Northeast Baptist Church San Antonio: Recent Episodes
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[Philippians 4:6-7]
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer & petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus.
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Bible is about 77% stories & poetry, 20% teachings & letters,
%3 commandments. (the Bible is not a bunch of commandments)
Jesse has shared stories & songs.
How do you prove you have authority? If you are a mom & your child challenges your authority, you mights say, “Because I said so.” If you are a boss & you have a lazy employee, you might flex your work place authority by saying, “Do your job, or you’re fired.” In any given group, authority is often given to the person with the best leadership capabilities, or the best pedigree, or the best physical ability, or the best intelligence, or best work-ethic. But being the best of the best won’t give anyone the authority to do what Jesus said he would do. How do you promise and prove you have the authority to beat death?
Although, I had no right to ask. My God knelt & answered me.
Job basically just said, “Whoa is me! Wow is You!”
[Philippians 4:7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
This proper view of Christ served as the antidote for the Colossian heresy as well as a building block for Christian life and doctrine both then and now.” ~ Charles Swindoll
“The whole earth, then, belongs to Jesus. It belongs to him by right of creation, by right of redemption and by right of future inheritance - as Paul affirms in the magnificent cosmic declaration of Colossians 1:15-20.So wherever we go in his name, we are walking on his property. There is not an inch of the planet that does not belong to Christ. Mission then is an authorized activity carried out by tenants on the instructions of the owner of the property.”
— Christopher J. H. Wright
https://youtu.be/hA25-qvRlKw
Today’s church that reads & heads the succinct truths found in Colossians can be blessed with peace beyond all understanding when it remembers the basic understanding that Christ is sovereign & sustaining. Since Christ is sovereign, we can have peace when pandemics hit, tensions rise & people leave without a goodbye. But, peace is ours when we are in Christ. Peace is our inherit benefit from being in Jesus. Colossians gives us a very precise & powerful look at the peace we have in Christ.
[Matthew 28:18-20] Then Jesus came to them & said, “All authority in heaven & on earth has been given to me. Therefore go & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,& teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- Peter, who used to be the mouth of the rest in speaking to Christ, is here made the ear of the rest; and what is designed for warning to them all.
The Bible tells us in the beginning, God made everything and everything was good. Everything was shalom - perfect complete peace. Then sin entered the world when Adam & Eve listened to the lies of a fallen angel. Perfect peace was marred by sin and the scars of sin have been passed down to us. Peace was broken, but can it be restored? God sent in a faithful un-fallen angel who said…
Luke 2:14“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:17-18 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed seen + spread = amazed
Titus 3:9But avoid foolish debates, genealogies, quarrels, and disputes about the law, because they are unprofitable and worthless. 10Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning. 11For you know that such a person has gone astray and is sinning; he is self-condemned.
Reflect & Respond
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On a scale of 1 to 10, how addicted are you to technology and why?
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Does your schedule look like the schedule of a person who is making time to be still and grow closer to God?
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What practical steps can you take this week to make rest a requirement.
2 Peter 3:9The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
1 Kings 14:22Judah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. They provoked him to jealous anger more than all that their ancestors had done with the sins they committed.
Psalm 18:30 God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
Follow - Scam (un)Likely [Mark 8:34-38]
During his time on earth, Jesus invited misbehavers and unbelievers to follow him. We are all invited to follow him. You are invited to follow him, but there’s something you need to know about following Jesus. It will cost you something eventually.
It may cost you money, career advancement, or even relationships. That’s because Jesus offers us the choice of denying ourselves now or losing ourselves later. But you’ll find that when you pay the price for following Jesus, you’ll be glad you did.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- When you were a child, what did you dream your adulthood would be like? How does your current reality align with those childhood dreams?
- Talk about a time when you knew you were supposed to do something difficult. Did you do it? What was the outcome?
- Have you ever seen someone else pay a price for deciding to follow Jesus? How did that person’s experiences influence your own faith?
- Has your faith ever cost you something? If so, how has paying that price changed your relationship with God?
- Read Mark 8:34–36. How do Jesus’ words challenge you? In what ways do they give you comfort?
- Are you currently being nudged to do something, say something, quit something, start something, or give up something? What can this group do to support you?
MOVING FORWARD
Salvation is a free gift. It costs us nothing. Following Jesus eventually costs us something, but your soul is worth more than whatever following Jesus costs you. God has been faithful to you in the past, and he will continue to be faithful to you during challenging seasons. One day you’ll look back on the price you paid, the things you gave up, and you’ll be glad you chose to follow Jesus.
