Emmanuel English Church: Recent Episodes
Emmanuel English Church
An inspiring testimony of a loving couple who embraced adoption through the lens of the Gospel, showcasing sacrificial love and compassion.
In addition, when the world is celebrating Mother's Day, as a church, we want to celebrate remarkable women and their unique identities as image bearers of God.
Sermon Series: A Renewed Purpose: Living Out the All-Encompassing Great Commission
Sermon Title: All Nations
Passage: Matthew 28:16-20
Sermon Series: A Renewed Purpose: Living Out the All-Encompassing Great Commission
Sermon Title: All Authority
Passage: Matthew 28:16-20
Passage: Luke 16:23-24; Matthew 16:21-26; Matthew 17,18; Matthew 26:36-44; Mark 10:17-22;
Passage: Acts 1:1-11
Introduction
- Why are we here?
- The continuing story of Jesus… (v1-5)
What is the mission? (v6-8)
- “You will be my witnesses”
- “… to the ends of the earth”
Why can we be confident about God’s mission?
- The plan of the Father (v4, 7)
- The reign of the Son (v9-11)
- The power of the Spirit (v8)
Conclusion
Passage: Ephesians 6:10-13
Pray:
- Pray for understanding and wisdom: particularly in his strength and might (1:15-23) and the extent of his love (3:14-19) so that our reverence of the Lord eliminates all other fears
- Pray for alertness and perseverance (6:18-19)
- Pray for unity of the church (4:2-3, 11-14)
Passages:
Acts 14:19-23
Titus 1:5-9
1 Peter 5:1-2
Acts 20:17-28, 28-30
1 Timothy 5:17-25
Sermon Title: Christian Parenting - Putting an end to the blame game
Passage: Ephesian 6:4
Sermon Title: Honoring Your Parents - The ministry of a lifetime
Passage: Ephesians 6:1-4
Main Point: Godly sacrifice and submission in marriage brings deeper understanding of Jesus' love.
Sermon Points:
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Sacrifice and submission: Lead husband and wife to know Christ's love
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Sacrifice and submission: Points others to see the love of Jesus
Passage: Ephesians 4:32-5:1; 5:18-28
Main Point: Growing self-sacrifice in marriage brings true blessing
Sermon Points:
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Self-sacrifice is a result of worship
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Self-sacrifice grows through deeper trust in Jesus' love
Passage: 1 Corinthians 7:1-10, 35-40
Main Point: God has good things for his single children! Trust Him and seek them out!
Sermon points:
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Single is a gift to be enjoyed and used for God (1 Cor 7:1-10)
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Single is not incomplete or lacking (1 Cor 7:7-8, 36-38)
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Single does not mean less fulfilled or happy (1 Cor 7:40)
Gospel connection:
Jesus the Son of God was a perfect complete human being. He never married but lacked nothing. Jesus looked to and trusted His Father to fill and sustain Him in every way.
Title: One Love: Relationships redeemed for Jesus
Main Point: True blessing and joy in every relational circumstance comes from making relationship with Jesus your ultimate purpose
Sermon Points:
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Build relationship with God in relational circumstances (1 Cor 7:17-27)
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Live knowing relational circumstances are passing away (1 Cor 7:29-31)
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Keep heart devoted to God in relational circumstances (1 Cor 7:32-35)
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Embrace singlehood and marriage as good in God's eyes (1 Cor 7:36-38)
Passage: Ephesians 4:25-5:2; 5:18-21
Main Point: Faith relationships set the foundation for restoration in all relationships
Sermon Points
Faith in Jesus:
- Sets a common basis for love and responsibility (4:25-32)
- Sets a perfect example and motivation for love (4:32-5:2)
- Sets a unifying purpose for God in relationships (5:19-21)
- Sets ground for mutual respect and equality (4:25, 5:21)
Ephesians 4:17-5:4
Main Point: New life needs ac0ve spiritual renewal to grow into a righteous lifestyle
Passage: Ephesians 4:7-16
Main Point
Jesus fills the world as His people serve each other in unity and grace
Sermon Points
- Go Serve: Jesus has given giDs of grace (v7-10, 15-16)
What’s keeping you from serving?
