Matthew 16:13–29 (NIV) 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is? 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Ekklesia: “the called-out ones.”
Issues with The Church
7 Images of The Church 1. His Garden John 15:5 (NIV) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
2. His Flock John 10:11 (NIV) “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
3. His Family Ephesians 2:19(NIV) You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household...
4. His Building Ephesians 2:20–22 (NIV) 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
5. His Priesthood 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
6. His Bride Ephesians 5:25–27 (NIV) 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
“We are not in the accusation ministry.”
“Making a statement is not making a difference.”
7. His Body “We identify as His church, because we are in Christ.”
Colossians 1:18 (NIV) He is the head of the body, the church.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (NIV) The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:26 (NIV) If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Ephesians 4:1-7 (NIV) 4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
John 17:20–21 (NIV) 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Man, Sin, & Salvation “We were designed to be in a relationship with God. A fully functioning, meaningful relationship.”
I. Man Genesis 1:27–28 (NIV) 27 God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” A. Created by him B. In His image Genesis 2:7 (NIV) The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. “It’s the breath of God that makes something someone.”
C. Created for him. Colossians 1:16(NIV) “...All things were created by Him and for Him…”
“God loves you and has a wonderful plan that He wants to put you in.”
II. Sin Genesis 3:1–15 (NIV) 3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
A. Saw the fruit was “good for food” Lust of the Flesh — Desire to satisfy self apart from God
B. The fruit was “pleasing to the eye” Lust of the Eyes — Desire to take what looks good but isn’t from God.
C. Desired the fruit “ good for gaining wisdom” Pride of Life — Desire to have knowledge and experience apart from God.
1 John 2:16 (NIV) For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.
What is sin?
III. The consequence of sin A. Dilutes The Image Romans 3:23 (NIV) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
B. Disconnects Genesis 3:7–8 (NIV) 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Isaiah 59:2 (NIV) Your iniquities have separated you from your God; Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
C. Destroys “God is not the cause of all the trouble in the world; sin is.”
Eternal consequences: 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9 (NIV) 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord...
The “Cosmic Tyrant” of Sin
Romans 6:14 (NIV) “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Grace: Favorable, limitless access to the kindness and goodness of God.
IV. Redemption
Genesis 3:15 (NIV) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Romans 5:17–19 (NIV) 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Redeem: To buy back. 1. Agorazo “to buy in the marketplace.” 1 Peter 1:18–19 (NIV) 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
2. Exagorazo- “To buy out of the marketplace” Galatians 5:1 (NIV) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 4: 4-7 (NIV) 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Tetelestai: It Is Finished.
V. Our Response: Romans 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9–11 (NIV) 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
1 John 4:8 (NIV) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
John 4:23-24 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
1. True Godly worship understands how to worship God on His terms (The way He desires to be worshiped).
Genesis 4:2-7 2 Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it."
2. True Godly worship is not based off our personal preferences.
I Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
3. True Godly worship gives the song back to the congregation. “The song of the congregation has been stolen by the song of the stage,” -Bob Sorge
Psalms 35:18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.
4. True Godly worship involves bodily expression. Psalms 150:6 Let everything that hath breath praise (Halal) the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
A. Singing and Shouting to the Lord (Vocal Worship) Psalm 100:1-5 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Paul and Silas sing in prison and are set free. (Acts 16:24-26)
Psalm 96:1-2 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
B. Lifting of Hands
Psalm 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. Lamentations 3:41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven. I Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. D. Dancing
E. Clapping
F. Bowing
G. Serving others
5. True Godly worship builds a culture of costly worship.
I Samuel 24: 21-25 21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.” 22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.c23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.” 24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. 25 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
The Trinity We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, equal in divine perfection. “The Trinity is not a concept to be solved, but a reality to be experienced."
Matthew 3:16–17 (NIV) 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 28:19 (NIV) 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.
One What, Three Whos.
Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV) May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
The Father “We believe in God, the Father who is the Ruler, Creator of all that is. He is perfectly holy, just, loving, truthful, infinite, and personal. We believe that God not only created the world but also now upholds, sustains, governs, and providentially directs all that exists.”
The Father is the source. Genesis 1:1–2 (NIV) 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
“Elohim tells us WHAT God is, YHWH tells us who God is—our covenant-keeping I AM.”
Romans 11:36 (NIV) For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
1. The Father is Spirit John 4:24 (NIV) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” 2. The Father is Light 1 John 1:5 (NIV) God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. Psalms 119:68(NLT) You are good and do only good. 3. The Father is Love 1 John 4:8–9 (NIV) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
The Son “We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin, and is God's Anointed One, empowered by the Holy Spirit to inaugurate God's Kingdom on earth. He was crucified for our sins, died, was buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven, and is now alive today, in the presence of God the Father and in His people. The victorious redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides freedom from the power of the enemy - sin, lies, sickness, and torment.”
Colossians 1:15–20 (NIV) 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross
John 1:1–14 (NIV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
1. The Son Reveals the Father Hebrews 1:1–3 (NIV) 1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
John 14:9 (NIV) Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
2. The Son Redeems humanity “To take on sin, Jesus had to take on flesh.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
3. The Son Reigns Philippians 2:6–11 (NIV) 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Spirit “We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and the Son. The sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit empowers the Christian to live holy and minister supernaturally. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 1:4-8 and 2:4, is poured out on believers that they might have power to witness.”
