When Jesus and Paul talked to fellow Jews about the Kingdom of God and the Gospel message, many had the inclination that they were "justified" by their religious status, earning merit with God along with the fact that they were a part of Abraham's Seed. Here Paul clarifies that to be part of "Abraham's Seed" one has to do the will of the Father and receive Christ. Jesus transforms the qualifications to getting right with God from the Old Testament standard to the New, which is trusting in Him through faith. When you do this, you get "grafted" on to the "family tree" and from that standpoint there is no "Jew or Gentile", but all is one in Christ Jesus. Also this week, join us as we say farewell to "As One" singer, announcer, and council leader, Virginia Beehn who is opening a new chapter in her life.
The Law serves a very critical purpose for us and the fate of our eternal state. It tells us where we are standing in God's eyes daily. The Ten Commandments serve as a foundation for the Gospel of the cross. What does that mean? The Law/The Ten Commandments was created to make us aware of our transgressions (violations, trespasses against the order & boundaries set by God), and where we fall short. We all fall short of fulfilling some of these commandments in our lives at least at some point, and no one is righteous when evaluated by the Law. Since Jesus fulfilled the Law in full without violating any of it, the Gospel (the Good News) is that we can do something about it, and that something is trust in Jesus. The Law shines light on the bad we've done. The Gospel provides a way to erase that bad, and allow Christ's blood at the cross to erase that. That's what "Jesus died for your sins" means. Paul expounds on this in detail, as Pastor Troy Billow explains.
Title: The Body Is Not One Member But Many (I Corinthians 12:12-26)
To coincide with the commemoration of a group of congregants making a commitment to become members of LFCC, and the celebration of Sunday school graduates taking the next step to serve in the Church, Pastor Troy Billow explains the importance of becoming a member by expounding on Paul's analogy of the parts of the body in I Corinthians 12:12-26. The body of Christ is a group of people serving as one to present Christ to the world. Paul uses the analogy of the hands, the feet, the eyes, ears, and so forth to build a picture of where people's specialties lie in terms of talents & commitments to service, and how important and unique every form of service is as we present Christ to the world. This message will reveal how important it is, from Paul's perspective to now (which is still being practiced), how commited people with various talents and specialties, all work together to complete one purpose as a body, and that is to show Christ in action through the acts of service.
As we move further in this Letter to the Galatians, Paul is helping us understand the beauty of the Old Testament by referencing it as the foundation for which Jesus built His ministry on (which is the basis of what we refer to as The Gospel). God promises us an inheritance through Jesus Christ. God knows that we are fickle and flawed. So God fulfilled a promise that would be prophesied about throughout the Old Testament, and the fulfillment is Jesus. Promises are extremely important to God. Back then, a man's reputation was built or destroyed based on hoe well he kept his word. Pastor Troy Billow explains, through many examples, how God's promises are irrevocable, unchangeable, and solid. It is by the weight of these things, we should live out our life with respect, devotion, and loyalty to Jesus. With the many things that are considered in this message, you will, by the end of this message, be asking yourself "what kind of child am I?"
Title: Christ Has Redeemed Us From the Curse (Galatians 3:10-14)
In this part of Paul's letter to the Galatians, Paul is helping the people there "transfer over" to "New Testament" theology. What does that mean? The principles and laws of the Old Testament are finished because Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law. Jesus took it all on Him, accomplishing, finishing it as the standard to gain access to and favor with God. In that, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of failing at fulfilling the Law if you trust in Him. And that's all Christ asks. All Jesus asks is to have faith in Him and faith in His word, and that is the standard for all who receive Him. If you don't trust Him, then that is where a person is judged by the standard of the Law when he/she meets God face to face. With Christ, it is finished, and we are justified by faith in Him.
Paul has been so adamantly defending the Gospel message in his letter to the Galatians, and stressing that it is by faith that the Spirit moves, not works. Why is Paul so adamant? This is hugely significant because Paul was once a Pharisaic Scholar, meaning that he was not only an advocate for the Law of Moses, but He was also a zealous defender of it. What changed him was that he met Jesus face to face, it cost him his sight, and the Holy Spirit moved him to such a degree, both in theology and experience, that he ends up writing scripture (and in that writing most of the New Testament). Paul challenges the reader to question what sense does it make to start with faith and from there, perfect yourself when you can't change you? You have to yield yourself to Christ and from there, allow Him to do the changing from within, and the Holy Spirit is instrumental in accomplishing this.
Paul confronted Peter about his comradely with other Jews and the distance he was showing towards the Gentiles. The Gentiles were offended by this because they felt alienated by Peter. You see, Gentiles were messy, messed up people to the point where even their worship involved prostitution in their practices. That said, it was very difficult for Peter to deal with people of this nature, act out his ministry with grace (by showing it) and, in a way, "undo" the influence of the Jewish way of life and the Jewish, Godly approach to things that he had all his life. But what does this all boil down to? Jesus can work wonders when you are justified by Christ alone. And the catalyst to that is faith: putting your faith in Christ and letting Christ live through you, as Peter had to learn. .
In this segment from Galatians chapter 2, Paul calls Peter out on one very important thing; his prejudices. What does that mean? Peter's life and background was inherently Jewish, and so he was accustomed to Jewish practices, life, and people. When Peter was evangelizing to the Gentiles (in this case, the people of Galatia), Peter hung around with those who were Jewish and were not hanging around those who were Gentiles. This offended the Gentiles, and when Paul went to Galatia, the Gentiles aired their grievances to Paul. So Paul saw this, heard Peter's message, and called Peter out in front of everybody, challenging him on what he's saying. The significance of this is striking. Paul was the most hardcore of Jews, lived a Jewish life, was an authority in Judeo practices, and followed the Law of Moses stringently. Yet when Christ met Paul, He humbled him, and did a work in Him that would change Him forever. From that effort, Paul challenged Peter on what he was saying and doing. What are Christians justified by? Christ crucified and raised from the dead. He did it all. So Paul challenges Peter on why he is compelling Gentiles to live as Jews in his messaging, when that's not the Gospel message, and calling him out to check his prejudices.
To the church in Galatia, Paul speaks of the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. What does that mean? The Jews at this time used the Judeo practice of circumcision to justify their communion with God. Pastor Troy explains that dynamic more in depth. You see religious people think that there is some kind of burden to carry so that they can be "right with God". Such people rely on religiosity, self-righteousness, and believe they have merit with God. The reality is; Christ's people accept and receive what He did for us on the cross, trust that, and take Him at His word. His actions are what justifies us when we believe and put our trust in this and this alone. The burdens that people think they need to carry to enter Heaven apart from this truth are of their own making.
Special Guest, Ret. U.S. Navy Seal Michael Imhof brings a bold and powerful message on "What It Means To Surrender". Mr. Imhof explains what having faith means when the rubber hits the road, explains how you can't KNOW somebody unless you spend time with them (knowing God is speaking to Him, reading His Word, discerning the Spirit), makes the distinction between remorse and repentance, explains what components drag down a person's faith, and many other dynamics that weigh down the power of faith in one's life. Michael also discusses the power of "corporate agreement" in a church (Matthew 18:20), how actions serve as a powerful witness in and of itself, the importance of peace being the "umpire" of your spirit, and a host of other things that will revitalize, encourage, and energize your faith.