Believers Church of Statesboro

Today Matters Week 5 “Today Declare” Believers Statesboro 09-05-10

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is– his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

But Everyone Else Is Doing It.

Matt 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (NIV)

“There is a view of life which says that where the crowd is, there is also the truth. There is another view of life which conceives that wherever there is a crowd, there is untruth.” Soren Kierkegaard Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God.”

Good Example:

Hebrews 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. (NIV)

Bad Example:

Matthew 26:69-75 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you." Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" And immediately a rooster crowed.

History has seen many men and women who have stood against the masses, popular thoughts and trends and have prevailed. But, our greatest example is that of Christ Jesus.

• Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus was tempted to conform to a way that was not God’s way.
• 1 Peter 2:4 “As you come to him, the living Stone– rejected by men but chosen by God and

precious to him—“ (NIV) Like Christ Jesus, are you willing to be rejected by men so that you can be chosen and precious unto God?

How to make sure you won’t be rejected by men – Simple 4-Step Program (by Paul Apple)

1) Have a friendship with the world. Cost: Be an enemy of God.
James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
How do you go about making yourself a friend of the world? Love the world – that’s a good start. Love what the world loves, act the way the world acts, and set your value system to be the same (1 John 2:15-17) Turn away from Jesus, pursue all the pleasures of sin, and the things of earth will soon replace Him and your faith will be worthless.

2) Be a man-pleaser. Cost: Lose the favor of God.

Tell people what they want to hear, tickle their ears, call good evil and evil good, say peace when there is no peace, and have no absolutes or truth. Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

3) Hide your light under a bushel. Cost: Countless numbers of people are lost and hopeless.

Don’t declare the truth. Fail to speak out against evil. Laugh at the dirty jokes that other people tell. Turn your head when you see evil.

4) Walk by sight rather than by faith. Cost: It will be impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). You want that immediate gratification of people accepting you and approving of you rather than trusting in the judgment of God. So, you just do what feels good, what makes you feel good and what pleases others. Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (NIV)

The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen

Once upon a time there lived a vain emperor whose only worry in life was to dress in elegant clothes. He changed clothes almost every hour and loved to show them off to his people. Word of the Emperor’s refined habits spread over his kingdom and beyond.

Two scoundrels who had heard of the Emperors’ vanity decided to take advantage of it. They introduced themselves at the gates of the palace with a scheme in mind. "We are two very good tailors and after many years of research we have invented an extraordinary method to weave a cloth so light and fine that it looks invisible. As a matter of fact it is invisible to anyone who is too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality."

The chief of the guards heard the scoundrel’s strange story and sent for the court chamberlain. The chamberlain notified the prime minister, who ran to the Emperor and disclosed the incredible news. The Emperor’s curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see the two scoundrels. "Besides being invisible, your Highness, this cloth will be woven in colors and patterns created especially for you." The emperor gave the two men a bag of gold coins in exchange for their promise to begin working on the fabric immediately.

"Just tell us what you need to get started and we’ll give it to you." The two scoundrels asked for a loom, silk, gold thread and then pretended to begin working. The Emperor thought he had spent his money quite well; in addition to getting a new extraordinary suit, he would discover which of his subjects were ignorant and incompetent. A few days later, he called the old and wise prime minister, who was considered by everyone as a man with common sense. "Go and see how the work is proceeding," the Emperor told him, "and come back to let me know."

The prime minister was welcomed by the two scoundrels. "We’re almost finished, but we need a lot more gold thread. Here, Excellency! Admire the colors, feel the softness!" The old man bent over the loom and tried to see the fabric that was not there. He felt cold sweat on his forehead. "I can’t see anything," he thought. "If I see nothing, that means I’m stupid! Or, worse, incompetent!" If the prime minister admitted that he didn’t see anything, he would be discharged from his office.

"What a marvelous fabric, he said then. "I’ll certainly tell the Emperor." The two scoundrels rubbed their hands gleefully. They had almost made it. More thread was requested to finish the work.

Finally, the Emperor received the announcement that the two tailors had come to take all the measurements needed to sew his new suit. "Come in," the Emperor ordered. Even as they bowed, the two scoundrels pretended to be holding a large roll of fabric. "Here it is your Highness, the result of our labor," the scoundrels said. "We have worked night and day but, at last, the most beautiful fabric in the world is ready for you. Look at the colors and feel how fine it is." Of course the Emperor did not see any colors and could not feel any cloth between his fingers. He panicked and felt like fainting. But luckily the throne was right behind him and he sat down. But when he realized that no one could know that he did not see the fabric, he felt better. Nobody could find out he was stupid and incompetent. And the Emperor didn’t know that everybody else around him thought and did the very same thing.

