New Day Christian Church - Weston, WI

Levi’s Gospel: Inherit the Earth

“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth” (Matthew 5:5). Pride is a seductive and destructive path that sets us against God’s purposes. We tend to recognize it easily in other people, but have a harder time seeing how pride has made its way into our own hearts. As Jesus sets His Kingdom right-side-up, we’ll see how humble hearts are best equipped to inherit the earth.

KEY VERSE: Matthew 5:5 (NLT)  God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.  

NEXT STEP:  Ask someone for help this week, and say “yes” when someone offers you something.

Revive Wisconsin: Believe and Follow

The Cost of Being a Disciple

²⁵ A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, ²⁶ “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?

 

 

Levi’s Gospel: The Kingdom Blueprint

THIS WEEK: Levi’s Gospel: The Kingdom Blueprint

Jesus laid out a totally different way of understanding reality. Levi (aka Matthew) recorded His teachings so that generations of disciples could see how God’s plans are higher than human plans. What did Jesus mean when He said, “Blessed are the poor”? Understanding this will help us see more clearly God’s plans for His Kingdom, and our role in it.

KEY VERSE: Matthew 5:3 (NIV)  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  

BIG IDEA: The kingdom of heaven breaks down the barriers that divide us.

NEXT STEP: Make sure reviveWISCONSIN is on your calendar this week, even if you can only fit in a couple of the events.

 

reviveWISCONSIN Video Link: http://www.revivewisconsin.org/videos/153

The Body of Christ

Communion (or the Lord’s Supper) is a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for us and our unity in Him. We’ll learn more about the Old Testament roots of Jesus’ last supper with His disciples, and continue the practice passed down to us. We’ll also acknowledge that modern disciples together form the body of Christ, continuing His work on earth today. You will hear a short update on the state of the church, and Members of New Day will vote to affirm the Church Board and approve the budget.

KEY VERSES: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NLT) 16  When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17  And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.

 

NEXT STEP: Pray for unity across denominations as churches work together next week in reviveWISCONSIN.

Go Forth! Celebration

Scripture is full of times when people took time to remember God’s work. We’ll follow that example as we tell stories of God at work in our lives and in our community. There is power in what Christ has done, what the Holy Spirit continues to do, and in the testimony of His disciples.

KEY VERSES: Revelation 12:10-11a (NLT) 10  Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. 11  And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.

“And once again, good triumphs over evil.” --Joe Nikolai after Day 1 of New Day Explosion

Click here to watch the video referred to in the message.

Go Forth! Part Four, Open the Door

THIS WEEK: Go Forth! Part Four, Backyard Missions Launch (Revelation 3:14-21)

Church so often is thought of as a building or as a Sunday morning event, as in, “I’m going to church.” God’s plan for the Church is so much bigger! Thank God that He invites us to be part of His ongoing mission to bring beauty, redemption, hope and love to the world. While Backyard Missions is a week-long service initiative, we believe God will use it to change our hearts forever.

KEY VERSE: Revelation 3:20 (NLT)  “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

BIG IDEA: We each need to humbly and honestly say to Jesus: “I’m not GOOD. You are GOD. COME ON IN.”

Go Forth Part 3: This Makes Jesus Worth Following

People from all over heard about the message and the miracles of Jesus.  Times have changed a lot since then, right?  Maybe not so much.  Let's consider what it would look like if peopl experienced the message of the Gospel and themiracles of God in our modern context.

Matthew 4:23-25

²³ Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. ²⁴ News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all.²⁵ Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.

 

Go Forth! Part Two, Gone Fishing

Go Forth! Part Two, Gone Fishing (Matthew 4:12-22)

God has prepared us to go forth into our community with good news and with love. We’ll see how Jesus did this as we continue in Levi’s Gospel (the book of Matthew), and we’ll hear from a Wisconsin couple who followed the call of Jesus to reach people in Liberia, Africa. Mark and Peggy from Teamwork Africa make their first trip back to New Day after moving their family to Liberia last year.

KEY VERSES: Matthew 4:19-20 (NLT) 19  Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20  And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Go Forth! Part One, Too Good Not To Share

As we come to the point in the Book of Matthew (Levi's Gospel) when Jesus started His public ministry, we are going to follow Him out into our own community - to Love people enough to start a conversation, to Listen to them more than we talk, to Discern their openness, and to Respond as the Holy Spirit Leads.

KEY VERSE: "These were his instructions to them: "The harvest is great, but the workers are few.  So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." - Luke 10:2

Levi’s Gospel: Your Life in Context

Temptation is not a sin. What we do in response to temptation is what either makes us stronger or derails us from a healthy path. Jesus was tempted to operate outside of God’s mission for His life, a temptation we face every day in a thousand ways. He resisted temptation by recognizing how His life fit into the bigger picture. We must follow the example Jesus set.

Matthew 4:3-4 (NLT) 3  During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4  But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

BIG IDEA: When you take a TEXT out of CONTEXT (the bigger picture), you are left with a CON. The same thing happens when you see your LIFE outside the context of God’s STORY.

Reflect on Your Life within God’s Plan

• What is the PURPOSE for which God created people (including you!) in His image?
• What is God’s CALL--His “marching orders”--for your life?
• What GIFTS has He given you to accomplish your purpose and call?

Try putting your answers above together into a personal Statement of Call: “My purpose is… God has called me to… God has gifted me to…” Let your statement come into clearer focus over time as you listen to God through Scripture and prayer.