Category: Sermon Notes

Facing Giants

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TITLE:   Facing Giants

TEXT:  Zechariah 4: 6-10  (p.794)

 

 I.   OUR SITUATION   

 

Solomon-> weakened influence-> kingdom divided-> 10 northern tribes known as Israel/ 2 southern tribes knows as Judah-> Israel taken captive by Assyrians-> Judah taken captive by Babylon 200 years later. Nebuchadnezzar was king.-> Belshazzar his son defeated by Darius the Mede-> Cyrus allows Jews to return to Jerusalem. Involves Ezra & Nehemiah.  Prophets Haggai and Zechariah

 

II.   OUR SOLUTION    

 

A21’s foundation: God is with us; God is in the business of making miracles where humans fail; and God told us to go into all the world.

Difficult?  (Yes).  Insurmountable?  (NO)

 

4 necessities for overcoming giants:

  1. Hold On to Where God (Wants you to go).
  2. See the (Possibilities) and His (Promise).
  3. Keep Going Forward a (Step at a Time).
  4. Pave the Way with (Prayer).

 

NEXT WEEK:

2013 Theme: Under Construction

Series:  Beliefs Under Construction starts

Title: A Never-Ending Project: Phil.1:1-11; Eph.2:10, 19-22

 

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What Will You Find

SERIES:  Searching For The Christmas Spirit

TITLE:   What Will You Find?

TEXT:  Luke 2:1-20 (p.857)

 

 

I.   YOU CAN FIND THE GIFT OF (FORGIVENESS)     

 

[Luke 2:11]  Another translation puts it: “Today your Savior is born…He is Christ, the Lord.”  NCV

Our greatest enemy is (sin).

Observation: more people have trouble (forgiving) and accepting (forgiveness) than anything else.

 

II.   YOU CAN FIND THE GIFT OF (PEACE OF MIND)

 

“Those who love your teachings will find true peace.”  Ps.119:165

Three peace robbers:

  1. (Guilt)
  2. (Grief)
  3. (Grudges)

 

III.   YOU CAN FIND THE GIFT OF (ETERNAL LIFE)

 

1)     We are all (going to die) someday.

2)     We are going to spend more on (that side of death) than on this side.

“God made us ready for heaven…we put our faith and trust in Christ to save us…The man who finds life will find it through trusting God.”  Rom.1:17 (LB)

 

NEXT WEEK:   Facing Giants- Zechariah 4:6-10

 

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What’s In a Name

SERIES:  Searching

TITLE:   What’s In A Name

TEXT:  Luke 1:30-31

 

 I.   IT IS A NAME RICH IN MEANING

 

The name Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means (God saves).   The name Jesus is used over (500) times in the Gospels, but it virtually disappears after His death and resurrection.

What makes the name “Jesus” so special?

  1. It is a name given from (heaven).
  2. It had (divine meaning).
  3. “God knew what He was doing when He named His Son.  Jesus means ‘Jehovah Saves’ or ‘The Lord is Salvation.’ And that is who He is-The Salvation of the Lord.’ “  Quote by David Jeremiah

Turn to Acts 4: 10-13

 

II.   IT IS A NAME RICH IN HONOR

 

John 1:1 says, “The Word became flesh and lived among us.”  He was (touchable), (approachable), and (reachable).

“Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Phil.2:9-11

Ephesians 1:20-21

 

NEXT WEEK:   What Will You Find?  Luke 2:1-20

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No Longer Home Alone

SERIES:  Searching

TITLE:   No Longer Home Alone

TEXT:  Matthew 1:20-25 (p.807)

 

I.   THE DEEPER MEANING

 

Immanuel is one of the names of God.  Deeper meaning: He committed Himself to be near us for all eternity.  This is more than the Christmas story; it is the Christmas (miracle).

God (with us).  That tells us (Jesus is God). Even more, Jesus is God with us. He was more than a godly man or a talented ma or a holy man.  He was (God in the flesh).

John 10:30- “I and the Father are one.’

