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Sunday – November 24, 2013 “Thanksgiving 2013”

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November 24, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Thanksgiving 2013 from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Word On Worship – November 24, 2013 Download / Print

Thessalonians 5:18
 “… in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Thanksgiving.  The word conjures memories of family gatherings to celebrate the day; gatherings in which a sense of joy permeated the whole day.  The smells of the Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, dressings, yams with marshmallows, mashed potatoes with gravy, hot rolls with lots of butter, fresh vegetables trays, olives, green and black, celery, carrots, radishes, pickles, onions, perhaps peppers, green beans with almandine sauce, special juices, flavored coffee and pies, pumpkin pies with whipped cream. The wonderful smells seemed to be enhanced by the variety of colors on the table, which added to the joyous atmosphere. And the thrill of seeing and the enjoyment of being with loved ones.  And the conversations that sprouted like new spring grass, colorful and plentiful.

This describes the wonderful events of a Thanksgiving celebration.  It may or may not describe an actual celebration or parts of an actual celebration from your past.  It remains, however, either a fond memory or a strong hope for a Thanksgiving celebration in the minds of many.

As wonderful as this type of celebration can be, it is not the full expression of Thanksgiving. The deeper purpose of the Thanksgiving celebration is to “give thanks” for all things, including the wonderful feelings brought on by the enjoyment of food, family and fellowship.

When you give thanks, it is the response you make because you have received something for which you are grateful; grateful for receiving something which has brought you gladness, ease, comfort or pleasure, etc. Now many in the country say they are thankful. They may be able to tell you what they are thankful for receiving, but do they know to whom to give the thanks?

Thanks can be given only to a living entity.  You can’t give thanks to a rock or the wind, or the air, for thanks cannot be given to things.  Why not? Two reasons:  First, inanimate objects have no will. Giving requires an act of will to decide to give something. Without a will, they can not will to give you something, let alone, give you something for which you would be grateful.   Second, since inanimate objects do not give, they have no reason to receive thanks for anything.

Since inanimate objects cannot receive thanks, to whom should thanks be given?  The best one to receive your thanks is the One who has given you the things you are grateful for.  So who is that?  Thanks can only be in response to receiving, and only beings have a will to give, therefore thanks can only be given to a Living Being.

The most appropriate Living Being to thank is the One who created you and knows beyond all others what is best to give to you.  1 Chronicles 29:12 says “ Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone”.  Since God controls or rules “over all,” He is the most complete Giver, able to give any and all gifts.  In His giving, God demonstrates His great love for us. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. He gave all who will come to Jesus the gift of new life while we were unworthy.  And as a believer in Christ, giving thanks to God is also God’s will for you.    Thessalonians 5:18 says “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This Thanksgiving, may the Father help you express thanksgiving to Him as He desires and may the celebration of thanksgiving with food and fellowship be pleasing to Him.

Sunday – November 17, 2013 Judges 5:1-31 “Sing a Song of Leadership”

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November 17, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Sing a Song of Leadership Judges 5 verses 1 to 31 from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

It has been said there are three kinds of people in the world- those who watch, those who make things happen, and those who scratch their heads and ask what just happened. The ability to make things happen is the gift of leadership and it is needed in every area of our lives. Our nation needs leaders to guide us forward in an uncertain and ever changing world. The church needs leaders to move the church forward in the mission of proclaiming the gospel which transforms lives. Our homes need learns to pass the truth of the Scriptures to the next generation. Leadership is essential. Yet as important as leadership is, God’s leadership is what is most essential, for apart from Him we can do nothing.
Judges chapter 5 is all about leadership. The lessons of what happens when godly men lead and people follow are the key to seeing victory in the battles we face and God being glorified. Join us this week in our study of the Book of Judges as we “Sing a Song of Leadership:

Word On Worship – November 17, 2013 Download / Print

Judges 5:2-3
 “That the leaders led in Israel, that the people volunteered, bless the Lord! Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! I — to the Lord, I will sing, I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

It has been said there are three kinds of people in the world: those who watch, those who make things happen, and those who scratch their heads and ask what just happened. The ability to make things happen is the gift of leadership and it is needed in every area of our lives. Our nation needs leaders to guide us forward in an uncertain and ever-changing world. The church needs leaders to move the church forward in the mission of proclaiming the gospel that transforms lives. Our homes need leaders to pass the truth of the Scriptures to the next generation. Leadership is essential. Yet as important as leadership is, God’s leadership is what is most essential, for apart from Him we can do nothing.

