Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

The Christmas Gifts Part 1Christmas Gifts Part 1 “Presence”

This year, as the UPS and Amazon delivery drivers are taking up residence at our houses and the wrapping gets under way- let’s make time and space to receive and appreciate the true gifts of Christmas.

The Christmas gifts that we couldn’t earn, yet are free and available to everyone, and that last forever-As we enter the Advent season for 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and his coming. Gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve.

Christmas is a time to celebrate the presence that came at that first Christmas, and it’s an opportunity for all to receive the greatest gift in Christ. It is no accident that gift giving is a part of Christmas since Christmas itself is a great gift!‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭23

‬‬This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

In naming him Jesus, which means “God Saves”, we are given a picture of what he will do. And in being called Immanuel, it is revealed who he is- “Immanuel- God with us”

Immanuel- The gift of presence!

In this beautiful portrait Matthew ties together two important ideas, to show the significance of this Christmas announcement. God has come to be with us, to save us.

That’s the gift of presence. That’s the promised Christmas Gift.

As we enter this season, we were very intentional to begin with the idea of presence because that’s where the story of the Messiah begins in the Book of John. When Jesus’ close friend John, began to write a letter to share the story of Jesus- he interestingly doesn’t begin with details you might expect.

No details of the angels, the shepherds in the fields, no bright star, no magi, not even the manger. No, John begins with presence!

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭14

‬‬The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

To a first century audience, that would immediately take them back to the Tabernacle in the wilderness set up by Moses. In Exodus 25 God begins to give Moses details on how to erect this special tent where the presence of God would dwell among his people. This tabernacle was an ornate structure, with precious metals, jewels, and fabrics throughout. And you didn’t just go waltzing in there either- to come into the presence of God was a reverent and sacred thing.

John is taking up that idea of tabernacle and saying that in Christ- rather than us going to the tabernacle to encounter God, God has brought the tabernacle to us.

This is literally a history-changing move on God’s part.

My prayer is that whether Christmas is already hard, or it’s the highlight of the year, that you will experience the true gift of Christmas.

The gift of Presence, the gift of Emmanuel, God with us.

Carry it with you everywhere you go. Take the story to bed with you as you lay down to rest. Get in the story.

And as we do that- I also pray that we would give ourselves to him.

Vance Havner says “Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man – His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God – when we present our bodies a living sacrifice.”

Friends it is in this gift exchange that we can experience new life-

Life as part of God’s family.

Merry Christmas! Christ has come!

http://bible.com/events/48988709

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

What We Believe Part 4What we believe: Resurrection

Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth.I welcome you to our teaching series “What we believe”

Church of the Nazarene Article of Faith 16

16. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, that the bodies both of the just and of the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits— “they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

16.1 We believe in future judgment in which every person shall appear before God to be judged according to his or her deeds in this life.

16.2 We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell.

1.Jesus’ Resurrection was necessary to guarantee us eternal life through resurrection.

2.Jesus’ Resurrection is a foretaste of what we can expect in our own resurrection.

3.Our resurrected bodies will be like Jesus’ resurrected body.

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16

‬‬For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭40

‬‬For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”‭‭

John‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭29

‬‬“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.‭‭

1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬-‭8

‬‬For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.‭‭

1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬-‭23

‬‬But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

First-Fruits:

1. All the harvest came from God and belonged to Him.

2. It was an expression of faith. Because you gave the first harvest to God, you were trusting that He would provide the rest of the harvest.

3. The First-Fruits offering consecrated the entire harvest.

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬‬

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.‭‭

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21

‬‬But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭23‬-‭25‬‬

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

Bottom Line:

If you are in Christ because you believe in him, Resurrection is a most precious hope.

But if you don’t believe in Christ, resurrection is a most dreaded reality.

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

What We Believe Part 4 What we believe: Resurrection, Judgement, Destiny

Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth

.I welcome you to our teaching series “What we believe”

We begin today with a question: Is this all there is?

Do you ever find yourself reflecting on the pain and challenges of life, or maybe scrolling, or watching the nightly news on television, asking a similar question?

At the risk of being too dramatic, your answer to this question is influencing your life decisions today and your outlook on tomorrow.

As we finish up our teaching series examining what we believe as Nazarenes, I think we will see that for the follower of Jesus, the answer to the question “is this all there is?” is a compassionate and hope-filled NO

Church of the Nazarene Article of Faith 1616. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, that the bodies both of the just and of the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits— “they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”16.1 We believe in future judgment in which every person shall appear before God to be judged according to his or her deeds in this life.16.2 We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the central point of the Christian Faith, we celebrate this every year at Easter. It’s like Superbowl Sunday in the Church.

