Please click the following links to access last Sundays Study Guide

Last weekend we looked the final section of 1 Peter chapter 2. Attached is a short summary of the sermon and a series of questions that flow out of it. Please use them with your families, or discuss them over the phone or online with your small groups or friends and family.

One of the clear teachings of Scripture alone is that our coming to faith alone in Christ alone for our salvation is all by grace alone.  Yet it is this very teaching that causes some confusion in people’s minds about God’s sovereignty and our responsibility in the process of salvation.  Some are quick to say that God is unfair in choosing some to be saved in Christ and not others.  Others suggest that since it is all up to God’s choosing anyhow, why worry about it.   If there is nothing we can do, let’s just sit back and let God do his work, if He so wills.
Usually, when I teach on this difficult doctrine I try to highlight both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility by asking people to imagine a closed door through which we must enter.  Throughout Scripture we have this constant refrain, call, appeal if you will, for God’s people to choose life, not death (Deut 30:11-20), serve God, not idols (Josh 24:15), turn, repent and live and not die (Eze 33:10-11), repeated calls in the NT for repentance and belief in Jesus Christ; knock and it will be opened etc (Mat 7:7ff), choose rest in Christ rather than slavery (Mat 11:28ff), eternal life rather than eternal punishment (Jn 3:16), life rather than death (Jn 5:24), a call to reconciled unto God (2 Cor 5:20), to mention a few.  In all these texts, there is an implied responsibility for us to respond.
Now imagine all these texts and many more are on the one side of this closed door, graciously placed there by the Holy Spirit to call us through the door.  When we enter through the door and close it behind us, we see only one text, (Eph 1:4-6) “For the Father chose me, a sinner in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, the Father predestined me to be adopted as his child through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” [emphasis added].
Now some people feel a little uncomfortable with this analogy, for it seems that you are making the decision to go through the door.  In a way that is true but then again, you didn’t place those wonderful texts on the door, calling you to enter through.  That remains the gracious work of the Holy Spirit bringing God’s Word to bear on your heart.   And even if people do initially think they have had a part to play in entering through the door, does it really matter?  It may take such a person another five years or longer to realise that all of it was God’s wonderful grace working through the power of His word and Spirit, that brought them through the door, all to God’s glory alone.
And it is only after God has caused us to enter through the door that we can begin to experience the beauty of knowing Jesus Christ and our salvation in Him and not before.  And it is only because we know the beauty of Christ that we continue to implore people to embrace Jesus Christ as Saviour.   And it is only after we have been drawn through the door, we can sing with the saints, “I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew; He moved my soul, to seek Him, seeking me; it was not I that found, O Saviour true; no, I was found, was found by You. it was not I that found, O Saviour true; no, I was found, was found by You.”    JZ

Have you ever thought about the fact that it is only the pinnacle of God’s creation who can actually say 'no' to God?  It is true that all creation groans under the weight of sin, but it is only human beings who can disobey and say 'no' to God.
It is a foolish thing to say ‘no’ to God as Jonah also experienced when he was asked to go to the city of Nineveh.  However, it is not only foolish, it is downright dangerous to say ‘no’ to God, for you may not be given too many opportunities to say ‘yes’ to God.  God’s patience with the wicked, although long-suffering, is not limitless as was experienced in the days of Noah.  Furthermore, there is evidence in Scripture to suggest that if you keep saying ‘no’ to God, He may withdraw His grace and allow your heart to be hardened against Him because of your disobedience.
In Exodus 7:3 we see God hardening Pharaoh’s heart and in Ch 8:15, 19, 32, Pharaoh hardening his own heart towards God.  When people continually reject God and His gracious offer to embrace His Son as Saviour and Lord, then there may come a time when the opportunity to obey and embrace the offer of salvation is withdrawn and people will no longer be able to accept and obey. 
According to trained children workers, this hardening is similar to what happens to children who have been neglected by their parents.  Some parents have never taught their children the true meaning of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ or the way of obedience and hence some children do not know what they are or are not allowed to do.  As a result, they do not take authority seriously until the police insist that ‘no’ means ‘No’.  Sadly, trained children workers must often admit that such children are no longer teachable.  They are hardened.
People who continually refuse to obey God and embrace Jesus Christ as Saviour are playing a dangerous game.   While at the beginning they will not believe, in the end they may not be able to believe.  The writer to Hebrews regular appeals to his readers, “Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your heart as you did in the rebellion.”  According to Scripture, there is a connection to unbelief, disobedience and a hardened heart. 
Now before we become judge and executioner, it is only God who knows the process of hardening.  It is not up to us to declare that someone has reached the point of no return.  In fact, our responsibility is to continue to reach out to the lost with the gospel, even towards those whose membership of the church has lapsed through whatever means.  Our first step towards those who are outside of Christ’s kingdom is not condemnation, but a positive, loving, winsome approach with the good news of embracing Christ as Saviour.  While doing so, all the time praying that the Holy Spirit would soften their hearts and wills towards the gospel and that they would no longer keep playing the dangerous game of saying ‘no’ and disobeying the good offer of the gospel.  JZ

