Preparing for Worship: November 17, 2013

February 6, 2019

Probably one of the most memorable parables that Jesus ever told is the one in Luke 15:11-32 on the "prodigal son." This parable continues Jesus' theme from the previous verses about lost sinners who repent. The reason why the parable of the prodigal son is so important is that it expresses the gospel in a nutshell. It highlights the core theological issues in Jesus' messages: repentance, God's unconditional love, and the joyful welcome of sinners. After all, Paul says, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim 1:15). It is interesting to note that the actions of the shepherd searching for his sheep and the woman searching for the coin are nothing out of the ordinary. They do what we would expect them to do. Most of us would do the same! But the actions taken by thefather in the third story are unique, marvelous, and divine. The sons in the story assume that their father's love was conditional. But the parable shows that both sons were cherished by the fatherbecause they were sons, not because of what they did or did not do. This act expresses God's unconditional love for all who are his "children" and call on his name for life. Songs that we will sing this week are provided in a playlist here, and include the following:

Holy
All I Have is Christ
Your Great Name
Speak, O Lord

Preparing for Worship: November 10, 2013

February 6, 2019

Following on the heels of last week's sermon on the "lost sheep" in Luke 15:1-7, this week's sermon focuses on a parable about a "lost coin" (15:8-10). Note the importance Jesus places on a single sheep or a single coin using the argument from the lesser-to-the-greater to make his point. If a shepherd will go to this much effort to recover a sheep, and if a woman will go to this much effort to recover a coin, then how much more effort will God exert to find and recover a lostperson.Life is infinitely valuable in Jesus' eyes. He does nothing less than the action of God, taking the initiative in recovering the lost. It is also interesting to juxtapose the "lost" passages in Luke 15 with the "kingdom of heaven" parables in Matthew 13. In that text, the kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great price. The cost of a field and the worth of possession pales in comparison to the treasure or the pearl. In this way, Jesus himself is the thing (or, person) most infinitely valuable—the source of all that we need and the hope of all that we long for in this life. Therefore, seeking the kingdom of Christ is worth more than anything else we should pursue. These texts often remind me of Proverbs 2:1-5:

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Let this be our aim as we gather again for worship! Songs that we will sing this week include the following, which you can listen to in a playlist here:

It is Finished (Matt Papa)
Only the Blood (The Village Church)
Jesus, Thank You (Sovereign Grace)
Sing to Jesus (Fernando Ortega)
Your Love, Oh Lord (Third Day)

Josh Philpot Pastor for Worship.

Preparing for Worship: November 3, 2013

February 6, 2019

There is a tendency in worship—indeed, a temptation—for us to be very self-focused and introspective. This is not necessarily a bad thing in itself. We are called individually to examine ourselves to see whether we are of the faith (2 Cor 13:5), to confess our sins, and to come to Christ. But in the life of the church, the believer is no longer a singular member prioritizing his own life apart from the church, as if he could be extracted from the whole. Actually, Paul says that we are all members of one body (Eph 4:25), which fails to operate accordingly if its individual members are cut off, that is, if the members are not exhibiting love to one another in Christlikeness (1 Cor 12:12-27). Paul writes, "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (12:27). So we are the "body" first, and "members" second. This theological point is evident in worship services too. There are many ways that a church member can show love on Sundays ("Outdo one another in showing honor!" Rom 12:10). But there is probably no better way to show love for one another than to speak the truth about God's character to one another in our worship. Have you ever looked closely at Isaiah 6, where the Seraphim surround the throne room of God and sing his praises? "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is filled with his glory!" (6:3b) But did you ever notice the preceding line of Isaiah 6:3, and to whom the Seraphim direct their praise? In this instance they do not proclaim to God that he is holy, although that is good and right to do (e.g. Psalm 96). In Isaiah 6, the Seraphim proclaim to one another that the Lord is holy. This is what Paul echoes in Ephesians 5:19. We are to be "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." In essence, this is what our worship should look like, and it is a good way to exhibit love—saying the truths about God to one another. Pastor Caldwell's sermon is from Luke 15:1-7 this Sunday. I exhort you to dwell on this amazing text before the service. Some of the songs we will sing "to one another" this week include the following. You can listen to these ona playlist here:

Our Great God
Lord, I Need You
Sovereign Over Us
A Day of Glory

Josh Philpot Pastor for Worship.

