Announcements for January 24, 2010

Books for the 2010 Men’s Fraternity Meetings are here! They may be purchased at the Welcome Table before and after services starting today and into February. The cost for the books is Rp.225.000,-. There is also an informational brochure on our Men’s Meetings for 2010 available.

Pastor Stephen and Jennifer will be away on vacation from January 25 through January 31. The Pastor will be unable to routinely check his email and messages, so please contact the church office or an elder if you have an urgent concern during that time.

Lord’s Supper Next week, January 31 we will have the Lord’s supper.

Become a fan of JIBC on Facebook and you can get the Weekly Announcements and Pastor’s Desk delivered to your wall. Just search for JIBC - The Jakarta International Baptist Church from your Facebook page. Look for the JIBC cross and boomerangs.

Worship, Fellowship, Generosity

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me (1 Cor. 16:1-4).

In order to understand church life, we must look for biblical examples.

What does the Bible say about church here?

1. The New Testament Church was a worshipping church.
2. The New Testament Church was a community church.
3. The New Testament Church was a generous church.

Click below to listen to sermon audio:
1 Cor. 16:1-4

Ask the Holy Spirit to Bring Unity and Love to Church

Dear friend,

This week, while preparing for our Tuesday night theology class, I ran across this sentence:

“When the Holy Spirit is working strongly in a church to manifest God’s presence, one evidence will be a beautiful harmony in the church community and overflowing love for one another.”*

I often pray for unity in our church family because it is my heart’s desire to see a “beautiful harmony” in our church. I also pray routinely that we would love one another. But rarely do I think to cry out for the assistance of the third Person of God in bringing these things about! The unity and love which we desire to see in our midst should be flowing from the Sprit of God who is within us. Let’s make it our habit to ask Him to make His presence known through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit!

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).

Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

Work Cited: * p. 647 - Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Inter-varsity Press. Nottinghan, England, 1994.

Announcements for January 17, 2010

Become a fan of JIBC on Facebook and you can get the Weekly Announcements and Pastor’s Desk delivered to your wall. Just search for JIBC - The Jakarta International Baptist Church from your Facebook page. Look for the JIBC cross and boomerangs.

Attention Men! Pick up a flier for the New Men’s Fraternity Meeting from the Welcome Table. Books for the Study will be for sale here staring Sunday January 24.

Our deepest sympathy to David and Reni on the passing away of their beloved father, on 14 January 2010 in Semarang.

Ladies’ Bible Study Ladies ages 14 and older are invited to join us on Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00 PM for the first of a six week Beth Moore study entitled “Lives of Integrity.” The study will continue on February 3, 10, 17, 24 and March 3. We will meet at Julie Spake’s home. Please sign up at the welcome table or by SMS to Jill Sharp, and please collect a map to the Spake’s home from the welcome table. For more information or to sign up, please contact Jill Sharp at 08118200783.

Commissioned to Issue the Gospel Call

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.” They went out and preached that people should repent. 13They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (Mark 6:7-13)

Since we are also the Lord’s disciples, we must learn from the twelve apostles.

1. We must learn from the apostles’ commission.
2. We must learn from the apostles’ conduct.
3. We must learn from the apostles’ call.

The Grace of Confession

Dear friend,

Do you confess your sins when you pray? King David did, or at least most of the time he did. On one occasion he kept his sins bottled up in his soul and did not speak of it to anyone, not even God. This “man after God’s own heart” was as big a sinner as anyone. You may know already that he committed adultery with a married woman named Bathsheba. Learning later that she was pregnant with his child, he tried to cover it up. When that did not work, he used his power and influence as king to see that the woman’s husband Uriah was killed. David was a murderer and an adulterer.

Perhaps, however, you have never thought about how long this gross sin continued to reside within the confines of David’s own mind and heart. We learn in 2 Samuel 12 that the child of David and Bathsheba was born before David ever opened his mouth about his sin. This means for at least nine months, probably longer, he lived in denial of his guilt. Most likely he continued to go the the temple and worship. Maybe he tried to read the scriptures and even pray about some things. But about his sin, he remained silent. This reeks havoc on the soul. Listen to King David’s own testimony:

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Ps. 32:3-4).

The description here is of a man whose hurt is chained up by his own lack of honesty before God. By grace, David does not remain in this predicament. The Lord sends his word, through the prophet Nathan, and David confesses. Oh what a difference it made for him. He said, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is not covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Ps. 32:1-2).

Is there something you need to confess to the Lord? Of course there is! We are all sinners. We all sin each day. Talk to God specifically about those sins you are aware of in your life. Beg his forgiveness in Christ and then you can enjoy the blessed words of God, “The Lord has taken away your sin” (2 Samuel 12:13).

Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

Announcements for January 10, 2010

The Youth Group will be meeting at the Suwardi’s house at 6:00 pm on Saturday the 16th. For more information see Andrew St. John or contact the church office.

Ladies’ Bible Study Ladies ages 14 and older are invited to join us on Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00 PM for the first of a six week Beth Moore study entitled “Lives of Integrity.” The study will continue on February 3, 10, 17, 24 and March 3. We will meet at Julie Spake’s home. Please sign up at the welcome table or by SMS to Jill Sharp. For more information or to sign up, please contact Jill Sharp at 08118200783.

The New JIBC Men’s Fraternity Meetings start in February. We will be studying the Disciplines of a Godly Man this year. Please pick up an informational flier from the welcome table today!

Material for new and returning RBI Students is available at the welcome table today. Please see Pastor Stephen or Dina for assistance.

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