Here is a peak of my teaching notes on Christ-Centered Worship from the Man Up family night of worship. This is just the form/structure/guide and not everything I actually taught. Maybe you can still pull some nuggets out of it.
Christ-Centered Worship
Man Up Family Night of Worship
Benjamin Durbin
Colossians 3:1-17
Key Truth #1: Everyone worships something
One of my greatest fears is that God would look at our events, our services, and our lives and proclaim this passage from Matthew 5:18
"'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" Matthew 15:8-9
Would he look at us and say they pray, they sing, and they preach for nothing. It is vain. Empty?
The Big Question
What is my heart supposed to be doing so that the preaching and singing is not in vain?
Or
What turns all of life into worship?
The Answer:
Being satisfied with all that God is for us in Christ!
Key Truth #2: Right worship comes from a heart position that magnifies Christ
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." - Colossians 3:1-4
Key Truth #3: When you see your position in Christ, you will worship
1) I died with Christ. vs. 3
2) I live with Christ vs. 4
3) I am raised with Christ vs. 1
4) I am hidden in Christ. vs. 3
5) I am glorified in Christ vs. 4
The life of a Christ-Centered Worshiper
In view of my wonderful identity in Christ,
I seek and set my heart and mind on things above.
Key Truth #4: I am dead, so I put to death the earthly.
"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all."
Key Truth #5: The opposite of right worship is idolatry
Worship Distortions
Pleasure
Power
Pride
People
Key Truth #6: I am alive, so I bring to life the heavenly
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." - Colossians 3:12-16
Note how many things we do TOGETHER in this passage
Note the variety of expressions: teaching, admonishing, psalms, hymns, spiritual songs.
Key Truth #7: Worship is all of life
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:17
Worship is continuous in the everyday activities of life
We do not simply go to the church for worship. It is just as much about how we live when we are not gathered.
But as continuous worshipers, we do gather ourselves together to continue our worship, but now in the context of our family in Christ.
Key Truth #8: The way to worship is falling madly in love with Jesus.
Worship is responding to God for who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing.
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:1-7
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Haiti Teaching - Spiritual Gifts
I will be teaching a group of pastors while in Haiti next week. Take a peak at some of my notes if you would like.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Gospel of Mark Overview
The Gospel of Mark
Scratch Notes
This is the story of Jesus and His life.
Mark’s gospel highlights action over teaching, which leaves us with the impression of a dramatic story.
Mark’s favorite word is “straightway, or immediately.”
Again and again, Mark cuts to a different camera shot. Like a fast-paced movie, Mark keeps the interest of his readers.
Compared to the other gospels, Mark does not contain much teaching. Luke’s gospel includes twenty-five parables, Matthew has twenty parables, Mark has only seven. However, Mark’s accounts of events and teachings are vivid, and sometimes even more vivid than the other gospels.
Many of the details found in passages such as: Mark 6:30-34, 7:31-37, 8:22-26, 9:14-29 are not found in the other gospels even if the stories themselves are present. This leads me to think the book recounts what Peter remembered from the events. It has sort of an eye-witness feel.
Who wrote Mark?
A: Peter is the source. John Mark wrote it down.
The late first and early second century church leader Papias, who knew the disciples themselves, said that mark wrote down everything the apostle Peter told him about the sayings and deeds of Jesus. This is an idea the NT supports. John Mark first became associated with Peter when Peter was freed from prison and went to the home of Mark’s mother in Acts 12:12. Peter later mentioned that mark was with him in 1 Peter 5:13.
Many think that the fleeing figure in Mark 14:50-52 was actually the young John Mark and that this is kind of his signature in the book.
According to tradition, Mark wrote down Peter’s account near the end of Peter’s ministry in Rome.
STRUCTURE:
Mark contains the quickest beginning of any of the Gospels.
It begins by saying this is the good news.
Mark jumps right into the ministry of John the Baptist. By 1:16 Jesus is already calling his first disciples.
