Life Is Worship

No Useless Gifts -- Ephesians 4.7-11

Matt Jury — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:02:43 GMT

We have all received gifts for which we had no use. Perhaps it was the third toaster from your wedding or the singing Big Mouth Billy Bass. When we received those gifts, we probably threw them in some drawer or closet or in the garage where they stayed for ten years until you either sold it at a yard sale for a quarter or threw it in the trash. As much as we like to say about gifts: 'It's the thought that counts', the person who gave us the gift either did not know us very well or they had a warped sense of humor. We read in Ephesians 4 that Christ has given gifts to the Church. Unlike the gifts we received for which we had no use, Christ's gifts are nothing but useful and good. Christ said in Matthew 7.11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” The point Christ made was that God's gifts are infinitely better than any good gift man can give. As we read in the opening verse of the Book of Ephesians, every believer has already received every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.

One Is Not the Loneliest Number -- Ephesians 4.1-6

Matt Jury — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:03:40 GMT

An old Charlie Brown comic strip portrayed a scene with Lucy and Linus. Linus was watching the television when Lucy marched into the room, demanding to watch her show. Linus said, 'What makes you think you can walk in here and take over?' Lucy showed her fist to Linus, saying, 'These five fingers. Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.' The last frame of the comic strip shows Linus looking at his fist, saying, 'Why can't you guys get organized like that?' The comic strip humorously portrays the truth that strength is found in unity. An old World War II slogan promoting unity said, 'United we stand; divided we fall.' Paul teaches about the unity of doctrine and practice in the opening verses of chapter four.

Ephesians 3.14-21 -- Comprehending God's Glory

Matt Jury — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:03:42 GMT

Paul prays that the Church would be able to comprehend, understand, grasp, and appropriate the glory of God in their lives. He prays, asking that believers not be the spiritual paupers mentioned just a moment ago. If God can work a wonderful plan that lavishes His grace upon us, then that plan must be able to work in your life as well. If God cannot work in your life, He cannot work at all. So, how does God's omnipotent and predetermined plan manifest itself in your life? The answer lies in our understanding of God's plan. What is the goal of God's plan? It is to take glory for Himself. Let us look briefly at God's glory in the Book of Ephesians up to this point in our study. You will find God's glory in 1.6, 12, 14, 18; and 3.16, 21. Now, if I said something six times, you would get the idea that I was trying to emphasize something. Paul emphasizes God's glory. God's glory, the sum total of all of His perfections, character, works, and excellence, is the goal of all that God does. If we are to live the Christian life rightly, we must understand the truth that God's glory is the goal of all that He does, including your redemption and sanctification. If you take nothing from this message, I want you to take the following: You must comprehend God's glory.

Ephesians 3.1-13 -- The Privilege of Church Ministry

Matt Jury — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:38:29 GMT

Paul thought much of God's Church because He thought much of God. Consequently, when I say that we ought to count it a privilege to be a part of God's Church, I am not overstating the case. The Church is such a wonderful part of God's plan that believers ought to want to be a part of it, even at great cost. If you take anything from this message, I want you to take the following: You must count it a privilege to be a part of God's Church.

Ephesians 2.11-22 -- The Church, the Dwelling Place of God

Matt Jury — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:46:04 GMT

God's grace is so rich and powerful that it can overcome any prejudice, any division, any alienation we may have created for ourselves. God's grace operates in such a way that it completely destroys our self-imposed barriers to unite every believer in Christ. For this reason, Grace Bible Chapel is a church in which people of different backgrounds, different vocations, different interests, and different opinions can set aside those differences to serve Christ together in unity. This is not to say that our differences are unimportant; the over-riding consideration is that we individually and collectively are in Christ. In this way, this church becomes more than the sum of its ministries, activities, and facilities. While we ought to be organized, our united relationship in Christ and to each other takes precedence over everything else. Thus, the church is more than an organization; it is a living organism. The most important aspect of this church is its spiritual relationship with Christ as the dwelling place of God. If you take only one truth from this message, I want you to take the following: I must be united with other believers to be the dwelling place of God.

