The Church: A Distinct Community

Posted: May 30, 2012 in Sermon Notes
Tags: , , , ,
0

Sermon Notes – Pastor Milton Vincent
May 27, 2012 – Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church

Intro: Distinctives are important. We render the world a great disservice when we make the church look like the world. The most loving thing we can do for the world is to be different and distinct so that the church has something to offer other than what the world has to offer. Not that we are better than the world, but we embrace our distinctiveness because of love.

TEN KEY ELEMENTS OF GOD’S VISION FOR CORNERSTONE FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH 

1. Scripture Proclamation.
-2 Timothy 3:15-17
-Proclaim the Bible, God’s Word.
-Receive what God is declaring through His Word, whether it encourages us or shatters us.
-If we discover that God’s Word disagrees with what we are doing, we change.
-Scriptures are sufficient to conform us into the image of Christ.
-Preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season…(2 Tim 4:2)
-When the church is faithful to preach God’s Word, it attracts people who want God’s Word and protects the church from those who don’t want God’s Word.
-God uses the spoken Word to draw people to Himself.
-…Whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life. (John 5:24)
-My sheep hear my voice…(John 10:27)

2. Gospel Feasting.
-…”but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:25) This word = Gospel
-1 Peter 2:1-3
-It’s not setting aside the Gospel after people are saved and then handing them a list of rules to follow.
-The Gospel is not just the means by which we are converted, but our daily food!
-If we have a church culture where everyone is feasting on the Gospel, then we are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

3. Gospel Impartation.
-1 Thess. 1:5-6
-Living our lives imparting the Gospel to others.
-Not just Gospel words, but exemplifying the Gospel: …You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. (1 Thess. 1:5)
-Everyone a missionary.
-The Gospel lifestyle is to infuse the Gospel into your life and give your Gospel laden life away.
-1 Thess. 2:8 is an example of evangelism.
-Not compartmentalizing the Gospel in your life.

4. Praying in the Spirit.
-Eph. 6:18-19
-Praying at all times. (1 Tim 2:8)
-Prayer is very important in the life of our church.
-Pray for all the saints to open up our mouths to make the Gospel known.
-Pray for each other as missionaries to people God has put in our sphere of influence.
-Look what happens in Acts 1:14. All were devoting themselves to prayer and the church was born!

5. Elder Care.
-1 Tim 3:5.
-God will send His sheep where they will be cared for.
-The ministry of the elders is to care for God’s people.
-Our Care Group ministry is a way for church elders to administrate care.

6. Congregation of Ministers.
-Eph. 4:11-12
-Obliterate the distinction between pastor and laity in the job of ministry.
-Christ gave gifts to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
-Every member of church doing what God has called them to do.
-There are no layman. Everyone has a ministry here.
-Pastors equip others to be the church “staff.”

7. Committment to Community.
-Eph. 4:16
-Cultivating a communal processing of the proclamation of God’s Word.
-Community is where we find our true selves.
-Community is the matrix for spiritual growth. (John 17:23)
-Community is where we experience Christ most richly. (Eph. 3:18)
-Where our lives overlap is where we most richly experience Christ. (For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matt. 18:20)

8. Honoring the Household.
-1 Tim. 5:4
-Every home is a “little church.”
-One of our most important ministries that benefits CFBC is ministering to your own family.

9. Every Man a Pastor.
-Neh. 8:13
-Every man trained and equipped in a pastoral role to his family and others.
-Equipping men to love their wives and bring up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4)
-1 Tim 3:5
-Men render a valuable blessing to the church body when they love their wives and bring up their children in the Lord.
-We love the women and children of our church so much that we want to invest in the men of this church.

10. Mercy Ministry.
-Acts 4:33-35
-By taking better care of each other.
-We witness Christ to the world when we take good care of each other.

These are the key elements of our vision. We have strengths and weaknesses in each one and we want to continue to grow in these areas.

Note from Terrie: I am blessed beyond measure and it is a grace from God for which I am extremely grateful, to have been placed in this local church. Thank you, Jesus, for Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church!

I’ve Been Thinking…

Posted: May 24, 2012 in Morning Meds
Tags: , , , , ,
4

It’s a busy time for us. My thoughts have been scattered. So, I thought I would share some of the things that have been floating around in my head the last few mornings.

