MCC Men: Recent Episodes
McDonough Christian Church
What do you do when there is nothing you can do?
God is not absent, apathetic, or angry.
John 1:29-34
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
Matthew 11:12-13a
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea…
Matthew 11:2-6
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Not offended - skandalizó - To cause to stumble, to offend, causing someone to be offended in a way that leads them away from faith or righteous living.
Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Proof, Promise, Prayer1 Thessalonians 1:5This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—1 Thessalonians 1:6-7aSince indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us,God’s righteous judgment = relief & retributionNobody gets away with anything.1 Thessalonians 1:6-7Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angelsHebrews 9:28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.1 Thessalonians 1:9-10For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.1 Thessalonians 1:8(coming with mighty angels) in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.Romans 1:18-23For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 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,[g] 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, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.Romans 1:28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.Do you know God and Do you obey the Gospel?1 Thessalonians 1:9They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,Matthew 25:45-46Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”Revelation 14:11And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”Matthew 7:22:23On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.Matthew 25:41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.John 17:24Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.Father, I desire that TRENT, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.How do I know that I have been given by the Father to the Son?The sin bearing work of Christ & The sin killing work of a ChristianCanceled sin & Conquered sinHorror of Christ’s suffering & The holiness of Christ’s peopleJustification by His blood & Sanctification by His bloodDO YOU KNOW JESUS?1 Thessalonians 1:10when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.1 John 3:2-3Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.Philippians 1:22-23If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.Philippians 3:7-11But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.CHRIST IS WHAT MAKES HEAVEN, HEAVEN.1 Thessalonians 1:11-12To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.1 Thessalonians 5:2For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Will > When1 Thessalonians 5:3While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.1 Thessalonians 5:4-5But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-7So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 1 Thessalonians 5:8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.1 Thessalonians 5:9-10For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 1 Thessalonians 5:11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.1.Death is not the end.2.In Christ we have resurrection hope.3.We will be ALWAYS be with the Lord
The Father's HeartLuke 15:11-32RepentanceLuke 15:17When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!'2 Chronicles 7:14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.God's LoveLuke 15:20So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”Psalm 103:13As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;ForgivenessLuke 15: 22-24“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.Psalm 86:5“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.”The Oldest SonLuke 15:28The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So, his father went out and pleaded with him.1 Peter 2:21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.God's HeartMatthew 24:14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.He is also counting on us to be on the look out for the lost and join the celebration when they decide to come home.Matthew 28: 19:-20:Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.As we awaits the second coming of our Lord, let us continue to find our way back home to our father’s loveAnd help others to return home as well.
John 12:23-24And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.John 12:25Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoeverhates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.The fastest way to ruin your life is to be dead set on building a life that makes you happy!John 12:26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
1 Thessalonians 3:6But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you—
Love looks backward and forward1 Thessalonians 3:7-8for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.Standing firm in faith can comfort others in afflictionValues - Decisions - Habits - Culture1 Thessalonians 3:9-10For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”― C.S. Lewis
1 Thessalonians 3:4-5For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.We are destined for affliction.1 Thessalonians 3:1-3Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.I can’t keep doing thisThis can’t keep happeningI’m sick of thisI’m over thisI’m doneThe road to glory intersects the cross of Calvary.Satan attacks during times of affliction.1 Thessalonians 3:4-5For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.Luke 8:13And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.Hebrews 6:4-8For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.During affliction we are called to strengthen each other.Be a Timothy & Receive a Timothy
1.How the body of Christ should feel about each other.
1 Thessalonians 2:17-20But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face,Torn away form - aporphanizó - to be left as an orphanActs 2:42And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.Fellowship = koinónia1 Corinthians 1:9God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.Fellowship - Mutual cooperation in the worship of God, the will of God, and the work of God by the children of God.Why did Jesus Go to the cross?1. To Glorify God.2. For the Sake of Others.WHY BE A PART OF A LOCAL CHURCH?1. To Glorify God2. For the Sake of Others.Relationships are crucifixions
2. Satan hates and hinders a church that loves each other.
1 Thessalonians 2:18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
3. Our call is to make the life of Christ evident in the Church of Christ until the return of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.Romans 5:2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.Hebrews 12:2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.Ephesians 5:25-27Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish2 Corinthians 3:18And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.2 Corinthians 11:2For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.Colossians 1:22-29He (JESUS) has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me
3. Our call is to make the life of Christ evident in the Church of Christ until the return of Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.2 Corinthians 12:9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon meRETURN READY1. Love who Jesus loves, no excuses, no exceptions2. Satan hates the Church, act accordingly3. Let the love of Christ grow the Church of Christ till the return of Christ
1 Thessalonians 2:1-6For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does NOT spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, BUT just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, NOT to please man, BUT to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.
NOT from error or impurity or trickery BUT approved by God, entrusted to speak God's news.NOT to please men BUT to please God who tests our hearts.
