Dimensions of the Faith Certificate Course (Gordon Conwell Tehological Seminary)

http://ockenga.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/dimensions/about.php

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary has developed the Dimensions of the Faith series for any Christian who desires foundational knowledge in the areas of Old and New Testament, Biblical Interpretation, Church History, Theology, and Missions and Evangelism. The goal of each course is to:
Paint the big picture of what you are learning
Provide you with basic content
Introduce you to keywords that will enlarge your capacity for understanding
Guide you to understanding how greater knowledge of God’s Word can be applied naturally to everyday life and service
Direct you to valuable resources as God’s Word whets your appetite for further study

For a variety of settingsYou may wish to use the materials as a source of your own personal spiritual growth and enrichment. You may also wish to study the materials as a group. The series is especially designed as a leadership tool for churches. What more important areas of study are there for growing and deepening your congregation in the faith? We encourage pastors, especially, to use the series with the formal and informal leadership of your congregation.

In a variety of formatsWe invite you to the series in audio CD and print notebook format. You can listen to the lectures and access the study guides here on the Dimensions website, or for greater flexibility in the home, car, or church, we invite you to order the series from the Ockenga Store

With a goal in mindIf you complete all ten courses, the Ockenga Institute and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary would be privileged to award you a Dimensions of the Faith Certificate. Each course has a short exam that you must pass (21 out of 30) in order to qualify for the Certificate. The exams are meant to aid in the learning process. All exam questions have been taken from the lectures and most of the questions are directly related to material in the study guide.

 

Kingdom Prayers (Bible.org)

Focus your prayers on the bigger issues of the kingdom, knowing the coming of the kingdom is the will of God for the women in your group and their families—“Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Study the prayers of the New Testament and see how they involved kingdom issues: character-building in those who suffered, the glory of God in the midst of persecution, and the knowledge of Jesus in the world.
Examples of kingdom prayers:

Matt. 6:33-34: Pray for ____ to seek first God’s kingdom in her life. (If there are monetary or physical needs involved, this is a condition necessary for God’s promise to supply to kick in.)

Jas. 1:2-4, 12: Pray for God to use this difficulty to produce endurance, completion, and blessing.

Jas. 1:17-18; 4:3: Pray for ___ to trust that God gives good gifts, realizing that His gifts are better than those she wants.

Eph. 1:17-21: Pray for God to give _____ wisdom and the revelation of Him in the midst of this time.

Eph. 4:1-3: Pray for _____ to walk worthy and to show forth these qualities to others with whom she is having difficulty.

Col. 1:9-12: Pray for God to fill _____ with the knowledge of His will that she may walk worthy.

Col. 3:1-4: Pray that God will give _____ the grace to set her mind on the things above rather than the circumstances.

Rom. 8:28-29: Pray that _____ will trust that God is at work in the midst of these difficulties for her good, not for her destruction. Pray that God will use this time to mold her more into the image of Jesus.

 

Jesus examines our ambitions (Matthew 6:19–34)

