Fort Caroline Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
Fort Caroline Baptist Church
In the final week of Be Rich 2023, we talk about the importance of cultivating contentment.
Week three of our series "Rhythms".
Main Idea: Growing Christians are connected to Christ.
-
Connection to Christ Produces Life
-
We're connected to Christ through His Word.
-
We're connected to Christ through Prayer.
Message six of our series through the book of Colossians helps us learn that forgiven people are focused people.
I. Introduction a. Chain reaction, domino effect, one thing leading to another. b. Could also be something around a keystone habit, central action that makes everything else go II. Text: Colossians 1:9-14 a. [9] And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, [10] so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; [11] being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; [12] giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. b. This is a big run-on sentence of a prayer for the church at Colossae. c. Three main things, all connected: i. Prayer for knowledge ii. Prayer for strength iii. Prayer of thanksgiving d. Main idea: Walking with God leads to godly living, the strength of God, and joy from God. III. Prayer for Knowledge a. [9] And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, [10] so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:9-10) b. The first part of Paul’s prayer for this church is that they might “be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” c. Filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding i. What does he mean by “knowledge of his will?” 1. He doesn’t mean a personal understanding like should I take that job or not. It’s bigger than that. He has in mind God’s grander plans in the world. 2. “What Paul has in mind is not some particular or special direction for one's life (as we often use the phrase "God's will"), but a deep and abiding understanding of the revelation of Christ and all that he means for the universe and for the Colossians.” -Douglas Moo 3. In other words, Paul wants the people of Colossae to know who God is and what he’s up to. ii. This knowledge is spiritual in nature and is accompanied by wisdom and understanding. This means that we don’t know just know what God is up to, but we know what to do with that information. We can use it to navigate our life and make good decisions. d. Walk worthy of the Lord i. This knowledge, understanding, and wisdom leads to a life of godliness. ii. "So, we could say that to know God's will is effectively to know God's character. The two always go together in the Bible, as the Ten Commandments illustrate (see Exodus 20:1-17). For example, the command not to commit adultery reflects God's own faithfulness to his promises; the command not to envy others reflects God's commitment to generous provision. But even the first four commandments (which relate to our relationship to our Creator) illustrate God's nature. After all, if he is the only true God, it is entirely consistent to say we should never worship others." – Mark Meynell e. Gaining knowledge of God IV. Prayer for Strength a. [11] being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; (Colossians 1:11) b. For endurance i. Endurance related to suffering and trials c. For patience i. Patience related to people V. Prayer of Thanksgiving a. [12] giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:12-14) b. For being qualified c. For being delivered d. For being redeemed e. This is the motivator for walking with God. f. Quote on being captivated from Reinke book VI. Conclusion a. Action steps: knowing God through his word
Week one of our new message series through the New Testament letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Colossae.
The Church’s origin story begins in Acts.
Key questions about the church from the Book of Acts: 1. Where did we come from? 2. Where do we go from here?
The key verse that gives us 3 key movements during the Church’s origin story:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8 ESV)
Movement 1: A New Hope
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (Acts 1:14 ESV)
1 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested[a] on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:2-4 ESV)
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38-39 ESV)
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[d] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 ESV)
We come from a praying, repentant, Spirit-empowered, preaching, sharing, close-knit group of people.
Movement 2: Sanhedrin Strikes Back
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” (Acts 7:51-53 ESV)
And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (Acts 8:1-4 ESV)
We come from a persecuted, dispersed, determined group of people. Even in the face of violence, they didn’t give up.
Movement 3: The Call of the Missionary
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,[a] Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:1-3 ESV)
20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation (Romans 15:20 ESV)
24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. (Romans 15:24-25 ESV)
We come from an adventurous, bold, compassionate group of people.
Where do we go from here?
