Light and Darkness

Good Morning Church! Covenant Members, would you join me in welcoming all of our first time and returning guests? ( energetic applause) So good to see all of you and to be here. I hope you have been made to feel welcome today. This church is about walking out this life together in the RADICAL GRACE of JESUS CHRIST. It’s our heart that here a Concord, that you are made to feel “Know, Loved, and that you Belong.” Scripture tells us:‌

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

That means you don’t have to get it all figured out before you come. You come and we figure it out together. Whatever season you are in, we know the struggles of this sinful world…but we also know that our God is bigger than our circumstances.

guest connection:

Keep it upbeat— Also, for our Guests we want to connect with you! With that said, I hope you received a program this morning you’ll notice in that program there’s more info about who we are and what we offer as a church. There you will find information about various ministries for the whole family.

Also inside the program, along with the insert, there is a connect envelope. Later on in our service we will worship through a time of offering together.

During this offering time we will give all of you a moment to fill out the connect envelopes (and they also serve as a place you can give any money or financial gift that you would offer to the Lord).

During that time you will have an opportunity to connect and give and it’s really simple. Joe, our lead pastor will walk you through the steps.

We desire to connect with you and help you get plugged in.

covenant connection:

Now Covenant Members, if you will grab the insert inside your program and take it out, it is promoting some awesome things that we want to highlight so please take a look at that and see how you can get plugged in the various ministry opportunities we have. .

Coming soon...

Call to Worship || Preparatory Reading of Scripture

Ask Congregation to stand and to read this as you lead them, (together).

Read SLOWLY—establish a good rhythm for followers

1 Timothy 4:6–9 ESV

6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.

look at screen to make sure you are in sync with congregation

1 Timothy 4:10 ESV

10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Greg exits stage

FORGIVEN || worship leader || Cole Pevey

Slide Team: Make sure Scriptures are ready to cue up as Cole says, *Psalm 51:11-13 says*...” not before or too far after…please be alert.

Psalm 51:11–13 ESV

11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

All slides must be changed when the reader moves to the next verse (no delay).

Total focus! We don’t want the congregation distracted or reading the screen premature to the verse be read, nor waiting on the right verse to show up.

Encourage your team to pursue this will excellence.

Cole, says:

Song of Pardon - Concord Worship

Song of Pardon:

Cole prays: Thanking God for His presence through His Holy Spirit and how He reveals Himself through the person on Jesus who is “the Word.” Ask Him to anoint the service as we continue to worship through His Holy Spirit inspired Scripture and song.

Band exits stage

As Cole prays Covenant Member will make his or her way to the stage.

Scripture Reader take the Stage during Cole’s Prayer (uses White labelled Mic) and then reads the Script

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Scripture Reading ||

Todd says:

Good morning church, and guests. Welcome to Concord. My name is , Todd Mashburn.

I serve Concord as a deacon and on the worship team. My wife Paige and I serve in Concord Kids and in Concord Students ministries. We have 2 children (Kinley - in kids) and (Keegan in the student ministry).

We have been covenant members here for ___ years.

We are all excited to share the good news of Jesus and how our vision and mission, as a church, make Him known in this community.

This is our Mission here at Concord:

We exist to connect people through loving community as we introduce them to Jesus and help them follow Him.

This morning I have the honor of sharing God’s Word with you.

Only mention the first verse so people won’t read ahead

This morning we’ll be reading from the book of Luke

If you are joining us this morning and you do not have a Bible, you should see a White Paperback one lying around under your seats, feel free to use that one.

And if you don’t own a Bible, consider that our free gift to you.

We will even provide you with the page number on the screen to help you find our texts throughout our worship service.

take a moment and a nice slow breath — count to 3 in your head — then READ: Book, Chapter, Verse, then Scriptures.

Luke 1:1–3 ESV

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Say:

This is the Word of the Lord.

Exit the stage...

Sermon || lead pastor || Joe Brantley

Introduction

“Faith is not belief without evidence. It is belief on the very best of evidence, the word of Him who cannot lie.”

