First Baptist Church Canoga Park Podcast: Recent Episodes
First Baptist Church Canoga Park
These are the sermons presented by Tim Pickard, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Canoga Park, CA
Here is the outline for today's sermon:1) Don't do what does not fit (vs 3-7)2) Do the light thing (vs 8-10)3) Shine to uncover (vs 11-14)
Here is the outline for today's sermon:1) God Decides Our Role, Not Us2) Jesus is the Savior, Not Us3) Joy is in Jesus Being Magnified, Not Us Here is what John the Baptist said, a) John 1:15 - "He ranks before me." b) John 1:23 - "I am the voice to point to Jesus." c) John 1:26 - "Jesus is worthy" d) John 1:29 - "Behold, the Lamb of God" Jesus came to take away our sins.
Here is the outline of today's sermon:1) We are grace-built gospel changed individuals.2) Grace builds a new community3) Grace calls us to build up not break up community4) Grace makes us walk in love
This week we will see Paul telling us how to live "Christianly." Here is the outline:1) We must walk differently.2) What futility looks like.3) Learning Christ. 1) Put off the old self 2) Be renewed in our minds 3) Put on the new self
Here is an outline for today's sermon:1) Gives grace to each one (vs 7-10)2) Gives gifted leaders (vs 11-12)3) Gets us to a common goal (vs 13-16)
After hearing doctrine, we are now entering the part of Ephesians that tells us how we are to live. Here is the outline of today's sermon:1) A calling worthy to walk in (verse 1)2) The ways of walking together (verses 2-3) 1) Walk with humility and gentleness 2) Walk with patience (longsuffering) 3) Bear with one another in love 4) Be eager to maintain unity in the bond of peace3) Why we walk together (verse 4-6) 1) One body, one spirit, one hope 2) One Lord, one faith, one baptism 3) One God
How are we doing at putting Jesus first in our lives? Here is the outline for today's sermon.1) Exposing Disordered priorities2) Calling for a whole-hearted faith
Here is the outline for today's sermon:1) Paul's Posture (vs 14-15)2) Paul's Petition (vs 16-19) A. That they might have inner strength B. That they have deep knowledge in love C. That they be filled with the fullness of God.3) Paul's Source (vs 20-21)
Here is an outline of today's sermon,1) Don't loose heart2) Different way of seeing a. Where we see prison, Paul sees privilege b. Paul gets insight into the heart of God c. The mystery - the gentiles are fellow heirs d. Where we see suffering, Paul sees mission e. The purpose of the church - the wisdom of God
Here is an outline for today's sermon:1) The Women - Came with Failed Faith2) The Women - First Witnesses3) The Guards - Afraid
Here is the outline for today's sermon:1. The Temple Leaders Meet the Temple Himself2. Jesus Reveals the Temple's True Purpose3. Jesus Confronts Disbelief
Here is the outline for today's sermon:1) We're in His kingdom and family2) He dwells in us collectively
Here is the outline for this week's sermon:1) Remember in order to appreciate2) Understand in order to be re-oriented
Salvation is by grace, not by works. Today's sermon is in two parts....1) Salvation is a gift of God Ephesians 2:8-92) Salvation is a creative work of God Ephesians 2:10
Today's sermon is titled, "The Kindness of God" by Tim PickardHere is the outline:1) God's Kindness in the everyday.2) God's Kindness in salvation.3) God's Kindness into eternity.
Here is the outline for today's sermon:1. Know what you were. (vs 1-3) (and how bad it really was)2. Realize what God did. (vs 4-6) (and what that says about Him)3. Understand what you are now. (vs 7) (and live by it)
This sermon has three parts:1) What Paul prays for2) What Paul wants the Ephesians to understand3) What this means for us.
Today's sermon is about the two blind men who asked Jesus to heal them. Their persistence shows their faith. Jesus' response shows his compassion.
