23rd April 2017 - Heather Pocock - ACTS WEEK 1

YouTube Church on a Mission discussions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiE7D8MwITM

 

• How do we live out our individual mission/ our mission as a church?
• How did the early church live out mission?

 

Vision Statement for Kerith Community Church: "Helping people find their way back to God through communities growing in their love for God and their love for people".

 

Companies like Nike, Google, Build-a-bear, Starbucks, United Airlines promote vision statements to describe what they are about, and they do what they set out to do.

• If we went out on the streets with our mission statement what would be the reaction? Would people feel like they would need God?

 

H: Hunger

                1^st part of our mission is to help people see they have a hunger for God.

                People need Jesus.

                God created Eden – paradise – every single person has a desire for Eden.

• SHALOM
  • Life should be better. People desire shalom.
  • Just look at tropical holiday photos, gadgets to solve stress, political statements…

Acts 3.6-7: ⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.

• The man didn’t think he needed God – he needed money, health… But Peter recognized and showed the man that he was really thirsting for Jesus. Jesus: Provider, restorer, repairer.
   

Acts 3.9-11: ⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. ¹¹ While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 

• The crowd also had a desire for God.
• But they were initially attracted to the gifts of Jesus – but that doesn’t satisfy. The giver is the one who satisfies.
  • Ecclesiastes 3.11: He has also set eternity in the human heart;
    “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” (CS Lewis)
  • I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. (U2)

 

E: Evil

2^nd part of mission is to recognize that evil and sin gets in the way and disrupts harmony.

Romans 6.23:  ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Acts 3.13-15: ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴ You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵ You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

• Peter points out the sin and evil in the crowd’s heart.
  • How would you feel?
  • We have become an over affirmed society causing us to believe we are never wrong, and that we don’t need to acknowledge failings.

Romans 3.23 ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

• How do you respond to that verse?

We COMPARE ourselves to others: Personal story: Chatting to a friend about faith. They asked, ‘so you think I’m a sinner?’ But I’m not that bad.

We WAVER good over bad: Journalist interviewing Michael Bloomberg – ex-mayor of NY – “I’ve earnt my place”

We MINIMISE and LEGITIMISE our sin. Often finding someone else to blame.

If we COMPARE, WAVER, MINIMISE we will never experience the grace and truth of shalom.

• If the biggest sinner you know isn’t you then you probably don’t know you. The more we learn about the holiness of God the more we agree with this statement.
• Personal Story: Denial when you’re ill isn’t effective for getting well.
  • Augustine: My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think I was a sinner.
    • Where in my life am I refusing to take the cure?

L: Love

3^rd part of our mission is to tell/ show people that God loves them. He gave us a cure to the disease of sin. Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment.

Acts 3:19-20 ¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

• God wants to give us “times of refreshing” – there is blessing in repentance.
• Messiah: someone who rescues us.

 

P: Pivot

4^th part of the mission is to act on God’s love and repent.

• Repent – turn away and return to God.

Acts 3.26 ²⁶ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

• What lifestyles do we need to turn away from, and return to Jesus?
• Martin Luther: ‘all of a Christian’s life is one of repentance’
• Personal Story: When I move to a new house/ when I am a mother I will be content!
  • We need to look to Jesus – only he will satisfy. Where are we looking for contentment?

H.E.L.P Through these stages we will be able to help people find their way back to God.

Prayer / Discussion
:Where are you looking to satisfy hunger/ wrongdoing?
God is so good to us – he desires us to live in paradise. Help us to recognize our hunger for you Jesus. Only you can satisfy – Reveal where we are reaching to other things. Show us where we are living in sickness

16th April 2017 - Simon Benham - EASTER SUNDAY

Easter Sunday 16^th April 2017 – Simon Benham

Happy Easter. If there's one day to celebrate its today. What better way to celebrate than baptisms. Dying to an old way of life - rising again to a new one.

