20170813 unforced rhythms final
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God made us to receive His word so we can reproduce His ways.
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20170813 unforced rhythms final
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- 2. SUNDAY 13 August 2017 THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GRACE
- 3. “ARE YOU TIRED? WORN OUT? BURNED OUT ON RELIGION? COME TO ME. GET AWAY WITH ME AND YOU’LL RECOVER YOUR LIFE. I’LL SHOW YOU HOW TO TAKE A REAL REST. WALK WITH ME AND WORK WITH ME—WATCH HOW I DO IT. LEARN THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GRACE. I WON’T LAY ANYTHING HEAVY OR ILL-FITTING ON YOU. KEEP COMPANY WITH ME AND YOU’LL LEARN TO LIVE FREELY AND LIGHTLY.” MATT 11:28-30 MSG
- 4. GEN 1:27-28 NLT So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."
- 6. GEN 1:31-2:3 NLT Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day. So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed, on the seventh day God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when He rested from all His work of creation.
- 9. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1CO 13:12 NLT
- 10. WORKING FROM REST Joh 15:4-5 NLT Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me. "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
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Editor's Notes
- We wanted to give you a peak into what a Sunday looks like in a church with one vision but two expressions. God has always spoken to Hatfield about the reaching a City, can you remember, City, Country, Continent. Hatfield is not a church for just the East of Pretoria but it has always had a mandate for the City and beyond. Over the years we have had employed different strategies to fulfil this mandate. We had the four lights vision that led to the planting of churches in different parts of the city, later we had the city churches, 6 churches that formed a strong relationship that covered the city from the North, Centurion, Mamelodi all the way to Rayton. So with my appointment the Leaders of the South and East church felt that God wanted through HCC and HCCS coming closer together under one vision and one leader to rekindle that vision. So not only is the ongoing health and strength of both churches is our priority but we are obeying the Lord and following Him to be a Church for the City. I know it may be odd for some of you to see me on some Sundays come in late into the service but God is doing a good thing and taking us to a bigger place of influence. I appreciate the South church that moved their service times earlier to make this possible and then when they saw I was under a bit of time pressure they changed the service format so I preach earlier in the service and could be here sooner. So now on the Sundays I preach in both I get here before 10 and can have a good time of worship with you. It may be that you want me here all the time I want you to see that we are a team of people that minister both here and in the South. Not only are we a team of preachers but also teams that runs the services. I am fully involved with the planning of the services as well as with the preparation of sermons and it is a privilege to have a team of leaders that can all be lead be the Spirit as to His direction and ministry in any service. So let us together serve the Lord and obey His call.
- The opposite of religion is relationship. Jesus lived the unforced rhythms of Grace, that did not mean He had an easy stress free life but He did a life of great fruitfulness. We can learn from Him how to live a life that please the Father, to live the life that God created us to live. Here Jesus echoes the idea of being as light-footed as a deer (Hab 3:19 - The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.) Religion causes us to trudge, relationship with God causes us to dance. What is the life we are supposed to live?
- God created us for relationship and rulership. We have a job to do. We are not on earth to just hang out with God we are here to do a job. We are here to glorify God. Remember in Romans 12 we said that to glorify God is to make Him known by reflecting Him.
- God made the heaven and the earth so that He can be seen. Rom 1:20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. But God also gave a more personal revelation of himself by creating man in his image. He created the universe to run on a rhythm that would keep heaven and earth connected.
- Resting and Working Being and Doing Abiding and Fruit Bearing Receiving and Giving Staying and Going Pruning and Growing
- Not only is the image of God in creation distorted but we are now also a distorted image. 1Co 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly , like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
- In tough times our rhythm can be disturbed and then before long we are not working from rest. We are not doing a good job of reflecting God anymore. How do you abide? How do you download from God? What is your daily, weekly, monthly and annual rhythm? Heb 4:1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. Heb 4:2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. Heb 4:9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Heb 4:10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Heb 4:11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
- These are tough times, even here at the church we are feeling the pinch as we have seen our income come under pressure. We are not the only church feeling it we are aware of a number of churches around here and all over the country even in the world that are experiencing the economic realities. But as a church how do we respond to tough times – in faith. So as a leadership that includes the staff, elders and volunteer leaders we are seeking to work from rest. We are attending to what God has been saying to us over the last couple of years and making sure we are clear and that and then aligning ourselves with His Word. Our vision is to see God’s Kingdom come in hearts, homes and beyond. This will happen by us being a community on a mission that does the work of making disciples. As our Faithful Father has spoken to us about this vision we have been undergoing a change process to better align ourselves with this vision. We are excited that God is leading us to re organize the church around the clarity He has given us and we see the future plans God has for us all. But now we have some real work that needs to be done to attend to the financial realities we face. We are very thankful for how God has always provided for us and for reserves we could have built up in easier times and that if need be we can draw on these reserves to carry us through tough times. I am also thankful to excellent leaders in the church that has always kept our expenses under check as they have been great stewards of the resources God provided. But we believe that part of better aligning ourselves with our vision will lead us to becoming even more streamlined and efficient that will lead to further cost savings. We ask you to stand with us in faith as we trust God for two things. We trust God for His provision, we know that God provides for His vision and we know that God will give us what we need to do the work He has called us to do. Secondly, we trust God for the ability to change. Change is never easy but we know that by the leading and guidance of the Spirit we will be able to follow Him to lay hold of that for which He has laid hold of us. Can I ask that we all stand together and pray for God’s provision and for God’s strengthening? LORD OUR REST IS IN YOU…..