Here is the outline for today's sermon...1. The basis of our salvation - God's will. vs 112. The purpose of our salvation - God's glory. vs 123. The proof of our salvation - The Holy Spirit. vs 134. The hope of our salvation. vs 14
Here is the outline for today's sermon:1. What we have in Him2. What will happen in Him3. Encouraging Implications
Jason is starting a series on the book of Ephesians. Today we will be looking at Ephesians 1:1-6. The title of this sermon is Outburst of Praise. There are four sections:1. Greeting and Background2. Election3. Adoption4. Grace
We are now The Mount Bible Church. Jason Matossian is our Senior Pastor. Tim remains on as a teaching pastor/elder.This week Pastor Jason brings us a message from Isaiah 2:1-5 titled, The Mount: A Vision.The sermon has four parts:1. The Vision (vs 1-2)2. The Purpose (vs 3)3. The Provision (vs 4)4. The Provocation (vs 5)
Three Points Today:1) Creating Categories- the Pharisees were experts at creating categories so they could look down on people- in this case the sinners and tax collectors. The truth is though all human beings are experts at this. 2) Exploding Categories- Jesus doesn’t follow the categories. He scandalously associates with and welcomes the sinners and doesn’t follow the rules that said he shouldn’t associate with them. 3) Redefining Categories- Jesus changes the categories altogether- no longer is it about who is righteous and who is not- who is performing religiously and who is not. Now the categories are simply who is still pretending to be righteous and who realizes they’re sinners desperately in need of Jesus. When this happens it changes both how we relate to Jesus and how we relate to each other.
This sermon is based on Luke 2:8-14, especially verse 14. There are two points,1) Glory to God2) Peace on Earth
When looking at the Christmas story we see the sovereignty of God...1) Unseen Sovereignty- it looked like Caesar was sovereign but in reality God was in control of everything happening. 2) Mysterious Sovereignty- God’s sovereignty in these circumstances was mysterious- no doubt it didn’t make sense to Mary and Joseph- the same is true in our lives.3) Beautiful Sovereignty- in the end God’s sovereignty is beautiful for his children. It brought about our Savior and our salvation.
We are at the culmination of the book of Exodus as God dwells with his people. The two points for today are:1) Completion2) Communion
There are four parts to this message:1) Rage against God (vs 1-3)2) God's Throne, God's King (vs 4-6)3) God's Anointed and His inheritance (vs 7-9)4) A Sober Invitation (vs 10-12)
Today we talk about the golden calf. Three parts....1) An Idolatrous People2) An Angry God3) A Faithful Intercessor
This sermon is from Romans 15:1-7. The sermon can be broken down into three parts:1) A Command vs 1-3 We have an obligation to invest in the weak so they can become strong.2) A Prayer vs 4-6 The scriptures are written to give us hope vs 4 We are to put others first, Why? For Unity.3) The Foundation vs 7 We are to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us. Jesus said, "come and I will give you rest."
Here are six observations...What it means to approach God as a people:1) Approaching God as Prayerful People2) Approaching God as Ransomed People3) Approaching God as Purified People4) Approaching God as Holy People5) Approaching God as Gifted People6) Approaching God as Covenant People
Today we talk about priests:Priests Are: 1) Appointed- the priests were specially chosen and set apart by God for this role. This points to Jesus as the anointed/chosen One whom God the Father appointed as prophet, priest and king to save and rule the world. 2) Set Apart- not just anyone could enter God’s presence only the priests. They were clothed in special clothing, cleansed, made holy for this role. Their whole lives and persons were to be set apart for God. This is a reminder of how our entire selves and lives are to be set apart for God now that we have been redeemed. 3) Representatives- they represent the people of Israel before Yahweh- they carry their names as they offer sacrifices, as they pray, as they worship, as they enter God’s presence. This is a pointer to Christ and all that he has done for us.