We believe that part of the story of God is that all people will experience resurrection too. Both the just and the un-just.‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭16‬-‭23‬‬For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

We believe that those who have lived justly, lived for Christ, will be resurrected to eternal life, with a new and incorruptible body. Existentially more alive, more whole, more pure, free from the ailments and pains that we know now.

Judgement- everyone’s favorite topic… or maybe not…To begin, as we discuss judgement, we must not allow our human tendency towards vindictive judgement pass over onto God.

The reality is, if we believe that God is going to put all things right, that there is coming a new heaven and a new earth, we NEED God’s righteous and holy judgement to be true, for it to take place.

We believe that the results of judgement are eternal.

For those condemned- it will mean eternity separated from God’s presence.

And for those in Christ there awaits a great hope of eternity spent in the presence of God and all the saints.

We believe there is an eternal destiny for every person, and we also believe that how we live and what we believe now will affect our live forever.‭‭

John‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭29‬‬

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

For some when you hear about resurrection and judgement, you might wonder about Christ’s return.

We believe that Christ will return, and that his return fits into this narrative of resurrection and judgement as Christ returns.

Article of Faith 15 in the Church of the Nazarene.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again; that we who are alive at His coming shall not precede them that are asleep in Christ Jesus; but that, if we are abiding in Him, we shall be caught up with the risen saints to meet the Lord in the air, so that we shall ever be with the Lord.

This doctrine has picked up in intensity and diversity in recent years, but For the Church of the Nazarene, the key truth is that he will return. He will appear in the fullness of who he is and those in Christ shall be with Him forever.So, is this all there is? We don’t believe so!

We are called to live now as people of hope now! We are agents in this story!

That’s our mission! “Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ”

Let’s get busy living!

https://www.bible.com/events/48984274

What We Believe Part 3

What we believe: Entire Sanctification

Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church.

Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth.

Welcome to our teaching series “What we believe”.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭15‬-‭19

‬‬I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭24

‬‬What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

-Paul is describing a tension to which many of us can relate: we battle with sin even when we desire to do good.

-Many people stop reading after verse 24. They believe that living a daily battle with sin is inevitable.

-It’s not the end of Paul’s words and it’s not the final word on sin in our lives. Keep reading to verse 25.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬‬

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Through Jesus there is deliverance. Through Jesus there is hope. Sin does not have the final word.

The doctrine of Entire Sanctification is defined as “the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ” (Manual, Church of the Nazarene).

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭4‬‬

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭14

‬‬In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭4‬‬

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

What Paul describes throughout this letter is the power of God to overcome sin in our lives

Consider these reminders in Romans 6-8:

-“We have died to sin” (Romans 6:2)

-“Sin is no longer our master” (Romans 6:)

-“We are rescued from sin and death” (Romans 7:25)

-“We are set free from sin” (Romans 8:2)

-“We no longer live according to sin” (Romans 8:4)

1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24

‬‬May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

God’s Word describes sin in two different ways:

1. The acts of sin – the things that we have done, and choices we have made.

2. The nature of sin – our corrupted nature, which is bent towards selfishness.

Jesus came to be my Savior, and to forgive my acts of sin (the wrong things I have done).

But Jesus also came to be my Lord, to purify my heart and cleanse me from a nature bent towards sin. Jesus desires to be both Savior and Lord.

“We believe there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character.” (Manual, Church of the Nazarene)

God purifies our hearts, but we continue the lifelong journey to grow in grace and maturity.

Verses for further study/reflection:

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Ezekiel 36:25-27

Malachi 3:2–3

Matthew 3:11–12

Luke 3:16–17

John 7:37–39

John 14:15–23

John 17:6–20

Acts 1:5

Acts 2:1–4

Acts 15:8–9;

Romans 12:1–2

2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1

Galatians 2:20

Galatians 5:16–25

Ephesians 3:14–21

Ephesians 5:17–18, 25–27

Philippians 3:10–15

Colossians 3:1–17

Hebrews 4:9–11

Hebrews 10:10–17

Hebrews12:1–2

Hebrews 13:12

1 John 1:7-9

1 John 2:1-12

From our Articles of Faith

We believe that sanctification is the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ. It is wrought by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit in initial sanctification, or regeneration (simultaneous with justification), entire sanctification, and the continued perfecting work of the Holy Spirit culminating in glorification. In glorification we are fully conformed to the image of the Son.