If you were here for our Good Friday meeting you'll have heard Simon talk about Jesus as the greatest revolutionary leader who ever lived. That he came to lead a revolution, not to overthrow an external system of government but to give us a heart transplant. And how when he died on the cross, rather than marking the end of the revolution as happens with most revolutionaries, it was the act that made the revolution possible. That Jesus died that our sin might be forgiven.

The resurrection is not the reversal of a defeat but the manifestation of the victory Jesus won on the cross for you & me - Nicky Gumbel

If you had a window into the lives of the disciples that first Easter Sunday morning, they weren't celebrating Jesus victory. In their minds it was all over. Jesus had gone the way of so many other revolutionaries. They were in hiding from the authorities and planning on going back to their old lives. They'd had a great three years with Jesus, but sadly now it was all over. So now we come to the point on Easter Sunday where news of the revolution begins to break out!

READ Matthew 28:1-10

The revolution had begun. And its a revolution which continues to this day.

Today, all around the world over 2 billion people who call themselves followers of Jesus will be joining in this celebration. Later in this meeting we're going to witness ? people doing the thing Jesus commanded us to do as a sign of us joining his revolution. Getting baptised.

What is baptism? It's a public declaration where you're saying "I'm part of the revolution". Not only do I identify myself with Jesus death and resurrection, I too have experienced my own death and resurrection. I've died to my old way of life, the Bible calls it repenting, which means I've turned away from my sin. I've turned away from all the things in my life I put there in place of God, and I'm not turning towards Jesus, putting him in the centre.

Simon gave the opportunity for people to join the revolution too.

What was the nature of the revolution Jesus began? We get a huge clue from Jesus resurrection body.

At the resurrection Jesus wasn't just revived. We read stories of people who have near death experiences. Simon has a friend, John Burke, who gathers stories of people who have medically died and then been revived. Often they have very similar stories of what they experience. But when they are revived they still have the same body they had before. In Jesus ministry there was a guy called Lazarus, who died and after four days Jesus raises him to life again. But he comes back with the same body. Sometime later Lazarus dies again, this time for good.

We get a glimpse of what our resurrection bodies will be like when we recall Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. He still had visible wounds, and His disciples could physically touch Him, yet He was able to travel effortlessly and appear and disappear at will. He could go through walls and doors yet could also eat and drink and sit and talk. Scripture informs us that our “lowly bodies” will be just “like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). Indeed, the physical limitations imposed by sin that hinder our ability to fully serve Him on earth will be forever gone, freeing us to praise and serve and glorify Him for eternity.

 

Suddenly in Jesus body we have a demonstration of the revolution. That the separation between heaven and earth has now been removed.

Then we see the conclusion of the revolution at the end of time. Revelation 21:1-4

 

Let our response to the risen Jesus be the same as that of the two women:

 

• There is no more important thing in life than to meet with Jesus. Not to become religious, not to find yourself, but to have a genuine encounter with the risen Jesus. Jesus didn't want the women just to have information about him, he wanted them to know him as a friend.
• Be filled with joy. It's hard to be afraid but happy. Happiness is generally dependant on our circumstances. There is something much deeper about joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength. To know you are free from guilt, free from shame, free from fear, your past is forgiven, your present has purpose and your future is secure.
• Worship him. Put him at the centre of your life. Make him your Lord.
• Go and tell others that you have seen him

 

When Jesus raises us from the dead we don't just revert back to what we should have been. He takes our brokenness, and makes it part of the new creation he is making us in to. He doesn't deny our past but redeems it and uses it to form part of the beauty of our future. Just as a mosaic forms something of incredible beauty from broken pieces, God forms beauty from our brokenness, both as individuals and as a community. As he takes each one of us and begins to form us into his church, into his bride.

 

QUESTIONS:

Are you putting Jesus at the centre of your life?

IS there an area of your life you need to hand to Him?

When was the last time you shared your testimony with someone?

