Impossible Task! Incredible God!!

This week's Fighter Verse, Matthew 28:19-20, is an IMPOSSIBLE task!

Now if you went to www.fighterverses.com, you saw they listed this as a review week.
Instead of doing a review week, I decided to use a verse that will help us focus on what the church needs to be about, not just through 2018, but until Jesus returns for His bride!

The church's and West Cannon's Great Commission, discple-making purpose is an IMPOSSIBLE TASK!
As this "Look At the Book" video points out, we can share information but we cannot cause people to obey.
The Great Commission also includes an impossible target - ALL the nations.  How can our church in Western Michigan, or wherever your church is, make disciples in ALL the nations?

We need to think differently.  
The Great Commission is so much more than just getting more people to show up to our church building during our church services and church programs.  

We need to pray differently.
The Great Commission challenges us to depend upon God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Our prayers need to recognize the truth that God is sovereign, holy, and loving.  God is also the Great Provider.  He will not call us to do something that He does not also give us the power to do.

We need to serve differently.
The IMPOSSIBLE task of the Great Commission is not a short-term task.  We need to remember this Great Commission is a long game.  It is an investment.

These verses and this video remind each believer that our unfinished task needs to be done God's way and in God's power.

I am excited to be part of a church that wants to be an active part of God's amazing work through the church in Grand Rapids and beyond.

I am excited to be part of a church that

• wants to continue equipping our church members to be and make disciples.
• wants to renew our ability to help other churches and pastors in the area grow in their disciplemaking mission.
• wants to continue partnering with Gospel preaching and teaching missionaries around the world who are helping  God's church grow.

For more about the Fighter Verses go to www.drodgersjr.com/p/fighter-verses.html

Chapter 8 Holiness Moses

Welcome to the 8th week of reading the book Holiness.

This week's chapter is Moses - An Example.

This chapter look at a specific person - Moses - as an example of holiness.

I want to encourage you to continue reading this great book 

or to start reading it today.

For general info about the reading schedule go to 

http://drodgersjr.blogspot.com/p/t4g2018.html

Here are the questions for this eighth chapter.

GENERAL (Questions for each chapter)

1.  What is a quote or two from Chapter 8 that stood out to you?

2.  What was something this chapter said about God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?

3. What was something this chapter said about man?

4.  What was something this chapter said about how a Christian is to live?  

Think general and specific applications.

SPECIFIC (Questions specific to this chapter)

5.  Moses had faith in God’s Word.  

His faith was manifested in four specific beliefs about God. 

List and briefly explain his four beliefs about God. 

Are these your beliefs too? (If not, what doubts do you have?)

FINAL QUESTION

6.  What is the most significant thing that you learned from this chapter?

For more specific questions on this chapter through chapter 10 

go to www.chapellibrary.org/files/2914/3941/1948/HO1-SG.pdf

Additional Resources:

Tim Challies wrote about this chapter at

www.challies.com/reading-classics-together/reading-classics-together-holiness-the-cost/

Your Walk With God

When Pastor Chuck asked me about preaching this Sunday, I

I knew what I wanted to preach.

A message that I have been passionate about repeating at WCBC.

A message that I believe will be helpful for RFMC going into 2018.
Below are notes from the sermon and 
some additional resources that I didn't share.
HERE is the audio of the message.

The passage is Hebrews 10:19 - 31.

The questions are

Why SHOULDN'T you go to church?

What ISN'T the church?

Who IS the church?

Why SHOULD you go to church?

Why SHOULDN'T you go to church?

Not to look good for others.
Not to win favor with God.

What ISN'T the church?

Church is not a physical location.
Church is not a program or service time.

Who IS the church?

A Biblical definition of the church taken from the book of Ephesians is...

People who gather together in submission to Jesus Christ as Lord.  
(Ephesians 1:22-23)
People who were dead in sins being made alive in Christ 
(Ephesians 2:1-6)
People who were far from God, without hope and 
now in Christ Jesus have been brought near by the blood of Christ 
(Ephesians 2:11-13)
People who have been saved by Jesus Christ 
(Ephesians 5:25-32)

Why SHOULD you go to church?

We meet together as followers of Christ to remind each other of
what we have in Jesus Christ
and
who we are without Jesus Christ.

Disciple-making is rigged. from Emmanuel Baptist Church on Vimeo.

REVIEW

Why SHOULDN’T you go to church?

For selfish reasons

What ISN'T the church?

Programs or a Building

Who IS the church?

Those who have been saved by grace and are submitted to Jesus Christ.

Why SHOULD you go to church?

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/why-should-i-go-to-church

To glorify God

To help others glorify God

From the Gospel Primer 

"The more I comprehend the full scope of the Gospel, the more I value the church for which Christ died, the more I value the role that I play in the lives of my fellow-Christians and the more I appreciate the role that they must be allowed to play in my life."

Books referred to 

The Gospel Primer

New Morning Mercies

The Trellis and The Vine