Watch the Sermon Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GdWAwFt3J8
SLIDES John 13:34-35“A new command I give you:Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples…,
(Copy of a Letter I send to people recently baptized)
So now what? Some people get baptized and then begin to wonder what’s next. Some people expect once they step out of the water they will be able to understand the Bible perfectly and never struggle with sin and temptation again. The opposite could not be more true. One of the first things you can expect after the celebration of your baptism is to be tempted in large and small ways by our enemy. Did you know that you have an enemy? (More on your enemy in a little bit.) You know you have a friend and rescuer in Jesus Christ as you were buried with Him in baptism and raised to walk with Him in a brand new life. It is important to know who your friends are, and it is most important to know Jesus as your best friend & Savior for all eternity. But all Christians also need to realize and recognize we most certainly have an enemy who deeply desires to destroy us and our relationship with Jesus and His Church. This enemy is Satan and he tried to get Jesus to sin after His baptism, so you can expect Satan will try to get you to sin too. Our enemy will often try to convince you that your baptism was just a passing fling or nothing all that special. But Satan is the “Father of lies,” and we need to hear the truth.
The truth is you are loved. You are loved perfectly and eternally by the only true God who created the universe and made you wonderfully in His own image. Our awesome God made you in His image so that you can get close to Him and know His love for you. You need to get as close as possible to God by communicating with Him. If you are close enough to your friends you know their preferred modes of communication. Some friends like to communicate by text message and others prefer to talk face to face while others would rather chat on the internet. God is similar to your friends because He also has His preferred modes of communication, and He wants you to talk with Him always. This is why God has given us so many great ways to talk with Him and get closer to Him.
Pray like crazy. If you never talked to your friends, you wouldn’t know much about them and they wouldn’t know much about you. The same is true with God. He wants you to talk with Him. The good news about prayer is that you can do it anytime and anywhere. We can pray silently or out loud. We should spend time alone with God in prayer and also pray with others. The Bible tells us we are to “Pray without ceasing.” To learn more about the kind of prayer that pleases God, go get your Bible and take a good slow read through Matthew 6:5-13.
Dig in to the Bible. We have been given such a great gift in God’s word, the Bible. Sometimes the Bible can be difficult to comprehend, especially if you try to read it from the beginning like any normal book. Instead of reading the Bible from the beginning, I would encourage you to start by reading the Gospel of John so you can know more about the life and work of Jesus. After you read through John, I encourage you to read through Ephesians & then find a Bible reading plan that keeps you grounded in God’s word.
Be the Church. You can’t live a life of effective faith on your own. You have to have Jesus, and He has given us the Church to share our faith, hope, and love with each other. So, please make it your die-hard habit to be a part of the life-changing ministries that are going on in our church and in your neighborhood and around the world. Jesus has saved you from your sins and He has saved you to live a life like His that seeks to reach out to people who are far from God and help them to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
[Romans 8:1-2] So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Read Acts 9:1-22
Watch the sermon on YouTube https://youtu.be/UXyTSnnfj34
- What aspects of the story raise your curiosity?
- Saul’s Damascus road experience is a direct confrontation with the resurrected Christ. We tend to fear confrontational moments with others. Should or should we not fear confrontational moments with God?
Read Rev. 1:9-18
- In this passage, the apostle John has a vision of the resurrected Christ. How does this passage connect with Saul’s confrontation with the resurrected Christ?
- Can you think of a time that you have recently been confronted by God about some aspect of your life?
- How would you articulate God’s transforming power at work in your own life over the last 4-5 months?
- How would you have responded to God & Saul if you were Ananias?
- Is it ok to make judgment calls on whether or not people have the ability change, or whether or not their conversion might be legitimate?
Follow - Why Fishermen Were Not Pharisees (Matthew 4 & Luke 5)
Watch the Sermon on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Tg1bt6Icgkc
Religion says, Change and you can join us. Jesus says, Join us and you will change. There’s a huge difference. Jesus doesn’t expect you to be perfect. He just wants you to follow him. Being a sinner doesn’t disqualify you from following him. Being an unbeliever doesn’t disqualify you from following him. In fact, following almost always begins with a sinner taking one small step.
Read Matthew 4:18-22 & Luke 5:1-11
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What is a major goal you’ve achieved. How did you do it?
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Have you ever met a Christian whose faith impressed and intimidated you? How did that person influence your view of Christianity? How did he or she influence your view of your own faith?
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What risks do you associate with following Jesus? How do those risks cause you to hesitate?
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Which word might describe your walk with God: cozy, bored, guilt, or disciple maker?
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What will you do to follow Jesus more closely & make more disciples?
