The guys begin their discussion with a “gracious” trip to Waffle House.  As much as we try to give grace in and of ourselves, we fall short.  We can extend grace to others, but only when we realize True Grace comes from God alone, can we be the conduit of God’s Grace to the world.  What is the grace God gives us? The guys try to unpack this deep and immense subject.  Below are some notes of their podcast.

Greek word for grace is charis which means favor, blessing, kindess”

I. Definitions of God’s Grace.

a. God’s unmerited favor

b. It is His benevolence to the undeserving.

c. God’s loving forgiveness, exemption from judgment and promise of temporal and eternal blessing given to guilty and condemned sinners freely without any worthiness on their part and based on nothing they have done or failed to do.

II. There are two types of religion in this world.

a. Christianity which is based on the grace of God and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone on the cross.

b. Attempt by man to earn grace by the works man does to reach God.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Romans 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 11:6 “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Some phrases used to try and explain grace…

* Common Grace- General grace given to all humanity. (Ex- Sunshine, the rain falls on the just and the unjust)

* Saving Grace- Romans 3:24

* Cheap Grace/ means of Grace- When we try to meld God’s grace  with our works, our salvation becomes work-based.

Today’s podcast topic flows out of Matthew 5:29–30 where Jesus reference Hell.  Hell is topic that few like to discuss, but Jesus certainly did!

In our modern culture, people struggle to accept Jesus’ words about Hell.  As a result, some have constructed alternative views of Hell.  These false views of Hell include:

Annihilationism or Conditional Immortality – Those who reject Christ will seek to exist at death.

Universalism – All humans will ultimately spend eternity in Heaven.

Let’s call this one Nothingism – After death, not believers are “eternally conscious, but not human”

Mythological View of Hell – Hell is only a metaphor that depicts “hell within history” or “the consequential out working of sinful life patterns” or “a powerful metaphor for the most extreme suffering and squalor in this world.”

In our study, we should remember the words of Francis Chan, “Don’t get so lost in deciphering Hell that you forget to tremble.”

The Bible describes Hell as a literal place of punishment after judgment that is described in terrible terms that is never ending for those who die separated from Christ.

Jesus described several key truths about Hell.

Hell was created by Jesus for Satan and the fallen angels – Matthew 25:41; Colossians 1:16

Hell is a place of punishment after judgment – Matthew 25:46

Hell is described in imagery of first, darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth – Matthew 8:11-12; 13:41-42, 49-50; 22:13

Hell is described as a never-ending punishment – Matthew 25:46

Several items were referenced:

Hell Under Fire… An overview of Hell by theological heavy weights such as Daniel I. Block, Sinclair B. Ferguson, R. Albert Mohler Jr., Douglas J. Moo, and J. I. Packer.  You can purchase it here for $3.49!

Erasing Hell… by Francis Chan can be purchased here.

The article, “Do We Still Need to Believe in Hell?” from the Wall Street Journal can be accessed here.

Did you know you can check your smartphone screen usage?  Once found in settings, it can be a real eye opener to how much we use our device.  What part does Social Media have on our daily lives?  The guys look into the problem with overuse of technology, which can turn into an addiction.  Social Media abuse issues are more of a heart matter.

I. Is there a problem? Technology? Social Media?

a. Studies show we are closer to long distance relationships yet more distant w/ nearby relationships.

b. A Believers view of culture and social media- CPYU.org

i. https://cpyu.org/?s=social+media

c. A non-believers take on social media and culture

i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmEDAzqswh8&t=2s

ii. Specifically hired people to generate addiction in the user.

d. Are we addicted to social media… or are we addicted to things ON Social Media??

i. II Peter 2:19 “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them & overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.”

ii. John Piper “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”

Addiction Definition- Physically or mentally dependent on something particular.

Uncontrolled curiosity can lead to unchecked usage which can lead to abuse or addiction.

II. Is there a solution? To any area of our life we are addicted?

a. Is what you are engaging in a direct sin?  Matthew 5:28 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

b. Remember your FREEDOM. Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

c. Everything in MODERATION. I Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.”

d. Be WATCHFUL. I Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

e. Dwell on RIGHTEOUSNESS Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

f. A look at Lot’s weakness… Genesis 13-19

Anything is a sin if it takes priority over God.

Romans 13:14

Generating heat in a wood stove has been happening for hundreds of years! Yet the idea of creating a volatile fire inside your house does have risks.   The guys move from chatting about the concept of a fireplace in your home, to fire in your heart.

Below are some notes on their conversation.

I. Anger Education

a. Anger has to be put away. Ephesians 4:31

b. It is a work of the flesh Galatians 5:19-20

c. God is slow to anger Exodus 34:6

i. BUT… God does have anger

ii. Jesus experienced the emotion of anger in John 2 & Mark 3.

d. Man is called to be as well James 1:19

e. Anger can invite further damage Ephesians 4:26-27

i. BUT… there is a place for anger.

II. Anger Precautions

a. Avoid the FLASH!

i. IT WON’T produce the righteousness of God.

ii. A quick response lacks proper reflection

iii. James 1:19-20 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

iiii. So listen… be slow to speak…be slow to anger…

b. Avoid the SLOW BURN

i. No response causes the emotion to fester and deepen.

ii. Ephesians 4:26 & 29 – 26“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” 29“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

iii. As your respond, submit to these conditions…

1. Not with corruptive talk.

2. Building up.

3. Fitting of the occasion.

4. With grace to all who hear.

III. Anger Checks

a. Anger as Jesus angered.

i. He became angry. Mark 3:5 “And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart…”

ii. Jesus was also grieved over sin!

b. Jesus avoided the FLASH!

i. He did not respond to them in the moment.

c. Jesus avoided the SLOW BURN!

i. Jesus DID respond later in Luke 14: 1-6

Am I distressed over a sin that offends God and harms people OR am I angry over the way I am affected?

