Grace Baptist Santa Clarita: Service Podcast

Few things have been more divisive and controversial in the church over the past decades than issues concerning the presence and ministry of God the Spirit. This is both ironic and sad given that the unity we have in Christ is made possible and kept eternally by means of the work of the Spirit. In this text we find the very first example of how the Spirit’s ministry in and through the church is to come. He never enters the spotlight. Rather, he comes, sent by Jesus Christ, to shine the light on the Savior by enabling Christ-followers to understand and proclaim the Gospel.

After Christ’s ascension back to the presence of God the disciples waited in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on them. And as they waited, it became apparent that, with Judas’ demise, the team was incomplete. So with a stark dependence on God in prayer, they set about to complete the team of 12. It was always God’s plan to begin with Israel and use them as the catalyst in the mission of taking his grace to the end of the earth. With the New Covenant comes a new people, both Jew and Gentile in Christ. Yet, once again God begins with Israel, as symbolized in the 12 Apostles through whom racial barriers will be broken and the message of Jesus taken to the world.

Jesus’ talk of the promise of the Father and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit led the Apostles to ask if now was the time when the kingdom was being restored to Israel. Was Jesus now going to restore the nation to the glory enjoyed under David and Solomon? In his answer, Jesus both confronts their preoccupation with timing and corrects their understanding of the kingdom of God and their place in it. Now was not a time for determining God’s timing, but a time for telling the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

If we are to be the “fragrance of Christ” as everyday evangelists we will do well to learn from the best! Luke’s second volume – The Acts of the Apostles – continues the work of Jesus Christ through his Church after his ascension back to heaven. The basic point is this: Jesus Christ is actively working through his people to extend the gospel story and its eternal benefits.

Evangelism can seem like one of the most daunting tasks of the Christian faith. At times we are even paralyzed by the fear of others and the fear of failing. This weekend as we wrap-up our series, Obvious Faith, we will seek to show how our evangelistic efforts will become more natural and more impactful when we find ourselves as a people continually shaped by the powerful message of the gospel.

It is clear to us that God has saved us and left us in this broken, violent world for a noble, eternally-significant reason: to carry the fragrance of Christ to everyone, everywhere! But just what is our strategy to be? How do we make ourselves “intentionally available,” hoping to be used by God in the lives of someone needing to follow Jesus? This weekend we follow Paul’s words and example, and we take from him a strategy for being excited, prepared ambassadors for Christ in the normal rhythms of our lives.

As Christ-followers, our great privilege is to “spread the fragrance of the knowledge of God in every place.” We do this as we are “intentionally available” to those in our lives, knowing that God the Spirit is working to bring many to saving faith. Our delight is in knowing we can be part of his process! But what is the message we believe and are ready to share? What is the Gospel? This weekend we look at what people need to hear, how they need to hear it, and how the manner with which we declare it absolutely matters.

Last week we learned that we are the “fragrance” of Christ to God and to everyone around us. But who can be sufficient for such a serious task? Today we learn more about the sufficiency we have from Christ as his ambassadors. We also learn that the “platform” from which we represent him is nothing more that our lives, and it is demonstrated in good works.

Why did God draw us savingly to Jesus Christ, adopt us into his family, and then leave us here in this broken world? Can it be that he expects us to bask in his blessings, selfishly enjoying forgiveness of sin and the fellowship of the church? It must be that he has enlisted us as his delivery system to bring the Gospel message to those with whom we cross paths everyday! During January we are exploring the dangerous subject of making our Christianity obvious. So fasten your seat belt and prepare your heart to come face to face with the privilege of partnering with Jesus himself – in the everyday rhythms of your life – in the greatest rescue mission ever!

What makes a life significant, both now and for eternity? As we end one year and begin another, it is important for us to be reminded of some biblical essentials for living lives that are worthy of the Savior and the gospel of our salvation.

On this 4th weekend of Advent we focus our minds and hearts on Jesus Christ – God in the flesh – through whom the promise of God has been fulfilled. Seeing Jesus through the eyes of John, the last surviving disciple, we recognize the vast, rich tapestry of truth that came to earth in the baby whose birth we celebrate this week.

On this Third Sunday of Advent, we pay particular attention to the shepherds whom God Himself chose to be the first to hear of the birth of the Promised King. It was to these, whose job it was to raise and guard the Temple lambs, that the invitation first came to worship the Lamb of God. They were the first to experience the reality that the promise of a Savior had been fulfilled.

There is much confusion today over Mary, the mother of Jesus. Just what part does she play in the life of the church? What role should she play? If we stick with the Bible, we will find Mary to be an incredible woman of faith who knew the Scriptures and used them to define her life and beliefs. Mary’s understanding of her place in history, her understanding of Scripture, and her persevering trust in God despite adverse circumstances make her a model for us of a deep and abiding faith in God.

On this first weekend of Advent we put ourselves into the biblical story brought by the prophets. With the coming of sin into the world, God’s promise of future salvation and restoration took center stage in the progressive unfolding of human history. Questions filled the minds of those seeking to understand God’s redemptive plan. And no question was more important than that of the identity and activity of Messiah, the “He” whom God would send to “save his people from their sins.”

As we approach our Thanksgiving holiday it can be helpful to remind ourselves just what gratitude is, and why it is important in the life of a Christ-follower. When Jesus miraculously healed the lepers, only one returned to offer thanks. Why? Was he just a better person? Or was he the only one who saw the whole picture?

So far in Malachi we have heard God dispute with the priests and people of Israel about their compromised worship and sinful behavior. This weekend we find that they have learned to rationalize their sin and also minimize the grace of God. They live as though God won’t intervene in their lives. But they are gravely wrong in mistaking God’s patience for disinterest. The truth is simple: God will deal with sin, and in the end, all glory will be his!

The Temple was not the only place leadership had become corrupted and compromised. In this text we see the devastating effects of compromise in the home. This weekend we look at marriage as a covenantal relationship, created by God, and accountable to him.

Everything stands or falls on leadership. The disobedience of the people was facilitated by their leaders, who perpetrated unrighteousness through their lives and their teaching. It was God’s intention that those leading his people would be fountains of truth and examples of it. Sadly, those charged with leading rightly had led their people into rebellion against God.