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
Matthew 4:19
Follow Me - Matthew - Because Rules vs. Because Family (Jesus Juxtaposition or Jesus Adjacent)
Watch the sermon on Youtube: https://youtu.be/YoixrvgkYO0
Watch the full service (with music) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEBaptistChurchSATX/videos/527698181713252
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Talk about one of your favorite bosses, coaches, or teachers. What made it easy for you to follow that person?
- Did you grow up in a church that emphasized doing what Jesus said over following him? Or if you didn’t grow up going to church, did you assume that’s what Christianity was all about? How has the “Jesus says” mindset affected your spiritual journey?
- True or False: Often when we get better at following religious rules, it doesn’t make us more like Jesus. Often we get more judgmental.
- How is the idea that Jesus wants us all to follow him, regardless of what we believe or how we behave, comforting? How is it challenging?
- What makes it difficult for you to follow Jesus?
- What's one thing you can do this week to begin to follow Jesus or to follow him more closely? What can this group do to support you?
MOVING FORWARD
The question isn’t how far along on your spiritual journey you are, but whether you’re following Jesus. Begin tomorrow morning with this prayer: “Lord, where you lead, I will follow.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” —Mark 8:34
Follow Back Home (Luke 15)
Watch the whole service with music on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEBaptistChurchSATX/videos/4167565206684388
Take it Deeper:
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If you were given a large amount of money, what would you do with it?
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Read Luke 15:11-32.
What do you think this story is about? Money? Rebellion? Family? Forgiveness? Anger? Love? What?
3. Who do you identify with most: the younger son? The older
son? The fattened calf?
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How did the father respond to both sons?
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How does that change the way you live and relate to our Father in Heaven?
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Even if we’re truly forgiven, what damage is done in our lives when we don’t embrace and believe we can be forgiven of our sins?
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Unconfessed sin affects Christian community. When have your relationships suffered because of unconfessed sin or to the inability to believe you were truly forgiven?
Apostles Creed 11- the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body & the life everlasting. Amen (NEBC June 27, 2021)
Watch the full service on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEBaptistChurchSATX/videos/1195440170928956
Watch the sermon on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Drg_0c8Mf2U
For Further Study:
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
_______________________________
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What does this passage say about people?
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What does this passage say about God?
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What is God saying to you?
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God, help me ___________.
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
*(that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places)
Watch the full service on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEBaptistChurchSATX/videos/158310706316290
Watch the sermon on YouTube: https://youtu.be/stYl8Ujb450
For Further Study:
“I want to live so that I am truly submitted to the Spirit's leading on a daily basis. Christ said its better for us that the Spirit came and I want to live like that is true. I don't want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly.”
― Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
Matt Chandler. The Apostles' Creed reading plan: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/11335-the-apostles-creed-12-day-plan
Stir up the Holy Spirit https://www.gotquestions.org/stir-up-the-gift.html
Help Has Arrived! - John 14:15-18 - Skip Heitzig sermon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUcS5CfobmQ
Questions to take it home & live it out:
READ ROMANS 8:14-15.
What confidence does it give you to have been adopted by the Father Almighty? What comfort do you experience in being able to call Him Abba?
In what ways, good or bad, do people seek to belong to something greater than themselves? How have you sought or experienced belonging?
How would you explain the difference between obedience driven by a desire to be lovable and obedience driven by knowing you’re already loved? What does a lack of obedience to Jesus reveal?
JOHN 14:23-26Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.
“I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you.But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
According to Jesus, what’s one of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit? What does this role look like in our daily lives?
How are knowledge, love, and obedience related?
READ JOHN 16:7-15.
Why did Jesus tell His disciples that it’s to their advantage for Him to go away—ascend to heaven—and for them to have the Spirit instead?
How did Jesus refer to the Holy Spirit? What do the names suggest?
According to Jesus, what would the Spirit do? Be specific.
Sometimes people speak of the Holy Spirit in impersonal terms. In contrast, Jesus referred to the Spirit as He, Helper, and Guide. The Spirit is never an it.
Why is it essential that we speak of the Holy Spirit in personal terms?
Watch the full service on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEBaptistChurchSATX/videos/4070799989676764
Watch the sermon on YouTube: https://youtu.be/d7fpaSy1X5Q
For Further Study:
Matt Chandler. The Apostles' Creed reading plan: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/11335-the-apostles-creed-12-day-plan
A Barna study revealed that 62% of lapsed Christians said the #1 quality they look for in a person with whom to discuss faith is ‘non-judgment.’
Only 34% said they know any Christians who possess this quality.
John 12:41-50 from Tim Keller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFLGkIAJjiY&t=814s
“READ 2 TIMOTHY 4:1-2.
