Rev Writes - Sun 28th Sept

SO... How are you coping with these minor prophets?
One thing is for sure, ‘Minor’ does not mean insignificant or that we can somehow put aside what they are saying. It simply means they are shorter books. Today we’ll look at the prophet Zephaniah.
Zephaniah is a prophecy - a book which spoke to the immediate situation in Judah some 2600 years ago, and it speaks to ours too. It helps us to understand more the depths of the judgment that we deserve - for God is a jealous God – and it helps us to understand the love of God in Christ. For in Christ we have one who rescues us for the coming day of the Lord – the wrath to come as Paul says.
Zephaniah’s prophecies contain judgment against Judah due to their sin - including rebellion, idolatry, indifference and arrogance to God. However, it also includes judgment on the nations for their pride in mocking the people of God 2:4-15. This judgment is depicted as the ‘great day of the Lord’ – which is near. The people are to come together and seek the Lord with humility 2:1ff.

Beyond this judgment, the Lord will gather his people (a remnant –both from Judah and from the nations 3:9,10), and he will dwell with them– he will save/rescue/gather. He will bring them home. 3:16ff.

Here’s a thought. The people of Judah some 80 years before Zephaniah had witnessed the defeat of their Northern ‘cousins’ (Israel) by the Assyrians due to their sin. They had 80 years to contemplate how they should respond to God. 80 years to wake up to the effects of idolatry, indifference, apathy – of trust in wealth. Yet as 2 Kings 17:19 tells us, even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.

How are you going with the minor prophets?
Are we people who are learning and growing?
Are we submitting to the Jesus as Lord?

Does the fact that you are free of the judgment of God because of Christ, so shape you that you joyfully live for Him?

Zephaniah ends with the promise of restoration (3:19ff). Beyond judgment there will be a day when the remnant of God’s people will be pure through judgment – gathered by the Lord- a day when he will bring His people home.

Are you ready for this day? Is your trust in Jesus alone – his death for your sins?
If so 2 Peter 3:9-18 reminds us that we ought to live holy and godly lives as we look forward to the day of God, making every effort to be spotless and blameless and at peace with Him.

God bless,
Col

Is it right to pray for specific things, or is it better to pray for God’s will?

This is a good question. At one level it appears to be more Christian to pray for the will of God to occur (as we see in the Lord’s Prayer). We know God is good and his will is good and it seems to be a safe and faithful prayer to ask for God’s will to be done.

However this is not the pattern of Jesus or the New Testament. The Bibles not only allows but commands that we pray specific requests to God.

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Colossians 4:2 - [ Further Instructions ] Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

And see the prayers of Paul

Romans 15:31 - Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,

Ephesians 6:19 - Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,

Prayer is a blessing of God. In the New Testament it is a blessing given to us by Jesus. We can pray to God our Father because of the work of Jesus. So we pray ‘in Jesus name’ to remind us of this fact. In my view we underestimate this privilege. If you look at John 14:13-14 Jesus says,
3And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

The privilege of prayer is foremost. Through the Spirit we can pray requests to God and trust not only God will hear them but he will answer them. Obviously a prayer in contradiction to the Glory of Jesus will be answered no. Moreover, some prayers will only be answered when Jesus returns. However, the power of prayer through Jesus to God the father is amazing.

Does this mean we ignore the will of God? No

Look at how Jesus prays,
Matthew 26:39 - Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Jesus asks God for something in prayer. It is a real prayer. He wants it. But behind the prayer is a trust in the will of God. That if God’s will differs to what he desired then he would trust himself to God.

This is robust prayer. Pray big prayers to God. Pray asking and expecting God to answer Yes. Pray in faith. Pray in thanks. But pray trusting that God’s will is better if it differs to your prayer.

So the answer to the question is pray specifically and continually. To pray ONLY for the will of God ignores the privilege that Jesus gives his children. We can pray, in Jesus name, through the Holy Spirit to the Father. I wonder if we pray realising this?

Have you read this post by Alexis about 645 church? What do you think? How can we change to be a community that acts and looks like our saviour. Post your thoughts to Facebook or to Alexis herself.

Alexis Cootes (Notre Dame AU) wrote on Sep 10, 2008 at 4:55 PM

One aspect of 645 that I was really looking forward to at the beginning of the year was being in a community of people who loved God and sincerely loved each other.

Over recent weeks I have become angry and frustrated by the way in which people at 645 don’t seek to love each other and serve each other.

Here are a few things to ponder over:

So often our connect group mature leaders are the first to arrive at church and the last to leave week in week out. I think we can learn a lot from the servant, selfless hearts of these people. When 645 leaves all their paper on the floor after church they are there picking it up when we leave. But how often do we talk to the more mature members of 645 after church? They love us by leading us and encouraging us. But do we love them back by talking to them after church and serving them?

