WORD ALIVE 2006 - Skegness
So below are my notes from Word Alive, the student celebrations, where we went through Colossians. Unfortunately I didn't get to much else due to being ill and needing to take it easy. Apologies if some of the notes don't make sense, that's my fault not down to the speakers. Some are more comprehensive than others - where there are gaps, it's where I was probably getting a bout of pain!
There are no notes from the Wednesday evening talk by Nigel Beynon as I missed that. Likewise no notes from the talk on Friday by Kent and Barbara Hughes. I was there, but, well...maybe there'll be another post on that sometime!
Bish has also written up the notes on his site, so check them out!
All in all it was a great week. God's taught me a lot and I'm still processing it. Typing up these notes has got me all excited again, and also shocked at how much I'd forgotten already. Read them, it's exciting stuff!
Oh, and photos to follow!
WORD ALIVE 2006 - Skegness. Evening 1 - Richard Cunningham
What a way to get started! :-) First heard Richard speak at Forum 2004 and loved it!
We're informed that we'll be going through the book of Colossians. Woohoo!
Acts 19:8-10 - background.
Colossians 1:1-13The glory of God's word is such that it speaks into our lives
. But the content of the passage is much more than about me!
We need to get out of an egocentric approach to God's word. Authenticity is very attractive, inauthenticity just isn't.
Have a hunger for authenticity.All isn't well in Colossae. There are questions over the authenticity of the gospel, and these are coming from within the church, which is very dangerous.
Paul offers reassurances to Colossian church that they ARE Christians.
1. The nature of the gospel.It IS true! And so it has the power to transform and spread.
THE GOSPEL HAS LEGS!There are false teachers. Effectively these guys are saying
"Epaphras gave you a starter, come to us for the main course".
But there is nowehere to move onto beyond the gospel. The gospel is all we need.
In Christ, the full might of God's glory, we have all the authority, all the power, all the fulness we could EVER need.
2:9 -
You can get no fuller than the Godhead dwelling in Christ.2. Fruit of the gospel (
verses 4-5).
Faith, hope, love.
FAITH in Jesus.
Mere Christianity.
LOVE - for all the saints.
"A new commandement..." (CF-
another post on this passage.) This is the distinctive badge of the Christian. Love has got to cost you - time, energy, emotion..."By this all men will know that you are my disciples."
AGAPE!
Love for ALL the saints...! Not just the ones you like!
HOPE - What's the relationship of faith and love to hope?
Faith and love speing from hope. Authenitc Christianity doesn't say the hope of heaven is the icing on the cake, but that heaven IS the cake. The major experience.
It is sometimes said that Christians are
"too heavenly minded to be of any earthly use" - but the biggest danger is that we become
too earthly minded to be of any heavenly use.
3. Gospel knowledge (
verses 9-13).
Paul's prayer.
WHAT should we be praying for each other?
a. knowledge
(verse 9) - to be filled with it.
b. power
(verse 11) - to be strengthened with it.a. Knowledge.
When the Bible talks about God's will, almost invariably it's about moral will. When
we think about God's will, we think about guidance. Ok, but we miss deeper things if we get preoccupied with ourselves.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO AS IF TO THE LORD.Knowledge of God's will is always connected to following God's will.
But the primary focus - moral.
HOW does He want us to live/speak/relate?
Live skilfully. Need true Solomon-like wisdom. And that will lead to knowledge of God's will.
DAILY READING OF GOD'S WORD IS CENTRAL
WHY do we pray this?
Because growing in knowledge of God isn't just a means, it's an end. b. power
verse 11- 'so that' = great endurance and patience. Lack of power is frustrating.
What will power look like?
- stay Christian!
- faith in Christ
- love for the saints
- knowledge of God's will
Joyfully giving thanks to the father in the process! The mark of people who are closest in the Lord.
What's the key to joy?
v12 - Christ has qualified us
v13- Christ has rescued us
v13 - what we've been saved FROM (darkness) and what we've been saved TO (kingdom of God).
We're not in the kingdom yet! We're in a battle. that's why we need to keep going. that's why we need wisdom, knowledge, strength, power.
THAT will glorify the Lord.
