Home
Worship Services
Location
Contacts
Bulletins
Links
December 13, 2009TO OUR VISITORS
The family of God here at Dowagiac Church of Christ wishes to extend to you a warm welcome. If you have questions about our worship services and why we do what we do, we will be glad to give you a biblical answer. The uniqueness of the church of Christ is that we are trying to restore to the best of our ability those things that we see the first century church doing. We are also working hard at building the spirit, unity, and love that Jesus taught and prayed for. We have no clergy, but are working together as equal co-workers trying to serve one another and the area in which we live. Come study with us, grow with us, and serve with us as we strive to do God’s will in all things.
FAMILY NEWS
MEETING REPORT: We had a great congregational meeting last Sunday. Beginning January 10 we will have a change in our worship services. We will have communion at the start of services as well as our worship in song and giving. The children will then be dismissed to children's worship where they will have teaching at their level while the adults are studying with the sermon presentation. This will provide teaching to our young and help the adults concentrate on the lesson. Julie and Karl Marcussen will be directing the children's worship. Our thanks to them and to everyone who participated and contributed in making this positive change in what we do. We urge all parents and grandparents of children to bring their children and include them in the children's worship program. We will also be starting new classes. Wednesday night and Sunday night we will continue our studies in Romans with John Clayton. Larry Brewer will resume his class on James on Sunday morning. Be sure to come to these classes and learn with us.
BRR: I am writing this after the parade last Friday. We had a good percentage of the congregation sitting on a float made by Bill and Patty Gibson. The purpose of this activity is to let the community know we are here and part of wholesome things going on in the area. We had a very positive night with lots of greetings to people in the community, and some singing of familiar songs. We plan to continue to let the area know we are here with other parades and another booth in the Cass County Fair. Thanks to everyone who participated and to the Gibsons for all their work on this project. We do need help in letting people who have needs know that we have food available. Be a part of our ministry to feed others.
TODAY'S
LESSON
SOME THINGS IN HELL THAT NEED TO BE IN THE
CHURCH
LUKE 16:19-31
LUKE 16:19-31
INTRODUCTION
This is a parable, not a history.
Like all parables, there are many lessons.
THE RICH MAN RECOGNIZED HIS
CONDITION.Part of a series of parables.
Doctrine issues are not correct--we do not worship Abraham.
Lazarus in the Greek means "without help." Doctrine issues are not correct--we do not worship Abraham.
Like all parables, there are many lessons.
No condemnation of being
rich--Abraham was rich.
Luke 16:22-24
THE RICH MAN HAD A CONCERN FOR
HIS BROTHERS.Imagine waking up in hell after
you die.
It is too late to do anything about it.
Jesus teaches that our actions must reflect our knowledge.It is too late to do anything about it.
Luke 12:47-48
Are we acting according to our
knowledge?
Ministry is whatever you have the
talent to do.
Experience can lead to a ministry.
Flashiness is not the criteria.
Experience can lead to a ministry.
Flashiness is not the criteria.
Luke 16:27-28
Galatians 6:7-10--Our guiding principle.
Romans 14:21--Whatever detracts from God's word
THE RICH MAN KNEW GOD'S
REQUIREMENTS.Concern for our fleshly brothers.
Concern for our brothers in Christ.
Concern for our brothers in the world.
Mark 16:15--What is a creature? Concern for our brothers in Christ.
Concern for our brothers in the world.
Galatians 6:7-10--Our guiding principle.
Romans 14:21--Whatever detracts from God's word
Luke 16:29-31--Under the old law.
What do we REALLY believe.
He did not believe God meant what He said. Everything God says to do makes
sense.
Hear.
Believe.
Repent.
Confess.
Be baptized.
Life as a Christian.
Do we believe God means what He says?Repent.
Confess.
Be baptized.
Life as a Christian.
HAVE
YOU BEEN "BORN AGAIN"?
