The First Christmas Message Ever

Dear friends,

Do you know where the first Christmas message was proclaimed? It was not in Bethlehem. In fact it was not in Israel at all, but in the Garden of Eden! Theologians often tell us Genesis 3 contains the story of the “fall of mankind” since that chapter relates the first sin of Adam and Eve. However, I like the label my friend, Pastor Hammond,* gives to that famous scripture. He calls it “God’s Grace Revealed” and this is why I say it is where we find the first Christmas message.

The Lord was angry and disappointed with Adam and Eve because of their sin. In fact, He punished them and banished them from the garden. However, even as pronounced judgment upon our first parents, He revealed the gracious plan he had to rescue them. In His words of condemnation to the serpent He included this:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you shall strike his heel” (Gen. 3:15).

The offspring of the woman, who will crush the head of the devil, is none other than the promised Savior, Jesus Christ. It would be thousands of years before He was born as a baby in Bethlehem, but the promise of salvation was made right from the beginning. The good news was already preached near the beginning of time. The Savior was promised and God’s grace was revealed in the face of man’s first sin.

Your friend,

Stephen

Pastor Stephen St. John

Announcements for 19 Dec, 2010

Holiday Schedule Changes. We will not have our 9:15 AM Kids Club 1 and Kids Club 2 classes today (Dec. 19), next week (Dec 26), or the first Sunday of the year (Jan. 2).  Other Sunday School Classes such as Adult Bible Study and Youth Journey will meet at 9:15 and the Children’s Churches (which take place during our worship time) will continue on a normal schedule.

Join us on Friday Evening for our special Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 6 PM.  Make this one-hour service part of your Christmas tradition!

Join a New Adult Bible Study on Sunday Morning’s in 2011: Developing a Strong Prayer Life begins on January 9 at 9:15 in the Function Room and The Growing in Christ Discipleship Class begins on January 30.  Plan to join one of these two classes in the New Year!  More information is coming soon.

The JIBC 2011 Ministry Based Budget was approved at our annual meeting last Sunday.  Please be in pray for the $27,500 per month needed for ministries in 2011.

The Really Real Savior

Luke 2:1-7 (English Standard Version)

1In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Christianity is about a real, experiential encounter with a real Savior, Jesus Christ!

1. Jesus was born in a real time.
2. Jesus was born in a real place.
3. Jesus was born into a real family.
4. Jesus was born with a real body.
5. Jesus was born to save real people.

Click below for sermon audio:
Luke 2:1-7

Whose Side Are You On?

Dear friends,

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were his enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom. 5:8-10).

There is a myth in the world that says you can be neutral before God. Not so according to the Holy Scripture. You are either safe through the grace of Christ or you are an enemy of the Almighty. According to Romans 5, unbelievers are not just needy or misguided, they are enemies of God.

Thankfully, God loves his enemies and he has demonstrated his love through the sending of Christ to die for sinners. This means that men, women, and children in this world do not need to remain on the wrong side. By the grace of God they can come into His family and become His sons and daughters through faith in Christ.

However, to understand the need most clearly we must understand that unbelievers are the enemies of God. This dreadful thought (when shared kindly) ought to inspire them to flee to safety in Jesus and it ought to inspire Christians to share the Good News of salvation with the whole world!

Your friend,

Stephen

Announcements for 12 December, 2010

There will be an elder meeting this Tuesday at 12 in the JIBC Function Room.  Please be in prayer for the elders as they meet together.

Youth For Christ (Mrs. Edna) will have Christmas with the Inmates at Bekasi State Prison on Dec. 13. Anyone interested to go please give your name to Dina today.

There will be no Sunday School for Kids Club 1 and Kids Club 2 on December 19, December 26, and January 2.  The Youth and Adult classes will proceed as usual on those Sundays.

Mission Moment Next Sunday, we will have a Mission Moment presentation from Gereja Baptist Binong, Tangerang.

The Roles of Elders and Deacons in the Church

1 Timothy 3:1-13 (English Standard Version)

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Acts 6:1-7 (English Standard Version)

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Introduction:
GPS OBJECTIVE 5. Refresh our Officers (Elders and Deacons)

Goals:
a. Hold Monthly Elder Meetings
b. Hold at least Quarterly Deacon Meetings
c. Hold two Ministry Council Meetings

Sermon:
The purpose of this message is to outline the roles of elders and deacons in the church.

1. Elders and deacons are not…
a. Representatives
b. Upper and lower houses
c. Deacon is not a step toward elder

2. Elders and deacons are…
a. Servants
b. Leaders
c. Different

3. How are the elders and deacons implementing their tasks at JIBC right now?
a. Our purpose
b. Our vision
c. Our objectives

4. So what does that mean for you?
a. Do your duty and pray
b. Obey you leaders
c. Pray for your leaders
d. Do not gossip about your leaders
e. Serve along with your leaders
f. Pray the Lord will raise up future leaders

Click the link below for sermon audio:
The Roles of Elders and Deacons in the Church

Christ Sets Us Free From the Past

Dear friends,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

This verse contains the truth about our glorious freedom in Christ Jesus! When we are in Christ, that is to say, when we are believing in Him as Lord and Savior, then we are made new. This means the past is, just that - the past. Those wicked things we said, did, or experienced are behind us. We do not need to remain shackled to sin and hurt. We are free!

This is true in relation to things you experienced years ago and it is also true in relation to your struggles earlier this day or even in the moments proceeding your reading of this. Jesus Christ makes all things new. His mercies are new every morning and His people are new people.

Too often, we replay the mistakes of the past over and over, which is a shame since Jesus has recreated us through the almighty power of His shed blood and put us on the path to a glorious future. Let’s be like the inspired apostle Paul who wrote:

“Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

Your friend,

Stephen

Pastor Stephen St. John

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