The farce continued as the two scoundrels had foreseen it. Once they had taken the measurements, the two began cutting the air with scissors while sewing with their needles an invisible cloth. "Your Highness, you’ll have to take off your clothes to try on your new ones." The two scoundrels draped the new clothes on him and then held up a mirror. The Emperor was embarrassed but since none of his bystanders were, he felt relieved. "Yes, this is a beautiful suit and it looks very good on me," the Emperor said trying to look comfortable. "You’ve done a fine job."

"Your Majesty," the prime minister said, "we have a request for you. The people have found out about this extraordinary fabric and they are anxious to see you in your new suit." The Emperor was doubtful about showing himself naked to the people, but then he abandoned his fears. After all, no one would know about it except the ignorant and the incompetent. "All right," he said. "I will grant the people this privilege." He summoned his carriage and the ceremonial parade was formed. A group of dignitaries walked at the very front of the procession and anxiously scrutinized the faces of the people in the street. All the people had gathered in the main square, pushing and shoving to get a better look. An applause welcomed the regal procession. Everyone wanted to know how stupid or incompetent his or her neighbor was but, as the Emperor passed, a strange murmur rose from the crowd.

Everyone said, loud enough for the others to hear: "Look at the Emperor’s new clothes. They’re beautiful!" "What a marvelous train!" "And the colors! The colors of that beautiful fabric! I have never seen anything like it in my life." They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to see the clothes, and since nobody was willing to admit his own stupidity and incompetence, they all behaved as the two scoundrels had predicted.

A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage. "The Emperor is naked," he said.

"Fool!" his father reprimanded, running after him. "Don’t talk nonsense!" He grabbed his child and took him away. But the boy’s remark, which had been heard by the bystanders, was repeated over and over again until everyone cried:

"The boy is right! The Emperor is naked! It’s true!"

The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that. He thought it better to continue the procession under the illusion that anyone who couldn’t see his clothes was either stupid or incompetent. And he stood stiffly on his carriage, while behind him a page held his imaginary mantle.

Come enjoy a mocha and be lifted up tonight as we continue our study of Hebrews!

Water Baptism this Sunday!

Sunday, September 5^th, is the time set aside for Water Baptism at Believers Church. As a child of God, it is important to follow Jesus’ example and be baptized in water. Baptism is an outward expression of what has already occurred in our heart and is the next step that Jesus asks us to take after salvation.

"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned”

Mark 16:16.

“Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” Acts 2:38.

If you have not been baptized, I highly encourage you to be water baptized. It will be a significant spiritual event in your life that you will treasure forever. As you make the decision to be baptized, we rejoice with you as you publicly declare, “I am now a new creation in Christ Jesus, the old has passed away and all things are new! I am now baptized into the Body of Christ Jesus. I am part of His family!”

Things you will need to bring with you to baptism:

1. Shorts and a shirt that can get wet. We do not have baptism robes so do not wear thin or white garments that tend to show through when they become wet.
2. Towel and any other toiletry you may need.
3. Dry clothes to change into.
4. Plastic bag for your wet clothes.
5. As many family members and friends as possible.

Please call the church office as soon as possible to verify which service, 9:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. that you would like to be baptized in. You also have the option to schedule an appointment to record your testimony. (See Below)

Should you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact me here at the church at 681-1440.

Optional Testimony Video

We would also like to encourage all of our baptism candidates to allow us to videotape their testimony. Each testimony will be played immediately preceding that person’s actual baptism.

The testimony can be 30 seconds or 4 minutes, but we ask you to keep it less than 5 minutes. It can be as simple as: “Hello, my name is Jeff Smith. I am here to declare my love for Jesus Christ by publicly identifying with Him through baptism. Thank you for sharing this important moment with me.” Or you can share your entire story of how you came to Christ (keeping within the allotted time).

Please include the following two points in your testimony:

1) We feel that it is important for you to mention the fact that you have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

2) We encourage you to thank the people who were instrumental in leading you to Christ or to our church.

Why is your testimony so important? Nothing will inspire others to embrace relational evangelism like these stories. It’s wonderful to know that we can make a difference in the lives of others by sharing Christ Jesus with them! We would also love for you to invite as many friends and family members as possible to come hear your testimony and witness your baptism. It could change their lives forever as well. Many people have received Christ themselves after witnessing other believers being baptized!

“E” Stands for Elimination!

Let’s eliminate the debt so that we can start saving for future buildings.

Buildings that will be used to bring many more people to Christ Jesus!

On this 5^th Sunday at Believers we will celebrate communion together and all of the tithes and offerings will go toward eliminating our debt!

We started with a debt of $285,685. We paid $192,597.

Now we only have $93,088 to go!

If 93 people give $1000 this debt will be eliminated. (I’ll throw in an extra $88)

If 186 people give only $500 this debt will be eliminated.

If every adult that was in attendance this past Sunday would give $283.80 the debt would be eliminated! This is something that we can do!