Preparing for Worship: October 27, 2013

February 6, 2019

The text for this Sunday is 1 Corinthians 13:1–8, which believers know well as the standard text in the Bible about Christian love. Paul writes in verse 2, "if I have not love, I am nothing." This is an important point, especially for times when the church is gathered! All social, racial, and ethical boundaries are obliterated within the church because we are all the same in Christ. And so the church should be characterized as a loving group of people, unified in Christ. Indeed, Jesus himself said that the world will know that we are his disciples "if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). In 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 "love" is described helpfully in positive and negative ways:

Positive—Love is: patient, kind

Negative—Love is not: envy, boastful, arrogant, rude, selfish, irritable, resentful, rejoicing in wrongdoing

Positive—Love does: rejoice in the truth, bear all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Finally, verse 8 says that love is permanent: "it never ends" unlike "prophecies," "tongues," or "knowledge." These characteristics are instructive for the church, and we should practice them at every possible opportunity. Ephesians 4:15–16 echoes this point. There, Paul instructs the church to be "speaking the truth in love," so that we might "grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Songs we will sing this week include the following, provided as free a playlist hereby Scott Bacher. You can also buy the tracks individually through the links below:

Always (iTunes, Amazon)
Christ is Risen (iTunes, Amazon)
Oh the Deep, Deep Love (iTunes, Amazon)
Come to Me (iTunes, Amazon)
Shine into Our Night (iTunes, Amazon)

Josh Philpot Pastor for Worship.

Evangelism in the Workplace by Richard Guerra

February 6, 2019

What's the first place that comes to your mind when you think of the mission field? The local park? A street corner? Maybe Africa? For most of us, the workplace is the last place we think of, but it is where we spend most of our time. This gives us a great responsibility as we put our faith out in the open and work with integrity and excellence so that our witness would be blameless (1 Timothy 6:1). Here are some ways that we can be good servants of Christ in the workplace as we seek to make his name known:

Recognize the value of work More than just a means to earn a living, God's word has declared that our work is a holy calling. As we begin our workday, our hearts should recognize that our job is to be set apart as service not merely to men but unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). This means we arrive on time, work with excellence and serve our coworkers in a way that is worth of the gospel.
Use your lunch break There's nothing more contradictory to being a Christian in the workplace than spending all your time sharing the gospel while on the clock. Use your lunch breaks as opportunities to start a bible study or take a coworker to lunch. The atmosphere is more relaxed and coworkers may open up more outside of an office setting. And it may be a good idea to adorn the message by picking up the bill.
Use holidays My company, often in the festive mood, gives freedom to employees to decorate cubes, stuff stockings and cook delicious meals. This is a unique time to think up creative ways to share your faith.
Build long-term relationships A huge advantage of the workplace is the constant contact we have with coworkers. Rather than becoming irritable and annoyed as we witness the day-to-day habits of the guy in the cube next to us, the office is fertile soil to plant seeds and build long-term relationships. Use each day as a new opportunity to consistently invest time and truth into your coworker's life.

Being known as a Christian in the workplace can be a heavy responsibility, but as ambassadors for Christ we are commanded to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). As we pray for strength, we can be confident that God has a plan and purpose for us even in the workplace. Let us go to work every day seeking to be a witness to His grace. Richard Guerra.

Preparing for Worship: October 20, 2013

February 6, 2019

In Luke 14:12-24, Jesus again addresses the Pharisees and scribes with whom he is dining. This time he tells them that radical generosity is required when one invites guests to a banquet or feast, especially to the poor, lame, and crippled. This statement seems to be getting at the cost of discipleship, which Jesus will detail in 14:25-33. The point is that even though some cannot reciprocate materially the generosity shown to them at the feast, we should still show them kindness in inviting them to the table. In doing so, Jesus says you will still receive a reward (or, blessing) "at the resurrection of the just" (see 1 Corinthians 15:12ff.). One particular guest becomes excited after hearing this, and proclaims "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God" (14:15)! Thus, the guest draws a connection between an invitation to a banquet and the banquet in the Old Testament that celebrates God"s reign (see Isaiah 25:6). A banquet invitation, then, is a symbol of God"s reign.

This guest, however, is overly confident in his own status as an attendee, and Jesus deflates his smug sense of security in the following parable. Jesus illustrates that there is a coming banquet, God"s banquet, in which those who were originally invited will miss. The original attendees make excuses for missing the feast, and thus the Master of the house replaces their invitations with those who are "poor and crippled and blind and lame" (14:21). And even though none of the original invitees are able to come to the banquet, "there is still room" (14:22)!

The "banquet" that Jesus speaks kazinomons of is not a local affair, but concerns the kingdom of God, which is present in Jesus, and which is yet to be fully realized. In the future, God"s banquet is Jesus" banquet. We see this in Revelation 19:9, the ultimate fulfillment of Jesus" parable in Luke 14: And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

The issues facing believers who read Luke 14 today are indeed weighty. So let us prepare for worship, lest we fail to meet the test! A selection of songs that we will sing this week include the following. Videos provided by Scott Bacher:

Song of Moses (iTunes, Amazon)
God Undefeatable (iTunes, Amazon)
It is Well with My Soul (iTunes, Amazon)
How Sweet and Aweful is the Place (iTunes, Amazon)
All I Have is Christ (iTunes, Amazon)