Why are the instructions to build the tabernacle important to us today? Here are four reasons...1) The Tabernacle Speaks to Yahweh’s Worth- the materials, the detail, etc. all point to God’s worth- that he is worth all of this time and material wealth. The question is whether we see God’s worth and live in light of it. 2) The Tabernacle Speaks to Yahweh’s Holiness- there is a separateness built in- in the attention given, in the curtains and dividers, in the altar- its clear that sin couldn’t enter- the common couldn’t draw near. Yahweh is holy. Now, we as his temple are to be holy. 3) The Tabernacle Speaks to Yahweh’s Provision- we see the provision in the ark, in the table/bread, in the lamp stand, with the altar. In all of it he is providing for the needs of his people. All it though ultimately points to his provision in Jesus Christ. 4) The Tabernacle Speaks to Yahweh’s Goal- the goal of all of this is that God would dwell in the midst of his people. That they would get to draw near and that they would know him and live in relationship with him. This is what we have in Christ- full access- an uninhibited relationship.
God is establishing a covenant with His people in Exodus 23-24. God asks for obedience and the people agree.1) Covenant Conditions- the conditions for this covenant were obedience and specifically worship of God alone. We cannot live in relationship with God if we do not keep these conditions. 2) Covenant Commitments- the commitment that Israel made was to keep this covenant and obey God’s commands. They failed miserably almost immediately and throughout their history. 3) Covenant Consequences- the consequences for breaking the covenant involved blood and death. The person who broke the agreement would die. This was all of the Israelites and this is us. We could never keep a covenant with God. We could never live in relationship with him on our own. This is why we needed Jesus to shed his blood for us- to keep the conditions of the covenant for us- so that we could live in relationship with God.
Today we look at the "law." The four points are:1) God Cares About All of Life- these laws cover almost everything you can think of. Its a reminder that God cares about all of it and that living as his people involves all of life. 2) God Cares About Worship- this section is bookended with sections on worship. Its a reminder that our vertical worship is the foundation for our horizontal living. Everything flows from our worship of God. 3) God Cares About Justice- God cares about what is right- about restitution for wrongs- etc. You see this in the cross where God doesn’t just forgive- he also satisfies justice in Christ.
Today we have a message from Jason Matossian from Mount Ararat Bible Church, Northridge. He covered the last of the Ten Commandments, "Thou Shalt Not Covet." The 4 points are:1) The Tenth Commandment is the No Escape Clause.2) It is about the heart.3) Coveting includes contempt for others.4) The Ten Commandments point us to Christ alone.
Here is the ninth commandment. We divide this sermon into four parts:1) The Original Command- a courtroom setting where there were high stakes on the issue of whether someone’s testimony was correct or not. It highlights the power of words and the way they can impact other people- people made in the image of God- neighbors whom we are to love.2) The Broader Application- the broader application is to any use of our words that harms others- lying, gossip, reviling, harsh words, etc. It can also apply to written words- think social media. There are all kinds of ways we can harm people with our words.
One of the basic commandments has two parts:1) Taking: the command against stealing is broad and includes all kinds of activities where we take from others to try to gain for ourselves. It is evil because 1) we are harming our neighbors- no matter if its a corporation or organization or whatever. 2) it is rebellion against God’s sovereignty. It’s trying to take the throne and say that his decisions fo what we have are wrong and that we should have what he has given our neighbor2) Giving: the positive side of this command is to 1) work and 2) give. This reflects the gospel where Jesus worked and gave in order to benefit us. This is the very opposite of stealing.
Two parts today:1) Marriage as Covenant Making- marriage is 1) a part of God’s good design from the beginning 2) is from God 3) is between one man and one woman 4) involves a deep commitment and bond. It is a covenant- a personal, whole-life commitment before God to each other. Sex is the sign of this covenant. From a positive perspective this command is a call to honor and protect and cultivate marriages.2) Adultery as Covenant Breaking- adultery is to break the covenant by engaging in a kind of oneness that only belongs in marriage. It tears the one-flesh union apart. And it goes beyond the outward manifestation- Jesus said it happens in our hearts.
There are two foundations of for life:1) The Value of Life- this commandment conveys the value of life- this is based on the fact that human beings are created in God’s image. Therefore, they are valuable to him and we are called to value life in the way we treat other people. 2) The Authority Over Life- God is the authority over life. He gave life and he has the right to take life. We do not. We cannot take life into our hands. We are not God. This makes Jesus’ giving of his own life for us even more astonishing. He had authority over life and death and chose to use it to give his own life for us.
