SERMON SEEDS I8 FOR 5/9/05
Posted by: jpeters <jpeters@...>
SERMON SEEDS FOR MAY 9, 2005
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Obadiah, Layman Of Distinction
1 Kings 18:1-16
I'm not sure I like the term "layman", because it implies such a big distinction between those called "clergy". When we divide Christianity into classes, such as "clergy" and "laity", we are implying that the clergy are full time Christians, and the laymen are not. This just isn't so!
Let us define a layman is a full-time Christian who is not being supported by God's people financially.
In our text we meet a layman who worked in the court of a wicked king.
He managed to maintain his testimony and serve the Lord in the hardest of circumstances.
Background: 1 Kings 17
OBADIAH FEARED THE LORD GREATLY Vss. 1-3
OBADIAH PROTECTED GOD'S SERVANTS Vs. 4
OBADIAH RESPECTED GOD'S PROPHET Vss. 5-7 (Hebrews 13:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)
OBADIAH BELIEVED FROM HIS YOUTH Vs. 12
OBADIAH OBEYED GOD'S MAN Vss. 15-16 (Hebrews 13:17)
Note: The pastor is a leader, a servant, and an example, NOT
DICTATOR! 1 Peter 5:1-4, 1 Timothy 4:12-16
Sermon Seeds A12
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Psalm 81
WHAT GOD WANTS
GOD WANTS MY PRAISE BECAUSE HE IS GOD Vss. 1-7
GOD WANTS MY LOYALTY BECAUSE HE DESERVES IT Vss. 8-9
GOD WANTS MY PRAYERS SO HE CAN ANSWER ME Vs. 10
GOD WANTS MY OBEDIENCE SO HE CAN ENABLE ME Vss. 11-16
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Jeremiah 6:16-17
LET'S DO WHAT ISRAEL DIDN'T DO!
Israel was often a disobedient nation.
God sent prophets, such as Jeremiah to bring Israel back to Himself.
Israel would not listen.
Right now, God is calling us as Christians back to Himself.
To have revival, we need to do what Israel didn't do.
Can be used for a New Year message. Let's do better than Israel in 1998!)
ASK - "...ask for the old paths, where is the good way..."
ACT - "...and walk therein...Hearken to the sound of the trumpet"
(God's preachers are the watchmen, sounding the trumpet.)
ACCOMPLISH - "...and ye shall find rest for your souls."
AVOID (ignoring God like Israel did.) - "But they said, we will not walk therein." "But they said, we will not hearken."
Sermon Seeds A42
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Luke 1:26-28, Matthew 1:18-25
GODLY PARENTS, 5/8/05
Life of Christ #2
I am going to make a bold assumption. Im going to give you the benefit of any doubt and assume that you are in church because at some level you want to be godly. And if you want to be godly in general, it would follow that you would want to be a godly parent in particular.
We need role models to be godly parents. The Bible introduces us to people who are role models as godly parents.
This week we are about to meet up with Mary and Joseph as they find out that they are going to be the earthly parents of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will view the announcements made to each of them concerning the birth Gods Son, and in doing so we will also discover the qualities each one had that made them a godly parent. Even if you are not a parent now, these same qualities will also help you to be a godly individual.
Lets begin by looking at Mary, the mother of our Lord.
Our text is Luke 1:26-38.
Vs. 26 Gabriel is only one of two angels mentioned by name in Scripture. The other is Michael the Archangel. Gabriel seems to be Gods messenger. He had appeared to Daniel, and more recently to Zecharias. It was in the sixth month of the miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth, the aged mother of John the Baptist.
Gabriel was sent to Nazareth, a little known hole in the wall town in Galilee. In fact, Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament. This city housed a conglomerate of Jews, Gentiles, and Roman soldiers.
You would think that an angel sent from God would appear to someone who was well known and in the limelight. Not so!
Vs. 27 - Gabriel was sent to a young teenage girl, a virgin, who was just like thousands of other teenage peasant girls in Palestine at that time. Their plan was to marry young, have lots of children, raise them and eventually die. Not much excitement.
Mary was espoused to a man named Joseph, who was a descendent of David. Joseph and Mary had already made vows to each other. Usually within a year of the vows, Joseph would come for Mary. There would be a wedding celebration and they would consummate the marriage.
They were considered married although they were not yet living together. To break this commitment required a divorce.
Now, lets consider the first quality that helped make Mary a Godly parent.
SHE LISTENED
Vs. 28 The word hail can be translated rejoice!
Mary was to rejoice because she was highly favored and blessed among women.
The reason is obvious. Only one woman throughout the earths history and could be chosen as the mother of Israels Messiah, the Son of God!
This doesnt mean that Mary was sinless, but she was special and certainly had a heart for God.
And let me remind you that you are special this morning.
You are special because you either are or can become a child of God. That makes you special and highly favored. John 1:12, Ephesians 1:6
Vs. 29 Mary was a close listener. Not only would she have been unnerved by the appearance of a stranger, but she paid attention enough to know that what he was saying was significant. She simply wondered what he meant by the saying.