John 14:16-17 (NIV) 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you 1. The Spirit Convicts: 2. The Spirit Indwells: 3. The Spirit Empowers:
Father - The Source Son - The Expression Spirit - The Presence
Galatians 4:4–7 (NIV) 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
I. The Bible Is God’s Word “God should decide what we believe about God.”
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
“The Holy Scriptures”
“God-breathed” “If Scripture is inspired by God, it is Authoritative.”
II. Can we trust the Bible?
Luke 1:1–4 (NIV)1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
3 Objections: #1. The Bible has been disproven. #2. The Bible was written by men. #3. There are too many versions of the Bible.
The New Testament is the most accurate literary work among 5800 copies of the original manuscript.
99.5% accuracy with only .5% textual variants.
III. The Scriptures form our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16-17(NIV) 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
A. Teaching: Shows us what to believe. B. Rebuking:Calls out lies we believe about God and ourselves C. Correcting: Set us on the right path when we are in error. D. Training in Righteousness: Teaches ethical & spiritual living. E. Thoroughly equipped to do every good work. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
IV. The Bible Reveals Jesus John 5:39(NIV) You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.
Old Testament: Promises and prophecies fulfilled in Christ.
Gospels: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Acts: Jesus continued His mission through the Holy Spirit in the Church.
Epistles: Jesus’ work explained and applied.
Revelation: Jesus as the reigning King and coming Lord.
John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
V. Follow the Way means following the Scriptures James 1:22–25 (NIV) 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
Close: John 6:63–64 (NIV) 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”
John 6:29 (NIV) “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
Proverbs 18:10(NIV) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Mark 4:35–41 (NIV) 35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
“Jesus Is Present, Even When He Seems Silent.”
“You can rest through whatever you walk in authority over.”
Mark 4:39(NIV) 3 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Mark 4:40 (NIV) “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Jesus has expectations for faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
“Because Jesus loves us, Jesus expects of us.”
“The enemy will fight to get us to trust anything other than God.”
1 John 5:4–5 (NLT) 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Ephesians 6:16 (NIV) Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
“Jesus expected us to handle storms the way he did!”
Mark 4:41(NIV) They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Colossians 1:15-16 (NIV) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 6 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
Colossians 1:18 (NIV)..So that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Safe in the Storm: 1. Safe because He is Present
2. Safe because He Shows Us Faith
3. Safe because He Reveals His Nature
Matthew 14:28–33 (NIV) 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Isaiah 43:2–3 (NLT) 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Daniel 6:1–5 (NIV) 6 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
“The safest place to be is not outside of opposition, but inside of faithfulness.”
Daniel 6:4 (NIV) They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.
“Faithfulness is doing the right thing for a long time."
Proving Faithfulness 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV) Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 1. Trustworthy
2. Neither Corrupt
Proverbs 10:9 (NIV) The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
3. Nor Negligent
Excellence.
“Excellence is your best in progress.” "Doing the right things, right." Colossians 3:23–24 (NIV) 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Daniel 6:5 (NIV) “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
Daniel 6:10-11 (NIV) 10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.
Daniel 6:16 (NIV) Tthey brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
Daniel 6:19–23 (NIV) 19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Daniel answered, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.” 23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
When the lions show up 1 Peter 5:8–10 (NIV) 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
1. Expect them: Be sober-minded and alert 2. Resist James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. “Faitfulness to God requires resistance to the enemy.”
3. Stand firm in the faith
4. Remember you are not alone.
5. Even if it seems like it's over, it's not over.
Safe in a world gone mad. 1. The Promise Declared Genesis 3:15(NIV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.
Hope: God's promises are stronger than Satan's schemes.
2. A Problem Revealed Genesis 6:1–6 (NIV) 6 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 5 The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
A. The sons of God B. The Nephilim Genesis 6:11–13 (NIV) 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. C. The Agenda The agenda was to corrupt humanity and stop the Messiah—the promised seed—from ever being born.
God's Solution: Wrath and Mercy. Genesis 6:7–8 (NIV) 7 So the Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
"Noah shows us that even when the world goes mad, God still preserves a favorable remnant."
Genesis 6:18 (NIV) I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you.
The Ark was big enough to carry the world's future, sturdy enough to endure the storm, and secure enough to preserve God's promise.
Genesis 8:1(NIV) But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.
3. The Promise Renewed This is what the entire narrative is about: A renewed covenant from God. Genesis 9:1 (NIV) Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.
Genesis 9:1–13 (NIV) 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 And God said this is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every God's creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Rainbow: The Archer's Bow "Instead of pointing down towards humanity, the archer's bow is pointed up toward Christ."
We are safe in a mad world Ephesians 2:4-7 (NIV) 4 Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were" dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
1. God keeps his promises.
2. We have favor in Christ.
3. His Church will prevail Matthew 16:18(NIV) And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Close: John 10:9(NIV)I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
1 Kings 19:1–6 (NIV) 19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” “I’m just a mortal man like those before me. I can’t carry this burden—it’s too great.”
Elijahs Condidition 1. He is afraid 2. He has become self-focused 3. He is alone 4. He is discouraged, depressed, and in despair.
Elijah feels unsafe
God Provides. 1 Kings 19:5-6 (NIV) 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once, an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of breadbaked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
1. With His Presence: 1 Kings 19:7 (NIV) The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him ...
John 6:49–51 (NIV) 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.