The Ten Commandments tells us to honor our parents. How do we do this and what is the result? There are two points to today's sermon.1) The Obligation- the command to honor one’s parents is a command to give them weight, importance, significance in the way you view and treat them. This looks like different things at different ages but it looks like something. This command is foundation and extends to other sorts of authority. 2) The Outcome- the promise with this to the Israelites was that they would remain long in the land promised to them in the covenant. While we are not under the old covenant there is a sense in which blessing comes as we follow God’s design. Ultimately though, we fall short. There is only one perfect Son and we look to him and his righteousness.
Since keeping the Sabbath is one of the ten commandments, do we need to keep the Sabbath as Christians today?1)The Sabbath in Exodus- in Exodus the Sabbath was a command to rest from work (and in order to love your servants- have them rest) and to worship. It was a sign that Israel was created by and redeemed by God. 2)The Sabbath in Christ- the Sabbath is a shadow- Christ is the substance. It pointed to him- to the need for rest in him. It pointed to the fact that he would bring us into the rest of our salvation- both now and fully in eternity. This in turn frees us and enables to use this command as wisdom- to take the principle that we need rest and that it should be a part of the rhythm of our lives.
Here we look at the 2nd commandment:1) Name- a name means something when it comes to human beings- how much more when we talk about God. It stands for his glory and perfection. It represents him.2) Vain- there is potential to treat God’s weighty name like its light- like its meaningless- not worth much- not useless.3) Take- we think of words- and these are certainly included- but it also spreads over the rest of our lives. The word speaks of bearing the name and highlights that the Israelites were to represent God. 4) Guilt- to take God’s name in vain is a big deal because God is a big deal.
Three points for today:1)The Content of the Command: do not make an image- this was the common practice- make an image of your god. The problem was that this would distort Yahweh. No image they created could reflect him rightly. 2) The Reason for the Command: God is a jealous God- he cares about being represented and reflected rightly. He cares about receiving the worship he deserves from his people. He will punish those who distort him and disobey him.3) The Application of the Command: for us this command is maintained and we are called to have a right view of God- we are called to avoid distorted understandings of God that fit our own preferences.
Today we are going to talk about the first nine plagues. We can divide this sermon into three parts: 1) Yahweh Judges Pharaoh 2) Yahweh Judges the Magicians 3) Yahweh Judges the gods of Egypt
Things don't always go as expected, even in ministry. As we look at the life of Moses, let's see how he responds to trials and disappointment: 1) Expect it to Be Hard- Moses and the Israelites seemed to believe that getting out of Egypt would be easy and immediate. They shouldn’t have- God had told them it would be hard and that it wouldn’t happen right away. We need to realize that it is often difficult and painful for follow Jesus and things don’t always happen in the timeframe we would prefer. 2) Guard Against Wavering- crushed expectations can lead to wavering and doubt- we start to wonder if our old master was better- this was the Israelites- they had believed and now they were calling themselves Pharaoh’s servants. Moses himself wavers as well. 3) Rehearse What You Know- the solution to the wavering was to listen to the Lord- he 1) reminds Moses of who he is 2) repeats his promises 3) reiterates Moses calling. In our wavering we generally don’t need new truth- we need to hear again the basic/core truths that will renew us and shape our hearts.
1) God’s Passion for His People to Be His- God cares about his people- he wants them to be h is own- to be with him- to worship him. This is seen in how he interacts with Pharaoh. 2) God’s Passion for His People to Be Pure- God cares about the purity of his people- about them being holy and set apart for him. Moses missed this and was only delivered through blood.
There are three ways Jesus is at work today: 1. The Living Christ is Ruling as King- which gives us comfort in the midst of the craziness and brokenness of our world 2. The Living Christ is Building His Church- which gives us confidence and hope in the face of various obstacles and our weakness. 3. The Living Christ is Interceding for His People- which gives us freedom and joy in the face of our sin and our neediness.
