A Promise Fulfilled ~ Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4

•    •       The Father promised a gift

–      The response was wait

•       The gift is the Holy Spirit

–      Filled all the believers

•       The work of the Holy Spirit previously

With the Gift of the Holy Spirit

•       John 14:15-17

            We receive the presence of God

•       Acts 1:8

            We receive the power of God

                        To change us

                        To use us

•       Acts 15:8,9

            We receive the purity of God

Our Response is

•       We will be witnesses

• Faith Is ... Part III ~ Romans 10:1-17

Part I

Faith is not based on a "something" but on a "Someone" and that Someone is Jesus.

Part II

Faith is not based on seeing but trusting God to keep his word.

Part III

Faith comes from hearing the word about Christ

• What He has done on our behalf

Faith requires a response:

• Believing in your heart
• Declaring it with your mouth

Definition: Faith is ... 

Totally relying

• On God not ourselves
• On what He has done not what we can do
• Promises
• He accepts me as I am

I commit myself to God for now and for eternity.

Faith Is ... Part II ~ John 6:25-40

Background

Events of Chapter 6

• Jesus teaches
• Feeds the multitude
• Walks on water
• People are look for Jesus

What God is looking for from us:

V29 - "To believe in the one He has sent

• Faith is - believing in Jesus

V30 - What sign will you give that we may see and believe you? 

• Faith is not based on seeing

V44 - "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."

• Faith is a gift from God

Faith Is ... Part 1 ~ Hebrews 11:1-7

Why faith is important

What faith is 

Examples of people who lived by faith 

Why is faith important?

Hebrews 11:6

"Without faith it is impossible to please God."

Anyone who comes to God must believe:

• That He exists
• What He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1

Tied to believing

Being sure of what we hope for

Being certain of what we do not see

Examples of people who lived by faith?

• Noah
• Abraham
• Sarah

Ordinary people not super saints who were given bare promises, they believed if they started walking where God asked them to go, then he would open a door before them that they could never have dreamed.

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Because He Lives ~ John 20:19-29

When did this take place?

• Sunday night
• After the resurrection
• Eyewitness reports of Jesus' resurrection
• Many questions

Disciples

• Gathered together
• Fearful

Jesus shows up

• Peace
• Marching orders
• Holy spirit
• Power of forgiveness

Interchange with Thomas

• Believing in Jesus is not based on seeing

Stones That Block Life ~ John 11:38-44

Background to the story:

• Lazarus, Jesus' friend, has died
• Jesus gets there 4 days later
• Conversation with sisters: Mary/Martha

 COMPASSIONATE GOD

• Vvs 33-35 - He wept
• v38 - He was moved
• v44 - has power over death

 COMMAND

• Remove the Stone
• Who was to remove the stone?

 CALL

• From death to life
• He called Lazarus by name

 MESSAGE FOR US TODAY

Angry Men With Stones ~ John 8:1-11

Characters

Teachers of the Law/Pharisees

• Came angry
• Came with stones
• Came to condemn

 Woman

• Was guilty
• Was a piece in the Pharisees trap

Jesus

• Compassionate Savior

Condemnation

John 3:17

Jesus came to save not condemn

Judgment in this story

• Angry Men judged the woman
• Angry men were judged by their own hearts
• Jesus did judge the woman
• Jesus also gave her forgiveness

Law on Stone Tablets - Exodus 20:1-17

Giving of the Law – Two Stone Tablets

To show people how to live in right relationship

• with God
• with one another

As they prepare to enter the Promised Land:

Deuteronomy 6:1-6

Intention was to learn/know the law so they could

• Honor God
• Live a blessed life
• To give witness to God

The Law was read in the Temple/worship

Ps 119:11

• To keep from sinning

Law was to go from stone tablets to the heart

Over time keeping of the law became an

• External Ritual
• Impossibility

The people’s heart s became as stone.

God promised He would replace their hearts

Ezekiel 36:26,27, Jeremiah 31:31-33

God is Our Rock - Psalm 18:1-3

Word rock used 149 times in the Bible

32 times used as a reference to God

Rock stands for:

• Strength
  • Physical
  • Spiritual
  • Emotional

Security

• Foundation
• Protection

Matthew 7:24-27

Hope for the Broken - Luke 15:11-32

The Story of Three Broken People

Younger son

• "Give me" - spoken
• Point of brokenness - Choices

Older son

• "Give me" - unspoken
• Point of brokenness - Feeling unappreciated

Father

• Point of brokenness - Choices of others

Hope came:

• Younger son
  • Came to his senses
  • Came home

Father

• Waiting on God to answer prayers
• Saw - ran - had compassion - embraced

Where do they find hope?

• Hope is found in Jesus

Hope for Broken Dreams - Genesis 37:12-20

A man with a dream - Joseph

• Sheaves bowing down
• Sun, moon, stars bowing down

Response to dreamers

• V4 - Brothers hated him
• V9 - Hated him all the more
• V10 - Rebuke/jealousy

Immediate result

• V19 - "Here comes the dreamer."
  • Some thought murder
  • Sold into slavery/prison
• Long term result
  • Dream came true
  • 13 years later, second in command in Egypt
  • Brothers bow before Joseph 42:6

God never left him or his dream

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to  prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The King Who is Our Victor - Revelation 19:11-21

God vs. Satan

• No one knows when
• Calls for patient endurance
• We must be ready

God

• Unlimited power
• Father
• Son - crucified/raised to life
• Spirit - giver of gifts/power
• Armies of heaven - 19:14, 8

Satan

• Limited power
• Dragon
• Beast - fatally wounded/healed
• False prophet - worker of signs/wonders