WORD ALIVE 2006 - Skegness. Evening 2 - Vaughn Roberts
Colossians 1:15-29Make sure you understand who Jesus is!People say
"you need more than Jesus". We start to listen to that and we find that other things become more important than Jesus in our lives.
To counter that - look at Jesus.
HOW could there be anything more?!
1. Christ is the all-surpassing God (
verses 15-17).
Jesus has more websites devoted to Him than Beckham and Madonna put together! He's unique. He's influenced history more than anyone else.
People often say of their lives,
"There must be something more..." - The Bible says yes there is! The Bible says look no further than Jesus for the answer.
If you try to draw a picture of someone you've never met then you'll have a go, but it will be your own image of the reality. If the person is stood in front of you then you don't need to keep trying to draw the picture - the image is there.
Other religions - people drawing sketches of what God might be like.
But in Christianity we have God coming to us and saying "this is what I'm like".
Jehovah's Witnesses use this verse (15) and the word 'firstborn' to say that Jesus can't be eternal - if He was born then He had a beginning.
But they ignore the context. And the rest of the New Testament!
"firstborn" - first in rank/honour, or ruler/leader.
--------
If Jesus made all these things then it stands to reason He has authority over all these things."Peace, be still" -
WHO IS THIS?!"Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing? Well if we know the answer to that, we know the mind of God." - Stephen Hawking, 'A Brief History of Time'.
Answer? -
VERSE 16! (To start with!)
Without Christ we would cease to be.
Nothing and nobody can be placed on a par with Jesus.
"Jesus is not 'The Great', He is 'The Only'...our place is on our faces before Him in worship." - John Stott.
2. Christ achieves an all-encompassing salvation.
Verse 18 - He is the head of the body, the church (not, for example, the Pope)
There's no better one to fix something than the one who made it.
God, through Jesus, created the world and God, through Jesus, fixes us.The death of Jesus is the turning point of history. Jesus died not just to pay for my sin but to put all of creation back in order.
The universe depends on the cross.Verse 23 - 'If'.
CONTINUE TRUSTING IN GOD.
The true believer keeps believing...
Verses 28-29. (I drummed verse 28 into my head when I was on the CU exec coz it's on our constitution. Whilst listening to this talk I thought about that. It's not just for the CU as a whole, it's for ME personally. And not just for when I'm in a position like exec where I need to be encouraging and leading people in this. It forms part of MY mandate for my WHOLE life. At least it should...)
Persevere. Remember who Jesus is. There CANNOT be anything beyond Him.
WORD ALIVE 2006 - Skegness. Evening 4 - Roger Carswell
Colossians 3:1-17We're bombarded with the attitude that we can do things our way, as we like. Paul says -
NO!Imagine the man writing this. Saul of Tarsus, great academic, philosopher, linguist etc...and a devout Pharisee.
But on the road to Damascus Saul is transformed. The old has gone, everything has become new. And now he says to the Colossians, if you are a Christian then
this should be your experience in Christ.
A passage of sustained exultation for those in Christ.Why did Jesus die and rise again?
Romans 14:9So if we have been raised with Christ then
surely we want to seek the things above.
1. Seek the things above.
Set your MIND on these things.
Why?
JESUS IS RISEN!One day everything will be gone- and yet such huge pressure to conform. To be worried about the things the world worries about etc...
And yet WHY when we have Christ? Priorities in life -
getting to know God should be paramount and a pleasure, as well as a priority. We are
dead to sin. Our life is hidden in Christ. My body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. The world can't see that. Christ is everything. This world is all temporary, life has more significance than that. 2. Slay the things on earth.
verse 5 - five sins to do with lust and greed. Ruthlessness against sin. Be careful about the books you read, films you watch, etc...
Wolves killing eskimoes! (or, put rightly, eskimoes killing wolves!)
It's not so much what we give that counts, it's what we keep. Oh to give in the name of Jesus. And give, and give...
3. Put off the old self.
Caterpillar to butterfly. Verse 8- Put off, put on.
Godly discipline. Allowing Christ to be in us, work in us.
"A person may be dedicated but if ill-disciplined, useless." - Hudson Taylor.
