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Tying Up Loose Ends: Stewardship

Tying up Loose Ends: Stewardship

Introduction

  • Definition: “tie up loose ends” – (idiomatic) Tidy up, finish, or complete.
  • It can be Easy to Start Something, but difficult to finish.
  • God encourages us to complete the work we began in Christ (2 Corinthians 8:5-12).
  • Today, we’ll discuss the Loose End of Stewardship.

I.   The Purpose of a Steward is be Found Faithful to His/Her Task (1 Corinthians 4:2; Luke 12:42-46; Deuteronomy 8:11, 17-18).

All We Have Belongs to God – He Has Entrusted us with It.

II.  Stewardship is More than what we Give.

      Areas of Stewardship:

  • Stewardship of the Body
  • Stewardship of our Talents / Gifts
  • Stewardship of our Possessions
  • Stewardship of the Earth
  • Stewardship of our Money

III. Stewardship Does Require that we Give

Conclusion: How Much Does God Expect me to Give?

Our sermon series is entitled, Tying Up Loose Ends. There are things that we know we need to do, but we put off.  This may have little consequence in some areas of our lives, but with spiritual matters, your eternal destiny is in the balance.  This morning we will be talking about our financial stewardship.

A steward is one who is entrusted with the possessions of another. The primary purpose of a steward is to faithfully carry out the business of the one who gave him that trust.

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2).

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?  43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.  44 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.  45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk.  46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers (Luke 12:42-46).

The Bible teaches that our money and possessions are not ours, but only entrusted to us by God to care for our needs, to be used in harmony with his will, and to accomplish his work on earth.

Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.  …You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”  18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today (Deuteronomy 8:11, 17-18).

The Bible says a lot about stewardship; I’ll say more in my lesson.

Joey

By | 2022-08-21T00:21:45-06:00 August 21st, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Tying Up Loose Ends: Membership

Tying up Loose Ends: Membership

Introduction

  • Definition: “tie up loose ends” – (idiomatic) Tidy up, finish, or complete.
  • It can be Easy to Start Something, but difficult to finish.
  • God encourages us to complete the work we began in Christ
    (Revelation 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 3:10).
  • Today, we’ll discuss the Loose End of Membership.

I.   Early Christians Unified Locally for Strength and Support (Acts 2:41-47; Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 9:26-27)

II. Dangers of being a Member at Large

  • No Accountability – Protection
  • No Responsibility – Purpose
  • No Commitment – Promises

III. Five Commitments of Membership

  • Relationships
  • Worship
  • Discipleship
  • Stewardship
  • Fellowship/Partnership

Conclusion: How do You Become a Member at Boise C/C?

  1. Are You a Christian?
  2. Are You Willing to Commit Yourself, Your Talents, and Your Resources to this Congregation?
  3. Are You Willing to Submit Yourself to this Congregation and its Leadership for Your Discipleship?
  4. Then, Let Us See Brochure.

Our sermon series is entitled, Tying Up Loose Ends. There are things that we know we need to do, but we put off.  This may have little consequence in some areas of our lives, but with spiritual matters, your eternal destiny is in the balance.  This morning we will be talking about church membership.

Church membership is more of a modern phrase than a biblical one, but the concept of being an active part of a church fellowship is very biblical.  In Acts, new believers banded together for strength and growth.

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.  42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.  45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,  47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:41-47).

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another– and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25).

In no uncertain terms, the NT presupposes the active participation of Christians in the life of the local church. Today, however, with so many churches, it is easy for believers to develop a “member at large” attitude visiting many different congregations, but belonging to none. Not that there are not benefits to visiting churches until you find a church home, but eventually you really need to belong somewhere.

In my lesson today, we will talk about this need, why it is important and what you need to do to truly belong.

I’ll say more in my lesson.       Joey

By | 2022-08-11T17:04:58-06:00 August 11th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Tying Up Loose Ends: Baptism

Tying up Loose Ends: Baptism

Introduction

I.   The Need for Salvation

II.  The Requisites of Salvation

III. The Reasons People Postpone Baptism.

  • They Think it is Not Necessary.
  • It is not Convenient.
  • They are Afraid.
  • They Don’t want to Offend.
  • They Procrastinate.
  • They are “Too Young.”

