The Basics of Life - A New Worship (Part 1)

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A New Worship (Part 1)

John 4:5-24

5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

1.         Last week we talked about archeology, and the cool fact that not a single biblical reference has been disproved by archeology (pretty good record!)

a.    Well there’s another interesting fact that archeology has unearthed: Every ancient civilization that has been discovered/unearthed worshiped something.

b.    Whether its the Aztec’s worship of the sun God (Huitzilopochtli), the Roman gods, Stonehenge, apparently there were no atheists in the ancient world!

c.    Some would say the reason is that “humans have always needed a crutch,” they need something to explain the world around them, why it exists, how it come to be.

d.    (which I find to be interesting in that even ancient, supposedly “ignorant” people understood that our world couldn’t have just sprung up from nothing, there had to be a creator.  Apparently we needed to become much smarter to determine that there isn’t a creator!).

2.         Here’s my theory:   “Humans need a relationship with their creator,” which is why, in the absence of worshipping the true God, they will worship something.

The Basics of Life - The Bible

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THE BIBLE

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Tim 3:16-17

BIBLE = “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”

1.         (Hold up) Most unique book - many written - spiritual, wisdom, truth, etc - and many of them can have a place in our lives, but none hold a candle to this book.

a.    This is the one book that not only changed the world, but it will change your life, even your eternal destiny.

b.    My objective is that after today you will have a new understanding, and a new passion for this book.

Where did the bible come from?

2.         When I was young - knew "of" - president takes oath on, sits on my dad’s shelf, that Pastor Clay is always bugging us to read.

a.    We consider the bible as one book, yet it is in reality it is made up of 66 different books, written by 40 different authors, 1600 years: Moses (1400 BC), the apostle John (90 AD);

b.    Penned by men, but inspired by the Holy Spirit

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:21

3.         However, it’s not just a book of random writings that were slapped together:

a.    It is a panorama that spans the history of the physical universe, the history of man, and the main thesis is the ultimate plan that God has for mankind.

The Basics of Life - The New Spirit

The Basics of Life - Session 2

The New Spirit

Roman 8 / John 16

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But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:9-11

1.         If our church were a community that lived on a remote island, and were ignorant of spiritual things, we’d never heard the gospel.

a.    And say a missionary airplane flew over, and dropped bibles to us, and we read them and became Christians, what would our lives be like?

b.    I believe, based on reading our bibles, we would expect that the Holy Spirit of God would be an integral and powerful part of our lives!

c.    We would expect our lives to be radically different from how we were before we became Christians

2.         If we look at God’s word, there are very clear declarations regarding the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit

a.    So the question is "I have new life, but does my life reflect the new life of Christ that is now in me?”

The secret to breaking the power of sin - Romans 8:2

And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:2

Sadly what many Christians don't realize is that sin enslaves you.  They’ll see sin as something that’ll be fun, it’ll feel good, and they’ll only do it for a little while.  But soon they discover that sin is like Rumpelstiltskin, the deal seems like a good one, until they enter it, then they discover they’ve been fooled!  Sin has captured them, and there will be a price to pay. There’s an old proverb that holds true:

Sin will take you take you farther than you want to go, 

keep you longer than you want to stay, 

and cost you more than you want to pay.

Sin seems cool and fun, but after a while you look down and there’s a chain around your ankle. You want to get out of it, but you’re stuck, and you realize the truth of Romans 6:18:

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?  Romans 6:18

But for the person who’s placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, a new power is in play:

And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:2 

In other words, the power of the cross destroyed the power that sin had over the Christian, the chains have been removed, the prison door has been thrown wide open! You’re free!

“But,” you ask, “what about the Christian that still sins? Why does that happen?” I’ll tell you why: Yes, the cross destroyed the power that sin had over us, but it didn’t destroy our free will.  So while a Christian is no longer controlled by the power of sin, they can still choose to sin.  And the cycle starts all over again.

So what do I do?

The key to defeating sin isn’t to try harder, the key to remaining free from the power of sin is to remain in the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us! 

