SERMON SEEDS H4 FOR MARCH 29, 2004
Posted by: jpeters <jpeters@...>
SERMON SEEDS FOR MARCH 29, 2004
This Weeks Seeds includes four previously sent outlines for Palm Sunday.
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REAL MEN ARE STEADY
REAL MEN #7 of 7 Habakkuk
This is a complete lesson.
L Give some examples of things that have happened in this world that just seem unfair or do not make sense.
L Why do Christians sometimes struggle with the will of God?
L Why do Christians struggle with things that do not appear fair or just on Gods part?
L What current events might test the faith of some Christians?
Habakkuk was a man who struggled with the evil that was around Him and how God appeared to be handling it. Although Habakkuk struggled, he came out victorious.
Habakkuk lived in what we would call the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had been conquered and taken into captivity. He lived during the time that Judah was conquered. He was a contemporary of Jeremiah.
FAITH TESTED 1:1-2:1
COMPLAINT - Vss. 1-4
Ø Habakkuk had a "burden". He was carrying a heavy load. Vs. 1
Ø According to Verse 2, what does Habakkuks problem appear to be? Do we ever have a similar problem?
Ø Habakkuk describes more clearly the sins that he was concerned about in verse 3. Have you seen similar problems in Christian America?
Ø Habakkuk complains about the perversion of justice in verse 4.
Ø Was Habakkuk right to complain?
CONSOLATION - Vss. 5-11
ü Vs. 5 - God graciously answers Habakkuk and tells him that He is going to do something Habakkuk won't believe.
ü Vss. 6-11 - God tells Habakkuk that He will judge Judah by the work of the Chaldeans. He is referring to the conquering of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:14-21).
CONFUSION - Vss. 12-17
ü Habakkuk appears to have accepted God's answer in verse 12.
ü However, Habakkuk became very confused in verses
13 -17.
ü Why was Habakkuk confused? Vss. 14-17
ü Can you relate to Habakkuks confusion?
CONFIDENCE - 2:1
ü Yes, Habakkuk was confused, but he decided to wait on God for an answer to his confusion.
ü Why was this a wise move on Habakkuks part?
ü Had Habakkuk lost his faith?
FAITH TRUSTING 2:1-20
PARTICULARS ABOUT THE PROPHET - Vss. 1-3
· In his trust we find Habakkuk:
Watching - Vs. 1
Writing - Vs. 2
Waiting - Vs. 3
· Why are these three good disciplines to practice when we struggle with what God is doing?
· What was the premise that Habakkuk was making that allowed him watch, write, and wait without being totally frustrated or abandoning his faith?
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE JUST - Vs. 4
· "The just shall live by his faith."
· How is this an encouragement?
· How do we go about living by faith?
WARNINGS FOR THE WICKED - Vss. 5-19
· What groups are warned in these verses?
· Why are these verses comforting?
· Why are these verses disturbing?
REMINDER FOR THE RIGHTEOUS - Vs. 20
· What is significant about the Lord being in His holy temple?
· How should a silent earth comfort us?
FAITH TRIUMPHANT 3:17-19
REALITY OF TRAGEDY - Vs. 17
V What are some of the tragedies we might be forced to face?
V Is it wrong to consider the possibilities of tragedy and what our response will be?
REJOICING IN TRAGEDY - Vs. 18
V Habakkuk is saying, "No matter what happens, I am going to rejoice in the Lord." Some reasons why I can rejoice in tragedy:
1. God is the God of my salvation. He is my deliverer in
this life, and the one who has saved me so I have no fear
of hell, but anxious anticipation of Heaven.
2. God doesn't change. Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8
3. God says to rejoice in all situations. Psalm 118:24,
1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4.
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Psalm 119:97
LOVE AFFAIR
I am not defining a love affair as anything that is seedy or immoral. I am defining a love affair as an ongoing commitment of love, no matter what the circumstances.
People dont just have love affairs with people.
Some have love affairs, so to speak, with sports, clothes, food, computers, guns and a host of other things.
The Psalmist who wrote Psalm 119 had a love affair.
His love affair was with the Word of God.
Psalm 119:113 - I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.
Psalm 119:163 - I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
Psalm 119:165 - Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Psalm 119:47 - And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
Psalm 119:48 - My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.
