Sermon Rocked The House

     Last Saturday in Victory Christian Fellowship, a new church being planted in the city of Santa Monica, a guest speaker, a Pastor Cheery Smith, a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Seminary, both located in the city of La Mirada, CA, spoke on the need for community. He pointed out from the book of Acts that the early church had all things in common and they gathered together to hear the apostles doctrine (preaching) and they shared  what they had with one another.
     We need community because no one of us has all the abilities within themselves. We are dependent on others. For example, you may have a need to know how to share the word of God with others. Your fellow Christian has just shared the word and he comes and shares with the group his success. You can learn from him and be built up. "So that is how it can be done. I am encouraged."

       He was very good and I think he had the attention of the young folks. Victory Christian Fellowship is for the young people by the young people and needs to grow. Pastor Daryl is trying hard but he can't do it alone. He needs once in a while a guest speaker to come in and give him a rest. This is what was happening.

Sheep Know His Voice

  Today being a Sunday I went to services. Todays' sermon concerned the passage in John about the sheep and the shepherd. The shepherd leads the flock. He doesn't push them along. The sheep know and trust the shepherd. that is why they follow. And they only know their shepherd not someone elses.

 And just how do the sheep know who is their shepherd? Glad you asked. It is because the shepherd has been with them since they were lambs. They grew up with him and have learned to trust him.
So it is with us who are called Christians. Jesus is our shepherd. He leads us and we, in trust, follow Him.
  Do you knw Him? Is He your shepherd?

Safe People

        Are you a safe person?  In relationships with others are we safe? Or  is there some resistance to growth?
     We show resistance when we refuse to allow others to get in to our life and interact with us? Pastor Joe calls it his Sybil. Sybil was a woman who had multiple personalities.
    We all have a form or resistance within ourselves. It is something we developed in childhood to protect ourselves. Now it has become a game to deny everything. Every time  we deny we reinforce the resistance.to change and allow the unreal you to show up.
      Now talking about the Christian person within the fellowship who is immoral, I mean, a sexual immoral person who won't change ever though you approach him or her and confront him or her, they just won't change, the best thing you can do, according to what God has said, is to separate yourself from him or her. Sure, it will feel like abandonment, but if they show resistance and it becomes a habit, then the only thing you can do is leave.
   Stop the cycle and become a safe person. Be real. Admit you don't understand all about yourself. Ask for feedback. Ask questions such as what do I do that pushes you away from me? And what do I do that draws you toward me?
   These are two good questions to ask your loved one if married, or to that person you are dating.

Certification of Victory Christian Fellowship

      He is back here now. He has spent four days up in Sacramento looking for the okay to be a new church plant. Never mind that for a year now he has been holding services under the name of Victory Christian Fellowship. Never mind the fact that he is a church plant sent out from ACTS Church. Without  the group approval of  organization he would be unable to get sponsorship money. Never mind that for the past year he has had to do it without any money coming in.
      If  you were to meet Daryl face to faced he would come across as a humble person who has no needs. I am sure of if wasn't for his wife he would be a mystic who denied his needs.
       Not that I am trying to put him down. I admire him. But if he were to look me in the face and say that he lives on faith, I must say, fine, faith is good but it won't pay for lighting, for hymnn books, for upkeep, for.. you name it.
      I realize this posting is way different from the others.
      I guess what I want to say is it isn't easy being called by God to be a church leader. It is a hard road and few there be who can walk it.

Four Kinds Of Soil

      I am sitting here realizing that I am instructing people by way of this blog on the subject of  Bible Study. I must realize, if I am to believe what Jesus said, that not everyone who is reading this is able to receive the teaching.
      That is the reason Jesus spoke in parables according to what He said as recorded in Matthew 13:13.
      Jesus taught in a strange way. You would think that if a person wanted to pass along truth he would talk plainly.
      Yet this parable in Matthew 13:3-9 , the sower, Jesus points out why. Remember now, He is speaking in parable to cause the people to think.
       The sower, explained in Matthew 13: 28-23, is anyone who handles the word of God. The seed is the word. The first soil is beside the road and the birds come and eat it up. Jesus states the birds are the evil one, whom I take to be Satan.
       The second soil is a rocky place. The seed does go down , this soil has the word of God, which has some effect. But not enough to settle in and grow. It dies having nothing to  grasp on to. This soil must still be someone who has not set up a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
          So we move on to the third soil. Many reading this blog in fact all reading this blog are a form of soil. That is why I am sharing. I am trying to scatter seed. So the third soil sees to be people who have heard the word and in this case read this blog and decided that if they had enough money they could deal with any worries. They don't need what they call a crutch. They have heard that God can meet their needs. But they have the wealth. they feel they don't need this God. They can do it themselves.
     Needless to say this is not good soil.
     Now on to the fourth type of person who reads these blogs. The ones who are reading and saying, that sounds like the truth. I want to produce for God. I know worries and trouble and hardship will come. They come to all people who are living on this earth. But I also know a God who can meet my needs no matter how bad and intense the circumstances.
  So this person starts to produce fruit. The soil is good. this soil has a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
    And that is one way to do a Bible Study.

Christ our example

 Today, in fact this morning at Acts :A Church That Studies- we discussed Christ our example as seen in the incarnation. Scripture used was John 1:14. Christ came in flesh. He being God became flesh like us so he could be our example. You should be able to find a podcast there and other information about the church. Even if you can't be there you can weekly tune in for the podcasts.

Impressions

  Let me take a side road here and talk about impressions one can have of the person carrying the messsage of God's love for mankind.
    Some people can be humble and and aware that they are allowed to be God's spokeman. They will tend to stick to the Bible text and not try to play to the people's itching ear.
   There are others that feel God's word needs for them to,  how shall I say it, stoop over to loading the message they carry with personal references that you, the listener tend to walk away feeling good but not having God speak tro a need you have. Leaving these people you feel like you have heard something of substance but really all you got was a empty message that has been covered with icing. Sweet and as long as you are not looking for an injunction on what to do with what ytou have heard, you walk away satisfied. and feeling fed.

      I probably am not making sense.  If not please comment and set me strraight.