Redemption Hill Church | Richmond VA

The Cost of Following Jesus

shelby — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:26:01 +0000

Sermon audio:

Act 4 | The Coming of the King

This sermon on “The Cost of Following Jesus” from The Drama of Redemption was preached by Robert Greene at Redemption Hill Church on Sunday, May 19, 2013.

Sermon Text:

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon Notes:

Click to Download a PDF of the Sermon Notes.

The Cost of Following Jesus

Mark 8:31-38

Mark 8:31 “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Mark 9:31 “He was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.’”

Mark 10:33-34 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Three times in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells his disciples in detail that he is going to Jerusalem to be killed and to rise from the dead. Jesus is making His way to His certain death and the disciples must know that this is what they are following Him into. Thus they are beginning to understand that being a disciple of Jesus is more than learning about him; it includes following and being identified with Him wherever He goes, even if that ultimately means death. Surely this was an unexpected cost of following Christ. Discipleship under Jesus did not then, and does not now, mean assured comfort, ease, security, prominence or prosperity on Earth; in fact, the very opposite is virtually guaranteed by Jesus, John 16:33 “…In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”. There is a great cost that comes with following Christ, yet the reward is so much greater.

“Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘Ye were bought at a price’, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.” – D. Bonhoeffer

“Now, it may be that some here imagine that the Christian life is all pleasure and joy, that there will be no persecution to endure, no affliction to bear. It may be that you have imagined that the way to Heaven is by a grass path, rolled, every inch of it, and that when you say, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go,” you mean that you will follow Him through Jerusalem when everybody waves the palm branches and casts his garment in the way. Do you know anything about Gethsemane and the bloody sweat? About Gabbatha, and the cry, “Crucify Him!”? And about Golgotha, that scene of deadly woe? Will you follow Him there when the many turn aside? Will you witness there that He, alone, has the Living Word? You think it shall be all king’s weather with you if you go with Christ? Know you not that Christ leads us where the fiercest winds blow and where the stormy blast pitilessly hurls the sleet into our faces, and where we must perish if we live on earthly comforts? The people of God are a tried people” – C.H. Spurgeon

Discipleship Under Christ

Death to the Id

Mark 8:34 “And He called to Him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”

A life that follows after Jesus is a life that necessarily is characterized by self-denial and cross-bearing. Self-gratification and self-preservation, being wholly converse to such a life, must accordingly die. There is no room for any focus upon self, the pursuit and protection of one’s own desires, for a heart devoted to Christ. The heart that treasures Jesus extols and prizes Him above the id such that the id must die. To be a disciple of Christ is to be a man given over to a lifetime of dying to self.

Luke 9:57-62 “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Scholars suggest that Jesus was teaching and testing through these interactions; teaching what it means to be His follower and testing whether or not they really wanted to follow Him.

“Jesus in our text is testing them and testing you, to see if He is enough, to see if he is really your treasure, your joy, your security, your hope, your friend in times of loneliness, your home, your father and mother, your power to look straight ahead – to test you in all these ways, he tells you what it will cost. Jesus is testing how much they and how much you treasure the “You” in ‘ I will follow you’ by explaining what the ‘follow’ will cost.” – John Piper

Rather than setting up a new standard of legalistic rules defining what it means to follow Him, Christ is searching the heart and laying bare to the hearer those things which may be prized above Him so that they can be subverted. Jesus isn’t connoting that discipleship means His followers will never have a roof over their head, can never attend a funeral or bid adieu to family, instead He is demonstrating that these and any other solicitudes cannot have preeminence in priority over Him in the disciples heart. The question is never “what must be given up to follow Jesus?” but “how important is Jesus to the Christian?”

Application

Jesus is after your heart, your treasure and not rules. His concern is with the things that have a hold of your heart over and above Him. It is important to remember that the question is not what you must give up to follow Jesus but how important is Jesus to you? Allow Him to reveal the aberrance of your heart. Let Him show you the weeds that are threatening to choke out your spiritual life.

Application Questions

What do you treasure (i.e. prize highly and protect fiercely) most?

Do you trust and treasure Jesus enough to follow him even when it is costly?

Do you treasure Jesus enough to lay down a life driven by self-gratification?

What is the value of Jesus in your heart?

Are you willing to put to death a life led by the pursuit of your desires and your will in exchange for Jesus’ desires, will and mission?

