Constituents of Faith


Introduction

Before we start the message, let us understand what we are going to discuss here
We have limited this message to certain points and approaches.
Please keep this limitation of our present message while you listen this video

They are:

1.      This message is about the constituents of faith
That means, this is not an explanation of any definition of faith
We are not trying to define, redefine, and simplify faith
This message is simply an attempt to find out the key ingredients of faith.

Parable of Laborers


Matthew 20:1–16  (NIV)
1    “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
   He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
   “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
   He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’
   So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.

Wisdom from A Trader

Introduction

The other day I was preparing a Bible study on the Parable of Ten Minas that we read in Luke 19: 11-27
A word in that passage drew my attention during the study.
That was not a deep theological topic, but that got my attention.
I was thinking and praying about it for further guidance from God.

Luke 19:13  And he called ten servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come.   (American Standard Version)

I am talking about the word “Trade”

This message is for everyone, for all people living a secular life or a religious life.
I am sure that all those are in secular job or business and all those who are in our Lord’s Ministry for the Kingdom will be blessed by this message.


Laws of Representation



 INTRODUCTION

Hebrews 7:22   ...  Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

The role of the representative is critical to understand our covenant with God
In human affairs a representative acts on our behalf, and so makes us present where we cannot personally be.

WHAT IS A COVENANT?

A covenant (Hebrew berith, Greek diatheke) is a legal agreement between two or more parties. 
A covenant is a contract or agreement between two or more parties.  
Covenant is how God has chosen to communicate to us, to redeem us, and to guarantee us eternal life in Jesus.  


Why they crucified Jesus?


Disclaimer
Professor Jacob Abraham and all others who work behind naphtalitribe.com, an eChurch 24x7, Kochi, India, loves and pray for Israel, the nation and the people. We respect the rich heritage of Rome. The following study has no intention to hurt the sentiments of any nation or people.

A joint execution

 The crucifixion of Jesus was a joint attempt by the Jewish leaders and the Roman Empire.
But they did not plan it together before hand.
It is the worst case of judicial murder without any criminal charges.
Crucifixion was not in the Jewish law.
The worst method of murder in the Jewish law was stoning to death.
Crucifixion was a Roman punishment.
When Jesus was crucified, Jews murdered Jesus and Romans crucified Him.

The First Church of Acts II : God's plan revealed



All Bible verses quoted are from NIV, if not otherwise mentioned


Church as a Community

What is a Community?

A “Community” may be defined provisionally as a social collectivity bound by a common identity, values, and norms

Kibbutz

The modern Jewish Kibbutz share many similarities with the first Christian Church.
Knowing the modern Kibbutz will be helpful to understand the first Church.

A kibbutz (Hebrew: קִבּוּץ / קיבוץ, lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural kibbutzim) is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture.


Kingdom Ruined

 The Mission of Jesus

Have you ever thought about answering the question: “What did really Jesus do when He came to the world?”
If I ask you the question right at your face, you would answer in a single sentence: “Jesus died for me”.
That is true. It was His mission on Earth.

But my question still remains answered, because you have answered only one part of the answer.
The answer to my question has two parts.

1.    Jesus fulfilled His mission as atonement for the sins of all human beings from Adam to the last person who will live on this earth.
This is a legal covenant which has to be executed between God and Man on individual basis of faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus.

Kingdom Partners Invited


What are Earth and Heaven?

What is earth?
Earth is an extension or a province of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Heaven is the place where God and His angel live. Heaven is the abode of God.
Earth was created for man, as an extension of the Heavenly Kingdom.
It is a province of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Psalm 115:16  The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind. (NIV)


You are Unique with a Unique Mission



All Bible verses are from NIV if not otherwise mentioned.

Matthew 10:29-31
29  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
30  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Here is a sermon against fear.
He encourages them not to fear by two striking considerations:

1.      God took care of sparrows, the smallest and least valuable birds
2.      God numbered even the very hairs of the head.

God has concerns about even the least living thing in this world.

GOD’S GRACE


Genesis 6:8-10
   But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
   This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
10  Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Noah lived a righteous life and walked with God because he ‘found grace in the eyes of the Lord.’

Grace - meaning

The word “grace” appears for the first time in the Bible in this verse.
"Grace" is the English translation of the Greek χάρις (charis) meaning "that which brings delight, joy, happiness, or good fortune."
The Old Testament use of the word (Hebrew word חֵ֖ן (ẖen) as found in Genesis 6:8) includes the concept that those showing favor do gracious deeds, or acts of grace, such as being kind to the poor and showing generosity.

Grace is not a commodity or a substance. It is an action of God; therefore, it has a result. 

Why a Successful Christian Life


Success Can Change Laws

History is always “His” story. It is the story created by the victors.
Success always rewrites and creates history.
Success has the power to change laws
And only success changes people.

God wants us to live a triumphant life.

2 Corinthians 2:14  But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. (NIV)

2 Corinthians 2:14  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
 (KJV)

Jesus changed history, He rewrote and recreated history.
He changed the history of the world because He was a success.

Jesus and Zaccheus

(All Bible verses are from NIV, if not otherwise mentioned)
 Three Questions

Luke 19.11 - 27
11  While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
12  He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.
13  So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

1.      Who you are in relation to Jesus? 

     We are free-servants to Jesus.

2.      What are you doing to here?

We are in His business.
The Master has entrusted us with His valuable treasure, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.


3.      What kind of business are you doing?

We are trading the Gospel.
All profits go to the master.
We are rewarded for our faithfulness.
The size of the profit does not affect the reward.
We trade gospel with the souls of men.

Worship Is Festival


A FEAST UNTO THE LORD

(All Bible verses are from NIV, if not otherwise mentioned.)

 Exodus 5:1-3
1   Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.
   Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

Exodus 7:16Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.

Exodus 10:8,9
   Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”
   Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.”
 
Worship Is Festival
God uses the words ‘festival’ and ‘worship’ interchangeably not to confuse or bluff Pharaoh.
For God, real worship is always a festival.
 In ancient times, and even in these times, there were many notable occasions for conducting a festival.
Many ancient civilizations have disappeared because of three plausible reasons.
1.   Famine
2.   Infectious disease
3.   War
So they conducted festival to their gods to give thanks to:
1.      Victorious harvest
2.      Victory from infectious diseases.
3.      Victory over enemies