The worldliness that we are called to avoid can take a religious or a secular form. And so we differ from those who are not Christians both in our devotional life, which Jesus has dealt with in the first half of the chapter, and also in our ambitions. These are disclosed principally in two ways: ‘What do we really value?’ and ‘What do we worry about?’ It is to these twin areas of money and worry that Jesus now turns, as he seeks to show with embarrassing directness what it means to be a citizen of the kingdom.
Verses 19–24 are all about money. Jesus is unambiguous on this subject, which many preachers dare not face. ‘You cannot serve both God and Money’ (24). Money is literally ‘Mammon’, who seems to have been the Carthaginian god of wealth. You cannot have divided loyalties in this matter. God has to come first, and money a poor second. Jesus is specific, too, about the sorts of things that grab our spending power. He warns against giving priority to items such as clothes, which will wear out and are so readily perishable. He warns against overvaluing precious metals, which rust can spoil. He warns against putting our treasure where it can be stolen. Wise people, the true children of the kingdom, put their treasure where they cannot lose it, where it will never wear out, and where it can never be eroded. Their treasure is in heaven. It is safe with the Father.
Verses 22–23 have a general application: the eye is the window to the soul. You can often tell how things are with people by the message relayed through their eyes. Jealousy, prejudice, resentment, greed, lust—these are like films that can creep over the eye and distort the vision. All this is true. But the particular application of this image is to money. And it is not without significance that the words good (literally ‘single’) and bad often have a financial nuance in the Greek language. ‘Single’ means generous, open-hearted, warm. ‘Bad’ means miserly, niggardly. So it would seem that Jesus is developing his theme about money. Not only is it important to have your treasure in the right place; it is also vital to approach life with a generous, warm appraisal of other people. There are few things so distorting as an ungenerous, mean and critical spirit.
Hence the conclusion: you cannot be devoted to God if you are devoted to money and the things money will buy (24). They are rival affections. Money, the ancients came to see, is like sea-water. The more you drink of it the thirstier you get. The love of money is indeed a root of all kinds of evil.16 In May 1987 Time magazine came out with an issue all about the corruption in high places brought about by wrongly placed priorities. ‘Whatever happened to Ethics?’ was splashed across the cover. More than a hundred of the Reagan administration either had to resign through scandals, many of them financial, or were under deep suspicion. ‘Not since the reckless 1920s have the financial columns carried such unrelenting tales of vivid scandals, creative new means for dirty-dealing, insider-trading, money-laundering, greenmailing.’ And this was all pitilessly documented by Time magazine. Money possesses a terrible power to corrupt. Believers must make sure that they are not overcome by it. And yet they are.
There are few areas where the standards of the world have so invaded the church as in this area of money. Christian giving is frequently at an abysmal standard, and when it rises to 10% or so, there is often the implicit or explicit assumption that God will bless you in financial terms for what you give. It is very convenient to forget that the preacher of this Sermon was penniless and remained that way until devotion to God drove him to a cross of wood. He practised what he preached. He did not try to serve God and Money. William Barclay makes an interesting point. ‘Mammon’ has a Hebrew root which means ‘entrust’. Mammon was the wealth people entrusted to bankers to keep safe for them. But as the years went on, Mammon came to mean not that which is entrusted but that in which people put their trust. God entrusted us with all we have. It is the supreme treason to prize the gift above the donor. This generation is accountable at this point. Things that have been entrusted to us by God to support us have become, in effect, our god. Disciples are marked out clearly by their attitude to money.
Closely allied to the theme of money is worry (6:25–34). On the whole, the more money people have, the more anxious care they expend on how to keep it, increase it, and stop others stealing it. Secular people are preoccupied with their lives and bodies (25), and in particular with three areas which Jesus takes as examples: food, drink and clothes. Disciples should stand out in sharp contrast. We should not be consumed by merimna, anxious care, over these things.
Worry is not a little weakness we all give way to from time to time. It is a sin that is strictly forbidden. R. H. Mounce says, ‘Worry is practical atheism and an affront to God’, and Jesus gives good reasons for the truth of this.
Worry is unnecessary, even for the hardworking. Nobody works harder for a living than a bird, but birds do not worry. Yet the heavenly Father looks after them. How much less should we worry!
Worry is useless. Anxious care cannot add a single hour to life (27; or, as hēlikia may be translated, ‘a few centimetres to height’). The past cannot be changed: the future cannot be charted. So worry about them is useless and debilitating.
Worry is blind. It refuses to learn the lessons of God’s providence taught us by the birds and flowers. Short-lived as they are, in their quiet dependence on their environment they display that ‘peace’ that should mark believers who know that behind their environment there is a loving heavenly Father.
Worry is essentially a failure to trust God. And for disciples to be of little faith (30) hurts God greatly. It means we do not trust him, and that is always grievous. It means that we do not put him first, but instead all these things (33) come first. Our ambition as disciples must be to put God and his kingly rule at the top of our list of priorities, and we shall find that God takes care of the necessities of life.
But what if he does not? What of the hardships of believers? Is Jesus being unfeeling and unrealistic here? No. He himself knew the pinch of near-starvation and was to taste in his flesh the bite of cruel nails. But these things did not rob him of his loving trust in his heavenly Father, whose overarching providence would not allow anything to befall him which was not, in the last analysis, for good. That analysis might not be apparent until eternity, but it could be relied on, and it still can. For it depends on the faithfulness of God to his creation. Christians, like their Master, are totally secure in their relationship with the Father—and in all other respects totally insecure. In a world marred by sin and suffering, hardship is inevitable for everybody, and particularly for those who seek to live for God. After all, we follow a crucified Messiah and cannot expect a bed of roses. We were never promised one. What we are promised is the endless, unremitting, detailed, loving care of the Father over every aspect of our lives. Even in deep need, even in the hour of death, the fruits of trusting him are evident in the way believers behave. There should be a quiet glow, a radiance, about us that comes from acknowledging God’s rule in our lives, and from seeking to act righteously and so to stay in that right relationship with him. When those things are in place, a Christian life stands out as a beacon in the surrounding gloom.
There is, in the life of the fourteenth-century German mystic Johann Tauler, a remarkable story that shows something of the attitude Jesus was looking for in his disciples. One day Tauler met a beggar. ‘God give you a good day, my friend,’ he said.
The beggar answered, ‘I thank God I never had a bad one.’
Then Tauler said, ‘God give you a happy life, my friend.’
‘I thank God’, said the beggar, ‘that I am never unhappy.’
In amazement Tauler asked, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well,’ said the beggar, ‘when it is fine I thank God. When it rains I thank God. When I have plenty I thank God. When I am hungry I thank God. And, since God’s will is my will, and whatever pleases him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?’
Tauler looked at the man in astonishment. ‘Who are you?’ he asked.
‘I am a king,’ said the beggar.
‘Where, then, is your kingdom?’ asked Tauler.
The beggar replied quietly, ‘In my heart.’
‘Do not worry about tomorrow’ (34). In anxiety, as in money matters, disciples are to demonstrate that they are governed by ambitions different from those of others. Our ambition should be to put God first; to avoid the pious worldliness of religious showmanship described in the first part of Matthew 6; and to avoid also the secular preoccupation with wealth and the daily concerns of life outlined in the second part. Incidentally, lest we allow the force of what Jesus says to pass us by through long familiarity, it might do no harm sometimes to check up on our finances and see how extravagant we are in our spending on food, drink and clothes, to mention just those three examples Jesus took. Our findings might disturb us.