Dream with me…
Big Idea: Modern church culture has diluted revival to a multi-evening tent meeting with spitting preachers and spontaneous baptisms. Real, authentic revival comes only from God breaking the hearts of proud people to show them the depth of their sin, coupled with the even greater depth of His grace.D.A Carson said this about revival: “It is closer to the more historic sense of a special movement of God’s Spirit that brings with it deep conviction of sin, fresh contrition and fresh holiness, and concomitant zeal for God’s Word and God’s glory—a special movement that may be as short as a few hours or as long as many years, and may result in thousands being renewed, and more thousands being converted.”Revival will not come to this community until… Add notesI. We Recognize Our Sinfulness (vs. 1-3)Knowing the history of this psalm makes a difference. Psalm 85 was written by the “sons of Korah.” Korah was charged by the Lord with leading a rebellion during the exodus. He was punished, but the Lord spared some of his children as a show of His grace. They spent the rest of their lives serving around the tabernacle and were effusive of their appreciation of the Lord’s grace on them. Psalm 85 is a cry from these sons, after the Israelites exile to Babylon and return to Jerusalem. They’re begging God to send revival amongst their people. Check out the verbiage in this Psalm. Feel the passion as the Psalmist(s) and the people cry out to God for revival. “Restore us again, O Lord.” “Will you be angry with us forever?” “Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?” “Show us your unfailing Love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.” Add notesII. We Receive God’s Graciousness (vs. 4-6)Revival ALWAYS begins with God.“You must let the gospel argue with you. You must let the gospel sink down deeply until it changes your views and the structures of your motivation. You must be trained and discipled by the gospel. The gospel, if it is truly believed, helps us out of the extreme neediness that is natural to the human heart.” - Tim KellerSecondly in this text we find that it is the prayers and cries of the Psalmist and God’s people who catches the ear of God. Do you want God to hear you, then cry out. Do we want God to hear us then cry out, Do we want God to heal our families, then cry out. Do we want God to heal our land then cry out! Yes, “Let the church cry out on behalf of this nation. Lord revive us again.” During this pandemic I would have thought that more people would be joining us on Thursdays for the one-hour prayer line, but not yet.v. 5- The Sons of Korah cry out to God in fear, but also in confidence. And God hears them. Church, when we cry out to God, and we have no ulterior motive than the exaltation of God, He hears us!And, He offers us grace. ZECHARIAH 13:9 - gold purification processREVELATION 21:21 - the end result of true purity. Transparent. God shows us grace, in that he begins a work in us that will end in transparency…nothing to hide. Add notesIII. We Recline Into God’s Fellowship (v. 7)v. 7 - “steadfast love” - never changing, a closeness. JOHN 13:23 - Last Supper by Leonardo da VinciWhen we commune with the Lord we’re invited into close fellowship with him. We get to recline into Him. This was a Persian method of eating meals the Israelites picked up during the Babylonian Captivity.
The final week of our sermon on the New Testament book of Philemon called "Reset".Big Idea: Paul models substitutionary atonement for Philemon, a picture the Lord Jesus Himself modeled when He paid our debt on the cross.I. A Model of The Gospel’s Tenets (vs. 17-20)v. 17 - “So if you consider me” - literally “if, therefore, me”Paul appeals to Philemon to change his view of Onesimus; to view him through a different lens. No longer is he a runaway slave. He is now a returning “beloved” brother (v. 16). Paul says treat him in the same manner that Philemon would treat his friend and mentor, Paul. Vs. 18-19 - Look at the words “charge” and “repay.” It’s transactional. It’s that simple. No emotion is needed. Paul says in Onesimus has wronged Philemon, stolen anything, damaged anything, Paul literally says he’ll cover the bill.This is penal substitutionary atonement… We have a sin debt we can’t pay. So, Jesus went to the Lord on our behalf and said, “Father, if they owe you anything, I will repay it.”v. 19b - “to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.” Let’s unpack this. Paul isn’t saying that Philemon owes Paul his life or soul. That, always and forever, belongs to Jesus. But, Paul did, most likely, share the gospel and disciple Philemon, so Paul seems to be asking for a little latitude on behalf of Onesimus. RC Sproul says this about grace, “It is impossible for anyone, anywhere, anytime to deserve grace. Grace by definition is undeserved. As soon as we talk about deserving something we are no longer talking about grace; we are talking about justice. Only justice can be deserved…God never “owes” grace….God reserves for Himself the supreme right of executive clemency.”MERCY - God withholding