Dec 20 2020
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Remembering we are family during the holidays

Sunday Worship Notes from 12/13/2020

What do you love about the Holidays?
Many people enjoy connecting with family and friends, good Holiday foods and desserts, Holiday movies and music, decorations etc.


In General, during the Holidays many of us tend to focus on spending time with family. At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus’s birthday, although historically we know that was not his actual
birthday.


What do you think it was like to grow up in Jesus’s physical family?

Can you imagine being one of Jesus’ four brothers or two sisters (Matthew 13)?


What do you think makes a family a family?
What holds a family together?


Some ideas: Shared interests and values, love for each other, supportive members, sharing good times, sharing meals, being intentional to unify, putting work into relationships.


The bond that holds family together is our shared identity.

WHO IS MY FAMILY?
Read Matthew 12:46-50

● Jesus being both Son of Man and Son of God, prioritized his identity with his true family as the spiritual family doing God’s will
● In order to be in Jesus’s family, we have to do the will of God
● Jesus did not disown his physical family but he set a clear boundary for them to be considered his true spiritual family, they had to do God’s will
● We need to remember that loving God also included loving our biological family and calling them to obey God’s will
● Luke 2:41-52- from the time Jesus was a child, the dynamics between the two “families” can be seen, Family by Flesh and Family by Spirit

Read Romans 8:28-30
● God works for the good… we aren’t working, it is God
● We are justified because of Jesus’s death and resurrection
● We are now part of God’s family, an eternal family
● We are chosen to be justified and glorified when we become part of God’s family

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THE FAMILY?
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
● We are all part of one body in Jesus Christ
● As individuals we are uniquely created and bestowed with certain gifts from God to fulfill the role God wants us to play
● We need each other, each one of us has an important role to play
● The weakest parts of our body need special attention. That’s how we can physically see love

HOW SHOULD WE HAVE HARD TALKS IN THE FAMILY ?
Matthew 18:15
● Compared to other bible versions, the NASB version states, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
● The common understanding is, “If your brother sins against you…”; this is a completely different condition in our responsibility, to insure we help each other in regards to sin
● Remember to have the hard talks with an individual person in private first with the intention to win them over
● Be gentle, be humble, and help each other out
● Read Galatians 6:1-3, restore each other gently

WHAT ARE SOME GOALS OF THE FAMILY ?
Ephesians 5:1
● “Be Imitators of God, as beloved children…” How can we achieve this?
● Love and obey Jesus (John 14)
● Imitate Jesus by walking daily with him by reading and obeying the word and praying and seeing to it that our lives are aligning with God’s will

● Keep remembering to love each other, restore each other

Prayer and Meditation for Communion

Romans 8:1-11- think about the "flesh" versus "the law" of the Spirit

Romans 8: 12-17- think about -living by the Spirit, adoption as sons, children and heirs with Christ

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Dec 13 2020
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The City of Peace, Jerusalem

Sunday Worship Notes from 12/6/2020

Is Jerusalem a physical city or a spiritual place?

Originally Jerusalem was founded by Shem-from Egypt and Ebur, patriarchs from Abraham. The Egyptians were also known as “Shemites”.

The inhabitants of Jerusalem were disobedient to God and had an evil ruler as their king, Adoni Zedek. The inhabitants were known as giants and feared by others around. They had become “unrecognizable” by God because of their corrupt ways. 

Melchizedek was King and Priest of a place called “Salem” which is eventually known as Jerusalem. It was unusual at that time to be the king and a priest for the people of God.  In Hebrew, the word "Salem" means “Peace”, like the word “Shalom”. 

Look up the following scriptures about  Melchizedek, he is the King of Peace, sound familiar? Remember,  Jesus was referred to as the Prince of Peace. The following scriptures link Melchizedek and Jesus together-  the priestly line of Melchizedek was Jesus- read Heb 5:6; Heb 7:17 and Heb 7:21 and Psalm 110:4 - Jesus is the King of Peace, a forever priest in the Line of Melchizedek. What is the role of a priest in the old testament?

