Bethel Baptist Church
Worship Service @ Home
18 July 2021
Previous Service
Service available on Youtube, or as text (below), or for audio see the Podcasts page.
Welcome
The next Elders and Deacons meeting is this Thursday 22nd July at 7pm. Please pray for wisdom as we discuss latest Government announcement re. lifting of restrictions and way forward.
Special Celebration (31/07/21)
Agreed by Elders and Deacons that we should postpone this.
Church Weekend-Away
‘The rescheduled church weekend away has been confirmed for 3rd – 5th June 2022. If you would like to go please contact Andrea for an info. letter and sign-up form.’
Testimony
“Before I came to faith, I was completely self-centred, drowning in sin and living outside God’s perfect will. My life was empty, aimless and devoid of meaning. When Christ entered my heart, from the very beginning, He worked miraculously to bring about change in the very make-up of my character. His work transformed me. I had been spiritually dead, and felt dead physically too, and Jesus brought me new life and freed me. Today I have a new identity in the Lord and feel the presence of Jesus Christ with all my being. I am so grateful to the Living God for the new identity He has granted me – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation, the old has gone, the new is here!”.
Mansour, Iran (From Sat-7 magazine).
“Are we plugged into Jesus so His power will flow through us resulting in physical and emotional healings, and abundant blessings in our lives. By seeking Him and getting into His Word we will experience His power in our lives (Ps. 68:35).”
Stella
Worship
Word
Reading: Romans 1:1-17
“… who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Rom. 1:4
Introduction
God had promised Abraham that He would bless the world through his seed (Gen. 12:3) and this was becoming a reality as the gospel He promised beforehand (Rom. 1:2), was spreading to the nations. This is the gospel regarding God’s Son (Rom. 1:3), the Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel the apostle Paul proclaims (Rom. 16:25), the gospel of God (Rom. 1:1), about “how God has revealed Himself in His Son” (Dr Thomas R Schreiner).
(1) Jesus who lived in weakness is now appointed ‘Son of God in power’
It is clear in the Scriptures, and here in Romans, that the Son of God is the Eternal Son of God, who was, and is, and always will be. The Son of God became flesh (John 1:14), born of the seed of David (Rom. 1:3), and lived a life, not in His own power, but dependant on the power of the Spirit to obey the will of His Father in heaven. He was subject to weakness, born as a helpless babe, and at the end He couldn’t carry His cross during the final stage of His journey to Golgotha,
For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness yet He lives by God’s power.
2 Cor. 13:4
Following His resurrection, He moved to a new stage in His existence, appointed Son of God in power.
“Jesus had to take on flesh and enter the old age in order to inaugurate the new age … characterised by the Holy Spirit”.
Dr Thomas R Schreiner
“the resurrection of Christ is the beginning of the resurrection of the dead. Through Christ the resurrection Age has burst upon us”
Anders Nygren
(2) Power to believe
“Jesus’ resurrection … gave Him new power to dispense salvation to all those who would believe in Him”
Douglas Moo
Remember when Jesus laid out the standard of the kingdom of heaven which left the disciples asking Him “Who then can be saved?” Jesus’ answer,
With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.
Matt. 19:25-26
This Gospel of God’s Son is:
… the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.
Romans 1:16
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Cor. 1:18
This is a work, a power, that will go on right to the end, until to the Day of Christ’s Second Coming if we are still around, e.g.
being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Phil. 1:6
and
He is able to save forever those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.
Heb. 7:25
(3) Power to love
To love like Jesus loves is not easy, in fact it is impossible humanly speaking, which is why we need His power to love like He loves. Paul, having prayed for the church in Ephesus to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in their inner beings, so that Christ may dwell more fully in their hearts, goes on to pray that they may have power …
to grasp how wide, long, high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.
Ephesians 3:18
They may think this is impossible so he goes on to reassure them:
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us.
Ephesians 3:20
The Holy Spirit has poured the love of Christ in our hearts,
God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Rom. 5:5
(4) Power to live a holy life
A quote I heard at Bible College from our lecturer in New Testament,
“A holy man/woman is a mighty weapon in the hands of God.”
Derek Earle
He, himself, lived a holy life and saw much fruit in his work in South Korea. Those who live holy lives will see God and others will see God in them:
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Heb. 12:14
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Matt. 5:8
A holy life is a life separated to Jesus Christ, a life of purity whereby He, ‘the Son of God in power,’ empowers us to live holy lives.
Conclusion
Jesus who once lived in weakness is now appointed “Son of God in power” so let us expect great things from Him, let us attempt great things for Him!
Questions for Discussion
- What difference does it make to focus on Jesus, Son of God in power?
- Share how you experienced the power of God to believe?
- “Love is strong as death” (Song of Song 8:6) and Jesus’ love is stronger. Discuss!
- Why is a holy life so powerful? Give some examples!
Quote for the week
“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not”
C.S. Lewis
Verse of the week
Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Ephesians 6:10
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your wonderful ways especially revealed through Your Son who became a human being, born as a helpless babe, completely dependant on His parents, living a normal life for many years and finally crucified in weakness as He died our death and for our sin.
We praise You that in His utter humiliation to the grave, You raised Him from the dead, seated Him at Your right hand from where He reigns as Son of God in power.
Help us to focus on this and see Your power at work in Your church, in and through Jesus Christ, the Son of God in power, Amen.