SERMON SEEDS H28 FOR 10/11/04
Posted by: jpeters <jpeters@...>
SERMON SEEDS FOR OCTOBER 11, 2004
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Genesis 39:12 etc.
MOVING UP
There are times when God requires us to leave something behind in order to move up to something better.
LEAVING TEMPTATION FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS Genesis 29:12 (Genesis 39:7-12)
And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
Joseph refused to be enticed by Potiphars wife.
However, the temptation became so great that he had to run!
Joseph moved up by maintaining his righteousness when tempted. 1 Corinthians 10:12-14
LEAVING SECULAR WORK FOR FULLTIME CHRISTIAN SERVICE Matthew 4:20
(Matthew 4:18-22)
And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
In Matthew 4:19 Jesus called the apostles to follow Him and that he would make them fishers of men.
Not every Christian is called to full time Christian employment, but everyone is called to follow Jesus full time. Luke 9:23-24
LEAVING A GIFT FOR RECONCILIATION Matthew 5:23-24 (Matthew 5:21-14)
Matthew 5:23-24 - Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; [24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
When we come to worship and realize someone has something against us, we are to leave our gift of worship and first be reconciled to our brother.
LEAVING THE CARES OF THIS WORLD FOR RECONCILIATION John 4:28 (John 4:25-30)
The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
The woman went to draw water, but found something more important than the cares of this world.
She left her water pot to go tell others about Jesus.
LEAVING THE BASICS FOR MATURITY Hebrews 6:1 (Hebrews 6:1-2)
Hebrews 6:1 - Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Our learning of Scripture should move us beyond the very important basics of the Gospel into a life of Christian maturity.
LEAVING WEIGHTS AND SINS FOR THE RACE Hebrews 12:1-2
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The weights are anything that will slow us down.
I believe that sin being referred to hear is unbelief.
Our focus is to be on Jesus.
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1 Samuel 14 etc.
THE MAN WHO WOULDN'T BE KING
I want us to meet a person who teaches us to be Godly in spite of a change in plans.
Personally, I have been disappointed on a few occasions because things did not happen the way I expected them to happen. I didn't get to do what I thought surely I would be able to do.
The Old Testament character we will study this evening shows us that we can have a Godly testimony, even when things do not work out the way we think they should.
I've called this person, "The Man Who Wouldn't Be King". He was the oldest son of the King of Israel, but because of the sins of his father, God removed the kingship from the family. Naturally speaking, Jonathan, the Son of Saul, should have been his father's successor, but because of Saul's sin, Kingship was removed from Saul's family. 1 Samuel 13:7-14, 1 Samuel 15:24-28
How did Jonathan handle his loss of kingship?
He handled it with a Godly character which is worth duplicating. He didn't let possible disappointment stop him from living a life that was pleasing to God.
Ironically, Jonathan appears more spiritually qualified to be king than his father was!
As we examine Jonathan, the man who wouldn't be king, let us see seven characteristics of his life worth imitating by us. All of references about Jonathan are in 1 Samuel.
1. BOLDNESS 14:1-14
We admire people who can step out in bold faith for the Lord. Jonathan was of these people.
Vs. 6 - Jonathan is thinking that perhaps the Lord would want to give a victory over the enemy.
He states a truth well worth remembering - There is no restraint or limitation with the Lord to save by many or by few.
Many times the Lord will accomplish great victories using one, two or a few seemingly insignificant people.
When God delivered Israel from Egypt, he started with one man, Moses, and used Him.
The Philistines in the Book of Judges suffered heavy loses at the hand of one man, Samson.
The nation Israel was often confronted and led in Spiritual matters by individual prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.
Think of Daniel standing up mightily for God in the courts of Babylon and Persia.
Don't forget Stephen in the New Testament.
He was the first martyr for Christ. And he stood boldly for Christ in spite of the persecution and stoning which he received. Paul challenged his protégé`, Timothy to boldness. 2 Timothy 1:6-8
In a day when morals are declining and Christianity is rapidly heading towards being a minority religion in America, God needs people who will boldly speak up for Him.
2. SUBMISSION 14:37-45
Without going into all the details, Jonathan's skirmish with the enemy leads to an even greater battle. The Philistines were being defeated and Saul enters into the fray with his troops.
14:24 - Saul made a stupid command.
14:25-30 - Jonathan was absolutely right.
At the end of the day, Saul discovers that someone violated his command concerning eating.
