proposed activities
= = = Holy Week 2018 = = =
BAPTISM in WATER
(at the beach or at the LOT)
BASKETBALL in the WORKS
(3on3 Basketball Search for Challengers)
BONDING in the WORD
(retreat on the Wrath of God and the Worship of God)
Retreat on the Wrath of God and Worship of God [GOOD FRIDAY]
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MEN'S EXECUTIVE CROSSOVER
HONORING OUR GRADUATES
CROSSOVER for UNWIND
START new SCHEDULES of SUNDAY WORSHIP
Unleashed -- to free from or as if from a leash:
let loose
So often, the greatest thing keeping us from the life God has for us… is us.
When we see how God has set us free, we are unleashed into a rich and full life with Him.
We are given a choice—continue to pursue a life of playing it safe, or live a life fully unleashed.
Main Text: Isaiah 54 NIV
1“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,”
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
March 4- KICK OFF
Fully Unleashed – YOU ARE FULLY FREE
sub text
Galatians 5:1
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery"
March 11
Unleash YOUR FULL POTENTIAL
sub text
"God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who works in and through all of us.”
(1 Corinthians 12:4-6 LB)
March 18
Unleash YOUR SERVANT LEADERS
sub text
“You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.”
Exodus 18:21 NIV
March 25
Unleash YOUR GOD GIVEN INFLUENCE
sub text
Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
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MORE RESOURCES and SAMPLERS to enhance your PREPARATIONS
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\\INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 54\\
CONTEXT
from GILL
As the former chapter is a prophecy of the humiliation and exaltation of Christ, of his sufferings and death, and the glory that should follow; this is a prophecy of that part of his glory which relates to
the flourishing estate of his church, as the fruit of his death, and explains and enlarges upon the promise of his having a numerous seed.
The prophecy reaches from the death and resurrection of Christ to his second coming; and describes the state of the church during that time, which had been like a barren woman, but now fruitful, which was matter of joy; and would increase, and have yet a more numerous issue, through the conversion and accession of the Gentiles; and therefore is bid not to fear, since she should not bear the shame and
reproach of widowhood, \\#Isa 54:1-4\\, the reason confirming which is, because Christ was her husband, who was her Maker and Redeemer, the God of Israel, and of the whole earth, \\#Isa 54:5\\, and though she might for some time be under some dark providences, and seem to be forsaken of God, and lie under his displeasure; yet she is assured of the love of God towards her, that it is constant and perpetual; which is illustrated by the oath and covenant of God with Noah, and by its
being more immovable than mountains and hills, \\#Isa 54:6-10\\, and though she would sometimes be in a very afflicted and uncomfortable condition, yet should be raised again to a state of great honour and splendour, of spiritual knowledge, peace, and safety, \\#Isa 54:11-14\\ and that all her enemies, that gathered together against her, should perish, and all their attempts be unsuccessful, since the Lord was on her side, and would defend her cause, and protect her, \\#Isa 54:15-17\\.
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MORE COMMENTARY
Isaiah 54:1
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear
The Targum interprets this of Jerusalem, paraphrasing the words thus,
``sing praise, O Jerusalem, which was as a barren woman that bears not;''
and so the apostle applies the words of the text to the Jerusalem above, the mother of us all, the then present Gospel church, ( Galatians 4:26 Galatians 4:27 ) , which, at the first setting of it up, in the times of Christ, during his life and at the time of his death, and before the day of Pentecost, was like a barren woman; the number of converts were very small; few believed the report of the Gospel, professed Christ, and submitted to his ordinances; the names of the disciples were but a hundred and twenty. Though some understand this of the Jewish church, under the Old Testament dispensation, whose members were not many, and whose proselytes from the Gentiles were but few; and others of the Gentile world, before the coming of Christ, and the preaching of the Gospel in it; but the former sense is to be preferred, having the suffrage of the apostle:
break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail
with child;
among whom there were few instances of conversion, scarce any begotten and born again of incorruptible seed by the word of God, and no signs thereof; but now it being otherwise, and multitudes being converted both in Judea and in the Gentile world, the church and its members are called upon to express their joy aloud in songs of praise, setting forth the glory of efficacious grace, in the regeneration of men; for as this is matter of joy to the angels of heaven, so to the saints on earth:
for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the
married wife, saith the Lord;
more souls were born again, and added to the church after the death of Christ, when she was in a desolate condition, like a woman deprived of her husband, and in a widowhood state, then there were while Christ was here on earth, personally present with his people, and preaching the Gospel himself unto men; three thousand were converted under one sermon, and great numbers afterwards were added, so that the church at Jerusalem was in a much more flourishing condition after the death of Christ than before; more fruitful when it was become like a widow than when the bridegroom was with her; and the church of Christ still increased yet more and more afterwards, as the following verses predict.
The Targum is,
``more shall be the children of Jerusalem than the children of the habitable city.''
The edition of it, in the king of Spain's Bible, has it, ``than the children of Rome;''
and so it is quoted by R. Elias F8, and by Buxtorf F9. The Jews understand this prophecy of their deliverance from their present condition by the Messiah; and of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the prosperity of it.
Isaiah 54:2
Enlarge the place of thy tent
To which the church is compared, because of its uncertain and movable condition, being sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another; and because of its outward meanness and weakness, as well as its small extent; but now it is signified that it should be enlarged, and room be made for an accession of in habitants to it; or, in other words, that the Gospel church state should not be confined to Jerusalem, but should take place in other parts of Judea, and in Galilee, and in Samaria; hence we read of churches in those places, ( Acts 9:31 ) :
and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation;
alluding to the curtains of which tents or tabernacles were made, which used to be stretched out on poles or stakes, in order to make more room, and hold more people. This may respect the spreading of the Gospel by the apostles, who may be here meant, and the success of it, especially among the Gentiles; who may be said to stretch out the curtains of the tent, the church, when, according to their commission, they went and preached the Gospel to every creature. First they travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching to the Jews only; but when they wholly rejected the Gospel, they turned to the Gentiles, and went everywhere preaching the word, ( Acts 11:19 ) ( 13:46 ) , and their ministry was blessed to the conversion of multitudes, and Gospel churches were set up in all parts of the world. The Apostle Paul was an eminent instrument of stretching these curtains, who went from Jerusalem, round about to Illyricum, fully preaching the Gospel of Christ, ( Romans 15:19 ) :
spare not:
any cost or pains, to spread the Gospel, enlarge the interest of Christ, and increase his church and people; as did not the apostles of Christ, who may be supposed to be the persons here addressed:
lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
the curtains being stretched out, it was necessary the cords, to which they were fastened, should be lengthened, that they might reach further, and take in a greater compass; and the wider the tent is made by such means, the stronger should be the staves, and the more surely should they be drove and fixed in the earth, to hold the cords with the curtains bound unto them; all which express the enlargement of the church in the Gentile world, by means of the Gospel ministry and discipline.
The Targum is,
``multiply the people of thy camp, and strengthen the governors.''
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Tar·gum
ˈtärˌɡo͝om,-ˌɡo͞om/Submit
noun
an ancient Aramaic paraphrase or interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, of a type made from about the 1st century AD when Hebrew was declining as a spoken language.
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OTHER HELPFUL LINKS ... JUST CLICK
A SERMON ON REBUILDING
A SERMON ON RESTORATION OF LOST YEARS
SERMON ON GALATIANS CALLED TO FREEDOM
STEPS TO FREEDOM IN CHRIST