Conclusion/Applications

  • Do You Need to be Saved?
  • Have you Responded to Jesus?
  • What are You Waiting On?! (Acts 22:16)

Sunday, I am beginning a new sermon series entitled, Tying Up Loose Ends. There are things that we know we need to do, but we put off.  This may have little consequence when we are talking about taking the laundry to the cleaners or raking the leaves in the yard. However, when it involves spiritual matters, your eternal destiny is in the balance.  No decision is more important than your decision to follow Jesus.  This is really more than just a “loose end,” but you need to “tie it up” nonetheless!

Giving your life to Jesus begins with trust in him as He explained.

I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins   (John 8:24).

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).

Many make faith commitments to Jesus, but they never get around to baptism.  In many cases this is because some churches delay the baptism of new believers until there can be a special service and they never get around to it.  In a few cases, the importance of baptism is actually minimized.  This was not the case in the New Testament.  They were baptized the same day they believed – some, the same hour!

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  …Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (Acts 2:38, 41).

He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved– you and your household.”  32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.  33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized (Acts 16:30-33).

I’ll say more in my lesson.   Joey

By | 2022-08-07T18:06:24-06:00 August 6th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Who Am I? (Part 5)

What Does it Mean to be a New Creation?

Introduction

  • Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group.
  • “Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are” (Peter Burke).
  • Our identities guide behavior and inform how we are “supposed” to act.
  • Who Am I? What Does it Mean to be a New Creation?  (2 Corinthians 5:14-17).

I.   New Motivation – Christ’s Love Compels Us (2 Corinthians 5:14; Ephesians 2:8-10).

II.  New Purpose – We No Longer Live for Ourselves, but Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15; Ephesians 4:17-24; Colossians 3:1-17)

III. New Perspective on Christ – We No Longer View Christ from a Worldly Point of View (2 Corinthians 5:16; John 1:5; Acts 9:1-5; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14).

IV.  New Perspective on Others – We No Longer View Others from a Worldly Point of View (2 Corinthians 5:16; Galatians 6:14-15; Ephesians 2:11-17).

V.   New Hope – We Have Hope of a Resurrected Body and New Life in the New Heaven and Earth (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; Revelation 21:1-5).

Conclusion/Applications

  • We are God’s New Creation in Christ.
  • We have been Changed and we must Live Out that Change – A New Motivation, Purpose, Perspective, and Hope.
  • This shapes My Identity in Christ!

Sunday, I will conclude my series, Who Am I? My Identity in Christ. As humans we search for identity because we need to know who we are as we define, identify, and differentiate ourselves from others. Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are. Our identities guide behavior and inform how we are “supposed” to act.

In our first lesson, we answered the question, “Who Am I” in terms of Psalm 8:1-4 and the song of the same name by Casting Crowns.  We concluded that we are Finite, Known, Lost, Loved, Broken, Heard, Saved, and Yours (Belonging to God).  For the purpose of abbreviation, we can summarize this as Loved, Forgiven, and Called.

In the second lesson, we explored Paul’s identity before and after his conversion to Christ (Philippians 3:1-15).  We concluded that identity is not fixed, but it changes throughout life.  We demonstrated how factors such as heredity, social groups, personal traits, actions, decisions, and beliefs all affect how we see ourselves and inform how we are “supposed” to act based on that identity. Paul’s identity was revolutionarily changed by his encounter with Jesus.  His devotion to Christ led him to put that relationship before every other thing.

In the third lesson, we explored Paul’s understanding of what it means to be crucified with Christ.  We concluded that, in baptism, our old, sinful, self died with Christ along with the guilt and penalty for sin. When we rose from the water, we embraced the newness of life he gives. From that point on we consider ourselves dead to the practice of sin and alive to the life Jesus wants us to live.

Last week, we discussed the purpose of God’s original creation, our divine vocation as human beings, the marring of God’s perfect creation by our sinful rebellion, and God’s loving work to restore us and the cosmos to his original intent.