Chapters 1 – 8 provide a record of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, where he established himself as a teacher and miracle-worker
A turning point occurs in Chapter 8 when Peter confessed that Jesus is the Messiah. After this confession Jesus focused more intently on his closest followers. He warns of his coming death /resurrection, and taught them about the cost of following him. Chapter 8-10 continues this focus and teaching as they travel towards Jerusalem.
Chapters 11 – 13 contain Jesus’ teaching in Jerusalem over the last week of his life.
Chapter 14 contains the Last Supper, Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, and arraignment before the Sanhedrin.
Chapter 15 describes his appearance before Pilate, his conviction, his being mocked, as well as his crucifixion, death, and burial.
Chapter 16 then provides a brief account of Jesus’ resurrection.
Mark records honestly how people responded to Jesus
Mark 3:20-21 – Jesus’ own family wanted to have him committed. [no dressing up Jesus here to make him look better—his family thought he was crazy.]
1) Some believed he was the messiah
-The friends of the paralyzed man in 2:5
-The bleeding woman in 5:34
-Jairus in 5:23
-Syrophoenician Woman in 7:29
-Blind Bartimaues in 10:52
-The Roman centurion at the cross 15:39
2) Some were confused
-You would think the disciples would be among those who believed, but they are portrayed throughout the gospel as confused and slow to learn.
-Note Jesus’ responses to them in 4:13, 4:40, 6:37,52, 6:49-0, 7:18, 8:16-21.
-The disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ teaching about his death and resurrection in 9:10
-They were shocked by his teaching on wealth and heaven in 10:22-27
-They fought over their comparative importance in 10:35-45
-They rebuked people when they brought their children to Jesus in 10:14
-Mark is clear: the disciples were confused and slow to learn.
3) Some were antagonistic
-Some clearly understood what Jesus was saying, and they opposed him.
-The teachers of the law charged him with blasphemy in 2:7
-The Pharisees objected to his eating with sinners and his statements about the Sabbath (2:16,24)
-The Pharisees and Herodians began to plot to kill Jesus in 3:6
-Jesus’ family thought he was crazy in 3:21
-The teachers of the law said he was demon possessed in 3:22,30
-The Gerasenes asked him to leave their region in 5:15-17
-His hometown residents were offended by him 6:4-5
-Herod worried about him 6:16
-The Pharisees kept challenging him 7:5
-The chief priests and the teachers of the law joined the Pharisees and Herodians in the conspiracy to kill Jesus in 11:18
-They challenged him publicly in 11:23-33. His response exposed their intentions in 12:1-11
-The liberal Sadducees take their turn at him in 12:18-23
-The plotting continued in chapter 14:1-2
-When Judas decided to help these conspirators in 14:10-11, the whole story turns in a tragic direction.
-The opposition engulfed Pharisees, Sadducees, Jews, Gentiles, foes and even friends.
A note on the “messianic secret”
Throughout the first half of Mark’s gospel, Jesus occasionally attempted to hide his identity as the Messiah (1:25, 1:34, 1:44, 3:12, 4:11-12, 5:39, 5:43, 7:36, 8:26, 8:30). Why? I think it was a teaching method.
Possibly His purpose was to shield himself from the attention of the crowds long enough to teach the disciples what the Messiah had really come to do. He was reeducating them and pointing them to particular scriptures that taught about the Messiah but had gone unnoticed. We see in 9:30-31 that after his Transfiguration that he left with the disciples and didn’t want anyone to know where they were so he could teach them. Once the disciples were reeducated, the “messianic secret” evaporated. We see Jesus is teaching publicly who he is in chapter 12.
What was this secret that led first to confusion and then to opposition? It is the centerpiece of Mark’s Gospel: the truth about who Jesus is.
Jesus on Jesus
If you listen to Jesus’ own words in Mark’s Gospel, you will find he did teach about matters of morality. However, that is not mainly what he taught about. The main thing he taught about was himself.
Except for the name Jesus, the title “son of man” is the most frequent phrase used to refer to Jesus in Mark.
Jesus uses it to refer to himself in 10:45 for instance.
