back to indexBerean Community Church - Sunday Service 7/20
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Good morning, Church family. Happy Lord's Day. We will now begin our service. 00:09:20.400 |
If you are visiting Berean for the first time, I want to extend a warm welcome to you. 00:09:37.840 |
Thank you for joining us on this Sunday morning for worship. 00:09:42.280 |
And if you have any further questions about our church, there's a welcome booth outside. 00:09:46.660 |
So after service, please be sure to visit the welcome booth. 00:09:53.280 |
If you're interested in the golf tournament, registration for the 2025 golf tournament fundraiser is now open. 00:10:01.660 |
All proceeds will go towards the general missions fund. 00:10:04.280 |
So please check out the website for additional information. 00:10:08.040 |
For first service, I made a big boo-boo and I said that this is only for members. 00:10:12.820 |
But this is for members and non-members of the church. 00:10:15.900 |
So please check our website for additional information. 00:10:20.900 |
And then this coming Sunday, July 27th, the youth group will be preparing a Korean barbecue plate. 00:10:29.220 |
The price for that is $10 for adults and $5 for children. 00:10:33.560 |
And the funds will go towards supporting their retreat for next year. 00:10:37.660 |
And you can actually prepay a four-year meal if you scan the QR code. 00:10:42.660 |
And so I want to encourage you to please support our youth group as they are trying to raise funds for their retreat. 00:10:48.620 |
And then, again, this coming Sunday, July 27th at 2 p.m., here at the main sanctuary, we will have a members meeting. 00:10:57.800 |
So if you are a member, please attend our upcoming members meeting this Sunday. 00:11:01.720 |
If you will be absent, please fill out the form to let us know that you will be unable to attend. 00:11:06.800 |
And then following our worship, we will have a video from the Korea mission team. 00:11:13.120 |
And also a testimony from our brother Chase, who recently came back from Korea. 00:11:17.860 |
And then, yeah, looking forward to hearing his testimony. 00:11:22.080 |
And then if you have a physical offering, please drop it off at the box near the exit there. 00:11:27.920 |
And you can also give virtually using our app. 00:11:31.680 |
So please prepare your hearts to give offering. 00:11:35.380 |
But let's pray for the offering, and then we'll worship. 00:11:37.480 |
Father, we want to thank you for this morning. 00:11:41.160 |
Thank you for allowing us to be here to worship you freely and to hear the proclamation of your word. 00:11:46.420 |
At this time, as we are giving, I pray that we would give willingly and with a cheerful heart, 00:11:51.780 |
knowing that you love those who give with a cheerful heart. 00:11:54.860 |
Help us to realize that everything that we possess is from you. 00:11:58.440 |
And all we are doing is returning back to you what rightfully belongs to you, 00:12:02.800 |
so that you may use it for your glory and for your purpose. 00:12:05.740 |
And so I pray that even in our giving, we will worship you and that we would honor you. 00:12:10.880 |
And so, Lord, thank you again for giving us even the opportunity to give back. 00:12:14.900 |
And so we pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:12:54.480 |
Let us all rise and spend a few moments to greet the neighbors around us before we continue. 00:16:47.420 |
You've shattered death and freed us from our fears 00:18:33.980 |
Though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall, there is still one King reigning over all. 00:19:11.980 |
And above Him, known before Him, all of time in His hands. 00:19:31.980 |
All the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. 00:19:49.980 |
Though the dread of night overwhelms my soul, He is here with me. 00:20:13.980 |
And He knows by me, for my God is the Ancient of Days. 00:20:27.980 |
And above Him, known before Him, all of time in His hands. 00:20:43.980 |
All the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. 00:22:54.980 |
Thank you, Father, that you have not given up on this country. 00:22:58.980 |
You know, Father God, that to many of the young people 00:23:01.980 |
who have been disillusioned, Father, by Christianity and by the churches, 00:23:05.980 |
I pray, Father God, that you would bring new hope in their hearts. 00:23:08.980 |
I pray that the relationship that we will build, Lord, 00:23:11.980 |
would have a lasting impact, Lord, on eternity. 00:29:29.980 |
Could you please pray that his heart would be the good soil. 00:29:34.980 |
I was just so thankful that God was able to use us. 00:29:52.980 |
There are faithful saints laboring for the Gospel. 00:30:02.980 |
And these are people who are sacrificing much. 00:30:12.980 |
The full counsel of God to be taught clearly. 00:30:19.980 |
One, pray for the brothers and sisters we partnered with. 00:30:34.980 |
That they would not turn to the left or to the right. 00:30:44.980 |
But may they trust in the simple and powerful preaching of the word. 00:30:51.980 |
Could you please pray that God would open a door to Korea. 00:30:59.980 |
And that the leaders would have the wisdom and sensitivity. 00:31:07.980 |
And for being part of the work God is doing in Korea. 00:31:26.980 |
And that the Lord will do a mighty work there again. 00:31:32.980 |
