God’s Lost and Found Department

Series Introduction:

Luke 15 has been called God’s Lost and Found Department. In these 32 verses, Jesus uses no less that 4 illustrations dealing with the lost and with God’s desire to see them saved and restored to fellowship with Himself. Verses 3-7 record the Illustration of the Lost Sheep. Verses 8-10 record the Illustration of the Lost Silver. Verses 11-24 give us the Illustration of the Lost Son. And, Verses 25-32 relate the Illustration of the Lost Sibling.

The backdrop for these “heavenly stories with earthly meanings” is found in verses 1-2. In these verses, Jesus is seen reaching out to the lost and dying. We are told that “publicans and sinners” came to hear Him preach. Publicans were also known as “tax collectors”. These people worked for the Roman government and were despised by the Jews because they were friendly with the enemy and they placed on the people harsh and unfair tax burdens. Sinners, on the other hand, referred to the Jews who did not keep the Mosaic Law, and were looked down on by the Pharisees and other religious peoples.

It was these poor people who no one cared about that Jesus reached out to! In fact, He stated that as His very reason for coming into the world, Luke 19:10; Mark 2:17. Yet, when these people gathered themselves around Jesus, to hear Him teach, the religious establishment went crazy and began to criticize Jesus for “receiving” sinners. The word “receiveth” means “to allow access to oneself”. The very people the religious world should have been reaching out to, were the very ones they shunned. Jesus, on the other hand, came to the world for lost, hurting, sinful people, and He reached out the them.

Jesus, knowing the hard hearts of these religious people, told them the parable that makes up the verses of this chapter. In this parable, Jesus uses four illustrations to teach them the value of every lost soul. He even uses this parable to teach them that they themselves might not be as secure as t hey thought they were.

I will take the next few Sunday mornings and look into this chapter in detail. I want us to enter God’s Lost and Found Department together and learn the truth that every soul matters to God, even yours!

May 23 - Current Sermon Series - One Step

Let’s be honest. When it comes to evangelism we often feel overwhelmed and inadequate. This is usually because we have not understood that salvation is God’s work and we are just cooperating with what God is already doing in the lives of people. It is not up to us to convince, convict or conquer anyone for Christ. Moreover, I am certain because we have often relegated evangelism to a formula, strategy or some sort of method; we feel guilty or like a failure if the person didn’t pray the prayer at the end of the presentation. Likewise, we have determined one must be gifted or have a certain personality to lead someone else to become a follower of Jesus. All of these factors have led us to believe that we are just not good at evangelism. What’s Your One Step sermon series will help us to take up our post with evangelism.

 

What’s your one step?

May 23: Introduction to Evangelism

May 30: Prayer

June 6: Care

June 13: Share

Authentic Community Devotional

What is “Authentic Community?  And what steps can we take to get there?  We have a devotional available that will help you answer those questions, and help us a church build a truly Authentic Community.  For more info, check with Pastor Terrance.

Current Sermon Series - Starts Feb. 14th

Join us for the current sermon series Authentic Community.

 

It is apparent that community is not some peripheral Christian teaching but is central to the outworking of God’s purpose in the world. God is glorified when He is properly reflected; by dwelling in unity, we rightly image our communal Maker. In being obedient to this calling, at The Compass Church we want to urge each member to be deeply involved in the lives of others, to “do life together.” Unfortunately, we have not always done a great job of explaining exactly what this phrase means. This sermon series, along with the 40 day devotional, will serve as a short introduction to the topic of biblical community and what it is that we mean when we commend “doing life together.”

 

Given the characteristics of community, what are the practical implications? While the list could be quite extensive, a large number of the requirements could easily be seen by doing a thorough search of the dozens of “one another” passages especially within the New Testament. Such passages tell believers to:

- Love one another (John 13:34, 15:12)

- Outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10)

- Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16)

- Comfort and agree with one another (2 Corinthians 13:11)

- Serve one another (John 13:1-20; Galatians 5:13)

- Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

- Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)

- Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)

- Be honest with one another (Colossians 3:9)

- Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

- Confess to one another (James 5:16)

-  Pray for one another (James 5:16)

 

It is these passages and many others we will be looking at over the next seven weeks to better equip and position us to live in authentic community.

Ash Wednesday

Q: What is Ash Wednesday?

A: Ash Wednesday is the day Lent begins. It occurs forty days before Good Friday.

Q: Is Ash Wednesday based on a pagan festival?

A: Heck, no. Ash Wednesday originated in the A.D. 900s, long after Europe had been Christianized and the pagan cults stamped out.

Q: Why is it called Ash Wednesday?

A: Actually, Ash Wednesday is its colloquial name. Its official name is the Day of Ashes. It is called Ash Wednesday because, being forty days before Good Friday, it always falls on a Wednesday and it is called Ash Wednesday because on that day at church the faithful have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross.

Q: Why do they have their foreheads marked with a cross?

A: Because in the Bible a mark on the forehead is a symbol of a person’s ownership. By having their foreheads marked with the sign of a cross, this symbolizes that the person belongs to Jesus Christ, who died on a Cross.

Q: Why is the signing done with ashes?

A: Because ashes are a biblical symbol of mourning and penance. In Bible times the custom was to fast, wear sackcloth, sit in dust and ashes, and put dust and ashes on one’s head. While we no longer normally wear sackcloth or sit in dust and ashes, the customs of fasting and putting ashes on one’s forehead as a sign of mourning and penance have survived to this day. These are two of the key distinctives of Lent. In fact, Ash Wednesday is a day not only for putting ashes on one’s head, but also a day of fasting (see below).