And our text: Psalm 119:97 - O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
This morning I suggest to you that an ongoing love affair with the Word of God is something every Christian should have. If you profess to know Jesus as your Savior, and to love Him and to love your Heavenly Father, a love for Gods Word should be a characteristic of your life.
I would like us to answer two questions concerning a love affair with the Word of God.
WHY SHOULD I LOVE THE WORD OF GOD?
1. I SHOULD LOVE THE WORD OF GOD BECAUSE OF WHAT IT IS.
What is the Word of God?
It is Gods written revelation to man.
It is exactly what we are calling it, THE WORD OF GOD! 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21
God used the personality and circumstances of the man writing to give His Word to us, so that Paul sounds different than Peter who sounds different than Isaiah. But each one of them delivered us the Word of God.
If God didnt care about us He wouldnt have bothered to give us His Word. The very fact that a righteous, loving, all powerful God would communicate to us, is one good reason to love the Word of God.
2. I SHOULD LOVE THE WORD OF GOD BECAUSE OF WHAT IT DOES.
It is Gods Word that shows us the way of salvation through faith in Christ.
It is Gods law that shows us that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Galatians 3:24
It is Gods Word that is used in bringing people to faith in Christ. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to bring about the new birth. 1 Peter 1:23
2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Gods Word teaches us.
Gods Word rebukes us.
Gods Word corrects us.
Gods Word shows us how to live righteously
Psalm 19:7-11.
Notice what the Word of God does according to these verses.
Vs. 7 It converts, changes, or as the NASB says, it restores the soul and it makes simple people wise.
Vs. 8 Gods Word makes the heart to rejoice and also enlightens the eyes. And I believe it is the Spiritual eyes that are enlightened. We will see Spiritual things more clearly.
Vs. 9 Gods Word endures forever and Gods Word is true and right.
Vs. 10 Gods Word is more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey.
Vs. 11 Gods Word warns us. God rewards those who are obedient to His Word.
3. I SHOULD LOVE THE WORD OF GOD BECAUSE I KNOW THE AUTHOR PERSONALLY
This is not a salvation message per se, but what happens when a person realizes that He is a sinner, that Jesus died for His sins, and that faith alone brings forgiveness and eternal life? What happens when that person is saved?
The person is changed.
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The person becomes a child of God. Romans 8:15-16, John 1:12-13
Because we are His children, we, of course, should love Him. And if we love Him, we should also love His Word.
I have sincere doubts if a person professes to be a born again Christian and has no interest in hearing the Word of preached and has no interest in reading it for himself, or if he can read, having it read to him.
4. I SHOULD LOVE THE WORD OF GOD BECAUSE OF ITS IMPORTANCE TO GOD
My Heavenly has made his Word to be extremely important to Himself.
Psalm 138:2 - I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Do you see what it says here?
for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
There is nothing more important to God than His Word.
James Montgomery Boice It is as if God is saying, I value my integrity above everything else. Above everything else I want to be believed. The verse does not have to mean that Gods other qualities are moved to second place.
James Montgomery Boice, Psalms Volume 3, (Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book House, 1998), p.1196
Psalm 119:97 - O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
HOW SHOULD I LOVE THE WORD OF GOD?
Psalm 119:97 says, O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
Obviously this means that the one who truly loves the Word of God will meditate on it. That is, he or she will reflect on Gods Word continually, trying to understand it and trying to apply it to his or her life.
There will be no greater delight that to learn Gods Word and make it personal.
This learning is academic, but it goes further.
This learning is Spiritual!
It gives Spiritual understanding. Psalm 119:99
Meditating on Gods Word also leads to obedience! Psalm 119:11, Joshua 1:8
How important to is obedience to God?
1 Samuel 15:22-23 - ...Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. [23] For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry...
Not only does meditating in Gods Word lead to learning and obedience, but it leads to faith.
Romans 10:17
The more I meditate in Gods Word, the stronger my faith will become. And the stronger my faith becomes, the more I will be at peace. Psalm 119:165
So how are we going to go about meditating on Scripture?
Hopefully, you have been doing so this morning, as you have been interacting with the teaching of the Word of God!
Jesus has ordained that His Word be taught. Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus says, teach, and learning requires meditation on what is taught. You dont do much learning if what the teacher says goes in one ear and out the other.