2. Through Provisions 1 Kings 19:7-8 (NIV) “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV) My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
“We need-need.”
“Get up and Eat”
New Youk Times Jan. 16, 1908
3. In Purpose 1 Kings 19:8 (NIV) Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God
“A Word is not just to affirm us but to direct us.”
John 4:34 (NIV) “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
1 Kings 19:9–12 (NIV) 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
“Whispers require nearness.” Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Isaiah 43:2–3 (NLT) 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...
Daniel 3:8–18 (NIV) 8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
1. Resistance “Faithfulness to God means resisting pressure!”
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT) The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
1 John 5:21 (NIV) Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21 (NLT) keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. “An idol is anything that would rob our dependence on or devotion to God”.
1 Peter 2:11-12 (NIV) Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
“The goal of the kingdom has never been to be mainstream but to be upstream.”
2. Resolve Daniel 3:18(NIV) But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:19–27 (NIV) ...He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
3. Resilience
“We are resilient because of who is in the fire with us.”
“Some will never see Jesus in the fires of persecution because they never passed the test of pressure.”
Proverbs 18:10(NIV) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Jonah 1:1–17 (NIV) 1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.” 7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” 9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” 10 This terrified them, and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) 11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” 12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” 13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried to the Lord, “O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. 17 But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
What follows.... A. Jonah Prays Jonah 2:1 (NIV) From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.
B. Jonah Hears Jonah 3:1 (NIV) Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time...
C. Jonah Obeys Jonah 3:4–5, 10 (NIV) 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth... 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
“Your purpose is not found in your gift, it’s found in your obedience.”
Jonah disobeyed out of anger. Jonah 4:1–3 (NIV) 1 Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
“Jonah’s hatred for his enemies was greater than his love for God.”
The Beauty of Obedience: 1. Disobedience is personal
1 John 5:3 (NIV) This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
2. Obedience is the best choice
“God brought the Storm, but Jonah caused it.”
3. God is patient when we are immature
4. It’s never too late to run back to God
“Often grace is found in the place of our greatest discomfort.”
Matthew 12:39 (NIV) For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Romans 5:19 (NIV) For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Psalms 91:1-2 (NIV) 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Proverbs 18:10(NIV) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
I. A Tower of Refuge A. Positioned Strategically. B. Protection C. A Place of Rest D. Provisions E. Personnel
II. The Name of the Lord Philippians 2:9–11 (NIV) 9 God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
A. His name bears weight “His name emphasizes His authority.” John 14:13–14 (NIV) 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Acts 19:15–16 (NIV) 15 One day, the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus, I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
Acts 16:18 (NIV) She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
“When you trust and know Jesus, you carry His Authority.”
B. His name reveals His Identity
III. El Shaddai Psalms 91:1 (NIV) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (El Shaddai) A. He is sufficient B. He nourishes C. He is strong
Jesus is Sufficient Colossians 2:9–10 (NIV) For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ...
Jesus Nourishes and Comforts
John 6:35 (NIV) Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:63 (NIV) The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. “We are nourished when we sit at the table of fellowship.”
Jesus is Strong Revelation 1:8 (NIV) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Psalm 121:1–2 (NIV) 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
IV. Cities of Refuge(Numbers 35)
“Jesus is the City of Refuge, not for the innocent, but for the guilty.”
Luke 19:10 (NIV) The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Psalm 34:8 (NIV) Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Hosea 6:3 (NLT) Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
Ephesians 1:16-23 (NLT) I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. (Pray)
Ephesians 1:16 (NLT) I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly.
1. Kingdom Minded James 5:16 (AMP) Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].
Ephesians 1:17 (NLT) Asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
2. Know Him Psalms 1:3 (NIV) That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. James 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Ephesians 1:18 (NLT) I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
3. Know Your Identity John 1:12 (NLT) But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Ephesians 1:19-21 (NLT) I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
4. You Gotta Have Faith Roman 10:17 (KJV) Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. James 1:22 (NLT) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.
Ephesians 1:20-23(MSG) All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.
Focus Fuels Direction
1 John 2:15-17(NIV) Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
What is the system of this world? A life that doesn’t need God
And if we don’t need God, we focus on ourselves. And before we look up, we have created a world that is all about self.
WE MUST STOP CHASING A COUNTERFEIT CULTURE
Two realities about chasing counterfeit. 1. REVEALS SPIRITUAL EMPTINESS
1 JOHN:15 (NIV) Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV) For Christ’s love compels us.. that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2. ELIMINATES OUR NEED FOR FAITH
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
We Must Focus on Authentic
Ephesians 1:20-23 (MSG) All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.
Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:9-10 (NIV) “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him astone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you areevil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will yourFather in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him
Ask and it will be given-“REQUEST” John 4:10 (NIV) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sometimes YOUR unanswered prayer is God’s mercy in YOUR life.”
Seek and you will find- “INQUIRE or INVESTIGATE” 2 Kings 5:9-14 (NIV) Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Mark 5:24-29 (NIV) A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And awoman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
“What are YOU willing to sacrifice in order to see YOUR miracle happen?”
Knock and the door will be opened- “BEAT THE DOOR DOWN WITH A STICK”
Luke 11:5-8 (NIV) Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
Genesis 34:24-30 (NKJV) Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
“Do YOU have the tenacity and endurance to see YOUR miracle happen?
Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Hosea 6:3 (NLT) Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. “Most approach God to get something; he desires that we know him.”
