Family Church Portsmouth

Ps Andy continues the series on "Jesus is", this week concentrating on the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. He explains how Jesus was and is the second Adam, the first Adam being sinless until he transgressed in the Garden of Eden. At that point he separated himself from God and all us since have been born into sin. This is a key point to be understood...its not our misdoings that cause us to be sinners, we were all born sinners as we are of the lineage of Adam.

Ps Andy continues to explain how it was necessary for a sinless man's blood to be spilled to pay for all our sins, how in fact only Jesus the Christ could pay the debt to bring us back into relationship with God our Father.

This is an absolutely must listen message, its the heart of the Gospel focusing on Jesus who is the Good News. Listen to this and you can be under no illusion about needing to commit your life to Jesus.

As we continue the series "Jesus is", Ps Gina asks a key question...Why did Jesus come to earth? What was His real mission? Do we properly understand this as many misconceptions abound?

Jesus didn't primarily come to sort out social justice or bring peace, or to free the people of the day from the Romans....disappointing many we are sure! Nor did Jesus come to get us all to live a morally upright life - although many of His teachings reflected this.

Jesus was and is The Messiah. He came to deal with our separation from God due to our sin. We are all born to sin as a result of Adam's revolt in the Garden of Eden. Since then, the Old Testament records how blood sacrifices were made as a result of sin. However, not until Jesus paid the final ransom price by His blood being shed, were all the sins of the world paid for (Mark 10.45).

This is the true nature of the Gospel message which Ps Gina explains at length, showing how our sin nature is able to be exchanged for a righteous nature when we accept Jesus into our lives as Saviour.

This is an amazing podcast, which answers in detail the nature of Jesus as a sinless Son of God the Father and Saviour of the World.

Ps Andy continues the series "Jesus is", this week speaking about how Jesus is both fully man yet also fully God. Andy explains how Jesus is the pay of the Trinity, the reflection in human form of God Himself, yet was and is sinless being born of the virgin Mary. Jesus was the total expression of the Father.....if we want to know about God, just look at Jesus - you have the answer! We believe in the deity of Jesus with Jesus, became a man yet He remained fully God, He rose from the dead and He is seated in glory and majesty on the right hand side of the Father today, right now. He was both the Son of God but also the son of man. He represented God but also represented man. He had the frailty of man yet the deity of God.

Listen to this as Ps Andy describes on great detail how Jesus was and is full man yet fully God.

Today, Pastor Sean begins to unpack the meaning behind Christology - that aspect of our faith relating to the person, nature and work of Jesus Christ. This is all part of our overall theme of being deeply rooted. Sean mentions how the word Christology comes from two words “Christ,” referring to Jesus, and “-ology,” meaning "the study of", ie the study of Christ, both Jesus as a person and His works.

We are called to be rooted deeply into relationship with Christ, with lives overflowing with His goodness. So it follows we need to study who Jesus is....which is the subtitle for this weeks' message. We need to know who Jesus is, understand his truths so we can walk in His fullness.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) states "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". Sean speaks about how Jesus was, is and is now, before the beginning of time and how Old Testament scriptures foretell His life in the New Testament. Equally, in order that we are not deceived by the many false doctrines, teachings etc of this world, it is essential we understand the true nature of Jesus. Knowing about Him is not enough , we need to actually be in relationship with Him for ourselves, have a revelation of Him in our lives.

Ps Sean challenges us to delve deeper into our bibles, read the Word to know more of Him. as the scriptures say (John 1), he is the Word made flesh.

Ps Paula begins unpacking the theme of being Rooted for this year looking at the subject of Discipleship. Colossians 2:6-7 speaks of Spiritual Fullness in Christ (NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”. The Vision in Family Church is to Reach, Grow and Empower. As we get rooted in the things of God, and in God's word, our lives begin to overflow, and we share what God in our lives with others.

Paula then uses the example of Nehemiah and how his heart feelings led him to lead rebuilding of the city walls in Jerusalem. He did not sit idly by and watch the city ruin, he recognized the need, found his place and brought about the rebuilding of the walls.

There are masses of things we can become involved in during this year to deepen our faith, become more involved. We are all challenged to look at how we can be part of the ministry of the vision for the church this coming year.

Following Vision Sunday last week, Pastor Andy begins speaking about being Rooted...theme for this year. Also the key topic is discipleship. he speaks at length about being deeply rooted in the Church and our relationship with God and not just being crowd attendees. We are all growing people on a pathway to full relationship with God. We may have passed the stage of needing to wear "L" plates but still need to have a heart to wear "P" plates and be open to learning and developing continuously.

