SERMON SEEDS I34 FOR 11/28/05
Posted by: jpeters <jpeters@...>
SERMON SEEDS FOR NOVEMBER 28, 2005
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JESUS IS COMING FOUR PART SERIES
WEEK #1 - ANTICIPATION - JESUS IS COMING!
TEXT - Old Testament Scriptures
The Old Testament Prophets anticipated the birth of our Lord Jesus. Here are three of their prophecies:
THE VIRGIN - Isaiah 7:14
The virgin, of course, was Mary.
The birth was of "Emmanuel", "God is with us".
THE VISIT - Micah 5:2
The visit is to Bethlehem.
The visitor is the one that will be ruler in Israel. (Isaiah 11:1-10)
The visitor is eternal.
THE VICTORY - Isaiah 9:6
"The government shall be upon his shoulders."
He is:
"Wonderful"
"Counselor"
"Mighty God"
"Everlasting Father
"Prince of Peace"
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WEEK #2 - ANNOUNCEMENT - JESUS IS COMING!
TEXT - Luke 1:26-38
GOD'S FAVOR - Vss. 26-28
MARY'S FUTURE - Vss. 29-37
MARY'S FAITH - Vs. 38
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WEEK #3 - ASSURANCE - JESUS IS COMING!
TEXT - Matthew 1:18-25
To me, Joseph is the forgotten man of Christmas. It took a man of great faith to believe and accept the events surrounding his pregnant wife. God gave Him the assurance that what was happening was indeed of God and in God's perfect will.
CONCEPTION - Vs. 18
Mary was engaged to Joseph. Engagement in that culture, engagement made a couple was considered married, even though the marriage had not been consummated. During this time of engagement, Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit.
CONFUSION - Vs. 19
You can imagine Joseph's disappointment. Because he was a just man, he decided to privately divorce Mary. He loved her too much, I feel, to bring her public embarrassment.
COMFORT - Vss. 20-23
Joseph was told that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
He received the comfort of God in a dream.
This birth is the fulfillment of prophecy.
COMMITMENT - Vss. 24-25
Joseph, by faith, made a commitment to Mary and to guardianship of the Son of God.
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WEEK #4 - ARRIVAL - JESUS IS HERE!
TEXT - Matthew 2 and Luke 2
THE PLACE OF BIRTH - Luke 2:1-7, Matthew 2:1-6
THE PROCLAMATION BY ANGELS - Luke 2:8-14
THE PEOPLE WHO SAW (WITNESSED)
The arrival of the Messiah was witnessed by:
The Shepherds - Luke 2:15-20
Simeon - Luke 2:25-35
Anna - Luke 2:36-38
The Wise Men - Matthew 2:7-12
Sermon Seeds D36
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Matthew 1-2
JOSEPHS DREAMS
Like the Old Testament Joseph, the guardian of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament was also a dreamer. God spoke to Joseph often through dreams.
THE DREAM THAT BROUGHT PEACE Matthew 1:18-25
It was a dream that allayed any of Josephs fears about marrying Mary, who was pregnant.
THE DREAM THAT SUPPLIED PROTECTION Matthew 2:13-18
Herod, in jealousy, would kill babies in the Bethlehem area. The dream protected Jesus.
THE DREAM THAT GAVE PROMISE Matthew 2:19-21
It was then safe to move back to Israel.
THE DREAM THAT PROVIDED PLACEMENT Matthew 2:22-23
Joseph was guided back to Nazareth due to the dream. This was in fulfillment of prophecy.
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Luke 1:26-38
WHEN NOBODY BECAME SOMEBODY
I want to take you back in time to a little nowhere town to a nobody girl. I want us to examine a time when this nobody became somebody.
CONDITIONS - Vss. 26-27
Vs. 26 - What was the sixth month? It was the sixth month of a miracle pregnancy. Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous people who were on in years. At an age when Elizabeth should be a grandmother or great-grandmother, she was preparing to have her first child.