When Paul first met Jesus (Acts 9) Acts 9:18 (NIV) Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.
“Eyes to see and ears to hear.” Matthew 13:11–17 (NIV) 11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Intimacy: Psalm 139:1 (NIV) O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. John 17:3 (NIV) Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
1. Be open to the means Mark 7:32–35 (NIV) 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
2. Get around those who can help you see
2 Kings 6:15 17 (NIV) 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. 16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 7 And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
3. Consider how you listen Luke 8:18 (NIV) “Consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”
Psalm 36:9 (NIV) For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
“Feelings are inadequate to discern the voice of God.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
1 Samuel 3 (ICB) 3 The boy Samuel served the Lord under Eli. In those days the Lord did not speak directly to people very often. There were very few visions.2 Eli’s eyes were so weak he was almost blind. One night he was lying in bed. 3 Samuel was also in bed in the Lord’s Holy Tent. The Ark of the Covenant was in the Holy Tent. God’s lamp was still burning. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “I am here!” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “I am here. You called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed.6 The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel again went to Eli and said, “I am here. You called me.” Again Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed. 7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The Lord had not spoken directly to him yet. 8 The Lord called Samuel for the third time. Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, “I am here. You called me.” Then Eli realized the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So he told Samuel, “Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I am your servant, and I am listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in bed. 10 The Lord came and stood there. He called as he had before. He said, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel said, “Speak, Lord. I am your servant, and I am listening.” 19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up. He did not let any of Samuel’s messages fail to come true. 20 Then all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew Samuel was a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord continued to show himself to Samuel at Shiloh. He also showed himself to Samuel through his word.
Relationship: Truly Knowing Him
Samuelhadn’t yet had a personal encounter with God— he had religion, but he didn’t recognize God’s voice because he had yet to develop a relationship with God.
“The Church is not a servant bride.”
“We should be loyal to Jesus because we love Him, and have a relationship with him.”
Praise: Building a Relationship
“Praising is something that we do to show a thing or a person how good it is, and how much we love it.”
“The more time you spend with something, the more you’re going to copy it.”
“If we worship something imperfect, we copy attributes that are imperfect.”
"We have to be careful that we worship Jesus: not our religion, our pastor, or our teachers."
John 14:6 (ICB) Jesus answered, “I am the way. And I am the truth and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”
Getting Closer to Jesus
1. Read the Bible “There won’t be a day where you regret reading, but you will regret not reading.”
2. Pray Often “You will feel the connection if you start the conversation.”
3. Worship Meaningfully. “If there is a way to help you focus on the time you dedicate to God, do it!”
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV) 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Old Covenant Temple:
Mark 15:37–38 (NIV) 37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
The Veil Was Torn The Way Is Opened.
“Forgiveness grants access.”
The Priesthood of Christ: The Role of the Priest (Old Covenant):
Hebrews 4:14–16 (NIV) 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 7:22–25 (NIV) 22 Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Approaching Boldly Hebrews 10:19–23 (NIV) 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
1. Approach with Reverence, Not Reluctance Hebrews 10:22 (NIV) Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience...
“Reverence is holy sincerity.”
4 Hindrances of Entering God’s Presence 1. Apathy: I don’t care. 2. Pride: I don’t need God. 3. Fear: God won’t accept me. 4. Shame: God doesn’t want me.
“Reverence mixed with shame isn’t humility—it’s dishonoring the cross.”
“Shame denies what the cross accomplished.”
2. Approach Confidently, Not Arrogantly.
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV) Let us hold unswervingly...
Romans 12:1 (NIV) In view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
3. Approach with Passion and Gratitude.
Hebrews 13:15 (NIV) Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Luke 18:8 (NIV) When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Romans 1:17 (NIV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
“Faith means we’re convinced that what God promised is already settled—even when we are not experiencing it.”
Abraham: Hebrews 11:8–12 (NIV) 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
“Playing it Safe is not Faith.”
Romans 4:18–25 (NIV) 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
A Bolder Faith 1. Bold Faith is Properly Placed
“Bold Faith is not found in our strength but in our surrender.”
Mark 9:22-24 (NIV) 22 But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
2. Bold Faith Takes Steps 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) We live by faith, not by sight.
“Bold Faith means that we take bold steps.”
Ways to increase your faith 1. Listen to God. (Romans 10:17) 2. Take Steps (James 2:17) 3. Pray in the Spirit (Jude 1:20)
3. Bold Faith Speaks Matthew 17:19–20 (NIV) 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Mark 4:35–41 (NIV) 35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Joshua 1:6–9 (NIV) 6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will leadthese people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 23:14 (NIV) “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.
1 Kings 2:1–4 (NIV) 2 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires:Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’
1. Be Honest, Face Reality 1 Kings 2:2 (NIV) “I am about to go the way of all the earth,”
“Sometimes the hardest thing to face is reality.”
2. Be strong, act like a man 1 Kings 2:2 (NIV) “So be strong, show yourself a man,
“Being strong is not toxic masculinity—it’s kingdom masculinity.”
Act like a man: 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV) Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
3. Be Faithful 1 Kings 2:3 (NIV) And observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses.
“One of the greatest gifts men can give is consistency.”
4. Impart Blessing 1 Kings 2:3–4 (NIV) 3... so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’
“You are not building success—you are building a legacy.”
Proverbs 28:1 (NIV) The righteous are as bold as a lion.
For followers of Jesus, Boldness is not radical; it’s normal.