Christian life - cultivating what we DO have in Christ and becoming more like Jesus.
Anger - talk about God being angry. But anger is an outcome of our nature. With us, it's sinful. God is Holy, therefore His anger is righteous.
Is it kind, is it true, is it necessary?
4. Put on the new self.
Verse 12 - "Therefore" - learn to say this! I am dead in Christ, therefore I say 'no' to that. I am raised with Christ, therefore I say 'yes' to this.
Beautiful words in Verses 12-13.
Christ is all and is in all.
Verse 9 - Do not lie
Verse 13 - Bear with each other
Verse 16 - Teach and admonish
Verses 14-17 - HOW to live like this.
4 verses, 4 instructions.
1. Love one another.
2. Let the peace of Christ rule our hearts
3. Let the word of Christ dwell in you
4. Do all in the name of Jesus
Ephesians 5:18 . Be filled with the Spirit, and then same list as in Colossians 3:16. Word of God and Spirit of God work together to produce the same Spiritual fruit.
Word fills our mind, Spirit fills our lives, and then we seek to live as we should.
Matthew Henry - robbed by a highwayman and yet thankful! Why? -
1. Never been robbed before
2. Took everything, but not his life
3. Although they took everything, it wasn't much in the first place
4. He was robbed, not the one who did the robbing
SET YOUR MINDS
ON THINGS ABOVE!!
Let God deal with sin.
Let Him change you.
Die to old things.
Christian life is a series of new beginnings.
Look to Jesus to fill you afresh.
WORD ALIVE 2006 - Skegness. Morning, final day - Graham Daniels
Yeah, a Welsh guy on the last day! What a send off :-)
Colossians 4:2-18
The attention of Paul's letter now turns to evangelism.
1. PRAY
a. for others
1:9, 4:12:-Paul and Epaphras are great examples of how to pray.
It's hard to devote ourselves to prayer. But evangelism needs prayer.
Prayer needs devotion, which is hard work and a universal vulnerability.
We need to be watchful as well as thankful. 3:1-4. Satan is very quick to slip under the guard of Christians who aren't watchful.
NEED TO DEVOTE TO PRAYER.
- Is my prayer life devoted?
- Am I determined to try to make time to pray?
- Have I given up keeping watch?
- What can I do to add to my devotion in prayer?
Think of one person you want to come to know Christ. Be devoted to praying for them.
b. for preachers.
Change of tone - pray for 'us'.
1:28 - Paul's life work.
Colossae was terribly introspective. Paul's heart is the heart of Jesus, to save lost people.
Devil wants to turn us inwards, fighting with ourselves and with each other.
Instead we need to be linking arms and looking outwards.
Paul wants to proclaim the mystery of Christ. The scriptures must be proclaimed. Awesome responsibility to preach the gospel. Preachers need prayer!
Some people are just wirred for evangelism. Pray for people like that! Their calling by God, affirmed by the church, to preach Christ. They need prayer.
2. PLAY
verse 5. Don't have to become Billy Graham! Paul's role was to make opportunities - the Colossian's role was to take opportunities.
Not everyone can just create opportunities. Opportunities for most of us are borne out of a profound friendship. Don't need to retreat if you don't think of yourself as an evangelist. Don't be over-cautious! It's ok not to be like Billy Graham, but do make the most of every opportunity. But then we're back to prayer. Devote yourself to prayer for your friends.
Yeah, we'll fail. But people will know an authentic Christian, who lives for Jesus and says sorry when they fail. Hardly anyone says sorry these days.
The friend you've been thinking of - what can you do to add value to that friendship?
There's a lovely attraction to stick to other believers...but there has to be a discipline which makes us spend time with non-Christians, where it's more uncomfortable.
3. SAY
You have to answer people. Distinction between Paul and the Colossians.
Paul- makes opportunities. Colossians - answer people.
What's your conversation like? Must have an edge, which means getting into God's word. Back to devotion again.
Would you know how to explain the gospel to people? What about the big questions of suffering and other religions? Keep being ready.
4. PARTNERSHIP
Tychicus and Onesimus were postmen!