R. A. Torrey

John 20:30–31 ESV

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

last of the four gospels written, which gives it “particular significance. It has always been recognized that there is some essentially different about this gospel” when compared to the other three- “and it seems to me the great difference is this: though they are all portraits of the Lord and Saviour, in John’s Gospel there is more application; a greater emphasis is placed on the bearing of all this upon us as believers.”

As we dig in and unpack this text, it’s my hope to unpack at what length John goes to give more time and attention in how the Lord prepares us (his people) for the days ahead; problems of live and living apart from his physical presence.

“Born of God,” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Banner of Truth, Edinburgh (2011), pg. 1.

So why did John write this?

KNOWING AND BELIEVING IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, LEADS TO LIFE; IN HIS NAME AND TO FULFILL OUR DESIGNED PURPOSE TO GLORIFY GOD.

John wrote this to strengthen, establish, and encourage these first century Christians because that is what they needed…and so do we.

1 Peter 5:10–11 ESV

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John 20:30–31 ESV

Because we are results driven, selfish, and easily discouraged. Because of trials and troubles, combined with time, waywardness, doubt, and questioning—instead of leaning into Christ as taught we step back and ask “Is It True?” that is why John’s Gospel was written…for ENCOURAGEMENT.

KNOWING AND BELIEVING IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, LEADS TO LIFE; IN HIS NAME AND TO FULFILL OUR DESIGNED PURPOSE TO GLORIFY GOD.

Background-written for first century Christians

Various persecutions:

Terrible trials, large numbers put to death in cruel ways

In Rome, Christians were fed to lions in the coliseum for sport as the Aristocrats of that day cheered—that is part of the background, why they needed encouragement…to persevere

But something else…the Christians had been taught Jesus was coming back soon and when he didn’t this created doubt

Enter the False teachers and the church was being disrupted by these false teachings.

Enter the False teachers and the church was being disrupted by these false teachings...UNCERTAIN and CONFUSED

Again this was motivation for John to write the Gospel—in fact all the Gospels were specifically written in order to confirm and establish the early Christians from this condition of uncertainty, unhappiness, and even hopelessness.

KNOWING AND BELIEVING IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, LEADS TO LIFE; IN HIS NAME AND TO FULFILL OUR DESIGNED PURPOSE TO GLORIFY GOD.

VITAL PRINCIPLE

The Gospels were written primarily for Christians in order that we might have ASSURANCE and CERTAINTY.

THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE GOSPELS

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

BIG TRUTHS (Doctrines)

1. A Fuller teaching of the doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ

2. He writes of the possibilities for us because the Lord Jesus Christ is who and what he says He is. That is what you need, says John, so he writes his Gospel. And I am suggesting that the other gospels were written in exactly the same way.

Doctrine. (Gk. didaskalia). Act of teaching or that which is taught. The use of the term in Scripture, however, is broader than a simple reference to information passed on from one person to another or from one generation to the next. Christianity is a religion founded on a message of good news rooted in the significance of the life of Jesus Christ. In Scripture, then, doctrine refers to the entire body of essential theological truths that define and describe that message (1 Tim. 1:10; 4:16; 6:3; Titus 1:9). The message includes historical facts, such as those regarding the events of the life of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:23). But it is deeper than biographical facts alone. As J. Gresham Machen pointed out years ago, Jesus’ death is an integral historical fact but it is not doctrine. Jesus’ death for sins (1 Cor. 15:3) is doctrine. Doctrine, then, is scriptural teaching on theological truths.

Doctrine is indispensable to Christianity. Christianity does not exist without it. The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the value and importance of sound doctrine, sound instruction (1 Tim. 6:3), and a pattern of sound teaching (2 Tim. 1:13–14). The apostles defended the faithful proclamation of the gospel (Gal. 1:8). They formulated Christian faith in doctrinal terms, then called for its preservation. They were adamant about the protection, appropriation, and propagation of doctrine because it contained the truth about Jesus Christ. Knowing the truth was and is the only way that a person can come to faith. So the apostles delivered a body of theological truth to the church (1 Cor. 15:3). They encouraged believers to be faithful to that body of information they had heard and received in the beginning (1 John 2:7, 24, 26; 3:11), that “faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). Believers, in general, were instructed to guard the faith, that is, to stand firm in sound doctrine (2 Tim. 1:13–14). Pastors in particular were admonished to cleave to sound doctrine so that they could be good ministers of the gospel (1 Tim. 4:6).