Ephesians 4:11-13 - And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; [12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
If you really love Gods Word, you need to set aside your excuses and get under the sound of the teaching of the word of God.
Another way we meditate on Scripture is by reading it for ourselves. I personally have changed my reading habits.
Im reading less and getting it more.
I read a verse and then think about, and apply it to my own life.
Spend time each day with your Bible reading it, and asking God to show you the truth of it. I suggest you start with the Book of Matthew and meander through the New Testament.
Set no preconceived goal but read enough each day to get something out of it.
It is also a good idea to think about what youve read later in the day. Turn off the car radio and give thought to the Scriptures.
A great way to start your reading is with the Bible Readers Prayer.
Psalm 119:18 - Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Another way of meditating on Gods Word is through memorization.
We already mentioned Psalm 119:11 - Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Before we can hide Gods Word in our hearts, we need to hide it in our heads.
As we select and memorize specific Scriptures and then meditate on them, that will help us get the Scriptures from our heads to our hearts.
I suggest that you memorize at least a verse a week, and then continue to review the verses.
How valuable is Scripture Meditation? Psalm 1:1-3
Why Scripture Meditation? It is to be part of the love affair that exists between each of us and the Word of God.
Psalm 119:97 - O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
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Matthew 21:1-12
FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS
The disciples followed the Lord's directions for "Palm Sunday".
We should follow the Lord's directions because:
THE LORD'S DIRECTIONS ARE SPECIFIC - Vss. 1-3
Jesus told the disciples where to go, what to do, and what to say.
Through the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we too will receive specific instructions. Romans 12:2, John 16:12-14, Psalm 32:8
THE LORD'S DIRECTIONS ARE SCRIPTURAL - Vss. 4-5
Jesus was out to fulfill Scripture and to do God's will. John 4:34, 9:4, Matthew 5:18
We should do the same! Mark 13:31
THE LORD'S DIRECTIONS ARE SURE - Vss. 6-7
The disciples found things to be just as Jesus told them. We count on God's directions as accurate. Mark 11:1-6
THE LORD'S DIRECTIONS ARE SPECIAL - Vss. 8-11
Because Jesus directions were followed the disciples were part of a great day and a day when God's word was fulfilled. Whenever we follow God's directions, the results will be special. Sinners will be challenged and saved. Saints will be edified.
Sermon Seeds H4
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Matthew 21:1-16
THE KING IS COMING!
(Palm Sunday)
THE ARRIVAL OF THE KING - Vss. 1-11
THE AUTHORITY OF THE KING - Vss. 12-14
Over His House - Vss. 12-13
Over Disease - Vs. 14
THE ACCLAMATION OF THE KING - Vss. 15-16
Sermon Seeds E3
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ROYAL ARRIVAL
Mark 11:1-14, 20-21
PREPARATION FOR THE KING'S ARRIVAL - Vss. 1-8
PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE KING'S ENTRANCE - Vss. 9-10
PERCEPTION BY THE KING HIMSELF - Vs. 11
PROOF OF THE KING'S AUTHORITY - Vss. 12-14, 20-21
Sermon Seeds F2
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Luke 12:1-9
LEARNING FROM DISASTER
In Luke 13, two types of disasters are mentioned, the natural and the unnatural. It is here that we see that the Jewish people had the idea that those punished during natural and unnatural disasters were all being punished for some reason. Jesus, however has another lesson for people to learn as they look at natural and unnatural disasters.
MANS PREMISE Vss. 1,2,4
Vs. 1 What we have here is an unnatural disaster.
Pontius Pilate was known for his brutality as the Roman Governor.
Evidently Pilate thought that certain Galileans were guilty of some sort of insurrection. He ordered them killed.
They were quietly offering sacrifices, perhaps at Passover, and were killed in the process. Mens blood and animals blood were shed at the same time.
Vs. 2 - The common thought was that these men were guilty of some sort of terrible crime, and thats why they were murdered.That would be like saying every person killed on 9-11 was guilty of some sort special sin towards God. Jesus is saying this is just not so.
Bad things happen to good people.
Bad things happen to nice people.
It is not always because God is judging a specific individual because of sin.
It is because sin, in general, is in the world.
As long as sin reigns, people will die of both natural and unnatural causes.
