Why Wisdom? | Chris B

This message was preached  by Chris B at Word of Grace Church on October 1st, 2017. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here.

Write down 3 things that are good about your life. For me, one of the things that really blessed me specifically today is Music. It reminds me of Dec 2013 when we were called to my Home church because the worship leader Caroline Johnson was retiring. Before I knew my theology, I was singing it. When the time came to articulate it, I had all the words because Caroline already did it for me.

Today we are going to spend time in the Book of Psalms. We will answer 3 questions:

1.      What are the Psalms?

The psalms are a song book for God’s people to carry the word of God. King David wrote a lot of these songs, to teach us to express ourselves to God. It teaches us how to rejoice, how to grieve, express thanksgiving, etc. Just like my son watched and learnt how to do a somersault, the Psalms show us how to express ourselves to God in a Biblical way. It is a blessing to have that kind of

2.      What is wisdom literature?

Just like the Torah is 5 books, the wisdom literature is also 5 books- Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. The Biblical idea of wisdom is to align ourselves with God’s thinking. That’s why Proverbs says that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform 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.”

3.      How do they help us?   

Wisdom Literature helps us in fighting sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve fell into sin. They trusted in the word of the serpent rather than the Lord. Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. If Adam and eve understood this, they would have fought that sin.  It transforms us to the image of God by listening to this literature.

Psalm 16

1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

If you take out your list of 3 good things and see how these things are from God. If you can’t trace this good back to God, then you need to ask yourself, is this thing really good?

3- 6 “I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

It points us back to Joshua, where when God’s people entered into the Promise Land, God says this- your boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places. One of the blessings of being a part of God’s people is contentment. He is our portion and that is enough for us. The world doesn’t have contentment.

7-8 “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

In 1970 the NASA sent out three rockets. The Apollo 13 had a malfunction and they had to get home safely. At one point, they didn’t have enough power to get them home. That led to having to burn the rocket to propel themselves forward in space. They had to look at the earth in the window and fire the rockets to propel themselves forward. So they had to keep the earth in front of them at all times and they made it home safely. The same idea is in this word. The psalmist is saying I put the Lord in front of me, because he propels me forward. 

9 - 11“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”

The lie of sin is that it will make me happy. But the truth is that in His presence there is fullness of joy. When we fill our mind with truth, the appeal of sin is lost. The word of the Lord is sufficient in to keep us in our path.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Philippians: Part 24- How to be content and the power of Divine provision | Colin D

This message was preached  by Colin D'cruz at Word of Grace Church on February 12th, 2017. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

In the Bible, there are some favourite verses people memorise. Two of them are Phil 4:13 and 4:18.

Phil 4:10-20 “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia and he ends up going to Philippi. In acts 16, we see the church being planted. He meets Lydia and gathers a people. Paul preached the gospel. Not only did they believe but they were baptised in water soon after. Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, and a miracle takes place there. They start praising God and the foundations of the prison were shaken. The jailor gets saved through this miracle. At that time of the night, the jailor and the whole family came to the Lord. Persecution continued in the church.

As he is writing this letter, he is in Rome. Paul is thanking them for the gift they sent.

1.      Concerned as the Philippians were concerned- He rejoices that the Philippians have renewed their concern for him. At the beginning, the Philippians sent him gifts to help him preach the gospel again and again. He tells them that there is an account in heaven and this money is a fragrant offering to God. they were not just concerned with their local church. We can become very concerned about our own church, but we need to make sure that the gospel goes to the ends of the earth. We need to be concerned about the people who are lost all over. we can do one of three things:

a.      We can go

b.      We can pray

c.      We can give

The Philippians were also concerned for one another. I want to commend this church for being concerned for one another’s needs.

2.       Content as Paul was content- are you saying, if only I had, the latest phone, or little more money, or a life-partner... Discontentment hits the rich and the poor. Someone asked John Rockerfeller, how much money do you need to be content? He said, just a little more than what I have. Contentment is something Paul had to learn. Our circumstances don’t determine our contentment. He was content in plenty and in need. There is an old puritan saying- “ he sat down to a meal of bread and water. He looked up, gave thanks and said, all this and Jesus too!” If we live by our desires, we will never be happy. It is not having everything you want, it’s wanting everything you have.  Paul went to great lengths to preach the gospel, and he said, in every situation, I am entrusting to God. 3 things we’ve got to be discontented with:

a.      With seeing people with needs around us

b.      With the lost-ness of the world. People without Jesus are going to hell. Your neighbour, your colleague at work or your friends at college- what are you doing to tell them that Jesus died for them. We cant be content with the lost-ness of the world

c.      With our own imperfections. We press on to become more and more like Jesus.

3.      Confident in God’s care- In verse 19, he said, my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. How can we receive that Promise? When we say, God I am living for you. It will cost! Philippians were the most generous church in the New Testament. These were extremely poor people. But they excelled in rich generosity.

Let’s be concerned as the Philippians, content as Paul, and confident in God’s ability to care for us. God doesn’t give us stingily, he gives abundantly.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.  

Philippians Part 20: Rejoice Always| Colin D

This message was preached  by Colin D'cruz at Word of Grace Church on August 28th, 2016. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

Has anyone had the experience of walking on a rope bridge? It is shaky and you need something to hold on to.

Q. In your spiritual life, how can you stand firm?

In Phil 4:1-9 Paul gives us 7 things to help us stand firm.

1.      Relationships are important. In verse 1, he says that he loves and longs for them and that they are his joy and crown.  In verse 2 he is pleading with Euodia and Synteche to resolve their issues. We looked at that last week. It is important to have good relationships in the body of Christ. It is not a small thing. One infection in your toe can cause gangrene and affect the whole body. People squabbling in the church is a Big thing.

2.      Rejoice: Paul is commanding the Philippians to rejoice. He is saying it again and again. Maybe your situation is not ideal but this is not an option. It’s not rejoicing in circumstances but in the Lord. the Lord is worthy of Praise.

Happiness comes out of happenings. But Paul is talking about joy that is not determined by circumstances. This is demonstrated in Acts 5: 40-41: “His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”

Joy is supernatural. It’s one of the fruits of the Spirit. Even when they were being flogged, they rejoiced.

2 Cor 8:1-2 is another supernatural evidence- “And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” 

Grace of God was upon them. Our joy and well being is dependent on knowing who the Lord is and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Horatio- his family moved to Chicago to help those who were less fortunate. A year later, the family went on a ship and the ship sank. Hearing this, he went to see his wife who was the lone survivor. In the ship that was taking him to meet her he wrote the hymn, "It is well with my soul." He had every reason to be bitter, but he did something else.

Q. How do we rejoice?

1.      Contentment- we are incredibly blessed. We always want more and think our situation is bad. Our situation can always be worse. If you have a home, food, shelter, you are in the top 5% of the world. You are blessed and need to be content.

2.      Remembering what Jesus has done for us. We are children of God- we pass through death like a doorway to enter heaven. No matter what you’re going through, he will be with us.

Romans 8:28- “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”

3.      The sovereignty of God is a truth we need to hold on to. He is all powerful. The disciples in the boat- when the storm came by, Jesus was sleeping. The disciples were screaming. Jesus was woken up. He said, be still and the storm calmed down. The disciples marvelled. Jesus then rebuked them. He is in control. That is the great assurance we have.

All the organisations in the world will come and go. The church is the only thing that will survive. God has given us something significant to do.

We rejoice in him.

Q. How can you change the way you feel?

By changing the way you think. As we read the word, it gets into our mind. And even in a bad situation, we are able to rejoice. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.