Transformative Faith: Embracing Community and Change
Summary
In today's gathering, we celebrated the public declaration of faith by John, James, and Eric through baptism, symbolizing their commitment to follow Jesus. This act of faith is a reminder that God has made us alive and called us together in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. As we confess our faith, we are reminded of the commandments that guide us to love our neighbors, live purely, and act justly. Romans 13 encapsulates this by urging us to love our neighbors as ourselves, a love that is patient, peaceful, and extends even to our enemies.
Our mission as a church is to make and grow mature disciples, unified in worship, community, and mission. We cooperate with other churches to spread the gospel, particularly through initiatives like the Annie Armstrong Easter offering, which supports church planting across North America. This mission is rooted in the transformative power of Jesus, who came not for the self-righteous but for sinners in need of spiritual life transformation.
In Mark 2:13-17, we see Jesus calling Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him. This story illustrates that Jesus' mission is to transform lives, using those in need of transformation as instruments of change for others. Levi's response to Jesus' call is a model for us: to repent, believe, and follow Jesus, leading to a fellowship of forgiven sinners. This fellowship is not just a historical event but a blueprint for the church, emphasizing that Jesus welcomes us as we are but loves us too much to leave us unchanged.
As a community, we are called to actively participate in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, sharing God's love and life with others. This involves being ambassadors of Christ, using the principles of love, know, speak, and do to help others trust and follow Jesus. Our church is not a social club but a fellowship of sinners transformed by Jesus' love. We are people in need of change, helping others in need of change, as we follow Jesus together.
Key Takeaways:
1. Baptism as a Public Declaration: Baptism is a powerful symbol of our commitment to follow Jesus, representing our death to sin and resurrection to new life. It is a public declaration of faith, reminding us of our unity in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. This act calls us to live out our faith actively and visibly in our communities. [20:54]
2. Jesus' Mission for Sinners: Jesus came not for the self-righteous but for sinners in need of transformation. His mission is to change lives, using those who are themselves in need of change as instruments of transformation for others. This challenges us to embrace our imperfections and allow Jesus to work through us. [36:55]
3. The Fellowship of Forgiven Sinners: The church is a fellowship of forgiven sinners, not a club for the self-righteous. We are called to follow Jesus together, repenting and believing in the gospel, and participating in a community centered on Jesus' transforming power. This fellowship fuels our mission to reach the lost. [45:41]
4. Active Participation in the Gospel: We are called to actively participate in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, sharing God's love and life with others. This involves being ambassadors of Christ, using the principles of love, know, speak, and do to help others trust and follow Jesus. [49:58]
5. Transformation Through Community: Jesus uses imperfect people to bring about transformation in others. We are people in need of change, helping others in need of change, as we follow Jesus together. This involves building meaningful relationships and being instruments of change in our communities. [55:28]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Baptism of John
- [02:00] - Baptism of James
- [03:30] - Baptism of Eric
- [05:00] - Confession of Faith
- [07:00] - Romans 13 and Love
- [09:00] - Prayer for Love and Purity
- [11:00] - Mission of the Church
- [13:00] - Annie Armstrong Easter Offering
- [15:00] - Introduction to Mark 2
- [17:00] - Jesus Calls Levi
- [20:00] - Jesus' Mission for Sinners
- [23:00] - Fellowship of Forgiven Sinners
- [26:00] - Active Participation in the Gospel
- [29:00] - Transformation Through Community
- [32:00] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Mark 2:13-17
- Romans 13:8-10
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Observation Questions:
1. In Mark 2:13-17, what was Levi's occupation, and how did people generally view individuals in his profession during that time? [41:34]
2. According to Romans 13:8-10, how are the commandments summarized, and what is the central commandment highlighted in this passage?
3. What was the reaction of the religious leaders when they saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, and how did Jesus respond to their concerns? [49:58]
4. During the sermon, what was emphasized as the mission of the church, and how does it relate to the story of Levi? [45:41]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Jesus' call to Levi challenge the traditional views of who is considered worthy of following Him? What does this say about Jesus' mission? [41:34]
2. Romans 13:8-10 speaks about loving one's neighbor. How does this passage connect with the actions of Jesus in Mark 2:13-17?
3. The sermon mentioned that the church is a fellowship of forgiven sinners. How does this concept redefine the purpose and mission of the church community? [45:41]
4. What does it mean to actively participate in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, as discussed in the sermon? How does this participation manifest in daily life? [49:58]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life. Are there any "Levis" in your community whom you might be overlooking? How can you extend an invitation to them to experience the love and fellowship of the gospel? [41:34]
2. Romans 13:8-10 emphasizes loving your neighbor as yourself. Identify a specific way you can demonstrate this love to someone you find difficult to love this week.