Motives Paul renounced:
- Impurity v5
- Money v5
- Human Praise v6
- Power (throwing weight around with demands) v6
Methods Paul renounced:
- Error (indifferent from the truth) v3
- Deceit v3
- Pleasing Men 4
- Flattery v5
1 Thessalonians 2:7-12BUT we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you NOT ONLY the gospel of God BUT ALSO our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Homeiromenoi: Affectionately Desirous, desire earnestly, long for
1 Thessalonians 2:8So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you NOT ONLY the gospel of God BUT ALSO our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
Shared Gospel - Life = ?Shared Gospel – Life = suspect motives
Shared Life - Gospel = ?Shared Life - Gospel = suspect motives
Shared Gospel + Shared Life = ?Shared Gospel = message
Shared Gospel + Shared Life = ?Shared Life = messengerShared Gospel + Shared Life = JESUSs
TO SHARE THE GOSPEL IS TO SHARE LIFE - TO SHARE LIFE IS TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.
1 Thessalonians 2:13-14And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.Why is there a wrath to come?Why do we worship idols?How does Jesus deliver us?What do we do in response ?Why is there a wrath to come?Romans 3:23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GodRomans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.John 3:36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.It’s not just what you did, it’s who you did it to.SIN = IdolatryPOWER, APPROVAL, COMFORT, CONTROL2 Thessalonians 1:6-10God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.Romans 2:4-5Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.Romans 5:8-10but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.1 Thessalonians 5:9-10For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with himWhy do we worship idols?Deep down we know we’ve fallen short and we’re looking for something to save us.Whatever you’re hoping to rescue you, prove your worth, or solidify your significance, that is your master.1 Thessalonians 1:9you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God…Serve the idol of approval - save you from rejectionServe the idol of power - save me from insignificanceServe the idol of control - save me from the surrenderServe the idol of comfort - save me from painHow does Jesus delivers us?1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.What do we do in response ?Wait and Serve
Hebrews 9:28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.1 Thessalonians 1:2-3We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly[a] mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus ChristActs 17:6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,HOW DID THIS HAPPEN ?THE GOSPEL COMES1 Thessalonians 1:4-5For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakeGospel = euaggelion - God's good news1. THE GOSPEL COMES1 Thessalonians 1:4-5For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake"The Christian life is the lifelong practice of attending to the details of congruence—congruence between ends and means, congruence between what we do and the way we do it, congruence between what is written in Scripture and our living out what is written, congruence between a ship and its prow, congruence between preaching and living, congruence between the sermon and what is lived in both preacher and congregation, the congruence of the Word made flesh in Jesus with what is lived in our flesh." - Eugene Peterson2. THEY RECEIVE THE GOSPEL1 Thessalonians 1:6b...for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,3. WHAT DOES THIS RECEPTION LOOK LIKE?- Turned from idols (vs 9) / Imitated teachers (vs 6)- Became examples (vs 7-8)/ Waiting on Christ’s return (vs 10)4. BECAUSE OF THIS WE KNOW YOU’RE LOVED & CHOSEN1 Thessalonians 1:4For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you.5. THIS IS WHAT LEADS US TO THANK GOD!1 Thessalonians 1:2-3We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.Work of Faith - Turn from Idols (vs 9)Labor of Love - Followed Example, Set example (vs 6-8)Steadfastness of Hope - With Affliction in Joy (vs 6) Waiting on Christ’s Return (vs 10)1 Thessalonians 1:10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Date - AD 49-51Author- PaulTheme - 2nd Coming of ChristPurpose - Encouragement
Acts 17:5-6But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,1 Thessalonians 1:1To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.Church = ekklesia - people called out from the world and to God.1 Thessalonians 1:1To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.in = living in, rooted in, drawing its life from."Lord, until you return, help us turn the world upside down with our works of faith, labor of love, and steadfast hope in you."
Hebrews 13:20-21Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
In a chaotic world the only peace that satisfies is the peace of God.Peace - eiréné - wholeness. When all essential parts are joined together.Peace - eiréné - wholeness. When all essential parts are joined together.Anxiety - merimna - divided. A part, separated from the wholeHow does God bring peace into a chaotic world?
Luke 23:26And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, tocarry it behind Jesus.
