ROM-8-140511 - length: 59:22 - taught on May, 11 2014
Class Outline:
Welcome To
BARAH MINISTRIES
a Christian Church
Rory Clark
Pastor-Teacher
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church…my name is Pastor Rory Clark. Let’s begin with First Peter, Chapter 5, beginning at Verse 8…
Be of sober spirit (with self-control)…be on the alert (constantly). Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
But resist him (…withstand his onslaughts), firm in your faith (your absolute confidence in Christ), knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren (other believers in Christ) who are in the world.
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
Suffering is not forever. It happens for a little while. While it is happening, often we feel down. But it is the Lord’s intent, always, to lift us up…to take us from crucifixion to resurrection.
As we are commanded to keep on doing, a request from our Sovereign God to our free will, today we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We take a moment to look back at the Cross. We do this celebration in remembrance of Him.
<JESUS HANGING FROM A CROSS>
When we look back to the Cross, we see sacrifice. In God’s plan, sacrifice always preceded exaltation. We see our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, hanging from the Cross on our behalf, making an oath to us with His blood. The Divine One came to us from His Father to demonstrate His unconditional love and His Father’s unconditional love for all mankind…Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8 says…
But God (the Father) demonstrates His own (unconditional) love toward (all mankind), in that while we were yet sinners (while we were unbelievers…His enemy), (the Lord Jesus) Christ died (as a substitute) for us.
First Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 24…
…and (the Lord Jesus Christ) Himself bore our sins in His body on the Cross, so that we might die to (the sovereignty of the) sin (nature) and (so that we might) live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Colossians, Chapter 2, Verses 13 and 14…
When you were (spiritually) dead in your transgressions (at physical birth) and (spiritually dead in) the uncircumcision of your flesh, (God the Father) made you alive together (in union) with (the Lord Jesus Christ), having forgiven us all our transgressions…
…having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and (God the Father) has taken (the debt) out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross.
A poem says it this way…
Jesus for thee a body takes…
Thy guilt assumes…thy fetter breaks
Discharging all thy dreadful debt…
And canst thou then such love forget?
Of course not…we can’t forget. And we mustn’t forget that it is God’s intention that we come on up. The Lord forgets, by the way…what a great forgetter our Lord is…and in forgetting He invites us up.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION
Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ
Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
He Remembers to Forget
As God prepares your soul for RENEWING, let’s hear June Murphy worship our Lord in song. Let’s celebrate the One who remembers to forget.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute
truth...the Word of God…
Thank you for Your forgiveness…thank you for Your unconditional love…thank you for welcoming us to come up to the higher ground of victory through your Son…our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…
As we celebrate His death on the Cross today, and as we celebrate the promise of His resurrection, help us not to forget for a moment the sacrifice He made on our behalf…and His invitation to come on up to the Cross with Him…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name... Amen.
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
The Cross Invites You to Come on Up
First, a few announcements…
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mark Your Calendars!
The next Lord’s Supper Celebration is June 8, 2014
Mark Your Calendars!
June 1
Face-to Face Teaching
Deacons Elliott Clark and Caleb Alburn Presiding
Congratulations
Noelle LoGrasso
Art Poster Contest Winner
<INSERT PICTURE SLIDE>
Let’s take the offering. Welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall.
Let’s remember to give with the motivation suggested in Scripture
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful (grace oriented) giver.
TODAY’S OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
Barah Ministries Financial Policy
Even though we are sanctioned by God to charge for the many things we provide so you can worship God, we choose not to exercise our right. Therefore no price appears on any material from Barah Ministries so that anyone who desires biblical teaching may have it free of charge.
Barah Ministries Financial Policy
Even though the materials we provide are free of charge, they are not free of cost. We appreciate it when the Word of God motivates you to give financial support so as to provide biblical teaching, both for yourself and for others.
OFFERING VERSE
For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
OFFERING
I Worship You
Travis Cott
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
The Cross Invites You to Come on Up
Mark, Chapter 8, Verses 34 and 35 say…
And (the Lord Jesus Christ) summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself (of self interest), and take up his Cross (in obedience) and (keep on) follow(ing) Me.”
“For whoever wishes to save his (own) life will lose it (self-righteousness is not effective for salvation), but whoever loses his (own) life (in self- sacrifice) for My sake and the gospel’s (sake) will save it.”
It has always been God’s intention that we be lifted up. Yet as ironic as it seems, the Cross is always the way up. Quite often in this life we feel put down by the things that happen to us…the suffering we must endure. But did it ever occur to you that the Lord never felt that way when He was on the Cross? He did not feel put down by it at all. Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verse 2 reminds us to keep on…
….fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (the Father).
