Ccf Sunday Messages

What causes us to be filled with courage in one moment, but then cower in fearfulness of others in the next? Looking at Peter from his ear-slicing moment in the garden, to his betrayal of Jesus--three times!--in the courtyard of Annas, we may be tempted to mock Peter and his inability to stand strong. But, instead, if we think carefully we may find that we look a lot like Peter in our own lives. Pastor Steve gave us a challenging message from John 18, looking at ourselves and our own lack of boldness at times, and the ways in which we worry more about what others think than what God thinks of us. Thank God for His grace, both in restoring Peter and using him mightily, but also in His grace to us and our failings!

As we have finished the prayer of Jesus in John 17, Pastor Steve revisits the scene with the additional details from Matthew 26--the disciples unable to stay awake and pray as Jesus agonizes, but with full humility and submission to the Father's will. Entering John 18, the pace quickens as the soldiers and mob arrive to arrest Jesus and we follow along as John retells the story.

Warren McIvor, elder and assistant pastor at CCF, concludes the prayer of Jesus in John 17, as He prays for *us*--those that will believe the message of Jesus Christ passed down across the generations. Jesus continues to pray for the unity of believers and for us to know God's love as we stand in His strength in a world that is against God.

Pastor Steve continues to walk us through Jesus' prayer in John 17 as he prays for himself and the disciples who will be left in the world when He returns to the Father. He prays for their protection and their unity, and not just for them, but in the next section will pray for future believers, including ourselves! How much we need God's protecting hand from the evil one and the systems of this world and temptations--so that we can stand strong and be unified as believers, sharing the truth with those around us. "Sanctify them by your truth. Your Word is truth!"

As we start John 17, Jesus begins the longest recorded prayer of His, praying for His disciples as well as for future believers--just hours before He is betrayed in the garden. In this prayer we see His desire to bring glory to God as He has done all that God has asked of Him in His earthly ministry. Pastor Steve took us to Philippians 2 as well to look at the humility of God the Son, who was God, but took on the form of a servant and thought of others before Himself; He came to serve not to be served, and we are to follow His example!

The end of John chapter 16 reflects the last recorded teachings of Jesus on the night He was betrayed; in chapter 17 Jesus will pray for the disciples, and then he will be arrested in the garden. In these final moments he continues to remind them of His love for them, reassuring them that they will see Him again, and reminding them that they can go directly to the Father in prayer. Jesus closes this teaching with a wonderful promise: "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Pastor Steve returned and brought us back into our study through the gospel of John. Today we started chapter 16, where Jesus gives the disciples the plain facts--that after He leaves, the hatred of the those in the world and under the sway of the world system will turn towards them. They can expect to be hated, kicked out of the synagogues, and possibly even killed! But God wants to work through them by the Spirit to convict the world of "sin, righteousness, and judgement" We have a role to play, under the Spirit's power and guidance, to give the message of reconciliation to the world that rejects us, and by that, the Spirit's work in the world will be accomplished.

Pastor Marv Fisher from CC Farmville taught through Daniel's national prayer of confession towards the end of the time of captivity. Pastor Marv noted his humility and openness before God in pouring out and interceding on behalf of the people of Israel, even though in many ways Daniel had nothing to do with the sins of his ancestors that got them all into captivity.

Walter Maeder, one of our elders, led us through an encouraging study of the first section of the first letter of the Apostle John, discussing love, forgiveness, sin, and the kind of love for one another that John is encouraging among the body.

Kishor Pandagade, Indian missionary and pastor, now South Asia Desk Director at Advancing Native Missions, returned to CCF to share a challenging message about our obligation and (expected) desire to share the good news of the Gospel, based on Romans 1 and Paul's own obligation and great desire to share God's message of hope!

Finishing up John chapter 15, Pastor Steve took us through the difficult words of Jesus that, if the world hated him, then it would also hate them--preparing them for what was ahead as they would be His witnesses throughout the world.

Continuing our study through the gospel of John, Pastor Steve covered verses 9-17 of chapter 15, as Jesus continues his final teaching to the disciples--encouraging them to stay in the love of God and keep His commandments.

How do you live a fruitful Christian life? Jesus says only by being connected to Him, the true vine, can we ever bear fruit--in fact, "apart from Me you can do nothing"! Now that's a strong statement.. of course we can "do things", but will they have value? Will they be fruitful in any eternal sense? No--not without abiding in Him, and being connected to the source of life will we, as branches, be truly fruitful!

What does the Holy Spirit do in our lives? How does He bring peace in the midst of a storm? What role does the Holy Spirit play in teaching us and bringing to remembrance the Word of God when we need it? Warren, our associate pastor of outreach, continues through John 14 as Jesus teaches his disciples about this "Helper/Counselor" that will come when He returns to the Father.

As we continue in John 14, even though Jesus is physically going away from His time on the earth, the promise of God's life in us is a huge benefit, even greater than just having Jesus physically present, He now says he will come and make a *home* in our hearts! If Jesus, by the Spirit, will be living in us, what impact will this have in the way we live? We will do the things that He asks us to do! And with God in us, our lives will be totally transformed from what we used to be!

As Jesus continues to explain that He must go away, He expresses that they will do the works He has done, and in fact, will do *greater* works than He did! But how? He answers that next--if He goes away, someone else will come as their helper, counselor, someone to come along side. And that will be God's Spirit and the Spirit will leave in each believer! Through this multiplication of God's presence in every believer, these works will be greater, as the limitations of one man in one place is overcome with a worldwide body of Spirit-filled believers doing His work!

Following the Passover meal, John records several chapters of Jesus sharing with His disciples before the prayer in the garden and His arrest. Ending chapter 13, Jesus is explaining to them that He must leave provoking a strong response from Peter. When Jesus tells Peter that instead he will betray Him three times, you can imagine the confusion and anxiety building--and so verse 1 of chapter 14 Jesus says: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me." The solution for our doubts and anxiety is to trust in Jesus!

We looked at 2 Corinthians chapter 5, where Paul shows the change that happens--because of God's love in dying for us!--that we no longer live for ourselves, but we are now a new creation. Now that we have been reconciled to God, we have that same ministry of reconciling others, as if God was "pleading through us", that others would come to understand His great love and gift of salvation!

John chapter 13 has us marching ever closer to the cross, and today's message from Pastor Steve walks through the events John records in the "upper room" where Jesus is spending the Passover meal with his disciples. In this section following the washing of His disciple's feet, Jesus notes that He will be betrayed by one of them as they recline to eat the meal. Judas goes out as Jesus tells Him that "what he must do, do quickly". As we finish this section, Jesus gives them a "new commandment": to love one another.

As we enter chapter 13 of John's gospel, we are entering the final hours before Jesus is betrayed, arrested, and finally crucified the next day. However, there are several chapters before those events where Jesus shares his final teaching and encouragement to his disciples--beginning with the scene of the Last Supper in the upper room. In this moment, Jesus chooses to speak louder than words with actions, by washing his disciples feet; an example not just for them but for us as well about humility and servant leadership!