Mark 15:21-25And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him.2,206,000 steps
Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
What is a leader ?Why should we let them lead?How do we let them lead?What is a leader?Hebrews 13:7Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.Lead the Church - 1 Tim 5:17, Titus 1:7, 1 Peter 5:1-2Teach and Preach the Word - 1 Tim 3:2, 2 Tim 4:2, Titus 1:9Protect Church from false teachers - Acts 20:17, 28-31Visit the sick and pray - James 5:14, Acts 6:4Judge doctrinal issues - Acts 15:6Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.1 Timothy 5:17Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.James 3:1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.Increased responsibility means increased accountabilityProvision of Truth & Protection from LiesWhy should we let leaders lead?Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.How to let them lead?Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.3 John 1:4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.Hebrews 12:2(run the race)...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Old Covenant vs New Covenant
The sacrifice to avoidThe Sacrifice to approachThe sacrifice to offer
The sacrifice to avoid -
Hebrews 13:7Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.Hebrews 13:8-9Jesus Christ is the same yesterday andtoday and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.Jesus + Nothing = EverythingJesus + Something = NothingRule book vs Playbook
The Sacrifice to approach
Hebrews 13:10We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.Altar - (Hebrew) mizbah = slaughter/sacrifice(Greek) thusiastérion = place of sacrificeHebrews 10:5-14Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” 8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.Hebrews 13:11For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.Hebrews 13:12-13So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let usgo to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.Execution (CROSS) & Exaltation (CROWN)
“Take your place with the suffering of Christ. It is a place excluded from the unbelieving society and covered in shame and reproach. As His suffering was the means of His exaltation, so identifying with him in his suffering is the means by which His people enter God’s presence through Him. -Gareth Cockerill
Through Seeing Christ’s exaltation we find grace to face our execution. Through persevering through the execution we receive entrance into the exaltation.Hebrews 13:14For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.Revelation 21:22And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.PRIVILEGES & PROMISES
The sacrifice to offer
Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.Honor - Timios - of great price, precious, honored.
Undefiled - Amiantos - unstained, set apart, free from contamination.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”1 Timothy 6:9-10 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.Hebrews 13:6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”Security & SignificanceChristian contentment isn’t being content with the stuff you have, it’s being content with the Savior you have.Hebrews 13:1-2 Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.Brotherly Love = Philadelphia1 John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.Information Application Transformation1 Corinthian 13:1-2 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.“Atheism [the Christian faith] has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them” -Roman Emperor Julian NEEDED & KNOWN“It just felt like home.”
The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is anywhere where what God wants done, is done.Hebrews 12:18-19For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.Hebrews 12:20-21For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”The Already & The Not YetHebrews 12:22-23But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly] of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,Hebrews 12:224and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.Blood of Abel - “I’m innocent and being killed by the guilty”Blood of Jesus - “I’m innocent and being killed FOR the guilty”Sacrificial Blood AtonementHebrews 12:25See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.
If you want an unwavering confidence you need to be listening to an unwavering voice.
Hebrews 12:26-27At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.
Things that are not made - Righteousness, peace, love of God.
Hebrews 12:28-29Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:14Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
He’s not asking to strive for something God hasn’t already given them.Hebrews 12:15See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;Hebrews 12:16-17(see to it) that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.Holy “To-Do” List-Look to Jesus-Throw of Weight & Sin-Run with perseverance-Lift up Hand & strengthen weak knees-Make straight paths for your feet-Strive for peace and holinessHoly “Don't” List- Fail to obtain Grace of God- Let a root of bitterness rise up- Be Sexually immoral- Be unholyHebrews 12:15See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God;
The sustaining grace of God enables and empowers us to accomplish the “to-dos” (vs 1-14) and abstain from the “don’ts” (vs 15-17)
Hebrews 12:15(see to it) that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;Why do people get bitter -1.They get something they don't want.2. They don’t get something they do want.If you can’t extend forgiveness, you may not really have forgiveness.Forgiveness is never a feeling. It is an act of the will. If you’re waiting to forgive somebody until you feel like it, you never will.The Bitter Religious & The Bitter Rebellious“GOD TOLD ME”“IF GOD TELLS ME…”
Hebrews 12:14-15aStrive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God;
What is Holiness?What does it mean to be Holy?Strive - diókóaggressively chase, like a hunter pursuing a preyEphesians 1:4aeven as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.Revelation 4:8And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”Holy - hagiosSet apart (by God or for God), different, sacredHoly - hagios - Set apart, different, sacred (by God or for God), different, sacredHoliness - hagiasmos - sanctification, the process of making or becoming holy, set apart, Holy - set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively his;Holiness of God - “You are so different, set apart, sacred, revered”Holiness of disciples of Christ - “I am different from the world. I have been set apart BY God and FOR God. I am exclusively yours!2 Types of HolinessPositional & Progressive (Behavioral)Positional - Ephesians 1:4-5Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should beholy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his willProgressive - 1 Peter 1:14-15As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”Hebrews 12:14-15aStrive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God;
I won’t see God unless my life says “I AM ALL YOURS! “
Hebrews 12:14-15aStrive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God;Saving Grace & Sustaining Grace2 Corinthians 12:9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.2 Peter 1:2-3May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.3 Hisdivine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,Hebrews 12:15aSee to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God;The sustaining grace of God is what empowers us to holy lives.“I AM ALL YOURS”
Hebrews 12:13…make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed
The purpose of the pathJohn 14:6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.Matthew 7:13-14Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.The path to justification has been paved so you can walk the path of sanctification.Straight = orthosYou don’t have to get straight with Jesus before you go straight to JesusThe pain of the pathJohn 16:33I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.Isaiah 53:5But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.Choose your pain…1.The pain of discipline.2.The pain of regret.Hebrews 12:13…make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healedI am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.Hebrews 12:13…make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healedJohn 20:19-21On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Hebrews 12:11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:12-13Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 1. While looking to Jesus… (vs 2)2. Lay down weight & sin. (vs 1)3. Run the race with endurance (vs 1)4. Consider His pain as you endure yours (vs 3-11)5. Lift up hands, strengthen weak knees6. Make straight path for your feet Self Discipline & Imposed Discipline.