Our text offers all three of these qualities for us to learn and to understand God intervenes when we act with courageous faith. Deborah turns our attention to four specific tribes who refused to join the fight. The tribe of Rueben lacked the will to join the fight. The people of Gilead thought they were exempt since they lived on the other side of the Jordan. The people of Dan were too busy conducting business to come to their neighbor’s aid. And the people of Asher were simply unwilling to leave their homes.

On the other hand we have Barak and the men of Zebulon and Naphtali who went to war and fought the battle. Deborah begins with the commendation for the people of God who did step up, both the leaders and the volunteers. The battle plans God had given them through the prophetess Deborah made little sense, militarily speaking. But they did not trust in their own strength or numbers, they trusted in the Lord and His promises. This entire chapter focuses our attention on God’s glorious power and the praise that should flow from His people. When leaders lead, it inspires people to follow them, to the glory of God.

We must choose whether we will serve the Lord and His people. It is so easy to be passive, lazy, busy or distracted, yet the honor goes to those churches and individuals who are faithful to the Lord. Although the gates of Hades will not prevail against the Church universal, thousands of American churches close their doors every year. There is no guarantee that any church will remain successful, just as it is with individuals. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you are good for heaven. But you must ask yourself, are you good for earth? Deborah’s song could have been sung in Barak’s honor, but instead the glory went to Jael who, when action was required, stepped forward to be counted. How will your song be sung? Will you answer the call or do you already have an excuse for why you could not enter the battle today?

Sunday – November 10, 2013 Judges 4:1-24 “What I Learned in Jael”

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November 10, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

“What I Learned in Jael” Judges 4 verses 1 to 24 from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

If you spend any time studying the Book of Judges you will find no end to the theological papers written on Judges 4, as if they have found the Holy Grail of texts regarding women in ministry. Everyone seems to have an opinion on Deborah and her role as a prophetess. The conservatives want to push Deborah to the background and the liberals make her the poster child of women’s ministry. Being a contrarian by nature, I think they have both missed the mark. The hero of this story is not Deborah, but Jael.
So why are we so squeamish about tent pegs and what does this mean about the ministry God has called you to perform? Take a listen and see what you can learn from Jael.

Word On Worship – November 10, 2013 Download / Print

Judges 4:8-9
“Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” She said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.”

If you spend any time studying the Book of Judges you will find no end to the theological papers written on Judges 4, as if scholars have found the Holy Grail of texts regarding women in ministry. Everyone seems to have an opinion on Deborah and her role as a prophetess. The conservatives want to push Deborah to the background and the liberals make her the poster child of women’s ministry. Being a contrarian by nature, I think both have missed the mark. The hero of this story is not Deborah, but Jael.

Who would have thought Jael would be the hero of this story? I don’t think even Jael thought she would. Sisera had 900 iron chariots under his command and all the resources of Jaban at his command to make happen whatever he saw was in the Canaanites’ best interests. Jael was merely a wife of a Bedouin. How many times had she taken down the tent only to put it up again at the end of the next day? Have you ever wondered how unimportant she must have felt? She was the wife of a nomad who was not even a Jew, whose primary job was to set up the tent, arranging the blankets and offering hospitality. Well, all of that and drive home some tent pegs, too.

All her life this woman was doing the mundane tasks of life. In terms of the big things in life, as those who tell others what is significant, she must have felt as if she was extremely insignificant. And yet God had been preparing her this whole time to make a difference. Just as God prepared the Children of Israel for the rigors of life on the road by their service in Egypt, so God had prepared her by setting up all those tents for this moment in time. The Book of Judges has taught me over and over again that God uses unlikely people to accomplish His purposes. In His time, He lifts up the lowly (Jael) and humbles the mighty (Sisera).

