Communion on Sunday July 5

This Sunday, we will be having holy communion so prepare your hearts to receive and remember what the Lord has done for us. See you on Sunday.

Sermon 28th June – James 2:21-26

James puts the issue of faith at the Christian life and its works, there are no Christians at birth because we must be born again in faith.  There are 2 examples of real faith, Abraham and Rahab (One is the father of faith and the other is a prostitute) which show that faith has nothing to do with your background, your heritage or how you were born.

Four aspects of faith

1. Faith originates in a call, or promise from God (Romans 10:17)
2. Faith responds to the word of God with hope against all hope (Romans 4:18-21)
3. Faith continues in obedience (Hebrews 10:39)
4. Faith looks forward to a reward or inheritance (Hebrews 11:6 & 10)

Faith endures any hardship now as worth the surpassing greatness of Christ and his glory.  There is no pain on earth so great that it won’t melt away like marshmallows in hot chocolate when we get to heaven and this should be remembered daily because we have such an easy lif as believers in free countries.  There will come a time when a real trial will befall us; either personally or collectively as a church through persecution or war.  We must look forward to another city, a city whose architect and foundation is God himself.  We cannot be people of faith if we love this world more than the next.  We must not despise this life, but we must not cherish it more than God either.  We are new creations meant for citizenship in that city of God.

Sermon 21st June – James 2:14-28

Authentic faith must be followed by deeds because if we claim to have faith, will that save us?  A false claim can be characterised by

• being all talk

1. action-less
2. compassion-less

• all knowledge

1. relies on orthodoxy
2. refuses to be taught

James says it takes more than words to show that you have faith – A poor person cannot just say “I’m rich” and buy a multi-million dollar home or we can’t say “I’ll help you” with words when the person needs food or shelter and we don’t provide for them.

Furthermore, you can know the bible and that God exists but the demons know that too so that can’t save you.  Also a foolish man is unwilling to be taught and change, see Acts 8:9-25 about Simon the sorcerer.  If you have authentic faith, there will be works but it is not a bargaining chip with God, because God gives us faith and it changes our hearts from dead to alive.  Jesus said “I am the vine and you are the branch, if you remain in me, you will produce fruit”.  Think about it, if you plant an apple seed, you’ll get apples, if you plant the word of truth, you’ll get authentic works of faith:

• The first work will be that of repentance 2 Timothy 2:19
• There will be works of obedience Ephesians 2:10
• There will be works of separation from the world and our past life Romans 12:1-2
• There will be works of compassion and love

Finally test yourselves in faith – 2 Corinthians 13:5 (let it be in your heart and your head)

Sermon 14th June – James 2:8-13

Sin can disorientate us towards God and his law and we find ourselves sometimes on two extremes; for example, either being too lazy or being a workaholic and being super-organised versus being very messy.  The problem is God commands us to love one another and we as Christians feel like we are walking wobbly on a balance beam where if we fall off on one hand we are being selfish and proud and on the other, we feel judgment and discouragement under the law.

What is the Law of Freedom? Being forgiven and found in Christ makes us free to choose to love as he loves but how do I speak and act as a person who is going to be judged by the law that gives freedom?  Jesus said the one who was forgiven much will love much, so get to know the mercy of God. Only Jesus intercedes for you and pays your debts, leave your life of sin, repent and turn to Christ.  A key thing about the law, it is reflections of God’s character (the lawgiver) and it cannot be separated into parts. If we break one part of the law, we are guilty no matter how minor.  Imagine driving across a long bridge and in the distance you see a gap of 20 metres and think how will I cross that?  Then you come across a 3 meter gap that is also impossible to get across in the car.  Well it is a mute point that there is a bigger gap ahead when you can’t even get past the first section.  The gaps are like our sin and if we miss the first minor section like showing favoritism to people which is a sin, there is no way across. We need to obey the royal law that gives us freedom to glorify God as he intended us to. The reality is that God has shown you mercy and it triumphs over judgment.

Think of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) and condemned adulteress (John and how God showed mercy.

Sermon 7th June The work of the ministry Acts 17:22-30

The situation (They had a form of religion or an object of worship)

The solution (common ground)

The result

These days, people judge preachers by how much emotional feelings are generated when they listen ie. crying/laughing/elation

Two types of people

l  Epicureans – pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain

l  Stoics – believed that God was there but didn’t know how to apply that knowledge v.23

At that time, people belonged to a religion through

l  Family

l  Culture               ( Socialization)

l  Geography

They had to be careful how they talked to people about having a relationship with Jesus but remember God is not made of gold/silver or stone but he is the God of mountains/sky/sea (v.24 & 29).

v.27 We must have no compromise with sin but be flexible with ways and methods because God doesn’t look at the external ways.  We should look at how we apply the knowledge of God as he is in the heart of every man, (Romans 1:20).

