Substitute Product

“Without realizing it, we have during the past century bartered that gospel for a substitute product which, though it looks similar enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly different thing. Hence our troubles; for the substitute product does not answer the ends for which the authentic gospel has in past days proved itself so mighty. The new gospel conspicuously fails to produce deep reverence, deep repentance, deep humility, a spirit of worship, a concern for the church…. (The gospel) was always and essentially a proclamation of Divine sovereignty in mercy and judgment, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its centre of reference was unambiguously God. But in the new gospel the center of reference is man… Whereas the chief aim of the old was to teach men to worship God, the concern of the new seems limited to making them feel better. The subject of the old gospel was God and His ways with men; the subject of the new is man and the help God gives him. There is a world of difference. The whole perspective and emphasis of gospel preaching has changed.” - J.I. Packer

MYSTERY MEN MEETS TONIGHT

Come join us for the first gathering of Men of Mystery
Tonight 7pm at Pizza By Stout on Rangeline Rd near HomeDepot

We will be talking about what it is to be a man and follow God.

BAPTISM CELEBRATION AND PICNIC

If you are coming to the Baptism Picnic Saturday the 25th (which you should)
it is from 5-7pm RAIN OR SHINE. Bring food for yourself and something to share.
It will be at Wild Cat Park in South Joplin.

Directions:
Take Main Street south past interstate 44. Past the Harley Dealership.
It is the second street on the right (west) past the Harley shop. Its a brand new road. The park is still under construction. Enter and follow the road all the way to the end. Past the ball field etc. At the back is a small picnic area and a boat loading dock. we should be
there if all goes well.


**IF THE PARK IS CLOSED (it is from time to time because of the new construction) then go back north on main to GLENSTONE (just before the harley shop and go West on Glenstone like you are going to the falls. We will be on one of the parks there just before the bridge.
This is the back up location only.

ANNOUNCEMENTS August 19th

Lots going on as summer comes to a close. Mark your Calendars.

• Baptism Celebration and Picnic Saturday, August 25, 5pm-7pm, Wild Cat Park.
Come eat with us and rejoice in the work of Jesus in the lives of Mystery!
Please bring a dish to share.

• Home Group Training for hosts and leaders begins on Wednesday, August 22
at 6:30pm at Kent and Anna Phillips’ home.

• Mom’s Forum - All moms and moms-to-be are invited to the Inge‘s on
Saturday, August 25 from 10am-noon.

• Men of Mystery Gathering - Monday, August 27 from 7pm-9pm. More info
coming soon.

• Exploring Mystery is a forum for those who are new to Mystery or interested
in finding out about what it means to be a part of the church. It will be
available on the last Sunday of every month beginning at 4:30pm in the
Fellowship Hall.

What Does it Mean to Know God Pt 3

When we believe in Jesus:

1) Our sins are paid for by His death, and
2) His perfect life record is transferred to
our account.
So God accepts and regards us as if we
had done all Christ has done.
3) What You Must Do
You must repent. There first must be an
admission that you have been living as your
own master, worshipping the wrong things,
violating God's loving laws. "Repentance"
means you ask forgiveness and turn from that
stance with a willingness to live for and
center on Him.
You must believe. Faith is transferring your
trust from your own efforts to the efforts of
Christ. You were relying on other things to
make you acceptable, but now you consciously
begin relying on what Jesus did for
your acceptance with God. All you need is
nothing. If you think, "God owes me something
for all my efforts," you are still on the
outside.
Pray after this fashion: "I see that I am more
flawed and sinful than I ever dared believe,
but that I am even more loved and accepted
than I ever dared hope. I turn from my old life
of living for myself. I have nothing in my
record to merit Your approval, but I now rest
in what Jesus did and ask to be accepted into
God's family for His sake." When you make
this transaction, two things happen at once:
1) your accounts are cleared, your sins are
wiped out permanently, you are adopted
legally into God's family, and 2) the Holy
Spirit enters your heart and begins to change
you into the character of Jesus.
You must follow through. Tell a Christian
friend about your commitment. Get yourself
training in the basic Christian disciplines of
prayer, worship, Bible study and fellowship with
other Christians. You can contact Mystery, and
we will be eager to connect you with someone
who can help you begin to grow as a Christian.
Consider reading:
Go for It, by John Guest or Basic Christianity
by John Stott both good books for developing
a new Christian life.