Plenty of corny Bible jokes were brought up by the guys in this episode.  As funny as they are, people often pride themselves on their Bible knowledge.  Two groups in New testament times were the Pharisees and Sadducees. They would follow Jesus around and ask questions for varying reasons.  What can we understand about these groups, and how can we apply that knowledge to our lives.

 

• Pharisees-

o Word actually means separated ones.

o Their goal– To be admired by everyone!

o Their focus– Earning righteousness

▪ Leading through the people

o Trusting themselves for power

o Knew the law greatly- The Torah Law and the Traditional moral laws

o Prideful they belonged in this group.

o Some of the biggest opponents of Jesus.

o Not every Pharisee was against Jesus (Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Saul/Paul)

o Longing for the Messiah

• Sadducees

o Focused their attention in the temple.

o Rich, powerful, and political

o Their goal– Be admired by those in power.

o Their focus– Earning power

▪ Leading through any current political systems

o Believed the Bible, but nothing supernatural

o Using “religion” to protect their power

 

PHARISEES Mark 7:1-8

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

 

SADDUCEES Mark 12:18-24

And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?

 

We do NOT need to gain power through OUR righteousness

We do NOT need to gain power in the immediate

 

We gain CHRIST and HIS Righteousness for now and eternity

 

Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”

When reading and studying Matthew 5:17-19, it can lead us to questions such as “Does God Desire / Expect / Command us to Obey the Law?”  As the guys interact with this question, below is information from their discussion.

Some initial verses to think about…

John 14:15 – If you love me, you will obey my commands.

1 John 5:2-3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

James 2:17 – So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Why Do We Obey?

I. Earn Salvation – No, but…

a. Saved by Grace

i. Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”

b. True Salvation produces Works

i. James 2:17 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

c. Works do not earn salvation but works reveal it.

II. Earn Approval – No, but…

a. God is For Us!

i. Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

b. Obedience allows Jesus to be at home with us

i. John 14:23 “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

III. Earn Blessing – No, but…

a. God has blessed His children in every way –

i. Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”

b. God blesses his obedient children

i. John 13:17 “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

IIII. Earn Reward – No, but…

a. Our Reward is a Free Gift of Eternal Life

i. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

b. God Rewards His Obedient Children

i. Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”

 

1 Peter 1:2 “According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

Chosen by God; Sanctified by the Spirit… for obedience to Jesus Christ.

We do not obey to earn salvation.  So, why have been saved?  To live obedient lives.

Why do we run from the light? Like Dracula seeing the sun, or a teenager woken up for school in the morning, we shrink back from light.  The guys turn a simple example in life into an opportunity to BE the Light in tough moments.  When being the Light for others, we will face adversity because of it.

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Spectrum of persecution

From simple bias all the way to torture and martyrdom.  We WILL experience persecution if we stand for Christ.

Where in the world is persecution greatest? Click here for the top 50 countries of Christian persecution.

I. BE ENCOURAGED!

a. II Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

b. John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

II. BE RESPONSIVE!

a. LOVE

• Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”

b. LEAN

• II Corinthians 12:10 “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

c. LEAD

• Romans 12:14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”

• I Peter 3:9, 14 “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

What do exercise, chickens, and gardening have in common? They are all items in which the guys think they are pretty knowledgeable.  How did they get there?  Well it starts with a desire. From that question, Lowell, Billy, and Justin springboard to the topic of Biblical Theology… the depth and width of Theology.  Interested? Check the show notes below!

I. In the context of God and His Word, what is meant by Deepness and Wideness?

a. Deepness– Diving into Biblical Truths in order to understand theology in a more meaningful way

b. Wideness– All to understand God’s Truth; Truth is accessible to all; The Gospel

II. Why should we desire Depth and Width?

a. The need to grow in our faith

Hebrews 5: 12-14 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

b. The need to sustain our faith

i. John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

c. The need to explain our faith

i. II Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

III. How do we gain Depth and Width?

a. Desiring depth in many ways.

i. Bible Reading.

1. YouVersion is a great App to download on your phone!

ii. Bible study

1. YouVersion App has devotional plans.

2. BOOKS

a. Knowing God by JI Packer

b. Experiencing God by Blackaby

c. The Case for Christ by Strobel

b. Desire width in many relationships

i. Unbelievers

1. But remember Proverbs 18:19… “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel.”

ii. Immature believers to build and strengthen!

iii. More Mature believers to glean and be strengthened!

After a break from the Podcast, the guys hit the ground running with a discussion of “Synergy.” Pastor Justin jumped on board to help Pastor Lowell and Pastor Billy with the process!  Read below to catch the notes on their discussion.

Synergy is referenced 13 times in the New testament. A great concept for understanding our roles personally in the church.

I Corinthians 3:5-10 

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.  He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[b] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.”

Process of Growth (5-6)

Believer’s plant and water

Source of Growth (7-8)

God is the one who gives the increase!

Synergy of Growth (9-10)

How do fellow-workers = synergy?

On your own

Time in the Word

Time in prayer

Through personal worship of God

In His church

Reading the Word together

Praying together and for each other

Corporate Worship in His local body

CenterPoint Bible Church is engaging in synergy with how our local church is designed.  A few Focus groups are engaging in the same study, to aid in family communication over generation lines.  The Sermon flows into an introductory Focus Group.  The Podcast itself is a deeper look at what is referenced in the main preaching.  All these things are designed so we as a church body can have synergy with each other, as we point others to Jesus Christ and His Word.

Coming Soon…