Green, M. (2000). The message of Matthew : The kingdom of heaven (102–105). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., U.S.A.: Inter-Varsity Press.

 

What is a disciple?

DISCIPLE. A disciple (from Lat. discipulus, ‘pupil, learner’, corresponding to Gk. mathētēs, from manthanō, ‘to learn’) is basically the pupil of a teacher. The corresponding Heb. term limmûḏ is somewhat rare in the OT (Is. 8:16; 50:4; 54:13; cf. Je. 13:23), but in the rabbinical writings the talmîḏ (cf. 1 Ch. 25:8) is a familiar figure as the pupil of a rabbi from whom he learned traditional lore. In the Gk. world philosophers were likewise surrounded by their pupils. Since pupils often adopted the distinctive teaching of their masters, the word came to signify the adherent of a particular outlook in religion or philosophy.
Jewish usage is seen in the NT references to the disciples of the Pharisees (Mk. 2:18). The Jews considered themselves to be ultimately disciples of Moses (Jn. 9:28), since his teaching formed the basis of rabbinic instruction. The followers of John the Baptist were known as his disciples (Mk. 2:18; Jn. 1:35). The term was probably applied to his close associates. They practised prayer and fasting in accordance with his instructions (Mk. 2:18; Lk. 11:1), and some of them cared for him in prison and saw to his burial (Mt. 11:2–7; Mk. 6:29).
Although Jesus (like John) was not an officially recognized teacher (Jn. 7:14f.), he was popularly known as a teacher or rabbi (Mk. 9:5; 11:21; Jn. 3:2), and his associates were known as disciples. The word can be used of all who responded to his message (Mt. 5:1; Lk. 6:17; 19:37), but it can also refer more narrowly to those who accompanied him on his travels (Mk. 6:45; Lk. 8:2f.; 10:1), and especially to the twelve apostles (Mk. 3:14). Discipleship was based on a call by Jesus (Mk. 1:16–20; 2:13f.; Lk. 9:59–62; even Lk. 9:57f. presupposes Jesus’ invitation in general terms). It involved personal allegiance to him, expressed in following him and giving him an exclusive loyalty (Mk. 8:34–38; Lk. 14:26–33). In at least some cases it meant literal abandonment of home, business ties and possessions (Mk. 10:21, 28), but in every case readiness to put the claims of Jesus first, whatever the cost, was demanded. Such an attitude went well beyond the normal pupil-teacher relationship and gave the word ‘disciple’ a new sense. Faith in Jesus and allegiance to him are what determine the fate of men at the last judgment (Lk. 12:8f.).
Those who became disciples were taught by Jesus and appointed as his representatives to preach his message, cast out demons and heal the sick (Mk. 3:14f.); although these responsibilities were primarily delegated to the Twelve, they were not confined to them (Mk. 5:19; 9:38–41; Lk. 10:1–16).
According to Luke, the members of the early church were known as disciples (Acts 6:1f., and frequently thereafter). This makes it clear that the earthly disciples of Jesus formed the nucleus of the church and that the pattern of the relationship between Jesus and his earthly disciples was constitutive for the relationship between the risen Lord and the members of his church. The word, however, is not found outside the Gospels and Acts, and other NT writers used a variety of terms (believers, saints, brothers) to express more fully the characteristics of discipleship after Easter.
Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (277–278). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

 

Wednesday Night Small Group Bible Studies

Wednesday Career Small Group Discipleship Led Pastor Mark Lacanienta Pls contact 714-280-4232; Currently studying Galatians: Freedom in Christ

Last Wednesday 11/4 , I mentioned that Paul was upset at the Galatian churches for the judaizers creeping in and corrupting the Good news. Tonight we began to unpack what is the Good news? The gospel that we hold so dear. As we look at Paul in his letter to the Galatians, inevitably will lead us to Paul’s love for the of Christ and living the life that is given totally for him. As we look at the Epistles, we will address some of the issues we will encounter in sharing the Good news.