Lots are cast.
It is discovered that Jonathan is the guilty party.
Vs. 43 - Notice Jonathan's attitude.
His father had made a foolish statement.
He had violated his father's curse unknowingly.
He could have rebelled and argued with his father, but instead, he submitted to his father.
We like the idea of being filled with the Spirit.
I think it is something most of us desire.
Do we realize that one of the direct results of being filled with the Spirit is being submissive?
Ephesians 5:18-21
3. LOVE 18:1-3
We "fast forward" now.
Unbeknownst to Saul, God was making good on His word to dethrone him as king.
Samuel the Prophet was dispatched to a little town called Bethlehem.
There, he is instructed by God to anoint a shepherd boy named David, the Son of Jesse, as the next king of Israel.
After that anointing David serves in the court of Saul, but then goes home, and back to watching his Father's sheep.
Goliath shows up on the scene. David defeats Goliath with his sling and stone in the name and power of the Lord. Israel wins a great victory, and now David is a national hero.
18:2&5 - David would never be the shepherd boy again. He was now in the service of King Saul, and rightfully so.
Now enter Jonathan into the life of David.
Jonathan probably knew what Samuel had told his father about losing the kingdom.
Jonathan could have been jealous of this young kid who was now the national hero, and obviously the candidate for replacing Saul's family on the throne.
How did Jonathan react?
God's plan and God's man were more important to Jonathan than sitting on the throne.
Jonathan found in David a kindred spirit who was just as bold, or bolder in fighting the Lord's battles.
18:1-3 - Jonathan's love for David was strong.
This was not sexual love.
This was what we would today call Christian love.
They were knit together in love.
They were kindred spirits.
Beloved, this is the type of love that God wants us to have for each other! It doesn't matter if the other person is more talented or less talented than us.
It doesn't matter if the person is a newer or older Christian than us. It doesn't matter if the person has a more prestigious or less prestigious job in God's kingdom.
What matters is that that individual is a brother or a sister in Christ, and should be loved as such!
John 13:34-35, John 15:11, 17
4. PERCEPTION 18:4
In 1 Samuel 18:4 Jonathan gives David his clothes and weapons.
These were the clothes and weapons of a prince!
These were the clothes and weapons of the man who was next in line for the Throne of Israel.
I think that Jonathan perceived that David was the next king of Israel, and was showing this by the giving of the clothes and weapons to the man would be the next king.
Notice there is no jealousy.
Notice there is no regret.
Notice there is no rancor.
But Jonathan was recognizing who the next king truly was, who the prince truly was.
Oh, that you and I would be as perceptive as Jonathan, to perceive what God is doing, and get on the band wagon!
How can we be spiritually perceptive?
By simply being spiritually guided! John 16:12-15
5. INTERVENTION 19:1-7
By now, David is on Saul's "black list".
Saul has been told he will be replaced as king.
He has figured out that his replacement is David.
David has been loyal to Saul, and never did anything that warranted the persecution he received from Saul.
Vss. 1-7 - David is told by Jonathan to hide. He then goes to His father, and presents the facts of David's loyalty.
Saul gets a commitment from his father for peace.
He then brings David back into the fold.
Christians should intervene on behalf of other Christians. Matthew 5:9, Philippians 4:2-3
6. PROTECTION 20
Very close in idea to intervention is protection.
Very often a brother or sister needs to be protected by us.
Jonathan did some research for David and discovered that indeed his father was out to kill David.
Jonathan warned David, and sent him on his way.
I believe that loving our brothers and sisters in Christ means that we protect them.
Sometimes we protect by warning.
Sometimes we protect by informing.
Sometimes we protect by speaking in behalf of the person we are protecting.
Philippians 2:4
7. ENCOURAGEMENT 23:14-17
David was being pursued by Saul.
David's life was in jeopardy.
Jonathan went and strengthened his hand in God.
Jonathan encouraged David.
This is something that you and I should do for each other. Hebrews 3:12-13, Hebrews 10:24-25
We encourage when we listen.
We encourage when we give right advice.
We encourage when we share the word of God.
We encourage when we pray together.
If you want to know how to encourage, study the life of Barnabas, as laid out in the Book of Acts.