Zacharias, a priest, had been burning incense when all of a sudden the Angel Gabriel appeared before him. Zecharias was told that he and Elizabeth would be parents of the prophet who was scheduled to appear before the coming of Israel's Messiah. His name was to be called John. Isaiah 40:3
Because Zacharias did not believe Gabriel, he was disciplined by being made deaf and dumb.
This was a temporary ailment, but it was effective. Zacharias went home to the hill country of Judah and before long, Elizabeth was expecting.
Vs. 26 - Gabriel is on the move again. This time he is bringing a message to what I would call a "nowhere town". He was going to Galilee, an area of Judah that was despised by many Jews because of its mixed population. He was going to the city of Nazareth.
Vs. 27 - Not only did Gabriel go to a nowhere town, but he went to see a "nobody" person. Mary was one of thousands of Jewish peasant girls, who at probably between the ages of 12-14 would get married raise a family in relative poverty and eventually die! Mary was a virgin who was engaged to be married to a descendant of King David. Joseph was his name. He was the village carpenter.
The conditions were simply this; Mary was a nobody who lived in a nowhere town.
CONFRONTATION - Vss. 28-33
Vs. 28 - The angel appeared to Mary. We don't know where and we don't now how. We do know from her response that Mary knew she was talking to a supernatural being.
Here is a very interesting greeting. Mary is told that she is "highly favored", "blessed among women" and that "the Lord is with you."
In an instant, Mary, who very well could have thought of herself as a "nobody" is told that she is a "somebody"! Mary was given a glorious piece of great news.
Vs. 29 - Mary, of course, was a special person. One of the special qualities of Mary was that she was very contemplative. This is shown in other instances of Luke's Gospel. It was Mary who would think about things that she was told and things that happened. Here, although she is troubled, Mary tries to reason out or understand what is going on. Oh that more of us were like that!
Vs. 30 - Now, if you met a messenger from God, you might think you were in some sort of trouble. You would probably also be afraid. Gabriel calms her, by telling her to fear not. She was one who was highly favored in God's eyes.
Vs. 31 - Mary was going to have a baby! The baby's name would be "Jesus", or "Salvation"! Mary would be the mother of Israel's long awaited Savior. Mary would be the mother of the one who came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. She was the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Vs. 32 - Jesus would be great. And notice that Jesus would be called "Son of the Highest". Jesus would be the Son of God! He was to be both God and man.
Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
"A child is born," means that Jesus was human.
"A son is given," means that Jesus existed before he came to earth. He is God!
Israel had been promised that a Messiah would come who would sit on David's throne. Gabriel tells Mary that Jesus will be this ruler.
Vs. 33 - His kingdom will be permanent. We need to remind ourselves of something here. All that Gabriel said is true. When Jesus came the first time he came to give His life to save sinners like us. When Jesus comes again he will set up his permanent kingdom! At that time His rule will be eternal.
THE CONCEPTION - Vss. 34-37
Vs. 34 - Mary was not like Zacharias who just didn't believe Gabriel. Mary was simply trying to understand how she could have a baby without having a sexual relationship with a man. Mary, the one known for her contemplation, was striving to grasp what she had been told.
Vs. 35 - Mary is told here that the birth of Jesus would be a miracle! It would be a virgin birth.
She would do nothing except believe! The Holy Spirit would do the work of impregnating Mary. And the baby that was born would be the Son of God!
Vs. 36 - To show Mary that God was capable of such a thing she is now told that her cousin, Elizabeth would have a baby. Elizabeth, who was known as "barren", Elizabeth who was old had conceived! This too was a miracle.
Vs. 37 - Elizabeth conceived when she shouldn't have. The impossible happened because nothing is impossible with God.
Mary, a virgin, would conceive and have a baby, because nothing is impossible with God.
THE CONFIDENCE - Vs. 38
Mary was given a tremendous amount of information and responsibility. Not only would she be mother of our Lord Jesus, but she would have to bear the brunt of people thinking that she had been unfaithful to Joseph. She had to bear the brunt of some thinking that she was an adulteress. And to think that she was going to have to raise such a child!
Mary's response is classic, "Be it unto me according to thy word."
