Pastor Tony takes a look toward 2011 with a look at 1 Kings 18 to ask us all the question, “how long will you go limping between two opinions?” [v. 21].
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When you are in a road race you are issued a bibb number. A number is given to each runner so that race organizers can keep accurate records on who finishes and in what order they finish. For the year 2011 our focus is “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) The number 1359 is your bibb number. Why? To help us remember the basics of the Christian life.
1 stands for one singular passion in life. The Apostle Paul said, “I want to know Christ.” This was his singular passion and it is the singular passion of every true believer. 3 reminds us that all of life is conducted in relationship. This is the way God made us when He said, “let us make man in our image.” There is nothing in life that takes place outside of three realms of relationships. Your relationship with God. Your relationship with other beilievers. And, your relationship with unbelievers. Relationships are the reality of life. 5 represents the realms of responsibility that each of us have to run our race in. The New Testament writings continually refer to these 5 basic arenas of life in which Christians are to “let their light shine”. The 5 realms are; family, work/school, culture (government/society), church, and spiritual fitness (warfare). 9 is the number that reminds us of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit listed in Galatians 5 represents a 9 fold picture of what a person looks like when the Spirit of God is controling his or her life.
Thinking like this helps me make my Christian living practical. It puts it in a manner in which I can easily think about how, where, and when I am “running the race”. This number, 1359, will serve as a guide for our study of God’s word through 2011. How is your race going presently? In 2011 my prayer is that we all learn to run in such a way as to obtain the prize! (I Corinthians 9:24-27)
See you at the starting line – and at the finish!
Tony
Pastor Tony continues the month of December with a focus on missions and an expository look at 1 John 4:7-11 to help us recognize that we must know we are loved by God before we can properly respond to the gospel – and we must respond.
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The Apostle John’s description of Christmas was quite different than Matthew’s and Luke’s. John told the complex, theological version of the Christmas story but he did it in simple, short sentences. One of my favorites is, “In him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4) John understood the power of the new birth. It was the power of God himself. Jesus was the light that delivered people out of darkness and the life that delivered people out of death. The new birth had such a drastic effect on John that it transformed him from a “son of thunder” into the Apostle of love.
John was fully aware that being born again did not instantly turn someone into a perfect Christian. He wrote his first letter to help Christians learn to battle against sin, darkness, hatred, the devil, lust and the world. Jesus took John’s thunderous personality and formed it into a man who could artfully speak words of direct truth saturated with love. It was imperative for John that his readers understand the reality and the power of being born of God. He reasoned with them this way: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves had been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (I John 4:7-8)
The life of God will make itself known in the life of the person who has been born again. It is an impossiblity for this not to occur. John was confronting hypocrits and challenging true believers.
If you are a true believer I am sure you wonder why you do not love God and the people of God more. John actually gives some Apostolic counsel in how to deal with this issue. There are two central points to his directions. If you will trust the Word of God and follow John’s instruction, you will find your love increase in your heart and in your habits.
First, you must know yourself to be loved of God. This is not a natural thing to the human mind. It takes the power of the Spirit of God and the truth of Scripture to enable our minds to receive the love of God. John said, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us . . . There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:16,18) Once you know that you are loved of God you are freed from fear and freed to love others as God loves. That is power!
Second, the evidence that you have experienced this love of God in your soul is that you express it with your life. John teaches us that if there is no expression of love from our lives that there has been no experience of God’s love in our lives. So, we must be born again! “Whoever loves has been born of God.” (I John 4:7) Love is the natural expression of the Christian, but it must be cultivated.
Christmas is the expression of God’s character. “God is love!” (I John 4:8) It was the love of God that sent Christ to the earth. It took the life and light of Christ for us to be born again. That is the power of the new birth! Sing it once again, “Mild He lays His glory by, Born that men no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth!”
As long as we live on this earth we will struggle with the problem of the flesh. We carry in us the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. But, those are overcome by the power of the new birth as we purposefully take into our souls the love that God has for us and then purposefully express that love by the life of Christ that is in us.
Pastor Tony continues the month of December with a focus on missions with a character sketch of Adoniram Judson (by Dr. Tom Nettles, Deacon) and an expository look at Hebrews 12:1-2 to help us find our reason for running the race set before us, because where we look is where we are going to go.
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Character Sketch: Adoniram Judson
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The Gospel writter, Matthew, recorded for us some of the most amazing words ever written. Can we reason together about them for just a minute? Matthew reported that an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to give the name Jesus to the baby that his betrothed wife Mary was carrying. Then the angel gave Joseph the reason for his name. . . “for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew immediately explains that this pregnancy and this special name for the child “took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet.” So, we have a child with a specific name, for a specific reason. We have an 800 year old prophecy that stands as the reason for this happening. Then, we see a second name. . . “they shall call his name Immanuel which means, God with us.”
Now, lets reason. Christmas may be the most beloved story of the Bible. Is it true? I do not ask this question to breed doubt but to incite reasoning. If the Bible’s story of Christmas is true, what claim does it make on the lives of those who say that they believe it?
Did God create the world? Did humanity fall into sin? Is the fall the reason for the world being in the shape it is in today? Did God send His Son into the world to save the world? Is His Son’s name Jesus? Is He God with us? Take some time with these questions. Don’t give your simple Sunday School answers. Reason your answers out. If these things are true, what claim does that make on the church and the individual believer?
Pastor Tony opens the month of December with a focus on missions with an expository look at 1 Corinthians 9 to lead up to a character sketch of William Carey (by Dr. Tom Nettles, Deacon), so that we can understand that God does not have a mission for His church but rather has a church for His mission.
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Character Sketch:
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NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, video of this week’s message and character sketch will not be available.
Pastor Tony concludes our series on 1 Peter with 1 Peter 5:6-11 to helps us understand that under the mighty hand of God is where life is lived.
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Elder Mark continues our series on 1 Peter with 1 Peter 5:1-6 to look at the Biblical model for leadership and how the defining characteristic for both the shepherd and the flock is humility.
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Bring friends, family, and neighbors to hear all the different styles of music used in worship at LaGrange Baptist Church!
Sunday night, December 12, 2010 at 6 p.m.
Come celebrate the birth of our Savior with us!