rooted-students-blog

Christ's Final Cry

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:31:09 +0100

[28] After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” [29] A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. [30] When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
(John 19:28-30 ESV)

Jesus' last words on the cross was a simple statement that has great meaning for those who are saved. His death on the cross saved us from our sin, but it was not the cross itself that caused this. We are not saved because Roman soldiers crucified him. We are saved not from the crucifixion itself but from what occurred at the crucifixion. On the cross, Jesus bore the full penalty of sin for those who would believe. He took on himself the great wrath of God so sinners could be saved. "He said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." At the moment he said "It is finished," the salvation of God's people was forever secured. We were fully atoned at that moment. All the work needed for our salvation was finished. I leave you with a hymn that speaks of this concept beautifully.

Man of Sorrows

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Sources:
Sankey, Ira David. My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns. Harper & Brothers, 1906.

L.A. Boone

The Excellency of Christ

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:05:32 +0100

"And one of the elders said to me, 'Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.' And between the throne and the four living creatures and the among the elders I saw a Lamb standing as though it had been slain" -Revelation 5:5-6

Christ Jesus's greatness knows no bounds and as this passage shows us, He is great in a diverse number of ways. First, this passage portrays Jesus as the Lion. This shows his immense power. He is the almighty God, and he rules over all. He has the power to do whatever he wishes. "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases." (Psalm 115:3) He created the universe and is sovereign over all things in it.
Second, this passage portrays him as a Lamb being slain. This shows us his meekness. Even though he was ruler over all, he humbled himself and became a man, so that he could save us from our sins. He "made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:7-8) The picture Revelation gives us of the Lamb being slain symbolizes his death on the cross. Jesus stepped down from his throne to live as a man, and was killed on the cross for our sake, that through him we might be saved.

by L.A. Boone

Conversing With the Culture

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:47:11 +0100

On February 4th and 5th we will be attending the Apologetics conference at Southeastern Baptist College. I am really excited that this conference is so close to home and there won't be a lot of traveling involved, unlike the national apologetics conference which is held in Charlotte NC.
The apologetics conferences are very beneficial to Christians, they teach you how to approach different situations with people of other religions and equip you with some of the tools you need to defend the Christian faith.
There are going to be a number of very well educated people speaking at this conference, one of whom is the president of Southeastern Baptist College.
If you are interested in going the trip is $10. That will be due Wednesday, January 19 2011.

P.A. Speight

Radical: Taking Your Faith Back From the American Dream

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:45:49 +0100

This past Sunday, we started a new book study on Radical, by David Platt. It is a book all about the seriousness of following Jesus and his seemingly radical sayings. It also shows how much we take for granted in our churches, how much we've watered down the bible and its demands, and how the need for missions is great but how we've almost ignored the urgency of them. I would encourage everyone to read this book and to come to this study on Sunday nights. The study is set up where it can be attended and followed easily even if you haven't read the book, but I would still implore you to buy it and read it. When I read Radical, it really changed the way I lived, the way I looked at life, and the way I looked at the Bible. It was a turning point in my life. Almost everybody I've talked to who has read it has said the same thing. It's short, easy to read, and cheap. Here is a promo video so you can get an idea of what the book is like.

- L.A. Boone

October Launch

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 14:26:16 +0100

The first Sunday night in October we will be launching our ROOTED Groups. Details will be announced this Wednesday night at our regular ROOTED study.

The Great Commission

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:54:33 +0100

¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20

⁴⁶and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Luke 24:46-47

Last week we spoke about the Great Commission. Its a passage often talked about and read in churches but a passage that is not taken seriously enough. Webster's dictionary defines the word commission as "an authoritative command," so Jesus's words are not to be taken lightly. The Great Commission can be broken down into three different steps. He first says to "Go", then "Baptize", and then to "Teach."
His first command is to go. Most of us act like only some Christians are called to go to other nations to preach the gospel, that God only made it the duty of some Christians to evangelize in other nations. This is completely and utterly wrong. Jesus commands his disciples to go, and if we have learned from previous lessons, that there can be no distinction between a Christian and a Disciple. They are one in the same. God is commanding all Christians to go to every nation and spread the Gospel of Jesus. Luke 24:46-47 states that the reason Jesus died was so his glory would be proclaimed through all nations.
His second command is to baptize. After someone accepts the Gospel, they are to be baptized. Baptism is a symbol of you dying to yourself and being resurrected in the likeness of Christ. It also represents the joining of a Christian community. His last command is to teach. When we think of teaching, the first image that comes to mind is of people sitting in a classroom. This does not necessarily mean this is Jesus meant. Jesus taught his disciples through a relationship with them. He would teach them and pray with them, not in a classroom, but just as time went on.
Please take this passage seriously. It is our duty as Christians to spread the Gospel everywhere we go.

Recently...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:08:12 +0100

The past few weeks we have covered some pretty controversial topics. At our last Rooted Students meeting we discussed the issue of racism. We tackled the bogus arguments some people use to try and justify racism from the Bible. We then followed up that topic by discussing the issue of abortion during our Sunday night fellowship time. So, what should that tell you about Rooted Student Ministries and Nashville Baptist Church? It should let you know that we believe our group/church to be a safe place to discuss any topic at anytime.

Chimpanzee...

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:07:52 +0100

Because you asked for it....

New Room

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:41:05 +0100

Hey all! Its a new year and so in the spirit we are entering a new phase for our Rooted Students ministry. We have expanded our room and while it is a work in progress, it will come together shortly!

Whats that mean for us? It means more seating space, newer technology, a better looking room, and more fun for all of us.

Check it out when you get a chance!!!!

Why you should NOT buy your little brother a Batman costume for Christmas!

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:40:31 +0100