Together

Point of Grace Online Worship - September 10, 2023

9.10.23                       TOGETHER WITH GOD          Point of Grace Worship

What is the deepest dream and longing of God?

What is God after and pursuing?

What is His deepest longing and dream?

  

God’s deepest dream and desire is the DWELL FULLY WITH HIS PEOPLE.

John 1:1-3

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Genesis 1:26

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 

The natural byproduct of intimacy is likeness. Intimacy births likeness.

 The foundation of our TOGETHER is HIS TOGETHER.

“Sin is a refused relationship with God that spills over into a wrong relationship with others.” - Eugene Peterson

John 1:14-18

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

Revelation 21:1-4

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

 

Point of Grace Online Worship - February 19, 2023

Point of Grace Worship 2.19.23 Sermon Notes – “TOGETHER – You can count on me! Can I count on You?”

“TOGETHER – You can count on me! Can I count on You?”

TOGETHER is designed by God for:

His PRESENCE! And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Eph.2:22

Our TRANSFORMATION! “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” Eph. 4:15

• His MISSION!

Matthew 16 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus’s TOGETHER (church) is an invasion forces built and authorized by Him to be His agents of redemption, salvation and new life in the world – His mission in His name empowered by His Spirit using His Gospel!

Our MISSION TOGETHER as His church is vitally important and we each have a role to play!

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

In 2023 each of us and all of us will pour intentionality, creativity, sacrifice and participation into TOGETHER at Point of Grace. We can each make a difference and we can all make a difference TOGETHER.

It may look like increased opportunities to “get to know” one another opportunities where newcomers can meet and be met. Or carefree gatherings and events where families can mingle and friendships can form.

It may look like parents TOGETHER praying over children starting kindergarten or for highschoolers on mission trips. Or like senior adults listening well to younger generations so spirit inspired mentoring has a chance to happen.

It may look like an increased commitment by every PoG’er to participate in a Grow Group, serve on a ministry team and “be counted on” for Spirit-led, God honoring financial giving.

It may look like Grow Group members praying for each other’s 3x5 lists and every PoG’er doing the Daily Pause as a common TOGETHER experience while each of us discovering spirit-filled friendships we never thought possible.

It may look like each of us delving into our God given callings and Spirit given gifts so “we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4

Point of Grace Online Worship - February 12, 2023

Point of Grace Worship 2.12.23 Sermon Notes – “TOGETHER – You can count on me! Can I count on You?”

“TOGETHER – You can count on me! Can I count on You?”

PoG-tionary

UP

OUT

TOGETHER

AGAINST

How is my ……?

TOGETHER is designed by God for us to mature! (grow, change, be transformed)

Do I need to change?

Ephesians 4 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

God designed the church (TOGETHER) to be the context for us to mature! God loves us too much to leave us the way we are!

GRACE + TRUTH

TIME = TRANSFORMATION

Where is there going to be abundant GRACE mixed together with consistent TRUTH and enough time for my (our) TRANSFORMATION, “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ”?

TOGETHER

What are the temptations when God is leading us to change, to grow?

Remember God’s vision: until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Point of Grace Online Worship - February 5, 2023

Point of Grace Worship        2.5.23     Sermon Notes – “TOGETHER – You can count on me!  Can I count on You?”

 “TOGETHER – You can count on me!  Can I count on You?”

 PoG-tionary

UP

OUT

TOGETHER 

AGAINST

How is my ……?

Ephesians 2 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  

God is Rebuilding TOGETHER at Point of Grace and we get to be a part of it!

Jesus built TOGETHER means “nobodies get to be somebodies who are never alone”

“you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household …  And in him you too are being built together “

Jesus built TOGETHER means “Jesus is the foundation and sets the direction”

“built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

 Jesus built TOGETHER means “we get to be a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit”

“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”   

 

Can you imagine what it might look like if a group of Jesus followers

invested their lives into God’s dream for TOGETHER?