that which we do deserve (His wrath). (EPHESIANS 2:1-6)GRACE - God imputing that which we do NOT deserve (His forgiveness). (EPHESIANS 2:7-9)V. 20 - Philemon forgiving and reconciling with Onesimus would be a “refreshing” of Paul’s spirit. When we forgive and reconcile, the Lord is refreshed.Also, the house church is refreshed to see a display of selflessness and unity.II. A Model of The Gospel’s Triumph’s (vs. 21-22)Vs. 21-22 - Valuable theology is found here. We see the correlation between knowing the scriptures, and doing what the scriptures command.Paul is confident that the grace he once showed Philemon can and will be replicated in his encounter with Onesimus. One day, Paul hoped to be released from to come back to Colossae and see how things turned out. V. 21 - Paul knew that Philemon probably just needed a little perspective, and that he would most likely go far beyond what Paul is asking. That kind of trust is somewhat scarce in our society these days. III. A Model of the Gospel’s Testimony (vs. 23-25)You do know that people watch us, right? We profess to be Christians, and they want to see if we’re willing to put our figurative (and sometimes literal) “money where our mouths are.” They want to know that we don’t just preach the gospel, we give testimony to it!vs. 23-24 - These are names…and names mean things. These men are also watching to make sure Philemon lives the gospel he proclaims.Let’s introduce you to these men (hat tip to my seminary president, Dr. Danny Akin, for the assist with these biographies):1) Epaphras was from Colossae and certainly well known to Philemon (Col. 1:7-8; 4:12-13), but now he is imprisoned alongside Paul in Rome. Paul sees Epaphras as he sees himself, not as a prisoner of the Empire but as a prisoner “Christ Jesus.” He is where he is because he is captive to Christ.2) Mark is John Mark, author of our 2nd Gospel. Formerly, like Onesimus, he had been useless (Acts 15:38), but now he was useful both to Paul and the Lord (see esp. 2 Tim. 4:11).3) Aristarchus was a close associate of Paul possibly from Macedonia (Acts 19:29; 20:4). He had traveled with Paul to Rome (Acts 27:2). Colossians 4:10 calls him Paul’s “fellow prisoner.” Tradition says he was martyred in Rome during the persecution under Nero (MacArthur, 230).4) Demus is honorably mentioned here and in Colossians 4:14. However, 2 Timothy 4:11 informs us that he deserted Paul, “because he loved the present world.”5) Luke is “the dearly loved physician” (Col. 4:14) who penned the 2 volume work Luke-Acts. Some believe he may also have written Hebrews. He traveled with Paul, helped care for him, and became a dear and faithful friend. He was the only person with Paul in the last days of his 2nd Roman imprisonment as he waited execution (2 Tim. 4:11).These men, then, stand with Paul on behalf of Onesimus. Paul knew they were faithful and trustworthy, and so did Philemon. Their “vote” in favor of Onesimus would have carried significant weight. As a matter of fact, these men are nearly an identical rendering of the greetings to the church at Colossae. Philemon knew these men. Their vouching for Onesimus would carry weight. v. 25 - I love how Paul ends here. He ends the way he began this letter…with Jesus.
Series: Focused: See The Life God Wants For YouMessage: Prayer and Fasting MatterMatthew 6:5-18Patrick Martin, Interim PastorMarch 12, 2023Visit us at www.fcbc.life
Series: Mindset: Succeed On PurposeMessage: Investing In The Next GenerationGenesis 4:1-14Joe Otwell, Student/Connections SpeakerFebruary 26, 2023www.fcbc.life
Series: Mindset: Succeed On PurposeMessage: Radical GenerosityLuke 14:25–35Jay Mudd, Guest SpeakerFebruary 19, 2023www.fcbc.life
Series: Mindset: Succeed On PurposeMessage: Invest & InviteMatthew 25:14-30Matt Sparling, Executive PastorFebruary 12, 2023www.fcbc.life
With the Promised Land so close, the Israelites are forced to decide whether their faith in God is bigger than their fear.
Week 2 of our series about the nation of Israel's wandering in the wilderness called "Lost".
Series: Romans Message: The Gospel Creates a New Humanity Romans 6 Patrick Martin, Interim Pastor July 10, 2022
www.fcbc.life
Ricky Powell preaches his final sermon as Lead Pastor of Fort Caroline Baptist Church after serving in that role for 26 years.
We continue in our series called "The Call of God: The Mission and Message of the Apostle Paul".
Week three in our series called "The Call of God: The Mission and Message of the Apostle Paul".
Is there life after death? This is not a particularly Christian or religious question. It is a human question. We all face the certainty of death, so let’s look to Jesus for the answer.
The first week of our series called "Christmas At the Movies". This week's film is "It's a Wonderful Life".
Week two of our series on the life of the Old Testament figure, Joseph called "Plot Twist".
The final week in our series on the teachings of the parables of Jesus called "The Moral of the Story".
Ever wonder what is the purpose of your life? Learn what God has in store for you and be free to live the life He has for you.