I can’t tell you how many people have told me they want to be called to a “great” work for God, but have failed because they are not a successful teacher of many or made some great contribution to the church. And so they now believe they are living a relatively insignificant life without the power of God demonstrated in their lives. If the Book of Judges teaches us anything, may it be that God uses inconsequential people to achieve great things by His power. We need to be what we are. Deborah should be commended for being a prophetess. It was her job to tell Barack what God said to do. Jael’s job was to drive tent pegs —  and when the opportunity came up she did just that — for the glory of God. Our Lord Jesus accomplished great things with twelve unlikely disciples and He will do the same with us.

Sunday – November 3, 2013 Judges 3:5-31 “No Guts, No Gory”

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November 3, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

“No Guts, No Gory” Judges 3 verse 5 to 31 from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

God primarily moves in two ways. God can work in spectacular ways where His Spirit comes upon somebody, miraculous things happen and everybody knows it was God in action. As wonderful as these instances are, I do not think they occur as often as God’s providential work. When I read the story of Ehud leading the people against Eglon, I see many circumstances outside the realm of mere chance coming into play. I see the sovereignty of God in all the details of this story, even the small ones.
Join this week in our study of the Book of Judges and see why the stories of these judges have been included in the Scriptures for our encouragement, correction and training in righteousness. We pray you will learn from Othnoel, Ehud and Shamgar as we look at “No Guts, No Gory”.

Word On Worship – November 3, 2013 Download / Print

Judges 3:26-28
“Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. It came about when he had arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them. He said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands.”

God primarily moves in two ways. God can work in spectacular ways where His Spirit comes upon somebody, miraculous things happen and everybody knows it was God in action. As wonderful as these instances are, I do not think they occur as often as God’s providential work. When I read the story of Ehud leading the people against Eglon, I see many circumstances outside the realm of mere chance coming into play. I see the sovereignty of God in all the details of this story, even the small ones.

Consider all of the events that had to take place: The fact that all members of Eglon’s private security detail were out of the room for an extended period of time. Consider that Ehud was able to smuggle an 18-inch sword into the king’s chamber undetected. And then the delay of Eglon’s security as they waited to act thinking their boss was taking an extended bathroom break. The odds are simply impossible if you were only considering the human element of the story. The point is God is every bit in control of these behind-the-scenes issues with Ehud as He was with Othniel. Even though this story seems so bizarre to us, God has still orchestrated all the details to achieve His purpose — Eglon is killed, the Moabites are defeated and the Israelites have peace.

I think what God is telling us in the story of Ehud and Eglon is something that is critical for us to understand: God is in control, even when we don’t know it. God had strengthened the hand of Eglon and the Moabites. And if we lived in the land of Israel during this time we would have been wondering where is God in all of this? And our text tells us God is every single detail of this story. He is the One who is sovereignly in charge of everything; even the smallest details that we miss.

We are living in a time where circumstances seem to be out of control. We see the stock market going up and down, the economy seems so uncertain, and the constant threat of terrorism here or abroad. This text tells us God is in control. God is in control of who is running our nation and He is in charge when leadership will change next. He is in control of international politics and He will bring about what He has covenanted to do. And what God has covenanted to do is to save His people.

Sunday – October 27, 2013 Judges 2:6 to 3:4 “Say it Again Sam(uel)”

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October 27, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

“Say it Again Sam(uel)” Judges 2 verse 6 to 3 verse 4 from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

So how will the next generation of Israel learn who God is personally? In the same way the previous generation did. If they go to war and trust in God they will see His works and know Him personally. God wanted this next generation of Israel to know His power and grace, So He left Canaanites in the land. Israel would have to fight in order to know the God they had yet to know by personal experience. That is the problem I see in the church at large today. We know a lot about God but we don’t know Him personally. And that has grown out of our avoiding the battle. We know from Scripture we have already been thrown into a spiritual war, but are we floating with the current or are we fighting against the current? If we are going to do battle, we need to be where the war is – in the workplace, in the culture and in the streets. Only then will we experience Him and know that the Lord is good. Join as Pastor Andy leads our study this week with his message, “Say it Again Sam(uel)

Word On Worship – October 27, 2013 Download / Print

Judges 2:10
“All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.”

