November 29 2015 Realizing The Heart Of Christmas

REALIZING THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS

Matthew 2:1-10

Five Truths To Remember

1. We must move beyond religious practice.

Matthew 2:2 – We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

Verse 6 – Who will be the shepherd of my people.

Matthew 3:7-8 – You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

2. Our faith must move faith to the heart.

Matthew 2:8 – Herod said..go and make careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.

Matthew 15:8 – These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

3. We must understand no one is too far away.

Matthew 2:1 – Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.

4. We must make our surrender real.

Matthew 2:9 -11 – After they had heard the King, they went their way and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped Him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

5. We must decide to be obedient.

Matthew 2:12 – They returned to their country by another route. They had diving instruction to go a different route.

August 2 2015 How Repentance Brings Renewal

HOW REPENTANCE BRINGS RENEWAL

2 Chronicles 29-30

Introduction:  Repentance means to change your mind.

Why is Repentance not understood?

1. The appeal of modern evangelism.

The Gospel must bring the conviction of sin before it can be the good news of redemption.

2. Unwilling or unable to accept the reality for personal sin.

God’s Steps Towards Renewal

1. I must confess any known sin to God

2. I must ask forgiveness of any I have wronged.

3. I must put away doubtful habits.

4. I must obey the Holy Spirit promptly.

5. I must share what God is doing in me with others.

Hezekiah did these things.

The Call of Repentance

1. Hands us a challenge.                  

2 Chronicles 30:9 –If you return to the land, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion.

2. Gives us a choice.

2 Chronicles 30:11 – Some humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 

3. Asks us to change.

2 Chronicles 30:12 – God gave them singleness of heart.

4. Allows us to (Vs 13-23) celebrate.

The people were (2 Chronicles 30:20) heard.

The people were (2 Chronicles 30:22) encouraged.

The people were (2 Chronicles 30:22) enlightened.

The people were (2 Chronicles 30:27) blessed

July 19 2015 The Person God Uses

The Person God Uses

2 Chronicles 7:14

THE PROCESS OF RENEWAL

Christians pray, God cares
Christians repent, God shows us ourselves
Christians minister, God empowers and equips

THE PERSON GOD USES

1. That person has one great purpose.

Philippians 3:7-14

To “know God” there must be:

Evaluation How well do I know God?

Exchange What must I do to know Him better?

Trade off What price will I pay to know Him better?

2. That person has, by God’s grace, removed every known hindrance.  Hebrews 12:1-2

Observations:

1. We can have victory over all sin.

2. If God’s Word says lay it aside, it can be done.

God didn’t say these things to frustrate us, but help us by God’s Grace.

“Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that thing for us is sin.” (Susanna Wesley)

3. That person has placed themselves at God’s disposal.

Romans 12:1-2

Observations:

1. For those who have been saved.

2. Sign my name to a blank sheet of paper.

3. Give Him control of your life.

4. That person who has learned to prevail in prayer.

James 5:13-18

Observations:
1. Things beyond my control.

2. Things that are bigger than myself.

3. Things that seem impossible.

5. That person is a student of the Word.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

6. That person has a giving Spirit.

John 3:16

7. That person expects results.

Romans 4:16-21

8. That person lives under the anointing of God the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18-20

“The renewal we need is simply a return to normal New Testament Christianity, where the Churches are full of prayer, full of power, full of people, full of praise full of divine happenings all the time.  We want something normal, not just ‘special.’  God’s normal, that is.  God’s normal is greater than most of our specials put together. (Dr. Armin Desswein)

February 16 2014 Becoming A More Loving Person

BECOMING A MORE LOVING PERSON

Galatians 5:22 –But the fruit of the Spirit is Love.

Misconceptions About Love:

• Love is a feeling.
• Love is uncontrollable.

Facts About Love:

• Love is a choice.

Colossians 3:14 – Over all these virtues, put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity.

• Love is a matter of conduct.

1 John 3:18 – Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.

Five Steps to Becoming a Loving Person:

Step One – Experience God’s love.

Ephesians 3:17-18 – I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you, as you trust in Him May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love, and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is and to experience His love for yourself.

1 John 4:19

Step Two – Forgive your enemies.

Colossians 3:13 – Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

Step Three – Think loving thoughts.

Philippians 2:4-5 – Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Christ Jesus.

A fact of life: Hurt people hurt people.

Step Four – Act in loving ways.

Luke 6:27-28 – Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Four Ways To Act Lovingly:

• Overlook their faults.
• Do good to them.
• Bless them.
• Pray for them.

1 Corinthians 13

Step Five – Expect the best.

1 Corinthians 13:2 – You will always believe in Him, always expect the best of Him.

Taking the First Step

• Remember God loves you.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall have everlasting life.

• Repent and turn to God.

Acts 3:19 – Repent then, and turn to God.

• Trust Jesus for forgiveness and power.

John 1:12 – All who received Him, He gave the power to become children of God.

November 14 2010 Defining The Purpose Of The Church

Defining The Purpose Of The Church

(Matthew 22:1-10 - Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' "But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.)

(Ephesians 3:21 - to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.)

Four Reasons Why We Exist

1. We exist to celebrate God's presence in the world

• Worship is celebrating God's presence

(Matthew 22:37 - Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.')

(Matthew 4:10 - Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.')

• How do we worship?

(John 4:23-24 - Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.)

(Psalm 122:1 - I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD.")

(Isaiah 40:31 - but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.)

(Hebrews 10:25 - Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.)

2. We exist to communicate God's Word

(Verse 9 - Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.)

• Evangelism is sharing the good news about God's love and forgiveness

(Ephesians 3:10 - His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms)

(Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.)

(2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.)

3. We exist to educate God's people

• Discipleship is teaching people who have faith in Christ to grow spiritually

(Hebrews 6:1 - Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God)

(2 Peter 3:18 - But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.)

• How do we grow spiritually?

(Ephesians 4:11-13 - It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.)

(2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.)

(1 Thessalonians 2:8 - We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.)

(Romans 15:4 - For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.)

4. We exist to demonstrate God's love in our world

• Ministry is meeting needs and healing hurts

(John 13:35 - By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.)

(James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.)

(James 2:17 - In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.)