Are you willing to put to death a life focused on self-preservation (e.g. physical, reputation, etc.)?

Is God, and nothing else, enough for you?

Death to Comfort

Luke 9:58 “…’Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’”

The disciple of Jesus must recognize that following Him will not guarantee the presence, and may require the absence, of all physical comforts afforded from having a home. Jesus ought to be more precious than a home, furniture, conveniences and ease. He is worth more than the sense of security that comes from having a stable high-paying job and easy access to preferred food and clothes. When everything is taken away, the true disciple of Jesus will be able to say that He was and is worth following.

Philippians 3:8 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Death to Blood Ties

Luke 9:59-60 “To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

In Jesus’ day, an element of honoring your father and mother included following through with a burial ritual that could take up to a year. After a death and the subsequent funeral celebrations, the body would be prepared and placed in an open tomb. The corpse would be allowed to decompose over a period of nearly a year and the eldest son was responsible for taking the remains (now bones) and depositing them in an ossuary (bone box). The ossuary would then be placed permanently in a tomb. Hence, Jesus declaring that this ostensible follower ought to abandon a significant tribute to his progenitor would have been shocking; it was making very clear that honor and allegiance to Him comes before parents.

Luke 9:61-62 “Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Here Jesus is making reference to Elijah and Elisha in 1 Kings 19. The disciple of Jesus is asking for the same courtesy, “let me say goodbye for I may never see them again”. However, Christ is establishing that the motive is not simply saying goodbye and is exposing a divided heart. A modern day analogy to Jesus’ words would be attempting to drive a car while staring in the rear-view mirror. No forward progression will be made if the driver is always looking behind. No man can serve Christ if they are always second-guessing the value of following Him.

Application

There are times when following Jesus will be characterized by investing more of ourselves in our families, however, it may also mean rejecting the advice, counsel and input of our families when they would demand that we compromise our commitment and walk with Jesus.

The Cost of Discipleship

Mark 8:35-38 “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.””

Application

If you gain the whole world by valuing it above Jesus it is powerless to save you in the end. It is only the abandonment of everything in this world that would seek to exalt itself above Christ, including yourself, that you will find life. Moreover, if you are characterized by being embarrassed by Him and the price He paid on the cross (more than momentary lapses of courage) recognize you will spend eternity apart from Him with all the others who consider Him an embarrassment.

Though the price isn’t low for following after Christ; for all must be abandoned, shame, pride, fear, comfort, ease, your very life, the recompense is so great as to make the price seem a pittance.

Luke 18:29 “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come.”

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: Redemption Hill Church. Website | http://redemptionhill.com

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Sunday Rhythm | May 26, 2013

shelby — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:49:35 +0000

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. – Psalm 34:1-4

The Drama of Redemption | Act 4 | The Coming of the King
This Sunday, Robert Greene will continue in our sermon series on The Drama of Redemption. His title for the week will be Jesus Came to Serve and to Save, and his text will be Mark 10:32-45. If you missed last weeks look at Mark 8:31-38, you can listen or watch here.

Here are the songs that we will sing together this week:

He Rescued Me by Red Mountain Music
O My Soul, Arise by Charles Wesley and Eric McAllister. You can read more about this song and why we sing it by clicking here.
In the Shadow of the Glorious Cross by Rebecca Elliott and Brooks Ritter.
Your Great Name by Michael Neale and Krissy Nordhoff. You can read more about this song and why we sing it by clicking here.
Be Thou My Vision by Mary Elizabeth Byrne and Eleanor Henrietta Hull.
The Lamb Has Overcome by Luke Morton.

See you Sunday!

The post Sunday Rhythm | May 26, 2013 appeared first on Redemption Hill Church | Richmond VA.

Bible in a Year- Week 30

Loye — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:57 +0000

In conjunction with our current series The Drama of Redemption, as a church, Redemption Hill is going to read through the Bible. We will be using the reading plan from George Guthrie’s Reader’s Guide to the Bible.

