Evening Prayer Service

The ordinances are an opportunity to share the gospel. We reserve that an ordinance is a showing of the gospel.

Evangelical once meant gospel, now it is port railed in a different way.

Once a week is not often enough to focus on the gospel. We need to preach the gospel to ourselves EVERYDAY because I will forget it everyday.

Present the gospel to myself everyday possibly through these three steps
Guilt
Grace
Gratitude

"A gospel primer for Christians"  - book

Reasons to rehearse the gospel daily…
I. The gospel prevents and or corrects my thinking that trails are my enemy.
• What is my response to trails? - is my thinking gospel?
• Jesus learned obedience through suffering…. This is the gospel….Christ humbled himself to die on a cross, to come and serve.
• The cross was not an enemy, the cross brought joy to Christ.
• Romans 5 , 8

II. The gospel prevents/corrects my thinking that sin is my friend
• There is felting pleasure in sin
• The gospel turns the light on
• Anything can become a routine - specific scripture, the Lords table, etc

 I NEED TO PRAY UNTIL I PRAY


Do I REALLY pray? How do I REALLY pray?Do I think until my soul sings?

Great in Gods Eyes

August 4th, 2013
Matthew 11:1-15

Luke 1 - John the Baptist was to be great in the eyes of The Lord

What God saw in John…

I. God sees your submission to the anointed king
Matthew 11:1
• John sends them not because he doubts Christ but because he was in prison he could not go.
• Why is Jesus referred to the anointed one? 
• The following were anointed in the Old Testament…
○ Prophets
○ Priests
○ Kings

• Jesus sends them back to to John having quoted scripture to strengthen John,s faith.
• John may have some confusion in his heart - the Christ comes to set prisoners free but John is in prison.
• Sometimes we get focused on Christ's coming as a selfish view- Christ came for me
• Although he doubts he still believes and trusts Christ  
• John's submission in suffering should be honored - even in fear and confusion and pain RUN TO JESUS  even when you don't understand - rest on His unchanging faith.
• Do I come to God honestly? In submission do I ask and talk with God? Or do I run from God and stop praying? WHAT IS MY RESPONSE?
• Keep keep keep with God
• Hebrews exhort each other daily
• We are a church of messed up broken people - however that does not disqualify for God work praise God that he still uses us and loves us and protects us, etc 

II. God sees your service to the anointed King
• Kingdom service v.7
• Jesus is quoting Malachi


            3 Things to Observe from the previous text
○ Johns ministry was a culmination of the entire Old Testament
○ The violent are still opposed to  the kingdom of God, this does not does not nullify John's ministry in the least - there has been and always will opposition to the Kingdom and violence towards it.
○ Johns ministry is surpassed by Kingdom ministry today v.11
• On the other side of the cross, the resurrection, the ascent ion, the right hand of the throne - this makes a difference our ministry is greater because of the things
• ARE YOU BUSY in kingdom service, ministry, are you exalting Him, am I helping others to see Him, am I a disciple making disciple? Am I greater than John?
• Hebrews 4:14-16 He is our High Priest!
• When God convicts us it is to glorify the Son and the abundant grace He has for us - new every morning
• He is for us not against us - if we don't get this we will never run to Him in the midst of confusion but we will away from Him
• Don't say with John are you the Christ or is there another - BUT Run to him for HE IS the Christ
• John thought the messiah was coming to being judgement and left free all prisoners - God still used his ministry even though some of His theology was incorrect
○ God does the same for us - theologies may vary but it doesn't mean they aren't saved - we all think we are right about everything until we find our wrongness we will continue in this manner - it doesn't mean that we aren't saved. 
• Jesus defends and vindicates Johns ministry because John's ministry vindicates Jesus

HOW DO I RESPOND TO CHRIST AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST?!