Self discipline prepares us for moments when discipline is imposed Self discipline protects us from moments when discipline is imposed.
Galatians 5:17For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.
Discipline = Freedom
Spiritual Health, Mental Health, Physical Health
Spiritual Health, Mental Health, Physical HealthSpiritual Discipline, Mental Discipline, Physical Discipline
- Pain is a GIFT2. Pain is for our GOOD3. Pain is leading us to a GOALHebrews 12:11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.DevotionDiscipline + Desire =DevotionDiscipline leads to devotion because discipline feeds desire.Hebrews 5:8-9Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And beingmade perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,James 1:2-3Count it all joy, my brothers,] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.Trials, Testing, Triumph
If Jesus is better, why are our lives getting worse?
1. Pain is a GIFT2. Pain is for our GOOD3. Pain is leading us to a GOAL
Hebrews 12:3Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.Hebrews 12:4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.Hebrews 12:5-6And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”Pain is not a sign of condemnation, it is a sign of confirmation.Hebrews 12:7It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?Discipline = FreedomHebrews 12:8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Pain isn’t evidence that he has abandoned you. Pain has evidence that he has adopted you.
Hebrews 12:1-2Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Drifting vs Running
Hebrews 12:1-2Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Step 1- LOOK TO JESUSStep 2- SEE WHO HE IS
Hebrews 12:2alooking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
Step 1. LOOK TO JESUSStep 2. SEE WHO HE ISStep 3. SEE WHAT HE HAS DONE
Hebrews 12:2b…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Step 1. LOOK TO JESUSStep 2. SEE WHO HE ISStep 3. SEE WHAT HE HAS DONEStep 4. LAY ASIDE WEIGHT & SIN
Hebrews 12:1-2Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
Some things are sins and some things are stupid.
DOES IT HELP ME RUN?
Step 1. LOOK TO JESUSStep 2. SEE WHO HE ISStep 3. SEE WHAT HE HAS DONEStep 4. LAY ASIDE WEIGHT & SINStep 5. RUN WITH ENDURANCE
Hebrews 12:1b…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
“How did I even get here?”Debt, Divorced, Addicted,
“How did it get like this?
Drift - to be carried away slowly. - So slow that you don’t even realize it’s happening.
What is optional in one generation will become an afterthought in the next.
Hebrews 2:1Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
PAY - Attention is an expendable resource.
Hebrews 3:12-14 csbWatch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. 14 For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end, the reality that we had at the start.
Hebrews 2:1Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
ATTENTION - What has your attention will determine your direction.
“We proceeded on”
Downstream = DriftUpstream = Discipleship
Luke 9:23And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Hebrews 2:2-3For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?
“How are we drifting?”
Pining- to yearn deeply; suffering with longing; longing painfully
Advent - ComingIncarnation & Coronation & ConsummationMatthew 1:20-21But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”POWER, PENALTY, PRESENCEMatthew 1:22-23All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
In the meantime…Stay awake, alert, and sober.
Thessalonians 5:1-11Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.In the meantime….Don’t be a Demas2 Timothy 4:10For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.In the meantime…Go to work, gather as the church.In the meantime…Spread the gospel & Make disciples.Live like He’s coming your way.
Merry = joyous in disposition or spirit, full of cheerfulness.Crisis = a time of great disagreement, confusion or suffering.
James 1:2-4Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Matthew 1:18-2518 Now the birth of Jesus Christ[e] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed[f] to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
When in Crisis…consider the options.Obedience is the only option.
Luke 1:26-39 |26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”[d]35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[e] will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[f] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Favored ≠ FunFavored = Crisis
Luke 2:34-35 NIV“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
How can this be?
Luke 1:38“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
No matter the crisis, obedience is the only option, for you are chosen.
Crisis - a time of great disagreement, confusion, or suffering.
The Crisis of the CrownMatthew 2:1-2Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”Matthew 2:3-4When Herod the king heard this, he wastroubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.Matthew 2:5-6They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”The Herod Spirit knows the scripture but misses the savior.Matthew 2:7-8Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”The Herod spirit has worship on the lips and war in the heart.Matthew 2:9-10After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.Matthew 2:11-12And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.Matthew 2:13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”The Herod spirit is set to seek and destroy.Matthew 2:14-15And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Micah 2:5)Matthew 2:16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.Matthew 2:17-18Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 3:15)Matthew 2:19-20But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.”Matthew 2:21-22And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.Matthew 2:23And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.The Holy Spirit helps us seek and surrender.
Crisis - a time of great disagreement, confusion, or suffering.
