Hear… See… Tell…

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Hear

 

 

Sunday 12/17/17 

Series: Doers of the Word

Message – Hear…See…Tell…

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Hear…see…tell…

Today we are still looking at what we value…

Change your views and that will reset your values.

This week we are going to focus on knowing Him.

Truly knowing Him…

  • Agape Him
  • Valuing Him
  • Changing your views (opinions)
  • Submitting to His Lordship
  • Remember, His Lordship is a covering for us.
    • We do the submitting and He does the subduing.

1 Corinthians 1:9,

“God is faithful, by Whom you were called into the fellowship {koinonia} of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

  1. You cannot value one you do not know.
  2. Your value of a person will be limited to how deeply you really know them.

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been realizing and thinking that I really do not know Jesus…the author and developer of my trust… not as He really is.

  • He is Bigger.. Much much bigger!
    • I offered you some examples… Creator, the specific member of the Godhead most often manifest in the old testament – this is huge.
    • Do I really know Him?

John 5:38-47, “(38) But you do not have His word abiding in you, because Whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  (39)  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  (40)  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  (41)  “I do not receive honor from men.  (42)  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  (43)  I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  (44)  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  (45)  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust.  (46)  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  (47)  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?“

 

John 17:1-8,  “(1) Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,  (2)  as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.  (3)  And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent. (To know by experience – to know Him free intimately and therefore value and trust Him more completely)

(4)  I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.  (5)  And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.  (6)  “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.  (7)  Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.  (8)  For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.”

 

Knowing Him passages…

1Jn 4:6, “We are of God. He who knows God hear s us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

 

1Jn 2:3, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we habitually keep His commandments.”

1Jn 2:5, “But whoever habitually keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”

1Jn 3:16-19,   “(16) By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (17)  But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (18)  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (19) And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.”

1Jn 4:13, “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”

 

1Jn 3:24, “Now he who habitually keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”

1Jn 5:2, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.”

 

  • Valuing Christ
  • Seeing a more complete picture of Him
  • You will only be influenced by a personality stronger than yours. So how do you view Him?
  • How you view Him will set the limit of your value of Him.
  • God wants to be known relationally. To know Him by heart. (Moses, Jesus in beatitudes)
  • Think differently (soberly). If the way you view Him is not encouraging and spurn in guppy on to greater and deeper growth, then expand your view of Him. Think differently!
  • You are no longer behind the fig tree… You’ve been called out into the light of His presence, He has clothed you and given you peace.
  • A Savior Who is Christ the Lord.
    • Lord Who is Savior (jehovah-rapha, jireh… etc.)
    • He cannot be to me what I will not submit to Him.
    • Lord of peace, harvest (my fruit bearing),salvation, healer… etc.

Christ the Lord—”magnificent appellation!” [BENGEL]. “This is the only place where these words come together; and I see no way of understanding this “Lord” but as corresponding to the Hebrew JEHOVAH” [ALFORD].

The words Lord, Jehovah and I Am/I Exist are all connected words between the Hebrew and Greek languages.

Luke 2

“1  And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

 2  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

 3  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

 4  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

 5  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

 6  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

 7  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 8  Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. (Quite possibly outside the very city itself where tradition has it that shepherds watched over flocks intended to Temple Sacrifice)

 9  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

 10  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

 11  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 12  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

 13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

 14  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

 15  So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

 16  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

 17  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

 18  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 19  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

 20  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

This has always been the testimony of those who have met Him.

  • They are Told
  • they see  for themselves
  • They go tell

 

In a manger – To shepherds! Shepherds go to the city of the Shepherd-King David called Bethlehem, which means the house of bread, to see bread of life lying in a feeding trough for sheep Who was King-Shepherd.

God appears to shepherds and bears testimony through them – unlikely testimonies.

God has chosen the base things of the world to bring to nothing the things that are.

 

 

This service had no notes since it was an open discussion…Blessings! 

 

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will be mentioned.

If you have been spiritually fed by this ministry and wish to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but all outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.

Blessings!

 

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!