March 8, 2020
Rose of Sharon Baptist Church March 8, 2020
Church Service Notes
AM Service
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28 & 2:18-24
In the past few weeks we have celebrated the younger generations in our church family. For the rest of March we will be looking at family and what the Lord says about family and how we can apply God’s plan for family in the lives of our families. To begin our family series let’s start at the beginning of the Bible!
Genesis 1 and 2 contain the history of creation. In chapter 1 we are given a big picture view or a 10,000 foot view. In Genesis 2 we find the details of creation. There are some people who try to argue Genesis 1 and 2 contradict one another but this is not the case. Genesis 1 and 2 are complementary of one other, first the overall history is introduced and then more details are provided within the overall framework. As we look at the two chapters we learn about God’s plan for all of creation including people and families.
In the details of chapter 2 we find God creates Adam as the first person. God decides and Adam recognizes that it not good for Adam to be the only person and Adam could use a companion and helper like himself. Thus, God creates Eve, the first woman. God brings the two together to form the first family and they can serve as an example to us
What is family? This seems to be a confusing question in our current society. By God’s design family is a husband and wife, a father and mother, and their children. We see children in the creation history with God’s command to people to be fruitful and multiply, in other words: to have children. Family includes marriage as we see in chapter 2 where God tells us that a man and woman are to leave their parents and become one flesh. Jesus elaborates on the marriage concept in Matthew 19:4-6 when He quotes the Genesis 2 verses and also shares that the marriage is supposed to be permanent.
There is a great deal of truth about family packed into these verses. Family was established by God; so if family is to function properly it should be according to God’s design and plan – not people’s reinterpretation of the family concept. Part of God’s design is for family to grow around the marriage of a man and woman who produce children. The plan does not include marital relations prior to marriage, it does not include affairs outside of a marriage, neither does it include homosexual unions. These concepts are ways people have tried their own interpretation of marriage and family. These concepts reject God’s original plan. What happens when we reject God’s plan? We experience brokenness. All of the brokenness of our lives is because people have chosen to sin by rejecting God’s will for their lives. Sin always leads to brokenness and it is why our world experiences death, disasters, disease, destruction, despair, and all kinds of trouble. Humanity’s sins encompass the world and cause us to experience brokenness we do not directly cause ourselves. Our own sins lead to brokenness in our lives and many times in other people’s lives too. And so it is when we reject God’s plan for the family. Our own sinful interpretation of family has, does, and will lead to brokenness; for us, our family members, and other people in our lives. In order to experience the best family life we can we must strive to realize God’s original plan for family in our own families. This means we must learn God’s Word and apply it!
Knowing now what family is, why did God create family? I believe we find three reasons in Genesis as to why God created family: 1) to reveal God to creation, 2) to rule over the earth, and 3) to continue to revealing of God to the generations. We find in Genesis that God created people in His own image. God did this in part so we as people could have the capacity to love people as God loves. This allows us to His witnesses in the world to provide others with a glimpse of God’s love for them! Our families should love others and introduce people to God! In making us caretakers of the earth we have the responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation. This responsibility gives us work to complete and to focus upon. And the call to multiply is a call to continue the revealing of God throughout the time to come. God wants more from us than to simply procreate and extend the future of humanity. God wants us to teach the next generation about Him and His love for all people to continue the love story God has for everyone!
The Bible is full of many examples of families. Some of the families experience tremendous turmoil and reveal to the consequences of families that reject God’s plan. Other families, although not perfect, strive to obey God and show us the blessings available to families committed to God. Abraham’s family is one such family. In Genesis 18:18-19 we see God describing Abraham and his family. God describes Abraham as teaching his children the ways of God and the family as standing for justice. Our families need for this example. We can teach our younger generations the ways of God! We can stand for justice in a world that is searching for it! This would be family according to God’s plans! We can look at Joshua’s family too. In Joshua 24:15 we find Joshua declaring to all the people of Israel that he and his family would serve the Lord! We need this type of commitment from our families today! We you lead your family to serve the Lord?
PM Service
Scripture: James 3:1-12
The past couple of weeks we have spent in this part of James. We have studied how our words reveal our inner self and how we should fill our lives with God’s wisdom to help ensure our words reveal good things. We have looked at how negative words can be so very destructive. Tonight we will look at how good words can have a wonderful impact!
In James 3 we find the teaching of how powerful and influence our words can have. James provides the comparisons of a bit controlling a horse and wheel a ship. The small greatly influencing the larger entity. Our words, even a small brief sentence, can have a mighty impact on many lives. Tonight I want us to look at teaching in Scripture about how to use our words in a good way.
Job 16:5 – this Scripture finds Job sharing that a good use of words is to speak comfort into other people’s lives during times or grief. When we recognize people in living in a difficulty or trying circumstance we can speak words of encouragement, reinforcement and hope to them.
Psalm 37:30 – This verse tells us to speak good words by speaking the truth and justice. We should be speaking for what is right. We should be correcting false truths to protect others. We should be speaking for justice to defend those who cannot speak for themselves. Words of justice can be a mighty impact in a person’s life.
Psalm 50:23 & Psalm 77:12 – These verses tell us to speak praises to God. We should be glorifying God for who He is! We should be rejoicing and giving thanks for the wonderful blessings He sends to us! Psalm 77 continues with verses 13-20 by giving praise and thanks to God as an example for us. Let’s speak more about the great things our Awesome God has done!
Proverbs 10:11 – This verse tells us our good words are a well of life. Last week we looked at how words of abusing critique and hatred can destroy a life and make a person feel and believe they are worthless. Thank God that good words can provide life to people too. Good words can restore hope and faith to a broken life. And the words of the Gospel share the way to eternal life! Let’s commit to making our words be words of life!
Proverbs 15:1 – Here we find the wisdom of a soft answer to diffuse an argument. Jesus tells us we are to be peacemakers. Our words should speak peace into confusion and strife. We need to consider and reason our words before we speak and not speak impulsively. Impulsive speech often adds fuel to a fire. We need to take our time and speak words of peace.
Proverbs 15:23 & Proverbs 16:24 – In these verses we find the power of well timed and well spoken words. When someone speaks a needed word of encouragement to you in a bad day doesn’t it help? The right words at the word time can be such a difference maker in our life. We need to be aware of how people are around us and make an invested relation in their life rather than the shallow relationships we so often have. When we are invested in people we can recognize when they are troubled, hurting, searching, or whatever their true state is and then we can speak to them as needed. When we share the right words in those times it is a tremendous blessing.
Proverbs 17:27-28 – These verses tell us that sometimes the best thing to say is nothing. It is okay to not have an answer for everything. Sometimes, people just want someone to listen to them. Sometimes no words are going to make a situation better and the best action is to walk away. We need to learn to recognize these moments too.
Ephesians 4:29 – Our last verse tonight provides a filter for our words we should consider. It tells us our words are to be good for edifying, for the encouragement and building up of others. That our words would not be corrupt but full of grace. We should consider our words before we speak to see if they have corruption or grace and to see if they will benefit the hearer or not. Filtering our words this way will help to ensure our words are used for good influence.
Let’s commit to speaking good words whenever we speak!
If we can be of help in some way to you, please let us know.
In Christ’s Love,
Charlie Tucker