Porter Podcast

Series: Rethinking the Church

Members

Romans 12:1-16

The American way of thinking is harming the way Americans think about church.  

The Portrait of the New Testament… 

   is not a group of consumers.

   is not a crowd of spectators. 

   is not disconnected individuals.

         is a human body.

         is a family.

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Romans 12:4-5

Characteristics of a Healthy Church 

A healthy church centers around Christ. 

What Does It Mean to Be “In Christ”?     

·      It is a status.  

·      It is a relationship.  

A healthy church recognizes individuality and diversity.

A healthy church is characterized by people who work for their church. 

Keys to Healthy Church Communities

·      Healthy church members develop over time.

·      Healthy church relationships are kept through covenants. 

Series: Rethinking Church

ANTIOCH

Acts 11

The series “Rethinking Church”. . .

·      is NOT trying to reinvent the church.

·      is NOT trying to become culturally acceptable.

·      is NOT revamping the message.

·      IS seeking to understand how to be more faithful disciple makers in our current context. 

Methods are many, principles are few; 

methods always change, principles never do.  

Unknown

a healthy church model:  ANTIOCH

context

Antioch was located 250 miles north of Jerusalem.  It was the 3rd largest city in the Roman empire.  Daphne was the object of worship of Antioch.  The city was known for its lack of morals.  

Because of persecution in Jerusalem, believers moved to Antioch and started proclaiming Jesus.  

Antioch Principles

·      The Antioch church was intentionally evangelistic.

·      The congregation was multicultural.

            Antioch was the first Gentile church in the world.

·      There was a winsome, joyful spirit in the church. 

·      They were committed to discipleship.  

            The term “Christian” originated there.  

·      Antioch believers were concerned about others.

·      They were innovative.  

                        The first mission team was commissioned at                        Antioch.  

Six “musts” for the American church

Sharing the gospel must be the primary goal. 

Churches must strive to reconcile rather than to divide.

Methodological adaptation must be embraced. 

Believers must live sacrificially.

Sending out must become a major win.

The power of God must be present among the church. 

Series: A Season of Grace 

Resting in Grace

Matthew 11:28-30

Forms of Grace

·      Saving grace 

·      Living grace

·      Outward grace

·      Internal grace 

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

    Matthew 11:28-30

There is a pandemic of weariness in our world. 

The universal desire is to unburden one’s self. 

Every relief method other than Christ will take more from you than it ever gives to you.   

Jesus’ promise: Rest for your soul.

the Jesus way

·      He is gentle to the weary.

·      He is accessible to those who come to Him. 

            The promise is rest for our souls, not necessarily relief      from our circumstances.

Coming to Jesus Moments

1.   Acknowledge that you are not capable of fixing your weary soul. 

2.   Pray for peace around you, and trust Jesus to work within you.

3.   Learn enough about Jesus that you know when you are being led away from Him.

4.   Turn down the noise.  He is Gentle and Lowly. 

He will shower you with Kindness & He will lift  soul.

TODAY’S TAKEAWAYS

1.    A person’s burden is what qualifies them to come to Jesus. 

2.    Submission to Jesus Christ brings the greatest liberation a person can experience

3.    God’s grace to those who come to Jesus is rest for the soul.

Series:  A Season of Grace

Outward Grace

Titus 3:1-11

When pressure is applied, what is inside comes out.

·      Grace has made us right with God. 

·      Grace provides guidance for daily living.

·      Grace needs to flow from us. 

We should display grace in our public lives.

Kindness does not mean agreement--it means kindness.  

Humility demands we treat others with grace. 

Graciousness is a response to Grace. 

Gracious living is beneficial for kingdom advancement. 

Today’s Takeaways: 

1.        Without Christ, we are trapped in sinful patterns that cause divisions and turmoil. 

2.        Through Jesus, we can respond to adversity with grace and kindness.

3.        If we find ourselves with growing animus toward lost people, we are ignoring grace.

4.        When grace flows through us, our witness is stronger. 

 2021:  A Year of GRACE

Titus 2:11-14

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.     

Titus 2:11-14

Lessons in Grace

It was grace that made us right with God. 

            GRACE = Unmerited favor; receiving what you do   not deserve

         common grace mistakes

·      Distrusting the concept of grace

·      Abusing the gift of grace

·      Limiting grace to a past event.   

Grace provides direction for the life of a believer.

            3 means of living grace

·      Scripture intake            

·      Personal/Corporate prayer

·      Participation in church ordinances  

Hope is fueled by Grace.   

