Quote from Forum Archives on November 19, 2006, 5:35 pm

Posted by: jpeters <jpeters@...>

OUR TENTH YEAR

SERMON SEEDS FOR NOVEMBER 20, 2006

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LESSONS OF A LIFETIME

2 Samuel 22

David: A Man’s Man, God’s Man       

Lesson #8 of 8

 

·         Here is a list of things that someone learned in his lifetime. www.stressdoc.com/what_i_have_learned.htm

·         What are some lessons that you have learned in your lifetime?

·         Why are life lessons important to the one learning them?

·         How can your life lessons be helpful to others?

 

There is a psalm that appears at the end of the account of David’s life in 2 Samuel 22.  I believe that this Psalm, no matter when it was written, sums up the lessons that David learned over a number of years.  Perhaps it was written at the end of his life and David is looking back. I have listed these lessons in the first person because they are lessons that I should learn.  Psalm 18 is very similar to this Psalm.

GOD WILL PROTECT ME – Vss. 2-3

·       When David wrote the 23^rd Psalm he wrote as a shepherd and used pastoral examples.  When David wrote this Psalm he wrote as a military man and used military terms.

·       How do the terms, “rock”, “fortress”, “shield”, “horn of my salvation”, “high tower”, and “refuge” speak to you about protection?

·       What are some of the things from which you and I need protection?

·       What does this tell you about God’s care for His children?

·       Why do Christians worry when God promises to protect?

GOD WILL HEAR ME – Vss. 4-16

·       Vs. 4 - It is interesting that part of calling upon God is praising Him even as the enemy comes against us.  When we are free to praise it means that our trust is in him. We will only truly praise God when we are truly confident in God.

·       Vss. 5-7 – God actually wants us to call upon Him in times of deepest distress.  According to Hebrews 11:6 lack of faith displeases God.  The opposite is also true. Faith pleases God.

·       Verses 8-16 are figurative. What does this figurative language tell you about God’s response to our prayers?

·       How does Hebrews 4:15-16 encourage you?

     Hebrews 4:15-16 - For we have not an high priest

     which cannot be touched with the feeling of our

     infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are,

     yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto

     the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find

     grace to help in time of need.

 

GOD WILL DELIVER ME – Vss. 17-20

·       Vs. 17 – Sometimes we get the sensation of drowning in our troubles.  Perhaps that’s how David felt.

·       What lessons do we learn about our enemies in verse 18?  Why is this verse an important admission on David’s part?

·       Vss. 19-20 – Why does God delight in us? 

·       There are times when God delights in us more than others. When are those times?

·       What is the significance of being brought into a large place?

GOD WILL REWARD ME – Vss. 21-29

·       Vs. 21 – When does God reward me in spite of my (lack of) righteousness?

·       When does and when will God reward me according to my righteousness?

·       Vss. 22-25 – What part does obedience have do with God’s current blessings and future rewards?

·       In light of what we have studied previously about David’s life, do you have any problems with David’s statements in verses 22-25?  How can we reconcile David’s behavior with David’s claims here?

·       What is the New Testament principle found in Vss. 26-27?

GOD WILL STRENGTHEN ME – Vss. 30-46

·       Vs. 30 – How might God allow you to “run through a troop” or “leap over a wall”?

·       Vs. 31 – The word “perfect” has been translated “blameless”.  How is God’s will blameless?

·       The Word of God is tested by us during times of trouble. When we trust His Word God is our shield.

·       What is verse 32 saying?

·       What statement(s) in verses 33-38 strike you as significant?

·       Vss. 39-46 show how God can and will give total victory. Why should we settle for anything else?

GOD WILL BE WORSHIPPED BY ME – Vss. 47-51

·       What justification does David give for worship in these verses?

·       What do verses 47 and 50 tell you about worship?

 

 

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AM I DISTRACTED?

NEHEMIAH – GOD’S MAN IN TIMES OF CRISIS

LESSON # 7 – Nehemiah 6 – A COMPLETE LESSON

 

·        What distracts you when you are trying to read the Bible or Pray?

·        What distracts you when you are trying to pay attention in church or Bible Study?

·        What distracts you when you are trying to accomplish something for God, such as witnessing?