The use of the term “doctrine” in Scripture is important for at least three reasons. First, it affirms that the primitive church was confessional. The first generation of believers confessed apostolic teaching about the significance of the life of Christ. They delivered a body of information that included facts about Christ with interpretation of their importance. Second, the use of the term reflects development of thought in the primitive church. Didaskalia is used in the Pastorals with reference to the sum of teaching, especially of that which had come from the lips of the apostles. Doctrine plays a small role in Judaism and in the New Testament apart from the Pastoral Epistles, and yet is very important in the latter. By the time of the Pastorals the apostolic message had been transformed into traditional teaching. Third, it affirms the indispensable link between spirituality and doctrine. Christianity is a way of life founded on doctrine. Some disparage doctrine in favor of the spiritual life. Paul, however, taught that spiritual growth in Christ is dependent on faithfulness to sound doctrine, for its truth provides the means of growth (Col. 2:6). The apostle John developed three tests for discerning authentic spirituality: believing right doctrine (1 John 2:18–27), obedience to right doctrine (2:28–3:10), and giving expression to right doctrine with love (2:7–11). Faithful obedience and love, then, are not alternatives to sound doctrine. They are the fruit of right doctrine as it works itself out in the believer’s character and relationships. Fifth, the resurrection of Jesus is proof that death is not the end of this life. Death is, in fact, defeated for all who by faith are united to him. When Jesus was here on earth he said to his disciples, “When I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). These verses presuppose the disciples’ own resurrection. Similarly, the apostle Paul wrote, “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thess. 4:14). The believer in Christ is united to Christ by faith in such a manner that if Jesus rose from the dead, the believer must be raised also. We were united to him in death. So also will we be in the resurrection.

Sam Hamstra, Jr.

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This is doctrine! It’s teaching! John is saying “I get it, and I understand why you are confused, why your mind is twisted, because of false teaching. Therefore I want to help…this is how I will do it...”

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Teaching! That is how we correct and help confusion and doubt. By teaching truth!

Our problem is that we are terrible students.

KNOWING AND BELIEVING IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, LEADS TO LIFE; IN HIS NAME AND TO FULFILL OUR DESIGNED PURPOSE TO GLORIFY GOD.

James Montgomery Boice: The Resurrection

At this point two truths must stand out. First, apart from the resurrection of Jesus Christ there is no certainty of life beyond the grave for anyone.

And second, on the basis of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the believer can have perfect confidence.

The writings of philosophers have many arguments for immortality, but at best they offer only speculation that such things may be. One philosopher has called the doctrine of immortality “a candle flickering at the end of a dark tunnel.” Another has called it “a star shining dimly on the blackest of nights.” That is the philosophical hope of immortality, but it does not give confidence. It is a probability but not a certainty. The only sure evidence of our resurrection is the resurrection of Jesus himself, who said, “Because I live, you will live also” (Jn. 14:19). His resurrection makes all the difference.

I do not mean to imply that the death of every Christian is ... glorious. Not all feel the force of these doctrines in the moment of their homegoing. But many do. Death can be victorious for a Christian. There is no hope apart from our Lord’s resurrection.

James Montgomery Boice

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 20:30–31 ESV

Responsive Worship || worship pastor || Cole Pevey

song 1

song 2

› Cole leads congregation in a time of response through: connection, generosity and prayer

Connect and Offering Moment

› BAND leads instrumental during 1-2 min time of prayer

› Joe comes back up front…the ushers come forward Joe prays over the offering

› Praise Songs for Generosity || Concord Worship

Sending Out

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