Paul shared his ministry, supported his team. Expected faithfulness. All the above are predicated on an authentic gospel ministry.
Faithfulness is the theme.
4:12 - Paul wants to make sure the Colossians really take his message in. Tells them to stand firm in the gospel.
If they do this, they will look out. Mark of a gospel community is that it looks out in partnership with other believers.
People need heaven. They need the gospel.
CONCLUSION
- In Jesus, we enjoy fullness of life and freedom.
- Exhortation to share the gospel.
- Partner in the gospel with faithful gospel people.
LOOK UP
LOOK IN
LOOK OUT
RUCU Cell Leader's Training Weekend 2006, Gospel Living, Dave Bish
Titus 3
Who rules my life?We were once ruled by passions/pleasures, but as Christians - no!!
Paul tells Titus to remind Christians to be distinctive. WORK HARD at your degree! Consider it as time spent worshipping God.
If this is God's created universe then studying it is good. Worthwhile. Submit yourself to your department.
Submit to the bank! God's money! Be godly in the way you think about money.
Sumbit to and respect your parents (unless what they tell you denies the gospel).
Be ready for every good work. Look for things you can speak well of in others. Don't go looking for a fight in any given situation!
Our previous life warranted God's judgement on us. We've been saved from it, not because of US!
Previously sin mastered us, we weren't free, and now we're mastered by God. He's the better master! We will fail but our journey should be towards perfection.
v4-5. We're saved to be devoted to doing good. Verse 4 -'BUT' salvation appeared. God showed his grace.
We were stuck in sin, BUT...!Not our great plan, but God's eternal plan. Salvation plan.
verse 5 - reborn and renewed.
verse 6 - justified by grace. Christian jargon! Gift, free, and means we're credited with Christ.
It says we're perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!There are things in the Bible that we just believe. It's the same Bible that says we stand perfect before God -
why do we have difficulty believing that?The details matter. In fact, even the devil is in the details sometimes, twisting them.
We need to be confident in what we believe and for that reason we need to be immersed in the scriptures.
There's NOTHING that beats eternal life with Christ.
One way or another we wiull devote ourselves to SOMETHING.
What's it gonna be? Good or bad?
LOOK BACK TO GRACE AND FORWARD TO GLORY.
How am I gonna avoid wasting my life?How do I help my cell avoid wasting their lives?PREACH THE GOSPEL!!
Who are my heroes of the faith? Really, they're just ordinary people. But they haven't wasted their lives.
There are fights which, for the sake ofthe gospel, we should get involved in.
But we shouldn't waste our time so much in things that don't matter. Avoid sin. And unprofitability.
We LIVE for Jesus AND we SPEAK for Jesus.
RUCU Cell Leader's Training Weekend 2006. Witness Workshop, Dave Hooper
How does your cell find evangelism? What's hard about evangelism?
Even Paul found it hard!
Ephesians 6:19-20. "Pray for me..."
RUCU's aim -
"Making disciples of Jesus Christ in Reading Uni."Why do evangelism?- For God's glory. Revelation 4:11, Isaiah 43:6-7. Our friends were created to give glory to God, but they're not doing that. Do we love our friends enough to want God's glory in their lives?
- Out of love for Jesus. Acts 17:16, 2 Corinthians 5:11. We know that one day we'll face judgement but we know we're in Jesus' love. We want that for our friends.
- To fulfil God's will. Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Peter 3:9. God wants us to evangelise.
- Out of love for non-Christians. Mark 10:21, 1 Thessalonians 2:8. Jesus had compassion on non-Christians - we should too. If we really love non-Christians, we should be delighted to share the gospel with them.
These things should motivate us to do evangelism when we feel afraid or find it hard.
What did Paul do to bring the gospel to people?
Romans 1:15, 1 Corinthians 2:1, Galatians 1:11-12, Ephesians 1:13, Colossians 1:5-6, 1 Thessalonians 2:13
The people heard it. Romans 10:14-15 and 17.
Implication:-
"Evangelism is the verbal proclamation of the gospel"
So - what isn't evangelism? Things ike social action, prayer, godly living, friendship - these all back up evangelism, but not actually are evangelism.
