CHURCH.: Recent Episodes
CHURCH. (Fort Wayne)
This is sermon audio from CHURCH, a Christian gathering in Southwest Fort Wayne. For more information on where to find us and how to get involved, head over to VisitTheChurch.com!
Mark 6:1-13English Standard Version
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
6 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
Galatians 2:11-21English Standard Version
Paul Opposes Peter
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Justified by Faith
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Romans 1:19-2219 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Mark 5:21-43Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus's Daughter
21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing[a]what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:1-20Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed[c] man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Mark 4:35-41Jesus Calms a Storm
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Mark 4:21-34A Lamp Under a Basket
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
The Parable of the Seed Growing
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Colossians 2:4-154 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
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Mark 4:9-20
9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,12 so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Mark 4:1-9English Standard Version
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 3:13-30English Standard Version
The Twelve Apostles
13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Opening article reference:
https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/april/state-of-bible-reading-decline-report-26-million.html
Mark 3:7-12English Standard Version
A Great Crowd Follows Jesus
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
Mark 3:1-6English Standard Version
A Man with a Withered Hand
3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Mark 2:23-28English Standard Version
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:18-22English Standard Version
A Question About Fasting
18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”
Mark 2:13-17Jesus Calls Levi
13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:1-12English Standard Version
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Mark 1:40-45English Standard Version
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
Mark 1:29-39English Standard Version
Jesus Heals Many
29 And immediately he[a] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door.34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Mark 1:21-28Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Mark 1:16-20English Standard Version
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Mark 1:12-15English Standard Version
The Temptation of Jesus
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Genesis 21:8-21English Standard Version
God Protects Hagar and Ishmael
8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept.17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow.21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt
Mark 1:9-11English Standard Version
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:1-8English Standard Version
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
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YOUR CROSS.
More correctly, his own. An important charge. All must bear the cross, but not all the same cross: each one his own.
WHAT YOU WILL TAKE UP…
THE COST.
(τὴν δαπάνην). Allied to δάπτω, to devour. Hence expense, as something which eats up resources.
WHAT YOU WILL LAY DOWN…
Luke 14:25-33
English Standard Version
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,
14:25 Great crowds continue to follow Jesus (see 4:37).
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
14:26 If anyone comes to me. Cf. 9:23–24. Those who would be Christ’s disciples must (1) love their family less than they love Christ (14:26); (2) bear the cross and follow Christ (v. 27); and (3) relinquish everything (v. 33). These are complementary ways of describing complete commitment. The first condition for discipleship is to hate one’s father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and life (cf. 18:29; see 6:20–22). “Hating” is a Semitic expression for loving less (cf. Gen. 29:30–31; Deut. 21:15–17; Matt. 10:37).
27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
14:27 For the second condition for discipleship, bear his own cross and come after me, see notes on Matt. 10:38 and Mark 8:34.
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
14:28–32 Two parabolic illustrations involving building (vv. 28–30) and going to war (vv. 31–32) both warn against making a hasty decision to follow Jesus. Potential disciples must first count the cost to see if they will persevere in the faith (cf. 8:15; 21:19). 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
14:33 The third condition for discipleship (see note on v. 26) involves renouncing all (cf. 5:11, 28; 12:33; 18:22).
(build the slide as a list)
THE COST: What you must lay down…
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Your pursuit of peace
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Your pursuit of physical perfection (vanity and denial of age)
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Your idolatry of Family and Friendships
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Your “purpose, dreams, and hopes”
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Your Time
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Your love
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Your thoughts
YOUR CROSS: What you must take up…
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The life of humility
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The life of inconvenience
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The life of surrender
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The life of an alien in this world
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The life of the ridiculed
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The life of the “mystic”
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The life of a believer existing in the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. Martin Luther
Luke 15:11-32 (The Parable of the Prodigal Son)
15:12 give me … property … coming to me. The younger son does not want to wait for his father’s death to receive his inheritance. He was probably a teenager, since he was unmarried.
15:13 Gathered all indicates that the son converted into cash all of his inheritance, which may have included land or cattle, which he then foolishly squandered … in reckless living.
15:15 In desperation the son hired himself out to a Gentile to feed pigs (unclean animals; Lev. 11:7; Deut. 14:8) that would have been repugnant to him.
15:17–18 When the son came to himself he realized that his sin was not only against his earthly father but in the deepest sense against heaven, that is, against God himself.
15:20 A long way off emphasizes the father’s great love; he must have been watching for the son. ran. The father cast aside all behavioral conventions of the time, as running was considered to be undignified for an older person, especially a wealthy landowner such as this man. embraced him. Literally “fell on his neck”; cf. Gen. 33:4; 45:14; 46:29.
15:21 The prodigal repeats his prepared speech (cf. vv. 18–19), but the father cuts him short before he finishes, showing that he has forgiven him.
