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8/6/2019 RVCF Connections Summer 2011
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VOLUME 2/ISSUE 1: SUMMER 2011
Connections
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CONTENTS
Recharge by Maury Robertson ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Got RElationships? by Matt Arden .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Elder PErspectives by Robert Choate................................................................................................................................................ 8
RVCF & R.E.S.t. by Dennis Green .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Spring 2010 Recap by Bob Comarsh.................................................................................................................................................... 10
River VAlley Kids Korner By Tara Arden.............................................................................................................................. 12
Youth Ministry Update by Matt ARden .................................................................................................................................. 13
FOCUS: Gold Sox Faith Night By Brad InDelicato .............................................................................................. 14
Idolatry In The Bible by Tim Keller ................................................................................................................................................. 16
.....................................................................................................................................................................................RVCF Financial Report 18
...................................................................................................................................................................................................RVCF News & Notes 19
...........................................................................................................................................................................................Calendar of Events 20
...................................................................................................................................................................................Contact Information 21
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Recharge!by Maury RobertsonThe charge I received from our
elders for the summer was clear:recharge.
Anyone with a cell phoneunderstands the importance ofrecharging. Recharging has twocomponents. 1) You rest the device.2) You plug it into a charger. I viewthese two components as a sacredduty this summer. It may sound likea simple assignment--some of youturned visibly green when Iannounced the break--but in manyways recharging will be a challenge.
Resting The Device
Rest is hard for me. This isn'tdifficult to confess since most of usregard working too hard to be avirtue. If you're at a job interviewand they ask you what yourweakness is, one smart answer is, "I
work too hard." It's smart becausethe employer won't view it as aweakness. It's like saying that yourweakness is being too smart. Butworking too hard really is aweakness. You wouldn't be admiredfor straining your power tools orkitchen appliances until they startedsmoking. Why are we admired fordoing it to ourselves?
Rest is a deeply spiritual activity; as
spiritual as coming to church,praying, or reading your Bible.Don't listen to the caffeine-propelledpeople who foolishly brag abouthow few hours a night they sleep.Lay your head on your pillow andsleep a good night's sleep to theglory of God. And be sure to plan a
day of rest each week in yourschedule.
But I'll say it again: I am lousy atthis. I hope you are not so fooled bythis world that you admire me forthis. Instead, pray that this summerGod will teach me something Idesperately need to learn to do: notdo.
Plugging Into The Charger
As I unplug from all this doing, mygoal is to plug into the Source oflife, deepening and strengtheningmy reserves for the challengesahead this fall. This, too, is not aseasy as it sounds. One of the hazardsof being a pastor is that seeking Godcan be reduced to one of your duties
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rather than the heartbeat of your life.You're always seeking God forothers and forget to do so foryourself. This hit me powerfully oneday when a restaurant owner withwhom I had an appointment came
screaming into the parking lot tenminutes late. He apologized for beingtardy and went on to tell me he wasstarving to death. Starving to death?Here was a man who spent his daysurrounded by the best cuisine in YubaCity and he was starving to death. Theirony struck me. God quietly spoke tome: "That's you, Maury" I understoodthis instantly. I, too, was so focused onserving up good meals for everyoneelse that I was forgetting to feed myown soul. I know this sounds verynoble and Mother Thersa-like. But it'sjust stupid. How can I tell others aboutthe generosity and abundance of God ifI am not feasting on it myself?
What will the summer look like? I don'tknow the details. But I do know I
will be taking time to celebrate the fourpeople who walk the path of life mostclosely with me: Julie, Jake, Christyand Taryn. My role can make itchallenging to give them all theydeserve. It's going to feel great to give
them my undivided attention for aseason. This is especially poignantsince the season of the five amigosunder the same roof is fast drawing to aclose. I also know I will be takingextended stretches to retreat for timesof solitude. And I will be attending lotsof other churches to gain perspectiveand refresh my soul. In order to fulfillmy charge to recharge I will be makingmyself scarce. I hope you understandthis. I love my job. And I love you. If Iget too close I'm not sure I'll be able toresist jumping right back into the fray.
A Final Sermonette
This summer will be a giant steptoward maturity in the life of ourchurch. I know that for many of you I
have been a fixture of this church andof your lives for years. I'm like theSutter Buttes--part of the assumedlandscape of your existence. If youhave been around a while you willremember that I once joked about
putting an enormous rotating Mauryhead on top of the steeple. Theterrifying image of my bald headrotating on the steeple seared its wayinto your minds. Sorry to havetraumatized you! But I think itillustrates a danger.