In John 3 we read an exchange that went on between Jesus Christ and a man named Nicodemas, a member of the Jewish ruling council. Jesus challenges Nicodemas' understanding of God's plan by confronting him with the statement "Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemas tries to interpret the statement physically and that leads Jesus to talk about his death (verse 14) and the importance of following Christ. We know from Acts 1:3; 8:12; and Colossians 1:13, as well as many other passages, that the Kingdom is the church. We cannot be a part of the church unless we have been born again. This is how we get in contact with the blood of Christ.
What many people miss is the beauty of being born again. Romans 6:4 tells us that we have been "buried with him through baptism" so that "Just as Christ was raised from the dead ... we too may live a new life." The passage goes on to talk about living in Christ as a new creature. What a wonderful thing! To be able to make a new start in life! To put the old person away, and to be able to start over in God's sight. It is especially beautiful when your old life has been one of sin and abuse. To be able to start fresh and to know that God has completely blotted out all of the things He could have held against us and will allow us to start over fresh and alive and clean and beautiful.
Being baptized is not an initiation ceremony. Neither is it a confirmation exercise. In baptism we start over with a new life in Christ. In Romans 6:11 says "Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God." We no longer live with the expectations and demands of the physical world that surrounds us. There is now new purpose and direction in life. God works in us and doors are opened that have meaning to us because we are Christians. God's spirit lives in us and we are able to do things that we not only could not do before but would have had no interest in doing before. We are new, free, clean, and in a whole new life.
We need to think about what our new life should be like. Being born again means we are like a new baby in a new world. The baby has in the past been in a dark, warm, secure place. The baby has no idea what his or her new existence will be like, and in fact being born is somewhat scary. After the baby is born there is a new existence--beautiful and full of new sensations and experiences. There is no way the baby would want to return to the womb and its constant conditions. Being a part of the Lord's kingdom is full of challenges and new expectations. There is a wonderful sense of excitement, and the more we are involved, the better the experience becomes.
In John 3 we read an exchange that went on between Jesus Christ and a man named Nicodemas, a member of the Jewish ruling council. Jesus challenges Nicodemas' understanding of God's plan by confronting him with the statement "Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemas tries to interpret the statement physically and that leads Jesus to talk about his death (verse 14) and the importance of following Christ. We know from Acts 1:3; 8:12; and Colossians 1:13, as well as many other passages, that the Kingdom is the church. We cannot be a part of the church unless we have been born again. This is how we get in contact with the blood of Christ.
What many people miss is the beauty of being born again. Romans 6:4 tells us that we have been "buried with him through baptism" so that "Just as Christ was raised from the dead ... we too may live a new life." The passage goes on to talk about living in Christ as a new creature. What a wonderful thing! To be able to make a new start in life! To put the old person away, and to be able to start over in God's sight. It is especially beautiful when your old life has been one of sin and abuse. To be able to start fresh and to know that God has completely blotted out all of the things He could have held against us and will allow us to start over fresh and alive and clean and beautiful.
Being baptized is not an initiation ceremony. Neither is it a confirmation exercise. In baptism we start over with a new life in Christ. In Romans 6:11 says "Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God." We no longer live with the expectations and demands of the physical world that surrounds us. There is now new purpose and direction in life. God works in us and doors are opened that have meaning to us because we are Christians. God's spirit lives in us and we are able to do things that we not only could not do before but would have had no interest in doing before. We are new, free, clean, and in a whole new life.
We need to think about what our new life should be like. Being born again means we are like a new baby in a new world. The baby has in the past been in a dark, warm, secure place. The baby has no idea what his or her new existence will be like, and in fact being born is somewhat scary. After the baby is born there is a new existence--beautiful and full of new sensations and experiences. There is no way the baby would want to return to the womb and its constant conditions. Being a part of the Lord's kingdom is full of challenges and new expectations. There is a wonderful sense of excitement, and the more we are involved, the better the experience becomes.