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Current Sunday Morning Sermon Series Notes:
UNWRITTEN
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
September 5 - A Little Man Steps Into a Big Story
My Father’s story
Everyone is a story, and everyone has a story.
Each person is creating their story.
"Jesus proceeded to tell stories – lots of them. We call them parables…[Stories] were Jesus’ common vehicle to talking about the Big Story – the Story of God. But he also used personal encounters with ordinary human beings to communicate the story.
[This series] is a call for human beings to join their own stories with the Big Story of God. Indeed, that is the reason Jesus came. ~Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
The issue is not how exciting our story is. The issue is if we are letting God write it.
Luke 19:1-10
• Follow the story!
• Savor the details!
• Hear the message
• Decide to change!
NOTE: Jesus sought out Zacchaeus. Jesus desired a relationship with him.
Loving God, loving each other
Making music with my friends
Loving God, loving each other,
And the story never ends
William J. and Gloria Gaither
MY STORY:
What significant things happened in my past that I now believe God was working through to get to me?
Have I allowed Christ’s presence into my life to change me and my story?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What is the most powerful Bible story you can remember, Old or New Testa-
ment? Why? What is the message of that story? Why do you think YOU
remember it so clearly?
2. Jesus did not just tell stories; he also had recorded encounters with real people.
Read the simple encounter in Luke 8:19-21. What messages come from this
brief encounter? How can so few words say so much?
3. Read II Peter 1:16-18 and II Peter 2:1-3. What is the role of "story" in these
verses? What is the difference between these "stories" and the stories and
encounters told by or of Jesus
4. Read the "song of Zechariah" – John the Baptist’s father – in Luke 1:67-75.
What is this saying is the purpose in Jesus’ coming? How do the stories of
Jesus and his encounters with people fulfill this purpose?
August 29 - Simply Commissioned Christians
Pastor Tim Britton
Following Jesus really isn’t that complicated.
"Love Jesus and tell your friends about Him."
1. John 3:1
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
2. Mark 12:28-3
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind and with all your strength. (v. 29 NIV)
3. Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age."
A. Go…
Acts 1:8 "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."
B. Make Disciples…
The mission of The Church of the Nazarene:
To make Christlike disciples in the nations.
C. Surely I am with you always…
"The year of the PRESENCE and POWER of God."
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. How would you simplify the complexity and mystery of Christianity into
simple and understandable terms?
2. What does it mean to you to be a disciple of Jesus? Is this the same or
different than following Him?
3. How are you "being made" as a disciple of Jesus Christ?
4. How are you accepting the commission of Jesus to "GO" and "make disciples?"
5. Who is discipling you? Who are you discipling?
Previous Sunday Morning Sermon Series Notes:
GET SMART
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
August 22 - How to Build Something for You Kids -
or anyone else who's watching!
These are hard times for the family as the Bible defines it!
"Children need things in their lives which are stable, reliable and permanent. The Christian family ought to be the first sanctuary of young human life…Children need a place where they can express their deepest feelings, vent their frustrations, let down their hair, practice being different kinds of people, and have rich conversations with their parents and each other…Here is the place for teaching, discipline, learning self-control, nourishment, and growth. And here is where children learn what God is truly
like." ~ Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
Proverbs 14
1. It all starts with the parent(s).
Proverbs 14:26 - He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children
it will be a refuge.
Fear the Lord = He’s the creator; we are the creatures. He’s the Father; we are
the children. He’s the Master; we are the servants.
Proverbs 14:2
A spiritual fortress in my own life as a parent is the beginning of building a refuge
for my child!
2. Create the spiritual safety net in your home.
Proverbs 14:1 - The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the
foolish one tears hers down.
Proverbs 14:11
Proverbs 14:22
Proverbs 14:27
Proverbs 14:32
Proverbs 14:34
The goal is NOT to keep all evil out – that’s impossible – but to build a safe,
spiritual refuge to insulate your children with truth and love.
3. Live today for your legacy – not just for today!
"…The storehouse is stocked. The problem is not in the supply; the problem is
in the distribution. God has given this generation, our generation, everything we
need to alter the course of human suffering…
Here’s a salute to a long life: goodness that outlives the grave, love that outlasts
the final breath. May you live in such a way that your death is just the beginning
of your life." ~ Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life
Matthew 7:24-27
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PRAYED WITH, OR FOR, YOUR FAMILY?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What do you sincerely believe to be the greatest single threat to the Christian
family in today’s world? Why?
2. Read and discuss Deuteronomy 6:4-9. What are practical ways we can fulfill
this scripture with our families today?
3. Read and discuss Colossians 3:18-21. What stands out to you in this outline
of instructions to the family? What speaks to you? Why?
4. What kind of legacy do you believe is most important to leave for your family
when you’re gone from this earth? Why?
August 15 - God Doesn't Like . . .
FROM LAST WEEK - Dollars and Cents
• Honor the Lord with what you have – it’s His!
• Wisdom leads to planning
• Peace with God is better than wealth without God!
Are you being generous to God with what He’s given you?
HOW IS YOUR HEART?
TODAY
Proverbs 6:16-19
Doesn’t like = hates|
Detests = disgusts = abominatio
"God hates what hurts us. God hates that which causes us to hurt each other.
God hates that which causes us to withdraw from Him. When God hates, His
principal object is not human beings whom He loves unconditionally as His
children." — Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
1. Haughty eyes = arrogant, proud
2. Lying tongue = falsehood
3. Hands that shed innocent blood = taking life without cause, killing innocent
people
4. Heart that devises wicked schemes = wicked imaginations, plotting evil
5. Feet that are quick to rush into evil = race to do wrong, running after sin
6. False witnesses = pouring out lies, speaking lie
7. Those who stir up dissension among brothers = spreading strife, sowing
discord, spreading conflict
As with the other warnings of Proverbs, the issue is NOT merely what IS, but what is BEHIND what is! WHERE IS THE HEART?
Proverbs 26:23-25
Proverbs 27:19
Matthew 15:19 - For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Jesus Christ
We return then to where we’ve been. Proverbs deals with hearts. It’s more about who you are inside than what you’ve done outside. Where your heart is than what you’ve said. How you think than what you do.
We don’t begin by changing things.
We begin by letting Him change our hearts!
Psalm 51
CHALLENGE – READ PROVERBS IN AUGUST! ONE CHAPTER PER DAY FOR 31 DAYS! JOIN THE CHALLENGE!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss Matthew 23:25-28. What is Jesus saying here to religious
leaders? What is he saying, therefore, to us as well?
2. Read and discuss Psalm 19:7-14. Is this a better way to live? Why? Why do so
many people reject this way of living and/or refuse to go this direction with God?
August 8 - Dollars and Cents
FROM LAST WEEK:
Words speak hearts.
Words reveal wisdom or the lack thereof.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. Proverbs 10:20
What are you really saying?
Where are you really going and taking others with you?
HOW IS YOUR HEART?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A picture of how NOT to handle money: the leadership of the State of Illinois
A picture of how we SHOULD handle money: the Proverbs!
Solomon was one who knew wealth.
• I Kings 4:21-28 – 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and 12,000 horsemen
• I Kings 10:14-29
1. WHAT WISDOM SAYS ABOUT DOLLARS AND CENTS
Honor the Lord – Proverbs 3:9-10
"The first use of wealth is to honor God…Giving God our wealth doesn’t make
Him rich; He already owns everything…When we honor God in this way, we
are bearing witness to His ownership of all that we have."
Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
2. Wealth, Poverty and Life – Proverbs 10:15-16
Luke 12:13-21
3. Wisdom leads to planning
Proverbs 15:22
Proverbs 21:5
Luke 14:28-30
Proverbs 13:11
Part of the plan is generosity to God and His Kingdom! Malachi 3:6-12
4. Peace with God is better than wealth without God!
Proverbs 15:1
Romans 11:33-36
LAST WEEK: How is your heart?
THIS WEEK: Who owns what you have? You or God?
OUR GOAL FOR THIS SERVICE: That each person would make a vow to put the Lord above possessions and rely on Him for their contentment.
CHALLENGE: READ PROVERBS IN AUGUST! ONE CHAPTER PER DAY FOR 31 DAYS! JOIN THE CHALLENGE!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. A Bible Encyclopedia website search netted over 1600 biblical listings when the
word "money" was entered. Why do you think the Bible says so much about
money?
2. What about money and relationships? Read and discuss Proverbs 14:20, 19:4,
13:5, 28:11, 22:1-2, 13:7.
3. Why is greed seemingly worse today than ever? Read and discuss Proverbs
15:27, 28:8, 30:8
4. Read and discuss Matthew 6:19-24. Does this make more sense in light of
Proverbs?
August 1 - Known for Wisdom
FROM LAST WEEK:
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
MY way or GOD’s way,
Those are the choices.
Always have been.
Always will be.
WISDOM AND WORDS
"A word is dead when it is said. Some say. I say it just begins to live that day." Emily Dickinson, quoted in Background Notes
1. Words Speak Hearts - Proverbs 16:21-32
• What are you really saying?
16:21 – instruction = persuasive speech = influence!
16:23-24
16:27-28
• Where are you really going and taking others with you?
16:22
16:25
16:29
2. Words Reveal Wisdom or the Lack Thereof - Proverbs 10
• 10:11
• 10:13-14
• 10:18-21
James 3
• 3:13-18
Our goal: To understand that what goes on in the heart comes out in our words
Our challenge: To allow God to cleanse our hearts and make our words pure and pleasing
KEY QUESTION: HOW IS YOUR HEART?
CHALLENGE: READ PROVERBS IN AUGUST! ONE CHAPTER PER DAY FOR 31 DAYS! JOIN THE CHALLENGE!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Think of the most powerful and influencing words you’ve ever heard, negative or
positive. Who said them? In what context? What effect did they have on you?
What kind of person said them to you? Where was their heart?
2. Read and discuss Matthew 15:1-20, especially focusing on verses 10-20. The
context is eating with unwashed hands. Jesus says that does not make a
person unclean. It is what is in their hearts. What are the implications of this
teaching for us?
3. Read and discuss Psalm 51:1-12. These were David’s words after repenting of
his sin with Bathsheba. What does David need to be purified from? What are
the results of a purified heart?
July 25 - What Good Is Wisdom to Me?
Remember: Everybody is looking for something, someone, some truth to bring meaning to their lives.
Last week: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7
"If we truly ‘fear the LORD’ we acknowledge from our hearts that He’s the Creator, we’re the creatures; He’s the Father, we’re His children; He’s the Master, we’re the servants. It means to respect God for who He is, to listen carefully to what He says, and to obey His word…" Warren Wiersbe, quoted in last week’s Background Notes
Proverbs 2
The Path to True Wisdom - Proverbs 2:1-6
What Good is Wisdom to Me?
1. A growing personal relationship with God - Proverbs 2:7-10
A life that is victorious, blameless, just, faithful
2. Discretion and discernment to overcome temptation and evil - Proverbs 2:11-19
An abundant life of few regrets
3. The best way to live and the only way to eternal life - Proverbs 2:20-22
John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come
that they may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus.
John 6:47-51 – I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the
bread of life…If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. Jesus
MY way.
GOD’s way.
Those are the choices.
Always have been.
Always will be.
Loving words from a loving Father. An echo?
Proverbs 3:1-6
I Chronicles 28:9-10
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What did you find in this world’s wisdom, as opposed to God’s, that satisfied
some parts of you? What was left unsatisfied in you? What drove you to seek
God?
2. Read and discuss John 10:1-18. What is Jesus saying to his followers about
life lived in Him vs. this world? About his love for us vs. how others might love
us? About relationship with Him and the difference it makes in our lives? Is
there a connection here to the Old Testament concept of wisdom?
3. Read and discuss another "wisdom" passage in Job 28:12-28. What is Job
saying about wisdom and how to find it? About where it is NOT found? How
does this apply to your life and our world today?
"For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught to say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels. The record shows I took the blows and did it my way. Yes, it was my way."
Paul Anka, My Way.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6.
July 18 - The Fear of the Lord
Genesis 3:1-7 – the origins of the thirst and search for wisdom
One estimate – in the United States – Human Knowledge doubles average every 9.86 years.
Is knowledge wisdom?
From the world of information systems come warnings about information overload. Is it possible to know more than we are prepared to process and apply? Can knowledge saturation paralyze effective guidance?
Knowledge – information of which someone is aware.
Wisdom – the ability to make correct judgments and decisions.
Rev. Bob Brown – Background Notes
Deuteronomy 4:5-14
Wisdom Literature in the Bible: Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, some of the Psalms, Proverbs.
Wisdom of Solomon: I Kings 4:29-34
1. THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM
Proverbs 1:1-7
If we truly "fear the LORD" we acknowledge from our hearts that He’s the Creator, we’re the creatures; He’s the Father, we’re His children; He’s the Master, we’re the servants. It means to respect God for who He is, to listen carefully to what He says, and to obey His word…Warren Wiersbe, quoted in Background Notes
Everybody is looking for something, someone, some truth, to bring meaning to their lives.
2. THE DIFFERENCE WISDOM MAKES!
Proverbs 8:13 – To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
Proverbs 10:27 – The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. – See also John 14:25-27
Proverbs 19:3 – A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord.
Proverbs 19:23 – The fear of the LORD leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
The fear of the Lord is NOT being afraid; it IS walking in surrendered relationship with Him, knowing WHO HE IS and who I am!
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What are some examples of people, ideas and groups that people turn to to find
truth, wisdom, peace, and the meaning of life, other than God? Why do they turn
there?
2. Solomon is known as a major author of Wisdom literature in the Bible. Read
I Chronicles 28:8-10. What is his father, David, saying to his son, Solomon, as he
passes over power to him? What principles are found in these verses that guide
us today in seeking God’s wisdom?
3. Read and discuss Romans 1:18-23. What is revealed here about wisdom and
foolishness?
4. Read and discuss Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:25-30. What is he saying with
regard to finding wisdom? What are the results of knowing the truth?
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
July 11 - Victory Over Temptation
June 6, 1944 – D-Day: The Allied Forces landed at Normandy, France. 5,000 ships, 13,000 aircraft, 100,000 troops, and 9,000 were killed on that day. The defeat of Hitler and the Nazis and victory in World War II began that day!
August 15, 1945 – V-Day: The surrender of Japan, the end of World War II, and the world moved into the future.
Total casualties in World War II: more than 62 million, soldier and civilian.
There were a LOT of battles before the war was finally over. So it will be with us!
1. Hebrews 4:14-1
JESUS IS OUR CONSTANT SOURCE OF STRENGTH!
2. Hebrews 12:1-5
JESUS IS THE CENTER OF OUR FOCUS
3. I John 5:18-20
JESUS IS OUR SOURCE OF VICTORY
I John 4:4 – You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
I Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful: he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Ephesians 6:10-18
• Be strong • Stand firm
• Take your stand • Pray
• Remember the spiritual battle going on • Be alert
• Put on the full armor of God
James 4:7 – Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
"On the one hand, Satan is a dangerous enemy to individual Christians and to the body of Christ. He has unremitting rage against all of God’s purposes…Satan will throw up obstacles, wound believers, and seek to bring them down with temptations.
On the other hand, Satan is a defeated enemy who met his D-Day when Jesus died and rose again…He is confined to the earth, limited in what he is able to do."
Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
"God does not want to see you fall victim to the devil. He will move heaven and earth to help you resist the devil’s temptations, quench the fiery darts of the devil, and stand strong in Jesus Christ…The Lord has provided for you all that you need to over-come every attack of the enemy. Receive what He has provided. Act on it. You will have all you need to be victorious even against the fiercest assault of the enemy."
Dr. Charles Stanley, When The Enemy Strikes
From punching bags…to the cross!
GROUP QUESTIONS
Read and discuss the passages listed below, which were also in the sermon today. Ask key questions of each:
Hebrews 4:12-16; Hebrews 12:1-12; James 4:4-10; I John 4:1-6; I John 5:13-21
1. What was the context of the verses?
2. What were the battles referred to?
3. How was victory attained?
4. What steps were necessary in victory
5. How does it apply to your battles?
July 4 - Free Indeed
[Not part of 'Speak of the Devil' series]
1. CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE
Isaiah 59
"In this chapter we have sin appearing exceedingly sinful, and grace appearing
exceedingly gracious; and, as what is here said of the sinner's sin (v. 7, 8) is
applied to the general corruption of mankind… so what is here said of a Redeemer
(v. 20) is applied to Christ…" Quoted from Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible
Commentary, cited from www.Biblos.com
Separation of Church and State – a good thing!
Separation of God and State – a bad thing!
2. FREEDOM INDEED
John 8:31-41
• TRUTH = FREEDOM
• The ILLUSION of freedom – racial, national, cultural, material, religious
• RELATIONSHIP = FREEDOM
• FAITH = FREEDOM
3. REMINDERS FROM OUR FIRST PRESIDENT
"I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may
not hereafter be drawn into precedent."
"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.
"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called
conscience."
"Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained
without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national
morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
"Mankind, when left to themselves, are unfit for their own government."
"I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do
to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery."
"My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth."
"The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so
mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.
"By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all
human probability and expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two
horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, altho' death was leveling my com-
panions on every side."
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What are your thoughts regarding why America rose so fast in historical terms to
be the nation it is today, and what principles may have helped create that?
2. Read and discuss the following passages on "freedom:" Galatians 5:1, Galatians
5:13, I Peter 2:16, II Peter 2:19, II Corinthians 3:17. What is God saying to us
regarding this precious principle we cherish so deeply?
3. What are the "national" implications of the scriptures in #2 as well as the
"spiritual" or personal applications?
June 27 - The Devil Is In the Details
Pastor Tim Britton
"From the opening to the closing pages of Scripture, Satan is presented as an enemy of God and subsequently an enemy of God’s people."
(Mark Driscoll: Doctrine)
The Tools of the Enemy
I. Deception
a. Genesis 3:1-7
b. 1 Corinthians 11:3
c. John 8:4
"Shaping the mind involves reaching back into memories and forward through
imagination. Satan knows this, and he uses both to bend our thinking in his
direction. ‘Remember that failure?’ He tries to discourage us. ‘Imagine how
much better you’d be if …’ He tries to tempt us."
(Bob Brown: Background Notes)
d. Romans 1:25
"The best way to expose lie is to know the truth."
Matthew 4:1-11
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32
I am the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6)
II. Destruction
"Where God is on one side, you may be sure to find the devil on the other."
(William Gurnall in 1655)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
"Satan is ‘the ruler of this world,’ and you and I are rebellious aliens living in his territory. Because we are citizens of heaven, we obey heaven’s laws and submit to heaven’s Lord. Satan wants us to worship and serve him; he wants our will submitted to his will." (Warren Wiersbe, The Strategy of Satan, p. 53)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, 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.
(Romans 12:1)
Group Questions
1. How does Satan use lies to deceive the people of God? How does he use the truth
to do the same?
2. What are the lies that Satan wants us to believe about the following: self, God,
created things?
3. Do you believe that both God and Satan have a purpose, will and desire for your
life? What do you think their plans for you are
4. Why does Satan strive to destroy the work of God in His people, and what
methods does he employ to bring about this destruction?
5. What other tools have you seen Satan use to bring about his schemes in the lives
of the people around you?
June 20 - Just Who Is This Devil?
Our stereotypes of Satan have desensitized us. We often forget evil is real, demons are among us and the Devil is a real being. We often pass him off as some sort of mythical creature but not really the captain of the forces of evil.
"Someone says ‘devil’ and we see a leering and horned demon skulking in the dark, animated by the worst intentions…Satan wishes to make us believe that there is no other world. If we believe him, immediately we find ourselves unable any longer to believe either in God or in Satan!...Thus, the more he prevails in our lives, the less we are able to recognize him. The more effective he is, the less dangerous he appears." Denis De Rougemont, The Devil’s Share, quoted in Background Notes.
1. WHO IS SATAN?
Introduction – Genesis 3
Devil as Tempter
• The Devil reasons
• The Devil deceives
• The Devil brings death
• The Devil brings divisio
• The Devil brings destruction
Devil as Fallen Angel
Isaiah 14:9-15
Morningstar – sometimes translated Lucifer
Hebrew – positive connotation – praise
Negative - mad, foolish or boastful
"Yes, there is a real king of Babylon who conquers nations, including Israel, and who thereby is the adversary (the Satan). However, operating in the invisible realm is this other being who wages his own war with God and whose actions inspire the agenda of the Babylonian king." Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
Ezekiel 28:11-19
"(Ezekiel)…peers into the heart of Tyre and sees…the ever-present activity of that being who misled Babylon…This being was once:
• An angel
• A perfect being…
Then a willful act of prideful rebellion…" Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
2. HOW DOES HE ATTACK?
Matthew 4:1-11
James 1:13-15
I John 2:15-17
Matthew 26:41 – Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. (Jesus, to His disciples in Gethsemane)
3. WHO WINS?
Cursed are you…he will crush your head…(God, to the serpent in Genesis 3)
Isaiah 14:15 - But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
Ezekiel 28:19 - All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.
Matthew 4:10-11 - Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan!’...then the devil left him.
James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who perseveres…he will receive the crown of life…
James 1:17 - …the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Group Questions
1. Read and discuss the methods of Satan as revealed in the passages in the
outline above.
2. Read and discuss I Peter 5:6-11. What does this say about Satan and winning?
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
HOLIMESS
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
June 6 - Final Instructions, Final Promise
Pastor Tim Britton
1 Peter 5:5-11 TNIV
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud but shows
favor to the humble and oppressed."
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 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. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
I. PRIDE raises up. HUMILITY bows down.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
II. PRIDE is confident in self. HUMILITY is confident in Him.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
III. PRIDE is self sufficient. HUMILITY depends on Him.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
IV. PRIDE despises discomfort. HUMILITY suffers for mission.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
V. PRIDE takes credit. HUMILITY gives credit to Him.
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.
VI. Pride Glorifies Self. Humility Glorifies God
To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
Questions for Discussion
1. Why is humility an essential element of living a lifestyle of holiness? Why is
living a life of humility oftentimes a challenge for us?
2. How have you seen humility modeled by others in your life?
3. How do we model humility in our workplaces, homes and neighborhoods?
4. This chapter of scripture is addressed to "elders" and church leaders. Why is
humility and essential element in leadership both inside and outside the church?
5. What is the biggest idea or concept that you will take away from the book of
1 Peter and how will it influence and impact your everyday life in the midst of the
mess of this world?
May 30 - Remember Our Example . . .
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand that Jesus has set the example for me to follow.
1. SETTLE SOME ISSUES!
I Peter 4:1-6
• Take on Christ’s attitude
I Peter 2:21
• Be done with sin
I Peter 1:14
Romans 6
• Live as God wants you to live
Romans 13:13
I Peter 3:16
2. LIVE IN THE URGENT PERSPECTIVE!
I Peter 4:7-11
"Peter mentions the crisis-climax in selective terms. He doesn’t feed the frenzy
of ‘end of the world’ theologies but gleans from the inevitable outcomes, ethical
teaching for his readers. He doesn’t offer details about what ‘the end of all things’
entails, either by setting dates, naming persons or making predictions. Instead,
he moves immediately to the necessary changes his readers must make so that
they might face these coming realities with Christian character and moral
courage." Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
3. SUFFER WITH OUR EXAMPLE
I Peter 4:12-19
Philippians 3:10-1
Luke 9:23-25
Live and leave a legacy for those who watch your life and for those coming after you. Whatever happens in this crazy, messy world, let your life be a standard of spiritual credibility and a foundation for others to build on.
Christ has done that for us. Let us follow Him!
Group Questions
1. Read and discuss Philippians 2:1-8 regarding "taking on Christ’s attitude" under
point one above. How can we follow Christ’s example of attitude?
2. Read and discuss Romans 6:1-14 regarding "being done with sin" under point 1
above. How does this apply to our lives?
3. How do we balance "urgency" and "necessary daily routines" in our lives? What
practical differences will it make if we fully realize Jesus could return today or
tomorrow? What things that are important now become not quite so important
and vice-versa?
4. Discuss the issue of "suffering with Christ." How do we do that? What are some
examples? Do you believe Dr. Nina Gunter’s statement that "there are no comfort
zones at the Cross?"
May 23 - Value-Added Living in a Very Messy World
Two concepts to consider
• Value-Added: of or relating to the estimated value that is added to a product or
material at each stage of its manufacture or distribution; "something, as an item
of equipment, that has been added to a product by a marketer or distributor…
• Synergy: combined action or functioning, cooperative action of two or more;
"the idea that the value and performance of two companies combined will be
greater than the sum of the separate individual parts." Source: Dictionary.com
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: As a church body, to become a people who live the values of Christ and His Church in a messy world through the dynamic synergy of unity and cooperation in the faith.
Our Passage: I Peter 2:4-8, 13-17, 3:8-22
1. A Living Spiritual House
I Peter 2:4-8
One’s view of the Church depends on which way one is moving spiritually –
toward God or away from God!
2. Exemplary Christian Citizens
I Peter 2:13-1
Good citizenship is not based on which candidate wins the election, which party
is in power or which viewpoint is prevailing.
3. People of Integrity
I Peter 3:8-1
"Setting apart Christ as Lord in our hearts means surrendering the control of our
lives to Christ who is our only Lord." Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
Every day we love and serve Christ faithfully we are adding value and order to our messy world. Every hour we stay surrendered to Christ in our thinking and living we are witnessing to Christ’s transforming grace to the lives of those around us.
WE CAN’T DO THIS! Right! But with Him, WE CAN!
We live in His protection. 3:13
We live in His blessing. 3:14
We live without fear. 3:14
We live in His Power. 3:22
Never has the messy world needed spiritual leadership like today! BE THE ONE to those around you!
Group Questions
1. Discuss the concepts of the "living stones" and "spiritual house" in I Peter 2:4-5.
What does this mean for your life? How do we "offer spiritual sacrifices" in our
lives?
2. Discuss the daily choices involved in I Peter 3:16. Give some examples of what
this means in your life?
3. What choices and promises are involved in I Peter 3:10-12 (quoting Psalm
34:12-16)?
4. What other promises are given to those who are faithful to Him in Psalm 34?
May 9 - Making the Most of Messy Relationships
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To keep Christ as Lord in every relationship in this messy world.
Nothing in this messy world is messier than relationships, especially when the Lordship of Christ is not shared by the other person(s).
1. THE PRINCIPLE
I Peter 2:13a – Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority
instituted among men…
Submit – "to place or arrange under, post under, subject." Background Notes
Every authority – "also every human creation, every human creature within
the created order." Ben Witherington III
Ephesians 5:21 – Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Mark 10:42-45
2. THE MOST DIFFICULT APPLICATION
I Peter 2:18-25
"(Peter) doesn’t merely talk about (slaves), he talks to (slaves), and he seeks
ways whereby they might live realistically within the heart of an unjust inst-
itution while upholding their Christian witness."
Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
The reality of slavery in Peter’s time:
"There can be no friendship nor justice toward inanimate things, indeed, not
even toward a horse or an ox, not yet toward a slave as a slave. For master
and slave have nothing in common; a slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an
inanimate slave." Aristotle
In the midst of the messy, warped value system of our world, Peter says the
priority is the Lordship of Christ in our lives!
3. THE MOST INTIMATE APPLICATION
I Peter 3:1-7
"…(Peter) does address the wives directly –a bold move with subversive over-
tones. Instruction of the wife by Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, tampered with
the prerogative of the husband to instruct his own wife. At the same time it
elevated the woman by affirming her role as a moral decision maker…"
Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
The reality of wives’ limitations in Peter’s time: "A woman ought not to make
friends of her own, but to enjoy her husband’s friends in common with him.
The gods are first and most important friends. Hence, it is becoming for a
wife to worship and to know only the gods that her husband believes in, and
to shut the door right upon all strange rituals and outlandish superstitions."
Plutarch (46-120 C.E.)
In the midst of the messy, distorted views of marriage and relationships in
our world, Peter says the priority is the Lordship of Christ in our lives!
Matthew 10:37-39
Group Questions
1. Read and discuss Matthew 10:32-39. What are some of the implications of
this hard teaching of Jesus?
2. Read and discuss Colossians 3:12-4:1. Compare/contrast with our I Peter
2:18-3:7 passage. What are the deep truths about messy relationships
contained in these verses? What is the Apostle Paul trying to communicate
to us?
May 1, 2 - Don't Extinguish the Lampstands
Pastor Adam Lewis
This message is part of our Family Weekend focus. It is not
part of the HoliMess series.
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
How can we become lampstands in our families?
Two Tasks of the Lampstand
1. The lampstand was strategically placed in the temple to shine light on
God’s presence.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore, encourage one another, and build each other up, just as in fact
you are doing.
2. The lampstand was burning all the time.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up.
Let us not give up….
• Know that the rewards are not always immediate.
• Be grounded in the Word.
• Don’t extinguish the lampstand.
Reflection Questions
1. Do you believe that you have been strategically placed to shine God’s light?
Explain your situation?
2. When things get difficult, where do you turn for support and encouragement?
The church? Your family? Both? Why?
3. In Galatians 6:9, Paul uses the words "proper time" to speak of the harvest.
What do these words mean to us as lampstands in our families, marriages
and communities?
4. The lampstand was to burn constantly in the temple. Galatians 6:9 says,
"Do not grow weary in doing good." In what ways should we not grow weary
of doing good in our circumstances?
5. End in prayer, lifting up ways in which your class/group members can be
lampstands to family members.
April 25 - Holiness in the HoliMess
Perhaps no terms in the Bible scare us more than these: holy, sanctified, perfect, pure. Two reasons for that:
• We know what we are and what we aren’t
• We think of those terms as a static state to achieve, to arrive at, and know
we can’t get there
Holy, holiness, sanctify, sanctified, sanctification – two groups of biblical terms:
• Old Testament Hebrew: q-d-sh family of terms – more than 800 times in Old
Testament. Means to separate, cut off, divide, set off or apart.
"What is called holy in the Old Testament is not holy because it is separated;
it is separated because it is related to God and therefore holy."
--Owen Roger Jones, The Concept of Holines
• New Testament Greek: terms with hag root – used in New Testament 302
times.
"There is widespread agreement among Bible scholars that holiness in Scripture takes its essential meaning from what God is. God alone is holy in himself. All other holiness is derived from a relationship with Him."
--W. T. Purkiser, Exploring Christian Holiness
God’s clear call on my life is to be His focused follower pursuing being holy.
I Peter 1:13-16
1. FOCUS! I Peter 1:13
a. Prepare (minds) – see also 1:6-9
b. Be (self-controlled) – see also 1:17-2
c. Set (your hope) – see also 1:3-5, 10-12, 24-25
2. PURSUE HOLINESS! I Peter 1:14-15
a. Do not conform
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
b. Be holy – be transformed
Therefore, I urge you brothers, 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. Romans 12:1
The sanctifying process of making you holy began the moment you received Christ into your life, and the Holy Spirit came to live in your heart.
HOW ARE YOU DOING IN THAT PROCESS?
IS THIS A MOMENT TO DECIDE TO GO DEEPER?
HAVE YOU OFFERED YOUR ENTIRE SELF TO HIM?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Why do the terms holy, sanctified, perfect and pure seem so unattainable?
2. As you read I Peter 1:13-16, how many decisions are we are called to make or
actions are we called to do? What is significant about each of those to you?
3. Read and discuss Matthew 5:43-48. Note the final command of Jesus in verse 48.
What is the context of this challenge in verses 43-47? How does that relate to
being holy?
4. Read and discuss I Thessalonians 4:1-8. Note the command of the first part of
verse 3. What is the context of this challenge in verses 1-2 and 3b-8? How does
this relate to being holy?
April 18 - Welcome to the Messy Life
"This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore."
--1965, Albert E. Brumley
Text: I Peter
1. ALIENS CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE — I Peter 1:1-2
If we are Christ’s followers, His disciples:
• We are among the elect.
• We are strangers in the world.
• We have been chosen by God before we chose.
• We are to be sanctified through the Holy Spirit
• We are to live in obedience to Jesus Christ.
"And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own
countries as though they were only passing through…They live in the flesh, but
they are not governed by the desires of the flesh…Christians love those who hate
them…Christians flourish under persecution…"
--Letter from Quadratus to Emperor Hadrian, first half of second century
What are they saying, texting, writing and e-mailing about me? About you?
About us?
Today?