Abraham gave Melchizdek 10 percent of his plunder as a gift, another proof that he was seen as  a priest. 

Read Joshua 10

Joshua was tasked with leading a new group of Israelites from the desert into the promised Land after the death of Moses.

Joshua was obedient to God and totally destroyed these sinful inhabitants of Jerusalem. Joshua obeyed God and destroyed all of the depraved and corrupt nations that were living in that area. The sun even stood still as he accomplished this task. This is a billboard, a parallel of Rev 8:6-13, the destruction that is taking place. 

Adonis Zedek should have had a clue as to what his city’s name really meant.Let’s explore further: Jerusalem means Peace, but not as we know it. 

The word JERUSALEM is a combination of two words. In Hebrew, the words are read from left to right.

“Jeru”- in Hebrew means, “Fear or Awe”, it has two Hebrew characters which translate into “God’s hand” and “ Prince”- remember, Jesus is the Prince”!

“God’s hand” which is 'yod' and “ Prince”- which is 'resh'- meaning, God’s mighty hand doing mighty deeds. 

There is a  linking symbol between the “Jeru” and the “Salem”- “vov”  which means “and”. This symbol  links two words together that go together, like “love and marriage”.

“Salem”- Shalom, which means Peace, has three Hebrew characters: 

“sheen”- which means God’s destruction

“lamed”- two letters together  and is a letter of authority or a shepherd’s staff guiding you to correction 

“mem” - which means flood or destruction, massive chaos or death

Therefore: Jerusalem literally translates into “the mighty hand of God doing mighty deeds of destruction of the enemy, satan. 

There is no peace until the mighty hand of Jesus destroys all the work of the one causing massive chaos and destruction. Jesus does this with authority.

Do you remember where this concept is greatly displayed in the BIBLE?

Jesus’s death on the Cross. 

Jerusalem is destroyed by Joshua, then comes peace for the Israelites.

As disciples we are to carry our cross daily to voluntarily put to death our sinful nature.

We voluntarily fall on the “rock” to be broken in humility, but our Lord Jesus puts us back together as he sees fit. If we do not voluntarily submit, he tells us, the rock  will fall on us, then we will be crushed. Read Matthew 21:44.

What are some ways we can surrender to the rock?

Confess sin- James 5:16, when we confess our sins to each other, we get healing

Pray continually- etc

Jesus will NOT allow anyone in Jerusalem otherwise . Depravity sin is destroyed there. The only way to to deal with the sinful nature is to destroy it completely and categorically. Just like Joshua did in Chapter 10. Sin is hostile towards God and repentance deals with sin. 

So, is Jerusalem a physical city or a spiritual mindset?

Prophecy about Jerusalem

Zechariah 12:2-5 Jerusalem will not be shaken

The physical city of Jerusalem has been at the center of many wars: it was destroyed twice, 23 times besieged, 52 times attacked, 44 times captured and recaptured

Jeremiah 3:17 NIV

[17] At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.

Is God interested in the physical city of Jerusalem as we know it?

Heb 11:8-10, 11:13-16 Abraham saw it.

Rev 3:12 the name of the city is the New Jerusalem

Rev21:2 John saw it in a vision

Jeremiah 3:17 Jeremiah saw it

In Conclusion, Jerusalem is a spiritual place, where sin is not present and God is the full authority. If we surrender ourselves to Jesus’s teachings and obey his word, we will rest in this place of peace.

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Dec 05 2020
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Being Thankful During the Holiday Season

Sunday Worship Notes from December 6, 2020

What are you thankful for this Holiday Season and why?