15:24 The son was (assumed to be) dead, but is now alive (united with the family) again: a picture of membership in God’s kingdom.
15:29 but he answered his father. The picture offers a sharp contrast between, on one hand, the mercy and grace extended by the father (representing God the Father) and, on the other hand, the self-righteous resentment (never disobeyed … yet you never gave me) of the older brother (exemplified by the Pharisees).
15:31 Son. An affectionate appeal by the father, showing that he still loved the older son and wanted him to join in the celebration. By implication, Jesus is still inviting the Pharisees to repent and accept the good news.[1]
How wonderful to know that Christianity is more than a padded pew or a dim cathedral, but that it is a real, living, daily experience which goes on from grace to grace. Jim Elliot
(October 8, 1927 – January 8, 1956) was an American Christianmissionary and one of five people killed during Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador.[1] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (pp. 1989–1990). Crossway Bibles.
[2] Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible reader’s companion (electronic ed., p. 666). Victor Books.
Sermon Title: Who We Aren’t
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God’s special ministry (5:14–15, 18–19, 21a)
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He has reconciled all sinners (5:14–15): This he has accomplished by the death of Christ on the cross.
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He has regenerated all repenting sinners (5:18–19, 21a): Each new believer receives a new nature.
Our special ministry (5:11–13, 16–17, 20, 21b)
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The task (5:11–13, 21b): We have been given the ministry of reconciliation.
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The title (5:16–17, 20): God looks upon us as his earthly ambassadors!
Who We Are:
Our church exists to lead the people of Southwest Fort Wayne in the ways of the Bible and into a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Who We Aren’t
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
English Standard Version
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.
- WE ARE NOT PEOPLE PLEASERS
Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
- WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING JESUS INTO A SELF-HELP GURU (He is God)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
- WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN JUDGING YOUR PAST
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
- WE DESPISE WAR AND CONFLICT (Macro, Micro, Relational, Spiritual)
MEANING WE ARE ABOVE ALL, PEACEMAKERS!
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
- WE ARE NOT POLITCAL
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
- WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO SHARE ABOUT JESUS TO OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND CO-WORKERS
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN “RELIGION” (WE WANT A TRANSFORMING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS)
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM 347 ce :
The gold bit on your horse, the gold circlet on the wrist of your slave, the gilding on your shoes, mean that you are robbing the orphan and starving the widow. When you have passed away, each passer-by who looks upon your great mansion will say, “How many tears did it take to build that mansion; how many orphans were stripped; how many widows wronged; how many laborers deprived of their honest wages?” Even death itself will not deliver you from your accusers. (Homily 2.4)
Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (2 Co 5:10–17). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Acts 1:8
8 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.”
Our church exists to lead the people of Southwest Fort Wayne in the ways of the Bible and into a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Our church EXISTS
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To lead
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The people of Southwest Fort Wayne
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In the ways of the Bible
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Into a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Who is Southwest Fort Wayne? Demographic information shows primarily families, homeowners, college educated
We must do ministry with:
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Purpose
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Clear Vision
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Excellence
Families need: Focus on parenting, Children’s ministry, Youth ministry, College/young adult ministry
Mission Measure:
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Growth by conversion
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Growth by a desire to go deeper
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Growth by baptisms
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Growth by evangelism
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Growth in groups
We are a service first church - Our ministry begins with a “whole church” gathering
Service elements:
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Worship
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Vision casting
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Giving
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Preaching
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Prayer
We are conservative in theology and creative in our methods
How we pray-
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We memorize scripture
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We pray as a church
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We pray in groups
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We pray through church-wide campaigns
How we serve-
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Outreach and promo
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Caring for our community (those in the church)
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Caring for the community around us (service projects)
How we do groups-
Level 1: Prayer groups in service
Level 2: Small groups outside of service
Level 3: Self-initiated disciple-making groups
Always inviting!
Sermon Title: Love is a Verb.
Hosea 6:6
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
The Love (11:1–4, 8–11; 12:3–5; 13:4–5; 14:4–7)
In the past (11:1–4; 12:3–5; 13:4–5)
Hosea 13:4-5
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
At the present (11:8–9)
Hosea 11:8-9
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9 I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.
In the future (11:10–11; 14:4–7)
Hosea 14:4-7
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily;
he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
6 his shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive,
and his fragrance like Lebanon.
7 They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Order of Salvation:
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Election (God’s choice for His people)
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The Gospel call (proclaiming the message of the Gospel)
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Regeneration (being born again)
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Conversion (Faith and repentance)
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Justification (right legal standing)
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Adoption (membership in God’s family)
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Sanctification (right conduct of life)
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Perseverance (remaining in Christ)
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Death (going to be with the Lord)
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Glorification (receiving a resurrection body). (Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem)
The Invitation (12:6; 14:1–3, 8–9)
Realize your helplessness (14:3)
Hosea 14:3
3 Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”
Confess and forsake your sin (14:1–2, 8–9)
Hosea 14:1-2
A Plea to Return to the Lord
14 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.