Consider Job.
What kinds of Calamities happened to Him?
Why did these calamities happen?
What did Jobs comforters tell him?
Job 4:7 - Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
It was then and is now, very easy for people to assume when something bad happens that we or the person affected has done something wrong.
This can lead to a smug self-righteousness if nothing bad happens to us.
Vs. 4 Jesus gives another example.
There was a tower in Jerusalem that fell.
Were these 18 victims of a natural disaster guilty of some special sin?
And thinking about it, what about those people who are born with deformities and diseases? Are they or their parents guilty of something special?
The answer is it is not likely.
Of course of a parent abuses their body, such as with drugs, they can cause physical problems for their new-borns. But we cant say that every physical problem is a result of someone specifics sin.
You might remember the man who was born blind in John 9.
Jesus was asked who was guilty, the man or his parents to cause such a thing.
In John 9:3 Jesus tells us that it was neither.
Does God bring judgment on people and nations?
Yes, he does.
But we cant assume that every tragedy is a result of someones sin.
So dont be quick to be smug when tragedy happens to someone you dont like, thinking they are being judged for their sins. It could happen to you.
JESUS PRONOUNCEMENT Vss. 3,5
Vss. 3&5 Jesus makes a pronouncement of warning.
He said that unless those listening to him repented they would likewise perish.
It is possible that Jesus was looking forward to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
However, I believe that he was warning that is possible for all to perish and face judgment.
These words were spoken as part of a message that had much to say about coming judgment in Luke 12.
Unless a person repents, final judgment will not be pretty. Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:11-15
Hebrews 9:27 - And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
H.A. Ironside said, Repentance is a change in mind which results in a complete change in attitude. H.A. Ironside, Addresses on the Gospel of Luke, (Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers, 1947) p. 436
When a person sees that he or she is a sinner and has no hope for Heaven, he or she turns from their sin and whatever they have been trusting before to save them. They turn from sin and to the Savior.
2 Corinthians 7:10 - For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Of course, when a sinner truly repents there is a change. John 3:5-8
Now you and I who know Jesus as Savior do not need to worry about getting into Heaven if weve been truly converted. However, we have been called to live Godly, holy lives. 1 Peter 1:15-16
1 Peter 1:15-16 - But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
As God convicts us of sin, we need to be ready to repent.
Not because we need to be saved, but because we need to be holy! Isaiah 55:6-8
In the course of our daily walk the Holy Spirit will convict us of sin either through the preaching of the Word, or the reading of the Word, or speaking of the Spirit of God, within our hearts.
When we are smitten that we are wrong, we are to confess to God, forsake, and yes, if necessary make things right with someone else. Psalm 32:5
So Jesus pronounces that everyone needs to repent.
GODS PATIENCE Vss. 6-9
Read Vss. 6-9
Jesus tells a story that could refer to Israel.
Israel certainly had failed God.
Israel had been sent many prophets, looking for repentance.
Jesus himself came and dug around the roots and added fertilizer, so to speak.
And yet Israel refused to repent and was destroyed eventually by the Romans.
But I with others believe that this story also refers to every lost sinner.
The person deserves judgment, but God delays judgment, so that the person has more time to repent.
Often you and I would be like the land owner in the story, we think people should be removed or judged, but God delays. He delays and convicts the guilty part.
Perhaps, if given more time, the person will come to his senses and repent.
In fact the Lord has not returned yet, in order to give more people time to repent. 2 Peter 3:8-10
So, how does this effect us as Christians?
We know that the Lord is coming.
There are those who need the Lord.
As long as the Lord is delaying we should be doing two things, witnessing and living Godly lives.
Peter follows up his talk about the judgment with these words for believers. 2 Peter 3:11-14
Lets be busy living for the Lord in such a way, that those who need to repent see the need because of us.
God is being patient. We need to be busy.
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Luke 19:28-48
A SPECIAL DAY
INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE MASTER - Vss. 28-34
INVOLVEMENT OF THE CROWD - Vss. 35-38
INDIGNATION OF THE PHARISEES - Vss. 39-40
INDICTMENT OF A CITY - Vss. 41-48
Indicted by His Words - Vss. 41-44
Indicted by His Actions - Vss. 45-48
Sermon Seeds F2
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