Chinese for Christ Church of San Jose
English Worship Service
Worship Service: 10:00 –11:10 am followed by snacks in the Fellowship Hall.
Call To Worship* – Hannah Lee
Praise & Worship*- Praise Team and Congregation
Welcome & Announcements – Kenny Chan
Sermon “Blessed in Christ” Ephesians 1:3-10 (page 976)- Joey Wang
Song(s) of Response* – Praise Team
Doxology (Words of Praise)*- Congregation
Prayer & Benediction (Lord’s Blessing)* – Joey Wang
*Please stand, if physically able. Also, please set your cell phones to “silent.”
Please exit through the ‘front’ of the sanctuary at the end of service. Thank you.
Background and Resources on Ephesians
Who? The Apostle Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians
To Who? Unlike some of Paul’s other letters (1 Corinthians, Galatians, etc.), the letter of Ephesians does not seem to address specific issues but appears to be more a general letter. Most likely, the letter was passed around to different house churches which gathered throughout the city of Ephesus — a major city and trading center (port).
When? 60-61 AD
Where? Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians while imprisoned in Rome.
Why? To remind and encourage Christians in Ephesus of the gospel message. The first half of the letter (chapters 1-3) focuses on the Gospel, while the second half (chapters 4-6) focuses on the implications and application of the Gospel.
Recommended Commentaries on Ephesians
We’ve found the following commentaries helpful in having a better understanding of the book of Ephesians:
The Letter to the Ephesians (The Pillar New Testament Commentary) by Peter T. O’Brien
Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) by Tony Merida and David Platt
Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary by Harold W. Hoehner
Ephesians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) by Frank Thielman
Ephesians (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) by Clinton E. Arnold
We are glad you are here this morning to worship God together with us! We hope that through this service you would experience God’s blessings to you — and know His love for you through Jesus Christ and the presence of His Spirit!
If this is your first time here, please fill out one the pink cards in the pew and pass onto any of our ushers if you would like us to contact you with more information about our church.
Announcements
- Winter Youth Retreat: It’s not too late to sign up for our annual Winter Youth Retreat. Regular registration ends 1/30. Special discount for friends! Please turn in the registration forms and check to Daniel Chen.
- Summer Missions Pre-Registration:If you are interested in participating in one of our 2016 summer short-term mission trips, please fill out the pre-registration form and turn in to Edward Lee (aihualee@yahoo.com) or in the offering box by 1/31. Filling out the form is not a commitment to go but rather expresses your interest — this will greatly help our missions committee in planning for the summer.
- Piano Concert: We will be having two piano concerts, “Tales of Love From the East”, at church by pianist Sandra Wright Shen (Sat, 2/6 at 7:30pm & Sun, 2/7 at 2pm). Please invite non-Christian family members and friends to join. For more information, please check online at https://youtu.be/uPzRlDqSqbU
- Bible Reading Plans: The start of the new year is a great opportunity to read through the Bible! We’ve included several Bible reading plans for you, located on the hallway table — feel free to peruse other plans and resources online: http://goo.gl/h5zLNT.
- Community Groups: Our small group fellowships for college/post-college (working, single/married, etc.) meet weekly on Saturday morning (10 am – 12 pm) as well as Sunday afternoons (4-6 pm). Please contact either Pastor Joey or Kenny for more information.
- Saltshakers: We will be gathering for Large Group this coming Saturday (1/23) from 7-9pm at the Beacon Building. For more information, please contact Daniel Chen (dantchen83@sbcglobal.net).
Prayer Requests & Praises
- Pray for our upcoming Winter Youth Retreat (2/12-15). Pray for the planning, coordination, and preparations involved as we partner with Mountain View Chinese Christian Church (MVCCC), Canaan Taiwanese Christian Church (CTCC) and Spring Valley Chinese Christian Church (SVCCC). Pray also for more volunteers to help out. Ultimately, pray that through this retreat our students would grow closer to God and one another.
- Pray that as a church we would continue to know God’s missional heart for the world — that we would live out the Gospel and share the Gospel both locally and globally for God’s glory!
- Pray for Orchard Community Church, which meets in downtown Campbell. Pray for Todd Burgett (lead pastor) and Tyler Schmidt (associate pastor) as they lead, equip and proclaim the gospel. Pray that as a church they would be faithful to the Gospel and living out the Gospel as a witness to those around them.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE BIBLE IN A YEAR?
Less than 10 minutes a day. (There are about 775,000 words in the Bible. Divided by 365, that’s 2,123 words a day. The average person reads 200 to 250 words per minute. So 2,123 words/day divided by 225 words/min equals 9.4 minutes a day.) If you want to listen to a narrator read the Bible, they are usually about 75 hours.
DOES THE BIBLE EVER COMMAND US TO READ THE WHOLE BIBLE IN A YEAR?
No. What is commends is knowing the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) and meditating or storing or ruminating upon God’s self-disclosure to us in written form (Deut.6:7;32:46; Ps.119:11,15,23,93,99;143:5). It is compared to bread and water—not nice things to have when there is time but that which is essential for survival.
The point is not to check off a list or punch in your time but rather to meditate on the Word in such a way that your mind, heart, and actions are transformed in a godly, gospel-drawn way.
As Joel Beeke writes: “As oil lubricates an engine, so meditation facilitates the diligent use of means of grace (reading of Scripture, hearing sermons, prayer, and all other ordinances of Christ), deepens the marks of grace (repentance, faith, humility), and strengthens one’s relationships to others (love to God, to fellow Christians, to one’s neighbors at large).”
Thomas Watson put it like this: “A Christian without meditation is like a solider without arms, or a workman without tools. Without meditation the truths of God will not stay with us; the heart is hard, and the memory is slippery, and without meditation all is lost.”
So reading the Bible cover to cover is a great way to facilitate meditation upon the whole counsel of God.
(The above information is quoted from Justin Taylor’s “Reading the Whole Bible in 2016: FAQ”)
New City Catechism (from www.newcitycatechism.com/intro.php)
Catechisms are a helpful tool in teaching and learning the essentials of the Christian faith. They are written in question and answer form to help memorize. We hope that this will be a tool for us to use in disciplining our children, one another and ourselves as a church community. [The New City Catechism is also available online and for your smart phones]
Question 19: Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God’s favor?
Answer: Yes, to satisfy his justice, God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin, by a Redeemer.
Passage(s): Isaiah 53:10-11