Sunday Rewind | 8.9.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Unstoppable God (Luke 1:37) – Wake up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Your Promises (2 Peter 1:3-4a) – Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Great Things (Worth It All) (Galatians 6:14) –Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 5: Isaac
The manipulation of man will never trump the sovereignty of God.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- How would you define the words “manipulation” and “sovereignty”?
- Read and discuss Genesis 27:1-36. Identify the main characters and their characteristics in this account. Who do you relate to the most, and why? What might we observe about our human nature through this account?
- “One deception leads to another – one lie leads to another.” How do you see this play out in the verses about? Have you seen this principle play out in your own life?
- How would you describe the tension between the sovereignty of God with the moral responsibility of man?
- Discuss the following statement: “Our five human senses are a blessing from God, but they are never the final determining factor in the moral realm.”Can you think of Scriptures that support this statement?
- Is there some situation or circumstance in your life or someone else’s that you are trying to manipulate? Why? How do you think it will turn out? What would it look like for you to trust God in that situation or circumstance?
- Spend some time in prayer for any situations mentioned in the previous question. Give thanks to God that He is completely trustworthy and pray that we would have the strength and faith to trust Him when we are tempted to manipulate.
Picture Imperfect: Follow-Up 3
This past Sunday, during a message entitled Picture Imperfect, we looked at how God in His sovereignty created the covenant of marriage to be an imperfect earthly picture of a perfect heavenly truth – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of the message, I shared my dream of growing old together with with my bride, Bridget. I so much desire to be a couple that is blessed with 30, 40, 50 years of marriage together!
Bridget and I celebrated 16 years of marriage in June. I still have a lot to learn about being married, about Bridget, and about loving my bride. But one thing that the Lord has taught me about marriage is that we can’t do it alone. The letter to the Hebrew church instructs us to, “…encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Heb 3:13)
It’s so easy for me to listen to world around me, to develop a negative picture about my marriage, to start questioning Bridget’s motives – to become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. That’s why I need people by my side daily to speak encouraging truth into my life and my marriage. I stand convinced that the only way Bridget & I will be that older couple – holding hands, dancing, and enjoying life together into the later years – is by walking alongside other brothers and sisters in Christ that share that dream!
So how about you? Do you share that dream for your marriage? If so, I invite you to be a part of that adventure with other married couples that share our dream. As we strive to make RBC a beacon for marriages in Northern Virginia, there are numerous ways to connect with other couples and begin forming community. You can join us this Sunday morning at HomeFront, the RBC couples community, as we begin our next series (details below) or sign up for the upcoming Marriage Booster on Friday, September 18th.
We hope to see you there!!
HomeFront August Series: THAT’S NOT WHAT I ORDERED!
We’ve all rolled away from the drive-thru window and figured out that we didn’t get what we wanted. Either the food in the bag doesn’t quite look like the picture or they gave us something wrong entirely. Is that the way we feel about our marriage sometimes? The guy I was dating used to… When we were engaged, I loved how she… This doesn’t look like the picture at all. Or worse – did God mess up my marriage order all together? Join us at HomeFront in August as we discuss That’s Not What I Ordered!
Picture Imperfect: Follow-Up 2
In last Sunday’s message, Picture Imperfect, we looked at how God in His sovereignty created the covenant of marriage to be an imperfect earthly picture of a perfect heavenly truth – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As part of this message, we discussed the call of a wife to submit to her husband (Eph 5:22) and the call of a husband to love his wife (Eph 5:25).
Both of these calls present a challenge because women are generally not submission-oriented and men are generally not love-oriented. Not only can we observe this in our marriages and the marriages around us, but we know it’s true because of the curses placed on man and woman after the Fall (Gen 3:16-19). Only with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit are we able submit as the church submits to Christ (Eph 5:24) and love as Christ loved the church (Eph 5:25).
So what does it look like for a wife to submit to her husband? And what does it look like for a husband to love his wife? Though there isn’t a step-by-step guide for either, here are some ideas from me and my wife Bridget to consider for your marriage.