 

After solving the morale problem caused by the oppression by the rich noblemen, progress on the wall went well.  According to Nehemiah 6:1 there were no more gaps in the wall.  The enemy must have realized that before long the project would be completed unless they did something to distract Nehemiah from completing the project. When we begin to make progress for the Lord, Satan will do what he can to distract us as well.

AM I DISTRACTED BY THE POLITICIANS? Vss. 1-4

Ì    Vss. 1-2 – What would have happened if Nehemiah had accepted the invitation to a “summit meeting” at Ono?

Ì    How will we be able to tell, as Nehemiah was able to tell, when something is a distraction to be avoided?

Ì    Vs. 3 – Nehemiah said “Oh no!” to Ono.  Why is Nehemiah’s answer a great answer?

Ì    I suggest to you that the greatest work you are to accomplish is intimacy with God. Psalm 27:4, John 15:4-7, Philippians 3:7-14

Ì    What “politicians” are in the life of the Christian that would distract us from intimacy with God?

Ì    Vs. 4 – How was the behavior of Sanballat and Geshem much like the behavior of children?

Ì    Why does Satan repeat temptations?

AM I DISTRACTED BY ACCUSATIONS? – Vss. 5-9

Ó    Vss. 5-7 - How did the strategy of the enemy change in these verses?

Ó    What was the enemy trying to accomplish with this change of strategy?

Ó    How could this strategy have caused Nehemiah to go to Ono?

Ó    Why must we be careful when our enemies make public accusations against us? Vs. 9

Ó    These accusations, were of course, rumors. Rumors, of course, have hurt many a ministry.

Ó    Vss. 8-9 – What was Nehemiah’s twofold response to the false accusations?

Ó    We should use the same twofold response as Nehemiah did.

AM I DISTRACTED BY PERSONAL THREATS? – Vss. 10-14

Ù    How do Christians sometimes follow the philosophy, “Look out for number 1”?

Ù    Vs. 10 - Nehemiah had said “No” to Ono, knowing that the enemy wanted to do him personal harm.  Satan then tried to get Nehemiah to hide in the temple to save his own life.  How would this have discredited Nehemiah’s ministry?

Ù    What unwise or sinful things have you seen pastors and missionaries do to “save their own skins”?

Ù    Vs. 11 is a reflection of Nehemiah’s courage, a courage that only comes when we fully trust God. Psalm 27:1-3, Psalm 121

Ù    Vs. 12 - Another God-given quality is perception. The Holy Spirit is the source of that perception.  1 John 2:26-27

Ù    Vs. 13 – Shemaiah was a “hired gun”, who was used for an ulterior motive.

Ù    Vs. 14 – There are “Christian” prophets who intimidate Godly people. It is a comfort to know that they will answer to God. Romans 14:12

AM I DISTRACTED BY PROPAGANDISTS? – Vss. 15-19

ã    Vs. 15 - In spite of great opposition, the walls were completed in 52 days.  How does that encourage you? What Scripture verses come to mind?

ã    Why was the completing of the walls such a blow to Israel’s enemies?

ã    How can the victories that God gives be good for our enemies? Think of Rahab.

ã    Vs. 16 – The enemy was disheartened, but did not give up.

ã    Vs. 17-18 – There were wealthy Jews still aligned to Tobiah, probably by trade agreements.  All of these people had lost their authority and probably some of their wealth. Also many were related to Tobiah by marriage. They were still providing an “undercurrent” against the new regime.

ã    Vs. 19 – These people tried to influence or lobby Nehemiah in Tobiah’s behalf.  I believe that Tobiah was trying to get back into a position of influence.

 

AM I DISTRACTED BY INTIMIDATION? – Vss. 19

ô    The enemy will not quit.  Sometimes our greatest let-downs come after our greatest victories.  Remember the depression of Elisha.

ô    Tobiah was still “running off at the mouth”, trying to intimidate Nehemiah, even though Tobiah was a defeated enemy.