Let’s eliminate the debt so that we can start saving for future buildings.

Buildings that will be used to bring many more people to Christ Jesus!

On this 5^th Sunday at Believers we will celebrate communion together and all of the tithes and offerings will go toward eliminating our debt!

We started with a debt of $285,685. We paid $192,597.

Now we only have $93,088 to go!

If 93 people give $1000 this debt will be eliminated. (I’ll throw in an extra $88)

If 186 people give only $500 this debt will be eliminated.

If every adult that was present this past Sunday would give $283.80 the debt would be eliminated! This is something that we can do!

Storms… they hit all of our lives. But have you ever noticed that some people just seem to weather the storm better than others. Some people are totally wiped out when a storm hits and others seem to go through it with a quiet, calm, resolve.

Storms will hit our lives. It’s not a matter of if a storm will come, but rather when a storm will come. Join us this Sunday at Believers Statesboro at 9 or 11 as we discover that how we survive in the storm is determined long before we find ourselves in one.

Today Matters! Wk 4 Today Obey 08-29-10 Believers Statesboro

Today matters. Today, we want the blessings of God upon our life. Today, we want to experience His presence. However, in order to experience the blessing of God, we must “Obey Today”. God honors obedience. David desired to bring the ark of God back to Jerusalem and in the process he learned that we must do things God’s way and not our way.

· David returns the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:2), carried on cart, not on poles (Exodus 25:14).

· Uzzah was struck dead for touching the ark (2 Sam. 6:7).

· David left the ark with Obed-edom for 3 months and blessing came upon them.

· David brought the ark to Jerusalem correctly (2 Sam. 6:15).

· Good intentions do not equal obedience. (1 Chr 15:12-13)

Jesus taught that obedience would lead to eternal life and the blessing of God in His story of “Two Foundations” found in Matthew 7:21-29. Jesus tells of two men and the two houses they built.

· One was a wise man who built his house on a rock solid foundation.

· The other was a foolish man who built his house upon a sandy foundation.

What was it that set the foolish man apart from the wise man?

Matt 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice (NKJ does them) (acts upon them) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matt 7:26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice (NKJ does not do them) is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Today, we are faced with the daily decision to hear and know what Jesus’ Word says only or to hear and know what Jesus’ Word says and actually do it. Today Obey!

What is it that Jesus has commanded us to do?

Vs. 28-29 states that the people were astonished and amazed at what Jesus was teaching because He was teaching as one having authority. The text here in Matthew 7 is actually the conclusion of a sermon that was started in Matthew 5 (the Sermon on the Mount). In His teachings were commandments that He laid out for them, and for us, to obey.

But, the question we must all ask ourselves is “Have I heard only or have I heard and obeyed?”

The choice is yours.

If you keep His commands, you will be wise like a man who built his house on the rock.

His commandment leads to eternal life!

Obeying Jesus is not intended to make your life miserable and burden you with laws of legalism.

God wants the best for your life and obeying His commands will help His plan be fulfilled for you.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)

John 12:49-50 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (NIV)

John 15:13-16 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit– fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (NIV)

What is our responsibility in this relationship with Jesus? Obey, Today Obey. “You are my friends if you do what I command.”

I John 5:2-3 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, (NIV)

Storm Results

The Rock Matt 7:25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (NIV)

The Sand Matt 7:27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (NIV)

Where will you be when the storm hits your life?

· Will your house be on the rock or on the sand?

· It’s not a matter of if a storm will come, but rather when a storm will come.

o Matt 5:11; John 16:33; Rom 5:3-5

If your house is built upon the rock, it will stand in any type of storm!

The Book of Job is a great example of a man who came through a storm. It really tells of a war waged in heaven between God and Satan. Satan’s goal was to get Job to turn his back on God. Job’s reaction to the storms in his life brought God victory.

Job 1:1-22 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. (NIV)

o After Job had lost all of his many possessions and he learned of the death of his children, his first reaction was to mourn in the tearing of his clothes and shaving of his head, but also to worship the Lord.

o Vs. 20 “…Then he fell to the ground in worship.

o Vs. 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." (NIV) NKJ Blessed be the name of The Lord.”

o Vs. 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. (NIV) KJV Job did not sin, nor did he blame God.”

How sad it is when people blame God in the mist of the storm rather than praise Him and trust Him for deliverance.

Ps 34:19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; (NIV)

How we survive in the storm is determined long before we find ourselves in one.

How we weather the storm is determined each and every day. Today Matters, as we hear the words of Jesus and do what Jesus says to do. Today Obey!

Acts of obedience will build a strong foundation.

Jesus has spelled out the results of both actions, hearing only and hearing and obeying.

We need to not only be hearers of the word but doers also.

Come early and enjoy the complimentary coffee bar!