Can you share your testimony with your group today?

 

9th April 2017 SPIRIT LED GENEROSITY. SOLA OSINOIKI

SMALL GROUP NOTES FROM SUNDAY 9 APRIL 2017. THEME – SPIRIT LED GENEROSITY. SOLA OSINOIKI

Before introducing Sola, Simon drew attention to the Vision Fund with Gift Days coming up on 23 and 30 April, and a week of 24-7 prayer between those dates. Simon also challenged us to fill up the front rows in church and be closer to the preacher!

Sola introduced his theme as ‘listening to God’s whispers leads to Spirit led generosity’.

QUESTION: What might this mean to you?

Sola’s prayer is that we might no longer see generosity in black & white, but in technicolour. To change our perspective.

READ: Hebrews 13:2.

QUESTION: Is hospitality optional?

READ: Genesis 18:1-8. Abraham shows spirit led generosity to 3 strangers. He gave them a feast even though he was unprepared and unready. Though Abraham didn’t actually eat with them. It was about emptying himself on behalf of others. Those 3 strangers were angels.

Sola shared a story of needing money for flights to Nigeria. He felt prompted to write on facebook ‘praying for a flight, prices are crazy’. A lady responded with £1000 to cover the flight. Soon after, she herself received £600 – and said she wouldn’t be surprised if the rest came back to her. Another £100 came in. Then a week later, her tax bill was a full £1000 less than she expected.

Message is that God is good. We can give and trust in faith. We cannot outgive God.

READ: Genesis 19:1-4. Lot knew that just inviting wasn’t enough, he urged them to come. Because of that dinner, Lot got the information for him and his family to be safe.

Sola spoke of not giving something cheap, the minimum, but of giving a feast.

Sola shared another story of when he stood in response to a preachers call for people in financial need to stand up. Shortly afterwards a young man knocked on his door with a cheque for £1000!

READ: John 4:10 from The Message Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”

QUESTION: How does the generosity of God, who gave His only son, challenge me to rethink my own generosity?

READ: Acts 16:14-5. Lydia persuaded them to come.

Sola shared a story of visiting Madrid, looking for a church one Sunday morning. Having arrived by taxi, as a stranger, he felt prompted to bring some prophetic words. Then he was invited to share fellowship and a meal at a home – he was then given money to cover the taxi, and return train fare. Only in the kingdom of God could it happen to end up in the home of a stranger, sharing fellowship, and helping out in the kitchen to prepare food.

QUESTION: Do you have any stories of giving or receiving generosity which you could share with the group?

 

READ: Luke 22:7-13. The ‘man’ that Jesus told them to follow, culturally shouldn’t have been carrying a jar at all! God provides the practical needs (a room), and God sees all things before they happen.

QUESTION: Are people led to find their practical needs met if they follow me? It depends on how much I am being led by listening to God’s whispers. I may not know the impact or consequence.

Sola shared a story of getting 100 dollars out of a cash machine. A woman behind him wasn’t able to get out any cash, and Sola felt prompted to give her whatever she asked for. It was 50 dollars. He doesn’t know the impact, but challenged us to just obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

If you want the Holy Spirit to help your own spirit of generosity, then ask for that help. To be the one in tune with the God’s whisper and therefore the one worth following.

QUESTION: Would you spend a few minutes in quietness seeking the help of the Holy Spirit in being generous?

2nd April 2017 - Kindness #Generosity Michael Ross-Watson

2^nd April 2017: Kindness

Preacher: Michael Ross Watson

Bible Verse: 2 Samuel Ch 9 v 1-13.

Advertisement: Michael Ross Watson promoted his book about prayer. It is available in the Church bookshop for £7 per copy.

Introduction

Verse 1 – Question: is there anyone left of the house of Saul that David may show him kindness. This is followed by a repeat of the plea in V3 where King David says ‘is there not someone from the house of Saul that I can show the kindness of God’. To understand the full meaning and purpose of this situation, we need to understand the relationship between Saul and David.