I have been a witness to many great things God has done in my life. But the question that often haunts me is does the next generation know the Lord or the work that He has done? That is the very problem facing Israel in our scripture. Based on the text, it is not so much that the last generation were poor teachers, but rather the next generation did not “catch” it. They have heard about God but they do not know Him. And so I must ask myself, how many in the next generation have seen God active in the lives of their parents or grandparents, but have yet to experience God personally themselves?

What is at issue is a personal relationship with God versus personal knowledge of God. Obviously it is important for the next generation to know that God exists, but personally knowing God is what is critical; not just knowing about Him. It is this generation’s failure to know God personally that is the cause for Israel’s trouble we see in Judges 2. The effect of their failure to know God personally is to bow down to the Canaanite gods and earn for themselves the anger of God against them.

God is angry at the sin of the people and turns His hand against Israel. But God does not turn away from Israel, In His mercy and grace He provides judges for Israel. Why are judges a matter of grace? That wonderful topic we tragically think is only a New Testament concept. Repentance is nowhere to be found in the passage. God sends a deliverer before there is any indication of repentance. And even after that deliverer comes and delivers the Israelites for that judge’s lifetime, they are still going to turn away. Whatever good that takes place here has everything to do with who God is. It is His character and His covenant that is the basis for His deliverance of Israel.

So how will the next generation of Israel learn who God is personally? In the same way the previous generation did. If they go to war and trust in God they will see His works and know Him personally. God wanted this next generation of Israel to know His power and grace, So He left Canaanites in the land. Israel would have to fight in order to know the God they had yet to know by personal experience. That is the problem I see in the church at large today. We know a lot about God but we don’t know Him personally. And that has grown out of our avoiding the battle. We know from Scripture we have already been thrown into a spiritual war, but are we floating with the current or are we fighting against the current?  If we are going to do battle, we need to be where the war is – in the workplace, in the culture and in the streets. Only then will we experience Him and know that the Lord is good.

Sunday – October 20, 2013 Judges 1:1 to 2:5 “Living with the Enemy”

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October 20, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Judges 1 verse 1 to Judges 2 verse 5 from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Considering everything going on, or not going on in Washington these days, leadership is a hot topic. Everyone agrees that no one agrees but still someone must lead. Does the Scripture offer us any instruction about leadership and how that should look in a divided nation? As we read the beginning of Judges it is easy to assume the victories of the Book of Joshua will simply continue, but that is not the case. The first chapter of Judges begins with Judah defeating the Canaanites and it ends with the Canaanites overrunning Judah’s lines. Without diving into the details here, God had already told Israel not to worry about the size of the army or the potency of their arsenal. God is not impressed with new technology, God is looking for opportunities to demonstrate His power and might. Join us this Sunday as we look at Children of Israel as they try to possess the land God has promised them in “Recipe For Disaster”.

Word On Worship – October 20, 2013 Download / Print or View the Video

Judges 1:1
“Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”

Considering everything going on, or not going on in Washington these days, leadership is a hot topic. Everyone agrees that no one agrees but still someone must lead. Does the Scripture offer us any instruction about leadership and how that should look in a divided nation? Yes it does, but you have to dig in the dirty book of Judges to find those answers. Just as it is today, in the days of the judges, leadership was still the issue.

I believe the issue of leadership is the key to the book of Judges. Now that the children of Israel are in the land and seeking to control it, leaders must emerge to achieve what God has stated will happen. The successes Israel will have will be found in its leadership and its failures will be highlighted by a lack of leadership. Whenever you go to war someone needs to lead, and God says Judah will lead. And Judah asks Simeon to come along. But is this a Deborah and Barak moment, where one requires the other to join them or they are not going to press the initiative? Are we afraid to take the initiative in a ministry because we need someone else to come along with us?