IN DENIAL
Every once in awhile, I pull out my old Keith Green records, (in reality, they are on my husband’s ipod, but I still think of them as records… showing my age, I know) turn up the volume, and sing the words right out loud. The Lord saved me in 1981 and Keith Green’s music was a great encouragement to me as a new Christian. Here are a couple of lines from his song, Until That Final Day:

My flesh is tired of seeking God, but on my knees I’ll stay…

Those words made me think about how much prayer is connected to the idea of denying one’s own flesh. If we get up early or stay up late to pray, we are denying ourselves sleep. (Think of the Jesus’ disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.) If we fast and pray, we deny ourselves food. Even taking a few moments to pray before a meal keeps us from immediately satisfying the desires of our flesh. Setting aside time to pray denies us the time we could be doing something else. I concluded that to pray is to be “in denial.” So, maybe being “in denial” is not such a bad thing to be.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

THE GOODNESS OF GOD’S WORD
I recently listened to a sermon, ”How to Think and Feel About the Word of God, Psalm 119:1-176,” by Kevin DeYoung out of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan. In it he brings out the point that although we have people in our lives who may desire to help and want to give us the right words of wisdom, they do not have the capacity to always get it right. But, God not only loves us and wants what is best for us, but His wisdom is always right and good and proper and well…perfect! The Lord used this sermon to stir up my love for His Word. By the way, if you are interested you can download the University Reformed Church App on your mobile device and listen to lots of great sermons. The app also links to Pastor DeYoung’s blog, information about events at URC, and a cool Bible reading plan.

Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors. Ps. 119:24

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR MOMS
Kimm Crandall, a fellow blogger I follow, tweeted these words recently: “Don’t believe the lie that you are not the mother your kids need. He has given you the exact kids you need and the exact mother they need.” Although Kimm and I are in different seasons as far as motherhood goes, she continues to be an encouragement to me. My kids are all grown up, but there are still times I look back and wish I’d been a different kind of mom. Done things differently. I suppose it comes with the territory, but I’m convinced that Mommy Guilt is the worst there is. Kimm’s tweet was timely and appreciated.  I’m thankful for people like her, and all of you, who are part of my “Gospel Inheritance.” You can read Kimm’s blog “Christ in the Chaos” by clicking here.

Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thess. 5:11

SURPRISED BY SIN
Recently, I read that artist Thomas Kinkade’s death was caused by an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium. I’m ashamed to admit that my first thoughts upon reading the news were both harsh and judgmental. Something along the lines of: ”Hmmph! And he called himself a Christian!” I was surprised at the vehemence of my response, but I should not have been. Yes, by God’s grace I am growing in my sanctification, but the ugliness of sin still surfaces. Thankfully, the Lord was faithful to convict me right away for my arrogant attitude.

I understand that as Christians our lives are to reflect Christ and be marked by godly obedience and love for God and others. But, on the other hand, I realized pretty quickly that to mete out justice is God’s place, not mine.

If Mr. Kinkade was a Christian, how sad is it that the end of his life would represent the antithesis to the hope and joy found in Christ? And if Mr. Kinkade was not a Christian, how terrible that the man known as the painter of light would die in such darkness.

Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.  1 Cor. 4:5

THE WEDDING
And then, there’s the wedding. My oldest son, Joshua, will be married on June 29th. We are thrilled and excited for him and our future daughter-in-law, Sarah. Wonderful! It’s been a joy to watch their Gospel-centric relationship blossom and grow.

Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Gen. 2:24

THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD
I will leave you with a quote from Charles Spurgeon:

[God's] “Providence is a soft pillow for anxious heads, an anodyne for care, a grave for despair.”

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

A Story Women Should Love

Posted: May 21, 2012 in Sermon Notes
Tags: , , , ,
2

Sermon Notes – Pastor Milton Vincent
May 13, 2012 Mother’s Day – Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church

(Note from Terrie: I’m a little late with this, but it was such a good message that I wanted to post it anyway. What a blessed Mother’s Day Sermon! It’s good to re-think about it.)

Luke 10:38-42 (Martha and Mary)

This section is the story of a woman who:
-wants Jesus in her home.
-is truly seeking to serve Jesus.
-feels worried and bothered about many things.
-begins to feel alone in her concerns and labor.
-wishes she had help.
-becomes critical of others.
-brings her concerns to Jesus.

“Whatever else our Lord Jesus did, He immeasurably exalted womanhood.”
-George Morrison

"Christ in the House of Martha and Mary&q...

“Christ in the House of Martha and Mary” by Jan Vermeer, 1655. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Greek, Roman, and Jewish culture during this time, women had no rights. Jesus ushered in a new age where women are given new freedoms and rights. It is a turning point in the history of women.

SEVEN WAYS THAT JESUS EXALTS WOMEN IN THE STORY OF MARTHA AND MARY

1. He accepts the invitation of a woman into her home. (v. 38)
-No rabbi would have done this.
-The invitation is an act of kindness originating in the heart of a woman toward Jesus and He warmly accepts it.

