Sunday, September 30, 2018

Body Works


Sermon Text: 1 Cor 12: 27  “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

Sermon Title: Body Works
Point 1: The Body Work in Unison 
V. 13 says, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”
Point 2: The Body Works when everyone Values their roles V. 14-16 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 
Point 3: The Body Works in the Now       
v. 27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

What to Do when Worship Won't Work?


Pericope: Matt 15: 21-28 21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Sermon Text: Matt 15: 23 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”
Sermon Title: What Do You Do When Worship Won't Work?
BP: Move the hearers to worship God
Introduction: Turn down for what...stay lit
Point 1: Keep Crying out Vs 23 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”
Point 2: Consider your situation (get out your feelings) Vs 24 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Point 3: Change positions Vs 25 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
Point 4: Be willing to take the crumbs Vs. 27 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.”
Point 5:  Couple your cry with faith Vs. 28 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly

Sunday, September 23, 2018

The Power of True Worship


Pericope:  Acts 16: 16-25
Scriptural Text:  Acts 16:25
Sermon Title: The Power of True worship
Point 1. True Worship is not situational Vs. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

Point 2. True worship brings True Change Vs. 25-27 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 … suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken… immediately all the doors were opened, … 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open…about to kill himself…

Point 3.True worship stirs the hearts of others    vs. 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in…30”Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”




Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Worship: Lessons from the Tent


Sermon text: Exodus 33:7-11 Exodus 33:7-11 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[a] would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Sermon pericope: Exodus 33:8-9 - 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.

Sermon Title: Worship: Lessons from the Tent

Point 1: Leave the camp

Exodus 32:7-8 7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’”
Exodus 33:7-11 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[a] would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Point 2: Be an example

Exodus 33:8-9 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[a] would speak with Moses.
1 Kings 3:7 7And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
Exodus 33:9-10 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[a] would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.

Point 3: Stay in the tent

Life Application

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Lessons at the Well, Pt. 2 - God's Presence


Pericope: Genesis 28:16-19 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel,[a] but the name of the city was Luz at the first..

Sermon Text: Genesis 28:16b… “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

Sermon Title: Life Lessons at the Well, Pt 2 God’s Presence

Five reasons why you don’t recognize the presence of God
Point 1: Pensive – vs. 17 He was afraid…  

Point 2: Pressure (self imposed pressure)

Point 3: Private Sins (thought he had done wrong by his twin brother)

Point 4: Place (not the right place – like the woman at the well)

Point 5:  Preoccupied (with the issues of life)

Conclusion:  We miss God when we come to church with the five P’s hanging over our heads…When you come to church, don’t miss his presence or you will miss power, provision and a word. 

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Life Lessons at the Well

Sermon Text: John 4: 4-15
Sermon Text: John 4:15 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
Sermon TitleLife Lessons at the Well
BP: Move the hearers to drink from Jesus Well
Introduction: Life has a way of making you thirsty…You will visit many wells…
Point 1:  The Well Vs 5, 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Wells are an essential part of biblical life. They were more than watering holes. We find them throughout the Bible. Isaac found his wife Rebecca at a well. Jacob met his wife Rachel at a well. Jethro, the priest of Midian, seven daughters found Moses at a well. Wells were used as deeds to property as Isaacs’s enemies tried to cover up his father's wells to take away his land rights and inheritance. He finally dug a new well and called it Rehoboth. God established that well as the place of his blessing. David wanted some water so bad from the well in Bethlehem his soldiers broke through enemy lines to get him that well water.
Wells were often under dispute because they sustain life. Wells were where oathswere taken to settle disputes. They were borders between enemies. Jeremiah talked about spiritual wells built by hand but were unable to sustain life because they were broken. Moses reminded the Israelites they would drink from wells they didn't dig.Proverbs says a man's mouth is like a well. 
So when we come to the well in our text,there is so much more than what it looks like…an accidental meeting at the well. No one should be under any illusions about what is going on at this well. The water at this well runs deeper than a drink.
Everybody has a well.  Everybody has a place they go to try to work things out in their lives. Some people wells are Starbucks, some folks
Point 2:  The Welcome Vs 7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)
The exchange between Jesus and the woman at the well is unusual. John even points out the disciples have left to get something to eat to show why Jesus is alone. In other words, a woman would never be talking to a man not her husband in public. On top of this they are from two different ethnicities. In her conversation you can hear she didn't feel like she measured up to even talk to Jesus. “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan.”  
This text is replete with how welcoming Jesus is to this woman. John, who remained behind as the other disciples went to get foodtells us everything we need to know in the text. He says the woman came alone at 12 noon. No woman comes alone to get water unless there's a reason she is not a relationship with other women. Women always came together early in the morning to get water for their families.  What was she alone? John tells us Jesus was tired hungry and thirsty. The morays of that day prevented her from talking to a strange man in public let alone a Jewish man. 
So Jesus initiates the conversation. Jesus ensures she feels welcomed by asking her for something to drink. Jesus breaks the ice. “Give me a drink” In four words Jesus destroys all the barriers of that day. 
Point 3:  The Worship vs 23, 24 - 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seekingsuch people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Here is one of the major life lessons in this text. Worship. Jesus redefines worship in a way that transcends the issues thatpreoccupy the womanREPEAT she wants to know where to worship because she is genuinely confused. Now that she has confessed her sins, she wants to go give her sacrifice to complete what Jesus has started. In other words, Jesus welcomes her to a new life regardless of her past. Now she needs to go to worship as a result of her new life, but there are two places to worship. Mount Gerizim on is a quarter mile away where Samaritans are supposed to worship or Jerusalem where the Jewsworship. Jesus answer transcends culture, tradition, place and time. Jesus said, “worship the father in spirit and in the truthof who you are.
Worship in Spirit means anywhere because God is spirit and cannot be contained or restrained by a physical location. Truth means in the truth of who you are. The truth of who this woman was had kept her from worshiping but with Jesus the truth of who she is made her want to worship. REPEAT
Conclusion:  Life lessons at the well tell you everybody has a well. Everybody needs to feel welcome. And once you meet Jesus you will have to worship him.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

God's Got It Pt 9 - Full Price


Pericope: 2 Samuel 24:21-25
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 24: 24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.
Sermon Title: God's Got It Pt 9 Full Price 
Point 1:  Assess what you need from God 2 Samuel 24: 21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
Point 2:  You get what you pay for 2 Samuel 24:22, 23 - 22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
Then we do one of three things when our half blessings come.
1. Pout… Fold our arms and withdraw ourselves from God… Don't speak, spend time or share ourselves.
Example Cain
2. Hide...from God what we have
Matthew 25:25 - so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
3. Get... jealous of others. Matthew 20:9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
Point 3Pay Full price  2 Samuel 24: 24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[a] of silver for them.
2 Samuel 24:25 - 25 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
Life Application: 
1. Tithes challenge for four months
2.  Time challenge for four months LifeGroups
3.  Talent challenge for four months

Virtual Family Sunday Questions

What ways can we create community as a family? How has our viewership/church attendance enhanced or diminished our family covenant? What way...