It's Time To Grow Up in Christ

Pt. Dave Kenney
Ephesians 4:11-32

GROWING UP IS A PROCESS - to be mature like Jesus.
Many people are more satisfied at the point that they're not going to hell.
It doesn't go like that. You need to GROW!

IT INVOLVES:

• Christian Leaders v.11, for different purpose, not just for the pastor/minister. We are all ministers.
• Works of Service - part of maturing
• Building unity in faith and the church - work together. When there's misunderstanding, work together. Clarity of the purpose.
• Learning about Jesus. Studying won't make you mature. But you won't be mature, if you're not learning. What's your purpose in learning about Jesus?

WHAT MATURITY LOOKS LIKE

• Not Childish - vs. Childlike
• Stable - be an actor (take action), not a reactor.
• Not Confused - blown here and there, be swing around.
• Speaking the truth in love - not enough about being honest, it goes deeper in building up others/people's life.
• Each doing our part - for His Kingdom.

EXAMPLES FROM THE EPHESIAN CHURCH - how maturing happened, what maturity is practically.

Negative - Continual lust for more

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them doe to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

not just about sex, but it's more about we always want something MORE.


Negative - Deceitful desires

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires

Things that make us lie, so that we can appear more.
Act 5 - Ananias and Sapphira - we give some of the money, but we tell everyone we give all of it.

Negative - Steal

28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Negative - Not Contribute
won't grow and will never go!

28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Positive - Speak Truthfully

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Positive - Speak Positively

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

build value, build of hope - not spiritual criticism.

Positive - Control your Emotion

26 "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

Don't let emotions control your life.
Don't act as you will, instead act as you should!

Presentation Weekend

Rev. Dave Kenney
Luke 2:22-24, 39-40

Understanding the text and the background
Each firstborn son belonged for the Lord and an offering was given to buy him back.

The first offspring of every womb, both man and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. Numbers 18:15 (NIV)

Life lesson: everything is under His hands/controls : conception, birth, life, and death.

Seemingly the reason for paying a redemption price for a firstborn son and unclean animals and the sacrifice of the first of clean animals was to provide a perpetual reminder that conception, birth, and life are gifts of God. (NIV Biblical Commentary)

First male child belongs to God, but can buy him back / redeem.
Buy : the idea of redeem, cause later Jesus will do it.

The sacrifice was a lamb, or doves, or pigeons, if the were poor.
Family of Jesus was a poor family. God doesn't care about the circumstances, everyone is the same.

Some important things from this passage:

1. God's plan finds fulfillment through the obedience of His servants.
   God want to sent Jesus, but it depends of their (Mary and Joseph) obedience. And it all happened, just because Mary said, "Yes, Lord."

2. God stepped into the progress of history and changed things forever by sending His Son into the world.

3. Jesus was a "grace-gift" of God not only to all mankind, but also to His parents.

Applications to our lives today

1. It is as we are obedient to Him by submitting to prayer, that our prayers are answered. God tells us to pray.

2. We put ourselves in a place where God can minister to us.
   God can minister to us, when we pray together.

3. We are honest about our need for God's help.

4. God steps into the everyday events of Life and changes things.
   Just like He steps into history and change life.
   

Reach The World

Pt. Dave Kenney
Matthew 28:18-20
Acts 1:7-8

1. WHY REACH THE WORLD?

• Jesus tells us to go. He wanted to tell everyone not only the Galilee that He left.

• People are lost without Jesus.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23 (NIV)
Everyone need Jesus desperately.

• People are not going to come to Jesus unless someone goes and tells them about Jesus.

Romans 10:11-15 (NIV)
How can we not share the Salvation : news of good value?

• We have been reached.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
We don't do anything to deserve this Salvation. That's why we can't keep it for ourselves.

2. HOW TO REACH THE WORLD

• Fish for men.

Matthew 4:18-20 (NIV) - Jesus wants to applied it for men, instead of fish.
If you're a fishermen and you stop going fishing, your family will starv. You'll change from that to beggars.

• Make disciples

• Baptize people

• Be witnesses - the guys are from Galilee, so they didn't start from home base first.

You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 (NIV)

Why these specific places?
Jerusalem - center of culture
Judea - people surround Judea will hear also
Samaria - cos you don't like them

• Each one needs to participate.

Eph. 2:1-10 (NIV)

3. WHAT HAPPENS AS WE REACH THE WORLD

• Lives are changed.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)
v.11 "..were.." This is what Jesus did. People's life are really changed.

• God's Kingdom is multiplied.

Romans 1:16 (NIV) -salvation is for everyone!
God does things we would never imagined - IF we'll do our part.

Fit the description of Jesus.
How many times have we been mistaken for Jesus?
He called us to be Jesus for others.
God has called us to be (like) Jesus. It's our decision whether we want to do it or not!

Why We Need Immanuel

Pt. Dave Kenney
Matthew 1:18-25 (MSG)

What does it mean? and how would it impact our life?

1. We learn about God - through Jesus Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. Colossians 2:9
Jesus helped us to learn how God is.

