Church At The Cross

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6 Key Takeaways: + God cares more about The Church than this nation, so order your loves. Acts 17:26 (CSB) + Order our loves according to spiritual principles and spatial proximity. + Our Theology is our relational Glue, so don’t seek unity around anything else. Graphic of Three Circles Graphic of Three Circles expanded. + The Character we display matters more than the vote we cast, so be like Jesus. + Jesus is Lord, so don’t freak out whatever happens Tuesday.

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-26 Key Takeaways: + Holy Intention 1 Peter 1:15–16 (ESV) Ephesians 1:4 (ESV) 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV) 1 Thessalonians 4:7 (ESV) 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV) “Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of God.” – J.I. Packer, Keeping in Step with the Spirit. “Lord, make me as holy as it is possible for a saved sinner to be.” – Robert Murray McCheyne + Holy Conflict + Holy Habits -        Treat your flesh like the enemy it is. -        Don’t give the flesh an opportunity. -        Give the Spirit every opportunity.

Scripture: Jeremiah 2:1-13 Key Takeaways: + The Essence of Idolatry Romans 1:22-25 + The Shock of Idolatry Sin against Love Sin against Logic + The Cost of Idolatry Psalm 16:11 + The Cure for Idolatry

Scripture: Romans 16:25-27 Key Takeaways: “This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. We can never read it or ponder over it too much; for the more we deal with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes.” Martin Luther. + Live for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) + Find your strength in the Gospel. Justification Romans 3:23-25 (ESV) Propitiation Union with Christ Romans 6:4 (ESV) Adoption Romans 8:14-17 (ESV) 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (CSB) + Help take this Gospel to the world.

Scripture: Romans 16:17-23 Key Takeaways: + Unity in the church is worth defending Romans 16:17 + Obedience strengthens our Unity Romans 16:19 + Love for the Church and its mission strengthens our unity Romans 16:3-15 Acts 17:5-9 Acts 20:4 + Gospel unity results in victory Romans 16:20 Genesis 3:15 Ephesians 6:12-15

Scripture: Romans 16:1-16 Key Takeaways: + The Church was an intimate family in Jesus. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (ESV) + The Church included and dignified women. “Amidst contemporary denunciations of Christianity as patriarchal and sexist, it is easily forgotten that the early church was especially attractive to women… Christianity was unusually appealing because within the Christian subculture women enjoyed far higher status than did the women in the Greco-Roman world at large.” – Rodney Stark Philippians 4:2–3 (ESV) “…we see an early example of women serving as deacons in the correspondence between Pliny the younger and the emperor Trajan (AD 98–117). In a fascinating conversation, Pliny asks Trajan for advice about what he should do as the legate to the province in Bithynia with Christians. We want to think about one small piece of the conversation. Pliny refers to two Christian women, who were called ministrae in Latin. In English we can translate this word as “ministers,” and that is a good translation i

Key Takeaways: + Prayer is the Direct Communication with God. + Prayer Shapes Outcomes. Psalm 34:6 (ESV) “In essence, prayer is rebellion – rebellion against the status quo, the state of the world in its sin and fallenness. It is the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is completely abnormal. It is the rejection of every agenda, every scheme, every opinion that clashes with the norms that God originally established.” – David Wells. 2 Thessalonians 3:1–2 (CSB) Acts 12:1–5 (CSB) Philemon 22 (CSB) + Prayer is Contending for the Purposes of God.  "The secret of prevailing prayer is not our eloquence, but our faith; not our fluency, but our fervency." - George Muller  "Prevailing prayer is the most powerful force in the universe. It can move mountains, heal the sick, and change the world." - Charles Spurgeon 2 Corinthians 10:3–4 (NIV) "The number one reason why prayer malfunctions in the hands of a believers is that they try to turn a wartime walkie-talkie into a domestic interc

Scripture: Romans 15:14–29 Key Takeaways:  1 Timothy 1:12–17 (CSB) + Ministry to the Church + Ministry to the Needy 1 Corinthians 16:1–2 (CSB) 2 Corinthians 8:9 (CSB) + Ministry to the Unreached + The Unreached will be reached Revelation 7:9–12 (CSB) + It will take missionaries with ambition who are willing to go 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 (CSB) + It will take the preaching of the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. + It will happen through Church Planting + It will happen through sacrificial Christians who see their role in God’s great mission as senders and pray-ers.

Scripture: Romans 15:8-13 Key Takeaways: + God is a Trustworthy God. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (CSB) Titus 1:2 (ESV) + God is a Merciful God. Isaiah 30:18 (NIV) + God is a Missionary God. Genesis 12:3 (ESV) Illus: ee-taow. Image of Missionary being carried. Psalm 67:4 (ESV) Matthew 24:14 (ESV) + God is a Hope-Giving God. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (CSB) Titus 2:13 (ESV)

Scripture: Romans 14:19 -15:1–7 Key Takeaways: + Every person has a God-given Conscience. Hebrews 10:22 (ESV) + Our conscience needs to be obeyed. + Christians disagree on matters of conscience. + Nobody has an inerrant conscience. + We must prioritize Christian Unity over our personal freedoms. + “When do you have the freedom to do something?” 1.      Does this violate a biblical command or principle? 2.      Is there a latent danger to me in doing this? 3.     Am I fully persuaded this is OK for me to do? 4.    Will this be a barrier to the people I’m trying to reach. 1 Corinthians 9:19–23 (ESV) 5.     Will a weaker brother or sister that I am with in this moment be encouraged to follow my example and violate their conscience. 6.     Does doing this in this moment introduce a barrier to Christian fellowship? 7.     Does this negatively impact my thought life? Philippians 4:8 (ESV) 8.     What is my motive for doing this?