Wives: Submit (from Bridget)
Pray for your heart and a desire to submit to your husband
Pray for your husband – asking God to lead him
Give your opinion and trust that it was heard when a decision is made
Verbally affirm his decisions and be willing to be on board (even when you may not agree)
Never say “I told you so”
Husbands: Love (from Jason)
Pray for your heart and a desire to love your wife
Pray for your wife – asking God to lead her
Become a student of your wife – seeking to understand how she desires for you to show her love
Observe your surroundings and find ways to serve your wife (For example – plan all the details for a date night)
Seek your wife’s wisdom on decisions and be willing to choose her preference (even when it isn’t your first choice)
Remember the wisdom of the elderly couple that spoke to Bridget and I? The overarching principle is to put your spouse first, which echoes what Paul tells the church in Phillipi, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3) Who better to count more significant than yourself than your spouse?
Picture Imperfect: Follow-Up 1
This past Sunday, during a message entitled Picture Imperfect, we looked at how God in His sovereignty created the covenant of marriage to be an imperfect earthly picture of a perfect heavenly truth – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As part of this message, we defined marriage to be the union between one man and one woman – as instituted by God in Genesis 2:24 and repeated throughout both the New and Old Testaments.
This stands in stark contrast to what we’ve been seeing in the news recently. In June, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that state-level bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. This decision will have far-reaching effects throughout our nation and the world.
Some of you have questions as to what exactly this decision means, how it impacts the nation, and how it impacts the church. Here is the best message I’ve heard on the topic thus far. It was given by Pastor Gary Hamrick at Cornerstone Church in Leesburg: America, Will You Stand?
As far as how the church should respond, I thought that our own Pastor Mike Minter did an excellent job articulating how a Follower of Christ should respond to issues of broken sexuality in a 3-part series he did at the beginning of this year. Here is a link to that series, Sexuality & the Gospel.
Sunday Rewind | 8.2.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Unstoppable God (Luke 1:37) – Wake up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Open Up the Heavens (Psalm 108:4-5) – Worth It All by Meredith Andrews
Touch the Sky (1 Corinthians 2:9) – Empires by Hillsong United
I Lift My Hands (Psalm 46:10) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
Cornerstone (Psalm 18:2) – Cornerstone by Hillsong Worship
Lord I Need You (Hebrews 4:16) – All The People Said Amen by Matt Maher
Bumper Music: You’re Beautiful by Phil Wickham
TEACHING: Picture Imperfect
Marriage is an imperfect earthly picture of a perfect heavenly truth, a living parable of the gospel. What story is your marriage telling those around you?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Whatever your view of marriage or your marital status happens to be, what has been the single biggest influence on how you view marriage?
- Read and discuss Ephesians 2:1-10 and 5:15-33. How does faith in Christ point us to marriage? How does marriage point us to faith in Christ? How is marriage an imperfect picture of a perfect heavenly truth?
- What authorities in your life do you have to submit to? What does it mean to biblically submit in the context of marriage?
- “Work steals the degree to which we can love our wives.” Discuss this statement. Have you found that to be true?
- How does the gospel of Jesus Christ give context to God’s gift of marriage? How does the gospel inform, support, guide and empower marriage?
- If you are married, how would you describe the state of your marriage and what is one thing you can do to apply the gospel within your marriage? If you are unmarried, what is one thing you can do to give gospel support to the marriages around you?
- Give thanks in prayer to God that He has given us the gift of marriage as a living parable of the Gospel. Pray for the state of marriage in our country in general. Pray for your own marriage and the marriages around you, that God would strengthen them and that they would be a light for the Lord.
TRAIL GUIDE: The Great Promise
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
EXTREME MAKEOVER, Unit 3, Section 4, Lesson 4: The Great Promise Came Before the Great Commandment
“And never forget, I even I, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Son of the Most High, endowed with all glory, power, and authority, yes I, Jesus am always present with you to bless, to empower, to guide, to comfort, and to enable. You will never have to face a day without me.” Isn’t this what Jesus was telling the group of disciples He had just commissioned to change the world? This was no afterthought. Our Savior knew the impossibility of the task He was giving and He was assuring us that He is leading the charge into battle and the victory is His.