2. SPECIAL PEOPLE CALLED TO WITNESS — I Peter 2:9-10
• Chosen People
• Royal Priesthood
• Holy Nation
• People Belonging to God
• Declaring the praises of Him
• "Mercy Bearers"
3. LIVING OVERCOMING LIVES — I Peter 2:11-12
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay
jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is
from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are per-
plexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by
God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our
bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may
also be seen in our bodies.
Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the
life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death,
but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
--II Corinthians 4:7-12 (New Living Translation)
ARE YOU BECOMING WHO JESUS DREAMED YOU WOULD BE WHEN HE DIED FOR YOU?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Notice the word "aliens" or "strangers" in I Peter 1:1. Why are we called that as
Christians? Do you ever feel like that? Why?
2. In what practical ways can you "declare the praises of Him" who "brought us out
of darkness into His light?" (I Peter 2:9) Where? When? With whom?
3. Why is I Peter 2:11-12 so important for us to follow and obey in today’s world
4. What are some examples of the "messes" in our lives that can derail us from living
out the calling we have in I Peter if we let them?
YOUR CHOICE!
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
April 11 - Your Choice!
The Question at Passion Play - IS JESUS CHRIST YOUR LORD?
I John 1-2
1. THE CHOICE of Darkness or Light - 1:5-7
2. THE CHOICE of obeying or not obeying - 2:3-6
3. THE CHOICE of loving the world or loving God - 2:15-17
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
THE CASE FOR CHRIST
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
April 4 - Jesus as Body Resurrected
So far in our Lenten Journey –
JESUS AS EXPECTED ONE
JESUS AS SON OF GOD
JESUS AS SON OF MAN
JESUS AS TEACHER
JESUS AS REDEFINED LOVE
JESUS AS UNKINGLY KING
How much of the Christian Faith depends on the Body Resurrection of Jesus Christ?
I Corinthians 15:13-19
1. BODY PRESENT
Luke 24:36-43
2. BODY EXTENDED
I Corinthians 15:20-23, 35-37, 50-5
3. BODY FULFILLED
I John 1:1-4 (New Living Translation) 1We proclaim to you the one who existed
from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own
eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2This one who
is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and
proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and
then he was revealed to us. 3We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually
seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is
with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We are writing these things so
that you may fully share our joy.
I John 1:1 (King James Version) That which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled, of the Word of life . . .
After the Resurrection, the original Apostles of Jesus Christ
• Knew who they were,
• Knew how they should live an
• Knew where they were going!
Their lives and deaths proved that!
"Make no mistake: if He rose at all it was as His body…it was as His Flesh: ours…Let us not mock God with metaphor, analogy, sidestepping transcendence; making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the faded credulity of earlier ages: let us walk through the door."
John Updike, Seven Stanzas of Easter
("Telephone Poles" and Other Poems, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1961)
Romans 8:11 - And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Have you walked through the door?
Have you staked your faith on His resurrection?
Have you received Christ as your personal Savior and Lord?
Have you been baptized as a believer as a witness and testimony to your faith?
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
NOW IS THE TIME!
THIS IS THE MOMENT!
March 28 - Jesus as "Unkingly" King
So far in our Lenten Journey –
JESUS AS EXPECTED ONE
JESUS AS SON OF GOD
JESUS AS SON OF MAN
JESUS AS TEACHER
JESUS AS REDEFINED LOVE
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." I Samuel 8:19-2
1. THE EARTHLY IMAGE OF KINGS
3Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. 4When their
spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to
nothing. 5Blessed is he whose help in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the
Lord his God, 6the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in
them – the Lord, who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146:3-6
2. THE HUMBLE ENTRANCE OF KING JESUS
Matthew 21
Contrasts:
• White horse vs. borrowed donkey
• Trumpets and flourishes vs. fulfillment of prophecy
• Military might and power vs. righteous acts and challenging religious corruption
• Jewel-encrusted crowns and elegant attire vs. simple robe and people’s
garments and palms
Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ: Philippians 2:1-11
What the Romans did not understand was…the Kingdom of God is a kingdom that does not have an army. It is not a kingdom that crushes its enemies…this is a kingdom in which God rules over the hearts and minds of his followers – a kingdom built on the rule that ‘You will love your neighbor as yourself’… a kingdom that crosses national boundaries, color, race, language, economic class…a kingdom that exists in relationship between neighbors.
Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Who was the "best" President of the United States, in your opinion, and why?
What leadership traits inspire and impress you the most? Why?
2. Read and discuss I Samuel 8:1-22. Why did they ask for a King? How do you
react to the warnings Samuel gave? Did they come true?
3. Next read and discuss I Samuel 12:16-25. Consider Samuel’s message. What
principles does he instruct the people to live by regardless of who is King
4. Read and discuss Matthew 22:15-22. What principles is Jesus teaching here?
Especially in verse 21? Apply that principle to our lives today.
March 21 - Jesus as Love Redefined
Pastor Tim Britton
I LOVE: (Write down 5 things you love)
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector: Luke 18:9-14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
I. An Old Understanding: "I Am Worthy" The Pharisee (v.9-12)
"Christianity can be built around isolating ourselves from evildoers and sinners, creating a community of religious piety and moral purity. That’s the Christianity I grew up with…"
(Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution)
II. A New Reality: "I Am Unworthy" The Tax Collector (v.13-14)
"…Christianity can also be built around joining with the broken sinners and evildoers of our world crying out to God, groaning for grace. That’s the Christianity I have fallen in love with."
(Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution)
John 3:16, John 15:13, 1 John 3:16, Romans 5:8
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Read Luke 18:9-14. Who do you honestly feel you identify more with?
2. Do you ever see religious people fall into the trap of the Pharisee? If so, explain
what that looks like.
3. Do you think most people grasp God’s unconditional love for them? Why or why
not? How about you personally?
4. Read 1 John 3:16 and 5:8. What does this teach us about Christ and God’s love
toward us?
5. How does the reality of God’s love for you shape your relationship with Him?
March 14 - Jesus as Teacher
So far in our journey –
JESUS AS EXPECTED ONE
JESUS AS SON OF GO
JESUS AS SON OF MAN
"The Old Testament paints a portrait of God by using such titles and descriptions as Alpha and Omega, Lord, Savior, King, Judge, Light, Rock, Redeemer, Shepherd, Creator, giver of life, forgiver of sin, and speaker with divine authority.
It’s fascinating to note that in the New Testament each and every one is applied to Jesus." Quoted from The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, page 228
Why was there such power in Jesus’ teaching?
Why did his words have long-term effect?
1. JESUS AS STORY-TELLER
Luke 8 – Parable of the Sower
Luke 10:25-37 – Parable of the Good Samaritan
The two great commandments!
2. JESUS AS MIRACLE-WORKER WITH A MESSAG
Luke 8:40-56
3. JESUS AS MODEL – MOST POWERFUL OF ALL!
Luke 7: 36-50
"His teaching is, therefore, controversial, and Jesus as Teacher is the great
Controversialist, teacher of subversive wisdom. The word ‘subversive’ isn’t just a
fancy word. It is one of those words that tend to provoke a reaction. Something
or someone who is subversive is trying to work from underneath to turn over what
has been established as the ruling order . . . to turn things over from underneath.
Jesus acted in that way, and he did so from within his teaching mission."
Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
"‘Understanding/not understanding’ the teaching of Jesus spells the difference
between salvation and rejection. . . Salvation is decided in certain fate-full
moments of hearing the word of God. "
Pheme Perkins, Hearing the Parables of Jesus
"Something new has occurred. The Kingdom of God has come. Therefore now as
never before the call goes out to choose. The treasure of the Kingdom, the pearl
without price, can now be yours. Be not fools and exclude yourselves. Be prudent.
With joy rid yourselves of everything that hinders you from receiving the gracious
offer of God. Now is the time! Why hesitate any longer?"
Robert H. Stein, An Introduction to the Parables of Jesus
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss the tense conflict with Jesus in John 7:14-24. What teaching
does Jesus do here? What message do his actions communicate? What claims
does he make about himself?
2. Read and discuss Jesus’ encounter with his critics in John 8:31-41. Again, what
message does he teach here? And what are his claims about himself?
3. Read and discuss John 14:15-24. Discuss the connection between the power of
Jesus’ teaching and who he is and claims to be.
March 7 - Jesus as Son of Man
Skeptics and unbelievers have the most difficulty accepting Jesus as God.
Believers and defenders of the faith have the most difficulty accepting Jesus as man.
" …We unanimously teach and confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man…co-substantial with the Father as to his divinity and
co-substantial with us as to his humanity; ‘like us in all things but sin.’"
Fourth Ecumenical Counsel at Chalcedon, 451
" We believe in Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Triune Godhead; that He was eternally one with the Father; that He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary, so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say the Godhead and manhood, are thus united in one Person very God and very man, the God-man."
Article 2, Articles of Faith, Church of the Nazarene
1. JESUS AS TEMPTED HUMAN
Luke 4:1-13
Hebrews 2:14-18
Hebrews 4:14-16
Jesus was tempted face-to-face by the devil himself – yet was without sin.
2. JESUS AS REJECTED HUMAN
Isaiah 53:1-3
I Peter 2:4 – As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen
by God and precious to him…
Luke 22:54-62
Jesus was rejected by Religion, by leaders, and by his closest followers.
3. JESUS AS SUFFERING HUMAN
Isaiah 53:4-10
Mark 14:32-36
Luke 22:44 – And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was
like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Crucifixion
Jesus suffered to a degree never known by any other human being.
From The Message by Eugene H. Peterson
Hebrews 4:14-16 — Now that we know what we have – Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God – let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all – all but the sin. So, let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. How would you answer these questions: "Why did God need to become human?"
"How was Jesus just like me?"
2. Read and discuss Hebrews 10:1-17. Compare the "old covenant" and the "new
covenant." Compare priests of the old to Jesus as priest of the new. Compare the
results. Was it necessary for Jesus to be human to accomplish this?
3. Read Matthew 27:27-46 again. What human suffering did Jesus go through at
each detail? How many different forms of suffering can you find in this descrip-
tion? What does that say to you about Jesus’ humanity?
February 28 - Jesus as Son of God
WHO WAS JESUS CHRIST?
"MANY persons will consider the question one to which the Gospels give a sufficient answer and that no further inquiry is necessary. But while the general Christian body affirm that Jesus was God incarnate on earth, the Unitarian Christians, less in numerical strength but numbering a large proportion of the more intelligent and humane, absolutely deny his divinity; the Jews, of whom he is alleged to have been one, do not believe in him at all; and the enormous majority of the inhabitants of the earth have never accepted the Gospels."
Charles Bradlaugh, www.infidels.org
"Jesus Himself claimed to be God and others recognized Him as Deity . . . Jesus also claimed that He was the only way to God . . . Can we accept as true what Jesus claimed? The most conclusive evidence establishing the deity of Christ is the historically verifiable resurrection . . . If the resurrection of Christ is true, then it is possible and, indeed, logical to believe all His claims and miracles including His assertion of the complete validity of the Old Testament. They would be what one would expect from God. The primary reason that Jesus is the only way to God is that He forgives sin and offers eternal life (John 10:28), something that the founder of no other major religion has claimed to do."
www.whoisJesus-really.com
LAST WEEK: After Jesus had taught in his home town synagogue and declared himself to be the fulfillment of prophecy: "The gauntlet is now laid down. The line is now drawn in the sand. The choice now has to be made. Will you or will you not believe?" And so began the tension.
1. JESUS TO SATAN – "I am the Son of God." Luke 4:9-12
2. JESUS TO HIS FOLLOWERS – "I am the Son of God." John 14:5-1
3. JESUS TO HIS CRITICS – "I am the Son of God." John 8:48-58
"On the face of it, Jesus is connecting himself with Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel . . . By using this sacred name of himself, Jesus showed himself as the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. And it is in this sense, that Jesus discloses himself as the Son of God." Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
"Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan has pointed out that the oldest Christian sermon, the oldest account of a Christian martyr, the oldest pagan report of the church, and the oldest liturgical prayer (I Corinthians 16:22) all refer to Jesus as Lord and God . . . Clearly, it was the message of what the church believed and taught that ‘God’ was an appropriate name for Jesus Christ." Lee Strobel, The Case For Christ
"What then will YOU do with this Jesus, who is called the Christ?"
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Then read I Corinthians 8:5-6. Then read
John 14:25-26. Are these saying the same thing? Something different? Why?
2. Read through John 14:1-11. How does Jesus speak about God? What about his
relationship with God? Discuss Thomas’ and Philip’s questions and Jesus’
answers.
3. Read and compare Exodus 3:14-15 and John 8:54-59. Discuss these two side
by side.
4. What do you believe is the most difficult aspect of Jesus being God for skeptics
to believe?
February 21 - Jesus as Expected One
Have you ever hoped for something and expected it, yet found your hopes dashed when reality set in?
The historical journey of the Jews and Israel for the 500 years leading up to Christ left them longing for a Son of David to be their King.
Our Passage: Luke 3-4
1. Announcement – 3:1-6
Luke’s intention – historical account
(Luke 1:1-4)
Chapter 3 – historical detail
Put simply, Luke locates the events which follow in the stream of real history where identifiable historical figures interact with the key characters in his story. His approach invites us to take him seriously, historically speaking…
Rev. Bob Brown, Background Notes
The Prophet (John the Baptist) was also the Prophesie
2. Genealogical Message – 3:21-38
Among the "Generals and horse thieves" is the human line that leads back from earthly Jesus to Adam and to God!
Son of Man!
Son of God
3. Personal Declaration – 4:14-21
Calmly and intentionally, Jesus, the son "so it was thought" of Joseph, speaks in his home town, quotes from the Prophet Isaiah, and declares himself to be the long-awaited and long-promised Messiah.
The gauntlet is now laid down. The line is now drawn in the sand. The choice now has to be made. Will you or will you not believe? And so began the tension.
From The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel, in "The Fingerprint Evidence" chapter:
• The odds of 8 prophecies being fulfilled by one person is one in one hundred
million billion.
• The odds of all 48 prophecies being fulfilled by one person is one in a trillion
13 times – that is equal to the number of atoms in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion,
billion universes the size of our universe.
It was fulfilled, and only in Jesus – the sole individual in history who has matched the prophetic fingerprint of God’s anointed one.
Lee Strobel
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you think so many people struggle to accept Jesus as the prophesied
Messiah? Do people accept other historical figures on less proof? Why?
2. Read and discuss the following Matthew passages about Old Testament expec-
tations fulfilled in Jesus: Matthew 1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:14,
13:35, 21:4, 26:54, 26:56, 27:9.
3. Compare and discuss Matthew’s "descending" genealogy in Matthew 1 to Luke’s
"ascending" genealogy in Luke 3. What is the significance of Luke 3:23 and
Luke 3:38
4. What is your reaction to the odds mentioned from Strobel’s book above right in
the sermon outline?
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
HOT TOPICS
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
February 14 - Marriage and Divorce
TODAY’S PURPOSE: To understand the sacredness of marriage and the seriousness of divorce in God’s eyes.
A Love Story
Abraham and Sarah– A new people, a Covenant people
Joseph and Mary – A new revelation, the Son of God and Son of Man
The Church – Christ is the Groom, We are His Bride
The end – the Second Coming – The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Through the scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, only marriage is upheld as the living model of the deepest and highest concepts of God’s relationship to His people.
Ephesians 5:21-33
I Corinthians 7:10-17
Matthew 19:1-9
Malachi 2:13-16
KEY ISSUE WITH MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE – Two people are always involved. I am responsible for MY choices. I cannot decide for someone else. I am called to be faithful and obedient in my decisions. I pray my spouse will be also.
COUNSELING REFERRALS:
Tracy Bell – 815-347-7645
Terri D’Amico – 708-301-6311
The same solution is available for sins in marriage and divorce as all other sins: I John 2:1-2.
Another Love Story
The same necessity is there for marriages and families as for churches –
THE PRESENCE AND POWER OF GOD!
Your response?
• What is my greatest dream for my marriage or relationship?
• What is my greatest concern for my marriage or relationship?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. As you review the outline in the left column of the sermon above, note the
prominence and priority of marriage all through the scripture. What does this
tell us about God? About marriage? About ourselves?
2. Read and discuss through I Corinthians 7:10-17 verse by verse. In this passage,
what principles do you find concerning issues of marriage and divorce?
3. As you review the scriptures listed in this sermon outline, what seems to be
God’s heart towards . . .
Marriage
Divorce
Forgiveness
4. What priorities then should I have in pursuing marriage or remarriage in my life,
if that is my life situation? What questions should I be asking? What answers
should I be seeking?
February 7 - Sex
There is no issue as huge, nothing potentially as beautiful, no consequences of disobedience as devastating and related issues so complex and often confusing as our topic today – Sex!
And yet the church is often the last place you hear any positive instruction from, the first place you hear condemnation from and often the place that seems so clueless to the issue of sex!
Our ministers and Christian educators should state clearly the Christian understanding of human sexuality, urging Christians to celebrate its rightful excellence, and rigorously to guard against its betrayal and distortion. Covenant of Christian Conduct, Manual, Church of the Nazarene
1. God’s Gift Introduced
Genesis 1:27-28, 2:21-25
God formed Adam and Eve by his own hands.
We breathe God’s breath and our bodies are God’s handiwork – all of us!
God is the designer, creator and giver of the gift of sex to the human race.
God determined the parameters of sexual activity as heterosexual marriage.|
2. Humanity's First Distortion
Genesis 4:19
Two chapters after Creation and within 7 generations of Adam humanity creates the first distortion of God’s design for sex and the destruction begins.
3. Humanity’s Continued Distortions
Romans 1:24-27
The progression of distortion:
>sinful desires of hearts
>sexual impurity
>degrading of bodies
>worshiping and serving bodies
>shameful lusts
>exchange natural relations for unnatural
>indecent acts
>receive in selves due penalty for perversion
I Corinthians 6:9–11
We view all forms of sexual intimacy that occur outside the covenant of heterosexual marriage as sinful distortions of the holiness and beauty God intended for it. Covenant of Christian Conduct, Manual, Church of the Nazarene
4. God’s Plan Reaffirmed
I Corinthians 7:1-5
Ephesians 5:21-22, 25, 28
I Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Today’s Commitment: I will engage in sexual intimacy only within the plan of the author of sex – God – which is a monogamous heterosexual marriage.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Read and discuss Genesis 2:25. Why? What creates shame? What is the
solution to shame?
2. Read and discuss Leviticus 18. What truth can we glean from this chapter in
our time now?
3. Read and discuss I Corinthians 10:13. Discuss each phrase and its significant
promise. Does this encourage you?
January 31 - Abortion and Euthanasia
This life in us…however low it flickers or fiercely burns, is still a divine flame which no man dare presume to put out, be his motives ever so humane and enlightened. To suppose otherwise is to countenance a death-wish. Either life is always and in all circumstances sacred, or intrinsically of no account; it is inconceivable that it should be in some cases the one, and in some the other.
(Malcolm Muggeridge, Background Notes)
…suicide is a liberty right and assistance is morally legitimate…should be legally permitted whenever requested by competent persons exercising that right.
Jack Kevorkian, called "Doctor Death" – quoted in Background Notes
These are firm opposite opinions about the sanctity of life. We are left to discern what God’s Word says, and then form our opinions and political judgments on that foundation
1. THE SACREDNESS OF GOD’S CREATION – LIFE IS SACRED!
Genesis 1:26-31
Genesis 2:7, 18-25
Exodus 20:12-13
Isaiah 46:3-4
Psalm 139:13-16
What is clear in scripture is that human life from conception to old age and
death, is created by God and for God.
What is equally clear, especially in the New Testament, is that no life, no
matter how lived, is beyond the love, grace and mercy of God.
Psalm 139:1-12
John 3:16-1
2. THE SADNESS OF VIOLATING WHAT IS SACRED
Amos 1:13-15
Mark 7:9-13
Leviticus 24:17, 19-2
3. GOD WALKS WITH US THROUGH SIN, SUFFERING AND DEATH
Isaiah 53:3-6
Romans 5:3-5
Isaiah 1:15-20
Scripture calls us, no matter how heinous our sins may be, no matter how deep
our immorality may have gone, no matter how cheaply we have treated our bodies
and the lives of others, to TURN – to CHANGE – and receive the CLEANSING OF
OUR SINS!
A Testimony of Grace
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Discuss the tension we live in in our society applying the principles of life’s
sacredness in scripture to the reality of politics and policies. For example:
>No abortions vs. exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother
>All life is sacred vs. Death Penalty
>All life is sacred vs. war or self-defense
2. What significance do you give to only human beings breathing the "breath of
God" in all creation as described in Genesis 2:7? What does this say about
the sacredness of life
3. Read Job 31:13-23. What does this passage tell us about human equality,
about human value, about human life, no matter whom, from where, or what
they’ve done?
January 24 - Alcohol, Gambling and Other Addictions
1. FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY TO SIN – VOLUNTEER TO BE A SLAVE TO
RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Romans 6:1-18
Ephesians 5:18
Romans 13:12-14
I Corinthians 6:12
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Matthew 6:24
I Timothy 6:10
2. A BETTER WAY TO LIVE!
Romans 6:19-23
Romans 12:1-2 – Therefore, I urge you brothers, 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. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Philippians 4:8-9
It is quite clear that drinking wine in moderation was common in both the Old and New Testaments, including by Jesus Himself.
It is equally clear in scripture that drunkenness as well as slavery to any addictive substance or behavior is often listed in lists of sins and declared sinful.
It is also clear that the frequent perspective in scripture towards alcohol and other addictive substances or behaviors in general is negative and solemn warnings are given again and again.
Our Church therefore has historically and presently encouraged abstinence of addictive substances and behaviors as the better way to live.
Our church also stands ready to walk with you through the journey of overcoming whatever addictions and behaviors you may struggle with.
- CELEBRATE RECOVERY every Friday evening, 7-9 pm for example!
Click here to learn more about Celebrate Recovery.
Worship, group Bible Studies and personal Bible Study are also essential in transformational life-change!
We also acknowledge that fellow Christ-followers will come to sometimes different conclusions about God’s leading in their lives on these issues.
May the presence and power of God be with you in your journey and may the Spirit lead you!
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. In our main text, Romans 6:11-14, The Apostle Paul speaks about "the
passions of our mortal bodies." Read and discuss the following passages
regarding how passions, strong desires or lusts can lead us into destructive
addictions, and what our response should be. Mark 4:19, Romans 1:24,
Romans 13:14, Galatians 5:16, Ephesians 4:22, Colossians 3:5,
I Peter 1:13-16, I Peter 4:1-3.
2. Read and discuss the following passages in terms of what the Bible has to say
regarding life-style choices we can make as believers: I Corinthians 6:8-11,
I Corinthians 10:23-24, Romans 14:17-21.
January 16, 17 - Pop Goes the Christian - Culture
Pastor Tim Britton
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17
1. UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
"We are living in a post Christian culture… it is important that we think and act like missionaries." Dan Kimball, They Like Jesus But Not The Church, p. 29
"Pop culture is the world of music, movies, television shows, books, magazines, fashion, sports, art, video games, and the internet that has a following and acceptance by millions around the globe." Tim Stevens, Pop Goes the Church, p. 5
"The world of entertainment and mass communication… is indisputably the most extensive and influential theological training system in the world." George Barna
2. ENGAGING CULTURE
a. CONDEMN and COMBAT (Ephesians 5:8-13, John 13:35)
Perceptions of Christians in society today
b. COCOON (Romans 12:1-2)
"We feel we are making a difference because we are so important to our-
selves. We have created a phenomenal subculture with our own media,
entertainment, educational system, and political hierarchy so that we have the
sense that we are doing a lot. But what we’ve really done is created a ghetto
that is easily dismissed by the rest of society. Bob Briner, Roaring Lambs
c. CONSUME (1 Corinthians 10:23, Philippians 4:8)
d. CONVERSANT (Matthew 10:16, John 17:15-19)
"Given the power of media, becoming conversant with its mixed messages is
an essential tool for the Christian life." Richard Leonard
Common themes emerging and questions being asked in popular today
"Though our citizenship is in heaven, we belong to countless colonies of heaven
on earth where the values of God's kingdom encounter those of contemporary
culture. Effective communication requires that we sift through the raw material
of that culture to discover useful entry points, bridges, and cross-connections
which will allow the message of the Gospel to travel all available pathways to
reach human hearts." Bob Brown, Background Notes
3. CREATING KINGDOM CULTURE
In the life and writing of C.S. Lewis we witness a man who communicated in
culture as an ambassador, countered culture like an alien, created culture like
an artist and challenges us as followers of Christ to do the same.
The kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10
You are the salt of the earth and light of the world. Matthew 5:13-15
Reflection Questions
1. How do you feel culture has shifted in America in recent decades? Where and
how do you see and experience the effects of this cultural shift?
2. How do you feel our culture and the thinking of its people is shaped by the
elements of popular culture and the media both positively and negatively?
3. Where do you see God speaking and working in the world around you?
4. Consider the different approaches to engaging culture listed above. What are the
dangers and benefits of each of these approaches? In what ways have you seen
each of these succeed and fail? Which category describes your approach or
perspective?
5. How can we incarnate a new cultural reality of God’s Kingdom in this world?
January 10 - Creation and Evolution
Copernicus (1473-1543)
Galileo (1564-1642)
"Given a mass of observable data about the form and nature of the universe, the fathers of Christendom failed to allow ‘all truth to be God’s truth.’"
Bob Brown, Background Notes
The State of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes (1925)
"You insult every man of science and learning in the world because he does not believe in your fool religion." Clarence Darrow to William Jennings Bryan
"…I want the Christian world to know that any atheist, agnostic, unbeliever, can question me anytime as to my belief in God, and I will answer him."
William Jennings Bryan to Clarence Darrow
Since the fathers of science brought their diligent search for evidentiary truth into being, there has been massive conflict between faith and reason, intellect and belief, heart and head, state and church.
Present theories among Christian believers:
• Young Earth Creationism
• Old Earth / Progressive Creationism
• Intelligent Design
• Theistic Evolution
1. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? - Genesis 1:1
GOD WAS - and the world was not
We as Christians are not materialists. WE BEGIN WITH GOD! The earth did not
create itself.
Hebrews 11:3 - By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's
command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
We do not believe in "mother earth" – we believe in FATHER GOD! And CHRIST
HIS "WORD"!
Nehemiah 9:5b, 6 - Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from ever-
lasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted
above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens,
even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it,
the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes
of heaven worship you.
Psalm 90:2 - Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and
the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
2. GOD CREATED – and the world was
Genesis 1:1b-2:2
Genesis 2:7, 21-2
Psalm 139:14-16 - I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your
works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when
I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the
earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written
in your book before one of them came to be.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Are theories of evolutionary process in any way reconcilable with a God-originated
or created foundation?
2. Read and discuss what the following passages tell us about creation and what we
are asked to believe: Romans 1:19-20; John 1:1-5; and Isaiah 66:1-2a
3. In conversing with an atheistic scientist, what three key truths about creation by
God would you want most to communicate to him or her? Why?
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
January 3 - The Hidden God Revealed
1. The Hidden God
Exodus 33:18-23
Exodus 34:29-30
Isaiah 6:1-5
Isaiah 64:1-2, 7-9
"…God always remain(s) in control of His own disclosure to His creation…Just as
human beings possess an innate sense of personal privacy, so God conceals
Himself…By becoming flesh, God emerges from the darkness of His hiddenness
and stands face-to-face with His creatures…He surrenders Himself to the frailty of
human nature: truly God and truly human." Bob Brown, Background Notes
2. Jesus Christ: God Revealed
Our Series Passage: John 1
TODAY’S PASSAGE: John 1:18 - No one has ever seen God, but God the One
and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
"To say that Christ is the image of God is to say that in him the nature and being
of God have been perfectly revealed – that in him the invisible has become visible."
F. F. Bruce, Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians
3. WHAT IT MEANS –
The Unseen God has been revealed and the Unknown New Year has been made
livable.
The presence and power of God have come to our world, the Church, and into
our hearts and lives!
I Kings 18 – Elijah
Especially verses 22, 37, 44
Let us seek earnestly and prayerfully the presence and power of God in our world, our church, and our hearts and lives in 2010!
Let us declare this new year of 2010 at First Church of the Nazarene
to be: THE YEAR OF THE PRESENCE AND POWER OF GOD!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss the implications of Hebrews 2:5-9. What are some things we
do not "see as subject to Him"? What does it mean in verse 9 "but we see
Jesus"? What would be different in 2010 in our lives if we "lived in the Jesus
perspective," seeing Jesus even when we can’t see things under His control
2. Read and discuss the implications of Colossians 1:15-23 for your personal life
in 2010. What do these high and lofty concepts mean in your daily and normal
living?
December 26, 27 - Grace & Truth
Pastor Adam Lewis
John 1:16-17 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
1. From the fullness of his grace…
• Romans 5:15 – Grace of Christ overflows to us
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 – His Grace is sufficient
• Ephesians 2:4-5 – Saved by Grace
• Hebrews 4:16 – The Throne of Grace
• 2 Peter 3:18 – Grow in Grace
2. We have all received one blessing after another.
3. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Law:
A. Commanded men to obey and condemned them to death if they failed to do so.
B. Told men what was right, but it did not give them the power to do it.
C. Was given to show men that they were sinners, but it couldn’t save them from
their sins.
"He works in believers both in grace and truth. We want grace to rescue us from sin; He has brought it. We need truth in the inward parts of our soul; he has created it."
Charles Spurgeon – Sermon, The True Tabernacle, and Its Glory of Grace and Peace, 1885
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Reflection Questions
1. What is something that you enjoy studying? Do you feel you still have a lot to
learn about that subject?
2. According to verse 16, by the fullness of His grace we have all received one
blessing after another. What is one blessing that you have received today?
This week? This month?
3. What is one danger of the prosperity gospel?
4. Make a list comparing the law to the grace of Christ. How do they differ? Are
there any similarities?
5. The law no longer has mastery over us because of grace. Give an example from
your own life of being liberated from "law" and being motivated by the grace of
Christ.
December 6 - The Prelude
Today's Purpose: To understand just who Jesus Christ really was, through the eyes of John the Baptist, and recognize that he was the divine Son of God.
Today’s Passage: John 1:6-9, 15, 19-34
Just who was this Jesus?
"God is coming to save His people, and He is sending His messenger to announce this coming. That is the overwhelming theme of the Second Sunday in Advent."
Bob Brown, Background Notes
1. FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT – John 1:6-9
2. FROM MORTAL TO ETERNAL – John 1:15
Revelation 1:8 – "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is,
and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
3. FROM AVERAGE TO DIVINE –
John 1:19-23
Isaiah 40:1-5
John 1:24-27
We have become so familiar with the flaws, sins and immoral corruption of people
of influence that we forget the awesome "otherness" of Jesus, yet the amazing
"humanness" of his person.
HE was not just another great teacher, motivator, leader, prophet, or person of
influence.
HE WAS DIVINE, John the Baptist declares about this man who grew up down
the road in Joseph and Mary’s house.
HE IS THE ONE WHO CHANGES EVERYTHING! John 1:29-34
• What has he changed in you
• What does he desire to change in you?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Our Background Notes for this weekend remind us that John the Baptist had a
"self-denying attitude, a Christ-centered message, and a goal of winning others
to personal faith in Christ." Discuss your thoughts about John the Baptist’s role
as "forerunner" or "introducer" to Jesus, one whose life was all about someone
else, not themselves. Who else can you think of in a role like that? What impli-
cations are there in his example for us personally?
2. Read and discuss John 3:22-36. Walk through the passage, discussing the
conflict, John Baptist’s responses to questions, and his declarations —
especially in verses 31-36.
November 29 - Word & Wisdom
TODAY’S PURPOSE: To understand that Jesus is the revelation of both the WORD and the WISDOM of God to me and my world.
TODAY’S PASSAGE: John 1:1-5
• In the beginning GOD…(Genesis 1:1)
• In the beginning was the WORD…(John 1:1)
1. BEFORE TIME – John 1:1-2
"From the depths of eternity comes a communiqué to the human race, and it
assumes the shape of flesh and blood…God’s Word to His creation is…the
embodied presence of the Son of God." -Bob Brown, Background Notes
Jesus = The Word (logos-Greek) - see verse 14
Three world-changing claims:
• The Word (Jesus) WAS
• The Word (Jesus) WAS WITH GOD
• The Word (Jesus) WAS GOD
2. IN CREATION – John 1:3
Genesis 1: God SPEAKS into existence
Did you ever consider how many words you hear, read, and say in one day?