Moses finds it difficult to trust God. He comes up with many excuses. Here is God's response: 1) Yahweh's Patience: God is incredibly patient with Moses- with all of his questions and objections. This should encourage us to come to him with our questions and yet also lead us to trust him and obey him. 2) Yahweh's Provision: God didn’t have to but he did provide for Moses far beyond what he even needed- signs, promises, help, assurances, etc. Whatever callings we’ve been given we can trust that God will provide everything we need for that calling.
In Exodus 3, God reveals Himself to Moses: 1) Transcendent: God is transcendent- above and over all. He is holy, self-defining, self-existent, eternal, sovereign. 2) God is immanent- near and with us. He is compassionate, gracious, and faithful.
Today we look at the faith of Moses' mother and the faithfulness of God. 1) Unexpected Rescue- Moses rescue from Pharaoh’s edict is surprising in many ways- it echoes how God saves- using even the evil intentions of men to rescue sinners. 2) Unexpected Rejection- Moses thought he should be received and appreciated for trying to help his fellow Israelites- instead he was rejected- he wasn’t ready, he hadn’t learned God’s ways and it wasn’t God’s timing. 3) Unexpected Route- Moses’ 40 years in Midian was not what anyone would have expected for the preparation for the leader of God’s people- yet this was the route God had for him and God used it to prepare him- teaching him to be a shepherd- teaching him his own insufficiency- teaching him what it was like to be a foreigner- teaching him to wait. 4) Unexpected Remembering- after so many years we’d guess that Israel thought God had forgotten them- but he hadn’t- when they cry out he hears them, he remembers them, he sees them, he knows them. As participants in the New Covenant we can be sure that God hears, remembers, sees and knows us.
We are starting a new series in the book of Exodus. Today's message is Unstoppable Faithfulness. 1) Faithfulness Revealed 2) Faithfulness Relied On
Question - Where do you turn to get encourage3ment and hope? Jesus is our hope in life and in death. God will keep you as you journey through life. Today's sermon has two parts: 1) Power of the keeper vs 1-2 2) The Care of the keeper vs 3-8 1) God never sleeps or gets tired vs 3-4 2) God covers us vs 5-6 3) God endures to the end. Vs 7-8 When our faith fails, God is still faithful.
Psalm 20 is a prayer of David for the king and commander before he goes into battle. We can learn from this how God is fighting the evil that is in this world and how we can fight with Him in His way. How can we be involved in conquering evil? 1) Name the evil things 2) Prayer - Pray the Psalms like Jesus did. 3) Tell stories how God has conquered evil.
Bible Study is meant to be a team sport. There are two parts to today's message: 1) Receive God’s Word Together- Scripture presents a pattern, an expectation and commands that we will receive God’s word together- we will read it together and we will listen to it taught and preached together. 2) Give God’s Word to Each Other- every Christian is called to give God’s word to each other- not just pastors/teachers, but every member. It starts with us receiving God’s word and then we overflow with God’s word to each other. Six practical suggestions for doing this- 1) Receive it yourself first 2) Do it humbly 3) Get it right 4) Keep the gospel central 5) Develop a habit
What is the Bible about? 1) Its About God’s Nature- Scripture reveals what God is like- his various attributes and perfections. 2) Its About God’s Ways- Scripture reveals God’s works- the patterns of how he works and acts in the world. 3) Its About God’s Design- Scripture reveals God’s design for creation and specifically for humanity- what we were made for, how we are to live, etc. 4) It’s About God’s Story- Scripture reveals God’s plan for his creation- Creation, Fall, Redemption, Re-Creation- bringing everything under himself to magnify his glory through Christ.