One Word:  SURRENDER.  Each and every day, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, to guide you, and then surrender to His leading. 

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  Romans 8:13-14

This Sunday, we’ll be taking a closer look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Don’t miss it! 

The New Life - You're Already Forgiven

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2 (NLT)

I don't know about you, but I came into this Christian life with a bit of a track record.  I burned a few bridges, perhaps "blew up" would be a better description.  I distinctly remember times when I would show up at a club or a party, and "that person" would be there.  How awkward. Sure I'd play it off like it didn't matter, but deep down inside there was that feeling of shame for how I had treated that person.  Funny, it never occurred to me to apologize, or make an attempt to make it right.  Cut and run, that was my motto.  But the problem was, the guilt never really left.  Even though I might not see that person, that guilt tended to hang around, popping up in my memory from time to time, bringing on a new wave of shame and guilt.

If we're not careful, we can fall into the same behavior as Christians.  See, there will be times when we fail to live up to our testimony as Christians.  Times when we make the wrong decision, allow the compromise, do something we know is sin.  Then, right when we should go to God and confess, instead we cut and run.  We avoid God.  Well, we really can't avoid God, but alas we try.  We stop reading His word, we stop praying, we avoid anything that would bring us into contact with our God. Our walk with God becomes ...awkward.

Reality Check:  Romans 5:1-2 tells us that we no longer have to avoid God.  Because of our faith, we've been made "right in God's eyes," and "we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." In other words, the reconciliation has already taken place!  That mean's that when we do fall short, and we come to the Lord and confess it, He's already forgiven us!  I believe that understanding that we're already forgiven should bring a new level of confidence to our relationship with God.

Think about it this way:   Say you get into an "discussion" with your significant other.  You both said things you shouldn't have said.  After the fireworks die down, you know one of you has to initiate an apology, but usually both are hesitant to be the first one to apologize, because the other person might not accept it.  When this happens, we'll usually put out a few "feelers" to see how they other will respond.  Maybe we bring up some non-related topic, just to gauge the mood.  What we're really looking for is the answer to this question:  "Will they be open to reconciliation?"  Once we know the door is open, we're fine to proceed.

Here's the think I want you to know:  When it comes to God, YOU'R ALREADY FORGIVEN!  You don't have to hide in the shadows, or toss out a feeler, you can come before your Heavenly Father with full confidence that your sin has been forgiven, and His desire is to restore fellowship with you.  i john 1:9 promises it:

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

So you never need to wonder if God want's to reconcile, the answer is always YES!  "...Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand..."

Pastor Clay

Governed by God

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. Romans 9:6-8

Last Sunday we learned that the name “Israel” means, “Governed by God” (which is why God changed Jacob's name to Israel). It implies being in the family of God, being under His authority, and being submitted to His will.  This is why Paul said that not all who are Israel by birth are governed by God.  It’s not that God isn't willing to govern His people, but rather that God isn’t a dictator who forces Himself in control of a person’s life. In order to be governed by God, there must be a willingness to be governed by God.  There must be a surrender.

For the same reason not all who are “in the church” are actually governed by God. Just believing in God and being in church doesn't equate to being governed by God.  In order to be governed by God, there must be a willing surrender of my will and my life.  To me this is the essence of our faith, not just saying a prayer and getting my ticket punched to heaven, but willingly allowing Christ to be my Lord and Savior, and allowing God access to every part of my life.  It means raising the white flag of surrender.  Chris Tomlin wrote a song that celebrates this act, the chorus line goes:

We raise our white flags, we surrender all to You, all for You

We raise our white flags, the war is over,

Love has come, your love has won.

This is one of my favorite worship songs, as it declares what I must deal with each and every day:  The act of laying down my weapons, my will, my stubbornness, my rebel heart, and surrendering to Him who loves me.

Pastor Clay

Children of the Promise - Romans 9:6-13

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Children of the Promise

Romans 9:5-13

1.         Church, this morning I’m going to ask you to engage your mind:  because we are going to wade into some intellectually deep water!

a.    I believe you guys are up to it!