Join Pastor Scott, his wife, Janet and the staff of Believers Church for Dinner on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. This dinner is for our newest attendees at the church! This is a great way to learn more about the vision of Believers Church, ask any questions you may have and get to know others who are also new to Believers. We have childcare available during the dinner for anyone who needs it. Please give us a call at 681-1440 and let us know you will be attending.

Join us this Sunday at Believers as we discover that TODAY MATTERS!

Have you been waiting for an answered prayer or for God to move in a situation in your life? Today Could Be Your Day! That’s right! Today could be your day, so let’s live each day with a since of expectation of what God will do. Come at 9 or 11 so that you won’t miss anything good. Last Sunday if you were late you missed a special performance by the praise band followed by a video call “Today”. It was powerful!

Come Sunday expecting that this will be the day that God will move on your behalf.

Believers This Is Our Time, Today Matters, and This Could Be Your Day!

Today Matters! Wk 3 Today Could Be Your Day 08-22-10 Believers Statesboro

Acts 3:1-3 “Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the

temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and

John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.”

Peter and John met a crippled man who had to be carried everywhere (no wheelchairs) and who had to beg for an income. He was born crippled and was now over forty years old. (Acts 4:22).

All Peter and John were doing were going to the temple to pray; all the lame man was asking for was a financial handout. The Holy Spirit had a different agenda.

Acts 3:4-7 “And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”

How long had this man been begging at the Gate Beautiful? We can safely assume it was most of his adulthood. Begging became his profession and livelihood. How many times had Peter and John walked passed this lame man? We don’t know exactly. Since the Day of Pentecost, they had been going to the temple for daily for prayer. This man had been sitting there daily. So, we know that Peter and John were passing by a man in need daily and that God was fully aware of this man’s need. He was not healed many times. But, this day was different. God had chosen that this would be his day! It was for God’s glory. Without warning, a day like any other, doing the routine of life, this was the lame man’s day!

One touch from God changes everything! Bill Godwin

This could be your day! You may have a need today. It may seem to you that God has passed you by many times before. You may be on the verge of giving up. You may be discouraged. Things may look like they are getting worse. God may look down on you today and say this is your day! Lame Man, rise up and walk! So, with that knowledge and understanding, we should start each and every day with a sense of expectation!

EXPECTATION!

It’s good to believe that God can do anything. (Luke 1:37) We should believe. We call ourselves believers.

But, we need to move beyond belief. (James 2:19-20) If we believe God can do anything, and I feel that we do, then the question we should be asking ourselves is do we EXPECT God to do anything?

Have we lived with our need for so long, over forty years for the lame man, that we don’t really expect God to act on our behalf. Oh, we believe that He can. But, do we expect Him to do it today? We need to raise our level of expectation today! We need to believe and expect that today is our day!

Death Spiral: People often have a doctrine in which they believe. Then, they may discover that, in life, their experiences may not be the same as or match up to their belief standards. When people experience less than what they believe is possible, they begin to lower their doctrinal standards, belief levels, and expectations to match their experiences. Then, instead of believing for God’s highest and best, people expect less. Then due to doubt and unbelief, they experience less. After experiencing less, they again lower their belief and expectation levels, resulting in a death spiral rather than a cycle of life.

We must keep our expectation levels high; not just believing that God is able, but expecting to see God move on the behalf of His people according to His Word.

We need to live in an atmosphere of belief and expectation! Rather than trusting in what you are currently seeing or experiencing, you need to trust in the promises of God! The promises will keep our expectations high!

How can we maintain a high level of expectation when we don’t always see the results that we want to see?

1. Realize that God is sovereign. God is the Supreme Ruler, and He is not limited to any doctrinal box in which we try to put Him. He can do whatever He wants to do when He wants to do it!

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

2. Remember God’s faithfulness. Joel 2:23 “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you– the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”

Ps 37:25-26 “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed.”

3. Keep believing in His Word and His promises. Do not lower your belief standards to match your experiences. Believe that your experiences will soon match your beliefs. “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23.

Phil 1:19-21 “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply

of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be

ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by

life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Num 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He

said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it

good?”

4. Don’t shrink back. Keep praying, asking, and seeking. Matt 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (NIV)

Hebrews 10:35-39. 31 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

Matthew 6:31 “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”

5. Be patient. Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Hebrews 6:11-12 “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

6. Repent – change your way of thinking. Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In this context, the Greek word used here for ‘repent’ is metanoeo (met-an-o-eh’-o); which means “to think differently,” i.e. reconsider; always, when used in the New Testament, involves a change for the better. “Change Your Way of Thinking.” Change how you think about things. Stop doubting God. Start expecting God to move mightily in your life.

Matthew 6:9-10 Pray as Jesus taught us, “Lord, let thy kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” After you have prayed, expect it to happen! Something good is going to happen today!

Enjoy a complimentary Coffee Bar and be blessed as we begin our study on Hebrews!