Ephesians 2.1-10 -- From Wrath to Wealth

Matt Jury — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:20:22 GMT

We so often get caught in a performance trap regarding our salvation. We tend to measure ourselves by what we do. For example, someone might say, 'Well, I'm a deacon.' 'Well, I'm a Sunday School teacher.' On the flip side, some say, 'I can't teach a class.' 'I can't go visiting.' Then there are those who are content to sit on the sidelines. I call them Monday Morning pastors. They want to call the shots, but they don't want to make the shots. They would make every right decision, and the pastor or the deacons or the Sunday School teacher cannot make any right decision or do anything right. The point I make is that we get caught in the trap which focuses upon what we are doing in comparison to what someone else is or isn't doing rather than for whom both we and they are doing it. I'm not saying that what we do is unimportant. I simply mean to say that whom we serve is more important, so our comparison is not right. We fail to understand that every believer was created to do good; every believer is created to serve the Lord. There is no such thing as a sideline or closet Christian. In light of this, there is one particular truth you may take from our text. Every true Christian gives evidence of his love for Christ.

Ephesians 1.15-23 -- The Church: the Fullness of Christ

Matt Jury — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:55:50 GMT

All humor aside, we see a similar principle in operation in our text. The ability to discern between two color shades is something which comes naturally to some. The ability to discern spiritual truth is not, even among believers. Some believers look at the truths of God and can barely discern the differences that eternal truth should make in every day life. They are like a person who looks at the masterpiece painting The Lord's Supper and summarizes it as a bunch of guys sitting at a table eating dinner. In reality, the painting portrays so much more. Undiscerning believers see the doctrinal facts, but the facts do not influence them because they do not really understand them.

To the Praise of His Glory -- Ephesians 1.1-14

Matt Jury — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:48:28 GMT

If we would only lift our eyes from the stresses of life to look at what we possess in Christ! We are too often distracted with our problems to see how God's glory is displayed in and around us. God's glory causes us to hold a unique position in Christ, and that unique position holds a powerful application for us today. You must live to the praise of His glory.

The Lovely Bride -- Introduction to the Book of Ephesians

Matt Jury — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:09:36 GMT

Christ sees the Church as His lovely bride. This picture presents two thoughts for us regarding our place in Christ. First, we are vitally connected to Christ and His purposes. Just as a husband and wife are intimately involved in each other's lives, so also Christ and the Church are inextricably interwoven. The second theme, flowing from the first, reveals that we are gloriously involved in Christ and His purposes. As one commentator writes, the purpose of the Church is to model how Christ intends “to bring all creation to the point where it finds its true head in Christ.”

What Is Truth? (Part 3)

Matt Jury — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:28:07 GMT

What a person believes about the truth of God’s existence and character will be revealed by his lifestyle. Belief affects behavior. You will act in a way consistent with your beliefs; you will act consistently with what you believe to be true.

What Is Truth? (Part 2)

Matt Jury — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:01:33 GMT

The Word of God concretely reveals truth, teaching us in no uncertain terms that truth exists being found only in God. The truth is simple and absolute. We may choose to believe or reject truth, but truth still remains. Truth gives meaning to our lives; it gives us hope. Our hope is not based upon some whim or some imagination. Our hope is based upon the foundation of Christ.

What Is Truth? (Part 1)

Matt Jury — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:49:29 GMT

Let us say that you are playing a game of baseball. You must have an established set of rules so that the game may be played successfully. If the rules can be changed in the middle of the game, what is the point of playing it in the first place? If there are no foul lines, then why run around the bases? If the runner does not need to be tagged in order to be out, then why hit the ball in the first place? There must be an established set of standards; there must be absolute truth. When it comes to life, as opposed to a baseball game, the same is true. We need an absolute set of standards by which to live. We can make our own standards based upon our own opinions, but everyone else has his own set of conflicting standards, and no one is right. God has given us truth, the fact of His existence and character. If we can believe in absolutes in sports, can we not believe in absolutes in matters of utmost importance such as the issues of life?

