Because of the Kingdom ...

What is your mind set on today?  How are you actively managing your thoughts and intentions today?  I really believe that what we do in our "every-day-living" is a result on what we've set our minds on and that is an issue of control.

By not giving God daily control over our lives we open ourselves to drifting into the natural flow and pattern of this world ... something that God warns us of and even expects us to stand against (see Romans 12:1-2). 

In Romans 6 Pauls writes this about our those who've given their lives over to God through the grace of Jesus Christ:  "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14)."  

It's that word Dominion that caught my attention today.  It reminded me of the "kingdom" metaphors used in the Bible to describe God's reign and rule.  It reminded me of the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God is both one yet to come and one that is here and now because of Jesus Christ.

Because of Christ, we live in and experience the kingdom of God.  Because of Christ we have the authority and power of the kingdom of God within us and available to us.  Because of the kingdom of God in our lives, God has DOMINION over us, under his Grace.

Dominion is that idea of:   1) to be lord of, to rule, have dominion over; 2) of things and forces; a) to exercise influence upon, to have power over.  [Strong's Concordance]

So I wonder, as we live in the Kingdom of God do we live under God's influence in our lives or the influence of sin?  What has a draw on our lives?  What are we giving attention to?  What are we setting our minds on?

The Kingdom of God is about freedom and LIFE.  Sin - which brings bondage and death (you know it to be true) - has NO dominion over you.  But God's rule because of Christ and through the Holy Spirit in us, has dominion and that leads us to LIFE.

Because of the Kingdom we have LIFE.

-Ben

Fully Persuaded

The other day a friend of mine told me a story of a 13 story building in China that simply toppled over.  It seems that the contractors and workers failed to accurately follow the plans that were given to them.  There was not enough strength in the base of the building to keep it from toppling over.

As I was reading in Romans today, I was reminded of how our faith is much like those buildings.  We need to be grounded according to the plans and the specs that are called for by God written and communicated to us through the Bible.  We need to know that when the storms of life come that we will not waver, we will not be shaken, and we will not fall in our faith.  We can't take short cuts.  We need to follow the plans.

There's also an element of trust involved.  Often we don't follow the plans because we don't trust the plans, the map, the direction, or the guidance given to us.  We're not persuaded that God's plan is the best course of action for our lives.  We know better; we have obligations; we have commitments and bills to pay; we have .... fill in the blank yourself.

Romans 4:20-21  New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Until we are persuaded that God can be trusted, our faith will be found lacking and the longer we wait to fortify our faith the sooner our lives will begin to topple.  We often don't have all the "therefores" and "hows" answered when God asks us to trust him.  He simply says trust! That is the essence of faith!

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Be praying for Christ Church this weekend.  We have a partnership exploration meeting with the leaders of 757 Life Church in Virginia Beach, VA.  They will arrive in Erie on Friday and stay through Sunday.  We are seeking a church to come along side of us as a partner to offer encouragement, coaching, mentoring, and accountability as we grow.  I hope that you will make worshiping with us this week a priority, we would love to introduce you to Kreg and Faith Vaughne.

We have a PODCAST where you can catch up on or re-live the messages from our services.  In the right hand column you can click on the word PODCAST and it will take you to our host site.  We trust that this will be a valuable resource for you.

 

One

One ... united ... unity ... solidarity ... One

I was surprised how often Jesus prayed for unity - for his followers to be "one" - as he prayed to God the Father in John 17.  This prayer in John 17 is considered by scholars a significant prayer, as Jesus prepares himself and his followers for what would soon follow - the cross and his death. 

John 17:20-23  ²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ²³ I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Unity was at the core of Jesus prayer.  He knew that without unity the world would not believe the message of his followers.  The same is true for us today ... in fact Jesus prayed for you and me in his prayer some two-thousand years ago:  "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ...."  No one will believe the message we have in Jesus Christ unless we are united as followers of Christ. 

Unity is NOT:

1.  Uniformity ... there is no uniform or detailed way to live outside of the guidelines of Scripture.  We are all uniquely created by God who is the author of diversity and creativity.  We are to thrive in our diversity, thrive in our uniqueness as individuals - as long as it conforms to the guides of faith and truth in the Bible.  Being ONE/UNITED under the banner of Christ allows for diversity, in fact it's expected (1 Corinthians 12).

2.  Abuse of Leadership / Getting My Own Way ... One of the great outcomes of our unity in diversity is that we have the opportunity to hear different opinions and perspectives and we can learn from each other.  Leaders who fail to allow people to express their ideas, thoughts, or perspectives via their character and temperament miss the chance to learn from others.  Leaders who jam their agenda downward and leaders who only want their own way are both abusing their role and hold a selfish grip.

Unity IS:

1.  A Shared Belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  That's where unity begins.  Check out John 17:6-8.  This is what binds our spirits one with another.  There's something mysterious and wonderful when you find a kindred spirit ... it's as though you know something that others don't.

2.  A Shared Mission.  A lot is made about vision and mission statements.  Sometimes in church-world this gets way over blown.  Our mission as the Church is clear - to make disciples of all nations, by going to them, teaching them the character and priorities and truth of Christ, and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Regardless of where you live kindred spirits in Christ share and are called to the same mission.   

3.  A Shared Love for God and People.  As we love God and understand how he loves us we learn to truly love others. 

Here at Christ Church we are on a journey to be united.  We want to worship, live, serve, and love united, in solidarity and as one. 

• We would love for you to join us on Sunday mornings at Fairview Middle School @ 10:00am.  You will find a group of people who love God and are trying to do their best to follow him.  You will find flawed people with messy lives – we will be the first to tell you that we’re not perfect – who are accepting and encouraging each other.  You’ll find lively music, guitars, keyboard, and drums.  And you’ll hear a relevant message from the Bible.  All of this will happen in the span of about 65 minutes. 

• Also, if you'd like to make a donation to help Christ Church get up and get going, you can forward it to our address:  170 Gateway Dr., Fairview, PA  16415.

• If you have questions, check out our FAQ tab above or feel free to email us at ccwestco@gmail.com.

Church Should Be Simple:  Love God and Love People!

-Ben