The Basics of Life - A New Worship (Part 1)

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A New Worship (Part 1)

John 4:5-24

5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 A woman of 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.

9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

1.         Last week we talked about archeology, and the cool fact that not a single biblical reference has been disproved by archeology (pretty good record!)

a.    Well there’s another interesting fact that archeology has unearthed: Every ancient civilization that has been discovered/unearthed worshiped something.

b.    Whether its the Aztec’s worship of the sun God (Huitzilopochtli), the Roman gods, Stonehenge, apparently there were no atheists in the ancient world!

c.    Some would say the reason is that “humans have always needed a crutch,” they need something to explain the world around them, why it exists, how it come to be.

d.    (which I find to be interesting in that even ancient, supposedly “ignorant” people understood that our world couldn’t have just sprung up from nothing, there had to be a creator.  Apparently we needed to become much smarter to determine that there isn’t a creator!).

2.         Here’s my theory:   “Humans need a relationship with their creator,” which is why, in the absence of worshipping the true God, they will worship something.

Our Hope - Romans 8:18-29

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 “Our Hope”

Romans 8:18-29

When I was a young boy, one of things I looked forward to the most was going to “Uncle Rogers.”  See, my cousins lived on a farm, and whenever my dad took us for a weekend, I knew that weekend would be filled with AWESOMENESS: Exploring the woods, playing army, riding motorcycles, hunting, and fishing. Man, it was heaven for an eight-year-old boy! It took about two hours to drive there from our home, and the entire time I would be so excited, it felt like I was going to jump out of my skin!  Every week, I would wait anxiously to find out if we were going to Uncle Rogers, because I knew that no matter what problems I had that week, what bully picked on me, not matter how lame school was, some magical things were going to happen that weekend!  I looked forward to it. 

Roman’s chapter 8 paints a similar picture, when Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Vs 18).  See saints, while this world may throw rocks at us from time to time, something better is coming, Heaven! 

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1.         One of the thorniest questions that Christians face is, "Why do Christians suffer? “

a.    Why does a God of love and power permit his loved ones to go through any anguish here on the earth?"

b.    You’d think that our Heavenly Father would put some type of protective shield (bubble-wrap kid) around us so that we’d never have to suffer.

c.    Fact is many of us have suffered through trials, or have watched a loved one suffer, and so you’ve felt the full force of that question…  WHY?

Its all Good - Romans 8:26-37

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Overcoming Depression Part 3

“It’s All Good”

Romans 8:28-37

Have you ever read the account of Joseph in Genesis (starting in chapter 41)?  Young Joseph is the ‘favorite’ of his dad Isaac, but he ends up having one bad thing after another happen to him.  He finally ends up an an Egyptian jail, under false charges.  There is a glimmer of hope as a cupbearer promises to remember him when he gets out, but of course he forgot!

1.         That account is a setup for our message today, because we could all relate to Joseph at some point in our life.

a.    When it seems like everything is working against us.  Nothing is going our way. 

b.    And we wonder, "can anything good come from this?"

2.         There are some times in our life when bad things happen, and we can see the good that came out of it.

a.    There are other times when bad things happen, and maybe we don’t see the good, but we trust that something good surely will come from it...

b.    Then there the those times when when something hits us right between the eyes, - trial- travesty - tragedy - and we think to ourselves “NOTHING good will come of this at all!”

3.         And the question always comes up in our mind “What is God doing?  How could God let this happen? Is He even paying attention?

a.    The answer to that question is yes, but we have to realze that sometimes there's a bigger picture, a greater good in motion.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Overcoming Depression Part 2 - The Material World - Romans 8:3-17

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Overcoming Depression – Part 2 “Material World”

Romans 8:3-17

Back in 1984 the singer Madonna released a song titled “Material Girl”

They can beg and they can plead

But they can't see the light, that's right

'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash

Is always Mister Right, 'cause we are

Living in a material world

And I am a material girl

You know that we are living in a material world

And I am a material girl

1.         Catchy tune, and it was a hit because it resonated with the essence of our world:

a.    “Hey you’ve got to live this life to the fullest, cause this is all there is!”

b.    It describes the deep human need for fulfillment, to find happiness, and peace.

c.    The only problem is that they’re looking in the wrong places.. (lookin for love in all the wrong places!)

2.         See, as Christians, those “in Christ,” we know that this world isn't all there is. 

a.    We know there’s an eternity waiting for us, it is our blessed hope.

b.    But until that eternity comes, we’re stuck here in this place… this material world.

