Uncategorized Murray McLellan on 01 Oct 2007 01:25 pm
Mmmmm… Oct. 1, 2007
Monday, Oct. 1, 2007
Good morning, saints,
Redeemed! Oh how I love to proclaim the One who redeemed me from the slavery of sin. Think of it, believers, we were literally on death row. The sentence had already been pronounced … “the soul that sins shall die,” and “the wages of sin is death.” How is it then that we are set free - especially when our enemy was strong and did not want to let us go? But a greater deliverer than Moses came to earth – God Himself took a the form of a man – and He was executed in our place. Now we are set free from the damnation that hung over our heads. Isn’t the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt as we looked at in Exodus this past Sunday, a great picture and reminder of our greater redemption?
What shall we do with our lives now that we are freed? Shall we not live for the honor of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us? This is our mission as a church – to embrace Christ’s mission for us. This mission is to “seek and save that which is lost” – carrying on the mission for which Jesus came. It is to this end that we come together as a church – a people on mission. .
I am still trying to collect answers to the question I sent out in the past few Mmmmm… letters. Mike and Julie both gave the same response to our church’s mission. Thank you, Mike and Julie, for responding to the questions. I will post the question below one last time. I need your response. This is a crucial question and relates to what you see our purpose as being. If my role as a shepherd is to make sure we understand the goal and are working together to head out after it, then I need to know who already understands the mission. Does that make sense? In school, when I teach something like working with integers (remember those?) I like to give a pre-test in order to find out what the students already know. Then I can build upon that, This question will help me lead our church on the mission Jesus has called us, and we can build from where we are at. If you are new to our assembly, you don’t need to answer unless you really want to. I will assume you are at the beginning.
· Articulate in one sentence the mission Jesus has called your church to.
Please send your answers to http://www.acts29network.org/about/doctrine/).
3. We must agree to be an active church planting church. This means that when we become full members with Acts 29 Network we will give 10% of our internal giving (not monies raised from outside the church) to church planting, under local elder authority. (We can also give more, if we are able and desire to do so!)
This means that 10% of the general gifts to Grace Fellowship by the members will go to advance the kingdom in church planting. (At this point, I would like to give 5% to our beloved Belarus church planters via Geoff Volker; and the other 5% to an Acts 29 church plant in western Canada, as soon as that becomes a possibility). Above that 10% our only other major regular expense is the cost of the hall rental. Gifts above that will be passed on for my support. 100 % of the gifts that come designated “for Murray” will be passed on to me (this is the same for gifts passed on to me directly or through In-Depth Studies Canada). Though we are not obligated to give money to church planting as yet, I want to be involved now, because I believe this to be a part of the mission Jesus has for us, regardless of whether we are a part of Acts 29.
Please direct any questions, comments, or concerns to me via e-mail, phone, or skype (school afternoons) as soon as possible.
Our next house group will be at Kiley and Jessica’s on Thursday, Oct. 11th at 7:30 p.m. We will continue to discuss the applications of what God has revealed to us in the Scriptures on Sunday mornings. You can also bring any other questions or encouragements from experiences and your Bible reading this past week. May this also provide us opportunity for corporate prayer.
A reminder that the Fellowship Baptist Church fall Bible conference is on Oct. 26-27. The topic is “the church.” I am teaching at 11:00 a.m. on the Saturday morning on “The church and the world.” The cost for the conference is only $10.00 and that includes the notes, lunch on Saturday, and coffee and snacks during the breaks. I have a number of brochures. Ask me for one if you are interested.
Acts 29 Boot Camp
More quotes from the Acts 29 Boot Camp.
“It is imperative that Christians be like Jesus, by living freely within the culture as missionaries who are as faithful to the Father and his gospel as Jesus was in his own time and place.”
“The calling of the church in every culture is to be mission. That is, the work of the church is not to be an agent or servant of the culture. The churches’ business is not to maintain freedom, to promote wealth, to help a political party, or to serve as the moral guide to culture. The church’s mission is to be the presence of the kingdom. . . The church’s mission is to show the world what it looks like when a community of people lives under the reign of God.”
