First Alliance Church ATL

05-21-17 The Discipline of Detachment, pt. 2

“The Spiritual Discipline of Detachment” (Pt 2)   Matthew 6:19-23

In part one of this series on detachment we answered some basic questions about this spiritual discipline:
I First, what is detachment?
II Second, what can detachment do for our spiritual life?
III Third, how can we detach ourselves from the appetites and desires of this world?
IV Fourth, what is the best reason for practicing detachment?

Today, we need to ask one more crucial question:  From w______ are we to detach ourselves?

A. First, we must detach ourselves from a love for the t_______ t________ c__________ l_______(6:19-21).

1. One of the clearest indicators of how distorted is the value system of this world is how we value t____________ things and disregard _____________.

2. But then, there are the things which are eternal – What things?
a. ______________
b. ______________
c. Whatever we have done to reflect the ________ of _______.

3. Being preoccupied with things that cannot last gives us spiritual h___________ d_____________.

B. Second, we must detach ourselves from the way the world l_________ at l________ (6:22-23).

1. The Greek word translated “good” or “sound” is used many times in the Bible to mean ____________.
2. The Greek word translated “bad” is often used in the Bible to mean ____________ or ___________.
3. Jesus says to look at life with generosity fills our life with l________, but to look at life with stinginess fills our life with _____________ - Why?

a. To look at life from the world’s stingy selfish perspective makes it impossible to enjoy o____ o______ life.
b. To look at life from the world’s stingy selfish perspective makes it impossible to enjoy o______ p__________.
c. To look at life from the world’s stingy selfish perspective makes it impossible to enjoy ________.

05-14-17 A Parable for Mothers

“A Parable for Mothers”  Matthew 13:51-52

There is a parable told by Jesus which is not usually associated with Mother’s Day, but which actually has some great advice for mothers.  The reason this parable is especially appropriate for this occasion is because it speaks about three virtues which, though needed by all believers, are especially useful to mothers.  What are these virtues?  

I First, there is the virtue of i____________, or the virtue of asking ________ ______________ (13:51a).

II Second, there is the virtue of n__________________ a_______________ (13:51b).

III Third, there is the virtue of b____________:  providing a balanced diet of the _______ and the ________ (13:52).

-There are two ways to understand the “new” and the “old

We can understand it in the _____________ sense of anything new and old.

But when Jesus talks about new and old, he has something very ___________ in mind – He is talking about the old way of seeing God, the ____ _____________ and the new revelation about God, the ____ _____________.

IV So, the first two virtues are actually r___________ in the third.

 

05-07-17 The Discipline of Detachment

“The Spiritual Discipline of Detachment”

Detachment is one of the most unfamiliar of the spiritual disciplines, but why we must practice this discipline is easy to see. To follow Jesus Christ we make the positive decision to choose his Kingdom. But to choose the Kingdom Jesus came to bring is to reject the kingdom of this world. But how do we reject this worldly kingdom? That is what detachment is all about. To introduce this discipline we need first to answer four basic questions:
I First, w______ is detachment?

-Detachment is w_____________ from the value system of the world so our day to day living reflects more and more the values of the K__________ of _______.

II Second, is detachment like r______________?

Repentance is r____________, whereas detachment is p_______________.

III Third, ______ can detachment ________ me?

A. Detachment undercuts the a____________ that leads to d_______________ God and when this happens it is possible to e________ living the kind of life that brings glory to God.

B. But we cannot simply decide to d_________ ourselves from the world’s value system – we must first allow ourselves to be a___________ to something better.

IV Fourth, w_____ should I practice detachment?

04-30-17 How's Your Stuff?

“How’s Your Stuff?”
Every one of us goes home to a house or apartment filled with stuff, including clothes, appliances, furniture, and all sorts of personal possessions. We may think that our stuff has no influence on our spiritual life, but the Bible thoroughly discredits that notion. This morning we want to see four things about our stuff:
I The c___________ does not like to talk about our stuff.
A. Since this is a big spiritual issue, there must be a spiritual
answer and there is: the discipline of s_____________.
B. Simplicity is simply f__________ - from the overpowering d_________ for t_________.
II While the _________, for the most part, has chosen to ignore this issue, the ________ does not.
A. Many Christians have the idea that whatever economic lifestyle I choose to pursue is between ____ and my __________ - but the Old Testament says otherwise
1. The Old Testament challenges the absolute right to p__________ p____________.
2. The Old Testament challenges the human d_________ to a__________.
3. The Old Testament challenges our tendency to t_________ in _________.
B. The ________ _______________ has just as much to say:
1. Jesus called money Mammon, which he describes as a r_______ g_____.
2. Jesus said the desire for w_________, and the stuff it buys, can keep people out of ___________.
3. Jesus said we need to be r________ in controlling our desire for wealth and the stuff it buys.
4 Jesus said “No” to h_____________.
5. Jesus said we must be willing to give away ____ we have for the sake of the Kingdom.
III The issue is more c__________, because the Bible does not say the problem is the s_____ - In fact, the Bible has a very __________ view of stuff.
-People who are critical of our technological stuff say that
technology hurts people in three ways:
1. Technological stuff separates us from the _________.
2. Technological stuff separates us from ________ ________.
3. Technological stuff separates us from ____________.
IV If we want to practice the discipline of simplicity (get control of our stuff), we need first to practice the discipline of d_________.

04-23-17 Dick and Janice Kropp - Japan

This Sunday we welcomed Dick and Janice Kropp, retired international workers to Japan.

