Enter as a Stranger, Leave as a Friend
October 31, 2010
East Gate Presbyterian Church
New Member Class
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October 24, 2010
East Gate Presbyterian Church
New Member Class
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Matthew 18:15-20
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Luke 17:3
3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,
2 Corinthians 2:7-8
7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. (ESV)
Matthew 26:19-29
19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-28
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (ESV)
October 17, 2010
East Gate Presbyterian Church
New Member Class
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October 3, 2010
East Gate Presbyterian Church
New Member Class
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September 26, 2010
East Gate Presbyterian Church
New Member Class
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September 19, 2010
East Gate Presbyterian Church
New Member Class
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September 12, 2010
East Gate Presbyterian Church
New Member Class
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Introduction of Class Members
A brief history of the Presbyterian Church In America
The Presbyterian Church in America has a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work at home and abroad, and to Christian education. From its inception, the church has determined its purpose to be “faithful to the Scriptures, true to the reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission.”
Organized at a constitutional assembly in 1973, this church was first known as the National Presbyterian Church but changed its name in 1974 to Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). It separated from the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern) in opposition to the long-developing theological liberalism which denied the deity of Jesus Christ and the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. Additionally, the PCA held to to the traditional position on the role of women in church offices.
In December 1973, delegates, representing some 260 congregations with a combined communicant membership of over 41,000 that had left the PCUS, gathered at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and organized the National Presbyterian Church, which later became the Presbyterian Church in America.
In 1982, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, joined the Presbyterian Church in America. The Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, had been formed in 1965 by a merger of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod.
East Gate Presbyterian Church History (italics section recorded by Jean Henry)
In 1978 Frank and Ida Briscoe moved to Pot-Nets Park in Millsboro, Delaware. In September 1978, Hayes and Jean Henry visited the Briscoes and liked the area. Hayes Henry had been pastor of the Bible Presbyterian Church in Newark, Delaware from 1947 to 1952 and the Briscoes were members there. A friendship began and was maintained over the years and the Briscoes indicated that the area needed a sound, Bible believing church.
In October 1979, the Henrys retired from the Cherokee Indian Mission Work in Oklahoma and moved to Pot-Nets Park. With the Briscoes they attended Dover Reformed Presbyterian but winter and distance to Dover led to intermittent church services at the Henry’s home. A need was felt for a weekday Bible study and on January 19, 1980 nine men from Dover church and three from Elkton, Maryland delivered flyers for a Thursday, 2:00 p.m. study. January 24, 1980 found 14 people in attendance. Church was held at the Henry’s home only when weather made it too difficult to travel to Dover.
On June 22, 1980 Sunday services were held outdoors at the covered shelter in Pot-Nets Park called “The Rock”. These services continued through October 1980, attendance ranged from 14 to 34.
On November 15, 1981 the church moved to rented quarters at the Rescue Squad Building on route 5. In 1982 we again held services at The Rock during summer and then returned to the Rescue Squad in late fall. The decision to form as a PCA church was made and the church voted to incorporate on January 23, 1983. Mr. Robert Tunnell Sr. gave the group a five year lease at a $1.00 a year for 3/4 acre lot on Long Neck Road.
On March 5, 1983 Delmarva Presbyterian appointed Hayes Henry organizing Pastor of East Gate Mission Church and Frank Briscoe and John Evans were appointed the church’s first elders. The name East Gate was chosen for the end time coming of the Lord through the East Gate of Jerusalem.
In the last few years of Pastor Henry’s ministry Craig Lins came to the church as a part-time “tent-making” pastor. Shortly before Pastor Henry went to be with the Lord, Pastor Lins was installed as the full-time senior pastor. About that time Pastor Gareth Tonnessen also came to the church as part-time assistant pastor in a self-supporting arrangement.
After 9 years Pastor Lins believed he had given the church what he had to offer and that it was time for him to yield the pastoral leadership to someone with different gifts and abilities. Thus he resigned effective the end of October 2002. November 16, 2003 the congregation extended a call to Gary Knapp to be Senior Pastor. Gary had previously served as an Associate Pastor for 12 years at Springfield United Brethren Church which before Gary’s departure would become Christ the Word PCA. He and his wife Alisa have 5 children. The presbyterian approved Gary’s call and he was installed as East Gate’s pastor on April 18, 2004.
Church Membership is First and Foremost about Possessing a Relationship with God through Christ.
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Our sin has separated us from God
Genesis 3:22-24
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (ESV)
Ephesians 2:1-3
2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (ESV)
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God Loves Us and is Desirous That We Know Him and Spend Eternity With Him
John 3:16-18
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (ESV)
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Only Those Who Receive Jesus are the Children of God
John 1:12-13
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (ESV)
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Our Names Must Appear in the Book of Life to Enter Heaven (not a membership list)
Revelation 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (ESV)
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God Knows Those Who Are Truly His
2 Timothy 2:19
19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (ESV)
Q. The first and most important question we must ask concerning church membership is, “Do I possess are relationship with God based upon faith in His Son, Jesus?”