God’s Word: 1) Created All Things 2) Rules the Universe 3) Directs History 4) Brings Judgment 5) Gives Spiritual Life 6) Brings About Faith 7) Set Sinners Free 8) Nourishes Believers 0) Sanctifies Christians 10) Searches Hearts 11) Equips Us
This morning we are starting anew series about the Bible. Today's sermon has two main points: 1) The Ultimate Question: where did the Bible come from is the ultimate question- or in other words, who wrote it? In one sense it was written by man but ultimately it was written by God- breathed out by him. This should blow our minds! We want to come to Scripture every time with an awareness that God is real and that these words are his words. 2) The Massive Implications: there are tons of massive implications that flow from this reality. Four stand out: 1) Sufficient- in Scripture God has given us everything we need for life and godliness 2) Clear- in Scripture God has clearly revealed the most important truths that we need to know 3) Authoritative- because Scripture is from God it has ultimate authority- authority for what to believe and what to do 4) Necessary- without Scripture we would be loss with incomplete and uncertain knowledge of who God is, what he wants, and who our Savior is.
Immigration is an important topic in the Bible. Here are four things to consider: 1) Immigrants and the Bible: in the Bible there are number of immigrants- Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jacob, Israel, Jesus. 2) Immigrants and the Gospel: there are a couple of gospel connections that show how we were and are foreigners/migrants. For one, we were foreigners to God’s kingdom- alienated- shut out and Jesus welcomed us in at the cost of his life. Second, now as Christians we are a part of God’s kingdom but we are sojourners, foreigners in this earth. We live differently and are strange to the world around us. 3) Immigrants and Our Calling: the Bible clearly calls us to love the foreigner and immigrant- doing justice and helping them. It is a very practical form of loving our neighbors. Three practical ways- 1- help 2- befriend 3- speak of Jesus 4) Immigrants and the Law: the Bible calls Christians to obey the governing authorities. Governing authorities govern certain geographic areas and within that they enforce their laws- this includes border laws. We should submit to these laws and as we know and are helping fellow believers follow Jesus we should encourage them to do the same.
The subject of abortion can be polarizing. Today we will talk about these two points: 1) Seeing People- 1) seeing the women considering abortions as people- reflecting on their desperation, fears, pain, etc. 2) seeing the babies in the womb as people- they are precious image bearers- real human beings by any measure- and to take their lives is an unspeakable evil. 2) Loving People- how do we love and serve the people involved- MOMS- 1) be the right kind of people 2) be present and listen 3) speak truth 4) be ready to help, BABIES- 1) love their moms 2) speak truth 3) be ready to help 4) vote 5) pray.
How does the Gospel enable us to fight ethnic sin and pursue ethnic unity as the church? 1) The Gospel Flattens Ethnic Superiority- the gospel tells us we’re all condemned sinners regardless of our good works, our ethnicity, etc. It also tells us that we’re all invited to come to Christ and be redeemed/forgiven/reconciled. In this there is no room for boasting or any sense of superiority. 2) The Gospel Creates Multi-Ethnic Unity- this same gospel creates a remarkable unity- a unity that bridges natural and ethnic barriers and brings us together as one people of God- one body- one new man. This doesn’t erase our ethnicity/culture but instead gives us an opportunity to glorify Christ through our diversity and through living out a diverse unity.
What does the Bible say about homosexuality and how should we respond to those who are gay? 1) Scripture and Homosexuality- dealing with he relevant texts of Scripture- Genesis 1, Leviticus, Romans 1, and 1 Corinthians 6 2) People and Homosexuality- addressing different people- 1) the Christian who feels grieved, fearful, angry 2) the Christian who is questioning the Bible’s teaching 3) the Christian who experiences same-sex attraction 3) the individual living a homosexual lifestyle.
Learning from Jesus is essential. Are you distracted by other things? There are two points to today's sermon:
1) The Danger of the Many Things: there are lots of things we could give ourselves to- lots of things that capture our attention and that seem necessary. But when we view them as necessary it distracts us- it causes anxiety and worry, etc. 2) The Necessity of the One Thing: Jesus himself and his words is what we truly need- he is our life- our joy- everything. Giving ourselves to him, knowing him, abiding in him must have the highest priority in our lives.