2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT) Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:14 (NIV) Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd...
Holy Boldness is not: 1. A personality 2. Arrogance 3. Anger 4. Antagonistic 5. Advancing personal agendas
Acts 3:1–10 (NIV) 3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Acts 4:12–14 (NIV) 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
Walking in Holy Boldness 1. Identify & Confront fear
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2. Be compassionate Acts 3:4(NIV) Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”
3. Share what you have Acts 3:6(NIV) Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up
“You may not be able to meet the ‘urgent need’, but you can meet the greater need.”
Acts 4:20 (NIV) “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:29–31 (NIV) 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
The Bold Zeal of Jesus! John 2:13-17(NIV) 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts, he found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
John 2:17 (NIV) His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Jesus is zealous. “God is a consuming fire. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of fire. Jesus said, “I’ve come to bring fire on earth.” There is no escaping fire” -Leonard Ravenhill
“Jesus burns with a deep desire for what is his!”
Zechariah 8:2 (NIV)This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”
“God only loves wholeheartedly.”
His House is His People! 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
Proverbs 20:27(NIV) The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD.
Leviticus 6:12-13 (NIV) 12 The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. 13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
Keep the Fire Burning
1. Obedience: Serving the Lord. Romans 12:11(NIV) Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
“Too many are more concerned about burning out than burning hot.”
If we love God, we obey God. John 14:15 (NIV) If you love me, you will obey what I command. 1 John 5:3 (NIV) This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
“Our all is small, but God delights in it all.”
2. Fellowship: Spending time with the Lord.
Matthew 21:13 (NIV) “My house will be called a house of prayer.”
Fellowship with God ministers to God. “Our heart is fueled when we fuel His heart.”
2 Kings 3:9–18 (NKJV) 9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. 10 And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” 11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” 12 And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” 14 And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. 16 And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ 17 For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ 18 And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
1, You Keep Showing Up
2. You Grow in Grace
2 Peter 3:18 (AMPC) But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and [a]recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
Mark 9:15 (NIV) As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
“You won't behold Him properly without encountering Him personally."
As People of the Way, we see Jesus differently. Matthew 13:10–12 (NIV) 10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
John 13:23 (NIV) One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
"What he heard in the upper room, he saw in the throne room.”
Revelation 4:3-4 (NIV) 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
We value his multifaceted presence.
“When you behold the beauty of Jesus, worship is not a task, it's a Response!”
Revelation 4:8 (NIV) Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
Beholding him 1. Gaze intently & intentionally. Matthew 6:22 (NIV) “If the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
2. Seek Wisdom & Revelation. Ephesians 1:17 (NIV) 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.
3. Immerse yourself in His depth. Ephesians 3:16–19 (NIV) 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know(NLT Experience) this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Hosea 6:3 (NLT) Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
1 Samuel 3:1 (NIV) In those days, the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
1 Samuel 1:3-20 (NIV) 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband, Elkanah, would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
From barren to fruitful John 3:6 (NIV) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
The Birthing Process 1.Fertilization “God speaks in the context of intimacy.” Matthew 13:31–32 (NIV) 31 “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
2. Incubation
John 15:5 (NIV) If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit...
A. Maturity “For the seed to mature, the bearer must mature.”
B. Flexibility “He is not just growing His desire. He is growing you!”
C. Expectancy
3. Fruition 1 Samuel 1:19-20(NIV) 19.. The LORD remembered her plea, 20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the LORD for him.”
Mark 4:20 (NIV) Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
Galatians 6:9 (NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
John 7:38 (NIV) Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
Isaiah 54:1–4 (NLT) 1 “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord. 2 “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! 3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.4 “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood.
Defeating Your Giants 1 Samuel 17:17(NLT) One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread and carry them quickly to your brothers. 18 And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along and bring back a report on how they are doing.” 19 David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. 20 So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. 1. You Must Be Submitted
“You have to get under what God puts over you or you’ll never get over what God wanted to put under you.”
Romans 13:1-2(NLT)Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
“To walk in authority, you must live under authority.”
1 Samuel 17:21-27(NLT) Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. 24 As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. 25 “Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!” 26 David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” 2. Have the Right Perspective
“The enemy will try the Temptation of Intimidation”
1 Samuel 17:28(NLT) But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”
3. Shut Out the Noise
Luke 4:18(NIV) “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.
“God doesn’t call the equipped he equips those he calls.”
1 Samuel 17:32-37(NLT) “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” 33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” 34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”
4. Walk In Faith
Hebrews 11:1(AMP) Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. John 16:33(NIV) “I 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.”
1 Samuel 17:38-39(NLT) Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39 David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 5. Don’t Wear Other People’s Armor “The enemy wants to make you feel insecure about what you’ve got.”
1 Samuel 17:40-50(NLT) He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. 45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.
Mark 16:2–6 (NLT) 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. 5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!
“Who will roll away the stone for us?”
John 8:7 (NLT) They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”
John 8:10–11 (NLT) 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
“Jesus doesn’t just offer forgiveness of sin but freedom from sin.”
John 8:12 (NLT)“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.
John 8:24 (NLT) “For unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”
John 8:58–59 (NLT) 58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!” 59 At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.
John 11:25 (NLT) “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.
“Regardless of any sinful, sticky, messy situation, Jesus can provide a way out.”
Blessed: Experiencing fully your God-breathed intention.
