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Weekend Wrap Up – Small Groups…

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Our Sunday PM message, In One Body, from Colossians 3:12-15 is also online. This sermon was my attempt to answer the question, Why do we do small groups? This extraordinary passage calls us to put on Godly characteristics, Godly actions and to pursue Godly unity. To have a context to do these things with other believers, we have small groups. We had a great response of people getting plugged in to relationship with one another. This winter/spring, we will be studying the Gospel Centered Life curriculum from Serge. I am very excited about this curriculum which deals with three questions:
1) What is the Gospel?
2) What does the Gospel do in us?
3) How does the Gospel work through us?

I hope you can be plugged into a small group and grow in grace.

Weekend Wrap Up – Scripture Memory…

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Yesterday’s AM sermon, Indwelling Word, from Colossians 3:16 is online. After our Week of Prayer, we take time to consider how God’s Word can be a part of our lives each year and this year, we decided to launch a Scripture Memory Program church wide. We hoped that our lives individually, our lives in families and our life as a corporate body would all benefit. It was exciting to see how people grabbed onto this. We ran out of books (which meant over 1/2 of our congregation will be involved in this). Here’s what I wrote to introduce the book:

As a church, we are embarking on a new emphasis here. Beginning Sunday, January 10, 2010, we will be seeking to memorize a verse of Scripture each week. All of our publications will use the ESV, since that is the translation we use in the pulpit ministry of Crestview.

This emphasis comes for a few reasons:
1) We want to be characterized by widespread Scripture memory together. As God’s Word is hidden in our hearts, the spiritual benefits we can pursue collectively will undoubtedly multiply.
2) We wanted a simple way to promote family worship. By encouraging our people to be hovering over a particular verse each week, we will be encouraging families to be hiding God’s Word in their hearts together.
3) We wanted to create a simple way to deepen relationships we have with one another in spiritual ways. When you get together for coffee, to exercise, for fellowship or study, we can simply ask, “Do you know this week’s verse?” and be able to transition into spiritual discussions.
4) God’s Word being hidden in our hearts should help us fight against sin week in and week out.
5) Many of us believe this is a great thing, but we need a plan. We are implementing a plan, then, to help us remain disciplined in this.

Dallas Willard has said, “Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our mind with what it needs. The book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it. How does it get in your mouth? Memorization.”

It is in this spirit, then, that the Elders recommend this pursuit to you. May it inspire you and encourage you to glorify and enjoy God, forever.

I hope you have a great week storing up God’s Word in your heart. (Our verse for this first week is Genesis 1:1.)

Wrap Up on Prayer

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Today’s sermon, which was overview from Colossians on Prayer, is now online. This sermon helped to serve our church by kicking off the Week of Prayer. We were encouraged to pray:

– gratefully
– for growth
– for the Gospel’s progress
and – with discipline

I was encouraged by the example of Epaphras in Colossians 4:12, who of whom it was said his prayers were striving for the growth of others. I hope you practice prayer this week and you are encouraged to depend on God for all things in 2010.

Preeminence

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Today’s sermon, Preeminence, from Colossians 1:19-20 is online. I thought we had a great morning. The sermon itself focused on Jesus’ incarnation as well as His death to reconcile sinners. It was encouraging to look at these truths, because I know in my sin, I don’t focus on Christ the way I need to during this season.

Anything stick out to anyone out there?

Chalcedonian Christianity?

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Here’s what they confessed at Chalcedon:

THEREFORE, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge

one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body;

of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood;

like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the Godbearer;

one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

This Sunday, we will look at verses (Colossians 1:19-20) that get at some of these truths. Confess this with other believers and come ready to exalt the Preeminent One, Jesus Christ.

Who Is Jesus (2)

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Had a great Lord’s Day today yesterday. The sermon, Who is Jesus? (2), from Colossians 1:17-18 is now online. The two aspects of Christ’s person that I developed were the fact that He is the sustainer of all creation and that He is the leader of the church.

I was personally encouraged that Jesus is Savior worth hoping in. He is holding all things together. When it seems like my life is crumbling and falling apart, Colossians 1:17 reminds me that He is in control. Any other applications out there?

Who is Jesus?

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C.S. Lewis famously remarked that He’s either a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. Today at Crestview, we looked at Colossians 1:15-16 to see a clear revelation of Jesus in a sermon entitled Who Is Jesus? The main points were pretty simple:

Jesus is God (15)
Jesus is Creator (16)

The big implication is that we weren’t made to spend our days serving ourselves. We were made for something greater…we were made by Him, through Him and for Him.

I hope you were encouraged as we looked at Jesus today.

Transferred…

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Yesterday’s sermon, Transfer Orders, from Colossians 1:13-14 is now online. The text is simple review for those of us who have tasted and seen the Lord’s goodness in the Gospel — we are delivered from darkness to the kingdom of Jesus, receiving redemption and forgiveness. My charge to believers was, using the context, to increase in knowledge of these truths more and more and, in so doing, live a life pleasing to the Lord characterized by gratitude.

What emotions does the Father’s saving work in your produce?

How Beneficial?

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I had some time to prepare for this coming Lord’s Day already. We will be studying Colossians 1:13-14 in a sermon I’m calling “Transfer Orders”. The outline has to do with the benefits extended to us through God’s rescue mission: rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His Beloved Son. Spurgeon, again, is on his game when he says:

And now Paul, having mentioned his Master’s great work—redemption by blood and the forgiveness of sins—goes on a tangent, as it were. He is so enthusiastic with regard to Christ and His great atoning Sacrifice that the very thought of Christ’s blood stirs his own blood and he seems like a man all on fire with holy fervor…

What struck me in this quote was the way in which these truths affected him. I wonder if we are moved by the beneficial message of God’s redemption and forgiveness for us. As we continue to think of this week, allow these truths–the truths of God’s Word from Colossians 1:13-14–to inspire fresh gratitude in your life.

Sunday Recap – Pleasing God

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Yesterday, we look at Colossians 1:11-12 in a sermon entitled Pleasing Him. This sermon really focused our attention on our need of grace from God and how He’s shown such amazing grace in giving us the Gospel. These points flowed from the general theme of what it looks like to walk in God’s will or in a manner pleasing to Him or walking in a manner worthy of Him.

I was encouraged to see how God is able to give us strength in circumstances and with people. These are situations in which many of us feel helpless. But, God is there to give grace. I hope your heart was encouraged.