The result at the time in v.34 was some believed.

Sermon 31st May James 2:1-13 Partiality

James 2:1-13

I’ll take Jimmy. Give me Bobby says the other boy. One by one the spots on each team were chosen. The talent of each student in the line was being carefully assessed by each of the team captains. And with each player plucked from off the gymnasium wall, the dregs of poorer players was getting reached. The tall, the strong, the stylish, the popular, and the

so called “GOOD” players were picked first. Inevitably there would have to be one player that would be picked last. The real horror came when there were not even players to be chosen and the last boy on the wall, the uncoordinated one, the overlooked and weak one, the least       of these, would become the odd man out. We are taught at a very young age to put our money on the strong and the powerful. We are told you better be part of the haves, because if you don’t get with them, you’ll be a have not. They have money. They have education. They have status. They have what everyone around them want. These people are fun. They’re the life of the party. When they talk others want to listen. We all love to hang around them. They are a little taller, stronger, prettier, and generally happier and healthier than the rest of us. And there’s the rub. Did you hear it? Did you catch what we as people are so prone to do? Did you hear what gets revealed out of the hearts of sinful people when we speak of others and what they have or have not. It’s a heart that compares and forgets the goodness and mercy of God. We all have a place we feel we fit in this hierarchy of having and not having. A hierarchy is like a ladder. It’s a ladder with many rungs and we put ourselves somewhere on that ladder. We see some people above us and some below us.

This is what James calls partiality, and it is described only one way. James calls it plainly and simply a SIN.  Proverbs 24:23 and Proverbs 28:21 also show partiality is not good.

The practice of Partiality  VS. 2-3 can be seen here in James’ example of the rich man and the poor man who came into the church. The rich man is clothed in fine clothes, we see their means and we want to use those means for our own end. We see their status and we welcome it, just as those in James’ parable here do. You see they offer him a good seat. We might notice that the people here are paying special attention to this man. Their attention is completely drawn to the man’s outer display. His face only, not his heart. In reality the rich man has a heart every bit as poor and in need of the gospel as the poor man, But the PRACTICE OF PARTIALITY keeps those (who are fawning over him) from even seeing that. They are too preoccupied with his outward appearance to look on his heart.  The poor man is received quite differently. The poor man is described as having on poor clothes who would obviously be incapable of offering anything to the community in the way of status, charm, intellect, and least of all money. Upon his entrance to the worship service he is told to “stand over there”.

Philippians 2:3 Paul tells us to do nothing out of selfish ambition but rather to do what? …”consider others better than ourselves” This is the only true partiality permitted by the Bible for the believer in Christ. Consider others better than yourself. They are not lower than you. Rather you are always to be the one in the humble circumstance.

You’re not too strong that God could not use the weakest of the brothers to take you down from your proud place. We are to judge as Christ judged. Therefore one practice of partiality is to make others lower than ourselves.

Second, we keep them far off and in the back ie. “over there”. Sometimes they make us feel uncomfortable because they talk strangely or they don’t seem so socially with it. I think if you were honest with yourself, you may see how easy it is to practice partiality.

Verse four. Have you not discriminated among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? You see we have a problem when it comes to our practice of partiality. Our partiality exposes the sin in our hearts. It shows us that we have really not understood grace. We are not walking in the glory of Christ.  The problem of Partiality is that we cannot hold, display, or walk in the glory of Christ and       practice partiality at the same time.  Remember verse 1 – Partiality is a sin and God is impartial

Evidence

2 Chron 19:7  (in his character)

“There is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons.”

Deut 10:17

“For the Lord your God is a God of Gods and a Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty and an awesome God, who regards not persons.”

Mal 2:9    (in his ways)

I also made you contemptible and base before all the people because you have not kept My ways but have been partial.”

Lev 19:15  (in his law) and (social justice)

You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, you shall not respect the person of the poor nor honor the person of the mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.”

Also Rom 2 & 1 Tim 5

GOD is no respecter of persons no matter how old they are. We will all die and be judged according to our lives. We must all find ourselves in Christ. James tells us that we cannot hold favoritism or be partial to any man and still be faithful in displaying Christ and his glory. That is why this is a sin. SIN is any deviation from the character of God. As you have seen from the Bible here today, GOD is impartial. His  impartiality is as much a part of who he is as his love, his mercy, his goodness.

