Alive in Christ: Family Matters Part 2

ORDER OF WORSHIP:

Welcome
Song of Praise  “Mighty To Save”
Call to Worship Hosea 11:8
Song of Praise  “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
Confession of Faith Colossians 3:12-13
Song of Praise  “Revelation Song”
Prayer of Adoration; the Lord’s Prayer
Greet One Another
Testimony of God’s Grace
Prayer of Intercession
Giving of God’s Tithe and Our Offerings
Scripture Reading Colossians 3:18-4:1
Song of Preparation “Living Hope”
Sermon “Alive In Christ: Family Matters Part 2 (Craig Swartz)
Prayer of Commitment
Song of Response  “Amazing Grace”
Benediction

SERMON NOTES:

John Stott:

“He is urging his readers to go out into the society and to offer to society a Christian counterculture.”

1. THE RADICAL OF 

Magazine article:

“At this point in history both monarchy and marriage are dead institutions. Even if they do have an archaic hold on people, marriage was intended too last a life time through thick and thin, but according to divorce statistics it doesn’t do so. Therefore it is meaningless. And once an institution becomes meaningless then people might just as well try to invent other lifestyles.”

William Barclay:

“Under Jewish law a woman was a thing; she was the possession of her husband, just as much as his house or his flocks or his material goods were. She had no legal right whatever. For instance, under Jewish law, a husband could divorce his wife for any cause, while a wife had no rights whatever in the initiation of the divorce.”

Demosthenes:

“We had courtesans for sake of pleasure, we had concubines for the sake of daily co-habitation and we had wives for the purpose of having children legitimately, and being faithful guardians of our household affairs.”

Sue Bohlin:

“The extremely low status that the Greek, Roman, and Jewish woman had for centuries was radically affected by the appearance of Jesus Christ. His actions and teachings raised the status of women to new heights, often to the consternation and dismay of his friends and enemies. By word and deed, he went against the ancient, taken-for-granted beliefs and practices that defined woman as socially, intellectually, and spiritually inferior.”

2. THE BEAUTIFUL  OF 

Ephesians 5:21

Hebrews 13:17

1 Corinthians 11:3

Philippians 2: 5-11

3. THE POWERFUL FOR OUR 

A woman said:

“I understand why so many women struggle with what the Bible says about submission, but I have never struggled with submitting to my husband because he lets me know how much he respects me.”

Charles Wesley:

“He left His Father’s throne above so free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free, for O my God, it found out me!

Amazing love! How can it be, that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”