Monday, February 28, 2011

DISCIPLESHIP: INSIDE OUT (part 7)

INSIDE THE MIND OF THE LOST

Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
                                                     Proverbs 24:11-12 (NIV)


  1. The lost have a knowledge of God.  (Romans 1:18-19)
  2. The lost have NO regard for the Truth of God.  (Romans 1:18,21)
  3. The lost have exchanged the Truth for a lie.  (Romans 1:22,23)
  4. The lost want the approval they cannot have.  (Romans 1:32)
  5. The lost are without excuse, and so are we.  We must SHARE the Gospel.
The lost are lost, not because of what they have not heard, but because of what they have heard.

Someone you love will be lost for ALL etenity!
Is there anything you can do?
  • Picture vividly
  • Pray fervently
  • Live consistently
  • Speak frequently
If not you, who?  If not now, when?



Friday, February 25, 2011

SUNDAY, FEBUARY 27, 2011

COME JOIN US THIS SUNDAY EVENING
AS WE
CONTINUE OUR STUDY
OF
DISCIPLESHIP:  INSIDE OUT
6:00 PM
AT THE
MCKNIGHT RD. CHURCH OF CHRIST

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

DISCIPLESHIP: INSIDE OUT (part 6)



1 PETER 3: 15



1)  BE WILLING TO TELL YOUR STORY OF THE HOPE THAT LIES WITHIN YOU!


2)  TELL YOUR STORY GENTLY AND TRUTHFULLY!


3)  YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT IMPACT SOMEONES LIFE WITH YOUR STORY!

 
We all have a "story" about how we came to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  You might not think that your story is special or unique - but everyones story is special and unique because of God and his love for each of us.  You  never know when God will give you the opportunity to share your story.  You never know when you have the opportunity to impact someones life.  As a Christian striving to be a Disciple of Jesus, I encourage everyone to look at Jesus and how he shared his "story".

Thank you Ed for your inspiring message!



Thursday, February 17, 2011

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER

THIS SUNDAY EVENING
FEBRUARY 20, 2011
6:00 PM
AT THE
MCKNIGHT RD. CHURCH OF CHRIST

WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER

ED TRITSCHLER, SR.

Ed will share a lesson that will continue
with our series
DISCIPLESHIP:  INSIDE OUT!

Read the previous posts to see what we have been discussing  in this series!!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

DISCIPLESHIP: INSIDE OUT (part 5)

WORSHIP


True or False:  "No disciple is ever commanded to assemble to worship in the New Testament"?

WORSHIP IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

THE WORD MOST COMMONLY USED IS "SHACHAH". 

It appears more than 200 times in the Old Testament.  Shachah involved two things:
1) the presence of God (or an idol)
2) the act of praise or obeisance

For example, when Daniel was in Babylon, the word shachah was not used of his devotion to God.  Instead, segid was used.  Why?  Daniel was away from the Temple where the presence of God dwelt.

WORSHIP IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the Greek Old Testament (LXX), proskuneo is used to translate the Hebrew shachah.  What is interesting, from Acts through Jude, proskuneo appears 7 times, but it is never used of Christians.

  • Acts 7:43                         Idol worship
  • Acts 8:27                         Eunuch going to Jerusalem to worship
  • Acts 10:25                       Cornelius' attempt to worship Peter
  • Acts 24:11                       Jewish temple worship
  • 1 Corinthians 14:25         What a non-Christian does when he realizes God among Christians
  • Hebrews 1:6                    Angel worship of Jesus
  • Hebrews 11:21                Jacob's worship
The word commonly used of Christian worship is Latreuo, which appears 19 times (4 times as a noun and 15 times as a verb) from Acts through Jude.  It is translated "worship" or "serve".

  • Romans 1:9                      "I serve with my whole heart in the preaching of the gospel"
  • Romans 12:1                    "offer your bodies as living sacrifices  this is your spiritual act of  worship"
  • Philippians 3:3                  "we who worship by the Spirit of God"
  • Hebrews 12:28                 "be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe"
The reason no Christian is commanded to assemble to worship is that we cannot come into His presence - we already live in His presence.  Worship is commanded and explained, but we are not commanded to assemble to do it.  God never calls "assembly" worship for Christians.

WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENT PURPOSE OF THE ASSEMBLY?

"What then shall we say, brothers?  When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.  All of these must be done for the strengthening
of the church."                                                                       
1 CORINTHIANS 14:26 NIV

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."         HEBREWS 10:25  NIV


WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSEMBLY? 
            EQUIPPING AND EDIFICATION.