Evangelism is not conversion - God does the converting.
If cell is planning an evangeslistc programme, which of these things would be good/bad to do?
- handing out John's gospels
- giving people lolipops
- hiring out a nightclub and giving Christians free entry
- talks from the Bible
- putting on a Christian rock concert
- fasting, giving food to the homeless and protesting 3rd world debt
- dinners for friends with informal gospel explanation
What's wrong with the quote "Preach the gospel, and if necessary use words"?
What is the gospel? Jesus is Lord. Romans 10:9.
4 things about the gospel:
Why must the gospel include those things?
What should our cell meetings focus on?
RUCU Cell Leader's Training Weekend 2006. Word Workshop - How do we prepare studying the Bible? Dave Bish
We're dealing with God's word.
- Inspired. What does that mean? God's voice. The Spirit of God speaking to us. God's revelation of Himself. The Bible isn't just some other book. Doesn't mean it's the ONLY place where God speaks, but the ultimate, supreme authority. All other revelations are subject to Scripture. Can't separate God speaking and the Bible.
- Infallible. True and reliable. God is able to reveal Himself, and He does. The Bible doesn't have mistakes in it. God commands His revelation be made known. As Christians we have the Holy Spirit in us.
- Authoratative. What it says goes. If our thinking is different to the Bible's, we're wrong. We stand under it.
- It's about Jesus. Not me! Not even firstly written to me. But it is for us.
How do we dig deeper?
1. Author's purpose.
Usually ask 'what' does it say? Do we ask 'why'? Don't always get obvious statements of purpose but they're there. John 20:30-31. Luke 1:1-4. 1 John 5:13.
Where it's not explicit, we have to dig a little deeper. Colossians 1:3-8. What's this about? Encouragement? A reminder of truth? Be nice to those who teach us?
But what we've done here is grab it and say 'What can I get out of this?' But we need to look at the context. Find out the purpose for this letter. Written from Paul, to a church in Colossae. What's the situation of the author and the reader? What does the Bible iteslf tell us? Colossians 1:8 and Colossians 4:12. Epaphras is praying coz he's concerned about them. Are we told about any problems in the situation? Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:16, Colossians 2:18. - Threat from false teachers, pagan traditions, judging - can see why Epaphras is wrestling in prayer for them!
Are there any repeated/key themes? Colossians 2:6-7.
BE ROOTED IN JESUS!!!!
Just as you began with Christ, so continue in Him. STICK WITH JESUS!!!
Big idea of Colossians.
How does that, then, help us understand Colossians 1:3-8??
With the big idea in mind, this isn't just a nice encouraging passage. It's saying,
'you're real Christians, you've got faith, hope and love. You don't need anything else, you don't need to add to it. What you believe - well people are becoming Christians all over the world coz they believe it too - and the guy who taught it to you, well he teaches the truth, so you don't need to add anything. You don't need anything else, you're real Christians.'
That's SO much richer than what we'd skim off the surface!
2. Context.
Don't read the Bible like an encyclopaedia! John 12:32 (Keeping purpose in mind.) How do we take that verse? Read verse 33- context makes all the difference!
3. Structure.
Might instinctively look at chapter/verse numbers, paragraph splits, headings...they're not there in the original. Not always helpful. LINKING WORDS and REPETITION. An event...therefore...an action. Consequently/for this reason/so...
Not just a command, a reason's given for it. If we miss those reasons, we'll end up with a list of commands. Or we'll know some theology but not know what we're meant to do with it.
"If...then" - e.g. 2 Peter 2:4-9.
"so that..." - we saw this in Titus.
Connections between things are crucial. So it's helpful to have as literal a translation as possible. Other translations add some interpretation ...
Also applies when we think about repetition. Some translations change the word so it's easier to read (not reading the same word all the time). BUT then we miss the repetition. eg. in Titus we have 'self control, self control, self control...'
John 6:47-59 - what words are repeated? Comparison between what can be life and what can't.
Jesus is the bread of life. This is true! Jesus came down from heaven to give us eternal life.
