WORSHIP SCHEDULE

                          Outline of Sermons 

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                  Sunday Morning Lesson: 01/04/26, I Pet 2:1-3  

    Why we need to take off culture clothes and put on Christ    

                                       clothes? 

It empowers us to put on new clothes. It does something to the mind – enjoyment because it’s brand new / refreshing. Christ’s clothes makes us clean.

1. To be spiritually clean, take off the old clothes and put on the new.

Col 3:8 - “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, . . .” We’re taking off clothes to put some new ones on. The spiritual clothes show how you conduct yourself. The gospel plugs us up to the cross. Everything that pertains to the world, we need to take off. When you take off the world, you throw it away to never put it back on. There’s no use for it now. We are obligated to take off the dirty clothes and put on that which is clean – putting something better on.

Clout-chasing is not the same as cross-chasing, which is trying to serve God. Clout is influencing others through self-celebrating oneself. Christ lay in the tomb for 3 days and nights, shedding his blood for salvation. Jesus is the clout. He is God’s chosen. Remain cross-chasing folks.

The clothes we wear show who we chase, living in the virtue of the Lord not the vices of the world. Virtue is morally good behavior. Christ makes us virtuous. This world hands out vices, which is something for them to become addicted to. When we take off the old clothes, we live in the newness of life. Old clothes won’t allow putting aside all malice and putting away all trouble / chaos. Stop wishing bad on your brother and sister. Rather pray and encourage your brother and sister. Don’t be in rivalry with them. Rivalry comes from demons, but righteousness comes from the doctrine. We are not hateful people; we are holy people.

2. Stop the deceit. Stop tricking people, trying to get your own way. Now is the time to live in the truth.  If one tricks you, he doesn’t love you. We don’t harm, but we help one another. In church, we have a code of morality – not tricking one another. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.    

Deceit means playing a role around assembly people and living recklessly around others.  In God’s assembly, if you fake it, you won’t make it. Our salvation is not fake and our Savior is real. The cross is real. Envy and slander are a violation of the covenant code.

We take off those old clothes while with new clothes we become children of righteousness. Don’t envy what your brothers and sisters have. Envy steals joy. Learn to cheer for your brothers and sisters in what they have. Celebrate what God gave them. Cheer for one another.

3. To be spiritually clean is to allow the word of God to nourish you. Like newborn babes (imagery of the rebirth / regeneration), being birthed through the gospel. Don’t ever stop hungering for the word. Keeping culture clothes on keeps you from hungering for the word. The word of God is good for you because it’s the same word that saves you. Like pure milk where pure means God prepares it and doesn’t mix anything with it. God doesn’t dilute the word by taking the sting and the salvation out of it. Don’t tamper with the word of God, causing people to lose their salvation. The denominational world dilutes the truth; they’re not mindful of the true church.

We have a singular duty and that is to be with the Lord. We serve a Savior who came to save the world. We do what the Lord wants us to do. The word pure also means that which is spiritual. We live in a physical world – what we see and what we feel. We feel what God feels. Our feeling comes from the word and the God who saves us. We’ve tasted something delicious and nutritious to our souls. God tastes good and his word tastes good. Don’t stop feasting on the Lord. Psalm 34:8 states, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: . . .” We tasted the goodness of God when we obeyed the gospel. We have tasted the goodness of God, which brought us here to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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         Sunday Morning Lesson: 01/11/26, I Cor 9:19-23

    From Prosecutor to Apostle (Diary of a mad, Jewish man)

                            The Life of Saul

Paul’s mentors were Gamaliel (a rabbi) and the Lord himself.

Acts 22: Saul was born a Jew near Tarsus, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee. His Greek name was Saul, and he was a Roman citizen.

First century preachers were so bold in their preaching:

Acts 5: Peter and John preaching in the name of Jesus and the Sanhedrin wanted to kill them.

Acts 6: Stephen was chosen to lead the efforts to feed the widows who were being overlooked.

Acts 7: Stephen was full of the spirit but a lot of Jews wanted to kill him. Saul was in hearty agreement for putting Stephen away as he began ravishing the church and putting the Christians in prison. Saul hated the followers of  “the Way.” Verse 54:  After Stephen preached, “they were cut to their heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” Stephen looked up to heaven, seeing the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. They began to stone Stephen until his death. At that time, Stephen prays, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” The witnesses laid robes at the feet of a young Jewish man called Saul.