John 1:14-18
None of us has ever seen God, but we can see, feel, understand, can hold God through Jesus.
We can also learn from nature or human nature, but at the same time we can also learn wrong things through this.
So, the most perfect thing is through Jesus.

2. We have confidence that He understands our situation.
The confidence is for us.

Heb 4:14-16 (MSG)
Jesus has resisted every temptations.
Every situation, temptation that we faced, Jesus has faced it.
So we can have confidence that He understand what we're going through.

3. We have a start on eternity.

Rev. 221:22-23

Rev. 21:1-5
What makes heaven "heaven" cos we are with Jesus, can see His face (v.4).
But that God has already did, by sending Jesus.
"Immanuel" - God is with us. We have the best part of heaven. We already have.

4. We have Him in our lives now.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

v. 20b is important? why? cos He is with us now.
means : we have eternity. Whatever might we are facing.

What Part of 'Go' Did You Not Understand?

15And then He told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. Mark 16:15-16 (NLT)

John 19:19-21 (MSG)
Luke 24: 45-47 (NLT)
Acts 1:6-8 (NIV)
Matthew 20:18-20 (CEV)

Membership - can come and participate anyway you want..
Transparency and accountability
Mission a priority in the church

March 2000
Why Missions :
It is the Command of Jesus - Go!
Matthew 28:16-20

To Follow the Example of Christ - Jesus was sent by the Father
2 Corinthians 8:9

As an Expression of our Thanks to God for His Gift of Salvation - we need our sins forgiven coz Jesus had died for us so we can reach Father in heaven.
2 Corinthians 9:14-15

As an Expression of Love for Christ - we love Him, then we are willing to do the things He asked us to do.
Romans 8:8

In a balanced, systematic response, not through an emotional appeal.
2 Corinthians 8:12

As an act of faith that God will supply our needs
2 Corinthians 9:8

We give to missions because giving brings us benefits.

Significant Events
strategy of strategic partner:
Leverage skills
Focus interest
Increase accountability

Yayasan Gloria
Tragedy in Maluku
We began to feel that one of the reason that the Lord had raised up. IES was ti gave people ready to respond and meet needs on His behalf.

Fundraising in 2004
Tsnumani in Aceh
Earthquake in Nias
Earthquake utk Nias

We are commanded to go and tell everyone.

We know what a difference it makes to others when we reach out to them.
We know that it is best for us to go and to be involved in the mission of telling everyone.
We continually say that we are going to do everything we can to tell everyone.

Are We Doing It?
Which part do you play in, "going" or "sending"

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and says, " In the same way after supper he took the cup, saying "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me,"for whenever you eat this bead, and drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bed, and drink this cup , you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

The Lord's speaks for things:
Bread - The church
Cup - for ikut Forgives of sin
Jesus death
Jesus return

1 Corinthias 11:23-32

How To Be Beautiful

Pt. Dave Kenney

Romans 10:11-15

The value of the message
for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13

The way to reconcile with with God, you can't call on to the Lord, unless you belief in Him.
If you are here and you know the Lord, it is only because someone told you about Him. So, someone got to go and tell.

The Joy of the message
What does Paul mean when he quotes Isaiah 52:7

3 For this is what the Lord says;

"You were sold for nothing,
and without money yo will be redeemed." - by the Lord

4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

"At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them. -God has redeemed them from Egypt but now back to slavery once again.

5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the Lord.

"For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock, "declares the Lord.
"And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. - people started to question the Lord.

6 Therefore my people will know my name;

therefore in that day they will know
that it is I who foretold it.
Yes, it is I." - circumstance will start to change.

7 How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaims salvation,
who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"

8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;

together they shout for joy.
When the Lord returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes. - you've been in captivity but God will bring joy again.

9 Burst into songs of joy together,

you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted His people,
He has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord will lay bare His holy arm - God's showing His power

in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.
About God in His deliverance!
Paul knows that God will redeemed His people, over and over, and over again!

The Beauty in the message

Key thoughts:
1. Preach
How then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14

2. Sent
And how can they preach unless they are sent?

You are either a goer, or a sender!

Have I Done Anything Significant?

Micha Tamaela-Wattimena

Usually the standard or measurement is by:

• power
• possession
• positions

What does the bible say?
Mark 10:35-34

1. What does it mean to be a servant?
   Do voluntarily servant v23. Servants nowadays get paid.
   To place yourself under someone else authority

2. What does it mean to be slave?
   To be someone who gives absolute surrender.
   Slave don't have freedom - e.q. Gladiator - slave for entertainment only.
   Jesus - slave means give up your freedom, position, don't have any rights.

3. What does it mean to be slave, who will give his life.
   To be a slave who will give his life, is to be someone who is brave to make a fatal action of compassion - max impact

Jesus died for ALL kinds of man, not restricted to specific kind of people, died for the ones who deserve to. Instead, He died for the ones who don't deserve.

Rom 8:28
Was He a slave?
Was He a _______

Being a slave is:

1. Giving my possessions to God: time, money, everything
2. Will I go out of my comfort zone to help others?