Return to God (12:6)
Hosea 12:6
6 “So you, by the help of your God, return,
hold fast to love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.”
Love is a Verb.
Hosea 6:6
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Please take a few minutes and watch The Bible Project's video:
"THE DIVINE COUNCIL"
YouTube link below!
https://youtu.be/e1rai6WoOJU
This week's verse:
Ephesians 6:12
English Standard Version
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Daniel 10:12-13
English Standard Version
12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
Sermon Title: From Confession to Cleansing
1
(Hosea 4-10)
Israel’s rebellion, ruin, and repentance
Tonight we are talking about Repentance (6:1–3)
2
Why do we need to REPENT?
The Big Truth and The Big Lie: Your choice
3
Live lies- We DO what is wrong (not truly good)
Speak lies- We SAY what is wrong (not truly good)
Believe lies- We BELIEVE what is wrong (not truly good)
Lies must be corrected!
4
John 8:31-36
The Truth Will Set You Free
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
#5
Confession and Cleansing…
#6
The confession (6:1a, 3)
7
“Let us return to the LORD!” (6:1a).
Hosea 6:1
6 “Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
8
“Let us press on to know him!” (6:3).
Hosea 6:3
3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.”
#9
The cleansing (6:1b–2)
10
“He will bandage our wounds” (6:1b).
Hosea 6:1
6 “Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
11
“He will restore us so we can live in his presence” (6:2).
Hosea 6:2
2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
12
James 5:16
English Standard Version
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
13
When to confess when and to who for what?
Your confession (and asking forgiveness) should include whoever your sin has affected.
1
Sermon Title: From Rebellion to Ruin
#2
(HOSEA 1–3)
God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute, so some of her children will have been born from other men.
Why? To illustrate the way God’s people have been untrue to him.
Then, even when Hosea’s wife goes and sins again, Hosea is to take her back and love her—demonstrating God’s never-failing love for his people.
3
(Hosea 4-10)
Israel’s rebellion, ruin, and repentance
Tonight we are talking about RUIN
4
He who has felt his own ruin will not imagine the case of any to be hopeless; nor will he think them too fallen to be worthy his regard.
Charles Spurgeon
#5
Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.
C. S. Lewis
#6
Verb: To be reduced to a state of decay/ destruction (What is done)
Noun: Destruction (What happens)
7
Warsaw Destroyed:
8
Her Ruin (9:1–6, 11–17; 10:5–15)
#9
To be reduced to a state of decay/ destruction (What is done)
Her idols will be destroyed (10:5–9).
Her people will be carried off into captivity by the Assyrians (9:1–6; 10:10–15).
#10
Destruction (What happens)
They will wander around, homeless (9:17).
The child mortality rate will soar (9:11–16).
11
The Turn:
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Know your ruins
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Know where your ruins came from
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Don’t fight destruction
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Let the builder build
12
Warsaw Rebuilt:
13
Isaiah 61:1-4
The Year of the Lord's Favor
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
14
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
15
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
16
Let’s pray
As we prepare for Christmas, Pastor Matt walks us through the true story of how God opened the eyes of a child and unraveled the pains and pangs of death one Christmas morn.
Sermon Title: The god in the storm and God who controls it
Slide #2
God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute, so some of her children will have been born from other men.
Slide #3
Why? To illustrate the way God’s people have been untrue to him.
Slide #4
Then, even when Hosea’s wife goes and sins again, Hosea is to take her back and love her—demonstrating God’s never-failing love for his people.
Slide #5
Adad, Bel, Ishkur, Marduk (Babylonian-Assyrian mythology)
Baʿal, Hadad (Canaanite and Phoenician mythology)
Set (Egyptian mythology)
Tarḫunna (Hittite mythology)
Zeus (Greek Mythology)
Slide #6:
Exodus 9:29
29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord's.
Slide # 7
1 Samuel 2:10
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Slide #8
1 Samuel 12:18
18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
Slide #9
Job 26:14
14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?”
Slide #10
Job 28:26
26 when he made a decree for the rain
and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
Slide #11
Psalm 77:18
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
Slide #12
Isaiah 29:6
6 you will be visited by the Lord of hosts
with thunder and with earthquake and great noise,
with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire.
Slide #13
Revelation 6:1
6 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”
Slide #14
Revelation 14:2
2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,
Slide #15
The god in the storm and God who controls it…
Slide #16
Hosea 2:8
English Standard Version
8 And she did not know
that it was I who gave her
the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and who lavished on her silver and gold,
which they used for Baal.
