Why We Believe in Preaching

Last Sunday morning we focused on Mark #1 of healthy churches— Expositional Preaching. Here are several reminders of why we believe in preaching at Rocky:

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  Romans 10:17

“Of His [the Father’s] will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”  James 1:18

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”  John 17:17

Thanks for praying for the preaching during the 9 Marks series, and for participating in LIFE groups, too!

CO

Sports fans, watch and listen to a star who knows Who it's about

Blog: Between Two Worlds
Post: Be Like David, Not Like Mike
Link: http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/be-like-david-not-like-mike.html

Here's an article to stretch your thinking about church.

http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/2009/09/common-problem.html

“Choosing Thomas”

http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/2009/08/choosing-thomas.html

"It's Hard To Imagine We've Progressed As A Nation" - Irony of Ironies

http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-hard-to-imagine-weve-progress-as.html

Christ Is Our Life

The introductory or foundational sermon I preached on August 30^th, in preparation for the 9 Marks of a Healthy Church series (commencing on Sept. 13), is entitled “Christ Is Our Life”, from Colossians 3:1-17.  The first point of that sermon is: The church’s identity is wrapped up in Christ! 

The church is people—not a building or collection of programs—who have been radically transformed by the life-giving power of God and are being transformed into the likeness of His Son (cf. Romans 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18).

The church is people:

• who “have been raised with Christ” (Col. 3:1; also 2:11-13)
• who are dead and alive… “for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (verse 3).  See also Romans 6:1-8.
• for whom Christ is life… “When Christ who is your life appears…” (verse 4)
• for whom “Christ is all, and in all” (verse 11).  Barriers, biases, prejudices, and hatreds are all wiped in Christ because He is in all!
• Who are “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (verse 12).  We are God’s “called out ones”—ekklesia—because of God’s kindness and mercy toward us (Ephesians 1:3-7 and 22-23).

Here is our identity.  We are Christ’s when we are in Him!  And with these things being true of us—raised with Him, dead to sin and alive in Him, chosen in Him—and because He is our very life and our all, our response is HUMILITY before God. 

Humility, with no room for pride.  This came to me as I read a quote from John Piper’s sermon at Bethlehem Baptist Church last Sunday.  You may read that quote in the link below.

Blog: Between Two Worlds
Post: Gospel Humility
Link: http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/gospel-humility.html

The Value of LIFE Groups

Here is a snippet from history that, for me, reinforces the vital importance of small groups in the church.

Blog: Oversight of Souls
Post: Value of Small Church
Link: http://rvanneste.blogspot.com/2009/08/value-of-small-church.html

Family Worship Guide coming soon online

A website providing resources for family worship will be available online beginning August 30.  Parents, you can check it out at www.familyworshipguide.net.

Evening of Blessing for Teachers

Sunday evening, August 23, was a very sweet, powerful time in the worship center as teachers, home-schoolers, school administrators and staff, school board members and students were prayed for on the eve of the new school season.  I think this service will become an annual gathering at Rocky. Pastor Carey Dean has provided a "record" of the evening, including
Scripture passages read by Rocky people who shared from the Word and prayed for educators and students.  I encourage you to read the passages and pray for all those involved in education in various ways as you read.

And here is a prayer suggestion: Think of a "prayer prompter" for students, teachers, schools and homes that will remind you to pray.  For example, as you are driving, let the sight of schools or school buses move you to pray for students, home teachers and staff, praying especially for a strong move of God in our homes and schools.

Prayer for Administration/Staff               

• Gal 6:9  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 
• Mat 5:16  "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Prayer for Homeschooling families           

• 2Co 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
• Col 3:12  So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
• Col 3:13  bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Prayer for Students                             

• Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
• Psa 139:24  And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Prayer for Teachers                             

• Jas 3:5  So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
• Hab 3:19  (HEIGHTS theme verse) The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places.
• Eph 4:29  Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
• Eph 4:30  Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
• Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
• Eph 4:32  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
• Eph 5:1  Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
• Jas 2:1  My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
• Jas 2:2  For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,
• Jas 2:3  and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"
• Jas 2:4  have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
• Jas 2:5  Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
• Jas 2:6  But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
• Jas 2:7  Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
• Jas 2:8  If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.
• Jas 2:9  But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
• Jas 2:10  For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

“In Marriage, Look to Christ, Part 2”

In my sermon on August 23, the second of three foundation pieces I gave was this: Marriage is a mystery revealed.  Ephesians 5:31-32 says, “’Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’  This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

I went on to elaborate on the mystery of marriage, quoting or paraphrasing from material found in This Momentary Marriage, by Dr. John Piper.  In reviewing my message later, I realized that I had forgotten to attribute ( as I usually do for any source) John’s work to him.  So herein I want to give John due credit for his helpful writing; I am committed to giving attribution to authors from whom I quote in my speaking and I apologize for leaving out this important note.

Here is the section of This Momentary Marriage to which I referred:

“In Genesis 2:24, the words ‘hold fast to his wife’ and the words ‘they shall become one flesh’ point to something far deeper and more permanent that than serial marriages and occasional adultery.  What these words point to is marriage as a sacred covenant rooted in covenant commitments that stand against every storm ‘as long as we both shall live.’  But that is only implicit here.  It becomes explicit when the mystery of marriage is more fully revealed in Ephesians 5:31-32.”

“Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 in verse 31: ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”  Then he gives it this all-important interpretation in verse 32: “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and his church.”  In other words, marriage is patterned after Christ’s covenant commitment to his church.”

“Christ thought of himself as the bridegroom coming for his bride, the true people of God (Matt. 9:15; 25:1 ff.; John 3:29)…Christ knew he would have to pay for his bride with his own blood.  He called this relationship the new covenant—“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20).  This is what Paul is referring to when he says that marriage is a great mystery: “I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”  Christ obtained the church by his blood and formed a new covenant with her, an “unbreakable” marriage.”  [pages 24-25]

And just as the covenant relationship of Jesus Christ with his church is permanent, so our marriages, by His design, are meant to be permanent.   

Jesus says to his people, “I am with you always.”

Husbands and wives vow to one another, “So long as we both shall live.”

What a great blessing, to be called to reflect the beauty of Christ and his church in and through our marriages!