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The Five “Solas” of the Reformation

October 29, 2017 - The Five Solas - Part 5

October 29, 2017 • Pastor Steve Pope

The Five Solas, Part 5 Sola Deo Gloria READ: Isaiah 6:1-8 I’ll never forget the discussion around the dinner table when my daughters finally decided what I do for a living. You see, some of their friend’s Dads were dynamic in business, some built houses for families to enjoy, and some heroically enforced the law. From their own experience, they decided that my job description was simple; “you make words for a living.” In thirty years of full-time vocational ministry, I’ve have been honored to preach around 1,500 sermons, and to lead nearly as many Bible Studies. I am rarely at a loss for words. This week’s “Sola,” however, is too big for me. I can’t describe it, I can’t fully explain it, and I’m even having trouble defining it. But its the “Sola” I love the most. Sola Deo Gloria; The Glory of God Alone. I make words, but glory is a word that’s just too big to adequately explain. Glory is as big as God. So I’ll begin with the most powerfully accurate definition that I’ve found, authored by Dr. John Piper. Dr. Piper says that “The glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections. It is the going public of His holiness.” His glory is the way He puts His holiness on display for all to see. That’s why our passage closely connects God’s holiness and glory. Is your heart drawn to great beauty? Does beauty lodge in your mind’s eye and call your attention back to itself over and over again? A beautiful child? A colorful sunset? A moving piece of music? A dramatic photograph? Now compare that to Jesus, who has the most beautiful Name of all. And that’s His glory. If it is God’s desire to display His glory, then we need to dedicate our lives to learning how best to declare and magnify His glory. And the most important question we ask ourselves every day should be “does this decision, action, or attitude magnify the glory of God to the nations?” (Psalm 96:3) Does it put His beauty on display for all to see? Join us this Sunday as we learn about God’s passion for His own glory. Speechless in the face of His glory, Pastor Steve HOME FELLOWSHIP DISCUSSION GUIDE Home Fellowship, Week of October 30th Q: When were you last called into the office of your chief principal or boss’s boss? What for? How did that affect you? Q: What volunteer ministries have you been involved with? How were you recruited? READ FIRST: Isaiah 6:1-8 Q: If King Uzziah represents stability to Judah, what does his death mean? Why does God chose this time to reveal Himself to Isaiah? Q: Imagine you are Isaiah. What do you tell a friend about what you saw, heard, felt and smelled in verses 1-4? Q: What questions about God’s nature and purpose does this encounter raise for you? Q: What makes Isaiah despair for his life and confess his sin (v. 5; see Ex. 20:19; 33:20)? Q: Animals were burned on the altar as a substitute for the death of a sinner. What is the significance of Isaiah’s lips being touched by a coal from the altar? Q: How is your experience like Isaiah’s? Awe-struck? Guilt-ridden? Cleansed? Are you willing to serve anywhere anytime?

October 22, 2017 - The Five Solas - Part 4

October 22, 2017 • Pastor Luke Dailey

The Five Solas (Study Guide and Home Fellowship Questions Part 4: Sola Christus Colossians 1:15-21 I have a friend who is fond of saying that “every man lives in silent terror of being found out as the fraud he really is.” But, is this such a bad thing? The first step down the road to personal intimacy with Jesus must be taken in humility - admitting our inadequacy and declaring His sole-sufficiency (II Cor. 3:5). For the true Christian, each day of life strengthens the conviction that apart from Him, we can do nothing that matters. (John 15:5) But the good news is that Jesus Christ is fully adequate to accomplish all good things according to His will. His desire is to know us and give our lives purpose - His purpose. Sola Christus means that Jesus alone is sufficient for salvation and that His is the power we need for living; “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13) Jesus had a discussion about salvation with a rich young man who had placed his trust in money. The astounded disciples, who had sacrificed much to follow Jesus, asked how this man could possibly be saved. But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26) We now live in the realm of God’s possibilities in the midst of our frailty. Living in the power of His Spirit, Pastor Steve Q: What was your favorite animal at the zoo as a child? Your favorite now? Q: In your opinion, what part of Jesus’ creation brings Him the most glory? READ FIRST: Colossians 1:15-21 Q: The “firstborn” has the rights of an heir. What rights does Jesus have (vv. 15-18)? What is His relationship to “all things”? Why emphasize this? Q: What is His relationship to God and the church? What does “fullness” imply (v. 19)? Q: Why did all things need to be reconciled to God (v. 20)? How was this achieved by Jesus? Q: How much do you identify with verse 21, even now? Do you still sense “evil” in your mind? How do verses 22-23 make you feel? Q: At times, what people or forces seem to be more powerful than Jesus? Why? How do you respond to the fact that even these are under Christ’s authority?