ô    Remember that Satan is a defeated enemy. Don’t let him depress or defeat you.  Romans 6:1-4, 7, 10-14

 

 

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Psalm 64

DEALING WITH WICKEDNESS

 

DEFENSE FROM THE WICKED (PRAYER) – Vss. 1-2

DESCRIPTION OF THE WICKED – Vss. 3-6

DEFEAT OF THE WICKED – Vss. 7-9

DELIGHT OF THE RIGHTEOUS – Vs. 10

 

 

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FOR THE COMPLETE SERMON NOTES OF THIS SERMON GO TO http://www.expositoryechoes.org/ AND CLICK ON LIFE OF CHRIST #49

 

Matthew 22:23-33

ILLOGICAL LOGIC

Life of Christ #49

 

Think of logic as a system of reasoning.

Think of illogical as senseless.

Illogical logic is senseless reasoning.

That’s what the story about the carrots was – senseless reasoning.

That’s what the lack of common sense is – senseless reasoning.

That’s what some of Jesus’ enemies practiced – senseless reasoning or illogical logic.

 

The Sadducees were the smallest sect trying to have control in Israel. However they were the wealthiest and the most influential.  The high priest and his family were members of this party which made money off temple businesses and had their power enforced by Rome.

 

·       They did not believe in the eternal state of the soul or the resurrection. They thought that once you were dead, that was it.

·       They did not believe in angels.

·       They did not believe in the many interpretations of the law that were written like the Pharisees did.

·       They used the Pentateuch as their basis for religion, and took little stock in the rest of the Old Testament.

·       They saw Jesus as a threat to their authority and wanted to eliminate Him.

 

The Sadducees came to Jesus with a piece of logic designed to prove their point.  It was a way of thinking that justified their belief that there was no resurrection.  It turned out to be illogical logic or senseless reasoning.

 

There are times when Christians and non-Christians alike use illogical logic, senseless reasoning to justify their thinking.  We must be careful that we do not fall into that trap.

I’d like us to consider three things about illogical logic.

 

HOW WE FOOL – Vss. 23-28

 

First of all, let us establish an important fact.  The Old Testament does teach the resurrection from the dead. Daniel 12:2, Isaiah 26:19, Job 19:25-27

 

The Sadducees did not choose to believe in the resurrection, so they fooled themselves into thinking they were right by making up arguments against it.

 

Vss. 24-28 – The Sadducees tell of what was probably a hypothetical situation involving an Old Testament Law.

When a man was married and died without any children, a brother was to go into the man’s widow and father a child in the name of the brother.   This is called a levirate marriage. Deuteronomy 25:5-6

 

In this illustration the Sadducees are trying to point out the folly of resurrection.  Because there were seven who had been married to her, whose wife would she be in the resurrection?

 

The Sadducees didn’t like something, so they tried to make it look stupid.  And if you tried to answer them with the Scriptures about the resurrection that I quoted a few moments ago they would claim that they weren’t authoritative because they were not in the Pentateuch.

 

There are times when we are no different than the Sadducees.  God will clearly teach something in the Scriptures but we will discredit what is said, or reason it away, or claim it does not apply to us.

 

HOW WE FOOL

HOW WE FAIL – Vs. 29  

 

Matthew 22:29 - Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

 

As the great diagnostician Jesus analyzed why the Sadducees were in error.

 

First of all, they were in error because they did not “know” the Scriptures.

There are two ways to know the Scriptures.  First, you can know what Scripture says.  You can know the teaching of the Scriptures.

 

The second way you can know the Scriptures is by knowing what it says and believing it enough to accept what it says and obey it.

 

Some of the Sadducees may have known the Scriptures in that they knew what it said in theory.  But they did not know the Scriptures by believing them experientially.

 

Secondly they did not know the power of God.

Again, in theory they may have known that God was all-powerful, but in practice they did not believe that God was powerful enough to raise the dead.  

 

We fall into error for the same reasons.

We fail for the same reasons.

 

If you know this verse, say it with me,

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

Many people know this verse in that they can quote or familiar with it when it is quoted.

 

And yet they don’t know this verse because they have not actually done what the verse says.

 

They have not acknowledged their total sinfulness before God.

They have not believed that Jesus gave His life on the cross for them to pay for their sins.

They have not put their full trust in Christ for salvation.

Hence, they really don’t know this Scripture, or the power of God to save them and to change them!

 

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.

 

And we Christians run into failure as well.   

 

We know in theory that the Scriptures promise victory over sin.

Romans 6:14 - For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 

We know in theory that the Scriptures teach us to abide in Christ.