3.         Now, last week we learned that there are three prime culprits that get us feeling down and depressed:

a.    Haunted by something from our past

b.    Weighed down by something in our present

c.    Anxious about something in our future

4.         We learned that when you’re haunted by the past, when those depression bombs start going off in your mind,

a.    You have an arsenal of your own, the powerful truth that “in Christ,” there is NO condemnation! (none, zero, not one bit!)

5.         This week we’re going to learn how to respond when we’re weighed down with something in our present…

a.    Today we’re going to look at one of the ways Christians to lose their peace, and that’s when we “walk according to the flesh”

The Secret to Overcoming Depression - Romans 8:1-7

The Secret to Overcoming Depression

Romans 8:1-7

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1.         Don’t raise your hands, but has anyone ever struggled with depression, or you’ve known someone who has?

a.    NIH reports 2% of the population suffers from severe depression, and 16.5% some depression related disorder.

b.    It has touched almost every family in our country.

2.         In this chapter not only will we learn the final piece of Gods plan to walking in victory, we’re also going to learn the secret to overcoming depression!

3.         See, depression stems from one of three areas:

a.    1 - We’re haunted by something from our past, something we've done, or something that was done to us.

b.    2 - We’re weighed down by something in our present, some heavy situation, a trial, or some sin we're dealing with

c.    3 - We’re anxious about something in our future

4.         In this chapter we’re going to learn that God is sovereign over ALL of these areas of our life:  past, present, future!

Who will Save Us? Romans 7:8-25

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Who will Save Us?

Romans 7:8-25

1.         Remember - Romans 6-7-8 is the key to overcoming sin

a.    Today is the day that Paul is going to reveal the final piece of that key

b.    But before we get there, he has a few final words about - THE LAW.

2.         What is “The Law?”

a.    Most people when they think of the law, think of the Ten Commandments (which Jesus summarized)

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.  Matthew 22:37-40

3.         True - if you love God, you won’t break the first four commandments,

a.    if you love others, your won’t break the last six!

b.    Love God, love others, who would get upset about those two statements?

4.         But people do get uptight about the Ten Commandments

Mr Perfect Must Die - Romans 7:1-6

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Mr Perfect Must Die

Romans 7:1-6

There was once a woman that was a perfectionist in everything she did, and so prayed “Lord, please send me the perfect man.”  And the Lord answered her prayer.

One evening a young man knocked on the door, politely asked if he could speak to the young women, and she first laid eyes on him, she knew “this is my perfect man!”

Romans 6:12-23 - We Are Free!

We Are Free

Romans 6:12-23

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1.         Last week we learned some powerful truths:

a.    When a person enters into a relationship with Jesus Christ, that person is born into a new reality:  An eternal link to Jesus Christ.

b.    Because of that relationship with Christ, everything that is Christ’s is now available to that new Christian

c.    Christ died, we died, and thus sin no longer has any power over the Christian.

d.    Christ lives, we live;  The  Christian has been given new life, they’re alive to God!

e.    The Christian has been set free from the bondage of sin, and the bondage of the law!

2.         Last week: "Sin is dead!"

3.         This week: We are free!

4.         It’s critical that the Christian not only KNOW these things, but that we accept them as FACTS, and walk in FAITH based on these facts

a.    Remember what happens when Faith takes his eyes off of Fact!

b.    We have a NEW REALITY “in Christ” and we can now walk in that new reality!

c.    That’s why Paul tells us...

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:1-14 - Sin is Dead

Sin is Dead

Romans 6:1-14

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1.         Question:  Have you ever had sin that you couldn’t overcome?

2.         These next three chapters are the most powerful sections of scripture when it comes to overcoming sin.  

3.         See in the context of what we learned in chapters 1-5:

a.    Chapter 1-5 helped us understand the positional truth of justification,

i.      in 6-8 we’ll learn the practical truth of sanctification

b.    1-5 taught us we were dead IN sin,

i.      6-8 teaches us we are now dead TO sin.

c.    1-5 taught us we were free from the penalty of sin;

i.      6-8 teaches us we are free from the power of sin.

4.         Chapters 6, 7 & 8 will teach us three important truths:

a.    Through Christ, the power that sin had over us has been broken

b.    Through Christ, we’ve been released from the bondage of the law

c.    Through Christ, we’ve been given the Spirit of the Living God to guide us, to help us, and the reveal to us God’s love for us!

5.         These truths that we’re about to learn are so important for the Christian, especially the new Christian, because all too often, Christians try to fight sin by saying “no, no, no!”

a.    Guess what, that only works for a short time – eventually our willpower weakens, and we give in…

b.    Paul is going to teach us a new way:   “Know, know, know!”