The Cross is called “the joy set before” our Lord. He was happy to suffer for us. Are you happy when you suffer? You should be. For what is suffering? What is being put down? It is not our new self that is suffering. Our new self loves suffering. It is our old self that hates suffering. Our old self and its ego loves preferential treatment…the kind that is taught to those who practice self-righteousness or religion. We did not learn the Lord in this way. We learned the Lord through humility…Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 11 say…
Therefore if (1) there is any encouragement in (union with) Christ (and of course there is), if there is any consolation of (unconditional) love (and there is), if there is any fellowship of the Spirit (and there is), if (there is) any affection and compassion (and there is)…
…make my joy complete by being of the same mind (as Jesus Christ), maintaining the same (unconditional) love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves…
…do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also (look out) for the interests of others.
Have this (same) attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus…
…who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God (the Father) a thing to be grasped (and held)…
…but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men (true humanity).
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross (the most humiliating death of all).
For this reason also, God (the Father) highly exalted (the Lord Jesus Christ), and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name…
…so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth…
…and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
God wants us to go up. In sports… the athlete will say, “I need to step up my game.” In business…the CEO will say, “We need to get to the next level.” In warfare…the high ground is the place of strategic importance. In the spiritual life…the Lord calls us to a higher calling, like the calling of reflecting unconditional love to our enemies. The Lord calls us up…to heaven. We celebrate the Cross, because the Cross invites you to come on up!
THE LORD’S SUPPER
Enjoying the Elements
Following God’s request, we keep on celebrating CHRIST and His Cross on a regular basis…we eat to remember who He is…His PERSON…we drink to remember His WORK, the voluntary sacrifice He made at the Cross on our behalf…and we are grateful. First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verses 23 and 24 say…
For I, Paul received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that
the Lord Jesus Christ on the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is, and keeps on being My body, which is broken for you; keep on doing this celebration for the purpose of remembering Me.”
When we eat the bread during the Lord’s Supper celebration, we remember THE PERSON of the Lord Jesus Christ.
First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verses 25 and 26 say…
In the same way the Lord Jesus Christ took the cup after supper, representing His death on the Cross, saying, “This cup is a new testament forged with My blood; keep on doing this celebration, as often as you drink it, for the purpose of remembering Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
When we drink the cup, we remember THE WORK of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As you remember the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, please enjoy the bread and enjoy the cup. And come on up! As you enjoy the elements, and as you give thanks to the Lord, let’s listen to the Lord’s Supper song...Give Thanks.
LORD’S SUPPER SONG
Give Thanks
Take a five-minute break.
BREAK
When I Think About Home
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
The Cross Invites You to Come on Up
Welcome back…God starts us all in the basement of condemnation…First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22a says…
For as in (union with) Adam all (are set to) die (the second death)…
Galatians, Chapter 2, verse 20a says…
“I have been crucified with Christ…”
At physical birth we are condemned. At salvation we are crucified so that God might resurrect us from the death. Just as sure as we are down, the Lord lifts us up…why? Isaiah, Chapter 55, Verses 8 and 9 tells us…
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
It is God’s intention that we are in a high place…with God our way is up…turn to Luke, Chapter 14, Verse 7…
And (the Lord Jesus Christ) began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them…
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him…”
“…and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.
“But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher;’ then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.”
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
In God’s plan we start at the bottom, and the Lord lifts us up. First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22b says…
…so also in (union with) Christ all will be made (spiritually) alive.
Even in the resurrection of the Church Age believer, our way is up…First Thessalonians, Chapter 4, Verse 13…
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep (physically dead), so that you will not grieve as do the rest (unbelievers) who have no hope.
For if (1) we believe that Jesus died and rose again (and we do), even so God (the Father) will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in (union with) Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep (in physical death).
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in (union with) Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain (on earth) will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
In the exit resurrection of the Church, God will take us up. No matter how down you are…no matter how down you feel…you must know that it is God’s intention to lift you up…to build you…to move you to higher ground. Keep your head up. Let the Cross be your constant remind that our way, as believers in Christ, is up! Second Thessalonians, Chapter 2, verse 14…
It was for this (the upward call, that the Lord Jesus Christ) called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Promises of the Lord Jesus Christ
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you (who are) in (union with) Christ Jesus.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
“Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today…”
He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.
CLOSING SONG
I Stand Amazed at Grace
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
THANKS
INTERCESSION
PETITION
And we pray that You continue to shape the messages from this pulpit that are an accurate reflection of Your unconditional love, Your person, Your thinking, Your work, and Your essence...we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit, in Christ’s name, Amen.
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
www.barahministries.com
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