3. The sermon highlighted the importance of being ambassadors of Christ. What practical steps can you take to embody the principles of love, know, speak, and do in your interactions with others? [49:58]
4. Consider the idea that the church is not a social club but a fellowship of sinners. How does this perspective change the way you view your role in the church community? [52:06]
5. Jesus used imperfect people to bring about transformation. In what areas of your life do you feel in need of change, and how can you seek support from your church community to grow in these areas? [55:28]
6. The sermon mentioned the importance of responding to Jesus' call. What is one area in your life where you feel Jesus is calling you to take action, and how will you respond this week? [58:57]
7. How can you contribute to the mission of making and growing mature disciples in your church? Identify one specific action you can take to support this mission. [45:41]
Devotional
Day 1: Baptism as a Symbol of New Life
Baptism is a profound symbol of our commitment to follow Jesus, representing our death to sin and resurrection to new life. It is a public declaration of faith, reminding us of our unity in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. This act calls us to live out our faith actively and visibly in our communities. As we witness the baptisms of John, James, and Eric, we are reminded of the transformative power of Jesus in our lives and the call to be a light in the world. Baptism is not just a personal milestone but a communal celebration of faith and commitment to the teachings of Jesus. [20:54]
Colossians 2:12-13 (ESV): "Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses."
Reflection: How can you actively and visibly live out your faith in your community this week, inspired by the commitment symbolized in baptism?
Day 2: Jesus' Mission to Transform Lives
Jesus came not for the self-righteous but for sinners in need of transformation. His mission is to change lives, using those who are themselves in need of change as instruments of transformation for others. This challenges us to embrace our imperfections and allow Jesus to work through us. The story of Levi, a tax collector called by Jesus, illustrates that Jesus' mission is to transform lives, using those in need of transformation as instruments of change for others. Levi's response to Jesus' call is a model for us: to repent, believe, and follow Jesus, leading to a fellowship of forgiven sinners. [36:55]
1 Timothy 1:15-16 (ESV): "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."
Reflection: What imperfections or struggles in your life can you offer to Jesus today, trusting Him to use them for His transformative work in you and others?
Day 3: The Church as a Fellowship of Forgiven Sinners
The church is a fellowship of forgiven sinners, not a club for the self-righteous. We are called to follow Jesus together, repenting and believing in the gospel, and participating in a community centered on Jesus' transforming power. This fellowship fuels our mission to reach the lost. As a community, we are called to actively participate in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, sharing God's love and life with others. This involves being ambassadors of Christ, using the principles of love, know, speak, and do to help others trust and follow Jesus. [45:41]
Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV): "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the fellowship of forgiven sinners in your church, helping to create a welcoming and transformative community for all?
Day 4: Active Participation in the Gospel
We are called to actively participate in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, sharing God's love and life with others. This involves being ambassadors of Christ, using the principles of love, know, speak, and do to help others trust and follow Jesus. Our mission as a church is to make and grow mature disciples, unified in worship, community, and mission. We cooperate with other churches to spread the gospel, particularly through initiatives like the Annie Armstrong Easter offering, which supports church planting across North America. [49:58]
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV): "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us."
Reflection: In what specific ways can you act as an ambassador of Christ in your daily interactions, helping others to trust and follow Jesus?
Day 5: Transformation Through Community
Jesus uses imperfect people to bring about transformation in others. We are people in need of change, helping others in need of change, as we follow Jesus together. This involves building meaningful relationships and being instruments of change in our communities. The story of Levi and the fellowship of forgiven sinners is not just a historical event but a blueprint for the church, emphasizing that Jesus welcomes us as we are but loves us too much to leave us unchanged. [55:28]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to this week to build a meaningful relationship that encourages mutual transformation in Christ?