REDEEMED = Restoration of position, dignity and value

2021 RESOLUTIONS

1.    Trust that God’s grace is greater than my sin.

2.    Believe that God’s grace enables me to abstain from harmful things/habits. 

3.    Live like there is life after this life.

4.    Use my life for the glory of God. 

Christmas 2020    

The Big Gifts of Christmas  

Matthew 1

Why People Miss the Message of Christmas

·      The story is familiar.

·      People get distracted with life.

·      People don’t understand the significance of the story. 

Matthew 1

The genealogy of Jesus establishes Him as a part of the line of David. 

The genealogy of Matthew 1 reveals God working through history to accomplish His purposes. 

The five women (two Gentiles) show the inclusive mission of the Messiah. 

Why broken people?  

·      To display the depth of God’s love for all people

·      To reveal that God uses broken people to accomplish His purpose 

·      To prove the inadequacy of human lineage to produce a Messiah

The Miraculous Birth

When a baby is conceived, he/she carries the image of God and at the same time he/she carries the sinful nature.  

The Virgin Birth is essential for the Messiah to be sinless and for God to dwell with us.     

The Big Gifts of Christmas  

Through a sinless Jesus, men can be made right with God. 

Through Jesus, man never has to be separated from God again. 

Today’s Takeaways

1.    God loves the broken and will include them in His plan. 

2.    People have hope because God came down to us.

3.    Every person who believes in Jesus has God living with them. 

Series: Faith, Hope & Love

LOVE

I Corinthians 13

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.                         I Corinthians 13:13

Faith = Trust 

Hope = Confidence

Love = Sacrifice  

            Love is a sacrificial, unconditional giving of one’s self for the good of another.

why is love the greatest?   

1.    Faith and hope are dependent upon love. 

2.    Of faith, hope and love, only love is a Divine activity.  

3.    Jesus declared the distinguishing mark of a believer. 

the primacy of love

If you do not love, it doesn’t matter what you say. 

If you do not love, it doesn’t matter what you know. 

If you do not love, it doesn’t matter what you do.

 a description of love

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.           I Corinthians 13:4-8 

Love is not an activity we generate... it is a gift given to us. 

God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.                  I John 4:9-11

You pursue love by focusing on Jesus. 

TODAY’s TAKEAWAYS

1)        Love is the defining characteristic of true belief.  

2)        Love for others is the greatest testimony to the       power of the Gospel. 

3)        We love each other because He has first loved us.  

Hope Romans Chapter 8 

Series: Faith, Hope & Love… more than décor

FAITH

Hebrews 10:35-11:6

            Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.                                       I Corinthians 13:13 

Every aspect of your life is affected by your faith.

What is meant by Faith when it is used in the Bible?

            Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.                                                               Hebrews 11:1

·      An intellectual element to faith  

·      A time element to faith

·      A perspective element to faith   

·      A confidence element to faith

FAITH = TRUST

The durability of faith’s object determines value.

Why is Faith in the Living God important? 

·      A relationship with God is maintained through faith.

·      Eternal salvation is given through faith. 

·      A proper understanding of our world is obtained by faith. 

·      Good works are accomplished by the working of faith.

Different people seem to have different levels of faith.  

How can you develop faith?

Put yourself in position to hear the word of God regularly.

Have a perspective informed by providence.   

Learn from the faith of others.  

Practice personal obedience.            

Share your faith regularly.

Today’s Takeaways

1.    Faith is synonymous with trust.

2.    God loves for His creation to have faith in Him. 

3.    Faith is essential for the Christian life. 

4.    While we do not all have the same amount of faith, all of us can grow in the faith we have.

Dealing with Worry

Matthew 6:24-34

Worry Realities

We worry about that to which we are devoted.

What we are most committed to determines what we worry about most.

Worry isn’t simply a response to situations—it is a result of misplaced trust.

Jesus on Worry

·      God loves you and will take care of you.

·      Worry doesn’t add anything valuable to our lives or solve anything important.

·      There is a direct relationship between our worry and our faith in God.

·      When we worry, we look like unbelievers.

Our circumstances are our greatest opportunity to show our faith in God. 

Jesus’ Solution:   Transfer your trust from yourself to Christ. 

Jesus’ Practical Steps for Worry

Believe God loves you.

Pray first… before you talk to others.

Evaluate your objects of worry.

Remind yourself that God is in control.  

Take life one day at a time.

Today’s Takeaways: 

1.  Worry is a waste of time.

2.  As long as my kingdom is my priority— I will worry!

3.  If we seek God’s kingdom first, God will take care of us and worry will diminish!

4.  Transfer your trust from yourself to Christ.