In God’s usual way, The Great Claim (Matthew 28:18) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) are followed by the Great Promise (Matthew 28:20). Take a few minutes today to meditate on the Great Promise of God throughout scripture. This promise extends to you and me and is the reason we can take up, with confidence, the cause handed down to us.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” – 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” – Isaiah 41:10
“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty” – Zechariah 4:6
“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” – Deuteronomy 20:4
But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you.” – Exodus 3:11-12
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
This is a truth our children must understand and hold deeply as early in life as possible.
YOU’VE GOT A FOREVER FRIEND IN THE HIGHEST PLACE – JESUS THE KING! “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the other.” – Acts 1:8
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Acts 5:17-32
Deuteronomy 31:6
TRAIL GUIDE: Reproducing Disciples
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
EXTREME MAKEOVER, Unit 3, Section 4, Lesson 3: Are You a Reproducing Disciple?
Jesus had the twelve disciples. Paul had Timothy and Silas and Luke. Barnabas had Mark. The master had grasshopper, and Yoda had Luke Skywalker. Seriously though. Who are you pouring your life into? Are you passing along all that He commanded you?
When Jesus said, “teach them,” He did not, I think, have in mind a classroom setting, or a man standing in a pulpit. That was not His primary method after all. Jesus made disciples by walk- ing with them, where they lived, teaching them lessons about the Kingdom based on their earthly life experiences. He set an example for them, ate with them, healed them, comforted them, laughed with them, mourned with them, prayed with them and for them, cried in front of them, gave them sound doctrine about this life and the next, called them friend, challenged them, and then laid down His life for them. A close examination of Paul’s disciple making and church planting ministry looked much the same. Barnabas as well.
This is not a New Testament command either. Deuteronomy 4:9 tells us to teach the things of God to our children and their children after them. In Genesis, God tells Abraham, “In you all families of the earth will be blessed,” and He called Israel a light to the nations that they might bring His salvation to the earth.Nor was this a command for a select few disciples. Most scholars agree, there were as many as 500 disciples gathered in Galilee for this commissioning. If you are a disciple then this is a command for you. Don’t pass up the blessing of disciple making. Don’t lose sight of your mission.
Bring glory to the Father by making disciples.
“We’re not to wait for the world to come to us. Rather, we’re to go to the world. “Go ye” could be better translated “having gone.” It isn’t a command; it’s an assumption.” – John MacArthur
THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD IS OUR TEACHER. “He will teach you all things and bring all things to your memory.” – John 14:26
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
John 17:28 | Acts 20:27
Duet 4:9 | 1 Tim 1:18; 4:6-16
2 Tim 1:1-14 | John 17:6-26
Sunday Rewind | 7.26.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong Worship
Our God Is Love (1 John 4:9-10) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
10,000 Reasons (Psalm 103:1) – Unrelenting Love by Nick Thurmond
Your Great Name (Philippians 2:10-11) – Love Revolution by Natalie Grant
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) –Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
TEACHING: Seeing is Believing
We take for granted that we see the world around us accurately, but that is not always true. What we see – or don’t see – can make all the difference in the world. Is seeing really believing?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- How do we see themes of light and dark reflected in the stories of our culture?
- Read and discuss John 1:1-18, Genesis 1:1-5, John 3:16-21, Genesis 3:1-7 and John 8:12. What do these verses tell us about man? What do you see about Christ? What do these verses tell us about darkness & light, seeing & not seeing?
- How do these verses speak to the theme of redemption?
- How does the exodus and the Festival of Tabernacles provide context to Jesus’ claim about being the light of the world (John 8:12)?
- Discuss the following statement: “The essence of sin is not doing bad things. The essence of sin is believing a lie about God, that He can’t be trusted, that He isn’t good…” How does believing lies about God keep us from seeing the world as it really is? What are the practical implications of this as we live out our lives?
- How does the gospel of Jesus Christ show us God’s gift of light in the midst of darkness? What lies about God does the gospel dispel?