How many of those words really change anything? Really create something
new? Really matter?
3. MAKING A DIFFERENCE
When God speaks, Jesus speaks. When Jesus speaks, God speaks. When they
speak, things change!
Isaiah 55:8-11
John 17:7-8
"In effect we are told that in the coming of Jesus, God speaks yet again, but this
time in flesh and blood living with us. When God speaks in Jesus in this unique
way, everything changes. Never before or since has such a thing happened in
human history. Advent announces an unparalleled redemptive act of God: He
chooses to enter human history at the same time that He speaks to human
history. His speaking is His entering, and His entering is his speaking."
Bob Brown, Background Notes
John 1:4-5
John 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said: I am the light of
the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss the implications of John 1:1-3. What does this say to today’s
skeptics? To other religions? To those who believe "all religions are equal and
lead to the same God"?
2. People in Jesus’ day had as much trouble believing in Jesus as people today.
Read John 8:48-59 and/or John 10:22-39 as an example. Discuss and react.
3. Read Proverbs 8:22-36. Note this is the subject of "Wisdom" that is being
discussed. What are the similarities between "the Word" and "Wisdom"?
What is the significance of this?
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
NO ONE KNOWS
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
November 15 - The Eternal Party
SERIES GOAL: After this series, I will look forward to Christ’s coming, live for eternal things, and understand the basics of the end times so that I can be prepared for eternity.
TODAY’S PURPOSE: To understand what heaven might be like and desire to be there as never before!
Our Passage: Revelation 19-22
Impossible task – 22 chapters in 5 weekends! Impossible conclusion – 4 chapters in 30 minutes!
Remember the message of John’s introduction: Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:17-18
1. PREPARATION FOR A BANQUET – Revelation 19:1-10
THE END OF WHAT HAS BEEN – REVELATION 19:11-20:15
Every King or Kingdom that has defied the God of the Ages, every emperor or
empire that has set itself against the Almighty, every religion or philosophy that
has denied the Christ will, through a series of events, be defeated and devoured
and destroyed and the OLD ORDER WILL PASS AWAY!
2. THE NEW CREATION – REVELATION 21:1-22:
Every expectation we have ever had, every image we have ever envisioned, every
description we have ever considered will pale in comparison to the NEW ORDER
WHICH IS COMING – THE NEW CREATION OF ALL THINGS!
ARE YOU READY? JESUS IS COMING! – Revelation 22:7-1
"The book ends with the gospel invitation: ‘Whoever wishes, let him come, let
him take of the water of life.’ After all, the book (of Revelation) is not a crystal
ball, given to us for our own insatiable curiosity about the future. It is the invita-
tion of the Holy Spirit through the bride (God’s people) issued to the world…it is
full of grace: ‘free gift’ is how the offer is described."
Bob Brown, Background Notes
The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. In chapters 19-22, John witnesses the climax of history, and God gives him a
glimpse of the New World. According to 19:6-10, what event is being celebrated?
Who are the participants? Why is this significant?
2. Discuss the view of the Second Coming in 19:11-21. Compare it to Matthew 24:
30-31, I Thessalonians 4:16-18, II Thessalonians 1:6-10, and I Corinthians 15:
51-52. Compare and contrast these varying descriptions. What stands out in
each one?
3. According to 21:2-4, which of the following is true: the future is about going to
heaven, or heaven coming to earth? Why is this important?
4. Read and discuss Paul’s words in Romans 8:18-25. Is there an expectation in all
creation of the events of Revelation? What are the implications of this? What
evidences do you see of this?
November 7,8 - Breaking the Code - Signs and Symbols
Pastor Adam Lewis
REVELATION 4-18
The Rundown
1. The Scroll (Revelation 5)
Hebrews 9:23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be
purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these.
2. The Lamb (Revelation 5)
3. The Seven Seals (Revelation 6)
Daniel 12:9 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up
and sealed until the time of the end."
4. The Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:6-9:21)
5. The Woman Clothed by the Sun (Revelation 12)
Genesis 3:15 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.
6. The Fall of Babylon (Revelation 18)
Reflection Questions
1. What part does symbolism play in the book of Revelation? Give an example.
2. There are four recorded hymns in Revelation 4-5. What part does music play in
John’s vision of the throne, the scrolls, and the lamb? What does this mean for
our worship today?
3. What are the titles of the four horsemen? Why is their identity relevant to us
today?
4. Describe the symbolism in Revelation 12 regarding the woman, the child and the
dragon. What happens to the dragon in Revelation 12:9? Why is this significant?
What does it mean for us today?
5. Should we take the book of Revelation literally or should we treat it as a symbolic
picture of things (or patterns) to come?
Oct. 31 / Nov. 1 - Seven Churches . . . Seven Messages for Us
Pastors Adam Lewis & Kevin Ulmet
Revelation 2-3: to the seven churches in the province of Asia
To Ephesus:
1. Were hard workers and demonstrated perseverance
2. Had forsaken their first love . . . Christ
3. To those who overcame, they would be given the right to eat from the tree of life,
which was in paradise.
To Smyrna:
1. Were spiritually rich despite their great poverty
2. To those who overcame, they would not be hurt at all by the second death.
To Pergamum:
1. Remained true to the name of Christ even though there was heavy cult worship
2. Had people who held to the teachings of Balaam
3. To those who overcame, they would be given some hidden manna and a white
stone with a new name on it.
To Thyatira:
1. Remained true in faith, deeds and service and were doing more than they were
at first
2. Tolerated the woman Jezebel and her teachings
3. To those who overcame, He would give authority over the nations.
To Sardis:
1. Had a reputation of being alive but were truly dead
2. Were called to remember what they had received, obey it and repent!
3. To those who overcame, they would be dressed in white and their name would
never be blotted out of the Book of Life.
To Philadelphia:
1. Kept the command of Christ and endured with patience
2. Were encouraged to hold on to what they had because Christ is coming soon
3. To those who overcame, Christ would make them pillars in the temple.
To Laodicea:
1. Christ knew their deeds; they were neither hot or cold, but lukewarm.
2. Were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked and were called to repent by Christ
3. To those who overcame, Christ would give the right to sit with Him on the throne.
If Christ were writing a letter to First Nazarene, what would He:
1. Commend us on?
2. Say needed improvement?
3. Promise us for the future if we overcame?
Reflection Questions
1. What are some traits of the early churches that John addresses with the
guidance of Christ?
2. How do those traits compare to the things that deter us from Christ today?
That draw us closer to Christ today?
3. Make a list of the things that Christ promises to those that will "overcome."
Discuss each one.
4. At the end of each letter John writes, "He who has an ear, let him hear." What
does this mean for the churches of his time? What does it mean for us today?
5. If John were writing a letter to First Nazarene, what would he commend us on?
What would he say needed improvement? What would be his challenge to us
for the future, looking forward to Christ’s return?
October 25 - Who's in Charge and What's Happening
SERIES GOAL: After this series, I will look forward to Christ’s coming, live for eternal things, and understand the basics of the end times so that I can be prepared for eternity.
TODAY’S PURPOSE: To understand that Christ is Lord of the past, present and future.
Various Methods of Interpreting the Book of Revelation
Futurist – It is largely a prophecy of future events depicted in symbols which lead up
to the end of the world. Extreme futurists are "dispensationalists," a system of
biblical interpretation formalized in the 19th century by John Nelson Darby and
popularized by the publishing of the Scofield Study Bible.
Historical – It is a symbolic prophecy of the entire history of the church to the end
of the age chronologically.
Idealist – It is a symbolic portrayal of spiritual cosmic conflict – seeing the
"something deeper" at work in events.
Preterist – Most of Revelation and the Gospel’s predictions have been fulfilled. Be
encouraged as you go through hard times and look forward to the Second
Coming as the final completion of God’s plan.
Revelation is "Apocalyptic" literature in which "revelation is given by God, to a human seer, through an otherworldly mediator, disclosing future events and/or transcendent reality…intended to affect…the audience."
Charles Talbert (quoted in Background Notes)
Author – John, Apostle; pastor of the Ephesus church; cared for Jesus’ mother
Mary; exiled to Island of Patmos; received "revelation" in "Cave of the
Acopalypse;" returned to Ephesus and died peacefully of old age.
Key to Understanding Revelation: "The beast is both Rome and the eschatological
Anti-Christ and, we might add, any demonic power which the church must face
in her entire history. The great tribulation is primarily an eschatological event, but
it includes all tribulation which the church may experience at the hands of the
world, whether by first-century Rome or by later evil powers…"
George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on Revelation
Today’s Passage: Revelation 1
1. WHAT’S HAPPENING?
vv. 1-3 / v. 7 / v. 9-11 / vv. 19-20
2. WHO’S IN CHARGE?
vv. 4-6
v. 8 – Memory Verse – "I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God,
‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
vv. 12-18
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Discuss briefly the methods of interpretation listed in the outline above. Which are
you most comfortable with?
2. Discuss what it would have been like to be John and to have received this
"revelation" from Christ while in exile on an island, then to have to write it down for
all to read.
3. What are the implications of Revelation 1:8 and 1:18? Read John 1:1-4, 14 and
discuss as well.
4. Read and discuss John’s description of Christ in verses 13-17. Is this how you
have pictured Jesus? How does this picture affect you?
October 17, 18 - No One Knows
SERIES GOAL: After this series, I will look forward to Christ’s coming, live for eternal things, and understand the basics of the end times so that I can be prepared for eternity.
We are surrounded by speculation about Christ’s return and the end of time as we know it. The Bible is clear on this: Jesus Christ is "coming again!"
MEMORY VERSE FOR TODAY: No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Matthew 24:36
Two Things to Understand about End-Times Biblical Teaching (Eschatology) from this weekend’s Background Notes by Bob Brown
UNDERSTANDING THE AGE
- - -The Present Age- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jesus Comes Jesus Comes Again
WE LIVE "BETWEEN THE TIMES"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Age to Come- - - - - - -
• We are living between the "already" and the "not yet!
• I Corinthians 13:12, I Corinthians 15:51-52; I John 3:2
UNDERSTANDING THE TWO HORIZONS
• Near-Term Horizon – When Jesus rose from the dead and after forty days
ascended to heaven, He was, in effect, coming into His kingdom.
• Long-Term Horizon – Once the early church moved past 70 C.E. and the end of
Second-Temple Judaism, a new set of issues appeared – the task of bringing the
Gospel to the ends of the earth…the foreground for the church and the world until
Jesus appears the second time, and when new heavens and new earth emerge
from the fiery judgment of God’s day
• II Peter 3:8 – one day = 1000 years to God!
Our Text Today: Matthew 24
1. WAITING (24:1-14)
Two Horizons: First Century (66-73 C.E.) war, tribulation, end of Jewish national
life for almost 2000 years; (70 C.E.) Fall of Jerusalem and complete destruction
of Temple.
Second Coming – what we are waiting for!
2. WATCHING (24:15-35, 42-44)
Two Horizons!
3. WORKING – WITH URGENCY! (24:36-41, 45-51)
Two Horizons! "Just as the first century Christians experienced their own apoca-
lypse and coming of Christ in judgment on Jerusalem at the end of their age, so
also the people of God in the future will experience a final fulfillment of those
inaugural events. If the events of Matthew 24 were a ‘little apocalypse’ those
surrounding God’s restoration of all things in our future would constitute the ‘final
apocalypse.’" Bob Brown, Background Notes
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss the three scriptures listed in the "Understanding the Age"
section above.
2. How does "two ages" and "two horizons" help us understand prophecy in the
Bible? Why have we so often only considered the long-term and failed to under-
stand the original meaning to the original audience?
3. Read Matthew 24:36, 42, 44. Why do we try to figure out times and dates?
4. Discuss the warning and meaning of Matthew 24:45-51. What is this saying?
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
ON A MISSION FROM GOD
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
October 4 - from Isolated to Connected
SERIES GOAL: For each attendee of our church to understand the mission of God and see themselves as a missionary sent by God to be a part of advancing His kingdom and restoring the fallen people and world around them to the image of God.
SERIES CHALLENGE: To prepare for the following commitment on October 10-11...
The mission of my church is to develop fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ
who love God and others.
The vision of my church is to intentionally connect people in my community
with Christ.
I accept God’s call to be his missionary to my world and to help carry out this
mission and vision
Through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen.
TODAY’S PURPOSE: to understand that God calls me to surrender my personal privileges and freedoms and calls me to serve others in Jesus’ name to influence them toward Christ.
I Corinthians 9
I Corinthians 9:19-23
"…Paul makes the principle of ‘all things to all people’ deeply personal. Mission is not just something that he does but belongs to the essential character of who he is. Being a Christian cannot be separated from being on a mission from God. The idea of being a Christian is intrinsically about the mission."
—Bob Brown, Background Notes
1. FROM ISOLATING TO CONNECTING - How much do I love lost people?
My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some
impressive object is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings,
conferences, study groups and workshops that prevent me from walking the
streets… I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people
by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own
and to let them know with words, handshakes and hugs that you do not simply
like them – but truly love them. —Henri Nouwen, Gracious!
2. INTENTIONAL DETERMINATION – How willing am I to serve others?
I Corinthians 9:24-27
"FIRST FIVE
John 15:12-13: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
– Jesus Christ
THIS WEEK’S MISSION – to intentionally:
• buy something for someone or give up something you have to someone who
needs it.
• go share your story or your care with someone who needs it whether or not they
deserve it.
Text or e-mail your reports to us!
BELIEVER BAPTISM – OCTOBER 10-11 in all 3 weekend services.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss I Corinthians 9:1-12. What is Paul "giving up?" Why?
Especially discuss verse 12. How does this apply to our lives?
2. If YOU were writing I Corinthians 9:20-22, what groups or types of people from
your life would be on your list that "you would become like" in order to "save
some"?
3. Read and discuss I Corinthians 8:9. How does this apply to your life?
4. How committed is Paul to "winning some" – influencing some – towards Jesus?
How committed are we? Am I?
September 27 - from Dormant to Fruitful
SERIES GOAL: For each attendee of our church to understand the mission of God and see themselves as a missionary sent by God to be a part of advancing His kingdom and restoring the fallen people and world around them to the image of God.
SERIES CHALLENGE: To prepare for the following commitment on October 10-11...
The mission of my church is to develop fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ
who love God and others.
The vision of my church is to intentionally connect people in my community
with Christ.
I accept God’s call to be his missionary to my world and to help carry out this
mission and vision.
Through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen
TODAY’S PURPOSE: To understand that I am to personally influence people toward Christ and see results – bear fruit!
The John 15 "Plan"
1. Connect with Jesus – John 15:5
"Bearing fruit is not a solitary task of the branch, but the cooperative process
between branch, vine and the diligent work of the gardener…That is why Jesus
tells his disciples to ‘remain in him’ since the branch cannot bear fruit ‘by itself’
but can only do so by remaining connected to the vine."
---Bob Brown, Background Notes
2. Influence people towards Christ – John 15:8
3. See results – John 15:16-1
Prayer is not given here as a vending machine option for whatever our selfish
desires want. Quite the contrary. It begins with a personal relationship with
Jesus that grows and is nurtured (remain in me). It is expressed in love for
others (love as I have loved). It is punctuated by obvious fruit-bearing and is a
mission-driven promise from start to finish!
WHAT IF WE PRAYED INTENTLY FOR LOST PEOPLE AND FOR GOD TO GIVE US HOLY INFLUENCE WITH PEOPLE AND FRUIT FOR OUR SPIRITUAL LABOR?
The stories are starting to be told!
THIS WEEK’S MISSION: To evaluate "my ministries." What am I involved in that is reaching people? Make a list of possibilities and inquire this week as to how I can get more involved in reaching people. Text or
email reports in as to how the process is going!
BELIEVER BAPTISM—OCTOBER 10/11 in all 3 weekend services.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss John 15:1-2. What do these verses mean? How serious is this
issue? How does it apply to our lives?
2. We are a results-oriented society. What kind of "results" does "fruit-bearing"
indicate from John 15? Who/what is the "fruit?" How can one measure influence?
3. Read John 14:23-24. What does this say about the seriousness of our response
to the teaching on fruit-bearing in John 15?
4. Read John 14:25-27. What message is there for us in these verses about our
fears and feelings of inadequacy?
September 20 - from Fearful to Courageous
SERIES GOAL: For each attendee of our church to understand the mission of God and see themselves as a missionary sent by God to be a part of advancing His kingdom and restoring the fallen people and world around them to the image of God.
SERIES CHALLENGE: To prepare for the following commitment on October 10-11...
The mission of my church is to develop fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ
who love God and others.
The vision of my church is to intentionally connect people in my community
with Christ.
I accept God’s call to be his missionary to my world and to help carry out this
mission and vision.
Through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen.
TODAY’S PURPOSE: To realize that Christ is my foundation and I can courageously join His mission!
Matthew 28:16-20
1. What is our Mission? - The Great CoMISSION
2. The Foundation of Christ
John 3:35-36 – The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his
hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the
Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
Colossians 1:13-20
3. How do we get it done
Ephesians 4:11-16
The Fear Factor:
Start with WHO you are and use WHAT you have to influence people toward HIS kingdom – every day, all the time, in every way.
It’s not JUST actually leading someone to Christ. It’s more often influencing someone TOWARD Christ in some way.
"Our mission is not to change the world, but it is God’s mission to do so. The mission is not about what God does for us, but rather what He does through us. We cannot build the kingdom, but we are to build for the kingdom…Our mission is not to duplicate the achievement of Jesus –we surely cannot and must not try – but we are called upon to implement it." --Bob Brown, Background Notes
THIS WEEK’S MISSION: To share something from "my story" with someone about how Jesus has changed my life, and email or text in to us as to how it went!
BELIEVER BAPTISM – OCTOBER 10/11 in all 3 weekend services.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Bob Brown’s quote in the sermon outline (above right). What is your
reaction to it? What are the implications of this statement? Do you agree
with it?
2. Think of your life in the past week. Did you at any time influence someone else
toward Christ? What could you have done in your words or actions to do so -
or to do so better?
3. Read and discuss John the Baptist’s words in John 3:28-36. How serious of an
issue does accepting or rejecting Christ seem to be according to this passage?
Does most of our world understand this? Most of the church? What should our
reaction be to this?
4. Can you be a "Christian" and not join the mission? Why or why not?
September 13 - from Confused to Focused
SERIES GOAL: For each attendee of our church to understand the mission of God and see themselves as a missionary sent by God to be a part of advancing His kingdom and restoring the fallen people and world around them to the image of God.
SERIES CHALLENGE: To prepare for the following commitment on October 10-11...
The mission of my church is to develop fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ
who love God and others.
The vision of my church is to intentionally connect people in my community
with Christ.
I accept God’s call to be his missionary to my world and to help carry out this
mission and vision.
Through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen.
TODAY’S PURPOSE: To realize that a holy God desires to make me holy so I am ready to join His mission.
Ezekiel 36:16-32
If we are on a "mission from God". . .
• Who is God?
• What does He want us to be?
• What does He want us to do?
1. The Consequences of Spiritual Confusion (36:16-21)
2. A Holy God Desires Holy People (36:22-32)
3. Intentionally Focusing on How We Are to Live (36:23, 27, 28)
36:23b – Let Him live holy through us
36:27b – Follow His decrees and law
36:28b – Live in personal relationship with Him
Psalm 51:7-12, 13, 15
• Repentance – 51:7-9
• Pure heart and changed attitude – 51:10-1
• Preparing for the Mission – 51:13, 15
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss Ezekiel 36:22-23. What do these verses say about God? What
do they say about us? What is our purpose as God’s people in these verses?
2. Notice Ezekiel’s emphasis on "cleansing" (verses 25, 29, 33). Now read Jesus’
words in Matthew 5:8. Also read Acts 1:4-5, 8, and Acts 2:1-4, and Acts 15:8-9.
What connection do these Acts verses have to the Ezekiel 36 verses about
cleansing and purifying?
3. Reread Psalm 51—David’s prayer—especially verses 7 and 10. Does what
David prays for connect with Ezekiel 36 and the Acts verses above? How?
4. Is there a difference between a pure heart and perfect performance? Which one
do these scriptures call us to? What is possible and what isn’t in this life?
WHAT YOU PASS ON
Pastors Jill Crew & Adam Lewis
September 5, 6
Priorities in the ___________________________________ Family
List 3 of them.
1. Get on the same page as a family.
2. Work toward spiritual fusion in marriage.
• Make God part of your conversations.
• Read portions of the Bible together and talk about what you’ve learned.
• Pray together about a troublesome area of your relationship.
• Go for a walk and have a spiritual conversation.
• Attend church regularly . . . together.
3. We pass things on to our children everyday.
4. Be still and know that He is God.
• Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What makes my / your / our family unique?
2. What are our top priorities right now in our stage of life as a family?
3. Where does God fit into those priorities? Does He? Has He?
4. What are some creative ways we can impress God’s Word on our children’s
hearts? (Deuteronomy 6:7)
5. Strong marriages help the development of the family. What can be done today
to help strengthen your marriage? What conversations need to happen? Is it
worth putting off reconciliation for one more day?
6. Create a Family Mission Statement.
• As a family, talk about the non-negotiable things that you want your mission
statement to convey. Make sure everyone understands and is on the same
page.
• Guide your family to write a mission statement that reflects these agreed-upon
values.
• When you have finished this task, creatively display the mission statement on
your refrigerator or in a prominent place in your home.
(taken from Holmen, Faith Begins at Home)
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
NAZAREMIX
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
August 30 - We Are Open to All
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To recognize that the Church is here for BOTH the spiritual growth of the believer AND the seeking and finding of the spiritually LOST and bringing them home to Jesus.
Luke 15
TWO GROUPS:
Luke 15:1 – tax collectors and ‘sinners’ gathering to hear Jesus, and Pharisees and teachers of the law who were muttering ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
TWO REACTIONS:
Luke 15:7 – MORE rejoicing in heaven over ONE SINNER who repents than 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.
TWO STORIES:
Lost sheep is diligently searched for, leaving the 99 non-lost sheep behind, found, and a celebration party begins! Lost coin is diligently searched for, found, and a celebration party begins!
TWO SONS:
Luke 15:11-32.
The targets of this story are not ‘wayward sinners’ but religious people who do everything the Bible requires. Jesus is pleading not so much with immoral outsiders as with moral insiders. He wants to show them their blindness, narrowness, and self-righteousness, and how these things are destroying both their own souls and the lives of the people around them..
No, the original listeners were not melted into tears by this story but rather they were thunderstruck, offended and infuriated. Jesus’ purpose is not to warm our hearts but to shatter our categories.
The crucial point here is that, in general, religiously observant people were offended by Jesus, but those estranged from religious and moral observance were intrigued and attracted to him…Jesus’ teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day. Quotes from The Prodigal God By Timothy Keller
A strange reversal has occurred in the economy of God’s salvation. Outsiders, tax collectors, sinners, and rebellious children, lost sheep and coins, have become insiders. Insiders, scribes, Pharisees, safe sheep, securely deposited coins, and obedient children, run the risk of being outside. But the mercy of God extends to all. Bob Brown – Background notes
Article XI – Church of the Nazarene Articles of Faith: We believe in the Church, the community that confesses Jesus Christ as Lord, the covenant people of God made new in Christ, the Body of Christ called together by the Holy Spirit through the Word…The mission of the Church in the world is to continue the redemptive work of Christ in the power of the Spirit through holy living, evangelism, discipleship and service.
A CALL TO REPENTANCE FOR THE INSIDERS
A CHALLENGE TO SEEK AND FIND THE OUTSIDERS AND CELEBRATE WHEN THEY ARE FOUND!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss carefully the story of the two sons and the father in Luke 15:
11-32. Discuss the story from the three perspectives – the Father, the sinful
son, and the elder brother.
2. Why do people today seem to so often love our Jesus but hate our churches?
3. Which group mentioned in Luke 15:1-2 were the three stories in Luke 15
primarily addressed to? Why?
August 23 - We Are Christ-Centered
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand that Jesus Christ is the only basis for my relationship with God, my sins being forgiven and my heart and life being made holy.
JUSTIFICATION and SANCTIFICATION - "The Fications!"
1. JUSTIFICATION – Christ’s initial work in our lives
Romans 4:22-5:2
Romans 5:16-19
Article IX – Articles of Faith – Church of the Nazarene: We believe that justification is the gracious and judicial act of God by which He grants full pardon of all guilt and complete release from the penalty of sins committed, and acceptance as righteous, to all who believe on Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior.
Justification is joined by "regeneration" and "adoption" in one work of grace!
These are "simultaneous in the experience of seekers after God and are obtained upon the condition of faith, preceded by repentance, and that to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness." Article IX, Articles of Faith, Church of the Nazarene
2. SANCTIFICATION – Christ’s deeper work in our lives
John 17:13-20
Sanctify = to set apart for God’s use, to purify
Article X – Articles of Faith – Church of the Nazarene: We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect.
It is wrought by the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service.
Entire Sanctification is provided by the blood of Jesus, is wrought instantaneously by faith, preceded by entire consecration, and to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness.
We believe that there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. For former is obtained in an instant, the result of entire sanctification; the latter is the result of growth in grace…
3. Christ’s Transforming Process in us
I Corinthians 6:11
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Have I been justified?
Have I entered into the process of sanctification?
Have I been entirely sanctified?
Am I growing in His grace and Holiness?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss I Corinthians 6:9-20. Note the past tense and present tense in
this passage. What are the main points of this passage for us today?
2. Read and discuss John 17:13-26. What is the connection between sanctification
and not being "of the world"? Between unity among believers and sanctification?
Why are these important issues?
3. Note in John 17 the oneness of the Son (Jesus) and the Father (God). What does
that model in Jesus' prayer say to us about our relationship with Him?
August 16 - We Are Bible Based
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand the Bible is my spiritual guide and my basis of truth, and to have new and practical ways to read it and understand it.
Where did the Old Testament come from? "…the Old Testament is in the Bible. It has been there since the church’s canon was first formed, indeed was regarded in the church as Holy Scripture before the New Testament was written…"
John Bright, The Authority of the Old Testament
"The Hebrew Bible has come down to us through the scrupulous care of ancient scribes who copied the original text in successive generations…"
Max Lucado, The Inspirational Study Bible
Where did the New Testament come from? "There is more manuscript support for the New Testament than for any other body of ancient literature. Over five thousand Greek, eight thousand Latin, and many more manuscripts in other languages attest to the integrity of the New Testament."
Max Lucado, The Inspirational Study Bible
What do Nazarenes believe about the Bible? "We believe in the plenary (full) inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, by which we understand the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, given by divine inspiration, inerrantly revealing the will of God concerning us in all things necessary to our salvation, so that whatever is not contained therein is not to be enjoined as an article of faith."
Article IV, Articles of Faith, Church of the Nazarene Manual
Our Scripture Text:
II Timothy 3
1. The Believer and the Bible (II Timothy 3:10-17)
2. The Reality of Life Without the Bible (II Timothy 3:1-5)
3. Building my Life on the Word of God
Psalm 119
119: 89-93
119: 103-104
119: 105
119: 114
119: 130
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. How were you raised in your family in terms of the Bible? What did you believe
the Bible was? How often did you and/or your family read it?
2. Read the following passages and discuss the role and importance of the Bible in
understanding truth: Luke 24:27-32; I Corinthians 15:1-4; I Timothy 4:11-16.
3. Read and discuss Article IV of the Nazarene Articles of Faith in the sermon out-
line above. What difference does a church’s statement of doctrine on scripture
make? How important are words like "divine inspiration" and "inerrantly"?
4. Why do so many Christians not read the Bible regularly? Do you? Why or why
not? What difference might it make if more did?
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
WHAT IF
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
August 9 - . . . We Spoke Up?
Pastor Tim Britton
On the Road Again: v.1-15
Arriving in Athens: v.16-21
Understanding the Context: v.22-27
Engaging the Culture: v.28-31
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. -- 1 Corinthians 9:22
Difficult Conversations: v.31-34
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. If you were to look at our community and nation through the eyes of a missionary,
how would you describe our current spiritual landscape or religious context?
2. What are the challenges of sharing Christ in our current context? How do we
overcome some of these challenges?
3. What does it mean to you to engage the culture as you share the message of
Christ? How can we engage culture without fully embracing it or endorsing the
aspects that do not glorify God?
4. Is the message of the Gospel still relevant and needed in our world today?
5. What would happen if you "Spoke Up"? What is stopping you?
August 2 - . . . We Have Holy Spirit-Led Influence?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand the Holy Spirit can use US to influence our communities for the Kingdom of God!
In September of 2008, the economic world as we knew it completely changed.
March 2009 – "Between 40 and 45 percent of the world’s wealth has been destroyed in little less than a year and a half. This is absolutely unprecedented in our lifetime." Stephen Schwarzman, CEO, Blackstone Group
March 13, 2009 – "The Federal Reserve reported Thursday that households lost…9% of their wealth in the last three months of 2008, the most ever in a single quarter in the 57-year history of recordkeeping by the central bank. For the full year, household wealth dropped…18%." New York Times
From the Wall Street Journal July 15, 2009:
Chicago area millionaires end of 2007 - 205,40
Chicago area millionaires end of 2008 - 172,200
Our Text: Acts 16:6-40
As you hear and consider this story from Acts 16, here are some KEY QUESTIONS to think about and respond to during the sermon and through the next week in your personal devotional time:
• How do I see the "marketplace" today in relationship to my faith in Christ?
• How highly do I value money and profit?
• Do I value success more than people, or people more than success?
• Do I value profit more than people, or people more than profit?
• Which do I value most: personal gain or others’ spiritual freedom?
• What price am I willing to pay to keep my present lifestyle and income, and
at what cost to my personal or my family’s spiritual growth or the spiritual
growth of others?
• In a direct battle between the "marketplace" and Christ, who wins in my life?
In my family? In my corporation or business?
• What have I taught my kids about the value of wealth and the priority of the
marketplace in regard to the position Christ holds in their lives?
• What have I modeled to my kids or grandkids by my actions and decisions
regarding the priorities of wealth and the marketplace vs. the priority of Christ
in my life?
• Is there a direct link between the high value of profit and success in my life,
the lowering priority of Christ in my life, and the Holy-Spirit led influence I am
having on others?
GROUP QUESTIONS
Please consider the story of Acts 16. Talk through it, development by development. In addition to the questions in the sermon outline above, consider these questions:
1. What was the primary reason for the conflict in Acts 16:19-21?
2. What does verse 25 indicate about Paul and Silas’ priorities and values?
3. What do verses 33-34 indicate about the influence Paul and Silas had?
4. What do we learn from this story that can be applied to our lives and possible
influence – at home, at work, in our community?
July 26 - . . . We, the Church, Can't Get Along?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to learn to seek God’s answers to our conflicts and press on together!
Our Text: Acts 15:1-35
What is the most awful Church conflict story you have been involved in or you know about?
The first-century Christian community had its share of controversy and conflict…It was one thing for adamant disbelievers of the Gospel to stir up animosity against the apostles; but quite another for seemingly committed Christ-followers to, on principle, refuse to accept each other as fully vested members of the people of God. Bob Brown, Background Note
1. THE ISSUE
Acts 15:1-5
Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. Acts 15:1b
This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. Acts 15:2a
Greek stasis – "to engage in intense and emotional expressions of different opinions…heated quarrel"
Greek zetesis – "to express forceful differences of opinion without necessarily having a presumed goal of seeking a solution; to dispute
2. THE LEADERS URGE RESOLUTION (Peter, Barnabas, Paul, James)
Acts 15:6-19
3. THE COMPROMISE
Acts 15:20-2
4. THE UNITED DECISION
Acts 15:22-35
The Spirit helps the apostles and disciples break open their ways of thinking, feeling, and acting so they can participate in the world of God’s reign – the world of the Spirit’s power – a world not limited by a particular set of social, ethnic, or ritual prescriptions. Thinking patterns, ways of being and acting, are radically transformed and reshaped. Bob Brown, Background Notes
Conflict resolution in the Church is not a one-time thing: it is a constant process, hopefully Holy-Spirit led! See Acts 15:36-41
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What is the most awful Church conflict story you have been involved in or you
know about?