As we read the beginning of Judges it is easy to assume the victories of the Book of Joshua will simply continue, but that is not the case. The first chapter of Judges begins with Judah defeating the Canaanites and it ends with the Canaanites overrunning Judah’s lines. Without diving into the details here, God had already told Israel not to worry about the size of the army or the potency of their arsenal. God is not impressed with new technology, whether it is iron chariots or ICBM missiles. God is looking for opportunities to demonstrate His power and might.

It is possible that in present times we have placed our trust in systems and technology rather than in God — and that is not a good thing. When our trust has been placed in feasibility studies rather than the power of God, our plans will all fail. If you could do church the way a business functions, where would God’s fingerprints be? How many times have you said “I would have entered that area of service,” but you did not think you had the right personality? Did you not have enough money? Did you not have the right platform to speak from? Have you ever wondered about the excuses we all have offered up for our own failure to engage in the business to which God has called us? You have been called to a Godly task. And He has promised that if you do His will, the task will be accomplished. So what excuse do you have that will trump the will of God for your life?

Sunday – October 13, 2013 “Why Should We Study Judges?”

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October 13, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Why Should We Study Judges? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Judges was written to be an encouragement to us and reminds us that God uses some of the grimiest and broken people for His plans and to achieve His purposes. Even the enemies they faced were raised up by God to cause His people to cry out for God’s redemption and salvation. If you are a Christian and you feel that you have made a complete mess of your life that God can’t use you, stay with us as we see how God uses people like Sampson who were not model citizens. God uses broken people to accomplish great things. And if you do not know the Lord as your Savior, God saves broken people. The Book of Judges is all about God being faithful to His promises to save people who are in bondage to their sin. Liberty comes from the Great Judge and the Great Deliverer, Jesus Christ. May the Lord speak to us all as we study this wonderful book

Word On Worship – October 13, 2013 Download / Print

Josh 24:31-33
“Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the Lord which He had done for Israel. Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons. And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.”

When I have spoken with people about doing a study in the Book of Judges, I have gotten many strange looks and the inevitable question is asked. “Why in the world would you study the Book of Judges?” Many people have their excuses for why they stay away from this book. Some cite the lack of a central character such as Moses, Joshua or David. Others point out that the book seems to be a train wreck of the Israelites as they go from failure to failure. And sadly, some are under the belief that because it is in the Old Testament, there are no important things to be learned and applied to our lives today.

How wrong they are! The subject matter of the Book of Judges is not as foreign as you might think. The very things we see in the news and even in our modern entertainment are the background of this book: violence, sex, sin, disregard for God’s word, and living according to your own standards rather than living according the standards of God. That is not just Israel long ago and far away; that is our generation today. We have much to learn from this book that so few study in its historical context between the time of Joshua and the appointment of Saul, the first king of Israel.

Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” So, if we do not think the Old Testament is relevant to our lives today, then how can we think the New Testament is relevant to our lives in the 21st century? If we did not need the Book of Judges it would not be there- but it is there because we do need it. A study in this book is need by the church and we need to wrestle with the text to find out how application can be made in our lives today.

Judges was written to be an encouragement to us and reminds us that God uses some of the grimiest and broken people for His plans and to achieve His purposes. Even the enemies they faced were raised up by God to cause His people to cry out for God’s redemption and salvation. If you are a Christian and you feel that you have made a complete mess of your life that God can’t use you, stay with us as we see how God uses people like Sampson who were not model citizens. God uses broken people to accomplish great things. And if you do not know the Lord as your Savior, God saves broken people. The Book of Judges is all about God being faithful to His promises to save people who are in bondage to their sin. Liberty comes from the Great Judge and the Great Deliverer, Jesus Christ. May the Lord speak to us all as we study this wonderful book.

Sunday – October 6, 2013 “Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of Prayer”

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Sunday – October 6, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of Prayer from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

And yet the command of Scripture is for us to be persevering in prayer. Perseverance means we do not give up when we do not see the result we want – but we faithfully continue to wait on the Lord. This is one of the aspects of prayer that I find most difficult. We are to pray with “all perseverance.” Jesus told the parable of the widow who kept pestering the hardhearted judge, until finally he relented just to get her off his back. Jesus assures us that God is not uncaring like that unrighteous judge, but He will bring about justice speedily for His elect who cry out to Him.
Join us as we conclude our study into spiritual warfare and the armor of God as we look at prayer in light of the spiritual battle. May our time in Ephesian 6 bless you and enable you to stand in these evil days.