Matthew 18:20- can take this (it is often taken) out of context. Look at the context!! In context of talking to a Christian brother who sins against you. Pagans and tax collectors treated as outsiders. Idea is to gain your brother, not have it escalate as portrayed. So verse 20? Referring back to Matthew 18:15-17. Connection between Matthew 18:18 and 19. ="again". It's not the fact that any 2 or 3 people have the right to kick someone out of the church! Has to be whole church.
And our aim shouldn't be to kick someone out,
should be to restore them.
John 14:26. - how do we read that if we take it out of context? We could easily presume it's about us. BUT we're in John's gospel...who is Jesus talking to? His disciples. So before we think 'What does this mean for me?' we have to ask what it means for the disciples.
So it's saying that the Holy Spirit will remind them of what Jesus said so they'll be able to write the Bible. So to us - the Bible is reliable. We need to study it!
When leading a Bible study...
- Want people to communicate. Group dynamics. Try and set up the environment.
- Versions to versions - helps if everyone has the same.
- Plan time well! Means can't cover everything.
- Don't score all the goals. Not supposed to be giving the answers!
- Don't always have the last word.
- Try and keep people on the passage.
- Confess you sins. Be honest when you make mistakes.
- Different kinds of people. Inevitably have some who are quiet, some who always have to have their say. Don't sit opposite the person who always has to have their say!
- Cut off tangents/trivia. Talk about it afterwards. Rub people's noses in the text. Where did they get their answer from?
- MAKE TIME TO APPLY
- Real, soft and serious.
- Be specific about action.
- Hold each other accountable.
- Keep to time.
- Pray.
RUCU Cell Leader's Training Weekend 2006 - Titus 2, Dave Bish
Titus 2(Bish has some very nice diagrams to illustrate some of the points of this talk but I'm not clever enough to get them on the computer!)We need to have a clear idea of what we're doing and how to do it!
Chapter 2 starts and ends in the same way - you gotta teach!
What does the task of teaching the Bible really entail?
Nehemiah 8.
Hunger for the word. Hunger for hours spent learning about God's word.
Am I hungry? If not, why not? Is cell hungry?
Get cell group equipped for mission. Demand excellence in teaching. Not performance, but truth. Things that aren't true destroy people. (Titus 1)
Everybody is to be taught. If not taught well, they'll have bad theology.
Start with older people in the congregation, an example to the younger. Older women teach younger women, older model the gospel to the younger.
We need to be proactive in seeking people who can model the gospel to us, can mentor us.
Verse 5 - these are the marks younger women are told to have. Standards for men too. Looking for ongoing, lifelong discipleship as a Christian.
Remain teachable ALWAYS. Take every opportunity to be taught. Find people who have faced issues you're facing. People who will not just affirm you but challenge you. We don't like it, but need it. It's priceless to be able to take critique, to let people point us to the cross. The cross is where we're most heavily critiqued. Don't crticise to destroy, but lovingly correct each other. But don't just tell people the gospel,
live it.Do we have the appropriate seriousness when we teach God's word? But also the joy and excitement?
Verses 5, 8, 19 - common pattern to these verses. Why are these things so important to God's people?
See the connection -
GOSPEL CONVICTION
TEACHES GOSPEL CHARACTER, which
ADORNS GOSPEL CONVICTION
The way we live speaks really loudly about the things we believe.
If people aren't taught to be these things then they won't be them - they'll be the opposite - but will say they're Christians. And then the Word of God gets reviled. People won't want to be Christians.
Titus is told to teach people so that their lives will adorn God's word.
Does my life make people think that Christian belief looks good? Regardless of whether they believe in it, do people look at my life and think 'yeah'?
Again, the bar is raised for us.
But hope is not lost! God wants to be glorified. He wouldn't stake that on the way we live if we couldn't do it in His strength.
Hallelujah! Verse 11 - "For" - these standards apply because of what we see in verses 11-14.
Repetition in verses 11 and 13. There
are two key fixed points in history that shape the way we live. The cross (grace), and heaven (glory). These shape the standards of our life here in the present. For what purpose? Verse 12.
Grace saves us, and then trains us. Trains/teaches us as opposed to what? Where else do I go for teaching? Grace teaches us to say 'NO!' to the pasions/pleasures that we might otherwise follow.