This week’s Readings:
Monday – Isaiah 38-39;2 Kings 20:1-21; 2 Chronicles 32:24-33
Tuesday – Isaiah 40-42; Psalm 46
Wednesday – Isaiah 43-45; Psalm 80
Thursday – Isaiah 46-49; Psalm 135
Friday – Isaiah 50-53
Saturday – Isaiah 54-58

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Sunday Rhythm | May 19, 2013

shelby — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:43:14 +0000

Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord! – Psalm 111:1-4

The Drama of Redemption | Act 4 | The Coming of the King
This Sunday, Robert Greene will continue in our sermon series on The Drama of Redemption. His title for the week will be Jesus Goes to the Gentiles. If you missed last weeks look at Mark 4:1-34, you can listen or watch here.

Here are the songs that we will sing together this week:

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us by Dorothy A. Thrupp and William B. Bradbury.
Abide With Me by Henry Francis Lyte and William Henry Monk.
What Wondrous Love Is This by Alexander Means.
Gladly Would I Leave Behind Me by Ann Griffiths and Doug Plank. You can read more about this song and why we sing it by clicking here
Jesus Paid It All by Samuel W. Beazley and M. S. Schaffer.

See you Sunday!

The post Sunday Rhythm | May 19, 2013 appeared first on Redemption Hill Church | Richmond VA.

Jesus Explains the Kingdom with Parables

shelby — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:07:39 +0000

Sermon audio:

Act 4 | The Coming of the King

This sermon on “Jesus Explains the Kingdom with Parables” from The Drama of Redemption was preached by Robert Greene at Redemption Hill Church on Sunday, May 12, 2013.

Sermon Text:
Mark 4:1-34

Sermon Notes:

Click to Download a PDF of the Sermon Notes.

Jesus Explains the Kingdom with Parables
Mark 4:1-34

Matthew 13:10-17 “Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.” But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

“Thereby the things of God were made more plain and easy to those willing to be taught, and at the same time more difficult and obscure to those who were willingly ignorant.” – Matthew Henry

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Mark 4:30 “30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?”

The Kingdom of God that Jesus was beginning to reveal in His ministry on earth bared no resemblance to the conception that the Israelites of the day had in mind. Their expectations involved a king and a kingdom that would come in great power overthrowing the Roman Empire by force and setting the people free from the reign of Caesar. Yet, the Romans continued to roam the streets, John the Baptist was imprisoned and Jesus was opposed by the Jewish leadership. The question, despite all His miracles, that had to nag in the minds of the Jews was “how could this be the promised Messiah”. This Savior did not meet any of the expectations the Israelites held about freedom on earth; why wasn’t this king and His kingdom Bigger? And therein lay the rub, for Jesus did not come to meet the Israelites expectations of freedom, but rather to define what real freedom was, which is completely antipodal to human notions. He came to establish a kingdom whose citizens were truly liberated from the bondage of sin and the wrath of God.

“The nature of the kingdom is so unexpected, so paradoxical, so opposed to human reason that it takes divine revelation for people to be able to grasp it.” – R.T. France

Mark 4:31-32 “It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

The kingdom of God is in similitude to what happens to the mustard seed. What initially appears insignificant, given its diminutive size, grows beyond expectation and becomes a tree so massive that birds perch on it and nest in its shade. Analogously, the kingdom arrived on earth, in the form of the God-man Jesus, in a small and inconsequential fashion, in the backwater town of Capernaum (Nazareth). However, the day will come when this kingdom’s glory will be seen and recognized (by all) that it surpasses even the mightiest kingdoms on the earth. The advancement of this kingdom was not (and has not) been according to the prototypical rise and domination of powerful human kingdoms such as the Roman Empire. The kingdom of God does not use physical force and subjugation to add otherwise unwilling adherents but rather creates voluntary disciples who genuinely desire to serve the King and His kingdom because of the inward transformation He initiates. This kingdom functions as a seed in that it reorients the hearts and desires for those in whom it is implanted. Unlike human kingdoms, who function in likeness to large stones that when cast upon anything smaller, can only crush from the outside bringing compliance through destruction, God’s kingdom works from the inside out bringing devotion through internal change by grace.

The Parable of the Sower and the Seed

Mark 3:4 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.”

Mark 4:10 “The sower sows the word.”

The message of the gospel, granting entrance to the Kingdom of God for those who hear, repent and believe, being preached by Jesus at that time (and ultimately by apostles/teachers of that day or pastors/teachers of the present age), are here represented by a sower sowing seed to soil. The parable represents the same sower, casting forth the same seed (the Word of God), to different types of soil which represent the hearts of men.