In essence she is saying, "I accept and believe what you have said."
Mary was in a situation that made faith an absolute necessity. And I dare to say that if Mary had not believed, had not had faith, Mary would not have been the mother of Jesus.
Mary had no credentials for being the mother of Jesus.
She was a nobody from nowhere.
Mary had little training for being the mother of Jesus.
Mary would have limited human support for being the mother of Jesus. Why an angel even had to appear to Joseph in order for him to consent to marry Mary.
Mary had to be one who would simply trust God no matter what!
So there you have it. Mary the nobody became a somebody. Today we are to still respect Mary and call her "blessed". She was human. She was a sinner like us. But God gave her a very special position.
"All of this is great Pastor, but how does this relate to us?"
Glad you asked! Let's think about it.
THE CONDITIONS
Guess what? We're nobodies! Psalm 51:5, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10-12
Not one of us is righteous in God's eyes. We are nobodies who deserve to go to hell!
Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 6:23
THE CONFRONTATION
Just as Mary was confronted with good news from God, through an angel, in this day and age you and I are confronted with good news from God from various sources.
· We discover this good news either through an individual sharing with us "one on one". Sometimes that individual is a parent or a Sunday School teacher.
· We also discover this good news when we go to church and hear a pastor or a guest speaker present it.
· And some have discovered this good news by reading books or pamphlets that we call tracts.
· Many have also have been confronted with this good news as they have read God's Word the Bible.
In verse 28 Mary was told that she was "highly favored".
There is a sense in which each one of you is highly favored.
God loves each one of you.
God showed his love for you by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus to earth.
God showed His love for you by sending His sinless Son to the cross to die for your sins.
1 John 4:10, Isaiah 53:3-6,
Right now through me God is confronting you with His love. It was His love that Jesus, a real somebody, the Son of God, to die on the cross for you, a nobody. John 3:16
THE CONVERSION
In verse 35 Mary was told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and there was conception.
God, the Holy Spirit will also come upon you and I. We can call it conversion, but it is also called the new birth!
Jesus told Nicodemus - "Ye must be born again." John 3:5-7
What is going on here? God wants to forgive your sins, give you new life, and make you his child. He does it through the work of His Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17,
So how does one experience this new birth that brings conversion?
THE CONFIDENCE
The new birth requires confidence or faith. At a specific moment in time you, a nobody, become a child of God through the working of the Spirit of God. A nobody becomes somebody.
John 1:12-13
You place confidence in the fact that you are a "nobody", a sinner who deserves the punishment of hell.
You place confidence in the love of God, believing that Jesus Christ His Son died for your sins.
By faith you place confidence in the Lord Jesus as your Savior, as your way to Heaven!
It is by faith that you become somebody, a child of God and a citizen of Heaven!
If you have not already, will you chose to become somebody this morning?
And those of you who have already made this decision need to remember that,
· Without Christ you'd be nobody. That's your condition.
· You are still loved by the Savior who has made you "accepted in the beloved". That's your confrontation from God's Word.
· You not only were born again by the Spirit of God, but the Spirit of God continues to live inside you to help you, guide you, teach you, and comfort you. That's a result of your conversion.
· The new life you began by expressing faith in Christ as Savior is to continue to be a life of faith. That's confidence.
Christian, you are still a nobody who became a somebody!
CONCLUSION:
For Mary, the nobody who became somebody.
THE CONDITIONS - Mary was a nobody who lived in a nowhere town.
THE CONFRONTATION - Mary became a somebody, who would be the mother of God's Son.
THE CONCEPTION - Vss. 34-37 - The Holy Spirit would do the work of making Mary pregnant.
THE CONFIDENCE - Vs. 38 - She believed what God had told her through the message of the angel.
And for you to go from being a nobody to becoming somebody:
THE CONDITIONS - You are a nobody, a sinner who deserves to go to hell.
THE CONFRONTATION - God has confronted you with His love, sending Jesus to the cross to die for you sins.
THE CONVERSION - The Holy Spirit needs to do a work in your life, "Ye must be born again."
