Equip the People

Here are my notes from  my talk on the Doctrine of Election.  I go through the verses and arguments for unconditional and conditional election.  I also give reasons why I think election is unconditional.

Election

Here are my teaching notes explaining the two sides.

God’s Plan and Human Choices

Respectable Sins are those sins that we may overlook or that have become so commonplace that we don’t even realize they are there; such as ungodliness, unthankfulness, and pride.   Jerry Bridges has coined this term and written a great book about it called Respectable Sins.  In this book, Bridges goes through these in a way that is God-centered, theologically sound, encouraging, and yet deeply challenging.  In one of our young adult groups this past year we went through this material and we were greatly challenged to go deeper into our lives to find areas where we could improve for the sake of Christ.  The following resource is a list of diagnostic questions using the themes in Respectable Sins.  Use this resource prayerfully as you seek to grow deeper in your relationship with Christ.

Respectable Sins Diagnostic Questions

This weekend we gathered to watch the Secret Church Simulcast.  It was a good reminder for us to be lifting up our brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted for Christ.  We spent time praying for them.  To remember them, we also listened to David Platt open the Scriptures to us just like he does when he goes over to teach the leaders of the persecuted church–simply, biblically… and FAST!  He went through many issues such as; marriage, roles of men and women, singleness, divorce, widows, orphans, homosexuality, sex, and abortion.  Below is an excellent resource on these issues from secretchurch.org.  Enjoy!

Secret Church Study Guide–Marriage, Family, Sex and the Gospel

The Importance of the local church

The local church has been saved by the blood of Jesus and made holy unto him!

Ephesians 5:25–27

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Jesus spilled his blood to save the church.  He loves the church enough to die for it.  He cleansed the church to be made holy before God.  His blood made the church pure and holy before God.  He established peace with God and the church so that it can do its mission!

The local church will be built, grow, and overcome evil in the power of Jesus!

Matthew 16:18

“…I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail over it.”

Jesus, the authoritative God of the universe, who has all power and authority gives this sure promise.  He will build the church.  He will make it grow.  It is a done deal.  It is going to happen!   The church will prevail over Satan and darkness.  No evil force can stop the church from growing so that eventually people every tribe and tongue people and nation will belong to the church!!

The local church is the dwelling place of God that supports and protects God’s message!

1 Timothy 3:15

If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

• God’s Spirit is alive in the people who inhabit the local church, dwelling place where God is alive and working.
• The local churches support the truth, uphold, it uplift it.
• The local churches protect the truth from what is false.  Buttress is like a protective barrier/wall/foundation.  So that the churches protect the truth of the gospel from false teachings.

The local church is God’s primary means by which he accomplishes his work and mission!

New Testament pattern—the gospel spread is through the ministry of the local churches that were established.  Paul, believers, started churches, wrote letters, checked in on them, the message of the gospel spreads through the churches.  That is God’s primary means by which he accomplishes his work and mission.  Through us as we use our gifts in the church and reach out through it!

An excellent study on the Proverbs 31 woman by my friend Melissa McDonald.  You can check out her blog and other resources at radiantministriestoday.com

To Live Valiantly (pdf)

You can also download this on the Featured Studies page of my website… along with one on Mark, Fruit of the Spirit, The Minor Prophets, and The Kingdom.

Welcome and Announcements

Song:  Spring of Life

 THEME ONE:  Repentance and Rededication:

Habakkuk 2:20(ESV)

“But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Hosea 14:1(ESV)

1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

Micah 7:8–9(ESV)

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.  I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.

Hosea 6:1–3,6(ESV)

“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.  After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.  Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”… For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Joel 2:12–13(ESV)

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Hosea 10:12(ESV)

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

 Songs:

• Lead us back – Bobby Gilles, Brooks Ritter
• Give Us Clean Hands – Charlie Hall 

Time for individual prayers of repentance and rededication (silently alone)

PRAYER:

Oh, Lord, we come to you humbly.  Recognizing that you are holy and in your holy temple.  We are silent before you because we have sinned against a holy God and deserve a just punishment—an eternity in hell away from the goodness of your presence.  We have sinned against you and we bear your judgment and indignation.  We have let the Enemy take a foothold in our hearts.  We have fallen.  We have sought our own name…Our own glory… Our own security.  We have served you with hearts that are not sincere.  You want us to trust in you at all times…we have not done this.  We have stumbled before you because of our sins.  Indeed they are great and the grieve you…we mourn over this and we are sorry.