Then, people began to scatter, preaching the word. So Saul did not prevent the spread of the word (the good news). The Christians went to the synagogues to worship and preached from house-to-house. Saul found them there and captured them for persecution.

Acts 6:7 -- “And the word of God increased.” Christians were not discouraged by the persecution. A great many of the rabbis were converted to Christianity.

Acts 9: Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus: He was still breathing threats and murder against disciples of the Lord. He found and brought them bound to Jerusalem. On his way to Damascus, he heard from the Lord, “Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?”                Saul was blind in Damascus for three days in the house of Judas. Jesus is going to send Saul out to minister for the Lord. Ananias came to Saul and laid his hand upon him.

Acts 13: The Roman name of Paul is then used for Saul, with his becoming a staunch defender of the faith.

Acts 26: Paul spoke to Agrippa, telling him that he had caused Christians to blaspheme. Later, Paul became a powerful gospel preacher, proclaiming Jesus as the son of God. Barnabas brought Paul to the apostles and scribes (who all had been afraid of Saul / Paul).     Paul wrote 13 books of the New Testament.

The latter chapters of Acts detail Paul’s persecutions: Paul was stoned, shipwrecked, imprisoned, suffered in hunger, thirst, and cold, etc., thus demonstrating God’s grace. He suffered a thorn in the flesh, which kept him humble as the Lord stated.

Why did Jesus choose Saul?                                                                  I Tim 1:12-14: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” Putting Paul into the ministry and his missionary journeys helped to establish the church in different places. He learned to endure with plenty or nothing, with Christ being the source of his strength, thus strengthening the early churches.

Acts 26 tells of Paul’s appointment by Jesus, delivering the people from Satan that they may receive the forgiveness of sins.

Cor 15:10-11: Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am …”  Rom 1:16: Paul states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ  . . . “

People need to see Christ living in our lives.

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          Sunday Morning Lesson: 01/18/26, Col 3:22-25

Wives submit, husbands love, and masters / slaves worship together. The family and vocational life was lived out in the church.

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Slaves have status with the Lord. There’s no status here with the Lord just for the rich – it’s dependent on faith, keeping his commands; then, you have status with the Lord. Before the Lord, you are somebody. All that really matters is that before the Lord, we are recognized. If you obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, you’re entitled or have made the Lord’s list of important people. The gospel is for us (no matter our status – even for slaves). When you hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s time to do something with your life. You will be held accountable to him and before him. 

 

“Slaves obey your earthly masters.” (Eph 6:5, Col 3:22). Paul wrote the commands of Christ in his letters so we know how to carry ourselves.

We can say “yes sir” and “no ma’am” because we see the Lord and try to be obedient to him. It’s because we serve the Lord Jesus Christ that we give respect to others. A man is just a man; it’s not that we’re trying to please them.

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No one down here out-ranks Christ, and no one here has riches to give us like Christ. No one down here can ruin us like Jesus if we disrespect him. Do not fear man who can kill you. Some of us have been wronged down here – a planned injury, but go ahead and pray for him. Do good to him, and ask the Lord to bless him. They get away with wrong down here. They’re face-people down here. My God and your God is not a face-favorite God. You receive the justice due to you, not due to your face. There is a justice tenderer, giving justice without face preference. Man receives justice for the stuff that he does. The head, honor, and hope of your life is centered in Christ.

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It’s so much injustice down here and sometimes, we are powerless to bring justice about. Just turn to the Lord in pain. Go to God and pray for them. We will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Slaves obey your master. When mistreated, take it. You serve the Lord Jesus Christ. You will receive the corresponding reward for the duty that you served. The Lord has a reward for you. Rejoice; slaves obey. God put us close to hardship, to suffering, to pain, and to the Son that he loves. There’ no face-favoring in God. Confess his name.

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​               Psalm/Hymn/Edification of the week:

 

 

 

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. (Eph 5:19)

 

Prov 19:17  He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given. (NKJV)

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                         'Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus

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                           'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

                           Just to take Him at his word;

                           Just to rest upon his promise,

                           Just to know, thus saith the Lord.

 

                           Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him

                           How I've proved Him o'er and o'er;

                           Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

                           O for grace to trust Him more!

 

                          'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

                          Just to know he is the Way

                          Just to lean upon his mercies,

                          Just to trust and to him pray.

 

                          Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him

                          How I've proved Him o'er and o'er;

                          Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

                          O for grace to trust Him more!

                         

 

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