Q: What are some biblical examples of people putting dust and ashes on their foreheads?

A: Consider the following verses from the New International Version:

“That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh, his clothes torn and dust on his head.” (1 Samuel 4:12)

“On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.” (2 Samuel 1:20

Q: Where do the ashes used on Ash Wednesday come from?

A: They are made by burning palm fronds which have been saved from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, they are then blessed by a priest — blessed ashes having been used in God’s rituals since the time of Moses (Numbers 19:9-10, 17).

Q: Why are ashes from the previous year’s Palm Sunday used?

A: Because Palm Sunday was when the people rejoiced at Jesus’ triumphal entrance to Jerusalem. They celebrated his arrival by waving palm fronds, little realizing that he was coming to die for their sins. By using palms from Palm Sunday, it is a reminder that we must not only rejoice of Jersus’ coming but also regret the fact that our sins made it necessary for him to die for us in order to save us from hell.

Q: Is having one’s forehead signed with ashes required of the faithful?

A: No, it is not required. However, it is to be strongly encouraged as it is a fitting and visible spiritual reminder that encourages one to adopt an attitude of prayer, repentance, and humility. As James said: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

Q: Is Ash Wednesday a holy day of obligation, that is, a day on which we are required to go to Mass?

A: No, it is not a holy day of obligation. However, it is strongly advisable since it is fitting to mark the beginning of penitential season of Lent by going to Mass. The formal, corporate worship of God is a good way to get a good start to the season. Also, even though it is not a holy day of obligation, it is a day of fast and abstinence.

Current Sermon Series

Join us for the current sermon series from the book of Judges called Losers, Laymen & Leaders.

Judges 2:20-3:11

LOSERS, LAYMEN AND LEADERS

Lessons From The Lives

Of The Judges Of Israel

Series Intro: The period addressed in the book of Judges is a period of time defined by lawlessness, rebellion and moral failure among the people of Israel. The whole attitude of Israel during the time of the judges can be summed up in the words of Judges 17:6; 21:25, where the Bible says, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Ill. That’s a pretty good description of our world as well!)

        God had redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage. He led them for forty years through a wilderness. He brought them safely into the land of Canaan and promised to defeat all their enemies, if only they would walk with Him in holiness.

        God commanded them to enter Canaan and to conquer it, Deut. 7:1-6. The commandments given in those verses are crystal clear. They were to:

1.  v. 1  Possess the land

2.  v. 2  Utterly destroy all the nations of Canaan

3.  v. 2  Make no peace treaties with them

4.  v. 2  Show them no mercy

5.  v. 3  Refuse to intermarry with them

6.  v. 5  Completely destroy every trace of their pagan religions

        The reason they were commanded to do this was because Israel was to be different from all the people around them, Deut 7:6. They, among all the people of the earth, had been chosen by God. He had saved them, blessed them and promised them victory, if they would walk with Him.

        God demanded total separation among His people. He knew that if Israel allowed themselves to be entangled with the Canaanites, they would become corrupt spiritually and be drawn away from God, Deut. 7:4. When that happened, God promised that He would visit them suddenly, in His wrath, Deut. 7:4.

        Israel had their instructions, but they failed to fully carry out the Lord’s command. The record of their failure is chronicled in Judges 1:19-34.

·         Judah failed – 1:19-20

·         Benjamin failed – 1:21

·         Joseph failed – 1:22-26

·         Manasseh failed – 1:27-28

·         Ephraim failed – 1:29

·         Zebulon failed – 1:30

·         Asher failed – 1:31-32

·         Naphtali failed – 1:33

·         Dan failed – 1:34

·         The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh even refused to enter Canaan, choosing to remain on the other side of Jordan.

        Israel’s failure to defeat their enemies resulted in them living among their enemies. After a while, they became like their enemies, adopting the wicked ways of the various Canaanite tribes around them. Eventually, Israel began to worship the false gods of the Canaanites. When they followed this downward path, God allowed them to know His displeasure and His judgment.

        When judgment came, eventually the people would realize that they were to blame. They would repent and seek the Lord. When they did, God forgave them and raised up a deliverer, called a Judge. These men and women helped Israel throw off the yoke of their oppressors. They also helped them to live for God.

        Israel would follow a Judge until that Judge died, then they would revert to their wicked ways and the cycle would begin again. This continued in Israel for about 400 years, until they got their first king.

        The book of Judges is profitable for us today. Because in its pages, we see that Israel faced many of the same problems that we face in our world today. They faced physical enemies; so do we. They faced problems from the world, the flesh and the devil; so do we.

        I want to take the next few Sunday evenings and bring a series of messages I am entitling Losers, Laymen and Leaders. I want to share with you some Lessons From The Lives Of Israel’s Judges.

        As we look at these men and women God used to deliver His people in those days, I want you to see that He is still looking for men and women He can use in our day. God is no longer looking for judges, but He is looking for leaders. He is looking for men and women He can use to stem the tide of evil that threatens to overtake the church in these dark days. He is looking for people who will rise up, taking their stand with God and the Bible. He is looking for people He can use to change the world for the glory of God. Some of the people He is looking for might just be sitting in these pews today! In that age, God used common, ordinary men and women to accomplish His purpose in Israel, and that is the kind of people He will use in this day as well.