My Life: A Waste, or One that Counts

January 27, 2013
My Life: A Waste, or one that Counts
Philippians 3:1-14
Scott Howard

In the book of Philippians, Paul is evaluating his life.

>>God wants to raise up men and women in His Church whose lives Count for His glory on the landscape of human history.

The first characteristic of men and women whose lives have counted for the glory of Christ on the landscape of human history:

1.  They treasure Christ above everything this world has to offer.

Paul lists some things that many people treasure, even good things, that he considers waste, rubbish, loss, compared to knowing Christ Jesus.

"...If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the [Christian] church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.  But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is though faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
--Philippians 3:4-11

The many treasures of a wasted life:

• Family Heritage --> Paul's circumcision on the eighth day of his life signifies that he was born into Jewish tradition and the Jewish law.
• Social Status --> The tribe of Benjamin included Jerusalem and the place where the original temple of God was.  It is also the tribe from which Israel received it's first king, Saul. 
• Biblical Knowledge --> Paul studied the Jewish Law (the Bible--the first few books of it anyway) his whole life and was a very learned man.
• Religious Activity --> in regard to what one believes--Paul was zealous in persecuting the Christian Church because Christians were going against the law of Judaism.
• A Moral Lifestyle --> Paul followed all the rules of Jewish law--legalistic righteousness

These are all good things, but by themselves they will not be what counts at the end of our lives.  It is possible to have all these good things, and good qualities, and to be a "good person" and all of it be a waste.

>>The only Treasure of the life that Counts is: Christ.  To put it another way, Jesus is a treasure chest of Holy Joy and everything else pales in comparison to His Greatness!  Paul said, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord."  

>>We have found something worth losing everything for.  Jesus Himself tells us this in Matthew 13:44-45, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

It is better to lose one's life than to waste it.  Christianity that costs nothing, produces the same!

Do you really KNOW Christ?  So much that nothing else matters; your social status, your heritage, your religious activity and piety?  May we strive to know Him better, to desire to share in His joy and His pain, as true friends/brothers do.  And as Paul said in our text, our righteousness will then come from our faith in Jesus.

Man's Sin and God's Silence / Message #2

January 20, 2013
Man's Sin and God's Silence / Message #2
Malachi 2:17-3:18
Scott Howard

Review from last week:

• We are dead in sin
• We are prone to defile one another
• We are desperate for a Savior & need to be born again

God is:

• Overwhelmingly Gracious --> His Grace is able to overcome our sin
• Inexpressibly Holy --> He is without error and also without equal
• Consistently Faithful --> He is the Groom, we are the bride (marriage was designed to be a picture of God's faithfulness to us)

God Loves faithfulness because God is Faithful

This week we look specifically at the passage of Malachi 2:17-3:18
This passage shows 3 Gaps that Isreal had in their faithfulness, and God's solutions to those gaps.

1. Israel had a Gap in their Theology (what is true regarding God) --> Malachi 2:17-- no longer believed God was pure & just

Accusations that weary the Lord:

• God cannot discern between good and evil
• The God of justice is nowhere to be found

The Israelites thought that God had abandoned them, that good & evil were equal.  But in reality they had lead themselves far away from God through deceitful righteousness.  They had wandered so far from God that they no longer remembered God's character.

God's solution for closing the Gap:

• God is personally coming to purify and judge --> Malachi 3:1-5

    2.   Israel had a Gap in their Tithing --> Malachi 3:6-12
If there were no tithes, there was no way for the temple to care for others--there would be no need for the priest to offer sacrifices, and ultimately no need for a functioning temple of worship.

God's solution for closing the Gap:

• Open your hands and trust Me because I do not change --> Malachi 3:6-7a; 3:10-12 

God is always faithful to bless those who obey Him.  We reap what we sow. 

    3.   Israel had a Gap in their followership and service to God --> Malachi 3:13-15
In their deceitful righteousness, Israel thought they were doing right and not gaining anything by it.  But they did not truly serve God by following the commands He had given them.

God's solution for closing the Gap:

• Obey Me because I will remember the Faithful --> Malachi 3:16-18

God has preserved a remnant by providing a Redeemer. 

The fact that God responds to the Israelites in solutions for closing these Gaps in their relationship with Him shows His love for them.  We can be encouraged knowing that God was patient with His people then and since He doesn't change, He is still patient with us today.