Is Christmas Celebrated in the Bible?Is December 25 a pagan day?To Santa or not to Santa?Are Christmas trees pagan?Should Christians celebrate Christmas?What is the REASON for the SEASON ?Epistemology - the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope. The investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.Is Christmas celebrated in the Bible ?No, but the event it celebrates is.John 1:14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.Is anything wrong with celebrating the coming of Jesus?
Saturnalia-December 17-23- House to house singing, naked-Human Sacrifice, Slave Role reversal-Drunkenness, Immorality
Natilus Sol Invictus-Birth of Unconquerable Sun (Dec. 25)-Constantine Legend/Myth.Why did the early church celebrate on December 25th?-9 months from Passover. (March 25)-Repurpose pagan days ?-Magi Arrival theory
Is there anything pagan about December 25th?-A day is what you make it. (Psalm 118:24, Romans 14)Whatever you do, whenever you do it. Do it unto the Lord.Are Christmas Trees Pagan?- Roman Cult of Asheira- Tree in home, decorated (No sources to support)- Jeremiah 10Jeremiah 10:2-4Thus says the Lord:“Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavensbecause the nations are dismayed at them,3 for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.4 They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.Jeremiah 10:5Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”Is there anything pagan about trees?Deuteronomy 16:21 ESVYou shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make.KJV - Thou shalt not plant thee a grove (Asherah) of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.Altar - (Hebrew) mizbah = slaughter/sacrifice(Greek) thusiastérion = place of sacrificeHebrews 10:5-14Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” 8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.Is there anything pagan about trees?Is there anything pagan about putting a tree in your house?Is there anything pagan about decorating a tree?What was pagan ?What was pagan? Their purpose.To Santa or not to Santa?Symbols vs DistractionsShould Christians Celebrate Christmas?Deuteronomy 12:29-31When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.1 Corinthians 8:1-6Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
What is the reason for the Season ?….Not Jesus.What is the reason for the Season ?SIN.
Hebrews 11:32And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—
Hebrews 11:33-35aWho through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection.Hebrews 11:35b-36Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.Hebrews 11:37-38They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Hebrews 11:39-40And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
“Before we can grasp the full meaning of the Resurrection, we first have to witness or experience crucifixion. If we spend our lives so afraid of suffering, so averse to sacrifice, that we avoid even the risk of persecution or crucifixion, then we might never discover the true wonder, joy and power of a resurrection faith. Ironically, avoiding suffering could be the very thing that prevents us from partnering deeply with the Risen Jesus.”
“Suffering is one of God’s ordained means for the growth of his church. He brought salvation to the world through Christ, our suffering Savior, and he now spreads salvation in the world through Christians as suffering saints. In the words of Paul, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Clearly, there is a sense in which the danger of our lives increases in proportion to the depth of our relationship with Christ.”
Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:2And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek himHebrews 11:30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.LAND, LINEAGE, LORDJoshua 4:15And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Exodus 3:5Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Genesis 15:13-16Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
Hebrews 11:23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
Heroic faith delivers you from fearHebrews 11:24By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.Heroic faith remembers you true father and your true familyHebrews 11:27By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.Heroic faith looks past what's in front of you and see’s who is with you.Hebrews 11:28By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.Heroic faith knows the power is in the bloodHebrews 11:29By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
LAND, LINEAGE, LORDHebrews 11:20By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. Heroic faith trusts the story and the Author. Hebrews 11:21By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. CHUTZPAHHeroic faith transcends deathHebrews 11:22By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.Heroic faith remains fixated on the future.
Hebrews 11:17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, A faith that hasn’t been tested is a faith that can’t be trusted. Hebrews 11:18of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” Hebrews 11:19He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.LAND, LINEAGE, LORDHeroic faith has awareness, yet remains fearless. Realize you're in a spiritual warChoose spiritual discipline over distraction. Anxiety & Avoidance Share your faith with urgencyNo Jesus, No peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace
Hebrews 11:8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Heroic Faith… 1. ObeysDelayed obedience is disobedience.A lack of obedience is always connected to a lack of faith. Hebrews 11:8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Heroic Faith… 1. Obeys2. Gets going without fully knowingHebrews 11:9By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. Heroic Faith…1. Obeys2. Gets going without fully knowing3. Looks forward, despite what’s in frontHebrews 11:10For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.Heroic Faith…1. Obeys2. Gets going without fully knowing. 3. Looks forward, despite what’s in front4. Receives power for the promiseHebrews 11:11By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.Hebrews 11:12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashoreIf you’re not dead, God’s not done. Hebrews 11:13These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. What’s the significance of them inheriting the PROMISE, but not the PLACE? Hebrews 11:14-15For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.Heroic Faith…1. Obeys2.Gets going without fully knowing 3. Looks forward, despite what’s in front4. Receives power for the promise5. Desires a Heavenly Home. Hebrews 11:16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”Dissonance What do you desire? Are you homesick?
Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the assurance (certainty) of things hoped for, the conviction (proof) of things not seen. Is your faith forgettable? Hebrews 11:4By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.Genesis 4:3-5In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.Bring God the best not just “the rest”. You’ll be treated wrong even when you do what’s right. Hebrews 11:5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Genesis 5:22-24Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.There’s no formula to life by faith. Life with God > Life for God Hebrews 11:7By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faithT.U.TConsistent faith leads to crazy faith. What’s called "crazy" in one season will be called "faith" in another season.
LIVING BY FAITH vs. SHRINKING BACKHebrews 10:22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.Hebrews 10:39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 NASBNow faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seenFaith is living as if the things hoped for are real. Hebrews 11:1 NASBNow faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seenHow does faith prove the unseen reality of God? Hebrews 11:2 ESVFor by it the people of old received their commendation. Commendation vs Condemnation Hebrews 11:3 ESVBy faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.Romans 10:17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.Ephesians 2:8-9For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this (faith) is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.How will I seek this week?
Hebrews 10:39-39“…but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.LIVING BY FAITH vs SHRINKING BACKWhat happens if we shrink back?God’s soul has no pleasure in our lifeHebrews 10:38“…but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”Destruction Hebrews 10:39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.You lose your soul Hebrews 10:39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.What happens if we live by faith? We receive our promised reward. Hebrews 10:35-36Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. God’s soul is pleased with usHebrews 10:38“…but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”We preserve our souls Hebrews 10:39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.How do we live by faith ? Remember the past Hebrews 10:32-33But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. Hebrews 10:34For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Remembering is key to remaining Hold on to confidence in Christ. Hebrews 10:35Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.Endure with Endurance Hebrews 12:2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 10:26-27For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Hebrews 10:28Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. Hebrews 10:29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 10:30For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” Hebrews 10:31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.When is God like that?When is God not like that? Hebrews 10:26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, Who are the people who no longer have a sacrifice for sin remaining for them? Those who go on sinning deliberately. Hebrews 10:26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, Those who become adversaries Hebrews 10:27but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Those who trample Jesus underfoot. Hebrews 10:29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? Those who profane (neglect) the blood of JesusHebrews 10:29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? Those who have outraged the Spirit of Grace. Hebrews 10:29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? Who were they before this (no sacrifice remaining) happened? People with knowledge of the truth Hebrews 10:26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, People who are described as “God’s people” Hebrews 10:30For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” Hosea 4:6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.Matthew 7:21-23Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’The Visible Church ≠ The True Church People who were sanctified Hebrews 10:29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 10:14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.Hebrews 10:29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 3:14For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.Is your faith persevering?
Hebrews 10:26-31For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and […]
Hebrews 10:19-21Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, Hebrews 10:22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.Hebrews 10:23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.Hebrews 10:24-25And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.How do I access THE ACCESS? Hebrews 10:24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, Consider Hebrews 10:24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,Stir Up (spur/irritate) Paroxusmos- a provocation which literally jabs (cuts) someone so they "must'' respond.Hebrews 10:24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,Work (in love)Hebrews 10:25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.Stay connected Needed & KnownContent vs Connection Hebrews 10:25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.Encourage The goal = congregation marked by love in action. How do we get there? Through spurring and encouraging one another. How do we do that? By considering one anotherWhat helps me be considerate? Meeting together. Matthew 12:10-13And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Let us…. Draw Near , Hold Fast , Stir up one another Hebrews 10:19-22 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a […]
Let us…. Draw Near Hold Fast Stir up one another Hebrews 10:19-20 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, Access & Advocate Matthew 27:50-5 Jesus cried out […]
Hebrews 10:1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Hebrews 10:2-4 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since […]
Hebrews 9:15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Who is Jesus and What is He doing ? Hebrews 9:15 Therefore he is the mediator […]
A guilty conscience The conscience is a God given, innate ability, placed inside of a person that helps them to sense right and wrong. Hebrews 9:9b-10 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations […]
COVENANT Hebrews 8:1-2 – Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. Hebrews 8:3-4 […]
Hebrews 7:26 “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” Hosios – undefiled, righteous. Akakos – not malignant Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. […]
SALVATION Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost] those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Who will be saved The extent of Jesus ability to save The reason why He can save Who will be saved ? Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he […]
Hebrews 7:1-2 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, […]
Hebrews 6:13-18 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 1saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” and thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes […]
Hebrews 6:7-8 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned […]
Hebrews 6:1-12 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if […]
Hebrews 5:11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. Sluggish (slow) hearing Dull vs Diligent Have you tuned Jesus out? Am I slowing or growing? Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach […]
