Peninsula Covenant Church
7/19/20 Message Notes
Locations & Times
Peninsula Covenant Church
3560 Farm Hill Blvd, Redwood City, CA 94061, USA
Sunday 8:55 AM
Sunday 10:00 AM
Sunday 11:00 AM
Message Title: From the Beginning
Date: July 19, 2020
Date: July 19, 2020
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Review:
One Kingdom. Indivisible = Kingdom Allegiance over Earthly Alliances
One Kingdom. Indivisible = Kingdom Allegiance over Earthly Alliances
What's your story and how is it shaping you?
We were created with a shared purpose: To Bless the World
--God gave them something to do
--They were supposed to do it together
We were created to build a shared life together.
--They were supposed to do it together
We were created to build a shared life together.
What went wrong?
Sin divided and dehumanized His image bearers
--Unity is broken, community is compromised, and destructiveness ensues
Sin divided and dehumanized His image bearers
--Unity is broken, community is compromised, and destructiveness ensues
Sin enters the world
--Adam and Eve believe their way is better than God's way
--Adam and Eve believe their way is better than God's way
Genesis is the story of division and destruction, especially brother against brother.
--Cain and Abel
--Cain and Abel
To keep: to take care of, guard, regard. Tending things of value.
The Church: motive for "keeping" is the conviction that within every person there exists "Imago Dei"
Racism: "when I believe the image of God in you is less than the image of God in me.
THE THIRD OPTION: "I see you as my brother or sister and you are made in the image of God equal to how I am."
The Church: motive for "keeping" is the conviction that within every person there exists "Imago Dei"
Racism: "when I believe the image of God in you is less than the image of God in me.
THE THIRD OPTION: "I see you as my brother or sister and you are made in the image of God equal to how I am."
Who bears less of God's image in your eyes than you?
Hope for a divided culture is a united church!
God restores and unites us to an eternal purpose
--Story of Joseph
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing... So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. Genesis 37:23, 28
Later, Joseph has obtained a high government position:
God restores and unites us to an eternal purpose
--Story of Joseph
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing... So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. Genesis 37:23, 28
Later, Joseph has obtained a high government position:
Joseph doesn't just unite them, he also restores a purpose.
The story of the kingdom of God involves one man uniting diverse people together to restore them to their original purpose to bless the world
Conclusion:
The story of the Kingdom: God has come in Jesus to create us as a church to unite and restore our purpose
The story of the kingdom of God involves one man uniting diverse people together to restore them to their original purpose to bless the world
Conclusion:
The story of the Kingdom: God has come in Jesus to create us as a church to unite and restore our purpose
What alliance on earth is worth your allegiance more than the Kingdom?
PCC BENEDICTION
May you jump into the arms of Jesus and may He push out into the world. May you be healed as you participate in the healing of others. Not because you must, but because you may. This is why we were born!
May you jump into the arms of Jesus and may He push out into the world. May you be healed as you participate in the healing of others. Not because you must, but because you may. This is why we were born!
BEYOND SUNDAY
PCC’s One Kingdom Invisible series will provide an overview of the Kingdom of God, as it is taught throughout Scripture. Each week, we will focus on the theological foundation for the unity of the Kingdom of God, while making applications to our current national/cultural environment. The hope is to provide a Christ-like lens for how the Church can be a unified voice of good news in a uniquely and profoundly divided country.
1. Gary opened telling his story of being the grandson of Italian immigrants. Stories shape our identity and inform our behaviors. Take some time to ponder and share the stories that shaped the narrative of your life and family growing up.
2. In our study called One Kingdom Indivisible we are focused on the story of the Kingdom of God (what life looks like when God gets His way). How does allegiance to our Kingdom story bring healing to the family or any other earthly story we inherited?
3. Read Genesis 1:26-28. What do you observe about what theologians call “The Creation Mandate” given to the man and woman? Gary summarized it as “building a shared life together” and “stewarding God’s creation.” Is this mandate still binding for the church today? What are some ways you see this being lived out through the church? Where can PCC grow in our faithfulness to this mandate? What role does unity play in fulfilling this mandate? (See John 17:20-21.)
4. Read John 10:10. The thief (Satan) has always had a three-fold strategy. How do you see that strategy, specifically each of the three aspects, being manifested in our world today?
5. Read Genesis 3:1-19 and speak of the effects of sin. Gary mentioned that sin is dehumanizing, that is, it erodes the “Image of God” in each of us and in our culture. Think of ways our communities are dehumanized by sin.