He uses it again in 2:10 and 14:62 as he teaches that he is more than a normal human and is the Messiah.
What did the “son of man” come to do?
A) Bear Authority
-He taught with authority (1:22)
-He casts out demons. Evil spirits obey him. (1:27, 3:15, 6:7)
-He has the authority to forgive sins (2:10)
-He has the authority to be the Lord of the Sabbath (2:28)
B) Suffer
-He taught he must suffer much and be rejected (Mark 9:12)
-At the Last Supper he tells the disciples what has been written about him must happen (14:21)
-He was to be betrayed into the hands of sinners (14:41)
-Mark 8:31
-Mark 9:31
C) Return to Judge
-Promises to rise from the dead (8:31, 9:9, 9:31, 10:34)
-Promises to return (8:38, 13:26, 14:62)
-Jesus knows who he is
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus knows who he is
1) He is David’s greater son [Uses Psalm 110 to teach about himself. CF with Mark 12:36, 14:62]
2) He is the suffering servant [Uses Isaiah 53 to teach about himself. CF specifically with 10:45 and above passages]
3) He is the one who will come again to bring judgment [Uses Daniel 7:13-14 to teach about himself. CF with 8:38,13:26,14:62)
This is Mark’s teaching about Jesus: God came in the flesh, was rejected, and will come again in judgment.
What about Jesus and You?
At the very beginning of the book Mark writes about the gospel, the good news. 1:1
What is the good news?
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45.
Referencing Isaiah 53, Jesus teaches that he was God come in the flesh both to be rejected by people and to give his life as a ransom for all those who would repent of their sins and believe in him.
What we can learn from Peter
Jesus laying down his life as a ransom was good news for Peter. Throughout the gospel we see that Peter leads the disciples in confusion, confession, cowardly denials, and bold promises. In chapter 14 we see Peter’s three-fold denial of Jesus, BUT, we also see Peter’s weeping (v. 72). In these tears we can see hope.
Repentance begins with realizing the weight of your sins and the greatness of your need. It can come like a thunderclap. Then it can cause showers of weeping. If it is godly sorrow, it brings change.
If you want to see Jesus for who He is, you must see yourself for who you are. And if you are seeing clearly, you will weep.
May god give us eyes to see the truth about ourselves, and then the truth about Jesus who came to lay down his life as a ransom for many as we teach this book. This was the good news for Peter, and it is the good news for us too.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Steps for Inductive Bible Study
Steps for IBS: Observation, Interpretation, Application
By Ben Durbin in Leadership Cell
Step 1: Begin with prayer
Step 2: Identify context
What goes with the text
Look at the surrounding verses, chapters, book
Step 3: Look for the obvious
Write out obvious facts, details, or ideas
Observation Questions:
Who is the audience, the author, the main characters
What are the main events? What is the major idea? What are the people like? What does he talk about most.
When was this written? When did it take place? When was it received?
Where did this event occur
Why was it written? Why did he say that, go there, or respond that way? Why is so much or so little space given to a topic.
How did this happen? How is it done? How is this truth illustrated
Step 4: Meditate on the passage and observations and pray some more
Step 5: Identify key words (anything used multiple times), topic, or theme
Step 6: Keep in mind a few rules of interpretation
Seek the full teaching of God's word for any topic you find. (e.g. -- the bible has a lot to say about prayer)
Interpret Scripture with Scripture (Start with the author's writings, and expand out)
Remember: The New Testament interprets the Old
That which is said multiple times interprets that only said once
Clear interprets unclear
Does what you are concluding fit into the whole of the Bible? Does it reject teaching of the Bible--if so, try again. Meditate on it. Work it out.
Follow the literal sense. You typically want to go with the "obvious" meaning and not a "hidden" message
Look for the authors intended meaning
Step 7: Make your interpretation (only 1)
How was this relevant to the original audience?
What are the key words phrases, or themes
What was the author's purpose of intent
What are the key truths/and or principles
What is the TIMELESS truth!!