 

II.    THE CONCRETE MEANINGS

 

The glory of Christmas is not a pageant or a play; it is the precious truth that God desired to be near to His sinful creation, to bind Himself to us irrevocably and forever.   What does that mean for us?

  1. It means we are far more precious to God than we could ever imagine.
  2. It means there is far more to celebrate than we thought.
  3. It means we will never be alone.

 

NEXT WEEK:   What’s In a Name?  Luke 1:30-31

 

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Searching For The Christmas Spirit

SERIES:  Searching

TITLE:   Searching for the Christmas Spirit

TEXT:  Luke 2:1-38 (p.857)

 

 I.    THE SHEPHERDS SHOW US

 

1)     The birth announcement to Zechariah and Elizabeth

2)     The angelic announcement to Mary

3)     The honor of Joseph

4)     The decree of Caesar Augustus

5)     The “No Vacancy” sign on the Inn

6)     The birth of Jesus

7)     The visit of the Magi to Herod

8)     The hatred of Herod

Genesis 46:33-34-“ When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

 

II.    SIMEON AND ANNA SHOW US

 

These are both stories of (faithfulness rewarded).

The lesson: faithfulness matters.

 

III.    MARY AND JOSEPH SHOW US

Mary did not understand but was willing to say, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Joseph did not understand but was willing to say, “I will stay with Mary.”  He shows us what it is to be a quiet man, but a giant of a man in faith, dependability, and steadfastness.

 

NEXT WEEK:   No Longer Home Alone- Matthew 1:20-25

 

 

 

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Thanksgiving Not Thankskeeping

SERIES: Real Thanksgiving

TITLE: Thanksgiving Not Thankskeeping

TEXT: Psalm 136 (P.520)

 

I.    THANKSGIVING FOR OUR (HOMELAND)

 

Verses 21-26 is basis for this thought.

Turn to John 14:1-3.

 

II.    THANKSGIVING FOR (CREATION)

 

This psalm is called a Litany.   That means:

1)     It was prepared for (public use).

2)     It includes phrases, fragments, and snippets from (other psalms).

3)     It was used by the (whole congregation) of worshipers.

The word used in verse 1 for steadfast love is one that expresses the covenant love God has for His people.

“Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven, Your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the highest mountain; Your judgments, like the deepest sea…God, Your faithful love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.” Ps.36:5-7 (HCSB)

Turn to John 1:3-4 (p.886)

 

III.   THANKSGIVING FOR (SALVATION)

 

Turn to Ephesians 2:4-9 (p.976)

 

NEXT WEEK:   Searching for the Christmas Spirit- Luke 2:1-38

 

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The Secret of Thankful Praise

SERIES: Real Thanksgiving

TITLE: The Secret of Thankful Praise

TEXT: Psalm 100 (P.500)

 

I.   KNOWING THE SOURCE

 

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”  Ps.118:1

4 ways to give thanks:

  1. We can (shout)
  2. We can (serve).
  3. We can (come).
  4. We can (know).

What can we know?

1)     We can know God as (Creator).   “For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth-the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name.”  Amos 4:13

2)     We can know God as our (Redeemer).   Turn to John 10:11-12,14-16 (p.896)

3)     We can know we are (His).

 

II.   KNOWING THE SONG

 

Three parts to this psalm: 1) four ways to give thanks; 2) what can we know; 3) an invitation to thank God.

The song has two parts:

  1. It is a song of (Joy).   “When I think of God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes leap and dance as they leave my pen, and since God has given me a cheerful heart, I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.”  Franz Joseph Haydn
  2. It is a song of (Praise).   Turn to Psalm 72:18-19

 

 

NEXT WEEK:   Thanksgiving not Thankskeeping- Psalm 136

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Rules or Jesus?

SERIES: Not A Fan

TITLE: Rules or Jesus?

TEXT: John 8:1-11 (p.894)

 

“I like your Christ.  I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”  Ghandi

 

I.  RULES CAN BE CUMBERSOME

 

Pharisees- the (legalists) of the bunch

Sadducees- the (liberals) of the bunch

If Jesus had been a rule-keeper like the other religious leaders, there would have been no way He could have extended (grace) like He did.