Praying that you will have a good rest of the week and see you all on Sunday.

Your fellow bondservant,

Kuya Mark

A troubled jailer in the first century once asked two Christian leaders, “what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). This in fact is the most important question that anyone can ask. We are troubled not only by the evils of our world but also by our own faults. We often feel guilty for those words and deeds that our own consciences tell us are wrong. We probably sense that we deserve God’s judgment, not his favor. What can be done—or what has been done—to rescue us from our helpless situation?

Below are 4 essential areas in our Gospel presentation.

God
The God of the Bible is the one and only true God. He is the greatest of all beings. He depends on no other being for his existence. He exists eternally as one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—a mystery beyond our understanding, but not a contradiction. He plans and acts according to his own good pleasure. He “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). God created the world and acts in it today in accordance with his own perfect, holy, good, and loving plan.
In the same way that this perfectly good God created everything according to his own purposes, so he has acted to save people who have rebelled against him. This action, too, is not because of anything external compelling him, but it is “according to his great mercy” that “he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3).

Man
People are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27–28). What does that mean? In part it means that we are privileged to act as God’s representatives, as sub-rulers over God’s creation, subduing the creatures of the earth, reflecting God’s good rule over us. Our authority is derived from God’s (Eph. 3:14–15) and is meant to reflect his own. But beyond function, being in God’s image also means that we are like God in many ways. Like God, we are spiritual and rational beings. Like God, we communicate and establish relationships. Like God, our souls endure eternally.
However, the Bible also teaches that there has been an enduring effect of the sin of Adam and Eve recorded in Genesis 3. Because of that sin, we are born morally fallen. We are naturally turned away from God and toward sin in every area of life. We are not as bad as we possibly could be, but we are at no point as good as we ought to be. We are now all sinners, and we sin in all areas of life (Rom. 3:23). We are corrupted and make the wrong choices. We are not holy, and are in fact inclined to evil; we do not love God, and therefore we are under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse. We are guilty of sinning against God, fallen from his favor, and under the curse of Genesis 3, and the promise of his right and just judgment of us in the future and forever is guaranteed to us (“the wages of sin is death,” Rom. 6:23). This is the state from which we need to be saved.

Jesus Christ
It was, then, when all human beings were desperate and helpless, that God “loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Rick asked what is Propitiation? 1 John 2:2 Propitiation (Gk. hilasmos)here means “a sacrifice that bears God’s wrath and turns it to favor,” and that is also the meaning of the English word “propitiation.” (See Rom. 3:25.) As the perfect sacrifice for sin, Jesus turns away God’s wrath

Fully God. The Son of God, who has eternally existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and who has eternally possessed all the attributes of God, became a man. He was born as Jesus, son of the virgin Mary. The Son entered this world with a purpose: he came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), which means he came to redeem us from sin and guilt. He was not an unwitting or unwilling sacrifice. He, following his Father, chose to love the world in this way. Though now fully human, he was also fully God throughout the time of his life on earth (and remains fully God to this day). Jesus himself clearly taught his deity in the way he fulfilled prophecy, which was associated with the coming of God himself (Mark 14:61–62). Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:5), he accepted worship (John 20:28; Revelation 5), and he taught, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

Fully man. Jesus Christ was also fully man. He was not a deity pretending to be human when he was not. Jesus was fully human (and remains fully human to this day). He was born and lived in submission to his earthly parents. He had a fully human body. He “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom” (Luke 2:40). He learned the carpentry trade (Mark 6:3). He experienced hunger, felt thirst and tiredness, faced temptation, and eventually suffered even death itself. Jesus Christ was, and is, fully God and fully man. The eternal Son of God became a man in order to save sinners.

Perfect life. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life. Indeed, all his actions were as they should be. His words were perfect. He said only what the Father commanded. “What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me” (John 12:50). He did only what the Father willed (John 5:19; e.g., Luke 22:42). So, the writer to the Hebrews concludes, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Jesus lived the life of consistent, wholehearted love to the Father that Adam and Eve and Israel—and all of us—should have lived. He deserved no punishment from God because he was never disobedient.

