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Numbers
13:1-33
The Grapes of Eshcol
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1
John 4:7-21 Living in
Love!
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1
Cor 2:6-16 In
Spirit and Truth Christians
should be unashamed when it comes to the gospel we preach because we do
speak a message of wisdom among the mature. Outline:
We should be unashamed because we speak a message of wisdom among
the mature in faith, the mature in knowledge, and the mature in
practice. Believers
possess a wisdom that far surpasses any wisdom this world has to offer,
and this is recognized by those who are mature (those who possess true
discernment). Though
the world would have Christians believe that our faith is unfounded, it
is the world’s wisdom and the wise of the world who are fruitless and
futile. God’s
truth is not understood or accepted by the world because it is higher
than the wisdom of man.
The
nature of the wisdom spoken by the Apostles is of a different quality
than that spoken by the world today.
It is “spiritual”. The
world may claim that Christians are shallow and there is not much depth
to us, but we speak of the “deep” truths of God. Only
those who possess the Spirit are able to discern and accept matters of
spiritual significance. Psalm
145 One
of the qualities of the great men of God is that they follow through
with what their hearts intend, and what their lips utter. In
this Psalm, David displays his dedicated commitment to praising the Lord
through worship by participating in the perpetual praise of the Lord by
lifting up the name of the Lord according to his matchless attributes
and works! David
praises the Lord for his Greatness, his Goodness, and his Guarantee.
Though his Greatness is beyond our understanding, we are to
proclaim it through his works and deeds which lead toward the
understanding of his goodness (graciousness) and righteousness. We
are not only to participate in the worship and praise of the Lord, but
to call on others in our generation and in generations to come to praise
him along with us.
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1 Cor 1:17-31 The Message of the CrossBPC 8/24/03 AM Service It’s
important that the church makes the most important thing the most
important thing. The
glory of God’s people belongs in the gospel (the Cross of Christ)! Outline:
The SUPREMACY of the GOSPEL, The CENTRICITY of the GOSPEL, The
UNITY of the GOSPEL The
simple truth of the gospel SAVES in a way nothing else can. There
are some things only the gospel can provide the answer to and fix. No matter what other religions, philosophies, or disciplines pretend to be able to do, they cannot and will not produce what the gospel does. They do not draw men closer to God and they do not remove guilt and free a man from the bondage of sin. No
matter what the methods, the means, or the motives of others who espouse
that which is in conflict with the gospel, God will not ultimately allow
them to succeed. EVERY
Believer CAN tell U: In
Christ, & thru the Cross… their Every Need is Met! §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Love §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Forgiveness
& Reconciliation §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Relationship
& Belonging §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Wisdom §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Humility §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Purpose §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Direction §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Transformation
§
Thru the Cross, we Find: Peace §
Thru the Cross, we Find: Hope The
focus of the church, of our lives, our ministries and our conversations
is to be on Christ and the message of the cross. The
paradoxes of the cross are confusing and make no sense to the world. §
“to be SAVED by one who could not save himself.” §
“to TRUST in one who was condemned & crucified as a
criminal, a man of low birth and poor
condition in life, & cut off by so vile & gruesome a death! §
JUSTIFIED by one who himself was condemned” §
MADE RIGHTEOUS by one who died as a sinner/criminal” §
FELLOWSHIP w/ GOD thru a MAN” §
BECOME GREAT by becoming a Servant” §
BE BLESSED by being MEEK” §
FIND EVERYTHING by GIVING ALL YOU HAVE AWAY” §
PERSEVERE at times by ACTING CONTRARY to our own Thoughts/
Feelings, etc.) The
cross is the POWER of God: §
that provides the salvation we need §
that frees us from guilt & condemnation, & fr. the bondage
of Sin & Satan; §
that strengthens us to walk in humility, holiness, &
righteousness of life, §
that gives that “blessed assurance” that nothing else can
give The
cross is the WISDOM of God the
way of Salvation that the world will never know the
ANSWER/SOLUTION to our Sin & Misery, to our Guilt & Pain, Understanding
the Spiritual as well as the Physical, Understanding
the People & World around us, Enables
us to Sleep in Peace at Night, to
Live Expectantly/Joyfully during day, Grow
in Holiness & Maturity, to
Rear our Children Successfully, to
Keep our Families together, to Prove to be such Valuable Workers to those whom we serve, etc.