Why did this Scripture specify judgment as the reason for preaching, teaching, and making disciples of Jesus through the gospel?
Do you typically think of God as giving mercy or as rightly judging sin? What’s the danger of thinking of Him as only just or only merciful?
Other than salvation, how have you specifically experienced God’s mercy?
Are you more prone to want God to be just or merciful to other people?
How does the fact that Christ takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked affect the way you view others? How does it affect the way you view God?
What does it mean to mourn with Christians around the world who endure evil through persecution? How can we intentionally identify with the global church?
Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
READ HEBREWS 9:27-28.
With regard to believers, what was the purpose of Jesus’ first coming?
What will be the purpose of His second coming?
Only a handful of disciples witnessed the Lord ascend to heaven. His birth was even less conspicuous. Even with a sky full of angels singing, only Mary, Joseph, and a few shepherds witnessed Jesus’ coming into the world. However, His second coming will be unlike His first.
READ REVELATION 1:4-8
What names and phrases are ascribed to Jesus? What do they emphasize?
Who will witness the second coming? How will those witnesses respond?
Although it hasn’t happened yet, the second coming of Jesus is just as certain as His first coming. The question to ask yourself isn’t whether He will return, because He will. The question to ask yourself isn’t even a matter of when He will return, because we can’t know. The only question you need to ask yourself is whether you’re ready to stand before Him when He returns to judge the living and the dead.
READ MATTHEW 24:36-44
The Bible teaches us that we can’t know when Jesus will return and that we shouldn’t waste time wondering but should always be ready.
Why did Jesus emphasize that nobody knows when He will return?
What would change if you knew Jesus would return this week?
I would …
I would not …
If you would change something because you knew the time of Jesus’ return, what keeps you from making those changes now anyway?
Read the following parables and summarize key points in each.
Matthew 24:45-51
Matthew 25:1-13
Matthew 25:14-30
Matthew 25:31-46
Watch the sermon on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pyzgTC4UnP8
THE APOSTLES’ CREED WILL HELP US WITH:
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Symmetry—a robust understanding of the God of the Bible
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Clarity—who God is
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Community—whom we belong to and whom we are with
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Counsel—to ourselves and to others
For Further Study:
Did Jesus go to hell?
https://www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-go-to-hell.html
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/confess-jesus-descended-into-hell/
Where Did Jesus Go Between His Death and Resurrection?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYP7MAj76lE&t=390s & what about purgatory? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CON7G29AUb0
Real Truth Real Quick Videos From Watermark Church
R.C. Sproul give insights about why didn't Jesus need to go to hell forever? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4zw4tlPfRs
Apostles Creed 5 - He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried
Watch the sermon on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OQbzgMu4u-0
READ JOHN 18:36-38
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What do these Bible verses say about what Jesus came into the world to do?
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Why is it important to believe in Jesus as more than an abstract, vague, philosophical idea? Why is it important for us to believe together that Jesus Christ is the Truth of God incarnate?
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Why is it significant for the Apostles’ Creed to emphasize the biblical accounts of Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion, death, and burial as historical facts?
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How is the cross a picture of God’s love for us? How is it a picture of God’s hatred of all sin? What sins do we treat as more or less hated by God?
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Where in the Bible does it say, “All sins are equal in the eyes of God”? Why has this “Christianese” statement been so poopular?
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If we believe no sin has more power than the cross, why do we struggle with feeling forgiven? Why do we struggle with forgiving others?
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Why is the death of Jesus foundational for Christian community?
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In what ways are you striving to feel lovable and worthy rather than accepting the free gift of grace through faith in Jesus?
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What does it look like for you to rest in the accomplished work of Christ?
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Suffering is an inevitable part of the human experience. The degrees of suffering might differ from person to person, but everyone experiences periods of suffering. What emotions, thoughts, or questions have you had when suffering?
READ ISAIAH 52:14; 53:4-5.
- These verses prophesy the suffering Jesus would endure in His crucifixion. List the words used in these verses to describe Jesus’ suffering.
READ MATTHEW 27:24-26.
Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea from A.D. 26 to 36. This mention of Pilate in the Apostles’ Creed may seem odd, but it highlights Christ’s suffering as a historical event. The eternal Son entered our world, and a human court convicted Him of crimes He didn’t commit.
- Why is it important for faith to be rooted in historical facts? How does it change your perspective in day-to-day events—especially in suffering—not only to look to the future in faith but also to remember what Christ has already done for you?
READ ROMANS 5:1-11.
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List the words used to describe in past tense what Christ has done for you.
