Harrisburg Christian Church

no outline this week.

no message this week

Discovering Spiritual Maturity

1.  Is there such a thing as spiritual maturity?
         Yes. Hebrews 5: 11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

2.  What does it look like to be spiritually mature?
         -Like Jesus.
         a. John 13: 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
            b. Luke 14: 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
            c. John 8: 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
            d. John 15: 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

3.  What does it look like to be spiritually immature?
         a. Unloving, unforgiving, selfish, lacking deep Christian friendships.
            b. Materialistic, selfish, controlled by money, love things more than people or God, afraid to trust God with finances.
            c. Uninformed or unsure about Jesus’ teachings, not directed by Jesus’ teachings, believe lies and false teachings, unable to teach.
              d. Rarely thinking of Jesus’ teachings, prayers are not answered, fruitless life.

4.  How do I develop into a spiritually mature person?
         - Practice the habits of a disciple

Membership Covenant

Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior and having followed Him in baptism; and being in agreement with the HCC Statement of Faith and Purpose Statement; I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the HCC church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following:

1. I will protect the unity of my church.
….by acting in love toward other members (1 John 3:16)
….by refusing to gossip (Eph 4:29)
….by following the church leadership (Heb 13:17)

2. I will share the responsibility of my church. (Class 401)
….by praying for its growth and members (1 Thes 1:1-2)
….by inviting the un-churched to attend (Luke 14:23)
….by warmly welcoming those who visit (Rom 15:7)

3. I will serve the ministry of my church. (Class 301)
….by discovering my gifts and talents (1 Pet 4:10)
….by serving in the following ways this year: (Col 3:23)
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

4. I will support the testimony of my church. (Class 201)
….by attending faithfully (Heb 10:25)
….by seeking to live a godly life (Phil 1:27)
….by giving money regularly to the church (2 Cor 9:6, 7)

No outline this week.

No outline this week.

What Does God Want Us to Know About the Future? (Part 2)

There are many prophecies in the Bible that have already been fulfilled:

1. Compare the history of Alexander the Great to Daniel 11:2-4

2. Compare the history of Hanukkah to Daniel 11:28-32

Fulfilled prophecy gives us confidence God knows the future and has communicated through his prophets. There are prophecies concerning our future: Daniel 12:1-2

1. God will deliver the Jewish people from their enemies.

2. There will be a resurrection of the dead to everlasting life or everlasting contempt.

So What?

1. We have a continual reminder of the faithfulness and power of God in the Jewish people.

2. Our perspective of the afterlife affects how we choose to live out our week.

What Does God Want Us to Know About the Future? (Part 1)

1.  There will be a seven year countdown to the physical return of Christ to rule earth. (Daniel 7:24-27)

2.  In the middle of the seven years there will be an abomination. (Daniel 7:25, 9:27, 11:31-35, 12:11, Matt 24:15, 2 Thes 2:4, Rev 13:5)

Why is God waiting?
         2 Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Daniel 9 contains a fulfilled prophecy.
25 “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. (~538 BC)

Issuing of the decree (in 444 BC Artaxerxes decreed that the             Jerusalem wall be rebuilt)

69 X 7 X 360 days in a Jewish calendar year = 173,880 days

444 BC + 173,880 days = 33 AD (Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey)

70 AD (Jerusalem is destroyed by the Romans)

The Bible has been reliable over time, it has earned our trust.

Can I Trust the Bible?
(Daniel 9)

Jesus loves me; this I know for the Bible tells me so.

How do we know if the Bible is an accurate source of knowledge?

There are many reasons that Christians consider the Bible to be an accurate source of knowledge.

One of those reasons is the fulfilled prophesy found in the Bible.

Daniel 9 contains a fulfilled prophecy.
25 “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. (~538 BC)

Issuing of the decree (in 444 BC Artaxerxes decreed that the             Jerusalem wall be rebuilt)

69 X 7 X 360 days in a Jewish calendar year = 173,880 days

444 BC + 173,880 days = 33 AD (Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey)

70 AD (Jerusalem is destroyed by the Romans)

The Bible has been reliable over time, it has earned our trust.

We can trust the Bible to be an accurate source of knowledge.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
(Daniel 6)

1.  I don’t know.
         Job 42:1 Then Job replied to the LORD:  2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
            Romans 11: 33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever! Amen.

2.  We should be slow to call something bad.
         “It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened”
            James 1: 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

3.  Death is the best thing that can happen to a Christian.
            Philippians 1: 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;

4.  We should be slow to call someone good by God’s standards.
            Mark 10:18 …Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
            Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
            - Perhaps the question to ask is: Why do good things happen to people like us who are rebellious towards God?

5. Christians are often persecuted. (Satan)
6.  Don’t come to a conclusion until the movie is over.
            Matthew 5:11 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

7. (Free Will) Some of our hardships are self inflicted.
            Galatians 6:7 “a man reaps what he sows”

8.  (Free Will) Some of our hardships are caused by others.
            Story of Joseph: Genesis 50: 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

9.  Our world is broken and under a curse.
            Romans 8: 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that  the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

10.  People come to Christ when they see a Christian’s faith in difficult times.
            Acts 16: 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

11.  God expresses His wrath on his enemies.
            Psalm 7:11 “God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses His wrath every day.”

12.  God disciplines His children.
            Hebrews 12:  7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

13.  That people would see God’s power on display.
            John 9: 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

14.   More….

Not Why, but…. “God, how are you going to use this to help me know you and be better?”
“God will you bring glory to yourself through this”

Secure in God

Q:  How do we find security in this life?
A:  We find security by humbling ourselves before God and placing our trust in Him. 