The Hard Heart

Mark 4:4 “And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.”

Mark 4:15 “And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.”

“The word of the gospel lies upon the surface of such a heart, but never enters it. Like the snow, which sometimes falls upon our streets, drops upon the wet pavement, melts, and is gone at once, so is it with this man. The word has not time to quicken in his soul: it lies there an instant, but it never strikes root, or takes the slightest effect.” – C.H. Spurgeon

It is possible to have come into contact or have regular contact with the Word of God and have had no root take hold. This group of people may come to church frequently, read their Bible or other good Christian books and yet walk away unchanged and unconcerned with the things of God. It remains little more than an entertaining notion to consider for a moment until the next idea comes along to capture their attention. Jesus, and His glorious message of free entrance for men into His Kingdom, has taken no root in their heart so that they treasure Him and His truths.

Application

“they come hither that they may flatter themselves with the notion that they are religious. Oh! My hearers, your case is one that might make an angel weep! How sad to have the sun of the gospel shining on your faces, and yet to have blind eyes that never see the light. The music of heaven is lost upon you, for you have no ears to hear. You can catch the turn of a phrase, you can appreciate the poetry of an illustration, but the hidden meaning, the divine life you do not perceive. You sit at the marriage-feast, but you eat not of the dainties; the bells of heaven ring with joy over ransomed spirits, but you live unransomed, without God, and without Christ. Though we plead with you, and pray for you, and weep over you, you still remain as hardened, as careless, and as thoughtless as ever you were. May God have mercy on you, and break up your hard hearts, that his word may abide in you.” – C.H. Spurgeon

Application Questions

Has the Word of God taken root in you?

Has the message that Jesus came to ransom sinners so that they might be reconciled to God moved beyond theory for you?

The Shallow Heart

Mark 4:5 “Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.”

Mark 4:16-17 “And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.”

This group of people receive the Word of God with joy and immediately spring up. They are excited about and even zealous for Christ having moved beyond an academic consideration of Him. Perhaps a proclamation could be heard from this class that “Christ has changed my life!” Yet, their faith is wholly without depth and largely contingent on perpetually happy circumstances. They are likened to shallow ground for the roots of their faith are not deep enough to take the heat of a scorching sun, a strong wind, a cold frost or a heavy rain. The moment that trouble and suffering come upon them the very weak faith they had immediately dies away and they will question the value of the Jesus that they earlier claimed changed their life. Their primary belief about themselves in relation to God is that they are a sufferer in need of an earthly solution instead of a sinner in need of a heavenly savior.

“they thought they were entering Christ’s kingdom, but really what was happening was they were trying to get Christ to enter their kingdom, and they were trying to get Christ really to fulfill their agenda. They wanted a blesser, not a Savior. They wanted a sugar daddy, not a King. They wanted help and relief, not salvation. They saw Jesus Christ as a service provider. As long as they had services provided, they had joy. As soon as he no longer was helping them meet their goals, they had it with him, which showed the things they really worshiped were the things they had lost in the heat.” – Tim Keller

Application

“Here lies a shoot which never became an ear, a man in whom grace struggled but never reigned, who gave some hopeful spasms of life and then subsided into eternal death”? God save you! Oh! May the Spirit deal with you effectually, and may you, even you, yet bring forth fruit unto God, that Jesus may have a reward for his sufferings.” – C.H. Spurgeon

The Divided Heart

Mark 4:6 “And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.”

Mark 4:18-19 “And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”

This group of people would seem to have depth and a real faith. They have heard the word of truth and allowed the roots, from all appearances, to take hold. Yet, they fail to bear much fruit for the seed was sown among thorns. The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches are too alluring and consuming so their spiritual life is choked. This group produces little, if any, of the fruits of the Spirit (Galations 5:22-23 “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…) that a life that has been captured by Christ will produce abundantly. Time will tell if their end will be that of Demas: 2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me.”

Application Questions

Do you see change (sanctification) and fruitfulness in your life? How are you defining fruitfulness?

Are you consumed with the things (money, things, social status, the latest ideological fad, etc.) of this world rather than God?

Are your priorities centered around yourself and your agenda or Christ’s agenda?

Are others impacted and changed, in Godly ways, by their interaction with you?