2. He allows a woman to sit at His feet as a disciple. (v.39)
-Mary assumed her place as a disciple. (It’s possible that the other men disciples could have been there, also.)
-Mary was also part of the preparations to receive Jesus, but at some point sat at Jesus’ feet.
-We misread it if we think that all Mary did was sit. In v. 40 Martha says, “My sister has left me…”, implies Mary had done her part.
-Jesus does not rebuke Mary but receives her as a disciple.
-Words from the Jerusalem Talmud: “Let the words of the law be burned rather than taught to women.” Sotah 3:4

3. He gives a woman freedom to bring her complaint to Him. (v. 40)
-Avoid either mistake: 1. thinking that Mary did no work. 2. Thinking that Martha was not listening at all to Jesus.
-Martha was probably expecting Jesus to intervene.
-She becomes upset, rebuking not only Martha but Jesus too!
-But, she does bring her complaint to Jesus just as all of us should do.
-She felt comfortable doing so. We can feel safe pouring out our hearts and emotions to Jesus.

4. He looks into the heart of a woman and tells her what He sees. (v. 41)
-Jesus is showing us that the heart of a woman is important and worth His notice.
-He actually cares about our hearts.

5. He seeks to lighten the woman’s burden to only what was necessary. (v. 42)
-There are different ways of understanding what Jesus is saying here, but at the very least he is saying: You’re preparing an elaborate feast for me – but really only one simple meal is needed.
-Jesus acknowledges her service, but is telling her that he’d rather have Martha with Him than an elaborately prepared dish.

6. He tells women that the best way to serve Him is to commune with Him and let Him feed them. (v. 42)
Jesus is saying that He did not come to be served, but to serve.
-Jesus turns everything upside down!
-Jesus is the best food and the best drink.
-Jesus is not just interested in exacting service from you, but He wants to serve you. He wants relationship with Him to be your portion.

7. He promises women that the blessings of sitting at His feet will never be taken away from them. (v. 42)
-Women in the 1st century must have shouted “Hallelujah!” at this.
-He is giving women a place at the table.
-He is saying that women can be His disciples.
-This story is more than Mary vs. Martha. It is an opportunity for Jesus to express what He wants to do for all women.
-He is saying that the privilege of being a disciple of Jesus can never be taken away fom women.
-He is saying that He will be blessed by your service to Him, but to not let it distract fom relationship with Him.
-Ask Jesus how to serve Him best!
-The greatest service to Jesus is to sit at His feet and let Him serve and feed you.

God’s Program of Missions

Posted: May 11, 2012 in Sermon Notes
Tags: , , ,
2

Sermon Notes-Pastor Mike Berry
May 6, 2012-Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church

FOUR SUMMARIES OF SCRIPTURE’S TEACHING, CONNECTION BETWEEN MISSIONS AND WORSHIP

Psalm 67:1-7
This Psalm expresses the heart of God. He desires worshippers from all people of all nations. There is also a hint of the means that God will use to gain worshippers. Verse 6: God blesses us with material wealth, why? V. 7: In order that all the ends of the earth may fear Him.

1. God has chosen worshippers out of every tribe, tongue and nation.
-From God’s perspective, Christ has already won, this is already accomplished before the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1:7-12)
-Book of Ephesians was written as a revealer of a mystery. That is, the nations get to be shoulder to shoulder with the Jews.
-In eternity past, God chose from Jews and Gentiles people to worship God.
-Missions starts in eternity past. It begins in the mind of God.

2. Christ has purchased worshippers out of every tribe, tongue and nation.
-Rev. 5:9, the song sung by men from every tribe, tongue and nation.
-God chose them and God purchased them.
-Not that it MIGHT happen, but that it WILL happen.

3. Christ will call worshippers out of every tribe, tongue and nation.
-The means of how this will happen.
-Matt. 28:18: all authority given to Jesus.
-Christ has given the job to the church to go call the people that God has had in mind from the foundations of the world.
-Think about how we are here today, as Christians, because a few people over in ancient Israel preached the Gospel so long ago.
-For 2000 years the church has been moving forward by passing the torch, missions.
-Jesus prophsied this (Matt 24:14). It’s a promise from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
-Missions is not accomplished through some guilt trip that there is a feeble God who needs our help.
-God’s abilities are not limited. He does not need our help.
-We need a high view of God. Missions did not begin with us, but in the mind of God in eternity past.
-But God is pleased to use us in His plan for missions.
-We get to participate in the glory of Christ and His suffering.