Matthew 5:2–12 (NIV) 2 He began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Persecuted “The Persecuted are those who experience any form of hostility as a result of following Jesus.”
Matthew 5:11(NIV) Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Because of me
John 15:18–20 (NIV) 18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
Rejoice & Be Glad because great is your reward:
Matthew 5:12(NIV) Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
1. Consider the reward 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV) For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2. Consider the company
Modern Persecution: https://www.opendoors.org.au/
Acts 5:40–42 (NIV) They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
3. Consider Christ Hebrews 12:1–3 (NIV) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Matthew 10:38–39 (NIV) 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
When we come to Jesus, we die before we die. Galatians 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Blessed: Experiencing fully your God-breathed intention.
Matthew 5:2–10 (NIV) 2 He began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:9(NIV) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Peace Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) To make complete or whole. YHWH Shalom- The Lord is our Peace.
Eirene (εἰρήνη) Right relationships between people and between people and God.
God’s peace is different Matthew 10:34 (NIV) Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. John 14:27 (NIV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Peacemakers:
Peacemakers, not peacekeepers.
Called Children of God 2 Corinthians 5:17–20 (NIV) 17 If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Making peace: 1. Be at peace “You can only have the peace of God by being at peace with God.” Romans 5:2 (NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 2:13–14 (NIV) 13 Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...
Colossians 3:15 (NIV) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body, you were called to peace. And be thankful.
“Peace with the world is not promised, but through Jesus, we can have peace in the world.”
2. Make every effort Ephesians 4:1–3 (NIV) 1 I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Romans 12:18 (NIV) If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
a. We take responsibility.
b. We have conversations.
Proverbs 15:1 (NIV) A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
“Passivity is not peacemaking.”
3. Promoting this Gospel of Peace
Ephesians 6:15 (NIV) ....and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV) May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed: Experiencing fully your God-breathed intention.
Matthew 5:2–10 (NIV) 2 He began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:8(NIV) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
The Heart Luke 6:45 (NIV) The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks.
“Our words and actions reveal what is in our hearts!”
Jeremiah 17:9–10 (NIV) 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind.
The pure in heart Matthew 15:19–20 (NIV) 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
Psalm 24:3–5 (NIV) 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. 5 They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.
Seeing God
“It takes God to see God.” “Jesus made the Father accessible.”
Jeremiah 24:7 (NIV) I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
1 John 1:7–9 (NIV) 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Nurturing Purity of Heart A. Renew your heart
James 4:8 (NIV) Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Ezekiel 11:19–20 (NIV) 19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
B. Guard your heart Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
“The enemy doesn’t need to destroy you, He will be satisfied to distract you.”
C. Lead your Heart 1. Set your heart Luke “12:34 (NIV) Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Psalm 86:11 (NIV) Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Video of me when we bought the building.
2. Feast on the word “You lead your heart by what you feed your heart.” Psalm 119:11 (NIV) I have hidden your word in my heart that I might “not sin against you.
3. How you work/create Psalm 57:7 (NIV) My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
Colossians 3:23 (NIV) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
4. Be quick to repent Psalm 51:10–11 (NIV) Godreate in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
5. Learn to linger
Psalm 51:10–11 (NIV) 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Blessed: Experiencing fully your God-breathed intention.
Matthew 5:2–10 (NIV) 2 He began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:7 (NIV) Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
The Merciful Matthew 10:8 (NIV) Freely you have received; freely give. freely give.
“They will be shown mercy.”
James 2:13 (NIV) Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Concerning judgment Matthew 7:1-2 (NIV) 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
John 7:24(NIV): Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.
Concerning justice
Micah 6:8 (NIV) He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
“Perfect justice is only found in perfect mercy.”
Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) 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.
The Merciful 1. Forgive Matthew 6:14–15 (NIV) 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
The unmerciful servant: Matthew 18:21–22 (NIV) 21 Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
The lack of mercy keeps us in bondage.
2. Compassion Luke 10:25–37 (NIV) 25 On one occasion, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this, and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
1. Slow down 2. See the humanity in others. 3. Meet a need 4. Receive mercy
Blessed: Experiencing fully your God-breathed intention.
Matthew 5:1–10 (NIV) 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 He began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:6 (NIV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Hunger+Thirst Psalm 42:1-2(NIV) As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
For Righteousness
Matthew 6:33 (NIV) Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
2 Kinds of Righteousness 1. Personal Righteousness
Justification: Imputed righteousness.
Romans 5:17 (NIV) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2. Practical Righteousness
Sanctification: Imparted Righteousness
Hebrews 10:14 (NKJV) For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
“Imparted righteousness is the evidence of imputed righteousness.”
1 John 3:10 (NIV) This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Philippians 2:12 (NIV) ...Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
“Only God can work righteousness.” Matthew 5:20 (NIV) For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
“We don’t get righteousness by pursuing righteousness but by pursuing Jesus.”
Jeremiah 33:16 (NIV) 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’
Yahweh/Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord IS our Righteousness.
Nurturing Spiritual Hunger and Thirst Psalm 63:1-8(NLT)1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 4 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. 6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. 7 Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
1. Savor the moments Psalms 63:2(NLT) “I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.”
“Moments create cravings.”
2. Remain at HIS table
“We stifle spiritual cravings by indulging in carnal desires.”
3. Cherish his presence Psalms 63:3(NLT) Your unfailing love is better than life itself.
“If we will obsess over Jesus, we won’t have room to obsess over anything else.”