It is easy for pastors to make idols oftheir churches and it is easy forchurches to make idols of their pastorsThis summer, idol heads will roll. It is very good thing. This season will giveothers (most notably pastor Matt) theopportunity to grow in their roles. Mosof all, this is an opportunity for us all tremember who the true Head of thechurch is. No spinning Maury heads.Just Jesus, high and lifted up and insovereign command of His flock.
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Got relationship? Dont leave home
without it. We need God and Hispeople way more than milk orAmerican Express.
The Word became flesh and dweltamong us (John 1:14). God, himself,wasnt content to relate with youfrom heaven. He left heaven to bewith us! Wow! Stop and thinkabout this.
Let it floor you.
God the Father sent Jesus to giveyou a visual. He now gives us hisSpirit to remind us of Jesus.
This Jesus has been so good to usand His grace seems to bepermeating the fabric of many liveshere at RVCF. Though we all resistGod to certain degrees, Jesus andhis Kingdom are conquering us.
This proves true to Jesus claim thatthe gates of hell (even the ones weerect) will not prevail against Him!
One of the things that amaze meright now is the way people areworshipping Jesus. Many people areseeing King Jesus for who He is anddevoting their entire lives to Him. Ihear the biggest part of our churchreally singing from the heart. Thatrarely happened in church when I
was growing up. There were a fewpeople singing here and there, butyou didnt get that sense thateveryone loved Jesus and wanted toshout it from the mountaintops.
People are also seeing the glory ofrelationship with God, with Hispeople, and with our neighbors. TheWord is getting out to family and
friends about Jesus and people are
joyfully submitting to Him.When you look at Jesus master planfor building His church it isimpossible to not see relationship asa key ingredient. He spent threeyears getting intimately acquaintedwith 12 men 12 men who throughthe power of the Holy Spirit havedrastically altered the landscape ofhuman history.
Do you see your need for a
relationship with God, with Hischurch and with your neighbors toshare Christs love? If you can sayyes to this then you probablyunderstand that there is no greaterjoy on the face of the planet.
Relationships arent always easy.They involve a valuable struggle.Simply sitting down and jamming
Got Relationships?by Matt Arden
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does not make one self a JimmyHendrix. The Golden Gate wasntengineered at the same ease as aLincoln Log Cabin. A marriage is notlove-saturated and intimate by merelysaying I do and having dinner togetherseven nights a week. The same goeswith our souls. We are not shaped intothe image of Christ without taking upChrists cross and the church is not thelight of the world by spending a littletime on Sunday mornings taking in the
latest sermon and song.
The church is built up through the
amazing love of God the Father and
through Jesus Word preached through
the power of the Holy Spirit. We need
our brothers and sisters to constantly
remind us of this good news of Jesus.
Everyone is called to be a preacher in
this sense, not just the pastors. And
let us consider how we may spur oneanother on toward love and good
deeds. Let us not give up meeting
together, as some are in the habit of
doing, but let us encourage one
another-- and all the more as you see
the Day approachingHebrews10:24-25
Do you have some brothers or sistersin Christ to remind you of Jesus andhis overwhelming power and goodness
and love? Do you have a spiritualmentor? If you dont you are certainlymissing out on a ton of the joy infollowing Jesus. Jesus followers areJesus body. No connection withJesus followers not tangible hugsfrom God. Who is in your life toremind you of who God is and whoyou really are as a believer in Jesus?Who do you have to constantly remind
you that you are a son of the almightyGod? The place (it is not the only one)that most people have deepened theirrelationships at RVCF is through smallgroups or bible studies. We hope tostart some new groups this fall. Dontget hung up on the name or theorganizational structure. Seek thesubstance. You need a place you canmeet regularly to refocus on adoringGod (the Word and prayer), on lovingone another (fellowship) and on loving
your neighbor (service/evangelism). Ifyou dont have some authentic Christpointing relationships right now ask forhelp right away! One of the RVCFelders or co-workers would love tohelp you find you find a place whereyou can pursue Jesus with others.
Dont be afraid. Ask for help. Be likeJesus and dwell among his people.
