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* – Alison Law
Praise & Worship*- Praise Team and Congregation
Welcome & Announcements – Joey Wang
Sermon “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” Ephesians 1:11-14 (page 976) – Kenny Chan
Song(s) of Response* – Praise Team
Doxology (Words of Praise)*- Congregation
Prayer & Benediction (Lord’s Blessing)* – Kenny Chan
*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
Ephesians 1:3-10 “Blessed in Christ”
We are Blessed in Christ…
- Because We are Chosen by God the Father (vv.4-6)
– God’s Love: Out of His love He has called us to be His children (adoption). This isn’t because of how good we are or how obedient we are but out of His love for us.
– Become Holy in Christ: As we become His children God calls us to be holy (set apart for Him). This isn’t a prerequisite for becoming His children, but rather an expectation of being His children.
– For His Glory: All that we do and are is to worship God — through our words, our thoughts, our actions, our lives, our relationships, our work, our play, etc.
- Because We are Redeemed by Jesus (vv.7-10)
– Freed & Forgiven in Christ: It is only through Jesus that we can be freed and forgiven of our sin, guilt, and shame.
– Because of God’s Grace: God redeems us out of His extravagant grace — it is a grace that he continues to give — so much that is overflows!
– Revelation of God’s Will: God reveals His will to us through Jesus. The story of the Bible, the story of the world centers around Jesus and the Gospel message: Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration.
– Reconciliation of Creation in Christ: The goal of redemption is to re-unite us back with God as well as with one another. Sin breaks and distorts the relationship we have with God and each other. Jesus comes to reconcile us back to God as well as one another.
While these verses are theological rich and dense, the big picture of these verses was meant to encourage Christians — to remind them that they are blessed in Christ! The apostle Paul reminds them of their identity as blessed people.
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 late to sign up for our annual Winter Youth Retreat. Regular registration ends 1/31. Special discount for friends! Please turn in the registration forms and check to Daniel Chen.
- Serving Lunch:The English Adults (college students, young adults, married, etc…) are scheduled to serve lunch today. See David Tsao for details.
- 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). We will also have a potluck at 5:30pm on Sat. 2/6. Please invite non-Christian family members and friends to join. For more information, please refer to the insert in the bulletin or check online at https://youtu.be/uPzRlDqSqbU . Please carpool if possible. Sandra does not accept offering. If you’d like to make an offering for the concert, please offer to Chinese for Christ Church of San Jose.
- Bible Reading Plans: The beginning of the new year is a great opportunity to read through the Bible! There are several Bible reading plans available in the hallway table for you — 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 (1/30) 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 for the upcoming Sandra Shen concert. Pray that through the beauty of music that the beauty of the Gospel would be evident through this outreach event!
- Pray for Emaus Church (East San Jose). Pray for Pastor Paul Sanchez and his family (wife Joy and two children) as he continues the transition of leading and shepherding this church (since fall of 2015). Pray that Emaus church would continue to be rooted in the Gospel, live out the Gospel and spread the Gospel in East San Jose.
Background & 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
& Ephesians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) by Frank Thielman
– The two best “technical” (in-depth) commentaries on Ephesians, which explores the original Greek language, historical background as well as theological terms. While technical, both these commentaries also point readers to a deeper love of God.
Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) by Tony Merida and David Platt
– Probably the best “user-friendly” commentary on Ephesians. Short, concise, but packed with helpful insights as well as how Ephesians points us to Jesus
Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary by Harold W. Hoehner
Ephesians (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) by Clinton E. Arnold
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 20: Who is the Redeemer?
Answer: The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom God became man and bore the penalty for sin himself.
Passage(s): 1 Timothy 2:5