Does your interpretation fit within the context of THIS passage
Does your interpretation harmonize with the whole scripture
Step 8: Check your conclusions using reliable study aides
Concordance -- cross references / parallel passages
Bible Dictionary -- word definitions and meanings
Commentaries --- input from professional students of God's Word
Bible foot-notes -- study bibles can include all of the above
Step 9: Make your application(s)
Tip 1: Start with your discovery of God's word
Tip 2: Accept God's truth and work it out into daily living
Tip 3: Be Specific: application must be personal and measurable to each individuals life.
Tip 4: Practice: maturity isn't measured by how much we know, but by how much we actually live out.
The application questions
How did this message apply to the original audience?
What are the similarities between us and them?
How does the meaning of the passage apply to me?
What are the theological principles of the passage?
What truth(s) am I to embrace, believe, or order my life by?
What changes should I make in my belief, in my life?
How can I practice what I have learned from this passage everyday?
Step 10: Pray before you share
Monday, September 26, 2011
Evidences of Grace
Evidences of Grace since our last Member’s Meeting
The Bridge Community Church
We exist to make disciples who make disciples
by helping people believe it, grow it, send it
[ IT is the GOSPEL]
- · Believe it --- evidences of grace
o 7 baptisms September 18, 2011
o 48 total baptisms this year!!!
o ***Prayer goal for the next year = 96 baptisms
o 18 baby dedications this year!!!
o I believe we had our first child that was dedicated at The Bridge baptized this year. Elijah Yount.
o ***Our prayer goal is to keep having and adopting babies who take over the county! Little Bridge Kids for the gospel everyhere.
o GROWTH in BK - we expanded BK into two celebrations bringing the gospel to more children.
o GROWTH in celebrations – we are seeing larger crowds at 9:00 AM and an increase in overall attendance.
o CA – we are bringing the gospel to more people via CA than ever before. This year CA has ran in the prison, jail, csc, at the journey in Herky, and at The Bridge. Our largest CA ever is taking place right now.
o Night in Bethlehem – 1100 people through the doors to hear about the good news of Jesus
- · GROW IT – evidences of grace
o New cell families – Brian & Sarah Dunlap, Zack & Jen Mills, Ronnie & Angie Buckingham, New leadership cell, Ladies daytimer cell/ Juanita Gray, Stan & Christina Jackson, Bismark/Brown cell, Fredericktown/Bollinger, Derek & Tiffany Barker youth cell.
o The Leadership cell is training potentially four new cell starts right now.
o *** Our prayer goal is for 10 new cell starts this year, and 100 new people in cell.
o Two elder tracks going strong. Elder Track #1 recently finished a workbook with 20 sessions on Bible doctrine.
o Three secret church simulcasts on Salvation, OT Survey, and NT Survey. (These can be used as cell resources). Financial Seminar – cell resource
o Sermon Series: We finished 1 Corinthians and made it through Spiritual Gifts, Are You Smarter than a Corinthian, and From Death to Life among other mini-series in the letter, A Global Christmas – helped feed kids and pay teachers salaries at an Orphanage in Haiti, Habbakuk, Always True (cell resource) Into the Light (1,2, 3 John), Currently on part 9 of Mark.
o Two Night of Worship celebrations where we joined together to sing our hearts out for King Jesus.
o Women’s events – Beth Moore, Priscilla Shire, Mother’s and Others (MOMMY RHAPSODY)… Man UP , Youth Ski Trip, One Initiative, Couples Retreat
o Added Lance to full time pastoral staff. Re-explain prophet, priest, king
- · Send it – evidences of grace
o Camp Pennuel Mission Weekend
o Joplin Mission Trip
o Youth 3MT Mission Trip
o Youth Costa Rica Mission Trip
o Tim – India, Goldsmith’s to Haiti
o Advent Conspiracy
o Arnold cell and movement towards a second campus
o New Volunteers – large increase in BK workers, first Impressions volunteers, new cell leaders, new musicians, CA workers, missional cell
o *** Our prayer goal should be to see at least one new volunteer each weekend. There are 52 weeks a year.