Ahaz refused to trust God but instead trusted in his own plan. From this we learn: 1) Give Up on Trusting Men- Ahaz didn’t want to trust/depend on God- he wanted to depend on Assyria and its visible, strong looking armies. The result was that they turned on him, he was enslaved. This is what happens when we put our ultimate trust in men. 2) Go All in on Trusting Jesus- in spite of Ahaz’s faithlessness God still acted for his people ultimately sending his Son as a virgin born baby to rescue and be with his people. He came to be God with us so that we could be with God forever.
Four Qualities of the Coming King: 1) The Lowly King: Micah emphasizes that this king will come from a lowly and unexpected town. This echoes David himself whose descendant Jesus is. Jesus fulfilled this with much of his life, walking in lowliness as he came to rescue the lowly- us. 2) The Representative King: the Lord says this king will be “for me”. This was supposed to be what the king’s of Israel was to do but only Jesus fulfilled it. He represented God and fulfilled God’s big mission perfectly. 3) The Ancient King: this king will be from of old, from ancient of days. This refers first to his lineage being traced back to David and his family. It may also have reference to Jesus being the eternal Son, existing forever. 4) A Peace-Bringing King: this king will be our peace. We need this king. Let us draw near to Jesus our King.
This last sermon on "Lament" has three parts: 1) Committing to Trust: there is an active seeking to trust we see in the Psalmist- they call truth to mind, they talk to themselves, the commit to trust God no matter what. 2) Struggling to Trust: at the same time trust is clearly a struggle- its not automatic, its not easy- its a struggle and sometimes we are so weak all we can do is ask God to give us strength to trust him. 3) Resting in Trust: when we come to a place of trust and worship there is a sweet rest that comes with it. We’ve surrendered. We’re home. We’ve put ourselves in God’s hands and trusted his plan. This is a good place to be- especially as we look at the cross and see how perfectly trustworthy our God is.
This is the third sermon on the subject of Lament. There are two points: 1) How to Ask- 1) with honesty 2) with dependence 3) with boldness 4) with God-centeredness 2) What to Ask: 1) Hear 2) Save 3) Teach 4) Bring Justice 5) Forgive
The process of Lament has four steps: 1) Turn to God 2) Complaint 3) Ask 4) Trust
This week we will look at the area of complaint. This sermon has three parts, 1) Bring Every Pain 2) Bring Every Emotion 3) Bring Every Question Kinds of questions: 1) How Long? 2) Why?
The question is, "What do I do when I experience grief and pain?" The answer is to go through a process called lament. There are four steps to this process, 1) Turn to God, 2) Complain, 3) Ask, 4) Trust. Today we will look at the first step, Turn to God.
We find deep soul satisfaction when we: 1) Receive Jesus (Colossians 3:8-10) 2) Rooted in Jesus (Colossians 3:11-12) 3) Rejoice in Jesus (Colossians 3:13-15)
But we must do more than this, we must walk in Jesus (Colossians 3:6-7)
How can we run the race with endurance? Here are three guiding points from Hebrews 12:1-2: 1) Carefully Consider Past Racers- we look to those who’ve come before and listen to their testimony that it is possible by God’s grace to make it to the end and it is worth it. Their lives show that God is indeed faithful. 2) Relentlessly Remove Obstacles- as runners we don’t want to be slowed down. There are two things that can slow us down- weights, which would be anything that burdens us/holds us back/distracts in following Jesus and sin which will entangle us and cause us to stumble and fall. We want to be evaluating where these are in our lives and laying them aside. 3) Fully Fix Your Eyes on Jesus- he is the one who has run the race for us so that we receive grace and he is the one who leaves an example for us. His example is one of enduring- of looking to the joy of glory on the other side of suffering. We follow him and fix our eyes on him.
Our last sermon from the book of Acts. This sermon comes in three parts.... 1) Jesus’ Power to the Ends of the Earth- in Malta we see Jesus work through Paul in miraculous ways showing there are no boundaries to his reign and power. He is King everywhere and his kingdom is spreading everywhere. 2) Jesus’ Family to the Ends of the Earth- Paul meets believers along the way to Rome showing again that Jesus’ family is not limited by geography or culture. Everywhere we go we have family. Everywhere we go the church is advancing. 3) Jesus’ Gospel to the Ends of the Earth- Paul arrives in Rome and starts preaching the gospel. The Jews again reject and so he again turns the Gentiles and preaches the gospel unhindered. We continue this mission, spreading the message of the gospel.
