Monthly Archives: August 2016

STUDY SHEETS for Sunday – August 7, 2016

dove ink draw by hand believers believe

Believers believe. It’s what we do!

✔ Creation
✔ Fall of humankind
✔ Humans expelled from Eden
✔ Worldwide flood
✔ Son of God comes to Earth to redeem humanity
✔ Son of God will come again in power and glory
✔ Every person will come before the judgment of God

  • Do we believe the Bible’s account of a literal, worldwide flood? Yes. Do we believe blindly? No. We have many evidences, but the evidences are not what we trust. We trust God and his word.

Message Title: “Noah and the Great Flood” 

Message Text: Genesis 6:9-8:22

AUDIO for Sunday PM, July 31, 2016

mirror glory of God white black contemplate

SUNDAY PM – JULY 31, 2016

THE HOPE OF GLORY!

What is our worthy calling?

    • We are exhorted to walk worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
    • So what is that calling? What is our aim, our target, our direction? What is our mark, our bullseye, our goal, our focus, our objective?
    • What does it mean to put our minds on things above? What are the things above?
    • (Colossians 3:2 ESV) Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
    • So what are these things above that are to have the priority of our attention?
    • What is now our holy grail for life and service? Our “end game”?
    • The glory of God.

—The glory of God is now our mark, Romans 3:21-28.

◼︎ God does not share his glory with self-seekers, but he does share his glory with the redeemed.

    • (Isaiah 42:8 ESV) I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
    • (Psalm 115:1 ESV) Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
    • (Proverbs 25:27 ESV) It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.
    • (John 7:18 ESV) The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
    • (Acts 12:21–23 ESV) On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

◼︎ We are called to the glory of God.

    • (1 Peter 5:10 ESV) And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
    • (2 Peter 1:3 ESV) His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
    • (1 Peter 5:1–2 ESV) So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly.
    • (Romans 9:23–24 ESV) In order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

◼︎ We are called to walk worthy of the glory of God.

    • (1 Thessalonians 2:12 ESV) We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
    • (Ephesians 4:1 ESV) I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

Who are you living your life for?

Whose glory is dominant on your horizon?

AUDIO for Sunday – July 31, 2016

Christ's return no doubt everyone will know

Message: “Just As in the Days of Noah”
Message Text: Genesis 5:25–6:13, Luke 17:22–30

Jesus is coming again. Are you ready?

  • John Parsons with the Hebrew for Christians ministry states that: Our world appears to be careening toward a crash. Most of us are troubled, if not frightened. Corruption and decay are all around us and nothing makes much sense any longer. We cannot trust our politicians. Bankers and big business are anathema. Everyone seems out of control. In short, it seems as if our entire culture and way of life [are] tottering and ready to collapse. We are confused, perplexed and feel threatened.
  • Friedrich von Schiller, a leading German dramatist and poet of the 18th century, gives us this well-known aphorism: “The history of the world is the judgment of the world.”
  • And our world seems does ripe for the judgment of God, and this is not the first time. Over four thousand years ago the evil intentions and wickedness of humanity brought society to the brink, and God destroyed that world system with a catastrophic flood. From a population of possibly millions of human inhabitants on the planet, God spared eight in a huge ship that took 120 years to build.
  • The New Testament tells us that our planet will one day once again come under the judgment of God at the second coming of Christ, culminating ultimately on the Great Day of the LORD when this world is destroyed, not by water, but this time by fire.
  • So what are we to do? Is it too simple to say that we should make sure that we are ready? If you have not yet believed in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and received his free gift of salvation, then today is the day and now is the time.
  • Luke, the evangelist and gospel writer, tells us that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be like a lightning flash. Business as usual on the planet and then the lightning flash of his arrival and then judgment.
  • Many will and do scoff at such an idea. That is what scoffers do; they ridicule and parody to avoid the truth of the reality of God. But on that day everyone will know that judgment has come as the Son of Man is revealed across the sky. No matter their professed religion, or theology, or philosophy, they will know. Atheist, deist, cultist, animist, agnostic … they will know.
  • There will be no doubt, no ambiguity when Jesus the Son of Man, Son of God, returns to this planet.
  • So are you ready? If you have not trusted Christ, you are not ready.
  • But what about Christians, believers, authentic followers of Jesus? Are you ready?
  • The Apostle Paul writes: Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV).
  • And Peter writes: Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace (2 Peter 3:14 ESV).
  • So I am asking you, Christian, this morning, are you ready? Will our LORD find you at peace and blameless? Or have the noise and clamor of politics and the tumult and confusion of society drowned out the voice of your Sovereign LORD, and you no longer hear him speak his hope and peace and joy to you in the midst of the chaos?

So how do we live in peace in a world
that is ripe for the judgment of God?

How do we live in peace in the midst of chaos?

◼︎ First, believe God’s account of what has happened on the planet, Genesis 5:25-6:13.

◼︎ Second, believe God’s account of what is happening on the planet.

◼︎ Third, trust the plan, God’s plan that is. What will happen.

◼︎ Fourth, receive God’s peace.

  • (John 3:16–17 ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
  • (2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT) For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
  • (Romans 5:1 ESV) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

◼︎ Fifth, live in the promised peace of God.

  • (Romans 15:13 ESV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
  • (1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV) Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • (2 Peter 3:14 ESV) And Peter writes: Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
  • (John 14:27 ESV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Jesus is coming again? Are you ready?