Teaching. Jesus came to teach God’s truth, especially about himself (Mark 1:38; 10:45; Luke 20:42; 24:44). He taught the truth about God, about his relationship with God the Father (John 14), about our sin, about what he had come to do, and about what we must do in response. He explained that the Scriptures of the OT were about him (Luke 24:44).

Crucifixion. But God sent his Son especially to die for us (Mark 10:45; John 3:16–18). This is how God has shown his love for us (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:9–10). Christ gave his life as a ransom for us (Mark 10:45; 1 Tim. 2:6). By his death he paid the penalty for our sin. Jesus Christ’s crucifixion was a horrible act of violence by the people who rejected, sentenced, mocked, tortured, and crucified him. and yet it was also a display of the self-giving love of God, as the Son of God bore the penalty of God’s wrath against us for our sin (Deut. 21:23; Isa. 53:5; Rom. 3:25–26; 4:25; 5:19; 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 2:8; Heb. 9:28).

Resurrection, ascension, return. On the third day after his crucifixion, Jesus was raised from the dead by God. This demonstrated an acceptance of Christ’s service in his ministry and specifically showed God’s acceptance of his sacrifice for all those who would repent and believe (Rom. 1:4; 4:25). He ascended to heaven and “will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Christ’s return will bring God’s plan of salvation to completion.

Response
So if God has done this in Christ, what are we to do to be saved? We must turn to God in Christ, which entails turning back from sin. If we repent of (decide to forsake and turn from) our sin (as best we understand it) and trust in Christ as a living person, we will be saved from God’s righteous wrath against our sins. This response of repentance and faith (or trust) can be explained in more detail as follows:

Turn to God. In the OT, God commands people to turn or return to him, and so be saved (e.g., Isa. 6:10; Jer. 18:8). In the NT, Christ preached that people should turn to God, and Paul summarized his account of his preaching with that phrase: “that they [everyone] should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (Acts 26:20; cf. Acts 26:18). Thus, as Paul said earlier, he preached “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). To repent means to turn. and the turning that we are called to do in order to be saved is fundamentally a turning to God. James could refer to the Gentiles who “turn to God” (Acts 15:19). To “turn to,” in this sense in the Bible, is to orient your life toward someone. As God’s people—those who are being saved—we are to play the part of the Prodigal Son who, though conscious of sin, guilt, and folly, flees to the Father (Luke 15:20). Paul at Lystra calls the people to turn to the living God (Acts 14:15). Paul refers to the Galatian Christians as those who had come to “know God” (Gal. 4:9); this is what we do in repentance: we repent to, we turn to God, and henceforth know him as the God who forgives our sins and accepts us for Christ’s sake.

Turn away from sin. Turning to God necessarily implies our turning away from sin. The whole Bible—OT and NT—clearly teaches that to repent is to “acknowledge [God’s] name and turn from [our] sins” (1 Kings 8:35; cf. 2 Chron. 7:14; Jer. 36:3; Ezek. 14:6; 18:30; Acts 3:19; 8:22; 26:18; Rev. 2:21–22; 9:20–21; 16:11). We cannot start to pursue God and sin at the same time. First John makes it clear that our basic way of life will either be oriented toward God and his light, or toward the darkness of sin. Christians in this life still sin, but against our deepest desires and better judgment; our lives are not guided and directed by sin as before. We are no longer enslaved to sin. Though we still struggle with it (Gal. 5:17), God has given us the gift of repentance (Acts 11:18), and we have been freed from sin’s dominating power.

Believe and trust. Put another way, our response is to believe and trust God’s promises in Christ, and to commit ourselves to Christ, the living Lord, as his disciples. Among Jesus’ first words in Mark’s Gospel are “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The obedience that typifies God’s people, beginning with repentance, is to result from the faith and trust we have in him and his word (e.g., Josh. 22:16; Acts 27:25). Thus sins are sometimes called “breaking faith with God” (e.g., Ezra 10:2, 10). Having faith in Christ, which seals our union with him through the Holy Spirit, is the means by which God accounts Christ’s righteousness as our own (Rom. 3:21–26; 5:17–21; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8–9; Phil. 3:9). Paul could refer to “salvation through faith in Christ” (2 Tim. 3:15). Frequently this initial repentance and faith can be simply expressed to God himself in prayer.