5:20 But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord 6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

The Great Exchange - Romans 5:6-20

The Great Exchange

Romans 5:6-20

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1.         One of my favorite movies is Act of Valor, which is about a team of Navy Seals that goes after a terrorist group.

a.    And while there are some really cool scenes of firefights (the riverboat scene is, to me, one of the top ten action scenes ever filmed!)

b.    The underlying theme of the movie the valor of the men, and how they’re willing to go to any length to complete their mission.

d.    Without hesitation, Lt Rourke jumps on the grenade, shielding his teammates from the effects of the blast, giving his life to save his team.  

e.    Truly an act of valor!

2.         But what about the bad guys?  Well, they are summarily gunned down, because, hey, they’re bad guys!

a.    If that grenade had accidentally bounced into the group of terrorists, I doubt LT Rourke would’ve jumped on it!  (“well, that was helpful..”)  

3.         That’s what Paul is saying here:  There are a few people, not many, that would give their life to save a family member, a loved one, a friend, a comrade…

a.    But who would sacrifice himself to save a terrorist, or a criminal?

b.    There is one - Jesus!  In an unprecedented demonstration of love, Jesus gave His life to save sinners!

c.    He died to save the terrorist, the mass murderer, the child molester – and yes, you and me!

The Promise - Romans 4:13-25

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“It’s all about Faith”

The Promise

Romans 4:13-25

What is a promise?

1.         A promise is a commitment to do something, or not do something.

a.    “I promise I’ll come pick you up for church.”

b.    “I promise not to leave you..."

c.    It's a commitment.

2.         In legal terms, an exchange of promises is legally enforceable; When you sign a contract, you're obligated to fulfill the terms of that contract.

a.    If you fail to fulfill the terms of that contract, you can be held legally liable. You may have to pay damages.

3.         We’ve all made promises, hopefully we’ve kept our promises, but if we’re honest, we’d all have to admit that we’ve made promises we didn’t keep.

a.    One man said: Promises are like babies:  easy to make, but they’re hard to deliver.

The Two Most Important Words in the Bible - Romans 3:1-26

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The Two Most Important Words in the Bible

Romans 3:1-26

1.         Earlier this year a study was released by the Australian National University on the effects of smoking.  The study found:

a.    Two thirds of deaths in current smokers can be attributed to tobacco use

b.    Smoking reduces life expectancy by 10 years

c.    Light smokers also face double risk of early death

2.         In response to this study, the tobacco industry released a statement:

“These findings, haven’t been substantiated by our own research.”

3.         In a similar fashion, people will often put up a smokescreen when asked about their eternal destination …

a.    “I believe in God… I’ve been good… I’ve tried to live a good life…”  would be the typical response...

4.         But Paul has blown away that smokescreen, being the equal opportunity offender:

a.    The immoral person:  You’re guilty of sin and deserve judgment!

b.    The moral person:  You’re guilty of sin and deserve judgment!

c.    The legalist:  You’re guilty of sin and deserve judgment!

d.    Even the Jew, who have the law and the prophets: You’re guilty of sin and deserve judgment!

5.         Harsh stuff? We need to realize that Paul isn’t on a mission to destroy people, or drive them into depression…

a.    “I’m such a terrible person, I should just slit my wrists and end it all!”

b.    No Paul is leading up to something, something big, something important that he wants the reader to understand.

6.         Paul is like a prosecutor in a courtroom, taking the jury on a journey of facts leading up to the closing argument.

a.    In his closing argument Paul will reveal what may be the two most important words in the bible. (Want to know what they are? I'll tell you a little later!

b.    But in the lead up to his closing argument, Paul poses some rhetorical questions, questions that he perceives the reader may ask, and then he proceeds to answer those questions:

The Problem with Legalism - Roman's 2:17-29

The Problem with Legalism

Romans 2:17-29

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1.         So far Paul has offended two groups of people:

a.    The immoral person

b.    The moral person

c.    Paul - the equal opportunity offender!

d.    Paul now turns his attention to the to the legalist.

2.         What is legalism?

le·gal·ism - excessive adherence to law or formula, dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith.

a.    Legalism can be very appealing to people that like structure, who like order, people that like to know where lines are so they don't cross them. 