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Believing in Christ doesn’t exempt you from suffering. In fact, some suffering may result because of your faith (see John 15:18-21).
What hope do you have as a Christian in the midst of suffering?
The crucifixion was the ultimate display of human animosity toward God’s authority in our lives. Our sinful hearts rejected Christ, in spite of all His displays of love, because we hated His claim of lordship. If He’s the rightful King over our lives, we must confess and repent of our rebellion, surrendering our lives in submission to His rule. But instead, we demanded that Jesus be executed.
READ MATTHEW 27.
- What does this passage say about People? About God? What will you do about what you just learned?
______________________
For Further Study:
Matt Chandler. The Apostles' Creed reading plan: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/11335-the-apostles-creed-12-day-plan
Matt Chandler. “The Apostles' Creed - Bible Study Book.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-apostles-creed-bible-study-book/id1222607689
Who was Pontius Pilot? https://www.gotquestions.org/Pontius-Pilate.html
Apostles Creed 4 - who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
Watch the full service on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEBaptistChurchSATX/videos/765080784176527
THE APOSTLES’ CREED WILL HELP US WITH:
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Symmetry—a robust understanding of the God of the Bible
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Clarity—who God is
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Community—whom we belong to and whom we are with
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Counsel—to ourselves and to others
READ EXODUS 40:34-38.
*In the Old Testament the glory of the Lord was seen as a cloud that rested on the tabernacle, the portable temple of God’s people, the place where they worshiped God. This visible representation of the glory of the Lord was called the shekinah. In Ezekiel 10 the prophet Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord, the shekinah, leave the temple, but Ezekiel also had a vision of God’s glory returning to a new temple, recorded in Ezekiel 43:1-5.
READ LUKE 1:35.
The Bible says the Holy Spirit would “overshadow” Mary to enable her to conceive a son. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the same word for overshadow is used to describe the cloud of God’s glory in Exodus 40:35, where the Bible says, “Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD [shekinah] filled the tabernacle.”
Luke connected the shekinah glory of God to the conception of Jesus. His overwhelmingly glorious presence in the tabernacle and the temple now manifested itself through Mary as she conceived, carried, and gave birth to her firstborn child, the only Son of God.
What do you think would be lost if the creed said “born of the virgin Mary?” without saying “conceived by the Holy Spirit”?
*Excerpt From: Matt Chandler. “The Apostles' Creed - Bible Study Book.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-apostles-creed-bible-study-book/id1222607689
For Further Study:
Matt Chandler. The Apostles' Creed reading plan: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/11335-the-apostles-creed-12-day-plan
The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger https://www.christianbook.com/christmas-journalist-investigates-identity-child-manger/lee-strobel/9780310340591/pd/340591?event=AFF&p=1011693&
This Picture has 25 mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XtOBYpQ1Y
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places
CH Spurgeon ~ “I may know all the doctrines in the Bible, but unless I know Christ, there is not one of them that can save me.”
I'm personally inviting you (and would be absolutely thrilled) for you to join us in-person or online each Sunday at 10:30am. www.nebcsa.org
Apostles Creed 1 “I Believe”
Watch the full service on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEBaptistChurchSATX/videos/779378722692651
Watch the sermon o YouTube: https://youtu.be/RykIOjKWqc0
THE APOSTLES’ CREED WILL HELP US WITH:
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Symmetry—a robust understanding of the God of the Bible
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Clarity—who God is
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Community—whom we belong to and whom we are with
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Counsel—to ourselves and to others
Creeds do not hold any authority in and of themselves, but rather, they point outside themselves to the ultimate authority of the Word of God.
Hope, hope, hope, hope. If you repeat a word too many times, it might lose meaning. The word becomes empty air on your tongue, without texture or a tie to anything real. Has the word “HOPE” lost meaning in your life?
Watch the WONDER-full NEBC service on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/_LDFXlDB_J0
Did you ask any good questions today?
For Further Study: HARRIS III ON HOW TO RECOVER FROM CYNICISM, RECAPTURING WONDER AS A LEADER AND THE POWER OF STORY
https://careynieuwhof.com/episode387/
PATRICK LENCIONI, AUTHOR AND CREATOR OF THE SIX TYPES OF WORKING GENIUS (on the genius of wonder)https://www.workinggenius.com
Why is Bubble Gum Pink? https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/thinking-and-awareness/2013/room-for-wonder
bonus:
The lower third limbic system in the brain is the active story telling, damaged by trauma, https://retrainingthebrain.com/the-limbic-system/
Ephesians 5:15–20
Information without application leads to spiritual constipation.
Information with application leads to transformation.