Adapted from Timothy Keller, 1991

Baptism Forum August 15th

What is baptism? Who should be baptized? Why Do Christians do it? Do only Christians baptize? We will be exploring the history and meaning of baptism, what the bible teaches about its purpose and significance along with some common misconceptions. If you have ever considered being baptized, wondering or worried about your own baptism or just want to find out what it means to be a Christian this time of teaching is for you. Its August 15th at 7pm in Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church of Webb City. Check the Web Site for more information. Everyone is welcome.

MOMS FORUM AUGUST 25th

Power of the Gospel

Religion operates on the principle: "I obey, therefore I am accepted". The gospel operates on the principle: "I am accepted through Christ, therefore I obey." So the gospel differs from both religion and irreligion. Not only can you seek to be your own ‘lord and savior’ by breaking the law of God (i.e., through irreligion), you can also do so by keeping the law in order to earn your salvation (i.e., through religion). A lack of deep belief in the gospel is the main cause of spiritual deadness, fear, and pride in Christians, because our hearts continue to act on the basis “I obey, therefore, I am accepted.” If we fail to forgive others--that is not simply a lack of obedience, but a failure to believe we are saved by grace, too. If we lie in order to cover up a mistake--that is not simply a lack of obedience, but a failure to find our acceptance in God rather than in human approval. So we do not ‘get saved’ by believing the gospel and then ‘grow’ by trying hard to live according to Biblical principles.
Believing the gospel is not only the way to meet God, but also the way to grow into him.

From Tim Keller's The Gospel the Key to Change

What Does it Mean to Know God Pt 2

How Can I Know God?
In order to know God we must know three things:

1) Who We Are
We are God's creation. God created us and built
us for a relationship with Him. We belong to
Him and owe Him gratitude for every breath,
every moment, everything. Since humans were
built to live for Him (to worship), we will always
try to worship something. If not God, we will
choose some other object of ultimate devotion to
give life meaning.
We are sinners. We have all chosen (and reaffirm
daily) to reject God and to make our own joy and
happiness our highest priority. We do not want
to worship God and surrender our self-mastery,
yet we are built to worship; so we cling to idols,
centering our lives on things which promise to
give us meaning: success, relationships, influence,
love, comfort, etc.
We are in spiritual bondage. To live for anything
else but God leads to breakdown and decay.
When a fish leaves the water, that which he was
built for, he is not free, but dead. Worshiping
other things besides God leads to a loss of
meaning. If we achieve these things, they cannot
deliver satisfaction, because they were never
meant to be "gods." They were never meant to
replace God. Worshipping other things besides
God also leads to self-image problems. We end
up defining ourselves in terms of our achievement
in these things. We must have them or all
is lost, so they drive us to work too hard or fill
us with terror if they are jeopardized.

2) Who God Is
God is love and justice. His active concern is for
our joy and well-being. Most people love those
who love them, yet God loves and seeks the
good even of people who are His enemies. But
because God is good and loving, He cannot
tolerate evil. The opposite of love is not anger
but indifference. "The more you love your son, the
more you hate in him, the liar, the drunkard, the
traitor." (E.H. Gifford) To imagine God's situation,
picture a judge who is also a father, who
sits at the trial of his very guilty son. A judge
knows that he cannot let his son go, for without
justice no society can survive. How much less
can a loving God merely ignore or suspend
justice for us who are loved, yet guilty of
rebellion against His loving authority?
Jesus Christ is God. Jesus is God Himself come
to earth. He first lived a perfect life, loving God
with all His heart, soul and mind, fulfilling all
human obligation to God. He lived the life you
owed—a perfect record. Then, instead of
receiving His deserved reward (eternal life),
Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins,
taking the punishment and death you owed.


Adapted from Timothy Keller, 1991