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Elder PErspectives By Robert ChoateFirst, I would like to say it has been anhonor to work with the Elders and allthe staff these last three years;furthermore, I would like to share whatwe as elders have been focusing on thislast year. One of our primary goals asElders is to prayerfully lead Godschurch, by His power, into a placewhere we can all experience His loveas we love Him, love our neighbors,and love one another. One way ofdoing this is by small group ministries,
so our focus has been on seeking waysto help encourage and be of support toall ministry leaders.
God has been teaching me a lot aboutloving the things that He loves, so Iwould like to attempt to share itthrough an illustration. Imagine I builta truck from scratch. I bent and cut themetal, drilled, pounded, painted, andeverything else that would be neededto complete my hearts desire in
making a truck. I LOVE my truck. Istand back in AWE of my truck andthink to myself it is good! Wordsalone cannot express how much I lovemy truck.
Now, lets say that I loaned this truckto you. All I asked was that you pleasetake care of it, for it was special to me.However, you accidently scratched itand put a small dent in the side of it.What would be your response? Would
you think Its only a scratch at least Ididnt wreck it, maybe he wontnotice, or Oh no! I blew it! I have nomoney or talent to fix it, so all I can dois ask for his forgiveness. Yourresponse will reflect what you think ofme. If you show sorrow, repentance,and true concern for my truck, simplybecause its my truck, then that reflects
what you think about me and the thingsthat I care about.
God loves us! When He created us, Hesaid it is good. Therefore, how wetreat one another and the very things
that God loves reveals what we thinkof Him or perhaps what matters mostto us. I pray that Gods character isformed in us, so we can and will lovethe things that God loves and hate thethings that God hates. However, theonly way our heart can change is for usto first acknowledge that we aresinners. To experience a godly sorrow
that leads to life, which is contrary toworldly sorrow that leads to death. Torepent and fully trust God that He willcreate a clean heart within us,forgiving all our scratches, dents andwrecks, restoring our lives back inrelationship with Him.
I love Pauls heart in Gal.4:19 when hesaid, oh, my dear children! I feel as ifI am going through labor pains for youagain, and they will continue untilChrist is fully developed in your livesLikewise, it the cry of my heart for meand my River Valley family to haveChrist fully maturing in our lives!
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RVCF & R.E.S.T by Dennis GreenRVCF played a huge role in the
success of the Regional EmergencyShelter Teams (REST) efforts toprovide winter shelter and food forsingle women and families in ourarea. As many of you know, REST,a nonprofit Christian basedorganization, started this inauguraleffort on December 1st and partneredwith nine area churches on arotating basis to provide overnightshelter and hot meals for over 140men, women and children. Of thistotal, 27 minor children wereaccommodated including a majoritythat was younger than four years ofage. In all, almost 1,900 nights ofshelter and many more meals wereprovided. REST was able to do thiswith a privately funded budget ofless than $7,000 because of thework of over 140 volunteers,business partners such as GewekeFord, Les Schwab of Yuba City and
Yuba Sutter Regional Transit,support agencies such as Hands ofHope and the local chapter of theAmerican Red Cross, and our areaChristian community. Given thesuccess of this first season, RESTwill be working to expand theduration of its operation next winter
Although being from one of thesmaller congregations, RVCF co-workers played major roles in this
effort. RVCF was one of fourchurches to host homeless guests forthree separate week long events(including Christmas Eve andmorning!). Meals were provided forall 21 nights and the guestsfrequently commented on thewarmth and hospitality that theyexperienced at RVCF. In addition,
throughout this winter, RVCF
members helped providetransportation to the church shelters,interviewed and processed guestseach night the Hands of Hope intakecenter, and worked as all nightsupervisors at the various hostchurches. What blessings thesefolks provided to those in ourcommunity who lacked the basicneeds of food and shelter. Thesesaints are listed below (apologies toanyone missed!):
DriversKevin Fine, Roger Shulthise,Barbara Newsone, Mike Stevenson,Bill Comarsh, Bill Lindholm, MauryRobertson, Dave Ewen, DennisDevany, Bill Craig, Dennis Green
Intake Center Volunteers
Leah Ewen, Barbara NewsoneKeith Goodson
Overnight SupervisorsKeith Goodson, Bill LindholmMike Trotti, Patricia TrottiLeah Ewen, Dennis Green
Food ProvidersMarisa Banuelos, Cathy CraigCathy Johnson, Jean ChastainMadreen Hudson, Pat Klinck
Tim Sanders, Nancy FranceGloria Adams, Ruby Ivy, Bill &Sonja Lindholm, Mike & JeanStevenson, Ron & Pam Sweeney,Evelyn Bender, Bob & BarbaraKowalski, Kathleen BozarthShelley Carlton, Karen Ramirez,Amy Gamble, Patricia Trotti,Dianne Green
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Spring is an amazing time where life
seems to come back from lifelessness.It seems that God has woven thispattern into our world to point us backto him and to his gospel. As we sawlife springing forth this spring (alongwith plenty of rain to water the newbloom of creation) we continued to seewonderful signs of life an of Godsgrace at River Valley. Lets look backat some of the great happenings of thepast few months.