Are you serving in grace?
Who are you serving? 2. Be Served: GiDs require growth & support (v11-14)
Passage: Ephesians 3:20-4:6
Main Point: Love for God moves hearts to display His glory in church unity
Sermon Points
- Unity of God guarantees the unity of believers (v4-6)
- Living out unity makes hope visible (v1-3)
Passage: Ephesians 3:1-13
Main Point: God uses the weakness of His church to display His wisdom and glory
Sermon Points
- God reveals His salvation through the weak (v1-6)
- God empowers the weak to make Himself known (v7-9)
• Paul’s weaknesses - 2 Cor, 10:10;12:7, 2 Pt. 3:26, 1 Tim 1:13, Acts 9:1-17 3. God’s eternal plan is to glorify Himself through the church (v10-11) 4. Embracing God’s wisdom in Jesus gives confidence in weakness (v13)
Gospel Connection: God turns weakness into strength, humiliation and shame into honour, hatred into love. At the cross, God displays the full extent of his power, beauty and grace as Jesus died weak, humiliated, despised and shamed. This reversal of turning darkness into light is God’s wisdom and He continues to do this through His church as we follow the example of Jesus on the cross.
Passage: Ephesians 2:18-22
Main Point
Growing love and unity as a church is essential to God’s salvation plan
Sermon Points
Church love & unity grow by:
- Embracing God’s purpose for His church (v21)
- Making Kingdom citizenship your primary status (v19a)
- Making God’s family your own (v19b)
- Deeper understanding of Jesus’ work & teaching (v20)
Passage: Luke 16:1-13
Main Point: Work God’s system to get a more secure future.
Sermon Points
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Celebrating Shrewdness
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The master praises the manager’s foresight and shrewdness in planning for the future
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Jesus calls His followers to work God’s system for their advantage
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Working the System
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If our hearts are split, we won’t work God’s system properly
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The test for a split heart: How do we handle the small, seemingly trivial aspects of day to day life? Which system are we seeking to work?
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A Single-Minded Heart
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Our hearts are split because we still believe the lie that money can give us everything it promises
- Only when we see the beauty of Jesus will we see life and money in their proper perspectives
- Practical Commitments:➡Use money to build relationships ➡Never make money at the expense of relationships ➡Intentionally plan to be generous
Sharing & Prayer After listening to the message:
- What would you like to know more about from Luke 16:1-13?
- Pray that God would help EEC to live generously in light of eternity
- Pray for strengthened relationships with others in the church
Passage: Ephesians 2:11-18
Main Point: Jesus creates true unity and lasting peace in His new people
Sermon Points
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Jesus’ removes the sources of division & enmity between people (v14-15)
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Dividing wall of hostility – Jewish works-based belief system, expressed in a physical wall that was build to divide Jews and non-Jews at the temple (Mk 7:8-9)
- In his flesh – Refers to Jesus’ physical death on the cross as a sacrifice for sin
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Law of commandments – Refers to the Old Testament law
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Jesus creates a new united people by reconciling them to God (v15-16)
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Jesus calls all people into unity and peace through Him (v13,17)
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Jesus secures access to unity and peace (v18)
Passage: Ephesians 2:5-10
Grace – Undeserved, unearned goodness and benefit from God
Main Point: Accepting God’s grace bring freedom to fulfill His good salvation purposes
Sermon Points
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Present grace rescues from past evil (v5-6)
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Present grace secures future grace (v7-8)
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Future grace leads believers into present grace (v9-10)
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God’s nature & glory is the basis of all grace (v4,7)
Scripture References: Matt 13:12
Passage: Ephesians 2:1-5
Main Point: God’s powerful grace is revealed by realizing the problem of human wickedness.