2. We often invest the most of ourselves, including our emotions, in those areas we
hold in highest priority, such as our relationships with God, marriage, children and
family. Aren’t these most often the areas of highest conflict also? What is the
relationship between emotion and conflict?
3. Read and discuss Colossians 3:1-17. What key issues are raised and what
solutions given for Christians in conflict from the Apostle Paul’s instructions to
the church at Colosse?
4. What do you think of the process the early church went through in Acts 15, the
Council, the solution (letter), etc.? What principles can we glean from this
experience for modern conflicts in the Church?
July 19 - . . . I'm in a Spiritual Battle?
Pastor Ron Allen
Text: Acts 14:8-28
The Danger of the WOW factor (14:8-13)
The Simple Truth (14:14-18)
The Hard Truth (14:19-28, especially vs. 19 & 22)
. . . then I will learn to fight for Christ who will prevail.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Why did Paul call out to the lame man "Stand up on your feet"? (vv. 8-10)
2. What hardships was Paul referring to? As Christians how can we successfully
navigate through them? (vv. 21-25)
3. What are the results of persistence in the midst of our spiritual battles? (vv. 19-22)
July 5 - . . . The World is Anti-Christ?
The Preacher, The People, and the King – How does the Church function in an often Anti-Christ world?
Acts 12
Today’s Takeaway: To understand that no matter how bad it gets in our world, the cause of Christ continues to advance, lead by His people and His preachers!
1. HEROD THE KING
Herod Agrippa I ruled 39-44 C.E.
"The Empire" – earthly power and authority, often anti-Christ! "The State"
Acts 12:1-4
Executes James brother of John
Goes for "juggler" – Peter
The Church is under great attack!
2. THE PEOPLE – THE CHRISTIANS – THE CHURCH!
Acts 12:5, 12
Prayer is not weakness - it is strength.
Continuing to seek and trust God for deliverance and victory!
The Devil tries to cower us into our corners and hide us behind our halos as
impotent, irrelevant religiosity in the midst of rampant and popular sin. Christ
commands us and the Holy Spirit fills us to become confident, competent
witnesses to His presence in our lives and the change He has made in us.
3. PETER THE PREACHER
The Church – the Christians – Christ and the Kingdom of God in this world
Acts 12:6-19
4. THE RESULT!
Acts 12:21-25
"Anti-Christ cannot forever sustain his rule nor will his kingdom endure, as
Luther so aptly put it in his hymn, ‘His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom
is sure; one little word shall fell him.’ Luke tells us how productive that ‘little
word’ was in the case of the early Christians." Bob Brown, Background Notes
WHAT THEN SHOULD I DO?
• Pray
• Absorb the Word of God
• Be bold and strong – keep the faith!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. We often think of "Anti-Christ" as a particular person at the end of time.
Consider this quote from Bob Brown’s Background Notes: "It could be said
with confidence that the people of God have faced many anti-Christs throughout
its history." What is your response to that? Any examples?
2. Read and discuss John 16:12-33. Who is the "Spirit of truth"? What does verse
20 mean? What is your reaction to verse 33
3. Read and discuss II John 7-8. What are the implications of these verses? What
might be some examples in our own time now of anti-Christs? How should we
react to them?
June 21 - . . . We Invite ALL to Follow Jesus?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand that a relationship with Jesus Christ is available to all who will seek and believe in Him and that His Church should be open to everyone seeking Him.
Our Text: Acts 10
Our Vision: To be the Family Resource Center where Christ and Community Connect
Church Insiders - Those who believe and are "in" the Church already.
Church Outsiders - Those who are seeking or not interested but are outside the Church.
1. Church Outsider Seeking – it’s always happening!
Cornelius – Acts 10:1-8
2. Church Insiders Changing – it’s always a necessity!
Peter – Acts 10:9-23
"…all such…rendered a Jew ceremonially unclean, as did even the entering of
a Gentile house or the handling of articles belonging to Gentiles. The most
ordinary kinds of food, such as bread, oil, or milk, coming from Gentiles, could
not be eaten by a strict Jew, not to speak of flesh, which might have been
offered in sacrifice to idols…It was thus a very difficult thing for Jews to travel in
foreign lands…And of all…with Gentiles, the most intolerable thing was sitting
at meat with them." (F. F. Bruce quoted in this weekend’s Background Notes)
"Keep yourself separate from the nations, and do not eat with them; and do not
imitate their rituals, nor associate with them." Jubilees 22:16
3. Church Reborn – it’s the inevitable result!
Acts 10:24-48
"God doesn’t play favorites among the nations of the world. What matters to Him
is not DNA but open ears and obedient hearts. There are no other preconditions."
(Bob Brown, Background Notes)
Acts 10:43
We seem to be far more interested in the power and symbols of the Holy Spirit
and less interested in the heart and mind change He desires to bring to us as
insiders! The former edifies us. The latter costs us surrender, moves us from our
comfort zones and forces us to be honest with God and ourselves
Acts 15:7-9 – Peter’s testimony
WHAT DOES THIS CHAPTER SAY TO ME?
WHAT DOES IT SAY TO OUR CHURCH?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Re-read the vision of Peter starting in Acts 10:9, then read the quotes under #2
in the sermon outline. What kind of changes did this vision call for? How painful
would the changes have been for Peter and these committed Jews? What are
the messages for us today?
2. Why are we so reluctant to change in our own hearts and churches today on
these issues? What are we holding on to? What are we trying to protect? Why
is that often more attractive than accepting the changes Christ desires to bring
to us?
3. Read and discuss Paul’s words in Galatians 5:1-26. What are the parallels with
today’s Acts passage? And what again is the message of Galatians 5 for us and
our church today?
June 7 - . . . You Were Knocked Off Your Horse?
Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-31
1. WHO SAUL WAS
• At Stephen’s stoning, Saul is "in authority" seeking to "destroy the church.
• Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-2
• Galatians 1:13-14 – For you have heard of my previous way of life in
Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy
it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was
extremely zealous for the tradition of my fathers."
• Acts 22:4 – I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting
both men and women and throwing them into prison.
• Saul was to his era of Judaism what fundamentalist Islamic terrorists are to
today’s Islam.
• CHANGE is the theme of our present age. Perhaps the greatest story
of CHANGE in the Bible is Saul’s story!
2. HOW SAUL CHANGED
• Acts 9:3-9
• Acts 22:6-11
• Acts 9:10-19
- Confronted by Christ
- Believes in Christ
- Obeys Christ
- Submits to the Church
- Filled with the Holy Spirit
- Is baptized
- Tells his story
• Philippians 3:4-11
• Philippians 3:7 – But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the
sake of Christ.
3. WHAT SAUL BECAME
• Paul! Acts 13:9
• Leader of the Church – Acts 9:20-3
• Author of Scripture
IF GOD CAN SAVE SAUL, GOD CAN SAVE ANYONE!
Have I been changed?
Have I been saved?
Have I begun a personal relationship with Jesus?
Revelation 3:20 – Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Jesus Christ
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Acts 22:3-5, 26:4-5, and Philippians 3:4-6. What drives people to such
commitment and zealousness in religions that are not of Christ and the one
true God?
2. What was the most powerful aspect of Saul/Paul’s story: the dramatic way in
which his conversion happened or the fact that he shared it over and over, and
people saw the change in his life?
3. Read Acts 1:6-8 again. Was it Jesus’ intention that all of us become witnesses
or Him? What (or who) is the KEY factor in his statement in Acts 1 regarding
their witnessing? Is that still true today? What difference does it make today
in our lives to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
May 31 - . . . We Were All Filled?
Pastor Dave Ludwig
Introduction: On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. (Acts 8:1)
Scattered = To separate and go in different directions
In Matthew 13, Jesus says there are two kinds of seed that go out into the world.
Acts 8: 9-25
1. GENUINE PEOPLE
• One preached himself; the other preached Christ.
• One man amazed the audience with "sorcery;" the other man performed genuine
miracles by the Spirit.
• For Simon, the power of Philip seemed more fascinating than the power of
Christ.
• Simon thought he could buy the gift of God.
2. EVENTS
• Power of the Holy Spirit versus power of magic
• Power of God versus power of the world
• God uses simple events in our lives in which we are able to participate in order
to introduce the Gospel of Jesus to everyone.
Acts 8:26-40
3. DIVINE ENCOUNTERS
• We need to remain open and alert to whom God brings across our path
• We need to be open to the Holy Spirit working within us.
"The role of the Spirit in all of this is significant. We often hear about the leading of the Spirit. For example Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Paul writes about being led by the Spirit. In Philip’s case, he is directed by an angel and to the chariot by the Spirit." (Bob Brown. Background Notes)
Do you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you?
Do you have the genuine Spirit or some cheap substitute?
WE WOULD RELY ON THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DIRECT US!
May 24 - . . . We Believed That Deeply?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE:
• To understand what drove a man named Stephen to such deep commitment to
Christ
• To have that kind of relationship with Him myself
Our Text: Acts 6:1-7:60
Remember our "fanatic" discussion a few weeks ago? "A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject." (Winston Churchill) By that definition, Stephen was a "fanatic" for Christ!
1. Stephen the man – Acts 6:1-15.
• begins as chosen server of widows
• full of faith and the Holy Spirit
• full of God’s grace and power
• wisdom and the Spirit
• face of an angel
"Though Stephen was not part of the original Apostolate, he was, nonetheless,
just as empowered to minister within the community as a witness to the Jewish
people… Stephen bore ‘witness’ to Jesus and then followed him into death itself.
These similarities are fitting reminders of how far he was willing to go in his
commitment." Bob Brown, Background Notes
2. Stephen the speaker – 7:1-53
• Identifies with Jewish history – Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Tabernacle and
Temple
• Closes with "prophetic oracle" – preaches the truth!
"stiff-necked people"
"uncircumcised hearts"
"uncircumcised ears"
"just like your fathers"
"resist the Holy Spirit"
"persecute the prophets"
"received the law but did not obey it"
3. Stephen the martyr – Acts 7:54-60
• We are only in Acts chapter 7. We have seen opposition, hypocrisy, persecution
and now martyrdom in the early church.
• So what about us? Would we go that far? Do we believe that deeply?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Do you believe MOST "Christians" are ready and willing to endure persecution and
possibly even die for their faith in Christ? Why or why not?
2. Why was Stephen so brutally honest in Acts 7:51-53? Did he know this kind of
preaching would bring suffering? Why was he so intent on saying these things?
3. Was Stephen a likely person to preach such a message? Why or why not?
4. How do you explain Stephen’s "attitude" as he died for the cause?
5. What major message do you take away from his story to apply to your own life?
May 17 - . . . We Were Real?
Last week, we encountered the "first opposition" in the Early Church of Jesus Christ. Today, we encounter the first "hypocrites."
"What the hypocrite does is hide the sin, rather than confess and repent of it. He wants to keep his sin, while all the time denying it is sin; [he] nurtures it as his friend and accomplice. The face he turns toward the world is cleverly masked. He thinks he has the best of both worlds, when in fact he is caught in a slowly turning vise from which only true confession can extricate him…Preferring the praise of men to the approval of God, he takes to his stage, an ccomplished thespian of the religious art, leading his audience to believe that his act is real." (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
Our Passage: Acts 5
1. The First Hypocrites (Acts 5:1-11)
We all have stories of people who were not genuinely what they said they were.
Luke uses the word ekklesia for the first time in Acts 5:11 – the word we
translate as "church" – in the midst of the first crisis over hypocrites!
This was not an end! It was an opportunity!
2. God’s Response (Acts 5:12-26)
Build His Church and deliver His people!
3. The Real Thing (Acts 5:27-42
Be the men and women and teens and children of God in a crazy sinful world
and in the face of hypocrisy.
THE REAL CHURCH
• Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were
added to their number. Acts 5:14
• Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!"
Acts 5:29
• Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them
go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from
God, you will not be able to stop these men: you will only find yourselves
fighting against God. Acts 5:38-39 (Gamaliel)
• 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. I Peter 2:11-12
• Understand that the response to hypocrisy is NOT to be silent and shameful
and feel you have nothing to offer. Rather, it is to confess, repent, be trans-
formed, and help guide others by your experience to pursue holiness.
• Understand the Church is not a museum of saints, but rather a hospital for
sinners.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Define hypocrisy as you understand it, and discuss its effect on the Church
today.
2. Read and discuss I Peter 2:9-12. How can "a holy nation" still need to
"abstain from sinful desires." Discuss this tension in which we find ourselves.
3. Read and discuss the six points under "The Real Church" above. Why would
these principles make the church "real?" How can we implement these
principles in our church today?
May 10 - . . . There is Opposition?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: What if there is opposition? Then I would rely on God’s influence and not face adversity on my own.
Jesus: Remember the words I spoke to you: "No servant is greater than his master." If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (John 15:20)
Our Text: Acts 3:1-4:31
1. A MIRACLE (Acts 3:1-26)
"During the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, it was his practice to perform
miracles and then explain them…Such explanations were critical in an age when
charlatans and magicians roamed the land peddling their superstitious wares. It
would be all too easy to attribute the healing to some occult power in the apostles
rather than give God glory for His Son whom He raised from the dead, and through
whom He even then had healed the lame man." Bob Brown, Background Notes
All signs point to Jesus. This is what they KNEW would bring on persecution,
yet there was no backing down in them.
Would we have done similarly?
2. OPPOSITION ARISES (Acts 4:1-20)
Key observations of the opposition regarding Peter and John:
• They saw their courage.
• They realized they were unschooled, ordinary men.
• They took note that these men had been with Jesus.
3. THE POWER OF PRAYER (Acts 4:21-31)
Where did the newly-released Peter and John go to celebrate?
They strategically prepared to face more opposition by praying for greater
boldness and for the power of the Holy Spirit.
Do we?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Do you find it ironic that the first real opposition to the early church comes after
a miraculous, indisputable healing? Did other cases of miracles in Jesus’
ministry lead to negative response from the religious leaders? Why? How?
2. Read Acts 3:17-18. What does this mean? What is the relationship between
our actions and choices and God’s plan and will being done?
3. How would you have responded in light of these first arrests and orders given?
How did Peter and John respond? Why did they respond the way they did?
What or who made the difference in them?
April 26 - . . . We Were CHRIST Fanatics?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand the main descriptions of the early church and to hear how we could seek to be like them.
Our Text: Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37, 5:12-16
"A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject."
(Winston Churchill)
When we last left the early Christians, they had experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and 3,000 were added to the church.
What then?
1. The Content of Their Character - Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35
"Contemporary Christian communities today require solid Bible teaching to remain
at the center of Christ’s purpose for His kingdom. Every member of a local congre-
gation should be involved in…group study, becoming more than ‘acquainted’ with
the Bible but saturated with its apostolic instruction.
(Bob Brown, Background Notes)
2. The Influence of Their Content - Acts 5:12-16
"What if we, the Christ fanatics, were to back up our often loud and demanding
words for social change with acts of mercy and compassion? What if we actually
practiced the Lord’s dictum, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts
20:35)? What sort of power might be unleashed in our teaching, our preaching
and our witness if we did? And is it possible that the voice of the church is
muted because, unfortunately, actions speak louder than words?"
(Bob Brown, Background Notes)
3. The Source of Their Influence
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4a
God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy
Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them,
for He purified their hearts by faith. Acts 15:8-
Being filled with the Holy Spirit and having hearts purified from sinful self-
centeredness until we are known for our singular devotion to God and our genuine
love for each other - is the ONLY way the early Church became who they became
- and the ONLY way we will have the holy influence we can have today!
SAME QUESTIONS AS LAST WEEK . . .
• WHAT IF we allowed the Holy Spirit to fill our lives?
• WHAT IF we allowed the Holy Spirit to fill our marriages and homes
• WHAT IF we prayed and sought the Holy Spirit’s infilling and anointing of
our church?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the word "fanatic"? Have you
ever been called one? Have you called someone else one? What does it mean
to you? Could it be a positive word?
2. What were the individual things the early Christians did in Acts 2:42-47 and
4:32-35? What difference do you think those practices made in their lives
spiritually, and how did they help expand their holy influence on others?
3. What do you think of the idea of Acts 2:45 and 4:32 & 34? Is this kind of thing
possible today? Why or why not? What difference would it make to do this?
4. If you had to describe your church today, like these verses do, based on
YOUR own personal involvement and practice, what would you say?
April 19 - . . . We Had THAT Power?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand how the Church began and why it had the holy influence it did. And to imagine . . . what if the Church of today were as Spirit-filled as they were?
Our Text: Acts 1-2
The idea is this: WHAT IF the church TODAY had the same influence on the world as the original Christ Followers had on their world…WE are part of a movement in the continuum of history…that we collectively as Christ-followers would see individual and collective holy influence on our communities, nations and world.
1. The Promise
• The hints: John 20:22-23; John 14:12, Luke 24:49
• Acts 1:1-11
• "Luke did not intend to hold up the early Christian community as a perfect
society to simply be imitated by every generation since his time…These
Christ followers fought and struggled to become the holy people of God, and
did so amid persecution, heresy, fraud, and jealousy…They were a people in
process …They faced the challenges of racism, economics, political
oppression…" (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
• "Witness" in Greek = martus (martyr)
"Influence" in Latin = influo (to flow into, to pour into, as water flowing into
the sea)
• Centripetal force = directed inward
Centrifugal force = directed outward
• Inward surrender and commitment to the Holy Spirit’s power leads to outward
acts of witness and influence
2. The Grand Opening (vs. World Premiere)
• Acts 2:1-36
• The gift of languages was given so that the gospel was heard not only in
everyone’s native tongue, but in their DAILY SECULAR LANGUAGE! The holy
and super-spiritual had come down to the everyday and average ways of
speaking! They understood – and they believed – and they deeply desired to
respond!
3. The Church is Born
• Acts 2:37-41 – especially verses 38-39
WHAT IF we allowed the Holy Spirit to fill our lives – with our problems and failures?
WHAT IF we allowed the Holy Spirit to fill our marriages and homes – whatever the issues?
WHAT IF we prayed and sought the Holy Spirit’s infilling and anointing of our church?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What mission strategy does Jesus give the apostles in Acts 1:8, and what will
they need to fulfill it? What does "power" mean? Look back at Luke 24:44-53
before answering.
2. Reflect again on II Corinthians 5:18-20 from the discussions in the Transformers
series. What does the Holy Spirit’s infilling have to do with this?
3. What key truths of the Gospel does Peter incorporate into his message in
Acts 2:14-36? What does he want his audience to believe and what does he
want them to do in response?
4. What results in Acts 2:41 reveal the powerful effect of this day on the people?
Previous Sermon Series Notes:
KNOWING JESUS
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
April 12 - Do Believe He Rose from the Dead?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand what it means in my life that Jesus Christ has indeed risen from the dead!
Our Text: John 20-21
In the midst of the suffering of this world’s tragedies, natural disasters and wars . . . through the noise of the debates, the protests and causes . . . above the din of the confusion, screaming and carousing, the music of the Resurrection reminds us that through it all – JESUS IS ALIVE!
"Nothing less than a witness as awesome as the resurrected Christ could have
caused those men to maintain to their dying whispers that Jesus is alive and
Lord. This weight of evidence tells me the apostles were indeed telling the truth:
Jesus did bodily rise from the grave; He is who He says He is. Thus, He speaks
with the absolute authority of the all-powerful God."
(Charles Colson, Loving God, p. 69)
The questions remain:
• Do I believe He has risen from the dead?
• What difference does it make in my life if He has?
THE CASE OF MARY MAGDALENE (John 20:10-18)
Loneliness, separation and deep sorrow – replaced by comfort and
companionship! "I have seen the Lord!"
THE CASE OF THE DISCIPLES, Part 1 (John 20:19-23)
Fear, seclusion and depression – replaced by joy and peace! "Jesus…said…
’Peace be with you!’…The disciples were overjoyed…"
THE CASE OF THOMAS (John 20:24-29)
Doubt, skepticism and anger – replaced by peace and strong faith! "He (Jesus)
said… ‘Stop doubting and believe’…Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’"
THE CASE OF THE DISCIPLES, Part 2 (John 21:1-14)
Questions, hesitation and emptiness – replaced by fellowship and provision!
"They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, and took the bread and gave it to them,
and did the same with the fish."
In the midst of the violence, brokenness and hardness of this world, the music of the Resurrection reminds us that, through it all – JESUS IS ALIVE!
COME TO JESUS – JESUS IS HERE!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature’s night. Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray. I woke; the dungeon flamed with light! My chains fell off; my heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. My chains fell off; my heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine! Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine, bold I approach the eternal throne and claim the crown, through Christ, my own. Bold I approach the eternal throne and claim the crown, through Christ, my own.
("And Can It Be," Charles Wesley, 1738)
April 5 - Do You Understand the Point?
Matthew 21:1-17
1. The Willing Sacrificial Savior (Matthew 21:1-11)
• Weeping over Jerusalem – Luke 19:41-42 – As he approached Jerusalem and
saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this
day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.’
• Palm Sunday – recognizing history – 160’s BC – Maccabeus
2. The Faithful Prophetic Confrontationalist (Matthew 21:12-13)
• "Rather than being a light to the nations, Second Temple Judaism was
becoming a breeding ground for terrorist cells bent on insurrection against
Rome." —Bob Brown, Background Notes
• Confronting on grounds of righteousness, not earthly threats and terrorism
Earthly – I seek revenge.
Righteousness – These actions are wrong.
Earthly – You all are condemned.
Righteousness – We weep over these sins.
Earthly – We will force change at your expense.
Righteousness – God, change hearts and minds.
• Confronting on grounds of grace available equally to ALL SINNERS, not
exclusive self-righteous circling of the wagons to cocoon the saints and
isolate them and their message from sinners.
Our message is either for the whole world or it is not for any of the world,
including us!
Our churches are connecting places for sinners and saints or they are not for
any, including us!
This message, this church, our hearts, our lives, are to extend to every sinner
in need of forgiveness and every saint to be discipled or we have no reason to
be in existence and we stand in the prophetic judgment of Christ Himself.
3. The Clear Example of What He Preached (Matthew 21:14-17)
Earthly response – Mark 11:18a – And the chief priests and scribes heard it
and were seeking a way to destroy him…
The shadow of the cross darkens. Earth and its religious power structures
respond to Jesus’ prophetic confrontation and modeling of grace. Five days
from now – He’s dead
But seven days from now…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Matthew 21:15-16, Mark 11:18, Luke 19:47. Why did the leaders respond
in this way? Does that sometimes happen today?
2. What are the messages in the symbols and events of Palm Sunday that speak
to you most? What has been "new" insight from this message and this study in
your life? How does it change you?
March 28, 29 - How Did Jesus Deal With Death?
Pastor Tim Britton
John 11: 1-44
I. Out of Town (v.1-16)
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. John 11:5-6
II. A Tale of Two Sisters (v.17-32)
a. Martha
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary
stayed at home. "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother
would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you
ask." John 11:20-22
b. Mary
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet
and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
John 11:32
III. Jesus Wept (v.33-37)
Jesus wept. John 11:35
"(Here we witness...) the human face of God, sharing deeply in the suffering of His creatures. In Jesus we see the God who suffers. This is not the suffering of a helpless Deity, standing by empathetically, the suffering of the God who will soon go to the cross and accept in His own person the full fury of sin and death." Bob Brown, Background Notes
IV. Empty Tomb(s) (v.38-44)
Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." John 11:43-44
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Does it ever seem like Jesus is absent, distant or "out of town" in your
moments of grief, pain and suffering? Is it ever difficult for you to trust in
Him and in His timing?
2. Look at the responses of the two sisters to Jesus. How are they similar and
how are they different? Which one is it easier for you to relate to?
3. Why does Jesus weep? What does this say about His nature and how He is
engaged in and involved in the most difficult moments of our lives?
4. In light of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and his death for our sin on
the cross, what does John 11:25-26 mean to us, in our lives today?
5. How do we process the death of a believer differently than the death of someone
who did not know Christ? Why are these funerals and times of mourning so
different?
March 22 - Will You Share Like Jesus?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand what it means to connect intimately with Christ and share my story with others in my life.
"Lent has the reputation for ‘giving up’ things, a symbol of our identity with Jesus in his humiliation and death. Perhaps this week’s study pushes us in a different direction: giving up our prized sense of race, position, privilege, power – and yes – national identity, and allowing ourselves to risk meeting on level ground those people whom we have previously shoved to the margins of our lives."
--Bob Brown, Background Notes
II Corinthians 5:16-17 (New Living Translation) - 16So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Our passage: John 4:4-4
1. Jesus is intentional (4:5-16)
Consider all of the cultural and religious barriers he overcame to speak directly
to the woman and lead the conversation to where He wanted it to go!
2. Come as you are (4:17-26)
He knew her, yet He loved her and sought her for His Kingdom.
3. Connection made, story shared (4:27-42)
In order to accommodate the world-wide mission of God’s kingdom, Jesus must
die…and then rise again, bearing a great harvest through his resurrection life.
While living as a mortal human being, Jesus was but one individual, limited by
…space and time. However, through his resurrection, Jesus entered into the life
of God Himself, and from that exalted place, he would send the (Holy) Spirit into
the countless lives of those who…put faith in him...’all whom the Lord our God
will call…to the ends of the earth.’
--Bob Brown, Background Notes
II Corinthians 5:18 (Contemporary English Version) - God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
Are you spiritually lost and wandering? He’s sitting at the well, waiting for you.
Are you burdened for lost people among your family and friends? He loves them more than you do.
Is your sin or their sin so big and awful you wonder if there’s any hope? His forgiveness is far bigger than all our sin – yours or theirs!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What categories or types of people are the hardest for you to love, to have
spiritual compassion for, to share your faith with? What if God categorized
us like we categorize others?
2. What does the story of Jesus and the woman at the well tell us about those
attitudes we often have towards others?
3. Read II Corinthians 5:17-20. Did the woman at the well become an
"ambassador"? Would you have listened to her story?
4. Luke 15 is a chapter of three stories Jesus told about something or someone
being "lost." What is the message of those stories? Who is seeking us?
What does this say about God’s love and grace for us and others?
March 15 - Can You Relate to Jesus?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand what it means to be born again and have the opportunity to experience it in the service.
‘I am a good person…I am a kind person…I do my best…I treat people the way I want to be treated...I go to church…I give money…I volunteer time.’ None of these things are ‘good enough.’
One thing is abundantly clear in even a cursory read of the New Testament: Jesus Christ did not come to earth, teach, and die, to tell us we were fine just as we are, or to embrace us in our sin and say ‘just stay that way!’ He came to confront us with the need to SPIRITUALLY CHANGE! And to give us NEW life – forever.
Our Passage: John 3:1-21 (App. Page 751 Pew Bibles
1. Initial Faith – John 3:1-2
(Nicodemus) comes to Jesus under cover of night and makes a grand
statement of faith…Only Jesus and the devil are absolutes; all other
characters are in motion either toward the light or away from it…
Rodney A. Whitacre, John: IVP Commentar
2. Invitation to Change – John 3:3-15
As there is no entrance into the kingdom of the flesh-life save by natural
birth; so there is no entrance into the kingdom of the spirit-life, save by
spiritual birth. Only that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. And this made
our Lord so emphatic in repeating His announcement, ‘Ye must be born
again.’…When Christ says must, it is time for us to wake up…
F. B. Meyer, The Life of Lov
3. Divine Plan – John 3:16-21
Every Person experiences being born again uniquely – just like every
person is unique. But every person must experience it, lest they be
"condemned," "love darkness," "hate the light," and "perish."
C. S. Lewis – That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed; perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England…
…I know very well when, but hardly how, the final step was taken. I was driven to Whipsnade one sunny morning. When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did. C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy
Dr. Francis Collins - On a beautiful fall day, as I was hiking in the Cascade Mountains... the majesty and beauty of God's creation overwhelmed my resistance. As I rounded a corner and saw a beautiful and unexpected frozen waterfall, hundreds of feet high, I knew the search was over. The next morning, I knelt in the dewy grass as the sun rose and surrendered to Jesus Christ. Francis Collins, The Language of God
Jesus Christ – Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Have you been "born again?" If so, would you be willing to briefly share
how/where/when you experienced this?
2. Read Matthew 10:32-39. Discuss these words of Jesus. How definite are they?
How demanding are they? Do most Christians understand the seriousness of
accepting or rejecting Christ?
3. Read and discuss Nicodemus’ discussion with Jesus in John 3:1-15. Would
you have had similar questions to Nicodemus? Why? What are your questions
about being born again?
March 8 - Can You Relate to Jesus?
"’Can you relate to Jesus?’ But can we really ask such a question without asking this one: ‘Does Jesus relate to you?’ In fact, Jesus, by becoming a human being, took the first step toward us, sharing our common humanity in order that we might relate to him." Bob Brown, Background Notes
Our Passage: Matthew 4:1-11
1. Temptations of the fleshly appetites (human body)
2. Temptations of powers, connections and abilities (human spirit and soul –
self-esteem, identity
3. Temptations of fame, power, and ego (sinful nature within us)
James 4:1-3, 7-8
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Our Hope:
Hebrews 4:14-16
14Therefore, 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. 15For 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. 16Let 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.
I Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Which of the three sets of temptations listed in #1-3 in the sermon outline
above are the most difficult to deal with? What makes each one such a
struggle? Why?
2. Read James 1:13-15. Discuss the process of temptation leading to sin that
James describes in this passage. Where does temptation originate from?
Now read James 1:12 and then 1:21-25 and discuss the response these
verses give to temptation and sin.
3. According to Hebrews 4:15, Jesus was tempted in every way we are yet
was without sin. Does this help you relate to Jesus? Jesus also faced
Satan directly in 40 days of temptations. How intense would that have
been? Does this relate to the battles you face in your life?
March 1 - How Well Do You Know Him?
Today, we begin a journey that will take us through Lent, which has been observed by Christ-followers in some form or fashion since the second century.
Our journey dramatically arrives at Christ’s resurrection on Easter weekend! Our prayer is that each person develops a deeper intimacy with Christ, the Person, on this journey and that you identify with Christ’s humanity as we go.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I INTRODUCE YOU TO . . . JESUS
1. The Context: The Message of Real Repentance and John the Baptist
– Matthew 3:1-12
Contrast with Herod the tetrarch – Luke 3:19-20, But when John rebuked Herod
the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things
he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.So
begins this constant adventure of genuine repentance confronting raw
sinfulness.
2. Jesus, the man - humble identity with the people – Matthew 3:13-15
So begins this constant adventure of Jesus being God and man!
See also Luke 3:21: When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was
baptized too…
3. Jesus, as God – Divine endorsement of the Christ – Matthew 3:16-17
"What happens at Jesus’ baptism has all the markings of an enthronement ritual
orchestrated by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit whose purpose coincided
with the ritual baptism of Jesus by John. The Holy Spirit, not oil, is the anointing
medium for Jesus becoming king. That is why he is called Messiah, ‘the anointed
one.’ For Jesus to be ‘revealed to Israel,’…meant that he would assume his royal
role as Messiah, declared by His Father to be ‘my Son, beloved.’"
(Bob Brown, Background Notes)
Mark 1:10 – "heaven torn open"
John 1:19, 21 – John not "the Christ"
John 1:29 – "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
In one event—the "world premiere" if you will— of Jesus’ earthly ministry, we see the fullness of the humanity and the divinity of Jesus, the Christ. You only get one first impression. What a beginning!
Jesus Christ – fully God, fully man. How well do you know him?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. We have introduced the Lenten Season as a "journey" to Easter, to develop a
"deeper intimacy with Christ…" What has Lent meant to you in the past? What
should it mean to us?
2. John the Baptist was given the historic role of introducing Jesus and His ministry
to the world. Remember they were likely cousins. As you read Matthew 3:13
and John 1:29-34, what emotions and thoughts do you think John had ?
3. What is your greatest struggle with the humanity of Jesus? The divinity of Jesus?
Why? How are both clearly illustrated in the story of Jesus’ baptism?
Previous Sermon Notes:
TRANSFORMERS
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
February 22 - Transformer!
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand that I am to be an ambassador for Christ and to accept that responsibility, committing myself to it.
Summary of our Series:
• I must experience spiritual transformation and share "my story" with others.
• The Holy Spirit "empowers" me in sharing my story.
I can be confident in doing so.
• I must be intimately connected with Christ and be a part of connecting others
with Him.
• I have spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit to use in sharing my faith and working
for Him.
"Paul…could not separate his own transformation from his role as transformer. What happened in and through Paul at the hands of the dying and rising Jesus radically altered the course of his life. It wasn’t just that Paul believed something new, but he became something new.
