Church for the City Blog

25 Jan 2009 Dave Sawyer Jesus — the ultimate expression of God's love.

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Notes
Week 4 January 25m
Title — Jesus — the ultimate expression of God's love.
Preacher— Dave S
Key verses —Matthew 26:28; Luke 15; 1 John 3:1 — 2 & 16 and ch 4:9- 11; John 3:16; Hosea 3:1; Jeremiah 31:3 and 31 — 34; Romans 8:31 — 39, Jude 21.

Key theological points
1 Jesus is the ultimate expression of God's love for us and the cross is the
ultimate in Christ's life of God's love    -
2 Relationship with us as He enjoys with Father and Spirit is His plan for us
forever
3 He relates to us through covenant as the greatest human expression of commitment drawing out trust from us.
4 Grace as undeserved favour is the foundation of His love to us
5 He seeks us — predestination on God's part
6 God has met all our needs in Christ — security! significance/ acceptance
and the need of a saviour. Relationship with Him brings all these.
7 Satan determined to destroy our trust in God's love and our job to keep
living in it

Main preaching points from Luke 15
•    God relates to all people in His image however far from Him
•    He chooses and He pursues us — we run away
•    He meets all our needs of significance, security and acceptance — the prodigal was acceptable, the lost coin was secure and the lost sheep given significance
•    Love drives action — God's love drives Himself to the cross

Questions
1 Are there doubts arising concerning God's love for you and can you say what provokes them? How can you fight this lie?
2 Has sin ever made you feel lest than acceptable to God — and what is it about Jesus that draws us back in spite of ourselves?
3 How does Jesus meet our need for security? Where does covenant help us?
4 How does Jesus meet our need for significance?
5 God accepts us and gives us significance and security - how can we reflect that especially in our relationship to people not like us socially or racially?

Worship pointers
1 God's love for us expressed through the gift of His Son and that gift given on the cross in sacrifice
2 The immeasurable depth of God's love expressed in covenant
3 We are the object of His pursuit and love today

February Church Diary 2009

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Jesus the word - explains and reveals God's words. Preacher – Mike Hewett

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Notes
 Week 3 January 18th_
Title — Jesus the word - explains and reveals God's words. Preacher – Mike

Key verses – John 1:1; Hebrews 1:1 -3; John 14:7; Revelation 19:10; 2Timothy 3:15& 16.

Key theological points
1 Scripture is ultimately all about Jesus — points to Him in prophecy, prepares for Him through the law, illustrates the cross through sacrifice and temple, reflects His life in the stories of great men and woman.
2 The reliability of Old Testament scripture is confirmed by Jesus.
3 The reliability of New Testament scripture is confirmed by archaeology, number of and age of manuscripts, prophetic fulfilment, and oral tradition.
4 Scripture is sufficient for all life – some Biblical principle will apply to every area of life
5 Prophetic words today testify to a glorified Jesus    -
6 God speaks to all through creation and through conscience and common grace
7 He speaks through Jesus' death and resurrection of His great love and desire ti
have a living speaking relationship with us through His Holy Spirit
8 His words are absolute truth - true for all people, everywhere at all times.
9 All scripture is inerrant - without error in it's original form..

Main preaching points Hebrews 1:1

1 Listening to God speak is about reading the Bible correctly –reading it with faith looking for Jesus in the text/ studying/ meditating on His words.
2 God has spoken, is speaking and will speak to us
3 He created all things through Jesus words and will create faith and life in you today as you listen/ read His word. Expect change and challenge.
4 All prophecy similarly points to and glorifies Jesus in our lives

Questions
1 How has God spoken to you and how do you know it was God speaking?
2 Does the Bible have authority in your life? What does this mean in practice
3 Give examples of God's word actively working in peoples lives
4 How do you think this teaching on Jesus as the living word change your
reading of the Bible?
5 Are you expecting God to speak to you today? Will you be listening?

Worship pointers
1 Worship the speaking God
2 Jesus is God's ultimate and best word to us
3 Thanks for the words He says that have changed our lives- Scripture and prophecy.

11 01 2009 Mark Waterfield Jesus the Creator

Jesus Our only foundation Series
This week Mark Waterfield talking on Jesus the Creator.
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Notes

Week 2 January 11th

Title — Jesus the creator shows us the creator. Preacher — Mark

Key verses — Genesis 1 &2; Hebrews 1:1- 3; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 4; Proverbs 8:22ff; John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:15—20; Romans 1:1-9ff.

Key theological points
•    God alone in all the seen and unseen universe is uncreated God is outside His created universe            yet intimately involved and sustaining it.
•    The rejection of creator results in idolatry and gross sin
•    He created everything from nothing
•    All He made is good but evil is not good and from Satan
•    All made for and by Christ
•    The creator died on a cross in order to redeem and restore the whole of creation
•    He will one day make all things new —a new creation which he has begun in us

Main Preaching points from Colossians 1:15ff

•    Worship of Jesus because creator and redeemer
•    Everything is made for Christ because Holy Spirit and Father want to honour and bless Him and       desire our worship of Him
•    God separate from creation but intimately involved— failure to recognise the creator result in           worship of things — pantheism (God is in each thing), Deism (God has left it to get on with                   itself), or god is actually these physical things etc. Reflected in our culture in idolatry, use of           words like 'nature' etc
•    Common grace to all his creation with special love for us in His image
•    He redeems it all '

Questions
•    How will you view the planet and other people in the light of Jesus love of and desire to redeem       the physical world?
•    In what way does 'common grace' affect your view of God's attitude to sinners?
•    Us in His image means we are of greater importance than the rest of creation — how does that           affect our priorities and values?
•    Why is it important to understand God's relationship with creation?
•    Why is the cross about more than just forgiveness of sin?
•    Do you want to honour Jesus as Father and Holy Spirit do?

Worship pointers
•    Jesus as creator worthy of worship
•    God different to and separate from us as creator
•    The cross has power that shapes and transforms everything

Mike Hewett 4/1/09 Jesus Our True Foundation

Mike Hewett beginning a new series on Jesus who He is and what He has done. This week Jesus our true foundation.

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Notes
WEEK 1 January 4th

preacher— Mike

Title — Jesus shows us who God is.

Key verses — Matthew 316. also John. '12:44ff f: Philippians 2:6ff; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1;1ff.

Key theological points
1 God lives in 3 persons — Father. Son and Holy Spirit
2 Each 'person' is fully God —eternal. omnipresent, omnipotent, infinitely wise, loving, omniscient etc
3 God lives in loving relationship with Himself —a community of love and fellowship
4 He is complete in Himself so our being created is a gracious act
5 Each person in the Godhead is equal but the Son chooses to eternally submit to the Father
6 The Spirit proceeds from the father and the Son,
7 God visited this planet
8 God died on a cross

Main preaching points from Matthew 3:16
1 We would not know God as the Father unless Jesus revealed Him
2 We would not know the Holy Spirit as a person who is fully God that works in our lives unless Jesus revealed Him
3 The Son in eternal submission to the Father showing us how equality and submission are mutual not opposites,
4 Relationship built around trust, interdependence and honouring — note Father and Holy Spirit to Jesus especially in this passage
Questions
1    How are you to relate to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — the God of the Bible?
2     How does Jesus relationship with the Father and the Spirit change your view of 'submission',             community and relationship?
3     How has Jesus revealed God to you afresh in this?
4     How does Father and Holy Spirit express their love to Jesus?

Worship pointers

1     God is trinity — be'.cn.c or understanding
2    God is trinity — completely different to us and therefore holy
3     Father seeks hcncur of Son and the Son of the Father
4     He is the complete and total of love in Himself without needing us