THE CONFIDENCE - You become "born again" by placing your faith in Christ. You become a child of God.
If you are still a nobody, become somebody this morning.
Trust Christ as your Savior!
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James 1:26-27
FAITH WORKS RELIGIOUSLY, PM 11/20/05
FAITH WORKS #7
In many ways religion is in trouble today. Most young people dont have time for it. Older adults often misunderstand it. The church often doesnt seem to be relevant.
Religion in some ways is rightly in trouble, because much religion is useless. The only valuable religion is pure religion. Pure religion is an outgrowth of true faith. Truly religious people are people of faith.
First one becomes saved, second the saved person comes to pure religion. He becomes truly religious.
Pure religion is a result of being a changed person. Galatians 6:14-15, 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Tonight we see that Faith Works religiously. The right kind of religion is contrasted with the wrong kind of religion in verses 26-27.
POOR RELIGION IS VAIN Vs. 26
James 1:26 - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
There are many people who appear religious.
They seem to be religious in their own eyes. They count themselves as religious people.
Jesus warned about these religious people in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6.
Matthew 6:1,5,16
The religious people James is talking about:
Say their prayers religiously.
Give to the church religiously.
Speak for God religiously.
Read their Bibles, religiously.
Outwardly they seem to be pious and devout, except when they open their mouths!
Ephesians 4:25 - Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Luke 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
A mans tongue is an indicator of just how good a mans heart is. Naturally speaking, a mans heart is wicked. Jeremiah 17:9
What comes out of the mouth is an indication as to whether a persons heart has been transformed or not!
Most important, what comes out of a mans mouth when he is with those who know him best is the true indicator of the condition of the mans heart.
Many a person keeps the mouth under control when in public. But how is he in private?
In James 1:26 James is telling us that the man who outwardly appears religious but cant control the tongue is fooling himself. He thinks himself religious, but God has not tamed his tongue. This mans religion is useless or vain.
This reminds me that what I am is more important to God than what I do in religious activity. Proverbs 6:16-19, Philippians 4:8
PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE Vs. 27
James 1:27 - Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
· PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO GOD
James is not talking about religion that is acceptable to the world.
James is not talking about religion that is acceptable to friends and loved ones.
James is not talking about religion that is acceptable to us.
James wants us to consider religion that is acceptable or valuable to God.
Such valuable religion is pure and undefiled
This should lead us to self examination.
Is my religion valuable to God because it is clean and without contamination?
Am I consistent in my walk with God?
· PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO MAN
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction
Who had the hardest time in the ancient world?
Widows and orphans had the roughest time.
There was no life insurance.
There were no welfare plans.
There was no government support.
The poverty of widows and orphans was great.
They were in great need.
James is saying that a truly religious person is actively concerned about the people who are in the greatest need.
Historically, God had always taught this kind of religion. Deuteronomy 14:28-29
The New Testament is very clear that we should be a people who care for the needs of those who are less fortunate. Galatians 6:9-10, 1 John 3:17, 1 Timothy 5:3, 8
The practice of pure religion, then, includes meeting the needs of widows, orphans and others in need.
When we take care of widows and orphans, we are touching the heart of God.
Psalm 68:5 - A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
· PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO OURSELVES
James 1:27 - Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
To insure that the influence of the world system will not harm us, we must first be totally committed to God. Romans 12:1
Pure religion keeps a person unspotted, unstained, or unpolluted by the world.
What we listen to can pollute us.
What we watch can pollute us.
What we participate in can pollute us.
James will tell us later in this book in James 4:4, Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
John tells us in 1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [17] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
The world system includes three basic areas of temptation to which Eve fell in the Garden of Eden.
LUST OF THE FLESH What feels good
LUST OF THE EYES What looks good
PRIDE OF LIFE What centers around me
If you want to be truly happy, dont let the world influence you. Be unstained by the worlds influence.
POOR RELIGION IS VAIN Vs. 26
PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE Vs. 27
· PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO GOD
· PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO MAN
· PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO OURSELVES
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