So two fixed points, one in the past and one in the future, change the present.
Is it barking mad to build our faith around the cross? People hate/deny the gospel because it doesn't allow us to contribute anything to our salvation. They want to stand proud before God.
But the cross humbles us. Everything in the past is gone. We're not a sea of individual people. We belong to each other. God didn't save us
just to be in a relationship with Him individually, but to be a family of believers.
A body of people who are zealous for doing good works. Not using rules/lawkeeping to be godly, but to live a new life. It's an appealing idea to be zealous for good works, but how do we get that? Don't always feel like it! Sin tells us we need to try harder. Grace tells us we're perfect and trains us to say 'no' to ungodliness. God looks at us and says
'Mine. I own you.'
(WOW!!!!AMAAAAZIN'!) That should begin to teach us how we should now live.
The cross gives us grace to save us and to take us home. We need to listen to grace. Grace doesn't condemn us, it convicts us of our sin but doesn't condemn. It can be uncomfortable to hear, but it transforms us.
The chief way that will come into our lives is to dwell on God's word. Week by week, day by day, we need to let God blow our mind. The grace of God is all we need. We don't move on from it, we only move deeper into our need for it.
DOES MY LIFE ADORN THE GOSPEL?
AM I LISTENING TO GRACE?
RUCU Cell Leader's Training Weekend 2006 -Gospel Ministry, Dave Bish
What qualifies someone to be a leader?
- good public speaker?
- confidence?
But Biblically - Gideon wasn't confident!
But Biblically - David, as a shepherd, didn't have the 'classic image'.But Biblically - PaulWhat does it take to be a leader for God? How do you feel now, at the start of this weekend? How do you feel about the responsibility?Titus 1.
Don't just skip over the intro! Significant amount of the content of Titus is found in the first 4 verses.
verse 1 - Paul introduces himself as a
servant. Why? He tells us exactly why - the aim of his ministry is the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth. God's elect are to have faith and knowledge, and this will work out in practice as God-centredness as a way of life and hope of eternal life.
Where do you get that hope?Before time, God, who never lies, makes his promise.
When we think about what Christian ministry means/looks like, we can always think of pragmatic things to do, pragmatic ministry. BUT, Paul was Bible-centred.
We come to serve broken, unimpressive people - but they're God's people. Not just a random group of people in cell - God's brought them there.
Linger on that!!
God reveals His promise through Jesus and also through scripture. If we bypass scripture we ain't got nothing to talk about!
verse 3 - God didn't put this revelation out there and leave it. He commanded that it should be made known to the world.
GOD'S PLAN, NOT OURS. CENTRED ON HIM, NOT ME!
So if that's the aim, what's the qualifications?
Qualifications are qualifications, you can't dress them up.
Why do you think you're here?
Could be all sorts of reasons...But what are God's qualifications for you?
1. CHARACTER, verses 5-8
What do all these things mean? Above reproach, blameless doesn't mean sinless. It means those who can't have a charge levelled against them. Open and honest. If rebuked, correct things. Not trying to get away with things, but trying to stay God-centred.
Self-control. One of the fruits of the Spirit.
Pro-active God centredness.
Responsibility.
Stand against the culture around us. We think we need to be relevant. But Jesus didn't blend in, He stood out. We need to stand out God-centredly. We need to take a stand. In areas of relationships and sexuality, in truth. We're called to be God-centred ALL the time, not just when we're in the presence of Christians.
2. COMMITMENT/CONVICTION
We need to have solid gospel convictions because we need to teach people. We need to be DEEPLY rooted in the heart of God's word so that the questions we ask in cell get right to the heart. Not healthy to believe what's not true. Only way the lies of sin can be dealt with is to be firm in the truth. Gospel character, gospel convictions - the two marks we MUST have if we're gonna serve as leaders.
DO I QUALIFY? IF NOT, WHAT HAS TO CHANGE? (Resign isn't the answer!)
verses 9-10. They connect. MUST be verse 9, because of verse 10.
In contrast to those who teach rubbish, teach GRACE.
Seek it, live it, teach it, show it.