2.         For those of you who are familiar with the Apostle Paul, you know that he was an intellectual genius -

a.    He was a Heavenly heavyweight!  The Einstein of doctrine and theology!

b.    For the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at some doctrinal truths that are mystical and deep, but also important, things like:

i.      God’s promises

ii.     His character and nature

iii.   His sovereignty

iv.   His election

v.     His justice

vi.   His grace

3.         To accomplish this objective, Paul is going to take us on a journey through time

a.    He is going to turn to the historic and present situation of the nation of Israel as a backdrop to help us grasp these great truths of God.

4.         Now some of us may not have an interest in the nation of Israel, and that’s OK, but I’d like to point out three things:

a.    #1 Israel is important to God, which I believe is reason enough for us to at least have a basic understanding her place in God’s plan

b.    #2 God is not finished with Israel. Isreal is like Gods timepiece in prophecy, which means we can learn some things about God, and where we are in God’s plan, based on what’s happening with Israel,

c.    #3 God’s relationship with Israel is a picture of His relationship with you and I, the New Testament believer.

A Heart for the Lost - Romans 8:35-9:5

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 “A heart for the lost”

Romans 8:35-9:5

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1.         What an awesome promise to us from God.... that NOTHING can separate us from His love for us!!

a.    And after reading in 2 Corinthians 11 what Paul went through for the sake of the gospel, I'm sure that promise kept him going through many difficult and trying situations.

b.    But this passage of scripture isn't just a stand-alone promise for you and I; it's also a setup for chapters 9, 10, & 11.

2.         A lot of people wonder why Paul would take what seems like a off-topic tangent right in the middle of his letter.

a.    Chapters 1-8 presents the solution to the problem of sin and death - our hope - God’s plan of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ

b.    Chapters 12-15 contain practical instructions for everyday living

c.    But in chapter 9, Paul suddenly starts talking about Israel, and the fact that they sort of missed the Messiah! Where's that coming from?

d.    But I believe Paul knew what he was doing...

3.         See, after the proclamation that nothing can separate us from God's love, the bible student might ask "What about the Jews? Are they separated from His love?  Aren't they lost?"

a.    Romans chapter 9 - 11 answers that question, as Paul paints a beautiful illustration of the love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God,

b.    With the Jewish nation being a living example of these attributes.

c.    Israel’s Rejection of Christ (or how to have a heart for lost people)

Israel, an illustration of God's love

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

~ Romans 8:35-39

What an awesome promise to us from God.... that NOTHING can separate us from His love for us!!  And after reading in 2 Corinthians 11 what Paul went through for the sake of the gospel, I'm sure that promise kept him going through many difficult and trying situations.  But this passage of scripture isn't just a stand-alone promise for you and I; it's also a setup for chapters 9, 10, & 11.  See, after the proclamation that nothing can separate us from God's love, the bible student might ask "What about the Jews? Are they separated from His love?  Are they lost?"

The Jews had the promise of God, the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), the Law, Moses, the tabernacle, the glory of God, the prophets.... all of this, yet they rejected and crucified the Messiah!  I mean, if the Jews, who are God's chosen people, if they're lost, what chance do I have?  In fact, many Christians have written off they Jewish people completely, arguing that the church replaced the Jewish nation as God's chosen people. Not only is this untrue, it's not biblical.

Romans chapter 9 - 11 paints a beautiful illustration of the love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God, and the Jewish nation is a living example of these attributes to the entire world.

Don't miss this Sunday at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington, as we break open the next section of Paul's letter to the church at Rome.

~ Pastor Clay

Our Hope - Romans 8:18-29

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 “Our Hope”

Romans 8:18-29

When I was a young boy, one of things I looked forward to the most was going to “Uncle Rogers.”  See, my cousins lived on a farm, and whenever my dad took us for a weekend, I knew that weekend would be filled with AWESOMENESS: Exploring the woods, playing army, riding motorcycles, hunting, and fishing. Man, it was heaven for an eight-year-old boy! It took about two hours to drive there from our home, and the entire time I would be so excited, it felt like I was going to jump out of my skin!  Every week, I would wait anxiously to find out if we were going to Uncle Rogers, because I knew that no matter what problems I had that week, what bully picked on me, not matter how lame school was, some magical things were going to happen that weekend!  I looked forward to it. 