Sermon Points
Without Jesus people are:
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Wholly wicked in nature (v1-3)
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Enslaved by Satan & the world (v2)
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Controlled by their evil desires (v3a)
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Deserving of God’s punishment (v3b)
Scripture References: 1 Tim 1:15, 2 Thess. 2:7, Gen, 6:5, Jn.12:31, Acts 5:3
Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:14-20, 11:17-33
Main Point
Right practice of communion shapes and teaches believers to live out all that it means to be members of Christ’s body and accurately reflects the hope and promises of the gospel
Sermon Points
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Communion leads believers to receive spiritual blessings in faith (10:16-18)
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Communion makes the spiritual unity of the church visible & physical (10:17)
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Communion takes place in the gathering of a whole church (11:17-20, 33-34)
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Communion’s significance is Eed to the idea of sharing a meal (10:21, 11:25)
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Communion must accurately portray gospel hope & promise (11:26)
Questions to Consider
- What is essential to make communion, communion?
- Can the full meaning of communion be accurately portrayed online?
- What does it mean for the church to be the body of Christ?
- Can the command for believers to meet together be fulfilled virtually (Heb. 10:25)?
Key Communion Passages:
- Exodus 24
- Matthew 26:16-19, Luke 22:14-20, Mark 14:22-25
- 1 Corinthians 10:14-20, 11:17-33
Passage: Ephesians 2:1-22
Main Point: Jesus transforms our relationships with God and others.
Sermon Points
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Separation from God (v. 1-3)
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By nature, all of us are alienated from God and deserving of judgment
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Reconciliation with God (v. 4-10)
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But God - The greatest words there are
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The whole process of transformation is a gift of grace
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Separation from One Another (v. 11-12)
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Our alienation from God leads to alienation from one another
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Reconciliation with One Another (v. 13-22)
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Jesus saves us not only so we can live as individual Christians, but so we can come together as His people and be the church
Sharing & Prayer
After listening to the message:
- What would you like to know more about from Ephesians 2?
- Pray that God would help EEC understand the questions we have about the passage
- Pray for strengthened relationships with others in the church
Passage: Ephesians 1:15-23
Main Point: Holy Spirit’s illuminative strength comes through persistent hearts of prayer
- Spirit of wisdom & revela2on (v17) – Title for the Holy Spirit that describes his work of spiritual illumination (Is. 11:2)
- Knowledge (v17) - A living experience and understanding of God’s character, blessings and power that brings conviction and transformation.
- Eyes of the heart (v18) - Metaphor for seeing spiritual reality by the illuminating power of the Spirit
Sermon Points
Holy Spirit’s Illuminating work:
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Is already active in all believers (v15)
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Pray confidently
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Needs to deepen in all believers (v17-19)
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Pray dependently
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Deepens through faithful, enduring prayer (v16-18)
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Pray faithfully
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Imparts certainty & strength of heart (v19-23)
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Pray victoriously
Passage: Ephesians 1:11-14
Main Point
Holy Spirit secures & fulfils all blessing through faith in Jesus
Sermon Points
Holy Spirit:
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Gives assurance to God’s children (v13)
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Guarantees full redempJon (v13-14)
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Gives taste of future blessing (v14)
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Receive through genuine faith in Jesus (v13)
Verse references: Acts 2:38, Ez. 36:26-27, Joel 2:28
Passage: Ephesians 1:7-12
Main Point
Trust in Jesus’ work brings blessing of freedom and forgiveness.
Sermon Points
Jesus’ Work:
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Frees from the power of sin (v7a)
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Redemp&on - payment of a price to secure freedom
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Clears off all debts with God (v7b)
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Done out of God’s lavish grace (v7-8)
Passage: Ephesians 1:3-6
Adoption - An act where God makes people members of his family through faith in Jesus
Main Point
Trusting the Father’s love brings blessing of security and assurance.
Sermon Points
The Father’s Love:
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Started in Eternity Past (v4)
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Love - a free choice to loyally care for another’s good and well-being.