When he traveled throughout the Roman Empire proclaiming the Good News about the Lord Jesus Christ, he wasn’t merely delivering a real message…he was displaying himself a role model. Credibility is a huge part of our witness to others. We must earn the right to communicate the Gospel, and that happens when those who hear us see the dramatic difference between our lives and the surrounding culture." (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
I am to be a person of holy influence to those who know me and in my world. I must be strategic, empowered by the Holy Spirit, in my thoughts, words, and actions.
OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: II Corinthians 5:11-21 (page 818, pew Bibles)
1. COMPELLED (5:11-14a)
What drives me? What moves and motivates me? Am I burdened for spiritually
lost people? Am I compelled by Christ’s love?
2. CONVINCED (5:14b-15)
Am I absolutely convinced in our pluralistic cross-cultural society that PEOPLE
NEED THE LORD? That there IS a better way – the best way to live and the
only way to die?
3. COMMITTED (5:16-21)
We are the arms and legs and voice and hands of God in our world. I am to be
His personal ambassador – I am to speak for God! I am to take His transformation
done in my life and become an agent of transformation to others.
Sample repentance prayer: Dear God, I am a sinner. I need your forgiveness. I accept that Jesus’ death on the cross was for me. I invite Jesus Christ, your Son, into my heart and life as my personal Savior. I commit to live my life for you. Amen.
Ambassadors don’t always win; they don’t always convince; they don’t always succeed with the other entity, but they are still an ambassador!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read and discuss the following quotes from Matthew 10, where Jesus sent out
His original disciples into the world. How do these apply to us today and our
being ambassadors for Him? Matthew 10:7-8; 10:17-20; 10:21-22; 10:26-28;
10:29-31; 10:32-33.
2. Which of the three main points in the sermon above do you personally struggle
with – being compelled, convinced, or committed, and why?
3. Read II Corinthians 5:20. What does it actually mean to you to be Christ’s
ambassador? At home? At work? At school? Among friends?
February 15 - Wired?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand that God has given me unique gifts and abilities to share my faith with others and to commit myself to let Him use me in those ways.
God made each of us uniquely:
"If our strands of DNA were stretched out in a line, the 46 chromosomes making up the human genome would extend more than six feet. If the…length of the 100 trillion cells could be stretched out, it would be…over 113 billion miles. That is enough material to reach to the sun and back 610 times." (Center for Integrated Genomics, quoted in Background Notes)
"Our genes are formed from a four letter alphabet of life whose letters are called ‘nucleotides.’ Our tiniest chromosome has 50 million such letters, while the biggest has 250 million. The biological definition of our humanity requires 3.1 billion paired letters." (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb…My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together… (David, Psalm 139:13, 15)
1. Uniquely Gifted
• I Corinthians 12:4-6, 7-1
• See also Romans 12:6-8, I Corinthians 12:29-30, Ephesians 4:7-16,
I Corinthians 12:28
• Have you discovered your Spiritual Gifts yet? Or your Heart, Abilities,
Personality and Experience uniqueness? To take the S.H.A.P.E. Assessment
click here.
2. Uniquely Wired
• I Corinthians 12:12-26
• Presently on our website: 10 categories of ministries with nearly 100
individual opportunities for volunteer ministry!
3. Uniquely Joine
• I Corinthians 12:27-31
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever felt like you "didn’t have any gifts or talents" and therefore
had no place to serve in God’s Kingdom? Why?
2. Read I Corinthians 12:7, 11, 25, 27. What do these verses say to
EACH PERSON – to ME? Individually?
3. Why do we hesitate to a) discover our unique spiritual gifts and b) begin
using them in the church – the Body of Christ?
4. Notice I Corinthians 13 (Love chapter) follows I Corinthians 12 (Gifts
chapter). Why is that significant? Why is the message of I Corinthians 13
so important in the usage of our gifts in the Body of Christ?
February 8 - Power Grid
What is a "power grid" and how does it work?
"God has called his children to become witnesses to His revealed purpose to save the world through His Son, Jesus Christ…Our Lord chose to deal with the individual, calling men and women into the kingdom one person at a time…" (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
From Tijuana to Tinley Park – every culture is different, every place is unique, every family and person is individual. But we are called to be "in the vine" and "branch extenders" as people of "holy influence" in our world.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: : To understand that I am to be intimately connected with Christ and that I am to bear fruit – connect others – to Him
1. Networked to Network – John 15:1-4 (page 764, Pew Bibles)
2. Multiplying Branches – John 15:5-
3. The Fuel of the Vine, LOVE – John 15:9-17
A start – MAKING THE LIST!
We are to be people of influence for Christ at every opportunity.
What are the places and who are the people God has put in your life to "bear fruit" in and with? Who could become "extended branches"?
Here is some room to write names and ideas as God speaks to you this week about your influence and your witness:
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read John 15:2a, 6. How serious is this issue of "bearing fruit" to Christ?
2. Notice the "relational" language of John 15:4, 5, 7, and the "love" language of
John 15:9-17. How important is "personal relationship" with us to Jesus?
Distinguish between "religion," "ritual," and "relationship" when it comes to
serving God. What is the difference in these terms?
3. Read and discuss Philippians 1:20-21. What is Paul really saying here?
What is the level of his passion for Christ? Connect these verses to Jesus’
words in John 15. What is the connection?
February 1 - Power Source
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand that I am not alone in sharing my faith. The Holy Spirit within me is the one who empowers me to do so, and I can be confident because of that.
Barna Group Research – Only 4 in 10 Midwestern believers “feel responsibility to share their faith” with others.
“People are so focused on themselves that they lack passion for the lost. The single greatest challenge is reviving that passion for the lost.” (Dr. Nina Gunter, General Superintendent, Church of the Nazarene)
“It is the vision of Jesus that calls me to wake up every day and think about the world…God sees the world, He thinks about the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As global Christians, we should too.” (Dr. Larry McCain, Falling in Love with the Church)
FEAR FACTOR - OUR GREATEST OBSTACLE
1. Authority to Empower
Matthew 28:16-20
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go...”
(Jesus Christ)
2. Promise of Power
Acts 1:3-8
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. (Jesus Christ, Acts 1:8)
But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.
At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking,
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Jesus Christ,
Matthew 10:19-20)
3. Transfer of Power
Acts 2
“The day of Pentecost was a turning point in the Kingdom of God. Things
would never be the same again. The outside God had now come inside
the life of man. Three to five thousand men had come to Jerusalem from
every part of the world and were astonished with what God was doing in
and through the believers. They believed God was doing a new thing.
They were open and seeking…”
(Dr. Stephen Manley, Style of the Cross – God’s Vision)
HAVE I BEEN FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?
GROUP RESPONSE
1. What are we most afraid of in sharing our faith today? Is it rational fear?
Why?
2. Discuss the significance of “the outside God” now coming “inside the
life of man” in Manley’s quote above.
3. Read John 18:15-18 and 25-27. Then read Acts 2:14-41. What has
happened to Peter? What changed him?
January 25 - Transformed?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To know for sure I have experienced Christ’s transfor-mation in my own life and will know how to briefly share that with others.
Today’s Primary Passage – John
1. Inherited Condition
John 9:1-2
I John 1:8-9 - If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
It may describe the man who says that he has no responsibility for his sin. It
is easy enough to find defences behind which to seek to hide. We may blame
our sins on our heredity, on our environment, on our temperament, on our phy-
sical condition. We may claim that someone misled us and that we were led
astray…we seek to shuffle out of the responsibility for sin…It is John’s insis-
tence that, when a man has sinned, excuses and self-justifications are irrele-
vant. The only thing which will meet the situation is humble and penitent
confession to God and, if need be, to men.
William Barclay, The Letters of John and Jude
2. A Great Opportunity
John 9:3, 35-41
I John 2:1-6 - My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But
if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—
Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and
not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
3We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
3. From Transformed to Transformer
John 9:4-34; especially verse 25
Research is clear (Barna Research Group)
> 3 out of 4 believers offer to pray with a non-believer for encouragement
> 1 out of 2 believers invite non-believer friends to church
> 1 out of 5 believers send a note or e-mail to non-believer friends to share more
of their faith
> The younger we are, the less likely we are to share our faith. The more income
we make, the less likely we are to share our faith.
> Only 4 out of 10 Midwestern believers "feel a responsibility to share their faith"
TWO KEY QUESTIONS:
1) Have I been transformed by Christ?
2) Am I willing to be a "transformer" for Him to friends and family?
GROUP RESPONSE
1. Discuss the terms and accompanying scriptures – "born again" (John 3:1-6);
"saved" (John 3:17); "believer" (John 3:18). React to how these describe
becoming a Christ-follower and which one you prefer and why.
2. Discuss the interrogation the formerly blind man went through in John 9:13-34.
Would you have been able to do as well as he did? Have you ever been put on
the spot by others for your faith? How did you react?
3. Why are we so hesitant to share our faith? What will it take to change us?
Previous Sermon Notes:
WHERE'S JOY?
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
January 18 - Joy's Choice
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To decide to CHOOSE JOY by trusting in the God who gives real joy!
There are at least two kinds of sad people: people who have never really experienced God’s joy and people who have once but are no longer.
"I have never greatly envied anyone but the dead. I always envy the dead."
-- Mark Twain, professional humorist, when his beloved daughter died suddenly of an
epileptic seizure.
These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
-- Jesus Christ, "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53) in John 15:11
"The ‘choice’ for joy is not incidental or optional…Joy is a decision and not just an emotion. Unlike happiness or pleasure it does not depend on circumstances, but it does depend on choice."
-- Bob Brown, Background Notes
Psalm 42-43
1. Depressing Reality of our Circumstances
Psalm 42:1-3
5a
6-7
9-11a
2. Joy Breakthroughs
Psalm 42:4
5b
8
11b
3. Deciding for Joy
Psalm 43
Case Study in Deciding for Joy – Apostle Paul
Philippians 1:12-21
• Perspective
• People
• Choice
• Expectation
WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?
GROUP RESPONSE:
1. It sounds oversimplified at first to say "Joy is a choice." Is it? Why or why
not? Do you agree with the statement?
2. What does the Psalmist "do" in Psalm 43 that begins to turn the tide of
negativity in Psalm 42? How can we "do" those same things in our lives
and circumstances?
3. Re-read James 1:2, 6-7 from last week’s passages. What does this
passage say about "choosing joy"?
4. The Apostle Paul is our "case study" for joy – in Philippians 1:12-21.
What specific issues is Paul dealing with in these verses that would work
against joy? What specific choices does he make in response that brings
joy? How can we apply those to our situations?
January 11 - Joy's Journey
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand there is a spiritual journey I can take to find joy in my heart and life no matter what my circumstances are
Today, we move from "macro to micro". We move from "nation to individual". The question of "Where’s Joy?" becomes PERSONAL – relating to your own life and circumstances. Let’s start the journey
1. Starting the Journey – Praying Through
I Samuel 1:9-18
• pray until you pray through
• give it over to God and leave it there
• change with no evidence of answer
I Samuel 1:18 – 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.
2. Staying on the Journey – Following Through
I Samuel 1:21-28
• keep your promises to God
• surrender completely
What are the promises you have made to God that you haven’t kept?
What that is dear to you are you refusing to surrender to Him?
3. Finishing the Journey – Praising Through
I Samuel 2:1-11
• a lifestyle of praise
• recognize who is in control
• recommit your dependence upon HIM
4. A New Testament Challenge
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything.
• make a choice
• develop that perspective
• persevere!
We might say that Hannah commenced her journey of joy once she decided to do so. And her vow was that decision. James uses similar language when he writes, ‘Count it all joy’…Or, ‘Put joy in charge’ when you encounter trials. Joy, used in this sense, is looking at the world from God’s perspective and on God’s terms. Bob Brown, Background Notes
GROUP RESPONSE
1. Read I Samuel 1:1-16. What circumstances did Hannah have to endure on a
daily basis? Was she desperate? Why? Have you been in desperate circum-
stances before? Want to describe them?
2. Have you ever made promises to God and not kept them? Why? How do you
think God reacts to broken promises from us?
3. Would you have been willing to do what Hannah did in I Samuel 1:21-28.
Why or why not?
4. Read and discuss James 1:2-18. What is the difference between trials,
testings and temptations? How are we to react?
January 4 - Reasons for Joy
As we enter a new year, we face a "dual reality" – the way things are and the way they could be — just like the people of God have always faced. The challenge is to see the possible as real as the present. The choice is ours.
THE WAY THINGS ARE (and have been and will be)
§ Sin abounds – Isaiah 34 (esp. vs. 1-2, 8)
§ The constancy of sin and evil – historic and present
Galatians 6:7-9 – Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what
he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap
destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal
life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up
§ Sin, suffering and sadness - Examples of sin, suffering and sadness in my life:
REASONS FOR JOY (the way things COULD BE) - Isaiah 35
§ New life in the midst of death – Isaiah 35:1-2
New Testament agreement – Jesus has come!
II Corinthians 5:17-19 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the
old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to
himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was
reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.
And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
§ New hope in the midst of depression – Isaiah 35:3-7
New Testament agreement – Jesus is here!
James 1:4-5 – Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Hebrews 2:8-9 - …and put everything under his feet.’ In putting everything under
him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see
everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the
angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by
the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
§ God has always had and will always have a people – Isaiah 35:8-10 (esp. vs. 10)
New Testament agreement — (Jesus is coming!
I Thessalonians 5:23-24 – 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. The one who calls you is faithful and he will
do it.
Will I accept the reality of being one of God’s holy people who lives in joy NOW and also for ETERNITY?
GROUP RESPONSE
1. Discuss the "present realities of sin, suffering and sadness" in our lives which
interrupt and block spiritual joy.
2. Discuss the "wrath" of God in Isaiah 34:2-3 and also Romans 1:18-32. What
seems to be the major issues to which God’s wrath responds? Discuss why.
3. Discuss the scriptures used in point 2 above. Based on these, is true joy based
on inward or outward circumstances? Is joy an objective reality or a personal
choice? Who or what is the true source of joy?
Previous Sermon Notes:
PRESENTS VS. PRESENCE
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
December 28 - What Are You Hoping For?
Pastor Adam Lewis
Isaiah 42:1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
1. Servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.
Philippians 2:7 - but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
2. My Spirit will be ON Him.
3. And He will bring justice to the nations.
Luke 2:1-7
Hope came and the people missed it.
Reflection Questions
1. What role(s) will Christ take on when He arrives?
2. What is the difference between the spirit being in us and on us?
3. In what ways does God bring justice to the nations through Jesus
4. How did Christ bring hope to the people then?
5. How does Christ bring hope to the people today? To you today? This season?
December 7 - What Are You Trusting?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To decide to trust in Jesus first and foremost—not man.
The Case for Trusting in God
The Promise - Isaiah 9 (page 489, pew Bibles)
Our text, Isaiah 9:6-7 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and
the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the
increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on
David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with
justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the
LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
"What’s most striking about this child is the extreme weight of confidence
placed on him, almost out of proportion to his being a child… What are we
to make of this ‘son who is the king’ language…?...This is, then, no ordinary
child who sits on David’s throne. In a real sense, it is God sitting on the
throne, having taken up residence among us."
Bob Brown, Background Notes
From newborn CHILD to…Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God
From infant SON to…Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, on whose
shoulders rests the Government.
The Fulfillment - John 8:48-59 (page 758, pew Bibles)
John 8:58 - "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born,
I am!"
"I am here – but I was there, too"
Exodus 3:14-15 - God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what
you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your
fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has
sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be
remembered from generation to generation.
The profound mystery and miracle of this magnificent season is that GOD has come in FLESH, in the person of JESUS CHRIST, to us, to live with us, to live in us, to come again!
By His audacious claims, HE DEMANDS a choice. HE DEMANDS a response. You CANNOT simply and rationally ignore Him!
The ultimate question – WHAT, or better, WHOM, are you trusting? WILL YOU surrender your life to this KID… who became the KING?
GROUP RESPONSE
1. Read and discuss John 8:12-20 and John 8:31-47. Consider the statements
Jesus makes, the questions his skeptics ask, and his responses. What would
you have asked? What do people ask today? How would you have received
Jesus’ answers? How do people respond today? What is Jesus really saying
in his answers?
2. Discuss the parallels between John 8:58 and Exodus 3:14-15. Is this
intentional? What is Jesus saying about Himself?
3. Read and discuss John 14:6-10 in light of the verses previously discussed.
November 30 - What Are You Expecting?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To realize without Christ, this world offers nothing but darkness, but light has come into the world to replace the hope for presents with the hope in Christ’s presence.
Consider:
§ Average shopper plans to spend $431 for Christmas gifts this year, about
half of 2007.
§ That could mean total Christmas spending down from $460 billion to around
$230 billion in USA.
§ Half of the world lives on less than $2.50 per day ($900 per year).
§ 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 per day.
§ Each of us will spend more just on Christmas gifts than half of humanity
lives on total for six months.
"It is all rather daunting, you see, this business of welcoming God into his own world. On the surface, the whole affair is quite shabby and ignoble. The whole idea that, in his coming, God’s Son would need to get acquainted all over again with his own world and with the creatures he had made; a stranger in his own universe, and frankly, in a tiny speck of it, at that." (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
So what are we really expecting? What do we really want to make out of this season? What are we longing for, hoping for, waiting for, this Christmas of 2008 – in our worst economic reality of most of our lifetimes?
ISAIAH 8:17-9:2
WHAT IS:
Isaiah 8:22 - Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
WHAT WILL BE:
Isaiah 9:2 - The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
FULFILLMENT!
John 3:16-21
John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
I dare you. For you and yours, make this Advent Season a journey – from WHAT IS, to WHAT WILL BE. And CELEBRATE FULFILLMENT personally, spiritually – and with your family – on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!
Embrace the Divine Conspiracy and live an Advent Conspiracy – PRESENCE over PRESENTS.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Consider the quote from the Background Notes above. What does that mean
to you?
2. Read Isaiah 8:17-18. What do those verses say to us today in our present
situation?
3. Read and discuss John 1:1-18. How does this passage fulfill our Isaiah passage?
What does this passage say about our nation and world today?
4. What would a Christmas that focused more on CHRIST’S PRESENCE than
PRESENTS really look like in my world and my family?
Previous Sermon Notes:
MAD MONEY
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
November 16 - Return to Sender
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To be willing to obediently and generously GIVE to God’s Kingdom and trust Him to provide for my needs
Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Proverbs 11:24-25 – One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
"Popular wisdom says, ‘If I don’t look out for myself, no one will.’ Divine Wisdom says, ‘The bringer of blessings to others has the blessing of God on him.’" (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
SOME PRINCIPLES WE’VE LEARNED
§ Main issue — Where is my heart? Matthew 6:21
§ God owns it all — We are managers or stewards.
§ I must budget carefully, always putting God first.
THE PRINCIPLE OF TITHING — Tenth, 10%
"Tithing is a universal principle, like the Sabbath. It existed before the Law of Moses, it was incorporated into the Law, and was upheld by Jesus and the Apostles as recorded in the New Testament and beyond." (James MacDonald )
MALACHI 3:6-12
Israel was in a deep recession!
Offerings were "seconds, rejects" (Mal. 1:6-14)
Priests showing favoritism in decisions (Mal. 2:7-9)
Marrying pagans and rampant divorce (Mal. 2:10-16)
Disenfranchised deprived of justice (Mal. 3:5)
"These progressive moral failures within Israel’s national life climax with God’s rebuke of His people for ‘turning away from Him’, and, more specifically, withholding from Him their tithes." (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
GOD’S INSTRUCTION IN RESPONSE TO RECESSION AND MORAL FAILURE:
Malachi 3:10 — ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’
God’s blessings come in all forms – often the most unexpected and personal!
THE PRINCIPLE OF GENEROSITY – II Corinthians 9:6-8
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Consider this quote from our Background Notes: "When God gave His word about
the ‘tithe and the offering’ in the Old Testament, He did not tie these to the eco-
nomic cycles, but to His own faithfulness." What are the implications of that
statement? Agree?
2. Read II Corinthians 8:1-15. What messages are there in Paul’s words about the
Macedonian churches and the Corinthian church that apply to our church and to
us today?
3. An old hymn instructs us to "Count your blessings, name them one by one."
Are all blessings monetary? Name some other kinds of blessings you’ve received.
November 9 - Deflating the Dollar
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand the necessity of proper budgeting and financial planning, with God and His Kingdom coming FIRST in my heart.
"Either we will control money or it will control us. Managed wisely through careful planning and budgeting, money has the potential for meeting our own needs and becoming a source of blessing to others. But left to the whims of fortune and ‘luck,’ money can become a monstrous force robbing us of peace, relationships, and, at times, our very lives.
—Bob Brown, Background Notes
1. The Heart Issue
FROM LAST WEEK: Matthew 6:21, 24
TODAY: Matthew 6:25-34
Worry = to care for, to be anxious about, think earnestly upon, scan minutely
CONTRAST – Matthew 6:21, 24 vs Matthew 6:32-33
Pagan/Unbeliever earthly value system vs
Christ-centered eternal focused value system
SAME QUESTION AS LAST WEEK – WHERE IS MY HEART?
2. The Budget Issue
Luke 14:25-33 (New Living Translation)
25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them,
26 "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison -
your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your
own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your
own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. 28 "But don’t begin until
you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first
calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise,
you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then
everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started
that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ 31 "Or what king would go to war
against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss
whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against
him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while
the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving
up everything you own.
IS MY HEART RIGHT – Do I value what Jesus values?
HAVE I COUNTED THE COST – Do I budget and does my budget reflect the values of Jesus?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Genesis 41:29-36. Discuss this story. Does it apply to our subject today,
and if so, how?
2. Discuss the opening quote in the sermon outline above from Background Notes.
Is this true? How and why?
3. Planning means in biblical terms to be a "steward." Read and discuss Matthew
24:45, Luke 12:42 and 12:48.
November 2 - Mad About Money
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To know that everything I have and ever hope to have is ultimately from God. How I manage it determines the quality of my life and relationships.
• Total US consumer debt (excluding mortgages) was $2.46 trillion in 2007.
• Total US consumer revolving debt was $904 billion in 2007.
• Almost 1 in 10 households owes $9,000 or more on credit cards.
• Average interest rate on credit cards was 13.46% in 2007.
• 36% of those who owe more than $10,000 on cards have household incomes
less than $50,000.
These statistics do not even include second mortgages, home equity loans, or the changes in debt due to the current financial crisis. We as a society have huge problems with spending, debt and living beyond our means.
QUESTION #1 – IS MONEY MY MASTER?
Foundation of our series – Psalms 24:1-2; Matthew 6:19-21
"What you do with your money controls your spiritual life." --James MacDonald
16 of Jesus’ 38 parables deal with money. 1 in 10 verses in the New Testament can be linked to money. The Bible has approximately 500 verses on prayer, faith, and over 2,000 on finances.
Concern: Matthew 6:22-30
Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
QUESTION #2 – HOW DOES MONEY AFFECT MY RELATIONSHIPS?
Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
"56% of people getting divorces list financial pressures and disagreements as #1 reason." James MacDonald
"The flow of money in a family represents the value system within which that family operates. Where your money goes tells everyone what is important to you. Set your priorities with your money. Agreeing on your value system will bring a sense of unity to your relationship that you cannot get any other way." --Dave Ramsey
Challenge: Live within means, s-i-m-p-l-i-f-y
Where is my heart? What needs to change?
GROUP RESPONSE
1. Read again Matthew 6:25-34. Can this be lived out practically in our society?
What does verse 33 mean to us today?
2. Read I Chronicles 29:14-16. Discuss the implications of those verses to us
today?
3. Consider Matthew 6:24. What are the indications in a life if money is the
master, or if God is the master? What are the differences between the two
4. In summary of this message and these scriptures, what needs to change in
my own life and what needs to change in my family concerning money?
Sermon Notes:
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
October 25, 26 - Overcoming: A Celebration of Victory in
Christ
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To accept that no matter what my hurts, habits and hang-ups may be, I can experience VICTORY in Christ Jesus and OVERCOME!
THE ORIGIN OF OUR PROBLEM: SIN
Romans 5:12 (New Living Translation) - When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 5:18a - Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone...
We are sinners by both nature and deed.
Romans 7:20 (New International Version) – Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Romans 3:23 (NLT) - For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
THE SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM: CHRIST!
Romans 5:15 - But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.
I John 1:9 - But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Romans 5:17 - For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
THE CALL TO AN OVERCOMING LIFE
Romans 6:1-4 - 1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Romans 6:11-13 - So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
THE ONGOING PROCESS
Galatians 6:7-9 - 7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
GROUP RESPONSE
1. Review and discuss each major point and the scriptures listed above. Which is
easiest and most difficult to understand? Which is simplest and most complex
to actually live out in our lives?
2. What hurts, habits and hang-ups do we struggle with? Can we embrace the fact
that in Christ we were meant to live in victory? Will we begin a process of
overcoming these issues today?
Previous Sermon Notes:
BREAKING THE LAW
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
October 19 - Free to Be
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To not give up or give in and to begin living—or continue living—as a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Where we began:
Galatians 1:3-4 – Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father
"Much like the Israelites set free from Egyptian bondage, the Gentile Christ-followers received the benefits of the Gospel Paul preached, complete with the clarion call ‘Let my people go!’" (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
Free to Change, Free from Religion, Free from Guilt, Free to Belong, Free to Submit, Free to Follow. TODAY: FREE TO BE!
1. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!
Galatians 6:1-5
Accountability
Encouragement
Responsibility
What a time right now to practice this!
2. THE PRINCIPLE OF SOWING AND REAPING
Galatians 6:7-10
Do not become weary – verse 9
Especially now!
3. ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES FOR "BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH!"
Galatians 2:21 – I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness
could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.
Galatians 2:16 - …a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith
in Jesus Christ…
Galatians 6:11-16
II Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
"What the Gospel proclaims about the cross is that it brings into being a real innovation, something newly invented and by comparison to what has already existed, completely strange. We might even say that what God has raised up was wholly unexpected: a total surprise." (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
Hearts new! Lives transformed! Changed!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Scan the list from the sermon outline above, just above point 1. Which of the
"free" statements meant the most to you in our journey through Galatians? Why?
2. Do we fully understand the "need" to be "rescued" from this evil age as
Galatians 1:4 states? Why or why not?
3. What do verses 6:3-5 really mean to you? What responsibility do we have to
ourselves as well as to others in the Body of Christ? Now read 6:14 and
discuss it.
4. Galatians 6:8 is a stand-alone powerful principal we can live by. Discuss the
implications of this single verse for our lives today.
October 12 - Free to Follow
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To begin using the Fruit of the Spirit to track my progress toward Christ-likeness
Galatians 5:16-31
1. Lost
Galatians 5:19-21
Acts of the sinful nature = not in God’s Kingdom
2. Why lost?
Galatians 5:17 – Spiritual conflict – Sinful nature vs. Holy Spirit
3. Found
Galatians 5:16, 25 – Live by the Spirit – keep in step with the Spirit
4. Why found?
Galatians 5:18, 22-23 – living in the Spirit with His Fruit living through me
Have I been "filled with His Spirit"?
5. Getting on track
Galatians 5:24 – Galatians 2:20
God had not only forgiven their sins, He had given them His Holy Spirit to make them holy. Their lives were undergoing a major renovation as they yielded their hearts, not to the flesh, but to the Spirit. The flesh could not coerce them beyond their will, since through the Spirit their wills have been set free to follow Christ’s example and not their own agendas.
Bob Brown – Background Notes
Crucifying our sinful nature – full surrender and consecration – moving on to entire sanctification - holiness
Have I experienced and am I experiencing this deeper work and journey into holiness?
It is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify me; is it my will? Am I willing to let God do in me all that has been made possible by the Atonement? Am I willing to let Jesus be made sanctification to me, and to let the life of Jesus be manifested in my mortal flesh?
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, October 20
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Think about the role of a GPS device in our cars. The Holy Spirit becomes the
GPS of the life of the believer. What does that imply about how we live? How
we think? How we make choices?
2. Compare and contrast the "acts of the sinful nature" in verses 20-21 of our
passage, and the "fruit of the Spirit" in verses 22-23. Then read Matthew
7:15-20. Is the source of the problem the "fruit" or the "tree?" Likewise, is the
source of what is right ourselves or the Holy Spirit within us?
3. Read John 15:5-8 in light of the above. What does this say about the impor-
tance and depth of our relationship with Christ?
4. Focus on Galatians 5:16. What do these phrases really mean in practical
living? Then do the same with 5:25.
October 5 - Free to Submit
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To realize I am free to offer myself as a slave to Christ and others in love.
1. The challenge of freedom
Galatians 5:1 – 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.
Yoke = teaching or the law which would give us any other way to salvation and
God’s favor other than by grace through faith in Christ!
2. All that matters
Galatians 5:6 – For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has
any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
"The moment the agitators start judging the worthiness of the Galatian Christians
based on their state of non-circumcision rather than on their relationship to the
dying-rising Jesus, they have literally made Christ a useless partner in the plan
of salvation." (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
3. Voluntary slavery
Galatians 5:13-14 – You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use
your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.
My freedom to submit comes from the self-submission of the Son of God who
as part of the triune Godhead submitted Himself to the Father’s plan, willingly
embracing the offense of the awful Cross – all for me, and so I could offer
myself to Him and to others.
To the Jews "a crucified Messiah was not a sign; it was a shameful tragedy. In fact, a crucified Messiah could not be the Messiah at all. Instead, it drew insults, mocking, vilification, and rejection…When Jewish people looked around the hilltop perimeter around Jerusalem, they saw the bare horrific signs of Roman crosses surrounding the city like so many daggers plunged into the Jewish soul. And so, when Paul preached Christ crucified, he drew the jeers of the pagans and worse, the persecution of the Jews." (Bob Brown, Background Notes
Galatians 5:11 (paraphrased) – Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision (or any other way or any other approach to salvation) …the offense of the cross has been abolished.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Note Paul’s intensity in Galatians 5:2, 4, 6 and 12. What issues arise today in
terms of seeking salvation and God’s favor in our lives and religious systems
that Paul might be against? Do we feel that same intensity? Why or why not?
Why is this so serious to him?
2. Read Galatians 5:13, then Colossians 3:1-14. How do you define "freedom" in
Christ? Does our world understand this? How do we communicate this message?
Are we living it ourselves
3. Note Paul’s comment in 5:11 about the "offense" of the cross. Is the cross still
offensive today? What would compare to the "cross" in today’s society? What
if we lived with those symbols all around us? How would we feel? Would those
symbols communicate victory and new life to us?
September 28 - Free to Belong
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To realize I can be a son or daughter of the Most High God – I belong!
1. Children of God
Galatians 3:29-4:7
John 1:10-13
"God, argues Paul, does not have ‘many families’ but only ‘one family,’ united
by the arrival of Messiah. Abraham, the covenant heir of the covenant people,
was not promised ‘many families’ but ‘one family,’ and within that family would
be Gentiles who also fall under God’s promised blessing."
Bob Brown, Background Notes
2. The Perplexing Habit of Returning to Slavery
Galatians 4:8-11; 17-20
Galatians 5:1
3. Children of freedom (Hagar and Sarah)
Galatians 4:21-27
"Those who desire to live ‘under law’ are, for all intents, slaves because they
construct a relationship with God based on ‘flesh,’ ‘works of law’…On the
other hand, those who desire to live ‘by faith’ are, for all intents, free persons
because they receive a relationship from God in the form of forgiveness,
deliverance and the Holy Spirit."
Bob Brown, Background Notes
4. Live in Your Privileges
Galatians 4:6-7, 3
An old song:
"I’ve been adopted by the King of all Kings. I’m an heir to His heavenly throne.
Once a slave to sin, now a Child of God – I’ve been adopted, and I’m one of
His own."
This is not a sweepstakes or a lottery. This is not a game of odds or chance. This is an invitation. Accept no imitations. Cut no corners. Never return to slavery to anyone or anything. Stake your claim for eternity. You have been invited and are free to belong to the family of God!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Genesis 15:2-6 and 16:1-6. Then read Galatians 4:21-26. Discuss the
decisions leading up to the involvement of Hagar the servant woman in bringing
forth offspring of Abraham. Was this God’s plan? Was this man’s approach?
