Category: Sermon Notes

THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Hills

TITLE: Focused and Real

Scripture: Acts 6: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-17; 2 Timothy 3:14

I.   WORD-FOCUSED

“To introduce people to a saving knowledge of Christ, you must speak words, and you must speak what are sometimes offensive words.” Jonathan Leeman- “Word-Centered Church”

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Rom.10:17

Pragmatism: the Bible is used as an (instructional guide).

“You do not really preach the Gospel if you leave Christ out-if He is omitted, it is not the gospel! You may invite them to gaze upon an empty table unless Christ is the very center and substance of all that you set before them”

The Bible is about (Jesus).

II.  AUTHENTICITY-MINDED

“Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.”  Mother Teresa

Integrity doesn’t come in degrees: low, medium, or high. You either have integrity or you don’t.” Tony Dungy

Authenticity involves our (integrity). Practicing integrity means our (behavior matches our beliefs). But personal integrity is not the same as your reputation. Your reputation is (who other people think you are). Your integrity (or lack of it) is who (who you really are).

“The integrity of the upright guides the, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” Pr.11:3

I Samuel 12: 3-4

Psalm15: 1-5

NEXT WEEK: The Value of Who You Are- Psalm 78:72

THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Hills

TITLE: Call Him Father

Scripture: Isaiah 64:8; Mt.6:9

I.   A PATIENT FATHER                 

Our heavenly Father is extremely (patient), not just because He is a good parent, but because He wants us to (come to our senses). He isn’t waiting for us to mess up so He can (punish us); He waits so we can experience His (forgiveness).

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, the foremost of sinners, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” I Tim.1:16

II.  A FORGIVING FATHER                     

When we talk about God, (patience and forgiveness) go together.

“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” Eph.1:7

III. A PROUD FATHER

God isn’t just proud of you! He is (crazy about you)!  He loves you whether you excel or don’t excel. He loves you whether you are the top athlete or not. Top musician or not. His love and pride for you and acceptance for you is not determined by anything you do or don’t do.

NEXT WEEK: It’s All About Him- Col.1:15-23

THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Hills

TITLE: The Words of Life

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Words of Life

CS Lewis:

“You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.”

We believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired, written Word of God, without error in its original language, and sufficient enough for all to know God’s desire. (From the OVCF Statement of Beliefs)

I.         INSPIRATION AND RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE

The Bible is composed of (66 different books) and was written by (over 40 different authors) spanning across (1600 years.) There are an estimated 5-6 billion copies in existence.

Here’s what we don’t mean when we say that the Bible is the divinely inspired, written Word of God:

1.) God (wrote it for) the authors.

2.) God (dictated it to) the authors word-for-word

Here’s what we do mean: Through His Spirit’s leading and infinite power God used human beings to compose the Word, allowing them to express their own (literary styles) within the context of their own languages and cultures. And yet, His (message and intent) were preserved in the process and outcome.

Reliability – Trustworthy or consistently good in its quality. Is what the Bible contains – from ideas to history to geography and more – trustworthy or not? EX: If the Bible is full of historical and factual errors or blatantly contradicts itself, it’s hard to trust it or view it as reliable IS the Bible Reliable???

II.       THE BIBLE IS THE DRIVING MEANS OF KNOWING GOD AND FOLLOWING HIM

1.)    The Bible is (God’s love) extended to us.

2.)    All of the Bible (points us to Jesus) and the (life he gives).

3.)    The Bible, in tandem with (the Holy Spirit), works to transform us.

The crux of the matter is this: Do you love the Word? Do you love the Author? He loves you. May we become people who delight in the Word of God – who live by it – who memorize it – who can’t get enough of it.

THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Hills

TITLE: Jesus, Continued

Scripture: Acts 19:2 and various others

“The Spirit inside you is better than the Jesus beside you.” J.D. Greear

I.    THE DILEMMA WE FACE       

“We all see problems in the church. We don’t need another book to point them out. We need the faith to believe that the solution is really quite simple: the Holy Spirit.” Chan

“Religion is what happens when the Spirit has left the building.” Bono

Several reasons for our dilemma:

1.      A lack of (learning).

2.      A lack of (leaning).

3.      A lack of understanding the mystery of (the Trinity).

II.   THE DETAILS WE NEED TO KNOW           

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Is.9:6

The Spirit and the Word are (inseparable). The word of the (gospel) and the power of the (Spirit) always go together. The Word of God is God’s revelation to us; the ministry of the Spirit is to help us understand it.  Here are some practical things to know:

1)      The Holy Spirit is a (person).

2)      The Holy Spirit is (God).

3)      The Holy Spirit is (eternal and holy).

4)      The Holy Spirit was and is never to (draw attention) to Himself.   Turn to John 16:7-18.

NEXT WEEK: Pastor Ryan preaching

https://www.ovcf.org/ovcf_wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/HIMH-poster.pdf

THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Hills

TITLE: The Invasion

Scripture: John 1:1-3, 9-18

I.    THE INCARNATION               

Consider some possible “absurdities”:

1)      The (atonement).

2)      The (resurrection).

3)      The greatest? The (incarnation).  It was essential He do it this way. Jesus could never have been the Savior of humankind if He was born into sin, because then His death would have been for His own sins, not for ours alone.