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Given to Create a Holy Family (v4-5)
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Grounded in God’s Good Nature (v5-6)
Victory: Executing God’s Master Plan
Small, insignificant, weak, powerless, forgotten — these are all words that believers in the city of Ephesus could identify with. They lived in one of the largest cities of the ancient world, at the center of cultural and political struggles for power and influence. On one side of the streets were crowds of devout worshippers of the goddess Artemis, and on the other side were political leaders and Roman soldiers demanding allegiance and worship to Caesar. Ephesus was an affluent city, overflowing with diverse people, gods, and ideologies — it was hard not to be pulled into its temptations and dangers. Yet, in the middle of it all, the apostle Paul writes to the Ephesian church that, contrary to how they may feel, they are victorious! They are deeply loved by God, seated in heavenly places, created for good works planned by God in advance, and called to display his wisdom to rulers and authorities.
Life in Hong Kong 2021 can feel overwhelming. Many circumstances lead us to feel powerless, insignificant, and out of control. Yet, that is not the case! God is in complete control, carrying out his eternal and cosmic plan through his church, a plan that will end in victory against all powers and forces in the whole universe. The book of Ephesians outlines God’s plan for his church starting from before the beginning of time stretching all the way into eternity. EEC is called to be a part of God’s plan, to know God’s purpose for us and to carry it out in faith.
Passage: Ephesians 1:1-23
Main Point
Fulfilling God’s purposes starts by seeking to know Christ’s blessings
Sermon Points
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God has Immensely Blessed Believers (v3-14)
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Blessing - Something that brings benefit, good and well-being
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God has revealed His master plan to believers (v9-11)
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What: Jesus rules over everything and everyone
- Why: For the praise of God’s glory
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How: God directs everything to complete the plan
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God calls His church to carry out His plan (v22-23)
Sharing & Prayer:
- What would you like to know more about Ephesians 1?
- Pray that God would help EEC understand the questions we have about the passage
- Pray what the Apostle Paul prays for in Ephesians 1:16-19
Passage: Matthew 4:17-25
Discipling - Helping others follow and obey Jesus through service in word and deed
Discipleship - is a Christian’s progress of following Jesus in their life
Main Point
Embrace Jesus’ call to discipleship and let Him transform you into a disciple-maker
Sermon Points
Following Jesus means:
- Embracing devotion to the person of Jesus (v19)
- Embracing a whole new life purpose and goal (v20-22)
- Embracing a new way of life filled & focused on serving people (v23-25)
Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:12
Discipling - Helping others follow and obey Jesus through instruction & service
Evangelism - Sharing and calling people to salvation by trusting and obeying Jesus as Lord
Understanding the Passage
- Lives powerfully & unmistakably saved by God (1:5-10)
- New believers grow as disciples and making disciple (1:6-7)
- Discipling is done in Christian Community (1:1-6)
- Disciplers seek to please God not people (2:3-6)
- Disciplers sacrificially share self & life in love (2:7-12)
Main Point
Disciples are made through resolute commitment to please God and love people in community
Sermon Points
Disciple-Making Requires:
- Christian Community
- Sharing life and giving self in love
- Commitment to please God not people
Passage: Mark 11:15-24
Main Point
Seek to gather as a house of prayer, it’s what God has called His family to be
Sermon points
- Jesus died to create a new house of prayer made of people (Mark 11:20-24, 14:58, 1 Peter 2:4-6)
- True prayer together marks God’s Family
- God desires his people to seek Him together
Passage: Ma4hew 6:1, 5-8
Main Point
Seek to truly pray it’s a rewarding joy that answers your every need
Sermon points
False Prayer
- Done from self-seeking moRvaRons (v5)
- Does not approach God as Father (v7)
True Prayer
- Seeks aHer God as the sole focus & desire (v6)
- Done in realization of God’s invisible presence (v1)
- Trusts God as Father (v8)
How do we start to truly pray?