- Give thanks in prayer to God that Jesus was cast into darkness on our behalf, to demonstrate His great love for us. Pray for those people you know who are still hidden in darkness, that they would come to know the marvelous light of Jesus.
From the Field: “Let Me Translate My Tears”
Sherife, a Mwinika believer who worked to translate the Bible to his native language.
We recently received this update from New Tribes Mission regarding one of our supported missionaries working as a Bible translator in Zimbabwe.
Sherife was more than just a Mwinika tribesman to Bible translator & RBC-supported missionary, P. He was a fellow believer, one of the first Mwinika Bible teachers, and a Bible translation helper. He was also a friend. And now P. sat by Sherife as he lay on his deathbed. P. remembered another time when Sherife lay critically ill in bed – before he was saved, before Bible teaching even began in the Mwinika village. But this time it was different. Sherife was a believer in Jesus. Still, it was hard to watch as tears filled Sherife’s eyes, spilling down his cheeks.
“Let me translate my tears,” Sherife said to P. “I am crying because of my unsaved family members… I know where I am going, but I am worried about them. I didn’t know God until you came and told me about Him. Now I know Him. Now I am going to be with Him. Thank you for coming. Thank you beyond thanking. Thank you.” About a week later, Sherife was ushered into the presence of his Savior.
Of greater importance to Sherife than “translating his tears” was translating God’s Word into the Mwinika language. He was one of several Bible translation helpers that worked tirelessly alongside P. to see this translation come to fruition. But as of his death, the project was not yet done.
Please pray for our missionary P. and the other Mwinika men as they continue translating, looking to the day when the Mwinika Bible translation is complete.
Now & Always – New Live Worship Album
The process of recording this new live project was a great testimony of the Lord continuing to lead us in the leading of His people. God has done great things in our midst over this past year. He has used these eleven songs, in particular, to remind us of the unfailing grace and love He extends to us daily and the glory He is due with every word that escapes our lips.
In compiling the songs that ultimately were recorded for Now & Always, God was clearly weaving them together to unveil some amazing themes that would allow us to go into production with great confidence and joy. These songs have been such a blessing to sing together as a church – with most of them being introduced over the past twelve months. It’s such a privilege to look back and see how God has used His powerful Word paired with these powerful melodies and beautiful lyrics to provide a voice for our church to sing with such passionate faith.
The title, Now & Always, comes directly from one of my favorite lines from the fifth track, the hymn Be Thou My Vision – “Riches I heed not nor man’s empty praise / Thou mine inheritance, now and always.” It’s such a great reminder of the nature of our relationship with our Creator – that nothing we gain in this life can even begin to compare to the glorious inheritance of a life spent knowing Him and an eternity spent in His presence.
So many lyrics from this collection of songs point to the truth of this perfectly sustaining existence alongside Christ – both here on this earth (Now) and the promise of Heaven (Always):
Nothing shall be impossible / Your kingdom reigns unstoppable / We’ll shout your praise forevermore / Jesus, our God, unstoppable (I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2)
O my God, He will not delay / My refuge and strength always / I will not fear, His promise is true / My God will come through always, always (The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2)
There’s no end to Your love, there’s no end to Your love / You’re with us, You’re with us / There’s nothing in this world that could take You away / You’re with us, You’re with us (He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us. Psalm 46:10-11)
Our hope through the process of recording this album has always been to simply extend the time we have together on Sundays into the other 167 hours of your week. We hope that these familiar songs with these familiar voices and arrangements will be a blessing to you and provide more opportunities to praise God – either on your own or together with your families.
We are truly thankful for the opportunity to use God’s incredible gift of music to reach the hearts of His people. May our worship be full of passion. May it flow freely. And by all means, may it be louder than anything else in our lives. We hope you enjoy it.
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AUDIO CDS: CDs of NOw & always are now available in the rbc bookstore! IF YOU preordered a cd, you can pick them up there.
DIGITAL album: the digital version of Now & Always is now available on iTunes or Amazon Mp3 (click the icons below) as well as a variety of other digital music & streaming services including spotify, Google play, Rhapsody, and iheartradio.