Jonathan was the "Man Who Wouldn't Be King", and yet he was a Godly man. Let's follow his examples of:
BOLDNESS
SUBMISSION
LOVE
PERCEPTION
INTERVENTION
PROTECTION
ENCOURAGEMENT
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Psalm 127
GODS MAN
GODS MAN IS A PRODUCTIVE MAN Vss. 1a, 3-5
GODS MAN IS A PROTECTED MAN Vs. 1a
GODS MAN IS A PEACEFUL MAN Vs. 2
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Luke 4:1-13
LEARNING TO SAY "NO!"
Of course, we are all sinners. Because of this, we do not live sinless lives.
However, the sinless Savior does teach us some lessons on how to say "No!" to temptation.
ENLIST THE SPIRIT'S CONTROL Vs. 1
EXPECT SATAN'S TEMPTATION Vss. 3, 5-7, 9-11
EXPRESS SCRIPTURE'S AUTHORITY Vss. 4, 8, 12, 13
Sermon Seeds A32
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John 17:4-8
THE GREATEST!
THE GREATEST CONDUCT - Vs. 4a - "I have glorified thy name..."
THE GREATEST CONCLUSION - Vs. 4b - "...I have finished the work which thou gravest me to do..."
THE GREATEST COMMUNICATION - Vss. 6,8 - "I have manifested thy name...I have given unto them the words which thou gravest me..."
Sermon Seeds A35
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Hebrews 7:1-10
PICTURE-PERFECT PRIESTHOOD, Part I
LESSON #13 in Hebrews A complete study
s I shared an old picture of me with you.
s What did the old picture teach you about me when I was younger?
s Do you really know what I was like when I was 9 ½ years old?
s How does the picture help or not help?
s What is shuttle diplomacy?
s God had diplomats who brought God and man together. They were called priests. They interceded before God for man through sacrifices and prayers.
s The priests In Israel were of the Tribe of Levi and the Family of Aaron. Hence they are called Levitical priests.
s Hebrews 6:20 mentions another order of priests that Jesus belonged to. It is the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is actually a picture or a type of Christ.
s Who was Melchizedek?
Genesis 14:18-20 - And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. [19] And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: [20] And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Hebrews 7 shows the perfect priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This picture centers around the Old Testament Priest, Melchizedek, the Old Testament picture of our Lord Jesus as the great high priest.
POSITION Vss. 1-2
ü According to this passage, how was Melchizedek different from other priests?
ü How did Levitical priests become priests?
ü How did Melchizedek become a priest?
ü How did Jesus become a priest?
Psalm 110:4 - The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
ü How does Melchizedek picture Jesus in these verses?
Psalm 85:10 - Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
ü What two things show that Melchizedek was superior to Abraham?
PERPETUITY Vs. 3
· Do you think Melchizedek had parents? Why or why not?
· Do you think Melchizedek was a literal person? Why or why not?
· How is Jesus like Melchizedek in this verse? Why is this important to those of us who look to Jesus as our Great High Priest and as our Savior?
Hebrews 7:24-25
PRIORITY Vss. 4-10
A. Over Abraham Vss. 4-7
F Vs. 4 What was Abraham indicating when he paid tithes to Melchizedek?
F What do verses 5-6 tell us about the significance of Abraham paying tithes to Melchizedek?
F According to verses 6-7, what does Melchizedek blessing Abraham signify?
B. Over Levi Vss. 8-10
P According to verse 8, how are Melchizedek and Jesus superior to Levi?
P How did Levi pay tithes in Abraham? What is the significance of that?
P Why do you think the author of Hebrews belabored the fact that Jesus, being a priest under the order of Melchizedek is superior to the Levitical priests?
P Why could Jesus never have been a Levitical priest?
P How is the superiority of Jesus as a priest a comfort to you?
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1 John 1:5-7
LIGHT WORKS!
Real Christianity #3 (1 John series)
LIGHT WORKS!
Light is effective!
Light is a necessity!
It brings illumination so men can see. It brings warmth so man can survive and crops can grow.
It exposes dirt so man can clean it up.
The theme of 1 John is being real or Real Christianity.
You cant have real Christianity without light. Light works.
FACT
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
John begins with a very important fact about the nature of God. This fact he learned from the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a fact that is essential for you to grasp if you are going to have an accurate understanding of Christianity. God is light.
This is a truth that is found in the Old Testament. Psalm 27:1, 36:9, 104:1-2, Isaiah 49:6
J. Vernon McGee pointed out, "When John says that God is light, he is revealing many facets about the person of God."
He goes on to list a few which I want to share with you.