Blessed: Experiencing fully your God-breathed intention.
Matthew 5:1–10 (NIV) 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 He began to teach them. He said: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Jesus is attracted to pain(hurting, broken)6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:5(NIV) 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Meekness
Meekness: Strength under control.
The Meekness of Jesus may be his most overlooked value. Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV) 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
"Jesus is meekness personified."
"Jesus shows us that the Father is sovereign, yet meek."
Philippians 2:6–7 (NIV) 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Inherit the Earth Matthew 5:5(NIV) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Psalm 37:7–11 (NIV"7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. 9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. 10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.
Growing in meekness Philippians 2:1–5 (NIV) 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus...
1. In humility, submit to God
Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is ...gentleness and self-control.
2. Serve & honor others:
Ephesians 4:2–3 (NIV) 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
3. Proceed slowly James 1:19 (NIV) Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Blessed: Experiencing fully your God-breathed intention.
Matthew 5:1–10 (NIV) 1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 He began to teach them. He said, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:4(NIV) Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Grief: Suffering that is associated with loss. You lost something valuable to you.
In Grief Remember... 1. Grieving is not a disfunction
Isaiah 53:3 (NLT) He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. Isaiah 53:4 (NLT) Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
2. There are healthy and unhealthy ways of grieving.
3. Everyone grieves differently
4. Sit, don’t quit
5. Emotions are not the enemy
6. People are still imperfect
7. Scars are storytellers “Scars are testimonies declaring life hurts, but God heals.”
8. Not all pain will not be removed, but all pain will be redeemed.
Psalm 56:8 (NLT) You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
Psalm 126:5 (NIV) Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
Finding Comfort: Blessed are those who mourn.
Isaiah 61:1–3 (NIV) 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion. to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
1. Our Jesus Psalm 34:18 (NIV) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
John 11:35 (NIV) Jesus wept. John 11:38–39 (NIV) 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb...
2. His words
3. His Comforter “We don’t just get comfort. We get The Comforter.” John 14:16–17 (NIV) 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
4. His church 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
_____ Psalm 147:3 (NIV) He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
1 Peter 5:7(NIV) Cast your cares on him because he cares for you. Philippians 4:7 (NIV) The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:2–5 (NIV) 3 We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Matthew 5:5 (NIV) Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
Matthew 5:2–11 (NIV) 2 And he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3 (NIV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Hebrew: bārûḵ
“Yahweh is the one who has brought it about.”
“God did it”
Greek: makarios
Happy, blissful, literally, to be enlarged, The good life.
Aramaic: Toowayhon
How good is life. Enriched, happy, delighted, blissful, content.
“Congratulations”
Blessed:Experiencing fully your God-breathed intention.
“Poor In Spirit” “Congratulations if you desperately need God, for the Kingdom is yours.”
Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) 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.
Mark 10 1. Rich Young Ruler/ Poor Young Slave Mark 10:21–22 (NIV) 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
2. Baritmaus Mark 10:46–52 (NIV) 46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately, he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Staying dependent on Jesus 1. Recognize your need
“We can’t follow the lead unless we listen to his voice. “
Revelation 3:17–18 (NIV) 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
“You still need Jesus”
2. Direct your ambitions Matthew 6:33(NIV) Seek first the Kingdom.
3. Let go of what you have. “Everything is a small price to pay to follow Jesus.”
Mark 10:31 (ESV) Many who are first will be last, and the last first.
A Way to The Way The ultimate way-maker: John The Baptist
Matthew 3:1-11 (NIV) 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance…11" I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Way-makers John 5:35 (NLT) John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message.
Matthew 5:14–16 (NLT) 14 "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
We don't absorb light we reflect it!
The Forerunner Spirit: Preparing the way
1. Messengers Isaiah 40:3–4 (NIV) 3 A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
"Our message is Jesus; it will always be Jesus."
"Telling people about Jesus is not radical; it's normal."
Romans 10:13–14 (NLT) 13 For "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
2. Lifestyle
Matthew 11:7-11 (NIV) "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:" 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
1. How he was clothed.
John 3:30 (NLT) He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
2. What he consumed "If we are unwilling to live differently, we won't make a difference."
Galatians 6:1-10 Galatians 6:1(NIV) Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.
The enemy wants to take you out!
Not everyone who goes to church lives by the spirit.
Romans 2:4(NIV) His kindness leads us to repentance.
“Be careful who you’re letting mend your wounds.”
Galatians 6:1(NIV) But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
2 things we need to watch for in restoring someone 1. Pride 2. Not to fall into the same temptation
Proverbs 4:23(NIV) Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Galatians 5:2(NIV) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Life is hard! At some point or another you’ll have a burden you can’t carry on your own.
You never know what the person next to you is going through.
We need to have our spiritual radar on looking for those that need help.
We have to take the mask of pride off and say I need help.
Hebrews 10:24-25(NIV) 24 And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
We were created to be in a relationship and be together. God never intended us to do this alone.
John 13:34-35(NIV) 34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
Galatians 6:3(NIV) If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.
Proverbs 16:18(NIV) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Galatians 6:4(NIV) Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.
Comparison is a joy killer!
Matthew 7:3-5(NIV) 3 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
We can’t be an expert in everyone else’s sin and ignore our own.
Galatians 6:4(NIV) For each one should carry their own load.
We are to be burden bearer’s not burden givers.
Many people not only want their burdens to be barred by others, they want their load to be barred as well.