I have a desire for security.

As I give thanks to God this season, I find that many of the blessings I am thankful for are also things that can lead me to a false sense of security.
         - Family, riches and possessions, friends, a strong military defense, a network community, wisdom and knowledge, position, health, etc.

I’m tempted to place my trust for security in these blessings rather than in the God who gave them.

These blessings do not give me the security I desire.

Daniel chapter 5 tells of a man who discovered that these blessings cannot bring security.

Security can be found by humbling myself before God and placing my trust in Him.

No outline this week.

God is Omnipotent
(Daniel 3:  “How Great is Our God”)

Omnipotent – (Omni = All) (Poten = Power) God is all-powerful.  “God can do it.”

How do we face life’s challenges with hope?
        
As a congregation, we are facing all kinds of life challenges.

These challenges can make us feel hopeless.

It is in the midst of these challenges that we need to share stories of God’s power.

Our family has a lot of stories.

In Daniel Chapter 3, they weren’t confident in the outcome, but they were confident in God.  They had seen His resume, and they had hope.

These stories bring us hope because we remember that God is all powerful.

Challenges don’t seem to be going away anytime soon.  Have you been feeling hopeless?  How can you hear more stories?

One final story:  God does heart transplants.

God is Omnipresent
(Daniel 1: "How Great is Our God")

Omnipresent – (Omni = All) God is everywhere present at the same time. "God is here".
"We have equality of essence, but not of relationship" (Evans)

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it."
--Genesis 28:16, NIV

"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!
--1 Kings 8:27, NIV

But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?
--2 Chronicles 2:6, NIV

The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
--Proverbs 15:3, NIV

"Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? 24 Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.
--Jeremiah 23:23,24, NIV

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
--Matthew 18:20, NIV

And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
--Matthew 28:20, NIV

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
--Acts 17:24, NIV

God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
--Acts 17:27,28, NIV

God First,
Others Second,
I'm Third

Main Point: The I'm Third life is the path to healthy relationships in a family and a church.

"Me First" – "personal freedom exercised with out regard for the needs of others or the glory of God" (Lowrey)

"I'm Third" – "each person concerned to seek the best interests of the other above self and to arrive at decisions through mutual prayer and discussion. In a deadlock, submit to authority" (NIV Application Commentary)

"Marriage should be characterized by a constant interplay of loving sacrifice and willing submission. Both are willing with neither being manipulated nor bullied. The wife in her submission comes under her husband in order to lift him up in everything. The husband sacrifices himself by giving up his advantage of being over her by exalting her to where he is." (Sumner)

Take the Credit
(From "Nine Ways to Ruin a Family" 1 Corinthians)

"For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (4:7) (NIV)

Key Question: How has pride affected your relationship with God, the body of Christ, and your family? Will you repent and humble yourself; give credit where credit is due.

Seek Your Own Good
(From "Nine Ways to Ruin a Family" 1 Corinthians)

"Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others…" (10:24) "So whether you eat of drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (10:31) Love… is not self-seeking (13:5) (NIV)

Should a Christian…...
1. drink alcoholic beverages?

2. wear a bikini?

3. throw away recyclables?

4. watch a movie about magic and witchcraft?

5. order dessert?

If the Bible is silent about a certain activity and it doesn't lead me to sin, what questions should I still consider?

1. If I do this, could it potentially lead other people to sin?

2. Are those impressionable people present? Am I seeking my own good, or the good or others?

3. Am I doing this for the glory of God?

Take home:
Is God calling you to repent?

Allow Sexual Immorality
(From "Nine Ways to Ruin a Family" 1 Corinthians)

"Flee sexual immorality"(6:18) "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral". (Hebrews 13:4)

Do we believe that God's commands are good?

How can we flee?
1. If you are married, have a healthy sex life with your spouse.

2. Guard what comes into your mind.

3. Filter what comes into the home.

4. Create healthy boundaries with people of the opposite sex.

5. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth…" (Ephesians 4:29)

6. Dress modestly.

7. Seek friendships with others who are trying to flee.

8. Seek accountability in this area.

9. Be willing to take drastic measures.

Running to Lose
(From "Nine Ways to Ruin a Family" 1 Corinthians)

9:22 …I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. …24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever

What is your purpose in life? (Our Mission)
"To know God and make Him known"

What is Eternal / Lasts beyond death?
- The soul, and reward from God, etc.

What is Worldly?
- $, possessions, status, etc.

Key Question: How do I know if I am running to lose?
*A Christian's mission has a direct affect on his/her schedule and passions. If you cannot identify the mission in your life and family, you are running to lose.

Barriers:
1. Walking by faith and not by sight.
2. Comparing lifestyles with people who have no mission, and trying to keep up.
3. Properly managing the tension.
Application: Make an adjustment according to the Spirit's leading.

Nine Ways to Ruin a Family
(Overview: A study of 1 Corinthians)

15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile: you are still in your sins…. :20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…
- implying that we are no longer in our sins!

Two major themes are the root of the problem at the church of Corinth.
1. They were not treating Jesus as their master.
2. They were not doing everything in love.

As a result, they had discovered nine ways to ruin the family!
8/7 – Run to Lose
8/14 – Allow Sexual Immorality (PG-13)
-Any volunteers to lead a children's church?
8/21 – Seek Your Own Good
8/28 – Take the Credit
9/4 – Don't Judge
9/11 – September fest / Community Service
9/18 – Seek Ungodly Counsel
9/25 – Give in to Temptation
10/2 – Lack Organization
10/9 – Miss the Gospel

Closing Questions:
1. Who is the Master of your life?

2. What are the motivations of your actions? Are you doing everything out of love?