First Bible Church Messages: Recent Episodes
Steve Bateman
Nearly two thousand years ago, when the Roman Empire dominated Israel, Jesus made the bold assertion that his message would spread from a tiny band of disciples to draw followers to himself from all the nations of the earth. Today, there are Christ followers on every inhabited continent of the earth and 2.2 billion people, thirty percent of our planet, identify as Christians. The work is not yet done.
Anyone who comes to Christ in faith will receive life, both now and in the future, through the Holy Spirit.
Anyone who comes to Christ in faith will receive life, both now and in the future, through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus explains that coming to him means to believe in him, to trust in him, to receive him, to be united to him: so that the one who comes to Jesus receives, through him, forgiveness, adoption into the family of God, a future resurrection, and eternal life.
In this morning's text, we focus on the fact that God the Father, through his Son, and by his Spirit, is seeking true worshipers... [who] surrender their whole selves to God.
"... Jesus is unique, set apart from every other religious leader or founder. He is the only way to escape the eternal wrath of a holy God (3:36). So, what sets Jesus apart from every other religious leader?"
Being born again is "a free act of God, not prompted by any human merit or exertion, but wholly a gift of divine grace." - J.I. Packer (God's Words, 151)
John sets out the pattern by which someone becomes a follower of Jesus. Rather than calling them to exercise a blind and irrational faith, Jesus summons them to "come and see" for themselves.
"The Lamb of God. . . would be the final sacrifice who would take away the sin of the world. . ."
In John's testimony, we find three attributes of a credible witness: truth, humility, and courage.
"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31
In the age of “cancel culture,” the welcoming church provides a safe place for people to hear the transforming truth and ask the hard questions about the Christian faith (Ro. 14:1–3). The responsibility of the welcoming church does not rest only on a few, but on every member of the church (Ro.15:7; Eph. 4:11–16).
The responsibility of the welcoming church does not rest only on a few, but on every member of the church.
God never intended for us to live in exile alone. Rather, he intends for us to live in exile together, with each other, in a community.
Since the church is the family of God and the primary means by which God brings people to himself, the church is the Devil's strategic objective. Because the Devil is God's adversary, he is also our adversary.
The recruiting church perseveres in adversity in order to persuade those who are now hostile or indifferent to know, love, obey, and exalt him for God's glory.
At the end of human history, God the Father, through Christ his Son, will hold every human being accountable for every thought, word, and deed... No one will receive injustice. Why should we meditate on the certainty of the final judgment?
While we did not foresee the events of this year, God certainly did. And he has not brought us this far to leave us. He has placed us in this moment of history for his own purposes and glory.
In a partnership, both husband and wife are called by God to help each other fulfill God's calling on their lives, especially to know, love, obey, and exalt Jesus Christ. Each partner is equal in essence, dignity, and worth, but different in function.
In a partnership, both husband and wife are called by God to help each other fulfill God's calling on their lives: especially to know, love, obey, and exalt Jesus Christ.
Regeneration is a gift that God disposes sovereignly to all of those whom He determines to bring into His family." - R.C. Sproul
Q53: What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? A53: First, he is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God. Second, he is also given to me, to make me by true faith share in Christ and all his benefits, to comfort me, and to remain with me forever. - Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
The book of Job concludes with a perfect resolution that is unrealistic in most circumstances. Real life simply does not work like this for most people who trust in the Lord. Yet in God's sovereign plan, Job's extraordinary experience of prosperity and adversity, becomes a template for our own lives in an unexpected way.
Throughout his suffering Job grows bolder in demanding an explanation from God, even suggesting that God has been unjust. Thus far, God has been silent, allowing everyone to enter their opinions into the public written record for all time. But now, God speaks and surprisingly answers Job’s questions with questions of his own that invite Job to study science.
The pain and suffering already caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) naturally raises questions we would like to ask of God. Why this? Why now? Why here? Why us? In other words, we want God to explain himself. Many in this season will doubt God's love, ability, knowledge, or even his existence. But these questions are not unique to our generation. Every generation has had to wrestle with these three truths affirmed in Scripture: 1. God is strong. 2. God is smart. 3. God is good.
When we started our study of Philippians on November 2, 2019, no one had heard of the coronavirus. As we close this series, everyone has heard of the coronavirus, which has now spread from China to over 120 countries. Among other things, this challenge is an opportunity to apply the truths we have learned in Paul's letter to the Philippians. As followers of Christ, we face the coronavirus with joy by affirming three important facts about God (see handout).
When we started our study of Philippians on November 2, 2019, no one had heard of the coronavirus. As we close this series, everyone has heard of the coronavirus, which has now spread from China to over 120 countries. Among other things, this challenge is an opportunity to apply the truths we have learned in Paul's letter to the Philippians. As followers of Christ, we face the coronavirus with joy by affirming three important facts about God (see handout).
[Paul] does not use his circumstances as an opportunity to extract more money from [the church]. Rather he uses his circumstances as an opportunity to teach them the principle of contentment. The "secret" of contentment is a secret that any believer can learn.
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world." - CS Lewis
Control means that God has the power to direct the whole course of nature and history as he pleases. Authority means that God has a right to do that. Presence means that God is with his creatures to bless and to judge in terms of the standard of his covenant. (John Frame, "Systematic Theology")
Disciplined Thinking: intentionally feeding my mind the information that influences me to love God and my neighbor, while rejecting the dis-information that permeates a proud culture in moral rebellion, for the advance of the gospel, to the glory of God.
Immediate circumstances are the facts that "stand around" us on any given day (weather, sickness, arguments, bills, imprisonment, etc.), but they are temporary and ever-changing. The ultimate circumstances are the facts that "stand around" our immediate circumstances that are eternal and never changing. The believer must keep these facts in mind: the inevitable fame, sovereign lordship, imputed righteousness, and triumphant return of Jesus Christ.
Church conflict is often a positive sign that people care about the church and the mission Jesus gave us. They are invested in the ministry and have strong feelings about what ought to be done and how to do it. But unmanaged conflict can soon divide a church, and that division decreases the level of joy. A happy church is not a church without conflict, but a church with conflict that is managed well.
God designs our present suffering to accomplish our preferable future. Justice delayed seems like justice denied, but the delay is not as long as it seems.
The Liberal Error: Because god made me this way, I am lord of my life and live according to the law of Me (license). The Law of Moses: Because I selectively obey the law of Moses, and even add to it, God is obligated to accept me (legalism). The Law of Christ: Because God has accepted me for Christ's sake (imputed righteousness), I find job in obeying the Law of Christ.
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world." - CS Lewis
After demonstrating the futility of legalism (a self-righteous dependence on our own law-keeping to earn a right standing with God), Paul now turns to the only way, the only hope, of being reconciled to God: imputed righteousness. To impute means "to credit, to debit, to ascribe, to assign, to lay something to the account of a person." Paul knew that the righteousness that came from him was worthless. His only hope was in the righteousness that comes from God.
Job's friends not only believe THAT God ultimately ordained this pain in Job's life (which is true), but also believe they know WHY God ordained this pain in Job's life (which is false). They operate on an airtight rule that the wicked suffer and the righteous are rewarded. Since Job is suffering, he must be hiding wickedness. . . . Job's friends compliment themselves by criticizing Job. ("We are not suffering, therefore we are righteous.")
The Apostle Paul grew up and entered adulthood in an environment of legalism. Legalism views the commands of God as a means to earning his love. By law-keeping, the law-keeper seeks to obligate God, the law-giver, to pardon and promote him. When Paul came to know Christ, he left legalism behind and opposed it for the rest of his life.