Grow in godliness and battle for holiness. Such saving faith is something that we exercise, but even so it is a gift from God. Paul writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). At the same time, Paul explained that Christians know an internal battle: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:17). God’s gift of salvation has been given to Christians, but the evidence of that salvation is lived out in the continual work of God’s Spirit. We can deceive ourselves, and so Paul encourages his readers to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5). Peter encourages Christians to grow in godliness and so become more confident of their election (2 Peter 1). We don’t create our own salvation by our actions, but we reflect and express it and so grow in our certainty of it. Because we Christians are liable to deceive ourselves, we should give ourselves to the study of God’s Word to be instructed and encouraged in our salvation, and to learn what is inconsistent with it. Jesus’ descriptions of his followers (see Matthew 5–7), or Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit’s work in us (see Gal. 5:22–23), act as spiritual maps that help us locate ourselves to see if we are on the path of salvation.

 

Household of Faith Church 121 W. Cypress Ave Anaheim, CA 92805 714-280-4232

HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH CHURCH
Where Church is Family
Ephesians 4:12-16

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First and foremost thank you for your kindness in celebrating my birthday. It is truly a joy to serve you all and your love and service for the Lord encourages me and my family.

I have uploaded the link on our church webpage/blog so that you can easily access it it is a link on the right side of HOUSEHOLDCHURCH.ORG

I trust that that you have completed the Spiritual Growth Assessment tool . This is simply a tool to help you diagnose the areas of spiritual discipline that you will want to focus on. There may be areas where you are stronger and thus, your passion and giftedness and callings will be identified. It is my hope and prayer that through these studies that you will emerge more equipped for the work of ministry. Growth is an ongoing process and we may be all at different stages and we all have something to offer. Through this series, some may emerge to be teachers, some to be manifesting their gifts in other areas. It is my hope and prayer that you will be encouraged to first share your faith, and secondly teach others what Scripture has for us to live Godly lives. I hope you are ready for this journey. It is my hope that this series becomes a permanent part of our church and we will continually be adding to your learning and spiritual formation and the months and years go by. I can envision other Foundations of the faith groups going on in homes throughout the week. Saturday, Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon. I envision robust gatherings that are devoted to teaching, fellowship and prayer.

I am thanking God for every remembrance of you all and am excited at what God will do as we give our lives away to Him

Please be sure to complete Lesson 1 of the Fundamentals of the Faith Series. We will be discussing the material there.

If you missed our service on November 8, please be sure to catch up with one of our church members and they can help you get back on track.

Today we covered the meaning of General Revelation, Specific Revelation and Inspiration.

REVELATION: The act of God whereby He discloses to man what would otherwise be unknown

GENERAL REVELATION:God revealing Himself to man through creation and conscience

* Through Creation Romans 1:18-20
Rom. 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
The wrath of God refers to his personal anger against sin. God’s anger is not selfish or arbitrary but represents his holy and loving response to human wickedness. Some have understood God’s wrath in impersonal cause-effect terms, but this betrays a deistic worldview rather than a biblical one. God’s wrath is expressed for good reason since his power and divine nature are clearly revealed through the world he has made, and yet he is rejected by all people. These verses show that salvation does not come through “general revelation” (what is known about God through the natural world) since Paul emphasizes the universality of sin and concludes that “no one seeks for God” (3:11). things that have been made. The entire natural world bears witness to God through its beauty, complexity, design, and usefulness. without excuse. No one should complain that God has left insufficient evidence of his existence and character; the fault is with those who reject the evidence.

*Through conscience Romans 2:14-15
Rom. 2:14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
Rom. 2:15in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,Paul explains here why Gentiles who do not have the law will face judgment apart from the law (see v. 12). The reason it is fair for God to judge them for their evil is that God’s law is written on their hearts, so that their consciences attest to what is right and what is wrong in their behavior. Paul does not imply that the testimony of human conscience is always a perfect moral guide (for people have conflicting thoughts about their moral behavior, sometimes excusing themselves from wrongdoing), but the very existence of this testimony is sufficient to render people accountable to God. (Elsewhere Paul indicates that people’s consciences can be distorted by sin; see 1 Cor. 8:7, 10; 10:29; 1 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:15.)

SPECIAL REVELATION:God Revealing Himself to man through miracles, signs dreams and visions, theophanies (appearances of God in tangible form), through the prophets and the greatest prophet Jesus Christ and through the written word of God in the Bible.

The writer of Hebrews declared, “God after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1–2). As this statement suggests, special revelation has included a variety of methods, climaxing in the coming of the Son of God.