Sunday we will conclude the series by discussing what it means to be a part of God’s restored creation.

Come join us!   Joey

By | 2022-07-30T16:40:33-06:00 July 30th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Who Am I? (Part 4)

I Am a New Creation in Christ

Introduction

  • Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group.
  • “Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are” (Peter Burke).
  • Our identities guide behavior and inform how we are “supposed” to act.
  • Who Am I? I am a New Creation in Christ (2 Co 5:17).

I.   The Purpose of Creation

  • God Created the Universe to Bear Witness to His Glory (Psalm 19:1-3).
  • God Created Humanity to be His Image Bearers in the World (Genesis 1:26-30; Psalm 8).
  • Humanity’s Purpose is to Serve as Priests and Kings (Exodus 19:5-6).
  • Priests (Intermediaries with All of Creation).
  • Kings (To Reign in God’s Place – Vice-Regents)

II.  The Marring of Creation

  • Abdication of and Disqualification from our Vocation
  • Genesis Account (Genesis 3:11-20); Natural Evil
  • Paul’s Account (Romans 1:20-32); Moral Evil

III. The Restoration of Creation

Conclusion/Applications

  • We were Created to Bear Witness of God’s Goodness and Glory – to serve as Priests and Kings.
  • As Sinful Humans we have Marred God’s Creation.
  • Jesus has Restored us to our Original Vocation (1 Peter 2:9).
  • This is My Identity in Christ! (To be Continued…)

Sunday’s lesson will be my penultimate lesson in the series, Who Am I? My Identity in Christ. It is actually a two-parter; I will conclude this lesson and the series the following week. Last week, we explored Paul’s understanding of what it means to be crucified with Christ.  We concluded that, in baptism, our old sinful self died with Christ along with the guilt and penalty for sin. When we rose from the water, we embraced the newness of life he gives. From that point on we consider ourselves dead to the practice of sin and alive to the life Jesus wants us to live.  This is part of what Jesus meant when he said we are to take up our cross daily and follow him.

This week we will begin an examination of 2 Corinthians 5:17 and what it means to be a new creation in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

If we want to know what it means to be a new creation, we need to understand the purpose of God’s original creation, our divine vocation as human beings, the marring of God’s perfect creation by our sinful rebellion, and God’s loving work to restore us and the cosmos to his original intent.  As I mentioned, this is a two-part lesson.  This week we will look at the biblical theology of creation and renewal and next week we will examine the practical applications.

Come join us!    Joey

By | 2022-07-30T09:16:23-06:00 July 23rd, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Who Am I? (Part 3)

I Am Crucified with Christ

Introduction

  • Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group.
  • “Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are” (Peter Burke).
  • Our identities guide behavior and inform how we are “supposed” to act.
  • Who Am I? I am Crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20).

I.   Jesus Loved Me and Gave Himself for Me.

II.  I Have Been Crucified with Christ, and I No Longer Live, but Christ Lives in Me.

III. The Life I Live in the Body I Live by Faith in the Son of God.

Conclusion/Applications

  • I am Loved, Forgiven, and Called to a New Life.
  • As a Christian, who I was in Adam (the Flesh/Humanity 1.0/the old Man/my Former Identity) has been Crucified with Christ; I am Dead. I no longer Live.
  • Christ Lives in Me. I Must Constantly Subordinate Myself to the Will of Christ.  “Lord, What do You Want?”

My series of messages is entitled, Who Am I? My Identity in Christ. Last week we explored Paul’s identity before and after his conversion to Christ (Philippians 3:1-15).  We concluded that identity is not fixed, but it changes throughout life.  We demonstrated how factors such as heredity, social groups, personal traits, actions, decisions, and beliefs all affect how we see ourselves and inform how we are “supposed” to act based on that identity. Paul’s identity was revolutionarily changed by his encounter with Jesus.  His devotion to Christ led him to put that relationship before every other thing – even those things he at one time had dearly cherished

This week we will approach the subject from a different angle – Paul’s understanding of what happened to him when he gave his life to Christ.

Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

When we were baptized into Christ, we were crucified with him.  Our old sinful self (Humanity 1.0, who we were in Adam) died with Christ along with the guilt and penalty for sin.  When we rose from the water, we embraced the newness of life he gives (Humanity 2.0).  From that point on we consider ourselves dead to the practice of sin and alive to the life Jesus wants us to live. We are given a new identity in Christ!

Come join us!    Joey

By | 2022-07-30T09:16:37-06:00 July 16th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Who Am I? (Part 2)

Paul’s Identity in Christ

 Introduction

  • Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group.
  • “Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are” (Peter Burke).
  • Our identities guide behavior and inform how we are “supposed” to act.
  • Who Am I? My Identity in Christ. Paul’s Identity.

I.   Paul’s Identity was Not Fixed; It Changed (Philippians 3:1-3).

II.  Paul’s Identity was Multi-Layered (Philippians 3:3-6).

III. Paul’s Chose to Prioritize His Identity in Christ (Philippians 3:7-11)

IV.  Paul’s Choice was Not Easy (Philippians 3:12-15)

Conclusion

  • How we see ourselves is constantly changing due to factors such as heredity, social groups, personal traits & actions, decisions, and beliefs.
  • Paul’s identity changed when he became a Christian and he chose to prioritize that identity above all others.
  • We, like Paul, must we willing subordinate all that we are to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

My new series of messages is entitled, Who Am I? My Identity in Christ. Last week we answered the question, “Who Am I” in terms of Psalm 8:1-4 and the song of the same name by Casting Crowns.  We concluded that we are Finite, Known, Lost, Loved, Broken, Heard, Saved, and Yours (Belonging to God).  For the purpose of abbreviation, we can summarize this as Loved, Forgiven, and Called.  This is our identity in Christ.

This Sunday we will examine Philippians 3:1-15 and explore Paul’s identity before and after Christ.  Identity is not fixed, but it changes throughout life.  We will see that factors such as heredity, social groups, personal traits & actions, decisions, and beliefs all affect how we see ourselves and inform how we are “supposed” to act based on that identity. Paul’s identity was revolutionarily changed by his encounter with Jesus.  His devotion to Christ led him to put that relationship before every other thing – even those things he at one time had dearly cherished, But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:7-8)

I will also reference the diagram below to illustrate how various factors influenced Paul’s (and our) sense of identity! Come join us!

Joey

By | 2022-07-07T12:37:34-06:00 July 7th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Who Am I? (Part 1)

My Identity in Christ

Introduction

  • Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group.
  • “Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are” (Peter Burke).
  • Our identities guide behavior and inform how we are “supposed” to act.
  • Who Am I? My Identity in Christ…

I.   I Am Finite – “I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind.”

II.  I Am Known – “Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name?”

III. I Am Lost – “Who am I, that the bright and morning star, would choose to light the way for my ever-wandering heart?”

IV.  I Am Loved – “Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin would look on me with love and watch me rise again?”

V.   I Am Broken – “Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea would call out through the rain and calm the storm in me?”

VI.  I Am Heard – “Still You hear me when I’m calling.”

VII. I Am Saved – “Lord, you catch me when I’m falling.”

VIII. I Am Yours – “You’ve told me who I am; I am Yours.”

Conclusion: “Whom shall I fear?”

  • Knowing who we are gives us purpose in life.
  • Knowing who we are gives us hope in eternity

My new series of messages is entitled, Who Am I? My Identity in Christ. “Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group” (Wikipedia). As humans we search for identity because we need to know who we are as we define, identify, and differentiate ourselves from others. According to Peter Burke, “Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are.” Our identities guide behavior and inform how we are “supposed” to act.

In this series, I plan to discuss who we are in Christ and how that affects how we define ourselves in every other area of our life. Casting Crowns addresses this in their song, Who Am I?

Who Am I?

by Casting Crowns

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth

Would care to know my name

Would care to feel my hurt?

Who am I, that the bright and morning star

Would choose to light the way

For my ever-wandering heart?