6. In Genesis 4:8-9 we read of Cain killing Abel and Cain asking if he was his brother’s keeper? To keep: is to “take care of,” “guard,” or “regard.” It is used for tending to things of immense value to the keeper such as a garden (Gen 2:15), a flock (Gen 30:31), a house (2 Sam 15:16). Interact with this statement: “At the heart of the political divisiveness and racism in our culture is a lack of acknowledging our responsibility to “keep” the other -- those we disagree with.” Agree or disagree? How does the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 inform your answer?
7. What do the following New Testament passages say about our responsibility towards others? Hebrews 13:1, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 4:20-21, Galatians 5:13
8. Gary finished the message stating that Genesis closes with what theologians call a “type” (an Old Testament figure that points to Jesus and the Gospel) for Christ--that of Joseph. Read Genesis 45:4-7 and point out where you see the parallels between Joseph and Jesus.
9. Finish your time praying John 17:20-21 for Kingdom unity and against anything in you that is an agent of disunity. Pray for PCC to be unified and passionate about joining Jesus and His Kingdom priorities on the Peninsula.
Resources: (see below for links)
Suggested Reading: The Third Option
PCC Series Webpage: One Kingdom. Indivisible.
PCC Family Ministries: Table Talker for July 19, 2020
PCC’s One Kingdom Invisible series will provide an overview of the Kingdom of God, as it is taught throughout Scripture. Each week, we will focus on the theological foundation for the unity of the Kingdom of God, while making applications to our current national/cultural environment. The hope is to provide a Christ-like lens for how the Church can be a unified voice of good news in a uniquely and profoundly divided country.
1. Gary opened telling his story of being the grandson of Italian immigrants. Stories shape our identity and inform our behaviors. Take some time to ponder and share the stories that shaped the narrative of your life and family growing up.
2. In our study called One Kingdom Indivisible we are focused on the story of the Kingdom of God (what life looks like when God gets His way). How does allegiance to our Kingdom story bring healing to the family or any other earthly story we inherited?
3. Read Genesis 1:26-28. What do you observe about what theologians call “The Creation Mandate” given to the man and woman? Gary summarized it as “building a shared life together” and “stewarding God’s creation.” Is this mandate still binding for the church today? What are some ways you see this being lived out through the church? Where can PCC grow in our faithfulness to this mandate? What role does unity play in fulfilling this mandate? (See John 17:20-21.)
4. Read John 10:10. The thief (Satan) has always had a three-fold strategy. How do you see that strategy, specifically each of the three aspects, being manifested in our world today?
5. Read Genesis 3:1-19 and speak of the effects of sin. Gary mentioned that sin is dehumanizing, that is, it erodes the “Image of God” in each of us and in our culture. Think of ways our communities are dehumanized by sin.
6. In Genesis 4:8-9 we read of Cain killing Abel and Cain asking if he was his brother’s keeper? To keep: is to “take care of,” “guard,” or “regard.” It is used for tending to things of immense value to the keeper such as a garden (Gen 2:15), a flock (Gen 30:31), a house (2 Sam 15:16). Interact with this statement: “At the heart of the political divisiveness and racism in our culture is a lack of acknowledging our responsibility to “keep” the other -- those we disagree with.” Agree or disagree? How does the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 inform your answer?
7. What do the following New Testament passages say about our responsibility towards others? Hebrews 13:1, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 4:20-21, Galatians 5:13
8. Gary finished the message stating that Genesis closes with what theologians call a “type” (an Old Testament figure that points to Jesus and the Gospel) for Christ--that of Joseph. Read Genesis 45:4-7 and point out where you see the parallels between Joseph and Jesus.
9. Finish your time praying John 17:20-21 for Kingdom unity and against anything in you that is an agent of disunity. Pray for PCC to be unified and passionate about joining Jesus and His Kingdom priorities on the Peninsula.
Resources: (see below for links)
Suggested Reading: The Third Option
PCC Series Webpage: One Kingdom. Indivisible.
PCC Family Ministries: Table Talker for July 19, 2020
Resource
The Third Option book by Miles McPherson
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501172204/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1Resource
PCC Series Page: <b>One Kingdom. Indivisible.</b>
https://wearepcc.com/resources/onekingdomindivisible/Resource
<b>Table Talker for Families</b>
https://wearepcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Table-Talker-2020-07-19.pdfGive to PCC through Pushpay
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June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021:
Giving Update
Goal: $4,072,337
Giving to Date: $353,925
Still Needed: $3,718,452
June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021:
Giving Update
Goal: $4,072,337
Giving to Date: $353,925
Still Needed: $3,718,452