YOU ASSEMBLE TO BE EQUIPPED.


YOU DEPART TO WORSHIP (SERVE).










Saturday, February 12, 2011

AN INVITATION

COME JOIN US THIS SUNDAY, FEBUARY 13, 2011

We are in the middle of a series titled - Discipleship: Inside Out.

We meet at 6:00 P.M. in the Upstairs  Fellowship room of the
McKnight Rd. Church of Christ building-
2515 S. McKnight Road, St. Louis, Mo.  63124



To see what you have missed read the previous Blog Post!!

DISCIPLESHIP: INSIDE OUT (part 4)

As Disciples of Christ we must be Accountable to the Word of God and also to One Another!

Accountability- the state of liable, answerable.  To be call to render an account.  The oligation to bear the consequences.

Ephesians 5:21
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

LOVE IS HOW WE SHOW THAT WE ARE HIS DISCIPLES

John 13:34-35
A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.

WE MUST SUPPORT,  ENCOURAGE, CHALLENGE , & CHARGE EACH OTHER.

2 Timothy 4: 1-4
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead and in view of his appearing and his kingdom.  I give you this charge:  Preach the Word;  be prepared in season and out of season;  correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.

1 Peter 2: 4-5
As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Living Stones -
Would you prefer to be a stone thrown in a pile? 
Or a stone that is being built into a spiritual house supporting and being supported by other stones?

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

DISCIPLESHIP: Inside Out (part 3)

OBEY
Is that a word of legalism or a word of the New Covenant?

1.  Jesus said obedience is the way to "disciplize" the nations.

     Matt. 28: 19-20 . . .  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the       Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) and teaching them to obey everything I have
 commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

2.  Jesus said obedience is the way to blessing.

     Luke 11: 28 . . . He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

3.  Jesus said obedience is evidence of love.

     John 14: 15 . . . "If you love me, you will obey what I command."

4.  Jesus said obedience brings the Father's love and presence.

     John 14: 23 . . . Jesus replied, " If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

5.  Jesus said a lack of obedience is a lack of love.

     John 14: 24 . . . He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.  These words you hear are not my own;  they belong to the Father who sent me.

6.  Jesus said obedience is a condition of remaining in God's love.

     John 15: 10 . . . If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

7.  The Apostles said obedience was a must.

     Acts 5:29 . . . Peter and the other apostles replied:  " We must obey God rather than men!"

8.  The Apostles said obedience brings the Holy Spirit.

     Acts 5:32 . . . We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

9.  The Apostle Paul said a lack of obedience will bring punishment.

     2 Thess. 1:8 . . . He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

10.  The writer of Hebrews said obedience is the key to eternal salvation.

       Heb. 5: 8-9 . . . Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered  (9) and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.

11.  The Apostle John said obedience and knowledge of God goes together.

       1 John 2:3-5 . . . We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. (4) The man who says, " I know Him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in Him.

12. The Apostle John said obedience is a condition of answered prayer.

      1 John 3:22 . . . and receive from him anything we ask because we obey his commands and do what pleases Him.

13.  The Apostle John said obedience is a condition of abiding in God and he in us.

      1 John 3:24 . . . Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.  And this is how we know that he lives in us:  we know it by the Spirit he gave us.

14.  The Apostle John defined love as obedience.

       2 John 6 . . . And this is love:  that we walk in obedience to his commands.  As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

15.  Jesus commanded obedience for the church.

      Rev. 3:3 . . . Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.  But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

16.  The Apostle John connected obedience with holding to the testimony of Jesus.

       Rev. 12:17 . . . The the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring - those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.







DISCIPLESHIP: Inside Out (part 2)

There are two approaches to Discipleship:
1) Outside In.......programs, professionals
2) Inside Out.......personal, profound

Question:  Who is responsible for your spiritual life?
Discussion:  You are as spiritual as you want to be!

THE KEY:  ABIDING IN CHRIST (John 15:1-4)
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.

THE RESULT:  TRANSFORMATION & USEFULNESS (Rom. 12:2)
....be transformed by the renewing of your mind

THE INSTRUMENT OF TRANSFORMATION:  THE SPIRIT WORKING THROUGH THE WORD  (John 6:63;  15: 5-8)
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

ENCOUNTER THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN THE WORD PERSONALLY & PROFOUNDLY
(2 Cor. 10:5)
.....take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.