Freedom Church Chester

Sunday, 16 February 2020 | Acts 16:11-15 // Rob Pomeroy | Open doors // Through the experiences of Paul, the other apostles and the new convert Lydia, we learn: // // - God calls us // - God commands obedience // - God's plans are perfect // - God opens hearts // - How we should respond //

Sunday, 9 February 2020 | Acts 16:6-10 // Keith Cooper | Where to, Lord? // The Holy Spirit prevented the apostles from travelling in the direction they had intended. During this process of closing doors, God was teaching them an important lesson about actively seeking, discovering and hearing God’s direction. It is essential for followers of Christ to walk by faith. // // When seeking his direction, consider: // // 1. The word of God // 2. Others’ wise counsel // 3. Whether the direction will result in blessing // 4. Running towards need // 5. Not overlooking what you love, the passion God has placed in you // 6. Reviewing your holy desires // 7. Prayer //

Sunday, 2 February 2020 | Acts 16:1-5 // Dave Brown | Cutting Issues // The Jerusalem Council ruled that the Gentiles did not need to follow all the ceremonial Jewish law. This enabled Gentiles and Jews to meet together without bondage or disunity. Nevertheless in this passage, Paul arranges for Timothy to be circumcised. // // Timothy, under Jewish tradition, was a Jew (by his mother’s line). And under Greek tradition, he was a Gentle (by his father). Paul had Timothy circumcised not to convert Timothy but because he loved the Jews and he did not want there to be a hindrance to them receiving the gospel.

Sunday, 26 January 2020 | Our Father // Graham Webb // // Jesus’ example was to focus on the Father. We can do no better than to follow his example. // // Our Father is always working // Our Father always longs for his children // Our Father sees and rewards // Keep trusting your Father

Sunday, 19 January 2020| Acts 15:36-41 // Dave Scotland | Unfortunate Division // Paul and Barnabas were set aside together into a divinely appointed, godly, spiritually successful partnership. And yet here we see them in intense conflict with each other, despite the fact they are apostles. Apostles are not infallible. // // There is no mention in this passage of prayer and fasting, or of the direction of the Holy Spirit. This section gives us a poignant reminder that no matter how well we may feel we are doing, we must always be in submission to God’s purposes. He knows the beginning from the end. His ways are perfect. His direction is infallible.

Sunday, 12 January 2020 | Acts 15:22-35 // Khumbalani Sibanda | Letter Writing // God’s truth transforms lives and lifts burdens. Should we follow the world’s patterns (e.g. political correctness) or God’s? // // The apostles wrote to the gentile converts to clarify the place of the law in their lives. The law, fulfilled by Christ, shows us how to live, but no longer confers righteousness (it never would). Living now under grace, they should not look to live in bondage to every letter of the law; rather they were to live lives that were clean before God, out of love and obedience to him.

Sunday, 5 January 2020 | Acts 15:5-12 // Keith Cooper | The Evidence Decides It // Some Jews considered that the Mosaic law should be applied to the new Gentile converts. This meant, for example, subjecting the new believers to circumcision. // // Peter makes the point that God has shown his approval of the Gentiles by giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit – without asking any additional legal requirements of them. Since God is not showing favouritism, the Jews should not subject the Gentiles to any form of bondage. Their confession of faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit was evidence enough that they were accepted. // // Next, Paul and Barnabas give testimony to the signs and wonders they were able to do among the Gentiles. Again, this shows the way I’m which God was accepting non-Jews. // // Finally, James speaks and he makes reference to prophecies that predict the salvation of the Gentiles. He then Laura down some simple guidelines for spiritual cleanliness; guidelines that would not be burdensome

Sunday, 22nd December 2019 | John 1:1-2 // Keith Cooper | Consider Jesus (part 2) // As John begins in v1 he does not speak of the ‘Word of God’, but of the word who was with God, and was God. John is telling us how things have been from all eternity. For John the Word is revealing the man: Jesus Christ. // // 1. Jesus Christ shares God’s eternity. // 2. Jesus Christ was eternally with God. // 3. Jesus Christ is one with God.

Sunday, 15 December 2019 | Hebrews 3:1 // Elizabeth Linton | Consider Jesus // Ignorance is growing, of the true meaning of CHRISTmas. Society is becoming superuser illiterate. But the bible tells us to consider Jesus. // // He is the radiance of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3). And through him we find freedom – freedom from sin and freedom from the curse of death. // // At Advent, we remember Jesus’s first coming. We also think of his second coming, when he will arrive in power and the dead in Christ will rise.

Sunday, 8 December 2019 | Acts 14:21-28 // Matt Banks | Heading into Advent // We approach scripture through the lens of Christ. Christ is all and in all. With this lens, today we look at the incarnation afresh. The incarnation is about the coming, the suffering, the resurrection and the coming again of Christ. // // Three small details are worthy of notice in this passage: // // 1. Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps. Even though they had suffered hardship there, they went back. // 2. They returned to strengthen the believers. They chose to risk suffering for the sake of the new believers. // 3. The message they brought was a reminder that the disciples must suffer hardships in order to enter God’s kingdom. // // We, who are called, will suffer. We come to Christ to die. And then we live through him. Here’s the joy: whoever loses their life, for the sake of Christ, will find it.

