“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”
Philippians 4:4
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SOME EXCERPTS AND LESSONS FROM TODAY’S MESSAGE
MORNING SERMON
FOCUS: “GENEROSITY”
Text: [Romans 12:12-13]
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
- THE COMMAND TO PRACTICE GENEROSITY
- GROWING IN GENEROSITY
– Our generosity will give glory to our generous God.
– Generosity is distributing to the necessity of the saints.
– ‘Contibuting’ was derived from κοινωνέω “koinōneō” (koy-no-neh’-o) which means to be partaker, to commune; entering into fellowship with the needs of the saints
– It denotes to having a sense of common ownership that can meet the need. (Acts 4:32)
– “Necessity” was derived from Greek word χρεία “chreia” (khri’-ah) which means necessary (-ity), need (-ful), use, referring to basic needs
– We are just mere stewards and not owners of the things that we have.
– Greed is trusting, worshipping, and obeying worldly treasures rather than God.
– Greed is placing your faith in money rather than Jesus.
– The ‘greedy’ person will have no inheritance in God’s kingdom (ref. Eph 5:5)
– We need to recognize that greed is a form of idolatry. Therefore we have to fight against greed at all cost.
– Debt feeds our greed. It gives us what we want now, rather than making us wait and work for it.
“God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving”
– Randy Alcorn
MEN’S BOOK STUDY : MANLY DOMINION by Mark Chanski
REVIEW: The Nature of Man’s Task over Creation
- Subjugation – creation will serve man
- Dominion – lordship over earth, sea and sky.
- Possession – good stewardship
THREE VICTIMIZATION MINDSET
- I am a genetic victim
– Genes control one’s life.
– Blaming one’s inherited traits/bloodline (e.g. alcoholism, sexual disorder syndrome, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, bipolar disorder, etc.)
– Men are not responsible for their lack of self-control
– Instead of aggressively dominating our environment, we became passive.
– Beasts should not terrorize men.
– Kids should also not terrorize parents.
2. I am an emotion victim
– One’s upbringing (emotional scar) is responsible for his failure to get mastery of specific area of his life.
– Yet, we are not unsympathetic – Rom 12:15
– But we do not encourage victimization.
– There are lots of abused girls, boys, etc. who are now excelling in their own fields.
– Simply being a victim determines nothing.
– We are obligated to respond to abuses in a God-honoring way.
– We must subdue specific spheres of our lives for God’s glory.
3. I am a circumstantial victim
– Blaming the present situation/condition (Nagging wife, insensitive husband, unfirming climate, etc.)
– Not being able to read the Scriptures due to busyness, as a helpless victim.
– It is easy to blame our present situation, emotional abuses, & genetic make-up in order not to fulfill God’s mandate to subdue and rule.
– “I am neither able nor obligated to even try.”
– We have no excuse. As God’s creatures, created in the image of God, we are mandated to subdue and rule over all things.
AFTERNOON SERMON
FOCUS: “GOOD JUDGEMENT AND KNOWLEDGE IS ANCHORED TO THE UNCHANGING WORD OF GOD”
TEXT: [Psalm 119:66]
“Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.”
- GOOD JUDGMENT AND KNOWLEDGE
- PLEA FOR TEACHING
- FAITH IN GOD’s COMMANDMENTS
– The Psalmist pleads for good judgment and knowledge
– “Judgment” was derived from Hebrew טַעַם- “ṭa‛am” (tah’-am) which means properly a taste, that is, (figuratively) perception; by implication intelligence; transitively a mandate: – advice, behaviour, decree, discretion, judgment, reason, taste, understanding.
– We need to have good taste [judgment] not just based on what we see but based on the Word of God.
– We face trials and decisions – we need to have proper knowledge and we should make sense of these things.
– We are to be humbled before God if we want to learn and if we want to be capable of learning.
– We need constant pleading for us to be taught by God.
– ‘Teach me’ has been written 11 times in this chapter: We cannot claim expertise on anything.
– What’s your judgment/taste towards God’s word and towards God’s commandment?
Blessed LORD’s day, dear saints!
To God alone be the glory!
HERALD OF GRACE COVENANT BIBLE CHURCH OF CAVITE 