Greater Together - Sunday 8/30/15

Sermon Text: Genesis 11: 6 The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them,

Sermon Title: Under-construction: Pt 6 Greater Together

Point 1: You cannot reach God without God vs. 4  Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

Point 2: Unity gets God's attention vs. 6 The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them, 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

1.  It…

2.  It…

3.  It…

4.  It…

Point 3: Stop babbling vs. 8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel--because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth

Point 4: One voice, one people, one direction

Life Application:

1.  Join…

2.  Speak…

3.  Whatever…

Gifted for Greatness!

Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 12: 4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit, 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

Sermon Title: Under-construction: Gifted for Greatness!

Point 1: You are constructed with gifts for greatness vs. 8 - 10 To one there is given through the Spirit…messages of wisdom… [word of] knowledge…[gift of] faith…gifts of healing…miracle working…prophecy…distinguishing between tongues…speaking in tongues…interpretation of tongues…

Point 2: God contracted your gifts to you vs. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Point 3: You are uniquely gifted vs. 29 - 30 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 

Point 4: Your gifts are greater together than they are apart vs. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

Life Application:

1.  Join a small group

2.  Be yourself being someone else is way too difficult

3.  Accept the only one who can equip you to be great

Perfect Finish - 11am Service

Pericope: Psalm 139: 13 – 16

Sermon Text: Psalm 139: 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Sermon Title: Perfect Finish

Point 1: I’m Always on His mind vss. 1 – 5 O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O lord. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

Point 2: God wants me vss. 7 – 12 - Where can I go from your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

    your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

    and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;

    the night will shine like the day,

    for darkness is as light to you.

Point 3: God uniquely made me vss. 13 – 16 - 3 For you created my inmost being;    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,    I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Ephesians 2: 10 said he already prepared my job/assignment before I got here. That's why the prophet Isaiah 46: 10 said he knows the end from the begging

Point 4: God tells me to come out with my hands up vss. 23 – 24 - Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Life Application:

Perfect Finish - 830am Service - Bishop Dudley

Psalm 139: 13 – 16

Sermon Text: Psalm 139: 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Sermon Title: Perfect Finish

Point 1: God knows me vss. 1 – 5 O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O lord. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

Point 2: God pursues me vss. 7 – 12 - Where can I go from your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

    your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

    and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;

    the night will shine like the day,

    for darkness is as light to you.

Point 3: God made me vss. 13 – 16 - 3 For you created my inmost being;    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,    I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Ephesians 2: 10 said he already prepared my job/assignment before I got here. That's why the prophet Isaiah 46: 10 said he knows the end from the begging

Point 4: God completes me vss. 23 – 24 - Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Life Application:

You Are a Piece of Work! 11am

Sermon Text:  Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon Title:  You Are a Piece of Work!

Point 1:  God was intentional when he made you

Point 2:  Sin defected the design – Vs. 1-3 - 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

Point 3: Salvation reset the design – Vs. 4-6, 8 - 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

Point 4: You’re designed for divine work.  Vs. 10 - 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do

a.  God's great love covers our current situation of a multitudes of fault

b.  God makes us alive even though you feel your current situation is dead

c.  God raises me out of my current situation

d.  God puts me in a different seat…where you sit has everything to do with your situation…

God worked with:

·       Noah…drunk

·       Abraham…liar

·       Sarah…laughed in God's face and didn't believe him

·       Jacob…was a swindler

·       Moses…murderer…impatient…anger problems

·       Rahab…prostitute…

·       Samson…sex addict

·       David…adulterer…murderer…terrible father

·       Jonah…ran from God

·       Paul…persecuted the church

·       Then there is YOU & ME

Life Application

1.  Don't give up on yourself

2.  Don't give up on God…you are His Piece of Work

3.  Give God a chance to turn things around…he will work it out