The Fruitful Heart

Mark 4:8 “And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Mark 4:20 “But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Here is the group of people who produce fruit. The text does not suggest that this ground is without any stones or thorns but simply that it was good and so brought forth fruit. God’s word doesn’t take up residence in hearts that were good apart from Him nor will hearts be sinlessly perfected in this life and then begin to produce good fruit. What is assured is that fruit will be born, by some clear measure, when Christ takes hold of a heart by grace. Moreover, there is no requirement to produce equal harvests of fruit, for some will yield thirtyfold and another hundredfold. The only constant among this class is that they will produce measurable fruitfulness. God ensures these hearts are faithful and He gives the return.

Application

“The ground is described as “good”: not that it was good by nature, but it had been made good by grace. God had ploughed it; he had stirred it up with the plough of conviction, and there it lay in ridge and furrow as it should lie. When the gospel was preached, the heart received it, for the man said, “That is just the blessing I want. Mercy is what a needy sinner requires.” So that the preaching of the gospel was THE thing to give comfort to this disturbed and ploughed soil. Down fell the seed to take good root. In some cases it produced fervency of love, largeness of heart, devotedness of purpose of a noble kind, like seed which produces a hundredfold. The man became a mighty servant for God, he spent himself and was spent. He took his place in the vanguard of Christ’s army, stood in the hottest of the battle, and did deeds of daring which few could accomplish—the seed produced a hundredfold. It fell into another heart of like character;—the man could not do the most, but still he did much. He gave himself to God, and in his business he had a word to say for his Lord; in his daily walk he quietly adorned the doctrine of God his Saviour,—he brought forth sixty-fold. Then it fell on another, whose abilities and talents were but small; he could not be a star, but he would be a glow-worm; he could not do as the greatest, but he was content to do something, however humble. The seed had brought forth in him tenfold, perhaps twentyfold. How many are there of this sort here? Is there one who prays within himself, “God be merciful to me a sinner”? The seed has fallen in the right spot. Soul, thy prayer shall be heard. God never sets a man longing for mercy without intending to give it.” C.H. Spurgeon

Application Questions

What kind of heart do you believe you have (hard, shallow, divided or fruitful)?

Did you make a decision or pray a prayer years ago that has no real meaning in your life today? Since then there has been no evidence, beyond the religious motions of a new heart within you?

Has your heart been divided; consumed with the cares and pursuits and possessions of this world such that you have resisted submitting to the rule and reign of God in Christ?

Is your heart receiving the Word, understanding it, and are you bearing fruit for the kingdom of Christ?

Are you rejecting the message of the kingdom or has your heart been changed by the Word of God’s grace?

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: Redemption Hill Church. Website | http://redemptionhill.com

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Bible in a Year- Week 29

Loye — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:16 +0000

This week’s Readings:
Monday – Isaiah 18-22
Tuesday – Isaiah 23-26
Wednesday – 2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 29-31; Psalm 48
Thursday – Isaiah 27-30
Friday – Isaiah 31-35
Saturday – Isaiah 36-37; 2 Kings 18:9-19:37;2 Chronicles 32:1-23; Psalm 76

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Sunday Rhythm | May 12, 2013

shelby — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:11:04 +0000

Then I looked, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” – Revelation 5:11-13

The Drama of Redemption | Act 4 | The Coming of the King
This Sunday, Robert Greene will continue in our sermon series on The Drama of Redemption. His title for the week will be Jesus Explains the Kingdom with Parables. If you missed last weeks look at Mark 3:7-35, you can listen or watch here.

Here are the songs that we will sing together this week:

Let Me See Your Hands by Josh White.
All Creatures of Our God and King by William Henry Draper and St. Francis of Assisi.
All the Poor and Powerless by Leslie Jordan and David Leonard.
The Lamb Has Overcome by Luke Morton.
Abide With Me by Henry Francis Lyte and William Henry Monk.
Age to Age by Shelby T. Murphy.

Age to Age by Redemption Hill Music

See you Sunday!

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The Community of the King

shelby — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:00:25 +0000

VIDEO COMING SOON

Sermon audio:

Act 4 | The Coming of the King

This sermon on “The Community of the King” from The Drama of Redemption was preached by Robert Greene at Redemption Hill Church on Sunday, May 5, 2013.