Jesus said that if we are to be disciples, we need to lay down our lives and pick up our cross. We have to make a decision not to be a part of this broken world anymore, but be a part of His Kingdom - its a decision. Jesus never made anyone in the Gospels step out of the crowd, but invited people who wanted to to do something different. There was a cost then and there is a cost now. Our lives have to change and must do so. But, the rewards are infinite and we become those who are part of the people doing and seeing miracles break out. Crowd people go to Church. Disciples are the Church!

PS Andy goes on to speak of many more challenging differences between the crowd and disciple experience, leaving us in to make up our minds where we are in the journey of life and where we will move to next.....

Ps Andy speaks about the Mission, Vision and Strategy for Family Church for the forthcoming year of 2024. The Mission is summed up on three words: Reach; Grow and Empower. The Vision is based around ten areas: Congregations; Services; Communities; Impact; Discipleship; Empowered; Leaders; Young People; Governance and Premises. Pastor Andy details each of these giving insight into the Strategy - the plans, goals and activities which during the course of 2024 will outwork the Vision. This is a year for everyone to deepen their relationship with God and put down deeper roots. There is a theme of being "rooted". We want to be rooted in our faith, place focus on helping people to learn about Him, believe in Him and walk in obedience to the things that He asks.

This is a MUST LISTEN message!!

Ps Andy Speaks about Journeying with God and "getting to the other side". If it's a God journey, if our hearts are set on pilgrimage, we will get to the other side (as Jesus said to His disciples when they all got into a boat). However, there will be storms because if there aren't, it means that we are not moving! Storms imply wind and Ps Andy speaks further about how winds can assist us in our journey, perhaps resist us or even confuse us.

Ps Andy uses the text from Mark 4:35-41 to illustrate his message. The NIV version reads "That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

God wants us to speak to certain storms in our life. We don't need to wake Him up! He has given us authority to deal with storms that come to resist us. In the Gospel of Mark, the other side of the journey was a man who needed help and when Jesus said let's go to the other side, He had that man in mind. God is many steps ahead of us in our journey. Jesus said that no weapon fashioned against Him could prosper, hence he dealt with the storm.

We are not sitting on the shore, we are in a boat, a moving vehicle with the heart of God. We will get winds of resistance. Hence it's important we know how to stand up and say "cut it out, wind". The Lord said we will get to be other side. The journey can be confusing, but if Jesus is said we will arrive, then we shall arrive!

Andy also speaks of contrary winds and contrary storms which come to confuse us, leaving us somewhere we were not meant to go. We must be led by the spirit in order to make the right decisions. he speaks of where Paul ended up in Malta a result of a broken ship, lost cargo because well informed people would not listen to the Spirit led voice of Paul.

The parallels in our lives with everything said here are all so real. If we are on a God led journey, we will undoubtedly need to deal with winds, storms and the like. Let us know how to!

Ps Steu speaks today about Doing the Right Thing. Doing the right thing is doing things God's way. Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need". The Bible is God's inspired word, the right thing and tells us how to live in the Kingdom way.  If we look at Jesus' life, we see that Jesus displayed the very nature of God through His life and character. He walked in the fullness of love joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control which in Galatians 5 describes the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the result of the spirit of God living in us. The right thing is God's wisdom in Jesus, and in the Bible reveals the right thing, when it comes to just about every aspect of life.

Other ways we can know the right thing are from guidance by the Holy Spirit, from our leaders and Pastors and also personal convictions.

Ps Steu goes on the speak about why we might choose to do the right thing, because it honours God, it Glorifies Him and also because it results in greater blessing in our lives. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago".....there is still the call of God upon our lives to live correctly before Him. We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works. We're not saved by by good works, but were created for good works. The truth is that once we need this life, we step into the Kingdom of Heaven, and in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is more reward for those who are faithful with what God has given us to live with.

Ps Steu completes his commanding message by speaking about when we should be doing the right thing.....when we are being watched, when no one is watching us, when others are not doing the right thing and when it is difficult, costly, timely and expensive and when we are tired.

We shall all reap the harvest of blessing if we know the right thing, why to do the right thing and when to do the right thing. The service ended with a time for personal reflection and re dedication of our lives to God.

Ps Gina explores what we mean by saying "Happy New Year". What is 'happy'? Is it biblical to be 'happy'? She refers to Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) " Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, whatever they do prospers."

Those three verses are the result from our choice to follow God's direction in life. The second half of the psalm speaks about the ungodly who are like the chaff that the wind drives away. The end of the second three verses - the ungodly path - is sad and hopeless and ends in nothingness.

God's way in this scriptures leads to happiness, but the other path is the wrong way - which will lead to misery.

Ps Gina goes on to speak about how there are likely to areas of our lives we have not yet committed to the Lord and how these will be like dead branches in the tree of our lives. True happiness will come from ourselves submitting our all to our Saviour.