Galatians 6:6(NIV) Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
Being a believer is going to cost you something.
Acts 2:42-47(NIV) 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Galatians 6:7-8(NIV) - Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Galatians 6:22-23(NIV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
“Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”
Galatians 6:9(NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
It’s out of the overflow we are able to minister to those around us.
1 Corinthians 15:58 - “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Galatians 6:10(NIV) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Psalm 103:7 (NIV) He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.
Mark 14:32–48 (NLT) 32 They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36 “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 37 Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
God’s will: 1. God’s will is not automatic, we pray it in.
Matthew 6:9-13(NIV) 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
2. We are to center our lives around Him “He is THE Priority.” Mark 12:30 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
“If Jesus is central, your priorities will fall into alignment.”
3. We are to consider His will. “Most are praying for God’s help in their plans instead of asking him about His plans.”
James 4:13–16 (NLT) 13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
4. God’s will is not hard to know.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
“Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved”. -St. Augustine of Hippo
5. We don’t do God’s will FOR him; We do it WITH Him. Romans 8:28–29 (NIV) 28 We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son. John 15:4 (NIV) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
Matthew 4:18–22 (NIV) 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Disciple: mathēteuō- pupil, learner, disciple, student, scholar of a new way of life. A Disciple is one who seeks to learn from another. Not only a partaker of information but also one who seeks to become like his or her teacher.
“Urgent and willing are the qualifiers to following Jesus.”
“Come, Follow Me”
“Coming to Jesus is free. Following him is costly.”
Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV) 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
“Check your baggage and your burdens.”
Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV) 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Walking The Straight and Narrow 1. We follow him
2. We walk by faith 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) We walk by faith, not by sight.
“The good life is not the easy life, and the easy life isn’t the good life.”
“Faith is grown in friendship with God.”
3. We stay in step with the Spirit Galatians 5:25 (NIV) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
4. We walk with diligence
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
5. We live in Surrender Matthew 16:24–26 (NIV) 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
Galatians 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Ephesians 2:19 (NIV) You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.
“Heaven is more than a place in the cosmos it’s a place in the family.”
John 17:20–23 (NLT) 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
“We get the privilege to answer the prayer that Jesus prayed.”
“God is glorified when we are unified.”
Acts 2:1 (NIV) 2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Psalm 133:1–3 (NIV)1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Acts 2:42–47 (NIV) 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
1. Follow-ship 42 “They devoted themself to following Jesus and the teaching from the apostles.”
2. Fellowship 46 “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”
3. Fulfilling Needs John 13:34–35 (NLT) 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Romans 12:15 (NIV) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Hebrews 10:24–25 (NLT) 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
4. Functioning together 43 “Many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”
5. Fruitful together 47 “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 8:1 (NLT) Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
Acts 9:1–2 (NLT) 1 Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
Acts 9:3–6 (NLT) 3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The grace of conversion Conversion: the process of changing or causing something to change from one form to another. 1. We develop a desire to know him. 2. We obey the LORD. Acts 9:17–20 (NLT) 17 Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then, he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward, he ate some food and regained his strength.
3. We see clearly
4. We get baptized
5. We have a new identity.
Acts 9:19–20 (NLT) 19 Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20 And immediately, he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”
Acts 24:10–16 (NLT) 10 The governor then motioned for Paul to speak. Paul said, “I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years, so I gladly present my defense before you. 11 You can quickly discover that I arrived in Jerusalem no more than twelve days ago to worship at the Temple. 12 My accusers never found me arguing with anyone in the Temple, nor stirring up a riot in any synagogue or on the streets of the city. 13 These men cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing. 14 “But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. 15 I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and theunrighteous. 16 Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people.
The Jesus Way 1. The Way is a person “Who are you, Lord?” Hosea 6:3 (NLT) Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
John 14:1–7 (NLT) 1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the Way to where I am going.” 5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the Way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
1. The Way to the Father
“Heaven is more than a place in the cosmos, it’s a place in the family.”
2. The Way of The Father
“Jesus came so that we can get God right!” Hebrews 1:1–3 (NIV) 1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word
3. The Way is our Way.
“As People of The Way, we are providing a way for Jesus.”
Acts 3:19(NIV) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Repent!
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT) For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
Proverbs 26:11 (NIV) As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
"If you change how you think, you will change how you live."
Ephesians 4:21–24 (NLT) 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
"Repentance is not just turning from sin, but towards God."
Hosea 6:3 (NLT) Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."
Staying refreshed.
1. Connect with Jesus daily Acts 3:20(NLT) ...Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord
2. Ask for a new song Psalm 40:3 (NIV) He put a new song in my mouth... Ephesians 5:19–20 (NIV) 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Refuse to be self-centered Proverbs 11:25 (NLT) The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
4. Practice Repentance 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
5. Embrace the newness of life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Isaiah 43:18–19 (NIV) 18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
LOOK AHEAD:
Deeper Track: If you want to join Overflow, Deeper Track starts this Sunday, January 5th.
5 Nights of Prayer: January 6-10th @ 7 pm. Let's start 2025 together in Prayer and Worship
Groups start: On January 18th. Find a group! Let's follow Jesus together.
Child Dedications: January 19th To dedicate your child, sign up at overflowdfw.com/nextsteps
Pastor Josh shares a New Year message on Acts 3:19. In the message, we will discuss how repentance and refreshing are connected to the believer's life.