This past week Henk and I attended the Vine Project at the RTC Melbourne campus. Colin Marshall presented a one-day course on how to set up structures that may help in assisting churches in making disciples and hence fulfilling the Great Commission.  He mentioned four ‘P’s, “Preaching, prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit, people – engaging all of God’s people, and patiently persevering” and four ‘E’s, “engaging, evangelising, establishing and equipping.”  One church who has started the Vine Project anticipates that it would be a twenty-one-year project.  They have changed the name of their small bible study groups to ‘gospel’ groups so that the people attending are continually reminded of their purpose.  Colin’s presentation was a timely reminder that churches need to be involved in reaching the lost for Christ. In some ways, Colin’s presentation was like the CRCA’s four-fold-task, set down by Synod some years ago, which also has to reach the lost in mind.  
Thankfully, the ‘making of disciples’ is happening to some extent in our fellowship.  Yes, it could always be better but that is true of every aspect of ministry.  One of the things that perhaps slows our progress with the ‘P’s and ‘E’s and the four-fold-task is the reluctance to embrace another ‘P’, namely the “priesthood of all believers.”  Paul reminds us that because of Christ’s once and for all time sacrifice, we have now become “living sacrifices” offering ourselves to the service of our Lord and King (Romans 12:1ff).  
It seems we are pretty good at the ‘living’ part, but not always that good at being ‘sacrificial’ which Scripture calls on us to be.  The role of being ‘priestly’ (serving sacrificially) is often left up to so few in so many churches.  It has become the habit of some to just expect the elders, deacons or even the care-group to do the ‘priestly’ tasks.  Sometimes, people will call the minister and ask him to do the ‘priestly’ task when someone is in spiritual or physical need.  Of course, the elders, deacons, care-group nor the minister mind being asked to help serve someone in need.  But hang on a minute, where has the ‘priesthood of all believers’ just disappeared to? 
Just imagine, if each of us just set one hour aside a fortnight to be ‘priestly’ towards a fellow Christian or unbeliever.  Be ‘priestly’ and visit someone who needs some encouragement or prayer.  Be ‘priestly’ and offer a young couple to babysit for one night so that they can go out as a couple and enjoy dinner together.  Be ‘priestly’ and get together with a few other young people and offer to cut the lawns for someone who is struggling.  Be ‘priestly’ and go visit someone who is all alone and ask how you could serve them? Yes, it may take some ‘sacrifice’ on your part and it may even cost a dollar or two but that is what “living sacrifices” are called to do. 
What does this have to do with the Vine Project?  I dare say if Christians were a little more “priestly” it would have a positive impact on the spiritual and physical welfare of a Christian fellowship and our society. It may be used by God to ‘make disciples’ yes, may it be, even for our neighbours.  JZ