- Repentance and faith in the gospel
- Find a place to seek aHer God alone
Prayer in the Psalms: Ps 27:1-8; Ps 34:8; Ps 84:10
Passage: Matthew 12:46-50
Main Point
Disciples of Jesus make their truest family believers who faithfully obey God
Sermon points
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Jesus sets the standard for family
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…having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end…A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another (John 13:1b, 34)
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Faith forms family
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Establishes relational capacity through God the Father
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Faith pursues relationship with God’s family
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Family tests faith
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Relationship with Jesus is reflected in how you relate to fellow disciples as family
- Who you consider as your true family reveals where your faith is at Jesus teaching on family: Mark 10:34-37, Luke 14:26; 18:29, John 19:26-27
Core value #3. Love for God’s Diverse Family
God loves his church and calls his people to display his love in the gospel by loving each other as he does. Though we come from different life stages, cultures, and backgrounds, God’s love for us and in us supernaturally ties us together. We value our differences and appreciate how they are used to glorify God. We are willing to give up our preferences for the sake of one another. Being part of God’s family also means we commit to care for each other’s good and well-being as brothers and sisters created to worship God. We show hospitality to each other. We look out for each other’s needs. We are willing to forgive and be honest with each other. We keep each other accountable to God our Father as members of his household.
Practically, this is done through:
- Valuing the practice of church membership
- Gathering to worship with God’s family weekly
- Involvement in a small group
- Intentionally meeting with members who are different from us to love and encourage them
Passage: Galatians 2:15-21
Main Point
True faith in Jesus produces joyful obedience driven by God’s love & grace
Definitions
Justified - To be treat as righteous in God’s eyes, not deserving of punishment but reward
Works of the law - All of God’s commandments in the Old Testament
Faith in Jesus - Commitment to trust resulting in attitude change that depends on what Jesus has done
Passage Overview
- 2:15-16 Justification by Faith
- 2:17 Objections: Faith promotes sin
- 2:18-21 Answer: Faith Transforms
Sermon points
Faith in Jesus:
- Stops pursuing merit in moral systems of living (v19a)
- Recognizes it has already received all favour & merit (v19-20)
- Is driven by God’s love in all it does (v19-20)
- Lives consistently with grace (v21)
Main Point
Long for God’s Word, it’s the hope for lasting salvation in a perishing world
Sermon points
- God’s Word:
- Living power that generates eternal life (1:23)
- Produces pure and lasting love (1:22)
- Creates life that longs & is nourished by His Word (2:2)
- The way to know God as He truly is (2:3)
Main Point
Toil for Christian maturity, its essential for mission and salvation surety
What is Christian maturity?
Christian Maturity - the development of being like Jesus in every single way
Characteristics
- Sacrificial love and care that brings unity in the church (Col. 2:2; 1 Co. 3:1-4; Rom 15:1-3)
- Stability & Confidence in faith (Col. 1:23, 2:2-5, 2 Thess. 1:4, 2 Pet. 3:17-18)
Why is Christian maturity important?
- Essential for mission (Acts 11:22-26, Matt. 28:20)
- Commanded to make mature disciples (Matt. 28:20)
- Commanded to grow to maturity (Heb 6:1, 2 Pet. 2:2)
- Maturity is evidence of saving faith (Heb. 6:4-12, 2 Pet. 2:2-3)
What’s required to mature as disciples?
