SERMON SEEDS G12 FOR MAY 26, 2003
Posted by: jpeters <jpeters@...>
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Joshua 24:1-14
GOD AT WORK
At the end of his life Joshua is reviewing what God has done for Israel. We see God at work.
THE GRACE OF GOD - Vss. 2-4
God, in His grace,
1. Called Abraham out of idolatry to serve Him.
2. Allowed Abraham to walk the Promised Land
3. Gave Abraham "seed", Isaac, Jacob, and Esau.
THE GREATNESS OF GOD - Vss. 5-12
God, in His greatness:
1. Sent Moses and Aaron – Vs. 5
2. Plagued Egypt – Vs. 5
3. Brought Israel from Egypt – Vs. 5
4. Delivered Israel at the Red Sea – Vss. 6-7
5. Gave Military Victories – Vss. 8-12
THE GENEROSITY OF GOD - Vs. 13
God gave Israel the land, its cities, and vineyards and oliveyards which they did not work for.
THE GIFT TO GOD – Vs. 14
In appreciation for what God had done, Israel was to:
1. Fear the Lord
2. Serve Him in sincerity and truth
3. Put away false Gods
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Psalm 127
SUCCESS
IN THE HOME - Vs. 1a
The Lord must keep the house.
IN THE COMMUNITY - Vs. 1b
The Lord must keep the city.
IN THE INDIVIDUAL - Vs. 2
His "beloved" are at rest.
IN THE FUTURE - Vss. 3-5
Children will stand for the Lord.
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Isaiah 2:1-4
IN THE FUTURE
THE LORD'S PLACE WILL BE ESTABLISHED – Vss. 1-2
THE LORD'S PEOPLE WILL BE EXCITED – Vss. 2-3
THE LORD'S POWER WILL BE EXERCISED – Vss. 3-4
THE LORD'S PEACE WILL BE EXTENDED – Vs. 4
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Matthew 5:33-42
UNDER CONTROL
#14 - SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Under Control – As Christians we realize that only God can empower us through the Holy Spirit so that we are truly under God's control.
Galatians 5:16 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Jesus' topic in Matthew 5:33-42 is control. When we follow Jesus' teaching and allow the Holy Spirit to control us, we find that the following things will be under control:
OUR LIPS UNDER CONTROL– Vss. 33-37
I think that the Psalmist had us all pegged when he confessed his need for help with his tongue:
Psalm 141:3 - Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
In verses 33-37 Jesus deals with one of the key problems with our lips. It is the problem of telling the truth, and not lying.
Vs. 33 - In this passage Jesus is not talking about swearing as we think of it today. He is not referring to taking the name of the Lord in vain, although this is a sin. Filthy language is definitely wrong. Exodus 20:7, Ephesians 4:29
What is at stake here with this passage is the truthfulness, the honesty, the integrity of our lips.
Vows or oaths are not uncommon in the Old and New Testaments. These were to be done seriously and when absolute truthfulness was involved. Numbers 30:2,
Genesis 14:22-23, 2 Corinthians 1:23
Matthew 26:63-64 – Jesus is at his trial. He is asked to swear by the living God and He does give an answer.
So, why then, did Jesus say not to swear?
There are two reasons.
First, swearing or using of oaths, was a far too common thing in the days of Jesus. People would use an oath for things that didn't matter. They would think nothing of using an oath for anything.
Would you take much stock in a person who used an oath to verify that:
Ø He was going to wear a red shirt today
Ø Right after the "Price Is Right" she was going to mop the floor?
Ø That he or she was going to do their homework?
Vows and oaths are and were not necessary for such things.
According to James Montgomery Boice, "The second reason perversion of the proper use of oaths by the people of Christ's time was worse. It was evasive swearing.
People who were afraid to swear by the name of the Lord because they were not telling the full truth began to swear by things, and because mere things were not thought to be as significant as the name of God this second class of oaths was not considered to be binding." James Montgomery Boice, The Sermon on the Mount ( Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), p. 152
In our text Jesus gives some examples of the ways people swore or gave oaths.