4. Christ will be worshipped by individuals out of every tribe, tongue and nation.
-Rev. 7:9, We see the future scene of every tribe, tongue and nation worshipping God.
-Rev. 15:3-4
-This is the plan and program of God. That the nations will worship and find their enjoyment in Him.
-He has provided everything necessary to make this happen.

“All of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot worship of God and His Son among all the peoples of the earth. Missions is not that goal. It is the means, and for that reason it is the second greatest human activity in the world.” -John Piper

-If God chose and ransomed people from every tribe, tongue and nation and we know that His plan will be a success, then it has yet to be accomplished. We have more work to do in missions.
-Estimated that there are more than 2 billion people in the world who are unreached. They are born, live and die without opportunity to talk to a Christian, have a copy of the Bible, or visit a church. People die and go to hell.
-Rom. 1 says that people do have a knowledge of God but that they suppress it. There is no innocent man. Without Christ, there is no hope.
-Rev. 5:2ff; who is worthy to take the scroll? No one can but Christ! Because of Christ there is hope for people of all nations.

APPLICATION:

1. Pray with confidence. God will be worshipped among all peoples…Hallowed be thy Name, on earth as it is in heaven. Make this a part of our prayer life.

2. Give with confidence. Know why God has sovereignly blessed us with material wealth, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him! (Ps. 67:6)

Why did God allow us to have the ability to earn wealth? Why has God given us blessing? At least one reason is so that we would use our wealth to help the Gospel go out. We can participate in this mission that God has been doing since eternity past.

3. Send with confidence. (See Rom. 10:13-15).

4. Go with confidence. Some of us will be sent out to do the hard work of missions. Some are called to be like Timothy (stay) and some called to be like Paul (go). As a church, may we enlarge our vision for missions. If we make ourselves available to God, He will use us. Not because He needs us, but so that we can be a part of Christ’s suffering and His glory.

Understanding God’s Love

Posted: May 3, 2012 in Gospel
Tags: , , , , ,
12

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

Believers in Christ know and receive the love of God in countless ways. It is written all over the cross, for God so loved the world. Our justification and adoption, His care and provision, and His Divine power granting to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, all demonstrate God’s great love for His children.

Our Father’s love for us has worked itself out in the whole of human history. His grand plan of redemption is an overarching intention, a purposeful proposition, and an overture of kindness orchestrated and made sure by the ruler and maker of the universe, our Abba.

His love is also made evident by myriad expressions of His Grace towards us every day: food to eat, air to breathe, every beat of the heart, a pillow to rest our head on at night. Even the pain and unpleasantness of His discipline later yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness, a gracious rendering of Fatherly love expressed and given, liberally, for our good and His Glory.

Yet, I am convinced that compared to what there is to know, we know nothing of God’s love.

When I reject God’s provision, the very blood of His Son shed for me, attempting to merit my own salvation; it is at this point especially, I know nothing of God’s love.

When I trust in my own strength and fail to appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit in me; I know nothing of God’s love.

When I prefer law over Grace, refusing to extend forgiveness when I have been forgiven so much, I know nothing of God’s love. (How true it is that my sin against God is infinitely greater than any offense anyone could ever commit against me!)

A wider sense of our Heavenly Father’s love for us is humbling. A deeper apprehension of God’s love places us just where we need to be. Inside the Gospel!

Christian cross

Christian cross (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?*

God’s love is inextricably linked to the cross. The cross stands at the center of our personal history and is central to the history of all mankind. It is from the vantage point of the cross that the agonies of the Son of God shout their testimony of love, forever securing our redemption and the story of our salvation.

In our quest to gain an understanding of God’s love, we need not go any further than, and dare not stop short of the Gospel of the cross, Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. The glory and reality of the Gospel is deep enough. It is wide enough. And under any circumstance, it is real enough to keep us for all of eternity.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let the Good News of God’s love be shed abroad in our hearts and grab hold of our minds and change us. May the Lord bring us into an understanding of His love as expressed at Calvary.  Let the truth of Golgotha mortify our pride, transforming us into a people who love much, because we have been much loved!

Lord, help us understand.

By His Grace and for the Gospel
Terrie van Baarsel

*And Can It Be That I Should Gain? by Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Letting the Spirit Have His Way With Us-Correction

Posted: May 1, 2012 in Gospel
0

Hello all!