March saw the continuation of ourFurther Up Further In gatherings.These times of teaching and interactivecommunity have a been an excellentaddition to RVCF. On March 1st and15th, Pastor Maury continued histhree-part series on what the bible saysabout eschatology (end things). Maurygave us a great overview of the majorviews on eschatology and gave us hisimpression on which makes the most
sense to him.
Later in March, we completed our firstwinter cooperating with Hands ofHope and other area churches in theRegional Emergency Shelter Teamministry to help house homelesswomen, children and families duringthe colder months of the year. Manyfrom River Valley were involved inthis ministry and it became a greatopportunity to minister in new ways in
our community.
On April 5th, we gathered together tohelp raise money for our youth toattend Centrifuge camp at JennessPark. The Youth Talent Night andChili Cook-Off was a huge success notonly in raising funds but in giving yetanother opportunity for community todevelop at River Valley. We had great
Spring 2011 Recapby Bob Comarsh
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food and great talent shared by ouryouth and who could forget the ChiliPepper song by Matt and hiscompadres.
Easter week was a special week forRiver Valley with several specialgatherings. Sunday, April 17th we gotstarted by celebrating Palm Sunday.Tuesday night, April 19th, the worshipcentered was opened up for a specialtime of silent prayer. Friday night,
April 22nd we contemplated andcelebrated our crucified Lord at ourGood Friday gathering. This was aspecial time with many in our churchfamily of all ages read scripture andshared what the cross meant to them intheir life. We also sang songs ofremembrance of the death of Jesus andshared communion together. Sunday,April 24th was one of the most
wonderful and unique Eastergatherings River Valley has ever had.We gathered in the parking lot andcelebrated the risen King together forall to see. Though the rain threatened,at the end of the day we had a rain-freegathering. Through songs and achallenging message by Pastor Maury,Christ was proclaimed as risen Saviorand Lord. After the Easter gatheringwas a wonderful egg hunt for the kids.
May saw more excellent Further UpFurther In gatherings. On May 3rd,Pastor Matt gave a challengingteaching on how Christians shouldengage with films and on May 17th,Pastor Maury and myself talked aboutthe roots of our music and how weshould approach music today. Both ofthese gatherings were encouraging andchallenging charges on the importance
for Christians to look for Gods truthand elements of the gospel in art and toengage culture well in order to pointother to the ultimate truth of Jesusbeing Lord of all...even Cinemark andiTunes.
Finally, pictures were taken on May12th, 13th, 14th and 19th for our firstpictorial church directory in more thanthree years. This will be a greatresource for our church community
and will help put faces with names.
Life just seems to spring back this timeof year. How appropriate that wecelebrate the resurrection of Lord Jesusthis time of year. And how wonderfulto see the resurrection of Jesus takingdeeper and deeper root here at RiverValley. Look for His signs oflife...youll see them all around!
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River Valley Kids KornerBy Tara Arden
Summer ConnectionConnecting with God &Connecting with Others
June 5th - August 14th
Join us on Sundays and at special events throughout the summer.
Sundays: ! !{Birth 5 years} Sundays 9:00am & 10:30am
! ! {Kindergarten 5th Grade} Sundays 10:30amStarting June 5th, kids finishing Kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to joinus in the Gathering Place {new location} for a combined class which will includegames, a mission emphasis, Bible basics, and the Summer Water Balloon Challenge.
Special Events:In addition to Sundays, we want to Connect with God & Connect with Friends byhosting some special summer events. These will be great opportunities for RiverValley Kids to invite friends, for parents to connect with parents, and for everyone
to enjoy some summer fun.