“The essence of any church is its mission. The essence of God’s mission is extravagant love, which Jesus Christ communicated and displayed for us on the cross.”
“A mission focus looks first at those who are outside the church before it ever looks at the internal needs of the church.”
“A church on mission understands it has been sent into an irreligious world to proclaim the Gospel of Redemption made possible by the Son’s sacrifice for our sins and the Father’s love for us. God sends every believer on this mission just as Jesus was sent on this mission (John 17:14-16, 18; 20:21). To respond to this calling is to be on mission. To neglect it is to disregard the mission of God and to cease being the kind of church that is following Jesus. “
The above quotes are again from the first teaching session on the church on mission. There is much more to come in future “Mmmmm…” letters.
Prayer –
(The following prayer and requests are provided by Julie Cortens. May it be an inspiration to us as we seek to remember one another in prayer this week, and that God would be glorified in our lives and in His world. Thanks again, Julie. May this lead us to be more faithful as a church that prays in right dependence upon our Lord. Please remember to pass on any prayer requests to Julie, so that they can be included next week.)
E.M Bounds quote of the week:
We are obliged to pray if we be citizens of God’s kingdom. The Christian who relegates prayer to a subordinate place in his life soon loses whatever spiritual zeal he may have once possessed, and the church that makes little of prayer cannot maintain vital piety, and is powerless to advance the Gospel
2Ch 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.
Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
Father, You alone are my strength. I need only simply trust in You. For You alone are my strength and my song, and You have become my salvation; You are my God, and I will praise You, I will exalt You. (Exodus 15:2)
Father we praise you for answered prayer this week - for relationship building for Cody at work, and the beginnings of the same for Amy at work. We thank you for the provision of helping hands from the saints for Larry and Jan this past week. And we thank you for improved health for Sammy. You are good to us!
We pray that Patrick’s time of travels with his brother brings healing to their relationship and that Patrick might be a light to your saving grace in their time together.
We pray for Amy’s uncle who has relationship difficulties. Lord, we know that he needs you for only you can solve the problems that this world cannot solve, so we pray that you would bring people into his life that would show him the peace that can only be found in a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray for Kurt and Kendall and baby Manz, that you will keep them strong, healthy and joyful in the task ahead of them.
We ask that you encourage and provide for Sammy as he ministers in Regina. May there be much fruit to your glory from his efforts there. We also pray for his time of discipleship with Murray and pray that you would richly bless their time together. We thank you for Murray’s’ willingness to touch the lives of Sammy, and several other young men as they desire to learn of you, minister and be a witness to the lost. Bless and encourage Murray in these studies and in his time with these men.
Lord we lift all our lost loved ones to you. We think in particular of Harold, Braiden, Derek, Blair, Chris and Shawn – Father we grieve for their souls and ask you to reveal your righteous wrath to them and then reveal the sweet mercy of Jesus Christ to them. We especially pray for Derek as he struggles with trusting you completely. We praise you that he is struggling and seeking answers and we trust that you will reveal yourself to Him in Your good timing. We pray also for Jessie as she searches for meaning in her life. May you also reveal yourself to her in a mighty way and use both Derek and Jessie and all our children to advance Your Kingdom. We pray this also for all our lost loved ones.
Father give us hearts that long for the souls of not only our loved ones, but all the lost of Saskatoon. . Father help us to trust you to do a work in us that will cause us to step out boldly – out of our comfortable lives and into their sometimes messy lives. And as we rejoice as a people no longer enslaved to the bondage of sin, may we never turn back or become complacent about the work of your Son on the cross, but instead desire to help those who remain in bondage.
We pray for safe travels for the saints and our families this coming Thanksgiving weekend and ask for your blessing as families gather, especially as Murray and Cheryl minister to their sons.
We pray for each of the saints that you will encourage them this week. We pray especially for new believers – that you will encourage them and fill their lives with great joy in you.
And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isa 30:20-21
It is because of Jesus and in Jesus’ precious name that we pray.
Amen
May we love God, one another, and the city of Saskatoon.
Jesus, build your church in Saskatoon for the glory of our heavenly Father.
Much love in, and dependence upon, the Savior,
Murray
“Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God
and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ…”
Acts 28:31
“The story continues…”