He became (human) so we could become (holy).

II.   THE CRUCIFIXION                  

“I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord…suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he arose again from the dead.” Apostle’s Creed

Gnostics of Paul’s day denied the crucifixion by claiming Jesus (never rose from the dead). Muhammed taught Jesus (only appeared to die). Some say God (cast a spell) over His followers. Some say he just (swooned or passed out).

THE CROSS OF JESUS STANDS AS THE CENTRAL TENET OF ALL WE BELIEVE ABOUT SALVATION.  “The word of the cross is foolishness…” I Cor.1:18

III.  THE RESURRECTION

“If I were an enemy of Christianity, I would aim right at the Resurrection, because it is the heart of Christianity.” Billy Graham

NEXT WEEK: Matt & Laurie Krieg from Hole in My Heart Ministries

THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Hills

TITLE: In The Beginning

Scripture: Romans 11: 33-36

“The fundamental question is whether God is real or imaginary. The underlying thinking of Darwinism is the assumption that God is out of the picture.” Philip Johnson

I.    FIVE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS              

“No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God…But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe.” Spurgeon

#1: God has (spoken to man), the Bible is (His Word), given to us to make us wise unto salvation.

#2: God is (Lord and King) over the world; He rules all things for (His own glory), displaying His perfections in all that He does.

#3: God is (Savior), active in sovereign love through the Lord Jesus Christ to rescue us from the guilt and power of sin.

#4: God is (Triune); there are within the Godhead three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

#5: Godliness means responding to God’s revelation is trust and obedience, faith and worship, prayer and praise, submission and service.

II.   THREE UNEQUALLED QUALITIES                 

1.      His unparalleled (creativity).  Psalm 8:1-4,8 “The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it.” Dt.10:14 (HCSB) “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’” Kuyper

2.      His sovereign (knowing).

3.      His perfect (self-sufficiency).

NEXT WEEK: Theme: I am Fifth

Series: Hills

Title: The Invasion- John 1:1-3, 9-18

 THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Grace

TITLE: God is Still Good

Scripture: Romans 8:26-39; John 11

I.    IF YOU BELIEVE YOU WILL SEE             

We spend way too much time in the land of the (“if only’s”).

God’s grace can redeem anything, even the (worst of time).

4 parts to Romans 8:28-29:

1.      The Promise is based on (fact), not (feeling).

2.      The Project is (God’s), not (ours).

3.      God’s Plan is (total), not (partial).

4.      God’s Purpose is (good), not (evil).

II.   THE GLORY OF GOD’S PROMISE                

Two truths to keep in mind:

1)      You can know God’s grace is working in your pain to (draw you closer) to Jesus.

2)      You can know God’s grace is working in your pain to (make you more) like Jesus.

Questions Paul answers from verses 31-35:

1.      The question of (protection). Verse 31

2.      The question of (provision). Verse 32

3.      The two questions about (guilt and grace). Verses 33-34

4.      The question about (endurance). Verse 35.

NEXT WEEK: Theme: I am Fifth

      Series: Hills

                          Title: in the Beginning- Romans 11: 33-36

 THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Grace

TITLE: More Power to Ya!

Scripture: 2 Cor.12:1-10; John 11

“Christians tell me they don’t know what to say, and then they open their mouths to prove it.”

“Hurting people are petty people.”

I.    THE WEAKNESS OF THE THORN            

“It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” Tozer

“We must first be limited in order to become limitless.” Kyle Idleman

The lesson Paul learned in 2 Cor. 12 was (God’s grace was enough).

II.   THE POWER OF THE THORN               

Important principle to remember: When the (pain) is real, (God’s presence) is just as real.

“The principle that tells us why devoted followers of Christ can’t ignore or explain away the pain of feeling ignored by God works both ways: the deeper the (relationship), the deeper the (hurt).

Jesus isn’t ignoring your pain; He’s feeling it. He’s not ashamed of your tears; He’s weeping with you. He’s not ignoring you or ashamed of you; He’s feeling and weeping right alongside you.

NEXT WEEK: Theme: I am Fifth

Series: Grace

Title: God is Still Good- Romans 8: 28-39

 THEME: I Am Fifth

Series: Grace

TITLE: Stop the Bellyaching!

Scripture: Numbers 11: 1-15

Another incident worthy of attention is found in Deuteronomy 1:19-36

I.    WHAT COMPLAINING REVEALS           

Turn to Exodus 16: 2-3

Manna means “What is it?” or “Whatever it is.”

What does complaining reveal? Calls into being 5 questions:

1.      Is God (good)?

2.      Will God do (what He promised)?

3.      Is God (in control)?

4.      Does God have the (needed power)?

5.      Does God (care about me)?

II.   HOW COMPLAINING IS HEALED             

Philippians 2:14: “Do all things without grumbling or questioning.”

Complaining keeps us focused on what we wish (was different) than being thankful for (what we have).

Gratitude reminds us that God’s grace is (sufficient for all things).

Awe produces (gratitude), gratitude instills (joy), and the harvest of joy is (contentment).

NEXT WEEK: Theme: I am Fifth

  Series: Grace

                      Title: More Power to Ya! 2 Cor.12:1-10; Psalm 46; Gal.6:1-5