Your child will receive a calendar of events on Sunday June 5th in their class.Events also will be posted on the church website.
!
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Beating The Heat InThe Kingdom Of
God!
Summer is an exciting time in the
life of our youth and it is finally
here! This summer we will
mixing it up by traveling to the
park, having swim parties, going
to camp and, most of all, drawing
near to God because Christ hasdrawn near to us. Please
remember our youth in your
prayers and friendship.
For all who sacrificed to make
the Chili Cook-off a smashing
success THANK YOU. God
knows your name and what you
did. Almost $1400 was raised
that one night. Every time we dosomething like this I am blown
away by how compassionate and
gracious God is to and through
his church. This should go a long
way toward helping students and
leaders go to camp.
The camp that we attend is called
Centrifuge at Jenness Park which
is located in the mountains above
Sonora about 50 miles west of
Yosemite. It is a beautiful
location with amazing recreation
including zip lines, canoeing,
disc golf, and more. The best
part of the camp is the time given
to knowing God. Students have
scheduled devotional time to be
alone with God as well as large
group gatherings with music and
messages. Over the course of a
week we really get to know God
and each other. For these reasons
and many more, camp is
incredible every year.
Blow Up Fireworks
To Send Students To
Camp!This year we are planning on
only one more fundraiser. We
will be selling fireworks at the
end of our church parking lot
directly facing Butte House Road
starting June 29th until July 4th
from 9am to 9pm. Hopefully we
will draw a large crowd of
costumers from both our churchand passers by. If you would
like to participate we would be
delighted. We are going to make
it fun. By law you must be over
18 to work the fireworks booth so
we will need many adults in the
church to participate who dont
have direct connections to the
youth group. If you would like
to help with the booth or come by
and purchase fireworks we will
be delighted.
If you have any questions or
want someone to get more
involved in the youth group,
dont hesitate to call me at the
office at 755-1362 x27.
Youth Ministry Update by Matt Arden
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The 4th Annual Faith Night at the
Ballpark event with the Gold Sox isset for Friday evening June 17th, 2011at Appeal-Democrat Park inMarysville, CA, home of The GoldSox. The gates open early at 5:30pmfor this co-sponsored outreach of theChristian Business Alliance (CBA) andNorthside Fitness. Pre-game festivitiesinclude an original commemorativeprogram given away at the front gatesto the first 2,500 guests, a specialChristian concert featuring the home-grown contemporary worship groupfrom River Valley Christian FellowshipChurch in Yuba City, CA.. Free Bibleswill also be available upon request andas you exit the stadium. Be in yourseats early to enjoy a powerful on-fieldpre-game testimony at 6:45pm byformer San Diego Padres and SanFrancisco Giants Pitcher DaveDravecky. First pitch follows at7:35pm pairing our own Gold Sox with
the Auburn Mudcats. From beginningto end you will also have theopportunity to browse the concourseand meet with many communityservice/local ministry groups thatprovide assistance and a variety ofresources to anyone in need.
In 2008 fans first witnessed former S.F.Giants pitcher and cancer survivorDave Dravecky share his compellingstory of faith and courage. Then in
2009 we heard a passionate testimonyfrom Jim The Rookie Morris, theman who inspired Walt Disneysfeature film The Rookie. Last year22 year MLB veteran Bill Buckner ofDodger, Cubs and Red Sox fame tookthe field to share the source of hisstrength that carried him through bothhis trials and triumphs. What started in
2008 as a one-time event has turnedinto an annual gathering of hope andinspirationtouching over 10,000lives in the process! Now, in 2011 wehave yet another opportunity to sharethe Good News and reach out to manymore searching for truth, peace andreal hope as Dave Dravecky returns foran encore engagement.
Nearly 4,000 people came to the
ballpark with our inaugural Faith Nightcoinciding with Daves first visit in2008 and now three years later fanswill witness another inspiring Godlymessage of hope as he speaks of thecomeback and cancer that eventuallytook his left pitching arm. Ultimately,Dave said, .it is who we are as achild of God that defines us, not ourstatistics. Dave Dravecky is a fineexample of not denying the impactyour life can have on others! There
will be many in attendance that will bemoved not having heard Daves storybefore and yet others will beencouraged. All will be blessed!