Vs. 30 Now if an any angel appeared to you, would you think yourself in trouble? Oh no! What did I do now?
God quelled any fears Mary may have had. Dont be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God!
Vs. 31 Mary you are going to get pregnant.
Mary, its a boy!
Mary, name him Jesus or Joshua.
The name Jesus means Savior.
Vss. 32-33 How great was Jesus? Just consider the power of His miracles, from feeding 5,000 to raising the dead!
He would be called the Son of the Highest because He is!
And the throne is coming when He again comes to earth!
He will than reign over Israel, and there will no end to His kingdom!
Vs. 34 Mary is listening. You can tell shes listening. She does not doubt, but, she is thinking. She asks the obvious question How can this be, since I am not having a sexual relationship with a man?
All through her life, Mary listened.
First she listened to the angel, later she listened to her Son.
She paid attention when he spoke!
The bottom line is that Mary listened for the voice of God!
If you are going to be a godly parent, you need to listen as well!
First, you need to listen to God in prayer and through His word. You cant be a good parent unless you have Gods guidance! Psalm 127:1
Also, you need to learn to listen to your children!
You can only lead a child correctly if you take time to listen when they speak.
SHE LEARNED
Instead of fretting or being distracted by the sheer enormity of what she had been told, Mary sought to learn.
Vs. 35 Mary was told that the work of conception would be done by the Holy Spirit.
She was also told that the power of the highest would overshadow her. That means that the same presence of God that was in the tabernacle and in the temple in the holy of holies would come upon her.
Please note that the baby was holy.
This baby was entirely set apart for God.
This baby had no sin and no sin nature!
This baby would have been known as the Son of God because He was and is!
Vs. 36 - To give further proof, the angel told Mary that her barren cousin, Elizabeth, was pregnant. That was proof of the power of God, and that what Gabriel was saying was the truth.
Mary was learning!
She absorbed these things and tried to understand them to the best of her ability.
Mary would go on to learn more about her Son, as he was growing up, as He ministered and as He died on the cross.
Mary meditated on the things she heard. Luke 2:19
Luke 2:19 - But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
We too, need to learn from God, as we listen to Him.
We too, need to learn about our children so that we understand them.
As parents, we should ask God for the wisdom to understand our children.
SHE LEANED
Vs. 37 This is a powerful reminder.
THERE IS NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!
There is not one thing that God can not do.
When He makes a promise, He keeps it.
When we pray by faith He answers.
If nothing is impossible God, then there should be only one source of power in our lives HIM!
We are to lean on Him in faith. Thats what Mary did.
Vs. 38 First Mary yielded herself to God.
She was Gods handmaid, a female slave.
Be it unto me according to thy Word - She was willing to accept whatever God had planned for her life and lean on Him through it.
This was not something to be taken lightly.
Many would be the times of misunderstanding, people not believing that she was really the Messiahs mother.
Many would be the times of sorrow, especially at the cross.
Being a parent to a martyr would not be easy.
Being the parent of the sinless son of God, who was martyred, would be extremely agonizing.
Mary accepted the role God had for her and leaned on Him.
Have you accepted the role God has for you as a parent?
Do you have a particularly trying child?
There is only one place to go, and thats to the Lord!
Lean on Him. Its the only way Godly parents make it through.
Now turn please to Matthew 1:18-25.
Here we see the other Godly parent, Jesus stepfather, Joseph. We learn from Him as well.
JOSEPH WAS RIGHTEOUS
Vs. 18 The Holy Spirit had done His work, as promised.
Mary was discovered to be pregnant.
The news came out, probably in a hush, Mary was pregnant!
Vs. 19 Joseph knew that he wasnt the father. Mary had been away visiting her cousin Elizabeth Perhaps when she was away
Joseph, who loved Mary, would have been devastated.
He was a just or righteous man, he would divorce her.
He was a righteous man, he would do it quietly so as not to publicly embarrass her.
He was a righteous man, he would do what was right, kindly!
He would quietly grant her a divorce, and go his own way, devastated.
Joseph was a righteous parent.
A parent should always do what is right!
If a child needs to be corrected, we should correct the child. Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 22:26
Remember however, part of being righteous is being kind.
A parent who only knows how to criticize and correct will harm the child.
A righteous parent will encourage, because thats part of righteousness.
A righteous parent will express love, because thats part of being a righteous parent.
A righteous parent will forgive, because thats part of being a righteous parent.
JOSEPH WAS RECEPTIVE
Like Mary Joseph was open to what would say to Him.
He was planning to do what was right and what was kind.
Vs. 20 Joseph had a dream. It was the first of a few.
Joseph was told not to be afraid to take Mary as His wife.
Joseph was told that the Holy Spirit of God was responsible for the birth.
He was let in on the secret.
Vs. 21 Joseph was told the name of the boy, Jesus.
The name means savior. It was the name of the general who saved his people by leading them to military victories as the land of Canaan was conquered.