Heb. 1:1¶ God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
Heb. 1:2in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
1:1 Long ago contrasts here with “these last days” in v. 2. Two similar Greek words emphasize the many times and many ways in which God has spoken. This speaking was through prophets, which in Jewish thought included the authors of both the prophetic and the historical books of the OT (even Moses and David; cf. Deut. 18:15; Acts 1:16; 3:22; 4:25; 7:37; 26:22). Our fathers are the OT patriarchs (cf. Heb. 3:9; 8:9), whom the author considers his audience’s spiritual forebears.
1:2 Four points of contrast occur between 1 and 2: time of revelation (“long ago” vs. these last days); agent of revelation (“prophets” vs. Son); recipients of revelation (“fathers” vs. us); and, implicitly, the unity of the final revelation in the Son (cf. the “many times and in many ways” in v. 1, implying, by contrast, that this last revelation came at one time, in one way, in and through God’s Son). Since God has spoken finally and fully in the Son, and since the NT fully reports and interprets this supreme revelation once the NT is written, the canon of Scripture is complete. No new books are needed to explain what God has done through his Son. Now believers await his second coming (9:28) and the city to come (13:14). Jesus is heir of all things (i.e., what he “inherits” from his Father is all creation) by virtue of his dignity as Son (1:4). The preexistence, authority, power, and full deity of the Son are evident in his role in creating the world; cf. John 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16.

INSPIRATION: A process by which God, as the instigator moved men by the Holy Spirit to write the Words of God.

Next Week we will be looking at General Information about the Bible, including it’s origin, titles and translations. Bible Survey, Old Testament and New Testament

He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, Eph. 4:12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; Eph. 4:13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Eph. 4:14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; Eph. 4:15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, Eph. 4:16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

in Hawaiaan Ohana means family and with family nobody gets left behind,

Till next week remember.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa. 19:8

Pastor Mark

 

Household of Faith

http://churchsearch2.9marks.org/locator.php?zip=92805&radius=5&x=55&y=58&action=search

The Mission of 9Marks

We believe the local church is the focal point of God’s plan for displaying his glory to the nations.  Our vision is simple: A Church that reflects the character of God.  Our mission is to cultivate and encourage  these nine marks:

1. Expositional Preaching
This is preaching which expounds what Scripture says in a particular passage, carefully explaining its meaning and applying it to the congregation. It is a commitment to hearing God’s Word and to recovering the centrality of it in our worship.

2. Biblical Theology
Paul charges Titus to “teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Our concern should be not only with how we are taught, but with what we are taught. Biblical theology is a commitment to know the God of the Bible as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

3. Biblical Understanding of the Good News
The gospel is the heart of Christianity. But the good news is not that God wants to meet people’s felt needs or help them develop a healthier self-image. We have sinfully rebelled against our Creator and Judge. Yet He has graciously sent His Son to die the death we deserved for our sin, and He has credited Christ’s acquittal to those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection. That is the good news.

4. Biblical Understanding of Conversion
The spiritual change each person needs is so radical, so near the root of us, that only God can do it. We need God to convert us. Conversion need not be an emotionally heated experience, but it must evidence itself in godly fruit if it is to be what the Bible regards as a true conversion.

5. Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
How someone shares the gospel is closely related to how he understands the gospel. To present it as an additive that gives non-Christians something they naturally want (i.e. joy or peace) is to present a half-truth, which elicits false conversions. The whole truth is that our deepest need is spiritual life, and that new life only comes by repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus. We present the gospel openly, and leave the converting to God.

6. Biblical Understanding of Membership
Membership should reflect a living commitment to a local church in attendance, giving, prayer and service; otherwise it is meaningless, worthless, and even dangerous. We should not allow people to keep their membership in our churches for sentimental reasons or lack of attention. To be a member is knowingly to be traveling together as aliens and strangers in this world as we head to our heavenly home.

7. Biblical Church Discipline
Church discipline gives parameters to church membership. The idea seems negative to people today – “didn’t our Lord forbid judging?” But if we cannot say how a Christian should not live, how can we say how he or she should live? Each local church actually has a biblical responsibility to judge the life and teaching of its leaders, and even of its members, particularly insofar as either could compromise the church’s witness to the gospel.

8. Promotion of Christian Discipleship and Growth
A pervasive concern with church growth exists today – not simply with growing numbers, but with growing members. Though many Christians measure other things, the only certain observable sign of growth is a life of increasing holiness, rooted in Christian self-denial. These concepts are nearly extinct in the modern church. Recovering true discipleship for today would build the church and promote a clearer witness to the world.

9. Biblical Understanding of Leadership
What eighteenth-century Baptists and Presbyterians often agreed upon was that there should be a plurality of elders in each local church. This plurality of elders is not only biblical, but practical — it has the immense benefit of rounding out the pastor’s gifts to ensure the proper shepherding of God’s church.

