May Community Meeting September 12, 2011

Praise the Lord May Community!

Below are notes from our meeting last Monday.

Unfortunately I am unable to load the audio file for you to hear the teaching.

 

Session 7: Growing in Your Relationship with Jesus Christ

Just as a child grows from the time being born until that child becomes an adult.

Growth should be a part of life.

As you grown in your relationship with Jesus Christ will equip you to handle more and more challenges that you may confront.

So, as you grown in relationship with Jesus Christ, so will your understanding and maturity in God.  John 14:21

If you want to develop a personal relationship with Jesus you have to make an effort just as you would in your interaction with others.

Read Proverbs 18:24

We sing the song I am a friend of God.

Read James 2:23

If you give life to something and that thing does not grown that means that the thing is retarded because all life form should grow…I wonder how many retarded Christians we have?

Matthew 21:19
Even Jesus cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit.

God is in things that grow. God expects us to grow.

As we grow in God your understanding should be different than it was 5 years ago.

We grow through nourishment. As Christians spending time with God in prayer and worship nourishes us. We are also nourished by reading His word.

Session 8 – Power for Living the Christian Life

You need the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the power source for the Christian life.

Acts 1:8

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The Lord sent the comforter to help us. He is the apart of the Holy Trinity.

The Trinity – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Ephesians 4:30

To really live the way that lines up with God’s word we really need the Holy Spirit.

What does the Holy Spirit do?

• He dwells within us – This is so we don’t do whatever we want to do. Think of the Holy Spirit as your compass.
• He came to convict the world of sin and justice
• He came to teach truth - The Holy Spirit will show you who your real friends are and will show you who you can trust and who can’t trust.
• He confirms your relationship with God – When you are led by the spirit of Go, your Father’s agenda.

Being led by the Holy Spirit will require that you have to confess your stuff to God. As you confess to God He will help.

The first step in deliverance is being honest.

We have to yield every area of our lives to God.

And that’s hard because as human beings we want to control.

 

Understanding the Nature of Salvation

Hello May Community - To hear the teaching on Understanding Salvation, please click on the send space link below. Follow these instructions:

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http://www.sendspace.com/file/bf39d4

  

June 27, 2011 May Community Meeting

·        Salvation – What does it mean? What does Salvation mean to you?

o       “Salvation denotes the process by which we are delivered from all that would prevent us from obtaining our highest goal that God has prepared for us.”

o       Salvation is the work of God where he delivers us from evil to life, love health wholeness safety peace joy freedom and ultimately into heaven.

·        How do you obtain salvation?

o       Believe on Jesus Christ and though shalt be saved.

Scriptural Reference:

John 20:30-31

 ³⁰And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

   ³¹But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Scriptural Reference:

John 1:12

¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

In the book of Acts after Paul and Silas’ chains fell off and everybody’s chains fell off, the guard asked Paul and Silas a question. See the Scripture Reference.

Scriptural Reference:

Acts 16: 30-31.

 ³⁰And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

   ³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

·        Faith in Jesus Christ saves you from:

• Sin - (Remember what we talked about in Session 2 – Understanding the Human Problem.)

• The wrath of God and Hell – Yes, there is a real Hell! We talked about this in our session.

Scriptural Reference:

Psalm 86:13

¹³For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Scriptural Reference:

Romans 5:9

⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

• Your enemies - Not just limited to people; depression is an enemy of your soul, unforgiveness is an enemy of your soul, poverty is an enemy.

Scriptural Reference:

Psalm 18:3

 ³I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

• The present evil age

Scriptural Reference:

Galatians 1:4

   ⁴Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

• Death

Scriptural Reference:

Psalm 56:13

   ¹³For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Scriptural Reference:

2Corinthians 1:10

  ¹⁰Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

·        What evidence do we have that is true? In the New Testament we see over and over again that “belief in Jesus Christ = Salvation.

·        Salvation is a process .

That’s why we say we are working out “our soul’s salvation”.  You work it out by walking in faith and in obedience.

Scriptural Reference

Read Philippians 2: 12-13.

¹²Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

   ¹³For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

When you get out of line repent and get back in line. Don’t carry the weight of your sin.  Jesus already took care of that.  Remember the scriptural reference below.

Scriptural Reference

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Remember I kept saying: NOW!

There is therefore NOW no condemnation…

Remember the example and revelation I gave about when Jesus said, "It is finished!"

We will mess up from time to time, but God is faithful and just to forgive us. I am not giving a license for sin; however, what I am saying is that we are all striving for perfection.

Scriptural Reference

Psalm 138:8
The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Jesus is THE ONLY WAY to salvation.

Scriptural Reference

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Some believe that Jesus was just a good man, but fail to recognize that He is the Son of God and the only way to Salvation.

That’s the difference between us and nonbelievers.

The example I shared with you was in other religions, man has to search for their god. In our faith, God came to us. Jesus didn’t stay in heaven to save us. He came to the earth realm through the womb of a woman to save us. What a mighty God we serve!!!!

We live in a post modern age where people want to mix religions to come up with their own way. This is not McDonald’s; you can’t have it your way! Jesus is the only way to the Father.

·        When witnessing to non believers remember to emphasize relationship with God not rules and regulations. Every human being wants to be loved. God desires a relationship with every human being.

How do you lead someone to the Lord? How do you lead them to salvation?

Thank you to the two brave Disciples who role played being lead in the Sinner’s Prayer. J
(Listen to the aduio file by clicking on the link http://www.sendspace.com/file/bf39d4)

·        When leading someone to the Lord, remember to have them confess with their mouth  the critical elements within the Sinners Prayer:

Father in the name of Jesus…ask to be forgiven of sins

I believe Jesus Christ died for me

Jesus shed His Blood for me

I confess that I am sinner

I am turning away from my sins

I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead

I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior

Sometimes you may not lead a person to the Lord but you may plant the seed.  After the seed is planted then someone else comes and leads that person to the Lord.

People will know that you are saved by the way you treat them. It’s not in how many scriptures you quote, how many times you shout, it’s all in how you treat people.

Remember the example I gave you when the Lord spoke to me at track practice. (Listen to the audio).

In which membership stage are you growing?

 As God's children we are supposed to appreciate our individual God-given qualities. Naturally, we do not like being placed in categories. However, while we all embody unique gifts and qualities we have to remember there are levels in God. As we grow in God, we grow to higher heights and deeper depths.

This year our pastor declared war and his vision to develop disciples. He defined four stages of membership at Reid Temple. They are as follows:

Membership: This is the beginning stage. This is where we understand what it means to "Follow" the ways of the Lord.

Fellowship: This is the first level beyond membership where we participate as servant leaders in the life of the church.

Stewardship: This is the mustard seed faith stage where we learn to walk in obedience to the Spirit of God.

Discipleship: It is the stage where we go and recruit potential disciples according to the biblical mandate of the Great Commission.

So in which stage are you currently growing?
Remember, we don't have to impress anyone but God!
Let me know, don't be shy (smile).