Joseph was told why the name would be Jesus. He would save his people from their sins.
Thats why Jesus came. He came to die for us that we might have forgiveness and everlasting life.
Vss. 22-23 Matthew tells us more. He tells us that the birth of Jesus was the fulfilling of prophecy. He tells us that this prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 says that Jesus would be called Emmanuel or God with us.
Please note that Joseph was given new information and he was receptive. He was willing to have his mind changed by the facts.
This is a good lesson for us who would be Godly parents.
Sometimes your children will give you more information and will want you to change your mind.
Sometimes God will show you that your child is right and that you are wrong and will want you to change your mind.
There are times when a receptive parent will change his or her opinion because it is right!
JOSEPH WAS RESPONSIVE
Vss. 24-25 - Joseph did what he was told.
He responded immediately in obedience and took Mary to be his wife.
God did not have speak twice or twist his arm. Joseph acted.
Good parents are responsive parents.
They do what is right, when God shows them what is right.
They act in obedience to God.
There is no better role model for a child than a parent who is obedient to God and will obey no matter what the cost.
The birth announcement was given to two Godly parents.
MARY
SHE LISTENED
SHE LEANED
SHE LEARNED
JOSEPH
HE WAS RIGHTEOUS
HE WAS RECEPTIVE
HE WAS RESPONSIVE
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John 1:6-14
AND THERE WAS LIGHT!
The "light" here is the Lord Jesus Christ.
LIGHT REPRESENTED (By John) Vss. 6-8
LIGHT REVEALED Vss. 9,10,14
LIGHT REJECTED Vs. 11
LIGHT RECEIVED Vss. 12-13
Sermon Seeds A24
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2 Corinthians 12:7-10
THORNS
THORNS ARE PERSONAL
2 Corinthians 12:7 - And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
THORNS ARE PERPLEXING
2 Corinthians 12:8 - For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
THORNS ARE PROFITABLE
2 Corinthians 12:9 - And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
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Hebrews 12:18-29
TALE OF TWO MOUNTAINS
HEBREWS STUDY #28
· What are the differences between Pittsburgh and Valley Township?
· What are the advantages of living in Pittsburgh?
· What are the advantages of living in Valley Township?
· If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?
As we progress to the finish line in lifes marathon, there are two mountains that could influence us. The first mountain represents the Old Testament. It is Mount Sinai where the law was given. The second mountain is Mount Zion which represents the Heavenly City of New Jerusalem. We will either live under the influence of law or of grace. The choice is for each individual to make. We choose where we live.
1. THE MOUNT OF TERROR Vss. 18-21
ð As we saw in the last lesson, we are to strive to finish well with determination (Vs. 12), direction (Vss. 13-14) and diligence (Vss. 15-17).
ð What parts of the Old Testament law need to be kept in order for us to gain Heaven?
Romans 8:3-4 - For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: [4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
ð How will legalism hinder us from finishing well?
Galatians 3:10 - For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
ð Vs. 18 - The author of Hebrews is telling his readers that they are not under the influence of Mount Sinai, which represents the law. Because of the holiness and righteousness of God this mountain was a scary place.
ð The scene referred to in verses 18-19 is described by Moses in Deuteronomy 4:10-13:
Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. [11] And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. [12] And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. [13] And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
ð Vs. 20 Why was Mount Sinai off limits? Exodus 19:12-13
ð Vs. 21 Everyone at Sinai feared, even Moses. Why?
ð How is law keeping always a religion based on fear?
ð Although Sinai was a fearful sight, it was important. Why?
ð What was the purpose of the law? Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:24
2. THE MOUNT OF TREASURE Vss. 22-24
V Vs. 22 Mount Zion was considered the earthly dwelling place of God. The name Zion came to represent the whole city of Jerusalem. It was the earthly city of God. Zion was a place of Gods grace, not of Gods terror.
V Greater than the earthly Zion is Heavenly Zion when those who are saved by grace will be in the future glory.
V According to verses 22-24, whose presence in the Heavenly City makes it special?
V Vs. 24 - Why was the sacrifice of Jesus better than the sacrifice of Abel?
V What relationship do we have to the New Jerusalem now, and how should this affect our behavior? Philippians 3:20, 2 Corinthians 5:20
3. THE MANDATE TO TRUST Vss. 25-29
ü Vs. 25 Men were accountable when God spoke from Mount Sinai. Now God is speaking from Heaven and they are even more accountable. God is speaking from a loftier and grander place. All should take heed. The first message was law. The second message is grace. Woe unto them who dont heed it.
ü Vs. 26 God has promised to again shake things up by speaking as He did at Mount Sinai. This time the shaking will include the whole heavens and earth.
Haggai 2:6 - For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
2 Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Revelation 21:1-2 - And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. [2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
ü Vs. 27-28 What will remain that cannot be shaken?
ü Vs. 28 The word grace refers to being thankful here. Why is being thankful acceptable to God?
ü What does being thankful have to do with reverence and godly fear
ü Vs. 29 How is this verse a motivator to Godly living?
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