How do we make decisions in our own lives that reflect this story and what
might we miss out on or mess up because of it?
2. Read and discuss Galatians 4:8-9. What systems, people or concepts
"enslave" us today? Why are we tempted to leave grace and faith and accept
something of far less value and freedom?
3. Note the Background Note quote in point 3 on the outline above. What is the
difference between "constructing" a relationship with God and "receiving" a
relationship with God? How do we do both?
4. Read and discuss I Corinthians 7:17-24, especially verse 22. What does this
passage have to say to us? How does it parallel or contrast with Galatians 4?
September 21 - Freedom from Guilt
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To realize that I cannot earn God’s favor or my salvation.
1. The constant temptation of doing it ourselves
Galatians 3:1-5
We always try to take it back into our own control and earn our way to God.
Paul’s argument in Galatia from Acts 13:13-14:25:
Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness
of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified
from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
(Acts 13:38-39)
Grace through faith is often "not enough" for "religion" and "tradition." It
wasn’t popular then (Acts 14:19), and it often isn’t popular now.
2. The example of Abraham
Galatians 3:6-14
Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19
3. The purpose of the law
Galatians 3:23-25
Implications? Galatians 3:26-29
Circumcision is replaced by baptism. One was for males only; the other is
for all!
Guilt is replaced by freedom – available to all!
The Communion feast invites all to one table before one Lord – Jew and Gentile, male and female. All share together in the Holy Supper.
Never accept any other way to God. Christ has been given as your only way – by grace through faith!
"I leave you with this prayer: that the Lord Jesus will reveal Himself to each one of you, that He will give you the strength to go out and profess that you are Christian, that He will show you that He alone can fill your hearts. Accept His freedom and embrace His truth, and be messengers of the certainty that you have been truly liberated through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This will be the new experience, the powerful experience, that will generate through you, a more just society and a better world."
From the book In My Own Words by Pope John Paul II
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Galatians 3:10-14. Discuss the difference of being "cursed" under the law
and being given the Holy Spirit by faith. Does this signify guilt vs. freedom?
2. Read 3:22-25. What do these verses have to say about freedom from guilt?
3. Read Ezekiel 36:25-27. This is a prophecy of the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Does freedom from the guilt of the law and the Holy Spirit living within us mean
we can behave however we want to? What do these verses say about what the
Spirit will do in us?
4. Read and discuss Acts 13:13-14:25. Note the intensity of this conflict and
Paul’s willingness to be persecuted for his cause. Why were the Jewish
leaders so upset? Why was Paul so intense in his response and determination
to keep preaching the gospel?
September 14 - Freedom from Religion
TODAY’S CHALLENGE:
To understand that a personal relationship with Christ is based on faith, not a religious system.
Are there systematic obstacles to our accepting Christ and living in Christ by faith and grace in our lives?
My relationship with Christ must be based on faith in Him – faith that transcends tradition, church, and good works.
Galatians 2
1. "RELIGION" ALWAYS IRRITATES RELATIONSHIP
Examples:
Galatians 2:4-5 – spying in the faith
2:11-14 – confrontation with Peter
"It’s one thing for Gentiles to ‘become Christians.’ It’s quite another to
fully embrace them within the fellowship of Jews and Gentiles sitting at
table fellowship…because table fellowship expressed in concrete form
whether someone was considered part of the righteous people of God.
Religion had, for a brief moment, trumped the Gospel, and that was of
deep concern to Paul. Bob Brown, Background Notes (available online
and at Connect)
2. RELATIONSHIP IS BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
Galatians 2:15-16
Ephesians 2:8-9
3. NOT ME – BUT CHRIST!
Galatians 2:20 – 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.
2:21 – I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could
be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing
This new kind of life if not ego-centered but Christ-centered…This
new life…is motivated and guided by the sacrificial love of the Son
of God…believers should not be separated as the law demands,
but united as the truth of the gospel demands…
G. Walter Hansen, IVP Commentary: Galatians
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Reflect back on your "religious" life. Now that you know what it means to
have a personal relationship with Christ, what "religious" things in your
past kept you from understanding that?
2. Read Galatians 2:1-5. Can you imagine "spying" within the same faith or
church? Why would they have been so intense on this issue to do this?
3. Read Galatians 2:11-14. What is hypocritical here about Peter? How
would this be expressed in today’s church? Have we seen this?
4. What traditions, prejudices, religious systems or socially-acceptable
behaviors in certain settings lead us to hypocritical actions on our part?
Read Galatians 2:21. Do we "set aside the grace of God" by our actions
towards others? How?
5. What does it mean to you to be "crucified with Christ" – and you "no
longer live" but "Christ lives in you?"
September 7 - Free to Change
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand what salvation really means – my life must change!
From Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life ( http://religions.pewforum.org/) – ILLINOIS:
• 5 out of 10 in Illinois believe "religion is very important in one’s life" –
over 4 out of 10 believe it is only "somewhat to not at all important"
• 4 out of 10 attend a "religious service" at least once a week. 36%
attend once or twice monthly or a few times a year. 1 out of 4
seldom or never attend.
• 1 in 4 believe the Bible is "literally the Word of God." 35% belie
it’s a book written by man, not God. 1 in 10 don’t know.
Never in American history has there been a greater need to influence people from "religion" to a personal, life-changing relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
GALATIANS – written from the Apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia – a Roman province - in app. 54-56 A.D. Purpose?
"Jewish Christians…were insisting that all Gentile Christians had to become part of the Jewish nation before they could enjoy the full blessing of God…Gentile believers were led to think that their identification with the Jewish nation by observing the law was a necessary condition for a right relationship with God."
G. Walter Hansen, IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Galatians
Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law." (Galatians 2:16 New Living Translation)
We still want to find a religious system, rituals or traditions that will make us "feel" right with God. There are none that do.
1. DESPERATE FOR RESCUE – Everyone needs change.
Galatians 1:3-5 - Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father
planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
(Verse 4, NLT)
2. PAST TENSE – Everyone has stuff to be changed.
Galatians 1:11-16 - You know what I was like when I followed the
Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my
best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for
the traditions of my ancestors. (Verses 13-14, NLT)
3. PRESENT TENSE – Everyone can be changed
Galatians 1:22-24 - 22And still the Christians in the churches in
Judea didn’t know me personally. 23All they knew was that people
were saying, "The one who used to persecute us is now preaching
the very faith he tried to destroy!" 24And they praised God because
of me.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Read Ephesians 2:1-10. What would it mean to be saved through
ourselves (vs. 8), to be saved by works (vs. 9), or be able to "boast"
(vs.9)? Paul says we are NOT saved these ways! Why?
2. Read Galatians 2:16 above. What are the implications of this verse?
3. Read Galatians 1:6-10. Why is Paul so strong on these points?
Why would some preach other than Paul’s version of the Gospel
message
4. Describe the impact on you from Paul’s testimony in Galatians
1:23-24.
Previous Sermon Notes:
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
August 30, 31 - Heart Matters - This is Crazy!
Pastors Adam Lewis and Jill Crew
Abraham Tested - Genesis 22:1-19
v. 1-3
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
v. 10-12
Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
v. 15-18
The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
Heart Matters
Matthew 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
1. Work 5.
2. TV / Internet (70.6 hours per week) 6.
3. Money / Finances 7.
4. Stress 8.
Mark 14:32-36 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
What we may think is craziness, God considers obedience!
Reflection Questions
1. What do you think was going through Abraham’s mind when God told him to
sacrifice his second son, Isaac?
2. How would you have responded to such a command from God?
3. What possession would be the toughest to give up for you?
4. Abraham had an unwavering obedience to God that he would sacrifice his son.
What, in your life, is distracting your relationship with God that you can lay on
the altar?
5. How does this story remind you of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ?
August 23, 24 - Celebrating Faithfulness
2008 - The Year of Deeper Connections, with God and with each other!
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to understand where we have come from, who we are, and where we are going as Chicago First Church of the Nazaren
1. THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE CHURCH
I Peter 2:4-12
• Depends on perspective (vss. 7-8)
• Created out of nothing (vs. 10)
• A High Calling – (vss. 9, 11-12)
WHO WE WERE –
• a historic congregation serving the south side of Chicago in ministry
for 70 years
• faithful, obedient people made possible what was – time, talent, treasure
WHO WE ARE –
• a congregation of one church, two locations, serving the southwest suburbs
(since 1974) and the west side of Chicago (beginning this year) with more
than 1,700 who in some way call this church "home"
• faithful, obedient people make possible what is – time, talent, treasure
2. THE SPIRIT OF FAITHFULNESS AND DECLARATION OF GOD’S
OWNERSHIP
Our Mission – To develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ who love
God and others
Our Vision – To be the Family Resource Center where Christ and
Community Connect
I Chronicles 29 (app. Page 306 Pew Bibles)
• resources surrendered (vs. 2) – time, talent, treasure
• devotion established (vs. 3) – time, talent, treasure
• influence extended (vss. 5b, 9)
• God’s ownership declared – (vss. 14b, 16b, 20)
TO GOD BE THE GLORY! THIS IS GOD’S CHURCH! IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN! IT IS OUR D.N.A.!
WHAT IS GOD’S FUTURE FOR US? WHO WILL WE BECOME?
2008 – total registration for Nazarene Recreation, Nazarene Fine Arts Academy and Nazarene Pre-School almost 5,000 – over 2,200 families. 10,000 people will cross this property in non-Worship events.
• 46% are unchurched
• 43% have not read the Bible in the last year
• 76% read Bible less than 10 times in last year
• 99% believe they "would be welcome" here
• 91% "would consider visiting" here
• 79% "would consider attending" here
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the I Peter 2 passage above. What brings people together in a church?
What brought you here? What will bring others?
2. What is significant about David’s total commitment of himself in I Chronicles 29
passage above to the temple project, and his declaration of God’s ownership?
3. Discuss the statistics listed above about our own ministry. What are the impli-
cations of this? How should we respond? What needs to change?
Previous Sunday Sermon Series:
"ONE68"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
August 17 - Sabbath
08 - The Year of Deeper Connections, with God and with each other!
ONE68 = 168 hours in a week.
How are you living your ONE68?
Last ONE68 Challenge: To have a better understanding of how to pray and know that confession is between me and God.
SABBATH
We are overstressed, hyperactive people
We are obsessed with production, noise, activity and doing
Is it time to get off the treadmill and into some personal time with God?
1. The Concept of Sabbath rest - Genesis 2:2
2. The principle of Sabbath rest - Psalm 46, Psalm 62
3. The Lord of the Sabbath invites us to participate
Mark 2:23-27
John 16:33
KEY VERSE: Psalm 62:5 - Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
PERSONAL IDEAS TO PRACTICING SABBATH REST IN MY LIFE:
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Genesis 2:1-3. Why would God need to rest? Why did God rest?
2. Read and discuss Hebrews 4:1-11, in the context of Genesis 2. What is the
Hebrew writer trying to say to us?
3. Note our key verse above - Psalm 62:5. Is God truly the "only" source of
rest for our souls? Of or our hope? Why? What does that have to say about
resting in Him?
4. Read and discuss Mark 2:23-27. What does verse 27 say to us? Why do we
tend either towards legalism (making a certain day required for resting) or
ignore the concept altogether? Is there middle ground? Where? How?
5. Read and discuss John 16:33. What is the connection between sabbath rest
and personal peace? Read John 14:25-27. What further teaching does this
give us about true peace?
August 10 - Fellowship and Accountability
Pastor Andy Combs
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
ONE68 = 168 hours in a week. How are you living your ONE68?
Last Week’s ONE68 Challenge: To have a better understanding of how to pray and know that confession is between me and God.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To understand that God’s plan is for Christians to live in fellowship with one another and to consider making that a part of my Christian walk.
"Why are we so reluctant to admit our need for each other? There are two powerful reasons: First, our culture glorifies individualism. We admire independent, self-sufficient people who seem to get along quite well by themselves. But the sad truth is, beneath that confident appearance is usually a lonely and insecure person with a heart filled with hurt . . . Second, we have pride. Many people, especially men, feel it is an admission of weakness to ask for help or to express a need. But there is absolutely no shame in needing others. God wired us that way!" (Rick Warren, Better Together)
What Does the Fellowship that God Desires for us Look Like? Colossians 3:1-17
1. Honesty and Accountability
v. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature
and all its wicked deeds.
2. Forgiveness
v. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends
you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
3. Teaching and Counsel
v. 16a Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach
and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
4. Encouragement
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds. 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.
5. Love
v. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect
harmony.
6. We are all to be representatives of Christ.
v. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through him to God the Father.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Why are we as a society so enamored by the self-made or self-sufficient
person? Is God?
2. What are the hindrances to finding a place of genuine Christian fellowship
in our lives?
3. What are the benefits of being involved in a community of fellowship as God
desires? What are the drawbacks?
4. How would a church be affected by it attenders and members living life in the
kind of fellowship that God desires? How would it affect its outreach into the
community
5. Are you living in the fellowship God desires for you now? If not, why not?
July 27 - Prayer and Confession
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
ONE68 = 168 hours in a week. How are you living your ONE68?
Last Week’s Challenge: to develop a regular discipline of studying God’s Word.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to have a better understanding of how to pray and know that confession is between me and God.
1. CHRIST IS OUR HIGH PRIEST – the only one we need!
• Matthew 4:17 – From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is near."
• Jesus taught "confessional repentance" = I admit; I will change.
• Hebrews 7:23-8:2 (app. page 849 Pew Bibles)
7:23 – Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through
him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (New International Version)
• "Intercede = turn to, plead, appeal, bring complaints . . . Jesus takes our case
to God and makes his appeal on our behalf based on the merits of his perfect
sacrifice for our sins." Bob Brown, Background Notes
• Hebrews 9:11-15
9:14 – How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts
that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
• I John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
• Confession is the "anti-guilt" . . . saying the same thing God says – I have
sinned.
• Repentance = turn, change
2. JESUS MODELS PRAYER – the Lord’s Prayer
• Matthew 6:6-13 (app. page 684 Pew Bibles)
6:9 – This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed by
your name . . .
3. WE ARE INVITED TO PRAY – an unbroken, ongoing conversation with God
• Ephesians 6:18 – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers
and requests
• James 5:13-16 (app. page 856 Pew Bibles)
TO LEARN MORE - Check out this weekend’s Background Notes available on this web site.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. How have you viewed prayer? Why have we made this such a lofty, ritualistic
concept? How do you react to prayer being "an unbroken ongoing, conversation
with God?"
2. Read Hebrews 10:11-14. What are the differences between earthly human priests
/ pastors and Jesus, the Great High Priest?
3. Read Colossians 4:2; I Thessalonians 3:10; I Thessalonians 5:17; II Thessalonians
1:11. Then read Ephesians 6:18. How is this possible with our schedules? What
does it mean practically to pray like these verses say?
4. Discuss the implications of confession vs. repentance – as we are to do both.
July 20 - Bible Study
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
ONE68 = 168 hours in a week. How are you living your ONE68?
Last Week’s Challenge: To practice the discipline of solitude and silence in our loud and crazy world.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To develop a regular discipline of studying God’s Word
RECENT NAZARENE RECREATION SURVEY taken by Pastor David Baillie of our NazRec families: 43% had not read the Bible at all in the last year, and 27% had only read it 1-5 times in last year. This means that 70% of our NazRec parents have read a Bible 5 times or less in one year.
Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture, we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus’ name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son. (Eugene Peterson, Eat This Book)
We study to live. The Bible is sustenance. (Bob Brown, Background Notes)
1. THE DIFFERENCE THE BIBLE CAN MAKE IN MY LIFE - Psalm 119
Verse 9 – Purity
Verse 25 – Preservation
Verse 27 – Understanding
Verse 33 – Teaching
Verse 89 – Eternal Truth
Verse 105 – Direction
2. FROM SKIMMING TO DWELLING - Colossians 3:15-1
3. FROM LISTENING TO DOING - James 1:22, Do not merely listen to the Word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
SUGGESTED RESPONSES
• Resource table in the Atrium
• Get Bible you can grasp with helps
• Discipline time and focus to read it
• Pray for Holy Spirit to speak to you
• Determine to change when led to do so
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. One of the massive changes the Protestant Reformation brought to the Church
was Martin Luther’s challenge that all believers are "priests" and that the Word
of God can be read and understood by every believer, not just "the Church." How
well are we doing with that freedom and opportunity? How well are you personally
doing?
2. Discuss each verse listed from Psalm 119. Has the Word of God guided you in
the past in any of those areas? How? How do you think it could do so?
3. Discuss the relationship indicated in Colossians 3:15-17 between inner peace,
living all of life to God’s glory, and "dwelling" in His Word. What does it really
mean to "dwell" in His word?
4. Study and discuss James 1:19-27; verse 22 is the "hinge" on which the whole
passage turns. How does that work? And what about verses 23-25 especially?
What do those mean?
July 13 - Solitude and Silence
Pastor Tim Britton
I. Volume
(If your life had a volume setting what would it be?)
John 10: 1-5
Can you hear the voice of the shepherd above the noise of your daily life?
If the shepherd was calling to you would you recognize his voice or would it sound unfamiliar… like the voice of a stranger
"Although we are surrounded by the stimuli of music, television and conversation, we often feel disconnected from other people, from God, and ultimately from ourselves." (Tony Jones, The Sacred Way)
II. Speedometer
(At what speed do you feel you are moving through life?)
"The hardest thing to get North American people to do is nothing." (Dallas Willard)"
Following Jesus cannot be done at a sprint. If we want to follow someone, we can’t go faster than the one who is leading." (John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted
Silence and solitude were regular practices for Jesus.
Luke 5:16
III. Gas Gauge
(Do you ever feel like you are running on an empty tank?)
Self Evaluation - Yes or No?
Does the rhythm and pace of your life and schedule really look like a person who wants to hear God’s voice and experience His presence
"It is often when we’re swallowed up in God that we find our true selves. We discover our true identify not as do-ers but as be-ers. Our tasks in this life boil down to: "Be still and know that I am God."
(Tony Jones, The Sacred Way)
Psalm 46:10
Matthew 11:28-30
July 6 - Freedom
Pastor David Ludwig
1. We are free from sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
2. We are free from the power of sin.
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name
of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me
free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do
in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he con-
demned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the
law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature
but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4
3. We are free from the guilt of confessed sin.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I
said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the
guilt of my sin." Psalm 32:5
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace my
increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any
longer? Romans 6:1-2
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom
to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13
IF THE SON SETS YOU FREE . . . YOU ARE FREE INDEED!
June 29 - From All Things Unholy - Turn, Turn, Turn
Pastor Adam Lewis & Pastor Jill Crew
Key Verse: If we admit that we have sinned, He will forgive us our sins. 1 John 1:9
1. David’s Fall (2 Samuel 11)
David’s sin was hurting his relationship with God.
2. Nathan and David (2 Samuel 12)
Nathan had the courage to show David in a loving way that he was sinning and
challenge him to repent.
3. Turning to God
• Cleanse the inside (Matthew 23:25)
• Confess to God and receive His grace (1 John 1:9)
• Turn from sin to God
4. Getting Right with Others
Your relationship with God is confirmed in your actions.
• In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27
• Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
• Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with
every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31
How do we deal with conflict? Matthew 18:15-17
• Go straight to the person (no gossip).
• Speak the truth in love.
• Bring a friend to help.
• Ask the church for help.
• Let it be.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (These resources can all be purchased at www.amazon.com)
• Kids Topics to Go
• Kid Talk Conversation Cards
• Table Talk Conversation Cards
• Table Topics Couples Edition
• Table Topics Family Editio
• Table Topics Teen Edition
Free devotional resource - Connect Devotions found above the elementary kids’ nametags
June 15 - Obedience
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
ONE68 = 168 hours in a week. How are you living your ONE68?
Last Week’s Challenge – To have right motives and hearts and practice "secret sacrifice."
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: to examine my obedience level and accept the challenge to "raise the bar."
David…was, after all, a murderer, adulterer, liar and thief. And he was all of those things while ruling as Israel’s king, the anointed of Yahweh, the ‘man after God’s own heart.’ …The wonder of David’s life lies not in his freedom from imperfection, but in his unrelenting belief that God stood by His covenant promises, and through David’s failures and foibles, He would find a way through to human greatness. Bob Brown, Background Notes
Psalm 51:10, 17 (NLT) - Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 17The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
"SERVANT OF THE LORD"
1. The Dream –
I Chronicles 28:2 (NIV) - King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me,
my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place
of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God,
and I made plans to build it."
2. The Command –
I Chronicles 28:3 - But God said to me, "You are not to build a house for my
Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood."
3. The Surrender –
I Chronicles 28:6 - He said to me: "Solomon your son is the one who will build
my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be
his father."
4. The Charge –
I Chronicles 28:8-10 - So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the
assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all
the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land
and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. 9And you, my
son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with whole-
hearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart
and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will
be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10Consider
now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be
strong and do the work.
NOTHING scares us more than full surrender and obedience to God
NOTHING brings greater fulfillment and joy than full surrender and obedience to God.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever had to give up a personal dream or desire? How did that make
you feel? Why?
2. Scan the I Chronicles verses above; then read I Chronicles 29:14-18. What is
David’s attitude at this point in his life? Does he seem sad or fulfilled? Angry
or satisfied? Why?
3. Read Matthew 20:20-28. Contrast this attitude with David’s. What role does
"servanthood" play in obedience to God?
4. Jesus preached self-denial, taking up our cross and full commitment to Him.
Yet, read His promises in John 10:10, Matthew 10:39 and Matthew 6:31-33.
How does obedience and surrender lead to joy and fulfillment in Jesus’ teaching?
June 8 - Secret Sacrifice
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
ONE68 = 168 hours in a week. How are you living your ONE68?
Last Week’s Challenge – To know how to put into practice private worship and moments of praise throughout the week.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To plan and put into practice at least one "secret sacrifice" this week.
THE NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE SECRET LIFE
The Principle - Matthew 6:1
The Practice
1. Doing
• DON'T seek admiration of others
• DO good deeds
2. Giving
• DON'T call attention to your gifts
• DO give in private
3. Praying
• DON'T pray for others to be impressed or with vain repetitions
• DO pray to God
"Prayer is the supreme instance of the hidden character of the Christian life.
It is the antithesis of self-display. When men pray, they have ceased to
know themselves and know only God whom they call upon. Prayer does not
aim at any direct effect on the world; it is addressed to God alone, and is
therefore the perfect example of undemonstrative action."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
4. Forgiving
• DON'T refuse to forgive
• DO forgive
5. Fasting
• DON'T seek admiration for fasting
• DO fast only for God's notice
Key Questions
1. Am I practicing these spiritual disciplines?
2. What are my motives in doing so?
3. Whose reward and approval am I seeking?
4. Where is my heart?
"We must do for God's Kingdom that which He asks of us. People may hold all kinds of opinions of us, both positive and negative, and about our work. But, in the end, we cannot serve both God and the need for approval from others. We must decide, and in this decision may God grant us the joy of cultivating the growth-producing discipline of secret sacrifice." Bob Brown, Background Notes
One of the wonderful gifts of this practice is to begin to see how silly the whole enterprise of impression management is. Winston Churchill once described his political rival, Clement Atlee, as ‘a modest little man, with much to be modest about.' I already have the second half of that description down. The practice of secrecy offers the hope that one day the first half might be attainable as well.
John Ortberg, The Life
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read I Chronicles 28:9 and I Corinthians 4:2-5. What do these verses tell us
about "what" God judges? Discuss the importance of intentions vs. deeds.
2. Discuss the three examples Jesus gives of wrong intentions in Matthew 6:2-4,
5-13, and 14-18. How do these fall short of what God wants from us?
3. What within us drives us to want personal glory rather than secret sacrifice?
After discussing, read and discuss Romans 8:5-8.
4. Read James 2:14-19. What perspective does this passage give us on Matthew 6?
How do we balance these two in our daily lives?
June 1 - Worship
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
ONE68 = 168 hours in a week. We all have the same amount of hours and the same opportunity for choices. How are you living your ONE68?
Last Week’s Challenge: To become "fully devoted" with my whole life to Christ.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To know how to put into practice private worship and moments of praise throughout my week.
THE GLORY OF HIS PRESENCE
Exodus 24
• The wonderful invitation: Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and
Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship
at a distance. (24:1, NIV)
• The incredible dinner party: Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy
elders of Israel went up 10and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something
like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. 11But God did not raise
his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and
drank. (24:9-11, NIV)
• Is it any surprise, really, that the God of the ages who "walked in the garden in the
cool of the day" with Adam and Eve — who created for Himself a people to connect
with and to represent Him in our world, who sent a Christ who was repeatedly
accused of "eating with sinners" to the earth, whose Word continually talks of
banquets and weddings and feasts both here and in eternity - would host a dinner
party for Moses and 70 of his closest friends? And would Himself be present in His
glory?
THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF HIS PRESENCE
Romans 8:1-4; 15-17
• No condemnation
• Set free
• Spirit of adoption
• "Abba! Father!" = awesome reverence for Daddy
• Prayer – Praise – Confession of sin – Confession of faith – Reading of Scripture –
Preaching – Giving – The Lord’s Suppe
• Daily conversation AND "prayer closet"
PRACTICING HIS PRESENCE – A NEW TESTAMENT DINNER PARTY
• Prayer and Preparation
• The Lord’s Praye
• The Lord’s Supper
My response – live Mark 12:30
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Isaiah 6:1-8. What evidences of the "glory" of God are in this encounter?
What was Isaiah’s response? What did God do to prepare Isaiah for His
future? How then did Isaiah respond?
2. Read and discuss Revelation 4-5. Who is the center of worship? What seems
to be the "posture" of worship? What qualities of God are emphasized? How
might this passage guide our personal and public worship?
3. Read through Exodus 24. What preparations are made to "meet God?" How
does God connect with people in this story
4. What are the implications of Romans 8 in terms of our personal preparation
for worship?
May 25 - Fully Devoted
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
ONE68 = 168 hours in a week. We all have the same amount of hours and the same opportunity for choices. How are you living your ONE68?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: To evaluate my life "between the weekends" and consider how God would want me to change in order to live above spiritual mediocrity.
Our Church’s Mission – "To develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ who love God and others."
BECOME FULLY DEVOTED
1And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2, NLT)
"Give to God every aspect of one’s life. . . Body = soma (Greek) = actions, habits, orientation, including speech." Background Notes
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:1-2, The Message)
LIVE FULLY DEVOTED (Colossians 3:1-17)
1. New Vision
• new focus (verse 1)
• new thinking (verse 2
• new reality (verse 3)
2. New Living
• kill the distractions (verses 5-7
• accept a new nature (verses 8-10)
3. New Society
• Verses 11-17
Colossians 3:17 (NIV) - And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Read Romans 12:1-2. What is the most difficult of the commands in these two
verses for you to do? Why?
2. Discuss the connection between the last sentence of Romans 12:2 and the
sentences that go before it in verses 1-2. Why is it so difficult for many of us to
"find God’s will?" How often do you seek God’s will in your life’s decisions?
3. Think of the hours you spend each week doing each major category of life:
sleeping, eating, working, commuting, playing, etc. How much actual "time" does
God get in your life? Why is it so "hard" to make time for God?
4. Colossians 3 challenges us to a whole new way of living. Discuss: a) the connec-
tion between Romans 12:2 and Colossians 3:2; b) the connection between
Romans 12:1 and Colossians 3:5-10.
Previous Sermon Series:
"Extreme Home Makeover"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
May 17, 18 - The Role of Children in the Family
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
BEING CHILDREN
• Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the
Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12, NLT)
• Honor – often translated "glorify"
• "Honor implies ‘esteem’ not only with words but also with actions."
Background Notes
• Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the
right thing to do. "Honor your father and mother." This is the first command-
ment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, things will go well
for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." (Ephesians 6:1-3, NLT)
RAISING CHILDREN
• Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the
things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you
live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
(Deuteronomy 4:9, NIV)
• Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you
are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and
when you are getting up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, NLT)
• Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that
your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the
LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the
heavens are above the earth. (Deuteronomy 11:20-21, NIV
• Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.
Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from
the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4, NLT)
BECOME LIKE CHILDREN
• Jesus values children
But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the
Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." And he
placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.
(Matthew 19:14-15, NLT)
• Jesus instructs us to become like children
Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and
become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in
the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:3-4, NLT)
• Spiritual and societal disorder result from a refusal to heed these
biblical concept
A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own
child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be
killed. And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the
one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:12-13, NLT)
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. How does "honoring" ones parents change with each phase of life –
when we’re children, teens, young adults and older adults?
2. Read Mark 5:39-40, Mark 7:26 and Mark 9:17-27. What do these
verses reveal about Jesus’ relationship with children and about their
qualities that we are to imitate?
3. Does "raising children" end with their adulthood? Why or why not?
4. Read Luke 2:41-52. What do we learn about being children, honoring
parents, and raising children from this story?
May 10, 11 - The Role of Women in the Family
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
"Women in the days of Jesus (and before)…largely lived their lives in the shadow of ‘their men’." Bob Brown, Background Notes
"Woman has always been the best friend religion ever had; but religion has by no means been the best friend woman ever had." German Theologian Schimmel
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
MARY MAGDALENE – A MODEL FOR ALL WOMEN!
1After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. (Luke 8:1-3)
Jesus shattered the cultural and religious norms by including women in his inner circle of leadership!
• Matthew 27:55-56
• Matthew 27:61
• Matthew 28:1-10 (John 20:11-18)
"Four corresponding gospel accounts…unanimously support the claim that Mary Magdalene was the first witness to the empty tomb and to the vision of angels who announced the resurrection of Jesus…Why was it that original Christianity would place the testimony for the most important event of its history in the hands of those whom others would likely discount because they were women?" Bob Brown, Background Notes
Mary Magdalene:
• Was in the inner circle of Jesus.
• Was faithful from the day she was delivered from demonic possession.
• Became a model for all wives, mothers, girls, and women in general.
• Kept Christ in the center of her heart and life.
• Was part of the foundation of the early church.
Acts 1:14 - Acts 2:1-13
Is Christ the center of your life?
Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Considering the cultural and religious realities of Jesus’ day, how do you
react to his having women in his inner circle and in influential leadership?
2. Considering Mary Magdalene’s background, what message does it send
that Jesus included her?
3. Read Galatians 3:26-29. What are the implications of these verses?
4. Read John 20:11-18. Then read John 10:3. Discuss the details of this story
with regard to Mary Magdalene’s remarkable role and the message of the
John 10:3 verse.
5. Read Matthew 10:37-39. What is the challenge here for both men and
women? What difference does it make to have Christ in the "center" of
our lives?
May 3, 4 - God's Family Plan: The Other Side
Rev. Kent Olney, PhD
Matthew 19:1-15
Jesus makes 5 affirmations regarding the family:
Affirmation # 1: Males and females are distinct (v.4).
Affirmation # 2: Monogamous, heterosexual marriage is based on sex distinctions
(v.5).
Affirmation # 3: Permanent marriage is God's intention (v.6).
Affirmation # 4: To be single is to be celibate; and to be single by choice is to
devote oneself to the work of the kingdom (v.12).
Affirmation # 5: Children are highly valued models of the kingdom (v.14).
How has society strayed from these affirmations?
1. Failure to read and heed the Word (19:4)
2. Failure to honor the original design (19:4, 8)
3. Failure to diagnose hard hearts (19:8)
A Biblical response:
1. Don't give up! (James 1:12)
2. Do / live God's Word. (James 1:22)
3. Men, be responsible. (James 1:12, 22-25)
4. Courage to go to the other side. (Matthew 19:1)
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. In your opinion, which of Jesus' family affirmations needs to be most recaptured
and emphasized today? Why?
2. In your opinion, which of Jesus' family affirmations will be most difficult to
recapture and emphasize today? What factors will make this difficult?
3. In addition to the three reasons given in Matthew 19 as to how society has
strayed from these affirmations, what other factors have contributed to society's
decline in family values?
4. How can the church effectively hold forth the truth on family matters, while still
compassionately ministering to a variety of family types today
5. What are some specific ways that Christians can courageously stand "on the
other side" of the culture when it comes to relationship behaviors and family
values?
Previous Sermon Series:
"Deep Foundations"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
April 26, 27 - Fortified
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
We are engaged in a spiritual battle.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8, New Living Translation)
"[Paul] captures the vision of the fully equipped Christian, endowed by God, not the Empire, and ready to stand in the face of whatever onslaughts might be hurled against him...Paul’s vision of the future is hopeful and grounded in the long-standing purposes of God to raise up a New Temple, filled with the Spirit, composed of living stones.