04-16-17 Easter Eye Witnesses

Hear the eye witness accounts of Jesus' resurrection from Mary Magdalene, John the Disciple and Cleopas, the disciple from Emmaus.

04-09-17 Palm Sunday

“Walking the Road to Victory” Luke 19:28-44; 47
On Palm Sunday Jesus took part in a victory parade which occurred before the victory it celebrated had actually happened. That is significant because we are called to do the same thing. We are to march in a victory parade while we struggle to walk the road to victory. This is as difficult as it sounds. Fortunately, Jesus walked this road before us and he can show us how to do it. What does Jesus teach us about walking the road to victory?
I The road to victory is what we are i__________ to walk – It is our c___________ (19:28-35).

II The road to victory is paved with p_________, but not all of it is g_____________ (19:35-38).

III The road to victory is no place for p___________, s_____-c_____________ people (19:35).

IV The road to victory will take us past many people who w_______ the w_______ things (Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9-10; John 12:13).

V The road to victory will take us past a great deal of h____________ (19:.41-44).

VI The road to victory goes by the _______ (19:47; John 12:32).

04-02-17 The Discipline of Vigilance Conclusion

“The Discipline of Vigilance” (Pt 3)  Romans 13:11-14
The Bible has a great deal to say, in both the Old and New Testaments, about being awake and alert. When we make it our habit to be awake and alert, we are practicing the spiritual discipline of vigilance. But why is vigilance so necessary to our spiritual health?
I First, we need to be vigilant because what Jesus expects us to do requires vigilance (13:11a).
II Second, not only do the demands of the Christian life call for vigilance, so also does the time in which we are living (13:11b).
III Third, the nearness of our salvation requires vigilance (13:11c).

IV Fourth, God has called us to let his light shine t__________ u__ in this darkened world (13:12).

V Fifth, __________ requires vigilance (13:13).

-Paul gives us six examples of the nighttime lifestyle we are to avoid:

1. “O__________ and d_____________”

2. “S___________ i______________ and d_________________”

3. “D______________ and j_____________”

VI Finally, d___________ c______________ requires vigilance (13:14).

A. How we d________ is a very fitting conclusion to how Paul began our text in verse 11.

B. But, we can’t put on our d____________ clothes until we put off our n_______________ clothes.

03-26-17 The Discipline of Vigilance part 2

“The Discipline of Vigilance” (Pt 2)   Romans 13:11-14
The Bible has a great deal to say, in both the Old and New Testaments, about being awake and alert. When we make it our habit to be awake and alert, we are practicing the spiritual discipline of vigilance. But why is vigilance so necessary to our spiritual health?
I First, we need to be vigilant because what Jesus expects us to do requires vigilance (13:11a).
II Second, not only do the demands of the Christian life call for vigilance, so also does the time in which we are living.
III Third, the n____________ of our s_________________ requires vigilance (13:11b).

A. The first way in which Paul is talking about salvation has to do with our own p___________ r_______________ with Jesus Christ.

1. The Bible sees salvation as an act that belongs to the p_______, the p_________, and the f__________.

a. Salvation past is ________________.
b. Salvation future is ________________.
c. Salvation present is _________________.

2. The present tense aspect of salvation is easy to demonstrate: If we think about a persistent sin we have struggled with throughout our Christian life, we should see ___________ in overcoming it.

B. Paul also uses “salvation” to refer to an event all Christians ought to look forward to: the P___________.

The return of Christ should spur us to be vigilant, but it seems the expectations of
Christians have cooled in the last 20 to 30 years. Scholars call this the problem
of the d____________ Parousia. But has the second coming been delayed?

1. First, there is ___ _______ _______ as a delayed Parousia.

2. Second, God has his ________ for why Jesus has not yet returned to this earth.

a. There is the _______ and _______ of God.
b. The length of time between the first and second comings of Jesus has been designed by God to give the church time to carry out a s________ m_________.

3. Third, it is not fair for believers to complain about a delay when it is our l_________ that made it necessary for God the church age last so long.
4. God has a s_______ p________ in the appearance of a delay.

03-05-17 Kevin Goins The Discipline of Surrender

“The Discipline of Surrender”  Philippians 4:10-19 (4:10-12)
Most human beings feel a need to exert as much control over their life as possible. That’s putting it in a positive way. We could also say most human beings just have to get their way or they become very disagreeable. The Bible, however, says that to follow God we must surrender control of our life to him. Making the decision to give God control each day is what we refer to as the discipline of surrender. But what does it mean to practice the discipline of surrender and how can we live a surrendered life? That is the issue Paul focuses on in the closing of his letter to the Philippians. What does this text teach us about surrender?
I First, surrender is for ___________________ (4:11).

II Second, we can’t practice the discipline of surrender until we are willing to accept our ________ for surrender (4:10).

A. Living for self is not as wonderful as many think – for two reasons:

1. When you live for self you become your own ______ and that is not something we frail human beings do ______.

2. People who live for themselves are generally m___________ people.

B. But giving up control is not as bad as it seems, because we were not created to be ______, we were created to d_________ on God.

III Lastly, making the decision to live a surrendered life is easier when we see how l____________ surrender can be (4:11-12).

-What kind of person can say, “No matter what, I have no complaints”?

1. A person who is so w_________ he has everything he could ever w_______ or n_______.

2. A person who has learned to see his wants and needs in a very d____________ l_______.