Tag Archives: God’s Word

May 30, 2012

The Church: A Distinct Community

By Terrie van Baarsel

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!

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February 9, 2012

God Speaks

By Terrie van Baarsel

“He is not silent. The reason we have the answer is because the infinite-personal God, the full Trinitarian God, has not been silent. He has told us who He is.”   -Francis A. Schaeffer, He Is There and He Is Not Silent (Ch. 1)

The conversation begins with creation. Majestic redwoods, lofty mountain-tops, ocean deeps, the nightly dance of stars and planets choreographed across the Milky Way; these natural events attest to the existence of God. From the vastness of the created universe to the minute intricacies of the human body, the miracles of creation unfold around us, advertising the glories of God. Their declaration is bold and relentless, but man suppresses the truth and finds himself without excuse.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. (Rom 1:19-20)  

Man, for all intents and purposes, tells God to shut-up.

How does God respond to this? Surely He has not responded according to what we deserve. We deserve silence. The close-lipped silence of the grave, and certainly not the words of a gracious, life-giving God who sends His Son to die for the sins of the world.

What we deserve and what we get are two very different things. In the Garden of Eden, the Creator of the Universe uses words. He speaks to Adam and Eve. He gives them boundaries and defines their world. But Adam and Eve choose not to believe God’s words and give credence to Satan’s words instead. The consequences are catastrophic. God would have been completely within His rights to turn His back on Adam and cut off all communication. But instead, God seeks Adam out, calling to him in the cool of the day, “Where are you?”

Yes, we deserve silence…

…but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son…(Heb 1:2)

Consider the words of the Word of Life:

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matt 11:28)

…I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:17)

…I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

I am the bread of life. (John 6:48)

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14)

God speaks the Gospel through His Son. Will you believe His words today? 

Listen to the words of Jesus. Believe His words and be saved.

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

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March 2, 2010

The Mercy of God’s Word

By Terrie van Baarsel

“For by His Word, God rendered faith unambiguous forever… ”  (John Calvin-Institutes Book One 6.2)

God’s Word is a Mercy. It makes clear man’s dilemma and solves his most basic problem. A man need not grope in the darkness in hopes of discovering clarity in the shadows. He will not find what he is looking for there. Obscurity begets ambiguity and hopelessness, blurring the outline of what life lived in subjection to the Trinity can be.

God’s Word is a Mercy. It is a reflection of the Sovereign One, Ruler of the universe. If creation whispers the Name of the Creator, and by so doing leaves man without excuse; God’s Word is the executioner’s sword, putting to death all pretext of self-justification.

God’s Word is a Mercy. It is the antidote to the desperation man feels when the realization of his true predicament takes hold. God’s Word is a lifeline. A blueprint for salvation. It is the foundation upon which changed lives are built. The blind see. The deaf hear. God’s Word relieves man of his awful burden and gives birth to faith.

God’s Word is a Mercy. It is shelter against the storm. God’s Word defends. God’s Word protects. It forms the underpinnings of strength and the groundwork for wisdom. God’s Word is a refuge for the sinner and a safety net for the weak. God’s Word never fails.

God’s Word is a Mercy. It is nourishment and real sustenance. It offers the bread of life in famine and living water in drought. It is the marriage feast’s miracle wine, undiluted and pure. God’s Word is a banquet fit for a king, yet bids the needy come eat.

God’s Word is a songbird singing in the deepest of nights. Hear it.

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

2 comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Gospel

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