Vs. 34 – By Heaven – That's the throne of God
Vs. 35 – By Earth – That's God's footstool
Vs. 35 – Jerusalem – That's the city of the great King – the
Lord Jesus Christ
Vs. 36 – By the head – The head can't change natural things
like hair color.
Vs. 37 - Instead of using an oath to convince people of our honesty, Jesus just wants us to be honest with our words.
Let your yes mean yes and your "no" mean no!
If you are placed under oath as Jesus was at his trial, just do what Jesus did. Answer the questions honestly.
If you have made an oath or even a promise, and have not kept it, confess that sin to God. Then if you can, try and keep it. Just remember that there is nothing more valuable than a man that keeps his word.
OUR LENIENCY – Vss. 38-39
Vs. 38 – The quote that our Lord was using came from a few passages in the Old Testament. The principle of an "eye for an eye" and a "tooth for a tooth" referred to the civil government. When there were violations against people, the government was to exact punishment and to do it fairly. The government has authority in such matters. Leviticus 24:19-20, Romans 13:4
Vs. 39 – According to the Lord Jesus the rule of vengeance, "an eye of an eye" or a "tooth for a tooth", was for the government and not individuals.
If I say something is "a slap in the face", what am I saying?
I am saying that I have been insulted.
If someone literally slaps me in the face, my first inclination is to want to slap back.
If someone insults me, cuts me, hurts me, demeans me, what is the first thing I want to do?
I want to insult, cut, hurt, and demean back.
Jesus is saying, "Don't retaliate".
Be lenient towards the person who has just insulted you or hurt you. Romans 12:17
OUR LAWSUITS UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 40
Vs. 40 – The picture is of a lawsuit in court.
Someone wants your coat, your suit or shirt as satisfaction for a debt.
In Jewish law he could take the shirt, but he could not take the cloak which was the equivalent of an overcoat.
The cloak was needed to keep warm at night.
Jesus says, "Let him have the coat too!"
Why would Jesus say that?
The Lord Jesus does not want us to hold on to our possessions selfishly. If our possessions need to go, we are to let them go.
We must realize that even if something precious is taken away from us, people can not take away what is really important, our relationship to God.
And remember, God is responsible to take care of our needs. Matthew 6:28-30
OUR LABOR UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 41
Vs. 41 – Israel was under Roman rule at the time.
One problem was a Roman soldier could force a citizen of Israel, a non-Roman, to carry his baggage the distance of a mile.
Jesus said take the man's baggage two miles.
Jesus is simply saying, do more than what is expected of you. And I believe the implication is that we should do it cheerfully.
We are to go the extra mile.
Many times we do not like the inconvenience doing something for someone else.
The easiest thing in the world is to say "no".
It will take consecration to the Lord to go the "extra mile for others."
OUR LOANS UNDER CONTROL – Vs. 42
Vs. 42 – An easy way to go bankrupt would be to answer every appeal you receive for money.
I believe that Jesus is talking about legitimate need here.
When someone comes to you and asks for help, and it is a legitimate request, we should strive to help. 1 John 3:17-18
Why is it that we are sometimes hesitant to give to legitimate needs?
Are we selfish?
Are we greedy?
Do we want to hold on to what we deem as ours?
Sometimes we can't give all that a person might request.
However, we can give what we are able to give.
Sermon Seeds C32 – This is an expansion of that outline.
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Luke 13:10-17
SKIRMISH ON THE SABBATH
There were many times when Jesus did things that provoked the "religious" leaders of His day. On a certain Sabbath Day Jesus had a confrontation with one of those leaders.
A WOMAN SET FREE – Vss. 10-13
A RULER'S SEETHING ANGER – Vs. 14
THE MASTER'S STRONG REBUKE – Vss. 15-16
THE ADVERSARIES' SERIOUS SHAME – Vs. 17
THE PEOPLES' STUPENDOUS JOY – Vs. 17
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Acts 2:14-36
PETER SPEAKS OUT
On the Day of Pentecost Peter, who once denied his Lord, speaks out in the power of the Holy Spirit. His message may be summarized in this way:
THE PROCLAMATION OF PROPHECY – Vss. 14-21
THE PASSION AND POWER OF JESUS – Vss. 22-24
THE PREDICTION OF DAVID – Vss. 25-31
THE PREEMINENCE OF JESUS – Vss. 32-36
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BEYOND THIS CHURCH
The Sleepy Giant by R. Darrel Davis (j4y6i4rm@coastalnet.com, davisr@chowan.edu,)
"Once upon a time, there was a giant who liked to sleep all the time. Mind you, this giant was not always like that; when he was much younger, he used to go outside all the time to work in the garden. His father had given him this garden as a gift many years ago. The giant was very good at gardening; he used to raise some prized produce there. Now, that he was older, he became lazy and laid around his house all the time. He neglected the garden that he once loved.