Quotes
Father, as you pour your love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, may this love that you have for us and the love that we have for you compel us to love one another, to love one another in a way that we would not hurt or hate or be hostile to each other, but that we would be patient and kind and peaceful, pursuing even our enemies with love, that we would abstain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully, give us love from a pure heart, a good conscience, a sincere faith, whether in marriage or in single life, Lord, that we would be constantly aware and working to avoid impure actions, thoughts, looks, words, desires, whatever might lead to them, and that we would not take without permission that which is not ours, that we would not take that which belongs to someone else nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit, but rather we might walk in the way of Jesus, the way of truth. [00:19:52] (62 seconds)
We come together in the faith and the fellowship of the gospel. We also come together in the mission of the gospel. Our mission is to make and grow mature disciples in ever -increasing number. We're trusting and following Jesus together, unified in worship, community and mission. And this mission brings us together with other churches. We cooperate with like -minded churches to spread the gospel and plant churches throughout North America and throughout the world. And at Easter, we work together with other churches to plant churches in North America. And we do this through the Annie Armstrong Easter offering. This is a time of year where we take up an offering and everything we give to Annie Armstrong goes to plant churches and spread the gospel, particularly through the major cities in North America, but throughout all North America. And so I hope that you'll pray and give toward the Annie Armstrong Easter offering this year. [00:21:01] (59 seconds)
Jesus came for sinners, not for the righteous, not for the self -righteous. Jesus' central mission on earth is to transform us, spiritual life transformation. And he chooses to use people who are themselves in need of transformation as instruments of the same transformation in the lives of others. [00:37:47] (26 seconds)
Jesus' call to Levi, the fellowship of forgiven sinners in verse 15, isn't just a historical event, but a blueprint for the church. Jesus calls tax collectors and sinners who recognize their need for grace to follow him by repenting and believing the gospel. He forgives their sins and failures, bringing them into a transformative fellowship. Here's grace again. Jesus welcomes you as you are to make you who you were always meant to be. Jesus accepts you as you are and he loves you enough not to leave you that way. [00:44:38] (45 seconds)
His agenda is to transform you and he transforms you through the fellowship of the gospel in the church. This fellowship's far more than a friendly association. It's a shared participation in the very life of God. Through Jesus, we share in the life and the love of the Trinity and this divine love compels us to follow Christ together in the fellowship of the gospel. This isn't a country club or social gathering. It's a community centered on Jesus's transforming power made known through the gospel. [00:45:41] (40 seconds)
And so this passage reveals the essence of the church, a fellowship of forgiven sinners, made alive in Christ, called together in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, sent on mission to reach the lost with the gospel. This is who we are. And so as members of Bayside Baptist, we share this common calling. We follow Jesus together, repenting and believing in the gospel. He invites us into the faith and fellowship of the gospel, a fellowship that expresses itself through active participation in the community of Christ. [00:46:53] (44 seconds)
This is why we gather together. This is why we grow together. This is why we give together. This is why we go to reach the lost together, as we are called to actively participate in the community of Christ. And as we are here, and as we are following Christ together, we are changed by him, and we are committed to helping each other be changed by him. Remember, this fellowship is not an end in itself. It fuels our mission. The purpose of this gathering is to fuel our mission throughout the rest of the week. And so we're called to be ambassadors of Christ. Using the principles of love, no, speak, do, that we'll get to in a few minutes, we help others trust and follow Jesus. [00:47:37] (44 seconds)
Jesus declares, my church is not a social club built on your preferences. It's a fellowship of sinners. And my mission isn't about your rightness, but about transforming sinners. So let's be clear, Jesus' primary mission is radical life transformation, to take sinners and transform us into saints. And so he chooses to use imperfect people, those who are still being transformed, those who still need to be transformed. He chooses to use us as instruments of that same change in each other. As Paul Tripp puts it, we are people in need of change, helping people in need of change. [00:55:28] (45 seconds)
And so Christian, hear this. Jesus has chosen you. Jesus has chosen you. He wants to work in you. He wants to work through your marriage, through your raising of children, through your work, through your singleness, through your circumstances. He wants to work through you, your addictions, your personality, your briars, mid -briggs tie. Jesus wants to work through you to mold you into his image. And he wants to use you right where you are to bring that same life -changing transformation to the people sitting around you, to the people living And he wants to work through you. And he wants to work And he wants to work And he wants to work And he wants to work through you. [00:55:57] (42 seconds)
We're all taking a next step. We're all here. We're taking a next step deep in the word and prayer, delighting in and loving God in every aspect of life, loving each other in community, serving willfully and joyfully to meet the needs and heal the hurts of others, on mission to reach the lost with the life -changing power of the gospel. We all are on this journey together and Jesus invites us all, follow me, follow me, be transformed by me, join me in transforming others. But just like Levi, you have to respond. [00:56:23] (40 seconds)
Jesus, he demonstrates radical love by sharing a meal with Levi and other sinners, spending time with them. We're called to extend that same love to those around us, those sitting around us, those who live around us, the marginalized, the overlooked in our communities. Jesus' actions in this passage, they're breaking social norms to show acceptance and exemplify this love. Look around you. Listen, love. We choose to care more about God and others than we do ourselves. And this love expresses itself in getting to know people, moving past the casual to really get to know and understand a person, to speak what is true and helpful into their lives, to do what is good and right for them and with them. [01:00:38] (49 seconds)
If your eyes ever see, if your ears ever hear the struggles, the sin, the weakness, the foolishness, the failure, the suffering of a fellow believer in this church, it is never a hassle to us. It is never an interruption to our plans, never an accident to our perception. It is always grace. Grace, here is an opportunity for you to choose to love this person, to get to know and understand this person, to speak what is true and helpful into their life and to help them do what is right and good and pleasing in God's sight. See, God loves us. [01:06:00] (45 seconds)
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