Once again, this years Faith Nightcelebration will be professionallyfilmed and commemorative DVDs willagain be made available thru The Gold
Sox and CBA. Be a part of theexcitement with all this special eveninghas to offer. The Gold Sox, CBA andNorthside Fitness are expectinganother large crowd with specialthanks to the many local businessesthat stepped up to the plate to supportthe function. A list of sponsors ishighlighted on the special FaithNight posters promoting the event atselect businesses and churches thru-out
our greater Yuba-Sutter area. Freetickets are also available at some ofthese same locations or you cancontact Brad Indelicato at#530-671-2413. You can also purchasetickets at the Gold Sox Team Center at429 10th Street in Marysville or at theticket booth prior to the game onFriday June 17th.
This is an evening to enjoy family funin faith and fellowship, while
providing a wonderful communityoutreach. Come enjoy and celebrate allof the festivities. It will be an upliftingnight of encouragement, hope,relaxation and great Gold Sox baseballfor everyone in attendance. You wontwant to miss it and you wont bedisappointed!! SEE YOU AT THEBALL PARK!!!
Focus: GOLD SOX FAITH NightBy Brad Indelicato
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RIVER
VALLEY
presents
ChurchPark
Sunday, June 12th, 2011
in the
10am, Sutter SYO Park
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Idolatry In The Bible By Tim KellerWhen I first began reading through the
Bible I looked for some unifyingthemes. I concluded that there aremany and that if we make just onetheme the theme (such as covenant orkingdom) we run the danger ofreductionism. However, one of themain ways to read the Bible is as theages-long struggle between true faithand idolatry. In the beginning, humanbeings were made to worship and serveGod, and to rule over all created thingsin Gods name (Gen 1:26 28). Paulunderstands humanitys original sin asan act of idolatry: They exchangedthe glory of the immortal God...andworshipped and served created thingsrather than the creator(Rom 1:2125).Instead of living for God, we began tolive for ourselves, or our work, or formaterial goods. We reversed theoriginal intended order. And when webegan to worship and serve createdthings, paradoxically, the created
things came to rule over us. Instead ofbeing Gods vice-regents, ruling overcreation, now creation masters us. Weare now subject to decay and diseaseand disaster. The final proof of this isdeath itself. We live for our own gloryby toiling in the dust, but eventuallywe return to the dustthe dustwins (Gen 3:1719). We live tomake a name for ourselves but ournames are forgotten. Here in thebeginning of the Bible we learn that
idolatry means slavery and death.
The Ten Commandments' first two andmost basic laws (one-fifth of all God'slaw to humankind) are againstidolatry.* Exodus does not envisionany third option between true faith andidolatry. We will either worship theuncreated God or we will worshipsome created thing (an idol). There is
no possibility of our worshippingnothing. The classic New Testamenttext is Romans 1:18-25. This extensivepassage on idolatry is often seen asonly referring to the pagan Gentiles,but instead we should recognize it asan analysis of what sin is and how it
works. Verse 21 tells us that the reasonwe turn to idols is because we want tocontrol our lives, though we know thatwe owe God everything. Though theyknew God, they neither glorified Godnor gave thanks to him. Verse 25 tellsus the strategy for controltakingcreated things and setting our hearts onthem and building our lives aroundthem. Since we need to worship
something, because of how we arecreated, we cannot eliminate Godwithout creating God-substitutes.Verses 21 and 25 tell us the two resultsof idolatry:
1) Deception"their thinking became
futile and their hearts weredarkened,"and
2) Slavery"they worshipped andserved" created things.
Whatever we worship we will serve,for worship and service are alwaysinextricably bound together. We arecovenantal beings. We enter into
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covenant service with whatever mostcaptures our imagination and heart. Itensnares us. So every humanpersonality, community, thought-form,and culture will be based on someultimate concern or some ultimate
allegianceeither to God or to someGod-substitute. Individually, we willultimately look either to God or tosuccess, romance, family, status,popularity, beauty or something else tomake us feel personally significant andsecure, and to guide our choices.Culturally we will ultimately look toeither God or to the free market, thestate, the elites, the will of the people,science and technology, military might,human reason, racial pride, orsomething else to make us corporatelysignificant and secure, and to guide ourchoices.