Hebrews 5:1-9For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,“You are my Son, today I have begotten you” as he says also in another place,“You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, Priest - Represents God before men and men before God. Selection, Solidarity, SympathyDisappointment doesn’t justify disobedienceNo suffering, No salvationKnow suffering, Know salvationIf suffering is a sign of solidarity with him, let us suffer well.Salvation from what? The penalty, power, presence of sin“Save me from” vs “Save me through”
Hebrews 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.Priest - Represents God before men and men before God.Philippians 2:6-8 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of an army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. This is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness - they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside of us until we try to fight it; and Christ, because he was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means." -CS LewisLamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Hebrews 4:11-13 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.-Strive against all of your efforts to prove your righteousness.-Strive against all of your efforts to justify yourself.-When things get hard, Satan says, “quit.”-When things get hard, Jesus says, “rest.”John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.“I simply taught, preached, wrote God‘s Word: otherwise, I did nothing. And when, while I slept, I drank Wittenberg beer with my Phillip and my Amsdorf, the word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or an emperor inflicted such damage upon it, I did nothing. The word did it all.”-Martin Luther
Hebrews 3:7-15 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation,and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath,‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”If you are hoping in anything other than Christ, you will never have rest.When we HEAR but do not HEED it leads to hardening.Is God enough for me?What is that one thing you can't get enough of?Psalm 95:1-8 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God,and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth;the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it,and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down;let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture,and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
4 Dangers of Success: Pride, Entitlement, Addiction, ComplacencyProverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction,and a haughty spirit before a fall.Attractional vs MissionalRelevance vs ReverenceFaithful & FruitfulYou Centered vs Jesus (Gospel) CenteredLuke 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”Acts 2:42-47 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.Christ’s marks of a GREAT local church-Overflowing with people faithfully pursuing HIS definition of Greatness-Overflowing with people faithfully pursuing HIS great commissionMatthew 20:26-28It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Hebrews 3:1-6Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.Consider - Desire, Concentration, Discipline, TimeBecoming a Christian and being a Christian happen the exact same way. By hoping in Jesus.Where is your hope?
Hebrews 2:14-18Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.Peirazo - (pie-rad-zo) tempted, tested, put under trial1 John 2:1-2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.The devil knows your name, but calls you by your sin. Jesus knows your sin, but calls you by your name.
Hebrews 2:14-17Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.Destroy - katargeó - To render inoperative. Abolish. To Make useless.“The power of death” = proof that you’ve sinnedCrucifixion = Delivered from death.Resurrection = Delivered from the fear of death.Am I fear driven or faith driven?
Hebrews 2:11-13 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, Saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers;in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.”And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”Sanctification - To make holy. Set apart for the sake of accomplishing God’s perfect purpose.Ephesians 1:4-6even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.Adopted BY the Father, THROUGH the Son, TO BE conformed to the image of the Son.
Hebrews 2:10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.Founder = archégos - pioneer, author, captain, leaderPerfect = teleioó - to bring to an end, to complete, to finishGod’s word was sufficient for creation, but the Word (Jesus) had to become flesh for salvation.Creation reveals his character. Salvation reveals his heart.Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. If suffering is a sign of solidarity with Him, let us suffer well.
Hebrews 2:5-9For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.Romans 5:17For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.Man’s exaltation was Christ’s humiliation. In Christ, God’s original intention and ultimate intention is achieved.You can experience salvation in a moment, but you’ll spend a lifetime discovering its significance. God didn’t just save you FROM, He saved you FOR.
Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,D.R.I.F.T.T- TragedyF- Fear of GodI- Identity in ChristR- Rest In ChristD- DisciplineDiscipline equals freedom.Disciplined: Someone who has decided to be disciplined in the works, ways, life, and love of Christ.
Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,“How did I even get here?”“How did it get like this?”Drift: to be carried away slowly; so slow that you don’t even realize it’s happening.Hebrews 3:12-14 CSBWatch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start.Downstream = DriftUpstream = DiscipleshipLuke 9:23And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Hebrews 1:4-14having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son,today I have begotten you”?Or again, “I will be to him a father,and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds,and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain;they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up,like a garment they will be changed.But you are the same,and your years will have no end.” And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?4 Main Functions of Angels:1. Angels continually worship and praise God. (Job 38:7, Psalm 103:20, Isaiah 6:1-3, Revelation 4:8, 5:9-12)2. Angels communicate God’s message to mankind. They assisted in bringing the law (Acts 7:38,53) Showed the future to Daniel and the apostle John (Daniel 10:10-15, Revelation 17:1, 21:9, 22:16) Announced the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus (Matt 1:19-24, Luke 2:9-12)3. Angels minister to believers. Delivery from prison (Acts 5:19, 12:6-11). Carry believers away from death to place of blessedness (Luke 16:22)4. Angels will be God’s agents in the final judgment and second coming. Calling forth believers with trumpet sound (Matt 24:31, 1 Thess 4:16-17). Separate the good from the bad (Matt 13:39-42) Execute judgment over satan and his servants (Revelation 19:17-20:3, 10)Why Christ is Superior to Angels1.He has a Superior Name - SON2.He has superior honor - Angels worship Him3.He has a superior existence - Creator and Everlasting King4.He has a superior job - Christ rules, angels serve
Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,1. Inheritor2. Creator3. Radiator4. Representer5. Sustainer6. Purifier7. RulerHebrews 10:12-14 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.There is only one way to purity - The blood of Christ.Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 1:1-3 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,1. Inheritor2. Creator3. Radiator4. Representer5. SustainerRadiance - apaugasma - A light flashing forward from a source.