October 15, 2017 - The Five Solas - Part 3

October 15, 2017 • Pastor Steve Pope

The Five Solas Part Three: Sola Gratis Ephesians 2:1-10 The day of grace As a teenager, I decided to race my mom’s car over a winding, hilly, country road. It was 1am, and my enthusiasm to impress a girl surpassed my driving skill. The car ended up in a smoldering heap. No one was injured in the accident, but the car was totaled. I anxiously called my dad, a military officer who retired after 30 years of honorable service to our country. He drove to the crash site on that cold and misty morning. I expected an angry (well deserved) rant about totaling the car, but instead I received a warm blanket, an arm around my shoulder, and concern for my well-being; “Are you alright son? Good, I’m glad. You’ve learned your lesson so we will never speak of this again.” I received grace when I deserved severe punishment. This event changed my life and deepened my love and gratitude for my Dad. Apart from Christ, our lives become one big, smoldering car wreck. We are declared to be “totaled” - beyond repair. Our passage says: Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. Eph. 2:1, 2 But God doesn’t leave us dead, lying in the rubble of our lives. Two of the most important words in the New Testament were written regarding our helpless condition; “But God.” He is “so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.” This undeserved favor is because of His nature, not our efforts. Our God is filled with mercy and love toward humanity. This undeserved favor is called “grace.” Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the undeserved love and favor of God! Blessings, Pastor Steve

October 8, 2017 - The Five Solas - Part 2

October 8, 2017 • Pastor Steve Pope

The Five Solas, Part 2 Sola Fide (Faith Alone) Habakkuk 2:1-4 I seriously considered entitling our series on the “Five Solas” something like, “What Christians Believe About God, Salvation, and Just About Everything Else that’s Important.” That’s just how big this series is to me. And that’s why we are spending time focusing on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. This Sunday, we will examine the second Sola; “Sola Fide.” As Matin Luther and other reformers spent time examining Scripture, they came to the obvious conclusion that salvation was to be by “Faith Alone.” The church exists to equip, connect, minister, worship and serve, but never as a means to salvation. (I Timothy 2:5) The war-cry of the reformation was “the just shall live by faith!” This statement was radical and dangerous in 1517, as those who sought salvation were taught that they needed the church for redemption and rescue from purgatory. The church, in turn, was willing to do just about anything to protect their status as mediators in the process of salvation - a very lucrative role. Join us this Sunday as we enjoy the freedom of salvation by faith. Rather than being enslaved to religious performance, we are now free to know God and enjoy Him forever - by faith alone! Hope to see you this Sunday! Pastor Steve

Sola Scriptura/Scripture Alone

October 1, 2017 • Pastor Luke Dailey

Sermon Meditation: The Five “Solas” of the Reformation Part 1 Sola Scriptura/Scripture Alone Psalm 1:1-6 ". . . his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water. . ." Interesting fact: In our country 9 out of 10 households own at least one Bible, and on average each household has 4.7 Bibles. Sadly, many of those households that own numerous amounts of Bibles, the Bible is rarely read. In a land that has so many Bibles laying around, and in a land with established Christian book stores, there are many translations of the Bible openly and freely available to us. Are we capitalizing on the blessing we have in our country? Whether or not we are utilizing the freedom to practice Christianity and the study of God's Word, the truth remains that we have cultural blindness to how blessed we are. Many faithful men, women and children have died for holding onto Scripture. Today there are many places in the world that the Bible is illegal. Thank you, Jesus for allowing us to live in a place with freedom to own a Bible and practice Christianity! For most of us, we would never think about attending or even visiting a church that didn't focus around the Word of God. Our church, Centerpoint, is a Bible based, Word of God church. We focus our time not on clever ideas or humorous insights. We focus on the truth found in Scripture. The way in which we focus and depend on the Bible in our gatherings was missing from the organized "church service" for hundreds of years. However, through the faith and actions of courageous men of God, the church (the people) reformed the way in which "church service" was conducted. One of these faithful, courageous men was Martin Luther. Luther had a theological concept known as The Five Solas. This Sunday we will study Scripture and some church history to understand the importance and blessing of the first sola - Sola Scriptura. Luke Dailey