Church notes - December 2018

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2nd December
Advent - Hope
Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7

Communion

2 Corinthians 8:1 - 15

Giving
Everything under the lordship of Christ

A time of anxiety for the Corinthian Christians - Money is tight. Overall they were much like us.
However things had gone wrong
Sensitive Conversations in awkward relationships

vs 1 - 3
Macedonian churches gave, despite their poverty. Sacrificial generosity.

They gave themselves first to the Lord
vs 5

Giving is about love not law
vs 7 - 8
They beleived that they excelled at everything. But Paul said they needed to be more generous. He encouraged them to be so. "Show me your love."

vs 9 Jesus gave up everything to come

Philippians 2:3- 8
He did this so you may rise from the dead. We need to show generosity.

2 Corinthians 9:6, 7
The way we give is more important than the amount we give.
We need not be embarrassed about the size of our gift. Our attitude is what matters.

We reap in the measure that we sow.

God was unsparing in giving His Son.
Romans 8:32

Intention, our motives for giving

We should be glad givers


9th December
Psalm 96:1 - 4
Psalm 103:1 - 5

Psalm 95:1 - 3

Psalm 100
God calls us to be joyful, glad and loving.
Praise, Admiration, Thankfulness
4 sections
1. vs 1, 2 3. vs 4
Calling for emotions
2. vs 3 4. vs 5
The reasons
Our affections for God should come from our increasing, ongoing knowledge of Him.

A way of life

Full of truth about God.
Increasing our affection for Him in our lives

Timothy Keller: "Religous people find God useful. Christians find God beautiful."

Advent - Love


16th December
Advent - Joy
Isaiah 35

Matthew 2:1 - 16

'Joy to the World': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OaM6b48k8
'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCt1s44cfMM

Baptism: Rodney and Lisa Woldhuis, Craig and Stacey Maidment (held after service)

Communion
1 Corinthians 11:27 - 29
Repentance needs to come first
The bread and wine remind us of what it took to deal with our sin.

Matthew 1:18 - 25

'Victory': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OyBI3ZJ0lw
'What a Beautiful Name': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlcBgO820KA

Matthew 1:18 - 25
Why did He do it?
He wanted to experience life as one of us.
He knows what it is like to work hard.
He knows what is like to be betrayed.

He knew a broad range of human experiences.
He can relate to your experience.

Jesus understands our lives.

God isn't just great in knowledge of everything. He knows you personally.

Jesus - God reaching down into human history to connect with us.

What we need is a Saviour, not an empty Solstice celebration.
Any amount of sin grows and is destructive to our communities.

vs 20, 21
Jesus - Yeshua - Heb. To deliver, or to rescue.
He came to save us from our own sin.
Matthew 1:1 - 16
The chaos in His genealogy could not stop him from being born.
A knarled and crooked family tree.

Life consists of opportunities, both those we take and those we don't take.
The innkeeper didn't see Jesus. He missed his opportunity.
Luke 2:6, 7

...

Colossians 4:5
We need to make the most of opportunities
- Make the most of Church Christmas activities
- Pray
- Plan well
- Invite well
Words of intrigue

'10,000 Reasons': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSxocnIaN0A


23rd December
John 3:16 - 21

'How Deep the Father's Love For Us': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKDujmtyAVk

Advent - Love
Matthew 2:1 -12
The Magi in Jerusalem. Herod was paranoid of a threat to his power.

Psalm 91:1

vs 3 - 6
The Star had lead the Magi to Jerusalem, but it was Scripture that pointed them to Bethlehem. (Why didn't any of the preists and teachers of the law go to Bethlehem with them?)

Everyone worshipped Jesus.
Everything else will eventually let us down.

Psalm 47
Psalm 66:1

Constant and spontaneous worship.

This is what lead to the Christmas Truce - Christmas 1914 on the Western Front.

The Gift of Worship

'Come, Now is the Time to Worship': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzu76r9p174
'O Come Let Us Adore Him': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbzaodEL-bQ


24 December
Do Not Be Afraid
Luke 1:20 - 38

'Fear not': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrhXln-zHso

Matthew 1:18 - 29
Joseph had to trust God
Do you trust Him?

'Oceans': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GGFb6LcX3U

Luke 2:8 - 29

'His name is wonderful': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCYidpA7-4A

Fear
All kinds of fear
Mary
Joseph
Zechariah
Shepherds

Lack of understanding - that is life!

God doesn't want you to be afraid
Mary - fear of inadaquacy
- A baby, Joseph's disbelief
Joseph - fear of disapproval
- He knew he wasn't the father.
Who's disapproval are you afraid of?
Who's approval are you living for?
Shepherds - Faced the fear of sudden change
Herod - Fear of losing control

Matthew 2:1 - 4
Herod was afraid of losing control
What are you afraid of losing control of?
When you try to play God it causes much stress and fear in your life.

Answers to those fears.
1. Surrender your life to God completely each day.
Mary - surrendered herself to God.
How adequate is God?
2. Stop listening to those negative voices
We can always see the negative side.
We cannot live in fear and faith at the same time.
Fear is highly contagious. (Sells news...)

3. Fill your mind with music that praises God.
Luke 1:46 - 55
Mary praised God.

4. Base your hope in the promises of God.
We need to claim these promises.

John 3:16

A promise - victory over death.

'Joy to the World': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC3SwhJsLqU


30th December
Luke 9:33

'Blessed Be Your Name': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AB3ku_c7Dw
'Alive in Us': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTZEWNF8Iy4

John 16:5 - 18

'Broken Vessels': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCWtEvK4JEE

Names of God
What is God like?
There are many misconceptions
We can only know Him through what He has revealed.
Through creation

Jn 16:13

Through His Names

Psalm 23

Through Jesus
Through His Word

Jesus came to erase our misconceptions about God.
- These misconceptions enslave people.
The Things He taught.
He exploded the myth that God is cold and uncaring.
If you want to know what God is like; look at Jesus

Jesus came to express the love of God.
John 3:16

Ephesians 2:4, 5

Jesus came to enable a relationship with God.

Galatians 3: 26

Genesis 22:9 - 14
God Provides
Forshadowing Jesus' sacrifice - Provision of God's Son.

'The Splendour of the King': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKLQ1td3MbE