Roman’s chapter 8 paints a similar picture, when Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Vs 18).  See saints, while this world may throw rocks at us from time to time, something better is coming, Heaven! 

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1.         One of the thorniest questions that Christians face is, "Why do Christians suffer? “

a.    Why does a God of love and power permit his loved ones to go through any anguish here on the earth?"

b.    You’d think that our Heavenly Father would put some type of protective shield (bubble-wrap kid) around us so that we’d never have to suffer.

c.    Fact is many of us have suffered through trials, or have watched a loved one suffer, and so you’ve felt the full force of that question…  WHY?

Uncle Rogers Farm

When I was a young boy, one of things I looked forward to the most was going to “Uncle Rogers.”  See, my cousins lived on a farm, and whenever my dad took us for a weekend, I knew that weekend would be filled with FUN:  Exploring the woods, playing army, riding motorcycles, hunting, and fishing. Man, it was heaven for an eight year old boy! It took about two hours to drive there from our home, and the entire time I would be so excited, it felt like I was going to jump out of my skin!  Every week, I would wait anxiously to find out if we were going to Uncle Rogers, because I knew that no matter how hard my week was at school, some awesome things were going to happen that weekend!

Roman’s chapter 8 paints a similar picture, when Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Vs 18).  See saints, while this world may throw rocks at us from time to time, but something way better is coming, Heaven!  It is the hope that forms the foundation of our faith, for without it Christianity is pointless, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

Join us Sunday at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington, as we finish Romans 8 (finally!), and explore the blessed hope we have in Christ.

~ Pastor Clay

Its all Good - Romans 8:26-37

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Overcoming Depression Part 3

“It’s All Good”

Romans 8:28-37

Have you ever read the account of Joseph in Genesis (starting in chapter 41)?  Young Joseph is the ‘favorite’ of his dad Isaac, but he ends up having one bad thing after another happen to him.  He finally ends up an an Egyptian jail, under false charges.  There is a glimmer of hope as a cupbearer promises to remember him when he gets out, but of course he forgot!

1.         That account is a setup for our message today, because we could all relate to Joseph at some point in our life.

a.    When it seems like everything is working against us.  Nothing is going our way. 

b.    And we wonder, "can anything good come from this?"

2.         There are some times in our life when bad things happen, and we can see the good that came out of it.

a.    There are other times when bad things happen, and maybe we don’t see the good, but we trust that something good surely will come from it...

b.    Then there the those times when when something hits us right between the eyes, - trial- travesty - tragedy - and we think to ourselves “NOTHING good will come of this at all!”

3.         And the question always comes up in our mind “What is God doing?  How could God let this happen? Is He even paying attention?

a.    The answer to that question is yes, but we have to realze that sometimes there's a bigger picture, a greater good in motion.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Overcoming Depression Part 2 - The Material World - Romans 8:3-17

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Overcoming Depression – Part 2 “Material World”

Romans 8:3-17

Back in 1984 the singer Madonna released a song titled “Material Girl”

They can beg and they can plead

But they can't see the light, that's right

'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash

Is always Mister Right, 'cause we are

Living in a material world

And I am a material girl

You know that we are living in a material world

And I am a material girl

1.         Catchy tune, and it was a hit because it resonated with the essence of our world:

a.    “Hey you’ve got to live this life to the fullest, cause this is all there is!”

b.    It describes the deep human need for fulfillment, to find happiness, and peace.

c.    The only problem is that they’re looking in the wrong places.. (lookin for love in all the wrong places!)

2.         See, as Christians, those “in Christ,” we know that this world isn't all there is. 

a.    We know there’s an eternity waiting for us, it is our blessed hope.

b.    But until that eternity comes, we’re stuck here in this place… this material world.

