The Saved Serve

April 29, 2013 Monday Message:

Non-Christians often assume that a good person, doing the best they can, will get into heaven. Sounds reasonable, but that’s not how it works.

A good person doing the best they can is still plagued by shortcomings, not always hitting the mark; and if we didn’t need rescuing, God wouldn’t have sent a Savior.

Therefore Jesus puts substitutionary atonement into play, to cover our defects. He puts us on His team, adopting us into the holy family. And out of gratitude for what Jesus did for us, we then strive to be good people and do the best we can. In other words, we’re not working to earn our way into heaven; we’re thankfully serving because of the assurance of salvation we have been given.

John said that our loving service shows others that we are truly redeemed. “Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life.” (1 John 3:14 CEV)

If we have no desire to serve and love others – if we’re concerned only with our needs, and not the needs of others - we should question whether Christ is really in our lives. “Non-serving Christian” is an oxymoron.

The saved serve.

Norton Lawellin

Join Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) 10:30am Sunday, May 5, as Pastor Michael Pilla teaches about “The Transfiguration” from Luke 9:28-36. We meet in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis. See you there!

NL

Mission with a Church - 2

April 22, 2013 Monday Message:

Last week, we closed our discussion of church mission vs. buildings with some questions. Let’s explore.

1. Are church buildings good things, or bad things?

  Good things. Anything that facilitates ministry is a good thing. Being able to bring the unchurched to your building to hear solid Bible teaching is a prudent use of God’s resources.

  a) Should you contribute to the “building fund?”

  Sure. If a new building is the vision for your church, get onboard.

2. Is it better to be a church with no mission, or a mission with no church?

  A church with no mission is dead, or at least they missed the whole point of the Great Commission. Matthew 28:16-20 So if you had to choose, it would be far better to be on a mission for God than to establish a church that had no purpose. Hopefully, we can have both – a church with a purpose. God’s mission for you could include establishing a local church where one did not previously exist.

3. Does the church where you worship have:

  a) a building?

  b) a mission?

  c) both?

  By now we all know that it’s ideal to have both.

When Jesus started his ministry on earth, he had a job to do, a mission. He did not have a church. He called the 12 Apostles and the many other disciples, followers and believers who then became “the church.” The Acts 2 church didn’t have a building. But even though they met in homes, they were clearly on a mission from God.

Norton Lawellin

Join Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) Sunday, April 28. Lead Pastor Michael Pilla continues our journey in Luke 9:18-27. We meet in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis. See you there!

NL

  

Mission with a Church - 1

April 15, 2013 Monday Message:

People tend to think of churches as brick and mortar buildings. “We worship there Sunday mornings, the youth group returns after supper, and the women meet on Wednesday.” But God isn’t concerned with buildings. Buildings will wear out and fall down in a couple hundred years anyway.

What God really wants is for you to get in the game, to get in on the mission, to impact His Kingdom for eternity. Follow the example of the believers when they first came together in Acts 2. Together, they were working on the mission they had been given: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19 They were sharing the Good News with everyone. Think about it - they had a mission, but no church, no building. In spite of that, it all seemed to work. 3000 new believers were baptized in the Acts 2 story.

Don’t get me wrong - buildings can facilitate our ministry by giving the community a place to gather, worship and hear God’s word. But the church building is just that – something that supports our mission and facilitates our work for the Lord. A building might be helpful as we work our mission, but it is not the destination.

Here are some questions to consider:

1. Are church buildings good things, or bad things?

  a) Should you contribute to the “building fund?”

2. Is it better to be a church with no mission, or a mission with no church?

3. Does the church where you worship have:

  a) a building?

  b) a mission?

  c) both?

Answers next week. Blessings as you walk with the Lord this week!

Norton Lawellin

Sunday, April 21, guest teacher Dan Pilla explains how to feed 5k people with 5 loaves and a couple of fish. 10:30am, Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF), in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis. See you at church!

NL

Substance vs. Circumstances

April 08, 2013 Monday Message:

Leader: He is risen!

Congregation: He is risen indeed!

2000 years ago, the Israelites were fed up with Roman occupation. They were sick and tired of the rules, the soldiers, the taxes and also sick and tired of being governed by people who did not know God. They prayed and prayed for God to rescue them, to anoint a leader who would free them from Roman oppression.

God did send a Messiah, His own Son Jesus Christ, to rescue the people of God. But Jesus was not sent with a political agenda – rather, he had a theological agenda. The Israelite leaders were worried about the Romans; God was worried about our sin.

Governments come and go. In the US, we have elections every 4 years, and our country often switches directions. So the winds of our political circumstance can easily change direction.

God is more concerned with substance than circumstance, and while we often seek a solution to our circumstances, God wants to give us something more, something of substance, something that really matters. God sent his Son, so that all who would believe in him could have their sins forgiven, become brothers and sisters in the Holy family, and live in the presence of God, for ever and ever. And that’s Good News!

Always choose substance over circumstance.

Norton Lawellin

This Sunday, our lead Pastor Michael Pilla returns to the pulpit, fully healed from 3 types of pneumonia. He’ll teach some Bible, but also include personal testimony about the Lord’s healing. Join us Sunday 10:30am, Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF), in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis.

NL

  

Brothers and Sisters

April 01, 2013 Monday Message:

Leader: He is risen!

Congregation: He is risen indeed!

We celebrated Easter yesterday, when the women found the tomb empty, and everything changed. In the garden outside the grave, Mary Magdalene first encountered the risen Jesus.

Jesus told her to share the good news: “Go tell my brothers…” from Matthew 28:10

Prior to this, the followers of Jesus were called many things: a crowd, servants, believers, disciples or apostles. But after the resurrection, Jesus calls them, “brothers.”

Studying the Bible, I’ve become increasingly aware of the relational nature of God. He desires interaction with us; it’s at the top of his agenda. This love of God – His relational spirit – is not a one-time thing. This is a God-trend, a God-characteristic. Love for mankind is the true nature of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He wants to include us!

And after the resurrection, brother and sister believers, we’ve been adopted into the Holy family, with all the rights and privileges that belong to all family members. Just like the children in our families, we’ll require discipline from time to time. But rejoice – we’re now IN the family!

See? Everything changed – for the better!

Norton Lawellin

This Sunday, the believers encounter our risen Savior on the road to Emmaus. Join us Sunday, April 07, 10:30am, Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF), in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis. Come as you are – the coffee’s on!

NL