 

II.  RULES DON’T INSPIRE GRACE

 

Grace sent this woman home a (free) woman.  Grace (broke the chains) that held her down. Grace blew apart the (rules) of the religious leaders.

A fan follows the (rules).  A Follower follows (Jesus).

 

III.  RULES DON’T KEEP US AROUND

 

If kids grow up thinking Christianity is keeping a (moral code) rather than having a (relationship with Jesus), they will walk away from both.

If all we do is program people like computers, we will teach them (what) to think, but not (how) to think.

 

Christianity is defined as following (Jesus) not following (rules).

“The grace-given give grace.”  Max Lucado in “Grace”

 

NEXT WEEK:   Special Guest Rob Grandi concluding “Not a Fan” series

Permanent link to this article: https://www.ovcf.org/ovcf_wp/2012/10/rulesorjesus/

Comfort is Over-rated

SERIES: Not A Fan

TITLE: Comfort is Over-rated

TEXT: I Cor.1:18-25 (p.952); John 15:4-5 (p.901)

 

I.  THE MESSAGES GIVEN

 

One thing this passage does is show the difference between (selfishness) and (selfless) living.

Fans say, “I choose (self).”  Followers say, “I choose (Jesus).”

Who else but God would take a cross that represented defeat and turn it into a (symbol of victory)? Who else but God would take a cross that represented guilt and turn it into a symbol of (grace)? Who else but God could take a symbol of condemnation and turn it into a symbol of (freedom)? Who else but God could take a symbol of death and turn it into a symbol of (life)?

II. THE PATH TO FOLLOW

 

God uses the (foolish of the world) to (confound the wise).

Turn to John 15:4-5

  • “Abide” means more than “to live in a house.”  Here it means “to hunker down into.”  It means to place yourself under the (sovereign authority) of someone.
  • It reminds us “we are not our own.”

A servant (works for) someone; a slave is (owned by) someone.

 

NEXT WEEK:   Rules or Jesus? John 8:1-11

 

 

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Passionate Pursuit

SERIES: Not A Fan

TITLE: Passionate Pursuit

TEXT: Luke 7: 36-50 (p.864); Phil.3:1-11 (p.981)

 

 I. GOD PASSIONATELY PURSUES US

 

Before we pursue God, He (has been pursuing) us.

  • The Bible is clear we are all sinners. [Rom.3:23] It is clear that every man has done what is right in his own eyes.
  • The Bible teaches “the wages of sin is death, but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” [Rom.6:23]
  • The Bible says, “God wants no one to perish, but for all to come to Him.” [Acts 17:30]
  • The Bible says, “God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” [Rom.5:8]

 

II. GOD WANTS US TO PASSIONATELY PURSUE HIM

 

[Turn to Phil.3]

Turn to Matthew 13:44 (p.819)

Fans want to (play it safe); but followers will (stretch themselves).  Fans want to be (comfortable); but followers want (risk).

Check

Yes

No

Maybe

 

NEXT WEEK:   Comfort is Over-Rated- I Cor.1:18-25; John 15:4-5

 

 

 

 

  1. GOD PASSIONATELY PURSUES US                                

Before we pursue God, He (has been pursuing) us.  

·       The Bible is clear we are all sinners. [Rom.3:23] It is clear that every man has done what is right in his own eyes. 

·       The Bible teaches “the wages of sin is death, but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” [Rom.6:23]

·       The Bible says, “God wants no one to perish, but for all to come to Him.” [Acts 17:30] 

·       The Bible says, “God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” [Rom.5:8]

  1. GOD WANTS US TO PASSIONATELY PURSUE HIM                                        

[Turn to Phil.3]

Turn to Matthew 13:44 (p.819)

Fans want to (play it safe); but followers will (stretch themselves).  Fans want to be (comfortable); but followers want (risk). 

Check Yes

No

Maybe

NEXT WEEK:   Comfort is Over-Rated- I Cor.1:18-25; John 15:4-5      

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