3.         Now, last week we learned that there are three prime culprits that get us feeling down and depressed:

a.    Haunted by something from our past

b.    Weighed down by something in our present

c.    Anxious about something in our future

4.         We learned that when you’re haunted by the past, when those depression bombs start going off in your mind,

a.    You have an arsenal of your own, the powerful truth that “in Christ,” there is NO condemnation! (none, zero, not one bit!)

5.         This week we’re going to learn how to respond when we’re weighed down with something in our present…

a.    Today we’re going to look at one of the ways Christians to lose their peace, and that’s when we “walk according to the flesh”

The Secret to Overcoming Depression

Last Sunday we learned a power truth: There is NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ!  When our adversary starts dropping ‘depression bombs’ on us, we can counter with this powerful truth:  “It is written, There is NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ!”  Why does this weapon have the power to shut down the enemy? Because it states the truth that WE ARE FORGIVEN!  Once you are “in Christ,” what is His is now yours, and since God does not condemn Christ, neither will he condemn you! Christian, once you’ve grasped the fact that you’ve been totally, completely, 100% forgiven, you can walk free from guilt and condemnation of your past.  For the next installment of Romans 8, join us Sunday for “Overcoming Depression Part 2,”  10 AM at Calvary Chapel Wilmington.

The Secret to Overcoming Depression - Romans 8:1-7

The Secret to Overcoming Depression

Romans 8:1-7

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1.         Don’t raise your hands, but has anyone ever struggled with depression, or you’ve known someone who has?

a.    NIH reports 2% of the population suffers from severe depression, and 16.5% some depression related disorder.

b.    It has touched almost every family in our country.

2.         In this chapter not only will we learn the final piece of Gods plan to walking in victory, we’re also going to learn the secret to overcoming depression!

3.         See, depression stems from one of three areas:

a.    1 - We’re haunted by something from our past, something we've done, or something that was done to us.

b.    2 - We’re weighed down by something in our present, some heavy situation, a trial, or some sin we're dealing with

c.    3 - We’re anxious about something in our future

4.         In this chapter we’re going to learn that God is sovereign over ALL of these areas of our life:  past, present, future!

Who will Save Us? Romans 7:8-25

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Who will Save Us?

Romans 7:8-25

1.         Remember - Romans 6-7-8 is the key to overcoming sin

a.    Today is the day that Paul is going to reveal the final piece of that key

b.    But before we get there, he has a few final words about - THE LAW.

2.         What is “The Law?”

a.    Most people when they think of the law, think of the Ten Commandments (which Jesus summarized)

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.  Matthew 22:37-40

3.         True - if you love God, you won’t break the first four commandments,

a.    if you love others, your won’t break the last six!

b.    Love God, love others, who would get upset about those two statements?

4.         But people do get uptight about the Ten Commandments

Mr Perfect Must Die - Romans 7:1-6

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Mr Perfect Must Die

Romans 7:1-6

There was once a woman that was a perfectionist in everything she did, and so prayed “Lord, please send me the perfect man.”  And the Lord answered her prayer.

One evening a young man knocked on the door, politely asked if he could speak to the young women, and she first laid eyes on him, she knew “this is my perfect man!”

Romans 6:12-23 - We Are Free!

We Are Free

Romans 6:12-23

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1.         Last week we learned some powerful truths:

a.    When a person enters into a relationship with Jesus Christ, that person is born into a new reality:  An eternal link to Jesus Christ.

b.    Because of that relationship with Christ, everything that is Christ’s is now available to that new Christian

c.    Christ died, we died, and thus sin no longer has any power over the Christian.

d.    Christ lives, we live;  The  Christian has been given new life, they’re alive to God!

e.    The Christian has been set free from the bondage of sin, and the bondage of the law!

2.         Last week: "Sin is dead!"

3.         This week: We are free!

4.         It’s critical that the Christian not only KNOW these things, but that we accept them as FACTS, and walk in FAITH based on these facts

a.    Remember what happens when Faith takes his eyes off of Fact!

b.    We have a NEW REALITY “in Christ” and we can now walk in that new reality!

c.    That’s why Paul tells us...

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.