- Sacrificial toil and service of the whole church (Col. 1:28, 4:12; Eph.4:11-13)
- Teaching & practice in God’s word (Col. 1:25-28; Heb. 5:14)
- Repentance & proactive action to grow (Heb. 6:1; 1 Pet. 2:2-3)
Passage: Acts 11
Purpose of Acts
- Establish foundation to understand nature and mission of the church
- Show fulfillment of God’s salvation plan in prophecies (Acts 1:1, Luke 1:1-3)
- Demonstrate God’s ways in carrying out mission through the church
Main Point
Align yourself to God’s far reaching sovereign mission
- God’s sovereignty: God is in complete and full control of everything
Sermon Points
God Sovereignly:
- Expands mission by difficult & unexpected events
- Uses disciples faithful to mission in their context & capacities
- Calls churches together for mission in their unique contexts (Acts 13:1-3)
- Times everything perfectly for His mission (Acts 17:26-27, Gal. 4:4-5)
Passage: Matthew 28, Mark 16, John 20, Luke 24
Purpose in the Gospel
- Human Purpose Corrupted (Gen 3-11)
- Created for God’s Eternal Purpose (Ecc. 3)
- Consequence of Rejecting God’s Purpose
- Restored Purpose in Jesus
The Ultimate Mission
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- Planned & given from God
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- Call to discipleship through belief & repentance
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- Call to disciple & teach obedience to Jesus
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- Universal & Time Transcending
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- Eternal & Cosmic Consequences
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- Supernaturally Accomplished & Guaranteed
Understanding the Story
- God purposely testing faith (15:25)
- God teaches faith by miraculous provision (15:24-25)
- God’s promise: obedience brings life & salvation (15:26)
- Israelites’ growing unreceptive hearts to God (16:3,17:2)
- Israelites test God & protest against Him (17:2-4)
- God’s gracious & merciful response (17:5-6)
Main Point
Don’t test God to meet your conditions, let Him test your trust in Christ’s provision
Testing God
- Challenging to God to prove Himself to you
- Demanding God to meet your conditions before you trust & obey Him
- Believing that God owes you because of your current circumstances
- Manipulating God to do what you want according to your time schedule
Trusting God
- Depending on Him, not demanding from Him
- Choosing to obey before you see His provision
- Believing God’s provision and leading in your circumstance is best
- Waiting for God to take care of your needs in His own time and way
Sermon Points
- God’s gracious presence & provision is given through Jesus (1 Cor. 10:1-4, 2 Pt. 1:3)
- Trust in God brings enjoyment & blessing of Jesus’ presence (Jn. 6:37-38, 51; Is. 53:5)
Saved to: Serve Him, Dwell with Him, Walk with Him
With Him looks at God’s plan for the Israelites in the book of Exodus after He saved them from slavery in Egypt. It’s important to note that God didn’t only save Israel from a life of slavery — He saved them for a purpose! To serve Him, walk with Him, and dwell with Him as His covenant people. Freedom from Egypt was only the start of the Israelites’ salvation. God had much more in store for them. But in order to get to where God wanted them to be, the Israelites had to learn to walk with God step by step through the wilderness.
The journey of learning how to serve and walk with God is the same for us as His people today. The challenges and struggles that the Israelites faced are the same challenges that we face now as His church. The journey isn’t easy, but it’s worth it! As we walk with God, He leads us closer and closer to dwell with Him in His holy presence. And this is a journey that never ends throughout a Christian’s life on earth. As we look into the book of Exodus, let’s pray that we as a church can find encouragement and strength to walk with God where He has called us, here in Hong Kong.
Saved to: Serve Him, Dwell with Him, Walk with Him
With Him looks at God’s plan for the Israelites in the book of Exodus after He saved them from slavery in Egypt. It’s important to note that God didn’t only save Israel from a life of slavery — He saved them for a purpose! To serve Him, walk with Him, and dwell with Him as His covenant people. Freedom from Egypt was only the start of the Israelites’ salvation. God had much more in store for them. But in order to get to where God wanted them to be, the Israelites had to learn to walk with God step by step through the wilderness.
The journey of learning how to serve and walk with God is the same for us as His people today. The challenges and struggles that the Israelites faced are the same challenges that we face now as His church. The journey isn’t easy, but it’s worth it! As we walk with God, He leads us closer and closer to dwell with Him in His holy presence. And this is a journey that never ends throughout a Christian’s life on earth. As we look into the book of Exodus, let’s pray that we as a church can find encouragement and strength to walk with God where He has called us, here in Hong Kong.