We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect.

It is wrought by the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service. Entire sanctification is provided by the blood of Jesus, is wrought instantaneously by grace through faith, preceded by entire consecration; and to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness.

This experience is also known by various terms representing its different phases, such as “Christian perfection,” “perfect love,” “heart unity,” “the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit,” “the fullness of the blessing,” and “Christian holiness.”

We believe that there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained in an instant, the result of entire sanctification; the latter is the result of growth in grace.

We believe that the grace of entire sanctification includes the divine impulse to grow in grace as a Christlike disciple. However, this impulse must be consciously nurtured, and careful attention given to the requisites and processes of spiritual development and improvement in Christlikeness of character and personality. Without such purposeful endeavor, one’s witness may be impaired and the grace itself frustrated and ultimately lost.

Participating in the means of grace, especially the fellowship, disciplines, and sacraments of the Church, believers grow in grace and in wholehearted love to God and neighbor.

What We Believe Part 3What we believe: Entire Sanctification

Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church.

Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth.

I welcome you to our new teaching series “What we believe”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭10

‬‬If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬‬My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Can I just say emphatically today that we believe this?

And not only do we believe it’s true, we believe we are called to experience it as a part of our walk with Christ.Today in part 3 of our series we will see that we believe in the power of God’s grace to enable us to live lives free from the power of sin.

Or put more simply, we believe in what’s known as Entire Sanctification.

From our Articles of Faith

We believe that sanctification is the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ. It is wrought by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit in initial sanctification, or regeneration (simultaneous with justification), entire sanctification, and the continued perfecting work of the Holy Spirit culminating in glorification. In glorification we are fully conformed to the image of the Son.

We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect.

It is wrought by the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service. Entire sanctification is provided by the blood of Jesus, is wrought instantaneously by grace through faith, preceded by entire consecration; and to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness.This experience is also known by various terms representing its different phases, such as “Christian perfection,” “perfect love,” “heart unity,” “the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit,” “the fullness of the blessing,” and “Christian holiness.”We believe that there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained in an instant, the result of entire sanctification; the latter is the result of growth in grace.We believe that the grace of entire sanctification includes the divine impulse to grow in grace as a Christlike disciple. However, this impulse must be consciously nurtured, and careful attention given to the requisites and processes of spiritual development and improvement in Christlikeness of character and personality. Without such purposeful endeavor, one’s witness may be impaired and the grace itself frustrated and ultimately lost.Participating in the means of grace, especially the fellowship, disciplines, and sacraments of the Church, believers grow in grace and in wholehearted love to God and neighbor.let’s pause to clarify some terms.First, what on earth is that thing in our hearts, those desires that sabotage our walk with the Lord?That friends, is our sinful or carnal nature, inherited from our first parents in the garden. It’s always opposed to God’s will, it’s always focused on fulfilling our own desires. It’s the motivator or the source of all the sins we commit.Next, what is mean by Sanctification?By definition it is the action of making or declaring something holy. The action or process of being freed from sin or purified.So, for entire sanctification, we believe that by grace, we are purified, and entirely freed from sin.It is in entire sanctification that the carnal nature in our hearts is dealt with by Christ’s atoning work on the Cross.We believe that Entire Sanctification is the work of God’s grace in our lives that deals with the deep heart condition.In purifying our hearts, we are freed from the power of that nature we have struggled with for so long.‭‭

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭14‬‬

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

God’s grace is leading us to offer all of ourselves to Him, to allow him to purify our hearts, and full us with his holy spirit.

In our surrender and his infilling and cleansing presence, we are free from the power of sin.

When we finally get to the end of ourselves, tired of the struggle, and we throw our arms up in surrender- That’s when God’s grace can do his deep work, his filling us to overflowing…Our life, our relationship with Christ will never be the same.

You are free from those inward heart desires pulling you away. Free to obey God fully…To be free from there power does not mean we will never make a mistake again.It doesn’t mean we live in some state of constant joy or ecstasy, we will still face suffering and challenges.It doesn’t eliminate our personality or who we are- in fact, I would argue that fully devoted to God is when we can TRULY be who we are.This experience doesn’t automatically make you a mature Christian.- There is a difference between a pure heart and a mature character.- God gives us purity, in an instant- we still have to learn how to live it out.Entire sanctification is a continuing journey.Our surrender is a definite moment in time, but it’s also lifestyle of YES to Jesus.The bottom line is this: Yes, you can sin if you want to. But why not choose freedom?