Cornerstone Berean Church

Jesus followers will conform themselves to Jesus' teaching, humbly confessing their own sins first and carefully testing their own hearts always.

Based on: Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks  Satan's Devices to Keep Saints in a Sad, Doubting, and Questioning Condition and the Remedies Provided Introduction What are “devices”? (2 Corinthians 2:11) What is Satan's aim with these devices? (1 Peter 5:8) Device #1 (1 John 3:19-20; Hebrews 12:1-2) To cause us to “be poring and musing upon sin.” To be minding our sins more than we mind Christ. What is the root problem? (Romans 10:1-3; 2 Corinthians 12:9) What is the root problem of self-righteousness? What is the root problem of despair over sins? Remedy #1 To consider that, though Christ has not freed you from the presence of sin, yet He has freed you from the condemnation of your sin (1 John 1:8-2:1; Romans 8:1). “Though sin and grace were never born together…yet they must keep house together.” Remedy #2 To consider that, though Christ has not freed you from the molesting and vexing power of sin, yet he has freed you from the reign and dominion of sin (Romans 8:23; Romans 6:14). Remedy #3 To keep one eye upon the promises of remission of sin and the other eye on the reality of sin and its ongoing influence (Psalm 103:8-14; Galatians 5:17). “This is the most certain truth, that God graciously pardons those sins to His people that He will not in this life fully subdue in His people.” Remedy #4 To look upon all your sins as debts fully satisfied by Christ (2 Cor. 5:21; Colossians 2:13-14). Remedy #5 To seriously consider the reasons why the Lord is pleased to have His people exercised, troubled, and vexed with the effects of sinful corruption (Psalm 119:67 and 71). To humble them. To drive them to the means God uses to mortify sin. To teach them to rely on Christ for their sanctification. To wean them from the things below. To grow their compassion toward others who also struggle. To learn to distinguish between a state of grace and a state of glory. To make heaven more sweet to them when they finally arrive there. Remedy #6  To solemnly consider that believers must learn to repent for their being discouraged by their sins since this discouragement springs from ignorance and unbelief (Isaiah 50:10; Acts 10:43). 

Pride leads to a critical spirit, but God's grace leads to humility and teaches us to put on compassion.

It is love that will empower you to respond to your enemies with love, but you will need to think of yourself first. 

Those who listen to Jesus will orient their hearts to love their enemies and will act toward them out of that love.

Unity in the church is good sign for believers, but we must know the effect it has on the watching world.

video is not available due to power issues during the classtime, but audio was able to be recorded.

When we faithfully follow Christ, we will be persecuted; but we can learn to rejoice and be glad knowing that we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ.

Eternal blessing will come to those who see their brokenness and need, but eternal deprivation will come to those who are fit and self-satisfied.

Purpose: to provide a biblical process for seeking peace with those who hurt or offend us.

Jesus chose twelve of His disciples and named them Apostles to lay the foundations of His church and ensure the continuation of His ministry to all.

Separating Problems from Conflicts What are the sources of problems (Genesis 3:14-19; Psalm 103:14)? What is God doing in and through your problems? Some problems with problems. The problem with conflicts and corresponding difficulties. Some preliminary and basic helps when dealing with problems.

Jesus claimed authority over the interpretation and application of Sabbath regulation and demonstrated His authority by His works, exposing the Pharisees' self-righteous and cold-hearted legalism.

If life were perfect, it would be hard to see the beauty of Christ or to minister him to others.

In order for death to be gain, Christ must first be your life.

Main Idea: Justification is not a relic of a particular era, that is the Reformation, nor is it equative to salvation, that is justification does not equal salvation, but it is a crucial element of the application of salvation. Human beings are unable to live in accord with the character of God and thus need an alien righteousness to be declared righteous before Him. This alien righteousness comes to us from God as part of our union with Christ and we are united to Christ through the instrument of faith, which is a gift. Justification is by faith alone, but true faith is never alone – good works always follow.

If the Christian has any animating passion other than love for Jesus Christ, God will use trials to remove those from their heart.

2024 ACBC AC Plenary 2 - Carl Hargrove - Jesus the Forgiving Counselor https://vimeo.com/1024841937/8dc650e717

Jesus demonstrated His compassion for sinners like us by calling a corrupt tax collector to Himself and then by dining with his scandalous friends to do the same.

Jesus is the final Adam and faithful Israel who resisted the temptations of Satan in the wilderness and obeyed God as our flawless representative.

Our hold on Christ strengthens during our trials, as does Christ's hold on us.

Luke wrote to ensure that we understand and find hope in Jesus' identification with us as the promised Servant of God sent to redeem His people. 

True repentance reorients the heart away from self to Jesus, the incomparable Christ, who will gather to Himself those who trust Him but will judge those who reject Him.

God sends His messengers to you with gracious warnings so that you will hear, respond, and be saved.

Truth #4.  You Belong Together Truth #5.  Hope in God Creates Affection for Others Truth #6.  Divine Justice Empowers Full Forgiveness

Jesus' circumstances and interactions testify to His identity as the Son of God, and His words and actions, even at 12, serve to instruct us now.

How do we address our differences when they are, in fact, matters of Righteousness? How Christians address differences says something about Christ.

God promised to pour out His Holy Spirit on His people to reveal the gospel to us and to empower us for godliness.

Overview of 1st Peter

https://vimeo.com/1024840111/4bd4a5603c?fl=pl&fe=sh

The LORD faithfully orchestrated the formation of His Servant, Jesus, making Him perfectly fit for His ministry of redemption.

The depth of your joy will be in direct proportion to the depth of your understanding of God and His promises and the depth of your gratitude for His grace.

Because of the tender mercy of our faithful God, we have now been set free to serve Him fearlessly and righteously.

If you are to truly worship God as He desires, you must understand what worship is, what worship does, and what will move you to it.

You can be at peace in this world and secure in your salvation because God is powerful to accomplish all that He promises.

Mary is an example of the authentic humility that flows from a properly oriented heart and that should mark every follower of Christ.

Judgement Chapter 32 — Paragraph 1 God has appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness, by Jesus Christ;1 to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father; in which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged,2 but likewise all persons that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.3 1 Acts 17:31; John 5:22–27 2 1 Cor. 6:3; Jude 6 3 2 Cor. 5:10; Eccles. 12:14; Matt. 12:36; Rom. 14:10,12; Matt. 25:32–46 — Paragraph 2 The end of God's appointing this day, is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy, in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of his justice, in the eternal damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient;4 for then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fulness of joy and glory with everlasting rewards, in the presence of the Lord; but the wicked, who do not know God, and do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast aside into everlasting torments,5 and punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.6 4 Rom. 9:22–23 5 Matt. 25:21,34; 2 Tim. 4:8 6 Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:48; 2 Thess. 1:7–10 — Paragraph 3 As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin,7 and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity,8 so will he have the day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come,9 and may ever be prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus; come quickly.10 Amen. 7 2 Cor. 5:10–11 8 2 Thess. 1:5–7 9 Mark 13:35–37; Luke 12:35–40 10 Rev. 22:20

As the final Word of God and the last and perfect Adam, Jesus alone was made fit to stand in your place before the Father.