1 Cor 1:26-29 Do you see what you risk when you show favouritism, you risk your very life in Christ.

If we are to be that kind of follower we must put away our partiality and love as he loved. We must find our impartiality in the example and promise of CHRIST.

The promise of God’s Impartiality verse. 5

‘Listen brothers, has not God chosen the poor in the eyes of the world, to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?

Aren’t we thankful today that God is no respecter of persons. Aren’t we glad that he looks on the heart and not on our money, our fashion sense, or our intellect. The Practice of Partiality is a sin.  The problem of partiality is that we are guilty of it. The Promise is that God is impartial and judges not on external qualities, but rather on who we are in Jesus Christ. Let us love one another the way Christ loved us.

3rd Annual Duck boat race – 21st June

It’s time to get into training mode, no more elevators – use the stairs.  You are gonna need those thigh/glute/calf muscles.  The annual duck boat race is being held after church at Suseong Lake and you need to be there.  It will cost you 10000won and this year we will have a special rowboat division if feel the need to work the deltoids instead.  Food and drinks will be provided and let’s pray for fine weather.  Invite your friends to join us and we will arrange transport as required.  There will be a signup sheet in church to arrange the number of duckboats.  Good luck and God speed!

Men’s breakfast presentation

Courage

• Hero vs an ordinary man (Psa 27:1)
• Actions vs thoughts (1 Chron 28:20)
• Planned vs spontaneous (1 Pet 3:13-14)
• Staking our claim vs wandering (meandering) (Josh 1:3-9)
• Moses and the promised land vs the Giants and the 12 spies
• Co-operation vs conviction (Deut 31:6)
• Sense of morality vs neutrality
• Not of the world but in the world vs judge not lest you be judged
• That’s our dilemma. Whose morals are we going to follow? Are we going to let our thrill-oriented, sensuality-based culture dictate what’s “normal”? Are we going to treat women as disposable objects or as precious daughters of God?
• If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19)
• Questioning vs commitment (Isa 41:10)
• Mastery of fear vs the absence of fear (1Cor 16:13)

May Event updates

We held a movie night on the 17th and after a few technical difficulties, watched the Goonies.  At the end, questions were asked and an expert emerged!  Rob Scott won the quiz, well done.  A good time was had by all.

Also we had a men’s buffet breakfast on the 30th at the Novotel Hotel and it was delicious.  Daniel set the standard by arriving at 8:15 for a 9am start and we ate to our hearts’ content – Karl set the standard at 6 plates and everyone enjoyed the variety.  We had omelettes, bacon, sausages, cereal, fruit, vegetables, waffles, pancakes, yoghurt, pastries, coffee and wholemeal toast for health.  Keep an eye out for the next one and if you can recommend a good breakfast venue, please let Karl know.

Sermon 31st May Being on God’s Team Rom 12:1-21

What do you need to get onto God’s team?

No pre-existing skills or talents, Free membership, No background experience, Little training

Can start immediately, Desire to learn more, No medical examinations &

Accept Jesus as your lord and savior and ask for forgiveness of your sins

How can we be effective on God’s team? ANSWER Strategy

• Acknowledge that God can do it and act in obedience to his word.
• Note what God says in the bible and what has happened in the past.
• Say it in prayer.
• Wait and meditate (individual).
• Encourage one another (community).
• Remind yourself daily of God’s promises (thru the Bible, answers to prayer, prophecies and community input).

God wants us to do things based on our attitude and personality but to not let our ego get in the way with what he has planned for us. Romans 12:3-8

Mission Conscious – what is the big picture – (Eternity)

Committed – there are no half-hearted champions. (Priorities)

Relational - if you get along, others will go along. (Being friends)

Selfless – there is no I in team. (Sacrifice)

1. Romans 12:1-2
2. 1 John 5:4-5
3. Colossians 2:8-10

 If you don’t have Jesus as your tag team partner, you don’t have anyone to call on when you are getting beat up or making the wrong choices – in wrestling, it is called a handicap match. Jesus has come to earth and been on the team and went through the same struggles as us.  Only you are able to ask Jesus to join with you and be Lord over your life, you need to ask him for forgiveness of your sins and to be your life coach, tag team partner and father.  Finally don’t forget about the final outcome as it has eternal consequences and it is the wrong thing to be wrong about.  

Two farmers desperately needed rain to save their crops and both prayed to God.  However only one went out and prepared his fields for rain, tell me who has more belief in God?  What do you need to prepare to contribute to God’s team?