John 15:4 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

 

And we know in theory that we are to pray continually.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing.

 

And we know in theory that we should be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 - And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

 

But we fail because we don’t know these verses experientially that is, in practice or reality. 

In other words, we do not know these truths by faith, actually trusting God to enable us to do these things!   

   

We know the Scriptures when we believe them enough to obey them.

We know the power of God when we trust God to empower us to obey His Word.

 

Like the Sadducees we fail because we do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

 

HOW WE FOOL

WHY FAIL

WHERE’S YOUR FAITH?– Vss. 30-32

 

Jesus points the Sadducees back to the Word of God.

Our faith is always to be based on what God has said.

We need to know the Scripture in theory – what it says.

We need to know the Scripture experientially – believing it and practicing it.

 

Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

Could Jesus have quoted the verses the Old Testament Scriptures that I quoted earlier proving the resurrection?

Of course he could have.

He didn’t, because the Sadducees would not have accepted them.

So Jesus goes to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible to prove his point.

 

Vs. 30 – Jesus first clears up some misconceptions about the resurrection.   

 

The Jews that did believe in the resurrection thought that they would have bodies identical to the ones they had in this life.

Instead Jesus points out that their will be no husband and wife relationships.  There won’t be marriage, sexual intercourse, and having more children.

 

We will be like the angels in that we will remain single.

But we will also be above the angels, because, we as part of the church will be the Bride of Christ.

 

Will we know our loved ones in Heaven and be reunited with them?  I firmly believe that we will be. We will just not have the exact same relationship.

 

Vss. 31-32 – Jesus is quoting the Pentateuch here.

He is quoting God who made the statement quoted there many times. The first time He said it was in Exodus 3:6.

 

God said, “I AM the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

He does not say, “I was”, even though they were dead.     

 

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living Jesus said.

If God said “I am” their God he meant that they were still alive.

Their spirits are very much alive along with the spirits of all believers. 2 Corinthians 5:8

 

The God of the living souls of all believers will also give these living believers new bodies, as promised in other Scriptures outside the Pentateuch. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53  

 

So, where’s your faith?

Is it in the promises of the Word of God?

Are you trusting in God for your own resurrection?

Are you trusting in God for forgiveness and eternal life?

Will you believe God for the ability to be obedient in this life?

 

Have you been practicing illogical logic, senseless reasoning?

Turn from it today!

 

HOW WE FOOL

WHY WE FAIL

WHERE’S YOUR FAITH?

 

 

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Luke 18:35-43

ON THE JERICHO ROAD

 

THE GOOD NEWS - Vss. 35-37

Jesus is passing by.

 

THE GREAT CRY - Vss. 38-41

The blind man continually cried out for help. Jesus stopped and asked what he wanted. The request was for his sight.

 

THE GRACIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT - Vs. 42

Jesus, based on the man's faith, granted his request.

 

THE GRAND RESULTS - Vs. 43

The man was healed. He continually glorified God. 

 

This is a previously shared “seed”.

 

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PREPARED FOR HIS COMING

Titus 2:11-14

 

When we know that we are having company, we try to be prepared.

If we know that we are hosting very special people, we work even harder in preparation. For instance if Queen Elizabeth or President Clinton was planning a visit to your town, the preparations would be immense.

 

In John 14:3 Jesus promises that He is coming again.  We should be prepared for that day!

 

THE LIGHT OF SALVATION Vs. 11

THE LIFE OF SANCTIFICATION Vs. 12

THE LOOK FOR THE SAVIOR Vss. 13-14

 

Sermon Seeds A11  

 

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PEACE (NEW TESTAMENT)

GREAT BIBLE WORDS #6

(It is not necessary that you use these lessons as a series.  You can use them for a one week lesson in Sunday School, Bible Study, or Prayer Meeting.)

PEACE PROCLAIMED

Mark 4:39 - And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

PEACE BESTOWED

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 

Romans 15:33 - Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

PEACE INITIATED

Romans 5:1 - Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

Colossians 1:20 - And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

PEACE PRODUCED

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

PEACE KEPT

Philippians 4:6-7 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. [7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

   

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24] Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

PEACE PURSUED

Hebrews 12:14 - Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

 

James 3:18 - And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

 

 

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