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin

Would look on me with love

And watch me rise again?

Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea

Would call out through the rain

And calm the storm in me?

Not because of who I am

But because of what You’ve done

Not because of what I’ve done

But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading

Here today and gone tomorrow

A wave tossed in the ocean

A vapor in the wind

Still You hear me when I’m calling

Lord, You catch me when I’m falling

You’ve told me who I am

I am Yours

I am Yours

I’m all Yours

Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I fear?

‘Cause I am Yours

I am Yours

This song beautifully depicts our identity in Christ and concludes that we belong to God.  This self-identity will inform and enrich every other aspect of our life.

Come and join us!  Joey

By | 2022-07-02T17:50:02-06:00 July 2nd, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

The Encourager

The Encourager

His mom and dad named him Joseph, but that’s not how we know him.  He was a Levite from the island of Cyprus and a member of the Jerusalem church in the early chapters of Acts.  Joseph was a cousin of John Mark; the same Mark who is probably to be identified with the writer of the Gospel of Mark.  As time passed people stopped calling him “Joseph” and referred to him by his nickname, “Barnabas.”

It is as interesting thing how nicknames come to be.  A person with red hair is often called, “Red.” A tall or large man may have a description added to his name like, “Big John.”  My oldest son was called, “Little Joe” – though today he is much taller than his Dad.  My son-in-law has a prominent beard and head of hair; sometimes he is called “Bear.”  In most cases nicknames are given because they describe some prominent physical or behavioral characteristic of the one so named.

We should pay close attention when the Bible calls attention to a nickname.  Usually, there is some spiritual point to be made.  This is especially the case when God, Jesus, or an angel give someone a new name because it is indicative of a new identity or destiny in their lives.  In the case of Barnabas, his nickname was given by the apostles and Luke calls attention to this in Acts 4:36-37.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement),  37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

How do you think that nickname came to be?  In my imagination, I envision a meeting of the apostles where they are trying to fill a ministry position.  Peter says, “Let’s get Joseph to do it.” John replies, “Which Joseph are you talking about?  In a church this size there are dozens of Josephs.”  “You know,” says Peter, “The Joseph who is always encouraging people.”   The nickname stuck.  Barnabas means, “Son of Encouragement” or, as we would phrase it, “The Encourager.”

Fictious story?  Sure, but only in the particulars, not the overall truth.  As we examine the story of Barnabas in Acts, he is always encouraging someone.  There is no wonder the apostles named him The Encourager or Luke singles him out as one of the major, minor characters in his narrative – he went about encouraging others!

My message Sunday will examine the occasions Luke mentions him in Acts and we will learn what he did to earn such a great nickname.

I Hope You Will Join Us!  Joey

By | 2022-06-25T11:41:40-06:00 June 25th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Lessons On Fatherhood From The Life Of David

Introduction

  • David was a Great King, but a Lousy Father.
  • Six Lessons on Fatherhood from the Life of David.

I. Fathers Must be Willing to Set an Example for their Children

II. Fathers Must be Willing to Discipline their Children when they Sin

III. Fathers Must Forgive and Seek Restoration with their Children

IV. Fathers Must Acknowledge that their Kids Do Wrong

V. Fathers Must Restrain the Sinful Heart in their Children

  • David Did Not Restrain or Question His Sons – (1 Kings 1:6).

VI. Fathers Must Teach their Children what is Important in Life

  • David Gave a Last Charge to His Son – (1 Kings 2:2).

Conclusion

  • As Fathers we Must Examine Ourselves.
  • We Need to Learn from the Mistakes of David.
  • We Need to Lead our Children to Christ.

David was a great king, but a lousy father. He was indulgent, permissive, and set a horrible example in his own personal life.

Sunday morning, we will be examining six lessons on fatherhood from the life of David – five to avoid and one to imitate. We, fathers, need to examine our own lives and learn from his mistakes. Ultimately, we want to lead our families to Christ and teach them what it means to follow him.

I Hope You Will Join Us! Joey

By | 2022-06-18T23:05:59-06:00 June 18th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments