Grace Baptist Santa Clarita: Service Podcast

As we look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday, we do so realizing our natural tendency is to critique and complain. Increasingly, the joy of the Lord is crowded out by the spirit of our culture which delights in identifying everything that doesn’t live up to our expectations. And so, the question is … what part must a heart of gratitude play in the life of a Christ-follower? When Paul calls the Philippians to “rejoice always,” is that God’s command to us as well? This weekend we take a careful look at where Thanksgiving started, including the feast, and the necessity of modeling God’s generosity. And we do so by going all the way back to the sacrificial system initiated by God Himself.

This weekend we bring our Everyday Reformation series to a close with the fifth of the Reformation solas: Soli Deo Gloria ... Glory to God Alone! When we commit ourselves to Scripture alone as our only infallible source of truth and come to understand our salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Christ alone, it only makes sense to realize that all glory belongs to God alone! He alone is worthy of our life's commitment, our worthy worship, and our joyful obedience.

Of the five Reformation solas, it is Christ Alone (Solus Christus) that stands as the great centerpiece holding the others in unity. All of Scripture points to Christ, and it was the truth about His unique person and sufficient accomplishments that occupied the very core of the Reformers’ disagreements with the Medieval Church of their day. This weekend we learn just how necessary it is for the Reformation to continue in our day, in our church, and in our lives. It is so easy in our society to turn pure religion into self-serving self-righteousness. We must remember the greatest demonstration of God’s grace, the greatest of all blessings is Christ Himself. He is the fountain of salvation, the true spiritual food that nourishes spiritual life, and the Shepherd of our souls. May our lives be enriched as we turn back to the essential truth of our salvation: Christ Alone!

In religions all over the world, there are billions engaged in the hopeless, fervent, and frantic effort for salvation and hope. But this frustration, this emptiness, this frenzied striving for forgiveness and reconciliation isn’t just something you find outside of the Christian church. More often than we might realize, there are those in the church who feel futile in their pursuit of forgiveness and acceptance. But salvation has always been by grace alone through faith alone. Standing for salvation through faith alone is not an issue of history alone. The church, in every age, must stand firmly upon the foundation of God’s Word and proclaim the nature of true saving faith.

Grace Alone (Sola Gratia), teaches that God’s power accomplishes all that He chooses to accomplish. The central organizing principle of our faith is nothing “I” do in order to be saved. God’s gift of salvation is applied through faith by grace alone so that, in salvation, no one can boast, and God’s glory, mercy, justice, and grace are most clearly seen.

In 1521 Martin Luther, a university professor, was called to account for his writings before representatives of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. When asked to recant his views, he faced a monumental decision. Would he acknowledge the authority of the Church above that of the Bible? Would he bow to the power of the State even though in doing so he would go against Scripture? On that day, Luther boldly asserted that Scripture alone had the right to bind his conscience and orient both his thinking and doing. Today we begin our series Everyday Reformation. It is our hope that the motto of the Reformation will continue to be our passion: The church reformed, and always reforming, according to God’s Word!

Over the last couple weeks, we’ve been examining a discipleship-framework that we are adopting at Grace: Gather, Engage & Reach. This framework is how we intend to make disciples in the life of the church by committing to one another. Yet culturally, commitment to the church seems to be waning. Today we want to explore God’s design for His people to be committed to Christ and each other; a commitment that is for our good and the good of the Church family.

The mission of the church is not up for debate. Jesus said it clearly: “Go everywhere, and as you go, make disciples!” But how do we do that? What is our strategy? This weekend we speak to both the beginning and goal of real discipleship. A disciple is a follower of Jesus, and we start this journey as God the Spirit rides in on the Gospel bringing us to repentance and faith. But God didn’t save us for us! He saved us to be the means by which more would be brought into the family of faith. This makes evangelism – reaching! – the real purpose of our mission. As the church, we gather. As disciples, we engage. And as everyday evangelists, we reach others!

Discipleship begins with proximity, but just being together isn’t all it takes to move forward in likeness to Christ. That demands an intentional decision to engage in life-to-life relationship. But with all our busy schedules, why would we take time to do that? There are two reasons. First, our Savior demands it; and second, it is remarkably both beneficial and enjoyable. This weekend we explore Jesus’ call to engage, to live out our love for one another.

This weekend we begin a new series on what it means to be a “disciple of Jesus Christ.” We’ll look at this wonderful privilege under the headings of Gather, Engage, and Reach. We start with the call of Christ for His people to gather, often, and consistently, to join their voices in praise, their minds in learning, and their hearts in loving and serving one another. But does regular, joyful attendance at the corporate gatherings of the church really matter? Can’t we just fit church life into our otherwise hectic schedules in a way that is most convenient, and comfortable? Is there really a risk to being inconsistent? Let’s find out together.

No one, even the mighty Apostle Paul can do it all. The mission of Christ, through the church, to the world takes teamwork. And, through the presence and power of God the Spirit in every Christ-follower, the mission will be accomplished. But this weekend we ask the question of ourselves: Where do we fit into that mission? What role do each of us play, and how can we fulfill the ministry we each have received in the Lord?

Every Christ-follower is called to live the “risen life.” But what does that look like “outside” the church, outside the family? Paul’s answer is both simple and direct. The “risen life” brings with it the privilege of partnering with Jesus Christ in the greatest rescue mission ever. It begins with prayer that prepares the heart to invest in relationships and focuses the eyes on open doors for gospel conversations. And it calls on us to watch our words and prepare our minds to dialogue graciously and knowledgeably when open doors present themselves. Only in this way can we “make the best use of the time” God has granted us in this life.

In Colossians 3:18-4:1, the preeminence of Christ is applied to the simplest of life’s relationships: husband and wife, parent and child, servant and master. This counter cultural, Christ exalting theme flies in the face of our self-exalting nature. The Apostle Paul continually points the Colossians back to Christ and faithfully presents a model to live out the risen life.

Christian obedience isn’t an attempt to earn God’s love or favor — it’s the heartfelt overflow of joyful worship because God has perfectly loved us in Christ. Following Christ is all about embracing the behaviors, thoughts, and priorities that flow out of the change he has worked in us. Christianity is the life of Christ living in His children. In other words, new life must lead to new living.

We’ve all had the experience of being reminded of past mistakes, and found ourselves replying, “Hey, that’s not who I am now!” None of us want to be identified with our “used to be.” Paul calls the Colossians to think about who they are in Christ, and then get to work killing those thoughts and actions that are really part of who they “used to be” and are not worthy of those who have been “raised with Christ.”

With false teachings swirling around the church of Colossae, Paul keeps coming back to one theological truth: the believer’s union with Christ. Paul uses this beautiful, but mysterious reality to give shape to how the Christian life is to be pursued. While false teachers were promoting an alternative vision to what a transformed life looks like, Paul shows that true transformation for God’s people comes only in and by Christ.

Though today we may be free from following ascetic practices or the worship of angels, there is a temptation in all of us to seek salvation by God’s grace but to pursue sanctification by our own strength. Paul’s call to the Colossians and to the church today is to hold fast to Christ. Having been made one with Christ by God’s grace, the maturing believer recognizes that it is only in and through Christ that they can “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” (1:10).

Sensuality, with all its temptations, surrounds us in this society. Worse, it is invasive, always seeking an entrance into our hearts and minds. What God meant for good, our culture has turned to evil. Marital intimacy is God’s gift to married couples, but our culture wants us to trade in purity for porn, and believe the lie that unrighteous forms of excitement make life better. But James reminds us …”Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers” This weekend we hope to walk away with a renewed commitment to sexual purity … to believing perseverance brings life, and sin brings forth death!

Sensuality, with all its temptations, surrounds us in this society. Worse, it is invasive, always seeking an entrance into our hearts and minds. What God meant for good, our culture has turned to evil. Marital intimacy is God’s gift to married couples, but our culture wants us to trade in purity for porn, and believe the lie that unrighteous forms of excitement make life better. But James reminds us …”Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers” This weekend we hope to walk away with a renewed commitment to sexual purity … to believing perseverance brings life, and sin brings forth death!

Central to God’s creative design was the filling of the earth with humanity. This was to be accomplished through marriage between one man and one woman. Part of the blessing of marriage was the enjoyment of sexual intimacy. While today’s culture considers God’s design archaic and unrealistic, it remains true that those who follow his commands find the fulfillment God intended, as well as the knowledge they have been obedient to the Almighty.