Word On Worship – Sunday – October 6, 2013 Download / Print

Ephesians 6:18-20
“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

I confess that prayer is one of the most difficult topics for me to preach about because it is difficult for me to understand and practice. On one hand, I know the only reason God has enabled me to persevere as a pastor is His grace that has come to me through the prayers of His people and through my own desperate cries to Him for help. Not a week goes by without my feeling overwhelmingly inadequate for this ministry. I could not endure without prayer. Yet on the other hand, the longer I am a Christian, the more acutely I am aware of my own shortcomings in prayer.

The Christian life is not about making ourselves happy and comfortable yet it is often the theme of most of our prayer time. I often wonder if the angels know what I will ask based on the first three words because the Christian life is a battle with the unseen forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. To stand with God against this evil enemy, we must be people of prayer, not just with a blessing over a meal or uttered as a matter of last resort, but to have a prayer for every season of our lives.

And yet the command of Scripture is for us to be persevering in prayer. Perseverance means we do not give up when we do not see the result we want – but we faithfully continue to wait on the Lord. This is one of the aspects of prayer that I find most difficult. We are to pray with “all perseverance.” Jesus told the parable of the widow who kept pestering the hardhearted judge, until finally he relented just to get her off his back. Jesus assures us that God is not uncaring like that unrighteous judge, but He will bring about justice speedily for His elect who cry out to Him.

And yet, Paul’s word about perseverance as well as our experience, shows that Jesus’s promise of God answering speedily must be interpreted by God’s view of time, not ours.  I can’t give you a rule for when to go on praying and when to conclude that God isn’t going to answer. I have prayed for one request for many years now that has not been answered. So, I modified the request and keep praying. I have scratched some people off my prayer list after years of praying with no visible results. If God brings them to mind, I’ll pray, but I don’t pray for them regularly anymore. But when I do stop praying for someone, it is not because I doubt God’s ability to answer. Rather, after years of praying, it just seems that God is not going to answer me personally and so I leave it with Him and His sovereign will.

Sunday – September 29, 2013 “Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of the Sword of the Spirit”

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September 29, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of the Sword of the Spirit from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

The Word of God is the Spirit’s weapon to sustain us in these last days. It was the weapon used by our Lord during the temptation in the Wilderness and it is what the Holy Spirit will call to mind as we are brought before those who will accuse us. But how well do we know the Word and how familiar are we with its use? Join us this week as we continue in our study of the weapons of our spiritual warfare and examine “The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God”.

Word On Worship – September 29, 2013 Download / Print

Ephesians 6:17
“And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Have you ever been asked how you have confidence that the Bible you have in your hands is accurate to the original texts when the originals no longer exist for comparison? Even biblical scholars agree there are more variations in the existing copies than words in the New Testament, so how confident can we be? Has the Bible changed in 2,000 years of copying and recopying the original texts? There may be variations but we can have confidence in the Bible we hold because of how the original texts are reconstructed to determine the original.

Pretend your Aunt Jane learns in a dream about a magic elixir that preserves youth. She jumped out of bed and immediately wrote down the recipe word for word and then dashed off to the kitchen to mix up a batch of “Jane’s Juvenile Juice.” Within days she was the picture of vibrant youth. Aunt Jane was so excited she wrote down three copies word for word and handed them to her bridge partners at Game Night. They in turn, at seeing the remarkable results, made 10 copies each and shared them with their friends. All was glorious until the day Aunt Jane’s cat ate the original recipe. In a panic, she calls her bridge partners only to hear the terrible news that all three friends lost their original copies of “Jane’s Juvenile Juice” on the same night. How will Aunt Jane recover the original recipe or is it lost for all time and eternity?