"One day a friend stopped by his house to see how the giant's garden was doing. When the friend got there, he discovered that the garden was a total wreck. The soil had not been tilled in months, the weeds were taking over the whole thing , there were even ugly black crows pecking at the fruits in the garden. It was a mess!
"The friend began to knock on the giant's door to find out just what had happened to his friend. 'Hello! Are you there my friend?,' cried the man at the door. But the giant kept on sleeping. The man at the door heard the loud snoring of the giant and tried even harder to wake him. 'Mr. Giant! are you OK in there, please wake up!' shouted his friend as he pounded on the door of the house.
"The giant snorted loudly and was aroused from his slumber. The friend continued, 'Mr. Giant, time to wake up and tend you fathers garden!' When the giant heard this, he was wroth. 'How dare this so called friend of mine wake me up while I am sleeping!,' said the giant, 'Go away you pest!!!' But, his friend at the door was very persistent, 'Time to wake up Mr. Giant, there is much work to do and very little time before the winter comes!' The giant reached over his bed, picked up a shoe and threw it at the door with great force. 'I said go away!!! I don't want to work in that stupid old garden, besides, I have plenty of produce stored up in my pantry to last me a lifetime.'
"When he saw that the friend would not leave, he reached over and turned on his radio. A soft and soothing lullaby drifted out of the speakers like dandelion seeds in the summer breeze. His friend continued pounding at the door insistently. The giant covered his head with a pillow and began to drift off into sleep again. He thought to himself, 'Maybe my friend is right. Perhaps I should tend father's garden.' Part of him knew it was the right thing to do, but the urge to sleep drowned out those thoughts, as the sounds of his friend's voice faded like the whispers of a dream. His friend went away very sad."
"The winter wind swept into the village. All the produce in the garden was lost. The giant slept peacefully."
In this story, I (Jack) think of the sleeping giant as the local church. The church is a giant because here is found the secrets of eternal life and Spiritual happiness in Jesus Christ. The garden I view as the world. The garden needs to be tended by the church so there will be produce or people saved through witnessing. Most churches are like this giant. We tend to be asleep while the world is rotting away. Soon wintertime will come. Jesus will return. Much of the crop will be lost , because the church was asleep.
Most Gospel preaching churches tend to be sleepy. They may support missions and rejoice when people get saved, but they basically busy themselves with their own programs that have little outreach.
The church tends to be sleepy because you and I are sleepy. We busy ourselves with our own affairs, our work, our families, our homes, our friends, and our pleasures. But we don't look past ourselves to see the world as it is. We need a "worldview" which goes beyond our local church and our own families.
Does God have a worldview? You find the answer to that question in John 3:16, Mark 16:15, 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and Ephesians 6:18.
We need:
A WORLDVIEW OF SIN - Romans 3:10-12, 23, Ezekiel 18:4, Revelation 21:27, John 14:6
Give examples of sin around the world.
A WORLDVIEW OF SALVATION - Hebrews 9:27-28, Matthew 11:28, John 3:16-18, Revelation 22:17, Romans 10:13-15
A WORLDVIEW OF SUCCESS
God is at work around the world. Give examples.
A WORLDVIEW OF SUFFERING - Hebrews 13:3, 2 Timothy 3:12
Again, give examples of suffering saints you know of.
A WORLDVIEW OF SUPPORT
We support God's worldview:
When we go. Isaiah 6:8, Matthew 28:19-20
When we pray. Luke 10:2, 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Ephesians 6:18
When we give. 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Sermon Seeds B51
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