No one grasped this better than MartinLuther, who ties the Old Testament andNew Testament together remarkably inhis exposition of the TenCommandments. Luther saw how theOld Testament law against idols and theNew Testament emphasis on
justification by faith alone areessentially the same. He said that the
Ten Commandments begin with twocommandments against idolatry. It isbecause the fundamental problem inlaw-breaking is always idolatry. Inother words, we never break the othercommandments without first breaking
the law against idolatry. Lutherunderstood that the first commandmentis really all about justification by faith,and to fail to believe in justification byfaith is idolatry, which is the root of allthat displeases God.
All those who do not at all times trustGod and do not in all their works orsufferings, life and death, trust in Hisfavor, grace and good-will, but seekHis favor in other things or inthemselves, do not keep this [First]Commandment, and practice realidolatry, even if they were to do theworks of all the other Commandments,and in addition had all the prayers,obedience, patience, and chastity of allthe saints combined. For the chiefwork is not present, without which allthe others are nothing but mere sham,show and pretense, with nothing backof them... If we doubt or do not believe
that God is gracious to us and ispleased with us, or if we
presumptuously expect to please Himonly through and after our works, thenit is all pure deception, outwardlyhonoring God, but inwardly setting upself as a false [savior].... (Part X. XI)Excerpts from Martin Luther, Treatise
Concerning Good Works (1520).
Here Luther says that failure to believethat God accepts us fully in Christand to look to something else for oursalvationis a failure to keep the firstcommandment; namely, having noother gods before him. To try to earnyour own salvation through works-righteousness is breaking the firstcommandment. Then he says that wecannot truly keep any of the other lawsunless we keep the first lawagainstidolatry and works-righteousness. Thusbeneath any particular sin is this sin ofrejecting Christ-salvation andindulging in self-salvation.
For example, lets say a person cheatson his income tax form. Why does hedo that? Well, you say, because he is asinner. Yes, but why does his sin takethis form? Luthers answer would be
that the man only cheated because hewas making money and possessionsand the status or comfort from havingmore of themmore important thanGod and his favor. Or lets say a personlies to a friend rather than lose faceover something she has done. In thatcase the underlying sin is makinghuman approval or your reputationmore important than the righteousnessyou have in Christ.The Bible, then, does not consider
idolatry to be one sin among many(and a rare sin found only amongprimitive people). Rather, all ourfailures to trust God wholly or to liverightly are at root idolatrysomethingwe make more important than God.There is always a reason for a sin.Under our sins are idolatrous desires.
Tim Keller is senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Churchin New York City and is the author of Counterfeit Gods.
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The financial outlook for the church
has not improved as much as we had
hoped as we move into the last
quarter of the fiscal year. As shown
below, the years revenue continue
to be less than amounts realized in
the previous two years (down 4%
from 2009-10 and down 9% from
2008-09). The Elders have taken
steps to reduce costs by reducing
staff outlays by 5% until at least theend of the fiscal year (August) and
cutting our accelerated parking loan
payback amount to the minimum of
$4,100 per month. These steps have
helped stabilize the bottom line, but
the church is in a position where
near-term projects requiring
significant investment may be
difficult to fund.
Obviously, our financial challenges
are not uncommon in these difficult
economic times. But we have been
abundantly blessed by God and stillmaintain healthy emergency and
building repair funds of $78,600 and
$35,300 respectively. We see many
signs of Gods hand working among
us as attendance continues to grow
and the generational diversity of the
congregation remains extremely
healthy. We need to honor Gods
blessings by moving ahead and
following His direction. For this
reason, as a congregation we need to
continue, on an individual and
corporate basis, seek God for His
guidance as to how we shouldcontribute with our finances and our
other resources for the glory of His
kingdom.
RVCF Financial Update by Dennis Green
September-February Giving
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Further Up Further In Notes:Our first year of Further Up Further In meetings (affectionately called FUFI by Maury now) has wrapped up and well be
taking a break over the summer. A big thanks to Pastor Maury and Pastor Matt for tackling some heavy issues and for
doing a fantastic job with them! Some of the topics that were covered were hermeneutics, eschatology, creation/earth age
and how Christians should engage with film and music. As we look ahead to the fall there, Further Up Further In will
settle in to a once a month format with child care provided. We hope that more and more in our church family will come
out for these excellent and challenging times of teaching and interaction. More details will be coming soon.
