28,29	Heb 12:1-18 participate willingly in God’s discipline

God the Son	*Union in death* Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.	Romans 6	So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Rom 6:11
	*Union in resurrection*	1Peter 1:3
	*Motivation to Love*	1 John 4:19
God the Spirit	*Regeneration/Spiritual life*	2Cor 5:17,
	*Renewal*	Titus 3:5 Rom 8: 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
	*Indwelling*	“to enlighten the eyes of the understanding” (Eph 1:18), that we may know the things freely given to us of God (1Cor 2:12)
	*Fruit of the Spirit*	Gal 5:22,23
	*Filling With Spirit*	Eph 5:18
	*Strengthened*	Eph 3:16-19
The Believer	*Renewing the mind*	Romans 12:2	Col 3: 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
	*Taught by fellow believers*	Ephesians 4:11-16
	*Serving the people of God*	Heb 10:24,25
	*Bible*	John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth,” Col 3:10	2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
	*Apply Scripture to heart* Rom 8: 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.	Phil 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.	Submission, confidence, self-denial, patience, and meekness, as well as faith, hope, and love, are called forth, or put to the test, more or less effectually every day the believer passes on earth.
	*Conversion, Repentance and obedient Discipleship*	Rom 1:5 to bring about the obedience of faith	Mark 8:34, And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
	*Abiding in Christ*	John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
	*Put off the old man and put on the new man*	Col 3:1-17

Please contribute any thoughts which you see to be absent.

Posted August 31, 2011 by grosey in Uncategorized

	Steve Grose on The Secret Of Church Growth: M…
	Dennis Itoro on The Secret Of Church Growth: M…
	grosey on The Passing of “Mr. Eter…
	megan on The Passing of “Mr. Eter…
	Rhetorical Methods \|… on Rhetorical Methods

January 2012
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Dec
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Words from Steve Grose Steve Grose

C3 Discipleship Process

Jesus did it. Wesley did it. You can too.

Jesus’ 3-Strand Discipleship

John Wesley’s 3-Strand Discipleship

C3 Discipleship Process

Strand 1: Crowd

Strand 2: Cell

Strand 3: Core

Biblical Evidence

"One standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

Biblical Evidence for 3-Strand Discipleship

Relational Evidence for 3-Strand Discipleship

Structural Evidence for 3-Strand Discipleship

Next: The Core Discipleship Process: The Master’s Discipleship Plan

Church: 3-Strand Discipleship Process

Strand 1: Crowd

Strand 2: Cells (Life, Home, or Small Groups)

Strand 3: Core Groups

Core Key Values

1. Love: Great Commandment

2. Christ-likeness: Great Commission

3. Devoted: Acts 2:42

4. Equipped: Ephesians 4:11-16

5. Faithful: 2 Timothy 2:2

Discipleship And The Great Commission

The Promise

To this current background Bruce Milne speaks timelessly back in 2006 of the necessity of the kind of fellowship Christians can enjoy in a multicultural world.

Dynamic Diversity. (IVP 192 pages, Paperback 2006 only $5.20 at Koorong)

Recent Comments

Archives

Blogroll

Meta

Recent Posts

Pages

Blog Stats

Spam Blocked

Tags

Category Cloud

Follow “Words from Steve Grose”