Sermon Text:
Mark 3:7-35

Click to Download a PDF of the Sermon Notes.

Sermon Notes:

The Community of the King

Mark 3:7-35

Herodians were composed of secular Jews who supported Herod, were in league with the Roman imperial power, and had only a nominal commitment to their ethnic faith. The Pharisees were the highly religious Jews who were typically fiercely opposed to Herod and Rome. They believed that only extreme moral and religious purity by all of Israel would move God to send the Messiah who would help them throw off the yoke of Caesar. Mark 3:6 “The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.”. An unusual response from a body of people who claimed to know God and His Word, yet, unlike demons who in Mark 3:11 “the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”, these men seemed unable to recognize God in their midst. This was the response of the religious community to Jesus. So if the religious of the day had no interest in Christ beyond seeking His destruction, who would (and will) compose the community of The King? What does it mean to fit in to Christ’s Kingdom? It means simply this: Jesus didn’t come to create the Kingdom Community that Israel expected but rather to establish a Kingdom Family that would change the world. The Community of the King is a community chosen by grace, shaped by grace and sent as ambassadors of grace, all for God’s Glory.

Chosen by Grace

Mark 3:13 “And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.”

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt”

Those who are a part of God’s kingdom are only such due to God’s munificent grace and desire that they would display His glory. The invitation and adoption into the community has nothing whatsoever to do with the merits of the members. There is often an inclination to emphasize the work ethic, background, personality or connections of the apostles when teaching about their calling; which entirely misses the point and deemphasizes the majesty of God. They were not called because of what they brought to God in His ministry on earth, instead, they were called in spite of who they were and they came only because He initiated the relationship. These were not men of renown in their community or known for their constancy, self-control, courageousness and mild but hardy temperaments. Instead, there was a tax collector and fishermen (among other trades); some were given to impulsiveness or capriciousness, while others had tempers. Moreover, there are many instances where Jesus admonished their lack of understanding of His teaching so they weren’t all characterized by brilliant minds. In spite of the many weaknesses of these men, Jesus chose them anyway and they came and this was outside the norms of the day. Typically a disciple identified a master and attached themselves to him. In the case of Christ, He identified the disciples and they came to Him.

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

No one has ever been saved from their sin and called into the Community of Christ because they pursued Jesus; He is always the pursuer.

“The Family of God, the Kingdom Community where Jesus is King is a community of chosen people…not choice people.” – Sinclair Ferguson

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Application

There is no room for boasting in yourself in a Kingdom where you are an inhabitant only due to the magnanimity of the King. As recognition of the grace of the King settles in and takes root it will produce the fruit of humility and security in the people of God. His people know there is nothing to boast in apart from the grace of God in Christ. This humility is a unique mark of the community of God’s people. Moreover, having the secure acceptance of God Himself, there is no need to perform for Him (and others) to merit or sustain citizenship in His Kingdom. As recognition of the axiom that God’s love for you is not based upon your performance, but rather His grace and choice, you should experience and be able to rest in the security of that truth.

Shaped by Grace

Mark 3:14 “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him….”

“So that they might be with Him” is the very heart of what it means to be in the Kingdom community of God. The apostles had a unique experience with Christ: they were able to eat, rest, talk, listen and journey with Him. There would have been extraordinary moments when Jesus would begin His Biblical pedagogy from the Old Testament and they’d have the ability to learn and take mental notes, without modern distractions, in a manner that current Christians on this Earth will never experience. How He handled conflict, disappointment, His loving interaction with women and the undesirables (prostitutes, tax collectors, etc.) of the culture would all be opportunities for the disciples to learn from and be shaped by Christ. Being in the community of the King meant they were with the King Himself, learning and being changed by all that He did.

Application

To be with Jesus is to “follow Jesus”. This was His original call and summons to the disciples and is the same call He extends to us now. To follow Christ means you can’t stay where you are; He must have primacy. Everything about your life, worldview, relationships and priorities will necessarily change. There should be a paradigm shift that refocuses the core of your being to align with Him and His priorities; anything less is not discipleship to King Jesus.