Paul was shipwrecked, but what can we learn from it? Here are two points: 1) God Protects: throughout this storm God protects Paul and the other passengers. Its not simple or comfortable but he protects. And he does it through various means. All of the protection is aimed at preserving his messenger and continuing the unstoppable spread of the gospel. 2) Paul Leads: Paul steps forward a number of times in this passage and speaks up. In this leadership here we see 1) Trust 2) Love 3) Confidence 4) Action. When we love people and are confident in God we will take courageous action.
This week's sermon looks at 5 different topics found in Acts 24-26. They are: 1) Judges- Felix, Festus, Agrippa 2) Accusations- causing riots, illegal religion, defiling temple 3) Defense- Paul denies allegations, points out there is no proof, presents what he was actually about and what he actually did 4) Offense- Paul doesn’t just defend himself- he is looking to preach the gospel to these rulers and see them come to Christ 5) Verdict- while they don’t ever give a verdict because of their self-interest, the Roman authorities clearly see Paul as innocent.
There are four lessons we can learn this week: 1) Wisdom in Relating to Government 2) Showing Christianity is Good for Society 3) Being Ready for Every Opportunity for the gospel 4) Being on Guard Against idols/self-interest that blinds you to Christ’s glory
How did Paul have courage to continue his mission for the Lord? Let's look at Paul's life from Acts 23. 1) Paul’s Actions: Paul acts to avoid death. In a trial where its clear he’s just going to get a guilty verdict he acts wisely/shrewdly to avoid death. And in the course of it he also gets to proclaim the fulfillment of Jewish hopes of the resurrection in Jesus. There’s a lesson here that we’re called to act, to act wisely, etc. 1) Jesus’ Protection: Jesus comes to Paul and speaks words guaranteeing his protection- Jesus will make sure that he does indeed testify in Rome. This is huge in light of the fact that there are forty men who have committed to making sure Paul dies.
This is Paul's final attempt to share the good news of Jesus Christ to his fellow Jews. Again they reject his message. Paul carefully shares his message by: 1) Tearing Down Objections: as Paul speaks to the Jewish people he seeks to tear down their objection that the gospel is anti-Jewish or somehow goes against the OT. Instead, he honors Jewish tradition and points to the gospel as the fulfillment/completion of all the OT spoke of. The way the Paul is sensitive to where they are at and works at tearing down assumptions is an example to us as we interact with non-Christians. 2) Explaining Transformation: here Paul describes why he made an about face and started preaching Christ- it was because he met him- he saw him in his glory- risen and exalted. He wants this for his Jewish brethren. Instead though they harden their hearts in unbelief. This is sobering and tells us that we will face this at times. In addition, it calls us to guard against unbelief and to keep our eyes on Christ.
In this passage we see three ways we are called to follow Jesus:
- On Mission Like Jesus: Paul’s experience echoes Jesus’. He is headed towards Jerusalem, there are predictions of danger awaiting there, and he’s determined to go anyways. He is committed to his mission. His mission is not to die for/save people but to spread the good news of Jesus. And he is willing to pay any cost to see that happen. Are we following Jesus on mission?
- Uniting People Like Jesus: Paul works hard here to unite God’s people- both Jew and Gentile. He pursues this in two ways. First, he and his companions bring a financial gift for the church at Jerusalem. Second, he bends over backwards to affirm Jewish culture and value of his Jewish heritage. In this he is uniting the Jew and Gentile church. Are we ready to do this- to bend over backwards and sacrifice our rights for unity?
- Rejected Like Jesus: Paul is wrongfully accused, attacked and nearly killed for the sake of Jesus here. Like Jesus he is given over to the Romans and then the Jews demand his death “away with him”. The point is that Jesus’ followers should expect the same treatment he got and we should endure with joy like he did.