Still, once built, such a structure can only attract the hosts of hell whose own kingdom God has already defeated by the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. The battle has already begun for the hearts and minds of the Christ-followers."
(Bob Brown, Background Notes)
"…Their weapons did always cling to them, they have never any truce from warlike exercises…Every soldier is every day exercised, and that with great diligence, as if it were in time of war, which is the reason why they bear the fatigues of battle so easily…For neither can any disorder remove them from their usual regularity, nor can fear affright them out of it, nor can labor tire them; which firmness of conduct makes them always to overcome…"
(Flavius Josephus, 1st Century historian, The Wars of the Jews, speaking of Roman soldiers)
Spiritual Armor – the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)
• Belt of truth (6:14)
• Body armor of God’s righteousness (6:14)
• Shoes of peace from God’s Word that makes us prepared (6:15)
• Shield of faith (6:16)
• Helmet of salvation (6:17)
• Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God (6:17
• Prayer (6:18)
Results
• Stand firm (6:11, 13)
• Able to resist (6:13)
• Stand your ground (6:14)
• Be fully prepared (6:15
• Stop the fiery arrows of the devil (6:16)
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. A. Skevington Wood, in his commentary on Ephesians, talks of a call to arms,
Christian warfare, encounter with evil and fight. This is often called "spiritual
warfare." What does that mean to you? Do you consider your relationship with
Christ a target of evil? Have you ever sensed or noticed this in your life?
2. Notice Paul tells us to "put on" something in 6:11, 13. Compare this to 4:24.
Is this the same idea? How?
3. Notice the real enemy in 6:12. Have we often mistaken people as the enemy
when it’s really something else? How?
4. Read I Peter 5:8-9. Have you experienced this? How?
5. Notice the role of the Word of God (the Bible) in the spiritual armor. How does
this work? Why? Are we "arming ourselves" enough with His Word?
April 19, 20 - Healthy Building
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
Ephesians 4:17-32; 5:1-20
Key Verses for This Series
Ephesians 1:15-16 (New Living Translation) - 15Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly.
1. The reality of life in the first and twenty-first centuries!
Ephesians 4:17-19
2. The challenge and the call
Ephesians 4:22-24 - 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,
to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self,
created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Lack of pursuing holiness = spiritual sickness
Pursuing holiness = spiritual health
3. The spiritually healthy lifestyle of the spiritually healthy Christ-follower
Ephesians 4:25-5:20
Key Phrases:
• Do not give the devil a foothold – 4:27
• Be imitators of God – 5:1
• Live a life of love – 5:2
• Live as children of light – 5:8
• Find out what pleases the Lord – 5:10
• Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness – 5:11
• Be very careful how you live – 5:1
• Make the most of every opportunity – 5:16
Temptation is always stronger when I am alone.
My spiritual life is always weaker when I am not accountable to anyone.
No person should be a spiritual island.
No Christ-follower should live in isolation.
Together – can we pursue holiness? Together – can we be healthy followers of Christ?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What two kinds of persons are distinguished in Ephesians 4:17-24? What are the
characteristics of each? What sort of person are we to become, and how does
that transformation take place?
2. Notice the contrast in 5:3-14, as emphasized in verse 8. Give descriptions of the
one category vs. the other, using our entire passage (4:17-5:20) as a guide to the
descriptions.
3. Read John 3:19-21. What does Jesus have to say about the contrast in question
#2? What do His words say about our lives in our "real world" today?
4. Last week we focused on "spiritual growth." This week we focus on "spiritual
health." How should the former lead to the latter? What in our passage would be
"healthy" and "unhealthy" spiritually?
April 12, 13 - The Plan to Grow
2008 – The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
Key Verses for this series: Ephesians 1:15-16 (New Living Translation) - 15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly
DEEPER CONNECTIONS – with God and with each other!
The importance of becoming part of a group.
…God has an ongoing project ‘on earth’…where he is working out in real human lives the development of a new humanity, assembled into a new social relationship, which continues to ‘grow.’ This new humanity is the ‘body’ of Christ...
Reconciled by the cross of Christ, human beings may now share in the worship of God and the society of God without recourse to human entrance requirements…Robert Ismon Brown, Background Notes, April 12-13
The Plan to Grow…
Ephesians 3:14-21
Key phrases in verses 14-19:
1. Strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being – (verse 16)
2. That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – (verse 17) – New Living
Translation - Then Christ will make his home in your hearts = putting his feet
under or on your table!
For Christ to ‘be at home’ in our hearts means that he has not only taken up residence, but is also guiding and directing everything that is done there. Robert Ismon Brown
Moving from "let me show you around" to…
Lord, you have been a guest and I have been the host. From now on I am going to be the servant. You are going to be the owner and Master…I took out the title deed to the house describing its assets and liabilities, location and situation. I eagerly signed the house over to Him alone for time and eternity. ‘Here,’ I said, ‘here it is, all that I am and have, forever. Now you run the house … Robert Boyd Munger
3. being rooted and established in love – (verse 17) – New Living Translation -
Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong
4. to know this love that surpasses knowledge…filled to the measure of all
the fullness of God (verse 19) – New Living Translation - Then you will be
made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
5. Now to Him who is able…(verse 20)
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Notice in Ephesians 4:1 the challenge to "live a life worthy of the calling
you have received" – and how this is then defined in verses 2-3. Is this
possible in our own ability? How can it be fulfilled in our lives?
2. Discuss the goal of Ephesians 4:13-15 for each of us in our spiritual
journey. Discuss how we must move from initial salvation to a growing
and deeper relationship with Christ is this is to occur.
3. Notice the five words or phrases in bold in the sermon outline. Discuss
each one with the verse it comes from in terms of what it means in your
life and your present experience. What would need to change? Would
you need to grow spiritually for this to be realized in you?
April 5, 6 - Built Together
Pastor Andy Combs
1. Portrait of Who We Were
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) - remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:11-12)
"You scorn our birth, because we weren't descended from Abraham. You won't accept us unless we conform to your bloody rituals. Your hope of salvation, namely the coming Messiah, means defeating us: we are his enemy, in your telling of the story. You disallow our participation in your civic life. Your legal system treats us, at most, as ‘resident aliens,’ and offers us no covenant partnership. In your eyes, our future is bleak and we are godless. You are in the ‘holy land’, but we are ‘in the world:’ a world under divine judgment." (Robert Brown)
2. Portrait of the Peace Making Christ
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
(Ephesians 2:13-18)
"The way of approach is now by grace, by a new and creative work of God, the same for both Jews and Gentiles. The purpose of Christ is ‘to create out of the two a single new humanity in himself.’ God now deals with Jews and Gentiles as such a single entity. Furthermore, Gentiles do not simply rise to the status of the Jews, but both become something new and greater." (Francis Foulkes)
3. Portrait of Who We are Becoming (2:19-22)
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)
"The temple in Old Testament days was above all else the special meeting place between God and his people. It was the place on which the glory of God descended, the place of his presence. When Christ came, he made obsolete the temple made with hands. He himself was the place of divine dwelling among men. That temple is no longer among us, but God now seeks as his dwelling place the lives of men and women who will allow him to enter by his Spirit." (Francis Foulkes)
Group Questions
1. Who are the people in today’s society who are the strangers and aliens and
without hope in the world? How has the church treated them?
2. Discuss the concept of one (Jews) plus one (Gentiles) equals one (new
humanity). How do you think the Jews and Gentiles co-existed in the early
church with the history of hostility they had to overcome?
3. Paul says Jesus is our peace – he is a reconciler of different peoples into one
body. How has the church done at being a reconciler and reaching out to
different peoples in our time?
4. Who does God want our church to reach out to and offer reconciliation to God
through Jesus Christ? Who does God want you to reach out to?
5. How does it make you feel to be a part of God’s temple – the place where God
resides? How should that affect how we then live?
March 29, 30 - Bedrock in Christ
2008: The Year of Deeper Connections – with God and with each other!
Key verses for this series: 15Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly. Ephesians 1:15-16 (New Living Translation)
Bedrock – solid rock beneath the soil and superficial rock; a secure foundation; the very bottom; basic principles or facts. (New World Dictionary of the American Language)
THE CHALLENGE: Decide that Christ will be the Foundation...
1. For My Life (Verses 1-8, 11-13)
2. For the Church – our congregation and the church everywhere (Verses 15-23
3. For our Future – me personally and His people in general (Verses 9-10, 14)
Serving of Holy Communion ("First Communion" for children in 11:00 service)
4. For our Households and Families (Pastors Jill Crew and Adam Lewis)
Remember (Joshua 24)
Moses passing the torch, Joshua’s journeys, Joshua’s challenge to stay
away from other gods
What are the handprints of God in your story?
Has your family forgotten God?
Choose
Significant religious influences:
Mother (77%)
Father (55%)
Pastor (49%)
(Early Childhood Education Study, Search Institute)
Remain (Joshua 1:5-9)
"The local church should be an intimate and valuable partner in the effort to raise
the coming generation of Christ’s followers and church leaders, but it is the
parents whom God will hold primarily accountable for the spiritual maturation of
their children." (George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions)
The role of the church is to be a lifelong partner – not a replacement!
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. What are some of the "foundations" people build their lives on in our society
today? How "secure" are they? Why?
2. Notice the word "predestined" is used in verses 5 and 11. In the Wesleyan /
Arminian theology which we believe, all have been predestined – conditioned
upon our response and acceptance. What is your response that you were
"predestined" to be a child of God and part of His church? What does this
say about the grace of God?
3. Once we believe, verse 13, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and becomes
our "seal" or "guarantee" for eternity. Have you thought of the Holy Spirit in
this way before? What difference does His presence make in your life? What
does God intend for the Spirit to do in us?
4. Note the power of God—referred to in verses 19-21—that is in our lives as
believers. Do we live in this power? Why or why not?
5. Note the promise to the Church in verses 22-23. Does the Church live in this
power? Why or why not?
Previous Sermon Series:
"24" -- 24 Hours that Changed Human History
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
March 22, 23 - The Resurrection: Jesus Winning
The Upper Room: Jesus Transparent - foot washing and last supper
The Garden: Jesus Struggling - intense prayer and arrest
The Trial: Jesus Accepting - High Priest, Herod and Pilate
The Crucifixion: Jesus Dying - prophesying, forgiving, surrendering and convincing
Luke 24:1-12
Where was Jesus?
Luke 24:13-49
Jesus overcame doubt and depression.
• The men were past tense.
• Jesus was present tense
• Luke 24:25-He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken!
Jesus overcame spiritual blindness.
• Luke 24:31-Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he
disappeared from their sight.
• The resurrected Jesus appeared to women and common men before He
appeared to the insiders! What does that say to me?
Jesus overcame fear.
• Luke 24:37-38-37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
38He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?
Jesus overcame sin.
• There is one fact I implore you to grasp: Sin in all of its vile forms, all of its heinous
expressions, all of its sickening thoughts and all of its vulgar words—He took upon
Himself as the willing sacrifice and willing recipient. He accepted the full flow of the
filthy sewers of all of the sin of the human race. And He went to the wall for us; He
gave His all—and He still does—to rescue us from the clutches of sin and evil.
• John 1:29-The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
• II Corinthians 5:21-God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him
we might become the righteousness of God.
• Colossians 2:13-15 (New Living Translation)-13You were dead because of your sins
and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with
Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14He canceled the record of the charges against
us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the
spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them
on the cross.
There is nothing you have done or could do that He has not already overcome!
This is nothing you have thought or will think that He has not already nailed to His cross!
There is nothing you have said or will say that He has not already declared victory over.
John 3:14-17 (New Living Translation)-14And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
March 15, 16 - The Crucifixion: Jesus Dying
SETTING – Friday, the Via Dolorosa (the "way of sorrows") and Golgotha (the "place of the skull") Luke 23:23-47
• Jesus Prophecies in Dying - Luke 23:27-31
• Jesus Forgives in Dying - Luke 23:32-43
• Jesus Surrenders in Dying - Luke 23:44-4
• Jesus Convinces in Dying - Luke 23:47
PALM SUNDAY FLASHBACK - 5 days earlier, Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-44)
THE CONTRAST - Make it Personal
You’re in the crowd. You cheer his arrival. You see the sneers of your self-righteous leaders. You hear the rejoicing of the people. You hear the rebukes of the Rabbis. You notice the cloaks on the road and the palm branches. You notice the borrowed donkey. You hear the testimonies of the miracles. You hear the somber warning of Jesus.
Is this a King? Or an imposter? Is this the Messiah? Or another wannabe?
You had to decide then. On Sunday. On Friday.
You have to decide today.
The religious leaders decided . . . to kill Jesus.
Jesus decided . . . to carry out the plan of the Father – and die for our sins.
The Roman Centurion decided . . . to accept by faith that Jesus was the Son of God. (Matthew 27:54)
The criminal on the third cross decided . . . to embrace Jesus and thus entered paradise.
What do you decide? Today?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Consider again the four summary statements of what Jesus did "in dying" in
the sermon outline above. Which one speaks to you most powerfully in your
life today? Why?
2. Consider the presence of Mary, Jesus’ mother, in John 19:25-27, and Mary
Magdalene (see Luke 8:1-2). Consider their individual stories from the
Gospels. What would be their unique perspectives as they watch Jesus die?
3. In Mark 10:32-34 read what Jesus said to his disciples on the way to
Jerusalem before Palm Sunday . Speculate as to the disciples’ memories
as they watched Jesus die and in the hours afterward.
4. Reread John 3:14-21. Consider these verses in light of today’s theme. What
are the choices we have according to these verses? What is the desire of
God for us?
March 8, 9 - The Trial: Jesus Accepting
SETTING – late night Thursday, early morning Friday, various location
1. Accepting the Plan of God the Father
John 18:11 (New Living Translation) But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?"
Luke 22:52-53 (New Living Translation) Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. "Am I some dangerous revolutionary," he asked, "that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.
2. Accepting the Rejection of Religious Leaders
John 18:12-14, 19-24
Matthew 26:59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.
Mark 14:55-56 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.
"All the rules of justice were violated. The judge was chief inquisitor; witnesses against the prisoner were alone summoned; and the Court set itself from the first to get evidence to put the accused to death." F. B. Meyer, The Life of Love
Can anything in this story be sadder than this: the leaders of the very people that Jesus came to save were the first seeking his unjust death?
3. Accepting the Injustice of Civil Authority
John 18:28-19:16; Luke 23:6-16
"What a travesty of justice was all this! Observe the strange joining together of antagonisms, in opposition to Jesus. Pilate hated the priests. The priests hated Pilate. Pilate and Herod were at enmity with each other. Yet here they were all getting together. The Gentile world, and the Jewish world, and the hybrid world, the Idumean, all joined in hostility to Jesus. The rulers, hating Him, consistent all the way through. Pilate, indifferent at first, but anxious, because of the political situation that was being created, anxious about his own position, and violating justice. Herod, degenerate and amused!"
G. Campbell Morgan, The God Who Cares
THE CHALLENGE: Will I "stand up and take it" for Jesus as He stood up and took it for me?
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. As Jesus was standing before Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod—his life on
the line—Peter was denying Christ in the courtyard. What do you make of that
contrast? Do you identify with Peter? Note especially John 18:26-27. What is
your reaction to that?
2. Note the obvious unease of Pilate and Herod as a "religious" issue is brought
into the realm of civil politics. Discuss how this happens still today. Why does
it make so many uncomfortable?
3. Read John 18:19-24. What are your reactions? What conflicts are here
4. What do you make of Pilate’s repeated attempts to settle this issue in other
ways? What kind of a man do you believe Pilate was? Why?
March 1, 2 - The Garden: Jesus Struggling
SETTING – The Garden of Gethsemane
Go to dark Gethsemane,
Ye that feel the Tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see,
Watch with Him one bitter hour;
Turn not from His griefs away,
Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
-James Montgomery
Matthew 26:36-56
1. Struggling with emotions (26:26-38)
2. Struggling with the plan (26:39)
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like
drops of blood falling to the ground. (Luke 22:44)
He tells us something of the nature of God. He also tells us about his own
nature, involved in the great mystery of God and man joined together, crying
simultaneously "Remove!" and "Not what I will, but what you will."
There is no impossibility here, but there is a holy paradox and divine irony.
This Jesus is truly human in his situation; truly God in his relation. He
complains not at all about the cup, but grapples with its painful reality,
experiencing at his very depths the truth of its contents and the purpose
of its dregs. -Bob Brown’s Background Notes
3. Struggling with evil (26:40-46 – key verse 41)
Clearly, more is going on here than lack of companionship and weakness on
the part of his comrades – this is a fight against evil and the devil himself.
4. Struggling with earthly authority (26:47-56)
- earthly conspiracy
- earthly methods
- earthly powe
- earthly strategy
Can I see, feel and experience again the struggles Jesus went through for me?
Can I therefore rise up and face my challenges, knowing He is with me to the end!
Can I believe that He has been there, done that, and has the wounds to prove it – no matter what it is I am going through?
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
Hebrews 4:15 (New Living Translation)
We welcome those with specific issues who desire to be prayed over to come forward in this service.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the evident humanity in this garden prayer and arrest scene within the
context of John 13:3, which declares the divinity of Christ. What parts do you
see as humanity? What parts divine?
2. What is your reaction to the disciple (Peter) who cut off the ear of the servant
of the High Priest? Can you defend Peter’s action? How do you react to Jesus’
response?
3. Read Mark 14:50. How do you compare or contrast the disciples’ desertion
with Judas’ betrayal?
4. Read Hebrews 4:14-16. What about Jesus’ experiences in the garden prepared
Him for what the writer of Hebrews declares in these verses?
February 23, 24 - Jesus Transparent
24 hours that changed human history!
SETTING – The "Upper Room" in Jerusalem with Jesus and his 12 disciples
John 13:1-3 – Jesus . . .
• KNEW "the time" had come.
• LOVED his disciples.
• ACCEPTED that one of his own would betray him.
• EMBRACED his place in the Father’s plan.
A Spiritual Battle is here engaged – one side motivated by the transparent love of God; the other side driven by the deceptive darkness of evil
The Transparent Servant (John 13:1-17)
What acts of servanthood could I do today
The Transparency of Betrayal (John 13:18-38)
• The free will of sinful man (verse 27)
While it is true that the cross provides for the salvation of everyone, not
everyone experiences the benefit of that provision. Judas had opened his
heart to the devil, and refused the agenda of Jesus. He outwardly accepted the
washing, but did not accept it in his heart. Many still do the same.
Bob Brown, Background Notes
• The pain of betrayal and denial (Verses 21 and 38)
As I have felt the sting of betrayal, so have I been the betrayer.
• The call to love regardless (verses 34-35)
As I have experienced lack of love, so have I failed to love.
The Transparent New Tradition
Mark 14:22-26 - 22While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." 23Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. 24"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25"I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God." 26When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
THE CHALLENGE AS WE PARTAKE:
• Those who I want to serve me, I serve.
• The people I don’t like, I love.
• My life that I wish I could control, I surrender.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. John 12:1-11 is a microcosm of the issues going on here in John 13. Read the
John 12 passage, and discuss the key issues in this story – especially
verses 5-6, 7 -8, and 10-11.
2. Discuss Peter’s prominent role in this story, especially his hesitation then
embrace of washing (13:6-9) and his quick commitment to lay down his life
(13:36-38). What about Peter’s words and actions remind us of ourselves?
Why? What are the lessons here for us?
3. Discuss Judas’ role in this story. What do you think was going through Judas’
mind as his feet were washed and as the bread and wine were distributed? Why?
4. Note the last sentence of John 13:1. What elements of this evening’s events
displayed the "full extent" of his love? How?
Previous Sermon Series:
"Cross Training"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
February 16, 17 - Just Live It!
Summarizing the first three chapters of Philippians:
Chapter 1
Confronting the "enemies" – circumstances, other people, and fear
Chapter 2
Confronting my attitude – live the relationship with Christ; live the attitude of Christ; live the commitment to Christ
Chapter 3
Just win it! Valuing Christ as "center focus" – overcoming the competing values of others’ approval and human efforts, changing what I value and how I live, and focusing on eternity as my final goal.
TODAY – CHAPTER 4 – JUST LIVE IT!
Five principles to live by
1. STAY TRUE!
Philippians 4:1 (NLT) - Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the
Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the
crown I receive for my work.
2. REJOICE
4:4 - Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
3. PRAY!
4:6-7 - 6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what
you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7Then you will experience God’s
peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your
hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
An Outline for Prayer: ACT
Adoration – Confession – Thanksgiving – Supplications (needs)
4. THINK RIGHT!
4:8 - And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on
what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
5. LIVE RIGHT!
4:9 - Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me -
everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will
be with you.
Double challenge here – follow the example and be the example!
Are you doubting you can live this way?
4:11-13 - 11Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Paul refers to the Philippians as being his "joy and crown" in verse 1.
Bob Brown writes: "Wearing a crown of any kind is both a blessing and
a burden. More is expected of winners." How would you define being a
"winner" in your relationship with Christ?
2. Note that two women of the church were apparently in strong conflict
(verses 2-3). Read Matthew 18:15-20 regarding conflict among believers.
What damage can such conflict create? What is your response to Jesus’
teaching and Paul’s instructions?
3. Read Philippians 4:10-13 and 19. What keeps us from thinking and living
in this perspective? What obstacles are there to this kind of faith? What
is the connection between this and Paul’s consistent emphasis on JOY?
February 9, 10 - Just Win It - Confronting My Values
Who really am I?
What do I really value?
The Apostle Paul’s "personal testimony" in Philippians 3:10-11 (New Living Translation)
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
VALUING CHRIST – CENTER FOCUS
The competition is fierce!
Approval of others (3:2-3) (NLT) 2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us.
Human efforts (3:3b-6) We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
HOW DO I CHANGE MY VALUES?
Philippians 3:7-9 (NLT) 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
HOW DO I LIVE THIS?
Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT) 12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
I AM DETERMINED…
…to put Christ in the control center of my life
…to surrender dependency on self and others
…to trust in HIM as my primary value in life
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the difference between respecting others’ beliefs and becoming
enslaved to their expectations and approval. (Verses 2-3)
2. Consider Paul’s "list" and bombast in verses 3-6, contrasted with
verses 7-8. Discuss the change of values in him.
3. Read Paul’s closing portion of chapter 3 – verse 17-21. Does verse 19
describe people you know? Do you struggle to live as in verse 20 in
this world?
4. What "worldly values" are most difficult to surrender for you?
February 2, 3 - Just Focus - Confronting My Attitude
THE VISION: Thinking Like Christ
Philippians 2:1-11 (New Living Translation)
1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
THE CHALLENGE: Just Living It!
1. Living The Relationship
Philippians 2:12-13 - Christ In Us
2. Living the Attitude
Philippians 2:14-16 - Christ through us
3. Living the Commitment
Philippians 2:17-18 - Christlikeness
TODAY’S RESPONSE: I will pursue the "mind" of Christ to guide the way I live and make decisions in this negative world.
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. There were serious real-life divisions among the people of Philippi. (See
Background Notes by Bob Brown for this weekend – pages 3-4.) What
are the challenges to unity today among Christ’s people? In our
society? In our church?
2. Consider Philippians 2:3-5. What is your reaction to what Paul is writing
here?
3. Consider and discuss the implications of Paul’s metaphors describing
himself and the Philippian Christians in verses 12-18. How are we
measuring up to the challenge?
• "workmen" (verse 12) - working out your salvation, group and individual
• "stars" (verse 15) - shining as examples in a dark world
• "runners" (verse 16) - carrying the torch in the continuing race
• "sacrifices" (verse 17) - fully surrendered to the cause
4. Consider the example of Timothy in 2:21-22. What is our challenge here
set for us?
January 26, 27 - Just Overcome - Confronting the Enemies
This is about "Cross Training," that is, the training found in the Cross of Jesus Christ as expressed in various ways by Paul to his Philippian audience.In the Gospels, this experience is simply called "being a disciple" of Jesus Christ, even as he called his first disciples to "follow me."Learning to follow Christ all the way to the cross and then living our lives in light of the cross—these are the prime objectives of our study.
Bob Brown - Background Notes
...Paul means to go the way of the cross, self-emptying so as to become a servant of all in place of "selfish ambition"…
Gordon D. Fee, Philippians, IVP New Testament Commentary
PHILIPPIANS 1 - our chapter for this weekend
PAUL'S PRAYER FOR THE PHILIPPIANS: Philippians 1:9-11
1. The enemy of circumstances (Philippians 1:12-14)
2. The enemy of people (Philippians 1:15-19)
God can write straight with crooked lines.Ben Witherington
3. The enemy of fear (Philippians 1:20-30)
How deeply do you desire this?
How important is this to you?
"We Shall Overcome" (Philippians 1:20)
GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Discuss Paul's set of circumstances as described in Bob Brown's
Background Notes for this weekend.What do Paul's repeated
imprisonment and his determination have to say to us in our lives?
2. Notice the progression of Paul's prayer in verses 9-11. How does our
"love abound?" What does "discernment" have to do with being
"pure and blameless?" What is the "fruit of righteousness" in our lives?
3. We all struggle with "bad things happening to good people, "Paul talks
about this actually helping his mission (verse 12). Has this ever
happened through circumstances in your life? Is it possible to live like
this - anticipating something good coming out of bad circumstances?
4. People are one of the biggest obstacles for most of us in the faith.
People let us down; we let people down. How do we normally handle
people with the wrong motives? What is our normal reaction to people
who try to destroy us? What does Paul say to do? How can this be
possible? Remember Matthew 5 and 6 from the Sermon on the Mount.
What did Jesus have to say about this issue?
5. Scripture repeatedly refers to Christ as "giving Himself up. "We are
also called by Jesus to "take up our cross." In this way of living,
do Paul's words in verse 21 and following make more sense?
6. Discuss verse 27. What does this have to say to us individually and
the church today?
Previous Sermon Series:
"Upside Down"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
January 19, 20 - Living Through Dying
Pastor Tim Britton
I. The Rich Young Ruler, Confidence in the Flesh and Adventures in Becoming a Dad
Luke 18:18-30 • Philippians 3:3-11
"The world can not afford the American dream, and the good news is that there is another dream." - Shane Claiborne
II. At the Cross: Life. Death. Resurrection.
Matthew 16:24-26 • Galatians 2:20
"Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of the Church…Costly grace…is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life… Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son and what cost God much cannot be cheap for us…" - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
III. The Eucharist: More than Remembrance
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 • Romans 12:1
"God is looking for and the world is desperately in need of people who will break themselves open and pour themselves out for the reconciliation of all things - that is what the world needs." - Rob Bell
"Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" - Jesus Christ
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. If you had to define or describe the Kingdom of God to a friend, how would
you go about it? How is His Kingdom different than the Kingdom of this
world?
2. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal
life, what was the response? How would Jesus respond to this question
today, in 21st century America? Are we willing to "give it all away" to
experience the life that Christ has for us or do we respond like the man in
the story?
3. What did you have to give up, let go of or die to in order to embrace your
new life and identity in Christ? What are the challenges of this?
4. Read Matthew 16:24-26.
a. What does it mean to take up your cross? What is your cross?
b. How is it possible to save your life by losing it?
c. Can you think of an example of someone who "gained the whole
world" and yet still seems empty, void of joy and life
5. How can we as Christ followers be "broken and poured out" in such a way
that the Kingdom of God begins to break into our world today?
January 12, 13 - First Place through Last Place
(Power and Position)
Power and position THEN were as influential—if not more so— than power and position NOW.
From Bob Brown’s Background Notes:
Power was met with power, blood was shed, professing Messiahs were seized and crucified, and those who took up the sword perished by the sword. If this was the Kingdom of God come to earth, it didn’t look anything like what the prophets foretold...
Jesus announces the arrival of a kingdom that has none of the trappings of pagan power at all…The leaders in his kingdom must become as little children and ministering servants…He would become a revolutionary…Speaking in ways entirely upside-down, he rejected all forms of coercion and in its place urged forgiveness and love of enemies, even to Roman soldiers!
Jesus calls us to a revolutionary new way of loving, living and leading.
1. REVENGE to Reconciliation
Matthew 5:11-12
Matthew 5:38-48
Matthew 6:14-15
Radical relationships
2. SELF-INDULGENT to Servant
Matthew 5:7
Matthew 6:1-8
Matthew 20:25-28
"NOT SO WITH YOU" – is that accurate?
3. CONCEIT to Christlikeness
Philippians 2:1-11
"I deserve this."
"I deserve nothing and give myself up."
Will we confess and repent of our self-protection, self-indulgence and self-centeredness?
Will we open ourselves and surrender to the Holy Spirit’s deeper work in our hearts and minds, to cleanse us from sinful selfishness and enable us to begin a new process of change?
This is the essence of holiness.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss your personal experiences with self-serving values in relationships,
work settings, church settings, and our society. Is this the best way to
live? Can we risk living differently?
2. These "upside values" are both internal in terms of what drives us and
external in terms of how we live practically. Read and discuss
Luke 6:32-36. What internal changes have to be made for us to become
like this?
3. Now discuss Luke 6:27-31 in terms of everyday living. Is this possible?
Is it wise? How do we balance these words with other passages?
What is your reaction to Jesus’ teachings?
4.The Apostle Paul’s summary of these values is in Philippians 2:1-8.
What is the underlying foundation of this? (verse 1)
5. What should happen next? (Verse 2)
6. How should we then live? (Verses 3-8)
January 5, 6 - Gaining Through Giving Up
Introduction
Jesus is difficult, counter culture, and revolutionary. Jesus does not simply offer a new perspective on how to live life in this world; he offers us a glimpse of a whole new world in which we can live life: the KINGDOM of GOD. The kingdom lifestyle seems upside-down in comparison to the values and priorities of this world.
The world values wealth; the kingdom values giving. The world values power; the kingdom values weakness. The world values winning, but the kingdom says we win when we give it all away. In this world we measure our importance by our position or influence, but in the kingdom we must become like children and humble ourselves to be exalted. The world values status, but the kingdom says to put others first. Weak is the new strong; last is the new first; down is the new up.
We need to consider living life UPSIDE DOWN in our world to embrace life in the KINGDOM of GOD.
Gaining Through Giving Up - Money and Stuff
Matthew 6:11, Matthew 6:19-34
1. What do I value? (Matthew 6:19-21
2. Where is my heart? (Matthew 6:22-24)
When Jesus speaks, we shudder. When Jesus preaches, we cringe. . . . He rejects the foundations of an economy built on greed and selfishness. . . . In a world marked by gross inequities, where 90% of the Jewish population lived as peasant farmers, and 10% as ruling elite . . . His words about wealth and poverty, power and slavery, had a ready audience. . . . They still do.
Robert Ismon Brown, Background Note
3. How do I live? (Matthew 6:25-32)
Consider their situation
2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Consider your situation.
How then shall I live?
Closing Commitment
Matthew 6:33 "I determine to treasure what is eternal and to live for tomorrow. I determine to not value what is temporary and to not live simply for today."
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Name some of the fashions, fads and fleeting fancies that we have "valued"
in the past, spending money, time and effort on them, only to have them
disappear rather quickly.
2. Read and discuss Matthew 6:21-24, with special emphasis on verse 24.
Consider the sharp contrast Jesus draws between competing value
systems. What does this have to say to us today?
3. Read and discuss Matthew 6:11 from the Lord’s Prayer and Matthew 6:33.
Discuss "wants" vs. "needs" and the difference between the two lists.
What do these scriptures have to say to this?
4. In Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, God is correcting His
people for a perverted value system. Read Malachi 1:1-8, then read
Malachi 3:8-12. What do Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 6 have in common
with God’s words to His people in Malachi 1 & 3? Where does this world’s
value system and God’s call to generosity come in conflict? How should
we resolve this conflict in our own lives?
Previous Sermon Series:
"Journey Home"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
December 29, 30 - Worth the Wait: Simeon & Anna
Pastor Adam Lewis
Luke 2:21-40
21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace. 30For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles for glory to your people Israel." 33The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." 36There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
Simeon - Son of Hillel
"He waited for the consolation of Israel, that is, for the coming of the Messiah, in whom alone the nation of Israel, that was miserably harassed and oppressed, would find consolation (salvation)."