Prayer NightJust a reminder that every last Monday evening of the month at 6pm the worship center is opened up for anyone who
would like to come and spend some time in silent prayer. If you would like more information, please see Dennis Green or
contact the church office.
Summer Mens Softball Coming Soon:RVCF will be having a mens softball team again this year and will be playing at Blackburn Tally Sports Complex off of
Garden Hwy. on Monday or Tuesday nights beginning early in June. We would like to encourage as many as possible to
come out for the games. This is a great opportunity not only to support our team and to spend time together as a church
family but also to have a presence in our community outside of the four walls of the church building. Well be sure to pos
the schedule as soon as its available.
Bloodmobile Returning to RVCF:The Bloodsource Bloodmobile will be returning to River Valley on Sunday, July 17th during both gatherings. This is a
great opportunity to minister in a tangible way in our community. For more information about the Bloodmobile and the
specific hours it will be here, please contact Bill Lindholm or call the church office.
MINISTRY TO MEN NOTES:The SBBA Mens Retreat is coming August 26th - 27th at Woodleaf YoungLife Camp in Challenge. We had a great time
last year (even if we did lose power for awhile). We retreat will begin with dinner on Friday evening and end with dinner
on Saturday evening. We are privileged to have Pastor Jim Anderson from Cornerstone Church in Yuba City as our
speaker. Other churches in the SBBA will be joining us for this great weekend. Reservations will start in June.
We have had three Mens Huddles on Saturday mornings since last summer. These meetings brought men together around
a certain topic, were led by various men of our church, and were great times of encouragement. We have also enjoyed the
Tuesday evening DVDs studies led by Dennis Green and Keith Goodson. These studies were greatly challenging and
facilitated some excellent discussions.
RVCF News & Notes
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE-AUGUST 2011
June5th - Exodus Summer Sermon Series Begins (9am, 10:30am)
5th - RV Kids Summer Connection Begins (9am, 10:30am)
12th - Church In The Park @ Sutter SYO Park (10am)
17th - Gold Sox Faith Night w/Dave Dravecky & RVCF Music Team (5:30pm)
19th - Fathers Day
27th - Prayer Night (6pm)28th - Youth Fireworks Booth First Day @ RVCF Parking Lot
July4th - Independence Day (Office Closed)
4th - Youth Fireworks Booth Final Day @ RVCF Parking Lot
17th - Bloodmobile @ RVCF (9am -12:30pm)16th - 30th - Centrifuge Youth Camp @ Jenness Park
25th - Prayer Night (6pm)
August15th - RV Kids Summer Connections Ends (9am, 10:30am)
26th - 27th - SBBA Mens Retreat
28th - Exodus Summer Sermon Series Ends (9am, 10:30am)
29th - Prayer Night (6pm)
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Contact Information
Mailing Address: PO Box 3480, Yuba City, CA 95992
Telephone Number: 530.755.1362
Fax Number: 530.671.4660
Website: rivervalleyyc.org
Pastors: Maury Robertson ([email protected])
Matt Arden ([email protected])
Elders: Jerry Bozarth (530.671.4166)
Robert Choate (530.742.5396)
Bill Comarsh (530.743.2321)
Sean McLean (530.790.0520)
Paul Shulthise (530.742.4877)
Ministry Leaders: River Valley Youth: Matt Arden (staff) (530.844.1773, [email protected])
River Valley Kids: Tara Arden (staff) (530.844.1773, [email protected])
Pastoral Ministry Team: Bill Lindholm (530.755.1362x26, [email protected])
Recovery Team: Karen Ramirez (530.713-4870, [email protected])
Counseling Team: Dianne Green (530.741.0582, [email protected])
Worship/Arts: Bob Comarsh (staff) (530.933.9465), [email protected])
Small Groups: Church Office (530.755.1362, [email protected])
Office Staff: Office Administrator: Dennis Green ([email protected])
Administrative Assistant: Cathy Craig ([email protected])
Facilities Manager: Bill Lindholm ([email protected])
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]8/6/2019 RVCF Connections Summer 2011
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Coming Fall 2011This letter is from Paul,
chosen by the will of Godto be an apostle of Christ
Jesus. I am writing toGods holy people in
Ephesus, who are faithfulfollowers of Christ Jesus.May God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ giveyou grace and peace.
LETTER TO THE
EPHESIANSMay Gods grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus.Christ.
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