I feel that there is a sense loneliness in many 645ers and this is due to the “clicks”. There is always going to be “clicks”. But what would 645 look like if it was a church with no barriers? Where everyone knew and spoke to each other? Where people weren’t selective in who they made conversation with. So often we talk and sit to the people that we are familiar with because it is “comfortable”.

When we get to 645 on a Sunday night we are generally pretty tired and serving feels like such a task. It is hard to share in open discussions with small groups about what was just spoken about in the sermon and so easy to talk about the events of the past weekend. I pray we would be a culture of people who were deeply challenged enough by the word to talk about it.

Another way in which we at 645 can love each other is by looking out for our weaker brother and sister. We live in a “drinking” culture and so often Alcohol can be a stumbling block for our 645 community. Can we be a church who loves each other by not drinking with and in-front of our brothers and sisters who struggle with Alcohol.


Imagine if we built a community that all seeked to love God and love each other. Who were not selective in who they spoke to, would be selfless in the way that they acted, encouraged others to be challenged in God’s Word and went out of their way to serve others.

Church at its best is community. A community of believers who pray for, support, bless and serve each other and then together reach out into their own communities, and show them who Jesus is by their lifestyle and actions.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love...We love because He first loved us. I john 4: 7-8

I will continue to pray that this will be 645 desire for our church and community.

Post #2

Louise James (University of Sydney) wroteon Sep 14, 2008 at 11:40 PM

Thanks for venting some of the thoughts which have also been on my mind lex --
Especially the point about clicks. Church should be a place where we feel comfortable, and most often, yes we do feel most comfortable with the people we know best. But what about those who are not part of a click, or are newcomers to 645? How comfortable do you think they feel when they feel as though they are being shut out. When we stick with our clicks we are not loving those around us.
I'd love to see 645 be a community who loved one another by hanging out and talking with people we don't know all that well at 645. By lovingly giving up our comfortable group of friends to go and experience someone new, we're truely growing our church into a fluid community of brothers and sisters. Think about how much more comfortable a new person would feel walking into a community where we loved each other like this.
Just a note of the clicks effecting newcommers to 645. I'd love our church to be one which welcomes every new person to walk through those doors. This should not just be the job of the welcomers, but of each one of us as we lovingly share ourselves with them and make them feel comfortable in community with us.

Keep praying for our church

Post #3

Richard Whitten (Australia) wroteon Sep 15, 2008 at 5:27 AM

I think the word is cliques. But I do agree. Here's my thoughts/responses to community at 6:45 of late.

Last few months I wasn't really enjoying 6:45 as much as I should have been. I didn't feel like there was much community, I was sick of hearing about 'doing life together' and I was just sitting with the same people every Sunday and hanging out with them after church, or in some cases just going home. Regarding community I felt a great disconnect between the words being spoken on stage at church and the actions of us as a church.

Then I realised what I was doing, and saw that my problem lay partly with me. I prayed, chatted to a few mates about it, and put more effort into actually talking to diverse people and making an effort to do so regularly every Sunday, and at other points on the weekend outside of 6:45.

Unsurprisingly, that was all it took to make things at church feel more real and productive. It's still a slow process, but God is generous. Last Sunday feeling tired and grumpy I decided to hang out at Maccas and had lots of fun and met some new people, and can't wait to do it again next week.

So I totally agree with what Lex and Lou are saying. I felt a great disconnect between the words of 6:45 and its actions as a community. Then I stopped being a dickhead and actually did something about it. God is still working in me on this issue, and I still have doubts and uncertainties and frustrations and often pure laziness when it comes to 6:45, but I'm getting there.

Thanks for bringing this issue up Lex, 6:45 still has a long way to go on this- we are a pretty young congregation after all.

NAC Trivia Night Update

Last Saturday Night was the NAC Trivia Night. Big thanks to all who came, played, laughed and enjoyed the night. The team were able to raise over $5000 for the trip. Thanks so much

www.nac.asn.au/nt

645 Survey

We would love you to chat to 5 friends this week. We want to know what they think and what they do. The Survey (you can download below) is designed to gather information about how 645 can connect with the Young Adults in our community.

if your in High School - try and talk to post school people (older brothers, neighbours, work mates - call it a project!!). If you are over 30, then try and chat to people between 18 and 29.

the form can be emailed to you by contacting ed@nac.asn.au or will be attached to this weeks email.

thanks
Ed (and Michelle)

NAC Trivia Night

This Saturday Night
7 for 7:30pm
BYO drinks and nibbles (supper provided)

All money raised will go to support the Senior High Northern Territory team going to Ngukurr.
See website
www.nac.asn.au/nt

Book a table on 96301234 (tables of 8) or turn up on the night