What Is Postmodernism?

Matt Jury — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:32:06 GMT

Christ said in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” We as believers must be aware of what is happening in our world. We cannot hide our head in the sand as we wait for the Lord to return. We must engage our culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To that end, I want to explain to you the mindset of the society in which we live so that you may better understand how to minister effectively the Gospel of Christ to the people you meet every day. This message will introduce a series of three messages in which we will examine truth as an absolutely reality.

Philippian 3.3-14 -- Pursuing Christ to Make Him Your Own

Matt Jury — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:59:27 GMT

We think of Paul as a high and lofty idyllic example of a Christian to which no believer since could ever dare hope to aspire. The reality is that each of us can achieve the same kind of love and passion for Christ that Paul had. Paul said that he pressed toward the prize. What was the prize? It was Jesus Christ. Christianity has nothing to do with how much we sacrifice or what losses we suffer for Christ; Christianity is the pursuit of Christ simply because He is worthy of pursuit. Thus, you must pursue Christ to make Him your own.

The Rest of the Story

Matt Jury — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:00:55 GMT

The story of Christmas teaches us that there is more to life than meets the eye. When we see the baby in the manger, we are not merely looking upon innocence. Christ is not an innocuous infant about whom we may be indifferent. Either Christ is worthy of our worship, or He is not. Why would Christ be worthy of worship? Either Christ is Lord, or He is not.

The "Fear Not's" of Christmas

Matt Jury — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:54:47 GMT

The legitimate concerns and issues of life do not simply disappear because a holiday falls upon a certain day of a certain month. That being said, holidays ought not to be fearful, especially not the Christmas holiday. The world considers Halloween to be a frightening holiday, but Christmas ought to be the exact opposite. Next to Easter, Christmas ought to be the most joyous holiday of all. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour! We celebrate the birth of the only person who can truly bring love, joy, hope, and peace to this world.

Enlarge My Coast

Matt Jury — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:23:48 GMT

If we only had the faith to allow God to work, we could see Him do great things. This kind of faith is what Jabez possessed, and we have the same kind of faith as Jabez. Our faith today is no different than Jabez’s. Either you believe or you don’t; it is as simple as that. Either Christ can work as powerfully today as he did in the times of the Chronicles, or He cannot work at all. So, the issue at stake is simply, ‘Will I believe that God can do a powerful work in and through me?’ ‘Can God really accomplish great things in and through me if I do what I ought?’ The answer is ‘Yes.’ Jabez’s prayer teaches us this wonderful truth. So, what are we to learn from the Prayer of Jabez? We ought to pray a prayer similar to Jabez. We must ask God to enlarge our ministry.

Life Is Worship

Matt Jury — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:53:04 GMT

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” Moses lists the most common and mundane aspects of life to teach that there is no aspect of life which is exempt from the worship of God. The Apostle Paul taught the same principle in 1 Corinthians 10:31, which says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Everything we do, even if it is as ordinary as eating and drinking, must give God the glory He deserves. What does it mean to do all to the glory of God? A look in a Bible concordance will tell you that the word translated glory literally means to give an opinion. When we give glory to God, we give others the opinion that He holds the highest value and deepest love in our lives. Returning to Moses as an illustration, for the believer, all ground is holy ground, and every bush is a burning bush. Life is worship.

Soul-Thirst: The Woman at the Well

Matt Jury — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:57:38 GMT

We worship because we have a desperate need; we worship because we have a void in our souls. Our worship is an expression of that need, our soul-thirst. Unless we worship with the full sense of our own absolute insufficiency, our utter dependence, and our complete emptiness, we cannot truly worship Christ.