Slide #17
Israel’s sin (2:8): She is guilty of both immorality and idolatry.
Sl
Sermon Title:
The Mystery of Providential Grace
Slide #2
God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute, so some of her children will have been born from other men.
Slide #3
Why? To illustrate the way God’s people have been untrue to him.
Slide #4
Then, even when Hosea’s wife goes and sins again, Hosea is to take her back and love her—demonstrating God’s never-failing love for his people.
Slide #5
Believing In the reality that you can “find yourself” in this world leads to confusion and destruction.
Believing the reality that God loves you and created for a purpose leads to hope and security.
Slide #6
Focusing on what He does is more important than focusing on what you do or have done!
Even still, It is more important to learn about who He is than what He has done or is doing!
Slide #7
God’s providence: God’s relationship to creation
Slide #8
God’s providence is not…
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Deism: God created the world and then abandoned it
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Pantheism: Creation is “part of God” and not distinct from God
Slide #9
The doctrine of providence says that determinism and “fate” are unbiblical. God is always working things together…
Slide #10
God is continually involved with His creation by…
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Maintaining it
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Directing it to do as it should
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Directing it to bring Him glory
Slide #11
The corruption (2:2): Gomer, who was a prostitute before marrying Hosea, now becomes an adulterous wife. Gomer represents Israel. GOD SET’S THE COVENTANT
Slide #12
The chastisement (2:3–5): God says he will severely punish Gomer/Israel if she does not repent. GOD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO JUDGE
Slide #13
The confinement (2:6–7): Hosea tries to wall Gomer/Israel in, thus preventing her from returning to her immoral ways, but all to no avail! GOD REMAINS GRACIOUS
Slide #14
The compassion (3:1–3): Because of his great love for her, and in spite of her terrible sin, Hosea purchases Gomer/Israel from the slave market where she has sold herself sexually. GOD’S WILL KEEPS HIS COVENANT IN PLACE
Slide #15
Hosea 3:4-5
English Standard Version
4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.
Slide #16
Focusing on what He does is more important than focusing on what you do or have done!
Even still, It is more important to learn about who He is than what He has done or is doing!
Slide #17
The revelation of His providence and grace drives people to TRUE worship!
This sermon is titled: THE BOX AND THE RING
Passage: 2 Chronicles 20:1-23 (ESV)
Something is being “established tonight”
Establish def.: set up (an organization, system, or set of rules) on a firm or permanent basis.
The church is being established:
History/Context
2 Chronicles 20:1-23
1 After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle.
They waited…
13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” 20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
**“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.**
Every Christian Church is established on the same things:
- Belief in God’s sovereignty
2. Trust in His Word
3. Prayer for His will
4. Acknowledgement of God’s glory through worship
“The whole world is a theatre for the display of the divine goodness, wisdom, justice, and power, but the Church is the orchestra, as it were—the most conspicuous part of it; and the nearer the approaches are that God makes to us, the more intimate and condescending the communication of his benefits, the more attentively are we called to consider them.”
― John Calvin, Commentary on Psalms - Volume 5
Key verse:
17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position (Hold to that which you have been established!), and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
The Ring and the box illustration:
We are here for the:
Over-churched
Under-churched
You are being establish:
“A church cannot be Biblically established, by primarily secular people” “Spirit-filled people, establish spirit-filled churches”
We are only a box, being established to present the glory of our lord and savior Jesus Christ!
Will you join us?
Sermon Title: The Nature of Covenant
(Slide #1)
Hosea
(Slide #2)
History and Context
(Slide #3)
The reality we believe…
gives way to the identity we embrace…
which results in the consequences, good or bad, of the truthfulness of that reality
(Slide #4)
Believing In the reality that you can “find yourself” in this world leads to confusion and destruction.
(Slide #5)
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
-Oscar Wilde
(Slide #6)
Believing the reality that God loves you and created for a purpose leads to hope and security.
(Slide #7)
(1:1–2): God orders Hosea to marry a prostitute.
(Slide #8)
Their names are (1:4a, 6a, 9a)
Jezreel, a son (1:4a)
Lo-ruhamah, the daughter (1:6a)
Lo-ammi, another son (1:9a)
(Slide #9)
Their names mean (1:4b–5, 6b, 9b)
Jezreel, a son: “Scattered” (1:4b–5)
Lo-ruhamah, the daughter: “Not loved” (1:6b)
Lo-ammi, another son “Not my people” (1:9b)
(Slide #10)
Hosea 1:10
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”
(Slide #11)
Hosea 1:11
11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
(Slide #12)
Focus on God’s COVENANT. He actively engages and is faithful to His COVENANT! This is the only true reality of you and who you are.
(Slide #13)
The reality we believe…
gives way to the identity we embrace…
which results in the consequences, good or bad, of the truthfulness of that reality