Discipleship starts at home. Want to continue talking about Sunday’s message with your teens but not sure where to start? Start right here, with this week’s Parent Cue. Use it as a cue for starting discussions or as a small group guide to lead your family.February 5thFebruary 12th
Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.What words are the most worthy of your trust?What words are most worthy of your time?You need a biblical church.Church - A group of people who commit together to be and to do all that God says the church is and does.-Bring the Word of God with you to Church-Bring something to take notes-Take Notes-Take the Word you heard and make it the word you learned and lived
Jonah 4:1-11 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die. And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”Good theology doesn’t make you a good person.“yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown (haphak)” Jonah 3:41. Haphak = “turned over” Hosea 7:8 Israel is like baked bread that has not been haphak.2. Haphak = “overthrown, destroyed” Lamentations 4:6 The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was haphak in a moment without a hand turned to help her.3. Haphak = “changed/transformed” Psalm 30:11 You haphak my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.1. When your focus is on what they’re becoming you become blind to what you’re becoming.2. When you focus on what will become of them, you miss what became of Him (Jesus).When God asks you a question it’s not because He needs to hear an answer, it’s because you need to hear the answer.
Jonah 3:1-10 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.He is the God of another chance.Psalm 103:8The Lord is merciful and gracious,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.God can save anybody. God can use anybody.Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Jonah 1:15-2:10So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep,into the heart of the seas,and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ The waters closed in over me to take my life;the deep surrounded me;weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains.I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever;yet you brought up my life from the pit,O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away,I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you,into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you;what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.hilastérion - sin offering the place of propitiation; the lid of the golden ark (the mercy-seat)If God delivers you, but he never disciplines you how will you ever learn?
Jonah 1:1-17 ESVNow the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.If you want to run from God, there will always be a ship to take you.Our disobedience affects others.You may sin in private, but it doesn’t stay in private.
Discipleship starts at home. Want to continue talking about Sunday’s message with your teens but not sure where to start? Start right here, with this week’s Parent Cue. Use it as a cue for starting discussions or as a small group guide to lead your family.January 8th
Romans 16:20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.Luke 9:23Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.Galatians 5:16-23So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.Romans 8:6-12The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.Does this feed my flesh or starve it?
Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.Selfishness is the death of relationships.Kindness is the life of relationships.Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.Matthew 1:19-20 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.Kindness is the gift you give because you choose them over you.-How can I help?-Who can I thank?-What can I forget?
Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptibleHypostatic Union - IncarnationWhen did Jesus become perfect? At birth or at death?Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.Satan’s Four-Part Strategy:Temptation, Accusation, Isolation, AnnihilationRomans 8:12-13 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.Your identity in life is based on what the most important person in your life thinks about you…Is Jesus that person?
Ephesians 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were […]
Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the […]
Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands […]
Ephesians 5:22-25 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands […]
Ephesians 5:15-20 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to […]
Ephesians 5:1-17 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, […]
Ephesians 5:1-2 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 1:4-7 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless […]
Ephesians 4:25-32 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing […]
Ephesians 4:17-24 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening […]
Ephesians 4:11-16 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining […]
Ephesians 4:11-16 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining […]
Ephesians 4:7-10 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:“When he ascended on high,he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very […]
Ephesians 4:1-5 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body […]
Ephesians 4:1-3 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. The Calling = Oneness/Unity […]
Hurry is not of the Devil, it is the Devil. Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so […]
Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I […]
Ephesians 3:1-13 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you […]
Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope […]
Ephesians 2:7-10 So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one […]
-Who I am before Salvation -What Jesus did at my salvation -What happens after salvation Ephesians 2:4-10 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up […]
Ephesians 2:1-5 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among […]
Ephesians 1:17-23 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has […]
Ephesians 1:15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people. Do you have faith in the Lord Jesus? 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains […]
Sermon by Trent Shoemake Legacy ≠ Legendary Legacy – a piece of you that others carry with them. Little steps over a long time leads to a legacy. Luke 5:8-11 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and […]
Sermon by Trent Shoemake Ephesians 1:11-14 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you […]
Sermon by Trent Shoemake Ephesians 1:7-10 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in […]
Sermon by Trent Shoemake Our Identity in Christ: 1. Saints 2. Blessed 3. Chosen 4.Holy 5.Blameless 6. Adopted 7. Redeemed Ephesians 1:5-7 He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One […]
Sermon by Trent Shoemake Ephesians 1:3-6 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 […]
Sermon by Trent Shoemake Ephesians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. -Who is US? […]
Sermon by Trent Shoemake God’s Spirit has been given to God’s people so that through God’s Word, God’s world might be brought to God’s son. —Bad News: It is easier to feel something than to learn something. —Good News: Learning leads to lasting change. Feelings lead to temporary change. 1 Peter 1:23-25 NIV 23 For […]
Sermon by Trent Shoemake Who do you think you are? Who does God say you are? Genesis 1:26-28 NIV 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all […]