J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible with J. Vernon McGee,Volume 5, (Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983), p. 760
First, light speaks of the glory, the radiance, the beauty, and the wonders of God. Psalm 19:1
Light also speaks of God seeing what's going on. Light reveals so you can see. God is light, so God can see everything. Proverbs 15:3
Light further speaks of guidance. Psalm 119:105
Light also reminds us of the purity and holiness of God. Pure light has no impurities. God's light tolerates no impurities, and He is holy, that is set apart from sin. 1 Samuel 2:2
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
In this world the quality of light varies.
We say it's light out when it's foggy.
We say it's light out, even when there are some clouds blocking the sun.
We look outside and say it's light out, even though it's raining or snowing.
There might be a little darkness mixed in with the light.
In a couple of rooms of our home we have light fixtures that take two or more bulbs. If one burns out, we still have light, but a limited amount. There is a degree of darkness.
God's light contains no darkness. Of course the darkness that God does not have is the darkness of sin. There is no sin in God. There are no failures in God. There are no limitations in God.
This light is so brilliant, that talking about the future, eternal state Revelation 21:23 says: And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.
FICTION
1 John 1:6 - If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
If there is one thing most of us dont like, its a hypocrite.
A hypocrite talks one way and acts another.
A hypocrite is a phony. Hes inconsistent.
And I have news for you. God, being holy, hates hypocrisy more than we do.
Job 27:8 - For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
To have fellowship with God is to have something in common. It is a sharing. It is a partnership. It is bonding!
To have fellowship with God includes prayer and abiding in Christ.
If we claim to have fellowship with God, and habitually walk in a life pattern of sin, we are lying, and not practicing truth. We are not talking occasional sin, but sin patterns here.
There are those who profess Christ, but who never really trusted him. The pattern of their life is darkness. There are Christians who have backslidden after having changed, who show too much of this pattern of darkness.
FELLOWSHIP
1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
I love this verse because it is a verse of hope.
God has a better plan for me and you than a life pattern of sin and hypocrisy.
If you are truly a Christian,
If you have acknowledged your sin before God
If you have admitted that you have no righteousness to save yourself
If you have trusted that Jesus Christ died for your sins so that you can have eternal life
If you have put your total faith in Christ as Savior
If, as a result, God has changed your life, you have already come to Gods light! John 8:12
If you have come into Gods light through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are to walk in that light.
To walk implies a habit, a pattern, a way of life.
When a person walks in Gods light, he is walking with God. As he walks in Gods light, he can now see the areas of darkness in his life that need to be dealt with. He is open to God exposing his sin, confessing it, and forsaking it.
I believe we walk in the light when we walk in the power or control of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.
Ephesians 5:9 - (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Goodness, righteousness and truth are all indications that we are walking in light and not darkness when we under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:16 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Fulfilling the lust of the flesh is certainly walking in darkness. Being controlled by the Holy Spirit is certainly walking in light.
Galatians 5:22-24 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
[24] And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Walking in the Spirit means recognizing the fact that we are crucified with Christ. We must accept the fact that when Christ died on Calvary, we died with Him. We died to sin there so we need no longer serve sin. We have put to death the flesh with the affections and lusts.
So how do we walk in the Spirit? To walk in the Spirit is synonymous with being filled with the Spirit.
We are filled with the Spirit when we confess all known sin.
We are filled with the Spirit when we ask God to fill us with His Spirit.
Luke 11:13 - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
We are filled with the Spirit as we believe that God has answered our prayers.
Mark 11:24 - Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
When we are filled with the Spirit, we are walking in the Spirit, under his control.
When we are walking in the Spirit we are walking in the light.
And, according to our text, when we are walking in the light we have fellowship one with another. Who are we having fellowship with here? We are having fellowship with God!
Verse 6 refers to having fellowship with God, it makes sense that verse 7 does also!
When we are basking in Gods light through Gods Holy Spirit, we have communion, we are bonding with, we have fellowship with God!
FORGIVENESS
Vs. 7 - and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Light exposes sin.
As we walk in the light, the light will show us our sin.
God will make them clear to us as we walk in the light of His Spirit.
We will not be free from sin until we get to Heaven.
However, we will identify sin.
As we confess that sin to God, the blood of the Lord Jesus will keep on cleansing us from all sin.
We have forgiveness when we walk in the light.
LIGHT WORKS!
FACT - This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
FICTION - If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
FELLOWSHIP - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
FORGIVENESS - and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
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