Christ didn’t say to come follow the religious rules, regulations and ceremonies of the day, He said to come follow Him and would go on to prescribe what that would like which is primarily pictured by a personal relationship with Him. We are not first called to believe certain points of doctrine and engage in particular acts, but rather He first calls us to Himself. It is much too easy to do Christianity without Christ. It is too simple to pray about Him, to talk about Him, to engage in acts of mercy in His name or for pastors to professionalize their position. Then, we wonder, when our “relationship” has become so trite and banal, why there is so little peace, joy, and transformation in ourselves and the people around us. What He would have us do, however, is to pray to Him, talk to Him, engage in acts of mercy and shepherd the flock with Him. If your Christian life can be lived without being with Jesus it is time to seriously reconsider what you are calling The Christian Life. It is in being with Jesus that His disciples are shaped, formed, and transformed to be who He is calling them to be. The Community of the King is not just a matter of being in relationship with Jesus but is also how you live as a result of that relationship. It is about being with Jesus, of speaking His message and acting in His name. Sanctification, or being shaped by His grace, is intrinsic to the inhabitants of His kingdom.

Ambassadors of Grace

Mark 3:14-15 “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”

The term “apostles” means “sent ones”. It is a person who is sent forth from the King to be a representative spokesman on behalf of the King. In similitude to the term “disciple”, the word apostle in the New Testament may be used more generally with a more comprehensive meaning. However, typically when the term is used in the New Testament it is referring to the twelve (12) men identified in the first chapters of Mark (where later on Judas Iscariot is replaced by Matthias) and Paul. Moreover, the apostles met specific criteria that later men cannot ever meet. These criteria, identified in the latter half of Acts 1, included being called by Christ as such and having been eyewitness to Christ’s resurrection; hence, there are no modern day apostles. However, Paul illustrates the purpose and role of “ambassadors” to and for Christ which is a role all members of God’s kingdom community are called to take on.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Thus, inhabitants of the Kingdom are called to be ambassadors wherein there lifestyle will be shaped by speaking and acting on behalf of the one they represent. Ambassadors, sent ones, will speak the good news of God’s grace and commit acts of grace in the King’s name.

Application

When we are called by grace and begin to be shaped by grace, the fruit of humility and confidence will grow in our hearts so that we will be able to communicate the Good News with freedom and without fear. There will be no need to win arguments, to be right, to prove ourselves or to fear people and their reactions. There will only be the freedom to appeal to everyone to repent so that they may also experience the freedom in Christ that you have found. Living as an ambassador is an acknowledgement that your life belongs to the King. There is no putting aside this role; in every position and action you function as an ambassador. Whether it is your marriage, job, neighborhood interactions, or relationships with your kids and other family members, in all that you do you must remember that you act as an emissary from the community of the King. Live, asking how your words, your actions, your motives can best represent and reflect the will of the Lord.

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Bible in a Year- Week 28

Loye — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:20:10 +0000

This week’s Readings:
Monday – Isaiah 5-8
Tuesday – Isaiah 9-12
Wednesday – Micah 1-4
Thursday – Micah 5-7
Friday – 2 Kings 16-17; 2 Chronicles 28
Saturday – Isaiah 13-17

The post Bible in a Year- Week 28 appeared first on Redemption Hill Church | Richmond VA.

Sunday Rhythm | May 5, 2013

shelby — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:05:49 +0000

What can we offer the Lord for all he has done for us? We will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving us. We will keep our promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people. O Lord, we are your servants, born into your household; you have freed us from our chains. We will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. We will fulfill our vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people—in the house of the Lord. Praise the Lord! – Psalm 116:12-19

The Drama of Redemption | Act 4 | The Coming of the King
This Sunday, Robert Greene will continue in our sermon series on The Drama of Redemption. His title for the week will be The Community of the King. If you missed last weeks look at Mark 2:18-3:6, you can listen or watch here.

Here are the songs that we will sing together this week:

Psalm 116 by Isaac Watts, Zachary Banister, and Shelby T. Murphy.

Psalm 116 by Redemption Hill Music

Holy, Holy, Holy by John Bacchus Dykes and Reginald Heber.
My Jesus, I Love Thee by William R. Featherston and Adoniram Judson Gordon.
All for Joy by Megan Clinch, Nic Clinch, and Shelby T. Murphy.

All for Joy by Redemption Hill Music

O My Soul, Arise by Charles Wesley and Eric McAllister. You can read more about this song and why we sing it by clicking here.
Revelation Song by Jennie Lee Riddle.

See you Sunday!

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