3.         However Paul does have a significant concern with this form of religious practice;

a.    He has a concern for the person that believes they can earn their acceptance with God based on who they are, or what they do.

b.    It is religious performance, scrupulous and meticulous in its outward form, but inwardly, as Jesus described it, ‘filled with dead men’s bones.’

c.    I believe Paul is qualified to speak to this topic, as he was once very much a legalist, a Jewish Pharisee, the equivalent of being a religious lawyer.

We're All Guilty - Romans 2:1-16

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We’re All Guilty!

Romans 2:1-16

1.         Last week in Romans 1 Paul made a stinging indictment against blatant immorality;

a.    We learned that when a person or a culture rejects God, it begins a downward spiral of immorality, living life to fulfill the lust of their heart.

b.    Paul gave us a long and detailed list of the sins that would prevail, even being celebrated in that culture.

c.    And the reality is that we see these sins all around us – pick any news cycle and there are terrible acts of sin and immorality reported.

d.    Most people would agree:  Those who perpetrate these terrible acts are deserving of judgment!

2.         But, there is a catch to Paul’s argument, an exception, because some of us could say, “I know a person that while they aren't a Christian, they don't believe in God, they don’t go to church, they don’t read the bible…

a.    And yet they’re a good person.  They don’t lie, or cheat, or steal.

b.    They’ve never been mean to me, never yelled at me.  I couldn’t make one accusation against them.”

c.    What about that person?  Is God going to send that person to Hell?

The Power of God - Romans 1:8-18 Oct 6, 2013

The Power of God

Romans 1:8-17

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Power Video

Power / dunamis:   (miraculous) power, might, strength

ability to act or produce an effect

1.         These are things that wield great power, if a person from the first century AD were to see this video clip, it would be overwhelming at the power that now rests in the hands of men.

a.    But there is a greater power, not a power that lifts, or destroys, or swallows up star systems, but a power that has the ability to change a life.

b.    And  the Apostle Paul was eager to bring this power to the city of Rome.

Introduction to Romans - Romans 1:1-7

Introduction to Romans

Grace and Peace

Romans 1:1-7
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1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1.         Everyone is probably familiar with the phrase “all roads lead to Rome,” interestingly it’s a colloquialism that arose from a reality.

a.    During the first century, all roads did in fact lead to Rome!

b.    That was by design, and it indicated that Rome was the center of the known world, if not geographically, then in every other aspect.

c.    Rome was center of power for the Roman Empire, center of politics, finance, education, culture,

d.    To visit Rome was witness all of the splendor, pomp and circumstance that the world had to offer.

e.    To introduce yourself as hailing from Rome brought instant recognition and honor.

2.         Rome represented the finest that the world had to offer. However, Rome also had a problem:  She has lost her moral bearing, and she was rotting from within.

Outline of Romans

Overview of Romans

1.           Date Written: About 57-58 A.D.

2.           Written To: Christians at the church in Rome and future Bible readers.

3.           Landscape of the Book of Romans: Paul was in Corinth, on his way to Israel to deliver a collection for the poor in Jerusalem. He planned to visit the church in Rome on his way to Spain.

4.           Themes in the Book of Romans:

a.    Our natural inclination to sin separates us from God. We cannot make ourselves right or earn salvation on our own.

b.    In his loving kindness, God provided a way to redeem us through his Son Jesus Christ, who paid our sin-debt through his sacrificial death.

c.    By accepting Christ as Savior and believing in his atoning work, we are saved. Jesus' righteousness is credited to us.

d.    The Holy Spirit works in us to help us avoid sin and grow in holiness. God's grace, not keeping the law, makes us acceptable.

e.    God's plan is just and fair. Both Jews and Gentiles are eligible to come to Christ and receive salvation.

f.      Sincere service to Christ is an appropriate way to express our gratitude to God for his gift of salvation. When we work together with other members of the body of Christ, the church, we build each other up and give honor and glory to God.

5.           Outline of the Book of Romans:

a.    The gospel shows God's righteousness - Romans 1:1-17.

b.    God's wrath against sin is just - Romans 1:18-3:20.

c.    God has a plan of salvation - Romans 3:21-4:25.

d.    Our faith brings hope - Romans 5:1-8:39.

e.    God provides for Israel and the Gentiles - Romans 9:1-11:36.

f.      Paul gives instructions for everyday living - Romans 12:1-15:13.

g.    Paul tells his plan to spread the gospel - Romans 15:14-16:23.

h.    The closing sums up the gospel - Romans 16:25-27.

6.           The book of Romans is the Apostle Paul's masterpiece, a carefully constructed summary of Christian theology. Romans explains God's plan of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. Divinely inspired, Paul passed on truths that are followed by believers to this day.