The Podcast opened with a modern spin on the timeless classic “Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts! As great as that song is, the question arises as to what “JOY” is…  The guys try to unpack this simple word from a Biblical perspective.  What is the real source of “JOY?”  How do we have “JOY?” Below are some highlights of their conversation…

What is Joy?

Emotion

Action

A confident expectation in our life that grows out of our faith.

A command by the Lord.

I Peter 4:13 “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

 Our JOY springs out of HOPE. Our HOPE springs out of our FAITH.

 Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

 FAITH is grounded in the reality of the past.

Without faith, there is no hope.

HOPE is looking to the reality of the future.

Without hope there is no true faith.

Misplaced hope, if not built on true faith, will shipwreck us!

Your Joy better flow from real hope, which better flow from true faith.

Where should we place our faith?

It should be placed in the Word of God and more importantly God Himself!

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Lowell the Army man starts off by relaying a story about basic training, and a hardship he faced while in boot camp. The word endure literally means “to remain under”.  How to remain under suffering? How does the Lord use this in our life? It may not just be physical.  It could be physical hardships, it could be relationally with people, or it could be in the world overcome with sin…  Let’s take a look at what Scripture says in speaking to this area of our lives.

II Corinthians 12: 7-10

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 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.

To keep us humble

To rest in the power of Christ

For Christ, we find contentment in our weaknesses

To point others to Christ’s power.

In our minds we often like to think of ourselves as being strong individuals.  We see ourselves as having the capacity to handle any situation and move in our own power. But just when you think you are strong; the Lord allows you to see your weakness… or weaknesses.  The guys discuss weakness and how it relates to our walk as followers of Christ.  Check out the notes below and follow along in the podcast. 

God is aware of our weaknesses.

We are weak creatures.

At the core, our weakness is pride.

At the core, our weakness is self-dependence.

We see our weakness when we lose our meekness.

I Corinthians 1:25-29

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. 

Romans 7:15-18

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

We deny our weakness.

We not only need to be aware but embrace our weakness.

This calls us to rely and depend on God

James 4:6-8

But he gives more grace. Therefore, it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Allow the Creator to carry you through, if you humble yourself.

He will lift you up and bring Grace to you.

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We celebrate the 100th episode of our CenterPoint Podcast! Some milestones in history can be a little concerning, like Y2K, or even when the date turned from 999 to the year 1000!  As we turn to our 100th episode, it is a total celebration.

Thinking about the number 100, the guys turn to a great chapter in Scripture, Psalm 100.  Check out the passage and some thoughts the guys have concerning the great song.

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!  2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!  3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!  5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Special note: In the time this passage was written, people would travel multiple times a year to Jerusalem.  God’s chosen people would all know the songs and join in singing to the Lord!

I. We all Celebrate!  (Verses 1-2)

a. It is a command to… Make a joyful noise!

i. Whether you have a good voice or not, God wants us to sing to Him.

b. It is a command to… Serve the Lord

i. Whether you think you are gifted or not, God wants us to serve Him.

c. It is a command to… Come into his presence

i. Whether you know it or not, God wants you to be with Him.

II. We are His Creation (Verse 3)

a. Know God

i. Not blind following, but a call to know Him deeper & grow closer to Him.

b. God made us!

i. God know us.  He takes ownership of us like a parent to a child.

ii. God loves us!  His care is ONLY for our good!

Do you know that God cares for you?  Read what He says in His words….

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Have you ever gone outside in the evening, and looked up at the sky?  On a clear night the stars are so plentiful you can not count them.  When Lowell and Billy were together recently, they looked up took in the greatness of their Creator.

Romans 1:19-23 “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

All humans, without exception, realize that the world around them has a design, and a Designer.  Instead of looking at the creation and worship the Creator, they worship the creation itself.

Yet, God not only gave us general revelation, but He gave us Special Revelation through His Word and through His Son!  Check out the notes below!

Special Revelation

I. Through His Son

a. Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name(Jesus) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

b. John 1: 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth.

c. In Jesus we see the Plan, Truth, Grace, Way, Love, and Truth of God!

d. In Jesus the Special Revelation is from the past in his incarnation and the future when we enter heaven and learn more of him.

II. Through His Word

a. God’s Word is the Present means of Special Revelation

b. II Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”

c. Hebrews 4 :12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The True miracle of all this revelation we interact with is this…

and God said!

What do we do with this knowledge?

Actively point people to Jesus Christ and His Word!

The Bible has influenced the world even if the world doesn’t realize it.  How does the world see God? How does God show Himself to the world!?  God reveals Himself to all of mankind, so that man will see that He exists and offers a relationship through His son Jesus Christ.  The guys begin a discussion on the topic of “revelation” (not the book of Revelation, but the concept of God revealing Himself to us), and first address General Revelation.

God reveals Himself in two main ways…

1) General Revelation

Definition: God has revealed Himself to all people, on all parts of the planet in all times.

i. Romans 1:2 “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

2) Special Revelation

I. General Revelation

a. Through nature and design reveals a Creator

i. Psalm 19: 1-3 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.”

b. Through the conscience and heart of every person

i. Romans 2:14-15 “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them”

ii. Moral Conscience- Man has an inward understanding of what is right and wrong.

We all have the common ground of general revelation, realizing that there is a Creator of all we see.  When we publicly give praise to God through nature, we point people to God.  Our ultimate goal is to introduce them to Jesus and His Word.

How are you pointing those around you to the Creator, and His Son?

I. Communion does a couple things…

a. Draws us to remember the forgiving sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

b. Calls us to celebrate the New Covenant relationship we have through Christ.

I Corinthians 11:23-28

23For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 

II. A few questions regarding communion…

a. What is open or closed communion?

i. Closed communion is typically only for members of the church.

ii. Open communion is, anyone who is a believer in Jesus Christ can partake.  This is the stance of CenterPoint Bible Church.

b. How often should we have communion?

i. The Bible doesn’t specifically say how frequent to have communion.

ii. The stance at CenterPoint is to have communion frequently, but not so frequent as to lessen the importance.

c. What do we do during communion at CenterPoint?

i. Call people to Christ, and remember Jesus Christ, and the new covenant.

1. I Corinthians 11:24-25

ii. Call people to rejoice in unity and address disunity present among believers.

1. I Corinthians 10:16-17

2. I Corinthians 11:27

iii. Examine our relationship with the Lord.

1. I Corinthians 11:28

The guys dive into the unique ordinance called “communion.” Lowell and Billy chat about what communion IS and what it is NOT.  Check out some highlights of their conversation below!

What is Communion?

• It is an Ordinance, which means it is specifically ordained in the Bible that we do it.

• Is NOT a sacrament that adds grace to us if we do it.

• It is found in passages such as Matthew 26, Luke 22, and I Corinthians 12

Matthew 26: 26-29

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

It is a remembrance/memorial of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

It is a celebration of the New Covenant found in Jeremiah 31.