Christ Community Church of Pembroke Pines

Church Life

                              “The Call to Missions” (Acts 13:1-3)

Eph. 4:11-12 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

1 Pet. 4:10-11d 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 

Jo. 15:5,7 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing....7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

We are a people called from and called to: 

-           Called from death to life (1 Jo. 3:14)

-           Called from bondage to liberty (Gal. 5:13)

-           Called out of darkness into light (1 Pet. 2:9)

-           Called to the fellowship of His Son (1 Cor. 1:9)

-           Called from comfort to mission

2 Cor. 5:17-18, 20-21  17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[b] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; .... 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Mt. 28:19-20 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Church Life

“Fatal Pride” (Acts 12:18-25)

Prideful Anger (vv. 18-20)

Ja. 4:1-2a-c 1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[a] are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel....

Phil. 2:14-15 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world

Prideful Speech (vv. 21-22)

Pro. 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Jer. 9:23-24 23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Dan. 4:34c-35

34 I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

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Prideful Results (vv. 23-25)

Church Life

                     “Love in Action, pt. 2 – In Prayer” (Acts 12:1-17)

The Supplication (v. 5)

2 Cor. 1:11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Ro. 15:30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf; 

Eph. 6:18-19 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

2 Thess. 3:1; … brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 

Ja. 5:16 confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

6 Observations on Prayer: 

-           The Pain of not Praying

-           The Immaturity of Desperation Prayer

-           The Growth of Prayer

-     The Lack of Persistent Prayer (Lu. 18:2-7)

-           Faithful Prayer  

-           Praying Church

The Answer (vv. 6-11)

The Testimony (vv. 12-17) 

3 Practical and Purposeful Prayer Hints:

1.     Schedule your Prayers

2.     “Pray without ceasing”

3.     Pray with God’s people

Church Life

                           “Love in Action, pt. 1” (Acts 11:27-30)

 -  In Word (vv. 27-28)

1 Jo. 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

1 Thess. 5:20-21 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.

    -  In Deed (vv.29-30)      

1 Jo. 3:17-18 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Ja.2:15-16  15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[ is that?

Heb. 13:1-2, 16-17  1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.... 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

2 Cor. 8:13-14  13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 

2 Cor. 9:6-7  6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

Acts 11:19:26

Sunday Message

Church Life

             “Gospel Grace and the New Covenant, Pt. 2” (Acts 10:24-43)

A Divine Appointment (vv. 24-33) 

Eph. 2:14-16,19 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility...  19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 

A Unifying Message (vv. 34-35)

Ro.10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

Gal. 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

A Gospel Testimony (vv. 36-43) 

-           Historical apologetic (vv. 36-38)

-           Historical Eye-Witness Accounts (39-41)

1 Jo. 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our[a] joy may be complete.

Lu. 24:45-48 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for[c] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 

 Church Life

            Church Life: “Grace and the New Covenant” 

                                   (Acts 10:1-16)

Gentile Vision (vv. 1-8) 

Jo. 6:44, 65 

Hebrew Vision (vv. 9-16)

Ma. 7:15,21-23 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”..21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Gen. 12:2-3 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Ro. 7:6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

Sanctity of Life Sunday

“Justice Ministry” (Pro. 31:8-9)

Mic. 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? That’s a command and its others oriented.

Isa. 1:17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression;

bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Where do we start on this?

Speak Justice for the Unborn (v.8)

What does it mean to be human? 2 prevailing views:

Person – we are valuable (sanctity of life) by virtue of the kind of being or creature we are, which is an image-bearer of almighty God.

Performance – being human is nothing special, we’re probably random accidents of evolution and what matters most, is what you do, or how self-aware you are.

The Prolife Argument is very basic and logical:

1. Intentionally killing an innocent human being is a moral wrong.

2. Abortion on demand is the intentional killing of an innocent human being.

3. Therefore, abortion is a moral wrong.

Seek Justice for the Unborn (v.9)

Psa. 82:3-4 3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

We want to convince people to do 4 things:

1. Treasure human life (womb to tomb).

2. Reject abortion as the moral wrong (sin) that it is.

3. Experience God's forgiveness (hope of the gospel).

4. Rescue the innocent, one mother and one baby at a time (obey the command- “the weak and needy”).

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Church Life

                                  "Mission Possible”

                                    Acts 9:26-31

Former Persecutor (vv. 26-27)

1 Pet. 1:14-16  14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Ro. 6:1-2,6-7 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?... 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 

Future Preacher (vv. 28-31)