So we come before you now in repentance and recommitment…for you are gracious and loving, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness.  So it is time to seek you with all of our hearts.  We look to you and your Son, Jesus Christ, to plead our case and establish our righteousness.  It is time again to sow righteousness, to reap love.  We return to you with all our hearts.  Please forgive us according to your mercy and lovingkindess.  Let us know; let us press on to know you.   And surely you will come and forgive and shower us with your presence as the waters cover the earth in the spring!  Trample our sins, throw them into the deep sea!  Fill us with the refreshment of your forgiveness.  Amen.

THEME 2:  God’s Love and Faithfulness:

Zephaniah 3:17(ESV)

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Habakkuk 3:17–19(ESV)

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.  GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

Hosea 2:19–20

I will take you to be my wife forever. I will take you to be my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.  I will take you to be my wife in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.

Songs:

• Unchanging – Chris Tomlin
• Satisfy – Zach Nielsen
• Amazing Grace (My Chains are gone) -Tomlin

Time for prayer of praises group style/popcorn reflecting on the verses and songs

PRAYER:

Lord, God, you are awesome!  Your love is too great to quantify!  Your love is as high and wide…long and deep.  You are completely faithful to us… to do everything you have ever promised.  When you speak, you act.  When you promise, you fulfill.  You desire to be with your people at all costs… even at the cost of the life of your one and only Son.

You are the mighty one, the Rock.  We look to you as our refuge and strength… as our source of identity.  You are full of joy because we are your people.  Your love quiets our anxious hearts and our wandering minds.  You exult over us with loud singing.  You have committed to us forever and given us righteousness.  We rejoice in you, we take delight in who you are.  You are sovereign and in control.  You are working out all things for our good and your glory.  Your sovereignty is our strength.  We thank you and praise your great name.

 THEME 3:  Hope of Restoration

Malachi 1:11,14b(ESV)

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts… For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

Zechariah 8:7–8(ESV)

Thus says the LORD of hosts: behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”

Zechariah 14:9(ESV)

And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one…And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security…And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them… And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar.

Revelation 21:1–7(ESV)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.,

Revelation 22:12–13(ESV)

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Songs:

• Famous One – Chris Tomlin
• Take My Life and Let it Be

 Time for prayer—clump up—two’s and threes to pray/future/needs that you have.

 PRAYER:

God, you are the King of King and Lord of Lords.  You reign and you rule your world.  You preserve and protect.  You sustain all life.  We look forward to the future.  We hope in the strength of your power to save us and make all things right.  Our world is filled with hurt, pain, tears, and death.  Yet it will not always be this way.  We look forward to the day when you conquer your enemies and punish the guilty.  We look forward to the day when you set up your eternal kingdom on earth.  We breathe a sigh of relief because this life is not the end and that our pain is momentary.  Though outwardly we are fading away, inwardly we are being renewed each day because of the hope of heaven.  May we be ever diligent to serve you with all of our hearts.  Amen.

 Song:  Stronger – Ben Fielding/Reuben Morgan 

 End in a closing prayer

Faith that God will do great things requires a spirit of reliance.  The disciples had the wrong kind of faith.  They were depending on their power and abilities.  But God wants us to seek him in all things…trusting in him to show up in mighty ways when we are at the end of our ropes.  This study explores these themes, based on Luke 9.  Enjoy!

Faith (PDF)

Zechariah is full of references to the character of God and abundant in prophecies of the Messiah.  Much of these Messianic prophecies are about how he will come, gather his people, defeat his enemies, and set up the New Jerusalem (Rev 21-22).  Yet there is a bit of a twist in these prophecies, Jeremiah also says that God will scatter the sheep and strike the Shepherd (Jesus).  This is why the Gospel writers pick up on this theme to describe how Jesus came to die for sins first… and he will come again to reign and rule later.

We also see a ton of references to the glorious character of God:

What we learn about God:

1. Zealous for Zion (1:14)
2. Comforts his people (1:17)
3. Desires to dwell with his people (2:5-11)
4. He is holy (2:13)
5. Rebukes Satan—our Advocate and protector (3:2)
6. Forgives sin (3:4)
7. Spirit of power (4:6)
8. Full of grace (4:7)
9. Desires to get glory for the building of the Temple (6:15)
10. Desires obedience (6:15)
11. Jealous for his name (7:5-6)
12. Turns his full wrath on sin and hard heartedness (7:12)
13. Jealous for Zion and will restore its glory (8:3)
14. God of truth and righteousness (8:7-8)
15. Defends his people (9:15-16)
16. Grants salvation (9:15-16)
17. Promises to defeat enemies, gather people (10:4-7)
18. Shepherd and redeemer of his people (10:6-7)
19. Creator—made the heavens and earth, gave the spirit of life to men (12:1)
20. Watches over his people (12:4)
21. Saves those who call on his name (13:9)
22. He is the only God (14:9)
23. Does great things so the nations will see his glory (14:16)
24. He is the King, the Lord of Hosts (14:16)