War in Heaven - Revelation 12:7-9

• Satan/ancient serpent/devil (accuser)
• Hurled to earth/god of this world
• Third of angels (fallen)
• Desires the worship intended for God

Satan's Intention

• To deceive people 19:20
• Masquerades as an angel of light - II Corinthians 11:14
• Seeks to attack/devour  - I Peter 5:8, 9

 Final Battle

• Revelation 1-3 - message to churches
• Revelation 4-16 - judgement of the earth
• God is desiring people to repent
• II Peter 3:0
• Revelation 9:20, 16:9, 16:11

Armaggedon

• Jesus is Warrior/Army
• Satan/army of non-believers
• Blood will flow
• Jesus is victorious 17:14

Outcome

• Satan/beast/false prophet thrown into abyss - fiery lake of burning sulfur
• Thousand years of peace

Satan is Released

• Deceive the Nations
• Nations will gather to attack God's people
• Satan thrown into lake of fire for ever and ever

The King Who Is Our Savior - John 3:16-21

What we know

• The world is in darkness
• We cannot save ourselves
• We need a savior

Colossians 1:13

For we must never forget that he rescued us from the power of darkness and re-established us in the kingdom of his beloved Son, that is, in the kingdom of light.

What God Has Done

• Acted out of love
• Sent His Only Son
• To save, not condemn

The King Who Is Our Priest - Hebrews 4:14-16

Role of the Priest

• Religious Leader
• Mediator between God and the people
• Offer sacrifices
• Intercede for the people

What would make Jesus a good high priest?

• Son of God
• Able to sympathize
  • He was rich and became poor
  • He was God and became man
  • He was king and became a servant
  • He was misunderstood by His family
  • He was forsaken by His friends
• Tempted in every way we are
• Without sin

Because all of this is true:

• Let us hold firmly to our faith
• Let us approach the Throne of God with confidence

The King Is Coming ~ I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Jesus is coming a second time!

Paul wrote so they would:

• Not be ignorant
• Not grieve as those who have no hope
• Be encouraged

Paul based his writing on statements of belief:

• Jesus died
• Jesus rose again
• Jesus will come again

The order of Jesus' coming

• A loud command
• The voice of the archangel
• The trumpet sound
• The Lord will appear in the clouds
• Those who have fallen asleep with come with Him
• The dead in Christ will rise first
• Those Christians who are alive will then rise to join with Christ and all Christians in the clouds
• We will be with Christ forever

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The Teaching Church – Ephesians 6:1-4

Relating Scriptures

• Ephesians 6:1-4
• Proverbs 22:6
• Deuteronomy 6:4-6

Who?

• Fathers
• Parents/grandparents
• All who are helping to raise the children

How?

• Teaching was Life oriented not information based
• Training
• Instruction
• Life Experiences
• Modeling

When?

• When you sit at home
• When you walk along the road
• When you lie down
• When you get up

The Giving Church - II Corinthians 8:1-15

Giving is not about how much you give, but about why you give, and what you give.

Background: Offering for the Saints in Jerusalem

Why do we give/Motivation of Giving:

• Circumstances
• Compulsion
• Love for God
• To share God's blessings
• Need

What do we give:

• Ourselves first to the Lord
• According to your means
• Decided by prayer and what is in your heart
• Honor your commitment

A Grace Filled Church-Romans 5:9-21

Salvation History 101

God created Adam - gave him free will

Adam chose to disobey God

• Result of that act
  • All people are effected
  • Disturbed relations with God
• Separated us from God
  • All face death

God revealed this to Moses

• Established the law
• Produced lawbreakers
• Law became a burden to people/pointed to Jesus

Grace - is experiencing the favor of God

God sent His Son Jesus

Jesus chose to obey His Father - sacrifice

• Result of this second Act
  • All people can be forgiven
  • Relationship with God is set right
    • The separation has been removed
• We are given new life

All of this second act is called grace

• God makes the first move toward us
• God provides the way for us to come to Him/faith in Jesus
• All we need to do is respond/to receive his gift

The Praying Church ~ Scripture: Acts 12:5-17

 Crisis

• The church was facing persecution
• James had been beheaded
• Peter had been arrested

Church Prays

• Church gathered in Mary's house to pray
• Good when the church comes together to pray
• Had they prayed when James was taken?
• Why was that prayer not answered as they wanted?
• Ours is not to question the will of God, ours is to pray
• Prayed Earnestly - With Much Fervor/Persistence

God Answers

• While they were praying Peter is freed
• Church did not believe that God had answered their prayers
• Sometimes the answer to our prayers is standing at the door knocking
• Pray expecting that God will answer

A Growing Church - Acts 2:40-47

v 41 - 3000 were added to their number

v 47 - The Lord added to their number daily 

Why/How did this happen?

3000 added

All the disciples went to the streets to witness

People were amazed/asked, “What does this mean?”

Peter preached

3000 believed his message and were baptized

Church went from 120 to 3120

And the Lord added daily to their number

They were devoted to do:

• Teaching
• Fellowship
• Worship
• Sacrificial giving
• Meeting the needs of people/ministry

The Lord added to their number daily

Partnership between God and us!

A Picture of Grace - Jonah 3

Jonah is a book about grace

Jonah is a book about outreach

Jonah is a book about repentance

Grace - God loved the Ninevites

• Jonah did not love the Ninevites
• 4:2 –For God so loved the Church…
• “For God so loved the world…”

Outreach -God’s love and God’s grace initiate outreach

• God wanted the Ninevites to know
• Pew Report
• God sends His word to Jonah to “Go”

Response to the Word –

• They believed  - 3:5
• They repented - 3:10

The Ninevites are saved

• because of God’s Grace
• because of their response
• because Jonah shared the word with them