In identifying and promoting these nine marks, we are not intending to lay down an exhaustive or authoritative list. There are other significant marks of healthy churches, like prayer and fellowship. We want to pursue those ourselves as well, and we want you to pursue them with us. But these nine are the ones we think are most neglected in most local churches today, with the most damaging ramifications. Join us in cultivating churches that reflect the character of God

 

What We Believe

Article One: Scripture

The Bible is the infallible word of God, the supreme rule for faith and practice.

The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament came from the very mouth of God and are without error in the originals. Scripture is therefore the unique and supreme guide for all it affirms, including both belief and behavior.

The teachings of the Bible are sufficient for salvation and sanctification. While there are questions of meaning and application over which we may agree to disagree, there is nothing for which we are responsible to God in terms of our salvation and sanctification that is not expressed in Scripture, either in precept or principle.

From these convictions flow the following articles of faith.

Article Two: The Trinity

There is one God, infinitely perfect, without change, creator of all yet not created, distinct from His creation yet everywhere present, perfectly balanced in all His attribute, omniscient over all time, wholly sovereign. He alone is the sole object of worship.

God exists eternally in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-equal in essence and divine perfection, all three uncreated, executing distinct but harmonious offices.

Article Three: God the Father

God the Father is an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of his creation, hearing and answering prayers, saving from sin all who come to him through Jesus Christ. All life is to be lived ultimately for his glory.

Article Four: God the Son

God the Son is fully God and fully human, without confusion or mixture, the unique and only Son. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, was physically raised from the dead as prophesied, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for the saints as the sole mediator. He will return to earth and ultimately every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Article Five: God the Holy Spirit

God the Spirit is sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He fully indwells every true believer as a guarantee of his inheritance, guides and empowers them, interceding in accordance with the will of God.

Article Six: Anthropology (Doctrine of Man)

Adam and Eve were both created in the image of God, Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from his side. They disobeyed God and died, spiritually and physically. Therefore, all people are objects of wrath, sinners by nature and by choice. They are dead in their sins and incapable of pleasing God. Without the direct intervention of God, they will live separated from God, die in their sins, and receive the condemnation that their sin deserves.

Article Seven: Soteriology (Doctrine of Salvation)

Salvation from sin and access to God is available only through the work of Christ on the cross, given by God’s grace, mercy, and love, received solely by faith. In conversion, the believer is drawn by God to Himself, redeemed from his sins, declared wholly righteous, born again, made alive in Christ as a new creature, reconciled to God, becomes a child of God, and is filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit through whom he is empowered for a life of obedience. Ultimately and mysteriously, it is only the elect who will truly respond to the gospel invitation.

Article Eight: Sanctification (Doctrine of Holiness)

God’s will for every believer is his sanctification. It is the necessary and certain fruit of salvation, yet not meritorious; it is God alone who saves. Through the work of the Spirit, saints are called and enabled to live lives of holiness, “in” but not “of” the world, fully dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ, persevering to the end. Disciples are declared to be sanctified through the work of Christ and are also called to become sanctified in the experiences of life.

One of the many results of sanctification is the desire to share the gospel with sinners; evangelism grows out of an awareness of what Christ has done for you.

Article Nine: Ecclesiology (Doctrine of the Church)

The church consists of all true disciples of Jesus Christ. All things exist under the supremacy of Christ, and therefore Christ and Christ alone is the head of the church. The local expression of the church is comprised of disciples gifted for the work of building up the body of Christ. While different local expressions may have different emphases, all are commanded to make disciples, which includes both evangelism and teaching obedience to all that Jesus taught. The church is to be committed to the reading of Scripture, the exhortation to obedience, and teaching of the doctrinal truths of Scripture, as well as to all that is necessary for the edification of the body, including worship, singing, prayer, and service, all to the glory of God.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be valued and observed. They are visible signs representing spiritual truths; they do not accomplish salvation. Baptism is the washing of the believer, signifying that in conversion he has died to his old life and has been raised with Christ into a newness of life in which the power of sin is broken. The Lord’s Supper is the present proclamation of Christ’s atoning death, and looks forward to his return.

Article Ten: Eschatology (Doctrine of Last Things)

Jesus will return—personally, physically, visibly to all, suddenly—and all disciples living and dead will be bodily caught up to meet Him. At the final judgment, the unrepentant will be raised to the resurrection of judgment and everlasting punishment in hell. Believers, while already having passed from darkness to light, will be raised to the resurrection of life and will enjoy the everlasting, personal presence of God in His heavenly kingdom. God’s plan of creation, redemption, and glorification will be complete.

This is the hope for which we long, which helps to motivate us now toward godly living, and which propels us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world.

 

Household of Faith Church Weblog and Webpage now online at Householdchurch.org

 

Related Links

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/may/01/yehey/life/20070501lif7.html