Read  Matthew 27:27-61

  • In some countries, the Thanksgiving Holiday may not be celebrated, however, there are many things we should be thankful for in spite of what may be going on in the world right now.
  • Jesus is the real reason to be thankful each day. Because Jesus sacrificed his life for us, we are able to have a relationship with God and be saved. He makes it possible for us to even exist. 
  • Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us reassurance that God is still listening and dependable even during trying times. 
  • We can turn to God’s word and seek help during hard times because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
  • When we get everything we want and everything goes “well” in our lives, it is easy to be ungrateful and forget about God. 
  • True testing comes when things are hard and we decide to continue to talk to God and seek out a relationship with Him and be grateful.
  • Jesus will guide us through our trials no matter what, if we let Him
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Nov 29 2020
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Learning To Live Like Jesus Did

Sunday Worship Notes for November 15, 2020

Read Matthew 7:13-29

Read Acts 3

Read Acts 4:1-31

  • When we read the Bible,  listen to Jesus’ words and actually put them into practice in our lives, we will build our lives on a solid foundation. 
  • Unfortunately the opposite is true. When we do not read the Bible, or listen to Jesus’ words nor put them into practice, we do not build our lives on a solid foundation.
  • It takes effort to enter through a narrow gate. We have to make intentional and deliberate decisions like first of all believing that Jesus's words are true and real. The gate narrows further when we decide to not only believe but to obey those words. Finally, we have to consider obedience with the right heart and motivation.
  • Peter and John were putting what they learned and heard from Jesus into practice by preaching the Good News to others and healing people.
  • As disciples of Jesus, today we too can follow this example and learn from Jesus’ words and put them into practice.
  •  As we learn from Jesus, we can teach others to follow Jesus and bring spiritual healing to them.
  • When we let Jesus’ teachings influence our mind, our culture, our actions, we will have a great positive impact on our world. 
  • When we know the Love Jesus has for us, then we will know how to love others the way Jesus did. We will be able to love others beyond their political beliefs, their economic situation, their race, their gender or any circumstance that may be different than our own. 

Question:

What does putting Jesus’ words into practice look like for you? How do we take what Jesus says and make it functional, active, and not just an agreement with a philosophy?

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Mar 26 2017
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Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation

Do you feel guilty or feel bad about something that you've done...thought...said? Ashamed? Full of regret? Have you shared your struggle(s) with anyone?

In Psalm 51, David shares how he felt when he was dramatically confronted with his sins by the propet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-25): an extended experience of lust and adultery that led to murder and resulted in tremendous guilt and the loss of his infant son shortly after his birth. In this Psalm, he experiences the fulness and depth of guilt, shame and regret, yet in the very realization of how his sin is not just against Uriah and Bathsheba, his court and his nation, but against God...David experiences the joy of hope in God's forgiveness and ultimate salvation. This Psalm is a great example of why David was known as a man who was "after God's own heart." His example of dealing with his adultery, murder, lying and covering up his sin when confronted is a great example not only of true repentance, but of faith and hope in God's power and will to save. To redeem. To transform us into the people he envisions us to be.

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells a story about two men praying. He highlights the spiritual result of being humble and in touch with one's own sinfulness in a healthy way (c.f., Psalm 51:14-19). Repentance and inward spiritual transformation must occur in order for ritual sacrifices to be meaningful (c.f., Psalm 51:18-21).

Psalm 103 reminds us that the God who made us from dust knows exactly who and what we are. He made us. He knows we are weak and sinful and he loves and forgives us. He is full of compassion and grace. "Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in kindness."

Hebrews 10 explains that Jesus is the ultimate "once and for all" sacrifice that really does take away our sins for good. So "let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

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Jun 11 2015
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God’s Discipline

JPEG image-A737EEC9FDD3-1

 

What do we think of when we think of being disciplined by the Lord?  Do we think of punishment? This past Sunday we looked at Hebrews 12:1-11 and the idea of discipline in Jesus' life and our own.  Jesus endured many hardships during his life, the greatest of which was to endure death on a cross for the sin of others.  It appears that the Christians the writer is speaking to had forgotten the inheritance God had given them because of Jesus' sacrifice.  In verse 5, he reminds his brothers and sisters that they are sons and daughters of God and that God treats us as children whom he loves.  Too often we can look at this passage and think that the discipline is God reacting to our mistakes, a punishment to be administered when we do wrong.  We forget the context of this passage and completely forget how Jesus fits in to the picture.  We believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and he was disciplined by his father.  In Hebrews 5:8 , it says that Jesus learned obedience from his sufferings.  Jesus understood that his suffering was helping him learn obedience, a reliance on God for strength, security, and comfort.  How do we see suffering?  Is it a "I must have done something wrong to deserve this" viewpoint?  Do we ask "Why me"?  Shouldn't we instead see suffering as an opportunity to grow as a child of God?  When we go through difficult times and endure hardship, God is treating us as His sons and daughters!As we go about our day to day lives, let us remember Jesus and WHY he did what he did.  Let us remember that the "source and perfecter of our faith" was looking to a time where he could be reunited with his God.  Let us remember that this same hope, the hope of a bodily resurrection and being with God forever, is ours as well.