Originally it was a love relationship. When David took food to the army of Israel when they were fighting Goliath, he challenged them all. All of the soldiers were afraid of Goliath except David. David had killed a bear and lion single handed and he wasn’t scared of Goliath. He took 5 stones and brought a great victory to their side. Saul recognised him and honoured him by making him a leading captain in his army. Furthermore when Saul was oppressed and depressed, David would play instruments to him and sooth him. However Saul tried to kill David twice!

After this, is when then the trouble began. The women began singing that David was better than Saul and Saul became jealous. This lead to Saul becoming angry, which led to fear. Consequently for 20 years David was on the run with Saul trying to kill him, even though he was anointed to be King.

Kindness is an intrinsic issue. Not extrinsic. We need to be motivated internally to be kind.

‘Count on it. God will challenge you, to give more than you have given before. Your faith will cause you to say ‘yes’ or your fear will cause you to say ‘no.’

Your response to Gods challenge will shape your future.

When David decided to bless the remaining people in Saul’s house, it was pivotal moment in his life. When Jesus comes: He removed the tempters power, He fills life with glory.

Michel spoke about the personal pivotal moments in his life. The first one was when he read a book about a gentleman who committed suicide after being continually rejected. He committed to spending his life to being kind to others.

The second occasion when he was diagnosed with cancer, and others provided thousands of pounds to pay for his care. He committed his life to being generous.

David proactively looked for the only descendant of King Saul, and found Mephibosheth. However Mephibosheth was shamed. He was the only one alive from the disgraced family. His father and grandfather were Kings, however His father died in disgrace and Mephibosheth wanted to hide in a small town. He carried a stigma and shame. He also had a disfigured body. He was lame in both feet. He was not born like that, but his maid fell when carrying him, injuring his feet. Disfigured people cover and hide their embarrassment.

He also had a doubtful future, as he lived in Lo Debar (which means ‘a place of barrenness / no pasture’) and a displaced inheritance.

The word of David to Mephibosheth was grand. David wanted to restore him, to restore the broken, the need, what was lost. God is a God of restoration. If you have lost your joy – He can restore (Psalm 23).

Mephibosheth was the rightful heir but was living in poverty. And as he fell prostrate at the feet of David, he likened himself as a dead dog. This is a wrong identify. In Hebrew  ‘ a dead dog’ means ‘embarrassing, piece of garage, worthless, no good’.

So many people live with distorted identify, and don’t recognise their worth.

All of us are worth Jesus dying on the cross, shedding his blood to save us.

We all need to know we, as individuals, are a child of God and an heir to the Kingdom.

David showed kindness to this broken man. He didn’t show it to the normal respectable one, but the one in need. He brought him into his palace to feed at his table. He treated him as his own and restored what he had lost, ensuring his future.

This is how God treats you and wants us to treat others.

It is not religion, not organisations but a life of compassion by each individual that impacts the world, that reaches out to the broken, hurting and the needy. This is a life style. We need to choose.

In Isaiah 58: The promises of God are listed. All the good things awaiting us:

• Your light shall break for the like the morning
• Healing shall spring for the speedily
• Righteousness will go before us
• The glory of God will be the rear guard
• When you call, He will say here I am
• He will guide you continually
• He will satisfy soul in times of doubt
• You shall be a well-watered garden whose spring of water will never fail

However there are conditions, these are that we need to:

• Loose bonds of wickedness
• Undo heavy burdens
• Set the oppressed free
• Break every yolk
• Share bread to hungry
• Share our house with the needy
• Clothe those naked
• Remove the finger pointing

God is kind and calls us to be kind.

Questions:

• What does God think about you?
• Do you need to change your attitude towards yourself? How can we do this?
• Do you represent God in your attitude towards others?
• Has anyone had a pivotal point that has changed their life? Please share if you feel comfortable.