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Isaiah 63:7-9 BPC 8/17/03 AM Service (following Deacon Ordination/Installation) There
is no better example to look to when it comes to a ministry of mercy and
deeds of compassion and service than the model set forth by our Savior,
Jesus Christ! Because
the Lord has historically shown how to provide for his people, we will
do well to reflect upon his ways! (His Mercies, His Motives, His
Ministry) Like
Jesus, we are to be FULL of love, compassion, mercy, etc. toward others. The
Ministry of mercy is not hard, it involves loving and showing genuine
concern and compassion to others, but it requires a heart of compassion
and service! Thinking
of others in the church as “my people” will lead toward more
compassion and mercy toward them, for we are always more willing to lend
a helping hand to those we have something in common with, especially
those we feel close to and responsible for. We must
identify with others by personally participating in their troubles and
tribulation.
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Luke 16:1-15 BPC8/9/03 PM Service As
stewards and managers of the gifts and opportunities the Lord has given
us, we should not waste them. You
and I must not waste, but be wise with the use of our worldly wealth! God
is interested even in how we handle the little things that we have been
given. We
must prepare for the future by using what we have now. There
is an undeniable relationship between how we use the things of this
earth, and eternity. If
you want to be commended by God, then you need to use your worldly
possessions to prepare for your future (eternal) while there is time. We
must not only guard against worldly wisdom and ways in what we do with
our wealth, but must make use of our wealth in view of our
accountability and opportunities before God. You
should not expect God to enrich you with eternal blessings unless you
prove trustworthy with worldly possessions. We cannot have it both ways! We cannot serve both God and Mammon (the things of this world).
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Matt 13:47-50 BPC8/2/03 AM Service Jesus
in this passage is proclaiming justice to the nations.
In the same way that fishermen eventually pull in their nets and
sort the fish separating the good from the bad, there will be a
separation, and punishment for the wicked at the end of the age!
Heaven and hell are a reality! Jesus says: Our actions do have consequences! Since
Justice is on the horizon, we must pay attention to the times.
(the times in which we live, the time that is to come, and the
time in which the wicked will receive their just reward.) During
this age, all the fish dwell together (the good and the bad), but that
will not always be the case. A
time is coming when Christ through his angels will separate the good
from the bad (righteous from the wicked). Justice is
coming to the nations (all together and one person at a time!)
There
is coming a day of justice and judgment!
You better be prepared! There
is going to be an excruciating eternity of pain & punishment for
those who fail to repent & turn from their ways to Christ! Luke 17:7-10 BPC8/2/03 PM Service It’s
easy to not think rightly concerning one’s relationship with God and
others. The
sin of pride, the lack of humility, the ease with which we allow
ourselves to become entangled with other duties, or that which keeps us
from our primary duties, … all for a part of the problem Jesus is
Addressing in this passage. Christ’s
disciples are to be different! We
are to possess a different attitude and spirit, and we are to keep the
Lord’s work as first and foremost on our minds! Outline:
Christ’s Servants are to Be Different!
They are to Remember their Relationship & Never Reverse the
Roles. They are to Do Their
Duty
& Never Act as if They are Owed Anything.
They are to Serve in Full Obedience & even then, never to
Claim Special Honors or the Need for Reimbursement God,
in Covenanting & Redeeming us has called us to love him with all our
heart, mind, soul and strength. It
must be remembered that our
all belongs to him! Even
after we have done our duty, we remain in a servant relationship with
the Lord. We
are not to think that God is indebted to us when we serve him, for God
never puts himself in the place of a debtor, but freely gives to those
to whom he pleases. God
is not a dog that can be mastered, but a master to whom full obedience
is demanded. Do
not confuse merit and rewards. |
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More
Sermon Quotes (April 03 - July 03)
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