~Matthew Henry
"Now thy servant can depart. Death is the soul's departure out of the body, from the world of sense to the world of spirits.We must not quit his service until we have accomplished our time set by God."
~Matthew Henry
Anna
• Was a prophetess
• Had a very strong and thorough knowledge of the Scriptures
• Was devout and righteous
• Was also waiting for the coming Messiah
• Would fast and pray late in her life
• Was a regular attendee in the temple
• Was a widow at 84
Points to think on:
1. Mary and Joseph were blessed by Simeon's words.(v.33)
2. Jesus would cause the rising and falling of many in Israel? (v.34)
3. A sword will pierce whose soul? (v.35)
God’s promise to Simeon and Anna . . .
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What does Isaiah 53 say about the coming Messiah? Are there any other
prophecies in the book of Isaiah?
2. What do you think kept Simeon and Anna going each day? How does
that feel in your own life?
3. Would Jesus really cause many in Israel to stumble or is this a metaphor
for something else?
4. What has God promised you for this next year?
December 22, 23 - Christmas for the Nameless -
The Shepherds ("Angels & Shepherds")
Three weekends ago – STAR SEARCH
We are a society obsessed with stars, watching stars, finding stars, seeking stardom.
This weekend – Consider the Nameless
Luke 2:8-20 (New International Version)
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
From Bob Brown’s Study Notes for this weekend
New Testament scholar Joachim Jeremias cites Rabbinic sources…that ‘most of the time [shepherds] were dishonest and thieving; they led their herds onto other people’s land and pilfered the produce of the land.’ Because they were often months at a time without supervision, they were often accused of stealing some of the increase of the flock… The pious were warned not to buy wool, milk, or kids from shepherds on the assumption that it was stolen property. Shepherds were not allowed to fulfill a judicial office or be admitted in court as witnesses…A commentary…reads, ‘There is no more disreputable occupation than that of a shepherd.’
Consider
• Angel appeared
• Glory shone around them
• For all the people
• A Savior has been born to you
• Savior, Christ, Lord = deliverer, master, anointed king
• Great company of the heavenly host
• Personal audience
• Nameless became the naming
• Shamed made them amazed
• Mary treasured and pondered (Luke 1:52-53)
• Finally – turned out as they had been told
As unbelievable as it may seem, the one with authority over salvation spends his first nights not in a palace but in the open air among simple people like the shepherds. Born in the ancient equivalent of a tent village, Jesus arrives to fulfill God’s promise. All the imagery shows God’s concern for people regardless of their social status or vocation…The message is for all the people.
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, IVP Commentary
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the contrast between the Wise Men (Magi) and the Shepherds.
2. Do you believe the "key players" in this story were here by coincidence
or God’s planning?
3. Consider the Biblical examples of shepherding: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
David. Read John 10:7-18. Discuss the contrast between Jesus and other
shepherds.
4. The shepherds became witnesses to their world. How does that message
apply to us?
December 1, 2 - Star Search - Herod and the Wise Men
We are a society obsessed with stars, watching stars, finding stars and seeking stardom.
Our Text: Matthew 2:1-12 (New International Version) - 1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" 7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 9After they had heard the king, they went on 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. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On 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. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Principals in this story: The Magi (Wise Men); The Star, The King (Herod)
Consider the contrasts:
JOURNEY VS. STAYING
FAITH VS. REJECTION
PEACE VS. VIOLENCE
WORSHIP VS. MURDER
Consider the journey:
CULTURE they came from
FACTS they had to work with
SEEKING Someone
Sound familiar?
Are you home? Are you coming home?
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Bob Brown refers in his Background Notes to 4 possible explanations of the
"star" the Magi followed. Discuss these options and what you tend to
believe and why.
2. Consider the conflict in this story between established power (Herod) and
seeking pagans (Magi). Which do you most identify with? Why? How is
this contrast still evident in our world? Our culture? Churches?
3. Read the Old Testament passages related to our story, and discuss the
connection points between them and the story: Micah 5:2, II Samuel 5:2,
Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:10-11, Numbers 24:14-17.
4. T. S. Eliot in his 1927 poem "The Journey of the Magi" describes the Magi
returning home "no longer at ease here" because of their incredible
experience seeing the Christ child. What do you speculate happened to
these men and their futures?
November 24, 25 - Meet the Parents - Mary and Joseph
Mary and Joseph
Where is Home?
"…And with Malachi’s words, the voice of the prophets fell silent. Not until John the Baptizer appeared on the banks of the Jordan River five hundred years later, would the people of Israel once more have a message from Yahweh (God): a message that would call them back to God, and prepare the road for the journey home…
…The whole human race became wanderers and vagabonds, exiled from the presence of God, but in desperate need of homecoming…Bursting onto the pages of the Gospel story, especially Matthew and Luke, is God’s great surprise. He is coming home to His people, and to the whole world. But he seeks a home from them as well, a place where He can take up residence and live among them…
…The Advent narrative, the Christmas story, essentially means God has taken up residence here, and therefore, we have a home once more, close to God."
Bob Brown, Background Notes for Nov. 24-25
LET’S MEET THE PARENTS:
MARY
Luke 1:26-38 (New International Version)
Luke 1:38 - "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:46-47 - And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my
JOSEPH
Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 1:19-20 - Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:24-25 - When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Mary offered herself as a human home for God’s Son. And in the process she found herself at home with and in God.
Joseph offered himself as the father of a home for God’s son. And in the process he found himself at home with and in God.
Hosea 11:1-11
So where IS home for you?
Have you come home?
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where is home for you? Why do you call it home? How does home "feel"?
2. Read Psalm 137:1-4. Discuss the sadness of the Psalmist and the people of
Israel. Have you had any similar experiences?
3. What separates then and now God from His people, people from God? And
who or what is our only hope? Read Daniel 9:15-19 for the answers.
4. In light of this, how significant are the angel’s words to Joseph in
Matthew 1:21?
5. Read and discuss John 1:10-14. What does this say about coming home?
Previous Sermon Series:
"Punching In"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
November 17, 18 - Punching In: Treasure
Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart.
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church
To be clever enough to get all that money, one must be stupid enough to want it.
G. K. Chesterton
Our Text: II Corinthians 9:6-15 –
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever." 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. 13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!
1. THE PROCESS OF TREASURE – GOD
I Chronicles 29:11-14 - 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
13 "O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
2. THE PRINCIPLE OF TREASURE – GENEROSITY
Verses 6-9 of our text
3. THE PRIZE OF TREASURE RECEIVED AND GIVEN IN THANKSGIVING
TO GOD – A LEGACY OF WHAT MATTERS FOR ETERNITY
Verses 11-15 of our text
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. To understand the biblical concept of giving God the "tithe" or "tenth" – read
the following biblical passages: Leviticus 27:30-32; Numbers 18:26-32;
Malachi 3:8-12. What is your reaction to this biblical concept? Why does it
seem so strange and difficult to us today?
2. Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19-21. Where do you believe most people’s
hearts are in our world today? Why do you believe that?
3. Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:31-33. Do we believe this? Do we trust it?
4. What does the Apostle James have to say about wealth? Read James 2:1-7
and James 5:1-6 and discuss.
5. Notice the promises God’s Word gives us in our text – Verse 6b, Verse 8,
Verse 10b, Verse 11. Will we embrace these promises and trust God?
November 10, 11 - Punching In: Talent
Speaker: Rev. Larry West
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Bob Brown, in his Background Notes for this weekend, states: "A ‘talent’ is
not necessarily something at which we are very skilled. Being a good
steward of our talents means using whatever God gave us to the best of our
ability to build up His Kingdom." What does this mean to you?
2. Read Psalm 24:1 and James 1:17-18. What do these verses tell us about
what we have, what we earn, what we buy and consume, and what we
can do in this world?
3. Read Philippians 2:13 and Colossians 1:10. What do these verses tell us
about what we are capable of doing for God’s Kingdom?
4. Study and discuss our main text, Ephesians 5:1-2, followed by Ephesians
5:15-20. What would it mean for us to "give ourselves up as a sacrifice to
God" as Christ did for us? What does it mean to "make the most of every
opportunity" and why is it important according to this passage?
5. We normally think of preaching, teaching and singing as obvious "talents"
to use for God’s Kingdom. What other "talents" could be used? What
could I bring to God’s table for His use?
November 3, 4 - Punching In: Time
Speaker: Pastor Ron Allen
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Read the following scripture passages: Isaiah 46:10, Revelation 1:8,
Deuteronomy 33:27 and Psalm 93:2.What different perspective on TIME does God
have than what we have, due to his eternal nature?
2. We often complain, in our "instant" world, about the perceived "slowness" of God's
timing.Read II Peter 3:3-15.Consider and discuss the implications of this passage
concerning God's timing, our timing, what is really important, and what matters for
eternity.
3. Why are we so busy? Is what we are doing often vitally important? Bob Brown's
Background Notes for this weekend list four reasons why we may be so busy.
Discuss each and whether or not they are accurate:
• People may be busy because of their egos.
• People may be busy to hide their laziness.
• People may be busy because of greed.
• People may be busy because they want to please men more than God.
4. Read and discuss Romans 13:11-14.What does this tell us about how we spend
our time today, and what our "time management" principles ought to be based on
5. Do the same with Ephesians 4:17-24 as you did with question #4.
Previous Sermon Series:
"HD Vision"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
October 27, 28 - Power On: Gifted to Serve
OUR VISION STATEMENT – Chicago First Church of the Nazarene: To be the family resource center where Christ and Community Connect.
TODAY’S BIBLE PASSAGE: Ephesians 4:7-16 (New Living Translation) - 7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say, "When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people." 9 Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. 11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
1. We all have been given a "special gift"
2. We have all been given a mission
3. We have all been given an essential part
FINDING YOUR GIFT – we can help!
Go to www.chicagofirstnaz.org. Click on U-Serve.
Here at Chicago First Nazarene we believe that everyone who attends our church is a minister. Through the SHAPE process, you’ll learn how God can use your Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experience to minister to others in need.
THIS PLACE IS RUN BY VOLUNTEERS!
EVERYONE IS NEEDED AND WELCOMED TO SERVE!
MEMBERSHIP IS ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED!
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Read I Corinthians 12:12-26. Discuss the implications of these verses in terms of
the Body of Christ in general (His Church); our Congregation; yourself individually.
2. Study these five lists of "spiritual gifts" in Paul’s letters. (See background notes).
They are in Romans 12:6-8; I Corinthians 12:29-30; I Corinthians 12:8-10;
Ephesians 4:7-16 and I Corinthians 12:28. What is the order they are listed in?
And what is the purpose? (I Corinthians 12:4-7).
3. Discuss the S.H.A.P.E. Assessment on our church website. Have you done this
yet?
4. Discuss the purpose of spiritual gifts as stated in our Ephesian passage above,
verse 12-13, and verse 15-16. Are we discovering and using our spiritual
giftedness for these purposes here and now?
5. Why do so many hesitate to discover their gift(s), to involve themselves in
ministry, and to participate in the active life of the church?
October 20, 21 - HD Connect - Making the Connection
OUR VISION STATEMENT – Chicago First Church of the Nazarene: To be the family resource center where Christ and Community Connect.
TODAY’S BIBLE PASSAGE: John 3:1-17 (New International Version) -
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
1. GOD LOVES YOU
2. GOD INVITES YOU
3. YOU MUST MAKE A DECISION
It’s the best way to live
It’s the only way to die
There is a chasm between myself and God – My ______ Christ built a bridge – in the shape of a _____ He invites me to cross over – and begin _____ _____ with Him.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Who or what do you think of when you hear the phrase "born again?"
2. What role did unusual "births" play in key moments of bible history…
a. Abraham and Sarah – Genesis 15:4-6; 18:1-15
b. Mary and Joseph – Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25
3. Read John 1:10-13. Is this another unusual birth? How does one experience it?
What are the results?
4. Read the following 2 stories and discuss how Christ connected with the two
individuals, what decisions were necessary on their part, and what a difference
it made in their lives: John 8:1-11; Luke 19:1-10
October 13, 14 - HD Christ - The Embodiment of Truth
OUR VISION STATEMENT – Chicago First Church of the Nazarene: To be the family resource center where Christ and Community Connect.
TODAY’S MEMORY VERSE – John 14:6 – 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1. KNOW CHRIST
Philippians 3:7-11: (New International Version)
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
2. LIVE CHRIST
John 8:25-32 - 25"Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied. 26"I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world." 27They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." 30Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him 31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
3. COMMUNICATE CHRIST
Ephesians 4:11-16 - 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until 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. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its
We are committed at First Nazarene to teaching CHRIST and WHAT HE TAUGHT US to all who will receive the Truth!
Personal Bible Study
Group Bible Study – Adult Bible Fellowships – Sunday School
Preaching in Weekend Services
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What are various ways nonbelievers describe Jesus Christ? Read John 14:5-11.
Discuss the implications of these verses in terms of WHO Jesus is.
2. John 8:12-30 describes a conversation going on between and his skeptics.
How specifically did Jesus describe himself in this passage?
3. What do you think Jesus meant by the first phrase of John 8:15, and John
8:23? Do these facts make it harder for people to believe in Christ?
4. Note the connection between KNOWING about the Son of God in Ephesians
4:13 and the results listed in 4:14-15. What does this say about our need to
study and learn from God’s Word?
5. Read John 8:31-32 again. What does this mean? Have you experienced it?
October 6, 7 - HD Community - Who is my Neighbor?
OUR VISION STATEMENT – Chicago First Church of the Nazarene: To be the family resource center where Christ and Community Connect.
Second Earth – 424 light years away Earth – 6.6 billion people
USA – 300 million people
Chicagoland – 9.5 million people
8-mile radius – 521,000 people
Number of families in NazRec, NazArts, NazPreSchool – 2,300 families
Number of families who call this their church: 577 households, 1754 persons
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
1. THE FOUNDATION OF COMMUNITY – the two great commandments
Luke 10:25-28 (New International Version): 25On 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?" 27He 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."
2. THE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY - getting beyond self-centeredness
Luke 10:29 - 29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
When we really see people as Jesus sees them, self-centeredness, self-reliance and self-focus will decrease, and Christ-centeredness, Christ-reliance and Christ-focus will increase.
3. THE FACE OF COMMUNITY – responding to the opportunity in front of me
Luke 10:30-37 - 30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins 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?" 37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Robert Ismon Brown – Background Notes (available at Connect or online): Love never stops crossing the road to the other side. Love never judges who its neighbor is in advance, and then draws the boundary of community around him…If the cross of Jesus’ eternal love means anything, it is that the distance between God and humankind has been erased, along with the debt of sin which created it. We are the community of the cross. We are distance crossers. We are neighbor makers.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Contrast Genesis 2:20-25 with Genesis 3:6-13 and 3:21-24. What did Adam
and Eve lose in terms of community because of sin?
2. Read and consider Romans 13:8-14. What do these verses teach us about
creating and sustaining community vs. destroying it?
3. Is there often a disconnect between Luke 10:26-28 and how we actually live?
Why?
4. Why did Jesus in his story lift up a Samaritan, among the most despised of
people by his audience, and seem to criticize a Priest and Temple Assistant
5. What opportunities to help a neighbor physically, emotionally or spiritually
are in front of you? What will you do about it?
Previous Sermon Series:
"NazaWhat?"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
September 29, 30 - We Are Missional
OUR MISSION STATEMENT – Chicago First Church of the Nazarene: To develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ who love God and others.
OUR VISION STATEMENT – Chicago First Church of the Nazarene: To be the family resource center where Christ and Community Connect.
INTERNATIONAL CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE MISSION STATEMENT: To make Christlike disciples in the nations.
THE GREAT COMMISSION from Jesus:
Matthew 28:18-20 (New International Version) 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
JESUS’ LAST WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES:
Acts 1:6-9 – 6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But 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." 9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
WE ARE "MISSIONAL" BECAUSE JESUS COMMANDED US TO BE MISSIONAL!
1. Our "Jerusalem" – Chicago’s southwest suburbs – Nazarene Recreation
families, Nazarene Arts Academy families, Nazarene Pre-School families,
friends, neighbors and extended families, and our various communities
FRIEND DAY – OCTOBER 20-21, Weekend Worship Gatherings
2. Our "Judea" – Chicago Central District Church of the Nazarene team –
partnerships – and Olivet Nazarene University.
3. Our "Samaria" – Austin Hope and Light Center – Chicago First Church of
the Nazarene Chicago/Austin Campus; Ed and Lynda Krestel mission
work with Native Americans.
4. Our "Ends of the Earth" – David Oliver – Afghanistan; Katie Eleiott –
Guatemala
World Evangelism Fund (WEF) – Church of the Nazarene: FAITH PROMISE GIVING – Over $125,000 per year!
Over 150 world areas and nations; supports more than 700 Missionaries; supports more than 300 retired missionaries; trains more than 20,000 indigenous leaders; assists Primary and Secondary Schools serving nearly 70,000 students; assists 40 Bible colleges, Seminaries and Vocational Schools serving over 10,000 students; assists 60 medical clinics and 2 hospitals; helps provide Christian literature in 95 languages; pays administrative costs for the International Ministry Center and World Missions.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why can’t we just "take care of our own" and not worry about those in other
communities, counties and countries?
2. What is the significance of Matthew 28:18:
3. Does it add power and urgency to what Jesus says in Matthew 28:19?
4. What does the last phrase of Matthew 28:20 mean to you?
5. Acts 1:8 links the "power" of the Holy Spirit in us to being "witnesses." Are
we experiencing and living this out today in our world?
September 22, 23 - We Are Holiness
We live in a world so often dirty, profane, immoral and mean. Sinful self-centeredness rules. Pleasure and material things are most desired. The residue of it affects us all.
In this world, happiness is the chief end of man.
God is clean, holy, pure and loving. He calls us to focus on Him and others. In His world, His will and spiritual things are most desired. And He deeply desires to impart His holiness into us.
Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man.
Oswald Chambers
We often think the key question is: Can I be holy? Can I do this? The better question is: What do I really seek and desire? Do I want this?
Better is one day in your courts, better is one day in your house, better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere.
Worship Song based on Psalm 84:10
Psalm 84:10 (New Living Translation) - 10 A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked
Would we really?
1. What does "holy" mean
The essence of holiness – GOD
There is widespread agreement among Bible scholars that holiness in Scripture takes its essential meaning from what God is, God alone is holy in himself. All other holiness is derived from a relationship with Him.
W. T. Purkiser, Exploring Christian Holiness
I Thessalonians 5:23-24 (New Living Translation) 23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
Greek understanding of human existence:
Body – flesh, organs, functions
Soul – mind, will, emotions
Spirit – eternal, beyond rest of creation
Prayer here: entirely made holy, entirely "sanctified" – set apart for God’s use. Wholly surrendered, wholly devoted, wholly His.
2. Why do Nazarenes emphasize it?
I Peter 1:13-16 (New Living Translation) 13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."
3. How can I connect with this concept?
I Peter 2:1-3 1 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
James 4:7-10 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Words for "holy" and "sanctify" and their derivatives are used some 1100 times
in the bible. Why does such an obviously important concept in God’s Word
get such small attention quite often in our hearts and lives?
2. Our Wesleyan doctrine of holiness has often been described as an "optimistic
grace," giving hope for genuine change in human lives. Read again the
scriptures used in the sermon above. Do they give you hope, and should they,
for your life in Christ?
3. Read Romans 12:1-2. What principles in this passage could be used in our
personal pursuit of holiness?
4. Nazarenes believe that holiness is both a process, which begins upon our
salvation and ends when we are glorified in heaven; and key experience(s) or
moment(s) of deeper commitment and surrender. Have you had any of those?
Would anyone want to share?
September 15, 16 - We Are Christian
We are a Christian people…We are united with all believers everywhere in proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ...We stand with Christians everywhere in affirming the historic Trinitarian creeds and beliefs of the Christian faith and deeply value our heritage in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. We look to Scripture as the primary source of spiritual truth confirmed by reason, tradition, and experience…From the Core Values document of the Church of the Nazarene
To be ‘Christian’ in its purest sense, means to belong to this Jesus who was ‘anointed by God’ (that is, was Christ the Messiah), and to bear witness to his words and deeds, climaxing with his death and resurrection. It is to proclaim the Jesus message ‘that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’ It means being part of the community who ‘eats and drinks’ with him in sacred fellowship and worship. Robert Ismon Brown, We Are Christian Background Note
1. WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
Hebrews 1:1-2 (New International Version): 1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but 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. 3The 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.
Colossians 1:15, 18-20 (New Living Translation) 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation…18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ..
2. HOW DO WE CONNECT WITH HIS CHURCH?
John 17:20-21 (New International Version): 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.
As 21st Century Christians and as Nazarenes, we are in a line of sacred descent – a holy people – known as Christ’s Church across the ages.
The Creeds and the Sacraments unite us!
I Peter 2:9-10: 9But 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. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
3. HOW DO WE CONNECT WITH CHRIST?
John 1:12: 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. We live in a society that increasingly values religious diversity and tolerance.
Read Hebrews 1:1-4, Colossians 1:15-20, and John 14:1-7. Discuss each of
these passages in terms of the view of many today that "all religions are roads
to the same end."
2. Read John 17:20-21 in the prayer of Christ. Why does this seem so difficult to
see and experience in our world? What could I/we do to improve that?
3. Read John 3:1-21. Discuss the phrases "born again," "enter the Kingdom of God"
and "believe (in Him)" as revealed in this passage. What do each of them seem
to mean?
4. Key questions: Have I been "born again?" Have I truly "believed in Him?"
Previous Sermon Series:
"Real Heroes"
Pastor Kevin Ulmet
August 18, 19 - Jesus - The Greatest Hero Ever
Is JESUS GOD?
Was He just a MAN
Was he a PROPHET?
IS HE ALIVE TODAY?
Where is he?
Why isn’t he helping me now?
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:
Hebrews 1:1-4 1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but 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. 3The 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. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
CONSIDER:
Jesus is the _voice__of God
Jesus is the __recipient__of all things
Jesus ___radiates__God’s glory
Jesus is the __exact_ picture of God
Jesus __sustains__everything
Jesus provided __cleansing__from sin
Jesus is today at the __right_ __hand__ of God the Father
Jesus is _above_ the angels
OUR MEMORY VERSE:
John 3:35 – The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands.
From the further study notes on Jesus, written by our own Adult Education Consultant, Robert Ismon Brown:A hero? No, more than hero... No mere superhero, rescuing a damsel in distress, this Jesus is the Lord of all creation, Savior of the world, Messiah to his people, son of God and son of man…
THE QUESTION OF THE AGES, THEN, IS THE QUESTION PONTIUS PILATE ASKED THE CROWD AT JESUS’ INTERROGATION BEFORE HIM:
Matthew 27:22 22"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.
The crowd answered: __crucify___ __him__!
WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What different viewpoints have you heard from people or society as to who
Jesus really was or is?
2. Why is it so much more comfortable to talk about "believing in God" with
people than "believing in Jesus?"
3. What are the implications for MY LIFE if Jesus really is all of those things we
described from Hebrews 1:1-4?
4. Read John 6:44-51. What all is Jesus saying about himself?
5. What does it mean to truly believe in Jesus as the Son of God?
August 11, 12 - Esther - Risky Business
Pastor Jill Crew
"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."
Jeremiah 29:4-7
1. We need to always be on the lookout for ways that we can help influence
others for God
• We ALL have influence – no matter where we are in our walk with God.
"When we trust in Him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go." Ephesians 3:12 (MSG)
2. This is the hardest one. IF you are going to use your influence for God, then
you need to know that there are risks involved. You have to be willing to put
yourself on the line.
• Esther could have chosen to hide in her fear.
• She had every reason to be hopeles
• God is not mentioned in this story and God never speaks! Could she really
trust her life in a God that has turned his back on them?
"Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:13-14
• God will get his message across somehow.
• But he WANTS to use you.
3. Just do it!
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NASB)
August 4, 5 - John the Baptist - Who's the Master?
Pastor Tim Britton
GREATER THAN
> <
less than
HE MUST BECOME GREATER...
i must become less
John 3:30 NIV
HE > me
Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 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.' "
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. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
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? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
"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. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Matthew 3:15-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
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. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
John 3:22-31
After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. (This was before John was put in prison.) An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.
"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. "
Are you ever overwhelmed by the greatness of God?
We can do no great things. Only small things with great love. It is not how much you do but how much love you put into doing it.
-Mother Teresa
me < THEE
"What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God."
-Monica Baldwin
Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.
-Thomas Merton
Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 18:1-4
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
"The Kingdom of God grows smaller and smaller until it takes over the world. "
-Shane Claiborne
< = >
less is more
Philippians 2:3-11
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
HE MUST BECOME GREATER…
i must become less.
John 3:30 NIV
July 28, 29 - Joshua - We Can Take Em'!
1. Joshua sees the POWER of God in his life: Exodus 17:8-15
13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
2. Joshua experiences the PRESENCE of God in his life: Exodus 24:13-18
13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God… 15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.
3. Joshua faces the CHALLENGE of his life: Numbers 13-14
13:31-33: 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
14:1-9: 1 That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" 4 And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt." 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them."
4. Joshua lived trusting in his relationship with God to OVERCOME the
giants he continually faced
Numbers 27:18 – (New Living Translation) - 18 The Lord replied, "Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.
Numbers 32:11-12 – (New Living Translation) - 11 ‘Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly. 12 The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholeheartedly followed the Lord.’
Joshua 1:7-10 - 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What kinds of "giants" are created by our own choices in life?
2. What kinds of "giants" are imposed on us by something or someone else?
3. What difference does my personal relationship with God and the Word of God
make as I face "giants" in life?
July 21, 22 - Jonah - You Want Me to Go Where?
Jonah’s call to go to Ninevah
(Jonah 1-2)
Jonah’s Disobedience
(Jonah 1:3)
"But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish."
Consequences of Jonah’s Disobedience (1:4-17)
1. To others (1:4-11)
2. To himself (1:12-17)
Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance (2:1-9)
"From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God: He said: In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me….but I, with a song of thanks giving will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord. And the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land."
God’s second call to Jonah (3:1-4:11)
Consequences of Jonah’s Obedience
1. The Ninevites repent (3:5-9)
2. The Ninevites Spared from God’s Judgement (3:10)
"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."
Jonah’s Complaint (4:1-3)
Jonah’s rebuke and lesson (4:4-11)
Three characters: Jonah, Ninevah, God
July 14, 15 - Matthew - Guess Who's Coming for Dinner
Matthew – called Levi by Mark and Luke. Levi is the tribal name. Levites were priests and/or Pharisees and/or devout students of the Scripture. They sensed a holy call to explain the scriptures to others.
Matthew began his life as a religious man who gave up on religion and embraced the world of cheap government finance. In so doing he cut himself off from the religious elite and fell in with a crowd of greedy money-makers who fleeced their own brothers through farmed-out tax collection. What could Jesus possibly have in common with Matthew? Why would our Lord bother with a loser like that who betrayed his countrymen and forsook his God? Robert Ismon Brown – Background Notes on Matthew
Matthew 9:9-13 (New Living Translation): 9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. 10Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" 12When Jesus heard this, he said, "Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do." 13Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."
1. Jesus _________ Matthew
One of the questions that determines your destiny: What is God calling me to do or be?
2. Matthew__________ to Jesus’ call
3. Matthew intentionally strategized to_______________
Christ and Community!
Who’s coming to dinner in your life, at your house, in your neighborhood, at your workplace, at your school?
Who’s coming to dinner at First Nazarene?
What God wants, Jesus says, is ‘changed lives.’ And it’s pretty hard to change them if you don’t get next to them. Robert Ismon Brown – Background Notes on Matthew
The power of Matthew’s story gets me every time. One guy who is committed to selfish living is unexpectedly invited to join God’s family. His response is to leave everything and immediately begin living a new life…There’s just one problem. What’s he going to do about his former friends? He can either hole away and ditch his old-life buddies, or he can choose to live the Grander Vision by getting all over the work of bridging the gap…Fortunately, with eternity hanging in the balance for them, Matthew faithfully found a way to get his friends introduced to the living Christ.
Bill Hybels, Just Walk Across The Room
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Which pressure should drive us – the pressure of the "religious people" (The
Pharisee types) or the pressure of Jesus – to connect the lost of our
community with Christ?
2. What are we afraid of? What stops us from being this "connecting person"?
3. How can I express "mercy" or "compassion" as Matthew 9:13 calls me to do?
4. What did Jesus really mean with his closing statement in Matthew 9:13?
July 7, 8 - Rahab - Live In the Light
Sat. Night: Pastor Adam Lewis
Sat. Night: Kevin M. Ulmet, Senior Pastor
FROM JOSEPH…
TO ABRAHAM…
TO RAHAB…WHO?
Joshua 2:1-6 (New International Version): 1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." 3So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land." 4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." 6(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)
1. A Seeker’s Decision (verses 4-5)
Would the Lord use a harlot, if indeed she was an immoral woman, to accomplish His purpose? Probably the Lord was not as much interested in what Rahab was as in what she was becoming. She lived in the midst of a people, corrupt, abandoned…Vices of the most debasing character were practiced and sanctioned. Rahab was a part of the society about her. However, she was becoming an ardent believer in the one true God.
Chester O. Mulder, Joshua, Beacon Bible Commentary
Joshua 2:8-11: 8Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
2. A Declaration of Personal Belief (verse 11)
3. An Act of Courage (verses 15-16)
4. The results of her faith (verse 23)
Hebrews 11:31- 31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
Matthew 1:5- 5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,
I John 1:5-7: 5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But 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.
It’s one thing to make a decision to come into the light. It’s another to continue walking and living in it!
You are not responsible for the light others walk in. You are responsible for the spiritual light you have seen and heard.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS – SPIRITUAL LIGHT
1. Who is the source of spiritual light? (John 1:1-14)
2. How does this light come into us? (John 3:16-21)
3. Why is it so important that we live and walk in the light we have received?
(Matthew 5:13-16)
June 30, July 1 - Abraham - In God We Trust
Pastor Tim Britton
Genesis 12:1-5
Hebrews 11:8-10, 13-16
Revelation 21:1-5
John 18:36
Ephesians 5:1-2
"I have become well acquainted with the dualism in the North American church... For the flag and the cross are both spiritual. And they are both political. It is a dangerous day when we can take the cross out of the church more easily than the flag. No wonder it is hard for seekers to find God nowadays. It's difficult to know where Christianity ends and America begins. Our money says, "In God we Trust." God's name is on America's money and America's flag is on God's altars."
Shane Claiborne "The Irresistible Revolution" p. 193
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Consider God's call to Abram in Genesis 12:1-5. How would you respond if
God called you to leave everything you know and He didn't tell you where he
was leading you?
2. Abraham is considered one of the greatest Heroes of the faith in all of scripture.
What is faith? How can you live out this kind of heroic faith and obedience to
God?
3. When you hear the phrase "Kingdom of God" do you think of a far off distant place
in the future or do you think of something for today, here and now?
4. What does it mean to say that we are citizens of the kingdom of God?
5. How does your dual identity as a Christian and as an American affect the way that
you live and the decisions that you make here on earth?
6. What are you doing now to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to this world?
June 23, 24 - Joseph - God Honors a Life of Integrity
Exceptional people who are used of God to influence and change their worlds are not born in any special privilege or raised with any inherent heroism…
…they are simply ordinary people who live in the cauldron of normal life but make choices of daily and consistent integrity.
These people live for eternity, not just for now. God is their Father, Christ is their leader, the Holy Spirit their counselor. And they decided one day – THIS is how I will live from this day forward. And they do.
Pastor Ulmet
JOSEPH:
1. Was confident of the gifts God invested in him
2. Was a consistent truth-telle
3. Was a person who lived a pattern of integrity
Genesis 39 (New Living Translation)
2The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. 3Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. 4This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. 5From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. 6So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. "Come and sleep with me," she demanded. 8But Joseph refused. "Look," he told her, "my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God." 10She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 11One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 12She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, "Come on, sleep with me! Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.
OUR CHALLENGE:
James 4:7 - 7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
I Corinthians 6:18-20 - 18Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS – "CREATING A PATTERN"
1. Would YOU risk being misunderstood to tell the truth and be courageous as
Joseph was? (Genesis 37:1-20)
2. How would YOU have reacted vs. how JOSEPH reacted to his unjust
situation? (Genesis 39:19-23
3. What role did Joseph’s relationship with God play in Joseph’s integrity and
honors? (Genesis 41:37-40)
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