May 27 2015
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The Christian’s Memorial Day

IMG_0682
Last Sunday was the day before Memorial Day in the U.S. as well as Pentecost Sunday.  For Christians, every Sunday is memorial day, as we join together to celebrate the Lord's Supper.
It was an encouraging time of meeting for the Augusta Church! We had several sisters from the Atlanta and Columbia churches come join our agape feast.  In celebration of Pentecost and in the spirit of 1 Corinthians 14:27, a brother said a prayer of thanksgiving for the Holy Spirit in Russian and his wife translated. Another brother prayed for our enemies and that they would see that violent actions perpetuated against innocents in God's isn't pleasing to God and would turn from doing evil in the name of that which is good.
We continued with The Lord's Supper and discussed Psalm 95 and the author of Hebrews speaking directly to portions of this psalm in chapters 3 and 4 by arguing that returning to the old covenant won't bring the rest that God promised his people.

 In using this psalm to point to the author's time (and beyond), the author says:

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God's people. For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His. Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.
For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart. No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens — Jesus the Son of God — let us hold fast to the confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time. (Hebrews 4:8-16, HCSB)
Jesus, the one true high priest, is the reason we have hope to someday enter the rest God promised to the Israelites so long ago. As long as we hold on to what we believed when we first chose to follow Christ and be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, we can enter the true promised land, the new Jerusalem!
Feb 08 2015
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Word Becomes Flesh

 

Emmanuel

The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ HCSB)

The suburban group recently discussed Jesus' words and the power they can have in our lives. Much more powerful than any positive article we may read in the paper or any great philosopher's writings, the words of Jesus are transformative and give life; they are the very words of God.  God's word can't just be a source of do's and don'ts; it should dwell within us, be a part of us.  Jesus came to show us that God ultimately wants each of us to be His temple, a place for His Holy Spirit to dwell (1 Corinthians 3:16).  When we choose to follow Jesus, it is his word (along with the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit for those disciples who have accepted the message of Jesus and are baptized) that can continue to effect change in our lives and, God willing, bring others to Christ.

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Apr 10 2012
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Passages Exhibit Field Trip


On Saturday, April 14, 2012 many of us will be traveling to Atlanta to see the Passages Interactive Bible Exhibit, an exhibition of how the Bible has been written, copied, translated, published and distributed throughout history.  This special exhibit of the history of the printed Word of God is in honor of the 400th Anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible (1611) in 2011.

Highlights of the exhibit include: The Jewish Scribe Room, The Christian Scribe Room, European Translations, Gutenberg's Print Shop, Reformation Theatre (reenactments) and Early Reformation Bibles, William Tyndale, Jerome's Cave, Early English Bibles, Correction (how printed versions were corrected), and Adornment (artistic traditions in biblical production).
 

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Apr 10 2012
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Exodus 6:2-9 The Four (sometimes Five) Cups of Passover

passover sederDuring the course of a traditional Jewish Passover seder there are four cups of wine which are drunk by those present.  Each cup is connected to an aspect of deliverance mentioned by God in Exodus 6:6-7 (Read Exodus 6:2-9 for full context).  Some Jewish groups have a Fifth Cup which is not drunk, it will be drunk when  Messiah comes (cf. Matthew 26:29).

For our Midweek Bible Study we will discuss this passage and it's fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

We will be meeting at the Hayes' House tonight (Tuesday, April 10, 2012).

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