This is the promise throughout the Old Testament:  The only way to bring we who are dead in sin to new life is for God Himself to come in person to pay the price of sin, death, and because He is God, to rise from the dead and give us eternal life with Him in His presence!  So, 400 years after this point in time with the people of this passage, Jesus came to Earth be Emmanuel, God with us!  God keeps His promises, He is faithful!

"Man's Sin and God's Silence"

January 13, 2013
Man's Sin and God's Silence
The Book of Malachi (parts of Nehemiah)
Scott Howard

The book of Malachi was written about/to the people who lived during the time of the book of Nehemiah.  This was just after the Temple of the Lord had been rebuilt and the people were consecrating themselves to God again and making a covenent. 

In Nehemiah chapter 10 the people of God promise 3 things.  They promised not to intermarry with people from other nations and other faiths; they promised to keep the Sabbath Holy; they promised to take care of the Temple of God and to worship God with the offerings due Him. 

However, every promise they made, they broke.  In Malachi, God speaks through him to call the people out on their sin and their broken promises to God.  After this, there is about 400 years of silence until the New Testament and the birth of Jesus, our Savior.

What do we learn about ourselves through this passage?

• We are dead in sin
• We are prone to defile one another
• Sin is too subtle in us---> it is gradual, a slow fade
• Sin is too seductive to us---> it is alluring
• Sin is too strong for us

This makes us--->  Desperate for a Savior
We need supernatural new life---> We must be born again!

If we are dead in sin, we can't do anything about it on our own...we can't try harder, we can't do better.  But we can gain new life through Christ if we just accept His gift and give Him control.  We need Him to come and rescue us from death and to bring us new life.

The people in our text were weary of sacrificing to and worshipping God.  They were not bringing their best to God anymore.  Where once they brought the spotless animals for sacrifice, it became the norm to bring the diseased and imperfect sacrifices.  They defamed God in supposed worship. 

Are our hearts far from God when we come to worship Him?  Are we bringing our best?  Are we just singing the worship songs we've memorized, and sitting in the pew just to say we were in the house of the Lord?  May we really sing worship songs to God with passion; really meaning those words of worship to God.  And may we come to the house of God to give Him the praise and glory that He is worthy of, while allowing Him to speak to us through His Word.  Let us not fade slowly, and gradually away from Him, but allow Him to keep giving us new life!

"Tears > Turning > Together"

January 6, 2013
Tears > Turning > Together
The Book of Joel
Scott Howard

The book of Joel in the Bible is speaking to a people who are no longer sensitive to the severity of their sin in the sight of a Holy God.  Over and over, Joel speaks of "The day of the Lord" as a day that God will judge His people and the people of the world, and that this day is coming.

The Day of the Lord will be a Day...

• Of Destruction for the Resistant (those who resist God) ---> Joel 3:12-14
• Of Salvation for the Repentant (those who come to God) ---> Joel 2:32

Repentance involves:

• Confession:  Acknowledgement of sin and agreement with God about sin---basically, seeing our sin how God sees it: without degree, one sin is not worse than another, sin is sin.
• Contrition:  Brokenness before God over sin, sorrow for sin, weeping over sin.
• Conversion:  Turning to God from sin, a transition. 

>As we repent, God relents. 
God desires to redeem the repentant.  That is why He made a way through His Son, Jesus, for salvation.

What does it mean for God to Relent?

• God rescues us from our sin. --->  Joel 2:18-20  (from His judgement)
• God restores us.  ---> Joel 2:21-26
• God resides with us! ---> Joel 2:27

He reconciles us back to the presence of God, since we were separated from it through the first sin in Genesis.

How will God reside with us?

• God will come to us in His Son.  ---> Romans 10:12-13  Jesus has victory over sin and death.
• God will live in us through His Spirit.  ---> Acts 2:17-21 After Jesus rose and ascended back to Heaven, He left His Spirit, the Comfortor, to dwell in us until we pass from this earthly life to an eternal life.

If God's Spirit is in us, how would we get comfortable with sin?  Let us strive to really and truly desire God's Spirit.  Let us grieve over our sin in anticipation of the Day of the Lord.  May we be overwhelmed by the severity of our sin, be in awe of a Holy God, and be overwhelmed by His mercy on us.