I want to invite you to turn with me to James chapter 2. 00:31:38.980 |
And this morning we're reading from verse 14. 00:32:06.980 |
And yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body. 00:32:34.980 |
Was not Abraham our father justified by works. 00:32:37.980 |
When he offered up Isaac his son on the altar. 00:32:40.980 |
You see that faith was working with his works. 00:33:07.980 |
For just as the body without the spirit is dead. 00:33:42.980 |
And that many people will come to repentance. 01:10:04.980 |
by faith before God, but he was justified not simply by agreeing with God, but by his works of 01:10:11.880 |
obedience. And that's the point. That is the point that James is making. Faith was coupled together 01:10:20.800 |
with works, and by works, faith was made perfected. Jesus said, every tree that does not bear fruit is 01:10:31.320 |
cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, you will know them. And we're all smart 01:10:40.540 |
people here, but bearing fruit is an integral part of a tree. That's what it was designed to do. 01:10:47.720 |
And you know, even before a seed is planted into the soil, it contains all the genetic information 01:10:53.540 |
that it needs to produce its own kind of fruit. And in the same way, when an individual is regenerated 01:11:00.940 |
by the Spirit of God, given new life in Christ by the Holy Spirit, he has given a new nature by God. 01:11:07.080 |
And that individual is given all the spiritual genetics to produce works of obedience. 01:11:13.060 |
And that is the sense in which faith is perfected. It produces fruit for which it was designed. 01:11:21.820 |
And so just as a fruit tree has not fulfilled its purpose until it bears fruit, 01:11:27.960 |
so also faith has not been perfected until it demonstrates itself in works of obedience to God. 01:11:33.620 |
And that is the sense in which Abraham was justified by works. 01:11:38.980 |
His willingness to sacrifice Isaac was that works by which his justification by faith 01:11:45.140 |
was demonstrated and made manifest before men. 01:11:49.340 |
And because of his faith, notice at the end of verse 23, 01:11:55.440 |
James says, Abraham was called a friend of God. 01:12:02.980 |
You know, the great privilege of the faithful is to be called a friend of God. 01:12:10.160 |
And you know, we can all agree that friendship is important because friendship, 01:12:14.540 |
it actually enriches our lives in so many ways, right? 01:12:17.880 |
All of you who have friends, you will agree with me. 01:12:22.120 |
When you have friends, it prevents isolation and loneliness. 01:12:25.360 |
When you have friends, it actually increases our sense of belonging and purpose in this world. 01:12:31.480 |
And you know, friends, they keep each other accountable and we comfort one another through life's many challenges. 01:12:38.840 |
And I want you to think of all the times that you rejoice with those who rejoice and you mourn with those who mourn. 01:12:46.900 |
But you know, adding to our existing and wonderful friendship that we have with one another, 01:12:56.420 |
who willingly laid down his life for us to save us. 01:13:00.100 |
But for those who are seeking friendship with the Lord, you might be asking the question, 01:13:05.500 |
well, how can we know that we are friends of Jesus? 01:13:12.940 |
you are my friends if you do whatever I command you. 01:13:26.060 |
Friendship with God is reserved for people who obey him. 01:13:37.160 |
And we know an individual is a friend of God by the way he lives his life. 01:13:46.040 |
And so if you profess to believe, but have no works, the word of God tells us you have a dead faith. 01:13:51.620 |
Not an incapable faith, not a disabled faith, but necros, it's dead. 01:14:01.160 |
James says, faith without works is like a body without a spirit in verse 26. 01:14:16.320 |
In the same way, faith without works is dead. 01:14:22.540 |
And so I pray, brothers and sisters here this morning, that our confession of faith does not lack action. 01:14:31.200 |
I pray that our words of charity will always be followed by the works of charity. 01:14:37.660 |
And I pray that our knowledge of Jesus Christ moves beyond an intellectual ascent, moves beyond just saying, I know, I know. 01:14:47.620 |
But it moves beyond that to true godly conviction, so that we may have life in his name. 01:14:54.480 |
I pray for all of us here this morning that we possess true saving faith that works. 01:15:01.480 |
That our faith is demonstrated by works for the glory of our God. 01:15:15.660 |
And just as you had reminded us in your inspired scripture, I pray that we will not just be hearers of the word, but doers. 01:15:23.020 |
If we truly had experienced your grace and mercy by your son, Jesus Christ, I pray that you will remind us of the transformed life we have. 01:15:33.180 |
For you, I stated that we are new creations in Christ. 01:15:39.660 |
And I pray that we will continuously live in the newness of life to bring you honor and praise. 01:15:46.820 |
And so, Lord, thank you again for the time here. 01:15:49.840 |
Again, I pray for my brothers and sisters that they're not just hearers, but doers. 01:20:27.720 |
And may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 01:20:31.720 |
And may the Lord truly lift up his countenance upon you and grant you peace.