Scripture: Romans 14:13-23 Key Takeaways: + Not everything in the Christian Life is Black and White + The Temptation to make gray what is black and white 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (ESV) Galatians 6:1 (ESV) + The Temptation to make black and white what is gray + Love Requires that we Limit our Freedom 1 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV) + Experiencing the Holy Spirit is more critical than experiencing my freedom and more effective than increasing my restrictions. Colossians 2:20-23 (NLT) Galatians 5:16 (ESV)

Scripture: Romans 14:10-12 Key Takeaways: “On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” ― Nicene Creed, 325 AD John 5:22-24 (ESV) + Make sure you’re ready to stand before Jesus. Romans 10:9-13 (ESV) Isaiah 45:22–24 (NIV) + Make every effort to help people confidently stand before Jesus. Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ, if sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies; and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay, and not madly to destroy themselves. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. ― Charles Spurgeon + Our Vison: Helping People & Places Encounter Jesus “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Natio

Scripture: Romans 14:1-9 Key Takeaways: + There are gray areas that each Christian must decide upon for themselves + A growing confidence in the gospel leads to a growing freedom in the gray spaces. Colossians 2:16–17 (NIV) + We are to give grace to one another in the gray spaces. + Whatever you do in the gray space, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

Scripture: Romans 13:11-14 Key Takeaways:   + Wake Up   1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV)   + Get Dressed

Scripture: Romans 13:8-10 Key Takeaways:  + Love is our greatest and ongoing debt + Love is the measure of our maturity John 13:34–35 (ESV) Maturity is not marked by how much of the bible you know, your church attendance, your impeccable morality, your spiritual experiences, your giftedness, even your service, or commitment to God. All those things are good, but they are nothing without love.  1 Corinthians 13:1–3 (ESV) 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 (ESV)  “The rule of love is that one should wish his friend to have all the good things he wants to have himself and should not wish the evils to befall his friend which he wishes to avoid himself. He shows this benevolence to all men. No evil must be done to any. Love of one’s neighbor works no evil. Let us then love even our enemies as we are commanded, if we wish to be truly unconquered.” St. Augustine, “Of True Religion.” Luke 6:27–36 (ESV) + Start in your home + Make this house a house of love  + Care more about being righteous than being right + Be

Scripture: Romans 13:1-7 Key Takeaways:   + Christians inhabit 2 kingdoms   Ephesians 1:19-23   Colossians 1:13-14   Daniel 2:19-21   Jeremiah 27:4-6   Daniel 4:31-32   John 19:11   Revelation 1:5   Revelation 11:15   + All human government is ordained by God and Christians are to submit to it. To resist the government is to resist God. To submit to the government is a way to live free of fear. Governing authority is for the good of an ordered and just society.   + Christians should never violate their conscience through disobedience to the government or by obedience to the government.   Acts 5:29   “For men’s religion to God is between God and themselves. The king shall not answer for it. Neither may the king be judge between God and man. Let them be heretics, Turks, Jews or whatsoever it appertains not to the earthly power to punish them in the least measure. This is made evident by our lord the king by the scriptures.” - Thomas Helwyss, “A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity” (1612).

Scripture: Romans 12:14-21 Key Takeaways:   + Bless   Matthew 5:10-12   + Live in Harmony Harmony Requires Humility Pride is the Enemy of Harmony   + Do Not Do Evil Romans 6:17-18 Romans 3:10-12 + Our vengeance is evil + Only God’s wrath can offer full vengeance + Vengeance is not for us, but for the glory of God

Scripture: Romans 12:9-13 Key Takeaways:   “Beloved Brethren, we are philosophers not in word but in deeds; we exhibit our wisdom not by our dress, but by truth; we know virtues by their practice rather than through boasting of them; we do not speak great things, but we live them.” Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, 256.   + Genuine Love Genuine Discerning Affectionate   Psalm 16:2-3 (ESV) Honoring + Zealous Service   + Patient Joy   + Generous Hospitality

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8 Key Takeaways:   New Identity New Assignment   1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV) 1 Corinthians 12:11 (ESV)     New Power   Ephesians 3:7-8 (ESV) Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)

Scripture: Romans 12:2 Key Takeaways:   Resist the Formation of the World   Galatians 1:3-5 (ESV) Romans 8:5-8 (ESV) “We can present our bodies to the Lord as genuinely holy and acceptable sacrifices only if we “do not conform to this world” but “are transformed by the renewing of the mind. - Douglas Moo Renew your Mind by the Gospel   Titus 3:5-7 (ESV)   “MY DEAR WORMWOOD, I note with grave displeasure that your patient has become a Christian. Do not indulge the hope that you will escape the usual penalties; indeed, in your better moments, I trust you would hardly even wish to do so. In the meantime we must make the best of the situation. There is no need to despair; hundreds of these adult converts have been reclaimed after a brief sojourn in the Enemy's camp and are now with us. All the habits of the patient, both mental and bodily, are still in our favour.” - Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis   Ephesians 4:17-24 (ESV)   Restore your Dignity by the Spirit’s Help   Romans 8:13-14 (NIV) 2 Cor