May it never be! Aunt Jane would recover as many of the remaining second generation copies as she could and reconstruct the original recipe. Let’s assume she recovered 24 out of the 30 second generation copies and spread them out on the kitchen table. The first thing that would jump out would be all the variations that can be seen in the copies. But after closer examination, she finds that 19 of the 24 copies are virtually the same, except for minor misspellings and abbreviations for some of the measurements (qt. instead of quart). Of the five remaining copies, three list the same ingredients but in different order, one has operations inverted when compared to the other copies (chop then mix instead of mix then chop) and one has one ingredient that none of the other recipes contain.

Do you think Aunt Jane can reconstruct her original recipe with this evidence? Of course she can. Misspellings and abbreviations are variations, but not changes in the recipe. The inverted operation is easily corrected (you can’t mix something that has not been chopped) and the one recipe with a brand new ingredient can be eliminated because it is far more likely that 1 person added an ingredient than 23 people omitted the same ingredient. Given the number of copies and a little common sense, the original can easily be reconstructed. This very simple example demonstrates how scholars do textual criticism and how it was done for all writings of antiquity including Scripture. Given the current count of more than 5,500 copies of Scripture from before 900 AD including 24 complete copies of the New Testament and portions of books (such as the first 7 chapters of John from a scroll written in 200 AD or a fragment containing John 18:31-33 dated to 117 AD – only 40 years from original composition) we have extreme confidence we are holding the inspired Word of God upon which orthodox Christianity is based.

Sunday – September 22, 2013 “The Armor of the Helmet of Salvation”

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September 22, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of the Helmet of Salvation from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

You do not need to look long nor far too quickly see man’s present condition in sin and the devastating results of our fallen condition. It is a condition against which mankind is completely helpless and there is no personal resource we can bring to correct our deficit. In spite of the world’s expectation of a “new society” where we can bring about peace and prosperity, the entire globe remains shattered by the ravages of sin locally, nationally and internationally. However, the Bible speaks of God’s gracious plan to provide a solution to man’s problem- salvation.
Join us this Sunday as we continue in our study of spiritual warfare and the armor of God and find the personal application you need to stand in these last days. This Sunday we examine “The Armor of the Helmet of Salvation”. Join us at 8:45 for worship from the heart and teaching from the Word.

Word On Worship – September 22, 2013 Download / Print

Ephesians 6:14-17
“Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.   And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

You do not need to look long nor far too quickly see man’s present condition in sin and the devastating results of our fallen condition. It is a condition against which mankind is completely helpless and there is no personal resource we can bring to correct our deficit. In spite of the world’s expectation of a “new society” where we can bring about peace and prosperity, the entire globe remains shattered by the ravages of sin locally, nationally and internationally. However, the Bible speaks of God’s gracious plan to provide a solution to man’s problem: salvation.

Salvation is the greatest theme in the Scriptures. It covers all of time from eternity past to eternity future. It relates personally to every single human being who has ever existed, without exception. It not only affects humans, but the entire creation and also has ramifications for the angelic host who look upon earth. It is the theme of both the Old and New Testament. It is personal, national and cosmic and it centers on the greatest Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. The term salvation encompasses the entire work of God by which He seeks to rescue man from the cost and the consequence of sin and bestowing upon him the wealth of His grace which includes the provision for abundant life now and eternal glory forever.

In all other religions around the world, salvation is a work done by man for God. This is what makes biblical Christianity different from all the religions of the world. From a biblical understanding we learn that salvation is of the Lord; it is the work of God for man and Christ’s shout of victory affirmed this truth.  The fact that Jesus Christ died does not in itself save men, but it does provide the one and only sufficient ground upon which God in full harmony with His perfect holiness is free to save the vilest of sinners, including you and me. This is the good news of the gospel and our privilege to proclaim to the world.

Salvation is the deliverance, safety, soundness, restoration and healing of God graced to His creation by faith. In theological terms, salvation is the major doctrine of the Bible which includes redemption, reconciliation, propitiation, repentance, faith, justification, sanctification and glorification. It is the ultimate question of man and the greatest gift that can be given. The salvation we celebrate this morning is the work of God rescuing man from his lost position. But what is more is salvation is also the description of someone who has been saved and has become vitally renewed and made a partaker of the inheritance of the saints.