Sunday, 1 December 2019 | Hebrews 10:19-25 // Dave Fellingham | Worship Ushers in the Kingdom // Hebrews was written primarily to the Jews, who were rooted in the Old Testament. The theme of worship predominates Hebrews, as it does the entire bible, Genesis to Revelation. We must worship God holistically, body, soul and spirit. // // Every time revival has come, worship has been an integral component. We see worship in its prophetic context: ushering in the Kingdom of God. The book of Hebrews demonstrates that Old Testament worship is a prototype of what was and is to come.

Sunday, 24 November 2019 | Acts 14:8-20 // Keith Cooper | Same Story, Different Reaction // The key word in the story of a crippled man, healed by Paul, is ‘faith’. This is not a difficult concept once we believe in a big God and a small Satan. This powerful God sent Jesus to save us. In the gospels Jesus repeatedly indicates that faith is involved in the process of healing and salvation. // // Healing is not primarily about the person who has faith though; it is about the God who heals. God in his divine wisdom allows some sickness and infirmity to endure. But in other cases it is his delight to heal, as in this encounter seen in Acts. // // Paul and Barnabas knew full well that God operates at all times for our good and for his glory. They were troubled when people thought that they themselves were gods – that they were the ones with the healing power. So they were at pains to redirect all adulation and worship to the one true God.

Sunday, 17 November 2019 | Acts 14:1-7 // Dave Brown | The Cross at the Crossroads // Paul and Barnabas travelled along major trade routes, to commercial & cosmopolitan areas. In these busy locations they had ample opportunities to talk about the work of Christ. // // The effectiveness of the message was helped by the fact that Paul and Barnabas were: // // 1. Commissioned // 2. Anointed by the Holy Spirit // 3. Mindful of their audience // 4. Rooted in scripture // 5. Intelligible // // They spoke boldly and God graciously gave them the power to perform miracles. This confirmed the message to those with the faith to follow Christ.

Sunday, 3 November 2019 | Ephesians 6:12 // Rob Coleman | Knowing and Living in our Authority in Christ // Ephesians 6:12 – our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood. // // Notes: // 1. We are God’s workmanship // 2. God created humans to rule and reign over creation, serving in love // 3. He gives us the keys to bind and loose // 4. So let’s take back the ground that the enemy has stolen

Sunday, 27 October 2019 | Acts 13:4-12 // Rob Pomeroy | What’s in a Name? // Discipleship requires humility // 1. Commit all your plans to God // 2. He is God, not our servant // 3. What we ask may be bad for us // 4. God’s way is the best way // // Key points // 1. Salvation is from the Jews // 2. Treat people wisely, kindly & with grace // 3. Always seek God’s will // 4. Ask for, and exercise discernment // 5. God is much more intelligent than us // 6. God always wins // 7. Follow the direction of the Holy Spirit, always

Sunday, 20 October 2019 | Acts 12:24-13:3 // Keith Cooper | The Start of Missions // A central theme of Acts is the word of God spreading and the church growing. This is all in accordance with the sovereign will of God, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. // // Some points on direction: // // 1. The Holy Spirit brings personal direction. His plans are always better than ours. Obedience is the key to understanding his will. // 2. Start with things you know you ought to do. (Prayer, reading the Bible, worship.) // 3. Do God’s will from the heart. // 4. The Holy Spirit brings corporate direction into mission work, from local churches. // 5. In Acts we see apostolic leadership taking, following and championing this direction of the Holy Spirit. // Note: Apostleship isn’t the top of a leadership hierarchy. It’s a foundation-laying function, a master builder, working with local church leadership, bringing objectively and helping discern direction.

Sunday, 13 October 2019 | Acts 12:18-23 // Paul Jackson | Don’t dare mess with God // This passage details a fairly gruesome end to King Herod. Some would reject this (or the entire bible) because of the parts that are not to their taste. But the whole bible is the word of God and contains truth. We pick and choose at our peril. // // This King Herod was the same Herod who ordered the murder of all the children under the age of two when Jesus was born. He had friends in high places including the emperor Calligula. But his so-called power was no match for God’s. He stood against God, and God dealt with him.

Sunday, 6 October 2019 | Acts 12:1-17 // Keith Cooper | Herod versus a praying church // Herod was ready to do whatever it would take to increase his popularity. He has had James (the brother of John) killed and his sights are set on Peter. But the church prayed earnestly. And God arranged a rescue. // // Our natural, default response, in every situation, should be to pray. In good times, in bad. In sorrow, in joy. Things happen in response to prayer that will not happen otherwise. This is how God chooses to operate in this world.

Sunday, 29 September 2019 | Acts 11:19-30 // Rob Pomeroy | Worthy of our Trust // God knows we are frail. In this passage, we see real people in real danger, responding to their situations with a mixture of fear and faith. We need not be discouraged though, when we face all kinds of trials and challenges. When we live to please God, we can live dailing in his presence, pursuing eternal treasure, trusting him through all circumstances. // // We see too that God is unstoppable. The gospel will always advance. And in this advance, God reveals his glory and his plans are worked out. God is so far beyond and above us; can does not need us. And yet he chooses us, to be part of his plans and to receive a glorious eternal heritage – as have those early Christians who testified boldly about the good news of Jesus Christ.

Sunday, 22 September 2019 | Acts 11:1-18 // Emma Beddoes | Turning Points // The Apostle Peter presents to the church his vision from God, where God transforms the ceremonial Israelite laws. This reinforced the message already brought by Christ: Jesus told his listeners that uncleanness was from within, from evil hearts, not from eating particular foods. By the same token, salvation was not exclusively for the Jews, as they had supposed, but also for the Gentiles.