o We have several families considering picking up and moving to Arnold to help with the launch of our second campus.
o Internet –
§ our videos have been watched in 114 different countries
§ We average 65,000 hits a month on bridgelife360.com
§ There were 102,000 hits in the month of December alone
§ On Vimeo there have been 39,000 videos viewed alone. We also put up videos on three other online venues
§ Top videos with partial plays = All Because of Jesus off the old DVD, The Christmas NOW
§ Top videos played all the way through last year = Mommy Rhapsody, Shadows
§ Top sermons watched actually happened last September, but were watched most since OCT. 1) Tough Love – Divorce and Remarriage 2) Tough Love – Good Sex, Bad Sex)
o Our cells are on mission as well!!!
o ** Pray for the upcoming scheduled mission trips to Haiti, Liberia, and Nicaragua this year. Also pray for those that are not scheduled yet locally, state-side, and with our youth.
o *** Pray for our Advent Conspiracy season this year and the offering. Where should we focus internationally with these funds? India? Haiti? Nicaragua?
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Becky and I are going to Haiti
Friends and Family,
Becky and I have decided to go on mission to Haiti this fall, together! Our faith community (The Bridge Community Church) supports New Hope Missions International and their church planting efforts and schools in northern Haiti. We will be going in partnership with Tennessee Valley Community Church, which also supports NHMI. While we are there we will work on NHMI's fifth church plant/school location (pouring concrete) in addition to some other exciting opportunities.
Mission Opportunities:
I will encourage and train the five pastors from NHMI's five churches (5th currently being built/constructed)
Becky will assist in medical clinics with people from our church, TVCC, and the NHMI crew in the areas the churches are located
Others from both churches will assist in the medical clinics and/or pouring concrete for a new church
- We will get to meet and spend time with the children from the schools and share about Jesus via VBS types of activities
We will assess and be praying about the possibility of sponsoring children in the new church/school location. We are considering bringing this possibility up to our faith community as the advent conspiracy emphasis this year. We hope to assess the need,viability, and appropriateness of this.
We will visit one of the current churches in need of an expansion project due to growth and assess future possibilities
Becky and I are asking for your prayer and support. We could really use your prayers as we prepare to leave.
Pray specifically for:
The pastors of the five churches, their families, and lives
- The construction of the (fifth) church to go smoothly while we are there
- The medical clinics to be safe and ran well
Gospel conversations to develop in the medical clinics, at the construction sites, and in the schools
- My time in teaching/training the five pastors
- Safe and healthy travel for our team (7 from our church, 14 total)
Our financial needs to be met. Total cost for our family will be around $2200 for this trip. We are saving and working extra. Pray for God's provision in and around these times
The financial needs of those traveling with us to be met
- Our children while we are gone
Thank you for partnering in prayer and support for us and the Haitians we will encounter. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I left the dates off of this note because of its public nature.
Others from our church attending to pray for in addition to Becky and I :
1) Michael Goldsmith
2) Melissa Goldsmith
3) Tisa Ayers
4) Bill Janes
5) Chris Guthrie
We do not want to make this trip without the prayers of our friends and family! Begin praying today!
God bless,
Ben and Becky Durbin
BELOW is a Photo from a recent backpack challenge we participated in with NHMI
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Reading List
I haven't updated my reading list in a while so I am sure I'll miss a few. Here are some of the books I've read recently or have been reading through (e.g. the Dever books are still in process).
- Radical Together by David Platt
- Always True by James MacDonald
- Epistles of John by James Montgomery Boice
- Redemption by Mike Wilkerson
- Rid of My Disgrace by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb
- The Message of The New Testament by Mark Dever
- The Message of The Old Testament by Mark Dever
- You Can Change by Tim Chester
- Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman
- Downpour by James MacDonald
- Finally Alive by John Piper
- One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm
- Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem
- Theological Clarity and Application (workbook) by Scott Thomas
Bible Reading:
I currently read a chapter from Psalms, Proverbs, Acts, and Mark a day.
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