Announcements 1-6

Men's Prayer Breakfast - Sunday morning, January 13th @ 8:30. All men are invited to come and join us for this time of prayer and fellowship.



Pantry Needs- The Open Arms Food Pantry is in need of food donations. To find out the specific need see Charlie, David, or Pastor Charles.



Sunday School Class - Are you a follower of Jesus? Don't answer too quickly. You may indeed be a passionate, fully devoted follower of Jesus. Or, you may be just a fan who admires Jesus by isn't ready to let him cramp your style.
Not A Fan calls you to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple. With frankness sprinkled with humor, this study invites you to live the way Jesus lived, love the way he loved, pray the way he prayed, and never give up living for the One who gave his all for you.
Coming to Pastor Scott's Sunday School Class January 6th!!


Attention SRWC Ladies!!! You're invited to a SPA DAY - Saturday, January 19th @ 2:00pm at SRWC!! This will be a fundraiser through Arbonne for a Diabetic Alert Dog for Aubrey McFarlin - all proceeds will be contributed to Aubrey's family. You will enjoy a full facial and luxurious foot soak! (Come with a fresh, makeup free face!) If you have any questions, see Katie Lee

How Can I Have Spiritual Victory in 2013?

December 30, 2012

How Can I Have Spiritual Victory in 2013?
Joshua 1; 5; 6
Charles Patton

 

Our spiritual health determines how we will handle every other part of our lives.

Having spiritual victory has nothing to do with whether we are saved or not; that issue was taken care of when we realized we were sinners and we asked Christ to forgive us of our sins and receive us as a child of God.  Spiritual victory has to do with claiming and living within the victories that Christ has already won for us.

 The life of Joshua gives us five principles we must live by if we are to claim the spiritual victory:

1.       The victory is won when we believe ALL the promises of God.

When God makes a promise, His character will not permit Him to break it.  It is His very nature to keep His promises.  See the promises God gave to Joshua:

 

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide, ‘Moses my servant is dead.  Now then, you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.  I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.  Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you….Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’”   ---Joshua 1:1-5, 9

 

Why are believers so fearful about the future?  Three reasons:

·         We may not know the promises of God---God’s word, the Bible, shows us God’s promises.

·         We may know God’s promises but we don’t trust them.

·         We take our eyes off God and focus on the circumstances around us.

 

2.        The Victory is won when we remember God is in charge.

We must take our hands off the controls and let God take over.  For Joshua, the battle at Jericho hadn’t even started yet, but God had given them the victory already:

 

“Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Isrealites.  No one went out and no one came in.  Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See I have delivered Jericho into your hands along with its king and its fighting men.’”  ---Joshua 6:1-2

 

3.       The victory is won when we remember His ways are not our ways. 

God has a plan for your life, it is better than any plan you can come up with.  Trust God’s plan and His promises—He knows more than us, He is all-knowing, so He knows the results of all our actions.  The battle plan He gave to Joshua sounds silly, for a battle tactic, but it worked because it was God’s plan carried out:

 

“March around the city once with all the armed men.  Do this for six days.  Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark (of the covenant).  On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.  When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.”  ---Joshua 6:3-5

 

4.       The victory is ours if we do not quit.

How many times have we forfeited victory because we gave up too soon?  Sometimes God wants us to see things to the end; we need to go through the entire process.  Just like baking cookies: do you still get yummy cookies if you don’t mix all the ingredients together and follow the recipe to completion?  Joshua did not quit the third time they walked around the city, he followed God’s instructions to the end.

 

5.       The victory is ours only through total obedience to God’s word.

The success of your endeavors will not depend on the way you use your own resources but on how you obey the Spirit of God.  In Joshua chapter 7, some of the Isrealites disobeyed God’s instructions and kept some of the sacred things of the city of Jericho that were supposed to be left alone.  This brought turmoil and defeat to the Isrealites in the next battle against Ai.  Obedience to God requires faith and trust.

So, accept God’s plan, don’t quit, and surrender to Him.  To remind you of a few of the promises of God, see Psalm 23, Psalm 91, Matthew 6:25-33, Romans 8:28, John 14:12-14.  Of course, there are many, many more, just read and seek God’s Word.