Please note the following correction under point 1 of my Sermon Notes. The name should have been Russell Moore, not Timothy Keller:

(Example given: Russell Moore’s adoption…)

I’ve changed it in the original post and apologize for the inconvenience.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Dr. Moore’s book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches, click here.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27)

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

Letting The Spirit Have His Way With Us

Posted: May 1, 2012 in Sermon Notes
Tags: , , , , , , ,
3

Sermon Notes, Pastor Milton Vincent
April 28, 2012-Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church

We have studied and exposited Romans 5-8 over the past year and a half.  Now, what then shall we do in response to the Gospel truths, promises, and realities we have learned?

“The Gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended, it just needs to be let out of its cage.” -Spurgeon

Comparing Romans 7 and 8:

Romans 7: The words, I, my, me are used 47 times. The word “law” is used a total of 22 times. 19 times in reference to the OT law, and 3 times in reference to the law of sin.

If you revolve around the law the best you are ever going to get is “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Rom. 7:19)

Romans 8: The Spirit is mentioned 20 times.
What Paul longs for (life in the Spirit) is found in Romans 8.

SIX THINGS THE SPIRIT DOES WITH REGARD TO US WHO ARE GOD’S CHILDREN

1. He liberates us from the law of sin and death. (Rom. 8:1-2)
-There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
-The law of sin and death has been broken.
-The law that says you are a slave to sin is broken.

As much as we hate sin, for many years it has been our home and it’s comfortable. When stresses come, it’s easy to retreat back into sin. (Example given: Russell Moore’s adoption of an orphan from a Russian orphanage. The orphan was offered a better life, free from the stench and squalor of the orphanage, yet cries and reaches back toward orphanage when taken away.) The Holy Spirit beckons us to a life of freedom, better by far than our old bondage.

2. He inhabits us, making us His home. (Rom. 8:9-11)
-The Holy Spirit dwells in us.
-Not just that the Holy Spirit is present, but He makes us His home.
-The word “dwell” means not just as a guest or a tenant, but as an owner. We belong to him.
-He has ownership rights to do what He wants for our good and His Glory.

3. He enlivens our spirits by making vivid to us the reality of our justification. (Rom. 8:10)
-At our conversion, God decides to forever think of us as forgiven of our sins, past, present and future.
-He forever thinks of us as having the righteousness of Jesus.
-His thoughts toward us are forever governed by this verdict of “righteous”.
-The Spirit actualizes the reality of our justification and makes it vivid in our souls.

Paul uses half of chapter 3, all of chapter 4, and all of chapter 5 in Romans, 57 verses (!) to teach believing people about the reality of their Justification. Why? The Holy Spirit put it in Paul to reveal the doctrine of Justification because He wants it to be real to us.

-Doctrine of Justification mortifies idols, fills us with inner joy and a desire to obey.
-Let the Holy Spirit take us deeper into the doctrine of Justification. Be a student of this doctrine and its realities.
-Our Justification is a one-time occurrence, but the realities of it can be enjoyed and expanded upon.

4. He empowers us to kill sin. (Rom. 8:13)
-God did not give us the Holy Spirit so that we could coddle sin and live a life of sin management.
-It is by the power of the Holy Spirit we kill sin.
-Romans 7 could represent what it’s like to try to kill sin apart from the Spirit.

KILL SIN:
Don’t let it be conceived. (Js. 1:14-15)
If conceived, kill it before its birth.
If born, mortify it with confession and repentance.
When tempted, don’t think compromise, toleration or coddling. Think MURDER (of sin).
Kill it by confessing it and running to the cross.
Christians need a “Holy Mean Streak” when it comes to sin.
Develop an attitude against sin.

5. He leads us in the ways of sonship. (Rom. 8:14-16)
-Lead by Spirit = Sons of God.
-He coaches and leads into living a life appropriate as a son or daughter of God.
-We are more than just a subject or a slave (although we are that, too), but also a child of God living in the full privileges as sons and daughters of God.
-Don’t be timid or afraid. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead us closer in Father and child relationship.
-By the Holy Spirit we cry out, “Abba! Father! Daddy!”
-The Holy Spirit brings us to the Father in our joy, celebration, worship, grief, mourning or pain.
-The Holy Spirit also mediates the response of the Father toward us. (v. 16)

6. He helps us with our weakness and intercedes for us. (Rom. 8:26-27)
-He is not put off or repulsed by us in our ignorance and weakness, but attracted to it.
-He moves toward us in our weakness and helps us by interceding on our behalf.
-He comes alongside and is not satisfied until we get what we need.
-The Holy Spirit prays and the Father agrees with His prayer for our weakness.

Inside the prayer of the Holy Spirit, your deepest need meets God’s perfect will. Let the Spirit have His way and there’s no telling what God will do!

Older Entries